(A/N: Hello everyone! I hope you had a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New
Year! *ducks knives and plates thrown at her* What? I'm only...oh....6
weeks late in getting this chapter out. I would like to thank my new
unbelieveable and talented beta-reader, Tracy, for all her dedication and
help! She's really done a great job! *grins* The point is: here it is! And
since you've all waited long enough....I'll stop my rambling! Enjoy this
chapter! There is a wonderful cliffie in store for you! On with the
story...!)
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* A thing of the past *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Past ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Who do you think will teach Divination?" asked Moony as he, James, Sirius, Harry, and Peter walked to Defense Against the Dark Arts.
Harry would have bet his Firebolt that Professor Trelawney was about to get the job, but he said nothing.
"I don't know," said Peter.
'Oh, that was intelligent' thought Harry bitterly to himself as he continued to glare at Peter.
"I wonder who killed Professor Thetin," said Sirius darkly. "Who these wizards are that keeps killing muggles. Who the hell do they think they are?"
"Yeah...sound like a bunch losers to me," said Peter.
"I wonder what it is these damn jerks think they're trying to prove," muttered James. Again, Harry kept his mouth shut.
"Well, at least we're safe," said Peter contently.
"You mean you're safe," snapped Harry. Peter looked indignant.
"I'd hate to admit it," said Moony. "But Harry's right. First they'll attack muggles...who will be related to muggle-borns..."
"Then the muggle-borns will fight for revenge...and after that, the entire wizarding world is involved...which we should have been from the start..." said Sirius.
"But we're already in it," said James. "Professor Thetin is a wizard."
A moment of awkward silence followed, before the marauders and Harry reached the classroom. Harry felt an unusual aura from the room. Like there was a familiar smell that he had half-forgotten. But the smell was hardly comparable to the pictures all around the walls of the same type of animals:
"Cats" sighed Sirius. "Professor Figg is obsessed with them."
Harry barely had time to react to this when Lily Evans (accompanied by a group of giggling friends) strolled into the room, and walked past the desks the marauders and Harry were sitting at without even glancing at them. As Lily passed, a notebook dropped from her stack and onto James' books. Harry distinctly saw 'private' written in bold letters before James picked up the notebook. A moment's hesitation and James quickly whipped the book out of Lily's reach.
"Give that here, Potter!" hissed Lily.
"Hmmm, 'private'?" asked James. "And what is Miss Evans keeping from us? A crush on Snape? A sex change, perhaps?"
"Give me MY book! Or I'll beat you with it!" said Lily through gritted teeth.
"Ah, now see! You hurt my feelings" said James with a big, forced grin. "Its nicer tones that make people want to be friendlier" said James sarcastically. Lily looked livid.
"Its jerks like you that make me want to put my foot up your ass! Now give me my book!" shrieked Lily.
James gave a huge, fake gasp of shock. "How did you know I was into that?!" said James irritatedly as he tossed the book back to Lily, who caught it skillfully.
Lily gave James a look of pure venom before whipping around; her hair flying out behind her and hitting James square in the face. Lily and her friends sat down at the nearby table, whispering quickly and occasionally throwing James and company looks of hate.
James buried his face in his hands. "Why?!" muttered James. "Why? Why? Why?"
Sirius patted James on the back gingerly. "If girls knew anything, it would be that we guys are only mean to them when we like them." said Sirius. James glowered at him.
"Why doesn't m-Lily like him?" asked Harry, who was quite abashed by what he had just seen.
"Lily hasn't been too fond of James ever since he put super-glue on the girl's toilet seats in third year..." explained Moony.
"Yeah," said Sirius, his lips twitching. "Poor Lily..."
"She hates me," murmured James. "and she won't even remember me after we get out of Hogwarts"
"Oh I wouldn't say that!" said Moony optimistically.
"Yeah, Prongs!" said Peter. "I bet you've just earned mention in many future therapy lessons..." Peter stopped dead when he saw all the marauders and Harry were giving him looks of deadly venom. Sirius raised his hand to give Peter a nice knock on the head, when:
"That will do, Mr. Black" came Mrs. Figg's voice as she entered the room. As old and crazy looking as ever, Mrs. Figg edged toward the class, a cat planted nicely on top of her large blue hair.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Present ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Ok, here's the plan," said Alicia with false determination. "We're in a tough situation. But we've seen tough before. All we need to do is score 160 points before the Ravenclaw seeker catches the snitch. We've got to stall her! That's your job, Fred and George," said Alicia. "This Cho Chang girl has a fast swerve, so watch for that. But don't hurt her too much...otherwise the game will never end."
"Ron," she continued. "You must stop Ravenclaw from scoring at all costs, do you understand? They must-not-score!" she said pounding her fist in her hand. Ron stared dully at the ground, having not comprehended a word Alicia said.
"As for me, Angelina, and Katie....we have to score the points. Show them no mercy, girls!" at this she paused. "When Harry comes back..."
"If he comes back," muttered George.
"When he comes back...we'll have a victory for him to come back to," said Alicia. "This is for Harry!"
"For Harry" murmured Angelina.
"For Harry," said Katie quietly.
"Yeah," said Alicia, her spirit wearing thin. "Well, I guess we've practiced hard enough for today. Get some sleep, and stay well-rested. Our game is in two days."
With that, everyone packed up their stuff, and put their brooms safely in the closet. Walking slowly behind the rest of the team, Ron looked to the sky. Any other night, it would have seemed so enchantingly beautiful. But Ron was absorbed in his depressed, gloomy thoughts. He'd lost two of his best friends in two months. He had tried to stay brave when Hagrid died. It was difficult, but sitting in silence with Hermione and Harry had helped. Almost as though they had reached an agreement that the time they were silent, was a time for Hagrid's remembrance.
