As always, all rights to Harry Potter belong to J.K. Rowling. Updates to this fanfiction will be posted every Saturday by 4pm EST. Hope you enjoy and please review!
Lily Evans Potter sat against the fluffed pillows in her hospital bed, thinking about her son. She'd thought about Harry every day, from the moment she found out he existed. Of course, for the last seventeen years, she'd witnessed his life from afar, but she knew him. Even as a baby, he'd had the same playful smirk and mischievous laugh as James. Harry's eyes had always matched Lily's own in shape and color, but he'd inherited James' terrible vision. Though, she often wondered at how selective that terrible vision might be; Lily could never figure out how two Quidditch-obsessed boys, one a chaser and the other a seeker, could play so well with such awful eyesight.
She'd seen everything. Alongside James, she'd encouraged Harry as he first learned to crawl, and then seemed to skip over walking, and move seamlessly to riding his toy broom. (Granted, the broom had nearly caused her a heart attack. What first-time mother wouldn't be anxious about her toddler flying a foot off the ground?) But there had been other firsts, too. She'd been there to roll her eyes at Harry's first word ("Dada!"), and then to watch, mesmerized, as the man she loved held and kissed their child. They'd both taken him to his first day at the park, which became his first time playing in the rain. Lily smiled to herself, remembering what a muddy mess he'd been. After giving Harry a bath and snack, she and James decided to give him a real treat: a single Bertie Bott's Every Flavor bean. His little face had twisted up at the sour taste of Green Apple and they'd laughed.
Thankfully, death had not stopped other firsts from coming. Unfortunately, these experiences were decidedly less adorable, and much more troubling. The first time Petunia had locked Harry in a cupboard under the stairs, Lily had hidden her face in James' shoulder. Every time Petunia had denied him proper food or scolded him for accidental magic, or Vernon Dursley had the gall to push her son around by his neck, Lily had cursed. It made Lily's skin burn to think of the day Petunia had almost made Harry go to school with that horrendously short haircut, leaving his bangs long to hide his "horrible, ugly scar." Both she and James had whooped with pride when Harry had magically grown it back.
"That's my boy!" James shouted, punching his fist in the air.
Lily had laughed in relief and ruffled James' untidy hair, kissing him like she always had. They continued to watch Harry grow and struggle against his bullying cousin, Dudley. It broke Lily's heart to watch her son suffer, and while she had the peace of knowing that Harry would join them someday, and she'd be able to hold the whole and healthy version of him, she still hoped for more. She hoped he had a good life; that he would live without a prophecy over his head.
It had entertained her immensely to watch Petunia and Vernon struggle against Dumbledore's desire for Harry to attend Hogwarts. Not to mention, James had a field day with it:
"I always knew that old bugger secretly appreciated our tricks, Lils. Look at him! Sending letters through the chimney and changing the address to match the exact room where Harry sleeps…not that he slept in much of a room before," James added bitterly, "but you have to admire the psychological warfare! He's more brilliant than Sirius and I ever were!"
Her heart had warmed as she watched Harry find friends in Ron and Hermione, and then broke again at the endless danger that seemed to trail him. The stone. The chamber. Finding Sirius, only to have his hopes of escaping the Dursleys dashed at the last second. The tournament and then, of course, the day Harry had lost Sirius. That had been bittersweet. No parent wants to watch grief devastate their child, but James was thrilled to see his best friend once more.
Sirius' stay in Azkaban had bothered James almost as much as watching Harry live a life without him. James had wanted to be there for all of it. He'd watched proudly, yet, somewhat sadly as Harry used the Invisibility Cloak for the first time. "Oooh, I wish I'd been there to tell him how to get to the kitchens!" James had muttered, before Lily slapped his shoulder in reprimand. "He doesn't need any more help breaking rules, James! You've seen everything I've seen. Trust me, he's every bit your son." James had smiled at that.
