A/N: This was originally going to be a chapter in Memories, but I discovered it would be too long. So, it's its own little story. This is when Harry tells his parents, godfather, and Remus about his years at Hogwarts. There will be a chapter for each year.
I DO NOT OWN HARRY POTTER
Prologue
Harry was attempting to work on his Polyjuice Potion assignment when his eyes turned back to his godfather's letter. He re-read the Post Script again:
P.S. No. I'm not losing it. I really did mean Prongs and Mrs. Prongs.
Harry shook his head. Despite what it said, he knew his godfather had gone over the cliff Azkaban pushed him to. Prongs and Mrs. Prongs were his parents. They were dead, and they were NEVER coming back. Dumbledore said so himself: No spell can reawaken the dead.
(A/N: but that doesn't mean potion)
Harry had so many questions though: How would his mother kill Sirius, and his father tell Dumbledore about Harry's strange feeling if they were dead? Why was Hedwig looking at him funny? And wasn't the Sirius-serious joke old? Surely Sirius used it all the time in school.
"BOY! GET UP NOW!"
Harry sat the quill down and went downstairs.
0000
Harry was in the middle of eating breakfast at the Dursley's when the doorbell rang.
"Boy! Get that!" his uncle demanded.
"Yes Uncle Vernon." Harry told him. Just two more weeks. He added to himself as he saw his cousin grab his half of grapefruit.
He noticed Uncle Vernon motion to Dudley. Harry knew that the two were going to sneak out for the day.
When Harry reached the door, he opened it to reveal a man, a woman, and a HUGE, black, grim-like dog. There was something odd about these visitors.
Harry took a good look at these visitors and noticed that their eyes were very familiar. The man's hazel eyes looked like something Harry saw in a dream numerous times. As for the woman's, well, they looked extremely familiar.
Where have I seen those eyes before?
He then turned his attention to the dog on the leash. It looked ridiculously like his godfather's animagus form, but it couldn't be Sirius. Sirius was "gathering the old crowd" as Dumbledore had put it.
Harry and the dog looked into each other's eyes. The eyes were definitely Sirius Black's, but…there was something else in them. They looked more like the eyes in the picture of Sirius at James and Lily's wedding. The something else was happiness.
Sirius? Harry mouthed barely moving his lips in case the other humans could read lips.
The dog gave a very tiny nod.
"Hi Snuffles." Harry greeted his godfather using the fake name just in case these people thought Sirius Black was a murderer. He turned to the human visitors "I'm sorry. Do I know you?"
"Better than you think." The redheaded man said with mixed emotions welling in his eyes. Harry saw fear, pride, joy, sadness, awe, and a small touch of anger.
"Boy! Who is it?" Petunia said as she entered the foyer.
"Is that anyway to treat your nephew?" the woman asked.
How does this woman know I'm her nephew? Harry thought to himself in shock. It wasn't like the Dursley's bragged about him. They had even kept his existence secret from most of their friends.
"How do you know he's my nephew?" Petunia snapped.
"May we enter?" the man asked.
"Not with that animal." Petunia snapped starring at Snuffles
"Very well. Snuffles. Sit." The man ordered.
"Snuffles" sat.
"Stay."
The dog sat still while the couple walked in.
"I know how you feel about magic in public." The woman told Petunia as she pulled out her wand and taped herself while her husband did the same.
Petunia and Harry stood gaping as the man's hair shortened in length and became jet black while the woman's hair just changed color as she grew in height a few inches. Her hair had gone from a bright blond, to a stunning red.
After the transformations, Harry gaped at the couple. He then realized where he had seen the woman's eyes before: the last time he looked at his reflection. He spent most of his time, however, starring at what looked like an older version of himself.
The couple now looked like older versions of the pictures of his parents. But, it couldn't be. Lily and James Potter had been killed by Voldemort the same way Cedric Diggory had been killed a month ago. Cedric wasn't coming back and neither were either of his parents.
But the happiness that lurked in Sirius' eyes haunted Harry. The guilt was still there, but it wasn't as apparent. Harry had told Sirius numerous times that he didn't blame him for what had happened. However, the last time Harry saw Sirius, the guilt was clear as day. Harry knew that the only way how the guilt would subside almost completely was if James and Lily themselves told Sirius they didn't blame him.
Basically, every clue was pointing to the fact that these two people were indeed his parents.
