Warnings: Graphic Depictions of Violence, Major Character Death(s)

Relationships: Hermione Granger/Harry Potter/Ron Weasley, Sirius Black/Remus Lupin, James Potter/Lily Evens Potter

Additional Characters: Marauders, Voldemort

Tags: Time Travel AU, Time Traveling Golden Trio, Oblivious James Potter

James thought himself to be a pretty open-minded bloke. He was best friends with a werewolf and in love with a muggle-born girl. He was prideful, sure, but not a bully, not anymore. Other people might have a different opinion of him but who cared what they thought. While open-minded, he wasn't stupid. James Potter knew there was a war brewing and that it'd be as inevitable as the sun rising. He knew which side he would back when the time came.

He was observant too. Not many people would think him to be observant, but it really was amazing at what people would say or do around him when they didn't think he was paying attention. Hence, he was observing the new group of students that recently transferred. One day, they just appeared, the three of them, and got sorted the day after during breakfast. Oddly enough, all of them were muggle-born. Was he wrong to be so suspicious? He didn't think so, especially not in a time like this.

Maya Granger was sorted into Gryffindor. Her brown hair was bushy and her perfectly tanned skin had several girls staring on in jealousy. Muggle clothes were always worn under her robes. She flat out refused to wear the skirt, much to the vexation of Professor McGonagall. She walked with her back straight and hardly a sound. She was jumpy too, he wasn't sure if anyone else picked up on it but whenever there was an unexpected loud noise, she would jump and her wand would appear in her hand like she cast a wordless summoning charm.

Ronald Williams was sorted into Hufflepuff. His ginger hair was nearly the same shade as Weasley's and the numerous freckles across his face reminded him of the Prewett brothers. His lanky frame was made more apparent by his height. Like Granger, he wore his Muggle clothing under his robes. His sad eyes made him look a lot older than he really was, but James saw his eyes harden in anger at Snape once and shivers wracked his spine. He and his friends really liked the denim pants that Muggles always wore.

Harry James was sorted into Slytherin. At once, James did not trust that Harry character, and in the days after, both Maya and Ronald were on the same list just by association. It was eerie how his eyes were exactly the same as Lily's. If Ronald's eyes were sad, Harry's were dead. He was short, shorter than even Maya, though not by much. His unruly light brown hair reached his shoulders. He kept it tied back with a green ribbon that matched his eyes. He was a strange Slytherin, spending more time with his two friends than the rest of his House. There weren't many Muggle-born Slytherins and the ones that were stuck together. Not Harry James.

He was so lost in thought that Sirius had to nudge him in the ribs to get his attention. He cleared his throat and refocused on the conversation, but his thoughts kept wandering. In what world did a Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, and a Slytherin form a friend circle?

It'd been a week since the new transfers settled in and James had only seen Maya in the common room once. His curiosity got so bad that he even pulled out the map to see where she went. He'd spent half an hour looking through the map, but Maya Granger simply wasn't there. Neither was Harry James nor Ronald Williams. His suspicions seemed very justified now, but no one believed him.

Other times, whenever he happened to see the three of them together, which was most of the time, they were carefree and joyous but also made a point to avoid him and his friends. Or it seemed like they made a point, he wasn't exactly sure. Whenever he saw them alone, they were straight-faced and hardly ever smiled. Harry's dead eyes always sent shivers down his back since they looked so much like Lily's. Granger was almost always lost in thought and her fingers stained with ink. Williams sulked around if he was alone.

Maya and Harry were very much ahead of the rest of their year, something that had James frowning. Granger was so good, he wasn't even sure why she was at Hogwarts in the first place. He wasn't completely sure, but he would bet his broom that Ronald was just as proficient in his classes. Granger was all precision and speed while Harry was raw power. During one class one of Harry's blasting curses punched straight through the wooden block they were practicing on and exploded the desk behind it.

In classes, Granger and Harry never opened their books. Neither wrote notes, raised their hands, or looked particularly interested in the lesson. They sat and listened, twirling their wands idly, and when the lecture was over, they did the spell in question within three or four tries. Granger was better than him in Transfiguration with seemingly zero effort. It irked him. In fact, Granger was probably better than almost everyone in every single subject Hogwarts offered. Only Snape was better at Potions than her by only a slim margin, and Harry beat her when it came to Defense Against the Dark Arts.

