They're Alive?! (A Harry Potter Fanfic)

Chapter 14: Pieces

Chapter 14

If Lily and James didn't know any better, they'd say that the odds of people's doppelgangers introducing themselves to them were too damn high. First, there was Harry. Then, there were the Dursleys.

Lily and James exchanged uncomfortable looks with each other.

Just a few minutes ago, they were ready to tear their hair out trying to locate the Dursleys and now... they had been invited inside the house of the very family that they had been looking for with the exact family members they needed to see.

Only these people didn't seem to know who the Dursleys were. They would look at the couple all confused before shaking their heads and offering them tea.

It was clear on their faces that they didn't know them. They didn't even appear to have seen their faces at all until today. Mr. Dursley... or Mr. Barnes left for his job soon after Lily and James were seated in their living room. To Lily, seeing the smile on his face as he waved them goodbye was a frightening experience. She never saw Vernon Dursley smile before.

Their son was upstairs. He greeted them once when they entered the house but they never saw him again. He was no doubt playing videogames in his room, judging by the loud explosions they heard. She had to assure James twice that they weren't under attack whenever somebody shouted "DIE" from upstairs. Their behavior only added to Petunia – Julie's confusion.

Lily gave a half-longing look at the woman she knew as her sister right in front of her. Everything about her screamed Petunia Dursley but her insistence that she was Julie Barnes kept her at bay.

Lily felt like everything was a joke. She desperately wanted Petunia... Julie... whoever she was, to say, "I'm just kidding. Hello, Lily!" albeit a much harsher version like, "Yes, yes, I remember you. Now get out of my house." or something like that.

"Now... you don't want tea, you don't even want water... I suppose we'll have to dive right in, won't we?" Julie Barnes said as she sat down carefully on the cushioned chair beside the sofa. Her voice had knocked Lily out of her thoughts and she decided to give her full attention to the woman.

Julie wasn't blind. She had noticed the looks the couple had given her earlier and though a part of her warned her against inviting the two inside, the pleasant and hospitable side of her ruled it out. She had to admit though, looking at the red-haired woman gave her a headache. She didn't know why.

James cleared his throat and gestured to himself. "Hello, my name's James Potter and this is my wife, Lily."

At the mention of their names, pain erupted in Julie's skull again. She didn't show it to her guests though. She did wince for a second before returning to her polite smile. Was she getting sick?

"We're professors at your nephew's school." Lily said, adding to James' introduction.

Julie ironed out small wrinkles on her dress with the palm of her hand as she listened to their short introduction. She didn't know why but she suddenly had a strong feeling that she should kick the two out of her home. After all, they were strangers who kept insisting that she and her family were the ones they were looking for. The Davies or Duckleys or whatever they were called.

Dursley

That one word suddenly floated inside her head. It reverberated deep inside her skull and triggered a head-splitting headache. Julie's hands flew up to her head, clutching it in pain.

Lily and James looked at each other and something in their heads clicked. Harry kept having headaches too. Was it all coincidence? The couple locked eyes again and they both nodded. They needed to get to the bottom of this.