A/N: Thanks again for all the encouraging feedback! I get so excited every time I see that someone new has read this story, or when I get a new review! A special thanks to my guest reviewer for a review with such thorough feedback! In this chapter you'll see a bit more of our friends in 1997, and finally meet Remus Lupin. Happy reading!
Disclaimer: Oops, I forgot to do one of these on the first two chapters...so here goes: I am not J. K. Rowling, so I do not own Harry Potter! I am just a major fan who enjoys getting to play around in this magical world she created. I only hope that I am doing her spectacular characters some justice!
1997
A loud crack sounded across the seashore. Ron and Hermione, both covered in sweat and dirt, appeared on the edge of the water, gripping each other tightly.
Ron staggered to the ground, exhaustion overwhelming him. The waves from the peaceful blue ocean lapped over his feet, calming his adrenaline. He reached into the water and splashed his face with cool, salty water. Hermione dropped beside him and did the same.
Ron looked up, noticing a stone cottage a little ways up the beach. "This is Bill and Fleur's new house," he said, frowning. "I've never even been here. How did you know about this place?"
Hermione blushed. Or perhaps her face was just red from adrenaline. "Fleur showed me a photograph, back at the Burrow before the wedding. I needed to take us somewhere safe and...here seemed like a good enough place."
"You can just apparate to places you've never been before?" Ron asked incredulously.
"I don't know how I did, Ron. I was desperate."
Before they could continue the conversation the wards around the cottage visibly shimmered, and Bill Weasley became visible on the beach. His face registered shock but he approached them with his wand raised.
"Ron?" he asked cautiously. "Hermione?"
"Hey Bill," Ron said weakly.
The scarred redhead pointed his wand directly at Ron. "What prank did we manage to successfully pull on Fred and George?"
"We've never successfully pulled a prank on Fred and George. No one has."
Bill nodded, then turned to Hermione. "What did you say to me right before the wedding?"
Hermione held her chin high. "That maybe Fleur wasn't so annoying after all."
Bill's face broke into a grin. "It's good to see you, brother." He pulled Ron into a hug, then clapped Hermione on the shoulder. "But how did you get here?"
Ron helped Hermione to her feet. "Ask Hermione about that one. How can we see your house? Aren't there wards?"
"There are, but these don't hide the house. It's unplottable and looks abandoned from outside the wards. If anyone tries to come onto the grounds with ill intent they get hexed into the next century."
"Good to know…" muttered Ron sarcastically.
Bill led them back toward the house, then paused. "Wasn't Harry supposed to be with you?" he asked.
Ron turned somber, Hermione panicked again. "He's gone," she choked out.
Bill froze, terror crossing his features. "You don't mean -"
"He's not dead!" Ron shouted. "Or at least, we hope not. We really hope not…"
"What we're trying to say is," said Hermione. "He disappeared. Right in front of us. In a battle. And we don't know what happened to him. So we're here for help."
"And to escape You-Know-Who," added Ron.
Bill looked even more alarmed. "How about we get you inside and then you can explain the whole thing?" he suggested.
Hermione sighed. "That sounds like a good plan."
Hphphphphphphphphphphphp
1993
It had been four years since Harry last visited Professor Lupin in his office, so it took awhile for him to locate it in the vast castle again. And once he found it the door was locked, and no one answered his knocking. Harry was on edge with anticipation, and turned without comment to run to the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom instead.
"Harry, are you alright?" Hermione asked, catching up with him as he strode through the corridors.
Harry turned to her incredulously. "Do you think I'm alright?"
"Who's being tactless now?" muttered Ron, earning him an elbow in the ribs from Hermione.
"I'm sorry, Harry. It was a bad question." Hermione bit her lip nervously. It was a look Harry had become accustomed to, from her and from Ron, when they watched him as if concerned he was going to implode. They had never given him that look until fifth year, though, so it was even more disconcerting to see it on their young faces.
"What I meant was…" Hermione continued, as if hard pressed to find words. "How are you handling this? You seem tense."
Harry scoffed. "I'm always tense." Then he allowed his demeanor to soften. He was around his friends, the only ones he could trust to let his guard down around. Even if they were only thirteen.
