Chapter Five: The Letter from Time
Harry opened his eyes in to the darkness of the seventh year dorm room. Getting up quietly he shook Ron to make sure he was still awake. Putting his finger to his lips Harry summoned the Marauders map as quietly as he could and followed Ron down the stairs where the girls were already waiting for them.
"Did you get it?" Hermione whispered her hair still the color of Harry's although you could brush hers.
"Yes," Harry said, sitting down in his favorite chair next to the fire. The same chair he saw Sirius' head come through the fire, two years ago…shaking his head to rid of those thoughts, Harry turned to Ron.
"Do you still have the map and the cloak?" Ron nodded and pulled out two small items from his pajama pocket.
"But I thought you only needed the map?" Ginny asked, making Harry scoot over so she could sit next to him. "Why did you take the cloak too?"
"They're mine. Ron shrunk them in his pockets before Hermione took him to the library today. We were using them to—" Harry stopped when Ron kicked him the shin.
"To what Harry?" Hermione whispered dangerously. Harry wished he could keep his mouth shut. Rubbing his shin he reluctantly let the information out.
"Er, lets just say that Malfoy will look like a ferret for a while," he said, throwing Ron a apologetic look.
Harry saw Hermione lips go up before she quickly stopped them. "Fine, let's just do this. Corollas covero," a flash of light green came out of her wand and landed on the map Harry was holding. Hermione tapped on the bubble that said Harry Potter, and said "Harry Granger," and the bubble changed names.
"Very smart Hermione." Ginny said, snuggling up to Harry and closing her eyes. Hermione did the same to Ron and Ginny's then looked at them all.
"Do you think we'll get back soon?" she said, her head lowered.
"I sure hope so. Remus will be awful lonely with out us for Christmas."
"Oh, but Harry while were here barely anytime will pass. More like an hour for every week." Ginny said matter-of-factly and Hermione nodded in agreement.
"Well, I'm glad. I don't want miss to much time." Ron said. "But isn't this bloody wicked? Here with Harry's parents and the Marauders? Too bad we can't change the future."
"Absolutely no, Ron. You don't know what could happen. More people could die and maybe, Voldemort will never lose power or—"
"We get it Hermione." Harry said quietly. Harry knew why she was saying all this. She was warning him. The thought passed through his head more then one time, to tell his mum and dad and Sirius what was going to happen. But he can't, he would put so many people in danger.
"I am so tired, can we just go to bed?" Ginny asked, yawing. They all agreed and said good night.
The next morning Harry woke up to the Marauders dumping a gallon of water, ice cold at that, on his head.
"Ah, I am so going to kill you Potter," Harry noticed how odd it sounded to say his on name when not talking about himself. Harry did a quick drying spell and got dress to start the new day in a different time. First class was Charms with Ravenclaw.
Ron, grumbling something about not wanting to do homework, got out of bed not noticing Peter laughing at him. Harry gritted his teeth so he wouldn't lash out at Peter and hoped Ron wouldn't notice him, unluckily he did.
"What are you laughing at Rat boy?" Ron said angrily at Peter. Harry kicked Ron in the ankle and Sirius walked up to Ron, his face flushed. Ron, realizing his slip paled.
"What do you mean, Carrot top?" Sirius shouted and Harry noticed James shooting a look to Remus and Peter.
"Nothing," Harry said jumping in front of Ron to stop Sirius from hitting him although Sirius was the biggest seventh year in Gryfinndor. "He just likes to insult people in the morning. Not a great morning person he is. You should hear what he called him mum the other day." Harry made up quickly.
Harry nodded to Ron to say something. "Yeah, sorry 'bout that Peter," Ron muttered, gritting his teeth. "I am not a morning person. Now if you excuse me, I want to see my girlfriend." And Ron left the dorm room.
"Really sorry about that. Not that you look like a rat Peter, in fact he likes to call me a giant squid. Says I look a lot like one. Er, got to go got a girl waiting for me." And Harry left the tower too.
Harry saw Hermione trying to pry information out of Ron, because he was really red in the face. Hermione saw Harry and tackled him with questions.
"Harry what happened? Why is Ron so mad?"
"Well he called Wormtail 'Rat boy' and Sirius almost killed him for doing so." He said ever so casually, giving Ginny a kiss.
