A/N: First off I want to say that I'm so sorry for the long wait and I apologize in advance because I don't think I will be able to post anything before the month is over. My final exams start tomorrow and I have to study if I want to pass.

Second, I'm so happy that so many of you like my story! I get so happy whenever I get a mail saying that one of you put on your follow or favorite list! The reviews you write are so sweet, thank you so much :)

I want to thank deator11 for betaing this chapter for me and for being so helpful and nice. You are the best!

Chapter 3: Hyperventilating

"James calm down, it's going to be fine. Harry loves you and he's going to be happy that he has you here now" Lupin said amused, after watching James pace around 12 Grimmauld Place for the past thirty minutes. Dumbledore had said that Harry would be there at eleven o' clock, which was in exactly ten minutes. James had to calm down, the last thing he needed was to have a stroke before he even got to see Harry.

James turned to look at Remus with a desperate look in his eyes as he poured his insecurities onto his friends. "But he doesn't know me; he knows what you have told him about me. What if I'm not what he expected? What if he doesn't like me? Wh-" James upcoming break down was stopped short by a well aimed pillow in his face.

"Stop it Prongs, Moony is right. If anything he'll be worried about not being whatyou expected and we'll have you and Prongslet having simultaneous seizures and I really don't think that's what you want from your first interaction with your son after being dead" Sirius said starting to get annoyed with his best friend.

James took a deep breath and said in a somewhat calmer voice. "You're right its going to be fine, I'm going to explain to him what happened and show him the grimoire. He'll tell me what has been going on with while I wasn't there, not that I need it, and everything will be alright. Okay, I'm calming down" James said adjusting his glasses and playing with the hem of his robe anxiously. Sirius and Lupin looked at each other, wondering if they should point out that James wasn't calming down at all, but decided against it, knowing that this was as close as 'calm' as he was going to get before he saw Harry.

"Alright, just remember that Harry is not a baby anymore and he will probably be reluctant to believe that you are back and will have all kind of questions. Tell him everything he needs to know and if Harry falls silent at any point proceed as if he is a scared animal that might bolt at any moment" Lupin said trying to keep a smile off his face. Seeing James like this reminded him of the night Lily went into labor and he had to wait outside because the red haired woman had gotten a little too physical while explaining to James why it was his fault that she was in pain and to never touch her again or he'll have his bits blasted off. He had been certain that James was going to collapse right there and then.

"Yes, but don't be too obvious if you have to do that, and for Merlin's sake do not be condescending about anything or talk to him like you would a child. He's had enough people treating him like that in his life, and we both know that the last thing Harry needs is to be looked down upon or be kept in the dark" Sirius said looking meaningfully at James. Harry needed to know everything that might help him. Everything.

James was going to open his mouth to say something when the grandfather clock struck eleven. "That's our cue Prongs, good luck. It'll be fine" Remus said when the bespectacled man failed to move. James brain seemed to snap into action because he went to stand in front of the fireplace. Sirius and Remus left the room to give some privacy to the two men.

"You owe me five galleons if he has a panic attack"

Harry was feeling observed. Sure, he was used to the stares that he often received from the Hogwarts student population being the Boy Who Lived and all of that, but the teachers never did or at least they were more subtle about it. It shouldn't be that weird that the professors were looking at him if you think about it. Now more than ever, with the tournament going on and everyone wondering how he managed to put his name in the goblet. But this wasn't the typical 'I'm looking at you because you are some sort of celebrity' stare or 'I don't know how you managed to pass my class" from Snape, it was more like 'I'm staring at you because I know something big that you don't' combined with the 'I wonder if he would like white lilies or red tulips on top of his coffin'. That had been going on since yesterday afternoon, so yeah, Harry thought he had the right to be a little freaked out.

He thought about telling Hermione in Herbology but he didn't think it would anything else but freak her out too, so he kept quiet. He was tempted to jump in joy when professor McGonagall told him that Dumbledore needed to speak with him when he was on his way to Care of Magical Creatures, he was finally going to find out why some of the teachers were acting so bizarrely. He ran all the way to the statue in front of Dumbledore's office, he told a breathy 'chewing gum' to the gargoyle before stepping into the moving stairs trying to even out his breath.

