A/N: You guys, I apologize profusely for the agonizingly long wait. I know, it's completely unacceptable. I just got really started at my new job, the hubby & I are in the process of moving (thank God), and my summer classes at the university are about to start soon. I also participated in wedding festivities as a bridesmaid for one of my best friends. It's been so hectic. I'm hoping things will calm down now!

Anyway, this is the next chapter. I hope you guys like it. I'm not done with Vernon's payback. It's explained in the story. This might not be exactly what some of you had in mind, but I thought Moony, Padfoot, and Prongs needed reunited bonding time. :) Plus, it was a bit hard to write a decent 'payback' scene. He'll get his comeuppance, though.

Thank you guys for being so patient with me. I'm forever grateful for all the reviews, follows, and favorites that I've received. It really makes me excited to keep writing! Enjoy!

Disclaimer: My magic genie won't grant my wish to be J.K. Rowling. So, unfortunately, I still don't own Harry Potter. Just the plot to this story and the idea of it.


Chapter 4

The three men that stood at the end of Privet Drive obviously did not belong there. They didn't seem to care, however, as they looked to be on a very grim mission. They were stopped at the end of the street, talking furiously in hushed voices and casting dark looks and glares at Number 4.

"…we have to know exactly what we're going to do before we walk up to the door; we need to have this clearly thought out," James said.

"I say we just Apparate straight in the sitting room and let the hexes fly," said Sirius angrily. "I want at those scum and to give them what they deserve as quickly as possible so we can get back to Harry."

"Honestly Sirius," said Remus, who was positively seething, "as much as the wolf in me agrees with you both and wants revenge, I still think we should talk to Dumbledore about taking this to the Ministry. Madame Bones has always highly respected Dumbledore. The full might of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement on them I think would do quite a bit more to them than we could. I mean, this is a bit mad. Harry doesn't even approve…"

Remus' lecture seemed to spark an epiphany of sorts in James and Sirius. Maybe it was the idea of Harry being disappointed in them that changed their minds, but they had both adopted a more somber look when he had finished.

"Of course, Moony," said James finally, sounding defeated. "You're absolutely right, as usual. I just got my son back; I don't want him to think his father is a git. But bloody hell, I sure feel like one."

Sirius looked to be at war with himself. "Alright," he relented, "but could we at least give them a parting gift until we get someone to look into it? I can't stand the idea of them even thinking they've got away with this or that it's over."

They all looked at each other for a minute, contemplating their next move. It was Remus who broke their silence.

"Well, I don't see what that could hurt," he said dangerously. "A little reminder that we haven't forgotten them and are pressing the matter might be in order."

"Excellent," said James and Sirius. The three turned and headed down the street.

When they reached the outside of Number 4, they looked in the window. Its inhabitants seemed blissfully unaware that there were three wizards standing just outside who would love nothing better than to tear them limb from limb. The Dursleys were watching television, and seemed perfectly content to do nothing.

"Well, let's get on with it," said James, sounding angrier than his two friends had ever heard.

"Anyone care to suggest some ideas?" asked Sirius.

"I have a few," said Remus wickedly. "We could bewitch things to attack them when they touch it…"

Sirius grinned. "So you haven't given up your old pranking ways, eh, Moony? You've been holding out on me."

"How about charming things to make noise constantly?" supplied James. "Causing stuff to just…happen? Bewitch the toilets to overflow, the cupboards to just open and dump their contents, explode some pipes, rugs to snatch themselves out from under them when they walk on them."

Sirius and Remus looked at each other and saw their wicked grins mirrored on each other's face.

"I really have missed you, Prongs," said Remus excitedly.

"I would hope so," said James, though this comment obviously touched him. "Now, let's hurry; I miss my son."

They set about their new plan, going from window to window and bewitching everything in sight that could move to do something and fight whoever might be unfortunate enough to walk past or touch it. Thanks to Sirius, every time someone tried to sit at the table, the chairs would move themselves farther from the table, keeping anyone from sitting down. James had cursed the sink to continuously run water after it was turned on and the sink sprayer to wreak havoc. Remus charmed doors to open randomly and cupboards and drawers to open and shut when they were passed. The TVs were bewitched to constantly change channels, making it impossible to choose a channel. They charmed the dishes to zoom across the room out of the owners' hands and smash into walls. They were thoroughly enjoying themselves, thinking of all the trouble their spells would be causing the Dursleys over the next few days.

