Erised

Chapter 2: Confusion

'He thinks I'm the death eater now?' Lily Potter absentmindedly ran her hand through her hair. She sighed. 'Well, I'm no better than a death eater; I might just as well be one.'

Despite the guilt, Lily got the distinct thought that she was forgetting something important. She desperately searched inside her head. Even now, her know-it-all personality surfaced. She couldn't stand not knowing something.

'Come on, Lily, you should be able to do this,' she chided to herself

"I got it! He disapparated! You can't apparate or disapparate on Hogwarts grounds!" Her face lit up and as fast as it had come, the ecstatic expression fell.

"Fuck."

"I need to speak to Dumbledore." She bolted from the place she had stood still since Harry had woken up. The hallways of Hogwarts passed by quickly as she ran to Dumbledore's office. Soon, Lily found herself facing the gargoyle that guarded his office. She panted; the long run from the Hospital Wing had finally caught up with her. "Drooble's Best Blowing Gum!" she gasped. The gargoyle grumbled something about having to get up, but it let her through anyway. She sprinted up the stairs and knocked furiously on the door to Dumbledore's office. The impatient face of Albus Dumbledore appeared at the hallway. His frown immediately turned to a kind smile as he saw who it was.

"Ah, Lily, please come in!" came his jovial voice. Lily stepped into the familiar room and settled herself in the chair before the Headmaster's desk.

"Now, I believe you had something you'd like to discuss with me?"

"Well, you see - You know the - It's James," ended Lily finally.

"I see..." Dumbledore's grimace came again onto his face. "So what exactly did happen that was bad enough for you to come storming into my office?"

"James," said Lily firmly.

"Could you clarify that?"

"It was the James that we found. The one that is - was in the Hospital Wing..."

"It's just that James wasn't James." She paused. "It was Harry..." Her voice trailed off. "He acted odd. He didn't really do anything." She paused again trying to find the right words. Very quietly she said, "I think he's crazy."

Dumbledore nodded; his eyes grim.

Before Lily could figure out what was happening, words began streaming from her mouth. "He said I was the death eater. He seemed to think that I wasn't his mother. He started laughing." Lily began crying, Tears spilled from her eyes.

"It's all because of me. I gave Harry to them. I did everything. I know it could have been different! I could have saved both of them, if I could have just been stronger!" Lily broke down completely, throwing her arms around the old man. She sobbed openly into his beard, now strung with pearly droplets.

The Headmaster looked a bit surprised, but then started patting her back.

"Lily, there's nothing more you can do. You've already been stronger than you've had to be throughout these last twenty years," said Dumbledore soothingly. "It does not do to dwell in dreams. You cannot forget about reality, what's done is done, and there's nothing we can do but face it."

Lily abruptly stopped sobbing, but tears still ran down her face. She took a deep breath. "Albus, there's more than just that. Haven't you thought about how he got out of Hogwarts?"

Dumbledore looked at her. "I have been getting the feeling that I've been forgetting about something."

She burst into a fresh wave of tears. Once the tears subsided and she calmed down, she began, "He disapparated," she stated simply.

Dumbledore's PoV -----<<

A thousand thoughts ran through his head, first and foremost was that he really didn't need that. He had enough to worry about. Very slowly he said to himself to let it sink in, 'Voldemort's head death eater and most powerful death eater has managed to get through the wards of Hogwarts.'

As the words sunk in, he said, "Damn."

The old man usually wasn't the swearing type. He was just really ticked off.

'He really didn't need this.' Albus Dumbledore looked up and saw Lily Potter's expectant face. He sighed. It was bound to happen. He couldn't last forever against Voldemort. He knew that Voldemort was stronger. In the end it was all a matter of time.

He knew he had to say something. He blinked away his thoughts. "I'll call an Order meeting tomorrow. Could you please take some of your people out to strengthen the wards?"

Lily got up and left.

Dumbledore sighed. 'He really didn't need this.'

Harry's PoV----<<-__->>

Harry Potter was having a bad day. He would definitely count a death eater masquerading as his dead mum as something terrible. Well, maybe not compared to some of the other things that had happened to him, but still enough to make it a bad day. He seriously needed to relieve some tension.

He was facing his house. It was a nice normal looking house in a nice little neighbourhood. It had two stories and a little garden.

He had actually moved into Privet Drive. He really needed some monotony after the chaos he had lived through. It was only three doors away from the Dursleys. Of course, it wasn't Petunia and Vernon anymore. They had moved out, and graciously let their son and his wife have their old house.

Dudley and Geraldine Dursley were terrified of him; he was a fully-fledged wizard after all. He toyed around with the idea of visiting them. Yes, he would. It definitely would make him relax a bit.

He magically changed into muggle clothing and headed towards 4 Privet Drive. Privet Drive was as dull as it ever was. Symmetrical Poplar trees lined the sidewalk as always as Harry Potter casually strolled down the sidewalk. After a short walk he reached 4 Privet Drive. He was ready to push to button when a wicked idea popped into his head. 'Why shouldn't he apparate? Why not find the room that Dudley's in and apparate in?"

He did a quick wandless tracking charm on Dudley and found him sitting in the living room. He closed his eyes and concentrated and with a pop, found himself facing a frightened Dudley.

He was immediately reminded of Wormtail and had half a mind to turn him into a giant slug as Dudley Dursley sat cowering on the ground.

"Hello, Cousin," said Harry pleasantly. He was going to see how the conversation was going to go.

He seemed to cower even more. "Not exactly the warm reception I was expecting," continued Harry. These cheesy lines were even bothering himself. He couldn't really help it though.

"Well, get up, what are you sitting on the floor for?" He was getting impatient. It's true he liked watching Dudley squirm but this was boring.

Dudley scrabbled frantically to his feet.

"Aren't you going to say something?" asked Harry towards the man standing petrified in the corner. He was getting seriously annoyed; he came here to relieve tension, not to get more.

Dudley edged towards the fireplace and snatched a long package from the shelf. He opened it to reveal a long shot gun.

He paled. Harry felt a strong sense of déjà vu before his instincts kicked in. He conjured up a hasty shield around himself, just as Dudley squeezed the trigger. The bullet came flying at him, but Harry easily deflected it and it made a hole in the flawless whitewashed wall. He disarmed Dudley and placed the gun into his magically expanded pocket.

He found himself opening and closing his mouth several times before he found his speech again. "Dudley, I know you don't like me, but isn't that going a bit far?"

Dudley looked even more scared than before, but now there was anger flaming in his eyes. He opened his mouth to speak. "Get out of my house," said Dudley with venom lacing his voice.

Harry was surprised. 'Whatever happened to the Dudley he knew?' He headed out the door, now absolutely baffled.

Whatever was happening now, Harry Potter needed some answers.