The Marauders ran up the stairs, with group of aurors behind them. They have heard Voldemort shout the incantation of the Killing curse. With heavy breaths and wide eyes, they ran to the thin and small body lying on the floor. The aurors started duelling with the death eaters. As it was a meeting, only the inner circle was present there.
"Harry!" Sirius called shaking the boy in his arms.
"Harry, no, wake up!" Remus said his eyes were filling with tears.
"Guys, he was hit with the killing curse." Peter said sitting back down limply. "He seemed to have proved that he was really protecting us." He added with a hoarse tone.
Remus and Sirius were instantly reminded of Lucius' words. "...you'll regret your words one day..." he had said. It was true. They were really regretting their words right now. Tears flowed from their eyes in grief.
"Voldemort is dead." Somebody announced. They looked up to see the lifeless body of the monster in making.
The Marauders couldn't hold themselves anymore. They broke down sobbing like little babies. "Harry, wake up, please." Remus said hugging the body in his chest. He put his face in the crook of his neck as he sobbed his heart out. Suddenly, he felt a sudden movement on his cheek; like a pulse. He frowned and turned to Harry's neck. He put the body down and put two fingers on his throat. That was the moment when a smile appeared on his face. He could feel the faint throb of his pulse.
"What is it Moony?" James asked from beside him.
"Guys, he is still alive! I don't believe this—he's alive!" Remus said with a glee.
The rest of the group looked at him with their mouths hanging open. "What are you talking about, Remus?" Peter asked.
"I just said he's alive! Now shall we take him to the hospital? Or do you want to have a long chat with his body first?" Remus snapped and got up with the body in his arms. He went to the aurors straight with the shocked Marauders trailing behind him.
"Sir, Harry Potter is still alive. Can we take him to the hospital?" Remus asked one of the aurors in the most polite tone he could muster at that moment.
The auror looked surprised but quickly recovered. "Obviously you can take him. One of us will help you apparate to Hogwarts." He said and ordered one of the aurors to go with them. With his help The Marauders quickly took the limp body of Harry to Hogwarts.
As soon as The Marauders entered the castle, everybody's attention turned towards them and the limp body in their arm. They didn't even looked at them as they ran straight towards the hospital wing. As they entered the hospital, Madam Pomfrey came running towards them.
"What happened to him?" She asked as they proceeded to put him down on the nearest bed.
"He took a Killing Curse on him. I don't know how but he is alive. Please check him." Remus said in a rush.
The medi-witch's eyes widened and she quickly started waving her wand over Harry while muttering different incantations.
"He is definitely alive but has gone in a magical coma. His magical core has depleted greatly and is very unstable now. There were other minor injuries but I've healed them. Now we just have to wait. It's up to him when he wakes up." The medi-witch said gravely.
The Marauders just stared at Harry. They still couldn't believe completely that he is still alive after being hit by the Killing Curse.
"Please Harry, get well soon." Peter said with a teary smile. Just then the hospital door banged open. The Marauders looked up to see Lucius running towards them.
"What happened to Harry?" Lucius asked once he reached them while holding Harry's hand.
"He killed Voldemort and took a Killing Curse himself. By the way, the meeting was held in your Manor. Do you know anything about this?" Sirius asked with narrowed eyes.
"I knew that father has asked him to come to the Manor, but only this much. Father had owled him the other day. He never showed me what was there in the letter. Once he had read it he burned the letter. Harry only said me that he was going to my Manor, nothing else. And then he had proceeded to suddenly hug me and said only one thing before going away—"Lucius trailed of as he remembered Harry's words and understood the actual implication of that.
"What did he say?"James asked curiously.
"He said and I quote 'You are a good man Lucius, never change for anything and anyone in this world.'" Lucius said brokenly. He couldn't hold it any longer. Lucius broke down crying while holding Harry's hand.
The Marauders stared at Lucius for some time before turning their gaze towards Harry. As they looked at the lying figure they understood how much he have changed everyone. He has affected all their lives in some or the other way positively. Harry Potter was one of a kind and there is no denying the fact any more. The Marauders stood there for a long time until Madam Pomfrey ushered everyone out of the room.
