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 16

"Come on… Are you all right?"

"I'm fine, Potter."

"Severus, as much as I care for your wellbeing right now-and I'm surprisingly saying that with sincerity- I was talking to Ronald."

Snape gazed at the red-haired boy with disdain, though James could see it was rather halfhearted.

Before Longbottom was even done speaking, Snape had grabbed James by the collar of his robes and dragged him out of Dumbledore's office and down to the third floor corridor. James hadn't truly understood how "ginormous" the three-headed dog Harry spoke of was until he saw it. They narrowly avoided being eaten by the beast that was guarding an unconscious Hagrid instead of the trapped door. They calmed him down when they found Hagrid's wooden flute lying on the ground and enchanted it to play. Severus blasted light through the Devil's Snare they landed on and James, quite quickly, overcame the following obstacle when he had to hop on a broom and catch a key to the locked door blocking them from advancing. To their relief, they had just caught Ron and Hermione before they could step onto a large chessboard. After a very furious scolding from James, and promises of expulsion from Snape, they had planned on sending them back. To their dismay, the two students hopped onto the board and locked their place in the game. James and Severus grew incensed, but hurried to follow them.

"Is he okay?" Hermione asked them frantically once the game was done.

James was still tapping Ron's face, trying to ignore Snape's mutterings of "idiotic, hard-headed Gryffindors." He had done a reviving spell on the boy, but it wasn't doing much. "Hermione, run and find one of the Professors. Tell them what's happening and get help for Ron."

"But Harry-"

"We will take care of Potter, Granger," Snape snapped at her. "Go already. Your friend needs help."

They watched Hermione run back before continuing on. James backpedaled against a wall at what he saw. A very large troll lay flat on the floor, unconscious and bleeding heavily from the head. "Thank bloody hell that one's taken care of," James mumbled as they hurdled over it and to the next door. His fear of what would come next didn't slowed him down-he was too desperate to find his family- but paused in surprise at what he saw. A row of potions lay across a plain table. They walked closer only to be surrounded by black flames in front of them and purple behind. "What are we-"

"It's this vial," Snape said impatiently, grabbing the smallest phial and passing it to James. He reached for another and shoved it into James' other hand. "And this one to get out. It's enchanted to refill whenever someone new comes through these trials, not that it matters. I planned it so there would only be enough for one. Merlin knows how Lily and Harry got through. Drink this, and you'll be able to go through the flames."

He looked at him incredulously. "What kind of piss poor planning is that? Enough for one? One person to go in and try to stop Voldemort?"

"One person as in Quirrell may have been able to get in but whatever vessel the Dark Lord is using can't get in with him, you arrogant twit," Snape growled in his face. "And it's my piss poor planning," he pulled another identical vial out of his pocket, "that makes me carry around a spare in case of something like this."

James gave him a withering glare before pulling the stopper off his own potion and chugging it down. He threw it away and walked into the flames hurriedly, Snape just behind him. For a while they saw nothing but black until, finally, he reached a chamber on the other side. He raised his wand and searched for the defense professor, but didn't see him.

"Lily," he heard Snape whisper before he was pushed aside. "Lily!"

James followed him quickly, overtaking him to look at what he was seeing.

Lily was sitting on the ground, staring out blankly at a sack of clothing and ash lying on the ground. Harry was in her arms, blood trailing down his forehead from his scar. James felt his throat close and his eyes water. "No- he… is he…"

"He told him," Lily whispered. "Voldemort told him..."

James grabbed their son and shook him roughly. "Told him? Told him what, Lily?" She didn't answer. He turned his attention to the boy. "H-Harry? Harry, son, wake up. Wake up! HARRY!"

"Harry?"

Harry snapped out of his daze. James was standing in his doorway, smiling at him hesitantly.

"Have you been awake long?"

He shook his head.

"Are you coming down for breakfast?"

A shrug.

"All right… your mother will be coming up soon. And…" James tried his best to cover the way his voice was cracking. "And Happy Christmas, Harry."

It had been a month since Quirrell abducted Harry and Lily, and Harry was still waking up in the middle of the night from nightmares. Sirius was now sleeping next to him as Padfoot for the boy's comfort and not his own. Remus was beside himself with worry and Lily was having trouble sleeping. James, to his dismay, was having his own troubles keeping his family together without his wife's help.

