A/N: This is the Sequel to my story SPIRAL and if you haven't read it yet, I suggest you do before reading this. But just incase you'd rather not; I will give you a brief summary of what happened in Spiral:

James Potter is alive. Voldemort didn't hit James with the killing curse, like he thought he did. He hit something in James's hand, and it only knocked James out. (If you want to know why James' image appeared out of Voldemort's wand read chapter 5 of Spiral) After 15 years of avoiding the wizarding world, he decides to come out and teach at Hogwarts, with the alias of Gregory Krikor. Only Dumbledore knows the truth. Sirius finds out and then so does Harry, when he looks at the Marauder's map.

 

Then, there's a few really fun chapters about Harry getting drunk and being suicidal that I really recommend you read because they are HILARIOUS!

(By the way, Harry HATES James and always has, ever since the second they met, Harry didn't know why at first, but he has always hated him) Through a twisted string of events, Harry and James are both captured by Voldemort. Voldemort let's James go after a while, and sends him home thinking that Harry is dead. So James tells everybody that Voldemort killed Harry. Harry is still alive, obviously, but Voldemort has brainwashed him. Harry becomes Voldemort's heir and kills Professor Snape and Hagrid, unwittingly. Then, at the biggest attack ever (at Hogwarts) Harry is captured by Dumbledore, James and Sirius. Dumbledore un-brain washes Harry. Harry and his father never grow close and the story closes on the train home from Hogwarts where Harry says basically that he never wants to see his father ever again.  

~~*~~

Midnight. The mystical 'bewitching hour' or so the legend says. There is something about midnight that mystifies people. Nobody really knows why, but it's true. Maybe it's because of the silence, for it's always silent at midnight or maybe because of the way the moon looks at midnight- fully risen, lighting up the night the way no star could. Maybe because strange things always happen at midnight. Whatever the reason, midnight is always regarded as mysterious.

Harry Potter, now 22, sat up in his sleep.  His eyes were wide open as he cried out into the night. "No!" He awoke then, blinking in the darkness. He groped blindly for his reading light switch and pushed it on. He stood up, now that he could see and made his way to his desk just outside the glass doors of the bedroom, grabbing his glasses as he passed the bed stand. He shook a bottle of ink and licked the tip of a quill before dipping it in. With his left hand he slid a piece of parchment into the center of the desk and began to write feverishly.

Ron,

Sorry to bother you. I just had a very strange dream though. It was about

Harry crumpled up the paper and threw it in the trash. He got out another piece and began writing again.

            Sirius,

Sorry to bother you, but I just had one of those dreams. I just thought I'd check up on you I guess, because I have no idea what's going on right now. Whatever happened in the dream is starting to fade in my memory, but I do remember that you were in some sort of danger…or at least I think it was you

Harry gave up. He crumpled this piece of paper up as well and threw it at the trash can. What was the use of warning Sirius about something Harry could barely remember from a dream?

"Harry what are you doing?" Moaned a female voice. "Turn the light off…it's the middle of the night!"

"I'm sorry Gin…I just had a dream."

"Well I figured but… oh come on back to bed. Can't it wait until morning?"

"I suppose." Harry walked back into the bedroom and kissed Ginny's brow before getting comfortable again in the bed.

~~* ~~

Sirius Black and James Potter walked slowly through the town of Hogsmeade, pausing every once in a while to look in a store. Their conversation drifted slowly from the daily news to work.

James had quit working at Hogwarts years before, not being able to stand the constant bickering with his son. In fact, they hadn't spoken since Harry had blown him off at the train station. James had been offered his old job as an Auror, which he had readily accepted. He now worked with Sirius, just like old times. Sirius, of course, was still in Harry's life. They were friends as always, and even more now that Harry was grown up and not so immature.

"Sirius, what have you heard about the new death eater?" James asked cautiously after a pause in the conversation.

"New Death Eater?" Sirius asked, and looked up at his friend.

"Yes, he's brand new. The department has already named him the most elusive death eater ever and he's only been with them for about a month, according to our sources. I cant believe you haven't heard about him."

"Well, I guess I heard something about a particularly bad death eater, but I didn't know he was so new."

"Yeah, they've nicknamed him Mr. Nobody, just because nothing points to who he is. He's never been seen without his mask off."

"Well that's smart of him."

"Sirius!" James said loudly and punched him.

"It is." Sirius shrugged. "We'll never be able to track…hey, look at her!"

A blonde woman walked across the street, into the Hogshead Bar. James rolled his eyes. "Sirius, you've got a girlfriend, so stop looking at other women."

"Hey, I can do what I want." Sirius said. "And who are you to give me advice? You haven't had a date in almost 20 years!"

