The Beginning of a Change: The Philosophers Stone.
A/N:Ah! Hello everyone! This is my second story on this account! This was going to be my first, but this took way too long to type...
BTW:I am typing all of this out of my copy of the English version of the book, so if their is any mistakes, please kindly correct me, yes?
Disclaimer: I am a 13 year old American girl. I am not JK Rolling. I am not even British. I don't own Harry Potter. JK Rolling owns Harry Potter. I do however, own my love for it.
Bold = Book Insert, JK Rolling's work.
Normal= 'Present' time
Note: This is set in late December of 1980. Lily is roughly two/three months pregnant with Harry. And this'll be following mainly James and Lily... James is an Auror.
This chapter isn't Beta-ed yet, but I will update it with the Beta-ed when GNPotter is done with beta-ing it.
Chapter 1: The Boy Who Lived.
It was just a 'usual' day for James Potter, or so it seemed.
He got up, had breakfast with his pregnant wife Lily, Went to work, met up with Sirius and Remus, and took them home with him.
What he didn't know, was that this would be a day that would change everthing he knew.
"Lil's, I'm back!" James called, a goofy grin coming onto his face. "And I found two stray dogs on the way!"
"Oh, your just jealous." Sirius said, sardonically.
"You wished." James said, smirking.
"You two..." Remus said sighing.
"Ah, Sirius, Remus, it's been a few days, hasn't it?" Lily said standing in the doorway, a hand placed on her stomac, a smile on her face..
"It certainly has been." Remus said, inclining his head downwards in a polite manor.
"Yes," Sirius said in a voice mocking Remus'. "It's been too long."
"Be quite." Remus said, looking at Sirius blankly.
"Hello, love." James said, ignoring Sirius' groans as he kissed Lily. "How was your day?" He asked, taking her by the hand.
"Boring. I got Frank and Alice to come over, they're in the sitting room right now." Lily said, pulling her hand away from James' gently. "They had the day off today, you know that Alice is also pregnant?"
"Yeah, Frank told me a few days ago." James said, smiling again. "I wonder if both of our kids will be friends."
"Probably." Lily said smiling at the thought.
"Yes, think of the children. Pay no attention to Padfoot or Moony." Sirius said sarcastically.
"Oh stop being a prat, Sirius." Lily said, looking back at Sirius.
"Hey, I'd just like it if you gave your guests' a little more attention, Lils'."Sirius said, mocking fake hurt.
This made James laugh and Remus shake his head and chuckle slightly.
"Come on, you don't want to keep Frank and Alice waiting, now do you." Remus said.
"Buzz kill." Sirius muttered under his breath in a joking tone.
"I heard that." Remus said sternly.
The four made their way too the sitting room inside the Potter's house.
"Ah, your back- Oh, James, Sirius, Remus, nice too see you three again." Alice said smiling at the four as they entered the room.
The room had two white couches, a red recliner, and a white love-seat. They're were two or three large book-cases that were pressed against the walls of the room. Alice and Frank were sitting close to one another on one of the white couches.
"It's nice to see you too, Alice." James said, smiling.
"Hullo." Frank said to Sirius and Remus as the sat on the couch that was across from them.
"Hey Frank. How's it going?" Siruis said cheerfully.
"I'm good, the office gave me a day off. I see that they didn't give you two an break, did they?" Frank said to James and Sirius.
"Nope. Well, they gave Sirius the day off, not me..." James said, frowning as he sat next to Lily on the Love-seat.
"Sorry mate." Sirius said, smiling at James, who smiled back.
"Not your fault..." James said, leaning back into the seat.
"Do you mind if I look through your books?" Remus said to Lily as James, Frank, Alice, and Sirius fell into onersation.
"Go ahead." Lily said, smiling at Remus.
"Thanks." Remus said getting up from the couch.
He put a hand to his mouth as he looked through the books.
There was only books that he had read before...
Skimming though the rest of the books, Remus came across a book that even he hadn't read before, that read, "Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone."
Taking the book out of the shelf, Remus made his way back to the couch next to Remus.
"Lily," He said, drawing the attention of the other five people in the room. "When did you get this book?"
"What do you mean?" Lily said, standing up. "I haven't gotten any new books recently..."
"You haven't?" Remus said, eyebrows furrowing.
"Yeah... What book is it? Maybe you just haven't seen it before..." Lily said, going to Remus, followed by James, Frank and Alice, while Sirius leaned in to take a look.
"'Harry Potter and The Philosophers Stone.'" Lily read, confusion in her voice. "Where did you find this Remus?"
"In the bookshelf." Remus said, pointing to one of the bookshelves.
"I've never seen it before in my life..." Lily said, looking up at James. "What about you?"
"Never... But Potter... This person could possibly be related... But I don't know of them..." James said, his face scrunched up, trying to think of anyone of his family named Harry.
"Well," Lily said, examining the book. The cover page was of a boy who had unruly black hair, Glasses covering his eyes, and a lighting-bolt shaped scar on his forehead. He reminded Lily of, well James... "We'll just have to find out then, won't we?"
"I guess..." Sirius said, yawning. "So, are we going to read this out-loud?"
"Well, What other way could we all read it?" Alice asked, siting back down, a small smile on her face.
"Alice has a point, Padfoot." Remus said, letting Lily get away with the book.
"I take it that your going to read first, Lily?" Frank said, sitting next to his wife.
"You'd get that right." James said, laughing.
"Be quiet." Lily asked, flipping the book open, reading,
Chapter One: The Boy Who Lived.
Mr. and Mrs. Dursley, of number four, Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much.
Lily was confused.
Didn't Petunia marry a man named Dursley?
"Lily, didn't you say that your sister married a man named Dursley, a few months back?" Remus asked almost as confused as Lily.
They were the last people you'd expect to be involved in something strange or mysterious, because they didn't just didn't hold with such nonsense.
Mr Dursley was the director of a firm called Grunnings, which made drills.
"What's a drill?" Sirius asked Lily.
"It's a muggle tool." She answered before reading again.
He was a big, beefy man with hardly neck, although he did have a very large mustache. Mrs. Dursley was thin and blonde and had nearly twice the usual amount of neck, which came in very useful as she spent so much of her time craning over garden fences, spying on the neighbors.
"That sounds like Petunia..." Lily grimaced.
"So there is a possibility?" Remus said to himself, bringing a hand to his mouth.
The Dursleys had a small son called Dudley and in their opinion there was a no finer boy anywhere.
The Dursleys had everything they wanted, but they also had a secret, and their greatest fear was that someone would discover it...
They didn't think they could bear it if anyone found out about the Potters.
"What! How rude is that!" Alice yelled standing up.
"What did you ever do to them?" Sirius said, jumping up in anger.
James growled and Lily ignored them and continued reading with a frown.
