Chapter 50
The next morning, Harry awoke early and after dressing quickly he made his way out to the lake to think in private. He sat on the shore and pulled his cloak close around himself as he gazed unblinking into the water, watching the giant squid catch its breakfast. How long he sat there before his thoughts were broken, he did not know, but what did finally break through his silent musing was far from pleasant.
'So, tell me boy, have you decided to give up yet?' asked Voldemort
'No, Tom, I have decided that I will not give up, not to you' replied Harry confidently
'You are making the wrong choice, Potter, you would b wise to reconsider' threatened the evil wizard
'No, I have made the right choice, and nothing you can say will change my mind. You may promise not to harm those I care about, but I will not see them live in fear as their world is controlled by you. Their deaths by your hands are better than them having to submit to your will'
'So, you would rather see them die, would you? Well, in that case, I will be sure it is done, and your face will be the last thing they ever see' said Voldemort smugly 'You would have been better off not to listen to the idiotic ramblings of a phoenix, Potter, she has only led you to more pain than you needed to suffer' he added
'Wrong, Tom, it is you has caused all the pain in my life, she is the one who has made it possible for me to keep going despite you' replied Harry
'You may believe that now, but I have a feeling your ideas will change once you see all those you care for die' said Voldemort "I will allow you the rest of the time we agreed on to change your mind, but if you don't, they will be the first to die' he said as his voice faded away into nothingness and Harry miserably shook his head
"I will never change my mind" he said out loud
"Change your mind to what?" asked a voice from directly beside him, and startled, Harry jumped to his feet with his staff in one hand and the other outstretched "Calm down, Potter, I'm not going to attack you" said Snape with a smirk
"Sorry, sir, I didn't even hear you walk up" said Harry as he lowered his arm and relaxed "How long have you been here?" he asked as eh turned back toward the lake and the rising sun
"Quite some time now, I was in the forest all night collecting potions ingredients and saw you on my way back to the castle. I decided to come and make sure you weren't trying to do something foolhardy or Gryffindor" he said "But you appeared to be lost in your own thoughts"
"Don't worry, Professor, I wasn't thinking about jumping in just to escape from my problems" said Harry with a genuine smile
"I was hoping not" replied Snape "Do you mind if I ask what you were think about that was so interesting that I was able to sneak up on you?" he asked after several minutes of silence
"Nothing too interesting, just listening to Voldemort talk about how he was going to kill everyone I care about if I don't surrender to him within the next six weeks. Same story, different day" he added with a shrug of his shoulder
"So, is that why you went all emotional at breakfast the other morning?" asked Snape after he realized that Harry was indeed not joking
"Partly, yes" replied Harry
"What changed your mind from almost willing to give up to never giving up?" asked Snape as he looked imploringly at his former student
"Well, you would be amazed at just how convincing a phoenix can be when she is in the mood to make you see that you are in the wrong" said Harry with a laugh and the potions professor let a small smirk grace his own features
"I would imagine so, but I have never had the honor of talking to one so I would not know" he replied "I take it the particular phoenix you are speaking of is Terres? The one who gave you your staff?" he asked with his brow furrowed
"One and the same. She returned last night to talk some sense into me, if nothing else" said Harry
"I would like to see the animal who can make the famous Harry Potter see reason when no humans could do the same" said Snape in a serious tone
"Perhaps she will stay around for a little while and you will be able to" said Harry with a shrug before they again lapsed into silence and gazed at the rising sun that was reflected off the surface of the peaceful lake.
"I have been wondering how you are able to speak to phoenixes, you got the ability to speak to snakes from Voldemort, but neither myself nor the headmaster could figure out how you got the ability to speak to Terres" said Snape suddenly
"Not just Terres, first I talked to Fawkes" corrected Harry
"I wasn't aware of that" muttered Snape with a look of contemplation on his face "Do you know how it is that you can speak to them?"
"Not a clue" said Harry truthfully and Snape outright laughed at his answer
"Well, at least you are honest" he finally managed to sputter out, and the image of Snape unable to control his laughter became one that Harry would remember for the rest of his life, because it was not very often that the sallow skinned, greasy haired man was unable to control ANYTHING. The pair lapsed into silence once again and returned to their own thoughts.
"Well, Potter, I believe that the rest of the school is already at breakfast, and I don't know about you, but I would like to eat before classes this morning" said Snape once the sun had fully risen and the grounds were bathed in a warm early autumn glow.
Without saying a word, Harry stood and followed the potions professor into the castle and to the great hall for breakfast.