He knocked on the door and was answered almost immediately with a 'come in'.

"You wanted to see me professor?" He said entering the office as nonchalantly as he could.

"Yes. Please take a seat Harry" Dumbledore said gesturing to the chair in front of his desk. Harry did as told and after refusing the offered lemon drop he decided to go straight to the point.

"Why am I here professor?"

"Something happened yesterday Harry. Nothing bad, don't worry, just unexpected" The Headmaster added after he saw the change in Harry's face.

"What happened?" Harry asked quite nervous, he knew better than to trust Dumbledore's perspective when things were qualified as wrong.

"Harry, I need you to have an open mind with what I am about to tell you. You might not believe it but it's the truth, no matter how impossible it seems" Harry nodded sighing inwardly, this was going to get worse before it got better.

"What is it sir?"

Dumbledore sighed heavily "Harry your father appeared yesterday in Sirius' house, he was brought back to life"

"But my dad is dead, he has been for thirteen years! Why would he appear now? How is this possible?" Harry said standing up and starting pacing the office, oblivious that his father was doing the same thing hundreds of miles away. He stopped as an idea struck him. "How do you even know it's him?"

"We don't know how it happened Harry, we just now that he's with us again. I verified it myself yesterday Harry, the man that was in Sirius' house is James Potter" The headmaster watched as Harry stop pacing and slumped on his vacated chair.

"How?" He asked weakly.

"We don't know Harry, James is just as clueless as we are" Dumbledore waited for the young man to say something but Harry remained quiet. "Do you want to see him Harry?"

Harry thought for a moment. Did he want to see his father? Ever since he discovered the truth about his parent's deaths he had dreamed about what his life would have been if they hadn't died that fateful night, and now that he had the chance to meet one of his parents he was afraid. He didn't know what to do, he had wanted to meet his father his entire life, and now that he knew that the man in question was a fireplace away he hesitated. It was frightening, wanting something for so long and have it handed to you. What if you screwed up? What if it wasn't what he expected? What if he wasn't what his father expected? Then he remembered all his talks with the people that had known his parents, they had all said that they loved him. He didn't know what was going to happen but he knew he wanted the chance to get to know his dad, so gathering all his Gryffindor courage he looked up and said.

"Yes , I want to meet him" Dumbledore nodded and stood up.

"Very well, I told your father that if you agreed to see him you would be there at eleven" The headmaster said before looking at the clock. "It seems you are just in time" He said smiling and pointing to the fireplace and pulling a paper out of his robes. "Here, read this and memorize it Harry."

The parchment read:

The Headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix may be found at number twelve, Grimmauld Place, London.

"What is the Or-" Harry's question was cut off by the Headmaster.

"That's something that can wait Harry. For now just worry about the matter at hand" Harry nodded, knowing that he wouldn't get any more information from the old wizard. Just before he grabbed some flu powder Dumbledore spoke again.

"Don't try to understand miracles Harry, just enjoy them when they happen" Harry called Grimmauld Place and disappeared in green flames.

James Potter watched anxiously as a boy with black hair flew from the fireplace. He went to help the boy stand without even thinking about what he was doing and then he caught sight of emerald eyes. Just like Lily's. He helped the boy stand and they just stared at each other.

The teen in front of him wasn't very tall, his black hair was messy pointing in every direction and he looked thin for his age. He was almost a carbon copy of himself when he was fourteen, but when he looked closer he noticed the little things that set him apart from his son. The green eyes weren't as carefree and joyful as you would expect to find on a fourteen year old kid, the emerald orbs had a look that he had seen on men and women who had seen too much, a look he had seen a lot in grown wizards in the war. His cheeks were a bit sunken, not much, but enough for him to know that his childhood with his relatives hadn't been pleasant. He had seen Harry's past and future; he knew what had happened to make him look like that. But those had been memories, being in front of his son and being able to see the consequences of his absence, was entirely different. And all the more painful.

He didn't know how long they had stood there, just looking at each other. Neither of the two men dared to talk first. Harry was the first to break the silence.

"Dad?"

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