Chapter 42
The next three days, Harry and Sirius awoke early and went to work to finish strengthening the wards already in place around the school before they got started adding any new protective wards. They spent the entire time working, and only made it back up to the castle in time for dinner on the last day, both exhausted, not only physically but mentally as well. As they walked between the tables, James once again pulled Harry to a stop and the green eyed boy smiled at them wearily before collapsing into the same seat he had occupied the last time he had seen them
"Are you ok, Harry?" asked Lily in concern
"Uh, hu, fine" he mumbled into the arms of his cloak that his head was resting on, completely oblivious to the food on the table. The marauders and Lily looked at each other worriedly before James nudged Harry in the side.
"Um, mate, you look exhausted, where have you been for the past couple of days, we haven't seen you anywhere"
Harry picked up his head and began to dish some food onto his plate before he answered "I was helping Si.Joseph, strengthen the wards around the castle" he explained, feeling a cold chill run through his blood as he almost slipped up and called his godfather by his real name in his exhaustion.
The other students looked to each other in confusion at his words before James spoke up again "Were you really helping him?" he asked unbelieving
"Yes" answered Harry as he looked to James in confusion "Why do you ask?"
"Well, isn't that very advanced magic? How can a sixth year do it?" answered Sirius for his friend
Harry gave them all a half smirk before he answered "Well, I'm actually not supposed to be a sixth year, I'm supposed to be a seventh, but because of certain, circumstances, I never received the last three months of my sixth year studies, so we decided that I would do them now"
"Well, still, not even a normal seventh year should be able to do that kind of spell without being very powerful and specially trained" said Lily
Harry just smiled wider "Well, I'm not a normal seventh year wizard" he said "Could you please pass the ham?" he asked before any of them had an opportunity to think about his words or respond to them, signaling that line of questioning was closed.
The rest of dinner passed quickly, and when it was over, Harry left the Gryffindor students behind and proceeded with his godfather to their rooms where the pair immediately fell asleep.
Thursday morning dawned bright and clear, and Harry, felling refreshed and awake, went to the great hall early with Sirius, and was not surprised to see that they were among the first to arrive.
"What are you going to do today, Sirius?" asked Harry around his breakfast
"I will probably go down to the village and see what all needs to be done down there this weekend" he replied "What classes do you have today?"
"Potions, History, and Care of Magical Creatures, why do you ask?"
"Well, I was going to see if you were available for some training for your animagus studies" he replied with a mysterious smile
"What do you mean? I can change into just about anything, why do I need more training?" he asked in confusion
"Well, before we left, Albus and I were discussing something that I want you to try, if you're up to it" he replied cryptically, and Harry was even more curious now
"Well, what was it?" he finally demanded when he realized Sirius wasn't going to volunteer the information
"How would you feel about becoming a magical animagus?" he asked as he looked to Harry, trying to see his reaction
"A what?" he asked, clearly confused
"A magical animagus, changing into a creature with magical powers instead of a normal animal like you have been doing" he explained
"Is that even possible?" asked Harry speculatively
"Well, that is what we want to find out, it hasn't been done before, but Albus and I think that you may be able to do it, so are you willing to give it a shot?" he asked, knowing perfectly well what the answer would be
"Sure!" exclaimed Harry "When do we get started?" he asked excitedly
"Well, how about as soon as you get done with your lessons today?" asked Sirius
"Why not now?" asked Harry "Lessons are all pretty easy today and I would rather not have to show the entire sixth year class my powers, especially since I would have to do everything wandless or with my staff if I don't have to" he explained
"No, you had better go to classes, just try to do everything with the staff to prevent anyone from becoming suspicious, not to mention that you have already missed all of your lessons this week and you need to catch up" said Sirius "We need to keep our eyes out for this girl still, and you never know when something she does will single her out, her father is a very powerful wizard, so watch for an above average student, and practical lessons will show us just how powerful everyone is" he said
"Ok, but can we start after classes are over?" asked Harry hopefully, sounding every bit like a five year old on Christmas morning
"Yes, Harry, come down to the edge of the forest beside the lake, we'll work just inside the forest so that no one sees us, I know where the perfect little clearing is" said Sirius with a wide smile
"Ok" replied Harry happily, and he noticed that the other students were beginning to get to their feet and head for their first class of the day, and that the marauders were motioning him over and waiting for him to go to potions.
"I have to go to class, I'll see you this afternoon" he said hurriedly as he got to his feet, grabbed his bag and staff and set off toward the group of Gryffindors awaiting him.
The day passed far too slowly as far as Harry was concerned. After an unbearably long potions lesson that made lessons with Snape appear pleasurable, they went to an equally boring History of Magic lesson followed by Care of Magical Creatures, which was the only interesting thing they did all day. As they made their way to the lesson, Harry caught sight of a very familiar figure with scarlet and gold feathers, Professor Grubblyplank had apparently borrowed Fawkes, the headmasters' phoenix, for this lesson and they gathered around her on the grounds next to Hagrid's hut.
"Good afternoon students" she began "Headmaster Dumbledore has been kind enough to allow us to use his new pet for today's lesson. Now, can anybody tell me what kind of animal this is?" she asked, and Harry was shocked that nobody volunteered an answer, though the marauders and Lily were looking from the head of his staff, to the clasp of his cloak, and back to the magnificent bird in curiosity. Seeing as no one else was going to answer, Harry hesitantly raised his hand.
"Yes, Mr." the professor looked at for a moment, obviously just now realizing that she had never been informed of Harry's last name, so he decided to supply her with one.
"Pearson, ma'am" he replied with a smile
"Very well, Mr. Pearson, can you tell me what kind of bird this is?" she asked speculatively, as though she didn't think he actually knew the answer.
"Yes professor, it is a phoenix" he replied
"I am impressed Mr. Pearson, not many people have ever seen a phoenix before, they are normally very private creatures and very rare. Can you tell me anything about them Harry?" she asked, giving him her undivided attention and ignoring the other sixth years present
"Well, they are able to carry extreme weights, and their tears contain very strong healing agents that can cure nearly any injury, and their song is well known as one of the purest forms of light magic" he explained, and he felt his cheeks begin to burn from the stares he was receiving.
"Very good Mr. Pearson!" exclaimed the professor, but before she could say anything else, Fawkes spread his magnificent wings and flew over to Harry where he perched on his shoulder and looked into Harry's eyes, and Harry immediately blocked out everything around him as he returned the steady gaze.
"'Lo Fawkes" he said softly "How are you?" he asked, even though he knew he wouldn't receive any answer, but the phoenix began to sing a low and beautiful tune, and through it, Harry could understand what the bird was saying.
'It is good to see you my young friend' said the calm and kind voice and Harry looked to the bird in amazement tinged with a little bit of shock
"Did you just say something?" he asked the bird anxiously, but before he received an answer, Fawkes spread his wings again and left Harry's shoulder to return to his perch just as a flash of gold caught his eyes. There was another phoenix flying toward him, and it flew in a tight circle over his head before descending to the grass at his feet and beginning to sing as well.
