The Sorting Ceremony (1)
In the Great Hall, Snape's absence had not passed unnoticed. Specially among the Gryffindors, the Potions Master absence was arousing a great deal of whispering and more dreamy faces. And, after all he'd put them through, who could blame them for fantasising of his sudden and painful death?
"He obviously didn't enjoy teaching" was saying Ginny, while Hall, Henna was sorted for Hufflepuff "I think that he just did it for the Cause, and now that Tom's dead Dumbledore has let him leave and do whatever it is that Snape likes to do… Probably a Potions Lab, investigation… that kind of thing."
Last year, Ginny had developed the habit of calling Voldemort by the name she was first introduced to him. The others had not commented about it, until they heard word that said evil git was really pissed off by it, and they made her a huge party to congratulate her. She spent the next two weeks wearing a T-shirt that read "I pissed off the Dark Lord".
Neville paled. "I hope he doesn't." He said "With my luck we would end up working together."
The conversation turned to their future plans and the NEWTs, and Harry used the distraction to take a proper look at the Teachers Table. Dumbledore looked from the corner of his eye to Snape's empty chair, which could only mean one thing:
"Snape's not gone" He told the others.
Dumbledore never looked at his fellow teachers from the corner of his eye. It was a special treatment for his right (McGonagall) and left hand (Snape).
The others put him faces, and Hermione muttered "Killjoy".
"I don't say it to break your hopes, it's just that I saw Dumbledore looking at his chair from the corner of his eye."
Hermione snorted. She, like every other female member of the Order of the Phoenix, had developed a nasty piece of contempt for the Potions Master when he made a fool of Lupins death. After all, the man died from love.
Dumbledore stood up and the Great Hall fell in silence.
"Welcome!" He said "Welcome to another year at Hogwarts. Before we start, I would like to make some announcements. Who knows, I might give you something to talk about during this boring feast!"
Everyone laughed. (Must be an internal joke between the Hogwarts population, thought the new DADA teacher). The truth was that the previous year had had such a spectacular ending that all the students were avid for gossiping. Never in all of Dumbledore's years at Hogwarts, there had been such un amount of whispering during the Sorting Ceremony. Not even the first years had been paying attention!
"First of all, I want to introduce you to our new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher: Bill Weasley."
The Gryffindors welcomed this announcement with a tumultuous applause, while half of the Ravenclaw girls decided that this would be a great moment to put on the final touches to their make up. The eldest of the Weasley brothers was young, handsome and dynamic, that's to say, everything that their last year teacher, Emmeline Vance, was not. And everyone knows that for Ravenclaw girls (with little weird exceptions, like Luna), looks went first.
For Harry, Bills appointment had a sad counterpoint. Professor Vance had died in the Battle of Hogsmeade, when she decided to intercept a killing curse thrown to him with her own body. She maybe wasn't very charismatic, but she was a great woman anyway. Harry raised his glass of pumpkin juice and drank to her memory, while Dumbledore explained the usual Filch stuff.
"Finally, in a happier note…"
The doors of the Great Hall opened brusquely and Severus Snape strode in the room (billowing robes flying wild behind him).
"Told you he was coming" muttered Harry for all the presents to hear.
Snape made his way to Dumbledore and placed a folder in front of him before he went to his seat. Then he glared at Bill and waited for the Headmaster to read.
Dumbledore opened the folder curiously and he soon frowned in concentration. Some minutes passed by this way, the Headmaster reading, the students and staff watching him. Suddenly, his expression changed from concentration to bewilderment, and then thunderstruck.
And then, someone said: "Excuse me, Professor Dumbledore? That Snape says we're in 1997. What do we do?"
Harry turned to the door and what he saw nearly knocked him from his chair.
"Merlin's Beard…" muttered Ron.
"But" said Hermione, recovering from the shock "That is NOT possible!"
The Great Hall exploded in whispering, and Dumbledore took the chance to approach Snape. Harry saw them talking quickly for a long time, until the Headmaster called and Dobby appeared in front of them. He gave him a long tirade of instructions and he finally turned back to the students. The Marauders were still at he doors, and for the first time of their lives, they looked nervous.
Dumbledore imperiously raised his arms and the Great Hall fell in silence.
