Chapter 1
Harry had done it.
That was the only thought going through his mind right now. He'd simply done it. He avenged everyone he has lost. When he was younger, Harry thought this would make him feel free, happy even.
But he feels nothing, almost as if he'd been numbed to the world. To the violence, but especially to the peace.
Harry stumbles back, falling into Neville's open arms. Throughout all of school, Neville was always the one Harry would go to when he felt lost. Neville was probably the only person in the entire world that knew what Harry was going through, like actually knew what Harry was feeling.
Harry notices Neville drop the sword he had just used to kill Nagini, the stupid bloody serpent that lived for far longer than anyone could've expected, in favor of wrapping his arms around Harry. Harry didn't speak his thoughts out loud, he didn't need to, but he was grateful.
Barely a minute after Voldemort's body hit the ground, losing the incredibly chaotic duel because of one of his own members, seconds after Harry had been engulfed in a hug he so desperately needed, they hear another scream. Screams will probably haunt Harry's nightmares for the rest of his life at this rate.
Harry felt Neville tense up, releasing Harry to pick the sword of Gryffindor up again. Harry prays that he won't have to use it. Harry, like every other person on Hogwarts grounds, looks in the direction of the screams.
To his shock, his utter horror honestly, he watches Fred Weasley step into the light. Molly is the first to speak up, her inability to tell the twins apart glaringly obvious, "George! You get down from there and stop scaring people. We've been through enough." One would think that her voice would be soft, loving, as her son had just lost his twin brother, but it was anything but.
Harry shakes his head, looking softly toward Fred, "No, Molly. That isn't George. It's Fred."
Molly waves her finger around, ever the short temper, "Harry, honey, I believe I know my own children better than you."
Harry sighs, "But Molly, look. Fred has longer hair than George, his eyes have crow's feet while George's aren't quite there yet. Look at his arm, wounded from the battle. George lost his ear, but Fred hurt his arm before he went down, and must've hurt it more in the drop." He explains, knowing that Molly really didn't care to learn the differences between the twins.
Molly moves to retort, her face rivaling her hair with her embarrassment. But before she can speak, Percy Weasley, the one known for keeping his shit together, bursts into tears. A resounding gasp from the crowd. Maybe at Harry's remark, maybe at 'Perfect Prefect Percy' breaking his resolve. Percy nods toward Harry, "He's right, Mum. George is standing right next to me." Percy's voice breaks throughout his sentence, his glasses completely fogged up with his tears.
Percy ran to his brother, George hot on his tail, and now that Harry thinks about it this is the second time he's ever seen Percy run. The first being towards Fred when he... you know... died.
That's when they notice, behind Fred, just peeking out from beyond the prankster's legs, is a small Colin Creevy. Harry always thought the boy looked small, but when he watched Colin's body be carried back by Oliver Wood, Colin had never looked smaller.
There was a cry, a cry that Harry would recognize anywhere, and Dennis Creevy immediately ran to his brother, pulling him into what seemed to be the tightest hug known to man. Colin laughed, hugging his brother back, "Calm down Denny, it's not like I died or anything!"
The floor falls silent for the third time that night, listening as a broken sob comes from Dennis, "Oh but Coco, you did. You did. I watched myself as Oliver Wood carried you back, your lifeless body back to join the rest."
Harry speaks again, watching all the attention flutter to himself instantly, "Colin. What's the last thing you remember?" Harry knows it's a harsh question, but he has to know if the boy remembers being tortured and killed by the Death eaters he was fighting.
Colin's face dims, stuttering his words and his sentences as he desperately tried to explain himself, "Harry. I tried; I tried really hard I promise! I know you told me not to give into them, it was really hard, but I tried." Harry had started making his way toward the always so small boy, noticing Percy now at Fred's side, "I was fighting these Death eaters, doing everything you taught me! I think I was doing well, even killed a few, but one of them had disarmed me. I remember- I remember being held down and spells flew at me. It felt like a thousand cuts at once, draining me."
Harry wrapped both Colin and Dennis in a hug, hushing at Colin to stop him from continuing, "You did so well, Colin. Truly, I'm so proud of you. We all are."
Molly was already lecturing the twins again, privately Harry thought that she should just lay off it a bit. Harry comforted both of the boys, telling both of them that they could stay with him for however long they needed, their parents were muggles after all. Muggles didn't really understand what being in the wizarding world meant, no matter how hard anyone tried to explain it. So, Harry simply told the boys to owl him whenever they needed and looked forward.
He found Lavender Brown standing there, looking terrified as always. Lavender's clothes were shreds, her body still bloody after being ravaged by Fenrir Greyback. Despite his mild distaste for the girl, Harry pulls her into a hug as well, letting her cry onto his shoulder for what feels like hours. He then gives her his jacket, her clothing as good as rags, and she thanks him profusely, bouncing over to talk to an extremely happy Cho Chang. Her best friend was alive again, who could blame her?
