A/N: Just a quick reminder-The Toscora are a species which was created at Hogwarts. They were supposed to be the ultimate answer to the Dementor problem. Something went wrong, and they turned against their creators, including James.
James wandered the corridors silently, his thoughts not on his surroundings. How were they supposed to win now? Harry was under several paralysis hexes in the medical wing, and there were Aurors watching him at all times. Dumbledore lay in another part of the hospital, his condition unfathomable. At times he seemed ready to wake, and at others he appeared dead. At all times, there was a pained look on his face, as though he fought some terrible force. The efforts of Madam Pomfrey to help either patient had been totally ineffective. To make matters worse, James wasn't the only one in foul spirits. Everywhere he went, James heard fatalistic mutterings. The other students seemed to have given themselves up for dead, already. Blaise Zabini had exploded in fury when they'd attempted to plan for the battles they knew were coming. James let his thoughts wander, a week and a lifetime into the past.
"What's the bloody point?" he had yelled, causing Professor McGonagall to frown. "Haven't you been paying attention?" Dumbledore and Potter are dying in the hospital wing! You-know-who never feared anyone else! What can the likes of us do? Nothing!"
James had sighed. "In nineteen forty-five, Dumbledore fought a wizard known as Grindalwald. The odds were against him, too. Or what about Harry even? He's defeated Voldemort or someone related to him every year! We'll get through this, if we stick together. I've seen things your worst nightmares couldn't prepare you for. I know a few things Voldemort doesn't. If there was one thing I learned from my father, it's that you don't lay down and die. Make them come and get you. Don't give up until you're dead."
James returned to the present with a frustrated sigh. He'd spoken with conviction, but he could see the others weren't fooled. James had serious doubts about his ability, and the others knew it. The twins, who seemed to take the attack on Harry as a personal assault, along with Ron and Hermione, hadn't allowed him to dwell on those thoughts for long. Fred and George had threatened to make him their newest test subject if he so much as thought about giving up.
" We hope you do try to think about it, mate. We've some lovely new inventions we need to try out," Fred had said, in a conspiratorial tone of voice. James had shuddered and got back to work.
He found himself in the hospital wing, without really knowing how he'd got there. He walked to his father's bed, and lay his hand on Harry's forehead, as though checking for fever. A moment later, he moved over to where Dumbledore lay. Madam Pomfrey had given him access to them, in case one of his advanced healing spells might help in some way. James stared at the fierce expression on the old man's face and sighed. "Find your way home, Professor."
For an instant, the expression on the headmaster's face seemed to soften, but it was gone before James could really be sure of what he'd seen. He scowled, raw anger and determination filling him. He stalked out of the hospital wing, and ran headlong into Professor Sprout.
"Watch where you're going!" he snapped, before realizing who she was. "Oh. Sorry, Professor."
" Quite all right, James. Try to watch where you're going, won't you?" she said before walking out of his sight. James sprinted up to Gryffindor Tower, where he began to rummage through his things. Ron's voice stopped him, momentarily.
"Hi, James."
"Hello, Ron, Hermione," he said, glancing and them before going back to his rummaging.
"What are you looking for?" Hermione asked,
"Something the Headmaster gave me," he said, not adding that the headmaster in question was not Dumbledore. He pulled out an oddly shaped object, and stood. Ron's eyes widened. He and Hermione spoke at once.
"What's that?"
" What are you going to do with that?"
James sighed. "Isn't it obvious, Hermione? I have to go back."
"Back?" Ron asked, totally confused.
"This is a form of time turner. They're used to move around through time. I'm going to go back to before the attack."
"James, you can't!" Hermione said, stricken.
"Watch me."
"James, honestly! Don't you know what could happen? You'd almost certainly be seen, and--" Hermione began.
"I'm out of my own time as it is, Hermione. I've expected I might have to do something like this."
Hermione sighed in exasperation. "What about...haven't you...are you a god?" she finally asked. James stared at her in surprise.
"What?"
"Are you a god, James?" she asked, seriously.
"No," James said in annoyance.
"Exactly! You can't just decide to interfere with time! The smallest mistake could cause you to destroy everything! You could prevent your own conception, or Harry's, or create a new time-stream where anything could happen. Are you willing to risk handing victory to Voldemort? What if you caused Harry to join him, somehow?"
"That sounds a bit far-fetched," James mumbled.
"But not impossible," Hermione stressed. "you can't take the risk."
James sighed, and dropped the time turner back into his trunk, and used a spell he'd learned from Hermione to cause it to vanish. "You're right. Fine. But I'm keeping it as a last resort option."
" Expecto Patronum!" George yelled for the fifth time. A silver mist came from his wand and turned gold as the castle's own magical energies took hold of it. A moment later, the mist fell apart, and George cursed.
