Chapter Nine
About Death, Food and Chocolate Princesses
James slowly untangled himself from under Lily and Harry. He could see that it was late afternoon, however Harry was still out, along with Sirius and Remus in their respective chairs but Lily's eyes fluttered. "James?" she murmured. When she got his acquiesce, she asked, "What's going on?"
"We need to move to Potter Castle for safety. These wards were breached with Grindelwald, but in Potter Castle only Potters can get in. Anyone else, they their okay. Noddy!"
There was a sharp crack in which Sirius and Remus fell of their chairs, but James was too tired to laugh. "Remus, can you go get Harry's stuff? We're moving to Potter Castle. Bring the scan," he added in an undertone.
Remus, running a hand through his tousled hair, nodded grimly, but Sirius just rubbed his eyes.
"Noddy, if you can please apparate us to the family parlor in the Castle, please. Take Remus and Sirius first. They've been before, so they don't need access." Noddy nodded, and taking Remus' hand, who had run in with Harry's stuff, and Sirius' they disappeared again.
James turned to Harry and gently shook him awake. He opened his eyes blearily, "D-d-aad? What's happening?"
"Morning, or afternoon, fawn. We're moving to Potter Castle. Just hold Noddy's hand, he'll take us."
Harry sat up and stretched. "Who's Noddy?"
"The Head House-Elf of Potter Castle."
Harry frowned and was about to say something but got cut off by another loud crack. Noddy appeared, bouncing on his feet. "Now it is yours turns, Master James, Mistress Lily, young Master Harry!"
Harry blinked and still seemed to be trying to take this all in when Noddy grabbed his hand. He felt the strangest and most horrible sensation of being pushed down something like a pipe.
When it finished, he gasped for breath and fell down on his knees. "What was that?"
"Apparating," Lily laughed, helping him up. "You did better than me, I threw up the first time. Kind of feels like going down a pipe, doesn't it?"
"While that pipe is trying to strangle you," Harry rubbed his throat. "But it's better than the floo."
Harry looked around the room in awe. It was large, about the size of the Gryffindor common room with sixteen-foot high ceilings with polished wood rafters of a dark maple color and a lavish crimson and gold Persian rug. They shone in the light of the fire, which crackled merrily in a marble fireplace with intricate carvings that took up half of the east wall. The rest of the wall was covered with bookshelves, around and above the fireplace stretching all the way to the ceilings, except for where a large mirror hung above the mantle.
Seated in front of fireplace was a leather couch with fluffy pillows and blankets, and two armchairs on either side of the couch, both facing the oaken coffee table in front of the couch.
The north, south, and west walls were the same, bookshelves stretching to the ceiling but they had desks jutting out at hip-level that wrapped around the room, with comfy armchairs grouped in twos and threes occasionally. On the north and west walls there were door interrupting the bookcases, leading into what looked like a ballroom and dining room on the respective north and west walls.
Sirius and Remus, who he didn't realize were in the room, started laughing along with Lily while dull blush appeared on James' cheeks. He scowled while Sirius said, "It seems you take after your dad in more than just looks. He got lost his first time, did you know?"
The blush on James' face grew darker while a pink tinge appeared on Harry's.
"You didn't," Remus said in horrified voice. "You got lost too."
Harry put on a scowl remarkably like his father's. "I didn't get lost! I was just—just—"
"Exploring the insides of chimneys?" Sirius said slyly. "Won't work, pup. James fed us that lie already." He, Lily, Remus and even James was laughing at that. Harry couldn't help but let a laugh escape his lips before it was taken over by a large yawn,
Everyone immediately stopped laughing to look concernedly at Harry. Honestly, Harry rolled his eyes inwardly. Can you say 'overprotective'? But he was smiling inside at the thought that his family—his family—would care so much for him.
"I'm fine," Harry said hastily, but they just glared at him and Lily dragged Harry to the leather couch, forced him down and drowned him in a blanket.
"Sleep," she instructed. "Your body went through an extensive healing process and putting too much strain on it would be very bad." She leaned down and kissed his forehead. "I'm going to make lunch. Sleep," she ordered again. "I won't have my baby getting sick."
