----

There was darkness everywhere...everywhere...The only thing that could be seen was the occasional blink from one of the many pairs of eyes that peered through the darkness. All was still and nothing was heard except for the silent and unknown whisperings that came out of the nothingness of the veil...

The eyes all turned to a loud and sudden bang that resounded through their domicile...The single solitary entrance...and exit, flew open.

A figure fell through, stumbling and wincing as his head his the ground hard. The wand he had been holding flew out of his grasp, clattering hard on the dark, black floor. He must have been stronger than he seemed, for with almost no recovery time at all, he jumped back up, apparently hearing some of the whispers that were coming through the veil. Not even bothering to feel for his wand, the man ran towards the veil, but was stopped short as he discovered that it was solid and he could not get through.

"No...NO! Harry!! HARRY!!" The man cried with all his might, pounding on the wall that wasn't there, but would not go away.

The eyes that were around the room blinked at each other, trying to decide what to make of the being in front of them.

The man started to get desperate. His hands blindly fumbled in the dark as he searched for a way out of the darkness and back into the light. As he moved along the wall, his foot found his fallen wand and he slipped, falling hard on his back and hitting his head once more.

"Bloody..." The man cursed loudly and gingerly reached up to rub his bruised head.

One of the eyes finally spoke.

"Human."

The man jumped, startled to find other people in the room with him. He squinted his eyes tight, trying to make out the forms of the beings that were in the darkness with him.

"What? Who's there?"

He fumbled for his wand and backed up against the wall, holding it in front of him for protection.

"You need not fear us, Wizard. No more harm can come to you..."

The beings weren't quite sure how or why the wizard was there, but it seemed that he was even more clueless that they were.

"What are you? Who are you?" They could see the fear in his eyes easily, but with it, they saw remarkable courage and determination. This man was not afraid of them. He was afraid of not getting back to where he used to be.

"Don't you know where you are?"

The being's voice was raspy and hollow, sending chills through the man's body. "I am in the Department of Mysteries..." he hesitated. "Aren't I?"

The beings blinked to each other, finally understanding what had happened. A few of them chuckled.

"You are no longer in the world of the living, human. Your time is up."

They watched closely as the truth dawned on his face.

"No!" he cried, rushing back over the billowing veil. It was to no avail. All his pounding and screaming and even the tears that escaped his eyes did not good.

He suddenly stopped as he heard the whispers and he pressed his ear on the wall, listening to the voices.

"It's Remus...and Harry...Harry's calling for me..."

The beings rustled around a bit, unsure of what the human was talking about. They did not have long to think before the man turned around, facing them with wild eyes.

"There's some mistake. I'm not supposed to be here..." he pointed his wand out into the darkness where he thought the beings were residing. "Let me out of here..."

They blinked stupidly and seemed to converse with each other. “Foolish mortal..."

A booming voice resounded and shook the room, sending the man to the ground again. A bolt of light came out of nowhere, striking the man's wand and flinging it far out of his reach.

"You are in no position to give orders."

The man looked up with wide eyes, his bottom lip trembling. For a moment, the saw the weakness and vulnerability in him, but it passed very quickly.

"Where am I?" He snarled, clearly not excited to be stuck in the dark.

"You are behind the veil in the Department of Mysteries..."

This didn't seem to surprise him.

"So I'm dead?"

"No."

"Then I'm alive?"

"No."

The man breathed out a large sigh and leaned back against the wall in a relaxed position. "So I'm just kinda here?"

"You are stuck in limbo."

He chuckled. "I hardly believe in Hell and Heaven."

"Which is the exact reason you were stuck here, with us..."

Obviously the man hadn't noticed how many blinking eyes had been staring at him for he suddenly started looking around and surveying his surroundings.

"Who are you?"

"We are the Gitres. Mortals know us as the Fates."

The man's eyes widened. It was clearly not the answer he had been expecting. His mask of coolness was back up almost instantly.

"So where do we go from here?"

"You must choose where you wish to go."

"I have a choice?"

"We have never had a mortal fall through the veil before. Even we cannot see all ends. Choose where you wish to go."

The man seemed to be weighing his options and gathering his courage. He slowly walked forward, towards the Fates' voices. Stopping in front of the largest pair of eyes, they saw his fear vanish.

"Send me back to earth."

A few of the Fate's chuckled. "Silly mortal. You are dead. Life again is not an option."

"Make it one then!"

The fates murmured amongst themselves and the man was content to wait for their answer.

"Human, your life is over, there is nothing we can do."

"Why did it take you so long to tell me no?" He clearly wasn't buying it.

"All mortal lives are our responsibilities. We can do what we want with them. You are dead human. Choose a different road."

"Why do I get a choice?"

"Your life has been led in such a way that you are given many paths to choose from. The particular events in your life that were good have outweighed your bad deeds. Two beings above have been asking for you."

The man went stiff as he heard those words. "Two beings?"
"Two mortals who dies many years ago. They were in high favor with us and vouched for your safety."

"And yet you still thought it okay to kill me off so soon!?"

"As we said before, we did not kill you. No mortal had fallen through the veil before. Although we knew it was a possibility, we did not expect it to happen to you."

The man snorted. "Aren't you supposed to know all?"

The eyes hardened. "Even we cannot see all ends. Things are hidden even to us. Make your choice human."

"Earth."

"Not an option."

"I'm not changing my mind."

"You will be stuck here till you do."

"Then I hope you guys like annoying mortals keeping you company."

"We have ways of making you choose."

"Ah, but not if I've already chosen."

There was silence for a few moments. The man's eyes darted around the room as he seemed to survey where he was. The Fates did not notice as they conversed in hushed tones with one another.

"We shall send you up, wizard. The beings up there are waiting for you."

As much as the man's heart ached to see his friends, he knew that was not where he was supposed to go.

"You can't do this. I know that you know this isn't right and I'm not going anywhere! LUMOS!"

A bright light flared in the room and the Fates shrieked in horror. The man didn't spare a glance back as he ran over to his fallen wand and scooped it up, running towards the veil, sending hexes behind him. Just before reaching the veil, he turned his wand towards it and shouted, "Arania Exume!" The dark wall was blown out and amidst the shrill cried of the Fates, the man ran back into the light.
--*--

Sirius Black once again fell through the veil. Only this time, he knew where he was. Ignoring his aching body, Sirius jumped up and ran out of the room into the circular room where the doors spun around and around.

The old memories of his Auror days came back and he quickly stuck his wand down into the small hole at his feet and muttering the complicated spell. Quick as it had started, the spinning stopped and the doors now had labels on them. The words were fading quickly and were gone by the time Sirius had found the right door and rushed out.

Rushing out of the dark corridors of the department of Mysteries and out of the non-Apparation line, Sirius immediately Apparated to his home street of Grimmauld Place.

It was night outside and Sirius reckoned he hand been gone for only a few hours.

Everyone's probably so worried...he thought to himself as he transformed back into Padfoot and trotted towards his old family door that was slowly appearing in front of them. He passed a trashcan on his way up, stopping short as he saw a newspaper in front of him.

It wouldn't hurt to look...

Jumping up and grabbing a newspaper off the top, Padfoot dropped it in front so he could see the date.

October 31

He startled back as he realized he had been gone for almost four months...four months of his life he had missed and it had passed for him like minutes.

His thoughts immediately landed on Harry and wondering how he was doing.

As if dreams could think, he heard the sound of his front door slamming and people walking out. He slowly crouched back into the shadows, not wanting to startle anyone. He recognized Moody and Dumbledore and McGonagall, all dressed in their Muggle best. Trailing along behind them were Harry and Remus. He stopped short at how grow up Harry looked, different some how. Like he had aged many years in just a few days. Sirius cringed inside as he thought of what he apparent death had done to Harry. Remus too was looked worse. Sirius glanced up at the moon and saw that the full moon would have been just a few nights ago. But that couldn't have been the only reason for Remus' downcast mood. Sirius realized bitterly that Remus believed himself to be the last of he marauders left, with no more friends to help him fight in the war.

Sirius's guilt weighed on him as he thought of the pain that he had caused his friends. He lay quietly on the ground, deciding not to go to them yet, for the shock might be too much. But before he could sneak away, he heard Harry's quiet voice.

"Sirius...?"

----

“I believe it’s time we head back to the school, they will most likely be wondering where we are.�

Harry showed no emotion as Dumbledore spoke, or as the five of them stood up, pulling on their Muggle jackets and preparing to leave.

He had shown no emotion the whole trip actually, ever since Dumbledore had taken him back to this house, Harry had a hard time feeling anything at all. He was numb, beyond feeling, much like how he felt right after the Triwizard Tournament, too many emotions all trying to dwell in the same body.

“Harry?�

He glanced up to see Remus Lupin’s lined face looking at him with worry. Remus had been hit by Sirius’ death just as much as Harry, if not more. He was the last of the marauders now, well, the last official one. Harry considered Pettigrew as good as dead, and do did Remus.

He managed a small smile and stood, following the group down the dark hallway of Number 12 Grimmauld Place. Dumbledore had brought Harry here right before the Halloween feast at Hogwarts, explaining to him that Moody had wanted to ask him a few things about his latest dreams. Harry had been studying Occlumency over the summer, but he needed a lot more practice before he could block the dreams. Most of them were still about Sirius falling through the veil, but every so often, he still got a glimpse into Voldemort.

McGonagall had come too, at Dumbledore’s insistence. She was currently helping Harry get a jump on his Auror training that he would start when he graduated. Dumbledore had assured Harry that he could get through the training in one year if he was properly prepared at Hogwarts. Professor McGonagall had agreed to give him extra lessons in jinxes and hexes along with transfiguration.

The five of them stepped out into the cool night air to head over to the arranged Portkey back to Hogwarts. Moody, McGonagall and Dumbledore walked a little ways ahead of Harry and Remus, conversing in undertones. Remus and Harry both kept the silence as they walked side by side.

Stepping out onto the sidewalk, Harry heard a soft rustling in the bushes near the next house. He whipped around quickly, catching a glimpse of two shining eyes and black fir. His third year sprung up on him and he thought for a moment that he was seeing the Grim again. Then, it hit him.

He drew his wand out, stopping abruptly and pointed it at the bush. Remus stopped with him and followed Harry’s gaze to the bush.

Harry saw Remus opened his mouth to say something, but was cut off by more rustling in the bushes. Remus’s face went pale and Harry’s arm started shaking so bad that he dropped his wand, his eyes transfixed on the bush in front of him.

Harry’s mind reeled as he stared at the bush and for a moment, he could have sworn his heart actually stopped beating. Then, a fraction of a second he saw it. The two beady eyes appeared again and before he knew it he had whispered, “Sirius?�

Remus visibly flinched as Harry said the name. Dumbledore, Moody and McGonagall all stopped suddenly, turning to Harry.

“What did you say, Harry?� Remus whispered in confusion. Everyone followed his gaze to the set of bushes. Harry saw them rustle again and without thinking, rushed over to them.

“Harry!� Remus cried out.

But a moment later, a large black dog came bounding out of the shadows, a very familiar black dog.

Harry’s legs gave out and he fell to his knees, the dog rushing up to him as he threw his arms around it. He vaguely heard Remus silently whisper “Padfoot?� behind him, but the others remained silent.

Tears trailed down Harry’s face as he held onto his Godfather and, before he knew it, Sirius had transformed and was also kneeling on the ground, holding onto his godson for dear life.

“Are you real?�

They pulled apart and Harry finally got a look into his Godfather’s face. He looked normal, for someone who was supposed to have been dead for 4 months. He was smiling very mischievously and seemed to be guessing what Harry was thinking.

“Real as ever,� Sirius confirmed, smirking at his Godson. Harry’s heart was pounding as the situation came crashing down on him. He felt for a moment as if her couldn’t breath, and with shaking breaths, he finally managed to let Sirius go.

Sirius stood quickly and his smile moved over to Remus who was staring at Sirius, looking as if he couldn’t believe his eyes.

“Sirius?�

Sirius immediately stepped forward, tackling Remus in a bear hug, both of them starting to laugh with tears streaming down their faces.

Harry smiled larger than he had in months as he saw the friends reunite. He glanced over at the other three members of the party and smiled wider at their expressions. Dumbledore seemed to be positively glowing, as happy as Harry was feeling at the moment. McGonagall was holding a hand to her heart as if compelling it not to stop while she got over the shock. Moody was smiling larger than Harry had ever seen before, his magical eye fixated on the now two remaining marauders.

“What...How...Four months, Sirius! That’s a bloody long time to make us so depressed!� Remus said as Sirius went back over to Harry, slinging an arm around his shoulder. Harry’s heart was beating faster than ever, his eyes glistening with tears as he felt the comforting weight of Sirius’ arm around his shoulders.

“Long story, actually,� Sirius admitted. “I wasn’t going to show myself just yet, thought you’d die of a heart attack, but I obviously wasn’t missed that much.� He reached over and ruffled Harry’s hair, but, much to his surprise, Harry didn’t mind at all.

“Perhaps we’d better get back inside,� Dumbledore’s ever present voice of reason cut in. “I’m sure the Halloween feast can wait for a few minute longer.�

Sirius looked up at Dumbledore and reached forward to shake the man’s hand as he beamed at his old student. Professor McGonagall nearly choked Sirius as she pulled him into a hug and then proceeded to give him a great scolding about how many detentions he would receive if he were still in school. Moody shook his hand with a gravely smile and chided him for leaving them hanging for so long.

“You’ve got a lot of guts, Potter, running up to a strange dog like that,� Moody said in a gravely voice as the walked back up to the house.

Harry felt shame and guilt creep up into him for making them worry, but Sirius’ grip on Harry’s shoulder’s tightened slightly it made him feel slightly better. Luckily, Remus stepped in.

“Harry knew what he was seeing, Alastor. Animagus forms can’t be reproduced by anyone else.� Remus gave Harry a slight wink. “And Harry definitely knows Padfoot well.�

“Padfoot?� Moody asked suspiciously.

“Long story,� Sirius admitted cheekily. “Much like the one I’m about to tell all of you…�

--*--

“Minutes? You say you were gone mere minutes?� Dumbledore looked more perplexed than Harry had ever seen, his blue eyes narrowed and questioning as he talked to Sirius.

“That’s all it seemed to me. But time seemed to pass so differently. About a minute after I fell through, I heard Harry and Remus shout, which I assumed happened right after I fell…� Sirius looked deep in thought as he spoke. “It was pitch black all around me, I couldn’t see a thing, but I’d swear on my life that it was merely a few minutes…�

Harry could tell that all the adults around the table were very confused by Sirius’ story, but knew that he was not lying. This made the questioning a lot more complicated, as it seemed that even Sirius couldn’t explain what had happened to him.

“That still doesn’t explain how you got out,� Dumbledore spoke as he seemed to ponder Sirius’s words. “From what little information we know about the world behind the veil, nothing has ever come back out of it.�

“Nothing?� Harry questioned quietly.

No one seemed to want to answer his question.

Remus finally sighed and ran a hand through his graying hair. “Leave it to Sirius to screw up the space time continuum.�

This earned him a whack over the head from Sirius as those around the table chuckled.

Unfortunately, the good mood didn’t last for long.

“We need to get Potter back to school, people are going to talk,� Moody said in his same scratchy voice.

Harry frowned. “I want to stay with Sirius.�

“I would love nothing more than to let you stay here with your Godfather, Harry, but Voldemort is watching the school too closely with his spy network. He might already know that you and I aren’t there, and that could be dangerous for us and the rest of the children,� Dumbledore explained.

As much as Harry didn’t want to admit it, Dumbledore was right. He grudgingly stood up and started towards the fireplace, following Dumbledore. A hand fell on his shoulder before he reached it and he turned to be engulfed once more in Sirius’ arms. He tried to keep the tears from falling but failed miserably. He tried to wipe them away as Sirius pulled back and looked Harry in the eye.

“I’m not leaving you again, Harry. I’ll be here whenever you need me,� he promised in a soft voice. Harry felt for a moment as if he were talking to his father and surmised that Sirius was the closest thing he was ever going to get to one.

“Thanks,� he replied meekly, managing to stop the tears and keeping his voice from wavering. He felt it extremely unfair that he would have to be separated from Sirius again, but took comfort in the fact that Sirius was very much alive again, and more protective of Harry than ever.

He waved goodbye to Moody and Remus before stepping into the fire and shouting out “Hogwarts!�

--*--

Sirius let out a large sigh as he saw Harry become engulfed in the flames and disappear, back off to school. He turned as he felt a hand on his shoulder and saw that it was Remus.

“You do that again, Sirius, and that boy’s going to kill himself.�

Sirius started at his friends very harsh words and felt the nagging jaws of guilt creep up on him.

“You’re serious?� he asked softly, obviously not realizing the pain he had caused his Godson.

Remus nodded in the affirmative. “He barely ate all summer. We made him come here before his birthday even, just so he wouldn’t starve himself. Those Muggle relatives of his didn’t help either. He blamed himself, you know?�

Sirius’ eyes went wide.

“Just like James would have done…�

They both sobered at the mention of their old friend and Remus removed his hand from Sirius’ shoulder and sighed before continuing.

“I’m not blaming you, Sirius. But if you plan on taking his place, you’ve got to prove to Harry that you’re as responsible and that you care as much as James would have.�

Sirius huffed indignantly. “Responsible? Since when were James or I responsible? We got along fine being reckless!�

“He’s just a child, Sirius! He’s got the fate of the world on his shoulders and he needs someone! If you want it to be you, then you’ve got to stop making these stupid choices!�

“Incase you haven’t noticed, Moony, I didn’t shove myself into the veil,� Sirius said bitterly.

“You were going off to play the hero again,� Remus shot back. “You knew the risks of leaving this house! Dumbledore reminded you of them over and over!�

“He’s my bloody Godson!� Sirius bit back. “I’m responsible for him! If I hadn’t gone after him that night I would never have forgiven myself…� His voice got a little softer. “And neither would James…�

They both fell silent again and the bitterness between the two friends seemed to melt away with each passing second.

Remus finally sighed. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said that. It’s just, you didn’t see what happened to him after you were…well, killed. Really, Harry can’t take anymore. Especially not with this prophesy hanging over his head now.�

Sirius looked up in alarm. “The Prophesy? Dumbledore told him?�

Remus nodded. “He told the inner circle of the Order too, and not just the fragment that we got, the whole thing.�

Sirius’ eyes widened. “There was more?�

Remus’ lip twitched a bit in alarm as he looked back up at his old friend. “Sirius, you haven’t heard anything yet.�

----

It wasn’t everyday that Remus caught Sirius in the library, much less actually reading a book while he was in there.

