A/N ~ Well, well, well… look who is finally updating! Oh right, that's what you all are saying not me, I'm the naughty one who took 6 months to update. But in my defence I'm getting married very soon and my wedding has become a rampaging beast that is completely beyond my control and takes great delight in eating up all of my spare time! Um so on that slightly melodramatic note, and with the desire of finishing this fic prior to book seven's release I give you the eighth and final chapter of Consequences. If I like book seven I may do a short story or two in the future from this universe but I must finish it and it must be the story that I originally set out to write. So I hope you all forgive me and please leave a review.
Consequences chpt 8.
The day of my parent's wedding was the happiest of my life up to that point, I had never felt so important as I did when I stood beside my father on that day or felt so much pride as I did when I saw how beautiful my mother looked when she walked down the aisle. When they kissed at the altar and we became a family for real, I was so happy I could almost burst. After the wedding Mum, Dad and I all went on a family vacation together to Australia. It was fantastic because Mum and I got to show Dad around all the places we used to call home, Dad saw my old school and I got to introduce him to all of my friends from primary school. Then we went around the rest of the country and saw all of the things I'd always dreamed of seeing, like Ayers Rock, The Great Barrier Reef and The Sydney Opera House. It was the best vacation I'd ever had.
Then when we got back I got my Hogwarts letter and just before I left to go to school, Mum told us that she was pregnant so I was going to be an older brother. I thought that was the happiest day of my life then, until I went to Hogwarts and got into Gryffindor. I'll never forget the letter I got from my Mum and Dad after that, they were so proud of me and Dad put a little note in the bottom saying that after what we talked about the first day we met he'd never doubted for a second that I'd be a Gryffindor. Jack, JP and Katie all became Gryffindor's too and we had some really good fun together. I didn't make the team until second year but I think that's because I was used to flying a firebolt, so going from that to a school broom messed up my flying. Dad teased me a bit saying that he was selected for the house team flying on a school broom, but mum reminded him he'd never flown anything else at the time so he didn't expect more from it, like I did. So that was a little disappointing but I still made the team way younger than most people so it was pretty good.
All in all life treated me very well. I didn't have any of the drama of my youth that my father did, I had a few minor (comparatively) scrapes but nothing huge or traumatic, but I consider myself quite lucky in that respect. I did have a bit more press attention than I probably should have. It was a bit difficult because I was his son, and I looked so much like him, people tended to expect a lot but no-one was really surprised when I did well. Mostly, like with the Quidditch team, I out performed all others but I never met the standard my father set. There were times when that really bothered me, particularly if the press got hold of it, but mostly I was just glad to be my father's son. Not that he was perfect, don't get me wrong, he had his share of flaws and I, unfortunately, inherited most of them. I think that because I spent the first ten years of my life without him I really appreciated the relationship when I got it. I always knew that he would be there for me, that he would support me and that he loved me.
Most of all I knew he was proud of me, sometimes he would look at me with this smile and I was never sure exactly of his thoughts but I knew that he was proud. It was funny cause he got proud of me over the strangest things, I remember my first Christmas back from Hogwarts I was in the den with my Dad while my Mum was upstairs sleeping. It was late in her pregnancy with Emily so she was always tired and going for naps. We were talking about Filch, who amazingly was still at the school, and how he'd caught me for sneaking into the kitchens at night.
`It was because of the stupid Slytherins!' I wailed, `they locked us in an empty classroom and by the time we got out it was passed curfew and we'd missed dinner. So we went down to the kitchens to get some food and on the way back we got busted by Filch!'
Dad smiled at me partly amused partly exasperated, `Well that's not good,' was all he said.
`I know, it was so unfair! It wasn't our fault but McGonagall didn't even care she just gave us detention.'
Dad smiled, `Can you keep a secret?' he asked now leaning towards me and whispering. This sudden change of topic by my father had me interested, as far as I knew he'd never told me a secret before so I was doubly interested.
`Yeah!' I whispered back emphatically, leaning in as well.
`You can't tell your mum.' He warned, `I won't' I promised quickly.
He looked at me hard then as though trying to see into my head, perhaps trying to judge whether or not I really could be trusted or not to keep my promise. He must have decided that I could because suddenly he got up and went to a cabinet in the corner of the room. It looked like he was fiddling with something at the back and then suddenly he was done. He came back and sat down next to me on the sofa, a piece of natty old parchment in his hands.
`What's that?' I asked pointing at the parchment.
`This, is a very special map. A map that my father and his friends made of Hogwarts when they went to school there.'
`A map?' I asked wondering why it was such a secret.
`A very special map,' he added and took out his wand. He pointed his wand at the parchment and said `I solemnly swear that I'm up to no good.'
