Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.
Harry Potter scrounged up his face in concentration as he reread the passage in the advance potion book; his finger clenched the new book tightly. "I don't see how it is possible Hermione. Are you sure you can manipulate the potion into working?"
"I've researched it Harry, it's not something I would venture into lightly. I've never combined two potions before or created one, but it's logical. With the advance aging potion, an advance sticking charm and a soul bearing potion it may just work." She ran her hands warily through her hair. "It's not smart to try a new potion without testing it, so I was unsure if I should even mention it, but the very idea of not being eleven…well I just wanted your opinion Harry." She slumped into the couch, her face dejected.
The raven haired boy raised an eyebrow at the frustrated witch; he couldn't help but feel the same way as the bushy haired girl. It was hard appearing to be eleven, not a soul respected him and it would be much more difficult to defeat Voldemort as a skinny boy, all the muscle and agility he had worked at as star seeker on the quidditch team was something he dearly missed. Still if it didn't work it would cause more harm than good, and it may be impossible to cure. None of the trio had put any time into healing charms, besides the occasional bruise and cut. It was one of the many things that frustrated Harry since he had returned to the past, all the help and support he had taken for granted. "You are the smartest witch I know Hermione, if any one can combine those correctly it would be you." He sighed and patted his best friend. "Have you mentioned it to Ron?"
"No…I didn't want to get his hopes up."
"I must admit that if we looked seventeen again we could move more freely, not a single Auror is looking for an adult, and with a few glamour charms we could walk out in the open." Harry tried to rub away the headache creeping up on him. "If we did this, and it worked, than we couldn't tell anyone. Not even Dumbledore could know."
Hermione nodded, it wasn't hard to follow Harry's reasoning. They did not return to the past to put the same people in danger, their original plan may have fell through, but he has every intention of doing this by himself. He wasn't going to involve the order, Sirius, or Dumbledore; he was going to go at it alone. Well he was but somehow she and Ron had managed to convince him to include them. The Aurors being after all three of them actually work in her favor at this point. Harry could never leave Ron and her in danger so he wouldn't leave them behind. "I know Harry, that's what worries me. I understand the need for secrecy, I'm all for it. It's just hard not to be able to run the potion by Professor Snape, he would know…"
"Snape!" Harry's eyes flashed. "That stupid git wouldn't help us, he'd poison it!"
Hermione flinched and curled deeper into the chair. "I know Harry." Her voice came out strained and mousey.
"What's going on?" Ron looked back and forth between his two friends. "I can hear Harry yelling from outside."
"Nothing, Is Lupin still working on the west side of the woods?" Harry asked his anger still seething.
"Yeah mate, but what is going on with you two?"
"Nothing Ron, we just had a disagreement is all. Harry's right, I just wasn't seeing it so clearly a moment ago." She smiled reassuringly at the red head. "I better get back to research." She retrieved the advance potion book Harry had thrown to the side out of anger, and cradled her parchments full of notes. "I'm going to go out and get some fresh air."
Ron watched the girl he had loved in both his lifetimes leave the broken down shack. He shook his head, she deserved better than a shack in the woods; if he had his way she would be living in the palace she deserves. "This is already hard Harry; you don't have to lose your temper on her." He glared at his best friend.
Sighing, Harry slumped against the wall. "I know Ron, I'll apologize later." He grinned at his friend. "Let's go some research on the Animagus transformation."
"Homework! That's all you and Hermione think off."
"Well when you returned you knew it wasn't going to be all pumpkin juice and Butterbeer!" Harry said with a cheeky grin.
Ron grinned. "Yeah but the brochure did promise more Butterbeer!"
The two best friends settled into their banter and started researching the Human to Animal transfiguration. It was a hard spell and required a strong bit of wandless magic. Most wizards never accomplished such a feat and none of them was eleven. Still the three of them had been practicing and working on the transformation for the last year and had doubled their efforts since Dumbledore's death. The process involved a few magic exercises and a bit of work with wandless magic. The animal was based on the witch's or wizard's disposition and personality, which was painfully obvious now considering Wormtail. Of course the trio all would like to choose their animal, especially Harry who would rather enjoy being a Grim like his godfather. Still their Patronus would likely give an indication to each individual animagi, and that pointed toward Harry being a stag like his father. Hermione didn't seem to keen to turn in to an otter, although Ron didn't mind being a Jack Russell Terrier, at least he would be inconspicuous. Still it was speculation until their actual success.
So all three of them concentrated and practiced bending their magic without their wand. Harry had more ease with the exercises than Hermione and Ron, but he just seemed to be better at wandless magic. None of them had managed a breakthrough yet, and their power did not seem as strong in their younger bodies. That would be another plus if the potion Hermione was researching on actually ended up working.
"When do you think Dumbledore will come here?" Ron looked up from the text and studied Harry. "I expected him here yesterday."
"I know. He must be busy, how do you think your family is taking it?"
