James cleared his throat purposefully before Lily could realize she was supposed to pass the book to him. He recognized that look of longing on his wife, and decided she needed a break. "It's about lunch time, think I'm going to nip in for something. Anyone care to join?"
They had a brief, calm lunch. It could have been their imagination, but they all thought Harry was paying special attention to his mother. She certainly didn't mind, her jealousy of Molly being easily quashed once again as she spent this time with her son.
They came back in to find Hickory sniffing delicately at the book, his tail twitching curiously. Lily quickly scooped him away and they all settled in place, with James continuing.
"What an odd dream," James blinked. He'd had some vivid ones himself though, so he couldn't really tease Harry for that, it was honestly one of his son's more mild ones.
"I don't think it was just a dream," Harry whispered, brushing his fingers along his scar.
They all blanched in understanding, though really they should have seen this coming. Voldemort was beginning to slack on his Occlumency he'd implored against Harry, now the lunatic was going to start slipping into Harry's dreams again. Their worry for Harry began curdling up in their stomachs once more.
"Wasn't he that wandmaker?" James recalled a previous conversation they'd had with Harry.
"The one who liked to claim he had the Elder Wand, yeah," Sirius agreed.
"Are you sure this was from Voldemort Harry?" Lily tried to understand. "He's holding Ollivander hostage, torturing him! Why would he be looking for another wandmaker?"
"And not getting what he wants," Remus darkly reminded. "He's looking for some way to beat Harry, because he knows about the twin wand cores. He may be looking for another kind of wand then to get the upper hand on Harry."
"One that Ollivander can't make? I find that hard to believe," Lily wanted to protest, but there wasn't much other explanation.
"I'm not surprised the memory didn't stick out," Remus shrugged. "It's not something we think about much either, just something we've come across from rumors across the country about other fights erupting that have nothing to do with Voldemort's reign."
"It comes in handy to hear of other fighting strategies that aren't to do with our immediate problem, but have some similarities," Lily agreed. "The wandmaker for over there has just come up from time to time."
"Not to mention that ridiculous rumor, "James chuckled.
"Indeed," James shivered for the poor soul.
"That's all we got to," Sirius agreed.
"I suppose we could track him down now if we really wanted to, but I don't fancy going abroad if we don't have to," James sighed.
"And you know what all of Britain looks like to say this hmm?" Lily forced a giggle at her son.
"It was more a sense I guess," Harry digressed.
"You connected it to Krum's wand, that's clever," Sirius smiled with delight.
"Or Golgomath?" James rolled his eyes. "Or-"
"James, please, don't mock him for this," Lily sighed. The poor man would likely be dead very soon, it was in poor taste.
James pouted but agreed.
Sirius whistled as he lightened with the new Quidditch statistic. "That'll be fun to lay some Galleons on."
"Of course your mind instantly goes to betting," Remus rolled his eyes.
They all managed a light-hearted laugh for that. Even Ron's sad little on the side was a better dream than Harry's.
"How was that not your first thought?" Lily squealed with happiness. "This is such a momentous occasion for you love!"
Harry smiled for her enthusiasm, but still couldn't think of anything to do but shrug. He was admittedly excited to no longer have The Trace hanging over his head, but really he'd never been able to make much of a big deal about his birthdays before.
"How on Earth do you forget something like that?" Sirius demanded.
"Trust us, none of us forgot it for an entire twenty-four hours," Remus rolled his eyes.
James snorted and then continued by laughing, hard.
"Having flashbacks over there Prongs!" Sirius teased.
"Absolutely," he didn't bother denying, causing Harry's blush to dim.
"That was absolutely tame," James scoffed.
"Can't help but agree with your father there," Lily giggled. "I floated around the entire day, my feet never touched the ground.
Harry rolled his eyes as the boys snorted.
"Oooh, one last bag of dungbombs then?" Sirius grinned.
"Sirius, you still give me dungbombs whether it's my birthday or not," Remus rolled his eyes.
"True, can't ruin a tradition," Sirius smirked.
"Traitor!" Sirius instantly yelped.
"Quick somebody ask him his security question!" James all but screamed. Remus happily smacked the both of them and rolled his eyes.
"I don't see how Harry needs that," Lily snorted. "He's managed to get together with Cho and Ginny all on his own."
"Hmm, now who on Earth could Ron have meant by that," Sirius mock stroked a beard.
"It's quite a mystery we may never solve," Remus declared with a look of resignation.
"Why?" James blinked in surprise for that random input.
"Pity gift?" Sirius snorted. "Sick of seeing their kid brother fool around. I'd have given you one if it had been available."
"No book would have fixed him," Lily said pleasantly.
"Lily Flower, that hurt," James pouted, even if he didn't argue the point. He knew it was personal growth he'd never have found in pages that had finally given him a chance with his wife.
