Harry awoke and sat up in bed. His head was throbbing from tossing and turning the night before, and it wasn't just the sight of the ominous black figure standing at the edge of the forest the night before that made him uncomfortable — it was the fact that he had become so obsessed with protecting this new reality that he had chased the hooded figure into the night.

"I have to get back. . . . Ginny, James, Albus and Lily . . . they are waiting for me," muttered Harry. "Even if it means being a Muggle again . . . even if it means —"

Harry swallowed and buried his face in his hands. He felt hot tears trickle down between his fingers. He didn't want to think about losing the people he had found here.

Your family is here too, a dark voice whispered inside him. Mum, Dad, Sirius, Lupin — they're here, all alive and well. Death itself allowed it. They will live long and happy lives here.

"They're dead, and I can't bring them back to life!" cried Harry sharply. "I have to go back and fight, end of story."

Harry wiped his tears with the sleeve of his shirt, took a few deep breaths to calm himself, and pushed open the bedroom door. His birthday was only two days away. If he had to leave this world, he'd better make the precious time he had left count and be meaningful, he thought as he slowly made his way down the stairs, one landing at a time. From the living room, the sounds of chatter mingled with the occasional burst of laughter. The Marauders seemed to have returned from a wild night.

"Remember, Prongs, when you stuck your head down a hole and pretended to be a stuffed deer?" Sirius's excited voice said. "And then you blinked when the drunken man came back — he screamed like hell!"

"Yeah, that was the sixth time we almost got caught, I think," chuckled James. "I bet even Moony laughed at that one, though I don't think any Magizoologist has figured out that a fully grown werewolf can laugh yet."

"Yes, it was a night to remember," said Lupin cheerfully. But his voice sounded mournful when he went on. "And then, just a few months later, poor Wormtail died. . . . Since then, I've never been able to enjoy a full moon without thinking of him."

"Poor thing, but the little fellow died by accident," said Sirius consolingly. "The dresser's leg broke and he was crushed under it, remember?"

"Yes, it was an unfortunate accident, but I also feel guilty thinking about him, wondering if I accidentally stepped on him to make him get scared and go in there," said James glumly. "When we pulled the body out, there was a hoof print on his tail . . . "

"It's not your fault, James," said Sirius seriously. "I told him not to gnaw on the wood and Wormtail didn't listen."

Harry already knew the truth of what had happened in the Shrieking Shack, having heard that Death himself had disposed of Peter Pettigrew. Perhaps Death had secretly trampled the rat-turned-Wormtail with his hoof and passed it off as an accident. Though he would never tell the adults the truth.

"Here, have a drink," said James. The cupboard opened and there was a clatter of three glasses flying out, followed by the sound of liquid being poured into them. "Wormtail."

"Wormtail."

Harry waited until the adults had emptied their glasses, then walked sleepily into the living room and rubbed his eyes. The three Marauders sitting on the couch with their empty glasses, lost in thought for a moment, jumped at the sight of Harry.

"Oh dear, were we talking too loudly?" said Sirius apologetically. "We should have cast a Muffliato Charm or something."

"No, I was just getting up anyway," said Harry. He sat down between James and Sirius when they made room for him. "So, what happened last night? No need to make it up, I already know that you and Sirius are unregistered Animagi and Professor Lupin is a werewolf."

"You found out after all. . . . Well, Lily knew anyway, so I guess we couldn't hide it forever." James smiled and shrugged. "I'm proud of you, Harry — the three of us were experts at finding out all kinds of secrets. No matter what your mother thinks, I have no doubt that you'll be the next best Hogwarts troublemaker after us."

"That's just fine. Don't you have anything to pass on to your son, Prongs?"

Sirius said, looking back at his friend, and James nodded solemnly. He pulled out his wand, waved it and a crack appeared in the middle of the living room ceiling. It then slid aside, revealing a hidden room. With the next movement of his wand, a dark object fluttered down onto the couch and landed gracefully on the tip of James' wand.

