Disclaimer – as always I own absolutely nothing to do with Harry Potter, characters, places and such they all belong to JKR, the chapter extracts in the story belong to JKR, Harry Potter and the Prisoner and Azkaban and Goblet of Firealong with every thing you recognize.
A/N - Am sorry for the long absence, but am back with a new chapter which isn'ttoo bad it isn't a big important chapter but it's a light one before i get back into the main storyline again. Thank you to all my reviewers hopefully you got all the replies and i didn't waffle too long in them, thanks to all the reviewers that i couldn't get a reply to cqtgirl101, Rhian, lalalalalalala, Heatherand thanks to my beta, Mitchicul.
Chapter Ten
"Ah, Miss Jones. It's a pleasure to see you again" Professor Albus Dumbledore spoke as he helped the young ministry worker off his office floor as she fell out his fireplace.
"You too, Sir" she replied sitting herself in a chair while Dumbledore settled behind his desk.
"Now dear what has you so concerned that you needed to see me so urgently?" he asked
"Sir, do you remember a couple of months ago when we meet in the graveyard?" she asked, Dumbledore nodded in response. "Well I have kept what we spoke about quiet like you asked but I kept the case open in my personal time. With all this business of Sirius Black escaping I had a friend of mine in a different department who allowed me to monitor the wand use age of a wizard without the entire ministry catching on"
"Am I correct in saying this wizard is James Potter?"
"Yes Sir, I just wanted to be sure after our conversation. I was beginning to believe it was a waste of time until I got a report saying the wizard I was monitoring had produced an extremely large amount of magical use right here at Hogwarts"
Miss Jones finished her sentence with a pointed look at the Professor, "I don't know how to tell you this Miss Jones -"
"Am risking my job Professor, I just want the truth"
One Month Later
Smelling the strong odor of coffee, James slowly blinked awake. Turning to lie on his side he felt a sharp pain in his neck. He was lying on a badly worn mattress, his head had been positioned at an odd angle while he slept and he now had a crick in his neck and he was also certain that he felt a spring in his lower back.
"Morning" a voice brought him out his musings, turning his head to look at the caller - another sharp pain in his neck - he found Remus Lupin looking back at him. A teaspoon and tea bag in hand.
"Tea?" he asked knowing James' preference over tea than coffee, he turned back towards the kettle as it began to whistle.
"Please" James replied sitting up with a struggle to the end of the bed of the little village bed and breakfast they were staying in. "Where are we heading today?" he asked running his hand through his hair before accepting a cup from Remus.
"Well everywhere we have tried has seen neither sight nor sound of Sirius," Remus said as he joined James on the bed. "Not that I expect him to come out and reveal himself but he has to be sighted somewhere. He isn't the best at stealth"
"Are we still going to head down to London to see if he is around there?" James asked sipping his tea slowly.
"Yeah I think we should, we can check around the places he used to visit if not then am afraid am at a loss at what to do"
"We'll find him Moony, don't give up hope"
"But where do we start? We have searched all the wizard communities from Hogwarts and we have nothing at all"
"He might be in a muggle hide-out"
"With a hippogriff James?"
"We don't know if he is with the hippogriff"
"Harry told me he was"
James stood and placed his teacup on the side and walked to the window so Remus wouldn't be able to see the sadness on his face. He knew Remus was going to mention Harry at some point but he hoped it was later on in their journey than now.
"Am sorry James, I didn't realise"
"No, its fine Moony am going to get ready than we can leave."
"Do you have to wear that hat James?" Remus asked as they crossed a busy London street to enter the Leaky Cauldron.
"Yes unless you want the ministry to swoop down on us and send us to Azkaban for raising the dead" James answered as he helped an old lady pick up the books she dropped after hearing his comment.
"Or for impersonating the dead and I doubt they'll send us t o Azkaban. I really need to research how you're back if we have time. Do you have any idea about that by the way?"
"Nope, none. I told you all I remember is waking up"
"Hmmm… and Dumbledore didn't have any ideas?"
"You know Remus, I didn't think to ask?" James said as they stopped outside the pub.
