Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter; as it is not currently for sale on eBay... damn J.K Rowling and her marketing skills...
(In addition, this disclaimer counts for the last chapter as well, as I forgot to add it)
AN: So... how do you like it? Sorry it took me so long to update. I was being lazy... :D
Chapter Seven: Truth and Deception
James blinked. Harry's answer had not yet computed with him. Harry James Potter? True, Potter wasn't exactly the least common name, but in the Wizarding world, there were no such thing as Purebloods having the same last name and not being related. Muggleborns - yes, it happened once in a while - but Wizarding last names were symbolic, and because of that, this was not small matter. It was only probable that he was related to James.
"Potter?" He couldn't help but ask.
"Yes. My name is Harry James Potter." Harry was emotionless and humorless - a side effect of Veritiserum. Sirius, Peter and Remus said nothing, speechless for once.
"Are you related to James?" Sirius asked, strangely... well... serious.
"Yes." Confusion.
"How are you related to me?" In other circumstances, this wouldn't have been a question he would ask, as they had already figured out that they were related, but he had never seen his name on the Family Tapestry stationed in their house. But nothing prepared him for the answer.
"I'm your son." There was silence. Peter's mouth was agape, wordless. Remus's knees had given out, and he was slumped on the floor, staring at Harry. You could see the wheels turning in his head. Sirius's eye was twitching, and he looked almost on the brink of a rather insane burst of laughter; something he often did when he was shocked. James, Harry's supposed father, was taking it the best, surprisingly. He was blinking rather fast, and looked slightly confused. He tilted his head to the side. Suddenly, Sirius spoke. Or shouted, rather.
"WHAT THE HELL?" His outburst seemed to bring the others out of their trance. Remus stood up, and was narrowing his eyes suspiciously at Harry, as if trying to work something out. Sirius was whispering cuss words under his breath, and studying Harry angrily. Peter had taken over James's job of blinking confusedly. It wasn't for about a minute or so that they realized James had fainted dead away.
Usually, this would be the point of constant teasing, but the other marauders couldn't exactly blame him. Remus grabbed the bottle of Veritiserum from Sirius's gesturing hands, and sniffed it for a second. As it was odorless, he frowned, and carefully tasted a tiny bit. His eyes glazed over, and then a second later, he seemed to come back to consciousness.
"It's Veritiserum. He's telling the truth." He shook James roughly. James awoke, took in his surroundings, jumped up, and began firing questions off to Harry, who answered just as quickly.
"How did you get here?"
"McGonagall, Luna Lovegood and Hermione Potter." Again, James looked surprised at Hermione's last name, but said nothing, leaving it to another time.
"So you're my son?"
"Yes."
"Why..." He struggled to find another important question. "Why are you here?"
"I was tricked by the aforementioned people, though I have few complaints about being here."
"What year are you from?"
"2009."
"Am I still alive?" Harry paused, for the first time, looking as if he was struggling against the potion. Finally:
"No." No one spoke. James looked dumbstruck, and saddened. For only the second time since first year, Sirius was crying openly. He made no sound, but tears rolled down his chin, dripping onto the gold carpet. Remus was looking down, no doubt wondering if he had made any contribution to their deaths. Peter was obviously petrified.
"So my ... my wife raised you?" Sirius would've snickered, if it weren't for the dire circumstances.
"No. Petunia and Vernon Dursley did." James looked confused, though depression was still his more dominant emotion.
"Who are they?"
"Petunia is my mother's sister, and Vernon is her husband." For the first time, Remus asked a question.
"Who is your mother?"
"Lily Evans-Potter." James's mood improved quite drastically, for someone who learned they will die within a few years. He smiled largely, though it wavered slightly uncertainly.
"Did'ya hear that, Padfoot?" He said to Sirius. "I'm getting married to L-Lily." Sirius looked happy for his best friend, and looked as though it hurt him to ask, but he spoke.
"Is Lily alive?" James's head shot up. He obviously hadn't connected that it was unlikely Lily was alive.
"No." James collapsed upon himself, crumpling bonelessly. Sirius gulped, but kept a level head.
"How did she die? And how did James die?"
