Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter and Co.

Summary: After one very eventful night ten years ago, Voldemort was destroyed and Harry disappeared. Where did he go? What happened that night? Only one man knows the answer: a teacher named James. And as the tenth anniversary of Voldemort's downfall draws near, Ron and Hermione are thinking more and more about their friend.

Chapter 2: Traveling and Lies

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Ron burst through the Burrow's fireplace, followed by Jack and Emily. Still coughing from inhaling a bit of ash, Ron was promptly smothered by his mother's embrace.

"Let me look at my son," Molly Weasley held Ron's head up in the light, making Ron feel as if his were five again. "Just the same as always. My goodness, I haven't seen you in a while. You live so far away!"

"We live about 100 kilometers away. Only about an hour by broomstick, Mum. Besides, you can use Floo powder and get there in a matter of minutes."

"I know dear, but you see, it's the principle of the thing. I need to be able to walk to your house, and have my grandchildren visit me everyday. Ooh, and let's have a look at the darlings!"

Jack was bickering with Emily, who was playing in the ash in the fireplace. Molly kneeled on the floor and embraced Jack and the very dirty Emily, which swiftly ended their argument.

"Now, let me see," said Molly, sitting back to get a good look at the kids. "You my dear, must be five?"

"Six and a half," Emily corrected.

"Oh, yes. And Jack, you must be twelve?"

"Ten," Jack corrected.

Molly continued to ask the kids questions while Ron and Hermione talked with Percy and Penelope.

"So how is Mum?" asked Ron.

"Ah, you know, same as always," answered Percy. "Her same overly cheerful and forgetful self. You know, she just isn't the same as she used to be, since Dad died."

Percy and Penelope lived in the Burrow with Ms. Weasley. They had three kids, who were all currently at Hogwarts. One in first year, one in third, and another in sixth.

Hermione began helping Penelope prepare lunch, and Ron sat down to talk with Percy. About a half hour later, Penelope called that it was lunch just as Hermione finished setting the table outside. Jack and Emily came running out with chocolate all over their faces.

"Oh dear," muttered Hermione to Ron, "It looks like your mother gave them chocolate frogs." She walked up to Jack and Emily. "James Arthur Weasley!" Hermione scolded Jack, "Did you and your sister eat all the chocolate frogs Grandma gave you?"

"No," muttered Jack guiltily, "We saved a lot! Well, uh, it was actually more like several. But when I say 'several,' some people might have called it 'a few'. But both of those words are alike, so they really mean the same thing."

"Just how many did you two leave?"

Jack looked at his sister.

"About a couple," said Emily.

Hermione narrowed her eyes.

"Okay, okay," said Emily, "We each saved one."

Hermione sighed. "One out of six. You guys know we're having lunch now, right?"

She looked back at the table. Percy, Ron, Penelope, and Ms. Weasley were already eating.

"Don't worry, Mummy," piped up Emily, "Me and Jack are still really hungry. Right Jack?"

"Oh, yeah, famished," said Jack enthusiastically.

Hermione looked at her kids. They were trying to make her happy, she could tell. "Okay, well, let's eat lunch, then. Just don't eat so many next time."

"Yes, Mum," said Jack and Emily in unison.

They walked back to the table and began to eat.

"So, how are my favorite niece and nephew?" asked Percy.

"Good," they both answered.

"You guys ate most of the chocolate frogs again, didn't you?"

Jack and Emily giggled. Hermione was sitting at the other end of the table and didn't notice their topic of conversation.

"Well, yeah," answered Jack.

"Did you get any good cards?" asked Percy.

"I got a Dumbledore!" said Emily excitedly. "I don't have that one, and neither does Jack!" She counted on her fingers. "And then I got a Merlin, a Bortok the Bazaar, a Glinda the Peaceful, and two Harry Potters."

"Exciting. And you Jack--"

"Oh my goodness!" said Hermione, "It's almost one o'clock! We have to go if we want to catch the one-fifteen portkey to Canada!"

With lightning speed Hermione grabbed their bags, and Ron said a thank you to Percy for lunch and taking care of the kids.

"Bye Mum!" called Emily, "Have fun in Canada!"

Her goodbye was followed by others, and then, Ron and Hermione apparated away.

On their way to Canada.

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"Okay, James, or should I say Harry, what is it? Why the bad mood? Spill." said Sarah, still bitter that she didn't know that James had a different first name.

"Well, you see--" began James, "Um, it is sort of complicated." He was contemplating how to tell his friends that he used to live in a whole other different world, fighting a war.

"Nah, you guys don't want to hear it," interjected Peter. James could see the confused and slightly annoyed look on everyone else's face.

"We don't?" asked Emma.

"No, it's really not that interesting."

Huh? thought James.

"Yeah, James here told me it once," said Peter.

I never did that! What is he talking about? thought James frantically.

"It's just that he got in a fight with his brother a while ago and they both left home," continued Peter, as James breathed a sigh of relief. "His brother went to France and James came here to Calgary. It was some fight over his grandfather's will. James' brother wanted more of the inheritance, since he was older, and made a pretty big deal over it because everything was split evenly to James, his mother, his father, and his brother. Yeah, it's really not that interesting. And last week was the anniversary of their fight, so it just brings back bad memories. They haven't talked since."

"Oh," said Sarah, her cheeks turning slightly pink. "That's so sad. I'm truly sorry for getting mad at you, James. Really."

"Yeah, me too," apologized Emma. James could tell they were clearly sorry.

"Aw, it's all right. I'm sorry for taking it out on you guys," said James.

