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Chapter 30: The Potter Problem

It was a quiet morning on Boxing Day when the sun's rays first shone into the boys' dormitory in Gryffindor Tower. Three boys were fast asleep. One was missing. After James and Remus left to comfort their grieving friend, Sirius, and after Hermione left Harry a few hours later to go to bed, the Boy Who Lived had not been seen since. Harry hadn't returned to the dormitory, but the common room was as empty as a cookie jar left in the care of a six-year-old. No one knew where he went.

One boy woke up several hours later, though he was still the first one awake. He slowly sat upwards, stretching his back and giving a cat's yawn. Scratching his mat of jet-black hair, he looked calmly around. It took him a few moments to realize that he had never had a mat of jet-black hair on top of his head before in his life. He reached up to his head again. It was still there. Next he darted to a mirror. As he looked into it, he saw a small and skinny boy for his age, but still had a sort of muscular build, proving he played sports with a passion. He had knobby knees, a thin face with a longish nose and resting on it was a pair of round glasses. His eyes were brown with flecks of yellow, scarred with the burden of lycanthropy. Once again, he inched his hand up to his hair. He rumpled it up a bit, making it even messier than before. Remus Lupin let out an earsplitting scream.

"JAMES POTTER!"

Ten minutes later, all three boys were wide awake in the dormitory, all arguing with one another. "You said you weren't going to feed us that potion, Potter!" growled Remus in the middle of the pandemonium.

Oddly enough, all of the boys looked the same with some deliberate mistakes. This was so because of James's Marauder Dare he had been given a few days previous. He had been challenged to change all the males in Hogwarts to look like James Potter, with only one thing the same of their original selves. Remus was a perfect example of this: he was an exact clone of James except for his eyes, which were still his own. Sirius, on the other hand, still had his own perfect black hair on top of a James-looking head, which was an odd sight indeed.

James and Remus continued to argue, playfully exchanging insults every now and then. Sirius, however, had his eyes stuck on Harry's empty bed. Troublesome dreams had spoiled Sirius's sleep the previous night. He had been fighting against Harry, though Harry hadn't fought back. He just stood there and placidly took Sirius's punches and hexes. Sirius began to feel regret and sadness as Harry opened his emerald eyes, which shone with baby tears. But as Sirius lowered his wand to help Harry stand on his feet with a steady balance, Harry began to slowly fade away. Sirius, confused and hurt, looked over to his right to see Hermione fading away, too. She had a lonely tear rolling down her fair cheek.

Sirius shook the dream out of his head. It had frightened him at how much he hurt Harry in the dream. But Sirius remembered feeling wretchedness while doing so. He couldn't stay mad at Harry forever. He wasn't even sure if he was furious at Harry and Hermione in the first place. Hermione…. The name struck his heart painfully. For some reason Sirius could not put his finger on, his aching and fury rose higher when he heard the name Hermione than Harry.

"Remus, this is the best you've ever looked in your life," said James cheekily.

Remus's growling snapped Sirius out of his thoughts. Sirius took in a deep breath. He needed to prepare himself for breakfast where he would be seeing Harry and Hermione. What he didn't need the whole school to see was him blowing up at them again at something that was a deadly secret. Sirius had to slip back into that reputation of his. He had to tie on his mask.

"Hate to break it to you, Jamsie-boy," quipped Sirius as he stood up from his bed, "but I'm still the best looking guy in the school." He raked a hand through his silky hair with a cheesy, arrogant grin stretched across his face. "It's all in the hair."

James and Remus caught a fleeting glance before smiling at their friend. "Come on," said Remus. "Let's see all the chaos in the Great Hall we've caused, shall we?"

"Let's," agreed Sirius before they, as one, strolled out of their dormitory.

Outside the Great Hall was a horde of girls having a fit of giggles. As soon as they saw the Marauders striding towards them (they could recognize the boys by the sight of Sirius's hair), their pitch and volume of tittering rose up a level or two. They all skittered inside eagerly, occasionally sneaking a glance back at the three Gryffindors. James's grin widened as the two other pseudo-Jameses rolled their eyes.

"Tell me, Prongs," whispered the James with brown and yellow eyes, "did you give the potion to the teachers by any chance? The Headmaster?"

James's response was an even larger grin. Remus groaned. That was a "yes" in James-speak.

As they entered through the grand doors, a James with half-moon spectacles and twinkling blue eyes approached them. He wore a rich purple cloak and buckled boots that were too big for him: he looked as if he had gone digging into his grandfather's old wardrobe. Professor Dumbledore gazed into each of the Marauders eyes for a moment, before settling on the James in the middle. "Mr. Potter," began Dumbledore-in-the-body-of-James.

"Yes," all three chorused.

"I assume that you are responsible for my new birth suit," he continued with a twinkle. "That also includes, of course, the entire male population of the student body at the moment." He stepped aside so that the three Marauders could see the rest of the Great Hall. Sitting down, standing up, eating, drinking, whatever a male was doing, they all looked like James Potter. Some of the boys looked up only to glower at the three Jameses standing by Professor Dumbledore.

"Honestly, I have to tell you, Professor," said James cheekily, "the student body has never looked better."

"As usual, Mr. Potter," said Dumbledore with a smile, "meet me in my office at six tonight. There we shall discuss your detention schedule." He turned to the other two Jameses flanking the real Potter's side. "If you feel you had some part to play in this act, you may come also. Let me tell you that since it is still break, no one was hurt, and is quite amusing, the punishments won't be as horrific. However, you will have to sort it out with your classmates. Good luck." And the Headmaster left with a wink.

The three Marauders turned their focus to the mass of angry Jameses buzzing around the table. Girls sitting down watched in anticipation. James, Remus, and Sirius all smiled widely at their classmates before sitting down in their usual spot. All smirked once at each other before digging into their porridge.

Lily and Hermione stalked into the Great Hall moments later. The former was glowing a slight tickle-me-pink in her cheeks from embarrassment, but her eyes held a rage. The latter, however, had a look as if suggesting she was holding in laughter, and finding it just a tad difficult. They sat down across from the three boys, Lily very rigidly, Hermione flimsy from amusement.

"James Potter, you have some nerve," Lily growled as she served herself some kippers.

