CH7: DISCUSSIONS AND DECISIONS
"Harry is your Spiritual Heir? The Founders' Spiritual Heir! " Lily asked in awe.
"Yeah and that's the reason he had enough power to destroy the world." Helga said.
"Bloody Hell." James whispered.
Lily didn't even chastise him for his language. She looked preoccupied - her eyebrows were knitted and she was frowning.
"You still haven't told us how we can manage to stay alive. Oh and I have many other questions but you had better tell this first." Lily demanded.
Salazar sighed in relief. "Finally we come to the most important part. I thought you had almost forgotten about your impending deaths as Godric regaled you with his beloved history." He sneered.
Godric's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Salaza.."
"Shut up Godric and Salazar! I want to know how we will remain alive and I want to know that right NOW!" Lily snapped.
Everybody stared at her. Rowena looked approving, Helga was amused, Godric was indignant, Salazar was sheepish and James was shocked.
Everyone came out of their stupor when she tapped her foot impatiently.
Rowena shook her head and cleared her throat and Godric did not interrupt her this time.
"So, Lily we are, or specifically I am going to teach you a set of runes. They are considered dark magic, or rather would be considered dark had anyone remembered or known about it. I invented the incantation used to activate them and they work only if the incantation is spoken after the blood of the family member is pressed on the rune. It is a protection rune based on love - the love between a family. It will protect both of you from the Killing Curse when Voldemort comes to murder Harry, since I think none of you will leave him here alone?" Rowena looked inquiringly at them.
Lily raised an eyebrow and scowled, "Damn right we won't."
James couldn't even nod, he looked too spooked of Lily and her determinedness.
Rowena nodded satisfied, "Just thought I would ask. You need to draw the runes on your hands or wrists with preferably a Blood Quill. You will also need to inscribe the runes on Harry's crib and both of your blood should touch it and then you will speak the what will happen is that Voldemort will come and as you'd seen, he will kill you James first and then he will proceed to you Lily. But Lily remember, you will have to "die" in front of Harry's crib again, or the rune won't protect him, since the rune will activate only due to pure thoughts of protection and love. And James you'll fall in front of the stairs, just like last time. And then the rune would activate and Harry will remain protected and the curse would bounce towards Voldemort. You both would be unconscious since that is what the Protection Rune does, and you'll need a drop of Harry's blood to mix with yours for the unconsciousness to be lifted. You could maybe write a note for Sirius or send him a Patronus or do something to inform him about this so that he can put a drop of Harry's blood on your rune. "
Lily looked deep in thought and James just looked confused.
Suddenly Harry woke up. He said happily, "Mama! Dada!" And raised his arms to be picked up.
Lily's concentration vanished as she smiled lovingly at her little boy. James looked delighted.
"Harry! C'mon, come to daddy. Mummy will make you milk." James said.
Lily nodded and stood up as Harry said, "Milk! Milk!"
Suddenly a bottle of milk started floating towards the living room.
Lily and James stared. This was Harry's second accidental magic incident. They had considered the first one (he had turned his stag green) a one time incident.
Lily turned towards the Founders who were smiling proudly.
"Isn't Harry a little too young for starting accidental magic?"
"Hasn't he done it before twice or thrice?" Godric countered.
"Only once. But still..."
"What about that time when he turned into a dog?"
"That wasn't Harry, it was Sirius. He turned into his animagus form and tried to pretend it was Harry. He should have known it wouldn't work on me."
"Sirius would never try something like that. He was right, Harry had turned into a dog, just like Sirius. But when he shouted out, he turned back. He.."
Suddenly a baby's voice said, "Doggy. Pa'foot."
And there was pop and instead of Harry, a little brown-black puppy appeared on James' lap. James shouted and Lily shrieked. And on hearing their shouts, Harry appeared once again.
Lily shrieked again. Harry looked confused. He said, "Harry doggy. Turn Pa'foot."
James said, "Yes, Harry you turned into a doggy. Were you Padfoot?"
Harry beamed and nodded. James smiled. Suddenly he got an idea. Could Harry have control over his magic since he had obviously turned into a dog only when he had heard Lily and the Founders. Could he turn into anything or only a dog - meaning his animagus form was a dog?
James then looked at Harry and said, "Harry, could you turn into a stag like daddy?" He then turned into a stag and then changed back.
Lily looked at him as if he was mad. But Harry clapped his little hands delightfully and sprouted antlers and a little furry tail. Then suddenly there was a pop and instead of Harry a little faun was sitting on James. Then he turned back but with antlers. James was positively beaming. He laughed.
Harry looked at him almost quizzically. Then he looked at Lily. Lily was frowning.
"Mama? You boo-boo?" Harry asked miserably.
Lily's frown cleared and she smiled but her eyebrows were still knitted together. She shook her head. "I am fine Harry. Do you want to play with your stuffed stag Prongs?"
Harry clapped delightedly and said, "Prong'ie!"
Lily smiled and took him to the nursery.
Helga was smiling wistfully at Harry's retreating back. Rowena was also smiling slightly. Even Godric and Salazar looked softened by little Harry's innocence and sweetness.
James smiled. Suddenly he said, "Hey, Harry didn't comment on you at all. Why's that? Usually he is a very curious little guy."
Salazar said, "Babies have a tendency of correctly assessing the characters of many people whom they meet. It is because of he fact that they rely on their instincts rather than logic as we do when we grow up. They trust whoever their instincts tell them to trust. You must have noticed how Harry seems wary of Peter whenever he is near and wouldn't go into his lap and starts crying every time you give him to the rat. Its because he can sense guilt and untruthfulness around Peter. All of us have this radar, just we don't pay much attention to it on maturing, instead, relying on our logical side - the brain for answers. And since he didn't sense any malice from us, he didn't consider us a threat."
James looked thoughtful but the Founders stared at Salazar in shock.
"How did you know so much about babies Sal'?" Godric inquired.
"Do not call me 'Sal'! And I learnt about babies when.. well.. when uh.. Rowena and I er.." he concluded blushing.
Rowena raised an eyebrow. "You were so sure we were going to have kids?" she asked coolly.
Salazar just spluttered and blushed and scowled in annoyance when Godric started guffawing and Helga started chuckling.
James laughed too but he wondered about the Founders and their seemingly childish banter. His thoughts then turned sombre. He still couldn't believe, well he believed it but rather he couldn't accept that Peter could betray them. And not just him, Lily and Sirius too. He had almost torn apart the Marauders single - handedly from what he could gather of the previous timeline.
He also worried about their upcoming rendezvous with Voldemort and even though Rowena's rune plan sounded foolproof, James knew from experience that nothing was foolproof. Especially not when a forgotten since ages runic system is used.
He sighed. He could do nothing about this now. Only time will tell what becomes of us.
A/N: I am so so sorry about this really late update. I know I promised to post it on the 24th but with school starting again and results and just a hectic schedule I couldn't. I am really sorry. But thankfully I have a week long break now so I would hopefully be able to post the next chapter soon, but no promises since I have a damned to hell workshop and breaking promises is not fun.