"I just don't know what to do," he admitted. "Where do I even start? Do I try to go back to 1997? We were in a battle! Or do I stay here?"
Hermione studied him. "You don't seem sure about that last option."
Harry looked at her and Ron sadly. "That's because I left the two of you behind in that battle. Or the older versions, at least." He frowned. "See? This is what I mean. How do I figure out what to do if I can't even wrap my mind around what's happening?"
"I wish I could help you," said Hermione apologetically.
"Didn't you say you've been time travelling all year?" Ron asked her dubiously.
"Well yes," she answered. "But it's not the same kind."
"Hours is slightly - and I emphasize slightly - easier to handle than years," Harry added.
"How do you know what Hermione's time thingy -"
"Time turner, Ron."
" - fine, time turner, is like?"
Harry shrugged. "I've used it before."
"You've used it?" Hermione gasped. "But McGonagall - "
"Mental…" Ron muttered at the same time. He pinched himself, hard, and then continued to stare at Harry as if he was an alien who had replaced his best friend.
Harry sighed and ran a hand through his hair, not wanting to deal with any of this right now. It was giving him a serious headache. Lucky for him they had arrived at the Defense classroom door. Ron and Hermione quieted when they realized where they were.
"Do you think Professor Lupin will believe us?" Hermione asked softly as Harry stared at the door.
"I have some ideas of how to prove it to him," Harry mused. Then he turned the knob, took a deep breath, and pushed open the door.
An empty classroom faced them.
Harry sunk into an empty desk in exhaustion. Early morning sunlight filtered through the tall windows, but he wanted to lay down and sleep for hours. Even if he had nightmares they might be a welcome break from his present reality.
"Relax, it's probably too early for him to be awake," Ron said.
Harry met Hermione's eyes. "Was it a full moon last night?"
"No, I don't think so," she answered. Her eyes widened. "So you really are saying that he's - "
Harry put a hand up to pause her. It was Remus' secret to tell. "Yes," he answered her unfinished question. "He is. Merlin, I wish I had the Map -!"
"What map?" said a new voice pleasantly.
Harry jumped from his chair, nearly stumbling over his short legs. In the classroom doorway stood Remus Lupin, decked in his tattered robes and going gray as he always was. Harry could've ventured to say he looked a little healthier than he had in 1997, what without the stress from the war, but he supposed the stress of Sirius' breakout was weighing on the man equally. Harry internally shuddered; thinking of Sirius added so many new layers to his predicament, and his mind was muddled enough as it was.
"Remus!" he greeted.
Remus paused, and tilted his head a slight bit. "Good morning Harry, Ron, Hermione. Not that I am offended, but since when are we on a first name basis?"
"What Harry meant to say, Professor - " Hermione started.
Harry just shook his head at her. He stood from the desk and walked over to greet the older man. He tried to exude an air of confidence, but his walls were crumbling rapidly.
"I've called you that since you told me to," Harry answered. His mouth seemed suddenly very dry and he tried to moisten it to no avail. "In about two years."
The professor's brow furrowed. "What do you mean, Harry?"
Harry still couldn't find the words to explain it, and Hermione and Ron looked more nervous than he did, so he rambled on, "You told me to call you by your first name since you weren't my professor anymore. And since you were best friends with my dad."
Remus looked questioningly at Ron and Hermione. "I was, Harry, but how did you know that?"
Harry squeezed his eyes shut. "Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs. The Marauders. That was the four of you. And the map that I mentioned earlier. That was yours."
"How did you know all that, Harry?" Remus said, every word long and measured. When Harry opened his eyes the man had taken a step back, as if instincts were telling him to make a run for it. Remus wasn't used to having people know his secrets, and Harry felt bad for having to tell him that way.
"What I'm trying to say is…" Harry's hands gripped into fists. It had been easy to say to Ron, in the heat of realization with adrenaline flooding his veins. But now the insanity of his situation was making him woozy in the head, and he found himself sinking back into the nearest chair.
"I've come from the future, Remus," Harry managed to say. "Four years. From the middle of the second war."
Stunned silence rang through the softly lit air of the classroom.