James sighed and began running a calming mantra through his mind. Almost immediately, he began calming. He turned to George, slowly. "Try holding your wand like this. It might be easier if I was the one casting the charm," James reminded the hapless twin. George didn't dignify this with a response.
"Expecto Patronum!" he yelled, speaking clearly, but in a frustrated tone. To James' utter astonishment, the Patronus formed again—and didn't die out immediately. It moved toward George, before dissolving. George smiled grimly. James understood.
"We're on the right track," he said.
"You try it," George said to James, while the others looked on, "I need a breather," James nodded, positioning his wand.
"Expecto Patronum!" James yelled. The golden mist appeared, but died, as George's had done. James changed the position of his wand and tried again. It made no difference. James pinched the bridge of his nose, and then extended his arm, for all the good it would do. He focused his thoughts, and tried again. Yet another golden mist filled the air, only to dissolve as the others had. Before James could say anything, a new voice cut in.
"Have you considered trying it as a group?"
James and the others whirled around. Mr. Longbottom stood there, with a thoughtful expression on his face. He looked better than he had in St. Mungo's, as though the sunlight, the presence of his son, and the love his his wife and mother had begun to restore him.
"Here, we used to do this with spells when I was an Aruor. Move into a half circle. That's it. Now, on the count of three. One, two, three!"
" EXPECTO PATRONUM!" Everyone in the room yelled, simultaneously. The mist blanketed the room and settled, instead of disappearing. Frank frowned.
"Remember, your happiest memories. I know it's difficult, with what's gone on, but we must try!" the older man said. Everyone nodded, and took a moment. James let his breath out in a great whoosh. Frank began to count.
"Expecto Patronum!" the group yelled. This time, something happened. Instead of mist, a solid force began to form. Not an animal, James noted, but a force nonetheless. It spread through the room as though a magical dam had burst, blanketing everything in a matter of seconds. Seemingly as one, the group lowered their wands.
"We need a boggart," James said breathlessly. Hermione nodded and set off before anyone could say anything.
"That was wicked!" Fred said, excitedly. "Smashing good idea, Mr. Longbottom!"
In a moment, Hermione returned, dragging a suit of armor behind her with the locomotor charm. She backed off after setting it in the center of the room, and looked back. "Ready?" James nodded for the group, they all raised their wands. Hermione knocked the head off of the armor. The boggart leapt from its hiding place and began to form into a Toscora. James shuddered. The horror of what he'd helped to create...but there was no time for this.
" EXPECTO PATRONUM!" they shouted in one voice. Once again, the force blanketed the room. For a moment, no one dared to even breathe. James opened his mouth to speak, only to close it as the boggart exploded.
"Well..." James finally said. "That...well."
"That was awesome!" George yelled.
"Well done, you lot," Frank said, softly.
"This is very advanced magic! I can't believe we've managed it!" Hermione said enthusiastically.
James smiled slowly. "I can."
"Yes, yes, very well done indeed," another voice said slowly. James started, and turned. Before him stood an older woman, probably about McGonagall's age.
"Professor? But--" James said, as his eyes locked with the old woman. Then his brain caught up with his eyes, and he began to put the facts together. The old woman smiled gently and waited. As soon as the pieces fell into place, James rolled his eyes at himself.
"You must be James Potter."
"Yeah."
"Excellent. Red speaks highly of you. My name is Esmeralda Trelawny. No relation to your Divination professor."
"Why are you here?" James asked, trying hard not to sound rude, but inquisitive instead. Mrs. Trelawny took this in stride.
"I went to school with your headmaster. He helped me in large way when Grindalwald killed my family. I told him if he ever had need of me, I would know. That time has come." Esmeralda said.
"Was he as crazy back then as he is now?" George asked. Hermione whirled around.
"GEORGE WEASLEY!" she yelled, but before she could say anything else, Esmeralda cut in.
"Actually, he was crazier. I think old age has rather caused him to...shall we say lose his touch?"
After the group finished laughing, the other students introduced themselves, and Hermione pointed to a jewel in the old woman's hair.
"That came from Avalon, didn't it? They're really rare!"
" Quite correct, Miss Granger. It was given to me long ago. And you must be Frank Longbottom," she said, turning to him.
"Yes. I take it you're here to help?"
Esmeralda nodded, and turned as Neville suddenly appeared.
"Dad, Professor McGonagall wanted you to know she's called a meeting. She said you'd understand."
"Thank you, son," Frank replied. He turned to the students and nodded. "Good work with the Patronus! I'm off. More practice later, everyone?"
The group nodded, and Esmeralda and Frank both set off. "A meeting?" Neville asked no one in particular, after the adults were gone.
"For the Order of the Phoenix, I imagine," James said, "How did you know her jewel was from Avalon, Hermione?"
"I've read all about them. Why?" A dark look crossed James' face. His eyes glazed over for a moment, before he answered.
"What do you know about Avalon?"
"It's said to be the burial place of King Arthur, and one of the last focus points for the magic which was used in the mid-evil times." Hermione replied.
