Smartest Plan Yet

Excited chatter resounded around the Great Hall as not-so-subtle glances were thrown to the four students from the past. The invited Aurors stood talking rapidly and franticly in confusion to Professor Dumbledore, trying to figure this whole ordeal out. Meanwhile, Sirius and Remus were trying to convince James that the kid with the messy black hair and glasses was, in fact, his son.

"I'm telling you Prongs," Sirius said conversationally. "That kid is yours, it's so obvious it's blinding."

"It does make sense James," Remus joined in. "We are in the future – as crazy as that sounds – and you could have children in this time; we would be—what?—35, so he probably is your son."

James shook his head bemused, "it's just too crazy," he replied to every reason they came up with.

"I'm gonna check," Sirius said suddenly.

"What?" James grabbed his arm before he could move.

"I'm just going to say 'hi'," he said simply. Unbeknownst to them a similar conversation was taking place a few feet away.

"Just say 'hi'," Hermione tried to encourage.

"What?" Harry asked suddenly jolted out of his daze by Hermione elbowing his side.

"I said, go say 'hi', it won't hurt to say 'hi'."

"And what would he say, Hermione? 'Hi, you don't know me but you're my teenage parents and I'm your teenage son', that is just too weird," Ron helpfully put in.

"Well, obviously not like that, clearly it would be more subtle than that. Just… I don't know," she tapped her foot irritably, "be polite."

"Yes, because politeness is the best way to break the ice," Ron shot back sarcastically.

Then, as always, Hermione shot back something just as sarcastic, until it turned into one of there infamous bickering matches. Harry, too preoccupied with his own thoughts to care about their bickering, just sat there and let his thoughts swirl of all the possibilities of how he could finally speak to his parents. Should he get to know them first and then tell them he's their son? Or should he use his Gryffindor bravery and just tell them? Too many possibilities but only one chance.

But, either luckily or unluckily for Harry, the younger form of Sirius Black came strutting down the table towards them. The chatter at the table hushed at his approach and he boldly held his head up high. Without waiting for an invite Sirius sat down casually next to Harry as if they were the best of friends.

"Hey," he greeted, only to be met by timid nods of heads of the trio. The students around him shifted uneasily in their seat. The murderer Sirius Black was sitting near them! "I'm Sirius Black," he held out his hand towards Harry, who looked at it hesitantly as if it would turn him into a snake and bite him, but eventually he shook his hand firmly, much to the shock of the table.

"I know who you are," is all he said.

Sirius smiled widely. "That's a good sign. I was just wondering if your last name was Potter; you look like a Potter, black, messy hair, glasses and slightly skinny—no offence—so is it?"

"Um…," was all he could get out before Sirius continued babbling.

"But your eyes are different, they're green, I don't know any Potters with green eyes, they're familiar, a bit like…," he regarded Harry closely, scrutinising his features… He knows those eyes. Suddenly he smiled, startling Harry, who had become quite uncomfortable with Sirius's scrutiny. "I see you have your mothers' eyes."

Before Harry could comment on Sirius' revelation, the sound of chorused screams came from the portal. The hall began to erupt with excited whispers. Who could it be this time? All eyes were locked onto the portal, wands out in case there was danger. But unless danger came in the form of a group of children, I think the wands were unnecessary.

The group of children came flying out of the portal… literally. Most landed almost instantly, with a heavy thud as their broomsticks stopped working, some went soaring further, but then their brooms also stopped working. Eventually all brooms slowed to a stop until all the children were lying on the floor in a heap, or sitting sorely on there backsides… all except one.

"Ahhh," he screamed as his broom zoomed around. The hall looked up with shock and worry, some amused. "It won't stop!" he shouted down to his friends.

"Albus," an older boy with blue hair bellowed up to him. "Land the bloody thing!"

"It won't land!" he bellowed back.

"Our brooms don't work, we can't get him, he'll crash" a girl with red hair and freckles said anxiously.

Without thinking, without knowing why, Harry pulled out his Firebolt, which he shrunk down and put in his pocket earlier, planning to go flying after dinner, now realising he had the chance he got out his wand, put it back to it's original size and mounted his broom so fast no one saw it coming until he was in the air too. "Harry!" shocked voice called up.