Hermione sighed. "Really Ron, do you not remember what Remus told us about the Marauders last summer? Nobody wanted to get on the bad side of a Marauder. And you almost blew our secret," she fumed. "You can not harm Wormtail. Do you understand me?" Ron nodded slowly.
Ginny gave her friend a pat on her hand to calm her down. "Not to worry 'Mione, nothing too bad happened so let's just go down for breakfast, Kay?"
Harry agreed with her and gently pulled Hermione out of the portrait hole.
Remus' POV
What are they talking about? Me telling them about us? Maybe it's a different Remus, but how would that explain the Marauders? Remus thought to himself. And what about their secret? What ever it was Remus vowed to find it out.
Harry's POV
Harry sat next to Ginny and his mum. Harry thought it must seemed very rude to Lily that Harry kept talking to her and ignoring his girlfriend. Although Harry knew that Ginny understood that he wanted to find out more history from his mothers side. But Harry didn't get passed the part of Lily's sister when the Marauders came into the Great Hall.
James, shooting a glare at Harry, sat down next to Lily and started eating some bacon.
"Grangers, Greenfields, Professor Dumbledore would like to speak to you after you finish eating. I trust you remember the way from yesterday?" Professor McGonagall pressed a piece of paper in Harry's hand and walked away. Harry opened it and read 'Sugar Quill' written in very narrow and loopy handwriting Harry recognized as Dumbledore's handwriting. Harry passed the note on to Hermione who like wised read it and Passes it on to Ron.
"Not very clever with the passwords, is he?" Ron muttered so only Harry could hear. Harry gave a slight chuckle. Piling his plate with everything he could eat, Harry was feeling pretty good. With the threat of Voldemort not so huge against him, he felt like a normal wizard, almost. He was a wizard who traveled back in time and met his parents and had no way of getting back. Or at least until Dumbledore finds away.
Hermione, being the only one of the four done, wanted to leave.
"But Hermione," Ron moaned. "I've barely started."
"Don't worry Ron, we'll just go to the kit—"
"Shh! People are around." Hermione hissed. "We're not supposed to know where that is."
'Oh yeah," Harry said, and followed Hermione's suite.
The Marauders and Lily had been watching the four closely and Harry saw that Remus' eyes were narrowed in suspicion.
"Do you need help getting there?" The head girl asked.
"Er, no thanks. Hermione remembers things pretty well. In fact I'm sure she has the way memorized to Dumbledore's office and the common room." Ginny said really fast. "But we could meet you there and could show us the way to Charms. That would be helpful since we haven't been there." She grinned ruefully. Lily nodded to show she would meet them there and they quickly left the Great Hall.
"Bit of a change really. Pretending not to know stuff, when people usually come to us for advice and such." Harry said, thoughtfully.
"Yes, well, until we get back we will have to play it cool." Hermione said matter-of-factly. "Won't it be odd though to see Remus' face when we get back and I show him my dyed hair? He'll freak when remembers," she said all giddy.
"I still can't believe that you finally stopped calling him Professor, after him telling you not to." Ginny said laughing. Hermione blushed.
"Hey," Ron said his face red from holding in laughter. "Remember when Remus and Mad-Eye refused to answer her until she called them by their names. It took her two weeks until she picked it up."
Harry burst out laughing and Hermione turned a deeper shade of pink.
"Sugar Quill," she mumbled and climbed up the staircase to Dumbledore's office. Finally calm enough to talk normally, Harry grabbed Ginny's hand.
"What do you reckon he wants to talk about?" They all shrugged their shoulders and knocked on the door.
"Come in," they heard Dumbledore's cheerful voice. "Please have a seat." They sat.
Dumbledore started to pace. Harry hated when he did that. They sat there like that for a full minute.
"Please sir, I really do hate when you do that."
"Oh, very sorry Mr. Potter or shall I say Mr. Granger?"
"Call me Harry. We don't have a normal Headmaster/student relationship."
Dumbledore nodded. "I got a note from my present self. A neato time spell I found that sends notes and object in to the past or future."
"Neato?" Ginny asked, bewildered.
"I heard it from a muggle-born student who went to America this summer. Doesn't work for me? Very well, back to the note. I got one addressed to me and one addressed to you four. Would you like to read it?" Hermione nodded and reached for the letter that was in Dumbledore's hand.
"Dear Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny,"
Hermione read out loud.