It had been a week since the eventful incident. The whole Hogwarts is talking of only one person—Harry Potter. He has suddenly become the hero of the wizarding world. Even the Slytherins are somewhat relieved that they will not be tormented by Voldemort again. Many of them were a bit miffed as one of their parents or both of them will be spending the rest of their lives in Azkaban but mostly they were more happy than sad. The press was having a field day covering the story of 'The Dark Lord's Conqueror'. Every day the first page contained some or the other news related to Harry. But they were all waiting for Harry to wake up. He was yet to show any sign of life other than his slow beating heart and faint breathing. The Marauders spent all their free periods in the hospital wing. Lucius was one of the other people who always went up to meet Harry whenever he got an opportunity.
It was another such day where The Marauders were in the hospital wing sitting beside Harry. They were also accompanied by Lucius and Severus that day. They were all very worried about Harry. Severus was not a person who was fond of many people, but Harry has somehow managed to gain his affection. From the very first day Harry has been continuously helping him to get rid of The Marauders and eventually they have stopped tormenting him. He has also somehow managed to reduce the hostility of the Slytherins towards muggle-borns, due to which he was able to make Lily Evans, his childhood crush, as his. Though later he came to know that Lily was a pureblood, but he knew if he had not been able to accept her as muggle-born, Lily would have rejected him instantly. He was very thankful to Harry for that.
Among The Marauders the most subdued ones were Sirius and Remus. They have stopped eating properly and were also not sleeping much. Sirius was at present sitting beside Harry and staring at his face constantly. He had tears in his eyes. He always remembered the moment where Harry had hugged him and Remus and promised to protect them, even if it costs his life. And he has definitely kept his promise. Harry was now lying in the hospital mostly lifeless for a week now and was showing no sign of waking up anytime soon.
"When will he wake up Remus?" Sirius asked suddenly.
"I don't know Sirius. I can't wait any longer." Remus said quietly.
Suddenly everyone heard a low groaning sound. Everyone looked at each other and shifted closer to the bed.
"Did you hear that?" Lucius asked.
"Yeah; but he isn't moving and I can't hear anything anymore," Severus replied quietly. Again there was a low moaning sound and this time Harry shifted a little.
"He's waking up!" Peter exclaimed.
"Harry?" Lucius called out barely containing his happiness.
There was nothing for a moment and then Harry's eye fluttered open. He looked at all of them for a moment blankly. Everyone held their breath in anticipation.
"So, I didn't die, I guess?" They heard Harry say the first thing after a week of silence.
"No, you didn't die. But how we will never know, nonetheless we all are happy." James said grinning. Harry looked at him oddly.
"Are you now? I thought you were disgusted with me or something? What changed? I'm still the same person you know." Harry said staring at him blankly. The Marauders' hearts broke hearing that.
"Is Voldemort still alive?" Harry asked not waiting for their answers.
"No, you have successfully vanquished him and protected all of us." Sirius answered from beside Harry.
"Bastards like me know how to keep their promises, Black." Harry said quietly. "I'm still not sad for Dumbledore's death though." Harry added.
"We're sorry Harry for whatever we said that day. We understand now how wrong we were. Please forgive us." Remus said crying out right now. Sirius and James also had tears in their eyes.
"Harry, we're really sorry." Peter said quietly.
"Actually it's not your fault. You all don't know Dumbledore the way I do. If you had known I'm sure you would have also wished him dead." Harry said smiling slightly.
"What has he done?" Lucius spoke for the first time.
"There are many things I want to tell you all. But first can I have some water?" Harry asked still smiling. The Marauders were happy that they were forgiven but a little miffed that someone was saying something bad about Dumbledore.
"Here," Severus handed Harry a glass of water. Harry drank greedily.
"Can someone place a strong silencing charm around us?" Harry said again. All of them present there casted a silencing charm around them.
"Okay now firstly, all of you should take a seat or you may fall after what you will hear. Now this may sound a bit off but I'm from a very different timeline. I was actually born on 31st July, 1981." Harry said and looked at everyone's faces. They all were wide eyed and their mouths were hanging open.
