Harry suddenly found himself in the room of requirement, staring at his to best mates while laughing his head off.
"James? Are you OK?" Ron asked, after all he was slightly concerned about the maurauder's mental welfare. Here he was suddenly killing himself with laughter immediately after finding out some depressing and worrying facts about the way his life was going to turn out.
"It's alright, I'm back", Harry finally stopped laughing and looked at his best mates, they were looking at him as if he had gone loopy giving Harry the need to explain himself, "The marauders were planning on pranking Snape this evening, I'm gutted I'll probably miss it. So what's up?"
"Your dad had a vision." Harry suddenly sat up straight, remembering why he was on the quidditch fields in the first place.
"It was about trying to kill him and your mam" Harry looked panicked; he thought his dad wouldn't have to see it, there was no connection and even if there was Harry would have hoped that only him would ever have to experience that feeling.
"Yeah, he felt the scar pains and everything, he told Dumbledore whose trying to work it out and we had to tell him about everything". Ron clarified.
Harry looked up to his 2 best friends, "I know, I left him a letter explaining everything. I had the vision too but I didn't think my dad would have had the dream and even if he did I didn't think that you would know about it". Harry was secretly glad it was a Saturday in 1996 not the Wednesday he would have to face in 1977. Now he could just sit in the room of requirement with the 2 people who meant the most to him.
Ron and Hermione, they should be a couple and probably will be in a few years time. After years of wanting a proper family he had got it with the Weasley's. Hermione was like a sister to him; always there and sometimes irritating but he loved her all the same. Ron was the ultimate best mate; he almost died for Harry in 3 years out of 5. Harry knew he was so lucky to have friends like them; their friendship was quite possibly unbreakable. They had helped him get over Sirius, maybe that was the wrong terminology, he hadn't got over him or forgotten or anything so final, he had just decided that it would be foolish to stop living his life. As much as he hated to admit it they were right, Sirius went out doing what he would have wanted the most, fighting while protecting what mattered to him. Harry had changed since the department on mysteries. He was now determined to win against Voldemort; he was not going to lose. In the room of requirement the trio had practised so many different hexes and curses that any one of the three could probably defeat 98% of the wizarding population.
In addition to this the DA was still going on, although with the increased amount of work and a decent teacher it was no longer his baby. Harry had enough on with Hermione nagging him about his NEWTs and also it seemed pointless for a kid to teach it when their was a perfectly able teacher available. Professor Spokes was fantastic at teaching DADA, coming close to Professor Lupin's performance in third year. She was light hearted enough but if you crossed her she would turn into a right little mare and when in a bad mood she could make McGonagal seem positively soft. She didn't look like you're typical Hogworts professor with her ample frame and shoulder length blonde hair; she also wore muggle clothes and not the usual robes to teach. The DA was now better organised and taught more even though it stuck to the same format as before, without the charmed paper and the gold Galleons informing members of the time.
Harry's thoughts were brought back down to earth with a bang, he had obviously been daydreaming but the gaping faces of his 2 best mates made him realise he would have to say something to break the uncomfortable silence developing in the snug.
"What's he like?" Harry finally asked Ron and Hermione; knowing full well that he wouldn't get a tarnished answer. They would tell him more or less straight and even if they didn't he would know they had been lying. Harry had been leading his father's life on and off for 2 weeks now but he still didn't know him, they swapped lives but had never met.
Ron looked to Hermione, who took the hint and started talking "He has grown up a lot in 2 weeks. To start off with he was just a little brat, he didn't do anything but you could tell in his tone of voice and the body language. Now he's matured, we told him about you and it's like he's really proud of you, even though you are the same age."
Ron continued "He can't dive like you on the quidditch team but he's alright at acting like the captain. Don't think he'd have a cat in hell's chance beating any of us in a duel though". A Wicked grin crept along Ron's freckled face.
"So, I kick his ass in all fields?" Harry asked, grateful for not living in his father's shadow. The others laughed. "There's only one Harry Potter, indeed".
The whole word was gearing up for battle since they believed his story, and now the battle was going to be taken some place else where Harry Potter wasn't around to save them and the chances are that those dragged into the fight wouldn't know what hit them, that thought worried Harry immensely.
James was back in 1977, face to face with the one person he had a lot of apologising to do. It was an awkward moment by the side of the quidditch field in which he had returned while Sirius was laughing his head off. James looked down at the ground; unable to make eye contact with the one person he could have told anything to this time last week. "Padfoot? It's James; I owe you an apology. I found out something in the future, which made me angry, but Ron and Hermione have just told me that I was wrong. I'm really sorry".
