Hindsight

Summary: "Ten years," James whispered to his wife. "We've been dead for Ten years… how is this possible?" Ten years after the tragedy at Godric's Hollow, James and Lily come back to life and find their world turned upside down.

Chapter 13

"You want me to what?"

Lily smothered her giggles with her fist as James tried explaining it again. Remus and Sirius were snickering behind them.

"You have to run through that wall right there."

"To knock myself unconscious and magically wake up at Hogwarts?" Harry said flatly.

"The wall is like a gateway, Harry," his mother clarified through her laughter. "The platform to Nine and Three-Quarters is on the other side. You don't think they'd leave a train bound for a school of witchcraft out in the open for all the muggles to see, do you?"

Harry stared at the wall between Platform Nine and Ten wearily. "You're sure? This isn't some stupid joke?"

"Do you really think I would lead you astray?"

Harry gave his father a pointed glare. James shrugged helplessly in reply.

"Alright, so I jump scared you that one time! How was I supposed to know you would fall down the stairs?"

That prank wasn't the best idea in retrospect. One morning, when Harry was still feeling down about leaving home, James thought a little joke would cheer him up a bit. He hid against the stairs and jumped out with a loud shout when he saw Harry's feet appear next to the banister. He only had a few steps left, and didn't get any injuries that would've required healing spells, but Lily wanted to murder James all the same when Harry missed a step from shock and fell down the rest of the way.

"Maybe your father would trick you like that, but you know I wouldn't," Lily told their son. "Now, go on."

"You first."

She looked to Sirius and Remus. Without being told, they walked ahead of them and into the wall. Harry's eyes widened when he watched them disappear. Hedwig hooted in dismay, confused as to what just occurred. "Believe us now?" James teased. "Go on, Har. We'll be right behind you."

Harry gripped the handle of his cart tightly. "Hang on, Hedwig," he warned then took off at the wall as fast as he could. He was sure he'd crash into the barrier, hurtle over his cart, and probably hurt Hedwig in the process but, quite magically, he kept on running until he was standing in front of a great steam engine. Harry looked around in amazement, catching sight of a sign that read "Hogwarts Express." The platform was packed with people, many of whom where clearly Hogwarts bound like he was. He was just wondering where Sirius and Remus had disappeared to when he finally caught a glimpse of Sirius' hair in the middle of a large crowd.

"Welcome back, Mr. Black!" he heard someone say.

"A hero you are, a true hero!"

"Are you here with Harry Potter?"

"Is it true you're his godfather? If only they knew that before! They would've never arrested you!"

"How about we go and rescue Padfoot?" he heard his father whisper into his ear. Harry looked over his shoulder at his parents. He hadn't noticed them come through the barrier. Lily was already pushing passed them to break the crowd apart.

"That's enough," she called out, her blonde hair whipping about as she shoved people away as kindly as she could. "Mr. Black is trying to see his godson off in peace. Let him be!"

Sirius looked insurmountably relieved to see them. He rushed to Harry's side and took hold of the cart for him. "Come on, kid, let's get you on this train so I can get the hell out of here."

"Very nice, Sirius," Remus drawled. "See if he misses you after that farewell."

"Harry, darling!"

They all watched Molly Weasley wave at them quite frantically a few meters away. She was surrounded by redheads but Harry was only interested in where his new friend was. He jogged ahead, knowing Sirius had control of his cart, and greeted Molly hurriedly. "Hello, Mrs. Weasley. Where's Ron?"

"He's on the train already, dear. I told him to save a compartment for you and Neville," she answered. "Fred, George! Come here. Introduce yourself to Ron's friend."

"Blimey, Ron wasn't lying!" one boy said. Harry noticed he was standing next to an identical copy of himself. So these were the twin brothers Ron had complained about. "Nice to meet you, Harry. I'm Fred, and this is George."

'He's lying. I'm Fred. He's George."

"We hear you've become mates with ickle Ronniekins. He may not be the best of us Weasleys, but I suppose he's far better than Percy."

Another boy, looking older than the twins and wearing horn-rimmed glasses, came up next to them with a scowl. "Percy Weasley, Harry. Please ignore my juvenile brothers. Sorry I can't stay to chat, but I'm up front with the other prefects-"

"You're a prefect, Percy?" one of the twins exclaimed with an air of great surprise. "You should have said something, we had no idea!"

Harry tried not to laugh to save Percy embarrassment as they continued to tease him for what must have been a full summer of Percy's bragging. Molly interrupted their banter before it could get out of hand by ordering the twins to carry Harry's trunk to Ron's compartment. He grabbed Hedwig's cage and watched the twins take his trunk into the train before turning to his family.

"This is it," he breathed softly. "I'll miss you."

"Come here," Sirius beckoned. He wrapped Harry in a tight embrace. "You'll have too much fun at school to even remember little old us. We'll see you during the winter holidays."