Harry touched the silvery gray cloak — it was soft and liquid to the touch, something he hadn't felt since the Cloak of Invisibility had been stolen from him by Eisenbein, and his fingertips tingled as if they had been electrocuted.

"Here, try this over your lap," said James. Harry carefully took the Cloak and did as he was told, not wanting to disappoint his father, and feigned surprise when the lower half of his body covered by it became transparent.

"Wow, it's an Invisibility Cloak!"

"It's not just an ordinary one — it's a very mysterious artifact that has been in our family for generations," said James earnestly. "It has helped us get us into all sorts of trouble without being discovered."

"And the map we made together," Sirius added. "It's a shame Filch took it from us right before we graduated. . . . With those two together, no one could've caught us — not even Dumbledore."

"Padfoot, Moony — I've got an idea!" exclaimed James. "Let's get Harry to join us! I've always thought we were missing something with just the three of us."

"Make my godson a member of the Marauders?" Sirius looked like he'd just heard the craziest thing he'd ever heard, but then he grinned. "That's the most convincing thing that's ever come out of your mouth, Prongs! What do you think, Moony?"

"Well, I don't know. As an educator, I wonder if it's a good idea to let something like that happen," Lupin replied in an uncertain voice, and Sirius, who was sitting next to him, patted him on the shoulder.

"It's for educational purposes! I mean, look at you — you got a job as a professor by hanging out with us."

"Okay, okay. . . . But the most important thing is your own will, Harry. What do you think, do you really want to be a Marauder like us?"

"Sure. It's what I've always wanted," said Harry happily. Ever since Professor Lupin had died in the Battle of Hogwarts, the Marauders had only existed in Harry's mind, occasionally causing him sadness and regret. But now they were alive again, and he could even be one of them.

"Well thought out, son. Let the initiation ceremony commence." James flicked his wand, and the bottle of firewhisky moved of its own accord, pouring an empty glass in front of each of the three adults. At the same time, a cupboard in the nearby kitchen opened and a bottle of butterbeer flew toward Harry with a fresh glass floating in the air. "It ought to be firewhisky, but since you're young, I'll make an exception. . . . Here, hold the glass."

Harry folded his Invisibility Cloak neatly and set it aside, grabbed the glass floating in front of him, and the bottle tilted of its own accord, filling with butterbeer until it was golden and foamy. James signaled and he, Sirius and Lupin raised their own glasses of firewhisky to the sky.

"Now comes the important part, Harry," Sirius said, unusually solemn. His jet black hair falling over his eyes and his handsome face, with its aristocratic air, seemed to lend an air of grandeur and mystique to this humble ceremony in a small living room. "After reciting our own oath of initiation aloud, take a long drink from the goblet. From then on, you are one of us."

"Okay. I solemnly swear that I am up to no good," Harry said before the others could stop him, and downed the butterbeer in one gulp. When he wiped the foam from the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand and glanced to his side, James, Sirius and Lupin had a stunned look on their faces. The three of them only recovered from their shock when Harry looked at them questioningly and downed the firewhiskey in their hands.

"Merlin's beard, how much did you tell him, James?" said Lupin, still in disbelief. "He knows everything, even our vows —"

"It's not his fault, I heard him muttering in his sleep," said Harry quickly.

"You are a true Marauder after all, Prongs," Sirius said with a short laugh, almost like a dog barking. "Mumble our oath in your dreams! By the way, to be a true Marauder, you need a cool nickname. . . . What should I call you, Harry?"

"Bolt," said Harry simply. Then he realized that he no longer had the lightning scar on his forehead, so he quickly added a side note, "It's just — I always wanted to fly as fast as a lightning bolt."

"You already can, Harry." Sirius let out another laugh that sounded like a bark. "Seeing you on a broomstick, you really were a lightning. . . . Bolt, you picked a good name. I hear a manufacturer named Spudmore is working on a top-of-the-line broom with a similar name, and I'll buy you one when it comes out."

