Return of the Stag :: Book One #wattys2016

Chapter 1 - Awakened

EDITED

It was a cold October night in Godric's Hollow. It was the 31st, Halloween. The anniversary of the Death of Lily and James Potter. It also marks that day that Lord Voldemort fell.

A loud crack could be heard as an old wizard with a long grey beard and half-moon spectacles appeared outside the old home of the dead couple. This man was the most famous and powerful sorcerer in the wizarding world. His name, Albus Dumbledore. He looked at the house with sad eyes, longing for the couple to still be in the world for their son. He placed his hand on the gate of the garden waiting for the sign that had been dedicated to them and their son. He read the sign again, his eyes brimming with tears as he looked over all the encouraging words to the young Harry Potter.

Hearing noises coming from inside the old house. Albus cautiously pushed open the gate, pulling out his wand he walked to the house. He carefully stepped into the house, ducking under the splintered wood of the doorframe. He looked at the floor seeing that the dust that had settled here over fifteen years had footprints in it leading upstairs.

Albus followed the footprints upstairs and down to where the nursery was. A light was emitting from the room and muffled sobs were echoing out in the hall as well.

Albus illuminated the nursery with his wand, seeing a man sitting on the ground, crying into an old baby blanket and holding a picture. The man had untidy black hair and from what he could see a pair of glasses. To Albus, he looked an awful lot like Harry Potter.

Approaching the man, Albus placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. The man looked up at Albus, who took an involuntary step backwards and was taken aback by the appearance of the man's face. He had hazel eyes, which were puffy and red at this moment from his crying. "J-James?" He said quietly still taken aback by this man.

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James Potter awoke with a strangled cough. The last thing that he remembered was Lord Voldemort and a flash of green light. How he was here now, was a mystery. He pushed himself up into a sitting position and looked around at the dust-covered house. The front door was laying on the ground, having been blown off its hinges. There was debris littering the floor and stairs.

He got up and looked around for his wand. He found it laying on the couch where he had left it. "Lumos." He muttered illuminating the tip of the wand. James started for the stairs to head upstairs. He hoped to find Lily and Harry safe in the nursery. He noticed the door to the room hanging off of its hinges. He cautiously approached the room his hope fading at the sight of the empty room.

The crib had been broken on one end and half of the room had been blown to smithereens, leaving a giant hole in the floor and the wall. James collapsed against the wall, shock consuming his body. His Lily was dead. And worse, his baby boy was as well. He let grief take over. He had tears streaming from his eyes as he held onto one of the pictures and one of Harry's old baby blankets that were laying on the floor. He didn't hear the footsteps that were echoing in the hallway over his sobs. His wand now lay beside him, the light was hidden under a piece of wood that James had moved.

He felt a gentle hand on his shoulder and quickly his head snapped up, looking into the calm and shocked grey eyes that were looking at him. He turned away from the man not recognizing who it was in his state of grief. "James." He heard his name spoken from behind him. James looked up again at the man. He let the recognition sink and jump back from Dumbledore. "D-dumbledore?!" He says, grabbing his wand from the floor and holding it, pointing at Dumbledore, extremely unsure if it was him. 

Dumbledore, alike, pointed his wand at James. The two men kept their wands pointed at each other. "Prove who you are," Dumbledore said simply to James. James eyes Dumbledore before disappearing. In his place stood a magnificent black stag. Dumbledore was shocked at this but knew it was true. James Potter had indeed returned from the dead. 

Soon the stag was gone and there again stood James Potter. "James, I-I...." He was at a loss for words at this. "What year is it?" "1981. Why?" James replied to Dumbledore.

Dumbledore shook his head and brought out the most recent copy of the daily prophet. Handing it to James, he watched as James looked at the date of the daily prophet, shocked by what it was. October 31, 1995. Fourteen years later. James looked at the front page seeing a moving picture of a boy who looked incredibly like him. It was titled 'The Boy Who Lived or The Boy Who Lies?' James' face contorted with anger at this, as he figured that this boy was Harry. Albus watched the younger man's face go from confusion to shock, then to anger at the front page. 

"I-... Harry's still alive?" He said abruptly cutting his other statement off. Dumbledore nodded, a smile slipping over his lips. 

"Yes. And he's quite the young man." He said. James watched the moving picture of his son, who if you didn't look closely, could mistake the two of them for each other.

Dumbledore watched James with a smile. "Remus and Sirius will be the most delighted by your return James." He said, taking the paperback when James handed it to him. James perked up hearing the mention of his friends. 

"When can I see them and Harry again?" He asked eagerly. 

"Sirius and Remus should be available now. But Harry, you'll have to wait until Christmas break I'm afraid. As he is in school at the moment." Dumbledore said. James frowned. He wanted to reconnect with Harry as soon as possible. Dumbledore's eyes crossed with worry. "Now James, Harry has had a very traumatic past. Especially during this past year. You are not to pressure him into telling you about it when you meet him. Let him open up to you instead." Albus said, seeing James' eyes were now laced with worry about his son's past.

James opened his mouth to speak but was cut off by Dumbledore. "In time James. You will come to understand. Sirius and Remus will tell you about last year and what happened. Shall we go?" Dumbledore asked, holding out his arm so he can take James using side-along apparition to headquarters. James sighed before placing his hand on Dumbledore's arm. He was still holding his wand along with the picture and the blanket before they were gone in a blink of an eye.

They reappeared outside of a gloomy-looking house, but Dumbledore proceeded into the house. He flicked his wand back at James casting a disillusion charm on him. He walked to the kitchen where the voices were coming from. He made James wait out in the hallway before pushing the door to the kitchen open.

He spotted Sirius and Remus sitting at the table with two other members of the order. "Dumbledore!" Remus said, looking up at him. The other three followed his gaze. 

"Sorry to interrupt your conversation, but I need to speak with Sirius and Remus." He said before stepping back out into the hallway.

The two men gave each other confused looks before following Dumbledore out to the hallway. Dumbledore smiled at them before leading them up the stairs to one room of the house. James was following them quietly. Dumbledore opened a door, letting the three of them into a room. "Now Sirius, Remus. This will come as a shock to you so I will have to ask that for safety measures that you hand me your wands. You will have them back after this." Dumbledore said. Sirius was about to protest, but Remus placed a hand on his shoulder as a warning. Sirius grumbled before handing over his wand to Dumbledore, Remus following.

Dumbledore smiled at them before waving his wand in James' direction. When James appeared, Dumbledore walked out of the room, locking it from the outside. He was forcing Sirius and Remus to work this out on their own without relying on magic.