James Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Disclaimer: I solomnely swear that I do not own :'(
A/N: I am so sorry! PLEASE don't hate me! MY LAPTOP BROKE /3 I was so devastated and I only just got permission from my dad to use his computer to update fanfiction! I PROMISE that I'm not abandoning ANY of my stories - in fact, I'm typing out at least one chapter for EVERY single one of my stories before the night is up:( I've had so many ideas for all of my fics that I haven't gotten to use yet but now I do so please don't hate me - so sorry! Hope this chapter makes up for it!
Chapter Eleven: The Firebolt
It was only when James was in the middle of the forest, all alone, that he realized he had absolutely no idea what he was planning to do.
How many times had he already gone looking for Sirius? And how many times had he already failed? Just because he had renewed fervor didn't mean that it would be any easier to find the dog Animagus - it was still bloody near impossible.
When he'd first run off, he'd heard Ron and Hermione chasing after him. But after a while, they had given up. James didn't blame them; he knew it probably wasn't easy tracking an upset wizard who happens to own an Invisibilty Cloak.
James was tired; he'd already had an extremely long day. He tore the Cloak off of himself, and sat down on a stump. He had no idea how long it had been since he'd run from the Three Broomsticks, and he still wasn't sure why he'd done that - he'd heard the entire story before. Remus had told him everything - why was it hitting him as though this was the first time he'd been told of the past events? James reasoned that perhaps it was because he heard them again, but he knew that even that couldn't have been the whole reason. Regardless, James wasn't in the best of moods.
And that was when it hit him.
Moony! James thought suddenly. Of course! Why didn't I think of it sooner? If anyone can help me, Remus can!
And so, heart already becoming happier, James made his way back to Hogwarts.
James was surprised how late it was - almost midnight. Had he been sulking in the woods for that many hours?
Anyways, James was still under the Invisibility Cloak, and he was tip-toeing his way to the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom - since James had the Map, he knew that Remus was definitely not in bed - he was still in his room for some reason. Maybe his Marauders Sense was tingling and he knew James needed help?
James finally made it to Moony's room, and didn't bother to knock. He let himself in like he owned the place (as any Marauder would have) and smiled broadly at the confused look on Remus's face when the door seemed to swing open on its own. James threw the Cloak off himself, and laughed as Moony breathed a sigh of relief.
"Blimme James, I'd almost forgotten you were here!" Remus gasped.
"S'odd." James muttered. "It's not like you to forget things, Moony."
"Well, when you've been...well, dead for twelve years, it's perfectly understandable that I'm still not used to the idea of you being back." Remus defended.
James laughed - being with Moony was already making him feel better. "Anything to keep from being wrong, huh Remus?"
Remus rolled his eyes. "Whatever, Prongs."
James took a seat in one of the front desks, right next to where Remus was grading papers.
"Oh! You're grading Malfoy's? Lemme see, lemme see!" James eagerly grabbed the parchment from his friend's hands, and looked at the top for his grade. "What?" James gasped. "You passed him? Aw, c'mon, what kind of Marauder are you? Fail him, fail him, fail him!"
Remus laughed, and grabbed the parchment back from James. "I can't exactly fail a student if he had all the answers right, James."
"Probably cheated anyways." James muttered.
"Like you and Sirius did on your Transfiguration Exam?" Remus asked, raising his eyebrow.
"Hey!" James defended. "As I explained to you when it happened, we were doing the school a favor - we simply showed them that their anti-cheating charms were faulty!"
Remus rolled his eyes again. "And as I explained to you when it happened - it still wasn't right."
"Goody-Two-Shoes-Lupin." James muttered.
Remus whacked him on the back of the head.
"Ow!" James complained loudly, rubbing the spot that his friend had hit. "What was that for?"
Remus only laughed.
"You know, that's against the law, Moony! You're abusing a student! CHILD ABUSE!" James yelled.
"Oh, shut it!" Remus complained. "You sound like a banshee when you screech."
James laughed. "So...when's the next full moon, Moony?"
"Not anytime soon." Remus shrugged.
"Well, what're your plans for it?" James persisted eagerly.
"Uh...sleeping in my office?" Remus offered uncertainly.
"What?" James asked, horrified. "You mean full moons are boring now? Huh. Never thought I'd live to see the - oh."
Remus suddenly looked sad and muttered a pathetic, "You're an idiot, do you know that?"
James forced himself to chuckle, but the unintentional reminder of his death wasn't making it easy to seem happy. "I've always known that, but I think it adds to my boyish charm."
"What 'charm'?" Remus asked.
"That was a bit below the belt, don't you think?" James challenged.
