Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter and I'm not a successful woman from Edinburgh that gave birth to…what was it? 3 children? Neither will I ever be unless somehow mother nature lost her mind.
Chapter eight: Midnight walks
"Don't let him go!" A voice shouted
James was running as much as he could. Hundreds of masked men were after him shooting curses and jinxes. James could duck many of them but many cutting curses still hit him. Fortunately he avoided the stunning spells.
"Get him!" a rasp voice boomed from all around the forest. This made James stumble and trip on a twig. He fell with his face on the ground, his hand under his chest. As he tried to rise he discovered he had dislocated his hand. Swearing he tried to stand up and discovered he was already surrounded. Sirius Black, the Dark Lord's right hand man, pointed his wand at him.
"I've been waiting for this for a long time Potter!" Sirius spat.
James looked his enemy in the eye. He wasn't going to be cowering in front of him, in front of death. He wanted to die like a hero and set an example for his son.
"Avada Kedavra!" Sirius screamed. His voice was full with hatred and his face only confirmed it. A green light shot out of his wand and hit a stunned James full in the chest. Even if he wanted to scream he couldn't. Time stopped for him as he slowly fell down in the ground.
James woke up from his nightmare sweating. He shook his head and tried to forget the images. Thinking that his future killer was currently sharing a room with him didn't help.
James sighed. Since the stupid day when he agreed to help Black find Remus's secret he decided that Black was a lost cause regardless of the hat's words.
He got up off of the bed looking around the room. He saw books and parchments thrown carelessly on the floor. Robes and sweaters were hanging by the bed. There was even some kind of mixture of a potion spilled on the floor by Pettigrew's bed.
All the occupants, which meant two since Remus had to pay another visit to his mother suffering deeply from her illness, were deep asleep. James walked to the bathroom avoiding Sirius's bed half from trying to avoid him jumping unexpected on his back, half from trying to avoid killing him himself to avoid future complications.
Washing his face didn't help. When James returned to the room he was still a little jumpy. He looked out the window. The sun was far from rising and the moon was still shining on the sky. James smiled as he observed it was a full moon that night. Deciding that he wouldn't get to sleep again that night, he changed his clothes silently and opened the door and closed it behind him.
The common room was partly empty. There were a few third year students sleeping on the couches and unfinished parchments gave James the idea that they were busy trying to do their homework. From the sleeping boys James saw Mundungus Fletcher, a sneaky boy his parents introduced him in last year's Christmas party. After a few hours of hanging with that boy James noticed his watch was gone. James chuckled as he saw his gold watch on that boy's hand.
He walked to the fat lady's portrait and said the password to open it. Ignoring her disapproval mutterings, he went passed it and turned to the stairs.
His mind was already on other subjects than that dream. Last week McGonagall asked him to stay after class. As the class finished, he waved at Remus and told him he would see him later. McGonagall's lips were pursed which usually meant bad news.
"Take a seat Mr. Potter!" she said.
James took a seat in the nearest desk and waited for her to say what she had to say.
"Mr. Potter," she began "do you remember our conversation at the start of the year?"
Slowly James nodded not sure where she was heading.
"Then you must remember a term I told you about in order to start your classes at Hogwarts!"
James thought back to the discussion. She said she wouldn't treat him differently. 'Oh no!' James thought 'I forgot to do some essay!'
"Dumbledore is ready to see you!" she finished.
James's mouth opened in shock. He expected a detention but Dumbledore?
"Professor," James said alarmed "why does Dumbledore want to see me?"
McGonagall pursed her lips even further in annoyance "You said you remember our conversation! I told you Dumbledore will want to see you to discuss your…problems. He wants to see you over the winter holiday so no suspicions can be raised. That means you will have to stay at Hogwarts over Christmas."
James grinned. So the old hag didn't have any complaints to him. That was good. However he still worried why Dumbledore wanted to see him. Surely he understood better than him the situation he was in. No matter the cost his secret remained a secret.
He rose up and left the classroom after bidding a 'good day' to McGonagall. It didn't bother him to stay at Hogwarts. He would have to whole room to himself. Or at least he thought he would. He didn't know what Remus's plans were, neither Black's nor Pettigrew's.
