Chapter 3:
Secrets Revealed
"Well, I had absolutely no luck!" Remus told James and Sirius Thursday night. While they were in detention, Remus was in the library; checking books for any hint of where Harry, Ron, and Hermione came from.
"What do you mean? Are you trying to tell us that they lied about what school they were from?" Sirius asked.
"Yes. And I have no clue why either."
"Don't worry, we'll get to the bottom of this!" James said, "I have a plan."
"Oh no! I'm scared now!" Remus said, and Sirius agreed.
"You guys don't trust me? How rude! Let me explain it to you now, and it will take place late tonight. Hermione is always making Harry and Ron do their homework until late. They'll be there, we won't have to worry about that!" James whispered, and continued to explain his plan to the other two.
"Now, you guys finish that essay. I'm going upstairs to get my book, I'll be right back," Hermione told Harry and Ron that night. 'Now's the time,' James thought and shared significant glances with Sirius and Remus. At the same time, the three of them strode over to Harry and Ron. Casually, James asked, "So, what's it like over in Peru? We haven't heard anything about it! What's the scenery like? Classes? Teachers? Homework?"
Harry had heard too much form Sirius and Remus about his father, to know that he was trying to get Harry, Ron, and Hermione's true identities. He flatly answered, "It's all okay."
"What would our dear Hermione say if she heard you answer questions like that?"
"Sod off James. I'm trying to finish this!" Harry growled. It mad James, Sirius and Remus flinch. They had never heard Harry talk like that. Ron, on the other hand, knew Harry was either on the verge of breaking-down or blowing-up. He warned, "Leave him!"
"No. We want to know about Peru!" Sirius said firmly.
"Leave him!" Ron warned again.
"No Ron. We'd like to hear Harry tell us about living and going to school in Peru," Remus said, calmest of them all.
"I'm warning you! Just. Drop. It."
"No!" James yelled, "Harry, tell us all about Peru!"
Harry snapped. He shoved his things into his bag and stormed off to their dormitory. He slammed the door behind him. Hermione emerged, a look of fury on her face. After glaring at them she ran up after Harry.
"Oh my god! Can't you guys take a hint? Are you so thick that you couldn't figure out he didn't want to talk to you?" Ron was yelling at the three boys, "I have known, and been best friends with Harry since our first day of our first year! He has looked up to you," He pointed at James, "His whole life, even though he hasn't seen you since he was one bloody year old. You are his darn idol, then you do that to him! How could you? And you two!" He turned to Sirius and Remus, who both cringed, "He's known you both since third year! Remus! He looks up to you as if you were his father! Sirius! You were his other replacement father, of course, once he figured out you weren't a lunatic out to kill him! Then, you had to leave him! You know, he's blaming himself. He won't talk to anyone about it! You guys are such IDIOTS!" Ron ran off to their dormitory to comfort his friend, leaving James, Sirius, and Remus petrified.
Once Ron reached the dormitory, he realized what he had just done. Now, they were going to have to tell the truth. He entered, and Hermione said, "Oh Ron, what were you shouting about? We couldn't hear your words."
"I am an idiot."
"What? No you're not!"
"Yes I am. They probably figured us out by now. I tried to be discreet, but my anger took control."
"Oh Ron, don't worry, they would have probably figured it out anyway. I think we should change you back, it'll make our story more believable. Finite incantartum!" Harry's blonde hair turned back to black, just as James, Sirius and Remus entered the room. James sat on his bed, staring at the resemblance between him and Harry. Sirius and Remus were gawking at him too. James spoke first, very calmly, "Look, first of all, sorry. We shouldn't have meddled, but, what Ron said to us, could you please explain? And, why do you look exactly like me Harry? Everything is the same, except for these eyes, our eyes are different."
"That is what he normally look like. This is Ron Weasley and…Harry Potter." The three boys were expecting something strange, but not this. Hermione continued, "We are from the future. We go to Hogwarts as well, but we are twenty years ahead of you."
"Why do we have the same last name?" James asked.
Hermione opened her mouth to speak, but Harry spoke first, "Hermione, I'm sorry, but I have to say this. You are my father, James. You will be dead in four years, when I am one year old. My mom dies as well, but I get to bring the Dark Lord, Voldemort to his downfall. That's why I have this scar. On Dumbledore's orders, I'll go to live with my mom's sister, her husband and son. There, I get to sleep in a cupboard, learn to cook when I'm six, am forbidden to ask questions about my dead parents and get treated worse than a dung beetle. When I'm eleven, about a thousand Hogwarts letters are sent to me, but my aunt and uncle won't let me read any of them. Finally, Hagrid has to come and pick me up and introduce me to the magical world, which I have never heard of before. At the end of my first year, I face Voldemort again. This time, I have to save the Elixar of Life from him, and end up the reason my Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher dies. And I still don't feel any pity, because he let Voldemort camp out on the back of his head! Another summer goes by, and I'm treated a little better, only because they don't know I'm allowed to do magic outside of school. Of course, there was the minor drawback of having to pretend I don't even exist on my birthday, and I was given two pieces of bread and two glasses of water for the next three days.
"The Chamber of Secrets is opened up this year. People are being petrified left, right, and center, and who is the student's main suspect, me! I'm accused as being the Heir of Slythein! We figure it out, and head down to the chamber. I face a giant basilisk, and almost get killed by it, and my future enemy," Harry paused, looking at the stunned look on James, Sirius, and Remus' faces.