The rest of the evening was spent with laughs and screeches coming from the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom - and that was exactly what James had been aiming for. He wanted some time with one of his best friends to forget all the pain that coming to the future brought. But there was one thing in the back of his miind that refused to leave him be - if James was here...then where on Earth was Harry? Or, more, accurately...when?
"OI! JAMES! WAKE UP! PRESENTS!"
James woke up on Christmas morning to the sound of Ron's screeching. That was one good thing about staying at Hogwarts on the Christmas Holidays for James - they didn't need to be quite so careful with his cover. With most of the students gone, he was free to act...well, not act like his son, whom he didn't even know.
James pushed his glasses on his face quickly, and followed Ron to the common room. Ron tore open his first package quickly, revealing an ugly Maroon sweater that had been knitted by his mother.
James was surprised that he'd gotten any presents at all, but he had. Molly had sent him a scarlet sweater with the Gryffindor lion knitted on the front, and also a dozen home-baked mince pies, some Christmas cake, and a box of nut brittle. As James moved all of these aside, he saw another present meant for him.
It was long, quite long, and wrapped in a tender brown paper. James knew what it would be before he even opened it a bit - it was a broomstick. And by the feel of it, it was a good one.
"What's that?" Ron asked, throwing his own sweater on the nearest chair and scooting closer to James.
James beamed. "I think I have an idea..."
James - without further adieu - tore the paper off of his gift and gasped in wonder and awe. It was wonderful, it was perfect, it was the Firebolt racing broom!
James remembered the beautiful broom he'd seen in Diagon Alley just a few months before - how he'd longed for that wonderful piece of tree. But to actually possess it...it was like he'd died and gone to...well, it was like a joy he'd never experienced before in his life.
"Who sent it to you?" muttered Ron, who was still staring transfixed at the broom.
"Dunno." James shrugged, running his hand along the length of the handle. "But I bloody love whoever did...bloody love 'em with a passion..."
"Doesn't look like there's a card." Ron said, but it didn't sound as though he cared much about that bit. He was still staring at the broom. "This must've cost a fortune, though...who'd spend that much on Harry?"
"Fifty galleons it wasn't Vernon Dursley." James chuckled.
Ron laughed, too. "Coulda been Dumbledore." he suggested. "It was him that sent Harry your Invisibility Cloak first-year."
"Yeah, but he didn't have to spend any money on that and, quite honestly, I can't see Dumbledore doing that." James said.
"Maybe Lupin, then?" Ron suggested.
James thought for a moment. "More likely him than Dumbledore or a Durlsey, but I still don't think so. I mean, I love Moony and all, but he doesn't have much money - he knows it's me, and he knows that I understand that. He wouldn't spend any money on me."
At that moment, Hermione entered the room, carrying her devil of a cat.
"Happy Christmas!" she said brightly.
"Get that cat out of here!" Ron shrieked. He'd only just pulled Scabbers out of his pocket, and he didn't have any desire to have to put him away for fear that he'd get eaten.
"Hang on," James said, staring transfixed at the rat that Ron was holding. This was the first time he'd seen Ron's pet. "That's Scabbers, there?"
"Yeah...pathetic, isn't he?" said Ron, offering his pet to James.
"Let me see him." James muttered, the Firebolt all but forgotten on the ground.
Hermione set Crookshanks on the couch, and sat down next Ron and James. "What is it?" she asked.
"I know this rat." James said. "He's so...familiar."
"What do you mean?" asked Hermione, sounding concerned.
"But...it can't be..." James muttered, turning Scabbers over in his hands. "He's dead..."
"Who's dead?" asked Ron.
"What happened to his toe?" James asked, gesturing to the missing toe on the rat.
"Fight with another rat, I reckon. He's been alive long enough." Ron shrugged. "Why? What's the big deal?"
"Hang on." James said, suddenly determined. "Don't put him away. I've just got to get something from my trunk. I'll be back in two minutes."
"Here we are." James said, entering the Common Room once again. "Ron, give me Scabbers."
Ron reluctantly handed James the rat again, and James unfolded the Marauder's Map.
"I solomnely swear that I am up to no good." James said, tapping the map with his wand.
Instantly, the ink swirled onto the parchment, and James scanned the map until he reached his little dot labeled 'James Potter'. Next to him was 'Hermione Granger'. Beside him was 'Ronald Weasely'.
And right on top of him was the thought-to-be-dead-for-twelve-years 'Peter Pettigrew'.
DUN DUN DUN! CLIFFHANGER! I hope you enjoyed this chapter:) I might be able to upload again tomorrow night, but if I don't, it's just because my laptop's still busted and I can't get ahold of this one:P But my birthday is coming up in a week so maybe I'll get a new one! :D Anywhoo, until then, review!
~PeachyKeen13