"Goodness, Padfoot. Just yesterday you bought Harry a Nimbus, and at this rate I'll have to build a broom cupboard at home."

"I'll do anything to please my godson!"

Harry squeezed his eyes shut, trying not to burst into tears in front of the people who cared and loved him so much. The longer he was here, the more the dark, ashen memories of his childhood trapped under the stairs of number four, Privet Drive faded. Instead, happy memories of time spent with his parents, Sirius and Lupin gradually filled his mind, memories that weren't actually his, but just as vivid. The memory of hiding in the bathtub while being chased by Dudley and his gang faded into a memory of a much younger Harry giggling as he and his father bathed and played with him. Also, the memory of being chased by Aunt Marge's ferocious bulldog and staying up late in a tree was slowly being replaced by the pleasant memory of climbing the tree with Lily and bringing down a grumpy Crookshanks who was curled up on top of it. . . .

Just then, a staircase creaked. Startled, the four Marauders hurriedly hid their leftover bottles, empty glasses, and the Invisibility Cloak under the sofa, just as a dressed Lily burst into the living room.

"Well, gentlemen — you smell like you've been drinking, and there's my son, who hasn't even started school yet."

"Harry's not a child anymore," protested James. "He may be young in body, but he's all grown up in spirit. He has just become one of us Marauders."

"What? I can't believe what I'm hearing . . . " Lily sighed heavily and grabbed the potion making kit from the kitchen and set it down in the living room. "You all need to sober up first. . . . I'll make you a potion for your hangover and you can behave."

Sirius did a surprisingly good imitation of a dog, raising his front paws and barking contentedly, drawing laughter from everyone. In a small cauldron, Lily mixed several ingredients, such as glittering powder and honey, before adjusting the heat with her wand. Soon, a golden, thick liquid resembling melted gold with a fragrant scent was ready. Patiently waiting, James, Sirius, and Lupin each took a sip of the potion, and their flushed cheeks instantly receded and their bloodshot eyes returned to their normal color.

"Your potions skills are second to none, Lily," admired Sirius. "You were always top of the class in Potions, weren't you?"

"Well, I got a lot of compliments from Slughorn, but I wasn't the best of his students," Lily said, frowning slightly. Then James narrowed his eyes and looked back at her as though he had just realized something.

"Right, I almost forgot about Snivellus. . . . You got praised in every class when you sat next to him, and then your Potions grades dropped when you changed seats."

"Well, to be honest, I did have some help, but while I'm more of a detail-oriented type, Severus was a daring, creative genius. . . . I was never better at Potions than he was."

"You befriended him to only learn his recipes, didn't you, Lily?" James asked bluntly, and Lily's expression suddenly turned cold.

"What do you take me for, James? The two of us were close friends, just like the three of you are now. I wasn't trying to get anything out of him. You'll always blame Severus for being a Slytherin, but he was a kind-hearted boy."

"If Snape's personality was as good as you say it was, he wouldn't have called you a Mudblood."

Harry remembered Severus Snape's worst memory, the one he'd come across in the Pensieve in his fifth year. There, after being humiliated by the Marauders, Snape had called Lily a Mudblood for trying to defend him, and their friendship had ended.

"I admit Severus said really nasty thing that day, but you were just as bad as he was!" said Lily indignantly. "You used to pick fights and bully him who didn't do anything to you!"

" But I have passed that stage and become a new person, and that is the difference between me and Snivellus," said James stiffly. Sirius and Lupin, caught in the middle of this argument that was turning into a battle of pride between the couple, just listened nervously. "He teaches at Hogwarts now, doesn't he? Dumbledore is a great wizard, but he doesn't seem to have much of an eye for people."

"No, Dumbledore got it right — Severus has a good heart," Lily shot back. "And you know what? If he hadn't called me a Mudblood back then, maybe . . . maybe I would've married him instead of you."

