Chapter Summary: Remus and Sirius watch a Quidditch game from the past…and uncover some important information that could help them on their mission…
Remus' Polyjuice potion took effect first (he was less body to transform). Remus shot up and ended up taller than Sirius. He had long blonde hair go halfway down his back and his nose stretched out just a little bit. His scars from his monthly transformations dissolved into his skin, and he suddenly felt no pain in his back (that was always a side-effect from lycanthropy for him). He grew extremely lanky and his robes got baggier.
Sirius, on the other hand, shrunk about a foot and a half. His hair lightened to a rusty red color. His facial hair disappeared, and was replaced by glasses. His hair went from gracefully long to short and badly cut in seconds. Sirius also gained a bit of a gut, as his muscle gave way to fat. His robes tightened around the waist. He'd forgotten that young Jonas had been a pig. They were both Gryffindors, so they quickly took robes from their own younger selves' respective drawers and put them on in a flash.
Remus looked at Sirius and laughed. "You turned into a little obese goblin!"
"Oh yeah?" Sirius shot back. "You turned into a walking broomstick!"
Remus stopped laughing and looked at Sirius with an odd look. Sirius shrugged. "I should have chosen handsomer folks," he said.
Remus nodded in agreement. "No matter, we need to get to the Quidditch field! Here, let's take an extra bottle each," Remus grabbed two more flasks of Polyjuice and tossed one at Sirius, who grabbed it and stuffed it in his pocket. The pair fled down the hall and out of Hogwarts, towards the Quidditch field. They simply blended in with the crowd of people heading down to the field. Lily was a few rows in front of them. She was talking with Severus Snape.
"Why the bloody hell would she want to associate with Snivellus Snape?" Sirius whispered to Remus. Remus shrugged and kept walking.
When they arrived at the field, Sirius and Remus stood in the back of the crowd. Sirius had to stand on the back railing to be able to see over the crowd. Both of them quickly got sight of James and Bastet flying around at the speed of light. They did a few somersaults (getting the Gryffindors cheering) and high-fived each other. Bastet then looked towards Sirius and waved. Sirius waved back, but she was waving at Young Sirius, who happened to only be standing a few yards away with Young Remus and Peter beside him. Young Sirius winked and waved back. Old Sirius couldn't help but admire how incredibly beautiful she was, with her long hair flying behind her like a banner. Her hair was yellow-gold today…one of the Gryffindor colors. Coincedence? Sirius didn't think so. He had always suspected that she was a Metamorphagus, and today was a good day for him to prove it…
Madam Hooch released the Quaffle, and the game began. The bludgers and Snitch were then released. The Gryffindors began chanting "Go, go, Gryffindor!" Remus and Sirius began chanting too, even though they knew the game was theirs already. They just didn't want to spoil it for everyone else.
James was quite the Chaser. He scored two goals within the first 90 seconds of the game. The Slytherins were already booing him and his teammates…they never really were good sports. James nearly got clobbered by a flying bludger after a few more minutes, but luckily, Bastet managed to hit it the other way with the end of her broom, as there were no Beaters nearby. James and Bastet nodded at each other and kept playing.
Bastet was also an exceptional player. For the first 20 minutes, she didn't let a single Slytherin Quaffle fly by her. Then, something happened Sirius HAD forgotten for some reason. A Slytherin Beater was riding alongside a Slytherin Chaser who had the Quaffle. He saw a bludger fly close, and he gave a smirk and looked at Bastet, smacking the bludger right at her. Both Siriuses shouted a warning, but it was too late. Bastet, in an attempt to avert the bludger, got knocked off her broom, which fell to the earth. Bastet's quick reflexes, however, allowed her to grip onto the center ring and hold on for dear life. She had no chance to stop the Slytherins from scoring three times in quick succession. The Gryffindors were all on the edge of their seats, booing the cheating Slytherins, and in turn, the Slytherins were cheering for their team to keep scoring bit by bit.
Sirius noticed Young Remus begin muttering something under his breath. Bastet's broom was beginning to shake and hover a little bit underneath her. Sirius turned to Remus and whispered. "Remus, look at yourself! You're trying some wandless magic to give Bastet her broom!"
Remus smiled. "You can thank me later," he said, smirking. Meanwhile, Young Remus wasn't having much luck. He hadn't hit his main growth spurt until 6th year, so his eye contact kept getting broken. Old Sirius bit his lip as Young Sirius began to look very worried.