Looking on the plus side, Ron still had had Harry and Hermione by his side. However, now Harry was gone...and without a trace. And Hermione...well, she was too busy writing to Krum. Thinking of Krum; talking to Krum. What the hell did she lose? Ron bit his lip.
As for Quidditch, playing along side his best friend and brothers was the best part. Now, what did it really matter? Who would really care whether they won or lost against Ravenclaw? An answer seeped into his mind almost immediately: Harry would care. Quidditch wasn't just a game to him; it was part of the essence of life. Casting his eyes downward, Ron said to himself: "For Harry"
~~~~~~~
Remus Lupin was sitting in the "Three Broomsticks" late at night, having been drinking alcoholic beverages for nearly an entire day. This is why he was, perhaps, a little tipsy.
"Remus, are you alright?" asked Rosmerta.
"Fine, fine!" said Remus. "Life is great, Rosmerta. Couldn't be better," Remus said, slopping some beer down his robes as he wailed his mug around.
"Do you want some coffee?" said Rosmerta. "I suspect you're a little drunk..."
"Drunk? No, no...I don't drink. Life is too great to poison it with...er..." he held up his drink uncertainly. "Um...this stuff," and he started chuckling. "Life is wonderful, Rosmerta. Even when you find out your best friend is dead, along with his wife. And now, their son, 'The Boy Who Lived' is probably dead...after all that! All dead; all of whom I cared very much about..."
"You're not acting like yourself, Remus. I think you've had too much," said Rosmerta, eyeing him oddly.
"Or when you find out one of your best friends betrayed them for some voldie-power. Voldie...ha ha!" he laughed. "That's a good name for him, don't you think?"
"Er...I'm going to get you some coffee..." Rosmerta suggested.
"Shhh! Shh!" hissed Remus suddenly. "I have to tell you a secret!" he beckoned for her to come closer. Rosmerta approached slowly. "You know how everyone thinks Padfoot killed all those muggles," Remus said, pausing for dramatic affect. "It's a lie...they convicted the wrong man...and ruined an innocent man's life,"
"Uh huh," muttered Rosmerta, raising an eyebrow doubtfully.
"And here's the really rotten part," whispered Remus. "Peter isn't dead....he's been living as a rat for...er..." murmured Remus as he began ticking off numbers on his fingers. "Erm....about a billion years now!" he exclaimed.
"Yeah," said Rosmerta shortly. "Well, I'll just go get you some very strong coffee, and perhaps some 'Sobre' pills from France....that'll get you sobered up alright."
Nearly twenty minutes after Remus had obediently taken the 'Sobre' pills....he was sobering up, and could already feel a hang-over approaching rapidly, when:
"Good day, Mr. Lupin" came a woman's voice.
Remus looked up through tired eyes to see a woman, average in height but very attractive. Short, curly black hair framed her would-be fair face. A too-showy velvet dress revealed an obviously perfected body. But the first thing Remus noticed was the mounds of make-up that was splattered all over her face, and especially her eyes. By any other standards, she was what any man would have thought to be the perfect woman. However, by today's standards, 'plastic' would have been an appropriate description of the woman. Remus got a foreboded feeling about her that kept him from asking her for her name.
"Er, good day to you," said Remus uncertainly.
"It could be a good night, you know. There's a motel down the street. Only ten sickles an hour....my treat." said the woman passionately.
"I don't associate with protitutes," said Remus coldly, standing up and beckoning for his check.
"Good for you. Neither do I, for I am not a protitute, Mr. Lupin. My name is Veronica...."
"Ah, and that's the name of a traditional girl," hissed Remus.
"I'm a business woman. And it so happens, I'm willing to do business with you if you will cooperate," said Veronica, running her fingers down Remus's arm. Remus flinched, and took a step back. Her strong approach gave Remus a feeling that this particular woman could *breath* Herpes on him.
"Business with me?" asked Remus. "I already told you, I don't do business with people like you. Now, if you will excuse me..."
"Goodness, Mr. Lupin...has it been so long since you've gotten any, that you've forgotten how to do it?" hissed the woman with an awful smile curling her lips.
"Not that it's any of your business, but how would you know? I've never seen you before. Certainly any man that would have sex with you, would have sex with anyone," said Remus coldly as he walked out the door.
"Alright, you want to get right to the point, then? Here it is. We know where Harry Potter is. If you want him back, we can help you. But you have to help us." said Veronica. Remus stopped dead in his tracks.
"Where is he?" inquized Remus.
"Are you willing to cooperate?" asked Veronica, as several hooded figures began to approach them slowly; they were all death eaters.
"Where is he?!" proclaimed Remus angerly.
"Step into my office," said Veronica, gesturing to a dark, narrow alley behind the "Three Broomsticks". Remus felt himself be lifted up from under his arms; a hand was placed securely over his mouth; and a wand pressed against his back. He couldn't shout out even if he wanted to. Five hooded figures carried him halfway down the dark alley, and slammed him into a wall.
"Here is our proposition," said Veronica nastily. "We tell you where Harry Potter is, and you give us some information..."
"What sort of information?" asked Remus angerly.
"Don't interrupt her!" hissed another death eater as he punched Remus hard in the mouth. Remus fell to the ground, and grabbed his lip which was starting to bleed.
