Disclaimer- she scoffs at the idea that she could ever write anything like the Harry Potter books…JK Rowling did…(you think?!)

A/N- Thanks for all of the reviews! They really are an inspiration and I love reading them!

Chapter 3- 'He knew, as though he had expected it.'

The somber group had reached the stone gargoyle at least five minutes ago. James had immediately said the password that he had known out of habit- the amount of times that he had been there in the past few months!

'Humbug.'

Nothing happened. He kicked himself mentally- of course…a password is likely to be changed in the duration of thirteen years. He turned to face the others'-

'Anyone?'

Lily looked as dismayed as he felt- more time was being wasted. Frank- well, there was no real use in asking him in the first place. Bertha shook her head slowly. Cedric had hesitated, he had been in Dumbledore's office a few times on account of the Triwizard Tournament- but he didn't remember hearing or could not recall the password. He shook his head.

Since then they had randomly been reciting sweet names. Even Frank had joined in once James had explained a little.

'Lemon Sherbet…'

'Fruit Rock…'

'Pear Drop…'

'Rhubarb and Custard…'

Nothing happened. James looked frantically behind him, along the corridor. It could take forever to find someone at this time of night- more wasted time. Their best bet was to stay here and keep trying- perhaps someone would hear them…

'Chocolate Frog…' he said passively.

*

Sirius turned another corner, nose still to the ground. He knew in the back of his mind that what he was doing was ridiculous, that he was wasting time. But he didn't care- he had to know what it was that had left this scent. He didn't even know if he believed that it was James and Lily. All he knew was that he wanted to know what it was.

He rounded another corner. He had now left the side corridor that he had been travelling down and was now back on one of the main ones. He looked up. There was a portrait of a friar, snoozing in a tavern; for once he was not drinking. He recognised where he was immediately. A little further down this corridor was Dumbledore's office- the amount of times that he and James had been sent or summoned there!

Sirius allowed himself a faint smile; a thousand memories that had for so long been locked up in Azkaban away from him flashed before his eyes. The reminiscing was interrupted though by that scent. It was much stronger, the source was not far…and now there was a sound…murmurs. Something was down there, making noises, down near Dumbledore's office. That was where the scent led.

He trotted down the corridor- not quickly, he was still unsure but he was not afraid. Whatever was down there had something to do with James and Lily, the scent was so strong now, he was not mistaken.

The corridor was so dark. There were no windows. The murmuring was getting louder…were people talking? Perhaps somebody had already found whatever it was, but he wasn't listening. He would risk taking a look, whoever was there. He just wanted to see what it was.

He was there, within ten feet of the gargoyle and…

But nothing could have prepared him for what he found there.

*

'This is hopeless!' Lily exclaimed. She felt as though she was on the verge of tears only she was too distressed to cry. 'James…we're wasting time.'

'I know.' James had had enough. He was ready at this point to rip out the gargoyle from where it stood…stairs and all and climb the rest of the way up. 'Looking for someone will take too long…'

'Perhaps some of us could go and look for someone, the rest of us keep trying here…' Cedric suggested.

'I don't know…' James said 'we don't know why and possibly when we are, I don't think we should risk splitting up.'

'We've got to try something else…' Lily muttered, 'We've been standing here for ten minutes…Harry…Harry could be…' It happened, she started to cry.

'I know…I know Lil…' James was immediately with her, embracing her, her body was racked with sobs.

'He's all alone…Voldemort's there…and…' she looked up into James' face but something over his shoulder caught her eye. James noticed this and he whirled around, as did the others'.

'What is it Lily?'

'Something's in the shadows over there…'

For the second time that night James reached for his wand, only to find that it wasn't there, he cursed. Instead he squinted into the darkness, he edged forward. An outline, a very familiar outline was standing a few feet away in the shadows where Lily had indicated. When he saw what he thought he was seeing the expression on James' face changed very quickly and dramatically.

