Trick of Time Chapter 8,
A Day in the life of James Potter
It feels like I've run from one concert to another and I'm taking today off from school since I couldn't cope with it all!
To my faithful reviewers: thank you soooo much! I'm such a liar! I'm sorry I haven't updated in AGES. I haven't written anything for a long time. School is taking over one's life and trying to brainwash us. But there's still hope, only it's very faint.
Well, believe it or not, I'm not Rowling. If I was I'd be writing the full story about the life of the Marauders instead of focusing on Harry Potter. So thank goodness I'm not in charge.
"That stupid detention," as James had called it the entire day, was now approaching with haste. He tried desperately to make this the opportunity he'd waited for. Could he get into the pensive while being there?
"It's hopeless; he'll stare at me with hawk eyes!" James called out to Ron and Hermione who both jumped up from their studies. Hermione sighed, looking up from her copy of the very exciting book explaining all about old runes and other boring stuff.
"Well, improvise. You keep telling us you are so good at it."
And so it was that James was dragging his feet towards Snape's office. He knocked on the door at the precise 6 O'clock. But he'd been standing outside for a minute, just to avoid being early.
"Come in," Snape said, and so did James.
"We'll start off with the detention before we have a lesson where you are to shield your mind. Dumbledore wanted me to teach this to Harry, the person you are pretending and failing hard to be."
The pensive was on the desk, but James didn't dare to walk over to it. You can't really blame him. If James was afraid that by getting too close to Snape, he might get greasy hair by proxy!
"Sirius, I need a word with you," Regulus called after his brother in one of the hallways. "What is it, little brother?" Sighed Sirius a bit teasingly. "Don't take that tone Sirius; I actually have something of importance to tell. I want to help you."
"And?"
Regulus looked into Sirius' eyes. "I've just received an owl from dad. He knows you won't read what he sends to you-" Regulus was interrupted. "So, he has reduced you to an owl!? I have to say you've got a lot of dignity," Sirius said, with a hand through his hair.
"-well," Regulus overheard his brother, "- he has threatened to make Mr Potter lose his position in the Ministry."
Sirius was stunned to silence. Possibly gaping with an open mouth.
"Dad is, after all, quite high up, and he'd have the power. I believe he intends to give you a choice. If you stay away from the Potter kid, he might decide not to do it. At least that's what I got from reading it." Regulus finished, "here's the letter," he reached it out, but Sirius didn't take it.
"And why, pray to tell me, does that concern me, Regulus?" asked Sirius, pretending to seem confident. When it comes to family you never show fear!
"Because it's your fault! Don't you see that? It's your fault for being friends with Potter. I'm not on your side Sirius, but I don't want to see you and other innocent people hurt like that!" Regulus was breathing hard and had raised his voice. He had stared directly into Sirius' eyes, but now looked away, ashamed of his outburst.
"Don't say I didn't warn you." He walked quickly down the hall to catch up with some other Slytherins.
Sirius suddenly lived up to his name. This was bad, but what could he do? He knew that if he apologised to his father, he would clean up this mess, but he simply couldn't do that. This was tricky, and with James gone. He'd better not tell Harry. He had never felt so alone before.
Sirius turned on his heel and walked towards the tower. It was late and he was tired.
"Why do you have to look at me all the time? It's not like I'm going to disappear into thin air. Or do you find it interesting to look at someone who's cleaning out of horrid glasses with odd and disgusting creatures in them?"
James looked up at Snape again. He hadn't moved at all since last time he looked up. This was really bad, he couldn't get to the pensive, but even worse… it's not like you want Snape to stare at you for two hours in a row while you have to put your hands in jars with green stuff and eyeballs floating around in it.
"That'll do, Potter," Snape said and rose from his chair. "We'll see how much blocking you know." James was taken by surprise as Snape cast a spell. He wasn't familiar with it and couldn't remember it afterwards.
James is suddenly revisiting his memories. Him, humiliating Snape, hugging his mum, asking Lily out, kissing her by an accident in the first week of school, worrying about Sirius. Reality suddenly came crushing back. "What the…?"
"Surprised, Potter? I just went into your head and saw your memories together with you. And if you can't block me out, I'll know your entire life before you leave tonight. If you don't master Occlumency pretty fast, you'll be stuck here for a while Potter!"
