Saving the Future

Chapter 3: Meeting the Marauders

The rest of the week passed in a blur, and soon it was the 1st of September. The day after Minerva and Hermione had gone shopping the three of them decorated Hermione's room. Both Albus and Minerva promised that Hermione could come and sleep in it any time she wanted once term had started, and that she could go and see them whenever she wanted to and for whatever reason. The rest of the week just involved the three of them spending time together and getting to know each other. It was fun. Though, she did show them some of her not so great memories. That wasn't all that fun.

The three of them decided that Hermione should get the train to the school, that way she had some time to get to know the Marauders before they were surrounded by other students. Minerva would take her there, in a disguise so that no one recognised her.

So, at about half past ten on the morning of the 1st of September, Hermione and Minerva, who was in her disguise of blonde hair, sunglasses and clothes that no one would ever associate Professor McGonagall with, took the floo to a wizarding Pub near King's Cross Station and then walked together, side by side, to the train station.

Hermione was wearing some skinny, black jeans and a black and white Queen print tank top with her black converse high-tops. Her hair was straight down her back and she wore some make-up, namely eyeliner, mascara and nail varnish.

"Your things will be in the dormitory when you get there. Albus is sending them there for you. Have you got the money for the snacks on the train?" Minerva fussed, in a motherly way, as they were walking.

"Yes. And I know a lot of pranks that I can help them with. And I have my school robes, and my wand." Hermione replied, smiling widely at the older woman.

"Good. Do you know what you have to say?"

"Yes. I have to say that my name is Hermione Dumbledore because Dumbledore adopted me. And if they ask about being married to adopt someone I have to say that it's Dumbledore and he can get away with most things. Then, if they ask why he adopted me I have to say that I'm a seer and I know some information he needs, but I'm not to say what information that is. Also that he knew my parents and he promised them he would look after me if they were to die. If they ask about what I see then I am to make up something which is close to the truth but not the full truth as the future as I know it has now been rewritten. And not mention Peter being a Death Eater just yet."

"Good." Minerva said as they arrived at the station and started making their way to the platform. The station looked pretty much the same as it did the last time Hermione had been there, Hermione smiled at the familiar feel of the place.

Soon they were on the platform and they turned to face each other. The platform was busy with excited students and their parents, all saying goodbye.

"I will see you later, then. Good luck with the Marauders."

"Thank you. I think I'll be okay, though. Do you think I should tell Remus I know about his condition?"

"It's up to you. It might be a good idea, though. Then he won't be as afraid of letting another person into the group, if he knows he can trust you and that you like him despite his condition. Now, you should probably get on the train. I will see you later. Have fun."

"I will. Goodbye."

They hugged for about a minute, Hermione not noticing the huge smile that took hold of Minerva's face during the embrace.

Hermione got into the first carriage of the train, that way she could go through the whole thing to find the Marauders. She hadn't found them but the time the train started to move, but she did find them ten minutes into the journey. They were sitting in a compartment towards the back of the train. James and Sirius were on one side. Remus and Peter on the other. She recognised who they were because James was a spitting image of Harry, except the eyes, and Sirius looked just like his older self, just younger looking. Remus also looked a lot like his older self, but he was also younger looking. And… Peter, the same went for him too. They were talking animatedly to each other as she knocked on the window of the door.

They stopped talking and turned to look at her, shocked. She slid open the door and smiled at them.

"Hello, I was just wondering if I could join you, every other compartment is full." She said, they all looked speechless and she stood there, smiling at them.

"Uh, sure." Sirius was the first to overcome his speechlessness.

She smiled again and walked in, shutting the door behind her as she took a seat next to Remus.

"My name is Hermione Dumbledore by the way. It's nice to meet you all." They all looked shocked again.

"Dumbledore?" James asked.

"Yes, Professor Dumbledore adopted me during the summer."

"Don't you have to be married to adopt someone?" Remus questioned.

"Maybe he is married. And, it's Dumbledore we're talking about, do you really think he has to be married to adopt someone. He can get away with anything. Or, nearly anything."

"Why did he adopt you?" Sirius asked this.

