A Second Chance

"Right. I'll ask again, since I don’t remember getting an answer before, but what happened to Harry?" Lily started. It was obvious that she didn’t want to talk about anything else until she knew the answer.

"He’s fine." Sirius started with a barely noticeable smile on his face.

"He’s more than fine," Lupin continued, with a glance in his friends’ direction, "he’s probably in the Great Hall now, but he’s here, Lil."

"He looks so much like James, it’s scary." Sirius offered.

"But he’s not as much trouble." Remus added.

"He’s got your eyes though," said Sirius thoughtfully.

Lily held he hand up. She said, "Wait, slow down a minute or my headache might come back." Sirius stopped mid-sentence. "He’s alive?" Sirius and Remus both nodded and both opened their mouths to speak but Lily cut them off, "and he’s here at Hogwarts?" They nodded again. "How old is he?"

"15," they both answered immediately.

"Of course, but that means he survived. He survived one of Voldemort’s curses!" Lily said.

Sirius and Remus just nodded and smiled this time. Lily just stared at the wall, her face showing her disbelief. Suddenly, she snapped out of it and turned to face the two men in front of her. "I want to see him," Lily told them.

"I know you’re not going to like this but you can’t. We have to explain everything to him. We can’t just go marching into the Great Hall; grab him and drag him here. Then to say ‘Harry here’s your mum, you know, the one who’s been dead for 14 years,’" Remus replied instinctively. He didn’t even realise what he was saying or how insensitive it sounded.

Lily and Sirius also appeared oblivious to this as they asked simultaneously, "Why not?" Remus didn’t answer as looks on both of their faces said they understood why not. It appeared that everyone was acting on instinct tonight. "OK then, tomorrow?" Lily asked hopefully.

"Maybe," Sirius said. He squeezed Lily’s hand and added, "I’ll see if I can talk to him tonight. I suppose it depends on what Dumbledore thinks we should do."

"OK then," Lily said sounding only a little disappointed. With a much more cheerful tone Lily continued, "How about we talk about something else? What you two have been doing for this past 14 years?"

Sirius and Remus’ faces matched exactly. Neither looked as though they wanted to talk about this either but Sirius started, "Well…" He stopped. He shot a look towards Remus. He appeared unable to continue.

"A lot of things have happened and they haven’t all been good," Remus continued, then stopped again. He couldn’t figure out how to explain things either.

"OK, you’re going to find out sooner or later and I’d rather you heard it from me," Sirius reasoned with himself nervously. Taking a deep breath the words he was hiding came rushing out, "I spent the first 12 years after you and James died in Azkaban." Lily opened her mouth in shock. Her head shook slightly. She still didn’t say anything. "I went after him, after I found out what had happened. I had him cornered in London and was about to kill him and," Sirius paused for a moment not sure of how to go on but Lily was looking at him expectantly. She didn’t need to ask who ‘he’ was. "He yelled to the whole street how I had betrayed you and James. Then he got out his wand and blew the street to pieces, twelve Muggles died."

Lily just looked at Sirius; she didn’t understand yet how Sirius had got the blame. The pieces of the puzzle didn’t add up. "He transformed and got away, a couple of ministry wizards arrived minutes later and I got taken straight to Azkaban; for life." Sirius stopped there and looked at Lily.

"How could they? You never would have done that, that’s stupid," Lily raised her voice but she was still weak and it was still not very loud.

"It was practically my fault; I never should have suggested the change. I would have died before I betrayed you two but oh no, I had to say…" Sirius said back at Lily.

She cut him off before he could get any further, this time she WAS shouting, "It was not your fault." Lowering her voice she added sincerely, "I can’t believe you can say that Sirius."

"Don’t even try, Lily, he won’t change his mind." Remus said, effectively stopping the familiar argument that was brewing. "Are either of you hungry?"

"Starving," Lily answered, "I haven’t had anything to eat since on the train this morning."

"I never say no to food." Sirius said to Remus.

"Well I am going to the kitchens to get some food because, unsurprisingly, I’m hungry too," Remus said leaving the hospital wing, "I’ll make sure I get you something as well."

"Wonder why he left," Sirius said thinking out loud.

"To get food," Lily said as though it was obvious.

"Yeah, he’ll come back with food but there’s something else." Sirius replied and decided to leave it at that. A look of realisation dawned on Lily’s face. Remus’ disappearance became more understandable but Lily had to ask.

"Wait if you were… if you were in Azk… in prison then Harry couldn’t have stayed with you." Lily said.

"Dumbledore wouldn’t let him anyway. Guess he thought I was the secret keeper. I was there that night. Hagrid was taking him to your sister’s house and wouldn’t let me have him. I said to him over and over that I was his godfather but it didn’t work."

