At breakfast in the great hall Ron and Harry were soon joined by Hermione, the boys where piling pancakes onto their plates and covering them in maple syrup. "Hi Hermione" Harry said, looking up so she could see his eyes, the key give away between father and son.
"Harry, you're back. You OK?" she asked with the air of someone commenting on the weather. Rather ironically this had become an everyday occurrence and the group where starting to view it as if Harry was just commuting to a different place. Maybe it was constantly being in a magical environment but novelty soon wore off.
Harry smiled "I met my mum".
"What's she like?" Hermione replied automatically. From the look Ron gave her it was obvious he though she had gone mad. Harry couldn't blame Ron really, but he was totally relaxed about the idea. Lily was not his mum as such, she still had a lot of growing up to do until that happened, but now he had physical proof she existed and not just a few photos and stories.
"I don't know, she seemed alright, she hates my dad though but she seemed nice enough. She's almost as clever as you Hermione. My dad takes Muggle Studies and we had to do an essay together. It was so easy." Harry was smiling to himself. Nothing could put a downer on today.
Hermione looked up to top table "Well look whose back" She said, gesturing to Dumbledore sitting down next to McGonagol.
"Excellent" Harry said, his good mood cemented further. It wasn't that going back bothered him, but if a change over happened when he was on a broom or when Malfoy was about to land a particularly nasty curse on him the results could be unpleasant. If Voldemort found out about this whole swap thing he could use it to his advantage, he could kill James in Harry's time therefore stopping his first downfall. It was better if it finished or something truly hideous could happen, like if his mum and dad finally fall for each other. That would be too cringe-worthy for Harry.
As soon as they saw Dumbledore leave the table the trio ran after him, they had waited for over 20 minutes and were almost certainly late for Divination (Arithmancy for Hermione).
Hermione reached Dumbledore first and came out with a garbled explanation. "Sir, Harry's having some, erm, problems, Snape made him drink a potion and since then he keeps swapping places with his dad".
Dumbledore looked slightly amused by this "Well that is a problem, I don't know how it could have happened but I will be sure to look into it. Remember what the time turner taught you though, don't mess with time too much."
"We won't" Harry said, not wanting to tell Dumbledore about Ron's confession, especially when Hermione was present.
"Well I can see there being little problem, I will see what I can find out to rectify the situation" Dumbledore then left, leaving the three teens shocked at his relaxed attitude to the whole event, the mad old headmaster always had a reason for the way he acted but judging by her confused expression not even Hermione could work this one out.
"Well, that went well enough. He was so laid back about it he was horizontal" said Ron.
"Maybe he remembered it happening when he was younger, so that's why he wasn't concerned. I can't deny I was surprised with his response though" Hermione muttered, obviously still in thought.
"Suppose so, but he'll know what he's doing. I think." Said Harry; secretly glad he might have the chance to talk to his mother some more while at the same time feeling guilty for what is in essence as selfish action.
First lesson was divination; Harry couldn't be bothered about the subject one-way or the other. He knew as long as he could predict his death in a variety of interesting and unusual ways he would pass the year. The room was stiflingly hot; despite the summer weather finally kicking in Professor Trelawny still had the windows shut and fire blazing, quite possibly to add to the atmosphere of the room. Harry was quite tempted to fall asleep as he stared blankly into the crystal ball on his desk. It had been a week since the potion incident and now Harry had spent 3 days in the past and 4 in the present, luckily the curriculum hadn't changed too much so lessons were easy enough to keep up with and Muggle studies in 1979 was an absolute whiz, even if the teacher appeared to have taught Snape everything he knows.
"Harry mate, do you mind if this week I say you are to be speared to death by a rogue broomstick?" Ron looked almost apologetic, Harry had had his fair share of life-and-death experiences and it seemed snidey making up more just to pass a subject. Harry didn't care; he found the whole situation laughable.
Harry smiled at his friend "It has to be done, I think I'll predict myself getting run over by a combine harvester while trying to save you Chuddley Cannons cap"
"What's a combine harvester?" Ron asked. Typical pure blood, not got a clue about muggle life yet presumes everyone knows about the wizarding world.
