As the four made their way into the Common Room full of furniture colored with scarlet and gold, time seemed to stop. No, it’s not a side effect of the Potion or anything; it’s just the fact that the famous James -er- I mean Harry Potter was making his way into the room at this very moment. Ron and Hermione exchanged nervous glances as James walked over to the best seat in the house; the red velvet armchair right in front of the fire, and being who he was, or well who they all thought he was, no one objected. Lily gave an exasperated sigh as she followed him over to the fire. Hermione gave an inaudible sigh of relief as she followed Ron over to the others. Lily was glancing from the students around them to James and back at Ron.
“Is this kid, Harry, famous or something?” she asked sarcastically looking rather annoyed as she rolled her now chocolate brown eyes to the ceiling.
Hermione made a loud tutting noise trying to signal Ron not to answer but like always, he didn’t get the hint. “Sort of. He lived through Avada kadava.” He shrugged. “It’s old news now, except for them.” He jabbed his thumb at the two mousy haired boys who were now making their way over to them, who were of course, Colin and Dennis Creevy.
At that particular moment, James was scanning the room for remnants of their days at Hogwarts. He was far too busy to notice the two younger boys standing gleefully in front of him, one holding a camera. Hermione stared from the Creevys to James and back again for making a highly noticeable fake cough. He seemed to snap back to life as he turned his head around to stare at Colin and Dennis. “Hello…” James paused and glanced at Hermione out of the corner of his now emerald eyes, pleading her to mention their names before anyone became aware that The-Boy-Who-Lived suddenly forgot the names of his two biggest fans.
Lily and Ron exchanged amused looks, with their eyes meeting for a split second before turning away and looking in different directions again before they burst out laughing. Hermione smirked lightly at his predicament and thought of letting him figure it out for himself, but decided to help him, for Harry’s sake of course. “So, Colin, Dennis, how are you?”
Both ignored her greeting and locked eyes with James. “Hey, Harry, mind if I get a picture of you and your friends for my collection?” Colin asked beaming at him. James couldn’t help but laugh. Someone wanted a picture of him-well his son anyway. If this was his time he would have loved this. It was funny to think about, but he soon snapped out of his thoughts because he wasn’t exactly sure which boy this was, or even if he should let him take the picture. So, he took a shot in the dark.
“Sure, Dennis, you can have our picture.”
“Great! But I’m Colin.” Colin responded as he set up the camera flash.
James blushed a brilliant shade of pink as he spoke. “Yes of course. Snape gave us a bit of Memory Drainer today in Potions...” he trailed off as he looked at the red and gold shagged carpet on the floor.
“No he didn’t,” Ron replied thoughtfully thinking back to that day’s class. Hermione elbowed him in the ribs and he stopped mid-sentence, looking at her with an irritated look plastered on his face.
Colin grinned as he finally got the camera to operate inside the magical grounds. “Sorry, I almost forgot to set it to magic operated.” Hermione and Lily laughed. Being muggle-born they both knew about the muggle to magic use of everyday objects. Ron and James exchanged confused looks before looking back at the camera. “Can you all move closer together?” He was acting very professional about this as always. Hermione and Lily sat on the arms of James chair and Ron stuck his fire colored head above the back of it. Colin snapped the picture and grinned. “I’ll show it to you when it’s developed!” And with that he and his brother took off running to their dormitories.
“I don’t think that was such a good idea,” Hermione muttered. “Colin’s got loads of pictures of Harry and I’ll bet he notices the height difference or something.”
“Lighten up Hermione.” Ron said as he poked the cat now sitting on the back of the chair. Ginger haired and bandy legged, Crookshanks hissed at Ron as he extended his claws. “Even Colin’s not that obsessive.”
“So, this kid comes around and takes pictures of my son because of that horrid scar on his head?” Lily exclaimed as she jumped off of the chair and brushed off her robes. She didn’t seem to like the fact that she was so close to James for a whole minute. “That’s very odd.”
Hermione nodded slowly as she watched her cat being tormented by Ron. James was staring at the cat and the boy now, too. “Ron, you’d better stop before he…” James was cut off by the hissing and spitting cat as it lashed out at Ron and rushed off under Hermione’s bed, leaving Ron standing with his mouth hanging open and wearing his now tattered Gryffindor robes.
“Bloody cat,” Ron muttered as he sat back down on the floor. Lily and James were snickering uncontrollably in the corner and Hermione was wearing a satisfied smirk.
“Serves you right for all you’ve done to him.” She replied sarcastically.
James yawned as he stretched his arms out wide and hit Lily square in the face. “Harry!” she yelled as he jumped off of the chair and headed straight for the boys’ dorms. Lily scowled and stomped after him.
“I guess he didn’t realize girls are allowed in the boy’s quarters here as well,” Ron chuckled as he went off to help James fend Lily off. Hermione was now left alone in the full common room. She glanced towards the door to the boy’s dorms and caught site of Ron’s red head hurrying through the doorway. She sighed as she followed the other three into Harry and Ron and now James’ room.