"What are you on about?" James asked, casting her an innocent look. He turned to Sirius and Remus. "Do you know what she's on about?" The two Jameses shook their heads.

"You haven't done anything out of the norm today, have you?" asked the James with silky hair.

"I don't recall," James answered with a light air.

"You transfigured the teachers!" hissed Lily.

"Lily, I'd advise you not to hiss so loud," James said quietly. "People may think you're a Slytherin."

"Potter!" snarled Lily. James's eyebrows peaked noncommittally. "That Dare did not include transfiguring the staff of Hogwarts! It was just a handful of students. This," waving her arms around, "is all males in the entire campus."

"I don't see why you're getting so worked up about this," said James, eyeing the tray of fruit to his left. "I mean, Dumbledore was all right with it."

"He was?" asked Lily weakly, pausing the spoonful of porridge between her bowl and her mouth.

"Yep," said James. He exercised his fingers over the tray, as if tickling something invisible, deciding which fruits to eat. He settled on taking one of each. "He found it amusing," he said with a laugh. "Gave himself a right little chuckle."

"But he didn't mistake a teacher for you, did he?" said Hermione.

"What?" James asked, confused.

"Oh yes," said Hermione with a grin. "As we were walking out of the portrait, someone accidentally bumped into Lily, for he was too busy reading something. Lily thought that it was you who bumped into her, so she got into a fit, going on about personal space. After she finished, the James revealed that he was actually Professor Aylward and had the misfortune of being trapped inside James Potter's body." She cast a glance at Lily, whose eyes were burning a hole straight in James's head. "I never knew her face could turn that pink so fast."

The boys snickered, or at least, James and Remus did. Sirius, in spite of this, was in a sort of trance, his eyes hazed.

As the laughter died down and everyone went back to eating (Lily shooting a glare at James every few moments), Hermione asked Sirius quietly, "Would you pass me the coffee please, Sirius?" Her voice was sweet, but with a bite of worry. She feared that his grudge might last longer than wanted.

Sirius, without looking at the coffee or Hermione, grabbed with container and held it out for her to grab. Slyly, Hermione grasped the mug so that her fingers brushed against his. He looked up. Hermione had on a warm smile. In Sirius's mind flashed a picture of his Uncle Alphard giving him a similar smile. It maddened Sirius, his furious fire leaping up inside him. He jerked out of his seat, threw down his napkin sharply, and stormed out of the Great Hall.

As he left the clattering of plates and murmur of students behind him, Sirius growled at himself. Drawing together his thoughts, he headed straight towards the Entrance Hall. Once reaching them, he shoved the doors open to reveal its beautiful scenery outside. The exterior seemed to belong to a snowglobe. The grounds were coated with a rich, untouched layer of snow. The sky was blue and the sun shone meekly as to not melt the ice and snow. He grunted in response. Sirius walked over to a bench and collapsed down upon it.

Why am I so angry at Harry and Hermione? Sirius let out an audible sigh. I know they were just following the rules. They had no choice. But something inside made Sirius change his mind. They were time-travelers. They've already changed history. Why not save one innocent man? A man who was on their side. A man who was loved and presently missed dearly. Why couldn't they have saved him!

A crunch of snow beneath feet reached Sirius's ears. He sat up slightly before turning around to find the culprit. Harry had apparently been standing under a nearby tree for quite some time, and started to walk towards… Sirius or the door? It was difficult to tell. But since he had been spotted, he stopped and looked at Sirius.

"I'm sorry," Harry said timidly. He was five or so meters away from Sirius. "I'm sorry you lost your Uncle. I'm sorry you lost your closest relative." Harry swallowed hard. "I c—can't say I've lost someone that close…." His eyes began to water as he gazed upon the surly Sirius, who had turned his down towards the snow. "But, you must understand," said Harry, almost begging now. "I had no choice. I couldn't tell you anything of the future. His death has greater purposes for along the road. There is a l—light at the end of the tunnel. I—I promise." Harry's words were killing him as he choked them out.

"He was as good as my father," said Sirius hollowly. He abruptly stood up. "I would have risked the future to save him. I would have risked anything and everything just to have him back." He slowly stalked over to Harry, holding a cold gaze. "Listen, Harry Potter." He stopped right in front of Harry. The words seemed to have a great affect upon Harry. "If you knew James was going to die in the future, you would risk everything to save him. Sure, it could change the entire future, but at least you would have your ole dad. You know you would do it. Now, picture that. Then you'll know what's going on inside my head. And, of course, the fact that I'm not the time-traveler, but my some of my closest friends are. Think about it." He forcefully bumped into Harry's shoulder as he passed.

Sirius staggered towards the entrance doors without a second glance at Harry. He felt that he had successfully gotten his point across Harry. He could see it in Harry's eyes. But all the same, Sirius felt the tiniest pang of guilt. Before he could recognize his thoughts, a boy with a mat of jet-black hair and glasses came jogging towards him. Sirius forgot for the moment that all the males at the school looked like James. He squinted to verify which boy it was.

Harry sat alone in the common room on Christmas evening. His hands gently rubbed his cheek. It still stung from Sirius's punch. It had only been a few hours since that confrontation happened. Hermione left Harry just an hour previous. Harry had let her go. He needed to be alone.

Words echoed inside his head. Do you have any idea what it is like to lose a father!... How do you live with yourself, knowing that you could have saved innocent lives!

I don't.

Simple as that.

Harry woke up as the common room clock chimed five in the morning. He looked at his surroundings: he was still in the Gryffindor common room. He took a few deep breaths. It was too stuffy in there. He couldn't breathe. He needed to leave. After he snuck upstairs to grab his cloak, he scurried throughout the castle to find a sanctuary, somewhere peaceful and not enclosed.

Harry skipped breakfast. He wasn't hungry. He headed straight outside to the snowy grounds.

Do you have any idea what it is like to lose a father!... How do you live with yourself, knowing that you could have saved innocent lives!

He heard a pair of feet crunching snow hours later. A boy with silky, black hair came staggering into the scene. He sat down on the bench heavily. Harry waited a few moments before quietly walking to the entrance doors. He didn't feel in the mood for another row, but his feet were too loud. Sirius quickly turned around and spotted Harry.

