Fragmented Ideas

by Chilord

A variety incompleted story starts that will not likely be finished.

11. HP:I The Author am screwed up in da head

Disclaimer: I own not of Harry Potter. JK Rowling does.

Author's Notes: I wrote this, purely to get the damned image out of my mind. The plot device is cliched, however, I really just wanted to jump into the character interactions. Meh, ah well.

And... Oi, I had too many ideas to go with this... I might actually have to expand it.

-A Shift-

The spell flashed through the air, and in an instant Harry simply knew it would hit Sirius, dragging him backwards. A part of his mind, was screaming at him that he couldn't let that happen. That he couldn't let Sirius fly backwards. His arm snapped out, his hand grabbing hold of his god father's wrist with a hopeful desperation. Then, the spell impacted against Sirius' chest, and he knew that his strength wasn't enough.

Both of their bodies flew back, and the last thing Harry could see, was Sirius' eyes widening in shock, before they hit the Veil, and knew nothing.

-Waking up-

It was with a slow certainty that Harry Potter awoke, his emerald eyes bleary with the film of sleep beneath his glasses before he pushed himself back. As his mind slowly came into focus, the truth of his situation hit him. He was alive! Glancing down, he quickly noticed he lay atop the still form of his godfather and he immediately felt a wave of panic washing through him.

"SIRIUS! Wake up!" His hands gripping on the side of his godfather's robes, Harry began to quickly shake and jostle the man.

"Wh-ahuh? Mmph... James, lemme sleep." Sirius weakly batted at Harry's arms, not quite opening his eyes more than grey slits as he weakly protested.

"I'm not James, Sirius... It's Harry, and you need to wake up NOW!" the boy practically shouted down into the man's ear, forcing him to shoot up with a started before glaring mildly at his godson.

"Owwww... Wha was that for?" Sirius grumbled slightly as he sat up, looking blearily at Harry before the glaring boy shook him again. "All right, I'm up!"

"What's the last thing you remember?" Harry stared down into the man's eyes, waiting expectantly.

Sirius paused a moment, before his brow furrowed in confusion. "Hmm... This really delightful brunette with a great pair of..."

"Sirius!" Harry cut him off with a growl, before blushing brightly, "You can tell me about the brunette later. Do you remember the Department of Mysteries?"

"Oh yeah... And my dear cousin..." Sirius frowned slightly as he thought his way through the memories. "You grabbed my arm, trying to pull me away from a curse... I got hit... we both flew back..."

"We fell through the veil Sirius." Harry said with a subdued whisper.

"Oh... Bugger." Eyes wide, Sirius slowly looked around them, then frowned. "Huh, if we're dead, where're James and Lils?"

Around them, early morning light was filtering through a vaguely familiar scene. A forest, thick with life and darkened by shadow loomed around them. In the distance, they could hear the vague murmurs of life. Birds, dancing in the air, and creatures making what sounds they so chose to.

"Yeah... you'd think they'd be here wouldn't you?" Harry agreed, a slight smile on his lips before he reached up, rubbing at his scar reflexively. "This place looks familiar though."

"That's true," Sirius admitted with a slight frown and a shrug as he pushed himself to his feet. "So, shall we figure out what spot of trouble we're in now?"

"Ya know, just once, I'd like to be able to see you and it not involve either mortal danger, or a really creepy place." Harry noted as he looked at the ground, before he retrieved his wand, then handed Sirius his own. "Well... Shall we?"

"Well, do you really want to be wandering around the creepy forest, when we have no way of knowing which way is out?" Sirius pointed out as he took his wand in his hand.

"Do you really want to stay put in a creepy forest we have no way of knowing which way is out? Harry countered back, before sighing slightly as he rubbed his forehead once more. "I really, really hope the others are all right."

"Dumbledore was on his way, so they should be fine." Sirius said gently before he looked around the forest again. "Well, let's see... Where should we head?"

"Aren't you the adult here?" Harry asked a slight tinge of amusement in his voice before he frowned slightly. "Probably Hogwarts. Something's... off. My head feels different, like there's this pressure that's suddenly not there."

"Ah Ha! I see." Sirius nodded sagely before he lifted up his wand before pausing slightly. "Huh, wait a minute... Hogwarts... I think we might be in the Forbidden Forest."

"Huh..." Harry paused a moment as he slowly looked around. "Are you sure?"

"Well, I think at least," Sirius amended as he pointed in a particular direction. "I think we need to go that way."

"I suppose it's as good as any." Harry sighed slightly before slumping as they walked, "Well, I certainly buggered this up, didn't I?"

"Eh, don't go blaming yourself for it." Sirius shrugged slightly before grinning a bit. "Look on the bright side, we're alive!"

"As far as we can tell," Harry amended as he stepped over a particularly large root. "Though, if this is the Forbidden Forest, and you lead us to the acromantula nest..."

"There's an acromantula nest in the Forbidden Forest?" Sirius blinked, his eyes wide as he looked at the boy. "How can you be so certain?"

"Ron and I found it, second year. Aragog is a friend of Hagrid's... But he really doesn't like being disturbed." Harry mentioned casually as he would continue to walk through the forest. "Was when we were hunting the basilisk without realizing it. Fortunately, the flying car we crashed into the Whomping Willow saved us."

"... Harry... The more I find out about your life, the more disturbed I am." Sirius observed mildly as he stared back at the boy.

"The more I live my life, the more disturbed I am by it." Harry responded easily enough as he grunted just a bit. "I don't even want to think about the kind of long term effects of basilisk venom, even when it's been cured by phoenix tears."

"... Basilisk venom...? You got bit by a bloody basilisk!?" Sirius stared at the boy, his eyes wide and incredulous as he open and shut his mouth in shock. "How... where... when... why?!"

"More impaled honestly," Harry corrected with a wave of his hand. "Hard to be just bit by a basilisk big enough to swallow you whole in one gulp. It was in the Chamber of Secrets, my second year, because Malfoy, senior, was a ponce and dumped Voldemort's evil diary on Ginny, it/he possessed her and opened up the chamber, releasing the basilisk. After I FINALLY figured it out, Ron and I forced our DADA teacher to help us go after her into the Chamber..."

He paused a moment, before grinning slightly as he looked at Sirius. "Not the best decision we made, as, well, he tried to Oblivate us." Pausing again, he grinned innocently at his godfather and shrugged. "Shame he tried it with Ron's broken wand... Last I heard, his rehabilitation was coming along quite nicely."

Sirius stared a moment, before pinching the bridge of his nose as he paused in the middle of the forest. "Your DADA teacher tried to Oblivate you."

"Mhm." Harry agreed, grinning slightly at his godfather. "Actually, come to think of it, Remus was the only DADA teacher that DIDN'T try to do something to me. All the others were either involved with some incarnation of Voldemort, a glory hound incompetent, or Umbridge." He grinned back at Sirius for a moment, before laughing softly. "And you know the ironic thing? It was the Death Eater that taught me how to throw off the Imperius!"

"Oh, Harry..." Sirius sighed softly as he moved up next to his godson and laid his hand on his shoulder.

"Eh, it actually doesn't bother me too much." He frowned slightly as his lips pursed lightly together. "Actually, not much is bothering me at all right now. It's like this whole weight has been lifted off me. And I'm not really quite sure how to handle it."

"We really need to get you to someone to check things over," the blue eyed man said softly as he gave Harry's shoulder a slight squeeze before he pressed on.

"Eh, I suppose." Harry responded easily enough before sighing slightly. "Meh, How about we just find me a pretty bird or two and we'll call it even?" He blinked slightly, before freezing where he stood. "Merlin, did I just say that?"

"Why, yes, you did..." The Marauder next to him agreed with a grin as he clapped his hand on the boy's shoulder. "And I couldn't agree more. You, my boy, need a good shag or twenty. But, don't worry! Dr. Padfoot is on the case!"

"If you're calling yourself a love doctor, I know I'm in trouble." Harry chuckled just a bit before he squinted lightly through his glasses. "Huh, I might be imagining things, but is that a trail up ahead?"

"Might be." Sirius agreed as he looked ahead, before shaking his head slightly. "It's familiar…"

"Who's thar?!" A great voice bellowed, causing the man and boy to grin at one another in recognition. "Don' ya understand that the Forbidden Forest is forbidden?!"

"Uh, sorry Hagrid." Harry offered up apologetically as the half giant lumbered into view. "We kinda took a wrong turn through the Veil and well…"

"Who're you?" Rubeus Hagrid asked, his eyes conveying a clear confusion as he looked down at the boy. "And how'd ya know my name?"

"Hagrid, don't you recognize Harry?!" Sirius stared at the massive man in front of him, his haggard gaze incredulous.

"Wha…? Who're… S-S-Sirius Black?!" Hagrid stumbled a moment, his eyes wide now. "Bu-Bu… But yer dead!"

"Dead?" Sirius blinked slightly before glancing at Harry. "Well, we did fall through the Veil…"

"I don't feel dead, do you?" Harry asked curiously, as he lightly waggled his foot. "And it wouldn't explain why Hagrid doesn't seem to know me?"

"Who're you supposed ta be, lad?" Hagrid asked, still staring pale faced at Sirius.

"Me? Harry Potter." The boy responded with another slight shrug of his shoulders.

Hagrid let out what sounded suspiciously like a squeak as he turned his head back at the boy, taking a step back in fear. "But… But you're dead too! You died almost 14 years ago! On Halloween! Yer the reason Sirius Black gave his life to kill You-Know-Who and save the Longbottoms!"

Harry blinked for a moment at that, looking at Hagrid for a moment, "And Voldemort stayed dead?"

Hagrid flinched visibly, shuddering softly before he nodded. "As a doornail! But, poor James and Lily, losing both Harry and Sirius for it…"

"James and Lily… are alive?" Sirius spoke up, his eyes wide in shock and disbelief as he quickly flicked his eyes over to see his expression mirrored on Harry's face. "I think I need… to sit down."

"Merlin, you're not the only one…" Harry practically flopped down onto the trail, staring up at the towering figure in front of him. "This is… Bloody hell… Sirius, you ever heard about muggle science fiction and the like?"

"A bit, Remus would talk about it a lot." Sirius agreed from where he sat next to his godson.

"Well, they have this idea, that I always thought was kinda silly… called alternate dimensions…" Harry started to explain.

"Ah, worlds where things happened differently than in yer own." Hagrid offered up with a knowing nod. "Kinda like one of those muggle fun house mirrors."

The emerald eyed boy stared up at Hagrid for a moment, unable to say a thing as the man blushed brightly in embarrassment and shifted just a bit where he sat. "A muggleborn a few decades ago got me inta em… Some down right lovely creatures in em."

"So you think that when we fell through the Veil…" Sirius spoke up, his voice growing distant "We fell into one of these different worlds?"

"Best answer I've got right now." Harry agreed with a nod. "I wonder what happened here… Wait… Did you say almost 14 years ago? Not almost 15?"

"Yessir, 1995 it is! We jus finished up the Triwizard tournament, we did." Hagrid said wit a proud puffed up chest, before a slight look of sadness fell across his eyes.

"Who won? Who competed?" Harry asked, looking over at Sirius before glancing back at Hagrid. "Was it Cedric Diggory, Fleur Delacour and Viktor Krum?"

"Aye, that was the three of em." The half giant agreed with a nod, quietly subdued as he continued. "Miss Delacour won… after what happened ta her sister…"

"Gabrielle?" Harry was suddenly up on his feet, looking at the half giant. "What happened to Gabrielle?!"

