Hey! Sorry for such the long delay! Man, this sucks! I'm stuck at school and can't go home because I live half an hour away and there is a blizzard! It's been snowing all night and all day and I can almost climb onto the gym roof!
Chapter eleven: many meetings.
"Who the hell are you?" The other boy asked, backing into a corner of the room. "Oh my god, who the hell are you?" He sank to a sitting position. Harry watched himself in the corner, his breath coming in slow, labored gasps. How was this possible?
Lupin stood and raised his wand, pointing it at the other Harry, whose eyes grew at the threatening gesture. "No," Lupin breathed, "Who are you?"
"Harry!" The other Harry cried, trying and failing to shrink away from Lupin. "What the hell are you doing Remus! Put that down."
"How do you..." Harry couldn't take this any more, he could feel the fear that was coursing through his other self like poison. Harry sprang up and grabbed Lupin's arm.
"No!" He cried, pulling the wand from the other's grasp. "No, put that down! It's okay." Turning, he started towards himself, huddled on the floor. "It's all right Harry. Everything is going to be fine." The other him crawled away across the dusty floor backwards, trying to escape himself. The others all looked on in horror and amazement, all unsure as what to do. "It's alright."
The other Harry stopped and Harry reached out a hand, placing it on his other self's shoulder, "Who are you?" The other him asked quietly.
"I'm you." Harry answered. The confusion on his other face was plain and showed like an image through a glass window. "You're not from now..."
They entered Harry and Ron's room slowly, Harry leading the way in with Ron and Hermionie, James following. "And...I guess you'll be staying with me for now." Harry said, moving to his bed and sinking down onto it, watching James move around the room. Ron stood in the corner, looking lost and confused, his eyes continually darting between the two 'twins'. "Ron'll go...somewhere."
"I'll find a place to stay. Even if I have to stay with Kreatcher." He smiled weakly at James who slowly turned to look at him. "Hey." He waved weakly.
"This place." James whispered slowly, turning on the spot to take in the room around him with its shabby wallpaper and old beds. In the corner, Pheanius's portrait sat empty. "It's so different." Harry smiled slightly. "Where is everyone? My mom and Lynn...Sirius and Peter?"
Harry had passed over the subject down in the kitchen, so as not to contract awkward questions from the others. He glanced at Ron quickly before turning back to James. "They're dead." Harry answered. James's whole demeanor changed. He went from sitting rigidly to suddenly sagging as though he'd been hit in the head with a hammer...his knees were trembling. "Only in my world though...they're fine in yours."
"And my dad?" James asked, voice quivering. Harry shook his head and James let out a small sound, falling backward spread eagle on Ron's bed. Thinking he'd fainted, Harry made to get up before James's voice stopped him. "WHY ME?" he screamed. "WHY IS IT ALWAYS ME?"
Ron looked taken aback by the shout and inched closely around his bed to come to Harry's side. He sat down beside him and watched James who sprang back into a sitting position, his face red. "Look...I know that what it's..."
"Don't you dare!" James hissed, pointing a finger at him. "Don't tell me you know what it's like because you don't." Harry sighed. "What? What?"
"You're like a...a..." Harry couldn't find the words but Ron could.
"A prat." He said quietly. James heard him though. He pulled his feet up onto the bed and grabbed the edges of the bed curtain.
"Yeah? Well if you don't like it...piss off." And he ripped the curtain closed. Harry and Ron sat there, watching the other bed but James made no sound. Finally, after a while they left, turning off the light and closing the door behind them. When they were out in the hall, Ron blew out an exasperated breath and leaned against the door. His face was white beneath his red hair.
"Man, that kid has issues." He said, jerking his thumb at the door. Harry stared at the wood behind him and nodded slowly. "Come on, I'm sure everyone's dying to talk to you with out your...evil alter ego twin freak."
They moved downstairs, past the covered portraits and entered the kitchen. Everyone was still at the table, conversing in low voices. They all stopped when he entered and no one moved until he'd sat down again.
"He's asleep." Harry said, nodding vaguely in the direction of his and Ron's room upstairs. "I need a few questions answered though. What happened to my aunt and uncle?"