It was still hard. James and Lily had watched as Harry rediscovered his talent for Quidditch, joined the Gryffindor team, and seemed to have as happy a childhood as he could under the circumstances. They'd missed all the teenage milestones most parents looked forward to. Harry's first Outstanding in class, his first crush, his first time asking a girl out.
"Damn that Cedric Diggory," James had muttered under his breath. Then, at Lily's raised eyebrow, "What? Harry's school champion, an excellent seeker, and a strapping young man. She should've said yes!"
Apart from the little moments that were hard to miss, there were also big moments. How do you stand idly by and watch while the whole school spreads rumors about why your child speaks Parseltongue? Or blames him for entering a highly dangerous tournament, when you know he's been set up by a Death Eater? Worse yet, how do you watch as Albus Dumbledore, one of your most trusted mentors, raises your child up as a martyr for the Wizarding World? Peace there might be, but peace did not make any of this easy.
And so, the day Sirius had passed beyond the veil and entered death with his best friends, Lily and James had been sad for Harry…but they had also celebrated. Finally, they had someone who had known Harry as they had, and who could offer them a sympathetic or a kind word. Lily smiled, remembering the day Sirius and James realized that Harry was interested in Ginny.
"Oh, Merlin," James whistled, his eyes large, "God help him, Padfoot, I think he's got it bad for his best mate's little sister!"
Sirius laughed heartily then, his warm tones echoing throughout.
"This should be interesting…I wonder what it is with you Potter men and women you can't have. I mean, really, your son is the Chosen One. He could have anyone he wanted, but he goes for the only girl who could give him any grief? Not to mention, she's a ginger!"
Lily jabbed Sirius' side at that.
"Hey, now, Lil, I didn't say that was a bad thing," Sirius held up his hands defensively, "But you've got to admit Harry has a knack for falling into the most difficult circumstances…and it's not like you made it easy on Prongs, either!"
Yes, having Sirius around had been entertaining. They'd laughed at Harry's embarrassing moments, kept a running pool on how long it would take Tonks and Remus to get together, and watched intently as Harry discovered more about his fate. It saddened Lily to know that her son would never have the chance to live. There would be no option for a career, marriage, or kids; Harry wouldn't have that luxury. But the knowledge of his impending death was made easier to bear because she knew that they would all be together soon.
She never imagined he could have everything he wanted and more.
She sat thinking, and leaning up against her pillows, a small smile playing at her lips. Surely her son would be here soon. Sirius had woken in the Department of Mysteries earlier that day, been interrogated by Kingsley himself, and directed the Aurors to find Lily and James in Godric's Hollow. She shuddered. No need to remember details from that fiasco.
Sirius had known they would come back, had understood that life could not be offered to him without surely having been offered to James and Lily. He'd been gone too long. If something had happened to give him a second chance—what that might be, they still didn't know—well, then, he reasoned that James and Lily deserved a second chance, too.
Now they sat, three people in a single, private ward. James lay in his bed between Sirius and Lily. As James drank a cup of tea and opened the Daily Prophet, Sirius looked around with an almost bored expression. Lily looked up as James coughed, choking on his tea in surprise.
"Are you alright, James?" she asked.
"F-Fine," James coughed again, hastily folding up his paper.
Lily glanced distastefully at the evening edition.
"What've they said about him now?" she accused.
"It's nothing, love," James replied, "nothing we haven't heard before. It's not worth your time. I was just a little surprised, is all. It's different seeing it in print."
Lily didn't miss the way James had stowed the paper underneath his arm, furthest from her.
"Hand it here, James. I want to read it."
"Lily, love, it's not worth it. Truly." James tried; his brow furrowed in concern.
"Then a quick glance at this evening's headline won't kill me," she insisted, holding out her hand.
James sighed, relenting; Lily began to read:
YOU-KNOW-WHO DEFEATED, POTTER M.I.A?
