Our Past, Your Future

PROLOUGE:

To-morrow, and to-morrow, and tomorrow

Creeps in this petty pace from day to day

To the last syllable of recorded time

And all our yesterdays have lighted fools

The way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle!

Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player

That struts and frets his hour upon the stage

And then is heard no more: it is a tale

Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury

Signifying nothing.

(Macbeth, Act 5, Scene 5)

'He was like a father to me and now he was dead through no fault of his own,' thought the figure. Guilt and sorrow washed over the figure like a wide expanse of ocean that threatened to engulf him if he wasn't careful. He had barely known his godfather. He didn't know what his passions were or what he had worked at before he was wrongly imprisoned. All he knew was that he was a friend of his father--nothing more, anything else was a mystery. He was fun loving and caring. What a waste of a life. No more would the Black family name lend itself to a new generation. The Black family bloodline was finished. Traces would survive in some families. Peter would have to pay, and dearly. The pain the figure felt was like a constant heartache. It was an empty feeling in the pit of his stomach that would not go away. His friends could not understand this heartache and he hoped that they would not have to find out what the death of a parent was like for a very long time. They would be ! there for him, that much was certain. After all, they were involved with Sirius as much as he was. As Dumbledore had said Sirius was an energetic man who was not content to let other people do the fighting.

Chapter One ~ Interesting News:

Professor Dumbledore sat alone in his office. Even though it was the holidays, and he knew he could trust his wife in all aspects of his life, he felt that Hogwarts was the best place to do what he had to do. The letter that he had received held very interesting news. The news of Sirius death had apparently reached his old fiancée, who felt compelled to reveal a secret to Dumbledore, a secret she had held for a long time. Albus read the letter once more, for this was a very delicate matter, which would need special care.

The letter read as follows:

Dear Professor Dumbledore,

You may remember me as Olivia Bones, and as you probably will remember I was engaged to Sirius Black. But that was untrue; I am his wife. I was married to Sirius for two years before I thought him guilty of murder. James and Lily Potter acted as witnesses at our wedding. Our son, James, was born two days after Harry Potter, while I was teaching at the New York School for the Magical. When Sirius was arrested for that dreadful crime, I decided to stay on teaching in America. Now, with the resurection of Lord Voldemort I wish to return and fight. My son never got to know his father because I was too cowardly to stand by him. Now, I want our son to know the people who were important to his father. I realize now that Sirius never came to find me because he did not know where I was, for, when he was in custody, I told him I was leaving New York, which I never did. I feel that Hogwarts is the best place for James for several reasons, which I will not talk about in a letter. I hope to hear from you soon.

Yours Sincerely,

Olivia Black.

Dumbledore sat for a long time. How could he handle this so the transition for James Black was as easy as possible? Of course, Minerva would have to be involved--and Harry would have to be informed in a very delicate way. He still felt guilty for Sirius death. Dumbledore then went over to the fireplace. He took the Floo powder from its shelf hoping that he was doing the right thing. He the scattered the glittering powder into the fire, and getting down on his knee's he put his head in the fire and called out Olivia's address. In a moment he was looking into a large oak paneled room with handsome furniture. A woman was raising herself up from behind a large desk, smiling.

"Dumbledore! I trust you got my letter?" she said, sounding like an over excited schoolgirl.

Dumbledore smiled at Olivia. She hadn't changed a lot over the years--her brown hair was still shoulder length, and she still maintained a figure that most women attempted to gain, but in vain. She could have become a model. Her face was.... charming, her deep brown eyes were watchful. She seemed to radiate a sense of over-whelming confidence and even now Dumbledore sensed the gift she had for putting people at ease. They talked for several minutes about Olivia's plans to come back to England, under the guise of the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, about the arrangement's that would have to be made for James and the Order. In the end the conversation turned to the one topic Albus knew was on Olivia's mind- Harry. After all, Olivia and Lily had been very close friends at school and afterwards. Olivia was Harry's Godmother.

"Harry is currently at number twelve Grimauld Place. Sirius left Harry Grimauld Place in his will. I believe it is best if you--and James--meet Harry their. We can talk more about it when you arrive in a few days. I'm sure he will be delighted to meet you when you arrive," said Dumbledore, smiling.