Mrs. Potter was Mrs. Dursley's sister, but they hadn't met for several years; in fact, that Mrs. Dursley pretended she didn't have a sister, because her sister and her good-for-nothing husband were as unDursleyish as it was possible to be.
Everyone in the room was mad or; in Lily's case, sad.
James, Sirius, Remus, Alice, and Frank were all standing up, angry as hell; Frank and Remus were the calmest of the bunch, but still.
Sirius and James were growling low in their throats, while they were both angry, it was for different reasons. Sirius was angry because not only was this book; err, or person, insulting his 'sister', but his 'brother' as well. James, however, could care less that he was being insulted, but his wonderful wife? He wouldn't stand for it.
Remus, Frank and Alice weren't growling, but they were all glaring at the book. Remus, Alice, and Frank all thought the same thing. How could they insult someone as sweet as Lily, and someone as... Well, James-like, as James. (That explains itself.) They had grown to be family to all of them.
"Lily," Alice said, taking James' spot next to Lily, throwing an arm around her, pulling her into a hug. "You don't need to worry about what they say, you're one of the best people that I have met in my life."
"Thanks Alice. I feel the same way." Lily said, smiling at Alice, which got the men to calm down only slightly.
James sat down next to Sirius and Remus, all three of the mumbling in anger, while Frank sat down by himself, and started to think, while Lily started to read again.
The Dursleys shuddered to think what the neighbors would say if the Potters arrived in the street.
Frank clenched his hands on the sofa, The worst part about that sentence is that Lily and James would probably say hello to everyone, and might be well liked by all of the people if they weren't like these people...
The Dursleys knew that the Potters had a small son, too, but they had never even seen him. This boy was another good reason for keeping the Potters away; they didn't want Dudley mixing with a child like that.
Everyone in the room got a smile on their face as they read that Lily and James' child was going to be a boy, but their faces fell as they heard Lily read the last sentence.
"What do they mean by 'A child like that'? No one messes with my son." James said, adding in his mind, "Even if I don't know him yet."
"I know exactly what you mean." Lily said, smirking slightly, which made everyone; besides Alice, shudder a bit.
"Lily," Frank said, finally getting it. "You don't think that this book is about your son, do you?"
"Wait, what?" Sirius said, oblivious.
"Yes, but I wonder why he is living with Petunia..." Lily said, trailing off.
When Mr. and Mrs Dursley woke upon the dull, gray Tuesday our story starts, there was nothing about the cloudy sky outside to suggest that strange and mysterious things would soon be happening all over the country. Mr. Dursley hummed as he picked out his most boring tie for work,("Ugh!" James and Sirius groaned.) and Mrs. Dursley gossiped away happily as she wrestled a screaming Dudley into his high chair.
"Sounds like a lovely child." Sirius said.
None of them noticed a large, tawny owl flutter past the window.
At half past eight, Mr. Dursley picked up his briefcase, pecked Mrs. Dursley on the cheek, and tried to kiss Dudley good-bye but missed, because Dudley was now having a tantrum and throwing his cereal at the walls.
"Again, lovely child." Sirius said again.
"Little tyke," chortled Mr. Dursley as he left the house. He got into his car and backed out of number four's drive.
It was on the corner of the street that he noticed the first sign of something peculiar — a cat reading a map.
James and Sirius howled with laughter, while Remus laughed lightly.
"What is it?" Lily, Alice, and Frank asked in Unison.
"It's-!"
"You'll see." James said, cutting Sirius off.
Giving them a confused look, Lily started too read again.
For a second, Mr. Dursley didn't realize what he had seen — then he jerked his head around to look again. There was a tabby cat standing on the corner of Privet Drive, but there wasn't a map in sight. What could he have been thinking of? It must have been a trick of the light. Mr. Dursley blinked and stared at the cat. It stared back.(James and Sirius went through another fit of laughter.)As Mr. Dursley drove around the corner and up the road, he watched the cat in his mirror. It was now reading the sign that said Privet Drive — no,lookingat the sign; cats couldn't read mapsorsigns.
"McGonagall won't like that." James muttered to Sirius and Remus, who started laughing.
Mr. Dursley gave himself a little shake and put the cat out of his mind. As he drove toward town he thought of nothing excpet a large order of drills he was hoping to get that day.
But on the edge of town, drills were driven out of his mind by something else. As he sat in the usual morning traffic jam, he couldn't help noticing that there seemed to be a lot of strangely dressed people about. People in cloaks.
This made James, Sirius, and Remus look up in amusement.
"Why would there be Wizards in the Muggle world?"
"Well, It could be a vacation, or they could be visiting a squib..." Lily said, shrugging.
"Lil's," Sirius blanched, "a bunch in one place? I don't think so. Something must of happened..."
Lily scoffed and continued reading.
Mr. Dursley couldn't bear people in funny clothes — the getups you saw on young people! He supposed this was some stupid new fashion.
"Yes, and it's been going on for centuries..." Sirius muttered, frowning when he was ignored by everyone but James and Remus.
He drummed his fingers on the steering wheel and his eyes fell on a huddle of these weirdos standing quite close by. They were whispering excitedly together. Mr. Dursley was enraged to see that a couple of them weren't young at all; why, that man had to be older than he was, and wearing an emerald-green cloak!
"Yeah, after all, everyone has to become like that muggle when they grow up, don't they Moony?"
"Shut up Padfoot." Remus said, plainly, making James and Sirius laugh, while Lily sighed and shook her head with a smile on her face, and Frank and Alice chuckled lowly.
The Nerve of him! But then it struck Mr. Dursley that this was probably some silly stunt — these people were obviously collecting for something...yes, that would be it.
"That man is brilliant..." James muttered.
The traffic moved on and a few minutes later, Mr. Dursley arrived in the Grunnings parking lot, his mind back on drills.
Mr. Dursley always sat with his back to the window in his office on the ninth floor. If he hadn't, he might have found it harder to concentrate on drills that morning. He didn't see the owls swooping past in broad daylight, though people down in the street did; they pointed and gazed open-mouthed as owl after owl sped over-head. Most of them had never seen an owl even at nighttime.("Unlucky Bas-" Sirius said, only to be cut off my Lily and Alice's glare.)Mr. Dursley, however, had a perfectly normal, owl-freemorning. He yelled at five diffrent people-
"Oh, that's perfectly normal." Sirius said, rolling his eyes.
He made several important telephone calls and shouted a bit more. He was in a very good mood until lunchtime, when he thought he'd stretch his legs and walk across the road to buy himself a bun from the bakery.
"He probably doesn't need the bun...If I were his legs, I would run away..." Sirius said, making the others laugh.