"I think we've done enough," said Remus with a grim look.

Sirius and James were putting the finishing touches on their contributions; Sirius had charmed the staircase to turn into a slope that would make the stairs disappear, making it almost impossible to reach the upstairs. James had created invisible walls at the entrance to the kitchen and the back door.

"They won't know what hit them," said James with a smirk.

"It'll be like their house is fighting back against them," said Sirius, sounding extremely pleased.

"I'd love to stay and watch our handiwork for a bit," said Remus, "but we really do need to get back to Harry. Our marauding is done here."

Sirius and James nodded in agreement and lowered their wands. The three set off down the street, leaving no visible trace that they were ever there.


Lily sat in a chair next to her son's hospital bed, just watching him sleep. If this was what condition he was in after less than a month… Lily hated to think what could have happened to him if someone hadn't gotten him for the entire summer. What had happened to him before? This obviously was not the first time this had happened. But to what extent had things gone in the past?

The guys had not been gone very long; maybe half an hour at the most. But Lily was content here, just watching Harry sleep. He seemed peaceful, but he didn't look exactly relaxed. He had been through so much that he didn't deserve. Right now, as he slept, Lily thought back to when he was a baby and she would watch him sleep. It seemed like only yesterday, but he had changed and grown up so much since then. Even though he was nearly grown, Lily wanted to scoop him up and hold him and never let go.

She reached out to hold Harry's hand just as James, Sirius, and Remus walked in. After a minute, she let him hand go and got up to meet the three Marauders.

"How is Harry?" asked James before kissing her on the cheek.

"He's been sound asleep ever since you lot left," said Lily fondly. "What did you do, by the way? You weren't gone long."

The three wizards shared a glance and smirked.

"We didn't do anything to them directly," said James slyly. "We're letting their house do our bidding."

"When we got there, we decided that it might be counter-productive if we attacked. Harry just wants to move on from it, and it wouldn't help him if we all went to Azkaban for attacking Muggles. We decided to ask Dumbledore to talk to Madame Bones about what could be done. But we figured a little mean-spirited pranking wouldn't hurt anyone," explained Remus with a roguish grin.

Lily laughed and asked, "What did you do? You have to tell me!"

Sirius quickly obliged. He relished both the opportunity to be pulling pranks with his best friends again and to tell someone of their excitement. "We charmed and bewitched everything that could move or make noise to do it. They'll have one hell of a time trying to cook and eat on their dishes for a good while. I'd love to see them try to get upstairs; Merlin, that would be hilarious. All their doors and cupboards are going to constantly be opening and closing, thanks to Moony. Prongs built invisible walls all over the place – they won't even see it coming. I'd be willing to call it our masterpiece."

Lily was laughing so hard she was crying. "That is perfect. Genius."

"You really should consider coming with us sometime," said James, trying to coax Lily into being a prankster.

"No, James, I think I'll leave that to you," said Lily coolly. "Besides, I couldn't leave Harry. Not now."

The four adults turned to look at said child, who was currently sleeping in his hospital bed. He was twitching in his sleep, and that concerned them. James moved to Harry's side and took his son's hand. He reached up to run a hand through Harry's hair when he noticed something unusual.

"He has a fever," James said quietly. "He's burning up."

"It's probably the potions," said Remus. "The potions are speeding up his healing process and increasing his body temperature. It's normal – it should break before he wakes up again."

"That doesn't keep me from being worried though," said James, eyeing Harry cautiously.

Harry began to moan in his sleep. His twitching became more like spasms and he started to whimper.

"He's dreaming," said Sirius. "I wonder what it's about."

"No… Please, no," Harry moaned, as if on cue. "Please, stop. Don't! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to!"

Harry had begun to get louder with each word. He was shouting, thrashing in his sleep, attempting to fight off an unseen attacker. James and Sirius had started to shake him lightly, pleading for him to wake up, that it was only a dream. Harry screamed, agonizing and painful screams that were terrifying for anyone to hear.

