Atrum Viridis

AN: Vittani - ^^ I feel the same way. I cried when Remus died and I was so sad when Dobby was killed to. I wish I could have kept both alive but in reality a huge battle would have at least some of the main characters die. I also couldn’t have Remus there because Harry is going to need someone to turn to and it would be unlikely that he would find Snape if Remus was alive to help. ^^” I’m sorry that he had to remain dead but think of it this way. Now the Marauders are all together again and they’re playing pranks in the after life XD. (Thank you so much for reviewing!)



Chapter Two: Pieces





When Harry slowly woke up he was aware of two things: one - that he could smell something absolutely wonderful, and two - that he could hear arguing coming from all the way from down the stairs. He could make one of those voices out to be Professor McGonagall and another was Mrs. Weasley. Were they arguing with Kreacher? Oh, they probably wanted to talk to him and the small house-elf was keeping them away. He yawned before tiredly pulling the blankets away and sitting up. He probably should go down and see what they wanted and save his little helper from their tempers.



Finding a pair of slippers by his bed he pulled them on before picking up his wand that he had hid under his pillow. Rubbing his eyes and realizing he didn’t have on his glasses, he fumbled for them before locating them on the side table and adding them as well so he could see clearly. Knowing it would be useless to try and straighten his hair he just headed for the door and stepped out. The wonderfully delicious smell of stew and rolls grew stronger and he could now hear more of the argument.



“- but Harry would be more comfortable with us! We’re his family!” Mrs. Weasley’s voice called over the sound of Sirius’s mother’s screams.



A warm feeling filled his heart at that. It was nice to know that they cared about him so much…but at the moment he really did feel like he didn’t belong at the Burrow. Not after not being able to protect Ginny. It was because of him that she was gone and he knew that. Nothing anyone could tell him would change that.



“Someone needs to make sure that Potter is alright! He just defeated the Dark Lord and he’s only seventeen! He doesn’t need to be alone!” Ah, that was Professor McGonagall.

Finding a faintly amused smile pulling on his lips, Harry descended the stairs. The moment Molly Weasley spotted him she was engulfed in a tight embrace, almost suffocating him.



“Oh Harry! We were so worried!” she cried. “Are you alright dear!? Why didn’t you come with Hermione!? We were beside ourselves! And we couldn’t leave Fred until we knew he was stable!”

Harry smiled encouragingly before pulling back. “I’m alright Mrs. Weasley!” he called over the sound of the portrait’s screams.



McGonagall frowned at the noise before growling. “OH FOR HEAVEN’S SAKE!!” she screamed before turning her wand on the portrait. “INCENDIO!” She cried and the next moment the portrait burst into flames.



Harry and Mrs. Weasley blinked and watched in astonishment as the portrait gave an unearthly screech before the entire thing disintegrated. Silence filled the hall before Professor McGonagall coughed and straightened her hat. Kreacher shrieked, going pale and looking like he was going to have a heart attack.



“VILE WENCH! YOU HURT THE MISTRESS!” he cried in a high pitched voice.



Harry frowned. “Kreacher stop. You won’t call Professor McGonagall bad names, okay?” he said firmly but trying not to be mean.



Kreacher glared at the woman, muttering under his breath but nodded, thankfully not mad at Harry.



“Yes master Harry.” He said softly.



“My apologies, Potter.” McGonagall said, putting her wand away carefully in attempt to show Kreacher she wasn’t going to blow anything else up. “We had prevented ourselves from getting rid of her incase it weakened any of the wards but now I believe we can risk the loss.” The woman’s face was serious but Harry couldn’t help but smirk faintly at the usually reserved teacher’s outburst.



“That’s alright, Professor…I didn’t want her there anyway.” He said, glancing at the scorch mark on the wall but offered the upset Kreacher an apologetic look. “You can still keep her smaller pictures, Kreacher.” He promised, making the elf calm down again, at least knowing that his Mistress’s other pictures wouldn’t be taken from him.



