Chapter One - Midnight Memories

Then, two silhouettes began to move from the shadows of the open doorway. Harry focused on them, trying to see their faces. They moved forward slowly, almost lethargically, and it wasn't until Harry matched them with the reflections he'd seen in the Mirror of Erised that he knew who they were.

Harry stared at his parents without blinking, afraid that if he closed his eyes they would vanish. But they did not - each time his eyelids flickered shut and re-opened, they remained standing in the doorway with shocked, yet loving, expressions. Dumbledore could see that he was certainly invading a very private moment, and after speaking to Harry's parents, he and Madame Pomfrey took their leave. Lily and James took a few steps forward, and Harry nodded very slightly. Lily must have noticed the small gesture, for she broke away from James and ran forward at an alarmingly fast pace.

She was absolutely beautiful - that's all Harry could think. She looked like him a little bit; she had his emerald green eyes, and the same small nose. Her hair was long and red, and she smelled like a garden. Harry could obviously tell that he got most of his looks from his father, who was still standing a bit away from him. He was tall, very tall, and had the same mop of untidy black hair on his head. His glasses were round, just like Harry's, and wire-rimmed. His parents were perfect.

"I'm sorry," his mother apologized quickly, dotting at her eyes with a handkerchief. She must have been crying. "But may I - may I hug you, sweetheart?"

Harry could hardly believe it - his mother, his very own mother - was asking for permission to hug him? Harry's head bobbed up and down quickly, and Lily breathed a sigh of relief. She closed the distance between herself and her son, and then before either of them knew it, they were crying in each others' arms. Lily crawled next to Harry on his bed, and wrapped her arms around his small frame. Harry had never been held like that before, and he decided that he never wanted to go without feeling it again. It was then that his father, James, decided to come into the scene as well. He walked slowly to the other side of Harry's bed, and looked at him for a moment.

"Dad?" asked Harry uncertainly, wanting to hear his father answer him. James nodded.

"Yes, son." he replied, mimicking Lily's actions and taking his boy into his arms. For a moment, just a moment, the little family held each other and basked in the knowledge that they were together. They knew that the road ahead was going to be difficult; but they decided to worry about life later. For the moment they were able to stay with each other in comfort, and they would keep that memory with them for the rest of their lives.

It was quite a long time before any kind of conversation was managed. Dumbledore and Madame Pomfrey did not return the rest of the night, leaving the Potters completely alone. For several hours they laid in the bed, crying and muttering incoherent words that the other two would pretend to understand. Eventually, though, the tears ceased to flow and the dark room was quiet. James thoughtlessly waved a hand in the direction of the nearest lamp, and it flickered to life with a popping sound.

Lily pressed a kiss to her son's forehead, and then said, "Darling? Are you awake?"

"Yes," said Harry quietly, afraid of shattering the moment. He had messed up so much in his life, and this was one thing that he wanted to keep pure and happy.

"Do you...want to talk?" his mother asked hesitantly, seemingly as nervous as her son. Through it all, James remained quiet.

"I don't know," admitted Harry a bit sheepishly, his cheeks reddening. He hoped his parents wouldn't notice.

"It's alright if you don't," assured Lily, the sound of her voice lulling Harry into a dream-like state. "Just know that you are loved, Harry...so, so loved...we love you, darling, so much..."

Harry wanted to say something, but he didn't know if he could find the words. He did want to talk to his parents; in fact, he never wanted to stop talking with them. He wanted to hear their voices every moment for the rest of his life. But how - where - could he even begin? He had never had adults in his life who wanted to willingly speak with him just to get to know him - how was he meant to behave? What was expected of him?

"How was it growing up?" asked James, seemingly trying to spark a conversation. Lily nodded enthusiastically, appreciative that her husband was putting in the effort to get Harry to open up with them.

Harry felt a tad bit uncomfortable - it would be difficult to talk about the Durlseys.

"It - it was alright," stammered Harry, looking away from his parents. "I mean, it wasn't awful. I had a room and everything, and food. If they told me I wasn't getting meals or something I would just sneak out after they'd gone to bed and take snacks from the pantry. They never noticed - they always thought Dudley was sneaking sweets, and they wouldn't want to embarrass him by...bringing...it...up."

Harry felt his swollen eyes begin to droop; he knew it wouldn't be long before sleep took him over. He fought to stay awake, he really did, but he knew it was a losing battle.

"Dudley?" asked Lily uncertainly. "You mean...do you mean Dudley, your cousin?"

"You grew up with the Dursleys?" gasped James in horror, his tone one of disgust.

"Yes," yawned Harry, settling in beside his mother. He curled to her side, basking in her warmth.

"But...what about Sirius?" asked Lily fragiley, quirking an eyebrow. Harry was still awake enough to feel confusion.

"Who's that?" he questioned. He was sure he heard his parents gasp again before exhaustion swallowed him, and he fell into a dreamless sleep.

