Chapter 8 It's How You Play the Game

The morning dawned bright and early. Everyone was cheerfully awaiting the upcoming quidditch match that would occur later that day. It was Hufflepuff vs. Gryffindor and also the first game of the season. Harry was nervous. This would be his first real match since getting his life-long ban, which technically wasn't in effect yet since Harry hadn't even been born.

James was quite a bit like Oliver Wood. Lately he had taken to waking the team up extra early and working them for extra long periods of time, no matter the weather conditions.

"Ready for the match Jameson?" Sirius asked, clapping Harry on the shoulder.

"Oh err yah," Harry responded.

"Well don't just sit there! Eat!" James said to him and pushed some food down onto his plate. "You'll need all of the strength you can get."

Harry took a few bites while James watched. As soon as he turned away though, the others watched in amusement as Harry scooped the majority of his breakfast off of his plate and onto Lily's. She giggled. James turned back around and everyone smiled at him. "See! I knew all you needed was a little food."

Harry was about to get up and leave when a third year came up to him and handed him a scroll. "The headmaster told me to give this to you."

Harry took it and unrolled it.

Dear Mr. Jameson,

Please come to my office after you have finished eating. We have something to discuss. I very much enjoy lemon drops.

Yours sincerely,

Albus Dumbledore

"What does the headmaster want with you?" asked Peter.

"Dunno," Harry said as he got up and left for his meeting.

After saying that password, Harry walked into the office and was greeted by Dumbledore.

"Hello Mr. Potter. We think we have some leads on your way home."

"Oh?"

"We think that there is a trigger, something that will happen that will take you back. Or it is a time-released spell. Meaning that after a certain amount of time, you will just pop back into your time. Either way, you're just going to have to wait it out.

"Do you have any idea how long it's going to be? Or how much time I'll have missed when I go back?"

"I can only guess. It could be anywhere from minutes to years. But if I had to give a time, I'd say by the end of the school year. I believe that every day you spend here, the same amount is passing in your time."

Harry gasped. "But sir! Everyone will be looking for me. I have to get back as soon as possible. With me gone, Voldemort could…" Harry cut himself off.

"Voldemort could what?" Dumbledore asked sharply.

"The… the prophecy…I can't say…It could change everything."

"I know. It is tempting though, finding out the future."

"I wish I could tell you, so much. I wish I could change it all, but the fallout would be too massive."

"I understand. I wouldn't suggest that you do. The consequences are too strong. I trust that you haven't told anyone that you are from the future or given any hints?

"No, sir."

"Very good, then I believe you have a quidditch match you're about to be late too."

Harry realized the time, "Oh no! James is going kill me!" He dashed out of the room.

'I'm sorry that there's so much in your life that's gone wrong. If I'm right about you, I can only imagine that you have a couple of rough years left. I swear to you, I'll help you to the best of my ability, Harry' Dumbledore thought sadly.

Harry ran towards the quidditch pitch at top speed. "Where have you been?" James yelled at him with a stern look on his face. "If I knew that you were this irresponsible, I wouldn't have chose you for the team!"

"Sorry, I had to talk to Professor Dumbledore," Harry replied. It was so strange to be lectured by his teenage father.

"Well, never mind that. We have to get down to the pitch before we have to forfeit."

They ran onto the field. "Captains, shake hand," said Madame Hooch. "I want a clean game." James and 7th year, Amos Diggory, gripped each other's hands. She blew her whistle and everyone kicked off.

Harry didn't have much to do. He flew aimlessly around, but there was no sign of the snitch. The commentator could scarcely be heard over the roar of the crowd. "And its 30-10 to Gryffindor. Potter and Black make quite a team…Ouch that had to have hurt. Black was just nailed in the arm by a stray bludgers. What are those Prewetts doing?"

Then he saw it, glinting in the sun, mid-way down the field. Harry flew heedlessly fast. Benjy Fenwick, the other seeker, was gaining on him. Suddenly, the snitch plummeted down. The two boys followed. Harry, a foot from the ground pulled up. Benjy sloppily mimicked the action. Unfortunately for him, it cost him necessary time. Harry caught the snitch and raised his hand above his head. Gryffindor and Ravenclaw cheered while Hufflepuff and Slytherin booed.