He'd forgotten all about the people in cloaks until he passed a group of them next to the baker's. He eyes them angrily as he passed. He didn't know why, but they made him uneasy. This bunch were whispering excitedly, too, and he couldn't see a single single collecting tin. It was on his way back past them, clutching a large doughnut in a bag, that he caught a few words of what they were saying.
Lily paused, which made everyone lean in forward.
"What happened?" Sirius said, jumping up slightly.
Lily didn't answer, but she frown and kept reading.
"The Potters, that's right, that's what I heard—"
"—yes, their son, Harry—"
Lily smiled slightly. So, this book was indeed about her son... But... Why would random wizards be talking about them...
Mr. Dursley stopped dead. Fear flooded him. He looked back at the whisperers as if he wanted to say something to them, but thought better of it.
"Good." Sirius said, still wondering with the rest of the room what James and Lily had to do with this...
He dashed back across the road, hurried up to his office, snapped at his secretary not to disturb him, ("Lovely." Frank said to himself, rolling his eyes.) seized his telephone, and had almost finished dialing his home number when he changed his mind. He put the receiver back down and stroked his mustache, thinking...no, he was being stupid. Potter wasn't such an unusual name.
"That's a lie! We are the only Potters in the Wizarding world!" James yelled at the book, making Alice laugh.
"You know you yelling at the book, right?" She said, smirking.
James mumbled and Lily continued reading.
He was sure there were lots of people called Potter who had a son called Harry. Come to think of it, he wasn't even sure his nephewwascalled Harry. He'd never even seen the boy. It might have been Harvey. Or Harold.
"Ugh..." Sirius shivered. "Those don't sound right..."
"What do you mean?" Lily said, looking up from her book.
"Harvey Potter. Harold Potter. Harry Potter. Which sounds better?" Sirius said to Lily.
"Good point..." She said.
There was no point in worrying Mrs. Dursley; she always got so upset at any mention of her sister. He didn't blame her— if he'd had a sister like that...
"What's THAT supposed to mean!" Sirius and James yelled in unison, jumping up.
"Just forget about it..." Lily said, a stony expression on her face.
"Lily," James said sternly.
"Forget about it." She said, looking at him with fierce eyes.
She didn't let him answer, and continued reading.
but all the same, those people in cloaks...
He found it a lot harder to concentrate on drills that afternoon and when he left the building at five o' clock, he was still so worried that he walked straight into someone just outside the door.
"Sorry," he grunted, as the tiny old man stumbled and almost fell. It was a few seconds before Mr. Dursley realized that the man was wearing a Violet cloak.("Sounds like Dedalus...")He didn't seem at all upset as being almost knocked to the ground. On the contrary, his face split into a wide smile and he said in a squeaky voice that made passersby stare, "Don't be sorry, my dear sir, for nothing could upset me today! Rejoice, for You-Know-Who has gone at last!"
"WHAT!" Everyone exclaimed in shock.
"He's dead! Yes!" Sirius said, jumping a couple of times.
"It's too good to be true!" Alice said, looking at Frank, who was sitting in shock and happiness.
"Even Muggles like yourself should be celebrating, this happy, happy day!"
And the old man hugged Mr. Dursley around the middle and walked off.
Mr. Dursley stood rooted to the spot. He had been hugged by a complete stranger. He also thought he had been called a muggle,
"That's cause you were." Sirius said, plainly even though he was still excited that
whatever that was. He was rattled. He hurried to his car and set off for home, hoping he was imagining things, which he had never hoped before, because he didn't approve of imagination.
"Oh man, what is up with this guy?" James laughed.
"It's impossible to disapprove of imagination, even he would of had one when he was child..." Frank said, shaking his head.
"That's beside's the point, love." Alice said to Frank, placing a hand on top of his.
As he pulled into the driveway of number four, the first thing he saw— and it didn't improve his mood— was the tabby cat he'd spotted that morning. It was now sitting on his garden wall. He was sure it was the same one; it had the same markings around its eyes.
"Shoo!" said Mr. Dursley loudly.
"It'll take more than that to get rid of her." Sirius said laughing.
The cat didn't move. It just gave him a stern look.("Sounds like Professor McGonagall..." Lily said, making the marauders stuff a fist into their mouths so they didn't burst into laughter.)Was this normal cat behavior?
"Check again dunderhead!" James laughed.
Trying to pull himself together, he let himself into the house. He was still determined not to mention anything to his wife.
"Not the smartest thing to do..." Lily muttered to herself, knowing how Petunia could be.
Mrs. Dursley had a nice, normal day. She told him over dinner all about Mrs. Next Door's problems with her daughter and how Dudley had learned a new word ("Won't!").
"Lovely people..." Frank murmured, getting nods of agreement from Sirius and James.
Mr. Dursley tried to act normally.("That's not possible!" James and Sirius said in a sing-song voice.)When Dudley had been put to bed, he went into the living room in time to catch the last report on the evening news:
"And finally, bird-watchers everywhere have reported that the nation's owls have been behaving very unusually today. Although owls normally hunt at night and are hardly ever seen in daylight,("Hm... You'd never think that it would be 'unusual' too see owls..." Remus muttered.)there have been hundreds of sightings of these birds flying in every direction since sunrise. Experts are unable to explain why the owls hae suddenly changed their sleeping pattern."
Alice scoffed. "Really, Owls go to sleep whenever they want to, they don't go to sleep at an exact time..."
The newscaster allowed himself a grin. "Most mysterious. And now, over to Jim McGuffin with the weather. Going to be any more showers of owls tonight, Jim?"
Sirius gasped suddenly. "Jim's here? And me with no makeup on." Sirius said, putting a hand to his cheek dramatically, making everyone else in the room laugh, chuckle, or chortle.
"Well, Ted," said the weatherman, "I don't know about that, but it's not only the owls that have been acting oddly as far apart as Kent, Yorkshire, and Dundee have been phoning in to tell me that instead of the rain I promised yesterday, they've had a downpour of shooting stars!"
Everyone in the room laughed a little bit, it was almost certain that this was Dedalus Diggle.
"Perhaps people have been celebrating Bonfire Night early— it's not until next week, folks! But I can promise a wet night tonight."
Sirius interrupted Lily, saying, "What relevance does this part have to the story, anyways?" but he got a glare from Lily as his answer.
"Haha, tough luck, Padfoot!" James said, slapping Sirius on the back.
Mr. Dursley sat frozen in his armchair. Shooting stars all over Britain? Owls flying by daylight? Mysterious people in cloaks all over the place? And a whisper, a whisper about the Potters...
Mrs. Dursley came into the living room carrying two cups of tea. It was no good. He'd have to say something to her. He cleared his throat nervously.
"Er—Petunia, dear—"
Lily grimaced. So it was Tuney...
"You haven't heard from your sister lately, have you?"
As he had expected, Mrs. Dursley looked shocked and angry. After all, they normally pretended she didn't have a sister.