It was still a rather dumpy room, full of cobwebs and dust. Most of the larger creatures had been removed, but Remus still didn’t dare to go into the farthest right corner. Who knew what was hidden underneath those stacks of Dark Magic books. Grimmauld Place had been a nesting ground for all kinds of terrible and sometimes just annoying creatures, so Remus had learned to spot things to stay clear of.

Sirius seemed very concentrated on something as he flipped through book after book that he was piling on the table in front of him. His brow was furrowed and he skimmed through each page rapidly, as if looking for a specific word or phrase.

Remus was about to ask Sirius just what exactly he was doing, but stopped himself as he saw how concentrated his friend was. It had only been a few days since Sirius’ miraculous return, but Remus was already noticing the slight change in him. Like the fact that he was jumpy all the time, or that he couldn’t go 10 minutes without worrying about Harry (well, Remus thought, I guess he always did that), or the sudden quiet spells that would happen to him during the day when he would almost retreat into his own little world.

It worried Remus more than he would admit. Losing James, losing Peter (the rat!) and losing Sirius now twice, he wondered if perhaps fate was playing a cruel trick on him and he wasn’t really meant to have friends in this life.

Sirius started scribbling something down on a parchment near him and Remus squinted to try and see what it was without getting any further into the room, but was unable to make anything out.

“Sirius?� he finally said anxiously.

His best friend looked up quickly, startled, but relaxed when he saw who it was and forced a smile on his face.

“Yeah?�

Do I even need to ask? Remus thought as he walked closer to where Sirius was seated. “What are you doing?�

He saw Sirius’ lip twitch a tiny bit and he took a deep breath and said quickly, “Have you ever heard of the Gitres?�

Remus frowned a bit, searching his memory. “No.�

Sirius’ face darkened even more and he looked rather put out.

“Why? What are they?� Remus asked, cautiously sitting across from his friend at the table.

Sirius held his head in his hands as he looked back down at the book open in front of him. “I’m not really sure...it’s weird, though, I can’t find a reference to them anywhere, in any of these books.�

Remus was sure he looked completely confused. “Then where did you hear of them?�

There was silence for a moment before Remus heard him softly mutter, “Behind the veil.�

It was certainly not the answer Remus had been expecting, and he knew he didn’t hide the shock from his face. “They were behind the veil? You talked to them, got their names?�

Sirius leaned back and stretched, a calculating look on his face. “They said they were kind of like the ‘Fates’, you know those people in the old tales of gods and goddesses?�

Remus nodded, urging him to continue.

“I couldn’t actually see them, I mean, I saw their eyes and I heard their voices and I spoke to them...but it was weird...they didn’t have any bodies...nothing there, just darkness...�

Remus felt a chill go through his body and he wondered briefly if Sirius was telling the whole truth. They were both silent and Remus was content to stay so until Sirius told him more. He was almost at a loss for words about how to help his friend with this problem.

Finally, Sirius spoke so softly that Remus almost didn’t hear.

“They saw Lily and James...�

He could have sworn his heart skipped a beat. “You saw-“

“No,� Sirius cut him off. His voice choking up with emotion and Remus saw a few tears gathering in the corners of his eyes. “No...I could have though...they were going to let me but I...�

“You knew Harry needed you more,� Remus finished for him, realizing the answer to a lot of questions he had.

Sirius blinked back the tears and once again started back into the books. Remus recognized this as Sirius’ tactic to end a conversation he didn’t want to continue. Respecting his wishes, and considering what Sirius had just told him, Remus quietly got up and left the room.

He paused just outside of the door and looked back at Sirius who was concentrating just as fiercely as he had been before, scanning and scribbling.

James...why did you have to leave?

----

“Potter! Weasley!�

Both Ron and Harry snapped to attention, halting their conversation about the Gryffindor Quidditch team as Professor McGonagall snapped at them, her eyes wide with exasperation. She gave them a very pointed glare but thankfully didn’t take off any points and continue talking.

“Now, as I was saying, this week’s Hogsmead outing will be slightly changed for the 6th years.�

Everyone stifled a groan and Harry and Ron both felt their face drop.

“Instead of having it on Saturday, Friday classes will be cancelled and the outing is changed to Friday.�

A loud cheer sounded even before she finished the last word and Ron turned to Harry with excitement.

“Excellent! No NEWT’s Potions class with that greasy git!�

Harry couldn’t help but grin as everyone packed up their supplies and left the room, chatting as they decided what they were going to do with their extra day. Only Hermione didn’t seem to share in the excitement.

“Bloody, Hermione, try not to act like your cat just died!� Ron said with exasperation, seeing her calculating and somewhat downcast expression.

“What’s wrong, Hermione?� Harry offered as they turned the corner on their way to the great hall for lunch.

Hermione gave Ron a glare before turning to Harry and answering his question.

“I was just thinking, why would they change it? I mean, nothing’s happening on Saturday as far as I know...�

Harry frowned slightly as he understood what she was saying. It was rather odd. He had never known a Hogsmead day to change before, but perhaps the leniency came with being an upper classmen. He voiced his thoughts to her but she just shook her head.

“No, this is different...I mean, 7th years can go to Hogsmead whenever they want, so that’s the upper classmen privilege. And on top of that, how can teachers afford to loose a whole class period? I mean, we’re preparing for NEWT’s and everything...�

They entered the great hall and Harry’s eyes scanned the front table seeing only a few teachers sitting there. Among them sat Remus who seemed to be in deep conversation about something with Dumbledore. Harry, Ron and Hermione had seen a lot of Remus during the past few months of school as his current assignment for the Order was to regulate more types of protection for Hogwarts. He was currently staying at Grimmauld Place with Sirius. Warmth spread through Harry as he thought of his Godfather, who, not 3 weeks ago had amazingly returned from the dead. Harry had only seen Sirius a few times since then, but they wrote letters back and forth constantly. It seemed both of them were now terribly afraid of loosing each other since it had already happened once.

Remus and Dumbledore seemed to sense Harry’s gaze and they both looked up, offering him small smiles before starting to whisper to each other again.

Harry turned back to Ron and Hermione’s bickering while gathering some sandwiches on his plate and pouring himself some pumpkin juice.

“Just because you don’t care about your grades, Ronald, doesn’t mean that everyone here is as lazy as you!�

Harry rolled his eyes. He didn’t see why they didn’t just snog and get it over with. It was getting kind of old through all these years.

“Five galleons that they hook up before the end of the year,� an amused voice said on his other side.

He turned, smiling as he saw Ginny Weasley sitting there, a wicked grin on her face as she observed her brother and Hermione bicker.

“I’m giving them a week before I shove them both in a broom closet and lock it,� Harry added when her eyes moved over to him and they both chuckled at the thought.

“Oh the possibilities...� she said wistfully, sipping her juice. “Too bad Fred and George aren’t here anymore. I’d LOVE to see what they’d do.�

They both laughed loudly, different images springing into their minds as they thought of the now graduated Weasley Twins. Their laughter attracted Ron and Hermione’s attention and they both looked over, slightly angry because of the argument they had been having.

“What?� Ron said, exasperated.

“Can’t you two just snog and get it over with?� Ginny said bluntly, repeating Harry’s earlier thoughts.

Ron and Hermione both blushed deeply and Ron glared at his sister while Hermione mumbled something about Ancient Runes and gathered up her bag, dashing for the door.

Harry started chuckling softly but was cut off by Ron whacking him on the back of the head.

----

“You're certain, Sirius?� Dumbledore’s eyes were wide with disbelief as he faced the two younger men before him. Both Remus and Sirius looked rather nervous, but in Sirius’ eyes there was something akin to hope.

He hadn’t seen that in a while.

“It has to do with time, Albus,� Sirius insisted again. “It was minutes that I spent in the veil, but months passed here. About a minute after I fell in, I could hear Harry screaming for me and Remus holding him back, trying to comfort him, but that was only a few seconds, if that, after I fell in.� he locked eyes with the headmaster. “Time.�

“Sirius, we’re not even sure if you were supposed to be able to get out of that place. For all we know you could be in serious trouble,� Remus warned him.

“I wasn’t supposed to get out,� Sirius countered, “but I did, and that’s what’s important. It means that can happen again.�

“I’m still not quite sure I understand,� Dumbledore interjected. “Sirius, you say that this room has something to do with time, but that is one of the most complex forms of magic ever created. How could you possibly hope to manipulate it?�

Sirius waved him off, “I haven’t quite gotten that far yet, but it can be done, I know it. I mean, all it took was a little light to set off those...whatever they were, it should be easy enough to get back in there and figure out what we can do.�

Dumbledore sat down in his chair, a full day’s exhaustion kicking in. “Sirius, medaling with the very fabric of time in space is something I discourage anyone from doing.�

Remus made Sirius sit down and relax but it was clear that the old marauder was not going to give up so easily.

“Albus, if there’s even the slightest chance...� He pleaded. “It would change the war around!�

“Indeed,� Albus said leaning forward. “Or have you forgotten what stopped Voldemort the first time?�

But nothing seemed to be taking Sirius down. “Have you forgotten what that caused to a poor boy’s life!?� He seemed furious as he thought of it. “I would think you of all people would understand how it hurts-“

“Sirius,� Dumbledore said firmly. “Sometimes the past happens for a reason. It isn’t our place to change it.�

“No!� Sirius slammed a fist down on the table making Remus jump and Dumbledore’s eyebrows rise slightly. “I can’t accept that! I will never accept that!�

Without another word, Sirius transformed back into Padfoot and rushed out of the door, down the spiral staircase. Remus glanced uncertainly up a Dumbledore and found the old man in deep thought, gazing at a small model of the universe that was suspended on one of the nearby shelves.

Remus stood slowly, preparing to leave, but Dumbledore’s voice stopped him.

“He’s never really gotten over it, then?�

Remus’ face fell as he thought of his best friend. “No...no he hasn’t.�

Dumbledore turned to his old student and surveyed him carefully through his half-moon spectacles.

“Do you think he could do it?� Dumbledore asked him in all seriousness.

Remus hesitated, recalling Sirius’ joyful face as he told Remus of his idea, comparing that expression to what he had worn on that fateful day when he was sent to Azkaban. The haunted look had almost disappeared.

“I want to...I want to so bad...� he almost felt tears prick his eyes. Oh what would it be like?...no, no! He shot the thought down. “But it’s not going to happen...it couldn’t...� he looked up into Dumbledore’s eyes. “Could it?�

Dumbledore said nothing, merely turned his head and continued to watch the model.

He was still watching it when Remus left.

It was different, Harry realized. And the fact that it was so different that he noticed, and even Ron noticed, was something to be said.

“Bugger, you’d think someone died,� Ron whispered to him as they both shot meaningful glances up toward the head table. All the teachers were in highly somber moods, conversing furiously with one another in low tones and each with frowns on their faces. The only one who didn’t seem to be different was Dumbledore, which calmed Harry down a bit. He was casually eating his breakfast, occasionally answering another professor’s comment, but mostly just sitting there eating.

He wasn’t smiling though, and that made Harry nervous.

“I told you two!� Hermione whispered forcefully over at them. She and Ginny sat across from both of them, an open transfiguration book in her lap and a calculating expression on her face. Ginny dramatically rolled her eyes, probably wondering why Hermione was even bothering to try and explain it to them, and continued to eat. “Something’s going on today, that’s why they changed the Hogsmead day…�

Ron and Harry looked at one another doubtfully. She did have a point, but there were too many unanswered questions. They both wisely kept their moths shut and Harry began to scan the rest of the Great Hall for anything else out of the ordinary.

Nothing seemed too weird. Draco and his gang of Slytherins were huddled together, whispering. Harry frowned and would have been suspicious, but that’s exactly what he and his friends were doing, so he probably had no right to judge that.

Down the lengths of the Gryffindor table, nothing seemed very suspicious either. His eyes finally landed on Ginny who was looking at him with a peculiar expression on her face. When they locked eyes, Ginny tilted her head slightly and her expression changed to concern.

Harry waved her off and went back to eating his breakfast, though he still felt her eyes burning into him every so often.

“What could possibly be this important?� Ron asked Hermione. Harry was surprised that they had been carrying on a quite civilized conversation for the past few minutes and he hadn’t even gotten to see it.

“Probably about the Order,� Hermione mumbled back, clearly trying not to say too much in such a public place. Harry caught eyes with her and motioned out the door. She nodded and grabbed Ginny, who only complained for a half a second before following her out. Harry nudged Ron and he nodded in understanding, grabbing a last piece of toast and following Harry out the large doors.

They met up with Hermione and Ginny near the front gates and together walked to Hogsmead.

Order or no Order, they were still kids, and they didn’t get a holiday everyday.

----

“Please, everyone can I have your attention quickly? We haven’t much time.�

The room quieted down as Dumbledore spoke, everyone’s eyes turning up to him where he sat at his desk. It was rather crowded in the small confines of his office, but the Order of the Phoenix had met in smaller and less joyful places. They were used to it.

Remus glanced around the room, trying to decide if they were doing the right thing. Just him knowing had shaken him to the very bone…was it right to get everyone here involved too?

Boy, Sirius, you really screwed up this time…he thought to himself, trying to calm his beating heart.

He looked back at Dumbledore to see the old man smiling out at the order members.

“Thank you. Remus, would you start us out?�

Remus stood up, feeling rather nervous, being a relatively young member, but one of the top ranking members of the Order.

“As I’m sure most of you know by now, Sirius Black has returned from the other side of the veil.�

A few broken murmurs broke out through the room, but not many. Remus took a deep breath before continuing. “We know for a fact that it is Sirius, and though he did want to be here for the meeting, we thought it best he stay at headquarters of the Order for the time being.� So that wasn’t exactly true, but they didn’t need to know that.

“Sirius’ return brought up a lot of new questions for us, many that members of the order are looking into, but the most crucial one was something that Dumbledore and I figured would need to be discussed with the entire Order. Sirius has already been told and we’ve been trying to work it out among the top circles, but no answer has come to us.�

He glanced over to Dumbledore for support and the old Wizard nodded. Remus managed not to make his voice waver too much as he spoke again.

“Two days ago, we recovered Sirius’ body from behind the veil…his dead body.�

----

“Oh, you are SO going to pay for that Weasley!�

Harry dashed after Ginny, feeling the freezing snow on his hair drip into his clothes, gritting his teeth against the chill. Ginny just laughed cheekily and dashed away, up to where Hermione was pelting Ron with a particularly lethal snowball that smacked him on the back of the head, just like Harry.

“They’re bloody crazy!� Ron called over to Harry as they both built their snowballs, dragging through the snow as they tried to catch up to the girls. Ginny and Hermione had taken refuge near the Shrieking Shack and Harry could see them plotting something terrible.

Ron walked up to him, a snowball in each hand, glaring suspiciously over at the two giggling girls. “Ganging up,� he snorted. “Typical.�

Harry finished packing his snowball and grinned up at Ron. “We can gang up too you know.�

Ron, who still kept a watchful eye on the girls, nodded with a sly grin and the two boys hurried back into the protection of the few trees and peaked out.

The girls were gone.

“Bloody…we’re gonna die…� Ron whispered fearfully. They both looked all around them but saw nothing, and worse, heard nothing. Harry too felt his heart speed up. Who knew what those two girls could do?

“Let’s go,� Harry finally urged him, dragging Ron out into the open. Ron however seemed terrified.

“Harry, mate, you’ve never been in a snowball fight with Ginny. She’s brutal! Gave me a bruise on my arm for five weeks!�

Harry just rolled his eyes. “I already got beamed in the back of the head by one of her “lethal� throws.�

Despite protesting that this would lead to a most certain death, Ron followed Harry closer towards the Shrieking Shack, both of them still gripping their snowballs tightly.

Harry gulped turning the corner around the house and still seeing nothing around. Ron bumped behind him when Harry stopped suddenly and due to his fright, made them both collapse onto the ground.

Harry shoved Ron off him and as he was about to tell him off, a loud voice hollered “FIRE!�

Immediately the two boys were bombarded with snow from a dozen different directions.

“Ack! We surrender! We surrender!� Ron hollered during the barrage.

“Never!� Harry shouted cheekily, shielding his face as best as he could with his arms. “Where’s your Gryffindor courage?�

“I think it’s been successfully pummeled out of him.�

Harry looked up to see Ginny, Hermione, and apparently a troop of recruits they had scouted out in the few seconds that Ron and Harry had lost them. Luna was there, along with Parvati and Padma, Lavender, Neville, Dean, Seamus and the two Creevy brothers.

Harry smirked up at Ginny who had spoken and gave her a defiant glare. “Is that the best you all can do?�

Ron’s shouts of protest were covered up by another barrage of snow coming their way.

----

“Blimey, Harry. You look like a snowman.�

Harry frowned and glared at Hermione and Ginny who were giggling together, eventually leading to all the girls in their group giggling. “Like I asked for it,� he bit back, brushing the layers of snow off him as they trooped down the main road of Hogsmead.

“Oh but you did,� Ginny reminded him in a very matter of fact way. “Besides, the first snow of the season must be celebrated, no?�

Everyone laughed, even Harry and Ron who, indeed, did look rather silly, caked in snow that they were desperately trying to rid themselves of.

They pushed open the door into the Three Broomsticks, the warm air slapping their faced seemingly heaven sent. Thankfully finding a large table still free near the back, the group tromped over and collapsed in laughter, happiness, and snow.

“What’ll it be, love?� Ron’s ears turned red as Madam Rosmerta used her trademark line when she came for the table’s order. Dean elbowed him in the ribs as everyone covered their laughter and Harry, ever the hero, quickly counted up the people and ordered 13 Butterbeers.

----

He wouldn’t have been more comfortable with an uproar, projectiles thrown at him….heck, he’d take curse words. Anything but this dead silence that penetrated the room.

Everyone seemed to be shell-shocked by the news, many not even blinking, just staring at him, dumbfounded, probably trying to tell if he was joking or not.

Remus silently chided himself and Dumbledore. They should never have told anyone. Stuff like this just didn’t happen everyday and it was obvious that they weren’t taking it well. He risked a glance over at Dumbledore who was once again looking at the small model of the universe that sat on his shelves.

Sighing, he turned back to the members, who had mostly broken out of the initial shock and were now throwing glances at one another, no one really sure how to act or what to do.

Emergency Order meeting indeed! Remus was just thankful Dumbledore had the foresight to send the students away today. Harry, Ron and Hermione would, without a doubt, have been listening on the other side of the door, just as James and Sirius would have.

