The pain in his scar started lessening as Harry became aware that someone was half carrying, half dragging him back up to the castle. He was also becoming aware of the whispering that seemed to be all around him.
"Oy! Bugger off! The whole lot of you!" Harry heard Ron yell. Judging by how close Ron sounded when he yelled, Harry assumed that Ron was the one carrying him."Ron!" Harry heard Hermione say from his other side. "You're a Prefect! Yes they should go away, but you should use," but she was cut off by Ron.
"Yeah, that's right. I'm a Prefect! So you lot better listen to me!" Ron yelled again. The whispering started to lessen around them as the continued their way. Harry moaned slightly, the pain was still there but not so bad that he couldn't walk on his own steam. As he tried to stand up right he heard Hermione say,
"I think it would be better to let Ron carry you Harry. That way people wont think your just skipping class. They'll think you're really hurt or sick."
"Yeah mate," Ron said stopping so he could get a better grip on Harry. Once he had one he continued walking. "Good thing you never eat the fourth helpings mum's always giving you. You'd be a hell of a lot harder to carry."
"You call this carrying?" Harry asked dryly as they came to the steps. "Stop. No really Ron, stop. You'll drop me down the stairs. Let me lean on you or something. Though at this moment I'm really finding it hard to care what the damn student body things about me." Harry said as they began there way up the steps to the Entrance Hall, Harry leaning on Ron for support. Ignoring Harry's comment Hermione asked,
"It was your scar Harry?"
"Yeah." Harry answered, running a hand over his scar. His scar had been bothering him over the summer yes, but nothing like this. Over the summer it had just been enough pain to know that something was wrong. But this, and the pain he felt in Umbridge's detention, were no paper cuts.
"So to Dumbledore's office then?" Ron asked as they stopped in the Entrance Hall to figure out where to go. Harry opened his mouth to protest but Hermione spoke before him.
"Look Harry, despite what you may think, I think Dumbledore would want to hear this. Your scar as hurt you, really hurt you, twice in, what, the past three days? I really think we should go to Dumbledore."
"No. I'm fine. I can't even really feel it any more. There's no point." Harry said.
"Well, maybe…nah, forget it." Ron said rubbing the back of his head his a hand and scrunching up his face as though in deep thought.
"What?" Harry asked him.
"Well, maybe… well Dumbledore's head of the order. So he's gotta have a way to get in contact with them. Maybe you could ask if you could talk to Sirius. I mean you told him about the first time your scar hurt you…"Ron trailed off. Both Harry and Hermione stared at him. "It was just an idea." Ron said glumly.
"A bloody brilliant idea!" Harry said, eyes brightening. Ron was right. Dumbledore had to be able to contact Grimmauld Place. Harry would just have to come up with a reason to get Dumbledore to let him speak with Sirius. Hermione seemed to be thinking along the same lines.
"But, wont Dumbledore wonder what's so important that you have to say to Sirius that you can't say to him?" She asked timidly.
"I'll come up with something. Start thinking of all the sweets in Honeydukes." Harry said as he started to make his way over to the marble staircase.
"What? Why?" Ron asked, walking in stride with Harry.
"Dumbledore's password is always a sweet." Harry said as they started up the steps.
"Oh, well you see, er, we, me and Hermione, already know the password." Ron said not meeting Harry's eyes as Harry turned round to look at him.
"All the prefects do." Hermione said softly, once again on Harry's other side. "He gives it out at the prefect meeting so that if there's any problems we can go to him."
"Oh," Was all Harry was able to say. "Right, well then we better start thinking of what the hell I'm gonna tell Dumbledore." He said.
After Remus had cleaned up Sirius' bloody noise they all sat back down at the table. Each lost in their thoughts. Over the years, there were so many things that Remus found himself wishing that he had told James and Lily. Things he wanted them to know, things he felt they had to know. And now that James was here, sitting in front of him, he couldn't think of anything to say.