Ron's face paled a bit. "If I know mum…Dumbledore is more than likely been hexed, maybe that's why he hasn't came."
Harry bit his tongue trying hard not to laugh at Ron's seriousness. "Well I guess that could be one theory."
Remus Lupin finished up the last of the incantations and his body was tuckered out. It was so close to the full moon and he could feel his lycanthropy part wearing him down. Tomorrow was the first day of the full moon and he had no wolfsbane potion, it was not a potion easily purchased, a hard find and too expensive for him to buy. He had no other choice but to leave the children here alone for the next three days, and stay at the shrieking shack in Hogsmeade. He was a bit worried about leaving them alone, but they did appear to be very capable and none of them had caused any problems. The only real problem was that he had been unable to work this past week and he was out of money, with him and three growing children, especially Ron Weasley, there was no food left.
He sighed and fell against a tree wracking his brain for a solution. Dumbledore should have contacted him by now; the Aurors must be keeping an eye on the Headmaster. He was getting worried, there was no way he was going be able to care for three children no matter how capable they appeared to be. He had barely managed to take care of himself these last ten years. That night so many years ago had destroyed the Marauders in one swoop. One night and he had lost James, Lily, and Peter, or so he thought at the time. Sirius was carted to Azkaban and he was left alone with nothing and no one. He had wanted to care for Harry, but the law would never give a half-breed a child, and Dumbledore had insisted on sending Harry to his relatives on the Evans side. Remus had never felt so alone and incapable in his life, all his knowledge from Hogwarts and his own research could not save his friends and family. He had been alone since that point in time, living off of other's scraps like the dog the Ministry believed him to be.
Now he was had an opportunity to help James and Lily's son and he was in no position to do so, Lupin felt as if he was failing them all again. How was he to keep the boy safe from Aurors and the Dark Lord, if what Harry said was true, when he had nothing? He just wasn't the right man…beast…for the job. Remus head dropped onto his hands and he silently let the tears fall, he was no protector, he couldn't even afford to feed them. Grief from the past wracked his body in pitiful sobs.
"Professor…Lupin?" Hermione approached the weeping man. "Professor?" Her face was etched in worry and she glanced through the trees for the shack hoping Harry was near to help. In all the years she had know Remus Lupin she had never seen him cry such as this, not even when Sirius died. Although she felt he was putting on a brave front for Harry. "Are you okay?" Of course he wasn't okay, why would she ask that?
Remus wiped away his tears quickly and looked at the young girl. "I'm sorry Hermione; I was just feeling sorry for myself, no excuses." He tried to give her a small smile, but couldn't manage it through the shame he was feeling. "I didn't mean for you to find me like this." He wiped his face again and stood up. "I think I'm just a bit tuckered out."
Hermione Granger nodded at the prematurely graying wizard. She couldn't help but to feel guilty for the stress and pain her, Harry, and Ron and brought with them. At that point her mind was made up, she would begin working on the potion tonight in secret and by this time tomorrow she would be seventeen again. She was not going to be a burden to anyone. Of course she would have to work on it secretly, if Harry and Ron knew they would never allow her to test the potion first, being the men they are they would insist on being the guinea pigs.
"It's okay Professor, I shouldn't have bothered you." Hermione reached up and patted her ex-professor's back.
"Was I any good?"
"Er…what?" She raised her eye brows in confusion.
Remus face broke in to a ghost of a smile. "As your professor, all of you keep referring to me as a professor. I was wondering if I was a good professor."
The bushy haired girl smiled brightly. "Yu were brilliant, the best we had." She wasn't lying; he really had been the best DADA teacher at Hogwarts since she had been there. "You taught Defense you know?"
Remus had to laugh at this; it wouldn't have been the class he would have guessed. He was never as good as Sirius and James at Defense, he was always better at research and charms. He actually would have enjoyed teaching History of Magic, but doubted Binns would ever give it up, especially since death didn't seem to stop him. "Defense Against the Dark Arts, well Dumbledore must have been hard up to use me."
"Oh he was, but using you was not a hard decision you are a spectacular teacher." Excitement filled her voice. "We never had the same Defense Professor twice actually, it is a hard position to fill and keep. We had Professor Quirrell our first year, " her face fell a bit at this, "well you know the problem with him of course."
Remus nodded in understanding. "You-Know-Who." It was a situation he was having a difficult time wrapping his mind around, he found it hard to believe that Dumbledore had unknowingly hired the one wizard the Dark Lord had possessed.
"Right, well our second year we had Gilderoy Lockhart." She resisted the urge to swoon at the memory of his handsome face but she did blush a bit.
"The famous novelist and dark force fighter? Why wouldn't he work out?" Lupin was confused; he had read a couple of the wizard's tales of defeating ungodly creatures.
