He shivers as he walks the path. Going back to where it had all ended, but it all started there in away.
Sometimes he wishes he had taken the train. Been done. So he wouldn't have to live with the pain of loosing.
Seeing the faces of those who lived. Seeing the smiles that never reached their eyes. Fearing that they never will.
Dreamless sleep is never achieved. Even when taking the potion, he knows he will still see.
Seeing the tears falling down dirt and blood stained faces. See people holding on to the ones still living. While crying over the ones now lost.
Hearing the crys of anguish. The mothers crying over lost children. The children weeping over lost parents.
Waking in the morning and knowing he is still living while others are not. Waking to put a mask on so people don't see how broken he really is.
Finding the spot where the curse threw him down. He falls to his knees and crys out to the dead. Over and over again saying how sorry he is. Wishing he could take their place.
He kneels, with he head down in depression. As silent tears fall to the mossy earth below him.
He doesn't know how long it has been, how long he has been kneeling. He really doesn't care.
His knees becoming numb from the cold ground. He hardly notices, his body so adapted to the cold from the many trips to this spot.
His need to torture himself. To remind himself of the past. To never forget the pain.
Slowly he rises to his feet. Looks around and turns back and walks back using the same path that brought him to the place.
----------------
He returned home, hung his coat, and walked to the kitchen. Using a spell he congered a tumbler with two fingers worth of Jack. He took the shot quickly and before he set it down it was filled again with more.
With his tumble of the golden liquid he goes and sits on his couch and looks toward the fireplace.
"Harry?" A small voice from the back of the house called.
"In here." Harry yelled back.
Harry heard the sound of small feet walking towards him in the sitting room. Then he felt the shift on the couch as the person sat down next to him.
"You ok?" The small voice asked.
"Yes, well I will be here soon." Harry answered back.
Harry felt movement again as tiny feet where pulled up onto the couch and tucked under Harry's legs. Harry turned and smiled at the child next to him.
Teddy was the only thing keeping Harry alive. He loved the boy as his own. It took 5 years for Harry to stop seeing Remus and Tonks laying on the floor of Hogwarts lifeless, each time he looked at Teddy.
Teddy was 11 now and he was the spitting image of both parents. He was beautiful like his mother but had the amber eyes of his father. Tall like his father, paired with the lack of grace like his mother. Teddy was the perfect combination of the two.
Teddy starts Hogwarts this year. Both Harry and him are excited for him to start. Though in the back of Harry's mind he is scared to see him go. Scared he will loose his anchor in his wurlwind of a life.
-------Next Day--------
"Teddy!" Yelled Harry down the hall.
"Coming!" The boy yelled back.
They were heading to Diagon Ally to go school shopping. Teddy had been asking for weeks to go. He started the second he got his Hogwarts letter.
Each time Harry telling him "We will soon." Harry was scared that if he goes he will be that one step closer to losing what he has held on to so tightly.
Harry knew that his fear was unfounded, but it was still there haunting his mind.
Small arms hugged him around his chest. Blue hair tickling his chin. Harry would have hugged back if he could move his arms. But alas they where pinned to his sides by the arms of the blue haired boy.
Taking this touching moment Harry used it to his advantage and apperated them to the Leaky Cauldron to start their day.
Having a quick breakfast of butter and grits they head to Diagon Ally.
Their first stop was Madam Malkin's.
Hearing the bell above the door takes Harry back to the first time he walked into the shop.
"Harry?" A voice spoke bringing him out of the memory.
"Sorry Teddy just thinking back to my first time here." Harry said while smiling at Teddy.
"Hello boys." Came a voice from behind them.
"Hello Madam Malkin." Harry said. "This is my godson Teddy. He will be starting Hogwarts this year."
"Oh how exciting for you young man." Madam Malkin said with a twinkle in her eye.
"Thanks ma'am." Teddy said politely.
"We would like to get 7 school robes, 3 formal robes, 1 winter, 1 spring and 1 summer traveling cloaks." Harry requested.
"Not a problem. Will you be waiting here Mr. Potter?" Asked Madam Malkin.
"No I will be running a quick errand and return after." Replied Harry
"Very good. I should have him measured and sized in about 20 minutes." The shop owner said.
"Great I should be back by then. If not Teddy, please stay here until I return." Said Harry as he walked toward the door.
Teddy looked at the shop owner for directions on what to do next.
"Follow me young man." She said as she walked toward the pedestal that he would stand on to get measured.
There were two so Teddy picked one and stepped up on it and turned to look at the lady.
As she was about to give him directions the bell went off letting them know more customers have walked in.
"I will be right back. Just stay put." Madam Malkin instructed to Teddy.
She walked to the front of the shop and welcomed the people who walked in.
Teddy could hear muffled voices and then the bell went off again. Apparently another parent left because Madam Malkin was walking another kid to the back.
"Just step up there young man and we will get both of you started." The woman said.
With that the woman waved her wand and two tape measures went to work. Both boys watched as the tape worked around their bodies making sure everything was properly measured and sized.
Once that was done Madam Malkin walked around both boys very slowly and took notes in her work book.
While she was doing that Teddy kept looking at the boy next to him. Finally getting up the nerve he said hello.
"Hello, what is your name?" Teddy asked.
"Scorpius." The blonde boy said shyly.
"Hi Scorpius. My name is Edward but everybody calls me Teddy." He said smiling.
"Are you going to Hogwarts?" Scorpious asked.
