Harry settled himself into a much more comfortable position. His injuries were almost healed, he could feel it. Harry then opened his mouth and began relating everything that had happened in his second year.

"It all began when a House elf came to visit me during the summer..."

"...And then Dumbledore gave us special awards for services for the school and we won the House Cup for the second year in a row," finished Harry. His mouth was sore. It had taken half an hour of continuous talking to relay the tale. It would have been a lot shorter but everybody insisted on interrupting or giving their own opinions. The culprits being Ron and Hermione.

The adults were staring at the three teens, gobsmacked. They had not expected that story about the Chamber of Secrets. They were doing very good impressions of fishes, what with the way their mouths kept moving.

"A–and that all happened in wuh–one year?" stuttered Lily. Harry grabbed a glass of water and took a long drink so Ron answered.

"Yup. They get better. You know, we've never had one boring year so far. They've all turned out pretty much okay." Ron received a murderous glare from Harry. He quickly righted his statement. "Well except for the end of fourth and fifth year..." Ron trailed off into silence.

"What happened?" questioned James. He was eager to learn everything about the boy who was his son, in a strange other–reality sort of way.

Ron and Hermione looked nervously at Harry. Harry put the empty glass down and stared sadly at his hands. Ron and Hermione looked at each other, asking without words. Hermione finally shook her head and, looking up at James, said,

"That's a subject that we don't talk about. Sorry. It's too soon really. Too soon for all of us." Hermione looked sympathetically at Harry, who nodded appreciatively.

Remus stood up. "Somebody died didn't they?" he asked, looking down at Hermione. "Somebody very close to you three." Hermione nodded carefully.

"We don't want to talk about it. No offence to you lot of anything. It's just..." she trailed off. There was silence. Nobody was sure what to say after that incredible story, or to the fact that the three teens had lost somebody recently. There seemed to be no word in the English language that described how each of the occupants of the room was feeling.

"Well, I can feel my legs now. That's a good thing," chirped Ron, eager to change the subject. As if to demonstrate, he swung his legs over the side of the bed and stood up. He was still very shaky but he was all right.

"Do you think you'll all be able to walk?" asked Sirius. "It's just that...I think we should introduce you and show you around. There are still people who don't know you're here and would probably curse you as quick as look at you."

"Mmmm," mumbled Harry.

"'Kay," said Ron.

"Let's go then," said Hermione, grinning. "I want to get out of this infernal bed."

"Great." Sirius clapped his hands together. "Let's go."

"Sirius," said James, struggling not laugh. "They need to change first. They can't walk around in those horrible white things."

For the first time, Harry looked down at what he was wearing, and his face creased up in disgust.

"I'm wearing a dress," Harry yelled. He was not actually wearing a dress, that would be stupid. But what he was wearing could qualify as one. He had on a short white gown, like the ones you get when you go into hospital. Ron frowned at his friend. Hermione giggled and pointed at Ron's clothing. He was wearing exactly the same thing as Harry.

"Errugh," he cried. "Please can we have something else to wear," Ron begged. "I'll never live this down. Never."

"Ron, honestly. Who is going to know?" asked Hermione, a look of amusement on her face.

Lily waved her wand and a new pile of clothes appeared at the end of each bed.

"We'll leave you boys to get changed. If you need help, shout. One of these idiots will come and help."

"Hey!" cried James indignantly.

"We are not idiots," exclaimed Sirius huffily.

"Well, I'm certainly not an idiot. Can't say anything for these two though," muttered Remus, pointing at his two best friends. Sirius and James looked at each other and then back to Remus. He caught the evil look that passed between the two of them. He quickly backed out of the door holding up his hands for protection.

"No, no. I didn't mean it." Sirius and James leapt after him. "No, no. Don't. No. Arrgghhh."

Lily smiled brightly.

"My boys. Sometime I wondered what I got myself into when I married one. Hermione, come with me. I'll give you somewhere else to change."

