DISCLAIMER: Still I do not own anything Pottery. Poor me.
AN: I had a couple interesting plot monkeys that pounded at me until I agreed to put them in, so this chapter is a bit different than I had originally planned. Sorry to all you who wanted a visit to Azkaban this chapter. That will be delayed just a bit. But, fortunately, I know where I'm going now!
And on with the story!
"Is Remus..." Sirius started.
"I-I think those kids just flattened him!" James declared, sounding quite outraged.
"They can't just do that, can they?" Sirius said, disbelieving.
"They just did." James affirmed.
The two occupants of the cell watched with bated breath as the three children scrambled around trying to find a way of freeing the adult they had dropped a troll on top of.
"Well..." Sirius said, as the kids put together a lever, "At least he's been through things like this before..."
"How is that a good thing?" snapped James.
"I dunno, he'll probably not die from it...er...I hope."
The two friends watched as the first-year students stood up on the lever.
"Oh, no," James gasped, "DON'T JUM-"
They jumped.
Sirius let out a sigh of relief, "It didn't move..."
"This can't be good for him," James moaned.
"Shh..." said Sirius, "I want to see if we can hear what they're saying."
James caused the puddle he was residing in to get closer to the trio and Sirius leaned closer to the puddle's surface.
"Hermione?" Harry's thin voice asked, "D'you think you could levitate those sinks over here?"
"Yeah," Hermione's equally thin voice replied, hopping off the wooden, lever.
"What is it, Hermione?" Harry wondered.
"I think this should be moved closer to the troll," she said, pointing at the focal point, "Come off of there, won't you?"
Harry and Ron jumped off.
All three pushed the balancing point closer to the troll.
"There, now we should be able to put a smaller amount of weight on this end," Hermione gestured toward the other end, "and be able to move the troll."
"Less talk, more saving Moony!" James said.
They moved bits of leftover rubble debris onto their lever.
Hermione sighed, "Ron, why don't you climb on top of the other stuff to add more weight to the lever."
"Why me?" Ron asked, grumpily.
"Oh, just do it!" Sirius ordered.
"Because you're the tallest," Harry pointed out, "And therefore weigh the most."
"Smart son you've got," Sirius grinned.
"Right," agreed Hermione, "I'm a girl, and Harry's-"
"A midget," interjected Ron.
"Hey!" Said James, indignantly.
"Hey," said Harry, but he didn't sound as upset as James had.
"Moony hasn't moved at all," Sirius pointed out, for the third time, "Maybe we could find out more if we went back and focused on Harry."
"Alright," James finally gave in, not just because Sirius was right, but because they had watched Remus be levitated to the hospital wing and then treated by Madame Pomfrey. He still hadn't moved and it had almost an hour since Madame Pomfrey had gone, nothing left to be done.
"Finally, Prongs!"
---
Sirius fell asleep after a little while, leaving James to switch from watching Remus Lupin, to Harry, Ron, and Hermione (eventually they split up, and they went to sleep, leaving James no choice but to check on both groups separately), and to Dumbledore.
Lily watched.
The young girl was still awake, despite it being very early in the morning.
'At least this is more interesting than being dead...'
The child yawned and looked at a clock.
'Go to sleep,' Lily urged.
The girl stretched her arms and then wandered away from her desk. She fell into bed without changing clothes and was asleep almost immediately.
Lily had been watching the young girl for almost a week, and the child wasn't all that interesting. Unfortunately for Lily, she couldn't go very far away from her.
Lily wandered slowly ('hmm... I think you need a body to wander, and I don't have any kind of form. I suppose maybe this would be considered floating or hovering or something...') over to the child's desk. The girl- her mother had called her Ginevra, Lily thought- had been writing a letter to someone... one of her brothers, Lily expected. She seemed to have an endless supply of them.
Going in closer, Lily was able to read the letter.
Dear Ronald,
Well? How's it going? Are the teachers as boring as Fred and George say? Are the other students as annoying as Percy? Dose Harry Potter really go to school their?
Everything hear at the Burrow is the same. It's even boringer since you left because now I don't have anyone to talk too 'cept Mum. Dad's been working really long at the Ministry every day, so I don't ever see him either.
I'm gonna send this with Errol as soon as Mum's not looking.
Your sister,
Ginny
Lily finished reading it and then looked over it again. 'So Ginevra has a nickname,' she thought, blandly, 'How interesting.'---
The next morning started out just as the others had. Lily watched as the girl (Ginny) woke up, went down to breakfast and ate with her Mum (who Lily recognized as Molly Weasley).