"Voldemort," Harry answered - his distaste for the man seeping through into his speech despite the effects of Veritiserum. Only Peter jumped. The potion seemed to be wearing off. Harry was blinking, and it was obvious that they had barely a few seconds left to ask a question.
"Who is Hermione Potter?" Remus croaked.
"My... wife?" He said. He blinked, and sat up. Harry furrowed his brow. What happe-. Oh s***. Harry's eyes widened. This wasn't supposed to happen! I can't change time! I've got to Oblivate them... Crap. I don't know how. Of all the-. He broke off his thoughts, and turned towards them, his face steely.
"Veritiserum? Isn't that... oh, I don't know... illegal?" He tried to look angry, but his overriding emotion was currently fear. His head was whirring. Should I tell Dumbledore? He could fix it. Or McGonagall. She'd be less likely to try learning the future from me 'For the Greater Good.' As much as I look up to him, Dumbledore can be pretty blind sometimes...
He trailed off into his thoughts. He turned to them. He tried to summon up his anger, but he simply couldn't. His father, godfather, and one of his most respected and loved adult-figures had just learned that one of them was going to die, along with their wife. He turned to Peter - who was on his opposite side - finally allowing himself to pull all his features into a death glare. The rat. He glared at the fearful, sniveling figure for a few more seconds, allowing all his hate to focus on the human... no. Thing in front of him, then whipped around, and walked out the portrait hole.
...o0O0o...
"ARRRRRGGGGGHHHHH!" He roared, his angry voice echoing through the cavernous hallways of the castle. Usually, he would be running for his life about now, keeping away from teachers, but instead of hurrying, he strode forcefully down the corridor to his right, towards the Room of Requirement, where nobody would find him. Maybe it was accidental magic in the form of a disillusionment charm or a distraction jinx, but no one noticed the fuming boy as he walked through the corridors despite the fact that he had passed both an angry McGonagall and a jubilant Filch on his way to the tapestry. Finally, he reached his destination. Not bothering to keep his wishes to himself, he spoke aloud.
"I need a place to sleep and think. I need a place to sleep and think." On his third request, the tapestry formed a door, and he yanked back the handle and strode in. The room was exactly what Harry needed. It was large, but not cavernous, allowing a comfortable feel. It was outfitted into four sections; a bedroom with a shelf of fiction and time travel books, a bathroom, a living room that was similar to the Gryffindor Common Room, and a small muggle-style kitchen. There was a large window on the front wall. Harry noticed with surprise that the room seemed to have summoned his trunk, for it sat next to his bed.
As soon as he closed the door, and it morphed back into a tapestry, Harry's shoulders slumped. He suddenly felt weary. As if he had just run a hundred miles. He dragged himself over to a armchair in front of a smoldering fire, and let himself relax. For the first time, he allowed his thoughts to wander from anything other that what McGonagall and Hermione had instructed him to do.
What if I just left it at this, and told them about the future? How different would everything be when I returned? Would everyone still be dead? Would more people be dead? He sighed. Nothing ever came easy for him. Suddenly, Izlanzi appeared in his room in a column of flame.
Harry! She cried, sounding distressed. Are you all right? I felt your pain!
"It's fine, Izlanzi," he said, not bothering to think. Just to speak. "It was mental pain." She relaxed slightly at that, but still looked very worried. She morphed into what Harry thought was a concerned-looking mountain lion. That is barely better, human child. Mental pain is often far worse and much more lasting.
This was very true, Harry knew. He had known enough people who had died to be positive about it. I know. He snuggled up against her, and she wrapped her body (which had shrunk into a smaller - but still wild looking - feline) around him. She was very warm, and having her in his lap soothed him enormously.
"What am I going to do, Izlanzi?" He asked after a few minutes.
That all depends on you, Harry. She answered. You are at a crossroads. You can either take the road more traveled, or one you make yourself, with nothing to guide you. But if you succeed in your own direction, the destination will be much more favorable. Just remember to avoid the thorn bushes on the way there. If anyone else had said this, Harry would have laughed out loud at the sheer amount of riddles and mystic warning in it. But the Man-Who-Conquered remained serious.