"So what was your brother's--"

"Time to make those éclairs!" shouted Peter, interrupting the ever curious Emma.

James was quickly forgotten and the group scrambled to get a mixer that didn't splatter dough everywhere. James pulled Peter aside.

"Thanks a bunch for saving my neck," said James, "I don't know how you did it."

"I figured it had something to do with when I and my brother found you, and I could tell you didn't want to relive it," said Peter.

"But do you know what happened?"

"Actually, no, but I figure you'll tell us when you want to. Hey, but that brother story was pretty cool, huh?"

"Yeah. Really, thanks a lot."

"It was nothing."

----(flashback)----

Harry chugged another glass of vodka, and smiled as he triumphantly turned the glass over, and slapped it on the table. The man on the other side was turning very red and was having some trouble grabbing his glass.

"Give up?" asked Harry. He appeared pretty much sober, and in control. Inside, he could feel himself spinning, but he also felt that wonderful feeling of no pain, no memories.

"Never," answered the man gruffly, but determinedly.

Harry had to give him credit. He never had someone last for so long against him in a drinking contest. He could tell, though, that with just a few more glasses, the man would be out cold. But I might be out cold too, thought Harry. Although he didn't look it on the outside, Harry was starting to feel pretty sick himself. Just a few more glasses, Harry told himself.

The man shakily poured himself another glass, looked at it with a look that one could almost call frightened, took a deep breath, and swallowed. His eyes were closed for a few seconds, and Harry could almost feel the men behind him smile with the confidence that they bet on the right guy.

The man opened his eyes and burped. A few cheers erupted from his side of the table, while the men on Harry's side glared.

Harry confidently poured himself another glass, and drank it right away. He could feel the alcohol running through his system. Slowly he turned his glass over, and thumped it on the table. He smiled as the men who bet on him cheered.

The money was high tonight. Nobody had ever watched this long of a drinking contest, and more money was being set on the table every minute. Something in the back of Harry's head nagged him, though. What will you do with the money? it asked. Harry knew. He knew he would just wander to a different city and buy more drinks. He would drink away the pain, and regret.

The man on the other side of the table smiled a silly smile. He was incredibly fat, and incredibly red from the alcohol. He patted his stomach, then chugged another glass.

Suddenly, Harry felt disgusted. He couldn't say why. Maybe it was the man across from him, drooling and smiling in that very pleased-with-himself way, or maybe it was the broken chairs stacked in the corner. Maybe it was the pick-pocket who was taking the opportunity to steal someone's wallet, or maybe it was the middle-aged man with a golden ring on his left ring-finger, kissing a heavily make-upped girl of about twenty in the corner, with no ring. Whatever it was, Harry couldn't deal at it any longer. Sure, he had won lots of drinking contests, in fact he hadn't lost yet, and he had been in worse places than these. But something about it made him want to throw up.

Maybe it's me, thought Harry. Maybe I am what is so disgusting. Maybe it's not the drooling man across from me, or the men betting hundreds of dollars on this contest, or the married man with the prostitute. Maybe it's me. I am the walking disgrace. And Harry knew he had to get out of that pub. He had to leave. He had to make something of himself. He had to make a difference in the world. Get out and be somebody. He didn't want to die a drunk. He didn't want his parents to have died for a disgrace.

And with these thoughts, Harry stood up, and made to leave.

"Where are you going?" drawled the new contest winner. "Scared of me, are you?"

Harry kept walking.

A man grabbed his arm. "Yeah, where do you think you are going? I've got money on you."

"Away," answered Harry.

The man grinned and pulled out a knife. "Oh no you're not."

Harry's drunk self had the thought process of a stubborn child. He was defiant and enraged that someone should tell him what to do. How dare this man tell him where or where not to go? Didn't he know who he was dealing with? The most powerful-- Crap! thought Harry, I should not have thought that. He started to feel the power swell inside him the moment he recalled who he had been. He tried desperately to remember whether he took his pills that morning or not, but his drunken mind wouldn't allow it. The power grew, and Harry couldn't contain it any longer. It burst out of him: the power that had lay silently inside him, plugged up by a few simple pills, waiting for the day when Harry would make a mistake and forget to take those pills. The power flowed through his heart, through his arms, it squeezed the breath out of him, and continued traveling through his hands, his fingers, and shot out at the man with the knife.

The man fell down in a stupor, with blue hair, a new set of plaid clothing, and green and pink beetles scuttling around him. "Repressed magic can do strange things," said the man when Harry had bought the pills.

Harry fell on his knees, gasping for breath. The power was too much for him to control. The rest of the men looked at Harry, their eyes full of fear. They didn't even notice when the contest winner fell down in a dead faint.

"He's armed!" shouted one man stupidly.

"With what, you moron?" shouted another in answer.

The men began arguing with each other as Harry was on the ground, trying to get a hold of himself.

Then, through all the noise, one man softly said, "He's not human."

The din quieted, and Harry sensed trouble.

"What did you say?" asked one man.

"The guy ain't human. He's a danger to us all."

The other men shouted in agreement. Together they grabbed knives, forks, bottles, and pieces of wood, and advanced on Harry.

Authors note: The flashback will finish up in the next chapter, promise!

What will happen soon: Ron and Hermione meet Ginny's fiancé, we find out how James knows Peter, and we will find out soon what in the world are "the pills."

And a gigantic thank you to:

Chochang913

Nicky

RicaSieg (aka Blossom)

Thanks a bunch for reviewing!

Love you all,

Adah