Hermione pushed herself out of bed and rose unsteadily to her feet. Lily gripped her elbow and picked up Hermione's clothes. She led Hermione out of the room, closing the door behind her.


The two boys appeared, fully dressed in long scarlet robes, several minutes later. Nobody was outside so they walked slowly and carefully down the corridor. The corridor was large-ish. It was decorated in the same drab colour that the small room was. Once again there were no windows. Doors could be found on both sides of the corridor, all brown and almost exactly the same.

The boys found an open door and peered in. The room was sparsely decorated, holding only several small wooden chairs and a large table. Hermione, also wearing scarlet robes, was sitting on a chair talking to Lily. She looked up.

"Finally. You two take forever."

"Time to take the tour," said Sirius from behind them. Ron and Harry jumped. They hadn't expected him to be standing there.

Harry said nothing.

"Hermione, let's go," grinned Ron. "You take forever." Hermione stood up and walked into the corridor, hitting Ron on the arm as she went. Lily followed. All three friends were still very unsteady on their feet. They gripped the walls as they walked, trying very hard not to fall over.

Sirius led the small group through the door opposite. He led them down a series of twisting and turning corridors. He seemed to be going somewhere but none of the teens could figure out where, but then again, they didn't know their way around this maze. James and Remus seemingly appeared out of nowhere and joined the small group. The passages were all the same: drab decoration, brown wooden doors and no windows.

Ron turned to Harry.

"Do you reckon we're...?"

"Underground," finished Remus promptly. Ron turned to him in astonishment.

"We're underground?" Remus nodded.

"It's the only place safe from Voldemort. This place is huge and it's still growing. We have about four hundred living here."

"Four hundred?" breathed Hermione in astonishment.

"Yeah, but many are too young or too old to fight."

Harry ignored the conversation. He was too involved in his own thoughts. He barely saw where he was going; he just followed the person in front. There was way too much going on here. Harry couldn't understand how his death and James and Lily surviving could change events so dramatically from his Home. To be honest though, he hadn't even considered this before, as he had no knowledge of alternate realities.

"Oof." Harry walked into the person in front. It was Sirius.

"Sorry," mumbled Harry. He still could not look this man in the eye.

"That's alright. Don't worry." Sirius smiled. Harry shuffled quickly back to his two friends, making sure Lily was between himself and Sirius. Sirius raised his eyebrows. Why did the boy seem so unwilling to look at him, let alone talk to him?

James sidled up to his friend.

"I've wondered that too," he whispered. "All three seem to be uncomfortable around you. I thought maybe it was just me seeing it."

"I wonder what it is."

"I don't think we should ask. Not yet anyway." Sirius nodded his head in agreement.

"Okay you three," Sirius said loudly, "time for you to meet everybody." James pushed open a small wooden door that had been hidden behind Sirius and walked through. Everybody else followed, the three teens a little nervously. They didn't know what to expect.

They stepped inside a huge cavern in the rock. Harry looked around him in awe. He could hear Hermione eagerly questioning Remus about how it had been made. The cavern walls soared about fifty feet above them, finishing in a dome at the top. The cavern itself was easily four times the size of the Great Hall at Hogwarts. It was very grey and dull, but lit very brightly. Harry couldn't see where the light came from. There were no openings of any kind for light to filter through and no visible lighting system. Hundreds of people were scattered around the cavern, talking and in the case of the younger ones, messing about and playing. There were natural protrusions in the rock which served as seats for many of the older people.

Harry snapped back to reality. James and Sirius were trying to get everybody's attention but it was hopeless. There was too much noise and people were too preoccupied with whatever else they were doing. Ron and Hermione found the whole situation very funny and were being no help. Harry smiled. He could see now why James and Sirius were very popular whilst they were still alive at Home. Harry remembered a similar situation to this from when he was at the Quidditch World Cup. He pushed his way past Remus, Ron and Lily and stopped in front of James, pointidly ignoring Sirius.

"Here. Try this," he said, rolling his eyes. Harry pointed his wand at James' throat and said, "Sonorus."

"What good will that do?" asked Sirius.

