Chapter 9:

"And what might that be?" Ron asked quickly, glancing at Lily who was in the middle of telling Harry a story.

"I can't tell you right here," Hermione said motioning in the direction of Lily. "Later, when it's just Harry, you, and I."

"You're impossible," Ron said grinning at her. "You know that?"

"I'll take that as a compliment." Hermione said. "Because I know you of all people wouldn't be insulting me…"

"Of course not," Ron said smiling. "How could I insult someone as wonderful and charming as you."

Hermione blushed all though she knew he was mostly being sarcastic. "Hasn't stopped you in the past."

Ron smiled and turned back to see what Lily and Harry where talking about when suddenly he found his face inches away from someone's rear end.

"Neville!" Ron said jumping back. "Watch where you put that thing!"

"Sorry," Neville said turning around to look at Ron. "You were turned the other way when I came over."

"Well," Ron said sitting back down. "I'm not now, so move!"

"Here Neville," Hermione said fighting back a fit of laughter and moving her chair over so that he could come stand.

"Was there something you needed Neville?" Harry asked.

"Oh," Neville said smiling. "No, not really. I just came to see what you were up too and to introduce myself."

"I'm Lily," Lily said smiling as she extended her hand.

"I'm Neville Longbottom," he said extending his hand to shake hers. "Where are you from?"

"Another school," she said. "You've probably never heard of it."

"Probably not," he said laughing and smiling. Harry looked at him. Was Neville flirting with his mother?

"Well Neville," Hermione said standing up and catching Harry's drift. "I think it's best if I show Lily where she's staying. If that's all right with you, Lily?"

"That'd be great," Lily said standing up and smiling. "I need some rest after today."

"See you tomorrow then?" Harry said smiling warmly at her.

"Yes," Lily said. "Good night."

"Night," the boys said as Hermione whispered something to Ron, and then set off in the direction of the girls dormitory.

"Well," Neville said smiling at Harry and Ron. "Looks like we've got ourselves an attractive one."

"We've?" Ron asked glancing at Harry, who was making a face at Neville that Ron didn't know how to distinguish. "Last time I checked Neville, she really wasn't talking to you."

"In time," Neville said smiling. "In time. Well I must be off. See you later then…" He walked off.

"The kid looses a little weight and you'd think he thought he owned the world," Ron said watching him leave. "When the hell did he become so cocky?"

"I don't know," Harry said. "But I miss the old clumsy and nit witted Neville."

"Well he's still a nit wit," Ron said rubbing the back of his neck. "Now he's just a cocky nit wit who…"

"What did Hermione whisper to you?" Harry said cutting him off mid sentence.

"Acts as if all the girls…what?" Ron asked realizing Harry had just asked him a question.

"Hermione," Harry repeated. "What did she tell you before left with my mum?"

"Oh," Ron said. "Not to go anywhere. She needed to talk to us."

"I need to talk to her…" Harry said shaking his head. "What is she trying to do with all this Sirius and Remus stuff?"

"Make other people other than yourself a little more fulfilled," Hermione said as she suddenly came back and sat back down.

"What?" Harry asked. "What does that mean?"

"Harry," Hermione said. "You can't not tell Sirius or Remus that she's here. I mean the guilt that plagues Sirius everyday, he needs this."

"He'll say something," Harry said.

"What makes you think that?" Hermione asked.

"Because of the guilt that plagues him everyday," Harry said looking directly at her. "Don't you think I want more than anything to tell him and have him tell her not to change their secret keeper to Wormtail, not go about the courses of their actions leading up to that night…You'd know he'd do it. His entire life has been changed due to the fact that my parents died. He would still have his best friends, and he would never had gone to Azkaban, and I would still have a family…Don't you think I want that more than anything?"

"I know you do," Hermione said. "And I know that it must hurt horribly to have the power to change things and not be able to do it, but you have to tell him. Both of them."

"I can see it now," Harry mumbled. "Hey Sirius, you think you can come out of hiding and maybe get thrown back in prison if you get caught so that you can come and see my mum, cause somehow she's here as a sixteen year old girl…He'd come all right. Come to get me put in St. Mungo's."

"You know he wouldn't do that," Hermione said. "Look at it this way. You really think it's fair that Snape will get to see your mum, and Sirius, one of her best friends won't? I mean you saw the look on her face when I mentioned it…"

"Yeah thanks for that by the way," Harry mumbled.

"It was absolutely lit up." Hermione said. "You know how much this would mean to Sirius…"

"What if he says something?" Ron asked.

"Well have to ask Dumbledore to speak to him first…" Hermione said thinking.

"I'll think about it," Harry said standing up. "Right now I'm going to bed. It's been a long day."

"Fine," Hermione said standing up as well. "Think about it, but think long and hard and realize how hurt Sirius would be if you didn't give him this opportunity…" With that she turned and walked towards the girl's dormitory.

"Has a way of making you feel guilty about things, doesn't she?" Harry said glancing at Ron.

"Welcome to my world," Ron mumbled as he picked up chess pieces. "Hey wait for me?"

"Ok," Harry said glancing around the room. Suddenly someone tapped him on the shoulder.

"Harry?" said a female voice from behind him. He swung around to see Ginny standing there.

"Hey Ginny," Harry said smiling. Ron looked up and made a face at both of them.