"We will be arriving in three day's. I have finally got James convinced that Hogwarts students are not as advanced as he thinks. He is really looking forward to meeting the famous Harry Potter, and he refuses to believe that his father was friendly with him until he hears it from Harry's mouth."

****

Three days later...

Harry sat with Ron the kitchen of Grimauld Place playing wizarding chess. Harry had gotten over the loss of Sirius to some extent- due mainly to talking to Ron, Hermione and especially to Ginny. He had grown closer to Ginny this summer and he found that he had many things in common, and he had finally got the courage to ask her out. They had spent a lot of time talking late into the night about various things- Sirius been a particularly favorite topic. Many times they had fallen asleep on the couch together, only to be awoken by Mr. Weasley. He was happy that Ginny and Harry were dating- Harry was a respectable young man, and the Potter name was held in high esteem in the wizarding world. Not that Arthur Weasley was into people's surnames.

Up in her room, Ginny was smiling to herself. Harry was so different to the other guy's she had dated. True, Dean was cute, but Harry was just someone she connected with. Been with him felt right in every way. Last nigh was memorable, not because it was her first time, but because it was with Harry. She had realized after the incident at the Ministry that she still had feelings for Harry, very strong feelings. The day he asked her out was pure heaven for her. Now, a week later, most of the awkwardness that they had both felt at the start had evaporated completely.

Before her thoughts could develop any further, she heard the front door close loudly. It must be the people Dumbledore was talking about. He had told them three days previously about how Sirius had married, and how he had a son. Her mother had gotten really stern and told them to make them welcome. Bearing that in mind, Ginny went down stairs.

****

Olivia was not a person who got nervous easily, if she were she would never have survived dating Sirius. But now standing outside Grimauld Place she felt as if all the Ghosts of her past were waiting to greet her. Here, now, all the old ghosts of her past would meet. Stepping into Grimauld Place, that feeling was intensified by Remus Lupin running forward to greet her. He looked older than she remembered, but his personality hadn't changed. When he saw James, he couldn't help but be shocked. He looked exactly like Sirius. Same dark brown eyes, the same shoulder length black hair, the same high aristocratic face, and the same mischievous grin on his face. The Black line was not finished. Long would Remus remember the lamenting of Mrs. Black's painting. In a society that, until several years previously, valued the purity of blood, the death of the last member a pureblood line was detrimental. It would make you feel sorry for the woman if you could hear her sob "It's ov! er! My line is finished! No more shall the Black line dwell in the mortal realm. Ooh, my son, my son." Even Harry had felt sorry for her.

"Remus, my God you haven't changed. It's so good to see you after so many years. Please, tell me what are you doing now? And who is this fine looking girl?" asked Olivia indicating Ginny who had just appeared behind Remus.

"This is Miss Virginia Weasley," answered Remus quickley.

"Please, call me Ginny," said Ginny, hurriedly.

Ginny eyed James with interest. He was exceptionally handsome, but she still didn't know him well enough to go on physical appearance. Draco Malfoy was handsome, but she wouldn't go near him if he were the last guy on the planet.

Olivia smiled, but in an instant, she stopped in shock. A boy of about sixteen had just appeared down the corridor. If he hadn't been the carbon copy of James Potter she wouldn't have passed any heed on him. Only the eyes indicated that Lily Evans was his mother. He smiled weakly at her. She stepped forward, taking his outstretched hand.

****

James Black couldn't believe what was happening to him. His mother had finally told him about his father, but he could never get to know the man, as he was dead. After years of wanting to meet him, his chance was denied. His mother had told him how his father was wrongly convicted of murder and sent to prison, of how he had escaped, and how he had tried to right a wrong he had committed against a friend. She also told him that the only reason his father did not try and find them was because she never told him where she was moving. She also told him that Sirius was the legal guardian of Harry Potter, and that Sirius and Harry's father were like brothers at Hogwarts. For the first time in his life, James Black hated his mother. She had denied him the chance of knowing his father, of going to the best school of Witchcraft and Wizardry in the world and of knowing the one person who had survived the Dark Lord four times in his life. Now, sitting across from him, James was hear! ing for the first time what kind of man his father was. Brave, courageous, energetic, but also kind, considerate and someone who valued friendship and honesty above all. How could he live up to a man like that? Two things were obvious to James; one was that Harry cared deeply about Sirius, and the second was that Harry wanted to be his friend. Harry was the type of person you could get to like very quickly. James had a knack of telling what sort of person someone was, and he could tell that while Harry was a very complex person, he was also a very kind person. His friends were equable likable. They were all outgoing, happy people, friendly, helpful and in his opinion the type of person that he should be mixing with.