"Take care of yourself, Harry," Remus told him when it was his turn to say goodbye. "I packed chocolates in your trunk, for whenever you're feeling ill."

"Take care of yourself too, Moony. Promise me." Remus nodded as he stared down at the boy fondly.

Harry looked at his parents, who didn't actually look like his parents at the moment. It would be an odd sight if anyone saw the three of them getting emotional with each other.

"Are you ready to go to Kings Cross, Harry?" Lily asked him. "We'll be side-along apparating you there. Would you like to go with me or your father?"

"Hang on a second."

The couple looked at their son with worry. "Is something wrong?"

Harry shook his head. "I just know that if we were to say the goodbye we want at the station, people will look at us funny. We don't exactly look related right now, and if you're supposed to be acting as my bodyguards, it'll be weird if I just started… crying over leaving you." He smiled as he stepped forward and brought them both into a hug. They held him between them like they didn't want to let him go. "I'll miss you both. Very much."

"We'll miss you too, son."

"More than anything. This house will be lonely without you."

Harry smiled at them with watery eyes. "I'll be seeing you."

James looked nothing but proud. "We'll be seeing you."

"Goodbye, sweetheart," Lily whispered so no one would hear.

Before he could change his mind, Harry boarded the train and headed down the direction he saw Fred and George go down. It didn't take him long to find Ron, who was sitting by himself and waving at his mother through the window. They were excited to see each other and were quick to fall into conversation but the moment the train began to move, Harry stared out at his family with a forlorn expression and a heavy heart. James nodded encouragingly as Lily pushed through the crowd and walked along the platform side by side with his compartment until she could follow him no longer. Harry sat back in his seat with a sigh and Ron, noticing his friend's sadness, leaned forward and patted his knee.

"It's alright, Harry. You'll be going home sooner than you think."

Harry grinned at him thankfully. "Wait a second, where's Neville?"

"No idea! I searched for him everywhere but I couldn't leave this compartment alone otherwise someone would have taken it."

It was only when the countryside had appeared outside, with rolling hills and twisting rivers, that Neville finally showed up looking tearful and quite perplexed.

"Nev?" said Ron, flabbergasted by the boy's appearance. "What's happened to you?"

"It's Trevor. I can't find him!"

"You lost, Trevor? How is that possible?"

"I don't know! He keeps getting away from me!"

"He'll turn up," Harry said but Neville didn't look consoled. "Where are your things, Neville? Come bring them here and then we'll help you look for him too."

He left quickly and Ron couldn't help but shrug. "I don't know why he's so bothered. If I brought a toad I'd lose it as quick as I could. Mind you, I brought Scabbers, so I can't talk." He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a fat gray rat that was fast asleep. "I'd introduce you to him but he won't wake up no matter what I do to him. He might have died and you wouldn't know the difference."

Harry poked the rat with his wand and noted that it did indeed look like it was dead. "Might want to put him away. Hedwig looks like she might eat him for lunch." Hedwig hooted indignantly and turned away from them as if to say she wouldn't dare touch something so pitiful.

"Even she doesn't want him," Ron laughed. "You know, George gave me a spell to turn him yellow. Should I try it?"

"Sure!"

He had just raised his wand when their door slid open again, but instead of Neville, a girl with very bushy brown hair stood there, already wearing her Hogwarts robes. "Have any of you seen a toad? A boy named Neville's lost one." Her tone was rather bossy and she seemed like she wasn't listening when Ron explained that they'd already spoken to Neville just a few minutes ago. "Oh, are you doing magic? Let's see it, then."

She sat down next to Harry and they both were taken aback by her forwardness, not that she noticed.

"Er… all right," Ron muttered before clearing his throat. "Sunshine, daisies, butter mellow, turn this stupid, fat rat yellow."

Nothing happened. Scabbers was still gray and unconscious.

The girl raised a brow. "Are you sure that's a real spell? Well, it's not very good, is it? I've tried a few simple spells just for practice and it's all worked for me." She continued on talking, but Harry was too busy thinking how she very tactlessly embarrassed Ron and they didn't even know her name. As if sensing his thoughts, the girl finally introduced herself. "I'm Hermione Granger, by the way, who are you?"

"I'm Ron Weasley," Ron muttered. "And this is my friend, Harry."

Hermione turned to him and he saw her eyes flicker to his forehead. If she knew who he was, she didn't have time to say anything for Neville had arrived back, his trunk in hand.

"Oh, thank Merlin," Ron blurted out. "Er- that you're back, Neville. We were worried about you. Here, let me give you a hand with your trunk. Found Trevor yet?"

"Oh!" Hermione jumped out of her seat. "I'm ever so sorry, Neville! I got so caught up in a conversation with your friends here that I forgot we were looking for Trevor. I'll go on and continue my search for him." She shimmied passed them, but turned back with one last thing to say before she left. "You three had better change, you know, I expect we'll be there soon."

