A/N: How horrible was the end of last chapter, and this one isn't much better, not at first at least.
:cry: I really hated doing what I had to do with James, esp after writing all those father/son moments. I was depressed a good deal of the day after writing the following scene. I hope you all enjoy this chapter, and please leave me a review with your thoughts when finished.
Harry shook his father gently. "Come on Dad," he said, not noticing that his eyes were filling with tears. "Come on, we have to go home. Mum is waiting for us." He shook harder.
James did not respond and Harry could feel his breath coming in short puffs. "Dad… Dad please, come on get up." The tears slipped down his face as he threw himself on top of his father's body. "Dad…" Harry started to cry hard as he realised his father was gone.
Tom Riddle watched from the growing shadows as the young prince sobbed on top of the dead king. Forcing his smile into a frown, he approached Harry softly.
"What have you done?" the deadly whisper startled Harry and he sat up abruptly.
"Tom!" the young boy said. "I just came down here like you said, and then the Death Eaters started to attack everyone," he clung to the advisor's robes. "My dad tried to save me and now he won't wake up!"
"He's dead Harry," Tom said coolly. "He's dead, and it's your fault."
"No!" Harry said frantically. "I swear, I did just as he said!" he looked down sorrowfully at his father, wishing he'd jump up and take him home.
"What will everyone say about this?" Tom kept his cold tone. "The prince, future king, responsible for his father's death. What will your mother think? Your friends?"
Harry looked around wildly. Tom was right, what if they blamed him for this? "What should I do?" he asked.
"Run away from here," Tom pointed to the hills beyond Diagon Alley. "Run away… don't ever come back. I cannot stop them from condemning you once everyone knows you've killed your father."
Harry saw several dark shapes come up behind Tom and he recognized Lucius, who sneered at him. He scrambled to his feet, and with one last look at James's body, he fled.
"Shall we go after him Master?" Lucius asked.
"No," Tom replied, smiling cruelly. "He is no longer of any consequence. He won't come back."
Lucius's smile mirrored his master's as Tom gathered up the body of the king to bring up to the castle.
It was time.
*** *** ***
The atmosphere that night was dark in the castle. Hermione clung to her father, continuous tears running down her face as her mother and Molly Weasley helped the queen stay on her feet.
"It is with the heaviest of hearts that I assume the throne," Tom Riddle was saying, holding up the gold and ruby crown. "To lose Harry as well as James, it is just the utmost of tragedies."
Lily felt like someone had taken a scoop and had pulled out her insides, she felt so hollow. Her husband and her son? What sort of cruel game was Fate playing with her? Her knees began to tremble and she felt Molly and Lucy holding her tightly.
"So unless the queen can produce another heir, I shall have to take over the throne from this day on." Tom placed the crown onto his head.
"No!" Duke Jack Granger stepped forward. "We must elect a new king; you are not just going to take over!"
Tom gave him a rather sinister sneer. "You are not a member of this court." His tone was flat. "Therefore you have no say in what our policies are!"
"I will not allow this," Jack replied, unafraid of the other man. "My wife and I will never bow to you!"
"Is that so?" Tom asked, while Hermione moved over to where Ron was standing, shaking with fear. "You'll have to answer to them then, I'm afraid."
The group stared around as they were surrounded by figures cloaked in black. "It's time for something to be done that should have happened long ago." Several of the figures came up to stand beside Tom. "The union of the royal family and the Death Eaters…"
Lily gasped, realising her suspicions of her husband's mentor were correct all along. Jack Granger clenched his fist.
"We will not bow to you," Jack replied. "You are responsible for all of this, I know it!"
Tom motioned to Lucius who grabbed Jack while Bellatrix went for Lucy. "If you won't bow to us, then we'll simply dispose of you."
"NO!!!" Lucy Granger screamed as a wand was pointed at her husband's temple. A green light shot out of it and Jack crumpled to the ground. The wand was then pointed at her.
"MUMMY!" Hermione started crying as she watched her beloved parents fall motionless on the grass. "DADDY!"
Tom turned to cast the curse on her as well but Lily pulled her away. "Don't you DARE touch her," Lily's green eyes were sharp as daggers in her grief. "Don't you EVER touch her." She held the sobbing child close. "I'll kill you if you do!"
Tom's eyes were alit with anger but he lowered his wand. He knew the queen would make good on her word. "Keep her out of my sight then," he hissed.
Hermione couldn't stop sobbing as Lily picked her up and started for the castle, Molly and Ron following closely behind them.
