"Do I have to go inside already?" Harry asked.

Minerva had spent the last forty-five minutes explaining everything to Harry. He seemed to understand everything, and he seemed to accept what he was without complaint anymore. However, she still didn't know how he truly felt about it. The only thing he showed distress over was the fact that it was because of them that he'd been placed with his aunt and uncle. Even then, once she apologized, he didn't say anything else. She didn't know if he forgave them or not, or if he was just accepting it for the time being.

They would need to get him into intense therapy. At the moment, they were looking for a safe apparition point with Dumbledore, who had just returned. Harry slowed them down a little as he kept wanting to touch and smell everything. She was surprised he hadn't played more at the park. As they walked into some bushes that had a small enclosed space, hiding them from view, Harry bent down so he could examine an ant hill.

"I watched on the telly that they work together," Harry said. "They all have different jobs and everything. And guess what? They can lift twenty times their body weight! I've always wanted to see an ant. Sometimes Aunt Petunia complained that they got in the house, but I never saw. I think it's brilliant that they're all friends when there are so many of them. They would never betray each other."

"That's great Harry," Minerva said before turning to Dumbledore. "So what exactly did the Durlsey's say?"

"We'll discuss it more at Hogwarts," Albus answered as he stared at Harry, his face full of remorse. "Vernon Dursley tried to deny it all. They were trying to clean out all traces of Harry when I arrived. He told me to get out as it's young Dudley's birthday party. I told him we'd return soon."

"Do you think he'll get sick?" Minerva asked as Harry got down on his hands and knees to study the ant hill.

"Unfortunately, I don't know too much about that Minerva. I do believe he will be more vulnerable to germs. I do know that he didn't get enough vitamin D over the years. I highly doubt the Dursley's gave him vitamins, and we know they starved him. He is very malnourished, unfortunately, but until Madam Pomfrey can do the checks, we don't know the extent of the damage."

Minerva called Harry's name, and he stood up looking reluctant to do so. She had a feeling that though he'd watched the ants, he'd been listening in on their conversation.

"We have to go, don't we?" He asked sadly. "I don't want to go inside already."

"I think it's possible to summon Madam Pomfrey to come outside to check you over Harry," Albus told him. "If you'll promise that for the time being, you'll sit in the shade. We don't want you exposed to the sun for too long. I worry you'll get a bad sunburn as you aren't used to it."

"I don't mind," Harry said quickly. "Dudley always got sunburns and cried, and I always wished I could know how it felt, even if it does hurt."

"But we aren't sure of the damage it will do to your skin," Minerva told him feeling sad for him. What kind of child wished for a sunburn? It made her hate the Dursley's even more. He even wanted to know what it felt like to get burnt by the sun, and that was depressing. "We'll let the matron check you over, and she'll give us her recommendations, Harry. I know you'd like to stay outside for a long time, but we're not sure if it will make you very sick or not dear. You've been inside for almost seven years."

Harry let out a sigh and then nodded. "Okay, but at least I get to go outside now, right? This won't be the only time?"

"No, it won't be the only time," Albus told him quickly. "Now Harry, we are going to use magic to get to the Hogwarts. It is going to feel very uncomfortable for you. I ask that you don't struggle through it. It only lasts a few seconds, and then we'll be there. We'll have to walk a little to get to the castle. From there, you can rest in the grounds in the shade while Madam Pomfrey looks you over."

"Did you say a castle?" Harry asked, his eyes lighting up. "With turrets, and drawbridges and a moat and everything!? Oooh, can we go now? Please?"

Minerva held her hand out, and Harry gripped it excitedly. She was glad that he could be so happy, but she wondered how long it would last? Normally children with his background weren't very happy. She knew he was only happy because he was experiencing all this for the first time.

"Just remember, it's going to be very uncomfortable Harry," she reminded him. "We're going to a village called Hogsmeade."

Harry nodded, and with a loud crack, Albus disappeared. Harry's mouth dropped open as he stared at the spot the Headmaster had just been, and then he grinned widely, showing his teeth. He was missing the front two, and she truly hoped he'd lost them naturally. She turned on the spot next. She hoped Harry wouldn't panic when he felt apparition for the first time. She hated the suffocating feeling of it as well as the next person, but it was convenient. When her feet hit solid ground again, she turned to Harry quickly to make sure he was okay.

He was gasping for breath, but other then that, he seemed fine. He was still fully intact which was what she was checking for. All they needed was for her to accidentally splinch him.

