PRIORI INCANTATEM by Arianna Waters (christmas read aloud TXT) 📕

“Listen!” Dumbledore said, silencing everyone. “Both Sirius and Severus are here at my invitation. I trust both of them. It is time for everyone to lay aside old differences and trust each other.”

“Now I have work for both of you. Fudge’s attitude, though not unexpected, changes everything. Though I must say, Ms. Jorkins played her part well. Sirius, I need you to set off at once. You are to alert Remus Lupin, Arabella Figg, Mundungus Fletcher — the old crowd. Lie low at Lupins for a while; I will contact you there. And take this good old man with you,” he said, pointing to Frank Bryce.

Sirius bade a goodbye to the Potters, transformed again into a black dog, and went away followed by Mr. Bryce.

“Severus,” said Dumbledore, turning to Snape, “you know what I must ask you to do. If you’re ready . . . if you are prepared. . .”

“I am,” said Snape.

“Then good luck,” said Dumbledore. After a few minutes, he spoke again. “I must go downstairs and leave you to take some rest Harry, and family reunion I suppose,” said Dumbledore.

“Headmaster —” Cedric spoke. “I will come with you. I must say goodbye to my parents. I, too, am ready for any task you have for me.”

“Ah! Hop along then.”

“Back to his crazy old self,” James grinned as Dumbledore went away with his arm on Cedric’s shoulder.

“Dad!” Harry scolded.

“You know, I’m still waiting to be called ‘mum’ by you!” Lily said, smiling.

“Oh mum!” Harry hugged her.

“Hey! Cedric left the prize money here only,” said Ron.

“Ronald Weasley!” Hermione glared at him.

“These are my two best friends, mum and dad! Hermione,” Harry said looking at the brown haired witch, “and Ron!” he finished, turning to the redhead.

“Pleasure to meet you, Mr. and Mrs. Potter,” Hermione said shaking James’ hand.

Lily pulled her into a hug. “Call us James and Lily, dear.”

“I’m Ron. Ron Weasley,” Ron said.

“Oh! I remember you, you were a little, pink, freckled baby when we —” Lily said.

Ron blushed as everyone laughed, exempting Lily from completing the sentence. James pulled her into a hug.

“Look, here’s a note,” Harry spoke up, looking at the note placed by the winnings.

Harry,

Thank you for saving my life. Or should I say returning me to life? I owe my life to you now. And you are the true Triwizard Champion. I would not have been able to duel Voldemort for even a second, as was proved today. But I’ll dedicate this life into making the world a better place to live in. Keep the winnings — you are the one who deserves them. And don’t try to return them back, or I’ll hex you into oblivion. You might be a better dueler, but I still have three years’ worth of knowledge more than you. Again, thanks for everything.

Cedric

P.S. I won’t be coming back to Hogwarts for now, so, as a last favour to me, if you can, please tell Cho that I really liked her. She should go make new boyfriends, because I’m at your service now, which most probably means Dumbledore’s — the crazy old man — the Wizard of Oz!! Tell her I’ll meet her soon if possible.

Harry had tears in his eyes, yet could not help but smile at Cedric’s humor as he finished the note. He passed it on for the others to read it.

“Blimey! When d’you reckon he wrote this?” Ron asked.

“No idea,” Harry replied, feeling tired.

“Your potion, Harry,” said Mrs. Weasley quickly, as she saw his sleepy stature.

Harry drank it in one gulp. The effect was instantaneous. Heavy, irresistible waves of dreamless sleep broke over him; he fell back onto the pillow and thought no more.

For the second time that day, Harry found himself waking up to the sound of whispering.

“D’you reckon he’s even alive? He’s been sleeping like a log for three hours straight!” he heard Ron say.

“RON!” Hermione whisper-yelled, smacking him at the back of his head.

“I can’t make up my mind on whether you’re more like Lily or Molly, Hermione,” his father said. Harry could already see him grinning widely.

“A mixture of both, I suppose,” Harry said, startling everyone, as he reached for his glasses, yawning.

“Good you’re up! Mind having a chocolate frog?” James asked.

“James! He has just woken up,” Lily yelled, hitting him on the back of his head, not unlike what Hermione had done to Ron a few moments ago. Harry could already hear wedding bells going inside his head. He grinned at the thought.

“What’re you laughing at?” his father asked.

“Nothing!” he said, a bit too quickly. “Can’t tell,” he said shooting a meaningful look at his two best friends and then at his father, who grinned in turn.

“Okay . . . mind telling us a bit about your life, son? We’ve unfortunately missed a large part of it.”

“Sure thing,” Harry replied.

“Hang on,” said Lily. “Dumbledore said instead of listening, we can actually see it in the pensieve.”

“That’ll definitely be better,” Harry said. “I wonder why he asked me to narrate yesterday’s incident to him when he could have seen it directly.”

“Isn’t that obvious?” Hermione spoke up. “He didn’t want you to literally live through all that again!”

“Wait a minute,” James said. “You’re smart —”

“—a muggle born —” Harry added, already knowing where this was going.

“—bad tempered —” James added.

“—clever —” Harry said.

“—rule abiding —” James said.

“I wouldn’t be too sure of that,” muttered Ron.

“—so that means you’re perfect Lily Evans-II” James finished, ignoring Ron’s comment.

“Is it just me,” Mrs. Weasley spoke up, “or are Harry and James actually behaving like Fred and George?”

