Changes and Secrets

James is alive!

I always wondered what would have happened if James somehow survived but Harry still became The Boy Who Lived due to Lily's sacrifice. I have 2 fanfictions in mind for this. This one involves James and Sirius being in prison until Harry's 3rd year and James' death having been faked by Dumbledore for 12 years.

The other one is called Paternal Instincts (check it out in my profile) and involves Harry being raised by the Marauders (sans Peter) instead of the Dursleys.

DISCLAIMER: I do NOT own any part of Harry Potter. This is merely a fanfiction.

James and Sirius had just been released from Azkaban and were standing outside of the place they had been imprisoned in for almost twelve years. Almost twelve years ago, Sirius had been cleared of all charges of betraying the Potters at James' testimony. But unfortunately, they also admitted to being illegal animagi to Dumbledore in secret in order to make it easier to catch Petter Pettigrew. They didn't expect Dumbledore to get them in trouble with the law, but the headmaster betrayed them to the Ministry, and they both got sentenced to Azkaban. There was still an unsuccessful look out for Peter as an animagus.

"Should we go confront that old coot for betraying us to the ministry first?" asked Sirius.

"No, I'd like to see my son first," said James desperately.

"Right. My godson must be a fine young teenage boy by now," said Sirius fondly.

"He turns thirteen tomorrow." James smiled his first smile in 12 years. "That Dumbledore must have left him with those dreadful Dursleys. We have to get him away from them as soon as possible," he resolved.

"First, we have to get shaved and cleaned up. We might scare Harry off if we visit him in this state," said Sirius.

"Right. I can't visit the Dursley's in this state. Harry and the Dursleys already think I'm dead thanks to that old coot's manipulation. I bet he only got us both thrown in jail so he could send Harry to the Dursleys," said James heatedly.

Vernon and Petunia grew pale with their eyes almost popping out when they opened their front door.

James and Sirius were at their doorstep, clean-shaven and neatly dressed.

"You? Aren't you dead?" Vernon shrieked in horror.

"Oh yeah. This is my ghost and I'm here to haunt you," James said sarcastically.

Vernon and Petunia knew he wasn't a ghost due to his realistic appearance and the fact that he looked visibly older.

"But how are you still alive? That old man said Harry had to live with us as Lily and you were dead?" Petunia scoffed.

"And who's he?" Vernon barked, pointing at Sirius.

"This is Sirius Black, one of my bestfriends and Harry's godfather. Do I have to explain everything on your porch? Or may we come in?" asked James impatiently.

Vernon and Petunia let them in as they were afraid of neighbors witnessing the exchange on their porch.

"Now, tell us, how are you still alive and why did that crackpot old fool say that you were dead?" Vernon asked, or rather barked impatiently.

"When Voldemort cast the killing curse on me, I ducked it and ended up hitting my head really hard on the floor and was unconscious. Since Harry was his main target, he didn't bother wasting time to check if I was dead or alive and went upstairs for Lily and Harry," James explained.

"Then where were you all these years? Why were Vernon and I stuck raising your son?" Petunia crossed her arms, glaring at him.

"I was in prison," said James.