Sirius pulled up James face to see his own, "I don't know what happened so I can't really say anything. I guess you were just protecting your son" Despite the confidence in Sirius' voice it was obvious that the friendship had been damaged by James' outburst.
"Harry's an orphan." There, he'd started the ball rolling, all he had to do was keep it like that, he carried on speaking before Sirius could distract him, "I got told you betrayed us, they were wrong. I'm really sorry" James started to feel tears well up in his eyes; he'd never done anything like that before in front of his friends. He didn't actually start to cry, he was far too macho to do that, but he still felt that feeling inside where your eyes sting and throat tightens up, making you wonder if you can breathe anymore, let alone speak.
"Prongs, look at me"
James reluctantly lifted his head, "It's alright, I don't blame you, I would never do that to you though and I hope you know."
The pair gave each other a manly hug, it was obvious all was not forgiven but it was a distinct improvement and there was hope for the relationship being patched up soon.
James had made his excuses and dawdled off to the dorm under the pretence of getting his work ready for first lesson, bloody Muggle Studies again. Partially he wanted to be away to let the issues run through his head, with Ron and Hermione it was different. They had been though it all, they knew everything, he could talk to them. The other reason he wanted to get away was that he couldn't bare to bear near the traitorous bastard Wormtail who would no doubt be making an appearance by Sirius' side some time soon, being alone with Sirius was uncomfortable enough without adding the rat into the equation.
Harry must have been so strong resisting the opportunity to kill the person who would nigh on ruin his life, then the thought crept into James' mind; maybe Harry secretly loved the fame, maybe his parents meant nothing to him. This was promptly pushed to the back of his mind, it had to be the former, no child of his would be a death eater. James knew he would hurt Wormtail though, hurt him for the betrayal, for dragging his kid through so much, for the scar pains and Sirius. He may not be the traitor yet but time couldn't be changed. Was he a death eater already? Was he always evil or had something happened? James couldn't think all these thoughts with Peter in his presence.
Throwing his Comet 260 onto his bed he realised it hadn't been slept in, he couldn't think why that would be. Opening his trunk he saw the letter from Harry, sitting on his bed he read it. It was basically a written form of the conversation he had had with Ron and Hermione the night before with a few added points, James was so wrapped up in his thought he didn't hear the gentle knock at the door, nor notice when Evans entered the room.
"Harry?" she asked, James looked back at her with red eyes, the letter from his son shaking in his hands. Lily sat next James and took the letter, placing it on the bed beside him.
"James? Are you OK?" he shook his head, unable to lie anymore.
"Read the letter" Lily looked uncertainly at James but picked it up regardless. She read it to herself
James/Dad/Whoever
I guess this is my life story, I figured you may need to learn about it now. You have to understand though that you CANNOT change anything. I hope you realise thing would be worse if they didn't happen this way.
I had a vision last night the Voldemort is going to try and kill you and my mum before I am born, Dumbledore know about it all, including who my mum is. I guess I'd better tell you why this is all happening.
There was a prophecy, basically saying that at the end of July 1981 the only person who would be able to kill Voldemort would be born to parents had 3 times defied him and this person would be marked as his equal. Unfortunately a death eater partially over heard this. Voldemort decided to kill anyone who matched the description. That's why he came after you, he wanted to kill me but because my mum died to save me the killing curse rebounded on him and he was torn from his body. I got marked with my scar.
You knew that Voldemort would be after you so you performed the fidellus charm, it means only one person can tell people where you are and no one can find you unless they are told by that one person. You wanted to choose Sirius but he though that was too obvious and decided to choose Peter instead. He betrayed you but everyone thought that Sirius was the secret- keeper and after he collared the rat the next day Wormtail blew up a street, screamed about how Sirius betrayed you and transformed and went down the sewers with the other rats, Sirius got sentenced to life in Azkaban.
I got raised by my muggle Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon. They hated magic, and as a result hated me. They tried to squash the magic out of me but failed. I lived in a cupboard under the stairs until I was 11 when my Hogwort's letter came, but I wasn't allowed to read it. I think that scared them because now I have Dudley's (my cousin's) second bedroom. Hagrid eventually gave me my letter, he told me about you. I had been told my parent's died in a car crash and nothing else. Hagrid told me how you died and all about you. He gave me my first birthday cake, and gave me the first clue to what you looked like, I had no photos, everyone says I look just like you but with my mum's eyes. I totally agree with them.
