Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters.
Dangers in the Past.
Dumbledore had once again entered Madam Pomfrey's office by the time Ron and Hermione arrived. The teens' faces betrayed the fear they felt for their friend. Snape had apparently told them what was happening. Dumbledore smiled at them reassuringly, then made them sit down in front of him, while he took Madam Pomfrey's chair.
"I'm sure Professor Snape has already told you what is going on."
Both friends nodded.
"The professor is currently working at an antidote for the poison that has been given to James and Lily. And with it, we should be able to set things right. The problem is that the cure has to be administered to them before they drink the poison."
Both teens looked even more worried. Ron's strangled voice ran through the room. "How are we going to do that?"
Without a word, Dumbledore brought his left hand out of one of the pockets of his robe. Clutched in it was a shinny, golden hourglass. Hermione breathed, a bit surprised. "A time-turner? You want us to go back?"
Dumbledore nodded. "Yes, you'll go back to when James and Lily were in Hogsmeade. There you can slip the antidote in their drinks. Remember, the situation is different than when we travelled back here, this time you yourselves will be there."
Hermione nodded. "We can not allow anyone to see us."
But Dumbledore shook his head. "Not exactly, you can't allow anyone inside Hogwarts to see you, Lily and James can since they don't know where you are."
Ron sighed and put his head in his hands. "All this time travelling is starting to get confusing. So, we go back to yesterday, just enough to put the antidote in their drinks, and then what? We come back? We stay there?"
He and Hermione both looked at Dumbledore questioningly. The old man thought for a while. "I think it will be safer if you just wait there. Imagine you come back and you've not yet left. This time-turner is not able to narrow the time down to the minute as you would need it to."
The teens nodded in understanding, but they had another concern, which Hermione voiced. "Where will we be staying? We can hardly come to the castle, too many people could see us. And we can't stay in Hogsmeade either, people would ask too many questions."
"You can stay in the shrieking shack. No one will come looking for you there," Dumbledore said looking from one to another. "Any other questions?" The two teens shook their heads and Dumbledore smiled reassuringly at them. "In that case, you should get going. I'm sure you will want to grab a few things before going. Professor Snape will come and meet you in your common room with the antidote. Remember to look at what time exactly you're leaving so you know when to return."
Both teens nodded and stood up, sensing Dumbledore had nothing else to tell them. Just when they reached the door, the old man wished them good luck and they left. Once again they had to cross the hospital wing. Sirius was there, with Harry still in his arms. The man had moved onto the bed and was looking blankly at the small boy, as though willing him to return. But instead of coming back, Harry was fading more with each passing moment, and the two teens could now clearly see Sirius's body through their friend's. Ron and Hermione looked at each other sadly, wondering if they should approach the man or just leave him alone. A soft voice made the decision for them. "Go back to your common room, you need to get ready."
They turned to Dumbledore, who had followed them out of the office, and nodded. With a last glance at Sirius and Harry they silently left the room.
Dumbledore approached the bed carefully, unwilling to startle the man. If Ryan heard him, he didn't show it. The man remained motionless, his eyes never wavering from Harry's sleeping form. "Sirius?" He didn't move. Dumbledore sighed and shook him gently, trying to get his attention. "Sirius, snap out of it, child."
The man shook his head slightly and finally looked up. "Sorry. What did you want, Albus?"
Dumbledore looked for a moment at the deadened eyes of his friend, before moving his gaze to Harry. "I just wanted to tell you that we're doing all we can to get James and Lily to wake up. We have a plan. Do you wish to hear it?"
Ryan lowered his head again and shook it. "Why bother? Harry is disappearing. Isn't that proof enough that it's hopeless? Nothing will wake them."
The old man frowned. "You shouldn't lose hope, Sirius. There are still things we can do, they are not dead. I think it will work."
The man didn't respond. Once again, he had sunk back into his own thoughts. Dumbledore sighed, there was nothing he could do for the younger man if he didn't choose to listen. For a moment he considered making Sirius take a break from watching Harry, but finally decided against it, knowing that short of cursing him, nothing would make him leave the room.
Shaking his head, Dumbledore turned around and left the hospital wing, heading back to Madam Pomfrey's office. He wished he could go for a walk through the grounds to clear his head, but he couldn't risk it. The students were going to ask too many questions as it was, so he had to stay in the small room until everything was over and they could safely return to their own time.
