Summery: In which we meet Mrs. Arabella Figg, get some background on James's mum, have a SIRIUS discussion, and run the risk of sounding utterly rediculous when Dudley sneezes.
Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.
James:Looks at disclaimer: "Th' hell woman? when'd you get so fancy?"
Nikks: "Me? Never! Heehee I Copy-pasted it offa hydaspes's story!" XDXD
James:"Ahh...yeah okay..."
Warnings:...fish
"Talking"
'Thinking'
/Anispeech/ (from now on)
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NOBODY SAID THAT IT WAS EASY
Ch.4: A Most Preculiar Reaction
November 2nd, 1981: Number 6 Westria Walk...
Arabella Figg had opened her door that afternoon to a screaming Dudley Dursley a whimpering Harry Potter and a dog the size of a small pony.
The Dursleys had hurried to exscuse themselves, and she was only too glad to see them go.
Arabella looked down at the two squirming boys in her arms she smiled softly.
She was no stranger to caring for children, true the children she was used to were eleven years of age and up.
Madam Figg had been the school nurse at Hogwarts up until three years ago when Poppy Pomfrey who had apprenticed under her four several years while at school, and had then kept on as an assisstant, had taken over for her.
And the school had only lost one student in the whole time Arabella has been nursing there.
That had sadly been young Murtle Lestrange...
Best not to dwell too long on that...
Arabella looked down at the screeching Dudley and sighed.
"Best get you shut up, for you brake all my good china with your noise." sighed the woman laying Dudley on the couch.
She set Harry on the floor the small boy wasted no time standing up to toddle over to Padfoot.
"Hn, Winston what a horrible name for a dog you size..." muttered Arabella to the dog.
/Better than Brutus, I supposed./ mutter Padfoot.
"Indeed." replied Arabella.
Padfoot nearly had a heart attack. /YOU CAN UNDERSTAND ME/
"Don't look so shocked, your not the only one who knows Anispeech." said Arabella flatly. "Though I would perfer you told me what an Animagus is doing living as a muggle pet, who are you."
Padfoot sighed. /Sirius Black, and I'm here for Harry's sake./
"Sirius Black? The last time I saw you you were wrapped head to toe in bandages after getting a bucket of venomus Tentacular spores dumped down your robes by Lucius Malfoy."
/Yeah well I got him back, he looked a lot better as a Jack Ass too.../ muttered Padfoot.
"You turned him into a mule?" chuckled Arabella.
/Donkey actully mules are a cross breed tween donkeys and horses./ said Padfoot matter-of-factly.
Arabella shrugged she then stood up, putting her hands on her hips, and glared at the still wailing Dudley.
"Your dry, clean, and your mother said you just ate so what's the matter hmm?" she picked him up, immediately the child stopped crying.
"I thought as much..." she said lips pressed in a thin line.
"Paafoot." giggled Harry hugging the dog.
/Why hello Pronglet./ smiled Padfoot nuzzling him.
"You know you don't have to stay in dog form, I rarely have visitors." said Arabella. Padfoot nodded.
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James Potter walked slowly toward number six with a dreamy look on his face.
"Prongs?" Remus asked worriedly.
"You ever notice how all the Streets around here are named for flowers? "Magnolia" Cresent? "Westria" Walk?" James asked dreamily.
"Westrias" are flowers?" asked Remus smiling knowingly.
"Yeah their like Ivy vines sorta, mum had some in one of the gardens." James replied thoughtfully.
James mother was a Healer and Potions Master, she loved plants both magic and muggle.
She'd instilled a love of plants in her son as well. Which is why no one had been at all surprised when they learned his fiancee was named Lily.
(They were however deeply amused.)
It was also why he dispised the city and suburbs with their nearly non-exsistant plant life.
Remus laughed as his friend went on speaking foundly of different streets that took their names from plants.
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Sirius looked himself over before bending down to scoop up Harry off the floor.
"Padfoot?" asked the child, raising an eyebrow, and tilting his head to one side cutely.
Sirius chuckled, "Yeah its me kiddo."
