"Right, lads." Moody said. "You two take the portkey home, work on some trunks, if you want. I'll finish up here, dispose of the unused potions, get your papers backdated and lodged, do the obliviates and open vaults for you."
"Yessir!" Both boys snapped Moody a salute and grabbed the old watchstrap that he held out.
As the portkey whisked them away, Titan heard Michael laugh.
"Those two are going to drive you even barmier than you already are, Moody."
A month after Harry and Sirius became Titan and Paddrick, Moody watched as Titan tried to get Paddrick interested in a game of gobstones.
And failed.
"Dammit." He sighed. "Those pair are going to be the death of my reputation."
"What makes you say that?" Said the man seated in an armchair beside Moody's desk.
Moody studied Scrimgeour's face, his eyes searching for something. "I…" He huffed a deep breath and handed Scrimgeour a note. "Feel free to read it aloud or to yourself.
"Nigel and Ewan were given new identities by the DMLE. They are now, Titan and Paddrick Grimm." Scrimgeour said, his eyes widening as he realised what that meant, or what he thought that meant. "You mean to offer him the chance to… what…? Become their brother?"
"I do." Moody nodded.
"Are you sure about this, Alastor?" Scrimgeour asked. "He's not been involved in this, you said. Involving him now, and without the knowledge or consent of Nigel and Ewan? That could blow up in your face."
"It could, but don't think it will."
"But… why him? There's nothing special about him. Is there?"
"Not really, it's more about what he would have become. You know the boys have time travelled, well in that other future, he was as close as a brother to Nigel and a much-loved mentor to Ewan." Moody answered.
"Well, I don't understand your reasoning, but I'll concede that the Nigel I met last month and the boy out there have little similarities and I'm not talking about appearance. Nigel was bright and loud, that boy?" Scrimgeour pointed at Paddrick. "That boy is apathetic, verging on catatonic." He sighed. "If something isn't done… I shudder to think what will happen. You make the offer, I'll sign off on it, when I get back to the office. Assuming he agrees, you can do it any time you want."
"Thanks, boss."
"Oh, don't thank me. You have to explain to him, who those boys were and what the offer entails."
"Pensieve memories, boss. I've got a briefing ready to go. All he needs to do is watch and everything will be explained. Everything." Moody grinned viciously.
"Then I suggest you get that letter written. I'll see you tomorrow." Scrimgeour nodded and stepped into the floo-fireplace and tossed a handful of floo-powder at his feet. He said something in Welsh and vanished in a burst of green flames.
Moody pulled a sheet of parchment to him and began to scribble out a note, once it was complete, he held out a letter to his owl. "Thanks, Iris." He added as the owl swooped in and snatched the letter from his fingers. "Take that to Remus Lupin, he lives near Corris in Wales." The owl dipped its head and flew out through the open window. "Now, I just have to hope he accepts and this works."
The next morning, Moody sat beside the lockbox in the DMLE, waiting for Lupin to appear, not sure whether to hope that he would or wouldn't. Before he'd made up his mind, either way, Gawain Robards lead the man in question through the ranks of desks.
"Moody, this man has a letter, says you wanted him here?" Robards asked, unsubtly, wanting to know more.
"That's right." Moody nodded. "Come on. In." He gestured to the box. He had to hold up a hand when Robards made to follow Lupin. "Not you, not yet, you don't have the clearance for this."
"But-"
"No, not yet. Only the boss and I know what this is about, and it needs to stay that way."
"So, you're getting a civilian involved?"
"He's already involved in this, right up to his neck. He just doesn't know it. Doesn't remember it." Moody corrected, letting Robards think that Lupin's memory had been altered or removed.
Robards' eyes widened at the implications. "But…? You really think…? He's been...?"
"I don't know yet, and until I can get some details and confirm others, I can't be certain, once we are certain, we'll make a plan to go forward with."
"Right, I'll leave you to it. If you need help…?" Robards trailed off.
"You'll know about it." Moody nodded and entered the box. A few flicks of this wand and they were locked down.
"Mad-Eye? What's this all about?" Remus Lupin asked. He looked like someone a decade older than Moody knew him to be, and in dire need of a decent meal or two.
"I need you to watch something." Moody growled.
"What?" Lupin frowned. "You called me here, into the Ministry, just to get me to watch something? Moody, are you crazy? Why the hell would you do that?" He demanded.
