A/N: I'm sorry it has taken so long but school and work hasn't left me with much free time. But I'm ready now and I have one more chapter for you. Thank you to all of you who reviewed and welcome to my new readers, I'm glad you are liking it so far.
Chapter 2 ~ A Family Man
Fall had fallen and Harry was growing too fast in Lily's point of view.

He would attend his first Harvest Festival and James was looking forward to take him to his first Quidditch game.

James was lying on the floor of his bookroom watching Harry play with one of his foam Quidditch balls on this afternoon.

"You do not put the Quaffle on your mouth Harry, you put it in the goals." Laughed James as he tried to pull the ball from Harry's mouth.

Harry gurgled and flailed his arms before putting the ball back to his mouth.

"Hmmm.Maybe I should buy you a case of chocolate frogs, those you can put in your mouth." James chuckled.

"You will not, I do not want him to get sick." Said Lily coming into the room.

"But he keeps putting things in his mouth." James exclaimed.

"Of course he does, he is teething." Lily explained sitting in a chair near James.

"But is that hygienic?" James asked trying to keep Harry from putting the ball in his mouth.

"No it isn't, that's why we must keep his toys and everything around him clean. He puts everything in his mouth." Lily said.

Harry started to cry in frustration. His father had succeeded in keeping his ball away from his mouth and he clearly didn't like it.

"Oh, is daddy being mean and keeping you from your ball?" Cried Lily taking Harry into her arms.

"Hey, don't make me into the ogre father." James exclaimed.

"Just let him keep the ball, put an the Impervious Charm on it, that should keep the dirt of the ball." Lily said.

"All right." James flicked his wand over the ball. It glowed for a second and then he passed it to Harry.

Harry squealed and smiled as he put his ball back over his mouth.

James stayed down on the floor, smiling up at the sight of his young wife with their child in her arms. He had never thought that the day would arrive when he would be in this position.

Growing up, he was trained to be the leader and provider of a large estate. His income and assets were larger than most men in his world. His family name was well known and respected. He had the best training available to him. What more could he had wanted.

He had no idea that he would meet the woman that would become his partner in school. They went through a lot together and on their own. But they had finally made it. They were married and now they had a son who will inherit the name and possessions that had belonged to the family for centuries.

Lily looked at her husband underneath her lashes. She had noticed that he was smiling smugly as he looked at her and Harry. What is he thinking? She wondered.

Harry gurgled and she looked down at their son. He looks just like James, she thought. A few weeks before, Mrs. Potter had shown her James' baby pictures. Lily had fallen in love with them, but there was no mistaking the fact that their son looked exactly as his father did at that age. Harry's hair was growing, and to the disillusionment of his father, it was black and it seemed that he would not escape his father's untidy hair, even now, it stood on end and no matter what was done to it, it continued to look as if a breeze had passed through his head.

Harry yawned and the ball lay forgotten on the couch.

"I'll take him to his room." Lily said.

James nodded and watched as his wife left the room.

He stood up and reached down for the ball that had been left among the cushions and smiled.
The house was quiet now that the twins had moved to the Dower House with the older ladies, but they still found the time to visit his uncle and bring some of their energy back to the big house.

Lily spent most of her time with her mother and mother-in-law than at the house, specially on those days when James had to be gone for long hours.

On this bright September morning, James and Lily were driving to town. Baby Harry slept in Lily's arms. It was the first day of the Festival and they planned to meet their mothers and the twins in the village square.

"Will he wake up once we get there?" James asked looking down at his son.

"Probably." Replied Lily.

"Maybe we should've left him behind." James commented.

"Oh no, everybody is looking forward to seeing him in town." Lily exclaimed.

"Sirius is right, Harry is more popular than you or I had ever been." James laughed.

"We have to go to Gringotts." Lily suddenly said.

"Why?" James asked turning to look at his wife.

"We need to start a vault for him." Lily said.

"Isn't it a little too early for that?"

"Oh no, we must be prepared. We don't know what might happen to keep us from putting aside the money he will need for Hogwarts. I just want to be ready." Lily said.

"If you wish to, we'll go to London at the end of the week to open that vault." James kissed her brow.

"Thank you. I just got this feeling of urgency and I can't seem to shake it off." Lily looked worriedly at James.

"Don't worry Lily, everything will be all right." James whispered.

Lily didn't have time to say anymore. The village square was in sight and the music and laughter emanating from the crowd had woken up Harry.

James was surprised to see that Harry didn't cry at all. He just opened his eyes and smiled waiving his little arms in the air.

"You know that you will be the center of attention, don't you?" Laughed James.

"It seems that he inherited your arrogance and self-centeredness." Lily giggled.

"Hey! I'm not like that, you make me sound like a Malfoy!" Exclaimed James.

"I think that's why you hate him so much, because there is a lot in him that you see in yourself." Lily replied.

"Now you are losing your mind." James responded.

"Of course dear."

The car had stopped at the edge of the square. People were walking and dancing through the street.

"Come, everybody is eager to meet Harry." James got out of the car and helped Lily climb out.

Lily was instantly surrounded once they stepped into the street. James stood by her, looking proud and happy as his neighbors greeted him and his family.

It was some time later when they were able to move and walk among the crowd. They still had to stop and chat as inhabitants of the village tried to meet the new member of their little community.

Finally, they made it to their mothers' side, who had been waiting in the center of the village square.

"I take it you got stopped." Mrs. Potter said after she greeted the young couple.

"Yes. Everybody wants to meet Harry." James laughed.

"That is because he is such a handsome boy. Aren't you, Harry?" Cooed Mrs. Evans as she held Harry in her arms.

Harry seemed to agree with her. He smiled and gurgled up at her.

"Can we see him?"

"We want to see him." The twins piped as they stood on their toes trying to look at their cousin.

"It will be your turn soon." James said.

"Come, why don't we take a seat." Urged Lily as she spotted an empty table in front of the stage.

The band was getting ready when the group approached the table. People nodded and waved to them as they passed.

"What are you giving him Lily, he must be keeping you up at night, now that he is teething." Said Mrs. Potter.

"Doctor Pomfrey gave me a small bag with herbs that he says soothes his pain if he chews on it. I have it here somewhere." Said Lily as she looked through the baby bag.

"Oh, I don't need to see it. I know what it is. He gave me the same thing when Elizabeth and James were teething. It does help a little." Mrs. Potter said.

"Well, right now, he is happy chewing on everybody's fingers." James chuckled.

"I imagine he is." Laughed Mrs. Evans.

The band started to play and Lily and James turned to look at Harry to see if he got scared by the loud sound.

Harry didn't seem to mind. He looked up at the sky and listened attentively before looking for his parents with a small smile.

"He likes it." The twins said hiding their giggles behind their hands.

"Yes, he does seem to do so." Lily said.

"I don't think he is scared by anything. He will definitely be in Gryffindor." James exclaimed.

"James, really. You should stop making plans for Harry. You don't know what will happen in the future." Mrs. Potter chided.

"But he wouldn't be in any other house Mother. You know that. Every Potter has been in Gryffindor since they first attended Hogwarts." James said.

"I know dear. But there is always a first for everything." Mrs. Potter replied.

James didn't want to argue with his mother, he knew that his son was going to attend Hogwarts and that he would be in Gryffindor. There was nobody that would make him think otherwise.