As James descended the stairs he thought about possible motives. None came to his mind. However he was happy because tomorrow, the first day of winter break and the first of Dumbledore's talk was the same day as Slughorn's next party. He avoided going to the last one, the one after the "incident" by pretending he was sick. He knew Corinne would be dancing with another bloke but as long as he wasn't standing in the side forced to watch all was good.
Thought that didn't mean that would last forever. After Sirius made James swear to help him with Remus, he took him to a deserted corridor on third floor the next day and tried to teach James how to dance. Even if Sirius and Peter were howling with laughter by the end of the hour the intention was good. James felt himself that he was improving. He rarely stepped on the armor suit's toes anymore (Sirius and Peter strongly refused to be James's partner)
The problem with Corinne was different however. After the Slug party, he rarely talked to her ever if he promised that they would be friends again. The image of her with Sirius was too painful for him even if he only knew her for a few months. He had hidden from Remus his fears since Remus didn't have to know why he was afraid. He said that he was no longer interested in her and that he couldn't stand to be near her. Remus shrugged and told him that he was still young though he kept an eye on James from then on.
So ignoring her worried look whenever they looked in the eye, he made a goal to himself to be the most charming guy ever and then he could continue his pursue on her. He sped things up when he saw her one day talking intense with Sturgis Podmore from third year. Sirius saw James staring at them and laughed at him which earned himself a punch in the stomach.
Over time James forgave himself about Remus. He convinced himself that Remus was too careful to let the secret slip. Though James often thought about what the secret might be, if he found out he would have to tell Black. Since he was little, his parents taught him to be sincere and noble. If he swore to Black to tell him what he found out he would keep his promise. From time to time he would make excuses to him for not finding anything out. Last time it was too late to track Remus and this time he faked sleeping when Remus left. Sirius let it go this time but threatened that the next time he would send a letter to his parents telling them to keep searching. James laughed at the idea afterwards knowing that his parents would just send him another howler telling him that they were not his slaves.
James was at the fifth floor when he heard someone coming. Startled, he quickly hid behind a nearby statue watching Head boy, Lucius Malfoy, coming towards him in a hurry. For a moment he feared that the blonde boy saw him and was coming to get him but he passed James without even glancing his way.
James breathed in relief and risked approaching him more. At first he heard a voice and feared that Malfoy was talking to somebody but hearing him he convinced him that Malfoy was talking by himself.
"I can't believe I'm late because of a couple of mudbloods snogging. If they ever have an offspring I'll personally kill him!" Lucius grumbled.
This caught James's attention. Malfoy was late? Late for what? James tried to follow Lucius but he went down the stairs. Cursing, James turned back to the corridor and ran to a secret stairway he found as a kid when he went here. The stairway being dark, it caused less danger to being exposed.
As James descended he started to hear voices coming from the fourth floor door. James opted to listen from there since opening it would likely bring trouble.
"There you are Lucius! Why are you late?" a voice asked.
"I caught some mudbloods in the Astronomy tower having…fun." came Lucius's reply.
"THAT'S IT!" shouted another voice "WE HAD ENOUGH OF MUDBLOODS! WE HAVE TO MAKE A STAND!"
"Rabastan, if you please shout again, I'm sure some Ravenclaws who didn't hear you yet will have the pleasure to recognize your voice." Lucius replied.
"He's right though!" a fourth voice said "When will the Dark Lord take us?"
"Patience! The Dark Lord has his motives. First you have to prove yourself." a familiar voice said. James tried to remember whose was it but couldn't figure it out. From the sound of the voice it seemed to be of an older man.
The silence that followed proved to James that the man was one of the Dark Lord's followers. He heard some tones of disappointment coming from the students.
"But how do we know if Voldemort isn't some buffoon getting caught by the first Auror?" asked a bold voice.
James's eyes widened at the revelation. So the Dark Lord's name was Voldemort? He wondered if that was his real name or just a title he gave himself. It still was precious information and James would tell Dumbledore the next day at the meeting.
"Silencio!" the dark wizard yelled then continued "How dare you speak the Dark Lord's name in front of me? How dare you question him?" the voice was getting angrier by the second "You have disappointed me Mulciber! Crucio!"
