Harry sat in his room, staring at the sky.

It was only a week ago everyone was having fun because his parents finally marry. Only a week ago, Nanna was laughing and playing with him. The wedding was beautiful. Mum was beautiful. Dad was handsome. Nanna was...here.

Just a week ago.

3 days after the wedding, she collapsed and didn't wake up.

5 days after the wedding, Harry watched as Dad bawled his eyes out and Mum fell to her knees with tears in her eyes. Nanna didn't wake up at all.

Nanna will no longer wake up.

Harry understood death. Dad was close with the dead after all. But he didn't understand why Nanna didn't come back like the others. He waited when they dressed her and put her in the coffin. He waited when they said their final goodbyes. He waited when they lowered her into the ground. He waited with Dad and Mum as Dad cried, his large frame shaking. Mum had to support him with Aunt Ellie.

Harry never wanted to see Dad like that ever.

But he though Nanna will come back and he told Dad. But Dad...

Dad just gave him this very sad smile that Harry hated because it made him cry too.

He thought he understood death. He thought he was familiar with it. But Dad knew better. Dad was dead but alive. Dad was here and not going anywhere. But his Mama and Papa weren't. They were dead and they didn't come back for him. Now Nanna was dead and won't come back for him.

Harry wanted to hate Nanna for leaving but he couldn't take the idea of hating her. Without Nanna, he would still be with the Dursley. Without Nanna, he would have never met Dad and Dad would have never brought back Mum. Without Nanna...

He cried. After days with dry eyes and hopeless wishing, he finally accepted that Nanna won't come back.

His parents opened his door upon hearing his scream. He screamed against the unfairness of it all. He screamed against the pain and the sadness. He screamed and he raged until his throat hurt. And then Mum and Dad was with him. Harry cried against them, "Why...? Why did she have to go?"

Mum didn't have an answer.

Dad only rubbed his back, "She have to go home,"

Harry frowned, "Home?" He furiously shook his head, "No! Home is here! Home is with Harry! Home is with Mum and Dad and Dan and Aunt Ellie and-!" He cried, "Home is here..."

Mum gasped, her tears falling, "I know...it hurts. I know, Harry. Sweetheart. Death hurts..."

Harry looked at her, "Then why?"

Mum shook her head, "Because life is like a candle, my dear. Once it reach the end, there is not stopping it," She cried, "I know...I know...my dear boy, my love, I know..."

Harry looked at Dad whose face was closed. Dad then offered a sad smile, "It hurts...but remember, Harry? Nanna was smiling. She wasn't in pain anymore. I know you notice. You are always with her when she was in so much pain. But now, she is no longer in pain,"

Harry wanted to ask more. But somehow, Dad's smile stopped him. He remembered waking up to Dad bursting out of his room, running down like a shadow to where Nanna's room was. Nanna insisted to move to the first floor, saying that it was easier on her knees and back. He remembered Mum chasing after him, for once completely disregarding her disheveled appearance. He remembered climbing down and hearing the heart wrenching pleas that Dad made, begging Nanna to wake up and to not go yet.

He remembered Mum's voice whispering to him to let her go. Dad argued against her but Mum told him that he's hurting Nanna with the shaking. That was when Dad stopped and he started howling with tears. That was when Mum knelt down, crying quietly as she held Nanna's hand.

Harry thought that Nanna will come back.

He didn't cry. He waited patiently.

But now, it dawned on him that Nanna wasn't like Dad and she wasn't like Mum. He have always known that she was sick but he had thought that she can come back like Dad. But she didn't and Dad...Dad knew that. He brought Mum so Nanna will have more time and Mum did that. But Mum...Mum can't stop death. Dad knew that. Dad knew that but Dad still cried because it hurts.

This goodbye with Nanna was final.

There was no more next time for him with Nanna.

She won't come back like Dad and she couldn't stay like Mum.

His voice trembled, "She's really gone...?"