The next thing I knew lines were spreading over the surface of the parchment and I was looking, for the very first time, at the Marauders map.
`I wasn't going to give you this until you were in your third year, because that's when I got it, but I've changed my mind, on one provision.'
`What?' I asked, prepared to offer anything if it meant I'd be able to get my hands on the map.
`Well since you've already got the invisibility cloak if I give you this as well, you have to promise me that you'll never get caught by Filch again.'
I nearly laughed, but he looked so serious that I coughed instead, `I promise, if you give me that map, I'll never get caught by Filch again.'
Dad smiled and ruffled my hair, `That's my boy, now don't forget to blank it out after you use it. All you need to do is say mischief managed.'
I tapped my wand against the map, `mischief managed'
It was a memorable night for me and as strange as it may seem, I know he was proud of me that night. But it wasn't the most memorable night I spent with my father, that one would have to be the night Emily was born. My relationship with my Dad was a bit odd, I think because I was ten when we first met he wasn't just my Dad he was also my friend and it meant I got to see a side of him that I might not have otherwise. Dad had been in with Mum all during the birth and afterwards he sat behind her and they held this little baby together for the first time. I'd been out in the waiting room with Uncle Ron and when we were let in to see them we found them like that. We only spent a few minutes in there and I got to hold my baby sister but we soon had to leave because it was late at night and Mum was tired. We went back home with Uncle Ron and sat in the kitchen together, when dad went to pieces.
`I don't know if I can do this mate,' He said to Ron looking scared.
It was weird seeing my Dad afraid, I knew better than anyone that he was just a person but, I also knew that 90% of what people said about what he had done was true, but they also didn't know more than half of what he'd done. He was the guy that had defeated the world's most powerful dark wizard when he was only seventeen, who now made a living from regularly chasing down and capturing them. Yet here he was, all his bravery had disappeared because of a little baby girl.
`Hey come on mate, you'll be fine. I mean you got Matt `ready made' but you've still done alright.'
We all laughed and uncle Ron went and got the fire whisky. I wasn't allowed to have any but I they did let me stay up with them and I got to listen to them talk and it was the best night I ever spent with my dad. He and uncle Ron told more and more stories about each other, including the time in second year when they flew a car to school.
At about midnight I made the mistake of saying what I'd been thinking all night.
`It's funny seeing you scared Dad! Usually nothing scares you!' my Dad just chuckled and ruffled my hair, but uncle Ron decided it was time I learnt the truth about my Dad and in doing so he taught me a pretty important lesson.
`Don't idealize him too much Matt, he gets scared just like everyone else, just hides it better is all. Doesn't let it stop him from doing what needs to be done either.' He slurred into his cup.
I looked at my Dad amazed, `is that true, you get scared a lot?'
My Dad, Harry, actually laughed `yeah, all the time! Didn't you know Matt, Bravery isn't the absence of fear, it's being able to act in spite of your fear.' Dad and Ron started laughing after that, I'm not sure what was funny about that. At the time I figured that it was just cause they were drunk, in fact I still think so.
That might have been my most memorable time with my Dad but the day I appreciated him the most was when I got my letter at the start of fifth year, and I hadn't been made prefect. I didn't even realise I'd been hoping for it until I didn't get it. Mum bustled into the room where I was sitting in shock holding my usual two bits of parchment.
`Well,' she said her excitement evident, `Do you have any special news for us?' Dad had come into my room at a slower pace behind her. I glanced from my Mum to my Dad feeling ashamed.
`No,' I said feigning ignorance, `Why?'
Mum looked shocked, obviously realising that the unthinkable had happened, her son had not been made prefect. She opened her mouth, probably to say exactly that but my Dad came to the rescue.
`No reason,' he said slipping an arm around Mum's shoulders and steering her back towards the door, he looked back at me and winked and I could have sworn in that moment he was proud of me.
I went down to the den later that night after Mum had gone to bed, I had a feeling Dad would still be up waiting for me and I wasn't disappointed. I entered the room and saw him sitting in his favourite chair by the fireplace, he had a book open in his lap but he wasn't reading it he was just staring into the flames.
`Hey Dad,' I said as I entered the room sitting down on the sofa across from him. He looked up at me and smiled.
`Hey Scruff,' he said reverting back to the childhood nickname that my mum had given me, `what are you doing up so late?'
I shrugged, I wanted to be re-assured that it was ok that I hadn't made prefect but I didn't want to be the one to bring it up. My Dad nodded as though he understood, `Don't worry about it mate, I didn't make prefect fifth year either and neither did my Dad. I think Potter men just take a little longer to mature that's all.'
This news was surprising but I suddenly felt so relieved, `Really? But I thought you and Grandpa were both Head Boy?'
