I do not own Harry Potter or any of it's characters, nor do I own any of the direct quotes in the following story, they are all the property of J.K Rowling who inspired my love for writing and who gave me this world where magic literally does come to life. I hope you enjoy the story and please let me know what you think, I know I haven't had a story updated or added for quite some time so, let me know what you think :)
A MEETING TO REMEMBER
Summary: Harry and Hermione's trip to Godric's Hollow changes course as a trip to the graveyard takes the two back to a chance for a meeting they'll never forget.
PART ONE
Harry had been wanting to go to Godric's Hollow for weeks now, he wanted some form of closure but Hermione thought it was just too dangerous right now. He'd tried reasoning with her, that they'd only go for an hour or two, he just wanted to see the place his parents had been happy for the last little while of their lives, no matter what the risk meant for him, the only reason he hadn't gone was the fact that if he did it wouldn't be just him who he was risking it would be Hermione too. Hermione was slowly caving in though he could tell, just a few more days and she'd give in.
"Harry, I was thinking, as much as I doubted the idea at first, I believe that going to Godric's Hollow could be a good idea. It might be good for you." Hermione said a few nights later as they ate around the table in the corner of the tent.
"So we can go?" Harry questioned an odd sense of excitement and nerves building up inside of him.
"Yes we can go, we'll leave tomorrow."
/
Harry stood in the snow in front of his parents' grave, tears silently rolling down his face, Hermione stood beside him and held on to his hand tightly while she looked at the names on the grave stone. He couldn't explain what he felt inside, he didn't know if it was sadness, anger or relief, it was just odd. After a while Harry knelt down, Hermione following close behind still holding his left hand as he reached out his other to place it on the granite stone. Neither of them were prepared for what happened next.
There was a sharp tugging sensation behind their stomachs as if they were traveling by portkey, only this tugging was much sharper than usual and with a flash of red they landed on the snowy main street of Godric's Hollow, the same street they had wondered down only an hour before. The streets were illuminated by the odd streetlamp here and there and it was empty, deserted of people other than Harry, Hermione and a couple walking in the darkness towards them. Harry stood up and held out his hand to help Hermione up before he pulled out his wand just in case he would need it. He noticed then as the couple moved closer that they two had their wands drawn too.
"We mean no harm as long as you don't, we're only going home." The man said as he stepped into light beaming down, he stepped in front of his wife as if by instinct and watched Harry and Hermione closely. Harry looked to the man's face and when he did his body went numb, his wand fell from his hand and he took a step back. Harry wasn't the only one who had noticed how odd this scenario was the man whispered to his wife who stepped forward just as Hermione grabbed Harry's arm. "Blimey… I'd know you from a mile away, what's your name?"
"H-harry Potter sir." Harry replied his voice shaking as the man looked to his wife and back to Harry with a smile.
"I knew it, mind you it is a little odd seeing what I'm seeing," James Potter said with a gleam in his eyes as he looked to Hermione. "I'm James, this here's my wife Lily, and you are?"
"Hermione Granger sir." Hermione answered still holding tight to Harry's arm.
"Lily, you are seeing what I'm seeing right? I'm not losing my mind?" James asked his wife who was just as shocked as Harry was.
"I'm seeing it too… as impossible as it is, James Harry's only five months old, yet here he stands, how old are you Harry?" Lily asked looking at her son who stood before her.
"S-seventeen." Harry answered looking at his parents, his father looked as mischievous as most described him and his mother was as pretty as many had told him, her eyes a mirrors reflection of his own.
"Well I'll be damned, he's only three years older than us right now, my own son from the future. You two come with us I want to hear more about this, this is one for the books." James said with a laugh as he took off walking hand in hand with Lily, Harry and Hermione right behind them.
"Harry are you okay?" Hermione asked from beside him.
"I'm great." Harry replied with a smile on his face, a genuine smile for the first time in weeks. The two of them followed James and Lily to their house where James hurried them inside out of the cold.
"Padfoot get up, great baby sitter you are, I tell you a real dog would do the job better." James said when he went into to the front room and shook a man with long hair and a short beard laying on the couch. Sirius sat up and stretched quickly before standing up and punching James in the arm.
"He's asleep, surely it's okay for me to sleep for a little, he was crying for an hour straight you know. Oh wait you didn't know because you weren't here." Sirius said with a smirk as he walked towards the hallway where Harry and Hermione stood with Lily. "Have a nice evening Lily? Anyways I'll be going now, I don't need paying so put the money away." Harry looked back and saw his mother with some shimmering gold coins in her hand which was held out.