Harry's eyes widened, his hand settling protectively over this very same watch he wore now, the rush of warmth for such a memory being returned almost leaving him winded. He'd known from the very beginning this was a precious object to him, now he finally understood why.
Lily fought back another wave of tears as she stroked her son's hair. "It's the best I could have wished for you, getting that from them."
James fought back his own sour face, he'd had the urge over a dozen times to offer Harry his own watch like his son should have, but had long since known how rude the gesture would seem.
Somebody important had given that to his son, and the equal amounts of love he had for the Weasley's rivaled his own sorrow it had never been him.
They all sat there for a moment, once again forced to feel the echo of their life in this future. Poor Molly, and yet it was by far the sweetest thing she could ever do for Harry. Sirius even chuckled to himself for a moment as he thought how perfect it all was. Ron had gotten a new one, as he recalled, and yet Molly seemed to have saved this one just for Harry. She truly did know her family.
"I'm not even mad," Remus smiled at the pleased look on Harry's face. For once it truly looked like he hadn't a care in the world.
"Agreed, the best excuse in the world for wasted bacon I've ever heard." Sirius nodded along.
"What, was that book a secret?" Lily asked, clearly amused. "I'd think it flattering if he went out of his way like that to see what he was doing wrong," she finished with a pointed look at her husband, who pretended not to hear her.
The mood was considerably dampened by the mention of that thing, James wincing particularly hard as he grumbled that had worked out so well the last time for everyone.
"Not a bad haul," Sirius easily fixed a smile back into place for all that.
"Surely the Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes will come in handy for something at least," Remus agreed.
There were some resounding snorts from all the boys while Lily rolled her eyes.
"Oooh," James smirked at his son. "Are we going to get to hear what happened in those deserted corridors after all?"
"Not if I had any say in it," Harry groaned, knowing full well he didn't, but it didn't stop him muttering protests of this now.
"I'm sure many a redheads in that house consider this a good thing," Remus said mildly.
"She's clearly not up there to have a chat," Sirius stage whispered, before making an obnoxious whistling noise. Harry had to fight off the urge to stuff his ears, or Sirius' face.
"Or it just comes naturally to some, just as tears do to certain lads," Lily sniffed. She didn't consider herself prone to tears, but had known several boys who drowned a corridor for one reason or another.
"Please tell me she got you a giant gold chain with My Sweetheart on it!" James pleaded with the universe.
Harry elbowed him in the side, hard.
"I hope Ron and Hermione got that memo," Remus snorted.
"Probably for the best," James said with a bit of relief. "That was heading for way more detail than I ever would have wanted."
"Anyone want to place bets on who barged in?" Sirius asked with a giddy smirk. "Ron or Molly? Both?"
"There's really no good answer for that," James shrugged.
Harry hadn't heard a single word. The look of euphoria on his face now meant the house could have burned down and he was too lost in such a happy memory to notice.
"Bet you're wishing she'd always given you a birthday present like that right now," Sirius snickered.
Harry couldn't help but smile and twirl the ring on his finger about. He had no proof it was Ginny who owned its twin, but he certainly hoped it in this moment.
"I don't think that would go over well," Remus snorted.
"Works fine for me," James smirked.
"Yes, then I'm the one who has to hear about it for the rest of the day," Remus rolled his eyes while Sirius looked unrepentant.
"I suppose," Lily sighed, though she wasn't happy about it if this was how Harry was going to leave things. How had this private moment gone worse than breaking up at a funeral?
"Does she think he's going to hit you?" James asked in surprise.
"Is he going to hit you?" Lily yelped when Harry didn't answer.
He just shrugged, that long ago battle of Ron and Ginny now seeming much more current in his mind than back when he was actually dating Ginny.
"She started it!" Sirius protested at once.
"Yes, I'm so sure Ron sees it that way," Remus said in exhaustion, clearly he'd heard one too many ex's having some far too similar fight with Sirius about this.
Lily rolled her eyes at Ron's term without the boys even noticing. There was no harm in a little messing around as long as both parties knew where they stood, and Ginny clearly had.
"Rude," James huffed.
"To be fair, it actually isn't any of her business," Remus shrugged.
"It's hardly Ron's either, it's between Harry and Ginny," Lily sniffed.
Harry's hand clenched tight around his ring, protectively even, but suddenly his confidence was wavering. What if this wasn't a wedding ring at all, as he'd assumed? Who knew what he'd been doing when he'd landed here! At this rate it seemed obvious it wasn't Ginny, but he couldn't even imagine it being anyone else...
"Shh, it's okay love," Lily quickly began soothing such a troubled look. "Despite dating a few others, it seems obvious she's waited this long for you. I am absolutely sure she'll wait as long as it takes for you to finish this."