The day passed quickly, with Harry's day taken up with three classes before lunch, and a trip to Hogesmede with Ginny afterwards since neither of them had any afternoon classes. Ginny was very pleased with Harry's brighter attitude, and it made for a very pleasant afternoon for just the two of them, away from the distractions of the castle and the other occupants of the massive school, and for a few hours at least, they were both able to put Voldemort out of their thoughts and just enjoy the others company.
They returned to the castle just before dinner and proceeded straight to the great hall to eat, not having time to go to their rooms first. Harry left Ginny near the middle of the Gryffindor table and proceeded to the head table at a fast walk, as he felt the eyes of every student on his back, his scarlet cloak billowing out behind him and staff clicking on the marble floor with every step.
He reached his seat and sat down, looking toward the headmaster who was just standing to give the evenings announcements when the doors to the great hall opened with a loud bang and in strode four people who were very familiar to Harry, but all he could do is stare back at them even though they had yet to notice him, they were too caught up in their own conversation, bordering on argument, that was heard throughout the entire otherwise silent hall.
"Would you please just grow up you two and give me back my book!?" demanded a girl with long auburn hair as she faced two boys who were tossing a small leather bound book back and forth while a third boy just looked to them disapprovingly.
"Really Padfoot, Prongs, come on, just give Lily her diary back so we can eat" said the smallest of the boys, one with light brown hair and a tired expression on his face
"Aw, come on Moony, have some fun, this is our last year here, lighten up" said the tallest of the boys as he tossed the book over the girls head while pushing his shoulder length black hair out of his face.
"Maybe he's right, Padfoot, maybe we should just give it back to her, I'm really hungry and I don't want my girlfriend any more mad at me than she already is" said the last boy, who had messy black hair and was wearing black framed glasses.
All four of them were completely oblivious to the silence surrounding them, and the several students who were beginning to make connections as their eyes flickered back and forth from three silent figures at the head table to the four who were still arguing.
"All right, Prongs, I agree, but I'm warning you, Lily, next time you leave your diary lying around, we will figure out how to take off the locking charms and read it" said the boy with the longer black hair in a mock lecturing tone.
"Neither of you could ever even hope to figure out the charms on this" said the girl after she had her diary safely back in her hands "In fact, if it weren't for me, neither of you would even pass charms" she added as she tucked the book into her bag and began to look around the hall, just as the three boys were doing.
"Um, are we interrupting something?" asked the girl hesitantly after she had gazed around the entire hall and the students, her eyes passing right over the still stunner form of Harry at the head table.
"Yeah, you all act as though you've never seen us before"
"Actually, Padfoot, I think they look more like they've just seen four ghosts"
"I agree, Prongs, why do you think they look so shocked?"
"I believe I can answer that question for you" said a voice from the front and the four turned to look at Dumbledore as did the rest of the hall, except for Harry who was beginning to repeatedly bang his head onto the surface of the table "Perhaps you four should join me" he suggested as he walked down the aisle toward them with an amused smile on his face and a twinkle in his eyes. Not saying another word, the four strange students followed him from the hall and into the chamber behind it, leaving the rest of the school in shocked silence behind them.
Once the doors were closed though, the hall erupted in noise and the teachers all gathered around Harry, Remus, and Sirius who still looked shocked.
"What is going on here?" demanded Snape
"I would like to know as well" added McGonagall just as several of the other teachers began to speak as well, making it impossible for anyone to hear Harry as he tried to get their attention from where they were interrogating Remus and Sirius who were swearing that they had no idea why their younger selves were in the future.
"QUIET!" yelled Harry finally, and the entire hall fell silent immediately "Students, please go back to your meals, we will explain everything when we know what is going on ourselves" he said as he looked out toward the silent students before turning back toward the professors and speaking quietly "I think I have an idea what is going on" he began "And I know for a fact that those four students were Remus, Sirius, and my parents, James and Lily, who have come forward in time from their seventh year in school, but how I don't know for sure, but once we find out, I'm sure the headmaster will inform you. Remus, Sirius, maybe we should go to Dumbledore's office and see if he needs any help" he said as he stood and picked up his staff from beside his chair. Obediently, the two older men stood as well and followed Harry into the chamber just behind the great hall where the headmaster was standing with the four very confused students.
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When James, Sirius, Remus, and Lily had finished their teasing argument, they had become aware of the entire population of the great hall starring at them. They were not only confused by these actions, but also a little scared, they couldn't see a single familiar face in the entire room, that is until the headmaster spoke up. He looked the same as ever, but there was something different about him, something they couldn't put their fingers on. Wanting to know what was going on though, they obediently followed the old man from the hall and into a small chamber located directly behind it where they heard the most incredible story.
