(AN: Oh yeah by the way, I can not stand that CGI piece of crap we got. That is NOT Moony. I prefer the Twilight werewolves…& I hate Twilight! LOL To me he's a bit like a Husky but with a tufted tail, not a curly one, like how Rowling describes him to begin with.)

(36) The Midnight Encounter *

There was a ringing silence as everyone stared at the man. Harry took another step forward. The man looked like James Potter. He sounded similar to the photos. He stood arms spread, keeping Peter, who had gone deathly quiet, behind him. He & Sirius were locked in each other's gaze. Sirius looked not close to tears, but beyond them. Remus was shaking his head. Harry tried to move in closer.

"NO!" Hermione yanked Harry back. "Don't you remember our second year? That person is obviously using Polyjuice Potion!"

Right. Harry's world came crashing down on him again. For one moment, he had hoped—he thought his father was alive. But Polyjuice was really the only explanation. It snapped Remus out of it as well.

"Who are you?" Remus bared his fangs. "How dare you take his form & stand here in front of us! HOW DARE YOU?"

The man finally wrenched his eyes from Sirius. "Very good point Miss. But there is one thing Polyjuice can't do. You can take on the face of your target but never," the man bared his left shoulder. A Stag was simultaneously trying to scratch its ear with a hind hoof & its side with its antlers & looked about ready to fall over from multi-tasking. "The Spirit if you happen to get an Animagus for your ingredient. If I was someone playing James Potter by using Polyjuice, I could never do this." He shifted to Prongs, whistled

softly, then shifted back. "Isn't that right you old fleabag?" James smiled sadly for a moment.

"Ohh..." Remus clasped his hands to his chest as if he had been punched in the heart, turned & staggered out to the landing where he crashed to his hands & knees. "No. NO! GOD NO!"

James cast a sorrowful glance at the distressed werewolf, then turned to the man behind him. "Are you ok Peter?"

Peter was shaking his head. "What's going on? What is happening?"

"Oh it's my fault you're like this," James put a hand on Peter's shoulder. "I'm so sorry but I had no choice. I've put so many spells on you many years ago. You don't even remember much do you?" Peter stared blankly at James who went on. "I'm just glad I got here in time. Stay close to me. They won't kill you now." James winced as Sirius shot to his feet.

"YOU!" Sirius snarled. "Twelve years James. TWELVE FUCKING YEARS!"

"Easy!" James pointed at Hermione. "There's a woman present!"

"I DON'T CARE!" Sirius had his fists balled to his sides. "If you've been alive all this time, why did you leave me to rot in Azkaban...FOR TWELVE YEARS?" Remus stumbled back in to put an arm around Sirius, though it looked more like to hold him back then comfort him.

James kept his eyes on Harry; though, he could barely see his son for the tears he was crying. "Until word got out of your escape my poor Grim, I knew nothing of it."

"No...no!" Sirius whimpered, his throat dry.

James plunged on. "I thought you were dead. I was told you were all dead except the famous Harry Potter of course. No way anyone could hide that kind of triumph a one year old baby had over Voldemort."

"Look at me," Sirius demanded in a dangerous whisper. "Say that to my face, I dare you!"

James turned away from his son & looked Sirius in the eye. He repeated what he said word for word. "I'm so ...sorry."

"Sorry. SORRY!" Sirius punched the piano so hard, several keys went flying. "You don't get to tell me you're sorry right now."

"Sirius please," James pleaded. "I didn't know! The moment I heard otherwise, I came as soon as I could."

"Not soon enough! You better have a good explanation for what you did to me!" Sirius pointed accusingly at James. "Marauder's code. Betrayal means death."

"I didn't betray you!"

"You never even bothered to find out the truth until now!"

"BECAUSE I COULDN'T!" James shouted. He turned away & noticed Ron on the bed.

Remus took advantage of the moment of silence. "Where...where's Lily then?"

"Oh she's dead alright," James said in a broken voice & Harry could see he was about ready to cry again. "Back in 1981 like everyone says."

