Chapter 2: Revelations

Eventually, with great reluctance, Harry stepped back from his parents.

"I can't tell you how many times I've wished I could do that." Harry croaked as he looked at his Mum and Dad through watery eyes.

"We know sweetheart," said Lily in a wobbly voice, barely holding back tears of her own "we both wish we could have been there for you. We're so proud of you, all you've done and accomplished in spite of everything."

Harry's heart swelled with happiness. To hear his parents were proud of him was something he'd only imagined in his wildest dreams.

Mad-Eye stepped forward once more "I hate to break this up, but we need to get started."

James nodded and his voice was thick with emotion as he spoke. "There are things you need to know son before going back and plans we need to make. I'm sorry to say some of these things are going to hurt. I wish we could avoid them, but you need to know."

Harry looked around at the solemn faces of his extended family.

"Harry," said Sirius, reaching out and grasping his shoulder gently with his hand "you're going to want to sit down for this." Harry sat cautiously on one of the benches lining the platform of the station that was not Kings Cross. Sirius took a deep breath. "The Summer after I died, before your sixth year at Hogwarts, you were at The Burrow… that's where you first began to realise you had feelings for Ginny right?"

"Yeah, we spent a lot of time together that Summer. Things just sort of clicked and it was the first time I noticed her as a girl rather than as Ron's sister – " Harry hesitated, wondering what Sirius was alluding to.

"Harry, that was the also the first time Molly Weasley added a 'little something extra' to your food. Well, three 'little somethings' to be precise."

"What do you mean?"

"Mild jealousy and love potions and a mild repulsion draught. All in low doses so as not to arouse suspicion but – "

Harry jerked upright, anger beginning to flicker in his eyes. "What are saying, Sirius? That mine and Ginny's entire relationship was based on lies? My family only existed because I was drugged?"

Sirius pressed on despite Harry's interruption, continuing in a low voice. "The jealousy and love potions were keyed to Ginny, just enough to make you notice her "as a girl and not as Ron's sister" as you put it, and the repulsion draught was keyed to…"

"Hermione," Harry said hoarsely, a jarring realisation hit him causing him to drop back onto the bench with a thud. "If what you're saying is true it would explain why things were so different between us that year. We were always so close, when she got hurt at the Ministry and I thought I'd lost her I didn't know what to do, I just kind of shut-down and then Neville said she was alive, and I could breathe again. She stood by me throughout everything, even when the entire school was against me in our fourth year, only to blow up over a Potions textbook?"

Remus spoke softly. "Molly had decided that you and Hermione were going to be a part of 'one big happy Weasley family' and resolved to help things along. Hermione was dosed too – potions keyed to Ron and yourself."

"But Ginny and I have been together for nineteen years. She can't have been plying me with potions the entire time, it's just not possible." Harry protested.

Remus sighed and sat down next to Harry. "Knowing that you were going to be away with just Ron and Hermione for a time, and knowing how unreliable her youngest son could be, Molly decided she needed a more 'regulated' solution than potions." Remus paused and looked at Harry.

"On your 17th birthday, the Weasley's gifted you with a watch that used to belong to Molly's brother Fabian. That watch was spelled to ensure your continued attraction to Ginny. As you never remove it for any length of time, you've never been free of its influence."

"What about Hermione?"

"Her engagement ring," Remus said simply. "When Molly heard about how close you and Hermione had gotten without Ron around, she wasn't happy. She encouraged Ron to propose as soon as he could following the end of the war and made sure that the ring received the same treatment as your watch."

Harry looked up, dreading the answer to the question he knew he had to ask.

"Ginny and Ron. Did they know what was going on?"

James sighed as he answered. "We don't know how much they knew but they had to have known something. Molly had been guiding them toward you since before you even started at Hogwarts. She filled Ginny's head with stories about 'The-Boy-Who-Lived' and things only escalated once you saved Ginny from the Chamber. She made sure Ron knew you'd be at Hogwarts and in need of friendship. She knew you would be at the station and wouldn't know how to get onto the platform, hence the frankly ridiculous question she boomed at Ginny that day. She attended Hogwarts for 7 years, and had 5 sons already educated there – how did she not know which platform to use? The Express has always run from that platform."

Harry took a moment to try to process this. He frowned.

"Hang on – you said she knew I wouldn't know how to get onto the platform?"

"And now we come to the second problem – Albus Dumbledore."

