Chapter 21

It's been a few days since Remus had come barging into Hogwarts and Harry still doesn't know why. What ever it was though it had James, Remus, and Sirius gone at odd hours of the day. Sometimes, Harry won't see Remus for a few days. With work and doing what ever he is doing, he doesn't seem to be at Hogwarts at all. James would leave whenever Remus was at work and sometimes would be gone until late. Harry never sees Sirius anymore.

On the other note, Snape has reported that Voldemort doesn't know where the Headquarters are. Apparently, he wasn't looking through Bill's eyes then or he couldn't hear the location cause it didn't come through Albus Dumbledore's mouth. Which ever it was, everyone was grateful. They would be moving back to Headquarters soon.

Dumbledore, Snape, Tonks, McGonagall, and Moody took over his lessons now. Since the other three are busy. McGonagall is continuing James's animagus lessons and Tonks took over Remus's and Sirius's lessons. Dumbledore would come in once and a while.

A week after the day they left Headquarters, they were allowed back in. Harry put James' picture back on the nightstand and quietly went back to his room.

An Order meeting is going on downstairs and, for the first time since Harry has been here, he wasn't allowed to attend the meeting. Something that frustrates him to no end. Here he is bored out of his mind and stuck upstairs.

A knock on the door broke Harry out of his bored thoughts. Still lying on the bed Harry shouted, "Come in."

The door opened and Neville came in. "Hey, Harry."

Harry lifted his head from the bed and smiled at the boy. "Hi, Neville. Come join the room of boredom and despair." He said before flopping his head back on the bed.

Neville laughed and walked into the room, closing the door behind him. "I just thought you wanted to play that muggle game you promised me a while back."

Harry propped himself on his elbows. "Which one? UNO or checkers?" He asked.

Neville shrugged his shoulders. "Which one is more fun?"

Harry thought. "Checkers." Harry took the time to study Neville. There weren't much different then this Neville and the one he knew, but there were one, maybe two, differences that caught Harry's attention. Though this Neville is nervous around adults, he isn't as nervous as the Neville from his world. This Neville had more confidence around other children, just not around adults. While his Neville was a nervous wrack around anyone.

Another thing Harry noticed was his weight. This Neville wasn't as pumped as the Neville he knows. And this Neville is much worst at muggle games.

Neville led the way to the library and Harry followed, wishing he had Fred and Georges extendable ears with him.

"Nothing. None of the suspected Death Eaters led me to anything." Remus said with a defeated sound in his voice. The report was the same from James and Sirius. They had no clue where the Death Eater took Mrs. Sally Harsh and her seven-year-old niece. Or whom that said Death Eater was.

Dumbledore sighed, disappointedly. "Severus, were you able to find out who took Mrs. Harsh and her niece?"

Severus Snape shook his head. "No, no one is saying anything of the kidnapping."

"Why are they keeping it tight lipped when they know that we know about it? I mean, they sent the letter to Remus saying they had them." Sirius pointed out.

"I don't know. Maybe he's afraid of too much information would leak if he makes it public knowledge." Remus guessed out loud.

"I want you guys to continue what your doing. And Severus keep an eye out. Now lets move on to other business."

"Albus, what are we going to do about Bill?" Arthur asked.

Albus sighed. "We first have to know what they did."

"We know what they did. We need to know what it is though." Sirius said. "And how to get rid of it before Bill gets to suspicious. It's not best to anger him, I can imagine."

"Where is Bill currently at?" Albus asked.

"He's with his mother and younger siblings at St. Mongo's." Arthur answered. "Speaking of the younger siblings, how is Aurora? Is she alright?"

Albus nodded. "She is currently awake, but doesn't seem to be talking to anyone." Arthur nodded.

"I'll visit later today."

"Crazy eight. How did we mange to go from checkers to crazy eights, anyway?" Neville asked looking at his six of hearts card.

Harry shrugged his shoulders. They were both lying on the floor of the library in front of the fire, the checkers game was laid out next to them and in between them were a pile of discard cards from their current game of crazy eight. "Do you know what's going on?" Harry asked indicating the Order meeting going on downstairs.

Neville shook his head. "Something about someone. I overheard my parents talking about them looking for someone."

"I wonder who?" Harry mused as he placed a six of spades down on the pile.

The door suddenly opened and Remus, James, and Sirius came in looking completely wiped out. It was the first time in weeks Harry saw them all together at once. Remus flopped onto the couch with James next to him and Sirius next to James. James leaned his head back and closed his eyes and Sirius stared past the boys and into the fire in the fireplace. Remus stared at the game they were playing. "What are you two playing?" He asked, not recognizing the game.

