Disclaimer: I STILL do not own Potter, Gawrsh!

I would just want to say quickly how great it feels to be in The U.S. today, finally we have some justice.

Go America!

Chapter 8- Portrait

With perfect clarity I can remember meeting Albus Dumbledore's portrait:

My first year at Hogwarts went by fast and I will always treasure the memories, but I must say the summer after first year was one of the best summers ever.

It was around the second week of break when I trekked through Potter Manor to my Dad's study, I had wanted too speak with him to see if Scorpius and I could go to Diagon Alley next week seeing as he invited me to go with him and his Dad. But as I got to the door and was about to knock I heard voices coming from behind the door, which was strange seeing as Mum was away at a Quidditch match (Fitchburg Finches vs. Ballycastle Bats), James was away with Uncle Charlie visiting the Dragon Reserve, and Lily was spending time with Teddy at his new flat.

"Albus, you cannot be serious? I would make a terrible professor, and besides I like being an Auror." Dad's frustrated voice came through to Al's ears.

Another voice spoke up, it was older and had a wise quality to it but had a mischievous tint to it, "Harry, I seem to remember a certain young man teaching a group called Dumbledore's Army in his fifth year and those students all had fantastic results. And my boy, are you telling me that you want to look like Alastor in twenty years?"

Dad was about to respond but said instead, "Albus Severus Potter, you should not be eavesdropping."

The door to Dads office opened and I blinked, "How'd ya know I was there?"

I walked into the large room, the walls were painted a brilliant red with a few portraits on the walls (which were usually empty), the floor was wooden, there were weird trinkets and instruments all around, in the middle was Dad's desk it had a number of things on it from pictures too Quills, and when I got to the chairs in front of him I sat down with a brow raised in question.

Dad smiled benignly at me and was about to cut in but that voice cut in first, "Ah this must be your youngest son, am I correct Harry?"

I looked around for the voice and saw no one, I looked at Dad wide-eyed, he laughed at my face, "Al, look to my right, on the wall, yes? Albus meet Albus."

I whipped around my mouth opened wide too see an old man with a white beard and twinkling blue eyes smiling at me with amusement.

"It's nice to finally meet you, my boy."

I blinked and smiled, "Hello, sir."

Dumbledore chuckled and looked at my Dad affectionately, "He is your spitting image." The old man turned to me and beamed, "I have heard much about you, your father tells me all about you and your siblings."

I shifted uncomfortably at his gaze," I've heard a lot about you from Dad, he seems to have lots stories about you and his time at Hogwarts, of course he also tells me other stuff- sorry I'm rambling."

Dumbledore smiled and looked at Dad who blushed in return, "That's Ok my boy, your Father would have a lot of stories about Hogwarts wouldn't he?" I nodded my head and he grinned, ", has your Father ever told you about the time he trashed my office? No? It's truly a thrilling tale. Well,-."

Dumbledore was cut off by my Dad whose face was a brilliant red saying, "Yes, Yes well what do you need Al?"

I chuckled at the look on Dad's face before looking at Dumbledore, "You know, there are few people who can do that to him, and I must say I applaud you."

Dumbledore laughed and Dad scowled at me, "Alright you two have fun at my expense but maybe I just won't let you go to Diagon Alley with young Mr. Malfoy."

"What? How did you know that?" My face showed my amazement because Dad grinned at me.

"Sorry, son, One Day you'll get to do this with your kid or student," Dad through a glare at the smiling headmaster. " Understand? Believe me you will."

Dad smiled at me and I just gazed uncomprehendingly back at him, "Aright then. So, Dad, am I allowed too go with Scorpius?"

"I am fine with it, but I should ask your mother first, and if she gives her approval, then so be it. Oh, and if you go do stop by your godfather's shop he wants show you something." Dad finished with a roll of his eyes.

You might be wondering who all of our godparents are, Mine are Uncle George and Aunt Fleur, James' are Aunt Mione and Uncle Ron, Lily's' are Uncle Bill and Aunt Luna

"Cool, thanks Dad." I looked around the room and decided to ask, "What do you do in here? Other than speak with –pardon me, sir- dead people?"

Dumbledore laughed, "Oh, Horace was right this time, he is truly like Lily."

I rolled my eyes knowing how Slughorn would sing my praises to anyone who listened, including portraits of the deceased.

"Well," Dad said speaking as if Dumbledore never spoke, "I have work I bring home from the Ministry, some stuff to do for Hogwarts, and of course some of the things I do are for my own personal fun."

With a grin I said, "Old people have fun?"

Dad spluttered, "I am not old, and if you're not careful I won't let you go to Gringotts and get some money to shop with."