Rita Skeeter, Regular Correspondent
Harry Potter, 17, has not made any public statement since his defeat of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named two days ago, on the grounds of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The air of mystery surrounding The Boy Who Lived continues to grow, as Acting Headmistress, Minerva McGonagall, has refused to allow members of the press onto school grounds. Stranger still, McGonagall has not made any statement regarding casualties or injuries suffered by combatants. The headmistress' only comment came this morning when she confirmed that underage students were ordered to evacuate the school prior to the battle, and that they were assisted by faculty and staff in that process, though there has been no word on the effectiveness of those efforts. Further investigation by this reporter has not revealed the whereabouts of Hogwarts Headmaster Severus Snape, who has not been seen publicly since the battle, and was not reported among those arrested by Ministry officials. These same Ministry officials claim the scene is still under active investigation and refused any other opportunity for comment.
Though authority figures have yet to answer any of the public's questions, rumors from the grounds of Hogwarts and surrounding village of Hogsmeade abound. Our sources indicate that Potter may be in contact with the Order of Mavens at St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries. Said one Hogsmeade villager, who received treatment from Hogwarts' resident Healer, Madam Poppy Pomfrey, "Potter seems to have been injured in his fight with You-Know-Who. Madam Pomfrey pulled Potter aside to check him over, and Potter let out quite the yell. He called immediately for Hermione Granger, who then put up some sort of privacy charm. By the end of it, Minerva McGonagall was arranging for Potter to see the Mavens."
The Order of Mavens, who take up residence at St. Mungo's Hospital, specialize in treating conditions of the darkest variety. The Mavens are well known for their efforts to document, study and treat those living with an obscurus, lycanthropy disease, or other non-human possession (for more information on these conditions, see the timeline to the right entitled "The Mavens, A History,"). If Potter is in contact with the Mavens, he may well be seeking treatment for injuries yet unknown, though avid Prophet readers will remember that Potter has previously complained of pain in his famous lightning bolt scar, which marks the place where You-Know-Who's Killing Curse struck him as an infant. When the Prophet last reported on Potter's scar three years ago, staff at St. Mungo's Hospital questioned Potter's fitness for competition in the Tri-Wizard Tournament, which he later won. At the time, specialists claimed that despite Potter's survival as an infant, it was possible that his brain had been affected by the Killing Curse. If true, reports of Potter's latest dealings with the Mavens raise more questions than Potter has been willing to answer.
Fear not, however, for those who may be concerned about Potter—the man who has now been christened the Savior of the Wizarding World—it seems that he has found comfort in his longtime companion, Hermione Granger. Indeed, Granger, a deceptively crafty young woman, appeared at the center of a well-publicized love triangle (uncovered by yours truly) between Potter and international Quidditch star, Viktor Krum. Both men were school champions in the Tri-Wizard Tournament, and highly eligible bachelors. If eyewitness accounts from inside Hogwarts are to be believed, it seems Granger has finally landed her mark with Potter. Sources from Hogwarts have confirmed that the couple spent the past several months in secluded hiding together. We at the Prophet only hope that, as Potter heals from whatever darkness may ail him, Granger maintains steadfast loyalty worthy to The Boy Who Lived.
Lily rolled his eyes, clearly annoyed.
"Unbelievable!" she huffed, "Poor Hermione…they never do seem to let up on her, do they?"
"No, they don't," agreed James, "I wonder why it always has to be her…there's no mention of Ron, either."
Frowning, Lily considered the paper. She hadn't thought of that.
"That Skeeter woman is right vicious, Lils, you know that…with Harry looking like the hero, she had to find someone to scandalize. Hermione was an easy target," Sirius shrugged.
"Even so," said Lily, turning the page to watch her own eyes glare back at her from her son's mugshot, "they don't exactly paint him a good light, do they? I mean, that article makes it sound like they can't decide whether he's crazy, or the savior…or whatever it is they're calling him these days."
James shrugged.
