Chapter 7: Wicked! Really? Bloody Hell!
Molly's scream snapped Remus and Sirius out of their stunned immobility and they literally launched themselves, wands out, into the parlor. As they skidded to a halt they saw that Ron and Harry were standing, wands pointed at the almost carbon copies of themselves, who were lounging, apparently quite unconcerned, on the sofas. Fred, George and Ginny were focused on a tall sandy haired copy of Draco Malfoy, who was standing with his back against the wall. Stepping protectively in front of their target, glaring at the Weasley siblings, was a girl who was being covered by Hermione. Remus and Sirius looked at each other and shrugged. Nobody moved for a long minute and then Dan slowly stood and stretched out his hand to Harry.
"Hello, Harry. I'm Dan Radcliffe. This is Rupert, that's Emma and Tom and we are Muggles. So, would you mind not pointing your wands at us; we are quite helpless against your magic and harmless as far as you're concerned."
Harry stared for a second and then lowered his wand and shook Dan's hand.
"What's going on?" Harry asked, noting that the others continued to keep their wands trained on the intruders. He smiled inwardly. 'Constant Vigilance'.
"Easiest answer? You sent us back in time to help defeat Voldemort and save some people from dying . . . hopefully. Well, that's the plan, anyway."
"You used a 'Time Turner'?" Hermione questioned Emma, who showed her the one she was wearing, nodding. Hermione lowered her wand and turned to look at Harry. "It's possible, Harry, you know that."
"What's 'Ferretface' doing here, then?" Fred flicked his wand in Tom's direction.
Tom threw back his head and laughed, startling the twins and causing Emma to smack him on the arm, smiling. Dan walked over and took hold of Ginny's hand, pushing her wand down gently. "May I introduce Tom Felton: actor, musician, wildlife conservationist, crack fisherman and snappy dresser." Tom bowed to Ginny, who looked from Dan to Tom and then giggled and pocketed her wand, as did the twins.
"I don't understand." Molly sat down on the nearest chair. "If you came back . . . if you were sent . . . but you look just like . . . oh dear . . . "
"Mrs. Weasley." Emma came over and got down on her knees in front of the family matriarch, took both of Molly's hands in hers and began to explain. "In May of 1998, there will be a horrendous battle at Hogwarts, nearly destroying the castle. Harry will defeat Voldemort, but at a terrible price. So Harry, Ron, Hermione and Draco came to us and asked if we would help set things on a different path . . . still defeating Voldemort, but saving as many lives as possible in the process."
"But you're Muggles . . . how do you know . . . you look almost identical . . . ."
"We're actors and we have spent ten years of our lives filming the story of Harry's life at Hogwarts The stories were taken from a set of books about Harry, so we know what's going to happen and how and when we can help you all change history."
"Wait, what year are we talking about . . . what year is it when you come back?" Ron asked, putting his wand away and shaking Rupert's hand.
"Ah, 2012, actually," Rupert replied, grinning.
"Wicked!" "Really?" "Bloody hell!"
"Why didn't we come back ourselves? Hermione and I used a Time Turner to save Sirius, so why not do this ourselves?" Harry looked at Dan, who scratched his head.
"Well," Dan started to explain, but turned to Tom. "What did Draco say about that Tom?"
"Long story short; all of the Time Turners were smashed and we'll tell you about that, too, but are being repaired. However, there's a little problem; they are only safe for Wizards and Witches to use for a twenty-four hour trip. Any more time than that is actually fatal; they're working on fixing that bit but it turns out Muggles can use Time Turners without any ill effects . . . the fact that Muggles don't know they exist makes it a moot point, but there it is." Tom shrugged. "Draco didn't get too detailed on how they figured it out, but we were the next best thing; we're you, but not, so the "must not be seen" rule doesn't apply, sort of; it's not easy to explain, but . . ."
"How does Draco know all of this?" Remus finally joined in the conversation.
"Well, it's his job, actually; he works in the Department of Mysteries." Rupert answered, smiling at the open mouthed response to that bit of news. "Yeah, Mr. Clean is one of the good guys."
That brought smiles to Emma and Dan's faces and a snort of laughter from Tom.
"Inside joke," he said to the twins, who shook their heads in disbelief, then looked at each other and silently mouthed 'Mr. Clean?', as wicked grins spread across their faces. Tom rolled his eyes. "I'll tell you two later," he whispered, winking at them.
"So, how are you all going to do this?" Sirius asked the big question. "You can't just walk around in the Wizarding world or go to Hogwarts or . . . "
"'Actually," Emma stood and turned to face Harry's Godfather. "We were there just an hour or two ago, met with Headmistress McGonagall and talked to Albus' portrait."
