(17) Farewell

James stood silently at a single grave, a bouquet of twenty-four Sterling roses in his arms. He sighed heavily as he knelt down & laid them over the stone. "Well, it's all over now," He began. "Dumbledore called us to his office yesterday. Sirius is officially free. We're all alive & well & Harry's got a great summer ahead of him. Let's see, what else. Oh yeah, Moony became a Professor at Hogwarts this past year. For the Dark Arts Defence. Guess what? Ol' Snivelus is a Professor there, too! For Potions. I nearly died when I found that one out."

James laughed a bit before going on. "Moony only stayed one year. He doesn't want to work with Snivelus. Who does. right? Harry—my son—wasn't too happy that Moony left. He said having Moony for a Professor was the best thing for his third year & having Sir Cardogan guarding Gryffindor Tower while the Fat Lady was being restored due to being ripped by Sirius leaving behind a stupid prank for Snivelus was the worst."

James stopped & looked around over his shoulders at the silent lonely cemetery. He looked back at the single grave in front of him. "I know it's been many years since I've come here. I've been really busy dealing with two Time zones. Long story. Tell you later. But now it's all merged into one again so ... yeah … anyway, I figured I should drop by & say hi."

James looked around again & saw an older woman coming up to him. He got to his feet. It took a moment but he suddenly recognized her. "Mrs. Pettigrew?"

She stared at him. "James? James Potter?"

"Yeah," James laughed sheepishly. "I thought I'd check up on Peter."

"I come here every year," Mrs. Pettigrew sighed. "He was all I ever had. I still don't know who killed him."

"It was quite a shock," James looked at the ground, feeling guilty. He knew exactly who killed Peter & why. But perhaps it was better to let the mother live in Peter's innocence. What if Peter had grown up & gone to the Dark side? Mrs. Pettigrew would still be devastated. Either way, working against Time itself, the woman was left stranded.

Mrs. Pettigrew laid another bouquet, this made of a mix of daffodils, carnations & green ferns, next to his own. "I like to pass through on his birthday."

"I wonder why he didn't become a ghost?" James suddenly blurted out. He glanced around, wondering if he could find a hole to crawl into & die. "I'm sorry. I ... I shouldn't have ..."

Mrs. Pettigrew laughed. "I've asked that question myself. Dumbledore said it's because he died quickly & innocently. He didn't have a care in the world & everything he needed, he had. There was nothing to tie him to this life."

"I see," James looked down at the stone. So that confirmed what he had always believed.

Mrs. Pettigrew put a hand on his shoulder. "Thanks for stopping by. It was good to see you again." James nodded to her as she left. They had only met once before when Peter had invited them all over for a couple days during sixth year. But they had switched to Remus's home in France due to a Full Moon coming up.

"That was your Mum. She says hi," James knelt down again. "Padfoot accidentally made a Horcrux out Moony's wand on your account. Dumbledore stabbed it with an old Basilisk fang yesterday, shattering the wand into millions of pieces. Moony's still grumbling about it. He's getting a new wand now. Oh yeah! They found Titanic! Remember when Remus mentioned back in school that he had family on that ship? Turns out he was right. He had no proof before now, not that we didn't believe him. But I mean, Sirius recently found some old pictures & even a letter of Moony's grandparents over in Cherbourg. Remus now has plenty of proof. So, yeah avoid him. He won't shut up about it for a while. Anyway," James sighed. "I really just wanted to say that the Marauders have finally finished their biggest prank ever. We're all ok now. I just wish that ... I wish we could have saved you, too."

He sat there silently for almost an hour. Where had everything gone so wrong so fast? James suddenly came to with a start. He had fallen asleep. Looking up, he saw Remus watching him. Lily was right behind him. "Oh I didn't mean to fall asleep out here!" James stood up fast. He noticed Sirius standing in the gate of the cemetery. Now that he was complete again, he carried memories of sheer hate for the man that had ruined everything. Sirius had never set foot in that cemetery again, saying he was now feeling to numb about it either way.

Remus held up his new wand. "It's Orion's, really," he explained. "Since they're all one person again, Sirius doesn't need two wands. He kept his original one. I get the mermaid scale."

James laughed. "It all works out, doesn't it?"

Remus looked down on the grave of their fallen pack-mate. "Not all of it."

"Come on," Lily put a hand on Remus's back. "I've made some supper. Let's go eat."

"Dad! Move it or I'll starve!" Harry called out, standing 'dead' center of the cemetery.

"Sounds good," James led the way.

Remus stretched his arms over his head. "I've been looking into things since Sirius gave me that envelope yesterday. There's some guy in America, James Cameron. He's been diving down there several times. He wants to make a movie of Titanic."

James put a boot up on a stone cross marking the final resting place of some random skeleton. He tightened the clasp. "Oh that's bloody brilliant, Moony."

They moved on towards the gate. "More pieces have been found," Remus went on. "Of Titanic I mean. I wonder what the movie will be like?"

"Well, not to give you a spoiler or anything but," James began. "Dude! The ship sinks!" Remus scowled as Lily tried hard not to laugh. "I'm just sayin—OOF!" James tripped over a flat headstone & went sprawling forward onto the next one. He swore loudly, earning a kick from Lily.

