Disclaimer: Everything you recognise belongs to J.K. Rowling. I own nothing and I am making no profit.
Setting: This story starts a couple of weeks after the end of GoF, but after that goes a little AU.
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Chapter 4: Meet Mr. Weasley
Remus Lupin climbed the stairs to his dormitory, weary from a long night of study, and dreaming of his big, soft, four poster bed. He was therefore quite put out when he found Sirius Black sitting by the door, effectively blocking the entrance and playing with his wand in a bored manner.
"Can't go in," he said, without looking at Remus. "Occupied."
"Oh, they're not, are they?" said Remus, with an expression halfway between disgust and a grin.
Now Sirius did look at him. "I'm glad you find it amusing," he said. "I for one would like to sleep sometime tonight."
Remus chuckled. "Does James know you're out here?"
"No." Sirius smiled in a long suffering way. "And don't worry, they're not making out or anything. I just heard part of a private sounding conversation. Didn't want to interrupt. So I'm waiting for her to leave. They'll realize how late it is soon." He glanced at his watch.
Remus nodded, impressed by Sirius's apparent patience. It was not a virtue he often displayed. Then again, it was James on the other side of that door. It sometimes seemed to Remus that Sirius lived by a whole other set of rules where James was concerned. He settled in beside his friend, thinking that if 'soon' didn't occur within the next two minutes, he would simply enter the dormitory anyway, regardless of how private the conversation was. Sleep waited for no budding romance in Remus's opinion. Especially this close to NEWTS.
"Where's Peter?" he asked presently. "Kitchens?"
Sirius scowled. "Our little Wormtail is off with Madame Pomfrey with a bad case of wobbly legs."
"Wobbly legs?" asked Remus, not at all sure he wanted to know.
"Mmm. Got partnered up with Snape in that Slytherin Defense Against the Dark Arts class. You know, the one he had to take to catch up. He'll be okay by tomorrow."
At mention of Snape, the pair fell silent. Remus had the distinct impression that Sirius was biting back the impulse to say something very nasty, and wasn't sure whether to feel gratified that he was holding back, or irritated that it should take such an effort.
Just then, a voice drifted from the dormitory: "I don't think this is just some Hogwarts romance, I think …"
Remus failed to hear the rest, as Sirius rolled his eyes and began humming loudly to the tune of the U.K. Quidditch team song. Remus smiled, his irritation forgotten. He knew Sirius didn't want to listen to James and Lily's private conversations any more than he did. He also knew that Sirius had now had enough of waiting, and in addition to drowning out James's declarations of undying love, the volume of humming was intended to alert James to their presence.
Before James could realize what the humming meant and let them in, the common room portrait hole was flung open, admitting a flustered Professor McGonnagal. From the landing outside the dormitory, Remus and Sirius had a good view of her as she searched the empty common room for stragglers. Seeing no-one at eye level, she tutted to herself in frustration and made to leave. Sirius and Remus exchanged a curious look. Remus shrugged.
"Up here Professor!" Sirius called down, before she could close the portrait behind her.
"Oh!" she said, turning back, startled to see the two boys gazing down expectantly from the landing. "Mr. Black! Mr. Lupin!"
"Did you need something Professor?" Sirius asked helpfully.
"I wanted to see Mr. Potter actually," she said. "If, of course, he is still awake?"
"No, he's asleep," Sirius lied. "Can we help you with anything?"
"Ah, well. Yes, in fact," said McGonnagal, nodding thoughtfully. "Yes, if our head boy is asleep I may ask for some assistance from one of you instead. Could one of you volunteer to come with me to Professor Dumbledore's office please? I'll explain on the way."
She waited expectantly. Sirius and Remus exchanged a look. Remus knew perfectly well that Sirius had only called out to McGonnagal because he believed something terribly interesting must have occurred to bring her here. Now, as McGonnagal tapped her foot impatiently, it seemed quite clear that she'd merely come to fetch someone to assist her with some mundane task. Remus suddenly felt very irritated with James for being so occupied.
"I'll go," he said resignedly. He knew Sirius would not volunteer. "Hit James over the head with a pillow for me when he finally opens the door will you?" he whispered as he stood to leave. Sirius grinned as Remus followed McGonnagal out into the passageway.
"May I ask what this is about Professor?" asked Remus, as they hurried up a staircase. McGonnagal was marching full speed ahead and Remus was struggling to keep up without jogging.
"It's been kept fairly quiet until now Mr. Lupin," she said tightly. "And I must ask you to keep it that way, but earlier today … " she suddenly caught herself and glanced about the staircase as though someone might be listening. The staircase was empty. She looked critically at Remus. "We'll discus it when we reach the Headmaster's office," she said.
