Crossing Bridges

By Tien Riu

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Disclaimer: Harry Potter and all characters belong to J.K. Rowlings.  Plot (what little there is of it) and depiction of characters are mine.  WARNING: The future of this piece of fiction contains slash/yaoi/shonen ai/homosexual relationships. 

Description: [AU] Remus Lupin is sent back in time on a desperate mission to kill Lord Voldemort.  From a present where he is the last Marauder, Remus finds himself once more eleven and attending Hogwarts for the first time.

For an explanation of the story, refer to first chapter. 

Any comments and criticisms would be greatly appreciated.  If not – enjoy the ride.

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Act II: The Boy

      Remus Lupin was scared of course.  There were many reasons – such as being a werewolf and attending school for the first time in his life.  But what was truly on his mind at the moment was the fact that the train was scheduled to leave in half an hour and he still had to find a way to somehow transport his trunk into a compartment by himself.

    It was ironic he knew (well, after checking several dictionaries and asking his mother) that in wolf-form he was already almost full grown.  As a human, he was not only small and slight but also unlikely to ever grow any larger (or so he had assumed after years of patient, unfulfilled expectation). 

    Thus far, the problem of getting his trunk into the Hogwarts Express had kept him occupied for the past fifteen minutes.  With the wash of steam warming his face, the breath of fresh air ruffling his hair was a trifle startling.  He looked up briefly, and felt – something.  What precisely he wasn't completely sure.

    Several moments passed – and nothing more happen.  Being a logical young boy, Remus turned back to the more pressing problem at hand – his trunk. 

   Twenty-five minutes left – maybe if I drag it? The steps of course would be a problem, but if he yanked hard enough –

    :Why aren't you on the train?:

    And there is, after all, only three steps – wait.  Remus blinked.  That thought hadn't been his.

   :I remember this.:  Neither had that.  His fingers twitched – it took a while before Remus realised that he hadn't told them to move.  :By the time I got the trunk into the train, the Express was leaving.  Peter fell over me running to get back to his compartment.  That's how I met Sirius and James.:

    His fingers were wrapped around his wand (twelve inches, willow with hair of unicorn – good for hexes and rather swishy, Mr Ollivander had said).  Remus stared down at his hand – it was fingering the wand, grasping it exactly the way the diagrams in his textbook ('Charms, Level 1') had indicated.

    :Feels – strange.:  The voice – because Remus was fairly certain it wasn't his thoughts he was hearing – said.  :Too new.  And you were never the same after Sirius spilled Quick Mix Glow-in-the-Dark glue on you trying to hit Severus.:  'You', Remus realised, was the wand. 

    His – or perhaps 'the' since it was moving by itself – hand tightened slightly than swished and flicked.

   "Leviosa."  Remus heard himself say – he stared as the trunk rose into the air.

The voice in his head was muttering something – Remus had stopped paying attention, still watching the floating trunk.  That's – how did I do that?

There was a sudden silence in his head – then: :What was that?:

    :That's magic – I don't know any magic yet.  Well – not really.:  Remus thought.

The voice in his head was quiet then: :Who are you?:

Which was rather peculiar as far as Remus was concerned – but being polite he responded immediately: :I'm Remus.  Remus Lupin.  Who are you? Are you a ghost?:

    He'd read how ghosts occasionally tried to possess living beings – and although he wasn't completely sure, he was fairly certain the Ministry frowned on that sort of behaviour.  Though Remus wasn't quite sure whether the Ministry didn't like ghosts possessing people or people being possessed.

    :Not – quite.:  The voice said.  :I'm you.:

   :No you're not.:  Remus responded immediately.  :I'm me.  You're a ghost aren't you?:

   :I didn't realise you would still be here.  I thought -:  and there was a strange muttering sound just below the edge of his ability to 'hear' (or perhaps 'think').

    Remus waited, but the voice didn't say anything more – the odd muttering remained but it faded in and out and eventually vanished as well (or perhaps he had just gotten used to it and begun to ignore the sound).  By the time the muttering had ceased completely however, nearly twenty minutes had passed – and Remus realised that if he did not move quickly, he would miss the Express.

    The trunk floated obediently behind him as he hurried through the corridor, looking for an empty compartment (or at least one that had a free seat). 