"Well, Mr. Potter, Miss. Evans, Mr. Lupin, Mr. Black, I imagine that your four have many questions to ask" said Dumbledore once they had all settled into the chairs in front of the large fire.
"Yes sir, we do" began Remus "Why was everyone acting so strange when we came into the hall?"
"That, I'm afraid, is a complicated question to answer, but perhaps to answer it simply is the best option" said Dumbledore as he looked toward the ceiling of the room and took a deep breath "I'm afraid that you four were somehow brought over twenty years into the future"
"What?!" exclaimed four voices as one before the aged headmaster began to chuckle
"Well, you can imagine just how shocked the students were to see you four walk in, and as seventeen year olds none the less"
"Wait, I don't understand. Why would they be so shocked to see us? Did we become famous or something?" asked Sirius
"Yes, in fact, three of you are quite well known, and two of you also happen to teach at the school now, and I don't doubt that many of the more intelligent students noticed the resemblance between you immediately, and once you mentioned each others names, their suspicions were confirmed"
"Wow, so three of us are famous, and two of us teach here, who does what?" asked James
"Mr. Potter, perhaps I should wait to tell you anymore until Harry arrives, he will be able to explain things much quicker and more thoroughly than I could" said the headmaster as he settled back into his chair "While we are waiting, would any of you care for a cup of tea?" he asked pleasantly
"No thank you sir" said Lily politely, but James wasn't about to be so easily deterred
"Who is this Harry? And how can he explain all of this better than you? You're the most powerful wizard in the world, surely you already know what is going on"
"Ah, Mr. Potter, I'm afraid that many things can change in over twenty years, and as for Harry, you have already met him, you just don't remember it" said the headmaster with a mischievous twinkle in his eye and James knew that he would get nothing else out of him until this Harry arrived.
The group sat in silence for several minutes, the students all mulling over their own thoughts about what had happened, and the headmaster wondering what exactly had happened until the doors opened once again and Harry walked in.
"Good evening, Harry, I trust things have calmed down marginally among the students" greeted Dumbledore as he got to his feet, and the four students, not knowing what else to do, followed suite and turned to see the infamous Harry.
When the four students set eyes on the person standing behind them, their first impression was that he was powerful, no more than powerful, infinitely more. His entire stance radiated strength, not just physical, but magical as well. Their eyes traveled from his feet which were clad in black leather boots, up the black pants and long sleeved collard black shirt, to the rich, flowing scarlet cloak that was trimmed in the finest gold fabric and clasped with a phoenix with its wings outstretched in flight, made of beautiful gold as well. They then noticed the staff which was clasped in his right hand, made of dark wood trimmed in gold as well, and on the head of it was another phoenix, also looking as though it were in mid flight, and in its talons it held a blood red stone that glowed with hidden energy. The hand that held the staff was gripping so tightly that his knuckles were white, but many ragged scars could still be seen marring the pale skin, and the other hand was also littered with the crisscrossing scars. They then dared to look at his face, and all four of them were startled to see that he was young, very young, not more than a year or so older than them, but his eyes looked older than the headmasters, and full of pain that was radiating from their brilliant green depths. His hair was long, and tied away from his face in a low pony tail, and it was the color of the darkest black with not a single strand any different color. His face also bore signs of previous injuries, with one scar slicing across his left cheekbone and down to his jaw line, and another over his left eyebrow, but the strangest looking scar was the one in the shape of a bolt of lightning on his forehead which captured all of their attention.
"Headmaster, what have you told them so far?" asked Harry as he looked directly at the four teens who all shifted their gazes away from his intimidating gaze
"Only that they are no longer in their own time, I thought it would be best for you to explain things to them" said the white haired man as he smiled at Harry "Ah, I see you have brought help along" he added as he saw the two professors standing behind Harry who were both gazing at the teens just as intently as they had been looking at Harry.
"Yes, I thought it might be easier if they saw someone familiar" said Harry which only served to confuse the four students even more
"Excuse me, but who are you? And how did we get here?" asked Lily suddenly
Harry just looked at her in bewilderment "You mean you don't remember?" he asked as he gazed from her to the three boys
"Remember what?" asked James
"Harry, I thought the memory charm would be taken off if they ever saw you again?" said Sirius as he looked to his godson with worry
"It was supposed to, but as you can see, it didn't work as it was intended, like the other spell" said Harry warily
"Wait, what are you two talking about? What memory charm?" asked the older Remus as he looked from Harry to Sirius to Dumbledore
"Well, Moony, after we met with Albus the morning after Harry got his staff, we went into the past and didn't return until the evening of the feast" said Sirius in a rush and the four teens all looked to the brown haired man in shock, realizing that he was indeed an older version of their Remus.
