Part II
Chapter 14: Memories and First Words
"Hey Harry!" Remus called after Defense Class
The boy in question went to the desk.
"Yes?" Harry asked.
"Come up to my office. I want to show you something." The teacher said
"What is it?" Harry asked as they entered the office.
"This." Remus said showing Harry his pensieve. "I was looking through some of my memories, and I thought you should see this one."
"Which memory?"
"Why don't you go in and see for yourself?"
Both teacher and student went into the bowl of memories.
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"Where are we?" Harry asked as he found himself in a living room that seem vaguely familiar
Remus pointed to the couch. A much younger James was bouncing a baby Harry on his knee
"Is that…?" Harry asked.
"That's you as a baby." Remus confirmed. "You were nine months that day."
"C'mon Harry!" James said. "Say "Dada""
Baby Harry just blew spit bubbles.
"That's not how you say it." James told him. "Da-da."
Lily laughed quietly at her husband. He was getting desperate.
Even the real Harry had to laugh.
"Here Moony." James said handing his son reluctantly over to one of his best friends.
"He likes you. Maybe you can get him to call me "Dada"."
"Harry." A younger Remus asked the infant. "Would you PLEASE say your first word so your father can give us ALL a rest?"
The real Remus chuckled at how desperate HE sounded to get James to shut up.
Lily laughed louder at this. This was getting too good.
James looked over into the kitchen at her from the living room. "I still have yet to hear him call you "Mama""
"I know." Lily said. "But he's only nine months. And M's are hard for babies. That's why most babies' first words are "Dada". D's are easier."
"However, there are SOME exceptions." Sara added (A/N: You should remember this)
"So, "Moony" is out of a question for now?" Sirius said coming into the living room. He had heard the conversation from the hall.
"Please say "Dada."" James begged his son.
"Pafoo." Baby Harry said as he saw his godfather.
"My first word was "Padfoot"?" Harry asked Remus.
"Just watch." Remus said.
Everyone stopped what they were doing and starred at the baby.
"Well," Lily said breaking the silence. "Not really what I was hoping for, but at least he CAN talk."
"Pafoo?" James asked his son in shock. "Of all the billions of bloody words in the world, "Padfoot" is your first?"
"James!" Lily scolded. "Watch your language!"
"All right Harry!" Sirius cheered as he took his godson. "I knew you could do it."
"Idot." Baby Harry added.
Silence.
"I didn't." Harry gapped in shock.
"You did." Remus informed.
"Excuse me?" Sirius asked.
"Padfoo Idot." Baby Harry said proudly.
There was more silence.
Suddenly, James started laughing. HARD. Lily, Sara, and Remus joined in the laughing.
"Good one Harry." Sara said.
"Please say "Dada"" Sirius begged.
"Pafoo Idot." Baby Harry repeated.
"Sirius tried so hard after that to get you to call your father an idiot." Remus told Harry when they left the memory. "You said that phrase for a week."
"What was my next word?" Harry asked.
"Why don't you see for yourself?" Remus said.
The two plunged back in.
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"Pafoo Idot!" Harry said.
"We all know that, Harry." Lily told the baby.
"But it never gets old." James said to Remus.
"Where's Sirius and Peter?" the real Harry asked.
"Well, Peter was probably with Voldemort under the pretense of being with his dying aunt. Sirius was working." The real Remus said
"Okay Harry." Lily said picking up the baby. "Time for bed. Say "goodnight" to Daddy and Uncle Remus"
"Good night Harry. Daddy loves you." James said.
"Ove Dada." Baby Harry said.
"HE SAID DA-DA!" James cheered.
"That was corny." Harry said.
(A/N: Even I have to admit that)
"But sweet." Remus said as James twirled his son around.
"We were really happy, weren't we?" Harry asked as he watched his elated father.
"Very." Remus confirmed before frowning as James said, "I knew you could do it!"
"What?" Harry asked sensing something was wrong
"I only saw you two times after that. Your birthday and to tell your parents it was time to go into hiding."
"Then third year?"
Remus nodded.
Harry looked back at the younger James spinning the baby around.
"I'm so proud." James said. "Now. Say "Quidditch.""
"That wouldn't happen until your first year of Hogwarts." The real Remus informed Harry.
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On the train,
"One more year." Ron said propping his feet in between Harry and Ginny.
Harry was looking out the window while everyone was snacking on candy. Suddenly, his shoulders started shaking as he laughed quietly.
"What's so funny?" Ginny asked Harry
"Hmm?" Harry asked snapping out of it. "Oh. I was just thinking of the memory Remus showed me."
"What was the memory?" Ron asked with his mouth full of chocolate.
"My first words." Harry told him. "I said two words when I first spoke and for a week I could only say one comprehensible phrase."
"What was it?" Hermione asked interested.
"I'm not going to completely quote myself." Harry told her. "Because it was in baby talk. But it was "Padfoot Idiot.""
The car with the four students was filled with laughter.
"Has Megan said anything yet?" Hermione asked when they calmed down.
"I don't think so." Harry said. "I think I would have heard."
"I wonder what's going to happen when she turns 15 months?" Ginny asked solemnly.
The original Golden Trio looked at her confused.
"Wasn't that how old you were when…you know?" Ginny asked Harry.
"Oh yeah." Hermione said doing so quick calculating. "After Megan turns 15 months, your parents will be new at raising a kid."
"That's right." Harry realized. "But they have Mr. and Mrs. Weasley to help. Megan will turn 15 months in…"
"January." Hermione told him. "January 15th."
"Maybe we shouldn't mention it." Harry said. "Mum has a tendency to feel guilty about what happened THAT night."