"Harry, come down!" Hermione said in a panic, standing up from the table, eyes wide and mouth agape.

Ignoring Hermione, Harry flew towards the out-of-control broom, which was just about to crash into one of the Hufflepuff tapestries. Albus squeezed his eyes shut and waited for the painful impact, but instead Harry urged his broom faster and quick as a flash wrapped his arm around the boys' torso and with all his strength hefted him onto his own broom. Thankfully, Harry grabbed the boy just in time as the broom collided with the wall and splintered all over the floor.

Still holding onto the boy with a grip like a vice, he lowered him slowly to the ground and was met my awed and worried glances. There was silence as the sight sunk into everyone's head. "That was awesome!" A first year Ravenclaw clapped enthusiastically, which was joined in by some on other tables.

Harry blushed and looked down, shrinking his broom back down. "Thanks," the boy said shakily. Harry looked up, ready to say "no problem", but the words stuck in his throat as he looked at the boys face. Although he was way shorter and his black hair didn't stick up as much as Harry's, the younger boy looked exactly like him. Especially as their expressions matched and they stepped back simultaneously in shock, they could have been brothers.

The younger boy looked on in astonishment at the sight before him. He run back towards where his family were, who were all looked like they were frightened and very shocked. One girl shook herself and grabbed the boy tightly into a hug. "Are you okay?"

He nodded numbly and shakily pulled out of the hug. "I'm confused, where are we?"

Dumbledore stood from the table, eyes twinkling at the group of children. "Hogwarts," he said calmly. The children's eyes widened and gasps of shock escaped their mouths.

"Hey," a young boy step forward before one of his cousins could stop him. He reached into his pocket and shuffled through a collection of cards until he found the one he was looking for. He held it up in front of him and smiled excitedly. "You're on my chocolate frog card!"

"Hugo," one of the many redheads whispered nervously and pulled him back so they were all grouped together again.

Dumbledore smiled like a friendly grandfather and asked, "May I enquire as to who you are?"

The boy with the blue hair, who was obviously the oldest, stepped in front of the group almost protectively. "We're," he faltered for a second and looked back at his group with a frown, "Well we're a mixture."

A beautiful girl with blonde hair, with a slight reddish tint, looked around the group hurriedly. "Are we all here?" she asked to the group in general. They looked around themselves trying to figure it out.

The oldest boy went to his group and took charge. "Roll call!" He said simply, to which they all groaned but moved about obediently. The whole hall looked at the group in confusion, who could they be? They looked familiar but… not. Seeming to forget that the hall was looking at them, they all lined up, as if at a school, apart from the boy who stood in front of them. "Okay, Weasleys' first, Victoire, Dominique, Louis?"

"All here," they answered.

"Molly, Lucy?"

"Yep," they said back.

"Fred, Roxanne?"

"Yeah, we're here."

"Rose, Hugo?"

"Uh-huh."

"Good. Potters—James, Albus, Lily?"

"Here, here and here," the oldest of the three replied.

"Scamanders? Loracan, Lysander?"

"At you service," one of the two boys mockingly bowed.

"Alice?"

"Here."

"And last but not least, Scorpius?"

"Yeah, I'm here."

The blue haired boy sighed in relief and counted them, just to double check. "Good, did I miss anyone?"

"Yeah," said on of the Weasley boys, although his skin was slightly darker than the others.

The oldest boy frowned. "Who?" he looked around his group, confused.

All the kids in the line smiled and said at once, "Teddy?"

He rolled his eyes but smiled anyway. "Yeah, yeah, I'm here."

"Hem, hem," an annoying cough spoke up. The groups' eyes looked at the High Table and scowled as one. "You didn't mention who you were," she smiled broadly, like a frog.

"Pay, attention Delores," McGonagall snapped irritably. "They don't have to say who they are, they just did."

"Um," said one of the red-haired girls. "I'm Roxanne Weasley," she said timidly. All the present Weasleys' of 1995 looked at the girl curiously. "What's going on? I know this is Hogwarts, but… when in Hogwarts?" She stepped back and blended back into her group.

"My dear," Dumbledore addressed the girl politely. "It is a long story, take a seat and I'll explain."