Disclaimer: Does anyone even read these? Ah well, you all know the drill.

Awakening Reality

Harry followed the three men for a few minutes before the world unexpectedly changed around him. In the blink of an eye, he was standing in a small room of a small house with the three men. There was a cozy fire in the hearth and a comfy sofa set to sit on. A bookshelf stood in the corner though Harry couldn't read any titles from where he stood.

Harry looked to the men and saw they were all seated and watching him, waiting for him to sit. So he walked over and sat on the love seat across from them. A mug of cocoa appeared in front of his face floating. The whole situation seemed vaguely familiar to him and he realized that the cup was waiting for him to take it. The Dursley's popped into his head at that moment and he remembered why it was a familiar picture.

"Why am I here?" Harry asked the men as he took the mug. He took a careful sip and was delighted in the chocolaty taste.

"You are here Harry James because you are making a grave mistake," the man who helped him up said mysteriously.

"And that grave mistake would be? What?" Harry prompted. The three men glanced at each other. A flash of light appeared in front of each of them and when it faded each had an object in his hands. Harry recognized each.

"The Deathly Hallows," Harry whispered. "Then you three are…"

"Yes, Harry James. We are the Peverell brothers. The ones who attempted to cheat Death. I am Cadmus. I was the owner of the Resurrection Stone. This is Antioch, former owner of the Elder Wand, more commonly known as the Death Stick. Finally, your own ancestor, Ignotus. I believe you can deduce the item in his hands since you've been the wielder of it for several years now," Cadmus grinned politely. Harry was in shock.

"Why am I here? Where exactly am I?" Harry finally asked.

"You are here, Harry James, because we have noticed that you dream of finding the Stone and using it again. This would be a grave mistake on your part as you chose to live when you were given the choice between moving on or going back to finish the fight. If you dwell on what was, you will never be able to partake in the present day. To find the Stone would cause you to follow the same mistake I made. I do not want you to die for the same reasons I did. I chose to take my life because the Stone drove me mad.

"You, who are the Master of Death, cannot let these objects fall into the hands of others who would use them for harm. We have watched you carefully when you came into the ownership of one of the Hallows, and watched as you mastered all of them, using all in the same day. We brought you here to talk to you, mostly to warn you of the dangers of the items you control, but also to…learn more about you." Cadmus smiled and nodded to his brother Ignotus.

"To learn more about me? Why?" Harry asked. He was confused but intrigued as to why three dead men wanted to learn about him, an average boy. Then again, thought Harry, I'm not the average boy.

"We want to learn more about you Harry, because you are the first Master of Death. No one in history has ever held all three Hallows at one time, or used them all in the same day. Albus Dumbledore came very close, if he had held your Cloak the same day he found the ring, he would have been the first. But alas, you had the Cloak then. Albus was also weak when it came to the Hallows. It takes a man of strong will and motivation to possess the Hallows, but not fall prey to them as well," Ignotus replied. Harry was starting to understand a little bit.

"So, the reason Professor Dumbledore was weak was because he wanted to use the Stone to see his parents and sister again? How is that weak?" Harry asked quietly, for he knew that this is what he'd been wishing for over the last fortnight.

"Partly. The reason Albus was weak was not because he wanted to see his family once again, he was weak because he allowed that wish to consume him. It is natural to wish to see your departed loved ones once more, but to allow this wish to squander away your life, it becomes unhealthy and hurts not just yourself, but others around you.

"For example, Albus wished to use the Stone to see his family again, and in the end it only caused his death and possibly Severus Snape's, as well. Do you see, Harry James?" asked Ignotus carefully.

"I think so. Dumbledore once told me it does not due to dwell on dreams, and forget to live. Is this what you mean?" Harry asked sadly. He knew the answer to his question and as much as he didn't want to hear it said to him again, he needed to hear it.

