The Family That Lived

²⁷|ᴅᴇᴀᴛʜ ɪꜱ ᴀɴ ᴏʟᴅ ꜰʀɪᴇɴᴅ

As Harry approached the toxic peals of laughter he couldn't tell whether the knot in his stomach was loosening or tightening. Was death a relief? He did not know. However, there was no reason because one way or the other it is going to happen. He is going to die.

One step then another and there he was now, facing the man who has been his enemy since the day he was born.

"Harry no! what are ye doin' here?" Came a scream from beyond. There was Hagrid, chained up and on his knees. His eyes were desperate and at that moment all Harry wanted to do was thank him and apologise. Instead, he just gave most of a smile that he could manage and turned his head back to face back to the pale wizard in front of him.

"Harry Potter, the boy who lived has come to die," he said in a voice so triumphant that it dug a pit in Harry's stomach.

As Voldemort brought his wand to position, memories flooded the young boy's mind. There was seeing James hug Lily from the back as the redhead woman tried to bake cookies in the kitchen. Then there was Sirius taking him to the roof to look at the stars.

Remus smiling at him from the teacher's table every time Gryffindor would win the house cup and sending a small wink his way. Ron's immaculate chess games. The way Draco would join Sirius and jokingly torment Harry for days.

Finally Hermione, her messy hair and deep eyes. The eyes that he would get lost in so often that everything she was saying would get blocked out.

All of it came to a stop when there was a loud incantation, "avada kedavra."

There was a pitch of blackness, and then he opened his eyes. There he was back in his house but it seemed different. In the living room, there was an unknown door, white paint with a glossy black doorknob.

The boy looked around. Is this the afterlife? He thought to himself right before hearing a voice. He turned around to find Lily and James right behind him.

"How, you are supposed to be alive. How am I seeing you right now?" Harry asked, tension forming in his head as he clenched his hair and looked towards the ground. His eyes trailed towards a small source of light under the chair.

The was a small bloody figure under there, the face was too familiar and then he realised that this was the part of Voldemort that resided inside him for years.

He looked back up and saw his parents still standing there, small hints of smiles on their faces as they approached him. Harry, in turn, found himself walking backwards as he asked: "Is this real or is it happening in my head?"

"Oh Bambi, of course it is happening in your head", James said with a polite smile.

"Why are we here?" Harry asked.

"Because you need to make a decision honey", Lily said stepping forward and this time Harry did not move. She cupped his cheek with one hand and said "you have been so brave."

"I-I can go back?" he asked, unknowingly leaning into his mother's touch.

"Of course you can, if you want to," his father said from the back. The man slowly proceeded to sit on the couch and looked at his son who had his brows arched with confusion.

"I have a choice?" He asked and was replied with two nods. However, this did not seem to be the only question. "Why are we here?"

"Harry, you need to answer that yourself. Your mind summoned us to help guide you back to where you belong" Lily said calmly before joining her husband and sitting on the armrest of his chair.

"So you are safe?" Harry asked. "Of course, we are still in the room where you stunned us, I think" James responded.

"You open the door in front of you means that you are still willing to fight, go back to those who need you, love you, care for you, feel empty without you. I know you did not choose this life and it chose you, but now you must complete this."