"As I was saying," continued Veronica. "As I'm sure you saw, we lost both attempts to take over Hogwarts and Diagon Alley. Thanks to the Order of the Phoenix. Lord Voldemort has given us permission to propose that, in exchange for information about the order: how it works, the traditions, the prophesies, the initiation, and how you distinguish each other...we may provide you with the information you need."
"Where you've taken Harry," muttered Remus.
"Bingo," said Veronica smiling horribly. "The thing is we didn't take him. We know where he is because Lord Voldemort knows where he is," rambled Veronica. "The Prophesy about the Green Flame Torch...it's true."
"It was only a weapon created to destroy Salazar Slytherin. What's so important about it now?" asked Remus.
"I'd love to know. But my master does know, and that's all that matters. We give you the year, you give us the inside information. What do you say, Mr. Lupin? You'd only be killing....oh...some of the greatest witches and wizards of the age...including your precious trusting Dumbledore. But think about it. You'd be saving your best buddy's son," said Veronica.
Remus sat glaring at her for a moment, contemplating his options. There was a six to one chance he could escape. He would never sacrifice anyone to save himself; and he didn't even know if Harry were still alive. He did know two new things though. Something concerning the Green Flame Torch...and some 'year'. He only hoped it would be enough for Dumbledore to figure out. As for now, he would take a chance:
"What is your decision, Mr. Lupin?" asked Veronica confidently.
"My name..." said Remus slowly. "is Moony. STUPEFY!"
~~~~~~~
Sirius stood looking in the mirror, a dark expression on his face. He was at Moony's house in the restroom. He had been re-playing the earlier event in Dumbledore's office in his head all day:
"Why have you been writing to Sirius Black?" Fudge had asked. Dumbledore starred intently at Fudge, apparently stalling for time; trying to think of the right thing to say.
"Writing to Sirius Black?" said Mundungus casually. "I think you've had one too many nightmares, sir" said Mundungus with an uneasy smile. Fudge gave him a patronizing look.
"I assure you, Mr. Fletcher, my dreams are perfectly pleasant..." started Fudge coldly.
"I bet they are..." scoffed Mundungus.
"There has obviously been a mistake," said Remus in a small voice. "Sirius Black...sir...I'm sorry, but..."
"An odd story Harry Potter had at the end of his third year, eh Dumbledore?" inquired Fudge. "Some hogswabble about Sirius Black being innocent. What was it he had said about this Pettigrew man? Wasn't it that he was still alive?"
"I believe that is an accurate description of Harry's testimony," said Dumbledore, his eyes growing colder.
"Look, Dumbledore, it's not my job to point the finger of blame," said Fudge loosening up. "I'm the Minister of Magic, and I thought it would be appropriate if I were the one to present you with this subpoena..."
"You mean you wanted to make sure Dumbledore knew it was you that kicked him out of Hogwarts, right Fudge?" asked Mundungus, his anger getting the best of him. "Didn't like people always saying how Dumbledore would do a better job, eh?"
"Mr. Fletcher..." said Fudge, his face getting red with suppressed fury.
"If it is the wish of the Ministry to bring me in for questioning....for what ever purpose..." said Dumbledore sharply to stop Mundungus from talking. "Then I will, of course, oblige as you want me to do so. However, there are more concerning matters that impress upon my mind to worry about, and I'm afraid I must ask all of you to leave..."
"Leave? For what purpose?" asked Fudge sharply.
"To pack, of course," said Dumbledore, and a remarkable smile crossed his face. "It will be a sad day, indeed, when grown men must witness an elderly man packing his favorite pair of polka-dotted knickerbockers."
Dumbledore gave Sirius a meaningful look and Sirius got the message. Dumbledore didn't want Sirius to reveal himself for Dumbledore's sake...even though Sirius would have gladly done so if it would save Dumbledore.
~~~
Sirius continued to stare at himself in the mirror. Harry was missing. Dumbledore was being questioned at this very moment because of him. What would happen if they put Dumbledore under the influence of Verritessium? Would they dare go that far? A flood of memories that had haunted Sirius during his twelve years in Azkaban ran through his mind.
'Take care of him, Padfoot,' James had said. 'If anything should ever happen to me and Lily, just make sure Harry is safe and has a happy life...'
Sirius would have carried out his promise to James until the very last detail...if only he hadn't been so foolish. James and Lily would still be alive today if he hadn't suggested Peter be their secret Keeper. Harry would have never had to live with the God-forsaken Dursley's if he hadn't gone chasing after Peter that night!
He should have gone straight to Dumbledore...Dumbledore would have listened to him; he would have helped him. Moony wouldn't have had to live all alone for all those years if only he, Sirius, had used his brain. Sirius looked down at the newspaper lying on the sink. The headline in the 'Daily Prophet' read, "The Search for Harry Potter: The Boy Who Lived is suspected dead"
At that young age, Sirius was so impressed with his own cleverness, he didn't see the real picture. Sirius was worthless; he only hurt everyone he cared about. It would end now! It had to end!
Sirius saw a large butcher's knife lying on the kitchen table. It was the only way. He had to protect everyone he cared about...from himself. However, the only person left was Moony...maybe even Harry. He could still save Harry. It was all so simple. All so easy. Sirius walked toward the table, and picked up the knife. One swift stroke and it would all be over. No one would have him as a burden anymore! Sirius lifted the knife into the air, and:
"SIRIUS!" proclaimed Remus running through the door at break-neck speed. Sirius jumped in surprise; the knife fell to the floor. Sirius backed into the wall, and started shaking violently.
"Sirius? Sirius!" exclaimed Remus when he saw Sirius huddled in a ball on the ground, shaking. "Sirius, relax! Relax, Padfoot....I know where Harry is!" said Remus patting Sirius gingerly on his arm. Sirius came back to his senses and sat up.
