Times sunt a immutatio
Prologue
"It's really creepy in here dad," muttered James Sirius Potter into the dark hallway.
One would wonder what all five Potters and Teddy Lupin were doing in such a dreary residence, which was twelve Grimmauld place. The fact that, it was not a place for children and especially not on such a pleasant mid-Autumn day.
"It's okay Jamie we'll only be here for a bit," Harry answered as he cast lumos-maxima directly down the middle of the corridor. Sufficiently illuminated Harry, James, Albus and Teddy stepped through the threshold. Harry, coughing slightly on the dust that had accumulated over the eleven years it had been inhabited for, but no matter he strode forwards, the three boys in toe.
Harry had not been back to his Godfather's temporary prison since 1998, after their hasty escape from Yaxley. For he had no reason too. But seeing as Teddy had finally received his Hogwarts acceptance letter he thought a little gift was in store.
When Yaxley had caught on to Ron's cloak as they flooed away that day, they hadn't been able to collect the other belongings that hadn't been in Hermione's beaded bag. That included a plethora of clothing, some useless books, parchment, quills, canned food but most importantly the infamous 'Marauders Map'. Seeing how Teddy was Harry's first 'child' to head off to Hogwarts he thought it would be fitting if map were placed with little Lupin. That way, Ted would have a little bit of his dad there with him too.
The house as far as Harry could tell was still looking like his gloomy old self. Fitted with Walburga's portrait and all. "What are we doing here pa?" questioned Teddy.
"Yes, what are we doing here Harry? The last time I was here it wasn't exactly a place for a group of children to be prancing about,"
Harry turned back to look at Ginny, who was still outside on the front porch looking warily at the house. "Were just here for something Gin, it won't take more than a few minutes. Besides there's nothing harmful in here, it was all cleared out years ago, remember? Just come in it's chilly outside,"
Scowling Ginny gradually made her way into the forlorn household, covering little lily's mouth all the while.
"What is dis' place dad?" Albus asked. He, Harry had noticed had always been the little inquisitive one. Even from his small age, always asking questions. Unlike his brother who had a 'couldn't care less attitude' and was slightly misbehaved. But he supposed it was his own fault for naming his son after one of two of the most heinous pranksters Hogwarts had bore witness too.
"This, Al, was the headquarters for the Order of the Phoenix, the Ancient and Noble house of Black to be precise,"
All three boys looked around in wonder, mouths a gaping. All of them had grown up on stories of the Order of the Phoenix; to them they were a legend. A tale of witches and wizards, Hero's and villains, a bedtime story. Though, Harry noticed even for such a recent historic event, recollections were becoming skewed and twisted and he feared the population would forget the important lessons that had been taught, that this crisis would one day be forgotten. However, all Harry could hope for would be that wouldn't be around that day, for he had had enough trouble for a lifetime.
"Yeah but why are we here dad? It's so…ugh, aren't we meant to be going to Diagon alley today?" James huffed impatiently. Harry chuckled at his antics. He didn't blame James for being a bit impatient as Harry and the family didn't really get out as much as he'd like too. Due to the fact that everywhere they went he was harassed by journalists and the media asking for exclusive interviews, autographs, his opinion on the latest events in politics, if he liked a certain product, if there were any babies on the way, one even had the ordacity to ask if he had been snogging Ms. Chang at the annual Ministry function two years ago. He just point blank refused to have his children exposed to that sort of limelight, like pieces of succulent meat surrounded by rabid dogs.
Especially Teddy who had lost Andromeda a few months ago, the poor boy was still distraught. Always so down and depressed, his hair losing its vibrancy, along with his personality. It reminded him of Tonks when Sirius had died all those years ago.
Ginny and himself had postponed the trip to the alley, till the very last weeks of August so that perhaps they wouldn't be sort out by the media as soon as they entered the shopping district. Looking back at that decision now it seemed like a better time than ever. Seeing as Teddy looked like he needed a little pick me up. Presenting him the map would probably help facilitate Teddy's happiness back to its usual levels.
Catching up to the boys, who had travelled further into the house as he had ushered Ginny and Lily inside, he grasped Teddy gently by the shoulder, "We're here to get something special for Teddy, before he goes to school,"
Teddy seemed to perk up at this announcement, smiling half-heartedly at Harry. Delighted by this, Harry stepped in front of Al and James, an encouraging smile on his lips as he beckoned the three boys quietly to follow him up the rickety old staircase.
"What is it dad?"
Smirking mischievously Harry replied as he walked up the stairs," You'll have to wait and see,"
With newfound curiosity, the boys ran up the stairs going as fast as their little legs could carry them, desperately trying to match Harry's longer strides. Who had already neared the first floor and was now turning into the piano room, leaving loud thumping noises in their wake.
"Don't touch anything!"
Ginny, holding Lily followed at a more sedated pace, amused by her boys' silliness. She looked around the ancient house as she climbed the squeaky stairs, memories of her fourth year flooding through her.
'You just chuck stuff at the door and if it can't make contact the door's been Imperturbed'
'Bill doesn't like him either'
'Yeah Tonks, Make that face again, the duck!'
'Mum, I want to hear!'
