Chapter 8:
Harry had never really thought of his grandparents.
Growing up as an unwanted orphan, he had clung to the few pictures and mementos of his parents he had found over the years. He knew that his aunt's parents were dead, because Dudley's only grandparents were Vernon's parents. But he had never known when Petunia's parents had died, much less how.
And somehow, he had never really made the connection that his aunt's parents were also Lily's. And his grandparents.
He remembered the Mirror of Erised, that had reflected his whole family. There had been older people there, but he had mostly focused on his parents. And going back into the past, he had never even thought of meeting his grandparents. Lily had talked about her family several times, and Sirius and James had spoken of the Potters even more frequently. They all received letters regularly.
And yet, somehow, Harry had not thought of those people as family until now.
He supposed it was not wholly surprising. He had only met very few people who could talk to him about his parents, and his only experience with more distant family was the Dursleys. Still, he felt very stupid. He had been given an exceptional chance to meet more members of his family than he could ever have hoped for. And the first time he thought of his maternal grandparents was as he learned of their deaths.
Their unnatural deaths.
He had never really wondered why his parents had chosen to join the Order of the Phoenix. But since they had gone into hiding shortly after or before his birth because of the prophecy, and faced Voldemort three times before that… Well, they had to have been pretty involved in the war, almost as soon as they left Hogwarts.
Was this why? Had his mother been spurred on by the murder of her parents? Was it the attack in Hogsmeade? The insults and prejudice she faced as a muggleborn?
Probably a combination of all of that, Harry surmised.
It was strange, really. He had never had a choice of fighting or not. Voldemort had been the one who had chosen for him by targeting him. If he wanted to live, he had to fight.
But Lily, or even James and the other Marauders… They were not ''Undesirable Number One''. Yes, Voldemort would kill muggleborns and blood traitors, but Harry doubted he would hunt them down until he had seized control of the Ministry and Hogwarts. And even in his time, when he had done so, many had fled.
When they finished Hogwarts, his parents could have fled the growing war. They chose to stay. To fight.
He felt they were probably braver than him. Or perhaps they had been more stupid, not yet hardened enough to realize exactly what they had stepped into.
A bit of both, most likely. Foolishly brave Gryffindors through and through.
It certainly explained why his mother had joined the lions and not the eagles.
Lily was excused from her classes and escorted by McGonagall to attend the funeral. Harry knew that James and Alice had offered to accompany her, but the red-head had declined, not wanting to chance a row with her sister at such a time. McGonagall would remain close in her Animagus form, discrete and far enough to give the family privacy but still close enough to intervene if need be.
Though no one said anything, everyone wondered if the death of Lily's parents had been a coincidence or in retaliation for standing up to Voldemort in Hogsmeade. Harry and Ginny's involvement had been kept quiet, but all students knew that James, Lily and Sirius had fought the Dark Lord. The Blacks supported him – Sirius excepted – and the Potters were well-protected.
The Evans were muggles and an easy target.
When she returned after the ceremony, she stayed in a corner of the Common Room. James and Alice approached her, but she begged them to leave her alone, so they returned to the table with the other Seventh Year students, working on their essays while stealing worried glances at the depressed girl.
''She blames herself.'' Alice commented in a whisper. ''She told me she could barely look at her sister during the funeral, and did not stay to talk to her afterwards. And… well…''
''And she feels responsible for them being dead in the first place.'' Harry finished.
James glared at him. ''It's not her fault! Bastards attacked Hogsmeade, and then bastards attacked her parents!'' He growled.
Ginny glared right back. ''Harry never said it was her fault. We know it's not. Problem is, she doesn't.''
She turned to Harry. ''Same goes for you, by the way.''
He shook his head stubbornly. ''It is different. It was my fault they had to fight.''
