Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter it is property of J. K. Rowling, Bloomsbury Publishing, (UK), Arthur A. Levine Books (US), Raincoast Books (CAN), Warner Bros., Steve Kloves, Michael Goldenberg, David Heyman, Chris Columbus, &, Mark Radcliffe, David Barron, J. K. Rowling. I own nothing but my own character creations, I merely borrowing a group of fascinating characters. I will return them relatively unscathed...well I return them anyway. No money is made from this and no infringement of copyright is intended. This will be removed if contacted. This story is not for monetary gain but purely for enjoyment purposes. I claim no ownership with exception to my own original characters and ideas. No recognizable characters are mine, merely my own creations.
Story inspired by Misplaced Moony by ShayLonnie
Chapter One:
The Trouble With Time
Any wizard or witch worthy of their wand, knew that magic was like the ocean. With its unchartered depths and raging waters that could never and would never be tamed. Only harnessed, much life time. Time however was a sand storm, wild and destructive, blinding and burying all those caught in its path. Many thou would try and all would fail, sometimes with dire consequences. Yes, power was a siren's song for the weak willed. It lured so many into its bottomless depths with promises of grandeur and spat out their bones.
Two such polar opposites dangerous and deadly in its separate forms were an unchecked force of nature when combine. It was much like mixing potassium and water. The ensuing reaction was explosive. Few had the power to wield such raw magic without cataclysmic results. None knew this better than Percival Winston Barmy, of the small village of Ottery St Catchpole, the founder of the International Department of Inscrutable Occurrences of Time (I.D.I.O.T) and the inventor of the Time Turner. Who had dedicated his life to unraveling the unspoken mysteries of time magic.
A smart man would have thrown in the tea cozy. Percival Barmy, however was not a smart man. And continued to work and try to bend the elements to his will (but like their metaphoric counterparts magic had but one master and it was its creator) but water did not survive the scorching sun of the desert and sand could never hope to keep afloat in the ocean. One could not stabilize the other. After all two halves of a different whole when combine did not make an true whole.
It wasn't until his one hundred and nineteenth year that Barmy found the answer. Never seek to conquer when you can simply balance the scales. The answer laid not in combining the two but in finding what they had in common. In the end Barmy created only fourteen Time Turners before time and magic had grown weary of his hubris. After all even a balanced scale can still tip when one becomes complacent. So fourteen the number would remain. One for each life his ambition had stolen.
In the coming centuries many with greedy hands and little sense would cause no small amount of mischief. Therefore setting off a chain reaction that would steal three hundred lives and nearly burn Chicago to the ground. Fearing more loss of life the ICW had little choice but to step in and set down heavy restrictions and penalties. In compliance then Minister of Magic Gumption Billywig created the the Time Room. Hidden behind a labyrinth of dead ends and revolving doors deep within the Department of Mysteries. Where few would ever wield or gaze upon the golden hourglasses with out the express permission of the Chief Warlock. There they would stay locked away gathering dust, until the only master time and magic bowed too would see them destroyed.
Truly it was ironic that the destruction of Barmy's invention would come at the wand of a follower of a man seeking absolute power. A beam of violet light would create a constant reminder to all those who sought to meddle with time. As thirteen Time Turners would forever be caught in an endless loop of self-destruction. The fourteenth, however would fall free of its brothers and sisters falling at the feet of three teenagers and exploding in a storm of golden sand.
Yes, time was unpredictable and untamed, a constant current and when that current intersects with magic. Strange and unexpected events are sure to follow. Barmy had learned that inescapable fact and so too would Sirius Black.
Remus Lupin cried out as Harry disappeared after the retreating Bellatrix, with Dumbledore hot on his heels. The high pitched cackling sing-song of "I killed Sirius Black" echoed in his sensitive ears as he fought desperately to free himself from his duel with Lucius Malfoy. All around him the battle raged curses flew in a rainbow of colors bouncing of hastily conjured shields and blasting chunks out of the stone walls.
