Chapter 2
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Minerva had arrived quickly terminating the discussion that wasn't quite finished. James inwardly sighed in relief while Lily fumed. They really weren't getting anywhere in finding out what happened after Lily's lapse. Remus and Sirius were very untalkative after her leaving. They thought it was a delicate situation, he supposed. Well he wasn't delicate! He wanted to know what was going on and he wanted to know now! Tantrums, he shook his head, at his age. He didn't really feel his age though. Being dead did that to you. A bile rose in his throat as Minerva looked at them, her grave eyes scaring him more than anything.
"James, Lily, we have brought you back for a reason. The magic is experimental so it may only be temporary, if you feel any ill affects, nausea, if you begin to fade, get headaches, report to Poppy Pomfrey in the infirmary right away."
They both nodded.
"As Sirius and Remus may have informed you, Harry has become difficult. He is demanding a very substantial sum of money in return for his services. Substantial meaning far, far too much. I worry as to why, we have neither the resources nor the will to pay that much, but we do have the need. You two are something Harry was wanted all his life and we're hoping you may be able to bend the situation to our advantage. Before we get started, I know you have a lot of questions, would you like to ask them now?"
McGonagall was different than both of them remembered. Harder, sterner, more weary.
James swallowed. "What happened to Albus?"
Minerva, Remus and Sirius looked anywhere but him.
"It's a long story," Sirius mumbled. It was as if none of them wanted to take charge on this issue.
"So hurry up!" He urged, whatever it was, it was making him nervous. Lily was surprisingly silent beside him.
"He was cursed by Harry." Remus burst out. Sirius gave him a relieved look.
"Did he use the killing curse?" Lily asked quietly, her voice trembling.
"No, Albus isn't dead. He's not here and he's not gone. Harry used a foreign curse. We don't know what it was."
"Fucking hell!" James exclaimed, standing quickly. "This is our son!"
"He is no longer your son. Your son was an infant. This man has no father." Minerva's cold tone really hit a nerve.
"Why did you bring us back?" He asked, looking out the window. Everything was the same. The Quidditch Pitch was exactly the same. It made him angry. Nothing had changed except for their son.
"This war isn't over and the Dark Lord is killing more wizards than muggles at this rate, we need our ranks back. We've found a way to bring back those killed by him. You two are giving us leverage with Harry. He may just be one man, but he is in the prophecy, we need him on our side.
"He's displaying outrageous behavior, the only reason Voldemort is indulging in his petty demands and rates is because he has become impossible to kill. Voldemort would forsake Harry simply because they are at a stand still where Voldemort cannot kill Harry and Harry appears to not be interested in his enemy, only the man is a brilliant and efficient weapon, his murder is flashy and impressive. Even if we did have the money to pay him, we can not keep him on as a mercenary and expect loyalty or for him to fulfill the prophecy."
"So you want us to what? Tell him mummy and daddy are home? Tell him to come cry on our shoulders? Tell him fucking what?"
"James, calm down." Lily's hand was on his arm. He tried to relax. He hugged her.
"It's okay." He murmured. "He's okay." He wasn't sure who he was talking to.
"He saw his family in the Mirror of Erised. Maybe he still sees them." Minerva looked him in the eye. It was a piercing gaze.
"Have you talked to him?"
"To Harry?" Remus looked tired. James wondered when the next full moon was.
James nodded, his throat choked up.
"Not since we stopped paying him. We don't even know where he is at the moment. He's not... working."
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Harry was bored. He was really bored. This house was too big. Too cold. Too small. He laughed. How hard to please he was.
Perhaps that was why he had slept alone for the past month.
The view from the roof was intimidating and that was what Harry liked about it. To sit up there and be so sure that if he toppled off the edge he would be dead before he'd have the chance to wonder. It was his only real challenge these days.
The new aurors had uncovered his last manor. It had taken them a while but determination won out. The Ministry had gone ballistic when he'd eliminated the 6th squad. They'd lost yet another batch of aurors. That was when they'd practiced persistence. So now he'd found himself a new place. It would grow on him, he knew. It was closer to a town than he would've liked but he'd get over it.
A disturbing feeling of discontent bothered him as he sat gazing over the valley at the green hills. In fact, it was because of this discontent that his unease increased. The whole reason behind the break was so he could figure out that nudging feeling.
Harry had to wonder, briefly, if his conscience was haunting him, however late it may have been. It was an interesting concept and one that had become harder and harder to grasp. He knew his reasons for why he killed all those people were, for all intents and purposes of the word, wrong. He'd known since he'd stepped out of Hogwarts and decided it was what he had to do. He'd still chosen to do so, knowing it would be received with shock and hatred by the wizarding world.
It didn't bother him that when he squeezed the life out of a living being it gave him a rush like no other. When the press published yet another article describing his 'heinous crimes' it gave him a detached sort of amusement. Maybe it was a form of insanity.
Harry smiled to himself. His fees were considered an act of insanity. Ridiculously high, they were his game. He wanted to see how high they would go before they broke. He was rethinking the rules though, it was no fun with one side out of the picture. Maybe he should charge something else, a sick grin spread across his face, there was something he wanted. Or rather, someone.
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End chapter 2
I apologize about the huge wait, it was... what? A year? Impressive.
Thanks to: Katrina Tonak, sami1010220, Cataclysmic, Prongs1, Iced Flame, Who wants to know?, Captain Mad-Hatter, kayla, ironic-humour, Night-Owl123, Mark Evans, insanechildfanfic, Knives, psalatino, FawkesRises, athenakitty.
This is going to end up being Ginny Weasley/Harry Potter. Any objections? I don't really want to hear them.