"Yes, Harry. This is exactly what we are trying to say. I am glad you understand this." Ignotus smiled at Harry. His kind elderly smile was similar to Dumbledore's but more of a grandfatherly type than an elderly teacher.

"So, you said you wanted to know more about me. What is it that you want to know? And may I ask a few questions of my own?" Harry inquired. The men all smiled and nodded their heads. Harry took this as permission to ask his questions first.

"Where are we right now? And what was the deal with the picnic at the Burrow, was I seeing the future?" Now that he was given the okay to ask, a million questions popped into his head and he had to force himself to stop and wait for answers.

"We are currently in the Void. It is a place where dreams happen but also where those who have been given an otherworldly mission can accomplish them. Those who have passed on are able to come here occasionally," Antioch replied. It was the first time he had spoken and his voice was a melodious, deep baritone. He looked to be the youngest of the three men but Harry knew he was actually the eldest.

"Otherworldly mission?" Harry questioned.

"As we are the original owners and the reason the Hallows even exist, we were given the task of tracking the location and keeping and eye on the current owners of the separate Hallows. We each keep track of the Hallow we were entrusted with, and watch what happens.

"I, who was owner of the Elder Wand, have been forced to watch the destruction and death this wand has wreaked over the centuries. It has been my penance for having been the instigator of the creation of such an abomination. If I could go back and reverse my request, I would do so a million times over, but as such I cannot. So I will spend eternity watching this wand destroy. Unless, of course, someone is able to break the trail of devastation. Which would be impossible because it is undefeatable." Harry stopped him by a wave of the hand.

"If it is undefeatable, how has it been passed along to others over the years? How is it that you were defeated? How does myself defeating Draco Malfoy by disarming him from his original wand make me the true owner of the Elder Wand, which he had no recollection of ever being the master of?" he asked. The other men looked at Harry in a new light.

"I am very surprised and pleased Harry James. Not many have been able to come to this realization so soon after becoming the Master of the Death Stick. You are right of course, it is not an undefeatable wand; it merely has unprecedented power," Antioch said with a chuckle.

"Well, I've had a long time to think about this. I also plan to be the last owner of the Deathly Hallows. The power of the Elder Wand will die with me, if I die of natural causes, its power will be done for," Harry replied. Antioch sighed and shook his head.

"I'm sorry Harry James, but this is not possible. Think of how you became master, you disarmed Draco Malfoy's original wand. If you were so much as disarmed once, that person would then be the new master. In order for you to do what you say, you would have to forsake magic altogether and live as a recluse until you died.

"You plan on becoming an Auror. Do you not think that at some point you would be disarmed by a criminal, or even a fellow Auror in a training event?" Antioch asked gently. Harry was dumbfounded. He stared at Antioch with disbelief.

"Damn it. I was sure that would work. Are you positive?" he asked the older man.

"Yes, Harry James, the wand has been in circulation for many, many decades. You are not the first, nor probably the last, who will think of this. I am just glad I was able to warn you of this unfortunate problem before you spent years worrying about the wands safety." Antioch looked at Cadmus who turned to Harry.

"I believe you asked about the simulation of the Burrow picnic? I can answer that for you. You see, I have been watching you have conversations with your deceased loved ones for many nights now. Do not be embarrassed, Harry James, they hear you and are sending you their answers to your subconscious. It is one way the people who have passed on are able to contact their living loved ones. It is not uncommon for someone to ask a question rhetorically and get the answer in their sleep afterwards.

"I am more concerned with the emotions these conversations have been evoking in you. The more you think about your parents, godfather, and friends who have passed on, the more you are tempted to go after the Stone. Since I am the guardian of the Stone, I was the one who made the decision to bring you here. I also decided to show you that what you dream of, can come true.

"The simulation of the Burrow, was just that, a simulation. It was a dream for you to see. The things you wish for in life are family, peace, and happiness and in this dream you had all of that.

