Chapter six

Over the next week, Harry did a lot of thinking about the job offer, he also thought about ways to help make Hogwarts more modern without losing who they were. He still worked on the castle, still rested, still sat in the headmaster's chair at the staff table, but his thoughts were always on the job offer. It was such a big responsibility and the more he thought about it, the more he got excited that he just might be able to do it.

'Harry.'

Harry turned from where he had been staring out over the black lake, 'Minerva.'

'I believe it's time for you to see what it feels like to sit in that office.'

'Don't tell me, I will feel comfortable and feel like I belong or something along those lines?'

Minerva sniggered, 'Exactly.'

'Well, I suppose since I've finished eating it's a good time,' Harry stood and gathered his blanket, plates, cup and cutlery. He walked beside Minerva back into the almost repaired castle, 'If I did this, how would it look if I wanted to sit out here, just like I am now? I'm not talking about breakfast or dinner, but on the weekend at lunchtime.'

'That would be your decision. Harry, you must understand why Albus was hardly seen, he was trying to find out when Voldemort would return and why he never died but disappeared. Before Voldemort murdered your parents Albus would be seen quite often out in the grounds. Sometimes he would walk around, sometimes sit, not on the ground of course, he was a lot older than you are it's not that easy for some of our age to get up and down like that. He also had a lot of work to do as chief warlock of the Wizengamot. Hogwarts was his main priority but he could not ignore the call for help from our government. We all know he made mistakes and I believe he should have given up one or both of his other jobs and concentrate on the students here at Hogwarts. He did like to spend time outside and if he could, he would also talk to students, even laugh with them. The times changed so he had to concentrate on the danger and not on his free time.'

'Okay, that makes sense but I think it could have helped him to come out of the tower and spend time with the students. Just taking a few minutes away from work sometimes help you figure things out. I know it did with me. But about sitting out here, it's one thing I have always liked to do here, sit outside when the weather was nice. On cold days but not snowing, I would just sit and have my face tilted up to the sun, it was nice.'

'Then you can continue to do so,' Minerva opened the large door of the headmaster's office. Harry walked in and looked around, 'Tell me how you feel being in here?'

'I always loved this office; I never feared it but welcomed my visits here. Fred and George told me about their times being summoned here and those two do not get scared very often but they were when they walked towards this office. We both know that they did deserve those detentions and even a visit to see the headmaster. They asked me how I felt when I was summoned here and I said I was fine, that it just felt nice to be in here. I remember watching Fawkes when I was twelve, then he burst into flames, I panicked trying to find water to put him out, but Dumbledore explained that he was a phoenix and how they burst into flames when they are ready to die and be reborn. I saw baby Fawkes emerge and even though he was so strange looking, I thought he was cute. I was here because of the chamber of secrets and even though I was hearing the voice of the snake and Dumbledore kept asking me if there was anything I needed to tell him, I said no, I lied to him yet I still didn't feel scared or uncomfortable.'

'No student that was ever summoned into this office enjoyed their experience. It was either because of their wrong doing was so severe that their head of house could not deal with it or there had been a death in the family. That is one thing you will have that will help Harry, you will be able to empathise when that happens. Even if the war is over we all know that accidents can happen. You have suffered the loss of your parents and godfather. Then you lost the last person who was close to your parents, Remus. It might have been in the battle but we both know just how easy it is for someone to lose a person they love due to an accident.'

'Yeah, it's like Luna's mum, she was experimenting with spells and it killed her.'

'Exactly, I have loved and lost Harry, but it was so long ago that I find it hard to bring those feelings forth. You on the other hand have lost so much in such a short time; your feelings are right there on the surface. But because you have lost so much, more than I, you will always have those painful memories because you witnessed those deaths, I did not. So even when you do learn to put all that grief to rest and live with those feelings, they will always be there, just under the surface.'