She drifted off through the door on the west wall. James came pushed the cocooned Harry up, his head on his shoulders and wrapping James' arm around him. Harry was a bit embarrassed, but pleased nonetheless. This means my mum and dad love me! Harry's heart raced wildly.
"She's right, you know," Sirius said for James, putting his feet on the coffee table.
"I know," Harry moaned. "I've been the hospital wing enough times to know that," Harry scoffed, unintentionally sending a wave of worry through his family's minds, "But that doesn't mean I have to like it. She's worst than Madame Pomfrey, and I have my name engraved on a hospital bed!"
James, Sirius, and Remus chuckled at the joke despite the fact it meant their cub/pup/fawn had been in the hospital wing more than few hundred times. Harry unsuccessfully tried to stifle a yawn, and at the glare of the marauders, finally closed his eyes.
Harry woke the sizzling of bacon. Slowly, he opened his eyes. Where am I? he wondered. Aunt Petunia is never cooking breakfast, that's what I do…
Suddenly, his heart gave a leap and he remembered where he was. His parents were alive! And they seem to like him! Harry wondered if they loved, like Sirius and Remus said they did—no, they do, Harry reminded himself firmly. He remembered the emotion in their eyes—they actually did love him!
Abruptly, he was aware of the fact his father was clutching him tightly. Harry tried to squirm around and look at James, but under his firm grip he couldn't move. He looked helplessly around the room. His mum was still in the dining room; Sirius and Remus were still asleep in their respective armchairs.
"No," his father muttered. "No. No."
Harry wondered what his father could possibly dreaming about, but put that thought aside as he struggled, trying to shake his father awake, but that only made him hold on tighter.
"No, not Harry! Lily, I love you! Lily, take Harry and go! Run! It's him, I'll hold him off!" Tears ran down James' froze. His father wasn't dreaming. His father was having a nightmare. It was the same one Harry still had, but his included Voldemort's high-pitched laughter, Ginny dying in the Chamber of Secrets, dementors, Hermione, petrified, Ron dying from McGonagall's chess set…
"NO, NO, NO! NOT HARRY, YOU BASTARD!" James' yell did nothing to jerk him awake, even as a roar of magic swept through the room knocking books off their shelves and shaking the room with a magical gust of wind.
Before he realized, stuck in a paralysis of shock and an onslaught of bad memories, he drifted to sleep, the Dreamless Sleep potion taking a hold on his still weak body, but did not hold back the dreams.
James woke up with a start, feverish, sweaty, tears dripping down his face, and shaking from his nightmare. He reminded himself over and over again it was only a nightmare, but he couldn't stop the scenes replaying in his head. He was revisiting Halloween again—only this time he was watching Harry die. The scenes played before his eyes over and over, but he could not get rid of them. Looking around the room and taking in the damage, he waved his wand and muttered, "Reparo maximum." And the books and everything blown over righted themselves.
He looked over at his sleeping friends, wondering how on earth it was possible they were still asleep. James looked down at his son only to realize he was holding him in a vice like grip and Harry was thrashing around. He quickly loosened his grip but did not remove his hand, remembering how Harry had died at the hands of Voldemort after being tortured mercilessly for hours on end. It had started with that Halloween, but gradually shifted from being killed to being locked up Voldemort's base with Remus and Sirius and Lily and watching their son endure crucios and dark curses, then turned to somewhere even more…somewhere worse…
James watched helplessly, crying out for his son. Voldemort simply laughed and fired another curse at Harry. Only this time, it was not a Bone-Breaking Curse or a Slashing Hex.
"CRUCIO!"
All four of them were crying, Lily was screaming, begging for her son, as Harry's yells echoed through the dark dungeons. When Voldemort lifted the curse, he looked at Harry with satisfaction and said, "Enough for you, Harry Potter? Or should I let Bella have a try?"
Indeed, Bellatrix stepped out of the shadows and cackled manically, "Oh, if it isn't wittle baby Pwotter! You're waiting for itty bitty Dumbles, but Dumbly isn't going to save you now!"