The atmosphere turned festive the moment the band started to play. James led Lily out to the dance floor while their mothers kept an eye on Harry.

The twins were happily looking at the games that had been set up for the children and they spent all their allowance in sweets and toys.

Mrs. Evans and Mrs. Potter were happy just sitting in their table with their grandson keeping them company.

It was a warm and sunny day, and everybody took advantage of it.
Lily stirred in the middle of the night. She moved toward James' side of the bed but she found it empty.

She opened her eyes and blinked in the darkness. What had woken her? She asked herself. She stretched up on the bed and started to look around.

She noticed that the curtains had not been closed on the windows. The moonlight sneaked into the room through the open windows.

It was a full night. Lily sighed. "I hope Remus doesn't have a bad night." She whispered. She continued to look around. Where was James?

She stood from the bed and put on her robe. She walked toward Harry's room. It was almost time to feed him.

She thought it was surprising that Harry hadn't woken up yet. Usually he woke her up when it was time for him to eat. It hadn't happened this time.

She walked into the semi-darkened room. Some of the candles on the scones along the wall were lit. Her steps were muffled by the thick carpet as she approached the crib. It was empty.

Lily's body froze in fear. Where was Harry?

She turned to leave the room and go for help when she noticed movement on the far side of the room.

James was standing by the window. He had Harry in his arms.

"Oh James!" She sighed with relief.

James turned to look back and smiled.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake you." James said. "I heard him and came to quiet him and let you rest.

"Oh James, I was so scared when I saw the empty crib." Sobbed Lily.

James quickly walked toward her. "I didn't mean to frighten you Lily." He said standing in front of her.

"I know. I'm being silly, I know." Lily sniffled.

Harry started to cry.

"He must be hungry." Lily whispered as she tried to control her emotions.

"Yes. He was happy with my finger but I suppose that would work only for a while." James said.

"Oh yes, he will want something more substantial." Smiled Lily.

James passed Harry to Lily. Lily walked toward the rocking chair and started to feed Harry. James stayed by the crib, watching them with loving eyes.
The days were getting colder, and the harvest was underway. Most of the fruit and grain had been collected and stored. James stayed out on the fields most morning and in the afternoons he was busy with Mr. Sanders, his estate manager, figuring out the income and the things that needed to be done around the estate before winter fell.

But the evenings, the evenings were reserved for his family. Since the Harvest Festival, Lily had invited their mothers and the twins to take dinner with them. It was this time of the day that he looked forward to. To spend time with his family, that's what he worked the whole day for.

James was really looking forward to Christmas. It was Harry's first Christmas and James had started to make plans for it. It was going to be the best Christmas they had ever had.

On this October afternoon he sat silently in his bookroom. Mr. Sanders had just left to finish his chores and Lily had taken Harry to visit with the neighbors.

The room was getting dark, but he didn't bother to light the candles nor the lamps. As if on an impulse, James opened one of the drawers on his desk. It had been a while since he opened it. In fact, the last time he had opened the drawer was when he returned from Hogwarts after graduation.

He took out a crystal orb. It was small and had small grooves at the bottom. A Silver fog shone the moment he put his fingers on the grooves, and images of his life started to flash through the ball. He smiled. It was the Pensive that Lily had given to him on that Christmas on their seventh year. He hadn't used it since he returned from Hogwarts, and he had forgotten about it.

He pulled his wand out of his robes. Soon, images of everything that had happened for the last four years started to flash inside the orb. Scene after scene, all blending together into the silver fog within the Pensive.

An hour later, he stood by the window. The Pensive safe within his drawer.

He heard the front door open and close. His family was back. And darkness had fallen.

James quickly left the room. It was time for him to change and to spend the rest of the day with his family.
James was walking among the gardens one morning. He was on his way to meet Sanders and look at some repairs that were being done in the stables. He was feeling quite happy this morning. The day was sunny and there was a cool breeze.

He looked around him, the gardens were well tended, the lawns were trimmed and the topiaries were in perfect state. The mazes were beckoning to him, he should lose himself with Lily one of these days, he thought with a smile, it would be great fun.

He heard a roaring sound coming from the main drive.

"What is that?" He exclaimed aloud.

He turned toward the front drive. The sound was deafening.

He smiled as he arrived to the front of the Manor and saw what was causing the commotion.

"You are going to wake up Harry." He said.

"I don't think so, he is a tough kid." Laughed Sirius from the seat of his motorcycle.

"What did you do to that bike, it's so loud. Mine is not that bad and I know yours wasn't the last time you rode here." James said approaching his friend.

"Oh, I made some small changes." Sirius smiled.

"What kind of changes?" James asked feeling a little suspicious.

"Oh, nothing big. Just enough to make it better." Sirius replied.

"How can it be better if it's too loud." James exclaimed.

"Just something that I need to work on." Shrugged Sirius.

"Well, you better work on it fast. It makes too much noise." James responded.

"Never mind that. I came to see my godson." Sirius said.

"He should be napping right now. Minnie is keeping an eye on him. Lily and our mothers went shopping. Lily is complaining that Harry grows too fast and his clothing doesn't fit him anymore." James said.

"Well, I'll pop up and see him for a while then. Where are you going?" Sirius asked as he dismounted from the bike.

"To the stables, there are some repairs that I have to check on." James said, watching as his friend took off his helmet and put it on top of a bag strapped to the back of the seat. "What do you have there?" He nodded toward the bag.

"Oh, nothing much. Just some snacks for the road." Smiled Sirius.

James shook his head. "I'm going to the stables, want to come with me?" He asked.

"Nope, want to see my godson first." Sirius insisted.

"Fine, but don't wake him up." James admonished before walking toward the stables once more.

"Nothing to worry about." Called Sirius before he entered the house.

Roberts had held the door open as James and Sirius spoke.

"Thanks Roberts, is Harry still sleep do you think?" Sirius asked as he stepped into the hall.

"I cannot tell Sir, Minnie has been in Master Harry's room the whole morning. Do you want your bike to be taken to the garage?" Roberts asked.

"No need. I'll leave as soon as I've seen Harry." Sirius said.

"Very well Sir." Roberts said and walked toward the kitchens as Sirius walked up the stairs toward the family rooms.

Minnie opened the door when he arrived to Harry's room.

"Master Sirius Sir." Minnie greeted him.

"Hello Minnie, I came to see Harry." He said as he walked into the room and made his way to the crib.

Harry lay wide awake, shaking the small quaffle in his hand.

"Hello Harry. Having fun with the Quaffle, I see." Sirius chuckled.

"Master Harry likes the balls, Master Sirius, Sir." Minnie reported.

"He should, he is going to be the best Quidditch player Hogwarts has ever seen." Sirius replied.

"Minnie must check on Master Harry's food Sir." Minnie said, bobbing beside Sirius.

"Go ahead Minnie, I'll keep an eye on the little tyke." Sirius chuckled as Harry grabbed hold of his finger and led it to his mouth. "You better hurry too, he is about to eat my finger."

"Yes, Master Sirius, Sir." Minnie replied before disappearing from the room.

"What do you say if we spent some quality time together Harry?" Sirius whispered down to Harry.

Harry smiled and waved his small arms in the air.

"Yes, I know you will like it." Sirius said as he reached down to pick Harry from the crib.

Minnie returned in an instant, a bottle ready in her hand.

"Why don't you leave him to me Minnie? I'll keep him entertained." Sirius said turning to look at the small elf.