Remus took a breath to steady his voice. "When ...when it happened, I was the one called in to identify the bodies. I was the closest family you had at the time, being married to a Black. I saw you," he pointed at James, going on in a whisper. "I saw you lying in the morgue. You were in a steel drawer! I'm the one who closed your eyes. I declared you dead. I saw Lily on the slab beside you! I had nightmares of that ordeal for over a year!" Sirius gasped, staring at Remus. Harry felt weak as he wondered if he could handle any more shocks. Lupin saw them dead in the morgue? Remus glanced at the floor, shaking his head. "There's something horribly wrong here!"

James looked pitifully at Remus. "Oh Ray! They called you? I can't eve...Remus! Thank you for taking care of Lily when I couldn't be there."

"But you were there," Remus kept his eyes on the floor. "I saw you."

"Yeah I can explain that," James said softly. "But lat—"

"Bare your teeth!" Remus suddenly shouted at him.

"What?"

"Bare your teeth right now!"

"I...uh...I...rrrr?" James tried to do his best Remus-Moony impression.

Remus stared long & hard, then shook his head. "No fangs," he muttered.

James stared at him, then burst out laughing. "Merlin's sake, you thought I was a vampire? Oh Moony!" He doubled up, wheezing. "No. NO! Oh wow! No! I'm quite alive thank you very much." He gasped for air. Remus hissed at him. When he had settled a bit, James added as he stepped slowly towards the wolf. "It's ok Moony. It's ok."

"I'll reserve judgment until we get the whole story," Remus bared his fangs in a low snarl. James stopped his advance. "The last time I blindly believed things, it nearly destroyed my marriage. So I'll wait if you don't mind. I'll wait for you to explain yourself."

"Understandable," James sighed. "We should go to the castle."

"We're not going anywhere until you explain yourself!" Sirius raged at him. "How can you allow Remus to go through something like that without giving an explanation? What is wrong with you?"

"I'm only telling the story once & not only Dumbledore but also Fudge MUST be present or you face the Dementors!" James suddenly turned sharply to him, a look of horrific panic crossed his face. "Sirius, I must stop the Dementors from claiming you! I can't survive that! It nearly killed me to know the truth about you. Not the Dementors! Not for y—!"

CRACK!

"Don't!" Sirius ordered, slapping James so hard across the face that it turned his head & made even Harry wince at the blow. It was so hard that the flesh broke open, being cut by the side of the glasses James was wearing. James stumbled backwards with the blow & only the end of the bed stopped him from falling over. Sirius was shaking with rage. Remus took a firmer grip on him & held him back as Sirius added, "Don't even think about acting like you care about me!"

"I do," James insisted in a whisper, holding his stinging cheek with one gloved hand while leaning on the bed with the other hand. After a moment, he staggered up straight & gingerly pulled the slightly bent wire out of the cut, then slipped his fingers underneath to keep it out. Blood began seeping into the black leather. In a shaking voice, James stammered, "S-Sirius, I know y-you're mad right no-w-w."

"Mad? MAD!" Sirius curled both hands into fists. "There are no words—NO WORDS! I ought to...I..." He raised his fist but could do nothing more as Remus was still holding him & James was just out of reach. "How could you do this to me? Or Remus?"

"Sirius, please. Just one chance to explain. It's all you'll need." James turned back to Ron, rubbing the smarting wound. The small cut was over the bone where Sirius had struck him. He sighed heavily to control himself. "We have to get this boy to the hospital. He's really bleeding. Peter can you carry him?" He took off his glasses & bent the wire a bit so it would slope under the cut so he could have both hands free.

"Yes I... I can do that," Peter said slowly. "Don't move Ron."

James smiled quickly at Harry (which aggravated his bright red cheek) before marching past Remus & Sirius. He shook his hand a bit, the one that had been holding his cut. Blood drops fell from his fingers to the floor. He paused for a moment, putting his hand on his jaw. Everyone heard a crack. James groaned a little before moving towards Snape.