Speaking of Sirius…

The door cracked open slightly and a shabby looking dog peaked its head in. Remus glared at it instantly, recognizing Padfoot and also recognizing that Sirius was purposely supposed to not come to this meeting.

The dog hurried in before anyone could say anything and transformed into a very tired looking Sirius Black, who stared defiantly back at his fellow Order members.

“Ah, Sirius, glad you could make it,� Dumbledore said all too cheerfully.

Remus bit back a rebuke to Dumbledore and just managed to give him a questioning glance before Dumbledore motioned him to sit.

Bullocks! Remus thought to himself as he sat down, suddenly feeling very tired. That man always seems to know something that no one else does.

Sirius, though, seemed to know what he was doing. He walked past everyone who had now broken out into whispers and made a beeline for Dumbledore’s desk and Remus sitting right by it.

“I just finished the tests,� Sirius blurted out before Remus could open his mouth. Both Remus and Dumbledore looked sharply up at Sirius at those words, but from Sirius almost haunted look that suddenly appeared in his eyes, they already knew what they needed to know.

Dumbledore gave Sirius a piercing look before turning back to the other Order Members.

“My friends, please welcome back Sirius Black.�

Utter silence again.

Remus scowled, his mind racing with all the things that had happened in the last few seconds. Sirius had had to stay at headquarters to conduct the test on the body, to see if it really was Sirius Black. From the four of them who knew about the body, three had been convinced after the few standard tests, but Dumbledore wanted absolute proof, and Remus was beginning to understand why.

Sirius turned to the group, holding his hands out slightly as if to say ‘yes, I’m alive, so what?’

Nymphadora Tonks suddenly broke away from the group, rushing forward to engulf her cousin in a crushing hug. She seemed to set off a chain reaction as suddenly Sirius was surrounded on all sides by well wishers and handshakes, most of them still looking a bit apprehensive around him. Plenty of the Order members had seen him since his miraculous return, but there were still plenty that hadn’t.

“Remus?�

He turned to Dumbledore’s voice and scooted closer as the old man bent down to speak to him.

“I would advise you to not tell Harry about the body just yet. I know we agreed to tell him soon, but Sirius still wants to talk to us about something.�

“If it’s about the bloody veil-“

“Remus,� Dumbledore warned. “Don’t act as if that means nothing to you.�

Not wanting to lie, Remus shrugged and his frown deepened. “Even if it does, I’ve learned not to put trust in dreams.�

“Why is that?�

“They’re not real,� Remus said in annoyance. More than anyone probably, he knew this too be true. He had spent too many years dwelling on the dream that his life really wasn’t the hell it was turning out to be. “They’re a trick from our subconscious to pull us out of the crappiness of life.�

Dumbledore gave him a peculiar look that was almost pity. “And what about Fate, Remus? Do you believe in that?�

Remus glanced over at Sirius who was now sitting down, in a deep discussion with Moody and Kingsley Shacklebolt. “I used to.� He turned back to Dumbledore. “Before Lily and James died.�

“And how come?�

The meaning hit him suddenly and he almost felt the air leave him as he couldn’t believe what he said next.

“Because they weren’t meant to die…that wasn’t supposed to happen…�

“Really? How interesting…� Dumbledore gave him thoughtful look and his eyes twinkled for a moment before he turned away again.

----

Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny trudged up the front steps of the large castle of Hogwarts, brushing the snow off of them as they came into the warmer confines of their school.

Ron and Hermione were bickering, as usual, about Ron’s apparent infatuation with Madam Rosmerta.

“Hermione! She could be my mother!�

“Exactly, Ron! That’s disgusting!�

“At least I don’t practice writing her name all the time and draw little hearts around it!�

Both Harry and Ginny snorted with laughter as Hermione turned beet red.

“Not so very different from Lockhart, now is it?� Ron said smugly, grateful to finally have the upper hand in one of their arguments. “Oh, but wait, he’s insane!�

Ron, Harry and Ginny all burst out laughing, even Hermione joined in a few seconds later as she realized the silliness of it all. They laughed all the way up to the Gryffindor tower, Ron and Hermione’s snit forgotten, and the conversation turning back to what they had all been itching to speak of since that morning.

“I don’t see any teachers in the halls,� Harry commented as they climbed the last staircase towards the Fat Lady.

“It has to be and Order meeting. Otherwise-oft! Oh sorry-oh!…�

Hermione was cut off as she bumped into someone who had, rather suddenly appeared in front of them right as they were reaching their common room entrance.

“Hello professor,� Ginny added for Hermione, who seemed to be quite embarrassed.

Remus smiled at them. “Not your professor anymore, am I?�

“Were you here for the meeting?� Ron blurted out. Harry elbowed him in the ribs but was secretly grateful that at least someone else had been curious.

“Hum, not my place to say,� Remus smiled at them mysteriously. “I thought the four of you, or at least you three, knew everything about that stuff.�

“That was downright low,� Harry rolled his eyes, smirking. “Changing the Hogsmead day. You knew we were going to go.�

Remus just smiled a mischievous smile that Harry had often seen on Sirius, but never really on Remus. It was rather…refreshing. Remus didn’t smile enough as is, so to see him truly happy for once made Harry feel better himself.

“Just trying to keep up with the next generation, Harry,� he finally admitted. “I’m here to see you actually.� Harry noticed how he never actually admitted going to a meeting, but made it sound as if he came just to see Harry. “Snuffles is here and we wanted to have a little chat for a moment.�

“How come Harry gets to have all the little ‘chats’?� Ginny huffed indignantly. “You know he’s just going to tell us anyway.�

Harry rolled his eyes and Remus just smiled. “Well, Harry can surely tell you when he gets back, but only if he wants to.�

Harry looked up at his father’s old friend curiously.

“Let’s go Harry.�

He waved goodbye to his friends, promising them he wouldn’t think to hard about it and followed Remus down the hall.

“As far as I can tell, it’s just fabric.�

Sirius flinched as he watched Moody and Dumbledore poke around the shimmering veil that fluttered innocently in a wind that didn’t exist. Remus stood to his side, obviously not wanting to get any nearer to the veil than Sirius did. They both seemed content to let the older, more experienced wizards do the investigating.

Moody cautiously poked his walking stick into the veil and pulled it quickly out again. Dumbledore glanced over it for a moment but couldn’t seem to find anything amiss.

“It was a wall on the other side,� Sirius finally told them, causing them all to turn and look at him. “The veil: it may be fabric on this side but it was definitely solid when I was on the other side.�

No one seemed to quite know how to react to his statement. Remus shot Sirius a questioning look and finally spoke. “How in the world were you able to break that wall?�

Sirius merely shrugged, unconcerned and went back to glaring at the veil.

Dumbledore motioned to Moody again, and Moody stuck his walking stick into the veil again, this time trying to move the fabric with it. Everyone seemed to suck in a sharp breath as he was able to move the veil aside, revealing blackness, complete and total blackness on the other side.

“What the!?�

Sirius swore violently as he saw what everyone else did and it shocked Moody enough that he jerked his stick back again. He looked sharply over to Dumbledore who looked more concerned that Sirius had ever remembered.

“That was a foot. I swear I just saw a foot behind that veil.�

No one seemed to disagree with Remus and they all seemed to be trying to figure out the possibilities of what this could mean.

Suddenly, Dumbledore whipped out his wand, pointing it bravely at the veil.

“Alastor, if you please.�

Moody’s doubtful face only flickered shortly to Dumbledore before he brandished his walking stick again, carefully scooping back the flowing fabric.

Sirius and Remus had just barely gotten a glimpse of the foot again when Dumbledore waved his wand, causing something to shoot quickly out of the veil, crumbling on the stone benches behind them.

Remus and Sirius got to it first, and, trembling, reached down to flip the body over.

Sirius almost fainted in terror at seeing his own dead face.

-----

“Sirius! Sirius, stop! Wake up, you’re dreaming!�

Sirius jerked awake, his eyes flashing open suddenly and his body jerking forward. Remus and Harry were both there; catching him before he could topple to the ground and helped his shaking body sit back up on the couch.

He took a few deep breaths, trying to regain his surroundings again. Right, he was in the room of requirement at Hogwarts waiting for Remus to go get Harry so he could see him.

He shook of the initial shock of the nightmare, chiding himself for falling asleep. True, he hadn’t gotten much sleep the past few weeks, but there was a reason for that.

Not that he would ever tell anyone what that reason was.

He looked towards Remus, seeing the concern in his eyes and the weariness in his face.

“I’m alright, I’m fine…just a nightmare…� he assured them, sitting up straighter and giving Harry a reassuring smile. Harry looked even more concerned than Remus, though.

“You have nightmares?� Harry’s eyes narrowed. “Since when?�

Sirius grimaced, looking to Remus for help but receiving only an “I told you so� look in return.

“It’s only been a few days,� Sirius waved him off. “And it’s actually partly what I wanted to talk to you about.�

He motioned Harry to sit on one of the chairs and his Godson did so after a moment of hesitation.

“How are you?� It sounded lame, even to Sirius’s ears.

Harry managed a smile at least, which was good. “Better than I was 3 months ago.�

Both Remus and Sirius seemed to breathe easier at that statement.

“Why?� Harry added with a sarcastic smile. “You going to die on me again?�

Sirius couldn’t help but wince at that statement, even though he knew that wasn’t his godson’s intent. Harry seemed to realize this and quickly mumbled “Sorry,� and looked away, embarrassed.

There was an awkward silence for a moment when Remus, trying to sound encouraging, spoke up.

“Harry, we, that is, Dumbledore, Moody, Sirius and I, went to the Department of Mysteries two days ago.�

Harry looked up sharply, his brilliant green eyes flashing. “What! Why?�

Sirius brought a hand up to calm him down. “Relax, Harry, it’s not like people fell in this time.�

Harry glared over at his Godfather and Remus thankfully stepped in. “It’s just, there were some questions about Sirius’ return that we were hoping to answer.�

Harry’s furious gaze turned to Remus now and both he and Sirius could tell that the young wizard knew they weren’t telling him something

“And?� he asked sharply.

“And…and…um…well we uncovered quite a few more…questions,� Remus finished lamely. His eyes flickered to Sirius and his gaze told quite sharply ‘you are on your own now’.

Sirius laid a gentle hand on Harry’s shoulder which seemed to calm him down a bit and he suddenly looked more frightened than angry. “What? What happened?�

“We found something behind the veil.�

It was quite blunt, even for Sirius, but it at least seemed to answer some of Harry’s questions, but certainly not all. Harry, however, remained silent, his eyes pleading with his Godfather to just tell him.

“It was me, Harry, I was behind the veil.�

Harry raised a skeptical eyebrow at him.

“My body. I was…I am…dead.�

The color drained from Harry’s face and before either of them could speak, he was gone, the door of the room of requirement slamming behind him, leaving behind a very uncomfortable silence as the two men both sat in shock at his reaction. Neither dared to go after him, especially as he was now the owner of the marauder’s map and invisibility cloak. If he ran away, it was best they let him stew for a while before trying once again to talk to him.

Remus understood first.

“He probably thinks that means you’ll actually die…or that you really are dead and something’s just really screwed up.�

“Well, it’s not like we’ve got anything to contradict that statement,� Sirius growled, slamming his fist into the side table near him in frustration.

He felt alive…he wasn’t having any doubts about it until the bloody body was found and now it seemed like he was afraid of himself keeling over or disappearing or worse, falling through the veil again.

“What about your plans, Sirius?� Remus’ voice was low. “What do you think of your theories now?�

Sirius had almost forgotten…almost.

“To tell you the truth, I haven’t thought much about it in the past few days…�

Remus nodded understandingly.

“But I still don’t see why it can’t happen.�

It was the first time the two of them had really talked about it, just the two of them. There seemed to be a tense silence surrounding the two remaining marauders as they tried to comprehend Sirius’ proposal.

It wasn’t like neither of them had thought about it before, or dreamed about it for the past 15 very long years. Especially for Sirius, being trapped in Azkaban for so long and having to deal with the memories.

“Dumbledore is still rather keen on getting all the information you’ve gathered about it,� Remus added softly.

“So tell me why I’ve got Dumbledore practically convinced but you, my…our best friend…� Sirius wasn’t looking at Remus but could see the pain in his friend’s eyes, “you act as if you don’t want to believe.�

Remus stood up, almost shaking with anger at his friend’s accusation. “I don’t want to believe the same way Harry doesn’t want to believe that you’re lying stone dead back at headquarters! It’s reality, Sirius! It’s here, it’s now and people have tried for years to change it, screwing themselves up in the process!� Remus was not quite shouting, but Sirius knew that any normal person would have been.

“This,� he stomped his foot on the ground and stood, matching Remus’ tone, “is a bad dream, Moony! This is as close to Hell as any of us are going to get!�

“I know that, Sirius! I know that just as much as you do and I would give anything to change it!� He seemed to loose his composure for a moment and Sirius saw a few tears prick in his friend’s eyes as his body shook, with rage or fright, Sirius couldn’t tell. “I’ve spent too many! Too many years, wasting my time dreaming, Sirius!�

“It’s not a dream!� the escaped convict growled back, “This, Moony,� he spread his hands out, pointing around him, “This, this is a nightmare!�

“No!� Remus pointed an accusing finger at Sirius. “It’s the world that your Godson and only child of our best friend has been forced to grow up in!�

“Exactly! What wouldn’t you want to do your best to change that?�

“Because I refuse to give Harry false hope of any kind! I know he couldn’t take any more and I sure as heck don’t want to see him have to deal with any more!�

Sirius stopped short at those words and grew even angrier at his friend. “False hope? False hope, Remus? You know what false hope is? It’s treating him like he’s a bloody baby! Reassuring him that everything’s going to be fine, that he’s safe at this school! That you and I will always be here for him!� Sirius was the one to point the accusing finger now. “If you want to talk about reality, let’s talk about reality! Harry’s destined to fight the darkest wizard of our age on his own, killing him or getting killed in the process! On top of that, he does it with no living relatives, plagued with memories of his parent’s deaths, having lost his Godfather twice now, with a Headmaster who finds it necessary to keep information from him and a summer with his bloody muggle relatives who’d probably starve him to death if they didn’t get death threats from members of the Order!�

Sirius was fuming now but Remus still didn’t seem convinced.

“He doesn’t deserve this! No one does! I didn’t deserve 12 years in Azkaban, you didn’t deserve 12 years of isolation, James and Lily didn’t deserve to die that night! It wasn’t right and it wasn’t fair!�

Remus finally managed to find his voice. “Fair? Who said life is fair? Sure it wasn’t a cakewalk but that’s how it happened!� His voice lowered and before Sirius could bite back, he continued. “He’s just got you back, Sirius. As far as Harry knows, that’s as good as it’ll ever be and he’s thrilled about it…just…just let him stay happy…�

“Happy…� Sirius huffed, flopping back into his chair with his arms crossed. “I know he’s not happy, and you know he’s not happy. Bullocks! We’re bloody miserable!�

Remus collapsed in his chair again, both he and Sirius grateful the yelling was over but still a bit angry at each other.

“Remus?� Sirius said softly.

They both had their eyes closed, leaning back in their chairs in exhaustion with the last few weeks catching up to them.

“Humm?�

“If I could do it…if I could find a way…you would want them back…right?�

He heard Remus voice chock up with emotion and could tell his friend was crying slightly.

“Of course I would, Padfoot…of course I would…�

----

Harry ran blindly through the halls, trying to sort through the jumble of thoughts that pounded through his mind.

Away...away…got to get away…

He turned corners randomly, hoping that he’d end up somewhere isolated…maybe somewhere he didn’t even recognize so that he could be lost and have an excuse to be alone longer…

He felt like curling up into a ball and dying, literally.

Though the thought had appeal, he didn’t think he was in control enough to Avada himself.

He finally came to a darkened dead end that he thankfully didn’t recognize. He was even more relieved when he found stairs right nearby and hurried up them, trying to get as far away from the world as possible.

It wasn’t until he reached the top and found himself in a quaint circular room with many windows, bare of anything other than a desk, a bed and a rug on the floor, that he felt the tears run down his face.

He forced himself to think about it.

Dead…

The word could go so many ways in the wizarding world…especially with Sirius’s return…

He didn’t know what to think and his head started to hurt as he tried to block out the feeling of hopelessness that was growing.

Not caring much about where he was, Harry sat down on the bed, bringing his legs up to his chest and leaning against the headboard, grinding his eyes into his kneecaps.

He could see it all again: the spell flying from Bellatrix’s wand and hitting Sirius in the chest, Sirius falling gracefully through the veil, his eyes wide with surprised. Only this time, after Sirius fell, Harry rushed up and tried to pull him back through, but all he got was Sirius’ limp, dead body.

He tensed in fear and anguish as he imagined the dead face of his Godfather and suddenly felt as if he’d lost Sirius all over again.

He was right there, he kept reminding himself. He put his hand on my shoulder, asked how I was doing…He was there as Padfoot. I gave him a hug and he held me back…

He promised…

“I’m not leaving you again, Harry. I’ll be here whenever you need me…�

Harry felt a burst of anger shoot out of him and he slammed his hand hard into the headboard.

“YOU PROMISED!!�

He heard the wood crack as his hand slammed into it, but barely noticed the pain it caused in his arm. His anger prompted the lighting in the room to flicker off and the mirror above the desk to shatter, but he didn’t notice any of it.

He dug his eyes into his knees again and tried to calm his breathing.

Maybe it wasn’t as bad as he thought it was…maybe there was a reasonable explanation…yes that was it. Remus and Sirius must have been trying to explain it to him but he had run off before they could…it was that simple.

He looked up to the empty wall.

No…no, it wasn’t that simple…Harry remembered the look on both of their faces as they spoke, especially Sirius. He remembered the way Sirius trembled after coming out of his nightmare and how his eyes looked as haunted as they had right after he escaped from Azkaban. He remembered how hesitant Remus had been about telling them.

He also remembered how neither of them had so much as called out his name as he raced off. Mind you, he wouldn’t have listened, but it still hit home that they had just let him go.

They still knew something else, something that they weren’t telling Harry. He scoffed as he realized he probably would have heard it if he had stayed in the room longer, but he knew that wouldn’t have been possible. The moment the words came out of Sirius’ mouth, Harry felt like he had just watched him fall through the veil again. It was almost as if Sirius dissolved in front of his very eyes and the loneliness of summer crashed back down on him.

He hung his head and felt the sobs rack his body. His body shook so bad that he lay down on the bed, curling into a little ball that he wasn’t sure he ever wanted to leave again.