For all James knew, Granger didn't even sleep in the Tower from how little he saw of her. His worry and inquiring nature were because he was Head Boy, no other reason. James was just too curious, so curious in fact that his friends had even picked up on it. But he couldn't let go of it. Who were these three people and why did he pay them so much attention? It was something about them but he couldn't put his finger on it.

In Defense Against the Dark Arts, when the professor split the class up for mock duels, Maya and Harry immediately paired up. Several Slytherins predictably sneered but Harry met their eyes evenly and they stopped. When the duels started, James was too distracted by Sirius to keep his eyes on the transfers. After he disarmed his best mate, his attention was on the pair of them again. In fact, most of the room's attention was on them.

Their duel was a dance. Half the time they were dodging curses and jinxes than actually attacking. All of their spells were silent and James could only guess the names of the multicolored jets of light that flew across the room. By then, the rest of the room had backed away to the walls of the classroom, lest they be hit by a stray spell. The Professor let them continue for five more minutes before calling halt.

Both of them were breathing heavily and sweating but they looked at each other pleased. However, Harry looked more smug than pleased. James' eyebrows rose but he kept his mouth shut. He needed to keep an eye on that Slytherin.

James knew he was being irrational about it. So he kept observing, waiting for the day he could exclaim "I told you!", but it'd been weeks by then and nothing. He'd taken to tailing Granger with the invisibility cloak. All three of them appeared for meal times and classes, but the moment they had free time, it was like they vanished off the face of the earth. His frustration nearly bubbled over when Granger somehow lost him near the seventh floor, again.

How was he supposed to become a competent Auror if a seventh year could slip away from him without even knowing she was being followed in the first place? Not to mention that he was wearing an invisibility cloak on top of it all. James privately blamed it on the way Granger walked. She could've been a ghost from how quietly she went from one place to another.

But finally, he came upon information. Granger and Williams were dating. Or at least he thought so. He caught them kissing and exchanging hushed words that were too quiet for him to hear. Secretly, James was relieved. He'd been half a mind to think Granger was dating Harry since they were so touchy-feely, but that was preposterous. No Gryfindor, no matter how friendly with a Slytherin, would end up dating one. They were good friends, nothing more. It was just like how Remus and Sirius acted around each other.

"Mate, I think you're mistaking a Krup for a Hippogriff," Sirius said hesitantly over breakfast when James broke the news.

All of them turned to glance at Granger out of the corner of their eyes. She was sitting in her usual spot, reading a book bigger than the size of her head, and eating her eggs. Covertly, James looked over the Hall to find Williams and Harry. Williams was conversing with some of his Housemates while shoveling food into his mouth as fast as possible. He did it with such proficiency that James had to do a double-take and admire his coordination.

Harry James was simply sitting at the end of the Slytherin table and eating. As James watched, Avery said something and his end of the Slytherin table erupted in laughter while looking at Harry. James smothered the flash of pity that went through him and reminded himself that Harry was a Slytherin like the rest of them. Without missing a beat, Harry flipped them the bird and continued eating as if nothing happened.

"Honestly, that boy," a voice sighed.

James whipped around to realize that Granger was watching Harry just as he had been. A small exasperated smile played at her mouth and she went back to her book. Why on Earth would that make anyone smile? Frown yes, smile? James leaned back into the table to whisper to his friends.

"See? They're being weird!"

Everyone gazed rather blankly at him and he groaned. Lily patted his arm sympathetically. The day would come. Something big would happen with the three of them and James would sing from the rooftops.

"If I didn't know any better, I would've thought you started fancying Granger instead of Evens," Sirius jokes.

When Yule rolled around, James still hadn't found anything substantial about the transfers. He wasn't as obsessed, but he still occasionally checked the map to see that the three weren't on there. He had been tempted to bring the map to breakfast and track them as they left the Hall, but then he'd risk the secret of the map so he refrained. He was curious, but not curious enough to risk the map. At the tail end of the break, since most of them didn't want to tempt fate by leaving the castle, Dumbledore visited him and his friends as they ate.