"WOW!" Remus stared downward as Sirius finally did enter the cemetery. He ran over & held a hand for James. Remus brushed off James's shoulders, then patted his back. "Nice trip! See you next fall!"

Sirius, Lily, Harry & Remus all but 'died' laughing. James groaned, picked up his glasses & marched through the gate.

The Potter family led the way as Sirius fell in step with the Wolf. "How's the new wand?"

"Working fine."

They walked in an awkward silence for several minutes. "Moony I—" Sirius began same time Remus said, "Padfoot, we sh—"

Sirius sighed. "Sorry, you first."

Remus hesitated before finishing, "I think we need to have a talk. About you."

"Please don't hate me again," Sirius whispered. He paled, hoping the Wolf didn't hear it.

But Remus had. "I don't hate you. But the fact is, you still killed Wormtail."

"If I didn't ..." Sirius let it hang.

"I know," Remus stopped in front of someone's yard, outlined in tulips & daffodils. "I know the full story now. But how does one react to something like that? In my mind, Peter was a good friend yet we know an alternate side to him. He would have slaughtered us all. Really Sirius, how does one react to something like that?"

"I don't know," Sirius said. "You all know what he would have done had I not killed him."

"Think of it from our point of view," Remus turned to him. "We never met that Peter. All we have is your word. It's just hard to accept."

They stood in silence, watching a pair of dumbledores fighting over the same daffodil. One finally buzzed off angrily to go into a tulip. "Look at it this way," Sirius began. "Your memory of Peter is not tarnished like mine. Think of him the way he was. Sweet. Innocent. Not of how he would have become. Traitor. Murderer. Death Eater."

"I do."

"Good," Sirius grabbed Remus's chin & forced eye contact, ignoring the golden flicker cross the Alpha werewolf's eyes. "but never ask me to visit his grave with you, please?" He was wise to turn it into a question.

"I won't."

The Canine Appeal stood staring at each other but seeing into the past for several minutes. Sirius leaned forward, rubbing his nose tip against his Alpha's. "I'm hungry. Race you!" He set off running.

"HEY! WHOA! HEY!" Remus spun on his heel & dashed after. "CHEATER!"

It was the end of the last year of peace. In Harry's fourth year, Voldemort rose again, his servant Barty Crouch Jr. by his side. A student was murdered & the Wizarding World was plunged into chaos which developed into all out war.

One pack-mate was lost a year later, sending the remaining Marauders, from the Alpha to the fawn, reeling with grief. So Time took the second Marauder once more.

Remus eventually found some solace in Nymphradora Tonks, a distant relative of Sirius & therefore James as well. Tonks had taken an interest in the stubborn werewolf & spent nearly a year chasing his sorry hide. She finally tricked him into a date, going to a muggle thing called a theatre for 'Titanic'. She had found a special preview of it in mid-June for the Wizarding World that a muggle-born witch had set up. Coming out she insisted the same idea Celine Dion sang about. Her heart would go on & on for Remus so he might as well shut up, suck up & marry her. So there! Remus had little choice but to oblige.

They came home from the theatre to tell the good news, only to be swept aside by the fantastic story that there had been murder in the ranks of the Hogwarts staff. The pair ended up having a quiet wedding that summer.

Instead of heading to school for Seventh Year with his little twin sisters (now in Fourth Year), Harry Potter … ... disappeared. So did his two friends, Ron & Hermione. Since the family owl herself had been killed earlier, James & Lily had no way of contacting Harry. They took off after their eldest son. There were sightings. Harry even saw Remus himself, but he didn't come home.

Remus returned to his pregnant wife one day to find the Stag in his own bed. James was unresponsive. Lily was dead. Remus stared at a spot on the opposite wall. Was he to lose everyone anyway, with or without Peter's help? He tossed his cloak & shirt aside & slipped under the covers next to the despairing Stag. James stared at a spot on the werewolf's breastbone where a deep old scar ran over the ridge of bone & crossing up towards the opposite shoulder. With one finger, James traced that scar & then another, trying not to think. His Doe was dead. Why was he even bothering to live?

So Time took the Marauder's wife once more.

Despite that fact, Harry Potter did not return. Did he even know his mother was dead? What the hell was he doing out there?

Remus joined an underground movement at the castle of horrors. With Snape in command, Hogwarts was more of a torture prison than old Azkaban was. Posing as Romulus (the name of a stillborn Siamese twin brother he had never mentioned), he kept an eye out for the wayward fawn.

Suddenly the message spread. Lightening had struck Hogwarts. It could only mean one thing.

Remus grabbed Harry the moment he entered the room & held on tight. "Harry ... your mother ..."

"I already know," Harry said. "How's Dad?"

"He has yet to speak," Remus hung his head. "It's been months."

"Dad's a shock-mute?"

"I'm doing everything I can," Remus sighed.

"I hate this," Harry shook his head. "It has to end soon. Voldemort's coming here."

"Once this mess is sorted, we'll take care of your Dad," Remus said.

