AN
Thanks for all the comments.
I know the start was a bit dificult for some of you because of my writing witout quotation marks etc. I hope it has become better.
So after that is said I want to thank you all again for the votes and comments, and I love to hear from all of you it is really inspirering. I hope you will enjoy this chapter.
Happy readings.
END AN/
Chapter 38 Talks
Harry stayed in the gallery for the rest of the morning. The others went to a parlor that was just beside it so they would be close to Harry if he needed them. Harry just sat on the floor in the middle of the room talking to the painting of his parents. He told them everything that had happened in his life until than. Harry didn't told his parents that he was mistreated by the Dursleys he didn't tell them at all where he had lived before the day he came to the manor.
His parents went wild when they heard what happened at him at school in his first 2 years. "Why didn't Sirius stop you?" Lilly asked him. Harry looked at her with tears in his eyes. "That's because he was in Azkaban for almost 12 years after the night you were killed." He said with a small voice. The shock on his parents face was heartbreaking. Lilly left the painting and Harry could hear her in the parlor next door. "Sirius Orion Black I want you next door now!" She yelled at him. When she returned to the picture her eyes were shooting fire. Sirius walked in head down he knew he was in trouble when Lilly used his whole name. "What does my son mean you were in Azkaban when you should have been taken care of him as our will stated!" She asked with fire in her voice. Sirius looked with tears in his eyes at the painting. He never had known what the will stated because he was in jail when it was read but he should have known. "Only we four knew I was not your secret keeper." Sirius said. "Even Albus thought I had betrayed you. That I was working for Voldemort. When I heard what had happened I knew I had to kill Peter for his betrayal." When I cornered him he started yelling at me. Why Sirius why Lilly why James and what about Harry I shot a spell en he blew up. Only I missed because he had changed into his rat form. He had cut his own finger of so that everybody thought I had killed him. He had it made look out that he cornered me and I was the bad guy. I was thrown in Azkaban without a trial. Sat there for 12 year before I escaped. I had a newspaper with a picture of a family with their pet rat. I recognized him right away. I had to get him so I escaped. That's when I met Harry and he learned the truth. But before I could get cleared that little rat got away. I had to run again." Sirius ended his story. James looked at his friend "You are here now that's all that matters. So where is Remus?" He asked his son and friend. When he saw their faces he paled as much as a picture can pale - and took hold of Lilly. "No not Remus." They both said with sadness in their voices. Lilly could see the pain in Harry's face so she didn't want to push it. They could talk about it later when he was ready. "So if Mr avenge my friends and leave their son , she winked at Sirius, didn't raised you who did?" She asked to change the subject. Harry didn't know what to say he knew that his parents would not like it he was raised by the Dursleys. He didn't need to answer the question because Dudley came in. "Unfortunately that would be my parents aunt Lilly." Harry as did the rest did notice the way it was said and the aunt in there. Lilly and James looked at Dudley with fury. "I hope you don't mean what I think you mean, and what do you mean by unfortunately?" Lilly spat. Harry could not let his mother great his cousin this way. "Mom enough," he said "remember he is a guest here on my invitation. What his parents did is not his fault. Yes I was raised by aunt Petunia and uncle Vernon. That was done because there I would be safe the most because of your sacrifice." He concluded. His mother looked at Dudley."so you must be Dudley. Well what did you mean by unfortunately?" She said with determination in her voice. "Because I think that if Harry would have been raised by a wwwwwwizard family he would have been raised better. My parents were mean to him. Almost to abusive if you ask me. I can see that now. I don't blame you if you would hate me because I also have played a part in all this. I beat Harry when we were little and made sure nobody would ever be friends with him. It made my parents proud so I did it. Not knowing or caring how it effected Harry. I am so glad Harry had the big heart to forgive me and give me a second change, because I am so ashamed of myself how I treated him." Dudley told his aunt and uncle with his face to the ground. "Thank you for you honesty." Said Lilly. James looked like he was ready to jump out of the picture and curse Dudley into the next millennium. Harry looked at his cousin and he was proud of the man who he was becoming. "You changed a lot big D." He said. "You can't help it because of the way your parents treated me and instructed you I don't blame you I blame them." Dudley nodded and looked one more time at the painting. "Can I come back later to really get to know you?" He asked the two people in there. You could see Lilly's eyes light up. "What do you think, I would love to, I know you were young and didn't know what you did and did it mostly to please you parents. So please stop by anytime you want." She said. Dudley greatly relieved about this left the room as did Sirius. Just when it was time to get some lunch Ginny walked in. "Harry love we are having some lunch in the parlor do you want something to