Harry, Ron and Hermione chattered all the way up until they were in their seats in the Great Hall and ready to begin the sorting. Harry couldn't help but to keep talking; it kept his mind off the previous year and the fact that Andromeda Tonks had died because of him. He really didn't like to think about that as it only caused a great pain in his soul that such a good friend was killed because of his own faults. Harry then got lost in his guilt and was abnormally silent. Ron and Hermione bickered with each other for a moment to decide whether to say anything to him or not, but right then the first years walked in and everyone went silent, making Harry's lack of speech quite normal. Professor McGonagall walked up briskly and as was tradition and had been for centuries she placed the hat upon the stool and it began to sing:
"Oh Hogwarts, Hogwarts is a mighty school
Built upon bricks of gray and magic tool
But in us lies one weakness
That could devastate us all
It is prejudice that divides us
And it is great, not small.
For you see for a thousand years
I've been placed upon your head,
And every time you come to me
That divide I begin to dread.
It is the founders that separated
But it is not they who will set us free
Though it is they who placed you in your house
Those who must overcome it are we.
So it is time to take some action
Against this terrible divide
It is time to bring us back together
Yes, it is time to coincide."
Everyone clapped politely, but again this year it was more out of obligation than anything; the song was shorter this year but it had the same warning of house division. Or, perhaps it meant something else this year that they just weren't catching. Harry, who was snapped out of his trance by the song, clapped along with the others and then noticed that Ginny was sitting beside him.
"Warnings again? That can't be a good sign. Obviously we didn't do a good job 'uniting' last year, or else he would have dropped the topic," Ginny whispered. Harry nodded solemnly; this change in mood was becoming quite disturbing. At this moment Dumbledore chose to stand and give his speech.
"Welcome back Hogwarts students, and just welcome to our new first year students. We are looking forward to another year at this grand school and are excited to learn more and more about our students and magic. This year Mr. Filch, our caretaker, has asked me to remind you of a number of banned objects from the school grounds, however I fear that if I stood here and listed every item from Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes I would be here for quite some time, so I suggest you look at the list posted on Mr. Filch's door instead. I believe there are over 500 items, so I suggest you use a free period to look at them.
"As to our new teachers this year we have three new professors; first we have Remus Lupin to head up our Care of the Magical Creatures department. Hagrid will still assist Professor Lupin in the classes, you all needn't worry."
At this new teacher Harry felt relieved; he loved Hagrid to death, but he was simply not Care of the Magical Creature Professor material. He simply was too fond of dangerous and illegal creatures. Harry—and probably most of Hogwarts—hoped desperately that this new teacher would not share his insane love.
"Our second teacher," Dumbledore began again, "is Mr. Potter here to teach Defense Against the Dark Arts for us." Dumbledore gestured to the second man who was standing and suddenly Harry felt as if he were staring into a mirror of his future self. The man had messy black hair and large glasses, though he lacked a scar and emerald eyes.
"Gin, Ginny do you see that Professor?" Harry asked to make sure he wasn't just seeing things. Ginny had her eyebrows raised.
"Yeah I see him," Ginny said and then she frowned. "I think I've seen him before too; he was one of the Aurors that came in with Fudge at the end of the last year. He left with that other guy over there--," at this Ginny pointed to the man beside him who also had black hair, "—to go round up the Death Eaters." Harry squinted at them hard.
"Yeah, you're right, Gin. No wonder he's the Defense teacher then; but Ginny, did you see how he looks? I mean…does he look like anyone you know?" Harry asked anxiously.
"He looks exactly like Ron," Ginny teased, and then she went serious. "No, actually he looks…exactly like you Harry." Harry nodded, looking at the man and feeling more than slightly unnerved.
"You're right. He does," Harry said. What if that man was his father? Was that even possible? Harry didn't dare voice his suspicions aloud; the subject had been taken with his mother to her grave, and for all Harry was concerned it was better off there anyway. Ginny saw the look of distress on Harry's face and became dismayed. Harry had lived such a hard life, what with the Dursleys treating him like they did and Voldemort always hunting after him. He desperately deserved a family, but Ginny feared it would only complicate things if he found his long-lost (but hopefully long dead) Father. However, as she looked into the face of her long-time friend and crush and then into that of her new teacher, she knew it wasn't possible for his Father to be dead.