"Easy Harry, easy!" Sirius jumped up next to his godson, before he looked at the stricken look in Hagrid's eyes. "Sorry Hagrid, where we come from…"

"She drowned," Hagrid said softly, averting his eyes. "Fleur had gotten tripped up in the lake, and the spell on her had been miscast. No one was there to save her when it ended a few minutes early, and with her chained down ther…"

Harry slumped against his godfather, a strange feeling of failure weighing on him. He hadn't known the sweet little French girl much at all save for their brief meetings after he'd pulled her from the lake, hampered by the lack of a common language. Still, he had known her, and her sister, and very possibly, had saved her life if things had happened like they had in this reality.

"I'm sorry, did ya know er?" Hagrid asked quietly as he noted the boy's obvious distressed reaction.

"Harry pulled her out of the lake where we come from," Sirius said simply as he looked at the man in front of him. "Possibly saved her life if what happened here happened there."

"Ah." Hagrid nodded quietly as he looked at the boy. "Why don't ya tell me a bit mer about where ya come from, so we ken see where it differs before we go and talk to the Head Mistress about trackin' down ole Professor Dumbledore?"

"Dumbledore isn't the HeadMaster?" Harry asked in a shocked tone as he looked up at the half giant.

"Oh no, he retired bout 13 years ago… the year after ya two…" The half-giant offered an apologetic shrug. "Well, died… Professer McGonagall became Head Mistress."

"Well… is Professor Flitwick still teaching Charms? And who's teaching Transfiguration?" Harry asked hopefully.

"Yessir!" Hagrid smiled brightly at the boy. "Deputy Head Master he is! And, James Potter o'course! After he made sure none of the Death Eaters got off or bribed their way free…"

"Lucius Malfoy went to Azkaban?" Sirius spoke up, his eyes dancing for a moment in mirth before they grew slightly serious. "And Narcissa?"

"Aye, he tried to use the Imperius excuse." Hagrid agreed, before a smile of his own lit his face. "I'm told James Potter had a righteous fire lit in him, starin' down ones who were suppose ta free him, until they refused to let him free. Narcissa joined him for aidin' im."

"Poor Cissy." Sirius sighed slightly.

"Must've been tough for Draco…" Harry added, a slight look of amusement curling on his lips.

"Draco?" Hagrid asked a look of confusion again in his eyes.

"Draco Malfoy? Son of Lucius and Narcissa?" Harry offered up, before blinking slightly, his eyes widening. "No Draco?!"

"Never heard of a Draco Malfoy." Hagrid admitted for a moment. "Though…"

"No ferret! My parents are alive… Voldemort's dead and no ferret!" Harry paused a moment before frowning softly with a sigh, "But, no Gabrielle."

"And no Me." Sirius pointed out.

"One you is quite enough I think." Harry countered with a grin.

"As I wus sayin…" Hagrid spoke up with a rumbling cough, glaring good naturedly at the two. "There isn'ta Draco Malfoy, but there is a Cassiopeia Black, heiress ta tha Malfoy and Black estates. Lucius and Narcissa's daughter."

"He's a she here?!" Harry stared a moment, before pinching the bridge of his nose and shuddering slightly. "Oi… Who raised her then?"

"Andromeda and Ted Tonks." Hagrid answered easily enough.

Harry paused a moment, before he glanced over at an equally bewildered Sirius before as one they both erupted into laughter.

"Was so funny?" Hagrid asked, his eyes glimmering in obvious confusion.

"Sorry, it's just…" Harry snickered softly for a moment. "The thought of Draco, even one born a girl, being raised by his 'blood-traitor' aunt… That's just too much… Just don't tell me she's in Gryffindor, please!"

"Well…" Hagrid shrugged apologetically at boy, who immediately burst into another series of laughs along with his godfather.

"Oh, that's too priceless… Can you imagine my cousin's face if he knew?" Sirius practically chortled in amusement as he shook in laughter.

"That's like Ron being sorted into Slytherin." Harry agreed with a chuckle.

"Who?" Hagrid asked curiously.

"Ron Weasley?" Harry suddenly felt a lump growing in his chest as he looked up at the towering man. "Youngest of the Weasley brothers? Older brother to Ginny?"

"Ron's the name of the oldest." Hagrid responded. "A right good curse breaker from what I hear… Then there's Charlie, brilliant he was, he's off in Romania with dragons. Percy just graduated next year, and he seems ta be doing something with the Ministry. The youngest of the Weasley boys are Fred and George, jus finishin up their sixth year… The last two are the daughters, Billi finishin her fourth, and Ginny her fifth."

"… Ron's a girl in this reality?" Harry blinked, uncertain whether to be horrified or amused.

"Didn't ya just hear me?" Hagrid looked down at Harry as if the boy was daft, "I jus told you that..."

"Ron's the eldest, yeah I know." Harry waved his hand lightly and chuckled just a bit. "In my reality, his name's Bill. Billi in this reality would be my reality's Ron..."

"If I might butt in," Sirius interupted. "Is there a Hermione Granger here?"

"Ah, yes, the girl that, that Viktor Krum's been romancin'." Hagrid nodded happily. "Lovely girl, especially since Professor Potter set her straight about not trying to learn everything and findin' out what her true callin' was."

"James set her straight?" Sirius blinked slightly as he tried to wrap his mind around the concept.

"Wha...? No! Lily! She's teaching potions!"

"There isn't anyone by the name of Snape on the staff, is there?" Harry asked, his eyes slightly worried as he pursed his lips, half afraid of what the answer would be.

"Eh? Snape? As in Severus? Why would that Death Eater scum be anywhere near here?!" Hagrid almost roared with anger as he glared down at the boy in front of him.

"Ok, Sirius?" Harry turned and looked directly into his godfather's eyes. "It's official, we've died and come to the closest thing to heaven there is. On top of everything else, no Snape, and you're considered a hero."

"Well, that depends..." Sirius noted carefully as he tapped his lower lip slightly. "On how many tasty birds are around and still single."

"Well, if Fleur hadn't just lost Gabrielle, I'd try my hand there," Harry responded with a half grin, before sighing tiredly. "But right now, I suppose we really should talk to Professor McGonagall, Merlin knows we're gonna need help."

"Well, that is what history tells us about you, Harry." Sirius smiled slightly, before letting his face fall just a bit. "Do you want to rush in there and hug this James and Lily as much as I do?"

"More, probably," Harry admitted quietly as he looked at Sirius. "What should we do about it?"

"Talk to McGonagall first." Sirius sighed reluctantly as he gave Harry a gentle one armed hug. "Remember, as much as we might wish it, they're not OUR Lily and James."

"Yeah, I know, and we're not their Harry and Sirius..." Harry admitted before looking towards Hagrid. "Come on Hagrid, let's go and see her... Hopefully she'll have some idea of what to do."

-o-o-o-

Headmistress Minerva McGonagall stared at the pair of faces in front of her and let loose a slow, weary sigh past her lips as she resisted the urge to pinch the bridge of her nose. That, or to reach into her desk and pull out the bottle of Fire Whiskey she kept on hand for when the Weasley twins had gotten especially creative. "Thank you, Rubeus, would you be so kind as to go as to stop by Filius' office? There's something he needs to talk to you about."

"Of course, Professor! I'll be sure to do that right away." The half giant agreed with a happy nod of his head before turning around and quickly lumbering out of the office.

Not quite glancing at the two curious looking figures still seated across from her, the stern woman turned around and tapped a mirror on her desk with her wand as she spoke a single name. "Filius."

A moment later, the slightly wrinkled face of the diminutive professor appeared in the frame. "Minerva, what seems to be the problem?"

"Rubeus needs to be Oblivated, AGAIN." The annoyance in the woman's words made Harry and Sirius blink almost as much as the actual words she used did. "He didn't meet anyone in the forest. Nor did he escort them to my office."

"Again?" There was a slight sigh of annoyance in the Charms professor's voice as he nodded his acceptance. "I take it you'll be filling me in on the matter later?"

"Indeed. Thank you." Nodding her head she tapped the mirror again, to behold where the two males were staring at her in open mouthed shock. "I'm sure that might seem somewhat harsh…"

"No, I get it." Harry cut her off, quickly, staring still as he slowly sat back onto his chair. "If he's anything like our Hagrid, he can't keep a secret to save his life. I'm just wondering why the bloody hell no one thought of that back in our world. Would've saved me a world of trouble."

It was Minerva's turn to blink for a moment, before she sighed and gave into the urge as she reached down into her desk and pulled out the bottle of fire whiskey and dropped it onto the desk in front of her, before transforming a piece of paper into a glass with a flick of her wand. Glancing a moment at the bottle then the glass, Sirius and Harry blinked before Sirius couldn't help but note. "Well, since she has it so close on hand, I guess Fred and George are about the same."

"How Albus was able to keep his wits while dealing with yourself and your friends, without being driven to drinking, Mr. Black, if you are who you say you are, I will never know." Minerva poured herself a finger of the shining liquid before taking a slow and steadying sip. "Half of the trouble has caused me no small amount of headaches."

"Personally, I think he enjoyed the innovative spell work." Sirius offered with a slightly cheerful grin on his face. "Coming up with new, interesting ways to cast spells, create jokes, bring smiles to people's faces…"

"That and he is more than a little batty." Harry offered up helpfully as he grinned back at his godfather.

"Well, yes, there is that." Sirius amended with a bland look on his face as he shot his godson a look of betrayal. "I still say it was more because he truly appreciated our efforts."

"And we'll let you keep telling yourself that, don't worry, Padfoot." Harry lightly patted the man on his shoulder, before snickering just a bit.

Two more fingers were poured, before they vanished on a sudden gulp before the rap of the glass hit the desk once more. The Scotswoman glared mildly at the pair before she sighed and lightly rubbed at her temples. "You two do realize how more than slightly disconcerting it is to meet up with a pair of people that have supposedly been dead for the last 13 years, yes?"

"About as disconcerting as ending up in a world that seems like Heaven to us." Harry agreed with a nod, before frowning slightly and letting off a sigh. "Well, except for Gabrielle. She really was a sweet girl back home."

"And the fact that it completely ruins your shot at her hot, quarter veela sister doesn't help." Sirius added with a slight, teasing, innocent smile.

Only, Harry turned a full on glare at the man, his emerald eyes blazing slightly as he glared at his godfather. "Sirius… Remember that back home I pulled that girl out of that ice cold lake on my own, along with Ron. And you think the reason I'd be upset would be because it ruins me taking a shot at Fleur?!"

"Well, no." Sirius admitted as he squirmed uncomfortably under his godson's glare, fidgeting just a bit. "It was a joke! Stop with the Lily glare already! You make it even scarier than she did!"

For a moment, Minerva couldn't help but debate another three more fingers of whiskey to go with the amount she'd already thrown back before she sighed and lightly palmed her face. "Well, you certainly seem to know how to put your foot in your mouth as well as our Mr. Black did."

"Thank yo- Hey!" Sirius gave the Professor a deeply wounded look as he couldn't help but sniffle slightly, his eyes widening, glistening with tears. "How… how could you say that about me, Minny? After everything we've been through?"

She snorted, loudly, at that as she gave the man a pointed look. "By your own claim, you are most certainly NOT the Sirius Black of our world, therefore, there is nothing we've even been through."

"She has you there, Padfoot." Harry offered easily with a slight grin curling on his face. "Plus, all things considered, you're really, really bad at the whole puppy dog eyes thing."

"Harumph." The man actually pouted as he crossed his arms about his chest and stuck his tongue out at his godson.