"Yeah?" He felt silly asking for confirmation from her, but the bright smile she gave him made it worth it.
"Trust her on this," James quickly agreed.
"You should not be thinking like that!" Remus said at once, stiffing in fear. "If you only focus on the worst to come, you'll never have anything to live for!"
Harry was jolted out of his own bleak thoughts to stare at him hard for a moment, before nodding to himself thoughtfully. "Yeah, I, I hope I realize that," he whispered, twisting the ring again, the only link he had to what he'd left behind.
"That's to be expected in this situation," Sirius crinkled his nose, not envying Ron's position.
"The horror!" James balked. "What will the dragons think?"
"I thought it was Bill's ponytail she hated?" Lily giggled.
"Oh she had plenty to say about his as well," Harry chuckled. "Always going on about how shaggy it was, claimed he'd never be able to see a thing with it always in his eyes."
It was then, as the two last names were put beside each other in such a domestic setting, Sirius' eyes suddenly brightened and he snapped his fingers. They all instantly knew this was going to be good.
"I've just realized!" He burst so loud he startled everyone in the room. "We shouldn't even be calling her Tonks anymore, we should be calling her Lupin!"
Remus hesitated, still torn over the very idea a woman like her had really married him and grasped all that came with. She seemed young, naive, and he was a selfish fool for allowing this to go as far as it had, by the time she realized her mistake it may even be too late. He couldn't share that with anyone here though, no one would listen to him. They'd just tell him the same old nonsense, they didn't understand it was different to be the friends they were and share something like his name. So he cleared his throat and instead did his usual fallback, he made a joke. "Padfoot, how on Earth would I explain that to my many adoring fans? Perhaps they should get special names as well, wolfstars perhaps?"
Lily was so stunned by what he'd just said, she didn't realize what she returned with until it was far too late. "Are you f'ing serious?"
Then she closed her eyes in pain, waiting for the expected joke, but instead-
"I reserve the right not to answer that," Remus said with dignity.
Lily's eyes flew open, she stared at him for a moment. It was impossible to know if it was the unexpectedness, or the sincerity of his tone, but then she cracked up laughing.
"Ha!" Sirius jumped to his feet and gestured wildly at her. "Finally! I win! She laughed at it! Thank you!"
"Technically I got her to, you weren't the one, so I win," Remus returned with a smirk.
"Moony," Sirius couldn't stop smirking even as he narrowed his eyes. "You are ruining the best moment of my life!"
Lily was still giggling incoherently, James patting her sympathetically on the shoulder as he explained to Harry, "they've had a bet running for years she'd never laugh at one of his serious/ Sirius jokes. I'll admit that was a new one even on me as well, but I wouldn't have thought how she'd react to that."
"What did the winner get?" Harry asked, Sirius and Remus still bickering loudly over the technicalities of the win.
"Bragging rights, of being the most clever of us," James rolled his eyes. "Ridiculous really, I still think I win that on principle for getting the woman to marry me with a straight face."
"Lily! Lils, come on, back me up here!" Sirius stormed over to her side and nudged her to get her to focus. "You laughed because it's an association of my joke, that I've been doing my whole life! I win!"
"But I'm the reason she laughed at it!" Remus protested, more humor and life in his face than anyone had managed in here in quite some time. "You may have started the joke, but I perfected it!"
"You're both idiots," James sighed.
Lily had to swallow several more moments of laughter before finally declaring, "Remus."*
"No!" Sirius protested at once. "I demand a retrial!"
"Sorry love," Lily still couldn't fight off a smile at his scowl as he hovered over her. "He is the reason I can't rightly breath right now!"
"I hate all of you!" He cried as he sat on the arm of his seat and glared out of the room, rather than sitting down next to his traitorous friend.
"Love you too Padfoot," Remus declared cheerfully. "Now don't ever forget why I'm the favorite Marauder."
"I still disagree with that part," James shook his head purposefully, while Lily pressed her lips together, her shoulders still shaking with mirth.
James gave her a calculating look, already a new bet in mind forming of how to get her to admit to this as he slowly turned back to the book.
"I never got used to thinking of Mad-Eye's eye!" Remus agreed. "This will be just as weird."
"Those should come naturally," Lily finally found a straight face again, and an eye roll.
"You really are a good friend," James chuckled. "I never can manage such a thing," he finished with a fond look at his beloved redhead.
"I had Quidditch themed birthdays my whole life," James beamed. "Think it was my mum's mission to do as many different things with that as she could. Snitch's were my seventh."
Lily smiled sweetly for it all, even if she couldn't quite fight off more sorrow for this event. She hadn't even been given the chance to celebrate her baby's first birthday yet before she'd been introduced to all this madness of his life. It just didn't seem fair.