When Harry woke up the next afternoon, it was with a smile on his face. He'd had the most wonderful dream - Dumbledore had brought his parents back to life using the Sorcerer's Stone, and they'd stayed up half the night talking with him. He could still smell his mother's beautiful flowery fragrance, and he could feel his father's strong hand stroking his hair back.

Even though he knew it had all been a dream, he still crossed his fingers when he opened his eyes. He'd half-expected to see James and Lily sitting there watching him, but they were gone. Harry tried not to let his heart break too much, but it was hard; for a moment, he'd let himself believe that he was just like everyone else. That he had loving parents who would take him away from his awful relatives to live with them in the country somewhere. That he could get a dog and his own bedroom and a television; that they would be the ones to wake up and make breakfast in the morning.

As Harry rolled over onto his side to find a more comfortable position, he felt something crunch beneath his weight. Confused, he reached beneath his sheets and pulled out an envelope. Written in elegant script were the words: To Harry Potter - The Brave And Extraordinary Boy Who Lived. And at the bottom were the words: From - NF.

Nicolas Flamel...?

"I have thanked you on bended knee for this opportunity, Headmaster, but you are finished meddling, do you understand me? I want a meeting with Fudge first thing this evening to sort this all out, and then we'll be giving Sirius a proper trial. I still can't believe you of all people wouldn't defend that man! Even though we didn't tell you about the switch, you knew Sirius! You knew him! And in the mean time, I want Remus contacted and brought to the school immediately. Am I understood?"

Harry could hear the voice outside of his door because it was incredibly loud. It was angry, too, and whoever it was was speaking to Dumbledore. It was strange to hear someone sound so rude when they spoke to Dumbledore, but Harry decided that it would be best not to get involved.

"Please, try to understand -" Harry could hear Dumbledore pleading. "- I was only doing what I felt was best for your family."

"Noted." the first voice said. "Now if you'll be so kind as to excuse me, I'm going to spend some long over-due time with my son."

Harry felt puzzled for only a moment before the door to the hospital wing opened and his father - in all his glory - strolled in casually. Harry's eyes widened; it hadn't been a fantastical dream?

"Ah, Harry," James smiled, sitting in the cushioned chair next to Harry's bed. He didn't seem to be in a bad mood at all; how had he just been so heated when he'd spoken with the Headmaster? "How are you feeling?"

"Tired," chuckled Harry, trying to seem as at ease as his father.

"Your mum will be back soon," said James, crossing his legs as he relaxed. "She stepped out for a bit to...visit some old friends of hers."

"And you didn't want to go with her?" asked Harry, trying to keep the fluidity of the conversation going. It was so very easy to talk to his father; it was surprising.

"I went for a tick," said James dismissively, making the topic seem entirely unimportant. "She and I...well, I suppose you could say we ran in different circles during school, so she had different friends. Friends who...didn't really care for me."

"Oh." he replied. Harry couldn't help but feel surprised; when he used to picture his parents, he'd always thought of them as being inseparable friends from birth. They had always seemed the epitome of love to Harry. "Well, er, who were you friends with in school?"

"I had three friends." said James in a cold, clipped tone. Harry didn't like the sound of it, but let his father continue. "Two friends, actually, if you count out that traitor. Of those two remaining friends, one is unemployed and homeless, and the other is in prison on false charges." James's face darkened considerably.

Harry's eyes widened, and he didn't know what to say. That explained the reason his father had been so upset with Dumbledore, then; Harry imagined that if he'd...well, if he'd come back from the dead after ten years to find Ron and Hermione miserable, he'd been angry, too.

Seeing that he'd made his son uncomfortable, James back-tracked immediately. "I'm sorry, son, it isn't your fault." he said softly. "I'm just upset, is all. I let my anger get the better of me a lot of the time, you see." James chuckled nervously, and sighed; he didn't want his son to dislike him.

"No, I understand," said Harry in a tone filled with empathy. "If anything like that ever happened to my friends, I'd feel the same way."

"What are your friends like, Harry?" asked James lightly, trying to make things happier. "I'd always thought...well, when you were a baby, I used to wonder what things would be like for you when you got to Hogwarts. I just always imagined that I would have a hand in your upbringing so I could know without having to ask."

"Their names are Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger." began Harry enthusiastically. He was so excited to get to tell someone about his friends. They were the first real friends he'd ever had, after all.

"Weasley?" asked James, smiling. "Molly and Arthur's boy, then?"

"One of many." chuckled Harry, remembering the long list of siblings Ron had. "And Hermione's parents are Muggles."

For half the hour, James and Harry sat together and just talked. Harry told his father all about Quidditch, which - as it turned out - was James's favorite sport, too. He insisted that Harry give him details regarding every single match of the year, and he grinned widely when Harry told him about their triumphs.

Lily laughed merrily when she returned to find her two favorite boys discussing sports statistics.

"Hello, mum!" greeted Harry happily, smiling brightly when his mother took the second chair beside him. He drank in the sight of both of his parents hungrily; he would never get tired of seeing them. "Dad and I were just talking about Quidditch!"