The mood in the living room turned icy, as if cold water had been thrown on it. Lupin kept his head down like he hadn't heard anything, and Sirius glanced back and forth between James and Lily. James looked more confused than angry at his wife's words.

"What? You didn't mean what you said, did you, Lily?"

"No, I meant it, not even a hint of a lie," snapped Lily, narrowing her bright green eyes. "You think appearances are everything, don't you? That's why you insulted and bullied him every chance you got!"

"No, that's because Snivellus was a despicable bastard!" shouted James angrily. "He was a sullen git who was into Dark Magic, and I'd like to ask Dumbledore himself why he hired him as a professor."

"Good, because you'll get your chance very soon," said Lupin suddenly. Lily and James, who had been glaring at each other, stopped arguing and looked back at him. "Dumbledore is coming to this town with Hagrid tonight. . . . He used to live around here, and he comes here every holiday to visit the family grave."

"Dumbledore's coming here? With Hagrid?" exclaimed Harry, his parents' quarrel already receding from his mind. "Will they meet us too? I can't wait to see them both!"

"You're acting like a politician, Harry! So you wanna befriending the headmaster before you even start school?" Sirius said with a dog-like laugh. "Yeah, why not. . . . Besides, you haven't seen them since you were a kid, and Dumbledore isn't the kind of person to give you special treatment for being close."

"Good, then we'd better get ready for our guests!" shouted James, sounding more cheerful than necessary. He seemed eager to get the conversation about Snape over with, hoping to take advantage of the new topic. "Why don't we have a barbecue like the Muggles do? The moon is supposed to be bright tonight, and a bonfire on the hill would be great."

Lily looked at her husband for a moment, apparently considering whether or not to continue their argument, but finally sighed and said, "Well, it's been a while since I've seen them both, so it'll be good to see them. . . . I'll get ready and you three go to the spare bedroom and take a nap. My potions won't make up for a lack of sleep."

"With pleasure, my lady," Sirius bowed playfully, flicked his wand once, and a large silver dog, similar in appearance to his Animagus, jumped out and disappeared through the wall. "I've sent my Patronus to Dumbledore and invited him to dinner. . . . Take good care of your mother then, Harry."

"Of course, Sirius." Harry gave his godfather a warm smile. "I'm a Marauder myself now, aren't I?"

"You're my true godson, Harry!" chuckled Sirius as he stepped out into the corridor with James and Lupin. Lily gave her husband a quick glance, still angry with him, but when her eyes met Harry's, she offered a warm smile.

"So, Harry. What would you like to play with today? Do you want to make another potion?"

"No, I think I'd rather do something Muggle today," said Harry sheepishly. "I'd like to make some gifts for our guests. . . . Do you know how to knit, Mum?"

"Knit?" said Lily in surprise. "Well, I used to do it with my sister when we were very young. . . ."

"Just teach me the basics. I'll do the rest."

After learning the essentials of knitting from his mother, Harry borrowed a wand and began to knit a pair of socks with the yarn with two floating needles in the air. When the socks were finished, he and his mother set to work on a cake to give to Hagrid.

"But Hagrid's birthday isn't for a while, Harry, so what's the cake for anyway?" asked Lily curiously as she took a large baking sheet out of the oven.

"It's just . . . I've always wanted to make one for Hagrid," said Harry.

His heart sank as he realized that Rubeus Hagrid no longer existed in the world he had left, and there was no way for him to show how much he appreciated Hagrid. They soon piled on the sheets and whipped cream, creating a large, magnificent cake topped with magical chocolate creatures such as spiders, thestrals, hippogriffs, a three-headed dog and a dragon. Meanwhile, a pair of thick woolen socks were finished, and Harry carefully wrapped them in a small box tied with a ribbon.

The Marauders didn't wake up until late afternoon. Sirius and Lupin looked refreshed from their extra sleep, but James's face was grim, as if the fight earlier was still on his mind. He waited until his two friends were out of the front door before he approached Lily, who was still in the living room.

