When they entered the castle, both Professor Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall were waiting for them at the bottom of the staircase.

"Look at what the cat dragged in," Professor McGonagall said when she saw Harry and Sam descend from the staircase. They stopped in dead shock. "We wondered what happened to the two of you after lunch," she said sternly to them.

"Now, now Minerva, I bet Harry and Ms. Snape have a very good reason for missing Potions," Dumbledore said trying to calm her down.

"Well... um..." Harry said trying to think of a good explanation.

"Actually Uncle, I asked Harry to help me with Defense Against the Dark Arts, you see," she said to Dumbledore calmly. Harry stared at her strangely. "At first Harry didn't want to because, well you know Harry," she said. Dumbledore nodded, but it looked to Harry that he wasn't buying what she was saying. Harry broke Sam off.

"Yeah, I was sort of tired after Transfiguration. I decided to skip lunch and take a nap in the Common Room. But, right before I went up to Gryffindor Tower, Sam pulled me aside and asked if I could help her with her disarming charm. I said okay and we went upstairs to one of the rooms that were available." With that, Dumbledore looked from Harry to Sam and back to Harry again.

"Well then," he said. "I am quite pleased that you two are putting your past behind you. However," Dumbledore said in a tone that meant that they weren't off the hook. "Since both of you missed your class of Potions, I will see to it that Professor Snape help you make up your lessons."

Sam walked up to her uncle and kissed him on the cheek. "Thank you." Both Professor Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall left Harry and Sam there alone.

"Why did you do that for?" Harry asked her with a puzzled look on his face.

"Because I was returning a favor," she said mockingly. "That's my way of saying thank you for taking me to the Three Broomsticks." With that, she left and went down the stairs to the Slytherin Common Room.

At dinner, Harry couldn't help but look over at the staff table where Sam was sitting. She smiled a little at him but stopped suddenly when Malfoy looked over at her.

Sam noticed that her father had seen her looking over towards the Gryffindor table at Harry. He leaned in close to talk to her. "The next time you decide that you need help in Defense, come to me," Snape told his daughter as he glared over to where Harry was flirting with Parvati. He sneered. "Just like his father," he said in disgust.

"Actually, I heard that he wasn't that bad," Sam said as she swallowed her food and reached over to her goblet filled with pumpkin juice.

"It seems to bi e popular belief," he sneered.

"Dad, who was mum's best friends?" she asked curiously wondering if her father would tell the truth.

"Lily Evans," he answered in surprise. "Known after school as Lily Potter. Of course, your mother and Lily were good friends with the infamous Marauders."

"She seemed to be apart of a group you hated," she asked. "But if she was good friends with the Marauders, and you didn't like them, how did you two fall in love?"

Snaped sighed. "War has a way of intermingling with people," he said quietly. Sam stared at her father. She wanted to find out more about her mother but thought better of it seeing that her father's face had sunken at the mention of her mother.

Sam nodded. "We'll, I'm off," she said as she got up rather neatly and quickly from the table and started waling towards the door behind the staff table. However, Snape had gotten a hold of her arm and Sam was pulled back to her father.

"Not so fast, you still have the Potions class to make up," he said. Grumbling all the way, Snape lead her to the dungeons. They waited ten minutes until Harry finally showed up. "Sorry, I had a rundown with Peeves," he said as he closed the door. Sam had noticed that he was all wet. "He wouldn't get out of my way."

"I could see if my uncle can do something about him," Sam offered casually trying with all her might not to laugh.

"Oh, no. I don't think Peeves will be bothering anybody for awhile," Harry said mischievously.

"What did you do to the poltergeist, Potter?" Snape snapped.

"Banished him to spend a year in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom," Harry said grinning at the thought.

"Ten points off for attacking the poltergeist Potter. Now let's begin," Snape said in his usual glib voice. Harry and Sam began to work on their potions. They were working on the truth serum. Snape put the directions on the board. For some strange reason the room seemed a bit foggy to Harry. His eyes started to droop...

There were three people becoming clear in his range of vision. "Look, he's waking up," a woman said. His eyes focused on red hair and green eyes. She looked strangely familiar.

"Mum?" Harry asked in surprise. She nodded and he glanced at the other two. Messy black hair and another with a long grin. "Dad? Sirius?" he asked, rubbing his eyes in shock.

"Hi, Harry," his father said. He looked at him with pride. "Splitting image of me. Sirius has told us so much about you."

"Yeah, well," Harry said, a little uncomfortable about the pride in his father's eyes. He looked guiltily at Sirius.

"I don't blame you for my death," Sirius said walking over to Harry and placing his hands on his shoulder. "In fact, it wasn't your fault," Sirius said with a small smile. He turned to Lily and James. "See, didn't I tell you he would blame himself?" The two nodded.

"Why am I here?" Harry asked as he stood up.

"It's amazing how much you grew up in two months," Sirius said uncomfortably. He was obviously trying to delay.

"Sirius," Harry said in a reprimanded tone.

"Good lord, you sounded exactly like your mother Lily," James said, his eyes widening.

"Sirius, I don't have time for this. When I wake up, Snape will probably be drowning me in my potion," Harry said a little annoyed at how they were delaying. It was hard to see the three people that should be living if it wasn't for him. They were his family. A rush of guilt engulfed in his body.

"It's night; why do you have class with Snape?" James asked, saying Snape's name in disgust.

"Honestly, James," Lily said in exasperation. She turned to Harry. "But he does have a point." She looked at Harry sternly.

"Er... me and Sam skipped and went to the Three Broomsticks," he answered with an innocent grin.

Sirius and James laughed. "Yes, just like we would have done. Especially if Snape was our teacher," Sirius said amused.

Lily gave Harry another stern look. "Who's Sam? I don't know a Sam. Do you mean Samantha?" she asked all in one breath.

"Yeah,' he answered looking at his mother strangely.

"Samantha Snape?" she asked again and he nodded. "I was hoping that you'd become friends with her. Jo would be so happy to hear this."

"Well," Harry said brightly. "We're not exactly friends."

"Girlfriend?" James and Sirius asked at the same time. Harry made a face.

"Ms. You're-an-idiot-Potter-Snape? No thank you," he said in disgust.

"She says that to you?" James asked suspiciously.

"Like father like daughter," Harry said. "Just because I threatened her Uncle Dumbledore, doesn't mean she has to attempt to hex me every time I get into a fight with her him." He paused at their surprise looks. "Or Snape... or Malfoy... or Remus... or Ron, Hermione, her or... umm... anyone at that."

"You had a fight with Dumbledore, and Remus and your friends?" Lily asked worriedly.

"I blame it on the temper," Harry said.

"Then why were you with her?" James asked.

Harry thought about it for a second. "I don't know," he said at a loss.

"So it has begun," Lily whispered, getting a strange look from Harry. Suddenly the atmosphere changed. It became gloomy and dangerous.

"Listen Harry, you have to prepare. War is about to break out across the world. No one will be able to stop the destruction," James said quickly, giving the impression that there wasn't much time left.

"Except you," Sirius added. "You have to be strong. You have to fight and live or else the world is doomed."

"It's coming, more dangerous than it was last time," Lily said worriedly.

Harry felt himself being ripped away.

"The battle for Hogwarts is coming," James shouted. "Don't turn away from your friends."

"Or love," Lily said frantically. Suddenly Harry found himself staring up at Snape.