"If Master Sirius, sir, is sure." Minnie looked skeptically at Sirius.

"I'm sure Minnie, I'll call if I need help." Sirius said with an innocent smile.

Minnie nodded and handed the bottle and the bib to Sirius, before disappearing from the room once more.

"Well Harry, you and I will have a great time." Sirius said as he fed Harry.

Harry obliviously drank from his bottle, taking no notice of the mischievous smile gracing his godfather's face. Not that he would've known any better.

After feeding Harry and burping him, Sirius looked around the room. He spied a small bag where baby items were carefully kept. Sirius had noticed that James and Lily always took it with them whenever they left the house with Harry.

"Reckon there is everything in there that you might need." He said down to Harry, who happily looked up to his godfather's face.

Sirius said no more and took it. He looked around once more, and with a expression full of satisfaction, he left the room with Harry in his arms.

"Shh! We mustn't tell anybody." Sirius whispered at Harry.

Harry gurgled.

Sirius made his way silently down the corridors toward the entrance hall. He stepped off the staircase very carefully, making sure that nobody saw him.

"We are lucky that the servants seem to be working somewhere else." Sirius whispered.

Harry was turning his little head, looking around.

They finally reached the front door. Nobody was in sight.

Sirius had some trouble opening the door, but he finally opened it. He closed it behind him and skipped toward his bike.

"I'm sure, you'll like my bike Harry." Sirius said. "I have something for you." He reached for his wand and flicked it toward the bag strapped behind the seat.

The bag opened and some of the items spilled out.

"See this, I had this made specially for you." Sirius said as he held up a tiny helmet. "And I made this myself." He exclaimed with pride, holding up a small sack with two small holes on either side of the bottom and a large one on the top. It had large straps on either side.

Sirius put Harry inside the sack, his small face peering up from the large hole on the top. Sirius put it against his chest and strapped it around his body. Then he put the tiny helmet on Harry's head.

"Ready Harry?" He asked as he put on his own helmet.

Harry gurgled.

"Right. Let's go for a ride." Sirius said.

The bike roared. Harry looked around with surprise. Minutes later the bike drove down the lane.

"Let me show you what I did to this bike Harry." Sirius called.

He pressed a small button on one of the handles and suddenly the bike started to vibrate. Minutes later the bike started toward the sky.

Sirius roared with laughter. He looked happily down at Harry, who didn't seem frightened by the experience. His small arms waved at his sides and his little head was turning in all directions.
James was returning to the house when he saw a car stopping in front of the house. He walked to the family parlor and waited. He was sure that it was Lily and their mothers returning from their shopping.

Lily walked in minutes later.

"We bought lots of new clothes for Harry. I'm going to try them on him, in a minute. Want to come and see them?" She said the moment she saw him by the windows.

"Of course." James smiled as he kissed her. "I gather you had a good day."

"Oh, marvelous, but I did miss Harry. Maybe I should've taken him with me." Lily said.

Lily took James' hand and together made their way to the family chambers. Lily chattered as they walked.

Finally they walked into Harry's room. It was empty.

"Where is Harry?" Lily asked.

"Maybe Minnie took him to the kitchens to feed him." James said. "Minnie." He called.

Minnie appeared instantly before them. "Yes Master James." She bobbed.

"Where is Harry?" Lily asked.

"Master Sirius has him, Mistress Lily." Minnie said.

James ran to the window. "Where is Sirius? Oh no. His bike is not in front." He said.

"Don't tell me that he took my son for a ride on that motorbike of his." Lily exclaimed.

"I'm afraid that he might had." James replied.

"I'm going to kill him." Lily exclaimed.
Sirius arrived back at the Manor a couple of hours later, oblivious to the worry he had put James and Lily on.

The whole household was eagerly waiting as they heard the commotion of the engine in the driveway.

"Oh thank goodness." Exclaimed Lily running out of the front parlor where they had been waiting.

James followed her out.

The front door had been thrown open and Lily stood on the stairs waiting until Sirius stopped the engine.

"WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING?" She screamed the moment Sirius dismounted his motorcycle.

Sirius blinked worriedly at her and Harry started to cry in fright.

"See what you did? Now you scared him." Sirius frowned as he put his arms around Harry, who was still strapped around his chest.

"What are you wearing?" Asked James, who had arrived in time to keep Lily from screaming further to Sirius.

"Oh, I made this myself. To carry Harry around in." Sirius smiled.

"Well, give him to me. Why didn't you leave a note, or anything? I've been so worried." Lily exclaimed as she took Harry out of the sack.

"What would be fun in that, I was teaching him how to sneak out." Sirius said.

"Honestly Sirius!" Lily snapped.

Harry was still crying, and no matter what his mother did, he would not stop.

"You did something to him, he doesn't stop crying." Lily wailed.

"I did nothing, you scared him. He was happily in his little sack." Sirius snapped back.

"Here Lily, you are too high-strung, Harry feels that. Calm yourself my dear, he is fine." Mrs. Evans said as she joined them and took Harry from Lily.

"Come Rose, bring Harry to the parlor. Come Lily, you need a cup of tea." Said Mrs. Potter leading the other women back to the parlor.

"You really should've left notice Sirius." James chided.

"I told you I was trying to teach him how to sneak away, but I suppose you are right." Sirius grudgingly conceded.

"Did you have fun?" James asked looking at the sack that was still strapped around Sirius' body.

"Oh lots, Harry enjoyed the changes I made to my bike." Sirius grinned.

"You still haven't told me what those changes are." James said.

"I don't think you would like to know." Sirius replied.

James groaned. "I think you better tell me all the same, I don't want to find out when an accident happens. Specially if you are going to sneak my son out whenever you feel like it."

"Oh, all right. I installed a levitation charm on it. It can fly now." Sirius smiled with pride.

"Are you telling me that you took my son flying?" James' eyes were wide and dread was clearly seen in them.

"It is no different than when we took him flying on the brooms." Sirius responded.

"Shhh! Don't say that aloud, Lily might hear." James hushed him looking back to the house.

The door was closed and there was nobody around.

"And he was much safer. When we flew on the brooms we had him in our arms, and that could've been dangerous. That's why I made this sack. This way, Harry is strapped tight to my body and it leaves my arms free." Sirius said pointing to the small sack on his chest.

"Hmmm. Maybe we should have mother make some of those, it does seem useful." James said looking at the sack.

"Here you can take this one." Sirius said taking the sack off from him. "I better leave, or Lily will yell at me some more."

Sirius gave the sack to James. Minutes later, Sirius was driving away while James stood on the steps watching him go.

Meanwhile, in the parlor room, Mrs. Evans and Mrs. Potter succeeded calming Lily down.

"Don't worry dear, nothing bad came off it." Mrs. Evans was telling Lily.

"I think we were mental, thinking in making Sirius his godfather." Lily was ranting.

"Now dear, you know there couldn't be a better person. Sirius will die first than put Harry in any danger. You saw that he took precautions on this venture of his. He even constructed a way to keep Harry safely on the ride." Mrs. Potter said.

"Humph! I suppose that's true." Lily conceded.

"Harry will love him. He will be his crazy Uncle Sirius." Mrs. Evans said.

Lily actually giggled.

"Nobody can deny that." She said.

"And he will always be there if Harry ever needs him. You know that children don't go to their parents all the time. Sirius will be the one to whom Harry will run to whenever he is angry at you or James." Mrs. Potter replied.