"Are you okay child?" She asked him.

Harry nodded and cleared his throat. "That felt awful, but it was brilliant too! And we're somewhere else now?"

And then his eyes widened as he took it all in. They were just on the outskirts of Hogsmeade. From where they stood, they could see Hogwarts high on its mountain. Harry began breathing quickly as he stared at it, taking in the lake, the surrounding mountains, and all the grounds. And then to her surprise, he burst into tears.

"Harry," she said, and she knelt down in front of him. Where had Albus disappeared to?

"It's amazing," he sobbed. "It's too amazing. I'm dreaming, aren't I? I'm gonna wake up, and I'm gonna be back in my cupboard. Uncle Vernon is going to hurt me, and I'll still never know what it's like to be outside."

"It's not a dream dear child," she said, and she hugged him. "It is very real, and I am so happy that you can finally experience it."

"Why did you have to leave me with my aunt and uncle? I was never happy with them. I bet I wasn't when I was a baby. I don't remember ever being happy, and the last few months have been very horrible."

"I know sweetheart," she told him as she held him even tighter. "If I'd known what we were leaving you to, I would have argued more that it wasn't the place for you Harry. When I went to your aunt and uncles today, I never expected to find what I did. We thought you lived at an orphanage. I just don't understand why your aunt and uncle didn't take you to one for real."

"They didn't want other kids to see the freakishness," Harry replied into her shoulder. "Why couldn't you keep me though? Why did I have to live with them? If I am magical and so are you, why can't I have lived with you or another wizarding family? Why did you put me with people who didn't understand?"

They were good questions to ask, but they were questions she couldn't answer quite yet. She hadn't even expected him to ask them until he was older. Dumbledore did have a good reason for choosing his blood relatives, as he was safe from You-Know-Who while he lived with them. However, he hadn't been safe from abuse and neglect. She knew most children in the wizarding world knew his story, and she knew they would have to tell him the truth soon, but not today. She just hoped he wouldn't ask how his parents died. She'd let him believe the car crash story for the moment.

"We thought it was a better idea to leave you with family, Harry," Minerva said. "And I am sorry for that. I truly am."

"But who is going to take care of me now?" Harry asked as he pulled away from her. "Am I going to live in the castle? Please tell me I am gonna live in the castle!"

"We still need to figure that out," Minerva replied. "For now, you are staying there."

"I hope you figure out that I'm living at the castle," Harry told her.

"Are you ready to talk closer?" She asked him.

"Yes, but Minerva, can I call you that, or something else? I am getting tired," Harry said. "I already feel like I can have a nap even though I woke up not too long ago. How come I need a nap already?"

"I expect it's because this is your first time outside. A lot has happened in the last few hours Harry. It has tired you out, and yes, for now you can call me Minerva. Someday, I will be your teacher and you'll call me Professor McGonagall," she answered. "Even if you don't live at the castle now, in three years, you will be. You'll be a student at this school."

"But what about now?" Harry asked her as she stood back up and took his hand. "I need a teacher now Minerva. Will you be my teacher now? I don't know much still. I only just learned to read and write, but I don't know a lot of words. I only know some maths too."

"We will probably hire you a tutor. Harry, I wish I could answer all your questions. I teach at Hogwarts, but maybe over the summer, I can help you out. We'll need to find you a different teacher for the time being."

Harry just nodded again, and then they made their way to Hogwarts. Harry was moving slower now, and she could tell it was because he was getting exhausted. What if it was the apparition that made him tired? Maybe it was too much for his little body at the moment. And though Harry said he'd eaten that day, who knows how much he actually ate.

It soon became apparent that she was going to have to carry him. So she knelt down and then lifted him up. He didn't protest. She couldn't believe how light the boy was. She'd been around children his age before, and they were usually heavier to lift. She carried him all the way to the lake, where they would have ample shade.

"Are you going to be able to stay awake?" Minerva asked once they were sitting under a tree by the lake. She hadn't done this since her youth. It felt a little odd, but quite lovely. She wasn't sure why she didn't do this more often.

"Uh huh," Harry answered. "Can I touch the water? I've touched water before of course, just not lake water."

"Not yet Harry," Minerva said. "Wait until Madam Pomfrey comes out. There is probably a lot of bacteria in the water which can make you sick. We might have to wait for that for a while. We'll probably have to build up your immune system. Why don't you just admire the lake instead?"