"Err, unless I've drastically missed something and Harry's trying to seduce Molly, I'm not sure what Ron's doing." Remus frowned. Sirius still didn't look back, pouting and muttering under his breath, so all Remus got for the crude joke was the three Potters all making grotesque faces at him.
"Blimey, you're just killing everyone's mood lately," James frowned in genuine concern for what this could be about.
Sirius couldn't hold back and did look at his friend now, swallowing painfully for even the idea of whatever ordeal this was Moony seemed to be going through.
Lily ruined his sympathy by blithely pointing out, "not mine, and since Tonks doesn't seem worried about him I'm sure he's overreacting to something, like usual."
"Gee, thanks Lil," Remus scowled.
"Oh yes, it was so bland it's just became foggy by now," James snorted.
"I haven't," all five of them said with bliss.
"I think that's your tell," Remus chuckled. "You three really need to come together more if you're going to start fooling more people."
"I don't see it being an issue very soon," Harry sighed, he couldn't imagine having to lie to too many more people about his whereabouts soon.
"Oooh, that's the second best gift Hagrid's ever given you!" James bounced happily in his seat, clearly in agreement with the gamekeeper about their value.
"After his first birthday of course," Sirius grudgingly agreed, smiling at James again but still ignoring the other two.
"I still wish we could hear more about him," Lily smiled eagerly to learn even more about this wonderful family. "I'll bet he's got quite a few stories."
"Maybe, if he sticks around after the wedding," James agreed.
Harry frowned to himself with a look of unease, but chose not to add anything to that.
Sirius was finally so surprised, he fell back into his seat proper, nearly on top of Remus.
"Oh, was that all it was going to take to make you forget about me, a dragon?" Remus demanded, shoving him off.
Sirius ignored him, sitting up as if nothing had happened. "Of course that bloody thing was female, I told you it was vicious!"
"And this is why I picked Remus for the winner," Lily huffed.
Sirius stuck his tongue out at her, but then declared with determination, "the tournament isn't over! I shall make you laugh yet woman!"
"Called it!" Sirius shouted at the lot of them.
"It still doesn't count when you said it after Charlie corrected her name," Lily disagreed.
"That's not the- you just hate me today!" Sirius flared up.
"Try saying something that doesn't annoy her, she might agree with you then," James mocked back the same advice Sirius had once given him for years.
Sirius stuck his tongue out at his best mate now too.
"What?" James demanded, ruffling his brows.
"Wait, didn't we see something like this once already?" Lily scrambled back in her brain for some reference of a Patronus being used outside of dementors.
"That's right, Dumbledore called Hagrid to him using one!" Sirius nodded along. "I, didn't even realize though, he somehow created the incantation to, talk!"
"That's genius!" Remus could hardly keep his mouth closed from the shock of it all. "Talk about a private message that you can trust!"
"I say we let Dumbledore live long enough to at least invent this," James bounced happily in his seat.
Their excitement for this new bit of magic dissolved at once, worry once again taking hold of this room.
"What on Earth does he want now?" James demanded, fighting back the urge to curse him already.
"Moony," Sirius sighed in resignation, but despite the flair of anger they all felt for this being necessary, no one could do more now than they already were. Certainly Ginny and Gabrielle put Remus in the position he should not in fact be there, and no matter the reason for the Minister's visit, better safe than sorry.
"Not much of a warning," Sirius grumbled.
"I'm positive Arthur gave as much notice as he was given," Lily sniffed.
"That seems to be going around a lot," Remus sighed, not particularly in sympathy for Scrimgeour, but everyone living in that time.
"If you were really sorry, you wouldn't have done it," Lily sniffed.
"Oh, here we go again," James groaned.
"Molly asking was one thing, now everyone thinks it's their business," Lily seethed.
"Does anyone else find it convenient he chose today, the day Harry no longer needs an adult there," Sirius scowled.
"Not that this has ever stopped him before," James grumbled.
"Now I'm wondering though, how?" Remus couldn't help but mutter quietly, as if he still feared the Minister would spot him there.
"I really don't find it that much of a stretch to the imagination," Sirius sighed. "Scrimgeour knew Harry was doing something with Dumbledore last year, now that he's gone, the logical leap seems to be Harry would take over."
"As if divide and conquer would ever work on them," James rolled his eyes.
"Harry's not going to let Scrimgeour call the shots," Lily agreed with confidence.
Remus and Sirius high-fived and smirked as if they'd just gotten away with some masterful prank, while Harry smiled indulgently at them. He'd long since stopped letting people tell him what to do.
"Oh, so he does have intelligence," Lily smirked.
"Um, no. No, we did not know that," James muttered, gazing in confusion at the words.