At eight that night, everyone joined Dumbledore in his office. To his shock and surprise, Granger and Williams were there along with several others in his year. In fact, everyone there was a powerhouse in their own right and James got an inkling of where this was going. Dumbledore gave them a proposition. All of them were invited to join his Order of the Phoenix, a secret organization independent of the Ministry and in direct opposition to Voldemort. He and Sirius were the first volunteers.

Granger and Williams took some convincing to join. James kept his eyes narrowed when they hesitated. His eyes would become slits if he narrowed them any further. However, they snapped open in shock and relief when both of them agreed to join. So they weren't a lost cause, that was good. But his goodwill once again flew out of the proverbial window when they questioned why the Headmaster hadn't invited Harry James.

"He's a Slytherin!" his incredulous voice rang out in harmony with Sirius'.

Williams grimaced and looked down to the floor while Granger protested, "He's different,"

Lily stepped forward and laid a hand on her shoulder, "Granger, Maya, I thought that once too. But Slytherins, there's a special way their House is run and eventually all of them change for the worst. Personal experience here, ok?"

Granger visibly wilted and Williams slung an arm around her in comfort. James' pity returned. How could he blame them when they were simply Muggle-born and just didn't know any better? Lily and Snape were friends for a long time before Hogwarts and now look at them. Maybe the reason why a Hufflepuff, Gryffindor, and a Slytherin were friends were just because they just didn't know. Lily wrapped an arm around Maya when tears gathered in her eyes.

Gruffly, Williams said, "Harry's been kind of distant this week,"

James scowled, stupid Death Eaters. These two just had their innocence ripped from their hands in the worst way possible. Unfortunately, that wouldn't be the only thing this war would take from everyone.

"There's going to be a war," Dumbledore said gravely, "If Mister James joins the Death Eaters you will fight, knowing that any Death Eater you come across might be him. Do you still wish to join?"

"Why would he side with the Death Eaters?" Williams mumbled, "He's Muggle-born like us,"

James strode forward and clapped a hand to his shoulder in solidarity, "Who knows what happens in the Snake's Common Room. Be careful when you two talk with him again, alright?"

The group disbanded with an oath not to reveal any of the information learned in the office to someone outside of it. James brushed aside the niggling thought that Williams and Granger would find a way to tell Harry anyway. They were on their side now, nothing to worry about.

The first official Order of the Phoenix meeting happened a few months after Yule. Members new and old filed into Dumbledore's office. Most came through the floo. Maya and Ron were grave-faced and Dumbledore let them speak first. Not a single member objected to the fact since Maya looked near tears and Ron was clenching his fists hard enough to turn his knuckles white.

"Harry took the mark," Ron announced to the room, "He didn't really tell us, but he doesn't wear short-sleeves anymore,"

James and Sirius exchanged a look and Sirius grimaced. Even after warning them about Harry, they insisted on spending time with him. The three of them still disappeared regularly but he no longer saw them hang out by the lake or lounge around the library together. He wasn't actually sure they even spent time around Harry when they disappeared. Ron didn't sit with the Hufflepuffs during meals anymore. Instead, he sat with Maya and the Marauders. They grew close as Lily taught Maya and Ron about what to expect in the coming war.

James learned that Maya had a wicked sense of humor and a sarcastic tongue that had enough bite to rival Remus. She knew the most obscure facts about almost anything and beat the bet Sirius gave her. He challenged her to talk about the Great Hall for thirty minutes without stopping. She won after Sirius begged her to stop after fifteen. Maya also studied religiously, any time not spent reading was time wasted. You would only interrupt her reading if the castle were set ablaze and even then, you might end up perishing from her wand than the burning castle.

James learned that Ronald liked to go by Ron and could beat everyone in their year at chess. He was a blunt man, never mincing words and always saying everything upfront, even if it hurt the other person's feelings. He also destroyed James' expectations about him being good at school. Ron's grades sucked and that was after Maya helped tutor him. But while he sucked at Potions, transfiguration, and the like, he was very smart when it came to reading people. He was almost as good as James, if not better.