"Moony became a professor," was the statement that broke the silence. James and Remus both turned and looked at Sirius who, after feeling their gaze on him, looked up. He smiled then looked at James and said, "Can you believe that? A Marauder worked along side Minnie," before emitting his bark like laugh. James shot a quizzical look at Remus, a smile creping on to his face, and then he too started laughing. After looking once more at Sirius, and once more at James, Remus found himself laughing to.
"You owe me 10 Galleons Padfoot." James managed to get out through his laughter.
"What?" Sirius said, his laughter fading to just a chuckle or two. Owing people money was not something Sirius liked to do because it meant one of two things. One, that he had to borrow money from someone, which he hated doing, or that he lost a bet, and he hated losing bets.
"I bet you in sixth year that Moony would be come a professor. And you have just informed me of my winning." James said smiling. Sirius gaped at him.
"Bloody hell I forgot about that." He said before laughing again.
"And when was I going to be clued into this bet?" Remus said looking between the two of his friends.
"You weren't gonna know unless I won. Didn't want you to be pressured into whether or not you would do it. Had to be your own choice." James said.
"Oh gee thanks," Remus said dryly, but he too smiled with his friends. Sirius opened his mouth to speak but stopped. And it was very clear what stopped him. A snowy white owl and just flown into the kitchen from the chimney, a letter tied to her leg.
"Hedwig," Remus said as the owl flew over to where Sirius sat. She landed on the table, held out her leg for him to untie the letter and hooted softly.
"She kinda looks like Midnight." James said looking at the owl as Sirius pet her while he read the letter. Midnight was James' owl when he was at Hogwarts. She was snowy white, just like this owl. James and Sirius thought that it would be hilarious to name a snowy white owl a name that was so common for a black owl. They called it "making an unoriginal name original". Remus rolled his eyes at the mention of Midnight, but kept looking at Sirius to see how to handle this situation. Should they tell James that the owl belongs Harry? After reading the letter over a few times Sirius looked up at Remus and then looked at James.
"Uh, yeah, she does. That's what I thought when I first saw her." He said in to James in answer to Hedwig's resemblance to Midnight. "I gotta go up stairs for a second. Why don't you tell Prongs all about your career as a professor Moony." Sirius said while standing, letter clutched in his hand.
"Everything alright?" Remus asked, hoping that the letter from Harry was just one saying hi. But the reaction he was getting from Sirius said other whys.
"Yeah," Sirius said nodding. "Just gotta talk to Dumbledore for a second." And with that he walked out of the kitchen. James stared after Sirius for a moment then turned to Remus and said,
"So did ya make me proud and give all the Slytherins lots of detentions?" James asked, eyes glinting with mischief. Remus chuckled and said,
"Only if they deserved it." James' face fell upon learning that Remus had not continued making the lives of Slytherins hell. But then a thought came to his mind that brightened his face right back up.
"Did you teach Harry?" He asked excited.
"I did. For only a year, then I had to leave." Remus said. At seeing James face, Remus went into some details about what James' son had learned that year, and, what Remus had learned that year about James' son.
Both knew that there was something that had to be discussed between them, but for now, both parties were happy just to sit and talk about Harry.
"He says that his scar hurt him while he had detention with her. Got that?" Sirius said to his great-great-grandfather.
"Yes, yes. Potter got a headache while with the mean new teacher. Anything else?" Phineas Nigellus asked in a clearly bored voice.
"Yeah," Sirius said. "Tell him that James knows now. And that I want to tell Harry as soon as possible." Phineas nodded his head curtly before he walked out of his frame to give Sirius' message to Dumbledore. Sirius leaned his back against the bare wall next to Phineas' frame, let his head hit the wall with a soft thud, and closed his eyes.
It couldn't all be happening. It just couldn't. James can't really be sitting downstairs talking to Remus. Harry can't no longer be an orphan. Remus and himself can't no longer be alone. He can't no longer be…
Sirius' eyes snapped open. James was alive…when the wizarding world found out about James, when the Ministry found out more over… James could testify for him! He would be free! But, before the thought had even finished running through his mind, Sirius realized that with a testimony from James, at most he would just get a trial. If he was lucky.