'Yes, my child, you can understand us' replied the bird with slight amusement in her voice
"Who are you?" Harry asked of the new bird as he looked her over, her voice sounded vaguely familiar but he couldn't place it. She was smaller that Fawkes, and her feathers were of the richest gold trimmed in the same scarlet that Fawkes possessed. Her black eyes were looking up to Harry and he could almost see pleasure shining in them.
'My name is Terres, and I am your guardian' she replied, and suddenly Harry recognized her voice
"It was you!" he exclaimed "You were the one from my vision, you gave me my staff" he said in sudden understanding
'Yes my child, it is I who has been protecting you, and I have come to tell you something of great importance'
"What is it?" asked Harry, suddenly concerned
'You must remember that no matter what happens, you must not alter the past. You will be tempted to do so very soon, but things must remain the way they are' she replied in a stern tone
"What do you mean?" asked Harry, confused by her warning
'You will know when the time comes, my precious child' she replied, and Harry knew that if she could, she would be smiling 'I will remain with you for now, and protect you, but I will not always be able to do so, there are many things left for you to do here, and you must do them on your own, even though they will be difficult' she said kindly
"Thank you, Terres, I am very grateful" he said honestly, and the phoenix bowed her head to him before spreading her wings and taking up Fawkes' place on his shoulder, allowing Harry's attention to return to his current surroundings, to be met with sixty pairs of eyes looking to him in shock.
Finally, the professor spoke up "Harry, you can speak to phoenixes" she asked in an amazed whisper
"Apparently so" replied Harry "This is the first time I've ever done it though" he said with an embarrassed smile, fully aware of the eyes still looking at him and Terres.
"That is wonderful Harry! Could you please introduce us to your new friend there?" she asked as she motioned to the gold phoenix
"Sure, this is Terres" he replied as he shifted his feet nervously, trying to escape the looks being sent his way
"Well, after that very interesting display, let us get back to the lesson" replied the professor, as though she sensed his unease, and after a few minutes, all the students had turned back to her and begun to listen to her lecture, but six students weren't listening to her, instead they turned to each other to talk.
"Harry, that was incredible!" exclaimed James
"Really, how did you learn to do that?" asked Sirius
"Sometimes I think you are really dumb Padfoot, you can't just learn to do something like that, it is a gift that you are born with" said Remus "Is this really the first time you've ever talked to a phoenix, Harry?"
"Yes" replied Harry, "I've been around them several times, but this is the first time I've ever talked to one"
"What was she saying to you?" asked Peter "We could hear your side of the conversation, but she was just singing"
"I can't say" said Harry in a warning tone
"She has spoken to her before though, you said that you saw her in a dream, and that she gave you your staff" he said, demanding an answer to his question
"Yes, she spoke to me, but in a vision, not a dream, and she sent me my staff, she is my guardian" he said tensely
"Leave him alone Wormtail, he obviously doesn't want us to know what they talked about, it's probably private" said Lily and Harry shot her a grateful look
"So, is she going to be staying with you?" asked James
"Yes, for a little while anyway" said Harry with a smile
"So, what are you doing after class Harry, do you want to come up to the common room and play a game of chess?" asked Remus, changing the subject
"I wish I could, but Joseph is giving me some private lessons after class, maybe later tonight after dinner" he suggested
"What kind of lessons?" asked Sirius curiously
"He had been helping me start my animagus training" Harry said, eager to see their reactions
"Oh, um, isn't that, um illegal, um for, um under aged wizards to do?" asked Sirius as he shuffled his feet nervously and looked between his friends who were all looking decidedly anxious
"Well, what the ministry doesn't know can't hurt them, but you already know that don't you?" he asked with raised eyebrows
They others all looked to each other with alarmed expressions on their faces and Harry had to try hard to contain his amusement.
"Um, we don't know what you're talking about" said Sirius finally
"Oh, I think you do, but don't worry, I won't tell" said Harry with a mysterious smile on his face
"How do you know!?" demanded Peter loudly, causing several of their classmates to look at them curiously
Harry looked at him coldly, beginning to wonder not for the first time what the other marauders had seen in the rat during their school days "It doesn't matter how I know, I just do, and I already said that I wouldn't tell" he said levelly just as the professor dismissed the lesson and the students began to make their way back toward the castle. Harry looked up toward the school and saw the familiar blue cloaked figure of his godfather heading his way. "I'll see you guys later" he said as he set off toward the older man.
"That boy just keeps getting more and more strange" said Peter
"What do you mean, strange?" asked James
"Well look, he can talk to snakes and phoenixes, he carries around a staff that a phoenix gave him, and he knows that we are animagus', not to mention he gets defensive over the littlest things" said Peter "I think he's hiding something" he said with certainty
"Oh you're just upset that he gets the best of you every time, Wormtail" said Sirius with a laugh
"Yeah, he has a point Peter, I think Harry is just very observant or something, we did go into the forest last night, maybe he just saw us or something, and he said that he could talk to snakes because of some sort of curse that went wrong" said James with a shrug "But I admit something about him is strange"
"Yeah, I agree, so what should we do about it?" asked Remus and the other four gathered around him just outside the entrance to the castle
"I think we should follow him" suggested Peter
"Are you sure?" asked Lily skeptically
"Yeah, what could it hurt? He's just doing animagus training, and it's not like we've never seen it before" said Peter with certainty "Come on" and he set off toward the direction that Harry had gone with his godfather, the others reluctantly following behind him. "James, do you have the map?" he asked as they reached the lake
"Yes" said James as he withdrew the mentioned item from his bag. "Why do you want it?" he asked
"Well, it shows the edges of the forest, maybe we can see them and find out where they went to" he said
"Whatever you say Peter" mumbled James "I solemnly swear I am up to no good" he said as he put his wand to the parchment, and an instant later, lines began to spread across the parchment outlining the castle and surrounding grounds and James' eyes grew wide as he starred at the map.
"Can you see them?" asked Sirius, getting into the spirit of spying on Harry and leaning over James' shoulder "What in the hell?" he mumbled to himself as he looked at the map as well and to his best friend
"What's wrong guys?" asked Remus and Peter at once and Lily looked to them expecting an answer as well
"Um, I think you should see this for yourselves" said James as he handed the map to Remus who became wide eyes as well when he saw the names over the dots just inside the forest, Harry Potter and Sirius Black. He turned quickly to look at the younger Sirius and then to James before he passed the map to Lily who had the same reaction, and then to Peter who was speechless.
"Sirius, James?" he questioned "What is going on here?" he asked
"I have no idea" said James "I am the last Potter, as far as I know, and Sirius is standing right here, how can he be in two places at once?"