Harry smiled and snuggled closer, Sirius smiled sadly.
Arabella sighed laying the finally asleep Dudley in the play pen the Dursley's had sent.
"Well now then Mr. Black-" she started in a sturn tone.
"I didn't do it, It was Remus I swear!" grinned the young man impishly.
Arabella rolled her eyes, "Very unlikely... Why are you here, I know its for Harry, but if so why all the sneaking about? Aren't you the boy's Godfather then?"
Sirius froze like a deer in the headlights, Harry squeeled happily in his arms, "Yes, yes I am. But at the moment I don't I'm in any position to just waltz in and take him leagally-"
There was a knock at the door, Sirius reverted to Padfoot and hurried behind the couch, the Grim glared up at the former Matron/Not many visitors aye/
"This is turning out to be an eventful day indeed." muttered Arabella.
/I'm so happy for you./ Sirius said flatly, Arabella shot him a halfhearted glare.
Opening the door she almost colapsed, "James Potter! Your supposed to be dead."
James flashed her a lop sided grin, "Don't you get the Prophet?"
"Obviously I need to subscrib." she said, still looking faint.
"Does this mean we can't come in?" asked Remus giving her puppy dog eyes.
"Oh! Of course come in, come in! And what do you think your doing Dudley Dursley? You leave Harry alone this instent!"
xxx
James froze looking past the woman at the chubby toddler who was currantly tugging at his son's hair as said baby squeeled in pain.
"Harry's here?" James cried hurrying over.
"Yes, just got here a minute ago, your sister brought him." said Arabella prying Dudley off and scooping him up away from Harry.
"My sister? I don't have- Oh! you mean Petunia?" said James lifting up his son the baby went crazy squeeling happily at him.
"Daa!" Harry cooed nestling in close to his father's cheast his tiny hands clutching his robes.
James looked down at him lovingly, tears suddenly streamed down his cheeks, Lily wasn't here anymore, how was he supposed to do this on his own?
Neither Arabella or Remus failed to catch this, and Remus gentally pulled her aside and whispered the events of the last two days.
Then quite out of the blue Harry giggled loudly and cried "PAA'FOOT!"
All eyes turned to the giant dog they had somehow missed noticing who was now sprawled out unconscious behind Arabella's couch from shock.
"SIRIUS!" both James and Remus cried in unison,
Harry clapped his hands.
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Sirius's vision slowly swam into focus to find Arabella standing over him, he dully registered that he'd slide back into human form somehow, he could have sworn he'd transformed into Padfoot and been hiding behind the couch...
He must have been dreaming he realized, "I just had the strangest dream that James walked in..."
Arabella nodded, "Indeed, I'm still having it."
Sirius bolted upright on the couch turning to look over to the two recliners by the fireplace, On hosted Remus who was looking at him with quite concern while holding a sleeping Dudley Dursley and in the other...
"JAMES?" Sirius cried in disbelife.
James nodded having the presence of mind to quickly hand Harry over to remus before Sirius predictably went Padfoot and jumped ontop of him licking his face all over.
After a few moments Padfoot was calm enough to return to his human form and talk, Arabella brought in a pot of tea and some biscuts for them.
"I just can't belive your really here! But...Lily...?" Sirius asked searching James's Hazel eyes with his own stormy greys.
James looked broken at the sound of her name, "She...She..."
Sirius put his head down, "Don't say it...I understand..."
He didn't thought, she had just been there, he'd seen here only two nights ago, so how could she be gone!
xxx
It took a while for everone's tears to dry up, afterwards there was a long streech of silence everyone lost in their own memories.
During this time everthing in the house had went silent even the clock seemed to be muted its ticking inaudiable, the house was morning too, in its own way.
Harry sat on the floor beside the twelve cats of Arabella's, Mr. Tibbles, Agatha, Marbles, Shoestring, Rosey, Baby, Snowball, Whiskers, Trouble, Ghost, Shadow, and Mrs. Lucy. All of which were sitting quitely eyes trained on the Adult Humans in the room.