'I get what you mean Minerva, even though I was a baby, I have dreamt of what happened so those memories are there, they are just hard to access them during normal waking hours. Cedric was killed right in front of me, then Sirius, I saw lavender as she died, I saw others, some I knew, some I didn't. I might not have witnessed their murders, but seeing Remus and Tonks laid out, those images live with me every minute of the day. Yes, it's easier to think about Sirius now, but the pain is still there. Does having to tell a student they have lost someone happen very often? I don't mean because of the war, but because of normal accidents.'

'You usually get one a year during a normal year. If memory serves I believe there was only one year that Albus did not have to give that news to a student. But for the last fifty years Voldemort had been building up his support, they would kill without a second thought, so naturally during those years there were quite a few. In the last few years, it has happened three times and that was before he returned.'

'It makes this all the more real, knowing it might be me telling someone that, not something anyone wants to do,' Harry put his hand on the beautiful antique desk, 'How old is this?'

'This desk is just over six hundred years old. The first and only other desk to sit in this office was not made very well and was not big enough.'

Harry walked around the desk sliding his fingers along it until he was standing beside the large chair behind the desk. He stood staring at the chair for a few minutes before finally lowering himself onto it. He kept his head lowered and his eyes closed, feeling, sensing.

'It feels like…home,' Harry slowly opened his eyes, 'It's like I always knew I was meant to be here. I know I did dream that maybe I would end up teaching in my later years, with a slight hope that I could end up here when I was as old as Dumbledore. But now, eighteen years old and I feel this is supposed to happen.'

'Because it is, again Lady Hogwarts is showing you that you belong here despite your age. Never felt comfortable in that chair. But now, I have one more thing to show you,' Minerva summoned the sorting hat then walked around the desk to stand by Harry, she placed the hat on his head.

'Ah headmaster, I have been waiting a long time to feel this.'

'You feel like I'm the headmaster?'

'Yes, even though I belonged to Godric, Salazar, Helga and Rowena used their magic on me as well. As I told you years ago, you would have done well in Slytherin, but what I did not say was you would have suited any house because you are part of those four.'

'I'm not sure what you mean.'

'I see part of each witch or wizard inside you, your soul is joined with those four, headmaster.'

'My soul and their souls?'

'Yes, they joined with you the moment you arrived here. They wish me to tell you that you will be the longest reining headmaster Hogwarts has ever seen. You will also be the best because you will not see one house is better than another. You will feel the same for all students whether they are a lion, a badger, a raven or a snake. You will make changes that this school desperately needs. Helga Hufflepuff had dreams, she saw this school abandoned after a long war because so many thought it did not suit their lives and their needs. So you see headmaster, you are the one that brings the children back to this castle by offering a chance to join both worlds.'

'Thank you,' Harry smiled then saw Minerva lift the hat from his head, 'Did you hear what he said?'

'No, I heard what you said.'

'He kept calling me headmaster; he said the founders shared their souls with me when I first arrived. Helga Hufflepuff had dreams and one was Hogwarts being abandoned after a long war,' Harry stood, 'I'll do it, I know this is the right place for me, it's where I am meant to be. I feel it right to my very soul.'

'You will do a remarkable job Harry. Even though it will take time; you already know more than most students know about the headmaster because your life was leading you here.'

'I always knew you would sit in that chair Harry, I was not sure when, but you would. I also know you will do a much better job than I did.'

Harry turned to face the portrait of Albus Dumbledore and even though he still had a lot of unresolved issues with the man, he knew just how wise and powerful Dumbledore was.

'I hope you're going to stay awake to help me Dumbledore, because I'm going to need it.'

Albus' blue eyes twinkled, 'I will wake whenever you need me my boy, just call my name.'

Harry watched as all the former headmasters and headmistress' stood and bowed to him before they sat closed their eyes and went back to sleep. Harry figured if he wasn't meant to do this then those former heads would never have shown him that bit of respect. Harry felt it, his heart felt light for the first time ever, like it had healed. Lady Hogwarts had shown him the way, the way home.