"Yes, real mature, Sirius." Harry sighed slightly as he lightly rubbed his face before glancing at the Headmistress. "So, I don't suppose you have any ideas on what happened to us?"

"I haven't the foggiest." The Headmistress' voice was flat and to the point as she gave them both a look, before shaking her head at their looks of disappointment. "I'm a school teacher, why you would…"

"Well, in his defense, he DID have Dumbledore for a Headmaster." Sirius spoke up as he shrugged just a bit and grinned at the woman. "That would spoil things for a boy."

"Yes, Mr. Black, please do go on making me feel even more like I can never quite live up to Albus' legacy, I do so enjoy it." The sarcasm dripped venomously from the woman's voice as she continued to glare back at the man in front of her, fingers tightening once more on the bottle in her hand."

"…I think I upset her." Sirius noted carefully as she lightly slunk down into his chair under the woman's stern, piercing stare. "I feel like I'm in school all over again and I just got caught transfiguring her chair cushion from feathers to catnip."

If anything that only caused the woman's eyes to narrow even further, a hiss of displeasure leaving her lips as she pointedly pressed her lips together into a hard, thin line a moment later. "I see. I do believe I'm going to have to have words with Professor Potter about some of the pranks he and his associates were up to."

Harry immediately winced slightly at the mentioned name as he sighed just a bit. "Professor, could you by any chance contact Pro-Albus Dumbledore? I think it would probably be best if we avoided any contact with the Professors Potter."

"But…!" Sirius immediately spoke up in protest as he shot his godson a bewildered look, even as Harry shot him a glare back.

"This isn't our world, Sirius." Harry spoke up softly as he hunched forward, his head falling quietly as he lightly shook his head. "These aren't my parents. We can't stay here."

"I know but… It's Prongs! And Lils!" Sirius whined slightly as he looked back at the boy. "ALIVE!"

"Stop it, Sirius." Harry whispered softly as he could feel the tears start to flow down his cheeks. "Please, just don't. I… I can't. I… we… have to go back. And if I meet them… Merlin, I don't know if I'll be able to."

"Well, we could always just stay." The gaunt man offered hopefully before immediately shrinking under the glare the boy sent him. "I'm just saying! I didn't get thrown into Azkaban for over 10 years here because they never bothered to give me a trial and investigate the truth!"

"You were in Azkaban…?" Instantly Professor McGonagall's eyes narrowed into twin slights, her fingers tightened about the handle of her wand. "And why is that, and how're you here, now?"

"I was accused of being the one to betray James and Lily to Voldemort, because EVERYONE knew I was their Secret Keeper." Sirius growled softly as he dug his fingers down into the arms of his chair.

"It didn't help that Wormtail accused you of doing it in the middle of a public street in front of a bunch of muggles, then blowing them and the street up to fake his own death." Harry added with a slight curling frown on his lips. "With the finger he cut off himself, it did make it quite believable."

"A cleanly cut off finger, that was the ONLY piece of him they could find." Sirius countered was he crossed his arms about his chest and pouted visibly. "And that damned Crouch threw me into Azkaban without a damned trial."

"Then went around and took his convicted Death Eater of a son out of there, and held him at home, under the Imperius curse, allowing him to later break free, pose as Moody, and set up Voldemort's resurrection." Harry added, before shaking his head with a look of disgust on his face as he glanced at his god father. "You know, the guy really screwed us both over, didn't he?"

"That is true." Sirius agreed with a nod of his head before he frowned slightly. "Whatever happened to him?"

"Completely vanished." Harry answered, before pausing a bit and shrugging. "But, considering that I unknowingly told Junior about him, he probably ended up dead and buried somewhere."

"Ah, a pity." Sirius sighed slightly and shook his head as he slumped back and shrugged a bit before glancing at the goggling McGonagall. "But, to answer your question. I was the first, and only person to ever escape Azkaban without outside help!"

"I like how he puts the without outside help on there." Harry noted with a sage nod of his head as he glanced over at McGonagall. "It makes it seem like Crouch didn't swap his son out with his dying wife so no one was ever wise to the escape, years previously."

"Or my 'dear' cousin, whom Voldemort…" Sirius paused a moment as he noticed the way the Headmistress flinched at the name. "Really Minerva? The man's been dead here for over a decade and you're still bloody flinching at his name? I thought you were a Gryffindor?"

"Well, he is a rather disturbing individual." Harry allowed as he felt their eyes immediately turn onto him. "Not counting the night I got this…" The boy lightly tapped the scar on his head before continuing. "I've met him… Three times now. It was not pleasant. At All."

"'Thrice defied him.'" Sirius muttered quietly under his breath, before slumping just slightly in his chair. "Again, Harry, the more I learn about your life, the more disturbed I get."

"And again, think about how things are for me to have actually lived through it." Harry countered with a slight smirk on his lips even as he shrugged just slightly, even as his eyes suddenly widened in shock. "Oh, bugger… No Malfoy to plant the diary with Ginny." He paused a moment, blinking even more. "Oh, double bugger, no diary at all."

"Meaning?" Sirius blinked slightly as he stared curiously at the boy.

"There's still a 1,000 year old basilisk in the Chamber of Secrets." Pale now, Harry paused before he turned and gave a firm look towards blank faced Headmistress. "Um… Might I highly suggest you wall off Moaning Myrtle's bathroom? It's the entrance."

"…" Wordlessly Minerva McGonagall filled her glass almost over flowing before she slammed it back without even a blink of pause before she turned and with a mechanical motion, rose up and strode over to the fireplace, before tossing a handful of Floo Powder down as she wordlessly intoned. "Albus Dumbledore."

There was a flash of green before, after a moment's pause, the familiar face of the aged wizard appeared, blinking back at the man. "Minerva, how delightful…"

"Get your bloody arse over here. There's no way in hell I'm dealing with this madness." And with that, the woman left the man stared at her, rather flummoxed as she strode back to her chair and poured herself another hefty amount of whiskey.

-o-o-o-

"Well, this is certainly a predicament." Albus Dumbledore was staring at the boy and the man seated in front of him, peering over his half moon spectacles as he lightly stroked his beard. "Quite perplexing really."

"When one needs a predicament, Harry rarely disappoints I've noticed." Sirius offered up with a dry smirk on his lips as he glanced at his godson.

"More like when I DON'T need one you mean." Harry countered as he glared mildly at his godfather. "You're the one that always causes trouble where ever you go"

"Only when you're involved." Sirius shot back, his eyes dancing playfully as he leaned back in his seat and stretched out just a bit. "I don't suppose you have any ideas? As much as I'm loathe to do it, we are needed back home, what with Voldemort running around, causing trouble."

"Just call him Riddle or Tom, Sirius." Harry grumbled slightly as he crossed his arms about his chest. "It's just a name he made up for himself."

"Well, excuse me for being an out of the loop fugitive." Sirius shot his tongue back out at Harry before he leaned back in his chair and sighed slightly. "Well, ole Tommy boy is running around, causing all sorts of trouble back home... That reminds me, Harry, why the bloody hell did you go to the Department of Mysteries? Why didn't you get me on the mirror?"

"Wasn't time... We tried getting you on the floo, but Kreacher said you weren't there." Harry shifted uncomfortably for a moment before reluctantly admitting. "Plus, I kinda panicked, what with the Riddle induced migraine I wasn't exactly thinking completely straight."

"...Narcissa told him to tell you that." Sirius grumbled just a bit and shook his head. "Oooh, the pranking she'll get when we get back!"

"… Sirius, almost died and you want to PRANK her?" Harry stared incredulously at his godfather.

"Of course! Can you think of anything that infuriates a stick up their ass pureblood more?"

"My continued existence?"

"… Damn, forgot about that."

"Well, I must say, if I had any doubts about them being who they say they are, they've certainly been alleviated." Dumbledore noted with a slightly bewildered expression on his face. "I've never seen such a discourse since our young Messers Potter and Black were in school."

"Yes, sad, isn't it? A grown man and he's losing an argument with a boy less than half his age." Harry sighed softly and shook his head woefully.

"There must be something in the air here." Sirius muttered quietly under his breath. "We must find it so we can bring it back with us."

"Eh?" Harry blinked a moment as he looked at his god father. "What're you on about?"

"You're displaying a wit and charm the likes of which I've never seen in you before." Sirius pointed out with a slight grin on his face. "Far, far more enjoyable than your usual dour self."

"… I'm in a world where I don't have to worry about an insane Dark Lord trying to kill me. Why exactly WOULDN'T I be in a better mood?" Harry looked at his godfather oddly for a moment, before glancing left and right carefully. "Plus, I don't have to worry about Hermione."

"Ah, yes, that would explain it." Sirius nodded his head quite sagely as he lightly laced his fingers together.

"And what, pray tell, is wrong with Ms. Granger?" McGonagall chose that moment to speak back up, the effects of the alcohol barely visible as she lightly glared at the boy.

"Err… please do remember, in my world, there wasn't a Lily Potter to set her straight." Harry paused a moment, brow furrowing slightly. "At least that's what Hagrid told us. My Hermione… Brilliant of course, but, down right scary how much she loves studying."

"Studying to the exclusion of everything she does." Sirius spoke up in defense of his godson. "It's sad, not a mischievous bone in her body, all set in rules and doing what you're told. Unhealthy fixation that is."

"You're going to try and corrupt me the entire time we're here, aren't you?" Harry asked with a sudden look of revelation as he leveled a look at his godfather.

"Well, I do have a few years to make up for." Sirius noted as if affronted as he lightly examined his vest.

"True I suppose." Harry paused lightly tapping on his chin in consideration. "I suppose there are a few things you could teach me."

"A few?" Sirius looked affronted as he crossed his arms about his chest. "Why, by the time I was your age…"

"Yes, yes, illegal animagus, one of the most brilliant wizards of your generation, yadda yadda yadda." Harry waved his hand before blinking slightly as he noticed where McGonagall was twitching slightly as she affixed a glare at his godfather. "Umm… oops?"

"Thank you SO much, Harry." Sirius supplied lamely as he offered a weak smile back to Minerva. "Um… Surprise?"

"Mr. Black, what on earth could possibly have possessed you to do such a fool hearty…" The current Hogwarts Headmistress began, her eyes blazing before she noticed the guilty look flashing across Dumbledore's eyes as the elderly man looked away. "Albus! You knew!"

"I might have had some… inkling, vaguely, possibly." Dumbledore admitted with a slight wince. "But, there were of course extenuating circumstances."

"Very extenuating." Sirius agreed with a quick nod of his head.

"Absolutely necessary ones." Harry chimed in, before shrugging off the glare Headmistress sent him. "Remus."

The woman's glare immediately froze at that name, before softening slightly as she looked over to Albus for confirmation. At the man's grave nod, the woman slumped slightly before fixing Sirius a look. "All right then, let's see it."

"Um, you do know a good flea repelling charm, right, Professor?" Harry offered up with an innocently cheeky grin on his lips ignoring the baleful look on his godfather's face.

"Quite." The woman agreed again before arching a brow expectantly at Sirius. "Well? We're waiting."

Huffing just a bit Sirius none the less stood up from his chair before in a sudden blur of motion, gone was the man, replaced by the shaggy bear of a dog known as Padfoot. Harry immediately wrinkled his nose and shook his head. "When was the last time you had a bath, Padfoot?"

The dog immediately gave his godson a long, hard glare, before lifting his head and sniffing derisively at the boy, refusing to rise to the bait. As he lifted his head, it brought his gaze up to the penetrating, narrowed eyes of McGonagall, almost causing the dog to falter, before a slight little smirk curled onto the woman's lips. "Appropriate, Mr. Black. Appropriate."