"It's not like they have a lot to go on, love. We know Harry's not crazy, because we've seen him go through everything. To them, he's a seventeen-year-old boy who's been missing for almost a year, off doing God knows what and hiding from Voldemort. Then, he suddenly shows up 'with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord'?"
James grimaced as he recalled exact wording from the prophecy that tore apart his family.
"So, what, you're defending them now?" asked Lily, a little hurt; she eyed her husband carefully.
"No, of course not, Lil. But this is something we've got to be prepared for, isn't it? Our son is a hero…but nobody knows exactly how or why. I, for one, think it's best we keep it that way. People are going to ask questions, but it's safer for Harry if they don't know everything. Starting with whatever happened that caused Harry to see the Mavens…I don't like the sound of that," James finished, taking the paper from his wife and re-reading the article.
"Couldn't he be seeing the Mavens because he survived the Killing Curse twice?" Sirius wondered, looking interestedly at James.
"Maybe…" said James, relief spreading through him at the thought, "but I still want to be sure. I want to know what would have caught him so off guard. It's not like he's never seen a mark from a curse before."
"Sirius, what time is it? How long have we been here?" Lily asked, curiosity interrupting her thoughts. Sirius looked at his wristwatch.
"Five hours…he should be here by now."
"It is getting late…" James mumbled, glancing concernedly at his wife.
The three of them had arrived at St. Mungo's much earlier, and been seen by two Mavens in violet robes, Healer Carson and Healer Blakely. The two women had been keen to study every aspect of James, Lily, and Sirius' health. While there had only ever been one person to survive the Killing Curse, none of the Mavens had assessed Harry Potter as an infant. Albus Dumbledore, who was genius in his own right, had merely submitted a report of his findings and a vial of his memories to St. Mungo's.
The Mavens had been surprised to find, however, that James, Lily, and Sirius appeared in perfect health. Sure, they had aged. James and Lily were no longer the fresh-faced twenty-one-year-olds they had been when they died. They were now thirty-seven; James and Lily's hair had lightened a touch, with gray strands here and there. Although death had minimized any age lines, their faces were more angular and less round than they had been years ago. Apart from these slight indications of the intervening years, James and Lily bore no sign that they had ever died or been touched by the Killing Curse.
Sirius had aged more, although that was to be expected. A person could hardly spend twelve years in Azkaban without suffering the consequences. But death had been good to him, and his body had revived itself as a fit, more filled-out version of the one he'd left behind. Indeed, simply being in the presence of those he loved seemed to take ten years off his appearance.
"I hope he's alright…" Lily muttered to herself, thinking of the article.
James reached over to grab her hand.
"He'll be here, Lils…maybe he's busy? Who knows what he could be doing?"
"James, the Minister of Magic saw us himself. I think he would have contacted Harry with some sense of urgency."
They held each other's gaze for a moment, each thinking the same thing.
"God, you're right. I don't remember anything after speaking with him in the Forest. You know Voldemort tried to get him…I just hope…" Sirius trailed off.
Lily's throat went dry; James squeezed her hand.
"It'll be okay," James reassured her.
They waited there, feeling every second of thirty minutes, anxious to move. Despite their clean bill of health, the friends were bedbound as a precautionary measure. When the door finally opened, it wasn't Harry. Instead, it was a short apprentice healer in green robes, who'd come to make up four more beds in the ward.
"Will there be more joining us?" Lily asked curiously.
The healer, who preferred to be called by her first name, Miranda, nodded. Miranda had a rounded figure and pleasant smile. Her dark hair was plaited back just past her shoulder, and her walnut-shaped hazel eyes had a natural tenderness to them.
"There've been four more revived from the battle at Hogwarts. We've had to make up another ward, just in case more people come back. The healer there says some people are showing signs…but this ward should be full within the hour."
"Does anyone know…about James and me? Or Sirius?" asked Lily, thinking of how difficult it might be to hide their identities in what was now, apparently, a public ward.
