Chapter 2-

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8:05 a.m. Breakfast time at the Dursley's

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"Boy! I hoped you thought about what I said to you last night," Uncle Vernon announced though a mouth full of eggs, bacon, and ham. Harry, on the other hand, didn't get that privilege, all he had was a piece of toast, and a little bit of the omelet, which he had saved for himself. He knew the drill; eat the food before his piggy cousin got to it. But this morning he didn't get that much time as Dudley actually woke up early. Usually, he would get up late, and Harry had to make breakfast again. Since Aunt Petunia was out at the church club's weekly meeting Harry didn't really cook as much this time.

"Because last night impression made me think that you actually wanted to get kicked out of the house," Uncle Vernon continued, with that loud voice of his.

Harry sighed, and replied, "Well, I thought about it, and-"

Harry was cut off as his Uncle Vernon interrupted him. "You though about it, eh? Well you had chosen wisely, boy," his uncle replied, thinking that Harry was going to work at the Dursley's, "next time, you wouldn't get that choice. See what a kind man I am? Well, first I have to make the list of chores for you to do though out the whole summer, and then I'm going to-"

This time it was Harry who was doing the interrupting,

"No, no, no… I think you must've missed understood me. You see, this morning, when I woke up, I actually thought about what you said, about me paying my keeps here, and I don't want to burden you any longer, my dear uncle." Harry ended sarcastically.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Uncle Vernon wondered.

He never wanted to admit it, but he rather have Harry work at the house then paying for them. What could he say? Harry was a maid, cook, gardener, and plumber all rolled up into one. He was good at housework, and then, of course, there was the added bonus of not having to pay him. He did not want to lose that privilege. After all, he had only said those things last night to scare the boy.

"It means that I've decided to go out, and get that job you always wanted me to get," Harry replied with an amused tinkle in his eye.

"WHAT?!?" Uncle Vernon had yelled so loud that Dudley actually jumped off his chair, and that's not an easy stunt to do. Well for him anyways.

"EGH! Now look at what you've done, go get a towel and clean up that mess right now!" his uncle roared, his face, turning quite red.

Harry eyes were twinkling with laugher now, as he thought that his uncle would've made a nice human iguana: first his face was pink, then red, then kind of purplish, and now it's back to red again.

"No." he answered simply. His uncle's eyes were glaring into his dangerously, and he knew he was trending on dangerous grounds.

"And pray tell, why not?" he asked, turning an interesting shade of lavender.

"Well… since I have to work for my living now, I no longer have to listen or do anything you say considering how I'm going to be paying my way here." He replied logically, referring to last night's conversation.

"AND WHO IN THEIR RIGHT MINDS WOULD HIRE YOU?" He bellowed, shaking the table as he slammed his hand down in triumph. Got you there, he thought. "After all these years of telling the people here you're a junior delinquent, you think anyone would want to hire you?"

"Yeah, your right," Harry said, amused at his uncle's lack of faith towards him. "I thought about that too, but this morning, while I was running around the neighborhood-"

"And what were you doing running around, huh?" Uncle Vernon asked. "Causing trouble, I'll expect," he growled.

"Well… no," Harry replied with a tiny bit of annoyance in his voice. After all, here he was, actually listening to the guy for once, and he was still criticizing him like everything was his fault. "I just woke up early, and wanted to kill some time till breakfast."

He had no idea why he was lying to him about his plans for that summer… probably cause he knew Uncle Vernon wouldn't understand. When he told Uncle Vernon this, the pig faced man grunted something about teenagers who have too much time on their hands.

"Well, anyways, I woke early and thought about running around for a bit, you know, just for the fun of it-" This time, it was Dudley who interrupted him.

"Running for the fun of it? Is that some sort of stuff you freaks do in your spare time? I swear, you guys have no life whatsoever."

Harry ignored him. Wait until he figures out that Jen's back. I know for a fact he still likes her.

