Chapter 17 - Reacquainted
"My son the youngest seeker for Gryffindor for a century?" James said excitedly. "And house cup winner for the last five years? And you have the marauders map?" He laughed.
"Just like me and Sirius when we were at Hogwarts."
Harry and his parents sat in their room late that night talking. They talked about everything, every tiny detail of Harry's life to date, nothing was too small as the Potter's wanted to learn everything they could about their only son.
"And you know about the Prophecy?" James asked. "We hoped that it wasn't you, that you wouldn't be the one."
"Well I was," Harry said, "I found out two years ago, after Sirius died. That I would be marked by him, and that I alone would be able to destroy him or I would die. It wasn't easy."
"We didn't expect it would be," Lily said. "When we heard about it, it was like a shadow had been cast over our lives. Imagine, we had just received a new son and to be told that he has to be the one who will protect the rest of the world."
"I heard you, you know," Harry said suddenly. "When I first came into contact with a dementors, I heard when you died. I heard you try to protect me. That's why he died, Voldemort, because of the protection you gave me, by dying." Lily looked at him through her bright green eyes, so much like his own.
"You were just a baby, one year old, and so innocent. My son. What else could I have done." she said softly.
"I never thought I'd have parents," Harry said, opening up to his parents more than he had anyone. "I never thought I'd be part of a proper family, like Ron was. Sirius was great, he was like my father, and my brother all in one. But I still wanted my real parents. And now you're here."
"Looks like we're here to stay," James said. "We'll see about getting a house, near here, see about getting our lives back together, and then we can be a family, once again."
The next day, everyone from Grimmauld Place returned to Hogwarts, for breakfast. When Harry entered the Great Hall with his parents, complete silence fell. The people that had stayed for Christmas were standing up to see these people, and the silence was broken with people asking each other if that was who they thought it was. Harry was to sit at the top table with his parent's as they didn't want to be parted with their son. When they sat down, Dumbledore stood up and cleared his throat.
"We have some more visitors," he said, gesturing to them, a broad smile lifting the ends of his moustache. "Lily and James Potter who will be staying with us." Noise broke out and the students discussed the latest development. Harry and his parents laughed at this.
"Didn't know we were so famous," James said casually.
The freedom of the Christmas Holidays gave Harry time to spend with his parents. He went into Hogsmeade with his mother, to do some Christmas shopping, whilst Sirius and James spent some time getting reacquainted.
"So we're famous?" James said. "And Harry's known as the Boy that Lived? Incredible."
"Harry doesn't exactly feel that way," Sirius said sympathetically. "He told me that the day he found out about being a Wizard, Hagrid took him to the Leaky Cauldron and he was greeted by all these people, thanking him. He said it was terrible, he didn't even know what he'd done."
"I wish I'd been here," James said, "I mean, I know he's alive because we died, but I really wish I'd seen him grow up."
"He's a good kid, a great kid, the best," Sirius affirmed. "You couldn't have asked for a better one."
"Thanks," James said suddenly, "For being a father to him when I couldn't. That's what he said, that you were like a father to him."
"Really?" said Sirius delightedly. "Well it was great. He's so much like you, sometimes I forgot that he wasn't. He's better than us though, more disciplined, though he has your invisibility cloak and the Marauders Map. He has got into some trouble, Snape hates him."
"Snape?" James said frowning.
"He teaches potions," Sirius said grudgingly. "He always wanted the Dark Arts job, so imagine his face when I got it!" James and Sirius laughed.
"I always thought he'd turn out to be a death eater," James said musingly.
"He did," Sirius confirmed, "But then he weaselled his way back in with Dumbledore, said that he'd changed. And he's been making Harry's life difficult, honouring your memory or something."
"Where is he?" James asked, "I would've noticed him at breakfast. I saw McGonagall, Flitwick, Hagrid and the others, but not Snape."
"Dunno," Sirius said, "He'll be back for Christmas, I heard Dumbledore say. Anyway, did Harry tell you about his seeker position?"
"Yeah, does he fly well?" James asked eagerly. Sirius nodded.
"He's better than you even, he's only ever lost one match, and that was when Dementors showed up on the pitch."
"I can't wait to fly again!" James exclaimed, "There's so much I can't wait to do."
"Where were you?" Sirius blurted out, "I mean when you were dead, where were you. I was in some bad dimension."
James cleared his throat awkwardly.
"Well to be honest, it was heaven I think," he said, "Somewhere happy, and warm and Lily was with me."
"then you're not happy to be back really," Sirius said slowly, " Buffy was in heaven and she said being torn out of there was the most painful experience."
"It was," James said carefully, "And a week of being locked up after that made it all the worse. The only thing that kept us going was the thought that soon we would see Harry and you. But I am glad to be back, I have a son and my best friend."
"I suppose it was different for Buffy," Sirius said thoughtfully, "I mean her mother was dead, and all she did was fight demons and watch her friends die, she had nothing to look forward to."
"All I know is that when we were in heaven, we were waiting for Harry and you to come and join us." James explained. "I'm happy that I am with the two of you, and if that means giving up heaven, then fair enough."
In the mean time, Buffy and Dawn were spending time with their mother, in the Scooby Staffroom.
"You died again?" Joyce said. "But you saved dawn, you protected her from all those people, I'm so proud of you Buffy." She hugged her daughter.
"And we activated all the slayers," Dawn said excitedly, and there was a huge fight in the hell mouth and now there's no more Sunnydale."
"Both my girls so grown up," Joyce said softly.
"I'm a married woman now," Buffy said proudly, "Did you like Sirius? Honestly."
"Yes he seemed very nice, and I've heard so much about him from Lily and James it's impossible not to."
Buffy grinned.
The next day, the 19th, James and Lily decided it was time to visit the Dursleys, to let them know Harry wouldn't be returning. Harry did not want to miss out on this opportunity to see the Dursleys faces.
They apparated there, shortly after seeing Dumbledore who gave Lily and James back their wands. Both of them were amazed to see Harry's power, when he showed them what he could do.
The rang the doorbell of the Dursleys, and both Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia came to answer the door. On seeing the Potters, they froze.
"Hello Petunia," Lily said, in a cold voice that harry had not heard his mother use before. "Mind if we come in." Without awaiting an answer, she, James and Harry entered the house. They sat themselves in the living room.
"What- How?" Uncle Vernon said flustered, as his face turned purple and veins popped out of his neck.
"Vernon," James greeted coolly. "We thought you might be interested to know that myself and Lily are in fact alive again." Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia were furiously silent as they beheld the Potters.
"We wanted to thank you for taking care of Harry so well these years," Lily said sarcastically. "He won't be returning here." With that, the Potters left.
