Well, here's the next chapter, not corrected very well I'm afraid. Enjoy....


Chapter 4: The Letter and the Potion

The Slytherins didn't answer, probably because they were unarmed, and perhaps because a professor had appeared. Harry turned, saw McGonagall and sighed: 'Damn'.

'Professor McGonagall!, it's not what it looks like, the Slytherins started-' Lily spoke up.

'The Gryffindors were trying to ambush us Professor.' Lucius drawled in lazily.

Immediately pandemonium broke out as Alice and Lily argued furiously, backed up by the Marauders who had not even been there. Harry closed his eyes, retreating slightly,sighing. He was not happy with himself, he had lost his usually carefully reined in temper. What would have happened if his moth- Lily had not arrived. And she had nearly been hit. A large bang erupted from McGonagall's wand as everyone quieted.

Adressing the ghost Sir Nicholas who Harry had not even noticed she asked:

'Do you know what has happened here.'

'Well of course, my dear Minerva. True Gryffindor bravery is what happened. That group of pestilent Slytherins cornered Mr Infinitus. They were about to duel when Ms. Evans and Ms. Hart arrived. Mr Malfoy threw a curse on Ms. Evans, when Mr. Infinitus pushed her out of the way, took the curse and disarmed them.'

'The ghost is biase-' one of the Slytherins called out before being silenced under McGonagall's glare.

'Mr. Malfoy, your head of house will be informed and 50 points will be taken from Slytherin. Now go to your class. Turning around she saw Harry lounging, a brooding look on his eyes.

'Mr Infinitus, as much as your bravery is appreciated, let me remind you dueling is forbidden unless organized by your professors. However as it may, 10 points to Gryffindor. Do you need to go to the infirmary?'

Harry smiled knowingly at her and said quietly:

'No Professor. May I go to class now?'

Startled she nodded brusquely and walked off, wandering about the brooding look in Harry's eyes. Harry was slightly amused at how his professor's behavior had not changed even when years in the past.

Lily's voice cut through his reverie as she hurried after him.

'Harry, Harry! Wait up!'

Harry slowed as the red head came to stand in front of him.

'Harry are you alright?'

He looked in surprise to an anxious Lily:

'What? Yeah f'course I am, why wouldn't I be?'

'Well, I just wanted to thank you, I mean, if you hadn't been-'

'If I hadn't been there this wouldn't have happened.'

He said harsher than he intended. Softening his tone, he added:

'I'm glad I could do it, now come on, let's go to Herbology.'

James watched them walk off jealously, he was happy Harry had saved Lily, he would have killed him if he hadn't, but now Lily was fawning over him, and he did not like it at all.

'Come on Sirius, we're already late for first class…Sirius?'

He looked around, Sirius was bending over next to the wall Harry had been bashed against.

'Sirius, this isn't really the time to be picking up trash.' But Sirius ignored him, reading it, then walking over and handing it to James he said:

'I saw Harry dropping it when he was cursed. Read, '

Dear Hermione, Ron,

I don't know how to explain what has happened to me, or how I will ever get this to you. Please stop worrying about me, I am fin- I am alive. I wonder every hour how it could have happened differently. I saw them you know, the dead, before I went to meet him at the forbidden forest. An I wonder how Teddy will ever forgive me for allowing his parents to- However hard what I am doing right now, I hope our world is a better one for it. If what I did worked, then everything should be on the road to recovery. I know you both have lot's of questions about my dissapearance, believe me it was not by explain, well, I find myself in Hogwarts, I never left it after all, only, everything's changed. My dorm mates are the Marauders. I have also met Neville's mother, tell him she is as happy and joyful as a person could be. However, everything is not perfect, Voldemort has risen to power here, and now, I have brought my dueling partner too and he has promised me pain. I am starting seventh year here, I have a sense of déjà vu as I go along, and I have met Professor McGonagall, Professor Dumbledore and even Snape. I know, but you do understand he had always been the man Dumbledore said he was. I also met Lily yesterday, and it just made the ache worse, she is so beautiful I have a hard time believing it's her. I wish, I wish things could have turned out differently. I know I'm being moody, but the past seems to be overtaking my future. At least Hermione, I am completing my education, I know you always disapproved of us skipping the last year. I so wish to know what is happening, are they voting for a new prime minister? If I get a vote, I ask for Shacklebolt. I do not know how long I will be here, or if I will ever get out, meanwhile, take care of everyone I love, tell Ginny to-, tell my godson, when he is old enough, so he understands why his parents died, I do not want him in the dark. Tell your mom Ron, that if I could redo it, all over I would, I know how much Fred's death- I am sorry for everything you both had to endure for my sake.