A loud bark and a wagging of his tail immediately answered the woman as Padfoot grinned back at her, before suddenly the entrance to the office swung open and one James Potter strode into the room. "Minerva, what did Hagrid do… Oh, I'm sorry I didn't…"

Harry and Sirius both immediately froze in place, refusing to glance back over their shoulders at the sound of the voice. As a slight, quiet whimper escaped the dog's throat, Harry reached over, and lightly stroked his fingers against his head. "It's all right, Snuffles."

"Ah, James, delightful to see you, my boy." Dumbledore spoke up as he smiled at the man, quickly stepping up, and coincidentally blocking the man's view of the boy seated in front of the desk. "What's this about Hagrid?"

"I… I…" James never once took his eyes off the dog, struggling to form a thought, anything as he could feel the word leaving his lips. "…Padfoot…?"

Harry could feel the tension building in the dog's from, as he continued to gently pet him, stroking him as he whispered so very softly to the creature. "He's not our James, he's not our James, he's not our James."

"Padfoot?" Dumbledore blinked slightly as he looked at James, a look of apparent confusion falling across his face as he lightly reached up, resting his hand on James' shoulder. "Now, why does that name seem so familiar, James?"

Forcibly brought out of his daze, James turned his attention back to the man, blinking back tears as he forced himself to meet the former Headmaster's gaze. "Sirius, Sir, Sirius."

"Ah, Mr. Black." A note of sadness entered the old man's voice. "A tragic tale… Most tragic… A loss to us all. Now, what was that about Hagrid?"

"Fillius just oblivated him.. again. I just came to find out why." There was a slightly dazed expression on James' face as he lightly shook his head then glanced purposely at Minerva.

"He learned something he shouldn't. AGAIN." Minerva grumbled slightly as she shook her head and lightly glanced down at her glass and the bottle of whiskey next to it. "I swear, that man… he always manages to find himself in the most spectacularly frustrating situations."

Harry couldn't help but nod slightly back at the woman as he could feel the tension building even further into Sirius. Fingers gripped onto the dog, holding him even more firmly into place, pressing him back against the chair. His eyes flashed from the Headmistress to the dog then back again, looking at the woman meaningfully as he did so.

Minerva paused, caught in a moment's indecision, before suddenly her face hardened as she looked over at James. "Mr. Potter, would you be so kind as to fetch your wife? There are some things we need to discuss with the both of you."

"Professor!" Harry immediately strangled out, his eyes widened in shocked betrayal as he stared up at the woman.

"Hush, young man." Minerva scolded lightly before looking once more back at James. "Well, James, if you would?"

"Ah, right… This is about what Hagrid was oblivated for?" James nervously nodded his head, casting one more look at the dog and young man who never showed him his face, before moving back to the door with a sense of urgency.

The instant the door was shut, Padfoot was once more Sirius as he met the elderly woman with a burning glare of outrage. "WHAT THE BLOODY HELL WOMAN!?"

McGonagall actually flinched at the explosive venom in the man's words before she steeled her face and glared back at the man. "Mr. Black. You are for all intents and purposes STUCK here. That means that you will need a place to stay, and a place to continue young Mr. Potter's education."

"We can't stay," Harry responded insistently as he looked back at the woman. "We can't just leave them there, not with Tom running around free."

"Be that as it may, if anyone deserves to know about this, it is James and Lily." McGonagall argued as she looked sternly back at the pair. "After everything they've been through…"

"And what about when we have to leave, what then?!" Harry was suddenly standing, his eyes burning with the same anger as Sirius' as his voice rose in power as the force of his magic began to bleed into the air. "What happens then, hmmm?! When they have to watch us leave, AGAIN? WHAT ABOUT US?! DO YOU KNOW what that will do to us?! They represent EVERYTHING WE'VE LOST!" Suddenly, the very air seemed to crack as a wave of destruction smashed through the office. "EVERYTHING I'VE NEVER HAD! And you DARE to try and shove that in my face?!"

Tears were streaming down Harry's face as he felt his godfather's arms suddenly wrapping around him, holding him tightly as McGonagall took a step back in fearful awe of the display the boy let loose in her office. As the emerald eyed boy broke down suddenly into a series of wracking sobs, the swirl of magic finally halted, leaving the rest of the occupants to stare in almost flabbergasted shock as Sirius soothingly rubbed against his back. Turning a brief, disappointed glance onto his former subordinate, the elderly wizard took the next few moments to lift up his wand and begin to gesture around the room, slowly repairing the damage done.

"How? How could she do this to us, Sirius?" Harry's voice was a hoarse whisper as he clung desperately back onto his godfather, crying into the man's chest.

"Shhh… Shhh…" Sirius gently rubbed his hand against Harry's back, cradling the boy in his arms. "It'll be all right, Harry. It'll be all right."

"That, Minerva, was one of the more foolish things I've ever had the displeasure of seeing you do." Dumbledore spoke up with a soft, stern voice as he looked down at the woman who had once been one of his prized pupils. "Including the incident in your sixth year."

When the woman flushed brightly in response, the man shook his head and sighed slightly in a more obvious bit of frustration than neither man nor boy had ever seen from the man. "Harry, Sirius, if you'll come with me, we'll…"

Any further words the man might've said were interrupted as once more the office door opened, and once more James Potter entered, a slightly annoyed looking Lily Potter behind him, as she blinked in surprise at the appearance of the man who had been the Headmaster during their time at Hogwarts.

"Oh, bugger." Dumbledore muttered, before turning his head and glaring spectacularly at McGonagall as he could hear the wet, broken laugh of Harry Potter behind him.

"Did you ever say it, Professor." Harry laughed, a sickly, empty thing as he glanced at the two confused Professors that looked for a moment at the boy, and the man incomprehension, before words were released simultaneously

"Sirius?"

"Padfoot?"

Sighing in resignation Dumbledore again flicked his wand, and the door behind the two professors slammed shut and was quickly sealed before he firmly imposed himself between them and the people they were staring at. "Before anything further happens in this, I NEED the pair of you to understand something. These two are NOT from our world. They are NOT the people you knew. Just as you are not the people they might have known. As such, this is NOT your Sirius."

"But… but…" James was staring, his eyes never leaving the worn, dark haired man that looked so very much like a grown, aged version of his best friend.

Lily's eyes however, turned to the boy Sirius clutched against his chest, and saw a face that almost made her falter and faint dead away. In a soft, impossibly thin voice, she uttered a single, hopeful, horrified name. "Harry…?"

Harry stiffened immediately, before looking away, his voice thick as he forced it past his lips. "I'm NOT your Harry."

Those words snapped James' attention away from the man, and immediately onto the boy with the oh so familiar features as his own, hazel eyes widened behind his glasses. "Harry."

"I already told you… I'M NOT YOUR HARRY!" The words screamed past his lips as suddenly they were engulfed in another, violent explosion of magic that knocked everyone but Harry, Sirius and Dumbledore off their feet. "Not Your Harry! Not your Harry."

His voice broke into a whimper as he clutched even tighter onto Sirius and buried his face again into the man's chest. "Why? Why are they doing this to us? Haven't we suffered enough? Haven't we had enough? Why do these bloody things keep happening to us?"

Sirius just stroked gently, firmly against Harry's back, pressing his palm against it as he rubbed up and down, up and down soothingly. "I don't know, Harry. I don't know. But I hate it as much as you do."

"Someone…" Lily slowly pushed herself back up, staring in absolute shock at Harry, her eyes never leaving him. "Someone will tell us WHAT THE BLOODY HELL IS GOING ON!"

"Heh…" Sirius chuckled just slightly as he glanced for a moment towards Lily before grinning just a bit down at Harry. "Well, at least you can see where you got your temper from, kid."

And at that, Harry couldn't help but give off a wracking sound that was half laugh, half sob.

-o-o-o-

It took more than a moment for things to settle then as Dumbledore immediately chased the Headmistress out of her own office with a hard glare the likes of which none could remember ever seeing on the kindly old man's face. An instant later, the table desk had been transfigured into a table, two chairs set on each end, and one in the middle. With great reluctance Harry and Sirius had seated themselves at one end, as under Dumbledore's guidance, Lily and James sat at the other.

As the elderly man took his seat between them, a slow, heavy sigh escaped his lips. "Now, I'm sure you have questions."

"Yeah, if we can oblivate Hagrid so easily, why can't we just oblivate them?" Harry asked hopefully as he shook his head, ignoring the down right incredulous looks the Professors Potter sent him.

"I had considered that option, however, I do not believe they would agree to such a thing." Dumbledore admitted as he glanced towards the outraged looks flashing across the Professors faces. "So, I do not believe it would be advisable to try, young man."

"Pity, it'd make this so much easier." Harry sighed and hung his head as he fell back into his chair, ignoring the incredulous stares the professors sent his way. "Lovely position we're in, isn't it, oh beloved dogfather of mine?"

"I would indeed say so." Sirius agreed with a nod of his head as he kept his focus firmly on Harry. "Quite sure you don't want to…?"

Harry snorted then as he lazily glared at Sirius. "MY parents, YOUR best friend and his wife, have been dead for almost 15 years. They aren't them. They aren't even who they'd be. 15 YEARS, Padfoot. 15 years, in this damned paradise."

"Paradise?!" James Potter was suddenly on his feet, his eyes burning as he glared back at the pair across from them. "I lose my SON and my BROTHER and you think this is paradise?!"

"Compared to where we come from? Oh, yeah." Harry shook his head as he glanced at Sirius. "What do you say, Sirius? How's this compare to over 10 years stuck in Azkaban without a trial, being blamed for betraying my parents, and the 12 muggles Pettrigrew killed when he framed you?"

"Well, there was a reason we thought we'd died and gone to heaven." Sirius admitted with a shrug as both James and Lily stared at the boy in absolute shock. "How's this place compare to growing up living with the Dursleys and being constantly in danger because of Voldemort and his followers?"

"And Dementors." Harry added quickly, as the pair shared a shudder. "Dementors are very, very bad."

"Indubitably." Sirius agreed, before pausing, smirking slightly. "Though, this coming from the boy who drove off close to a hundred of them at 13?"

"Again, being forced to relive Voldemort killing my parents, over and over again." Harry countered as he shuddered visibly and paled slightly, before frowning just a bit. "Though, now it might be being forced to watch Cedric die and Voldemort's resurrection. The Cruciatus hurts like a bitch."

Sirius winced, visibly and lightly nodded his head as he softly patted his godson's back. "Well, you are the only one who has encountered all three Unforgivables."

"Yeah, the look on Voldemort's face when I threw off his Imperius was rather good." Harry admitted as he lightly leaned back and couldn't help but shrug just a bit.

The other three people at the table were staring in open mouthed shock at the boy of no more than 15 years old before them so casually discussing the subject, before Dumbledore finally spoke. "Harry… that is truly remarkable."

"Ha!" Sirius barked off a laugh and shook his head. "You're talking about my godson there, Albus! Remarkable doesn't even begin to describe him!"

"Ugh, please don't start that." Harry shrank back just a bit and shook his head. "I just did what I had to."

"Truly remarkable." Dumbledore repeated for a moment, before lightly pursing his lips as a thought came to him. "You say time is a year behind here, compared to your own world?"

"Ugh, don't remind me." Harry paused a moment, before suddenly brightening considerably. "Wait, no Voldemort! So, that means no Umbridge trying to destroy me!"