"Now, in third year," Harry continued, "I met one of my dad's best friends, Remus Lupin. He taught me how to conjure a patronus, as dementors were swarming everywhere, trying to look for the convict who escaped after twelve years in Azkaban. That was none other than Sirius Black, my dad's other best friend," At this, Sirius went white, and James and Remus were staring at Harry with disbelief.
"It was rumored that Sirius was out to get me, to finish off the rest of the Potters. Apparently, it was you who sold them off to Voldemort."
"Never," Sirius croaked.
"Don't worry, it wasn't you. It was –" Harry stopped at Hermione's death glare. This would change his whole future, "Somebody else. That night, I found out you were a werewolf and animagus, as well as fought off about a hundred dementors and saved Sirius from the kiss, with the help of a time-turner and a hippogriff we saved from execution. Now, summer before fourth year, I was at the Quidditch World Cup, where Death Eaters started attacking muggles and one sent up the Dark Mark, which we were found under it. Enter fourth year, I got entered into the Triwizard Tournament, and made it. In the tournament, I fought a dragon, merpeople, and a bunch of foul creatures in a maze. The cup, which turned out to be a port-key, and took me and the other Hogwarts Champion, Cedric Diggory, to a graveyard. There, I saw Voldemort being reborn, dueled with him, after watching him murder Cedric. I got out, but barely. When I get back to school, I find out that my Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher planned the whole thing, and was disguising himself with the Polyjuice Potion. Right before my fifth year, I stop two dementors kissing me and my cousin. I almost get expelled, and as soon as I get to school, I want to leave, because the Daily Prophet portrayed me as a raving, attention-seeking, lunatic. My Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher wouldn't let us do magic, and it was our O.W.L. year too. In detention, she made me write lines, using my own blood." He showed them his hand, with the words 'I will not tell lies' scarred on it. He heard everyone gasp, including Ron and Hermione, who didn't know the mark was still there.
He continued, "So, we started an illegal Defence Against the Dark Arts group, learning what we weren't in class. I was the teacher. It was great, until we were discovered, and Dumbledore sacrificed himself to keep me here. Then, in a pensive, I see you guys be mean to Snape, right after your Defence Against the Dark Arts O.W.L. Does that ring any bells?"
"I had forgotten that!" Sirius said, grinning evilly, and rubbing his hands together, while James was laughing. Ron and Hermione looked interested, he hadn't told them about this.
"Trust me, it didn't look good from where I was standing! From that, I had gotten the wrong idea about my father, everybody had always told me how people admired you and looked up to you, but I saw that and thought you were a horrible person. Sirius and Remus, you guys helped me straighten that out. So, at the end of the year, me, Ron and Hermione, along with three of our friends went to the Department of Mysteries, under false pretences. There, because of me, you died Sirius. Then, as if I wasn't miserable enough, I find out that I am prophesied to either kill, or be killed by Voldemort," he heard the four other boys gasp again, and Hermione sob.
"Now, do you want to know some of the good things about my life? Well, I have many awesome friends; two best friends, who have always treated me like some normal kid, even through all of my burdens, and always helped me whenever I've needed it. I've had the honor to meet my father's best friends, who, along with many others, have told me about my wonderful and amazing parents, James and Lily Pot – oh no!" He had just told James who he was going to marry!
"Evans?" James whispered hopefully, and Harry nodded, figuring he'd be best not to lie anymore. To his horror, the door creaked open and Lily was standing in the doorway. She whispered, "Is it – is it true?" Harry nodded again and Lily burst into tears and hugged him, "Oh my god! Harry! You're my — my —" But Lily couldn't bring herself to say the word son.
She turned to James and hugged him as well, "Oh James! I'm so sorry! Oh my god, this is so unbelievable!" Everybody stared at Lily, shocked at her sudden change of heart.
"We have to see Dumbledore. Now," Hermione suddenly said very seriously.
"Why? We're not leaving, are we?" Ron said. He didn't want to leave, because this was the happiest he'd ever seen his best friend. He remembered their first year, when Harry looked into the Mirror of Esired. Harry saw himself surrounded by his family, and Ron was overjoyed to see his friend's heart desire finally come true.
"Because," Hermione said irritably, "We just told them their future! We have to see what he thinks we should do!"
"Yes," Harry said, and the seven teenagers ran to Dumbledore's office.
"Well, well, well," Dumbledore said, watching the seven teenagers burst into his office, all panting for breath. "What did I do to get this visit?"
"Ummm…Professor," Hermione said timidly, "Well, it accidentally slipped that Lily and James are Harry's…er, Harry's…" It seemed that she couldn't say that these two people, who she became really good friends with, were actually her best friend's parents. Dumbledore had understood, because eh nodded his head, then went deep into thought. He began to mutter suggestions to himself, not aware the seven others in his office could hear him. They tried not to interrupt him, but the four from the past couldn't help themselves, and exclaimed, "NO!" When Dumbledore mutter "Modify their memories?"
"Well," Dumbledore said to them, "You obviously don't want to forget these – memorial weeks. Well, if you didn't say anything too influential, we can let this go, but you three need to go home tomorrow. We'll say something urgent came up in Peru, and you need to leave after breakfast. Then, I will allow all seven of you to come here, and say your good-byes."
"Erm – Professor," Hermione said, "I have used a time turner before, and I would spend the hour twice, but will it take us back to where we left from, or the time it would be now, three weeks later? When we arrive back in the future, I mean."
"I believe it would take you to where it would be now, three weeks later. As my future self would know where you'd be, I'm sure I'll be able to make up an excuse. For now, I would like you all to go to your dormitories and pack. Good night! See you in the morning!" Dumbledore told his present and future students, and ushered them out of the office.