James, Sirius, and even Remus growled; if anyone had to pretend that they didn't have a sister, it should of been Lily, after all, what Lily had told them about her sister, wasn't really nice...
"No," she said sharply. "Why?"
"Funny stuff on the news," Mr. Dursley mumbled. "Owls...shooting stars...and there were a lot of funny-looking people in town today..."
"Oh, well of course, after all, all wizards wear funny clothing, after all, think of what we are." Alice hissed.
"Love, calm down." Frank said calmly.
Alice started to take deep breaths as Lily looked at Alice; who was still sitting next to her, in concern, before she started reading where she left off.
"So?" Snapped Mrs. Dursley.
"Well, I just thought...maybe...it was something to do with...you know...hercrowd."
All of the men growled this time; even Frank and Remus, who were usually down-to-earth.
They could only take so much before they went to go and do something they would regret.
Mrs. Dursley sipped her tea through pursed lips. Mr. Dursley wondered whether he dared tell her he'd heard the name "Potter." He decided he didn't care. Instead he said, as casually as he could, "Their son — he'd be about Dudley's age now, wouldn't he?"
"I suppose so," said Mrs. Dursley stiffly.
"What's his name again? Howard isn't it?"
"Harry. Nasty, common name, if you ask me."
"Well, I think it's a wonderful name." Lily said to the book.
"I agree," said James, Sirius, Remus, Frank, and Alice all together, ignoring the fact that Lily was now speaking to the book.
"Oh, yes," said Mr. Dursley, his heart sinking horribly. "Yes, I quite agree."
He didn't say another word as the subject as they went upstairs to bed. While Mrs. Dursley was in the bathroom, Mr. Dursley crept to the bedroom window and peered down into the front garden. The cat was still there.("HA!" James and Sirius laughed.)It was staring down Privet Drive as though it were wasiting for something.
"I wonder..." Lily said thoughtfully, putting a hand up to her chin.
Was he imagining things? Could all this have anything to do with the Potters? If it did...if it got out that they were related to a pair of— well, he didn't think he could bear it.
"I think it would be us who would be more embarrassed..." Sirius said, moodily.
"Calm down Sirius. She is still my sister, whether you like it, or not." Lily said, sternly.
"Lil's-" Sirius said, only to get cut off.
"Just forget about it." Lily said, the book getting her attention once again.
The Dursleys got into bed.
"Ewww..." Sirius and Jmes said, mentally scared from that picture they got in their minds.
"Oh, be quiet you two." Lily said, knowing what was really coming next.
Alice, Frank, and Remus chuckled a little bit before Lily started reading again.
Mrs. Dursley fell asleep quickly but Mr. Dursley lay awake, turning it all over in his mind. His last, comforting thought before he fell asleep was that even if the Potterswereinvolved, there was no reason for them to come near him and Mrs. Dursley.
"Like we would even want to come near them." James scoffed quietly. Sure he was fine with muggles, it's just that these ones were trash for insulting Lily.
The Potters knew very well what he and Petunia thought about them and their kind...
Lily frowned. She still didn't understand why Tunie didn't like her anymore...
He couldn't see how he and Petunia could get mixed up in anything that might be going on— he yawed and turned over— it couldn't affectthem...
How very wrong he was.
"Oh dear... I wonder what happened..." Lily said cautiously.
"Wait, Lils', are you talking about Dursley-."
"No, of course not!" Lily said, waving a suddenly free hand. "I mean, I wonder why if it is following Petunia and her... husband, when this is a story about our son..."
"So, you thought the same thing..." said Remus, putting a hand to his mouth.
"I thought the same thing too..." Frank said, thoughtfully.
"...You don't think something happened, right?" said Lily, fearfully.
Remus nor Frank answered, after all, they weren't the one with the book...
Lily sighed and caught James' fearful eye. He, Sirius, and Alice all had the same expression of fear on their face, she really couldn't stand seeing those close to her wear fearful expressions like that...
She cleared her throat before she continued reading again, instantly catching everyone's attention.
Mr. Dursley might have been drifting into an uneasy sleep, but the cat on the wall outside was showing no sign of sleepiness.(Sirius and James started to laugh a muffled laugh, and Remus smiled a almost invisible smile; it was incredible how McGonagall could could stay like that for hours...)It was sitting as still as a statue, its eyes fixed unblinkingly on the far corner of Privet Drive. It didn't so much as quiver when a car door slammed on the next street, nor when two owls swooped overhead.
"Of course she wouldn't react that way." Remus whispered too the two sitting next too him.
"What an odd kitty..." Lily said, which made all of the marauders go into a fit of muffled laughter, which was starting to bug both Alice and Lily.
"Okay, I'll ask, what's so funny with you three?" Alice asked her eyebrows furrowing.
"Er..." James said, knowing that it would be smarter if he hadn't lied to two pregnant woman... But luckily, he had Moony with him...
"Well, you see, it just brings a memory from the past up that you may not understand." Remus said, smiling gently.
"I'm sure that we will understand." Alice said, pouting slightly.
"Okay if you insist. One day a few months ago a cat passed the four of us and hissed at Padfoot and Wormtail. James and I found it funny, so it became an inside joke between the four of us." Remus said, coming up with the lie at the top of is head, making Sirius and James inwardly sigh in relief, they were so lucky to have a great friend like Remus.
Lily's eyes squinted but she believed it. "Fine. I'll believe you this time. And speaking of Peter, where is he."
"No clue," James said, messing his hair up with his hand. "We haven't seen him in a few days. He said that he had to see his mum, since she was sick, but when we called his mum to wish her well, she had said that he hadn't been home in weeks... We're worried about him, but we know that he can take care of himself now."
Frank didn't say anything, but he couldn't help but think that this was very suspicious... It may just be his Auror instincts acting against him, but he didn't know... It seemed like a gut feeling...
It fact, it was nearly midnight before the cat moved at all.
A man appeared on the corner the cat had been watching, appeared so suddenly and silently you'd have thought he'd just popped out of the ground. The cat's tail twitched and it's eyes narrowed.
James managed to grimace this time around. He had gotten that same look from McGonagall a few times, no matter how she usually treated him.
Nothing like this man had ever been seen on Privet Drive. He was tall, thin, and very old, judging by the silver of his hair and beard, which were both long enough to tuck into his belt.
"W, wait. Why is Professor Dumbledore there?" Lily asked the book.
"Lily, your talking to the book again..." Sirius said, innocently.
"Oh be quite, Sirius!" Lily exclaimed, making Remus and James laugh at the incredulous look on SIrius' face, while Frank and Alice shook their heads with small smiles on their faces.
He was wearing long robes, a purple cloak that swept the ground, and high-heeled, buckled boots. His blue eyes were light, bright, and sparking behind half-moon spectacles and his nose was veyr long and crooked, as though it had been broken at least twice. This man's name was Albus Dumbledore.
