Chapter 12 Pranking Party

It was a couple of weeks later. Tension between the Gryffindors was at an all time high. Alice, Frank, and Lily had completely cut themselves off from the marauders except for when they were screaming at them for doing something to their friend. All the work that Harry had done to put them together had come undone.

The marauders were relentless. Harry felt like the new Snivellus. He took it all and kept his pride intact. He had suffered through worse back when he was at the Dursley's. Heck, he had suffered through worse from the wizarding world. The four Gryffindor boys were becoming frustrated at Harry's seemingly lack of reaction. They had done positively everything to him that they could think of.

They had taunted him, teased him, and belittled him. He was hit with curses that had enlarged his teeth, changed his skin or hair color, removed his Gryffindor crest, flipped him upside-down, caused him to break into song and dance, and pretty much anything else you can think of. Harry would just ignore them with his head held high. Only Lily could see even a hint of how deeply this was affecting him. In his defense she, Alice, and Frank would scream at the marauders and try to get them back. Their pranks were less effective though.

"I think that I have found the perfect prank," Prongs announced. The others eagerly leaned forward.

"Well, what is it?" Moony asked impatiently.

"We'll slip a potion into his drinks. It will de-age him ten years. He won't be able to remember anything. It will be like he's 6 years old again. Then, he won't be able to spill our secrets or get too close to Lily!"

"Brilliant," Wormtail breathed.

"Excellent idea my good fellow," Padfoot said.

"And just how long will this potion last?" Moony asked with a touch of disparagement in his tone.

"It varies. A day tops, but for most people it lasts an hour or two. He'll remember everything when he changes back, so I think it will be just enough to get through to him and convince him to keep his mouth shut."

"Ok, I'm in," Remus said.

The next morning at breakfast the marauders made the switch with Evan's drink.

Harry sat down warily wondering what embarrassment would befall him today. After a few moments of nothing happening, he decided to start eating breakfast. He carefully decided what to eat as he talked with Lily. He remembered Fred and George's style well and knew enough to watch what foods he consumed. Unfortunately he did not think about his drink.

In the midst of eating, Harry went to take a gulp of pumpkin juice. "This tastes strange," he said to Lily, smacking his lips.

"What do you mean?" She asked.

"Oh no!" Harry said as he felt the potion take effect. He silently berated himself. How stupid could he be? Mad-eye would have his head if he found out. Drinking a potion that had been slipped in his drink! Harry felt himself shrinking and his thought process become slurred. Whatever he had been previously thinking slipped away as he collapsed into the blackness.

"POTTER! What did you do?" shrieked Lily as a smaller Harry passed out.

"I de-aged him, but he wasn't supposed to pass out," James said a bit worriedly.

"You're so irresponsible! Now we have to bring him to the hospital wing. You had better hope that he is okay!" Lily threatened. James picked up Harry and walked out with her.

Meanwhile the other 6th years were about to go after them when the post came. Peter read a letter sent to him by an official ministry owl and paled.

"What's wrong?" Remus concernedly asked.

"My…my dad…there was an attack. Deatheaters killed him," he somehow managed to gasp out.

Everyone around him gasped and gave him sympathetic condolences. "They were safe! I thought they were safe!" Peter ranted. "I have to go to Saint Mungos. My mother is in the hospital there." He left without another word.

"That's terrible!" Alice said once he was gone.

Let's go find James and Lily and tell them the news," said Sirius and they all left, momentarily forgetting their fight.

Upon reaching the hospital wing, they found James and Lily arguing in hushed tones so as not to wake the sleeping Harry.

"…so irresponsible…could've been seriously hurt…"

"…deserved it…proved a point…"

Remus cleared his throat and they turned to look at him. "I have some bad news."

"What?" James asked.

"Peter's parents were attacked by deatheaters. His dad died and his mum is in the hospital. He left to go be with her."

"Oh no!" Lily gasped. "That's awful."

"Is Peter okay?" James asked.

"He was still in a kind of shock when we saw him. He took off pretty fast," Sirius replied.

"What's the matter with Evan?" Alice asked.

"Well, these prat," Lily began pointing to the marauders, "decided to once again prank Evan, but this time they decided to de-age him ten years. Unfortunately, he had a reaction to the potion and passed out." Alice and Frank glared at the others as Lily spoke.

"Look! He's waking up!" Sirius said excitedly. He bounded over towards the bed.

