Fixing the Past
4) The Adults Notice
Disclaimer: Nope, I don't own any of the characters or the world.
31 July 1975
Potter Manor, Wales
The Lord of the House was finally able to shake himself out of his self-induced shock as he pressed his Lord's ring. "Family meeting, meet in ten minutes."
Then he promptly ran downstairs and stuck his head into the Floo, and shouted, "12 Grimmauld Place!"
He was greeted by a sneering Walburga Black, who said with utter disgust in her voice: "Lord Potter. How can a bloo-" and was interrupted: "Get the Lord Black here if you know what's good for you!" Lord Potter loudly declared. Walburga immediately paled as she ran to fetch the Lord of the House, but not before she spat on the floor in front of the Floo.
The Lord Black, Arcturus walked in about a minute later and immediately knew what was going on. The Black Family Tapestry had updated itself with one Harry Potter under his sister Dorea. As Dorea had lost to ability to reproduce about five years after the birth of his nephew James, he was astonished that it even occurred. He was quite sure that Dorea did not have twins in 1960, because he had been there that happy night.
"Let me through," he said. Charlus Potter nodded and took his head out of the Floo. Nearly ten seconds later, Arcturus came through and was followed by Charlus's brother, Fleamont and his wife Euphemia.
Charlus could not resist to jab at his brother. "Brother! Any dogs come running?" Fleamont glared at Charlus and growled playfully, "Shut up." Euphemia rolled her eyes.
The Floo activated itself again and Dorea came through, having scrambled to get off early from her shift at St. Mungo's. His son James walked himself through the door after hearing the commotion. He immediately bowed in greeting. "Uncles. Aunt."
Charlus growled. "No time for pleasantries. The Potter family tree decided to add three names to itself."
Dorea gasped. The Potter family tree did not update itself unless someone was born, which was obvious. But Charlus, Fleamont, and James were currently the last three male Potters. Unless James impregnated some girl at Hogwarts? But he couldn't have. She raised him to be better than that.
Her thoughts were proven wrong as Charlus continued: "Two names under Fleamont. One name under mine." The entire room was soaked in silence, as they processed this information. "And what will we do regarding our three new family members?" asked Fleamont.
"Find them." said Arcturus. Fleamont and Euphemia suddenly looked at him in shock. They had only just realized the Lord Black was present. Fleamont's eyes narrowed, voice grew angry. "What are you doing here?" he asked accusingly. "This is Potter business. You have no right to be h-."
"Enough." said Charlus. "He is here at my invitation." Fleamont wisely shut his mouth, but he still glared daggers at Arcturus.
Although Arcturus Black was technically Fleamont's brother-in-law, he never brought himself to acknowledge it. During Grindelwald's War, Henry and Richard Potter had met their ends at the mercy of Blacks. Richard was the middle sibling of the Potters; he was most loved. When he died at the wand of Cassiopeia Black, a piece of Fleamont died. Henry had died in a Lord's duel against Pollux, the Black patriarch at the time. His death would later be avenged by Chris Yaxley. Charlus, his wife being a Black, got over the grief rather quickly, but that resilience has not come for Fleamont.
Dorea spoke up: "How exactly do we find these three boys?" Charlus shrugged. That was the problem. As far as he is concerned, they could be in France, in the Colonies, or even Russia. "A blood ritual will suffice," Arcturus said. "It was a Black family ritual, to locate any renegades."
Fleamont scoffed. "Of course you Blacks would have that."
The instructions were fairly simple. The Lord would need to provide three drops of blood and then a quiet incantation of Familia Revelio was to be said. Although it sounded like a spell, blood was needed, making it blood magic and thus a ritual.
Charlus pointed his cherry wand at a empty piece of parchment, and immediately a map of Britain appeared. Five Potters in Wales, gathered here in the Potter Manor, but three more Potters were gathered in the woods of Northumberland. Charlus was a bit surprised.
He wondered aloud, "What are they doing near Scotland?"
2 August 1975
Woods near the Scottish Border, Northumberland
They've been camping for two days out in these woods.
Fred and George had initially suggested seeking out Dumbledore at Hogwarts, but Harry knew that would not work out. Although Dumbledore could possibly help them in their little situation, he could not know of their time-travel paradox—or in Fred's case, returning from the dead. Dumbledore would drag them into his little scheme, which could make things worse.
They had gotten their original wands at Ollivanders, and they applied a little known charm that removed the Trace from the wand. Then they Apparated to these woods, and nearly escaped the Ministry.
So what are they doing now? Well, apparently Harry had also packed on his old Firebolt, and now Fred and George were taking an initiative of "inventing" the Firebolt and to possibly make it better.
When you see Fred and George's academic grades, one would be disappointed. 6 OWLs combined, no NEWTs, but one need not be discouraged; genius is not always expressed through academic excellence. They were not the owners of Weasley's Wizard Wheezes for no reason. By now, they had almost finished their little project, renamed "Lightning Bolt".
Fred and George squinted at the two new brooms in concentration. "Just another charm," Fred muttered. George placed said charm, and immediately the brooms rose in the air, a little display of red sparks coming out of the front end. The air hummed, and a wave of positive feeling washed over the trio. Harry looked up from his Advanced Dueling book and smiled. "Brooms done?" Fred and George grinned simultaneously; "Done." they both said.
Harry's smile grew wider. "Then what are you waiting for? Let's test it!" Joyfully, the twins clambered onto their new brooms, and immediately, like a bolt, they were off. Harry stared at them dreamily. Things were looking up. With Fred back in action, George's morale was at an all time high. Harry surmised that these twins could invent or modify just about anything.
After thirty minutes, the twins came back down. Fred was holding a Muggle speedometer, and he said eagerly, "Naught to 300 miles in five seconds!" He gasped. This broom was two times faster than his original Firebolt. If the broom was to be sold, it would cost a fortune.
The trio happily indulged in their midday meal of lettuce sandwiches and beef; they had bought a good supply of portable food from the nearby Muggle town before they had indulged themselves in isolation. It didn't feel like Molly Weasley's cooking, but it was certainly something.
Fred wolfed down his last sandwich when he heard a twig snap around the tent. Everyone froze.
Being on high alert mode, Harry sent a silent Homenum Revelio into the surrounding areas. They heard loud gasps as the charm washed over possibly invisible people. Well, not invisible anymore. With their location now compromised, the tent, with a flick of the wand, packed itself up and flew into Harry's pocket. The trio scrambled to put their hands together to make the jump.
Lord Charlus Potter watched as the three teenage Potters worked very efficiently and was astounded when he felt a revealing spell reveal their locations. Teenagers should not know these type of spells.
He heard a gasp from Dorea, to which he shook his head. Dorea frantically gestured to one of the boys. Soon Charlus also had emitted a gasp; one of those boys looked identical to his own James...except he had green eyes. What Potter had green eyes?
He folded his fingers into a fist as he heard a CRACK! They were gone now, Charlus thought. Now they would have to go back to the Manor and consult the blood-drawn map.
Meanwhile, three boys haggered into a motel in Inverness, extremely exhausted. After reserving a room, they walked straight into three comfy beds and were absorbed by slumber's domain.
A/N
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