Disclaimer: I own none of this story.
CHAPTER 4
They all just glared at each other lost for words. Snape bit Remus painfully on his index finger but he didn't really notice.
"What are we going to do?" Peter finally asked
"Let's face the music." James said. "We'll turn Snape back, and go face Dumbledore."
Harry shook his head. "No, isn't there something you can do, like go home?"
"It'll only get you or some one else into trouble." Remus told him. "And unlike Snape here, we face the punishment we get, because half the time we deserve it."
Sirius nodded in agreement, and took Snape off of Remus. "How much trouble do you think we're going to get into?" Peter asked, obviously nervous.
"Loads," Said Sirius. "Look I'm sorry guys. This was all my idea I persuaded you to do it, I…"
"Ssh," Remus smiled. "It doesn't matter doesn't it. I would like to stay a bit longer, but. We've had fun."
"You've been here a day." Harry protested. "Look he won't be able to see you, if you just hide, no one will ever know, we could blame it on The Slytherin's c'mon, it'll be fun."
Chuckling slightly James shook his head. "No Harry, I'm sorry. Dumbledore'll send us home. We don't belong here. Besides, I want to know if that Beatles song makes number one, in the muggle charts."
Harry looked angry. "Oh, that's fine now, go then, I don't care. Just go."
He stormed out of the bathroom." Before he closed the door. "By the way, the meeting is a eight o'clock."
"What's his problem?" Sirius asked.
James shook his head. "I don't know."
They went into Gryffindor common room; James was feeling utterly miserable and guilty about what he had said to Harry. "Just go up and apologise to him Prongs." Remus suggested.
"I dunno, I guess I hit the nail on the head."
Sirius leant over to him. "James, tell him that you're sorry, that you didn't mean what you said, you were just doing a funny."
"But why did he react like that?" James asked. "What did I do wrong. I guess I'm a big part of his life."
"Or a very small bit."
James frowned. "What do you mean Moony?"
"Maybe you're away from home often, and this is a time when he could talk to you, and like normal he thinks that something so trivial is more important than your son."
James nodded understanding. "I hope it's the first bit. I don't like the latter."
James pondered, then making up his mind he got up to the dorm that Harry was in, the others following him. They saw that Harry's curtains were drawn and that Ron and Hermione were also in there.
"…I just don't believe he said that!"
"He didn't know, Harry, he thought that you'll know him. I mean if I ever have children." (Ron snorted at Hermiones' suggestion.) "I wouldn't think, 'Hmm, maybe I won't actually know my kid.'"
"Why not?" Harry said what sounded like through his pillow.
Remus was getting confused. Why wouldn't Harry know James? Unless…
"Because it's not something that you think of at the age of fifteen. I know you do Harry, but not most people."
"He could tell them." Ron suggested.
"Yeah, that sounds good!"
"No!" Hermione stamped out. "No Harry you can't! You mustn't. The effects could be…I dunno, but big. I don't know what they were thinking when they came here. Wanting a laugh I think."
Ron sighed. "Hermione, give them a break. They didn't know that they were going to be the key people in a major historical event."
Remus felt his eyes widen, and he looked at his friends, Sirius was smiling slightly but James looked horrified.
"I know! But still. We can't tell them what happened. I'm so sorry that your life is so effected by this. But the world is a safer place, because of your parents sacrifice."
Remus starred goggled eyed at the bed, then at James, who Sirius was now holding up. Parent's sacrifice. That would mean? James was going to die. The prospect of James dying was unbelievable, impossible even. James was so full of life so energetic; the idea of that ending was unthinkable.
How could his life end? How could it? It sounded as though he was young. But…James Potter, die?
"How?" James finally asked at a decent volume so that the ones on the bed could hear. "How, do I die?"
Slowly Hermione opened the curtains and Ron sighed. "Oh no."
"What?" Harry asked his head rising. "Oh God."
Sirius was helping James stay on his feet but James didn't like that idea, so he just slumped to the ground.
"How?" he asked again. "Please tell me."
Harry shook his head. "If I did, would you try to change it." He asked them all.
Sirius laughed slightly. "What sort of a question is that? Of course we would!"
A tear rolled down Harry's cheek, and Remus realised the other boy was crying.
"Then I can't tell you." He croaked.
Remus was lost for words. "Why not, why can't we change it. I don't want James to die."
"Why either do I!" Harry yelled. "But no one gave me the choice."
Remus walked up to him, "but now you do, you can live as an orphan, or you now have parents. You have a choice!"
Harry shook his head mournfully looking at the bed spread. "It's not that simple."
"How not?" Peter squeaked, he had been silent for quite a while and Remus now knew why, Wormtail looked absolutely terrified.
"Because, because…" he looked to Ron and Hermione for support, they urged him on slightly guessing that the whole story might as well be explained. "Thing's will change. The world would be different."
"Isn't that the whole idea?" Sirius asked, Remus noticed that he also noticed that he was crying.
Harry shook his head. "No, things will be worse!" He objected. "You don't understand, you can't understand!"
