A/N: Well possibly a little later than I intended, but here it is. Chapter Two!

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James stared down the wand, not sure what to think, or what to say. This all seemed so very real and so very wrong. How did one begin to respond to it? He wanted to go for his wand, he felt defenceless and vulnerable standing here at wand point of a strange man, but he couldn't see how he could get his wand out and up before this man got off a spell off. He was a fair dueller, but even he didn't like the odds.

Lips tightening further, the man in front of him raised an eye brow. "That battle there," he indicated the memorial behind James, "I fought in that, and as you can see, I'm still alive. If I were you, I would explain myself very quickly."

"I'm not saying anything – this is all some trick that the Slytherins thought up isn't, some potion they gave me, or some spell to make me see things like this!"

The man regarded him solemnly for a few moments. "And what should you being seeing?"

"Not this!" James waved a hand around unsure how to put into words what he was seeing. Everything was slightly off, not right, and yet everything was acting like it was normal.

"Perhaps we better start with your name?"

"What's yours?" he asked a little sullenly.

"Neville Longbottom, Herbology Professor and Deputy Headmaster of Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry."

"Professor McGonagall is the Deputy Head," James said, happy to prove this strange man wrong. But Longbottom, he knew that name – Frank Longbottom had been two years ahead of him at Hogwarts and was now training to be an Auror. His parents were good friends of James'.

"Minerva McGonagall retired twenty years ago." Something began to click in James' mind, but it didn't have time to settle. "Now your name, before I escort you to the ministry at wand point."

"James Potter."

"I've known James Potter since he was born. I've known his parents since they started Hogwarts – you may have a reasonable likeness, but you are not him. Now who are you?" The last sentence came out through gritted teeth as the so-called Professor Longbottom's jaw tightened and lines appeared around his eyes. His wand didn't waver, his arm held sure and with confidence, though it had to be aching by now.

James was on his last straw, and this impostor wasn't helping matters. Clearly someone was trying to play tricks on his mind, drive him insane and he didn't appreciate the effort.

"I am James Potter. I am a student at Hogwarts. I have known the Longbottom family all my life. And there certainly isn't a 'Neville' in it. Frank Longbottom was two years ahead of me at school and his parents are friends of my parents. That isn't your real name anymore than there is an 'Albus Potter' or a—"

Whatever else James intended to say was abruptly cut off, as 'Neville's' hand shot out and grabbed his chin, dragging his face around until it was level with his own. James found himself on the receiving end of a gaze that was intent, but no longer showed any sign of hostility, more like shock and realisation.

Released, he stumbled back trying to get his balance, and he ended up propping himself against the memorial wall.

"Impossible!" murmured 'Professor Neville Longbottom'. "There is no way…but," and he turned his eyes back to James, "you look like Albus, who looks like Harry, who looks like…well, you."

Just then a timid female voice interrupted the two. "Dad?"

'Professor Longbottom' and James turned at the sound the voice to see three small girls, probably second or third years staring at them with wide eyes. How much of the scene they had witnessed, James was unsure of, and he could see that 'Professor Longbottom' was as well. He appeared to be rapidly trying to figure out what to say.

At last he spoke, "It's all right August. You, Miss Smith and Miss Bradley, go on to dinner now, you're a little late. I just have to take young James here up to my office." A hand clamped down on James shoulder and he tried to shrug it off, but it only tightened its grip, fingers digging in painfully.

The three girls crossed the Entrance Hall throwing the two odd, mistrustful glances and as soon as they walked through door, and before it closed, James saw them turn to each other and start to whisper.

"Brilliant," muttered the false professor. "Now the whole school will know in under five minutes."

Had the man actually been a Hogwarts professor he should have known that it was inevitable no matter who witnessed the scene (or even if no one did), and James would have had no qualms about pointing this out to him. As it stood, James decided silence was the better part of staying alive and kept his mouth shut.

"All right, James, say I believe you and you are James Potter, Hogwarts student, then you'll have to believe me when I say you are very much in the wrong place and that should you stay here, you might just destroy the world as we know it. Literally."

In James experience, professors generally weren't quite so melodramatic, but he still had no reason to believe 'Professor Longbottom'. "Why should I?" he asked.

"Because James Potter, I do know you. Your three best friends are Sirius Black, Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew – you call yourself the Marauders and you are unregistered animagi. Your enemy is Severus Snape and one of your main sources of contention is Lily Evans who is his best friend and the woman you love. The reason why everything doesn't look quite right is that it has been fifty years since you were last a student at this school."

More convinced than ever that this was some dark trick, James used the fact that the man – who knew entirely too much about him – had his wand pointing down to cast a spell.

In turn, he had to duck his own curse as it bounced off a flawless and silently cast shield charm. 'Professor Longbottom' had not spoken and he had barely lifted his wand.

"Also, from everything I know about you, you are in all probability an excellent dueller. However, I trained with one of the greatest living wizards during a war. If that isn't enough there is a hall full of students and teachers through that door who will come to my aid if they see a stranger throwing curses at me.

"If you come with me now, I can take you up and explain what is happening, and perhaps find someone who can convince you, and we can avoid further unpleasantness." He stood aside and indicated that James should go on ahead.

James was not going to be fooled by this man. He might be outclassed, but he refused to go quietly. He shook his head and told 'Professor Longbottom' where he could stick it.

The 'Professor' just sighed, shook his head, and waved his wand. A few short minutes later James found himself floating up the main stairs, bound hand and foot, gagged and without a wand.

They encountered no one on their journey, not that James thought he could expect any help even if they did. However, while he spent most of the time trying his best to trying and will his way out of his predicament, he eventually gave up and had to admit that there were some things beginning to add up. Particularly, the part about it being fifty years in the future – though he had to admit he was impressed at this man who knew about him after all this time. Maybe he was famous.

Lost in thought he didn't realise they had come to a stop outside the entrance to the Head's office until 'Professor Longbottom' spoke.

"I'm sorry – and I do mean that. I once had a friend cast the full body bind on me. She apologised and told me it was for a very good reason, which it was, but I didn't find that out until later. Gilly Weed." The door to the office slid open and 'Professor Longbottom' floated James on up.

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