Encounters of the Future Sort

Altered Plans

by IHaveASiriusObsession

Disclaimer: Harry Potter = JKR. Unfortunately, I am not in that equation.

A/N: Sorry for the late update, sadly I have other obligations that, dare I say it, are more important than fan fiction. But, updates will hopefully be more frequent for the time being. Thanks to everyone who reviewed, alerted, and put this on favorites. : )

"Okay- here's what we do," Remus said to Sirius and Peter urgently. "We go straight to Dumbledore-"

"Shouldn't we find Prongs first?" Sirius objected.

Remus shook his head, pacing. They were still in the dormitories. "Okay, new plan. We get out of here in case the people who have this dormitory come in. We decide along the way."

-...-

Once James, Hermione and Ginny had reached the hospital wing, James strutted in through the doors and scanned for Lily, while Ginny and Hermione hurried over to Madam Pomfrey, who was attending a patient.

"Can I do something for you?" Madam Pomfrey asked Hermione and Ginny while spooning some disgusting looking green liquid into a glass and handing it to her patient.

Hermione nodded anxiously. "Yes… Er, well, it's Harry…." she motioned over to James who was still looking for Lily. "He's not, er, feeling himself."

Madam Pomfrey put a top on the green potion and walked away from her patient to speak with Hermione and Ginny in private.

"That's no surprise, poor soul, having to deal with so much…." Madam Pomfrey said, clutching her heart. "He'll be alright, a calming draught should set him straight."

"Well, you see," Ginny began, "he thinks he's his father…." she trailed off awkwardly.

Madam Pomfrey glanced towards James who was walking over to them.

"Hey, I don't see Evans here." James said, looking irritated.

Madam Pomfrey clutched her heart again, grabbed James's arm and led him to a vacant bed and sat him down. Hermione and Ginny followed.

"Here, dear, this should help." Madam Pomfrey said as she poured a cup of calming draught for James and shoved it in his hand.

James stared at her. "Help what?"

Madam Pomfrey analyzed James and turned to Hermione and Ginny who gave her a grimace. She turned back to James, "Dear, maybe you should spend the night, see if you feel better in the morning…."

James stood. "Look, I don't know what's going on. First you-" he pointed to Hermione and Ginny- "-and now you!" he looked at Madam Pomfrey. "This is too weird, you're all insane. I'm going to find Sirius, Remus, and Peter."

Madam Pomfrey issued a little gasp at the mention of names, which only proved James's theory further that everyone had gone loopy. Quickly, he left the hospital wing, leaving Hermione, Ginny, and Madam Pomfrey staring blankly after him.

-...-

Remus, Sirius, and Peter hurtled down the corridor. Remus looked on the verge on a nervous breakdown.

"Moony- how're we supposed to get into Dumbledore's office?" Sirius asked. "We don't know the password."

Remus grabbed Peter and Sirius by the arm and shoved them into the nearest broom cupboard.

"You're right…." Remus said absentmindedly as he began once again to pace.

Peter muttered "lumos" causing his wand to light at the tip and said, "We could go to McGonagall?"

Remus brushed away this possibility with a wave of his hand. "No- we don't even know if she still teaches here."

"We don't know if Dumbledore's still here, either." Sirius pointed out.

Remus stopped short. "He has to. He'd only been Headmaster a few years in our time…."

"But we don't even know how far in the future this is- It could be a hundred years!" Sirius objected.

Remus looked hopeless. "You're right." he looked up at Sirius and Peter. "Any ideas?"

The three stared at each other in silence for a few moments, contemplating their next move.

"Well," Sirius began slowly, "it can't hurt if we go to the Headmaster- whoever he is. If it's Dumbledore, it'll make things that much easier."

"I agree," Peter seconded.

Remus looked back and forth between his friends. "Okay. And let's try not to be seen."

-...-

James walked down the corridor, shaking his head. Had the world gone insane? Maybe the cauldron explosion really had done something, maybe it had made everyone go mad.

Heading towards the fifth floor, James intended to find where Sirius, Remus, and Peter had gone to. He thought they must have finished Peeves off by now, but he thought he'd check anyway.

As he headed down a corridor, he was stopped just outside the teachers' lounge by a short, squat woman in a frilly pink cardigan, rather resembling a toad.

"Mr. Potter," she began in a sugary sweet voice. This startled James, for he had rather expected a croak. "What are you doing?"

James stared at her for a moment, confused. "Who are you?" he asked rudely. He was fed up with everyone at the moment.

The toad raised her eyebrows disapprovingly. "Excuse me?"

"I said, who are you." James repeated fiercely, gritting his teeth.

A nasty smile crept slowly upon the toads face as she waved her finger back and forth rather childishly. "Now, now… We mustn't loose that temper of yours. Apparently you haven't had enough detentions to allow the message to completely sink in. Another weeks worth will do just fine I think…."

James was dumbstruck and furious. Who was this woman and why was she giving him detentions?

"Look, I haven't the faintest idea who you are and what the hell is wrong with everyone, so if I missed something, now would be a fantastic time to fill me in." he said.

The smile slipped off the toads face as quickly as it had come.

"Mr. Potter, come with me." she said in a sharp voice, all traces of sweetness gone.

James watched as the toad turned on her heel and marched down the hallway. He had no intention of following her. She didn't sound like the kind of person who's bad side you wanted to be on, but James didn't much care about that period. Just as he began to walk in the opposite direction, the toad turned around and shouted, "You will spend the remaining evenings of your school career in my office if you do not follow me."

That idea did not appeal much to James, so he did.

-...-

"D'you think Hermione'll let me copy off the essay Snape set us?"

"Probably not. It's worth a try though,"

Remus, Sirius and Peter glanced around, searching for the origin of the voices. They were coming from around the corner.

"Quick, in here!" Remus pointed to a broom cupboard just to the left of the corridor.

Too late. They had rounded the corner. A red haired, tall and lanky boy, and a boy with jet black hair that stuck up in the back-

"Prongs!" Sirius shouted, causing Remus and Peter to freeze and stare.

The boys stopped talking and analyzed the three people before them, shock engulfing their faces.

"Prongs! You'll never believe it, but we're in the future!" Sirius said, looking as though he still didn't believe it himself. "I guess that cauldron explosion did more than we thought…. Prongs?"

The red haired boy was circling the Marauders, looking them up and down, while the black haired boy was frozen in place, his eyes darting back and forth between Remus, Sirius, and Peter, his mouth slightly ajar.

"Prongs?" Sirius asked again, grabbing the black haired boy by the shoulders and shaking him.

Remus stepped forward and put his hand on Sirius's shoulder, pulling him back. "Er, Sirius, I don't think that's James."

At the sound of the names, the black haired boy went chalk white. The red haired boy stood once more beside him and said, "Who are you?"

"Peter Pettigrew," Peter offered.

At this, the black haired boy went rigid. His body tensed, his fists clenched, and a vain in his forehead throbbed.

"Sirius Black," Sirius said, curiously.

Remus hesitated. These people obviously seemed to know them, and Sirius had already said they were from the future…. Maybe they could help.

"Remus Lupin." Remus said. "Do you know us?"