"Alright, by Padfoot." James and Lily said in unison as Sirius stepped outside.
"Bye you lot, I'll drop by next week." He replied before he disaperated off of the front steps.
"I'm not even going to say who that is, I'm sure you already know who he is." James said with a smile as Lily went upstairs to check on the baby. "No, can I interest you two in a nice, warm cup of tea?"
"Uh, yes please sir." Hermione said while Harry glanced around.
"Sir, look at me I'm not much older than you right now Hermione, please call me James, sir really does make me feel old."
"Oh, of course." Hermione replied a smile on her face, the worry gone from her eyes.
"Now, please have a seat you two, you may as well make yourselves at home haven't you?" James gestured to the front room as he carried a tray into the room and set it on the coffee table. "How's Hogwarts? This being your final year and everything?"
"Um, it's good, busy year." Harry answered, he knew that as much as he wanted to he couldn't explain what was going on, it would just mess up a lot of this.
"I would think so, and what about for you Hermione? School going good?"
"Yes, quite busy, it'll be odd leaving it behind." Hermione answered fluidly, she knew how to go about this, she'd caught on to Harry's thoughts too.
"Well that's good, before I carry on with simple questions, I'm curious, how did you go back in time? I haven't heard of many time travelling wizards."
"We're not sure how we got here, one minute we were in '97 and well now we're here in 1980." Harry answered, trying to figure out how they got here himself, so far he had nothing.
"Huh, well isn't that odd. I assume you're both going to be staying the night? It isn't the best idea to be travelling at night these days." James said handing each of them a cup of tea with the same smile still pasted on his face.
"You can say that again." Harry mumbled quietly making Hermione laugh slightly and choke on her tea.
"What was that?"
"Oh nothing, sorry." Harry said trying not to laugh at Hermione while his father wore a confused look on his face.
"Alright then. So, you two got any plans for what you want to do when you leave school?" James asked as Lily walked downstairs with baby Harry in her arms.
"I'm planning on becoming an auror right now, but that could all change with a snap of your fingers." Harry answered, he was slowly getting into conversation with his father as if it were the easiest thing in the world and to him it was.
"That's great, and what about you Hermione?" Lily smiled as she handed James the bundled up Harry so she could have some tea.
"I'm not too sure yet, I haven't thought about it honestly." Hermione answered receiving a look of disbelief from Harry. "Don't even look at me like that."
"Like what? I just can't believe you of all people haven't thought about that yet." Harry replied looking away to the floor when Hermione caught him out.
"So Hermione, what is it your parents do? Maybe you could follow in their footsteps?" James suggested leaning back into the couch cushions.
"They're dentists, I'm not sure I'd fancy that profession too much." Hermione said restraining herself from laughing when James looked to Lily with a confused look on his face.
"They tend to teeth James, it's a muggle profession. So you're muggle born Hermione?" Lily asked, interested now in where Hermione came from.
"Yes, completely." Hermione smiled, she seemed to like the fact that someone cared and could relate to how she grew up.
"So am I, I bet it was exciting for you to get your letter to Hogwarts."
"Very exciting, of course it's odd at the same time."
"So Harry tell me, does my son play Quidditch at all?" James asked once Lily and Hermione had left the conversation of school.
"Yeah I play Seeker." Harry grinned, he hadn't played in a while but the thought of it made him happy.
"Brilliant, played Chaser myself, of course either way we always won. Tell me, I don't mind which house you're in, I know it's not Slytherine I mean come on, but tell me, do you beat them? Slytherine I mean?"
"Most of the time yeah. It's fairly rare we lose anyways."
"Good, those Slytherines want their arses handing to them I tell you, them and their bloody egos, honestly I don't know how half of them get into the bloody school let alone on a broom stick with bats and steel balls."
"James." Lily said sternly while Harry and James laughed.
"Sorry Lily. Anyways, shall we change the subject to one a little more appropriate? I'd rather not get hexed if you know what I mean." James commented clearing his throat and shifting the bundle in his arms to make himself more comfortable.
"Your definition of 'appropriate' is everyone else's version of 'inappropriate' James."
"Right, so what house are you two in?" James asked trying to prove his wife wrong.
"Gryffindor." Harry and Hermione said together making both James and Lily smile. After a few hours of talking everyone was tired and James went and set up a room for Harry and Hermione.