As James Potter stood at Dumbledore's recognition he looked out into the sea of students. It was such a different perspective from the high table than it was from the Great Hall's house tables. James had only been up at the high table once, and that was a time he would not soon forget.
"James!" giggled a pretty redhead to James' side. He turned to see Lily Evans, in his opinion the most beautiful girl on Earth, waving to him. They had been going out for a few weeks now, and James couldn't remember a time when he had been so happy.
"Happy Christmas, James." Lily said. James smiled at her.
"Happy Christmas, Lily," James replied. The two just kept grinning at each other until they both blushed and looked away. Finally Lily cleared her throat a bit.
"Come on, its time for the feast!" Lily said and grabbed James' hand.
"Feast?" James asked, oblivious.
"Yes, the one they have at Christmas here every year," Lily replied, being patient with him. She knew that he had always gone home for the Holidays, but this year the uprising Lord Voldemort had killed his parents and he had nowhere to go.
"Oh, ok," James replied and followed her into the highly decorated Great Hall. The Hall was lit with a thousand fairies and pine trees with tinsel on them sprouted up all over the room. All the tables in the room were gone, save one, the high table. Lily led him up there and then they both realized that no one else was there yet.
"I guess we should just take a seat anyway," Lily said, sitting down and looking out at the beautiful decorations. James joined her and the two just sat there contentedly, watching the fairies play. Then, without warning the two looked at each other at the exact same moment and then they both leaned in and kissed.
Yes, that had been his first kiss with Lily, right by that very table in that very room. James missed her like he would miss his soul, though he admitted that he had brought it all on himself.
The clapping for him died down and jerked James out of his thoughts. He sat down and looked out into the crowd of people again and scanned the Gryffindor table. To his surprise he saw his look alike again, this time sitting with and talking to a redheaded girl. James shook his head. 'That is just too odd,' James thought. Dumbledore continued to speak, introducing Sirius next as his assistant. Then Dumbledore spoke again, just when James thought he was done.
"Also, any rules set by Professor Umbridge have been considered null and void. The underground society of 'Dumbledore's Army' I believe they call themselves is also going to be led again this year by Harry James Evans. Well go on Harry, stand up," Dumbledore said cheerfully. James looked around, eager to see this star Quidditch prodigy, even if he was Lily's son with someone else. James nearly fell out of his chair when reluctantly the boy from the Gryffindor table that looked just like him stood up. A deafening roar was issued from the students, his obviously adoring fans.
Sirius was looking from James to Harry and back again. There was something up here. Never before had he seen such a resemblance to his best friend. Then there was the fact that the boy was Lily's son and without the last name of his Father unless for some strange reason also had the last name of 'Evans' which Sirius highly doubted. Sirius now had some sneaking suspicions that James was the boy's Father, but James wasn't like that. If he had had a son he would have told Remus and Sirius. He also would have taken responsibility for the boy and raised him and given him his last name. Sirius shook his head. Of course the boy couldn't be James' son because James simply wouldn't abandon him.
Once James' heart rate went back to normal he was capable of watching the boy sit back down as the cheers carried on. It was quite obvious that he was used to this kind of thing. James found these thoughts much more pleasant than one that was daring to nag at the back of his mind. This thought he refused to touch; in fact he shied from it like it was some repulsive, slug-like animal. Then as he thought about this thought, he realized that it wasn't possible. No, no Dumbledore would have told him long before now. With that thought to comfort him he returned to his normal, not panicked self and clapped with the rest when Dumbledore's speech was finished and the feast began.
'No, there's no way,' thought father and son at the same time, and with that thought they began to eat.