I could save them. He thought. They would all be alive! But that's not really the question here. Am I willing to possibly give up other people and friendships in order to save them?
...o0O0o...
Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs were sitting silently in the common room, mulling the recent events over in their heads. Sirius was now dry-eyed, and had taken on a stony, determined look. James was sitting limply, his head bent back on the top of a chair, staring mindlessly at the ceiling. Peter was shivering, still not recovered from the look Harry had given him. Remus was listing question after question they should have asked in his head, trying to distract himself from the fact that one of his best friends was going to die soon. Harry had grown up with the Durpeys, or Dursleys, or whatever, so he had to have spent almost all of his life without James and Lily.
If that was true, James would die in just a few years! He wondered why Harry hadn't grown up with Sirius or Peter. Well, more like Sirius. Peter would forget to feed him. He shivered involuntarily at the thought. He knew he wouldn't have taken him in, with his condition, but why didn't Sirius? He was sure he was made his godfather... something must have happened. Maybe he... moved. Remus thought lamely, trying to keep his mind off the most likely and most unfortunate reason Harry wouldn't have grown up with Sirius. His death.
Finally, James spoke. "Where did H-Harry go?" He stumbled over his future-son's name. Sirius pulled the Marauder's Map out of his pocked in a daze, and swept his eyes over it. Roger Parkinson and Daphne Wood were in a closet on the second floor, but other than that, the school seemed to be lacking any student out of bed. Sirius watched as the footsteps of McGonagall uncovered the two. She stood there for a few seconds, presumably yelling, then walked the two back to the Slytherin and Ravenclaw common rooms. Still no Harry.
"Where is he, Padds?" James asked again, more urgent this time.
"He's not on here." Remus and James turned their heads sharply towards the handsome boy pouring over the map. "He must be in the Room of Requirements. There's no way he couldn't have gotten off the school grounds so fast, even if he used a secret passageway."
James relaxed, but Remus looked worried.
"When do you think he'll come out?" The werewolf asked. James looked unconcerned.
"The room doesn't bring food, for some reason," he said. "He'll have to come out pretty soon." Remus didn't look comforted.
"That doesn't mean he'll be coming back to school, though. You know as well or better than I that it's fairly easy to sneak around the castle at night. He could go out only at night, and unless we started patrolling the corridors, we wouldn't know." James had no response. He was obviously not thinking much of the problem at hand - he was more wrapped up in his recent epiphany involving his marriage to Lily Evans, the birth of his son - who was now his age, and his and his wife's imminent death. Sirius seemed to be thinking along the same lines. Suddenly, Sirius spoke abruptly.
"Why didn't I raise him?" Remus sighed. He'd hoped Sirius wouldn't notice that.
"I don't know, Padfoot. I can't imagine you just letting him go live with anyone else unless something... happened to you." Sirius looked saddened, but not surprised. He'd obviously come to generally the same conclusion as Remus.
"Why didn't Wormtail or Moony raise him then?" Sirius was rather emotionless, speaking in a dull, frank voice that didn't suit his normal behavior. This, however, was not his normal behavior, so one couldn't talk. For the first time, Peter looked uncomfortable, and he scratched his upper left arm unconsciously. He had no response, and looked a bit guilty and shocked. Remus answered.
"Well, I have my furry little problem, and Peter... I don't know about Peter. Maybe he was... too - uh - busy or something." This response sounded lame and unconvincing even to Remus's ears. Though none of them wanted to say it, they couldn't imagine Peter taking in a child, even if it was one of his best friends. He was bad with children to the point of slight hilarity, and could be rather mean at times. Remus banished the thought immediately. It wouldn't do to be thinking against a fellow marauder.
"M-maybe I'm on a m-m-mission... or something..." Peter stuttered, looking thoroughly flustered. James had been silent for the last few minutes. Suddenly,
"I can't believe Harry is my son." Remus couldn't hold back a smile. Adverse to Peter, James would be a perfect father he could tell. James had admitted to Remus alone that Dumbledore had offered him the spot of Head Boy, but he'd declined. He liked the idea of being able to help the younger students, but he was already Quidditch Captain, and a marauder on top of that, so he didn't want even less time for himself. Remus felt a slight swell of pride that James had confided in only him. One of the few good things that had come with his werewolfy-ness (in addition to stamina, and good hearing and smell) was his ability to keep secrets. Sirius would've laughed, and Peter would've forgotten that it was a secret and brought it up on day-to-day conversation.