"I don't think he is" said Lily cautiously
"What do you mean?" asked James
"I'm not completely sure, but have you ever heard of people traveling through time?" she asked hesitantly
"I've read something about it" agreed Remus
"Are you saying that my future self and James' son are Harry and Joseph?" asked Sirius in doubt "But why didn't he tell us?"
"I'm not certain about Harry, but it is obvious that Joseph is an older version of you" said Lily
"You know, Harry does look a lot like you, James, now that I think about it, if his hair were shorter and his eyes not green he could be your twin" said Remus thinking out loud "And the same goes for Joseph and Sirius, if he had black hair and blue eyes, I could see that as well" he said evaluating both James and Sirius thoughtfully
"So, if they are really Sirius and James' son, what should we do?" asked Peter, finally speaking up
"Nothing" said James and Sirius together
"Why not?" asked Peter in confusion
"Because" began James "We obviously not meant to know why they are here, or who they really are, so we can't tell them that we know" he said forcefully
"Are you sure?" asked Peter "They could tell us what happens to us in the future, it would be kind of fun to find out"
"Absolutely not Peter" said Lily "They obviously didn't tell us because they could change the future if we knew anything about it"
"Fine, but let's go see what they're up to" he relented as he turned and walked toward the spot on the map that said where Harry and Sirius were working, "Hey James, do you have the cloak?" he asked suddenly.
"Good idea, Wormtail" said James as he pulled the cloak from his bag and threw it over the five of them.
They walked quietly through the edge of the forest and in no time they had reached a small clearing that Harry and his godfather were standing in the middle of. They five students crouched down behind the bushes and looked through the leaves to watch what was happening in the clearing in silence so that they wouldn't be heard.
"Ok Harry, according to what Albus said before we left, as far as we know, this should be just like any animagus transformation, you just have to think about the magical powers of the animal as well as the physical characteristics. Do you think you can do it?" asked the older man
"I don't think it would be too difficult Sirius, is there anything else I need to worry about?" asked Harry as he set his staff against a tree on the far side of the clearing from the marauders
"Well, Albus said something about having to be careful not to use the magical powers of the animal until you are certain you can control them, so to be safe, don't use any at all until we get back, just in case" he warned "Why don't you put Sherlock down and give it a shot?" he asked
"Great!" said Harry enthusiastically as he knelt over and allowed the snake to slither from his wrist "What about a Griffin first?" he asked
"Sounds good, but be careful" said the other man with a smile as he backed away
They watched as Harry closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He was surrounded by a faint golden glow for several tense minutes before he fell over and was sitting on his hands and knees. His body then began to grow, but before they could see anything else, the golden glow became so bright that it hid Harry within its light. After several moments, the light suddenly disappeared, leaving behind a brilliant lion with the wings of an eagle lying on the forest floor on his stomach with its legs curled underneath it. The creature opened its eyes and surveyed the area around it before shaking its long red mane. Cautiously, it unfolded its legs and got to his feet, testing his new appendages as he continued to survey his surroundings. As he eyes raked over the marauders, they all noticed that they were brilliant green, just like Harry's, and on his left shoulder was a white patch of hair in the shape of a lightning bolt. Suddenly and without warning, he threw back his head and let loose a ground shaking roar that echoed off the trees and caused all of the birds nesting to flee to the air. He then set back on his hind legs and spread his wings to their full extent and looked at them as if he were appraising their value.
"Don't even think about it Harry" said a voice from the far side of the clearing and the Griffin turned his head toward the man and obediently folded his wings back to his sides and sat on his haunches and tilted his head at the man as though asking him why.
"No Harry, you can't be seen flying around the forest, Griffins are not quite supposed to be here, and I don't have to tell you what will happen if you are seen" warned the man, and the Griffin nodded his head in agreement "Now, change back, we need to discuss some things"
The Griffin nodded again and was surrounded by the gold light and in much less time than the first transformation took, Harry was sitting in the middle of the clearing "Whoa, that was amazing Sirius!" he said with a smile on his face
"Well, don't keep me in suspense, tell me about it!" demanded the other man as he took a seat beside Harry on the ground
"I don't know how to describe it Sirius, it wasn't like when I change into any other animal, I could actually feel the instincts that a Griffin has and I could hear other Griffins speaking to me, they must communicate telepathically or something" he said, the smile never diminishing from his face
"That's great Harry, you could really help to explain a lot of the mysteries surrounding magical creatures when everything gets back to normal again" Sirius said excitedly
At his words though, Harry's face fell "What if things never get back to normal, Sirius?" he asked in a quiet voice "What if we never find who we are looking for?"
"We will Harry, it will just take time" assured the man as he put his arm over Harry's shoulders and pulled him close "I promise you, I will never let him win" he said in determination
"I know Sirius, but what if you can't keep that promise? He's still very weak from what happened in defense that day, but he is getting stronger, he makes his presence known every day now. He said we would never find her, what if he's right?" he asked worriedly
"Harry, you know not to take anything he says seriously, he is just trying to wear you down again. Things will work out" he said in confidence
"I hope so Sirius, I really do. Why can't things be easy for us though?" he asked and Sirius cracked a small smile at him
"Because then our lives would be boring Harry" he said with a laugh, but Harry was still serious
"Why does Voldemort have to ruin everything for us though?" he asked "First he kills my parents, then he tries to kill me on more than one occasion, then one of his servants frames you for their deaths and you are sent to Azkaban, and if that is not enough, he has to go and pull this!" shouted Harry in exasperation as he got to his feet
"Harry, calm down, you're letting him get to you again" said Sirius forcefully as he got to his feet as well
"Sirius, how can I calm down! We've been here for over a week now and we're no closer to finding her than we were before we left! This is hopeless, he's going to win and kill everyone!" Harry yelled back just as forcefully waving his hands frantically
"Listen to yourself Harry! This is not you talking, it's Voldemort. You never give up hope so quickly, what happened to you?" demanded Sirius as forced Harry's arms to his sided "And if you don't calm down, you're going to do something you regret without meaning to"
"Sirius, what use is it fighting anymore, huh? Every time he comes back, he's stronger than ever, I just don't think I can beat him this time, this entire mission is hopeless, we don't even know who we are looking for, and without her, the spell can't be done and he will win" Harry said quietly as he collapsed to the ground in the middle of the forest with his head held in his hands
"Harry, we will find her, it's just going to take more time, and it is worth it to keep fighting him, just think about everyone at home, Ron, Hermione, Draco, Remus, Albus Severus, Dudley, all of your housemates, Ginny, and everyone else who is important to you. You can't give up or they will all be killed. Think about Ginny, Harry, you know she will be the first harmed if you give up, you know that as well as I do. They are all worth fighting for, you can't give into what he tries to tell you or he will win. We will find her, I promise you that, and then we will go back, do the spell, and then start to live like we have always both wanted, without Voldemort" he said with determination
Harry looked up into his face and gave him a weary half smile "Thanks Sirius, I needed to hear that" he said quietly
"No problem, Harry" said the other man with a smile "It's the truth"
"So" said Harry after several silent minutes "What did you want to talk about?"