"Destroy you?" Sirius blinked slightly at that as he eyed his godson. "Albus told me she made your life difficult…"

"She's the one that sent the Dementors after me before school started." Harry answered flatly as he shook his head. "Not to mention the blood quill detentions… and worst of all, the hogwash she called her Defense Against the Dark Arts! Sit back and let the Aurors take care of it? Ugh. It'll be a miracle if anyone other than the DA passes their Owls this year."

"…" Sirius paused a moment, staring back at his godson with a completely blank face before suddenly his eyes were burning with fury. "She's a dead woman."

"Well, it has been one of the worse years of my life." Harry agreed with a nod and a shudder. "Not to mention on top of the DA, the problems with Umbridge, Voldemort and everything else, I had to take those bloody Occlumancy lessons with Snape."

"But, but he hates you!" Sirius protested his eyes wide in shock as he shuddered in quiet revulsion.

"The ever increasing pain I got after having some of my deepest, and worst memories rifled through and being forced to relive them do attest to that." Harry agreed with a slight shrug of his shoulders.

"… Snape? As in… Severus?" There was a mix of horror, shock and disbelief written on the Potters' faces as James spoke. "What… what the bloody hell was that Death Eater son of a bitch doing teaching ANYONE!? Let alone…" James fought back the last bit, as he suddenly clenched his fingers tighter into his chair as he felt Lily stare in absolute shock, frozen next to him.

"He's the Potions Professor and Head of Slytherin at our Hogwarts." Harry shrugged slightly as he looked away for a moment. "Apparently he still holds a grudge for how my father treated him."

"How the bloody hell is he not in Azkaban for what he did?!" James' face was flushing with outrage as he stared back at the boy. "He's the one that bloody gave Voldemort the reason coming after my son!"

Harry's mouth fell open at that, staring at James, before slowly, purposely he turned his head and looked directly at Dumbledore, who not quite catching the full meaning of the look, nodded sadly in confirmation. "Yes, sadly young Severus overheard the parts of a Prophecy delivered to me in regards to the Dark Lord, a prophecy that indicated that either young Harry Potter or, young Neville Longbottom would awaken the power to vanquish the Dark Lord. For us, it was the righteous fury of Sirius Black at the death of his godson."

"Yes, well OUR version of Dumbledore thought it best to try and redeem our Snape." Sirius spoke up with a twisted, sour expression on his face. "I go to Azkaban and the Death Eater gets to torment every Gryffindor student for over a decade."

"Not to mention it was our Dumbledore's idea to have me learn Occlumancy from Snape while he bloody avoided and ignored me the entire year." Harry added with a sour twist to his face.

Dumbledore blinked slightly as furious eyes were turned onto him, before raising his hands in his defense. "Note, they said THEIR Dumbledore. I did not make those actions." He paused a moment, before lightly stroking his beard. "Though, it does leave me wanting to send a rather stern letter for your version of myself when we find a way for you to return."

"Can it be a howler?" Harry offered hopefully as his eyes gleamed a bit. "I've wanted to see him on the receiving end of a howler all year."

Sirius and James both looked at Harry a moment, before chuckling together while Lily wore a look of amused disapproval on her face. Seeing the looks, Harry shrugged helplessly and smiled. "What can I say? I might have a few… anger issues with the man."

"Considering the things that occurred earlier… might I perhaps offer my own services at teaching you the skill of Occlumancy, young man?" Dumbledore spoke up as he studied Harry for a long moment, stroking his beard as he did so, before continuing. "Also… I believe I might have an idea how to send you back."

"Ah? If you do… I don't think we'd have time for me to learn." Harry admitted softly and lightly shook his head.

"On the contrary, young man. If my theory is correct… you have an entire year. All we will need is to be at the Veil of Death at that same day as you left… Though, I do believe we will need a Master of Death." Dumbledore's eyes twinkled with absolute merriment as looks of confusion passed across the table, while James Potter's face paled dramatically.

"You're talking about uniting the Hallows." James spoke in the softest of whispers as he stared at the man. "How…? They've been lost for centuries…"

"Come now, James, we both know one of them never left the descendants of the Peverells for a fact." Dumbledore countered with that twinkling little smile of his.

James shifted uncomfortably as everyone's eyes turned onto him, while Sirius' eyes widened in realization. "The cloak?!"

"That still leaves the stone and the wand." James countered with a slight, uncomfortable grumble while Dumbledore's twinkling eyes only grew.

"Oh, that's not too terribly much of an issue." The man answered with a slight smile on his lips as he purposely lifted up his wand, and lightly shook it meaningfully.

"… And the stone?"

"Was actually in the possession of a Mr. Riddle, set on the Gaunt family ring. Fortunately, he had not the understanding of just what it was he had in his possession." Dumbledore admitted with a slight smile on his lips as he shook his head. "I know where it is, however, I have yet to be able to bring myself to retrieve it. The temptation of it… It would be too much for me I think."

"Would someone mind telling the muggle raised kid what the bloody hell you're talking about?" Harry spoke up, a flash of irritation in his eyes as he glanced between the assembled group.

"Cloak… stone… wand… Hallows…" Sirius blinked in absolute shock as realization hit him. "The Deathly Hallows actually exist?!"

"Indeed, Mr. Black, indeed." Dumbledore agreed with a soft smile on his lips as he held up his wand. "The Elder Wand has been in my possession for the past 50 years. And Mr. Potter, being the last direct descendant of Ignotus Peverell, owns the Cloak of Invisibility."

"This is insane." Lily muttered softly as she spoke up, before glancing around them. "You're talking about… it's all pure conjecture! We have no idea if this would even work!"

"Well, to be perfectly honest, it's the best that we're going to likely get." Dumbledore spoke up, with a slight smile. "And sometimes, magic requires a bit of a leap of faith."

"I'm with her in that this sounds insane." Harry offered up lamely, before shrugging slightly. "But, being as how insane generally works for me, I'll go along with it."

"Harry…" Sirius stared at his godson, blinking slightly in uncertainty.

"Well Padfoot, we've already took one trip through a Veil of Death, what's one more?" Harry offered with a glib grin on his face. "Besides, the worst that could happen…"

"Would be our deaths." Sirius pointed out as he shifted slightly in uncertainty.

"And as we both know, Sirius, there are worse things than dying. Besides, look on the bright side." Harry grinned slightly as he smiled at his godfather. "We've got people waiting for us there anyway. Worst case scenario, we just meet them a bit earlier than we would otherwise."

No one quite saw the sudden twinkle shining in Dumbledore's eyes at the boy's words, even as he nodded his head in agreement. "Yes, quite. Now then, we do however need to discuss what you'll be doing in that year's time."

"… Why do I suddenly have a sinking sensation that he's going to try and steal my vacation time and make me do something wholly unpleasant like do an extra year of schoolwork?" Harry asked rhetorically as he glanced slightly towards his godfather.

"Because, you're a growing boy and you need your education?" Sirius countered with a grin.

"Traitor." Harry muttered slightly under his breath as he lightly glared at his godfather, before pausing a moment, and grinning at him. "You will of course have to make it worth my while to accept."

"Animagus training?" Sirius offered back with an equal grin on his lips.

"Would be brilliant." Harry agreed with a nod of his head. "Though, the occlumancy training would be good too."

"I would imagine it would only further the speed of the animagus training." Dumbledore noted agreeably with a smile on his face. "The increased mental discipline only enhancing how quickly you learned of it."

"Delightful." Harry agreed with a nod of his head, before pausing a moment. "But, where are we staying?"

"Well, as much as Minerva was quite misguided in her attempt…" Albus immediately began as he smiled with those damned twinkling eyes at the boy.

"No." Harry cut in quickly as he shook his head. "Not gonna happen. It's a bad idea all around, for both sides."

Sirius whimpered as he looked pleadingly at Harry. The boy instantly stiffened as he glared back at the man. "We talked about this, Padfoot."

"But… but…" Sirius immediately protested as he stared at Harry helplessly. "Prongs! Lils!"

"And again I remind you, NOT our Prongs, not our Lils." Harry growled back as he glared at the man. "I grew up with the Dursleys, remember?! That's what I have to go back to when we return!"

"… Why the bloody HELL is he staying with my sister and the miserable lump she calls a husband?" Lily suddenly growled out as she glared accusingly at Sirius.

"Because Sirius is a wanted fugitive, on the run because of a bloody corrupt Ministry and being framed by Wormtail for killing a bunch of muggles and betraying my parents?" Harry offered up with a roll of his eyes as he snorted softly. "You know what? You want to know why I don't want to do this? Bring me a bloody penseive and I'll SHOW you what I have to go back to!"

Blinking slightly at the vehemence in the boy's words, and taken aback by the display of emotion, Dumbledore carefully rose up and walked over to a specific cabinet, tapping it lightly with his wand to open it before walking back and settling a penseive down in front of the boy. Not wasting a moment, Harry concentrated on the memories in his mind then, began to drop thread after thread into the bowl, before suddenly pulling back. Wordlessly he gestured to the bowl, before standing up and stalking over to a wall.

Preempting anyone else from acting first, Sirius immediately dove into the memories without even a word of warning. After a few, tensed minutes clicked by, the man again emerged from the memories, tears streaming down his cheeks as he quietly strode over to his godson and engulfed in a hug, leaving the remaining three to stare at one another in wordless confusion. By unspoken agreement, they entered into the memories together as the world around them vanished.

"And that, Padfoot, is why I can't do this." Harry spoke softly, quietly as he shook his head, not fighting off the man's hug. "If I even start to get an idea of what it would have been like to live with them… How can I go back to THAT?"

"You're NOT going back to THAT, Harry." Sirius shook his head, growling softly. "Not while I'm around. I don't care what Dumbledore says. I'll bloody kidnap you if I have to."

"Heh, can't kidnap the willing, Sirius." Harry countered with a slight smile on his lips.

"Tell that to Dumbledore." The man answered sourly as he glanced at the boy.

"Ok, as soon as he gets out of the penseive." Harry agreed with a grin on his lips.

"OUR Dumbledore." Sirius corrected quickly, before glancing over in the direction of the others. "This one does seem a bit better than ours though. Wish we could keep him."

"Probably the years of retirement have loosened him up again." Harry agreed with a nod of his head. "Still, wouldn't that be amusing? Two Dumbledores against Tom."

"… You are quite obviously the son of a Marauder." Sirius noted with a wide grin on his lips.

"I just like the thought of anything that would scare the shit out of Tommy boy." Harry chuckled softly as his eyes gleamed back at him. "Actually, can you imagine ANYONE that wouldn't be afraid of having to deal with TWO Dumbledores?"

"Gellert Grindewald." A new voice spoke up shakily as the pair turned to see an uneasy trio exited from the penseive. "But then, Gellert always was one to take on a challenge, even if it was beyond him."

The note of wistful sadness in his voice caused Harry to look sharply at the man, an inquiring question unspoken in those eyes as the man carefully settled himself into a chair. "In our youths, we were the best of friends, eager and ambitious to change the world." Slowly then the man shook his head. "But, we wanted to go about it the wrong ways. I learned that lesson, but Gellert, alas, did not."

Nodding slightly in what he hoped with a look of understanding he didn't quite feel Harry discreetly shifted his attention towards the Potters, studying them silently. Tears and anger dwelled in those eyes as they held onto each other, both for comfort and restraint. He could see it in their eyes, the naked desire to rush over to him and comfort him, to try and make it better. And he couldn't face, tearing his face away from theirs and staring at the wall as he felt the tears run down his cheeks.

"My boy… Whoever placed you with those people did you a grave injustice." Dumbledore spoke softly as he shook his head, before hearing the loud snort that followed that sent a spike of worried confirmation through his heart. "It was my counterpart I take it?"