"Watch and you'll understand." Moody sighed and tipped a massive phial of memories into the built-in pensive. "It'll take a while."
Lupin looked at him and sighed. "Is it that important, Moody? Really?" It came out as an almost-whine.
"I consider this to be one of the most important things I've ever been involved in. Watch the memories and judge for yourself." He pointed at the pensieve.
Lupin sighed. "Alright…" He sat at the table and immersed himself into whatever it was that Moody was demanding he watch.
Once he'd entered the pensieve, Moody sat across from him and retrieved a bundle of parchment from a pocket. He needed two names, one that could be shortened to 'Remy' and one that had the star connections that the Blacks favoured.
Just in case.
When a shell-shocked Lupin emerged, Moody handed over his hipflask, without a word. He let Lupin take a hefty swig, before pushing the younger man back into a seat.
"That was my memory of watching their memories." Moody said.
"Oh, gods… that was…" Lupin looked quite ill.
"Yeah, that it was." Moody nodded.
"Why… Why are you showing me?"
"You're a werewolf and you considered Potter and Black, your pack." It wasn't a question, but Lupin nodded anyway. "I can give you back your pack."
"How?" Lupin sat forward, suddenly attentive to what Moody was saying, his shock and grief put to the side.
Moody removed the memory from the pensieve and put another in its place.
"Watch that, it's what was done to them."
Lupin frowned. "And that's what you plan to do to me?"
"Not planning anything, not really, just making sure there's the option. I have permission to do it, but it's your call. If you prefer to just be their tutor, that's fine."
"I'm a werewolf, Moody." Lupin warned.
"There's a possibility we can correct that, but only a possibility." Moody answered.
"What…?"
"Watch the memory. Then if you agree, we'll meet with the DMLE's specialists and see what can be done." Moody directed.
"Right…" Lupin re-entered the pensieve and Moody went back to his name hunt.
This time we he emerged, Lupin wore a contemplative expression. "If you can deal with my lycanthropy, then yes, I'll do that." He jerked a thumb at the pensieve. "If you can't, I won't risk them."
"Fair enough. I'm going to call Robards back in. I'd like him to escort you to Borgan and Burkes' for some more wands, at minimum I want you to have four. Robards will be told that you're a werewolf and one of my informants has stated that you have information that could unseat Greyback. But it's something that cannot be done until a certain time and we need to hide you in the meantime. So, we're going to do an overwrite on you. We'll be letting him, and anyone he tells, think that it's a temporary thing, but in fact…? It'll be permanent. If you like we can 'kill' you off during your 'hiding', that's up to you." Moody explained.
"What about my stuff, my cottage and books?" Lupin asked.
"How long would it take you to pack 'em up?" Moody countered. "Is it rented, or do you own it?"
"Ten… fifteen minutes. Maybe less. And I rent." Lupin answered. "But the lease is up in a few weeks."
"Right. Robards with take you for wands, then to your cottage. Empty it. Robards will bring you back here. Write up a…" He paused. "Got anything you can claim at Gringotts?"
"No, werewolves aren't high on the employment, income or asset scale."
"Right. Then, back here and write up an authorisation for the DMLE to act on your behalf, in terminating the lease or any other contracts. If I recall, you were in Dumbledore's order, we'll need to retire you from that."
"I'll write up a resignation, I'm not staying where he thinks he can control me." Lupin was adamant.
"Ease up. This Dumbledore, the one in this timeline? He hasn't done the things you just watched. He wasn't in the same position to do them, not saying he wouldn't, I'm saying he hasn't. There's a difference."
Lupin sighed. "Fine. I'm still not happy about being where he's in control."
"Get used to paying lip-service to the idea. My boys will be starting at Hogwarts in a year." Moody snorted.
"You're really going to let them go there?" Lupin's brows rose sharply.
"Oh, I'll be using it as blackmail. See that my boys are taught properly and keep it professional or I'll pull them from the school and tell the Prophet and the School Board why." Moody's grin was more than a little vicious. "Plus, you'll all be taught to fight old-school, muggle down and dirty. And a few other things."
"Assuming you can deal with my lycanthropy… I'm in." Lupin nodded.
"Good. Wait here." Moody unlocked the box and stuck his head out. "Robards! Here."
A head lifted, halfway across the room and the body attached to it, rose just as fast.
"Moody?"
