I have finally returned!

Alright, this is too all of those that asked why the machine recognized two time travelers. Well, I'm afraid I cannot tell you that, but I will give you a little explanation. The machine picks up on current location, so the light at Hogwarts is Sirius. The one at Grimmauld was someone else, but in this chapter, they've traveled to Hogwarts. They'll be popping up in both places throughout the story. In fact, they actually make a brief appearance in this chapter.

Ragsweas- I can definitely do Marlene and the Prewetts. Marlene is in this chaoter, and the Prewetts will come in within the next few chapters.

Disclaimer: I own nothing


Sirius got the letters at breakfast, like every other student got their post, but was surprised to see the lack of Howler.

One letter was a simple envelope, clean with his father's stamp (his father's, not the Black Family Crest) on it. The red paint with the imprint of an O and a B overlapping beside each other.

The other was just a white envelope with a piece of tape holding it closed. Siri had been scrawled in his little brother's childish handwriting that would one day become formal and loopy and Sirius wouldn't be able to read it. Or maybe it wouldn't. He still wasn't entirely sure how this all worked.

Sirius did not open the letters there like everyone else opened their mail right there at the table. No, after breakfast, he traveled to the dorm room to open the envelopes, Remus trailing behind him, almost as anxious as he. After all, he'd pressured Sirius into writing the letters.

Sirius slowly opened the first envelope, his little brother's, with shaking hands.

The letter was written neatly compared to his brother's usual chicken scratch that was slanted and all over the place because his brain often moved so fast that his hand had trouble keeping up. No, this letter was written neatly and carefully, like Regulus had chosen his words carefully. And that alone was enough to make Sirius worry about what awaited him at home.

Dear Siri,

It's great that you've made new friends! What are they like? I'm especially interested in the Slytherin; you don't seem the type to become friends with a Slytherin. What's changed?

Anyway, things around here... are mostly the same. Mum and Dad are fighting as I write, and I think that it's a particularly bad one. They just got your letter. Things have gotten slightly violent, but no curses have been thrown as far as I know. As for me, I'm alright; I have a black eye, and it's a little lonely, but sometimes I sneak out when Mum and dad are too out of it to realize that I'm gone.. I'm quite the little devil, aren't I?

I have to tell you this, though. Bella and her fiancé, Rodolphus, came over one day. Rodolphus didn't really like me, and when I spilled something on his coat (it was an accident... not), he raised his hand to slap me. Next thing I knew, he was hanging upside down from the chandelier! His coat was so tangled up, it took them an hour to get him down, even with magic!

I hope you're having fun at Hogwarts! I miss you, too, and I'll see you soon.

Love,

REGGIE

His mom hit his baby brother... Bella brought Rodolphus over... Rodolphus tried to slap Regulus... Regulus snuck out... violence... fighting...

Sirius gazed at the calender. Had he really only been gone a week?

His eyes zeroed in on a single droplet of blood, most likely from a nose bleed of some sort.

An image of his little brother with a black eye and blood dripping from his nose and over his lips appeared in front of his eyes.

Sirius promptly passed out.


"Geesh, what happened?"

"I don't know! He read the letter, got all pale, and then just passed out."

"Well, is he gonna be okay?"

"James, I'm not a doctor. If he doesn't wake up in ten minutes, we'll get Madam-"

"I'm awake, now," Sirius muttered, sitting up in his bed.

"Why'd you pass out in the first place?" James asked. "We know it has something to do with the letter, but none of us wanted to read it without your permission."

Sirius blinked. That was different. His James would've ripped the envelope from his hands, read it, and demanded to know what was going on. But then again, that James had been friends with him for four years.

"Um, well, yes, it does have something to do with the letter. My little brother, um, our cousin has taken to slapping him around, and trust me, that guy can leave some bruises. I guess the worry just crept up on me, and bam, I'm on the floor."

"Okay..." Remus said. Sirius could tell that he knew that there was more to it, but he was relieved when the werewolf didn't push him.

"Well, you have another letter if you want to read it," Peter told him, handing him the letter.

"It's from my dad," Sirius informed them. "Moment of truth."

He ripped open the envelope slowly, and he immediately recognized the loopy handwriting, but what was odd was that he didn't pick out any insults immediately. Usually, if his father was angry, some words were darker than others because he pressed his quill down so much, but this ink was all the same amount, the same shade.

Dear Sirius,

I'm proud of you for getting into Gryffindor, and making new friends. I hope you're enjoying Hogwarts.

Things around here have been pretty chaotic. Your mother is as volatile as ever, shouting and raging like some kind of dragon. She hit your brother the other day. I only found out a few moments ago when I saw his black eye.