'You're not being possessed Harry! I would know! Stop sulking and come down Sirius is worried about you, we all are'
It was painful reminiscing about it all, even the happy memories. Difficult recalling Fred's crooked grin as the twins lowered the Extendable ears for the first time. Sirius singing outdated, off key Christmas Carols in an attempt to lighten the dull atmosphere that surrounded the house, even Tonks knocking over the coat rack and setting off Sirius' wretched mother, but it seemed, even Walburga didn't feel like serenading anymore.
During times like these Ginevra seemed to think they weren't so fortunate, the ones that had survived. They had to live with the everlasting guilt, the grief over the fallen. Constantly mourning their bright smiles, their happy natures, the past and what could have been. The list of grievances and 'what ifs?' had piled up over the years drowning many in sorrow.
Nonetheless, it does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live, in the great words of Albus Dumbledore, if you could call it a dream, more like a nightmare she supposed. All those pleasant memories seemed like eons ago, like an alternate reality.
It had taken years for Britain's Wizarding community to gain some sort of normalcy again; there had been so much heartbreak and destruction it seemed like if you had not perished in battle you would succumb to your own grief eventually. So many mothers, fathers, sisters and brothers, family had withered away in their misery.
It was enduring to witness. George was never the same again, having lost his twin. His bright, bubble charisma had morphed into something horrific and wrong, so depressive and dank. He had wallowed in his calamity preferring his own solitude, his seclusion. Angela had helped though, she had assisted greatly. His moral support. Looking back now, Ginny realized she really was one of the only things anchoring George here. Seeing how they had both lost Fred and knowing him on such intimate levels, they were able to share their grief together. Working through it collectively, untedily.
Harry had been the hardest though, he had been unreachable. Inconsolable. He had taking everybody's death as his own personal blow. Each and every demise, a slash against his already strained heart. The never-ending blame and attribution. It had taken virtually years for Harry's noble soul to understand that he had done everything he could have to abet everybody during that battle. Even now he was still heavy hearted.
He was strong for Teddy though, he would have never left that little boy behind. Never in a thousand years. And it was with their children now, he would fight for them fiercely. He was a strong, robust and secure man on the outside, but so undoubtedly troubled inside. Considering his short 28 years.
Even now, Ginny believed he, like so many others had still not come to terms with the deaths and destruction.
It was times like these Ginny enjoyed the most, making new pleasant, amiable memories. It helped expel the ever-looming cloud of depression that seemed to hover eerily of them all.
"You can't be serious Dad! This is it, Merlin's balls there's McGonagall and Neville!" exclaimed James as Ginny rounded the corner into the formal lounge.
"Language James!"
Only Harry seemed to take notice of Ginny's arrival turning to look at her with an amused glint in his eye. They three younger boys were too engrossed to pay attention to anything around them, Staring in awe at the used parchment in front of them.
"Pa, can you tell us where the Room of Requirement is on the map? Since it's not there I mean," Teddy asked still looking at the map in amazement.
"Ah, that's part of the fun, see? I can't just go around telling you all of Hogwarts' secret's now can I?"
There was a collective 'aww' from all the boys, disappointed that they would be able to find the infamous coming and go room straight away.
"But Teddy, if you do find it before we get there, you tell us, me and Al right?"
Looking up at Teddy hopefully holding his hands together and jumping up and down in anticipation, "Please?"
Teddy looked at the two Potter boys and smirked, hand on his chin," Depends how long it takes me to find,"
"Please, Teddy?" Albus implored, looking up at his 'big brother' with hopefully eyes.
Very few have successfully denied that cute emerald gaze.
"Fine," He tisked.
James smiled triumphantly, slapping his little brother on the back. The little master manipulator.
"Come on we should be leaving, Lily's starting to get restless," Ginny said as the little red-headed menace startled squirming, trying to escape Ginny's hold.
Nodding in agreement Harry took out his wand and gestured to Teddy.
"Now, when your done, you have to found in up…Like so and place your wand on the parchment, preferably in the middle and say 'Mischief Managed' or else anyone could read it, understood?"
Nodding vigorously Teddy took the now blank parchment in hand and folded it into his pocket, hair-flashing blue.
"All righty off to Diagon Alley to get Teddy some school things," Harry said ruffling up Teddy's short hair and picking up Al who already looked completely buggered.
James turned around," Can we go to the Quidditch supply store and see the new lightening bolt?"
"Please, and maybe we'll see," Harry replied adjusting Albus properly so he was comfortable on his hip.
"Awesome!" James said, too enthusiastically while turning around as his arm knocked off a few knacks off the shelves, along with a strange spherical object, sending then crashing to the floor.
Huffing Ginny entered the room as the object began to roll around the room, stopping and clicking open, emitting a small ball of white light.
"James you've got to be more careful, there's dang—" she blanched as she spied the ball of light rising out of the mysterious object.
"James get back here quickly, get away from it!" Harry barked who was on the other side of the room.
Carefully James skidded backwards to the safety of Harry's embrace, who now had both Teddy and James grasped safely by his hands.
Harry looked up into Ginny's fearful gaze that seemed to match his own.
Ginny clutched Lily tighter to her chest.
Harry went to open his mouth, but just as he did the unknown ball suspended in the air erupted, engulfing the room in blinding white light.
With a violent pull at their navels, all five Potters and teddy Lupin vanished from the room.