"It must be why I don't know; I don't read books," he said, laughing. "It's bad enough that I have to read reports. Robards makes me read them because I know he wants me to take over his job and he can move up to head the DMLE." He now had proof that it was the wrong choice, because it didn't seem like it made his life any better. "I'm glad that we thought about getting Muggle documents. We wanted to make sure that if there was another war, we could move around the Muggle world and it was becoming harder without documents. Hermione kept saying that all wizards should."
He smiled, but there was no joy there. "Life with Aunt Petunia was very routine. Uncle Vernon didn't like anything that deviated from the norm. Same breakfast every day, except for the weekend. Lunch was different every day of the week, and we had specific meals for dinner. I knew when to get up, when to cook, what to cook. Summers were the worst because I wasn't in school. The chaos of the war was exhilarating." Harry snorted. "Jamie, lots of those people ended up dead and we were good, but we weren't inhuman. You are just as good as any of us. Maybe if I hadn't had Voldemort inside me, I wouldn't be as powerful as I am. Dumbledore's theory was that having part of his soul gave me some of his power."
He understood the difference and again there was nothing that could be done now to prove or disprove that theory. "I'm glad you never found out for sure, because it means that there weren't any real threats." He nodded. "Sirius has always meant a lot, but Sirius is also alive and well now, free to live his life. So are my parents and Remus. They will always be part of my life, but we can't have the relationship we used to have. Looking at them now, I wonder if I ever saw them as they were or as this imaginary version of them. They were rather perfect back then. I guess when you compare them to Aunt Petunia, they were amazingly perfect. I'm not telling you these things to justify what happened when you were growing up. I'm telling you, because things are very different now. Yes, it will always be me, Ron and Hermione, but Draco is suddenly part of that group and you, Al and Lilu are in a different category, not because I care less, but because you're still my children, and it's stupid considering that you are older than us, but maybe I'll forget to ask for your opinion, but I will protect you to the best of my abilities, even if it means bringing cake."
He chuckled. "I don't know if you can be as bad as he was, even faked an injury, but Jamie, Scorpius should be hard on himself, it's how he learns. It was a stupid thing to do and now it's not the time, but eventually when he's better, it will be said because the next time, it might not be a bird, but something else, or someone else." That was the problem. "I know it won't be overnight, but the only way to get those instincts is to keep trying."
Harry shook his head. "You're wrong, Jamie. This is a war. Maybe not my type of war, but it's still a war, and that's where your thinking is wrong. Everything that comes through is a possible enemy. Every animal, every object, every being and every person. We're trying to survive when the outside world wants us to go away, the castle wants us prisoners and magic is spouting all sorts of things. This is survival, sure, but the only way to survive is to accept that everything is a possible enemy and maybe you'll be pleasantly surprised, but maybe not. We will need guidelines for dealing with new arrivals. No more approaching people offering tea, because we want to make them feel welcome. Now, we approach them as potential enemies, because we have no idea who will be next."