Though it was not the first time they discussed the battle and Harry's guilt over it, Ginny had always dropped the painful subject after insisting that she did not blame Harry, rather than work the discussion up in an argument. But now, it had already been two months since the battle and the announcement of the attack on Lily's parents had brought that guilt back to the forefront of Harry's mind. She was tired of it, and part of her also feared that Harry was losing his will to return back to their own time. As much as she loved Sirius, Alice, Lily, James and Remus, she would choose Harry over them anytime. It was selfish, but she could not let herself fully forget that they were dead, and Harry was alive. Moreover, they had all died to offer him a chance to live.
It was high time he honoured that instead of wallowing in stupid guilt.
''They chose to fight. They knew what they were doing. All of them.'' She hammered, completely forgetting about the others who were watching.
''Because of me.'' Harry retorted. ''They would not have had to fight at all otherwise.''
Ginny inhaled sharply. ''Excuse me? Not have to fight? Have you already forgotten how it was out there? How it was here?'' She hissed furiously. ''And you think me, Neville, Luna, Colin, Fred, George or anyone else would have just sat on the sidelines, twiddling our thumbs?''
She stood up. ''It was not your bloody war, Harry. Yes, you had a very big part in it. But it was our war. Our beliefs. Our hope. The only ones I blame are the bastards who thought their blood entitled them to more than others. And if I can't convince you of that, then maybe I can convince her.''
She turned away and stalked towards Lily while Harry stared after, speechless.
Sirius cleared his throat. ''Sooo… When are you gonna tell us your story again? 'Cause I think you just dropped a lot of information right now. I promised not to dig up, but I can only ignore so much.''
Harry buried his head in his hands. Peter was sitting at the table too, looking somewhat confused. He had never planned to include the future traitor in his confessions.
''Later.'' He sighed. ''Give us until after the holidays, okay? It's just one month away.''
James nodded. ''Okay. One month.''
Lily was staring at the fire.
She felt alone and cold despite the warmth in front of her. Three days ago, she was celebrating Halloween with her friends and her boyfriend. While her parents were being killed. She knew, rationally, that she could not have known what was happening miles away, but she still felt as though she had disrespected them by having fun at the time.
Despite the war, she had been mostly happy since the beginning of the term. Alice was still here, the two new students were kind and friendly, the Marauders were pranking more than bullying, and James had turned out not to be a complete git. In fact, this new, more mature version of him was very attractive. And so far, he had been a great boyfriend.
Even the attack during the Hogsmeade visit, though terrifying, had served to reassure her. Students had been injured, but the evacuation plan, the Aurors and the teachers had been able to save them all. Moreover, James, Sirius and herself had actually been capable of standing up to the new Dark Lord. Granted, the wizard had clearly been playing with them and without Harry and Ginny it might not have ended so well. But, added to her results in Crooker's extra classes – Advanced Defense and Duelling – it had been enough to make her more confident in her abilities. That when she left the school she would be able to defend herself.
She had never thought she would be an orphan by then.
And a lying coward.
She had thought of talking to her sister after the ceremony, once most of the guests were gone. The moment had been ideal, Petunia's fiancé had had to leave quickly because his boss had only given him half-a-day off work which was good because Lily had no idea how much her sister had already told him. So, she had approached her sister, mentally rehearsing what to say. Then she had imagined her crying and yelling, and she had hesitated. Terrified of losing the only family she had left.
Petunia had turned to her, eyes red and puffy.
''They will never see me in a wedding dress. Mum had promised to go pick it out with me after Christmas.'' She had said quietly.
Then she had shaken her head and turned to Lily. ''I know that you have reached your majority in… your world but not for the… normal world. I have started to sort out things with the solicitor but I am not sure what I am supposed to do with your share. And you need an official guardian, too.''
Lily had swallowed back her words and the hurt at her sister's persistent disapproval of the magical world – though it did not feel all that magical right now – and nodded. ''I will ask the Professors at school. They should know how to manage this particular situation. The Ministry of Magic will probably give a fake tutor to the muggle authorities.'' She explained.
