Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter in any way.

A/N: Yah, I'm probably dead for not updating. I probably lost half my viewers. But oh well. This chapter is REALLY long for me, so enjoy.

Chapter 5

How to brew an illegal potion

Part one: Getting the recipe

James sighed, as he put the quill away. "How desperate can you get!" he muttered as he stood up once more. "I guess that wasn't just a dream after all… But I'm not staying here. What if the real 'Harry' were to show up? What if I disappear for ever in MY world? What if some one finds out…" James continued in this vain for quite some time, when he decided to get to class.

As he was walking down the corridor to the stairs, James realized something. His eyes. How could he forget! Harry had lily's eyes. The dream had told him that to. James pointed his wand at his face, and concentrated as hard as he could on lily. Her beautiful features, and than her eyes. He muttered something under his breath, and blinked. They felt the same. He blinked again.

It was strange… it usually felt a little different to change eye color, or in fact any part of you. But… He couldn't think about it now.

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It was very strange, Hermione thought, as she waved her wand in Arithmancey. James was in the world of Harry Potter, and he was actually being him as well!

This was bad. What if he found out about Sirius? Or HIM! What if he found out about himself? It would be just grand, if James Potter knew about his future self. She must tell Dumbledore. She must.

Hermione raised her hand, and Professor Vector looked up at her, with eyes as dark, and black as coal. His face was withered with age, and seemed to be sort of slow.

"Yes Ms Granger?" He asked in a dry, reedy tone that made an awkward shiver run down her spine.

"Uh- I was just wondering if I could go to the bathroom." Hermione asked, although, she had no intention of going at all.

"I'm very sorry Ms Granger, but you can wait until after class." He answered sounding quite annoyed.

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As James climbed into the perfume filled room that was the divination, he noticed that every one was staring at him. His forehead.

It was strange… he was used to the spot light… but this wasn't the same. Something horrible had happened to this kid. And he was going to find out what.

"Harry! Oi! 'arry! Over here!" Yelled the redheaded kid named 'Ron'.

James grinned and walked over to him. "Hey." He said, a bit nervous.

Ron grinned. "Hey mate! We're reviewing crystal balls today!" He said less then enthusiastically. His voice dropped down to a whisper. "She is gonna say it again." He pointed at the teacher

"I see… I see, DEATH!" She shouted dramatically, and two girls in the front of the room gasped.

Ron rolled his eyes, "Told you!" He whispered to James.

"Yah…" He said, not sure who this was directed at.

People stared at him all through the lesson, and after a while it got very annoying, it had a few just plane strange times, like how the teacher predicted his death about ten more times in duration of the lesson.

"Finally! I can't believe she held us back to make us listen to her predict your death again." Ron moaned.

"Yah…" James agreed. That witch was mental. He was very sure of that. "S-So… uh, um… What's next?" He asked awkwardly.

"Break! What else?" Ron answered with a grin. They walked down the corridors toward the grounds when they were caught by the girl named 'Hermione' who was in a huff she looked over at James, who was very cautious of her gaze, but she seemed to soften when she saw his 'scar'.

"Uh- Harry, can I talk to you?" She asked, not sure who it was.

"Does it have to be NOW?" James asked, "It's uh- break, and I wanted to go to the library, finish the potions essay for…" He shuddered, "Snape"

"Well… I suppose not." She said with a small smile. James grinned, and walked toward the library.

Ron looked crest fallen. "What did you have to that for 'mione?" Ron accused, "We were heading to the pitch for some practice!"

Hermione glared.

James made his way to the library with no intentions of doing an essay. But, he DID need a potion, from a book called 'Most Potent Potions' from the restricted section.

James sighed, the book had been taken out of the library by some second years when 'Harry' should have been in second year, and was never given back. The librarian didn't tell him this of course, he had looked in the highly secret records in the back of the library in a secret passage.