"But... Why is Professor Dumbeldore there..." Remus asked himself. He was hoping that nothing bad happened, but he couldn't be sure himself...
Albus Dumbledore didn't seem to realize that he had just arrived in a street where everything from his name to his boots was unwelcome.
Alice Tsk'ed. If only these people would've known how many people would've broken their backs just to meet Dumbledore...
He was busy rummaging in his cloak, looking for something. But he did seem to realize he was being watched, because he looked up suddenly at the cat, which was still staring at him from the other end of the street. For some reason, the sight of the cat seemed to amuse him. He chuckled and muttered, "I should have known."
"Should of known what?" Frank asked himself.
He found what he was looking for in his inside pocket. It seemed to be a silver cigarette lighter. He flicked it open, help it up in the air, and clicked it. The nearest street lamp went out with a little pop. He clicked it again — the next lamp flickered into darkness.
"That's bloody cool!" Sirius said to James. "I want one of those."
"Same." James said smiling.
Twelve times be clicked the Put-Outer, until the only lights left on the whole street were two tiny pinpricks in the distance, which were the eyes of the cat watching him. If anyone looked out of their window now, even beady-eyed Mrs. Dursley, they wouldn't be able to see anything that was happening down on the pavement.
"Wow... It must of really been dark..." Said Lily, getting odd looks from the men in the room. "Well, you see, Petunia has always had a...eye for things. She would always catch anything fun that I did — with magic espically."
"Ugh... I'm sorry Lil's..." Sirius said, thankful that he didn't have a sibling like that...
"Yeah... That must've been horrible..." Alice said, bringing a hand too her cheek.
"Its alright. It wasn't bad all of the time." Lily said dismissivly.
Dumbledore slipped the Put-Outer back inside his cloak and set off down the street toward number four, where he sat down on the wall next to the cat. He didn't look at it, but after a moment he spoke to it.
Lily looked at the book with her eyebrows raised as she read ahead.
"What is it Lily?" Frank asked, while Alice looked in confusion, and the Marauders started laughing.
She shook her head and continued read, a small smile on her face.
"Fancy seeing you here, Professor McGonagall."
Frank and Alice blinked in shock, while James, Sirius, and Remus laughed.
"P-Professor McGonagall? How can he tell?" Alice asked, her eyes widening.
"She's an Animagus?" Frank said, blinking.
"Yup. She can turn into a cat." Remus said nodding.
"How did you three find out?" Lily said suspiciously.
Sirius and James looked at Remus for an answer.
"We caught her changing forms one day, she had no choice but too tell us." Remus said, only half telling the truth, but after all, Lily, Alice, and Frank knew that Remus was a werewolf, but not that the others were illegal Animagi; well, it was possible James told Lily, but not even Remus could be sure.
Lily furrowed her eyebrows and looked at the three marauders before continuing to read.
He turned to smile at the tabby, but it had gone.
"Wait, what?" Frank asked confused.
"She probably switched into her human form..." Alice said to her husband.
Instead he was smiling at a rather severe-looking woman who was wearing square glasses exactly the shape of the markings the cat had had around its eyes.
James snorted. "That explains her somewhat."
She, too, was wearing a cloak, an emerald one. Her black hair was drawn into a tight bun. She looked distinctly ruffled.
James started laughing. Even though he liked Professor McGonagall, it was hilarious when she got like that.
"How did you know it was me?" she asked.
"My dear Professor, I've never seen a cat sit so stiffly."
Everyone in the room started to laugh at this. They could picture Dumbledore saying something like that, but it sounded even more silly when Lily said it.
"You'd be stiff if you'd been sitting on a brick wall all day," said Professor McGonagall.
"All day? When you could have been celebrating? I must have passed a dozen feasts and parties on my way here."
"I think I would be celebrating too. After all, he's been tormenting us for a long while now..." Alice said, looking down.
Lily gave Alice a small smile before reading again.
"Oh yes, everyone's celebrating, all right," she said impatiently. "You'd think they'd be a bit more careful, but no — even the Muggles have noticed something's going on. It was on their news." She jerked her head back at the Dursleys' dark living-room window.
"They really should be a bit more careful..." Lily said, shaking her head.
"Oh, come on, Lily! What's life without a some risks." Sirius said, smiling at Lily.
"Sirius has a point their Lily," Frank said, smiling sheepishly at Lily who glared at him. Lily started to growl, while James and Sirius smirked at Frank's misfortune.
"I heard it. Flocks of owls...shooting stars... Well, they're not completely stupid. They were bound to notice something. Shooting stars down in Kent — I'll bet that was Dedalus Diggle."
Everyone chuckled, so they were right.
"You can't blame them," said Dumbledore gently. "We've had precious little to celebrate for eleven years."
"Remus," Lily started, "When did the war first start?"
"Hm," Remus said thoughtfully. "About ten years now."
Lily then felt a pang of worry. So this was going to occur in the next year or so.
"I know that," said Professor McGonagall irritably. "But that's no reason to lose our heads. People are being downright careless, out on the streets in broad daylight, not even dressed in Muggle clothes, swapping rumors."
"She does have a point, but I know that Professor McGonagall would probably be celebrating too." Alice said smiling.
"Yeah, she would be. She would probably get drunk!" James laughed; it was really entertaining when McGonagall got drunk.
She threw a sharp, sideways glance at Dumbledore here, as though hoping he was going to tell her something, but he didn't, so she went on. "A fine thing it would be if, on the very day You-Know-Who seems to have disappeared at last, the Muggles found out about us all.
"That would sure be something. I can see the Daily Profit now, 'Dark Wizard defeated! Muggles' find out the truth!' really." Sirius said laughing.
James, Alice, and Frank started chuckling, while Remus and Lily looked at them sternly.
Lily sighed and shook her head; it wouldn't be worth it to yell at them really, she would only be working herself up.
I suppose he really has gone, Dumbledore?"
"It certainly seems so," said Dumbledore. "We have much to be thankful for. Would you care for a lemon drop?"
"What in the bloody hell is a lemon drop?" asked Sirius, his face scrunched up.
Lily sighed. "It's a muggle candy. It's quite good."
"Awhat?
"Lily, why are you repeating Sirius?" James said, jokingly.
Lily huffed and shook her head. She opened her mouth to answer, but Remus beat her to the punch.
"I was McGonagall saying that, James. Lily wasn't repeating Sirius." Remus said, smiling at his friend.
Lily smiled; she was really glad that Remus was smart, and continued to read.
"A lemon drop. They're a kind of Muggle sweet I'm rather fond of."
"No, thank you," said Professor McGonagall coldly, as though she didn't think this was the moment for lemon drops.
Alice snorted lightly; that wouldn't of stopped Professor Dumbledore.
