Give me one more chance
Chapter 17: The Prisoner of Azkaban
Pairings: James/Lucius
Rating: Kneazle
Disclaimer: The characters of Harry Potter are not mine; they are the property of JK Rowling and Warner Bros. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.
W A R N I N G: This is about male pregnancy (possibly) and male/male relationships. I'm letting you know now what the relationships WILL contain. So, if you are AGAINST such pairings, please find something else more to your liking, you have been WARNED.
Flames will be ignored
In Jadwiga's absence this has beta-read by Mitts. Thank you so much for working on this chapter at the last minute. Any mistakes after she has done her work are mine.
NOTES: Happy New Year! I hope everyone has had a pleasant and safe Christmas and ringing in 2008 with family, friends, and loved ones. I sure did. And I'm even starting the new year off with an update.
Summary: Twenty-one year James Potter finds himself in a precarious situation after he split with his boyfriend. Only his friends and family knows about it, but what happens when his ex-lover comes back?
Special thank you to: Slytherin vs Gryffindor yahoo group, CelticHeiressFiona, Merrymow, Hermione Jean Potter, gigi, Hunter Hatake and Neko Uchiha, STEPHiE, BonbonJovi, slytherin-mafia, sweetteetwo, dragonchaser8917, HP's TwinBonnie Mizuhara, Blackmusasabi, Serious Fan, Fae Child19, Kathlean Yuki, Utena-Puchiko-nyu, Sarahamanda, Kittendragon, Yamia Ishtar, orlin, Mistress Vamp, Kira May Maxwell, AmethystSiri, and for those who read and didn't review thank you for even taking the time read up to this chapter.
Enjoy!
OOoOoOo
Anguished moaning could be heard distantly up ahead, as Harry and Hermione cautiously ventured through the secret passage under the Whomping Willow.
Coming up out of a trap door, the two found themselves in the most unlikely of places.
"We're in the Shrieking Shack, aren't we?" Hermione asked.
Harry said nothing as he helped her out of the narrow hole. The moaning became louder and clearer once they reached the top landing of the constantly swaying decrepit old house.
A door was wide open.
Harry ran into room, grabbing the red head in there by the shoulders. "Where's the dog, Ron?"
Said person was trembling with fright and clutching his pet rat. With a quivering finger, Ron pointed behind them.
"He's the dog! He's an Animagus!"
Looking down at the dust covered wood floor, large footprints trailed to the broken creaking door as it swung closed to reveal a thin haggardly man with long oily black hair and raggedy beard. He stood motionless in front of the Gryffindors.
Blinded by rage, Harry attacked the man, wrestling him to the floor, drawing his wand.
A hacking laugh echoed throughout the shack. "Are you going to kill me, Harry?" the man asked, smiling and showing black rotting teeth.
The teen was at a crossroad. Here was the man responsible for his mother's death and also that of his godmother's. He was the one who had caused him to be taken from his father. He was the one who had caused him to be abused by people who were not his family.
Professor McGonagall and Minister Fudge's conversation with Madam Rosmerta instantly sprung into Harry's head from that day he (under his invisibility cloak), Draco, and Hermione were in Hogsmead...
"Remember when James realized that he was marked for death, he went into hiding. Few knew where he was. One who did was Sirius Black and he told You-Know-Who," Minerva rushed out, fluttered just remembering that awful night.
"And he also killed one of their friends…. Peter Pettigrew," Fudge added, pouring himself and the professor a drink to calm their nerves as well as to warm their bodies from the inside from the biting cold outside
"Peter Pettigrew?" Rosmerta repeated. The name sounded familiar to her but she could put a face to it yet.
"Yes, Peter Pettigrew… A lump of boy, always trailing after James and Sirius," Minerva explained.
"Oh, yes, now I remember him. What happened?"
"Well, he tried to warn James that night and might have managed had he not run into an old friend, Sirius Black."
"Black was vicious. He didn't kill Pettigrew, he destroyed him! A finger! The only thing that we were able to find left of him."
"I don't believe it," Rosmerta exclaimed. Sirius would never do something as betray his best friend in such a cruel way. "What about Lily?"