"Oh, I suppose you are right. But he did frighten me dreadfully." Lily exclaimed.

"Oh my dear, all mothers are frightened when our children are out of our sight. But you have the best of friends around you and nobody will put Harry in danger." Mrs. Evans said.

"I'll forgive him then." Said Lily smiling.

Harry was quiet once more, sleeping in his grandmother's arms.

"The little dear, he must be so tired." Mrs. Potter said looking at her small grandson.

"Give him here mum, I'll take him to his room." Lily said taking Harry from her mother.

Lily took the lift to the family chambers instead of the stairs. She looked lovingly down at her son as he slept innocently in her arms.

"Did you have fun Harry? I bet you did. Your godfather will keep you in trouble." Lily whispered.

Harry yawned.

Lily chuckled. "Yes, he tired you too. You will love him."
James walked up to Harry's room after Sirius left and found Lily looking down the crib at their sleeping child.

"Is he asleep." James whispered coming into the room.

Lily turned to look at him and smiled.

"He is." She whispered back. "Is Sirius gone?"

"A few minutes ago." James replied. "He was afraid that you would yell further to him."

"I'm sorry I lost my temper." She said.

"I know dear, but he did deserve it." James responded.

He walked up to her and put his arms around her waist as both turned to look down at their son.

"Sirius will be Harry's favorite person in the world you know." Lily commented.

"I know. What did we get ourselves into?" James exclaimed.

Lily chuckled.
Halloween was approaching. The weather had turned bitterly cold. The ground was covered with golden leaves and the barren branches danced with the wind.

James had spent most mornings with Mr. Sanders, making sure that all repairs were done before winter fell; he didn't want any of his tenants to suffer through the cold.

He returned home one afternoon to find Lily worriedly waiting for him.

"What happened Lily? Something wrong?" He asked the moment he saw her.

"Oh James, Harry is ill. I don't know what to do." She wailed as she threw herself into his arms.

"What do you mean he is ill? What is wrong with him?" James exclaimed.

"He has a fever and a cough." Lily sobbed.

James sighed with relief. "But that is common Lily, he must have a cold."

"Colds can be very dangerous for babies. Their little bodies are not prepared for such." Lily's tearstained face turned to look up at him.

"Did you call the doctor?" James hugged her, trying to calm her down.

"Yes, he is not here yet." Lily sniffled against his chest.

"What about our mothers? They have experience with babies."

"They are gone to the village to shop." Lily explained.

"I see. Don't worry, you'll see that it's nothing to worry about." James said as he eased her from him. "The doctor will come soon." He looked down at her.

"Perhaps you are right. But James, his little body is so flushed with fever and he is so uncomfortable." Lily whispered.

"He'll get better, you'll see." James said. "Come, let's go see how our son is doing." And slowly led her up the stairs toward their chambers.

The doctor arrived soon after. Lily and James were waiting for him in Harry's room. Minnie was working diligently to get Harry to drink a potion she had prepared. Harry cried and waved his little arms in the air as he lay in Lily's arms.

"The doctor is here, Sir, Ma'am." Roberts announced.

"Oh doctor, please help my baby." Lily exclaimed the moment the old doctor walked into the room.

"Let's see what is bothering Young Harry." Said the doctor reaching for Harry.

The doctor placed Harry back on his crib and started to examine him. Lily and James stood by the crib, looking at every little thing the doctor did.

When the doctor put away his wand and the examination was clearly over, Lily and James waited expectantly for the prognosis.

"Well doctor?" Asked Lily as she clasped her hands nervously in front of her.

"It's just a cold. He will be fine, just continue to get him to drink this potion and he will his old self by morning." The doctor said.

"Thank you for coming, doctor." James shook the doctor's hand.

"Nothing to it. With infants we never know. A fever can lead to many things, but Young Harry here seems to very healthy. He's obviously eating well. He will be trying solid foods in no time." The doctor reported.

"Those are good news." Lily exclaimed.

"Not to worry my dear, infants are stronger than what we give them credit for. Your son here seems to be made of sterner stuff." The doctor laughed.

"Oh, I'm so glad there is nothing really wrong with Harry." Lily exclaimed.

"Just make sure that he takes the potion and that he is kept warm. There does seem to be a bug running around, he is the fifth infant with a fever I had to treat in the last two days." The doctor said.

"Should this be something that we should be worried about doctor?" Asked James, he didn't like the news that infants were falling sick in the area.

"I don't believe so, the cold always seems to bring illness with it." The doctor said as he reached down for his bag in which all his instruments were held. "I better go, old Mr. Andrews sprained his knee and I want to check on him."

"Thank you for coming so soon." Lily said from beside the crib. Harry was sleeping silently. Minnie had finally succeeded in getting him to drink the potion.

"Nothing to it my dear, glad to be of service. That's what your young man here pays me for, don't you know." The doctor smiled before leaving the room.

James followed him out, leaving Lily alone with Harry.

"Oh Harry, you gave me quite a scare." Lily whispered.

Harry continued sleeping.
James was relieved that nothing wrong had happened and that their first crisis, in Lily's point of view of course, had passed with no problems. Harry was healthy and happy by the next morning, not that this made Lily relax one bit.

James started to think of ways to distract her. Sirius gave him the idea when he came to visit a couple of days after Harry had fallen ill.

"I was thinking of Hogwarts last night." Sirius had suddenly said.

Both were sprawled on a couch in James' bookroom. The fireplace was lit and the dancing flames gave a cheery atmosphere to the chamber.

"Why?" James had asked.

"I was thinking of the Quidditch Pitch really. I just want to have a go in that field one more time. I really miss it." Sirius sighed with nostalgia.

"It was fun." James said.

"Why don't we do it? Why can't we go and have a fly around the old Pitch for fun?" Sirius had exclaimed.

"Because it's school time and students are bound to use it. I do have a pitch here you know, in case you have forgotten." James responded.

"Oh, but it's not the same." Sirius had exclaimed.

"Besides, I'm don't want to leave Lily and Harry on their own for long. Lily was really upset when Harry fell ill." James said.

"Well, let's take them with us. Harry will enjoy the Pitch." Sirius urged.

James laughed at Sirius' enthusiasm.

"Come James, what do you say?" Cajoled Sirius.

James just shook his head in disbelief and laughed. But later that night, as he lay in the darkness and Lily slept beside him, he thought it would be a good idea to go and visit Hogwarts.

"And there are a couple of things I want to speak to Dumbledore about." He whispered.

Lily moaned and snuggled against him.

James put his arm around her and kissed her brow before closing his eyes and falling asleep.
Sirius was overjoyed when James owled him the next morning with the news that they would be going to Hogwarts. Lily was a little suspicious that James wanted to visit Hogwarts.

"Think of it Lily, let's show Harry our old playing grounds, he needs to see what is in his future." James exclaimed as he tried to sell his idea to his wife.

"But why now James? We can go at any time and Harry is too little to pay much attention to much. We will go when Harry gets his letter." Lily replied.

"Oh please Lily! I miss the old place, I would like to see it one more time." James pleaded.

"Well, I would like to see the castle again. It has been a while since I've been there." Lily seemed to be warming up to the idea.

"And we can take the twins as well. They will be getting their letter in less than two years, it would be a treat for them if they get to see the place before they actually go. How many first years get the chance to go before they get their letters?" James said.

