Chapter Three: Meet the Marauders.
Harry walked to Dumbledore's office deep in thought. After Dumbledore left them the day before, Harry, Remus and Sirius had sat in shock for about fifteen minutes. In a less then a ten minute conversation they where left with new names and a job for Remus and Sirius. Then the idea of being left in the past really sank in.
Harry couldn't believe it. He was in the past. He wouldn't be born for nearly 3 years. And his parents, his parents were here. Alive. Happy. Remus and Sirius remembered that James and Lily started dating around the end of their sixth year. Or 'last year', as it was in this time. They would have to remember that.
It was only after Lily's parents were killed in a Death Eater raid and James' aunt and uncle, who were both Aurors, were killed trying to protect them that the idea of the war really sank in. When it did, James and the rest of the Marauders as well became more serious. They still pranked, but they were less malicious. The shared grief also made James and Lily become closer and when James asked her to the last Hogsmeade day of the year, Lily accepted. And the rest was history. Or not, seeing how the rest has yet to happen in this time. They would really have to remember talking in present tense or they would raise a lot of awkward questions.
Speaking of remembering, neither Remus nor Sirius could remember much of their last year of Hogwarts. This was strange and a little upsetting for Sirius. He was only just regaining his more happy memories over the last year and a half. Azkaban, and the Dementors there, caused him to forget most of his happy memories, even after he escaped. Only recently had they been coming back. To find practically a whole year of his life missing again was a nasty shock.
Remus thought that it was a side-effect from traveling trough time. Harry thought that made sense. Maybe it was just the magic within Remus and Sirius that altered their memories. Because if they didn't know what was going to happen before it happened, they wouldn't be able to change what was going to happen.
Harry came to a stand in the middle of the corridor, going back over what he just thought. Change what happened before it happened? That whole sentence didn't make a lick of sense. He managed to confuse himself. As if the situation wasn't confusing enough without his own mind adding to it. And there was another sentence that doesn't make sense. His own mind adding to his confusion? Like his mind has a mind of it's own. Wait... Maybe he should just stop thinking all together.
But going back to his earlier thoughts. If Remus'and Sirius' minds altered themselves to avoid them trying to change things, wouldn't that go for the entire future? Shouldn't Harry be missing any and all memories he had? Or at least the ones that had something to do with his parents and what was going to happen to them? And to Sirius? Shouldn't they have lost all memories of Peter's betrayal if his theory was true?
Harry shook his head and resumed walking. He had to stop thinking about this. The only thing he accomplished was giving himself a huge headache. On the other hand, it took his mind of other things. Like meeting his parents tonight. And Sirius pre-Azkaban. And Remus before he lost everything. And it kept himself from thinking about Peter and how hard it would be to stop himself from cursing the rat.
Thinking about lost memories gave him a headache, but thinking about tonight made him nauseous. Headache or being nauseous. Difficult decision.
Harry shook himself out of his thoughts when he reached the entrance to Dumbledore's office. 'Oh great,' he thought, 'Dumbledore forgot to give me the password.'
"Erm.. Sugar Quills?" He guessed while observing the gargoyle that guarded the office. It didn't move.
"No huh? Uhm.. Fizzing Wizzbee? Acid Pops? Fudge Flies? Ice Mice? Jelly Slugs? Chocoballs?" Still no movement in the gargoyle.
"Kit kat?" Hey, if magical candies didn't work, maybe the muggle ones would. "Peppermint? Chocolate? Oh! Sherbet Lemons!" The gargoyle still refused to move.
"And I was so sure it was that one." Harry mumbled. "Treacle Fudge?"
At this the gargoyle jumped aside to let Harry trough. "Finally" Harry mumbled while he stepped on the moving stone staircase, "I was about to run out of sweets."
When he reached the door at the top of the staircase he raised his hand to knock, but before his hand could connect with the oak, the door swung open.
"Ah, mister Potter, or I should say mister Clay. Are you feeling better?" Dumbledore stood by Fawkes' perch. It looked like he had been petting the Phoenix, but now he was facing Harry.
"Come in, come in. Sit down"
Harry moved into the office and sat in a chair by the desk.
"I'm doing much better, sir. Madam Pomfrey released me just before I came here."
"That is well." Dumbledore remarked happily. "And your companions?"
"She's looking them over right now. They asked me to tell you they will be by later."
"Good, good. Now, as to why you're here. You were going to tell me in which house you are in, so that the robes can be adjusted." Dumbledore asked while moving to sit behind his desk.
"I'm in Gryffindor, sir." Harry informed him proudly.
"Ah, a fine house. Now you would be entering your seventh year in your own time?"
Harry nodded.
"Then you will do so here. You said that James Potter is your father?"
Harry nodded again.