It turned out that Voldemort didget through to the last chamber because the vessel he was using was in fact Quirrell himself. When James was busy saving Snape from being set on fire during the Quidditch game, Voldemort had seen him through Quirrell's eyes and saw past the glamour easily.

In his fury at seeing James Potter alive, Voldemort ordered Quirrell to find and take him. "Dumbledore's plot! He might know how to retrieve the Stone! Go Quirrell Now!" To his utter glee, they stumbled upon Lily Potter instead. "Even better." Quirrell used Hagrid to get pass Fluffy then knocked him unconscious, forced Harry to get the flying key, had them play the chess game with them under the threat of immediate death for Harry. He had Lily fight the troll as he kept his wand at Harry's throat, made her figure out which potion was right and gave them the smallest of drops to drink of it so that, when he forced them through the fire, they survived but had many burn marks once they were out of the thick of it.

Once they were in the last chamber, Quirrell demanded Lily to explain how they were back. Had they survived the Killing Curse like their son? Did they use the Stone?

"Tell me!"

Lily had been shocked. Quirrell didn't know they were resurrected, but she played along and refused to tell him anything.

"Torture her."

They looked around wildly. Voldemort. Voldemort was in the chamber with them.

Harry gasped out a loud "no!" as he watched his mother crumble to the floor when a bright red light hit her in the chest. Her body was twitching wildly and she was biting her lip hard enough to bleed but she could hold it no longer. She screamed until her voice went raw.

"STOP IT! STOP IT, THEY DON'T KNOW! THEY DON'T KNOW HOW THEY'RE BACK!"

Harry's proclamation to save his mother made Voldemort and Quirrell realize the truth. The Potters' return was a miracle, set in motion by Quirrell while he tried to revive his master. The bumbling servant had ruined the ritual and gave life to his enemies rather than him.

"Voldemort said Quirrell had found a necromancer in his search for a way to bring him back," Lily explained to them monotonously in Dumbledore's office. Her skin was still red and her hands were trembling in her lap. Her eyes continued flickering to the door, like she was about to run out and up to the Hospital Wing where her son was. "The man had been studying dark magic for his entire life and finally was able to create a ritual to bring back the dead. He killed to do it… and then summoned the magic he used to take away life to give it back."

She paused.

James looked like he was going to be sick. He'd never seen Lily so shaken.

"Quirrell killed the man so that Voldemort and he alone would know of the ritual. And they performed it. And it worked."

"I don't understand… How did it bring us back and not Him?"

Lily looked like she was sifting through her memories. "It's… His wand."

Dumbledore inhaled sharply. "His wand? Quirrell found it?"

She shook her head. "No… no they couldn't find it. But they thought because his spell backfired against him, it was the wand to 'kill him.' They didn't need the wand on hand, just the magic within it to be brought forth but… something must have gone wrong, maybe in his words when summoning the wand's magic or maybe the wand was too far… but it brought us back instead. The last two people he killed."

She and James weren't sure how they felt about it all, but they were at least relieved that a Death Eater intent on harm wasn't what brought them back.

Fudge was now trying even harder to convince them on a reveal to the public, but they were still hesitant, especially now with Harry….

With Harry still so… traumatized.

"He told him?" Dumbledore questioned sharply.

"Not the prophecy, but that James and I died protecting him… that we would've lived if we just stood aside and let Him kill him. Harry asked, when he woke up at the Wing. He won't stop asking why Voldemort wanted him dead." Her voice was trembling. "What do I tell him? How are we supposed to tell him the truth?"

"Love?"

Lily looked up from the sink where she was washing dishes and smiled at her husband. "You know I hate being snuck up on," she jested. "Is he okay?" James sighed, resting his chin on her shoulder and wrapping his arms around her from behind. "I'll take that as a no, then?"

Sirius knocked on the kitchen door to alert them of his presence. "Another nightmare last night," he murmured. "I'm thinking of teaching him how to meditate. Maybe it'll calm his thoughts like they did mine. Ease his nightmares."