"But you're dead." Harry heard Petunia whispered.
"Not anymore Petunia. James' friend made a mistake with a potion and we're back now. We came to get Harry." Lily said before turning to her shocked son.
Harry was doing a perfect imitation of a goldfish. It seemed so fake, and yet so real. When James snapped out of seeing his grown up son, he smirked.
"Please don't tell me if you became an animagus you'd become a goldfish." James teased earning himself a poke in the ribs and a glare from his wife.
This seemed to snap Harry out of his trance.
"Mum? Dad?"
They nodded. Petunia fainted.
Harry was in shock.
"But. How?"
"You can blame that mutt of a godfather of yours." James said motioning to the door. "Apparently, he was trying to call our ghosts, but something went wrong."
Harry didn't know what to do. Just last month, he witnessed an innocent person get killed and then saw the shadows of Cedric, an old man from one of his dreams, Bertha Jorkins, and his parents. Now James and Lily were standing here in front of him alive and well.
The teen felt his emotions go haywire. He wanted nothing more than to feel his parents' arms around him. His emotions finally got the best of him and, before he knew what he was doing, he ran to his parents and enveloped them in a tight hug sobbing thirteen years worth of sobs. It wasn't until he had his arms around his mother and father that he realized exactly how much he missed them.
So that's what Sirius meant in his letter
"I think you should get your things Harry." Lily told him a few minutes later.
Harry didn't want to let go. He had his parents back and he WASN'T going to loose them again. But, he knew his mother was right.
"Alright Mum." Harry said before dashing off to his room drying his tears.
"Enervate." Lily said pointing her wand at her sister.
0000
When Harry got back up to his room, he started to throw things in his trunk. He hadn't felt so alive since…since he was held up by the twins as he showed off the golden egg. At the moment he had heard his fellow Gryffindors cheer for him, he knew he could survive the tournament.
Of course, he had been dropped when he opened the egg, and his best friend hadn't been talking to him at the time. The equivalent was when his eyes fell on Ron's letter.
Ron had invited Harry over to the Burrow for the rest of the summer. Harry enjoyed it there. Mrs. Weasley loved him like a seventh son (eight child); Fred and George had started talking a LOT about the Marauders since Harry's third year; Ron had stated that Bill and Charlie were at home; and then there was Ginny.
Ginny. The redheaded girl had been haunting Harry's thoughts about as much as Voldemort's resurrection. Whenever Harry started to think about Cho Chang, the Ravenclaw's oriental face would fade into his best friend's younger sister. Deep down, Harry knew Ginny was off limits because of Ron. But, maybe Ron wouldn't mind.
Harry grabbed a quill and wrote to his two best friends to let them know that he was leaving the Dursley's early. When he finished, he finished packing.
0000
Harry started to drag the trunk down the stairs when he heard his father say,
"Here. Let me help you with that." His father said at the foot of the stairs. "Wingardium Leviosa."
The trunk and cage floated down the stairs.
"Your mother could probably do it better." James admitted.
"So I've heard." Harry said as he came down the stairs empty handed. (His wand was in his pocket)
"Are you alright Harry?" his father asked a little worried.
"Yeah. Just overwhelmed."
"I can understand that. You finally have your parents back. And everything is going to be alright now." James said while putting an arm around Harry's shoulders
"Thanks Dad. Where are Mum and Aunt Petunia?"
"In the kitchen discussing things. I still say we put spells all over the house."
"When I first found out that I was a wizard, Hagrid gave Dudley a pig's tail." Harry said grinning at the memory.
His dad gave him a look.
"Long story."
"Well, we'll have plenty of time to hear it later."
Just then, Lily came out of the kitchen in a fury.
"Let's go." She snapped as she changed back into the blond.
"Rule Number One, Harry." James told his son turning a bit pale "Is to NEVER get Mum angry."
"I'll make a note of it."
James transformed back into the redheaded man and rolled Harry's trunk out the door. Poor Sirius was being dragged next door by Lily.
"Why are we going to Mrs. Figgs?" Harry asked when he realized where they were going.
"Didn't you know? That's how we're getting to Remus' place. She's a squib."
This was news to Harry.
"Really?"
"Yeah. She was sent by Dumbledore to spy on you."