"What!? You were in the past? But why?" demanded the older werewolf
"I'll explain everything later, Remus, but right now we need to take the memory charms off of these four and then figure out how they got here" said Harry as he lifted his staff and directed it toward James
"Wait! What are you doing?" he demanded as he backed away from Harry in fear
"Stay still, I'm just going to take the charm off of you" said Harry as he tried again to aim his staff at the teenaged version of his father
"How do we know what you are saying is true, and that you aren't really death eaters just trying to trick us?" asked Sirius as he stepped forward to protect his friend.
Harry sighed heavily before lowering his staff "We aren't death eaters, I can assure you" he said
"Prove it" demanded James
"Fine, do you have the marauders map?" asked Harry, ignoring the shocked expressions on their faces when he asked for the item by name
"How did you know about that?" asked Remus warily
"That's not important, do you have the map James?" asked Harry again
"Yes, why?" he asked
"Well, it tells the true identity of the person, even if they are under the influence of poly juice potion, and if you look at it you will see that we are in fact who we say we are" explained Harry and he was relieved when James pulled the parchment from the bag that was still hanging from his shoulder.
"I solemnly swear I am up to no good" he whispered as he touched his wand to the corner of the map. A few moments later, all four teens gasped as they read the words on the map "Ok, so you are Padfoot, and you are Moony" said James as he looked to the two professors who both nodded mutely "so, who exactly are you?" asked James as he looked right at Harry who gave a lopsided grin, despite his worry
"Your future son" he said simply and nearly laughed when four pairs of eyes nearly bulged out of their heads "Now do you trust me enough to remove the charm?" he asked "It will help to explain things a lot faster"
"I guess so" conceded James as he looked to his friends and Harry once again raised his staff which emitted a pale yellow light as the charm was lifted and the previous blank expressions were replaced by understanding "I remember!" exclaimed James triumphantly before he sobered a little "Why did you cast that before you said goodbye? I thought we meant more to you than that" he asked as he fixed Harry with a piercing gaze which Harry turned away from.
"Why don't we go back to dinner, we can talk about his in the morning" he said suddenly "We will tell the students the truth about who you are, but don't mention anything about what you remember, no one else should know about that" he said as he turned on his heel and strode from the room, the other occupants sharing concerned and confused looks before they followed him.
Harry led them into the great hall and while Dumbledore explained the situation to the students and the rest of the professors, Harry led the four of them to the Gryffindor table and over toward Ginny.
"Gin, could you do me a favor?" he whispered into her ear
"Sure, Harry, anything" she said with her brow furrowed in confusion
"Good, can you keep an eye on these four while I try to figure out what's going on and how they got here?" he asked
"Sure, I'd be glad to" she said with a smile as she stood and faced the other seventh years "Hi, I'm Ginny Weasley, Harry's girlfriend" she greeted as she shook all of their hands in turn.
"Hi, I'm James Potter, and this is my girlfriend Lily Evans and our friends Remus Lupin and Sirius Black" said James hesitantly
"Pleased to meet you, have a seat" said Ginny as she indicated the extra room at the table that the other students had made for them before she turned back to Harry "What's going on?" she asked in concern
"I have no idea, but I am going to find out soon" he assured her as he gently squeezed her hand "Thanks for keeping an eye on them, I don't want them to find out too much if it can be prevented, they already know that James and Lily die and Sirius gets sent to prison and a few other things, but they don't need to find out too much more" he said with a frown, thinking about everything that his parents DIDN'T know about his life, and how they would react if they knew of his experiences with Voldemort, or the dark mark on his arm, or the fact that the evil wizard was inside of him at the current moment.
"Don't worry, Harry, I'll keep an eye on them" assured Ginny "Go talk to Dumbledore and maybe you can figure all of this out" she said as she sat back down in her seat
"Thanks, Gin, I'll come by the common room later tonight and explain everything" he told her as he leaned over her shoulder and gently kissed her cheek before turning to leave the great hall.
"Explain what?" asked Ginny to herself, earning concerned glances from the four new students.
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A/N: Short chapter, I know, but at least I got something posted when I said I would, right? Review and let me know what you think, and I'll post the next one hopefully tomorrow or Thursday. Thanks!