"But Dad," I whined, "I need to get a new pair of Quidditch gloves I need to for tryouts this year."

"Don't whine it won't get you anywhere." Dad said firmly.

I sighed a tad annoyed but let it go and decided to ask, "Why do the Goblins glare at me?"

It was really annoying; every time I would go to Gringotts they would glare at me, and scowl, for reasons which were unknown to me.

Dad looked highly uncomfortable as Dumbledore chuckled with a mischievous glint in his eye, "My dear boy I believe your father has told you about his quest to destroy Tom Riddle?" I nodded with a slight proud smile. "Ah! But sadly I advised him to tell you, your siblings and cousins the public story, not the full story. Overtime I believe you will hear the entire story, so please don't ask it of you father." He caught me when I was going to ask the full story.

Dumbledore smiled, "But Harry I think you should tell your son about Hem-Hem the break-in."

"What?" I shouted eyes wide.

Did Albus Freaking Dumbledore just say that my Dad broke into one of the safest places in Wizarding London?

Oh My Wizarding God.

Dad threw a look towards Dumbledore's portrait, which I wouldn't call exactly pleasant, and looked back at me, "Al, what I'm about to tell you, please don't tell James or Lily. I mean I love your siblings just as much as you but James is a bit too much like my Dad and Lils is a tad young and well it can turn out a bit awry."

"Sure Dad."

Dad looked over at me above his glasses and grinned rather grimly, "It all began when we- Uncle Ron, Aunt Hermione, and myself- arrived at Shell Cottage after the fiasco at Malfoy Manor. We were tired, scared, and hungry. We barged in with a dead house elf" Dad's eyes darkened slightly, "a maimed goblin, a shaken up wandmaker, a terrified teenager, and well Aunt Luna. Your godmother and Uncle Bill were surprised to say the least. After we were settled and a bit more calm, I had a bit of an epiphany, which I can't really talk about but I will say my a voice of reason, shall we say, from that moment forth came to be the Headmaster," At this Dumbledore chuckled and Dad rolled his eyes, " not Aunt Hermione (She's my common sense voice). I had made a big choice between Hallows and something which is probably the darkest magic possible, and ultimately the downfall to Tom. I of course chose to kill that bastard. And what did I need to do? Break in to Gringotts. So with the help of Griphook, Aunt Hermione and a scary arse Dragon we broke in. I'll show you the memory one day."

I sat and stared at Dad for a good three minutes until I shook my head and asked, "How are you still allowed in there?"

"Now that," Dad chuckled, "was a much harder task. At first they wouldn't let me access my funds, but after negotiations through Bill and Fleur I was able to get money through them. Then after I passed a couple of Goblin laws which were in favor of them and when dear Aunt Muriel," Dad and Dumbledore both made faces, " died Your Grandpa gave it to me and said we could use it help win over the goblins. And it did help we were able to talk to the high council and were cleared. But to this day they really hate me and by extension you kids."

Dad said this with a frown; I could tell he felt guilty.

"Dad you got rid of the most evil wizard ever. I think future generations will forgive you." Dad chuckled at me while Dumbledore smiled.

"I have said the same thing, Albus."

"Anything else, young man? I have quite a bit of mail to answer" Dad said ignoring both me and the Headmaster.

I bit my lip and turned my head towards Dumbledore, "Sir, I don't mean to pry but how do you have a portrait here? From all of the books I've read it says there are only two portraits of you, Hogwarts and the Ministry."

Dad blushed a little and answered for him, "Well, a good many years ago at least eighteen, Aberforth came to a birthday party that the community threw for me, and he told me how before his brother died," Dad gave a nod to his mentor, "the headmaster asked him to give me this letter if I lived and defeated Voldemort. Now, Aberforth had waited awhile because he hadn't been sure how I felt about Professor Dumbledore, seeing as that Damn book…" Dad trailed off with a dark scowl on his face.

Dumbledore looked at Dad with a frown, "Harry, you shouldn't think about that. You had every right to think the-,"

"No!" Dad cut off the old man loudly. "I should have trusted you. You were just a kid, I had some terrible thoughts Albus, and they were all unfair. I knew you, well sort of, I knew you better than Ron or Hermione and probably the entire student body but it doesn't matter. I shouldn't have let that liar Rita Skeeter, get to me."

I was totally lost.

Dumbledore ran a hand over his old face and gave an irritated sigh (wow only Dad could irritate a painting), "Harry! It's been twenty some years. I should have told you, plain and simple. I made awful mistakes regarding you, my boy. But sometimes you need to get over things for the Greater-."

"-For the greater good, ugh, I really hate those words." Dad said with frown.

"As do I," Dumbledore said with a weird look towards my dad.