"In." Was all Moody said until he had the box in lockdown, again. "This is Remus Lupin, Greyback turned him when he was barely out of nappies. He's provided information on Greyback and has more to give. It's possibly enough to unseat the psychopathic bastard. The problem being, that we can't act on Greyback until closer to the winter solstice, something to do with being the shorter full moons. But… Lupin's not stupid, once he figured out what it was that he knew, he also knew that Greyback would come looking for him. In exchange for hiding him, he'll tell us everything he knows about the beast." Robards studied Lupin, but said nothing, only nodded. "We've two hours before the overwrite rituals can start. In the meantime, I want you to take him home to his cottage and stay with him, while he packs up. Then take him to Borgan and Burkes and get him some wands. Where he's going, he'll want to place them in different locations, so I'm suggesting at least four. See what matches up to him."
"Anything else?" Robards was clearly 'head in the game' and ignoring the werewolf issue, after all, full moon was over a week ago.
"Bring him back here, give him ink and parchment, we need to have authorisation to act on his behalf, and meet me at the safehouse floo." Moody directed. "I'll take it from there."
"Got it." Robards nodded. "Mr Lupin? Can you side-along apparate or do I need to organise a return use portkey?"
"Um… portkey might be safer, I'm a little freaked out, right now…" Lupin said hesitantly.
"Understandable, if you're up against Greyback." Robards commented, sympathetically. "Come along and we'll get you sorted and safely tucked away." There was no condescension in the second Auror's voice, just a matter of fact, business-like tone. "We'll be back as soon as we can, Moody."
A few minutes shy of two hours later, Moody lead Lupin through an empty room and into the floo of a built-in cupboard. They emerged into a large room containing a potions setup on one wall, a few free-standing notice boards and some large tables, with sliding cupboard doors down the entire length of one wall.
"Michael, Sarah." Moody nodded to the two people wearing potions' aprons over their Auror's robes.
"Alastor." The witch nodded back.
"Mad-Eye." The wizard laid the quill in his hand down. "What are we doing?"
Moody held up a phial of memories. "This was done recently. I want you to view the memory and work with us. We may be doing the same to… let's call him John, for now. And he's a werewolf, that could be issue, but we'll need to work around that."
Michael and Sarah exchanged a long, speaking look, before Sarah spoke. "I'll get Madam Woodley, if you'll grab a pensieve?"
"Done." Michael nodded and headed for a sliding door. He returned and placed a pensieve on a table and watched as Moody emptied the memory into it.
Sarah, meanwhile, had approached a different door that slid open to reveal a floo-fireplace. She activated it and her head disappeared into the green flames, moments later she leaned back and Madam Woodley stepped out.
The older witch walked regally from the fireplace and over to join Moody and Lupin at one table, while Sarah joined Michael and the two entered the pensieve.
"Madam Woodley, thank you for joining us." Moody gave a bow of his head, but Lupin had been warned to stay quiet. Act where necessary but stay quiet until the wandsmith was gone.
"Auror Moody." The witch nodded back, not even glancing in Lupin's direction. "What can I do for you, today?"
"Standard treatment."
"He's a little old for a graduate, isn't he?" She asked.
"He would be, yes, but he's not a graduate, he's under protection, but it's going to be long-term."
"Ah, that makes more sense." She nodded. "Very well, sir." She said to Lupin. Let's get you under way."
Fifteen minutes later and the wandsmith was gone, leaving Lupin to stare at the wands in his hands. "That's not something I expected." He said quietly.
Moody didn't get the chance to comment, as Sarah and Michael emerged from the pensieve.
"Right, what are we doing?" Michael asked.
"Lu-John has lycanthropy. Can we eliminate it?" Moody asked.
"Yes." Michael said. "But… there's always a but."
"And the but, is?"
"The only way to do it is to de-age him. The problem is that the disease limits how far they re-age, after the de-aging wears off." Michael said.
"Explain in more detail, please." Moody frowned.
"Alright. A de-aging potion will revert John backwards in age to a specified point, younger than when he was infected. At least physically, mentally he will still retain his memories. Now, the norm with de-aging potions is that a person's core determines how fast the potion is expelled from their system. But with lycanthropy, there is a difference. Yes, the de-aging potion works, but instead of it wearing off and the person re-aging to their prior age… lycanthropy restricts the timing and the re-aging. Instead of returning to his prior age, he'll regain ten years. Ten years exactly, not a day more or a day less, regardless of how far we de-age him. And it all happens within two hours. The concern we have is, John's final age will have to be within that ten years. There are no other options."