"Two reasons, really. I am a seer and have some very valuable information for him and his cause. He was also friends with my parents and promised them that he would look after me if they died."

"You're new, aren't you? I haven't seen you around before." Remus noted.

"Yes, I am new. I am going to be a fifth-year Gryffindor, though. I was sorted over summer. I previously went to Beauxbatons but Dumbledore wanted me to come here so that I can help him better, and so that he can help me too."

"Wait, you said you were a seer, does that mean you know things about us and our futures?" Peter asked, looking slightly scared.

"Maybe… I know all of your names. I know that you three have finally been able to successfully become Animagi and that you plan to accompany Remus on full moons. Yes, Remus, I know about your condition. But I don't mind, I'm here for you, whatever you need. I also know that you are all the school pranksters, you call yourselves the Marauders, and I know some pranks you might be interested in. And I know bits and pieces about your futures as well, but I will only divulge them if you want me to, bearing in mind that I can't tell you too much, but little bits I can tell you."

They all looked shocked again.

"Y-you know that I'm a…" Remus started but did not finish.

"Yes. I know. But it's okay. I won't tell anyone about your condition or that you three are unregistered Animagi. And I'm here for all of you, no matter what you need. So, what were you discussing before I walked in? Were you discussing your next big prank? Your holidays? James' undying love for Lily Evans?"

They looked shocked again.

"You know that I love Lily?" James asked.

"Yes. I'm a seer. I also know that she likes you but won't date you until you stop pranking Severus Snape, her best friend. So, if you love her and want to date her then I suggest you stop pranking him, and being mean to him. In fact, I suggest you all stop being mean to him, you know, to help James. Severus isn't that bad a guy. I mean, I know he's a Slytherin but not all Slytherin's are bad. Your cousin Andromeda isn't bad is she, Sirius, and she was in Slytherin. Also, he is incredibly clever, he might be a great asset to you if you become friends. I believe he is very good at potions, I'm not saying you all aren't clever or good at potion, but his ability might help you with some pranks. I'm sure you do very well on your own, but, the more the better right. The more people you have the more pranks you can pull. I'm here to help as well, obviously. You never know, maybe Lily will start helping you out as well if you let Severus join in, then you can get to know her better, and date her, and more. But, I am just giving my opinion. You don't have to follow what I say."

"What happens if we don't stop being mean to Severus?" James asked, as if he knows Hermione knew more.

"He will call Lily a mudblood after she tries to save him from one of your pranks, they will no longer be friends, and he will become a Death Eater, only to regret it at a later stage which I am not going to tell you, and then become a spy for Dumbledore. Surely you don't want him to be a Death Eater, right? You can save him from his horrible fate by being nice to him, he will still be friends with Lily, and you will have an extra friend."

"What else do you know?" Peter asked, again looking worried.

"Oh, I know a lot but I'm not going to divulge it right now. I think we should discuss your next big prank…"

"Please, tell us each one little thing about our futures!" Sirius whined.

"Fine. Sirius, you will be the godfather of James' first born son. James, there's a little bit of your future there, too. Remus, at some point there will be a potion invented, called Wolfsbane, that you will take, which allows the werewolf to keep their own mind during the full moon, however, I happen to know the recipe and so can get someone to make it for you now, before it has even been invented so there is part of your future that I have brought to the present for you. And Peter, you should probably be careful." They all looked shocked, again.

"I have a son. Who with? What's his name? Who does he look like?" James asked in awe.

"The first two things I probably shouldn't tell you. But he looks an awful lot like you." Hermione replied.

"What does mine mean?" Peter questioned, more worried now. Hermione just glared at him whilst the other three weren't looking and he backed away in fear.

"You have the recipe for a potion that hasn't been invented yet, that will allow me to keep my mind?" Remus asked with tears in his eyes.

"Yes. It won't help with the pain of the transformation, but it will help you keep your mind. I believe Dumbledore is having the potions master, Professor Slughorn, brew it for you."

"Thank you." He whispered, a small smile playing on his lips.

"You're welcome." Hermione said, smiling back at him.