"They were okay when we got there." Lupin said quietly. It seemed as if he was having trouble talking. "They...um...they're fine now."
"What do you mean?" Harry asked, raising his eyebrows. The way he was talking didn't sound to promising. "What's wrong?"
"Well, Voldemort had them for a couple of minutes." Lupin must have read the look on Harry's face because he continued hastily, "Oh, not to worry. It was a little tormenting for them but we got them out safely."
"Okay. Where are they?" Harry asked, taking a cup of tea that Mrs. Weasley put down in front of him. He took a large gulp and closed his eyes against the burning pain that ran down his throat.
"At home, safe, with a guard around them." Lupin said, thanking Mrs. Weasley as she put a cup down in front of him to. "They're okay and they don't remember the crash at all." Lupin smiled. "They...well, they think they're car was stolen and complained to the police. They're running all plates and stuff. We hid the car so...we'll have to buy them a new one."
Harry nodded and looked around the kitchen, trying not to show the tiredness he was feeling. What he wouldn't give to fall down right here and sleep though, if he did, he probably wouldn't get up.
"What happened to you?" Ron asked suddenly, drawing Harry's attention back to him. Ron was sitting beside Hermionie who had tears in her eyes and was trying to hide the fact that she had been starting at Harry.
"I traded places with...James." Trying not to think about his father, Harry told them everything that had happened. When he was done there was another thick silence in the kitchen, punctuated only by Crookshanks who was playing with a ball of string. "Well...that's it."
"Dumbledore?" Mr. Weasley asked suddenly. He was standing near the fireplace, staring into the flames. "He's dead in the other time?" He looked over at Harry who nodded. "Strange."
"I think we should all go to bed." Mrs. Weasley said, yawning. She smiled at Harry. "You look exhausted dear, I'll find a place for Ron and then we'll go to bed. Okay?"
Harry entered his bedroom and looked over at James's bed. The curtains were still closed but, through the gap in the hangings, Harry could see his other self-watching him. Smiling slightly, Harry closed the door and bolted it before moving over to his bed and getting his bedclothes on. When he'd turned off the light and got into bed, James spoke.
"How's my mom?" He asked. Harry rolled over and looked at the other bed. Through the dim light, he could see his other self had opened the curtains and was watching him in the dark, propped up on his elbow.
"She's fine." Harry answered, sitting up to. "So's Lynn...and your dad."
James rolled his eyes in the dark and laid back down, staring at the ceiling. "Yeah, him. I missed the wedding didn't I?"
"Yeah." Harry said. James nodded. "It went alright though. Sam was really pretty and Lupin seemed happy." Harry felt tears stinging his eyes and blinked them away. "Your lucky you know."
"Lucky?" James spat, sitting up again and glaring at him. "With a father like that? You have to be kidding me! He doesn't even love me! Sirius is my real dad, I'm sure of it." Harry felt another pang.
"Yeah?" He hissed, sitting up fully and swinging his legs out of the bed. "Well at least you have a dad!" James sat up to, as if he thought Harry was about to spring on him. "You're so selfish! So you have any idea what I would do to have a father? To have someone to go to? To..."
"You said downstairs you'd spent time in my body...world...what ever! Well, you know my father then! Did he seem like the fathering type to you?" Harry didn't answer so James continued. "Well? So then there was Sirius and you could go to him."
"Yeah?" Harry yelled suddenly, crossing the room to the door. "Do you see Sirius around here anywhere?" He unbolted the door and opened it, yelling at the top of his lungs into the hall, "SIRIUS! CAN YOU HEAR ME? ARE YOU THERE?" He turned back to his 'twin'. "He's dead! Dead!" And he left, slamming the door behind him.
Harry moved through the quiet halls and went up the next flight of stairs into the library where he crossed the room and entered the office, flopping down on the floor between a large desk and bookshelf. He was tired but suddenly felt no reason to sleep or try to sleep. What was the point? It would always be the same present when he woke up.
After several minutes of sitting in silence, dazing into a half sleep half daydream, a noise in the other room woke him. Looking up, he watched the dark doorway until Lupin entered, walking slowly and cautiously as though preparing for an attack.
