Going Home

The next time Harry woke up, it wasn't Lily who was there. It was Dumbledore. The Headmaster seemed as tired as Harry felt, but he smiled when he noticed the boy had woken up. Harry didn't want to be rude, but he couldn't smile back. He sat and looked at Dumbledore, waiting for him to start their conversation.

"Hello, Harry.", he finally said. "I was wondering if you'd like to talk about what happened.", his tone was gentle. Harry nodded, but took his time to reply.

"Professor, I'm...", he started. He took a deep breath before saying what he needed to say. "I'm sorry.", Dumbledore seemed surprised.

"My dear boy. What are you apologising for?", he asked. Harry felt tears in his eyes and his cheeks blushing in shame.

"For killing Professor Quirrell and for destroying the Stone.", he answered. The Headmaster shook his head.

"First of all, what happened to Professor Quirrell was not your fault. When I arrived at the chamber, I could've rescued him. I chose not to.", Harry gasped at that. "His body was too weak. No, not because of you.", he added as he saw the guilty look on the boy's face. "Because of Voldemort. Having someone possessing your body for so long weakens your body in irreversible ways, Harry. Had Quirrell survived, he would've gone to Azkaban, and survived for less than a day.", Dumbledore stopped for a few minutes and waited for Harry to digest that information.

"But... Professor?", he asked. "What if Quirrell knew what You-Know-Who's plans were?"

"Voldemort was never one to share important information with his minions.", Dumbledore replied. Harry nodded.

"I understand what you're saying, Professor. I know I wouldn't have hurt Professor Quirrell on purpose, I get that he'd have been too weak... But I still killed him.", he whispered. The Headmaster put a hand on Harry's shoulder. "I had fire coming out of my wand and I pointed it at him. And then he died."

"Harry, you'll learn this in due time, of course, but nothing is ever black or white. No matter how much we try to be good, we make mistakes. It doesn't make us bad people.", Dumbledore gently said. "I have made more mistakes in my life than I could tell you. I have learnt to live with them. Not because I'm strong, but because I know I can do good things too. It doesn't erase what I've done, nothing ever will.", he stopped and, to Harry's surprise, dried a tear coming out of his right eye. "But... Sometimes, we have to keep going, trying to do the right thing. Maybe, just maybe, we can change something, for the better. If we can make the difference, we owe that to everybody we'd be helping.", Dumbledore paused for a few seconds. "And that's why I'm still here, trying. I hope to see you next to me, doing the same. You are a remarkable young boy, Harry. I know you'll do great, good things."

"I... Thanks.", he whispered, not even bothering to hide his tears. They stayed in silence for a few minutes. "Professor. I'm sorry about destroying the Stone. If I had waited just another minute, your friend and his wife wouldn't have to die."

"Ah, Harry, don't worry about that.", Dumbledore smiled. "Nicolas and I had been discussing the Stone for a few months now. We knew we'd have to destroy it soon, and Nicolas and his wife are more than ready to go on."

"I guess they deserved to make that choice for themselves, though, and I took that away from them.", Harry said, ignoring the 'go on' comment. Dumbledore could be really strange sometimes.

"I understand.", he said. "But you did what you had to do and, if I had been in your shoes, I'd have done the same.", and that made Harry feel slightly better. "Well, I'll let you sleep now. But know you can talk to me anytime."

Harry refused to see anybody while he was in the Hospital Wing, which he guessed drove his friends insane. He hoped they'd understand he needed some time for himself, though. When the night for the feast came, however, he decided he should go and talk to his friends.

"Harry!", was all he heard before he felt Neville half-tackling, half-hugging him. In a second, all the other First-Years who were in their study group were around him.

"Are you all right?"

"Why didn't you let us see you?"

"We missed you!"

"What happened?"

"I was worried about you!"

"Slytherin won the House Cup!"

"Will you tell us what really happened?"

"Did you know that Professor Quirrell is dead?"

"What happened to the Stone?"

"Snape is still here, he didn't get the Stone, did he?"

"Are you allowed to go to the feast?"

"I'm starving!"

"Tell us what happened!"

"All right!", Harry shouted, but he was chuckling a little. "How about you let me talk?", he asked and his friends went quiet. They quickly found an empty classroom and Harry told them everything that had happened, including his conversation with Dumbledore.

"Harry, you can't blame yourself for that. You saved the world!", Neville exclaimed. Harry saw his friends nodding in agreement. He was thankful they weren't pointing at him and calling him a murderer, but he shook his head.

"Even if you consider that I did the right thing, it doesn't change the fact that I was responsible for someone's death, Nev.", he muttered. "But I appreciate the fact you are all so supportive.", Harry added.

"Of course, mate. We got your back, no matter what.", Ron said. Again, Harry saw the others nodding. A rush of gratitude went all over his body and he was ashamed when he felt his eyes getting wet. His friends pretended not to notice, but nobody said anything until he had regained control over his emotions.

"Harry?", Hermione asked. "Have you talked to your parents about the prophecy You-Know-Who mentioned?"

"Not yet. I'll do that during Summer.", he answered. They stayed in the classroom talking for a few more minutes before they realised it was time for the feast. As someone had told him already, Slytherin had won the House Cup. Harry was a little disappointed Gryffindor had lost, but he told himself that they still had another six years.

The ride to London was somewhat chaotic. Harry and his friends kept going from one compartment to another. They couldn't all fit in one, and, as they got closer and closer to London, they started getting more and more desperate to spend as much time as possible with each other.

However, they couldn't stay on the train forever and, much too soon, they had arrived at Platform Nine-And-Three-Quarters. Plans were made, too many plans. Harry was sure he had promised he'd spend a week at least fifteen people's houses. With a final wave at the others, Harry and Neville made their way to the Potters and Longbottoms.

"At least we're both alive, huh, Nev?", Harry asked, trying to make a joke.

"Don't jinx it, mate. We still have six years to go.", his best friend replied, clearly serious. Harry touched the scar on his forehead, but didn't say anything else.

Neville had made a good point, after all.

AN: And, with that, we finish the first book! I'll probably post the first chapter of CoS tomorrow, and then I'll update this chapter with a link. I REALLY hope you guys are enjoying this story so far. I must admit it is very fun to take this amazing story and change it up. I'd like to thank everybody who's been reading it and reviewing it. I find it fascinating to read your opinions, everybody sees things in different ways. I'm open to suggestions and feel free to PM me if you have a question. While I don't mind letting people know what I have planned, I won't spoil it for the people who want to find out as the story goes. Well, all right, this is it! See you next book!

LINK: s/8582678/1/Harry-Potter-And-The-Chamber-Of-Secrets