"Okay, I think we can discuss pranks now. You said you know how to help us with pranks, what have you got?" Sirius inquired after a few minutes of stunned silence. He looked rather excited to hear her ideas.

"Well…" She began, giving them plenty of ideas from the books she had read or from what Fred and George had told her. She also mentioned a few that Sirius and Remus had told her.

They spent most of the journey talking animatedly about pranks and what they could do this year. Hermione could tell that the three true Marauders liked her already, Peter on the other hand was very cautious around her. When the trolley came, Hermione paid for a lot of snacks for them to share and they enjoyed their food as they continued talking about pranks and hexes they could use on the student body.

Soon they had arrived at Hogsmeade station and they were climbing off the train, walking up to the carriages that would take them up to the Castle and climbing in one together. This time she sat in between Sirius and James, opposite Remus and Peter. They spent the journey up to the Castle talking about their summers.

"What's it like being Dumbledore's daughter?" Sirius wondered.

"It's nice. He's very kind and caring. He's fun, too. He's always there for me, for whatever I need. And he looks after me well." She mused, realising that she was their daughter now that they had adopted her. She knew it anyway, in the back of her mind, but she didn't know it in the sense that she didn't really think about it in that way. Do they expect her to call them 'mum' and 'dad'? She questioned herself.

It wasn't long before they were parked outside of the entrance of the castle. They all clambered off the carriage and entered through the large double doors that led to the Entrance Hall. Then they made their way through the other large double doors and into the Great Hall, surrounded by other students who all hurry to their tables. The Marauders and Hermione sat at the back of the Gryffindor table, Hermione sitting in between James and Sirius, opposite Peter and Remus, again. The hall was loud with the sounds of chatter and laughter. The teachers at the High Table also talked among one another. There were two empty seats at the High Table though, the seats of Hagrid and Minerva who were tending to the first years.

Dumbledore found Hermione and smiled at her, she smiled back, nodding slightly so that only he could notice and he smiled brighter.

"So, when are we going to do the prank?" Sirius questioned excitedly.

"How about tomorrow morning, at breakfast? That means we have tonight to make the potion, in our dormitory. Hermione, you can join us if you want to. Then we can wake up early tomorrow, go down to the kitchen and ask for the potion to be put in everyone's drinks. The house elves love us and would do anything for us. Then we can kick the first day of lessons off with a bang." James suggested. They all nodded in agreement, even Hermione.

It didn't take long for the first years to arrive and be sorted into their houses. Dumbledore made a short speech before allowing them all to indulge in the marvellous food that appeared on the table with a clap of his hand.

"Hermione, what lessons are you taking this year?" Remus asked as he put some chicken on his plate.

"Transfiguration, Defence, Potions, Charms, History of Magic, Care of Magical Creatures, Herbology, Arithmancy, Ancient runes, and Astronomy."

"If you're a seer, why aren't you doing Divination?" Sirius pondered.

"Just because I'm a seer it doesn't mean I enjoy the subject. Also, is there really a point to learning how to tell the future if you can already do that?"

"Good point." He said, nodding in agreement.

They spent the whole of dinner discussing their lessons and the teachers. They also discussed Quidditch and whether Hermione knew how to play or not. After the meal Dumbledore made another speech, reminding students not to go into the Forbidden Forrest and about the products Mr Filch has banned, etc. Then they were all dismissed.

The Marauders led Hermione up to Gryffindor tower, pointing out classrooms they passed, and secret passageways they have found, after making sure no one was around to listen. After speaking the password to the portrait of the Fat Lady, 'lumos', and climbing through the portrait hole, the five of them sat on the floor in front of the lit fireplace in a circle, Hermione sat in between Sirius and Remus, Peter was in between James and Remus.

They were just starting to discuss more pranks when Lily, Alice and Marlene walked over to them. Hermione knew Lily because of her eyes, they were exactly like Harry's. She also knew Alice because she looked like Neville. And Marlene she deduced because she knew that she was the other girl in their year.

"James, who is this?" Lily asked, James' eyes lit up at the fact that she mentioned his name.

