The Alternate | A Harry Potter Original Fanfiction by Ameliapondicus

Chapter 3

"Sorry I'm late."

Remus Lupin walked through the door, his ratty cloak in one hand, a small gift in another. The porch was crowded, but neatly organized in the way that only magic could be.

"Not at all a problem, Moony." James moved in to hug his friend. "How are you?"

Remus shrugged. "Not great. I'll have to leave a bit early tonight if I'm going to make it to my safe spot."

James gasped in horror. "Damn, is it tonight?" He cried. "If I tell Lily, I'm sure she wouldn't mind Sirius and I coming along."

"Absolutely not." Remus poked his finger in James' chest. "It is your son's fifth birthday, you are not missing a minute of it."

"Uncle Moony!" Harry cried as he saw Remus and James walk back into the living room. A small table in the corner was neatly stacked with gifts of Gryffindor colours. Remus gently set his beside a giant bag with bubbles floating out of the top.

"Happy birthday, Harry." Remus bent to give Harry a hug. "How old are you now?"

"Five!" Harry exclaimed, holding up four fingers.

Remus smiled at Harry and examined who was sitting on the couches. The unmistakeable red hair of the Weasley family took up half the room. "Arthur, Molly." He greeted. He looked at the children on the floor in the corner. "Are these all yours?"

Arthur nodded. "Bill there is the oldest, being fifteen." He motioned to the other children. "The rest are younger than that." A small 'oof' escaped from his lips as Molly elbowed him in the ribs. "Charlie, Percy, Fred and George, Ron, and Ginny. Ron is Harry's age."

Harry went back and sat down with the Weasley's, his black hair standing out in the shock of red. The were playing a game that involved Wizard's Chess and Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans. What the rules were, Remus didn't want to know. "Looking forward to you O.W.L.S. this year, Bill?" Remus asked.

Bill laughed. "Not particularly. Although being a prefect, I'm expected to do well."

"Oh, a prefect? I remember those days." Remus grinned, thinking back to the times he had to cover up for James and Sirius' midnight kitchen runs.

"You were a prefect?" Bill asked, incredulous. "Were you ever Head Boy?"

Remus threw his head back and laughed. "I was never good enough to be Head Boy. That was all James."

"That's right, Bill." James piped up from beside Lily. "Be a good prefect, you'll have a better chance of being Head Boy."

"So let me get this straight," Bill frowned at the both of them. "You don't have to be a prefect to be Head Boy?"

"Nope," said James and Remus at the same time.

"I would recommend listening to them, Mr Weasley." A voice from behind Remus spoke out. "They may not follow it, but they give good advice."

Remus spun around. "Professor!"

"Hello, Mr. Lupin," Professor McGonnagall spoke to him from where she sat in the puffy armchair, drinking her tea. "It is very pleasant that you could make it out today." Her all-seeing eyes told him that she knew the day on which the full-moon landed on.

Remus nodded. "I wouldn't miss it for the world."

Lily motioned to the old women sleeping next to her. "And you remember Bathilda, don't you Moony?" The woman was frail and grey.

Remus laughed at their odd choice of company. Only Sirius was missing.

"Sirius will be here soon," said James, as if sensing Remus' thoughts. "He had some errands to run."

The two shared a look. "Anyway," said James, breaking the silence. "I told him to get here before five o'clock, and it's five-oh-three. Let's start on dinner, shall we?"

The two Weasley twins sprung up from the floor and sprinted to the table. "Oi!" Their mother chastised them. "Enough!"

"Sorry Mum!" They yelled back, already sitting down.

"Just let them have fun today, Molly." Lily stooped down to grab Harry's hand. "It's a birthday party after all."