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Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or any of the other characters in the series (tragically and unfortunately ;-))

Summary: He'd always wanted a glimpse into his future. When his wish is unexpectedly granted, a young Marauder finds regret, pain, death and something more.

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~ Finding Myself ~

Chapter Two: Telling the Tragedies

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Sirius sat in silence, staring at Professor Dumbledore, who sat in his own chair, equally silent. They were both waiting, although Sirius, certain he'd heard Dumbledore murmur "Mr Potter" and "Remus Lupin" and something about a Weaseley too (his relatives, Molly and Arthur?), was thoroughly confused.

Finally, he couldn't take the silence. "Professor," he began slowly, "What in hell - sorry - is going on? Didn't you just ask for James and Remus and Molly or Arthur or something?"

"Not quite, Sirius," Dumbledore said quietly, his voice rather sad. "I'm afraid you'll have to wait and see, but I have to ask you to prepare yourself: who you might meet and what you might find out may come as a great shock and may - upset - you." Sirius observed the note of pain in Dumbledore's carefully measured voice, and felt his stomach clench as he waited impatiently.

Fawkes flew in, and the door of Dumbledore's office opened. Sirius bolted up and turned around to see Professor McGonagall, looking much older than he remembered, walked in. She looked slightly pale, and her stern gaze flickered with something like emotion as her eyes rested on him.

"Bet you thought you were rid of me at graduation seventeen years ago, huh, Professor?" he joked, unable to resist.

She actually smiled, but Sirius could have sworn there was an glimmer of tears in her eyes as she did so. "I don't know why I'm surprised to see you again," she said in her controlled, crisp voice that nonetheless quavered ever so slightly. "There were really no limits to your capabilities - or recklessness."

"Wow, you sure haven't changed." Sirius mumbled with a grin.

Professor McGonagall then stepped aside, further into the room, and Sirius realized that there were two or three other people waiting outside to come in. His brow furrowed as a tall, lanky boy with shockingly red hair and freckles stumbled into the room. The boy was about 17 as well, and looked at Sirius, confusion very evident in his eyes that Sirius was certain mirrored his own expression.

Following the boy was a girl, and a very pretty girl at that. Shiny brown hair fell below her shoulders, shrewd brown eyes were set in a gorgeous face and Sirius couldn't help but notice that despite her Gryffindor robes, her body was well - great. He swallowed and met her eyes, smiling through his confusion, wondering who she was. He was therefore rather surprised to see something flash across her eyes, followed by an expression of tightly-controlled stone.

What was up with these people and the future Dumbledore?

However, Sirius's thoughts were cut short by the entrance of the third and final person. The door closed as Sirius found himself staring at James, only James appeared to be the same age as he was! How on - ?

"James, what the - ?" Sirius's exclamation was strangled in his throat as he realized that he was looking into, not hazel eyes, but a vivid emerald green that were rather familiar. Where had he seen those eyes and why did James somehow have them? Whose - Sirius's eyes suddenly widened. Those were Lily's eyes!

Merlin's beard, he thought dazedly as the boy stared back, pale and incredulous, at him, This isn't James!

The silence was suddenly broken by the girl's strangled voice as she glanced from the green-eyed boy and back to Sirius: "I don't - Sirius??"

"WHAT?" the redhaired boy gasped and goggled, suddenly going very pale. "THIS IS - " he broke off abruptly.

"No offense," Sirius said with a grin, glancing at the girl, "But as you can see, I'm not quite from this era, so I don't really - uh - know you."

"I think some introductions might be in order," Dumbledore said quickly, his voice controlled and calm. "Everyone, please sit down." They all sat down in comfortable chairs Professor McGonagall conjured up. "Sirius, you did indeed know these three young wizards - and witch - far, far better than you might believe. And yes, this is Sirius Black - the seventeen-year-old Sirius from the past."

The green-eyed boy looked pale and stricken, like someone had just stabbed him. Sirius was rather alarmed by it, and partly because the boy looked exactly like James in pain. The girl too, appeared to be on the verge of tears, and he wished he could do something or say something to reassure them about whatever they were so upset or scared about.