Harry James slipped his mind constantly and he only remembered when he spied him cozying up with his fellow Slytherins. Considering that was the boy that only a few months ago, flipped them off with all the nonchalance of a stone wall, that worried James.

He knew Harry went dark when he caught him and Avery lifting some underclassmen up into the air by their ankles. The smirks the boys sported boiled James' blood. But he was grown up now, he didn't fire any spells that his hands itched to. Instead, he calmly walked up to the floating students and eased them back down to the floor. He evenly met the eyes of Harry and Avery and took points from Slytherin House.

However, Harry just laughed in surprise. He didn't speak but his eyes and tilted head conveyed his taunt just fine. He could feel a vein pulse to life on his forehead and his grip on his wand grew tight but he and Avery swept past in a billow of robes. He noticed that Harry no longer wore his Muggle clothes under his uniform. They looked expensive, like the type Malfoy wore. Their shiny new shoes thudded along the corridor before they turned a corner and were gone.

Graduation came and went. He and Padfoot applied for the Auror Academy and predictably, they were accepted. Lily accepted Flitwick's Charms apprenticeship and James just knew she would succeed. Ron went to work at Gringotts. James wasn't sure for what exactly since he was very hush-hush about it, but he could tell Ron was very excited. Surprisingly, Maya became an apprentice Healer. All of them made time to meet on the weekends for tea and catch up.

James hadn't realized how close the war was until it was on him. Diagon Alley was victim to a vicious Death Eater attack. He and Sirius were one of the first on the scene since their mentors were called. Smothering bodies littered the street, framed by broken glass from the shattered store windows. Further up the street, masked Death Eaters were laughing and throwing spells at anything and everything. His Quidditch trained eyes caught little flickers of movement as survivors fled. Smoke floated lazily up into the sky.

Horror-struck, he remained frozen until his senior Auror barked an order. Then they were flying up the street, glowing red stunning spells on the tips of their wands. Then the Order arrived and the Alley was thrown into anarchy. The next hour blurred together into a single thought process. Attack, dodge, shield, repeat.

Some time during that, he watched emotionlessly as Rogers, a fellow trainee, fell to a flash of green light. He saw Maya, with her bushy hair tied back into a ponytail, take down three Death Eaters as they surrounded her. He saw Ron roar something and fire began to burn any Death Eater foolish enough to approach him. Silver mask after silver mask crumpled by his wand and still he felt nothing.

It was only later that everything hit him and he sank down to the ground against his bathroom door and cried. That night, eyes bloodshot and his unruly hair even more wild than normal, he proposed to Lily without a ring. She eyed him fondly with tears in her eyes and said yes under the condition that he get her a proper ring. They set their wedding date in February (not Valentine's Day, they weren't that corny).

Their wedding was small. Only close friends and immediate family were present but it didn't make it any less perfect. He forgot how to breathe when Lily floated down the aisle in her dress. He also forgot to breathe when Sirius ate one of the joke cookies and his hair turned Slytherin green.

Everyone took to the dance floor and James' smile grew even wider. Maya and Ron were dancing quietly in the corner. Alice and Frank got a section to themselves since they insisted on spinning each other around. Sirius had dragged Remus into the dance since neither of them had a date and for once Remus was laughing. By the night's end, his cheeks ached from smiling so much.

When they finally retired for the night, James forgot they were in a war. He didn't get much sleep that night but that was alright with him for once.

A few weeks later, he and Lily received a letter from Snape congratulating them on their marriage. In it, he apologized for his actions and assured them that he'd left the country to pursue his Potions Mastery. At first, he was suspicious, but Lily looked happy so he swallowed his pride and sent a letter thanking Snape. A few letters later and Snape suddenly became Severus and Potter became James.

James chuckled at the irony. He supposed everyone could grow up and he opened regular correspondence with the man, updating him on everything that happened in England as Severus traveled. He would get potion recipes back that healed superficial wounds faster, enabled a person to stay up late, or anything else Severus thought useful. He and Lily promised to meet up with him and have tea once the war was over. Severus sent back a photo of himself with his Mastery clutched tightly in his hands, smiling widely.