"Oh yeah, I was going to ask you who you're new friend was" he said, motioning toward Terres who was sitting on the ground next to his staff with her head under her wing.
Harry's face immediately broke into a wide smile "Oh, that is Terres" he began "Do you remember when I told you someone spoke to me during my vision, when I touched my wand again?" he asked
"Yes, the one who kept calling you her child?" he questioned
"That's her, well, it turns out that the voice I heard was Terres, she said she was my guardian, the one who has been keeping me alive. She's going to stay with me for a little while, she said I still had things to accomplish here" he said as he gazed at the gold bird fondly.
"Really?" asked Sirius as he looked at the bird in wonder "You can understand what she told you?" he asked
"Yes, Fawkes spoke to me as well, and I could understand him too"
"Fawkes?" questioned Sirius "You could understand him? Have you ever spoken to him before?"
"No, never" said Harry
"Did she tell you anything else?" asked Sirius
"Yes, she told me that no matter how tempted I was, I couldn't change the past, but that I will be tempted to do so very soon. Do you know what she was talking about, Sirius? Can you remember anything important happening around this time?" he asked as he turned to look at his godfather quizzically
"Not really, but like I said, everything around this time is pretty vague" he said with his brow furrowed "I do remember the village being attacked and you fighting with some death eaters, but I don't remember what happened"
"Well, I guess we'll just have to wait and see" said Harry is resignation "What are we doing for the rest of the afternoon?" he asked
"Well, I have nothing planned, but don't you need to do some homework or something?" he asked pointedly
"Yeah, a little, and I told the infamous marauders that I would come to the common room tonight for a little while, so I guess we had better get going" he said as he got to his feet
"So, what do you think about us, huh?" he asked with a grin on his face
"I don't know for sure yet. You seem just like you do now, but less reserved, Remus is more out spoken than he is now, and you know how I feel about Peter, he just keeps pushing for answers about things I don't want to say. James and Lily are incredible though, I'm glad I listened to you and started to get to know them" he said with a smile
"I'm glad you like them. I just wish you had gotten the opportunity to know them when you were a child" said Sirius back "but we had better get going before we are missed at the castle. I have a meeting with Albus in a little while, so I'll meet you in the rooms later" he said as he got to his feet as well.
Harry knelt down and his snake curled himself back around his arm and he then out stretched his hand and his staff came to him. He then pulled his cowl back over his head and set off following Sirius from the clearing, Terres flying behind them. When they were safely out of the forest and out of earshot, the marauders all let out a breath that they didn't even know they had been holding and all faced each other, eyes wide.
"Well, now that was interesting" said Remus finally
"I'll say" muttered James as he looked to Lily and Sirius "I guess he's our future son, huh Lil's" he said
"Yeah, it would look that way, he said both his parents had died when he was a baby, and that he was happy to be able to get to know us, so I guess we were them" she said quietly
"What I want to know is what I did to get sent to Azkaban" said Sirius
"Nothing" said Remus "They said one of Voldemort's followers framed you for James and Lily's deaths"
"Oh" muttered Sirius "I was worried for a minute there that I got caught for being an unregistered animagus" he said, trying to lighten the mood
"Speaking of which, I thought it was impossible to change into a magical animal" said James
"Apparently not" said Sirius "Your son seems able to do anything" he said with a smirk
"Do you really think he can change into more than one animal?" asked Remus "He said changing into the Griffin wasn't like any other animal, how many others forms do you think he has?" he questioned
"Who knows" said James "And what about all of that about you-know-who? What were they talking about?"
"I have no idea, but I don't think it would be wise to ask them, it seemed like a touchy subject" warned Lily
James, Sirius, and Remus all nodded in agreement to that
"We need to get back, Harry might get suspicious if we're not there when he comes" said Remus as he stood
"You guys go ahead, I need to talk to Professor Sprout about our homework" said Peter as he left his friends behind and set off in the opposite direction of the castle. James just shrugged his shoulders and walked with the other three toward the school in silence, not noticing Peter walking not toward the greenhouses but toward the village.
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That night at dinner, the marauders couldn't help but look suspiciously at Harry, but if he noticed their strange attitude, he didn't say anything about it. Peter had returned halfway through the meal, and when the others asked where he had gone, he answered that he had been at the library working on his essay for professor Sprout, earning him a glare from Harry which he ignored as well.
"So, Harry, how did your lessons with your godfather go?" asked James soon after Peter arrived
"It went great, I can now change into my animagus form with no problem" he said as he dished himself more food
"Congratulations, what animal are you?" asked Peter
"A raven" answered Harry promptly, missing the looks the others all shared
"Well, you'll have to show us tonight, if you don't mind" said Peter and Harry looked at him levelly before shrugging his shoulders
"Sure" he replied "But only if I get to see your forms as well" he added
"Fair is fair" said James with a smile "Meet us in the hallway outside the Gryffindor tower at nine tonight"
"Ok" answered Harry as they all stood to leave the great hall "I'll be there"
"Great!" said James enthusiastically "See you then" he called over his shoulder as he followed the other marauders out of the hall, leaving Harry to walk up toward the staff table to meet Sirius.
"Hey Harry" greeted the man kindly "How was your dinner?" he asked
"Fine, I'm going to meet the marauders at nine tonight, is that all right?" he asked
"It's fine with me, but the headmaster wants to see both of us at ten, so don't be late" he replied as they made their way down the halls
"What does he want to see us for?" asked Harry in concern
"I'm not sure, why do you ask?" answered Sirius
"Well, I'm not sure but this afternoon, in the forest, while I was in my Griffin form I felt as though someone were watching" he answered quietly
"What? You think we were being watched?" asked Sirius just as quietly
"Like I said, I'm not positive, it was just a feeling, I couldn't see anything" said Harry with a shrug of his shoulders "It was probably nothing, I was more than likely just paranoid"
"Well, keep an eye out for anything suspicious though, just in case" answered Sirius as warning
By now they had arrived in their rooms and Harry sat in front of the fire to do his homework while Sirius pulled a book from the bookshelf to pass the time. They sat in silence for the two hours before Harry got up and grabbed his staff as he left to meet the marauders, calling a good bye to Sirius over his shoulder and promising to meet him at the headmasters' office at ten. He made it to the hallway quickly and was surprised to find it completely empty.
"Hello?" he called hesitantly even though he was a couple minutes early, knowing his father had an invisibility cloak, but he was met with silence, but only for a moment before he heard someone behind him whisper 'stupefy' and before he could turn or block the spell, he felt it hit him squarely in the back and he fell to the floor, blackness overtaking him.
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A/N: Hey, thanks for the reviews on the last chapter, and I hope you enjoy this one, it's long! The next one might be up tomorrow, but I'm not sure, I am moving out of my apartment, so it might not be up till Wed or Thurs. Let me know what you think of this one!