He was charged for the murder of 12 innocent Muggles and the murder of Wormtail along with his charge of giving Lily and James over to Voldemort. But, instead of listing that long list of charges over and over again, he was simply wanted because he was a "death eater". The Ministry would still want his head; they would just bring the price on his head down a little, as the charge list got slightly shorter. Without Peter, the charge of a murder would remain. Even if they listened and, by some miracle believed that Peter was the death eater, eyewitness said that Sirius held the wand that did the killing. And while an Auror could kill a death eater, killing Muggles was frowned upon. Big time. Sirius closed his eyes again with a sigh. It was a nice thought though.
Harry, Ron and Hermione stood outside Dumbledore's office for a moment, just staring at the door. Then Harry reached out grasped the griffin knocker and knocked.
"Enter." Said a voice from inside. Harry opened the door but stood to the side to let Ron and Hermione go into the office first.
"Ah, Mr. Weasley, Miss Granger and Mr. Potter. What can I do for you?" Dumbledore asked from behind his desk.
"Hello Professor," Hermione said. Followed shortly after by greeting from Ron and Harry. Harry took notice that Dumbledore seem to only be looking at Ron and Hermione over his half moon glasses. When he realized that no one was speaking Harry cleared his throat.
"Um, Sir? I was wondering if, well I was wondering if there was a way for me to talk to Sirius?" Harry asked, thinking that it would be best to get straight to the point then to beat around the bush. At Harry's words, Dumbledore looked down at his desk and began looking over some of the parchment that covered it. This hit a nerve with Harry. It seemed as though his thoughts about Dumbledore not giving a damn about anything to do with him but his scar seemed to be true. Why else would he act in such a manner of blatant disregard?
"Why is it that this request could not wait until the end of your Care of Magical Creatures class?" Dumbledore asked as he picked up his quill and started to write something on one of the pieces of parchment before him. His tone was not one as though he was angry with them, merely curious, which relieved the three students standing before his desk.
"We didn't want to disturbed you while you were with someone, so we thought that during classes you wouldn't be busy." Harry said. It was a bullshit reason and they knew that Dumbledore would see through it. The only truth in it was that they knew that Umbridge had a class and would be too busy brainwashing them to be harassing Dumbledore.
"I see." Was Dumbledore's reply. "And what is it that you wish to discuss with Sirius?"
"I, I want to, to talk to him about," the reason Harry had come up with on the walk to the headmasters office had flown from his mind and he was desperately trying to think of a reason. Then one came to him. "I want to talk to him about what happened in June." Harry said. Both Ron and Hermione looked at him. Dumbledore stopped writing and held his quill still for a moment. But only for a moment. Then he carried on writing.
"What about what happened in June Harry?" Dumbledore asked, as he stopped writing on the piece on parchment only to start writing on another.
"I've been having these weird dreams about it. About my mum and dad. And, I really need to talk to him about it." Harry said. Once again, what was supposed to be a lie, ended up becoming something close to the truth. Weird dreams, yeah, needing to talk to someone about them, not so much. Dumbledore stopped writing, put his quill down, and for the first time since last June, gazed at Harry.
"We will see." He said after a moment bringing his gaze back to the parchment before him. Harry gaped at him. This was not what he had expected. The answer Dumbledore had just given him was the kind that meant, "I'll think about it and its most likely not going to happen." How could Dumbledore do this to him? The more Harry thought about it the more angry he got. He wanted to talk to Sirius and Dumbledore wasn't going to allow it?
"Dinner will be severed soon. Perhaps it would be best for you three to head down now." Dumbledore said, the tone in his voice showing that it was time for them to leave. Filled with anger at the headmaster, Harry walked briskly out of the office. And with a quick,
"Thank you for your time Professor," from Hermione, she and Ron followed after him.