Before Sirius even opened his mouth, Harry muttered out a quick but sincere apology. Sirius didn't seem to be pleased with a feeble "I'm sorry," so Harry expanded. He needed to make it convincing. His words were almost killing Harry inside. "There is a l—light at the end of the tunnel. I—I promise." At the end of the tunnel, after friends' deaths, betrayal, twelve years of prison, a caged life, and ultimately death. What kind of light was that?

Sirius didn't take it so well. As Sirius growled his true name, "Harry Potter," Harry winced as though he had been struck. It was as if Sirius was trying to remind Harry who he was exactly, and what his duties were. "If you knew James was going to die in the future, you would risk everything to save him. Sure, it could change the entire future, but at least you would have your ole dad. You know you would do it." Harry's eyes never wavered from Sirius's cold stare. "Now, picture that. Then you'll know what's going on inside my head. And, of course, the fact that I'm not the time-traveler, but my some of my closest friends are. Think about it." He forcefully bumped into Harry's shoulder as he passed. Harry stumbled, and finally collapsed onto the bench when Sirius was a few meters closer to the doors of Hogwarts.

Before Harry had time to process the blow of it all, an image slowly hazed into his mind. It was back in Harry's first year. He was standing in front of a very large mirror. The Mirror of Erised. Harry remembered now that the mirror showed the person's "heart's desire." An eleven-year-old boy was looking into the mirror and saw his family. More importantly, his mother and father, whom he could not remember.

The only thing Harry had wanted so strongly in his life was his parents. He would have given almost anything to be with them once again. And now Harry had his chance. He was stuck in the year 1976 with his parents and their friends. All Harry had to do was slip to James that Peter was the betrayer, and he would have his parents when he arrived back in the future.

But at what cost?

Sirius would be the Potter's Secret Keeper. There was no way he would yield their hideout, even in the face of brutal torture.

Sirius would be hurt.

The Potters would be in hiding for a much longer time period. Although, they wouldn't be able to leave the house for fear of being murdered on the spot. So they would waste months, maybe years hiding in one place, raising Harry.

Lord Voldemort would not be destroyed.

He would not have come after Harry since he didn't know where to look. He would continue to roam around the British Isles, wrecking havoc among the Muggles, Muggle-born, Half-bloods, and another deemed unworthy in his eyes.

The world would go through even more Dark Days.

Voldemort might have even chosen to seek Neville rather than Harry if it all came down to it. Neville might have an identical scar on his forehead and would be called "the Boy Who Lived." Even worse, he might have been killed, and Voldemort would think he won.

James and Lily might die later on anyways. They weren't ones to hide away, waiting for someone to rescue them. They would choose to go out and fight after waiting only for a short time. Harry might lose his parents in an even more painful way.

Was it worth it?

No.

Was it going to eat Harry up from inside out until he died?

Most certainly.

Harry wanted to play the hero one last time; but he wanted it for himself this time. He knew that saving his parents was a selfish thing to do. He knew it. But for a moment, he actually considered it, especially when Sirius said, "If you knew James was going to die in the future, you would risk everything to save him. Sure, it could change the entire future, but at least you would have your ole dad. You know you would do it."

"No," said Harry quietly to himself, though his voice was strong and forceful. "That's what makes me different than you, Sirius. I will not destroy the future, not even for what I desire the most. I'm stronger than that…. This is my ultimate sacrifice."

Several meters away, Sirius was moodily swaggering from the scene towards the warmth of the entrance hall, but stopped when he spotted someone at the door. It was James Potter, or so it looked at a casual glance. Sirius walked slower now in the direction of James. The boy had a scowl on his face, his hazel eyes glowering through tiny slits. It was James Potter.

"How much did you hear?" Sirius asked James when he passed by his stationary friend.

"All of it," said James coldly, catching up with Sirius. As soon as their feet started to stride together, James yanked Sirius's collar along and pulled him into an empty classroom. "What the hell do you think you're doing? That is my son you were just having a go at. He was apologizing for something he couldn't help, and you throw it in his face. I thought I knew you to be better than that."

Sirius grimaced. He spared himself a few moments by fixing his crumpled collar. "Well, technically he's not your son. Not yet. And I know that doesn't matter," Sirius said hurriedly, noting James's glower. "What matters is that he's broken the time-traveling rules before… so why couldn't he have stretched them just a little. It would have saved an innocent life."

"How?" asked James, keeping his growl to a minimum.

"How what?"

"How has he broken the rules?" There was more of a snarl in James's voice now.

"Well, we're not supposed to know that he's from the future, now are we?" said Sirius obviously.

"We're not supposed to know about Remus's furry little problem either," James pointed out aggressively.

"That's different," snapped Sirius.

"How?" asked James again.

"It doesn't matter!" shouted Sirius. "He could have saved lives! But instead, he just prances around school without a care for everyone else in the world. He's too caught up in—"

"Did it ever occur to you that he didn't know when your Uncle was going to die?" interrupted James. "Did you stop to think that he just heard that he died? Maybe he knew about his death in passing, never knowing when the exact day, or even year, it happened. Did you ever think of that before accusing him? Did you think before you opened your mouth and swung your fist? Did you think at all?"

Sirius looked down, ashamed. No, he never put himself in Harry's shoes. He was just too focused on blaming others for the death of Uncle Alphard. It was those stupid Death Eaters' (his relatives) fault. They were to blame, not his friend. He had to tell Harry.

"But you know how bad I'm at apologizing," mumbled Sirius, adverting his gaze to the knocked over rubbish bin.

"More like admitting that you were wrong," said James inaudibly.

"What?" asked Sirius.

"Nothing," answered James quickly. "Listen, if I know anybody who would not rub it in your face, it's Harry… I raised him well, didn't I?" he added, puffing out his chest. Sirius shook his head with a chuckle as he hopped off the desk. As they walked out of the room together, a thought suddenly struck James. "What about Hermione?"

For some reason that he could not even figure out, Sirius scowled.

"What was happening between you and Sirius this morning?" Lily asked Hermione after breakfast. They had just stepped into the common room moments before and were now huddled by the fireplace with cups of hot cocoa. "He seemed angered, channeling most of it towards you."

"He—I don't know, honestly," Hermione answered.

"I know his uncle died," said Lily offhandedly, shooting a fleeting, furtive look towards her.