"Bloody hell, Nev, how'd you get stuck with her?" Ron groaned. "She talks a lot, doesn't she?"

Neville frowned. "But she's nice! She's been trying to help me find Trevor since the train left the station."

Harry didn't have the heart to insult Hermione when Neville had obviously taken a liking to her. "Why don't we just sit down for now, Nev? You've been on your feet for too long, already. If Trevor's on this train, he's likely not going to go anywhere."

Ron pulled Neville down onto his seat. "Yeah, and if he's off somewhere else, then we'll get you another Toad that's a bit more faithful to its owner."

They quickly distracted Neville with a discussion about Quidditch, which he surprisingly had no problem debating about with Ron. Harry, who pulled out one of the Chocolate Frogs that Remus had packed for him and began munching on it, was happy to listen to them since he knew none of the teams besides English National. As he was just about to open another Frog, he instead froze in astonishment when Neville suddenly bellowed "You're mental if you think the Chudley Cannons have any chance of making it to the World Cup this year!" Realizing what he said and how he said it, he blushed bright red and began stammering an apology. "I mean! I'm sorry, Ron. I didn't mean it!"

But Ron didn't look mad. In fact, he seemed rather pleased with what little they saw of Neville's confidence. "Don't worry about it, mate. You have a right to your wrong opinions."

Harry laughed heartily and nudged the boy when he became very quiet. "Go on, Neville. You aren't going to let Ron win, are you?"

He looked like he was about to say something, but shrunk back immediately when someone decided to enter their compartment again.

To Harry's great displeasure, he looked up to find the arrogant boy from Madam Malkin's shop. He was eying Harry with a lot more interest than before and Harry was sure it was because he knew who he was this time around.

"So it's true. They're saying all down the train that Harry Potter's in this compartment. You weren't lying about who you were, then?"

"Not sure why I would lie about who I am," he responded.

Harry looked beyond the blond and stared at the mean looking boys behind him. "Oh," this is Crabbe and Goyle," the boy said when he noticed what caught Harry's interest. "And I'm Malfoy. Draco Malfoy."

Ron coughed like he was trying to hide a snigger. Draco's eyes narrowed on him.

"Think my name's funny, do you? No need to ask who you are. My father told me all the Weasleys have red hair, freckles and more children than they can afford."

Harry jumped to his feet, balling his trembling fists but willing himself not to punch Malfoy in the mouth.

Draco, quite ignorantly, stuck his hand out for Harry to shake as though he hadn't just insulted his friend. "You'll soon find out some wizarding families are much better than others, Potter. You don't want to go making friends with the wrong sort. I can help you there."

He wasn't quite sure who this boy thought he was but he stuck his hands into his pockets, refusing to take the hand in front of him. "I think I can tell who the wrong sort are for myself, thanks," he said coolly.

Malfoy's pale cheeks turned pink and he glared angrily. "I'd be careful if I were you, Potter. Unless you're a bit politer you'll go the same way as your parents. They didn't know what was good for them either."

Whatever he had to say next was cut short when Harry shoved him backwards into the massive boys, sending them all stumbling back into the wall behind them. Harry slid the compartment door shut and flicked the lock on the door so they couldn't get back in.

"Sorry!" Harry called loudly through the glass as he watched them scramble to their feet. "We've got to get changed. You ought to do so as well. I expect we'll be there soon!" With that, he pulled the curtains shut so their view of the horrid boy was obscured.

"Your family won't be happy if they hear you fought someone on your first day away," Neville said worriedly.

Ron was too busy smirking. "That was bloody brilliant, Harry! I'd like to see that git mess with you again after that."

"James! James, are you awake?"

James glowered at his wife as he rolled over onto his back with a groan. "Well, I am now, aren't I?" he said shortly. "The sun hasn't even come up yet, Lily. What's so urgent it couldn't wait a few hours?"

He got his answer when Hedwig flew over and perched on his covered knee "Look! She's got a letter for us!" Lily rejoiced. After a week of waiting for Harry to send them word, they finally had a letter.

"And you couldn't wait until breakfast to deliver it?" he asked the bird accusingly. Hedwig pecked at him, disliking his ingratitude, but dropped the letter on his lap before flying over to the chair and away from her companion's irritable father. "Well, what does it say?" he asked when Lily grabbed it and tore it open.

She grinned at him. "Gryffindor."

"Thatta boy," James stated smugly. "What else does he have to say?"

"Hmm… says Neville nearly lost Trevor but that Hagrid found the toad and returned it to him… met a girl-"

"A girl?" he exclaimed. "Already writing home about a girl? He really does take after me, doesn't he?"