Harry only stared at his Alpha. Sirius had once spoken of being a real family once the whole mess was taken care of. Sirius died. Harry nodded mutely, moving forward to his old Dumbledore's Army. His two sisters were there as well; being in Second Year when he had started the D.A., they had demanded to join. Harry was against it. Too young. They didn't care & after a torture session with Umbridge's blood quill on both of them, Harry had allowed them to join.

Harry's gut feeling was right. During the first half of a devastating battle on the grounds of Hogwarts itself, he lost several friends & family. Not only Remus but also Tonks was down.

So Time took the third Marauder & his wife also.

Ron also suffered loss. So did the Hogwarts staff. Then at the top of the dais, Harry saw a great Stag. It transformed right there; though, considering how every last head was bowed in grief & all eyes around him were blocked with tears, it was unlikely anyone noticed an Unregistered Animagus walking among them. "Dad ..."

James headed straight for his son. "Harold! I ought to—" He suddenly noticed who Harry was standing next to. "... ... ... Moony?"

"You're speaking again," Harry said, pulling his father back. "That's good." He wondered if he spoke to soon, for James was staring—silently—at his fallen Wolf with his mate lying right next to him. "Dad."

"I had to see you," James whispered. He was silent again.

Harry noticed his two sisters standing on one side, looking as if they were ready to run over. He shook his head. Edwina, who inherited Lily's green eyes, grabbed her sister's hand. Cordelia put a hand to her mouth. She had the eyes of the Stag. It was the only difference between the girls. Cordelia couldn't move. Her father was here. Neither of them could believe it. Having an idea of the horror he had to do, Harry shook James, trying to turn him away from Remus & Tonks. "Dad? Dad!" James finally looked at him. "Take care of them," Harry pointed to the twins. "You must promise me that. Take care of them!"

James looked over his shoulder at the girls, both with hair that was a dark red, in-between what Lily had & the black that he had. "With your help," James smiled at them, sad & forlorn, but smile he did.

"Oui (Yes)," Harry promised, unable to bear telling his father exactly how he was going to help. He left that place & went up to Dumbledore's office. To the Pensieve. Afterwards, he wished he hadn't. Snape's memories not only confirmed what Harry already knew about himself, but also offered a very different view of the man he had so hated all these years. Harry found Hermione & Ron, still trying to wrap his mind around those Pensieve memories. He had to tell them at least.

Harry had to die. He left, heading into the Dark Forest. Using the Stone in the Snitch, he summoned a group of Phantoms. Sirius. Remus. Lily. He had to be sure. They spoke with him for a short time before fading away. Harry was in the process of dropping the Stone but noticed one more figure walking towards him. Severus Snape. He didn't speak, only looked Harry over. Then he smiled ever so softly & vanished. Harry sighed & moved forward.

Harry didn't know but he was repeating the Plan Of The Stag. He suddenly found himself in limbo with an old friend. Time laid claim to the last-standing Marauder's first fawn, but didn't keep him. Not yet. Next thing Harry knew, the mother of his second-worst enemy was suddenly covering for him.

Standing behind in the doorway, James watched the procession coming across the great stone bridge. He could dimly see Hagrid carrying something. Suddenly word spread through the crowd in the courtyard.

Harry Potter was dead.

James quickly turned away & transformed. Using his antlers, he herded his twins inside, both of which were crying for their brother. For some reason, James didn't feel grief or worry. He knew Harry had the Cloak. He knew Harry had the Snitch because of Dumbledore's will & therefore the Stone.

The Elder Wand.

Please! Merlin! Let him control the Elder Wand.

Lowering his forty-point spread threateningly, Prongs shoved the girls further inside the castle, away from their brother. Keeping his body in their way, he pricked his ears forward, listening. Only as Prongs could he hear so well.

Pandemonium broke loose outside. Another battle had ensued. Harry Potter himself suddenly ran by. "Prongs, get those girls out of here. Now!" he continued running without a backwards glance.

Prongs tossed his head, grinning. Once more the Deathly Hallows belonged to their rightful bloodlines. He knelt down, allowing the twins to climb on & then tried not to bound too much as he ran, carrying them away to safety.

Harry Potter soon ended the Second War as he had ended the First War. This time though, without Horcruxes, the Dark Lord was gone for good.

James found himself sitting on a lawn chair with white streamers floating above him. Flower petals lay everywhere as Harry & Ginny said their vows. James relived his own wedding with Lily. From that moment on, James began to fade inside. War over. His fawns safe.

But his pack was destroyed & his Doe was dead.

With the fawns growing up & making their own families, James felt he was no longer needed & after a short Time, when Ginny was pregnant with her first child, he lay down one last time, never to get up again.

Time had healed its tampered wounds, claiming the Marauders once more. Time—Death itself—embraced the fourth Marauder & released him from his misery.

Prongs was gone to join his Doe.

~The end

(AN: About Snape. Harry had four Phantoms with him but since James was still alive I decided to use Snape, due to their new-found respect for each other plus Snape's attraction to Lily. I'm honestly surprised he wasn't there in the books/movies.

Titanic actually had an early preview but in July for muggles. I put a magical one in June to suit the timing of this chapter.)