"Do you?" Hermione asked, giving a tone obviously saying that she didn't want to talk about it. Lily did not take the hint.

"But why would he be angry at you and Harry if his uncle died? I mean, you couldn't possibly be blamed for it, could you?"

"I don't think so." Hermione shifted in her seat.

"It's not like you knew it was going to happen," Lily pushed. "It's not like you could have stopped it, is it?"

"What are you saying, Lily?" Hermione asked curiously. Lily knew something.

"Where did you used to go to school before you came here?" Lily asked.

"Durmstrang," Hermione answered.

"Did you have a lot of friends there?"

"A few."

"Really? A Muggle-born going to Durmstrang…" Lily gave a "humph." "And you have memorized Hogwarts, A History, have you?"

"Yes."

"And it seems that you and Harry know Hogwarts better than some seventh years, doesn't it?" Lily's eyes were locked with Hermione's now.

"I suppose."

"James never mentioned a twin. Then how come Harry and James look exactly alike?"

"Skipped genes?" Hermione bit her lip and furrowed her eyebrows.

"Hermione, do you want to tell me something? Something about your past? Or should I say, my future?"

Hermione gasped. "How do you know about that?"

Lily rolled her eyes and smiled at the same time. "The Marauders aren't the only ones who notice things out of place."

Hermione began to worry. "Do you think that anyone else has noticed?"

Lily chuckled. "No, you kept your secret very well. It's just that your closest friends would notice things, wouldn't they? And anyways, as much as I frown upon James, Sirius, Remus, and Peter, they are a smart bunch of gits."

"How long have you known?" asked Hermione inquiringly.

"Oh, for a long time," answered Lily, "or at least, I had my suspicions for a while. Since October, I think.

"Wow," breathed Hermione. "How come you never mentioned it before this?"

"Well, I needed a powerful incident to confirm my proposal, didn't I?" Lily shrugged. "With Sirius blaming you and Harry for his uncle's death, I knew I was right." She was trying to steal it away but to no avail: Lily was pleased with herself. "So why are you here?" she asked before she could stop herself. "What brings you back to this year?"

"It was sort of an accident, really," Hermione said, then she sighed. "It's a long story, actually."

"When will you be leaving?" Lily asked.

"Two or so weeks, but Harry says we might be leaving sooner." Hurt leaked into Lily's eyes at Hermione's words.

"Will I ever see you again?"

Hermione gave a lopsided smile. "Only time can tell."

Harry walked with his shoulders sagged towards the Great Hall with heavy feet. He couldn't see how he could act the same around the Marauders. He was Harry Potter, not Harry Thewler. He was the Boy Who Lived, not just some average kid trying to go through teenagehood. He was no normal boy.

And he was starving. He hadn't had anything since the Christmas feast, which seemed to have been eons ago. Harry decided that he would quickly stop by the Great Hall, grab a crumpet, avoid eye contact with any people he knew, and run off somewhere to eat in peace, preferably someplace warm.

As Harry was deciding where to munch on his pathetic breakfast, he caught a glimpse of himself in a mirror hanging on the wall. At first glance, it seemed perfectly normal. But he did a double-take, and yelped in astonishment. He inched closer, ideas of breakfast slipping away fast. Soon he was mere inches away from his reflected image. It was still the same Harry—black, messy hair; stunningly green eyes; round glasses—except for one change. His lightening bolt scar was missing. Harry ran a finger over where it should have been. Nothing. He couldn't even feel a raise in the skin.

Examining his unscathed forehead, Harry stood there for quite some time, gazing at his forehead from every angle—he just couldn't get enough of seeing his new head. He was mesmerized by it… until his stomach yelled at him for keeping him empty for so long. He gave the mirror one last stare before trotting away.

Harry felt like a new man as he walked (with a bounce in his step!) towards the smell of food and clattering of silverware and plates. Sirius's tirade was in the farthest corners of Harry's mind now. With his scar gone, Harry almost felt like Harry Thewler once again. His scar had always symbolized that he had been a marked man since birth. It was a constant reminder that he was no ordinary boy. Now that he was free from it, it was as if a heavy burden had been lifted from his shoulders. Harry could breathe freely now.

Just a minute later, Harry was scanning the table to find a familiar face to sit near. At once, he saw at least a dozen mat of jet-black hair occupying the table. That's right… James's Dare… With a smile on his face, Harry searched for bushy brown hair or bright locks of red hair, which he found moments later and walked briskly towards them.

"Good morning, ladies," he exclaimed as he jumped into an empty seat next to them. He laughed at their response: they both stared wide-eyed. "Just in case you can't recognize me, I'm Harry. Remember me? Hello?" They continued to stare as he waved a hand in front of their faces.

"Harry, you look so different!" gasped Hermione at last.

"And here I thought I looked the same as everyone else," laughed Harry.

"Where's your scar?" asked Lily, realizing what was unusual.

"Well, that's the beauty of James's Dare, isn't it?" said Harry. "It allows only one trait of yourself to be the same. I guess the spell chose my eyes instead of my scar." He looked around at everyone else and was surprised to see what they were eating. "Is it lunchtime already?" He began to shovel food on his plate and straight into his gaping mouth.

A short while later, three boys and a girl sat down across from Harry, Lily, and Hermione. The girl could be recognized as Jenny Wesley, the girl who had an unfortunate crush on Harry. Two of the three boys were Sirius and Remus, so one could assume that the third was James except for one detail. The other boy had a lightening bolt scar scratched upon his head!

"Oh Harry, you're so funny!" squealed Jenny, looking at the scarred boy. She turned to the two girls. "Hi Lily, Hermione, and…" She gazed hard at Harry, trying to decipher who he was exactly. As she saw his eyes she faltered. "Harry? But I thought you were Harry," she said uncertainly, pointing to the scarred boy beside her.

Out of the blue, Harry felt someone attacking his arm. He turned to his left o find Lily repeating whacking him with an open palm. "Potter, you idiot! If you keep using this asinine potion to your advantage, I swear you will regret it."

"What!" yelped Harry, now shielding his mad mother with his other arm. "I'm Harry! Can't you tell?"