James leaned back in his chair, it would be no use! How could he get it back now? He needed that book! James' hair prickled, he felt like he was being watched, he turned around, to see half the library staring at him. At his forehead. James glared at them all, and they turned away. Something was wrong. Very wrong.

He shuttered, and turned back the right way in his chair, and looked down at the hard wooden table. And banged his head down agents it. And than it struck him! Just putting two and two together, and…

James thought, and the more he thought, the more it made sense. He got up and left the room with the eyes following him.

James went up the flights of stairs, until finally he reached the painting of a fat lady in a pink silk dress. "PASSWORD?" She asked.

He opened his mouth, ready to say the password, but… "I don't KNOW the password..." He whispered.

"No password, no admittance, even for you! And to think, it was EASY this year…" She said.

"Easy?" He asked, then without another word, he turned around, out to the grounds to think…

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Hermione bit her lip, pacing the around the tree she and Ron were at. 'What should I do? Tell him? Or…' She looked over to Ron, who was watching her with an out-in-space look. She rolled her eyes, "Not right now…" She muttered, and walked off.

Ron stared at the spot that Hermione had been for a moment then, realizing she was leaving, followed her as fast as he could, but still barely catching her. "Oi! 'mione! Wait up for me!" Ron called over to her.

Hermione stopped and looked around. "What is it Ron?" She asked.

"Nothing... uh... so where are we going?" Ron answered.

"To find J-Harry." Hermione said correcting herself quickly.

Ron nodded and followed through the corridors and to the library, but he wasn't there.

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James walked back towards the fat lady with a grin on his face. "Password?" The Fat lady called.

"Quidditch." He answered. The fat lady swung open to reveal the Gryffindor common room. James ran up the boys' staircase into 'Harry's' dorms. He looked for the bed he had woken up in that morning, hoping as hard as he could that it was 'Harry's'. Once found he began to look through the trunk.

James found many books but none of them were the ones that he wanted. Then he had an idea, why would he put a restricted book in the trunk? Where anyone could find it? He would hide it.

James looked everywhere, even in the most ridiculous of places, but it was nowhere to be found. He sighed, and looked up at the ceiling of the dormitory. Then, without warning, the bell rang to signal break was over.

James decided to search the girls Dormitory that night. He ran down the stair case, and bumped into Ron and Hermione at the bottom. They looked as if they were about to come up.

"Harry! We're going to be late for history of magic!" Ron said hurriedly, pulling James to the portrait hole, and out into the hustle and bustle, of the school.

They ran down the corridors, Hermione following close behind. James had spotted a number of passageways that would have made it much easier, but shook it off, they probably didn't know about them…

As they reached the door to the room, they herd the bell ring once again, and professor Bins say to settle down.

They burst into the room panting, and James' eyes widened slightly, as he saw his teacher was a ghost.

"Take your seats stragglers… Class will now begin..." He said, and started to drone on, and on, about some troll convention in 1973. And, to Ron, and slightly, Hermione, James copied every sentence, and not even missing a word and he kept up well too.

Hermione knew James was still there now. Harry never even bothered to TAKE notes, let alone every word. She didn't even…

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That night, James found the 'Fire Bolt' broom that was in the room. And jumped out the window of his dorm. James smiled lightly as he flew through the air. For some reason it was May in the future, and September in the past, but he didn't mind… Not really.

James flew, until he saw the window to the girl's dormitory, where he stopped in mid-air. He peeked inside the window for any signs of movement, and then entered. He tip-toed quietly to each of the beds until he found Hermione's. "Ah… there you are…" he muttered to himself. He went to the foot of her bed to her trunk to open it, and then stopped. There was a girl at the foot of the bed in a sleeping bag; she had flaming red hair and freckles. She resembled the love of his life, Lily, to some extent. "Lily…" he murmured.

"Uuaaahh… huh..? Who's there? Ginny?" The curtain around Hermione's bed cracked open to reveal Hermione. "Harry? What- are you doing her…? Wait- Harry! What the bloody hell are you doing in here!" James turned quickly to her, waving one hand in front of him and holding the other to his lips.