"Not to seem indelicate," Lily twirled a bit of hair around her fingers as she thought this through, "but could Scrimgeour be lying? I can't see him leaving anything to Harry really."
"Not to mention, it doesn't explain why Ron and Hermione are there," Sirius nodded along.
"Wow, what on Earth is going on here," Remus sat up straighter in his seat, eyes narrowing with confusion.
"Something more interesting than a razor for his birthday," James said slowly.
"I can't imagine anyone from the Ministry would come around to the Dursleys' to do this, they still don't like getting involved in Muggle households if they can manage," Lily shrugged, that wasn't too odd.
"Plus, after that Death Eater catastrophe, and surely the Ministry cleaning up a bit of that mess, I guess they just got to it at, er, this convenient timing," James finished with a much more accusatory tone.
"No, they did not!" James snapped. "I don't believe for one second whatever Dumbledore left Harry is entitled to anyone but him!"
Lily's eyes widened in surprise before a smile flitted across her face. "That's new! Quite a smart thing to have been enacted as well considering-"
"But clearly not being put to any good use," Sirius scowled, and Lily deflated as she acknowledged the circumstances she was hearing of this.
"You know, I can really see why Ron fell in love with her in moments like this," Sirius smirked with pride.
"She does have a way of putting anyone in their place," James agreed, "a formidable woman for sure," he finished with a loving smile at his wife, whose expression was still simmering in frustration for this.
"Nah, she's just that smart about everything," Remus smirked.
"Oh shit!" Sirius nearly fell out of his seat laughing at Hermione's quick wit.
"Is it awful of me I almost wish this law will never come into play now?" James huffed.
"All laws can be abused by both sides when interpreted wrong," Lily sighed. "They should still be implemented when they can for the good of those it will help."
"Now you're trying to start a whole argument of us versus them," Remus grumbled.
"It's not that surprising," Sirius arched a brow, blasted where Scrimgeour could be going with this. "None of the students are particularly close to him, hell we see him outside of school now and I wouldn't claim much attachment."
"I think Harry would be the cap," James agreed with a torn expression, he still wasn't sure how he felt about that.
Remus frowned and looked out the window, trying to fight back the bitter comment rising in him. He'd always felt special in the eyes of his headmaster for being allowed to attend his school, but recent events of how he treated another memorable student in Harry left him feeling quite resentful of the idea of being singled out.
Harry ground his teeth, very unhappy to acknowledge that as a good question.
"I think there was the summer of your fifth year, when it seems he personally stopped your friends sending you mail," Sirius offered in a clearly unhelpful tone of voice.
"Right, all the warm and fuzzy memories to account for," James rolled his eyes.
"Oh wow, haven't thought about that thing in awhile," Lily's eyes widened in surprise.
Harry felt his heart restrict painfully in his chest. Not of jealousy for certain, but he knew he had some sort of strong emotion connected to this...but as always for now he was left with a stabbing pain in his mind and a huff of frustration.
"You think it can do even more?" James suddenly asked in surprise. "Was he trying to pass along other things to help find the Horcruxes, and thought it would look too obvious to leave them all to Harry."
"I don't see how," Remus had his head tilted to the side as he thought about it. "Nor why Dumbledore wouldn't have mentioned something so important."
"Remus, that's been the definition of the Dumbledore we've been hearing of," Sirius huffed.
"And he's not even lying," Lily huffed, blowing hair out of her face.
"Thank Merlin, or we'd be in trouble," James smirked.
Harry startled in surprise, while those around him laughed.
"Well, I guess this is why you picked that book out of your room," James said, clearly bemused. "Left an impression of Hermione reading it too you."
"Yeah, yeah I guess so," Harry murmured, his eyes wide as saucers as he tried to understand why the longer this went on, the more monumental his deja vu was rising. He knew, without a single doubt, this would be important later as more than some silly kids stories.
"Oooh," Lily couldn't help but coo.
"Why am I not surprised Hermione got so emotional over a book," James fought everything he had to say that with a straight face, instead of flamboyant laughter.
Harry swatted at him anyways.
"Isn't it her deepest desire to read every one of them, twice?" Sirius asked innocently.
"She's got to be at least a quarter of the way there by now," Remus snorted without remorse. "Only got a couple million to go."
"Yes, because I always put secret meanings in my kids stories," Sirius said redundantly.
"I doubt your doubts!" James said at once. For all their teasing, no one would deny Hermione was the brightest of them all. She still rubbed them the wrong way when she put those smarts over others feelings from time to time, but none of them could have ever asked for a better friend for Harry in Ron and Hermione. Harry beamed around at his family as he felt all this, the words didn't need to be spoken, it was clear as day in the fondness they spoke of them.
"Ummm," James muttered in confusion.
"I mean, that's cool," Sirius said fairly.
