Remorse Filled Love

Home Coming and Memories

As they reached the Potter Manor, they plopped on the couch in the living room and gave a sigh of relief and content. Harry looked around the room in awe. He never even had his own room. So seeing such a big place and knowing that you could live here peacefully without having someone to order you around was enticing to even think for Harry. He got up and went to a table on which many family photos were kept. They showed many pictures of James at different age with his family. Also there were pictures of the Marauders. He took one particular picture of James in which he was probably a year old, and being held by his parents. Harry remembered the picture he had of his own parents in which he was also being held by them. It was the only picture he had with them. His eyes filled with tears.

The others were all noticing Harry quietly. They could only assume what he was feeling at this moment. The Marauders were all looking at each other with knowing sad eyes. When they saw Harry's teary eyes, James went up first to him with the others following him.

"What's the matter Harry?" James asked softly putting a hand on his shoulder.

"I only knew my parents from a picture like this. That was the only picture I had of them; a one year old me in the arms of my mother with my father standing beside her while they were both smiling. That was the only picture I had with them. It was in that picture that I came to know of my parents. Later when I met Padfoot and Moony, they showed me another one of their marriage. But I only had ever seen them or rather known them through pictures and stories from Remus, Sirius and Hagrid. That was the only one picture that kept me going every time I broke down. Remus and Sirius tried to help, but they couldn't be around often and unfortunately they believed Dumbledore more than me. So they were content to leave me with the Dursley's. So I never got them around very often. That picture was the only thing that gave me courage to fight." Harry said as though in a daze. The others were listening quietly to him.

"When I saw the memory of Professor Snape, I was in a denial. I couldn't believe my father could be anything he told me. I always thought he was lying. But I immediately fire - called at Grimmauld Palace. When Sirius answered the call, I demanded the truth from him. It was Remus who answered. I was so heart-broken after that I stopped protesting anything Snape said. And after I came to know of Dumbledore's truth I only truly believed anything he said. He was the only one who always told me the full thing without hiding anything; however harsh it may be. Sirius and Remus only told me things that Dumbledore told them to. That was the worst year of my life. The only people that kept me going were the twins and their pranks." Harry was nearly sobbing now. He had forgotten that the people he was talking about were all in this room.

"Before Sirius died, he was protecting me from Lucius Malfoy and Bellatrix Lestrange. There were about fifteen death eaters at the room. All of them had surrounded me. Ron and Hermione assured Ginny, Luna and Neville that I was perfectly capable of fighting them all alone and so they were standing at the back and watching. That was when the Order came in. Sirius immediately covered for me and had to pay by dying by the most unexpected person. I watched the whole thing in front of my eyes and could do nothing. Remus also saw who actually killed Sirius and looked at me with disappointment and disgust. That day took every reason out of my life to live. That was the actual day I truly became an orphan. That day Hermione Granger took away the last remaining speck of love from me. I lost the last bit of hope I had, I lost everything that day." Harry broke down crying after that. He was clutching the picture to his heart like the last rays of light.

All the others were crying by now. They could only imagine how hard it was for Harry. But the most affected were Sirius and Remus. They were crying uncontrollably. They understood very much how much they meant for Harry and how they were the ones that have caused him a great amount of pain unknowingly. Harry slowly returned from his dazed look and immediately flushed. He was now aware of the crying people around him.