"At least I know Lily will finally cave to the Potter charm," he joked, though he was smiling seemingly to himself. "Harry seemed pretty cool, too. He's good looking too. He inherited it all from me." James tried to bring humor into the still grim situation, but only Sirius laughed and commented:
"Are you insulting Lily's beauty, Prongs?" James started, looking horrified with himself.
"What! No! I was- I mean, you know I-" He began to protest, but Peter cut him off, finally joining the conversation - albeit in a quavering voice.
"P-Prongs, we all know you didn't mean it. Your obsession with Lily Evans shouldn't be u-underestimated." Sirius laughed, and Peter looked pleased with himself. After that, however, everyone was silent. Finally after a good fifteen minutes of silence, Remus stood. The others started.
"I'm heading up to bed, guys. It's getting pretty late." Sirius and Peter nodded, and stood to join him. James, however, stayed put.
"I'm going to stay in the common room a little longer. I'll be up in a bit." The others didn't blame him, and said nothing as they ascended the stairwell.
James never did come up to the common room, sitting in the chair all night as he thought over the days events.
...o0O0o...
The next day, Harry ignored his classes. He simply lay on his bed, slipping to and from sleep and thought. He'd finally cracked open the food Hermione had packed, and there was enough for about two weeks, so Harry was sure he would be fine. He'd eaten warm waffles for breakfast, and had just finished lentil soup for lunch.
Izlanzi? He called to his phoenix, who was perched sleepily on his bed post.
Yes, Harry? She asked.
Do you want to go for a fly with me? I'm feeling claustrophobic. Izlanzi looked pleased and excited with the proposal, and she nodded regally in response. She flew to the window and waited for him. He quickly finished washing his dishes, and turned to her. He smiled, and morphed into a beautiful phoenix. Harry's phoenix form was a beautiful sight. He had black tail feathers and wing tips with iridescent white wings and a Gryffindor-red body and head. His head itself was crested with a few black feathers, setting off his emerald green eyes. There was a white stripe between his eyes, similar to his scar.
He swooped over to Izlanzi, and together they flew out the open window. Harry closed his eyes, feeling the wind ripple and caress his feathers. He barely needed to flap his wings, choosing to float on the wind drafts. He dipped his wings, and dove. He went as fast a bullet, easily as fast as his Firebolt at full speed. The ground rushed up to him in record time, and he spread his wings silently - leveling out - and let his claws rustle the grass. He flapped his wings a few times, sending himself back up to Izlanzi, who was flying "normally." (At about 70 MPH.) She seemed amused at his playfulness.
Let's head over towards the Forbidden Forest, okay? He suggested. Izlanzi nodded her long, regal-looking neck, and they banked simultaneously, flying about ten feet over the tips of the dark trees. Below them, Harry saw flashes of life with his enhanced vision. Large, scuttling spiders, a fox eyeing two rats scurrying through the underbrush, what Harry thought was a unicorn... the list went on and on. They flew for about twenty minutes in silence, the castle having disappeared behind them long ago. They saw the train tracks for the Hogwarts express, and a few muggle cottages connected by a slightly-overgrown dirt road. Finally, when they neared the first village, Izlanzi spoke.
We should head back, Harry. We can't have any non-magical people seeing us. Harry understood her point, but couldn't help but sigh at the thought of turning back. Then, he brightened.
Could I run back in my other form? She smiled, seeming to approve, and nodded. They flew a bit more, a mile or two past the very last muggle house, then swooped low to the ground and landed. Harry turned back into this normal, human form (he was unable to change directly from form to form - something he had yet to master) and then immediately morphed into a large snow leopard. Like his phoenix form, he had green eyes, though in this form they were ringed with gray-white. He was mostly off white, and covered with black marks, the most unusual of which was a line just above and between his eyes. Again, his scar. He never seemed to be able to escape it.