"Shhh! Shhh!" He hissed. "you'll wake everyone!" Hermione stopped but glowered slightly.

"What the bloody hell are you doing here?" she whispered "You aren't even supposed to be able to get up here!"

James grinned and held out Harry's broomstick. "I flew." He stated, glowing with pride of his skills.

"You. Flew…?" Hermione said. "Wait. I wanted to talk to you earlier, James. I want to know why you are here."

James scampered, this girl was smart. "I uh… why are you in your underwear?" He asked innocently, trying to distracting her.

"AYYYEEE!" she shrieked, diving into her bed. James took this chance, jumping under the bed, and out of sight. 'That tactic never failed to work.' He thought as he pumped into something hard, but thought nothing of it. James waited for her to leave the room, or at least go back to sleep.

Sadly, she did nether. Hermione stayed up. This girl is smart. Smart and annoying.

James waited for hours until, finally, he felt Hermione lie back on her bed. James waited a few more minutes until he herd her breathing grow softer, and he knew she was asleep.

James crawled out from under the bed, careful not to bump his head. He scuttled across the ground, toward Hermione's trunk.

He tripped over something very solid. It was a girl. The girl that looked like Lily. "Hermione?" The girl asked, sitting up in her sleeping bag.

James put his hand across his neck, indicating to cut it out. But

Ginny's eyes widened as her eyes focused to the darkness.

"H-Harry!" She squealed, realizing who it was. "

"Shush!" He said, putting his finger to her lips. "I'm- uh… Just looking for something."

She looked at him suspiciously, but didn't question any further. She watched him as he searched through, and she grew more suspicious as he searched through Hermione's trunk. "What are you doing?" She asked, her voice dripping with shock.

'He's cracked.' One side of her as saying 'He's looking through his best friends stuff. Maybe he's searching for her undergarments…' While the other side moaned,

'Why couldn't he be looking for mine?'

"I already told you I'm looking for something, a book which Hermione took out but won't put back, I wanted to read it." Said James, lies were so much easier when it was part truth.

"Oh. Hermione is hogging a book?" That was completely believable and it meant he wasn't looking for Hermione's underwear.

'But that also means he won't look for yours' She thought.

"Aaarrrgggg... she must have hidden it somewhere else... Well goodnight and please don't tell Hermione, she'd killed me." He grinned at her and jumped out the window and onto the broom, to his own dorm for a goodnight sleep.

The next morning was potions. That meant Snape, Why did it have to be Snape? Why? Well at east he would get his son some good grades and after that was flying.

He walked into the potions room, trying desperately to keep Hermione on one side of Ron and himself on the other.

"What are you two doing" exclaimed Ron after the third time his friends had circled him. "Trying to stay over here." "Trying to get over there!" Said James and Hermione at the same time.

"Class, take your seats." Said Snape as they entered. "Today we will be working on a very difficult potion. It will require you utmost attention. The instructions are on the board. Begin." With a wave of his wand, words appeared on the board.

'He said this was a hard potion!' thought James in contempt, this was Easy. He competed his potion even before Hermione did and filled two beakers full one on the sly. Hermione stared as he got up ad walked to the professor.

"I'm done professor." He said handing him the flask. Snape took it staring. 'How could it be done so fast! Even Granger couldn't go that fast let alone Potter!' He took the flask, normally he would drop it just to spite him, but something odd was going on and he didn't want to take chances

. When James got back to his seat he cleared his cauldron. "Harry!" whispered Hermione "What if he drops your potion again?" She asked, James wouldn't know this so, naturally he should be shocked.

But James just turned and grinned. "I remembered that" he said trying his best to fool her. "I have another flask, just in case," he whispered. "Or if Neville really needs a passing grade" He added as another explosion went off, not surprisingly, in front of Neville.

"Oh… Alright." She said almost defiantly. James grinned.