"Crazy eights." Harry answered. "A boy taught it to me back in first grade." He said remembering the new boy talking him on the new boy's first day of school.

"Tell me about this boy. Was he your friend?" Remus asked wanting to forget about the disappointing meeting they just had.

Harry watch Neville put a four of hearts down and call crazy eights. "Friend? Not really. I mean, he talked to me his first day at school, but that was the last time we talked. He was new to the school so he didn't know the rules." Remus raised an eyebrow. "He taught this game to me during recesses. It was fun and I liked it, but after he stopped talking to me, I had no one else to play it with. So, I played by myself in my cupbo…room with an old deck of cards." Real old. All the cards weren't there and the corners were torn, the edges rippled. It was Dudley's old deck. He had gotten it when he was four and threw them out when he was four and a half.

"Why did he stop talking to you?" Remus asked feeling a bit concern at what he was hearing. The sentence 'I had no one else to play it with' caused most of the concern.

Harry shrugged, unconcern. "Dudley and his group of followers told him the rules of being going to school alive and uninjured." The rules were simple ignore one Harry Potter or beat one Harry Potter up. Don't talk to one Harry Potter unless it's an insult and don't help the said Harry Potter.

James lifted his head from the couch and opened his eyes. "Dudley? Why does that name sound familiar?"

Harry flinched when he realized he slipped. He didn't want anyone here to find out he lived with the Dursleys. The less people who knew the better.

"I don't know about you, Mate, but I sure don't know any Dudley's." Sirius said finally looking away from the fire.

James didn't respond. He was deep in thought. The name sounds really familiar, but he can't think where he knows it from. "Who's Dudley?" James finally asked.

Harry looked down at the game, refusing to meet anyone's eyes. He shrugged his shoulders. "Just a bully, a spoiled bully who always gets his way with his no good, neat-freaked parents. They're a rude, selfish, neat-freaked, want-to-be-normal-but-not type of family. They hate anything non-normal, like magic."

The family Harry described sounded oddly familiar too. James just couldn't think of who the family was though.

"I'm guessing the family knows about magic?" Sirius asked.

Harry shrugged his shoulders. "I think…" he lied. "…but I don't really know. I do believe Dudley's aunt was a muggleborn witch."

"Who is this family? Is it possible that I know them?" James asked. "Wait" James said as a thought came to him. "What are you doing in a muggle school?"

Harry looked down at the cards in his hands, refusing to look them in the eye. He looked up at Neville, who hasn't said anything since the three adults walked in. "Well, I think the game is over and it's getting late. I think I'll be going to bed."

Harry stood to get up, but James stopped him. He moved forward onto the couch and stared sternly at Harry. "Who, exactly, is your guardian? Something tells me it isn't Sirius." He asked.

Remus lend over to Sirius. "Do you think we should leave?" He whispered.

"And miss James being a daddy? No way. Plus, I'm eager to hear the answer as well." Sirius whispered back.

Remus rolled his eyes and grabbed onto Sirius's arm. "Come on. James will tell us when he's ready."

Sirius groaned, but got up anyways. Remus took Neville by the shoulder and led them out of the room. The door closed and James and Harry were alone.

Harry watched them leave, but James didn't seem to notice. He stared at Harry waiting for the answer. Harry didn't say anything. He stood frozen. He really didn't want anyone to find out where he lived over summer holidays. "I'm waiting, Harry."

"Why do you care? It doesn't matter. You can't do anything to change it anyways." Harry said bitterly. "And trust me, sir, I have tried to change my living arrangements with Dumbledore a few times." Not completely a lie, but not really a truth either. He begged to stay at Hogwarts for the summer, if that counts as trying to changes his living arrangements.

"Harry, I would like to know why." James said ignoring Harry's question. He was right James couldn't do anything about it. They live it two separate worlds. Really, why should he care? What good would the information do him? What good would it do to Harry? Why does he want the information? James shook his head and stood up. "You know what? Fine. You don't have to tell me. You're right. Telling me won't change anything. I can't do anything to change it. We live in two separate worlds. I am not your father. You are not my son. You don't have to say anything and I have no right demanding it from you."

Harry looked stunned. He thought James would push him to revealing who his guardians are. To be shot down like this was a blow. Harry had to fight the urge to tell James, just for spit. Instead of giving into his urge, Harry nodded. "See. No point in me telling. It doesn't matter."

Still standing, James asked, "Just answer me this, Harry. Do your guardians abuse you?"