He crouched, glancing at Izlanzi, who was in the form of a pitch black jaguar, and bounded forward. His movements were fluid, his muscles rippling endlessly under his fur. He wasn't going full speed, running at about 45 MPH. He had huge paws with moon-white claws glinting on them, though they were currently retracted. His ears were turned back to increase aerodynamics, and his mouth was open in a slight snarl, scrunching up his nose and exposing his two inch-and-a-half long fangs on either side of his mouth.
Izlanzi ran in a different way, more... graceful so to speak. Her shoulders seemed not to even move up and down, and if you couldn't see her pounding legs, one might think she was gliding. Her eyes were gold, the same color they usually were, and they were full of determination (they were racing) and fun. They were neck in neck, each having sped up to about 60 MPH, almost at their top speeds. As neither were the actual animal, they were different from the normal large cats. Neither could run so fast for so long, especially jaguars - who spent most of their time stalking or climbing trees.
They ran, barely tiring, for about 45 more minutes, until they had almost reached the castle grounds. They were in the Forbidden Forest, watching the trees blur by. Their reflexes were impossibly quick, and they navigated their way through the dense wood without trouble. At one point, Harry even rocketed off a spider who he thought might be Aragog. He grinned at the memory of the highly aggravated spiders. That ones for you, Ron, he thought to himself. Finally, he could see the Hogwarts grounds. It seemed to be a break in classes, or a study period for fifth and seventh years (OWL and NEWT students) because about forty students were outside, lounging in the unseasonably warm weather.
Harry frowned to himself. This could be a problem. How am I going to get back in? Though he was thinking mostly to himself, he allowed Izlanzi to answer, and she replied promptly.
A Disillusionment charm might work, or your invisibility cloak, if you had it. You don't however, so I suggest the charm. He nodded in agreement and shifted back to his human form, stumbling forward a bit as he did so. He retrieved his wand from his pocket, and tapped himself, silently casting the charm. Izlanzi morphed into the form of a light brown moth, and followed him as he stepped out of the forest, and walked back to the Room of Requirements.
They walked quickly, on the off chance that one of the Marauders was watching the map to see if he moved from the room. He guessed (correctly) that they knew about the room, and would assume that he had gone there. It wouldn't do to have them confront him, invisible or not. He wondered briefly if Izlanzi would show up on the map, then dismissed the thought, deciding to check later on his version.
After about five minutes he arrived at the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy. He checked to make sure no one was there, thought his request, and walked back into his current living space. He closed the door, and was about to end the Disillusionment charm, when he thought he heard a faint sound. He frowned, then shrugged and dismissed it. Hogwarts wasn't exactly known for being quiet all the time.
...o0O0o...
Outside the Room of Requirements
"AARRRGGGHHH!" James and Sirius yelled together, slamming into the now solid wall as they attempted to enter the just-disappeared door.
...o0O0o...
Harry walked over to his bed, and sat down, leaning over and opening his trunk. He pulled out his two photo albums sentimentally. He missed Hermione and Ron badly. First, he flipped open the one about he and his friends - he didn't really want a reminder of his parents right now. On the front cover, there was a picture of Harry, Ron and Hermione in sixth year, arms over shoulders. Hermione was in the middle, and smiling happily, though not raucously. Harry was to her right, smiling widely. He looked about the happiest he'd been that sixth year - so soon after Sirius's death. Ron was on the left, grinning hugely and laughing. Harry smiled, slightly sadly. What he wouldn't do to have them here with him...
He flipped to the next page. The album began in first year, though there weren't many pictures capturing that year. (Due to the fact that Collin Creevy had yet to come to Hogwarts.) There were six pictures total, one taken from the Hogwarts express (by Molly) of the Weasleys. Hermione was in the back ground, hugging her parents, and you could just see Harry looking out the tinted glass of a train car. That was one of his favorites. He went fairly quickly from there, flipping through pictures of Quidditch games, the Great Hall, the Gryffindor Common Room, Hogsmeade, the Burrow, and many other places. Harry paused at one picturing Fred and George grinning mischievously next to several fuming, pink-haired Slytherins. The last picture was a fairly recent one Harry and Hermione had gotten a passerby to take while they were in a date in Diagon Alley. Hermione was proudly showing off her wedding ring, and picture-Harry was looking at her in adoration.