Harry looked up at Voldemort and Bellatrix, a grin crawling on to his face. A feral, unearthly grin. "Going to kill me, now?" Harry said in a mocking, jeering voice. "I'm a Potter. A Potter. You know what that means?"
Voldemort raised a non-existent eyebrow. "You're Dumbledore's Golden Boy?"
Harry barked out a laugh. "That the day I serve Dumbledore is the day I serve you. And we all know how unlikely that is, don't we Tom?"
Voldemort's face changed to a look of ugly fury. "You little brat of a Mudblood. I'll—"
"You'll what, you brat of a Muggle?" Harry laughed. "You can't kill me. You'll die. Bone of the father, unknowingly taken, flesh of the servant, willingly given…"
The scene changed. They were in a graveyard. Harry was tied to a gravestone, his robes were ripped and he looked barely older than he was now. There was the body of a boy, an older boy lying spread-eagle not to far away…There was a man in front of Harry, with a bloody stump for a hand…Wormtail…James felt fury rage through him and his blood turn to ice as the coward pulled out a dagger and grabbed his son's arm.
"B—b—blood of an e—enemy, f—f—forcefully t—t—aken…" Wormtail sliced down his son's arm, drawing blood as he looked at Pettigrew cold, unfeeling, unforgiving eyes…
He poured the blood into a cauldron, and slowly a white figure rose from it…
Voldemort.
He turned his eyes on Harry. "Well, well, well…Harry Potter. I must say you've been of great use to me—you're going to die now, of course, but not before I tell you a little story."
Voldemort smirked and went on to tell Harry about his past but James wasn't paying attention. He only had eyes for his son, who was sagging against the bonds of his gravestone. His son couldn't die. He couldn't just die. James looked at his son, willing everything he had that it was he in the graveyard, not Harry. Abruptly something Voldemort said caught his attention, "…give him back his wand, Wormtail."
NO! James screamed. NO! His son couldn't duel; he was only fourteen, not even! Wormtail slashed through the ropes with a new silver hand, and now he felt a wave of fear and hopelessness as he cried out, looking at the Death Eaters standing around his son. NO!
Harry got slowly to his feet, griping his wand tightly.
NO!
"You know how to duel, don't you, Harry Potter?" Voldemort asked him, smiling. "First we bow to each other."
Harry stared at Voldemort. Finally he said, in a quiet and hoarse voice, "I won't bow to you."
Voldemort smirked. "Feeling feisty, Harry Potter? Fine then." He waved his wand Harry's back was forced down until he was bowing.
"Very good, Harry Potter. Now let us duel. Crucio!" Harry was on the ground, screaming again. James was screaming in rage and fear for his son. "NO!" he screamed again and again as if in some way Voldemort would take mercy on his son.
Finally, Voldemort let up the curse. Harry was on the ground, panting, and Voldemort laughed, "Would like that again, Harry Potter?"
Harry stood and looked firmly and unwaveringly at Voldemort.
"Answer me, Harry Potter. Not going to? Imperio."
James could only yell over and over again as his son struggled with the curse.
"I WON'T!" Harry yelled.
"You won't?" Voldemort smirked. "Crucio."
NO! James screamed. NO!
"Ready to die, Harry Potter?" Voldemort whispered, leaning over the crumpled form of his son.
Harry slowly got to his feet.
He looked at Voldemort.
"Kill me."
James felt shock and fear and anger ripple through his body. NO! he screamed again. NO, HARRY, YOU CAN'T DIE!
Voldemort looked shocked. "Dumbledore's Golden Boy wanting to die? This is… interesting."
Harry looked up at him unblinkingly.
"Kill me."
"Avada Kedavra."
Finally, finding his voice, he screamed, "NOT HARRY, YOU BASTARD!"
James watched, paralyzed with shock, disbelief, and heartbreak as the green light ran out of Voldemort's wand and toward his son. Miss, James prayed. Miss! For the love of Godric please MISS!
The curse hit its mark. Harry's limp body fell to the ground.
There was silence. James couldn't process anything else. His son was dead. His son, the boy he loved more than even Lily was dead. It wasn't possible. Heartbreak and anger over took everything else. He looked at Voldemort coldly, "I will kill you for this. I will kill you all for this."