In the spring, Dumbledore opened the Order Meeting with, "Voldemort has found an Heir,"

Sirius choked on his tea and Maya gasped. Everyone sat up straighter in their chairs to hear more. The only sounds as they waited for him to elaborate were James thumping Padfoot's back and his wheezing. He knew Sirius worried for his little brother, considering Regulus took the Mark a few months back. News of an Heir was probably the worst thing anyone could think of at the moment.

"He wears a golden mask and is said to match Voldemort in power and strength. The Death Eaters call him the Young Lord,"

Thick silence reigned the room until Maya said in a small voice, "You know who it is, don't you?"

James felt the bottom of his stomach drop off an invisible ledge. There was only one person that could have that much power and wasn't already on their side. He hoped against all reason or logic that it wasn't who he thought it was.

Dumbledore sighed heavily, "I have my suspicions, but nothing concrete,"

James gritted his teeth and closed his eyes in defeat. Things just got a lot harder for Maya and Ron. Ron abruptly stood up. His chair wobbled dangerously on its back legs before falling back onto its four with a clatter. He cursed and swept from the room. A door slammed moments later. Maya got up as well. She gave Dumbledore an apologetic look and hurriedly ran after her boyfriend. James prayed that he and his friends would make it out of this war.

He hardly even saw Remus anymore since Dumbledore sent him out to scout the werewolf packs. Sirius was taking Remus' absence harder than the rest of them for some odd reason. Letters weren't the same as talking in person. And since Remus was with the Packs, he couldn't even send or receive many letters, to begin with. Peter was a nervous wreck and hardly left his house since he had to care for his mother. He and Sirius were too busy with work to properly talk, even if they were partners.

"We don't have enough resources to deal with another Dark Lord," Shacklebolt declared in his calming timbre, "We're stretched thin enough as it is,"

"I know," Dumbledore responded tiredly.

James didn't hear the rest. He was too busy worrying about Lily and his unborn child. He needed to protect them. Now he had more than one Dark Lord to worry about. And this Dark Lord, he went to school with. He shuddered at the thought.

It was during a Muggle raid when James first saw him. Voldemort stood in the square in all his glory, cackling madly and in the middle of casting the Dark Mark into the sky. Kneeling down on one knee at the bald wizard's feet was a golden masked Death Eater. Rage like James had never known flashed through him. It felt hot enough to chill him and it made his blood burn with hatred. It was him, he was the reason for Maya and Ron's sadness.

Almost as if the Death Eater heard his bloodlust, he turned around and cocked his head at James' still form. It was reminiscent of the head tilt Harry gave him when James took points from Slytherin after he and Avery hung the Firsties upside down. Even at a distance, James could hear the deep chuckle through the mask.

"Hello, Potter," he said conversationally, "What brings you about these parts?"

James didn't spare him with a response. Spellfire flew from his wand at blinding speed, yet somehow, he was faster. He jumped away from his Master and returned fire. The next thing James knew, the side of his head was smoking where a sinister green curse flew through his hair. Numbly, James clapped a hand to his warm sizzling hair and stumbled back.

He cocked his head again, "Shame. Thought you'd have more fight than that. Master, I'm bored,"

Voldemort howled with laughter, bringing the rest of the world back into sharp focus. Instantly, James became aware of the housefires at his back, the hub dub of breaking glass, and the taste of ash in his mouth. Voldemort barked something and the rampaging Death Eaters popped away, leaving only the three of them in the Square. Order members were still going through the houses to look for survivors. He was alone with them.

Fire roared to life around him like a cage. As Voldemort and his Death Eater popped away, all James could see was that damned golden mask through the flickering flames, reflecting the firelight like a fancy galleon. Even if the mask was emotionless, he could've sworn he saw a smirk and a glimmer of cruel green eyes. They didn't remind him of Lily's anymore.

James felt like screaming. Dumbledore received a tip-off that Voldemort was planning a siege on Hogwarts. So here they were, Order members stationed in and around Hogwarts. James stood next to the doors under his invisibility cloak. Every muscle was wired tightly and any slight sound made him jump.