"What's going on here?" asked James-pretending-to-be-Harry meekly. He had an honestly confused face and even held himself in the way that Harry would. Harry, on the other hand, was sitting up straight and chin out, much like James would. Hence the misunderstanding. "James? Is that you?" James asked Harry.

"This is really funny, Prongs," said Harry, not amused. "Now, tell us who you really are."

"I'm Harry! Honestly!" pleaded James. "Why else would I have a scar?"

Jenny, Lily, Hermione, Remus, and Sirius looked back and forth between Harry and James as if following a tennis rally. All seemed unsure, except Sirius. He could tell exactly who was who. Sirius and James were like brothers. But he wasn't going to spoil his friend's fun.

"I know something you don't know," said Sirius obnoxiously in a singsong voice. "But I'm not telling," he finished with a smirk. All the confused others glared at him before trying to make sense of who was who.

"Damn, you're a good actor," mumbled Lily to herself.

"You're Harry," Hermione said as Lily said, "You're James."

"You got me," both Potter's confessed, holding up their hands. They both laughed in the same way.

"That's just odd," said Remus, referring to their "twinism."

"But—you—" Jenny stuttered. She looked at Harry, and then at James, who was taping his forehead with his wand: the scar disappeared. Suddenly she seemed to swell with anger. "I can't believe you tricked me! That was perfectly awful of you to do so! Pretending to be—not that it matters who—but still, that doesn't mean that you can do—UGH!" With one last look of disgust aimed at James and Harry, Jenny shot out of her seat as if it was scalding hot, and stormed out of the Great Hall. Just before she turned the corner, a boy, looking like James, came from behind her and put a comforting arm around her, talking in a concerned air.

"And things are back to normal," sighed Harry.

"Have we ever had normal?" asked James.

"Doubtful," grumbled Lily.

"Ah, normal," said Remus, with an air of commenting on the weather. "How I miss thee."

Sirius looked troubled as he gazed at Harry. "Listen, mate, about what I said earlier…" he said in an undertone as James, Remus, and Lily argued over the school's complete abnormality. Harry anticipated Sirius's apology and cut him short.

"It's all right," Harry said. "If there is anyone who understands what you're going through right now, it's me. You don't have to apologize. Just don't make a habit of it," he finished with a wink.

Sirius smiled to himself as he gulped down his drink. James had been right: It went without much difficulty at all. With a lighter mood sprung upon him, Sirius began to converse happily with his friends once again. The three boys smiled at him: their Sirius was back.

As Sirius told everyone of a joke he over heard Professor Aylward tell the Headmaster, one person's mood definitely darkened. Hermione was hoping now that Sirius had apologized to Harry, things would be set right with Hermione and him. But she appeared to be wrong. Sirius was going out of his way to avoid eye contact and talking to her. Hermione's eyes started to water. She had finally decided to return his affection for her, but seconds later, he found out his uncle had passed away. And afterwards, Sirius had shut himself away. And just as he is welcoming in others, he acts as if nothing had happened! As if their kiss hadn't happened…

"Lily," Hermione quickly said as to not distract the attention of the boys. Sirius, who was laughing at something James said, perked his ears only the slightest bit. "I forgot… I was going to meet with Professor McGonagall. I'll see you later." As Lily nodded, Hermione slowly began to rise. Before she turned to walk away, she shot Sirius one last glance; he was avidly watching James chug a pitcher of orange juice. Hermione speedily walked away, sniffing as she went.

"So what are we going to do today, mates?" James said loudly to his friends as they left the Great Hall. Lily had invented some excuse to leave them soon after Hermione left, so it was just James, Sirius, Remus, and Harry.

"Do we have to do something?" whined Sirius. "I mean, we don't want to overdue it on pranks, do we? It'll look bad on our record."

"Since when do you care about your record?" asked Remus.

"Since I became lazy," pouted Sirius.

"We'll let inspiration hit us, how about that?" said James. Only after he finished speaking did a Quaffle come out of nowhere hit him on the back of his knees, causing him to lose balance and topple over. The three other boys cackled heavily.

"Does inspiration always come in the form of a solid, red ball?" asked Remus as he helped his friend onto his feet.

Seconds after James regained his steadiness, he jumped around in order to search for the culprit. He spotted a guilty-looking boy with messy black hair in Gryffindor robes. "Watch where you're throwing that thing…?"

"McClaggen," said the boy hurriedly. "Kevin McClaggen."

"McClaggen?" repeated James. He turned to his friends. "But didn't McClaggen graduate several years ago?"

"That was my older brother, Padraic McClaggen," interjected little Kevin. "He was captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch Team and—"

"I know," said James quickly. He didn't need a full summary of the boy. "Just—be careful when handling that thing, will ya?" He picked up the Quaffle, spun it on the tips of his fingers, tossed it up into the air (still spinning), and caught it in the nape of his neck. Letting it roll off his head, he tossed it back to Kevin, who had his mouth agape, large enough to catch a swarm of billywigs.

"You're James Potter!" exclaimed the second year.

"Last time I checked," said James, examining his fingernails.

"I wanted to try out for the team this year," said Kevin excitedly, (Kevin reminded Harry strongly of Colin Creevey—overexcited, star struck boy.) "but Smirch gave me detention that day for disrupting during her class. Honestly, how is exploding someone else's potion a disturbance?"

"I like this kid," Sirius whispered to Remus.

"Maybe next year, kid," said James with a smile. They started to walk away from Kevin, but James turned around once more and called down the hall to Kevin, who had started to jog away, tossing the Quaffle poorly. "Hey kid!" Kevin turned, excitement glowing in his eyes. "What position do you play?"

"Seeker!" he half yelled. "But my brother thinks I'd be better at Keeper."

"Keep practicing, then!"

"Bye!"

Farther down the hall, James turned to Harry. "I realized a while back that I'll need to be finding a good replacement Chaser once you leave. I could play Chaser and let someone be Seeker, of course. So I've been keeping my eyes peeled."

"And how does one peel their eyes?" asked Sirius, as if he was a therapist talking to his client.

"I thought you already knew that, according what we did to—SNAPE?" yelped James, horrified. He was wide eyed and pointed to a boy walking towards them on the opposite side of the corridor.