James didn't know what to do at first. Snape went on and on, and when Remus' secret was revealed, James just called "Stop!" and so Snape did, but were to cast another spell, but this time James was ready and threw it back at Snape, so he got to see himself and Sirius standing next to each other taunting the person that was now a teacher.
Snape threw off the spell and for some seconds they were standing, facing each other, just staring. Suddenly James made a dash for the door and was gone.
The next day Sirius woke up with Harry shaking his shoulder. "What am I to do? Please, help me!"
"What?" Sirius muttered grumpily as Harry kept shaking him. "Wake up, Sirius!" he called, and the other boy sat up. "All right, all right!" he called grumpily. "What's this all about?" Sirius rubbed the sleep out of his eyes.
"You told me I was going on a date, and it's true! This girl, Emily White, said I was going out with her! How can this be?" Harry sat down next to Sirius. His Godfather yawned like a dog and stretched.
"That's all? I'm going back to sleep…"
"Come on you need to help me!"
"Why?"
"Because I don't know how to be James Potter!"
"Point taken," Sirius muttered and got up. He took out his wand and pointed it at his messy, morning hair. It turned into its usual self at once.
"You'll be going to The Broomsticks, probably. You'll show off and tell her how pretty she is, and that she and your beauty combined makes you the perfect couple. You'll talk about yourself all day and dump her when you get back."
Harry looked desperate. "Just say I can't go out with her again!? But that's not nice!"
Sirius sighed. "You're really too much like Evans!"
Harry didn't like the sounds of that, was his dad really that mean to someone brave enough to ask him out? Harry knew what rejection and heart-ache felt like. He couldn't do that to someone else.
The next day James was really pissed off. What was the matter with Snape anyway? Bearing a grudge so many years later. But the memory. It wasn't much fun to just watch yourself hurt someone else.
It wasn't very funny afterwards, when he was alone, parted from Sirius and the others. He'd been strong in Quidditch, and so on, but really, humans can't do much by themselves. He was currently drawing in his textbook during a lesson.
The class was even worse when the teacher didn't actually teach you anything. Defence Against Dark Arts was even worse than History of Magic. How could anyone manage something like that? Should've gotten a medal or something. How much was this teacher paid?
"Turn to page ten." The teacher, Umbridge, called.
"Are you so sure about that!? We have had this class all year and we're re-reading the book now? I really can't believe they are paying this idiot to tell us to turn the page!" James called, and left the classroom.
Everyone else seemed stunned by the outburst. Perhaps it was true what the Daily Prophet was saying; Harry Potter had gone quite mad.
James slammed the door and ignored the word "Detention!" that hung in the air behind him.
He didn't know if Harry was even the sort of person to have those outbusts. It was hard being a person you had never even met. James walked to the tower and sunk into the sofa in a way that might've gotten even Sirius jealous.
"I can see why James and Evans should be together. You look like James, but you're a hundred times less arrogant. Which is a problem in this situation really, mate."
Sirius yawned again. "I can't believe you woke me up this early! It's ten o'clock on a Saturday! James wouldn't have been up before midday at least …" Sirius sighed again and gave Harry the parchment he'd been scribbling on.
"I'll help you out. These are the James rules for dating:
#1 Never go out with the same girl twice (unless it's Lily)
#2 Give her false hopes (Unless it's Lily)
#3 Charm her as best as you can (Especially if it's Lily)
# 4Give her a perfect day (Especially if Lily)
# 5Break up with her in at the end of the date (Absolutely not if it's Lily!)"
Sirius grinned at Harry's expressions. "I can't do that! I simply can't!" Harry smoothed his hair nervously. "I don't want to hurt their feelings." Sirius grinned at him. "Oh, come on, you're not hurting their feelings, James is. It's not your fault he's like that!"
Harry sighed. "Why would I try to make it a perfect day for her and then break up later?"
Sirius looked at him confused. "Because Lily might hear rumours that you are actually super awesome to date, but nobody but her can keep your interest?"
Harry just shook his head, "that is downright stupid. I think my dad has some unresolved issues. Besides, I can't do this!"
"Ok, I tell you what. As you're out with the girl… whatever her name was, I'll follow you and help out just in case," Sirius suggested. "How about that?"
Well, how about it? Harry really didn't feel comforted about the thought.
"Hey, Potter!" two voices called after James as he was walking down the hall for dinner. "Quidditch practice tonight, mate. Tomorrow's the match. You haven't forgotten, have you?" Fred and George asked one sentence each.
