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corinnesamuels · 2 years

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Deep in Your Bones

Whew, so this is my nearly a month late Jilytober Bingo Card fic LMAO. I like being able to pay my bills, but having to work to do it? I don’t know friends, I just don’t know.

Anywho, thank you again to @joyseuphoria for organizing this year’s Jilytober! And here are my overly ambitious choices for this bingo card:

“No.”

“James.”

“No.”

“James.”

“No.”

They’ve spent nearly every day of the Christmas holidays together, with Lily taking James along for her favorite muggle activities. They’ve seen a film at the cinema, watched Christmas movies huddled under a blanket while her father pretended not to spy on them, and even took a picture with a Father Christmas—who gave the couple the same confused looks as the parents of small children in the line around them. Father Christmas was clearly a professional, though, and stuck to his script, asking James what he wanted for Christmas.

“Somehow I got this beautiful creature. I think you’ve already delivered my gift.” James had said, his eyes locked on hers in a way that seemed to have rearranged her breathing.

Lily had absolutely melted. She was so distracted that when Father Christmas turned to her with an impressed twinkle in his eye, she pushed out a rushed “earmuffs” and promptly whisked James away to do some things they couldn’t do in front of small children.

And now, with just a few days left, they’ve found themselves walking through muggle London and at the door of a shop that advertises palm and tarot card readings. She’d been excited, thinking of how it would be a laugh, but James seems oddly uninterested.

“James, please. I’ve always wanted to visit a muggle fortune teller. It’ll be fun! We won’t take it seriously.”

“If most of the wizarding Seers are frauds, I can only imagine the muggle ones are just as ridiculous.” James rolls his eyes before switching gears and giving him one of his looks, stepping in close and placing his hands onto her hips. “Besides, wouldn’t you rather go get some hot chocolate? Or warm up other ways . . .” he trails off, pressing a kiss to the skin just behind her left ear.

Her eyes flutter closed. It’s a move he’s perfected during their patrols together as Head Boy and Head Girl, one that has had them nearly racing down the halls to be done so they can return to the Head’s Office and steal a few moments (hours) alone. He’s used it as a distraction on many occasions, but today, Lily Evans won’t be deterred.

“Who says we can’t do all three?”

James sighs again, dropping his head down to her shoulder.

“Please, James.” Lily pouts, pulling her eyebrows to meet in the middle and softening the look in her eyes. Pouting is uncharacteristic of her, she knows, but James is putting up a fight she hadn’t expected, and she plays to win.

James curses under his breath. “It’s hard enough to deny you anything, but I can’t when you look at me like that.” He reaches underneath his glasses and presses his fingertips to his eyeballs with a groan. “Okay, fine. But let’s make it quick.”

Lily lets out an excited squeal before standing to her tiptoes and pressing a quick kiss to his lips, followed by a lingering, warm one that promised more later.

“Feeling better about this already.” James says as he opens the door, placing a hand on her lower back to guide her through.

The lighting in the shop is dim, with candles sitting on tables and countertops throughout the space. Lily takes in the faint smell of incense when deep purple curtains open before them, revealing a bespectacled woman with hair wrapped elaborately into a yellow scarf and bangles hanging from her arms.

The woman observes them both before speaking, looking them up and down in a way that makes Lily feel rather exposed. “I sense doubt in you. But if you are decided, you may sit.” She disappears behind the curtains, and James and Lily exchange confused looks before shrugging and following her through to the other side.

The woman sits in front of a table stacked with candles, cards, herbs, and figurines. She watches them as they sit, stretching her fingers before picking up a deck of cards from the table. “I am Pythia.” She announces as she shuffles the cards, her eyes never leaving the two of them. “Is there anything in particular for which you are seeking answers?”

Lily glances toward James, who is giving her a look that says, very plainly, ‘this was your idea.’

Placed on the spot, she falters a bit. “Er, we’d like to know what the future holds for us, in general.”

“In general.” The woman—Pythia, repeats.

Lily nods with more certainty than she feels as Pythia continues to shuffle the cards.

“Know that we can stop at any time, my child.” Pythia says.

Lily looks to James again, who seems confused at this statement and the warning tone accompanying it. His eyes lock onto hers, and she knows the ball is in her court again. Lily turns to Pythia and gives her a nod.

Pythia closes her eyes and takes a deep breath before pulling cards from the deck, slowly laying three onto the table. “Your relationship is new. You haven’t always been this close.”

“Not for lack of trying.” James says mostly to himself.

Lily smirks. “You spent the first five years we knew each other being a prat.”

“Toerag, I think you called me.”