"Than make us understand." James said between his teeth bitterly. "Tell me how I die, why I die. Every one dies for a reason, I can't just wake up one day and be dead."
"Actually…" Remus tried to say.
"I'm not in the mood Moony." Remus merely nodded.
James crawled over to the bed and took Harry's hands. "Please. I'm not afraid that I die, but I don't want to make you an orphan Harry. Please, I beg you can you just tell me, so I can change it."
Harry was crying silent tears; Remus got the impression that he didn't do this very often. "I can't. I wish I could but I can't."
Sirius took a step forward trying to keep his voice steady. "Ok," he said calmly "Harry tell us, we won't change it, whatever happens. But I don't know why you're not even considering it."
Slowly Harry nodded. "It all started about twenty-five years ago now. People started to disappear, murdered. Have you heard of Voldemort yet?"
James slowly nodded, "In passing, that insane guy who wants to take over the world." He laughed slightly, but at the stern look in Harry's eye, soon stopped.
"Yes, him. He started to get followers; they were killing people, torturing some. They call…called themselves Death Eaters. Then Halloween fifteen years ago now, he came to your house, you were hiding from him, I don't remember much…" he sighed and shook his head. "Who I'm I kidding, I remember pretty much all of it. He killed you and mum, to get to me." Ron and Hermione gave him a surprised look. "Then he tried to kill me. But it didn't work. The Avada Kedavara didn't work. It rebounded and hit Voldemort. Hence the scar." He pointed to his forehead. "Voldemort vanished, lost his powers."
"How didn't it work?"
"No one knows," Hermione said."
"It was because my mum died to save me."
"What?" Ron asked. "Why didn't you tell us?"
"Because it would lead to more questions."
"Like what...?"
"Why did Voldemort want you in the first place." Remus said in complete shock.
"Exactly." Harry wiped the tears from his face. "If you changed it, things would be dark. He was so close to gaining complete power, if you changed that it would jeopardise the peace we had for thirteen years."
James lifted his head, which was resting on Harry's lap. "Thirteen years?"
"He came back last summer, and needless to say, he's non too pleased with me. But I don't want to talk about that."
James nodded, and Remus got the impression that James didn't want to know about it either.
"What are we going to do?" Peter asked.
James stood up and faced the others. "We go to Dumbledore at this meeting, we act as were naïve to the situation, then we go back, after saying a few goodbyes," turning to Harry he smiled slightly. "We'll leave in the morning."
"But what if Dumbledore makes us leave now?" Remus asked.
Looking at Harry James said simply. "He won't, but if he keeps persisting. We'll tell him we know. He won't let me go with out saying goodbye to Harry."
CHAPTER 4
They all just glared at each other lost for words. Snape bit Remus painfully on his index finger but he didn't really notice.
"What are we going to do?" Peter finally asked
"Let's face the music." James said. "We'll turn Snape back, and go face Dumbledore."
Harry shook his head. "No, isn't there something you can do, like go home?"
"It'll only get you or some one else into trouble." Remus told him. "And unlike Snape here, we face the punishment we get, because half the time we deserve it."
Sirius nodded in agreement, and took Snape off of Remus. "How much trouble do you think we're going to get into?" Peter asked, obviously nervous.
"Loads," Said Sirius. "Look I'm sorry guys. This was all my idea I persuaded you to do it, I…"
"Ssh," Remus smiled. "It doesn't matter doesn't it. I would like to stay a bit longer, but. We've had fun."
"You've been here a day." Harry protested. "Look he won't be able to see you, if you just hide, no one will ever know, we could blame it on The Slytherin's c'mon, it'll be fun."
Chuckling slightly James shook his head. "No Harry, I'm sorry. Dumbledore'll send us home. We don't belong here. Besides, I want to know if that Beatles song makes number one, in the muggle charts."
Harry looked angry. "Oh, that's fine now, go then, I don't care. Just go."
He stormed out of the bathroom." Before he closed the door. "By the way, the meeting is a eight o'clock."
"What's his problem?" Sirius asked.
James shook his head. "I don't know."
They went into Gryffindor common room; James was feeling utterly miserable and guilty about what he had said to Harry. "Just go up and apologise to him Prongs." Remus suggested.
"I dunno, I guess I hit the nail on the head."
Sirius leant over to him. "James, tell him that you're sorry, that you didn't mean what you said, you were just doing a funny."
"But why did he react like that?" James asked. "What did I do wrong. I guess I'm a big part of his life."
"Or a very small bit."
James frowned. "What do you mean Moony?"
"Maybe you're away from home often, and this is a time when he could talk to you, and like normal he thinks that something so trivial is more important than your son."
James nodded understanding. "I hope it's the first bit. I don't like the latter."
James pondered, then making up his mind he got up to the dorm that Harry was in, the others following him. They saw that Harry's curtains were drawn and that Ron and Hermione were also in there.
"…I just don't believe he said that!"
"He didn't know, Harry, he thought that you'll know him. I mean if I ever have children." (Ron snorted at Hermiones' suggestion.) "I wouldn't think, 'Hmm, maybe I won't actually know my kid.'"
"Why not?" Harry said what sounded like through his pillow.