Ron didn't know what to think- his best friend was gone, that was his first and foremost thought. 'Harry was dead,' he let out a small whimper and was pulled into his mother's forceful embrace. 'And Hermione's parents were just killed right in front of them…' he looked up at his other best friend, who was still violently crying into the queen's robes. 'No more fighting with her,' Ron resolved at that moment. 'Now that Harry's gone, it's just the two of us… I have to take care of her.'
Lily carried Hermione into the bedroom the girl had used when her parents had been gone, that she would now be using indefinitely. Lily had created an adjoining door in case Hermione needed anything and she was glad about that, for she could lock out Tom Riddle yet keep a way open for the two of them.
Hermione's sobs had quieted, yet she was still crying as Lily brought her to the bed. "Shhh…" Lily pushed sweaty strands of hair off the girl's forehead. "Go to sleep, love." She knew she had to put up a strong front now.
Hermione let out several long, shuddering sighs as she relived what was now the worst moment of her life. "I can't stop watching it," she said aloud, making Lily gather her back in her arms.
"I wish I could have stopped him," Lily spoke into Hermione's hair. "I'm so sorry, I should have stopped him…"
Hermione hugged her back, realising that Lily, Molly and Ron were really the only people she had in the world now. "I'm sorry about Harry and James," she said, her voice thick. Harry, her best friend in the world, was gone now.
Lily just hugged her tighter as they both wept. Hermione's breathing was steady after awhile and Lily laid her back gently, covering her with several heavy blankets.
Leaving the door between their rooms ajar, Lily mechanically dressed herself for bed. She slid into the cool sheets, automatically turning to James's side of the bed.
It was empty; his pillow still bearing the shape of his head, his side of the sheets smelled so distinctly like James that Lily rolled over so she was laying with her face pressed into them.
"James…" she sobbed harshly. "Harry… why did you both have to leave me?" Lily buried her face in his pillow and screamed several times into the soft cloth.
"I hate you for leaving me," she wept. "I miss you both so much already, how am I going to live without either of you…" her words became irrational in her grief.
Hermione approached the crying queen, her small hands trembling as she touched Lily's back.
Lily jerked up at the touch, stifling a gasp. "Oh love, I woke you didn't I?" she asked, sitting up.
Hermione shook her head. "I wasn't really sleeping," she answered in a small voice. "I'm scared,"
Lily pulled her close, hugging her fiercely. "Don't be scared," she buried her face in the young girl's bushy hair. "I will not let Tom Riddle touch you, I promise."
Hermione nodded into the queen's shoulder. "I want to pretend today was just a bad dream," she said.
"I know, I do too," Lily tried to be as comforting as possible now that the poor child had no mother. "Come, you can sleep in here tonight," she moved over to James's side while Hermione clambered under the sheets.
"Thank you," she answered, sniffling back more tears.
*** *** ***
Harry ran as fast and as far as he could for the rest of the day, only stopping to catch his breath or to get some water to drink from the flowing streams. Fearful that Death Eaters were following, Harry dared not stop.
He ran and ran until it was so dark he almost couldn't see the road. He'd come to another village, this one named Hogsmeade. Harry thought several times of turning back to Diagon Alley, telling his mother it was an accident, knowing she'd not blame him.
But Tom Riddle's words haunted him. What he had said was right- if Harry hadn't been in the middle of the attack, James wouldn't have had to rescue him, and his father would still be alive.
Harry wiped several tears off his cheeks as he stumbled over a patch of dirt. Falling onto his knees, he realised he was extremely tired. His vision was blurring, and he rested his body in a large flowerbed on the edge of someone's garden.
"Just for a few minutes," he mumbled before slipping into a deep slumber.
*** *** ***
Remus J. Lupin did not enjoy gardening, but he did find it to be a soothing hobby when Sirius Black got too annoying to be around. That morning was such a time, so Remus found himself rolling his eyes and exiting out the back door to their small three room shack they lived in.
He sighed as he thought about the flat he'd lived in, by himself back in Diagon Alley. It had been peaceful and for the most part, Sirius free. Retrieving his gardening tools from the shed, then headed towards the front where he had plenty of weeding to do.
Setting the small watering can down, Remus started to pull away some of the choking weeds when a small whimpering sound met his ears.
"What…" his voice trailed off as he peered over a thick bush and saw the huddled form of a young boy, who was curled up, his legs pulled tight against his chest.
It had been going on eight and a half years since he and Sirius had been exiled from Diagon Alley yet there was no mistaking this. "Sirius!" he called out, pushing back from the boy.
"What?" Sirius was fully prepared for one of Remus's tirades about how he needed to stop shouting down the house so early in the morning and let him sleep, especially so close to a full moon.
