Harry Potter and the Death Awakener

Chapter Eighteen: 3/4 of the Marauders

   James was still sitting at the table, eating his third plate of eggs, when Lily decided to go lay Teddy down. Harry had just walked out of the room.

   "Don't eat all the eggs," she said quietly with a pointed look at James's plate.

He lifted his hand and cupped it behind his ear. He drew his brows together in mock confusion and asked, "What was that? I couldn't hear you."

"If I didn't have a baby in my hands, I would slap you!" She said to him. James roared with laughter as she walked out the room. At the last second, Lily turned around and stuck her tongue out at James, which caused another fit of bellyaching laughter.

   He wiped the tears from his eyes and then James turned back to his plate and finished the rest of his eggs. He still wasn't sure how Harry's house elf could cook so well. He even made eggs taste gourmet.

   When James had finished eating, he sat back in his chair and pulled out his wand. He examined it fully, still trying to see any sign that it wasn't his. Harry got it from the Ministry of Magic and said they assured him that it was James's wand. James was grateful that he was able to pull the right strings to get it back for him. He don't know what he would've done if he had to get a new one.

   "Which strings, exactly, did you pull?" he asked his son.

   Harry grimaced and said, "When you have a well known name and a unique scar on your forehead, people are more then willing to give you what you want." James knew from the look on his face and his tone of voice that he played the famous card and didn't like it.

The more James examined it, the more he was sure it was his. It was made of mahogany wood and it was eleven inches long with a core of unicorn hair. His wand was simple but on a closer look James noticed a scratch down the side of. He remembered exactly when and where he did it. It happened in an "accident" that involved Sirius, Remus, and Peter in his third year. At least, that's what he told McGonagall.

   He sighed and leaned back in his chair. James missed his friends. It had felt like no time had passed between the days he died and was resurrected, so he assumed they were still alive. When he asked Harry about them, he quietly explained what happened to them.

   Sirius died during Harry's fifth year at Hogwarts. It had happened during a fight between him and Bellatrix. He was hit with the Killing Curse and fell into the Veil. He never even got to be buried.

Peter, or the rat as James likes to refer to him, died next. The silver hand that was gifted to him by He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named turned against him. It choked Peter to death. Serves him right, thought James. He wouldn't even pretend to be sad for Peter.

Remus was the one who lived the longest. He had died during the Battle of Hogwarts. Harry wasn't there when it happened. He wasn't sure he killed him and his wife Tonks. Their bodies were two of many that made Harry decide to go into the Forbidden Forest.

He tilted his head back against the oak of the chair as he sat there remembering his friends. James looked around the kitchen, and for the first time, it truly hit him that he was in the Black's family home. He'd never been in it before. Sirius never wanted him to. James understood why, but he'd have like to have seen him in it.

As if on cue, James heard the door open as a jumble of voices flooded the house. The only voice he could make out was Harry's. James thought he had already left. What is he still doing here?

"What is going on?" One voice rose above the others. He knew that voice, but just couldn't place it.

   James pushed his chair back from the table and stood.  He quickly placed his fork and plate  in the basin and strode down the hall. At the end of it were three figures, one of which he instantly recognized as Harry. The other two were so familiar and yet....

   Harry held his hands up and was saying, "Hold on! Just give me a second to-"

    A floor creaked beneath James's feet, alerting Harry and his visitors of his presence. They all looked at him. He still couldn't see their faces as he stopped in his tracks. "Oh sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt. I'll just..." His sentence trailed off as he pointed at the stairs next to the group and started walking again."

   Harry reached out a hand to him and said, "Wait, Dad. Maybe you should head back to the kitchen. All of us should."

   Before Harry could say anything else the figure with longer hair said, "Dad?" And just like that, James knew exactly who was standing in front of him. "Did he just say Dad?"

   The two figures pushed their way around Harry and James finally saw their faces. They looked much older than from the last time he saw them, but he know those faces. He'd have recognized them anywhere. He stared as Sirius Black and Remus Lupin stood in front of him, mouths wide open.

    Remus seemed to shake out of his stupor first  and exclaimed, "James?!"

   After Harry had told him that the others had died, James had never thought he'd see the day when the Marauders would be back together and here they were. Well, three quarters of them anyway.

   Before he could respond, James was knocked back as Sirius and then Remus tackled him. They hugged him so hard he could barely breathe. When they pulled back there were tears shining in both of their eyes.

   "Harry, you better tell us what is going on," said Sirius with a hint a laughter in his voice.

   "I will. But first," Harry said, "is anyone else up for some fire whiskey?"

Hey guys! It's been a hot minute! Believe me, I know. I wasn't planning on not writing for as long as did, but it happened. I'm so, so, so sorry for not writing sooner. I do intend to finish this at some point, but it might take a while. I hope you all are doing well!!