"This must be a joke, right?" Sirius said as if trying to find the humour in Harry's eyes.
"Did I laugh?" Harry deadpanned.
"Well, this is impossible." Lucius said.
"Well, then did you know that you are going to marry Narcissa Mal—Black and you are going to have a son named Draco Lucius Malfoy who is going to be a great prick like you were?" Harry said with a raised eyebrow.
Lucius stared at him with wide eyes. "How can you possibly know that?" Lucius exclaimed.
Harry rolled his eyes. "Was I speaking in Parseltongue?" Harry asked annoyed. Lucius just stared at him with wide eyes.
"And in my timeline, you were a grouchy potion master who made my life hell as long as I was there. Though you apparently became one of the best occlumens and legillimens and you were the one who taught me. Uh, thank you I guess." Harry said grinning while looking at Severus.
Severus stared at the grinning boy. "I myself don't know those right now. You can teach me now as a thank you gift. But why did I make your life hell?" Severus said bewildered.
"Um—this time I changed the reason with a lot of difficulty. That's because Lily Evans rejected you and married James Potter, your tormentor." Harry said with gleaming eyes. Severus and James looked at each other with wide eyes. The rest of them burst out laughing.
"Really, Evans married James? How do you know?" Lucius asked between laughs.
"It's because I'm the sole proof of their marriage." Harry said quietly. "I already said my name is Harry James Potter. I'm the son of James Potter and Lily Evans." Everyone stared at him with wide eyes.
"What? This is getting really awkward. But why did Lily marry me? She hates me!" James exclaimed.
"Because her friendship with Severus broke and it was Severus who broke it. Remember, the day I fainted and you people took me to the hospital?" Harry asked. They all nodded dumbly.
"That was the day when their friendship broke. When Severus was teaching me occlumency I accidentally broke through his mind shield in self defence and watched his full memory of that day. When James and Sirius levitated Severus, Lily came there to help Severus. But Severus had to keep his image in front of the other Slytherins due their annoying tradition of no association with muggle-borns. That day he called Lily a–"Harry trailed off. All of them were staring at Harry.
"What did I call her?" Severus asked in a pained voice. He was frightened to even imagine such a future.
"Mud blood," Harry said quietly. Severus stared at Harry for some time and then started crying.
"That was why I ran there with everything I had so that the same situation was never created. From that day onwards you started hating The Marauders with everything. But later she was the reason for which you took the job of protecting me from Voldemort under Dumbledore's command and became blind to his true motives." Harry said sadly.
"Why did you need protection? And why was Severus the one to provide that? Where were we?" James asked.
"You were never there. Neither was Sirius, Remus. And Peter was the one to cause all this. That was why I hated him at first." Harry said quietly.
"What did I do?" Peter asked with a closed voice. He knew he must have done something terrible.
"In my time, Lucius, Severus and Peter, all three of you were death eaters." Harry said and took a deep breath.
"WHAT!" Everyone shouted.
"Yes. There was a prophecy in which it said 'The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches... born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies... and the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not... and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives...'. Which meant it could have been either me or another boy Neville Longbottom, son of Frank Longbottom and Alice Frotescue. This prophecy was said by Sybil Trelawney in front Albus Dumbledore when he arranged a meeting in Hogs Head." Harry paused to take a breath.
"But why will he arrange a meeting in Hogs Head. That place is mostly visited by all thieves and dark wizards?" James asked bewildered.
"It was the starting of Dumbledore's ingenious plan. He wanted a death eater to hear that. That day indeed a death eater was there, this happened to be Severus." Harry looked at Severus with sad eyes. Severus was breathing heavily.
"But he didn't hear the full prophecy. He only heard up till 'born as the seventh month dies'. After Voldemort came to know of the prophecy he found out quickly who fitted the prophecy. But instead of Neville, a pureblood he chose me-a half blood like him. Lily was never informed of her true lineage. I found it a long time after one my visit at Gringotts. When Severus came to know that Voldemort was trying to kill me, he went to him and begged for Lily's life and apparently he agreed." Harry said and then looked at Peter. He was now pale faced.