"So, Harry," James, said breathlessly as the marauders ran into the room of the shrieking shack where Harry was. "You don't happen to be interested in Quidditch, do you?"
Harry's face brightened immediately. "Of course I like Quidditch! How can anyone not like Quidditch?" This time he looked nonplussed.
James laughed. "In that case, I'm sure we'll get along just fine."
Sirius and James sat on either side of him, and they had a long agreeable discussion on how great Quidditch was.
"We should sneak Harry out and let him have a little fun on the quidditch field." Sirius replied.
"No way, are you thick? There would be teachers watching without a doubt, we'll get caught for sure." Harry said.
"Oh, come on, don't be such a wuss." Sirius commented.
"I'm not being a wuss."
"Are to."
"Are not."
"Are to."
"Are not."
"Please stop that," Remus muttered.
"Are to."
"Are not."
"Please," Remus asked again pointlessly.
"Are to."
"Are not."
"That's enough." By now, Remus was getting fairly irritated.
"Are to –"
"STOP!" Remus yelled.
"We'll just do it when everybody else is at dinner, no problem." James replied.
"If anything happens, you can always transform to your animigi form and head off into the woods until we come and get you when the close is clear." Remus replied.
Later that night, James appeared from inside, grumbling about indecent respect towards the brooms.
Harry shrugged away the apology, mounted and kicked off. Instantly all his problems about being caught were swept away as the sheer joy of flight overcame him. He felt immensely happy and free.
In the distance, Harry noticed two small, black dots leaping from the castle steps. Figuring it was Remus and Peter chasing after them, he sped towards the castle with the intention of giving them a lift.
"Hey!" he yelled.
Harry met them at the bottom of the steps, looking slightly bemused. He grinned at him.
"Want a lift?" he asked him.
"Are you kidding? Those things are dangerous." Remus said rolling his eyes. "Yea, I'll pass." Peter replied.
"Well, we don't have all day we have a game to play" Sirius interjected in a casual voice. He was actually going to play a game with his Godfather and Father; he couldn't help but feel slightly saddened at this. He shrugged those thoughts away as he flew to the quidditch stadium.
He looped around the stadium a few times, testing out his temporary broom finding it less extravagate than his firebolt back home. He pulled up from a few dangerous dives flying next to James and Sirius that were starring at him with an expression of awe.
"Wow, who taught you that?" James asked him.
"Nobody really, I catch on quick on being a seeker." James face immediately turned into a huge grin after Harry's comment.
"How are we going to play?" Harry questioned as he looked between the two of them. He had done the math; there was one seeker, one beater (He assumed Sirius was a beater judging by the bat he held in his hands) and another seeker. They were only missing a keeper and two more chasers.
"I am going to play Seeker against you Harry" James answered promptly with a smile on his features, the impressed expression still evident on his face.
"While I, protect you two from a bludger" Sirius added.
"Bludgers? You're sure that's safe?" Harry asked skeptically remembering his second year encounter with the bludger, though that bludger was bewitched to take off his head from the beginning.
"You don't have to worry, he's played against more than two bludgers before" James commented glancing over at Sirius with a far away expression of someone remembering something that happened long ago.
"There will be only one bludger," Sirius added.
"Alright" Harry said. With that the three of them flew lower to the ground floating barely touching the grass.
"I'll set the snitch loose, as soon as it's loose the game has began, the bludger will be momentarily joining you so watch your heads and limbs gentlemen, seekers shake hands" Sirius said all professionally sounding almost like Madame Hooch.
Harry shook James hand that smiled at him. Sirius approached the crate taking a hold of the golden snitch, he placed two fingers in his mouth whistling as he released the snitch from his hand and released the bludger mounting his broom with his bat at his side.
Harry pulled up into the air his mind focused on the hunt for the snitch now. The cool winds pressed against him as he looked determinedly through the sky. He could hear the sound of another flyer right behind him; he turned slightly finding his father right behind him smiling most characteristically. Harry grinned this is something all right. He pulled up even higher in the air feeling the elation and excitement grasping him. His eyes scanned the field for the sparkling little snitch.
"HEADS UP!"
Harry turned slightly, Sirius pulled into a dive right in front of him hitting the bludger away and swerving gracefully away from him, winking before doing so. Harry chuckled inwardly cracking a smile. He watched Sirius for a moment as he chased after the bludgers battling them out. There was a sense of determination on his face along with a reckless grin the same one he had come to know; the same one that he greeted him when he arrived to the department of mysterious.
"OI!" He felt a bludger pass over his head.
"Come on now Harry!" his father called grinning. Harry snapped out of his thoughts and began his hunt for the snitch once more. All threw the game his father and him tailed one another while trying to catch the snitch. Each time one of them saw the snitch; both sped towards it and dove for it. For the first part the game was even Harry caught the snitch, making both James and Sirius grin with pride.
And there it was, they were up tied three on three. Just one more catch and Harry would prove to his father of his quiditch abilities (which James was already aware of). They faced each other, brows dripping with perspiration; their shirts clung to their bodies with sweat stains. Harry Grinned clutching the handle of his broom, as James smirked most mischievously.
Sirius looked at the two of them holding the snitch tightly. He let it go after his three finger signal and all of them were off; Sirius off to fight against the bludgers protecting his future sixteen year old Godson and blood brother that he wasn't aware of.