'Sirius?!' The statement seemed to be a question but the hope and surprise were evident in James' voice.

*

Sirius, upon seeing James and Lily had felt as though he was having a heart attack. It was beating so fast- but he wasn't. He was just standing there gaping at them as they embraced. His mind was blank. The many times that he had dreamt and fantasised about reunions like this…

He had always run up to them, they had hugged and laughed forever.

Or he had bombarded them with questions, heavily chastised James for playing such a cruel joke but found himself having to laugh because of his trademark innocent look that he had learned so well from Remus, and because of his relief and his joy.

But this was actually happening. He can't have slipped into a dream, the scent, the voices- they were so real. That was all that went through his mind. He couldn't move and he couldn't think, he was barely breathing. What he was seeing was impossible, but it felt so real.

He was brought out of his trance when he realised that James and Lily had broken apart. They were both staring- or searching for him.

'Sirius?!' he heard James say.

'That voice, I haven't heard it in thirteen years!'

James and Lily both walked closer. Sirius couldn't move. When they reached him James looked down. Sirius was standing in the shadow of a particularly large suit of armour, casting an even darker shadow over him than what the rest of the corridor was filled with.

James knelt in front of him. 'Sirius…that is you…' James said, more calmly this time. He had detected that his friend was in some form of distress, or else he would have transformed- or at least let himself be seen. Lily joined her husband and knelt beside him, looking intently at Sirius.

'Sirius?'

Finally his legs unlocked and his mind unseized and he stumbled forwards, right into his friends lap.

'Hey! I knew it was you…!' James laughed as he stroked Sirius' head. Lily sighed in relief and was smiling happily.

Without thinking Sirius leapt onto James' chest, pushing him backwards. He simply pinned him to the ground, staring at his face; his excitement caused him to paw at his chest.

'It's you! It's really you! Oh Merlin! James! Lily!'

As James was laughing and trying to get up Sirius leapt towards Lily and pinned her down too. She also laughed.

'Yes, Sirius!' she said, although somewhat muffled due to the giant fury face that was so close to hers. 'It's us…now, get off!' she giggled.

He got off her and looked up at James who was now standing and helping Lily up. Sirius was happily and madly jumping around on the spot.

'It's them! They're here! They're alive…'

But then he remembered the scent and the observations that he had made earlier. Being so close to them made that feeling all the more stronger. 'It smelt neither of life nor death, it just existed…but it did not belong here.' His euphoria died down. He silently and sadly looked up at them once more. They were solid, they could talk, they were breathing…hell, it was them! And yet something didn't seem right.

James could tell that something was wrong. He voiced his most troubling concern.

'Sirius, why don't you transform?'

Sirius simply stared at him. 'What I wouldn't give to be able to embrace you now! To hold you both! To talk to you…to explain.'

True, the corridor was dark and the school fairly deserted, but he just couldn't risk it, especially after tonight. 'Oh Merlin! Harry!…what is going on?'

'Sirius?' James was still waiting for an answer.

All that he could do was stare up at him, into his eyes, behind those glasses. The last time he had seen that face…no! It looked nothing like that now. It was now full of life…not pale and terrified…and yet it did look anxious, and concerned.

Something was definitely wrong. The discomfort that James had felt at first was now bordering on sheer panic.

'Look- Sirius. Something is wrong…we, we think that we're in the future…1994?' He questioned.

Sirius nodded.

'Harry,' Lily said, her voice shaking, 'we…he's still in '81…he's alone and defenceless…James, we have to get back, we have to find Dumbledore now!'

Sirius blanched. 'No!' he thought, 'they can't mean…not…not that night.' He whined.

James was very obviously scared now. His voice was shaking.

