THE POTTER'S GHOSTS

CHAPTER 1: PROLOGUE

Disclaimer: Nothing belongs to me. I don't like making up spells and things, so unless I say so, it's all from canon. Summary is first paragraph of the story.

The circumstances are different in each case. The Potters got the option to watch what went on for two weeks with nobody knowing it, so that they could observe. If they liked what they had seen, after two weeks they would have a meeting with Death to be told everything so they didn't accidentally get left behind forever. If they chose to become ghosts, they would go back to the moment of their deaths.

James and Lily Potter are angry. Very angry. And anyone who knew Lily would say, 'Never, under any circumstances, get Lily Potter angry - at least not with you'. Of course, anyone who knew her would also give you the loudest applause you could imagine if you managed to turn that ire onto any attacking Death Eaters. Anyone who knew James would say, 'Watch out, or you'll have yourself hung upside down in a crowded area!' Now, this might not be that bad for you and I, but to the Wizarding World it would be the height of embarrassment, as they all wore robes for everday, school, and formal occasions. It is, you could say, the general fashion of the Wizarding World. And the Wizarding World rarely changes that which has been the same for a long time. They also very rarely wore anything underneath, unless they had been raised by Muggles. Anyway - James and Lily Potter were very angry with what they saw in their two weeks. After they told Death that they'd take the two weeks, they gaped openmouthed at the folly of the rest of the Wizarding World.

"Merlin," James howled. "How does Harry survive the Killing Curse? Not to mention the rest of the wizards are celebrating like fools!" (James had matured a lot with the revelation of the prophecy and knowing it was his son targeted. Oh and he had died. That usually helps)

Lily liked ranting also, even thought the only people who could hear her were her and James. It helped a bit. She also wanted to be calmed down by the time they corrected everyone.

"It's not like Voldemort ever took part in the raids very often," she fumed. "With his followers still at large, they could be continuing their attacks, for all anyone knows."

"Merlin, Sirius, don't get yourself kill - er - sent to Azkaban!" James snarled. "And Peter...I'll talk to Peter,"

"Noticed that any Death Eaters captured before Voldemort's downfall stood staunchly in support of him, but now every single one is pleading Imperius?" James asked. "Is there not even one at least competent buffoon in the Ministry? Aside from the Aurors?" Lily asked stiffly, a bit later.

"Dumbledore, you utter fool!" She yelled. "Don't put Harry there! He'll be abused and what not!"

"There goes Alice," Lily sniffed. "Not dead - just incapacitated. They don't even get the same chance we do!" She burst into tears.

"There, there, Lily. I know it might not be all that kind, but it's okay to wish them... not like that. I'm sure they'd love to have the chance we do. But we came back exactly as we were, save for the experience of dying, and so I'm not even entirely sure whether it would help or not."

"James," Lily said, after a moment, looking up. "I was sent to Askaban once, to oversee a prisoner getting Kissed. I-I didn't witness it, but the behaviour of Frank and Alice is just like that prisoner. They might have passed on, but are unable to come back as ghosts - that is one of the ghost laws, your spirit can't become a ghost until your body is dead. We'd have to convince sombody to... let their bodies die... and they wouldn't do it. Not without knowing for certain. We don't know for certain."

"It's okay, Lily. The only drawback to ghosts being guardians for an infant is their inability to do anything, we'd need a living executor. Sirius will do fine. Remus too."

"Remus?" James called, as Remus seemed to deflate as he heard the news of the Potters and Peter's death and Sirius betrayal. "Moony?" he turned to Lily. "Is that how he grieves? Sure he offered to take care of Harry, but didn't push it much. I don't hold it against him, but he's acting so odd."

"Grief does that," Lily said softly.

"And we never told Remus or anyone of them about Peter being the Secret-Keeper, and they're giving him a posthmous Order of Merlin, First Class."

"It's... he'll snap out of it, James." Lily said softly.

"No... no he won't. Not without someone waking him up," James said miserably.

"Won't us being ghosts do that well enough? I mean, we're still us."

"Maybe."

"Look at that headline!" James spat.

The Infant Wonder!

In the dreadful events of Lily and James Potter's deaths, has it
occurred to anyone that their son, Harry, not only survived the Killing
Curse, but reflected said curse back at You-Know-Who? For that he
did.

The article went on to describe how they supposed it had happened, using the title the Boy-Who-Lived far too often for the Potter parents liking.

Altogether, there was no decision to be made whether they would become ghosts or stay as they were. Well, nearly none.

"James, not too quickly!" Lily said, exasperated. "We don't even know if we'll stay forever! I mean, I, for one, don't want to stay as a ghost when Harry finally dies - of old age, I hope - I mean, I wouldn't want to stick with him his whole life and then giving Harry the same choice we have - watching over his kids or going on to no relatives except grandparents?"

"Fine, we'll see what Death has to say," James grumbled.

"You must stay as ghosts until your child either dies comes of an to be morally and physically responsible for himself. Not the coming-of-age the Ministry decrees, but what the Fates decree. I am Death, and there is also Chance and Luck and Fate, there is one that rules over prophecies, although I don't know her name. You could call us gods and godesses, but it doesn't really work that way. Either way, you will get the chioce to come back to being dead at that time. If you wish to stay past the child's being of age, you may, and you can come back whenever you please. You have the choice to stay after your child dies, before or after he is of age to take care of himself, but either one results in your special circumstances being rescinded, as you wouldn't have a child to care for anymore. You can come speak to me at any time - you won't be hovering as ghosts for that exact point in time, but you will be able to flick back and forth to get my advice. You will be able to pick a couple people to converse with - say if you knew the parents of another child that died, and wish to tell the child how proud the parents are or somthing. Any questions?"

"One or two. What happened to Frank and Alice Longbottom? Their bodies didn't die, but did their souls move on?"

"Yes, they did. But as long as their bodies live, they cannot become ghosts."

"Okay. I want those two to be put on our commumication list."

"Any other questions?"

"We saw Peter Pettigrew blow himself up. Is he dead, or did he fake it?"

"He did not fake it, no."

"Thanks for telling us. Do we have a method to track people down if need be?"

"Anyone you had an aquaintance with in life, you will be able to locate as easily as an owl delivers mail, only easier, since your owl-redirection charms won't work on ghosts."

"We won't have any sort of physical manifestation, will we?" James asked. "I mean, we wouldn't be able to feed a child since we're just ghosts?"

"Quite right," Death replied. "You would need outside help. There are circumstances in which you would be allowed that rare luxury, such as if everyone you knew was dead or if you knew you would have no chance convincing them to help, but that is not the case."

"Thank you for your help, Death," James said. "We would like to be able to communicate with Frank and Alice Longbottom, and my father, Charlus Potter. That's all the people we can have on the list, right?"

"Yes. But the people you can communicate with can also bring you messages from other dead people, so you will not be entirely cut off."

"Thank you. We will become ghosts under the Special Circumstances, Death."

"There you go," Death said, waving his hand. James and Lily Potter faded from the realm of the dead, and hovered, as ghosts, in between.