"Okay first up, are you two, you know… well you know…" James said looking for words but coming up empty.
"Oh, no, no we're not together Dad." Harry laughed at the look of relief on his father's face.
"Okay good, well that was awkward, just ah do me a favour and leave that pillow there, in the middle of the bed, alright? Alright well I'm just going to… to leave now. Goodnight you two and um, sleep well I suppose." James said handing them each a pair of pyjamas and closing the door. "Lily, they're not together!" they heard him call out at the end of the hallway and it made them laugh.
"Harry I know this is fun and all and you're happy here, it's just I think we should leave tomorrow night." Hermione said once she and Harry were settled with the pillow in between them for James' security.
"Yeah I know, it's just… it'll be hard leaving, wont it?" Harry replied, looking at the ceiling.
"Yes it's going to be hard, but we have to, we have to get back and finish with the horcruxes and Voldemort."
"James! Go lock the door will you? I've told you once already." They heard Lily call out to her husband.
"If you'd give me a minute honey I will lock the door, I can only do one thing at a time." James yelled back before they heard a crash and a few pans fall from the wall. "I'm okay!"
"Honestly…" Lily sighed as she walked past the guest room where Harry and Hermione were. "Goodnight Harry, Goodnight Hermione."
"Goodnight Mum."
"Goodnight Lily." Harry and Hermione made sure Lily was gone before they burst with laughter at James, it was obvious now to the two of them that what people had told them about Harry's parents was true and it was obvious that Harry was their son. Harry couldn't help but wonder if this was the closure he needed. With that thought in mind Harry drifted off to sleep only to be woken up at six A.M by his much younger self crying.
/
PART TWO
"It's Christmas!" James yelled once he'd stopped Harry's crying. He was walking down the hallway to the top of the stairs as he banged on the guest bedroom door. "Come on you two, up! Lily, come on!"
Harry and Hermione slowly got out of bed and went and got changed before dragging themselves down stairs. They went down stairs to find James in a Santa hat making red and green sparks come from his wand much to baby Harry's entertainment.
"Merry Christmas you two, how'd you sleep?" he questioned when he saw his two guests.
"Not too bad actually." Harry replied ruffling his hair and accidentally showing the scar on his forehead.
"Say, what's that scar from on your forehead son?"
"Um, Quidditch injury last season." Harry lied, trying hard not to tell the truth about it.
"Ah, alright then, so, we weren't exactly prepared for you two being here for Christmas, well Harry yes but much younger as you can see. But, Lily and I managed to find something for each of you, not much but it's something, she's going to bring them down when she comes."
"Oh, you didn't have to do that." Hermione said, Harry nodding in agreement, this in turn made the baby Harry laugh at them from his seat in his father's lap.
"Well of course we did, what kind of Christmas would it be if you didn't get anything? A bad one I'll tell you."
"James, care to explain to me why the piles of books are still covering the floor in the office? Or why the whole room looks like it's been ransacked?" Lily asked coming down the stairs with two wrapped gifts in her hands.
"Well I ah, I thought I'd just clean them up later, you know when I go up there." James answered.
"Of course, so anyways, Merry Christmas you two." Lily smiled giving Harry and Hermione a hug before handing them each one of the gifts.
"Merry Christmas." Harry and Hermione replied with gracious smiles on their faces. Harry unwrapped his gift first and inside the box was a golden pocket watch with rubies encrusted in the face of it.
"It isn't much, but we were going to give it to you when you left Hogwarts, we bought it just after you were born. We figured we might as well just give it to you now, today's as good a time as ever I reckon." James said with a smile as Harry held the watch in his hand as tight as possible, trying not to let a tear escape his eye. He turned to look at Hermione who held in her hand a small leather bound book about Advanced Defence Against the Dark Arts and a small golden broach with the Gryffindor lion emblazoned on it. "As for you Hermione, Lily for some reason thought that book might come in handy, and that badge you got there, Dumbledore gave me that the year I left, the book was Lily's. Like we said they're not much but it's something."
"It's more than something trust me." Hermione smiled as she and Harry thanked the two for the gifts. The morning passed by too fast in Harry's opinion but once dinner time came around everyone had settled into conversation again just as the night before Hermione played with baby Harry while the older Harry told his parents about the Triwizard Tournament, he saw no harm in telling them about the actual competitions, he just left the whole Voldemort bit out.