The question caught Harry off guard for a second and it took him a minute to answer. "No. I wasn't abused." Others had it worst then him. He wouldn't call it abused. Out of what he read in the school library, abuse is more extreme then what the Dursley's did to him. Though he could just hear Hermione saying it was still abuse. He mental shook her voice out of his head. "Even if I was being abused, it wouldn't matter. You or anyone else here can't stop it." He probably should not have said that. It would make James think he was being abused. Harry felt like hitting himself.

And James did suspect it, but once again Harry was right. There was nothing he can do to stop it. Best to let Harry believe James believed him. He nodded his head. "Good." He walked out of the room fully aware of Harry's eyes on him.

Sirius waited impatiently for James to finish his fourth bottle of firewhiskey. It was near midnight now and Remus had gone off to follow his assigned Death Eater. Apparently, Remus overheard Mr. Grazer, his assigned Death Eater, talk about going to some club tonight. Remus hoped this 'club' would lead to where they are keeping Ms. Sally Harsh and her niece.

Sirius has been waiting for James to talk about what went on in the library with Harry. Whatever happened, it caused James to drink four full bottles of firewhiskey. Something bad must have happened. Though it really doesn't take much for James to resort to drinking firewhiskey.

James slapped the now empty bottle onto the kitchen table. "Are you going to tell me what happened now?" Sirius asked half concerned and half impatient.

"What would it matter?" James asked drunkenly. "There is nothing we can do or say that would change it. We live in two different worlds. Give me a other bottle of firewhiskey, will you?"

"No, James. I think you had one to many." Sirius said. "Now tell me what happened."

"I said it doesn't matter." James said miserably. "I don't even know solid facts, just things I picked up while talkin' to him."

"It does matter, James. Whatever Harry is going through at home…errr…his world, I mean, must be bad. While he is here we can show him that even though we can't do anything to help him get out of it, and maybe we could, we are here to help him get through it. Maybe offer some advice or tips or whatever. So, tell me what is the big problem that is making you drink more then enough bottles of firewhiskey." Sirius asked once again.

"I didn't catch anything you said, but I think you were trying to be like Remus." James observed.

Sirius rolled his eyes. "Just answer the question."

"I think he is being abused at his current residence in his world." James said bluntly. "And I think the family he described is his guardians, which means they are the ones that abuse him."

Sirius stared shell-shocked at him. "Abused?" He asked slowly. "Why would his Sirius and Remus let that happened? Who do you think is the family? Dumbledore wouldn't have put Harry in a random family."

"I don't know. I know Dumbledore wouldn't have put him into a random family. Which makes me believe I'm supposed to know them some how." James placed his head in his hands and groaned at his sudden headache.

Sirius ignored him. "What family do you know that has a Dudley, which are neat-freaked, hate 'non-normal' things including magic…umm…that the mother of the family has a sister that's muggleborn…ummm…"

James lifted his head suddenly as a thought passed by him. "What was that last thing you said?" He asked.

Sirius stared at him. "Don't you remember Harry saying Dudley's mother has a sister that might be muggleborn?"

James stared at him in horror. "Lily had a sister who married and had a son. She hated magic and was the most neat-freaked person I have ever met."

Sirius eyes lit up with recognition. "Oh, yeah, I remember. She was at your wedding. Left before the cake was cut if I remember. She had a little babe with her. You don't think Harry lives with her do you? You think she'll really let harm come to her only nephew. From what I remember Lily saying, she and her sister were really close before Lily came to Hogwarts. Lily's sister was just jealousy. Do you really think that carried on to Harry?"

James sighed and nodded, keeping his eye on the empty bottle in front of him. "I never told you what happened when Lily and I went to visit her three weeks after Harry was born."

Sirius took the empty bottle of firewhiskey away from James and set it aside. "I didn't even know you two went to her house. Merlin, I can't even think of her name. It was some sort of flower, I remember."

James nodded. "I do believe it was Petunia something or other. I can't remember her married name. Anyway, Lily wanted to show Petunia her nephew. She thought that her sister had a right to. Lily still wanted her sister in her life." James paused. He stared off into space, remembering the encounter. "They didn't want us in the house. Lily begged Petunia to listen to her and asked her if she wanted to hold Harry. Petunia refused quite rudely. Her husband, he…" James paused in anger, the memory, though years old, was still fresh in his mind. "…he hit her. He hit Lily. Lily was holding Harry, who was barely three weeks old. Lily almost dropped him and he began crying. Neither Petunia nor her husband did anything, they just yelled at us to get out of their sights and, I quote, 'Take the crying freak with you'. They slammed the door on our faces. If Harry lives there with him, I wouldn't be surprise if he was abused."

Sirius started at him in shock. "James, why didn't you tell me about this? I would have gladly gone over to Petunia's home and teach that man a lesson."

