Chapter Text
November 2nd, 1998.
Harry stands close to the altar. He set it up a couple of days ago, and now he is showing it to the Weasleys as well as Hermione. Ever since Halloween in ‘96, Ron and Hermione have been by his side when this time a year comes.
“And– and we just light the candle on?” Molly asks. She has been crying ever since Harry told her about the altar and what it means.
Over the years Harry has learned more and more about his culture, amongst the chaos, he made himself some time to investigate and learn that the Day of the Dead starts in November. The first day is about the children and pets that have passed away, while the second is for the adults.
Unfortunately, this year there are a lot more photos than before.
But Harry has never felt as accompanied as right now. After all the tragedy and sadness, Harry has found his family.
… and no one can take it away from him. He made sure of it.
”Yes,” Harry nods, fighting his own tears.
He sees the photos once again. Euphemia and Fleamont Potter. Aunt Marlene. Aunt Dorcas. Mum. Dad. Regulus. Cedric. Padfoot.
Hedwig. Dobby. Uncle Moony. Tonks. Fred. Colin.
They lost so much for a greater good, and deep down, Harry understands. He really does, but doesn’t mean he’s okay about it. No life should’ve been traded for them to win the war. That’s war for you. Nothing’s fair in it.
He turns the candles on, the same way his godfather did.
And he waits. And he hopes.
He hopes that all of them see the light and the path.
-
“We do, son,” James says standing close to Harry as he has done all his life. Getting to talk to his son and him being able to hear him talk back… that was a gift.
“Oh, I never thought I was going to be at the altar,” Moony says and everyone turns to look at him.
”Actually, I’m surprised you were the last to be there,” Lily says as she nudges her shoulder with his.
”Stop messing with him,” Padfoot and Nymphadora say at the same time just to glance at the other… which yeah… that’s been an issue. A problem, none of them want to get in the middle of. It’s Remus’ problem a hundred percent.
“I can’t believe he’s done this every year since Sirius taught him,” Regulus joins them. If James and Lily barely leave Harry’s side, Regulus never leaves it. Ever since he was born, Regulus has been some kind of guardian angel for his son. And James’ love for the man grows even here and now. Lily loves Regulus as well, she is very thankful for him and the way he has tried to protect her son.
“Well, I can’t believe he still puts me there,” Cedric appears next to Regulus. “I didn’t realise how much I meant to him,” he says and James gets it. But he saw the way his son saw the Diggory kid, it was the same way James looked at Regulus whenever he wasn’t watching. Cedric meant way more than even Harry realised.
”Bloody hell,” a new voice joins them as Molly lights the candle on. “This is why he does it. Mate, my brother told me about it, but wow. It’s real,” Fred smiles, but his smile falters because he sees his mother crying, but what really erases his smile is seeing George. His twin brother. Even James struggles to see him.
He’s seen George through Harry’s life and never saw him like this. Sad. Absent. Soulless.
”Oh,” Fred whispers.
”It’s okay,” James sees as Harry comforts Molly. His boy who has seen death way too much for just one single person, still finds the strength in himself to bring comfort and warmth to another one.
“He’s amazing,” Padfoot says softly, watching the scene in front of them.
The rest of them hum and nod in agreement.
There’s something about the way Harry embraces the Day of the Dead that makes James so proud. Effie and Monty feel it too. It is hard to explain it to anyone outside their culture, but Harry does it so easily. People understand it because they see the blind faith behind Harry’s eyes. The faith that their loved ones are okay and are near. And maybe that’s just it, no? It’s not the colourful paper, the food, the flowers, the candles or even the photos, but the belief of it all. Maybe that’s the real trick. That’s the real reason why they are able to find their way, because it’s the hope of the living that the dead are remembered and reminded that they are still loved and missed.
November 2nd, many years later.
“Do you think we did it right?”
“Of course we did, we watched him do this every year since we were born. There’s no way on Earth that we fucked up.”
”Something is still missing.”
”Well, yeah. The candles,” the older one says softly.