James on the field was trying to get low enough so he could get the broom for her. The Slytherins scored a few more times…and the game was tied. James couldn't get low enough. Bastet kept holding on for dear life over 100 feet in the air. Suddenly, she let one hand go. The Gryffindors gasped. Old Sirius suddenly recalled something and relaxed his shoulders. Old Remus, seeing this, did the same, knowing what Sirius was thinking. Their younger selves were still hissing and shouting in anxiety.
Bastet reached with her free hand and shouted, "Accio, broomstick!"
The broom flew off the ground and shot up into Bastet's hand with a single move. Bastet quickly got on her broom and got back to her post. The Gryffindors cheered, and Young Sirius and Peter hugged each other. Old Remus turned to Sirius.
"That's quite the lady you had there!" he muttered, elbowing Sirius in the stomach.
About 5 minutes later, the Seekers suddenly took off. Another few minutes, and the Gryffindor Seeker caught the Golden Snitch and waved it over his head. Everyone cheered as the Gryffindors crowded around Bastet and whoever the team Seeker was.
Old Sirius smiled. This game was even better to watch the second time around!
Bastet was injured somewhat when the bludger attacked her, so she was taken to the hospital and diagnosed by Madame Pomfrey as having a few cuts and bruises along her arm, and a sprained elbow. Bastet was put in a sling, but before she could get out of bed to go back downstairs for lunch, she was crowded around by her fellow Gryffindors, admiring her bravery to hold on. James, Young Sirius, and Young Remus, along with Lily, were trying to edge their way to the front of the crowd. Old Remus and Sirius stayed behind to observe.
"I just thought of something," said Remus, leaning down to whisper to Sirius.
"What?"
"Pettigrew's all over us," said Remus. "Look!"
Sirius looked up. Indeed, little Peter was literally hanging off the back of James' robes in order to keep up with them.
"It's going to be hard to get them apart," said Remus. "And James was the one who insisted on letting him in with us. It might not be possible…"
Suddenly, as if on cue, James shoved Peter backwards, making him lose balance and fall backwards. The three Marauders didn't turn back to look at Peter, but instead edged their way to Bastet to ask how she was doing, etc. Peter got red in the face.
Sirius and Remus squinted and observed as a boy in green Slytherin robes whom neither of them knew before helped him get to his feet. Sirius and Remus had to act uninterested as the boy, who was clearly at least a 6th year, pulled Peter to the side.
"You alright, mate?" he asked.
"Yeah," nodded Peter.
"Do they…" asked the Slytherin boy, pointing at James and Young Sirius, "DO they always treat you like dirt?"
Peter thought a moment as Sirius and Remus leaned in to listen. "Sometimes. But they're all I've got," he said finally. "I can take some abuse…"
"But do you DESERVE abuse?"
"Huh…I guess not…" Peter said. "It normally isn't James as much as it is Sirius."
Old Sirius had to be held back by Old Remus to keep him from pouncing on Peter.
The Slytherin boy nodded again observantly. "Sirius is a git," he said. "Don't tell anyone, but I heard he cheats on his little rainbow-haired girlfriend…"
Old Sirius turned to Remus. "I did no such thing! Bastet was the world to me!"
Remus sighed. "I believe you."
Peter nodded with a small gasp. "He DOES get a lot of attention from the girls," he noted. "He could have any pick of girl in the school."
"Yet he sticks with a mudblood freak with the hair that comes in six designer colors," said the boy. Peter snorted back a laugh. "Peter, if you ever feel you need any REAL friends…" the boy pulled back his sleeve. A Dark Mark was permanently burned into his arm.
"Cool! A tattoo?" asked Peter. The other boy shook his head. His long blonde hair fell in his face ominously.
"Shit!" muttered Old Remus. "I know him! That's Lucius Malfoy!"
Sirius had already recognized him.
"Not just a tattoo, it's a Mark. If ever you need anybody worthy enough to talk to, come see me…"
"And I can get one too?"
"Yes," said Lucius Malfoy. Peter looked back at James and Sirius, who were hoisting Bastet up onto their shoulders like a heroine.
"But, they DID agree to be my friend," Peter said hesistantly.
"But just think about it…are they REALLY your friends?" asked Lucius. Before Peter said another word, Lucius disappeared into the crowd of people. Peter still looked confused and a little hurt, but he ran off to joint the crowd cheering on Bastet, the hero of the day.
Sirius and Remus looked at each other. Sirius grinned. "This changes things a bit."
"Now what?" asked Remus. Sirius chuckled a little bit to himself. Finally, things were coming together.
"We use the Time Turner and spring forward…to the night of the Yule Ball!"