Feeling suitably homesick - or time sick, you could say - he laid back down on his bed and stared at the ceiling, deciding not to look at the pictures of his parents. He had the real versions of them in this very same building, anyways. Harry smiled ironically. Finally, he had put if off long enough. He Accio-ed a piece of parchment and a quill onto his bed, and sat against the wall. He sighed, and dipped the eagle-feather quill into the vial of black ink hovering next to his knee.
"Hmmm..." he said out loud, startling himself with the sound. On the paper, he wrote down two columns, side by side:
Reasons to tell Parents about the future
-Prevent their and Sirius's deaths
-I can prank Snape!
-I don't know how to Oblivate
-Voldemort wouldn't be 'dead' for eleven years... in theory
-Kill Moldywart faster, therefore saving many lives
-I get to send Peter to Azkaban
-I want to, despite the risks
-If it works, Hermione won't be as
pissed at me
Reasons not to tell Parents about the future
-I might accidentally cause myself not to be born... NOT good
-They might not like me
-Then everyone is still dead
-I can just get a teacher to Oblivate them, or learn how
-Everyone in my time will be majorly P.O'd at me... especially Hermione and Minnie
-I can't avoid them for a whole year
-It might end up making other people die
He chewed the end of his quill thoughtfully, unable to think of anything else to write. He looked down. The winner was "Reasons to tell Parents about the Future" by two reasons. He sighed, resigned to his choice. Now that he had decided, the task of telling them seemed much more daunting. Is there really a good way to tell some of the people you care about the most how they die, and what a horrible future it is?
I highly doubt it, Harry. Izlanzi added. Harry started slightly. He hadn't realized he was projecting his thoughts.
Do you think I'm making the right decision, Izlanzi? She smiled understandingly, and morphed into a large black dog similar to Sirius's Animagus form - though less grim-like. She walked up to Harry, somehow managing to look regal even with her long, pink tongue lolling out between her teeth. Harry scratched her ears.
I don't know, Harry. It isn't my place to make this decision for you. Once you do this, there's no going back. Harry paused, looking serious.
I know. I just can't bring myself not to tell them. I would have been able to do it if they hadn't known, but erasing their memories now would be like... I don't know... a crime. Taking away their futures with a wave of a wand. When the dog made no response, Harry pulled out the Marauder's map to check up on Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, Prongs and Lily.
"I solemnly swear that I am up to no good." Harry wondered fleetingly how Fred and George had figured out the password, but banished the thought immediately. There are much more important things to think about right now. He scanned the map. Sirius and James were walking rather slowly (looking dejected even on the map) away from the Room of Requirements. Remus was walking out of the Gryffindor Common Room with Savannah Donovan, who Harry vaguely remembered to be a red-headed fifth year. Peter was in the kitchens, surrounded by names such as "Reeby," "Dinky," and "Wardy." Harry snorted in disgust at the thought of the rat. He would have to tell James, Sirius, Remus and possibly Lily without him.
So, he tucked his wand and the map into his robes pocket, closed his trunk and headed to the door. He stood just inside of it, eyes closed in anxious thought. Finally, after a minute of mental preparation, he reached for the handle and yanked it open - revealing the corridor outside. He stepped out, and began jogging in the direction Sirius and James had gone. He was light footed, making no noise as he went. Even if he was sure he was going to tell them, he wanted to see them first - not the other way around.
He caught up with them quickly, then stopped, watching them walk a few steps before he said,
"Hey." They whirled around so quickly Harry almost laughed. Almost. For a second, it looked as if Sirius was going to jump him and hold him down to keep Harry from running away. But he halted as he was bunching his muscles - obviously realizing that Harry planned to stay. He was the one to seek them out, after all. They looked at a loss of what to say, so Harry took initiative.
"We need to talk."
AN: Man! I really have this cliffhanger thing down! anyways... REVIEW! PLEASE! I WOULD REALLY APPRECIATE IT!
A POX ON ALL NON-REVIEWERS!
Okay, now that I've got that out of my system... bye! I'll try to update soon, but school just started again, and I haven't had much time to do much besides homework and commute.