Chapter 20
What Constitutes Family
The Burrow
Current Day
"Thank you," Dumbledore recounts the story. He looks around the room to see people smiling and silently laughing at the sight Harry must have made. "That is the last time I was to his place. I don't know if he finished it or not, but I do know from there on things were at their worst in the war," he tells the knowing crowd. "It was a week before he disappeared on the battlefield," Dumbledore informs them.
"So he has chairs in the library specially made for his visitors and for Hermione," Ron asks shocked.
"I believe he has chairs in there that would call to you Mr. Weasley," Albus says with a knowing smile. "He doesn't just do it for people who know where he lives, he does it for everyone he loves," he explains. "I know there are at least five chairs on each level for each of whom he calls family, I even know there is at least one for Severus on each floor," he says in thought, "though their could be more, your signs are hard to find," he says looking at Severus.
"Wait a second here," Severus says in disbelieving question. "Are you saying he has chairs he made for me in his house," he asks shocked beyond all reason.
"Yes," Dumbledore answers honestly and knowingly.
"Why," Severus asks confused. "I was mean to him and embarrassed him every chance I could," he continues. "Why does he care about me enough to invite me, to make me feel welcome in his home," Severus questions obviously shocked and touched.
"He didn't feel like it was his home," Minerva reminds him.
"Yes, yes," Severus agrees in his usual growl, dismissing her words with a wave of his hand. "But we all know Potter better than that," he snarls back stopping any further comments from his fellow Professor. "Potter made it his home just by building the place," he explains in his usual Professor snarling voice as though he is teaching a class of Gryffindor students, which oddly enough, he is, well, sort of. "We all know he put everything he had, all his time, his love, his caring, his hopes and dreams into its construction," he continues. "Who's to say he didn't enchant it as well," he questions off the top of his head. Then instantly shaking his head at those words he continues, "even if he didn't think of how much of himself he placed into the house," he continues ignoring the shocked and awed looks from those with him. "He may not realize it, but it is his home," he says. "So my question remains, why does he, have not only chairs built especially for me, why does he have my family crests on his side of the floor," he questions again and everyone can hear not only the shock and surprise but also the honor in his voice.
Everyone looks in surprise at Professor Snape as his meaning and his questions become clear to them. To their surprise they find they actually agree with the Head of Slytherin House, for once. "You know Severus," Minerva says after a moments thought. "I believe you are right, though he himself may not believe it is his home, it was his heart and soul that he put into it," she agrees. "I would love to see the place he deemed worthy of the woman he loved with all his heart, soul and life," she tells them all her secret wish.
At this point the room is silent as they all nod their heads in agreement with her wish, which matches their own. However none of them wishes to see it more than the lady whom it was meant to be built for, Hermione Granger. "To answer your question," Remus finally says looking at Severus. "As proof by the family crests," he says deep in thought. "He feels you are part of his family," he says in a whisper to the shock of everyone there.
"Right," Severus snarls disbelievingly in response.
"What constitutes family Severus," Dumbledore asks him knowing Remus understands.
"Belonging, respect, blood, love, and to be willing to sacrifice everything," Severus answers after a moment to think about the question.
"Harry respects you," Ron says instantly without thinking about it. "You may annoy the hell out of him, but he respects you," he explains shocking everyone, including himself with his answer.
"Harry feels we are family yet we do not share blood," Ginny says knowingly and she is happy to say she knows this is a truth in her heart, for she knows if she doubted it for a moment she wouldn't be able to be sitting here talking about her brother.
"As for sacrifice," Hermione says in her quiet whispering voice ragged from her crying, "tell me someone other than Voldemort, himself, he wouldn't sacrifice himself for," she asks looking up at him. "He protected the Death Eater who gave his parents to Voldemort, he saved Wormtail," she whispers still amazed with his decision all those years ago, still proud of him for seeing beyond revenge.
"Harry feels he doesn't know love," Dumbledore says in his quiet yet hearable voice. "He feels there is no way he can know something he himself never felt, yet from the chairs he gave us," he says with a small smile, "we know how he truly feels for us," he finishes.
"Belonging," Fred says surprising everyone when he speaks up. "He makes everyone here and some, but mostly one in particular, who isn't here; feel as though they are royalty, as though they are the most important person in the world. What is belonging, to me it is seeing him smile and to know I put it there, to hear his laugh and know we caused it, to see his eyes light up in delight, humor, understanding, to know that no matter how hellish the world is he is still able to find humor in life, to be able to be a human rather than a soldier or a celebrity, for him to still be the boy we adopted as our friend and brother," he says in a voice few have heard from him before, for once in his life he is serious.
