Harry walked in to see everyone sitting in a horseshoe chatting to the people around them. Harry looked to see who had come. All of the Weasleys were there, even George although he was sat on his own in the shadow of the corner. Next to the Weasleys was Kingsley and Professor McGonagall who was quietly talking to Professors Flickwit and Sprout. However Horace Slughorn was nowhere to be seen. The other side of the teachers was the remaining few of the order. The number of them surprised Harry as there was very few of them left. Finally sitting on the floor near the Weasleys was Neville and Luna. Neville was in conversation with Ginny and she was smiling as she listened to whatever Neville was saying. Harry felt the green eyed monster creep back, he wanted to be the one talking to her and making her feel better not Neville.
Hermione and Ron walked towards Harry holding hands." Ready?" asked Hermione. "As I ll ever be, what about you two?"
"No way mate but I guess I ll never be"
"Well in that case let s get this over with"
They walked over to the front of the room where three bean bags had been place. Harry dropped into one and sat there as the room quickly quietened until you could hear a pin drop. They all waited for one of the golden trio to make the first sound.
"So... um... thanks for coming, I guess. I asked that you be here because I trust you and well... I think you deserve to know the proper truth not what will be going in the papers"
"What harry means to say is anything you hear in this meeting can't be public knowledge. Some of the secrets that V Voldemort had are so dark that it could be a risk to all of humanity" added Hermione.
"Of course, you can trust us, completely Harry. We won t tell a soul" Professor McGonagall reassured them.
"Ok so I guess we will star at the beginning..."
He told them about when Tom Riddle was a boy and how Dumbledore met him and took him away to Hogwarts. Then about him discovering about horcruxes but he left out that it was Slughorn that had told him as Harry suspected he had already known. Everyone sat in awed silence but they had disgusted expressions on their faces. After a while of speaking Hermione took over explaining about their first, second, third and fourth year. There was not as much to say because nearly all of them already knew about it. Harry picked up the story from the graveyard where Tom had killed Cedric. He used my blood to make a new him. Before he was like a really wrinkly old baby, it's hard to explain and by using my blood he had tied himself to me even more. Then after that it felt like he was everywhere. It was weird and my scar hurt all of the time. He used me." Harry admitted ashamedly. I couldn't tell what was real and what was fake and I didn't want Sirius to die" He told them about the prophecy and what it meant. "So in the end I knew that one of us would have to kill the other." Harry looked down at the floor and pause letting everything sink in.
Everyone looked at Harry sadly, knowing that he blamed himself for Sirius death as well as everyone else'. Starting again he began to describe his sixth year and his private lessons. Hermione and Ron added in bits that he had forgotten. Then when Harry told how Dumbledore had died the women began to cry and the men did their best to comfort them whilst holding back their own tears.
After a small pause Hermione started to speak giving Harry a break. Ron had said little but was worrying about the part which was coming up, when they tell everyone that he ran away. Between the two of them they told the whole tale of what the task Dumbledore had asked them to do. From staying in Grimmauld to camping in the wood and going to Godrics Hollow where Nagini had attacked Harry and breaking into Gringotts. At that point Bill interrupted, "Don't worry Harry I'll have a word, make sure you can get your money leave it with me and there are also some more things to go over but it can wait."
"Thanks Bill"
They glossed over Remus' visit and Ron disappearing which immediately made Ron relax. He knew then that he had been completely forgiven. Ron even went on and described what had happened to him and Hermione during the battle, something which Harry had been quite interested in and then it was Harrys turn.
Harry gulped, "So I went to see the ghost of Ravenclaw. Turns out she was Rowena s daughter who was killed by the Bloody Baron and well like Ron said we destroyed it in the room of requirement and as we did I kinda got a vision of Nagini so I knew it was supposed to be the last one and we went off to kill him. Harry took a deep breath and told them all of Snapes brutal murder.