Harry Evans sat at the Gryffindor table in the Great Hall the next morning, very surprisingly the first one up. He had had another nightmare and could not sleep, so at four in the morning he arrived in the Great Hall for breakfast. The house elves, always prepared for anything, had gotten him waffles and pumpkin juice along with some bacon for breakfast. Harry was enjoying his quiet meal when suddenly he sensed that someone was behind him. He also heard them walk in. Harry stayed fairly still, and obviously the person realized the cause of their freeze.
"What are you doing up?" said the sleepy voice from behind him. Harry turned to see Professor Potter standing a few feet behind him.
"I couldn't sleep, sir," Harry replied honestly.
"Why not?" his teacher asked.
"I uh had too much sugar last night at dessert, sir," Harry lied quickly. His Professor raised an eyebrow but indicated in no other way that he knew Harry was lying.
"I see. Well then, you better still be awake today for your classes," Professor Potter replied. Harry groaned softly. He'd forgotten that his energy would be thoroughly depleted half way through the day, and with his luck he would probably have potions. "What is it?" the Professor asked.
"Sir, do you have my times-table by any chance?" Harry asked abruptly. The Professor blinked for a moment and then he nodded.
"Actually yes. Professor McGonagall wished for me to deliver the times-tables for her," he replied and handed Harry his times-table. Harry looked at it, and if his Professor hadn't been standing right there he probably would have begun to bang his head on his desk. Potions was glaring up at him from the first slot on Monday. As it was Harry groaned quite loudly. "What is it now?" asked the confused Professor.
"Just what I thought…it's nothing really. I just have potions first today. It's not exactly my favorite class, sir," Harry said, and that was definitely an understatement.
"Oh, well, who's the Professor?" Professor Potter asked Harry. Harry would have gaped at him if he weren't his teacher.
"You don't know? I find that difficult to believe. Professor Snape teaches potions," Harry said, but before Professor Potter could answer another new Professor was by his side. It was the other one with black hair and dark eyes, Professor Black.
"SNIVELLY? SNIVELLY teaches potions?" Professor Black exclaimed, looking as if Christmas had come early. Professor Potter looked the same way, then looked back to his student and nudged Professor Black. "I mean uh, it will be nice to see Professor Snape again." Professor Black covered carelessly. Harry then thought of something.
"Excuse me if I'm being rude but, do your first names happen to be James and Sirius?" Harry asked. Harry had always been berated by the mean old potions teacher for looking like a boy he knew in school, James Potter. He also remembered he had always come with an accomplice, Sirius Black as well as two others named Remus and Peter. The two Professors looked mildly surprised.
"Yeah, why?" said Sirius. Harry considered telling them why, but just then a wave of students and staff came in and Sirius and James abandoned their conversation for breakfast. Harry, who had already finished his, got up and left the Great Hall to go find Ron, who was most likely still sleeping soundly in the boy's dormitories.
James sat at the high table, considering the young man with whom he'd previously conversed. The boy was a liar, obviously, and a bad liar at that, but James didn't think it was lying to get himself out of trouble, but lying to keep people from thinking he had any problems at all. James had known a girl once who supported everyone else whenever they were emotional and was a great help to everyone. She was so incredibly self-sacrificial that she would lie that she had been crying, would deny her anger, and would never snap at anyone. That had been Lily of course. She had been so giving that in the end she gave her own life for her son's. Yes, this boy was much like his mother.
What of his Father? James wondered. Was the boy at all like the man who had fathered him, or was he only like Lily? James knew that Lily wouldn't go and get herself drunk and do something that would land her with a child; Lily was smarter than that. So who was the boy's father? She hadn't had much time after they broke up to get another boyfriend. It was a question that James knew would plague him until he discovered the answer.
"James? James?" Professor Dumbledore was standing next to James' chair.
"Huh, what?" James looked around stupidly. Professor Dumbledore just smiled gently.
"I was wondering if you would see me in my office this evening; perhaps at five?" the Headmaster inquired.
"Sure, sure," said James, snapping out of his daze. The Headmaster nodded to him and then went to his seat. What could the Headmaster want with him on the first day of school? James didn't know, but he supposed he would find out at five that evening.