"Harry? Harry! Wake up, son!" pleaded James, shaking Harry and pulling him close. "Harry, son, it's only a dream! It's not real! Wake up, look at me! You're here, with me and Mum, and Uncle Padfoot and Uncle Moony. Come on, Prongslet. Wake up for Daddy."

James was half-crying himself. Seeing his boy in such terror was heart wrenching, and not being able to do anything about it made it that much worse. He would have gladly fought all of the demons that plagued his son's dreams if it meant that Harry could have a little peace. James pulled Harry tight to his chest as the boy screamed in terror, gently rocking him and whispering comforting words in his ear.

Harry's breathing hitched and he choked out a sob. James rubbed his back and ran a hand through Harry's hair.

"Harry? Come on, wake up, kiddo," said Sirius soothingly. "Your dad is a mess; you're scaring us, mate."

Harry gave a jerk and his eyes flew open, looking around wildly. Lily placed his glasses on his face quickly.

"Sweetheart?" she said calmly. "It's okay, Harry. It was just a bad dream."

Harry was shaking and sobbing. As he slowly came out of his post-dream fog, he realized someone was holding him still. Harry struggled against his father's strong hold, but he quickly gave up after seeing there was no point in fighting. He allowed James to hold him while he sobbed, still not entirely aware of his surroundings.

"I'm-I'm s-sorry…" Harry choked out after he had calmed down. "I d-didn't mean t-to wake y-you."

James and Lily stared at each other before looking at Sirius and Remus. They all looked back at Harry in confusion as he sobbed into his dad's chest.

"Harry, none of us were asleep," said Remus. "You haven't been asleep long either."

"Breathe, Harry, breathe," said Sirius, attempting to calm him.

"Y-you aren't m-mad?" Harry asked fearfully.

"Of course not, sweetheart," replied Lily, who now had tears in her eyes as well. "It was a nightmare. You can't help that. We could never be angry with you over a nightmare."

Harry looked at his mother in disbelief. Why weren't they angry with him? He had made so much noise, even if it hadn't woken them up, surely they were at least annoyed with him?

"Would it help to tell us what it was about, son?" asked James, rubbing a comforting hand up and down Harry's back.

"Dursleys," was all Harry offered.

The four adults shared a sad and slightly concerned look.

"Oh, Harry," whispered Sirius.

Harry sniffed and buried his face in his father's now wet t-shirt. James kissed the top of Harry's head and whispered comforting words to him.

"Here, let me," said Lily, pulling Harry from James' arms and into her own.

"S-sorry about your shirt, D-Dad," Harry muttered.

"My shirt? Harry, that's nothing to worry about," James said.

Lily held the still shaking and silently crying Harry tight, wiping the tears from his cheeks as they continued to fall. "Shh, Harry, it's okay, darling. Will one of you go fetch Poppy? He needs either Dreamless Sleep or a calming potion."

"I will," Sirius offered.

As he left, James spoke to his son. "Harry," he said cautiously, "you do know we would never hurt you, right? Especially not over a nightmare. Not your mum, not me, not Sirius, not Remus; not a single one of us would ever lay a hand on you. You understand that, right?"

Harry paused for a moment before answering. Slowly, he nodded and quietly said, "Yes, sir."

"Good," said James placing a hand on the back of Harry's head. "And son, you don't have to call me 'sir.' That's your professors; I'm just 'Dad,' okay?"

Harry nodded his reply and Sirius came walking back down the wing with Madame Pomfrey hot on his heels.

"Okay, Potter, drink this," the mediwitch said, thrusting a vial into his hand.

"Why? What is it?" asked Harry, eyeing the vial suspiciously.

"Dreamless Sleep Potion," she answered simply. "No dreams, good or bad, and it allows you to sleep peacefully through the night. You've had it before. Now drink up."

Harry made a face but took the potion obediently. Madame Pomfrey took the vial back and left the room.

Lily and James were staring at Harry, concern etched on their faces. Harry sniffed and hiccupped as he calmed down, his mother still holding him tight, now humming to him. The adults shared a look between them; this was going to be a long road.