"WHAT!" "Albus is dead?" "That's not possible!" "Bloody hell!" "Minerva is Headmistress!?"
There was a general uproar as questions started flying and it took a few moments to get everyone quiet.
"Okay, settle down, everyone!" Remus raised his voice and the noise level dropped. "I'm sure our guests will have all the answers to your questions, if we give them a chance to talk."
"Thanks, Remus," Dan responded with a smile. "Actually, we need to do a few things first and then, hopefully all of your questions will be answered."
Emma nudged Dan and handed him an envelope.
"I think these might help prove we are who we say we are," said Dan, as he handed Harry a magically sealed note. Emma and Rupert handed similar envelopes to Hermione and Ron.
Tom waved his note for Draco. "Draco will get his in a bit."
"We also have notes for the rest of you, as we knew you'd be here." Emma reached into her tote and retrieved the half dozen notes: for the twins, Ginny, Molly, Remus and Sirius. "Everyone else we have to talk to will just have to take our word. We know, for instance, what Minerva and Albus gave to each other this morning as Christmas gifts . . . how could we know if they hadn't told us themselves?" She passed out the notes. "Mad-eye, we'll have to convince in person . . somehow. Severus, Tonks, Draco and Narcissa . . . we'll deal with them one to one."
After reading the information sent to them from the future, all looked up, eyes wide.
"There's no way anyone knows about this, but me," Sirius said. "Except Harry."
"Same here." Harry agreed. "I never told anyone about this." He waved the note.
"So this really is true." Molly looked up, shaking her head. " I can hardly believe it."
"Welcome to our world, Molly," Dan smiled at her. "It's been that kind of day."
"Do I smell cinnamon rolls?" Rupert took a step toward the door "We interrupted your meal, didn't we?"
"Yes, we were just starting our Christmas luncheon," Molly stood. "There's plenty, would you care to join us?"
Rupert walked over and gave Molly a hug. "Thanks, 'Mum'! We growing boys need our food! Right, Ron?" He looked over his shoulder at Ron and grinned.
"Right you are, Rupert! Follow me, everybody!"
X X X
"Draco, please stop pacing and sit down," urged Ginny.
"What? Oh, sorry . . . right . . . bugger, I hate waiting," muttered Draco, as he collapsed onto one of the armchairs, leaned back and closed his eyes.
"We'll know soon enough, mate," Harry tried to reassure him.
"Did we do the right thing?" Hermione whispered.
"If we save even a few people that didn't make it the first time, it'll have been worth it," Ron assured her, kissing her on the top of her head as she snuggled next to him.
"From your mouth to God's ear, Ron." Harry looked over at Ron and smiled.
X X X
After Molly had summoned more plates and everyone had sorted themselves out and were seated around the long table in the kitchen, they tucked in and had a great time just chatting, making small talk, getting to know a bit about the visitors. As everyone finished, Sirius stood and called for attention.
"I'd like to welcome our guests to my house, such as it is, and in the same breath, I have to warn you . . ." he started.
"Mad-eye will be here soon and we'd better be able to prove ourselves, or he WILL blast us into next week," Dan finished.
"How did you know . . " Remus started to ask.
"Chapter twenty-three," replied Emma, holding up the copy of 'Order of the Phoenix'. "Page five-oh-five, and I quote:
'Once they had had their Christmas lunch, the Weasleys and Harry and Hermione were planning to pay Mr. Weasley another visit, escorted by Mad-Eye and Lupin.'
That's one of the reasons we picked this time and date to show up; to catch you before you go to St. Mungo's but after you have dealt with the attack on Mr. Weasley." She looked at the red heads ranged down the table. "All of you Weasleys would have been too upset to process this a few days ago and Harry was too busy sorting out his guilt, isn't that right, Harry?" Emma turned and gazed at the young Wizard, watching him blush and nod his head.
"Harry," Dan looked at him, having decided to start changing some attitudes. "You are going to learn an awful lot, very quickly and some of it will make you very mad. It's about time you were given all the facts, so you can focus on what has to be done against Voldemort and stop wasting time alternately feeling guilty or feeling unappreciated or both!"
"Hey, that's my Godson you're insulting!" Sirius growled.
"Yes, he is, but if you listen to us, you'll be one of the first to benefit. Otherwise, Sirius." Dan looked straight at Padfoot. "You'll be dead in six months, and then Harry will have a massive case of the guilts, until the day he dies, thinking he caused your death!"
