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(Author's Note: Hope you're enjoying the story! If you have any suggestions or anything like that, please email me at
Chapter Seven
"You leave my wife and I alone!" yelled Jon, James' father. He forced his wife Helen behind him. The man before them laughed with no mirth and took a step closer, his wand still pointed at his adversary as was the other's wand at him.
"I've been looking for you, it seems as though your friend wasn't as trustworthy as you thought." Jon glared at Voldemort, a dark wizard on the rise who was an evil man with no mercy to speak of. For three years, Jonathan Potter and his wife Helen Potter along with their son James Potter had been kept a secret under the Fedilius Charm with William Pettigrew, his best friend, as their secret keeper.
"You're a liar," he spat at the Dark Lord who chuckled but his gaze from them never wavered. "Will would never betray me!" Voldemort's grimace of a smile deepened.
"William, come, step forward and help me perform the task at hand." William Pettigrew came forward as commanded, holding his wand outright at his best friend with a look of guilt upon his face.
"Will?" asked Jon weakly and in disbelief.
"I'm sorry," the other man whispered back.
Servant and master chanted the words "Avada Kedavra!" And then…
James sat up sweating "Damn these premonitions," he whispered into the night. He got up and walked down to the common room to think. Would his dreams become reality once again?
That night, Lily lay awake in bed not able to fall asleep when she heard Gwen's voice say, "Hallie, are you still awake?" There was a rustle on the bed on Lily's right.
"Ugh, I am now, what do you want at this ungodly hour?" Hallie murmured in a groggy voice. Lily grinned and turned over listening to them.
"Well, you forgot to go to detention for Jenkins again," Gwen replied.
"Who says I forgot?" asked the other girl, and Lily could hear a smile in the girl's voice.
Gwen laughed. "Right, er – goodnight."
Hallie yawned and then said, "'Night." About an hour later, Lily gave up on sleep and walked down into the common room but was alarmed to see some one else there, sitting on the hearth rug.
James looked away from the fire and at the girl standing in the doorway. He forced a smile.
"What're you doing on the floor?" questioned Lily smiling back as she took a seat next to him.
The boy smiled genuinely at this and responded with, "I would be sitting in the armchair I always sit in except a certain girl and her friends just happened to destroy it earlier today." Lily laughed at this. She looked at his face in the fierce glow of the raging fire.
He looked deeply troubled and worried with lines that should not be present on such a young boy streaked his face. The expressions of fear, anxiousness, and frustration were displayed. "James, what's wrong?" The boy stared heavily into the fire and then shut his eyes as he put his knees to his chest. Lily hugged him around the shoulders. She could feel him shaking slightly and he opened his eyes to blink rapidly. He was trying very hard to blink back tears.
"You can tell me anything, you know that right?" He nodded but kept silent. Then he stood.
"I have to do something, I'll talk to you later, alright, Lily?" Concerned about him, she wanted to speak with him more, but just nodded. And then he strolled out of the room. She sat by the fire a while long before she decided to go back up to the dormitory and try to sleep once again.
James crept down the corridor of Hogwarts in the middle of the night not caring to brush away the tears the fell from his pale blue eyes. Why did he have to be the one with the premonitions? He had one once before of Lily's parents perishing before the rising Dark Lord's hand and another of Hallie's mother at the doomed concert that was raided by Voldemort's Death Eaters. Now he had had a dream about his parents falling to their deaths by the same man who was bringing ruin about everywhere he went.
He arrived at the owlery some time later during his thoughts and looked through the owls. James chose a barn owl and got a piece of parchment and a quill nearby. With trembling hands, he wrote a letter to his parents.
Dear Mum and Dad,
Everything's all right here at school. I made it onto the Gryffindor house quidditch team though! Sirius is a beater! It was great. We had a party after the list was posted up. And don't worry, nothing too bad happened. Except…one of the armchairs got blown to bits because of Sirius' filibuster fireworks.
I had a dream tonight and woke up not able to fall back to sleep. It's really important to me that you change our secret keeper. Please listen to me. Lately I've been having these premonitions in the form of my dreams. Already I've had two that became reality and this next one is not pleasing like the rest weren't. Dad, if you're too stubborn to change Mr. Pettigrew as our secret keeper, please run away into hiding. I know both of your schedules are very hectic but this is important to me.
I miss you both.
Love,
James
He tied the letter to the owl's leg and sent it off with a soft prayer of safekeeping for his parents. With tears still spilling from his eyes, he made his way back to the dormitory.
"Our window is too small, too bad Hallie took my fireworks." James looked next to the window where he saw Sirius under the crescent moon's light. He ignored the other boy's comment and went to his bed. "James, what did you dream this time?" said Sirius. James had never heard him speak so seriously and in such an unSiriusly manner.
"My parents," James whispered. "It was them this time." Sirius walked over to him and sat on his own bed, which was on the right of James'.