Remus was getting confused. Why wouldn't Harry know James? Unless…
"Because it's not something that you think of at the age of fifteen. I know you do Harry, but not most people."
"He could tell them." Ron suggested.
"Yeah, that sounds good!"
"No!" Hermione stamped out. "No Harry you can't! You mustn't. The effects could be…I dunno, but big. I don't know what they were thinking when they came here. Wanting a laugh I think."
Ron sighed. "Hermione, give them a break. They didn't know that they were going to be the key people in a major historical event."
Remus felt his eyes widen, and he looked at his friends, Sirius was smiling slightly but James looked horrified.
"I know! But still. We can't tell them what happened. I'm so sorry that your life is so effected by this. But the world is a safer place, because of your parents sacrifice."
Remus starred goggled eyed at the bed, then at James, who Sirius was now holding up. Parent's sacrifice. That would mean? James was going to die. The prospect of James dying was unbelievable, impossible even. James was so full of life so energetic; the idea of that ending was unthinkable.
How could his life end? How could it? It sounded as though he was young. But…James Potter, die?
"How?" James finally asked at a decent volume so that the ones on the bed could hear. "How, do I die?"
Slowly Hermione opened the curtains and Ron sighed. "Oh no."
"What?" Harry asked his head rising. "Oh God."
Sirius was helping James stay on his feet but James didn't like that idea, so he just slumped to the ground.
"How?" he asked again. "Please tell me."
Harry shook his head. "If I did, would you try to change it." He asked them all.
Sirius laughed slightly. "What sort of a question is that? Of course we would!"
A tear rolled down Harry's cheek, and Remus realised the other boy was crying.
"Then I can't tell you." He croaked.
Remus was lost for words. "Why not, why can't we change it. I don't want James to die."
"Why either do I!" Harry yelled. "But no one gave me the choice."
Remus walked up to him, "but now you do, you can live as an orphan, or you now have parents. You have a choice!"
Harry shook his head mournfully looking at the bed spread. "It's not that simple."
"How not?" Peter squeaked, he had been silent for quite a while and Remus now knew why, Wormtail looked absolutely terrified.
"Because, because…" he looked to Ron and Hermione for support, they urged him on slightly guessing that the whole story might as well be explained. "Thing's will change. The world would be different."
"Isn't that the whole idea?" Sirius asked, Remus noticed that he also noticed that he was crying.
Harry shook his head. "No, things will be worse!" He objected. "You don't understand, you can't understand!"
"Than make us understand." James said between his teeth bitterly. "Tell me how I die, why I die. Every one dies for a reason, I can't just wake up one day and be dead."
"Actually…" Remus tried to say.
"I'm not in the mood Moony." Remus merely nodded.
James crawled over to the bed and took Harry's hands. "Please. I'm not afraid that I die, but I don't want to make you an orphan Harry. Please, I beg you can you just tell me, so I can change it."
Harry was crying silent tears; Remus got the impression that he didn't do this very often. "I can't. I wish I could but I can't."
Sirius took a step forward trying to keep his voice steady. "Ok," he said calmly "Harry tell us, we won't change it, whatever happens. But I don't know why you're not even considering it."
Slowly Harry nodded. "It all started about twenty-five years ago now. People started to disappear, murdered. Have you heard of Voldemort yet?"
James slowly nodded, "In passing, that insane guy who wants to take over the world." He laughed slightly, but at the stern look in Harry's eye, soon stopped.
"Yes, him. He started to get followers; they were killing people, torturing some. They call…called themselves Death Eaters. Then Halloween fifteen years ago now, he came to your house, you were hiding from him, I don't remember much…" he sighed and shook his head. "Who I'm I kidding, I remember pretty much all of it. He killed you and mum, to get to me." Ron and Hermione gave him a surprised look. "Then he tried to kill me. But it didn't work. The Avada Kedavara didn't work. It rebounded and hit Voldemort. Hence the scar." He pointed to his forehead. "Voldemort vanished, lost his powers."
"How didn't it work?"
"No one knows," Hermione said."
"It was because my mum died to save me."
"What?" Ron asked. "Why didn't you tell us?"
"Because it would lead to more questions."
"Like what...?"
"Why did Voldemort want you in the first place." Remus said in complete shock.
"Exactly." Harry wiped the tears from his face. "If you changed it, things would be dark. He was so close to gaining complete power, if you changed that it would jeopardise the peace we had for thirteen years."
James lifted his head, which was resting on Harry's lap. "Thirteen years?"
"He came back last summer, and needless to say, he's non too pleased with me. But I don't want to talk about that."
James nodded, and Remus got the impression that James didn't want to know about it either.
"What are we going to do?" Peter asked.
James stood up and faced the others. "We go to Dumbledore at this meeting, we act as were naïve to the situation, then we go back, after saying a few goodbyes," turning to Harry he smiled slightly. "We'll leave in the morning."
"But what if Dumbledore makes us leave now?" Remus asked.
Looking at Harry James said simply. "He won't, but if he keeps persisting. We'll tell him we know. He won't let me go with out saying goodbye to Harry."