Broken Friends

"What really interests me

is whether God had any choice

in the creation of the world"

~ Albert Einstein

Harry couldn't believe it. Talk about the mother of all contradictions. Before his fifth year she had said he was as close as a son was, now she was shunning him because Voldemort had gained power. Angrily he pounded the wall in the locker room. Even training hadn't loosened the feeling of rejection, because he had to face Ron and Ginny. As he toweled himself dry, and pulled on a pair of boxer's, all the old feelings of rejection and bitterness resurfaced. He was still stripped to the waist when a voice said-

"Harry."

When he whipped round Ginny was standing in the doorway. She looked fearful when she saw the look on his face- a look of disgust and hatred. Well it was better than been ignored, she thought. Ever since Ron and Ginny had told him what their mother had said he had completely ignored them. This suited Ron. He was scared of Harry, whose power had grown to such an extent that he was able to perform magic without a wand. Before she spoke again, her eyes scanned his body for any signs that he might be readying himself to attack. But she saw none. All she saw was a well-muscled body- relaxed and unmoving except for the rhythm of his breathing.

"Harry, please listen. I don't agree with my mother. All I need is a few minutes to explain my point of view."

***

Slowly, Hermione sat down in the Great Hall. Ever since Ron and Ginny had told him what Molly had said he- Harry, had completely ignored them. He had even taken to ignoring her, but since she was dating Ron, she couldn't really blame him. Maybe she shouldn't have agreed with Molly, but she did see where she was coming from. She was only afraid for her children. Before her thoughts could fully form, though, there was a blinding flash of light. When her vision had recovered, there were seven people standing in the middle of the Hall. One, the closest, was a boy with platinum blond hair, which hung in thick strands around an aristocratic face with powder blue eyes. The girl next to him had shoulder length dirty blond hair and protruding eyes and Hermione was reminded forcibly of Luna Lovegood. The boy next to her had the same dirty blond hair but his face ~ that face looked like Neville Longbottom. The boys next to him had thick, curly black hair. But it was the last three boys that caused Hermione to feel like fainting. They were identical to Harry in almost every way. But they didn't wear glasses and their eyes were hazel, not green.

***

"Harry, I don't agree with my mother. It is important that you understand that, I want to stand with you no matter what happens. I still have feelings for you."

Harry just stared at Ginny. Was she telling the truth? Hadn't he seen her telling lies to her mother on more than one occasion without blushing?

"How do I know that I can trust you? I seen you tell lies on more than one occasion as easily as if you had been doing it all your life, for all I know you could be doing it now."

Ginny could not come up with an answer to this. Harry was right; he had no proof to lead him to believe that she was telling the truth. But an idea came to her. She walked up to him, and placing her hands on either side of his face, she stood on tiptoe and kissed him.

***

In the Great Hall, Dumbledore had restored order and now sat questioning the seven new arrivals (who were under the influence of Snapes strongest truth potion). Their sudden arrival had stunned him, but not as much as what they were telling him now. If they were to be believed (which, given the strength of the potion they were under, had to be done), then the world was in for a turbulent time indeed. He then left the hall, and asked Professor Sprout to escort them to his office.

"Minerva, would you please find Mister Potter, Mister Longbottom and Miss Weasley. Snape, please fetch Mister Malfoy, Professor Sinstra, please get Miss Lovegood, and when you find them please bring them to my office!"

***

Two hour's later Luna Lovegood, Draco Malfoy, Harry Potter, Ginny Weasley and Neville Longbottom sat in stunned silence, after hearing their children's story. Draco was having a difficult time adjusting to the fact that his son had been sorted into Gryffindor, rather than the fact that his son was the same age as him physicaly and mentally, and that he had broken numerous laws by travelling back twenty years in time. Ginny couldn't believe that she had married Harry and had three sons with him. But it was encouraging to think that that they had all lived through the war.

Before any questions could be asked there was a sudden knock at the door. When Dumbledore answered, Minerva leaned in and whispered something into his ear. She then passed him a paper, which he looked at. Thanking her he came back to sit behind his desk. Laying the Evening Prophet on the desk he said:

"It would appear certain events you have told me about have come to pass."

To the shock of all present the heading of the Prophet read:

Mass Murder By Wizards

On Streets Of New York: American

Ministry In Mayhem!!

***

Over the next few day's two story's spread through Hogwarts with exceptional speed: One was that Harry Potter's sons had traveled back through time with some friends, and the second story was that New York had been attacked! Harry, James, Sirius, Luna, Gerard, Robert and Peter attacked a lot of attention. So far their plan to 'heal the rift' was working. Harry was back on speaking terms with Ron and Hermione, and when Harry and Ginny revealed that they were dating, it was accepted warmly. Harry JR, Sirius and James were excited at meting people like Dean Thomas and Seamus Finnigan, who were famous for their part in the last battle of the war. They were amazed to see a Seamus with two arm's (he had lost his left arm in the original time line) and laughed when they saw that Dean Thomas was not bald.