0-0
Minerva had arrived quickly terminating the discussion that wasn't quite finished. James inwardly sighed in relief while Lily fumed. They really weren't getting anywhere in finding out what happened after Lily's lapse. Remus and Sirius were very untalkative after her leaving. They thought it was a delicate situation, he supposed. Well he wasn't delicate! He wanted to know what was going on and he wanted to know now! Tantrums, he shook his head, at his age. He didn't really feel his age though. Being dead did that to you. A bile rose in his throat as Minerva looked at them, her grave eyes scaring him more than anything.
"James, Lily, we have brought you back for a reason. The magic is experimental so it may only be temporary, if you feel any ill affects, nausea, if you begin to fade, get headaches, report to Poppy Pomfrey in the infirmary right away."
They both nodded.
"As Sirius and Remus may have informed you, Harry has become difficult. He is demanding a very substantial sum of money in return for his services. Substantial meaning far, far too much. I worry as to why, we have neither the resources nor the will to pay that much, but we do have the need. You two are something Harry was wanted all his life and we're hoping you may be able to bend the situation to our advantage. Before we get started, I know you have a lot of questions, would you like to ask them now?"
McGonagall was different than both of them remembered. Harder, sterner, more weary.
James swallowed. "What happened to Albus?"
Minerva, Remus and Sirius looked anywhere but him.
"It's a long story," Sirius mumbled. It was as if none of them wanted to take charge on this issue.
"So hurry up!" He urged, whatever it was, it was making him nervous. Lily was surprisingly silent beside him.
"He was cursed by Harry." Remus burst out. Sirius gave him a relieved look.
"Did he use the killing curse?" Lily asked quietly, her voice trembling.
"No, Albus isn't dead. He's not here and he's not gone. Harry used a foreign curse. We don't know what it was."
"Fucking hell!" James exclaimed, standing quickly. "This is our son!"
"He is no longer your son. Your son was an infant. This man has no father." Minerva's cold tone really hit a nerve.
"Why did you bring us back?" He asked, looking out the window. Everything was the same. The Quidditch Pitch was exactly the same. It made him angry. Nothing had changed except for their son.
"This war isn't over and the Dark Lord is killing more wizards than muggles at this rate, we need our ranks back. We've found a way to bring back those killed by him. You two are giving us leverage with Harry. He may just be one man, but he is in the prophecy, we need him on our side.
"He's displaying outrageous behavior, the only reason Voldemort is indulging in his petty demands and rates is because he has become impossible to kill. Voldemort would forsake Harry simply because they are at a stand still where Voldemort cannot kill Harry and Harry appears to not be interested in his enemy, only the man is a brilliant and efficient weapon, his murder is flashy and impressive. Even if we did have the money to pay him, we can not keep him on as a mercenary and expect loyalty or for him to fulfill the prophecy."
"So you want us to what? Tell him mummy and daddy are home? Tell him to come cry on our shoulders? Tell him fucking what?"
"James, calm down." Lily's hand was on his arm. He tried to relax. He hugged her.
"It's okay." He murmured. "He's okay." He wasn't sure who he was talking to.
"He saw his family in the Mirror of Erised. Maybe he still sees them." Minerva looked him in the eye. It was a piercing gaze.
"Have you talked to him?"
"To Harry?" Remus looked tired. James wondered when the next full moon was.
James nodded, his throat choked up.
"Not since we stopped paying him. We don't even know where he is at the moment. He's not... working."
0-0
Harry was bored. He was really bored. This house was too big. Too cold. Too small. He laughed. How hard to please he was.
Perhaps that was why he had slept alone for the past month.
The view from the roof was intimidating and that was what Harry liked about it. To sit up there and be so sure that if he toppled off the edge he would be dead before he'd have the chance to wonder. It was his only real challenge these days.
The new aurors had uncovered his last manor. It had taken them a while but determination won out. The Ministry had gone ballistic when he'd eliminated the 6th squad. They'd lost yet another batch of aurors. That was when they'd practiced persistence. So now he'd found himself a new place. It would grow on him, he knew. It was closer to a town than he would've liked but he'd get over it.
A disturbing feeling of discontent bothered him as he sat gazing over the valley at the green hills. In fact, it was because of this discontent that his unease increased. The whole reason behind the break was so he could figure out that nudging feeling.
Harry had to wonder, briefly, if his conscience was haunting him, however late it may have been. It was an interesting concept and one that had become harder and harder to grasp. He knew his reasons for why he killed all those people were, for all intents and purposes of the word, wrong. He'd known since he'd stepped out of Hogwarts and decided it was what he had to do. He'd still chosen to do so, knowing it would be received with shock and hatred by the wizarding world.
It didn't bother him that when he squeezed the life out of a living being it gave him a rush like no other. When the press published yet another article describing his 'heinous crimes' it gave him a detached sort of amusement. Maybe it was a form of insanity.
Harry smiled to himself. His fees were considered an act of insanity. Ridiculously high, they were his game. He wanted to see how high they would go before they broke. He was rethinking the rules though, it was no fun with one side out of the picture. Maybe he should charge something else, a sick grin spread across his face, there was something he wanted. Or rather, someone.
0-0
End chapter 2
I apologize about the huge wait, it was... what? A year? Impressive.
Thanks to: Katrina Tonak, sami1010220, Cataclysmic, Prongs1, Iced Flame, Who wants to know?, Captain Mad-Hatter, kayla, ironic-humour, Night-Owl123, Mark Evans, insanechildfanfic, Knives, psalatino, FawkesRises, athenakitty.
This is going to end up being Ginny Weasley/Harry Potter. Any objections? I don't really want to hear them.