His parents shared a look before nodding, Mum agreeing, "Yes, Harry,"

Dad hammered the final nail, "She's gone..."

Harry slumped, "Why can't she come back like you?"

Dad gathered him and cradled him tight in his arms. Something he only did when Mum was close. He sighed and said, "Because becoming a ghost is painful, Harry. I never wanted to become one and I would never ask Jazz to become one just for me...or you. She need to go home. She need to go home to her husband and to Mama Lily and Papa James,"

Harry hiccupped, "W-will...I get to...see them t-too?"

Dad lets out a shaky laugh, "I hope not for a very, very long time,"

Harry whimpered, "It hurts,"

Mum's hand was gentle against his back, "I know,"

He looked at her, "Will i-it ever s-stop?"

Her eyes were sad, "It will dull. You will miss her, always. But you will also be happy because you have so much happy memories with her. The pain will be there but time will dull it. Sometimes it come back fresh and hurt just as much as today. But not always. You will be okay. We will be okay," She smiled as she brushed his wet cheek, "Nanna wanted that for us,"

She wanted them to be okay.

That was all she ever wanted.

Harry still felt sad but he will have to be okay.

For Nanna...

The Shrieking Shack felt empty without Nanna. He sometimes ran around, calling for her, only to find the couch or the gazebo empty of Nanna. Then he felt sad all over again. He would cry a little until Mum found him and pick him up to sit with her in the library with Dad. Sometimes, Harry found their normal routine too...suffocating. He will be very cranky and upset because he don't know how to explain to Mum and Dad that everything felt wrong without Nanna.

But Mum never get mad. She just let him let it all out until he was tired and then she will gather him up to sing soft songs for him to sleep by. He will then feel very guilty because Mum was sad too. Sometimes she cry too.

Dad never get mad either. He just watch Harry pull his tantrum until he was tired before taking him to the gym and teach him how to throw a punch. He will tell Harry to use all that anger for something productive.

Aunt Ellie left.

Harry wondered where she go but Dad told him that her leaving was her way to deal with Nanna's...departure. They never use the word 'death' because it felt wrong. It felt wrong because they all know that 'death' wasn't the end. So they used the word 'depart'.

One day, after a long time since Nanna left, Dad took them to London. He decided that a family outing was something to do. Harry was excited but then he felt guilty so the excitement was gone. He wasn't as excited as he should be. Or as scared as he should be. Maybe because he knew that he can bite bad people if they pick him up against his wishes.

Also, Dad gave him permission to punch them in the balls if they were men and they mean bad.

He asked him what to do if they were women and he said to bite their breasts. Hard.

Mum said that was very dirty fighting and Dad pointed out that kids like Harry should fight dirty because those were very dirty people. Only dirty people would steal kids. He also pointed to Harry that he must never use this for fighting with other kids. He can only fight dirty when his opponents were bigger, meaner, and badder. Because then it meant survival and to survive, anything goes.

Mum didn't fight him on that so Harry thinks that she agreed with that.

Dad also taught Harry to use his weight to mess with their pinkies should they pick him up before he could do any of that. He told Harry that the pinkie was the weakest finger so go for the pinkie. Pain will force them to let Harry go. Unless they were like Dad and won't let go even with a broken arm.

Not that Harry ever broke his arm. He couldn't even if he try. Dad have very thick arms, after all. If anything, he could only cling to it like a koala. Which he did...the few times Dad taught him how to brawl.

When they reappeared in the Leaky Cauldron, Harry was glad he had all that practice to Luna's house. He still wasn't so sure about the ragtag of redheads from over the hill. Luna said that the Weasley clan was a family friend. She was apparently friends with their youngest, Ginny. Harry had seen Ginny and he decided there and then that he's not sharing Luna with her.

Ginny will take Luna to do all the girl things and Luna might forget about Harry!