"So I was running around when I reached the local gym, and there, next to it, was a sign basically saying that I can get a job best suited for me after the interview. It's as easy as that," he explained.

"Easy as that huh? Well then, tell me, what's your plans for this summer then?" Uncle Vernon questioned.

"Umm… well, I don't really exactly. I had to run back here just before Jen told-" Harry was again cut off from whatever he was saying by Dudley.

"Jen?" he question, perking up a little. "She's back… umm…no… well…I… umm… I mean, that's nice," he finished off lamely, blushing a little, getting back to his breakfast. Well, what wass left of it anyways.

This time, Harry did answer him. "Yeah, you remember Jen White? All the way back from 2nd grade? Well, she's back. She's the one who gave me my interview this morning, you know," Harry informed him.

"Yeah… whatever… why would I care, huh?" Dudley said right between bits, looking around at everything but Harry.

"Well, you did ask you know."

Uncle Vernon was just sitting there, staring between those two. Did those two just had a real conversation, he wondered. Harry must've thought that too, cause he was looking at his watch, not bothering to note that it stopped working during the second tournament.

"Well look at the time," Harry announced, "I have to go back and finish my interview. Bye, then."

With that, he walked out of the kitchen, not bothering to look back.

"And what about this mess?!?" Uncle Vernon roared suddenly, referring to the mess Dudley had spilled earlier that breakfast.

"You've got hands, clean it up yourself," Harry yelled from the living room, on his way out of the door.

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Just outside of Privet Drive 8:25

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Harry was walking slowly out the door, counting down from five. "5…" "4…" "3…" "2…" "1...-"

"HEY HARRY, WAIT UP!" he heard the sounds of Dudley's footsteps and voice waddling from inside the house. A couple of seconds later, he saw as Dudley came panting out of the house. Harry raised an eyebrow.

"Since when do you call me by my first name?" he asked. "And where are you going, anyways?"

"Why not? We are cousins right? What kind of cousins are we if we don't even call each other by their first name?" Dudley asked Harry.

Harry knew what Dudley was doing, but he couldn't help thinking to himself, he got it bad. Real bad. Even after all these years, he still likes her.

"Right…" Dudley glared at him for a while, then he replied, "It's not like I want to be here, you know. Dad's making me get a job," he said, getting a little angry. "You just had to go open your mouth didn't you. Just because you had to get a job, doesn't mean you have to drag me in with you!"

He pushed Harry onto the streets, and starting walking towards the gym.

What was that? He thought as he laid down on the street.

He knew Dudley was lying form the minute he started talking. There's only two possible answers for Uncle Vernon to make Dudley get a job. On the one hand, he really, really needed the money, and that's why he was making them get jobs. Or on the other hand, Dudley's screaming at Uncle Vernon, making him (Vernon) make him (Dudley) go with Harry so he could get a job interview with Jen, whom he has liked, and has a crush on for years. Hmm… now that he thought about it, the second one seemed more likely.

Eh, can't I get any peace around here, he thought as he looked up at the sky.

A car suddenly honked at him to move out of the way. Guess not, he sigh as he got up, and tried catching up to Dudley, who was about half a block ahead of him.

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Lily and James: Somewhere in America

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James looked at alarm clock next to his bed, it read 6:25. He had just awoken after a very tiring night, and he had that dream again. The very interesting one where his life ended, and his afterlife took place. How bizarre of this to have happen on the very night that Lily has her dream about Harry, he thought wearily. The night Lily had her dream about their son, he got to dream about that night. That one night that made him loose everything that meant the most to him. His son, his friends, his family, his life… But I got Lily, and that's all that counts… right? She's the love of my life, he thought, and she can't even remember our lives before we died. No Harry, no Sirius, no Remus, no Hogwarts, no great hall… and especially, no us for the first two years of our death.

He remembered the events that lead them to this life (or afterlife) like it was yesterday. He should have, considering how he had just dreamt about it.