James swallowed air as he heard Mulciber's screams of agony. The boy begged for mercy many times before his screams stopped. A thud was heard informing James that Mulciber passed out from the pain.
"Get him up!" the voice ordered. "And tell him that the Dark Lord won't have patience for him. He might as well die!"
"We're sorry for him." Lucius said courteously "We promise it won't happen again!"
Then the voice laughed sending chills through James's back. Then sound of something being opened and closed was heard.
"Good thing he left!" Lucius spat "We'll see who the Dark Lord will favor. You! Drag him to his common room and leave him there. I'll go through the mirror. It might be an important passageway from Hogwarts.
James exhaled loudly when he heard footsteps. For a moment he thought they would catch him. He ran back to his common room luckily not bumping into anyone though he was almost spotted by Peeves, the poltergeist. He sat on the empty couch beside Mundungus and thought. The Dark Lord was already getting students from Hogwarts into his crowd. From what James heard he already had the Knights of Walpurgis and local newspapers told of a rumor that he already started to approach giants. James sat there horrified looking at the entrance from the fat lady's portrait expecting Voldemort to come and kill him.
He sat there all night. Finally James felt a hand on his shoulder and turned around pulling his wand horrified. Sirius was looking at him grinning and Peter was beside him.
"What do you want?" James snapped.
Sirius backed up a step "Easy there Potter. We just wanted to ask if you would like to join us at breakfast today since Lupin isn't around."
James sighed and put his wand back. "Sorry!" he apologized.
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By the time he got there, James wondered why the hell he went to breakfast. He didn't have much of an appetite and seeing Slytherins didn't help at all.
He sat in front of Sirius and Peter which meant his back was turned to the Slytherin table. After five minutes he was still picking his food trying to forget last night but he couldn't. Suddenly he felt someone patting him on the shoulder. He turned around to see Roberta Florence, a sexy Ravenclaw girl from third year smiling at him. She had long brown hair and magnificent blue eyes twinkling of happiness and unlike most third years, her face was boil-free.
"Here!" she said handing him a piece of parchment "McGonagall asked me to give this to you." she said gracefully tossing some of her hair over her shoulder.
James heard someone choke behind him and a snigger following that.
"Er…thanks!" James said awkwardly. It still was a mystery why McGonagall didn't come to him herself.
Florence nodded smiling and looked past him "Are you alright?" she asked confused.
James turned his head and tried to hold back his laughter. Pettigrew was gaping at Florence and tons of water was coming out of his mouth. Peter didn't seem to notice since he was too awed by the girl's looks. Next to him Sirius was trying hard to stifle the laughter threatening to escape his lips.
Rolling his eyes he turned and reassured the girl that Peter will be ok. After she left he looked at Sirius "Honestly!" and he took out his wand and stopped the water from running "Where'd you learn this spell anyway?" he asked Sirius while Peter was looking left and right trying to figure out what had happened.
Sirius shrugged "It wasn't real water! It didn't reach the floor or anything! Just a hologram spell I learn while I was at my dear home!" he said stressing the word 'dear'. "Speaking of which, news has come!" he said pointing at the owls that had just arrived. James looked up and clearly saw the black Black family owl with a red envelope tied to his legs.
As the owl landed at the table in front of Sirius, most of Gryffindor table groaned and took a distance from Sirius.
The letter didn't wait for Sirius to open it this time and instantaneously grew a mouth and began shouting in the Great Hall "SIRIUS ORION BLACK HOW DARE YOU BRING SUCH SHAME INTO OUR FAMILY?"
"Why are you so grumpy anyway?" Sirius asked trying to keep his voice over the letter.
"None of your business!" James yelled trying to get heard.
"I'VE NEVER BEEN SO ASHAMED IN MY LIFE!" the howler continued
"I think it is my business!" Sirius yelled clearly referring to Remus's secret.
James shook his head "No! It's about…personal issues!"
"Potter don't be an ass and just tell us!"
"YOUR FATHER IS VERY UPSET WITH YOU!"
"Yeah, him and me both!" James muttered.
"What?" Sirius asked.