"How well informed of the situation are you?" It was Harry's turn to pale a little
"Depends on how much there is to know. We know that Sirius went after Peter and was thrown in Azkaban for 12 years. We also know about the fact that you lived with the Dursleys. Dumbledore informed us about Mrs. Figg before we came to get you. We also know about Snape."
Harry really paled at this.
"Don't worry. We won't do anything he doesn't deserve. We'll start on a clean slate. If Sirius and I pull something, it's because he deserved it."
"Wait. You and Sirius? You're coming to Hogwarts?" Harry asked hoping it was true. It didn't seem fair that he would spend a little over a month with his newly revived parents.
"Of course. Oh. I will be needing my cloak though."
"It's in the trunk." Harry said as they caught up with Lily who had just rung the doorbell.
"Hello Harry." Mrs. Figg said when she answered the door. "Albus said to expect you four soon."
"Why didn't you tell me before?" Harry asked his old babysitter.
"About you being a wizard? I wanted to, but the right people at the time to tell you would be your aunt and uncle. Otherwise, you would never believe me."
Harry thought about that for a minute. It was true that he didn't believe Hagrid at first.
"It's alright Mrs. Figg. I understand."
"Thank you. Now. Albus gave me enough floo powder for you four. Don't worry Mr. Black. I won't turn you in to the authorities."
"Thank you Arabella." Sirius said after he transformed.
Lily went first
"Remus's place" she said as she sprinkled the powder on herself after stepping into the fireplace.
The men followed.
0000
When Harry landed in Remus' cottage, he was swept into a tight hug from Sirius.
"Isn't it wonderful Harry?" Sirius asked in a whisper. "Now you can really get to know your parents."
"I know." Harry said returning the hug. "Thanks Padfoot. Thank you so much."
"What's wrong Lily?" James asked trying to calm his wife down.
"You wouldn't believe what that…that…UGH!" she yelled in frustration.
"Would help if I knew what you were talking about." James told her.
"Now you know how I felt after your first date with Lils." Sirius teased him.
"I thought I heard you come in." Remus said entering the room. "Hello Harry."
"Hello." Harry greeted.
He knew Remus didn't like to be called "Professor", and Harry wasn't yet comfortable with "Remus" or "Moony" yet.
Remus saw an angry Lily and took a step back. Sirius saw the reaction and chuckled
Harry was almost frightened. He just met her and his mother was angry.
"It's not you." Sirius whispered. "It's her sister."
Lily was taking deep breaths as she told her husband, "Did you look around that place?"
"Yes?"
"Did you notice that there were no pictures of Harry?"
"Yes. I was hoping they were somewhere else in the house."
Remus and Sirius snorted.
"Probably IN the fireplace." Sirius stated.
"Wishful thinking huh?" James asked.
"Very wishful." Remus said.
"You're better off wishing Snivillus would wash his hair." Sirius stated.
Harry looked confused.
"Professor Snape." Remus said.
James shivered in horror. He still couldn't get over that greasy hair git was teaching.
"Harry?" Lily asked. "Have you informed your godfather and Remus where your bedroom was before Hogwarts?"
"No ma'am." Harry said avoiding the confused looks of the Marauders and his mother. "She told you?"
"Yes." Lily said as she walked over to her son and gave him a tight hug. "She also told me how she lied to you about your heritage and how we died."
"She didn't!" James exclaimed.
Lily nodded. Harry returned the hug.
"We supposedly died in a car crash." She told her husband.
"Did she mention it was because Dad was drunk?" Harry asked.
"No she didn't." Lily stated with anger towards her sister flaring up in her green eyes.
"Where WAS your room?" Remus asked Harry.
Harry took a deep breath as his mother let him go so he could face the Professor. He mumbled something quietly.
"They didn't!" Remus exclaimed. This was one of the times where it paid to be a werewolf.
"I didn't catch it." James said.
"Neither did I." Sirius added.
"thecupboardunderthestairs." Harry admitted again quickly.
The two male animagi looked at each other in confusion.
"Did you see that small cupboard under the stairs?" Lily asked.
"Ye…They didn't." James started to say before realization dawned. "For how long?"
"Until I got my first Hogwarts letter." Harry admitted quietly.
"First?" Remus asked.
"They kept them from me." Harry said avoiding their eyes. "On my 11th birthday, Hagrid came and personally gave me a letter and made sure I read it. It wasn't until that day, I learned Mum and Dad's names and was given a brief description of what they looked like."
