Chapter 1

Back Again

"So…you made it." Dumbledore gestured for the two newcomers to follow him. "Time traveling is always a risky business," he commented as they began walking down the hall.

"So you know what's going on, Professor?" the man asked.

"That will make things much easier," breathed the woman beside him.

"Indeed, quite the opposite; I have absolutely no idea what's going on. I merely received a note from myself informing me that you two would be arriving shortly and that you are excellent candidates for the recently vacated post of Defense Against the Dark Arts professors." Saying these words, the headmaster glanced over at the two newcomers. They certainly looked sturdy and well-kempt, but young, very young for such an important post in such dangerous times.

"There is no need to worry, Professor. I assure you, the two of us are highly qualified, despite our ages," the man said, looking up at Dumbledore slyly.

"I must thank you not to peruse my thoughts," said Dumbledore sternly, but he was impressed. Not many wizards, and especially not young ones, were able to break through his defenses so subtly. "And what might those ages be, may I ask?"

"Eighteen," said the man.

"Seventeen," replied the woman.

Dumbledore raised his eyebrows. So young, much too young; and yet it was he, in the future, that had sent them. "Not yet out of Hogwarts and already applying for a post here?" he asked the woman. Dumbledore's shrewd eyes registered a significant look pass between the two young people, but it was gone in an instant and the woman replied smoothly.

"Things are rather different in the future, Sir."

"I see," Dumbledore did not press the matter.

"You are here to protect students, I take it," said Dumbledore.

"Yes, Professor, as best we can."

"Very well. Goodness knows we need all the protection we can get."

By this time the odd party had drawn level with a heavy oak door. Dumbledore bent his ear towards it, listening. "Yes, they are starting the Sorting. Stay here, I shall announce you." With that, Dumbledore twisted the doorknob and bent to enter the Great Hall.

"I don't understand why Dumbledore sent you along."

"I would think it was bloody well obvious."

"Well it bloody well isn't," countered the man, annoyed.

"Well that's a figure towards your brainpower isn't it?"

The man began a retort, but glancing over he saw that the girl was teasing him.

"You better watch your mouth, Weaselbrain, or I'll send you straight home."

The girl stuck out her tongue at him.

"Dumbledore's late," Peter, ever the lookout, informed his friends.

"Wonder what's up," Remus put in, glancing towards the teacher's table, just as Dumbledore sat down.

"What is that man ever up to," said Sirius impatiently, "Remus, it's your turn."

"Oh, right." Remus turned back to the table where Muggle cards were strewn everywhere. The boys were playing something called Poker, which Remus insisted was popular among Muggles.

"All evens!" cried Sirius triumphantly after a moments' tense silence. Sirius threw his cards down on the table and was in the process of scooping up his Chocolate Frog winnings when the Sorting ended abruptly and Dumbledore stood up.

"Sirius," James said in a stage-whisper, "'all evens' isn't anything. I want my Chocolate Frogs back."

"What are you talking about, you mangy dog? 'All evens' is most certainly a fair play."

"You're the one that's a mangy dog, if I recall."

"Keep it down," Remus said hurriedly.

The best friends settled back in their seats, sending each other joking death glares and listening halfheartedly to the headmaster's start-of-term speech.

"…and I remind all students," here Dumbledore looked pointedly at the Marauders, "that the Forbidden Forest is off-limits…."

"Blah, blah, blah," Sirius mouthed, and Peter, across the table, began giggling.

James shoved him playfully and gave a stern, McGonagall-interpretation look and Peter was instantly silent.

"As you know, Professor Ipson has had an accident and this year two new teachers will be filling his post." At this, even the teachers looked surprised, and James and Sirius perked up to listen. Never, in the history of Hogwarts, had two teachers shared a post. How would that work?

"Please sincerely welcome the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teachers, Professor Potter and Professor Weasley." Dumbledore began to clap wholeheartedly and the teachers and students joined in nervously.

James was staring at the man that entered, "Does that guy look like…."

"Your bloody carbon copy? Yeah, most definitely. Same last name and everything; I think Prongs has got a twin," said Sirius, awed. James was aware of several heads turning toward him and back again toward the professors. Sirius, getting over the James' twin professor quickly enough, was just noticing his female colleague.

"That is one prime example of the perfect human female. She's fine."

"Damn, Padfoot, I didn't know you went for teachers. She's a professor."

"No kidding, I'd noticed. Anyway, I thought you loved all redheads." Remus and Peter began laughing, but James threw his best friend a glare. "What, Prongs? You make it seem like the entire school doesn't already know you're in love with Lily Evans."

"I'm not in love with her! I just think she's hot as hell is all. Come on, tell me that every guy at this table does not want to go out with Lily Evans," he said, in response to Sirius' skeptical look.

"Snog her maybe, but a serious relationship? I don't know…," said Sirius.

"Now, I have a few words before we begin the feast," Dumbledore's was speaking again, "Tuck in."

Mountains of delicious food appeared on the plates before them. Sirius grabbed a drumstick and piled mashed potatoes on top of it before soaking it in gravy and attacking it like a dog that hadn't been fed in days.

"Slow down, Padfoot, if you go and choke yourself I'm just going to laugh and laugh and laugh," said James, pouring gravy on his own mashed potatoes. "See here," he said, taking out his want and pointing it at his potatoes, "it's a volcano!" Gravy began spouting violently from his potato mountain and Peter was laughing uncontrollably again.

"We haven't had a real, honest-to-goodness, no worries Hogwarts feast in a while, eh Harry?" Ginny said as food piled onto the dinner plates before them.

"I can see them, both of them," said Harry slowly, looking over his goblet at the students at the Gryffindor table.

"And you're going to be seeing a lot more of them, trust me. They're in our first class tomorrow morning so tuck in and enjoy something for once."

"Who?" Professor McGonagall was sitting next to Ginny and followed her gaze knowingly to a certain boy now exploding his piece of pie, and a certain redhead girl who was looking lasers at him. The heat from her glare was tangible even from the far-away teacher's table. "Ah, James Potter and Lily Evans, head boy and girl. Brightest students in their year, though Sirius Black," she pointed, "is a close second. I personally think that Dumbledore made an interesting decision making Evans and Potter work together. James is completely besotted with her, it's so easy to see, and Lily hates his guts. James and Sirius have got quite a little group surrounding them. They style themselves the Marauders, a bunch of rule breakers if I ever met them. I don't think I'll ever meet another set of prankers to match them." With her spout of information dry, McGonagall turned back to her meal and took a swig of pumpkin juice.

Harry and Ginny looked furtively at each other, both on the brink of laughter. Both were thinking the same thing: Fred and George.