four
Dumbledore announced that the feast was over just as Regulus sat back down at the Slytherin table. As students started to begin rising, Dumbledore prepared to give a second message but soon again closed him mouth when he noticed the Marauders and Lily Evans. She hadn’t originally planned on stopping but thought as head girl she should probably make a point on being on top of being on top of any situations that arose, especially since it was her first week on the job. Harry, who had started to fall asleep in his fathers lap had been startled awake from the hustle and bustle of everyone filing out of the Great Hall.
Harry spotted Moony flicking his wand before Lily and Sirius’ hair returning to their original styles. With their newly reinstated hair, the pair seemed to have calmed down from their scene earlier.
After the final student and teacher had left the hall, Dumbledore glided down the aisle to were the group were sat and took a seat next to Remus. He gave Harry a small smile who seemed to be beaming at him.
“I don’t know if you all know this but I was always fond of babies, so innocent, so impressionable. Of course, they’re also a lot of hard work as I once found out when my mother had my younger sister,” the headmaster paused seeming deep in contemplation of how to continue. “Of course, that was my sister, the real caring for her was not up to me.”
The group sat there, confusion spreading like yawns across each of their faces.
“Headmaster, if you don’t mind me asking,” Remus rushed in before he could start speaking again. “Where is this going just Lily and I have our prefect rounds to do before bed and it’s late so Harry must be getting back to his paren-“ At the thought of being sent away Harry started crying profusely much to the surprise of everyone.
“It’s okay, Harry,” James soothed, rubbing Harry’s back to try and some what calm him down before they had a melt down on their hands. “I’m sure your mum and dad are worried sick about you.” He gave a small smile to Harry.
“Da-a,” Harry tried, but struggled to even attempt to articulate the words.
At a loss, Harry swiftly turned to Lily and put his arms up indicating he wanted to swap laps, and exclaimed with a lot of force and might, “Mu-ma!”
Lily paused from going to pick him up and shared a quick glance with James. “Professor, Harry seems to be… how do I put this, attached? Yes, attached to James and myself as well as Remus and Sirius here of course but-“
Dumbledore held his hand out pausing Lily from going any further with whatever justification she was trying to give. He pondered for a moment, seeming to be in some far away land in his head. “It appears Young Harry here has many secrets, I myself am an occlumens so, I could enter his mind and find out who or where he has come from, but something tells me that everything will be explained with time. Not to mention it can be extremely damaging on a boy Harry’s age. Now, how did Harry get to you?” he looked between the 5 of them expectantly.
Remus, James and Sirius then went on to explain what they new injected snippets of information when they each missed something out from their accounts of the situation. Once they had finished recalling the tale, Dumbledore simply said “Ahh.” He turned and faces Harry directly on, “Well, there are a couple of ways Mr Harry arrived here, none of them are ideal but we really do need to figure out who you belong too. I will call for Madam Pomfrey at once and she can will be able to do some spells including a genealogy spell leading us to Harry’s closest living relatives.” With that Dumbledore stood up and turned, casting his Phoenix patronus to call on Madam Pomfrey. They waited in silence, Harry occasionally giggling or squealing as James held onto him. At some point he’d been put on the empty table top and had started crawling around from person to person and playing with them. Harry almost didn’t even notice when Pomfrey bustled into the hall, looking like she had much better things to be doing than responding to the headmasters beckon call.
After she was given a quick rundown of the situation, she gave a great sigh of relief and called Harry over to her. Feeling comfortable he went straight over, smiling at the woman who had cared for him for years. Giving him a quick smile, she picked him up off the table and sat him on Remus’ lap. She gave his little hand a quick squeeze of encouragement and dread suddenly dropped on Harry like a ton weight. That was never a good sign, Madam Pomfrey had only ever given him a quick squeeze of encouragement three times in his life: when he came in after his fight with Quirrel having a severe concussion, a broken femur, three shattered ribs and a punctured lung, that had been a hard recovery, there’s not much pain relief that helps the intricate magical healing for a punctured lung, the second time was fourth year when he was admitted after receiving a torn muscle in his shoulder and his arm, neck and shoulder almost entirely covered in third degree burns, other than an analgesic which can cool the burned area so the skin doesn’t feel like it’s still burning, recovering from third degree burns is long and painful, he’d been lucky that time to have not had greater complications, and now. This was going to hurt. Bracing himself, he heard her start to mutter incantations and he was surrounded by screams. It took a moment to realise that those were his screams. His head lolled back, seeing the pain and discomfort in Remus’ face.
It wasn’t too much longer till it was over, the pain subsided immediately however his skin felt like it was tingling and his abdomen was cramping. This was not helped by being crushed to death in hugs from Remus. He heard a faint whimpering and lifted his head from Remus’ shoulder to see Lily being comforted by James.
“Hey, she’s okay pup, she just didn’t like seeing you hurt like that, don’t worry about us,” Sirius soothed him as soon as he noticed him looking at the pair.
He glanced over his shoulder, turning his body slightly in order to fully see Madam Pomfrey, she was surrounded by shimmering transparent colours and graphs. She was studying each of them carefully until she stopped dead, if Harry didn’t know any better he would have thought that she’d been petrified.