"Petunia! He stayed with Petunia?" Lily shouted in amazement. Not to mention the anger seeping through her veins. Sirius just nodded with a bitter look on his face. The subject of the Dursleys was avoided by the pair after that. Sirius and Lily began to talk about Harry. Sirius was pleased when it produced the desired effect, it calmed her down. When Remus returned less than a quarter of an hour later, Sirius and Lily were talking about much lighter matters than when he had left. Remus joined in the conversation while they ate. All three felt better afterwards, despite the peculiar circumstances.

Silently, Dumbledore entered through the large oak doors. Three heads immediately turned to face him, searching for answers, "I think I’ve got it. Sirius, can I please speak to you for a minute in the hallway?"

Sirius nodded. Promising to return shortly, he followed his former headmaster out of the door. Many of the paintings down the corridor turned to face the two men; they apparently held a similar interest in Dumbledore’s theory. "What have you got, Albus?"

"A more definite theory about Lily and the others’ return to life. I believe it is affected directly by Voldemort himself. Every time he attacks, a major attack mind you, another person appears. The idea came to me during dinner while I was eating a rather tough bit of lamb."

Sirius considered the idea before deciding it made some sense, even if nothing similar had happened before. Cedric had reappeared after the attack at the weekend and Bertha Jonkins had also reappeared several weeks after an attack a while ago, "Which attack, then, would have brought Lily back?"

"I believe the one at the weekend. It may take time to have a noticeable effect, something I am not sure of. I think that it has something to do with the reverse spell effect. The events of summer managed to provide a most unique circumstance. It may have had effects impossible for anyone to predict." Dumbledore said. He rubbed his temple wearily, "how is Lily?"

"She seems fine but she was tired before. We’ve answered as many questions as we could but…" Sirius paused briefly, "when can we tell Harry?"

"I believe you should be the one to tell him. If you do so in the morning, he will be able to see Lily while the remainder of the school is in Hogsmeade. Less chance of getting disturbed then I think."

Sirius nodded, "Sounds about right; although I really have no idea how to do this."

"That is something I cannot tell you. I believe it will come to you in the morning." Dumbledore replied, "if you have answered Lily’s questions then I suggest all of you get a good night's rest. I know you deserve it."

After that, Dumbledore simply left. Lily had already fallen asleep when Sirius returned to the hospital room. He decided to follow Dumbledore’s orders. Sirius borrowed a pillow from one of the five unoccupied beds in the room. He settled in the chair next to Lily’s bed. He fell almost immediately into a restless sleep. Remus decided it was best if he left. He went to the room Dumbledore had offered him for the night.

*~*~*

Harry crept onto the flat grass of the Quidditch pitch. He raised his arm to throw off his invisibility cloak but paused as he realised he wasn’t alone. Someone else was flying around the large stadium. Harry briefly entertained thoughts of heading back to Gryffindor tower but his body wouldn’t allow him to. He looked up to try and identify the mystery flier. He, and Harry was sure it was a he, was very good. Harry thought he should play for one of the house teams if he could fly like that. Maybe he was a Gryffindor who Harry had stopped from getting on the team. Unease now set into Harry’s mind. The flier carried on regardless and it was at this point the boy on the broom turned sharply and pulled into a dive. His method reminded Harry of watching Viktor Krum fly the previous summer; the dive was almost exactly the same. Instead of rising again after the dive, or crashing like Lynch had, the player simply dismounted his broom. Harry squinted in the dark to make out the player’s face. He gasped when he realised it was Cedric he had been watching.

Harry turned quickly and tried to run towards the castle. He couldn’t let Cedric see him. Glancing back to see how far away the older boy was Harry kept on running. Suddenly he found himself on the floor in a heap. He looked towards his feet to see what he had tripped over. A second later he realised he couldn’t see his feet. It was then he remembered his cloak.

The remainder of him was still covered and Harry thought he would be able to return to the castle unnoticed.

"Harry, are you there?" Harry jumped at the sound of Cedric’s voice. How could he know? "Harry?" Cedric said again, looking around all the time. Harry was getting frantic by this point; the cloak had always kept him hidden before. It still was, Harry realised, and Cedric still hadn’t seen him. Harry took a better look at Cedric. The Hufflepuff was stood only a few feet away. His tall frame cloaked in black school robes blended in well to the dark night and the shadows from the Quidditch pitch. The only things that really stood out were the two brooms resting by Cedric’s side. Harry immediately recognized one of the brooms as his own prized Firebolt. Cedric’s broom looked to Harry as though it was a Nimbus but he didn’t quite know which one.

Sooner or later, Harry would have to make Cedric aware of his presence. Harry picked sooner. Cedric turned his back for a moment and Harry threw off his cloak. He hoped the silvery material wouldn’t be easily seen in the dim light. "I’m here," was all Harry chose to say.

"I thought you might have been," Cedric replied. He offered the Firebolt to Harry, "you’re the only one I know of who has one of these."