eat here or do you come to eat with us." She asked him. Lilly and James looked at the nice girl who walked in and at the reaction Harry had when she entered. His eyes started sparkling with joy. "And who is this beautiful young lady?" James asked. Harry blushed and took Ginny in his arms and kissed her neck when she was standing in front of him. "Mom, dad this is Ginny Weasley the woman who I intend to marry in the near future. Ginny let me introduce you to Lilly and James Potter my mom and dad" he said officially. Lilly looked at the redhead and started laughing. "What is it with you Potters and redheads?" She asked out loud laughing. Harry who looked confused at his mother got the explanation from his father. "You are if I recall correctly the 7th or 8th Potter in direct line to fall for a redhead. We don't know from further back but we do have some clues that all the male Potters ended up with a redhead as a wife." He laughed at his son when he could see that Harry was thinking about it. "It must be genetic." Said Harry. "I will get some lunch with the others and come back after lunch." He said to his parents. "Harry please don't, you have your guests and we won't be going anywhere." said his mother. "We will be here when you get back from school or work so please see to your guests." Harry was torn but knew his mother was right. "Okay I will, but I will be back to talk to you some more before we leave for Hogwarts." He told his parents. "You better be I want to hear what you've been up to those years at Hogwarts" his father told him. Harry and Ginny went back to the others to get some lunch before Ron would eat everything. When the two teenagers walked in the parlor Ron almost jumped into Harry. "Finally I am starving here and all you do is talk to some paintings." He said in a mock hurt voice. "RON!!!" Mrs Weasley almost screamed. SMACK!!!!! "Au Hermione that hurts."Ron said to his girlfriend who just had slapped him on the back of his head. "You insensitive bastard." She started. "Hold it everybody." Said Harry who had raised his voice to beat Hermione who was almost yelling at Ron. "Hermione you apologize to Ron." He said. "But he..." She started. "Didn't meant a word he said." Harry finished for her. Ron looked really hurt that Hermione and his parents thought he was that a fool. "I know I am like a Tasmanian devil when it comes to food but thanks for the confidence." Ron said to Hermione and his parents. He than got up and left leaving the three who had hurt him badly. Harry could not believe this. "Did you three really think Ron was that insensitive?" He asked. He didn't wait for an answer and ran after his friend. "Ron wait up mate." He said when he almost had reached him. "Just leave Harry, I am not the friend you deserve apparently." Ron said. Harry's heart almost stopped. "I think I will be the judge of that don't you think." Harry replied. "Than I think you are a bad judge. I walked out on you when we were on the quest and turned against you at the tri wizard tournament. Shows how good friend I am." Ron countered back. "I will floo to the burrow and look for some food there. Oh and I think the trip will be the three of you because I don't want to go as I am not your friend anymore." Harry would not loose his best friend over a misunderstood joke he thought was pretty good for that matter. He took out his wand without Ron seeing it and suddenly casts a leg binding curse. He called for Granny and asked her to take Ron to the library and that he would come there shortly. He turned on his heels and left the screaming Ron to be taken by Granny. He entered the parlor where he left the rest. "I hope you are satisfied because Ron is so hurt that he thinks that it is best for us not to be friends anymore." He said with a plain voice. "When I told him that I would be the judge of that because I still wanted to be friends his exact words were : Than I think you are a bad judge. I walked out on you when we were on the quest and turned against you at the tri wizard tournament. Shows how good friend I am." He wanted to turn and leave again but Hermione called him. "Where is he?" She asked with tears in her eyes. "He left and I am going after him." He called Granny and told her to take him to Ron. Granny took him straight away to the library. "I want you to get Ginny an bring her here. Nobody further is aloud understood." He said to her. "Yes master." Said Granny with a bow and she was gone. Only a few seconds later she was back with Ginny by her side. "Master Granny brought mistress, but master must know Mrs Granger almost strangled Granny when she was told Granny could not take her on masters orders." The elf said in a small voice. "She did what?!" Harry burst out. He looked at Ginny. "She almost went mental." Ginny said. "When Granny came for me and told you had send for me Hermione wanted to come. Granny told her she was not allowed and that you had ordered her to only bring me. Hermione than grabbed Granny by the shoulders and started shaking her and telling her Granny had misunderstood. I grabbed her hands and releases Granny and told her that if she ever would touch one of our elves again I would do more than just grab her hands." Ginny concluded the tale. "Granny very thanking mistress for helping Granny, I did nos know what to do." The elf told Ginny. Ginny who was so occupied with the tale only now saw where she was. "Harry you told us Ron had left but we are in the library?" She asked him. "I would have been long gone if Harry hadn't cursed my legs and moved me here." Ron snapped. "You were to stubborn to listen to me so I had no other