So this is another one of those the Marauders reads the books thing, but it's how I think it should go. Anyway on with the story!
Lilly- aren't you forgetting something.
Me- no what do you mean?
Lilly- the disclaimer!
Me- do I have to?
Lilly- *Glare of death*
Me- Fine! I don't own Harry Potter only my own character, who you might meet later.
James, Remus, Sirius, and Lily were spread across the couches in the Gryffindor common room.
"James, how many days till the next Quidditch game?" Sirius said pulling himself up into a sitting position.
"Uhhhhh, I think in two weeks were playing Ravenclaw." James responded.
All thoughts of Quidditch were soon forgotten as piece of parchment floated down from nowhere and landed on James's face.
"What the h-"
"James language!" Lily interrupted before he said much.
"What does it say?" Sirius said practically jumping.
"Well it says," James picked up the note, "Dear James, Lilly, Sirius, and Remus. I have decided that the future has to many unnecessary deaths. So I would like for you to collect Nymphadora Tonks, Molly Prewett, and Arthur Weasly, and to go to the room of requirement. There will be instructions there.
~ Luthien"
"So are we going to go?" Of course it was Sirius who said this.
"Well if the future is as bad as it sounds maybe this will help us change it." Remus said trying to sound convincing.
So they set off to find Tonks (She'll be called Tonks from now on.), Molly, and Arthur.
In the Room of Requirement…
The room looked much like the Gryffindor common room. There was a fireplace and around it where large red couches and a small coffee table.
On the coffee table where seven books and a piece of parchment.
"Dear James, Lilly, Sirius, Remus, Molly, Arthur, and Tonks.
To find out about the future you will read all seven of these books. I have enchanted the room so that time outside will stop until your done. When you need to sleep two rooms will appear one for the boys and one for the girls. Anything you need all you have to do is ask, within reason of course. More people may join you later but for now the reading order is Remus, Molly, Arthur, Tonks, Sirius, James, then Lilly. Oh and you may get angry at each other later on, Please do refrain from killing each other. That would mean a lot of paperwork on my part.
~Luthien"
"Okay well that seems simple enough read the books and the change the future." Sirius said.
"Okay then I guess we should start." Remus said sitting down on one of the chairs. The others followed suit and Remus picked up the first book and started reading.
CHAPTER ONE THE BOY WHO LIVED
Mr. and Mrs. Dursley...
"That name sounds familiar," muttered Lily. "Where have I heard the name Dursley before?"
of number four Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much.
"Well that sounds boring." Sirius stated.
They were the last people you'd expect to be involved in anything strange or mysterious, because they just didn't hold with such nonsense.
"Boring!" James and Sirius said in union.
Mr. Dursley was the director of a firm called Grunnings which made drills.
"What are drills?" asked Sirius.
Lily gave him a look. "Honestly, Sirius, you took Muggle Studies. You should know."
"I only took it to annoy my family. I didn't really pay much attention in the class and dropped it this year."
Lily sighed loudly. "Drills are a tool muggles use to make holes."
"Really, weird."
He was a big, beefy man with hardly any neck,
"Lovely." Mumbled Arthur.
although he did have a very large moustache. Mrs. Dursley was thin and blonde and had nearly twice the usual amount of neck, which came in very useful as she spent much of her time craning over garden fences, spying on the neighbors. The Dursley's had a small son called Dudley...
Everyone laughed and James asked, "Poor kid that's the worst name. Who would name their kid Dudley?"
... and in their opinion there was no finer boy anywhere.
The Dursley's had everything they wanted, but they also had a secret, and their greatest fear was that somebody would discover it. They didn't think they could bear it if anyone found out about the Potters.
"Hey!" yelled James. "There's nothing wrong with us Potters!"
Mrs. Potter was Mrs. Dursley's sister,
"WHAT!" James yelled. "I'm related to this woman!"
"Now I remember where I've heard the name Dursley before!" exclaimed Lily." That's the last name of my sister's fiancé, He's a truly awful person."
"Excuse me?" sputtered James. "Your sister's fiancé?"
Lily nodded and Sirius pointed out, "Prongs, that would also mean that you're married to Evans here."
"I am?" asked James. "WHOO-HOO!" Lilly and James had only just become friends after five years of despising each other. Well Lilly despising James and James asking her out.
but they hadn't met for several years: in fact, Mrs. Dursley pretended she didn't have a sister because her sister and her good-for-nothing husband were as unDursleyish...