First year was fantastic, I met Ron on the train, he was really awe struck to meet me and I found it really funny that everyone knew my name. I also met Hermione on the train, but we didn't like her until we won a fight with a mountain troll. We found out that someone was trying to steal the philosopher's stone which was being kept in Hogworts, we thought it was Snape who is our potions master but it turned out to be Quirrel, our DADA professor who had the slight problem of having Lord Voldemort stuck to the back of his head. Eventually me, Ron and Hermione went looking for the culprit ourselves, we had to do all these tasks and everything until eventually I was facing Voldemort on my own. Because of my mum's sacrifice he couldn't touch me and as a result I stalled long enough for Dumbledore to destroy the stone.
First year I also made it onto the quidditch team, Malfoy (I hope you haven't met him yet, he's a pain up the arse) stole Neville's remembrall and threw it, I managed to catch it and McGonagol saw, I was made seeker even though I thought I was going to be expelled for being on a broom when I shouldn't have been. Also in first year I first saw you and mum in the mirror of Erised, which shows you what you really want in life. I spent hours in front of that mirror until Dumbledore said it was pointless, I don't need it now I have my album. Dumbledore also gave me your invisibility cloak that has come in handy so many times.
Beginning of second year I almost got myself expelled after me and Ron drove a flying car to Hogworts that crashed into the Whomping Willow. I also got my first warning for using magic outside of school, actually it was a house elf called Dobby who did it but the ministry didn't seem to care. Dobby kept trying to save my life, but he wasn't very good at it
Second year we had this right twit teaching DADA, he was famous although it emerged he just stole other people's quests and pretended he did them, he took me on as his protégé because he thought I wanted to be famous (I don't incidentally, I'd rather just be Harry Potter living at home with his mum and dad and NO Dursleys). I hated second year, everyone thought I was the hair of Slytherin but I am not. When Voldemort gave me my scar he gave me some of his power too, I'm a parslemouth but I didn't know it was bad or rare or anything, I didn't even know I weren't speaking English. I used it in front of the whole duelling club, which wasn't the best thing to do. The chamber of secrets it turned out was opened by Ron's sister Ginny who had been possessed by Voldemort through a diary with his memory in it (Voldemort is really called Tom Marvolo Riddle, rearrange it and you get I am Lord Voldemort, how cute. Also his dad is a muggle). I defeated him in the chamber of secrets after me and Ron went to save Ginny. I killed the basilisk in there; it had been petrifying people all year, including Hermione.
Third year a good friend of yours, and my godfather, Sirius Black escaped from Azkaban. Everyone thought he was an evil murderer out to get me but as I explained before he wasn't, he was after Peter Pettigrew who was pretending to be a pet rat, more specifically Ron's pet rat Scabbers. The truth all came out in the shrieking shack but Pettigrew got away and Sirius had to stay on the run, only us three, Dumbledore and the DADA professor know the truth. He did buy me my Firebolt though (if you haven't rode it yet you HAVE to, it's fantastic). We also had one Mr Remus Lupin teaching DADA, he was the best teacher we ever had but he had to leave after Professor Snape accidentally let slip that he was a werewolf the night after we helped Sirius escape. We had to use a time turner that Hermione was using to take all her classes (if you haven't already noticed she is a little bit of a bookworm). I learnt the patronus charm in third year from Lupin, it takes the form of a stag and I drove over 100 of them away. When dementors come near I can hear Voldemort killing you and my mum, then I pass out. I felt guilty because even though I hated dementor that was the only time I could remember hearing your voices.
Third year I also had a slight problem with Aunt Marge. She was slating you and mum and I couldn't cope and did accidental magic, she blew up like a balloon and was finally punctured near Sunderland, couldn't have happened to a nicer person. I also got the map, which enabled me to get to Hogsmede without a signed form...I must thank you for writing that. Fred and George (Ron's brother's who gave me the map) think you are fantastic; they hero- worship you even though they don't know who you are.
Fourth year Voldemort came back, fifth year no one believed me until he came back in the middle of the department of mysteries, I'm back to being the boy-who-lived instead of a crazy attention seeker. I'm sorry for not going into these but the stuff that happened in them still hurts and you don't really need to know it, I might tell you eventually but I don't want to at the moment. Little bits from them though include winning the tri- wizard tournament, going to the quidditch world cup with Ron, learning to throw of the Imperio curse and most importantly getting expelled from school (only for about 5 minutes and it wasn't my fault.. Some daft bint sent dementors after me and they expelled me after using the patronus charm).
