Time Forward

Disclaimer: JK Rowling created the Potterverse, I'm just making a few speculations on my own

A/N: Chapter two of "Time Forward" – allow me to introduce Anna, John, Holly, David, and Raid. Also, the sixth year Gryffindor boys make an appearance...

Chapter Two – The New Age Marauders

Ron was admitted into the office right away.

He gaped around. While it was true that he was in this place in his second year, he almost never frequented it – unlike Harry. So it turned out that the office of the Headmaster of Hogwarts did not cease to amaze him whenever he went up there.

Professor McGonagall nodded in recognition.

- Welcome back, mister Weasley. Did you notice there were quite a few changes around the place?

Ron nodded, gathering his wits together.

- Yes, Professor. The uniform, for instance...Anything else?

- Very perceptive, mister Weasley. The curriculum got a tiny bit harder, but you are at about the same level as the rest of the sixth years, but you'll have to work hard to keep up with that. There also will be some surprises. What name are you going by?

Ron nodded thoughtfully, realizing that the real Ron Weasley – if he still was alive, that is – would be old enough to be his dad...or to have kids on his own.

- I used the name James MacDougal, - he replied.

McGonagall looked to think the selection over.

- Why James?

- It was the first name that came in my mind, - Ron replied. – Maybe hanging around Harry rubbed off the wrong way.

The Headmistress nodded lightly.

- One last thing I must warn you about is that Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy are both members of the staff here at Hogwarts. Miss Granger teaches Arithmancy, and Mr Malfoy is a Potions substitute – until we could find a permanent teacher for that position. Please try to hold your temper around those two.

Ron sighed, realising he was in for a hard year.

- Are Potions optional, Professor?

- Yes, they are. I doubt you would go for pulling out as an Auror, would you?

- I'd want to try it, but it's better under Professor Snape to try and hold Harry's temper in the past than trying the same with my own under Professor Malfoy, - Ron decided glumly. – Besides, I hope I won't be here long enough to actually miss Potions.

- True, - McGonagall accepted. – Have you met anyone yet?

Ron frowned.

- Anna Chang Potter. Professor, is she who I think she is?

- She is the daughter of Mister Potter and Miss Chang. She also has a twin brother, John, over at Slytherin.

Ron grinned.

Blimey, Harry's Slytherin side showed up in an expected place, he thought gleefully. I wonder how the parents reacted to John's Sorting.

- I suggest you get going, mister MacDougal, - McGonagall said, startling Ron out of his thoughts. Ron nodded, giving the teacher a wide grin.

- The password to the Gryffindor Common Room is 'Snitch'. Sixth year boys are already aware that you would be joining them. Anything you wanted to ask?

Ron paused. Was there anything he wanted to ask? Well, he knew the answers to most of the questions that he could have asked, except for this one...

- What it is I need to find, Professor?

McGonagall shook her head.

- I cannot answer that question, Ron, - she said unexpectedly warmly. – That is something you will have to eventually find out on your own.

The teenager nodded distractedly. Realising he was being dismissed, Ron left the office with a very thoughtful look on his face.

The hallway was clear, and Ron hastened in the familiar direction of the Gryffindor Tower. Coming to the portrait of Fat Lady, he said the password, and the portrait swung to admit him. The familiar noise that greeted him made him grin. James MacDougal was ready to face this challenge.

First thing Ron saw was a familiar head of extremely messy hair. Anna nodded in his direction, chatting with a gang of few kids about his age, dressed similar to her. Ron grinned and turned his attention to a group of whom he thought to be sixth year boys.

- James? – one of the boys asked. When Ron nodded an affirmative, he grinned. – I'm Neil Talia (A/N: Ta-LI-ah). Looks like you'll be with us for a while?

Ron grinned, sizing up the Talia boy. He was about the same height as Ron, with light brown hair that needed a haircut, slightly thin features, and light build. He was wearing casual white T-shirt and dark jeans under the usual Gryffindor robe. Light brown eyes were warm and laughing, but it was normal for Neil, Ron concluded.

There were two others besides Neil and Ron.

Ted, or Theodore, MacKenna, was a medium-built teenager with black hair, black eyes, and delicate, fair skin. Something about MacKenna unsettled Ron, who decided to hold away from him for a while. The boy reminded Ron of Harry and Tom Riddle. He was constantly squinting at the light in the common room, as through it hurt his eyes, and spent most of his time inside, nearly always sketching something.

Jake Davies was the third new face. He reminded Ron of Cedric Diggory, with similar rugged good looks, plus fair hair and dark eyes. He was slightly higher than the other two boys, but he also seemed to have a sense of authority even without his Prefect badge, which was not nearly as polished as Percy's had been, a fact that Ron was happy to notice.

Jake raised an eyebrow at Ron, noticing the other boy's brief smile.

- What? I'm reminding you of someone?

Ron nodded.

- My older brother was a school Prefect, too, and he paid too much attention to a certain detail over there. I'm just happy to learn that not all Prefects are like that.

- Happy to oblige, - Jake replied, taking a sweep with an imaginary hat in his hand.