"No," Miranda frowned, "your revival has not been made public knowledge. But I was told by my supervisor that the people in this ward have been approved to know about you three."
At this, Lily's heart began to race.
"My son…is it my son? Is he okay? I know he was hit by a curse, but I–"
"I do not have information for you now, Mrs. Potter. I was told to set this room up for four more patients. That's all I know," Miranda said, moving to straighten Lily's bedspread, "If I hear anything about your son, you'll hear from me."
Lily nodded and, again, they waited. Every minute or so, James would turn a page of his paper, pretending to read. Sirius would drum his fingers on his lap, beating out different rhythms and humming loudly until Lily glared at him. Frustrated, she studied her surroundings and found, unsurprisingly, that there wasn't much to see.
The ward was long and wide, with bleak white walls. Every bed was standard issue, complete with a metal frame, twin mattress and pastel green bedding. There was a cabinet in the far-right corner, which Lily guessed contained various potions and remedies. She wondered how often this ward had been used, as it was rather secluded in the back of the hospital. When they'd arrived, only three beds had been conjured there. The rest of the ward had been noticeably empty.
Suddenly, the door clicked open. Lily turned to look but did not find Miranda. A plump woman, with sweet eyes and wavy red hair pulled into a clip, walked into the room. Lily recognized her at once. She'd know this woman anywhere, having watched her so often from beyond the veil. The woman had laugh lines and small but gracious brown eyes, and she wore faded, second-hand robes. Although the woman's clothes certainly weren't new, they looked well cared for. But then, Molly Weasley was a caring sort of person…the kind of woman who would take in another woman's orphaned son and treat him as her own. Arthur Weasley came in behind his wife, studying the scene before him, his hand placed firmly and supportively on his wife's shoulder.
For a moment, there was silence…and then…
"Hello…You may not know me, and I don't believe we ever met. I'm Molly Weasley. My brothers, Fabien and Gideon Prewitt, served in the Order with you…Forgive me for intruding, but I thought I'd make your acquaintance. You see, your son, Harry, is best friends with my youngest boy, Ron. Harry's become somewhat of a part of our family, you see, and, well…" Mrs. Weasley trailed off, uncertain what to say; her eyes implored the Potters to fill in the blanks.
"It's good to see you again, Molly," said Sirius, a genuine smile on his lips, "for a moment there, I wasn't so sure I would."
Mrs. Weasley's cheeks went pink, as though she'd just noticed Sirius.
"It's good to see you, too, Sirius," said Molly, a little awkwardly.
"Lily and James," started Sirius, bridging the gap between them and gesturing for the Weasleys to come forward, "this is Molly and Arthur Weasley. As Molly said, their son, Ron, is good friends with Harry."
"So we've heard," smiled James, not wanting to shock the Weasleys with how much he already knew. It wasn't natural to realize how much the dead could see.
"Thank you for being there for our son," said Lily, regaining her composure, "You've no idea how much that means to us."
Molly nodded, a small smile on her lips, as she wove her arm through her husband's.
"Of course. We love him as you do, I'm sure," Mrs. Weasley started, and then paused for a moment, thinking what to say; Arthur took over.
"We wanted to come and meet you…to see you for ourselves and to prepare you. See, Harry knows that you're back, but he's a little overwhelmed."
James frowned, "Overwhelmed?"
"Yes," Mr. Weasley continued, "er, well, it's come as a bit of a shock, as you can imagine. You've both been…dead…his entire life, and now people are telling him you're alive. We think…well, we know that he thought he might be losing it. The moment he found out, he took off to barricade himself in Gryffindor Tower. We've spoken with his elf, Kreacher, and Harry asked to be placed in a Restorative Sleep. The entrance to the dormitory has been sealed…it's…taking a while for him to come back down."
Lily tensed; James grimaced.
"He won't come down?" James asked.
