Chapter 4
Becky takes another sausage from the platter and smiles across the table at her parents. Even though she feels a little guilty that she came to breakfast with them expressly to nick Mum's Time Turner, which is in her pocket, she's still happy to be here. She misses them. At least they're here in the castle, and she can send a message using the Protean Charm coin whenever she wants saying she's coming to breakfast. The other kids, except Gus, can't. And Gus almost never has a meal with his parents, happy to eat in the Great Hall with their odious housemates.
"Remember, don't tell any of them about Harry," Hermione says. "Not even Gus."
"Gus already knows," Becky says, "But I won't tell anyone else, and he knows not to either."
"The whole class probably knows," Severus says. "Most of them do have older siblings, you know."
"But they don't know when he's coming," Hermione says.
"They're going to be surprised, Mum, I promise, and they're going to love it," Becky says. Every first year class before has. The Great Harry Potter, the boy who defeated Voldemort when he was only a baby, and now the biggest Quidditch star in England. Becky's seen him duel Mum before, and he's good, but her father is better. Daddy will only duel Mum for the NEWT level students though. He says he is not a trick pony.
"You're almost everyone's favorite teacher, you know," Becky says.
Severus snorts, and Hermione narrows her eyes at him. "You have something to say?"
"It's better to be feared than loved," Severus says. Becky is pretty sure he doesn't mean this, is just goading Mum. That's certainly never been his approach to parenting, and she can't imagine that's the kind of teacher he was either.
Hermione pours herself more tea. "Says the most hated teacher in the history of Hogwarts."
"Mum, that isn't true!"
"I assure you, it is," Hermione laughs. "Ask Harry and Ron if you want independent confirmation."
"Those dunderheads," Severus mutters, but it's perfunctory. Becky knows he doesn't actually dislike them. He's just being what Mum calls a curmudgeon.
"Or, better yet, Neville," Hermione says.
"Uncle Neville was Daddy's apprentice," Becky objects. "They're friends."
"They are now. Go on, ask your godfather about our first three and a half years here."
"What changed in your fourth year, Mum?"
Severus and Hermione exchange a look across the table. "Everything," he says, taking his wife's hand.
"That was brilliant!" Zabini says, heading to the front of the class to join the crowd mobbing the great Harry Potter.
There are enthusiastic expressions of assent from all the first years, Slytherin and Gryffindor alike. Becky hangs back. She can talk to Uncle Harry any time. So does Gus, who says, "Look." She follows his eyes to where the Invisibility Cloak Harry used to ambush Mum mid-lecture lies draped over a chair next to them. He pulls a small pouch from his pocket.
"What's that?" Becky asks.
"Peruvian Darkness Powder. Now take my hand and don't let go."
"Gus, what are you—"
"Shhh." He grabs her hand, and then the room is plunged into darkness. She feels Gus pulling her, and stumbles after him. Once they're out the door, she can see again, but Gus is dragging her down the hallway at a run. She does her best to keep up, and soon they're outside the archway that leads to the private entrance to the Headmaster's quarters. It's not until they're in Gus's bedroom and Becky is trying to catch her breath that she sees what's in Gus's hand.
"You stole it!" she gasps, looking at the shimmering fabric.
"I borrowed it," he says. "I'll give it back once we're through using it."
"Using it for what?"
"You're thick for a Slytherin," he says.
"Git," she snaps. "Thieving git."
"Says the girl who stole her mum's Time Turner."
He has a point, but she's not going to admit that.
"I had to," Gus says. "We don't want anyone seeing two of us when we go back in time."
Becky thinks about this. It was rather clever of him. "You promise you'll give it back?"
"Of course. So, are you ready?"
"What, now?"
"You said you had it."
"I do, but—"
"Then no time like the present," he says, then adds, grinning, "Or the past."
After a brief discussion of how many hours to go back, maximizing the mischief potential in various situations, including a Potions class with the swotty Ravenclaws who need to be taken down a peg or two, Gus drapes the cloak over both of them. Standing close to Gus beneath it, Becky puts the golden chain around both their necks, and spins the Time Turner, carefully counting out the number of spins they've agreed on.