They had stood awkwardly side by side, neither of them knowing what to say after years of barely speaking and staring at their parents shiny grave.
Lily had seen a familiar cat stroll closer, tail raised to attract her attention. Professor McGonagall had been kind to accompany her, but she knew the teacher could not stay here all day. And given the current climate, leaving a muggleborn student alone was simply out of the question.
She had cleared her throat uncertainly. ''I… uh… I have to go back to school. My… ride… cannot delay too much.''
Petunia had nodded silently, eyes still trained on the grave.
She had walked dejectedly towards the door of the cemetery when her sister had suddenly spoke up. ''Will you visit me, after Christmas? To meet Vernon? And maybe help me choose my dress?''
Lily had let out a deep breath. ''Of course.'' She had promised.
She wished she could savour this promise, this olive branch she had almost given up on. But she couldn't, because her sister did not know that she was the reason their parents had been killed. She did not even know that it was a murder. She thought it was a terrible, unfair and unpredictable accident. Not a retaliation because her sister had fought a bigoted group of wizards.
''It's not your fault, you know.'' A voice called from her side.
Turning slightly, she watched as Ginny dragged a chair closer to her and settled in front of her. Lost in her thoughts, she had not heard her approach.
''I'd rather be alone.'' She said.
''And I'll leave.'' Ginny replied. ''As soon as I am sure you won't spend the next few days isolating yourself to wallow in misguided guilt.''
''I am not in the mood for a lesson, Granger.''
The girl shifted in her seat, not to stand up and leave but to lean towards her.
''I know guilt. I have seen it in many people – Harry could pass a NEWT in it – and I have felt it myself. I know what it's like to lose someone. So, believe me when I say this: you are not to blame for what happened. It happened. It sucks. But you are not the one who attacked muggle villages on Halloween.''
''I said I was not in the mood for a lesson.'' She repeated irritatedly.
Ginny shook her head. ''You said that to Granger. Not my name.''
Lily huffed. Really? That was her excuse? It had been weeks since Harry and her had revealed that their last names were fake, and they had yet to make good on their promise to explain everything.
She waited a few minutes, expecting the red-head to grow bored of her silence and leave. When that failed to happen, she thought back on what she had said. One thing stood out and she could not stop the words falling from her mouth.
''You said you felt guilty. Of what?''
Ginny gripped the armrests tighter. ''Many things. When I was younger, I trusted someone I shouldn't have and people got hurt as a result. He used my innocence and insecurities to manipulate me. It took a while to accept that it was not my fault.''
She blinked, eyes visibly bright with tears. ''More recently… I have felt guilty because people were hurting kids and I couldn't always help them quickly enough to spare them the pain. I have felt guilty because my parents took me away from a dangerous place to protect me, but some of my friends were still fighting there. I have felt guilty for not being by my brother's side when a wall crumbled and killed him. And I feel guilty for being here, while my family might be worrying about Harry and me, while my mother might be searching for me terrified at the idea of losing another child, while one of my brothers might be blaming himself for not speaking to me before I disappeared. And I feel guilty for many other things, that I can't tell you yet.''
Lily stayed silent a few seconds before commenting.
''It sounds like a lot.''
''And yet none of it is warranted. I am not the psycho who started this war.''
Lily looked at Ginny, sensing that the girl had more to say.
''Guilt is not easy, warranted or not. But, when it's not warranted, it's also useless. I feel guilty, so what? The kids still got hurt. My brother is still dead. My friends still fought and some died. My feeling guilty does not achieve anything.'' She paused. ''But the feeling is still there. It's human. It's proof that you are nothing like the actual murderers. And I am not going to tell you that after I tell you all this, you will have a sudden epiphany, and you will be 'oh, Merlin, you are right' and the feeling will magically disappear. It does not work like that. It takes time, and people that care about you, to work through this.''