"What? Where?!" Sirius breathed in disbelief. It was only then that Sirius noticed the many scratches, cuts, and bruises all over Moony's face.
"Not where, Padfoot. WHEN!" said Remus with a sly smile.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Past ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Pssst! Harry! Wake up..." came James's voice into Harry's head.
"Dad?" muttered Harry deliriously.
"No, but close..." said James, grinning at his own wit. "Come on, we're sneaking into Hogsmeade. Going to get us some drinks from the 'Three Broomsticks'. Come on...thrown on some clothes..."
"Don't have any other clothes," murmured Harry sleepily.
"Then bring some money and you can buy some. Here....borrow mine for now..." said James, tossing a pair of robes at Harry.
A wild, and invisible, trip later...Harry was sitting alone with the marauders in the 'The Broomsticks', sipping down butterbeer in inch-sized plastic containers. He was quite enjoying himself as he watch Sirius and James have it out over who got to save the 'maiden fair'
"Iye, Matey...t'was necessary to kick thy enemies pussy...cat, I mean." said James, imitating a seaman. He was referring to the moment when the marauders and Harry had run into Mrs. Norris on their way to the statue of the one-eyed witch.
"Ar...but thy idiot could have gotten me and me mates caught...and with disregard to thee manners to ask if me wanted to have a good shot at thee feline."
Mrs. Norris had been eyeing them too suspiciously. Harry supposed his dad must have panicked...and in order to get rid of Mrs. Norris, he had given her a nice good kick. Sirius was obviously affronted that James hadn't offered the privilege to him.
James broke the end of his plastic, one-inch bottle of butterbeer; a few drops fell onto the table.
"Iye, me matey! Thy is apposing on me territory!" proclaimed James. Sirius then broke then end off of his plastic one-inch bottle.
"AR! Me got at least two ounces of butterbeer in me, and I'm ready to kick about this much arse!" exclaimed Sirius, measuring about a centimeter with his fingers. James and Sirius began take wild swings at each other with their pathetic tiny plastic butterbeer bottles.
"Alright, boys...settle down" said Rosmerta as she came around with another round of tiny butterbeer bottles.
"Ar...we be needing our check, My fair Lady!" said Sirius, bowing low.
Madam Rosmerta laughed as she went behind the bar to get their check. She came back a minute later. James paid for everyone, and afterwards, he and Sirius staggered out of the "Three Broomsticks" acting like they were intoxicated, and singing, "What would you do with a drunken sailor"
"Do you guys usually do this? Sneak out this late, I mean." asked Harry.
"All the time!" said James
"Especially now-of-days," said Peter. Moony gave Peter a meaningful punch in the arm. "Ow..." hissed Peter.
'Of course!' thought Harry to himself. 'Sirius told me in third year that they became animagi in their fifth year!'
"Ahem," hissed James at Peter. "Well, Harry, we could go to Honeydukes for the candy...they're always open really late. Or we could stop into 'Rousten's Robes' to get you some more clothes. What do you want to do?"
Harry went scarlet. He couldn't really do either. His money was in the future, along with everything else of his. The embarrassed expression must have shown on his face, because James quickly changed the subject.
"Er...how about we go buy your Christmas present..." said James.
"Oh no!" said Harry quickly.
"Yeah, good idea Prongs!" said Sirius.
"It's has to be a surprise though..." Moony pointed out.
"Yeah, Harry, stay out here for a few minutes while we go pick out a gift at Honeydukes," said James.
"It's a shame Zonko's is already closed, but oh well...wait here." said Sirius.
And so Harry waited, as all the marauders bounded into Honeydukes; whispering quickly and excitedly about what to get Harry.
Harry leaned against the building, feeling very happy and very content. This was how it should have always been. However, an unpleasant feeling weighed heavy upon Harry's heart. He glanced upwards to the sky.
But what about Ron and Hermione? If he was back in the past, did time in the present still continue? His experience with Hermione's time-turner certainly hadn't taught him everything about time travel. If he didn't get back, he would lose his two best friends. They wouldn't even be born for several years. What would the Sirius of the present do?! What was running through Dumbledore's mind right now? Was he, Harry, changing future events at this very moment for just being there? Maybe his mom's book wasn't supposed to fall onto his dad's stack.
In the midst of worrying about having just diminished his very existence, Harry became aware of an even worse issue. He wasn't protected anymore. He hadn't really had time for rational thought....given the surreal situation. But Harry knew, somehow, that his coming to the past was not an accident. Voldemort was near; Voldemort was watching, just waiting for his chance.
Harry subconsciencely began pacing. His foot met an unexpected stone, and he lost his balance. Harry stood up quickly, and panicking, started running back to Hogwarts.
And he heard them. The quick whispering of people hidden in the trees and behind the buildings. It was a trap. Voldemort had set this up. The marauders had been hook-winked. Harry stopped dead. There was no use running; the death eaters were everywhere; all around him. And his father, Sirius, and Moony were all trapped with him...with a future traitor and death eater right beside them. Harry didn't need to hear the cry of the stunning charm, or see the violet ray coming straight at his heart to know what was happening.
~~~
When Harry came through, a horrible snake-like face with fierce, red eyes came into view.
"Harry Potter. We meet again." hissed Lord Voldemort.