The next morning, Harry awoke early and after dressing quickly he made his way out to the lake to think in private. He sat on the shore and pulled his cloak close around himself as he gazed unblinking into the water, watching the giant squid catch its breakfast. How long he sat there before his thoughts were broken, he did not know, but what did finally break through his silent musing was far from pleasant.
'So, tell me boy, have you decided to give up yet?' asked Voldemort
'No, Tom, I have decided that I will not give up, not to you' replied Harry confidently
'You are making the wrong choice, Potter, you would b wise to reconsider' threatened the evil wizard
'No, I have made the right choice, and nothing you can say will change my mind. You may promise not to harm those I care about, but I will not see them live in fear as their world is controlled by you. Their deaths by your hands are better than them having to submit to your will'
'So, you would rather see them die, would you? Well, in that case, I will be sure it is done, and your face will be the last thing they ever see' said Voldemort smugly 'You would have been better off not to listen to the idiotic ramblings of a phoenix, Potter, she has only led you to more pain than you needed to suffer' he added
'Wrong, Tom, it is you has caused all the pain in my life, she is the one who has made it possible for me to keep going despite you' replied Harry
'You may believe that now, but I have a feeling your ideas will change once you see all those you care for die' said Voldemort "I will allow you the rest of the time we agreed on to change your mind, but if you don't, they will be the first to die' he said as his voice faded away into nothingness and Harry miserably shook his head
"I will never change my mind" he said out loud
"Change your mind to what?" asked a voice from directly beside him, and startled, Harry jumped to his feet with his staff in one hand and the other outstretched "Calm down, Potter, I'm not going to attack you" said Snape with a smirk
"Sorry, sir, I didn't even hear you walk up" said Harry as he lowered his arm and relaxed "How long have you been here?" he asked as eh turned back toward the lake and the rising sun
"Quite some time now, I was in the forest all night collecting potions ingredients and saw you on my way back to the castle. I decided to come and make sure you weren't trying to do something foolhardy or Gryffindor" he said "But you appeared to be lost in your own thoughts"
"Don't worry, Professor, I wasn't thinking about jumping in just to escape from my problems" said Harry with a genuine smile
"I was hoping not" replied Snape "Do you mind if I ask what you were think about that was so interesting that I was able to sneak up on you?" he asked after several minutes of silence
"Nothing too interesting, just listening to Voldemort talk about how he was going to kill everyone I care about if I don't surrender to him within the next six weeks. Same story, different day" he added with a shrug of his shoulder
"So, is that why you went all emotional at breakfast the other morning?" asked Snape after he realized that Harry was indeed not joking
"Partly, yes" replied Harry
"What changed your mind from almost willing to give up to never giving up?" asked Snape as he looked imploringly at his former student
"Well, you would be amazed at just how convincing a phoenix can be when she is in the mood to make you see that you are in the wrong" said Harry with a laugh and the potions professor let a small smirk grace his own features
"I would imagine so, but I have never had the honor of talking to one so I would not know" he replied "I take it the particular phoenix you are speaking of is Terres? The one who gave you your staff?" he asked with his brow furrowed
"One and the same. She returned last night to talk some sense into me, if nothing else" said Harry
"I would like to see the animal who can make the famous Harry Potter see reason when no humans could do the same" said Snape in a serious tone
"Perhaps she will stay around for a little while and you will be able to" said Harry with a shrug before they again lapsed into silence and gazed at the rising sun that was reflected off the surface of the peaceful lake.
"I have been wondering how you are able to speak to phoenixes, you got the ability to speak to snakes from Voldemort, but neither myself nor the headmaster could figure out how you got the ability to speak to Terres" said Snape suddenly
"Not just Terres, first I talked to Fawkes" corrected Harry
"I wasn't aware of that" muttered Snape with a look of contemplation on his face "Do you know how it is that you can speak to them?"
"Not a clue" said Harry truthfully and Snape outright laughed at his answer
"Well, at least you are honest" he finally managed to sputter out, and the image of Snape unable to control his laughter became one that Harry would remember for the rest of his life, because it was not very often that the sallow skinned, greasy haired man was unable to control ANYTHING. The pair lapsed into silence once again and returned to their own thoughts.
"Well, Potter, I believe that the rest of the school is already at breakfast, and I don't know about you, but I would like to eat before classes this morning" said Snape once the sun had fully risen and the grounds were bathed in a warm early autumn glow.
Without saying a word, Harry stood and followed the potions professor into the castle and to the great hall for breakfast.