"But I was married."

"For 3 years." Sirius said and added meekly, "Not to be a fiend or anything."

"You are a fiend."  James snapped. "But, while we're on the topic, 3 years of marriage for me is 3 years longer than you can boast."

"If you're that talented with women, I dare you to go ask the first girl you see in that store on a date."

"What?" James cried.

"Are you chicken?" Sirius asked, poking him.

"No, of course not." James said and straitened his robes. "The first girl I see?"

"Right."

"Okay, I'll be back." James said and walked strait into the closest store. It was called 'Hot Rags' and had shelves full of incense, candles and some interesting looking robes that looked more like gowns from India. James pretended to be interested in the merchandise while he looked for any women. The store was entirely empty except for a young woman behind the counter. Something about her seemed vaguely familiar, even though he had never been in the store before. He licked his lips and went to the counter.

"We close in five minutes, I'll be out then! Jesus, go wait in the car and stop bugging me! Honestly…"  Said the girl behind the counter the second James got close to her. She hadn't looked up from her magazine. James couldn't help but laugh. "Come on, if I get caught with you in here I'll get fired H-" She stopped suddenly. She had just looked up and was now blushing deeply. "Oh damn it. I'm so sorry about that…I thought you were somebody else."

"I figured." James said. He glanced outside at Sirius, who gave him a big smile and a thumbs-up. "And it's okay. This is pretty embarrassing."

"What?" The woman said. "Why are you embarrassed? I'm the one that mistook you for my-"

"Okay, I'm going to get right down to it." James said. Now he had her attention. She looked up at him with big honey brown eyes. James swallowed. She was young, very young. She couldn't be more than 20.  This was wrong. "D you see my friend out there?" James motioned outside to Sirius.  She nodded, her eyes never leaving him. "Well he dared me to go into this store and ask the first woman I see out. And you're the only person besides me in here, so…"

"Well I actually have a boyfriend." She said, swallowing hard. "I'm sorry."

"God, don't be!" James said, slowly walking out of the store. Sirius clapped him on the back the second he stepped out of the threshold .

"How'd it go?" He asked, a glint in his eye.

"Fine." James said. "She has a boyfriend."

"Oh that's too bad." Sirius said. "She sure was beautiful, what with that red hair all…"

"Sirius she's young enough to be your child!"

"But she isn't my child." Sirius pointed out. "And that still wouldn't take away the fact that she's beautiful."

"You're 42 years old!" James cried exasperatedly.

"Hey, you're the one to talk." Sirius said. "After all, you were the one that asked her out."

~~*~~

"HARRY?" Ginny ran through the door at 5:15. Harry looked up from his broom, which he was polishing. "Oh, Harry you wont believe what happened to me at work today!"

Harry stopped polishing completely. "What? Are you okay? What happened?"

Ginny sat down next to him. "Oh it's not a crisis of state, but it was pretty horrible. I got asked out today."

Harry arched an eyebrow. "By who?"

"Oh you'll never guess." Ginny said.

"Well is it somebody I know?" Harry asked.

"Yes, you definitely know him!" She had a look on her face.

"Was it that git Malfoy?" He asked at once.

"No, older." Ginny said.

 "Older?" Harry said. "I have no idea. I don't really know anybody older than me really, except for your family and Sirius." Harry began thinking out loud. "It couldn't be Oliver because he just got married and it couldn't be Lee because he's dating Katie Bell and-"

"Harry this person is not your friend." Ginny said. "I told you you'd never guess."

"Okay, I know a lot of people who aren't my friends." Harry said. "Snape? Oh how gross. Tell me it's not Snape, Gin, please?"

"It's not Snape, but you're getting closer."

"I don't know!" Harry said. "Just tell me."

"All right, just promise not to track him down or anything."

"Like I'd do that." Harry rolled his eyes. "Come on, spit it out."

Ginny took a deep breath. "It was your- well, Professor…uh itwasyourfather."

"WHAT?!" Harry cried, leaping up. "My- you cant be serious?"

Ginny nodded.

"That's disgusting. You're like…half his age, at most!" Harry said, pacing. "How could he be so st-?"

"Sirius put him up to it!" Ginny said. "Sirius dared him to ask me out. It's not your dad's fault, really it isn't."

"Well that's still bad! I mean, they're kind of old, no offense to Sirius at all but…wouldn't Sirius have known about you?"

"Harry, nobody knows that we're together. Unless you told Sirius about us?"

"I didn't." Harry said. "But that's not what we're talking about. We're talking about my father asking out a girl half his age. I'm disgusted."