Finally James spoke, "So you've been here with Harry? But I thought you said Petunia had him?"
Sirius sighed, "She did...I sort of, have been living there too..."
James arched an eyebrow, "How? She hates wizards."
"Um... Like... This?" he shifted to Padfoot and wagged his tail half heartedly.
James looked down at him apologetically, "I'm sorry you had to go through this, We're trying to find... Peter..."
Padfoot looked up surprised/Then...He's alive? I thought I.../
"Yes he's alive... As Wormtail, he's slipped down into the sewers, thats why we came..." James turned to Arabella, "We were actually hoping to borrow a few of your cats to help, You breed kneazles, don't you?"
"Kneazles Tabby half breeds yes, so your hoping they'd be willing to help find him?" Arabella said, looking back at her twelve cats.
"If possible yes." Said Jame plantively.
"Just a moment please." said Arabella, with that she strolled out calling to the Kneazle Cats "meeting in the kitchen."
Immediately all the cats followed. James and the other's all looked on in mute interest, Padfoot shifted back into Human form and sat down on the couch, and Harry toddled over to James wanting to be picked up again.
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November 2nd, 1981: The Burrow
Percy Weasley squeeled indignantly as one of his younger brothers tryied to grab Scabbers from him, "No! He's my Mouse! Get your own!"
Molly Weasley came over immediately, "What's all this then? Percy dear what's the matter?"
"Ron tried to take my mouse!" he said holding the large grey rat up in one small hand to his mother.
Molly took a involentary step back and put a hand over her heart, "Oh! Heavens Percy where did that rat come from!"
"I found him in the garden, His name's Scabbers! He really likes Strawberry Bertie botts beans, Can I keep him? please mum?" said the child quickly.
"I, Well, I suppose you could...it hasn't tryied to bite you has it?"
"Oh no mum, Scabbers is a really good mouse, he doesn't bite!" smiled the boy brightly.
"Well, Alright then... Come on Ronny, Mummy will get you some nummies to eat and then you can take a nice nap."
"No Nap!" Squeeled the two year old crankily, sobbing loudly as his mother carried him away. (1)
Percy smiled down at the rat, "Come on Scabbers! I have some more beans up in my room!"
With that the small five year old toddled up the stairs to his room, Wormtail or Scabbers now safly tucked away in the pocket of his Jumper.
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November 2nd, 1981: Number 6 Westria Walk
Arabella came back soon, only five of the Cats were following her, James and Remus looked up from where they'd been listening to their younger (But so much taller) explain about being Winston.
(James was still in fits about his stupid name.
Remus who'd actually took Muggle Studies, and knew who Sir Winston Churchill was, sat shaking his head at the thought of someone actually making the allusion that Sirius, of all people was anything like him, in brains or otherwise.
"Sort of rude naming your dog after on of the most famous, respected, men in history..." Remus had murmered.
"Huhn?" James had asked cluelessly, Sirius and Remus had both just sighed.)
"Well?" asked James.
"Agatha, Trouble, Mr. Tibbles, Shoestring, and Ghost have agreed to help the others refused on the grounds that they didn't want their fur to get wet." Arabella sighed exsaperatedly.
James and Remus nodded, Remus sighed, "That should do fine, thank you."
The five cats sat awaiting futher instruction, James however turned to Sirius, "Mate... I'm gonna have to ask a favor..."
Sirius nodded, "I think I know what it is but, go ahead."
"Could you stay as Winston a little longer? And keep an eye on Harry while we're gone?" James asked.
"I thought as much... Sure, I'll do it. But when you find that little rat!" he growled.
"We'll be handing him over to Moody and SB, so you aren't really thrown in Azkaban for murder." said James darkly.
"Fine!" seeming pouted Sirius shifting back into dog form and walking out into the kitchen.
"This is hard on him, out of all of us he was the closest to Peter, I know it seems I would have been more the type..." said Remus, he shook his head.