The day passed quickly, with Harry's day taken up with three classes before lunch, and a trip to Hogesmede with Ginny afterwards since neither of them had any afternoon classes. Ginny was very pleased with Harry's brighter attitude, and it made for a very pleasant afternoon for just the two of them, away from the distractions of the castle and the other occupants of the massive school, and for a few hours at least, they were both able to put Voldemort out of their thoughts and just enjoy the others company.
They returned to the castle just before dinner and proceeded straight to the great hall to eat, not having time to go to their rooms first. Harry left Ginny near the middle of the Gryffindor table and proceeded to the head table at a fast walk, as he felt the eyes of every student on his back, his scarlet cloak billowing out behind him and staff clicking on the marble floor with every step.
He reached his seat and sat down, looking toward the headmaster who was just standing to give the evenings announcements when the doors to the great hall opened with a loud bang and in strode four people who were very familiar to Harry, but all he could do is stare back at them even though they had yet to notice him, they were too caught up in their own conversation, bordering on argument, that was heard throughout the entire otherwise silent hall.
"Would you please just grow up you two and give me back my book!?" demanded a girl with long auburn hair as she faced two boys who were tossing a small leather bound book back and forth while a third boy just looked to them disapprovingly.
"Really Padfoot, Prongs, come on, just give Lily her diary back so we can eat" said the smallest of the boys, one with light brown hair and a tired expression on his face
"Aw, come on Moony, have some fun, this is our last year here, lighten up" said the tallest of the boys as he tossed the book over the girls head while pushing his shoulder length black hair out of his face.
"Maybe he's right, Padfoot, maybe we should just give it back to her, I'm really hungry and I don't want my girlfriend any more mad at me than she already is" said the last boy, who had messy black hair and was wearing black framed glasses.
All four of them were completely oblivious to the silence surrounding them, and the several students who were beginning to make connections as their eyes flickered back and forth from three silent figures at the head table to the four who were still arguing.
"All right, Prongs, I agree, but I'm warning you, Lily, next time you leave your diary lying around, we will figure out how to take off the locking charms and read it" said the boy with the longer black hair in a mock lecturing tone.
"Neither of you could ever even hope to figure out the charms on this" said the girl after she had her diary safely back in her hands "In fact, if it weren't for me, neither of you would even pass charms" she added as she tucked the book into her bag and began to look around the hall, just as the three boys were doing.
"Um, are we interrupting something?" asked the girl hesitantly after she had gazed around the entire hall and the students, her eyes passing right over the still stunner form of Harry at the head table.
"Yeah, you all act as though you've never seen us before"
"Actually, Padfoot, I think they look more like they've just seen four ghosts"
"I agree, Prongs, why do you think they look so shocked?"
"I believe I can answer that question for you" said a voice from the front and the four turned to look at Dumbledore as did the rest of the hall, except for Harry who was beginning to repeatedly bang his head onto the surface of the table "Perhaps you four should join me" he suggested as he walked down the aisle toward them with an amused smile on his face and a twinkle in his eyes. Not saying another word, the four strange students followed him from the hall and into the chamber behind it, leaving the rest of the school in shocked silence behind them.
Once the doors were closed though, the hall erupted in noise and the teachers all gathered around Harry, Remus, and Sirius who still looked shocked.
"What is going on here?" demanded Snape
"I would like to know as well" added McGonagall just as several of the other teachers began to speak as well, making it impossible for anyone to hear Harry as he tried to get their attention from where they were interrogating Remus and Sirius who were swearing that they had no idea why their younger selves were in the future.
"QUIET!" yelled Harry finally, and the entire hall fell silent immediately "Students, please go back to your meals, we will explain everything when we know what is going on ourselves" he said as he looked out toward the silent students before turning back toward the professors and speaking quietly "I think I have an idea what is going on" he began "And I know for a fact that those four students were Remus, Sirius, and my parents, James and Lily, who have come forward in time from their seventh year in school, but how I don't know for sure, but once we find out, I'm sure the headmaster will inform you. Remus, Sirius, maybe we should go to Dumbledore's office and see if he needs any help" he said as he stood and picked up his staff from beside his chair. Obediently, the two older men stood as well and followed Harry into the chamber just behind the great hall where the headmaster was standing with the four very confused students.
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When James, Sirius, Remus, and Lily had finished their teasing argument, they had become aware of the entire population of the great hall starring at them. They were not only confused by these actions, but also a little scared, they couldn't see a single familiar face in the entire room, that is until the headmaster spoke up. He looked the same as ever, but there was something different about him, something they couldn't put their fingers on. Wanting to know what was going on though, they obediently followed the old man from the hall and into a small chamber located directly behind it where they heard the most incredible story.
