S*Penweaver: Thank you! I think that's my favorite chapter, so I'm doubly flattered.

Nixiy: I know what you mean. Well, there you have it, they moved.

Nikki: Thank you. *calls to Snape* I'm proud of you! *Snape sneers hatefully* Yeah, my dad's always telling me he's a git on random while he's reading. And I tell him that he's on the right side so shut up. Of course I use kinder words than that.

Gollumgal: Thank you! Hope you like this chapter.

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Remus ran up to where Sirius and Peter were standing, extending his hand.

"I got what you asked for," he said. Sirius didn't respond, but only took whatever it was from Remus's hands.

"So this is where Lily and James are staying?" Peter asked, keeping as casual as possible. Sirius nodded his head, a smile spreading across his face.

"Harry too?" Peter persisted. Remus laughed. "Where else would they keep him?"

Peter nodded his head, glancing around. "What street is this again?"

"Why does it matter?" Remus asked.

"Chestnut Way," Sirius answered, giving Remus a sidelong glare. "Best not to tell anyone that, eh Moony?"

Remus narrowed his eyes. "Let's go then, shall we?"

Sirius stopped in his tracks, his mischievous smile fading. "We? No, Moony. Don't you have a wife to tend to, or something?"

Peter didn't say anything, not sure whether he should take sides. After all, if he sided with Sirius, Remus wouldn't be too quick to defend Peter if he needed it. And if he sided with Remus, Sirius wouldn't trust him enough to tell him anything.

Remus looked as pained as ever. Still, he gritted his teeth and didn't move. "He's as much my friend as he is yours."

Sighing in defeat, Sirius felt himself begin to understand that it was true – and yet another half of him couldn't help but wonder...

Peter glanced up quickly at the house before him. 314 Chestnut Way – he'd have to remember that.



It was too dark to see a thing, except in the moonlit hallways, where two figures crept – clad in black. One of them held a pair of gags and blindfolds, and the other held their wand at the ready.

At the end of the hallway, the two assailants split – one to the left, and one to the right.

As one crept towards the baby's room, the other snuck the opposite way, to where Lily and James Potter slept. The attacker set the gags and blindfolds into the pockets of his cloak, while bringing out his wand with the other hand.

Silently, he edged around the bed to where a lump of brilliant red hair was clearly visible. Noting that Lily Potter's breathing was still shallow and that nothing had awoken her yet, the man clad in black whispered a sleeping charm to make sure.

Slowly, he brought out a blindfold, and tied it tight – even if there was no need to. Concluding that a gag was not necessary, he proceeded to the other side of the bed.

Working slowly and carefully, the assailant pointed his wand to the sleeping man's hands. Using his wand he bound them, quick enough that James didn't wake up until it was done. Hastily, the man brought out the gag and blindfold, tying it well enough that James could not see or make a sound.

With a quick grin, the assailant brought his hood up to hide his face, and removed the blindfold – coming to a decision that it would be plenty more entertaining that way.

Meanwhile, the other assailant entered Harry's room. Fighting the urge to kill the boy right away, the well-hidden Death Eater brought out his wand to silence, bound, and levitate the boy. He then concluded a sleeping charm would do a load of good as well.

The two attackers met at the front door, one levitating a struggling man and his sleeping wife, the other with their defenseless child.

Outside stood another man, holding a ministry car's door open.

James let out a cry of surprise and confusion, but it was only muffled by the cloth tied around his mouth.

The man only laughed, and said, "It's for your own good, you know." With horror, James realized he knew that voice very well.

The man who had spoken sat in the back, keeping hold of James while Lily and Harry slept in the next seat.

The car started, and before they knew it, they were speeding down the streets of London.

"You sure you can drive this thing?" the man by James called to the front.

"Better than you can, I'm sure," answered the driver, chuckling. James knew that voice, too, though he told himself it must be someone else.

"Who are you?" he demanded of the man next to him, though his muffled words were barely audible. Nevertheless, the man seemed to understand.

He hesitated, then came to a conclusion. "I might as well," he said. He indicated the ropes around James's hands and said, "It's not like you can do anything about it."

He let his hood down, and laughed out loud at James's reaction. "Yeah, it's me. But don't worry, we're just going to have a little fun. Heaven knows you need it."

"Would you shut up back there, Moony," the driver, who James concluded must be Sirius, called back in irritation. "I'm trying to find out where the stadium is."

Remus rolled his eyes. "Well now that you've ruined the whole principle of blindfolds, he knows he must be going to a Quidditch game."