/////////////////////////////
Four young Gryffindors clambered their way into the common room through the portrait hole. Harry scanned the room momentarily before realizing that it was almost completely the same, except for the fact that the Quidditch Cup was missing from its display on the mantle. He spotted his favorite spot near the fire and began making his way over to the red velvet armchair. Just as hew as about to sit down, a little redheaded first year took his place in it. Harry blinked as he stared at the young boy, who looked like a mini version of Ron. He couldn’t believe a mere first year had denied THE Harry Potter of his favorite armchair. Oh, wait. He wasn’t Harry anymore. He groaned as he made his way back over to the others fuming.
“I can’t believe that little prat took MY chair.”
Ginny was giggling uncontrollably into the back of Remus’ robes as Remus smirked at him. Sirius put his arm around Harry’s shoulders and walked him over to a spot in the corner of the room. “Listen, Potter, you’re in our time now. And something tells me you got that scar somewhere else, but I’m not going to ask. You maybe little Prince Potter in your time,” He poked Harry in the chest with his index finger. “But here, you’re King Potter. James Potter, co-king of the pranks, along with me of course.”
Remus rolled his eyes as he slumped into a red leather armchair in the corner. Ginny sat on the arm of his chair and Sirius leaned against the wall. Harry stared at them all momentarily before taking the seat opposite Remus. Ginny’s now emerald eyes scanned the room for someone, but couldn’t seem to find him anywhere. “Where's that rat Pettigrew?”
Harry flashed her a small smile before giving her an angry stare. Even if Pettigrew did turn his parents in, he wanted them to find it out for themselves. He knew what happened to wizards who messed with time, and he did not want to end up like they had.
Remus looked confused at how they had known about them being Animagi and Sirius just replied, “He’s on holiday with his parents.” Then he rethought what Ginny had just said. “How’d you know about our being Animagi?”
“I’m a true Seer.” She put two fingers to her forehead and closed her eyes in a kind of trance. “You will eat dog biscuits for a snack tonight.”
Harry laughed and Remus rolled his eyes as Sirius looked thunderstruck. “How did you know that?”
“She already told you, Padfoot,” Harry replied dully. Remus sighed as he looked Sirius in the eye.
“You’re a dog Animagus. You ALWAYS eat dog biscuits at night.” He looked thoughtfully at Ginny. “Come to think of it so do I, with my condition.”
“You mean being a werewolf?” Harry replied with a slight twinkle in his eyes. Being back with his father’s old friends was great.
“Shut up, mini Prongs,” he shot back as he glanced over his shoulder. Thankfully nobody was listening. “You can’t go around blabbing that all over the place. In this time, nobody knows that yet.”
Harry nodded thoughtfully as a grey and black tabby cat bounded up to them. It jumped onto Remus’ chair and sat in Ginny’s lap. “Ah, it’s dear Tabby, Lily’s beloved cat.” Sirius had a weird glimmer in his eye at the moment; a very mischievous one. Ginny stroked the cat’s fur gently. She had always been a cat lover.
“What’s the matter?” she asked suddenly as she caught the look on both Remus and Sirius’ faces. Lupin looked amused, but Sirius looked oddly angry, like a growling dog.
“The cat, it seems to have it for Padfoot, here,” Remus replied trying to keep Sirius from getting too close fruitlessly. Soon, he was right on top of the cat with that crazed look in his eye. Harry couldn’t help but laugh. Later in life, the great bear-like dog would befriend a monster of a cat known as Crookshanks.
Ginny pushed him away irritably. “What’s he ever done to you?”
Sirius didn’t take his eyes off of the cat while he spoke. “It tried to kill me once!” He yelled as he and the cat locked eyes. Tabby hissed and Sirius made a lunge for him as the cat extended its claws. He scratched Sirius’ hand making it bleed before running off under a table in the common room.
“See what you did?” Ginny asked irritably as she tried to coax the cat out with no luck. Sirius rolled his eyes as he wrapped his injured hand in his robe sleeve.
“Really, Sirius was that necessary?” Harry remarked as he pulled Ginny off of the floor.
“Actually, considering that the cat almost drowned him once, I think he controlled himself quite well.” Remus said. Harry and Ginny laughed, thinking of Sirius face while he was tricked by a cat. “The cat doesn’t like James either so watch out.”
Sirius yawned as he slumped into a dog-like seat on the floor. Remus remained on his chair and Harry pulled Ginny over to his chair with a twinkle in his eye. “Potter, what are you doing?”
“Nothing,” he replied simply as a smile played along his face. Remus and Sirius exchanged satisfied smirks as they watched Harry’s plan take action. He sat down and she stared at him without blinking. She rolled her eyes and sat on the arm of his chair with her arms crossed. After a moment or two of nothing happening she relaxed a bit and leaned against the back of the chair for support. She slowly closed her eyes and then. THUMP. Harry pushed her off of the chair onto the red and gold carpet. She let out an ear piercing shriek as he took of to the dormitories with Ginny at his heels.
“I guess he didn’t realize he doesn’t know where our dorm is.” Remus chuckled as he followed the redhead through the door with Sirius laughing his bark like a dog the whole way.