"Wingardium, Leviosa." He whispered, making the extra vile fly across the room, to Neville's lap, along with a note explaining what to say to the git-of-a-teacher, Snape.

"Longbottom!" Snape hissed, sweeping over to Neville with a glint in his eye. "You will get a zer- What is that you have there Longbottom!"

"A-a s-sample o-of my p-potion. Prof-fessor…" Neville stuttered back.

Snape snatched the potion from him, and returned to the front of the room with a sour look on his face.

James looked over to Hermione, to see, surprisingly, a slight smile on her face. He quivered under this seemingly harmless smile.

"What?" He asked, slightly scared of that look.

"That was a good thing you just did" She said, almost dreamily.

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After class, they all hurried to the great hall for lunch. As they passed the

Slytherin table, James couldn't help noticing 'Malfoy' doing strange imitations of someone falling off there broom when he passed.

"Hey, Malfoy! Practicing your spectacular failures for quiditch?" James called, "'Cause there's really no need, you're a natural at that already!"

Malfoy made a very ugly face at that but actually stopped, for a bit. Ron laughed, "Oh, man! did you see his face? That was so brilliant!" He slapped James on the back.

They grinned at each other as they walked over to the Gryffindor table.

"Yah know what?" James asked, looking over to Ron in between mouthfuls of sandwich.

"Huh?" Ron said, through a mouthful of roll.

"I have no idea how Sniv- Snape became a professor! I mean, he's up to his hair in the dark arts!" James complained.

"Huh? What the bloody hell are you-" Ron said confused.

"R-Ron? Can I talk to Harry in private?" Hermione interrupted.

"N-" James began.

"Sure!" Ron said.

Hermione grabbed James' arm, and led him out of the great hall.

"What are you doing here!" Hermione hissed at him. "You're not supposed to be here! And, what have you done with Harry?"

"Use your imagination." He answered bluntly, folding his arms over his chest and glaring. "Do you think I meant to get stuck here?"

Hermione just glared back. What use was it to get on the wrong side of the infamous 'James Potter'? "I suppose not. But it is a bit hard to strand yourself in the future by accident, isn't it?" She asked coldly.

James just glared, and, just walked away. Or he tried to, because Hermione had grabbed his arm, and pulled him back.

"I'm watching you James Potter! And don't think I'll stop!" She hissed to him, before letting him go.

Hermione gave a very satisfied smirk when she saw his face as he walked away. A mixture of spite and worry.

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James stalked away, up to Gryffindor tower. He grabbed his broom- or the broom he thought was Harry's- (i.e. the best one he could find) and jumped out the window again for a ride. He few for a few hours, over the grounds and the lake and down to the pitch and back. He went back to his room feeling much more relaxed. He climbed back into the wind and started on his neglected homework.

He finished an hour or so later and headed down to charms. "Hey, Ron!" He called, he ran over to him. "Anything interesting we are doing today that I should know about?" he whispered carefully to Hermione, knowing she would know what he meant by that.

She glared at him but whispered back, making sure that Ron could not hear, "The teacher is Prof. Flitwick. We are doing a review on sweeping charms and starting cooling charms." James grinned at her, "Thank you, 'Mione." He said sweetly. "I might do something nice for you now, what would you like? Is there anyone that you don't like?" Hermione started then stared at him.

"…What are you thinking?" She asked, almost calmly.

"Nothing much." He answered.

"Bloody hell you two are slow!" I wonder what's going on… Ron thought, Harry never acted like this before. What if he has a crush on 'Mione! No, not Harry… Ron stole a look at them. He likes Ginny. Wait. Which is worse! He asked himself. "Come on!" he called again. They walked into the classroom to Charms. Charms went pretty uneventful except when Neville set fire to his desk that wouldn't go out by normal means.

James kept on annoying Hermione by popping up and suggesting people that she might not like, "You hate Malfoy right? Or his cronies? How 'bout Snape..." He went on and on and Hermione was somewhat surprise at how close he was.