choice." Harry told his friend. Ron looked at Harry. "I thought I was pretty clear when I told you that you would be better of without me. I always say the wrong things and leave you." Was Ron's simple reply. "Who was it that saved me when I could not get out of that pond in the forest and got the sword so he could destroy the locket with it?" Harry asked. Ron was about to say something but Harry went on. "Who was it that played the best chess game Hogwarts has ever seen and has beaten Mcgonnagal's chessboard so the philosopher's stone could be saved? Who was it that came to rescue me from the Dursleys in my second year with his brothers?" Ron looked at Harry as he was about to say that didn't mater because of all the things Harry had done, but Harry would not hear of it. "That is right Ron all those things were done by you. I would not be here alive today if it wasn't for you. Don't you ever forget that." After he had said that he released the leg binding curse and sat in a chair across Ron. "You have a choice" he continued. "You can come back with me to the others and believe me they already got some of my piece of mind, and tell them the truth about what you felt about their reaction or you can leave and loose everything you loved, because when you leave you will not only loose me but I think also your parents and Hermione. Running isn't the way mate and you know it. You once told me you would never run away so stop running." Harry got up and walked to the door. Ron sat in the chair and thought about what Harry had said. Ginny who had been listening walked to her brother. Took his face in her hands and kissed his forehead. "You know Harry is right. Lets go. Hermione is having kittens because she is afraid of loosing you. She loves you so much that she even tried to jump on me and Granny when she took me here. It is just that the power of elves magic is not the same as ours so when they don't want to take you you could be holding hands and still would be standing where you were when all the others were gone." Harry looked at Ginny with a lot of love in his eyes. What a wonderful woman she had become, she just knew what to say to her brother. "Hermione still loves me and is afraid of loosing me?" Ron asked with disbelief in his voice. "Nice way of showing that, don't you think, slapping me on the head." he mocked. Ginny laughed at this. "Lets go brat before she will mobilize the whole auror office to find us." They got out of the library and went back to the rest. When they entered Hermione just flew across Ron's neck. "I'm so sorry" She cried. "I'm so sorry. I should have believed you and knew you were joking. I love you Ron." she said before she kissed him. Ron just turned red as he had never been kissed like this by Hermione in front of his parents. Harry looked at his two friends. He knew they loved each other but well communication between them could be better. Dudley walked over to him and slapped him on the shoulder. "That is my cousin. The savior of the world and love." he said in a low voice so only Harry would hear. Harry smiled at him. "I will take you home whenever you want to, and I hope you will come again soon because you will always be welcome here." Harry said. Dudley looked at his watch and when he noticed the time and he knew his parents would be home in the next hour he started saying his goodbyes to everybody. He walked over to Mrs. Weasley and hold out his hand to say goodbye. Mrs Weasley being who she is grabbed him in one of her bone-cussing hugs. "Thank you for a wonderful diner Mrs. Weasley." Dudley said to her after he was released from the hug. "I must say that your cooking is a lot better than mine or my moms." He shook hand with all the others and when he was to shake hands with Ginny she hugged him and kissed him on the cheek. "You take care of my cousin will you. He has gone trough a lot with my parents that wasn't his fault." He whispered in her ear. "I will," Ginny whispered back "And don't be a stranger anymore you are part of his family too you know" she added.
Dudley blinked the tears he felt in his eyes away. That last sentence had cut in his heart. He had mistreated Harry so many times and for so long but still he considered him as family. He walked over to Harry who was waiting at the door. Granny came walking over. "Must Granny take Mister Dudley to his home master? She asked. Harry who wanted to take his cousin himself told the elf that he would do it and Granny shook her head as she walked away. "Granny must be bad elf as master does not wants Granny to take masters family home." "Granny" Harry called and the elf turned " could you take Dudley and me to his house please?" he asked. The elf's small face lit up like a candle and she was back in two steps. "Master wansesme to take him and his cousin?" she asked in disbelief. Harry nodded and he took her hand as Dudley took her other. "You took good care of me when you brought me here so I would be honored if you would also bring me home." Dudley told the old elf. Hermione could not believe what she was hearing. The way Dudley talked to the elf she knew was in the elves eyes with the biggest respect and gratitude they could get from a wizard to be told they would be honored and that they were given praise for what they had done. Granny looked almost as she would explode with pride. "Granny will try not to let mister fall this time, Granny is still sorry for that." she said. "Don't be Granny" Dudley told the elf "you could not help it I was not that familiar with that way of transport." Harry looked at Dudley. "Ready?" He asked. After a nod from Dudley they were gone.