“An unfortunately accurate description.” Lily leans over and places a hand over his, linking their fingers together and resting them onto his knee. “Not now though.” She tells him this often because it’s true. Maturity looks good on James, and he’s become what she always knew he could be: considerate, dependable, steadfast. She never wants him to doubt that she’s noticed.

James gives her a look she’s seen quite often since they’ve started dating—adoration mixed with surprise, a how on earth did I manage this—before picking up their conjoined hands and pressing a kiss to the back of hers.

“He’s always been forthcoming with his feelings, but it took you a while to admit yours, did it not?” Pythia asks. “But you had known for quite some time before you admitted them.”

James glances at her curiously, and Lily blushes. She had only told him that she was certain she liked him and that she waited to be sure. Lily hadn’t told him about the exact moment she realized she wasn’t just content with having him as a friend. She’d danced around the memory of that day in Potions in their sixth year, when a cauldron of Amortentia sat on Professor Slughorn’s desk emitting spirals of smoke, and all she could smell was new parchment, her mother’s Christmas cookies, and James’ aftershave. The realization had haunted her for weeks, and when she finally admitted her feelings to him, Lily couldn’t believe that James hadn’t noticed the furtive glances, blushes, and lingering hugs she’d been giving him.

“I like to be sure about things.” Lily says finally. “Besides, I’d heard him say he was over me one day after class.”

“A lie if there ever was one.” James rubs his thumb over hers. “If I’d known that I had a chance I would’ve never said it.”

“Indeed. The two of you are very much in love, despite your ages.” Pythia taps on one of the cards twice with her index finger. “The cards are nearly screaming it into the aether.”

James is warming up to the idea of having their fortunes told now. His lopsided grin graces his features, and he squeezes her hand lightly before pressing another kiss to it. Lily can never get enough of the feeling that comes from his touch and affection. James gives her both so freely, so often, that she wonders how she ever survived without it. She smiles dreamily up at him before Pythia’s voice snaps her back to their surroundings.

“I don’t think you want to continue.”

Lily whips her head around. “But we do. You haven’t told us about the future yet.”

“You should ask yourself, my child, whether some things are better off not being known.”

Lily frowns as James rolls his eyes and gives her a look that plainly says, ‘I told you so.’

“We want to know.”

Pythia hesitates before pushing the stack of cards across the table toward Lily. “Pull two cards.” Lily obeys, trying to ignore the slight shaking of her hand as she lays the cards face up on the table and looks back to the fortune-teller.

“Your love is strong, but bittersweet. You will be intimately acquainted with tragedy and heartbreak.”

“That’s enough.” James cuts in firmly. Pythia’s eyes wander to him casually before turning back to Lily.

“Heartbreak?” Lily whispers. “What do you mean?”

“Again, I have to ask whether you would like to know, or whether you should take me up on my offer to stop at any time.”

“No. We’re leaving.” James stands and pulls Lily up with him. Lily wants to object, wants to run from the room, wants to ask for more details, but worry steals all the moisture from her throat. Pythia nods, her face betraying nothing as she gathers the cards and stacks them into a neat pile in their original location at her table.

Lily barely registers James pulling muggle money out of his pocket and placing it onto the table before whisking her out of the shop and back into the December cold. “Listen.” He says as he pulls her close and tips her chin up to look him in the eyes. “Being with you is everything I could ever ask for. I’d die before breaking your heart. You know that right?”

She nods because she does know. She feels it with their every interaction and conversation. Lily’s eyes close as he presses a kiss between her furrowed eyebrows and then another to her lips. But she doesn’t speak.

Because what if the heart that breaks is his?

As the days pass, James works tirelessly to push the thought from her head, and before she knows it, they are back at Hogwarts, trying not to buckle under the weight of NEWT workloads, prefects’ meetings and rounds, and in James’ case, Quidditch practice. The day with Pythia is pushed back to a hazy memory as she and James steal kisses during patrols and a bit more than kisses on days James meets her in the Heads’ Office after practice looking sweaty and windswept.

On many occasions, they just find themselves in the common room late at night, unable to sleep, cuddled up and sharing a chair near the fire as they whisper their hopes and plans for the future. Lily is nervous about the interview Slughorn set up for her with the Head Healer of St. Mungo’s. James has trials scheduled with Puddlemere and Pride of Portree and is struggling to keep all of the balls he’s juggling in the air. But the undercurrent of it all is the mostly unspoken agreement that they wanted to do it all together. Until the day James not-so-casually mentions a dream he’s had, where she and their children sit in the stands at a Puddlemere Match (it’s how he’s decided which team he’d rather play for, after not being able to state a preference before), followed by another of him taking her flowers to her shift at St. Mungo’s with a little boy in tow.