''You need some alone time to grieve? Take it. Whenever you need to. But don't shut people out. If you rummage these thoughts by yourself, you will only come up with more stupid reasons to feel guilty. I know that because I tried. Talk it out with people you trust. A friend, a teacher or whoever else you feel comfortable with. It's a long road, and not an easy one, but I assure you it's worth it.''
Over the next couple of weeks, though Lily was clearly grieving, she seemed to take Ginny's words to heart and stopped shooing everyone away. There were times when she needed to be alone, but she also had long discussions with Alice and James.
Harry and Ginny had also gone back to the Room of Requirement, and talked about Harry's tendency to blame himself. After several hours of Ginny pointing out every reasons people had had to join the fight, he had finally promised to try to put things in a little more perspective. He had been a catalyst, but the ingredients for the disaster had been there long before his birth or his coming to Hogwarts.
They had also talked about explaining their story to the others. They had promised to do it by early January, as the potion would be ready by then. However, as much as they enjoyed this borrowed time with those they had lost, they were both growing more and more frustrated.
They had just won a war, and now were witnessing its beginning. They were hearing all about the dreams and hopes of people they knew would die in a few years. They attended classes which were almost twice the size of those they used to have despite the many drop-outs, demonstrating how devastating the first war had been and how many families had been destroyed. When Harry had remarked that he had always found strange that there were so few orphans around their age in their time because of Voldemort's first rise, Ginny had shared a few stories she had heard growing up. Death Eaters had rarely spared the children when attacking families.
Moreover, they were both worried of how certain their way back was. They did not dare to test it until they had made sure everyone had forgotten them, but when exactly would they return? Right after they left? Or would the Room add those four months spent in the past? And then, what would their friends and family think of them disappearing right after the battle?
That had led to another matter: the Room itself. No matter what theories Dumbledore had about time travel, they could not allow people to know of this unique power the Room had, and risk someone changing the past. If Fiendfyre had not destroyed it, then there was little hope for anything to manage it. Meaning secrecy would be most important, even from their family.
Harry had briefly toyed with the idea of trying to destroy the Room with the Elder Wand, but he doubted even the Deathly Hallow would be able to achieve that. Also, he intended to hide the wand forever, and this trip to the past might be the best occasion to hide it in a place he would never return to, so even if he was defeated and the wand's allegiance changed, no one would ever use the Death Stick again.
This had led to another discussion.
''What do you want to do, when we return? I know you mentioned Quidditch to your parents, but you also talked of being an Auror before, and I have no doubt whoever becomes Minister would offer you the job…'' Ginny asked.
Harry leaned in the sofa. ''Crazy as it sounds, these last couple of months are the only time of real peace I have experienced since my Fourth Year. I mean, yes, the war is starting out there, but we know that Hogwarts is safe, and until recently our friends here had been mostly spared as well. And we have a way out, theoretically.''
''Point is, when I chose my NEWTs, I wanted to become an Auror because it was the logical thing to do with Voldemort being back. And, really, I don't even know what kind of jobs a wizard can do. I never really researched it. I can't work in an office all day, I'll go crazy. But… I do not want to fight anymore. I have survived death twice, and I am not stupid enough to believe there will be a third time.''
Ginny smiled. ''I must say I like the idea of you not going searching for trouble for once.''
He mock-glared at her. ''Trouble finds me, not the other way around.''
She laughed, shaking her head.
''So, Quidditch?'' She prompted.
He nodded. ''If I can enter a team for my talent and not because of who I am. And, maybe later I would like to teach. I kind of liked the DA.''
''You were a great teacher. I think more people in our generation know how to make a Patronus than in any other.''
They stayed silent for a while, before Harry brought up the matter of the Elder wand. "Where should I hide it? We can't risk anyone chancing upon it for at least twenty years, if ever."
Ginny stayed silent, thinking hard. Eventually, she said "I don't think it has to be somewhere specific. Quite the opposite, in fact. Pick a random place, and bury it deep in the ground. Preferably not somewhere you expect to return to, though. From what I understand, people could go very far to get that wand."
