Inside the closet, Harry curled into a ball on the dusty floor and placed his thumb in his mouth. A single tear rolled down his small thin cheek.
But that couldn’t compare with the amount streaming from his mother’s eyes…
James whispered “Nox” quietly and crawled over to his sobbing wife and pulled her into a hug, trying to blink back tears himself.
“I’ve got to be strong for Lily” he thought, ”I’ve got to think of a way to make this better.”
“James, oh James, what can we do?” Lily cried.
“We’ll go visit him, right now” said James, the idea just occurring to him.
“What?...Oh, that would be wonderful! But…” she faltered, “but do we need to go right now? What if we need to save this for some kind of life and death situation…”
“This is more important than life or death!” James exclaimed, leaping up. “Harry needs to know that he is loved, to know that someone out there cares about him! We can visit him and do something-anything-to let him know! Hold him, hug him, talk to him. Talk to him! We’ll talk to him in loving tones such have never been directed towards him before! Show him that talking can do more than injure people’s feelings, that it can be used to spread love. Kids who are always mistreated and unloved like him grow up bitter, angry and lead messed up lives! I want my son to have more than that, better than that! I””
But Lily had pressed a finger over his lips to stop his speech, and was looking up at him with eyes filled with both tears and admiration.
“You would have been the greatest father,” she whispered. “I know now why we have to go…and you are absolutely right. Let’s go visit our son Harry!”
James smiled at her, and pulled her into a tighter hug.
Pop!
A scroll appeared in midair and writing began to cover it.
“Y’know, these things are kinda annoying,” said Lily.
“No! You really think so?” James said sarcastically.
The scroll now read:
Lily and James sighed and signed their names.
“Oh, look! Yet another message!” said James.
At this, the window reopened on the ground, and an image of a sleeping Harry came into view.
“Ready?” said James, taking Lily by the hand.
“In your own words, ‘You betcha!’”
Hand in hand, they jumped into the window, and rematerialized in Harry’s so called bedroom.
“Ooh, look at him,” said Lily as she gazed on his sleeping form tenderly, “He’s so much bigger! But thinner and sadder…”
“We’ll have to wake him,” said James. He knelt down before the small cot that served as Harry’s crib and gently shook his shoulder.
“Harry, Harry, wake up son…” said James.
Harry moaned softly and slowly sat up, rubbing his eyes blearily. He spotted James and gave a little gasp and scooted away, cowering in the corner of his bed.
“Hey little man,” said James, his eyes filled with pain at the thought that Harry thought he might hurt him. “C’mere, I won’t hurt you. You remember my fun little name for you…ickle Harrykins…”
A spark of recognition flashed through Harry’s green eyes; he edged a little closer.
“Yeah, come see your good ol’ dad,” said James as Harry crawled towards his outstretched arms. James picked Harry up in his strong hands, and rolled onto his back on the cot, holding Harry above him. “Remember ‘Harry Quidditch’, Harry?” James said as he made Harry zoom around. James now made his voice sound like a sports announcer. “And out into the pitch comes the incredible seeker Harry Potter! Aboard his trusty Comet 240, he is ready to steal the show for this game! So much like his father, he is. The balls are released and the game begins! Look Harry, look all around for the snitch! Oh no! A nasty bludger, dodge it Harry! Dodge it! Oh! Harry’s seen the snitch. He’s off!...just a bit closer…yes! he’s got it! And the crowd goes wild!”
Lily laughed out loud. James slowly brought Harry down onto his lap.
“Did you like that Harry?” asked James eagerly.
Harry made no reply except to place his arms around James’ neck and put his head on James’ shoulder. James’ eyes widened in surprise and he whispered gruffly into Harry’s ear. “Glad you still love Quidditch like your daddy. I love you Harry. And hey, look who else is here…”
James turned Harry around and placed him on the floor so he could see Lily for the first time. He gazed at her for a moment, then his whole face lit up in a smile and he ran the short distance into his mother’s arms.
Lily could only exclaim incoherently, “Oh Harry! I’ve missed you!...Oh, you remembered me!...you’re so big!…”
Harry was clinging tightly to his mother’s neck and stroking and playing with her long silky red hair like he always used to, but when he encountered a knot in her hair and gave a tug…
“Ow! You’re certainly stronger too!” laughed Lily. “Now Harry, today is your birthday! Do you know what that means?” she asked and then began to sing in a soft, clear voice,
“Happy Birthday to you,”
James joined in, “ Happy birthday to you,”
“Happy birthday dear Harry, Happy birthday to you!”
Harry smiled and clapped his hands. “Harry do you know how old you are?” Lily asked. “You’re two.” She held up two fingers. “Can you hold up two fingers and say two for mummy?”
And so the teaching began.
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