The Life that Never Lived ? (Prisoner of Azkaban)

AUNT MARGE'S BIG MISTAKE

Something else I feel like I should note, again just because one person asked and I feel like telling you all at once, Harry only has the mindset of his current age in the books. I made him approximately twenty something because I wanted him physically old enough that it was obvious this story takes place after all of the Harry Potter books. So if you guys are thinking that he's acting a little odd, or childlike, that's why.

HPHPHP

Remus began his chapter with high notes of unease, hoping against hope this book would just gloss over Harry's time at this horrid house and go straight to the train ride.

He grunted in annoyance as those hopes were immediately dashed, and prepared himself for the worst.

Lily released several scathing retorts under her breath all over again, and now that Harry wasn't the one reading Remus sat there and let her vent about how Dudley had been given a present just

for being there, while her son got yelled at for the stupidest things.

Harry just sighed and looked to the ceiling, knowing if they were already so ticked off about something like that, this was going to be a long chapter.

"You poor dear," Sirius snarled, "how about we just shove a toilet under your fat arse, and you'll never have to move again!"

"That was disgusting," James noted pleasantly, "mostly because I don't think he'd disagree with the idea."

"Ew," Lily muttered, her nose wrinkling in disgust. There was obesity for health reasons, and then there was this tub of lard.

Remus couldn't help but clench his teeth in frustration, unlike Harry he wasn't ever going to just brush something like that off.

"What?" Sirius chuckled, trying to lean over and peak, and slightly disturbed Remus wasn't trying to stop him. "Someone we know?" Then his face too froze in the exact same expression.

"What?" James asked impatiently, annoyed his friends were obviously in on something he wasn't.

Harry sighed in frustration, and got up to go and grab the book away and check for himself, knowing he was least likely to react too badly to whatever it was. Then he too went rigid, and gave the room a very confused look. Before his parents could ask, again, Harry finally read the name of this convict.

James and Lily blinked several times while giving Sirius rather upset looks, James asking hesitantly, "ah, so, what's your brother been up to then?"*

That shook them out of their shock, at least Sirius who was now shaking his head like a wet dog and looking at the book pitifully as he said, "clearly something awful if he's wound on up the Muggle news."

Lily swallowed hard, rather unfond of the idea any of Sirius' relatives still wandering around, none of them were very good people. Also the injustice that anyone as awful as them had survived, and Sirius hadn't, wasn't something she missed either.

Remus got up and took the book back from Harry, still giving Sirius concerned looks. Admittedly, unlike James, his first instinct had been to think it was Sirius, but that was just because of his personal relation to the name. He had clearly just jumped to a stupid conclusion.

Sirius opened, then closed his mouth, torn between wanting to snap at this pompous jerk, or defend a family he outright hated. He settled for just grumbling inarticulately.

"My hearts broken for you," James snapped, feeling testy at once as he purposely ruffled up his own hair.

"Eesh," Sirius muttered, wrinkling up his face in disgust, "sounds like they've been having fun. Wish you had described them a bit better."