"Well, Mr. Potter, Miss. Evans, Mr. Lupin, Mr. Black, I imagine that your four have many questions to ask" said Dumbledore once they had all settled into the chairs in front of the large fire.
"Yes sir, we do" began Remus "Why was everyone acting so strange when we came into the hall?"
"That, I'm afraid, is a complicated question to answer, but perhaps to answer it simply is the best option" said Dumbledore as he looked toward the ceiling of the room and took a deep breath "I'm afraid that you four were somehow brought over twenty years into the future"
"What?!" exclaimed four voices as one before the aged headmaster began to chuckle
"Well, you can imagine just how shocked the students were to see you four walk in, and as seventeen year olds none the less"
"Wait, I don't understand. Why would they be so shocked to see us? Did we become famous or something?" asked Sirius
"Yes, in fact, three of you are quite well known, and two of you also happen to teach at the school now, and I don't doubt that many of the more intelligent students noticed the resemblance between you immediately, and once you mentioned each others names, their suspicions were confirmed"
"Wow, so three of us are famous, and two of us teach here, who does what?" asked James
"Mr. Potter, perhaps I should wait to tell you anymore until Harry arrives, he will be able to explain things much quicker and more thoroughly than I could" said the headmaster as he settled back into his chair "While we are waiting, would any of you care for a cup of tea?" he asked pleasantly
"No thank you sir" said Lily politely, but James wasn't about to be so easily deterred
"Who is this Harry? And how can he explain all of this better than you? You're the most powerful wizard in the world, surely you already know what is going on"
"Ah, Mr. Potter, I'm afraid that many things can change in over twenty years, and as for Harry, you have already met him, you just don't remember it" said the headmaster with a mischievous twinkle in his eye and James knew that he would get nothing else out of him until this Harry arrived.
The group sat in silence for several minutes, the students all mulling over their own thoughts about what had happened, and the headmaster wondering what exactly had happened until the doors opened once again and Harry walked in.
"Good evening, Harry, I trust things have calmed down marginally among the students" greeted Dumbledore as he got to his feet, and the four students, not knowing what else to do, followed suite and turned to see the infamous Harry.
When the four students set eyes on the person standing behind them, their first impression was that he was powerful, no more than powerful, infinitely more. His entire stance radiated strength, not just physical, but magical as well. Their eyes traveled from his feet which were clad in black leather boots, up the black pants and long sleeved collard black shirt, to the rich, flowing scarlet cloak that was trimmed in the finest gold fabric and clasped with a phoenix with its wings outstretched in flight, made of beautiful gold as well. They then noticed the staff which was clasped in his right hand, made of dark wood trimmed in gold as well, and on the head of it was another phoenix, also looking as though it were in mid flight, and in its talons it held a blood red stone that glowed with hidden energy. The hand that held the staff was gripping so tightly that his knuckles were white, but many ragged scars could still be seen marring the pale skin, and the other hand was also littered with the crisscrossing scars. They then dared to look at his face, and all four of them were startled to see that he was young, very young, not more than a year or so older than them, but his eyes looked older than the headmasters, and full of pain that was radiating from their brilliant green depths. His hair was long, and tied away from his face in a low pony tail, and it was the color of the darkest black with not a single strand any different color. His face also bore signs of previous injuries, with one scar slicing across his left cheekbone and down to his jaw line, and another over his left eyebrow, but the strangest looking scar was the one in the shape of a bolt of lightning on his forehead which captured all of their attention.
"Headmaster, what have you told them so far?" asked Harry as he looked directly at the four teens who all shifted their gazes away from his intimidating gaze
"Only that they are no longer in their own time, I thought it would be best for you to explain things to them" said the white haired man as he smiled at Harry "Ah, I see you have brought help along" he added as he saw the two professors standing behind Harry who were both gazing at the teens just as intently as they had been looking at Harry.
"Yes, I thought it might be easier if they saw someone familiar" said Harry which only served to confuse the four students even more
"Excuse me, but who are you? And how did we get here?" asked Lily suddenly
Harry just looked at her in bewilderment "You mean you don't remember?" he asked as he gazed from her to the three boys
"Remember what?" asked James
"Harry, I thought the memory charm would be taken off if they ever saw you again?" said Sirius as he looked to his godson with worry
"It was supposed to, but as you can see, it didn't work as it was intended, like the other spell" said Harry warily
"Wait, what are you two talking about? What memory charm?" asked the older Remus as he looked from Harry to Sirius to Dumbledore
"Well, Moony, after we met with Albus the morning after Harry got his staff, we went into the past and didn't return until the evening of the feast" said Sirius in a rush and the four teens all looked to the brown haired man in shock, realizing that he was indeed an older version of their Remus.
