Disclaimer: You know the drill, anything I don't own belongs to JK Rowling. Enjoy!
The minute they entered St. Mungo's, they were accosted by an irate Ginny. Harry stepped in front of Ron and Teddy who had Albus suspended between them. He didn't want her to get hysterical; he was hysterical enough for the both of them. Her hair was flying away from her ponytail and her face was white and blotchy. She was clutching a handkerchief and reminded Harry forcefully of Mrs. Weasley who was standing a few feet behind her. "What happened to constant updates?" she asked hoarsely. "Where is he?"
"There-there was a . . . a-" Ginny huffed in irritation and pushed her husband aside. What little color had been in her face quickly drained.
"He's not dead Gin," Ron hastened. "Listen, do you have a room ready? He needs a healer now." Ginny nodded mutely, beginning to walk swiftly down the corridor. Despite his worry, Harry was a bit awed by Ginny. She had not only secured a room; she also had the best healers on standby, something that was not supposed to be possible. To his intense relief and amazement, Arsenius was standing outside the door, talking with one of the healers. Upon seeing them, the healers swept into action, getting Albus into a bed quickly. Harry was forced into a chair outside the door along with the rest of the family.
"What happened," Ginny asked quietly, resting a hand on her husband's shoulder. Her angry diatribe could wait; he didn't look like he could take it at the moment.
"It was, it was a potion," he began shakily, forcing himself to look up at Ginny and then at Arsenius. "The Parvulus Draught. What is it Arsenius? Can it be reversed? Please, tell me it can. Tell me he didn't kill himself to save me." The usually stalwart auror broke down, burying his head in his hands and sobbing uncontrollably. Ginny bent down and wrapped her arms around him, her heart melting.
"The Parvulus Draught? How in the bloody hell did they get hold of that?" Arsenius exploded, running his hand over his face.
"What does it do?" Ron asked. He had his arm wrapped around Hermione.
"Well, basically, it takes the drinker back to infancy. His body stays the same, for all intents and purpose unharmed, but his brain regresses and has to get built up again."
"So it will take nineteen years for him to get back to normal?" Ginny asked, looking up at Arsenius pleading.
"No, it's worse. The potion is slow-acting after the initial regression. That's the genius of the potion, it builds the person up again, just really slowly so once his brain gets back up to about age five, his body dies." Arsenius explained, pacing. Harry looked up.
"I've ruined his life," he exclaimed hysterically. "I-I-I"
"Shh," Ginny soothed. "Is there antidote?"
"Well, as a matter of fact, I'm experimenting with one. Albus actually helped me on it. It's still experimental but, as far as I know, it's the only hope."
"What is it?" Hermione asked.
"Since the potion is building him up anyway, it stands to reason that-"
"You just up the dosage," Hermione finished. "It's like treating snake bites, the treatment is a bit of the venom."
"Exactly. Now it's not a sure thing but I wouldn't suggest trying it unless I thought it would work." Arsenius looked between both Harry and Ginny.
"What happens if it doesn't work?" Ginny asked quietly.
"Worst case scenario, he dies," Arsenius answered bluntly. "But I don't think that will happen. The question I have is how fast we can get it to work. I don't want to make the mistake of too much overload too quickly. If you like, I can go brew some right now. Do you want to try this?" Ginny and Harry looked at each other questioningly. As if reading the other's mind, they both nodded. As soon as Arsenius left, Harry's temporary veneer of composure crumbled again. He fell against Ginny, his body wracked with sobs.
"What happened, shh, shh, what happened?"