James looked up at a frowning Sirius.

'Are you also getting the feeling Harry is hiding something?'

'Heck I don't understand half the letter. He writes to these people like if they knew the Marauders, Professor Dumbledore...do you think Hermione and Ron are ex-Hogwarts Students?'

'We could always check with the records, or ask remu-'

'Potter, Black, in class now!' Professor McGonagall's voice was as sharp as a whip as she returned to the scene to find the two worse miscreants in the whole school. They both ran out of the corridor before she could minus some points.


Harry sighed as they got out of Herbology, Professor Jane reminded him of a thorny plant, but he had to admit she was a good teacher.

'So what do you think of Herbology? Is it very different form your old school?' Lily asked, she seemed to have made herself his personal tour guide, not that Harry was complaining. He smiled lightly as he fingered his bangs.

'I'm glad Dumbledore found us a good teacher in that subject.'

Lily gasped, 'Professor Dumble- James Potter!' Her attention momentarily diverted by his father, Harry smirked. 'How dare you miss the first class in the whole year! First impressions are-'

'Well Lily-flower, you're the one who gave the impression of being late.'

Lily sniffed, then turning to Harry she said,

'Come on Harry, let's go to double Charms.'

Harry looked on helplessly as she grabbed his hands and marched him away, not before he saw James eyes narrowing at his hand in Lily's. Oh, he hadn't thought of that. If James thought he liked Lily, as well, a girlfriend, it wouldn't be easy to to get his trust and be close when he needed protecting. Dismissing the thought, Harry tried to have as much fun as he could with his mother. They passed every class talking, joking and laughing. Harry nearly felt like he was back with Ron and Hermione as she in turn laughed at his antics under the disapproving glare of McGonagall to prodding him awake in History of Magic. By the end of the day, Harry was relaxed and thoroughly enjoying himself. He was also doing well in his classes, he didn't know if it was the curriculum that was easier in the past or that he had grown smarter with the time travelling. However underneath all the joy, Harry reflected as they went for their last class potions, their was still the bitter sweetness of the facts, and he could not forget his job was to protect them. When he entered the class he was surprised to see he recognized Professor Slughorn, albeit a younger one. He groaned silently as he wondered if he had a slug club already, then he smiled , he was no longer the boy-who-lived, he was of no importance here.

Harry settled down next to Lily as Slughorn started to speak:

'Alright, Alright settle down. Now welcome to seventh year Potions, I hope you all know the level of dedication and hardwork this course needs. However, today, since it's the first day, I will let you brew your own potions in pairs, anything that comes to mind,easy or hard. Now, chop, chop, you have an hour.'

Harry looked at lily questioningly. 'Well Lils? Any ideas?'

'How about something easy? Transfiguration wiped me out and you still had a better teapot at then end of class. An engorging potion,' she suggested as she flipped through her potions book. 'I know it's fifth year material.'

Harry nodded easily, getting up, he went to the potions cupboard and got the ingredients, he wasn't likely to forget that potion, Snape had been particularly vicious that day. When he came back to the table he saw a pack of Slytherins had sat behind them and he made note to be particularly attentive. As he placed the ingredients on the table Lily looked at him bewildered:

'How did you know where the ingredients were?'

Harry cursed his stupidity as he muttered:

'The layout of the class is similar to my previous potion class.'

Seeming to accept that, Lily started chopping the gurdy roots. Placing a hand on hers he stopped her,

'Lily, try grinding them, trust me, I've done this before.'