Today, though, instead of practicing flying on one of several old broomsticks that looked as though they had seen much better days, reading a book (or the daily prophet), taking a walk (and sometimes a swim), or listening to Wizarding Wireless, Ginny Weasley spent the rest of the morning cleaning up the house. Lily found this was much more interesting than cleaning a muggle house, for any number of magical messes tended to grow in the Weasley's house.
The reason for the sudden cleaning frenzy became apparent just before lunch time.
When there was a loud knock at the door, Molly continued putting the final touches on the kitchen (the last room they were cleaning) and ordered Ginny to answer the door.
Ginny did and greeted her eldest brother, Bill (whom Lily remembered from school, even though he had only been a first year at the time), and motioned him into the house.
Bill stayed overnight and talked of curses and Egypt. Lily listened, extremely interested in what was happening in the outside world, even though she wasn't all that interested in Egypt.
She may have fallen asleep, if she had been alive, but since she no longer needed sleep, she didn't drift off in concentration at all.
After not acquiring much information, Ginny had to go to bed, and Lily was dragged with her.
"No! Go spy on them, I want to know what they'll say when there are no kids around!" Lily tried to tell Ginny.
The youngest Weasley started a bit when Lily spoke. She looked back out into the hallway and stairs, and then back into her room, trying to find what had disturbed her.
"Can you hear me?" Lily asked.
Ginny made no signs, other than searching the corners of her bedroom before closing the door and getting into bed.
Lily mentally sighed.
For the next week, Lily kept trying to make a mental connection with Ginny. Once she had actually gotten inside the girl's head and could see everything Ginny could see, and feel everything she could feel. She could even smell the food in the kitchen.
Molly had then called Ginny to the kitchen. Ginny hadn't moved. It took Lily a while to realize that she had actually taken over Ginevra Wesley's body. She had hastened to exit the body.
When Molly then came in search of Ginny, to tell her off, Ginny replied, "Sorry, mum. I heard you, but I couldn't move. It was almost like I was in the full body bind. Except I couldn't breathe."
Lily was thoughtful.
The next evening, Lily was planning on trying it again, as soon as Ginny was asleep.
Again, the girl stayed up late writing letters to her brothers, but she eventually went to bed. After her breathing had steadied, Lily placed herself in the young girl's mind. It worked.
She opened the girl's eyes and sat up, wiggling her fingers and toes. Suddenly, Lily felt a deprived feeling in her sternum. Startled and confused Lily didn't know what to do. When she began to get lightheaded, Lily realized that she had forgotten how to breathe. She opened her mouth and sucked in some air.
'That was close,' she thought, 'I'll have to remember that.'
Lily stood up, shakily, and walked around the room. Her unsteady feet were strong, but uncoordinated.
'Oh, but for being dead for so long!'
The rest of that night, Lily spent remembering how to use a body. At the time Ginny usually woke up, Lily put the body back down in the bed and left it.
That day, Ginny acted much more tired than a 10-year-old should, after getting an almost full night's sleep.
The next night Lily let Ginny sleep undisturbed, but the following evening, Lily entered her mind again- this time, before she was asleep.
Lily tried her best to not control the body, moving to the back of Ginny's mind.
This worked as well.
"Huh?" Ginny wondered, "What was that? Who's there?"
Lily, still forcing herself to the back of Ginny's mind, answered, 'My name is Lily Potter. Can you hear me?'
"Yes," Ginny hesitantly answered, "Where are you?"
Lily mentally sighed.
'I am in your mind.'
"Am I insane?" Ginny wondered.
'No, dear. You are the only one who can hear me, though. I'm dead, you see.'
"Oh," Ginny said, relieved, "So, are you evil?"
Lily almost laughed, 'No. I am just trying to figure out what to do. Do you think you could help me?'
Ginny didn't hesitate, "I'll do my best, L...Lid...Lidia?"
'Lily Potter,' Lily supplied.
"Oh, yeah" Ginny did a double take, "Potter?"
Lily hesitated, 'Yes.'
"Did you have a son?" Ginny asked, beginning to get excited.
'Yes.'
"Was his name Harry?" Ginny was practically bouncing up and down in her seat.
'Yes.'
"Harry Potter?"
'Yes,'
"YOU'RE HARRY POTTER'S MUM?!"
Lily was a bit taken aback.
'Yes.'
"Wow!" Ginny was in awe.