"But the important thing about this dream, it could all come true. George could marry Katie Bell and have a few kids and expand the shop. Ron and Hermione could get married and have a passel of children. You could marry your Ginny and have enough children for your own Quidditch team and be a successful Auror. All of this could happen in your real future, but not if you dwell on the past. I showed this too you to help you regain your focus," Cadmus answered. He took a sip of his cocoa while he waited for Harry's response. Harry was thinking very hard. He wanted everything that he saw in his dream, but did he want his past more?

He loved his parents and Sirius, Remus, Tonks, and Fred, even Colin. If he turned away from his plan to find the Stone, would that mean he was abandoning them? But the Resurrection Stone didn't being people back to life, it just brought back a shadow of them. A shadow that didn't even want to stay in this realm.

But if he turned to his past, and found the Stone, would that mean that he was officially turning his back of those he loved who still lived? Would they understand his decision? What would happen if he went mad, focusing his interests in the past? Would he die the same way as Cadmus?

As these questions ran through Harry's head his eyes watered and tears ran down his cheeks. Either way, he'd be giving up something that meant the world to him. His parents or Ginny? Sirius, Fred, and Colin or Ron and Hermione? Remus and Tonks or Teddy?

Harry placed his head in his hands and began rocking back and forth crying. He knew he had to make a decision and it would be the hardest question he'd ever have to make.

Life or Death.

Past or Future.

Harry felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked up and saw the small room was crowded with people. His parents, Sirius, Remus, Tonks, Fred, and Colin were standing around him. His red eyes opened wide and his tears flowed stronger. He placed his head in his hands again and started rocking once more. His sobs drowned out any noise in the room.

He felt the sofa bow and knew someone had sat down next to him. He felt strong but soft arms encircle him and he leaned into the embrace. He breathed in and smelled a floral scent.

"Harry, darling, hush. Shh, it'll be okay, honey. Shh, shh. Harry dear, we need you to calm down so we can talk to you. We don't have much time. We felt the strong emotions and distress coming from you as well as the strong desire to see us all. We came, but we can't stay for a long time. Shh," Lily whispered in his ear.

He felt the love emanating from her and knew that she loved him to her core. Nothing he could do could stop her from loving him. He basked in the love for a few minutes before lifting his head. He wiped his eyes and looked around. Antioch, Cadmus, and Ignotus were together in a corner watching the scene with twinkles in their eyes but saying nothing.

"Jeez, Harry you sure know how to pull at the heartstrings, don't you?" Fred asked chuckling. Harry saw the tears in everyone's eyes, and knew he was trying to lighten the mood as he always did. Harry smiled but said nothing.

"You got that right. Kiddo, you nearly had me crying there," Sirius said jovially. Harry, hearing the nickname, nearly began crying again but stopped himself and took a deep breath.

"You? Cry? Padfoot, it's not nice to lie," Remus joked. Tonks smiled and looked at Harry.

"Wotcher, Harry! When I saw you pick up Teddy that first time, and saw him change his appearance to yours, I knew we made the right choice. Mum was so grateful you brought those self-changing nappies and those biscuits before you left. And that toy Dragon? Did you have to name it Puff? Couldn't think of anything more original?" she asked giggling.

"Well, I had to name it and Norbert was taken. Besides, Puff is a cute name for a Dragon who blows smoke animals. It's fitting," Harry replied in a mock offended voice. Everyone laughed, glad to see Harry joking around rather than the way they found him. He was visibly having a hard time, and they could see that. Lily looked at her son, in her arms for the first time in almost seventeen years.

"We wanted to talk to you Harry. We've all heard the things you wish to talk to us about. I know you don't know much about us, and that's why we've been given permission to send you the answers to your subconscious. We hate that we can't spend more time with you, and answer them in person, but we just can't.