James sighed, staring at the limp form in the wall. "I suppose I have to save your sorry hide again." He wrenched Snape none too gently out of the hole in the wall & flipped him over his shoulders. "What a tool. How'd he even get to teach?" He turned back to Peter with Ron, avoiding Sirius's eyes. "Let's go straight to Dumbledore after dropping Ron off." Though he continued to avoid looking at Sirius, he added. "You'll be free before the night is over Sirius."

"And you will be dead!"

"If you don't like my explanation," James started down the stairs. "You are free to murder me. Double Jeopardy."

"What's that?" Harry asked.

Hermione answered. "It means that if you were wrongfully accused of something, you can go & commit that act after you were set free right in public & there is nothing anyone can do about it. Can't charge twice for the exact same crime. Muggles have it to."

"What? Kill my Dad again?"

"Sirius is charged with his murder Harry, along with fourteen others. Even Peter's."

"Sirius!" Harry hurried after. "You can't...Sirius, it's a shock. But you...not really. You don't mean to kill him do you?"

"I don't know what I feel right now," Sirius pushed Harry away.

"If you must kill me," James said. "Please don't do it in front of my son. It's all I ask." They stared at each other, Sirius glowering so much it brought out the more haunted look of Azkaban in him. Sirius suddenly nodded quickly. Not in front of Harry. James let the cat run past. The moment Crookshanks disappeared above ground, he shoved Snape up the hole under the tree & climbed out.

"Sirius please," Harry tried again.

"Be quiet!" Sirius snapped. "I need to think. Don't talk to me. No one talk to me right now or I will have fifteen accidents on my hands. Possibly more!"

Harry grabbed Sirius's sleeve & yanked him back. "You shouldn't have hit him ...Black. Isn't that what Orion did?"

"It's no less than what he deserves!" Sirius wrenched away.

"Sirius!" Harry gasped incredulously.

Sirius glared. "I mean my smacking him, not what more Orion did. Now leave me alone!"

"Who's Orion?" Hermione asked.

"NO ONE!" Harry & Sirius answered much too quickly as they glared at each other. Sirius turned & marched away hurriedly, leaving Harry scrambling to catch up.

"Harry," Hermione grabbed his hand. "What's going on?"

"Hermione if you ask about that man again, I'll be the one who murders someone!"

"Harry?" Hermione stared at him.

"NO!" Harry wrenched himself out her grip. "I don't want to talk about it. Just leave it alone Granger!" Hermione was shocked that he used her last name but without further explanation, Harry turned & stumbled away. Clearly the subject was way off limits. Harry suddenly had one hand over his mouth & bent over for a moment. He moaned softly, then forced himself to get up & follow Sirius. Hermione watched in confusion.

The group pulled themselves out of the hole. James was already well ahead, striding towards the castle with Snape over one shoulder. Peter moved more hesitantly, delicately carrying Ron & trying not to look at him. Remus & Sirius started to follow James but then Hermione yelped.

"HARRY!" Hermione pointed to the sky. The moon was out & it was full.

There was a horrific shriek that made James stop & turn around. Everything else happened in a blur. Remus went rigid with the moonlight. James dropped Snape on the ground, staring in horror. So many non-Animagic folk, so little time.

Sirius seemed to have a similar idea. He ran to Remus & grabbed him. "Remus! Don't forget who you are! Remus!"

Harry & Hermione hung back with Peter & Ron. Harry thought of Passion Year & what his Dad had said about varying lengths in the lunar shifts. Would he take long enough for them all to run? Hardly had that thought crossed his mind when a large Husky-like wolf with a tufted tail stood before them. It was over in seconds. The wolf must have been happy to find not only his mate but his entire pack back with him.

Sirius was thrown aside as Moony landed on all fours & whimpered. Despite Ron's concerns, Hermione slowly moved towards the werewolf. "Professor?" Moony snorted. "Professor Lupin?"