“Could you just go check for me, Ron, please?�

Ron and Hermione both wore skeptical looks on their face as Remus once again asked them. Sirius, as Padfoot of course, was looking at them with his best puppy dog face, pleading with them just as well. Hermione finally answered him.

“Why can’t you find him?� she narrowed her eyes at them. “He doesn’t usually run away like that unless something bad happens…�

“What did you guys want to talk to him about?� Ron inquired.

Remus glanced down at Padfoot who shook his head slightly in the negative and Remus sighed. “It’s really not our place to say. Harry can talk to you about it but we need to find him first.�

“Find who?� Ginny had just walked up behind Ron and Hermione who both jumped slightly.

“Harry,� Remus said shortly.

Ginny’s eyes narrowed. “What did you two do?�

Remus threw his hands in exasperation. “It’s like you guys think I made him upset on purpose! He’s the one who wants to know what’s going on and sometimes it’s not always pretty.�

Hermione still had her eyes narrowed at him but Ron seemed to be warming up to them.

“Please, Ron, just let us take a glance at the map. If we find him and he still doesn’t want to talk, we’ll leave him alone.�

Padfoot whined a bit and nudged Ron’s hand. Ron glanced at Hermione and they seemed to have a silent battle of wills until Ron disappeared up the stairs to the boys' dorms.

Hermione whirled on them once Ron was gone and Ginny seemed just as upset. “You two should have known better! Harry’s gone through enough already!�

“Yeah, what’s the big deal? Is this a, ‘let’s see how messed up we can make Harry before he graduates’ game?� Ginny huffed.

Remus frowned at them. “Really you two…Don’t you know me well enough by now that I would never do something to purposely hurt Harry?�

“Then why are you making him so mad that he storms off?� Ginny demanded.

Remus pointed an impatient finger at them as Ron came back down the stairs. “He’s the one who wants to know what’s going on, and he’s right, he deserved to know this,� he reached out for the map, but Ron held it back quickly, giving him an inquisitive stare.

“Not so fast, Professor. Before you get this, you’re going to tell us why Harry was so upset.�

Remus sighed and glanced down at Padfoot who whined pitifully and lay down on the ground, seemingly defeated.

“Fine,� Remus conceded. “But not here.�

The group trudged away from the Gryffindor common room portrait and filed into the Room of Requirement a few minutes later, a tense silence in the air. As soon as Remus shut the door, Padfoot changed back into Sirius, a sulking expression on his face as he practically glared at the three young teens.

“You know, as that map rightfully belongs to us, you really shouldn’t have the right to blackmail us with it,� he told them shortly, taking a seat by Remus who rolled his eyes.

“Sirius, you’re the one who lost the map in the first place…�

“Yeah, yeah, and I’m the one who slipped the dungbombs into Snape’s cauldron, I know, I know…�

Remus sighed at his friend’s downcast mood but let him stew as he turned to the teens.

“Harry was upset because we told him about what we found on our trip to the Department of Mysteries a few days ago.�

All three looked horrified but only Hermione seemed to find her voice. “Why in the world would you go back there!?� She turned on Sirius. “Especially you! That was dangerous!�

“I think I pride myself in having enough balance to not trip into the veil,� Sirius replied dryly, still rather mad about what was happening.

“No one fell in, Hermione, but the point is we found a body behind the veil…Sirius’ body.�

As planned, this shut them up instantly and all three seemed horrified, their eyes flickering over to Sirius ever few seconds and he scowled as he noticed it.

“I’m alive, alright? I’m right here! Can’t you see me?� Sirius inquired, annoyed.

“That doesn’t change the fact that you’re now two places at once,� Hermione pointed out. She seemed the only one capable of speech at the moment.

“Well you would know all about being in two places at once, wouldn’t you, Hermione?� Sirius bit back. Hermione blushed and turned away, realizing that Sirius was right.

“Please, can we see the map now, Ron?� Remus asked politely, content to let the teens fight it out amongst themselves. Ron’s shaky hand held out the map and Sirius reached it before Remus did, snatching it away and activating it with the words and Remus’ wand which he had also snatched away. Remus leaned over his shoulder and they both scanned it quickly over before they finally spotted him in one of the West towers, unmoving.

Thrusting the wand and map back at Remus, Sirius transformed and went over, pawing the door until Remus pulled it open and Padfoot rushed out. Remus turned back to Harry’s friends, all of whom were looking at him with silent pleading.

“I suppose…?� His sentence was left unfinished as they scrambled out after Padfoot and Remus quietly shut the door behind all of them, following at a slower pace as he was the one holding the map.

----

Sirius reached the door first, still in his animagus form. He looked back to the others and whined slightly, hoping at least Remus would understand. True to their friendship, Remus recognized what he wanted and tactfully held back Ron, Hermione and Ginny while Sirius pushed open the door and quietly padded into the room.

He didn’t really remember much about this room. The Marauders had been quite excited when they discovered it but then disappointed at its lack of secret passages or magical powers. All that was there, or that had ever been there, was a bed, a rug and a desk with a mirror. His eyes traveled over to the bed where he saw Harry laid down on it, curled up in a tight ball. Sirius’s heart clenched and not caring about if someone caught them, transformed back into his human form and felt the tears coming to his eyes as he saw Harry.

His eyes were clamped shut tight, trails of dried tears down his face and a grimace on his face. His legs were brought up to his chest and he clenched them with his arms tight. Sirius wondered how he could possibly sleep with his muscles to tight.

He carefully made his way over the creaky floorboards and knelt by the bed, staring silently at his godson.

“Oh gosh, Harry…I’m so sorry…�

His own tears started to fall and he didn’t reach up to wipe them away. Standing up, he sat softly down on the bed by Harry, causing him to stir slightly. He jerked fitfully and Sirius recognized that he was having a nightmare again. The escaped convict felt his heart clench at seeing this young boy in so much pain. Not being able to take it as tears formed in Harry’s eyes, he reached down and shook him slightly.

“Harry? Harry, wake up…�

Harry bolted awake, much like Sirius did right after one of his nightmares, and sat up on the bed suddenly, his breath coming in short gasps as he glanced at his surroundings. When his eyes landed on Sirius, he froze, not quite knowing what to do. Sirius too, seemed quite at a loss for words and hoped that Harry could read his silent apology in his eyes. He didn’t bother to hide his tears and Harry seemed to be trying to control his own as they stared at each other.

Then, a surprise to both of them, Harry’s arms flung up, wrapping around Sirius and he pulled him into a hug, obviously not being able to hide his sobs anymore as he cried on his Godfather’s shoulder. Sirius didn’t mind at all as he held onto Harry tight.

“I’m sorry, Harry...I’m so sorry…�

Harry didn’t say anything, just held Sirius tighter and continued to let the tears fall.

----

Dumbledore looked up at the knock at his door and called for the person to come in. Remus Lupin quickly came through, shutting the door quickly behind him and walking swiftly up to Dumbledore’s desk with a worried expression on his face.

“Ah, Remus! What can I do for you?� Dumbledore asked cheerfully, pocketing his glasses and setting aside the papers he had been reading. He saw Remus’ eyes dart over to the papers and back up to him.

“Yes, Remus, these are from Sirius. His findings so far that he has been able to get to me.�

Dumbledore could see the longing in the younger man’s eyes as he looked at the papers, but then snapped himself out of it, turning back to him.

“Albus, it’s about Harry.�

“Ah, yes, I assume you and Sirius have told him about the body?�

Remus hesitated. “Yes…�

“And I assume he didn’t take it very well?�

Remus grimaced and finally sat down in a chair, running a hand through his hair. “How could you tell?�

“Remus, in all my years as your professor and friend, only two things have made you this worried: One of your friends or a full moon.�

The werewolf smiled slightly, knowing of course that Dumbledore was right.

“And lately, you and Sirius seem to be more worried about Harry than anything.�

“It’s just…he did take the news really hard. I know he’s already thinking the worst, which I completely understand,� Remus explained. “He ran off and for a while we were worried that he ran away, but he was just up in one of the towers,� Remus paused for a moment and shook his head slightly. “Sirius is right…this is a nightmare.�

“What’s that?�

Remus shrugged. “Just an argument Sirius and I got in right after Harry had run off…we got onto the topic of the veil and I got a little…err...shirty with him.�

Dumbledore chuckled. “Indeed? Well, I would like one of these days to see a full out argument between you and Sirius. It sounds quite enjoyable.�

Dumbledore saw Remus roll his eyes but smile slightly none-the-less. “They’re getting more frequent. I’m sure you’ll be guest to one of them soon.�

“And what is it that you seem so keen on fighting about?�

“You know.�

“I do?�

Remus sighed and looked back up to him, finally making eye contact. “Are you going to tell Harry?�

“Ah, I think I know now what this visit is about…�

Remus seemed rather frantic as he spoke. “Albus, please, you can’t, at least not now, not at all if I can help it…he…he can’t take any more right now…�

“Relax dear boy, Harry is not going to be told any time soon. Especially since we still aren’t sure if or how it can happen.�

That seemed to calm Remus down a bit and he leaned back in his chair, closing his eyes. Dumbledore watched how even when Remus was acting like he was relaxed, he never seemed like he truly was.

“Remus? Are you sleeping at all?�

To his credit, Remus didn’t move, his breathing just heightened a bit. “No.�

“You know that Sirius is having nightmares?�

“Yes.� It was very blunt. “I hear him cry out at night sometimes…it…it echoes through the house�

“And what are your nightmares, Remus?�

That got his attention and he sat up, opening his eyes and looking at his old professor with surprise. “Sir?�

Dumbledore frowned slightly, giving Remus a piercing stare until he crumbled. Remus leaned up on the desk, his head in his hands. “Lily and James.�

“Ah, I suspected as much.�

Remus’ head came up quickly and he looked rather angry. “And I suppose you already know why?�

“Remus, please do not be angry with me. I wish to help.�

“I know…� his head went back down again. “It’s just hard…I keep seeing all these…these scenes…� he looked up. “Can you tell me what Sirius is dreaming about?�

“It’s not Lily and James, I can tell you that, but it’s rather close,� Dumbledore admitted. “He replays the scenes in the Department of Mysteries: when he fell in and when we found the body.�

Remus stayed quiet, not sure how to absorb the information and not quiet sure what to say next. Thankfully, Dumbledore knew what to say.

“For your sake, Remus, and for Harry’s,� Remus looked up, “you must not give up on him.�

Remus nodded and remained silent.

“I talked to a few people over at the ministry this afternoon when the meeting broke up and have informed them of Sirius’ idea.�

“And?�

“And they are, as we speak, doing vigorous studies about the veil.�

There was a painful silence for a few moments until Remus finally managed to ask what both of them were wondering.

“How long?�

Dumbledore’s blue eyes fell slightly. “It’s hard to tell: Anywhere between a week to a year. This is a delicate situation we’re dealing with and we must be very careful.�

“Professor? Did you tell these people who…?�

“No,� Dumbledore shook his head. “I didn’t say any names, just that they were people who could help us in the war.�

“Oh.�

“Do you think they could help us in the war, Remus?�

“Yes, sir. I know it.�

----

“You’re sure it’s you?� Harry’s voice was muffled but Sirius still heard quite clearly what he said and understood it perfectly.

“I ran tests this morning just to make perfectly sure,� Sirius admitted.

Harry pulled away from the hug and seemed rather embarrassed for a moment, quickly wiping his tears away and leaning back a bit. “Sorry.�

Sirius smiled slightly in a very melancholy way and wiped his own tears away. “There’s nothing to be sorry about. I just about lost it when I heard…or, I guess, saw the body.�

Harry flinched when Sirius mentioned the body and he immediately regretted bringing it up. But if not now, then when? Harry needed to get a grip on this.

“Harry,� he reached down and made his Godson look in his eyes. Harry did so, reluctantly. “We still don’t know what it means. It could still just be some strange coincidence.�

Harry laughed bitterly. “Right, coincidence. Sirius, nothing in my life is a coincidence. It’s bloody fate and I’m afraid I’m getting used to it.�

“No, Harry!� Sirius said so forcefully that Harry’s eyes went a little wide as his Godfather shook him by his shoulders. “Don’t…don’t get used to it!�

“What? What other choice do I have?� he asked in exasperation. “I’m the bloody boy-who-lived! Bullocks, I have to kill Voldemort! Me, Sirius!� he looked angry for a moment but then his face softened and he broke eye contact with Sirius, his body relaxing a bit. His voice then came out barely over a whisper. “Just me…�

“You’re not alone, Harry,� Sirius took his arms off Harry’s shoulder and leaned back a bit. “Not while I’m around.�

Wrong thing to say.

Harry’s eyes flashed up at him. “What?! While you’re around!? In case you didn’t notice, I went back into the hell of my first 11 years of existence this past summer! You were dead! Dead! And I had killed you!�

Sirius’ eyes flashed at that statement, remembering what Remus had told him earlier about Harry blaming himself for his death. He didn’t get a chance to talk though, as Harry kept going.

“No one was there! Ron and Hermione, they try, but it’s not the same! Remus, he tries, but it’s…� he broke off, chocking back a sob and hung his head. “I needed you, Sirius…I needed you and I killed you!� Harry’s anger became apparent as the already cracked mirror shattered further and a strong wind whipped through the room. He stood and turned his back to Sirius, clenching his fists and trying to stop his excess use of wandless magic. “Why? Why can’t I just have…can’t I have my…�

Sirius felt his heart clench as he filled in Harry’s unfinished statement. “Your parents?�

Harry’s shoulder’s slumped and though Sirius couldn’t see his face, he saw his shoulder’s bobbing up and down slightly as Harry began to cry again.

Not knowing what else to do, Sirius, got up and went to lay a hand on Harry’s shoulder. Thankfully, Harry’s didn’t flinch away, but he didn’t seem any comforted by the touch either.

“I know…I’m not your dad…� Sirius said softly. “I know I could never and would never want to take his spot.�

Harry still hadn’t turned to face him.

“But I am your Godfather…I loved you from the minute you were born…I was there when you took your first steps…� he smiled slightly and chuckled. “You even puked on my robes once.�

Harry had stopped crying but wasn’t facing him.

“Your mother was hesitant about making me your Godfather, afraid I wasn’t serious enough.�

Harry turned towards him and smiled slightly at the joke.

“But your dad…he insisted. And you know what?�

“What?� Harry said softly.

Sirius put both hands on Harry’s shoulders and stared him intently in the eyes. “I’m so glad he gave me the chance, the chance to be here for you when no one else was. To be the one that you can turn to no matter what. From Voldemort to your latest crush, Harry, I hope you’ll always come to me about it.�

Harry smiled again.

“And, now listen, Harry, because this is very important: If something does happen to me - don’t flinch away - if something happens, I forbid you to blame yourself.�

He cut off Harry as he saw the boy start to argue.

“No, you heard me. I’ve been hearing a bit about your pity party that you’ve been on for the past few months and I want no more of it.�

Harry wisely kept his mouth shut but he looked as if he was close to tears again.

So Sirius reached out and ruffled his hair.

“Besides, why would you think I’d give anyone the honor of killing me but myself? Surely you know me better?�

Harry finally smiled, a real smile, and swatted Sirius’ hand away from his hair.

Ginny watched through worried eyes as she saw Harry pick at his breakfast the next morning, his eyes staring at the table and his face furrowed in concentration. She glanced over to Ron and Hermione who were bickering amongst themselves, apparently oblivious to the downcast mood that their best friend was in.

He had to talk to someone; that much was obvious. Hermione, Ron and Ginny had all done their best yesterday to convince Harry that they would always be here for him, but it didn’t seem to affect him.

She remembered and knew what Harry was going through, maybe not exactly, but her first year experience had definitely exposed her to a lot of feelings that she hoped she would never have to experience again. She could tell what he was going through: You don’t want to talk to anyone about anything, and you do your best to be moody enough to keep them away…but, deep down, you’re bursting to just talk to someone, not necessarily about your problem…preferably about anything other than your problem.

Checking her watch quickly, Ginny reached over, tapping Harry’s hand. He looked up quickly, confusion on his face. She just smiled at him and spoke up over Ron and Hermione’s argument.

“Want to go on a walk?� she asked him.

He looked at her peculiarly for a moment before finally smiling and nodding in the affirmative. She sighed in relief and stood up, starting to walk out. She heard Ron and Hermione inquire as to where Harry was going, but was happy when he just brushed them off, following her into the entrance hall as they both made their way out into the sunlight, the snow crunching under their feet and their breath clouding up in their faces.

She wasn’t quite sure how to start a conversation. Now that she had gotten him at least this far, she didn’t want to mess it up for any reason. She started biting her lip in nervousness. Did he expect her to say something? Maybe offer more condolences? Cheer him up? Could she cheer him up?

She snuck a glance over at him and saw that he was staring ahead of them, his eyes not really focusing on anything, his hands jammed in his pocket and his expression thoughtful.

Looking back down quickly (she would never live it down if he caught her staring at him), she shuffled her feet, kicking at the snow and trying to think of what to say.

“It’s quite a paradox,� he said softly.

She tried not to seem so surprised that he had spoken and found herself almost gaping at him. He turned and saw her expression, his face going into an unmistakable smile.

“The snow, I mean. With the sunlight,� he smiled and looked up into the bright sunlight. “You don’t expect it to be so bright with all the cold and gloomy snow around, but…� he looked back at her, still smiling, “it is.�

She couldn’t help but smile back, thankful that she had gotten him out of the crowded Great Hall and seemed lightened his mood the tiniest bit.

“I’m glad it’s the weekend,� she supplied, trying to keep the casual conversation going. “We had a horrid potions class yesterday and I don’t think I could deal with seeing Snape again without wanting to curse him into oblivion.�

To her surprise, Harry threw back his head and laughed; a cheerful and upbeat laugh that Ginny didn’t know if she had ever heard before. It seemed so natural…she couldn’t help it, and she started laughing as well.

They laughed for almost a full minute before they died down to giggles and they were both smiling, as if they shared a secret that no one else knew.

“Thanks, Ginny.�

It was so soft and sincere and Ginny could tell that it was meant just for her to hear and no one else. She smiled and looked over to him again, finding that he was looking at her with a smile that mimicked hers and a slightly twinkle in his eyes.

“You’re welcome.�

----

“Where are they both going?� Ron asked Hermione, seeing that not only Harry, but Ginny was walking quickly out of the Great Hall.

Hermione smiled at Ron’s baffled look and shook her head in exasperation. What was the reason she had fallen for this guy again?