"We actually came here tonight for a reason. We came to tell you to leave the Stone where it is. The shadows you saw in the forest were us, but it was a reluctant us. We love you, but we want you to live your life. You deserve to live Harry. Not waste away dreaming of the past. You will see us one day again, have no fear of that, dear. We are always there with you. It would not be fair of us to want you here when you've earned a life of your own. We've lived our lives, now it's time for you to live yours," Lily spoke softly but determinedly. Harry had to take several large breaths of air to keep from breaking down again. James sat down next to Harry.

"Your mum's right Harry. You deserve to marry that little spitfire of yours, and have several kids, naming one after me of course," James said with a wink. Lily slapped his arm.

"James, do not guilt him in to naming his future children after us, he needs to talk to Ginny about that first," Lily said shaking her head. "Harry don't listen to him, he's just joking around. But I do want to say, Ginny seems like a wonderful person for you."

"Yeah, she won't be afraid of telling you to bugger off and hex you if you don't," Fred laughed. Sirius and Remus joined in the laughter along with Tonks and James. Harry chuckled and rolled his eyes at Fred's antics.

"You know, Harry? She really loves you a lot," Colin said. Harry looked to the short young man. Harry's heart dropped.

"Colin, I…I'm so sorry," Harry whispered. Colin shook his head.

"There's nothing to apologize for Harry. I died doing what I wanted to be doing. It was the right thing to do, stay and fight. I know I wasn't supposed to be there since I was underage, but if I hadn't gone, I'd have hated myself. And besides, I died saving someone's life. It was worth it, and I don't ever want to hear you say anything about it again, or I'll come back and haunt you," Colin finished with a laugh.

"Same with me Kiddo. It tears me up inside every time I hear you say it was your fault I died. Listen closely, and read my lips if you must," Sirius grabbed the sides of Harry's face and forced him to look into his eyes. "It was NOT your fault. It…was not…your…fault. Got it, kiddo?" Harry nodded his head. "Good, because I'd hate to have to join Colin here in haunting your arse till you die."

"Language, Sirius!" Lily shouted slapping Sirius's arm. "Harry we don't have much time so I wanted to mention my sister."

"Aunt Petunia, what about her?" Harry asked.

"She's not in her right mind. She took the experience with Severus as a child and her wish to be a witch like me, and turned them into something bad. These bad feelings have become delusions in her mind. She really does believe that all wizards are bad people. She's taught herself and Vernon and Dudley that to be different is a horrible thing. Magic to her is the equivalent of having AIDS or gunning people down in a public place. It will probably always be this way with her.

"But Dudley has spent the last few months around wizards, he has seen that magic is not a bad thing. As has Vernon, though he may never admit it," Lily rolled her eyes.

"What I am trying to get across to you is that when you find them to bring them back to their home, give my sister the benefit of the doubt. Treat her with some respect and ignore the spiteful things she says, like you've always said, you don't have to spend any more time with them after you bring them back.

"I know they've treated you horribly over the years so I don't blame you, and if I got the chance I'd give them a piece of my mind, locking a poor infant in a closet because he's scared of the thunder is not acceptable!" she finished with an angry look.

"Darling, it's okay, we can always go back and haunt her. Please?" James pouted and gave his wife his puppy-dog eyes.

"Prongs my deer mate, that look only works for me, sorry," said Sirius with a bark like laugh. James looked at him and stuck his tongue out at him.

"Oh, yeah that's mature, Prongs," said Remus with a loud chuckle. Harry watched them joke around wistfully, a look not missed by Lily and Tonks. They shared a sad glance and Tonks joined Harry and Lily on the couch.

"They're not going anywhere Harry. They'll be here when it's your time, you should go on with your life with the knowledge that when you pass, you'll get to come here and have another eternity with the ones you love. Now, you can live your life like there is a tomorrow, but at the same time choose to live like you were dying. Life can now be exiting for you and not in a terrifying way. You have Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Molly and Arthur, all of the other Weasley brothers, and so many more people who want to see you live the life of a normal teenager. And you even have the Minister on your side for once! Why would you want to give all that up?" Tonks replied with a smile.