"Yeah, Prongs had to nick his, and get detentions when he was caught. You just got one!" Remus offered, but they all had perplexed looks on their faces for this madness.
"Why do I feel like we've just been handed three separate riddles," Lily sighed.
"You clearly took those words to heart," Sirius snorted.
Harry swallowed painfully. He couldn't even put into words himself how monumental this item felt to him, his mind had frozen in place for the last few paragraphs until this moment where it went into a quick flashback, and his anticipation for something happening grew.
"Yes, and we wish you'd stop," James huffed.
James snorted almost painfully. "Oh yes, you've certainly cracked that secret code! Can't be that my sons the best damn Seeker ever!"
"Dad," Harry muttered with a slight blush.
"Should I be concerned I just mimicked Hermione?" James turned to ask Sirius before he could point it out.
"Nah," Sirius waved off, "truer words never spoken mate, even twice."
"I, didn't even know they could open," Lily ruffled her brows in confusion. "I'd have always assumed, I don't know, there wasn't anything to put in."
"No, they can be, they're hollow, and they have flesh memories," James happily explained. "It can identify the first human who ever laid hands on it, handy since those who create them wear gloves, so if ever there was disputes of who caught the Snitch first came up, this would be the way to finalize it."
"Impressive," Lily acknowledged, "though I still don't see how Scrimgeour thinks Dumbledore's trying to slip Harry something in it."
"Well, let's find out," Harry said with clear eagerness, he had no doubts that's exactly what had happened!
They got a quiet laugh out of that, Sirius even muttering how he wished Hermione would show up just so he could have some fun with that.
"Well we already know she's read Quidditch Through the Ages," James reminded Harry's lapse in knowledge. "So I'm not surprised she knows some funfacts about the sport, no matter how much she claims to dislike it."
"Why should you care about that?" Sirius asked with confusion.
"I wouldn't want Scrimgeour knowing something Dumbledore only wanted Harry to see," Lily scoffed at him not paying attention.
The boys all exchanged bemused looks, but James decided not to leave her in suspense. "Ah, but unless Harry tries to swallow it, I don't think him holding it will be much cause for alarm in that room."
Lily only had to stare for a moment before it clicked, and she nodded in understanding.
"Please don't tell me Hermione remembers your first capture more than you!" James gaped at his son.
"I was more focused on what could be inside it than details," Harry admitted sheepishly.
"Ah the brilliance of details," Remus snorted.
"How do you still manage to turn something so memorable and unique into even more of a spectacle!" James bounced in his seat, now waiting eagerly for Scrimgeour to depart so they could get the real answer!
Sirius cackled for his godson. "Love it!"
"Poor thing didn't get what he wants," Sirius mock cooed. "Spent all that time trying to figure something out Harry's going to get in one night!"
"I'd say you're enjoying this too much, but honestly, he deserves it for the way he's treated Harry," Remus nodded along.
"Wow," James said slowly.
"Now that's a memorable bequest!" Lily eagerly agreed.
"Why though?" Harry asked, already knowing he had the answer somewhere in him. "If he'd wanted me to have that, he certainly could have given it to me back in second year."
"Your answer's as good as ours," Remus sighed. He knew a few funfacts about the sword, but couldn't see why those would be any more relevant now than back when Harry could have kept it.
"Magic," Remus mock whispered. "It's why I'm not surprised Sirius can keep pulling so much shit from nowhere."
"Moony, you wound me! All of my material is ripe and fresh," Sirius smirked, while the others all made grossed out faces for the two.
"I mean," Sirius scratched uncomfortably at his neck, "sorry Harry, but she is sort of wrong on that one. Nobody but Godric himself can claim to owning that sword, and that's a nasty business itself when you look into it. Sure any Gryffindor can summon it, but usually with the understanding it'll vanish again. It doesn't belong to anyone."
"Still, it was in Dumbledore's possession, and I don't see Scrimgeour having the right to not let it be passed along," Harry protested.
"I don't really disagree with you there," he said passively, mind clearly still elsewhere, "Scrimgeour is being an arse, just the technicality's of it can get annoying."
"Nonsense Harry!" James protested. "Those kinds of decorations get put in cases."
"But, really though, what did happen to it then?" Lily asked.
"Got left at the school I'd hope," Sirius sighed. "Otherwise I'm worried it's in some stuffy old museum, or Scrimgeour's office."
"Really? Someone should make it one, that always makes things better," Remus said deadpan.
James snickered in surprise, muttering, "now who's making jokes?"
Remus though startled nearly out of his seat in surprise as he shouted, "basilisk venom!"
Four sets of eyes already lit with understanding even as Remus began babbling, "that sword's goblin made, which means when its imbued with something more powerful it grows with it. We were just talking about the need to carry around basilisk fangs, but instead-"
"All we'd need is this to, literally, run Voldemort right through," Sirius finished breathlessly.
