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 III: The Wizard
The voice was muttering as Remus happily got off the stool, removed the Hat and made his way to the table beneath the red and gold banners. Gryffindor.
He had read things about Gryffindors – how they were friendly and brave and seemed to get into the most amount of trouble for pulling pranks and having fun. It wasn't exactly the House he had thought he would end up in (Ravenclaw had been his Mother's best guess) but it didn't seem all that bad.
Behind him, Professor McGonagall snapped out: "Potter, James!"
:Gryffindor.:
Remus took a seat near the end of the long table and looked down at the golden plates (empty), golden goblets (empty) and golden cutlery. Good thing it isn't silver. He thought cheerfully.
"Gryffindor!" the Hat announced.
"Fantastic! Potter's in the same House as me." A boy several seats further down exclaimed and stood up, "James! Over here!"
:Sirius Black.: the voice murmured, :He looks – just as I remember him.: there was a pause then, :Messy.:
"Quigley, Anton!" Professor McGonagall called.
:Hufflepuff.:
"Hufflepuff!" the Hat announced.
:How did you know that?: Remus asked the voice curiously, :Do you have that thing the book talks about – the Inner Eye?: (He wondered why it was called 'the Inner Eye' when really it would make so much more logical sense to call it 'the Outer Eye')
:Not – really.: the voice responded.
"Rochelle, Rita!" Professor McGonagall called.
:With a name like that where else but Ravenclaw?: the voice said even as the Hat announced that fact.
"Sandheim, Samantha!" Professor McGonagall called.
:Hufflepuff.:
"Hufflepuff!"
"Snape, Severus!"
:Slytherin – of course.: the voice said – and it sounded tired, :Damn it all to the seven hells.:
"Ravenclaw!" the Hat announced.
There was silence in Remus' head then: :What?!:
And what followed was the disconcerting sensation of his head being turned without his conscious control. Remus found himself staring at the stool and its occupant – the boy he had tripped over on the Hogwarts Express. The boy – Severus – looked close to murder as he tore off the Hat and stalked down the Great Hall to a seat behind Remus on the next table over.
:The past changed – but why?: the voice remarked finally then it began mumbling again.
Remus tuned it out as best he could and watched as the Headmaster of Hogwarts – Albus Dumbledore – stood and began to give the start of year announcements.
" – and finally, the Forbidden Forest, as the name suggests, is forbidden. All those unwilling to die a gruesome death involving much blood, pain and horror should avoid any excursions into its depths. All others are asked to return a permission slip signed by all legal guardians to their Head of House." Professor Dumbledore said, "Now – let's eat!"
The plates – empty prior to that moment – filled with all manner of food, and Remus – along with the others at the table – happily began to eat.
:I'd forgotten how much food there was in Hogwarts.: the voice said, :Eat some of the broccoli.: it ordered.
:I hate broccoli.: Remus protested.
:It's good for you. And when combined with the mint sauce, speeds healing in werewolves.: the voice replied, :Not eat it.:
Remus took a mouthful of broccoli (liberally drowned in mint sauce) and frowned. :Yuck!: he declared, :You know quite a bit, don't you?:
:Comparative to a first year – yes.:
:Teach me? Mother would be awfully proud if I ended up first in my year.: Remus promptly asked.
The voice remained silent.
*
Remus woke up the next morning to a resounding silence in his head and the disconcerting notion that not only had he imagined the voice's presence but that he was probably going mad. Didn't Great-Uncle Mortimer start hearing voices before we had to send him to St. Mungo's?
Remus shuddered – it was bad enough that he was a teenage (well almost) werewolf, being insane would definitely make it hard to make and keep friends.
Breakfast was – large. The range was astounding and the smells were enough to make him salivate (which he didn't – Mother had been very firm about what boys should and should not do even if said boys were werewolves – especially if being a werewolf was supposed to be a secret). He ate more than he should have – and pitied the other first year boys who all looked half asleep at the table.
For some reason, waking at six after falling asleep at twelve was something they didn't do often.
He prodded the little corner of silence in his mind at odd intervals while he ate – and wondered if the voice had truly been a product of his imagination. Too bad I guess. Mother would have been shocked when I came first in all my classes. The voice would have made a splendid tutor. He thought and then, because he was not a boy to dwell, helped himself cheerfully to more sausages.
"God – how can you be so – awake?" the boy (the voice had identified him as Sirius Black) next to him growled, "Are you humming? You're humming – why are you humming?"
Remus stared down at the head of scuffled black hair currently face down on the table; he wasn't humming. Maybe insanity is contagious – or perhaps it's a stray curse?
"Don't mind him." Another boy – this one recognisable as the boy from the train (James Potter, Remus recalled) – said with a grin as he slung a leg over the bench and sat down next to Remus, "Sirius is always like this in the mornings." James had hair as black and messy as Sirius Black's and wore large glasses that seemed perpetually in danger of falling off his face, "We met on the train yesterday – you were the one Severus Snape ran into." James held out a hand, "I'm James – what's your name?"
"Remus Lupin." Remus replied, taking the hand and shaking it (just like his mother had taught him), "You know Sirius Black and Severus Snape?"
James shrugged, "You could say that. Artemis Snape works with Dad up at the Ministry so Severus and I used to get dumped together during dinner parties. Sirius and I met in Diagon Alley about a month ago. Shopping for our supplies and all that –"
And that, in effect, was how the rest of breakfast continued. Remus sat there, eating breakfast and listening to James cheerful conversation: Sirius, the Potter Manor, his father (who worked with the Department of Magical Artefacts) and the new broom he had been promised for Christmas. Occasionally, he found time to eat.