"Something with almost as many sharp bits as one of Hagrid's pets and of a similar size" The pair started laughing, steadily getting louder as they rallied sarcastic comments from one another until Harry finally blanked out.
James woke in the morning to see the beds of the other marauders occupied; it must have been the full moon he thought to himself. Even though time passed at the exactly the same rate in both times the slight difference in the days of the week was confusing enough without having to bother about the lunar calendar. James got changed and picked up his books ready to go down for breakfast but he couldn't resist the temptation. He walked over to Sirius' bed and looked at the person in it, James was overcome with rage. He tried to steady his breathing, he wouldn't do anything, and he was strong enough to manage this. The marauders traditionally missed the first lesson after a transformation, James had a first lesson, all he had to do was go to it then he wouldn't be able to harm Sirius because he would be nowhere near him.
As if the fates where against him Sirius chose that moment to wake up "And when did your delightful sprog vacate this space-time continuum?" he mumbled staring directly at James. That pushed James over the edge. A simple phrase, good hearted and well-meaning in Sirius' own sarcastic way was too much. James didn't even bother to use a wand, all he wanted was to hurt Sirius and hurt him bad. He jumped on the bed, kneeling down with his legs either side of Sirius' body. James laid into his ex-best friend hitting him repeatedly around the head and trying to rip out his hair.
The look of panic on Sirius' face quickly subsided as he tried to grab James' wrists. Eventually he succeeded, grateful for the beater practise giving him strength and half decent reflexes. Rolling over so he was able to restrain James he asked in a state of forced calm "And what the hell was that for?"
Somehow the rest of the boys in the dorm had slept through this. Maybe it was because they were shattered, maybe it was because they were used to loud noises throughout the night due to high spirits or maybe they'd been cleaver and put silencing charms around their beds to ensure their limited sleep was utilised to the maximum possible effect. Either way it left the dark haired boys the only people awake in the dorm.
By this point James had stopped struggling, he was crying, "We trusted you, it's all your fault". Sirius didn't know what was happening but slowly let go of James' wrists.
"What did I do?" Sirius asked, although he wasn't sure he wanted to know the answer. James was fine with him before his expedition so it must be something in the future, something he hadn't even done yet. Sirius thought it through, if it was something in the future how come Harry had been all right with him, the only person he showed any coolness towards was Peter, and even then Harry just ignored the boy.
Sirius climbed off his bed. James was still there; making no movements, just weeping, "You ruined my sons life", with this James suddenly got up and walked to the door. Fresh anger in his voice, his movements violent, "You are not worth it, but don't you ever come near me or Harry again, OK?" He vacated the room, slamming the door behind him and leaving one very shell shocked Sirius with his thoughts.
James headed off to his next lesson fuming, but at least controlled now. He spoke to no one and just walked in a straight line to the lesson. Muggle studies, yet again James' least favourite subject came to haunt him. Not only was it his worst subject but in addition it was taught rather ironically by the head of Slytherin house. James figured that this is just so he could punish the muggle-borns who took it for an easy OWL, or at least to smirk at the "primitiveness" of some of their magical-substitutes. Each lesson nearly every house lost points, it must have killed Professor Noir that there were no Slytherins to award points to. Slytherins didn't bother wasting their time with this subject; they tried to avoid muggles at all costs. James stared at diagrams of how to lift heavy boxes and how to work an oven wondering when he would ever need this knowledge in his life. Lily was sitting next to him, Noir always found it highly amusing to couple people with their opposites, if only to knock points off for their frequent arguments.
Halfway through an answer on "Name the terrestrial TV channels" the switch occurred, yet again no sickness or dizziness attached, just a clean swap. As soon as Harry looked round the class he knew what had happened and instantly went to flatten his fringe to disguise his scar. He finished writing an answer, looking at the awkward change of handwriting; he would have to redo the whole piece of work unless he wanted to be accused of getting someone else to write it for him. Harry looked round the class and was shocked to see himself sitting next to his mother, they must be regular pre-chosen partners, there's no other excuse for them sitting next to each other.