"Sirius, you are already well-acquainted with Minerva," Dumbledore continued. "This - " he indicated the thoroughly shaken redhaired boy " - is Ronald Weaseley, or Ron as he's better known. You're distantly related to his parents."

"Right." Sirius felt rather surreal meeting the same-age son of cousins who were only a few years older than him in his time. "Molly and Arthur's son."

"This is Hermione Granger,"

the girl, her eyes now shining with tears, managed a weak smile. Sirius was beginning to feel worried. "And this - " he finally looked again at the emerald-eyed James " - is Harry Potter."

Sirius felt like reality was slipping away from him. Harry Potter? This couldn't be -

"James's son?" Sirius croaked, his face cracking into a smile. "He and Lily got married after all, did they?"

"You became my godfather." the boy finally spoke. His voice was trembling slightly and sounded remarkably like James'.

Sirius stared at him and then looked at the other two, clearly Harry's best friends. "I must have been a bad influence." he mumbled, and was glad to see laughter briefly light up all their faces. "So where are your parents anyway?" he asked. "I wouldn't mind checking out whether Lily's got premature gray after all - it was a bet we always had."

Harry quickly glanced at Dumbledore, his features tightening. Sirius followed his gaze slowly. "What?" he asked, a little puzzled. He looked at the girl, who was stirring in her chair, her knuckles white as they gripped the armrests. "You look pretty smart, Hermione. Think you could tell me what's going on?"

"It's - it's a really long story." she said softly, blinking tears away. "I'm so sorry, Sirius."

Sorry? He was astonished. What for?

"Mr Black, you have to understand that what you're going to hear will change everything for you, and you have to prepare yourself for the worst." Professor McGonagall said.

He looked at Dumbledore and saw that sadness again. Realizing that there was some kind of tragedy that needed to be told, he tried to swallow his sense of foreboding and steeled himself as best he could.

"Okay," he said with Padfoot-esque bravado. "Spit it out."

There was a long pause, during which the tears slid out of Hermione's eyes and she curled up into her chair and buried her face in her hands. Dumbledore looked at her, then at Harry, and finally met Sirius's eyes once more. He took a deep breath.

"James and Lily are dead, Sirius. Voldemort killed them fifteen years ago, when Harry here was just a baby."

Shock and pain unlike anything he'd ever felt swelled through Sirius and made him choke for breath. James - dead? How could that be? How had that happened? The Order - Remus telling him there'd be no risk - Voldemort - murder - Oh, James . . . Tears stung his eyes but he fought them off.

"Why?"

They told him, explaining Harry's story and how he was famous amongst all wizard-kind, and Sirius listened, feeling increasing amounts of pain and shock.

"And Remus? Peter?" he asked urgently.

"Peter Pettigrew betrayed James and Lily, Sirius. He sold them to Voldemort because he became their Secret-Keeper and used the information placed within him to get them killed. Remus is alive and well, very much a werewolf like you knew him, although he's under severe strain and - grief - right now."

Some part of Sirius, through the horror of Wormtail's betrayal, registered relief that Remus was all right. But grieving?

"And what happened to me?" he finally asked, fighting to stay calm.

Hermione's shoulders shook slightly and Sirius knew she was sobbing into her arms. Harry slid an arm around her shoulders, trying to calm her down, but he looked almost as stricken himself. Ron appeared to be fighting off some kind of pain.

With Minerva's eyes glimmering, Dumbledore told him about how he had been the original Secret-Keeper, how he'd been afraid that if he was captured, James and Lily would be found and so had persuaded the change, how he spent twelve years in Azkaban and escaped only to meet Peter and Remus again in the Shrieking Shack, where Peter had been hiding out as Ron's rat, how Hermione and Harry helped Sirius escape Snape and the Dementors to freedom on a Hippogriff's back . . .

Shaken to the core by everything he was hearing about his life and what had happened to him, he finally mumbled: "Mighty colourful life I've led, eh? So tell me. When do I meet my haunted-eyed, prison-worn future self?"


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TBC.

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A/n: The third chapter will be up as soon as its done, but I kinda need to know whether you guys think I should go on, so please review. Enjoy the story!