"I still think it could be a dream," Harry told her as he laid down on his stomach. "It's so nice out here, and the wind feels so great. I've always wanted to feel the wind. I've kind of felt it through the window when Aunt Petunia opens the windows, but it's not the same. It's not like this. And it feels colder out here than it did at the park."

"That's normal," Minerva said. "It usually is cooler at Hogwarts. And here, we usually do get a lot of snow as well."

"Really?" Harry asked excitedly. "We got snow at my place but not a lot. Uncle Vernon hated snow. I wish I knew if I liked it or not. I just know it can be cold and wet. Sometimes Dudley tracked it in and I felt it, but I bet it won't be the same as outside I bet. I want to feel rain too, Minerva. Is it going to rain soon? Can we go outside when it rains or will that make me sick too? And can we come outside at night? I want to see the stars."

"When we go inside, I'll show you a couple of places you can see the stars," Minerva told him. "And yes, we can do all of that as long as Madam Pomfrey says it's okay."

"Where is she?" Harry asked.

That was actually a good question. Where were Albus and Poppy? It would be nice to know exactly what Harry could and couldn't do. What exactly was he supposed to eat or not eat? Would he have to take nutrient potions? How malnourished was he? She could also see that he was very tired. He would need to sleep so that they could do more together that day. She had so much more to show him. And what exactly was going to happen to the Dursley's for locking Harry up for almost seven years?

"They should be here soon," Minerva said in answer.

The two sat in silence and gazed out into the lake. She was glad that Harry could see it in the summer when it was the most beautiful. Though she had a feeling that with this child, he would find beauty with anything that had to do with the outside.

"You know, I was gonna run away," Harry suddenly said. "I learned how to lock and unlock doors with my magic. I figured it out after my uncle tried to hit me. He hit a shield instead, and after that, I wondered if I could use the powers for other things. I wasn't always able to stop him. I've never been able to stop spankings. After Uncle Vernon told me a mean lie, I decided to help myself get out. So I decided to learn how to unlock my cupboard. I was going to leave tonight. But Dudley said he would help me too, but I didn't know if I could trust him. So I was going to leave. I just knew today was my last spanking ever."

Minerva felt relieved by their timing. What if Harry had run away before they'd found out that he was still there? He could have gotten really sick or hurt. She was glad that his magic registered; otherwise, he might have died, and they wouldn't have ever known what had happened to him. She was about to say something to him, but a pair of voices stopped her from responding. She turned to see that Poppy and Albus had arrived.

"Well, it's rather unorthodox for me to check patients out here," she said. "But I guess we can make an exception," she continued as she stared at Harry. "Already I can see that he severely malnourished. You said he is going to be eight? He is too small, and he is far too pale. And I do worry about his mental development as well. He'll be far behind children his own age."

Minerva watched as Poppy got down to her knees beside Harry. Meanwhile, Albus took a seat on the grass beside her. Today had certainly brought many changes. She wondered how long ago it was since Albus sat out by the lake this way.

"Where were you?" She asked him.

"I explained everything I could to Poppy," Albus said. "But I wanted to leave the two of you to talk. He seems to have bonded with you in this short time. I believed he would confide in you more. He was rather nervous to talk to me, but he seems at ease around you."

"Albus, he just told me that he was going to run away tonight. If I hadn't arrived today, I don't know what would have happened," she told him. "We made a mistake by leaving him with the Dursley's. How could you not check up on him after Ms. Figg told us that they'd given him up? You should have checked orphanages right away. If you had, this could have been prevented. I know you say you have your reasons, but it is one of the biggest mistakes you've ever made."

"I thought he was safe Minerva," Albus responded. "I believed he would be safer, and that is the only explanation I can offer. If the Death Eaters who are still at large believe he is still at his aunt and uncles, they won't look for him."

"But that still doesn't explain why you didn't try to find him," Minerva said. "Even if you wanted to keep it secret from the Ministry. You should have looked into it more. I know you didn't expect this to happen, but you've always claimed to care about the boy. If you cared about him, you'd have found out which orphanage they'd dropped him off at all those years ago. If you'd had, you would have found out that they'd never taken him to one!"

"And it will be one of my many regrets," Albus told her.

They looked over at Madam Pomfrey who was in the process of healing Harry's bruises. He was still slightly pale, but at least his skin wasn't coloured with bruises anymore. He was sitting quite patiently while she did this. It said a lot about the child as it was often hard for a small boy his age to sit so still.