"Come out here will you?" Remus's tone was odd and Sirius of course was quite curious. He left the kitchen (he had become somewhat domesticated and could actually cook since leaving Diagon Alley) and went out into the garden.
"Moony, what is it?" he asked, then stopped short at the sight of a shivering young boy.
"Who does that look like?" Remus still used that odd tone.
"That looks like James," Sirius said in shock. "Prongs when he was a kid…"
"But that's not him," Remus replied.
"I know that Moony," Sirius replied. He stepped over the flowerbed and crouched down over the curled up figure. "Hello…" he said quietly as he cautiously poked the boy.
"Padfoot," Remus chastised as his friend poked the little figure again. He crossed his arms and stood still as the boy turned on his back, finally opening his eyes.
"AHHHHHHH!!!" He screamed, scared of the large face looming directly over him.
"AHHHHHHH!" Sirius screamed as well, losing his balance and falling on his posterior directly in the weedy and muddy flowerbed. Remus cracked up, slapping his knees with his hands as he tried to stay standing.
Harry scrambled back away from the two men, one who was cursing while trying to wipe mud from his clothes and the other was laughing so hard tears were leaking from his eyes. "I'm so sorry, I just wanted to sleep for a minute or two I'll be going right now," Harry got to his feet.
"No, no, it's quite all right," Remus recovered. "I've found myself kipping in the flowerbed from time to time myself." He elbowed Sirius as his friend finally got out of the mud.
"Yeah, stay," Sirius said, a bit unconvincingly. Remus elbowed him harder and Sirius smiled. "Please, stay."
Harry shook his head as he wrapped his arms around himself. "I need to go," he said quietly.
"At least have some breakfast before you leave," Sirius replied, trying to get a closer look at the boy. He started to shake his head but Remus put a hand out.
"We aren't taking no for an answer," he touched the boy's shoulder. Harry felt strange, like he knew these men for some reason, so he shrugged and followed them inside.
"Do you like pancakes?" Sirius asked. "By the way, I'm Sirius Black," he kept his eyes upon the Prongs look-alike.
"I'm Remus," the other man held out his hand to Harry.
"It's nice to meet both of you," Harry replied, polite as he had been taught all his life. "My name is Harry Potter." He left out the prince part on purpose.
Sirius and Remus shared a quick glance that said the same thing. Lily and James had had a son, sometime after they had been forced to leave.
"How old are you Harry?" Remus asked pleasantly.
"Seven," Harry answered. "I'll be eight soon though." He looked down at his hands. "May I be excused to use the loo?" he wanted to wash up.
"Of course," Remus replied. "It's the second door on the right."
"Thank you," Harry replied, nodding his head before disappearing in the hallway.
Sirius waited until the boy was out of earshot. "HIS SON?" he asked in a dull roar.
"Quiet down will you?" Remus replied.
"He had a son and he didn't even bother to send us an owl with the news!" Sirius looked mad enough to spit.
Remus rolled his eyes. "I don't know why you insist in believing that James was the one to cast us out of Diagon Alley; I still believe it was Tom Riddle alone…"
*** Flashback ***
Remus Lupin walked down towards the bakery, where he was meeting his best friend Sirius Black. They were due to grab some breakfast there and then to head up to the castle to see their other best friend, the current king of Gryffindor, James Potter. He had owled them the previous evening saying he and Lily had some exciting news to tell them.
"Moony!" Sirius greeted his friend with a smile.
"Morning Padfoot," Remus replied. "Sorry for being late, full moon last night."
"Ah yes," Sirius handed him a wrapped pastry. "You must love that potion that the Potions master brewed,"
"I do," Remus replied. "It doesn't take me four days to recover anymore."
Sirius grinned as they approached the gates to the castle. "What do you think this news is that Prongs wants to tell us?"
Remus opened his mouth to answer but never got the chance to. "Well, well…" Tom Riddle, royal advisor to the king, was descending upon him. "What have we here?"
Sirius was immediately on guard, he tremendously disliked the man. He and Remus both suspected that he was the ringleader of the Death Eaters. "Just on our way to visit the king," he said.
"I'm afraid that's not possible," Tom replied smoothly.
"Why not?" Sirius demanded.
"Well…" Tom pulled a rolled parchment out of his pocket. "I'm afraid that the king has exiled you." The smug smile on his face was almost too much for Sirius to bear as he snatched the scroll away.
"I, King James of Gryffindor, do hereby exile one Sirius Black and one Remus Lupin from Diagon Alley henceforth." Sirius read.