James beamed with excitement behind the gag stuffed in his mouth.

"The Chuddley Cannons are playing the Wimbourne Wasps," Peter contributed, finally speaking up.

"You can wake Lily and Harry and untie James now," Sirius said. "I'm not sure they'd let us in if we didn't."



James hadn't been to a quidditch game since – well, since the last time he'd played back in school. It was quite different sitting and watching instead of actually flying, but he had to admit, it still gave him the same awe and wonder, even if he remained grounded the whole time.

The fact that they were in the Top Box only added to his excitement.

Despite the fact that he knew Sirius was a huge Cannons fan, James stood firm and rooted who he'd always rooted for – the Wasps.

Their seeker was great, but the player everyone was following was Ludo Bagman, the only beater who could be brutal and lovable at once. Lily agreed, along with the witch next to her, as they gazed dreamily at the handsome, club-equipped black and yellow blur.

James felt a nudge against his seat, and turned around to see what had caused the disturbance. He found that a man who seemed to be a ministry worker had just sat down behind him. The man flashed an apologetic smile.

James nodded. His excited nerves and jittery cheerfulness gave him the feeling that he needed to introduce himself.

"James Potter," he said brightly, holding his hand out. Lily turned her head and looked at her husband disbelievingly.

The man's face quickly fell, and an odd gleam shone through his eyes at the recognition of the spoken name. Only a moment later his happy smile was back in place.

He shook James's hand. "Er – Rookwood."

Peter's head whipped around, and he sunk down in his seat to hide himself from view.

"Wasps or Cannons?" Rookwood asked James offhandedly as he gazed across the Quidditch pitch.

"Wasps all the way," James answered proudly.

Rookwood smiled faintly, still not looking at James. "Got special tickets," he said proudly. "Compliments of Ludo Bagman."

Sirius spun around – all of a sudden immensely interested in the conversation behind him. "You know Bagman?" he said with awe.

Rookwood nodded smugly. "You might say that." He nodded his head toward Peter's slouched, yet obvious figure. "Isn't that right, Pettigrew?"

Sirius and James's eyes lit up in unison, and they both turned their attention to their small friend. "You know them, Wormtrail?"

"I don't know what he's talking about," he said, giving Rookwood a warning glare.

Rookwood replied with a simple smile of self-satisfaction, and sat back in his seat.

James paused in thought. "Hey, Sirius," he said, turning his head. "How *did* you get tickets in the Top Box?"

Sirius laughed nervously. "Nothing illegal. Got 'em from a friend. You might know him – then again you might not."

"Who?"

"Oh, no one," Sirius said casually, waving his hand to dismiss the issue. "Just some bloke I know by the name of Dung."

"Mundungus Fletcher," Lily said with a furious gleam in her eyes.

"Oh, so you know him, do you?" Sirius asked her innocently.

Her voice was full of malice. "He sold you my homework in fifth year," she said heatedly.

Sirius flashed a wicked smile and nudged James in the arm, who lowered his head in shame.

"Oh no, I bought that nice piece of work for my good friend here," Sirius said gravely, and Lily's eyes flashed in James's direction.

James smiled nervously. "I had no choice. You see, I wasn't doing well in Charms that year, and I asked you if you could tutor me," He laughed quickly at the memory. "And you threw your drink in my face, don't you remember?"

Lily folded her arms. "What else could I do? It was the seventeenth time you'd asked me out that whole week."

"Oh, so you were counting, were you?" James replied smugly.

Remus reached over and hit James hard on the arm. "You just missed about five goals, you idiot."

James kissed Lily on the cheek, and took Harry from her. She gave him a lenient smile, noting how thick and dark her son's hair was growing in. It was no mystery that he would grow to look just like James, the only question was – what would he be like? Smiling, she figured it was only a matter of time before he'd be tearing the house apart in a James-like manner.

Between the laughing, cheering, and balancing Harry on his knees, it seemed that James had suddenly become the happiest he'd been for the longest time. She turned to look around her – Peter and Sirius were engrossed with the game, but Remus was watching James and laughing quietly to himself. He must have been thinking the same thing.

Sighing, Lily only hoped it would last long enough for James to endure another year.

~~

AN: Well, I thought too much drama wasn't good. So I did James a favor. But this only means the next chapters will be extra dark. Sorry, but that's what happens when someone like JK Rowling invents a history with so much death. I can't really skip it.

If Rookwood sounds familiar to you, he should.

Review! Please?