So whenever he saw Ginny coming over, he will drag Luna everywhere until it was time to go home. Sure he have Professor Snape and Professor Minnie as his other friends but they were big people! Adults! They can't exactly play with Harry like how Luna play with Harry! Meaning they can't steal Harry from Luna! Not like how Ginny could!

He didn't even like it when Luna asked him to give Ginny a chance and maybe he can be friends with Ron who was apparently really Harry's age. Harry might be tempted with the idea of being friends with Ron because he's a boy and also Harry's age. But not if he have to share Luna!

Also, the idea that Luna won't mind him going off with Ron made him sad.

He told Mum all about this and she only giggled at him and told him that he shouldn't possess Luna or be jealous because that would make him a bad friend. Well, for once Harry didn't mind being a bad friend!

He just didn't want to share Luna!

At least Professor Snape understood.

Dad took them out and they rode in the taxi where the driver explained all sorts of things about London. All thoughts of bad men stealing Harry away from his family disappeared as Mum added to the history of London. Harry stared at the Tower of London and asked Dad, "Is it really haunted? Is it more haunted than our house?"

Dad smiled at him, "It's more like a train station,"

Harry turned to Mum for explanation and she said, "People come and go,"

Harry nodded, "Oh,"

The driver looked truly confused.

It's summer and Harry wanted ice-cream. Dad decided to take them to this waffle house and Harry had ice-cream with his waffle. He and Dad then watched Mum ate plates after plates of waffles with all sorts of toppings. Dad joined her a bit and so did Harry. But Harry had to stop first.

Dad asked Mum, "Where do you put all that?"

Mum giggled, "Oh? Don't you know that women have a second stomach for desserts?"

Dad snorted at that but Harry's mind was boggled. He then wondered just how many sweets Luna can eat. If she can eat a whole cake, she must really be Pinkie Pie!

He seriously nodded, "I'm going to feed loads of cakes,"

Mum giggled at him while Dad only shook his head. They then visited the cinema. Harry had never been to the cinema but he have seen movies on the telly. But being in the cinema was really different! Harry had to remind himself to cover his mouth with his hands so that he won't bother the other people. Dad took him and Mum to watch Casper the Friendly Ghost.

Harry liked Casper, "I wish Dan is nicer. Like Casper,"

Dad snorted, "Yeah. He's mean. Have ever I told you that when we first met, he tried to kill me?"

Harry, who still couldn't really understand the horror of that statement and only saw it as just another of Dad's adventure, gasped, "He did?! How did you get away?"

Dad hummed, his shaded eyes looking somewhere only he can see, before saying, "With a lot of luck,"

Harry couldn't believe it, "But you're so strong?!"

Dad looked at him, "I wasn't always this strong, you know?"

They walked around the mall and Harry tried to convince Mum to wear this and that. Dad put a pretty big sun hat on her head, which made Harry laugh. It was so big! The brim was so big and round it flopped all around her. Mum didn't want to buy it but Dad liked it on Mum so he bought it for her. So now Mum was wearing a giant sun hat with a cute black ribbon around it.

Harry thinks that Dad just liked to dress Mum up.

He didn't blame him. Mum was a very pretty woman and even though she knew this, she never really showed it off like those women on the telly. In fact, she tended to change the show when those women showed too much of their bodies. Aunt Ellie said that Mum was old fashioned. But Harry liked it when a woman was more like Mum. Aunt Ellie just rolled her eyes at him and said that all boys love women like their mothers.

Harry can't see what was wrong with that.

Dad said he used to like girls like his Mum but now he only like Mum.

Harry didn't get it.

Dad said that he needed to wait for when he was older and fall in love. Mum blushed when he said that. Harry wondered why Mum blush whenever Dad said the word 'love' around her. He mean, they were already married. Shouldn't they already know that they love each other?

He decided then that adults can be very weird.

He was then distracted by the playground inside the mall. He pulled on Dad's hand, "Can I play in there?"

