Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and events from J.K. Rowling's wonderful Harry Potter books. I am writing this for my own enjoyment and hopefully for the enjoyment of readers. Anything you recognize belongs to JKR. The rest belongs to me.
Chapter 38: Joseph Potter Returns?
James sat at the dining room table in shock at what was before him. He turned to his mother with wide eyes and asked, "What's going on here? When did this happen?"
Marianne smiled at her son and said, "A few weeks ago. It was quite a surprise."
"Why didn't you tell me?" asked James.
"Your father wanted it to be a surprise," she said.
"My FATHER?" James asked incredulously. "THAT-" he pointed, "-is not my father. That is a portrait of my father." He turned to the portrait and gazed at the image of Joseph Potter, who had a look of concern seeing his son so upset.
"James," said Marianne, "the Ministry of Magic delivered the portrait a few weeks ago. It had been commissioned before your father's death. It was meant to be a gift for twenty years of service to the Ministry. After Joseph died, the portrait was finished but never delivered. Alastor Moody found it and decided that we should have it. Since the portrait was started before his death the artist was able to charm your father's personality into it. I decided to place the portrait here in the dining room. Your father wouldn't want to be stuffed in some dusty room that's never used. In a way it's been like having him back." She looked up at Joseph who smiled lovingly at his wife.
James sat there in disbelief. He shook his head and glared at his mother. "How can you say it's like having him back? It's a portrait, not him!"
"James-" started the image of Joseph Potter. "Do not speak with disrespect to your mum."
James focused his glare on the portrait. "DON'T even try to speak to me like you are him. You're NOT!" He stood up and stormed out of the room.
"James!" called his mum. "Your dinner-"
"I'M NOT HUNGRY!" he shouted as he grabbed his Nimbus 1900 and charged out the door. He mounted the broom and kicked off the ground, feeling the need to fly high into the air as far as he could from his house. He flew a few miles away to a clearing in a forest where he occasionally liked to hide when he was younger after getting into trouble. He touched down and dropped to the grass, resting his head on his knees and running his hands through his dark hair.
It felt like a tornado of thoughts was whirling around in his head. He had not been prepared to see the image of his father and hear his voice. It was that voice more than any other that he had longed to hear for the past year. It was that voice that had come from a moving portrait, not the flesh and blood version of his father. When James had sat down to eat and heard that voice, there had been a split second where he thought that voice had come from his real father, that he had not died in the explosion, that he had found a way to survive and return home. Seeing that portrait had crushed that glimmer of hope.
"James Potter," came a muffled voice from James' pocket. He felt a slight vibration as his two-way mirror signaled to him that Sirius was calling him. James sighed and reached into his pocket, pulling out the mirror and muttering Sirius' name, allowing the connection between the two mirrors to open. Shortly thereafter Sirius' face came into view, though it was difficult to see due to the lack of lighting from Sirius' end.
"Sirius," said James. "Where are you? Why is it so dark?"
"I'm in the attic trying to avoid my folks," he replied. James couldn't tell for certain from the dim lighting but he thought he could see a faint bruise under Sirius' left eye. "They're having relatives over for dinner. Nothing like filling the room with pureblooded freaks to make my day!" he scowled.
"That bad, eh?" asked James.
Sirius snorted. "All through dinner all they could talk about was that idea that Araminta, my mum's cousin, has about legalizing Muggle-hunting." He sighed and then added, "At least Uncle Alphard was there. That old bloke is always good for a laugh. He's getting so senile he's losing his marbles. Every time he visits he keeps handing me money and asking about my job at the Ministry." Sirius paused, waiting for James to chuckle, but noticing instead that his friend was relatively silent. "What's bothering you?"
"Nothing," muttered James.
Sirius stared at him and replied, "I don't believe you. Your mood was better on the train. Now you're in your 'brooding silent' mood."
James paused, not sure if he wanted to go into the events of the evening. As he looked back at Sirius' expectant face he realized that his friend would not allow him to push the matter aside. James launched into the events surrounding the surprise he had met in the dining room. He described how his mum had acted like his dad was back and how she had expected him to be thrilled to see him again, even if it was just a portrait. Once James had finished his tale, Sirius watched him thoughtfully before replying.
"Hmmm," said Sirius. "At least it's better than the portrait of my mum."
James glared at Sirius, wondering how a portrait of his mum could be worse than seeing a bunch of paint trying to imitate his dead father.
"You've heard me talk about my mum, the old hag," explained Sirius. "My dad had a portrait of her commissioned when I was five. They placed it in the entryway and ever since then I've had to not only deal with the real hag but the painted one as well. Both have a good set of lungs, let me tell you!" Sirius paused and added, "Your dad was a good bloke. He may be gone and that portrait may not be as good as the real thing, but at least it has his personality."
James was about to protest, but then he felt guilty. Sirius had never had parents like his. He had to deal with the verbal and physical abuse from his own parents constantly.