" It's that and more. Every few hundred years, one witch and one wizard are selected by the Guardians who live there to return. It's said that those who return after being chosen aren't the same anymore. They aren't quite human," James struggled to explain something he didn't quite know how to put into words.
"Those who come back are capable of swinging tides in conflict, single handedly. In my time, Avalon was the site of the worst defeat for the light in the entire campaign. Avalon was the beginning of the end. We lost almost eleven thousand people in that fight."
Hermione gasped, and the other students looked stricken. James slowly unclenched his fists. He hadn't been aware of clenching them in the first place.
"If she really did go to Avalon, she's probably a lot more powerful than Dumbledore."
Amazement crossed the faces of everyone else in the room. Sighing, James turned and left, walking aimlessly.
Before long, he found himself in the hospital wing again. Muttering about futility and wasting time, he shook his head at himself, but sat down near his father's bed anyway, casting a silencing charm to ward off the sounds of the others in the hospital wing. Nearly fifteen minutes passed, before he spoke, as though Harry could hear him.
"Hope we can get this all sorted out soon, Dad. We've...we've figured some ideas for defending ourselves, so it won't be totally hopeless when the attack comes. Dumbledore's out too you know. A Toscora got him. If he dies it'll be my fault, I created them you know. You know that already. I'm just--" James paused, and sighed again. A moment later, he lashed out, throwing a glass of water against the wall with all his strength. The glass exploded.
"This can't happen! I came back here to save your life, and I am not going to watch you die!"
James paused again, taking deep breaths to try and stem the tide of frustration and despair flooding through him. "I don't know what to do, Dad. Things have been bad for us before, although they haven't happened yet for you. No matter what happened, I always thought everything would be okay, because you were around. Nothing can hurt the Great Harry Potter, right? I don't know if I can do this. I don't want to have to fight alone," James stopped, and stiffened.
"Mum. How...how long have you been standing there?"
"Long enough," she said, stepping up next to him. "Not so great for conversation right now, is he?"
"I suppose not. I'm wasting time."
"D'you think he can hear?"
James shrugged. "He's sedated. I doubt he understands what's going on."
"I don't think it matters. He'll make it." Ginny said, firmly.
"How can--"
"Do you think he'd want you to give up? That's not something Harry stands for, and neither do I. No...no son of mine...you can't stop yet. We still have work to do, and you wont be the only one to do it."
"But Mum..."
For a moment, James was reminded of his grandmother. He back up half a step. Ginny stood her ground. James shook his head, as though trying to clear it.
"Couldn't you just send me a Howler instead?" he asked with a smirk.
Ginny smiled grimly. "Are you sure you want one?"
"Have you ever heard a Howler written by a Weasley? Would you want one?" James retorted.
Ginny laughed, "Ronald Weasley! How dare you steal that car--"
James was laughing too hard to keep listening. Ginny joined in, but James sobered up quickly.
"You sound just like grandma," James told her. Ginny scowled.
" James Potter, please report to the headmaster's office" came Professor McGonagall's voice, cutting through air like a knife through hot butter. James sighed.
"Duty calls."
Ginny nodded, and turned to Harry, after bidding James goodbye. Before long, James found himself in front of the stone gargoyle.
"Twizzleberry sunburst."
The gargoyle moved out of his path, and James entered the office. Frank and Esmeralda were there, along with Professor McGonagall and Harry.
"Dad?" James said slowly. He'd just seen his father in the medical wing.
"No," the other replied.
"James, This is Nymphadora Tonks," Esmeralda said. Comprehension dawned.
"The one who can't fold socks?" James said too low for anyone to hear. Or so he thought.
"Yes, the one who can't fold socks. How'd you know that?" she asked in Harry's voice.
"You tried to teach me how to do it once. Could you change back? It's unsettling," he turned to Esmaralda. "What's going on?"
As Tonks changed, Esmeralda explained, "We don't want our enemies to realize what's happened. Undoubtedly, some of the highest ranking Death Eaters already know about Voldemort's attempt to possess Harry. The others will not. We've asked Ms. Tonks here to assume his form in an attempt to confuse them.
"I see."
"The problem being, I don't know Harry well enough to emulate him. That's where you come in," she said, before tripping over her own feet, while trying to walk over to him. James helped her up.
"Your forehead for one. You'll need the scar."
"I can't form the scar. It's not a normal part of human physiology. Sort of like how I couldn't just form a wand out of my own substance," Tonks replied.
"You could try using makeup. Hermione could help."
"Excellent. You'll teach me then?" she asked.
James nodded gravely. "Don't expect to get it right away. My father is...complicated."
"I understand," Tonks replied.
James nodded, and muttered softly he wished Dumbledore were here to help.
"That, I believe is a wish shared by all," Esmeralda said.
They'd soon understand just how true those words would turn out to be.