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James stared at the baby left in his arms with a look of bewilderment. Above him, his long-time imaginary friend floated serenely, the plumbob giving off waves of bright green light as usual.
James didn't understand how it came to this.
One minute he's knelt over a cauldron, brewing away for a prank he'd been planning to spring on Sirius, the next thing he knows his green diamond friend is regurgitating a child right into his arms.
Inside the cauldron, his ladle has sunken into the goop.
Looking up at the plumbob, he levels with his most unimpressed look. The one he'd learned from Lily. The plumbob only swayed in the air, tiny sparkles exuding from its shiny surface. A word bubbled up from James' subconscious 'Harry'
James scrunched up his face, wondering what on earth his great-grandad could possibly do with this tomfoolery. The word repeats once in his head, then twice before the plumbob flickers angry red.
He squints, but his attention is pulled away by the child in his arms. A baby boy, looking strangely familiar stares back at him, his eyes the color of serenity and a nest of black hair atop his crown, the infant coos at him, chubby-cheeked and bright-eyed.
'Harry'
James' heart swells three times, enough to make his ribs creak precariously. A sodden rush of sappy feelings sloshed around in his gut as he rocks the child gently in his arms.
'Harry'
James ignores the Plumbobs' strange whispers about grandpapa Henry, and instead looks around for something to wrap his new charge in, his mind already clouded with how he's supposed to break the news to his parents, to Lily...oh Merlin to the other Marauders!
He swaddles the babe in his cloak before getting to his feet and running out of the classroom. His plumbob, a constant companion, followed him dutifully overhead.