Do I really need to say this again? J K Rowling IS Harry Potter. If you recognise anything that seems remotely familiar from any movie, TV show, book or whatever else, it's probably because it is from them. If you want my 'full' warning, you can check out either 'Dormant Power' or 'Beginning of the End'.

So, I've written a prequel, on with the sequel! Remember, I only wrote this because several reviewers requested me to (gosh, am I nice or what, lol!). Again, only some names are mine (as is the storyline I guess), everything else is not!

lol, yeah I'm cruel for cutting it right there! I can just imagine some of your faces when you realised I had! The wise words of Jeremy Clarkson (BBC's 'Top Gear' presenter) spring to mind; "YOU CAN'T STOP IT THERE?!"

You reckon you know how this is going to turn out? So do I! I got quite emotional doing this, let me assure me. The song I had in is called 'When I Look To The Sky' and it's by Train (who, incidentally, sing my favourite song, but it's not this one). I have neglected to put it in since that is FFN's policy, so…yeah, sorry about that. If anyone wants the 'full' version, I'm only too happy to email it.

Also, this might be the last chapter for a bit...I don't have much written beyond this so it will take me some time to generate enough stuff to make into a chapter, so I apologise for that.

Chapter 36 – The Long Goodbye

Harry looked around the moment his feet landed on solid ground. He did this a little too quickly and fell over, groaning as his head hit something hard. Harry glanced at what it was and his heart stopped; it was a shoe, which belonged to a leg, which belonged to his Godfather.

"S…Sirius?" Harry croaked out before crawling over to check him. "Please let him be all right," he mumbled, before opening his trunk and tucking Sirius comfortably on the lounge in the final compartment.

He exited the trunk and went around, making sure he packed everything of his away from the house. This wasn't very hard since most of his possessions were in his trunk. Harry then scratched his head, wondering what he should do next. The sensible option was to go straight back to 2037, in case Sirius needed assistance. But part of him wanted to wait here in the hope that his Godfather woke up soon.

'No,' Harry thought. 'I have to go back now. Besides, the potion will only be useful until tomorrow.' That decided, Harry withdrew the vial of pink potion and set it down on the floor. He then shrunk his trunk and pocketed it before picking up the vial and gulping down its contents.

Remus was pacing frantically around his room, his hair a matted mess of light brown and grey, while his face looked as though he had went through a werewolf transformation the previous night. Tobius was doing his best to relax him, saying that if anyone could save Sirius, it was Harry. They were startled when they heard a faint 'pop', and Remus nearly crushed Harry in an embrace the moment he recognised him.

"Er…air…please!" he managed to say.

Remus released him and apologised before asking if he had done it.

"I managed to stop him from going through the veil and I've got him resting in the living room of my trunk. But I don't know how long he'll be out for."

Remus nodded. "Let's get him to the hospital wing then. I can't thank you enough for this, Harry."

"I doubt I could if you had done it either, Remus. Let's go," Harry answered before the three of them left.

Sirius was still lying on his bed and hadn't moved for the past four days. Remus and Harry sat beside him, ignoring everyone's attempts to get them to leave. They had lost him once, and both were determined to be there the moment he woke. His prognosis, however, was not so good; the spell Bellatrix had hit him with had not done too much internal damage, but having all but fallen through the veil had. The healers were doing everything they could to help him, and as Harry and Remus slowly drifted off to sleep, they heard footsteps.

"Come on guys, please? At least come down and eat something."

Both shook their head vehemently, determined to stay by his side. Hermione sighed, before the healers walked in, both with very grave looks on their faces.

"Harry, Remus. We have done all we can…"

"Will he live?" Harry cut in.

The healers looked at each other before one of them sighed. "His condition is critical. The curse he was struck with has not done…"

"Just answer his ruddy question!" Remus snarled. He was tired of them tiptoeing around the subject. All both he and Harry wanted to know was when Sirius was going to wake up.

Again the healer sighed. "We have been unable to heal him. I am incredibly sorry, but no, he will not survive. I'm sorry."

Harry let out a cry, while Remus tried in vain to blink back his tears. After all this, all Harry had risked to get this far, it hadn't worked.

"I'm sorry, Remus."

"Don't be, Harry. At least we have his body. Padfoot can now rest in peace beside the others."

Harry could only nod in reply, his throat starting to choke up again. It had been two days since the announcement that his Godfather would not be able to recover, and both he and Remus had spent them in isolation, listening to the music from Harry's stereo. They had even changed the password on their dorms to prevent anyone from entering. Not that they hadn't tried, but since the new password was in parseltongue, it was a futile exercise to get in to talk with them.

Remus had cast a preservation charm on Sirius' body, and Harry had gently laid him to rest in his trunk. They both visited him numerous times a day, just to talk, telling him everything that had happened.

Both were inconsolable, with it being even worse than when it had happened in that now they actually had Sirius' body. Both had tried their best to be strong for each other, but it still was a devastating blow. Harry, again, had felt that it had been all his fault, while Remus was blaming himself for not trying harder to get Sirius to stay at home. They also looked like a mess; their eyes were red and puffy, and they both looked like they hadn't slept a wink in the last two days, which was pretty close to the truth.

"It's just not fair though. He didn't see the freedom that he deserved!"

"I know, Harry. But we both know that life is hardly ever fair."

Harry nodded, before slumping on the couch. As they both sat, lost in their own thoughts, a new song started up. Both wizards started to choke up as they recognised the words and Remus made to switch it off, but Harry stopped him. After the song had faded and Harry switched it off, both of them sat in silence for a long time. Harry finally looked over to Remus who had his eyes closed, and he gave him a small smile.