"Bugger off!" James retorted.
"YEARS AND YEARS OF TRADITION…"
"Why do you keep hiding Potter?"
"You know Black there is more to life than just your curiosity!"
"Yeah! Quidditch!" Sirius stupidly replied.
"Forget it!" James snapped rising from the table storming off.
"…AND DON'T YOU DARE SHOW YOUR FACE IN THIS HOUSE AGAIN!" the letter finished.
"You know Peter, something tells me I won't be coming home for Christmas!" Sirius growled.
"Bloody Sirius Black!" James was marching in the first floor corridor not knowing where to go next. It occurred to him that that was the first day of winter holidays and that he had no classes to go to. Thinking it was a good way to catch on his sleep he lost, he jogged to the Gryffindor common room.
By the time he was on the fourth floor, his heart started beating faster. 'This was where they were last night!' James realized. He looked around insecure to check if any Slytherins were there. We walked to the closed door at the other end of which he listened to the conversation last night. He looked at the floor desperate to find any traces of blood to prove that he didn't dream it last night, but whoever they were they cleaned the place and left it spotless. Sighing James leaned on a mirror trying to figure what to do next. Was it wise to tell Dumbledore what he saw? What if they found out he was the one to tell him? James frowned, coming to the conclusion that he was loosing time.
Entering the common room he saw Sirius and Peter sitting comfortably on the couches. When he exited the Great Hall he heard – though it was pretty impossible not to hear – the letter telling Sirius that he wasn't welcomed for the holiday. There were also a couple of older students who were staying at Hogwarts. The train left right after breakfast.
He climbed on his bed and rested. He decided that he would tell Dumbledore. His life was nothing compared to the ones he would save.
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James ran hysterically to the second floor. He was late by fifteen minutes to his meeting with Dumbledore. After he fell asleep Black thought it was a good idea to stun and leave him there. Thankfully the curse wore off after an hour.
He looked at the parchment McGonagall gave him. It said to go too the gargoyle statue and say the password ("chocolate frogs"). Sure enough, a huge stone gargoyle was in front of him waiting for James to give the password. After he did, the gargoyle leaped aside and revealed a spiral stone staircase.
As James stepped a foot in it, it began to move upwards. From behind James heard a click telling him the exit was closed. Of all the times James had been in Hogwarts, he never saw the headmaster's office. The spiral staircase stopped in front of an oak door. James knocked at the door and received permission to enter.
Entering the room James looked around. The room he was in was circular. The wall opposite to the door held many windows from which James noticed the Quidditch pitch. On the left wall, a great fireplace warmed up the place. On the right Dumbledore was waiting for him behind his desk.
As James approached, portraits from behind Dumbledore opened their eyes questionably at him probably wondering what trouble he got into. Dumbledore took a seat inviting him to mimic him. James sat down uncertainly. With long silver beard and sparkling blue eyes behind half-moon glasses, James found this man much more intimidating than anything he ever saw even after five years of knowing him
"Good evening James!" Dumbledore spoke.
James nodded "Good evening sir!"
Dumbledore's eyes seemed to twinkle looking at James expecting him to say something.
"Sir…sorry I'm late. I had some trouble getting here!"
"I have no doubt you had James!"
"Sir…if I may…why did you call me here?" James boldly asked and all the portraits nodded indicating that they too didn't know what was going on.
Dumbledore rose from his chair and turned around. He muttered something James didn't catch and all the portraits erupted into screams.
"I never!" a pudgy woman exclaimed.
"Dumbledore this is absurd!" a rough man shouted.
"This isn't part of the Hogwarts rules!' an elder man wearing a white wig growled.
Finally one man, Phineas Nigellus silenced them all "Dumbledore when you became headmaster two years ago you agreed that whatever you'd do, you'll consult with the former headmasters. What you are asking us makes us consider if you are indeed competent to be the headmaster of this school!"
Dumbledore nodded "I'm sorry my friends but what I'm requesting is for your own good! What I'm going to discuss is very important and might decide the ending of the war!"
A few portraits grumbled but most of them were convinced. One by one, the formal headmasters felt their portraits and Dumbledore turned to James again.