Sirius, I'm putting my foot down. Your mother will never hit one of you again. She'll hurt either of you over my dead body.

I'm trying to stop drinking and leaving and doing drugs. I don't want you or Regulus to turn out like that.

I hope those friends of your's are a hell of a lot better influences than your mother and I.

Have fun, Sirius. We all miss you, including your mother, even if she won't admit it.

I love you. I don't say that to you enough.

DAD

Sirius fainted again. At least this time he was on the bed.

"Did he just faint again?" Remus asked.

"It seems so," Peter answered.

"Alright, that's it. I'm reading the letter," James said.

"But James, isn't that illegal? And rude?" Remus said.

"Do you really think Sirius, of all people, is going to press charges for me reading his mail. And besides, if you don't tell, he'll never know."

Remus sighed, but acknowledged that he was fighting a losing battle and watched as James began to read the letter.

"Dear Sirius,

I'm proud of you for getting into Gryffindor, and making new friends. I hope you're enjoying Hogwarts.

Things around here have been pretty chaotic. Your mother is as volatile as ever, shouting and raging like some kind of dragon. She hit your brother the other day. I only found out a few moments ago when I saw his black eye."

The room went quiet.

"Wait, she hit his younger brother?" Remus asked, even though he'd heard James perfectly.

"And gave him a black eye," James added. "Shit."

And they all were shocked. Sirius was just so happy and go lucky. None of them could see him as an abused child; they shouldn't have too.

"Sirius, I'm putting my foot down. Your mother will never hit one of you again. She'll hurt either of you over my dead body."

"She shouldn't have hit him the first time," Peter mumbled.

"I'm trying to stop drinking and leaving and doing drugs. I don't want you or Regulus to turn out like that.

I hope those friends of your's are a hell of a lot better influences than your mother and I.

Have fun, Sirius. We all miss you, including your mother, even if she won't admit it.

I love you. I don't say that to you enough.

DAD."

"Well, at least his dad sounds decent," James said.

"Do we talk to him about it?" Remus asked.

"I say we wait for him to tell us, but if Sirius comes back from Christmas with a single bruise, I'm reporting it," James said. "We'll just have to wait to see if his dad really does turn things around."

Remus sighed as he gazed at his friend lying unconscious on his bed.

"Oh, Sir," he muttered. "Why didn't you just tell us?"


*later that day*

Sirius knew that his friends had read his letter. They weren't exactly known for being subtle; he caught every last suspicious and pitying look that was sent his way.

Still, he didn't tell them he knew because that could lead to a lot of questions he didn't want to answer.

But the real event of the day came around two when he ran into her.

She was just as he remembered. Tall, although still slightly shorter than himself, and slim with pale skin. Her hair was a sheet of pure gold with high lights of sunshine, and her eyes brown, like the chocolate covered strawberries she used to eat daily.

Marlene. Marlene McKinnon.

"Oh, I'm sorry," she said after having bumped into him.

"Oh, um, it's fine."

He knelt down to help her pick up the books they'd both dropped. She smiled that pretty smile as she exchanged his for her's.

"I'm Marlene, Marlene McKinnon," she told him after they both stood up before shaking his hand.

I know, he thought. Oh, Marlene.

"Sirius, Sirius Black," he greeted, shaking her small, pale hand.

She even feels the same. All those days of holding hands with her and kissing her and just being in love, like any other teenager, came flooding into his brain.

"Well, it was nice to meet you," she told him with that same, old smile of her's. "I'll see you around, Sirius."

"Goodbye, Marlene," he muttered, even after she'd taken off down the hallway.

He found an abandoned classroom, and Sirius leaned against the door, sliding to the concrete.

Blood. So much blood. Marlene, her eyes wide open, frozen in shock and with the emptiness that could only come with death...

Sirius pulled at his hair, feeling a few strands come loose into his hands.

No, no, no...

"I love you, Sirius."

"I love you, too, 'Ene."

"MARLENE!"

"Sirius, she's gone."

"She's gone."

"She's gone."

"She's gone."

Sirius's world faded to black.


When Sirius came to, he found himself staring at the ceiling of the abandoned classroom.

Struggling to his feet, he checked his watch and saw that he'd been out for over an hour. His friends would be getting worried soon.

He left the classroom, not noticing a transparent figure- a ghost- follow him from the room.


the ghost is the time traveler... so who do you guys think it is?

And also, I'm just going to tell you that Sirius may not end up with Marlene. You'll have to wait and see, but I'm just getting you thinking.

Bye bye, my friends.

Trivia:

When did the Marauders find out that Remus was a werewolf (what year were they in when they found out, not when they became animagi)?