Harry smiles to himself, watching his kids continuing the tradition is warming his heart. It’s the first time they do this on their own. And it’s a bittersweet feeling. But he just smiles.
”Hey,” someone says behind him. He turns and smiles.
“Hey, mum,” Harry says as she gets closer, his dad next to her and– “Regulus.”
It’s the first time he really sees the man. After all his life, now he is able to see him and talk to him. Not even after he found out he was Sirius’ brother, or after the war, or after so many years, has he felt less close to the man. He explained to his children who he was, but never who he was to Harry. Because Regulus has always been there for him. Harry doesn’t know how to explain it, even now, but he always felt it.
And now he can touch him.
So Harry lifts his hand to touch the man. Just a brief touch on the man’s shoulder.
“He really is your son, Jamie,” Regulus smirks as he looks at Harry’s hand on his shoulder, to then place his own on top. Harry gasps at the feeling of Regulus reaching back.
”You’d think he’d be more happy to see me,” his dad rolls his eyes.
”Well, that’s the Potter-to-Regulus-Black reaction to you,” Padfoot says and Harry smiles even more.
“Now you know how it felt,” his Aunt Dorcas joins them and Harry is shocked because this is the first time he hears her voice. He sees his Aunt Marlene next to her, laughing. Bright. Harry notices that his Aunt is so bright.
”Padfoot!” Harry laughs as he hugs him. Sirius catches him. “Hi.”
“Still no hug for me,” he hears his dad say and Harry goes for a hug, leaving Sirius’ embrace. “Hey, son,” his dad whispers as he holds him. It’s the most protective way someone has held him. His dad’s arms are all around him, one arm covering his back while his other hand holds the back of his head.
“You’re here,” Harry whispers to his dad.
”You did this for us,” James answers. “You kept our memory alive, that’s how we all are here,” he adds.
Harry looks around, and they are all here. All the ones he has lost, all the ones he never met. They are here.
He sees his grandparents with Hedwig flying around them. Cedric is here, saying something that makes Fred turn his head back in laughter. Dobby is near, talking to a very annoyed Kreatcher. Padfoot is next to his Uncle Remus, who looks at Harry with something he can’t describe. Tonks is near them as well.
“Harry,” the taller man says.
”Moony,” he says back and there’s a quick reaction in his Uncle’s face, as well as Padfoot’s and his dad’s. They all smile but it catches Fred’s attention.
“Moony? Wait, wait. As in "Messr Moony?” He asks bewildered, leaving Cedric behind. “You are–?” He asks his uncle.
”Messrs Moony,” Remus smiles.
”Padfoot,” Sirius adds, laughing as Fred’s face falls.
”And Prongs,” his dad points to himself as he shrugs.
”Oooh,” Fred beams. “I owe you so much,” he says and it just made the man laugh. Harry looks at his mother who has the same pained expression as his aunts.
“Harry,” Remus catches his attention again, leaving Sirius to talk to Fred. “On behalf of Dora and I, we wanted to thank you,” he says, his gaze soft and somehow, sad. “You took Teddy in as your own, we–“ he doesn’t finish, he can’t. Harry knows what he wants to say. He shouldn’t say it, though. Harry did with Teddy what his aunt and uncle didn’t. He loved him. Not out of obligation, but because he wanted and quite frankly, the kid was so easy to love.
”He was my own– I mean, I never tried to fill your shoes, I always left that clear and Teddy never wanted me too– but he was mine,” Harry explains and he knows Remus gets it. He understands that Harry was never Teddy’s father, but Teddy was Harry’s son.
”There,” Teddy Lupin says as he wraps an arm around Lily. James Sirius is holding his brother closer. “We miss you,” he adds as he places a photo of Harry in the middle of the altar. “We miss all of you,” Teddy traces his parents’ photo.
”Do you think Dad is here tonight?” Lily Luna asks.
”He is,” her mother answers, as she gets close to their children. Ginny has teary eyes but a beautiful smile on her face. “They all are.”