Harry ignored him and smirked at James.

"Well, talk then you twit."

"HEY!" said James tentatively. He was not sure what to expect. Both he and Sirius jumped back in alarm. James' voice echoed over the noise, bouncing off the walls of the cave. The babble in the cavern ceased abruptly as everyone turned to see where the loud voice was coming from.

"Talk you idiot," hissed Harry as he walked back to stand next to Hermione. Ron caught Harry's eye and gave him the thumbs up sign.

"Way to go. I thought they'd never do it."

"I would like to introduce you to three people," said James slowly, his voice reverberating around the cavern. He had trouble adjusting to his new and improved loud voice.

Lily and Remus pushed Harry, Ron and Hermione ever so slightly, encouraging them forwards. The three friends took the hint and shuffled forwards to stand between James and Sirius.

"This is Harry, Ron and Hermione. They are our guests here, and will be staying until such time as we can send them home. I want you treat them with the respect and courtesy that you treat everybody else with here."

At these words people immediately started protesting.

"We don't even know them."

"Where'd they come from?"

"How'd they get here?"

"Why should we?"

James silenced them all with a very frosty glare.

"AS YOU MAY HAVE NOTICED!" James' voice was louder than intended because he was now shouting with an already loud voice. "They have done nothing to convince us they're with Voldemort. If you remember when we were fighting. The blue light that enveloped all of the Death Eaters?" A few hesitant nods. "These three," he gestured at the teens standing by his side, "cast that spell and stopped them. They were unconscious for several days but they had saved us. I think that entitles them to some respect." James stopped and looked around. When his gaze rested on certain people they answered him with meek nods. He smiled.

"Excellent. Right then, Molly, Arthur, I want to talk to you." The two people in question made their way slowly over. The babble and hubbub gradually continued as if nothing had happened.

James turned to Harry and whispered, or at least tried to. It didn't work very well and he ended up sounding very strained and hoarse.

"How do you..." He gestured at his throat. Harry sighed and grinned. He pointed his wand at James' throat and muttered, "Quietus." James put his hands to his throat and looked at Harry.

"Talk then," said Harry, as if he was speaking to a child.

"Harry," he said, very slowly. His voice was back to normal, if a little hoarse. James looked very relieved.

"Thanks. How'd do you do that?"

Harry smirked.

"Learnt it at the Quidditch World Cup." He looked over and Ron and Hermione, who grimaced at the memory of it. Remus and Lily both noticed the reaction.

"What happened?" asked Lily.

"You don't wanna know," answered Ron. He was stopped from saying anything as Molly and Arthur arrived and stood next to Sirius. Molly glanced questionally at James, who quickly pointed at Ron. Molly followed his hand, noticed Ron, screamed and promptly fainted in her husband's arms.

"James," he growled. "What is the meaning of this? Who is he?"

"We'd better talk," James said carefully, gingerly touching his neck. His throat hurt. He quickly walked back out of the door. Sirius helped Arthur pick up and carry his wife. Remus ushered them quickly out of the door. Lily followed with the teens bringing up the rear. The door slammed behind them.

Ron was staring at Molly and Arthur as if he couldn't believe his eyes.

"Ron, what's the matter?" asked Hermione.

"Them," he pointed at the receding figures of Arthur and Molly. "They look so different." And indeed they did. Molly Weasley could no longer be described as a short, plump woman. Molly had a slim figure and appeared almost as tall as her husband. Her kindly face seemed hardened and worn, as if she had given up on being happy a long time ago. Arthur was not balding; he had a full head of red hair. Ron looked exactly like him. Both looked much older than they were and had tired battle-weary faces.

"I know. They look so different. I almost didn't recognise them. Probably wouldn't have if they hadn't been called over," said Harry.

"I think it's this war. Here they never had a break from the war," added Hermione.

"Are you three coming?" shouted Lily back up the passage.

"Yeah hold on," called back Harry. The three of them walked quickly down the passage after Lily.