"Think about it, James," said Sirius, sounding very serious. "Your dad was taken from you suddenly and you never had a chance to say goodbye. There must be something you want to say to him."
"But it isn't-" started James.
Sirius interrupted him. "It may not be his physical form but that IS his personality. Believe me, when the portrait of my mum starts yelling, it feels the same as the real thing." He snickered and added, "Except with the portrait I can occasionally pull a curtain over it and muffle her screams."
James looked away, deep in thought. He hated to admit it but Sirius had a point. Even so, he still didn't feel that he would be able to suddenly jump into conversation with his dad's portrait, but he didn't feel as angry about its presence anymore.
"I have to go, Sirius. If I don't get back I'm sure my mum will be calling Mad-Eye Moody to hunt me down and drag me back home," he joked.
"Alright. I'll try and call sometime tomorrow afternoon," Sirius replied.
James pocketed the mirror and hopped on his broom, heading home. As soon as he walked inside he saw his mum pacing the kitchen wringing her hands. James felt a knot form in his stomach, feeling guilty for running out on her earlier.
She turned and gasped in relief. "THERE you are! Where have you been?!"
"I was flying," he replied.
"James," she said shakily, "it's getting dark out. I really don't feel comfortable with you flying around in the dark. What if something happened? What if someone-" she paused and looked away for a moment before turning back to her son. She approached him and crushed him in a tight embrace. When she pulled back she looked at her son with tears threatening to escape and said in a strained voice, "I just want you to be careful. I can't let anything happen to you. You're too important-" she cut herself off and paused. James wondered if she was holding something back from him. Before he could speak she brushed his cheek and said, "I'm sorry about surprising you like that at dinner. I should have realized- well, I've found comfort in seeing your father's portrait and speaking with him. I guess I thought that you would feel the same way. I shouldn't have assumed."
James nodded and said, "It's okay. I wasn't prepared to see him and hear his voice."
Marianne studied her son who looked like his father more and more each day, save the untidy hair. "I know that the portrait is not Joseph. It never will be, but in a way I feel like a part of him is back. This house gets awfully empty while you're at school. Your father's personality really comes through in that portrait. The artist did an amazing job, really. If it upsets you seeing it so much then I can move him up to my room for the summer."
James thought about it and then shook his head. "No, that's okay. You don't have to do that."
Marianne stood in front of James in thought, wondering if she should ask. "Do you want to see him now? He's been asking about you all evening."
James shook his head, not ready yet to face the likeness of his father. "Nah, I'm tired. I think I'll head upstairs."
Marianne nodded her head and said, "Alright then. Goodnight, James."
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Lily tried to keep her focus on the summer and enjoying her time at home. It had been a while since she'd seen Petunia so exuberant. Every day it seemed Petunia would find something for the two to do. They went out with Petunia's friends and sometimes Lily's old Muggle school friends.
It was difficult for Lily to lie to her old friends about Hogwarts. They kept plying her with question after question about the 'boarding school' she was attending. They wondered why Petunia wasn't going there as well. Petunia took every opportunity to tell people that Lily was going to be staying home for school starting that fall.
To Petunia it seemed as if she were getting her best friend back. During the past two years Petunia had felt isolated. It wasn't that she didn't have friends. She just had a difficult time being outgoing. When Lily was around, Petunia felt more confident. Lily had always been the more outgoing of the two. Lily had also been Petunia's confidante before she had left for Hogwarts.
During the past two years Lily had been far away, learning something completely foreign to Petunia. She hated seeing Lily's owl flying in and out of the house, landing on the kitchen table or wherever else he felt like landing. Petunia hated hearing about magic, hated hearing about Lily's talent. In her mind she felt it was a freakish thing, but deep down in a secret spot in her heart she felt a bit of envy that Lily could possess something so extraordinary. With the promise of Lily giving up magic Petunia felt she could push that envy aside and regain her 'normal' sister.
Lily listened with a guilty conscience as Petunia made plans for the upcoming year. She wanted to go shopping to help Lily get the items and clothing she would need to attend Petunia's school. Lily kept finding excuses to delay the trips. Lily still felt conflicted about returning to Hogwarts, but every time she answered her parents questions about her second year at Hogwarts she felt a longing to return to her magical training. She had thrived in her classes. Her friendships with Marlene and Alice had strengthened. Every time she heard Petunia making plans for the upcoming year she would feel the knot in her stomach twisting tighter. It kept telling her that staying home would not be the right thing to do.
While her heart was telling her to return to Hogwarts, there were still things that haunted her. She kept thinking about what had happened at the end of her first year. Riddle's attack had changed her, made her more wary of several things. Her thoughts drifted to James. She thought of the many times he had approached her that year and the hurt she could sense when she ignored him. Finally, he had started to leave her alone and turned his thoughts to other things like Quidditch and his friends. They had gotten into a lot of trouble that year but somehow managed to come out of it looking like heroes.