"as I say, even if You-Know-Who has gone—"
"My dear Professor, surely a sensible person like yourself can call him by his name? All this 'You-Know-Who' nonsense— for eleen years I have been trying to persuade people to all him by his prober name:Voldemort."Professor McGonagall flinched, but Dumbledore, who was unsticking two lemon drops, seemed not to notice.
The people in the room had a reaction closer to Dumbledore's, without the candy part.
"It all gets so confusing if we keep saying 'You-Know-Who.' I have never seen any reason to be frightened of saying Voldemort's name."
"He does have a good point." Frank said to himself.
"I know you haven't," said Professor McGonagall, sounding half exasperated, half admiring. "But you're different. Everyone knows you're the only one You-Know- oh, all right, Voldemort, was frightened of."
"That is a surprising thing if Dumbledore can get McGonagall to say his name." Sirius mumbled to James; both knowing that McGonagall would neversay Voldemort's name, ever.
"I know." James mumbled back.
"You flatter me," said Dumbledore calmly. "Voldemort had powers I will never have."
"Dumbledore is way more powerful than Voldemort, Voldemort is just a coward who gave into the darkness." said Remus running a hand through his light brown hair.
"I agree with you completely." Lily said, nodding at Remus before she began to read again.
"Only because you're too— well—nobleto use them."
"It's lucky it's dark. I haven't blushed so much since Madam Pomfrey told me she liked my new earmuffs."
Alice blinked. "Really?"
"...Apparently." Lily blanched.
Professor McGonagall shot a sharp look at Dumbledore and said, "The owls are nothing next to the rumors that are flying around."
"What rumors?" James interrupted.
"Shhh." Alice said, bringing a finger to her lips. "Continue Lily."
"You know what everyone's saying? About why he's disappeared? About what finally stopped him?"
"...What?" Sirius asked once Lily paused reading.
"Nothing. Never mind." Lily said, shaking her head.
"Lil's-" James said, getting cut off by Lily who started to read again.
It seemed that Professor McGonagall had reached the point she was most anxious to discuss, the real reason she had been waiting on cold, hard wall all day, for neither as a cat nor as a woman had she fixed Dumbledore with such a piercing stare as she did now. It was plain that whatever "everyone" was saying, she was not going to believe it until Dumbledore told her it was true.
The air got tense as Lily turned the page. What could this possibly mean...?
Remus had a clue, but he didn't want to say...
Lily bit her lip and read forward.
She gasped when she read what was next.
"Lily?" James asked, concerned for his wife.
Lily tried to push back the tears that were gathering in her eyes, shaking her head.
She began to read again in a shaky voice.
"What they're saying," she pressed on, "is that last night Voldemort turned up in Godric's Hollow."
"Oh no," Alice said, gasping.
Sirius shook his head. They would be alright. They already escaped him three times. They'll be alright... He thought to himself.
"He went to find the Potters. The rumor is that Lily and James are— are— that they're—dead."
The room fell into an eerie silence as Alice was the first one to break into tears, while Lily started shaking and tears gathered into her eyes.
Alice couldn't believe it. Lily; her closest friend, and James, - oh no. Her body soon started to tremble and Frank went to go grab her and shift her onto the couch he was sitting on, embracing her like a child who was crying, despite how defeated he was feeling on the inside.
Lily started to cry, and tears started to fall on the words of the book, oddly sucking into the paper. She put her head in the crook of James neck, who moved to comfort her, wiping his own forming tears out of his eyes, he wouldn't be able to see his son grow up but, he... he would be leaving all of his loved ones... He couldn't stop the tears as he dub his own face into Lily's hair.
Sirius started shaking. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. This couldn't be happening. It couldn't! But... Wait... Something hit him. If this was a story about their son... He... He survived?
Remus started to shake in anger and sadness, and was the very first one to break the silence.
"DAMN IT!" He yelled, surprising everyone. After all, Remus was the calm, quiet, and sensible one of the marauders.
"Remus..." James said, looking at his friend from Lily's hair. From all of the years he's known the werewolf, he had only seen his temper break once.
"It's... It's not fair!" His own tears falling from his eyes as he walked out of the room.
"Remus..." James said, looking at the door to Lily, who nodded, signaling for him to go talk to Remus.
James untangled his arms from Lily's and went to go to talk to Remus, pulling Sirius up in the process, who was still think about how this could happen.
While James left, Alice removed her arms from Frank's torso, and went to go hug Lily, while Frank looked at them, and moved to place a hand on each of the women's heads from behind the couch.
"Remus." James said, finding his friend outside of his house.
Remus stayed quite and Sirius placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Mate..." was all he said.
"There's got to be another explanation to everything." James said, placing a hand on his friends other shoulder.
Remus stayed quiet and watched as snow fell in the early night air, and children played in the snowy grounds of Godric's Hollow.
"...Fine..." He said, letting James and Sirius pull him inside of the warm house.
When they came back into the room, and saw that both Lily and Alice were wiping their eyes on napkins, while Frank was standing at the end on the love-seat that they were sitting on, watching over the women.
All of their heads shot up as James, Sirius, and Remus entered the room.
Lily got up and hugged Remus, who hugged her back.
"Are you okay?" She said lowly to him.
"I'll... I'll manage." He said, patting her on the back.
She gave him a reassuring smile and went to sit next to Alice and Frank on the couch across from James, Sirius and Remus.
"Um, should we continue reading now?" She said hesitantly.
"Yeah, go ahead." Frank said, smiling a reassuring smile at Lily.
She nodded and picked up the book and began to read, once again.
Dumbledore bowed his head. Professor McGonagall gasped.
"Lily and James... I can't believe it... I didn't want to believe it... Oh Albus..."
Dumbledore reached out and patted her on the shoulder. "I know... I know..." he said heavily.
Professor McGonagall's voice trembled as she went on.
Lily's did the same.
"That's not all. They're saying that he tried to kill the Potter's son, Harry."
A tremble went through the room.
"Oh dear..." Alice mumbled to herself. It was hard for her to hear all of this, but imagine Lily's pain? Reading about their demise on Voldemort's hand... It would be to hard to bear if it was her.
"But — he couldn't He couldn't kill that little boy. No one knows why, or how, but they're saying that when he couldn't kill Harry Potter, Voldemort's power somehow broke— and that's why he's gone."
Another shocked silence filled the room, but this time, it was in awe.
"R, Really?" James chocked out. His son... His son who was a baby at the time, killed Voldemort?
Remus' jaw fell slack. This was unbelievable.
Lily's eyebrows were raised to her hair-line. As she placed a hand on her stomach, where her son — her son who killed bloody Voldemort —was currently residing, and said, "Wow..."
Dumbledore nodded glumly.