"Prof. Snape…"She muttered automatically, "and how do you know if I don't like these people?" He turned to look at her again.

"Who cares." he said offhandedly "You keep giving them dirty looks, it kind of obvious." He grinned.

Hermione scowled, and dashed away. He is so annoying! She thought. And Ron is acting weird too! I wonder if he knows…

Hermione closed her eyes, and sighed. She walked down the corridor with eyes closed, and bumped into someone coming the other way.

"Oi!" called a male voice, followed by a bump of someone hitting to ground. "What was that for 'mione?"

"R-Ron? I'm so sorry! Are you ok?" Hermione gasped, looking at the uncomfortable looking form of her red headed friend beneath her.

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James grinned as he watched Hermione march away in a huff. He started up the stairs to the Gryffindor tower.

The common room was completely empty, as everyone would be down at dinner. "Perfect…" He muttered.

James decided not to fly. It would be easier just to… James transformed into a beautiful white and grey stag. He galloped up the stairs of the girls' dormitory and then changed back to his normal, but as soon as he reached the correct door and opened it, he recoiled.

There was a burning sensation in his eyes. The spell was wearing off. James could almost feel the hazel flowing into his eyes. He staggered backward, blinked, and looked up.

What he saw made his stagger again. A girl. No, the girl from before. The redhead. The one who looked like Lil- no. Don't think! She's coming closer …Ooooooh… Lily… Lily Lily Lily…

"Harry? No. your not Har-" Ginny began, but James covered her mouth. Ginny struggled, but to no avail.

"No, I'm not Harry, but if you tell-" But Ginny's eyes had widened, and she struggled even harder.

She bit his hand, and was about to scream when, she suddenly recognized this person. She had seen him before in the pictures of Harry's parents. This was James Potter. But a younger one. One that was still in school.

In the time that she had realized this, James had gotten his hand over her mouth again.

"Look- uh…" James didn't know what to say. He decided on the truth. "I'm James Potter, and I've come to this twisted future in a freak accident." Well, almost truth.

Ginny gasped. "Oh! And how do I know you aren't some death eater just pretending to be 'James Potter' hmm…?"

"Well, my dear friend Miss Granger believes it, and she's been stalking me since." He supplied, but James wasn't completely sure that she convinced.

"Hmmm…. Well maybe I should ask her. And-"

"NOOO!"

"Why? Because you're a fake?" The red-headed fifth year asked with a smirk.

"No," James sighed exasperatedly, "No reason, really. I just wanted to say no." Ginny stared at him while he grinned. "What? Can't take a joke?" he asked her.

"Not from an imposter." She said bitterly, before turning to leave the room.

James followed her and walk beside her, "I admitted I'm not Harry, you know."

"Yes, I knew that!" she snapped back. "But do you really expect me to believe you're James Potter! He's dead!"

James stopped dead in his tracks and felt his blood run cold, "D-dead…?" he whispered, terrible images running though his head, about how he could have died. Who had killed him? Or was it an accident? How? When?

Lily! Is she alright?

…or was she the one who did him in…

His heart could have broken. I was so stupid! He thought.

"Yes, you idiot imposter! Dead!" Ginny shrieked, unconsciously agreeing with him. She ran down the stair well, and out of the tower.

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Hermione laughed. It was one of those rare moments where Ron actually came out and said something that was worrying him, though it was more like blurting it.

"You mean you don't like him? And he doesn't like you!" Ron said.

"No, Ron. What made you think that?" They were at the Fat Lady's portrait now.

Ron's ears turned red at that. "Crumple horn snorkack. Well you were both acting kind of weird…" The portrait swung open as he said the pass word.

As they walked in they heard a shriek from the girls' stairs and Ginny ran down and out the hole, slamming it shut behind her.

Ron stared. "Was that my sister?" he asked astonished.

"Ron! Come on I think something terrible has happened!" Hermione was already up the stair case. "Oh! Ron Come here! I need some help!"