(A/N: *bows* Thank you! Thank you! Ah!!! SIX HOURS! It took me six hours to think, type, check, and revise all of this! *points at review box* So PLEASE review! *gets on hands and knees and begs reader* Please, please review! The faster and more reviews I get...the quicker the next chapter comes out...and I really don't know when I'm going to get another six hours! I really hope you enjoyed it! Again, I'd like to thank my wonderful beta-reader, Tracy! Ttyl! Toodles!)
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* A thing of the past *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Past ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Who do you think will teach Divination?" asked Moony as he, James, Sirius, Harry, and Peter walked to Defense Against the Dark Arts.
Harry would have bet his Firebolt that Professor Trelawney was about to get the job, but he said nothing.
"I don't know," said Peter.
'Oh, that was intelligent' thought Harry bitterly to himself as he continued to glare at Peter.
"I wonder who killed Professor Thetin," said Sirius darkly. "Who these wizards are that keeps killing muggles. Who the hell do they think they are?"
"Yeah...sound like a bunch losers to me," said Peter.
"I wonder what it is these damn jerks think they're trying to prove," muttered James. Again, Harry kept his mouth shut.
"Well, at least we're safe," said Peter contently.
"You mean you're safe," snapped Harry. Peter looked indignant.
"I'd hate to admit it," said Moony. "But Harry's right. First they'll attack muggles...who will be related to muggle-borns..."
"Then the muggle-borns will fight for revenge...and after that, the entire wizarding world is involved...which we should have been from the start..." said Sirius.
"But we're already in it," said James. "Professor Thetin is a wizard."
A moment of awkward silence followed, before the marauders and Harry reached the classroom. Harry felt an unusual aura from the room. Like there was a familiar smell that he had half-forgotten. But the smell was hardly comparable to the pictures all around the walls of the same type of animals:
"Cats" sighed Sirius. "Professor Figg is obsessed with them."
Harry barely had time to react to this when Lily Evans (accompanied by a group of giggling friends) strolled into the room, and walked past the desks the marauders and Harry were sitting at without even glancing at them. As Lily passed, a notebook dropped from her stack and onto James' books. Harry distinctly saw 'private' written in bold letters before James picked up the notebook. A moment's hesitation and James quickly whipped the book out of Lily's reach.
"Give that here, Potter!" hissed Lily.
"Hmmm, 'private'?" asked James. "And what is Miss Evans keeping from us? A crush on Snape? A sex change, perhaps?"
"Give me MY book! Or I'll beat you with it!" said Lily through gritted teeth.
"Ah, now see! You hurt my feelings" said James with a big, forced grin. "Its nicer tones that make people want to be friendlier" said James sarcastically. Lily looked livid.
"Its jerks like you that make me want to put my foot up your ass! Now give me my book!" shrieked Lily.
James gave a huge, fake gasp of shock. "How did you know I was into that?!" said James irritatedly as he tossed the book back to Lily, who caught it skillfully.
Lily gave James a look of pure venom before whipping around; her hair flying out behind her and hitting James square in the face. Lily and her friends sat down at the nearby table, whispering quickly and occasionally throwing James and company looks of hate.
James buried his face in his hands. "Why?!" muttered James. "Why? Why? Why?"
Sirius patted James on the back gingerly. "If girls knew anything, it would be that we guys are only mean to them when we like them." said Sirius. James glowered at him.
"Why doesn't m-Lily like him?" asked Harry, who was quite abashed by what he had just seen.
"Lily hasn't been too fond of James ever since he put super-glue on the girl's toilet seats in third year..." explained Moony.
"Yeah," said Sirius, his lips twitching. "Poor Lily..."
"She hates me," murmured James. "and she won't even remember me after we get out of Hogwarts"
"Oh I wouldn't say that!" said Moony optimistically.
"Yeah, Prongs!" said Peter. "I bet you've just earned mention in many future therapy lessons..." Peter stopped dead when he saw all the marauders and Harry were giving him looks of deadly venom. Sirius raised his hand to give Peter a nice knock on the head, when:
"That will do, Mr. Black" came Mrs. Figg's voice as she entered the room. As old and crazy looking as ever, Mrs. Figg edged toward the class, a cat planted nicely on top of her large blue hair.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Present ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Ok, here's the plan," said Alicia with false determination. "We're in a tough situation. But we've seen tough before. All we need to do is score 160 points before the Ravenclaw seeker catches the snitch. We've got to stall her! That's your job, Fred and George," said Alicia. "This Cho Chang girl has a fast swerve, so watch for that. But don't hurt her too much...otherwise the game will never end."
"Ron," she continued. "You must stop Ravenclaw from scoring at all costs, do you understand? They must-not-score!" she said pounding her fist in her hand. Ron stared dully at the ground, having not comprehended a word Alicia said.
"As for me, Angelina, and Katie....we have to score the points. Show them no mercy, girls!" at this she paused. "When Harry comes back..."
"If he comes back," muttered George.
"When he comes back...we'll have a victory for him to come back to," said Alicia. "This is for Harry!"
"For Harry" murmured Angelina.
"For Harry," said Katie quietly.
"Yeah," said Alicia, her spirit wearing thin. "Well, I guess we've practiced hard enough for today. Get some sleep, and stay well-rested. Our game is in two days."
With that, everyone packed up their stuff, and put their brooms safely in the closet. Walking slowly behind the rest of the team, Ron looked to the sky. Any other night, it would have seemed so enchantingly beautiful. But Ron was absorbed in his depressed, gloomy thoughts. He'd lost two of his best friends in two months. He had tried to stay brave when Hagrid died. It was difficult, but sitting in silence with Hermione and Harry had helped. Almost as though they had reached an agreement that the time they were silent, was a time for Hagrid's remembrance.