It was a horrible sight, indeed: The body and face of James with the hooked nose, greasy hair, cold black eyes, and pallid skin colour of Snape. Apparently, he had been searching for a counter-potion or –spell to reverse the effects. So far, Snape had only retrieved two more of his physical features, making this James Potter look very awkward.

Snape looked at the four boys over his shoulder as he passed them. He didn't recognize them, which was probably for the better. If he had identified them, he would have cursed them to next Tuesday.

"Oh, my eyes!" groaned James as he shut them tightly as Snape was out of hearing range. "My eyes, they burn! Oh, how they burn!" He grabbed Harry around the collar and shook him. "Don't make me see that again! Please! It was horrific! Appalling! Sickening! Gruesome! Just down right wrong!"

"In times like these, I just humor the boy," Remus whispered to Harry. Sirius, however, had his eyes tightly closed to, whispering repeatedly to himself.

Harry smiled and nodded before patting James gingerly on the shoulder. Even so, Harry had to admit that seeing a Potter and Snape blended was an awkward sight.

"Horrendous! Shocking! Ghastly!" James continued for the next seven minutes thinking up synonyms for the word terrible.

"Ok, we get it, Potter," said Harry loudly to shut his father up. "But think of it this way: at least you're not trapped inside Snape's body."

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Sirius, Remus, and Harry plugged their ears.

Two minutes later: "AAAAAAAAHHHHHHhhhh… Gross," James shivered. "Now I have that mental image stuck in my head. Thanks, Thewler."

"No problem, mate," Harry said, tugging his ears.

While walking aimlessly throughout Hogwarts, the four boys devoted some of their time just to observing those around them and how they reacted to James's Dare. Some of the girls looked as if the exams had been canceled and cluttered around any boy near them. Those boys in the midst of the giggling girls were trying their best to act similarly like the real James Potter, or they were taking advantage or their "good looks" and were wooing girls they'd never had the chance to talk to.

On the other hand, there were those boys who cringing at being in somebody else body, especially James's. They noticed that the population of boys had decreased and Remus pointed out that many would be sleeping through this "horror."

"On purpose!" yapped James. "Why would they want to do that? This is the best they've looked in their life!"

Remus, Harry, and Sirius synchronically looked down at their bodies, looked back at James, and rolled their eyes.

Some of the girls refused to even look at the boys, especially if they had been previously dumped, insulted, or hurt in any way or form by the real James Potter. One couple was arguing off to the side. From what the four boys could hear, Shannon refused to talk to Anthony until he changed back. He tried to solve the problem by kissing her, but she slapped his face and started to run away, sniffling.

"How long is this going to last, Prongs?" Remus asked worriedly as Bertram Aubrey sped past. He had just gotten his head size back to normal when James's Dare hit the school. The boy did not look pleased at his new body.

"Not even a full day," said James airily. "It should be over just a while after dinner, I should say."

"You should," came a voice from behind them. They all whipped around at the same time to spot Bridget Bell, Gryffindor Beater and Sirius's ex-girlfriend. She walked in between Harry and James, though she couldn't tell any apart from each other, and linked arms. "It's safe to assume that you're all Sirius, James, Remus, and Harry, right?" They all nodded with questioning looks. "Sirius's hair gave it away. Anyways, you boys might want to make yourself scarce, especially you, James, wherever you are."

James smiled and waved a hand.

"Cute," laughed Bridget. "But the rest of the school doesn't think so. They're growing to be quite mutinous, boys and girls alike. They are actually on a manhunt right now for your blood, Potter, so it might be a good idea to hide or at least keep your eyes open."

"Manhunt?" repeated James.

"Yes, and there are leaders from each house: Kyle and Keegan from Hufflepuff, Katie from Ravenclaw, Spencer and Dominic from Gryffindor, and, get this, Snape, Regulus, and Callie from Slytherin." Bridget laughed. "It was very comical to watch them 'organize.'"

"My own teammates turned against me," said James in a hollow tone, speaking of the two Gryffindors.

"Mate, the whole school has turned against you," said Sirius, clapping his friend on the back. "I wouldn't take it too personal."

"Well, that's all," said Bridget. "I just wanted to give you all a fair head start before the manhunting begins. Good luck!" She slipped between the two Potters and walked away. As soon as she reached the end of the hall, she shouted out, "And Black! You might want to hide your hair or something like that. It's a dead giveaway."

"Thanks!" said James as she left.

"Is she crazy?" yelped Sirius. "Hide my perfect hair?" At that moment though, Remus was transfiguring something in his pocket into a winter hat that covered most of the wearer's hair. Remus shoved it onto his friend's head seconds later. Sirius slouched. "Do I have to?"

"Yes," answered James, Remus, and Harry immediately. "If it means my life, yes, definitely," continued James.

Sirius begrudgingly tweaked the brick red wool hat so it was on his head properly. "It's itchy," complained Sirius.

Remus rapped Sirius rather violently on the head. It became soft cotton moments later.

"Ta," grumbled Sirius.

"People are beginning to be suspicious," commented Harry after ten minutes of walking around. "They see a group of four boys, acting like Marauders no less, and they begin to stare questioningly at us until we pass."

"Let's split up, gang," said James suddenly, clapping his hands together.

"Who do we look like, Scooby-Doo?" asked Harry touchily.

"Who's Scooby-Doo?" asked the three Marauders.

"Never mind," Harry said hurriedly.

"Me and Harry will go the long way to Gryffindor Tower while you two go the way behind the tapestry," instructed James. "Sound good? Good! See you when we reach it. If there're any problems, use the mirror. You have it, right Sirius?"

"Prongs, this isn't a war, all right? This isn't a takeover. This is us, the Invincible Marauders, going to the Gryffindor Tower." Sirius wretched the hat off his head. "What's the worst they could do to us?"

"You, with the pitchfork, grab that torch will you?" shouted a voice from a corridor behind them.

"We'll see you up there," said Sirius as he jammed the hat back on his head. James and Harry nodded and started to jog to the left. Their jog turned to a run as they competed against the other, which turned into a sprint.

"Aren't they energetic," commented Remus as he and Sirius walked quickly the opposite way.

"Yes, they are," answered Sirius.

"Padfoot, that was rhetorical."

"Oh."