"That's not a word." Remus said in a sing-song voice.
...as it was possible to be. The Dursley's shuddered to think what the neighbors would say if the Potters arrived in the street. The Dursley's 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.
"Hey!" Exclaimed Lily. "There's nothing wrong with my son!"
"Yeah!" seconded James.
"It's your son who has problems!" Yelled Tonks and Molly.
When Mr. and Mrs. Dursley woke up on the dull, grey 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 and Mrs. Dursley gossiped away happily as she wrestled a screaming Dudley into his high chair.
"Brat." all eight of them eight of them mumbled.
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 goodbye but missed, because Dudley was now having a tantrum and throwing cereal at the walls.
"And you think MY son has a problem," Lilly growled, "Petunia you are dead!"
"Little tyke," chortled Mr. Dursley
"You support that kind of behavior?!" Molly sounded repulsed. Arthur nodded in agreement.
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.
"McGonagall?" Sirius questioned. "What would she be doing there?"
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.
"Wow that's just stupid." Tonks said.
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. 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, looking at the sign; cats couldn't read maps or signs.
"But Animagi can." Sirius said in a sing song voice.
Mr. Dursley gave himself a little shake and put the cat out of his mind. As he drove towards town, he thought of nothing except 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.
"What's so bad about wearing cloaks?" James said.
"Oh I know this, Muggles usually wear pants and shirts." Arthur said eagerly.
Mr. Dursley couldn't bear people who dressed in funny clothes - the get-ups you saw on young people!"
"Why are people being so careless usually we wear muggle clothing when we're out?" Lilly and Remus said thoughtfully.
He supposed this was some stupid new fashion. He drummed his fingers on the steering wheel and his eyes fell on a huddle of these weirdoes 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! 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.
"Want to bet?" muttered Sirius. The others hid smiles.
The traffic moved on, and a few minutes later, Mr. Dursley arrived in the Grunnings car park, 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.
"Why would you want to?" said Tonks.
He didn't see the owls swooping past in broad daylight, though the people down in the street did; they pointed and gazed open-mouthed as owl after owl sped overhead.
"Sound just like owl post to me," commented Tonks.
"Duh!" exclaimed Sirius sarcastically.
"Again people are being very carless." pointed out Lily
Most of them had never seen an owl even at night time.
"Never seen an owl!?" said Sirius
Mr. Dursley, however, had a perfectly normal, owl-free morning. He yelled a five different people. 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 baker's opposite.
"Stupid fat git." James and Lilly said at the same time.
He'd forgotten all about the people in cloaks until he passed a group of them next to the baker's. He eyed them angrily as he passed. He didn't know why, but they made him uneasy. This lot was whispering excitedly, too, and he couldn't see a 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.
"The Potters, that's right, that's what I heard -" "- yes, their son, Harry - "
"Oh I like that name." Lilly said.
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.
He dashed back across the road, hurried up to his office, snapped at his secretary not to disturb him, seized his telephone and had almost finished dialling his home number when he changed his mind. He put the receiver back down and stroked his moustache, thinking...
No, he was being stupid. Potter wasn't such an unusual name.
"Yes it is!" James shouted angrily.
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 nephew was called Harry. He'd never even seen the boy. It might have been Harvey. Or Harold.
"You don't even know your nephews name!" shouted Remus. "Lilly Your Soon-to-be-brother-in-law is a stupid fat ugly git." Everyone moved away from him at this.
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...
"There is nothing wrong with Lilly!" shouted everyone but Lilly.
"Thanks." Lilly said blushing.
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.
"I didn't know that word was in his vocabulary!" shouted Sirius. Everyone laughed at this.
It was a few seconds before Mr. Dursley realized that the man was wearing a violet cloak. He didn't seem at all upset at being almost knocked to the ground. On the contrary, his face split into a wide smile and he said in a squeaky voice-
"That sounds sort of like Flitwick!" exclaimed Sirius. "He's tiny and old, and has a squeaky voice!"
"Maybe," said Remus. "Now please be quiet so I can finish reading, Sirius."
that made passers-by stare: "Don't be sorry my dear sir, for nothing could upset me today! Rejoice, for You-Know-Who has gone at last! Even Muggles like your self should be celebrating this happy, happy day!"
