Hello out there. I'm sorry these parts are so short, but I've always been about lots of short chapters instead of several longs ones. When I write, I do a page or two and then I keep the ideas in mind so that I'll have something to write about the next time. Anyway, I'm still using this story to get over my writers block, so I'm not sure about when I'll be updating. If you want me to email you when parts come out, leave a review and tell me.
If you don't like Angst fics, please don't read this. However, this part isn't very angsty.
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry, James, or Lily Potter, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, Tom, or any of the places mentioned.
Alive
Harry fingered the phoenix feather in his pocket as he watched Hedwig fly out the window and into the world. Breaking his wand had to be one of the hardest things he'd ever done, but it felt right. By destroying it, he felt as if he'd finally severed the last tie that connected him to that life, that part of him that he didn't want anything to do with. The phoenix feather was symbolic of his past; it would remind him of what he didn't want to be again. And it would also make a new core in a wand that he'd have Ollivander fashion for him.
Harry left the mess in the room and walked down the stairs and into the dining room. The usual few people began to stare at him, awing at the fact that he was Harry Potter, the boy who lived. He wasn't the seventeen year old with the messy black hair; he was a survivor, an icon for all who lived around him. He couldn't just be himself; he had to live up to his reputation, something that had always bothered him. At least he hadn't grown up in the spotlight; he had Dumbledore to thank for that.
"G'morning," Tom said to him, giving him a toothless smile. "What'll it be?" Harry took a seat in a booth in the corner of the small dining room and asked Tom for coffee. An abandoned newspaper lay in the seat next to him, it's headline announcing itself proudly. James and Lily Potter alive due to technological advancement. Angrily, Harry put the paper back onto the seat next to him and lay his head on the table. Now he'd defiantly be the-boy-whose-parents-lived. There was no way around it.
"Good thing about your parents, Harry," he heard, looking up to see Tom holding not only his coffee, but a plate of eggs and bacon as well. "They were nice people, Lily and James, you'll love them" He set the plate down and walked away.
"How do you know?" Harry hissed after him. "How do you know?" He picked up the paper once again, noticing that the bottom of the article mentioned that Harry hadn't received his parents well. Once again the press had pushed its way into his personal life, and most likely would make him look like a fool in front of everybody. "Yes, I hate my parents, I wish they'd die," he whispered to himself, pulling the coffee cup up close to his nose and inhaling the inviting fumes. He took a small sip and grimaced at the bitterness.
"I'm most sorry to hear that, Harry," a voice from in front of him calmly announced. Startled, Harry dropped the cup, shattering it and throwing the contents onto the uninvited guest.
"Shit. I'm…" Harry trailed off when he saw who his visitor was.
"You're what?" Sirius said. "God Harry, you run off, don't tell us where you're going, and then you send back your wand fragments? You have any idea how scared we were?"
"I don't know, I guess I'll go ask Prongs and his wife, seeing that the two of them are most likely sitting right behind me." Harry turned around, but didn't catch a glimpse of the redhead or the stag. He turned back to Sirius, an un-amused look on his face. "Is this some sort of trick? Wait until the kid has turned his back, then surround him?"
"Works pretty well, doesn't it?" Sirius shot back, motioning for Remus to pull a chair over, preventing Harry's escape from all sides. Lily and James were sitting across from Sirius and Remus had pulled the chair to the front of the booth. Harry turned towards the window and picked up his plate, facing towards the back of the booth and began to eat.
"You can't ignore us forever," Sirius taunted. He heard somebody reach out and slap Sirius' arm and his quick yelp of pain. "What'd you do that for?" He heard the motion of the hand again, and then heard Sirius sigh. "This is normal. You haven't been around him long enough."
"Talking about me behind my back isn't going to earn you points." Harry calmly called, filling his mouth with the eggs that Tom had given him. He could sense Sirius' frustration with him, even though this kind of thing had happened before. He'd ignored Sirius for weeks on end despite the constant pleads and the very real looking puppy dog faces that he'd occasionally wake up to.
"Yeah, but at least then you'll have to listen to us," he heard again. Harry almost allowed himself a smile. Sirius was more of a father towards him then James would ever be. Sirius had been there for most of his teenage years in one way or another, even if it took him several months to cross the Atlantic Ocean to get there. But Sirius betrayed you a little voice reminded him, Sirius is the one who brought them into your life and who wanted to make you live with them. He wanted you to leave.
"Look, Harry, how long are you going to sit like that?" this time it was an unrecognizable voice, therefore meaning it belonged to James. Harry took the last bite off of his plate and then placed it over his shoulder onto the table, keeping the fork in his hand. He slowly chewed and began to play with the fork, pressing it into the back of the booth. "Sirius, how long?"
"Jeez Prongs, have some patience for once. You just don't know him that well yet." Sirius answered. Harry could detect a bit of impatience in his voice. If James was anything like what Sirius had told him, he wasn't one for waiting around.
"Harry, turn around!" he heard again, this time defiantly from James. Harry looked over his shoulder and tossed the fork directly at Lily. She let out a small yelp and slid to the side, hitting James. Remus and Sirius quickly turned towards them, then realizing the trick quickly turned back, but all of Harry that was still in the booth was a leg, and soon that too was pulled out the hastily opened window.
Harry popped his head back up towards the window and stuck his head in, a small grin on his face. His expression turned somber as he looked towards Lily and James. "For the last time, Leave. Me. Alone." He pulled his head back and turned around and walked down the street, playing with the phoenix feather in his pocket. He'd have use for it very soon.
Thanks to Tempestuous (did I spell that right? I always love getting reviews from you, update your story soon!), Hermione (thanks for the advice, I see what you mean), MinaPotter (I tried to do that in this part, but this story is focusing on Harry and his thoughts and I don't want to switch the POV randomly), RadiantMoonWolf (did you get my email?), and Demonstar.