With a loud crack they arrived at Harry's old room at Privet drive number 4. Harry who got his footing as soon as he hit the ground looked at the door. He could see it was closing but when the person on the other side heard the crack they pushed it back open. "YOU!!" screamed uncle Vernon. He was about to walk in when he saw Dudley stepping in front of Harry. "If you want a piece of him you will have to go through me." He said. Vernon stopped that in his tracks. "What have you done to my son you freak?" he screamed at Harry. "Vernon why are you yelling?" came the voice of his aunt. When she looked in the room and could see Harry standing there she screamed. "You will apologize to Harry for that remark." said Dudley "He is not a freak. He is a wonderful young man with a great heart." Dudley told his father. "Dudders please come away from that freak." his mother spat "you don't know how dangerous he is."
"Petunia call the police," Vernon said "I wonder if they want to come for kidnapping and breaking and entering." he said with a big smile. "I did not kidnap anybody but please do call them perhaps they are interested in a case of child abuse?" Harry spoke. "You have no proof for that boy." said Vernon. "well dad what about a witness?" said Dudley with a evil smile "yes I will tell them what you all did what I did even if I land myself in jail for it. We were wrong and you know it. You may not like it but you know it is the truth. Mom knew that the magic was not going away and that Harry would be a wizard." at the mentioning of the words magic and wizard both Vernon and Petunia flinched. "well mom why are you not calling the police? I think they will wonder how the man that you accuse of kidnapping me and breaking in at the house has done that without leaving any marks." Petunia looked at her son. She knew she had hated her sister for so long for what she was that she projected this hate to this boy equally but instead she knew she had liked the boy. She hated the magic in him but the boy she liked. "Mom, Dad we need to talk." Said Dudley. "Granny would you be so kind to tell Ginny and the rest Harry will be a little later that we need some time to talk. They don't need to worry he will be there shortly." Dudley asked the elf who Harry was holding back because he knew that if he didn't she would attack the Dursleys.
"Granny is sorry but will not leave master with these evil thingses" she said "I understand that you don't want to leave your master Granny but please. I promise you that Harry will be safe. You have my word." Dudley had gone on his knees to be at eye level of the elf so she could see that he meant every word he had said, she nodded. "Yous are a good sirs. Granny believes Master will be safe with yous here. Granny wills tell Mistress that Master will be a bit later." Harry let go of the elf and with a crack she was gone. "What was that ugly creature you had brought in my house boy?" Vernon shot at Harry. Before Harry could say anything Dudley took charge. "That lovely creature was Granny. She is one of the house-elves Harry has as his servants. You will talk with respect about her because she has more love in her left ear than you in your whole body." Vernon who had never heard his son talk to him this way looked stunned. "We will all go down and talk." Said Petunia strict and with no room for discussion. "I will not sit at the same table as that" Vernon started. "Yes Vernon you will. We will all go down and talk just as Dudley said it is time we talked." Petunia interrupted him. "Harry would you like some tea?" she asked him before going downstairs to make the tea. Harry who could not believe this change his aunt calling him by his name and being nice to him followed. When he passed Vernon he was grabbed and pushed against the wall. "I don't know what you did boy" Vernon began, but before he could finish the sentence Dudley was beside Harry and pushed his father. "You will not hurt Harry anymore." he said. "I gave my word to Granny and I will keep it, even if I must fight you over it dad." He said. Vernon who had the wind blown out of him from the force of Dudley's push didn't know what to say. He could see his son hold out his hand to Harry and that he helped his cousin up. "Thanks." said Harry. "Are you alright?"What his son was asking the freak if he was all right? What was going on. "Let's go down. Mom will have the tea ready." Dudley said and the two young men left Vernon standing there.
"VERNON YOU COME DOWN HERE RIGHT NOW!!!!!" he heard his wife screaming at him. Vernon knew he was in trouble.