'Well so have I Mr .Superior,'

Lily said miffed but she listened to him and they made the potion, Harry changing the potion slightly according to memorized half-blood prince instructions. Now he knew Snape was truly on their side he felt no qualms about listening to his book. Forty minutes into the class Lily wiped her brow and frowned at the golden potion in front of them. Testing it on the bullfrog given she watched amazed as Harry stirred clockwise and took a spoonful, the bullfrog engorged, then, another stir anticlockwise and as he fed the bullfrog another spoonful, it reduced back to its original size. Slughorn, who had been watching carefully, clapped his hands shouted:

'Bravo, Bravo, My, my, Evans, you really know how to brew them, a reversible engorging potion, now that, I haven't seen for a while.'

'It was Harry sir,' Lily piped up although blushing at the praise. Harry smiled at her, noticing a new side to his mother yet again.

On the other side of the class, Sirius looked worriedly at a fuming James. James had been watching them, seething the whole day, and seeing Harry smiling so tenderly at HIS future girlfriend was the last straw. He remembered a line in Harry's letter: 'she is so beautiful I have a hard time believing it's her.' Looking at Sirius he took a few exploding nuggets out of his pocket. Sirius grinned wickedly. Levitating the nuggets, he waved them over into Harry and Lily's cauldron, both too occupied with smiling to notice.

Yet Harry had been expecting the Slytherins to try something, as he heard three tiny splashes, he reacted without thinking, jumping over Lily, he shouted Protego. A large shield settled over him and Lily as their cauldron exploded, globs hitting the impenetrable shield and travelling backwards and spattering the furious Slytherins behind them. The class stood shocked for half a second before the shouting started. Harry waved the shield off and pulled Lily up as he turned to face a furious Lucius.

'Infinitus'

he snarled, his wand already out, Malfoy had somehow not been touched, and he faced Harry as Slughorn bustled behind, trying to find the antidote for the affected Slytherins.

'Malfoy' Harry replied coolly, both of their wands touching each other's chest.

'You really seem to have a death wish.'

'If you actually used a portion of that brain of yours, you would realize I didn't cause this. I would never put Lily in danger.'

'Oh really? Then what did you do in the hall?'

Harry whitened as sparks fell out of his wand. The Marauders, although surprised at how their prank had turned out, stood up and stood besides Harry. James might hate the guy, but he was a Gryffindor.

'Now, now, Malfoy, we didn't know you were that obsessed to your looks. I'm sure a little engorging potion would do your sallow constitution good.' Sirius said in a honeyed voice, though his wand was twirling in his fingers.

'Shut up, traitor, you wouldn't know the term loyalty to your comrades if your life depended on it.'

James opened his mouth to ripost but he was too late as Harry's eyes flashed dangerously, and he pushed his wand to Lucius's throat.

'Care to repeat that Malfoy, because I would love to pay you back for the hall.'

Malfoy actually took a step back at the threat in Harry's voice but he was spared the embarrassment of backing off with Slughorn arriving.

'Boys, boys, I'm sure the exploding cauldron was a mistake, wands back in please, and off you go, class ends early today.'

Reluctantly the Marauders turned around. Harry waited until Lucius had his wand in before he lowered his. Snapping back to reality he turned around to a wide eyed Lily.

'Lily, are you alright?' he asked worriedly, scanning her body for any engorgement.

'Yes of course I am, but what was all that about?'

He gave her an unconvincing smile as he picked her bag up.

'Nothing much, Malfoys have always made my blood boil, come on let's get out of here.'

'You mean you've known some Malfoys before.' Lily asked as she strided after him.

'Yeah, kindoff,' Harry said, cursing his loose tongue.

'Oh Harry, I forgot to tell you, thanks again, you always seem to be at the right place, right moment, and I didn't really care to try the engorgement potion.'

Harry smiled distractedly at his mother as he spied the Marauders coming out of the dungeons.

'It was nothing, listen Lily, why don't you go meet Alice in the hall for dinner, I forgot something in class, I'll catch up.'

'Sure,' Lily said unsuspectingly as she went on.

Frowning, Harry walked over to the Marauders.


Well, what do you think...tell me in your review, the more I get the sooner I update....