9 Close to The End

The next few weeks were a blur of joy and depression for James. Not only was he still writing to his parents every week, but Harry was even letting him write to Lily! His magical training was only getting better, even to the point of casting a Corporeal Patronus. Though when he tried to get it to send a message Harry cast some weird spell and it dissolved.

The depression came from the memories Harry shared and the fact they were close to the end of their time together.

James now knew all Harry was going to show him about the first wizarding war. He knew when he died, he knew that Peter betrayed him by being his secret keeper. He saw where the Horcruxes were located in Harry's time, and theories on where they were now.

There were still some things Harry hadn't told him, like Harry's parents or what happened to Lily. But… James thought he knew the answer to those now.

After learning about all of those things Harry then used their history time to show him more things about magic. Sometimes it was reliving Harry's memories when he would find a new spell, or create one with his wife Hermione. Others were when he found new magical species with Luna. Harry even took him to Ukraine to see the supposedly extinct Ukrainian Ironbelly.

He learned more dark arts than the rest of his classmates knew combined, even the greasy git Snivellus.

A weird pang of… something went through his heart at the thought of Snape.

He always knew the weird kid had a crush on Evans. Everyone knew but Evans. But Harry showed him how Snape had been raised in an abusive household. Joined the Dark Lord, did terrible things that made him feel good about himself. Then for some reason Harry hadn't gone into detail about, decided to become a spy for Dumbledore, working both sides for years.

Until eventually he killed Dumbledore on the old man's orders, tricking the Dark Lord and saving Harry's life dozens of times, until Voldemort was dead.

Then three years after the Dark Lords fall, Snape committed suicide.

When asked if James should save Snape like he was planning for Peter, Harry had said.

"I talked with Severus after Voldemort's fall. He told me how when he joined the Death Eaters he would go into muggle houses and practice his dark spells on them. Even then there was a part of him that was disgusted with what he was doing. But a bigger part of him relished the feeling of power. He told me of the first time he used Sectumsempra on a teenage girl. He pretty much instantly killed her, then vomited. But instead of leaving, crying, or anything like that, he stayed for hours, practicing the amount of power put into the spell by using it to peel off her skin, flaying her."

James shuddered at the image. While he knew Snape had always had an inclination to the darker arts, he also always seemed too easy to torment and make fun of. The image of the sniveling coward desecrating a corpse was eye opening.

"I know that the Snape I learned to respect would tell you- yes even his nemesis James Potter, to put that more vile Snape down if needed."

James sighed, pushing those thoughts away, and instead focused on his happy thoughts.

Remus, Peter and Sirius, together as brothers. Their bond unbroken by the war. His parents alive and well, giving him a hug, each with their distinct smiles.

Lily rolling her eyes, a soft fond smile on her face.

Alice and Frank, not insane, a child in their arms. Marlene and her entire family sitting together laughing. Mary, not missing from the annals of time. Dorcas, the vicious little smirk on her face as she twirled her wand.

All of their imagined happiness filled James with his own in symbiosis.

"Expecto Patronum!"

A stag burst from the tip of his mahogany and dragon heartstring wand. Prancing about looking for someone to protect from danger. When no danger was available the stag Prongs looked to James in confusion before trotting over and nudging James. It's body was both immaterial and real all at once.

James looked to Harry, who was sipping a butterbeer. Did the man ever drink water? Harry quickly hid it, but in his eyes was a flash of a dozen complex emotions.

"Good, you've been able to do it every time today. How are you feeling?"

James's magical power had grown immensely in the past month and a half. Hogwarts was a place filled with magic, and it constantly nourished the bodies of the students helping their magic grow stronger than it normally would have.

But James had been actively working his to exhaustion every day. Something that wasn't super common back at the school. And in return his power had grown to match. Really it should be standard practice for witches and wizards to do so while at the school.

Maybe that was another thing Dumbledore had stopped.

"I think I could do one more."

Prongs huffed in annoyance, hitting James in the face with silver vapor.

"Sorry mate."

The stag disappeared and James hid a smirk. Once again he filled his mind with happy thoughts.

"Expecto Patronum!"

This time he added something to the spell. The image of Lily in his mind and the words "Hey my sweet Lily-pad, Doing great here with Harry. Ready to see you on the train and shower you with kisses."

The stag burst from his wand again looking at James in annoyance before disappearing. Wait… What?

Every time James had done that Harry had destroyed the spell… But this time he had let it go.

…

Let to go to Lily and say he was going to shower her with kisses…

"HARRY!"

Harry doubled over laughing.

"Oh that was funny."

"Please please please stop it. Please!!!"

"Can't it's gone now. Ah, good times," the old man said, wiping a tear from his eye.

"Bu- how, don't you not want me to communicate with the outside world?"

"Oh I knew from the grin you tried to hide that you were thinking of Lily, and were probably thinking of telling her something stupid because you knew I would stop it. So I let it go."

James stared at the laughing man, a blush covering his face. Honestly he was impressed with how well Harry could read him. Not even his parents knew all of his mannerisms.

—

Lily squeaked, a familiar voice filling her bedroom and throwing her off from her reading. She shot out of bed, once again fists ready to deliver weak blows to the intruder.

"Hey my sweet Lily-pad, Doing great here with Harry. Ready to see you on the train and shower you with kisses," the silver animals said in a light teasing voice.

It was a stag Patronus again, only this time it was James's voice. Did James have the same Patronus as Harry? Or did Harry let James send one through him? Was that possible?

Then she registered the words James had said and she glared at the animal like it was her worst enemy. A small blush touching her cheeks.

The stag seemed to shrug, as if it knew it would get that response, then disappeared.

"Damn Ratheaded bugger," Lily growled, throwing herself back onto her bed.

Well at least she knew James wasn't Imperioused cause that was just like him.

—

James fumed for the next few hours, stomping around the campground and sending Harry glares. The old man didn't do the history or mind lessons, instead a large patch of snow had melted away. He was leafing through a book while using the blood of some magical creature to draw runes.

He really didn't want to know how he got that blood.

James had tried to send another message, but of course he had been too weak magically to do it.

"Alright James," Harry said, closing the book. "I think we're just about done."

James froze.

"What?"

"I've taught you enough for you to at the very least escape Voldemort whenever needed. Also all the spells I taught you, but you still need practice to actually do. You know what's going to happen, and what you need to do. And I don't have that much time left. Better to tear the bandaid off now so to speak."

"No! Y-you, what do you mean?"

Harry sighed, running a hand through his white hair.

"This ritual circle here," Harry said, waving to the ground around him.

"Is some old old magic. It's my final present to you, but I won't survive it."

James's breath was coming heavier. No Harry couldn't die. He was family, even if James's hypothesis was wrong, Harry felt like family. Treated him like family.

Harry's eyes were understanding, and he gave that soft sad smile that had been more and more common in the past weeks.

"James…"

"How much longer do you have?" James said suddenly.

"Few days, but I don't want to risk it and be wrong."

"Tomorrow night then."

Harry looked up to the perpetually starry sky.

"Its night now."

"Tomorrow night. It-its your last day, let's do something fun tomorrow and then we can- we can say goodbye."

Harry looked at James for several silent moments.

"Okay…"

James laid in bed, unable to sleep, he had wanted to ask the question that had been plaguing him since he saw Harry's Patronus. But he couldn't. The answer, yes or no, would hurt him too much.

Harry opened the flap to the magically expanded tent.

"Can't sleep?"

"No…"

"Hmm. Well if we're gonna have fun tomorrow you're gonna need it."

"I know-"

"So goodnight."

Harry waved his hand and James fell into darkness.