"This, Lily-flower, is Hermione Dumbledore. She is Professor Dumbledore's adopted daughter. She is in our year and she just transferred from Beauxbatons. She is also a seer and a very skilled prankster."

"Hello, my name is Lily. This is Alice and Marlene. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"It's nice to meet you all, too." Hermione responded with a smile on her face.

"You're a seer? So, can you tell us something about our futures?" Marlene questioned, intrigued.

"Uh, well, I can't tell you everything, in fact, it's really ideal that I tell you nothing, but if you really want me to I can tell you one thing." She answered, a little hesitant because she knew Marlene had died and didn't know what to tell her. But the girls nodded their heads in excitement. "Okay. Lily, you have a son who has your exact eyes and is very brave. Alice, you have a son who looks a lot like you, and is also very brave. Marlene, you are very talented at your job." The girls smiled at the thought of their future before heading to the dormitory to unpack.

James smiled brightly as soon as they left. "Lily has a son. I have a son. Is it the same son?"

"That I'm not allowed to tell you." Hermione replied.

"Why?" James whined.

"Because, although I may see the future there is every chance that future might change. We can all do things to change it. It isn't set in stone. I know things that will definitely happen and things that can change if things happen differently. Like you being nice to Snape and letting him be your friend will change his entire path, and it will change yours too. Also, I don't see the full future, only bits and pieces. I don't know when you all die. I don't know what will happen in my future. And I know some things that have already definitely happened. Though, I am not going to tell them just yet." Hermione explained, looking pointedly at Peter when they others weren't paying attention, causing him to cower under her gaze.

After an hour of talking about pranks, in particular the one that would happen the next morning, the five of them made their ways up to the fifth-year boys' dormitory to start brewing the potion, after Hermione had gotten the book with the recipe in from her dormitory.

The potion only took an hour to brew, but there were a lot of ingredients that needed to be prepared. They started preparing them in silence but soon the silence was broken by Sirius.

"Honestly, if this works, you will become an official Marauder, Hermione." Sirius promised. James and Remus nodded in agreement, Peter, however, did nothing except concentrate on his ingredients.

"Thank you. I would be honoured to be an official Marauder."

"Have you considered becoming an Animagus? It's just, if you do become a Marauder then you will need a Marauder name. Ours are all based on our Animagi forms, or Remus' 'furry little problem' in his case, we all got together over the summer to discuss our names. But you will need one too. We can help you become and Animagus, if you want, then you can come with us on the full moon." James explained.

"I have considered it. It sounds interesting. It would be great if you can teach me."

"Okay, I think I have a spare mandrake leaf in here, somewhere. That is if you want to start training now. The first step is keeping the leaf of a mandrake in your mouth for a month." Sirius put in.

"How am I supposed to keep a leaf in my mouth for a month?" Hermione wondered.

"We used the sticking charm to stick it to the top of our mouth. It doesn't do anything for the taste but it kept it there, and we managed to pull it off." James stated, looking rather proud of himself and his friends.

"Okay, where's the leaf?"

Sirius stopped preparing ingredients and ran to his bedside cabinet, opening the top drawer and pulling out a box. He walked back over to them and sat down on the floor again, opening the box and pulling out a mandrake leaf and passing it to Hermione.

"You might need help with the sticking charm. Unless you can do it wordlessly."

She shook her head and he took out his wand as she put the leaf as best as she could against the roof of her mouth. Sirius pointed his wand at the leaf as best as he could and spoke the incantation he had memorised. The leaf was stuck to the roof of her mouth and she grimaced at the taste of it.

They went back to preparing ingredients and they were soon making the potion, working together, as a team, to get it right. It didn't take long before the potion was finished and they had bottled enough of it for the whole student body, minus themselves of course. They packed away the ingredients and equipment and Sirius put the bottle of potion on his bedside cabinet.

"I should probably go and get ready for bed. It was a pleasure meeting you all and helping you with your pranks. Do you want to meet in the common room in the morning to go to the kitchen?" Hermione asked the boys.

"The pleasure was ours. Thank you for helping us out. And yes, meet us in the common room at seven so we have plenty of time to go to the kitchen and say hello to our little friends before breakfast." James replied.