Exactly at midnight on June fifteenth, the wards around Hogwarts fell and they arrived. There was only enough time for James to send his Patronus off into the castle before he started jinxing and cursing the approaching Death Eaters. Thankfully, the invisibility cloak masked his location, and cries of confusion rose from the Death Eaters.

Maya and Ron burst out of the doors and instantly, the first two rows of enemies were razed to the ground. James had to stop and gape. There was nothing left of them. Every single Death Eater went up in a flash of fire and floated away as ash. They didn't even get a chance to scream. The rest of them stopped short in surprise.

A haunting scream echoed across the battlefield. It came from the back. Most only got the opportunity to turn around before the Dark Mark was fired into the air, directly above the unmistakable floating body of Lord Voldemort. James could only watch as Maya and Ron cut a swath through the unmoving Death Eaters.

The grass smoked and turned gray from all of the ash dusting them. Awe filled his entire being as three people single-handedly took down the rest of Voldemort's forces. There were three because James spied a golden mask weaving through the sea of black robes, decimating anything that got in his way. He didn't even realize the rest of the Order beside him until someone gasped.

Then in the middle of the grass, illuminated by moonlight, three of them stood victorious. James wasn't even aware he was running until he caught Maya as she fell. He wasn't the only one, Sirius caught Ron and Remus caught Harry. Because he was Harry now, not the Young Lord, not the golden masked Death Eater. He was just Harry.

A bloodied hand unclipped the wretched mask and it fell into the ash-stained grass. Glassy, unfocused green eyes carefully flicked around before they landed on Maya and Ron. A wry grin twisted his mouth and Maya summoned enough strength to laugh weakly. Ron lightly punched Harry's shoulder and sighed.

"I'll see you on the other side, loves," Harry hoarsely whispered, "Until the end,"

They were dying, James realized with a start. He looked for his wand, for anything that could save them because they just saved everyone. But with a dry chuckle, Harry's eyes eased closed and his chest slowly stopped heaving for breath.

Ron mumbled something that could've been, "You prat," as his head fell back against Sirius' lap.

Desperate eyes swept around for anything, but a hand stopped his search.

"'S'all right," Maya rasped, "All planned, meant to be," She looked at the bodies that lay around her and laughed softly, breath catching, "'M not leaving my boys,"

James remained stony-faced as Maya let her last breath out with a smile. Her hand limply fell out of his. Meant to be. How could deaths be meant to be, especially for heroes such as them? He clenched his teeth and closed his eyes to will away the burn of tears. They won the war, so why does it feel so empty?

Sirius nudged him and whispered, "Mate, look," as everyone gasped in wonder.

Golden dust flaked off and floated into the air, giving the illusion of fireflies. It started with Harry's hair, dissolving like cotton candy in water.

"It looks like…" James began.

"Time Turner sand," Dumbledore finished, having joined them, "These three were time travelers,"

Maya's weight on his lap steadily became lighter until she was free-floating in the air above Hogwarts, joining Ron and Harry.

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled, "Their names probably aren't even what they say they are,"

"I don't care," James managed to spit out, "They were heroes. They did what no one else could. We will remember them,"

"That they did, and that we will," Dumbledore mused.

The soft cry that split the delivery room was as loud as a trumpet to James Potter. His death grip on his wand eased and his breath left him in a shaky relieved sigh. Finally, he was allowed entry to the room and his eyes landed on his sweaty, beautiful wife and the tightly wrapped squirming bundle in her arms. When he leaned against Lily, piercing green eyes opened and he spotted the tuft of jet black hair atop his son's head.

"What do you want to name him?" Lily whispered.

"Harry," he said without hesitation, "Harry James Potter,"

Lily smiled.

James Potter never really figured out exactly how those three took down Voldemort so easily, but he was grateful that no one else had to worry about Lord Voldemort walking the Earth again. He would live on and raise his son to be just as brave as his namesake.

Thanks for reading. Trans women are real women. Trans lives matter. You just finished a fic by a trans author :P Begone transphobes.