A minute or so later of dodging people in the hall without dragging attention (which Sirius was having personal trouble with), Sirius puffed out, "Do you know what would make this a whole lot easier?"…… That wasn't rhetorical," he added.

"The Marauder's Map?" said Remus.

"Exactly," said Sirius. "Now that Thewler knows, we don't have to hide it from him any more. Maybe he could even help us make it! Because, you know, I'm having just a bit of trouble with my part about the spell that shows who—"

"No," said Remus as he yanked Sirius aside so they wouldn't be seen by someone who looked like Kyle. They both stumbled into an empty classroom. "He can't help us with making the map at all. He can have no part in it."

"Oh, but he's already changed the future," whined Sirius. "And helping us on an extremely difficult task would be nice. He's definitely powerful, especially in Defense."

"I won't allow it," said Remus roughly.

"Won't allow it?" repeated Sirius, baffled. "I'm not sure if it's your place to 'allow' or 'not allow' things to happen around here."

"Harry will agree with me and you know it. It's too dangerous. With Harry and Hermione being as your uncle died was close enough."

"Don't mention her name," growled Sirius.

"Hermione's?" Remus asked, thoroughly confused.

"Yes."

"Why not?"

Sirius sighed. "Not right now. Perhaps another time." He headed for the door.

"There's no better time than the present, is there?"

"Present." Sirius gave a hollow chuckle. "Are we the present? The way Harry and Hermione call us the past, I don't know. Do you know what people say about the past? Been there, done that. I don't want to be a 'been there, done that.' I want to be remembered."

"This isn't about your Marauder legend, is it?" Remus sighed too. "You're talking about Hermione, aren't you?"

"Call me hypocritical—"

"Okay, you're hypocritical," said Remus. He smiled at his friend.

"But," continued Sirius with a hint of a grin, "I don't want to be tossed aside once this is over and never be thought of again. I know I've done that to a lot of girls here over the past couple of years, just thinking of them as a trophy, but knowing now what that may feel like, I deeply regret it."

"She won't forget you, Padfoot," said Remus. "Trust me. No one could forget you, not even the most powerful Memory charm could get rid of you. You're stuck with us." He nudged his friend and started to walk in the direction of the door. "Cheer up, mate. It'll get better. But only if you start talking to her again."

"I don't think I can do that," Sirius spoke softly.

"Why not?" asked Remus as he wretched the door open.

But as the door opened, a crowd of angry teenagers blocked their exit.

"Er…Hello," said Remus. "I'm not sure if you noticed, but you are jamming up the only way out. Now if you could just move aside a little, that would be excellent." He waited calmly, hands folded behind his back, and slowly rocking back on his heels and forward to his toes repeatedly. Sirius looked at him and laughed. There were some times where Remus's behavior was too similar to a teacher's.

"Is it James?" called someone out in the crowd.

"No…"

"It's Remus!"

"Rats!"

Werewolf, actually, thought Remus and Sirius simultaneously.

"Are you sure?"

"For quite some time, actually," answered Remus.

"But… isn't that Sirius?" asked a boy in front with red hair who turned out to be Kyle.

"Now that I'm rather sure of," said Sirius.

"So then where's James?" growled Kyle aggressively. Apparently the angry mob had assumed that where Sirius was, James was. James had already assumed their assumption, hence why he had split himself and Sirius apart. Sirius thanked his friend silently in his head at the moment. James sure knew how to dodge a horde of very cross students.

Both Remus and Sirius shrugged in unison.

"He's somewhere in the castle, I know that," said Remus.

"Actually," interjected Sirius, "I heard him tell Thewler that he was going to hide out at Hagrid's."

"All right, you heard him," yelled out Kyle. "Half of you go down to the gamekeeper's hut and the rest will search this side of the castle. They can't've gone too far." Following the Hufflepuff's orders, the group split up and went their opposite ways.

"That was all too easy," chuckled Sirius.

"Poor Hagrid, though," laughed Remus.

"We'll give him a horribly dangerous animal and beg for forgiveness," said Sirius, waving his hand as if it was a common thing to do.

Meanwhile…

"How long is this 'long way' you speak of?" asked Harry as James turned around yet another corner. It had been just short of a half-hour since they parted from Sirius and Remus. "We're closer to the dungeons that to Gryffindor Tower!" exclaimed Harry as he spotted a certain painting. "Hold the phone," he said abruptly.

"Phone? You mean that thing that Muggles talk into that can make crackly sounds?" asked James as he looked carefully down a tangent corridor. "I don't have one on me. Sorry, mate," he added with a grin.

"You're leading me to the kitchens, aren't you?" demanded Harry.

James looked sheepish. "Well, I'm feeling a bit peckish, to tell you the truth. Oh, don't look at me like that," he added after glancing at Harry. "It's automatic by now. I'm near this corridor and I automatically go for the kitchens. It's like—"

"You're on autopilot?" suggested Harry.

"I was going to say that it's natural by now… What's autopilot?"

"Never you mind," sighed Harry. "Just get your food and we'll be on our merry way, all right?"

"You've never had a better plan," said James, giving a toothy grin.

Seven minutes later the two Potters exited from the kitchen, their arms laden with sweets of all sorts and many bottles of butterbeer. For quite some time they didn't meet anyone while on their way to Gryffindor Tower. James and Harry took every detour they could think of and once or twice James found a few new ones. It was only until they had reached the floor of the Fat Lady when Hermione came running down the corridor. She saw two boys carting piles of food and drinks and had almost dismissed them as non-Marauders; that is, until she saw Harry's eyes.

"Harry!" she exclaimed, jogging the rest of the way to catch up with the two Potters.

"Shhh!" they hissed in chorus, afraid that they might blow their cover when so close to home base. "What is it?" Harry asked when Hermione had caught up with them.

"It's Dumbledore," she gasped, holding a stitch in her side. "You are really hard to track down, you know that?"

"Well, my job is done then!" said James brightly. "We were trying to hide from the angry mob that's out to get me," he explained shortly seeing Hermione's confusion.

"What about Dumbledore?" asked Harry.

"He wants to see us," Hermione said, trying to pass it off as a casual comment, but her inflection in her voice gave it away; she was as excited and worried as Harry was.

