After Dumbledore's final riddle and the familiar twinkle in his eyes, he disappeared, leaving Harry standing alone.

In front of him, the Hogwarts Express materialized, its doors yawning open, ready to take him wherever he wanted. The train seemed like it had always been there, though Harry was certain it hadn't existed a few moments earlier.

I have a choice.

It was painfully clear. They still needed him back there. The fight wasn't over. So many people depended on him. The weight of the Wizarding World's hopes had always rested on his shoulders. But deep down, Harry knew that wasn't the real burden pressing on him. It wasn't the faceless masses, the fickle public swayed by every whisper of gossip or a headline in the Daily Prophet.

No, it was Hermione, Ron, Ginny, Neville, Luna... Each name, each face, carved into his heart, pulling at him with the silent weight of love and loss.

"Harry."

A whisper from a voice not often heard but still familiar startled him. He turned away from the train. There, standing together, were his parents, smiling gently at him. Lily opened her arms, inviting him into an embrace.

Harry froze. He had dreamed of this moment so many times, from his earliest memories of longing, and even more since the Mirror of Erised. He feared it wasn't real, that it would dissolve like a cruel mirage. But even so, he couldn't resist. Trembling, he took slow steps toward them, letting himself fall into Lily's waiting arms.

It was different from the stifling hugs of Mrs. Weasley or the friendly ones from Hermione. It was perfect. Not too tight, not too loose. It felt… like home.

Then, another pair of arms joined, encircling him, and a hand ruffled his hair—his father's. A warm feeling overwhelmed him, and Harry found himself breaking down. The tears fell, unstoppable, a torrent of all the pain, the loss, the exhaustion that had built up inside him for so long. He couldn't tell if he was crying from joy or sorrow.

They stood like that for what felt like an eternity. Harry clung to them both, terrified that if he let go, they would slip away forever, leaving him alone once again. He feared losing forever the happiness he felt right now, a happiness so powerful it could have fueled a county-wide Patronus.

"We're so proud of you, son," Lily whispered, her voice soft and soothing.

Her words stirred something deeper within him, another wave of emotion crashing over him.

"But we're also so angry," James added, his voice thick with something unspoken.

Harry pulled back, startled, wiping his tears. "Angry? Why would you be angry?"

Lily sighed, sadness clouding her eyes, but she smiled through it. "Not at you, Harry. Never at you."

James cut in, smirking slightly, though the smile didn't quite reach his eyes. "Well, your mum did nearly blow up half our house when Sirius told us about your years at Hogwarts. Dumbledore's still hiding from her because of it."

Lily shot him a look but nodded, her expression hardening with sorrow. "We fought so you wouldn't have to, Harry. We died to protect you, to give you a life free of all this… pain." Her voice broke on the last word.

Harry's heart twisted, pride swelling at the fire in his mother's voice. He had always hated when people tried to protect him, to coddle him. But this felt different. It felt like love, not control.

A sudden sob escaped him as the whistle of the Hogwarts Express echoed through the station, reminding him that his time here, with them, was fleeting.

Fighting against a new wave of tears, Harry's voice cracked as he whispered, "I've missed you both so much... I don't want to leave you."

"And we've missed you too," Lily cupped his face again, her fingers wiping away the tear tracks on his cheeks. "You don't have to leave, Harry. Not if you don't want to. You could stay here with us," she murmured. "But… is it time to leave behind everyone still waiting for you?"

Harry hesitated, glancing back at the train. The doors still stood open, inviting him to board.

Harry's heart was torn apart, the agony of the decision clawing at him. He wanted to stay so badly. He wanted to be with his parents, Sirius, and everyone else he'd lost. No more death. No more loss. It felt so tempting. After all, hasn't he given enough?

But how could he abandon everyone else? What would it mean to abandon his friends who still breathed and lived? How could he leave Hermione, Ron, and Ginny to bear the burden of his death, when they had fought so hard to keep him alive?

"I don't know what to do," he whispered, his voice shaking. "I want to stay here. I don't want to lose you, not when I've just got you back. But I don't want to leave them either," Harry admitted with a trembling voice.

"Harry..."

James stepped closer, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"If it were up to us, you wouldn't take a step toward that train." James swallowed hard before continuing. "Because we feel exactly the same as you. We just got back our son. Our little boy we could only watch from afar when he had to go through so much."

"But we can't make that choice for you," Lily said, her voice trembling now. "Even though we weren't there to raise you, we still have to do one of the most difficult things for parents: letting our child fly on his own. We can't hold you back, despite how much we want to."

She wiped a stray tear from her cheek.

Lily's hand trembled as she touched his cheek once more. "We can wait, Harry. No matter how long it takes, we'll be here. But you still have a life waiting for you."

James added with a chuckle, "Especially Ginny. You wouldn't believe how redheads can be unreasonably possessive when they've decided you are theirs."

Lily swatted her husband in the arm, playfully. "Don't listen to him, Harry. We can be very reasonable."

Harry let out a small laugh, though it was tinged with sadness. He looked between his parents, his heart torn in two. Their smiles were warm and filled with the love he'd craved for so long, but he knew their words were true. He had friends, a life waiting for him on the other side.

He let out a breath, his chest heavy with grief. "I'm so tired of losing people I love," he whispered.

"I know," Lily said softly. "It's okay to be tired, Harry. You've been through more than anyone should have to bear. But you don't have to lose us. We'll always be here, waiting for you."

The Hogwarts Express let out a final whistle, and Harry knew the time for decision was upon him. His pulse quickened as he stood at the crossroads of his life. Stay with his parents in the peace and warmth he'd longed for, or return to the world of the living, where uncertainty, pain, and love awaited him.

Then he chose.

I've always regretted that Harry never had even one conversation with his parents. I'm still uncertain whether or not I should write the different outcomes of this one-shot. Let me know if you'd be interested.
Have a nice day,
Alykto