"What!?" screeched Lilly. "Voldemort's gone?"
Lilly, Molly and Tonks started to jump around. James, Sirius, and Remus jumped up and high-fived. Arthur just looked shocked.
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, whatever that was.
He was rattled. He hurried to his car and set off home, hoping he was imagining things, which he had never hoped before, because he didn't approve of imagination.
"You don't approve of imagination?" Tonks and Sirius questioned. "How BORING!"
As he pulled into the driveway at 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.
"Like that's going to do anything!" muttered Sirius.
The cat didn't move. It just gave him a stern look.
"McGonagall." Said Sirius
"How much do you want to bet?" asked James.
Sirius thought for a moment. "Five galleons," he said finally.
Remus shook his head and continued reading.
Was this normal cat behavior, Mr. Dursley wondered?
"Nope." Sung Sirius. Remus glared at him and continued reading.
Trying to pull himself together, he let himself into the house. He was still determined not to mention anything to his wife.
Mrs. Dursley had had a nice, normal day. She told him over dinner all about Mrs. Next Door's problems with her daughter and how Dudley had learnt a new word (Shan't).
"Spoiled prat!" Growled Lilly and James.
Mr. Dursley tried to act normally. 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, there have been hundreds of sightings of these birds flying in every direction since sunrise. Experts are unable to explain why the owls have suddenly changed their sleeping pattern. "The news reader 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?"
"Well, Ted," said the weatherman, "I don't know about that, but it's not only the owls that have been acting oddly today. Viewers as far apart as Kent, Yorkshire and Dundee have been phoning in to tell me that instead of the rain that I promised yesterday, they've had a downpour of shooting stars!
"Wow!" exclaimed James. "We could try that!"
"That sounds like a great idea!" seconded Sirius. "We can do it once school starts again."
Lily looked disproving and Remus shook his head before continuing reading.
Perhaps people have been celebrating Bonfire Night early
"No, just the downfall of Voldemort!" exclaimed Sirius. "A bit better than Bonfire Night!" "Why are you talking to the book?" asked Remus. Sirius shrugged in reply.
- It's not until next week, folks! But I can promise a wet night tonight."
Mr. Dursley sat frozen in his armchair. Shooting stars 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 - you haven't heard from your sister lately, have you?"
As he expected, Mrs. Dursley looked shocked and angry. After all, they normally pretended she didn't have a sister.
"Petunia I'm going to hex you into next week!" Yelled Lilly.
"Wait Lilly," Everyone looked shocked at Sirius, "Let me help."
"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..." "So?" snapped Mrs. Dursley. "Well, I just thought... maybe ... it was something to do with ... you know ... her lot."
"What do you mean by that?" snapped Lily acidly.
"Witches and wizards are much better than people like you!" James added.
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 dare. 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."
"Hey! I like that name!" yelled Lily.
"You can talk you named your son Dudley." Mumbled James. Everyone else nodded in agreement.
Oh, yes," said Mr. Dursley, his heart sinking horribly. "Yes, I quite agree." He didn't say another word on 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. It was staring down Privet Drive as though it was waiting for something. Was he imagining things?
"No you don't approve of imagination, you idiot!" said Remus.
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.
"Being related to wizards is not a disgrace!" shouted James. "But being related to someone like you is!"
The Dursley's got into bed. 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 Potters were involved, there was no reason for them to come near him and Mrs. Dursley. The Potters knew very well what he and Petunia thought about them and their kind ... He couldn't see how he and Petunia could get mixed up in anything that might be going on. He yawned and turned over. It couldn't affect them.
"I wish but I have a feeling it does." Molly said sadly.
How very wrong he was.
Mr. Dursley might have been drifting into an uneasy sleep, but the cat on the wall outside was showing no sign of sleepiness. 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 in the next street, nor when the two owls swooped overhead.
In 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 its eyes narrowed.
Nothing like this man had been seen in 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.
"Sounds like Dumbledore," commented James. "But what would he be doing in Privet Drive?"
"I don't know." Remus said, "but if you let me read we can find out."
He was wearing long robes, a purple cloak which swept the ground and high-heeled, buckled boots. His blue eyes were light, bright and sparkling behind half-moon spectacles and his nose was very long and crooked, as though it had been broken at least twice. This man's name was Albus Dumbledore.
"I knew it!" yelled James, earning a stern look from Lilly and Remus.
