"You want to go for a walk shortie?" James asked his son as he changed his shirt. "You can have your first look at the Hogwarts grounds. Then I can teach you all the ways out of school."
Harry giggled as James threw his nappy in the bin with distaste.
"Yeah, you enjoy daddy's suffering, don't you?" James teased, picking up Harry.
Harry giggled again.
"Come on," he said, walking towards the door.
"Pafu?" Harry queried.
"No," James said sternly. "No Padfoot. Padfoot's being naughty."
Harry frowned.
"Mauda," Harry pouted.
James smiled. "You're a smart one aren't you?" he said as they reached the bottom of the staircase and entered the common room.
He was grateful that neither Remus nor Sirius was actually there. It was late afternoon. Sirius' stomach must have been growling. However, there were now two couches near the common room.
James exited the common room, Harry squealing in his arms. He said a farewell to the Fat Lady before making his way down to the grounds.
James sat down against a beech tree and placed Harry down in front of him.
"Ball?" Harry asked. "Eens squ ball?"
James smiled, trying to understand exactly what Harry had just said. "You want to play ball?" he asked. "Sure."
He got out his wand and conjured up a ball in thin air. Harry squealed in delight and tried to grab the ball. James held it out of reach, grinning at his son as he pouted.
"Ball!" shrieked Harry impatiently.
James laughed. "Alright, alright," he said, throwing the ball only a few feet in front of him.
Harry raced forwards to the collect the ball and gave a weak attempt to throw it back. James got to his feet and grabbed the ball before Harry could. Harry started to bounce on the balls of his feet. James threw the ball again and Harry ran after it. Again he gave a lame attempt to throw the ball back at James, but it resulted in the ball ending upfurther into the grounds. James laughed again as Harry ran after it, his short legs only carrying him so far. James ran up to Harry and picked him up. He twirled him around in the air. Harry giggled enthusiastically, but was still trying to reach for the ball.
"Okay," James sighed, putting Harry down. "You want the ball, don't you? Well go on."
James watched as Harry raced forward, stumbling a couple of times, towards the ball. James laughed as Harry tried to grasp the ball, but failed when it dropped out of his hands and rolled a couple of feet further down.
James grinned, but stopped almost as quickly when he realised where Harry was heading. They had ventured down towards the Forbidden Forest and the ball had just rolled inside its dangers.
"Harry, no!" James shouted as Harry disappeared inside the trees.
Panic spread through James' body like wildfire. He set off at a run towards the forest, thinking about all the nasty, dangerous beings that lived in there. Werewolves, wild hippogriffs and there were tales of giant spiders.
"Harry!" James shouted as he could hear Harry's giggles coming from inside. James entered the forest, his wand out.
James' breathing slowed as he came across Harry's tiny form in a clearing, clutching the ball with a huge smile on his face.
"Harry, you scared me," James said, trying to clear his head. He took a step towards Harry, but all of a sudden, his legs were glued, his arms were plastered in their place, he couldn't move. He felt his body lean backwards, falling down. His wand trapped in his clutched fist.
Harry giggled from above him, thinking it was a joke. James wanted to scream to him. Someone is here! Run! But he couldn't. The only thing James could do was move his eyes.
"James," a husky voice said and Harry stopped giggling.
James tried to move, to see who had done this, but whoever it was, was standing out of his view.
"I am sorry about this," the voice continued. "I…I know this must be hard. But you weren't supposed to survive."
Then James knew. He knew that voice; he knew who was standing close to him, who had done this to his family.
James heard Harry shriek as he was picked up.
"I'm sorry James," Peter Pettigrew said. "I have to take him. He's what's stopping my Lord from returning to power. I have to dispose of him."
It was this last bit of information that caused a surge of fury to course through James' body. He didn't know how it happened, but somehow his mouth could move. He could speak.
"Peter, you piece of filth," he rasped. "He's just a baby. He doesn't know anything."
"Dada!" Harry screeched, frightened.
"You weren't supposed to live to see this, James," Peter asked, trying to calm Harry down.
"PUT HIM DOWN!" James roared, feeling ridiculous shouting while lying on the floor, paralysed.
"I'm sorry James," Peter repeated.
"Please, Peter," James pleaded now. "He's my son! Please! Please don't do this!"
"I'm sorry…"
There was a loud pop and James could move again. His whole body was free. Panic surged through him again as, when he looked around, he realised Peter had gone and he had taken Harry with him.
"Ok, ten galleons says Germany's going to win the Quidditch World Cup this year," Sirius said as he swallowed a mouthful of Pumpkin juice.
"You're on," Remus said taking a bite out of his lamb. "Oh, I expect that ten right away, not three weeks later and all in Knuts."