Lily looked over at James' work; she liked to see he was struggling. He was so up his own arse most of the time watching him as he acknowledged he had a fault was entertaining. It was then she realised something, the handwriting change on question 9. It was the same handwriting as on the note, maybe that meant that James was actually telling the truth for once in his life. She looked at James, it was same James from what she could see, same build, skin tone, messy hair, even the glasses. She sighed, she was stupid for thinking anything about him being someone else. She looked closer and at that moment James head turned and she stared right into a pair of emerald green eyes, James' were hazel, she'd seen them that night by the fire.
"Harry?" Lily stumbled. The boy paled in front of her, looking shocked.
"How did you know?" he said, he hoped his father hadn't told his mother everything. It was bad enough that one of them new they were going to die, let alone both.
"James told me" Lily replied. Harry's heart sunk, she knew, she must do. Why couldn't he keep his gob shut, but Harry didn't have too much time to brood as his thoughts where interrupted by the 6-foot professor at the front of the class, pale skinned and fair-haired he looked angry.
"Potter, I know from your consistently poor marks that the Muggle theory of lightening formation is beyond you, but as you are conversing with Miss Evans I suppose you have a valid theory on the subject. Seeing you are so cocky maybe you would like to share your explanation with the class. Get down here now". Harry walked to the front of the class and stood next to the board. Harry was obviously expected to launch straight into it, for the first time she was glad of his Muggle primary school education. He launched into the theory of oppositely attracted particles and conduction of electricity. He finished and he knew he was right; unfortunately 10 points were still taken from Gryffindor for "Potter's tendency to be a show off". Harry sulked back to his seat and sat in silence until the end of the class, counting the seconds until the lesson would be finished.
He was the first to leave the class but Lily quickly caught up with him. "Harry, slow down." Lily grabbed his bag and pulled him round so she looked directly into Harry's eyes; if she didn't hate James so much she could swear there was a possibility of Harry being her kid. "Are you OK?"
Harry pulled his mother into an old classroom the marauder's had informed him had been empty since a particularly nasty explosion made it spontaneously vibrate during lessons. "How much did he tell you?"
Lily looked at the pleading look on his face. "That you're his future son, but you don't know him because you're an orphan." Harry was grateful his dad hadn't said anything to Lily about his mum. "So, how did you get here?" she asked. Harry was shocked by the concern in her voice, she hated James surely she should hate him too.
"I was in potions, the professor hated my dad at school so he hates me now he's dead. I screwed up a potion but he made me drink it anyways and every since we swap places about once every other day. I'll come back here and he'll be in 1997 with my 2 best friends." This was said so matter-of-factly it was as if this wasn't an unusual situation for the child to be in. Lily looked back to her future son
"Well, you know where I am if you need me" That genuine concern he had sensed before came through in her voice again.
Harry smiled, "So you think I'm different to my dad?" he said with a slight smirk on his face.
"Hell yeah, he can't get his head through the bloody door" cracking a brilliant smile at the same time. Harry couldn't help but laugh.
££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££Cheers for the reviews y'all, I really appreciate it. This chapter was ready about 2 weeks back but someone mentioned about finding out about Sirius and I couldn't help myself so I've been doing a little bit of a rewrite.
Also this computer is being a little sadist crashing if you so much as breath on it wrong, my lappy needs to get fixed and it needs to get fixed soon. That's why I can't say about individual peoples reviews because AOL has yet again chosen an unfortunate time to crash.
Anyways, enough with the rant. To the person who said about Trelawny not being a professor in the 70s I know that, but Dumbledore seemed to be less than impressed about the subject when he went to interview Cybil so I'm writing the characters as if they have been cast in the same mould if only to play on family similarities (god, you can tell I'm a bloody scientist can't you, nature and nurture and all that crap)
Please keep reviewing, it's a rare occasion I get email. :-)
Hugs and Hogs
Kimmiijay Kotchanski