"What?!" Sirius and Harry both gasped and looked at each other. "Dead?"
"BUT!" Dan stood to make his point. "We can change that! That's the whole point! As it stands, now, when Harry finally kills Voldemort, you," pointing at Sirius. "You." Pointing at Remus. "And you," Pointing at Fred. "Will be dead." Molly gasped and covered her mouth, tears springing to her eyes. "Along with Albus, Mad-Eye, Tonks, Colin Creevey, Severus and more than fifty of your friends and their families."
Ginny put her arm around her mother's shoulder, as did Hermione, trying to comfort her.
"Hermione," Emma said softly, "You can start today, by saving a life at St. Mungo's."
That statement got everyone's attention.
"There's going to be an attack?" Remus demanded.
"Yes and no. . . it's a sneaky little plot by Voldemort. Broderick Bode is in the extended care ward and someone sends him a plant for Christmas. It's Devil's Snare and nobody notices or recognizes what it is, until it strangles him to death next week."
"How did it get in there?" Harry asked.
"Delivered by a Death Eater, today, as a gift. The Medi-witch didn't realize what it was, just thought it was a house plant someone had sent to him; she's terribly busy with all the holiday fuss. It's sitting on his bedside stand when Ron, Hermione and you go looking for the tea-room today, you'll run into Gilderoy Lockheart and then you'll see Neville."
"Gilderoy?" Hermione gasped.
"Neville? What's he doing with Lockheart?" Ron asked, completely baffled.
"He's visiting his folks." Dan offered, looking at Harry. "Correct?"
"Yes." Harry replied in a whisper, head down.
"His folks? What is he talking about, Harry?" asked Ginny.
Harry took a big breath and shook his head. "I promised . . . "
"I didn't." Dan put his hand on Harry's shoulder. "Remus and Molly know, of course - oh, sorry, Mrs. Weasley."
"No, that's quite alright, dear, call me Molly."
"Thank you. Anyway, Bella Lestrange, Barty Crouch Jr. and a couple other Death Eaters, tortured Neville's folks with the 'Cruciatus Curse' back when Voldemort disappeared, after he tried to kill Harry, to the point of permanently damaging their minds. They've been in St. Mungo's ever since. Neville and his Gran will be there visiting and you'll see them, meet Gran and that's where we think you can change things, Hermione."
"Me? How?" Hermione looked up, surprised.
"Just as Neville and his Gran start to leave, after Neville's Mum gives him the wrapper - you'll know what I mean as it happens - stop Neville and ask him what the plant is on Bode's table. Tell him it looks familiar but you can't' remember what it's called . . . something like that."
"Can't remember!" yelped Ron. "That stuff almost killed us, first year!
"We know Ron," Rupert assured him, "but this is a little cutting, not a room full of the stuff!"
"Then Neville will recognize it for the dangerous plant it is and it'll be removed!" Hermione continued Dan's thought. "Brilliant!"
"And," Emma added, "Neville will get a bit of positive attention for once, give his ego a boost and raise his Gran's estimation of him, all in one!"
"This could work!" Harry sat there smiling. "This could really work!"
They were all smiling and nodding when a voice rang out, freezing them all in their seats.
"First one moves, it'll be their last conscious act today!"
Mad-eye had arrived!
Wand out, scowling, his Magical blue eye whirling around rapidly, he stood in the doorway, checking out all of the people sitting at the table.
"Who the bloody hell are these Muggles?"
X X X
Ginny was looking around, a frown on her face.
"Harry?"
"Hmmm?"
"If Sirius doesn't die, this is his house . . . where will we be living?"
"Don't have a clue . . . does it matter, as long as we're together?"
"Well, of course it doesn't matter where, but . . ."
"But what?"
"I wonder how Sirius will decorate this room?"
Harry turned, looked at his wife and then burst out laughing! When he caught his breath he hugged her and whispered in her ear. "The fate of our world is being changed and you're worried about paint colors." Feeling her stiffen, he kissed her neck and then looked in her eyes. "That's why I love you, Ginny, you always bring me back to reality and help me keep my head on straight."
She smiled back and buried her face in his chest. "I love you, Harry Potter."
X X X
"Mad-eye?" Dan spoke first, not moving a muscle.
"And who might you be?"
"Dan . . . Dan Radcliffe. Please tell me Mundungus isn't there with you."
"Why would you want to know?"
"Well, for starters . . . he's got a big mouth and would sell us out, in a heartbeat, to save his worthless hide." Tom put in his two cents worth, turned and faced Mad-Eye. "I'm Tom, by the way."
"Malfoy!"