Remus stared at Harry for what felt like hours. Harry was too exhausted to feel embarrassed. Instead he slouched farther into his chair.
Remus watched this, his face open with shock, then turned to Ron and Hermione as if for confirmation.
"We're pretty sure he's telling the truth, professor," said Hermione softly.
Remus finally managed to close his mouth, then spluttered, "does this have anything to do with the...item in your possession?"
"Does everyone except me know about your time thingy?" exclaimed Ron.
"The professors do," Hermione explained quickly. Then she turned back to Remus uncertainly. "I...I don't think so, professor? He did say he'd used it before…"
"This has nothing to do with Hermione's time turner," Harry spoke up from the chair. "At least, I don't think it could. It's been three years since I used that thing."
"Harry." Remus seemed to regain control of his tongue and strode over to the desk nearest Harry. He dropped into the seat much like Harry had minutes before, and fixed his gaze on the boy. "Tell me everything. What happened?"
"We were in a battle, and some spells hit me. I think it was there of them, but I don't remember what they were. Then next thing I know I was falling from my broom at the Gryffindor-Hufflepuff game. Then I passed out, and woke up again in the hospital wing." He said all this in a monotone, his head in his hands. Exhaustion was weighing on every nerve, every muscle; he suddenly couldn't find the energy to explain anything else.
Remus stared openly but seemed to sense the fatigue leaching out of every syllable. He set a reassuring hand on Harry's shoulder. "Thank you for telling me. But I have to ask, why me?"
Harry shrugged. "I guess you could say we're close in 1997."
A smile warmed Remus's face for a moment, but then he shook his head, as if reminding himself of the gravity of the situation. "As glad as I am to hear that, don't you think Dumbledore would be able to help you better than I can?"
Harry didn't respond. Instead he buried his face deeper in his hands. Remus turned to Hermione and Ron instead, giving them a quizzical expression.
"He says that Dumbledore's dead," Ron said weakly.
Remus's eyebrows shot up into his hairline. "How -?" he started to exclaim, but then he stopped himself. He looked at Harry, eyes full of compassion for the boy who was obviously under a great deal of stress. "Nevermind, we'll talk about that later. Are you okay to go back to Gryffindor Tower? It looks to me like you need rest. For now I won't tell anyone, but I'll see if I can think of anything to help you."
Harry nodded, grateful for the suggestion. He staggered on his feet, and someone's arm reached out to steady him. He blinked, surprised to see that his helper was Ron.
"What?" Ron asked, his voice gruff. "Just because you've gone mental doesn't mean I'm not going to help you."
A laugh came bursting out of Harry, and nearly sent him to the floor again. Ron wrapped a steadying arm around his shoulders and started leading him to the classroom door.
"He's just gotten out of the hospital wing," Hermione explained to Remus. "But what should we do now? He needs rest, but…"
"But what, Hermione?" the professor asked kindly.
"Terrible things happen to wizards who meddle with time!" she shouted. "What if something happens? He shouldn't be seen!"
Remus looked thoughtful. "Harry?" he called to the student who was leaning on Ron for support.
"Yeah, Remus?"
"I assume you looked a bit older in the future?"
Harry managed a slight chuckle again. "Yeah, you could say that."
"Then I think it's safe to assume he doesn't have a younger self running around somewhere." Remus turned back to Hermione. "I'll be honest, Hermione, you probably know more about time travel than I do. But I think as long as you don't tell anyone else about Harry's predicament, at least for now, it will be okay."
Hermione nodded. "Thank you, Professor." Then she hurried off after her two best friends, biting her lip once again in worry.
Remus Lupin let out a sigh. The door swung shut behind the trio and he was left alone under the vaulted ceiling filled with beams of sunlight. Particles of dust seemed to sparkle in the air around him, and his thoughts whirled in his head.
He found himself wondering once again at the strangeness of magic: how it could do amazing things, but also be so much of a curse. James' son did indeed seem older, not in appearance but in demeanor. He looked as though he carried the weight of the world on his shoulders, something that no thirteen year old - or even seventeen year old - should do. What exactly had Harry seen, in his future? And what in the world were they going to do now?