'What?!' Lily demanded, 'Did something happen to him? Is he alright?'
"'Is he alright?'" Ginny repeated, "Yeah. He's fine. That's why he's famous!"
'Famous?'
"I have a famous person's mother in my head!" Ginny said.
'Why's he famous?' Lily wondered.
"Because he survived the killing curse! He killed You-Know-Who! He saved the world!"
Lily was stunned.
Harry was still alive and had defeated the Dark Lord.
Lily thought back to when she died, and she mentally grinned. It had worked! She had sacrificed herself and Harry was still alive!
'He's alive,' was all Lily could say.
"Yeah. So, what do you want me to help you with?"
'Oh,' Lily pulled her thoughts from her son, 'I suppose I need to tell someone about my... er... appearance back in the land of the living.'
"Who were you thinking of?" Ginny asked
'Well, Molly, for starters. Your mother.'
"That sounds good. We can try. But it's getting late, now. Can we talk to her tomorrow?"
'Yeah,' Lily told her, 'that's fine.'
---
The next morning, Lily reminded Ginny about her promise. Right away, Ginny went to the kitchen, where her mum was making breakfast for her father.
"I'm just relieved I don't have to go in early. I'm not sure how much more of this I'll be able to take," Arthur was saying, "It's almost as bad as when You-Know-Who was around."
'Voldemort,' Lily corrected, automatically.
Ginny flinched.
'Oh, sorry, Ginevra.'
"Ginny," the girl corrected, also automatically.
Arthur looked at his daughter and his brow furrowed. Suddenly he shot up, saying "Thank you for reminding me, Gin!" and raced out of the room.
'Go ahead and talk to Molly now.' Lily said, slightly confused at why Arthur had raced away like that.
Ginny nodded and walked up to her.
"Hi, Mum."
Molly mumbled a hello back.
"Er, Mum? Can I tell you something?"
Molly absentmindedly nodded, "Mmhmm."
"Well, I've got a... an old friend of yours... in my head. She says she wants to talk to you."
Molly didn't answer, but continued bustling about the kitchen.
"Is that alright, Mum?" Ginny asked, after a few minutes.
"Oh. Yes, that's nice, dear." Molly Weasley said, flicking her wand.
Ginny opened her mouth to reply, when Arthur came bounding down the stairs and back into the kitchen.
"I had almost forgotten! Osias would've boiled me in his cauldron alive!"
"That's lovely, honey."
Well, Molly would be no help, Lily decided. But she had given her an idea.
Arthur had just sat down at the table again, waiting for Molly to finish making his breakfast, when his only daughter (and the only Weasley girl for a few generations) walked up to him with an innocent look on her face.
"Good morning," she said.
"Morning, Ginny." Arthur replied.
"I was wondering," Ginny said, an unusual amount of deliberation in her voice, "if I could accompany... I mean, er," she paused, "Can I come to work with you today?"
'So far so good,' Lily told Ginny.
Mr. Weasley was thinking about it.
Uh oh. Lily knew that look. He wasn't liking his options! He was going to say no!
'Quick,' said Lily, 'give him the puppy-dog eyes!'
Ginny did.
Arthur Weasley couldn't resist them.
He relented.
'YES!' Lily said, 'VICTORIOUS!'
Ginny smiled, "Thank you so much, Dad! I can't wait!" and she sprinted up to her room.
"Did I do alright?" she wondered, when they got there.
'You did just fine,' Lily told her.
"What will we do when we get there?"
'I need to check in the werewolf registration area for a record titled "Remus Lupin." He's the only person I know how to find that I trust with my life. To bad we didn't before. It would've saved a lot of heartache.'
"Okay," Ginny said, sounding slightly confused.
'Oh, don't worry. Werewolves are vastly misunderstood. A kinder person you couldn't find. And Remus is a great friend of mine. I promise you, he wouldn't hurt a fly if he could help it.'
"Oh, good."
'Wait, I've just thought of something else,' Lily said, 'It's going to be a problem if you seem to be talking to yourself. Do you think that you could talk to me through your mind?'
"I'll try," Ginny replied, screwing up her face in concentration.
'Hello?'
'Good job!'
"Did I do it?"
'Yes, I think so. Try again.'
'Hello? Does it work? Lily?'
'Yes! It worked, Ginny!'
'Great!'
"Ginny? Are you coming?" a voice called from downstairs, "You have to eat something if you're going to follow your father about all day."