"Well, yes, that is true." Lily seemed to cave in. "All right, we'll make it a family outing." She said.

"I'll invite Sirius and Katie to come along, I think they might like to join us." James replied happily.

"Oh yes do. This could be fun." And Lily ran off to talk to her mother and mother-in-law about the projected outing.

James happily wrote an owl to Sirius.
The day chosen for the outing couldn't be better. The day was sunny and rather warm for a fall day. James had owled Dumbledore letting him know of their visit. The Headmaster had sent a welcoming response.

"Is everything ready?" Asked Lily as they all stood on the entrance hall with several bags at their feet.

"We are if you don't need to take something else." James said as he looked down at the bags laying on the floor beside him.

"No, I think I got everything." Lily said.

"Well, then we can leave." James said.

"How are we getting there?" The twins asked.

"We are Flooing." Mrs. Potter said.

"Do you think that is safe with Harry?" Asked Katie.

"Lily, Harry, Mrs. Evans and I, are going in the car." James said.

"Why don't we all go in the car? I've never driven to Hogwarts, it will make for a change in scenery." Katie said.

"Well, you can come along if you want to. There is another car we can take." James shrugged.

"Yes, let's all ride the cars, I would prefer it, I don't like the idea of separating the group." Mrs. Potter said.

James groaned. "By all means, let's take the car." He exclaimed and the other car was called from the garage.

Two black cars left the estate and made its way north. The cars were obviously special, as Lily noticed that they covered a lot of ground without seeming to go at a great velocity. Harry slept most of the day while the twins kept their faces pressed to the windows taking notice of everything they passed.

They made several stops during the trip. The inns chosen for the stops were small but cozy, and very hospitable. Lily made sure that Harry was fed and changed into clean diapers before they moved on once more, while Mrs. Potter took care that the twins got in no trouble.

A little after noon, the scenery started to change and everybody knew that they were nearing their destination.

"Are we driving into Hogwarts?" Asked Mrs. Evans.

"No, we'll stop in Hogsmeade where Dumbledore will have carriages waiting for us." Responded James.

"Cars do not work in Hogwarts, there is too much magic for the engines to work." Explained Mrs. Potter.

"I see." Exclaimed Mrs. Evans.

The cars drove deeper and deeper into the Highlands of Scotland. The forbidding sights attracted them and soon they were able to spot the small town of Hogsmeade.

"We are here!"

"We are here!" Exclaimed the twins.

"Settle down girls, you do not want to scare your cousin." Urged Mrs. Potter.

The twins promptly sat back on their seat and turned to look back out the windows. Harry kept sleeping in silence in his mother's lap, oblivious to his cousins' excitement.

The cars stopped in front of The Three Broomsticks. Everybody piled out and stood looking around them.

"This looks like a fun town." Expressed Mrs. Evans as she watched cloaked men and women walk rapidly from store to store, greeting others as they passed.

"It is!" Exclaimed James and Sirius.

"Do you think we might have some time for a drink? I'm sure Mrs. Evans would like to try the butterbeer that the Broomsticks serve." Sirius asked with a suspicious, innocent look.

"Well, I don't see why not. I wouldn't mind a drink myself." James said.

The group piled into The Three Broomsticks. Rosmetta, the waitress of the establishment rapidly approached for their orders but was instantly distracted from her purpose the moment she saw Harry in Lily's arms.

"Will you look at him? He is quite a handsome boy." She exclaimed. "But why should I be surprised, considering who his parents are."

Lily smiled contently up at her while James sat proudly beside her.

"We'll have to watch out for him in eleven years, I'm sure he will get in trouble just as his father did." Rosmetta laughed.

"Indeed, I'm quite glad I'm not the one who will have to deal with those owls. I had my share." Mrs. Potter laughed along with Rosmetta.

"Let's just be glad that Mr. Black does not have a son of his own yet." Rosmetta said nodding to Sirius.

"Oh, but you will. In time." Sirius grinned cheekily at her.

"Lord protect us!" Exclaimed Rosmetta.

The twins were giggling behind their hands. They liked this nice lady.

"Well, what will you have?" Rosmetta eventually asked.

"Bring us a round of butterbeer." James ordered.

"Oh and would you mind if I prepare a bottle for Harry?" Lily asked before Rosmetta left them.

"Why don't you give it to me, I'll have it prepared for you." Said Rosmetta.

Lily gave the bottle to the waitress, who promptly retired to the bar.

"I'm going to change Harry while we wait." Lily said and left the table.

"Why doesn't she stay here? All she has to do is magic it." Sirius exclaimed.

"Because it is of bad taste to do it in public Sirius. How would you like it if you had to do your business in front of everybody?" James replied.

"Well, I see your point." Sirius conceded.

Lily quickly returned and Rosmetta returned soon after. For the next half an hour the group enjoyed their drinks and Harry made the acquaintance of all the visitors to the pub.

As soon as drinks were drank and introductions made, the group made their escape and climbed into the waiting carriages in front of the pub.

The lane to Hogwarts was deserted as the sound of the invisible hooves headed toward the castle.

Eventually the carriages turned and entered the sweeping lawns of Hogwarts. The lake shone against the sunlight and the trees of the Forbidden Forest stood tall and dark in the distance.

The imposing façade of the castle stood in front of them. The tall turrets and towers blocked the sunlight.

A lone person stood underneath the arch of the doorway. As the carriages stopped, James smiled as he saw who this person was.

"Hello Professor!" He called as soon as he climbed down the carriage. He then turned and helped his mother and wife out, while Sirius helped Katie and Mrs. Evans. The twins didn't bother to wait, they clambered out of the carriage as fast as they could.

"I gather you are going to behave yourself this time? Mr. Filch is still upset from what happened the last time you and your friends paid us a visit." Professor McGonagall said. Her forbidding expression set, but her eyes twinkling with merriment as James and Sirius laughed at the memory of that visit.

"Not to worry Minerva, you have reinforcement here." Mrs. Potter laughed as she approached the austere woman at the door.

"That is a relief." Professor McGonagall replied. Her expression softened the moment Lily approached with a wide awake Harry in her arms. "Oh, he is so tiny." She exclaimed. She reached for him and Lily promptly allowed her to take Harry. "He looks like Potter, but he has your eyes Miss Evans." She said.

"Don't forget she is a Potter now, Professor." Sirius said.

"Oh of course, I keep forgetting." Professor McGonagall exclaimed.

Lily laughed. "Not to worry, I forget sometimes."

"I just hope he takes after his father in looks only." Professor McGonagall said turning to look at James. "Hopefully he has inherited his mother's nature."

"You should be so lucky." Sirius mumbled under his breath. James heard him, as he was standing right beside him, and nudged him into silence.

"We all hope so Minerva, we all hope so." Mrs. Potter replied.

Harry gurgled and smiled as his elders spoke. The shiny glasses above him attracted his attention and he waved his little arms in front of him trying to grab the shinning object.

"Well, he certainly is curious enough." Professor McGonagall said as she tried to keep her glasses out of Harry's reach.

Lily laughed and took Harry back.

"Dumbledore is waiting to greet you." McGonagall said and led them through the corridors.

Mrs. Evans was eager to see everything; the only two times she was at Hogwarts she didn't get to see much of the castle. The first time was when Lily had her accident on her seventh year, Mrs. Evans didn't leave her side then. The second time was for Lily's graduation, and she only stayed for a few hours.