Lily watched the younger woman with her son. She was happy that the two had been able to spend some time together. At least Harry had some women influence in his life. Tonks, Molly Weasley, and Minerva McGonagall were the three women in Harry's life that actually meant something to him, to an extent. Whether Harry admitted it or not, he respected his old Professor more than he even knew. Lily wished that she could have been there for her son all these difficult years, but knew that was a pointless wish.

Harry seemed to feel the wistfulness coming from his mother and he turned to her and gave her a hug.

"You may not have been in my life physically, but you were always there in your own way watching over me, and that means more than any other witch could," Harry whispered to her. She instantly teared up and gave him a hug to rival any Molly Weasley hug.

"I love you Harry, so much it hurts," she whispered back. His eyes watered. He'd waited so long to hear these words and feel this hug. It was all he'd ever wanted and more. He never wanted to let go. They stayed this way for several long minutes until Lily felt a hand on her shoulder. She glanced up and James was smiling down at her, so she loosened her grip on her only son. Harry clung to her for another few seconds and finally let go, tears pouring down his face. James crouched down and looked Harry in the eyes.

"Son, I've watched you grow older and I've seen such a resilience in you. You're a fighter, it's in your blood. I fought for your mother, you fought for the wizarding world. Don't get me wrong, your fight probably was the more noble and right thing to do, but if I hadn't fought for your mum, you wouldn't have been here to do you part.

"I love you Harry, very much, words can't express how proud I am of you. I remember the first time you sat up by your self, I nearly cried. Then, your first steps, and your first word, I nearly cried those times too. But when you got your fist broom…"

"He cried like a little baby, Harry, it was sickening," said Sirius and he and Remus both laughed loudly.

"I may have allowed a few tears to fall, but a son's first broom is a big deal!" James said back at them. "But I was never more proud of you when you walked into those woods by yourself. It was the hardest thing I've ever had to do, in life and the afterlife, watching you walk to your death and act like it was okay. But you did it, and when you didn't show up on the other side, and I saw you open your eyes afterwards, I thought I was going to burst.

"Harry, you have been the best son you could have ever possibly been and I am so, unbelievingly proud of you. I love you son. I want you to go on and have many babies, live to a ripe old age of two hundred, and then join us here for a prank-off of the century!" James finished as he wiped away Harry's tears. Harry chuckled and nodded his head. Sirius walked forward and shoved James out of the way.

"Oh Harry! I must say, I was deeply shocked and surprised, no, disappointed, yes that's the word. I was shocked, surprised, and disappointed that you gave that house elf that necklace," he said with a stern look on his face. Harry who was expecting something else, burst out laughing.

"What? I'm being Sirius!" James and Remus groaned. "Let me explain, please? I was shocked that you did it. Surprised that it worked, and disappointed that I didn't think of it in the first place." Harry shook his head.

"Sirius you hated Kreacher, and he hated you. There was no way he'd be a good elf for you even if you gave him all of the Black family treasures in the entire house. He hated you too much. Also, you didn't have anything to offer him in ways of helping him come to terms with his past. I did. That's why he's good for me," Harry finished. Sirius looked thoughtful for a few moments.

"You know how surprised I was to find out Regulus was on our side? I nearly died of a heart attack after dying in the veil," he said ironically.

Everyone sat and talked with Harry for a few minutes. He talked with Remus and Tonks about their son.

"We left him everything Harry, and we want you to use that money if you're going to buy him something from now on. You shouldn't have to use your own money," Remus said quietly.

"Nonsense, Remus, I'm his godfather. How am I going to spoil him if I'm using his parents money? No, I'll be spending plenty of my own money on him. The things he needs as necessity will be from your vault and maybe a few gifts."

"Well, I guess I can see it from your point of view. But please, don't spoil him too much?" Remus sighed as Harry shook his head.

"Nope, sorry Remus, he is going to be so spoiled, it'll be sickening." Harry laughed along with Sirius, James, Colin, and Fred. Tonks and Lily both chuckled and went on with their own conversation.