Harry yawned and settled back into his mother's arms. The Dreamless Sleep Potion was working rather quickly. He started to nod off and Lily moved to put him back against his pillows. Harry jerked back into consciousness, staring at his family around his bed.

"Stay?" asked Harry quietly, fighting sleep.

"Of course, Prongslet," said James.

"I haven't left yet, darling, and I don't plan to," said Lily lovingly.

"Whatever you want, pup," said Sirius.

Remus merely nodded in agreement with his friends. Harry settled back down into his pillows, and he quickly gave way to sleep.

"Poor baby," whispered Lily sadly.

"He thought he was back at that awful place," said Remus solemnly.

They all sat in silence for a few minutes, staring at the small teenage boy in front of them.

"We had better go," Sirius said quietly. "Molly will be frantic, and I'm sure the kids will want to know how Harry is and when they can see him."

"So, we'll see you guys tomorrow?" Remus confirmed.

"Yeah, see you guys in the morning," said James, then he added, "We'll let you know if anything happens."

The two nodded; Sirius bent to kiss Harry's forehead and whispered, "Sleep well, pup."

Remus ruffled Harry's hair and said, "Good night, Harry," before turning and walking out of the hospital wing with Sirius.

Shortly after Sirius and Remus left, Lily turned to her husband, her eyes full of concern.

"Do you think he'll be alright, James?" she asked worriedly.

"I sure hope so, Lily," said James sadly. "I was expecting… I don't know, maybe that he would be a little upset, growing up without us, but never this."

Lily nodded her silent agreement. They sat like this holding each other and watching Harry sleep. They couldn't bear to leave him alone, so they slept in the hospital wing as well.


Grimmauld Place

Sirius and Remus stepped through the fireplace after having flooed from the Headmaster's office. It had been such a long day.

They walked in the dining room and sat down at the table. All the Weasleys, Hermione, Tonks, and even Kingsley Shacklebolt and Mad-Eye Moody were there and were throwing them questioning looks. Sirius ran a hand through his hair and sighed, 'What am I going to tell them?' he thought.

Finally, it was Kingsley who broke the silence. "Well? How is Harry?"

Sirius shared a look with Remus. The werewolf looked older than Sirius had ever seen him.

"I expect Arthur and Molly have filled you in about Lily and James?" Remus asked tiredly. Tonks, Kingsley, and Mad-Eye all nodded.

"Wait, what's wrong with Harry?" Ron interjected. "All we were told was that Harry needed some time with his parents, not that something was wrong!"

All the kids suddenly looked quite alarmed: why had no one told them about their friend's condition?

Sirius and Remus sighed again; of course, they had forgotten to inform the kids. They were going to let Harry tell them on his own, but now their cover was blown. They might as well do it now and save Harry the trouble.

"Ron, Hermione, how much has Harry told you about what goes on at his aunt and uncle's house?" asked Sirius.

Ron and Hermione exchanged a look and shifted uncomfortably.

"Well…" started Ron, "He's never been really specific about it; he really only told us how much he hates it there and that they aren't too fond of him."

"We have…suspicions, though," said Hermione slowly. "He's really jumpy when someone touches him on accident or he isn't expecting it. It's just…some things Harry has let slip before; they're a bit unnerving."

"Such as?" asked Remus.

"Well, I think, if I remember the conversation right," Ron said, "at the end of second year, Hermione asked him if his aunt and uncle would be proud of all he'd done that year… He said something along the lines of, 'Proud? Are you mad? All the times I could have died and didn't manage it? They'll be furious.' We thought that was an odd thing to say. He's said things like that ever year when something happens."

"And we know they starve him," added Hermione quickly. "when Ron and the twins came to get him the summer before second year, Ron told me there were bars on his window. We've both sent him food nearly every summer. I don't know what he did before Hogwarts – he never talks about that."

Sirius' fists were clenched on his chair. Remus looked murderous. This was news to nearly everyone in the room. Sirius found his voice after a few minutes, "What about anything else? Have you ever physically seen anything?"

Hermione shook her head, but Ron paused. He seemed to be putting two and two together. Finally, he said, "Well, maybe. A couple of times, I think. But Harry's good at hiding things and he's always getting hurt. It could have been nothing."

Everyone stared at him. Hermione softly said, "Ron, you never told me that. Why?"