"Harry?" He whispered, looking around. Harry stated silent, thinking that maybe Lupin wouldn't see him and leave...but he didn't. "There you are." Lupin came over and sat down cross-legged in front of him. "Are you okay? Don't like your room mate?"
"No, he's okay." Harry lied, shrugging. "It's just..." He shrugged again and let his head fall back, smacking lightly into the wall. He watched the ceiling, ignoring Lupin.
"You know...I remember the day you were born." Lupin said suddenly. Harry's brow furrowed and he lifted his head, looking at the man across from him. "Your dad was so drunk..." He laughed lightly. "Sirius and me were trying to keep his sober but soon James had managed to rope Sirius into drinking with him and they both were plastered." There was a sad look in Lupin's eyes. "I was the one who had to almost carry James in to see Lily when you were born. He couldn't hold you...but I could. I held you in my arms and just stared at you because you were so small." He smiled again and crossed his arms over his chest. "You would not believe how proud your dad was when we left the hospital that night. Even drunk, he managed to tell half the hospital that you were his son and your name was James jr."
Harry stared at him for a second. "My name...but, my name's Harry." Lupin nodded. "But...you said..."
"Originally, your name was James jr. Your mom though...she didn't want her son named after your father because you two already looked a lot alike. You look exactly as your father did and even more when you were born. All your dad's baby pictures...it was like looking at yours."
Harry smiled slightly. "What about Sirius?" He asked. "Did my mom love him?"
"Yes, of course she did." Lupin said. "He was her friend." Harry shook his head. "Never like that, though they did go out for a while, about a month. Sirius just wasn't the right man. You know, Dumbledore was right about you. He said, when I started teaching, he said that this day would happen. That you'd question more...something about you seeing the other side. It's almost like he knew." Lupin moved closer and placed a hand on Harry's shoulder. "No matter what happens, I'm not going anywhere. Alright?"
Harry went back to his room twenty minutes later and fell asleep right when his head hit the pillow. He was moving through the dark halls of that castle...mansion, again. The dark walls were dripping now and, when Harry looked through the window, he saw there was a torrential down pour outside where tornadoes raged.
Moving deeper into the bowels of this hell, Harry came to the hall with the cells and moved purposely towards his destination, knowing why exactly he had come...and for who. Coming to the door, he magically opened it and moved inside. As the man on the floor raised his head, Harry turned to the person behind him...Voldemort.
"So your back?" He asked, walking forward. Harry backed up as the other bore down on him. It was a trap! "And I thought you had got away." Voldemort smiled as a screaming filled Harry's brain. "I was wrong."
Harry sprung away, his own voice from the other side of the room screaming. Jumping up, Harry ran over and through the hangings aside. James was sitting up in bed, wide eyed and shaking. "We have to save him." He yelled. Harry sat down beside him. "Sirius. We have to save him."
To my reviewers:
Alteng: I'm sorry, you probably still have a lot of questions and I'm also sorry for the delay. I'd say my brain is simply snow logged...that's it. What do you expect? I'm Canadian; I have snow coming out of my ears! Thanks for sticking with me.
DragonHunter200: Thank you. I hope you liked this ending as much as the other one. Sorry abut the updates...man, I've been apologizing all day! Stupid Canadian Tendencies! Yeah, my grandpa was a fire inspector...he even had a crispy critters file...you really don't want to know. Ouch, I hope your all right about your near fiery death experience. I hate Chemistry! We're on...balancing and periodics and crap!
Laughing Dragoness: Sorry bout Yoda but I look up to him...he's very...hot. LOL! He reminds me of my grandpa. I do have horses, 5. I have mine Frenchie who is a Arab/Thoroughbred cross...she's very beautiful. My mom has the other 4, Missy and Appaloosa, and three minies-Magic, Lady and Sprite. I ride, I've been riding since I was 2. I ride English and I can instruct now so...it's been great. I'm sorry about your horse. You can buy Missy, she's for sale.
Nightwisp: Well, I hope you like it. I know what you mean.