She paused, hesitating. "I confess I'd appreciate if you publicly said that you did not keep the wand once we return. I'd rather not have people attacking you again. I know you hate attention, but many people heard what you said when you faced Tom."
"They might still attack to obtain the wand's allegiance." He cautioned. "But I agree. And I must say that it is one more reason for me not to become an Auror. I hope the Ministry will not remain as corrupt as it was before, but I am not sure I could ever fully trust them."
Ginny nodded, then snorted. "That's the Marauder in you. You never liked authority." She joked.
Harry smiled but his tone remained serious. "I have been a puppet long enough. I think it's time to live for myself."
Ginny grinned, eyes moist, and kissed him softly. "It is." She kissed him again, before asking softly. "January?"
Harry nodded, determined. "January."
McGonagall warned the Seventh year students that she would start taking the names of those staying over the holidays at the end of their next Transfiguration class.
Lily wondered what she should do. She no longer had parents to spend the holidays with, and though she had promised to see her sister over the break, she knew their relationship was too tenuous for her to spend the whole holidays with her. Not that Petunia had offered anyway, she thought bitterly, before berating herself. Her sister had enough on her plate right now, and Lily had yet to tell her the truth about their parents death.
She knew Alice planned to divide the break between her parents and Frank's family, and the Marauders usually spent the holidays with their own parents – except Sirius who accompanied James to the Potters.
"Lily!"
She turned when she heard her boyfriend's voice calling her, and stopped walking to let him catch up. They were almost finished patrolling, and she had been going back to the Tower.
James smiled and intertwined his hand with hers. "Do you plan to stay here during the holidays?" he asked softly.
She nodded. "Alice proposed that I accompany her, but I don't think I would feel at ease imposing myself on Frank's family. And I know how much she missed him. I don't want to intrude on their time." she explained.
James rubbed the back of his neck with his free hand. "I know we have not been together long, so this might be a little awkward. But I wanted to invite you to my parents' home for the break. Sirius will be here too, as you know. And I thought I should invite Harry and Ginny as well. But I wouldn't want you to be here alone if they accepted before I talked to you and you refused…" he ranted quickly.
Lily's first instinct was to refuse. Though she was feeling more and more comfortable with James and was starting to trust his feelings, meeting his parents and staying at their home would be awkward at this stage. However, as part of group of friends, she could see herself coming. And she really did not feel like spending Christmas alone just after loosing her parents.
She spoke hesitantly, not wanting to hurt James. "I appreciate the invitation, but I am not sure how comfortable I'd be if Harry and Ginny do not come as well. It's not that I don't want to meet your parents or spend time with you." she reassured him with a smile. "I am just not ready for the whole 'meet the in-laws' things. Especially when I know I will never be able to introduce you to my own parents." she finished softly, her gaze drifting to the ground.
James stopped them to embrace her comfortingly. "Please, don't feel obligated or anything. I just don't like you being alone at such a time. I suggested to my parents that I might stay at Hogwarts this year, and they insisted that I come home with Sirius and any other friends I want. How about we both talk to the mysterious couple?" He proposed with a light kiss on her brow, smiling when he felt her nod.
As was usual, none of their friends had gone to bed yet by the time they reached the common room. James and Lily joined them at what had become the Seventh-year table and waited for Ginny to look up from her essay to speak.
With a quick look at Lily, James explained his invitation and Lily added her own reservations, both in accepting and refusing the offer.
He concluded. "So, interested in having a friendly holiday at Potter Manor?"
Harry blinked. "Potter Manor?" He parroted with a strange expression on his face.
"It's the name of the Potters ancestral home." Sirius explained. "Don't worry, though. It's not some depressing big place like the Malfoy or Lestrange ones. More like a big country house."
James watched as Harry stared at Sirius before shaking his head, as if he was trying to chase away his thoughts. "Sorry, I didn't know the Potters had an ancestral home." He said without meeting anyone's eyes.
