“Where could it be?” Harry wondered aloud as he rummaged through Dean’s trunk. Maybe letting Dean borrow his wand hadn’t been the best of ideas. Remembering the heated conversation Harry had shared with him brought chills to his flesh as he scoured on, even checking in Hedwig’s cage.

Harry: Dean, where did you put my wand?

Dean: Well… about that wand, Harry…

Harry: What about it???

Dean: I can’t exactly remember where I placed it last…

Harry: YOU LOST MY WAND??? WHAT DID YOU WANT WITH IT ANYWAY?

Dean: I needed a stirring stick for my Potions class! After I brought back to the room, I set it down right here! *points to his bedspread*

Harry: Oh. A stirring stick. You used my wand for a stirring stick?!?! It’s a wand for crying out loud!!!

Dean: Someone must have taken it. It can’t walk away by itself.

Harry: Now I’m going to be late for Potions. Thanks Dean, and have a super nice day! *points at door furiously*

Dean: Good luck Harry! *mumbling* I would have helped him if he wouldn’t have been so mean…

Harry: Mean??? Me??? What would you have done if I lost your wand?

Dean: I think I’d better go.

That was the conversation that made Harry cringe. He could have been nicer. He could have sympathized with Dean. But no, he had to get angry and shout and yell. Looking out the window, Harry wondered if he would have been better being raised by his parents. It was their fault! Harry though, trying to get mad at his parents, but feelings remained neutral. They were the ones that left me here. With the Dursley’s, and Voldemort chasing me every second.

All he experienced though was tears, bitter with sorrow. Harry wanted them, so much. He would have done anything to see them. I am stuck down here while they had gone onto a better place, he tried to think, and I’ll be up there sooner or later. But he almost laughed at the simple use of those words, the words a preacher would say to a kid if their parents died, trying to dilute the grief.

No one could dilute his. Not a soul every tried. Tears ran down faster this time as Harry propped himself up on Dean’s bed. For a moment, hope washed over him, a beacon of light in the darkness. Maybe his parents were alive, somehow. He’d see them soon. But his brain put a cover over the light, as he realized they were dead. They wouldn’t come back alive. They were lying in the ground. The hope that had come to him made his sob, his whole body racking with heartrending cries. They are dead, he made himself think. They are never coming back. Instead of those facts comforting him, however, he kept on crying. I wish there weren’t such a thing as hope, he longed before he fell asleep right on Dean’s bed.

“Oh, Draco, you are so bad!” snickered Pansy as he told the story of gaining revenge on Potter that had something to do with Harry’s wand.

The words could hardly be heard over the noise that accumulated in the Potions room. When Snape had left to find Potter, Granger and Weasley, and yet never returned, the room went crazy. Neville was stuck in a cauldron thanks to a purposeful push from Malfoy. Lavender Brown and her friends were gossiping about the whereabouts on Harry Potter.

“I heard You- Know -Who came and killed him while he slept,” she murmured and the crowd of girls erupted in gasps.

Neville tried to say something against this false information, but Lavender pushed him deeper in the cauldron as the chaos reigned.

James stuck his head in and saw the dark room filled with laughs and talk, then closed the door again and pressed his body against it.

“I don’t know what happened to Potions, but I think I’m going to like it.” His eyes gleamed mischievously as Hermione gave him a quizzical look. She decided now was the time to explain.

“James. You are in the future, near the year 2000. I mean…” Why hadn’t she given him the exact date? Oh, everything coming out of her mouth turned out terrible!

“That might seem a shock to you. I don’t know how you got here, but I think you know.”

James looked highly amused and nothing else while Ron’s face was pale, as if he had received the shock of his life. “That’s… not Harry?” he managed to say, and Hermione rolled her eyes.

“Of course it isn’t! James, you’re going to have to pose as this boy, Harry. We’re his friends, you know. But we can’t have you waltz in there as a new student, can we? Everyone would know you’re a fake, and I don’t know what else to do with you. I can’t exactly bring you to our dorm room, nor Ron’s. Where would we hide you? Ron, you go ahead and try to get Harry out of there while we bring in James.” She said this all in one breath and secretly congratulated herself on the plan. It was the best she could think of on the spur of the moment.

“Wait a second.” the interjection by James was filled of mirth and good humor. “I guess I can believe you on the future. Weirder things have happened, and I’m sure I can get back. But it’s your plan that’s kind of…. well… full of loopholes. Number one, what are we going to do with Lily?”

At this Hermione bit her lip, until she could think of a good enough retort to fling back at James. Finally one hit her, though not the most imaginative. “Can you think up of anything?”

James almost laughed out loud at this positively ridiculous statement but managed to come out with only a snort. “I want to ask you some questions first. Mainly, where are Sirius and Remus, and where am I? Nowadays, I mean. Lily too.”

“I can’t say. It would change your whole world and burden you with what you are to become…”

“Aw, don’t spoil the fun.”