"I'm sorry, dear — you're right about everything. I used to be a very arrogant and mean person, and I'll never speak ill of Snape again."

Looking at him, Lily gave a short sigh.

"All right. I've always wanted Gryffindors and Slytherins to get along. If only they could put aside their prejudices against each other . . . but in the end, even I couldn't."

"Let's hope Harry's different," said James, looking at his son. "I'm sure he'll be able to . . . But if Snivell — I mean, Snape — bullies you, just tell me, okay?"

They went to the small hill where they had practiced Quidditch the day before and set up the barbecue. Lily had used her magic to conjure up a wooden table and chairs, and while Harry and his mother set them up, the other three went into the nearby woods to gather wood for the fire. At first he was confused when Sirius and Lupin came out leading a stag with a load of firewood on its back, but when the stag dropped the wood on the ground and began to lick his hands, Harry realized it was his father and burst out laughing. James pushed the firewood with his antlers, Lily lit it, and Sirius and Lupin placed the large grill on top. While the meat was being prepared, his father, who had turned into a stag, carried Harry on his back and entertained him by prancing around.

Finally, when James was back in human form and the large pieces of meat were skewered and ready to be grilled, two figures appeared out of nowhere from just below the hill. One of them was much older and thinner than the other, and seemed to be dwarfed by the other, who looked too big to be allowed. The former was Albus Dumbledore, just as Harry remembered him, with his purple cloak and long silver hair and beard, and the latter was Rubeus Hagrid, with his moleskin cloak and unkempt, bushy hair and beard. Harry was so happy to see the two men he thought he would never see again that he wanted to run over and hug them. But since they weren't that close to them in this reality, he waited patiently. Hagrid was the first of the two to approach and he looked down at Harry with an affectionate look.

"So, yeh must be Harry! Yeh look a lot like yer dad, but yer eyes are more like yer mum's," said Hagrid brightly. The lines around his beatle-black eyes wrinkled with a smile. "You was only a baby when I las' saw yeh, but yeh've grown so much since then."

"You're just as big now as you were then, Hagrid."

Hagrid chuckled at Harry's remark.

"I've bin big ever since I was born . . . and this is Professor Dumbledore," he said, stepping aside and letting Dumbledore step forward.

"Hello, Professor. How are you?" said James. "I heard you used to live in this town, but I was late in inviting you to visit."

"It's an honor, James. There's nothing more gratifying to a teacher like me than to see my grown-up students doing well." Dumbledore's blue eyes shone clearly from behind his half-moon glasses, even though the sun had almost set and it was dark around them. This time he looked at Sirius and Lupin and said, "Ah, Sirius — how are you? I'm sure you've received the good news from Remus by now."

"Yes, I suppose I should call him Professor Lupin now," said Sirius happily, patting Lupin on the shoulder. "Remus will make a great professor — thank you for having faith in him."

Lupin smiled and nodded without saying a word, and Dumbledore smiled warmly in return, his eyes finally turning to Lily and Harry.

"So you must be Harry," he said, "I've heard from your parents that you're very well-behaved and intelligent."

"Good evening, Professor," Harry said, just in time to see Lily flick her wand in the air at the two gifts she had hidden under the table.

"He's got presents for the guests, Professor!"

The larger of the two gifts was unwrapped to reveal a huge cake that had been baked earlier in the day. Hagrid stared at the magical creatures decorating the cake for a long time until, true to his heart, he couldn't hold back the tears and sobbed, wiping his eyes with a handkerchief.

"Thank yeh, Harry. Yeh've done so well!"

"You have my thanks too, Hagrid," Harry said sincerely, hugging the kind giant. "Thank you for everything. . . . I should have told you sooner."