"When Peter first started hanging out with us, half-way through first year, Sirius was completely against it, up till then it had just been the three of us. He didn't really warm up to Peter till secound year, but when he did they hit it off famously... Peter was always the funnist out of us, And Sirius was the one who pulled off most of the pranks..." James trailed off.
xxx
Before another strech of silence could begain however, they were all left speechless as Dudley Dursley, awoken by one of the cats trailing their tails across his face, sneezed.
Now normally a baby sneezing is no big deal, however when Dudley sneezed it was quite a big deal! As the cat who had caused the allergy fit suddenly turned amost becoming shade of bright purple!
"Good God." breathed Remus.
James whistled.
Arabella simply scowled at the offending off-colored cat, "Let that be a lesson to you Mrs. Lucy, you shouldn't have woken that baby up! You can just stay that color for the day!"
the usually ginger colored cat hissed and ran off in a fit.
James reached down and picked the baby up putting him beside Harry on his lap, immediately Dudley started kicking at the smaller baby, Harry whimpered and tried to back away.
"Here now! Stop that." said James, shifting Dudley on his lap so his feet where away from Harry. "Be nice."
Dudley lookeded up cluelessly, frowning the boy tried to turn back around as to start kicking Harry again, James sighed, "Here Remus."
Remus reached out and took Dudley from James, "Well hello the old fellow, how are doing this evening? That was quite a prformance with the cat... A muggle born, who'd have thought it? That may well have been the first time he's used his magic..."
"That late already?" said James surprised looking at the sun which was quite a ways from the noon position, "We should get going..."
"Da." said Harry, the baby then got an annoyied look, "Mum-mmy!"
James eyes went wide, breath catching in his throat.
Slowly James looked down at the little boy on his lap, "No Harry... Mummy's not here anymore baby..."
The baby looked up at him frowning, tears threatening to come. James's heart broke all over again. Those were Lily's eyes looking up at him so sadly.
"James..." Remus said softly.
James willed himself with every last ounce of strangth he had not to cry and focus on something else but Lily.
"I can't do this Remmy...I can't leave him here... we're all we've got left..."
"It won't be for long James... We've got to find Peter, then, You can take Harry and go to your parent's place..." Remus said trying to comfert his distressed friend, "Sirius will take care of him until then, you know Padfoot will take care of him."
James remained silent for a moment, rubbing Harry's back soothingly, finaly he nodded, "Your right, it won't take long to find him if we hurry... I still can't belive any of this is real... Its, its like I'm dreaming..."
"I wish you really were Prongs..." said Remus sadly.
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James called Sirius in they'd hugged eachother goodbye and he'd thanked Arabella for everything, he and Remus had apperated away to London.
Upon arrival at the Explosion site James noticed that all five cats had followed, cats were funny like that, they truly were the most preculiar of magical animals...
xxx
Kingsley Shacklebolt hurried over to them, "James, Remus! I got those maps..." The older wizard smirked down at the light silver tabby who was currently rubbing against his leg, "I see you got the cats."
"Yeah, that one's Ghost, he's the only one who's name I can remember without Arabella around..." James smiled light heartedly, taking the maps from kingley.
"Your impossible Prongs..." sighed Remus, Kingsly nodded, chuckling.
"Why thank you. Shall we get started then?" smiled James turning away from the two.
"Most certainly, If you would be kind enough to explain your intensions to an old man."
"Oh Remmy quit it your not that old!" James scowled turning back to them.
"Ah, Prongs, that wasn't me said the young man, pointing.
James looked over and Froze, "Al-Albus! When'd you get here?"
The wise old headmaster smiled, "Just now, I arrived back at my office just a few moments ago to find both of you gone, Phineas Nigellus was kind enough to tell me you'd left."
"Snitch..." grumbled James, Dumbledore quirked a an eyebrow at the boy and smiled warmly.
James then groaned and begain to explain his theories.
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TBC
Okay That turned out to be a much longer chapter then I'd previously Anticipated. Sorry again for the long wait.
(Completely random thought: Ever notice in all those Dumbledore raises Harry stories they always write it as though Dumbledore lives at the school? Weird aye...)