"You owled them?" he asked. The other boy nodded with his head bent as he sniffled. "Look, I'm really sorry about blowing up on you this morning about the book, it was really stupid of me." James shook his head.
"Nah, I shouldn't have told Lily," he admitted. There was a short silence.
"What did you dream?"
Another pause and then, "My dad made my mom stand behind him. Voldemort called on Mr. Pettigrew to come forward telling my parents that they couldn't really trust their friend. My dad thought he was lying but Mr. Pettigrew did come forward and then he and Voldemort," James swallowed, "they killed them." Sirius' eyes widened in the dark.
"It might not come true," he murmured. James shrugged.
"I'm really tired, goodnight."
"'Night." James lay awake in bed still not able to fall asleep for the bright flashes of green light brought a strange ache to his forehead, which he rubbed in vain. And later that night, he was aware, just before he fell asleep, that he wasn't the only one awake for he didn't hear Peter's snores in the background.
"She won't be that mad, will she?" asked Hallie. Lily looked at her with a 'what do you think' look and then shrugged. "Er – well, she didn't remind me or anything…so it isn't my fault."
Gwen told her; "You said yourself you didn't forget…" Hallie glared at her.
"Who asked you?" Lydia laughed and hugged her around the shoulders.
"So what's a couple more days of detention?"
"Lydia, my dear friend, how comforting your words are to me." Lily laughed and nudged them both.
"You'll see how she takes it when we get there." They walked into the Transfiguration room. The four girls, laughing and giggling walked over to their desks trying not to be conspicuous.
"Ah, Miss Forester, you finally decided to show up." Hallie, who was cowering in her seat, looked up at Professor Jenkins with an angelic smile. "Don't give me that, I can see right through it." The smile fell.
"Er – of course you can, Professor, because you're so…so tall, and – er –"
"Right, be sure to see me after class." And then she walked off. When everyone was seated, she stood before them at the front of the class.
"As you all know, our first quidditch match will be held this Saturday, which is in two days." There were cheers, hoots, and hollers. "Yes, yes. Also, I will be retiring at the end of this year." Cheers, hoots, and hollers erupted, but then ended in sounds of disappointment. Professor Jenkins actually laughed.
"Professor, was it my fault? Because I'll act especially good if you don't leave," said Sirius with the most innocent look he could muster at that moment. Most of the students broke out into giggles while the professor rolled her eyes heavenward.
"No, Mr. Black, it wasn't your fault."
"Good, so that means I don't have to act especially good then," he told her with a smile. She narrowed her eyes at him. "Just kidding, Professor, just kidding!"
After class, they left the room but Lily, Lydia, and Gwen stayed after to wait for Hallie who later came out muttering under her breath with a backwards glare at the classroom.
"What'd she say?" asked Lydia.
Gwen was snickering and when Hallie's glare turned to her, she stood behind Lily who said, "How many days did you get?"
"All next week." With the three girls laughing at her, they went to the next class.
James sat at the table during lunch with Sirius, Peter, and Remus when he then looked to Sirius and Peter who nodded back. The all faced Remus who looked back at them questioningly.
Peter looked at him squarely. "Remus, we know your secret." Sirius nodded.
"We found that you disappear once every month during the full moon," he said.
James in turn stated, "In conclusion, we know you're a werewolf." Remus looked at his friends and knew that they had previously planned this conversation.
I guess I should be glad that they found that out so late…but then why does it make me feel so bad? He thought to himself solemnly. His eyes were full of sorrow as he looked up at all three of them. "I understand if – if you all don't want to – er – speak to me or anything anymore." Sirius laughed and James rolled his eyes while Peter smiled.
"Who ever said we wanted to act as if you aren't alive?" asked the plump boy.
Sirius, who messed up the Remus' hair said, "Yeah, you're our best friend!"
"Think of this, Remus, we've been best friends since first year, why would we desert you now just because you're a bit different?" James wondered.
"Er – but I'm a –" he started but was cut off.
"Who cares?" asked Sirius who was still trying to make the other boy's hair as messed up as possible. James and Peter just grinned.
Remus looked at all three of them with a beaming smile. Even after they knew his deepest and darkest secret, they still wanted to be his friend? It was as if the sun had come up into the darkness of the night heaving the great weight from his shoulders away. These were the kinds of friends he'd always dreamed of. The kinds of friends who wouldn't care if he were an ogre…well…who wouldn't care that he was a werewolf. They didn't mind at all. Never had he imagined that anyone would take his difference so well. He had the best friends everyone wished they had.
"Well, if you're still my friends…Sirius, please lay off my hair."
They four boys were busy talking with one of them especially happy when Professor Greggors tapped James' shoulder. "Mr. Potter, would you please follow me into the headmaster's office?" James looked at his three best friends warily then did as was asked. He noticed the solemn expression on the professor's face and felt his insides freeze. It was as if he suddenly was drenched in a bucket of ice-cold water. "Mr. Potter, would you please follow me?" asked Professor Greggors. James suddenly noticed he had stopped in his tracks.