“He looked just like me as a child, but with red hair—messy of course. Mischief twinkling in his eyes. Our genes did amazing work.” He gives her that lopsided grin, and Lily laughs and places her hands on either side of his face to pull him into a deep kiss.

“I can’t wait.” She says softly as she leans her face into the crook of his neck and breathes in deeply.

“For which one?” James asks as he pulls her tighter to him.

“Both.” She whispers.

They carry on. And late-night visits to the kitchens turn into furtive glances and nudges in the library and bleed into walks across the grounds because while she loves warm weather, James loves the cold and promises to make it worth her while. He always does, even when they are caught in the middle of a snowball fight, and Sirius throws three snowballs at them in rapid succession. James laughs and tells her to run as he quickly gathers snow to retaliate. But with a smirk of her own, she throws up a shield charm so strong that the incoming snowballs seem to boomerang back to Sirius, who has to duck to dodge them.

“Hey! No magic in the snowball fights. You know the rules, Red!” Sirius yells as he dives behind Peter to dodge the snowballs James sends his way in retribution.

“Funny.” Lily replies as she charms a large pile of snow behind Sirius. “I never took you to care much about things as insignificant as rules.”

Sirius laughs in spite of himself. “You’re a bad influence on her, Prongs.” But James doesn’t respond. He’s too busy looking at her in awe.

“Merlin, I love you.” He pulls her to him gruffly with one arm, snowball fight forgotten as he tucks a lock of hair behind her ear and kisses her in a way that McGonagall would have docked points for had she been on the grounds. Sirius and Peter take this as their chance to attack the two, but with a flick of her wand, Lily sends the mountain of snow she’d quietly charmed to land on their heads, causing them to topple over. Remus, who’d been in the Hospital Wing recovering from a full moon, was nearly in tears at the tale when she and James went to visit him.

Their walks become less treacherous as the grounds begin to defrost at the first signs of spring, and they spend afternoons lounging by the lake whenever James manages to talk into taking a break from studying. He’s lobbying for another study break one day as they head to Dumbledore’s office for their monthly meeting, and she laughs.

“Would it kill you to take NEWT’s a little more seriously?”

“It very well might, Evans, why take the risk?” He jokes. She laughs again as they walk up the steps behind the stone gargoyle that leads to Dumbledore’s office and knock. When they hear Dumbledore beckon them in, James opens the door for her and gestures for her to enter first as he always does, ever the gentleman. But when she sees who is sitting in one of the armchairs across from Dumbledore’s desk, she freezes, and James nearly trips over her before he realizes that she’s stopped walking.

“Lily, wha—”

But then he sees her too.

Her bangles clink against each other softly as she turns to face them, her face impassive as her eyes rove over them slowly. Her hair is wrapped in the same yellow scarf, and suddenly the memory of that day in muggle London comes rushing back, as do Pythia’s words:

Tragedy. Heartbreak.

“Pythia, allow me to introduce our Head Girl and Head Boy, Lily Evans and James Potter.” Dumbledore gestures to the pair, whose eyes are locked onto his guest in shock.

“We meet again.” Pythia says levelly.

Read the rest at ao3!

#jilytober #jilytober 2021 #jily bingo #a thousand years late but I was determined #jily fanfic #jily seventh year fic #hogwarts #a prediction in Divinations rocks James and Lily's world #light angst but with a happy ending because of who I am as a writer

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halothenthehorns · 3 years

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All in the Family

Chapter 44: Flight of the Fat Lady

It was an, interesting space, to say the least. They all recognized they were still in Hogwarts, a quick peek out the window confirmed it was a windy day on the schools grounds. None of them automatically recognized the room they were in though.

There was a tank sitting in the corner filled with murky water, though nothing discernible inside it. Remus went over anyways to peer in, Sirius following along so he could eye the books on a nearby shelf, all titled after Dark creatures. Frank went over to riffle through the desk, and found assignments already marked for DA lessons.

"Wow," Peter was turning slowly on the spot, taking it all in. The worn briefcase still sitting pleasantly on the edge of the desk, a chipped teapot and an empty goblet still steaming off to the side. "I think we're actually in Professor Lupin's office."

"Eerie," James muttered agreement. "Somewhere Moony's going to be one day, that we never are." They both shivered and went over to where their friends were for a distraction. Remus had found the book amongst the others and was continuing the tale. "Flight of the Fat Lady? How odd, where do you suppose she's going?"

"Don't know, she's never been known to dodder off before," Sirius said without concern.

"You've always threatened to chase her off when she pretends the password has been changed," James reminded with a laugh. "Maybe you finally go through with it." He had taken great comfort so far Sirius hadn't been mentioned anywhere near the castle, clearly whatever he was up to had nothing to do with Harry.