James nodded. "I know. That's why I didn't tell you. Lily was so heartbroken over it and I knew if we did something to them she would just be more upset. I just wanted to put it behind us. We both did."

Sirius nodded his understanding before a grin slowly formed on his face. "We can do it now."

"What?"

"If they abused Harry then that's a good reason in my books to prank them has bad as our pranks in fifth year." Sirius said with a glint in his eye.

James didn't say anything for a while. "I'm not into pranks anymore, Sirius."

Sirius rolled his eyes. "I know. That is why I suggested it. We use to do so many good pranks, Mate. It kept us alive and doing something in school. What's the harm in pulling a few Severus Snape worthy pranks on Petunia's family?"

"Those pranks we did on Snape were pretty mean." James pointed out unnecessarily.

Sirius nodded. "That's why they would be grate for Petunia's family."

James shook his head. "No, Sirius I don't think we should. I'm not going to do it."

"I can't believe I'm doing this." James whispered to his best mates as the three of them snuck quietly down Privet Drive. It was about two in the morning. The August air breezed past them. Bringing with it the smell of summer flowers.

James doesn't know how Sirius pushed him into doing this, but he did. He had waited for Remus to get home and both of them ganged up on him.

"Which one is her house?" Sirius asked.

James looked down at the houses on each side of the street. They all looked the same. How did Harry stand it? If James lived here he would soon be going to Azkaban for destruction of property. "How am I supposed to remember which one is her house?"

Both Sirius and Remus gave him a look. After what happened between Petunia's family and his, they both knew he would engrave the address into his memory for future references. Which he did on that day. He sighed. Sometimes he hates the fact his friends know him to well. "Number Four." He answered.

"Two, Three, ah Number Four!" Sirius said as he pointed to a light blue house facing east.

With the darkness covering them, they sneaked towards Little Whinging, Surrey Number Four Privet Drive.

"What destruction should we start out first?" Sirius asked eagerly.

"I think we should start inside and work our way out." James said.

"I think someone should do outside, someone does the first floor, and someone does the second floor." Remus said.

"I'll take second floor!" Sirius said excitedly. He wanted to be the one to curse the bedrooms.

Remus rolled his eyes. "I'll take outside." He said knowing that out of the three, he can be the sneakiest. Best be outside if he's the sneakiest. Though, being the sneakiest it would have been better to do the second floor where the three sleeping people are, but Sirius had already called that out and Remus didn't really want to go inside the house.

James sighed. "I guess I'll take the first floor."

When the reached the house they separated. Remus went around back to the backyard as the other two broke into the house. Sirius went up the stairs and James walked through the first floor.

The house was neat, too neat. It was orderly and organized. James couldn't help but grin when he thought of the prefect revenge.

Meanwhile, Sirius was having the time of his life, placing this prank in the room and that prank in that room. He almost gagged when he saw the "man" of the house. The man was huge…so, huge he was almost not a man, but a pig or something otherworldly. Sirius had fun trying to find a prank to freak him out. He grinned when an idea hit him.

Remus stared at the backyard, the neatly trimmed, neatly cut backyard. Flowers were in perfect order the grass looks like it never been stepped on it was so green and…well, prefect. Almost sickening. It didn't take him long to think up a prefect prank for their neatly, ordered backyard.

Once his job in the backyard was done, Remus turned to the house itself. 'The light blue house needs a bit more color.' He thought to himself.

By dawn, the three of them went under the disillusionment charm to watch the show. They waited outside by the window looking into the living room, which was dirty beyond relief. Mud was on the ground, on the ceiling, and the furniture's. The furniture was ripped and torn. The easy chair was stuck to the ceiling; the couch was balancing on top of a broken TV. The bookshelf was up side down up on the wall. The once hard wooden floor now had neon pink carpet. The pictures that had hung on the wall was now on the ceiling and each person in the picture had marker drawn faces on it. And this was only the living room. James had made sure to do the kitchen and hallway like this as well, with the kitchen table on the ceiling and the flower vase broken pieces scattered on the walls of the hallway.

Sirius sighed in mock sadness. "I wish we can see their reaction to what I did upstairs. Waking up to see your handsome husband having pink skin, a pig nose and pointy pig ears would be quite funny to watch." Sirius said. Remus rolled his eyes but still let out a chuckle. James though just smiled at his friend's childish prank, not that his was any less childish.

It was long before they heard the screaming and stomping coming from upstairs. Sirius sighed again. "This would take a while." He said. "All three of them are going to have a tough time trying to find the stairs. I placed a maze of some sort up there." He answered the questioning looks his two friends gave him.