"He is watching over us, Remus. They all are."

Remus could only nod as he tried in vain to hold back his tears. Harry then moved over and embraced him, before both of them broke down again.

Time passed and it had taken a good while for Harry and Remus to fully come to terms with the outcome. No one had dared ask Harry about whether or not he would run for Minister when they went back, but Remus unconsciously broached the subject when he had asked Tobius about the law changes one day at breakfast.

After hearing what had changed, Harry decided that the earlier someone could introduce the laws the better the chance of avoiding the war. So the next month or so saw Harry frantically studying up on the Wizarding laws and decrees. Tobius was assisting him greatly with this, since he had excelled at History during his time at Hogwarts. Remus wasn't anywhere near as busy as Harry (and the only laws he knew were the ones that had directly affected him when he was a werewolf) so he decided to catch up with his French, with Fleur acting as his tutor.

Hermione still didn't like the idea of Tobius going back with them, but there was little she could do otherwise. She blamed it on his wolfish side, saying he was just being too stubborn for his own good. But after Harry had a quiet word with her, namely that it would be beneficial for him to come back considering who 'Tuffy' had chosen as a mate for Tobius (after assuring Hermione that it wasn't her), she had reluctantly accepted the situation and let the matter drop.

The day of their farewell dawned and saw Harry and Bianca rushing around, making sure they hadn't forgotten anything, while Remus and Tobius looked in with amusement since they had packed the previous day. The four of them made their way into Hermione's old Potions office, the original place where Harry and Remus had found themselves a little over two years ago.

As they pushed open the door, they were stunned with what greeted their sight. The room had been enlarged to several times its size and was full of students, parents and Professors.

"You didn't really think we'd let you go without a final goodbye this time," Hermione asked, beaming at their gobsmacked looks.

"Yeah, this is a truly momentous occasion," Ron added.

"Why? We've done this before," Harry reminded them.

"Quite right, but this time you'll be changing things for the better," Draco argued.

He then motioned them over to the bench where four goblets were waiting for them.

"Er, this doesn't taste as bad as that cure does…does it?" Tobius asked, while Remus gave him a knowing smile.

"Not at all. This one is much nicer." He then turned to Hermione, "So you believe this will be the best time to leave?"

"I think so. Assuming we time this right, the Professors should all be in the Great Hall for dinner discussing your whereabouts for the last two weeks while I'll be at my desk pouring over my notes."

Remus nodded and looked over to the others. "Well, I guess this is it."

Harry gave him a quick nod. "Time to see if we can change this."

He then saw Brendan, who wiped away a tear on his sleeve. Harry walked over and gave him a smile.

"Don't worry, Brendan. Think of this as a 'see you soon', not as 'goodbye', all right?"

Harry smiled again as his little cousin gave him a quick smile. Remus then cleared his throat, and Harry sighed before making his way back to the bench.

The four of them looked at each other, before raising their goblets and saying "To the past!" in unison. They then drowned the contents, and everyone watched as the four of them blinked out of existence.

Thoughts were still whizzing around Hermione's head as she tried desperately to figure out what had happened to Harry. Things were made worse when Bernadine had told her that Remus was missing as well. She was so caught up in her thinking that she didn't notice the four people in her office until one said, "Hi Hermione."

What greeted her sight was something she had to do a double take at to make sure she wasn't seeing things. "Harry! Remus! You're back!" Hermione exclaimed as she rushed up and enveloped Harry in an embrace.

"Yes Hermione, we're back. All thanks to you, by the way."

"Er, yes, about that. I'm sorry that I…"

"Don't bother Hermione, it's in the past," Remus interrupted her.

"Or is that the future, Remus?" Harry asked with a grin that Remus soon returned.

Hermione looked a little puzzled at that, and also at the two other people that were here.

"Oh, forgive me, Hermione. Let me introduce you to Bianca Chelmsford and Tobius Lupin, who is Remus' son."

Hermione's eyes widened as Harry said this, causing all four of them to laugh. "You mean you…you…"

"Ended up thirty years in the future? Yes that's correct. It appears you should have written out the whole word like I told you to."

She looked between Harry and Remus who sheepishly nodded. "I, er, stirred it the wrong way," he said.

"Oh my! You mean it actually worked then?!" she exclaimed.

"Yeah, it worked," Tobius announced.

"Not to be rude or anything, but exactly why are Tobius and Bianca here?"

Harry smirked at her. "Did anything interesting happen in the last few days? Was a poll or something like that taken?"

Hermione nodded. "Yes, a public opinion poll for who should be the next Minister. You easily got the majority of votes, but of course you'd never consider running. After all, you always say that you love teaching here…"

"Call it a hunch, but I'm pretty sure I'll get in."

"But you aren't supposed to change…"

"Ah, but we can. You told us that yourself," Remus cut in.

"I…I did?"

Tobius nodded. "Something about being able to since they haven't experienced it before."

"So you're Minister in the future then?" she asked Harry.

"No. But because of that, we went to war again. We're back to stop that."

"Oh. That still doesn't explain why Tobius and Bianca are here though."

"Bianca is a vampire who I saved. Because of this, she is obligated to…"

"Serve you for life," Hermione finished. She had read about female vampires having to do that should anyone save them from death.

"While Tobius here decided to come back and help Harry with being Minister," Remus told her.

"You're actually going to run?"

"I kind of have to, Hermione. The future depends on it."