Looking on the plus side, Ron still had had Harry and Hermione by his side. However, now Harry was gone...and without a trace. And Hermione...well, she was too busy writing to Krum. Thinking of Krum; talking to Krum. What the hell did she lose? Ron bit his lip.
As for Quidditch, playing along side his best friend and brothers was the best part. Now, what did it really matter? Who would really care whether they won or lost against Ravenclaw? An answer seeped into his mind almost immediately: Harry would care. Quidditch wasn't just a game to him; it was part of the essence of life. Casting his eyes downward, Ron said to himself: "For Harry"
~~~~~~~
Remus Lupin was sitting in the "Three Broomsticks" late at night, having been drinking alcoholic beverages for nearly an entire day. This is why he was, perhaps, a little tipsy.
"Remus, are you alright?" asked Rosmerta.
"Fine, fine!" said Remus. "Life is great, Rosmerta. Couldn't be better," Remus said, slopping some beer down his robes as he wailed his mug around.
"Do you want some coffee?" said Rosmerta. "I suspect you're a little drunk..."
"Drunk? No, no...I don't drink. Life is too great to poison it with...er..." he held up his drink uncertainly. "Um...this stuff," and he started chuckling. "Life is wonderful, Rosmerta. Even when you find out your best friend is dead, along with his wife. And now, their son, 'The Boy Who Lived' is probably dead...after all that! All dead; all of whom I cared very much about..."
"You're not acting like yourself, Remus. I think you've had too much," said Rosmerta, eyeing him oddly.
"Or when you find out one of your best friends betrayed them for some voldie-power. Voldie...ha ha!" he laughed. "That's a good name for him, don't you think?"
"Er...I'm going to get you some coffee..." Rosmerta suggested.
"Shhh! Shh!" hissed Remus suddenly. "I have to tell you a secret!" he beckoned for her to come closer. Rosmerta approached slowly. "You know how everyone thinks Padfoot killed all those muggles," Remus said, pausing for dramatic affect. "It's a lie...they convicted the wrong man...and ruined an innocent man's life,"
"Uh huh," muttered Rosmerta, raising an eyebrow doubtfully.
"And here's the really rotten part," whispered Remus. "Peter isn't dead....he's been living as a rat for...er..." murmured Remus as he began ticking off numbers on his fingers. "Erm....about a billion years now!" he exclaimed.
"Yeah," said Rosmerta shortly. "Well, I'll just go get you some very strong coffee, and perhaps some 'Sobre' pills from France....that'll get you sobered up alright."
Nearly twenty minutes after Remus had obediently taken the 'Sobre' pills....he was sobering up, and could already feel a hang-over approaching rapidly, when:
"Good day, Mr. Lupin" came a woman's voice.
Remus looked up through tired eyes to see a woman, average in height but very attractive. Short, curly black hair framed her would-be fair face. A too-showy velvet dress revealed an obviously perfected body. But the first thing Remus noticed was the mounds of make-up that was splattered all over her face, and especially her eyes. By any other standards, she was what any man would have thought to be the perfect woman. However, by today's standards, 'plastic' would have been an appropriate description of the woman. Remus got a foreboded feeling about her that kept him from asking her for her name.
"Er, good day to you," said Remus uncertainly.
"It could be a good night, you know. There's a motel down the street. Only ten sickles an hour....my treat." said the woman passionately.
"I don't associate with protitutes," said Remus coldly, standing up and beckoning for his check.
"Good for you. Neither do I, for I am not a protitute, Mr. Lupin. My name is Veronica...."
"Ah, and that's the name of a traditional girl," hissed Remus.
"I'm a business woman. And it so happens, I'm willing to do business with you if you will cooperate," said Veronica, running her fingers down Remus's arm. Remus flinched, and took a step back. Her strong approach gave Remus a feeling that this particular woman could *breath* Herpes on him.
"Business with me?" asked Remus. "I already told you, I don't do business with people like you. Now, if you will excuse me..."
"Goodness, Mr. Lupin...has it been so long since you've gotten any, that you've forgotten how to do it?" hissed the woman with an awful smile curling her lips.
"Not that it's any of your business, but how would you know? I've never seen you before. Certainly any man that would have sex with you, would have sex with anyone," said Remus coldly as he walked out the door.
"Alright, you want to get right to the point, then? Here it is. We know where Harry Potter is. If you want him back, we can help you. But you have to help us." said Veronica. Remus stopped dead in his tracks.
"Where is he?" inquized Remus.
"Are you willing to cooperate?" asked Veronica, as several hooded figures began to approach them slowly; they were all death eaters.
"Where is he?!" proclaimed Remus angerly.
"Step into my office," said Veronica, gesturing to a dark, narrow alley behind the "Three Broomsticks". Remus felt himself be lifted up from under his arms; a hand was placed securely over his mouth; and a wand pressed against his back. He couldn't shout out even if he wanted to. Five hooded figures carried him halfway down the dark alley, and slammed him into a wall.
"Here is our proposition," said Veronica nastily. "We tell you where Harry Potter is, and you give us some information..."
"What sort of information?" asked Remus angerly.
"Don't interrupt her!" hissed another death eater as he punched Remus hard in the mouth. Remus fell to the ground, and grabbed his lip which was starting to bleed.
"As I was saying," continued Veronica. "As I'm sure you saw, we lost both attempts to take over Hogwarts and Diagon Alley. Thanks to the Order of the Phoenix. Lord Voldemort has given us permission to propose that, in exchange for information about the order: how it works, the traditions, the prophesies, the initiation, and how you distinguish each other...we may provide you with the information you need."
"Where you've taken Harry," muttered Remus.