"We'd appreciate it, Pads," James told him quietly. "Do you know what it was about this time?"

"I think it was about... well about Lily being… and uhm, how he had to… Quirrell. The end was about Quirrell."

James stiffened and Lily turned in his arms to calm him. "Not this again. You know it isn't your fault."

"My son is having attacks in his sleep because I didn't get to the filthy bastard first," he growled. "I sent you both off rather than kept you safe at my side. I don't even know what I was thinking. So bloody stupid-"

"He would've found another way, another time," Sirius argued. "You can't keep dwelling in your guilt whenever something like this happens, James."

"Well this something happens to be a big thing, Sirius," James snapped. "Harry is plagued with nightmares of killing a man-"

"Dad?"

They all turned to see Harry standing there uncomfortably. He was tugging on the bottom of his shirt and staring at the floor.

"Harry," James breathed. "Harry, I'm so sorry, I didn't see you there."

"It's alright," he said hurriedly. "But I don't blame you, really. And the nightmares about Quirrell only come once in a while. It's mostly… It's mostly dreams that he killed…" Harry glanced up at his mother then brought his gaze back to the tiles at his feet. "But I'm all right. It's not as bad as before. Right, Siri?" His godfather said nothing in reply. "I don't want to ruin Christmas. This is our first Christmas together."

"You aren't ruining Christmas, baby," Lily swore, rushing to her son and sweeping him into a hug. "Oh, darling, you aren't ruining anything."

He nodded slowly. "I got you all presents. Well, I mean- Remus got them for me. Said he wouldn't mind knowing what his present was already so he went to Diagon Ally and got them all. But I told him what to get so they really are from me, promise. They're under the tree already. Would you like to open them?"

"Of course," Lily beamed. "Come, Harry. Your presents are there too."

Their Christmas day was a quiet affair and not nearly the holiday celebration they imagined it would be but by the end of the night Harry was smiling again, which was all they could have asked for.

"How is he?"

James glared at the old man. "Fine."

Albus sighed, as he rested his folded hands on top of his desk. "James, I wish you would see that I didn't intend-"

"Your intentions don't mean anything to me, Albus," James growled. And they didn't. He didn't care that Albus needed Quirrell to find out what Voldemort's plans were. The world could go to hell for all he cared if it meant his son's life wasn't in jeopardy. "What did you need me for?"

The Headmaster did not waiver. "I just wanted to see how you were all doing after what happened. We haven't spoken since then."

"We're all fine, Albus."

"And I wondered if you would shed light on what you and Lily are doing about the Dursleys."

"Still none of your concern, now if you would excuse me, Harry is about to step out onto the Quidditch field and I promised him I wouldn't miss this game."

"One moment, James. Please."

He stopped but didn't turn around to face the Headmaster. Albus went to him instead.

"Here." James looked at what he had to offer him and tried not to show his excitement. There, in Albus' hands, was a box that held his old invisibility cloak. "I was originally going to give it to Harry for Christmas. That was my plan before you and Lily returned. It does need to be returned to its rightful owner, or maybe you'd like to give it to him yourself, as a late present."

"Thank you," he murmured grudgingly as he took it.

James swept out of the office without another word. He knew he was being rather harsh. Albus had always been an ally to them and would never lead them astray, but James was too mad to care. He was the one that left Harry to a life where he'd spend ten years in a cupboard. He was the one who kept Voldemort's servant in the school despite already having suspicions of him. It hurt him to question the man he'd looked up to and counted on for so long, but how was he supposed to trust Albus with his son's life anymore?

Distracted by his thoughts, he didn't notice he was about to walk into someone until they crashed into each other.

"Sorr- oh. Snape."

Snape gave him an irritated sneer. "Would you watch where you're going, Potter? Despite what you think, people aren't going to jump out of the way just because mighty Potter isn't paying attention to his surroundings."

James let out a huff but decided he was too tired to argue with the man. "I'm sorry, Snape. Won't happen again."

He looked bewildered at the reaction. "Sorry? You're apologizing to me?" James sat on a stone bench by the wall, threw the box at his feet and dropped his head into his hands. Snape stared at him warily, looking around to see if Black or Lupin were around to jump him. "What is this, Potter? Some kind of trick? We're not teens anymore. One would think you had enough time to grow up whilst in your coffin."