“Yes, Master Harry. I kept them out as you wanted, and I made you lunch.”



Harry blinked. “Lunch?” he asked, looking out the closest window to see that it was indeed midday. It had only been afternoon when he went to sleep. “How long have I slept?” he asked.



Mrs. Weasley instantly hugged him again desperately and just about dissolved into tears.



“Three days! You’ve been gone for three days and we were so worried!!” she cried, almost crushing the startled boy in her arms.



Harry winced and hugged her back weakly before trying to pry himself away from the choking hold.



“I’m sorry Mrs. Weasley. I didn’t mean to sleep that long. I was just really tired…” he said weakly, offering an apologetic smile to the two women.



Professor McGonagall sighed heavily as she crossed her arms. “Yes, well I thank you for at least having the intelligence enough to send Kreacher to inform me where you were – though I would have preferred to know from you myself.” She said sternly, making Harry wince.



“Sorry.” He whispered, looking away. “I just needed to get away…it’s…a lot to handle. I didn’t mean to make any of you worry.”



The woman’s look softened and she patted Harry’s shoulder.



“You must be hungry. We can talk while you eat.” She said kindly.



Harry wasn’t going to argue that and nodded, following Kreacher into the kitchen and sitting down at the long table. The elf instantly hobbled over to gather the food before making it appear in front of them.



“Master should eat soup for now…he is injured.” He said, almost making Mrs. Weasley go frantic again, wanting to know if he was hurt anywhere or if he needed to go to St. Mugo’s.



Harry quickly reassured her and nodded at the elf before turning to eat. Thankfully the two women were quiet for a few minutes while he got some of the food into his stomach. Once he had at least half of it in him though Professor McGonagall cleared her throat.



“There is a lot to discuss, Potter.” She said, earning a serious nod from Harry.



“I know…but is everyone else alright?” he asked. “Is Fred okay? Did all the Death Eaters get captured?”

Mrs. Weasley nodded sadly. “Yes, Fred is fine dear. The healers were able to get him stabilized and they said he should be fine in a few weeks. Bill had a broken leg but it was easily mended. Charlie only got a couple of scratches and George is alright as well. Percy is back and had to take a potion for blood loss but he just has to stay in bed for a little bit and he'll be tip top again.” She explained, obviously trying not to think about her daughter and cry.



The silence on Ginny made Harry’s throat closed and he suddenly didn’t feel hungry. He gently pushed the bowl away.



“What about everyone else? What about Snape?”



“Professor Snape.” McGonagall instantly said, almost fondly. It was obvious that she was relieved to find out that her old student hadn’t turned traitor…that she didn’t have to burry yet another of those that she cared about. “And yes he is doing better. The healers at St. Mugo’s still haven’t found an anti-venom for the snake bite, but they’re keeping him from getting worse and they said that they’re working on an antidote and he’ll be better once he had time to recouperate.” She assured him.



Harry relaxed a little and nodded absently, still thinking over what had happened.



“What about Hermione and Ron?”



Mrs. Weasley smiled fondly. “They are alright. They are back at the Burrow with the others. George and Arthur are with Fred in the hospital to keep him company. They wanted to come see you but I wanted to make sure you were alright before we had a whole bunch of people marching in here.” She admitted.



Harry understood, but in a way if felt like she really didn’t want to put anyone else she cared about in trouble and he was trouble. She was probably going to keep a close eye on all of her children for a long time now. Not that she didn’t love him too…but he couldn’t blame her. Not after getting her daughter killed and dragging her youngest son off on a suicide mission.



“We really want you to come back to the burrow, Harry. You’re too young to live by yourself still…and you’re all alone here.” She said, hoping that she could convince him but Harry just shook his head.



“I’m sorry Mrs. Weasley. I’m not ready to go back just yet.” He said, not being able to look at her. “And I’m not alone. I have Kreacher. He takes care of me.”