“Don’t you know, Ron?� she asked him in a matter-of-fact tone, picking again at her food, “They’re going off to a closet to snog each other senseless.�

She died laughing at Ron’s shocked face, his head twirling around to look at her and his mouth dropping open.

“Hermione!� He chided her as he saw her laughing, realizing the joke.

“Oh, really!� she backfired, getting ahold of herself enough to slap him on the arm softly. “Couldn’t you tell? Didn’t you see how upset Harry was this morning?�

“Well, yeah, but what’s that got to do with Ginny?�

Hermione finished the last of her meal and started gathering her things. “I imagine she knew we were too busy biting each other’s heads off that she would have to be on ‘cheer-up-Harry’ duty this morning.�

“’Cheering-up-Harry’ duty?� Ron asked cluelessly as he stood up with Hermione, both of them starting out of the Great Hall. “Is that what we do now?�

“Certainly seems like he’s been needing it more than usual, wouldn’t you agree?� Hermione closed her book and tucked it under her arm, finally looking up at Ron. He seemed to be thinking quite hard which could be good or bad.

“Well, blimey, of course he does!� Ron replied. “I’d probably be lying dead in a ditch somewhere if I had to go through everything he’s been through.�

Hermione smiled as she saw how much Ron had matured. There was a time when Ron’s jealousy of Harry was set off by the slightest comment, but it seemed the years had done their work and her friend was actually starting to grow up.

“I think it’ll be good for him and Ginny to talk. She could help him with certain things that we can’t.�

“What?� Ron asked, confused. “What could Ginny do that we couldn’t?�

But their question was answered almost instantly as they heard a laugh echo through the Entrance Hall, a familiar laugh that neither of them could mistake. They looked at each other quickly before rushing over to the giant doors that lead out onto the grounds. Ron’s jaw dropped open and Hermione’s eyes twinkled as they saw Harry and Ginny walking in the snow together, both of them laughing loudly at something or other.

“That, Ron…That is what Ginny can give him that we can’t.�

----

“Remus?�

Sirius stood stiffly at the doorway, waiting for permission from his friend to enter. Since their fight the day before, their friendship had seemed rather strained, forced almost. In fact, all that they had really talked about was Remus’ visit to Dumbledore while Sirius was trying to comfort Harry. Sirius knew that Remus had probably been just as worried about Harry as he had been and the guilt from their argument in the Room of Requirement seemed to be hanging over both their heads.

“Come on in, Padfoot,� Remus said quietly from the table where he was, reading a book as usual and smiling at his friend in exhaustion. The night before had been a full moon and Remus had spent it alone. On top of that he had the worry of Harry hanging over his head along with the argument with his best friend ringing through his mind.

It must have been an awful night.

Sirius slipped over and sat across from Remus at the table, peering over to the book her was reading.

“What’s that?�

Remus peaked up again and, with a sigh, set the book down, looking at Sirius again.

“Nothing, I was just hoping to answer some questions.�

There was an awkward silence for a few moments as neither knew quite what to say. Finally Sirius blurted out. “How was the full moon?�

Remus grimaced and leaned back, running a hand through his prematurely grey hair. “Bloody awful.�

“I’m sorry,� Sirius said quietly.

Remus looked back again and heard the unspoken meaning behind those two little words.

“Yeah, me too, Sirius.�

They managed to smile at each other and the ice seemed to thankfully break around them.

Sirius looked back down at the book and saw its title this time.

“Dimensions of Reality? What’s that about?�

Remus nervously picked the book up and flipped through a few pages. “I’ve had this book for a few years, picked it up from a second hand shop owned by some old witch who assured me it was priceless…�

He stopped on a page and his eyes started trailing over it, but he continued speaking. “It certainly has been handy.�

Sirius’ ears perked up. “What’s that?�

Remus heaved a sigh. “No rubbing it in my face that I’m finally agreeing with you, alright?�

Sirius grinned widely and said, “Not a chance.�

“It has a lot of interesting information about the veil…�

----

Harry was surprised at how…happy…he was feeling at the moment. True, he was freezing, his rear end was starting to hurt and he was literally skating on thin ice, but for some reason, his spirits were lifted and his thoughts were not as dark as they had been just a few hours ago.

For some bloody, psycho reason, Ginny had actually convinced him to go ice skating on the lake. As neither of them actually had ice skates, they had spent the first 30 minutes trying to transfigure their shoes which resulted in Ginny’s feet turning into bananas and Harry having to put out a fire on his feet with his hat.

All in all, they had dismissed the idea and just attempted to “skate� with their shoes.

The first attempts had ended with several falls and many laughs. Getting the hang of it after a while, they had taken to trying to “dance� with each other on the ice, a feat which looked more like two chickens with their heads cut off than a pair of teenagers dancing.

Now they were both just trying to stay on their feet while trying to pull the other down.

Harry laughed with victory as he successfully avoided Ginny’s push and made her fall over herself.

“Grrr! Harry Potter!� she cried out, scrambling up as fast as she could and making her way over to where he was unsuccessfully trying to dash away across the ice. He was laughing too hard, and by the time she reached him, they both ended up falling down, a jumble of arms and legs mixed with winter cloaks and hats.

“Oy! You two! Are you trying to freeze to death?�

Still laughing, they made their way over to the snow covered lawn where Ron and Hermione had just come out and were watching them.

“You two look positively frozen!� Hermione said in horror as she took off her own scarf and wrapped it around Ginny’s neck, making the younger girl roll her eyes in exasperation, trying to ward off the motherly affections from a girl only one year her senior.

“Well, it was Ginny’s idea, not mine,� Harry said quickly, smirking over at Ginny when she glared at him and stuck out her tongue playfully.

Neither noticed the suspicious look that Ron shot them or the long sigh from Hermione.

The four friends trudged back up to the castle, chattering together. Harry could tell that Ron and Hermione were slightly amazed at his good mood, but he didn’t really care. No matter how it came about, he was going to enjoy the good times while they lasted.

“That is not true!� Hermione bit back bitterly, glaring over at Ron who was wearing a smug face. “I’ll have you know, Ronald Weasley, that I never even kissed Viktor Krum! Much less snogged!�

Ron started glaring at her and Harry caught Ginny’s eye. She rolled her eyes, exasperated and mouthed ‘closet’. Harry smiled bigger and nodded his head to a door a little bit ahead of them.

The Room of Requirement.

‘Prefect’, Ginny mouthed, grinning with anticipation. With the Room of Requirement they could probably leave Hermione and Ron in there indefinitely because they would automatically be supplied with anything they required.

Ginny carefully moved over to walk on the other side of Harry as Ron and Hermione continued to bicker.

“Has dear Vicky forgotten to write you this week?� Ron’s voice dripped with disdain and Hermione was positively exploding.

“For the last time, his name is VIKTOR!�

Harry motioned to Ginny and she immediately whipped the door open, making room for when Harry quickly shoved the two unsuspecting Gryffindors in, their shouts of surprise cut off as Harry shut the door, quickly locking it with his wand.

“Harry Potter don’t you dare!� Hermione roared from the inside.

Harry and Ginny laughed with glee at the protests but gave them no heed.

“Think of it this way you two,� Ginny called out. “We’ll come back in the morning and if you’re still alive, we’ll let you out!�

Harry could just see the blood draining out of Ron’s face and Hermione’s mind working furiously on how to unlock the door. Whipping out Sirius’ old gift, Harry jammed it into the lock, making sure that it was snug so that any spell Hermione used wouldn’t work.

He turned to Ginny who was still listening to the shouts of protests inside the room, noticing his gaze, she turned back to him.

Feeling daring, Harry held out his arm to her and smirked.

“Shall we?�

Ginny looked rather taken aback for a moment, but quickly hid her surprise and smiled majestically, taking his arm and allowing him to lead her back down the hall, their chatter and laughter drowning out the calls for help from behind them.

“It seems our greatest question now is which method to use,� Dumbledore said calmly, his eyes flickering over to Sirius and Remus as both the younger men looked at him in confusion.

“Well, I can tell that the two of your have reached a certain point of ‘truce’ with each other about this project and with that obstacle conquered, I feel we should move onto the next.� He said it in such a matter-of-fact tone that both the remaining marauders gaped at him openly.

“Did we, or did we not find a body behind the veil last week, Albus?� Sirius said cautiously. “Shouldn’t we figure out that before we move on?�

Dumbledore seemed to be seeing right through Sirius and looked at him deeply. “I believe that in working on that particular problem right now, we will not get any answers. But I do believe that we can get answers for that problem if we deal with Sirius’s hypothesis about the veil.�

Sirius and Remus both gave each other bewildered looks but ended up turning their full attention back to Dumbledore, as they knew he had a great chance of dealing with this then they did.

“You said something about methods?� Remus prompted their old headmaster.

Dumbledore smiled secretly and peered down at the paper in front of him. “Indeed. There are, to my knowledge and the knowledge of some of my friends back in the Department of Mysteries, two different scenarios to accomplish this task.�

“One,� he began, looking up and seeing that he had both the other men’s attentions, “is to, in fact, travel back to a point in the past and change something.�

Sighing, he set the paper down and looked at them both very sternly. “The repercussions on this scenario are not enjoyable. The change that you would make could be for good or evil. It could cause quite a large change, or a change not big enough for something like this that we are trying to accomplish. Also, it is highly dangerous to the future of the younger generations on this world right now, not to mention extremely illegal in the eyes of the ministry.�

Sirius’ eyes were wide and Remus looked like he was trying not to burst out with a million questions.

“You said there was another option?� Sirius said timidly.

“Precisely, though it is no less risky,� Dumbledore said in warning before looking back down at his paper. “Our other option would be to actually go back through the veil, find them, lead them back out of the veil, and hope for the best.�

This time is was Remus’ eyes that were bulging and Sirius looked as if he needed to go run a few laps to get out his pent up energy.

“I, for one, am not too keen about the second choice,� Sirius finally said. They both turned to him and so he continued. “There’s too much chance that we won’t be able to get back out again, and I am not going to do that to Harry.�

Dumbledore sighed and looked at both of them seriously. “What you two need to understand is that there is a huge risk in this, no matter what course we take. Victory would be incredible for all of us, more so for Harry. Defeat, while hard to think about, will bring about another stage of depression in Harry that I doubt anyone will be able to deal with.�

“I’m willing to take the chance,� Sirius said shortly.

“For yourself or for Harry, Sirius?�

“How dare you!� Sirius stood in anger, glaring at Dumbledore. “How dare you ask me that!?�

Remus, trying to calm his friend down, held up a hand. “Padfoot, calm down. He didn’t mean it like that.�

“Indeed, Sirius, I do not wish to trample on your memories of Lily and James, but there is a distinct possibility that in the course of the next few weeks you will be forced to choose between them and Harry.�

Sirius’ face looked ashen as he heard those words, though Remus could tell that he had probably already realized that fact. No one spoke for a minute or so as they gave time for Sirius to sort out his thoughts. Remus was also having a hard time comprehending the thought of choosing between them. It was a choice he would never want to make.

“Which of these plans would help us with Sirius and the body we found?� He finally asked.

Dumbledore’s face brightened a bit, as if he was pleased that Remus had brought it up and he started to speak as Sirius sat down in his chair again.

“I believe the first option would cover that nicely. Changing the situation, on say, the night in the Department of Mysteries would assure Sirius’ survival in the first place, making no need for a body. Changing the situation even farther back in time, even with Lily and James, would set off a chain reaction that would ultimately, I believe, change our entire situation here.�

“You believe? What does that mean?� Sirius asked.

Dumbledore sighed and laced his fingers together, resting his hands on the table. “Alas, there are not all who share my optimism about this choice. I, for one, think it is a great deal safer than the second option, but several workers in the ministry have warned me of serious repercussions.�

“Such as?� Remus asked, not really wanting to hear but knowing that it was necessary.

“Fatality, for one thing,� Dumbledore said bluntly. “If we do, by chance save them once, their deaths could still happen, even more deaths than theirs could still happen.�

“Like, we could go back, change something, and then come back to find that we’re all dead anyway?� Sirius said bluntly.

“Understanding the laws of time are not always easy, but I warn you now: If the change you make results in your death, you will not even be around to jump forward in time again.�

“You will be erased.�

Both men seemed frozen to the spot. Erased? Permanently….no chance of fixing the mistake again…

“Albus, that second option…� Remus hesitated. “It doesn’t sound like it has anything to do with time travel, merely luck and a whole lot of miracles…�

Dumbledore nodded gravely. “It also gives us no answer for the problem with the body behind the veil. If we want to hit two birds with one stone, we must try to accomplish the first scenario.�

They were all silent again and Dumbledore stood up slowly, walking over to the small model of the universe that sat on his desk. He smiled as he looked at it and then turned back to the two younger men who now had both stood up and were wearing equally determined expressions.

Sirius’ statement seemed to sum up the feeling of both of them.

“Bring it on.�

----

Harry didn’t quite know what to expect when he opened the Room of Requirement the next morning, but whatever he had been expecting it definitely wasn’t what he ended up seeing.

“What in bloody Merlin is going on in here!?�

Ron and Hermione both jumped in each other’s arms, being rudely awakened by the yell and at once searched the room for the perpetrator. Both blushed deeply when they saw Harry standing in front of them, Ginny by his side, both of them sharing equal smirks.

Ron’s embarrassment turned into a glare directed mostly at his best friend while Hermione jumped up out of Ron’s arms, still rather embarrassed and started brushing the wrinkles out of her clothes that she had slept in all night.

At once, Harry and Ginny busted out laughing, eventually sinking to the ground because they laughed so hard. Ron, who was still glaring, was tapped on the shoulder by Hermione and he looked up at her quickly.

Harry and Ginny didn’t notice when Hermione’s head motioned to the door, and they didn’t notice when Ron and Hermione both stood up proudly, marching out of the room.

But they did notice when the door slammed shut and the distinct ‘click’ of a lock was heard.

The both looked at each other quickly before rushing over and trying their best to open the door, even though they knew that with Hermione on the other side, they would never get out.

Finally, Ginny backed away, sliding down the wall and blowing out a resigned sigh. “Well, what goes around comes around, I guess.�

Harry glanced at her curiously. “I’m getting the sense that Ron is actually pushing me towards his little sister.� Ginny looked up at him in surprise and was pleased to see him smiling slightly at her.

She shook her head in exasperation, put it in her hands and sighed again. “Leave it to Ron to pick his best friend for me.�

Harry smirked down at her and dropped beside her, both of them falling into a comfortable silence.

“Well, since we obviously don’t exactly ‘need’ this ‘time together’,� Harry smirked and looked down at her as she looked up at him with a confused expression, “let’s play with them a bit.�

Ginny smirked, getting his meaning immediately.

“I just hope they remember we have classes tomorrow…If Ron leaves us in here too long…let’s just say I’ve been practicing my Bat-Booty Hex.�

Harry smirked and they both fell silent for the next long while, content to just sit together, neither quite sure why they felt so comfortable in one another’s presence.

----

* Flashback *

----

“Ginny?�

She looked up from the homework, surprised to see Harry looking at her, his brow furrowed in his eyes worried.

“What? Is something wrong?� She asked in confusion. The day had been going so well. She got Harry’s mind off of Sirius, spent more time with him than she ever remembered, shoved Ron and Hermione into the Room of Requirement, convinced Harry to help her with her homework and she hadn’t blushed once. What was wrong?

He looked down, almost embarrassed and stuttered over his words for a bit.

“Well, I was just wondering, really…� he looked back up at her and she saw how serious he was. “Why did you do…all this?�

“What?� She was most definitely lost.

If anything he got more embarrassed but he still managed to get the words out. “It was really nice of you…spending some time with me and getting my mind off of…everything.�

It was Ginny’s turn to blush and she looked back down, trying to continue to work on her homework. “Oh…it was nothing…�

“No, Ginny,� He reached down and grabbed her hand. Her eyes dated towards his hand touching hers and then up to his face. He took his hand away quickly, but didn’t break eye contact. “Really, thanks, a lot.�

She couldn’t hide the blush anymore and quickly looked away again, trying to concentrate on something other than the fluttery feeling in her chest. “I…I just knew how you were feeling, I guess…�She looked up cautiously and saw that he was looking curiously at her. “It’s hard,� she said softly, “Dealing with emotions that you can’t control.� He nodded slightly, almost amazed at what she knew. “I guess I just thought I would be able to help.�

He smiled at her again and the butterflies went crazy in her stomach again. “You did help, Ginny. A lot. Thanks.�

----

* End Flashback *

----

Lunchtime found Remus and Sirius combing through the restricted section of the library, for once, actually there with permission, though that didn’t stop Madam Pince from glaring at them every time she walked by. About the 10th time she came around, Sirius winked at her and Remus did a little wave, causing her to narrow her eyes at them and scurry away, this time leaving them in peace.

“It’s like she still thinks we’re going to blow the library up,� Remus commented, shaking his head with a smirk on his face.

“Well I really can’t blame her,� Sirius added, not looking up. “James and I never really went to the library unless it was to pull a prank.�

Remus snorted, remembering. “True.�

The silence hung for the next few minutes as both of them became engrossed in their work. Sirius was the first to snap out of it.

“Did Dumbledore tell you about the spell he found?�

“Yes,� Remus mumbled, trying to concentrate on the book he was reading but knowing that he had better answer Sirius. “It was in the book that I had.�

“Really?� Sirius had finally looked up himself.

“Mumhuh…�

“How far back can it take us?�

“Dumbledore figured if you put enough power into it we could go as far as 20 years.�

“Are you going to perform it?�

Remus finally looked up, giving in to Sirius’ lack of tact when someone’s trying to read. “I hadn’t really thought about it. I suppose I could if you didn’t want to.�

“Dumbledore’s not coming?�

“Not as far as I know. He didn’t think someone as old as him would be able to handle the journey.�

“What about Harry?�

“What about Harry?�

“Are we going to tell him?�

“If we do end up telling him, then he’s going to want to come. You know that, don’t you?�

Sirius raised one eyebrow, a smirk on his face. “More like he’s going to demand to come.�

Remus shook his head in exasperation. “So I guess you were planning on bringing him anyway, weren’t you?�

Shrugging, Sirius turned back to the book he was looking through. “I really didn’t see a way around it. Besides, I think he deserves to come.�

“He deserves to come?� Remus asked in disbelief. “Sirius, if something goes wrong and we loose him-“

“Moony, seriously,� Sirius said impatiently. “Will you quit being so negative about this? We’re going to plan everything down to the last second.�

“You obviously don’t realize that we’re playing with time, Padfoot. Nothing it going to come out like we think it will. We have to be prepared for slip ups in the plan.�

Sirius just looked up at him, smiling cheekily. “That is why we’re Marauder’s, Moony, and in exactly one week we’re going to pass back through that veil and change this bloody Hell into something that we can stand to live with.�

----

Harry and Ginny both jerked around quickly as they heard shuffles outside their door, both of them springing up, forgetting their current chess game and giving each other knowing glances.