"Bingo," said Veronica smiling horribly. "The thing is we didn't take him. We know where he is because Lord Voldemort knows where he is," rambled Veronica. "The Prophesy about the Green Flame Torch...it's true."
"It was only a weapon created to destroy Salazar Slytherin. What's so important about it now?" asked Remus.
"I'd love to know. But my master does know, and that's all that matters. We give you the year, you give us the inside information. What do you say, Mr. Lupin? You'd only be killing....oh...some of the greatest witches and wizards of the age...including your precious trusting Dumbledore. But think about it. You'd be saving your best buddy's son," said Veronica.
Remus sat glaring at her for a moment, contemplating his options. There was a six to one chance he could escape. He would never sacrifice anyone to save himself; and he didn't even know if Harry were still alive. He did know two new things though. Something concerning the Green Flame Torch...and some 'year'. He only hoped it would be enough for Dumbledore to figure out. As for now, he would take a chance:
"What is your decision, Mr. Lupin?" asked Veronica confidently.
"My name..." said Remus slowly. "is Moony. STUPEFY!"
~~~~~~~
Sirius stood looking in the mirror, a dark expression on his face. He was at Moony's house in the restroom. He had been re-playing the earlier event in Dumbledore's office in his head all day:
"Why have you been writing to Sirius Black?" Fudge had asked. Dumbledore starred intently at Fudge, apparently stalling for time; trying to think of the right thing to say.
"Writing to Sirius Black?" said Mundungus casually. "I think you've had one too many nightmares, sir" said Mundungus with an uneasy smile. Fudge gave him a patronizing look.
"I assure you, Mr. Fletcher, my dreams are perfectly pleasant..." started Fudge coldly.
"I bet they are..." scoffed Mundungus.
"There has obviously been a mistake," said Remus in a small voice. "Sirius Black...sir...I'm sorry, but..."
"An odd story Harry Potter had at the end of his third year, eh Dumbledore?" inquired Fudge. "Some hogswabble about Sirius Black being innocent. What was it he had said about this Pettigrew man? Wasn't it that he was still alive?"
"I believe that is an accurate description of Harry's testimony," said Dumbledore, his eyes growing colder.
"Look, Dumbledore, it's not my job to point the finger of blame," said Fudge loosening up. "I'm the Minister of Magic, and I thought it would be appropriate if I were the one to present you with this subpoena..."
"You mean you wanted to make sure Dumbledore knew it was you that kicked him out of Hogwarts, right Fudge?" asked Mundungus, his anger getting the best of him. "Didn't like people always saying how Dumbledore would do a better job, eh?"
"Mr. Fletcher..." said Fudge, his face getting red with suppressed fury.
"If it is the wish of the Ministry to bring me in for questioning....for what ever purpose..." said Dumbledore sharply to stop Mundungus from talking. "Then I will, of course, oblige as you want me to do so. However, there are more concerning matters that impress upon my mind to worry about, and I'm afraid I must ask all of you to leave..."
"Leave? For what purpose?" asked Fudge sharply.
"To pack, of course," said Dumbledore, and a remarkable smile crossed his face. "It will be a sad day, indeed, when grown men must witness an elderly man packing his favorite pair of polka-dotted knickerbockers."
Dumbledore gave Sirius a meaningful look and Sirius got the message. Dumbledore didn't want Sirius to reveal himself for Dumbledore's sake...even though Sirius would have gladly done so if it would save Dumbledore.
~~~
Sirius continued to stare at himself in the mirror. Harry was missing. Dumbledore was being questioned at this very moment because of him. What would happen if they put Dumbledore under the influence of Verritessium? Would they dare go that far? A flood of memories that had haunted Sirius during his twelve years in Azkaban ran through his mind.
'Take care of him, Padfoot,' James had said. 'If anything should ever happen to me and Lily, just make sure Harry is safe and has a happy life...'
Sirius would have carried out his promise to James until the very last detail...if only he hadn't been so foolish. James and Lily would still be alive today if he hadn't suggested Peter be their secret Keeper. Harry would have never had to live with the God-forsaken Dursley's if he hadn't gone chasing after Peter that night!
He should have gone straight to Dumbledore...Dumbledore would have listened to him; he would have helped him. Moony wouldn't have had to live all alone for all those years if only he, Sirius, had used his brain. Sirius looked down at the newspaper lying on the sink. The headline in the 'Daily Prophet' read, "The Search for Harry Potter: The Boy Who Lived is suspected dead"
At that young age, Sirius was so impressed with his own cleverness, he didn't see the real picture. Sirius was worthless; he only hurt everyone he cared about. It would end now! It had to end!
Sirius saw a large butcher's knife lying on the kitchen table. It was the only way. He had to protect everyone he cared about...from himself. However, the only person left was Moony...maybe even Harry. He could still save Harry. It was all so simple. All so easy. Sirius walked toward the table, and picked up the knife. One swift stroke and it would all be over. No one would have him as a burden anymore! Sirius lifted the knife into the air, and:
"SIRIUS!" proclaimed Remus running through the door at break-neck speed. Sirius jumped in surprise; the knife fell to the floor. Sirius backed into the wall, and started shaking violently.
"Sirius? Sirius!" exclaimed Remus when he saw Sirius huddled in a ball on the ground, shaking. "Sirius, relax! Relax, Padfoot....I know where Harry is!" said Remus patting Sirius gingerly on his arm. Sirius came back to his senses and sat up.
"What? Where?!" Sirius breathed in disbelief. It was only then that Sirius noticed the many scratches, cuts, and bruises all over Moony's face.