James was on his knees, his arms limp at his sides and the dark hair covering his tear stained face. He was whispering miserable questions under his breath and staring at the floor as if it could comfort him. He looked up as Hermione came into view still whispering and let his head drop when he saw who it was. Hermione was scared when she saw him she ran over and knelt in front of him.

"James…" she called quietly. "James… look at me…" she shook his shoulders gently. He looked up a little so she could just see that his eyes were not enchanted anymore.

"Is it true…? T-tell me it's not true…! Who…? " He muttered on and on until Hermione shook him again.

"What's not true? Oh, James, please tell me."

Ron ran up to her slightly out of breath and light as a feather due to the charm he used to get up the stairs. "Harry…? You alright mate?" he knelt next to Hermione.

James looked at Hermione "I'm d-dead… aren't I?" he said.

Hermione melted, he was so young! He shouldn't have to go through this. She thought. Just like Harry… "Oh, James!" she pulled him into a hug.

Ron looked on for a second before giving James a tight one armed hug. Contrary to belief, Ron could be very smart. To him this did not seem like a hug between lovers but one a sister might give a brother in need of comfort. He also notice what Hermione called him and the color of his eyes, this was James, and it just clicked in his head. And he was hurt, Ron didn't know how but he did know that he needed best friends right now.

"I'm so sorry, James… "Hermione muttered. James stopped when he saw the comfort his son's friends were willing to give him. Harry was lucky to have such friends… He looked up at Ron, who was giving him the embrace, their eyes met and James knew that Ron knew this wasn't his best friend, yet he was trying to comfort him.

"Is it true…?" he asked. "I'm s-supposed to die…?"

Rom looked at him and nodded, while Hermione only hugged him tighter. "I'm sorry." Ron whispered.

"C-can you at least tell me what happened?" he asked.

Ron and Hermione let go. Hermione looked sad but Ron actually smiled. "You think you went to far with trying to impress lily, don't you?" he said. James looked up, wide eyed. "She didn't kill you." He looked suddenly sad. "But it wasn't an accident…"

James was relieved and terrified at the same time. How could he have thought that Lily would kill him? But that still meant tat someone had killed him. Or… no he wouldn't think about that.

Hermione started crying, she couldn't say anything clearly.

Ron closed his eyes tightly and took a deep breath. "YouandLilydiedatLord-" he paused, mustering all his courage, James needed to hear this right, "Voldemort's hands. YoudiedtoprotectHarry, andyousucceeded" he blurted out. He cracked one eye open to see James' reaction.

It took a while to explain what had happened to him, and calm him down.

"W-Who was she?" he asked abruptly.

Hermione giggled, sort of, "That was Ginny, Ron's sister and Harry's Girlfriend."

Ron rolled his eyes and James nearly choked.

"Well that explains why she was so mad at me…" James gasped.

"Speaking of which you do owe us some explanations" Ron said, standing up and helping both Hermione and James up. "Care to tell us why you are here and where the real Harry is? Don't worry about who, we both know you're James Potter."

"Well, I am James Potter, 16 years old, and I got here in a freak accident, concerning a time turner, and pudding." He answered, "And I have no idea where he is. Dose that help?" he added, quickly after a look from Ron.

"Yah… But, what happened to Harry then?" Hermione asked worriedly.

"Well, I recon, that he's either hiding somewhere, or in the Hosp-" James stopped. "The hospital wing! I bet he's there!"

"But Ha- uh, James, wouldn't it be kind of strange for two Harrys to be in the Hospital wing at the same time?" Ron asked worriedly.

"Yah, James, you stay here, me and let me and Ron go look." Hermione agreed. "We'll be just fine and we'll be right back. Don't worry."

James nodded as they left. He stood up, and walked up the girls' staircase. And for some, strange reason, he found exactly what he was looking for under Hermione's bed. The only place he never looked.

A/N: Ok, I didn't mean to make it go so far, but I had to get somewhere, so here it is. A horrible chapter and I hope you liked it. Review!