Minerva shied away from talking about Lily. Things were still touchy with Fudge. She didn't support his decision about placing Harry with the Dursley's either but she remained polite to him nonetheless.
"She and James were together…" And she left her sentence hanging offletting them take it however they wanted.
But Harry knew the truth there. Lily was his godmother; so what could be so bad about Sirius Black that he didn't know?
"Now, he wants to finish what he's started," Fudge interjected, handing Minerva her tumbler.
"And that's not the worse of it," Fudge continued, taking a sip of fire whiskey.
"What could be worse" Rosmerta asked exasperated.
"This: Sirius Black was… and remains to this day… Harry Potter's godfather."
Harry ran out of the pub. It couldn't be true! No, Severus was his godfather. He heard so much about Sirius, what a wonderful man he was. There was no way possible!
"Harry, no!" Hermione yelled, which was followed by, "EXPELLIARMUS!"
Harry was slowly pulled off the convict by Hermione and they cowered right alongside Ron, who was watching the events unfold.
"Well, well. Looking kind of ragged, Sirius. Finally, the flesh reflects the madness within."
"Well, you'd know all about the madness within, wouldn't you, Remus?" the man on the floor replied, a smirk playing at the edge of his lips.
The professor helped Sirius to his feet and was instantly embraced.
Sirius prattled on about 'I've found him' and 'let's kill him'. But Hermione stepped up with disbelieving eyes at the two men.
"No! I trusted you!" she shouted to Lupin then turned to Harry. "He's a werewolf! That's why he's been missing classes." She was nearly in tears.
Harry looked to his uncle. He just couldn't take any more lies. No one, not even Remus, bothered telling him about this very important fact! What else were they not telling him?
Remus cursed the young girl—all he could see now was the disappointment on Harry's dirty face. His affliction was never meant to have been found out in such an uncaring way.
Amazed at her finding out about his condition, he asked, "How long have you known?"
"Since Professor Snape set the essay."
"Well, well, well, Hermione, you really are the brightest witch of your age," Remus complimented.
"Enough talk, Remus! Let's kill him!" Sirius roared, effectively cutting all cross talk.
"Wait!" Lupin demanded of his friend.
"I did my waiting! Twelve years of it, in Azkaban!"
Remus sighed. He was stalling. "One more minute, Sirius. Harry has the right to know why."
"I know why. He's the reason they're dead," Harry stated, upset at Remus and Sirius and his father.
"No, Harry it wasn't him, I thought so too. It was someone until quite recently, I believed to be dead! Until you told me about the map," Lupin explained.
"The map… was lying then," Harry admitted not really buying into the story.
"The map never lies, Peter Pettigrew is alive! And he's right here in this room and one way or another I'm going to kill that lying son-of-a-bitch!"
However, the escapee didn't get his wish as another, "Expelliarmus!" was cast. Lupin's wand was gone as well.
The dark foreboding figure of Professor Octavious Snape stood at the threshold. Obsidian eyes a lit with fire at seeing his son-in-law.
"I knew I'd find you, Black."
oOoOoOo
Dinner was just beginning when the double doors were thrown open, causing a loud boom within the hall, and all chattering abruptly halted. The Headmaster, along with Minvera as well as the other professors, stood as three wizards walked briskly towards them.
Nothing could prepare the students or the school's staff for what Draco Malfoy did, as he ran not to who everyone thought his father, but instead straight to the man standing beside Lucius.
"Dragon? My precious Dragon, my how you have grown," James said, failing to keep his voice steady, falling to one knee and hugging Draco.
"Father always knew. Harry and I always knew…" the young Slytherin replied trailing off. He sniffled, fighting back his tears. "We never gave up hope of seeing you again."
"Draco, where's Harry?" James asked looking about the Great Hall failing to locate his other son. "Where's your brother?"
Just then the Black twins ran to their mother forgetting about where they were standing, speaking openly.
"MUM! MUM! Harry and Hermione are at the Shrieking Shack," Ori said drawing the adults' attention to the old yellow parchment.
Moving dots with names Harry Malfoy, Hermione Granger, Ronald Weasley, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, Octavious Snape, and Peter Pettigrew were floating around the house shaped diagram of the Shrieking Shack.