"I knew the Dursley's were bad, but not this bad." Sirius whispered before rolling up his sleeves. "Let me at them. I'll give the Ministry good reason to put me back in Azkaban."
"Petrificus Totalis." James, Lily, and Remus all said pointing their wands to the dog animagus.
"We can extract our revenge on the Dursley's later." James said "Right now, let's just…"
Suddenly, the floo system activated and Dumbledore stepped out.
"Good morning Harry." Dumbledore said.
"Good morning Professor." Harry said before glimpsing at Lily and James.
"Yes Harry." Dumbledore told the student. "I've already been informed of your parents revival. I'll admit I was astounded to see them again."
Sirius cheered silently behind Dumbledore
"Yes Mr. Black. I am capable of being surprised every now and then." Dumbledore added to Sirius with his back still turned.
It was now Sirius who was shocked. How did Dumbledore see him?
"I believe that today should be a day of rest and letting the shock of everything so far sink in." Dumbledore suggested. "Tomorrow, Harry may begin his tale of his life."
"Do I have to?" Harry asked.
"You may skip your years with the Dursleys." Dumbledore told Harry.
"I have to include Hogwarts?" Harry asked thinking of the Sorcerer's Stone first year; the Chamber of Secrets the second year; the being out on the grounds during the full moon within 5 feet of a werewolf and nearly killing his godfather his third year; and the Tri-Wizard Tournament just last year.
"They deserve to know." Remus whispered.
"Fine." Harry sighed in defeat. "But tomorrow."
"Very well." James said. "In the meantime, let's think of Dursley payback."
"But before that," Dumbledore said. "I would like a private word with Lily and James."
The group nodded and Harry went to go get settled in a room. Remus and Sirius went to go help him.
0000
With Lily and James,
"What is it?" Lily asked.
"I just wanted to inform you of a few things about Harry's life before he tell you so it's not a complete shock." Dumbledore said. "On the night you were attacked, Voldemort transferred some of his powers to Harry. I will not say which ones. That is for Harry to tell you."
"So my son has the powers of Gryffindor AND Slytherin?" James asked.
Dumbledore nodded.
"And some of the other teachers have noticed characteristics from the other houses as well." Dumbledore added. "Those are just more subtle."
"Harry has the powers of Gryffindor?" Lily asked.
"Yes and no." James said. "He carries them in his blood. Some power will be awaken when he turns sixteen. However, another heir will get all the powers. The family just lost count generations ago."
"Which heir?" Dumbledore asked.
"I think 400th." James said.
0000
With Harry, Sirius, and Remus,
"Are you okay?" Remus asked the teen.
"Yeah." Harry said. "This just seems so fake. Like a dream I don't want to wake from."
"I know." Sirius said. "I felt the same. This morning, I had thought it was a wonderful dream."
Flashback
"Morning Padfoot." A tired Remus said entering the kitchen.
"Morning Moony. I had the perfect dream last night." Sirius said making a pot of coffee. "I brought Prongs and Lily back to life."
"Strange. I had the same dream." Remus said sitting down at the table. "Then it faded to a wedding scene with me and Melissa."
"Same here." Sirius said pouring himself a cup of coffee. "Except it's me and Spica."
Suddenly, footsteps were heard coming into the kitchen. Sirius was too tired to notice, but Remus got up and fingered his wand.
James Potter entered the kitchen yawning.
"Oh Merlin." Remus whispered in shock. "It wasn't a dream."
"You were dreaming about me Moony?" James teased. "Whatever happened to those dreams about Oxford?"
CRASH
Remus and James looked at Sirius. The dog animagus was starring at James like he had never seen him before. (A/N: I would have said "Like he was seeing a ghost, but he had gone to Hogwarts) His hands were positioned as if he had been holding a coffee mug and the mug was in pieces on the floor surrounded by coffee.
"Is everyone okay?" Lily asked running into the kitchen. "I heard a crash."
"Sirius and Remus thought they were dreaming." James told his wife.
"To tell you the truth, I had thought so too." She admitted. "I woke up expecting to hear Harry crying."
"You'll hear him today." Remus said snapping out of it. "Today is the day we go get him."
Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. Remus went to go answer it, and found Dumbledore there.
"I am assuming you are getting ready to acquire Harry." Dumbledore said.
"Yes." Remus said. "Lily, James, and Sirius are going while I stay here and fix a bedroom for him."