James felt Lily lightly pinch his arm and indicate Ginny with a look. James noticed that her left hand had disappeared from the table, and he strongly suspected that she was rubbing Harry's back. Another instance of one of them comforting the other for an unknown reason. James filed it away, wondering if Harry had lost his house as well as his family. The young man had definitely not had an easy life.
As usual, he did not call out the young couple on their strange reactions. "So? Would you like to come? You don't need to answer right now if you need to check with others." He added as an afterthought, remembering that Ginny apparently still had family. But then she had once told Lily that she couldn't be with them right now.
Harry turned to Ginny who shrugged and raised a single eyebrow. Harry nodded hesitantly to her and she smiled at him before turning back to James and Lily.
"We'd love to. But we really should check with Dumbledore first. Are you sure your parents won't mind you bringing home two new friends they have never met before for the whole break?" She asked.
James heard the real, unvoiced, question. Would his parents approve of the two teenagers who clearly had so much to hide? Frankly, he did not know. But he was pretty sure that Harry was related to him somehow, despite his parents assuring him that he had no cousins from the estranged uncle. Perhaps gathering everyone in the same house would help him solve the mystery.
So he replied with a smile that his parents had already written that he may bring any friend he wanted.
Harry was feeling both excited and nervous as they descended from the Hogwarts Express in King's Cross station. Not only was he about to meet his grandparents, but he would also see the house his father had grown up in. He wondered if Potter Manor still existed in his time. He had never heard of it, but then he had never even known to ask, and who could have told him? Sirius, who could not have brought him there since he was on the run? Dumbledore, who had expected him to die facing Voldemort? Remus, who had been busy with his werewolf problems and the Order?
He also wondered why his parents had not lived there rather than in Godric's Hollow. Was it because the Manor's location was too well-known? Despite this trip to the past, it seemed that many of his questions would remain unanswered. But he knew he would never exchange this time with his parents for those answers. He could live without them.
Ginny grabbed his hand and squeezed it gently. He was glad for her support once again. After realizing that he would never meet his maternal grandparents, James' invite was a tremendous gift.
And yet, he was stressed. He whispered hurriedly to Ginny. "How do I act with them? I have never really been around old people before, at least not from family."
He saw her shrug discretely. "Just be yourself. The only experience I have is my great aunt, but from James' stories they are nothing like her – and thank Merlin for that! If it helps, since we are here officially as friends of their son, think of it as when you came to the Burrow?" she suggested.
He nodded, and looked to the rest of the group just in time to see his father hug an old couple. He felt his throat constrict and fought to keep his expression neutral.
"It's them. I saw them in the mirror of Erised, back in First Year. It's really them.'' he whispered, gripping her hand.
Meanwhile, James had finished introducing Lily to his parents and was turning towards them.
"And our new friends who joined Hogwarts this year: Ginny Granger and Harry Wood. Harry is the long lost cousin I told you about, Dad." he finished jokingly. "Harry, Ginny, meet my parents: Fleamont and Euphemia Potter."
They saw the old couple's eyebrows rise when they saw Harry. He chuckled nervously. "Hello, Mr and Mrs Potter. James and Sirius insist we must be related. Anyway, it is a pleasure to meet you." he said sincerely.
Ginny echoed him, thanking them for the invitation, and then the group crossed the barrier to the muggle world. Harry and Ginny looked around curiously, marvelling at the differences with their own King's Cross.
They walked to a room that was out of the way. Fleamont took charge of the group.
"James said you all know how to Apparate, though you haven't all passed your license yet?" he asked.
Harry, Ginny and Lily nodded in confirmation.
"Well, that simplifies things. Sirius has his license, as do James. I'll Side-Along Harry, Euphemia will take Ginny and James can guide Lily. Boys, remember that we must Apparate outside the wards for our visitors. They have to cross them on foot the first time."
Within a few seconds, Harry found himself near a small forest and staring at a big, homely victorian-styled country house.