Lily led the three teens into a separate room to Arthur and Molly. Between the three of them, James, Sirius and Remus told the Weasley's everything. Lily thought it best that Ron, Harry and Hermione weren't present. It would only make things much more uncomfortable than they already were.


The door opened and James, Sirius and Remus walked into the room.

"Where's..." began Lily.

"They went back to their room. It's a lot to take in. they needed time to digest the information," answered James. "Anyhow, it's been a relatively quiet day today. Thingummy's using the information we extracted from our prisoner." At a curious look from Hermione, James said, "Bellatrix Lestrange."

"She deserves to die," spat Harry angrily.

"What?" asked Sirius. "How do you know my good-for-nothing cousin?"

Ron ignored Sirius; he didn't like talking to him if he could help it, and instead said to Harry,

"She's evil, I know mate, but calm down. She didn't do it here." Harry glowered at his friend. Ron shut his mouth quickly.

"She hasn't done what? What did she do to you?" asked Remus. Harry gave Remus the same look he gave Ron. His eyes widened as comprehension dawned on him.

"It was her wasn't it? She killed the somebody close to you," he said softly. Harry nodded sadly.

"Was her fault," he murmured.

"Anyway," said James, eager to continue. All of his talk of death and things he didn't understand made him uncomfortable. "Anyway, they're using it to come up with a plan of action against him."

Hermione yawned loudly. She clapped a hand to her mouth and muttered, "'scuse me." Ron yawned immediately afterwards and then, to prove it was contagious, so did Harry.

Lily began talking in a very motherly way.

"You three need sleep. You've had enough to do for one day. Off you go. Sirius, take them back to their rooms."

Sirius stood up and made towards the door when Harry spoke.

"Don't want to go back to there. Had enough lying down for a while. Can we just stay here and go to sleep here?"

"I-if you want to. I suppose."

"Don't worry Lils. I'll stay with them. You lot go off to bed. I'm too wide-awake to sleep. Anyway, I want to see if Wotsisname comes up with anything."

"Are you sure?"

James nodded enthusiastically. "Yup, sure am sure." He wanted to stay close to Harry and his friends. He felt very protective of them, even though they weren't his children.

Ron's head was falling dangerously close to the table he was sitting at. Remus noticed just in time and transfigured a woodchip into a pillow. There was a quiet flump as Ron reached the pillow. Remus quickly did the same for Harry and Hermione. There was another two flumps as two more heads reached the pillows. James looked pointedly at the door. Lily shook her head.

"I'm not going anywhere. I am not tired. Besides, can't I stay with my husband and his friends?" Lily smiled and perched herself on her husband's lap.

The four friends chatted for ages through the night. It always amazed Lily how much they could find to talk about. Lily kept looking fondly at the boy who, in a way, was her son. It amazed her how much Harry looked like, or would have looked like, his father. Harry and his friends always seemed alert and even thought it wasn't entirely obvious, Lily could see they were always watching, everything that happened they saw. It saddened Lily to see three people as young as these, who had not had the life she had known for twenty or so years, know so much despair and pain. She saw it when she looked into Harry's green eyes. She saw a sixteen-year-old who had seen far too much in his short years. She also saw it in Ron and Hermione's; it was less, but still there.

There was a loud knock at the door. Harry sat up immediately, his wand clutched in his hand. He relaxed then he saw where he was. Hermione and Ron jerked up, seemingly upset at being woken up.

The door opened somebody stood in the doorway. Neither Ron, Harry nor Hermione could see who it was. The door obscured their view.

"James, everything's all set. They just need your approval." The voice sounded strangely familiar but Harry couldn't figure out who it was. He looked quickly at his two friends. They shrugged. They had no idea either.

"Tell them to do it." James looked sideways at his guests and motioned the speaker forwards.

"Come and meet our three guests." The speaker stepped into the light. Harry clenched his fists. He felt the anger rising up inside him. Ron and Hermione glanced fearfully at Harry, afraid of what he might do.

"Ron, Hermione, Harry. I'd like you to meet Peter Pettigrew."