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The Rivalry of James and Lily
Year 2 - Chapter 4
Dumbledore
That night, James didn't even go upstairs to his dormitory. He sat by the fire, staring blanky into the flames until somewhere around daybreak. He was in one of the arm chairs when he was woken at 9:00 by Sirius.
"Hey James, uh, Professor Dumbledore wants you. He told me to come and get you since you didn't come down to breakfast. He'll meet you in the Great Hall. Er, you okay? You look horrible," he added in concern.
"Huh?" James asked. But then James remembered what had happened the night before. His parents, dead.
"Oh, its nothing Sirius. I just didn't get much sleep," he mumbled.
He slowly got up and exited out of the portrait hole, not noticing Sirius pick up a letter and begin to read it.
"Ah, there you are Mr. Potter," James heard the headmaster say, after his zombie-like walk to the Great Hall. "Please follow me to my office. I need to discuss a couple of issues with you."
James slowly trudged after the headmaster, ignoring everything around him.
"Please have a seat," said Dumbledore, pointing out a chair in front of his desk. He really hadn't realized they had entered his office.
As James sat, Dumbledore looked at him over his half-moon spectacles. "James, I have heard about your parents. I'm truly sorry."
James continued to look at the professor, but couldn't say anything.
"Really, if there is anything I, or any of the other professors can do, please reach out to any of us," Dumbledore said.
James just continued to stare at him blankly.
"I've brought you in here today, James, because there are some things you must know about your parent's deaths."
Dumbledore paused. James felt his body go numb when he heard the words 'your parent's deaths.'
"Lord Voldemort killed them, James. He has discovered that you are Gryffindor's descendent and he wants your whole family dead."
James blinked. His parents dead, and now Voldemort after him? When would this nightmare end? And then the professor continued...
"I know you have noticed how Voldemort has gained power. He went after your family because he learned someone from your family will hinder his rise. Because time is so complicated, I cannot tell if, when, or how this will happen, but I do know, James, you need to be careful."
James nodded. That was all he could do.
"You may leave if you have nothing further you wish me to explain," Dumbledore said.
And with that, James got up and left, his mind buzzing with Dumbledore's last words. He walked and walked around the castle, not knowing where to go, or who to talk to. Then, he ran into the last person he wanted to see in the world: Lily Evans.
"What's up with you, Potter?" she asked.
He didn't respond. He just walked right past her, not wanting to show her the hurt he was feeling. For some reason, he felt he should tell her; that this somehow was connected with her. But he couldn't bring himself do to it, to explain everything that had just happened to him. He just kept walking until he found Sirius, who showed him the letter he had found. James nodded, understanding that Sirus knew what had happened, and told him everything Dumbledore had said. Sirius looked scared, but just comforted his friend.
*****
By Christmas, James was pretty close to back to normal. Sirius was the only one who really knew about his parent's deaths, besides perhaps the headmaster and the teachers. James signed up regretfully when the list for who was staying at Hogwarts for Christmas came around. Sirius was the only other Gryffindor staying over the holidays, which he was quite thankful for. James was afraid to face Christmas without his parents, but he actually handled it remarkably well. He sent flowers to their graves, and thought of them frequently. But overall, he had a pretty nice day. He got some awesome gifts for pulling pranks, and he even received a nice box of chocolate frogs from Lily. And sooner than he wanted, everyone came from their holidays.
And come back they did. It was just another typical day in Transfiguration, and he was in just another heated fight with Lily. He was still Lily's partner, and she was struggling so ridiculously it was annoying.
"James, I am trying to transfigure this stupid tortoise into a tea pot," she snapped at him, after he rolled his eyes at her sixteenth failed attempt.
"You're just not doing it right. You have to swish your wand like this," he demonstrated.
"Right James, you're starting to sound like my mother," she muttered. But immediately Lily realized she said something wrong.
James dropped his wand with a clatter on the table. "Don't talk to me about mothers, alright!?"
"Sorry, I-"
"No, listen, Lily, you are driving me crazy! Just stop talking, seriously!"
"Gees, James, it slipped. What the hell is wrong with -"
"Potter, Evans, 10 points from Gryffindor for interrupting me, and I would like you to see me after class. I have something I would wish to discuss with both of you," stated Professor McGonagall over their bickering.
James gritted his teeth and Lily glared at him.
"Way to go," he mumbled.
Lily just rolled her eyes, and went back to swishing her wand incorrectly.
But as upset as they were then, it was nothing to how they would feel after they talked to McGonagall at the end of the period. She was forcing them to tutor each other! Lily had to tutor James in charms, and he had to tutor her in Transfiguration.
"This is horrible!" she moaned as they were walking back to the common room.
"Gees, you're telling me," he added grumpily.
A/N: Reviewies pleasies!