"It's — it'strue?" faltered Professor McGonagall. "After all he's done... all the people he's killed... he couldn't kill a little boy?"
"There is nothing wrong with that." Lily sniffed.
"No there is not." James nodded, reaching over to rub Lily's hand. "It is a good thing that he survived."
"It's just astounding... of all the things to stop him... but how in the name of heaven did Harry survive."
"It is a pretty astounding thing." Remus said. "After all... He is only a baby when this takes place..."
The others all agreed with him.
"We can only guess," said Dumbledore. "We may never know."
Professor McGonagall pulled out a lace handkerchief and dabbed her eyes beneath her spectacles. Dumbledore gave a great sniff as he took a golden watch from his pocket and examined it. It was a very odd watch. It had twelve hands but no numbers; instead, little planets were moving around the edge.
"Sounds like a normal watch..." Sirius said
"Well, in the Muggle world, a watch has two hands, and twelve numbers. And no planets on it." Lily explained.
"Sounds boring..." Sirius said, pouting.
Lily shrugged and continued to read.
It must have made sense to Dumbledore, though, because he put it back in his pocket and said, "Hagrid's late. I suppose it was he who told you I'd be here, by the way?"
"Yes," said Professor McGonagall. "And I don't suppose you're going to tell me why you're here, of all places?"
"I've come to bring Harry to his aunt and uncle. They're the only family he has left now."
"WHAT!" shrieked Lily, even if she read ahead. She would never, ever, ever, want her son to live with Petunia. Even if she was his aunt, she wouldn't ever give her son to her.
"Lily, calm down." James said stupidly; he should of known that it would only get a woman angrier if the said that, even if he didn't want his son to go to Lily's sister... No offence to Lily though.
"Don't ever tell me that again." Lily growled, making James recoil.
Sirius growled to himself. Why the hell wasn't Harry with him? He was probably his godfather. And if not him, Remus would do. Peter might not of done as well as both Sirius and Remus, but he would still be better than Lily's sister... Hell! Even Snivellus would be better! ...He would never admit it though.
"You don't mean — youcan'tmean the people who livehere?" cried Professor McGonagall, jumping to her feet and pointing at number four. "Dumbledore — you can't. I've been watching them all couldn't find two people who are less like us. And they've got this son— I saw him kicking his mother all the way up the street, screaming for sweets."
"Once again, lovely child." Sirius said.
James laughed, feeling better, since he had hope that Professor McGonagall would snap Dumbledore out of it.
"Harry Potter can't come live here!"
"It's the best place for him."
James and Sirius snorted. They could name a few better people off of the bat. James knew that Sirius would be perfect, if not, Remus would be in charge of Harry. Sirius knew if it weren't him or Remus, hell! Andromeda would probably take him in! (*) Or the Weasleys, Molly really was a saint, and they she was pregnant with a child that was going to be the same age as Harry, or so she says... But damn... not them...
said Dumbledore firmly. "His aunt and uncle will be able to explain everything when he's older. I've written a letter.
It was Lily's turn to snort. Petunia hated magic. She would never tell Harry that he was a wizard... And a letter from Dumbledore wouldn't be able to stop that.
"A letter?" repeated Professor McGonagall faintly, sitting back down on the wall. "Really, Dumbledore, you think you can explain all this in a letter? These people will never understand him! He'll be famous — a legend — I wouldn't be surprised if today was known as Harry Potter day in the future — there will be books written about Harry — every child in our world will know his name!"
James was in awe — his son — a legend.
The others were in awe to. But this fame... It was at a horrible price.
"Exactly," said Dumbledore, looking very seriously over the top of his half-moon glasses. "It would be enough to turn any boy's head. Famous before he can walk and talk! Famous for something he won't even remember! Can't you see how much better off he'll be, growing up away from all that until he's ready to take it?"
Lily grimaced. She knew what Professor Dumbledore meant, but she still didn't want her baby to live with Petunia…
Professor McGonagall opened her mouth, changed her mind, swallowed, and then said, "Yes — yes, you're right, of course."
"WHAT!" James yelled, jumping up. "NO! I thought McGonagall would snap him out of it!"
Sirius huffed, he felt the same.
Remus bit his lip. Even if he didn't want James' son to live with Lily's sister, Dumbledore did have a point…
"I think that Dumbledore may have a point," Frank said bravely, raising his hands in defense when James, Sirius, and even Alice shot a glare at him. "Don't look at me like that. I mean; even though he has a point, I don't think that he should have been placed in their care."
Lily and Remus nodded, agreeing with the Frank completely, before Lily resumed reading.
"But how is the boy getting here, Dumbledore?" She eyed his cloak suddenly as though she thought he might be hiding Harry underneath it.
James and Sirius laughed. That would be priceless.
"Hagrid's bringing him."
Lily blinked as she read that sentence. But then she smiled, Hagrid was a perfect choice. After all, he was such a nice person.
"I think that is a great choice." Alice said, not knowing that Lily was thinking the same thing, after all, everyone in the whole room loved Hagrid. He was amazing.
"You think it — wise — to trust Hagrid with something as important as this?"
"Yes." Sirius said in a mystic tone, as if trying to imitate Dumbledore, failing at this attempt.
"I would trust Hagrid with my life," said Dumbledore.
Lily nodded, as would she. And she wasn't hesitant to say that she would trust her son's life with him as well.
"I'm not saying that his heart isn't in the right place," said Professor McGonagall grudgingly, "but you can't pretend he's not careless. He does to — what was that?"
A low rumbling sound had broken the silence around them. It grew steadily louder as they looked up and down the street some sign of a headlight; it swelled to a roar as they both looked up at the sky — and a huge motorcycle fell out of the air and landed on the road in front of them.
Sirius was beaming; Remus even thought that he would start squealing in joy.
"YEAH!" Sirius said, happy that he would probably be mentioned here, or he would be making an appearance.
Lily started to laugh and shake her head, Sirius got excited easily.
If the motorcycle was huge, it was nothing to the man sitting astride it. He was almost twice as tall as a normal man and at least five times as wide. He looked simply too big to be allowed, and so wild —"
James snorted, it sounded funny when Lily said the last part.
"—long tangles of bush black hair and beard hid most of his face, he had hands the size of trash can lids, and his feet in their leather boots were like baby dolphins.
The others laughed, while Lily shook her head. That was a… oddly fitting description…
When the others calmed down, she began to read again.
In his vast, muscular arms he was holding a bundle of blankets.
"Aww…." Alice and Lily cooed.
"Hagrid," said Dumbledore, sounding relieved. "At last. And where did you get that motorcycle?"
Sirius opened his mouth to speak, but Lily gave him a warning glance which made him close his mouth with a little, 'pop!'
"Borrowed it, Professor Dumbledore, sir," said the giant, climbing carefully off the motorcycle as he spoke. "Young Sirius Black lent it to me. I've got him, sir."