"Then I must impart on you the importance of not revealing the future. Your father and his friends will be in your year and your house, so you will spend a great deal of time together and share a dormitory. You can not tell them anything about the future!" Dumbledore was gazing at Harry intently, blue eyes devoid of any twinkle.
Harry swallowed and nodded yet again.
"I won't tell them anything, sir."
"Good." abruptly Dumbledore transformed back into his normal easy going self, eyes twinkling like mad.
"Now, in this trunk," Dumbledore gestured to a trunk by the desk that Harry was sure wasn't there before, "are all the supplies you need to get trough the school year. Uniforms, books, potion supplies, some clothes for when you don't need to wear your uniform and other necessities. I also added some pocket money."
Harry looked at the trunk, completely dumbstruck. When Dumbledore said to come by to pick up his school supplies, he had thought he meant his books. Not his uniform, other clothes and pocket money! This must cost quite a bit, and how did Dumbledore know what size he wore?
Dumbledore seemed to read the thoughts of his face.
"Don't worry about the money, dear boy. I have more then I can ever spend and if you feel really badly about this, you can always pay me back when you get back to your own time."
Harry let out a laugh at this.
"Thank you, sir. This is very kind of you."
"Not at all, dear child. About the explanation we will give to the school. We will say you attended a small English wizarding school in America, but when your guardians, misters Lupin and Black, were offered employment here you moved with them and transferred to Hogwarts. How does that sound?"
Harry thought that over. He could work with that. It wasn't hard to remember and Remus and Sirius really were his guardians, so that wasn't far from the truth.
"Sounds good." He agreed. Dumbledore beamed at him.
"One last thing. Do you play Quidditch?"
Harry, surprised at the turn of the conversation, nodded again.
"I played Seeker, sir."
"Well then," Dumbledore said, standing and happily clapping his hands. "you'll need a broom! As I recall, Gryffindor needs a Seeker as the last one graduated last year. The broom will be send to you in a few days. Now leave this musty office, child, and go outside. Youngsters like yourself need lots of sunshine. Don't worry about your trunk, the house elves will bring it to your dormitory. Go on now. "
Harry, Sirius and Remus were standing in the little room where the champions of the Triwizard Tournament had waited after their name was picked out of the Goblet of Fire. Remus and Sirius were sitting in two of the three chairs while Harry was pacing up and down the room.
"Harry, would you sit down? You're making me dizzy." Sirius asked.
"Sorry, I'm just nervous." Harry said, while making another turn and walking towards the end of the room again.
"It's just... it's my parents, you know? I'm going to meet my parents. But they won't know it's me. Well, they'll know it's me, but they won't know it's their son. Because they don't have a son yet. And then there's... I'm just nervous." Harry broke himself of before he said Peter's name. He didn't want to upset his guardians before they had to see the rat for themselves. Or upset them more, because he doubted that they hadn't thought of it.
"We know, Harry, we're nervous to." Remus said.
And it was true. Harry had never seen Remus or Sirius nervous, well he had seen Sirius nervous, when he asked Harry to live with him when they were walking out of the Shrieking Shack. But that was the only time and Harry had had other things on his mind then.
But they were nervous now. Sirius knee wouldn't stop bouncing and his eyes kept darting around the room. And Remus was wringing his hands in his lap, until he realized what he was doing. Then he sat still for a few moments and then he started again.
Harry supposed they had at least as much reason to be nervous as he did, of not more. They would see their long dead friends, their betrayer and their younger self. They had to teach their younger self. And not just any subject, but the subject that was probably most important with the war going on. Harry wondered what they were like before. Or... now... But not the Remus and Sirius in the room with him now, because he knew them, no the Remus and Sirius in the Great Hall now. This time traveling just kept confusing him. An idea came up in his head. He stopped pacing and turned to look at Sirius and Remus.
"You guys do realize you're going to get pranked, right? By your younger self? New teachers are always the first to get pranked." He asked with a laugh.
From the widening of their eyes Harry concluded that the thought hadn't come up in their heads yet. But then evil smiles came on their faces.
"Let them. You can't out prank a Marauder." Sirius said with pride.
"Yes, but there are four Marauders out there, and there are only two of you." Harry said with a big grin on his face. "But we're older." Remus said. "More experience. Plus, we'll have our inside spy. You." He clarified at Harry's question look.
"Hmm.. we'll see. Maybe I'll help them prank you instead."