"Um, What? Sorry, but whatever you two are talking about now has gone way over my head" I said loudly.

Dad looked at me and blinked before waving a hand, "Sorry son, let me continue. Where were we? Ah yes, so Albus had written me a letter and asked Ab to give it to me after the war and Aberforth ended up giving it to me on my 19th birthday. I was surprised to say the least seeing as the Headmaster had left my snitch in his will," Dad pointed to the glassed cased snitch on the wall next to a ruby engraved sword, "so I put off reading it till I got home and was alone, because…" Dad looked sad and uncomfortable at my questioning look, "Do you remember when your Grandpa Arthur died?"

My chest tightened slightly as a blurry memory of me sitting on Grandpa's lap listening to the Wizarding Wireless in the living room of the Burrow, I nodded confused, wondering why he would bring up a Grandpa Arthur who had been dead for six sad years.

Dad took a breath, "You know how it hurts and makes you sad?" I nod again, "Well, imagine getting a letter after a few years of him being gone, how would feel if that happened?"

I bit my lip, "Well, it would probably be depressing because, he had been important to me and I never got to say goodbye a-and…"

"Yes, exactly, it would be sad, and hard to read, right?"

I feel my head nod, and it becomes clear, "Oh, so you felt as if Professor Dumbledore was to you like Grandpa Arthur was to me?"

Dad's eyes harden and he clenches a fist, Professor Dumbledore is looking at Dad through sorrowful eyes, "Son, as you know my past is filled with many deaths, I have relived seeing my family die, I watched my godfather pass through the Veil, and…" Dad hesitated and his fists clenched and watched a bright scar on his hand stand out, "and I've watched Professor Dumbledore die before my eyes, unknowingly. Each Death pulled me apart, and the grief was so pronounced it physically hurt at times. Still does…"

Dumbledore flinched at Dad's bitter tone, "Harry…"

"Not now Albus." Dad's harsh tone made me jump; Dad noticed and muttered, "Sorry, Al."

Dad's face went emotionless as he continued, not really answering my question.

"… and so I was surprised when the Headmaster wrote he wanted me to have his Pensieve, and a couple other knick-knacks, At the very end of the letter though he left a very cryptic "I will see you soon". I was bewildered and went to talk to Aberforth, and he of course rolled his eyes and went into the back. He returned with a box and said, "Open it and return it to full size when you get home," I can remember cursing The Dumbledore's the entire way home."

I grinned and Dumbledore laughed weakly, still seemingly upset over whatever Dad implied, from his spot on the wall.

"So, I get home," Dad continued, "enlarge this square frame. I remember thinking it was some kind of joke until I heard, "Hello, my boy."

"I jumped a foot in the air hearing my dead headmaster's voice and so he told me he thought it would be useful for me to use him as communication between the ministry and Hogwarts." Dad finished with a smile which seemed not too real.

Dumbledore looked at Harry before saying lightly, "No I believe I said, "I wanted to be able to speak with my favorite student now and again." Of course, your father than blushed five shades of red, it was very amusing."

I roared with laughter but Dad just shook his head before saying quietly so I could barely hear him but Dumbledore could hear him clearly, "Yes, I was surprised, but Albus if I really had been your favorite student, and such then you would've told me about your upcoming death, wouldn't you?"

I gasped slightly at my father's rather cynical tone, Dumbledore looked slightly stricken and went to speak but Dad cut him off by standing and walking to the fireplace. He threw some Floo powder in and stuck his head into the fire for moment, and then he withdrew.

"Al, go to Teddy's flat he is waiting for you, with Lily."

I didn't want to go I wanted to find out more about whatever Dad was talking about, "But Dad…"

Harry grew stern, "Now Albus Severus I need to work".

"'Kay, sorry Dad." I mumbled before turning towards the portrait of Dumbledore, "It was nice to meet you, sir."

Dumbledore looked up and smiled distractedly at me, "It was an honor to meet you as well, Albus. I hope to speak with you again in the future."

I grabbed Dad in hug before heading to Teddy's, my thoughts filled with Dad's devastated face, and pain in his emerald eyes.

That day allowed me to meet my namesake, and see my Dad's true pain at his losses in life.

Authors note- Hey! Sorry for the political mind flarb up there, I'm just a bit hyped up, sorry. Ok I need EVERYONE to go check out STARSHIP over on Youtube by Team Starkid, the awesome people who brought us AVPM/AVPS! It was hilarious!

Alright another thing if you haven't checked out Mark read's Harry Potter, than you haven't lived, this guy is so hilarious I almost cried laughing!

Thanks to all my reviewers, favorites, alerts and all that fun stuff!

bRiTtAnY

PS- Please review I wasn't all to sure on the chapter, but it's ok I think!