Chapter 2 – My Adopted Son
Lily glanced at the clock. It read half past two.
"James must be at Dueling lessons with Moody, though I don't see why he goes. He is an accomplished Dueler already."
She sat up and glanced around the room. The professors' quarters were slightly smaller than Gryffindor Tower, but they still had the homely feel of a castle to them. Red tapestries with gold lions embossed on them graced the walls while deep red poufs were placed around the fire. Usually, James left their rooms messy, but today, surprisingly, they were clean. The room was spotless, except for one small child on the floor.
"A baby?"
Lily got up off the couch and removed a small flowerpot from the mantelpiece. The sparkling green powder glistened in the pot as she scooped a small handful and threw it into the fire.
"Sirius! Get up here, now!"
Lily could not have been angrier. The countless times that James and Sirius had pranked their friends by stealing their kids were childish and pointless. She opened the door as Sirius knocked and slammed the door behind him, sending the baby into tears.
"Sirius, where did this baby come from?" roared Lily. "Last time you guys took somebody else's baby, James showed up here with two kids!"
"Relax Lil, it wasn't James's idea to bring them here last time. Fred and George Weasley can be very convincing when it comes to certain matters. But this baby's name is Harry and he's McGonagall's son."
Those last few words made Lily break down into tears.
"You can't keep doing this: stealing babies from professors of all people. Professors? McGonagall had a baby? Oh, this is too much for me. You and James could get into serious trouble for this," wept Lily, tears streaming down her face.
Sirius shifted uncomfortably in his seat. He glanced down at his watch, his ministry papers were due soon and he had to get there for advanced Auror training.
"McGonagall gave her baby up, Lil. She said she wanted you and James to legally adopt him because it would be too dangerous for her to raise him, due to circumstances. And good Ol' Sirius has the adoption papers right here," said Sirius whipping the packet of papers out of his robes pocket.
"What is his full name, Sirius?" asked Lily, wrapping Harry up in the quilt.
"Harry James is his full name, and it is now Harry James Potter," sighed Sirius, letting Lily put the final signatures on the paper. James had signed them earlier at Hogwarts. McGonagall couldn't bear to sign it due to weakness, so she asked Sirius the favor.
"Sirius, will you be the godfather? Obviously, our lives are in danger everyday with Voldie on the loose. I'm going to ask Minerva eventually to be the godmother. I want her to be involved in her son's life."
"You know, Lil, she won't be involved that often. She has a job to do."
"I know that, Sirius, I meant at Hogwarts."
Harry started wailing again. His nose scrunched up in hunger and he was red from screaming.
"Oh, Sirius! He's hungry! Why don't you head to the market to buy some baby food, as we have none? Here are a few pounds."
Sirius took the money and left swiftly, knowing that Harry would wear himself out from screaming. Poor, little guy, he thought.
Lily smiled to herself as she conjured a plush rocker with napping pillows. She knew that Sirius meant well, but she only said that to get him out of the way. She sat down and cooed to Harry as she positioned him for feeding. As soon as she unbuttoned her blouse, the wailing stopped only to be replaced by a soft suckling.
"Well, if I can't have one, I might as well should breastfeed my adopted one."
She smoothed his jet, black hair(the little he had), and gazed into his piercing green eyes. He looked back at her as if to say, "Thanks Mum." She smiled at him and as he was preoccupied, she was sure he would've smiled back.
"I love you, Harry, my son."
* * * Back at Hogwarts * * *
A gray blur swept across a Hogwarts window. Sirius caught the owl at the last minute.
"Chars, my feathered friend. Take this to the Ministry, will ya?" Chars snapped at Sirius, menacingly.
Sirius didn't know why Chars didn't like him. Normally, he got along with owls just fine. Throwing his last box of sugar quills away, he glanced at his watch. This had become a habit every twenty minutes. The papers he were sending to the Ministry were not the papers due to the Auror office, but a letter for James confirming Harry's adoption. He was hoping Chars would get there before Christmas.
Chars flew back in the window and had a sly grin on his face. He flew up to Sirius's face and started nipping on his nose.
"Whoa! You bloody owl! What is it?"
Sirius knew that asking Chars what was going on was no good. He gathered the struggling owl into his arms, mounted his Silver Arrow, and flew out the window, heading straight for the Ministry.
When they reached London, Sirius and Chars squeezed themselves into the telephone box.
"They ought to make this more comfortable for large groups," thought Sirius out loud.
Back at Hogwarts, Sirius had made a copy of the letter he was writing James, since Chars had a habit of dropping his letters into villages below. Once at the Ministry, he stuffed the letter into the owl's mouth and sent the owl off into the corridors, blocking the way out.
"Ok, Chars. Find James and hurry!" yelled Sirius after the owl.
* * * Auror Training * * *
"Good, James, good. Move your feet a little more to get the full effect," growled Mad-Eye. He cast another spell at James, which James easily deflected. "You're getting better. You know you are one of the best Aurors the Ministry has, but we are constantly encountering new problems in the magical world and you guys have to be ready for it."
James nodded his head in agreement and raised his wand, preparing to make his shield for another attack.
"Now, let's see if you can deflect the Killing Curse....," smiled Moody, while everything seemed to fall into slow motion.
"Potter! Pay attention!" James's head snapped back into place. Raising his wand, he cast his shield, which encircled his body with a glowing, green mist.
Moody raised his wand, as he muttered the words.
"Avada Kedavra!" A green beam of light shot out of Moody's wand and headed straight for it's target. James strengthened his shield, stumbled, and moved no more.
***Author's Note: No, Albus Dumbledore is not the father, just a good friend. Besides, he's too old for McGonagall anyway. You will find out who the father is later on in the story.
