Chapter 12

What Now?

When James woke the next day, he saw a stranger with bright red hair leaning over him. James opened his mouth to say something, but found he couldn't speak. He looked over at Harry and noticed he was asleep.

"He will be fine now that you are recovering, James," he said. "Now, there are a few people outside who are most eager to see you." The man got up from the chair he had been sitting in and left the room and in came Sirius, Lily, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny.

"Oh James! I'm so glad you are all right!" Lily said, leaning over to kiss him.

"I…mmm…" James tried to talk, but no words formed.

"Don't talk, James," Hermione said.

"Yeah. It's not like we waited all night to hear you talk to us!" Sirius said teasingly.

Ginny, Ron, and Hermione turned from James and went to sit by Harry's bed.

"Mmmhuamuuh" James tried once more, found he couldn't talk, and sighed. He wanted to tell them about Sean and the dream. Was it real or just a dream? He wondered.

"Are you okay, Prongs?"

James nodded and pointed at his head to try to indicate that he was just thinking.

Suddenly, someone groaned. It was Harry!

"Harry?" Hermione said excitedly. He groaned again. Ginny grabbed his right hand and Hermione grabbed his left as Ron stood next to Hermione staring anxiously at his best friend in the whole world. They were all watching him. When he opened his eyes, everyone sighed and smiled at him. Harry smiled back. He opened his mouth to speak, but found he couldn't.

"How are ya, Harry?" Ron asked.

Harry nodded his head.

"Good." Ginny said.

"I agree. Now that Harry's awake, we know that James will be okay," Lily said happily.

Harry looked around and tried to get someone to tell him what had happened. He tapped Ginny's shoulder and she looked at him.

"What is it, Harry?"

He tried to talk again, but could only mouth "What happened?"

"What?" Ginny asked.

"I think he wants to know what happened, right?" Hermione asked. Harry nodded.

Ron, Hermione, Sirius, Ginny, and Lily all took turns telling Harry and James what had happened. There was a long pause when they had finished, then Ron said, "You'll get out of here in a few days. They just want to make sure James is alright." Again, silence filled the room until the door opened and the same man James had seen by his bed entered accompanied by Professor McGonagall.

"I am afraid it is time to return to Hogwarts now. You will see them again in a few days."

The group said their goodbyes to Harry and James and expressed how happy they were that they were fine and followed the professor out of St. Mungo's.

A few days later, James and Harry were back at Hogwarts. They had been instructed to meet the headmistress in her office once they arrived. When they entered the office, they saw Hermione, Lily, Ginny, Sirius, and Ron. Professor Slughorn was present as well.

"Now," McGonagall said. "You all know why you are all here. We must discuss what we are to do with these three in order to return them to the time they belong. But before we can do that, we must figure out what to do with them in the meantime."

"I have a question, Headmistress," Slughorn said. "I would like to know how they came to be here in the first place."

"Do you remember in James' seventh year when Lord Voldemort attacked the school? I believe you were teaching then." Slughorn nodded in affirmation. "After he left, we found these three missing. Here is where they went. Now, since they did return, we know there is a way to send them back. But what do we do with them until they can be sent home?"

"Professor," Lily said. "Perhaps we could pretend to be exchange students. That way we don't miss out on school."

"That might be doable, but it would take a lot of work," Professor McGonagall said.

"Yes, we would have to give you new identities."

"Why?" James asked.

"Yeah, I mean, Voldemort knows we're here. Who do we have to hide ourselves from?"

"The students," Slughorn said. "Some of the students are not to be trusted, as we found out last year. Also, it is not widely known yet that Sirius Black is innocent."

"Innocent of what?" Sirius asked. "What did I do? Or not do?"

"You were thought to be a Death Eater who escaped from Azkaban and was trying to get back to Voldemort and kill Harry," McGonagall said.

"Why did he go to Azkaban?" Lily said.

"It was thought that Sirius had killed twelve people with one curse on the night the Potters—" Professor McGonagall stopped.

"I thought it was thirteen people," Slughorn said.

"The wizard didn't die and he was the one that did the curse. Sirius was trying to kill him. I don't blame him, though," Harry said bitterly.

"Why, who was it?" Sirius asked.

"Worry about it later, Black. Back to why we are here. I agree with Mrs. Pott—excuse me, Miss Evans, as they are missing their own seventh years. We must give you new surnames, for all of you are well known. James, we must change your appearance. You look too much like Harry to go around like that."

James looked at Harry, but Harry didn't return the gaze, even though he could feel James looking at him.

Harry then looked up at Professor McGonagall. "Professor, what if we made it so he looks like Sirius. They could pretend to be twins. I mean, everyone is always telling me how much they were alike."

James and Sirius looked at eachother and grinned.

"But, the only way to do that is to use a polyjuice potion and that takes a whole month to make," Hermione pointed out.

"Miss Granger is correct, but if Professor Slughorn has some already made, then perhaps it might be doable."

"It just so happens that I do have some already made, but I do not have enough for him to use over a long period of time. I do not even have enough for James to use while I make more. I am sorry."

Just then, a man barged into the office. "I'm sorry I'm late. I had to—" he stopped talking when he laid eyes on James and Sirius.

"So it's true! Haha! You're here!" he ran up to the two and embraced them in a big brotherly hug. "You have no idea how good it is to see you two!" he laughed. When he let go, he saw the confused expressions on their faces. "It's me, Remus!" he said. James and Sirius' faces dawned with realization and stared at the older version of their friend.

"Wow! You look so old!" Sirius exclaimed. Remus laughed.

"Well, I am twenty years older than you are!" he grinned.