"A girl he finds to be 'quite a know-it-all but Neville's become friends with her so we're trying our best to tolerate her,' so no, James, not quite." The man deflated instantly. "Says that everyone's been following him around because of who he is and that it's getting rather irritating and that… oh dear."

"What? What is it?"

Lily frowned as she read over the same sentence over and over again. "He says that Severus is just 'as much of a git as dad said he was' and has been on his case since the start of classes."

Fury bubbled in James' stomach as he pictured Snape force-feeding his son an unnamed vial of a black potion. "Where does he get off? You'd think he would grow up a little and keep his grudges with me against me and not our innocent son."

Despite wanting to strangle the man herself, Lily searched for a silver lining as fast as she could before James stormed to Hogwarts and attack the potions master. "Wait, look! Harry says it's nothing he can't handle and not to worry. And that he's excited for his flying lessons to start on Thursday. That was yesterday! See, your son will finally be learning to fly a broom."

"I should be teaching him, Lily," he moaned. "You robbed that experience from me."

She rolled her eyes and continued reading. "He says he misses us, orders us to make sure Remus gets plenty of sleep with the full moon drawing near in two weeks, and that he hopes Sirius' nightmares aren't getting to him now that he doesn't have someone to sleep next to him at night. It's signed 'Love, your son, Harry.' Oh, gosh, I miss him so much already. Is it too late to home school him?"

"You nearly ripped my head off when I suggested that a few weeks ago!"

"Well, that was before I realized how much this would hurt!"

James flopped back onto his pillow and rolled onto his side. "I'm going back to sleep. Wake me for breakfast, will you?"

"James!"

"And not a minute before, Lily!"

AN: So i'm going to be one hundred percent honest with you guys and confess that I uploaded the next chapter of this story so quickly merely to make this Note so I hope you guys are going to read my angry rant.

If not, totally fine and if I lose readers for this then tough cookies for me.

I'm usually all for respecting everyone's opinions and what not, but this one thing always grinds my gears and I feel the need to defend my own opinion for once. Someone messaged me as a guest so I wasn't able to do this in private, but if there's one thing that gets me annoyed it's Ronald Bashing. So sit down and get comfy because Mama's gonna get ya'll learnt about Ronald Bilius Weasley.

He has had the tendency to be a prat, yes, I won't deny that.

But this is the boy that didn't give two shits about blood purity and was vocal about it. This boy jumped into a conversation between Harry and Draco so that Harry wouldn't look ignorant about the wizarding world, which in turn would have given Draco more ammo to use against him. This is the boy that told Neville to start standing up for himself against his bully. This is the boy that sacrificed himself on a killer chess board because he knew the Sorcerer's Stone was going to be used for evil.

This is the boy that got his twin brothers to fly a damn car to Surrey because he knew his best friend was being abused. This is the boy who went into the Forbidden Forest, knowing full well he had to follow his worst fear to save the school, who dove into the Chamber of Secrets with Harry to save his little sister.

This is the boy who gave up his fight with Hermione immediately when they found out Buckbeak was going to be executed and that she needed all the help she could get looking into laws to save him. He's the boy that YELLED at Snape when he insulted Hermione and ended up getting detention for it. He's the boy that stood on a mangled leg and told Sirius Black that he'd have to kill him if he wanted to kill Harry.

This is the boy who is used to being seventh best because yes even Ginny gets more attention from his family than he does and yes he let that jealousy get to him when his celebrity best friend once again got the spotlight, but realized how ridiculous he was and apologized. This is the boy that stood by Harry's side when the whole school refused to believe him about Voldemort being back. This is the boy who rushed into the Ministry of Magic, thinking they were going to attack the Dark Lord to save Sirius. The boy who stuck by his friend's side when they found out the truth about the prophecy.

Yes, this is the boy who was a complete and total ass about his sister dating because of his ridiculous over-protectiveness (because let's be honest, if there's a girl that can handle herself, it's Ginny Weasley), but he's also the boy that told Harry not to give Ginny any false hope because he damn well loves his sister and doesn't want her to get hurt.

This is the boy that carried a Horcrux around his neck for weeks, which made him lash out at his best friends, but the moment he was no longer under its influence, he realized what he'd done and tried to find them again. And he didn't even blame his actions on the horcrux. The boy who was faced with his insecurities about being unloved and uncared for by his best friend and the woman he loves. The boy who begged Bellatrix to take him instead of Hermione. The boy screamed and shouted and cried when he was forced to listen to Hermione getting tortured. The boy who told Hermione they should save the house elves, who had the strength to keep fighting even though his brother died and his friends died and, to his knowledge, Harry died.

So sorry, if I'm the one with the wildly unpopular opinion. Ya'll can live your lives hating Ron but he's so misunderstood, especially because of the way the movies have portrayed him, taking all his good aspects away from him and making him a dundering fool.

#WeasleyIsMyKing