"Well, I want Harry to be happy, and have a safe place to grow up. I know what his old family did to him, he told me a bit about it, and I know that we have a lot in common since we both lost our parents in the war. We've gotten along great as members of the Sphinx Club, and I would have had him over for Christmas had I been able to." Susan said, sheepishly.
"Do you have any questions you want to ask Harry? This is your decision at the end of the day, and you should know everything you want to know about it." Flitwick asked looking at the boy who had thus far remained silent in the meeting.
The soft gazes of Amelia and Susan landed upon him, and Harry asked, "Why do you think I might not fit in your family? There has to be some struggle in my coming to live with you, what do you think they will be?" Hermione had helped him prepare this question. While Harry had been nervous about these meetings, Hermione had been proactive in learning everything she could about the wizarding adoption process, and found many pieces of literature on difficulties that families have had in accepting new members into their home. Padma and Parvati had assisted as well, while Lavender went to the rumor mill and her mother to learn everything she could about the possible adopters, Daphne and Tracey being particularly useful in learning about the Malfoys and the Blacks.
"That's a question I'll admit I wasn't prepared for. Please grant me a moment." Amelia said, thinking. "Well, I suppose for starters, I am a single parent. I can't take the place of both a proper mother and father in a household, because I can only be one of them. I love Susan with all my heart, and while I could maybe fill her mother's shoes fully, her father's I couldn't. There are things that a father can do that I simply can't, and the same would be true for Harry as well. I couldn't do the small things like teaching you how to shave, or how to tie a tie, or other normal bonding moments between a father and son, simply because I don't have that experience. I would struggle somewhat to relate to your muggle upbringing. I know more about muggles than the average wizard, but it's definitely not very much. Then there's the biggest thing I suppose… I work a lot, it's required by my being the head of the DMLE, I don't get to spend as much time at home with Susan as I wish I could. While you would have supervision, and wouldn't need to worry about being alone, I wouldn't be there for the emotional support you may need." Amelia sighed. She was obviously aware of the shortcomings that would come with her status, but her honesty about them made her look all the better in Harry's eyes.
"Thank you for being honest about that. I know it must be hard to speak openly about your shortcomings, especially in this context." Flitwick said. Susan looked on the verge of tears, and was holding her legs to her chest.
Harry got up and gave her a hug. "You gave me one when I felt bad before. Now it's your turn."
"B-but… what if we aren't good enough?" Susan asked, tears welling in her eyes.
"What your aunt said does show some problems, but we could work through them. No family is going to be perfect just accepting me into their home. We'll have to work through them. I have to meet with the others as well today, and I might choose to go with them, or I might choose to go with you. That doesn't mean I like you any less, that doesn't mean I didn't think you were good enough, it just means that I thought I might be a better fit somewhere else. Think about what Tracey told us with Neville's wand, sometimes a perfectly good wand won't work with someone. We'll just see if this is what's good. Okay?" Harry asked. Susan simply leaned into his hug and cried some more. Amelia looked to the pair with soft eyes.
The group managed to calm down a bit after a while, and some other less meaningful conversations were had about what joining the Bones household would mean. Harry appreciated everything Amelia was doing for him, and how safe she was trying to make him.
After an hour, the Bones' time was up, and they had to leave while Harry and Flitwick had a moment to catch their breath, and regain their composure.
"Who's next on the schedule again?" Harry asked, the last hour more fresh on his brain than today's schedule.
"Lucius, Narcissa, and Draco Malfoy." Flitwick said, a subtle tone of distaste in his voice. Professor Flitwick was not one to speak ill of anyone, even referring to his least favorite students, the ones who did poorly and disrupted class for everyone merely as misguided. For him to have felt so strongly about anyone was staggering.
"I don't think I would like them very much." Harry said, looking to his professor.
"I also doubt in your happiness in their care, if only for your relationship with young Draco." Professor Flitwick spoke, his words heavy. "They however are among the few still alive who can lay any claim to shared blood with you."
"You've mentioned that, can you elaborate?" Harry asked, his mind racing. His mother was muggleborn, so they certainly weren't related to her in anyway, so it'd have to be something through his father who was still quite a mystery to young Harry.
"I'm sure Mr. Malfoy will bring it up. It would be wise to ask him." Professor Flitwick said, as the floo roared to life.
Through the fire stepped Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy, and shortly thereafter Professor Snape arrived to drop off Draco Malfoy, who took to the seats opposite Flitwick and Harry.
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