"Him, and all his horcruxes," Lily finished excitedly.
They were right, Harry could feel it in his bones! Before he could claim his excitement, it was already doused by his fathers angry outburst.
"And Scrimgeour's refusing to give it to you!"
"He might not know," Remus said fairly, even as he did deflate in disappointment, even having realized this didn't mean it was any kind of solution to their problem. "I mean, really, in his mind Harry's just a child to be used, he probably think's he preserving-"
"Well, he's wrong!" Sirius blustered. "Now Harry's going to have to find some way to steal that thing, making his life even harder than it already had to be!"
"Sounds like a lot of exhausting things to get through," Lily groaned, burying her face in her hands for this potential mayhem running through her mind, and she got the feeling her imagination still wasn't going to be as bad as the reality.
"That's a, really good question actually," Sirius admitted with interest. "Like, say, what if I drew a muggle weapon on him, like a gun?"
"I'd imagine the same principle applies," Remus countered slowly. "His magic still has him at the advantage he wouldn't truly die with his horcruxes intact, though I do admit it would probably be a lot easier to kill him, then go around crushing all the parts of his soul before someone found a way to make him reborn again."
Lily shivered in disgust for this topic, though there was some grim, twisted pleasure in there at the idea of a shotgun being leveled at Voldemort's head.
"He's got them there though," James said pointedly, which no one in here would deny. It felt as much a miracle to ask for a competent Minister as it was a DADA teacher lately.
"Delusional that man, I swear," Lily scowled. "Thinks he can just manhandle whomever he wants."
"Has he managed to make you see the light yet?" Sirius asked innocently. "Then no, no I don't think he's gone far enough yet."
"Oi!" James surged to his feet in a blind rage, wand already drawn on a threat not present.
"Oh yes, now I really have faith in our leadership!" Lily thundered. "The man can't even hold his temper!"
"He'll pay for that one!" Sirius vowed.
Remus didn't disagree, but he was watching Harry with genuine worry. His earlier fear about getting tossed in Azkaban now being on the one wronged, who could just as easily get retaliation on the Minister of Magic.
It took several moments for James to remember he was supposed to be the one to pick up the book and find what happened next.
Remus gave a loud breath of relief while Harry crossed his arms and grumbled, but didn't particularly look like he regretted this decision.
"Deck him Harry," Sirius demanded with a pure growl in his every syllable. "I am so sick of other people telling you about your scar, punch his bloody nose off!"
Harry ground his teeth together, hard, but had no response for that except agreement he couldn't act on.
"As if he's deserved any!" James snarled.
James and his son exchanged gleeful looks.
"You did," James huffed.
"Thank goodness they intervened," Lily said sullenly. She had a few choice words for that Minister, but couldn't deny her love flared for Molly and Arthur all the more coming to check on the kids when it was certainly needed.
"Doesn't mean it didn't happen," Sirius said in a blistering temper of his own, he visibly wouldn't have regretted anything he'd done to Scrimgeour.
"I have no recollections of Dumbledore wanting that actually," Remus scratched absently at his chin without care. "In fact, he actively spent the last year avoiding you, and certainly never found much care otherwise in involving you."
Lily pursed her lips tight for that. While still boiling with anger for that mans actions and treatment, she still wished with all her heart Harry would not base everyone from the Ministry with that horrid mark given by one. She once proudly worked for the establishment and sought to make it better, it would never happen if there was one blanket face.
"Please don't find a way to make it release dragon breath too," Sirius sighed, releasing a bit of the tension left and giving them all a reason to laugh again.
Lily looked rather fond of the idea, especially as she told them, "I do wonder if Maxime will be making an appearance tomorrow. Her and Hagrid probably had some lovely times together camping."
Harry grumbled and shifted uneasily in place at the mention of the word, again.
"More valuable than gold I'd say," James smiled softly as he ruffled his sons hair.
All of them gave rather twisted expression for the reminder of that spell and all it entailed, especially with George's wound still fresh in their mind from another of Snape's projects.
"She's not wrong though," Lily grudgingly said. "I don't like to think what some potions were originally intended for, but I know I brew them with good intent."
"Yeah, I suppose," James muttered, still not sure if he wanted to insist anymore Harry teach him that one.
"That leaves a trace though, once it's dissipated, plus you need some way to contain it before you use it," Remus rebutted.
"And you don't have to keep restocking on it," Sirius agreed.
"I'm not sure what use Dumbledore think's you're going to get out of it, but I do find this just a touch more useful in those regards." Remus finished.
"Which does indeed make it cool," James agreed, though no one had said otherwise.
"Do you suppose they're all, decoy items then? Just so Harry could get the sword and no one would think on it?" Lily asked curiously.