"Right." The group agreed.
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On the platform,
"Are you ready?" Lily asked her 9 month old daughter. "You get to see Harry again. Isn't that exciting?"
Megan, like her brother before her, just blew spit bubbles.
"C'mon Meg." James said taking his daughter from his wife. "Can you say "Dada"? Let's get you talking before Harry gets here."
"Here we go again." Lily sighed remembering that day that seemed like yesterday to her.
"And if you say "Padfoot"," James told his daughter. "Be sure to say "Idiot" as well."
"James?" Lily asked. "What are the chances that her first words will be the same as Harry's?"
"I'm not taking ANY chances." James told her.
"And we hardly call our friends by those nicknames anymore." Lily reminded him. "How would she learn Harry's first word?"
"I'm just paranoid." James told her. "Happy?"
"James Potter paranoid?" she mused. "Oh yeah. I'm happy."
Just then, the train whistle was heard. Megan just giggled.
"Whew." Lily sighed. "I was scared that SHE'D be scared of the train."
"Nope." James said. "Not this Potter."
The train pulled up and students started to leave the train. Some of the younger students ran to embrace their parents. Others had parents running to them.
Megan eyed each of the students. She had never seen so many people. Suddenly, four of the students caught her eyes. She smiled as she recognized one of them.
"What is it, Love?" James asked his daughter as she started to wriggle.
"Airwy" she said pointing at her brother.
The fact that the nine-month old spoke shocked her parents enough to where it didn't register WHAT the child meant.
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"There they are!" Harry said as he found his parents and baby sister.
"Maybe they'll know where ours are." Ron said.
Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny made their way to the Potters who were starring at Megan.
"Hello?" Harry said wondering if they even saw him.
Megan reached for her brother.
Feeling his daughter move, James snapped out of it and realized that Megan wanted to be held by Harry.
"Oh!" James exclaimed as he realized his son was standing in front of him with his trolley in tow. "There you are."
James handed Megan to Harry who took her.
"What happened?" Ginny asked.
"Airwy." Megan repeated as she hugged her brother.
"She spoke her first word." Lily answered as she also snapped out of it.
Harry was now in shock since he heard Megan say his name.
"Who all knows?" Hermione asked.
"Just us." James said. "And the people around us, but I think they were paying more attention to their own kids."
James and Lily turned to see Neville reunited with Frank and Alice.
"C'mon kids. Let's get you home. Ron, Ginny, Hermione, you're coming with us."
"I thought as much." Ron said. "You okay Harry?"
"Yeah." Harry said snapping out of it before looking at his sister. "You're not going to call me "Idiot" right?"
Everyone laughed.
"Remus show you the memory?" James asked.
"Yeah. I can't believe I did that."
"I could." Lily laughed.
"C'mon you lot." James told the kids, "Let's get you home."
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At Potter Manor,
Remus had flooed from Hogwarts to be with his pregnant wife.
When the Potters came with the kids, James put up the wards while Harry went to talk to Fred and George about business.
"How's the store coming along?" Harry asked Fred and George.
"Great." George said.
"We couldn't have done it without you." Fred whispered to Harry.
"No problem." Harry said. "At least you remembered to put Cedric as one of your benefactors."
"Do you still want to remain anonymous?" George asked.
"Yes." Harry said. "Do you have any new products?"
"Oh yeah." They said with matching mischievous grins.
"It came out on the first anniversary of the final fall of You-Know-Who." George said with a Marauder-like grin.
"You have a joke in there somewhere." Harry told him.
"It's the name of the product." Fred said.
"We call it…" George started.
"U-No-Poo." Both twins said.
"What did your mother say?" Harry had to ask.
"That we'd be murdered in our beds…" George started.
"…By still loyal Death Eaters." Fred finished.
"C'mon Meg." Lily said bouncing her daughter in her arms. "Say it for Aunts Sara, Mel, and Spica."
"Did Megan say…" Fred started
"…Her first word?" George finished.
"Yes." Harry said with a small laugh.
"What was it?" Arthur asked James.
"Airwy." Megan repeated herself as she reached for her brother.
Everyone looked between Megan and Harry.
"That's so sweet." Molly said. "Her first word was "Harry"."
"Hopefully it won't take her a week to say "Dada"." James said looking at Harry
"Oh? It's MY fault her first word was "Harry"? I've been away at school." Harry said to his father.
"I'm just teasing." James said ruffling his son's already messy hair. "I'm going to get something to eat. Want anything?"
"Nah." Harry said. "I got us some snacks on the train. Thanks for the offer"
After James left the living room to go into the kitchen, Megan followed him with her eyes.
"Dada?" she asked looking at the entrance to the kitchen wondering where her father went.
"Wow." Spica said hearing her goddaughter. "How long did it take Harry to say that?"
"A week." Lily said smiling at Megan. "JAMES POTTER! GET IN HERE!"
"What?" James said entering the room eating an apple.
"C'mon Meg." Harry said to his sister. "Say it again. Who's that?"
"Dada." Megan repeated looking at James.
James dropped his apple in shock. He was expecting another week before Megan said that word.
"ALRIGHT!" James cheered as he took his daughter from her mother and swung her around. Megan giggled.
"I knew you could do it." James said.
"Déjà vu." Remus said.
"That was the same way James treated Harry when HE said "Dada."" Sirius informed his wife. Lily had told Sirius the day after.
"Somehow, I'm not surprised." Spica said.
TBC
Harry wasn't in the parlor. Ron and Hermione went around the house until the found Megan in her playpen.
"Megan." Hermione asked sweetly. "Where's Harry?"
"'Airwy bye-bye." Megan said.