"Sorry to interrupt such a touching moment, but I assume this one is meant for the old man," said Dumbledore playfully, with a hint of anticipation in his voice, and untied the ribbon on the remaining box to reveal its contents. But the glee vanished from his face when he saw what was inside: a pair of red socks with a golden phoenix emblazoned on them. He stood there for a moment, stunned, holding the woolen socks Harry had made for him. The next moment, something happened that took everyone by surprise: Dumbledore burst into tears. With trembling hands, he clutched the sock in his arms as if someone were going to take it away from him, and began to sob like a baby.

"Professor, what's wrong?" asked Hagrid in a panic.

"Maybe he accidentally cast the wrong spell when he made it," said Lily carefully. Dumbledore then raised his hand, tears streaming down his face.

"No, it's not Harry's fault," he said, "it's just that this grumpy old man has so many tears . . . " Dumbledore sobbed for a moment more, his shoulders heaving, before he finally raised his head and looked back at the others, who all had worried faces. He let the tears run down his silver beard and continued, "It's about my little sister, who's buried in this very village. . . . She told me she was going to make me these woolen socks for Christmas . . . and then she had a terrible accident. . . . I'm really sorry to spoil the mood."

"Nothing to apologize for, Professor," said Lily softly. "I'm sorry that such an unfortunate thing happened to her. . . . My sympathies are with you, Albus."

Dumbledore looked down at Harry as he carefully folded the socks he'd been given and tucked them into the inside pocket of his robes. His blue eyes, still etched with grief, were like X-rays peering into his soul. Harry locked eyes with him, trying to convey how grateful he was to Dumbledore for all the work he had done in the world he had left behind. Finally, Dumbledore opened his mouth.

"Thank you for the gift, Harry. It brought back some precious memories I'd long forgotten. . . . And at the risk of being presumptuous, I'd like to give you one last piece of advice. I've made a lot of choices in my life that I regret to this day. . . . Whatever you choose to do, Harry, I hope you have no regrets."

Dumbledore and Hagrid didn't stay long; they only tried one of the deliciously grilled burgers each, then called it a day and rose early, saying they had to make room in their stomachs for Hagrid's cake. Harry watched Dumbledore's back as he srode toward the village to visit the graves of his long-lost sister and mother, and remembered that his own family had once been buried in the same cemetery. But James and Lily were no longer moldering remains under cold stone. Like Sirius and Lupin, his parents were no longer just bones and dust; they were alive and well right now, in their own bodies, living and breathing with their son. . . .

Harry stole a glance at the four adults sitting around the fire, laughing and talking and eating barbecued meat, and realized that the time of irrevocable choice was already two days away. Stay or leave: what would be the choice he wouldn't regret? When the meal was finally over and everyone was sipping butterbeer with full bellies, James stood up and looked up at the night sky, the moon shining brightly.

"Padfoot, Moony — it's a beautiful night, isn't it?"

"Of course it is, Prongs," Sirius said, leaning back in his chair and enjoying the moonlight. "The moon reminds me of old times."

"Now that Harry knows we're Animagi, why don't we have a Marauders' Race?" suggested James. "Nothing's more fun than that in the moonlight."

"A Marauders' Race? What's that?" asked Lily dubiously.

"No need to tell, you can try it yourself!" said James. He bent down as if to offer Lily a ride on his horse. When she approached, he instantly transformed into a stag, and before she knew it, Lily was on his back, holding onto his sturdy antlers and giggling.

"Okay, let's do it!" Sirius exclaimed excitedly, then glanced over at Lupin, who was looking tired but enjoying the situation. "Moony, you be the referee. If you get to the tree first, you win, okay? Then, my dear Bolt, you'll be my rider."

Sirius stood up and walked over to Harry, and in an instant turned into a large black dog, the size of a bear. Harry climbed onto the dog's back, who barked happily and wagged his tail. The soft, fluffy fur tickled his arms and neck, and he couldn't help but laugh. Lupin stood by the campfire and pulled out his wand, pointing it into the air, and a red glowing line appeared on the ground. The stag carrying Lily and the black dog carrying Harry stood just behind the line, their front legs bent and ready to sprint.