"Nah, I can't see Dumbledore trying that," James shook his head. "He's drawing more attention to them than if he'd just given everything to Harry."
"Something we've all been asking ourselves for what feels like ages now," Remus said disparately, that wouldn't stop tormenting him even if they did somehow manage to get those answers, he still felt crushed at how long it had taken to get them from a man he admired so much.
"Surely not," Sirius puckered his brow in confusion. "This feels more like a joke, and even then, Dumbledore enjoyed a good laugh, but not about something like this."
"Entirely agree," they all couldn't help but mutter at this point.
"Harry's gifts actually made the most sense," Lily shook her head, "it's the other two I'm blasted about."
James politely shushed her and said, "well, at lest we'll get the answer about the Snitch right now," he reminded, going on eagerly now that it had been brought back up.
They all got an affectionate chuckle for that, it was a pretty memorable thing, but perhaps not the most memorable after all those kids had been through. Both reactions were understandable.
"Damn!" They all sighed. Maybe it really was just a joke they weren't getting, Harry slumped back the most disappointed of all in not understanding!
Harry's heart suddenly felt like it went flat, before attempting to pound right out of his chest. He massaged his ribs with a deep grimace, some answer buried deep in him that was going to be one heck of a surprise.
James stared down at the words blankly, like he was hoping they'd rearrange themselves and make more sense.
"Does it, have a latch on it?" Lily asked in confusion.
"Nope, smooth ball," Sirius corrected.
"Err, is he supposed to take it somewhere, and put it in, like, as a key?" Remus offered.
"I, suppose Dumbledore could manage that," James agreed slowly, "but where?"
"Maybe, Dumbledore sealed up his office again so no one could get in- no, wait that wouldn't work, McGonagall was in there at the end of last year," Sirius huffed, already losing his train of thought.
"The close, the close of what?!" Remus repeated in frustration. "The ball's not that small! He could have finished his bloody sentence!"
"Remember how I said he wasn't good at jokes," Sirius said deadpan. "I take it back. He's too good at them, and I bloody hate riddles."
Lily usually loved them, but no matter how hard she bit at her lip, she wasn't coming up with a solution to this one.
James finally sighed and continued on, as always feeling like for every answer they got, it offered twenty more questions.
"Glad it's not just us," Remus heaved another sigh.
"I suppose, he thought he could still make use of it," Remus began, but then shook his head with a look of frustration. "No, if he was still trying to take care of the horcruxes himself, he'd have brought it to that cave to destroy the horcrux he thought was inside."
"Maybe not," Lily began. "Things didn't seem to go as planned, they certainly didn't end like he thought," she finished in a small voice, before clearing her throat and ignoring the tight scratchy feeling. "Suppose he'd been wrong, he would have risked taking the sword out and having something happen to it. If though, there had been a horcrux there, Dumbledore likely would have wanted to take it someplace safe, go fetch the sword, and then destroy it away from the school. Merlin knows we don't need another inside there," she finished.
"Yeah, yeah I suppose," Sirius agreed with a still frustrated expression. "That doesn't explain why he didn't mention any of this to Harry! He'd already destroyed the ring, he couldn't have bothered saying, how!"
"Suppose that one may actually be obvious," James said bitterly, "but we certainly didn't think about it until it was staring us in the face."
"I really think this should have been a time for over explaining, not making them guess," Remus huffed. "He was a teacher once, he really should know the difference."
"Clearly, it wore off after too many years of sitting in his office," James grumbled.
"Yeah, that is a bit of a turn around if you don't already get it," Sirius nodded along.
"My favorite, thank you," Sirius sniffed.
"Um, yeah, if talking to animals and daydreaming is a sickness," Lily giggled at James and Sirius' bewildered looks.
"I didn't know muggles knew about dwarves?" James muttered to himself.
"And what a coincidence they entitled whatever that was with a pureblood name," Sirius nodded along, while Remus bit the inside of his cheek to stop himself laughing.
"That, is still a very good question," Lily sighed. Even having read them for the first time just days ago, she had no more answer than the boys who'd grown up with such stories. This was somehow making less since the more they talked about it.
Sirius did chuckle for that, running his hand down his long main with pride. No one was ever cutting his for sure.
"Really? But that might actually be a headline the Daily Prophet would use!" James protested.
"That one's done," James concluded, as he tossed the book to Sirius.
"All that should happen next is the wedding, that should be fun," Sirius said with pleasure as he flipped to the next page.
HPHPHPHP
*So who do you think should have won? Remus made the joke that got her to laugh, but it's technically still a serious/ Sirius joke. I wanted to give them a tie, but I never believed they'd take that, so I gave Remus the win because it amused me more. Please feel free to argue the fact with me.