At that moment, Lily started to wake up. James stopped the pressing about what would happen to all of them and watched as Lily awoke.

“Where am I?” she wondered, her whole senses sluggish and slow. Her emerald green eyes gazed up at James’s face, his tousled hair and roguish expression.

At once panic flooded her body as she tried to stand. When James wore that face, something was up, something usually not good.

“Hey, Lily. We’re in the future, or so those kids tell us.” He pointed a thumb at the still pale Ron and irritated Hermione. “I believe them. Why else would we be sucked in a big black hole?”

It took a second to dawn on Lily, but when it did, she nearly screamed. “Is this some sort of joke, James Potter, to you anyway? That we’re stuck in the future? How are we going to live, hidden away all of the time? No, don’t interrupt me.”

James closed his open mouth, but managed to mutter, “We can get back.”

“Who knows if we can???” she demanded. “Not them. They’re just as old as us! No, James, we’re stuck here. I can’t talk anymore. Just… oh my…” and she slide down, her back against the wall to the floor.

“So what if we’re stuck here? We could have some fun. We’d know what would happen to everyone we know! Do you think Sirius might marry that girl who he’s after? Oh, what’s her name…?”

Lily snapped up, her eyes blazing. “This is some kind of fun little game for you. I am disgusted. We’re stuck here and all you can do is… is…” She felt an overwhelming urge to cry but swallowed it back down and faced James head on.

Ron attempted to cut in, “Sirius, he…”

“Well apparently I can’t think about him at the moment. I have to think about how we’re doomed to live here forever. Ever heard of walking on the bright side, Lily?”

“Sometimes walking on the dark side is more realistic. Face it, James.” Lily was hurting inside. She would never see her mom, her dad, not even Petunia again; no matter how much she hated her magic.

“Do you think I just automatically skip on the light? I make a choice, Lily. I choose to make people happier. I can’t dwell on the bad… no. Just forget it. I don’t care. Maybe if we are so different, I should stop liking you,” snapped James.

Lily felt no joy in learning this information, as she would have a few hours earlier. Now all she could do was retort, “Maybe you should.”

Silence on both ends. She couldn’t believe she had said that, truly she couldn’t. She hadn’t meant it either. It was in the heat of passion, and she tried to explain. “James, I…”

He stopped listening as he pushed open the Potions door and without turning around he murmured, “It doesn’t matter. Not anymore.”

For some reason, those words struck a deep chord in Lily’s soul. “I’ve got to go,” she said, and started to leave when a firm grip held her fast.

“Sorry, but what will people do when they see you around the hallways?” Ron blushed apologetically.

“You can go with her, Ron. Go out to the courtyards. No one should be there. If Snape is back in there, I’ll say you had to go to Madame Pomfrey’s. Anyway, I can’t think of where else to put Lily. Go!”

Looking back anxiously, Ron left with Lily who had silently shedding a tear and more were falling fast. Ron glanced away. Crazy women! He thought in obvious dismay. Why do they always have to cry? I feel like I have a mini Cho around. But he dutifully followed her out, although mouthing, “Help me” to Hermione all the way.

She sighed and turned back to James. “I guess we can go in now… James?”

But he was nowhere in sight. Grasping around, attempting to get her mind set straight, she immediately thought he followed Lily out. The left side of her brain, (the one more logical for those you who don’t know what that is,) cut this off the list.

Could he have gone to Potions? thought Hermione. I better take a look inside. Peering into the darkness and foulness of the Potions room she heard raucous laughter and out of curiosity stepped inside without a second thought.

There her search was completed by a cocky James laughing with Lavender and her crowd of girls. Malfoy was quite red around the face when Pansy slipped by him to join the Harry imposter.

Hermione slid about the room, listening to him all the way.

“Oh Harry! You certainly are more… social!" giggled Pansy as she wrapped her hand around his arm. James seemed to take no note of this as he went on, telling his story of the Marauders, or the Masqueraders as he disguised their name.

“Then, you know erm… Steve? He said to that girl…”

Hermione had heard enough. Even though he was changing the names and all, she still couldn’t stand the clues he was giving to all the silly girls… and Pansy! She shuddered as she pushed forward.

“Harry,” she muttered carefully, gritting her teeth to show her displeasure. “Let’s go to our seats now.”

Walking by her side after flashing the girls a dazzling smile, he murmured, “Are you and Harry a couple?”

“What?” She couldn’t believe her ears.

“Just asking.” He shrugged. “You said you were friends and all…”

“No, it’s not like that, actually…”

At that moment she was cut off by a sudden burst of light. She shielded her eyes while everyone else watched in fascination as the shape loomed larger.

“Granger. I have been looking all over for you. And who is your friend?” Pretending to not know him, he squinting closer. Suddenly he gasped.

“Potter?” he wondered questioningly and Hermione grew white. Did Snape know?

Author’s Note: I know that was kind of dark/angst, but next chapter will be lighter, I promise!!! After all, I do need to have Harry want to see his parents! Sorry this is so long too.