Sirius laughed in agreement, and to everyone else it looked like they hadn't a care in the world.

Alice tried to catch Lily's eye and see what she thought of this newest place, but she still seemed distant, playing with strands of her hair and looking everywhere, and no where. The narrative certainly wasn't helping this along, if anything it was making it all worse. The Marauders were yukking it up, hearing one of their own made such a great teacher that the students all loved. Alice was honestly quite pleased with Lupin and wished she could find some way to thank him for how he'd treated Neville, giving him a way to stand up to Snape, even a fake one.

"We don't have to talk about him," Alice said quietly as more of his bitter personality was highlighted. The red-head pulled even tighter into herself, as if trying to shield herself from the words. "It seems a little hard to get away from this though." She finished with as much sympathy as she could, admittedly it wasn't much, she didn't know anyone who was being such an arse to everyone around him.

"It's not him though!" Lily said at once with passion. "That's not my friend, never how I've known him!"

Alice bit her lip rather than respond, but then Potter whirled on the spot and snapped, "well it's high time you see the side of him everyone else has!"

Frank couldn't help but wince and step away from the lot, out of the line of fire.

This was understandable, as Evans predictably shot back at once, "just because you lot feel the need to curse-"

"No!" Potter snapped back, and there was none of his jovial tone, the light in his face showing how much he enjoyed her attention now. "You don't get to accuse my best mate of being a murderer never even knowing him, but still defend the biggest bully in this school! I've been trying to get you to see that for long enough!"

Lily just stood there, looking far more stunned than any spell could accomplish. Finally she flipped her hair and stalked away, but not before snapping, "good! Good riddance! It's what I've been hoping you'd do for the past five bloody years!"

Potter looked genuinely surprised at such a reaction, rocking back on his heels and turning to face his friends again in confusion. "For one second, I actually thought I'd gotten through to her."

"Shouldn't have made it sound so final mate," Sirius offered helpfully. "Now she might actually not be expecting you to start up again."

"Plan for a sneak attack," Remus offered quietly, causing the four to laugh again. The book thankfully took a turn with their mood, talk of Quidditch and Wood's even more persistent attempts at a winning year.

It was depressing Harry would be missing the first Hogsmeade trip, but Peter very, very quietly whispered, "hope he, ah, winds up there anyways," with a promising look at James. He nodded to himself, quite agreeing his son deserved to get in there no matter what means. It would make his day for a son of his to find a certain secret passage.

Arguments were lighting up everywhere, even in the book now as Ron and Hermione's problems with their pets was highlighted through a romp around the common room with Crookshanks and Scabbers. Peter in particular shivered for that, it had happened a few times by accident and wasn't something he'd wish repeated.

Hermione wasn't winning points back with any of the Marauders as the day went on and she was so callous about hearing of another kid losing her pet rabbit back home.

"I swear, Hermione seems like more of a self-centered prick than that Lockhart!" Sirius scowled in frustration for the sobbing kid. "Who picks now of all times to hammer her point home, can't she offer a bit of sympathy!"

"That's rich coming from you," Frank raised a mock surprised brow. "Considering the only emotion I've ever found in you was contempt, or juvenile euphoria."

Sirius scowled, his hand twitching for his wand, until, "just because you and that Muggleborn agree on the flimsy premise of Divination doesn't give you a pass to start acting like her Longbottom," Regulus called from the window, slumped down so far in the shadows he was nearly invisible. "I know for a fact you and Smith thought she was being too harsh a whole book ago, no need to over stew yourself and come out warped," he finished with a smug expression.

Frank rolled his eyes, unimpressed, while Sirius was beaming at him. Regulus was no longer looking at either of them, eyes back out the window and completely uninterested as Lupin stuttered Harry's way through an attempt to get McGonagall to allow him to go anywhere without a permission slip. Everyone knew how that was going to turn out.

The mood only grew worse about the room as Harry was left to himself as his friends departed. No one envied those who were alone, and Frank pushed past the group of four roughly so that he could join Alice giving a comforting chat to Lily. The two began sharing their favorite spots out in Hogsmeade, and after a little cajoling Lily finally opened up as well and joined in with a half-decent smile, effectively not bringing up Snape's name.

Sirius only hesitated for a few moments before waving Regulus over as well. His little brother looked pleasantly surprised, hesitated a few moments himself, before coming over to join them.

"So, I've been thinking about this from how you would Sirius, and perhaps what happened-"

"Oh can we not!" Sirius said at once, his tone cracking with well disguised strain. To anyone outside of this circle, it wasn't even noticeable. "I wanted to have a laugh about Filch! Come, please tell me you've some stories about snubbing him!"

