Redemption II

Chapter 57

"Are you sure you can't do anything?" Harry stood in front of the only person whom he thought best to seek counsel in. Professor, rather Headmistress McGonagall pursed her lips with a slight shake of her head.

"Even if I wanted to locate him, what's to say his return won't cause more harm than good?"

"But you've seen the memories..." Harry leaned forward with urgency, "You've got to know he is a good man..."

"My opinion matters little, Mister Potter...it would be a most arduous task to even begin to..." Minerva let out a slow breath, "The time for this is not right...the world may be falling at your feet right now Potter, but there are so many out there who are just waiting for something to happen. It's much too dangerous..."

"But...you can find him?"

"I don't know..." Minerva looked up at the portraits that looked down at her, the one that had already brought controversy sitting silently and still. "If you are so concerned...why not just let St. Mungo's do what they believe is right?"

"Do you think anything they've done thus far is even the realm of right?" Harry pushed himself up, his frustration growing, "They took her mind!" Harry ran a hand through his hair his eyes unable to focus on anything. "They took everything from her! What's to say they can even put her back together?"

"I'm sure there was a good cause..." Minvera could sympathize with him, she truly could but just as he, she found herself unable to truly plot a proper course.

"Yeah? They still refuse to even tell us the reason they've done this in the first place! For all we know, there's some twisted...pure-blood supremacist in that hospital just using her as a plaything!"

Minvera sat back into her chair folding her arms slowly, oh how this child before her had changed. "Have you been going to your own sessions?"

"What's the point...?" Harry shook his head turning his eyes up towards the repaired frame of Albus Dumbledore, the man inside was not at home but his eyes still pierced through the painting with thick emotions. "It's not going to change anything..."

"It will help you Mister Potter...you need to let this go...you cannot carry their deaths with you...You are not to blame..."

"No...I'm not..." Harry turned his eyes away from the empty canvas, "Unfortunately the man who is— has already received his final punishment..."

"I am sorry, Harry." Minerva rose to her feet slowly coming around the desk so many had sat at before, "This choice is yours...and yours alone..."

Harry turned his eyes towards her with such respect and admiration, "What if I choose wrong?"

"You must stop listening to this," McGonagall pressed her finger pointedly between his brows, "And start listening to this..." Her hand lowered down resting palm flat over his heart.

oOo

"What do you think she'll be like?" Ron curled his lips in nervously watching the healers from St. Mungo's moving around Grimmauld Place, they had come to inspect the home at which Hermione would be staying and thus far they hadn't found anything up to their inspection.

"I don't know..." Harry made a small face as the healers clicked their tongues writing down in their notebooks. "At this rate, I don't think they're going to let us take her anyway..."

Ron nodded slightly but his heart still ached. He, Ginny, Neville, and Harry had made Grimmauld place their home, Ginny staying just until school started, Neville, until his Gran was set back to rights and Ron until he could find a place of his own. The home wasn't upkept in the slightest, it had been left to decay when they'd been on the run, and even with their return, the young adults hadn't really made an effort to improve the place. Mostly fearing Harry's reaction to changing anything.