Harry took the broom gratefully, "not for long, Malfoy’s been trying to get his dad to buy him one."

"Even, with one he will be no match for any of the other seekers. And I doubt even Lucius Malfoy is foolish enough to buy the whole Slytherin team Firebolts; Draco dearest is already on the team." Cedric replied with a barely noticeable look of distaste on his face.

"He would be able to commit fouls quicker though. Punch one person, fly to the other end, and grab another’s broom." Harry said quickly. The talk of Quidditch was familiar but still not comfortable. Harry began to fidget as Cedric didn’t reply immediately. The silence became almost unbearable for Harry. He turned away from Cedric, "Thanks for giving me my broom back. Anyway I’d better get going I’m not really…"

"Harry, wait." Cedric cut Harry off mid-sentence. Harry paused and slowly turned to face Cedric. Cedric continued, "I just wanted to thank you. I’ve been trying for days but it seems like you’ve been avoiding me." Cedric shot a glance in Harry’s direction, though the younger never confirmed or denied Cedric’s loose accusation both knew it was true, "I think I’d do the same in your position actually. Then again, so much for Gryffindor bravery."

Harry opened his mouth weakly to protest but before he got far he noticed Cedric’s smile and realised it was a joke. Harry also smiled, "I think this is the part where I say you’re welcome and we go our separate ways right?"

"Pretty close but for now I think we have to both go to the castle." Harry nodded at Cedric. The pair walked a few steps before Cedric stopped, "about that separate ways thing."

"Yeah?" Harry asked curiously.

"I don’t think I like that bit. I owe you one big time. Don’t argue, I do, no matter what you think. I think we should stay friends, as friendly as we can be with you avoiding me anyway, don’t hesitate to ask me for anything if you need it." Cedric then held out his hand to Harry.

Harry took the larger hand in his own and gave it a firm shake, "Sounds OK to me, but you don’t owe me anything. I just did what any decent person would have done."

"Decent people are becoming rare nowadays, Harry, you’d do well to remember that. I think there’s going to be a time when you need to. Remember at that time that I’m there if you need me." Cedric said. Harry thought he sounded unusually grown up for any Hogwarts student. He wanted to make a joke and break the tense air around them but he didn’t have the chance. Cedric had already restarted the walk towards the main doors.

Once inside the main doors the pair split up to leave towards their own common rooms. Cedric vanished almost immediately into a passage behind a sleeping portrait. That was probably the only way Cedric could move around without being caught in the night. Harry thought himself fortunate to have his cloak. Harry then thought of himself as useless for leaving the cloak somewhere in the vast expanse of field outside the castle.

It was less difficult than Harry imagined locating his cloak, although he expected that was because he knew where it was. Instead of taking the risk of being caught returning to the castle he threw the cloak over his shoulders. As he did he felt a wind pass overhead. It was the cold night air, Harry thought to himself. The hairs on the back of his neck prickled and a loud cackle broke the silence of the night. Harry spun around trying to see the sound’s origin. After five minutes of silence, he continued walking.

When he reached Gryffindor Tower, he thought about waking Ron and telling him about his experience. Harry imagined Ron telling him it was a dream or that it was a ghost in a mumbling voice laced with sleep and quickly dismissed the idea. It hadn’t been a dream and if it was a ghost Harry was in no hurry to cross it’s path again. The girls’ dormitory just opposite from the boys’ may have held more answers in the form of Hermione but Harry was unwilling to even enter their room. Who knows what the girls’ did in there? Harry had heard awful stories attempting to explain the phenomenon, none of which he was willing to star in. It could wait until the morning. It was already one o'clock anyway.

Harry changed from his outdoor clothes into his pyjamas and slipped under the Gryffindor red covers of his bed. He remembered the conversation with Cedric and the favour he was ‘owed’. Right now, the only thing Harry could think of that he wanted off Cedric was his girlfriend. His last thought before drifting off to a dream-filled sleep was of Cedric’s Ravenclaw girlfriend Cho.

~*~*~

Other people in the castle had not slept so soundly. Lily and Sirius, safe within the hospital wing, awoke at around twelve thirty. Both looked at each other as though the other could explain the reason behind the break from slumber. Sirius just shook his head and lay his head back onto the makeshift bed. Lily followed his example. They didn’t remain like that for long however as a cackle which froze their hearts and terrified their minds was heard clearly from an unknown direction.

*~*~*

The dungeons held the only other person to hear the cold laugh. It fell on deaf ears throughout the rest of the school. Severus Snape heard the chilling cry and he remained sat at the chair in his desk. His right arm throbbed from a pain without any source. Absentmindedly he rubbed one of his long, thin fingers over the insignia burned into his skin. He could not concentrate on that pain now; only the pain, which appeared certain to come. A single tear ran down his cheek, and he didn’t bother to wipe it away.