Regulus rolled his eyes and already looked like he was regretting coming over here. Lupin coming into the story again and offering Harry to come into this very room only marginally improved his mood, he was hoping Harry would find some detail in here he'd missed about what was going on this year.

"Oh, it's a grindylow!" James said in surprise, turning back to the tank and now tapping it enthusiastically. "You've hid him too well Moony, I can't see him back behind all that seaweed."

"I'm sure I'm just letting the little thing be comfortable till class, then I'll likely take that out," Remus offered.

James smiled with ease that conversation between Harry and Remus flowed so smoothly. Well of course it would, any kids of his would get along with his friends! He was surprised he hadn't heard more about this! Why hadn't Moony gone and sought out Harry? Well, the same reason he hadn't for the past thirteen years...which James had no good reason for. Her pursed his lips tight and fought off the urge, again, to bring this up. He shook it off and instead enjoyed what transpired between Harry and Remus, until Snape came in.

"Gah! Can't go one bloody hour without wanting to hex him lately," Sirius scowled.

"Sadly, I'll have to agree with Black on this one," Frank muttered quietly. The guy had some rotten timing, Lily had instantly gone back to her reserved and stand offish self. She flared a bit at hearing Frank's mutter, but wavered at the look on his face. Clearly he didn't regret saying it, at all. She couldn't help but think, were they the ones missing something here, or was she?

They all stiffened and looked around the room suspiciously, until Peter nudged his friends and gestured to the goblet he'd previously noted. He no longer thought it housed tea.

Sirius licked his lips nervously, taking a step closer to Remus. "He, wouldn't really poison Moony with a witness about, would he?"

"I mean, who would believe Harry if he did?" James muttered. "Dumbledore already hired him knowing what he's capable of."

Lily's eyes grew wide in disgust at their minds, then narrowed in horror as her own mind trailed off in wonder. What on Earth had caused Lupin and Severus to become cordial? Possibly just time, the two actually growing up and maturity rendering civility? She could hope, but she wondered if it wasn't something else. Just last week Sev had once again been going on about the Marauders and how they were hiding something. Had he finally discovered what? Her friend clearly still hated Potter in this time though, why not Lupin? Then her mind again went to the rest of his friends, to Black. Who was now on the run for murder.

Her mouth went dry, she almost screamed but stopped herself at the last second. She'd previously suspected the two old friends could be in on something together but had tried to brush it off for one of them being at school, but how could Sev have been roped into it? Was he still just trying to know, or had he done more and figured it all out?

They were all left with more questions than answers as Snape departed as mysteriously as he'd come, and the fact that Lupin seemed even grateful as he drank what he himself described as a 'disgusting,' potion clued in no one. The Marauders knew something, the other four were all positive of this, but clearly not enough for an answer judging by all of their worried expressions.

Lupin was the most distracted of all, he kept glancing out the window so frequently it was as if he didn't even realize he were reading about the Gryffindor portrait being attacked until Peeves arrived, and then they were all wired with attention and worry until the name was given. Sirius Black had struck again.

#Harry Potter #fanfiction #Marauders #PoA #reading the books #Wolfstar #Jilly #Regulus Black #Sirius Black #James Potter #Peter Pettigrew #Remus Lupin #Alice Smith #Frank Longbottom

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mcwerewolfblack · 6 years

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Imagine The Maurauders On April Fool's

Okay, it's April Fools Day in the Maurauders' seventh year. Do NOT tell me they wouldn't go out with a bang.

- "We could... put a chocolate frog in McGonagall's tea," James suggests. Sirius tells him that's old and boring, that McGonagall just expects shit like that now, and that they need new material

- "We could... make all the toilets explode in the boys' lavatory," Peter suggests. "Girls'," Sirius grins, and everyone says "no" at the same time.

- "Fireworks in Divination?" James suggests. "Predictable," Peter grunts

- "Polyjuice potion." Everyone looks over at Remus, to see him smiling and sipping his hot chocolate primly

- "You're brilliant, Moony." "I know. Now let's go steal some from Snivellus, I know he's been brewing some for months." "Why?" "For a project, he's a giant nerd."

- they all obtain some strong brew, and decide not to plan who will be who-- they'll just mix up the cups, and whoever gets whoever, will get to spend a day as them

- Remus is James. James is Sirius. Peter is Remus. Sirius is Peter.

- Remus goes about his day, quickly realizing he has to actually pull off being James. Ah, he forgot the glasses! "Good morning, Mr. Potter," McGonagall says in the hall. "Quidditch is brill!" Remus-James shouts back, giving two over-enthusiastic thumbs up, and Minerva frowns.