"Mhm. Kept sending me back, kept saying things like I needed to be safe." Harry rolled his eyes and snorted softly. "Yeah, I was safer there than Hogwarts, but I would rather be in danger and happy than safe and miserable like that."

"I think, for some reason, my counterpart has forgotten that you cannot chain something and expect for it to grow, nor can you leave it in the dark, alone and unattended for the sake of safety." Dumbledore sighed once more as he would lean back, closing his eyes for a moment. "Yes, I will indeed have to send a most… vexed letter back with you."

"Heh, again, I hope you include a howler, if only for the comedic value." Harry shook his head a bit before he was finally willing to look back at the others. "So then, can we finally put this foolishness to rest? As you can see this is…"

"On the contrary, I think you've only given us all the more reason for you to stay with the Professors Potter." Dumbledore interrupted as he gently looked into the boy's eyes. "If only to show you how things should be, and to give you memories to draw on."

"I know how they should be." Harry stated flatly as he shook his head. "I do have friends with families you know. I have seen how they're supposed to act."

"Harry… It can't hurt." Sirius prodded slightly as he spoke up, glancing hopefully towards the pair of adult Potters.

"E tu, Padfoot?" Harry glared at the man, his eyes burning past his glasses. "Why is it everyone doesn't understand this? You want to give me what I always wanted, only, it's going to just be a year, then I'll never see them again."

"Would it really be so bad to get to know us?" Lily spoke up, her eyes still rimmed with tears as she studied the boy in front of her, almost afraid to say anything further.

"I get by, because the only time I ever remember my parents, is when I'm dealing with Dementors." Harry answered with a simple shrug of his shoulders. "I always wanted to know them, to be loved... But... To have had it all, to know it all, then go back to not having it?"

As the boy left the crux of the matter for him hang in the air he turned his head and lightly glared towards the still pleading Sirus. "But, you're determined to make me miserable, aren't you? Some godfather you are."

"Fine." Sirius sighed softly as he would gently squeeze Harry's shoulder. "We won't stay with them, we'll go out and about, finding some way to make ends meet, I've got plenty of experience doing that, remember? Out alone, in the cold. No home to return to, no roof over your head. Never knowing where your next warm meal is coming from."

"Cheap shot." Harry glowered back at the man, his arms crossed about his chest as he stared back at his godfather. "And a low blow at that."

"Well, did it work?" Sirius asked with his eyes lightly dancing with a bit of mirth.

"It doesn't help things in your favor when you can switch it off just like that, Sirius." Harry countered with a slight glare. "You should know, I HATE being manipulated."

"But?" Sirius offered hopefully as he grinned eagerly at his godson.

"... If I'm gonna ruddy stay, you better be getting me another firebolt." Harry answered grudgingly to Sirius. "Umbridge stole mine, so I don't have one to play quidditch."

"You... play quidditch?" James spoke up his eyes suddenly sparkling as he eyed the boy hopefully.

"He's been Gryffindor's seeker since he was an ickle firstie!" Sirius agreed, his chest swelling up in pride with a nod of his head. "Only ever lost one match!"

"Which, was entirely your fault." Harry countered with a grunt and a grumble. "If you hadn't lead that bloody Dementor to the quidditch pitch..."

"Hey! You still won the cup!" Sirius shot back with a smirk.

"And Cedric..." Harry paused a moment, before suddenly slumping back. "Cedric's alive here though, isn't he?"

"Diggory?" James spoke up, frowning slightly as his brow furrowed. "You mentioned a Cedric dying..."

"Wormtail killed in right in front of me." Harry answered with a quiet hollowness to his voice. "We'd both just grabbed the cup at the same time... it was a portkey, took us to a bloody graveyard and things just got worse from there."

"You got out alive Harry," Sirius said softly as he lightly put his hand on his godson's shoulder. "And his parents were grateful that you brought their son's body back to them. And since you dueled Voldemort to do so..."

"We got locked in Priori Incantatem." Harry shrugged his shoulders as he smiled wanely. "I don't think he was expecting me to have the other wand with Fawkes' feather in it."

Dumbledore went still at that, as he suddenly eyed Harry intently, before slowly shaking his head and letting loose a soft sigh. "Well, that does certainly dispel any lingering doubts about you being who you say you are... Here, only the crafter of the wands himself knew the origin of the Phoenix feather in Tom's wand, besides myself. Just as we were the only ones aware of the fact that it had a brother."

"Huh, don't suppose we could stop by and see if I could pick up a spare?" Harry asked curiously with an innocent grin on his face. "Never hurts to practice a little Constant Vigilance."

Sirius groaned softly as the others eyes immediately raised at the familiar phrase left the boy's lips. "I can't believe that you actually picked something up from that crazy bloke."

"Eh, he's a bit crusty, but he does know what he's talking about." Harry shot back with a slight smirk of amusement on his lips.

"And how did you come to know Alastor?" Dumbledore asked curiously as he studied the boy in front of him.

"Eh, well he was supposed to be my Fourth year Defense teacher. Unfortunately he was replaced by Barty Crouch Junior, using polyjuice. And if he died while in Azkaban a few years after he was put in there, he's not really dead, his father is keeping him under an Imperius in his home." Harry answered with a shrug. "Plus, he was with the Order group that took me to headquarters last summer."

"Ah, yes, when you first met dear Nymphadora." Sirius nodded his head somberly before he smirked slyly at Harry. "What a Hufflepuff, eh?"

Harry blushed brightly as he lightly glared back at the man. "Can you not be Sirius and be serious for a bit? Besides, she's 7 years older than me. Talk about out of my league."

"Doesn't mean you can't appreciate my dear cousin's scenery." Sirius shot back with a laugh as he ducked the smack Harry aimed at his head.

"Git."

"And I saw those oh so appreciative glances you were sending her way." Sirius continued on, ignoring the way Lily was lightly glaring at him. "So did she."

"Oh, merlin, kill me now." Harry groaned as he buried his face in his hands.

"What, you thought you were just really lucky to see how perfectly she was filling out those pants and her tops?" Sirius grinned back as his eyes sparkled. "She was giving you some eye candy!"

Harry opened his mouth to answer that yes, he did indeed think he was really, really lucky, before he blinked as the full implications of Tonks' words filtered through his mind. "Wait, what does that mean?"

"Well, it could mean one of two things," Sirius said with a grave nod of his head. "One, she likes you. Or two, she really likes to tease."

"... And you're not going to tell me which it is, are you?" Harry glared back at his godfather, his eyes flashing dangerously.

"Mmm no, I'm not." Sirius agreed with a nod of his head as he then glanced over and threw a wink at James and Lily, causing the man to smirk slightly while his wife rolled her eyes.

"Honestly, Sirius... you're old enough to be a father, and you're still acting like you're stuck in Fifth year." Lily grumbled slightly as she eyed the man with a slight glower on her face.

"Why, yes, I suppose I am." Sirius agreed with a nod of his head, before studying the pair. "And tell me, when was the last time you two played a prank?"

James paused a moment, before glancing over at his wife, before responding a bit too quickly. "A long, long time."

"James Potter..." Lily spoke up, as she eyed her husband with a knowing eye. "What did you two do?"

"Two?" Sirius blinked slightly as he perked up. "Mooney's around?"

"He's the Defense Teacher, has been almost as long as we've been teaching our subjects." Lily answered absently as she glanced for a moment.

"Well, he is a brilliant Defense Teacher." Harry offered as he grinned slightly at the memory. "Had to be to teach a third year to to master the Patronus spell."

"Mastered?" Dumbledore perked at that as he eyed the boy. "You can cast a corporeal Patronus?"

"Heh, I can, so can a lot of the students I taught how to do it in the DA." Harry agreed with a nod of his head.

"Remarkable, I don't suppose you'd be willing to indulge an old man's curiosity?" The elderly man asked curiously.

In response, Harry smiled softly as he drew forth the memories of the joys he'd experienced in his life, before his wand shot out towards an empty spot of the office. "Expecto Patronum!"

And in a flash, there he was standing tall and proud in his full glory, the silver stag, carefully pacing around the small, confined space of the office. For a moment, it turned, studying both the Professors Potter and then Dumbledore, before it quietly strode over to Harry and Sirius, lightly butting his head against them both. Gently, Harry reached up, and lightly stroked the creature's side, before he again smiled at Dumbledore. "How's that?"

"James..." Lily spoke up, her eyes incredibly wide as she stared at the majestic creature in front of them.

"I see it, Lily... I see it." James agreed as he reached down, taking hold of her hand and squeezing it softly. "I see it."

"My Lord..." Dumbledore stared in absolute shock at the figure standing so proudly before him, before a smile slowly ghosted across his lips. "Truly, remarkable young man. A Patronus like that is a rare, powerful thing indeed."

"He drove off what must have been a hundred Dementors." Sirius agreed as he stared at the silvery figure of his best friend's animagus form. "Saved our lives he did."

"Saved me again at the end of summer from those Dementors Umbridge sent after me." Harry agreed, as he smiled at his patronus. "Thanks for that."

The Stag bowed its head a moment, before butting once more against Harry's chest before dispersing in a cloud of silver mist.

"I wish I could keep him around more often." Harry admitted a bit before glancing over at James. "So, Prongs, you were telling us what you and Mooney had been up to?"

Lily's eyes immediately sharpened as she glanced over at her husband. "Yes, Prongs, Do tell. What HAVE you been up to?"

"Errr..." James immediately began to sweat as he glanced nervously at his wife.

"Mmm... Has there been a recent spike in pranking activity?" Harry asked casually as he arched a brow. "And/or, the Weasley twins being remarkably subdued in public?"

"How did you...?" Lily immediately asked as she stared at Harry in shock.

Harry turned and faced James a smirk growing on his lips. "They found out about you and Mooney, didn't they?"

James blushed slightly before nodding his head in admission. "Yeah... I slipped up and called him Mooney where they could hear... How did they even recognize it?"

"They have the Map." Harry answered with a grin on his face. "Since I'm not here, I imagine they kept it for themselves instead of handing it over."

Blinking for a moment, James then lightly tapped his chin before nodding his head. "Yes, I suppose that would do it..."

"Let me guess, they were outraged that their beloved heroes had joined the ranks of their oppressors?" Harry offered curiously with a light smirk on his lips.

"They called us washed up." James answered back with a huff as he crossed his arms about his chest. "Naturally, we couldn't let that go unanswered."

"Naturally." Harry agreed with a nod of his head before glancing over at Sirius. "Let this be a lesson to you. Never allow the twins to know you're one of their heroes unless you're still in touch with your inner prankster."

"I have an inner prankster?" Sirius answered curiously as his eyes danced with mirth.

"Well, in your case, you just never grew up, so it never went and hid." Harry mused with a shrug before glancing at a bemused looking James. "So, you two decided to prove that the twins, in all their brilliance, are still no match for the might of the Marauders?"

"Really, James! Picking a fight with school children?" Lily sighed in exasperation as she lightly glared at the man.

"I suggest you make him pay." Harry agreed with a quick nod of his head. "One thousand Galleons to help them start up a joke shop should do it."

"Any reason you're naming the exact amount of money that was the prize money for the Tri-Wizard Tournament, Harry?" Sirius asked with a positively innocent smile on his lips.

"Yes, who do you think I gave mine to?" Harry countered with a slight smirk before he shook his head and smiled softly. "Their protest against Umbridge had better be recorded in the Hogwarts history."

"Ah, indeed." Sirius smiled as he recalled hearing the story from the twins themselves.