At once, Harry knew she had made a mistake. He saw the eyes. Gold, shot through with red. Moony snarled, then howled. Hermione stumbled back to Harry, Ron & Peter still cowering near the Whomping Willow, just barely out of reach.

"There you are Potter," Snape suddenly appeared & put a hand on Harry's shoulder. He was angry & was in the process of threatening with expulsion when Moony attacked. The entire group went sprawling to the ground with Snape getting the worst of it on his shoulders.

The large wolf turned for a second attack but another dog, a black one, launched itself at the werewolf. Moony & Padfoot were once more fighting to the death. There were humans to eat. Moony didn't need Padfoot right now. He threw the Grim off, only to be slammed by a great Stag. Prongs bugled & charged again. Moony danced around him & nearly took Harry & Snape out in one blow but Padfoot came in for a second round.

Frustrated with his mate, Moony finally took off after Padfoot, determined to teach him a lesson. Prongs disappeared into the thicket nearby. The fight was horrible to listen to. Harry dodged Snape's grasp & ran forward as he heard Padfoot yelping. The great stag nearly ran over Harry as he bounded past, ending in a thud as he hit the werewolf's side. Moony pounced, throwing the Stag off-balance. Prongs tumbled hoof over horn down a steep hill out of sight. Moony then turned quickly on Padfoot, driving the black Grim into the boulder.

Not thinking about the consequences & forgetting that he was not an Animagus, Harry launched a large rock at the wolf, hitting him on the head. Moony turned on him. Good. Human. Time to eat! The same thought seemed to have flashed through both his mind & Harry's who suddenly realised what he did as the enraged wolf came on to him.

Harry knew he was dead. Prongs was too far down. Padfoot was nearly dead. Peter was too small & nowhere near anyway & neither Hermione or Snape could get to him in time. Moony growled & was about to charge but then, Harry heard someone else howl. Were there two of them? He glanced nervously towards the thicket. Moony suddenly ran off. Harry watched him & saw Prongs running to meet with the wolf & both disappeared into the forest.

Harry dashed forward towards Sirius who had reappeared but was so torn & bloody, he could barely move. He lay nearly lifeless by the lake. "Sirius!" Harry fell to his knees beside him. "Sirius! Are you ok?"

"Been better," Sirius groaned through gritted teeth.

Suddenly Hermione screamed "Harry!" for the second time that night at the same moment Sirius cried out, "No! NO STOP! NO!"

Harry shivered & looked around. The entire swarm of Dementors were converging on their spot. He pulled out his wand. "Quick! Use Expecto Patronum!" A stream of silver mist shot out but it only had effect on one Dementor. Harry tried again. Another silver stream came out & fizzled. Hermione was having similar luck. Think happy. My Dad's alive. My Godfather's innocent. "EXPECTO PATRONUM!" Harry was on his knees again. "Exp…Ex..." Condoms. Try condoms! Works for Moony. "Expecto Patronum!" He drove three of them off, but hundreds more took their place. Harry was on his side. His wand fell from his hand. He was passing out.

There was something across the lake. Something large & silvery. The Dementors pulled back as Harry closed his eyes. "...Dad..." The silvery thing had gone back to meet someone who looked a lot like Harry. Did James leave Moony alone to come back & help?

Harry opened his eyes. It was dark. He was warm & lying in a bed. Hermione stood over him. "Harry! They've got Sirius! Any moment now, the Dementors will perform their Kiss!"

"My Dad's alive," Harry sat up. "Sirius is innocent. We have proof!"

"No we don't," Hermione said. "Your Dad had to go into the forest with Lupin remember? Neither of them will come back until the morning."

"Peter then!'

"We can't use him right now either," Hermione said. "Everyone will think he's to blame then. Besides, he's changed back to his Rat form."

"He can tell them who he is!"

"No Harry," Hermione insisted. "Peter isn't right. Didn't your Dad say he did something to Peter years ago? Peter's completely useless right now. He's over there with Ron."