- So, James, - Ted started, - why haven't I seen you around before?

Ron already had an answer to that bit.

- I was home-schooled, and came only today – got a late letter. My older brother attended Canterbury School of Magic. It's very small, so I doubt you'd hear of it any time soon.

Ted raised an eyebrow in surprise, but did not say anything.

At this point, Neil leaned in close to Ron.

- Better not go near Ted after the dark, - he advised in low key voice. – You'll be asking for trouble.

Ron did not ask about that part, resolving to find stuff out on his own. Then, his attention was drawn back to Anna, who was vigorously waving him from her place at the portrait hole.

The redhead moved over to her.

- Come on, I want you to meet my friends and my brother, - she urged, pulling him out of the portrait hole.

- Do you mind if I find something more suitable to wear first? – Ron begged, glancing pointedly at his uniform.

Anna's face fell for a moment, but she brightened quickly afterwards.

- Sure, just be quick about it, - she ordered.

Grinning, Ron found his way up to the dorms. His dorm mates exchanged amused looks, as the boy waved them on his way.

- Looks like we lost him to the Marauders, - Jake said conspirationally. The others all grinned.

- Naw, he'll get back, - Neil answered.

Ted did not say anything, but he was acutely aware that James felt uncomfortable when talking to him. He quietly shifted closer to the fire, watching the flames dancing in the fireplace.

James followed Anna to the familiar tapestry of Barnabas the Barny on the seventh floor.

- Since we are in different houses, we use the Come-and-Go Room as our meeting point, except for the meals, - Anna explained. – The others will be here soon enough.

James could not help but snicker a bit.

- Must be very helpful having a pair of Ravenclaws running around pulling pranks? – He asked conversationally.

Anna reddened then grinned.

- You know Jamie boy, we also have other stuff to help us along in our mischief making. – She pointed to a large Quidditch field on the table that stood in the middle of the room. – I solemnly swear I'm up to no good, - she intoned seriously, through her eyes were twinkling with the same light as Harry's were when the three of them were planning a mischief.

The field faded, and on a piece of a parchment appeared an all too familiar words:

Messrs Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs
Are proud to present
The Marauders' Map
A helper for the beginners in the noble art of Mischief Making.

- Wizard! – James said in appreciation. – So, how many pranks have you pulled with the help of the Messrs Marauders?

Anna gave a devil's grin, which made James as uncomfortable around her, as he was around her mother.

- Enough to make a few of Slytherins very uncomfortable whenever they see us and Professor Malfoy to start hanging us out detention slips if he even sniffs the trouble out.

James nearly gagged. Professor Malfoy? But then, he remembered Professor McGonagall's warning about his good old friend Draco Malfoy being a member of the teaching staff, and he gulped a certain comment back. Then, a wicked smile spread over his face.

- How many times did you try to get Professor Malfoy back?

- A lot, - Anna admitted. – But it did not seem to work with him. He's too quick to identify the culprits at this stage.

At this point, several more people burst into the Room of Requirement.

James immediately singled out a small and wiry boy in the lead, in green-and-silver school robes. He looked exactly like Anna, only his hair was much shorter, and he, obviously, was a boy.

The girl that followed him had a familiar Weasley hair full of waves. She was tall and lanky, obviously not knowing what to do with her limbs just yet, and had bright blue eyes and a dose of freckles on her face. The boy after her had similar features, only his hair was long and pulled back in a ponytail.

The last two boys strongly reminded James about Ernie Macmillan and Susan Bones each. First one had ash blonde hair, a little longer and a little messier than Ernie's, but still the physical features were the same. The other had light red hair that seemed to be winded, and bright blue eyes sparkling with mischief.

All of them stopped short as they noticed James, who was watching them with interest.

- Is it a newcomer, Anna? – the fair haired boy asked in curiosity.

- Yep, - Anna confirmed. – Guys, meet James MacDougal. James, these are my fellow Marauders. John, Holly, Roger, David, and Raid.

James nodded in affirmation, then made a show of counting each one of the group, who were grinning from ear to ear each.

- Whoa, whole six of you? I wager you lot can wrangle more of a mayhem than the original four did.

- We were doing just that, - Roger replied. – Are you going to join in the fun?

James pretended to consider the motion.

- Well, I don't know, - he said humorously. – But I just might.

John beamed at him, and once again, James felt very unsettled about how uncannily like Harry John was. The other Marauders crowded around the Map with all the air of somebody who was conspiring something. Which, of course, they were.

- Now, since we have someone in Slytherin, we just might – Raid began in low voice, then looked up.- What in blazes are you still doing there, Jamesey? Get over here!

With a grin and a nod, James jumped into an opening between Raid and Holly, and joined in the conspiracy against the Slytherins.

A/N: Up next, everyone's least favourite Professor, as well as an impromptu meeting between Professor Granger-Weasley and James. And just a note. I changed Ron's name to James for the duration of this adventure, since there is a Ron Weasley in this year 2017. Basically, keep in mind that James MacDougal IS Ron Weasley we all know and love(or hate, depending on your POV).