Ron and Hermione arrived at the common room after their chat with Dumbledore, only to find it in chaos. One time loyal housemates, screaming and yelling. In the center of the melee were two boys. Sirius was on top of Peter, attempting to beat the hell out of him. He was calling his friend a 'filthy traitor' while Remus tried to get his black haired friend to calm down and let Peter go. Remus was looking very confused and Hermione supposed he had yet to hear what Ryan had told Sirius of their future. At least, that was what she had assumed had happened. Ryan could have a really big mouth at times, as if they weren't in enough trouble as it was. The others in the common room had never seen such a fight. Not between Marauders. They were almost family! Half the boys in the room were debating loudly whether or not they should help Remus in his struggles, while the others just cheered. Anxiously wanting to see something that would relive the stress of the past few hours. The girls, on the other hand, were shrieking, trying to get physically as far away from the fight as possible, while remaining close enough to still having a good look at the mess.
Hermione looked next to her at Ron, who was reclining lazily against the doorframe. She raised an eyebrow and asked, "Shouldn't we do something?"
Ron stretched calmly. "Do you know, Hermione, how many times I've dreamed about doing the very same thing Sirius is doing now?"
Hermione rolled her eyes, but couldn't help but smile. "I can empathize, Ron. But that doesn't change the fact that Wormtail has to be alive, or else there's really no sense in us going back."
Ron nodded. "I know, Herm, but can't we wait a bit? It's such a good show."
Hermione looked reprovingly. "I'm not worried about Peter getting hurt." She nodded towards Remus, who was beginning to have problems restraining Sirius, even with his superior strength. "I'm worried about Remus. You know Sirius wouldn't forgive himself if he hurts him, and you know how little restrain Padfoot has when he's angry, if we don't step in, Remus could easily end up in the Hospital Wing."
Sighing, Ron straightened up and nodded. "Ok, but it's only because of Remus, and you will be the one to take Peter out of the room, deal?"
Hermione nodded, although the prospect wasn't really appealing. "Deal."
Both teenagers approached the struggling trio, and the common room became silent except for the shouts of Sirius and Remus, and Peter's pathetic whimpering. Ron quickly latched onto one of Sirius's arms, allowing Remus to centre his attention on the other. Between them, the two boys were finally able to pull Sirius off Peter. Hermione quickly hauled the smaller boy onto his feet and dragged him out of the room and up the stairs leading to the boys' dormitories. Once there, she dropped him on his bed and firmly told him to stay put unless he wanted another beating from Sirius, and this time from Remus as well.
Back downstairs, Sirius was absolutely livid with Ron, and had begun to shout furiously at the red-haired boy. Ron just looked him calmly and dragged him to a couch. When Hermione came down the stairs, Sirius was still ranting, despite Remus' strained efforts to make him calm down. Hermione sat down in front of him and regarded him flatly; a moment in which Sirius paused to take a breath, she calmly stated: "You're behaving like a stupid prat."
Those words effectively shut the boy up and Ron took it from there. "Now, first off, I think you should explain your behaviour to Remus, he looks ready to have you committed, and with good reasons too."
Remus nodded vigorously, relieved that someone had been able to shut Sirius up and that apparently he was about to discover what this mess was about.
Sirius looked resigned, but before they could get up and leave he had to ask them something. "Why? Why did you stop me?"
Hermione raised an eyebrow. "I thought that would be obvious, Sirius. Peter Pettigrew didn't die in his common room at the age of fifteen at the hands of Sirius Black. It would break the time-line, and it's already damaged enough as it is, so there's no sense in doing more harm."
Sirius frowned. "But it would change everything for the good."
Ron shook his head. "You don't know that. Look, the night James and Lily died, Harry not only survived Voldemort but also made him disappear, for thirteen years. Lord Voldemort became little more than a shadow and people were given the chance to live in peace. If we do what you're asking, if we allow you to kill Peter, Lily and James might live, but so might Voldemort. Do you have any idea how many people that bastard could kill in thirteen years? He could also still kill the Potters and Harry, and that would be the end of our society as we know it."