"What!? You were in the past? But why?" demanded the older werewolf
"I'll explain everything later, Remus, but right now we need to take the memory charms off of these four and then figure out how they got here" said Harry as he lifted his staff and directed it toward James
"Wait! What are you doing?" he demanded as he backed away from Harry in fear
"Stay still, I'm just going to take the charm off of you" said Harry as he tried again to aim his staff at the teenaged version of his father
"How do we know what you are saying is true, and that you aren't really death eaters just trying to trick us?" asked Sirius as he stepped forward to protect his friend.
Harry sighed heavily before lowering his staff "We aren't death eaters, I can assure you" he said
"Prove it" demanded James
"Fine, do you have the marauders map?" asked Harry, ignoring the shocked expressions on their faces when he asked for the item by name
"How did you know about that?" asked Remus warily
"That's not important, do you have the map James?" asked Harry again
"Yes, why?" he asked
"Well, it tells the true identity of the person, even if they are under the influence of poly juice potion, and if you look at it you will see that we are in fact who we say we are" explained Harry and he was relieved when James pulled the parchment from the bag that was still hanging from his shoulder.
"I solemnly swear I am up to no good" he whispered as he touched his wand to the corner of the map. A few moments later, all four teens gasped as they read the words on the map "Ok, so you are Padfoot, and you are Moony" said James as he looked to the two professors who both nodded mutely "so, who exactly are you?" asked James as he looked right at Harry who gave a lopsided grin, despite his worry
"Your future son" he said simply and nearly laughed when four pairs of eyes nearly bulged out of their heads "Now do you trust me enough to remove the charm?" he asked "It will help to explain things a lot faster"
"I guess so" conceded James as he looked to his friends and Harry once again raised his staff which emitted a pale yellow light as the charm was lifted and the previous blank expressions were replaced by understanding "I remember!" exclaimed James triumphantly before he sobered a little "Why did you cast that before you said goodbye? I thought we meant more to you than that" he asked as he fixed Harry with a piercing gaze which Harry turned away from.
"Why don't we go back to dinner, we can talk about his in the morning" he said suddenly "We will tell the students the truth about who you are, but don't mention anything about what you remember, no one else should know about that" he said as he turned on his heel and strode from the room, the other occupants sharing concerned and confused looks before they followed him.
Harry led them into the great hall and while Dumbledore explained the situation to the students and the rest of the professors, Harry led the four of them to the Gryffindor table and over toward Ginny.
"Gin, could you do me a favor?" he whispered into her ear
"Sure, Harry, anything" she said with her brow furrowed in confusion
"Good, can you keep an eye on these four while I try to figure out what's going on and how they got here?" he asked
"Sure, I'd be glad to" she said with a smile as she stood and faced the other seventh years "Hi, I'm Ginny Weasley, Harry's girlfriend" she greeted as she shook all of their hands in turn.
"Hi, I'm James Potter, and this is my girlfriend Lily Evans and our friends Remus Lupin and Sirius Black" said James hesitantly
"Pleased to meet you, have a seat" said Ginny as she indicated the extra room at the table that the other students had made for them before she turned back to Harry "What's going on?" she asked in concern
"I have no idea, but I am going to find out soon" he assured her as he gently squeezed her hand "Thanks for keeping an eye on them, I don't want them to find out too much if it can be prevented, they already know that James and Lily die and Sirius gets sent to prison and a few other things, but they don't need to find out too much more" he said with a frown, thinking about everything that his parents DIDN'T know about his life, and how they would react if they knew of his experiences with Voldemort, or the dark mark on his arm, or the fact that the evil wizard was inside of him at the current moment.
"Don't worry, Harry, I'll keep an eye on them" assured Ginny "Go talk to Dumbledore and maybe you can figure all of this out" she said as she sat back down in her seat
"Thanks, Gin, I'll come by the common room later tonight and explain everything" he told her as he leaned over her shoulder and gently kissed her cheek before turning to leave the great hall.
"Explain what?" asked Ginny to herself, earning concerned glances from the four new students.
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A/N: Short chapter, I know, but at least I got something posted when I said I would, right? Review and let me know what you think, and I'll post the next one hopefully tomorrow or Thursday. Thanks!