A/N: I received an email/review that reminded me of the fact not all people have the same back ground as myself. For this I apologize and here by make amends of this error by explaining a few things from the last chapter.
O-5 is the rank of the officer. In the military officers start out as O-1 (2nd Lieutenant) and up,so the rank of Commander is Officer-level 5.
No denomination means he doesn't have a religious preference. Since the Stories have yet to touch on religion it didn't feel as though I had the right to choose it for him so he got stuck with none.
AB+ is Harry's blood type. All this is located on the dog tags of soldiers so there is an easy access to them and for identification purposes. For Harry is anything but universal, there for his blood type needs to be uncommon.
Does this help to clear things up, I hope so. Sorry about that. Plus I need all of your help with part of the story. I have Harry leaving a letter behind with Dumbledore to tell the others, here's the question, what this letter should contain. What would you write to your family if you thought you were going to die at any moment and you didn't want to leave anything left unsaid, help me with this, PLEASE. Again and always, read/review and Thanks again. Jade.
Chapter 25
Lonely and Alone
The Burrow
Current Day
"Truth," Ron repeats his words from that day that feels as though it was three life times ago rather than a few short years.
"You know I never noticed it at the time," Ginny says deep in thought. "But Harry always seems to be walking alone," she says as she furrows her brow in concentration.
"Like when he walked back to Hogwarts," Neville asks his wife.
"Yes," she says looking over at her husband. "All he really had to do was, wait for us and we would have walked back with him, but he didn't," she says still looking at Neville.
"Meaning," Ron asks.
"That he didn't want to burden us with his pain," Lavender says in a faraway voice.
"As though if he remained near us he would have been forced to share his burden," Remus says with a shocked expression on his face.
"As though he didn't want you to feel his feelings," Dumbledore corrects.
"What are you saying," Alexandra asks wondering at his words.
"Harry was as uncommon a Wizard as he was a Muggle," Dumbledore says knowingly.
"No kidding," Hermione snarls out giving Severus a run for his money. "Our Worlds, both Wizard and Muggle placed its future on his shoulders," she says looking down at the carpet as she realizes how much she too added to his already overloaded shoulders.
"Yes we are all guilty of that," Arthur says to the group in his whispering voice, speaking for the first time since this started.
"He was forced to go through so many things that no one should have had to of gone through," Remus agrees. "When I held him back at the Department of Mysteries, I knew I was keeping him from diving in after Sirius," he whispers as the memories of that time still pain him. "I was keeping him from killing himself," he whispers more quietly. "He wanted to do everything he could to save Sirius, he wanted to get to him, he fought me, he screamed, he refused to believe," he says softly.
"That was one of the hardest times for him," Ron agrees. "Directly afterwards it was as though he was dead, as though there was no life in him," he says with a sad voice.
"In a sense you could say that," Hermione says. "He was depressed beyond anything we had ever seen," she agrees. "Fifth year was the worst year, I mean I have never known Harry to be so angry, not before and not since," she says with a confused voice. "I still can't figure out why," she says dejected as she realizes there is a puzzle she is unable to solve. A puzzle she can't solve when it is the most important puzzle to solve.
"Can't you really," Dumbledore asks her, yet it seems he is directing her to some conclusion.
"What are you suggesting," Ron asks curiously.
"That the answer to your question is hidden within your question, within the occurrences of your fifth year," Dumbledore says looking at Hermione.
Hermione closes her eyes as she runs their fifth year through her mind, "he arrived at Headquarters already angry," she says out loud.
"You forgot loud," Fred agreed knowingly.
"Very loud," George corrects.
Hermione ignores their words as she continues to think, "It was strange," she continues, "yes he got mad, but nothing, nothing like that," she says still in thought. "There wasn't a day he didn't shout," she says after a moment. "then at Christmas," she says as her head snaps up and looks towards Dumbledore, her eyes wide in question and everyone is surprised to see horror. "No," she says instantly, "please tell me no," she begs of him.
"I wish I could," Dumbledore tells her leaving the others in the dust.
"What are you talking about," Ginny asks confused.
"Harry was being possessed by Voldemort," Hermione sighs out as her eyes close against this new onslaught of pain.
"What," Ron shouts as he looks to Dumbledore to tell him it isn't true.
"No," Fred says instantly.
"He saved dad," George agrees.
"Voldemort was trying to use Harry to kill me and to get to the Prophecy," Dumbledore tells them something Harry had never told them. "He was also hoping to have Harry go mad," he whispers.
"Why didn't he tell us," Remus asks.
"What do you want him to say," Fred says instantly, "oh by the way don't get too close to me because I am being possessed by the evilest creature known," he says sarcastically.
"Are you saying he thought we might not like him if we knew the truth," Ron asks terrified of what his friend and brother was forced to hold all this inside himself and what he had to go through.
"He didn't exactly get encouraging reactions from us when we listened in on their conversations," Ginny says mockingly and yet horrified by her own reactions to this news. Horrified that she wasn't more open to how defenseless Voldemort's victims are and yet she herself who has been possessed wasn't forgiving of it for her brother.
"So he didn't say anything to keep us as his friends," Ron asks and then instantly shakes his head at his words. "No, that doesn't sound right," he argues with himself and the others.
"He was mainly doing it so he could protect you," Dumbledore tells them.
"So he suffered knowing he was being possessed alone," Hermione says as her voice shakes. "He suffers for us," she whispers. "And for him to never know what was in the Prophecy," she says looking sadly up at Ron and then sweeping her eyes to each of the people who were there that night.
"You notice how he always seems to be helping everyone and not asking things for himself," Remus asks surprised with his friend's son once again, yet making it so no one can comment on this last statement. For Remus believes Hermione's words to be true and it still pains him to know that what that night was fought to protect was lost, never to be known.
"That Remus is Harry," a voice says surprising everyone not only with the words but the sincerity behind those words.
"Severus," Remus asks in shock.
"Remus," Severus smirks back knowing his words from a moment before shocked them all, let alone himself.
The room is plunged into calm and yet surprised silence as each person is lost in their own personal memories containing their lost family member. "What was it you were leading to," Hermione asks after a moment.
Ron can't help but laugh at this, "which time," he asks knowing they have covered a lot of things this night.
The room giggles at this all too true comment, "why you told us about how you four got engaged," she prompted.
"Right," Ron says looking over at Dumbledore to see his nod of agreement.
"It was right after he was to have asked you to marry him," Lavender says softly.
"We all got," Neville says and then looks around, "well the four of us did and some others," he corrects.
"We got notes saying to meet at the host place of our Torture Chamber," Ginny says looking at her husband.
"We instantly knew who the note was from," Ron tells her.
"We had never told anyone how we got together," Lavender agrees.
"We were too embarrassed to admit the truth," Ginny smiles at the truth of this.