Pop! The faint sound was almost lost in the wooded area where James had just apparate to. 'Great. Just what I needed. Rain.' He thought dully while taking in his surroundings, and indeed it was raining. Hard.The woodslooked just about the same as it always had. It was a bit more over grown then it used to be, but… With a sigh James started to make his way out of the woods, walking slightly faster then normal. There were sure to be more Aurors to come soon. But James couldn't bring himself to care. His thoughts were on his family. And how he had let them down.
He felt anger at himself for letting thoughts that Harry might be… Well he was angry for think the imposable. There was no way those pervious thoughts could have been true. And he never should have thought other whys. It was when he reached the edge of the woods that he finally realized that he was wearing wizard's robes. His best robes, as he looked at them closer. What the hell was going on? Pointing his wand at his clothes, he changed them to be a black shirt and blue jeans. Which were quickly becoming very wet. Then he walked fully out of the woods, but stopped at the sight that greeted him. The buildings were all in the same places, but this surly could not be his town. This could not be the town where he and Lily wanted to raise their son. The town that he apparated to was horrible. There was vandalism on each and ever building. All the cute little stores that Lily had gushed over were either out of business and completely run down, or turned into bars and Tattoo parlors. Walking further out of the woods, James saw something that yet again stopped him in his tracks. It was a Sign. A sign that read "Welcome to Godric's Hollow" in pealed gold writing, well if you could really read it through the graffiti that was covering the sign that's what it said.
James looked around in shock. 'What the hell had happened?' Not wanting to continue standing in the street, he started to make his way to where the library had been, hoping that it would still be there. To his surprise and relief, it was still standing there. Hurrying up the steppes, James took another look around him before entering. The library looked the same, yet different as well. Everything was still in the same place, but nothing was kept was nicely has it used to be. It suddenly accrued to him that there might not be anyone working here. Slowly, he made his way to where the desk was. Reaching it, he saw a women sitting there reading a book. Letting out a breath he didn't know he was hold and said,
"Excuse me. I was wondering if you could show me the town's old newspapers are. Ones from November to be exact." The woman was clearly shocked to hear his voice. It was evident from the way she jumped when he had spoke.
"Oh, hello," she said pleasantly. "I must say it has been a long time before anyone had come into here looking for a book or anything of the sort," she continued, completely missing the look on James face, which showed that he didn't give a damn about what she was talking about. "And somebody asking for old newspaper is very rare,"
"Ma'am, just show me the damn newspapers, and then leave me alone." James said, voice hard and cold. At the tone of his voice, the women stiffened.
"Right this way sir." And she got up and walked out from behind the desk. She led him to the back of the library, and through a door at the back. They were in large room with bookcases lining the walls and tables in the center. "These are all the old newspapers going back about thirty years. Each shelf is a different month. Each case a different year. When you are done, close the door behind you. Be sure to let me now when you are leaving." The Libran said in a very business like manner. Having said what she needed to, she turned and left James alone in the room.
James didn't not even wait for the Libran to leave before moving to find the November shelf. Finding it, James began to look at the years on the spines of the books. When he saw the right one, he pulled the book of the shelf. The book was a lot longer then books usually are, and he had to shift its weight to not drop it. He carried the book over to one of the table and sat down. He didn't open it right away. He wasn't really sure if he wanted to. This would tell him what had happened to his son. His baby boy. Did he really want to know? He had to.
It did not take long at all to find the date he was looking for. November 3rd. He looked through the paper slowly, hoping to find something, anything. If he was expecting to find the information he was looking for in a small article, he was wrong. There was a whole page dedicated to one story. The headline was "Mysterious Fire concerns Townspeople" and underneath was a picture of his house. And next to that picture was a picture of Lily, Harry and himself. He tried not to look at the picture, it hurt too much. The article read:
"The picture to the right is that of the late Mr. And Mrs. James and Lily Potter. A fire broke out in the young couple's house in the late hours of Halloween. A prank gone wrong, or is faulty wiring the cause of this devastating fire? Firemen are at a loss to the answers of these questions on everyone's mind. "As of yet we have been unable to find the cause to the fire. But rest assured, it is being looked into." As if the cause of the fire was not enough, there is a stranger still question. Why weren't their bodies burned? "Mr. and Mrs. Potter's bodies may not have been killed by the fire it's self. Smoke inhalation is more then likely what killed them." The town doctor stated. Whether this is true or not, we will never know as the families of the deceased, would not permit an utopist to be performed. If this story were not devastating as it were, there is yet another heart aching fact. The Potter's one year old son's remains were not uncovered from the scene, leading to the only explanation that he was taken by the fire."
He couldn't breath. They never found Harry's body. What could that monster have done to his son to not even leave his body? Thought raced through James mind as the realization of just what Voldemort could do to his son filled him. Leaning over, James vomited onto the floor, unable to stop himself. He was shaking like mad. His wife, gone. His son, gone. He had nothing else. No one else. But no. That was completely true.