"Yes, Harry made the House team his first year, Lily!" said James excitedly, sounding exactly like a teenager again.

"That's fantastic, sweetheart!" approved Lily.

"Did you get to see your friends, mum?" asked Harry innocently, looking to his mother expectantly.

"Yes, how is old Snivellus?" snorted James, rolling his eyes. Harry wondered idly who his father was talking about.

"Severus is just fine, thank you for asking." replied Lily, irritated. "Surprised to see me, to say the least. But, James...I had to thank him for all he's done for us. You can't tell me you don't feel the least bit grateful after what Dumbledore told us?"

"On the contrary," said James, "I'm a bit...put out with the Headmaster, at the moment."

"Severus?" asked Harry suddenly. "As in Severus Snape? The Potions Master?"

"Yes, dear, why?" questioned Lily innocently.

"You were...friends with him?" It was quite easy to hear the tone of shock in Harry's voice. It was apparently plain on his face as well, because James busted out laughing.

"I don't think our boy cares too much for that old, greasy git, Lils!" he laughed. Lily looked horribly angry.

"James - "

"I-It's not that I don't like him, mum." said Harry, trying not to make his mother unhappy. It was true, Professor Snape was probably his least favorite person at Hogwarts, but if his mother liked him then...maybe he could learn how to, too? "It's just...I don't think he likes me very much."

"Has he been cruel to you, Harry?" asked James, before Lily could even say a word. "I swear, if he's done anything to you, I'll find him and I'll - "

Before Harry could say another word, the door swung open and Snape walked in. He snorted at the sight of Harry with his parents, and glared at James with a look of hatred. James reciprocated the look, and Harry feared the two would start dueling if someone didn't step in.

"Potter." Snape growled.

"Snape." James shot back.

"Severus," said Lily sweetly, casually stepping between the two men. Neither seemed to notice that her purpose in doing so was to keep them away from each other. "Is there something we can help you with?"

After only a moment of hesitation, Snape snapped his eyes away from James. His entire body seemed to soften and relax at the sight of Lily, and Harry couldn't help but grow even more confused. It was strange to see Snape so calm, and the fact that Harry's mother had been the one to induce that calmness was almost...unsettling.

"The Headmaster wished for me to come and find you." said Snape through clenched teeth. "Lupin," he hissed the name angrily, "has been told to come to the Castle, and is on his way."

"Thank-you." chirped Lily. Snape nodded curtly before turning on his heels and storming out of the room, his black cloak billowing behind him.

"Who's Lupin?" asked Harry curiously, trying to break the silence that had befallen the room. The tension was thick, he could tell, and he didn't want anything to be hard on his parents.

"One of your father's friends," explained Lily in a very maternal tone, returning to Harry's side and placing a gentle kiss on his forehead. "How are you feeling, sweetheart?"

"Better," Harry assured Lily. "I can't wait to go-" but Harry stopped suddenly, realizing the word he'd been about to use. Home. For the past year, Harry had come to think of Hogwarts as his home. He'd been dreading terribly going back to Privet Drive with Uncle Vernon, Aunt Petunia, and Dudley. For the first time, he seemed to grasp that there wouldn't be another day that he would have to spend with his awful relatives. His parents, as he'd always dreamed they would, had come to take him away from all of that. He would be living with them, permanently, and he would get to spend his time outside of Hogwarts still vastly involved in the wizarding world.

Harry grinned brilliantly, his eyes flicking back and forth between both of his parents. They smiled at him in return, and he suddenly wondered what their home would be like. Would they live somewhere in the country, where you could see the sky and count the stars at night? Would they live in a bustling city, surrounded by other witches and wizards? Would they perhaps stay near the school, in a village of some sort? The possibilities were endless, and he never wanted to stop counting them.

Author's Note: A bit short, but this really was mostly an introductory chapter. It was difficult to write, mainly due to the fact that Lily, James, and Harry still barely know each other. Once this story kicks into gear, things will become much more active and interesting. It is my earnest wish to turn this story into a complete re-write of the series. How would everything have gone with the addition of Lily and James? I'm certainly excited to find out! Updates will not always happen so quickly, but I was so excited with the response that I couldn't stop writing! Speaking of the response, you guys are fantastic! So many follows/favorites really made my night. If you are reading, please comment! I'd love to hear what you're thinking :) Now, then -

Daughter of the Full Moon: Haha! I'm glad you're excited! :D Thank you for taking the time to review, I really appreciate it! Hope to hear from you again :)

Paddy Gurl: Hope you enjoyed the chapter! Thank you very much for reviewing, and I really really appreciate it that you added me to your community! :D Hope to hear from you again!

minea: Thank you, I'm glad you liked it! I plan to continue this into a very long chapter story, so I hope you stick around :)

A. S.-sama: I can't wait to write more! Thank you for the review, I really appreciate it! Hope you liked the chapter, and hope to hear from you again :D

Back To Author's Note: Okay, so that's it! Chapters after this will become much, much longer, I promise :P Thanks for reading!