One evening, Harry was called into Dumbledore's office. Dumbledore was looking grim. Three pieces of parchment were open in front of him. When Harry entered, Dumbledore beckoned him to a chair beside his desk.

"It appears," he said "that The New York Academy for Magic, The Salem Institute and The Boston College for Magical Learning has requested that we take some of their students, as the events in America has scared many parents. We, as the recipient school will collect these student as a matter of courtesy."

Harry was wondering why the headmaster was telling him this until he said, "They also requested that I bring some students along, in order for the 'new' students to meet some old hands. If you consent we can leave immediately." Harry nodded quickly.

Before Harry left, Dumbledore said:

"And if you're wondering, Mister Thomas, Miss Weasley, Miss Lovegood, Mister Malfoy, the two Creeveys and Miss Chang have also agreed to come."

Harry then left, feeling as if he had just finished the strangest conversation with the headmaster in his school career.

***

That evening found Harry, Dean, Draco, Ginny, Luna, Colin, Dennis and Cho descending from the school carriages in front of The New York academy for Magic, after a bumpy ride across the Atlantic. They were met by a throng of students in midnight blue robes, and teachers who were wearing a range of garment from Muggle business suits to blood red robes. When Dumbledore descended from one of the carriages a small portly woman (who reminded Harry of Molly Weasley) steeped forward and exclaimed:

"Dumbledore, a pleasure as always, please come inside and introduce me to your students."

And with that the student parted, and let their headmistress and Dumbledore pass.

"She's certainly a strange old bat," Dean whispered to Harry, sniggering.

***

Inside, there was hushed silence as the roll of students that would be going to Hogwarts was read. Then it was Dumbledore's turn to introduce his students. When Harry's name was mentioned, there was a sudden outburst of muttering and many students were standing on tiptoe to get a look at him. Harry could tell that this was going to be a long ride home.

An hour later, as Dean and Harry loaded school trunks onto one of the carriage's, a little girl came trotting up to Dean. She obviously didn't see Harry, for she asked:

"Was that boy really Harry Potter?"

Dean smirked, and said to Harry over his shoulder ~

"You are Harry Potter, aren't you?"

Harry, getting the meaning of what Dean was doing, stood up and replied ~

"Last time I checked I was, and nothing has happened on the last ten minutes to change that."

It was comical to see the girls eyes widen in shock and surprise. Her eyes did the usual flick to Harry's forehead. She then scurried back to her friends and they began a furious conversation.

***

Back at Hogwarts, Hermione was just getting to know Harry's sons. She saw more than a physical resemblance between Harry and his sons, but she was bowled over by the amazing confidence, and the self-assurance they possessed. They were also far more boisterous than their father, showing high levels of energy formally displayed in the common room by Fred and George Weasley. When this was brought to their attention, they laughed merrily, stating that they had spent a lot of their childhood with Fred and George. Hermione was amazed by that they had only managed thirty detentions since their first year. Robert Malfoy was something of a shock. Hermione knew he must be different from Draco, but the differences were amazing. Gone was the arrogance one usually associated with a Malfoy. Robert was generous, gently and patience. Gerard Longbottom was to like his father for comfort, while Luna seemed to be a mixture of both Luna senior and Neville. Their friend Peter was reserved, obviously well educated, and eager to help.

But Hermione was eager to hear more about the so-called 'rift', which had occurred between the two sides.

She finally mustered the courage the day after Harry had returned. They were all sitting in the common room, when Hermione asked

"Why did Molly continue with the estrangement after the defeat of Voldemort?"

Robert, Luna, Gerard and Peter shoot Harry JR, Sirius and James wary looks. Sirius and James gave Harry a serious nod at which he took a deep breath and began:

"As you know, Da- Harry is what most wizard's and witches call a hand wizard ~ but the correct term is Magg. Magg's are very powerful and can live for hundreds of years, if not thousands. It was how Harry defeated Lord Voldemort that scared Molly."

Hermione knew this already, as did Harry, but neither was certain the other people present did. So they let Harry JR continue. But Ginny interrupted with

"But what has Harry's long life got to do with the defeat of Lord Voldemort?"

"Don't you see- life. Harry gave Voldemort life. He used a complex spell to give some of his life to Voldemort. He 'de-aged' him, for want of a better word. He made him young again, to a point when he wouldn't remember Hogwarts, his Death Eaters or been Lord Voldemort. He made him three years old again. Then he wiped his memory clean. Voldemort remembered nothing except spending three years in an orphanage under a cruel man called Allcot. Molly couldn't believe, nor could she forgive the fact that Harry let Voldemort live, and on top of that, that he had given him sixty years of life."