The godfather's furry back was warm and comfortable, and the sound of Lily's laughter beside him on James's back added to the feeling. Harry lifted his head slightly to look ahead. He could see a small tree standing alone some distance from the edge of the forest, their point of return, and the grass up to it glittered silver in the moonlight like it had been spun with countless cobwebs.

"Sirius, having you as my godfather is the best thing that has ever happened to me," whispered Harry sincerely. "I'm so happy to see you again, I really am, so let's do this together."

Sirius barked merrily in reply. Lupin stood by the starting line and raised his wand. The moon, not quite full but just as round and bright, seemed to turn him into something other than a werewolf: His face showed no sign of fatigue, and his beaming smile, born of the joy of being with his friends, made him look ten years younger.

"Okay, on the count of three. One!"

The black dog looked back at his rival and growled, and the stag scratched the ground with his front paws, mimicking an angry bull.

"Two!"

Now both Animagi were staring intently ahead. It was just a race for fun, with no stakes, but the tension from their natural competitive nature was palpable in the stiffening black fur Harry held.

"Three!"

Lupin shouted, and a loud explosion like a gunshot from his wand signaled the start of the race.

The stag and the black dog kicked off the ground and sprinted across the field. James's speed was enough to send Lily, who had clung to her husband's horns with both hands, momentarily floating off. Hearing his mother's giggles, Harry lowered himself as low as he could and wrapped his arms around Sirius's body, as he would when riding a broomstick, to reduce the resistance to the wind.

"We can do this, Sirius," Harry whispered in the dog's ear. "Together we can do this . . . it won't be like last time."

Sirius's sprint picked up speed. Unlike the stag beside him, who had been running with a steady hoofbeat like a horse, the black dog now used his fluffy paws to beat out a soundless gallop. No, Sirius wasn't running now, it was more like he was gliding very low. . . . The four legs moved so fast that they left a faint afterimage in Harry's vision. But James was no easy opponent, and although the black dog now had a very slight lead, the stag tried to close the gap by jumping up and down, and each time he did, Lily let out a shrill, excited squeal.

The winner of the race was determined at the halfway point. While Harry stayed flat on the black dog's back and helped Sirius gently steer around the tree, Lily nearly lost her grip on the horns as her husband swerved. By the time Harry looked back, James had managed to help Lily steady herself with fantastic balance and was in hot pursuit. Sirius, however, ran with every ounce of strength he had left, and once the gap was made, it was hard to close it. . . .

Finally, the black dog crossed the line first, just barely, and Harry threw his arms in the air in triumph. The black dog let out a long, magnificent howl at the moon, imitating a wolf, and Lupin and Lily, beaming, applauded. The stag snorted in annoyance, but when he put Lily down and turned back into a human, James joined in the applause. When Harry came down and Sirius returned to his human form, the five of them collapsed together, breathless, and lay on the grass with their heads in a circle.

"James, you know, marrying you was the best thing ever happened to me," Lily said in a dreamy voice. She lifted her head and looked at each of the other three in turn, giggling girlishly with bursting happiness. "And to meet you all. I'm the happiest girl in the world!"

It was at that moment that Harry decided to stay. This was the world where he truly belonged. . . . A world where he could be truly happy, where all the people he cared about were alive. Once he decided to remain, the choice he had to make in two days no longer felt overwhelming. In fact, when he thought that it would keep him in this happy reality forever, he couldn't wait to blow out the candles on his birthday cake and make a wish.

Harry rolled onto his side, his side aching from laughing so hard. He could see the small tree they'd used as a point of return, and just then a hooded black figure behind it, watching them from the darkness of the forest, disappeared into the shadows as their eyes met. Harry clenched his fists. He vowed to fight to the death to protect this reality he had chosen to stay in, no matter who this man was, no matter what threats loomed.