"James you no doubly have an idea by now of what we're going to talk about.
James swallowed air and reluctantly nodded.
Dumbledore's eyes twinkled "Now I know what an awful burden was placed on you and believe me I understand completely your motives."
James relaxed a little and slowed down his breath.
"However I want to help you. It has come to my attention that Voldemort, as you may have heard his name," James thought of last night's meeting and slowly nodded "is a former student of mine from when I was teaching Transfiguration" James's eyes widened "He is…was an orphan I myself went to, to convince him to come to Hogwarts. He came to me last year searching for the position of the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. However I had heard of his…hobbies and refused him. After that, our current teacher taking that post suffered a great illness and past away."
"Sir…" James tried to interrupt. Why was he hearing this?
"It's not polite to interrupt James!" Dumbledore scolded "But you no doubt want to ask what your implication to this is."
James took a double take. How did he know?
"Yes James I assume we finally came to the point of our meeting. I, as Voldemort too perhaps, know Legilimency. Though I know very little of it, it helps me decide if a student is guilty or not. But you don't need to know about that! Anyway," Dumbledore continued silencing James's protest "I want to teach you how to block it. Such important information you hold will surely be read by Voldemort the moment you're near him." James looked shocked and stared at the headmaster "Oh don't worry, I'm not going to look through your mind searching for information. As I told you I understand your motives. And yes, James, I'm sure you will no doubt face him!"
James sank on his chair looking down.
"What I'm going to teach you will send shock through many parents if they hear about this. Reading people's mind is illegal in the wizarding world and in circumstance, extremely rare. I won't be teaching you to read your friend's minds; I'll teach you to block anyone from entering yours. Now, I believe the ministry needs me right now so I'm afraid I'll leave you and we'll meet tomorrow. I'll send a student looking for you with the hour."
Dumbledore rose from his chair and walked to the fireplace. He reached into a bag on top of the fireplace and took some dust from it.
"Oh and Fawkes will tell me everything you do while in my office so I'd think more about mischievous deeds if I were you!" Dumbledore said pointing to a big red bird near his desk. Next he threw the dust in the fire. After the fire turned green he stepped in and was gone in a poof.
Shrugging James left the office after smiling at what he thought was a phoenix. He casually walked to the seventh floor not before he took a thoughtful glance at the fourth floor. He finally arrived in the common room when the curfew ended.
Nodding to Sirius and Peter who were in the room, he changed into his pajamas and climbed on the bed. Something was bugging him.
"Hey Sirius!" Peter called.
"What?" Sirius asked from the bathroom.
"What are you doing in there?"
"C'mon Peter, leave me alone!" Sirius responded "You know I like to look at myself in the mirror!"
James blinked rapidly. Mirror! There was something he missed. Mirror…mirror…
"Good thing he left!" Lucius spat "We'll see who the Dark Lord will favor. You! Drag him to his common room and leave him there. I'll go through the mirror. It might be an important passageway from Hogwarts.
James hit his head cursing himself for not realizing it quicker. Whatever was happening it had to do with a mirror on the fourth floor. A passage to Hogsmeade perhaps. James grinned at the thought that maybe he could sneak out of school without alerting the teachers. Also maybe he could find out more of that man he heard last night. But he won't risk going alone!
"Hey Black, Pettigrew!" James called.
"Yeah?" both responded shocked.
"How'd you like to sneak out of Hogwarts tonight?"
Soon James's grin was shared by the other two occupants of the room.
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Hey there! I wanted to finish the chapter before I make my author's note! So James realizes that little groups of Slytherins are gathering at night hoping to get into Voldemort's circle. His life being in danger by the dark lord should pretty much make him despise them right?;) Meanwhile Sirius gets more and more annoyed with his family though he doesn't get the idea just yet! Both of them realize that Remus too has secrets of his own and Peter…well, there's not much you could say about him! Oh and if you're wondering, the meeting was too short and James was too shocked to say anything about the Slytherins to Dumbledore and Dumbles knows better then to look through James's mind.
As always, PLEASE review and tell me what you think of the chapter!
p.s. the black bar that separates parts of the chapter isn't working currently for me so I put "xxxxxxxxx" instead.