Chapter 7

The Truth

Lily ran in between the two and blocked James' way. "James, how dare you! What is wrong with you? Can't you see he's scared to death of you?"

"Well, he's not exactly running up to you or Sirius now is he?"

"James, I can't explain this, we just scare him! He thinks we're dead! I'm not exactly sure why, but he thinks were dead. I mean, how would you feel if you saw your dead parents here, standing in front of you?"

"That's different," James said looking down at the ground.

"No, it's not. You'd be seeing people you know to be dead. Now, for some reason, Harry thinks we're dead."

James broke away from Lily and looked at the spot where Harry had been laying on the floor, only to find he wasn't there.

"What the?" he turned around and found him sitting on his bed. He was holding up the covers in an effort to protect himself. He had been watching the scene in front of him, as had Sirius. Sirius now walked toward Harry.

"Harry, I have a question for you. Why do you think we're dead?"

Harry looked at each of them in turn. He stopped shaking as he opened his mouth to speak. "I saw you die, Sirius."

Sirius was surprised at this answer, but he went on. He wanted to figure out the mystery of why everyone thought he was dead. "When did you see me die?"

"Two years ago. In the Department of Mysteries," Harry said. He whispered the last three words as if it was something he didn't wish to talk about.

"Department of Mysteries?" James said. "What was Sirius doing there?"

Harry looked at his bed covers and said more to himself than anyone else, "It was my fault."

"Harry," Lily said, noticing Harry's eyes swell with tears. "If you don't want to talk about this, you don't have to. We understand," she said. As James and Sirius opened their mouths to protest, Lily gave them a look that told them to shut it.

"No, I want to talk about it," Harry said softly. "I haven't talked about it since it happened. I tried to burry it inside myself and it worked. At least it was working. When I saw Sirius in the Great Hall, I lost control. I ran from there and hid in the dorms. I wouldn't even let Ron or Hermione talk to me. I didn't want to talk about the Department of Mysteries, but I knew that was all I needed to get over it, but I told myself that I could get over it without talking. I have held it in for almost two years. I thought, as did Ron, Hermione, and Ginny, that at the beginning of this year when Hagrid and Neville died, I'd loose it again, but I didn't. Actually, that helped me hold it in. I'm not sure why. I guess it was because I was just completely numb from it that I couldn't display any emotions. And Remus—" Harry stopped. He just realized he had been dumping almost every single thought he had had since last year to his dead parents and godfather.

"What about Remus? What does he have to do with anything? How do you know him?" James asked.

"I met him in my third year. He was teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts. That was the year—"

"Wait! Wait! Wait! Teaching? You're in seventh year, right?" Sirius asked.

Harry nodded.

"That would mean Remus would be in third year as well. So why was he teaching?"

Suddenly, Harry's eyes got wide. "You…you didn't come back to life!"

"Of course we didn't! We've never died!" Sirius said.

"But you're here! In front of me! Oh my! Is it even possible?" Harry jumped up and ran out of the room.

Surprised by his sudden movement, the three stood there for a moment. James was the first to come back to his senses. He turned around and ran after Harry. He didn't have to go very far, because the two girls Lily had seen earlier were standing in front of him trying to calm him down.

"Harry, listen, it's not possible for that to happen! Even with a time-turner, you can't go forward or backward in years. It's just not—" she stopped. The girl gasped and as she did so, Harry and Ginny turned around as well. . There stood James Potter.

"Oh, my!" Hermione breathed. Harry stared at James as Lily and Sirius appeared behind him.

"See? I didn't even notice before, but Sirius is younger!"

"Yes, I…I see, Harry. But how did this happen? Do they know?"

"Hello! We're right here! Do we know what?" James said.

"I think we'd better tell them, or they're going to keep on asking questions until they figure it out," Ginny said.

"But we can't tell them, Harry! We have to go to a professor with this!"

"No!" Harry said. "Hermione, we don't need to go running to a professor every time something goes wrong! Besides, I want to find out what James Potter really was like. I don't just want to hear about it from someone else!"

"Harry, your life could be at stake here!" Hermione exclaimed.

"Good! Then I wouldn't be responsible for the fate of the world! That's another bonus! The longer they stay, the greater chance I have of not ever existing!"

"Harry James Potter! How dare you say that! The longer they stay here, the greater chance Voldemort will find out they're here and you will be in even more danger!" Ginny screamed at him.

"Wait a minute! Could someone please tell us what's going on?" James said.

Harry turned from Hermione and looked at them. "You're in the future."

James felt the blood fall from his head and Lily's cold hands grab his arm. Next to him, he felt Sirius' breath leave him as if someone had knocked the wind out of him.

"What do you mean?" Lily said, shakily. "That's not possible!"

"How? How did this happen?" Sirius asked.

"Voldemort," James said suddenly, surprising even himself.

"Voldemort?" Harry said. "What does he have to do with this?"

"He's the one who sent us here."

"How?" Hermione asked.

"Why?" Sirius asked.

"I'd like to know that as well," Lily said.

"Last night, Voldemort said something. Some sort of spell. You two were unconscious when he did it. There was red and black smoke swirling around us. I couldn't breathe so I passed out. That's the only explication that I can think of that would explain why we suddenly ended up in the future."

"I guess time travel would explain all the strangeness," Lily said. "Like why no one remembers last night, why none of our friends are here, why James and I are no longer head boy and girl, and why Harry and James look exactly alike. You are related to him aren't you?"

Harry looked at Lily, then at James.

"Harry, don't. They can't know. You're life is at stake already. Please don't blow it. They can't know anything that happens. You can't!"

"Hermione—"

"No, I'm not going to let you. I'll tell Professor McGonagall they're here if you tell them anything more!"

Harry looked at Hermione and it was clear to everyone that he was not happy about this. Through gritted teeth, he agreed.

"Hang on! That's not fair!" James exclaimed.

"I agree! If it has to do with us, then we should know!" Sirius bellowed.

"It also has to do with Harry, and every little bit of information you obtain about what is going on could jeopardize his existence!" Hermione said.

"Why?" James said.

"That is one of the questions I can't answer."

Suddenly, the portrait opened and Ron burst in, panting. "Harry...your parents…Sirius…they're here!"

"Wait! Wait! Wait! Parents and Sirius!" James exclaimed. "That means…I'm…and Lily…. No! You're crazy! You're all mental!" he waved his arms around, then turned toward Harry. James walked up to him, his finger pointed at Harry. "I am not dead, I am not in the future, and you are certainly not my son!" he turned around and left the room.