Once they had left, Dumbledore sighed. He hated having to be like that to Harry. But it was necessary. He could not tell the boy out right, "Of course you may speak with your Godfather. I'll start making arrangements as soon as you leave." A plan to get Harry into his office without causing suspicion was already forming in his head. It had been forming while Harry and his friends were still in his office. And for it to work, Harry had to be out of the loop of what was going on. Everything had to be believable.
Then Dumbledore's thoughts turned to what Harry had said he needed to talk to Sirius about. "I've been having these weird dreams about it. About my mum and dad." It could not be possible that Harry could have any clue about James be alive. And a light smile came on to Dumbledore's aged face at the thought of the irony of it all. Just before Harry had entered his office he had heard news from Sirius that he wanted to tell Harry about James, then, who should walk in asking to talk to Sirius about his father.
"Phineas, I am going to need you to give another message to Sirius."
His son could cast a Patronus; a corporeal Patronus at that, strong enough to drive away a hundred dementors at the age of thirteen. James' mind was reeling. He had not learned how to cast one until he was in Auror training, at the age of eighteen.
"What shape does it take?" James asked in an awed sort of voice, once he was able to find his voice that is. Remus chuckled.
"I'll let you find that out from him." He said.
"And when the hell will that be? I want to see my son now!" James said. Remus had been filling him in on Harry and his want, no, need, for his son was intensifying.
"Well you'll have to wait a day or two." Sirius said walking back into the kitchen and sitting down. "Dumbledore has a plan to get Harry into his office where I will be able to tell him about you. And then, once Harry finds his head, cause I'm sure that he'll lose it, you'll be able to see him."
" Why should I have to wait? Why don't I go with you?" James asked. A day was a long time, and what did Sirius mean Harry would loss his head? Sirius and Remus shared a look then Remus spoke.
"James, you have to understand that for the past fifteen years, Harry's been an orphan. People don't just wake up one day, find out that they're not orphans anymore and say, "Alright bring on my parent that's been absent for almost my whole life." It just doesn't work like that. Harry is going to need time to adjust." Remus said calmly. And, though he hated it, James had to admit that Remus had a point. As usual.
"I know, but…you guys don't get it. I lost, thought I lost, him and Lily. And I need to see him cause I feel like he's the thread that's keeping me from losing it. I need to see him. I need to see Lily's eyes again." He said running a hand through his hair, staring absently at the table in front of him.
"Dumbledore's gonna get Harry into his office tomorrow. I'll tell him then. By nightfall the soonest, then next day the most, I'm sure Harry will be ready to see you." Sirius said to James, watching his best friend closely. James just nodded his head, still staring at the table.
"I'll see him tomorrow. I'll see him tomorrow." Was the thought that seemed to be playing on a broken record in James' head.
A.N- Whoa, you guys gave me 27 reviews for that one. Thanks a whole big bunches! Alright now just a few things. 1) Alright, to clear everything up, the only events that I have changed is what happened on Halloween back in the day, and what happened on Halloween in the present. Everything remains the same. Harry is in his fifth year now. 2) Now this is only for one person who really upset me but…Spelling is my weakest point. There is no way in the world that I'm going to hide that. Because of that, I use spell check like crazy, but, I still make mistakes as spell checks doesn't pick up homonyms and things like that. And I, yes I do ask for all kind of reviews, because its from you guys telling me that I made mistakes that I reread the chapter again. But really, I cannot find the need for someone to say I'm a bad speller a nasty manner. In some reviews people have said, there was some spelling mistakes, or something along those lines and that was it. I really can't tell you how happy I was when I heard Dr. Evil tell me that I have freak'n mail, and then find someone telling me "spell check would be a good idea." I can take criticism, but not was it's given to me in a nasty manner. And if you didn't mean it in that way, then I'm sorry I took it that way.
I really sorry for all the people who are so sweet to me that you had to read that, but, its really been bothering me. Once again sorry, just had to get that out. But, now it's out of my system and I'm over it.
So please make me smile and hit that button down there.
Oh, and P.S- Harry's gonna find out about James in the next chapter so either in the next chapter, or the one after it, you'll probably find a meeting that I think every one has been waiting for.