"They, they had him in the basement of this house. They said they wanted my life in exchange for him but before, bef-f-fore I could do anything they, they tortured him and I couldn't take it. I-I-I lost the u-u-upper hand. It's all my fault. They, they gave him a choice, d-d-drink the potion or-or watch m-m-me die. They said if I did anything they would kill him on the spot. I didn't know if I would be able to act fast enough to g-g-g-get all three before-it's all m-m-my fault. I've ruined him Ginny I-"
"Shh, it will all be alright, shh, just cry," Ginny soothed, running her fingers through his hair. She understood that this was the embodiment of his worst nightmare. All the anger she had for him melted away and she saw him, once again as the boy she had fallen in love with, the boy with the world on his shoulders. Her protective instincts kicked in and, after his sobs had subsided, she led him to the spare bed in Albus' room and forced him to take a sleeping draught. The minute he fell asleep, she collapsed as well. James rushed forward and caught her before she fell. She cried violently into his shirt.
It didn't seem fair. They had been through this before, waiting in hospital rooms. They had fought, they had lost those they loved, but that was over. They had lost Fred; Teddy had lost his parents. They had lost Mad-Eye, Sirius, Dumbledore. The danger was supposed to have passed. Ginny wasn't supposed to have to worry about her children like her own mother had.
When Arsenius returned in the wee hours of the morning, the entire Weasley family was waiting for him. Harry had awoken and he and Ginny were sitting on either side of Albus, James standing behind his mother, a hand on her shoulder. The healers had confirmed Arsenius' diagnosis. He was fine physically but had the brain of a two-month-old. They had given him a sleeping draught, afraid that the family wouldn't be able to take his waking up . . . Arsenius was carrying a vile of liquid that looked very similar to the one Madhavi had given Albus only hours before.
"Now the amounts of the ingredients that cause the re-building have been increased. I started out fairly conservatively and we'll see where it goes. My hope is to get him back to normal in a few months but it will be slow going even in the best-case scenario." He explained. He flicked his wand and a large tube attached itself to Albus' arm, much like a muggle IV. He then began feeding the draught through the tube. The family watched as it entered Albus. Now all they could do was wait.
The transformation was subtle. Not wanting to alarm anyone, the healers kept Albus heavily sedated, checking his progress periodically. At first, it crept at a snails pace before Arsenius struck a proper balance. By the end of the week, Albus was progressing at about two years a week. Though the Weasleys visited often, the bulk of the family went back to their lives, convinced that Albus would be alright. Even Ginny managed to finish an assignment. Harry on the other hand was fixated. Despite Ginny's, Hermione's and Ron's assurances to the contrary, he still believed himself at fault. If only had acted sooner, stunning them as soon as he got through the door. If only he had grabbed Albus and . . . The list went on and on, driving Harry mad.
The only other thing Harry thought about was Rabastan Lestrange. His best aurors were working personally on finding him and, Robards assured Harry, they would get him soon. Harry fantasized about what he would do to the rat, knowing in the back of his mind exactly what he should do. It was during one of these fits of imagination two weeks past the Mumbai Incidence as they called it, that Albus made his first appearance. Earlier that week, on Harry's suggestion, they began weaning him off of the sleeping draught.
Harry was staring out the window, his hands clasped behind his back when a whimper sounded behind him. He spun around to see Albus, his eyes wide with fear, clutching his blankets in his fists. "Al?" Harry questioned, a look of concern falling over his face.
"Daddy," Albus whispered, his 19-year-old face contorted in child-like fear. "I was so scared, so scared."
"What were you afraid of?" Harry asked, resting his hand on Albus' head. He had to remind himself that, though he didn't look it, Albus was four, he was four.
"There were these bad men and they, they pointed their wands at me and I was all alone and it was dark. I didn't know how to find you," fat tears spilled down his face. "I couldn't find Mum or Teddy or Uncle Ron or Aunt Hermione; I was all alone!"
"It's alright now Al; you're safe now." Harry sat on the side of the bed, Al resting his head on his chest, his long arms wrapping around Harry's middle. It was so strange, to feel needed again. It wasn't altogether unpleasant, Harry admitted guiltily. He drew soothing circles on Al's back, letting him cry.
"You wouldn't let anyone hurt me would you Daddy?"
"No Al, I would never let anyone hurt you." Harry felt like a knife was piercing his heart.
"Because you love me," Al stated.
"Yes because I love you. I love you more than the whole world plus a million."