Lucius, James, and Severus shared a look with one another as they heard the unmistakable sound of a werewolf howling. They, along with Albus and Minerva, glanced up to the enchanted ceiling of the hall.
The students around them wondered what was going on, as they too peered at the bewitched ceiling, which was now revealing a bright luminous full moon.
oOoOoOo
Octavious was not happy at being bested by a snot-nosed thirteen year old brat. He came thundering out of the secret passage grabbing Harry roughly by the arm intending on making the boy show him respect.
"There you are, Potter!" he snarled, but the boy was ignoring him, which pissed him off even further.
Only when he heard the ominous growling from behind him, did Snape turn around to realize why Harry and the other teens were not paying attention to him.
Shocked at seeing the large werewolf, Octavious immediately placed himself in front of the children, shielding them from harm. He and the teens were knocked down by the powerful paws of the feral werewolf.
The beast crouched low advancing toward them. Hermione was holding onto the Snape for dear life while Harry attempted to pull him out of striking range, when a grim jumped between them and the menacing grey werewolf.
The hackles were raised on the big black dog, its enormous head titled up showing white sharp teeth from an upturned lip.
Silva dripped from the sides of both animals mouths. In a flurry of growls and snarls, both gigantic beasts clashed, going for each others throats.
oOoOoOo
Running down the hill to the Whomping Willow, Lucius could see the small figures of Hermione behind Octavious. But Harry and Sirius was nowhere in sight.
The group of professors and parents surrounded them.
"Father, where is Harry and Sirius?" Severus franticly asked.
Coming to his senses, Octavious realized that his son was talking to him. "Harry chased that damn Lupin and Black—toward the lake, I believe."
Without another word Severus, with James right on his heels, took off running once again, leaving the others to tend to his father and kids.
oOoOoOo
A patranous, in the form of a large buck, paraded around the ice covered lake, forcing the Dementors to flee from their prey.
A messy haired boy collapsed beside the convict with his vision fading as he tried to focus on the mop of raven hair and hazel eyes. '
oOoOoOo
When Harry woke next, he was in the familiar bed of the hospital wing with Hermione standing over him. He instantly sat up.
"I saw my mum," Harry told his friend with hope.
Hermione looked kind of worried. "Harry...your mum is dead," she whispered, not really wanted to make him feel any worse.
"No, he isn't!"
He? Hermione thought. Harry must've hit his head harder than Madame Pomfrey had originally thought.
"Now, Harry, you must be confused. Madame Pomfrey did say you suffered a blow to the head, and that might be affecting you."
Harry opened his mouth to argue that he wasn't seeing things. He paused as the towering figure of his father came into view with the one person he missed growing up.
"Mum?" Tears ran down his bruised and bandaged face. "Dad."
Hermione turned to see Lucius with another gentleman. "I'm sorry, Mr. Malfoy. The dementors did something to him—they've been affecting him since the start of term," Hermione explained, embarrassed.
But Lucius held up his hand. "It's quite alright, Miss Granger. I know that there were some facts kept from you about Harry's parentage. But believe me and Harry; it was not of our making."
The other young man sat on the other side of Harry's bed, grabbing one his hands.
Harry gazed into sparkling hazel eyes. "Hermione…" he sniffed. "I…I would like to introduce you to my mum…James Potter-Malfoy," Harry announced with pride, before succumbing to sleep again.
oOo TBC oOo
A/N: How was that? Was it everything that you hoped for? I hope so! I wrestled with my muses for some time over this chapter.
So, now what? James is back! Does that mean that Harry is going to have a happy ending? And what about Severus? There was no mention of Sirius and him getting back together. Did Sirius get Kissed? Don't know? Well, stay tuned for the next chapter.
Nemesis
oOoOo Teaser for Chapter 18 oOoOo
"Albus, you are not condoning such misguided actions?"
"I did warn you, Cornelius, that you were making a grave mistake by removing young Harry from his father's care, and I also warned you to allow Sirius to remain here at Hogswarts under my supervision. It has been documented by Madame Pomfrey that you were informed that by removing Sirius from his soulmate it would result in Severus losing his child," Dumbledore said briefly pausing. "Need I go on, Cornelius?"