It disturbed her how James had focused a lot of energy finding ways to humiliate Severus Snape. It wasn't that she cared much for the Slytherin - she just pitied him a bit because he seemed to keep to himself when he wasn't being bossed around by Malfoy. She didn't see why the Marauders felt a need to focus their energy on a boy who didn't seem like much of a threat, at least compared to Malfoy or Avery.
Suddenly a rustling at the window distracted Lily. She turned and opened it, seeing a flurry of brown feathers flying past her and landing on her desk. It was one of the Hogwarts owls. Lily walked over and untied the letter from its leg. The owl rushed over to Lancelot's cage and nicked an owl treat before exiting.
Lily stared down at the letter and realized that she would have to make a decision soon. The summer would be over in a few weeks. She fingered the flap of the envelope, but couldn't bring herself to open it. She placed it on her desk and decided to take a walk.
An hour later when she walked into the kitchen she was surprised to see the letter sitting on the counter propped
against the fruit bowl. She realized that her mum must have found it on her desk and brought it down to the
kitchen.
Lily walked away and went upstairs into her bathroom. She splashed some cold water on her face, trying to soothe the stickiness that was forming on her forehead from the summer heat. As she patted her face dry with a towel she nearly shrieked in surprise as she saw the Hogwarts letter sitting on the bathroom counter, staring at her accusingly.
By dinner that evening, Lily still hadn't opened the letter. She had found it in several other areas of the house, including in the pocket of her shorts. She set it down on her desk again before heading to the dinner table. She sat down with a sigh as her mum placed the roast on the table.
Her dad noticed her sigh and said, "Is something wrong, sweetheart?"
"No, Dad. Everything's fine," said Lily. She grabbed her napkin and yanked it off of her plate, revealing the Hogwarts letter underneath it. She froze, staring at it.
Harold Evans noticed the sudden appearance of the envelope and leaned over to study it closer. "Is that your Hogwarts letter, Lily?"
Lily nodded.
He exchanged a glance with his wife and realized the time had come to ask Lily if she had made her mind up about returning to Hogwarts. "Lily, I know it's been a while since we've discussed this, but I haven't forgotten about the deal we made last year. You know- the one about your having the option of returning to Petunia's school this year."
Petunia nodded enthusiastically. "Of course she remembers, Dad - right, Lily?"
Lily nodded again, unable to speak.
Her dad prodded her a little more, "Have you made up your mind?"
Lily looked over at her sister's hopeful face and then at her parents. She took a deep breath and reached for the Hogwarts letter. She slowly opened it and read the list of required supplies and texts. Her heart thumped looking over the list of things she could be learning soon. Third year would be when she could start taking electives, like Arithmancy and Divination.
After months of struggling for a decision, seeing the list of supplies suddenly made everything clear for Lily. She gave one more nervous glance at her sister before turning back to her parents and saying, "Mum? Dad? I'm going to need to go to Diagon Alley soon to pick up more supplies."
Her mum and dad smiled, while Petunia's jaw almost slammed into the floor.
"Supplies?" asked Petunia, not wanting to believe what she was hearing. "Why would you need to get supplies from that…place?"
Lily took a deep breath, trying to summon up some courage before gazing at Petunia. "I need to pick up supplies for my return to Hogwarts."
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A/N: So there you go - the answer to that cliffhanger. To make it a bit more clear - the flesh and blood Joseph Potter is, in fact, dead. He will not be resurrected. My twist is that his personality exists in the portrait due to a charm a painter used before Joseph's death (kind of analogous to Sir Cadogan's personality being present on his portrait, even though the real Sir Cadogan likely died centuries earlier). The portrait of Joseph will play a part here and there throughout the story as James comes to terms with its presence. Sirius will 'meet' it, hence his future reference to James' parentS when speaking with Harry in OotP. So, this way I was able to kill off James' dad (well actually, Riddle killed him off), yet still stay true to canon.
What do you all think about my twist (about James' dad) - is it believable? Do you think I'll be able to stay canon with what JKR wrote about James' parents?
Thanks to the latest reviewers: tigerfairy, Anu, PottersPrincess, DobbyGrl, delpheena (x2), Golden Phoenix, urSweetiemSmia, sweetie513, Anonymous (x3), Forever Yours (x2), and Alicia.
Another comment - I've had a few comments on how I kind of flew through second year. I admit - I did skip over a big chunk of time. I had a few things I wanted to happen during second year - Sirius' disappearance/reappearance, the Animagi idea and Peter finding out about Remus, Lily's new attitude toward James and his reaction to that, James' attitude toward Snape (and why), Frank liking Alice… I packed a lot of details (as well as some subtle clues) into fewer chapters. I didn't make it 30 chapters long because this story is already long. The first year set up a lot about the characters and the entire situation with Riddle - which will affect the entire plot in some shape or form. So that's my little explanation about that. I doubt the upcoming years will be as long as the first one (though I've only gotten up to the beginning of year five, so who knows?).
Next chapter: Wrapping up the summer - James' further reaction to the portrait, Petunia's reaction to Lily leaving, and yet another notable Marauder event.