Harry laughed at their outraged looks. Before they could reply to his statement however, the door opened and they heard Dumbledore speaking;
"Now before we start in on this excellent feast, I'd like your attention for a few more moments while I introduce your new Defense Against the Dark Arts Teachers. They are Professor Siorus Grey and Professor Remo Canis. Professor Grey is a former Auror and Professor Canis taught before at a small English wizarding school in America. They bring with them Professor Grey's Godson, Harry Clay. He went to that same school as Professor Canis taught at and transferred to Hogwarts to stay with his Godfather. He will join the seventh year Gryffindors. You may notice that mister Clay resembles mister Potter, but I assure you, there is no relation. I checked it out myself when I first saw mister Clay. Now lets give them a warm Hogwarts welcome."
They walked out of the room under loud cheering and clapping. Remus and Sirius veered of to the high table and Harry moved towards the cheering Gryffindor table. He let his eyes move over the faces of the people sitting at the table. His attention was caught by four waving boys who were indicating they wanted him to sit with them. He couldn't quite make out their faces. Shrugging he made his way over there. He had plenty of time to look for the Marauders.
But when he reached the boys that had been trying to get his attention, he almost stopped dead in his tracks. There they were, the Marauders. Moony with his brown hair and tired eyes, the rat with his mousy look, Sirius looking as handsome as he did in Snape's Pensive and seemingly unaware of the longing looks from the girls around them. And, Harry's stomach gave a lurch. There he was, messy black hair, laughing hazel eyes, James Potter, Prongs. His father.
Harry managed a smile and sat down next to Remus.
"Hi."
"Wow," Remus said, studying him, "Professor Dumbledore wasn't kidding when he said you look like James."
Harry turned to his father, glad to have an excuse to study him more closely. There were subtle differences, as he got older he had gotten a little more of his mothers looks, like her high cheekbones and he had her nose and of course her eyes, but overall he still looked very much like James.
"It is uncanny, isn't it?" He said with a smile. "I think I gave the teachers I met so far quite a shock. I'm Harry Clay by the way."
"Oh sorry, how rude of us." Sirius said, snapping out of his staring at Harry. "I'm Sirius Black, This chap in front of me is Peter Pettigrew, next to you is Remus Lupin and next to me is.."
"Let me guess," Harry broke in, still smiling, "James Potter?"
"However did you know?" James smiled.
"Lucky guess." Harry laughed. "No, like I said, I gave some of the teachers a shock and when we asked why they told us about you and your friends. So I already know a bit about you guys. Pranksters huh?"
"Oh Yeah!" Sirius whooped.
"Do you prank?" Remus asked with a curious look on his face.
"Sometimes." Harry said. "My best friend's brothers are pranksters. They're trying to set up a joke shop. I usually left the pranking to them. But now that I'm here, who knows."
"So tell us about yourself." James said. "You're from America? You don't sound American."
"No, I'm English." Harry said. "But I've lived in America for most my life. My parents died when I was very little. Because my Godfather was unavailable I had to live with relatives who had just moved there. I was always send to English schools, so that's why I still have my accent."
"But I thought Dumbledore said you came here with your Godfather?" Pettigrew asked.
Harry had to work hard to keep his hatred for the rat out of his voice and from his face when he answered the question.
"I did. About two years ago he came to America and took me in. We lived there for a while, with Re- erm.. I mean Professor Canis. My Godfather had quit as an Auror then and was unemployed, so when Dumbledore contacted him for the DADA position he took it. Professor Canis decided to come with us, being the only one who had teaching experience, and here we are." Harry said, repeating the story he, Remus and Sirius had cooked up earlier in the afternoon.
"So are you guys planning any start of term pranks? Can I help?" Harry asked leaning over the table.
With that the ice was broken and he had to concentrate to keep up with the conversation. He smiled to himself. Maybe this wouldn't be so hard after all.
Phew. I've worked weeks on this. Six full pages, 2750 words. Longest chapter I've ever written. I hope it was worth it. Reward my hard work with a review? Please? More Marauder action in the next chapter.
Thank you to the people who reviewed the last chapter. I know it needed more length. Is this chapter better for you? I'm not good in writing long chapters. I got no comments on the names for Harry, Sirius and Remus. It's all good then? G.
Tanydwr: Yes, the battle was in the summer vacation between Harry's sixth and seventh year. So he isn't repeating his seventh year, it's the first time. Hope my story won't confuse you to much.
Mr. Happy Java Man: LOL I already worked trough your favorite story list after I red your story. I don't know any good time travel stories out of the top of my head that aren't in favorite list. If I find one I'll let you know.
Mrs. Sniffy: Yes having a old and young set of Remus and Sirius is going to be confusing for all three of them. And poor Harry already is so confused LOL
Thanks to all of the above and to: Kate the Tigeress, Silvercrystal77, Raphaelle (thanks so much for your review, very sweet), ILOVETOWRITE456 (please criticize, how else am I going to improve?) and Gwen.
Big thank you to the people who put me on Author Alert, I'm honored.
Reviews are like chocolate!