James breathed out a humorless laugh. "I can't believe I trust you more than I trust Albus."

"What?" he questioned flatly. "You've truly lost it all, haven't you?"

"No, I mean it," he argued. "Lily and I are still unhappy about the way you treated Harry in the beginning of the school year, but we both reckon you've proven yourself. You switched to the right side, you tried to save my son's life when Quirrell was attacking him at the Quidditch game, you helped me find my family… I really don't know how I can thank you for that. After all I've done to you-"

"Don't get sentimental on me you horrid prat," Snape spat. "I still hate you."

James reeled back defensively. "I still hate you too. Doesn't mean I don't respect you."

To Severus' utter shock, James stood and held a hand out to him. "What are you doing?"

"Didn't you just hear me? I respect you, Snape. This is me- apologizing for being a 'horrid prat' to you."

He grimaced at the outstretched hand like it was dirty. "No thank you," he stated before walking away. Snape heard James laugh behind him.

"You'll accept my hand one day, Severus! We've got bigger things to worry about than our childhood enmity!"

Snape quickened his pace as he felt his heart hammering away in his chest.

He wondered if Potter would still be stupid enough to take his hand if he knew the truth.

"You did wonderfully, darling," Lily praised.

"Even with that git making stupid calls," Sirius grumbled irately. Remus had spent the entire game trying to stop Sirius from finding a broom to fly up on so he could shove Snape off his own. "Who allowed him to referee this game? They had to know he wouldn't play fair after Slytherin's loss. Can't believe you tried to make amends with him, Prongs."

James rolled his eyes. "I thought it would be a nice gesture to extend my apologies first."

"And he hasn't been that bad to me recently," Harry added. He noticed the dubious look Sirius was giving him. "Honest! I suspect you have something to do with that?"

His father shook his head. "Don't look at me. If I tried anything, he would've probably been worse to you. It was this one." He jabbed his thumb in Lily's direction. "Threatened physical harm and everything."

Harry gave her a reproachful frown. "Well then he didn't stop because he realized he was wrong. He stopped because he got scared I'd tell on him again."

Sirius snorted. "More like he wanted to look good in front of his long lost love."

The youngest Potter gagged at the thought of his greasy professor pining after his mum.

James shrugged his shoulders. "Well, I guess what matters is he stopped. I was just trying to show my appreciation for that today, let bygones be bygones."

"Well, he'd obviously rather take your bygones and shove'em up your-"

"Anyone hungry?" Harry interrupted hurriedly. "Professor McGonagall said she's got a room set up for us to eat in, but I promised Wood I'd check in with him after the match. Didn't get to celebrate with them the last time."

Remus smiled at him. "Go on, Harry. Enjoy some post-game glory with your teammates."

"And when you come back, I have a surprise for you, Harry!" James told him. "A way gift for such an amazing game you played today."

Sirius was smiling now too. "Go flirt with some girls. Brag about how fast you caught that snitch."

Lily clicked her tongue but nodded encouragingly at her son. "We'll see you in a bit." When he ran from their hiding spot beneath the Quidditch stands, she rounded on Sirius once more. "James, tell your idiotic friend to stop corrupting our child."

"James, tell your bossy wife that her son is going to grow up one day, might as well start while he's young."

"I'm staying out of this one," James mumbled. "Moony, you hungry?"

"Famished," Remus answered, allowing James to grab him and drag him away from the feuding pair. Lily and Sirius continued to argue behind them the entire way back to the castle. "Truly though, James. I find it very noble what you did, even if he didn't accept your apology."

James shrugged. "He deserved it, didn't he? And at the end of the day, he's helped protect Harry twice already, the son of the man who tormented him in his schooldays. That just shows he's made as big of a change as I have. He'll see the light soon enough. I'm too charming to reject. Even Lily fell for me eventually."

Lily and Sirius, who finally stopped arguing, looked at each other knowingly. "A Galleon says they have another spat and James gives up on trying to be nice to Snivellus."

"I don't take bets that I know I'll lose, Pads," she muttered back to him.