“Let the games begin,� Harry said quietly, smirking. Ginny’s smirk mirrored his and at once they vanished the game, the furniture disappeared, the room obviously noting what it’s occupants required, and both Ginny and Harry moved to opposite sides of the room, putting on disgusted faces.

“Harry? Ginny?� The door swung open to reveal Ron and Hermione, both with grins on their faces that instantly dropped as they saw the two occupants of the room standing apart from each other, absolutely nothing else in the room but a slight aura of bitterness.

“Guys?� Hermione said timidly.

Right on cue, Harry looked up at them. A purely furious expression on his face, glared at them for a moment before rushing out. Eyes wide with surprise, Ron and Hermione turned at once to Ginny.

She turned to them as well, rolling her eyes in an annoyed fashion and calmly (but swiftly) stormed out of the room, turning in the opposite direction and walking off.

“Bugger…� Ron said finally. “What in the bloody world just happened?�

The next week went rather fast for Harry. True, he did have an enjoyable time keeping up his and Ginny’s stunt in front of Ron and Hermione. Both he and Ginny seemed to not be able to control their laughter very well so the acts they put on were short and to the point, each one making Ron and Hermione get more and more exasperated with them. Of course, Harry’s two best friends still weren’t about to give up their new found time with each other. “Prefect Duties� now consisted of things like snogging in the broom closet and midnight strolls to the astronomy tower, but Harry watched them all with a grin behind his hand and a satisfied feeling in his heart. He was glad that they had found each other.

His and Ginny’s relationship grew immensely due to Ron and Hermione’s “new found romance� (though they never called it that themselves). When they weren’t pretending to fight in front of Ron and Hermione, they walked and talked together, laughing about Fred and George’s newest products and enjoying one another’s company so much that they often found themselves winding up in the same corridors, trying to “bump into� each other.

The curtain finally came down on a lot of things that night in the common room when Ron and Hermione caught them speaking to each other.

“What’s all this about then!?� Hermione stormed into the common room, scaring Harry and Ginny to death as they both jumped, startled out of the current conversation they were having.

“Oy! Since when do you two stay in the same room together?� Ron added, coming up beside Hermione and throwing annoyed glares at the pair. Harry and Ginny both felt a tad bit embarrassed, but ended up laughing at their joke that was now in the open.

Hermione seemed to catch on first as she saw them both laughing their heads off, her face turning bright red and her fists clenching.

“Oh…you…argh! Harry Potter you are absolutely the worst!� she cried.

They just laughed harder and Hermione stormed out of the room, leaving Ron who was slowly beginning to realize the truth as well.

“So you two were never-"

“No,� Harry said, still shaking with laughter.

“And you made us think that-"

“Yes,� Ginny said smirking, their laughter having died down.

Ron’s ears turned bright red and he rolled his eyes at them, mumbling something about “Prefect duties� and hurried out the portrait after Hermione.

“Ten Galleons they’re off to a broom closet.�

“That’s a suckers bet, Gin.�

They settled back onto the couch, the fire in front of them dancing off the dark floor and walls, giving them the only light they had at the late hour.

Ginny yawned with exaggeration and stretched her arms. “Bliminey, what time is it?�

“Half past midnight,� Harry answered, checking his watch. He was lounging in the corner of the couch, one arm up on the back of the couch and the other on the armrest with both legs stretched in front of him.

“Merlin, I’m tired…� She dropped her head down, resting it on Harry’s shoulder softly. He almost tensed when she made contact but managed to keep his shock from showing. They had become quite close in the past few days. Quite close indeed.

“You don’t mind, do you?� she asked sleepily, not opening her eyes.

“No, of course not,� Harry said quickly, not quite able to take his eyes off her.

“Oh, good…� her words slurred out and she brought her legs up on the couch, curling more into him and sighing softly, letting sleep take her.

Harry couldn’t stop staring at her and watched as her breath became even and soft, her stomach rising rhythmically. He felt himself nod off slightly as he watched her, his head bobbing as he tried to stay awake, The last thing he wanted right now was to wake her. He managed to scoot farther down so he could rest his head and felt the darkness take him as he slowly drifted off, feeling Ginny’s comforting weight by his side. Right before he fell asleep, his arm dropped slowly so that it rested on the small of her back, but he made no effort to move it and let the exhaustion take over.

Neither saw Ron and Hermione sneak in 15 minutes later, both of them throwing exasperated looks at the pair on the couch. Hermione snuck over and wrote a small note, sticking it on the table in front of them and Ron got a small common room blanket to lay over Ginny.

“What about Harry?� Hermione asked him questionably as they both started away.

“Are you nutters?� Ron almost hissed, amazed that Hermione would have to ask. “I may approve of Harry as her boyfriend but that doesn’t mean I’m going to stick them under the same blanket together.�

Hermione blushed quickly and rolled her eye. “Ron, you are such a prat.� She reached out to shove him away, but he caught her wrist and did the exact opposite, pulling her in for a long kiss.

----

At the same time, in the same castle, Remus almost collapsed with the effort of practicing the spell again, Sirius catching him as he lost his balance and was about to tumble over.

“Steady on, mate,� Sirius said, concerned. “Give it a break, will ya?�

Remus scowled at his best friend but allowed himself to be lead to a chair to sit in. “It has to be perfect Sirius, and if we only have two days left that doesn’t give me much time.�

“Listen to yourself, Moony,� Sirius pleaded, bringing him over some chocolate. “You’re exhausted. You’re not going to be much help to us if we get there and you can’t even see straight.�

The werewolf bit bitterly into the chocolate but was thankful for the warmth it gave his body, as well as the perk of energy he received. The spell definitely did take a lot out of him just performing it once. He had done it almost five times today, trying his best each time to get rid of the tiny glitches that he saw in it. Two days.

“I don’t want to be responsible for us not even going to the right place,� Remus said darkly. “It’ll be hard enough to get to the right date. What if we end up halfway around the world?�

“We’ve left enough time that we could travel there and still change it,� Sirius said firmly. “Besides, have faith in yourself, Remus. It’ll be a breeze.�

“I hope,� Remus said softly, completely serious.

They both were silent and Remus looked up to see Sirius looking thoughtfully at a calendar in front of him. They were currently in the Headmaster’s office. Dumbledore had turned in about an hour earlier, explained that the two could continue practicing as long as they needed and take one of the many spare rooms that they no doubt knew about across the many hallways of Hogwarts. That left Remus and Sirius on their own to work on the spell. It was rather a good opportunity, as Remus knew he wouldn’t have Dumbledore’s strength when he had to perform the spell and he needed to get used to using Sirius’ power with his.

“We should tell him soon.�

Remus didn’t ask who his friend was talking about.

“Like tomorrow, or I guess today considering that it’s already after midnight. He needs to accept what we’re telling him.�

Remus, to Sirius’ surprise, nodded in agreement. “But carefully, Sirius,� he added, looking at his friend hard. “Remember how he reacted about the body. And you shouldn’t leave anything out. Get the surprises out now and don’t leave anything for him to be shocked about once we make the trip.�

Sirius nodded shortly, looking quite serious and determined. “You want to come with me?�

“No, you go. He’s more comfortable with you.�

“That’s a load of bull, Remus,� Sirius scoffed. “He’s known you longer than he’s know me.�

“But you’re his Godfather,� Remus pointed out. Though he was arguing, he had an itching desire to see how Harry would take the news. It was almost a sense of anticipation to see Harry happy again.

“And you’re practically his uncle,� Sirius reminded him firmly. “We’ll clear it with Dumbledore in the morning and then we’ll tell him tomorrow-er-today I mean.�

“I already asked Dumbledore about it.�

“Ah, so that’s why you agreed so readily.�

Remus smiled. “Yes, now that we have a real plan, a real spell and a real goal, Dumbledore wants him to know as soon as possible so he can adjust to the fact and make up his mind whether or not he wants to come.�

Smirking, Sirius looked slyly at his best friend. “Make up his mind? You think he’s going to not want to come?�

Remus tried to hide his own smirk as he shook his head. “No, I have no doubt what he’ll choose, but Dumbledore’s the one who insisted we give him a choice.�

“Doesn’t seem to know our Harry too well does he?�

“Who knows? Harry might surprise even us.�

“Oh, I don’t doubt it. There are few things that boy does that don’t surprise me.�

----

Thankfully, Harry awoke early the next morning and felt his face heat up as he felt Ginny’s comforting weight leaning on his side, her breathing soft and regular. He saw the blanket draped across her and suddenly realized how cold he was. That’s when he spotted the note on the table in front of him. Looking around and seeing that no one was around, he reached forward, careful not to disturb Ginny and plucked it up, his eyes going wide at the familiar handwriting.

Gin and Harry-

Nice try you two.

-Ron and Hermione

His moving unfortunately woke Ginny who sat up sleepily. “Harry?�

Feeling quite annoyed, he showed her the note and saw her face turn as red as his own. She quickly checked the clock.

“Let’s go down to breakfast. I’m not in the mood to have an audience.�

Harry couldn’t agree more. Besides, breakfast would be starting right at 7:00 and it was almost that time. They scurried out of the portrait hole (Ginny being sure to fold the blanket and put it away) and were both quiet on the long walk to the Great Hall. Entering, they noticed only a few scattered students around, groggily eating their breakfast and trying to read their textbooks propped in front of him. As it was Saturday, there was ample time for studying through the weekend and Harry wondered vaguely what the students were attempting to do by getting up this early on purpose.

They both collapsed at the Gryffindor table, neither quite sure what to say to each other or how they were going to get out of this pickle.

Thankfully, the food appeared as they sat down and they both started to dig in, but neither seemed very interested in eating.

“Merlin, what if Colin got a picture?� Ginny finally said aloud, shaking her head and staring glumly at her unappetizing porridge.

Harry cringed at the thought, but with the embarrassment came another feeling that he couldn’t quite explain. Was it hope?

“Would it really have been that bad?� He was surprised to hear himself ask.

Ginny looked at him quickly, surprised.

“It’s just…� he racked his brain about how to say it. “I don’t care about being seen with you, Ginny.�

The corners of her lips twitched up slightly and she blushed furiously.

“In fact, I think last night was the first time in a long while I didn’t have any nightmares.� Harry’s own face flamed up and he couldn’t believe he was actually saying this to Ginny! What was he thinking? He turned away, highly embarrassed and tried to focus his attention on his eggs and sausage. He had never seriously considered Ginny Weasley in the “girlfriend� department before, but the more he thought about it, the more appealing the idea became.

They were both saved from another bout of embarrassing silence by students starting to enter the Great Hall. At once, Hermione and Ron plopped themselves across from the pair, both with raised eyebrows and slight smirks.

Ginny and Harry both glared at their anticipating faces and refused to say anything.

“So…� Ron began, leaning back in his seat and looking smug.

“So what?� Ginny said back haughtily.

“Well now that the stunt’s over, can’t you two tell us what’s going on between you guys?� Hermione said bluntly.

Both Ginny and Harry blushed again.

“Nothing, nothing’s going on,� Harry said quickly.

Hermione just raised her eyebrow and Ron started laugh/coughing behind his hand.

“We’re friends,� Ginny said in exasperation.

“Yeah, and Ron and I are brother and sister,� Hermione said sarcastically, rolling her eyes.

“Well, I’m sure you guys wouldn’t have noticed with all the ‘Prefect Duties’ you’ve had,� Harry said, smirking. He still had one up on them and was pleased to see his two friends start to blush just as bad.

“Harry, come on, mate, she’s my little sister!�

“Oh, thanks for that Ron, that makes me feel so much better.�

“I wish you two would stop talking like I’m not here,� Ginny pouted.

Harry sent her an apologetic look and turned back to Ron. “Seriously, Ron, nothing’s going on…� he looked back over to Ginny. “Not really anyways.�

Ginny saw his eyes looking at her with a type of pleading expression and at first she thought he was going to make up another lie and was asking her to play along. However, that was definitely not what he did next.

“Not yet, anyway,� Harry continued, still looking at Ginny. She began to get nervous under his gaze and saw Hermione and Ron looking at them with wide eyes.

“Gin, will you go to Hogsmead with me this afternoon?�

Ginny’s eyes flew open wide and her mouth dropped. Rarely could anything surprise her so much, but this had been the last thing she had been expecting. It seemed Ron and Hermione were having similar thoughts as their eyes flickered back and forth between the youngest Weasley and the last remaining Potter.

She got caught up in his eyes again and saw his silent pleading as they twinkled, totally focused on her. She realized it took a lot of guts for him to ask her like this, in front of not only his two best friends, one of which was her older brother, but also the growing crowd of Gryffindor students that were sitting around them, most who had heard what Harry had asked.

“Yes, I believe I will,� she said with as much fervor as she could.

Harry smiled in relief. “Brilliant.�

At once they both turned back to Ron and Hermione who were now the ones with gaping mouths and wide eyes.

“Go on, Ron,� Harry said, smirking. “Ask me again.�

Harry slowly made his way down the stairs, his stomach churning as he realized he was supposed to be meeting Ginny in the entrance hall in about five minutes. He had told himself that he wasn't going to be late, but panicking at the last second he had made the mistake of turning to his guardians for help or advice.

They had given him neither.

Harry couldn't decide whether they were too involved in....whatever it was they were working on, or if they just really didn't know how to help him. Harry had always thought that Sirius had been the sort of "Lady Killer" of the Marauders in his day, charming women left and right. But when Harry had asked him about it, he had just waved the question away, embarrassed and told him he was too young for such stories.

Right.

Going faster, he made it to the entrance hall right as he saw Ron and Hermione walking out hand in hand. They turned and saw him, Hermione giving him a wave and smile and Ron raising a warning eyebrow at him. Harry, recognizing the warning of an overprotective brother, nodded once slightly before the couple turned away and continued on their way. Harry’s eye followed them down the steps and across the lawn towards the carriages that would take them to Hogsmeade.

A sharp tap landed on his shoulder and he whirled around, grinning when he saw who it was.

“Looking for me?� Ginny said with a smile.

Proud of himself for not blushing, Harry smiled and nodded. “How’d you know?�

She shrugged. “Lucky guess.�

Harry nervously held out his arm for her again and she took it without hesitation.

----

Feeling more confidence and relaxed, Harry found that going on a date with Ginny wasn’t really that different from what they had been doing for the past week. Their conversation wasn’t forced at all, but natural and easy, both of them laughing often and smiling most of the time. No wonder Hermione and Ron had been suspicious.

They were both walking down the center street of Hogsmeade, carrying one shopping bag each (they had stopped by the twin’s new store in Hogsmeade and Harry had insisted on buying something for Ginny), on their way to the Three Broomsticks for a well deserved Butterbeer and to thaw out their freezing toes. Harry held the door open for her and the warm air blasted in their faces as they went to find a table for two.

Luckily, or unluckily (Harry couldn’t really decided), Ron and Hermione flagged them down as soon as they took two steps.

“Harry! Gin! Over here!�

Harry sent an apologetic look over to Ginny but she just smiled and dragged him over to the table, both of them plopping across from Ron and Hermione who were halfway through their own drinks.

“How goes it, you two?� Hermione said with a grin.

“Could say the same for you,� Harry said with a grin, glancing over at Ron. “Got something right there, mate.� He motioned to his cheek and Ron blushed, reaching up to wipe away the lipstick mark.

“Since when did you wear makeup, Hermione?� Ginny asked slyly. “Or is little Ronnikens already cheating on you?�

“Oh, Lavender and Parvati cornered me this morning because they heard I was finally going out with Ron,� she said, not looking up at them. Harry saw Ron’s hand shift under the table and grip onto Hermione’s hand.

Ginny shuddered. “I’m lucky those two aren’t in my year. I’d probably never hear the end of it.� She blushed right after she said this, as if she felt she had said too much.

“What’s that?� Harry asked, raising an eyebrow towards her, Ron and Hermione looking on with interest now that the conversational spotlight wasn’t on them anymore.

Ginny blushed and looked down. “Nothing...�

Harry let it go, but it seemed that brothers weren’t so kind.

“Never hear the end of what, Gin?� Ron asked, leaning forward in a menacing brotherly fashion.

Though Ginny was not the only girl in a family of 6 boys for nothing.

She looked up at him with a deathly glare. “None of your business Ron!�

Harry chuckled as Ron cowered under her gaze, which was exactly the wrong thing to do.

“Think it’s funny, do you?� Ginny said darkly at Harry and before he could say anything, she had dashed out the door, back into the cold, January weather.

Harry and Ron’s astonished faces seemed to amuse Hermione who started chuckling and took another sip of her Butterbeer.

“Want to write the book now, Hermione?� Ron asked, almost pleadingly. Hermione, though, looked confused.

“You know, back in fifth year, ‘Translating Mad Things Girls Do So Guys Can Understand Them’?� Harry supplied.

Hermione raised an eyebrow at him and Harry felt himself faltering under her gaze. How in bloody Merlin did girls do that?

“Well, my first bit of advice would be for you to get off your lazy arse and stop her before she gets even madder,� Hermione said calmly.

Harry’s eyes flew open. “She wants me to run after her?�

Hermione shrugged and continued to sip her butterbeer. Harry turned to Ron who looked just as clueless.

“Look, mate, I’d do what she says,� Ron whispered, thought Harry knew Hermione could still hear. “She usually knows what she’s talking about.�

As Hermione reached over to smack Ron, Harry slipped out of the booth and out the door, the cold air chilling him to the bone, but he hardly noticed. His eyes flickered over the crowd of students walking all around, looking for the familiar bright red hair among them. He finally spotted her making her way towards Hogwarts beside the lake. Pulling on his gloves, Harry rushed over, trying not to smash into too many shoppers and reached her just as she stopped walking and was staring over the ice covered lake.

“Hey,� he said softly.

She spun quickly, not having heard him come up and he saw a few trails of tears down her cheeks that were red from the bitter wind. She turned away, wiping at her face and sniffing softly.

“Hey.� Her back was to him.

Harry rattled his brain for the right thing to say.

