A/n: Last update was forever ago, I know. I'm sorry guys! I'm not going to go through all my excuses b/c that would take up too much time, lol. Anyways, this is most definitely the second last chapter. I have the last chapter written, it's just a matter of updating my other stories quickly and getting the last chapter into my computer. I'm aiming for the end of the month (April), but I'm also starting a College writing course on Tuesday, so I don't know how much homework I'll be given and such.

Anyways, HUGE thank you's to all my reviewers. You guys are the best. Lastly, this chapter is as the title says, "In Which Everything is Explained". Enjoy.

Chapter 11

Sirius was aware of a brilliant light, though his eyes were shut. There were a few growls and angry shouts that sounded nearby. He smelled harsh smoke and something light and sweet that somehow reminded him of icing sugar. He was laying on something hard.

He attempted to open his eyes but the light was so bright he immediately snapped them shut again. He moved a hand over them to shield them further as the brilliance of the light seemed to increase.

His chest felt heavy and somehow clogged like he'd been breathing dirt. The smell of harsh smoke was overpowering the light sugary smell. He began coughing and gagging as the awful odor filtered through his airway and the feeling of dirt in his mouth was suddenly terribly acute.

He heard more shouts and felt a strong rush of hot wind blow past him. Someone laughed cruelly. A sizzling noise started getting louder and was fast accompanied by horrible screams of pain. Sirius' body felt so heavy he could no longer move.

He was coughing violently now as the painful screams from somewhere continued, and he tried to rid himself of the feeling of dirt inside his throat. The screams reached a climax and there was a massive explosion nearby. Heat blasted past Sirius and he curled up into a tight ball, thinking the heat to be fire.

The sick smoke slowly began to disappear and was replaced by that sweet icing sugar smell. There was a soft and gentle voice near Sirius' ear that whispered some incomprehensible words. Immediately, the taste of honey and strawberries slid down Sirius' throat, stopping his coughing. The dirt disappeared like the smoke had, and his chest felt normal. He could breathe again.

He exhaled in relief and heard the soothing voice say quietly,

"He's gone, my friend. Sleep. You are safe."

Sirius exhaled slowly again and remembered nothing more.

Sirius' eyes fluttered open and were met with near darkness. There was a sliver of blue light on a faraway horizon that suggested dawn was not too long away. Cool wind blew past as Sirius struggled to sit up. He looked around and did not recognize where he was, or more importantly, recall how he had got there.

He was in a wide open grassy field with distant mountains in the westand rolling foothills just before them. He could make out large round hay bales in other fields to the east and more fields full of flowers to the north and south. James was laying on his side about five or so feet away from Sirius.

"James!" Sirius crawled over as fast he could, fearing the worst as he looked at his friend's motionless form. He shook James' shoulder, saying his name several more times, getting more panicked by the moment. Completely freaking out, Sirius shook James even harder and yelled in James' ear.

"Alright Padfoot, alright." James groaned and batted Sirius' hand away. Sirius let his breath out and sat back.

"Mate, you just scared the - "

"Five more minutes." James mumbled.

Sirius stared at his friend's back. Five more minutes? He was about to punch his friend lightly to have him wake up and realize he was on the grassy ground and not in his dorm, when James sat bolt upright.

"Where am I? What's going on? Where's Sirius?" he said in one breath, not seeing his friend.

"Prongs." Sirius said quietly.

James whipped around, looking wild-eyed. He calmed slightly when his eyes landed on his friend's face. He exhaled. "I thought…" he started and stopped.

"I know." Sirius half-smiled.

"Where are we?" James asked and stared around, taking in the scenery just as Sirius had done seconds earlier.

"I have no idea."

"What happened to us?" James questioned quietly, turning his eyes back to Sirius. The two of them both looked worse for the wear. James was heavily bruised on his arms and face, and had a bleeding spilt lip. Sirius had a deep cut beside his right eye that was slowly bleeding. There was numerous cuts and scrapes all over the two of them.

"Since that thing smoked us?" Sirius shook his head. "I don't really know."

They were quiet for a second or two when James half-smiled.

"I think I can safely say this has been the most bizarre week of my life." He said.

Sirius opened his mouth to reply, but before he got a word out, a thick column of pure white steam suddenly shot out of the ground about two feet from James' feet. The two boys backed away hurriedly, frightened for their lives as they thought of the creature that had tried to kill them at Hogwarts.

"Wand!" James shouted.

Sirius patted his person and was extremely dismayed to find he no longer had it with him. "Not here!"

The boys exchanged terrified glances.

The misty geyser stopped as abruptly as it had started. However, now in its place was what can only be described as a silvery white and gold being with shimmering blue eyes.

"I don't have much time." She said. Her voice sent mixed ripples of awe, joy and fear through the two open-mouthed boysbefore her.

"Who are you?" James asked quietly, hardly daring to hope she was there to help and not finish them off.

"I must tell you what is important before our time is up." The being said firmly, seeming to completely ignore James' question.

"But who - ?" Sirius tried.

"My name and origins are not important." The being stated then turned her brilliant eyes to James. "You are James Potter, are you not?"

"You know who we are? And we don't know who you are?" Sirius said frustratedly. "Bit one-sided, don't you think?"

The being ignored him. "Are you?"

James paled slightly and nodded numbly. "Y-yes I am."

"James," the being began. "I have come to you to explain everything that has happened. Though I repeat, we have very limited time." She paused briefly before continuing. "That dark creature that attacked you was a servant of the evil Lord Voldemort."