Harry pulled up high the winds pressing against him as he scanned the field with pure determination, looking for that golden sparkle. He needed to find it. This was his way of proving it. It was all up to this last game now. And there it was! He had spotted just at the other side of the field lolling about in the middle hoop. He quickly pulled with full speed a head, his borrowed broom not being as close to his firebolt when it came to smooth speed.
And there out of nowhere popped James that was just behind him next to him speeding towards the snitch as well. He threw a glance at Harry, as they both competed against each other for the snitch. Harry urging his broom on under his breath. Forty yards, fifty yards, sixty yards,
Seventy yards, the hoops growing rapidly near, his hands tightly clutching the handle of the broom.
Eighty yards
Just right next to him, his glasses pressed against his face glimmering in the half moon.
Ninety yards
Just so he prove himself to them, both of them, the hoop was large
100 yards
The snitch with its agility twisted and turned downwards. Harry pulled into a dive his father as well. He stretched out his right hand, if he could just get it Come on! Come on! He gritted his teeth clutching the handle with his left, feeling the pressure of the speed affecting his hearing abilities. Almost there
50 feet
almost got it
30 feet
just a little bit more
And he pulled out of his dive a little too late, having rolled to the ground on his back, clutching something in his hand. Both James and Sirius flew down hurriedly, and landed next to Harry. James kneeled down next to him looking concerned. Harry got up half way grinning.
"Yeah" he answered still clutching the snitch. James broke into a grin.
"You're airborne petal! Airborne!" Sirius interjected clapping him on the back proudly.
Harry brushed off the grass from his back still clutching the snitch in his hand. It was wiggling around trying it's hardest to escape his grasp. He snapped himself out his thoughts looking up at his Dad and Godfather that were still smiling.
"Come on, let's get something to drink at hogsmeade." Sirius suggested while shaking the black strands out of his face. "Don't worry, nobody will know you there, we'll just say you and James are cousins or something like that." Sirius replied after seeing the worry look on Harry's face.
"He could pass as you're twin James." Remus was saying to him. It was late at night now and the marauders were in their dorm room in the Gryffindor tower except for Peter whom said he had to go visit his sick grandmother for the week.
"He has to be your son, I mean you were there, you saw how he flew, like it wasn't a big deal!" Sirius interjected as James shrugged his shoulders. "Then why didn't I give him the diary? Why was it Remus whom did? I can't be his father, I mean, he worries to much, he's too careful like Remus over here." James said as Remus rolled his eyes at him.
"Do you know anybody else whom wears glasses and has black hair like you? That could be his Father Prongs?" Remus asked him.
"He could have died his hair! It could be blonde for all we know." James exclaimed. "Are you trying to say that he's my son?" Remus asked eyebrows rose. "He has all you're personality traits!" James accused.
"Except the flying part Prongs." Sirius concluded.
"His eyes though, their green." Remus said in thought. "Eye contacts." James exclaimed.
"Come on James, give me a break! Eye contacts and dyed hair?" Remus said to him frustrated while Sirius was cracking up with laughter.
"Hey I just thought of something! Lily has green eyes doesn't she? Maybe she's Harry's mother!" Sirius proclaimed as James frowned in thought.
"So that has to prove something, I mean, Harry looks like James and has Lily's eyes, therefore becoming Harry's parents." Remus concluded.
The next morning, much to Sirius's annoyance the marauders woke early than anybody else that morning and went to talk to Harry at the shrieking shack. There was just something missing to this puzzle of Harry's life.
"You're really aren't fine" Remus stated to Harry when he woke up sadden at first then quickly covered it up. Harry looked up at them the visions before him drifting to the back his mind. His face was blank, there was no present "gold wining" smile that he usually flashed, at that moment he looked older, older than he was.
"I know there's something bothering you and I am quiet sure I know what it is, and its rather murdering me not being able to know especially if it is what I am thinking" Remus vented his frustration his bluish brown eyes shining with such a passion, the same as Harry's. It frustrated him not being able to help him, watching him and his melancholy state, seeming partially dead once he remembered what it seemed to be things of the future.
"I wish you could just tell me, and sod this buggering 'change of time' hogwash" James snapped a bit letting out a deep sigh. Harry starred blankly, he wasn't quiet sure how to respond. Of course, he would be more than willing to rant on and warn them. But even though he wanted this, he couldn't.
"It's fine" Remus answered with a weak smile. He gripped Harry's shoulder in reassurance, pushing back his own feelings. He couldn't do anything at the moment and he knew that. Harry sighed exasperatedly. There wasn't anything he could do.
"He's really hurting," Sirius, stated, his gray orbs sharply on James. "He is, and it's bloody killing me not being able to do anything" James answered, frustrated, pained. Sirius sighed along with his friends as they headed back into the school.
"Anyway, he's here now and that's what really counts" Sirius smiled warmly his eyes glistening. James turned to him, smiling weakly.
"I suppose you're right" He answered him.
"Bloody well am" he winked ruffling James hair affectionately. James pulled away grinning as he glanced at his watch.
"We're going to miss breakfast." James replied.
"Remus, why don't you bring him some food and have a talk with him after class, he listens to you more." Sirius replied.
"That's not true, he listens to all of us." Remus exclaimed. "Yea, but, he seems more attach to you than us, as if you're his only life line or something." James replied as they headed to the great hall.
"For our sakes I do hope so." Remus replied than turned looking up at the sun setting sky, gazing out at the colors of orange and yellow blended in with the pure red sparkles that stained the sky almost in an un-healthy manner.