- Remus quickly also realizes he has to go be seeker on the Quidditch team. And find James' glasses.

- "Potter! You're playing like my grandma's grandma today!"

- "Don't you think we've practiced enough? We've been up here for-- woah, steady you incompetent stick...!-- for just past five minutes now!"

- Peter awkwardly bumping into doors and ceilings etc. because he's not used to being so damned tall

- "Particularly clumsy today are we, Mr. Lupin?" McGonagall asks him with a fond smirk, and Peter-Remus looks up, blushing madly.

- "It's... I... I have to..." He can't think of anything to say that sounds remotely Remus-like, so he gulps, and mutters, "I think my chocolate is melting," and runs out. McGonagall wonders what's gotten into the usually friendly boy.

- Sirius gives no fucks and makes no effort to "be" Peter at all

- he spends 1.5 hours in the bathroom, skipping Peter's classes to groom him in the mirror

- also it's the 70s so he completely mows through a pack of cigarettes over that time, because LOL it's not his lungs anymore

- "That eyebrow hair must go... that nose hair is unsightly... why does he part his hair on this side? His right profile is obviously more flattering... oh, finally I can do something about these dastardly blemishes..."

- he comes out of the bathroom looking like an extremely washed out muggle rock star, hair slicked back and nails painted a glaring black

- "Mr. Pettigrew. You certainly have taken a... different approach to your appearance today," McGonagall tries to smile.

- Sirius-Peter winks at her.

- "Like it? It's the new and improved me, darling." Whistling, he keeps walking and loosens his tie, leaving McGonagall to seriously ponder that startling exchange with the shyest boy in seventh year

- James wonders when Sirius got all these tattoos, then wonders what he's doing checking out his best friend's chest-- Remus might not like that.

- "Lily! You look exceptionally smashing today." Oops. He shouldn't have--

- "Thanks. So do you, as usual."

- James is about to grin and thank his girlfriend, but realizes whose body he's in. "Hey..."

- Just then, Remus-him shows up, and James just about has a heart attack

- "Hi, love," Lily smiles, pressing a long kiss to Remus-James' lips.

- "Ah. E-excuse me. I have... places to... things to... oh, dear," Remus blurts, and walks into a wall, stumbling off and scratching his tongue. Lily frowns, and shrugs at Sirius.

- "Men." All James can do is swallow, and agree

- she punches his shoulder and goes off to class

- "Mr. Black," McGonagall passes by, "Your friends are acting very peculiar today."

- "Not as peculiar as Lily telling Sirius how hot he looks," James-Sirius mutters, and Minerva stops mid-stride, wondering if she heard that right. Is it common now for teenagers to refer to themselves in the third person?

- Upon running away from Lily, Remus-James comes upon Snape, and realizing in keeping up the charade, he must come up with some snide remark.

- "Severus... you look tired and sad. Ha!"

- Snape cringes. "Not your best, Potter."

- Remus-James walks away from that exchange thinking about the fact that yes, he might as well have just insulted himself with that one

- Peter-Remus accidentally trips and drops his books, and to his surprise, three girls come and help him, practically tossing themselves at him

- "Ya know... if you and Sirius ever break up... ;) ;) ;)"

- "Yeah, here's our dorm number in case you're ever feeling lonely ;) ;)"

- "Are the rumours about the size of your, ehm... wand, true?? ;)"

- Peter-Remus is amazed because he always thought James was the lady killer of the group

- Flustered and emboldened by the fact that this is the most positive contact he's had with girls in the past five years, Peter-Remus says yes to every single one of them

- Sirius-Peter flirts with literally everyone, because he can, he's not himself and Remus can't blame him

- he is personally offended every time he gets harshly rejected, and eventually tries once more before giving up

- he sees three pretty girls walking across the hall

- "Hello, lovely ladies--"

- "Get lost, Peter. We've got dates with Remus Lupin!"

- "Aw, bugger... wait, what?!!"

- McGonagall overhears this, and does a full 360° because Remus John Lupin is extremely, wildly gay and things are not right in this world today dammit

- she wrangles all four of them up in her office, and stares at them.

- "James Potter--" she looks at Remus, and Sirius answers. "Yes, ma'am?" McGonagall warily looks between them. "Just what have you boys been up to?"

- "Just going about our days, ma'am," Remus-James says, and McGonagall purses her lips.

- "Today, you, Mr. Potter, have been kicked off the Quidditch team, you Mr. Lupin have knocked your head on 16 door frames, Mr. Black, you have shown immense jealousy toward Lily Evans, and Mr. Pettigrew..." she looks over Peter with sympathy, "You have simply not been yourself." She frowns, and starts to notice things.

