Disclaimer – Isn’t mine.

Chapter 8 - Choices

Light magic fought dark and within minutes both Harry and Riddle were dripping with sweat from the effort.

Suddenly Harry felt a peace he’d felt only once before many years ago in the Chamber of Secrets as Fawkes flew through the window to land on his shoulder and with one final push Harry cast Riddle’s dark magic from the snake like figure in his arms. Riddle screamed again, a heart wrenching sound that reverberated around the room and then his body shrank to nothingness leaving his robes to drop to the floor in a heap.

Harry, breathing heavily, stepped back, ignoring the pounding of the Death Eaters, who had heard their master scream, and surveyed the bundle of black robes lying innocently in front of him.

‘Thanks Fawkes.’ He whispered, reaching up to pet the phoenix. Fawkes trilled softly to him and what Harry assumed to be the oldest mare in the thestral herd came up and nudged his arm.

‘Yes, let’s go.’

Suddenly Fawkes trilled again and Harry glanced down at the pile of robes on the floor to see that it was moving.

‘Oh no.’ Harry gasped, stepping away from the moving pile. He didn’t think he could do it again. Without Fawkes’ help he wouldn’t have been able to do it the first time.

The bundle moved again and emitted a soft whimpering sound and Fawkes trilled once more encouraging Harry to look closer. With a deep breath he leant down and parted the thick fabric before stumbling back in shock, landing on his backside several feet from what he could now see was a child. An infant no older than several weeks. It lay crying pitifully as Harry just continued staring at it.

Fawkes trilled again and Harry felt the urge to pick up the child. He slipped off his own cloak and crawled forward, laying it beside the infant and carefully lifting and placing the child on it before wrapping it tightly and picking it up. The infant stopped crying and its blue eyes stared up at Harry causing something to almost clench within his chest.

‘How?’ Harry breathed. His eyes were riveted to the infant for some time before the mare nudged him again and Harry looked up. He could still hear the Death Eaters trying desperately to open the door and knew he had to get out of there. Is if sensing his dilemma the mare knelt down and Harry stood and awkwardly clambered onto the Thestral placing a sticking charm on himself and the infant as the mare cantered across the room and flew out the window just as the stallion had done what Harry realised was almost an hour before; Fawkes and the rest of the herd following quickly.

They landed in the forbidden forest and Fawkes disappeared. Harry felt a sense of loss he knew would take several hours to go away but without thinking on it further he hurried up towards the castle. Slinking through the now empty halls was easy and Harry quickly made his way back to the potions master’s rooms where he knew everyone should still be waiting. He hoped Draco had made it back alright.

Whispering the password and cradling the now sleeping infant tightly to his chest he stepped into the room to see, Draco installed on the sofa but looking quite please with himself as Hermione doted on him as the Weasleys looked on in amusement and Severus paced in agitation by the fireplace.

‘Hey.’ He said softly and all seven head looked in his direction.

‘Harry.’ Hermione shrieked and flew across the room. Harry released one arm to hug her to him tightly. ‘I so glad you’re alright.’ She whispered and Harry pulled away slightly and kissed her.

‘I told you I would be back.’ He said simply.

‘Yes but when you made Draco leave we weren’t sure what was happening.’

Harry glanced up and caught the Slytherin’s eyes. ‘Are you alright?’ he asked in concern.

Draco nodded, giving him a smug grin. ‘Fine, between Sev and Hermione how could I not be?’

‘How long have you been back?’

‘Bout an hour and a half. That bloody stallion’s a maniac. Flew like he was possessed by something. Right into the castle no less and down the corridors before stopping and almost kicking Sev’s door down.’ Draco snorted.

‘Humph. Blasted animal.’ The potions master grumbled.

Harry smiled making a mental note to go and see the stallion later. ‘Good.’

‘Ah, Harry, what exactly is that?’ Bill asked hesitantly, pointing at the bundle in Harry’s arms that was now squirming.

Harry moved across the room and sat on the end of the sofa at Draco’s feet as the other came and crowded around him. He lowered the bundle and gently pulled the robe away from the infant’s face.

‘Bloody hell.’ Fred swore.

‘That’s a baby.’ George added.

‘Where did you get that?’ This was from Charlie.

‘Thank you for stating the obvious Messer’s Weasley. I think the more prudent question is who’s is it?’

Harry looked up and caught the suspicious glint in the beetle black eyes. ‘It’s Tom.’ He whispered. ‘As far as I can gather.’