"Very well." Dumbledore said. "I'm assuming you four remember Arabella Figg."
"Yes sir." The four younger adults said.
"She is living in Privet Drive." he informed them. "So she could keep an eye on Harry. She has offered to let you use her fireplace for the floo system since Harry is too young to apparate."
End of Flashback
"How can I ever thank you two?" Harry asked the two Marauders with tears in his eyes.
"Don't." Sirius said hugging his godson "We would do ANYTHING for you Harry. But, if you MUST thank us, then you can not forget us. Now that your parents are back, I don't want to be the what's-his-face-guy."
"You'll never be that Sirius." Harry said. "Neither will you Pr…I mean, Remus. You two were there for me when I needed you. Remus, you were there for me in the third year to teach me how to repel dementors and to keep me from killing my godfather."
Remus smiled
"And you were there for me last year with the Tri-Wizard Tournament." Harry added to Sirius
"And don't forget who sent you your broom." Sirius reminded him.
0000
After Dumbledore left after talking to Lily and James about the Order and the school year, the group sat around and thought of multiple pranks that they could pull on the Dursleys and Snape if he tried anything. Around midnight, Harry fell asleep on his father's shoulder.
0000
The next morning,
Harry didn't want to wake up. He was having the perfect dream. His parents were alive and he was living with them as well as his godfather and ex-defense teacher.
Harry was woken by a scream. He looked around and found himself in a strange room. He wasn't at the Dursleys, but the dream had been too good to be true.
He slipped out of bed when he heard laughing, more screaming, and more laughing. He quietly snuck out of his room, wand in hand, and followed the laughter.
Harry peaked into the room and saw Remus with his back towards him. Obviously, the werewolf had also heard the racket and decided to check it out. Remus was, to Harry's surprise, laughing HARD. The teen peaked around the professor to see his parents sitting up in bed soaking wet and his godfather dangling by his feet.
Apparently, what had happened was Sirius had decided to wake up Lily and James by throwing cold water on them. As he had started laughing, James had grabbed his wand and levitated Sirius by his feet and left him to dangle. Remus heard the commotion and decided to come check it up.
"PUT ME DOWN!" Sirius ordered with a laugh.
"Okay." Lily said with an evil smirk as she grabbed her own wand. She gave it a wave and dropped Sirius on his head.
"OW!" Sirius yelled.
Lily, James, and Remus laughed harder.
As Sirius got up off the floor rubbing his head, an unfamiliar sound reached their ears. They turned towards the sound to see Harry standing in the doorway doubled over with laughter. Tears were streaming down his face as he laughed the hardest he had ever laughed in ages.
Remus and Sirius couldn't believe what they were seeing.
"The last time I've heard Harry laugh like that was when Sirius put a tickling charm on him a few months before the switch." Remus stated.
"It wasn't that funny." Sirius said pouting as he tried an experiment. His old girlfriend would always laugh harder if he said that in a childish pout. Maybe, just maybe…
Harry tried to stop laughing to respond, but couldn't. He laughed harder at his pouting godfather. Sirius smiled as the experiment worked.
"You know what I think?" Remus thought out loud to Lily, "I think…Harry is laughing at not just Sirius, but all the times when he WANTED to laugh, but couldn't because of the Dursleys or Snape, or some other reason."
"I think your right." Lily said as she watched her son.
Remus had no idea how right he was. Yes, the laughter HAD started out at just his soaked parents and Sirius, but that triggered other funny memories and they came flooding into Harry's mind: Crouch Jr. turning Malfoy into a ferret, Neville dressing a Snape Boggart in drag, and many others.
"He deserves to laugh." James said.
"It is the best medicine." Remus stated. "This might help him recover from last month."
James and Lily looked at the werewolf in confusion.
"Harry will explain." Sirius stated. "I'm hungry."
"Okay." Lily said summoning a robe. "I'll cook breakfast."
"Don't…bother." Harry panted as he calmed down and dried his eyes. "I'll cook."
Everyone looked at him funny as the teen headed towards the kitchen. Then Lily's eyes flashed with anger for a second as she realized why Harry knew how to cook.
"I will never be able to read the story of Cinderella again." She stated angrily
"Calm down Lily." James said. "I'm sure Harry's school life was better."
The two Potter went out the door leaving Remus and Sirius looking at each other. Little did Lily and James know, Harry was safer at the Dursleys at times during the school year.
TBC