"Do you love me more than James?" Harry chuckled, tears of nostalgia coming to his eyes.
"I love you all equally, you, James, and Lily."
"But who do you like best?" Al asked, swiveling his head to look up at his father.
"I even like you all equally. I like you in different ways."
"What way do you like me?"
"You're a lot like an old friend of mine, Remus."
"Teddy's daddy," Albus replied simply. Harry nodded.
"Yes, you're smart like he was and you always try to do the right thing. You're brave and honest-"
"Is that why you love me?" Harry shook his head.
"I loved you before I knew all of that. I loved you from the first moment I held you in my arms," Harry explained, his eyes beginning to water again. Albus had been so small, having come three weeks early. James had been a big baby and had come into the world screaming his lungs out. Albus though had been tiny, his head so small Harry could wrap his hand around it. After his initial scream, he had quieted and looked up at Harry. Though Molly Weasley insisted that babies that young couldn't be inquisitive, Harry had been sure, looking into his son's intense green eyes, that the cogs were working, even then.
"Do Daddy's have to love their babies?"
"Yes but you made it easy Al. You've always been such a good boy . . . Do you feel any better?" Albus nodded and let out a giant yawn. "You need to get some more rest okay Al.
"Will you stay right here incase I have a nightmare?"
"Yes, I'll be here. Don't worry. I won't leave you." Harry assured. Al nodded and snuggled into his covers. Harry sat beside him, stroking his hair softly. Perhaps this wasn't so bad after all.
The next months passed slowly, especially so when Albus hit his adolescent years. Harry could never know what Albus was feeling through his rehabilitation. Something told him he would never fully know. To the outside observer though, Albus was doing well. Harry decided to opt for blissful naiveté for the time being. Just before Albus was released from the hospital, Robards had personally caught Lestrange. "Not so brave now are we?" Harry growled, surveying Lestrange through narrowed eyes. They were in one of the interrogation rooms and Lestrange was chained to his chair. Harry felt an intense desire to beat him to a bloody pulp but something held him back.
"How's your son?" Lestrange asked in a sing-song voice.
"Fine actually, he's being released today," Harry replied evenly.
"What are you going to do to me Potter? Are you going to torture me, kill me?"
"No," Harry answered, surprising even himself. He knew the answer and it had comet to him clearly, as if he had always known what he would do. "I'm going to send you back to Azkaban where you will remain for the rest of your life. You can dwell on your life, a life in which you caused your only daughter to become a criminal. Do you know she went crazy in Azkaban, even with the Dementors gone? She's claustrophobic, you know. She went crazy within a week. You have that on your conscience. I on the other hand, am going to go home to my children and my wife and, I am quite happy to say, I will never have to see your ugly face again." With that said, he left the room and gave instructions to Robards to send him straight to the Maximum Security Ward of Azkaban to serve a life sentence.
By the time Lily came home, Albus' brain was back to normal. Unfortunately, the complete neurological reboot, had taken a lot of energy and, as a result, his body had relapsed. He found himself once again in a wheel chair, being looked over by his parents. Strangely, he felt better than he had the first time. While intensely embarrassed by his actions over the past few months, he had done what he'd done to save his father. He had done something manly and brave, qualities which had, up till then, seemed to elude him.
He contemplated all of this while on the platform, waiting for his baby sister to get off of the Hogwarts Express for the very last time. He felt so old! James stood a few feet away, heavily necking with Sophie. His parents stood together to his right, Ginny shooting Sophie glares every so often. Hermione was sobbing into Ron's shoulder and the rest of the Weasleys were standing in loosely formed groups, conversing casually. Rose was supposed to be coming any minute. As much as she had wanted to come and see him, she couldn't get away. As she was assured that Albus would be alright, she hadn't pushed the issue with her boss. It was just as well; the fewer people who had witnessed his re-aging, the better.
"Al!" an excited voice exploded from behind him. He swiveled around just in time to receive a bear hug from his favorite cousin. Her long red hair was pulled into a ponytail and she was wearing a knee length sun dress. She looked radiant. "I'm so glad you're okay! You're not allowed to do anything dangerous for a while."