*
The first class was Transfiguration with Professor Minerva McGonagall, the Head of Gryffindor House. Remus arrived several minutes before class began, helping James wake Sirius as they pulled him into class.
"I hate mornings." Sirius groaned and took a seat across from one of the Gryffindor girls (she smelled of strawberries and had red hair to match).
James sat down on the other side of Sirius – which left Remus to find a seat across the aisle next to Severus Snape. He glanced curiously at the boy – now wearing the blue house colours of Ravenclaw.
The voice had been very surprised when Severus had been sorted into Ravenclaw. Remus wondered why – after all, according to James, the Snapes had a long history of being Ravenclaws (" – well, except for Lucinda Snape who went to Durmstrong and Mikhel Chika-Snape who sorted into Gryffindor – but nobody mentions him. Don't know why.").
Severus didn't speak to Remus or in any way indicate that he remembered talking to him on the Hogwarts Express. After speaking to James Potter, Remus found it odd to think the two had ever 'played' with each other. He rather suspected that Severus was the exact type to refuse – in sarcastic, angry tones – to play childish games.
:Severus will always be Severus. Even when he's a Ravenclaw. At least blue looks better on him than green.:
Which was the exact moment Professor McGonagall entered the classroom, red and gold hemmed robes swirling around her.
Remus paid half his attention to the professor (who was explaining something about needles and matchsticks) and the other half to the voice.
:I thought I imagined you!: he thought at it; it remained silent so Remus continued, :Where did you go? After the Sorting Ceremony you vanished yesterday.:
There was silence then, :You noticed?:
:Well – maybe 'vanish' is the wrong word to use. Really – you just. . . became really quiet. Did you go away? Are you a ghost? What did you mean when you said you were me? And if you are me is this some sort of time travelling thing? Can you tell me about the future -:
"Mr Lupin – if I could have your attention please." Professor McGonagall said sternly.
Remus looked up and realised the professor was standing directly in front of him. Oh no!
He had heard stories about how strict the Transfigurations professor was. And it's my first day!
"Now, if you would please transfigure your matchstick into a needle." Professor McGonagall said and smiled encouragingly.
Remus had – of course – read about this exercise, it was the first practical lesson in the Transfiguration textbook. He hadn't – due to the law against underage use of magic – been able to practise it however. At the time, he had thought the exercise rather easy (as compared to the water-to-wine practical assigned four lessons in) but now, staring down at the matchstick on his table, he floundered. :What do I do? What do I do?:
Once again, Remus had the disconcerting sensation of his body moving without his conscious control. It reminded him of the few moments before he transformed into or out of the wolf. :I don't like you doing that.: he thought at the voice.
The voice didn't reply.
Remus' hand lifted his wand and swished then flicked at the matchstick.
"Converto." Remus heard himself say; :That's not what we're supposed to do. The book said we're supposed to concentrate with our wand on making the matchstick sharp and then metal rather than wood then -: He stopped as he realised the matchstick was a needle.
As signs of magic abilities went, being able to successfully change a matchstick into a needle on the first try with a fifth year Transfiguration spell wasn't exactly – awe-inspiring. It was however, enough for Professor McGonagall to glance sharply at Remus before turning her attention to Severus.
"Advanced but if Mr Snape could transfigure his matchstick with the method taught, please?"
Severus ignored Remus as he concentrated on his matchstick – it turned pointy-edged (like a very miniature stake) but refused to change colour.
"Excellent first attempt, Mr Snape." Professor McGonagall said and smiled at the boy, "Five points to Ravenclaw."
Remus remained quiet for the rest of the lesson as the others in the class continued working on their matchsticks. The voice answered several of Remus' questions on what 'converto' was, what year he would learn it in and how to append it with other Latin verbs to create all manner of objects.
It wasn't till later that Remus realised the voice had never answered his original questions about the future and where it had come from.
At the end of the class, Professor McGonagall asked him to stay behind; the voice remained in control, which meant that Remus had to squirm mentally.
"Mr Lupin, while I congratulate you on your ability to learn so far ahead in the syllabus on your own," the professor began, "You should be aware that the penalty of breaking the law against underage use of magic can see you expelled from Hogwarts." She said sternly.
"Yes, Professor." The voice replied through Remus.
"So long as you understand." Professor McGonagall said, "The law has always seemed to be a trifle – restrictive on learning opportunities to me. However it does reduce the mischief caused by students." She added, "Now – as the reprimand is finished with," she smiled then, "Allow me to congratulate you on your abilities. It has been quite a while since I last had a first year student so well read in Transfigurations to achieve a fifth year spell." She said, "I'll speak with the Headmaster – that you managed the 'converto' by yourself is rather impressive." She said, "Perhaps we can arrange an independent study." She paused then added, "And five points to Gryffindor for successful completion of the practical, Mr Lupin." She paused then added in a far more quieter voice, "I am very much heartened by your initiative – it will definitely help you catch up to your fellow students when you have to miss classes."
Remus nodded, and as it felt required, added a: "Yes, Professor."
"Your next visit to your mother," Professor McGonagall continued delicately, "Is in three weeks is it not?" Remus nodded – he had been rather heartened to realise that he had almost a full month before he had to transform, "Very unfortunate – but with any luck, the Ministry will pass the Bill and werewolves are at the top of the list for comparative humanity classification. Then perhaps research for a cure to lycanthropy can continue." She added with a smile and then handed a parchment to Remus – who took it automatically, "Give this to Professor Flitwick to explain why you are now late for your first Charms class."
Remus nodded and bolted out of the room – he didn't notice till he was halfway to the Charms class that the voice had grown quiet (or vanished) again.
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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