The doors burst open & Dumbledore came in nearly the same time Madam Pomfrey showed up. "Goodness me, get back to bed!" She shoved Harry & Hermione towards their beds & tried to force chocolate on them.

"I'd like a word with these two," Dumbledore began.

Madam Pomfrey was furious with him. "They need their rest."

"I'd like a word," Dumbledore insisted. They argued for a bit, then Madam Pomfrey stormed off. He put a hand up to silence both Harry & Hermione who went into a tirade that Sirius was innocent.

"Headmaster please!" Hermione begged. "You've got to believe us! James Potter is out there right now, keeping Lupin away! Please, can't you get them to wait until the morning at least?"

"No," Dumbledore said. "There's no time. No one will accept the word of three young wizards without any proof. You have no proof that James is back & if that rat by Ron really is Peter, he can't help us. I've checked the spells put on him. He can't answer to anyone but his master."

"Do the spells tell you who the master is?" Harry asked hopefully.

"No."

"It's my Dad," Harry said. "He said so in the Shrieking Shack."

"Unfortunately for all of us, your father is busy at the moment, as is Professor Lupin," Dumbledore said.

"But Sirius is innocent!" Hermione wailed, wringing her hands. "It isn't fair!"

"No it isn't," Dumbledore agreed. "What we need...is more...time!" Hermione stared at him, suddenly very intent on his every word. "You know the rules Miss Granger!" Dumbledore repeated them anyway, then told her were to find Sirius Black. He headed for the door. "Oh if you hurry, you might save two innocent lives today." He began closing the door.

"What the..." Harry gaped as Hermione swung a chain around his neck. Suddenly, everything went whirring around. Night became day. People zoomed about as if they were fast-forwarded.

"Come with me!" Hermione yanked Harry into the nearest broom closet, giving him no choice in the matter.

"What the—Hermione!"

She closed the door behind them. "Oh back to first names are we?"

"What? Oh!" Harry muttered. "Sorry, but it's a touchy subject." Literally.

"I noticed," Hermione sat down.

"Hermione," Harry gulped, feeling that something very very strange just happened, stranger than his father bounding around out there right now ...or...something to that effect. "What did we just do?"

Harry lay awake in bed several hours later, his mind reeling. It had been an hour since Snape's near-collapse at the escape of Sirius Black but Harry just couldn't sleep. His father was alive. They were all alive except for his mother. Maybe. They had been wrong about everyone else. His father was alive! Maybe his mother was lost out there somewhere. He had just travelled back in time like so many Star Trek episodes. His father was alive! Harry's heart was pounding. Harry had just performed his best Patronus, for it was his time-travelled own self he had seen across the lake, not his father...who was quite alive. Why didn't James Potter come to him before now? Had he been abandoned?

Harry & Hermione had rescued Buckbeak to save Sirius. Harry was tired, having a literal long day with a few extra hours added to it. His father was alive. He rolled over, trying to sleep, knowing he wouldn't. Ron & Hermione were both snoring by now. Madam Pomfrey was gone. Peter in Rat form was curled up on a window ledge above Ron. Harry felt his half closed curtains rustle. Suddenly, Harry flipped back, feeling that he was not alone. He sat bolt right up.

James Potter was standing there, looking down at him. He was flexing his fists by his sides, as if trying to relieve tension & took in slow breaths, trying to calm down. Or keep calm.

"Where's Lupin?" Harry asked under breath. "Where'd you leave him?"

"Forest," James said. "Sirius landed beside us. The pair can keep each other company. Hmm!" He put his hands on the railing at the foot of the bed & closed his eyes.

Harry noticed that his breathing was heavier & was about to ask what was wrong but then, he remembered. A major fear of hospitals. He got out of bed. "There's that unused classroom down the hall. Let's go there so we don't wake anyone else."

"Yes!" James gasped with relief & was suddenly out the door before Harry could blink. He hurried after as quietly as possible.