The woman instantly opened her mouth to argue but McGonagall put her hand on the woman’s arm and she fell silent. The professor gave Harry a serious look, a look that said that she saw him as both an adult and an equal. It made Harry’s throat constrict again.



“We won’t make you come back. This after all, is legally your house now that Sirius has given it to you.” She said. “You have defeated the Dark Lord, saved uncountable lives and stood against horrors that many Aurors never face. You have a right to decide what you want to do.” Her voice was serious and a bit strained, obviously from fighting her emotions.



After a moment to regain herself she continued. “Most of the Death Eaters have been caught but there is still a search out for anyone with the Dark Mark. I can strengthen the wards here and if you like we can change the secret keeper of the house to you so you can decide just who can enter and who can’t. I do caution you to be careful, Potter. We still do not know if there are Death Eaters still out to harm you but we don’t want to take chances.”



Harry nodded, he was glad that they weren’t going to force their decisions on him like before or like Dumbledore would have done. He loved the man but in some ways he was more controlling than his aunt and uncle.



“I’d like that.” He agreed. “Oh…is Hogwarts going to still be open?” he asked thoughtfully. After all, the castle was the final battle against Voldemort and it was in shambles. He didn’t know if anyone would want to come.



Professor McGonagall smiled faintly and nodded. “Yes, I am opening the school again in a year. I don’t believe that one summer will be enough time to repair the damage and people will probably need time to find relatives and gather themselves after what has happened, but once it is finished I will be opening Hogwarts that fall. You of course will be coming back for your final year won’t you?” she said, a stern look in her eyes.



Harry smiled weakly. “I’ll think about it…I’m not sure how I feel about going back really…” he admitted truthfully.



The women both looked troubled by that but once again Molly was stopped from trying to convince him to go. There was time to talk about it later after all.



“Very well Potter, but your parents would have wanted you to finish.” McGonagall said before letting the subject drop. “For now, you can stay here. We’ll be checking up on you to make sure you’re doing alright, but it’ll be a bit hectic for a while with the working on getting things fixed and repaired.” She said.

Harry nodded. “I understand. Ron and Hermione can come stay too if they want.” He said to Mrs. Weasley who nodded instinctively but he could already tell she wasn’t going to allow it.



Three teenagers in one how without parental supervision? Not a chance – despite the fact that they had been traveling together alone in search of the Horcruxes for months. He still couldn’t blame her and a small part of him knew that he wasn’t ready to be around others just yet. Not many anyway.



“I’ll think it over Harry, and you can come stay with us whenever you want. We’re helping Hermione bring her parents back from Australia so she will be with us as well for a while at least.” Molly explained.

Harry nodded but knew that as she wasn’t going to let Ron and Hermione join him he wasn’t going to be going back to their home. It just…didn’t feel right and he couldn’t stand the idea of sitting at their table, eating with a seat empty, knowing that Ginny would never fill it again. He couldn’t face that yet.



“I will, Mrs. Weasley, if I get lonely, I promise.” He said before standing. “I’m a bit tired still though…would it be okay if I went back to sleep?” he asked.



He didn’t feel up to talking anymore so he hoped they would buy the excuse. Whether they knew or not he couldn’t tell but they both nodded, standing.



“Alright, Harry-dear, but please come if you need us.” She said before stepping out of the kitchen.



Harry followed them into the living room and took the hug that the short red-headed woman gave him.



“I will Mrs. Weasley.” He said again, hoping that she wouldn’t worry too much but knowing that she would.



Molly sniffled, dabbing at her eyes with a lacy handkerchief she pulled from her sleeve.



“Too young, too young.” She whispered shakily before taking the floo powder sitting on the mantle and throwing a little in. “We will see you soon, Harry, stay safe.” She said before stepping in and crying out “THE BURROW” and the next minute she was gone.



Harry sighed faintly in relief before looking up to Professor McGonagall.



