Harry Potter. No, that couldn't be right. He must be reading the name wrong. But no, no matter how many times he blinked, the name remained the same. And, James thought, he should've expected it.
Harry rushed forwards and snatched the map out of James's trembling hands. He willed his arms to take it back, but they were locked in position. Sirius hadn't yet seen the names scrawled in ink, so he was looking at James with a worried expression.
"Prongs?" he asked cautiously.
James raised his eyes to meet Harry's. "Who are you?" he whispered.
But Harry had already turned towards Hermione. "I forgot about the map," he said while he handed her the parchment. "Could you charm it so-"
"I'll try," she responded. "But I'm not entirely sure how it works to begin with. Just give me a moment." She retreated back to the table to work while the four Marauders stood rooted to the spot.
"What do you mean, 'I forgot about the map'?" Remus asked. "You've only just seen it." Remus turned to James. "What did you see?"
"You see, that map never lies, so any trick won't hold. Who are you, and why did you lie to us?" James said, his voice, though stronger, wavered a bit.
"We can't tell you," Ron said.
"But I've seen your true names, Weasley. They just don't make sense." As James threw the name at Ron, he flinched and lowered his gaze.
"Hold it," Sirius said. "You're telling me he's a Weasley?! So then, what does that make you?" Sirius said while pointing at Harry.
"It doesn't matter right now," Harry snapped. "You were never meant to see that. None of you were."
"You're a Potter, aren't you." Peter had finally found his voice in the room and was looking directly at Harry.
When Harry hesitated, Sirius shouted, "He is! You're a Potter! But how can that be possible? James doesn't have any cousins."
"Just stop asking because we can't tell you," Harry echoed Ron's words.
"What year are you from?" James asked. "It's the only explanation, the reason you three can navigate the castle, how you know about the map, why Dumbledore is protecting you. Why you look like me," James said.
Harry looked to Ron, who merely shrugged, but kept glaring at Sirius. "It's up to you, mate," Ron said.
"Hermione?" Harry called out to the girl who was waving her wand determinedly over the Marauder's map. She shook her head as she said, "It won't change no matter what spell I use on it. They're stuck like that, Harry." She held the paper in her hand as she brought it back to James, who snatched it back.
"The map never lies, unlike some," he said coldly.
"Now, listen here," Hermione said with authority in her voice. "What we're about to tell you must never leave this room or else dire consequences will ensue. Understand?" All four boys nodded vigorously. "We have mistakenly traveled back twenty years and are now presently stuck in 1977." She stopped, so each boy could take in her information. When it looked as if they weren't going to drop to the floor in shock, she continued. "Dumbledore was searching for a way to send us back, but he hasn't found anything useful yet-"
"So you mean to say," Sirius interrupted, "you're from the year 1997?"
"Use your brain, Padfoot," Remus hissed. "Of course that's what they're saying."
"You're my son, aren't you," James said around the pit that had formed in his stomach. Harry gulped and nodded. "You look so much like me. Except your eyes…" James trailed off, his expression remaining blank.
"My mum's eyes," Harry said automatically before he thought clearly. Hermione and Sirius exploded at the same time. Hermione turned red with fury as Sirius clapped James on the back.
"Harry!" Hermione shrieked.
"I told you she'd warm up to you!" Sirius shouted at the same time. "James and Lily Potter, good on you, mate!"
"You!" Hermione yelled, pointing at Sirius. "Stop celebrating! You four were never even meant to find out about us, let alone congratulate each other. You've all sworn none of this leaves the room, and you're to not bother Lily about it." Hermione stopped and rubbed her temple with her fingers. "For we know, we could've just changed the future."
Ron went over to Hermione then and wrapped his arms around her. At first she looked surprised, but then leaned into his embrace. Harry stood awkwardly to the side, looking down at his feet so he wouldn't have to see James's eyes.
But James was moving towards Harry. He reached out to touch Harry on the shoulder, but Harry instantly recoiled, as if burned by fire. They stood there, petrified, until Harry looked away again. "I think you should go," he said.
James wanted to protest because he still had so many unanswered question left, but he knew they would remain unanswered. He grabbed Sirius with the hand that wasn't clutching the Marauder's map and pulled him away from Hermione and Ron. Remus and Peter followed suit, closing the door behind them.
For a moment, all four boys remained silent while they stood in the empty corridor. Then Remus said, "Well, that went well." The remark sent three of the four boys chuckling under their breath. All except for one, shy and stuttering boy. Peter knew he would have to tell his master, for the Potter's were one of the Dark Lord's adversaries.
"I have to go," Peter mumbled before hurrying off away from the seventh floor corridor.
"That was weird," Sirius said absentmindedly.
"Out of this whole day, that's the thing that surprises you?" Remus asked sarcastically.
Sirius made a face at his friend. "I didn't say that was the only thing." He then smiled mischievously. "What will be weird is seeing how Prongs here will act around Evans tomorrow. Will he go for the rejection or leave her to her work? The game is afoot."
While Remus smacked Sirius upside the head, James was still comprehending the events that had just taken place. The trio had traveled twenty years into the past, and one of them was his son, who was the same age as James, who hasn't been born yet, who said James would eventually marry Lily Evans, a girl who despised his very being. He was finding that seeing Lily tomorrow would be extremely difficult. Should he approach her again about going out, or should he just have history take its course? Hermione had worried about the future being changed, so he just had to do whatever he'd done before, in their timeline. His head hurt more than it ever did in the past. He should sleep on it. Maybe the answer will present itself after a good night's sleep.
"C'mon, let's head back to the common room before anyone finds us," James decided. He took the cloak from Remus, and the three boys quietly slipped under it before making their way back to their beds.
At the same time, in the girl's dormitory, Lily Evans was finalizing her plan. She grinned as she pictured James's face when he saw her kissing another boy. She didn't know why she wanted him to feel embarrassment so much, she just knew she wanted payback for drawing too much attention to her over the years. There was, though, a small sliver of pity and guilt resting in her, but she paid that sliver no mind. The plan was set and she was ready. She just wondered if Harry would go along with it.
A/N: So sorry for being so late on this update! I have no good excuses other than being lazy. I also apologize for making this chapter so short. I just wanted to finish it so I could get it out to all of my followers soon. That sounds a little weird, doesn't it? I have followers, like serial killer Joe Carroll in The Following. I just hope none of you guys kill anyone for sooner updates, cause that might get a little awkward. Anyway, hoped you like their reactions :)