"Yeah it is my first time. I am really excited to go." Teddy said enthusiastically.
"It is my first time too." Scorpious said this time smiling at Teddy.
"Awesome. Maybe we can be friends?" Teddy asked hopefully.
"I would really like that Teddy!" Scorpious replied back.
"Great!" Teddy said while his smile grew wide and toothy.
Scorpious smiled back at the other boy.
The bell went off and both boys looked toward the front. Someone came walking back to where they all were.
Harry smiled at Teddy as he reached the back.
"You done buddy?" Harry asked.
Before Teddy could reply Madam Malkin said, "Yes he is. Now I will have everything made in about two hours. You can either return and pick everything up, or I can send the finished clothes to your home."
"Please send them to my home thank you." He answered.
Turning to Teddy, " Alright buddy, lets get the rest of your stuff and head home. The next two days are going to go by quickly and you need your rest before the trip to school."
"Sounds good Harry." Teddy said. He turned to his new friend and smiled, "I will see you soon Scorpious. Maybe we can sit on the train together."
"That would be fun. I will see you then Teddy." Scorpious said while waving goodbye.
-----2 days later------
"Harry we are going to be late!" Teddy yelled while jumping up and down.
Harry came out of his room with a huge smile on his face.
"Sorry bud I had to get one more thing for you." Harry said enthusiastically. "Now close your eyes."
Teddy closed his eyes and waited. He heard a whistle and then something landed on his shoulder.
"What the?" Questioned Teddy.
With a laugh Harry said "Open your eyes and find out."
Teddy opened his eyes and looked towards his right shoulder. There sat a beautiful owl. She was light brown with white and silver specks on her chest and black specks on her wings.
"Is she mine?" Teddy said quietly with a look of hope towards Harry.
"Yes Teddy she is yours. Now what are you going to name her?" Asked Harry.
"Dora, after my mama." Teddy said with a smile.
"Perfect. Goes well with my new Owl who is her mate." With another whistle a black with gold specks owl came through the open window. "Meet Remus."
Both owls coo'd and flew back out the window. Dora heading to Hogwarts and Remus back to the small owlery connected to the house.
Both Harry and Teddy smiled and with that Harry grabbed Teddy's arm and his trunk and apperated to Kings Cross Station.
They quickly walked through the wall between stations 9 and 10 and found themselves at 9 3/4.
The words of "bye", "write as soon as you can", and "be good" flooded Harry's ears and brought a small smile to Harry's face.
"Aunt Hermione! Uncle Ron!" Brought Harry back to the present and he saw Teddy running toward his two best friends.
"Oh Teddy it is so good to see you!" Hermione exclaimed. She pulled him into one of her famous hugs and smiled.
Ron ruffled the boys head and laughed. "I like the red color."
Harry walked up to the small group and gave his friends hugs. "I am so glad you guys came to see Teddy off."
"We aren't the only ones." Ron said with a grin.
Harry looked up and he could see a sea of red hair coming towards the group. This brought so much joy to Harry's heart. Reminding him that Teddy does have a family and so does he.
"Me-Ma and Pops!" Teddy shouted as he ran towards the Weasleys.
Everyone was there to see Teddy off. It brought silent tears to Harry's eyes. Once Teddy hugged everyone it was Harrys turn.
Ginny held Harry a bit longer and whispered to him "Harry it is so good to see you brother. You are so missed, your family misses you."
Harry smiled down at her and nods.
"Teddy!" A young voice yelled.
"Scorpious!" Teddy yelled back.
Both boys ran to each other and hugged. Teddy grabbing Scorpious arm drags him to his family.
"Everyone this is Scorpious." Started Teddy, "Scorpious this is my family. That is Harry my godfather, my Aunts Hermione, Ginny, Flur, Angela, my Uncles Ron, Bill, Dean, George, Charlie, this is my Me-Ma Molly, Pops Arthur, and Grandma Tonks."
"Hi Scorpius." Everyone said.
"Wow. You have a big family." Scorpious said is awe.
"Scorps where are you?" A man said behind the group.
"Over here dad." Scorpious yelled.
"Oh good." His dad said, then he looked up and gasped.
"Hello Malfoy." Harry said.
"Potter." Malfoy answered back.
"Dad, you know him?" Scorpious asked in shock.
"Yes son. He saved my life twice. Once from a fire, and he saved a lot of people from someone very insane." He answered his son while looking at Harry.
Both boys looked between both men. Scorpious then saying "Thanks Mr. Potter. Thanks for saving my dad."
"Don't let your dad fool you Scorpious. Your father saved our lives too." Said Harry.
"Bloody right he did. If he hadn't lied to Bellatrix we would not be here." Ron said with a smile on his face.
"Wow. Scorpious did you know this?" Teddy asked.
"No, but now I want to know more." He said.
"Same." He answerd back.
The train whistle screamed.
"Well that story will just have to wait. Time for you boys to say your goodbyes and get on the train." Molly said while shooing them toward the door of the train.
"Bye. We will write soon." Both boys yelled.
Everyone waved and stood there until the train was out of sight.
"Well lets go home and have some lunch and conversation." Said Arthur.
"Sounds great. Come now everyone is coming no excuses. That also means you Harry, and you too Mr. Malfoy." Molly said while grabbing there arms and apperating them back to The Burrow.
Harry finally realized that yes he lost a lot during the war, but he has had, and always will have, something to live for.
Family, is moving forward.