Hermione shook her head at the memory. 'Turns out the man is a fake, doesn't even know the simplest of defense spells. He would obliviate the minds of the true heroes and takes the credit for it, and due to certain unforeseen circumstances ended up obliviating his own mind. He wouldn't know a wizard from a house plant now." She grinned, she had felt bad for him when they had seen him at St.Mungo's, but Lockhart was a real git.
"Oh…" Remus was taken aback. "Well I guess karma and all that works in the wizarding world as well as the muggle." He smiled at Hermione's shocked face that he even knew the word karma. "I spent some time traveling, looking for a cure for my little problem and such." It was the only explanation she needed, the young girl seemed to understand and she didn't appear to pity him or be afraid, which was a relief.
"Well our third year we had a brilliant professor for DADA, I would have to say our favorite. He managed to teach Harry a full blown Patronus by the end of term and was very apt at explaining the finer point of the Dark Arts." She touched Remus arm lightly. "It was you."
Lupin was in shock, he taught Harry how to conjure a Patronus, maybe he was better at Defense than he had assumed. "How could I teach, the laws forbid it mostly. At the very least it makes the situation hard on my employer, and you said only one year, what happened?"
Hermione giggled a bit at the expressions on Lupin's face. "Well Professor Dumbledore dealt with the ministry and Professor Snape brewed you the Wolfsbane potion each month. The student body wasn't aware of your half-breed status until much later in the year." She frowned at the memory of the potions master and his manipulation that exposed Remus to the student body. "You wasn't fired Professor, you resigned, some type of moral code about not wanting to cause more trouble. I always felt it was hogwash that you didn't stay, but not even Professor Dumbledore could convince you." Remus Lupin said nothing at this. He just nodded his head at her, encouraging her to continue with her tale.
"Our fourth year we thought we had the retired Auror Alastor Moody…"
"Madeye?" Remus shook his head at the Hogwarts student's misfortune. He had known Madeye and was familiar with his eccentric quirks and views. "That must have been an experience."
"It was, but not because of Professor Moody, we were actually being taught by a Deatheater using Polyjuice to kidnap Harry for Voldemort." She had managed to make peace with saying the name and resisted chuckling at Remus flinching. "Inevitably the ruse was discovered but the damage was done. The Deatheater never made it to Azkaban; he had died before the Aurors arrived."
"Was Harry kidnapped?" Remus asked startled.
Hermione dropped her head. "Yes." There was no way she could tell Remus the whole story, but she could make him feel a bit better. "He escaped though; he is the strongest person I know." She swallowed and continued her tirade on the Defense position at Hogwarts. "Our fifth year we had Dolores Umbridge, a horrid woman the Ministry sent. She was never proven as a Deatheater but she was as bad as one." The smartest witch of her age did not like speaking ill of a Professor, but she gritted her teeth and continued. "She even managed to get Headmaster Dumbledore fired, and she hated Harry, she even gave him a life time ban in Quidditch." She stated matter-of-factly. "Harry had been playing on the team since first year, and managed to always keep the cup with Gryffindor, he is a brilliant flier." She smiled at the memory of Harry on a broom; he seemed to always be truly happy when he was flying. "I suspect the Centaurs still have her tied up somewhere or she's dead, I really don't know. The new Minister of Magic did turn over all the new rules that Umbridge made, so at least Harry could fly again."
"New Minister? What happened to Minister Fudge?" Remus was startled to hear about all of the things the three children had been through. He knew that Dumbledore would not wish for him to know any of this stuff, but he couldn't help his curiosity.
"He was removed form office after the whole Umbridge thing and Voldemort's obvious return at the Department of Mystery's. The Head of the Auror Office, Rufus Scrimgeour, took over as Minister, although he isn't much better. All of them just want to use Harry, it's quite disturbing." Hermione could not stop herself from telling him some of the details. She honestly knew she shouldn't, especially after Professor Dumbledore's warning but the words kept tumbling out. "Last year Professor Snape was our DADA, he had always wanted the position the whole school knew that, but we was shocked that he had managed to get it. Professor Slughorn took over potions."
"Even I know how much he wanted the DADA position, I am surprised Dumbledore gave it to him, he had such a passion for the Dark Arts and after working for Voldemort, you would think the Headmaster would want him no where near it." Remus mused.
Hermione smirked at the old Marauder. "That was our feelings exactly." She stood up not wanting to go into more detail, the guilt of what she already said bothering her. "It's getting late Professor, we should head back."
"Please don't."
"Don't what sir" Hermione turned around and looked curiously at him.
"I am not your Professor Hermione. Please stop calling me one, call me Remus or Lupin, I can't stand the word mister, but either one of those would do." He chided.
"Okay…urm…Lupin." She smiled at him. "Let's head back; I suspect that Ron is starved." The two laughed at the eating habits of the red head and headed back toward the shack.
"I don't have any more food you know." Remus sighed.
Hermione smiled held out a basket she had been concealing. "I found some berries in the clearing and you do have a bit of flour and sugar, I could toss it together and we can have a small meal. I am sure Professor Dumbledore will send money or food soon."