Lily glanced at the clock. It read half past two.
"James must be at Dueling lessons with Moody, though I don't see why he goes. He is an accomplished Dueler already."
She sat up and glanced around the room. The professors' quarters were slightly smaller than Gryffindor Tower, but they still had the homely feel of a castle to them. Red tapestries with gold lions embossed on them graced the walls while deep red poufs were placed around the fire. Usually, James left their rooms messy, but today, surprisingly, they were clean. The room was spotless, except for one small child on the floor.
"A baby?"
Lily got up off the couch and removed a small flowerpot from the mantelpiece. The sparkling green powder glistened in the pot as she scooped a small handful and threw it into the fire.
"Sirius! Get up here, now!"
Lily could not have been angrier. The countless times that James and Sirius had pranked their friends by stealing their kids were childish and pointless. She opened the door as Sirius knocked and slammed the door behind him, sending the baby into tears.
"Sirius, where did this baby come from?" roared Lily. "Last time you guys took somebody else's baby, James showed up here with two kids!"
"Relax Lil, it wasn't James's idea to bring them here last time. Fred and George Weasley can be very convincing when it comes to certain matters. But this baby's name is Harry and he's McGonagall's son."
Those last few words made Lily break down into tears.
"You can't keep doing this: stealing babies from professors of all people. Professors? McGonagall had a baby? Oh, this is too much for me. You and James could get into serious trouble for this," wept Lily, tears streaming down her face.
Sirius shifted uncomfortably in his seat. He glanced down at his watch, his ministry papers were due soon and he had to get there for advanced Auror training.
"McGonagall gave her baby up, Lil. She said she wanted you and James to legally adopt him because it would be too dangerous for her to raise him, due to circumstances. And good Ol' Sirius has the adoption papers right here," said Sirius whipping the packet of papers out of his robes pocket.
"What is his full name, Sirius?" asked Lily, wrapping Harry up in the quilt.
"Harry James is his full name, and it is now Harry James Potter," sighed Sirius, letting Lily put the final signatures on the paper. James had signed them earlier at Hogwarts. McGonagall couldn't bear to sign it due to weakness, so she asked Sirius the favor.
"Sirius, will you be the godfather? Obviously, our lives are in danger everyday with Voldie on the loose. I'm going to ask Minerva eventually to be the godmother. I want her to be involved in her son's life."
"You know, Lil, she won't be involved that often. She has a job to do."
"I know that, Sirius, I meant at Hogwarts."
Harry started wailing again. His nose scrunched up in hunger and he was red from screaming.
"Oh, Sirius! He's hungry! Why don't you head to the market to buy some baby food, as we have none? Here are a few pounds."
Sirius took the money and left swiftly, knowing that Harry would wear himself out from screaming. Poor, little guy, he thought.
Lily smiled to herself as she conjured a plush rocker with napping pillows. She knew that Sirius meant well, but she only said that to get him out of the way. She sat down and cooed to Harry as she positioned him for feeding. As soon as she unbuttoned her blouse, the wailing stopped only to be replaced by a soft suckling.
"Well, if I can't have one, I might as well should breastfeed my adopted one."
She smoothed his jet, black hair(the little he had), and gazed into his piercing green eyes. He looked back at her as if to say, "Thanks Mum." She smiled at him and as he was preoccupied, she was sure he would've smiled back.
"I love you, Harry, my son."
* * * Back at Hogwarts * * *
A gray blur swept across a Hogwarts window. Sirius caught the owl at the last minute.
"Chars, my feathered friend. Take this to the Ministry, will ya?" Chars snapped at Sirius, menacingly.
Sirius didn't know why Chars didn't like him. Normally, he got along with owls just fine. Throwing his last box of sugar quills away, he glanced at his watch. This had become a habit every twenty minutes. The papers he were sending to the Ministry were not the papers due to the Auror office, but a letter for James confirming Harry's adoption. He was hoping Chars would get there before Christmas.
Chars flew back in the window and had a sly grin on his face. He flew up to Sirius's face and started nipping on his nose.
"Whoa! You bloody owl! What is it?"
Sirius knew that asking Chars what was going on was no good. He gathered the struggling owl into his arms, mounted his Silver Arrow, and flew out the window, heading straight for the Ministry.
When they reached London, Sirius and Chars squeezed themselves into the telephone box.
"They ought to make this more comfortable for large groups," thought Sirius out loud.
Back at Hogwarts, Sirius had made a copy of the letter he was writing James, since Chars had a habit of dropping his letters into villages below. Once at the Ministry, he stuffed the letter into the owl's mouth and sent the owl off into the corridors, blocking the way out.
"Ok, Chars. Find James and hurry!" yelled Sirius after the owl.
* * * Auror Training * * *
"Good, James, good. Move your feet a little more to get the full effect," growled Mad-Eye. He cast another spell at James, which James easily deflected. "You're getting better. You know you are one of the best Aurors the Ministry has, but we are constantly encountering new problems in the magical world and you guys have to be ready for it."
James nodded his head in agreement and raised his wand, preparing to make his shield for another attack.
"Now, let's see if you can deflect the Killing Curse....," smiled Moody, while everything seemed to fall into slow motion.
"Potter! Pay attention!" James's head snapped back into place. Raising his wand, he cast his shield, which encircled his body with a glowing, green mist.
Moody raised his wand, as he muttered the words.
"Avada Kedavra!" A green beam of light shot out of Moody's wand and headed straight for it's target. James strengthened his shield, stumbled, and moved no more.
***Author's Note: No, Albus Dumbledore is not the father, just a good friend. Besides, he's too old for McGonagall anyway. You will find out who the father is later on in the story.