"Then what did Harry do?" asked Dean, who was listening.

Harry JR smiled and replied with the word's ~ "He adopted him."

The words rang out like a funeral bell. There was stunned silence. No one spoke. No one moved a muscle. They just stared, in utter disbelief. Then Harry JR continued ~

"Tom was always our 'older brother', to us he was nothing else. Molly couldn't believe that Harry could put Ginny into danger. She couldn't believe that he could bring a constant reminder of The Chamber of Secrets into his house."

By now the entire common room was listing in rapt silence to this little tale. The student's from America wondered what The Chamber of Secrets was, but they knew if it was related to Voldemort, it wasn't good. Ginny was wondering what it must have been like for her older self to have to face Tom daily.

"The final battle between his Death Eater's and none supporters of Voldemort was violent and bloody. But the fight between Harry and Voldemort took place elsewhere. Voldemort wanted a battle that would be remembered, by both Muggles and Wizards. He transported Harry and himself to Rome. To be more precise- to the Vatican City. There, he got the Pope to witness what he termed the 'Final Fight'. It was here that Harry preformed this spell, right in the middle of Saint Peters Square, in front of the Pope and some cardinals."

Many people in the common room were stunned. What they were hearing was unbelievable. Lord Voldemort defeated in such a manner? The Vatican City State was so high profile that a battle between two powerful wizards was bound to make the Muggle news- Voldemort wouldn't be that stupid.

"Why did he choose the Vatican?" asked a young girl with black pigtails.

"Voldemort said that if God excisted, it would be fitting that a wizard who was increasing his powers, should kill his one true nemesis in front of the leader of the largest group of Christians in the world. He wanted to make a statement, a lasting statement. He believed that God had cursed him, you see. His mother died, his father abandoned him, and he was bullied at school, ridiculed at the orphanage. He was a 'freak'. God had to witness his defeat of the one man who could stop him."

From the grounds a noise, like a large crowd moving and shouting could be heard. Before any of the students could go see what was happening, Minerva McGonagall had appeared in their midst, looking scared.

"QUICK, EVERY STUDENT FOLLOW ME," said her magically magnified voice.

"Professor, what happened?" asked Neville Longbottom.

"It's the Death Eaters, isn't it?" asked Harry JR, Sirius and James in unison. McGonagall looked unnerved for a moment, but then nodded.

"What is it?" asked Hermione, looking scared.

"It's the final battle!" someone cried.

"No, it's only a distraction so Voldemort can get Harry," said Robert Malfoy, and he was right.

***

Some time after all this was happened at Hogwarts, at an airbase outside London, Air Force One was touching down. The President of the U.S. wanted a private meeting wit the Prime Minister about these wizards. He was concerned about the impact that they would have on the world, and he was frightened of what they could do. He was an open-minded man. He could see why wizards and witches had kept their existence a secret for so long, which is why he had listened to the British Prime Minister. And, if at all possible, he wished to see this Hogwarts for himself.

In a bunker below the airbase, the President sat down at a long wooden table with his military advisor, General Maxwell, his secretary of state, Joe Lumen, and his attorney general- he wanted the legal consequences of any action he might take. A few minutes later the Prime Minister came in. Only one other person accompanied him. The man was young, but his brown hair was flexed with gray.

"This is Mister RJ Lupin," stated the Prime Minister, happily. "He will be accompanying us to Hogwarts, presuming you still want to go," he continued.

The President nodded, and for the first time in his life he was lost for words. The abruptness of this event had caught hi of guard. The man called Lupin took out what looked like a narrow piece of wood from his pocket and put an old kettle on the table. He promptly taped the kettle. It glowed momentarily and shook.

"If you please place one finger on the kettle we can be on our way," he said calmly.

'Was it a trap?' thought the President. He wasn't popular in this part of the world. No, it wasn't a trap, no one apart from the Prim Minister knew he was here, and he had only found out about the Presidential arrival fifteen minutes before he landed. Slowly, shakily, he touched the kettle. General Maxwell and Joe Lumen slowly followed suit along with the Prime Minister. They felt a sudden jerk behind their navels. A rushing sound filled their ears. With a slam, they landed in the middle of a vast entrance hall. Behind them a pair of oak doors opened onto a vast garden. To their right another pair of oak doors led off the hall, but they were closed. Directly in front was a marble staircase. On top of the flight of steps, was an elderly man with a long white beard and long white hair. Standing beside him was a boy with messy black hair, flashing green eyes and round glasses. The elderly man was smiling down at them. The President felt that, at last, some answers were forthcoming.