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. 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."
He had found what he was looking for in his inside pocket.
It seemed to be a silver cigarette lighter. He flicked it open, held it up in the air and clicked it. The nearest street lamp went out with a little pop.
"Cool!" said Sirius and James at the same time.
Remus rolled his eyes.
He clicked it again - the next lamp flickered into darkness. Twelve times he clicked the Put-Outer, until the only lights left in 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 the beady-eyed Mrs. Dursley, they wouldn't be able to see anything that was happening down on the pavement. Dumbledore slipped the Put-Outer back inside his cloak and set off down the street towards 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. "Fancy seeing you here, Professor McGonagall."
"Yay, I was right!" cheered Sirius. "You owe me five galleons, Prongs! Pay up!"
James, grumbling and swearing under his breath, reached into his pocket and counted out five galleons, which he handed to Sirius.
He turned to smile at the tabby, but it had gone. 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. She, too, was wearing a cloak, an emerald one. Her black hair was drawn into a tight bun. She looked distinctly ruffled.
"McGonagall, ruffled? That's not possible" Said Tonks Matter-of-factly.
"How did you know it was me?" she asked.
"My dear Professor, I've never seen a cat sit so stiffly."
"Still hasn't changed," said Sirius, smiling and shaking his head.
"You'd be stiff too 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."
Professor McGonagall sniffed angrily.
"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 noticed something's going on. It was on their news." She jerked her head back at the Dursleys' dark living-room window. "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. He never had much sense."
"Who's Dedalus Diggle?" asked Sirius.
"Hufflepuff student in the year above us," responded Remus. "Unless there's another wizard with that name."
"You can't blame them," said Dumbledore gently. "We've had precious little to celebrate for eleven years."
"Eleven years!" Everyone screamed. "But that means this takes place in five years!"
"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 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. 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 sherbet lemon?"
Seeing the others' puzzled looks, Lily explained, "It's a Muggle sweet that's lemon-flavored."
"A what?"
"A sherbet lemon. 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 sherbet lemons.
"As I say, even if You-Know-Who has gone -"
"My dear Professor, surely a sensible person like your self can call him by his name? All this 'You-Know-Who' nonsense - for eleven years I have been trying to persuade people to call him by his proper name: Voldemort"
Molly, Arthur, and Tonks flinched but everyone else ignored them.
"Yah!" yelled James.
Professor McGonagall flinched, but Dumbledore, who was un-sticking two sherbet lemons, seemed not to notice.
"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."
"I know you haven't," said Professor McGonagall, sounding half-exasperated, half-admiring. "But you're different. Everyone knows you're the one You-Know - oh, all right, Voldemort -
"Wow," said Sirius. "Dumbledore actually got McGonagall to say the name. And she didn't seem to have problem saying it."
was frightened of."
"You flatter me," said Dumbledore calmly. "Voldemort had powers I will never have."
"Only because you're too - well - noble to use them."
"It's lucky it's dark. I haven't blushed so much since Madam Pomfrey told me she liked my new earmuffs."
"Ugh!" yelled Tonks, "To much information."
Professor McGonagall shot a sharp look at Dumbledore and said, "The owls are nothing to the rumors that are flying around. You know what everyone's saying? About why he's disappeared? About what finally stopped him?" It seemed that Professor McGonagall had reached the point she was most anxious to discuss, the real reason she had been waiting on a 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. Dumbledore, however, was choosing another sherbet lemon and did not answer.
"What they're saying," she pressed on, "is that last night Voldemort turned up in Godric's Hollow. He went to find the Potters. The rumour is that Lily and James Potter
"I don't want to read this anymore." Remus looked sick.
"What's wrong Moony?" James asked.
"Are you sure you want to know?" James nodded
Are - are - that they're - dead.
There was a stunned silence in the room. Lily finally said, "James and I are d-dead?" The others all looked shocked.
"No!" Sirius broke the silence, "We were sent here to change the future. We can save you guys." His voice was breaking, "You can't die."
Molly and Tonks, they all had tears streaming down their cheeks, were hugging Lilly. James stood up and walked over to Lilly putting an arm around her. She cried into his shoulder.
Dumbledore bowed his head. Professor McGonagall gasped.
"Lily and James ... I can't believe it ... I didn't want to believe it ... Oh, Albus ..."