"Felton!"
"What?"
"Oh, for Merlin's sake, Mad-Eye!" shouted Molly, as she rose and headed toward the old Auror. "These young people are here to save us from ourselves, it would seem. They were sent back to NOW, by Harry, Ron, Hermione and Draco, to help us! Now put that wand away and sit down!"
She stood facing Mad-Eye, hands on hips, her best 'don't-you-dare-argue-with-me' look in her eyes. Fortunately, Mad-Eye knew better than even try anything as foolish as that, so he stowed his wand and stumped over to the nearest chair and sat down.
"Good one, Molly," Rupert whispered out of the side of his mouth, when she sat back down next to him, causing her to blush. "That famous Prewett/Weasley temper saves the day."
"Seriously, Mad-eye, we can't be seen by Mundungus, so we'll have to wait until you all get back from St. Mungo's to explain. Right now, we need to hide, because it says in the book he comes in and has some Christmas pudding before you all leave to see Mr. Weasley." Emma spoke up, smiling at the grumbling ex-Auror.
"How about the back parlor, he won't be going near it, if we keep a eye on him, anyway." Sirius suggested.
"Right, let's get up there; grab your bag Emma . . . Tom . . . Dan . . . help me get our plates into the sink, so he'll not get suspicious." Rupert directed, as he grabbed Emma's and his plate, cup and cutlery and put them in the nearby sink. "Molly, some hot, sudsy water to cover them will do the trick, please."
"Certainly." With a wave of her wand, the sink filled with steaming water and piles of suds.
"Perfect!" Rupert planted a kiss on Molly's cheek, making her giggle and blush, until she saw her children watching her with quizzical looks.
"Oh . . .well . . . Ah . . . I better get the pudding out!" She bustled off to the pantry while her children shook their heads.
Dan snapped his fingers. "Oh, one thing, remember to act surprised about Neville's parents because nobody is supposed to know."
"You're right, Dan. Wait, let me read the scene, as quickly as I can." Emma stopped and pulled out her copy of Book Five. Harry, Ginny, Hermione and Ron gathered around her, while the others moved chairs and repositioned everything on the table to make it look 'normal'.
"Dan, thanks for doing this for Neville," said Harry, as Emma finished and put her book back in the tote.
"Neville is a great guy, one ferocious fighter and he's the one who kills Nagini, the snake that attacked Mr. Weasley, during the Battle at Hogwarts," Dan informed the group."With Gryffindor's sword, no less!"
"Whoa!" "Really!" "Go Neville!" "The snake that bit Arthur!? Splendid!"
Dan motioned to Harry and when he came over, whispered in his ear. Harry listened, nodding and then a smile appeared on his face. He turned and nodded. "That's an excellent idea, Dan, I'll see what I can do about that."
"If you lot are going to hide from 'Dung', who better hurry; he's due any minute." Mad-Eye announced, checking his watch, having silently observed all the interaction among the group. He didn't know, quite, what was going on, but it looked to be on the up and up. 'We'll see.' he thought.
"Right, come with me," Sirius called, heading upstairs, the four visitors right behind him. They hurried down the hall, into a smaller but equally dismal parlor at the back of the house. Just as Sirius closed the door behind them, Mundungus walked in the front door, heading for the basement and the smell of food, although it didn't stop him from slowing to take a peek into the front parlor. Turning, he jumped and gave a small yelp when he saw Sirius coming toward him.
"Oh! Sirius, ah, Happy Christmas! Something smells mighty tasty! Any pudding left?"
"We were waiting for you, Dung. I was coming to see if you'd gotten here, when you came through the door."
"Well, then, let's not waste time flappin' our gums! Molly's Christmas puddings are famous and I've been looking forward to this all morning."
Ears pressed to the door, Dan, Emma, Rupert and Tom listened to the conversation fade as the two men descended the stairs.
"So far, so good . . maybe." Rupert remarked, as he spotted a cupboard that was shaking, it's drawers rattling.
"Okay, as soon as they go, we'll set up in the bigger parlor. When everyone returns from St. Mungo's, we'll start with a movie and see how that goes." Tom suggested.
"We'll appeal to Sirius' Marauder side, first, to get the electricity plug-in set up," Rupert said, rubbing his hands together.
"And I'm going to read him the riot act about a few things!" Dan wore an evil grin. "He's not going to like me very much, but if it saves his life, I don't much care!"
"Especially when I tell him about his involvement in our other plan, later." Ron added. "HE!HE!HE!"
"You all are having way too much fun with this," hissed Emma, rolling her eyes. "And keep your voices down!"