- Remus is now beginning to sprout some large ears. Sirius is squinting, as if he can't see properly without glasses, James is developing two curious scars across his face, and Peter's hair is growing past his shoulders.

- she knows. She just knows, but she waits for an explanation, until Peter finally gives in. "April Fools?"

- Minnie is not amused.

- "Detention. The four of you."

- "Awww," James says, "But I had a date with Lily. You're really keeping us for detention, Professor?"

- she stares. Oh, she stares, and she tries to make it into a hard glare, but she's never been able to around these boys

- "April Fools, Mr. Potter."

- she smiles as the four grin and hug each other, walking off with whispers of, "What did you do to my hair, Padfoot?!" "I fixed it, what else?!" "Oh, you didn't smoke in me, did you?" "Of course not, Wormtail, you really think so little of me to believe..."

- Bonus: the next morning, Remus wonders why he's got a pile of love letters in their dorm addressed to him with hearts

- "Who in the hell is Mabel Merriweather?" Remus muses, and Sirius barely looks up. "The one Peter, as you, agreed to a date with."

- Remus flies out of there so fast to bang on the bathroom door, where Peter is trying to get all the charms out of his hair, that Sirius has to chuckle, and wonder how they're ever going to top this one

- James comes in with a very angry looking Lily

- "You guys used polyjuice without me?! I could have done a wonderful impression of any of you!" She clears her throat. "I'm Sirius Black, and I have frequent dreams that I'm the drummer for Led Zeppelin!"

- Sirius rolls his eyes over to her, flicking his wand idly. "I came out to have a good time, and honestly, I'm feeling so attacked right now."

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restingpanicface · 7 years

Text

I don’t think about Harry Potter a whole lot, typically, but today I saw a video that featured Harry wearing some cool shades and I started wondering: what if Voldemort’s killing curse had struck Harry just a little lower? What if - on the first of November, 1981 - the Dursleys had discovered their infant nephew on the doorstep not with a conspicuous jagged scar, but instead as a baby cursed with unseeing eyes the colour of electricity? How would the life of a blind Harry Potter from the story we already know?

The first divergences are small and predictable. On his eleventh birthday, Harry’s letter from Hogwarts is written in delicate braille and the signature of Minerva McGonagall is elegantly embossed. At the Hut-on-the-Rock, the newly-revealed wizard boy is overwhelmed not by Hagrid’s size but by the booming depth of his voice.

Arriving at Hogwarts, we get no description of Draco Malfoy’s appearance, but instead learn the self-important scuffing sound of his footsteps. We learn that Crabbe and Goyle smell of old oatmeal, too much candy, and something that reminds Harry of grumpy toads.

Instead of learning “Lumos”, our blind Harry learns spells like “Oros” - which makes books and letters whisper their written contents to him with papery voices - as well as “Divinus”, which causes his wand to hum like a tuning fork the closer it gets to the object he’s thinking of.

One notable difference: In this world, no-one will ever tell Harry that he has his mother’s eyes. It’s hard to tell how much this changes Harry’s story; perhaps, without Lily’s eyes to stir up such emotion, Professor Snape won’t inflict Harry with the sadistic cruelty of a jealous lover - though he still treats the Potter boy with the same distance and hostility he felt towards his father James (this, plus the acrid fumes and addling, humid vapours of the potions classrooms, makes the subject one of Harry’s least favourite).

When Harry’s eyes mark him as “The Boy who Lived” he may not be able to see the reflection of his desires in the Mirror of Erised, but upon placing his hand on the mirror’s cool surface Harry’s head is filled with the murmurs of familiar and comforting voices - his uncles, grandmothers, great-aunts and second cousins - and he is taken by an overwhelming sense of belonging, of being home.

Our sighted Harry always relied on the help of his friends to overcome challenges, and this remains true through the challenges to reach the Philosopher’s Stone. Hermione will still fend off the devil’s snare and solve the potion riddle, while Ron’s command over the chess board will still get the trio through the fourth chamber. Unable to see, Harry may yet be able to capture the winged key in the third chamber; instead of chasing the key like a daring snitch-seeker, he rises cautiously on his broom into the middle of the whirling, fluttering cloud and waits patiently until his keen ears distinguish the slow and clumsy flapping of the injured old key, grabbing it cleanly out of the air as it lumbers past him.

In his second year, Harry’s blindness is if anything an advantage in the fight against the basilisk, making him immune to the serpent’s petrifying gaze as he follows the sound of Fawkes’ voice to rend it through its head. (Incidentally, the repercussions of Dobby’s meddling this year will be slightly lessened. Who could blame a blind twelve-year-old for knocking over a sugared violet pudding - although of course the Dursleys will try - or bumping into a wall at Central Cross station?)