It had all started when a strange green light was going towards him.

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Flashback: Year 1981, Halloween night Location: what's that place called when you're between places?

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"I don't want to be dead! I am NOT dead! Take me back! I want to go back!" A frustrated and dead Lily angrily ranted on. James knew from first hand experience that an angry Lily was not someone you want to be around, and therefore, took a step back.

"Look Ms-" Death was saying, trying to calm her down. Big mistake.

"It's not 'Ms'!" Lily shouted. "See that guy, the one I came here with?" she asked, pointing over to James, who waved back, trying not to laugh. "Who do you think he is?"

Death didn't know what to say without being yelled at again, so he just gave the Judgment guy a look that simply said 'a little help here, please.' "Umm….I thought he was your husband ," the Judgment guy answered, not knowing what was the problem.

"Yes, he is- hold on, what do you mean, WAS," Lily screamed," we are STILL married!"

Death decided to took a stand, and told her that once a couple died, they are no longer married.

"WHAT YOU MEAN WE'RE NOT MARRIED?!?" Lily roared, her anger getting the better of her.

"Well, umm… Ms…" Lily glared. "Ok, fine, MRS," he emphasize on the Mrs. part, "You remember that contract you signed?" Judgment asked her.

"What contract?" James wondered.

"The one you guys signed on your wedding day, of course," Death reminded him. "Well you do remember the 'till death do us part' part, right?"

"Yea, and the 'in sickness and in health' part. So what?" James shrugged.

" 'So what,' " Judgment mimicked, "young people these days, don't know the importance in what they're even saying. What is the mortal world coming to?" him murmured to himself. "You see, the contract firmly stated that once you both die, you're no longer married. Hence the verse, 'till death to us part.' "

When they make you say something as important as that, in a joining ceremony (marriage) they mean it. These stuff aren't just for show, you know," came a new, and familiar voice.

"SIRIUS," Lily cried, as James yelled out, "PADFOOT," as they both turned around.

"What are you doing here? Don't tell me you died too. How dare you die, who's going to take care of Harry? Honestly, men these days, they are even able to die at the wrong time, and I didn't even think that was possible," came the ranting voice of Lily.

"I'm sorry, my dear flower, you have been mistaken. Didn't your fellow comrade explain to you," the calm fellow, who looked exactly like their good friend, Sirius Black, asked. Now that that fellow was here, Death finally spoke up.

"Well, no you see. We didn't get that chance as that lady over there," he replied, pointing to Lily in distaste, "got a little, how should we say, agitated the second she entered this realm."

"I was NOT agitated. Just merely a ticked off at those guys," Lily butted in, hotly, referring to Death and the Judgment guy. "Especially that gothic-ly looking one. (Death) If you ask me, he got serious dressing problems, not to mention a bad attitude," she told the guy who looked like Sirius, but wasn't. They couldn't help it, especially the two who knew who the 'gothic- ly guy was. They just laugh, of course Judgment was the only one who laugh out right, but you got the picture.

"Well nobody asked you, " Death replied, grumpily, but in his mind, he was thinking, this girl got some spunk. "Ok… well both of you stop blaming faults. No one is at fault here, just a little misunderstanding-"

"Yeah, you got that right," James Potter interrupted him thousands of questions had been running through his mind since he got here, and if he doesn't get any answer soon, he's going to explode, and that imposter right there, is getting on his nerves. How can that guy stay so calm, he thought.

"I got lots of question that needs answering buddy, and I know you know the answers to most of them at least." The imposter looked at him with a smile so unlike Sirius that it kind of frighten him a little.

"JAMES!" his wife, no wait -Was she still his wife? - Lily screamed, "How can you be so rude!"

"What? I was not being rude. I was just asking a question."

"You interrupted him!"

"So? You interrupted that other guy MANY times."

"That was so different, though."