‘It’s You-Know-Who’s?’ Bill raised both eyebrows in surprise.

Harry shook his head. ‘No, it’s actually Tom. Well Tom and me, I think.’

‘You had a baby with the Dark Lord.’ Draco sounded awfully confused and that expression was mirrored on every face but one.

‘You used the purging spell, didn’t you?’ Snape stated and Harry nodded.

‘I didn’t know how else to do it. I figured that he was just made of dark magic and if I purged him of it he would just die. I wouldn’t have to use the killing curse.’ He said sadly.

‘Didn’t seem to work all that well.’ The black eyebrow raised skyward as if admonishing the Boy-Who-Lived.

‘No.’ Harry said softly, gently stoking the baby’s cheek. ‘There must have been just a bit of good still left in him. I think maybe he kept a bit of me in him when he possessed me back in fifth year and it’s that bit that remained. Of course Fawkes may have had something to do with it.’ He added with a sigh.

‘Fawkes?’ Hermione asked and Harry took a deep breath and launched into a tale of exactly what happened.

It didn’t take that long and just as Harry was finishing a knock sounded on the door. Harry stiffened and pulled the infant closer to him as if to protect it as Severus crossed the room and opened the door.

‘Ah Severus, I was just wondering if young Harry had returned?’ The headmaster asked cheerfully.

Snape rolled his eyes but allowed the elderly wizard to enter.

‘You can leave the riddles outside, Albus.’ Harry said curtly. ‘I know for a fact that Fawkes would have told you I’ve returned as well as exactly what happened.’

Albus looked a bit taken aback at Harry’s words but plowed on anyway. ‘May I see the child, Harry?’ he asked crossing the room towards him in anticipation. Harry all but leapt off the sofa and moved to the fireplace, cradling the infant to him tightly once again.

‘No, you may not.’ Harry growled the others in the room looking confused at Harry’s sudden protective stance.

‘Come now, Harry. There is no need for this.’

Harry shook his head. ‘No. I know how your mind works and you aren’t getting your hands on this child.’

Severus and Draco exchanged an uneasy glance.

‘Harry, that child is evil, it must be destroyed.’ Dumbledore’s voice was like ice, stunning all but the two. Hermione and the Weasleys in shock that the headmaster could be so callous.

‘No, it’s not, as I’m sure Fawkes told you. He’s probably the purest thing in the world right now. There isn’t a scrap of evil in him anywhere and I won’t let you use it as an excuse to kill him.’ Harry’s voice broke as he choked back a sob and Hermione stood and moved to stand beside him.

‘He’s evil Harry.’ Dumbledore was adamant. ‘And he will be destroyed.’

‘He’s just a baby.’ Harry cried. ‘Evil is made, not born. We have a chance to set things right. To make up for the childhood Tom had and give him what he should have had. You can’t deny him this. You can’t deny me this.’

Dumbledore leveled an almost calculating gaze at Harry, taking in Hermione at his side and the baby in his arms, the entire picture looking like a family portrait out of an album, the only thing marring it was the tears streaking down Harry’s face. Dumbledore opened his mouth to speak but Harry beat him to it.

‘He was never shown love, never shown how to love another. It’s what turned him dark. He has a chance to learn how wonderful love can be, please Albus,’ Harry sucked in a deep breath trying to compose himself before he went on. ‘Don’t give up on him, you’ve done that before and look what happened. He’s just a baby, like any other, that needs to be loved so that he can grow. Don’t let his past blind you to what he is now. You’re the one saying everybody deserves a second chance. Do you mean everyone but Tom? Give him a chance; I promise you, it will be the greatest gift he’s ever received.’ Harry was breathing heavily by the end of his plea and his green eyen were begging the older wizard to agree.

Dumbledore silent for several moments before his expression softened. ‘I think the greatest gift Tom has ever received is you, Harry.’ He said softly.

Harry sighed in relief, hugging both Hermione and the baby to him tightly. He had no idea of where the strong protective feelings for the infant came from but the thought of the boy being taken from him caused his heart to race and his head to pound. There was some connection between them, to be sure, all Harry knew was that he would watch over and guard the child with his very life.

‘You don’t think the child would be better with a family that has other children?’ Severus questioned gently, unsure of reaction he would receive from Harry. Instead it was Hermione who spoke up.

‘No. He needs one on one attention. And he needs someone who knows his history. He will stay with Harry and me.’ she said firmly and Harry could have kissed her.

‘Are you sure?’ Albus’ expression was slightly anxious.