"Well," Poppy began. "So far from what I can see, his magic has been protecting him. In fact, I think it's the reason there isn't more damage. He's had broken bones, and yet they've healed. Most children, or adults for that matter, wouldn't be able to heal without nourishment, even with magic. This child is very lucky that he's not worse off. I'll be prescribing potions for him to take at every meal for at least a month. We'll also limit his time outside as we need to build up his tolerance. That being said, we can allow him to go outside everyday, especially when it's sunny so he can get vitamin D. However, we need to be careful that he isn't exposed to UV rays for too long. His skin could get damaged very easily from sun exposure. If he gets sick, we'll need to pay close attention to him. He'll be sicker than most people would be, and he'll be sicker longer. For example, if he catches a cold, he'll be iller than the average eight-year-old, and the time it takes will be longer than most."

"How long will he be vulnerable?" Minerva asked.

"At least for a few months, but it's hard to say. He isn't healthy, however. He's better off than most children would be, but he lacks a lot of nutrients. We need to make sure he doesn't over do it, and he can still break bones quite easily," Poppy answered. "I'm going to administer a potion now, but I want him to have one at every meal. Is he staying at the castle?"

"For the time being," Albus responded.

"Can I touch the lake water now? Minerva said I had to wait. Can I touch it? Please? I've never touched water from a lake," Harry spoke up.

"For now, I don't think that's a good idea, Mr. Potter. We don't want you to get sick your first day outside," Poppy responded. "To be honest, I want you to drink this," and she conjured a vial full of light brown potion, "and then I think it's a good idea that you go inside. We need to take things slowly young man, and you've been outside for a long time."

Harry let out a groan and he looked close to tears. He drank all the potion in the vial and then said: "I wanna stay outside. I don't want to go inside already."

"Harry, you can go inside and have a nap, and then we can explore the castle," Minerva responded. "I know it's your first time being out, but dear, we aren't going to keep you inside all the time. You'll come out again. We need to keep you healthy."

Harry began sniffling as the three of them stood up, though Minerva found it a bit hard to get back on her feet. She wasn't used to sitting on the ground for so long. She was surprised to see Albus move quickly to his feet. Harry got up as well, but he was crying. She couldn't blame him. She knew he wanted to be out for as long as possible, but they were also apprehensive about him. The last thing they needed was for him to get deathly ill from catching some germ that he wasn't used to.

They began making their way to the castle. Minerva hoped that seeing the inside of the castle would help Harry. She just hoped he wouldn't fear that he wouldn't be allowed out again.

"There are potions we'll be giving him to build up his immunity too," Poppy said as if reading her mind. "I don't believe we'll always have to be this cautious, but for his first few weeks, I feel we do. I've never had to treat anyone whos had to stay inside all the time, but I've heard stories."

"Please don't make this be the only time!" Harry pleaded. "Please don't do this to me! Please, I'm sorry if I'm a bad boy. I'll be very good, but I need to be outside!"

"Harry, you are a very good boy. You haven't been a bad boy at all," Minerva told him. "You will be allowed outside again. For now, we want you inside. I promise."

She wondered what came over the boy. He'd been happy and sure of himself, but now he was distressed and she didn't think it was just because they were going inside. His sobs grew louder as they approached the castle. What had happened to the happy and excited little boy?

-
For one glorious hour, Harry had been very happy. It was a dream come true. Though the weird disappearing and reappearing thing felt weird, it was still great how they'd gone from the park to a real castle! It was a sight he'd only really seen on the telly or in books. He never believed, even if he'd been allowed outside that he would see mountains or a castle! Yet, he was seeing the most amazing thing he'd ever seen.

The way the air felt was different in the park was different too. He couldn't explain what it was. It wasn't just that it felt a bit cooler. Something felt different, but it also smelled a lot fresher as well. There were so many different things he wanted to touch as well. He wanted to feel the lake water, the trees, the leaves, the weeds, and everything else that was outside.

However, he was still with a bunch of adults who prevented him from doing what he wanted. He didn't want to seem spoiled like Dudley, but why were there so many restrictions in his life? Why was it that he was never allowed outside, and now that he was allowed out, he wasn't allowed to be out too long or to touch anything? It wasn't fair! He wished he'd run away sooner.