"Wait a moment... Tri-Wizard Tournament prize money?!" Lily stared at Harry in shock. "But... but you'd have only been..."

"Fourteen." Harry agreed with a nod of his head and a shrug of his shoulders. "Lemme tell you, out flying a Hungarian Horntail is pretty fun if you don't get yourself killed in the process."

"One of your more inventive moments." Sirius agreed with a nod of his head before noting the horrified shock on Lily's fear and the mix of outrage and pride on James'. "Though, I'm not so sure they agreed with me."

"Blame Barty Crouch Jr." Harry cut in before they could fully explode. "He's the one that cast the confundus that made that blasted thing think I was entered into the tournament under a fourth school."

"These things just happen to Harry." Sirius agreed with a shrug. "We've kind of learned to take them as they go..." He paused a moment, before suddenly grinning, evilly at his godson. "Why don't you tell them about the 1,000 year old basilisk that's in the Chamber of Secrets?"

"I would, but I'm sure they're more interested in the 14-year old boy you dragged through the old Whomping Willow tunnel by his leg." Harry countered with a serene smile on his lips.

Instantly all eyes were back on Sirius as the man whined loudly and cringed back from their stares. "He had Wormtail!"

"And you still dragged an innocent boy through the Whomping Willow." Harry countered as he crossed his arms about his chest and nodded firmly. "Which of course lead me and Hermione into following you. Really, that was incredibly irresponsible of you, Sirius."

"Well, excuse me for wanting to kill that little traitorous rat." Sirius grumbled softly but none-the-less refused to be cowed. "If only Mooney hadn't forgotten his potion."

"Or if Snape hadn't interfered." Harry agreed with a shrug. "Though, the look on Hermione's face when she realized she'd cursed a teacher... oh that was priceless."

"How you can be friends with a girl who keeps her wand so firmly shoved up her..." Sirius began.

"Sirius Orion Black!" Lily's voice pierced through the air as she glared back at the man. "Don't you dare finish that sentence and speak ill of that wonderful girl!"

"Note, I'm talking about OUR Hermione, not yours." Sirius countered with a glare. "Our Hermione didn't have Mrs. Lily Potter there to set her straight about her... habits."

"There are a few, subtle differences between our worlds." Harry agreed with a nod of his head. "Beyond the whole Sirius and me being dead, along with Voldemort."

"Such as?" Dumbledore offered helpfully as he studied the boy curiously.

"Oh, like we don't have a Billi Weasley or a Cassiopeia Black." Harry offered negligently with a half wave of his hand. "We have Ron Weasley, with his eldest brother Bill Weasley, and a Draco Malfoy." Harry paused a moment, before his face twisted into a grimace. "Who's a unmitigated git who likes to try and make things miserable for everyone around him."

"And Narcissa, Lucius and most of the Death Eaters that claimed the Imperius and had enough money to get away with it, are free." Sirius added with a nod of his head. "Troubling things really."

"Don't forget the jinx is still in place on the DADA class." Harry added quickly with a shake of his head. "A new teacher every year... ugh. And most of them trying to do some form of harm to me. Not to mention Snape is the one teaching potions. Ugh, bad enough he tried to teach me occlumancy on top of it."

"Severus... became a troubled man." Lily admitted carefully as she lightly glanced at her husband.

"If you say so." Harry shrugged a bit once more as he lightly glanced at James then Sirius. "Probably didn't help that he found himself a target of a certain grouping of four Gryffindors that will remain nameless."

Sirius shrugged unapologetically as James shifted guiltily in his chair before the last Black of his world spoke. "Snivellus was far from an innocent bystander. No matter what he says."

"Wasn't what he said." Harry paused a moment before shrugging reluctantly. "At least not just that. I saw one of his memories."

"... How exactly?" Sirius put forth as he studied Harry carefully.

"He left it in a penseive when I was waiting for him for our occlumency lesson." Harry blinked a moment. "Why?"

"... Ok, Harry. Snape? He's a devious, ruthless manipulative little snake. And you think he just HAPPENED to leave a memory of him being bullied in a penseive for you to find?" Sirius stared at Harry incredulously for a moment before shaking his head. "He's a mean, spiteful bastard who put his desire for power over his oldest friend." He paused a moment before glancing at the Professors. "Or, did he not call your Lils a mudblood?"

"Depends, did you try to get him killed in yours?" James countered with a light glare.

"Considering how he was trying to get us all expelled and wanted to find out Mooney's secret so he could reveal it to everyone?" Sirius refused to flinch as he crossed his arms about his chest. "If what you're saying is true. I wish I'd succeeded. I'd trade his life for my Prongs and Lils in a heartbeat. Even if it meant I had to become a murderer."

"You know we wouldn't have forgiven you, Sirius." James shot back quietly as he couldn't quite bring himself to meet the man's eyes while Lily's eyes were visibly torn.

"I could live with that." Sirius again stated unflinching. "You learn a lot about what you are and aren't willing to pay when you're stuck in Azkaban for as long as I was. Their lives for their love of me? Them growing up, being around to see Harry grow up? Those things would have made it worth it."

James stared at Sirius for a moment, while Lily beheld the man with a small amount of shock, before her husband nodded softly in acceptance. "I think our Sirius would have felt the same."

Sirius nodded his head, before looking back at Harry. "Just remember, Harry, there are two sides to everything. Do you think people would have loved your father so much if he was just some kind of arrogant bully?"

Harry paused a moment, before shrugging slightly. "Don't know. We'll see."

"I do have to admit, the circumstances you're mention are more than slightly suspicious, Harry." Dumbledore put in as he studied the boy carefully. "From what I remember of Severus Snape, he was hardly one to leave out something like that out of absentmindedness or carelessness."

"Like I said, we'll see." Harry agreed for a moment before glancing around. "So, what're we going to do for the rest of the school year?"

"I suppose we could talk Minerva into allowing you access to the grounds, since there are so many other students around from other schools." Dumbledore offered, his eyes twinkling. "It would allow you the chance to get to know your future classmates a bit."

"One question... am I going to be doing sixth year or repeating Fifth?" Harry asked curiously as he glanced around. "Because, I think I might like to just repeat fifth honestly. Didn't quite learn too terribly much. What with running the DA, Umbridge and a ole Riddle trying to force himself into my head."

"I'm sure we can arrange something." Albus agreed with a merry twinkle in his eyes as he nodded his head in acceptance. "As well as figuring things out to ensure you get home properly."

"Fine, fine." Harry paused a moment, before glancing around as he shifted uneasily. "But, I want that firebolt."

"Oh, I think we might be able to see about that." James spoke up, his eyes twinkling themselves as he ignored the way his wife lightly forced her elbow into his side.

-o-o-o-

Harry watched the girl who could only be this world's version of Draco Malfoy with a bemused smirk on his lips as she moved with a graceful precision through her drills. Apparently in this world, Angelina wasn't content to simply sit around, waiting for the next year to start and for everyone to be out of practice. As the blonde girl in the red and gold jumper shifted and spun around, Harry chuckled again, before kicking up up with his broom and flying in her direction.

"Who the bloody hell are you?" Cassiopeia Black's grey eyes flashed dangerously as she beheld what appeared to be a young James Potter with emerald eyes smirking back at her as he floated on a broom.

"Me?" Harry chuckled for a moment as he lightly leaned against his broom, a firebolt of all things, before he suddenly grinned back at her. "Oh just someone here to check out the competition since I'm going to be here for the next year."

"Competition? You? Don't make me laugh! It takes more than a fancy broom to compete here, and if you think you can out seek me, you've got another thing coming!"

"Really, you've got what, two years experience playing seeker?" Harry couldn't help but grin a bit more. No matter what reality, and no matter his gender, Draco Malfoy was always fun to rile up.

He did have to admit a moment later that she did blush cutely when she shot back her response, "Yeah, what of it? I beat out the previous seeker for our team!"

"Who's been playing, what, a year? Basically a filler to replace the star, Charlie Weasley." Harry grinned again before suddenly he shot through the air and his hand was hovering above her cheek. "I've been playing seeker since I was a firstie. And, the only matches I wasn't the one with the snitch in his hand, were the ones someone decided to butt in on and cheated."

She was blushing even brighter now as she glared back at the boy. "Well, that was where ever you were at, not here! You'll find things different here!"

"Maybe," Harry agreed amiably as he drew his hand back to reveal the shining form of the struggling snitch. "But, then again, maybe not, princess."

She couldn't help but stare in open mouthed shock at the sight, before he sent a quick wink at her and tossed the school's snitch to her. "Keep an eye on that for me, princess, I'll be back for it this fall."

As she continued to fluster, Harry laughed lightly then curled backwards and dove for the waiting earth like a rock, pulling off a perfect Wronsky Feint at the last possible moment to end up hovering in front of an irate looking James Potter.

"And, just what do you think you're doing?!"

"Having fun?" Harry offered up, grinning back at the man. "No matter what reality, it's fun to mess with Malfoy."

"Harry, you can't just..."

"Prongs." James flinched slightly as the word left the lips of a boy who could have been his son. "I have a year, where I get to live in a world where I get to just be Harry. Not the Boy-who-Lived, not the Chosen One, not the top person on Voldemort's hit list, and not even the freak nephew of the Dursleys. A year where I get to just be me. And I'm going to enjoy it to the fullest."

And you're going to do it by picking on that poor, sweet girl?"

"Well I guess I take after my father then." Harry answered with a simple shrug of his shoulders. "He apparently liked to pick on people too."

As the words sunk in, James flinched back as he couldn't quite meet Harry's eyes. "That was different."

"Ah, but at least all I'm doing is teasing her." Harry continued, ignoring the answer James tried to give as he caught sight of a curious looking Viktor Krum walking in their direction. "I told her I was just there to check out the competition when she simply assumed I was beneath her consideration of possibly being a challenge to her position." His eyes suddenly flashed for a moment. "I don't like it when people assume I'm beneath them."

Before James could say anything further in response, Viktor came close enough to speak up. "That looked to be impressive flying. Seeker?"

"Since the first day I remember getting on a broom." Harry agreed with a grin on his lips. "A bully decided to steal my friend's remember-all. I chased after him, he couldn't get away, so he decided to throw it. I ended up pulling off a Wronsky Feint, without knowing what it was, just as I caught it. I ended up earning a detention and a spot on the team as a firstie."

"Impressive." Viktor nodded his head, his stern countenance lightening slightly. "But, are you good with snitch?"

"Haven't lost a snitch, except when I got attacked by Dementors in the middle of a match." Harry's grin only grew as he answered. "But, that doesn't say much, does it? How about we find out how good I really am?"

"A challenge?" Now Viktor was smiling, albeit a small, slight smile. "Interesting."

"I've wanted to see how I'd do against you since the first time I saw you in a match." Harry's eyebrow rose before he asked. "Feel up to a friendly challenge?"

In response, Viktor reached into his pocket and unshrunk a firebolt of his own. "Ja, Challenge then."

"Oi! Princess!" Harry called up to the visibly staring Cassiopeia. "Mind if we borrow that snitch again?"

"Wait, WHAT?!" The girl almost shrieked in outrage as she stared back at the black haired boy who looked even more eery standing there next to the trasnfiguration professor. "But... That... That's Viktor Krum!"

"Why, yes, it is!" Harry paused a moment, looking at Viktor an exaggerated expression of shock on his face. "And, I do believe that's the whole point of me asking you for the snitch. So we can have ourselves a bit of fun." Harry paused a moment, before glancing over at a groaning James Potter. "Is she always this dense?"