"Aw Minnie cares." Sirius tried to break the tension in the room. James gave him a weak smile.
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. "That's not all. They're saying he tried to kill the Potter's son, Harry.
"WHAT!" Lilly looked furious.
"Calm down Lilly maybe he was stopped." James soothed 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."
Lily and James looked proud at the fact that their son somehow defeated Voldemort, and a bit sad as well.
Dumbledore nodded glumly. "It's - it's true?" faltered Professor McGonagall. "After all he's done ... all the people he's killed ... he couldn't kill a little boy? It's just astounding ...of all the things to stop him ... but how in the name of heaven did Harry survive?"
"I wonder." Remus said thoughtfully.
"We can only guess," said Dumbledore. "We may never know."
"I think Dumbledore knows something." Sirius said.
Professor McGonagall pulled out a lace handkerchief and dabbed at her eyes beneath her spectacles. Dumbledore gave a great sniff as he took out a 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. 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.
"You what?" exclaimed Lily, not believing her ears. "My son is not going to stay with my horrid sister and her husband!"
"Padfoot, promise me you'll be godfather and take care of Harry," said James desperately. "I'll write it in my will."
"Of course, Prongs," answered Sirius. "You don't have to ask."
"And if Padfoot can't take Harry in, Molly, you'll look after Harry, right?" Lilly said desperately.
"Of course I will Lilly anything to keep him from them." Molly said.
Lily smiled and said, "Well, you guys will definitely be better than my sister."
They're the only family he has left now."
You don't mean - you can't mean the people who live here?" cried Professor McGonagall, jumping to her feet and pointing at number four. "Dumbledore - you can't."
"For once in my life, I agree with McGonagall," stated Sirius, looking a little shocked at the fact.
I've been watching them all day. You 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. Harry Potter come and live here!"
"It's the best place for him," said Dumbledore firmly. "His aunt and uncle will be able to explain everything to him when he's older. I've written them a letter."
"Oh, and you think you can explain all this in a letter?" asked James, sarcastically. "They'll never understand him! They're magic-hating Muggles who'll probably take it out on Harry! And their brat of a son will be raised to hate magic and no doubt my son as well."
Lilly just looked furious.
"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!
"Even McGonagall agrees with me!" exclaimed James. "She even used the same words I did! Well, except for the last bit I said."
He'll be famous - a legend - I wouldn't be surprised if today was known as Harry Potter Day in future - there will be books written about Harry - every child in our world will know his name!"
Lily burst into tears. "Our son, famous. And we won't be around to see him grow up. Where are you, Sirius?"
"Maybe I'm going after the Death Eaters who told Voldemort where you are," replied Sirius.
"But where's Molly?" She added
"Maybe in this version of reality you didn't make me God-Mother."
"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?"
"He has a point," said Remus.
"But that doesn't mean Harry should be living with Petunia and her husband!" snapped Lily. "Why can't Sirius or Molly take in Harry and not expose him to people in the wizarding world? That would work just as well.'
Professor McGonagall opened her mouth, changed her mind, swallowed and then said, "Yes - yes, you're right, of course.
"I can't believe it!" exclaimed Sirius. "McGonagall has backed down! She's never done that before."
But how is the boy getting here Dumbledore?"
She eyed his cloak suddenly as though she thought he might be hiding Harry underneath it. "Hagrid's bringing him."
You think it - wise - to trust Hagrid with something as important as this?"
"I would trust Hagrid with my life," said Dumbledore.
"Me too," stated James firmly.
"I'm not saying his heart isn't in the right place," said Professor McGonagall grudgingly, "but you can't pretend he's not careless. He does tend to - what was that?"
"Maybe it's me coming to take Harry away, before you idiots leave him with the Dursleys!" yelled Sirius.
"I hope so!" said Lily and James together.
A low rumbling sound had broken the silence around them. It grew steadily louder as they looked up and down the street for some sign of a headlight; it swelled to a roar as they both looked up at the sky - and a huge motorbike fell out of the air and landed on the road in front of them.
"Cool! I want one." Sirius whined.
If the motorbike 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 - long tangles of bushy black hair and beard hid most of his face, he had hands the size of dustbin lids and his feet in their leather boots were like baby dolphins. In his vast muscular arms he was holding a bundle of blankets.
"Hagrid!" they all said at once.
"Where am I?" Asked Sirius desperately.