“So, what was that back there?�

Her shoulders slumped and she hugged herself, still staring towards the lake. “Nothing...just silly...�

“Hey,� he reached over and laid a hand on her shoulder, turning her towards him, “you can tell me. We’re friends, right?�

She smiled slightly. “Yes.�

“You like being friends with me?�

She sniffed and wiped at her eyes again. “Yes, it’s very nice.�

“Oh so formal are we?� Harry said with a raised eyebrow. “Come on, Gin. What’s wrong?�

She finally looked up at him and sighed. “You’re not going to leave me alone, are you?�

“If my date is crying for some reason I think it’s my responsibility to see what’s wrong,� Harry reasoned, thinking how good that last sentence had sounded in his ears. It worked too. Her face lighted up a bit.

“You think of me as your date?� Her voice was soft.

Harry blushed. “Well, yes. Isn’t that what this is? I’ll admit I’m not very experienced and the only other time was a complete disaster.�

She giggled and seemed to relax even more. “Yes, I heard about that.�

“So tell me Ginny.�

She hesitated. “You’ll think I’m overreacting.�

“Probably not.�

She looked up at him, surprised. “What?�

“Well, if it’s something about Death Eaters or Voldemort I won’t think your overreacting,� Harry reasoned, hoping he was saying the right thing.

Thankfully, she smiled.

“That was a good answer,� she said bluntly.

“Huh?�

“Most people would have said, ‘No, I won’t think you’re overreacting,’ but they really will.� She looked at him closely. “You’re very honest.�

“Well, thanks for that, Gin,� he remarked dryly, “but we’re here to talk about you.�

She waved the thought away. “No, I really was overacting, I’m fine.�

Harry didn’t look convinced.

“Honestly, I was just worrying about something that I didn’t need to.�

“Can you tell me what it was?�

“Maybe sometime.�

“Okay, fair enough.�

They stood in an awkward silence for a moment before Ginny turned back to Hogsmeade.

“You want to go back?� Harry asked, hoping she would say no.

“No.�

“Me either.�

“Well, we could try ice skating again?� Harry suggested hopefully.

She turned to him with a grin. “Race you there.�

Ginny made it to the ice first and slipped and slid around while Harry carefully made his way out to her. They got into their old routine of trying to pull each other down on the ice which resulted in plenty of bruised bottoms and egos.

A half hour later the score was still tied rather tightly and Harry was chasing Ginny towards the edge of the lake, a determined look on his face. Luckily for him, she was laughing so hard that she lost her footing, falling hard to the ground right when he reached her. Unluckily for him, she grabbed his cloak and brought him down with her. He landed hard on the ice, squirming to get up again as she was. They both managed to stand up again and managed to make it to the edge of the frozen lake, but this time Harry was holding onto Ginny and they both lost balance at the same time, Harry falling first and Ginny landing on top of him, thankfully the snow covered ground now cushioning the impact.

Exhausted, they both were laughing so hard that they didn’t move for a second until they realized how close they were.

Their laughs died down and their faces ended up inches apart.

Harry’s heart was beating fast. Did kisses always happen this unexpectedly? For before he knew it, he had closed the gap between their mouths, his warm lips caressing hers gently and her scent filling his mind as he realized exactly what he was currently doing...but this felt so...nice. She wasn’t pulling away either, so he felt no reason to. He hardly noticed the cold snow under them anymore as his body suddenly became very hot and he felt his mind thinking nothing about the weather. All his thoughts became centered on the redhead who was currently kissing him.

Lack of air forced them apart and, for a moment, they just stared at each other, surprisingly, neither of them was blushing, just staring.

“Wow,� Harry finally said softly.

“Yeah.�

----

Thinking it best to enter the common room separately (as they had both heard Ron arguing with Hermione about what they were currently doing), Harry said a quick goodbye to Ginny, and headed to the kitchens to get a light snack, as he hadn’t eaten anything since breakfast (and even then his stomach had been churning so bad he wasn’t sure if he actually ate anything.) Tickling the pear, he pulled open the portrait and was surprised to see the last two people on earth he wanted to talk to at that moment.

“Harry! See, Remus, of course he knows how to get into the kitchens! Who doesn’t?�

Harry forced a grin on his face and went to sit down next to his Godfather and his friend. Both were nursing bottles of something that looked suspiciously like Firewhiskey. There were some more worry lines in their face that Harry had noticed, but he could tell by their relaxed posture that they had come here for a well deserved break.

He grimaced at the silence that followed and could just feel both their eyes burning into him, begging and pleading to know what had happened on his “date�.

Well, Harry thought, they wouldn’t help me, why should I tell them anything?

This thought in mind, Harry accepted a plate of sandwiches brought over by an excited house elf and began eating as if nothing was wrong.

“So?� Sirius finally blurted out.

Harry tried to act naive but he was never really good at that. “Huh? What?�

“Your date with Ginny, Harry,� Remus supplied. “How’d it go?�

Harry shrugged and took another bite of the sandwich.

“Hey, why are you guys still here anyway?� He asked, hoping for a change in subject as he knew they weren’t buying it.

“Harry, I want you to know I’m mortally offended.� Harry looked up at Sirius who did look mortally offended but the twinkle in his eyes gave it away. “You won’t even tell me about your first date?�

“I did tell you about my first date,� Harry pointed out. “Though it was rather short and there was no snogging involved so I understand why you overlook that.�

“Pft, that Cho girl was no good,� Sirius scoffed, taking another swig of whatever was in the bottle in front of him. “Now Ginny, that girls got potential.�

“She just reminds you of Lily,� Remus argued.

“Nothing wrong with that,� Sirius said with a shrug.

Harry smiled at the thought. If his mom really was anything like Ginny, he could understand why he would chase after he for so long, even go so far as to change himself over completely.

“You’re going back into the reminiscing stage,� Sirius pointed out to Harry who looked over at him quickly.

“What?�

“Whenever you think about your parents your eyes kinda defocus and you look like any minute you’re gonna stop breathing.�

Harry’s forehead furrowed. “Really?�

“Harry,� Remus cut in quickly. “We need to talk to you about something.�

Harry’s heart involuntarily clenched.

“Oh that was a good leeway, Remus,� Sirius scoffed and drained the last of his bottle, standing up and looking towards Harry.

“Something else?� Harry said softly, looking at his Godfather with dread.

“It’s important Harry,� Remus replied, coming up on Sirius’ other side. “Don’t worry, it’s nothing like last time.�

“Well, it is something like last time,� Sirius said quickly.

“But hopefully it won’t make you upset.�

“Hopefully?� Harry asked, getting up and putting the forgotten sandwich down.

“You’ll see Harry,� Sirius soothed him. “Let’s go to Dumbledore’s office this time. He’ll help us.�

Having no idea what these words meant, Harry followed Padfoot and Remus out of the kitchens, his mind reeling with any and all the different things they could be able to reveal to him.

----

A/N: just fyi - I submit these chapters as quick as I can, since I already have a lot of this story written. Please be patient as they go through the submission process.

Harry stood nervously across from Dumbledore’s desk, wringing his hands as he looked from one face to the other. Sirius was standing off to his right, leaning against the bookshelf and looking intently at the floor as if he was calculating something. Remus was to Harry’s left and he seemed to be having a battle of wills with Professor Dumbledore, who was standing behind his desk. Remus and Dumbledore’s eyes kept flickering to each other, to Harry, to Sirius, and back to each other.

“Well?� Harry finally asked. He seemed to jerk Sirius out of his thoughts for his Godfather jumped slightly and straightened up, joining Remus and Dumbledore’s eye game.

It looked like Sirius lost.

Sirius started by saying, “How much do you know about the veil, Harry?�

Expecting something like this, Harry shrugged his shoulders, looking from one face to the other. “Not much. Hermione tried to find some information on it right after you...err...came back, but we figured most of that was probably in the restricted section.�

Remus gave a pointed cough which made Sirius glare at him.

“Remember when I first came back, I talked about how different the time passed when I was on the other side of the veil?�

Harry frowned, searching his memory. “Yes, vaguely. You said you were only there for a few minutes right? But months passed here.� He looked suspiciously up at his Godfather, having no idea where he was going with these questions. “Why?�

Sirius suddenly seemed to get even more nervous and he pulled Harry to sit down on one of the chairs while he sat on another one.

“Sirius? What’s wrong?�

Harry was starting to get very nervous himself. His Godfather never acted particularly scared about anything, but since this episode with the veil, more things were beginning to get to him.

“Harry, we, that is, Remus and I, we went through the restricted section a few days ago, looking for information about the veil and trying to help me solve a mystery that I have been running through my head ever since I came back.�

Harry looked up to Remus who gave him a tired smile, and then he looked to Dumbledore who looked surprisingly happier than the two younger men.

“What your dear Godfather is trying to say, my boy, is that he and Remus are planning a journey back through the veil,� Dumbledore said bluntly.

Harry’s jaw dropped and he whirled back around to his Godfather with accusing eyes. “Just what are you playing at!?� He jumped up out of his seat and backed away, not quite willing to believe his ears. Lucky for him though, he did not run away just yet. Sirius was silently pleading with his eyes towards his young Godson and Harry felt that maybe there was more to this than they were telling him just then.

He crossed his arms in front of his chest and glared at Sirius. “Tell me why.�

Sirius licked his lips and took a deep breath. “It’s a rather long story.�

“I want to hear it all,� Harry started simply, but he did not sit down as Sirius motioned him too.

“Alright, well it all starts with the veil, of course.� Sirius sat down himself and so did everyone else, but no one made a move to tell Harry to sit down.

“I didn’t tell you everything that happened behind the veil,� Sirius winced painfully, as if reliving it himself. “But one of the things I left out was that I...I heard the beings behind the veil say something about your parents.�

A piece seemed to click in Harry’s mind and he gasped out loud. “My-“

“Lily and James, or so I assume,� Sirius cut him off. Harry could tell he just wanted to get the story telling over quickly, so he restrained himself. “They told me that I had a choice of where I could go, up or down. I demanded to go back to earth, and when I didn’t give in, they decided to send me up, telling me that there were ‘two beings’ who had ‘vouched for my safety’ who ‘died many years ago’...� Harry felt tears gather in his eyes and could tell that Sirius was very close to tears himself.

“Merlin, Harry...I wanted to go see them so bad...I could practically see James’ face again...� He held his head in his hands and Harry finally had to sit down, not quite able to believe what he was hearing.

“But I didn’t. I escaped and went back through the veil.� Sirius looked back up and Harry saw a few tear streaks down his face. “But, when I heard about the time difference, it got me to thinking of the possible manipulation of time that a person would be able to do in there.�

Another piece clicked into place and Harry was starting to get shaky.

“That’s what I’ve been doing all this time since I came back, researching about the veil. But apparently there’s not much to go on. The best resources I could find was an old book that Moony owned that gave some accounts of people who had tried to see beyond the veil.�

“What happened to them?� Harry said softly.

Sirius shrugged. “Some died, apparently getting ‘sucked in’ when they tried to move the fabric. But others....� He looked up at Harry. “Others were able to see something.�

“See something?�

Sirius nodded grimly. “The book also talks about people’s interpretations of what they saw behind the veil and their predictions for the magical power that it holds.�

Harry waited with baited breath, but Sirius didn’t continue, so he turned to Remus who stepped up. “Harry, have you ever heard of the Fates?�

Harry frowned. What in the world? “They’re part of Greek mythology, weren’t they? Supposed to control people’s deaths and all?�

Remus nodded. “Harry, the Fates are what Sirius and all those other people saw on the other side of the veil.�

Harry glanced back over to his Godfather who seemed to have control of himself again. “I’m not the only person in recorded history who has ever seen the Fates, but I am the first person to talk with them and then come back and tell other people about it.�

Harry sucked in a sharp breath. So it was true...Sirius wasn’t really supposed to live.

“But,� Remus said quickly, as if sensing what Harry was thinking, “He did live.�

“What about the body?� Harry snapped.

“It was an accident of Fate, Harry,� Dumbledore interjected and all three turned to look at the wise old man who was still sitting calmly behind his desk.

“An accident of Fate, professor?� Harry scoffed. “Excuse me but that sounds like bloody bull-“

“Harry!� Remus snapped.

Harry turned his glare to his old defense professor. “It’s a totally contradicting notion, Remus. Fate is Fate. It doesn’t have,� he whirled back to Dumbledore, “accidents.�

“But what if it did, Harry?�

His Godfather’s soft voice seemed to calm him a bit and he looked back into Sirius’ grey eyes. “What if something happened that wasn’t according to Fate?�

Harry shrugged. “It wouldn’t happen.�

“But what if it did?�

The entire room was silent as Harry started to gather more and more clues about what they had brought him in here to talk about. Time...the veil...Fate...Sirius dying...Sirius living...

He still was missing something.

“What are you all playing at?� He finally said aloud. “Are you telling me that you two are going to go back through the veil to stop Sirius from falling in the first place? That you’re going to manipulate time and space and come out on top?� It seemed absurd as he said it and he was vaguely worried when the three men gave each other half amused glances, especially since the feeling in the room had been mostly sober through the whole conversation.

“You’re right on a few points, Harry, but not all,� Remus said.

“And which points might those be?�

Sirius stood and came a few steps closer to Harry who held his ground defiantly. “Well, you’re right about us going back through the veil.�

“And you were right about us manipulating time and space and coming out on top.�

Harry raised a disbelieving eyebrow at Sirius and turned to Remus. “You’re not serious.�

Out of the corner of his eye, Harry saw Sirius open his mouth, no doubt to make one of his classic jokes, but a sharp look from Remus stopped him.

“How?� Harry said shortly.

No one seemed to want to answer him and Harry started to get angry again.

“How, Sirius?� he stood tall, trying to look much more intimidating than he knew he was and glared at his Godfather.

“That book, Harry,� Remus stepped in again. “The one that I own...it has untested spells for time travel.�

Harry’s jaw dropped. “Untested? Remus did you just hear yourself?�

“Mr. Potter, the only reason these spells are untested is because no one has used them in thousands of years,� Dumbledore said from his desk. Harry turned to look at him with a raised eyebrow. “They date back to the time of Merlin, who, it was rumored, had in fact traveled to our day and made a record of his journeys.�

Harry still looked doubtful. “It was rumored?�

“Unfortunately, Merlin never had another witness of his time traveling, and most of the records we have about it are from a select few whom he confided in.�

“What about his own records?�

“Alas, most were destroyed during the Crusades throughout the Medieval ages,� Dumbledore looked at Harry slightly amused. “I assume you know about the Crusades?�

Harry wanted to laugh. Professor Binns had probably mentioned the Crusades in class, but, like everything else the old ghost said, Harry never paid it any mind.

Instead he nodded once, wanting to hear more.

“Well, the few writings that were preserved were two of the spells that Merlin used to travel back into time. We were only able to translate one of them. The other was too illegible to be read.�

“How come no one’s tried it before now?� Harry said suspiciously. “It seems like a subject that a lot of people would be interested in.�

“That’s true, Harry,� Dumbledore agreed, peering keenly at his student over his fingers. “Unfortunately, in order for the spell to be successful, it must be preformed within an area that contains a strong connection to time. A magical room, if you will. Much like the Room of Requirement in Hogwarts, except dealing with time rather than a person’s needs.�

Harry frowned, but Dumbledore answered his question before he asked it.

“No, the veil was not what Merlin used. Apparently he had a special room in the long destroyed city of Avalon that contained these properties.�

“Avalon? Professor, that’s just a myth, even in the magical world,� Harry said impatiently. Even he knew that without paying attention in History of Magic.

“I assure you that it is not a myth, my dear boy,� Dumbledore said seriously. “It is very real, just merely forgotten about and twisted through the years after the city was destroyed.�

Harry still looked skeptical. “How come no one has tried this with the veil before?�

“The veil is one of the great mysteries of our day, Harry. So little is known about it and no one has ever seen or been on the other side and come back to tell about its unique relationship with time.�

Harry turned to Sirius again. “So you’re supposed to be dead, is that right?� he asked bluntly.

Sirius paled. “Harry, I’m right here.�

“And you’re going back through again!? To chase some crazy theory that hasn’t been done in thousands of years!?� Harry practically screamed.

No one spoke and Harry was beginning to get fed up with their silence. He was the one who had the right to be silent, not them.

“What aren’t you guys telling me?� Harry demanded.

“For Merlin’s sake! Just tell him, Sirius!� Remus seemed to plead.

Harry turned back to the animagus and glared as best he could. It was getting easier for him to look Sirius in the eyes now-a-days, as his recent growth spurt put him only a few inches under Sirius’ height and almost level with Remus.

“Harry, we’re going to try to go back and save someone, but...it’s not me.�

Harry frowned, opening his mouth to make another demand, but stopped short and his breath left him as the last piece fell into place. He started shaking and he felt his knees give out as he collapsed into the chair behind him, still looking at Sirius with a white face and wide eyes.

“You mean...“

No one seemed to want to finish his statement, but he could practically see the bitter feelings leaving the room as the truth was finally out.

“My parents...� he said softly, still locked in Sirius’ gaze. “You want to try to save them.�

A tear finally dropped from Sirius’ eyes and he nodded. Harry’s mind whirled as his thoughts took a 180 degree turn...his parents...

Harry looked over at Remus. “You’re going too?�

Remus nodded, a reluctant smile on his face and a few tears glistening in his eyes. “And Harry...� He trailed off and then looked over to Sirius. Harry followed his gaze in time to see Sirius kneel down in front of him, a smile coming to his face too.

“We want you to come too, Emeralds.�

Harry choked on a sob and could not say any more before Sirius had reached forward to gather him into a hug, both of them crying freely now.

As Harry felt Sirius’ strong arms around him, he also heard Sirius quietly speaking to him and only to him.

“I’ll get them back for you, Harry. I promise.�

----

Ginny was starting to worry when two whole hours had passed and Harry had not yet entered the common room. She was glancing at the portrait entrance every few seconds, anxiety eating away at her as she tried to come up with all the different scenarios Harry could have gotten himself into.

“Don’t chew off all your fingernails there, Ginny.�

Ginny quickly stopped biting her nails and whirled to find Hermione standing there with an amused look in her face. The older girl sat down at Ginny’s table and pulled out some books and parchment.

“You don’t need to worry, I’m sure he’s not off snogging someone else.�

Ginny blushed deeply and looked back down at her book. How had Hermione known that that was exactly what Ginny had been imagining at that moment?

“We should have just stayed together,� Ginny reasoned. “Screw Ron and his overprotective kick.� She glanced back over to the portrait. “I shouldn’t have left him alone again.�

Hermione was frowning when Ginny looked back at her and she looked at Ginny curiously. “You’re still worried about him? He’s been doing so well since...well, since you two went ice skating that one day.�

Ginny blushed. “Well, it’s easier when he has someone else with him, getting his mind off of things.�

“Like you, for instance?� Hermione smirked.