Dad shrugged, `we were, like I said, we're slow to mature.' He stood up then and stretched, `Don't let it get you down, Mate, you don't really want that responsibility yet anyway, you'll see, it'll turn out for the best.'
I nodded, trying to convince myself he was right, `Goodnight Scruff,' he said and tousled my hair before heading out of the room and heading to bed.
Dad and I used to do that a fair bit when I was home from school, not every night but most nights we would meet up in the den after Mum and Emily had gone to sleep and spend some time together. Most of the time we'd watch T.V and just chat, he'd tell me a bit about both his jobs and the orphanage and I'd tell him about what I'd been up to at school. Occasionally he'd give me tips on how to win Quidditch, or help me learn a difficult spell for DADA but mostly we would just talk about what we'd been up too. That was how I ended up disappointing my father, to the best of my knowledge it was the only time I ever did. I was telling him about how the Slytherins had been bothering me again, after they'd found out I wasn't made a prefect.
`It was pretty awful but I got back at them.' I said after I finished telling them what they'd said to me.
`Yeah Slytherins can be real jerks,' he agreed, `what did you do to get back at them?' he asked a little grin on his face as he imagined some kind of prank.
I smiled thinking about what I'd done, `Well I've started what I have affectionately called my reign of terror, it's nothing major,' I said rushing to re-assure him when his smile vanished and his brow creased, `I've just been putting booby traps outside the Slytherin common room entrance, to turn them up side down or change their robes to Gryffindor or turning their hair pink, harmless stuff.' I tried to explain what I had done so he would understand it was just a joke but instead of smiling or laughing he was still frowning.
`So you've been doing this in front of the Slytherin Common room then?' he asked and I nodded, `and you've been doing this for several weeks, just to get back at a few guys who teased you a bit for not being made prefect?' it was phrased as a question but it wasn't really. I nodded again but I was starting to get a sinking feeling in my stomach, I could tell he didn't think it was funny at all and when he put it like that I could understand why. He just nodded and didn't say anything else, but I could just tell he was disappointed, later when he got up to go to bed I tried to apologise and I promised never to do it again. He just looked at me, `I know that Mathew,' Dad never called me Mathew, `I just wish you'd never done it to begin with.' He smiled a sad sort of smile at me and left the room. For the rest of my holiday's I went every night to the den to spend time with my Dad but he wasn't there once. By the time I home next for school holidays everything was back to normal but I never forgot that night.
My father was an unusual man in many ways, he would get proud of me for the strangest things, disappointed in me for what many parents would just let slide and treat as normal things that really were extraordinary. Being made Head Boy in my seventh year for example, he was pleased of course but he didn't seem surprised or particularly impressed. Or when I told him I'd been accepted for Auror training, rather than being proud he actually seemed a little disappointed, as though he had hoped for something better or at least a little more original. But when I told him that Katie and I were engaged, at the grand old age of nineteen, he couldn't have been more proud and happy.
As I stood at the altar waiting for my bride, with my father by my side, I know he felt all the happiness and pride that I felt on his wedding day ten years earlier. When Katie appeared at the foot of the aisle my heart almost stopped beating in my chest and I felt my Dad clap me on the back, I looked over at him and a feeling of déjà vu. Tears sprang to my eyes and I watched my bride walk toward me and felt the support of my father at my back. I could see my future stretch out before me and felt the only thing I could possibly wish for was to be the kind of father to my son that my father had been to me.
Final A/N ~ Now that you have all read and (hopefully) enjoyed the final chapter of Consequences it's time for me to make a confession. This was a song fic. Based on the below song, also included is a link to a youtube video of the same song. I really hoped you enjoyed the final chapter and aren't too disappointed that I didn't go into detail on Harry and Hermione's wedding.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tpzXZsxbqe4n
Tell me how the circle ends
There's no beginning
Everything that came before
Will come round again
And I look in the mirror
My fathers eyes look back at me
He gave me a road to choose
He gave me freedom
And I pray I'm strong enough
To walk in his shoes
And I hope that I become
Half the man he'd want me to be
Cos I feel you guiding me
Showin' me the way when I'm misdirected
I know your not here but I feel connected
Chorus
Cos everything that I am
Comes from a better man
And all that I've said and done
Cant rewrite my history
Right there for all to see
I'm just my fathers son
Taught me to walk, now I run
Now I run
Sometimes when I lose myself
In my weakness
I can feel the touch of his
Unmistakable hands
And they're pushing me forward
Back into the circle again
And I hope my son sees in me
The kind of man that he was to me
Chorus
And everything that I am
comes from a better man
And all that I've said and I've done
Cant rewrite my history
Right there for all to see
I'm just my fathers son
Taught me to walk, now I run
I run
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