"Well," said Mr. Weasley, "not yet. He'll come down eventually…but we just wanted to come and prepare you. He may be a little confused about the whole situation. And, honestly, we wanted to see you. Harry's been through a lot. I'm sure you can understand…we wanted to make sure that it was real. He…wouldn't take it well, had someone…lied to him about this."
At these words, Mrs. Weasley couldn't help but recall the night Harry had come back from the maze at the Tri-Wizard Tournament. She'd been overcome at the way the teenager, always so stoic and reserved, had nearly fallen apart in her arms.
"Oh, the healers have already tested us. You can look at the results—" started Lily, eager to prove herself.
"We have…Kingsley gave us special permission to see them. And we believe you," smiled Mr. Weasley.
"We're thrilled to have you here with us, Mr. and Mrs. Potter—" Mrs. Weasley began.
"Please, call us James and Lily."
Mrs. Weasley smiled, "It's good to meet you, James and Lily…but we wanted you to know. Harry will come eventually, but he hasn't gotten there yet."
Sirius frowned.
"But I don't understand, Molly…You say Harry won't come to the hospital because he's had Kreacher lock him up in Gryffindor Tower?"
Mr. Weasley nodded.
"Yes, that's the general idea, Sirius. Because Kreacher used elf magic, there's nothing we can do to unlock the door. And Kreacher seems bent on letting his master sleep."
"His master?" Sirius scoffed, "Well, that can be easily taken care of. Kreacher!"
With a crack, the ancient house elf appeared in front of his true master. Kreacher's eyes were as wide as saucers, his mouth agape. Shock rendered him speechless.
"Pleased to see me?" winked Sirius, amused by the elf's silence.
"Sirius, what're you—" started James.
"Shh, Prongs, don't interrupt. I have business to attend to."
"M-Master Sirius…it is true…I felt the connection between us again, but Kreacher could not believe it…you're alive?"
The elf's ears flicked in curiosity, his eyes squinting.
"Yes, I'm alive," Sirius smirked, "no thanks to you, might I add. What were you thinking? Selling me out to the Malfoys? You treacherous old hag—"
"Sirius!" Lily scolded, "Has death taught you nothing? Be kind to him."
Sirius took a deep breath, as though this cost him great effort.
"Fine. Kreacher, I need you to tell me where my godson is…please," he said through gritted teeth, with a look as though he'd swallowed something unpleasant. The elf eyed Sirius wearily.
"Master Harry is asleep in Gryffindor Tower, sir."
"Well, wake him up, then!" Sirius ordered.
Kreacher tensed, glaring at his master.
"Sirius, no!" Lily shouted, "Let him sleep. He's had such an awful year. He needs his rest, clearly."
"Padfoot, please," James intervened, "I know you want to see Harry. We all do. But my son, he's clearly not ready to see us…give him time."
Sirius looked from one of his best friends to the other, shaking his head and feeling rather put out. He couldn't understand why everyone was treating this situation so delicately. If Harry himself had survived the Killing Curse twice, why was it so hard to believe that Sirius and his parents had come back? In Sirius' opinion, this whole situation could be fixed with one simple order.
"K-Kreacher won't do as Master Sirius says," the elf's voice shook, "Master Harry came to Kreacher most distressed, and Kreacher was ordered to guard him. Kreacher belongs to Master Harry, not the blood traitor Black. Kreacher won't do it. Kreacher—"
"Alright, don't get your apron in a twist," Sirius rolled his eyes, "You don't have to wake Harry up. But I order you, Kreacher, to go back to Hogwarts. When Harry wakes up, you tell him he is to come straight here…understand?"
"Really, Sirius, this has gone quite—" started Mrs. Weasley, but Sirius wasn't finished.
"You tell Harry to come straight here and see his parents, Kreacher. Are we clear?"
The old elf gulped, nodding, and vanished with a crack.
Lily was left staring at the Weasleys, as an awkward silence filled the room.
"So…" began Mr. Weasley, "Tell us about yourselves."