"You don't have to worry about that, not with them," Albus pointed at his parents.
"How does it feel to be back in the chair?"
"Oh it's bloody brilliant," Albus replied sarcastically, punching her playfully on the shoulder. "It's better than having the mind of a two-year-old though so I suppose I can't complain."
"Understood. Oh Merlin Al, you scared me. I nearly lost my drinking buddy!" she grinned but Albus could see the hint of fear behind her eyes.
"You would have had to drink alone which would have been really pathetic," Albus put in. "How long are you home?"
"Two weeks," she answered.
"Wow, well that's good. It's getting really boring here."
"I can imagine. Are you still at home?" Albus shook his head.
"I'm living with James for the time being."
"James? The king of the bachelors is letting you live in his party flat?" Albus chuckled.
"He seemed really shaken up actually. He's never had to deal with death or anything, none of us have. Anyway, he's king of the bachelors no longer. Sophie has staked her territory."
"Really," Rose raised her eyebrows. "Are their wedding bells in the future?"
"Not yet and don't mention that to James. He'll most likely run for it if he so much as hears the word "marriage"."
"Well, how is that, living with James?"
"Tolerable. I mean we never had much in common but he's being nice enough and he hovers a lot less than Mum and Dad."
"I'm surprised they let you out of the house at all."
"I am too. Mum was against the whole thing from the beginning and sends a floo about every two seconds to make sure I haven't died or something. It was Dad's idea actually. He seems to think he needs to give me some space."
"It's about bloody time! I love your dad Albus, he's my godfather, but he needs to relax." Albus nodded. Harry pivoted on his heal and marched over to the two.
"I just thought I'd tell you that being ancient as I am does not prevent me from hearing every word you say." He was grinning but Rose blushed profusely anyway.
"Sorry Uncle Harry."
"It's okay, no harm no foul. How are you?" he asked, embracing his niece warmly.
"Good, glad to be home for a while."
"We're glad to have you back. Oh, and Al, your mother wanted me to ask you if you were feeling tired, if you needed to go home and lay down." Albus groaned and buried his head in his hands.
"You can tell Mum that I am perfectly alright," he said through gritted teeth. Harry laughed and tussled Albus' hair (which he promptly tried to flatten down). He turned and left the two in peace.
"So, what are you doing these days, other than fending off your mother that is?"
"I'm compiling the records we collected in Mumbai," Albus answered.
"That sounds exciting," Rose said sarcastically.
"It is! I mean, it's not as exciting as actually going through the books and probably not as exciting as International Journalism but it is exciting."
"Sure, sure whatever you say. Hey Al, did you finally get up the courage to ask out Liz?" Albus' face shaded, a guarded look sweeping over his features.
"No, I don't really think relationships are for me," he replied in a would-be casual voice.
"What do you mean?"
"Well, it didn't exactly turn out well last time did it?"
"What? Oh, you mean Madhavi? Well, that wasn't your fault. She was a manipulative little slut who tried to kill you."
"Exactly, and I didn't seen any of it so, obviously, my taste in women is not exactly reliable."
"Al, you can't cut yourself off like this!"
"I bloody well can," Al said in a low voice. "I' don't need a love life to be happy." He wheeled away from her up to Teddy and began a forced conversation. Rose looked on, bewildered. She had come expecting Albus to be in the same state of mind as he had been after coming back from Mumbai the first time. She had been pleasantly surprised to find him cheerful and, to her eyes at least, happy. She hadn't expected this and was disappointed to find her initial impression shot to smithereens. Of course, she should have expected it. Al had always been like this. He thought too much and blamed himself too much. The only question was, how she was going to rectify the situation.
A/N: So, I thought about killing Albus off but decided, ultimately, that things should turn out well in the end . . . sort of. This is the last chapter before the epilogue which should be coming somewhat soon. You knew everything couldn't be righted! Anywho, R&R!!!!!!!!!!
-Liz