A ripple of fear seemed to go through the ranks, but the dream had ended…
James closed his eyes, willing the images to go away. He would never forget that dream, as long as he lived. He clutched Harry possessively and protectively to his chest, only realizing then that Harry was not uncomfortable. Harry was having a nightmare.
"LIAR! NEVER! I'll never join you, Voldemort, as long as I live. I'll die before I do…no, Ginny, wake up, please wake up, please don't be dead…"
James couldn't make any sense of his words, only that Harry had faced Voldemort when he was old enough to remember and talk about it. He started shaking Harry awake, soothing him at the same time.
Lily came running in from the kitchen.
"James, what's going on? Why were you yelling?" Lily knelt down beside the couch. Noting Harry's condition, she gently started to shake Harry shuddered and awoke with a gasp.
"Shh, baby," Lily wrapped her arms around Harry, smothering him in hug. Or, trying to, James was still holding on to Harry. She kissed his forehead and Harry's breathing slowed. James had his arms locked around Harry's waist. "It was just nightmares. We're here now, don't worry, bud."
James put his chin on Harry's head and whispered, "It's over, fawn." James grasped him tighter as he remembered the dream he had, his face growing cold thinking of Voldemort. "It's all over. We'll never let you go. You know that?"
Harry's breathing and pulse slowed. "Yeah, I know that," he mumbled.
"You know that we love you?"
Harry's head shot up. "You actually love me?"
"Of course we do," Lily wrapped her arms around him, "We'd still love you even if you joined Voldemort. We'd be angry, but we'd love you. We'd love you no matter what. A parent's love for a child is unconditional."
"Really?" Harry asked in a hopeful voice that broke James' heart. He never had someone tell him they love him! I kill those bastards! James swore violently in his mind and wrapped Harry (if it was possible) in a tighter hug. "Of course, fawn. Nothing could ever stop us from loving you."
"But," Harry said, confused, "You died because of me."
"No! Not because of you, for you!" Lily looked heartbroken, "We could never think that!"
James felt his shattered heart be stomped on by hippogriffs. "Harry James Potter, don't you ever think that again," James said lowly. "We would do anything for you. We died for you, not because of you. You are our son and we love you, no matter what, for who you are. You could be a Slytherin or spider and would still love you. Do you understand?"
Harry looked to be somewhat in awe. "I love you, too," Harry said softly and James and Lily smiled so widely Harry thought their faces might break.
"Let's go wake your uncles, shall we? I bet Flower has some food ready and I want to show you something, Harry. OI! WAKEY-WAKEY!"
They didn't stir.
Harry had a funny look on his face. He turned to his father, and asked, "Does Padfoot like food?"
A grin unfurled across James' face. "You were the Marauders' heir for a reason, my dear fawn." He walked over and whispered into Sirius' ear, "Hey, Padfoot! You're going to miss breakfast if you don't—"
"BREAKFAST!" Sirius jumped up a wide grin on his face, looking around eagerly. His smile melted off when he saw James and Harry laughing at him. "You Potters are all the same," he muttered, "Where's the food?"
"Dining room, idiot," James rolled his eyes, and then walked over to Remus who was still sleeping and whispered, "Hey, Moony there's a chocolate sale in Hogsmeade—"
"CHOCOLATE!" Remus screamed, jumping up, "WHERE? WHERE? WHERE? GIMME, GIMME, GIMME!"
He looked at the Potters laughing on the floor and chucked a pillow at James. "Stupid herbivore," he muttered.
"Breakfast's in the dining room, Chocolate Princess," James snickered at the affronted look on Remus' face.
"Shut up, Prongs," Remus muttered, "I do not have a chocolate addiction."
Harry was finding it very hard not to laugh at this debate.
"Yes, you do," James said adamantly. "Do I need remind you of March, 22nd in 1972—?"
"NO!" Remus yelled while Sirius' voice came from the kitchen, "YES!"
Harry laughed, which made Remus look at him and James get a smug look on his face, keeping an arm around Harry's shoulders as they walked into the dining room.