"Seems like Professor Snape will never cease to surprise us…" He said, smiling. His eyes were twinkling like no one had seen before. Including the end of the war. "I think some of you have heard of the Marauders Map?"
"The legendary Marauders Map" corrected Sirius.
Remus rolled his eyes, but everyone else sniggered. The Marauders didn't knew it, of course, but the Map really was a most known legend in Hogwarts. Last year, the Weasley Twins had mentioned it in an interview, and since then half the school had been like crazy looking for it… And that's why Dumbledore had asked it in the first place. His eyes were twinkling like mad.
"Yes, Mr. Black , you're most definitely correct…" He answered "Well, as you obviously know what I'm talking about, I suppose you also are aware that the creators of said Map included on it an exact copy of their personalities at seventeen years old."
He paused again, waiting for the information to sink in, and then he kept speaking "Professor Snape has been studying the Map this summer, and he has found a way to give the Marauders… a second chance"
The Great Hall exploded in excited whispers, and Dumbledore had to raise his voice. "One moment please! I'm not finished yet! Before I introduce them to you, I want to make a point very clear. And, to make sure that none of you says anything that we might regret, I'm afraid I will have to do something very out of character for me. Silencio!"
The spell was received with incredulity and indignation. Hundreds of angry faces turned to the Headmaster.
"I am truly sorry" He told them gently "But I doubt that any of you could help your reactions… Anyway, now that this little problem is taken care of, let me explain you the situation. Those four gentlemen made some things on their lives by which they are most famous now. But you must understand that as you see them now, they are like they were at seventeen, and keep no memory of those facts."
"Professor Dumbledore…" Cut in James, visibly nervous "You said we're given a second chance. A second chance for what?"
The Headmaster sighed sadly "To live, James"
The Marauders shared scared looks among them. Dumbledore sighed again and turned to the students.
"See now what I was saying? James Potter is not aware of his own death, nor the circumstances on which it happened."
Everyone turned to look at James open-mouthed.
"And the same thing goes for misters Sirius Black, Peter Pettigrew and Remus Lupin"
The students had paled while hearing the first two names, but with the third one, most of the presents backed on their chairs. At the Slytherin table, more than one stood up to protest, some of them openly pointing at poor Remus, whose face was acquiring a nasty shade of green.
"Want something?" growled Sirius.
To say that the reaction surprised the Marauders would be an understatement. At Sirius menacing growl, the students sank back on their chairs, all pale, some of them even shacking. Of course, they didn't knew that Sirius was one of the three most famous murderers of the XXth century, between Voldemort and Lucius Malfoy.
Dumbledore sighed again. "Remus, I'm afraid that in 1997 your curse is not a secret anymore" Four throats gulped at the same time. "But, in a more cheerful note, you will like to know that professor Snape developed a potion that allows you to remain in control of your action during the transformations. And this goes for all of you" he added, turning to the students "Remus Lupin has already studied in Hogwarts once, and he will do it again. I can guarantee you that his presence on this school will not suppose a menace whatsoever to your welfare. If my word that all the precautions will be taken is not enough to make you feel safe, you are of course free to leave."
"No, profes…" started to sadly say Remus, but Sirius gagged him with his hands and brightly said "Thank you for your support, professor, please, keep going with your speech!"
"Thank you Sirius" smiled Dumbledore "I just have one last thing to say. Misters Black, Potter, Lupin and Pettigrew, as I've mentioned before, do not keep any memory of their 'future selves' actions, to say it somehow. I would like you all to understand and respect the right of those persons directly affected by those actions to be the ones to explain them to the Marauders. And now, as it is very late and we don't want to spend the rest of the night on the Great Hall, I will give you the rest of my welcome speech in writing."
With a wave of his wand, the Headmaster made appear a long scroll of parchment in front of all the students.
"Take a seat" he told the Marauders, and, to the students. "I guess it's time to eat! Sonorus!"
Harry saw his father and friends sit on a corner of the Gryffindor table and cast a privacy spell.
"Harry?" called cautiously Hermione.
All his friends were giving him worried looks.
"I'm not hungry" he told them. He pointed his wand at his head and said "Engorgio!"
His hat enlarged instantly and covered his face, hiding him from the stares of the Great Hall and particularly from certain pranksters that at the same moment were having an intense chat on a corner.
He stood up and left.