And then, something clicked into James' mind. "Maybe after I kill your wife and son you will think differently. Yet, they are not all that you fight for are they? Or should I say all who you fight for. No, no I think it will be better to see after I have killed them all. Down to the ever last mudblood loving fool." Voldemort. James was nearly sick again as he realized what had happened. Some how, Voldemort made everyone think that he was dead. Then he killed Lily and did god only knows what to his baby boy. Without Harry, the wizarding world had no hope. There was no one to stop him. His mind flashed to the Godric's Hollow, and how the town had changed. Voldemort must have gotten through to the muggle world at last. Then something else flashed into his mind. Sirius and Remus. Surly they would be dead by now. Going by how long that old man said the mausoleum hadn't been opened, he had been "dead" for fourteen years. He could not imagine Sirius not doing something rash that could lead to him getting killed in the space of fourteen years. And the fact that no one remand to stop him made the thought that he was dead even stronger. And Remus, oh god, if they attacked him knowing he was a werewolf, it would be by no means hard to kill him. More and more people came to James head, and he could not think of a way anyone of them could have lived fourteen years into the war.
Something else seemed to click in his mind as well. It had been lingering in the back of his mind, but it was dismissed, as other things were more important. He had wondered why an Auror had come for something so minor as magic use in a muggle area? They had probably thought that there was an attack or something of the sort going on.
He couldn't take it anymore he had to get out of here. As he rose from his chair he thought, where the hell am I going to go? But his feet were already caring him out the door. He walked to the front of the library, walked pasted the Libran and headed back out into the rain. He was nearly soaked from walk to the library, so he didn't mind all that he was now completely soaked as he head toward his destination. He never even made this his destination; his feet just started carrying him to it. He just knew that he needed to see it.
When she arrived there, she immediately took in the place. Paige had not been in here since James and Lily's funeral. Which, in its self brought back some painful memories. Pushing the thoughts aside, she began to make her way toward a tomb that had been busted open. Reaching the tomb, Paige felt a very strong wave of anger flush through her. It was James' tomb. She couldn't bring herself to look inside. Walking toward the entrance, Paige saw cracks on the wall, and small amounts of what looked like blood. More anger was making its way to the surface. Who ever the hell was behind this was really making her pissed. After taking one final look around the mausoleum she made her way toward the main building, where she felt confident the other Aurors would be.
"Then we told him to drop his wand, but he didn't. So we said it again, and he started firing spells at us. When he came to, he was gone. And he had stunned that kid too." Paige heard someone say as she walked through the doorway, which was currently door less. Looking around she saw four Aurors. Three looking like their mother was scolding them, and the fourth looking way to smug with himself. Paige knew who all of them were. The three were Mahoney, Grisham and Higgins. Newbies really. Well to her, anyone who wasn't part of the first war was a newbie. But these three only started a year ago. And then there was Scrimgeour, the scolding mother herself. It took a lot of self-control not to groan at the sight of him. Him, she really, really hated.
"Mind replaying this story one more time for me?" Paige asked walking up to them. All four heads snapped to her.
"I am heading this investigation Summers. You are not needed here." Scrimgeour said curtly.
"Mahoney, Grisham, Higgins," Paige said, ignoring Scrimgeour. "What happened?" She said in a clam voice. They were quick to answer. After hearing their story she asked where the boy and old man were.
"In the back room. We kept them here incase someone needed to talk to them," Mahoney said showing Paige a door to the left. Moving to go and ask the boy and man some questions, she was stopped by Scrimgeour.
"There is not need to question them," he said through grit teeth. "This was just a grave robbing. That's all." Slowly she turned to look at him.
"I find that I don't really care if it was a grave robbing or not. But who ever did this, has pissed me off. Now if there's nothing else…" And she side stepped him and continued toward the door Mahoney had pointed to. Opening it she saw a teenager sitting with an old man. Both visible shaken. When they heard her enter, they both turned to look at her.
"Can I please go home? We didn't do anything. We just wanna go home." The boy said standing up. Paige smiled slightly to clam them somewhat.
"You will be brought home very soon, I promise you. But first I need to ask you some questions. Alright?" Paige said in a clam soft voice. When they both had nodded she started her questions. "What were some of the things he was talking about?" was the first question.
"Well, he asked me how long it had been since the mausoleum I found him, had been opened. He asked if any tombs had been taken out." The old man replied.
"He asked me to find a file on the Potter family. There it is. Right there. He dropped it." The boy said pointing to a file that lay on the floor. Paige turned and picked it up and started looking through it. "He went to the back. About the last page I'd say. Then he just kinda stared at it. Then he asked me where someone could find information on their deaths. I guessed he was talking bout them Potters. So I said in old town newspapers. And then those other guys came in, and I heard lots of noise and then he comes out sees he and he says, he says "thanks kid" and he pointed that stick thing he had at me and I feel asleep or something." The boy finished. Paige was silent, she was thinking.
"All right. I just have one more question to ask. Could you please tell me what he looked like?" Paige asked them.
"Oh, he was tall,"
"He had black hair,"
"It was really messy hair too,"
"He seemed to have a mussel kinda build,"
"And he had hazel eyes and wore glasses." They told her. After hearing their description, Paige just stood there for a moment. When she spoke again, she had to work to keep her voice clam.
"Thank you for every thing gentlemen. The men outside will bring you home shortly." She said. And then she turned and walked out of the room. The four others were still there, talking quietly. Walking over to them she said,
"Mahoney, Grisham and Higgins, place a memory charm on those two in there and take them home," at her words the three of them hurried into the room. "Scrimgeour," Paige said slowly turning to face him. "Tell me, if this was "just a grave robbing" then why did those two men just describe my old partner?" The anger in her voice was very, very clear.