"Well," Remus told his small audience, "I feel much better,"
Harry, Ron, and Hermione let out sighs of relief. Madame Pomfrey seemed to know he would, after taking the potions she had prescribed, and simply clucked edgily and bustled about the Hospital Wing, cleaning up.
"And I do believe I am ready to begin our voyage. Are you three-" Remus didn't even need to finish his thought.
Ginny felt dizzy. She really didn't like using floo powder.
"Sorry, Ginny, but it's the fastest way to get to downtown London. And, anyways, I am really not in the mood to go through the visitor's entrance," Arthur Weasley told his daughter.
"No, no. It's fine, Dad. Perfectly alright."
Ginny followed her father along the halls until he reached his office, which was a surprisingly short time.
Ginny examined his "room" as Arthur got to work. Unfortunately for Ginny, it was almost completely paperwork today.
Soon, Ginny became tired of her situation and started talking to Lily, 'So, Mrs. Potter, what's our plan?'
' 'Lily' is fine. And I'm not quite sure where we should go from here, to be completely honest. Sneaking and marauding were never my neck of the woods. That was James and his friends.'
'Oh. So...'
'Actually, I have an idea. I'm going to leave your head and see how far I can get, ok?'
'OK. Will you tell me when you get back?' Ginny pleaded.
'Sure.'
Lily slid herself from Ginny's mind.
She knew it was on one of the floors near this one.
The first direction she tried was down.
She quickly determined that down was the wrong direction.
So she went up.
When she emerged from the ground on the next floor, she noticed she was in an unremarkable hallway.
Luckily, Lily had a good memory, and remembered this hallway from when Remus had taken them there, the summer after graduation. This was the correct place.
Lily decided that she would find the right door and check for security before she went back to tell Ginny.
After refreshing her memory of the area, and finding the area Remus' file would be in, she shot back through the floor and right into Ginny.
Ginny stumbled as Lily entered, but soon regained her composure.
'What's up?' she silently wondered.
'Well,' Lily told her, 'I found out where we need to go. The only thing we need to figure out is how to ditch your dad.'
Ginny grinned.
'No worries, then.'
"Hey, father?"
"Hmm?" Arthur looked up from his work.
"May I explore the Atrium? I want to see the Fountain for myself. I haven't seen it since I was small and I really want to." Ginny gave him her biggest eyes and then insisted, "I'll be really, really careful."
Arthur looked her over suspiciously, but found no reason to avoid letting her go. And it was awfully boring for her in his office.
"Alright. Do be careful, though. If you're hurt your mother will skin me alive."
Ginny hurried out, replying, "Sure, Dad."
Lily directed Ginny upstairs one floor and then down several hallways before selecting the correct doorway. She floated ahead to check if the coast was still clear, found that it was, and then relayed the message to Ginny.
Ginny pushed the door open. Inside there were file cabinets. Hundreds upon hundreds of file cabinets.
"Wow," sighed Ginny, "There sure are a lot of werewolves."
'Yeah,' agreed Lily, 'Remus' file is over there.'
Ginny felt a tug. She found herself being gently led to the 'L' section. The feeling ceased directly in front of a cabinet labeled "Lupin".
'That was wicked!' Ginny said.
'And convenient,' agreed Lily.
'We'll have to remember that.'
'Yeah, we will. But now,' Lily said, 'Let's find out what Remus is up to.'
Ginny opened the top drawer.
'He's still living there?' Lily felt extremely bad for her werewolf friend. 'He hasn't had the money to find a better house? Werewolves must be even more horribly discriminated against these days.'
'Maybe. So, do we go to his house?'
'No,' replied Lily, 'there should be another folder that has his current location.'
'Oh. Okay.'
Ginny rummaged around until she found the correct folder.
Lily made a strange sound.
'Hogwarts?! Why is he at Hogwarts?!'
'Er, does he work there?' Ginny suggested.
'No, it says he's currently unemployed,' Lily told her friend.
'Well, maybe he's visiting?' Ginny offered.
'Yeah. Maybe.'
'So, we're going to Hogwarts, then?' Ginny figured.
'We're going to Hogwarts.'
Thanks very much to:
cassy-australia, sumrandumperson, james'nsiriusfan, sirius, I-want-to-fly, hobbits soul, Candystar, and koriaena!
You all really helped to motivate me!
And hopefully still will.
I am going on a brief vacation, so I may not update as soon as we would all like. I'll spend my free time focusing on the story though.
Thanks again.
And Review, please!
Kiwi Jeanne