"Professor Lupin, Harry has come up with a rather amusing idea to keep James' identity secret." Remus raised his eyebrows and looked at Harry. "He has suggested we use a polyjuce potion on James to pretend he is Sirius' twin." Remus laughed. "That is a great idea!" James and Sirius smiled at eachother again. "Unfortunately, there is a problem," McGonagall continued. "Professor Slughorn does not have enough potion to last for a while. He does not even have enough to last for the time it takes to make it."

"Headmistress," Remus said. "I do have a little I could spare." The students looked incredulously at Remus and McGonagall nodded in understanding.

"Are you sure you will not need it?" Remus nodded at the Headmistress.

"Very well, then. Horace, would you go and retrieve some of the potion you have and bring it here?" Slughorn nodded and left the office.

McGonagall then turned to the students. "Now, we must discuss what your new names will be. I believe it will be safe to leave the first names as they are, but we must change the surname as I mentioned before. Any suggestions?" There was total silence in the room. No one spoke. "Come now! No need to be shy."

After a few more seconds, Lily cleared her throat and spoke. "My friend, she's a muggle, has the name Martin. I could use that and James and Sirius could use Bradford. That was my mother's maiden name."

"Very well. Now, I would also like to discuss with you he seriousness of the situation," McGonagall said. "We must find a way to get you back to the past as soon as possible. Lives are at stake and life as it is now could change."

"That wouldn't be that bad," Harry muttered, looking at the ground. His voice low so no one could hear him, but McGonagall did.

"Potter, what was that?"

Harry looked up, startled at first, then his face screwed up in anger. "I said, would it really be that bad if things were different? I mean, if they go back to the past, that's great! I get to be born and have the worst life anyone has ever experienced!"

Ginny walked up to Harry and placed her hand on his shoulder. "Harry—"

"NO! I DON"T CARE! OKAY? Look, I've been able to keep it all inside for a year and a half, but this," he pointed to his parents and godfather. "This is too much! I can't do this! I give up. I don't care anymore. It hurts too much to think and live and look at the man that everyone said was amazing and loving and would do anything for the people he loved because what I see is nothing like that. I see hatred and pride. Snape was right. He does strut around, thinking he is all powerful and he's always right."

There was complete silence. Remus looked at James and saw the expression on his face. It was distorted with surprise and pain. He then looked at Harry. He had his head bowed and his eyes closed, anger, fear, and sadness radiating off his body.

"Harry," Remus said. "We told you those good things about your father because they are true. He is amazing, loving, and he would do anything for the people he loves. You should know that, as it is because of that quality he possesses that makes it possible for you to stand here today. He paid the ultimate sacrifice for you! You can't just forget about it! I know that James and Lily wouldn't want you to give up after they gave their lives for you! Sirius did too! He died protecting you just like your parents! I am not going to allow their sacrifices to go to waste!"

"Think about this, Remus!" Harry snapped. "If I was never born, you wouldn't be the last marauder left! Dad wouldn't have died for me! Sirius wouldn't have died for me, and Peter wouldn't have betrayed anyone! You'd still have all your friends! You wouldn't have that look on your face every time you look at me! That hollow look! I can see that you can't help but be angry with me, even just a little! You know it wasn't my fault and that keeps you from showing it! You hate me so much because if it wasn't for me, they'd all be alive and good!" Harry stopped, staring at Remus, panting. He then turned around and left the office. Ginny tried to stop him, but Remus stopped her.

Just then, Slughorn walked in carrying a vile of gray, clumpy looking liquid. "What happened to Harry? He just walked past me without even acknowledging I was there," he said. James glared at Slughorn, and then looked at everyone else.

"So Snape's the one who told him all those horrible things about me to him! He's the one who turned my son against me!" he said, screaming at everyone and jumping out of his seat. Remus, Sirius, and Lily were trying to calm him down. When they finally succeeded, Lily got in front of James and started yelling.

"James Potter! Snape didn't turn Harry against you! You did! You pushed him away from you when you wouldn't back away from him when he was shaking on the ground! You pushed him away when you scoffed at him and yelled at him that he was crazy and was lying! You really did it when you practically disowned him, telling him he's not your son!"

"Lily! I've already had this lecture! Okay? I know I was a jerk! I know I shouldn't have said that! I know I should have given him a chance, but I was scared! How would you feel if you saw your child—"

"I did!"

"I wasn't done! How would you feel if you saw your child at the same age as you and he looked exactly like you except he had his mother's eyes! How would you feel if he told you that the one you loved the most is going to die and so is your best friend ever who is practically your brother! Then, how would you feel if you had a lecture from a seven-year-old boy about this and that I should have given him a chance! Okay? The only reason I fought back to live was to apologize to Harry! That's what I was thinking about almost the entire time I was in St. Mungo's! Now, because of my stupid behavior, he believes Snape over me and thinks Remus hates him!"

"James," Remus said, "It is not your fault. You just came into Harry's life again at an awkward time. He doesn't hate you."

"He's right," McGonagall said. "No one is perfect, but Harry has a picture of you as the perfect person, despite a few things that you did to your schoolmates while you attended here. He had always been told you loved him and he believed it because you died protecting him. Coming and telling him he is not your son is a little unnerving. Now, why don't you go with Miss Granger and Mr. Weasley to the Heads Dorms. You can sleep there tonight. Tomorrow, James, drink the potion and you may go with Hermione and Ron to classes tomorrow. I must ask you not to forget that the potion only lasts one hour. You may go now." McGonagall gave an encouraging smile to James. He did not return it. He just looked at the ground and followed Sirius out of the office.