The next three days, Harry and Sirius awoke early and went to work to finish strengthening the wards already in place around the school before they got started adding any new protective wards. They spent the entire time working, and only made it back up to the castle in time for dinner on the last day, both exhausted, not only physically but mentally as well. As they walked between the tables, James once again pulled Harry to a stop and the green eyed boy smiled at them wearily before collapsing into the same seat he had occupied the last time he had seen them
"Are you ok, Harry?" asked Lily in concern
"Uh, hu, fine" he mumbled into the arms of his cloak that his head was resting on, completely oblivious to the food on the table. The marauders and Lily looked at each other worriedly before James nudged Harry in the side.
"Um, mate, you look exhausted, where have you been for the past couple of days, we haven't seen you anywhere"
Harry picked up his head and began to dish some food onto his plate before he answered "I was helping Si.Joseph, strengthen the wards around the castle" he explained, feeling a cold chill run through his blood as he almost slipped up and called his godfather by his real name in his exhaustion.
The other students looked to each other in confusion at his words before James spoke up again "Were you really helping him?" he asked unbelieving
"Yes" answered Harry as he looked to James in confusion "Why do you ask?"
"Well, isn't that very advanced magic? How can a sixth year do it?" answered Sirius for his friend
Harry gave them all a half smirk before he answered "Well, I'm actually not supposed to be a sixth year, I'm supposed to be a seventh, but because of certain, circumstances, I never received the last three months of my sixth year studies, so we decided that I would do them now"
"Well, still, not even a normal seventh year should be able to do that kind of spell without being very powerful and specially trained" said Lily
Harry just smiled wider "Well, I'm not a normal seventh year wizard" he said "Could you please pass the ham?" he asked before any of them had an opportunity to think about his words or respond to them, signaling that line of questioning was closed.
The rest of dinner passed quickly, and when it was over, Harry left the Gryffindor students behind and proceeded with his godfather to their rooms where the pair immediately fell asleep.
Thursday morning dawned bright and clear, and Harry, felling refreshed and awake, went to the great hall early with Sirius, and was not surprised to see that they were among the first to arrive.
"What are you going to do today, Sirius?" asked Harry around his breakfast
"I will probably go down to the village and see what all needs to be done down there this weekend" he replied "What classes do you have today?"
"Potions, History, and Care of Magical Creatures, why do you ask?"
"Well, I was going to see if you were available for some training for your animagus studies" he replied with a mysterious smile
"What do you mean? I can change into just about anything, why do I need more training?" he asked in confusion
"Well, before we left, Albus and I were discussing something that I want you to try, if you're up to it" he replied cryptically, and Harry was even more curious now
"Well, what was it?" he finally demanded when he realized Sirius wasn't going to volunteer the information
"How would you feel about becoming a magical animagus?" he asked as he looked to Harry, trying to see his reaction
"A what?" he asked, clearly confused
"A magical animagus, changing into a creature with magical powers instead of a normal animal like you have been doing" he explained
"Is that even possible?" asked Harry speculatively
"Well, that is what we want to find out, it hasn't been done before, but Albus and I think that you may be able to do it, so are you willing to give it a shot?" he asked, knowing perfectly well what the answer would be
"Sure!" exclaimed Harry "When do we get started?" he asked excitedly
"Well, how about as soon as you get done with your lessons today?" asked Sirius
"Why not now?" asked Harry "Lessons are all pretty easy today and I would rather not have to show the entire sixth year class my powers, especially since I would have to do everything wandless or with my staff if I don't have to" he explained
"No, you had better go to classes, just try to do everything with the staff to prevent anyone from becoming suspicious, not to mention that you have already missed all of your lessons this week and you need to catch up" said Sirius "We need to keep our eyes out for this girl still, and you never know when something she does will single her out, her father is a very powerful wizard, so watch for an above average student, and practical lessons will show us just how powerful everyone is" he said
"Ok, but can we start after classes are over?" asked Harry hopefully, sounding every bit like a five year old on Christmas morning
"Yes, Harry, come down to the edge of the forest beside the lake, we'll work just inside the forest so that no one sees us, I know where the perfect little clearing is" said Sirius with a wide smile
"Ok" replied Harry happily, and he noticed that the other students were beginning to get to their feet and head for their first class of the day, and that the marauders were motioning him over and waiting for him to go to potions.
"I have to go to class, I'll see you this afternoon" he said hurriedly as he got to his feet, grabbed his bag and staff and set off toward the group of Gryffindors awaiting him.
The day passed far too slowly as far as Harry was concerned. After an unbearably long potions lesson that made lessons with Snape appear pleasurable, they went to an equally boring History of Magic lesson followed by Care of Magical Creatures, which was the only interesting thing they did all day. As they made their way to the lesson, Harry caught sight of a very familiar figure with scarlet and gold feathers, Professor Grubblyplank had apparently borrowed Fawkes, the headmasters' phoenix, for this lesson and they gathered around her on the grounds next to Hagrid's hut.
"Good afternoon students" she began "Headmaster Dumbledore has been kind enough to allow us to use his new pet for today's lesson. Now, can anybody tell me what kind of animal this is?" she asked, and Harry was shocked that nobody volunteered an answer, though the marauders and Lily were looking from the head of his staff, to the clasp of his cloak, and back to the magnificent bird in curiosity. Seeing as no one else was going to answer, Harry hesitantly raised his hand.
"Yes, Mr." the professor looked at for a moment, obviously just now realizing that she had never been informed of Harry's last name, so he decided to supply her with one.
"Pearson, ma'am" he replied with a smile
"Very well, Mr. Pearson, can you tell me what kind of bird this is?" she asked speculatively, as though she didn't think he actually knew the answer.
"Yes professor, it is a phoenix" he replied
"I am impressed Mr. Pearson, not many people have ever seen a phoenix before, they are normally very private creatures and very rare. Can you tell me anything about them Harry?" she asked, giving him her undivided attention and ignoring the other sixth years present
"Well, they are able to carry extreme weights, and their tears contain very strong healing agents that can cure nearly any injury, and their song is well known as one of the purest forms of light magic" he explained, and he felt his cheeks begin to burn from the stares he was receiving.
"Very good Mr. Pearson!" exclaimed the professor, but before she could say anything else, Fawkes spread his magnificent wings and flew over to Harry where he perched on his shoulder and looked into Harry's eyes, and Harry immediately blocked out everything around him as he returned the steady gaze.
"'Lo Fawkes" he said softly "How are you?" he asked, even though he knew he wouldn't receive any answer, but the phoenix began to sing a low and beautiful tune, and through it, Harry could understand what the bird was saying.
'It is good to see you my young friend' said the calm and kind voice and Harry looked to the bird in amazement tinged with a little bit of shock
"Did you just say something?" he asked the bird anxiously, but before he received an answer, Fawkes spread his wings again and left Harry's shoulder to return to his perch just as a flash of gold caught his eyes. There was another phoenix flying toward him, and it flew in a tight circle over his head before descending to the grass at his feet and beginning to sing as well.