Harry found James lying on the bench that served as a windowsill for a ceiling high window. The moonlight was flooding in, giving Harry full view of his father. James was staring outside, his head lying on the frame. He watched the Dementors swooping around as they gathered together. They were to be moved back to the prison in the morning. He clasped his gloved hands onto his chest after tossing off the edge of his cloak which now hung loosely from his shoulders. James was dressed in full black now, his golden sheath by his right hip. An Auror's uniform from back in the day no doubt. Harry moved closer. The moonlight bounced off the tears on James's face & Harry could see some of them mingling with the drying blood running along a terrific bruise forming. Sirius had struck hard.

James suddenly turned to look at Harry. It was almost panther like. One minute he was staring out the window, the next, he had his son in his sight. "So. We meet." He sighed. "Properly, at last."

"Where have you been all this time?" Harry demanded.

"I'm only telling it once," James said. Harry glared at him. "Oh you poor thing. You must feel abandoned. Let me assure you, I did not. But I couldn't be with you. That part you'll understand tomorrow."

"Not even an owl?"

James shook his head. "I risked seeing you only a few times."

"I don't remember seeing you."

"I was using Polyjuice potion," James said. "You might be too young to remember but, there was once someone that shook your hand before you turned eleven."

"I remem...hang on. That was you?"

James nodded. "I'm also the one that sold that lemon sweet when you went to the zoo. You know, when that snake got loose? I was the woman selling treats there."

"That was you too?" Harry gaped.

"I knew you might like lemon sweets," James snickered. "Your mother did. Oh but, don't tell Sirius I was a woman. He'll never shut up about it!"

"I almost didn't even make it to the zoo," Harry inwardly laughed at the very idea of Sirius liking James in a dress.

"Oh wrong there," James raised a brow. "I made sure you were guaranteed to go. Petunia's such a bitch. No one likes her. I pretend Lily isn't related to her."

Harry suddenly viewed the times Petunia whined about James Potter in a different light. Smiling he asked, "So ...are you ...are you sure about...Mum?"

"Yes Harry. She is dead. There is no mistake there," James lowered his hands & stared out the window for a moment. "She died the night you got that." He turned back to Harry & put a hand on his forehead, lifting the fringe. "Ohh!" James recoiled. "It's the first time I see that up close."

"It's just a scar," Harry tried to shrug it off.

"You shouldn't have it in the first place!" James snarled. He stood up & walked slowly around the classroom. "I can't believe Remus was called in for that. The poor thing! I can't even begin to kid myself into imagining what that was like."

"You said you can explain it?"

"Yeah," was all James said.

After a moment, Harry tried again. "Professor Lupin ruled out vampirism." James snickered. "I thought it would be kind of cool." Harry pressed on. "Vampire for a father & a werewolf for a pet."

"Sorry but I'm quite human," James laughed harder. He fell silent & looked away. "Harry, there's ...something you should know before the meeting later." He continued his way around the room, looking anywhere but at Harry. "You're going to hear about—I mean, uh. Oh Merlin help!" He stared at a small cupboard by the wall.

"I know Sirius is my Godfather," Harry offered.

"Oh good," James brightened up.

"He shouldn't have hit you," Harry complained.

"He has every right to be mad. I get it," James merely shrugged. "I wish it didn't turn out like this. He didn't deserve Azkaban."

Harry suddenly remembered something. "Dad, Peter IS missing a finger! He tricked everyone into blaming Sirius."

"Not exactly," James said. "But we'll deal with that later."

"But Dad—"

"Peter is as innocent as Sirius," James declared firmly, cutting Harry off with a wave of his hand. "It's my fault he's messed up right now but I can fix that in a bit."

Harry gave up. "You wanted to tell me something then?" He could see James's jaw lock up.

James turned away & began moving about the room once more. "What a mess," he sighed, coming to a stop by the desk in the center. He gently touched his swelling cheek with his covered fingertips for a moment. "It started in my sixth year. I did someth—well something hap...happened."