Everybody pointed out things to her and the twins, who were also eager to see the place where they would live in a couple of years. The subjects in the paintings waved and greeted them as they passed. Their eyes opened wide when they noticed some of the staircases change direction.

Mrs. Evans was disappointed when they stopped in front of an extremely ugly gargoyle. Who would keep such an ugly thing? She asked herself, but gasped a moment later when the gargoyle opened and showed a spiral staircase.

"I believe you know your way." Professor McGonagall said stepping aside and motioning them to enter.

James took the lead. He stepped into the opening and allowed the staircase to lead him up. The others soon followed. Mrs. Evans noticed the opening closing once the last person stepped onto the staircase.

They stepped into a circular room. Odd things stood around the room. Mrs. Evans noticed an old, frayed hat on one of the shelves, paintings of old wizards and witches hanging on the walls watching the group with curiosity.

The twins exclaimed when they saw a large, red, odd-looking bird standing on a golden perch.

"What is it Uncle James?"

"What is its name?" The twins asked as they approached the bird as it stood looking down at the girls with a measuring look.

"Oh, that's Fawkes, and he is a phoenix." James answered.

"Fascinating, I always thought they were a myth." Mrs. Evans exclaimed.

"Well, you must remember mum, that most things that in the muggle world is thought to be myth or legend, to us is history and reality." Lily said.

"Lily is right, Rose." Mrs. Potter exclaimed.

"Welcome. I hope you had a nice trip." A booming voice was heard from the door behind them.

"Hello Professor, hope we are not keeping you from your work." James said approaching Dumbledore to shake his hand.

"Oh no, not much to do today. It is the weekend after all." Dumbledore smiled. "What do you think Hogwarts young ladies? Think you would like living here?" He asked turning to look down at the twins who were looking at him with looks full of curiosity and consideration.

"Oh yes."

"It's really nice." The girls exclaimed.

"You came just in time, we are having the feast soon enough." Dumbledore said.

"Oh good, I hoped we would get a chance to eat." Sirius exclaimed.

Dumbledore chuckled. "I'm glad we told the elves to be ready for you."

Everybody laughed at this, but the gurgle and laughter coming from the bundle carried in Lily's arms attracted Dumbledore's attention.

"He is awake then, I thought he was asleep as he was so quiet." He said approaching Lily.

"Oh, he has been looking about." Lily smiled as she passed her son to her former Headmaster and employer.

"Hello Harry! How do you like Hogwarts?" Dumbledore asked looking down at the infant who watched him steadily.

Harry smiled and flailed his small arms. Dumbledore chuckled and took one of the little arms that seemed to be curious about his beard. Harry grasped one of his fingers and held on to it.

Harry gurgled happily as he pulled the finger in his hand.

James and Lily looked indulgently at their small son as he played with the Headmaster's hand and beard.

"You chose a very good day to come, there is no better time than Halloween to visit Hogwarts." Dumbledore said.

"I say! I can't wait until dinner time." Sirius exclaimed.

"I thought you wanted to come because you wanted to ride your broom in the Pitch." Katie said.

"So I did, and still plan to, but that doesn't mean I'll say no to Halloween Feast at Hogwarts." Sirius responded.

"There is somebody waiting for you at the Pitch." Dumbledore suddenly announced.

"Indeed. Who?" James turned to look at Dumbledore with surprise.

"You will see when you get there." Dumbledore replied as his smiling eyes twinkled.

"Let's go James, there is no better time than the present." Sirius called as he started to leave the room.

James reached for Harry and quickly followed his friend out with a squirming bundle in his arms.

"I'm not sure I should let him take Harry with them. I'm sure that they will get him on a broom." Lily said looking worriedly at the door after Sirius and James had disappeared out of the room.

"Humph! What makes you think they haven't already?" Katie laughed.

"Oh surely not. Wouldn't that be too dangerous?" Mrs. Evans exclaimed.

"Of course it is. That is why they love it so." Mrs. Potter replied as she tried to keep the twins from grabbing some of the things found around Dumbledore's office.

"No matter, they can get in no trouble." Mrs. Potter said after she finally got the girls to sit quietly beside her.

"My dear Susan, we thought the same thing when they entered on their first year, and they got in trouble every single day." Dumbledore smiled.

All the women groaned around him.

"Maybe we should go to the Pitch as well." Lily quickly said and made her way out of the room, closely followed by the rest.
James and Sirius took their time getting to the Pitch. They stopped several times along the way to check on the secret passages that they found when they attended Hogwarts.

"Do you think the map is still in Filch's office?" Sirius asked as they stepped out of the castle.

"Most likely." James said as he tried to move Harry in his arms. His right arm had fallen asleep and he was afraid that he would let Harry fall.

"Here, let me hold him." Said Sirius as he noticed his friend's trouble.

James quickly passed Harry to Sirius. Harry didn't seem to mind this change at all.

"Maybe we should steal into Filch's office and get the map back." Sirius said.

"Are you crazy?" James exclaimed looking at his friend as if he had sprung horns on his head.

"Why not? Harry here should have it when he comes." Sirius said.

"Sirius, he will have enough problems with you as his godfather, he won't need any more than that."

"Hey! Are you saying I'm a bad influence?"

"You're an influence all right!" James laughed.

"What do you mean by that?" Sirius growled, but there was no response as they arrived at the Pitch.

"I missed this place." James sighed as he looked around.

The towering walls holding the seats where the students sat to watch the games looked as they had always did. The enormous rings at each end of the Pitch glistened in the sunlight. And the banners, hanging in the spectator boxes where the teachers and guests sat, waved in the breeze.

"It was about time you got here, I've been waiting for hours." A voice exclaimed from one of the seats.

James and Sirius turned to look at the speaker.

"What are you doing here? I thought we told you that we were meeting at James' and come from there." Sirius called as he waved to the young man sitting in the seat he always sat when he watched the games while at school.

"I wasn't sure I could make it on time so I came here instead." Remus said as his two friends started to climb to join him.

"Well, no matter, you are here." James said as he took a seat next to Remus.

"Yeah, at least you made it, Peter couldn't come." Sirius sighed as he sat next to James.

"Where is everybody else?" Remus asked peering down to see if anybody else walked into the Pitch.

"Dumbledore's office." Sirius responded.

"Not anymore I think." James pointed behind them. They could see a small group making its way to the Pitch from the castle.

Sirius groaned. "Why are they coming, they are going to spoil the fun."

"I think they were afraid of what you might do with Harry here." Remus pointed at the infant in James' lap.

James had sat Harry in his lap resting his little back against his stomach. Harry was curiously turning his head around the Pitch, gurgling as he noticed everything, up to the smallest things, around him.

"See, told you he would like it. Don't you Harry? You better take a closer look around the place, you're going to spend a lot of time here once you come to Hogwarts." Sirius looked down at the smiling infant who had turned to look at him the moment he heard his voice.

"Will you look at that? Madam Hooch is with them." Remus said as he watched the group coming nearer.

"Is she?" James asked turning back to see if Remus was correct.

"She might as well be here as we are going to have to borrow some of her brooms." Sirius said, also turning back to watch the group coming toward them.

Lily and Katie were before the others as they entered the Pitch.

"This place is larger than what I remembered." Lily exclaimed the moment they stepped into the field.