'Yes, my child, you can understand us' replied the bird with slight amusement in her voice
"Who are you?" Harry asked of the new bird as he looked her over, her voice sounded vaguely familiar but he couldn't place it. She was smaller that Fawkes, and her feathers were of the richest gold trimmed in the same scarlet that Fawkes possessed. Her black eyes were looking up to Harry and he could almost see pleasure shining in them.
'My name is Terres, and I am your guardian' she replied, and suddenly Harry recognized her voice
"It was you!" he exclaimed "You were the one from my vision, you gave me my staff" he said in sudden understanding
'Yes my child, it is I who has been protecting you, and I have come to tell you something of great importance'
"What is it?" asked Harry, suddenly concerned
'You must remember that no matter what happens, you must not alter the past. You will be tempted to do so very soon, but things must remain the way they are' she replied in a stern tone
"What do you mean?" asked Harry, confused by her warning
'You will know when the time comes, my precious child' she replied, and Harry knew that if she could, she would be smiling 'I will remain with you for now, and protect you, but I will not always be able to do so, there are many things left for you to do here, and you must do them on your own, even though they will be difficult' she said kindly
"Thank you, Terres, I am very grateful" he said honestly, and the phoenix bowed her head to him before spreading her wings and taking up Fawkes' place on his shoulder, allowing Harry's attention to return to his current surroundings, to be met with sixty pairs of eyes looking to him in shock.
Finally, the professor spoke up "Harry, you can speak to phoenixes" she asked in an amazed whisper
"Apparently so" replied Harry "This is the first time I've ever done it though" he said with an embarrassed smile, fully aware of the eyes still looking at him and Terres.
"That is wonderful Harry! Could you please introduce us to your new friend there?" she asked as she motioned to the gold phoenix
"Sure, this is Terres" he replied as he shifted his feet nervously, trying to escape the looks being sent his way
"Well, after that very interesting display, let us get back to the lesson" replied the professor, as though she sensed his unease, and after a few minutes, all the students had turned back to her and begun to listen to her lecture, but six students weren't listening to her, instead they turned to each other to talk.
"Harry, that was incredible!" exclaimed James
"Really, how did you learn to do that?" asked Sirius
"Sometimes I think you are really dumb Padfoot, you can't just learn to do something like that, it is a gift that you are born with" said Remus "Is this really the first time you've ever talked to a phoenix, Harry?"
"Yes" replied Harry, "I've been around them several times, but this is the first time I've ever talked to one"
"What was she saying to you?" asked Peter "We could hear your side of the conversation, but she was just singing"
"I can't say" said Harry in a warning tone
"She has spoken to her before though, you said that you saw her in a dream, and that she gave you your staff" he said, demanding an answer to his question
"Yes, she spoke to me, but in a vision, not a dream, and she sent me my staff, she is my guardian" he said tensely
"Leave him alone Wormtail, he obviously doesn't want us to know what they talked about, it's probably private" said Lily and Harry shot her a grateful look
"So, is she going to be staying with you?" asked James
"Yes, for a little while anyway" said Harry with a smile
"So, what are you doing after class Harry, do you want to come up to the common room and play a game of chess?" asked Remus, changing the subject
"I wish I could, but Joseph is giving me some private lessons after class, maybe later tonight after dinner" he suggested
"What kind of lessons?" asked Sirius curiously
"He had been helping me start my animagus training" Harry said, eager to see their reactions
"Oh, um, isn't that, um illegal, um for, um under aged wizards to do?" asked Sirius as he shuffled his feet nervously and looked between his friends who were all looking decidedly anxious
"Well, what the ministry doesn't know can't hurt them, but you already know that don't you?" he asked with raised eyebrows
They others all looked to each other with alarmed expressions on their faces and Harry had to try hard to contain his amusement.
"Um, we don't know what you're talking about" said Sirius finally
"Oh, I think you do, but don't worry, I won't tell" said Harry with a mysterious smile on his face
"How do you know!?" demanded Peter loudly, causing several of their classmates to look at them curiously
Harry looked at him coldly, beginning to wonder not for the first time what the other marauders had seen in the rat during their school days "It doesn't matter how I know, I just do, and I already said that I wouldn't tell" he said levelly just as the professor dismissed the lesson and the students began to make their way back toward the castle. Harry looked up toward the school and saw the familiar blue cloaked figure of his godfather heading his way. "I'll see you guys later" he said as he set off toward the older man.
"That boy just keeps getting more and more strange" said Peter
"What do you mean, strange?" asked James
"Well look, he can talk to snakes and phoenixes, he carries around a staff that a phoenix gave him, and he knows that we are animagus', not to mention he gets defensive over the littlest things" said Peter "I think he's hiding something" he said with certainty
"Oh you're just upset that he gets the best of you every time, Wormtail" said Sirius with a laugh
"Yeah, he has a point Peter, I think Harry is just very observant or something, we did go into the forest last night, maybe he just saw us or something, and he said that he could talk to snakes because of some sort of curse that went wrong" said James with a shrug "But I admit something about him is strange"
"Yeah, I agree, so what should we do about it?" asked Remus and the other four gathered around him just outside the entrance to the castle
"I think we should follow him" suggested Peter
"Are you sure?" asked Lily skeptically
"Yeah, what could it hurt? He's just doing animagus training, and it's not like we've never seen it before" said Peter with certainty "Come on" and he set off toward the direction that Harry had gone with his godfather, the others reluctantly following behind him. "James, do you have the map?" he asked as they reached the lake
"Yes" said James as he withdrew the mentioned item from his bag. "Why do you want it?" he asked
"Well, it shows the edges of the forest, maybe we can see them and find out where they went to" he said
"Whatever you say Peter" mumbled James "I solemnly swear I am up to no good" he said as he put his wand to the parchment, and an instant later, lines began to spread across the parchment outlining the castle and surrounding grounds and James' eyes grew wide as he starred at the map.
"Can you see them?" asked Sirius, getting into the spirit of spying on Harry and leaning over James' shoulder "What in the hell?" he mumbled to himself as he looked at the map as well and to his best friend
"What's wrong guys?" asked Remus and Peter at once and Lily looked to them expecting an answer as well
"Um, I think you should see this for yourselves" said James as he handed the map to Remus who became wide eyes as well when he saw the names over the dots just inside the forest, Harry Potter and Sirius Black. He turned quickly to look at the younger Sirius and then to James before he passed the map to Lily who had the same reaction, and then to Peter who was speechless.
"Sirius, James?" he questioned "What is going on here?" he asked
"I have no idea" said James "I am the last Potter, as far as I know, and Sirius is standing right here, how can he be in two places at once?"