‘Absolutely.’ Hermione nodded.

‘Harry?’ Severus said quietly and Harry’s head shot up from where he had been staring down at the child in his arms.

‘Yes?’

Severus took in the slightly stunned expression on Harry’s face. ‘Do you intend to raise the child as your own?’

Harry glanced down at the boy once more. ‘I would allow no other.’ He said softly.

‘Harry, are you sure? I mean he killed you’re parents.’ Charlie said hesitantly.

Harry shook his head. ‘No he didn’t. Voldemort killed my parents. This is Tom. Just Tom.’ He whispered.

(Seventeen years later)

Harry stared out around Hogwarts grounds, the many parents of the graduating seventh years chatting with each other as the seventh years themselves got ready for their graduation ceremony.

There had been a lot of them that year. The destruction of Voldemort as was reported to the public almost eighteen years ago causing an influx of children in that generation. This year’s batch of seventh years had been the biggest influx of students Hogwarts had seen in many years and was only exceeded by the following year’s group of children.

Harry had naturally been accepted back into the fold after his defeat of the Dark Lord but had never really gotten close to any but the seven that had always believed in him. He had stayed at Hogwarts with Hermione and raised their son. Some said it wasn’t fitting work for a wizard who had defeated a threat such as Voldemort but Harry didn’t care. He ignored the barbs about house husbandry and found looking after Tom as probably the most rewarding experience of his life. The boy grew like a weed and was adored by most in the castle.

Dumbledore kept an annoyingly close eye on him for any signs of darkness but none surfaced. Harry and the headmaster had had a tremendous row that had echoed throughout the castle on whether to tell the boy of his past. Harry naturally had won and one evening when Tom was just eleven he had sat down with Hermione, Severus and Draco and explained to Tom exactly how he came to be, from beginning to end.

To say the boy who had been horrified had been an understatement. The thought of cursing anyone in his family, let alone trying to kill them had been just too difficult to contemplate. In the end though, after several hours of talking about what had happened Tom had stood and moved to kneel in front of Harry before hugging him tightly.

‘Thanks, Dad.’ He whispered. ‘Thank you for believing in me.’

‘It wasn’t just me. Everyone believes in you, Tom.’ Harry gestured to the others around him. ‘They have all watched out for you over the years.’

‘I won’t disappoint you, I promise.’ The boy vowed solemnly and Harry smiled and hugged him tightly again.

And he hadn’t.

James Thomas Potter had grown into a handsome young man that was loved and respected by many. He was always calm and content despite only possessing an average magical talent but he had worked exceptionally hard during his final years at Hogwarts to earn a place at the Auror Academy.

‘Daddy.’ Came a shriek which was the only warning Harry got before he found himself almost bowled over by an exuberant ten year old. Harry let out a soft grunt before lifting the little girl in his arms.

‘I thought you were with Uncle Draco.’ Harry scolded.

‘I was but he was taking too long to get ready.’ Lily Potter grumbled, her vivid green eyes shining innocently. Harry snorted; he could imagine Draco still preening in front of the mirror. ‘Oh, there’s Tom.’ Lily squealed, wriggling out of her father’s arms to run across the grass to fling herself into her brother’s arms. Tom lifted her high in the air and swung her around, raucous giggling reaching Harry’s ears.

Tom absolutely doted on his little sister, to the point where Harry had had to have words with the teenager about spoiling her. Harry laughed as Tom tried to put Lily down but she held tightly onto his neck and wouldn’t let go. When the seventeen year old began tickling her mercilessly she clambered around his side until she was clinging tightly to his back, well out of reach and in the end Tom just sighed and turned back to his friends.

Harry jumped as Hermione slipped her arms around his waist. ‘Hey.’ She said softly.

Harry turned slightly and smiled down at her. ‘Hey yourself.’ The passing years had been kind to Hermione. Her always stressed expression had relaxed as had her bushy hair. She was the current Head of Gryffindor house and loved every minute of it. As McGonagall had gotten older she had relied more and more on the younger witch until she finally decided that retirement was calling. Dumbledore too would be leaving this year and Harry was to take his place.

There had been many sleepless nights and deep discussions before Harry had agreed. In the end it had been Tom who had persuaded him. His Slytherin adopted son had shown him just how much he could help other children just as he had helped Tom.

‘You unbiased views can only hinder the growth of another Dark Lord.’ He had said.