After a large dinner, Albus Dumbledore arrived with a very old hat. He explained to James that it was the Sorting Hat, and that it wold sort him into the house he was most suited to. He explained about the different houses, their histories and their qualities. He then began to lower the Sorting Hat onto his head. Barley an inch away, the Sorting Hat screamed "Gryffindor." Everyone cheered happily at this. James felt that this stage of his life was going to be exciting.

****

That night Harry climbed gratefully into his bed. He was exhausted after the day. The shock of finding out that Sirius had a son was still with him, but James was so like Sirius he felt that he would become a good friend with him. Little did he know that James felt the same way. An extra bed had been placed into his room for James. When James finally go into bed, Harry asked:

"What is it like being a wizard in America?"

James was silent for a moment then said, "Well, the education of witches and wizards is not as liberal as here in Britain. There are different schools for those of Muggle parentage and for pure bloods. There are different schools for blacks and whites, but this doesn't stop us mixing, as our schools are usually only across the street from one another. The class divides between pure bloods and those of mixed parentage are very harsh, even though it is widely recognized that in a few years there will have to be marriages between these groups. I hate those who believe that pure bloods are the best. My friend Garry is pure blood, and he can barely stand a cauldron the right way up. "

"Sounds like Neville Longbottom," Ron contributed.

They talked for a long time. Harry found that talking to James was no harder than talking to Ron or Hermione. James realized that a firm friendship was developing between himself and Harry. As he drifted into sleep, he forgot his sorrow at not meeting his father. He had a new life ahead of him, and if Harry's stories were anything to go by, it was going to be an exciting life.

****

THE MARAUDER'S REFORM...

It must have been prophesied that The Marauders would reform with the sons of the original founders as the leaders. Lupin, been the only surviving member left to witness this 're-birth', recognized all the signs. There they were, four young friends, (five if you counted Ginny- which more often than not was done), eager, bursting with excess energy and a desire to do what was right while having as much fun as possible. For the briefest of moments, Remus Lupin saw his two best friends- young, energetic, laughing at some silly joke- young men whose whole life was ahead of them. Harry had Ron, Hermione and Ginny. James was a reminder of something painful- but Harry welcomed him in like he was always part of the gang. That was so like his father. In an instant, Remus saw what type of man Harry would become- and he knew that James and Lily would be proud. James and Sirius would never die now for they lived on in their sons. His heart wrenched when he saw the sight before him, walking down Diagon Alley. James, Harry and Ron crowded around a joke shop window, which inspired a memory on himself Sirius and James crowded around the same joke shop window at the same age. Another reminder of how much Harry was like his father arrived in the form of the O.W.L. results. Harry achieved 'Outstanding' in Defense Against the Dark Arts and Potions, and 'Exceeds Expectation' in everything else, bar Divinations and History of Magic, which were marked 'Poor'. Remus remembered scolding James when he heard that James had received these exacted same results. The Marauder's were not dead. To Remus, they were brought back to life before him. As the days passed slowly towards September the 1^st, he saw more than a passing likeness to the old Marauder's, in numerous small ways. The five teenagers before him often melded into something close to a single presence, openly defiant to Lord Voldemort and his cause.

****

Olivia sat remembering the people of importance in her life. Memory's came to her easier now. But one stood out clearer than any. It was one of James and Lily on their back porch, and it was by far her favorite. Sirius has persuaded her to clime a tree with him in order to spy on them. It wasn't long after their wedding. The night was cloudless; the stars were shining brightly and the scent of damp grass rose up to them high in the tree. The porch was an old one, shaped like a half moon. It was made out of dark gray cut stone, with three steps at either end, which led down to the garden below. Lily and James were dancing slowly to an old muggle love song, and Olivia marveled at how young they looked. If she hadn't known better, Olivia would have mistaken James Potter for a fourteen year old boy, and Lily for a fourteen year old girl. They were so young, so innocent. They made such a lovely sight ~ young, energetic and so in love. Truly it must be a sin to kill them.