"How? At least mine was for a good reason." that was not a good comeback on James's part. He had known her for how long, and he can still manage to tick her off at the stupidest moments for the most stupid reasons.

"Good reason? GOOD REASON? That guy was saying that we are not married anymore, James. It may not be that important to you, but that's a good enough reason for me!" she was beyond angry, ohh… if he wasn't already dead, I'll kill him. James was lost for words. How can I be so stupid? It was then that they realized that no one was saying anything. Death and Judgment was just staring at each other, lost as to what to do or even say. The calm fellow was just standing there with a sad smile on his face. James was the first person to speak.

"Look, Lily I didn't mean that-"

"Did you really? Was what you had to say more important than solving our marriage crisis?" she had calmed down a little, but she still felt a little hurt at his remark.

"NO… I mean no, look, I just wasn't really thinking about what I was saying… it's just that we died, and this is just not what I was expecting to happened when I die. The reality of it didn't hit me till I saw that Sirius- look- alike. I mean, I knew he wasn't Sirius the moment he spoke, because that's just not him… and I don't know what else to say… only that I'm sorry."

"Fine, fine, I'll forgive you, I know you didn't mean it, but really, you got to think about what you say next time," she was as hot-tempered as her hair color, but she's still as forgiving as the next person.

"Ahh, young love," the guy who looked like Sirius but isn't said.

"Ok, I'm not trying to be rude or anything, but who are you?" James really had to ask, but hey, at least he wasn't rude about it this time.

"My young Prong-" the guy started, but was again interrupted by James. "Could you please not say that? Calling Lily here, Flower is ok, but when you say 'Young Prong' it just doesn't seem right. You look exactly like my best friend, and I'm older then him! Its just doesn't seem right when someone my age calls me young," James, as you can probably tell, can get really annoyed at the slightest thing.

That guy just smiled. "Fine, would 'James' work then? And I was just getting to the point where I go explain everything you need to know in just a minute."

"Oh, ok then, sorry for interrupting then," he replied sheepishly. That guy just smiled… again. "Think no worry about it. Curiosity is not a sin." Before he can continue any further, Death spoke up.

"That's good and all, but before you start, we (him and Judgment) have to be on our way, and I suggest you guys-" Lily glared. "-and lady," he continued without stopping a beat, "go somewhere surrounded with at least four walls, a door, and a couple of chairs as I'm sure this is going to take a while." "

Why yes, of coarse, why didn't I think of that?" and within seconds, him, James, and Lily area all transported to a whole new setting.

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Place: Near the Gym Time 8:24 same day

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After Harry caught up with Dudley, the boys decided that it was best for the both of them, if they stayed on opposite ends of the streets to avoid further disruption between the both of them. Harry was perfectly happy with their decision, and whistled as he happily jog closer to the gym. He thought that he should at least warn Jen about his cousin sudden interest in getting a summer job. As he neared the gym, he thought about how lucky he was that Jen was finally back. He had thought about her for years, and as nothing more than a good friend. He wondered if there friendship would pick up from where they had left off, or if they had to start all over again. He wished it was the former, but knew that a lot had changed since second grade. He certainly had, and he wasn't that innocent little kid anymore that needs protecting.

Awww…. Why now of all times? It's not that he didn't want Jen back, but too much had changed. He was a wizard for Merlin sake, how could he explain that? He knew that this secret wasn't going to last for a long time for two reasons. First, Jen had a strange way of sensing whenever something was wrong. Second, he couldn't tell a lie for the life of him. Even if he tried, and trust me, he certainly did try… a lot, but for some reason, he always manage to get caught. Anyways, he had never kept any secret form her before. He had told her everything… and I mean everything. She never complained, just sit there and listen, her eyes telling him everything's going to be all right. And it was, along as she's there, he was safe, when she left, he was lonely, and when she left for good, he was almost in a state of depression. Well when the time comes, I'll deal with it… I hope.