“You’re right mum! They’re even completing each other’s sentences . . . and they definitely look a lot alike,” Ron spoke up.

Meanwhile, Hermione was torn between looking angry, flattered or pleased.

“I’ll be going home now, I’ve been here too long,” Mrs. Weasley said, standing up. She gave everyone present there a big Molly Weasley hug each, kissed Ron, Hermione and Harry (A/N: on their cheeks) and went away.

“So should we go to the Room of Requirement?” Harry asked. “I can’t think of a better place to do the task of catching up.

James did not know whether to look pleased or jealous. Settling on pleased, he spoke up, “You know about the Room of Requirement? I came to know of that in my seventh year.”

“Let’s go then,” Lily said.

“Um... can we call Sirius or Remus as well? Probably both, because . . . there might be some . . . er . . . disturbing situations. Also, Ron and Hermione can come alright?” Harry spoke.

He could already feel anger welling up inside James, who gave a single nod, not trusting himself to words right now.

“I’ll go get the pensieve, and ask Dumbledore to floo Professor Lupin,” Hermione stated.

“P-Prof-fessor L-Lupin? As in Remus Lupin?” James asked, choking. The serious moment had passed, and Harry could not feel more pleased.

Hermione nodded.

“I knew it! I knew Moony had it in him! Padfoot owes me five galleons,” he said doing a mini war-dance.

Everyone laughed.

“I’ll get going then,” said Hermione.

“I’ll come with you,” Ron said, obviously wanting to get out of being in an awkward situation amidst a reunited family. “Here,” he said passing on the Invisibility Cloak to Harry. “You won’t want the — ahem — the imposters — to get caught!” He said nodding over to James and Lily.

“For the first time in your life, Ron,” said Hermione, “you’ve done something which is not stupid.”

Ron’s ears went red.

“Actually ‘Mione,” Harry began, thinking deeply, “I reckon it’s the second time.”

James doubled up with laughter. Even Lily couldn’t help but give a small smile.

As Ron and Hermione made their way to Dumbledore’s office, Harry, with his parents hidden under the Invisibility Cloak, started for the Room of Requirement.

“So what were you thinking and laughing at, which you couldn’t tell in front of Weasley and Lily Jr.?” his father asked in an empty hallway.

“I have a feeling down my gut that those two will end up together,” Harry replied, controlling his laughter.

“Yeah, me too,” his father said.

As Harry opened the door to the Room of Requirement, they found themselves in a cozy place with couches and chairs and a table, all in vibrant red and gold.

“So Harry, you’re a Gryffindor?” his mother asked, shedding off the cloak.

“Yeah mum,” he replied.

“I told you Lils, my son is a true Gryffindor like me!” Harry did not feel like telling him that the Sorting Hat had nearly put him in Slytherin.

“I’m going to go freshen up a bit,” Lily said, leaving father and son alone.

“Um . . . dad?” Harry spoke up. “In which year did you and your friends become animagi?”

“Ah! It took us three years, but we had perfected it in our fifth year,” James replied.

“Well . . . um . . . willyouteachmehowtobecomeone?” Harry asked him.

“Whoa there, slow down son.”

“Will you teach me how to become one?” Harry repeated, almost in a whisper.

“Of course! I thought Padfoot had already taught you the art of becoming an animagus.”

“He didn’t.”

“Don’t worry prongslet, now I’m here . . . and I’m going to make you a true marauder,” James replied, rubbing his palms in glee.

“I don’t know much about pranking, dad,” Harry said. “Between Voldemort after me, and detentions from Snape, and sometimes the others, I don’t have time for that. But the Weasley twins are surely the biggest pranksters in the school. Their aim is to open a joke shop in Diagon Alley. They’re pretty good at it too.”

“Hmm . . .”

“Dad?” Harry spoke up again. “Cedric’s not gonna take any of that money we won. I don’t need it. I had decided to give it all to Fred and George if I got it, for their joke shop funding, because in these times what we all need is a few laughs. Do you and mum mind that?”

“Not at all, son. Not at all!” James replied.

“Oh! You’ve grown up so much, Harry,” he heard his mother say from behind. “I’m sorry you had to grow up without us, and we left you alone as a baby.”

“It’s not your fault, mum. It’s all Voldemort’s fault. Just don’t do it again,” Harry said, sighing.

“Never, my boy,” James said.

The door to Room of Requirement opened.

“Moony!” James yelled, as he launched himself on the top of his old school friend to greet him.

“Hi . . . Prongs . . . can’t . . . breathe,” Remus Lupin replied, grinning as well.

“Oh, sorry! How’re you coping up with your furry little problem, eh?” James asked.

“Fine, I guess,” Remus replied, making his way over to Lily to greet her.

“Hey Lily, how’re you doing?” he asked.

“I’m great. Good to see you, Remus!” Lily said, smiling.

“And . . . that reminds me . . . Padfoot?” James cheerfully cried.

“Yeah?” Sirius said.

“My five galleons?”

“Which five galleons?”

“Told you Moony is going to be a teacher!” James spoke up.

“Oi!” Remus spoke up, looking at Harry, Ron and Hermione. “Which of you three told him I taught you? Now I’m never going to live another day in peace.”

“Of course not!” James said, grinning widely. “So Harry, did your Godfather look after you well?”

This shut everyone up.

“I . . . uh . . . well . . . did not live with Sirius,” Harry said.

“Told you, mate,” Sirius sighed, “I was in Azkaban.”

Before James