"Well, the key to the vault is in the box George gave you. Along with several other things you'll find interesting. Sirius and I complied the box about a month before he died. There's also a lot of stuff in the vault for Teddy with he comes of age. Furniture and art for his house and such. Tonks and I also commissioned a portrait of ourselves. It's finished and in the vault. If you want, you can put it in your own home until Teddy is old enough to understand who we are," Remus said with a sad smile. Tonks heard what was being discussed and butted in.

"No, Remus, I'm going to have to insist, Harry must place that picture in his house so Teddy can see us all the time. When Teddy gets old enough and his own home, he can take the portrait with him, but I want in Harry's house until then. Got it Harry?" Harry nodded and smiled. It would be much easier to have the portrait with him for advice all the time.

Harry also talked with Fred and Colin about school, the shop, and random things.

"Harry, I know you plan on being an Auror, so I want you to hold your half of the shares over George's head. Since I died, my third of the shares was split evenly between you two and you both have equal shares, which means that you own half of Weasley's Wizard Wheezes. You can do what you want with those shares but for now, hold onto them because if I know George, he'll try and do something stupid. Right now, he's not doing what he says he's doing with the shop. Percy went back to work for Kingsley and now, George is spending all his free time at the shop getting pissed and ignoring everyone. Since you are an equal share holder you can do what you want with the shop.

"I would like to ask you to hire some people. Lee, Katie, Alicia, and Angelina would be willing to help if just to get George back on his feet. I know that Verity would come back also. She has experience with the shop, the others can just help. I want the shop back open before term starts September first. Got it?" Harry saluted him with a smile. It was shocking that George wasn't doing as well as he thought but also understandable. He had lost a twin, which was like loosing a piece of your own soul.

Colin and Harry mostly talked about Denis and their father. His dad was understandably having a terrible time recovering. Denis was just as depressed but expressed himself in other ways, like bursting out in angry screaming if anyone tried to talk to him about Colin. Colin wanted to know if Harry would talk to Denis for him. If anyone could make Denis talk or feel better, it would be Harry. Denis may have been feeling not so great towards Harry at the moment but since Colin looked up to Harry so much, Denis would listen, or at least try. So Harry agreed to try as soon as they were back in England.

Once Harry had talked with everyone, they all stood.

"Harry, we'll miss talking with you. We all love you very much, and we all, all of us, want you to move on and stop thinking of the Stone. Leave it be, forget where it is, and never think about it again. Like the brothers said, the Stone would be your downfall. Will you promise me, you'll leave it in the forest?" Lily asked while she held Harry's hand. Harry took a deep breath and slowly nodded.

"We will always be able to hear you speak. We will try our best to answer you in our own ways, but try to just live. You have a long life ahead of you, Harry. We love you very much," James said as he hugged Harry. Sirius, Remus, and Tonks all gave Harry strong hugs and Tonks even gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"Give my baby a kiss for me, please? Tell him it's from me, also," she whispered in his ear. He nodded sadly and moved to the next people in line.

He shook Fred's hand and they gave each other friendly one-armed pats on the back until Harry launched himself at Fred, hugging him strongly. Fred, after his initial surprise, hugged Harry back just as tightly.

"You'll always be my brother, Harry, never forget that," Fred said thickly. Harry nodded and stepped back. "Tell Ginny I love her. Ron, and George too, if you can." Harry said he would and moved on too Colin.

"I'm going to miss the DA lessons you taught. Just so you know, that's what kept me alive for as long as I was. I'll miss you Harry. Especially since I never really got that signed picture of you!" Harry choked back a sob at this comment and nodded.

"I'll miss you too, Colin. You could be annoying sometimes, but you were always there during the good times also. Thanks for being there, and here, for me," Harry said. Colin nodded and stepped back.

"Harry," Lily stepped forward. "We have to go now, darling. Would you like you go first or should we?" Harry had stared crying and sniffling. He took a deep breath and sighed shakily.