"You know," George says after the room was silent for a moment and everyone is looking at Fred and Severus in shock. "I think he likes the fact you don't bend to his fame, he hates his fame, you are cruel and rude to him," he continues thinking aloud. "You hate him because of his father, not because he is the Boy-Who-Lived, you hate him because he is a Potter," he says tilting his head. "You help to keep him grounded, before and most importantly after he lost Hermione you were all there was to remind him he is only a human," he says slowly as though the idea shocks himself along with the others in the room.
"Harry is one of the few people who like to be told how it is," Fred agrees with his twin. "He always told us not to hold back, he warned he might be hurt at the time, but he would be more hurt if we didn't tell him," he remembers. "An amazing person our Harry," he says in a sad whisper as though just remembering they will never see him again.
Hermione, being the smart Witch she is, replays the whole day through her mind, "you notice how it seems everyone is changing how they talk about Harry," she whispers her thoughts, not realizing she is speaking aloud.
"What do you mean," Ginny asks her knowing she is thinking out loud.
Hermione looks over at Ginny and blushes slightly, "I said that out loud didn't I," she asks in embarrassment.
"Yep you sure did," Ron teases her earning himself 'The LOOK' from Hermione which only causes him to grin wider. "How are we changing how we talk about Harry," he asks her wondering what that mind of hers has noticed this time. Wondering what she has noticed that everyone else hasn't, though this isn't anything new.
"It's not so much how we are talking or what we are saying about him," she says confusing not only herself but everyone else.
Molly sees the self doubt start to rise in Hermione's eyes, "don't doubt yourself," she says not realizing she said it aloud. "Harry hates it when you start doubting yourself, he hates it when you start to withdrawal into your shell, or as he calls it, your comfort zone," Molly says trying to encourage Hermione to continue.
Hermione smiles at the term Harry started using during sixth year after their Christmas break. Inhaling deeply she decided to continue, knowing Harry always loved to hear what ever it was, "it seems with each story, with each hour passing, not only have our numbers decreased only to those whose family crests are on the library floor, but our references to Harry have also changed," she says hoping she isn't making a fool of herself.
"What do you mean," Bill asks her in confusion.
Dumbledore thinks about this, and runs the day through his mind and their now dwindled numbers and all of a sudden he catches what Hermione has just referenced. "I do believe you have done it yet again," he says with a knowing look in his eyes, "Harry is always amazed when you are able to think logically when all you want to do is curl up in a corner and cry," he tells a blushing Hermione and a wide eyed and lost group.
"However," Dumbledore continues after a moment. "There is also another thing which it seems you haven't noticed and is going along with what you noticed," he tells them. "It seems we are unconsciously taking our memories, our stories forward, almost chronologically in order," he says with a dreamy kind of voice. "So Ms. Granger how about we keep your discovery to us until we get to where it is we seem to be heading," he asks her.
"I'm not wrong then," Hermione gasps in wonder.
"No you are not," Dumbledore says with a smile and Hermione is shocked to see a ghost of a single yet hopeful twinkle in his eyes before it is as though it never occurred.
"Harry says it is all but impossible for you to ever be wrong," Ron says unknowingly proving her point.
"But I am and have been many times before," she whispers softly, "I was wrong, I pushed him away," she says slowly and sadly looking up to Ron.
Ron looks at friend with concerned eyes, and then looks over at Lavender in question. Lavender sees the look and knows what he is asking. "Do you think we should," she asks him.
"I think we need to," he says in return.
"What are you talking about," Ginny asks.
"Changing the order and telling of our pasts," Ron says looking pointedly at Ginny.
Ginny understands instantly where her brother is going with this, "actually it is a most fitting place to continue for it will explain many things and then end up right where this all seems to be heading," she says slowly as though surprised with her own words. "And I have no idea why I just said that," she admits with a shake of her head.
"What are you three talking about," Molly asks wondering what secret her children have been hiding from her and her husband.
Dumbledore looks at them and chuckles lightly causing everyone to look over at him, "you know I do believe that is the perfect tail to tell," he says using one of Harry's favorite, endearing, and yet sometimes annoying habits, rhyming.
"Okay," Ginny says almost excitedly, "he asked us not to divulge his secret," she says to the shocked group at her excitement. "It all started with an arranged meeting he had set not only for Neville and me, but also for Ron and Lavender," she says starting another story.
A/N: So is Harry's point of view on family a good one, or did I totally mess it up. To me it seems this way even in all the books and both of the movies. But, hey that's just me, than again you can always tell me. Anyway, thank you to those of you who have reviewed. I will try to get more posts up, but it is kind of difficult with school and all. Thanks again, Jade.