    :Look out!:

He was on the floor, winded, before he realised that another boy had run straight into him.  Lying there, staring up at the ceiling of the hallway, he noted that his trunk was still floating at approximately waist height (were he, of course, standing).

    "You all right?"  The other boy asked as he stood up, straightening his robes before looking down at Remus.

   "Yes."  Remus said, and stood up; the boy, he was rather glad to note, was no taller than him, though rather than brown hair, he had black, "Remus Lupin."  He added politely, holding out his hand.

The boy stared at him for several seconds before taking the hand and shaking it cordially, "Severus Snape."

    :Perfect.:  the voice muttered in the back of his head; Remus waited but there was nothing more. 

   "I didn't see you."  Remus said, realising the silence had stretched far past a polite pause.

   "That's fairly obvious."  Severus said; black eyes looked past Remus' shoulder, "Is that yours?"

Remus glanced back; the trunk floated patiently, "The trunk?"

   "No – the pixies."  Severus rolled his eyes, "Of course the trunk."

He flushed but continued gamely: "Yes.  It's mine I mean."
   "How did you get it to float like that? Timed charm? Incantation? Or is it sapient pearwood? I hear that some explorers out in Asia found a small grove last year."

Remus had no idea what sapient pearwood was and although he had read about timed charms and incantations in the textbooks he was fairly sure both had nothing to do with his trunk.

   "I think it was a spell." 

   "You think?"  Severus sneered, "What – waved your wand and suddenly it started floating?"

   "Yes."
Severus stared at him then rolled his eyes, "Whatever.  Bet you end up in Hufflepuff."  He said, "You sound about as intelligent as one of them." 

Hufflepuff – Remus knew – was one of the houses at Hogwarts.  His mother had mentioned something about an Aunt being a Hufflepuff – what this had to do with intelligence he wasn't sure.  However, he knew an insult when one was shoved into his face.

   "So what if I am?"  he retorted.

Severus stared at him incredulously, "Hufflepuffs get laughed at!"  this said as if laughter was a terrible thing, "Being a Hufflepuff is almost as bad as being a Gryffindor!"

:Even at eleven he's still Severus.:  the voice said, :Shouldn't be surprising.  Right up to the end, he was still as sarcastic, sardonic and angry at the world as ever.:  the voice seemed sad and grew quiet again.

   "What House do you want to be in then?"  Remus asked curiously, "Ravenclaw?"

Severus sniffed, "Slytherin of course – what are you, a muggle-born? Everybody knows Slytherin is the best House."

Slytherin, Remus had read, had produced five of the ten Ministers of Magic that had served in the past hundred years and at least eight famous wizards and witches from Grindelwald's War had been graduates of the House. 

   "Hogwarts' headmaster came from Gryffindor."  A new voice pointed out.

Remus turned – there was another boy, slightly taller than both he and Severus, with mussed black hair and glasses.

:James.:  the voice in his head supplied.  :He looks like Harry.  .  .:

    Who 'Harry' was the voice did not supply; it simply grew silent again.

Severus sniffed, "Potter.  Still want to become a Gryffindor?"  he somehow made the suggestion sound like an insult.

   "Still trying to bribe your way into Slytherin, Snape?"  James – or 'Potter' – responded, "Just because you have the blood doesn't mean you'll end up there.  No matter who your father knows."

   "We'll see."  Severus said ominously.
   "Bet you don't."  James responded snidely, "Bet you end up in Ravenclaw just like everybody else in your family.  Bet you –"

Remus watched as the two boys argued – they seemed fairly familiar with each other. 

:I forgot the Potters were part of that society before James' parents died.:  the voice remarked before shutting up once more.

    Eventually, Remus decided to find a compartment since both James (or 'Potter') and Severus seemed intent on arguing till (or so it seemed) the Express reached Hogsmeade Station.

*

      The compartment he found had two other first year boys already in it; they looked up briefly when he entered then continued talking.  Remus wondered if all the first years except for him knew each other.  It was a trifle depressing – and he wondered if perhaps his mother had been wrong and that making friends would prove too hard.  After all, other than Green – his frog – he didn't have any friends and having been alive for eleven years that seemed to project rather bad tidings for the future.

   "Hello.  You two don't mind if I sit here?"  Remus asked uncertainly from the doorway.

