I AM SO SO SO SORRY!

I kept you all waiting after that HORRIBLE cliffhanger, and I felt terrible!

About that long wait, my internet was down... and it was a pain in the neck. I had to get my brother to come up and fix it, while I sat biting my nails, reading all you're review responses (brilliant, by the way) at my best friend, Ana's house. Thanks so much for the those reviews! I think you made a record high for a chapter! PLEASE REVIEW AGAIN, even though I'm a horrible writer for leaving you with a cliffhanger that long!

IMPORTANT MESSAGE--- That also leaves us to our next issue. My forum, as I have told many of you, is located on my profile page. It's easy accessible and is open to everyone. I am asking you all to join if you wish for discussions on ALL of my stories. It is where I or my friend Ana, will be writing on and posting a few things... hints, and general chats. So, please join... when my stupid internet goes down, which I can bet galleons that it will again, that is when Ana will be there informing you all, and idk, entertaining? lol. She's quite fun, and watching me type this very long authors note... which none of you probably read b/c you are in such suspense to see what's up with Tammy.

THANKS FOR READING! ENJOY THE STORY! wheezlygirl

---All belongs to Jo Rowling.

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Tammy smiled again. She knew she would have to tell him sometime. 'James...' She put her hand on his cheek and smiled.

'Mum?' He questioned in a quivering voice. She wasn't speaking, and he was getting scared.

'A couple months ago, your father and I went on a mission. We were secretly attacking some Death Eaters, and we got a lead to one of their lairs. We took Frank Longbottom's parents William and Annie, do you remember Frank?' She asked James.

'Yeah... he's a year older than me.' James said slowly, wondering where this conversation was going.

'Well, when we planned the attack, we only expected a couple people on guard at the lair, but there must have been a large meeting at the time. There were hundreds of them in the room.' She told him quietly.

'There were?' He asked, thinking of scary it must have been. They were out numbered by so many.

'Yeah, well... we were about to leave and send word to Dumbledore, but a Death Eater saw us on our way out... he called the rest of them over to fight, and Annie and I thought we were going to be dead within seconds. Your dad and William fought... most of them off... killed at least half, and Annie and I tried our best... maybe took out a quarter of them together. After a while, we thought we had all of them, but as Annie and I checked them over, the leader of the pack shot a pretty... uh, powerful curse at us.' Tammy said, trying and failing to smile. She paused and took a breath.

'Who was it? And what happened? You're alive...' James asked desperately.

'It was the Lucius Malfoy's grandfather... he was leading the meeting that day... and the curse was really bad. It-' Tammy let out a dry sob, but she continued talking.

James looked scared. 'What did it do?' He persisted.

'It stripped Annie and I of our powers. We aren't magical anymore.' Tammy said sadly and quietly.

'I'm sorry mum... that must be hard... I'm really sorry.' James said, giving his mum a hug.

'That's the not the worst of it.' She whispered.

James' head snapped up and she looked into her son's concerned eyes. 'What?' He asked quickly.

'The curse can have some side-affects... and I got them. It can cause a muggle sickness, because I'm switching from pure-blood witch to a flat-out, common muggle.' She told him.

'What is it called?' James asked.

'I'm really not sure, actually... It's some heart disease... and I know it's really dangerous... and - and deadly... but it's really nothing to worry about, the Healer told me so.' Tammy said quickly at James' horrified face.

His eyes filled up with tears. 'Mum...'

'Shhhs. It's nothing to worry about, I told you.' She said to him waving it off.

'Yes it is something to worry about... mum... this can't happen. Why now?' James said, as he began crying harder.

'It's okay James... just think about it, I'll be able to see you alot more now... no more lonely holidays. I'm really sorry I let my job get ahead of your life... and so is your father, even if he doesn't express it alot. He works hard for you, James.' Tammy said, as her eyes welled up with tears.

'Dad knows?' James asked her.

'Yes... I was in the hospital a lot the past month or so... getting tests. They would have me put on magical medication, but they're afraid of what that might do, seeing as I no longer have magic blood.' Tammy explained.

'And this is why you aren't with dad today, and the rest of the break?' James asked again.

'I can't fight anymore... I don't have magic to protect me... and neither does Annie. She doesn't have the side-affects though. They tested her already.' She told him in a sad voice, but she was more than happy for her friend.

'I'll kill the guy who did this... I'll kill him.' James said through clenched teeth.

Tammy let out a hollow laugh. 'Your father already took care of that.' She said quietly thinking of what John did when he saw what happened.

'I can't believe this. I love you so much mum. I'm so sorry.' James said, as he began crying again.

Tammy started bawling too at the sight of her said son. 'I feel so horrible.' She said between cries.

'Why?' James managed to get out.

'We forgot your sixth birthday... We didn't give you the party we promised when you got your Hogwart's letter... Grounded you all summer because you are an illegal animagus... Didn't pay attention to your OWL results... Forgot that you made Quidditch captain... Barely acknowledged that you made Head Boy...' She said between sniffles and hiccoughs.

James smiled. 'You think I care about my sixth birthday... or a stupid party?' He asked he jokingly.

'No, but the fact that our house-elves mothered you more than I did kills me more than this illness, James.' She said crying again.

'You told me congratulations and took Sirius and I shopping when I made Head Boy.' James said to her, trying to make her not feel so bad.

'But that's it... most mothers would love to show off the pride of having her son Head Boy. I should've planned a big party... and called Aunt Ruby and Uncle Tim... but all we said were congratulations, and I dropped you off at Diagon Alley.' She said miserably.

'I didn't care then. I still don't care now. Come on, we all thought it was a joke when I got Head Boy.' James told her.

'But I should be an annoying mum who is always wondering what's going on in your life... James, I think that knowing death is nearing in my life, not only broadens your horizons, but also opens your eyes to what you've been missing all along. And now that it's happened to me, I'm just trying to be included in your life, and somehow make up for all those times I missed out on.' Tammy said sadly.

'Mum, you shouldn't think that way... they might come up with a cure or something I mean... I don't mind about any of those things... I deserved to be grounded because I did something illegal, by becomming an animagus.' James tried to make his point clear.

'You did something illegal for a friend... I didn't understand at the time that some rules are worth breaking to help out someone you love.' She told him, as she played with his hair.

'It's okay mum.' James said to her truthfully.

'I love you so much James. I'm so sorry for what I've done in the past to hurt you... and so is your father. And sometime... he will learn that admitting he is wrong is a good place to start.' She told him thoughtfully.

'I love you too mum.' James said to her.

'Now, go to bed. It's late. Goodnight son. Oh, and I really like Lily... I see why you fought for her so long.' Tammy told him with a smile.

'Goodnight. Thanks mum.' James said, giving her a kiss on the cheek, and he left the room silently.

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'James... what happened!' Sirius asked, as he saw his friend come into the room again, but with a tearstained face and upset expression.

James told the story to the boys, but this time with no tears. He left out the personal parts between him and his mum, but he did tell them that she could die.

'I'm sorry James...' Sirius said sadly to his friend.

'It's okay Prongs.' Remus said, giving him a pat on the back.

'It'll be alright... I'm sorry.' Harry said sadly, knowing that his dad's mum was important to him. He know had a inklink of a feeling... why he never met Tammy Potter, and it scared the hell out of him.

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That's chapter 17... it was sad to write... Please REVIEW!

WG

READ THE AUTHORS NOTE ABOVE.

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