"Hmmm… maybe we could pop into Flourish and Blotts while were here"
"Remus! Where looking for Padfoot not a reason about me, there will be time for that once we have found him"
"Yes, yes of course. Let's go then"
James, happy that Remus was out of his book verse and 'Hmmm' moment followed him into the pub making sure his cap shadowed his face properly. He was too busy fixing the cap he walked into Remus, who was looking about the pub in surprise.
"Moony, what's wrong?" he whispered
"It's empty" Remus replied before walking to the bar. After looking about the room James followed with the same look off surprise. Never had he seen a pub empty especially the Leaky Cauldron.
"Tom?" Remus called as he sat himself down on a bar stool, "Tom!"
"Hold on! Hold on!" a voice called back, "What can I get you?"
"Two firewhiskey's please" James said as he plonked himself down in the stool next to Remus.
"No, no" Remus said shaking his head, "No drinks. Tom why is the place empty?"
Stopping his way to grab glasses he turned back to Remus and James, "Scared" Tom said in a low voice.
"Scared of what?"
"The Death Eaters" Tom replied in a whisper
"DEATH EATERS!" James shouted only just listening into the conversation.
"Shush" Tom said again in a low voice
"Death Eaters Tom?" Remus asked
"Yes, at the Quidditch World Cup attacked the muggles there"
"Wasn't there any security?" James cut in
"Loads, that's why people are scared, ministry officials everywhere, The Dark Mark was even conjured. They couldn't stop them"
"I'll think we'll have those firewhiskey's" James said
He knew it was his dad.
Hermione said it wasn't possible but he knew it was.
Dumbledore explained that if a wizard messes with time they can lose sense of what's what, but who else could it have been?
"Harry, we have been through this" Hermione said annoyed when Harry had mentioned the topic to her, "No spell can raise the dead. How could it off been your dad?"
"I don't know Hermione but I know it was him"
They were sitting in the Weasley's back garden attempting to do their summer homework. Well Hermione wasn't attempting she was on her last essay, Harry was watching the twins de-gnome the garden.
"Aside from that did you owl Sirius about your scar?"
"No, I didn't. I forgot to"
"Harry, if you want help or want to know why it hurts you need to ask someone"
"I know Hermione"
"And you need to finish your homework"
"I know Hermione"
"Stop thinking about the impossible Harry. Even if it was your dad why hasn't he been in touch?"
Harry didn't reply, only gathered his stuff into his bag and went to help the twins.
"Escaped Azkaban prisoner, Death Eaters, the Dark Mark and Ireland wins the world cup. What's next?" Tom asked as he served the only customer that had come in.
"I know what you mean. Krum caught the snitch as well but Bulgaria still lost. I had a 20 galleon bet on that they would win" the customer was an old wizard with a gruff voice, "Besides that, I heard from a connection of mine at the ministry that the Triwizard Tournament might be taken place this year"
"At Hogwarts?" Remus asked
"Possibly"
"But they banned it, it being too dangerous an all" Tom said as he topped up the man's drink up.
"I heard a student died last time it was played" the old man said sipping at his drink
"I heard that they were seriously injured" spoke James as he indicated for a top up as well but Remus pulled his glass away.
"I wouldn't be surprised if it was one of those friends of yours, Remus," replied Tom as he helped himself to some firewhiskey from the bottle, "That James Potter and Sirius Black, what a pair"
Remus coughed nervously as James shifted uncomfortably and touched his cap as if to run a hand through his hair.
"The tournament was banned before our time at Hogwarts" Remus said standing up, "We'll be going now Tom"
Tom nodded silently as he helped himself to some more whiskey and James helped himself to Remus' half-filled glass.
"Where to now?" James asked as they stepped into Diagon Alley
"Grimmauld Place?" Remus suggested watching the wall behind close back up.
"Tried there when I was looking for him, the house elf Krusty is it?"
"Kreacher"
"Yeah, him. Told me Sirius is not the master of the place anymore"
"Well then, now what?"
"We could go for some ice cream?"
Remus laughed as he followed James, "Sirius is really going to be in an ice cream parlour. Isn't he?"
"You never know with Padfoot"
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