Disclaimer: All characters herein except those otherwise noted belong to J.K. Rowling, who I think, on occasion, to be some sort of goddess. Inspired by another fic of mine, and throught out while sitting through much boredom at work. Spoilers for all five books, I suppose.
Notes: Thanks so much to Kathy, for beta, and for helping over rough spots plotwise. Love ya, babe.
Through Time
Three: Potions, Names, and Secrets
James, Lily, Sirius, and Remus stood at the foot of the stairs to Dumbledore's office, almost afraid to ascend. Lily was smoothing nonexistent wrinkles in her pleated wool skirt—student regulation, and slightly shorter than in her own time, but other than that, her uniform was the same as the one she had been wearing when they were brought forward through time. She had her crimson and gold tie thrown loosely around her neck. She reached out tentatively and took hold of Sirius's hand.
Sirius was blushing slightly, remembering all the times he'd made jokes about Hufflepuff students, calling them fat, or slow, or less magically inclined—though not in so many words. Now he sported a yellow and black striped tie, a grey sweater trimmed in black and yellow, and robes with the Hufflepuff crest embroidered on the chest. He reached out, and slid his hand into James's, searching for any comfort his best friend could provide.
James was pouting. James was sulking. James alternated between a pout and a sulk, his green and silver tie shoved in his pocket, and his robes open and folded so that the Slytherin crest was hidden. He was also pouting because Lily would neither stand by him, or look at him, but that was a different story entirely. He, sensing the trend, squeezed Sirius's hand and reached out for Remus's.
Remus was perfectly comfortable. The color of his tie did not bother him. The crest on his robes and the trimmings on his jumper, likewise, meant nothing to him. He would not know the people here, and thus it did not matter where he lived, because the only people he DID know would be somewhere else. He adjusted the blue and silver striped tie that was tucked neatly into his jumper, and squeezed James's hand.
"I suppose we have to go up," He said. No one moved. Remus sighed and stepped forward, pulling James along with him, and, subsequently, Sirius and Lily. The four of them trooped up the stairs, past the gargoyle, and into Dumbledore's office.
Dumbledore was waiting for them, his hands clasped upon the desk. He smiled at them as they entered, still clenching each other's hands.
"As you all know, it would raise too much suspicion for us to simply say that you are transfer students. That is simply not done." Dumbledore said. "But, in the past, we have, on occasion, employed trainee teachers, particularly in times of great strife."
"But we aren't trained—" Sirius began.
"Ahh, but you are from a different school, and thus not as learned as those students from Hogwarts. There have been gaps left in your teaching that must be filled while you are here in training." Dumbledore said. "You will also serve to assist the Heads of House while you are here. I know that you are young, but it is my hope that you will learn what it means to be responsible for other people." He looked pointedly at James and Sirius.
"Sir, if I may interrupt," Remus said tentatively, watching the headmaster. "I will need to… escape once a month… and someone will have to fill in…"
"Since your time, there has been a potion developed that, while it does not stop the change, prevents the wolf from becoming violent," Dumbledore told him. Remus nodded, his face pale.
"You will each assist one teacher for the duration of your stay. Lily, you have excelled at Transfiguration, and will work with Professor McGonagall, as well as assisting with the younger Gryffindors through these dark times." Lily smiled, a little embarrassed at Dumbledore's praise.
"Remus, you will be of most assistance to Professor Flitwick, though you have shown skill at every subject you have undertaken. You will operate in the same capacity as Lily as far as working within Ravenclaw house." Remus simply nodded, and gave James's hand, still gripped in his own, a hard squeeze.
"Sirius, you and James were a source of much deliberation as we made these decisions. You were placed into Hufflepuff for the sole reason that perhaps it would deflate your ego to be in the house you have so often made fun of. Also, Herbology was one of your better subjects, if I recall correctly. You will assist Professor Sprout within the House." Sirius suddenly wished that he had not joked about the intelligence of the Hufflepuffs, but given the alternative, he would gladly take Hufflepuff any day.
"We decided that you, James, would most benefit from being in Slytherin, and working alongside Snape—do not make that face, Mr. Potter—working alongside Snape for your stay here. Perhaps it will do the both of you some good.
"Now!" Dumbledore said, rising to his feet. "We shall go to breakfast." Suddenly he stopped. "Oh my, I almost forgot." He picked up three neatly labeled glass vials from his desktop. "It could have been very terrible indeed, if I had let you leave my office without giving you these." Each bottle contained an amount of brightly colored liquid, which all three boys eyed suspiciously as they took the bottles from Dumbledore. "I expect to see you in my office before breakfast every Monday," he told them. "This potion will alter your appearance just enough so that you aren't recognizable as James Potter, Sirius Black, or Remus Lupin. Along with the vials is a false name that I am afraid you must use while you are out of your own time, lest suspicious questions be raised."
They drank, and Dumbledore led them from his office.
~`~
Harry hoped that when he woke, it would all be some sort of weird dream. He dressed quickly, seeing that he had overslept, and hurried down to breakfast, sliding into his seat between Ron and Hermione, and opening his mouth to tell them of the dream he'd had of his mother, father, godfather, and Lupin coming to Hogwarts as sixteen year olds.
As he opened his mouth to speak, he caught a flash of red hair, sparkling in the sunlight that streamed down from the bewitched ceiling. He looked up, expecting to see Ginny Weasley, but this girl was definitely not Ginny. Harry felt as though someone had punched him, and he could not breathe. It hadn't been a dream after all, because there she was, his mother, real as life, and walking down the aisle between the Gryffindor and Ravenclaw tables.