“Erm… This can’t be right. I don’t understand how this could be right, you would have been what…” she started counting on her fingers, “FIFTEEN! Lily Evans! Did you get pregnant when you were fifteen and conceal it from me of all people? I’m the one person you could trust with discretion! And James Potter, how dare you think it’s perfectly okay to get a girl pregnant when she is fifteen! As much as the school doesn’t like to advertise it, I have condoms available, you’re all teenagers, I’m not blind to the fact you are hormonal and may.. experiment however that is no excuse for not at least having safe sex!” She looked a mix of disappointment and anger.
“Poppy, with all due respect… I’m still- I mean, I haven’t… you know, done that before. Ever. Nor with Evans” James stuttered out. Dumbledore quirked an eyebrow. Lily looked pale with embarrassment.
“Erm, Madam Pomfrey, I’m not sure how that could say I’m Harry’s, erm… mother? I’m also- I- same as James,” she muttered the last part out and lowered her eyes too embarrassed too look at anyone currently. Poppy glanced back at the visions around her, when she pushed her glasses up her nose and leaned in closer. She paled.
“It says he was born the 31st of July… 1980,” he looked as though she was going to pass out.
“Poppy, are you saying that, Harry is our son, but from what? The future?” James questioned, still with his arms wrapped around Lily from comforting her earlier. He quirked an eyebrow.
“It would appear so,” Dumbledore chimed in. “Poppy, if you would be so kind, could you tell me if there is some kind of indication to how old he was before he came to James or even what year he came from, it could be most useful for figuring out how Harry got here.”
“Erm… He looks to be from May 1998, or at least that’s where I can last trace his magic,” she said, shaking slightly. Everyone stopped. A pin could drop and you would hear it. Harry didn’t know what to do. His eyes keep blurring and he could blink it away until he stopped being able to do that, his head rolled back and everything was quiet. Or at least for him it was quiet.
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“Look, he’s waking up,” he heard his mothers voice, he blinked his eyes and saw he was surrounded by everyone. His memory was dark, the last thing he could remember was pain and glowing lights.
“Muma,” Harry croaked out.
He felt warm hands wrapping around him and lifting him out of the bed. Her hair tickled his face causing him to scrunch up his nose slightly. Blinking slowly, he was met with her beautiful red hair. Lily’s had was rubbing his back and she was bobbing slightly, lulling him to sleep.
“Hey, Harry, why don’t you, Remus and Sirius go and get you settled in bed in my room, hmm and me and James are going to talk to Dumbledore for a little longer and then we’ll come and tuck you in. How does that sound?” Lily asked calmly. She lifted him away from her should. Harry yawned and could feel his eyes drooping as he held his arms out away from Lily and felt himself be passed over to Remus.
“Come on cub, let’s get you ready for bed.” He swiftly walked out of the hospital wing and towards Lily and James’ Head Boy and Girl Quarters, Sirius in tow. Harry watched as James put his arm around Lily’s shoulders as they turned to face Dumbledore and Madam Pomfrey before the door swung shut blocking his view.
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“Clearly, based on the brain scans and diagnostics, that little seizure Harry had was caused by the immense magical output Harry used from getting here to 1978. And from what Poppy got before to now his brain is trying to comprehend how he has got here, I fully believe he will unknowingly forget his past… our future, and rationalise himself being here. Clearly you are his parents, it is entirely up to yourselves if you are willing to undertake this being in your final year and all but it may be best for Harry if you are the ones caring for him until he goes back to the future or potentially from now on. And of course Sirius and Remus can help… oh of course Peter also, where did Peter go, he seemed to scurry off before we even reached the hospital wing?” Dumbledore monologued. Lily and James each took a deep breath.
“He didn’t say, I think he mentioned some last minute reading in the library or something,” James muttered, rubbing his eyes with one hand. “But-“
“Of course we will all look after Harry,” Lily interjected, giving an encouraging smile to James. “Although, I am hesitant to ask, but we will need a bedroom for Harry and of course we can figure out care for him whilst one at least one of us is free however for lessons where all of us are unavailable I’m not sure where can take him or who too. Furthermore, it would be useful to have Sirius and Remus in our quarters, I think babies freak Peter out so it’s probably best if he stayed in Gryffindor tower plus I believe five teenagers and a baby is a lot in what is already snug quarters. Four is a lot me reasonable. Also Harry seems rather uncomfortable around him, he can probably sense Peter’s fear or more likely they don’t get on in the future so it might be best not to aggravate that too much.” Lily took a deep breath before continuing on. “Tomorrow is a Saturday so I suspect we will be allowed permission to go to Diagonal Alley via floo powder. I’m sure we can scrape together enough money to get essentials and such like for Harry-“
“I have plenty.” James interrupted.
“- We may also require either access to the kitchens or a kitchen, I know how to cook, for Harry as him having two treacle tarts is not acceptable food for a ten month old to be eating for his dinner, he need puréed food or at least soft foods. He’s a baby, he eats at different times to ourselves. I trust, headmaster, that you can make all the appropriate accommodations, for Harry’s sake, of course?” Lily blurted out. James stared at her incredulously before regaining his composure and giving an expectant look to Dumbledore.
After a moment, Dumbledore agreed and asked Poppy if she would mind watching Harry on occasion, who also agreed and said she was delighted to have him as long as she had some kind of play pen and entertainment. Lily gave a nod of agreement before turning to James and gesturing for him to follow. “We have to go say goodnight to our child.” They stalked off, closing the door fully behind them.