'Well this is probably a first,' Harry mused. 'I went through a whole match without any huge problems.'

Gryffindor had a victory party that night. The older students were guzzling down firewhiskey by the goblet full. There was lots of dancing and laughs and snogging too of course. Sirius had been found multiple times that evening snogging the life out of some random girl. So could James, but if Lily was around he would try to limit himself. Harry had even seen Remus and Peter with a couple of girls. Harry had turned down quite a few requests. Kissing someone who in his time was old enough to be his parent was definitely a major turn-off.

The 6th years and a couple of 5th year girls who had attached themselves to the marauders had gathered in the corner of the common room, far away and unseen by the rest if the party. Harry caught a glimpse of them. "Hey Evan! Come over here," called Remus. Making his way over, Harry sat in the unorganized clump of students.

"We have decided," Sirius began drunkenly. "To play truth or dare. Rules are that you can choose either, but if you back out of answering or doing the dare you have to take off a piece of clothing. So, who wants to start?"

"I will!" one of the girls giggled. "James, truth or dare?"

"Dare, of course," he said winking at the girl.

"I dare you to," she and her friend whispered to each other, "Ask a girl not in the game to dance, and then dance really badly."

"Okay." James found a 7th year girl and soon they were dancing. He started doing outrageous disco moves and turns around her. After a few minutes of making a fool out of himself, the girl left with a horrified look on her face.

Everyone giggled as he came back. "Ok my turn. Lily, truth or dare?"

"Dare," she replied.

"I dare you to snog me," he said smirking.

"Ugh your such a git!"

"Does that mean you're accepting your dare?"

"Well, I guess that means," Lily paused, "I have to take off something." Harry prepared to shield his eyes, shivering at the thought of seeing his mother only partially clothed. Luckily for him, she just took off her jacket. (Everyone was in casual muggle clothes, not robes) "Beth, truth or dare?" she asked one of the two 5th year girls.

"Dare!"

"I dare you to snog Pettigrew." The girl tried to contain her look of horror.

"NO!"

"Well then, you'll have to take off some clothes. I'd personally rather you keep them on though. You're not that attractive," Lily said cattily.

The girl's eyes watered. "Come on Sarah. Let's go," she snapped at her friend. "We have better things to do than to sit here and be insulted a by bitchy mudblood."

James looked ready to hit her as they left.

"Lily, that was rude! Why did you say that to her?" Alice asked.

"I didn't want them here," Lily replied simply. "Ok now that they've left, I guess I have to ask someone else. Evan," she smiled at him, "truth or dare?"

"Umm truth," Harry said, just in case Lily had any ideas of him snogging someone.

"Just the answer I was hoping for," Lily's grin grew. "What is your biggest secret?"

Harry's mind raced with thoughts. 'I wish I could tell you. I want you to know how I am, the prophecy, the future, everything, but I can't.' He sighed and wished that he had worn a jacket or shoes, but those had long ago been discarded because of the heat. Harry removed his shirt and hoped no one would look at any of the scars. He only had a few, but a couple were from incidents with the Dursley's and he was extra self-conscious about them. Alice and Lily looked at him appreciatively and so he crossed his arms, extremely uncomfortable with the fact that his friend's mom and his mom seemed to be checking him out.

"Ah… you're no fun!" Alice said. Everyone had been dying to know what he was hiding since listening to what Remus had said a while ago.

The rest of the night passed in a drunken blur. Harry woke up the next morning with a pounding headache. "Ouch!" he moaned. A goblet of a steaming substance was shoved in front of his nose.

"Drink it! It's a hangover potion that Sirius and I have perfected after many many times of being hung over," James said.

Harry downed the potion and gagged at the taste. It had actually managed to taste worse than it smelled. "Are you trying to kill me?" he questioned lethargically.

"Just wait for it," was all James said in response.

Suddenly his head cleared and Harry felt loads better. It was like he had never gotten drunk. "Say, do you think you could teach me how to make that?"

"No problem."