Remus grabbed the parchment. "And it is hereby declared that one Sirius Black and one Remus Lupin shall not contact the royal family of Gryffindor in any way, shape or form from this day on." His voice trailed off as he stared at Sirius.
"What the hell is this all about?" Sirius snatched the parchment back. "James wouldn't sign this!"
"Oh but look for yourself," Tom pointed to the blood red wax seal at the bottom in the shape of a lion's head, and James's signature next to it. He smiled cruelly at the two men before nodding to the guard who had accompanied him to the gates. "Take them out of Diagon Alley." His eyes narrowed. "Under order of the king himself."
The guards grabbed the two men roughly and began to drag them to the gates leading out of the village.
*** End Flashback ***
Sirius shook his head. "You're wrong Moony. I don't blame James for that. I've known for years that Riddle was the one behind exiling us."
Remus was about to reply when Harry stuck his head into the kitchen. "Come on Harry, pull up a seat," he said, forcing a smile onto his face.
Harry nodded shyly and sat down, averting his bright green eyes from the curious glances of the two men.
"Where are you from Harry?" Sirius asked as he began to mix pancake batter.
"It doesn't matter," Harry replied quickly. "I can't go back."
"I'm sure your parents would miss you Harry," Remus said gently.
Harry shook his head vigorously. "I can't."
Sirius abandoned his pancake mix and sat down. "Why not?"
Harry fought back the tears that were stinging his eyes. "Because they all hate me now."
"Why do they all hate you?" Remus was genuinely alarmed.
Harry shook his head again. "I just did what Tom told me to do," the tears fell silently down his cheeks.
"Tom?" Sirius jumped. "Tom Riddle?"
Harry looked up, suspicion crossing his features. "How do you know him?" he asked.
Remus sat back and sighed. "Harry…" he looked down scuffing his old shoe at the floor. "Sirius and I… we used to live in Diagon Alley."
"You did?" Harry's eyes grew wide.
Sirius nodded. "We knew your mum and dad as well."
Harry paled visibly, wondering what these two men would think of him if they knew his secret. He made a split second decision to never tell anyone what he had done.
"Harry?" Remus was peering at him. "Are you all right?"
Harry shook his head before breaking out into sobs, resting his head on his arms. Remus felt horrible as the boy grew nearly hysterical.
"Come on son," Sirius said. He reached over and put his hand on Harry's shaking shoulder. "Did…" his voice choked up a bit. "Did something happen to Lily and James?"
Harry nodded. "To Dad," he said, hiccupping.
Something had happened to James. Remus and Sirius shared another look over Harry's messy black head of hair. "Is James…" Sirius swallowed hard. "Is James dead?"
Harry started to cry harder, nodding only slightly. Sirius felt his legs go wobbly and Remus sat back hard in his chair. James… Prongs… their best friend… was dead.
"It wasn't my fault!" Harry burst out. "I just did what Tom told me to do!"
"What did he tell you to do?" Remus asked.
"He told me to leave," Harry replied. "He told me that it was my fault."
"No," both men shook their heads.
Harry didn't listen to them, only buried his face in his arms again. He hardly felt Sirius pick him up out of the chair and carry him down the hallway to a spare room, he hardly felt him put him down on the bed and pull the blankets over his shivering body.
Remus was waiting for him at the kitchen table. "Is he all right?"
"He will be," Sirius sighed, wondering how his day could have started off so fine and turned into a nightmare.
"Padfoot," Remus began. "I think we should see if he wants to stay with us."
"Us?" Sirius laughed dryly.
"We owe it to Prongs," Remus replied seriously. "You know that there's no way we can get Harry back to Lily as long as Tom is there. And he's hiding something else."
"That's quite obvious," Sirius sat back. He thought for a moment about what his friend was saying, knowing Remus was right- like always.
"So…" Remus leaned forward. "What do you say?"
A/N: Ahh… mini cliffie LOL
Well I'm sorry this one took so long to get out- I had a hard time keeping Remus and Sirius's story straight. As many of you guessed, they're our Timon and PUmbaa for the story, although perhaps not as humorous ;)
I'm going on vacation (Cayman Islands YAY) for a week, but I may have internet access down there so if I do, I'll post during the week, if not, I'll do it on Friday when I get back.
If you've taken the time to read the story, please leave me a review with your opinion. I read each and every review you guys leave me and ALL comments, except flames, are appreciated, even constructive criticism. I notice a lot of people are stepping out with constructive criticism and I can tell you, we authors appreciate it.
Even if you just say good job, I like having those comments to look back on when I need a boost while writing a chapter. Thanks!