"I actually would like to go first, I don't think I could handle watching you all leave again," he whispered. He kept wiping his tears away, but they kept coming faster and faster.

"Alright, darling. All you have to do is wake up. And remember, we're always here for you. We love you, and we'll see you again someday," Lily said faintly. He voice was growing quieter.

"We love you Harry!" James, Sirius, Remus, and Tonks yelled out faintly. Fred and Colin waved as they all slowly disappeared into the whiteness.

"Harry!" Harry slowly wandered the white area searching for the voices he heard.

"Harry, wake up!"

"Ginny? Wake up, something's wrong with Harry!"

"Harry? What's wrong? Please wake up, Harry." He wanted too, but his body refused to cooperate. He was looking for the voices, but he couldn't find them in the blank void. Why was he even here? Where was here?

"I think we should go in the kitchen, let Ginny wake him up."

"Why?! I want to know what's wrong?"

"He might be embarrassed, Ron. Come on."

"Harry, please wake up? It's okay, it's just me in here, please?" Harry was trying and he was slowly regaining the ability to move. He felt a small warm hand in his. He squeezed and he heard her gasp.

"Come on Harry you can do it. Come back to me," Ginny whispered in his ear. It tickled and he moved his head so his ear was in the pillow under his head. He tried to open his eyes, but it felt like they were glued shut. Every step away from the white void, he lost why he was there in the first place. He knew he felt loved there, and he knew it was significant. But every time he heard this small voice call out his name, the memory moved farther and father away. He shook his head willing the memories to come back to him.

"Don't you shake your head at me, Harry James!" At this the memories came flooding back. The Peverell brothers, the Stone, his parents, Sirius, the Lupin's, Fred and Colin. All the memories came rushing back and his eyes began to water. The tear loosened the 'glue' holding his eyes shut and he opened them. The first thing he saw was concerned chocolate brown orbs staring back at him.

"Harry, what's wrong?" Ginny asked him in a small terrified voice. The last time he'd had a vision it had ended badly. They all knew that the only way Harry was one hundred percent sure that Voldemort was gone was that he no longer left him in the scar. If Harry was having visions again, that meant that it wasn't over yet.

Harry stared back at her, tears flowing. He sat up and pulled her to him and hugged her like there was no tomorrow. She held him back just as hard.

"It's okay, Harry, it was just a dream," she said quietly. She saw Hermione poke her head in the room to see what was going on and pulled her head back when she saw Harry was sitting up, awake.

"No, Gin, it wasn't. They came to me," Harry said with a small sob. Ginny began to panic. If he said it wasn't a dream, that meant visions and those were something they didn't want at all.

"Who came to you, Harry?" she whispered.

"My parents," he whispered back. She gasped. "And Sirius, Remus, Tonks, Fred, and Colin." Ginny was beginning to tear up.

"How do you know it wasn't—"

"A dream? Because, I just know. They told me they loved me and were proud of me," he sobbed. She held him as she contemplated his words. Of course his parents and Sirius and Remus were proud of him and loved him. How could he think otherwise? Then it hit her. He'd never heard it from them, not like she heard it from her parents.

At that moment of revelation, Ginny wanted nothing more than to burst into tears along with Harry, but knew that she needed to be strong for him.

"Oh, Harry, I know how much that must have meant for you to hear that," she whispered.

She could feel her night shirt getting soaked, but she didn't care. She saw Ron and Hermione poke their heads in the room and see Harry crying so hard and pull their heads back and Ginny just held Harry and let him cry. She didn't whisper any more words to him, she just allowed him to cry. She rubbed his back and ran her fingers through his hair and kissed the top of his head. For a long time Harry cried onto her shoulder, and she sat with him, holding him up, just like all the times in the past few weeks that he had done this same gesture for her. Now was the time for her to be strong for him.