"A Horntail? Blimey, those things are the worst of the dragon species aren't they? And they let you fight one? I never… sounds like you did a mighty fine job though son." James said, his tone proud as he took in what his son had achieved at school. It was the little things like this that made Harry sure that when he went home he would know no matter what that his parents would be proud of him like so many people had told him. By the end of dinner Lily had gotten information about Ginny Weasley out of Harry and he'd mentioned everything about Ron. James even went as far as saying that Harry had better marry Ginny or Lily would be disappointed with his choice. It was when the clock struck nine that night Harry realized that they had to leave this all behind and go back to what they had been doing since Summer.
"Well it was nice having you two with us, as nice as it was odd. Harry can I speak to you alone for a few minutes please dear?" Lily asked looking at James who gave a slow nod as a sadness crept onto his face. Harry followed his mum into the kitchen where she pulled him into her arms. "Your father and I are so proud of you Harry and we want you to know that we love you and we will no matter what happens in the future. It's just that, well the Order believes something is going to happen, and your father and I can't shake the feeling either, it's just we wanted you to know that… should anything ever happen to us we didn't want to leave you. Just promise me you'll look after yourself."
"I will, I promise." Harry replied his voice shaky as he held onto his mother, knowing this would be the only chance he would have to actually remember.
"That's my boy, now go on, go say goodbye to your father I want a word with Hermione." Lily said kissing Harry's cheek as he let go of her and went to find his father.
"Harry, my boy, you've grown up to be someone all your own haven't you, you're so much like I was when I was your age, given of course that in the last three years I have grown up immensely. I'm proud of you son, never forget who you are alright? That knowledge could be some of the best you'll ever have. But you do look after yourself, and Hermione, and when you get back to Hogwarts make sure you look after the rest of your friends, you never know when you'll need them most, let me tell you." James said before he pulled Harry into his arms. "Remember what your mother said alright? We do love you more than anything and we always will."
"I know Dad, I love you and Mum too." Harry said, he was still trying to hold back the tears that threatened to fall from his eyes, he didn't want to show any signs of weakness in fear that his parents may figure out that it doesn't go so smoothly in a few months. When Hermione returned James gave her a quick hug before she went and rejoined Harry who gave a soft sigh and for a final time went and hugged both of his parents before turning and taking Hermione's hand to walk into the street.
"Remember, look after yourself, and don't forget that we love you!" James shouted as they reached the gate outside the house. Harry smiled as the first tear rolled down his cheek. Together he and Hermione walked back to the graveyard hoping that their theory on how to get back would work. They reached the area where James and Lily Potter's grave would be in too short a while and Harry grasped Hermione's hand as they knelt down and he placed his right hand on the ground. Once again the sharp tugging engulfed them and a few seconds later with a red flash they landed in the snow in front of the grave stone which read:
James Potter, born 27 March 1960, died 31 October 1981
Lily Potter, born 30 January 1960, died 31 October 1981
The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.
Harry stood up and helped Hermione up again, ignoring the tears that fell from his eyes he lead Hermione down the route they had taken with James and Lily the previous night, they passed a statue of three figures, a male, a female and a young baby. A statue of James, Lily and Harry, a small reminder of the family that once was. After a moment Harry tore his eyes away and continued down the road to where the Potter house once sat sixteen years previously, it wasn't a house any more, it wasn't the place where Harry and Hermione had spent a day with James and Lily. There covered in snow was a house that sat in ruins, the house of James and Lily, the final place they were a happy family.
"It's amazing isn't it, how one minute everything's fine and the next it looks like this." Harry said, sadness filling his voice as he wiped his eyes of the tears. Hermione sighed and threw the invisibility cloak over herself and Harry as he reached out and held onto the gate in front of him and looked up at the ruined house, it was covered in moss and the bushes though clear of leaves were gnarled and over grown.
"Harry look…" Hermione replied to his comment, she was pointing to a wooden sign with gold letters upon it. The two of them silently read the sign, taking in the words and looking back to the house, picturing the way they had seen it a short while ago. The sign read:
On this spot, on the night of 31 October 1981,
Lily and James Potter lost their lives.
Their son Harry, remains the only wizard ever
to have survived the Killing Curse.
This house, invisible to Muggles, has been left
in its ruined state as a monument to the Potters
and as a reminder of the violence
that tore apart their family.
Harry read the sign one final time before reaching into his pocket and wrapping his fingers around the pocket watch. Hermione took his free hand and they turned to walk away before noticing a figure of an elderly woman stood watching…