"Dumbledore was a great Wizard Harry," Lily said quietly "and it wasn't as if he was turning dark, but toward the end of his life, all he focussed on was the greater good, ignoring the fact that all of his meddling and manipulation impacted real people. Because of that damn prophecy, he involved himself in your life much more than you realised. You already know that he's the reason you had to live with my sister but that was never what we wanted for you – we knew how Petunia felt about magic and so our will was very clear that you were to be nowhere near them growing up."

"So how did I end up there?" Harry asked, a glint of anger in his eyes.

"Dumbledore sealed our will and ensured you went where he felt you would be best protected from the Death Eaters and Voldemort if he returned. I'm afraid there's more though Harry, he knew how you were treated there. Oh, he felt bad about it at times and had to turn up on several occasions to heal your wounds and injuries to avoid raising suspicion – obliviating you afterwards -, but he always believed you would be better off away from the magical world regardless of the cost to you."

Harry sat in silence and listened as his family explained how Dumbledore had controlled him in the belief that it was worth giving up one life to protect many more. Harry felt he probably would have agreed but the fact that these decisions, that had intricately affected him and him alone, were snatched from his control filled him with rage. It was as if everything he had known and believed in had been pulled out from under him. A sickening feeling washed over him as he mentally recounted his dealings with Dumbledore.

"I trusted him. He played with me like a puppet on a string and made me into the pliable little martyr he needed. I knowingly walked into a trap and was killed because of him!" Harry stood now, shaking with anger at the manipulations that had plagued him almost his entire life. "He kept so much to himself, only handing out pieces of information when he felt like it. Did he honestly believe he was the only one that could deal with the Horcruxes? What the hell was he thinking passing the task of destroying an incredibly powerful dark wizard to three teenagers who hadn't finished their education let alone received any special training…"

"I can't do this… I need…" Harry turned and walked away from those that had gathered around him.

Harry walked without direction. He was unsure how much time had passed as he tried to grasp the magnitude of everything he had learnt, but eventually, footsteps behind him made him aware he was no longer alone.

"How are you doing son?" James asked.

"It's just… so much to take in Dad. My entire life was based on lies." Harry said flatly.

"Not all of it. You had a few good, true friends, didn't you?"

"Yeah, knowing what I know now, looking back I wish I'd spent more time with them y'know? Neville, Luna and Hermione really stuck by me. Fred and George too, they always helped keep me grounded." A small smile tugged at the corners of Harry's mouth.

"Are you ready to talk? We need to do some planning before you go back."

Harry took a deep breath and stood a little straighter. "Sure. Let's go."

Harry and James returned to the group. Lily was missing but Harry was reassured to learn that she would return before he left.

"OK," said James. "You've got 3 tasks when you arrive. Save the lives of your friends, get rid of Voldemort again, and stop a new Dark Lord from gaining power, understand?" Harry gave a quick nod of assent and motioned for his father to continue.

"First off let's talk about the limitations. You'll be returning with all your knowledge up to the time you were hit with that curse, plus everything you've heard here, but your magical core isn't going to be mature enough for you to start throwing around Auror level spells from the outset – you're going to need to allow yourself to adapt to your magic again. It'll definitely be frustrating at first but without the Horcrux draining your power you should find your strength builds fairly rapidly."

James waited for Harry to indicate his acceptance. "Good, secondly you can't let anyone know you've travelled from the future. If the wrong people find out it's likely you'll be sent through the veil and there'll be no coming back from that. The Ministry controls time travel tightly to make sure no-one can cause serious damage to the existing order of things. They strictly regulate the travel of a few hours, can you imagine what they'd do if they knew you'd travelled almost three decades?"

"I'd add that I think it goes without saying that Dumbledore must not be aware?" said Remus with a smirk. Harry didn't speak and merely gave him a pointed look.

"Finally, and this will be a toughie, you're going to need to make as few impactful changes as possible at first and allow the first few years at Hogwarts to play out as close to the original way as you can. There are actions that, if made too early, will change the future drastically to the point where all your future knowledge will become irrelevant and you'll be flying blind."

"That includes getting me out of Azkaban early I'm afraid pup," Sirius said. "As much as I'd love you to spring me from there the moment you get back, if you do so Wormtail will run sooner and Voldemort may come back in a different way."

"Fine," said Harry gruffly, disappointed he wouldn't be able to reunite with Sirius any sooner. "So what can I do?"

The Marauders grinned at each other. "How would you feel about pranking the entire of Wizard society?"