"I don't think he is" said Lily cautiously
"What do you mean?" asked James
"I'm not completely sure, but have you ever heard of people traveling through time?" she asked hesitantly
"I've read something about it" agreed Remus
"Are you saying that my future self and James' son are Harry and Joseph?" asked Sirius in doubt "But why didn't he tell us?"
"I'm not certain about Harry, but it is obvious that Joseph is an older version of you" said Lily
"You know, Harry does look a lot like you, James, now that I think about it, if his hair were shorter and his eyes not green he could be your twin" said Remus thinking out loud "And the same goes for Joseph and Sirius, if he had black hair and blue eyes, I could see that as well" he said evaluating both James and Sirius thoughtfully
"So, if they are really Sirius and James' son, what should we do?" asked Peter, finally speaking up
"Nothing" said James and Sirius together
"Why not?" asked Peter in confusion
"Because" began James "We obviously not meant to know why they are here, or who they really are, so we can't tell them that we know" he said forcefully
"Are you sure?" asked Peter "They could tell us what happens to us in the future, it would be kind of fun to find out"
"Absolutely not Peter" said Lily "They obviously didn't tell us because they could change the future if we knew anything about it"
"Fine, but let's go see what they're up to" he relented as he turned and walked toward the spot on the map that said where Harry and Sirius were working, "Hey James, do you have the cloak?" he asked suddenly.
"Good idea, Wormtail" said James as he pulled the cloak from his bag and threw it over the five of them.
They walked quietly through the edge of the forest and in no time they had reached a small clearing that Harry and his godfather were standing in the middle of. They five students crouched down behind the bushes and looked through the leaves to watch what was happening in the clearing in silence so that they wouldn't be heard.
"Ok Harry, according to what Albus said before we left, as far as we know, this should be just like any animagus transformation, you just have to think about the magical powers of the animal as well as the physical characteristics. Do you think you can do it?" asked the older man
"I don't think it would be too difficult Sirius, is there anything else I need to worry about?" asked Harry as he set his staff against a tree on the far side of the clearing from the marauders
"Well, Albus said something about having to be careful not to use the magical powers of the animal until you are certain you can control them, so to be safe, don't use any at all until we get back, just in case" he warned "Why don't you put Sherlock down and give it a shot?" he asked
"Great!" said Harry enthusiastically as he knelt over and allowed the snake to slither from his wrist "What about a Griffin first?" he asked
"Sounds good, but be careful" said the other man with a smile as he backed away
They watched as Harry closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He was surrounded by a faint golden glow for several tense minutes before he fell over and was sitting on his hands and knees. His body then began to grow, but before they could see anything else, the golden glow became so bright that it hid Harry within its light. After several moments, the light suddenly disappeared, leaving behind a brilliant lion with the wings of an eagle lying on the forest floor on his stomach with its legs curled underneath it. The creature opened its eyes and surveyed the area around it before shaking its long red mane. Cautiously, it unfolded its legs and got to his feet, testing his new appendages as he continued to survey his surroundings. As he eyes raked over the marauders, they all noticed that they were brilliant green, just like Harry's, and on his left shoulder was a white patch of hair in the shape of a lightning bolt. Suddenly and without warning, he threw back his head and let loose a ground shaking roar that echoed off the trees and caused all of the birds nesting to flee to the air. He then set back on his hind legs and spread his wings to their full extent and looked at them as if he were appraising their value.
"Don't even think about it Harry" said a voice from the far side of the clearing and the Griffin turned his head toward the man and obediently folded his wings back to his sides and sat on his haunches and tilted his head at the man as though asking him why.
"No Harry, you can't be seen flying around the forest, Griffins are not quite supposed to be here, and I don't have to tell you what will happen if you are seen" warned the man, and the Griffin nodded his head in agreement "Now, change back, we need to discuss some things"
The Griffin nodded again and was surrounded by the gold light and in much less time than the first transformation took, Harry was sitting in the middle of the clearing "Whoa, that was amazing Sirius!" he said with a smile on his face
"Well, don't keep me in suspense, tell me about it!" demanded the other man as he took a seat beside Harry on the ground
"I don't know how to describe it Sirius, it wasn't like when I change into any other animal, I could actually feel the instincts that a Griffin has and I could hear other Griffins speaking to me, they must communicate telepathically or something" he said, the smile never diminishing from his face
"That's great Harry, you could really help to explain a lot of the mysteries surrounding magical creatures when everything gets back to normal again" Sirius said excitedly
At his words though, Harry's face fell "What if things never get back to normal, Sirius?" he asked in a quiet voice "What if we never find who we are looking for?"
"We will Harry, it will just take time" assured the man as he put his arm over Harry's shoulders and pulled him close "I promise you, I will never let him win" he said in determination
"I know Sirius, but what if you can't keep that promise? He's still very weak from what happened in defense that day, but he is getting stronger, he makes his presence known every day now. He said we would never find her, what if he's right?" he asked worriedly
"Harry, you know not to take anything he says seriously, he is just trying to wear you down again. Things will work out" he said in confidence
"I hope so Sirius, I really do. Why can't things be easy for us though?" he asked and Sirius cracked a small smile at him
"Because then our lives would be boring Harry" he said with a laugh, but Harry was still serious
"Why does Voldemort have to ruin everything for us though?" he asked "First he kills my parents, then he tries to kill me on more than one occasion, then one of his servants frames you for their deaths and you are sent to Azkaban, and if that is not enough, he has to go and pull this!" shouted Harry in exasperation as he got to his feet
"Harry, calm down, you're letting him get to you again" said Sirius forcefully as he got to his feet as well
"Sirius, how can I calm down! We've been here for over a week now and we're no closer to finding her than we were before we left! This is hopeless, he's going to win and kill everyone!" Harry yelled back just as forcefully waving his hands frantically
"Listen to yourself Harry! This is not you talking, it's Voldemort. You never give up hope so quickly, what happened to you?" demanded Sirius as forced Harry's arms to his sided "And if you don't calm down, you're going to do something you regret without meaning to"
"Sirius, what use is it fighting anymore, huh? Every time he comes back, he's stronger than ever, I just don't think I can beat him this time, this entire mission is hopeless, we don't even know who we are looking for, and without her, the spell can't be done and he will win" Harry said quietly as he collapsed to the ground in the middle of the forest with his head held in his hands
"Harry, we will find her, it's just going to take more time, and it is worth it to keep fighting him, just think about everyone at home, Ron, Hermione, Draco, Remus, Albus Severus, Dudley, all of your housemates, Ginny, and everyone else who is important to you. You can't give up or they will all be killed. Think about Ginny, Harry, you know she will be the first harmed if you give up, you know that as well as I do. They are all worth fighting for, you can't give into what he tries to tell you or he will win. We will find her, I promise you that, and then we will go back, do the spell, and then start to live like we have always both wanted, without Voldemort" he said with determination
Harry looked up into his face and gave him a weary half smile "Thanks Sirius, I needed to hear that" he said quietly
"No problem, Harry" said the other man with a smile "It's the truth"
"So" said Harry after several silent minutes "What did you want to talk about?"