"As you are probably wondering why you are back in time, at your parents' time Harry, I will tell you not to worry. Hermione, when you were looking for information about the charm you need in order to activate the book, Remus and I gave you wrong information. We put a charm on the book so whenever you tried to charm it, you would go back into time. The time you are at now."
Hermione stopped reading. "You gave me wrong information?" she said disbelieving. Dumbledore motion her to keep reading.
"The reason we sent you back is still a mystery to us even. Part of it due to the fact you four work harder then almost any order members and you aren't officially members yet. We thought you all might a vacation, and we thought this was the safest place to send you. Time will barely pass here while you enjoy a peaceful term.
I know you are worried about your family and friends here, but don't worry. The other reason is that we think Lord Voldemort might try to send a Death Eater back into time to kill the Marauders, with the exception of Peter Pettigrew. We need you to watch them and make sure Voldemort does not change the future.
Now you are forewarned, so be careful and make sure that the Marauders do not find out about you four. Although Remus is letting out little hints about your time there, so do be careful around him. Those darn werewolf senses.
So have a jolly time and don't forget you mission.
Albus Dumbledore"
Harry looked around at his best friends and girlfriend. Worry written across all of their faces.
"Well nothing to worry about much, eh?" Ron said, trying to lighten the mood.
Harry gave him a weak smile. Hermione looked simply furious and Ginny, well Ginny looked amused at Dumbledore.
"So, we're stuck here until God knows when, with Harry's parents, who by the way I think are getting suspicious and try to save them. Luna is totally not gonna believe this!"
Hermione looked at her disgustingly. "I think we should go and meet Lily at the common room and go to charms. We are after all going to have them following us because we are suspicious and us following them 'cause Death Eaters are after them.
"Now, now Ms. Granger, everything should be alright, just do as I say or what I will say or what I have said and you'll be just fine. Lemon drop?"
Ron reached out and grabbed a couple for him and Hermione. Ginny and Harry both denied. They had too much experience with Dumbledore, lemon drops and cheering potion.
Leaving the office, Hermione seemed to be in a better mood, ("'cause of the cheering potion." Ginny so helpfully giggled.) led the way to the Gryfinndor common room where Remus Lupin, their current Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher in their time current seventh year and werewolf here, was waiting for them with a look of triumph on his face.
Ron and Harry and Ginny all shared identical looks of 'uh-oh'. Hermione however looked gleeful.
"Ready to go to class? I just love charms. I hope were not too behind. Or ahead." She added.0
Remus raised his eyebrows at her and looked questionably at the other three. "Dumbledore's Lemon Drops," Harry said and then realized that that said that he knew more about Dumbledore then he should.
"Its okay Harry," Ginny said calmly, resting her hand on his. "Dumbledore said that Remus remembered us. I think we can tell him as long as we don't tell him about the future."
"Aha!" exclaimed Remus. "I knew it. I heard little bits and pieces and put them together and yes!"
The four of them chuckled. "Yes, we are from the future. They only reason we are telling you is that we trust you as we trust Dumbledore." Remus mouth went into a little 'o' and he sat on a chair.
"Come on tell me, we have ten minutes to get to class and it's on this floor."
"Well," Harry said. "I don't look like this all the way and Hermione doesn't either. We can't show you now, but we can when no one could run in on us now. My name is Harry Potter."
"Hermione Granger."
"Ron Weasley."
"Ginny Weasley."
"Remus Lupin," added Remus with a grin.
"Yes we know, also known as Moony because you're a werewolf. But don't worry we don't mind." Ginny added hastily when Remus paled.
"We know all about you and your friends. I even have the Marauders' map and my dads old cloak." Remus looked bedazzled with all this information.
"Wow, when I checked the map this morning I found someone put a glamour charm on it and I couldn't break it. Who ever put it on there, is a powerful wizard."
"Witch," Harry said. "Hermione did that. The cleverest witch, along with Ginny, in our year."
Ginny and Hermione blushed.
"Stop it. Hermione could have graduated if she wanted to." Ginny said good-naturally. "So she is the cleverest witch of the year." Harry gave Ginny a kiss on the forehead and smiled at her. He suddenly wanted to snog her senseless. With her sitting there with her brown eyes full and round. Harry shook his head and look back at Remus.
"Should we be getting to class?" he asked hopeful to get away.
Hermione gave a gasp and ran out of the portrait hole, everyone close behind her.
AN: Hey people. This was seven pages. My longest yet! I hoped you liked it and I should have the other one our soon! Now go and review so I will update faster!