"Hmm… Lupin?"
"I was bitten two months prior to my fifth birthday." Lupin said.
"And how old were you aiming for?"
"Ten, as of the 1st of April." Moody answered and Michael nodded.
"That's fine, then." Sarah stated.
"What's involved?" Lupin asked.
"Well, it's a bit… undignified. But no more painful than any monthly transformation. We strip you down and set up a vacuum system, around the area where you were bitten, then give you the de-aging potion. The vacuum system will stay in effect until the de-aging potion wears off, it's only there to ensure that no venom enters your bloodstream and as such is targeted to only work on venom. Like I said, that's a maximum of two hours from the time you take the potion to it being out of your system. Once out of your system, you'll be given a setting agent and be required to wait for one hour. The setting agent is to protect against the de-aging potion mutating and re-infecting you with any lycanthropic-carrying bacteria. Then a flushing potion to ensure neither de-aging potion nor setting agent have left anything behind, followed by a shower to wash off any external residues. Finally, we do the overwrite, like we did for the other two." Michael answered.
"And as I have blood left from that overwrite process, that's to be used for John, that should shorten the process even further." Moody said, laying two large phials on the table.
"Excellent. So, as the only things we have to do, in addition to the lycanthropic treatment, are the de-aging and the actual overwriting process and the paperwork, we're looking at a little less than four hours, all up." Michael grinned.
"Has this been tested? The de-aging and lycanthropy thing?" Lupin asked.
"Yes. My sister was the first." Sarah replied. "And I was the second… I was bitten sixteen years ago. Michael and I created this process ten years ago. We've treated twenty-three documented cases and to date, there have been no failures, no relapses and no complications. And that's not including any, like yourself, that won't make it into any documentation."
"Then let's get started." Lupin said and reached for the buttons of his cardigan.
"And how can we be certain the lycanthropy is gone?" Moody asked.
Sarah held out a phial. "Three drops of blood in there, give it a gently shake and tip it out over this parchment. It's specifically targeted to lycanthropy, so…?"
"You'll have an answer fairly quickly." Michael finished for her.
Four hours and ten minutes later, the man who'd walked into the room as Remus Lupin, turned over a Gringotts' take-home identity test and read the results.
Remington Altair Grimm. (1 April 1978 -)
Mother – Laura Anne Moody (30 June 1957 – 17 December 1978)
Father – Corvus Rigel Grimm (12 February 1954 – 17 December 1978)
Godfather – nil
Godmother - nil
"It worked…" The newly named Remington whispered.
"It did." Moody laid a gentle hand on the now-young boy's shoulder. "Give me five minutes to finish up with Sarah and Michael and I'll take you home to your brothers."
Moody emerged from the floo in his study, with a tired Remington, formerly Remus, draped over his left shoulder.
"Are you going to put me down?" The boy asked. "And what do I call you? And them?"
Moody eased Remington down onto his own feet. "They call me Grampy or Grumpy, depending on the situation." He took a deep breath. "Paddrick was Sirius Black and Titan was Harry Potter. They call each other 'Ty' and 'Pads'. And I chose Remington for you, so that they could call you Remy."
"Oh. Alright… Um…? What now…?" Remy asked.
"Now I call the boys in and we see about some dinner. After that…? We've got a year before Hogwarts is an issue. In the meantime, I need to see about establishing you three, in people's minds."
"You're going to alter their memories?"
"If I need to, but it's a last resort. I'd prefer people to think I'm just paranoid and have been keeping you all hidden." Moody answered.
Remy blinked. "That would work."
"It would and so far, it has. Come on, let's get you settled." Moody led Remy from the study into a hallway. "Boys! Got something for ya! Come on!" He yelled.
A thunder of footsteps rumbled from the upstairs hall and the herd of beasts, also known as Ty and Pads, ran down the stairs. The volume far greater than people would expect from just two children.
"Grampy!" The voice was intimately familiar, it was that of the boy that Remy, as Remus, had considered his brother… and who was... now, by blood, his brother.
A few seconds later and two boys came to a screeching halt as they saw a third boy, a third boy that was as much like them as they were like each other.
"Grampy?" The boy with green eyes asked, without actually asking a question.
"You didn't really think I leave him, or you, without a pack, do you?" Moody smirked.
"Remy!" The pair yelled and darted over to hug their brother.