Harry walked back over to Neville, confused, "Nev, does this mean something about our parents? Could they all be alright again? Everyone who was killed or driven mad by Voldemort and his evil cult here is fine now."
Neville put his hand to Harry's should in comfort, "Harry! Relax. We'll see in a bit, yeah? How 'bout we go visit my mum and dad?"
Harry nods, seeing the hidden fear in Neville's words. Like Harry, the boy had never met his parents before, so Harry knows best how Neville is feeling right now. Harry looks from Ron, who was happily speaking to his previously dead older brother, to Hermione, who was also happily talking to someone, yet that person was Lavender Brown, and knew they'd be fine. At least for now, later they'd break, their confusion would win them over and their resolves would crumble.
But for now, Harry had a friend to help and a mystery to solve, so he might as well let his friends be content.
Harry grabs Neville's arm, wrapping his hand around Neville's tightly, as if to ground him. Neville smiles back at him appreciatively, before taking a deep breath and apparating them to the address he'd been to far too many times before; St. Mungos.
Neville instantly waves off the nauseous feeling from apparating, walking up to the lady at the front desk with Harry's hand still enveloped in his own, "Hello, can I speak with my parents, Frank and Alice Longbottom, please?"
The woman seems to recognize Neville, which shouldn't have surprised Harry but it did, as she nods, "They are where they always are, Neville, go on ahead."
Harry squeezes Neville's hand, following him back to where his parents apparently usually are. Now, Harry has only come to see Neville's parents with him a few times, but when they walk back there, the two look undeniably younger.
Neville speaks first, like he always does, "Um, mum? Dad? I-well Harry did it. I helped I suppose but Harry's the true hero, defeating Voldemort and all that." Neville waves his free hand around as he rambles, not expecting a response.
To his surprise, Alice pipes in, "Mum? Wait, he who must not be named. Kid, shut up, you'll summon him!" Alice looks around frantically, "Lead the coward right to us, don't you!"
Neville takes a step back, "Mum. That's impossible, because he's dead."
Frank takes a step towards the three, "The Dark Lord? Dead? What-but how?"
Neville sighs, "It's a long story, he was all like 'I've killed Harry Potter' and Harry here was all 'Nah, bam bam bam' and I killed a freaky snake, and Bellatrix Lestrange for what she did to you guys and bam. Here we are." Neville rambles on, "Well, I guess it wasn't that long of a story after all." He adds thoughtfully.
Alice shakes her head, "Bellatrix? What did she do to us? Who are you?"
Harry can tell Neville feels like crying at this point, so he takes over, "I'm Harry Potter. And this is your son, Neville Longbottom." Harry squeezes said boy's hand in comfort.
Frank shakes his head, "No, no, that can't be, our son's a baby! He's just over a year old."
Neville responds easily, well as easily as he can with the tremor in his voice, "No, dad, no I'm not. You guys were driven insane by Bellatrix soon after my first birthday and haven't been responsive when I visit until now, now that I think of it. Harry, they look younger than last time, yeah?" Neville's confused tone grabs his attention.
Harry nods, "Yeah, I was thinking that too. It might have to do with all of the Voldemort victims coming back to life, yeah? Cause I mean, technically your parents lost their lives that night. Just not the same way mine did." Harry thinks out loud, pulling out his inner Hermione to try and rid Neville's face of confusion.
Frank and Alice seem to follow his words, less confused than before. Then Alice comes to a conclusion, "Wait, if you're Harry Potter and you say your parents died in a different way than we seemingly did. James and Lily are gone?" Alice sounds heartbroken.
Harry shakes his head, "Well, yes. But no. Everyone Voldemort killed seems to be coming back to life because I defeated him. We don't really get the logistics of it yet, so my parents are probably alive?" Harry's eyes light up again, "Nev! Sirius and Remus! They're okay! We've got to find them, please!"
Sirius was the first person who ever cared for Harry truly, and who knew his parents both, and Harry would give up anything to find him. Sirius was easily the safest person to talk to and he'd truly become Harry's rock.
Remus, though, Remus was both Harry and Neville's everything. Throughout the time the professor was at Hogwarts he had single-handly stopped the other students from bullying Neville, leading the boy to find solace in Remus. Remus was the first person that Harry could freely speak to about everything. His feelings, the bad, the good, and the confusing. The first person that could tell him what that meant.
Neville nods, seemingly knowing what Harry is thinking of, "Of course we will! Oh thank Merlin Remus is okay, I need to talk with him!"
Frank interrupts, "You guys know Sirius and Remus?"
Harry nods, "Yeah, Sirius is my Godfather and Remus is probably the only reason Neville and I survived the war. Come on, we can have your sanities retried later but right now lets go find them!"
Neville smiles, shaking his head fondly, "Harry are you seriously using your 'The Boy Who Lived' power just to get my parents out of here sooner?"
Harry gives a shit-eating grin, grabbing Alice's hand with his free hand, "Absolutely!" Before dragging the four of them to Sirius' last known location.
The Department of Mysteries.