"I shouldn't have told you." Ginny decided, sighing. "I knew you'd go crazy."

"I'm glad you told me." Harry said, sitting down again, taking her hands in his. "Really I am. But I still can't believe it. You said no, right?"

"Of course I did!"  Ginny cried.

Harry was just about to look relieved, when a knock came from the door. Ginny and Harry looked at each other. A small screen appeared out of nowhere and hovered in front of them. Hermione and Ron were standing outside the door. Harry nodded to the machine and it disappeared again.

"Ah, I believe that's my cue to leave." Ginny said. "Call me when they're gone!"

"All right." Harry said. They kissed and she disapparated. Harry opened the door.

"Hello Harry." Hermione said, smiling. "We just decided to drop in on you."

"I see that." Harry said. "Come on in." He led them too the couch and sat down. "So why did you decide to drop in?"

"Oh no reason." Hermione said. "Hey, who else is here?"

"Huh?" Harry said.

"We thought we heard talking." Hermione explained.

"Oh!" Harry said, laughing. "You must have heard the radio or something…"

"Told you!" Ron said, poking Hermione in the shoulder. Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Anyways Harry." She said, looking a bit business like. "I have a bit of a favor to ask of you."

"What is it?" Harry asked.

"Well, our flat is being searched by the Ministry tonight." Ron said. "You know…the ever lasting search for Voldemort. They're scouring our building because some idiot used some Black Magic three days ago."

"Ah, and you want to stay here for the night?" Harry said.

"Right." Hermione said. "Unless that's a problem or anything."

"Oh, not at all." Harry said. "I can't guarantee how clean the guest room is, but you're welcome too it."

"Perfect!" Hermione said. "Thanks Harry, you're a life saver. My parents don't have room for us and neither do Ron's so…"

"You're lucky I don't have a roommate then." Harry said, smirking slightly to himself.

"Yes, lucky for us." Ron said. He waved his wand and two bags appeared in front of them.

"Have you all eaten yet?" Harry asked. "Because I haven't."

Ron and Hermione glanced at each other. "Well, no we haven't. Are you willing to cook?"

"No." Harry said. "But I'm willing to order out. What do you think? Chinese?"

"Sounds good to me." Ron said, leaning back on the couch.

"Okay, I'll be right back then." Harry wandered into the kitchen and picked up the phone. He dialed the number where Ginny always stayed when other people came over. She picked up.

"Hi, is this Young's Recipes?" Harry asked. Ginny laughed in the background.

"Yes, it certainly is." She said. "I can come home already? That was fast!"

"Well I'd like the teriyaki chicken." Harry said. "And they're staying over all night. Something about the ministry searching apartments."

"Are you SERIOUS?" Ginny said.

"Yeah, that's right." Harry said, not aware that Ron and Hermione were listening to every word he said. "And can I get some Pot Stickers as well?"

"Oh Chinese sounds so good right now." Ginny said. "So I guess I'll stay here all night then. I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you too." Harry said. He looked behind him and saw Ron and Hermione staring at him oddly. "So when can I expect the food to get here? Oh right, I'd like a poo poo platter too!"

"Um…I'll order something in your name." Ginny said. "It should be there in like…3 minutes."

"Bye." Harry said.

"Bye." Ginny said and hung up the phone.

"Food'll be here in like 3 minutes." Harry said, walking out into the living room again. "The lady on the other end said they were really busy for some reason."

"Oh." Hermione said. "Do you order out a lot, Harry?"

"Well I'm a lousy cook, so yes." Harry lied. Ginny liked to cook, so they didn't really go out much.

Later that night, Ron and Hermione lay awake in the guest bed. "Do you get the feeling Harry's hiding something from us?" Hermione said, after a long time of silence.

"Yeah." Ron said. "Like…the whole phone conversation. What was that?"

"I know, that's exactly what I was thinking." Hermione said. "But, what would he hide from us. Not a girlfriend, surely. Maybe he did have other plans before we showed up."

"That's probably it." Ron said, yawning. "Nice of him to break them, just for us."

~~* ~~

A/N: Sorry, this chapter has gone on long enough. I'm saving you all from redundancy by stopping it now! I had to set things up for the future plot, you see, that's why this was so boring. (And if the chapter was boring, I don't want to hear about it in your reviews thank you very much) About the paragraph at the beginning, you know… the one about midnight? The one that has nothing to do with anything, right? Wrong. It may not make sense now, but towards the end of the series you'll smack yourself on the forehead and go 'OH! I GET IT!' So don't question the great and powerful…well maybe not powerful…DON'T QUESTION ME! Anyways, I hope you enjoyed it. Expect another chapter soon.

Love,

Tad