"Ja." It was Viktor who spoke up as he nodded his head, as if terribly sad. "Should have seen her at Ball. Good dancer, not good date."

Harry's lips twitched just a bit before shaking his head as he lightly canted his head towards Viktor. "Well, perhaps her date simply didn't know how to properly... stimulate her then?"

Viktor stared back at Harry for a moment, as he carefully began to process the words the boy had said, before a soft laugh broke past his lips as he nodded his head. "Perhaps."

As the girl in question's mouth fell open again, as Harry suddenly kicked back, wrapping himself about his broom even as he fell towards landing on his back before rocketing up suddenly through the air. In a flash, he was past the girl and the snitch had vanished from her hand. An instant later, he was lightly floating down, before he tossed the snitch to James with a grin.

"So, want to count us off then?" Harry paused a moment there, before glancing over at Krum. "Unless you have some objections to him being the one to release it?"

"Is good choice." Was Viktor's simple response as he settled himself onto his broom, and took up his position opposite Harry.

"You know, I think you broke her." James noted as he lightly shook his head and smirked slightly as he pulled out the snitch and tapped it firmly with his wand. "I've just set the snitch to professional mode. Do either of you have any objections?"

"No." Krum answered succinctly as his eyes locked onto the snitch

"Wouldn't have it any other way." Harry agreed with a grin as he settled himself into his own ready position.

"10 second delay for the snitch to fly." James spoke up as he smirked slightly. "First to have full control over it wins. Start on my mark." With that the man let the snitch fly as it zoomed away flashing through the air as both seekers focused their eyes on it, the count silent for a moment, their bodies tensed, coiling, before suddenly James shouted out. "BEGIN!"

And in a flash they were blasting through the sky, racing neck and neck as they followed after the buzzing and dancing snitch.

Loops were flown through, their grips tight on their brooms as they passed simultaneously through one of the rings without so much as batting an eye. In an instant, as the snitch started to suddenly to a full reverse, ducking underneath both flyers, Harry dropped into a sloth grip roll as his fingers brushed for a moment against the feathery wings of the snitch before it was gone. In an instant, he was back in position, his broom looping again as the pair of them suddenly split, Viktor pulling high while Harry dropped low.

In a flash, the crowd suddenly froze in their spots as the pair raced towards the suddenly stationary snitch. Viktor dove, his body pressed back against the length of his broom as he gripped tight, eyes locked into the snitch as one hand slowly shifted out, ready, coiled. Harry rose from beneath, his own slim body wrapped about his firebolt, his fingers ready, as for a moment, it seemed the two were about to collide one with the other over the middle of the pitch. Then, suddenly they twisted, arms snaking out even as they simultaneously pulled away, both arching back as their hands shot out towards the snitch, only to have it suddenly dance away.

A soft gasp of relief echoed through the crowds as the pair coiled back, meeting once more as they followed after the snitch, even as it rose upwards to the heavens. They spiraled after it. Circling around each others as they each seemed to draw closer and closer in their hard pressed match. Then, just as suddenly they peeled back, falling once more towards the earth before flashing out towards the opposite end of the pitch.

Whenever one made a gain, the other would counter, and again they'd be neck and neck. When they swept low to the ground, the slowly gathering crowd could see the wide, almost carefree grins plastered across both teen's faces as their eyes never left the snitch. Time and again, they almost crashed, in to the earth, into each other, into one of the various fliers who had grown far far too adventurous.

Finally, there was a sudden twist as the pair spiraled together, even tighter than before as they plummeted towards the rings closest to the crowd. Their bodies, almost touching, their eyes, firmly locked onto the prize slowly losing ground to their rapidly growing momentum. Suddenly they broke off, angling in opposite directions as they watched the snitch dart into one of the rings.

They moved, coming towards one another to where the snitch hovered, fluttering between the center ring. Closer and closer they drew, each with a look of total concentration, focus on their face. Then, just before they entered the ring, it dove off, swerving to the side. In that instant, Harry let go of the handle of his broom completely, locking his legs around his mount to keep himself secure, before grabbing on the outer edge of the ring, twisting violently as he could feel his arm popping out of his shoulder before he bit back a grimace.

In one flash, his free hand snapped out, and in an instant, the snitch was in his hand, struggling before the match was ended in and instant.

As he slowed his broom, he balanced carefully on it as he grinned back at a similarly hovering Krum, his opponent. For a moment, the pair merely hovered there, before finally a slight smile and a nod passed Krum's features. "Good match."

"Thanks." Harry agreed before pausing slightly and wincing. "I don't suppose you know how to set a dislocated shoulder?"

Wordlessly the young man floated over, his hands gripping onto Harry's limp arm before he spoke. "Will hurt."

Viktor hadn't even finished speaking before he'd suddenly set the arm back into its joint, drawing a sharp hiss of pain from the younger man, before he reached out and drew his wand, muttering softly as he gestured over the injured shoulder, and the throbbing pain dulled slightly. "Will be sore. But, should be fine."

"Thanks." Harry grinned again as he looked happily back to the man. "And I mean that. I've always wanted to see how I did against the real deal."

"You are good," Krum said the words very carefully, meaningfully as he looked at the boy. "One day... I hope to find myself playing you again. This time, at World Cup."

"We'll see." Harry smiled softly and nodded his head back to the teen, before they both descended back towards the stunned crowd.

When they landed, Harry handed the snitch over to the smiling James and chuckled just a bit. "Thanks for that. Make sure the princess gets her snitch back, would you?"

"You're not going to back off on her, are you?" James sighed slightly as he took the snitch and shook his head for a moment, before the smile broke through once more. "But... Merlin can you fly."

"Yeah, always was something I loved to do." Harry agreed with a nod of his head before he caught sight of a familiar head of silvery blonde hair. "Excuse me, there's something I need to do."

And with that, James watched in confusion, before he saw Harry striding meaningfully towards a somberly smiling Fleur Delacour.

-o-o-o-

Fleur had mainly stumbled on the sudden exhibition moments after it had begun, but she had to admit, she was impressed. Viktor Krum was arguably the best Seeker of their generation. Playing for his national team before he'd even graduated from his school, catching the snitch against Ireland, and so many other victories along the way.

And the boy had kept up. Had matched him move for move as they did things on a broom she could only dream of. It was beauty in it's simplest form. The way they guided their brooms, the way they moved with them, seemed one with them. Then, that boy, the unknown who had already done the unthinkable, took it a step further. He'd won.

She'd cheered along with everyone else after the stunned silence had passed as the two hung together in the air, saying and doing something none of them could quite make out. Then, finally the moment had passed, and a sudden thought brought her crashing back to reality. She'd thought about how she couldn't wait to tell Gabrielle about it.

Her heart ached then as she hugged herself a moment, before she slipped slightly back into the crowd, watching as the fliers descended. A slight, somber smile falling across her face as she watched the smiles on everyone's faces. Then, the boy, who looked so much like the Hogwarts Transfiguration teacher, only with brilliant, piercing emerald eyes catch sight of her, and he began to move towards her.

A grimace immediately curled across her lips as she could feel the bitter twist of distaste swell up against her throat. Oh, how she prayed he wouldn't be one of those posturing little peacocks that had been strutting around her so much lately. Trying to catch her eye, wanting to get into the knickers of the beautiful quarter veela witch who'd just won the Triwizard Tournament.

As he approached, she prepared her rebuff and her excuse, a plastic smile affixing itself on her lips as she brought her eyes up to his. Only to freeze the moment she actually took a close look at his face. His earlier, triumphant smile had melted away, leaving only a thin press of his lips as his emerald eyes had taken on a haunted, knowing look as they looked back into her own.

"Madam Delacour... I just wanted to express my sincerest condolences for your loss." The words that left his mouth did not ring of the false sense of promise and feigned sympathy that dripped off so many who'd spoken with her. No, as she looked into those eyes, she could a matching look that so often haunted her mirror of late. "I heard your sister was a wonderful girl. Words cannot express the tragedy of her loss."

For a moment she said nothing to the unexpected words of empathy, as she stared up into this stranger's knowing eyes and felt a slight smile and a nod of her head as she spoke in response. "I zank you. Still, at least I was able to win ze tournament, non? Something for 'er at least."

Again, he surprised her, as he snorted softly in response and shook his head as his own gaze took on a far off look. "Glory and money are a worthless payment for a loss like that. Just as we both know you'd willingly sacrifice it a thousand times over to have the chance to bring her back."

Fleur stared back into those distant eyes, and saw the slight glistening of tears as he was looking off into the distance in stunned silence as his words struck deep into her heart, and she slowly nodded her head. "True. I would give most anyzing to 'ave 'er back. You speak, from experience?"

A sad bitter smile crossed his lips and the boy nodded his head in acknowledgment of that truth. "A year ago, I was in a contest much like this one. Along with my friend. His life was taken, and I was left alone as the victor. And not a day goes by, that I wish I had been able to save him."

"I am sorry to 'ear zat." Fleur nodded her head in slow acceptance as she offered him another smile. "I zank you for your words. After zat contest... I zought about how much I would enjoy telling it to Gabrielle."

"Then tell her." Harry smiled slightly and nodded back at her with a shrug. "Wherever she is, I'm sure she'll hear." His hand came up, those slender fingers warm as they lightly rested on her shoulder. "And I don't think it would hurt."

For a moment, she said nothing, staring back into those emerald eyes, before she nodded her head, letting her cheek dip for a moment, and he could feel the soft, touch of her cheek resting against his hand. "Merci... Zank you..." She paused a moment, before a faint blush swelled across her cheeks as she looked up at him again. "I am sorry, but I do not know your name."

"Harry." He smiled slightly back at her and nodded his head. "And it's all right. I know what it's like to need someone to be there."

-o-o-o-

James Potter stared. There was no other word for it. He simple stood there and stared in open mouthed shock as he watched the way the boy that could have been his son gracefully excuse himself from the stunned group of students who had just watched the feat of aerial skill to walk straight towards Fleur Delacour and somehow managed to get the girl to not only smile, a genuine smile real smile, but blush and rest her cheek against his hand.

"You know, Prongs, that really isn't a good look for you." Sirius noted with an amused grin as he casually poked the man lightly with his wand. "Wouldn't you agree, oh loveliest of Lilies?"

"If you say so." Lily's eyes, like James' were riveted on Harry, watching the way he spoke with the French witch and her reactions to whatever it was he was saying. "I'm just... How did he end up so charming?"

"He's a Potter." James stated with no small amount of pride as he broke out of his stupor, his eyes shining.

"I've honestly been wondering that myself." Sirius agreed as if James hadn't said a thing. "I mean... if you two are anything like MY James and Lily... Well..."

"Hey!" The more than slight indignation in the married couple's voices brought their gazes fully onto the rather amused looking Black.

"What can I say? James, on occasion could be charming, it just took a lot of effort on his part." While his friend's doppelganger glared back at him, Sirius slowly shook his head before glancing at his wife. "Lils though? No offense my dear, you're friendly, but you're about as charming as a sledgehammer."

For a moment, she glowered back at the man, before wincing slightly in recollection. "Well, I'll admit I can be a bit… blunt."

"A bit?" Echoed between James and Sirius, it only brought a further twitch to Lily's face

"Fine. Have it your way." The woman threw up her hands and sighed as she glared back at the pair while grumbling audibly

"… I think I just earned myself a night or two on the couch." James noted with a sour twist of his lips and a slight sigh as he carefully read his wife's eyes.

"Well, you did fall in love with the girl with the biggest temper in the school." Sirius countered before shaking his head slightly.