"Okay. Goodnight."

They all said goodnight to her and she left the room with a proud smile on her face. She had successfully befriended the Marauders, other than Peter anyway. Now she just had to keep being friends with them, get them to trust her, and figure out how to spill the beans about Peter.

She entered her dormitory to find Lily, Alice and Marlene all sitting in their beds talking with each other. They all smiled at her as she walked in.

"Where have you been? When we went back down to the common room you and the Marauders weren't there." Alice asked her curiously.

"Oh, I was with them, in their room. Helping them with a prank." She said nonchalantly as she picked out some pyjamas from her drawers and walked to the en-suite bathroom.

When she came back into the room, dressed in her pyjamas, the girls looked at her, shocked.

"You helped them with a prank?" Lily muttered.

"Yes. Don't worry, it's nothing too bad. It won't hurt anyone." Hermione responded as she sat, cross-legged, on her bed.

"We were wondering, James said Dumbledore adopted you, don't you have to be married to adopt someone?" Marlene questioned, changing the subject.

"Maybe he is married. But, it is Dumbledore we're talking about, don't you think he could get away with not being married in order to adopt someone?"

"He is married? Who's his wife?" Lily asked, surprised.

"I didn't say he was married. Also, if he was, I wouldn't be allowed to divulge that information. If he is married he is obviously keeping it secret for a reason. It's not me who should be telling you. If he is, anyway."

"You know if he is. He adopted you."

"Yes, I do know if he is or isn't married, and who he is married to if he is indeed married. But I still wouldn't be able to tell you who his wife is, if he did indeed have a wife."

"Can you give us a clue?" Marlene enquired.

"Nope. But, you never know, one day he might just announce it to the world, if he is indeed married anyway."

"Does he have any other children?" Lily pondered.

"Nope."

"Okay, we're guessing… Is it Professor Sprout?" Alice guessed.

"No."

"Madam Pomfrey?" Lily.

"No."

"Madam Hooch?" Marlene.

"No."

"Professor Sinistra?" Alice.

"No."

"Professor Burbage?" Lily.

"No."

"Professor Vector?" Marlene.

"No."

"Professor McGonagall?" Alice.

"Nope." Hermione lied.

"You gave a different answer for her?" Lily commented.

"I said basically the same thing. What makes you think his wife is one of the professors? That is if he even has a wife at all. You know what, let's get some sleep, we have lessons tomorrow and we want to be well rested don't we?"

"You're dodging the question. It's Professor McGonagall, isn't it?"

"No."

"Your adoptive mother is Professor McGonagall. We always thought that those two were more than just friends and colleagues. It's so sweet."

"No, my adoptive mother is not Professor McGonagall. I don't even have an adoptive mother." Hermione tried.

"Stop lying. Why would they hide their marriage though?" Lily asked.

Hermione sighed, giving up the battle. "They are hiding their marriage because if Voldemort knew about it then he would target them both. I mean, he targets everyone who is either muggle-born or against him anyway, but he particularly hates Dumbledore. So, if he knew that Dumbledore was married, to McGonagall, or to anyone, Voldemort would target them as well. They adopted me because of my seeing abilities and Dumbledore was a friend of my parents, he promised them he would look after me if they died. But I know how to destroy Voldemort, so I am helping Dumbledore to do just that."

The girls looked shocked.

"You know how to destroy Voldemort?" Marlene whispered in awe.

"Yes. But I can't tell you how."

"Do the boys know you know how to destroy Voldemort?" Lily questioned.

"No. I can't tell them that because…"

"Because what?" Alice asked.

"I can't tell you that. Goodnight." Hermione answered as she laid down in her bed, covering over with the red duvet as the other girls said goodnight.

It wasn't long before Hermione fell into a peaceful sleep, after setting her alarm for six so that she had time to get ready.

Hello, hope you enjoyed the chapter, next chapter will be the prank and her first day of lessons, as well as some Minerva/Albus/Hermione stuff. She will also be meeting some new people… I'm not going to say who, though.

I will update again when I can.

Please review!