He was thankful for Minerva for helping, but now he worried that he'd shared too much with her. What if he couldn't actually trust her? He'd never been able to trust the adults in his life, and yet he'd told her so much. What if this was a trap? What if his aunt and uncle had sent for her to come? What if he was now going to live in another prison? What if they were going to lock him in the dungeons of the castle?

For one happy second, he'd imagined the castle being his home, but now he was terrified. There were three strange adults around him and talking about him as if he weren't there. His aunt and uncle used to do that too! All he wanted to do was enjoy the outside without them doing all this. He wondered if she should have run away sooner.

He had to admit; he did feel a lot better. The woman, Madam Pomfrey did something with her stick to him, and he no longer felt sore. The bruises and cuts that had decorated his arms were now gone. His bottom from the painful spankings he received almost every day no longer hurt. His cheek didn't feel as if he'd been slapped hard anymore.

But then she made him drink something gross, and then she wanted him to go inside. He didn't want to go inside, and he couldn't hold in his tears. He wanted to stay outside, and what if they were going to lock him up for good? What if his aunt and uncle told these people that he was horrible, and they'd tried their best to gain his trust so he'd go with them? Why had he let his guard down around these people?

As they reached the castle steps, Harry sat down. He was tired, but he didn't want to go in.

"Harry, come on," Minerva said. "You'll be able to come out soon. I want you to nap, and then I want you to eat something. Afterward, I want to show you something I think you'll really enjoy. There is a lot I'd like to show you, but you need your energy to see it later."

"I don't want to be locked in the dungeons," Harry told her. "Don't lock me in the dungeons. I can't be locked up for good. Please don't."

"Harry," Minerva said and then she took a seat on the step beside him. "You two can go on. I'll stay here with Harry," the old man Albus, and Madam Pomfrey continued up the steps. "Harry, listen to me. We will never lock you up. Why are you suddenly so scared?"

"'Cause I trusted you too fast," Harry replied. "I told you too much. My aunt and uncle sent for you to come get me and lock me up. You wanted me to trust you, so you took me outside. I was too much trouble for them. They were fighting all the time, and they knew I was going to run away 'cause Dudley told them. Now it's up to you to hide the family burden."

"No Harry," Minerva said with a sigh. "We are not locking you up. I am very angry with your aunt and uncle for what they did to you. I would never lock you up. I'll do whatever it takes to earn your trust."

"Then let me stay outside," Harry told her.

If she would do anything to earn his trust, she would let him stay outside for longer. He wasn't ready to go inside yet.

"We can come back out later. Harry, you need a nap. You're exhausted, and then we'll go back outside. What I want to show you is outside, but I need you to have energy."

Harry began to cry again. He couldn't trust her either. He couldn't trust anyone. All he wanted was to be outside for a long time. Dudley was allowed to play outdoors as long as he wanted. Why was he such a bad boy that he couldn't be?

"Let's go in," Minerva said, and she stood up and held out her hand.

Harry ignored her hand but he stood up. He was angry, and he didn't know what to do. He couldn't escape. She knew magic. He was sure that she could stop him. So resigned, he began climbing up the steps. He stared down at the ground until they reached the top of the steps, and then he turned to stare at what would likely be his last glimpse of the outside. At least he'd been able to experience it. Perhaps he could use it to get through his new prison. He could daydream about it.

"Come on Harry," she told him. "Your things are already inside. I sent them ahead. I have a bed you can sleep in. Soon, we can maybe give you your own room while you stay here."

Harry nodded barely listening. If he was, he might have felt excited by the prospect of sleeping in a bed. At the moment, he was upset because he was back inside, and this place was dark and gloomy looking. At least the Dursley's place had light. This place was lit by torches. He ignored Minerva who continued to talk about how amazing the castle was. It would be great if he wouldn't have to be locked up here for good.

-
Harry didn't want to open his eyes. He didn't want to wake up in the cupboard. His dream had been way too good. He was finally allowed outside, and he'd been taken to a castle on a mountain! There were surrounding mountains, a lake, and a forest. It was one of the best dreams he'd ever had, and now it was over. He sighed knowing he would have to wake soon so that he could prepare breakfast for the Dursley's.

He opened his eyes and glanced around the strange stone room, lit by torches. It was at that moment that he realized he was laying in a bed. He'd never been allowed to sleep in a bed before. Was he still dreaming?

"Harry, you're awake," he heard, and he glanced over to see Minerva was sitting at a desk.