A crash from downstairs woke Harry up around three thirty in the morning. He crept out of bed and took his wand as he walked towards the bedroom door. As soon as he opened the door, he can hear laughter coming from downstairs. He lowered his wand, realizing whoever it was; they aren't a threat. The bark like laughter told Harry who it was.

Curiously, Harry walked down the stairs. He found them in the living room. Sirius was cracking up on the couch. His face was red from his laughter. Even the cool, collected Remus Lupin was laughing so hard there were tears down his face. Never once, since Harry met the man, had he seen him act this way. The only person with an ounce of sanity left in him was James Potter. He sat between the laughing baboons, chuckling. He looked happy, content.

"Did you see the look on their faces?" Sirius finally managed to say over his laughter. "His face was sooooooo hilarious."

"Which guy are you talking about? The big pink guy or the small snotty boy?" Remus asked, laughing.

"Small? Moony, did you see the size of that boy?" Sirius asked.

"No, no…guys, guys." James spoke up, grabbing their attention. "I think her face was the most hilarious. Especially, when she saw the living room."

The two burst into laughing. "True, true. So, true." Sirius said. "When she saw the kitchen…"

"No, when she saw the backyard…" Remus said.

The there was a pause before they all shouted, "The house itself…" They all burst into laughter.

"Oh, Moony, my old boy, that was pure genius." Sirius said.

"I know, I know…I outdid myself." Remus joked. "Did you see the look on their neighbors faces when they saw the neon rainbowed house?" He asked. The three started to laugh uncontrollably. "Merlin, Prongs, I haven't heard you laugh this hard in a long time." Remus looked up when he suddenly heard the floor creak. "Harry!"

Sirius looked up and smiled. "Harry, Garry."

Remus shook his head. "Oh, no. Sirius." He whined as James smiled brightly, taking Sirius' unsaid challenge.

"Harry, Garry, Marry." James said.

"Harry, Garry, Marry, Tarry…ahh…" Sirius shouted.

"Larry!" James shouted. "Harry, Garry, Marry, Tarry, Larry. Ha! I win!"

Sirius shook his head. "No, no. That is only five words. We need seven."

"Crap." James said as he started to think of two more words. "Sharry."

"Not a name." Sirius said, as he, too, thought of two more.

"Narry."

"Not a name." Sirius said again. He suddenly jumped. "Ha! Harry, Garry, Mary, Tarry, Larry, Carry…and, ah…Barry! I WIN!"

James shook his head. "Carry and Barry aren't names."

"But there aren't anymore names that rhyme with Harry." Sirius complained.

"Then I win. Since I got the most."

Remus tuned them out and turned to Harry. "What are you doing up so late…err…early I mean?"

Harry walked further into the room. Sparing a glance at the arguing pair. "It's hard to sleep when all I hear is laughter coming from down here." He said standing behind Remus.

Remus chuckled. "Sorry. We just got back from having some fun. Fun we haven't had in a very long, long time." He looked over at Sirius and James, who were still arguing. "They haven't played their little name game since…oh, since the day you were named. They started out with the name Jacob and they were going through the entire list of names that started with 'J'. I do believe Sirius won that one because James, in his hast to win, accidentally said 'Harry' instead of Jerry."

"Ha!" Remus and Harry jumped at the saddened noise. James smiled at Remus. "Thanks Moony." He turned back to Sirius. "Harry, Garry, Mary, Tarry, Larry, Perry, Jerry!" He shouted almost at the same time Sirius did. Though, James finished the list of names before Sirius. "I WON!" James shouted.

Sirius scowled. "Merlin, now I owe you."

James smiled. "Pay up, Padfoot, old pall."

"I don't have the money on me at the moment." Sirius said. "All I have on me are the rest of the dungbombs."

"I can take the dungbombs." James said.

Sirius looked horrified and shook his head, quickly. "No, no. I'll keep the dungbombs. You can have the money."

"Come on, Harry. Sit down. You don't want to stand all night, do you?" Remus asked as he moved over so Harry can fit on the couch.

Harry sat down next to him. It was somewhat of a tight fit, having three grown men and a teen sitting on one couch.

The rest of the night was full of carefree talking. Harry listened to many tales of the infamous Marauders and overheard much of their inside jokes. It was a nice change for Harry. Since he got here there hasn't been much carefree attitude. Especially, with James. Listening and watching them, seeing their close relationship that was taken away from Harry in his word, helped him realized just how much he missed his parents. It made him even more angry with Wormtail for taking this away from not only him, but from taking it away from these three men in front of him.

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Sorry, it took so long to update...but review please...