The United

Chapter 14: Thoughts and Regrets

The Ravenclaw Tower still had some work to be done on it so the Ravenclaws still slept in the Great Hall on camp beds in thick sleeping bags. This is also where Harry Potter slept that night in a sleeping bag similar to one he had slept in when he had been thirteen. As he stared up at the Enchanted Ceiling he was pondering this and all the other times in Hogwarts, tears stung his eyes and he felt a physical ache in his chest, there was deny it, Hogwarts was home. Professor McGonagall had been very shocked when he had turned up and asked to stay the night she didn't of course deny him but she was sceptical, he knew that she knew though and it made him a little embarrassed.

Only he couldn't really feel sad when his beautiful wife and daughter slept peacefully in Godric's Hollow a place that was in his past as well. The fact was he wasn't sad but he was homesick though he had learned to live with this as he listened to his children's own adventures and thanking and envying that they faced no real dark enemy.

Only now as he rolled over and stared upon his young son did he worry. For his son was already having an eventful year without the dark wizard but still his mysterious son was full of surprises; like separating himself from his brother, true they had their spats and were completely different but they were still brothers. Ginny had said it was pretty normal but then there was the sorting, Albus had been sorted into Ravenclaw a possibility that they hadn't even considered, and his friends, one in every house.

Harry looked at the dismal space that surrounded his son, perhaps because his father was here but Harry got the impression that the Ravenclaws hardly knew Albus was there, which had not been the thing that Harry had worried about, with James the students hadn't left him alone he was overwhelmed by fame. Then again Albus did have friends he wasn't completely alone. Though Malfoy was a concern. Surely Harry was being selfish for wanting things that his son seemed to have no desire in.

Harry also saw an anger in Albus's eyes, this probably came from him not knowing about Harry's greatest achievement and how his family and the families around him had been affected by someone so close to him, Harry had told him most of the adventures he had just left out the parts when Voldemort had been concerned leaving the reality sharply out of focus. All that pain, why shouldn't he have? He didn't want Albus to think his dad was a hero so that he got a bighead.

Then a nasty voice which Harry vaguely remembered said, 'but James got a big head and he hadn't known that was just from hearing myths and legends around him. He still doesn't know the truth does he?'

Harry stared back at Albus and took in for the first time how innocent and honest he was, Albus would never be arrogant, Harry saw how it must of hurt him to find out that everyone knew the story, knew his name apart from him, Harry now knew he had to talk to Albus properly, he had to talk to all his children but even as he thought about it he shied away from the idea.

The light streamed in through the windows when the sun hit them, Harry woke the tall windows sunlight reminding him strangely of a church. Every Ravenclaw was used to being woken up like this in the mornings. The girls rushed off to a classroom where their school things were kept and the boys got changed hurriedly in another, Harry was left in a classroom on his own where his clothes had been laid out on a desk. Before they all came back to set the four tables and prepare for breakfast. Harry attempted to help finding himself more of a hindrance than an aid; he stepped back and watched the children and house elves working side by side to lay the tables. Harry smiled to himself thinking of Hermione and how SPEW had come along way.

"Er, dad which table would you like to sit at?" Albus asked sheepishly.

"Gryffindor please," Harry smiled.

He felt slightly uneasy sitting just himself and Albus at the Gryffindor table; while the rest of Ravenclaw sat at theirs, he was sure a raven-haired girl kept looking at him. But Albus assured him that none of them cared as they were used to Albus' strange behaviour.

It wasn't long until the rest of the school came down for breakfast, James sat on the other side of his dad chatting ardently to him about everything and anything, the teachers were just as bad hurrying over for a chat all smiles and praises for his children. Rose came to sit next to Albus and Emma sat opposite. The two Malfoys arrived, Draco looking very uncomfortable, but much to Harry's surprise not saying anything about it to his son, he only spoke to Scorpius although they could all hear him.

"We should leave soon," he told Scorpius. He then looked at Harry who nodded.

Clearly Mr Malfoy was just as uncomfortable with his son.

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