Harry had continued to argue vociferously against the appointment but eventually had conceded and when the students returned in September there would be a new Headmaster sitting in that ornately carved chair at the head table.

‘I’m so proud of you.’ Hermione whispered and Harry glanced down at her again.

‘I didn’t do anything.’ He said softly.

Hermione glanced over at when Lily was still perched on Tom’s back as the teenager had his arm around his Ravenclaw girlfriend as he conversed with his friends, who came from all four houses. Tom had naturally been in Slytherin once again, but had immediately grown close to children from all houses. Harry and Hermione had bets on where Lily would end up.

‘Harry.’

Harry and Hermione both turned to see the Headmaster’s twinkling blue eyes looking back at them. ‘You’ve done well, my boy.’ Dumbledore went on. ‘Tom is a credit to you.’

Harry glanced over at his pseudo son. ‘He’s a credit to himself, Albus. He just needed someone to give him a chance.’

‘And a choice.’ Dumbledore added.

‘Do you regret it? Do you wish you had killed him when he was just a baby?’ Harry asked, unable to hide the edge to his voice.

Dumbledore followed his eyes and watched as Tom bent his head to place a kiss on his girlfriend’s temple causing Lily to burst into a fit of giggles. ‘No, but you can’t blame an old man for being scared.’

‘Is that what it was Albus? Were you scared?’ Harry asked. ‘Or did you just want to get back at the one wizard who had bested you.’

‘He never bested me.’ Dumbledore countered.

‘No, he didn’t.’ Harry admitted. ‘But I did. I did the one thing you could never have done, prophesized or not.’

Hermione sucked in a breath as Dumbledore’s eyes dimmed. ‘Can’t you ever let go of the past, Harry? It doesn’t do to dwell on it.’

Harry gently untangled Hermione’s arms as his expression became distant. ‘I’m not dwelling on it. I’m remembering it, remembering exactly what happened so that it can never happen again.’ He finished before crossing the grass swiftly to where Severus was standing.

‘Do you ever think he will forgive me?’ Albus asked quietly.

Hermione shook her head. ‘No, probably not, Albus, but take heart, it’s not just you. Harry’s trust is easily gained but once broken is almost impossible to repair. You had an incredible gift, all of you, and you threw it away without a thought.’

‘I know.’ Dumbledore said softly and with a tight smile Hermione crossed to stand with Severus and Harry.

An hour later Harry was clapping proudly as Tom received his graduating scroll, Lily was bouncing excitedly beside him and Harry realised that maybe this new position would be a good thing as life was going to be quiet otherwise, what with Lily starting Hogwarts come September.

Tom beamed at his father after all the teachers including Hermione had shaken his hand, although she had added a small hug that had made Tom blush furiously. The headmaster then said a few words to the teenager that had him casting a proud glance at his father.

Harry asked him later what the headmaster had said and Tom had proudly repeated the statement. ‘He said that I should always remember what you gave me and be sure to pass such a favour forward to another.’ Tom told him. Harry was surprised the headmaster hadn’t said to return the favour and it took him almost ten minutes to work out what the old man had meant. By returning the favour it only helped two people, by passing it on it helped a third, and so on. Harry probably thought it was one of the wisest things to come out of the elderly wizard’s mouth.

It was later as Harry watched his family standing together, Hermione scolding Tom as he tickled his little sister before grabbing Hermione, whom he now towered over, and swinging her in a circle causing Lily to laugh and Hermione to scold him further. Draco, Bill and Charlie were laughing at the antics of the children as Fred and George tried to sneak up on Severus from behind, not that that had worked in almost twenty years although not for lack of trying, that Harry realised how much he had gained in spite of his past and he decided that things probably couldn’t get much better.

It was with this thought that he turned and sought out the wizened figure, crossing the lawn to stand nearby until the current headmaster had finished his conversation. Harry knew Hermione and the others would all be watching him closely but his attention remained on the elderly wizard as he turned to face him. Harry didn’t say anything, instead simply holding his hand out. It was the first time since Harry had been sent to Azkaban that he had willingly allowed one other than his close friends and family to even touch him and Dumbledore took it for what it was.

Forgiveness.

With tears in his eyes the old man raised his own hand and shook Harry’s warmly, his tears reflected by many who witnessed the scene.

‘Thank you.’ Albus whispered. ‘Thank you.’

There you are. I did tell you I’d finish it. There wasn’t much left but it all came at once so there you are.

I hope you all enjoyed it and I’m sorry it was such a long ride.

Kindest regards,

Mione.