"Oh yeah, I was going to ask you who you're new friend was" he said, motioning toward Terres who was sitting on the ground next to his staff with her head under her wing.
Harry's face immediately broke into a wide smile "Oh, that is Terres" he began "Do you remember when I told you someone spoke to me during my vision, when I touched my wand again?" he asked
"Yes, the one who kept calling you her child?" he questioned
"That's her, well, it turns out that the voice I heard was Terres, she said she was my guardian, the one who has been keeping me alive. She's going to stay with me for a little while, she said I still had things to accomplish here" he said as he gazed at the gold bird fondly.
"Really?" asked Sirius as he looked at the bird in wonder "You can understand what she told you?" he asked
"Yes, Fawkes spoke to me as well, and I could understand him too"
"Fawkes?" questioned Sirius "You could understand him? Have you ever spoken to him before?"
"No, never" said Harry
"Did she tell you anything else?" asked Sirius
"Yes, she told me that no matter how tempted I was, I couldn't change the past, but that I will be tempted to do so very soon. Do you know what she was talking about, Sirius? Can you remember anything important happening around this time?" he asked as he turned to look at his godfather quizzically
"Not really, but like I said, everything around this time is pretty vague" he said with his brow furrowed "I do remember the village being attacked and you fighting with some death eaters, but I don't remember what happened"
"Well, I guess we'll just have to wait and see" said Harry is resignation "What are we doing for the rest of the afternoon?" he asked
"Well, I have nothing planned, but don't you need to do some homework or something?" he asked pointedly
"Yeah, a little, and I told the infamous marauders that I would come to the common room tonight for a little while, so I guess we had better get going" he said as he got to his feet
"So, what do you think about us, huh?" he asked with a grin on his face
"I don't know for sure yet. You seem just like you do now, but less reserved, Remus is more out spoken than he is now, and you know how I feel about Peter, he just keeps pushing for answers about things I don't want to say. James and Lily are incredible though, I'm glad I listened to you and started to get to know them" he said with a smile
"I'm glad you like them. I just wish you had gotten the opportunity to know them when you were a child" said Sirius back "but we had better get going before we are missed at the castle. I have a meeting with Albus in a little while, so I'll meet you in the rooms later" he said as he got to his feet as well.
Harry knelt down and his snake curled himself back around his arm and he then out stretched his hand and his staff came to him. He then pulled his cowl back over his head and set off following Sirius from the clearing, Terres flying behind them. When they were safely out of the forest and out of earshot, the marauders all let out a breath that they didn't even know they had been holding and all faced each other, eyes wide.
"Well, now that was interesting" said Remus finally
"I'll say" muttered James as he looked to Lily and Sirius "I guess he's our future son, huh Lil's" he said
"Yeah, it would look that way, he said both his parents had died when he was a baby, and that he was happy to be able to get to know us, so I guess we were them" she said quietly
"What I want to know is what I did to get sent to Azkaban" said Sirius
"Nothing" said Remus "They said one of Voldemort's followers framed you for James and Lily's deaths"
"Oh" muttered Sirius "I was worried for a minute there that I got caught for being an unregistered animagus" he said, trying to lighten the mood
"Speaking of which, I thought it was impossible to change into a magical animal" said James
"Apparently not" said Sirius "Your son seems able to do anything" he said with a smirk
"Do you really think he can change into more than one animal?" asked Remus "He said changing into the Griffin wasn't like any other animal, how many others forms do you think he has?" he questioned
"Who knows" said James "And what about all of that about you-know-who? What were they talking about?"
"I have no idea, but I don't think it would be wise to ask them, it seemed like a touchy subject" warned Lily
James, Sirius, and Remus all nodded in agreement to that
"We need to get back, Harry might get suspicious if we're not there when he comes" said Remus as he stood
"You guys go ahead, I need to talk to Professor Sprout about our homework" said Peter as he left his friends behind and set off in the opposite direction of the castle. James just shrugged his shoulders and walked with the other three toward the school in silence, not noticing Peter walking not toward the greenhouses but toward the village.
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That night at dinner, the marauders couldn't help but look suspiciously at Harry, but if he noticed their strange attitude, he didn't say anything about it. Peter had returned halfway through the meal, and when the others asked where he had gone, he answered that he had been at the library working on his essay for professor Sprout, earning him a glare from Harry which he ignored as well.
"So, Harry, how did your lessons with your godfather go?" asked James soon after Peter arrived
"It went great, I can now change into my animagus form with no problem" he said as he dished himself more food
"Congratulations, what animal are you?" asked Peter
"A raven" answered Harry promptly, missing the looks the others all shared
"Well, you'll have to show us tonight, if you don't mind" said Peter and Harry looked at him levelly before shrugging his shoulders
"Sure" he replied "But only if I get to see your forms as well" he added
"Fair is fair" said James with a smile "Meet us in the hallway outside the Gryffindor tower at nine tonight"
"Ok" answered Harry as they all stood to leave the great hall "I'll be there"
"Great!" said James enthusiastically "See you then" he called over his shoulder as he followed the other marauders out of the hall, leaving Harry to walk up toward the staff table to meet Sirius.
"Hey Harry" greeted the man kindly "How was your dinner?" he asked
"Fine, I'm going to meet the marauders at nine tonight, is that all right?" he asked
"It's fine with me, but the headmaster wants to see both of us at ten, so don't be late" he replied as they made their way down the halls
"What does he want to see us for?" asked Harry in concern
"I'm not sure, why do you ask?" answered Sirius
"Well, I'm not sure but this afternoon, in the forest, while I was in my Griffin form I felt as though someone were watching" he answered quietly
"What? You think we were being watched?" asked Sirius just as quietly
"Like I said, I'm not positive, it was just a feeling, I couldn't see anything" said Harry with a shrug of his shoulders "It was probably nothing, I was more than likely just paranoid"
"Well, keep an eye out for anything suspicious though, just in case" answered Sirius as warning
By now they had arrived in their rooms and Harry sat in front of the fire to do his homework while Sirius pulled a book from the bookshelf to pass the time. They sat in silence for the two hours before Harry got up and grabbed his staff as he left to meet the marauders, calling a good bye to Sirius over his shoulder and promising to meet him at the headmasters' office at ten. He made it to the hallway quickly and was surprised to find it completely empty.
"Hello?" he called hesitantly even though he was a couple minutes early, knowing his father had an invisibility cloak, but he was met with silence, but only for a moment before he heard someone behind him whisper 'stupefy' and before he could turn or block the spell, he felt it hit him squarely in the back and he fell to the floor, blackness overtaking him.
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A/N: Hey, thanks for the reviews on the last chapter, and I hope you enjoy this one, it's long! The next one might be up tomorrow, but I'm not sure, I am moving out of my apartment, so it might not be up till Wed or Thurs. Let me know what you think of this one!