Behind him Mad-Eye set Rookwood's robes on fire before disarming him and putting him down with an Incarcerous. Now trussed up like a Sunday roast Mad-Eye turned his magical eye on Rodolphus who was distracted by Kingsley. Unbothered by this Moody hit him with a hex that lifted the other wizard off his feet and slammed him harshly into the pocked wall with a sickening crack.
If Remus hadn't been so distracted by Malfoy, he may have noticed the golden hue that began to glow from beyond the tattered curtain Sirius fell through. As it was he barely even noticed as recently Enervated McNair go sailing past his head like a Quaffle, until his trailing robes tickled his ear. Ducking a killing curse, Remus snarled and unleashed every nasty spell he had in his repertoire. Lucius narrowly avoided a bone breaking hex only to fall over a body bound Dolohov. Lucius was just staggering to his feet when the floor began to tremble. Keeping his feet braced Lupin fired off a Flagellum ignis. A long rope of flames irrupted from the tip of his wand snapping and crackling with each flick of his wrist. The flame caught the blonde across the arm, burning through the robes and biting deeply into the skin.
Lucius cried out and raised his wand but Remus gave a violent tug, and the whip pulled the Death Eater into his waiting fist. With their leader down the other seemed to drop like flies. With Kingsley putting away a bruised and limping McNair with a simple stupefy.
All the sound that remained was the quite hiss of the smoking walls and the quite groans of exhausted Order members. Mad-Eye, sporting a fresh burn above where his left eyebrow should have been, was helping a groggy Tonks to her feet. While Kingsley canceled out the Dancing feet jinx off poor Neville Longbottom and setting his broken nose. With Neville now set to rights Kingsley lead the young Gryffindor off to see to his friends and the disabled Death Eaters. Mad-Eye stomped toward Remus, with a heavy clomp of his artificial limb, stepping on Lucius, while dragging a disoriented Tonks along behind like a naughty child.
Before Mad-Eye could reach him the floor rocked sending the remaining Order members toppling off their feet. With Tonks landing heavily atop Mad-Eye's back.
"Oi you dizzy girl, get off eh me." Moody barked and Tonks just giggled and made to attempt to move off the cantankerous old Auror. Hefting himself up on an elbow Remus didn't attempt to get to his feet and the floor rumbled beneath him. He settled for crawling forward and attempting to dislodge Tonks.
"Oh pretty." the pink haired woman gasped pointing a finger toward the veil. "Oopsie." She muttered as she tipped forward digging her elbow deeper into Mad-eye's back. The old Auror cursed but Remus couldn't help but glance up. Remus gaped his hand going limp on Tonk's arm. There on the platform where Bellatrix had killed his dearest friend a mighty wind billowed out the tattered black curtain and a golden light rippled and grew. The arch that housed the veil began to tremor and quake until with a violent burst it exploded outward.
Instinct alone had Remus ducking over Tonks and Moody as a heavy spray of masonry pelted them. The very walls and floor shook so mightily he feared they would give way under the force. It seemed like hours as the world shook around him until just as suddenly as it began it stopped. The only sound to be heard in the room was their breaths.
It wasn't until Moody and quite reached the end of his tether and snapped to "Get the fuck off me 'ya mangy mutt!". That Remus forced himself upward pulling Tonks along with him until she rolled free of the Auror. Spitting out a vicious curse Mad-eye rose up on a knee and gazed around the room. Before moving off to check on the condition of his prisoners. Glancing over Tonks for injuries Remus heaved a sigh of relief when he found only a scrapped knee.
With a heavy heart he turned his gaze to the platform. Where the veil had once stood there now was nothing more than a smoking crater. Getting to his feet he bid the younger woman to stay put and inched toward the platform with shining eyes. Whips of thick gray smoke curled up toward the ceiling and rocks creaked and slid until finally settling.
Remus was about to turn away, to leave this God forsaken chamber and never return. At least he was until amongst the rubble he caught a flash of red and gold. Moving closer he found a shock of dark black hair and gasped. "Sirius!"