The smaller of the two boys frowned, "Do you know your trunks floating behind you?"

   "Yes."  Remus said (and realised that he really didn't know how to stop his trunk from floating).

And that was pretty much the last thing either of the two boys said to him.  They continued to talk about something called bikinis, ignoring him.

    Remus finally stood on a seat till he could open his trunk, and pulled out several books.  The rest of the train trip was spent peacefully reading.

    :The future changed.:  the voice remarked sometime before an older student popped her head into the compartment with the news that they would be reaching Hogsmeade Station in several minutes.

    :How do you know?:  Remus asked quietly as he put the books back into his trunk, :And do you know how to stop my trunk from floating? I don't think we're supposed to take luggage off the train.  Mother said that the House Elves unpack everything after they find out what House we're in.:

    :It's a little bit more complicated than that.:  the voice responded, and Remus felt his hand move without direction from him, pulling out his wand.  He watched in awe as his hand performed a complicated gesture.

   "Finite incantatum!"  Remus heard himself say.

The other boys stared at him as the trunk slowly lowered to the ground.

   "Wow – how did you learn that?"  the shorter one asked him.

Remus shrugged and the train came to a halt with a screech.

*

      The trip over the lake was incredible – and Hagrid the Groundskeeper was enormous.  But Remus knew that in future years, what he would remember the most of his first trip to Hogwarts was standing in the Great Hall waiting for his turn at the Sorting Hat.

    The voice had remained quiet throughout the trip.  Remus wondered if he should tell somebody that he was hearing a voice in his head – and that the voice seemed able to use his hand and wand to perform magic.

    The Sorting Hat shouted: "Ravenclaw!" 

Remus decided that in a place where hats could think, hearing a voice was probably not very unlikely.  Besides – the voice knew more than he did.  First year was supposed to be very hard – he was almost certain he could convince the voice to tutor him.  Won't Mother be pleased if I come home top of my year?

    "Lupin, Remus."  Professor McGonagall called from the front of the hall.

      The hat smelled of lemons – it was vaguely disconcerting.  Remus sneezed.

   :Bless you.:  The hat's voice was different – older.  Remus wasn't sure how he knew this, but he did.  :So – a werewolf.  A particularly young one – indeed, almost a fluffball.: 

As it seemed expected, Remus responded: :Professor Dumbledore said you'd know but that nobody else would.:

:Indeed.  Albus mentioned your enrolment.  Such high hopes we have for your future, young Remus.  The first werewolf wizard – and perhaps, an alpha as well.  No? Ah but it matters not for now.  We wait of course for the Ministry to pass the Bill of Equivalent Humanity – soon, it is believed – but till then, a wizard you will be, so Albus hopes.:

:Mother said that it wouldn't be hard – I just have to be a little bit more careful than I was at home.:  Remus offered, then – because he was aware that he had been wearing the Sorting Hat for quite some time, he ventured another question.  :What House should I be in?:

:A hard question that is.:  the Sorting Hat mused, :Brave certainly – perhaps even foolhardy.  And with a love of knowledge – but knowledge for what? And above all else, a desire to make your parents proud.  Yes – Slytherin understands such loyalty to family.  But it is not enough to make you fit in there.  Ravenclaw perhaps – you would do well there.  But far too unsafe.  Ravenclaw would discover your secret.  Hufflepuff would give you no challenge.  And challenge is what you need to survive.  So Gryffindor then – home of the brave.:

:No.:  the voice said suddenly.

:What?:  the Sorting Hat asked, startled, :You are – Remus too.  But – much older.:  there was a brief muttering sound as if the two voices were speaking, Remus concentrated and the voices came back into 'focus' once more.

    :I need to be in Slytherin.  You know why.:  the voice said – demanded.

:Indeed.  You might – but young Remus would do far better in Gryffindor.  It is all here in his mind – and yours as well.:  the Sorting Hat paused then tsked, :Your mission is important, I understand that.  But when you have succeeded – or failed – young Remus must still complete his education.  Better be -: 

    "Gryffindor!"  the Sorting Hat shouted.

:Bugger!:

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A/N: Review? Please? If only to point out plot holes? Or out-of-characterisation? Or if not tell me how much you loved it