"Oh," said Harry, failing to mask his feelings horribly, too. "Okay… right now?" Hermione nodded. Harry looked at James, whose eyebrows were furrowed. "Here, take this," Harry handed him the sweets; James stumbled, opening and closing his mouth in uncertainty. "And tell Remus not to eat all the chocolate. I'll be back soon."

"Good luck!" James called out, finding his voice, as Harry and Hermione turned the corner. Harry's hand gave a wave of thanks and worry before he disappeared completely. James sighed, his shoulders sagging, before turning to Gryffindor Tower once more, his load of rations doubled.

"Did he say what he wanted?" asked Harry after he waved good-bye to James.

"It was Professor McGonagall who told me of his request," said Hermione. "And no, she didn't say. Oh Harry, I'm so confused! Part of me wants the Life-Alter to be found, and another wants it to be lost forever."

"I know exactly what you mean," sighed Harry.

They remained silent for the rest of the journey. They were too focused on what Dumbledore wanted, and if it would be considered good news or bad news. The only word that escaped their mouths was "Acid Pop," for the password at the gargoyle. It leapt aside. Both time-travelers stepped onto the moving staircase. They stood outside Dumbledore's office's doors, took a deep breath, and knocked.

"Come in!" called a cheery voice from inside.

"Where are they?" asked Sirius impatiently. He stopped pacing, grabbed Remus's wrist, glanced at his friend's watch, threw Remus's hand down, and continued to pace. After a few minutes Sirius stopped again and asked what was on everyone else's mind. "They wouldn't leave without saying good-bye, would they?" His mind was split into two halves at the moment. One wanted to apologize to Hermione, kiss, and make up. But the other was heated at her still and didn't care if she had left (which was untrue, deep down). But no matter which half it was, he was livid at himself for being such an idiot towards her.

"Black, would you please stop pacing," snapped Lily irritably. "You're just making things worse."

Sirius turned with an incredulous look slapped on his face to look toward James. James shrugged. Sirius, infuriated with friend at the moment, whipped his head back to face Lily. "Look, Evans, when you came barging in our dormitory, nattering about Hermione going to Dumbledore, we were curious as to how you knew such things. But once we found out that you knew about Harry and Hermione's… past, your welcome was worn out."

"Padfoot," said James in a quiet but warning tone.

"No, Prongs," said Sirius forcefully, never taking his eyes off of Lily. She kept his gaze at equal heat. "She doesn't have any right to be here right now. She's just here so she can get the scoop first and tell all her little friends about it behind our backs."

James made to stand up but Lily got to him first. She slapped him on the face not too hard. "Stop thinking so highly of yourself and so lowly of every one else," growled Lily. "I am here to comfort a traumatized friend. You're just hoping to get in one snog before she leaves."

"Now that's enough," yelled James, jumping between Sirius and Lily, for Sirius had made a move to hex her. With one hand on Sirius's chest and the other holding Lily's wrist, James said clearly, "Put your wands away. Now. This fighting is no good. Sirius, calm down. I'm sure everything is fine. They won't have left yet. Lily…" James lost his thread for a moment. "Please sit down."

With one last mutinous glare, Sirius and Lily stepped away from James and sat in opposite corners of the boys' dormitory. James sighed. He looked at Remus, who had started to pull out his wand and was now hastily stuffing it away. They shared a knowing glance: never put Sirius and Lily into the same room again, especially when the tension was too thick to begin with.

"Aaahhh! What's taking them so long?" cried out Sirius after twenty more minutes of silent waiting.

Suddenly there was a knock on the door. They all looked at each other before Remus stood up and opened the door. Harry and Hermione stepped in. First, they were surprised to see Lily sitting on Peter's empty bed. Lily and James stood up, too, the moment the two time-travelers stepped in. Sirius had remained seated.

"Looks like the whole gang is here," mumbled Harry. He and Hermione stood awkwardly in front of the closed doorway.

"How was Dumbledore?" asked James conversationally, masking his anxiousness.

"He's fine," muttered Harry. "He wants me to remind you that you missed your meeting about your detentions for your dare. He said forget about it. It was too amusing to put in record anyway."

"Isn't that peachy. So… does he still have those silver ornaments all over the place?"

"Yep."

"Oh, stop with the suspense already," rumbled Sirius. Harry and Hermione jumped. They had forgotten Sirius in the corner and hadn't expected him to talk, just to be quietly moody. "And tell us what Dumbledore had to say."

Harry and Hermione shared a fleeting glance before Hermione opened her mouth. Harry was looking sadly between Lily and James, biting his bottom lip. Remus looked down at his feet, which were scuffling the floor timidly. As Hermione spoke (her tone heartrending), she looked directly at Sirius, and no one else. He gazed straight back at her. "We should be traveling back to our own time within the next two days."

Didn't expect that, did you?

Yes… Maybe I should have given all you lovely readers out there a heads up… The end is very near. I will say nothing more… because I do not know anymore. I'm really making this up as I go along.

Sorry this chapter took a while to put up. I've had to endure many hours of football (soccer) in the past month, although now it seems nothing compared to what I have to go through for the next two weeks. So I might apologize in advance for not updating as quickly as you all may like. Just remember that I'll be footballing twice a day for two weeks, and then BAM. I'm back in school again. –sheds a tear— Good news, though! I've already started to write the next chapter.

So…. How'd ya like this new, longest ever installment of Saving Siri? Comments? Compliments? Insults? Really bad Vogon poetry?

The Dark One Reborn: Yes, you can use the idea. Sorry I couldn't tell you sooner. My email has been acting all wonky.

Cerzee: Good catch! I never even thought to look up Tonks's age! I guess I had just assumed that it wouldn't be available. Actually, while I was planning chapter 29 out, I had originally made her three- or four-years-old. But one of my friends convinced me that she would be just a wee bit older. Oy…. Thanks!

I don't even think I have to ask how everyone enjoyed Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. I loved it! It was funny, sad, romantic, and… everything else all rolled up into one perfect story! I won't post my thoughts, feelings, and theories here, just incase one of you is slacking and hasn't read it yet (wink) but if anyone wants to theorize with me, my door is wide open and my email is running smoothly once again. Just remember, I am not a novice in the subject of Harry Potter. My family has been known for its… geekiness!

I hope you all have a lovely day and I hope to be writing to you again soon!