Hermione nodded in agreement. "We know it's hard to take. I mean, imagine how it is for Harry! But everything eventually works out. In our time Voldemort is no more and we are able to live in peace. All this because Harry survived and grew to be the most powerful wizard in history. Leave it be."
With those last words, Hermione stood up. Ron followed, and they both went to their rooms to collect clothes and food. Sirius, on the other hand, sighed resignedly and turned towards Remus, who still looked completely confused, and began to explain what had happened.
It was nearly eight when the entrance to the common room swung open. Ron and Hermione looked up and stood as they recognised their Potions Master entering the room. Taking their bags and ignoring the curious looks they were getting from their fellow Gryffindors, the two friends walked out of the room, closing the door behind them.
Out in the hall, Snape gave Hermione a small vial filled with an amber coloured potion. "That's the antidote. You have to put three drops in each of their glasses, no more." He turned around, but before he left he added, "Don't mess up."
Ron's face grew red in anger, but Hermione put a calming hand on his arm. "Leave him. You know he's a bastard and he's not going to change. Come on, we should get going, we don't have time to lose."
The boy calmed down slightly and nodded. "Where do we go?"
Hermione shrugged. "It doesn't really matter, we'll appear in another place no matter where we depart from. Lets just go into an empty classroom so no one sees us leaving."
But a soft voice interrupted them. "You're leaving?"
Both teens turned around sharply, they hadn't heard the portrait swinging open. Sirius and Remus were regarding them accusingly. Ron sighed in relief and Hermione clutched the vial tighter. "Don't do that, Remus."
Remus just looked at the girl and repeated his words. "You're leaving? Just like that?"
Ron and Hermione exchanged annoyed glances and the boy answered. "We're going to do something to help Lily and James."
Sirius narrowed his eyes. "We're coming with you."
"Oh no, you're not," Hermione said shaking her head firmly. "It'll be tricky enough for Ron and I to pull it off. There's no way we're taking you with us."
Remus was now glaring at them. "Why not? James and Lily are our friends."
Ron raised an eyebrow. "And Harry is ours, your point is?" He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Listen, this is going to be very dangerous. If we do something wrong, we could end up messing up the whole time-line, and believe me, it's already messed up enough as it is. Bringing you along is a risk we cannot take."
Sirius looked furious, and Ron could tell he was barely restraining himself. "Where are you going? What makes you so special that you can do this and we can't?"
Hermione looked at him seriously after having exchanged another glance with Ron. "We are going to the past, to yesterday to be exact." She paused for a moment before asking the angry teens something. "Now answer me truthfully. Could you face Lily and James before they were kidnapped and not tell them what was about to happen? Could you really act naturally around them so they don't grow suspicious. Could you maybe even stand by and watch as they get kidnapped and not do anything about it?"
Sirius looked even more furious. "You're going back and you're not going to help them?"
Ron shook his head. "We're going to help them. We're just not going to mess with the time-line, not if we can help it. It's the same situation as with Peter. James and Lily have to be kidnapped, it has to happen, but we'll make sure that it ends more to our liking."
Remus sighed in defeat and nodded in understanding. "I understand, but that doesn't mean I have to like it." Then he looked up defiantly at the two teens while Sirius leaned back against the wall. "How do we know you'll be able to pull this off?"
Ron smiled slightly. "We don't know, but we have been in this situation before. I know neither Hermione nor I will stop the kidnapping. And as for James and Lily suspecting anything,." Ron shrugged. "They don't know us that well, I'm sure we can easily fool them."
Ron looked down at Hermione when he felt her hand on his arm. "We really need to get a move on, Ron, we're wasting unnecessary time" Looking at the two teens, she added. "Please, stay here where you're safe. If you've any more questions, look for Daniel. I'm sure he will be willing to answer them for you. And stay away from Peter. As much as I hate the damned rodent, we have to keep him alive, we have enough trouble as it is."
Hermione started to drag Ron away, but the redhead turned around and uttered a last warning. "Stay away from Ryan, he's very unpredictable when Harry's hurt or in danger and it doesn't get much worse than this. Also, stay away from the man that came to get us. He has a foul temper and he hates your guts."
Then he turned around and quickly followed Hermione, leaving the two teens staring at them, wondering what they should do next.
To be continued.
A/N: Thanks for all reviews, and thanks to my betas, Tanya and Gates.