"So are those seats, I can't believe we actually sat that high." Katie said looking up at the seats above them. She quickly spied the three young men and tugged Lily's sleeve. "They are up there. Someone else is with them." Katie motioned at the trio watching them from the seats.

"Who is that?" Lily asked covering her eyes against the glare of the sun.

"Probably Remus." Shrugged Katie.

The others soon joined them and the twins ran off to join their uncle.

"Did they just come to sit there?" Scoffed Madam Hooch.

Dumbledore chuckled. "I rather doubt it, they are not the kind to just sit there and keep still."

"You can say that again." Sighed Mrs. Potter.

"This place looks huge. Is the Pitch at the Manor the same size?" Mrs. Evans asked as she looked around.

"It is, but it looks smaller because it's all surrounded by the orchard. This is open space, so it looks larger." Lily said as she started to walk toward the sitting group up on the stands.

"What are all of you doing here?" Sirius called.

"Making sure you lot would not get in trouble." Katie smiled innocently at her husband.

Sirius glared at the group.

"You are not planning to take that child on a broom with you, are you?" Exclaimed Madam Hooch as she spied Harry on James' lap.

"Of course he is going on a broom with us. It's his destiny." Said Sirius.

"Sirius, honestly. It's not safe on a broom with a child as young as Harry. How do you expect to keep your equilibrium if your hands are holding him?" Scoffed Katie.

"Well, with this of course." Sirius said holding up his homemade harness for Harry.

"I thought you had left that with me." Said James.

"I did, I made another one." Sirius held his creation proudly in the air.

Lily laughed. "You know you can buy those at a muggle shop don't you? And they are much more prettier."

The others laughed as Sirius scowled at them holding his sack against him.

"I'll have you know that I put a lot of effort into this! I had to read all my mother's sawing magazines to get the stitching right." Sirius sounded offended.

James and Remus snickered.

"You sewing?" Laughed James. "I would've loved to actually see you at it. Sirius sitting in a chair with needle and thread."

"I didn't use needle and thread. That's what the wand is for. I'm not going to risk pricking my fingers." Scoffed Sirius.

The others continued chuckling and laughing.

The twins had lost interest in the conversation around them and both were looking over the edge, trying to look at the decorations around the Pitch.

"Girls, be careful." Mrs. Potter exclaimed the moment she noticed their precarious position.

The mood changed after that.

After some begging, James was allowed to use Sirius' creation and take Harry riding with him. Madam Hooch happily provided some brooms and joined the young men on their ride as well.

Lily kept her eyes on her husband, while Katie kept up a conversation with Mrs. Evans and Dumbledore.

Mrs. Potter took the twins for a tour of the grounds and the pair was later seen running around the lawn.

"Where are the students, Professor?" Asked Lily after a while, once she was sure that Harry was safe in his father's company.

"In their common rooms most likely." Said Dumbledore as he looked at the flying friends in the Pitch.

"But it's Saturday!" Exclaimed Katie, clearly remembering that she took advantage of the weekends to have fun while she attended Hogwarts.

"Teachers have left quite a bit of work this week." Chuckled Dumbledore.

"Well, at least it allowed the boys to have their fun without bothering anybody." Lily said.

"It won't be for long. Who are those kids coming toward us?" Mrs. Evans was looking behind her toward the castle.

The others turned to look and saw the scarlet robed group making its way to the Pitch.

"It looks like their fun is over." Said Katie waving at Sirius, motioning him to approach them.

Sirius flew over to his wife and stopped in front of her.

"You need to tell the others that your time is over." Katie said.

"Why?"

"Because Gryffindor is coming to practice." Lily said turning back to look at the Pitch.

"Oh, I want to see that. James, Remus, time to leave the field." Sirius screamed to his friends.

"Couldn't you be any louder?" Katie rolled her eyes while Sirius smiled cheekily at her.

James and Remus quickly joined them, Madam Hooch following at a slower pace.

"What? Why do we have to stop?" James and Remus asked.

"Gryffindor is coming to practice." Sirius reported while James passed a wide-eyed Harry to Lily.

"Oh, I got to see this. How is Gryffindor's team this year Madam Hooch?" James asked the matron flying beside him as they slowly sank back to the ground.

"Well enough. I don't think they can compare to your team however." Smiled Madam Hooch.

James laughed.

"Of course not, we were the best." Sirius exclaimed.

The foursome joined the others just as the Gryffindor team was entering the Pitch.

One of the team members, the smallest and skinniest of the lot, nudged the tallest and motioned toward the group that sat watching their entrance. The team quickly approached the sitting group.

"Professor Dumbledore, Madam Hooch." The tall boy greeted the staff members and looked at the others with curiosity.

"Mr. Johnson, time for practice I see." Dumbledore said as he looked over the young people standing in front of him. He noticed the team's curiosity and quickly made the introductions. "This is James Potter, his wife Lily, Sirius Black and his wife Katie, Lily's mother, Mrs. Evans, Remus Lupin and this little tyke is James and Lily's son, Harry."

The team nodded kindly at the group before them.

"Very pleased to meet you Mr. Potter, Mr. Black, you are quite a legend around here." The tall boy said with excitement.

James and Sirius preened with satisfaction while Lily and Katie seemed quite resigned to hear the young man gush at their husbands.

"This strapping fellow here is Jonathan McDowel, he is Gryffindor's Beater and Captain this year." Madam Hooch introduced the tall boy.

"Indeed, nice to meet you Mr. McDowel." Said James shaking the young man's hand.

"It is indeed a pleasure for me Sir." Jonathan McDowel said happily. "This is my team, Henry Edwards, Michael Blight, and Anna Norton are our chasers, Thomas Dunn is our other beater and this young fellow here is our new seeker, Kenneth Wellington."

"Well, we won't keep you from practice then." James said eager to see how good this year's team was.

"Won't you join us Sir, we would appreciate any tips you might give us." Jonathan asked eagerly, looking at both James and Sirius.

"What do you say James? Should we fly with Gryffindor once more?" Asked Sirius looking down at the Pitch with adoration.

"Of course we should." James exclaimed.

Both tumbled down from their seats in a hurry, the team running right behind them. Harry had started crying the moment his father left his mother's side.

"Oh Harry dear, don't worry, he'll be right back." Lily soothed her son.

Harry continued crying.

"Maybe he wants to fly some more." Said Madam Hooch. "He was enjoying himself, you could hear his squeals of laughter anywhere on the Pitch."

Dumbledore chuckled. "I'm afraid that we might have another Quidditch player in our hands."

"It certainly looks that way, doesn't it?" Said Katie as she watched her friend trying to get Harry to stop crying.

Lily sighed with exasperation, nothing she did seemed to work.

"Here, why don't I take him for a slow ride while James and Sirius are playing with the team?" Said Remus leaning down for the broom, sitting at his feet along with the homemade strap Sirius had made, before reaching for Harry.

Harry stopped crying the moment he spied the broom and gurgled with laughter.

As Remus climbed down the stairs, the others sighed with relief.

After some minutes of play, the team seemed to have a problem and Harry seemed to be in the center of it.

"Lily, you must do something, your son is not allowing us to practice." Sirius exclaimed flying up to the quiet group up on the seats.

"What do you mean? What is he doing? He is flying with Remus well below you." Lily replied.

"Yes, but he keeps getting the snitch. Don't ask me how, because we don't know, but the snitch always keeps flying to his hands." Sirius sounded quite exasperated.