After he began to calm down, he just held onto her like a life line. At some point she had begun a gentle rocking which he found oddly soothing. His tears were over, and he continued to lay in her arms.

"If you don't want to talk about it right now, Harry, I'll understand. Just know that I am always here for you to talk too, no matter what," Ginny said firmly. Harry nodded into her shoulder and felt the wetness. He sat up and brushed the remaining tears from his eye lashes and reached across her for his wand.

"Fervens aer," Harry said as he waved his wand over the wet patch of shirt. Ginny giggled as she felt it dry and become warm.

"Thanks," she said.

"Your welcome. I hope you don't mind that I used you as a tissue," Harry chuckled.

"No, I don't mind. For goodness sakes, I've done it to you plenty of times this last few weeks, it's about time I returned the favor," she replied with a soft giggle. Harry sighed.

"I miss them all so much, Gin." She nodded. " I need some time to come to terms with this Ginny, but I will talk to you about it, soon. Okay?" Harry asked. Ginny looked into his eyes and sighed.

"I understand Harry. Anyone else, and I would have had a problem with it, but I know that you'll tell me. I love you Harry," Ginny replied.

They sat and cuddled with each other for a while until Ron and Hermione knocked on the door frame for entrance. Ginny waved them in and they sat on the couch that Ron was using as a bed.

"Harry," Hermione began. Ginny interrupted.

"Harry will tell us when he's ready. Don't worry, it was just a dream right Harry?" she looked at him and with her eyes facing away from the others, winked. Harry smiled.

"Yeah, I just need some time to think about it. I will tell you that it was about my parents, Sirius, Remus, Tonks and Fred and Colin though, if that helps," said Harry quietly. Hermione and Ron nodded surprised that Harry had told them the little tidbit he did.

The rest of the day went normally for everyone. Mr. and Mrs. Granger put the teens to work, painting, scrubbing, and scouring the house while they took care of the outdoors business of trimming the shrubs, painting the shutters, and overall maintenance. No one brought up Harry's dream and Harry spent his day thinking hard. He kept a pencil and a piece of paper in his pocket and every once in a while he'd take it out and make a mark or write down a sentence and then put it away again. No one said anything if they caught him doing this and he was grateful for their silence. At ten pm, after another dinner of frozen pizzas and fizzy drinks, they all fell into their beds and were sleeping instantly.

Everyone but Harry. He sat up with a small notebook he'd found, writing. He wrote everything he could remember about the dream and what was said. After he was done recalling the dream, he spent a few hours writing his thoughts and plans about what he was going to do when he got back. When he was done he had a list.

To do when back in England:
1. Talk to Lee, Alicia, Katie, Angelina, and Verity about working at the shop.
2. Talk to George, let him know I hired people. Try to get him back on his feet.
3. Visit Teddy, give him a kiss for Tonks.
4. Get the key from the box and get the portrait of Remus and Tonks out.
5. Find a place to put said Portrait.
6. Talk to Denis.

Harry was happy with this and so he placed it in his bag and fell into his pillow, asleep before his head even hit the soft fluffy padding. His dreams were pleasant and cheerful and he was woken all too early for his liking the next morning. They only had a few hours left to clean before they were going to have a nap, then get up at half past nine and get ready for the Portkey.

Harry spent his morning acting like a zombie, walking around doing what everyone told him to do, and finally at noon, falling into his pillow once more.

A/N: wow, 12 reviews for one chapter! I am so happy right now! Just so you know, as soon as I posted the last chapter I began editing this one, and finished writing 20…this is what motivation does for me! Let me know what you thought of the dream/vision. Were you surprised? I want to say thanks to my anonymous reviewers, since I thank everyone: Joy, Rebecca, and katieluvshoes1234 thank you for the reviews! Hope you liked this chapter!

This chapter is dedicated to anyone who suffers from Brain Tumors or any type of brain cancer. I lost my best friend on the 6th to brain tumors she had been fighting for almost 5 years.

Next chapter: The return to England!