"Oh I already know about your affair with Sirius," Harry interrupted. "Relax. It doesn't bother me any more."

James raised both eyebrows into his bangs. "Guess he told you then. What do you mean 'any more'?" He pulled off his leather gloves & put them into the pocket of his cloak. "If there's a problem, surely we can discuss it?"

"Well in the beginning, I still thought Sirius had killed you," Harry said. "But I read the whole thing & saw your footnote. Then, I didn't mind."

James stared long & hard. "Footnote?"

"Yeah at the end," Harry nodded. "You wr…" Then he felt as cold as if he had been touched by a Dementor. "Oh. Right. You're the real thing, not the photos. I um...Fred & George gave me the Marauder's Map before last Christmas." Harry hesitated before blurting out in one breath. "IfoundyourPassionYearjournal!"

Father & son shared a long look. James stepped back a few times. "No ...not you!" He shook his head. "NO!" Suddenly, the windows along the right side of the classroom erupted one after another.

James had raised his hand towards them & moved down the row. It took Harry a moment to realise that his father was wandless. James spun slowly on the spot, letting his warped powers blast every last window.

"DAD!" Harry dived under the desk to get away from the rain of shards.

"MY GOD NO!" James raised his hand towards the ceiling. The chandelier came crashing down & Harry barely managed to cover his eyes in time.

After several moments, Harry cautiously emerged from under the desk. James was slumped over it, hands clasped in front of him, sobbing hard into his arms. Harry's jaw ticked. Well, that part was over. Harry moved forward & reached out to take his father's hands.

Lily never touched him. Harry recoiled at the memory & narrowly avoided touching his father. Like his mother, he stayed nearby, but didn't dare touch. It was then that Harry saw them. The round spots on his wrists. The crucifix scars! Harry knew there was a whole lot more going up both of James's arms. The tiny diamonds along the gold bracelet on James's left wrist glinted at Harry like so many eyes in the dimness.

Harry let out a long low breath. Before, the events of the memoirs were a thing of the past. Something that was done & over with. But now? Now that he saw the actual scarring & the bracelet his mother had given James, everything flared back to life again. James was still curled up on the chair, leaning over the desk. Harry sat down nearby & waited.

James suddenly got up & began stalking around the room. He raised a hand towards each broken window, then lowered it while curling his fingers into a fist. A bolt of power unseen fixed each window. Harry forced himself to unclench his jaw. Once again his father was using neither wand or word. Harry would never admit it, but he was actually afraid of his father that night. He knew that the power of James was warped. He knew James lost control whenever he was in a mood. He had already proven that by blowing up the entire classroom with both himself & his son in the center of it.

After fixing the last window, James walked resolutely to the center where Harry sat waiting at one desk. The crystal shards of the smashed chandelier crunched under his boots. James stopped & glanced down at them, then up at the hole in the ceiling. He took the desk in front of Harry, looking a little tired. Harry realized that James had used up a lot of energy during his outburst, even more to regain control. He wouldn't be fixing the chandelier any time soon.

"So," James sighed. "You know about Orion then."

Harry wrenched his eyes away from his father's hands where the tops of the crucifix scars showed. "I didn't tell anyone!"

James half-smiled. "I'm not accusing you of anything. It's just...that diary was meant for Sirius, not you. I wanted to burn it but in the end, it was all I had to free Sirius from the predicament he put himself in. I never got the chance to tell him about it though. So there it sat, useless for over a decade when who should find it, but you?"

Harry once again found the round scars very interesting. James may have said he wasn't accusing him of anything, but Harry still felt guilty & couldn't look his father in the eye. "I'm sorry, but...but at least I did manage to figure Sirius out."

"That's all that matters."

Harry nodded mutely. After nearly a minute of silence, he looked up. "It was you then. Last Christmas. You sent me the Firebolt!" Harry had never asked anyone about it before now. He never thought to ask Sirius or Remus, believing it was Dumbledore. Being so busy with each ot—er uh—the Map & the hunt for Peter, neither of them had mentioned it either.