"Not where, Padfoot. WHEN!" said Remus with a sly smile.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Past ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Pssst! Harry! Wake up..." came James's voice into Harry's head.
"Dad?" muttered Harry deliriously.
"No, but close..." said James, grinning at his own wit. "Come on, we're sneaking into Hogsmeade. Going to get us some drinks from the 'Three Broomsticks'. Come on...thrown on some clothes..."
"Don't have any other clothes," murmured Harry sleepily.
"Then bring some money and you can buy some. Here....borrow mine for now..." said James, tossing a pair of robes at Harry.
A wild, and invisible, trip later...Harry was sitting alone with the marauders in the 'The Broomsticks', sipping down butterbeer in inch-sized plastic containers. He was quite enjoying himself as he watch Sirius and James have it out over who got to save the 'maiden fair'
"Iye, Matey...t'was necessary to kick thy enemies pussy...cat, I mean." said James, imitating a seaman. He was referring to the moment when the marauders and Harry had run into Mrs. Norris on their way to the statue of the one-eyed witch.
"Ar...but thy idiot could have gotten me and me mates caught...and with disregard to thee manners to ask if me wanted to have a good shot at thee feline."
Mrs. Norris had been eyeing them too suspiciously. Harry supposed his dad must have panicked...and in order to get rid of Mrs. Norris, he had given her a nice good kick. Sirius was obviously affronted that James hadn't offered the privilege to him.
James broke the end of his plastic, one-inch bottle of butterbeer; a few drops fell onto the table.
"Iye, me matey! Thy is apposing on me territory!" proclaimed James. Sirius then broke then end off of his plastic one-inch bottle.
"AR! Me got at least two ounces of butterbeer in me, and I'm ready to kick about this much arse!" exclaimed Sirius, measuring about a centimeter with his fingers. James and Sirius began take wild swings at each other with their pathetic tiny plastic butterbeer bottles.
"Alright, boys...settle down" said Rosmerta as she came around with another round of tiny butterbeer bottles.
"Ar...we be needing our check, My fair Lady!" said Sirius, bowing low.
Madam Rosmerta laughed as she went behind the bar to get their check. She came back a minute later. James paid for everyone, and afterwards, he and Sirius staggered out of the "Three Broomsticks" acting like they were intoxicated, and singing, "What would you do with a drunken sailor"
"Do you guys usually do this? Sneak out this late, I mean." asked Harry.
"All the time!" said James
"Especially now-of-days," said Peter. Moony gave Peter a meaningful punch in the arm. "Ow..." hissed Peter.
'Of course!' thought Harry to himself. 'Sirius told me in third year that they became animagi in their fifth year!'
"Ahem," hissed James at Peter. "Well, Harry, we could go to Honeydukes for the candy...they're always open really late. Or we could stop into 'Rousten's Robes' to get you some more clothes. What do you want to do?"
Harry went scarlet. He couldn't really do either. His money was in the future, along with everything else of his. The embarrassed expression must have shown on his face, because James quickly changed the subject.
"Er...how about we go buy your Christmas present..." said James.
"Oh no!" said Harry quickly.
"Yeah, good idea Prongs!" said Sirius.
"It's has to be a surprise though..." Moony pointed out.
"Yeah, Harry, stay out here for a few minutes while we go pick out a gift at Honeydukes," said James.
"It's a shame Zonko's is already closed, but oh well...wait here." said Sirius.
And so Harry waited, as all the marauders bounded into Honeydukes; whispering quickly and excitedly about what to get Harry.
Harry leaned against the building, feeling very happy and very content. This was how it should have always been. However, an unpleasant feeling weighed heavy upon Harry's heart. He glanced upwards to the sky.
But what about Ron and Hermione? If he was back in the past, did time in the present still continue? His experience with Hermione's time-turner certainly hadn't taught him everything about time travel. If he didn't get back, he would lose his two best friends. They wouldn't even be born for several years. What would the Sirius of the present do?! What was running through Dumbledore's mind right now? Was he, Harry, changing future events at this very moment for just being there? Maybe his mom's book wasn't supposed to fall onto his dad's stack.
In the midst of worrying about having just diminished his very existence, Harry became aware of an even worse issue. He wasn't protected anymore. He hadn't really had time for rational thought....given the surreal situation. But Harry knew, somehow, that his coming to the past was not an accident. Voldemort was near; Voldemort was watching, just waiting for his chance.
Harry subconsciencely began pacing. His foot met an unexpected stone, and he lost his balance. Harry stood up quickly, and panicking, started running back to Hogwarts.
And he heard them. The quick whispering of people hidden in the trees and behind the buildings. It was a trap. Voldemort had set this up. The marauders had been hook-winked. Harry stopped dead. There was no use running; the death eaters were everywhere; all around him. And his father, Sirius, and Moony were all trapped with him...with a future traitor and death eater right beside them. Harry didn't need to hear the cry of the stunning charm, or see the violet ray coming straight at his heart to know what was happening.
~~~
When Harry came through, a horrible snake-like face with fierce, red eyes came into view.
"Harry Potter. We meet again." hissed Lord Voldemort.
(A/N: *bows* Thank you! Thank you! Ah!!! SIX HOURS! It took me six hours to think, type, check, and revise all of this! *points at review box* So PLEASE review! *gets on hands and knees and begs reader* Please, please review! The faster and more reviews I get...the quicker the next chapter comes out...and I really don't know when I'm going to get another six hours! I really hope you enjoyed it! Again, I'd like to thank my wonderful beta-reader, Tracy! Ttyl! Toodles!)