Sirius beamed, he was mentioned! Hopefully he would come and save Harry…
"No problems, were there?"
"No, sir — house was almost destroyed"
Everyone flinched. A reminder…. Great…
"but I got him out all right before the Muggles started swarmin' around. He fell asleep as we was flyin' over Bristol."
"Aww," Lily and Alice cooed again. They had both ridden on the motorcycle one time or another; it was hard to even ride on it.
Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall bent forward over the bundle of blankets. Inside, just visible, was a baby boy, fast asleep. Under a tuft of jet-black hair over his forehead they could see a curiously shaped cut, like a blot of lightning.
Everyone smiled when they heard that Harry had inherited James' black hair, but they all got confused as soon as lily read the very last part of the sentence.
"What?" Sirius said confused. He had never heard of a scar like that before.
"I…I don't know…" Lily answered, looking up at Sirius in confusion.
James bit his lip; he had a bad feeling about this.
"Is that where —?" whispered Professor McGonagall.
"Yes," said Dumbledore. "He'll have that scar forever."
"Can't Dumbledore do something about it?" Alice said, a hand to her cheek.
Lily giggled, getting questioning looks from the others.
"Nothing, it's just…" She trailed off, looking at the book again.
"Even if I could, I wouldn't. Scars can come in handy. I have one myself that is right above my left knee that is a perfect map of London Underground."
Everyone blinked.
"Really?" Sirius asked, cocking his head to the side.
"Who knows" Frank answered, just as uncertain as the others.
"Well — give him here, Hagrid — we'd better get this over with."
Lily growled lowly in her throat, 'get it over with' he says… She knew that he probably didn't want it too be harder for them, but still.
Dumbledore took Harry in his arms and turned toward the Dursleys' house.
"Could I — could I say good-bye to him, sir?" asked Hagrid. He bent his great, shaggy head over Harry and gave him what must have been a very scratchy, whickery kiss. Then, suddenly, Hagrid let out a howl like a wounded dog.
Alice sighed, shaking her head; Hagrid was so sensitive, but that was one of the great things about him.
"Shhh!" hissed Professor NcGonagall, "you'll wake up the muggles!"
"...aren't they going to wake them up anyways?" Sirius asked, cocking his head too the side.
"I am guessing so. I don't see McGonagall's logic in that..." James answered.
Lily watched this exchange, curiosity bubbling inside of her.
"S-s-sorry," sobbed Hagrid, taking out a large, spotted handkerchief and burying his face in it. "But I c-c-can't stand it — Lily an' James dead — an' poor little Harry off ter live with Muggles —"
Lily read this sadly, she knew how much Hagrid cared for her and James and the others; it must've been hard for him also.
"Yes, yes, it's all very sad, but get a grip on yourself Hagrid, or we'll be found," Professor McGonagall whispered, patting Hagrid gingerly on the arm as Dumbledore stepped over the low garden wall and walked to the front door. He laid Harry gently on the doorstep, took a letter out of his cloak, tucked it inside Harry's blankets, and then came back to the other two.
Lily read this through her teeth. He was going to leave her son on the doorstep! He could of gotten Hypothermia! Wolves could've gotten him! So many things went through her head as she feared for her son.
James growled lowly in his throat; Dumbledore has more sence than too put a baby — his son no less — on a doorstep in London!
For a full minute the three of them stood and looked at the little bundle; Hagrid's shoulders shook, Professor McGonagall blinked furiously, and the twinkling light that usually shone in Dumbledore's eyes seemed to have gone out.
Remus blinked, he had only seen the twinkle that was in Dumbledore's eyes go out, only a number of times.
"Well," said Dumbledore finally, "That's that. We've no business staying here. We may as well go and join the celebrations."
"Oh, he leave's my son on the doorstep, then he goes to celebrate." Lily grummbled, she was not please with Dumbledore currently.
"Yeah," said Hagrid in a very muffled voice, "I'll be takin' Sirius his bike back. G'night, Professor McGonagall — Professor Dumbledore, sir."
Sirius started to wonder aimlessly. 'I wonder if I get it back...' He knew he probably would, but he couldn't help but have a bad feeling about this whole thing.
Wiping his streaming eyes on his jacket sleeve, Hagrid swung himself onto the motorcycle and kicked the engine into life; with a roar it rose into the air and kicked off into the night.
"I shall see you soon, I expect, Professor McGonagall," said Dumbledore, nodding to her. Professor McGonagall blew her nose in reply.
James couldn't help but feel touched that McGonagall was crying over them and their son.
Dumbledore turned and walked back down the street. On the corner he stopped and took out the silver Put-Outer. He clicked it once, and twelve balls of light sped back to their street lamps so that Privet Drive glowed suddenly orange and he could make out a tabby cat slinking around the corner at the other end of the street. He could just see the bundle of blankets on the step of the number four.
"Good luck, Harry," he murmured, He turned on his heel and with a switch of his cloak, he was gone.
Alice huffed. Who in their right mind would of left a child on a doorstep, and just left to celebrate?
Frank couldn't help but agree.
A breeze ruffled the neat hedges of Privet Drive, which lay silent and tidy under the inky sky, the very last place you would expect astonishing things to happen. Harry Potter rolled over inside his blankets without waking up.
James sighed in relief; he feared that his son would fall off of the doorstep.
One small hand closed on the letter beside him and he slept on, not knowing that he would be woken in a few hours' time by Mrs. Dursley's scream as she opened the door to put out the milk bottles,
"Muggle's put their milk outside? Why?" Sirius asked Lily.
"Because in the Muggle world, they have people that collect bottles and fill them up with milk, their called milk-men.
"Oh," Sirius said, feeling a tad stupid.
nor that he would be spending the next few weeks being prodded and pinched by his cousin Duddley...
"Brat." James muttered under his breath.
He couldn't know that at this very moment, people meeting in secret all over the country were holding up their glasses and saying in hushed voices: "To Harry Potter — the boy who lived!"
"That's the end of the chapter." Lily said, staring at the rest of the page, which was blank.
"...Shall we read on?" Remus asked.
"I think we should." Frank said, nodding.
"Who wants too read next?" Lily asked; she needed to soak up all of this information still.
"I will." James said, leaning in, to take the book out of his wife's hands.
"James," Remus said, shocked. "Reading a book?"
"Oh, be quite, Moony." He said, fliping to the next page, and nect chapter.
A/N: Haha, awesome, I got it finished! I've been working on it for like, over a month... Oops.
Anyways, Merry Christmas to everyone reading this, I hope that you all have a nice Christmas today, and you all enjoyed this. I have to go get ready to go to my Aunt's now, so bye-bye!
Review, please!
~Hugs and Kisses~
-UsagiPyon60. (12-25-10)