Sirius and James both shuddered. The name, unfortunately, was not new to them.

"Lord Voldemort sent Vadamir, the creature, to destroy you, James, and everyone in his path."

"But why?" Sirius blurted out before James even opened his mouth to ask the same question. "Why does he want James, specifically, dead?"

"It's because of your son, James." The being stated.

"My what?" James' eyes grew instantly wide at this revelation.

"About two and a half years from now, Voldemort will be at the height of his power. He murders dozens of wizards. You and your wife are murdered by the evil wizard himself when your son is barely a year old."

James started shaking. He felt cold and nauseated and helpless. Murdered. He was going to be murdered. In three years time. Murdered. Murdered.

"No. That can't be. Not me." He said through chattering teeth. "You've got the wrong guy. I can't – not me – "

"I'm sorry James. It's the truth." The being said.

"B-but it's the future!" James persisted. "I can change it! It doesn't have to be that way!"

"Yes! Exactly!" Sirius joined in.

The being shook her head sadly. "But don't you see? You can't."

"Why the heck not?" Sirius demanded angrily.

"Time must run its course naturally." She paused slightly. "I know you don't understand now, but please. Our time is short. I must explain further – "

Sirius was about to retort angrily when James beat him to it.

"But if I'm going to be murdered by him later anyways, what's the point of sending someone to kill me now?" he asked edgily.

"Because though you and your wife do not make it, your son does. Your son survives. Your son, James, is an unborn threat."

James and Sirius stared at the being for a moment, stunned.

"Wait…" Sirius was first to break the small silence and voice what they were both thinking. "How could a one-year-old boy survive a killing curse that two adults didn't?"

The being chuckled softly. "Extraordinary, isn't it? And no one knows why. For some reason, Voldemort's curse rebounded when he went after your son, nearly killing himself."

"That's a good thing, isn't it?" James said, noting that the being didn't seem as pleased about this piece of news as she should have been.

"Yeah, I mean…" Sirius started but trailed off. "Wait, nearly?"

The being nodded solemnly. "Yes. Voldemort was reduced to a barely-there life-form. Your son, James, fought Voldemort off twice successfully as the dark lord worked to regain his power. And that was before your son's fourteenth birthday."

James and Sirius stared open-mouthed at the being again, hardly believing what they were hearing. A boy under fourteen?

"Though Voldemort regained power during your son's fourth year at Hogwarts, your son went on to escape him twice again." Said the being.

"Nice job, kid." Sirius couldn't help chuckling.

"I still don't understand one thing, though." James said as the first cracks of dawn were creeping over the horizon. "Why kill me then? If this is all going to happen and we can't change it, wouldn't he be better off trying to kill my son?" It was odd, but somehow James felt a tiny pang of guilt as he spoke.

The being glanced over her shoulder anxiously at the dawn. "This must be the last question and the last answer. I am sorry, but my time is growing ever shorter. Because Voldemort has been unable to defeat your son, he wanted to stop your son from ever happening. He wanted to go right to the source.

"His opportunity came along. He gained a faithful servant, Vadamir, and the cosmic event of planets aligning for the first time in ten thousand years. With the planets aligned, there are certain spells that can be performed under such conditions. Voldemort was able to perform an extremely complicated, very old spell that is known only to have worked once since the beginning of time – before now, of course. I have no time to explain all the intricacies of the spell.

"The spell did what it was intended to do. Voldemort used the spell to send Vadamir back in time to stop you from ever having a son." She paused. "He failed. You live."

James sat very still, letting the gravity of what the being had just explained sink in. How…? But what…? Why…?

Dawn was creeping ever closer. The indigo darkness was being fast replaced by light blue and gold hues. The being looked hastily over her shoulder. "I know you must have more questions and I am truly sorry you will never be able to ask them."

"But – " Sirius tried to speak.

The being ignored him and plowed on, her voice etched with urgency. "Our time is nearly ended. I'm going to put you to sleep now and when you wake up this will all be but a vague dream."

"No!" James and Sirius protested in unison.

"You can't leave like this." James continued in dismay. "If I don't remember anything, how can I have any chance of changing my future?"

"I am sorry." The being apologized sincerely again. The sun was literally seconds away from cresting the horizon. "This is goodbye."

"But you can't! Please!" Sirius begged. "How will we ever know what to do when this guy comes for us if we can't remember anything about it?"

The being shook her head sadly and held her hands out, palms up. Soft white smoke billowed gently out of her silky sleeves and began to surround James and Sirius.

"Wait! Who is my wife? Who am I to marry?" James called through the collecting smoke as the being began to fade among it.

There was amusement in her voice as she answered, "I think you already know the answer to that, James."

Sirius and James were met with the sensation of a soft feather bed underneath their bodies, replacing the grassy ground. Everything suddenly smelled light and sweet like icing sugar. The sensation of strawberries and honey slid soothingly down Sirius' throat. He couldn't help closing his eyes, feeling sleepy and content.

"Waiiit…" James slurred groggily. "My… ssson. Tell me… my ssson's name…"

Sirius was just at that stage when one is almost asleep and can't think properly. He sighed and heard the being's reply, slow and echoing like it came from a great distance.

"Harry."

Then all at once, the sun broke over the horizon, the being was gone, and Sirius and James were fast asleep, enveloped in pleasant white smoke.

A/n: Well? How 'bout it? Tell me what you think. I don't care what you have to say, I'd love to know if you read this! And I'm a glutton for reviews. So review me already. :D Lol. More soon!