"He was a bloody traitor, he deserved it" Everyone looked at McGonagall shocked but she carried on regardless. "Well you didn't see what was happening at Hogwarts. We couldn't keep the students safe. I couldn't do anything. It was all down to the Carrows for punishment. He is a disgrace to the name of wizard." Harry looked over at Ginny, Neville and Luna. Neville had one arm around Luna and his other hand clamped on Ginny s knee. She looked deathly pale and huge tears rolled down her cheeks. Harry wished again that he could comfort her.
"NO" Harry said loudly. Interrupting the furious chatter around him. They all turned shocked.
"He didn't betray us," Harry said quieter.
"Harry he..."
"No he didn't kill Dumbledore."
"But Harry you saw him" Everyone looked him like he was mental.
"I know but it wasn't like that. Snape gave me his memories and anyway Dumbledore was cursed by Riddles ring and he was dying. You saw his hand and Dumbledore asked him to kill him instead of dying slowly. He didn't want to do it."
"But he still did" said Hermione.
"He had to he made the unbreakable vow with Narcissa to protect Draco and Draco couldn't do it so he did"
"Wow. Now I feel awful" Everyone nodded but those who had been at Hogwarts.
"It still doesn't excuse what Hogwarts was like." said McGonagall fiercely.
Harry nodded uncommitted. "Has anyone got his body from the shrieking shack?"
"Yes he is with the other death eater bodies in the dungeons"
"He needs a proper burial"
"You can organise it then Mr Potter"
"Fine, I will" Harry replied angrily.
"Shall we continue?" Kingsley added trying to calm everyone down.
"Yes. See also in his memory he told me that I was the final Horcrux"
Everyone looked horrified and gasped. A chorus of 'Merlin', 'oh Harry' and 'Bloody hell' could be heard.
"So I walked to the forest and... and I realised I wasn't as scared of dying as I first thought. After a while I found him and... he...he killed me." Tears slipped from Harrys eyes and he looked over at Ginny and his adoptive family. Ginny was being hugged by Charlie and Molly was sobbing into Arthurs shoulder.
"I came back around and Tom was on the floor as well and he pushed Bellatrix out of the way and sent Narcissa over to me. She could tell I was alive but she wanted to get back to Draco so she said I was dead and the rest, well, you know..."
He had purposely left out the bits about his parents and Dumbledore. They were his own private moments which he treasured. Maybe he would tell Ginny about them one day if she would let him but he didn't even want to tell Ron and Hermione. After a few moments of silence Kingsley said," Thank you all of you. Of course we are going to censor all of that for the prophet. I will see to it personally"
"Thanks Kingsley" replied Ron.
Mrs Weasley pulled all three of them into a bone breaking hug. "I am so proud of all three of you, I can't even think of what you have done"
"Stop Mum we are here, we are back" "That s right" agreed Harry and Hermione.
"So that s the end of this meeting, I think we should meet again and we can go over everything but that will be after the funerals." Announced Kingsley.
"Yes and um... well... F-Fred s will be the day after tomorrow so you re all welcome, yes" Arthur hugged Molly from behind as he said it and she leant against them. "You can stop for tea if you wish but I know it's late."
"No its ok I think we will all be going, see you soon"
Everyone left slowly after saying lengthy goodbyes to the trio and eventually only the Weasleys plus Hermione and Harry were left. "Supper anyone?"
"Yes please" chorused everyone but Harry, "actually Molly if you don't mind, could I just go to bed?"
"Of course dear if you re not hungry"
"No I'm fine, just tired"
All the talking had certainly tired him out and he had had a couple of sandwiches at Andis' so he wasn't really that hungry. He reached the room Ron and he was sharing and entered. Ron had done a good job tidying and had even fixed Harrys camp bed. Infect the whole house was nearly back to normal. He picked up his clothes and rucksack which Hermione had placed on the bed and put them on the floor. He would ask Ron for half of a draw tomorrow. Then he changed into a holey t-shirt and checked pyjama bottoms and climbed into bed. Taking off his glasses, he yawned and flicked his wand to turn out the lights. Soon after he was asleep. What a day!
Please tell me what you think; I'm really interested in your opinions because I'm still not sure if it is any good :L