"No, I haven't. I'm looking forward to it!" James forced a grin and ate dinner in a hurry. He loved Harry's broom. It was so fast and balanced. Just the way he likes it!
How two hours could go that slowly he'd never know, but finally, the practice came and he flew around on the broom happily. Taking loops and cool tricks. He knew the feeling of the wind in his hair.
The reason he always shuffled in it was to keep the feeling on the ground. Not exactly to show off. It made him comfortable and outgoing, as he was supposed to be. The match the day after would be brilliant!
All the tips Sirius had given him during breakfast was floating around his head. Don't do this. Don't do that. How can one remember all that? More importantly, was it kind to follow te points on the list? Harry was irritated but decided to do the best he could.
"Emily, Hi!" She was a pretty Ravenclaw with dark blond hair and bright blue eyes. She was really pretty and sweet. He couldn't understand how James could harm all these poor girls. He smiled at Emily and they headed towards Hogsmeade.
Harry started to talk. "Be ego. You're the point of conversation!" he heard Sirius voice in his head. "What's your Quidditch team?" Harry asked her as it was the first he could remember. He felt so awkward.
She smiled, so sweet it could melt your heart. "As expected from James Potter. To be honest, I love the Canons." Harry laughed, "One of my old friends does too!" He desperately thought about something else to talk about. "Where'd you want to go?"
'Where's Sirius? Is he following us?'
Harry thought, looking around. "Three Broomsticks is all right. I'd love some butterbeer." They walked along, stopping by honey dukes and got a lot of sweets that Harry paid for. Then they went to The Broomsticks.
They were talking and having fun, Harry could barely believe he was able to make a girl happy like this. At least not a girl he sort of fancied. Even when he got a butterbeer moustache and he felt rather sheepish, Emily had just laughed and handed him a napkin.
However, as they sat there, Sirius came over to them. "Hey, James!" he called merrily. "I just needed to talk to you for a sec," he said and Harry got up and moved ten feet away from his date.
"You're being too shy. And mushy! For heaven sake, can't you act more like James? Brag about something, tell her about our Slytherin victories. Get back in there," Sirius finished his short, but effective speech and walked back to the table with Harry.
"Bye, Prongs. Bye Lovely Emily," he smiled at her and waved. She waved back, and he was gone. Behave like James. "So… where are we heading now?" He asked her, a little less excitedly than he had intended.
He wasn't Harry Potter on a date with someone who didn't give a shit that he was weird, but liked him for him. He was pretending to be James Potter, and anything real with Emily could not last. If anything, if it became too serious Harry might erase himself from existence!
James had really thought that the Quidditch game was going to be fun. But Ron missed on every shot, so the Slytherins got a lot of goals. He'd need to end the match very quickly.
James looked around for the snitch. Nowhere to be seen, but he wouldn't give up. Even though he was distracted from Ron's failing attempts and the crowd singing the horrible song for Ron, he was still James Potter!
He did some tricks, getting his confidence up, and started to circle the pitch.
"There!" Shooting after the golden stripe James grinned with happiness. The game might have been bad but quidditch is fun even when luck is not on your side. He suddenly detected Malfoy to his right.
"Piss off, Malfoy. You shouldn't be allowed to even ride a broom!" James speeded up, leaning towards the ground as the snitch dived. Malfoy followed, and James wondered if Malfoy would manage to stop his broom in time or if he'd hit the ground.
James managed to turn after the snitch, barely avoiding crashing into the ground. "Skills," James muttered grinningly, and till his great delight, he heard a crash behind him. Malfoy had hit the ground.
James' ego was rising. He followed the snitch over the pitch avoiding the bludgers and he caught it, standing on the broom, and then landed with easy, still standing.
Harry and Emily walked through Hogsmeade, him thinking desperately of something to talk about now that they had covered both quidditch and school.
"Oh, well. What would you like to do next?" He asked Emily. "We can go somewhere where we're more alone. Like the shrieking shack?" she proposed, and he raised his shoulders in a helpless yes. This date had started well, but Harry was finding it hard to be entertaining enough.
Sirius transformed himself into a dog that followed the couple walking out of town. How Harry had not blown is cover yet was beyond him. Then again, the truth would have been too strange for most to handle.
Sirius watched them standing by the fence, facing the old, demolished house. He transformed back, hiding behind a large tree. This was not his ideal Saturday!
