Pure Magic

This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

 

 

Chapter 2

The man peered against the bright lights into the crowd. He didn't seem to quite know what to say, and instead pushed his hair back off his face. Clearly visible to the three friends was the narrow stripe that branded him as their friend. "Is there…" The man faltered then began again. "Is there a problem?"

"Problem?" three voices chorused in unison once again. They all gave self-conscious laughs at the way they were still so attuned to each other. It had been years since the three had been in the same room and a decade since Harry had been there too. They all hesitated; hoping that someone else in their group would speak again. Finally Hermione stood and faced her old friend.

"There isn't a problem." She began slowly. "But could we speak to you immediately?"

The man glanced around the pub until he met the eyes of the proprietor. There was only a smattering of people at the pub at this early hour and the three were the only ones actually interested in the act. As the proprietor approached he addressed Harry. "Yeah take the early show off, James." He handed Ginny a bottled water and walked away, shaking his head slowly.

Ginny was more concerned with the man who still stood uncertainly at the dais. He watched all of them carefully for a few moments as if he was memorizing their features and committing them to memory. He began his approach slowly, his eyes remaining confused, curious at this interruption. There was no evidence of recognition in his gaze. He stopped a foot or so away from their table and stuffed his hands in his pockets as he waited for them to speak.

"Harry, is it really you?" Hermione barely whispered. She was afraid that her voice would carry, even though the pub was mostly deserted.

Harry looked at Hermione first then at Ron and Ginny. "I'm afraid that you have me confused with someone else. My name is James."

Ron looked puzzled. "No Harry, your dad's name is James. Was James." He sighed. Please don't do this Harry. We thought….we thought that You-Know-Who had…" Ron trailed off when he saw that Harry really didn't comprehend what he was saying.

Ginny bit her lip, wishing that the rest of their group would arrive. They would have some answers, wouldn't they? "Harry…err...James, will you please sit down with us or, even better is there a game room or supply room in here where we can have some privacy. We have to talk to you."

Harry again locked eyes with the proprietor then jerked his head toward the bar. "We have a room in the back where we can talk. I have no idea what you're saying though."

Hermione nodded. "We see that. Two men will be arriving shortly. Can you have them meet us in that room as well?" She pulled out a small photograph. "Stop moving." she whispered to it, then handed it to Harry. "These are the two men."

"All right" Harry drew the words out slowly as he focused on the photo.. "I'll just give this to the owner then and get the room ready. It will just take me a few minutes." As he walked ahead, the three friends stayed clustered together in a tight knot.

"Is it really him?" Ginny asked hopefully. "It looks just like him but I don't understand how he got to be here and why he doesn't even have a hint of recognizing us." She angrily pulled her hair from its confines and shook it loose. "We haven't changed that much, have we?"

Ron placed a gentle hand on his sister's shoulder. "Of course we changed. We all changed that day and in a lot of ways we can't even deal with now. You left our family, Gin when for so long you were the soul of us. That's how much the event changed us."

Her face hardened into a mask of pain and repressed longing as her elder brother spoke and finally Ginny had to turn away. "I know Ron. I made a lot of mistakes in the aftermath. We all did. Who got the young widow pregnant after all," she regretted the words even as they came out of her mouth. "Ron, Hermione, I'm sorry…" she began and was shocked when her brother pulled her into a tight hug. Hermione's arms wrapped around her as well.

"We all made horrible decisions." Hermione's voice trembled but stayed steady. "And we have a lot of healing to do, but can we deal with that after we figure out what's going on with Harry."

"Harry?" a gentle voice spoke behind Hermione and the group broke apart quickly. They surveyed the new arrivals with relieved smiles.

"Thank God you're here," Ginny said in a rush as she looked at the two men. "He was onstage just a few minutes ago; he's a magician." She gave a mirthless laugh that turned emotional. "He doesn't seem to remember us." Sirius silently opened his arms and Ginny went into the comforting familiarity of his embrace.

"Are you sure that it's our Harry?" Remus asked softly, sparing Hermione and Ron with a gently hopeful expression.

"It looks like him all right." Ron said grimly. "Right down to the scar."

Sirius expelled a huge breath of air. "Then I guess Harry has a lot of explaining to do if he can. All evidence pointed to the fact that he had been destroyed that night. Ten years is a long time to go missing if you ask me." He paused for some moments, lost in his thoughts. "Especially with a newly pregnant wife."

Hermione suddenly found the ground very interesting. She and Ron had only confided in Ginny about their pregnancy. Harry James favored his mother in both coloring and features so nobody had ever questioned his paternity. His prematurity had been almost a blessing, as no one but Ginny knew the truth.

"Maybe he couldn't get back. Maybe something had happened and by the time he could it was all too late." Ron challenged. Even though Harry had been gone for a good many years, he still had an urge to protect him. Best friends for life, even though Harry had been gone for a longer time than they had been friends. "You guys know Harry. He wasn't like that."

Hermione's nod was as firm as Ron's words. "We had a wonderful marriage. Harry was happy being an Auror. There would have been no reason for him to leave of his own volition. Now, can we please stop speculating? Please, I beg you."

When Remus' gentle hand came to rest on Hermione's shoulder, she gave him a tumultuous smile. "We know this is hard for you Hermione. We're sorry. It's just so amazing and so incomprehensible…" Remus trailed off as the dark haired man in question approached.

Sirius and Remus both exchanged shocked looks. Harry was almost an identical double of their dear friend James, though James had been taken from them at about the same age that Harry had been when he had lost the ultimate battle with Voldemort. Remus felt his hand clamp almost painfully on Hermione's shoulder and he spared a moment of concern about the way Sirius' arms had tightened around Ginny. "Harry?" he finally managed.