In fifth year I went into a pensive and saw you bullying Snape. You were by the lake being a show off and you tipped Snape upside down so everyone saw his pants. You were cruel and I hope you changed because you were nothing more than an arrogant bully. I saw my mum stick up for Snape; I hope I'm like her in that respect. At this moment in time I think he deserved it though, he's the one who made me drink my dodgy potion. There's other stuff too and in the penseive he called my mum a mudblood. I don't like people insulting my family.
So, my life in a nutshell. Someone should really write a book on it. I hope I haven't scared you too much and please don't ever pity me, I hate that. Now I've bored you to pieces I'm going to go.
Don't lose my place on the quidditch team!
Harry.
Lily looked at James. "He's my son, isn't he". James returned the gaze, suddenly his shoes didn't seem like the most interesting things in the world.
"Why do you say that?" he asked, he knew Harry wouldn't have told her and James definitely didn't want to laden the burden on her.
"The letter says about you bullying Snape by the lake. I was there, I stuck up for him and he called me a mudblood". How could he have been so stupid?
"I'm a twit, I should've remembered that." Lily pulled James' face up to hers
"I would have guessed anyway, he has my eyes and I guess he's like me in some respects, also my sister is called Petunia and her boyfriend is called Vernon. They hate magic. He is my son, isn't he?" James nodded.
James found it odd, this guy pretended to be him half the time but he didn't know him at all
"What's he like?" he asked.
Lily smiled, "He's lovely. He's caring, a lot quieter than you and a lot less cocky. He's damn mature but reading that letter there is no surprise why. He talks about his friends, I think he misses them a lot."
James mirrored Lily's smile. "His friends are great, they've been though so much together and they are still average kids. Grown up but it hasn't screwed them up or anything." James fell back on his bed "He's not even born yet, and I know I'll never get to know him. But I'm so proud of him".
Lily just nodded in agreement, "So am I".
James and Lily sat on his bed for ages talking about their future son and his life. Lily was surprised just how much James had matured while this whole scenario was going on while James was just overcome with fatherly pride. He was the same age as Harry but that bond was definitely there. The pair where both surprised that they were actually holding a civilised conversation less than a fortnight after the original changeover so much had happened. Suddenly pranks and games weren't the be all and end all. Maybe it was because they knew how it would all end up but they were slowly starting to like each other, not in a Romeo and Juliet way but in a subtle not wanting to rip off each others head and spit in their faces whenever their paths crossed kind of way.
It was James who suggested going up to the room of requirement, now that he had been informed of it's existence James felt it would be a tragedy if it wasn't utilised to it's full potential. He was rather surprised when Lily said she knew of it, and that her and Harry had slept in here the night of the dream. James let Lily chose what the room would be, she decided on her bedroom at home again and when they walked in there was the girlie paradise Lily missed so much when she wasn't at home. James looked around, the white bedside tables had a couple of muggle books on them and the window on the left wall looked out onto a large hill covered in heather with a brick tower on top, this must be Lily's home he thought.
James sat against the wall on the floor while Lily sat crossed legged on her bed, Lily talked about home and how much she missed it, she even missed her big sister Petunia even though she wasn't a nice person. James nodded, his family had a cottage at Godric's Hollow, James liked it there with its large garden and light rooms. He described his family to Lily, his mum and Dad, Grandad and Grandmas. He was an only child as were his parents, so the family was small but close.
"Wonder what our son is up to now?" She asked James, he had been to the future and knew what was happening.
"It's a Saturday in 1996, he'll probably be dossing with Ron and Hermione. When we changed over we were in here but them three have it as a little snug with big sofas and piles of sweets and drink. They had just told me everything about what had happened in Harry's life. They are great people, just the kind of friends you wish you had." Lily was thinking about how strange this was, they were going to die in less than 6 years, but that wasn't bothering her at all. We all had to go sometime, she was just grateful it was going to give her son the gift of life. From what she read at least aveda kedevra seemed painless enough.
Hello there childen, well another chapter. sory to have the hole books 1-5 in a nutshell again, but I wanted to have the letter in there. Sorry.
Anyways seeing that most readers of this fic seem to be American I was wondering if ou could help me with today's random question. In the Uk we have Nursery from 2-4, Primary School from 4-11 (reception to year 6), High school from 11-16 (year 7 to year 11) ,and sixth form (or college) from 16-18 (LVI and UVI). What is the American system? There is a bet riding on this so please give the answer I want :p
Cheers
Kimmiijay Kotchanski