"Oh – er – sorry." And then he was led into Professor Dumbledore's office. There he saw an assortment of wonderful and strange objects but took no notice of them for he was filled with dread.
Professor Dumbledore looked unusually grave. His brilliant blue eyes didn't have the normal twinkle in them and seemed to shine with sadness. "Mr. Potter, a letter was returned to the school today by one of the barn owls of our owlery." The headmaster handed James a letter from a cabinet in the desk.
With trembling hands, the boy accepted it and saw that the scrawled on the envelope was 'Mum and Dad'. A lump formed in his throat and he put in back onto the desk looking to Dumbledore for an explanation that he didn't need for he knew what had happened.
"I'm truly very sorry, Mr. Potter. Last night, your parents were attacked by Lord Voldemort and his Death Eaters," said the headmaster quietly. The rest of what the older man was saying wasn't heard by the boy who had frozen in place and it seemed to him that time itself had frozen.
His parents were attacked, and no one who got attacked by the Dark Lord never survived. The premonition came too late and now…there was nothing he could do to change the fact that his parents were gone forever. Worse than that was he knew what was about to happen to his parents and he couldn't inform then in time.
"…arrived, but it was too late, they were just taking flight. I'm very sorry," were the last words that were said by Professor Dumbledore that James heard before he left the office. He was allowed to miss the afternoon classes if he wished to and the boy nodded. James went into the common room and up to his dormitory where he got out his photo album. There was one picture of his parents and him in front of their home. All three looked extremely happy together.
Tears came down his cheeks and he angrily brushed them away. It wasn't fair. Stupid Voldemort. Stupid Death Eaters. Why did they go around ruining lives for twelve-year-old boys, making them orphans? Did they know how bad off life would be for him now? Damn Voldemort and his stupid Death Eaters, thought James in a rage.
He stayed in the dormitory all that afternoon with 'what-ifs' running through his mind.
Lily walked into her Defense Against Dark Arts class with her three best friends at her sides. When she took her seat, Sirius asked her, "Where's James?" She looked at him with a look. "Well, I thought he might be with you 'cause you're…well, together a lot when he's not with us," he said motioning to Remus and Peter.
"We're not together a lot!" she exclaimed.
Hallie told her, "Of course you aren't, dear, but what do you call your little midnight talks with prince charming?" Lily glared at her. "Just kidding!"
"Midnight talks? Are you sure they're just talks?" asked Sirius with a grin. Lily lifted her hand to slap him but he moved out of the way.
"Shut up!"
"What she means is," said Lydia with a smile, "we don't know where James is. Wasn't he just with you at lunch?"
Remus said, "He was, but Professor Greggors came and told him to follow him to Professor Dumbledore's office." Lily looked at him.
"Oh, dear." Sirius looked at her and Hallie's dismal expressions.
"Why? What is it?"
"Er – nothing," said Hallie looking at Lily with a meaningful look.
"Um, right. Everything's probably all right." And with a shrug, Sirius, for once, turned his attention to where it was supposed to be, on the teacher.
Sirius left dinner early and went to the dormitory where he saw James lying on his bed while facing the ceiling. "Hey, James. What're you doing?" The other boy didn't make a move to acknowledge he had heard anything. "Er – James?" Sirius became worried, what could possibly make James so unhappy…so unlike himself?
And then a thought hit him. James' premonitions that always came true. What was the last thing the other boy had dreamt? Oh, no… "Talk to me, James, tell me what happened." At this the other boy sat up slowly and looked at him.
"My letter was returned. Mum and Dad are dead. Voldemort and his damned Death Eaters…maybe if I was there…maybe – maybe they'd still be here, right? I mean, I've been having these premonitions lately, and – and if I was there, I could have warned them faster…my message would have gotten through. What if –"
"Stop with the 'what-ifs', James. You know you couldn't have done anything about it!" James glared at him.
"I was safe and snug here at good ol' Hogwarts with the only wizard Voldemort is said to be afraid of while my parents are hidden by the Fidilius Charm at home! And their secret keeper is a traitor! If I was there, I could have warned them, Sirius, I could have stopped anything from happening to them!" Sirius went over to his best friend and shook him.
"There wasn't anything you could have done! I'm telling you the truth! Think about this! You're top of every class, but you can't put this through your mind?" James punched him. Sirius fell onto his own bed in shock holding his cheek where a bruise was starting to glow.
"You don't know what you're talking about," said James in a deathly calm voice.
"Fine then, you don't want me to help, fine." And then Sirius Black, for the first time in all their years as best friends, walked out on James Potter.
(Author's Note: Thanks a bunch to my loyal reviewers! I LOVE YOU ALL!
Ranier Wolfcastle ~ you rock. Thanks for all those lil messages and stuff! I mean, reviews, they're called reviews, thanks for those!
Please review my story so I know whatcha think, thank you so much! Lotsa love babes! ~ Sea Chelle)
