Chapter twenty

Minerva stepped into the Burrow's kitchen to see all the Weasley family along with Hermione and her parents.

'You said you had news about Harry's death Minerva,' Arthur said.

'I do, and what I have to tell you and show you will shock all of you. I need to explain something first,' Minerva sat down, 'When I found out this additional information I spoke with Albus' portrait and he was able to explain more. A seer told Harry what he's life was going to be like after the death of Voldemort. He would be harassed constantly, never given any peace, he was also going to be attacked by the ones that escaped, hurt multiple times. Harry ended up so bad that he refused to leave his parent's home, he stopped seeing everyone, including Hermione and Ron. He believed they were death eaters using polyjuice potion. He was going to become more paranoid the longer it went on. Harry remembered nothing about what the seer told him, part of some charm. She offered Harry a choice, he took it, but he didn't remember doing it, not until later.'

'So because he was the one to kill Voldemort the remaining death eaters were going after Harry and the seer saw all this?' Bill asked.

'Yes, she did. Just so all of you know, this seer is never wrong, she has the true gift of sight.'

'So what was this choice she offered Harry?' Hermione asked sadly.

'Just before I say, Ginny, did you ever get a sense that something wasn't quite right with your relationship with Harry?'

Ginny's brow furrowed, 'Funny you should ask that professor. Over the last few weeks I've been thinking about those times with Harry, then I compared that with when I dated Dean. Dean was very affectionate, always wanted to kiss me, always holding my hand. Harry was distant in a way and when he kissed me it was like he was holding back. I'm not sure, it's all very confusing.'

'I can explain why and why he never told any of you. Our world and the muggle world are not very open to same sex relationships, Harry knew he was gay, from the time he was nine years old. Albus explained that Harry asked him how to change, as most people know Albus was gay. He explained to Harry it was how you are born, that it can't be changed. Harry refused to believe it and thought dating girls would change him. If you think about Harry and other boys his age, Harry had more female friends than male friends. He liked to be around girls, hang out with them and his best friend apart from Ron was Hermione, who he trusted with his life, with his secrets, except one.'

'I told mum and dad I was gay, they accepted it as part of who I am,' Charlie said, 'I wish I knew, I could have spoken to Harry about this.'

'It might have helped Charlie. But now this choice Harry was given, you know the reasons he would take it, the way his life was going to turn out. Albus and I believed if Harry didn't take this opportunity that he would have ended his life, probably in that house and in that room.'

'So this choice would have stopped him killing himself,' Hermione said but looked confused.

'Yes,' Minerva took the pictures from her pocket, 'Even though Harry did die, it was only part of him. Another part of Harry left,' Minerva put the pictures in front of Hermione, Ron and Ginny, 'He's in an alternate universe, as Brian Dumbledore, Albus' grandson. As you can see from the pictures, Harry is holding himself as a baby, standing behind his parents and Sirius. The other picture is of Harry and a very young Severus Snape. It explains on the back.'

Hermione turned the pictures over and read out loud so everyone could hear, 'He's really alive, but there and not here?'

'Yes, he is and as you can see from the pictures, he's happy. If you look closely you can see the smile reaches his eyes, it never did before. These pictures arrived magically in my office yesterday afternoon. Severus actually asked me not to show you. He's not very happy that his other self is in a relationship with Harry. All I see is Harry looking peaceful, something I have never seen before.'

'He's smiling with his eyes,' Ginny said sadly, 'He's found himself, found who he is and who he is supposed to be with.'

'Yes, he has. In case you are wondering, Albus told me that this other world is safe, that Voldemort died as he was being born. So you see, Harry gets to live like a normal person, no suffering, no abuse, no danger.'

Everyone in the Burrow gasps as a bright light emanated from the ceiling until he surrounded the table. When the light disappeared everyone saw three more pictures.

Hermione picked up the first picture, "Sev and I got married yesterday, granddad or Dumbledore to all of you performed the ceremony at Hogwarts. I found out that men in the magical world can have kids, so in a few years I'm going to get pregnant and have a family with sev. All my dreams are coming true, my only regret is all of you. Please, Hermione, Ron, Ginny, everyone, I'm okay, it's you that are grieving when you don't need to be. Yes I do miss all of you terribly, but I couldn't live the life the seer told me about, I would have killed myself. I know you're probably angry with me, but I didn't remember any of this until recently. There was this diary that I wrote in about it all, explaining everything. I still don't remember everything but just occasionally things come back to me. If you are angry with me, I do understand and I'm sorry for making you think I deserted you, for making you think I was dead. If I did remember I would have said I left, went overseas and I wasn't coming back. But you know how I hate lying, I won't unless it's absolutely necessary. Always know I love you, you were there for me when no one else was, I will never forget any of you." Hermione wiped a tear from her eye.

Ginny picked up another picture then turned it over, "As I wrote on the first lot of pictures, Sev is twenty one and as you saw by the picture of me holding myself as a baby, Harry was a year old, just turned a year old, which means Ron and Hermione are just over a year old, Ginny only just born, that's in my world. I will be the charms teacher when you're other selves start at Hogwarts, I know I won't be able to help being friendly with you, you are my family, my family that I had to leave behind. I hate thinking how hurt you all are, I'm so sorry for that. I know money doesn't make it right, but that is why I left all of you so much. I wanted you to have your dreams, anything you wanted. Call it a gift from an old friend," Ginny sniffed and like Hermione, wiped a tear from her eyes.

Ron took the last picture, "The one thing I wanted all of you to know is that I am finally having that normal life I always wanted. I might be gay and married to Sev, but it's just part of life here, nothing unusual at all, so I don't have hide who I really am. I was never sure if Ron would accept my sexuality, I think Hermione would have, Ginny might have hexed me than accept it. I never left so I could be true to myself, I left so I wasn't killed or become a hermit, believing all my friends were my enemies. I did plan on fixing my parent's house and living there, but when I arrived here and read in my own handwriting what the seer told me, how I was basically a prisoner inside that house which wasn't fixed, I couldn't live like that. But now it's time to tell you something that no one apart from Dumbledore and Snape knew in your world. The night my parents died, another horcrux got made, one he never knew about. Now if Hermione puts that smart brain of hers to work she should work it out. If not, here's a clue, I saw Mr. Weasley get attacked while Voldemort possessed the snake, I'm a parselmouth, I saw into his mind, felt his feelings. If you don't get it, then here goes, I was that horcrux. I lived my whole life with a piece of Voldemort's soul inside me. I tell you this because I knew I couldn't live with that knowledge, not if I was there. Here, granddad and Sev are helping me deal with that, but I am not constantly reminded as he never existed here. I might not be able to send any more messages or pictures, just know I will always love you, your friend, forever, Harry James Potter, or Brian Dumbledore-Snape.' Ron finished reading then like his sister and girlfriend, wiped a tear from his eye.