“Professor…I do need to ask you a couple of questions.” He said.



The older woman blinked before nodding in understanding and taking a seat in a plush chair near the fireplace.



“Yes, Potter?” she asked as she watched him settle on the couch facing her.



Harry fidgeted faintly in place before looking up.



“Professor, what happens to me now?” he asked softly. “If I am no longer at the Dursleys…where do I have to go? Who’s my guardian?”



Professor McGonagall smiled faintly. “Well, Potter, in truth you no longer need one. A wizard turns of age in our world at seventeen, which you now are. It is your decision as to where you wish to go, but I might suggest that remaining here is a good idea considering that it is familiar and you have Kreacher – at least until you decide something else. You can always let Molly and Arthur adopt you – they’ve been dying to for ages once they found out that you weren’t going to be able to stay at the Dursleys any longer….but again that is your decision. And I must add that where I do think you are rather young…you are also a bit more mature than your father was – thank Godric – and I believe that you can make a smart decision for yourself. I would just ask that you tell us before you do anything drastic…believe it or not we might be able to help.” She smiled faintly.



Harry smiled sheepishly before nodding a little. He was humbled that the woman thought so highly of him…especially after all the trouble he had caused her in class and out. Not to mention the fact that now being of age was a bit daunting to think about. Freeing…but daunting.



“Thank you, Professor…I’ll try.” He agreed, earning a faint smile from the woman.



“Very well, Potter, if that is all?” she asked, earning a nod from Harry. “Then I will return to Hogwarts. Please make sure that you talk to someone regularly, just so that we know you’re still alive.” She said faintly amused.



Harry chuckled and nodded again. “I will Professor…good luck. I hope you can fix everything.” He said.



“Don’t worry, Potter. Hogwarts can stand a lot of damage…we’ll be fine.” She said before taking some floo powder herself and throwing it in. “Goodbye, Mr. Potter.”



The next moment she had stepped in and cried “HEADMASTER’S OFFICE” and then she was gone.



Harry stared at the fireplace for a long moment before turning and heading back up to his room.



“Kreacher?” he asked as the elf instantly followed him. “Do you happen to have any of the robes I left here clean?”



“Oh yes, Master Harry. Kreacher cleaned them all incase you and Mister Weasley and Mistress Granger returned.” He said.



“Thank you Kreacher, can you bring them to me in Siri-…in my room?” he asked. The house-elf nodded eagerly before disappearing and going to retrieve the garments.



A few minutes later Harry was dressed and had washed his face and brushed his teeth. He couldn’t sleep now…there wasn’t even a reason to try so he decided he needed to go out…do something. Maybe he could check on Diagon Alley…he needed a new broom incase he needed to travel and didn’t want to apparate. It would also be good to go to Gringotts and find out just what Sirius had left him. It would determine if he could live on his own or if he would need to stay with the Weasleys until he got a job. He didn’t want to rely on their kindness his whole life though and so just incase his parent’s money wasn’t enough he wanted to be prepared.



“Kreacher, I’m going to Diagon Alley…if anyone comes or needs me…tell them that’s where I’ll be.” He said as he picked up his invisibility cloak again and headed downstairs.

The old house-elf bobbed his head in understanding. “Yes Master Harry. If Master Harry needs anything he can call for Kreacher.”



“I know Kreacher, thank you…you’ve been a big help.” He said, smiling faintly as Kreacher nearly beamed at the praise, puffing his chest out as much as possible.



“Kreacher does his best for his master. It is Kreacher’s job.” He boasted.



Harry smirked, shaking his head faintly. “Well you do it very well, Kreacher.” He said before stuffing the cloak into his pocket. “I will be back before dinner.”



“Yes Master Harry.”



Harry took some of the floo powder and threw it on the fire before stepping in. The familiar green flames licked around his body and he forced himself not to choke on the soot.



“LEAKY CAULDRON!” he cried and the next moment he was gone.

TO BE CONTINUED…





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