"Hey, that was one time," Sirius defended. "Where's Dumbledore?" he added, hastily changing the subject.
"Upstairs, still talking with Kingsley and Alastor I suppose," Remus shrugged. "The House Elves were very generous don't you think?"
"What?" Sirius demanded. "They practically kicked us out when we asked for chicken."
"Yeah, that's because the last time you asked them for a chicken, you wanted to see if it was similar to a bludger and started knocking them unconscious with it," Remus sighed.
"Oh yeah…" Sirius grinned.
"Where'd James…"
As if in answer to his unfinished question, the Great hall doors opened and James stumbled in, dirt smudged on his face. He wore a mask of horror on his face. Sirius and Remus stood when they saw him run towards them.
"James, what's wrong?" Remus demanded as James came level with their table.
"This can't be happening!" James cried, grabbing Sirius' collar and shaking him, slowly sinking to his knees, out of breath. "Tell me it's not happening, Sirius!"
"James what's wrong?" Sirius asked his heart racing.
James didn't answer, just shook Sirius, slowly dragging him down to the floor too.
"James, where's Harry?" Remus asked quickly, looking around the Great Hall.
James looked up at Remus, his eyes pleading, begging with him to understand.
"You…You've got to help me," James stuttered. "Peter…"
"WHAT DID THAT RAT DO!" Sirius roared, unable to control his anger.
"James, what happened," Remus asked. "You need to tell us."
"We…we were playing ball," James explained. "And Harry threw it in the Forbidden Forest. He went to go get it. I told him not to. I swear I told him not to, but he went in anyway. And…And then P…Peter appeared. He took Harry. He apparated out."
Sirius looked up at Remus questioningly. "I thought you can't apparate out of the grounds of Hogwarts."
"The forest is not apart of the Hogwarts grounds," Remus explained quickly.
"I have to get him back," James muttered, letting go of Sirius and standing up. He started to stumble his way towards the Great Hall doors.
"James!" Sirius shouted after him. "Prongs!"
"I have to find him," James said as he continued to limp his way down the hall.
Sirius and Remus ran after him. Sirius caught him but the arm and stopped him.
"We'll get Dumbledore," Sirius said. "He can help us find Harry."
"No!" exclaimed James. "No! They'll say I'm an unfit father! They'll take Harry away from me! Please, Sirius, please don't tell him."
Sirius looked into his friend's pleading eyes and knew eight then and there that if they were to find Harry dead, James would never be the same. His wife had just died and now his son's life was in threat. Right now as much as Sirius' hated to admit it, but his friend was emotionally unstable.
"We won't tell Dumbledore anything, Prongs," Sirius heard himself say sincerely.
"Please Remus," James begged.
Remus looked as if he knew better, but instead he smiled sadly. "I won't say a word, James."
Author's Note: Woo hoo reviews:P
SeriousSiriusFan: lolz…that would be a funny scenario…but I'm definitely fast forwarding this into the future…how could I not? Thanks for the kind words in your review btw…I hope this chapter didn't stuff up your view on the story…I don't quite like it myself…lolz... Thanks for the review!
Moni: I'm most definitely fast forwarding the story into the future because a vulnerable single father seems like a good idea to torture the characters further…lolz…Thanks heaps for the review.
SweetMilano: Thanks for the kind words in your review…this chapter I don't think was as good as the others so don't hate me…lolz…jkz jkz…
Sexytelequchica: James is pmsing isn't he? Maybe I should calm him down a bit…lolz…
GMUXMenSoaps: Thanks for the reviews… :D You being one of the first reviewers I take a bow to you…lolz…
IritIan: Hagrid's been a naughty boy…but I'm sure he'll redeem himself somehow…lolz…He's only trying to be loyal to his idol I suppose…paying a bit of respect Thanks for the review
c-h-e-s-t-e-r-n-u-t: thanks for the review…lolz…hope you like this chapter as well…
athenakitty: Wormtail does show up…maybe a brief appearance now but he'll play a bigger role later…James will definitely get himself together…I just like torturing him…lolz
starryone21: ooh you'll have to wait to see where I'm going with this…lol…thanks for the review
WOW: James makes a decision in the end…he'll make it difficult for some people, Dumbledore namely, but otherwise he does make a fairly good decision…Thanks for the review…
Special thanks also to fenderbender505, hyperleo01, kay05, OperaGustus, amrawo, SuperHiMarauders and Jessica01
Author's Note: I know this is probably a stupid question which every HP fan should already know the answer to but what the hell…Where does it say that James and Lily were 21 when they died because I can't remember? lolz