Dangers in the Past.
Dumbledore had once again entered Madam Pomfrey's office by the time Ron and Hermione arrived. The teens' faces betrayed the fear they felt for their friend. Snape had apparently told them what was happening. Dumbledore smiled at them reassuringly, then made them sit down in front of him, while he took Madam Pomfrey's chair.
"I'm sure Professor Snape has already told you what is going on."
Both friends nodded.
"The professor is currently working at an antidote for the poison that has been given to James and Lily. And with it, we should be able to set things right. The problem is that the cure has to be administered to them before they drink the poison."
Both teens looked even more worried. Ron's strangled voice ran through the room. "How are we going to do that?"
Without a word, Dumbledore brought his left hand out of one of the pockets of his robe. Clutched in it was a shinny, golden hourglass. Hermione breathed, a bit surprised. "A time-turner? You want us to go back?"
Dumbledore nodded. "Yes, you'll go back to when James and Lily were in Hogsmeade. There you can slip the antidote in their drinks. Remember, the situation is different than when we travelled back here, this time you yourselves will be there."
Hermione nodded. "We can not allow anyone to see us."
But Dumbledore shook his head. "Not exactly, you can't allow anyone inside Hogwarts to see you, Lily and James can since they don't know where you are."
Ron sighed and put his head in his hands. "All this time travelling is starting to get confusing. So, we go back to yesterday, just enough to put the antidote in their drinks, and then what? We come back? We stay there?"
He and Hermione both looked at Dumbledore questioningly. The old man thought for a while. "I think it will be safer if you just wait there. Imagine you come back and you've not yet left. This time-turner is not able to narrow the time down to the minute as you would need it to."
The teens nodded in understanding, but they had another concern, which Hermione voiced. "Where will we be staying? We can hardly come to the castle, too many people could see us. And we can't stay in Hogsmeade either, people would ask too many questions."
"You can stay in the shrieking shack. No one will come looking for you there," Dumbledore said looking from one to another. "Any other questions?" The two teens shook their heads and Dumbledore smiled reassuringly at them. "In that case, you should get going. I'm sure you will want to grab a few things before going. Professor Snape will come and meet you in your common room with the antidote. Remember to look at what time exactly you're leaving so you know when to return."
Both teens nodded and stood up, sensing Dumbledore had nothing else to tell them. Just when they reached the door, the old man wished them good luck and they left. Once again they had to cross the hospital wing. Sirius was there, with Harry still in his arms. The man had moved onto the bed and was looking blankly at the small boy, as though willing him to return. But instead of coming back, Harry was fading more with each passing moment, and the two teens could now clearly see Sirius's body through their friend's. Ron and Hermione looked at each other sadly, wondering if they should approach the man or just leave him alone. A soft voice made the decision for them. "Go back to your common room, you need to get ready."
They turned to Dumbledore, who had followed them out of the office, and nodded. With a last glance at Sirius and Harry they silently left the room.
Dumbledore approached the bed carefully, unwilling to startle the man. If Ryan heard him, he didn't show it. The man remained motionless, his eyes never wavering from Harry's sleeping form. "Sirius?" He didn't move. Dumbledore sighed and shook him gently, trying to get his attention. "Sirius, snap out of it, child."
The man shook his head slightly and finally looked up. "Sorry. What did you want, Albus?"
Dumbledore looked for a moment at the deadened eyes of his friend, before moving his gaze to Harry. "I just wanted to tell you that we're doing all we can to get James and Lily to wake up. We have a plan. Do you wish to hear it?"
Ryan lowered his head again and shook it. "Why bother? Harry is disappearing. Isn't that proof enough that it's hopeless? Nothing will wake them."
The old man frowned. "You shouldn't lose hope, Sirius. There are still things we can do, they are not dead. I think it will work."
The man didn't respond. Once again, he had sunk back into his own thoughts. Dumbledore sighed, there was nothing he could do for the younger man if he didn't choose to listen. For a moment he considered making Sirius take a break from watching Harry, but finally decided against it, knowing that short of cursing him, nothing would make him leave the room.
Shaking his head, Dumbledore turned around and left the hospital wing, heading back to Madam Pomfrey's office. He wished he could go for a walk through the grounds to clear his head, but he couldn't risk it. The students were going to ask too many questions as it was, so he had to stay in the small room until everything was over and they could safely return to their own time.