It all came back to him. His worry that they would never let him out again and then coming into this room where he was tucked into a big red bed. He remembered asking Minerva many times if he was actually allowed to sleep in it. From as far he knew, he'd only been allowed to sleep on a mat on the floor in the cupboard. Yet, here he was, laying in a very comfortable and warm bed.

"Where are we?" He asked her.

"You're in my bed," she told him. "This is my quarters in the castle. While you were asleep, I set up a room for you to sleep in during your stay. I had food brought up here while you slept as well. I would like you to eat, and then we can explore."

She got up from the desk, and then using her stick, she summoned a tray that had sandwiches on it and a bowl. Continuing to use her wand, she walked over to him while the tray floated over to him. Harry sat up, and then the tray landed neatly on his lap.

"I get to eat in bed?" Harry asked her. "I'm not even sick. Dudley only eats in bed when he is sick."

"Yes, you're allowed to eat in bed," she told him with a smile. "There is a bowl of chicken soup, and the sandwiches are ham. I hope you like ham and chicken soup. We can bring something else up if you'd like."

"I'm not picky ma'am," Harry told her. "I've always just been happy when I am allowed to eat. Am I allowed to eat all of this?"

"Yes, or as much as you want," she told him. "While you eat, I am going to finish up my work here. I'm just marking end of term assignments. Afterward, if you are up to it, we'll explore."

This was quite a big room; Harry thought as he began to eat the soup. It was the most delicious soup he'd ever tasted. The castle was enormous too from what he remembered. Was he to clean it all? Maybe he could strike up a deal with the adults. He would clean everything, and if it met their standards, they would allow him to go back outside. He would do whatever they wanted him to do.

After a few spoonfuls of soup, he glanced over at Minerva who had returned to her desk. She was writing with a strange looking pen. It had a feather and everything, and oddly enough, she dipped it into ink first, and then she would write on the weird coloured paper.

"Minerva, I was just thinking," Harry began. "I'll do whatever chores you need to me to do. I promise that I'll do the best I can. If I do, that's when I get to go outside. If I am a bad boy, and I don't do it right, then I can't go outside. I promise I'll do my best though. I just really need to go outside. Please let me go outside."

"Harry," Minerva said and she set the pen thing down. "You are not here to clean or do any other chore. You do not have to bargain with me. You are allowed to go outside. In fact, once you are done eating, I want to show you something outside. We are not going to lock you up. I don't understand why you suddenly think we will. You were so excited at first."

"I trusted you too fast," Harry explained again. "I trusted Aunt Petunia, but she wouldn't let me outside."

"Well, I am not your Aunt Petunia. I want you to have a normal childhood. Harry, we did look through those papers you packed while you slept. I would like you to explain them to me," Minerva said. "Not yet. We'll explore first, but later we are going to sit down together and talk more about what your aunt and uncle put you through."

"As long as I can go outside," Harry said. "I won't tell you anything if you don't let me go outside."

He hoped she wouldn't get angry with him, but he felt that if she wanted him to trust her, they should make a deal.

"I'd like you to tell me without an ultimatum, but I would like to earn your trust, Harry. So yes, we will go outside. I will never deprive you of that," Minerva replied. "So finish up. When you're done, we can go."

Harry nodded knowing that if she backed out on this promise, he would never trust her or the other adults again. So he ate until he was full. Once he finished, he set his tray aside and then climbed out of bed. Minerva set her quill down again and then stood up.

"We aren't too far from where I want to take you," she told him.

"But I thought we were going outside," Harry demanded. "I remember coming up here Minerva. It was loads of stairs and corridors. It took forever and my legs hurt, and I was tired. Please don't do this to me. I need to go outside. You promised!"

"And I am not backing down on my promise," she told him. "We need to be up here to go out there. You'll see child. Just be patient."

Harry clenched his teeth together, but he didn't say anything. Again, he refused her hand when she offered it to him. Did she think he was dumb? How did they go outside all the way up here? He was more angry with himself than anything. He'd let his guard down because of his excitement to being outside.

They walked through some corridors until they came to a winding staircase. He didn't like the number of stairs in this place. He hadn't liked them at the Dursleys, though not for the same reason he didn't like them now. Dudley had shoved him down the steps more than once. Was Minerva planning to do the same?

He was relieved when they finally reached the top. His legs hurt quite a lot from the climb. He still didn't understand how this was outside. His question was answered moments later when she opened the door, and stepped out. Harry followed and looked around. Of course! He thought excitedly. He was in a tower! Why had he forgotten about turrets and towers? He'd even mentioned them to her earlier.