Suddenly he noticed that he wasn't the only one spying on the couple. A large hand suddenly grabbed his shoulder and pulled him away from the scene.
James and Malfoy had started to fight. The quidditch match had been won, but this was about more than sports. How the argument centred on Mrs Weasley he didn't know, but Fred and George were backing him up. They tried to hold each other back as the insults made the situation more and more dangerous.
Their parents, family and blood were pushed down in the mud.
At the end it didn't help. All three boys ran over and kicked Malfoy. Beat him as badly as they could. The rest of the team tried to stop them, but it was useless.
James broke Draco's nose, and then he heard the words: "You're banned from Quidditch for the rest of your time at Hogwarts!"
He saw his broom getting carried away. He couldn't help but just stare. "James, mate, it'll be all right!" Ron said loudly. Forgetting he was not supposed to call him James. Well, it didn't matter, did it? No one heard right?
"What's your problem?" Sirius asked angrily as the other boy let go. Sirius didn't know him. Well, he knew that he was a Hufflepuff in the senior year, but what was his name? What was his problem?
"I'm Robert White, Emily's big brother, and I've got a couple of questions for you!"
He wasn't as tall and strong as Sirius, and would have no chance if it came to fist fights, but Sirius had never done anything the muggle way. Sirius was competent, but they were two years apart in magic and there was no denying a senior could do some damage if he should want to.
"The first question," Robert began. "Why the hell are you spying on them?"
Sirius didn't know what to say. If this boy knew that much, might have seen Sirius transform. He had tried to look around, but there was always a risk.
"Well?" the older boy took one step towards Sirius.
"I was bored and wanted to see how it ended. Anyway, it's not a law against it. I'm in my full rights. The truth is… James was a little odd this morning and I'm worried. He's still a little peculiar, see."
The older boy eyed him suspiciously. "To me it looks like you two are up to something, you two usually are. I don't want my sister involved with your shenanigans. Is Potter about to deliberately hurt my sister's feelings?"
"Eh… How am I supposed to know!?" Sirius stuttered for the first time.
"Like you don't plan these things! I don't like people like you Black, you and Potter are bullies. Prancing around the school with such confidence, picking on lonely kids. It is not right," Robert said in a stern voice. Like he was trying to act like a teacher.
Sirius started to walk away, not needing to defend himself against these sorts of accusations.
"I don't know what you are trying to prove, but you should stop," Robert said in a gentler tone now. "You harass your brother for being a Slytherin, not realising that you are the one behaving in a cruel way to the people you deem less worthy".
Sirius froze. He could feel his blood starting to boil. He turned. "This has nothing to do with you Mr All High and Mighty. How I treat my brother is my own business. Has he come crying to you? Complaining about how I was mean to him?" Sirius' voice had turned sarcastic and sneering.
"I just think you should consider the Fire Crab in your own house, before attacking others for owning one", Robert said trying to deescalate the situation.
"Oh yeah? Well I think you should mind your own business little Hufflepuff", Sirius said and used his height to tower over him. Before Robert could get his wand out, Sirius had done the unthinkable: used physical force rather than magic. He punched Robert in the nose.
Robert fell to the ground and looked absolutely perplexed. The confusion, and above all disappointment, on his face was almost heart-breaking. Harry and Emily had heard them, and were walking towards them.
Sirius ran.
Draco Malfoy was lying in the hospital wing, thinking about only one thing: Potter. Why had Weasley called him James? As far as he knew James Potter was Harry's father. He would have to talk to his father or Snape.
What could this be?
Sorry guys!
I'm so terribly sorry. The chapter was short and badly written, but I have hardly written for half a year. You see, 2008 has been a bad year. My friend's father has got cancer, my Grandaunt died of cancer, a boy I knew got killed in a car accident, my best mate's rabbit was found killed today (it was probably a dog) and everything is just wrong!
School is killing me, and I don't know what to do!
A review would be nice if you guys are still interested in reading the story….
So Sorry! Promise a lot of chapters at the end of the Summer Break. I've finally got some time on hand then, see….
The Artful Fox
Author's note: 2019
I have made some changes beyond basic grammar in this chapter, so for those who read this back like a decade ago I am sorry for that. However, I think my sense of right and wrong has matured rather a bit, and so has my relationship with the characters.
I am leaving my old author's note there as a time-capsule for myself. It is weird to think how much tragedy happened at once in my life back then, but how we have to move on, somewhat more damaged than before from each incident.