Professor Trelawney’s classes in third year could only be incredibly tedious for Harry, being unable to read tea leaves or see into crystal balls. What’s more, the Divination professor makes near-constant references to “blind prophets” and “third eyes”, which Harry can’t help but feel is somewhat offensive. Hermione will be very patient with Harry when they sit down to practice their astrology readings and Harry has to ask “Where are the stars, Hermione? The stars? Is Mars in the house of Jove right now? Where’s the moon? What’s the moon doing?”

With all the talk of The Grim this year, all Harry notices is the lingering ‘shaggy dog smell’ that seems to follow him around whenever he’s outside the castle.

Will a blind boy be allowed to participate in the Triwizard Tournament? Of course he will! Wizards don’t understand ‘safety’. Our Harry may not be a confident flyer, but he still has command of the Accio charm, as well as an entire stash of Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes products under his bed in the dormitory. Even a Hungarian Horntail can’t see you through Peruvian Instant Darkness Powder, nor can it smell you once you’ve detonated a few dung bombs. After being tricked into devouring an entire case of Skiving Snackboxes, any dragon is going to feel like taking the day off.

Harry doesn’t recognise Hermione at first when she attends the Yule Ball with Viktor Krum: her improved posture changes the sound of her footsteps, and her voice has taken on a new lilt and clarity after Madam Pomfrey shrunk her teeth to undo Malfoy’s hex. Masking her characteristic smells of library books and toothpaste, she carries with her the flowery scent of the cosmetic potion she put in her hair.

Harry will be incapable of seeing thestrals, even at the start of his fifth year; after hearing the clopping of hooves from his carriage and remarking that “regular, horse-drawn transport seems rather mundane for Hogwarts”, he will be drawn into a very awkward and illuminating conversation with Luna Lovegood about the nature of death. Literally lacking an eye for fashion, Harry wears a gifted pair of Spectrespecs for the first three weeks of term before Hermione “accidentally” knocks them off and Ron “mistakenly” steps on them.

Umbrige will be described to us in this universe not by her “toad-like” appearance, but in terms of a voice “like an indignant budgerigar stuck in an expensive vase”. Her classroom smells strongly to Harry of talcum powder and too-sweet tea, with an undertone of vinegar and hints of nightshade.

With a fragment of Tom Riddle’s soul trapped within his eyes, Harry’s visions of Voldemort are stronger than ever, and on the back of an invisible but warmly musty thestral he rushes as always to confront the Death Eaters at the Ministry of Magic with a group of determined friends by his side.

Of course this Harry will succeed in hunting down the remaining Horcruxes and tracing the paths of the Deathly Hallows. How could he not, with his magical talents, his powerful capacity for empathy and love, and the endless help of his his allies and friends?

Coming to consciousness in a spectral representation of King’s Cross Station, Harry recoils from the feebly whimpering fragment of Voldemort’s soul. He is greeted by the presence of Albus Dumbledore, whose distinguished voice Harry recognises like a grand old oak tree, branches bowed under the weight of a thousand stars. Harry’s figment of Dumbledore smells like soap and gold wire, like ink, polished wood and lemon sherbets, and very faintly of kind and humble tears. Occasional wisps of the old man’s expansive beard brush past Harry’s face.

Harry has the same conversation with Dumbledore about life and death, about the old wizard’s own plans and foils, and about Voldemort and Harry’s fates. Harry is offered the same choice: to go back to the land of the living or to board a train into the beyond. Harry still chooses to return to Voldemort’s camp in the Forbidden Forest, for the sake of his friends, whom he knows and loves by sound and smell and touch.

Harry - The Boy Who Lived - the boy with eyes like lightning, duels Voldemort without ever seeing his snake-like features or the contempt and malice in his red-ringed pupils. He defeats the dark lord just as he does in the original story, because the sum of one’s strength is more than any one sense, just like a community’s strength is greater than that of any one person. Beside the skinny boy with the dark glasses held together by Spell-o-tape stand a frizzy-haired muggle girl who has read every book, two redheaded siblings from a huge and loving family, a forgetful boy raised by his grandmother, a girl who still carries around a battered pair of Spectre Specs, and countless other witches and wizards who stand behind our blind hero knowing that love, acceptance and cooperation are the most powerful magics of all.

#why in the heck did i write this #long post #harry potter #blindness #fanfic?#au #writing #concept #potterverse #jk rowling #representation #again why did this happen?#i haven't really fact-checked or spellchecked this so #snape #dumbledore #umbridge #idk #voldemort #EDITED

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