"Hagrid," said Dumbledore, sounding relieved. "At last. And where did you get that motorbike?"
"Borrowed it, Professor Dumbledore, sir," said the giant, climbing carefully off the motorbike as he spoke. "Young Sirius Black lent it me."
Remus groaned loudly.
"Whoo-hoo!" cheered Sirius.
I've got him, sir."
"No problems, were there?"
"No, sir - house was almost destroyed but I got him out all right before the Muggles started swarmin' around. He fell asleep as we were flyin' over Bristol."
"Aw." All the girls cooed.
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 bolt of lightning.
"Looks like your son has inherited your hair, James!" said Remus.
"Poor kid, he got the Potter hair" said Sirius
"Hey!" Yelled James.
"I wish I could have a picture." Said Lilly. Then a piece of paper fell down from the ceiling landing right in Lilly's lap. Everyone crowded around her to see what she got.
"Aw." All the girls cooed, again. A picture of baby Harry had landed in Lilly's lap.
"He's so cute!" Squealed Tonks.
"He look's like James, but he has Lilly's eye's." said Remus
"Is that where - ?" whispered Professor McGonagall.
"Yes," said Dumbledore. "He'll have that scar for ever."
"Poor Harry," said Lily, shaking her head. "And if he's going to have it forever, then people in the wizarding world will know who he is as soon as they see the scar."
"Couldn't you do something about it, Dumbledore?"
"Even if I could, I wouldn't. Scars can come in useful. I have one myself above my left knee, which is a perfect map of the London Underground.
"I wonder how he got that." Said Arthur.
Well - give him here, Hagrid - we'd better get this over with."
"He's talking like they're taking off a Band-Aid, That's my Baby!" Lilly shouted.
Remus decided to keep reading.
Dumbledore took Harry in his arms and turned towards the Dursleys' house.
"Could I - could I say goodbye to him, sir?" asked Hagrid.
He bent his great shaggy head over Harry and gave him what must have been a very scratchy, whiskery kiss.
Then, suddenly, Hagrid let out a howl like a wounded dog.
"Hey, I take offence to that!" Whined Sirius. Lilly gave him an odd look.
"Shhh!" hissed Professor McGonagall. "You'll wake the Muggles!"
"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 -"
"The worst muggles ever, might I add." James Growled.
"Yes, yes, it's all very sad, but get a grip on yourself, Hagrid, or we'll be found," Professor McGonagall whispered,
"Wow Minnie, show some sympathy." Said Sirius.
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,
"Your leaving my baby on the DOORSTEP!" Screeched Lilly.
took a letter out of his cloak, tucked it inside Harry's blankets and then came back to the other two. 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 from Dumbledore's eyes seemed to have gone out.
"Oh, even McGonagall is sad," said James quietly. "I had no idea that she cared so much."
"Well," said Dumbledore finally, "that's that. We've no business staying here. We may as well go and join the celebrations."
Yeah," said Hagrid in a very muffled voice. "I'll be takin' Sirius his bike back. G'night, Professor McGonagall - Professor Dumbledore, sir."
"You'd better return my bike!" said Sirius. "Then I'll go and rescue Harry!"
Wiping his streaming eyes on his jacket sleeve, Hagrid swung himself on to the motorbike and kicked the engine into life; with a roar it rose into the air and 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.
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 number four. "Good luck, Harry," he murmured.
"Sounds like he'll need it," muttered Remus. "I don't think life at the Dursleys is not going to be fun for him."
Lily growled. "It better be. Or I will hex her into next year!"
He turned on his heel and with a swish of his cloak he was gone.
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. One small hand closed on the letter beside him and he slept on, not knowing he was special, not knowing he was famous, not knowing he would be woken in a few hours' time by Mrs. Dursley's scream as she opened the front door to put out the milk bottles, nor that he would spend the next few weeks being prodded and pinched by his cousin Dudley ...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!"
"And that's the end of chapter one," said Remus. "Who's reading next?"
"Its Molly's turn." Mumbled James still shocked by the events of the book so far. Remus handed Molly the book. But as soon as she opened it up to the next chapter a bright light filled the room.
Cliffie! MUHAHAHAHA *cough* *cough*. Any ways, what do you think? I won't update till I have three comments. Oh and if there's a character you want to show up tell me! It just might happen, I might even take an oc or two, don't be offended if I don't I still haven't chosen.