"You did mean it when you asked me to the ball, right?" Ginny asked. She seemed concerned about something.

"Yeah…" Harry said looking at her skeptically. "Why?"

"Oh no reason!" Ginny said suddenly straightening up. "Just…well someone said…that you were with this other girl…"

"Damn, news gets around fast," Ron said standing up to look at his sister.

"What does that mean?" Ginny asked glancing from her brother to Harry.

"Nothing," Harry said giving Ron a look. "Look, you and I are going together. If that's what you want?"

"Yes!" Ginny said before Harry barely finished his sentence. Ron rolled his eyes.

"All right then," Harry said smiling as he turned to go upstairs.

"So who is she?" Ginny asked looking at both Harry and Ron.

"A friend of his from way back," Ron said smiling at her. "Hey Virginia, why don't you find someone else to go to the ball with? Preferably someone who isn't my best friend."

"Hey Ronald, why don't you FIND someone to go with," Ginny said glaring at him. "Maybe someone who is your best friend?"

"What?" Ron asked.

"Completely dense," Ginny said shaking her head as she walked away. Harry smiled at Ron.

"They couldn't have stopped after six kids," Ron said looking at his sister. "I begged my mum for another brother."

"Well then I'd look pretty stupid going to the ball with him," Harry said grinning as he turned to walk upstairs.

"No see that's the point," Ron said following him. "You wouldn't be going with him cause he'd be a boy…"

"I got it Ron," Harry said laughing. "Enough with the jokes."

"That one would have been funny had you given it a chance." Ron said as they both walked into their dorm room. Seamus Finnigan and Dean Thomas were both sitting on their beds reading.

"Hey!" Seamus said as they walked into the room. "Whose the girl?"

"What?" Harry asked. "Oh her…"

"Yeah," Dean said. "Neville said that you two were hanging out with some cute new girl, and of course we didn't believe Neville…"

"And the fact that why would a cute new girl want to hang out with you and not us…" Seamus inputted.

"Naturally," Dean said. "But we saw her ourselves. Nice work gentlemen."

"Don't you have a girlfriend?" Harry said looking at Seamus.

"I didn't ask to marry her." Seamus said. "I just asked who she was."

"My mum," Harry said looking at both Dean and Seamus.

"No, really who is she?" Dean asked.

"Find out yourself," Harry said as he drew the curtains around his bed shut. "Right now I'm going to sleep…"

****************

"Harry…I as good as killed them, I persuaded James and Lily to change to Peter at the last moment, persuaded them to use him as Secret-Keeper instead of me…I'm to blame, I know it….The night they died, I'd arranged to check on Peter, make sure he was still safe, but when I arrived at his hiding place, he'd gone. Yet there was no sign of a struggle. It didn't feel right. I was scared. I set out for your parents' house straight away. And when I saw their house. Destroyed, and their bodies…I realized what Peter must've done…what I'd done…" Sirius' voice cracked. He turned away.

Harry sat straight up in bed. He was breathing heavy, realizing what he had just dreamed. His first encounter with Sirius. What Sirius had said to him. Hermione was right. Harry got out of bed and walked over to grab a piece of parchment and a quill. He lit a candle and sat down at a nearby desk. He glanced quickly around the room and saw that Ron, Seamus, Dean, and Neville were all fast asleep. He took a deep breath and began to write.

Dear Sirius,

I know it's been awhile since I've last written, but all in all that's been a good thing because it means that I haven't had a "problem" lately. I still don't, so don't be alarmed, but there is something I need to tell you. I don't know how much I trust putting this in writing, but there's someone at Hogwarts that I think…well…know that you and Remus would like to see. Please write back as soon as possible. Hope all is well and that you are safe.

-Harry

Harry put down his quill and glanced over the letter. He stood up, grabbed his invisibility cloak, and draped it over himself. He made his way downstairs to the common room, and out of the portrait hole. He walked slowly through the corridors of Hogwarts up to the owlery where he found Hedwig, his owl, fast asleep.

"Wake up," Harry said nudging her. "I need to you to take something to Sirius." Hedwig hooted sleepily as Harry attached the parchment to her leg. He watched as she set off into the night sky, and then turned to go back. He walked through the halls when he suddenly heard loud voices coming out of a classroom. With his invisibly cloak draped over top of him he quickly glanced into the room to see the source of the voices. Standing with his back towards Harry was Professor Dumbledore, where as facing him was Professor Snape. The look on Professor Snape's face, however, was not calm like it usually was when he was in Dumbledore's presence. It seemed aggravated…It seemed confused…it seemed almost happy. All at the same time.

"Lily Evans?" Snape said. "She's here?"

"Yes, Severus." Dumbledore said. "Do you have any idea as to how that might be possible? She said you were the last thing she encountered before she ended up here."

"Well Professor," Snape said. "I do remember trying to concoct a time traveling potion when I was younger. However I hardly remember it, seeing as it never worked."

"Well apparently it did," Dumbledore said.

"I don't know what to tell you Professor," Snape said. "I don't recall it at all, and certainly do not recall ever making a antidote."

"Severus," Dumbledore said. "She needs to get back to her time. The time of your youth. Are you saying that there's nothing you can do?"

A smile came over Snape's face that Harry didn't like. There was something menacing and very creepy about it. "Yes, Professor," Snape said. "That's exactly what I'm saying."