Harry Potter and the Death Awakener

Chapter Five: Veritaserum

  It was hard enough as it was to except the truth, but now they were forced to tell it as well. Their former professor, Minerva McGonagall, had spiked their drinks and now Lily felt the need to spill her guts out.

  They were at a bar in the middle of Hogsmeade, but it was practically empty. In all of the times she's been to Hogsmeade, Lily has never even noticed the small, dirty bar called the Hog's Head.

  When the three of them stepped in the rundown place, Lily immediately spotted Dumbledore. Something wasn't right about him though. His nose wasn't quite as crooked and his hair was more gray than it was white.
"That's not Dumbledore is it?"

  "Well he is a Dumbledore, but no, he isn't the Dumbledore you are asking about," Minerva said. "That would be Aberforth, Albus's brother."

  Of course! How could she have forgotten that Dumbledore had a brother. "Aberforth," Minerva called, "We will have three butterbeers on me. Oh, and don't forget to add in your special ingredient." Aberforth left and came quickly back with three drinks in mugs. Lily hadn't noticed before, but she was really thirsty, and by the look of James, he was too.

  Aberforth gave them the mugs and James immediately swooped in on his. Lily, on the other hand, hesitated. She didn't hesitate long, though, before her thirst drowned out all of her worries.

  McGonagal had barely even touched her's by the time Lily and James had finished. Lily's thoughts were muddled and she had a hard time thinking straight. Minerva asked, "Do mind telling me what your names are?" Lily couldn't help but to spit out an answer.

  "I do mind actually, but since you asked I'm Lily Evans Potter and that's James Potter. You should've known that." Lily covered her mouth with her hand and stared wide eyed at her. "You used veritaserum on us." It wasn't even a question. Lily didn't even need to question it because she knew it was true.

  McGonagal gave a curt nod. "Yes, I did, but I wanted to make sure you weren't someone posing as the two of you. How did you get to Godric's Hollow?"

  James answered, "We don't know. We just woke up there in the middle of a graveyard. When we started walking, we found ourselves in the middle of town." He too was shocked at how fast and easily he had answered.

  "Do you remember how you got there in the first place? To the graveyard, I mean."

  Lily tried to get the words out but James beat her to it. She felt like they were in a competition to see who could tell the truth the fastest. "We have not a clue how we got there, isn't that right Lily? One minute I'm opening the door for someone and the next I'm covered in dirt."

  All of a sudden, it came rushing back to Lily. She could remember James screaming at her to run. She could remember those awful words being shouted and a flash of green light as she shut the door to the nursery. No, not just any nursery, it was her son's, her little Harry's nursery. She could remember begging for life, not for her own, but for Harry's. She could remember the jet of green light hitting her square in her chest and then nothing.

  She let out a sob. "Oh Harry! Is our son alive?! Is he safe?! Please tell me he is okay!" She had refused to believe what James read on the sign earlier. She didn't want to believe, but now she had to.

  Lily felt James put a comforting arm around her shoulder. She looked at him and she could she tears in his eyes as well. She could see that he knew what had happened to them. James pulled her into his embrace and Lily sobbed into his dirty shirt.

  "Don't you worry, he is safe and sound. He's been looked after by your sister, and dare I say unwilling, until his Hogwarts years. He's turning nineteen today." Minerva said, trying to comfort her, but it didn't.

  She and James missed eighteen years of her son's lives. They died so young and missed out on so much. How was it even possible that they were here?

  "Molly Weasley told me that Harry is going into the Ministry of Magic today in a few hours for his Auror training," Minerva said. Lily pulled herself away from James to look at her. Lily could see the pride in Minerva's face when she said that. "Since I know that it really is the two of you, maybe I could take you to see him after he's finished."

  "That would be wonderful," Lily sniffled. She was excited to see Harry but deep down inside she was terrified.