"Firebolt?" James repeated. "No. I just recently got here. I've been trying to find Sirius since I saw the papers about his escape last summer. Then suddenly, after years of thinking him dead, who do I see but Remus running across the grounds tonight yelling at Padfoot to wait for him. He disappeared under the tree so I figured Sirius was in the Shack. I heard you play Quidditch quite well, but I never sent you any broom." Harry sighed. Back to Dumbledore then. "I must admit," James went on. "I never sent you anything for any birthday or Christmas. It wasn't because I didn't want to. I spent each of those days crying for you but I couldn't risk too much contact. I'll be damned before I let anyone else hurt you!"

"I understand," Harry said.

James managed a weak laugh as he stood up. "Hardly, my dear boy. But you will in a few hours." He put his hands on Harry's shoulders & suddenly Harry felt himself slide off the chair into his father's arms, after a lifetime of thinking such a thing could never happen.

"Dad," Harry felt strange using that word. "What if Sirius still wants to kill you after?"

"He won't."

"But what if he does?"

"He won't!" James repeated. "He just doesn't know all the facts right now. But he'll get very mad when he does."

"At you?"

"No."

"Are you sure?"

"Harry, I've known Sirius a lot longer than you have," said James before he laughed. "In the Biblical sense at that."

"Dad," Harry pulled away, rolling his eyes. "I really don't want to know any more details about that."

"Does it bother you that much?"

Harry huffed. "I don't care if you go off with Devil's Snare. I just don't need any more details. You wrote enough of them in that stupid journal of yours! One more detail of your...your..." Harry remembered how open the family had been. He forced himself to go on. "your sex life..." he mentally cursed his father. "...I'll give you a box of rubber johnnies for your next birthday."

James bent down so that he was eye to eye with his son. "Shut up!"

"Or a Koi fish!" Harry grinned wickedly, stepping backwards as James lunged for him.

"Harold-James, I'm this close," James put up his right-hand fingers & pressed thumb & forefinger together. "to sparing Voldemort the trouble of killing you."

"That's real close," Harry just smirked. "I'll put the Koi in a johnny & give it to you."

"DIE!" James pounced on Harry & the two of them went crashing to the floor. James pinned Harry face down. "If I never see another johnny or Koi again, it'll be too soon."

"You're a prat."

"Not as big a prat as Sirius," James defended.

"True," Harry sighed as James let him go so he could lie on his back beside Harry. They both stared at the ceiling.

"I hate Kois! I hope they go extinct," James complained under breath.

Harry just laughed. He rolled away, dodging his father's swipe, laughing harder. "Maybe I'll make you some sushi some day."

"I'd love that," James snarled, thinking dark thoughts of Kois...writhing...on a stick...or baked…something painful. "A Koi in a john...yet you call me the prat." He changed subjects. "So, which one of those mutts stunned Snivelus for me?"

Harry sat up & glared down at his father. "That was me."

"You?" James exclaimed. "You really are my son then." He pulled Harry back down.

"Why do you call him that?" Harry asked. He felt James shrug.

"Eh, it's just a nickname. Forget about it," James answered. "He & I go way back. Way way back. Hmm," he stretched a bit before going on. "Wait until he wakes up. That's when the dragon's going to blow hell from it's mouth."

They ended up lying on the floor together, dozing off. Harry kept jerking awake wondering if this was all a strange dream, only to find James nearby him. When at last Harry did fall asleep, it was nearing dawn. He suddenly sat up fully awake about an hour after dawn.

James was gone.

"Dad?" Harry jumped to his feet & ran out into the Entrance Hall. Harry glanced around, wishing he had the Map back. "Dad!" He called out again. Suddenly the great oaken doors banged open & Harry turned only to be blinded by the rising sun. Blinking & putting a hand over his eyes, Harry heard angry voices that he recognised all to well by now.

* Various scenes/lines taken from Prisoner Of Azkaban movie & book.