Harry turned his glance to the older man and shook his head. "Why does everyone call me Harry? My name is James and I would appreciate it if you would call me that."

Sirius let out a soft chuckle. "James, huh? You look just like him."

Harry closed his eyes in a desperate bid for patience and motioned to the room. "You people want to talk to me for some cryptic reason so come on. The room is open." None of the others immediately moved so he strode toward the room without a backward glance.

"What do you think?" Ginny asked the newcomers. "Is it our Harry or an exact double?"

"It's our Harry, darling until he proves otherwise to me." Sirius replied decisively, throwing off his cloak and following the swiftly retreating form.

When Sirius started after Harry, Ginny did the only thing that made sense to her; she followed the two of them. Sirius' long strides had him in the room just behind Harry, and Ginny slipped in just as he closed the door.

"Sorry Gin." Sirius gave her an encouraging smile. He couldn't admit it but having her here with him was a huge help. For a moment he could believe that everything would work out and that they would have their Harry back.

"It's ok." Ginny replied, squeezing his hand gently.

"So." Sirius began watching the other man settle himself at the table. "I suppose you have some questions for us as we do for you. Why don't you think about what you want to ask." His voice gradually turned steely. "And know that if you are in some way faking Harry Potter's appearance, we will find out and Azkaban will be in your future."

"Azkaban?" Harry tested out the word slowly. "What does that mean."

Sirius slammed a hand down on the table. "DON'T!" he roared. "Just don't! These people and I mourned you, dammit! Lives were destroyed when you died! Remus and I, Hermione for God's sake Harry. She was destroyed! Ron and Ginny, all your other friends. God help you if this is any sort of prank or deception because I will shred you with my own bare hands. No magic needed."

* * * * *

Remus watched Sirius and Ginny follow Harry and extended a hand to rest on Ron's shoulder gently restraining Hermione and Ron from following for the moment. "Are you both ok? This is a huge shock and Sirius and I think it sounds shady. He won't have Ginny or you both hurt anymore."

Hermione's eyes shone with appreciation. "You both are so wonderful to all of us, Remus, but I know in my heart that Harry is here. I can't explain my reasons why but we just have to talk to him and find out what he knows."

"Give Sirius a minute with Harry." Remus said slowly. "He feels like he failed you all. Let him do this small thing."

Ron sighed; he clearly didn't want to follow Remus' suggestion. "My sister is in there though and she's been hurt a lot too." He pointed out.

"Sirius can take care of her Ron." Remus said quietly. "He promised to do so on the day he married her."

Ron turned away. "I don't want to talk about that. How my sister could have married not once but twice without her family there broke my mother's heart. Plus, the fact that she married…" He halted his stream of words as when Hermione gave him a silencing look.

"Married a what Ron?" Remus' voice was low but dangerous. " A what Ron, go ahead complete your sentence. Yes they have a tremendous difference in age, but Sirius has treated her well and loved her completely, so if you plan to damn my friend, a man who helped all of you out many a time, don't do it to me." Remus angrily stalked across the room to the closed door.

Ron sighed and looked to Hermione for support. "I didn't mean it the way it came out." He said quietly. "Things are just so confusing. I was sure that that was Harry, but if Sirius and Remus have doubts…" Ron set his jaw. "I want things to be back the way they were Hermione."

Husband and wife slowly embraced, hanging onto each other for dear life. "Ron, time passes and people change. We evolve and our circumstances have made us the people we are." She slowly broke away from him and reached for his hand. "Come on, let's see what Harry has to say. Sirius and Remus can believe what they must, but I know in my heart that Harry Potter lives and is in this building." She followed Remus to the door and entered behind him. Ron quickly followed.

* * * * *

The young man didn't know what to say so he stayed silent, his gaze split between curious observation of the people and studying the table when their penetrating looks became too much for him. The pretty redhead was being supported and comforted by the man who had threatened him. Even though he had been menacing, James knew that his actions were motivated by his love and care for his friends.

The young couple who had just entered had faces full of heightened color, as if they had been fighting about something and had cut their argument short in order to hear his explanations. The older man with the lighter hair stood slightly apart from the two couples, a quiet yet commanding presence though the other man was clearly their leader.

"Are you ready to talk?" The man that James considered their leader broke their tense and lengthy silence with his words. The atmopshere was oppressive and the heat was stifling as James tried desperately to figure out what was going on.

"I am." His words were soft spoken. "I don't know what you expect of me. I am not this Harry person. My name is James and I am just a simple magician."

The man's eyes lit up at the mention of magic. "A magician are you?" James couldn't fail to notice the sarcasm in the other man's words. He watched as the man pulled out a stick of some sort. "Shall I demonstrate some real magic for you? Maybe the Imperius, or Avada..." His words were interrupted as the redhead dashed forth to grab the stick from him.

"Please Sirius don't do this! If this isn't Harry he'll be punished but if it is Harry, you'd rather die than hurt him. I know that you're angry and protective of us, but please don't do this to yourself and to the Harry that we all love."

The man called Sirius glowered but backed away a few of steps. "Gin can I please have my wand back?" He asked gruffly. She slipped the stick back into his hand and he experimentally shook it as he muttered a few words, sending a shower of multicolored sparks shooting through the air.

James felt a strange stirring when he saw the sparks, as if there was something lurking just beyond his understanding. He tried to reach for the elusive thing only to have it retreat into the darkest corner of his subconsciousness As he strained further, white hot pain clouded his vision and his brain throbbed. "Just tell me what this is all about. Please, I have to know."