Harry completely missed what Ron was saying.
"Err… what?" Harry asked, unable to take his eyes from the girl who would one day be his mother—and be killed by Voldemort. Ron turned to see what Harry was staring at, and nearly choked on his pumpkin juice.
"Bloody Hell," he said, looking at the girl. "Why've I not seen her before?"
"Ron, I've got to tell you and Hermione something, but I can't do it here. And it involves her." Harry said. Lily had sat down at the end of the table, alone, and was having breakfast.
Hermione slid into the seat across from Harry at that moment. "Involves who?" she asked, looking at Harry. Professor McGonagall was making her way down from the teacher's table, and she stopped next to the new girl, handing her a sheaf of papers that Harry knew were schedules. They spoke for a moment, and the girl proceeded to help McGonagall.
"Her," Harry said softly after the girl had passed them, handing Hermione a schedule. Hermione watched the girl as she walked away.
"I've seen her before," Hermione said, spreading jam on a slice of toast. "I'm sure I have."
"You have," Harry said, feeling ill suddenly, and he no longer wanted to eat. He stood. "Come on, and I'll tell you."
Ron grabbed a stack of toast, shoved a sausage link into his mouth, and followed Harry, Hermione trailing after them with her toast and a pastry. They went into the courtyard, and Ron and Hermione sat on a stone bench while Harry paced back and forth, attempting to wear a trench in the stones.
"Okay, Harry," Hermione said after five minutes of waiting and Harry saying nothing. "Where have I seen her before?" she asked.
Harry stopped and looked at Hermione. "In pictures. She's my mother," Harry said.
"Harry, she's our age. She can't be your mother." Hermione said. Ron gaped at Harry in disbelief.
"He has gone mad," Ron said.
"No!" Harry cried. "Listen."
He told them the whole story, starting with the dreams he'd been having all summer, and culminating in the extraordinary time-travel of Lily Evans, James Potter, Sirius Black, and Remus Lupin. For a while, Ron and Hermione stared, unsure what to say. Ron was positive Harry was raving mad, but Hermione was unsure. She wanted proof. Facts.
She looked up at Harry.
"Are you sure?" she asked.
"How else did they get there? You've said so, so many times that you can't Apparate or Disapparate on Hogwarts grounds, so what's another explaination?" Harry demanded. Hermione looked taken aback, startled at his outburst.
"Sorry Harry, it just seems so illogical…" Hermione said.
"I know," Harry said. He shook his head, his untidy dark hair flying around. "But Hermione… my dad… he really does look just like me, except for his eyes."
Hermione sighed, then stood and hugged Harry. He looked startled for a moment.
"Hey," Ron said. "We've got Charms first," he said. "And we'd better get going."
The three hurried down to their first class of term, Charms, with Professor Flitwick. Harry had noted, disappointedly, that he still had Potions, as he needed it to go into training to be an Auror. He HATED Potions.
They settled themselves along one long table inside the Charms classroom. The entire class was buzzing with whispers. Then tiny Professor Flitwick tottered in, followed by a young man with shaggy blond hair falling around his face, golden-brown eyes, and full lips quirked in a slight smile. Only someone who had known Remus Lupin as a student at Hogwarts would be able to tell that this young man was him, underneath the blond hair and the subtle changes to the shape of his face—slightly sharpened cheekbones, a stronger line of jaw, a nose with a light lump in the middle, eyes more pointed and upturned. Remus had caught a glimpse of himself in a mirror on his way to breakfast, and had been pleasantly surprised. The dark circles that ringed his eyes constantly were gone, and he was even slightly tanned. He smiled at the class.
"This is my trainee teacher," Flitwick said in his squeaky voice, "Romulus Syclo. He will be assisting me in this class, as well as helping to keep watch over the newest additions to Ravenclaw."
Some of the students looked at their neighbors, eyebrows upraised. Flitwick did not elaborate upon the new addition to his class, but simply set them to work, a quick review of the charms they'd learned the previous year. Hermione took the time to whisper to Harry.
"I suppose that was one of them?" She asked.
"Yes," Harry said, his mind half on Lupin, who was walking through the class, sometimes doing the spell himself.
"I don't recognize him," Hermione said. Harry leaned exceptionally close to her.
"I think it's Professor Lupin," he whispered.
"How do you know?" Hermione asked.
"Come on, Hermione, think." Harry said. "Romulus was raised by wolves, built the city of Rome…" Harry began, leaving it open for Hermione. Then she blinked, realizing.
"And his twin was Remus," she said loudly. Then she realized what she had done, as 'Romulus' looked her way, his eyes wide. Harry shook his head quickly.
"But it was Romulus who built Rome," Harry said, trying to cover their blunder.
"Sorry," Hermione said. "I was trying to change it about."
"That's okay," Harry said. 'Romulus' made his way over to them, and, under the guise of watching Harry and Hermione perform a simple spell, he whispered to them.
"Wait after class," he said. "But try to be very discreet."
Hermione gave the slightest of nods, and Harry made as though trying to get a wand motion right, and bobbed his head along with his hand.
"No," Remus said, putting on an air as a trainee professor. "It's more of a slashing motion. Again, Miss..?"
"Granger," Hermione said, and smiled. "Hermione Granger."
"Could you demonstrate that again for Mr. Potter?" Remus asked.
"Certainly," Hermione said, and complied.