Dad looked at the playground and Harry watched as his eyes roamed all over. He knew that face. That was the face Dad made when he was making sure that everyone was safe for Harry and Mum. Harry tensed, hoping that there were no bad people around. After a few tense moment that felt like years, Dad's jaw relaxed and he smiled, "Go ahead,"

Before he could run, Mum held him back and told him, "Don't push anyone. Don't hit anyone. Don't bite anyone. Don't scream at anyone. Just be nice and play nice. Alright?"

Harry sighed but nodded, "Okay,"

Harry played at the jungle gym, made some random friends that he forgot to ask the name for, and generally let himself loose. He found that he liked climbing but that shouldn't be so surprising. He always climbed Dad when Dad was making his drink in the kitchen. Dad will scold him if he tried that when Dad was making food. Dad refused to let him climb Mum but Mum would watch him when he climb trees. He have been trying to teach Luna how to climb trees too but she was still so small so he only choose those short, stumpy trees for her.

Then someone pushed him. Harry crashed to the ground and turned with a frown. The fat boy running over him looked familiar. It was only when a familiar voice called him that Harry recognize him, "Dudley! Look over here!"

Harry turned to see his old Aunt and Uncle taking pictures of Dudley bulldozing through the other kids. Harry scowled as he looked at Dudley. His fat pig of a cousin was pushing a small bushy haired girl almost off the jungle gym and Harry's training in chivalry kicked in. He quickly grabbed Dudley by the collar and pulled, "Don't do that! That's not nice!"

Dudley turned around and threw punch, "Get off!"

Harry fell down and glared at him. He knew Mum told him to be nice but this was a fight he won't back down. This was something that Dad would say a man's thing. So he launched himself at Dudley with a furious snarl. The playground quickly turned into chaos as the two boys started to brawl. Uncle Vernon jumped in and pulled Harry off of Dudley, "Get off of my son, you beast!"

He threw Harry off and for a moment, Harry remembered all the time Uncle Vernon threw him. Except this time, he was caught. Dad picked him up and asked, "What happened?"

Harry froze for a moment, remembering all the time Dudley lied and he got into trouble. Well, Dudley was doing just that and his parents ate it all up. Dad noticed his silence and hummed, "Harry...as long as you don't lie and you did the right thing, there is nothing to fear,"

Harry blinked and told him, "He was bullying the other kids and was about to push that girl down the steps,"

Dad looked at the quietly trembling girl with the bushy hair, and nodded, "Got it,"

He stood up and handed Harry to Mum, who stood there silently. He looked up at her and she smiled at him. Harry relaxed more when she did that. She picked him up, "You were very brave for trying to defend the weak. I saw that he threw the first punch,"

Harry didn't know what Dad said to his estranged relatives, but Uncle Vernon looked proper pale. Dad then whispered to Aunt Petunia something and she burst into tears. Uncle Vernon tried to attack Dad but Aunt Petunia stopped him. Dad walked back to them and said, "I told her about Jazz. That was it," He then smiled, ruffling Harry's hair, "Your first playground brawl, buddy!"

Harry pouted, "I didn't win,"

Dad smiled, "Not the fight but you won the war,"

Harry noticed Dad looking at a frantic mother who approached them with the little girl. She smiled at Harry and said, "A fine son you're raising. My daughter told me everything. Thank you," She looked at her daughter, "Say thank you, Hermione,"

The girl blushed and hugged her mum before a tiny voice whispered, "...thank you,"

Harry didn't exactly know what he did that day. He only did the right thing. Dad treated him to chocolates and Mum resigned to watching him zoom around in a sugar rush with Dad at his heels before crashing down. As Dad took them home, Harry heard them talking through his sleepiness;

"...doing well. I'm glad that he wasn't so down now..."

"...took the lesson on chivalry to heart...but I'm worried that..."

"He'll be fine. Don't worry. We are here to guide him. Just as Jazz planned,"

Harry smiled. Nanna planned for Harry to have a proper family and she was right. Nanna was the smartest woman he knew and no one can change that.