Harry opened his eyes and found himself in an unfamiliar room surrounded by people he had never met before. "Who are you?" he asked Sirius.

He replied, "I'm Sirius Black, and these people are Frank, Alice, Remus, Lily, and James." He pointed to each person as he spoke his or her names.

"Am I dead?" Harry asked.

"Of course not!" Lily said as she made her way over to him.

"Then why are you here mum?" he asked. Everyone froze at his words.

"Oh, sweetie," Lily said. "I'm not your mum."

"Yes you are. You're Lily and he's James," he said pointing to James.

"Yes," Lily answered.

"Well those were the names of my parents!" he said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Well, then we just have the same names as them," James spoke up.

"Oh," Harry looked sad, but then his look changed to curious. "Why are you guys dressed so funny?"

"Well, that's because we're witches and wizards," Remus said gently.

"No! Magic doesn't exist. My aunt said so. Magic is for freaks!"

"Well, you're aunt was wrong," said Lily. "Your aunt sounds a lot like my sister Petunia. Don't worry. They're just jealous."

"Well of course my aunt sounds like your sister. They're the same person!"

"I think you're confused Evan," James said firmly.

"You're confused!" came the reply. "My name's not Evan!"

"What is your name then?" Alice asked kindly.

"Harry, Harry Potter!" the boy said.

"James, I thought you said that after taking that potion he wouldn't be able to remember anything after age 6!" Sirius said.

"I did."

"Well, I never told him your last name."

Just then Dumbledore burst in, looking uncharacteristically panicked. At seeing Harry awake and the others around him, he grew more worried.

Lily saw this and said, "Is it true? Is Evan really James and my son?"

Dumbledore slumped in defeat. "Yes"

"WHAT!" James exclaimed.

Remus slowly put together the pieces. "Evan Jameson, Evan from Lily's last name and Jameson for James' son! How did we miss that?"

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled at that. "Yes, Harry did seem a bit shocked when I suggested that name for him."

"How…how did this happen?" Lily asked.

"Well Lily, when a man and a woman love each other very much…" Sirius began.

"Ew! Not that, although I don't understand how I could have reproduced the spawn of Potter!"

"From the little of what Harry has told me, he was hit by a curse from a death eater, and next thing he knew he had gone back in time 20 years," the professor said.

Lily gasped, "But wait, he said that we were dead! That means that James and I die in a few years!" James looked heartbroken at the thought of Lily dead.

"That's why he first recognized all of us!" Remus said.

"Oh no! He said he knew someone like me who had just died a few months ago! That probably really was me!" Sirius said hysterically. "I die too!"

"And what's he doing talking with Petunia?" Lily asked. "I wouldn't want her anywhere around my kid!"

"Hey guys," Frank called out. "The kid is right here." Everyone turned and looked at Harry who was staring up at them with wide eyes.

"You don't have the famous Potter hair," James said.

"Oh, that's a glamour," Dumbledore said. "Would you like me to take it off for now?"

Everyone agreed and Dumbledore told Harry what he was going to do. He braced himself and Dumbledore undid the spell.

"He looks just like you, James!" Sirius said.

"But with Lily's eyes," Alice added.

"How do I get home?" Harry asked. "My uncle is going to be really mad if I'm not back to help make dinner!"

"Who's your uncle?" Lily asked curiously.

"Vernon."

"Well that explains why you hated him and Petunia right off the bat when you met them! I can't imagine being raised by them. Do they have any kids?" Lily questioned.

"I have a cousin named Dudley."

Sirius snorted at the name. "Dudley, what a stupid name!"

Lily hit him, "Shut up! He and Harry might be close." More kindly she directed her attention to Harry. "Do you get along with him?"

Harry tentatively shook his head. "No! He's not nice. His friends and him are mean! They're always hurting everybody!"

"Does he hurt you?" Frank spoke up.

Harry looked down shyly. "Yes."

Everyone looked a bit mad at that.

"What about your Aunt and Uncle?" Remus asked. "Do they treat you ok?"

Harry's eyes grew big and he nodded rapidly. "Yes. They feed, clothe, and house me despite my abnormality."

"Your abnormality?" Sirius asked.

"Yes! I'm always doing strange things. It's bad, very bad!"

Everyone exchanged looks. They were about to question him more when he grew rigid. His body started expanding back to its rightful size and he once again passed out. This time it was only for a few moments.

Harry opened his eyes and gasped as he realized everything that he had revealed. "So uh…now you know?" he said weakly.