Ron shrugged. "Harry asked me not to. He wanted it to stay between us because he didn't want anyone to fuss. But now…"

"Ron, I assure you," said Sirius quietly, "whatever you saw, it wasn't 'nothing.'"

"What happened to him?" questioned Hermione. She looked like she was on the verge of tears.

"What we tell you cannot leave this room," warned Remus. "Harry didn't even want us to know about this, and he would rather forget about it. He has been through quite an ordeal and it will take some time for him to get past it."

"Harry was abused. Badly," said Sirius bluntly. The room was silent. Sirius continued, "Apparently, it's been going on since he can remember being there. When we got to him this morning… I honestly thought it was too late. There was so much blood; Merlin, the blood. I can't even imagine what he went through. It's no wonder he was unconscious."

Everyone was staring at him; Sirius put his head in his hands, forcing himself not to break down. Mrs. Weasley was mumbling, "That poor, poor boy." Hermione was crying into Ron's shoulder, and Fred was holding Ginny because she was shaking so violently.

"Why didn't he ever tell anyone?" asked Tonks, horror-struck.

"Harry doesn't like to worry anyone or bring attention to himself," answered Remus. "When we asked him that same question, he said, 'Well, that's not exactly the kind of thing I like to tell people.' And that he didn't want anyone's pity. He probably thought there was nothing anyone could do about it anyway, so he didn't bother. He was quite embarrassed that anyone found out."

"So he's awake?" asked Fred.

"When can we see him?" asked George.

"Slow down, boys," said Sirius. "He was awake earlier, but that was just after lunch. Lily made him go to bed early, right after dinner. He, er – woke up a little bit ago and Poppy had to give him a dose of Dreamless Sleep. He's had a rough day."

"So far," said Remus, "he's planning on seeing you all tomorrow, if he's up to it. He's been in so much pain today that Madame Pomfrey's had to keep him in an enchanted sleep. Hopefully, he can go home tomorrow afternoon, but knowing Poppy she'll want to keep him another night if he's not up to where she wants in his recovery."

"You said he was hurt badly," said Mr. Weasley. "How bad?"

Sirius shared a look with Remus before listing all of Harry's injuries. There was a steady collection of gasps and the occasional sob from Mrs. Weasley or Hermione as the list went on.

"I wonder if James and Lily thought to ask for a past and present diagnostic scan?" Sirius thought out loud.

"Probably not," said Remus. "They were too upset. But that would be an interesting thing to see. We could find out just how much damage was done before Hogwarts."

"Is Harry going to be alright?" Ron asked quietly.

"He should be just fine," said Sirius, sounding very tired. "But he's going to need the understanding and support of his friends. He's worried he'll be treated differently, and it's very important that no one does. Mentally, he's been through a lot as well."

"We basically have to undo everything the Dursleys did," said Remus. "From the way they treated him to how they made him think about himself; it won't be easy."

Hermione and the Weasley kids looked around at each other. They knew this would be a long road, but they were willing to do anything to help their friend.

"Alright, you lot," Mrs. Weasley sniffed. "Off to bed. We all have a busy day tomorrow."

The kids groaned, but obeyed Mrs. Weasley's orders. Everyone was too upset about Harry to argue much.

The adults stayed up for a while later, talking mostly about Order business and how Harry was reacting to having his parents back. Eventually, it was getting pretty late, and Tonks, Mad-Eye, and Kingsley had to leave.

When they left, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley decided they should go to bed as well, leaving Sirius and Remus to stay awake in the kitchen for a while, still discussing Harry's condition and how others would react to James and Lily's return.


A/N: Okay, so that was Chapter 4. It wasn't my best chapter ever, I know. We got to see the Weasleys this time! Yay! Next chapter, everybody FINALLY gets to meet Lily and James, and Harry gets to see his friends. Plus more! Maybe an Order meeting, where the truth comes out about Lily and James being back? Maybe we'll get to see how Snape reacts! Hopefully, I'll get the next chapter up a bit more quickly than this time. I look for the next chapter to be longer; but if it's too long, I might have to split it into multiple. On your way out, just go down to that little review box and tell me what you thought. :) Thanks, loves!