Ron and Hermione arrived at the common room after their chat with Dumbledore, only to find it in chaos. One time loyal housemates, screaming and yelling. In the center of the melee were two boys. Sirius was on top of Peter, attempting to beat the hell out of him. He was calling his friend a 'filthy traitor' while Remus tried to get his black haired friend to calm down and let Peter go. Remus was looking very confused and Hermione supposed he had yet to hear what Ryan had told Sirius of their future. At least, that was what she had assumed had happened. Ryan could have a really big mouth at times, as if they weren't in enough trouble as it was. The others in the common room had never seen such a fight. Not between Marauders. They were almost family! Half the boys in the room were debating loudly whether or not they should help Remus in his struggles, while the others just cheered. Anxiously wanting to see something that would relive the stress of the past few hours. The girls, on the other hand, were shrieking, trying to get physically as far away from the fight as possible, while remaining close enough to still having a good look at the mess.
Hermione looked next to her at Ron, who was reclining lazily against the doorframe. She raised an eyebrow and asked, "Shouldn't we do something?"
Ron stretched calmly. "Do you know, Hermione, how many times I've dreamed about doing the very same thing Sirius is doing now?"
Hermione rolled her eyes, but couldn't help but smile. "I can empathize, Ron. But that doesn't change the fact that Wormtail has to be alive, or else there's really no sense in us going back."
Ron nodded. "I know, Herm, but can't we wait a bit? It's such a good show."
Hermione looked reprovingly. "I'm not worried about Peter getting hurt." She nodded towards Remus, who was beginning to have problems restraining Sirius, even with his superior strength. "I'm worried about Remus. You know Sirius wouldn't forgive himself if he hurts him, and you know how little restrain Padfoot has when he's angry, if we don't step in, Remus could easily end up in the Hospital Wing."
Sighing, Ron straightened up and nodded. "Ok, but it's only because of Remus, and you will be the one to take Peter out of the room, deal?"
Hermione nodded, although the prospect wasn't really appealing. "Deal."
Both teenagers approached the struggling trio, and the common room became silent except for the shouts of Sirius and Remus, and Peter's pathetic whimpering. Ron quickly latched onto one of Sirius's arms, allowing Remus to centre his attention on the other. Between them, the two boys were finally able to pull Sirius off Peter. Hermione quickly hauled the smaller boy onto his feet and dragged him out of the room and up the stairs leading to the boys' dormitories. Once there, she dropped him on his bed and firmly told him to stay put unless he wanted another beating from Sirius, and this time from Remus as well.
Back downstairs, Sirius was absolutely livid with Ron, and had begun to shout furiously at the red-haired boy. Ron just looked him calmly and dragged him to a couch. When Hermione came down the stairs, Sirius was still ranting, despite Remus' strained efforts to make him calm down. Hermione sat down in front of him and regarded him flatly; a moment in which Sirius paused to take a breath, she calmly stated: "You're behaving like a stupid prat."
Those words effectively shut the boy up and Ron took it from there. "Now, first off, I think you should explain your behaviour to Remus, he looks ready to have you committed, and with good reasons too."
Remus nodded vigorously, relieved that someone had been able to shut Sirius up and that apparently he was about to discover what this mess was about.
Sirius looked resigned, but before they could get up and leave he had to ask them something. "Why? Why did you stop me?"
Hermione raised an eyebrow. "I thought that would be obvious, Sirius. Peter Pettigrew didn't die in his common room at the age of fifteen at the hands of Sirius Black. It would break the time-line, and it's already damaged enough as it is, so there's no sense in doing more harm."
Sirius frowned. "But it would change everything for the good."
Ron shook his head. "You don't know that. Look, the night James and Lily died, Harry not only survived Voldemort but also made him disappear, for thirteen years. Lord Voldemort became little more than a shadow and people were given the chance to live in peace. If we do what you're asking, if we allow you to kill Peter, Lily and James might live, but so might Voldemort. Do you have any idea how many people that bastard could kill in thirteen years? He could also still kill the Potters and Harry, and that would be the end of our society as we know it."