'We…we woke up in the grounds…Sirius,' he motioned towards Bertha, Cedric and Frank. They had remained silent, either out of confusion in Frank's case or anxiety in Cedric and Bertha's…how many Sirius' could the Potters' know? It was the first time that Sirius had noticed them. 'We don't know how long we were there for, or how we got there…but we can remember what we were last doing…'

Sirius was only half listening. He was concentrating on the others'. Bertha Jorkins…he recognised her from Hogwarts, she was dead, as was Cedric Diggory…he had seen his face plastered all over the Daily Prophet for months, he died tonight, and an old man…and Lily and James.

Sirius' head snapped back to them with realisation.- 'Voldemort…Priori Incantatem…but…how?…why?…'

He walked forwards over to James and grabbed the sleeve of his robes between his teeth and tugged at it. He then looked up into his face and turned away. James knew what he meant. There was only one person who could make any sense of this. Sirius was taking them to Dumbledore.

*

'Mmmm my Lord…what…what hhhhappened toni-night?'

A long silence followed. Voldemort and his Death Eaters were still in the graveyard.

The Death Eaters, without orders had assembled in their circle again, the gaps were once more present where missing people should have stood. Voldemort was in the centre of the circle, standing where he had stood when he had last seen Harry Potter disapear with the Portkey, his eyes were burning into that very spot.

'Why don't you tell me Wormtail.' He said slowly and in a deadly, icy whisper, looking directly at the smallest of the group who quailed under his gaze. 'Why don't you tell me how that boy managed – to – escape – twelve – DEATH EATERS!' He shrieked. Everybody in the circle flinched.

Another silence ensued, more deadly than the first. It was Lucius Malfoy who dared to break it.

'The wands, my Lord…what happened?'

Slowly Voldemort's head turned towards him. 'Priori Incantatem.' He simply replied in that same icy tone.

He then returned his gaze again to the spot where Harry had disappeared.

Thanks again for the reviews…

Stinky Stan- …and he nearly did have a heart attack! Thanks Julia!

Chocolate Taco

lilduck

Jewels5- It will make sense…I promise (cough cough cough…!)

tv-fan-06

Dutch Lily Flower

Justin11

Aconite- Glad you're hooked!

The Morrigan Three- Thank you! And it will make sense…I promise (cough cough cough…!) must have a cold or something!

Titanic-HarryPotter-lvr-2

Kyoko- Glad you liked the 'scent' thing…it seemed fitting considering what I have in mind as to what happens to James, Lily, Cedric, Bertha and Frank in regards to the conclusions that Sirius came to about the scent in this chapter and the previous one.

elvengoddess

nopenotme- not as bad a cliffhanger…right? I know that it seems to be taking them forever to get anywhere but it just seems to happen as I write it…and Hogwarts is quite a large place…right…?

Rainy Day Parade- A chapter with James, Lily and Harry will be coming up soon but I'm still in two minds about how they are together…a tough decision will have to be made by James and Lily, and by Cedric with regards to his parents. And that tough decision will have to be made by me first. I'll decide soon enough…I'm hoping that it will write itself and I won't have to!

Mystic Catface- Thank you!…and you did get an A!

Glamenessence

Thanks again everybody…so, so very much for all of the reviews!

Now…a proper Sirius, James, Lily reunion will ensue in the next chapter.

As he was in the form of Padfoot, Sirius could not physically or audibly convey all of the emotions that he felt at the return of his best friends in whatever form they are in.

I hope that it is coming along OK…and not dragging along! I'm trying to set the scene and examine as many peoples' feelings of confusion as I can…without going on forever…

Questions will be answered soon enough…promise!

Next Chapter

Dumbledore is brought into the equation…what will his reaction be?

…a certain Mr Moony is called for (Yey!)…needless to say what his reaction will be!

And that feeling that James and Lily have been having that something is not altogether right is made all that more stronger…

Not even going to apologise anymore, I will just continue to hang my head in shame…

…explanations…they are coming…they will be here…shortly…

Again with the thank yous for all of the reviews…and please do so again!

Love and appreciate each and every one!