"Are you telling me that Harry is summoning the snitch to him." Katie exclaimed with surprise.

"It certainly looks that way." James had flown behind Sirius and looked quite proud that his son had been able to do magic that he should've learned on his fourth year.

Lily giggled with delight, Dumbledore boomed with laughter as Madam Hooch and Katie smiled, Mrs. Evans had gone to join Mrs. Potter and the twins beside the lake.

"Yes, we are all proud of him as it is clear that he will come to Hogwarts, but we do need that snitch." Sirius said as the others finally got over their merriment.

"I'm sorry Sirius, we didn't bring his toy snitch, and I do worry that he might put the snitch in his mouth and he would swallow it." Lily said.

"I think I might have something." Said Madam Hooch and ran down the steps to her office.

The team was flying slowly beside Harry who didn't seem to want to let the snitch go. Remus was smiling down at him but didn't try to take the snitch away from him.

Madam Hooch soon returned and approached at the flying group. A large snitch, three times bigger than the regular snitch flew out of her hands and flew toward Harry, fifty times slower than the regular snitch, it might as well just be hovering above the ground. Harry reached for it, letting the regular snitch out of his hand in the process. The team whooped and the game resumed.

"I had that in my office, some spell reflected on it on one of our practices and it has not been able to fly fast since then, I just did an engorgement charm for Harry." Explained Madam Hooch as she took her seat once more.

They stayed out on the Pitch for a couple of hours, the Gryffindor team seemed to do better than they ever did, and thanking their heroes, left for the dormitory with dreams of the Quidditch Cup.

Dumbledore led his visitors to the castle, ready to share with them the Halloween Feast.

The teacher's table was divided into two, one were most of the teachers were to sit and the other where Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall would host their guests. A high chair was conjured at this table and the students were eager to find out who would seat with their Headmaster.

They had all heard rumors that visitors had come to Hogwarts. But as most of the students had either stayed in their dormitories or gone to Hogsmeade after finishing their work, nobody seemed to know whom the visitors were. The Gryffindor team was quickly surrounded as some of their classmates had heard that they had spent time with Dumbledore's guest that afternoon.

Before the team said a word, however, Dumbledore entered the Great Hall, followed by a group of witches and wizards some of who were familiar to the older students.

"James Potter and Lily Evans, they were Head Students six years ago." Some of the students whispered to their younger housemates.

"They got married, I heard it was a wonderful wedding." Some girls were gossiping to each other.

"That must be their son, I read about it in the social section of the Daily Prophet this summer." Others said as Harry looked around him with wide eyes, the floating pumpkins and flying bats seemed to have grabbed his attention.

Dumbledore led them up to the table readied for them, but before they settled into their seats, Hogwarts' former students greeted their old professors and met the new ones. Harry was a great attraction and he seemed to like the attention he was getting.

Once everybody was sitting, Dumbledore stood as the students craned their necks trying to get a better view of the Headmaster's companions.

"I hope all of you enjoyed your day." He started as the students cheered. "We have some special guests this year. Mr. James Potter and Mrs. Lily Potter have brought their family and friends for a short visit. Please welcome them." The Hall exploded into applause and cheers.

Harry started to cry, it seemed that the noise scared him. Lily quickly took him into her arms and Harry eventually stopped crying as the noise in the Hall settled into something more manageable.

Food soon appeared on the tables and everybody settled to eat. Harry sat on his high chair throwing everything into the air instead of putting it into his mouth. Finally a house elf appeared and took Harry to the kitchens were the elves happily tried to get him to eat. The more food he threw, the happier they became.

Lily and James chatted with Professor Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall throughout dinner as Sirius kept his attention solely on his food and Katie kept Mrs. Evans and the twins entertained with stories about their life in Hogwarts as Mrs. Potter listened attentively.

It was a fine meal for everyone. But eventually it had to end.

Harry was brought back to the Great Hall as soon as the students started to leave for their dormitories.

"The lil' tyke." Exclaimed a booming voice at the other side of the teachers' table.

Lily and James turned to look at the speaker and smiled as they saw their large friend, Hagrid, coming toward them. "He is so small." He said.

Lily laughed. "Indeed he is. Harry, say hi to Hagrid." Lily held Harry up to Hagrid.

Harry laughed and tugged on his beard. Hagrid's booming laughter could be heard throughout the hall.

"He seems to have his father's curiosity." Sighed Mrs. Potter.

"That's not bad." Said James.

"Let us hope that he inherited Lily's common sense." Said Katie.

Hagrid had taken Harry into his arms. Harry seemed to be happily settled into the warm cocoon of Hagrid's arms.

"Ye wait 'ere, I'll return." Said Hagrid suddenly as he returned Harry back to Lily and quickly left the room.

The others watched him go with surprise but soon forgot all about it as they turned to say goodbye to the Professors that were eager to retire to their own room.

The doors of the Great Hall opened soon after. Hagrid had returned and something small seemed to be hidden within his hands.

"Got a present. For Harry." He panted. It seemed that he had ran all the way to get his gift.

"Why thank you Hagrid. You didn't have to." Said Lily with a kind smile.

"Oh just thought 'e would like it." Blushed Hagrid as he deposited a small fur ball on top of Harry's blanket.

Harry looked steadily at the strange thing on his blanket.

"What is that?" Asked Sirius peering closely at the small object. He jumped back when it started to twitch.

"You didn't give him something dangerous did you Hagrid?" Asked Remus, his lips twitching with suppressed laughter.

Hagrid scratched his head with confusion. "Don't see how it could be dangerous. Quite a borin' thin' to be sure." Hagrid said.

"In other words. It's safe." James smiled.

The ginger fur ball started to move and two small pointed ears appeared. Soon a small feline face with green eyes stared at the small infant face near it.

"Oh it's a kitten." Squealed the twins.

James groaned. "Now Harry will have his menagerie just as the twins do."

"We don't have a kitten."

"We have a rabbit."

"A dog."

"Fish."

"A lamb."

"A toad."

The girls started to list as the small kitten scrambled to his paws and looked around him.

"Where did you get it Hagrid?" Remus asked as he reached to scratch the kitten's head.

The kitten purred with contentment.

"In the forest. It was 'uddling behind a log tryin' to keep warm." Hagrid said.

"The poor thing." Sighed Katie looking at the small kitten.

"Why don't you want to keep it Hagird?" Sirius asked. As long as he could remember, Hagrid kept every animal he ever encountered.

Hagrid scoffed. "What good is a kitten? Don't do anythin' but roll in the carpet and sleep."

James laughed. "Of course. Quite boring."

Lily giggled. They all knew of Hagrid's penchant for caring for dangerous animals. The bigger, the better.

"We have to go if we want to make it home before it gets too dark." Said Mrs. Potter. The others nodded and quickly made their farewells.

The horseless carriage was waiting for them in front of the castle.

Professor Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall waived their goodbyes as the carriage turned and left the school grounds behind.

Soon, they were climbing into their cars and found themselves driving back home.

James looked as Lily soothed Harry into sleep. The small kitten rolled up on top of the blankets. James smiled. Who would've thought that one day he would be a father and have the only woman he ever loved at his side?
A/N: I hope that you liked this chapter, it will start to get a little darker and perhaps sadder as the story continues, so be prepared. Don't forget to review, I look forward to read what you thought about this chapter. : )