Hermione nodded in agreement. "We know it's hard to take. I mean, imagine how it is for Harry! But everything eventually works out. In our time Voldemort is no more and we are able to live in peace. All this because Harry survived and grew to be the most powerful wizard in history. Leave it be."
With those last words, Hermione stood up. Ron followed, and they both went to their rooms to collect clothes and food. Sirius, on the other hand, sighed resignedly and turned towards Remus, who still looked completely confused, and began to explain what had happened.
It was nearly eight when the entrance to the common room swung open. Ron and Hermione looked up and stood as they recognised their Potions Master entering the room. Taking their bags and ignoring the curious looks they were getting from their fellow Gryffindors, the two friends walked out of the room, closing the door behind them.
Out in the hall, Snape gave Hermione a small vial filled with an amber coloured potion. "That's the antidote. You have to put three drops in each of their glasses, no more." He turned around, but before he left he added, "Don't mess up."
Ron's face grew red in anger, but Hermione put a calming hand on his arm. "Leave him. You know he's a bastard and he's not going to change. Come on, we should get going, we don't have time to lose."
The boy calmed down slightly and nodded. "Where do we go?"
Hermione shrugged. "It doesn't really matter, we'll appear in another place no matter where we depart from. Lets just go into an empty classroom so no one sees us leaving."
But a soft voice interrupted them. "You're leaving?"
Both teens turned around sharply, they hadn't heard the portrait swinging open. Sirius and Remus were regarding them accusingly. Ron sighed in relief and Hermione clutched the vial tighter. "Don't do that, Remus."
Remus just looked at the girl and repeated his words. "You're leaving? Just like that?"
Ron and Hermione exchanged annoyed glances and the boy answered. "We're going to do something to help Lily and James."
Sirius narrowed his eyes. "We're coming with you."
"Oh no, you're not," Hermione said shaking her head firmly. "It'll be tricky enough for Ron and I to pull it off. There's no way we're taking you with us."
Remus was now glaring at them. "Why not? James and Lily are our friends."
Ron raised an eyebrow. "And Harry is ours, your point is?" He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Listen, this is going to be very dangerous. If we do something wrong, we could end up messing up the whole time-line, and believe me, it's already messed up enough as it is. Bringing you along is a risk we cannot take."
Sirius looked furious, and Ron could tell he was barely restraining himself. "Where are you going? What makes you so special that you can do this and we can't?"
Hermione looked at him seriously after having exchanged another glance with Ron. "We are going to the past, to yesterday to be exact." She paused for a moment before asking the angry teens something. "Now answer me truthfully. Could you face Lily and James before they were kidnapped and not tell them what was about to happen? Could you really act naturally around them so they don't grow suspicious. Could you maybe even stand by and watch as they get kidnapped and not do anything about it?"
Sirius looked even more furious. "You're going back and you're not going to help them?"
Ron shook his head. "We're going to help them. We're just not going to mess with the time-line, not if we can help it. It's the same situation as with Peter. James and Lily have to be kidnapped, it has to happen, but we'll make sure that it ends more to our liking."
Remus sighed in defeat and nodded in understanding. "I understand, but that doesn't mean I have to like it." Then he looked up defiantly at the two teens while Sirius leaned back against the wall. "How do we know you'll be able to pull this off?"
Ron smiled slightly. "We don't know, but we have been in this situation before. I know neither Hermione nor I will stop the kidnapping. And as for James and Lily suspecting anything,." Ron shrugged. "They don't know us that well, I'm sure we can easily fool them."
Ron looked down at Hermione when he felt her hand on his arm. "We really need to get a move on, Ron, we're wasting unnecessary time" Looking at the two teens, she added. "Please, stay here where you're safe. If you've any more questions, look for Daniel. I'm sure he will be willing to answer them for you. And stay away from Peter. As much as I hate the damned rodent, we have to keep him alive, we have enough trouble as it is."
Hermione started to drag Ron away, but the redhead turned around and uttered a last warning. "Stay away from Ryan, he's very unpredictable when Harry's hurt or in danger and it doesn't get much worse than this. Also, stay away from the man that came to get us. He has a foul temper and he hates your guts."
Then he turned around and quickly followed Hermione, leaving the two teens staring at them, wondering what they should do next.
To be continued.
A/N: Thanks for all reviews, and thanks to my betas, Tanya and Gates.