"Potter Manor." Fleamont announced proudly. "Now, the rock over there marks the limits of the wards. You need to have skin contact with someone of direct Potter blood when you cross it for the first time, and then you will be registered and can cross them however you want. Ginny, take my hand as well."
They walked the relatively short path to the house, walking behind James and Lily and followed by Euphemia. Sirius had apparently Apparated directly inside and was now waving at them from the entrance with a grin.
Harry heard his grandmother mutter exasperatedly. "That boy has no manners. Apparating right inside when we have guests!" He suppressed a chuckle. He had gotten used to the happy and mischievous teen-aged Sirius.
Fleamont released their hands with a quick glance at Harry once they passed the rock. "I suppose you all want to get settled, so we will show you to your rooms. James, we put Lily in the room with blue walls and overlooking the back garden. I'll show Harry and Ginny their rooms with Euphemia. Sirius, behave. How about we all meet back in this sitting room in about an hour?"
They saw the others nod and Harry and Ginny obediently followed up the stairs. James disappeared with Lily in a room apparently across from Sirius' while the old couple guided them farther down the corridor.
They reached a door where Fleamont stopped and indicated that the door in front of them led to Ginny's room and the one next to it was Harry's. He opened Harry's room and, with a wave of his wand, sent his trunk to the foot of the bed.
Harry expected him to leave them to unpack, but instead the man gestured for Ginny and his wife to join them inside the room. Once they did, he closed the door again and quickly spelled it.
Instantaneously, Harry and Ginny reached for their wands.
Fleamont lifted his left hand in an appeasing way, though he did not lower his own wand. "Peace, I just want to talk to you both. I warded the door against listening hears – with James and Sirius, Euphemia and I have long learned to be cautious."
Harry and Ginny exchanged a quick glance before slowly lowering their arms, relieved to see Fleamont do the same.
"What did you want to talk about, Sir?" Harry asked cautiously.
Fleamont summoned a sofa and sat comfortably, his wife joining him with an interrogative gaze – apparently, she wondered the same thing. Ginny pulled him until they settled on the bed, across from the old couple.
"I am the Head of the House of Potter." Fleamont explained. "That means that the wards of this house are keyed to me. I know instantly when someone crosses them for the first time and is newly registered. It is merely a sensation, but one I have long learned to identify."
Harry saw Ginny grimace beside him.
The man leaned forward, pointing at Harry. "So, I confess I am curious why you did not register, young man. There are only two reasons for this: either you have been here before and are already recognised by the wards, or you are of direct Potter blood. Except, with the war, I have been through the list of people being granted admittance quite recently. As incredible as it sounds, I therefore believe that you are family, and I mean more close than a cousin – though how exactly, I do not know."
Harry sat still, gobsmacked. What the heck was he supposed to do now?
Ginny shifted and spoke up before he could decide. "Well, Sir, Harry and I are from the future. As you guessed, he is heir to the Potter House. But I am sure you understand that we cannot tell you more." She explained quickly and firmly.
Fleamont shook his head. "Actually, I don't. I know all the warnings about messing with time, but you must be from quite far in the future. So, I doubt there is anything we could do with whatever knowledge you possess. Moreover…"
He hesitated and looked to his wife. Euphemia nodded and gently squeezed his knee before she continued in his stead.
"Fleamont and I are dying." She announced softly. "That's why we wanted James to come home for the holidays. We are old, and both of us contracted a disease that will kill us within a year or two. It is harmless for younger people, thankfully, so we can spend time with our son without fear of infecting him or his friends. But if you need insurance that we will not attempt to change things from whatever you know, you have it."
Harry felt Ginny deflate next to him before she embraced his shoulders comfortingly. "It's up to you Harry." She whispered in his ear.
Mouth dry, he nodded. He knew his grandparents had died before his parents, but the news was still a shock. He cleared his throat.
"My name is Harry James Potter." He started, lifting moist eyes towards the old couple. "I am your grandson."