Chapter Four

He WHAT?

Lily turned to James, her eyes shining with tears. "He's alive," James whispered. "My son is alive."

"When can we see him?" Lily asked quickly, her maternal side taking over. She needed her Bud in her arms, whether he was fourteen or not. "Does he live with you? Where is he? Why does he mention my sister in his letter?"

"We need to see him," James pleaded. "Tell us."

Remus turned to Sirius, who swallowed. "I have to tell you the rest of the story, and everything will make sense."

Lily nodded, albeit impatiently, she had just learned her son was alive and she needed to see him.

"I had arranged to check on Peter that Halloween," Sirius said, with difficulty. Lily knew he was trying to say the word 'Peter' without multiple curse words. "I was on my flying motorbike—remember that thing? Anyway, by the time I got Peter's, he wasn't there. His flat was empty and I could tell something was wrong. I flew straight over to your house, and—and—" Sirius swallowed and put his face in hands, "Godric, Prongs it looked like a bomb had gone off. There you were, on top of the rubble…and then you, Lily, and there was Harry…nasty cut across his forehead and blood streaming down his face…

Lily shivered and tears rose in her eyes. James an arm around her, they both couldn't bear to think of their sweet, little Harry like that…

"That was when I realized it all came down to Peter. He was the spy; he was the one…that's when Hagrid showed up. Told me he'd take him that he was on Dumbledore's orders to take him. I argued a little longer, then gave him to Hagrid and my motorbike to take wherever Dumbledore wanted, I had a score to settle…

"I tracked Peter down to a Muggle street. There were people all around, and he starts yelling how I killed you, how I was the spy, how I sold you to Voldemort…then just as I was getting ready to curse him, do you know what he does?" Sirius asked James and Lily bitterly. Lily shook her head and bit her lip, she didn't like where this was going…

"He blew up the street."

"He—what?" James blanched.

Sirius barked out a laugh bitterly. "That's what I thought, too. He cuts off his finger then blows up the sewer, killing everyone in sight then transforms into a rat and speeds down into the sewer."

James swore angrily and Lily felt like joining him. "That bastard," He fumed. "What happened?"

Sirius grinned sheepishly. "You know what happens when I get emotional, I just…I just started laughing, completely overwhelmed by all that had happened and the fact that stupid, ignorant little Peter Pettigrew managed to get the better of me."

"You didn't," Lily said, horrified.

He nodded grimly. "They took me away without a trial."

"Not—not to Azkaban?" Lily screeched.

"WITHOUT A TRIAL!" James roared. "I'LL KILL BARTY CROUCH!"

"How—how long?" Lily asked. "How long until Dumbledore got you out?"

"He never got me out."

"He—what?" James stopped dead.

"I was there for twelve years," Sirius said hollowly. "Until I saw a picture of Wormtail in the newspaper—found out he had been masquerading around as a pet rat all these years. Then I escaped."

"You escaped Azkaban Prison? I'm sorry, did I hear right?" James asked, dumbfounded.

Sirius grinned. "As Padfoot. Dementors can't sense animal emotions as clearly as human ones. When I was thin enough, I escaped as Padfoot through the bars of my cell. Slipped right through as they were giving me dinner. I've been on the run ever since."

"And Dumbledore did nothing?" Lily's eyes narrowed dangerously.

Sirius nodded grimly.

"That—that despicable old fool!" Lily exploded. "He is a LEGILIMENS he could've easily seen you were not the Secret-Keeper!" She calmed down, and turned to Sirius. "I'm sorry, Sirius."

"It's our fault," James mumbled miserably, running a hand through his hair.

Sirius gripped his shoulders. "It is not your fault, James. If anything, it's mine. I should've taken Harry and run."

"Why?" James' eyes gleamed dangerously and Sirius and Remus both winced, thinking of how they had both been close to being gored to death with those antlers during bad full moons. "Sirius, answer me. Where. Did. My. Fawn. Go?"

"Dmsdlfnds."

"Sorry, I didn't catch that." Lily said in falsely sweet voice and then growled, "Where did my son go?"

Sirius cleared his throat, "The Dursleys."

Lily felt rage well up inside of her. "WHO THE HELL PUT MY SON WITH THOSE MAGIC-HATING MONSTERS? I WILL SLAUGHTER THEM! WHO KNOWS WHAT MY BUD HAS BEN THROUGH! THAT WHALE OF MY BROTHER-IN-LAW WILL HURT HIM EVERY CHANCE HE GETS! WHO PUT HIM THERE?"

Sirius and Remus both clamped their hands over their ears, knowing full well the extent of the Evans temper. They were both watching James nervously, though, because all of Wizarding kind fled before a Potter when they were angry.

"Dumbledore."

Sure enough, right after Remus uttered that unforgiveable word, the Potter temper was in full steam and James blew his top.

"HOW DARE ALBUS DUMBLEDORE—AGAINST OUR WISHES—CONTROLLING THE PROPHECY—MAGICPHOBIC ABUSIVE WHALES—GORE HIM TO DEATH—ANYONE BUT THEM—MY FAWN—ALBUS WULFRIC-WHATEVER-THE-HELL-THE-REST-OF-YOUR-ABNORMALLY-LONG-NAME-IS-DUMBLEDORE I WILL CURSE YOUR ARSE TO THE NEXT MILLENIA—"

James was literally spitting with rage, his face as bright red as Lily's hair, so furious he couldn't even form a complete sentence. Lily could've sworn she dust drop from the rafters and the foundation of the apartment building shaking, but after James finished a long list of swear and curses mixed together, he sat down quite calmly, faced Remus and Sirius. Lily said for her husband, who, though looking calm was furious, "We are going to save my son."

Harry's body was so numbed with pain he couldn't even feel it anymore.

His uncle and aunt had been furious at the prospect of wizards coming. They felt that Harry had to earn the right to leave the Dursleys and promised him retribution for inviting 'his kind' over. They had set Harry a list of twenty-eight chores that comprised of things like weeding the garden, cleaning the gutters, shampooing the roof, cleaning out the attic…when Harry had only got five of these, his uncle had been in a rage.

"How-" whip "-dare-" punch "-let-" kick "-your-" smack "-abnormal-" whip "-kind-" crunch "-near-" smack "-my-" punch "-house-" whip "-you-" punch "-should-" smack "-go-" whip "-the-" crunch "-same-" carve "-way-" carve "-as-" whip "-your-" smack "-good-" whip "-for-" punch "-nothing-" carve "-parents-" whip "-FREAK!"

Since Harry had not finished the chores, he was locked in his room and promised that he would only come out for doing chores and the bathroom twice a day while he was fed once a day.

Harry had slipped into unconsciousness after that, a burning, pain-induced dark abyss of sleep. Harry didn't even know if the Dursleys would let him go or would just tell the Weasleys he had run away so they couldn't rescue him…he would probably die from his injuries, lack of food and water, over exhaustion…Harry slipped back into pain-filled sleep as he was thinking about how to hide the new scar on his forearm, the one where his uncle had carved in 'FREAK' just a few hours ago and did not hear the downstairs door open…