"This is one of the best places to view the stars," Minerva said as Harry walked over to a round side. "It's still light out, but you'll get an amazing view up here. You mentioned to me that you wanted to see the stars, and we can come up here anytime. There is another place in the castle you can view the stars, but I know you've been worried that we are planning to keep you inside. So I decided to wait until I could convince you."

The view was breathtaking up here. He leaned against the lower side of the parapet to look around. As he did so, he began to feel guilty. He'd been behaving like a brat. Minerva was one of the nicest people he'd ever met, and he wasn't too kind to her. He doubted her motives.

"What do you think?" Minerva asked as she appeared at his left side.

"It's even better than when we first came here," he told her and then he turned so he could hug her. "I'm sorry I thought that you lied. I was just terrified. I didn't want to go outside once and then never again."

"It's understandable little one," she said as she hugged him back tightly. "I know you haven't had an easy life, but from now on, we'll do what we can to make you very happy. If we need you to come inside, it isn't because we are being mean Harry. For the time being, we can't let you go outside for too long. Someday, you'll be able to play outside all day as a normal child does."

"Like Dudley? Sometimes Dudley only comes inside just to eat, and then he's outside again playing. I want to do that too!"

"And someday you will," Minerva said. "Once we know that you are safe to play outside for longer than a couple of hours, you can play to your heart's content. We are just trying to do what is best for you. I know it's hard for you to understand and for you to trust us."

Harry pulled away from her and then moved back to the parapet. "Minerva, I want to stay with you. I heard Albus say I could go to a family. I don't want to go to someone else. I want to stay with you. I don't want to be with more strangers. I've never seen other people before, and I don't want to live with someone else. I want to stay at the castle. Please don't make me go to some strange family. I don't want to live with someone else who doesn't understand me."

"No one else will ever hurt you the way your aunt and uncle did, but we'll see what we can do for you Harry," Minerva replied. "This is a school, so I don't know if you can live here. I understand why you feel the way you do. If we find a family for you, we'll let you meet them first. If you don't like them, you don't have to stay with them. We won't make that mistake again."

Harry didn't respond. He didn't want to meet another family. His experience with his own family wasn't good, and he was scared to meet a new one. He was having a hard time trusting the new people he'd just met that day. How could they expect him to trust even more people? He didn't want to be locked up inside again. He was experiencing what outside was like, and though earlier he thought he could try, he knew he couldn't do it. He wouldn't be able to go back to fantasizing about it.

"I don't want to live with someone who will lock me up again," Harry told her. "Minerva, I can't stay inside forever again, especially now. Please, don't let it happen again."

"Anyone we place you with will not lock you up again," Minerva replied.

"You didn't think my aunt and uncle would lock me up," Harry reminded her. "How do you know this new family won't? Maybe I should just stay with you."

"Harry, we will place you with someone we trust, and we will check on you often to make sure you're happy," Minerva said. "It won't happen again."

"You trusted my aunt and uncle. And why didn't you check up on me before? Why didn't you see if I was happy? You could have found out that I was locked up," Harry pointed out. "I'm scared, Minerva."

"Harry, that is going to be one of our biggest regrets. We should have checked as soon as your aunt and uncle said you went to an orphanage," Minerva said. "I truly am very sorry about that."

"It's Albus's fault," Harry said. "I know it is. I heard you talking about it."

"And he regrets it too my dear," Minerva said. "We will do our best to make it up to you."

"If you want to make it up to me, you won't make me live with another family. You'll let me stay with you," Harry said. "Please Minerva. Please let me stay with you."

She let out a sigh and then patted his head. "I'll talk to Albus to see what he has to say about it, Harry. He is the Headmaster here. It will have to be his decision."

"I don't want it to be his decision!" And suddenly Harry felt very angry.

Why couldn't she make the decision? He didn't want Albus to make decisions for him anymore. Why couldn't he have a say where he lived? He didn't trust the old Headmaster to decide where he should live because it had been him who left him with the Dursley's!

"I hate him!" Harry said furiously. "If it weren't for him, I would have always been allowed outside! I don't want him to be allowed to say where I can live. Why can't you decide for me?"

"Harry, it isn't his fault, but I will talk to him. I would very much love to adopt you, but things are complicated. I will do my best for you," she responded.

Harry just shook his head. If she genuinely wanted to adopt him, she would.