Remus nodded, his curiosity again piqued by the apparent secrecy. Something strange was happening here after all. Nothing over alarming he surmised, closely regarding his professor. She wasn't distressed. Distracted perhaps, but not distressed. He'd already figured out that it was nothing associated with Death Eaters from the fact that his presence had seemed a perfectly good substitute for James's - if McGonnagal had come to Gryfindor tower to tell James that the dark mark had been seen over his parent's house, she would hardly have asked Remus or Sirius to join her in James's place – but what else might be happening that could not be discussed in the halls? And why the late hour?
Dumbledore's office was a place Remus was all too familiar with, due in part to his many meetings with the headmaster during his first year at Hogwarts - Dumbledore had been keen to keep a close eye on the progress of Hogwart's first werewolf – but also due to the many times he'd been sent there after being talked into one of James or Sirius's ridiculous, rule breaking schemes. It was refreshing to know that this visit would not include reprimands from the Headmaster.
He followed McGonnagal's hasty progress past the gargoyle, up the moving staircase and through into the office itself. Dumbledore was behind his desk, apparently speaking to a stocky, red haired boy whom Remus didn't know. The boy turned to face them as they entered, his eyes inexplicitly widening in recognition at the sight of Remus.
"Mr. Potter was asleep Headmaster," said McGonnagal stiffly. "Mr. Lupin was kind enough to attend in his place."
Dumbledore nodded, smiling widely at Remus.
"Thank-you Minerva. I'll take it from here."
McGonnagal nodded curtly and exited.
Remus looked at Dumbledore expectantly.
"Have a seat Remus," he said kindly, gesturing to a comfortable looking chair next to the red haired boy.
Remus did so, trying to smile in a friendly way at the other boy who was now grinning in his direction, making him quite uncomfortable.
"Remus Lupin, meet Fred Weasley," said Dumbledore by way of introduction. Remus, still unsure of what was going on, held out his hand for Fred to shake. Fred, still grinning, reached out and took the offered hand firmly.
"Good to meet you mate," he said, the twinkle in his eye suggesting he was in on some joke that Remus wasn't.
Dumbledore watched the exchange with odd expression.
Remus turned back to the Headmaster, trying to let his expression convey that he'd like an explanation as to what this was all about.
"Now, Remus," said Dumbledore, tucking away the odd look and getting down to business. "Fred shall be joining you and your friends in Gryffindor tower over the next week. He will attend seventh year classes with you, and he will be staying in the seventh year dormitory. I expect you and your fellow students will show him hospitality and make his stay with us a pleasant one. I must also ask you to refrain from questioning him about his origins."
Remus nodded slowly, now looking at Fred with newly intensified curiosity. Who was this boy?
Dumbledore noted the look and sighed. "I already see that my last instruction is unlikely to be followed, so I will elaborate a little."
Fred opened his mouth as if about to speak, but Dumbledore cut him off quickly:
"Let me, Mr. Weasley." Fred nodded in deference to Dumbledore with exaggerated gallantry that made the Headmaster smile in amusement. "I suppose the best way to avoid having you questioned to death by your housemates would be to explain that you are a time traveller."
"Accidental time traveller," Fred qualified for Remus, who had raised his eyebrows in respect.
"Yes, accidental," Dumbledore confirmed. "An incident involving a time turner and a stray firework I'm afraid." Remus thought Fred looked a little guilty at this. "He has travelled some years into the past of his own time," Dumbledore continued, pausing to give Remus an intent look. Remus took this as his cue to speak.
"So, you don't want us to ask questions because we might find out something about our own futures," he said, thinking out loud. "That would upset the timelines."
Dumbledore smiled proudly. "That's correct Mr. Lupin. Ten points to Gryffindor."
Remus frowned. "But doesn't Fred's very presence in this time upset the timelines Professor?"
Dumbledore's smile became sad. "Yes, I'm afraid it does Mr Lupin. That's why Fred will be remaining with us for an entire week. Professor Downing is working on a potion for our young friend to drink. It will take some time to brew correctly, but the potion will, if all goes well, take him back to his own time and reverse any effect he may have had on the timelines. However, the more he influences or facilitates changes to the path on which destiny and fate were intended to take us, the less likely it is that this potion will be a success. Do you both understand?"
They nodded.
"Remus, you are to keep Fred's origins a secret. Do not question him. If at all possible discourage your fellow students from questioning him."
"Yes, Professor."
"And you, Fred."
"Yes, Sir?"
"However tempting it may become to change the past, or impart knowledge of the future, you must remember that your chances of returning to your own time, and finding it unchanged will diminish if you do so. You may, by imparting a seemingly unimportant piece of information, jeopardize your very chances of being born."
Fred gulped.
"I trust it will not come to that," the Headmaster added.
Remus felt glad that he was not in Fred's position, and wondered whether or not it might be safer for Fred to be confined to a room by himself for a week. Then he wondered if Dumbledore might not have some ulterior motive for allowing Fred to mingle with the other students. Since the war had begun, Remus had not failed to see just how wily the old man could be.
As Dumbledore dismissed them and Remus lead the way back to the common room, he decided that he would simply trust Dumbledore's motives - whatever they proved to be in the end.