“Please, Hermione, I already have enough older brothers that fill in the ‘teasing’ column in my life,� Ginny said, still blushing.

“Sorry, but really, Gin, I think you’ve done him a lot of good this past week...� She trailed off and seemed to think about something before leaning in closer to Ginny with a smirk on her face. “I saw you two out on the lake this afternoon.�

Ginny was surprised that she didn’t feel more embarrassed, only smiled softly as she remembered. “Were you the one who made him come after me?� She said, trying to sound accusatory but failing miserably.

Hermione leaned back and fiddled with her books again. “What makes you think that? Harry’s a pretty perceptive guy.�

“But he’s still a guy,� Ginny pointed out. “And they need a handbook for everything.�

Hermione laughed. “Yes, they’re both trying to commission me to write one for them about how to interpret girls' ‘mad’ actions.�

Ginny giggled at that thought, wondering how guys would react if they actually knew all that information.

“But I don’t think we should give them the help, do you?� Hermione added, a twinkle in her eye.

“Not on your life.�

Ginny’s mind was at ease then and she was able to go back to reading her book, her worry for Harry not so prominent, but still lurking in the back of her mind.

Little did she know Harry wouldn’t make it back by the time she finished her book.

In fact, he wouldn’t even make it back by the time the common room was totally empty that night....Except for her, waiting for him still.

----

“Tomorrow?� Harry said in disbelief. He was getting sick off all these new details that they kept springing on him. “We’re going tomorrow?�

“Well, we’ve been planning this for quite a while,� Sirius admitted.

Still in Dumbledore’s office, Sirius, Remus and Harry were sitting down, filling Harry in on some of the particulars that they had planned out. Dumbledore had since taken his leave of them, apparently to go to bed, as he was an old man, in need of his rest.

Harry frowned. “This is going to change a lot, isn’t it?� He was speaking very softly and both Remus and Sirius leaned in closer, trying to comfort him.

“Listen, we wouldn’t attempt this unless it was our absolute last option,� Sirius said very seriously. “Even Dumbledore thinks this has a better chance of success than training you till you collapse and can’t even raise your wand to fight Voldemort.�

Harry looked up, suddenly thinking of something. “The prophesy! What about the prophesy?�

“Harry, prophesies are etched in stone, as it were. Nothing changes them,� Remus assured him.

He frowned. “But if I don’t defeat Voldemort when I’m one, how will he...er... ‘Mark me as his equal’?� He reflexively rubbed the scar on his forehead, wondering how many more days he would still have it.

Remus and Sirius exchanged a look. “Well, we’re not quite sure about that yet, Harry,� Sirius said. “But we have spoken to Dumbledore about it and he agrees that since it’s a prophesy, it’s going to happen somehow anyway.�

Harry seemed to think it over for a moment before nodding his head. “It’ll be nice to not have the scar.�

Sirius barked a laugh. “We’re going back in time to save lives and all you can think about is your scar?� He mocked.

Harry rolled his eyes. “You two seem very cheerful now that I know the truth,� he said suddenly. “Why were you so nervous?�

“Well, we weren’t quite sure how you would take it,� Remus admitted. “Your reaction to our last announcement wasn’t exactly ideal.�

Harry blushed. “I’m sorry.�

“No worries, Emeralds,� Sirius said, patting him on the back.

Harry looked up quickly. “There it is again.�

“Huh?� Sirius asked cluelessly.

“Emeralds, Sirius,� Remus helped. “You were calling Harry by his old nickname again.�

Harry turned to Remus with excited eyes. “I had a nickname?�

Remus rolled his eyes. “So to speak. I think Sirius made it up more to annoy your Dad, though; accentuating the one trait of yours that you didn’t get from him.�

“Lily loved it, though. She was the only one besides me who called you that,� Sirius added, leaning back in his chair as he reminisced.

Harry felt a sudden lurch in his stomach as he thought about how much he loved to hear about his parents.

And soon, maybe I’ll be able to meet them...

“Oh no!� He said suddenly, jumping up. “Ginny!�

Sirius smirked. “You know, Harry, you never did tell us how that date went.�

Harry glared at his Godfather. “I don’t see what I should tell you two. It’s not like you helped me any,� he said in mock accusation. “Besides,� he moved towards the door, “I told her I’d meet her in the common room,� he glanced at his watch, “five hours ago! Merlin, have we been talking that long?�

“Harry,� Remus jumped up quickly, laying a hand on his shoulder. “Wait...� Harry turned and saw Remus and Sirius arguing with glances again. He rolled his eyes.

“Okay, I’ll say it,� Sirius turned to Harry. “You realize how much is going to change by this?�

Harry frowned. “I assume it’s going to be a lot...Why?�

Sirius once again turned to Remus, but the werewolf just turned his eyes away. Turning back to Harry, Sirius took a deep breath.

“Harry, we’re not quite sure what will happen once we make the change, but it’s quite possible that everything could be changed...�

“Everything?� Harry echoed, his hand slipping off the knob of the door. Merlin, he definitely had not considered that...Ginny, Ron, Hermione...

“Or, nothing at all could change...� Remus finally stepped up. “We have a few people over in the Department of Mysteries who tell us that it’s not even possible to change time, since everything has already happened.�

Harry frowned, not understanding.

“It’s like this: say the three of us go back, and we end up meeting a few people and trying to change things, but right before we’re sent back, someone, say, the Dumbledore from that time, insists on obliviating all who we’ve come in contact with.�

“Our entire trip would be utterly useless. It would be like nothing ever happened,� Sirius put in hesitantly, obviously not quite sure how Harry would take the news. Surprisingly though, he seemed to take it quite well.

“I understand,� Harry said firmly, looking at both of them squarely. “But we’re going to try, right?�

Remus and Sirius both seemed to relax heartily at his statement and Sirius reached forward, ruffling his hair. “You bet, Emeralds.�

Harry frowned, ducking away from Sirius tormenting his hair, and reached for the door again. Then for the second time, he turned back to them.

He was still frowning. “Guys? What about Ginny?�

Both suddenly looked very nervous again. “We’re not sure, Harry,� Sirius said reluctantly. “Like anything else, that could completely change, or completely stay the same.�

Harry’s hand slipped off the knob and he hung his head, biting his bottom lip. “So it was a waste...�

Remus rushed forward, grabbing Harry by the shoulders. “No! Harry, no...it wasn’t.�

Harry looked up, with some tears sparkling in his eyes. “But what if we come back and she doesn’t even know me anymore? What if Ron and Hermione aren’t my friends?� This thought seemed to shake him to the very core and his eyes looked haunted again.

“Did you kiss her, Harry?� Sirius said to his Godson, a mischievous twinkle in his eyes, despite the fact that he looked rather sad.

That brought a small grin to Harry’s face. “Wouldn’t you like to know?�

“Not now, Sirius,� Remus chided his old friend.

“No, that’s alright,� Harry wiped at his eyes quickly. “I should have thought of this in the first place, anyway. I should have known it would happen.�

“But it might not,� Remus reminded him seriously. “Harry, remember what Dumbledore told you about love?�

“It’s an ancient form of magic,� Harry repeated dutifully. “A force that is at once more wonderful and more terrible than death, than human intelligence, than forces of nature...� He remembered that entire conversation with Dumbledore word for word, his mind not able or not willing to forget.

Remus smiled, “Yes, Harry. All of the above.�

“But I don’t love Ginny,� Harry said softly. “At least, I don’t think I do. Not yet anyway.�

“But there’s something there,� Sirius cut in. “And it’s a start, Harry, it’s a start.�

Somewhat comforted, but still wanting to get back to Ginny as soon as possible, Harry nodded once and walked back over to the door again.

He took a deep breath and turned back to them one last time. “Eight tomorrow morning?�

Remus nodded. “See you then.�

As Harry started going down the spiral staircase, he heard Sirius call out “And give your girlfriend a kiss for us!� followed by a cry of pain as Remus undoubtedly had smacked his friend upside the head.

Harry climbed quickly into the common room, spotting Ginny instantly, curled up on the sofa in front of the fire, the dying embers of the fire sparkling off her hair and face. Harry stood still for a moment watching her.

His thoughts went back to Sirius’ comment about love, and Dumbledore’s words flashed through his mind.

“It is, perhaps, the most mysterious of the many subjects for study that reside there...�

“It was your heart that saved you.�

“It’s a start, Harry. It’s a start.�

He felt the familiar tug in his chest as he stood their watching Ginny. He almost laughed at the thought. He was only 16 years old, only actually kissed two girls in his life, only gone out with said two girls once each...

And yet for some reason he felt as if the bond with Ginny was already there.

He frowned, chasing the thought away. This was not the time to get involved in romantic relationships...especially when you were going to be traveling through time the next day and you were destined to be the Wizarding World’s Hero...again.

He looked back to Ginny as she mumbled something slightly in her sleep, a smile coming to her face and her legs curling up closer to her body.

Ah, screw it, he thought quickly, making his way over to the couch and sitting softly next to her. He smiled, reaching over and shaking her gently.

“Gin?�

Her eyes blinked open quickly, her head jerking around to look at him, and her face relaxing when their gazes connected.

“Where have you been?� She said sleepily, fighting down a yawn.

“Ginny,� Harry said sternly. “You’ve got class tomorrow. You should be in bed.�

“I’ve slept on the couch plenty of nights,� Ginny argued, slowly sitting up and stretching a bit before turning back to him. “Besides, I was waiting for you.�

“Really?� Harry said with his eyes twinkling.

Ginny blushed. “Harry Potter, you were supposed to be here hours ago.�

Harry glanced up at the tall grandfather clock that stood against the wall. “Yeah, about that...�

“You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to,� Ginny said too quickly, getting up. Harry looked over at her frowning and saw that she was blushing again. He caught her hand, stopping her.

“You have an irritating habit of running away from me for reasons I can never figure out,� Harry said half seriously, pulling her back down on the couch beside him. She looked down, not meeting his eyes. “Hey,� he reached down and lifted her chin up, making her look at him. “It’s not like I was off snogging some other girl.�

She frowned. “I wouldn’t think that, besides...� she looked away again, “It’s not really my business anyway.�

“What!?� Harry said with exasperation. “Not your business? Gin if it’s anyone’s business it’s yours.�

“No, it was just a little kiss, you shouldn’t feel obligated or anything,� she waved him away and tried to stand up again, but this time when he pulled her back, he pulled her all the way into another kiss.

Merlin help him if he wasn’t falling in love with this girl.

When he pulled back, he saw how surprised she looked and started chuckling. “Gin, I don’t just go kissing girls for no reason.�

“No, of course not,� she said, seeming to get a little more confidence in herself after that kiss. She even managed to smile at him. “So where were you?�

Thankful that one obstacle was covered, Harry leaned back, smirking as he remembered the last few hours. “You’d probably never believe me anyway.�

Ginny narrowed her eyes at him. “Try me.� She smiled a bit and cocked her head.

“How bout a deal?� he said on sudden inspiration.

She sighed, “What kind of deal?�

“You tell me why you ran out of the Three Broomsticks earlier today, and I’ll tell you where I’ve been for the last 5 hours.�

“Blackmail,� Ginny muttered darkly.

“Maybe,� Harry admitted, “But you’ll get something out of me too.�

“Well, if you must know,� Ginny began, “it wasn’t anything you or Ron said, per say, you just reminded me of something that I’ve been trying to forget for the past little while.�

Harry raised a very curious eyebrow. “Oh yes? And what would that be?�

“No teasing Harry.�

“Wizard’s honor.�

“I’m serious!�

“No, that’s my Godfather. You’re Ginny!�

“Oh, you!� Growling, Ginny jumped over on Harry, tackling him to the ground, trying her best to try and cause him some, if not a lot of damage. Harry seemed to be laughing too hard to really notice though and sooner than she would have thought, he had her pinned by her arms underneath him and he was grinning down at her in victory.

“Come on, Gin. Spill.�

“Don’t laugh.�

“Promise.�

“Don’t tease.�

“Never.�

She sighed. “Well, you know I had a crush on you when I was younger, right?�

Harry grinned handsomely. “How could you not?�

Ginny rolled her eyes. “Anyway, when I was 12, I kinda wrote something in my journal....no, not that journal, my real journal...and it fell into the wrong hands.�

“Ah...� Harry said in understanding. “Lavender and Parvati?�

“Right in one.� Ginny blew a stand of hair out of her eyes. “Can you get off me now?�

“You’re not quite down with the story, Miss Weasley,� Harry said seriously. “What was written in the journal, now?�

Ginny blushed deeper than Harry had ever seen before and refused to meet his eyes as she spoke. “Just something about how I was in love with you, and I....� she giggled slightly, “I pledged to myself that I would marry you one day.�

Harry’s eyes went wide. “Well...uh...that was unexpected.�

Ginny squirmed out from underneath him and looked rather embarrassed as well as mad. “Happy now, Potter?� She glared at him.

Harry looked at her thoughtfully. “Why did that make you run away?�

She looked rather taken aback by the question. “I’ve had to avoid Lavender and Parvati all week. Thank goodness their not in my year.� She spoke with slight bitterness. “I finally managed to snag one of their diaries, and after blackmailing them a bit with it, got their promise that they wouldn’t tell you and that they wouldn’t tease me if you happened to ask me out.� She blushed again.

“Really?� Harry said, quite thrown off by the surprise. “And you were worried that I’d make fun of you?�

Ginny rolled here eyes, standing up and moving towards the couch. “Obviously.�

“Well, I think it’s rather cute,� Harry went over and joined her on the couch. “No need to be embarrassed.�

“Says you,� Ginny huffed. “Blimney, Harry, I was 12 years old. You’d think they’d let something like that go after a while...�

Harry leaned over and tapped shoulders with her. “Ah, you know you love me,� he said in a teasing manner.

“Right,� Ginny said with a smirk. “My regular knight in shining armor, you are.�

They both sat in silence, an unspoken agreement not to bring up the slightly tense aura that came about as Harry said the word “love�. Ginny, though, managed to defer rather quickly, and turned to him with a grin.

“Well, I did my part,� she said almost dutifully. “Spill, Harry.�

He turned to her with a half smirk. “I still don’t think you’ll believe me.�

“You never know,� Ginny pulled her legs under her and turned to face him on the couch. “It might not sound so ridiculous.�

“Well, I was with Sirius and Remus.�

“Oh, well that gives me some clue as to why you’re worried.�

“I haven’t even gotten to the point yet.�

“I know, sorry, continue.�

“They told me they had something else they needed to talk to me about.�

Ginny’s smile frowned. “What did they do?�

Harry chuckled, “Something brilliant...it’s kind of hard to explain...�

“Just say it, Harry.�

He looked at her doubtfully. “Well, sufficed to say, they’ve found a way to travel back in time.�

Ginny’s jaw dropped. “You’re not serious. Time travel? Oh, Harry, did you really believe them?�

Rolling his eyes, Harry leaned back. “I knew you wouldn’t believe me.�

“I’m sorry,� Ginny said quickly, reaching out and taking his hand, “but, really...time travel?�

He looked over at her curiously. “How much do you know about the veil? The one in the Department of Mysteries that Sirius fell through?�

“Not much,� Ginny said frowning. “Does that have something to do with it?�

“It has everything to do with it,� Harry sat up straighter, careful not to let go of her hand and began explaining exactly what Sirius, Dumbledore and Remus had explained to him hours ago.

When he had finished, he leaned back, trying to gauge what she was thinking through her facial expressions that were giving absolutely nothing away.

“Well?�

“Well, I have to say it’s quite brilliant, and actually sounds plausible,� she admitted.

“So you believe me?� Harry said hopefully.

“Yes,� she said through her teeth,� But what I’m wondering now is: why are they trying to travel back through time?� She looked over at him curiously. He paled considerably; realizing what he had initially wanted to tell her in the first place had not yet been said.

“Dumbledore feels that the war at this moment is pretty much hopeless,� Harry admitted, his voice softening. “Even with me-um...�

“What? What’s that supposed to mean, Harry Potter?� Ginny sat up straighter, her hands coming up to her hips and looking very much like her mother. “With you?�

“Gin, I don’t want to talk about that right now.�

“I thought you went through this saving people thing last year,� Ginny practically scolded.

Harry stood up quickly; fuming and turning his back to her too look into the dying fire. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.�

“You’re 16 years old, Harry,� Ginny said, almost pleading. “You already saved the world numerous times. Let it go-“

“I can’t!� Harry practically screamed at her. He turned to face her with haunting eyes. They softened when their gazes locked. “I can’t...�

She stood up, walking over to him. “Tell me why.�

He shook his head stubbornly. “Not now, Gin. Please.�

“Harry, I want to help you, but you’ve got to let me in,� she said softly.

“You have helped me, more than you’ll ever know,� Harry admitted, not looking into her eyes. “There are just some things I have to do on my own.�

“No one should have to be alone.�

He shook his head. “No, but they often are.�

“Please,� she pleaded.

He sighed and looked up at her. “You remember that night in the Department of Mysteries?�

“Yes,� she whispered.

“The small balls that lined the shelves...and the one that I picked up?�

“Yes.�

“It was a prophesy.�

“About what?�

He was silent again, trying to register what he was about to do. He had managed to keep the prophesy to himself for so long, unwilling to receive any more pity from anyone. But some things...some things were better off shared between two people. He finally looked up into her eyes.

“It’s me, Gin. I have to kill Voldemort...� she gasped. “No one else can.�

“You?� She said, her and coming up to cover her mouth slightly. “No, that doesn’t make any sense-“

“Of course it does!� He snapped at her unexpectedly. “Who’s the only person to survive the killing curse? Me. Who has faced Voldemort more times than anyone besides, possibly, Dumbledore? Me. Who was born at the end of July...?� He took a few steps away from her. “Me.�

“Harry?� Ginny’s timid voice came in. “What did it say?�

The painful words came to his mind instantly, another memory he knew he would never loose. He recited them quietly, without looking at her, knowing how she would react.

“The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches...Born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies...And the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not...And either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives...�

He heard her gasp from behind him again and he closed his eyes. “The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies...�

Dead silence filled the common room and was only broken as Harry heard Ginny sniffle slightly behind him. He turned and she was looking at him with hurt, tear-filled eyes.

“Why didn’t you tell anyone?�

“I don’t want pity,� he said gruffly.

She scowled at him. “You are so bloody stubborn.�

“Look who’s talking.�

“Harry!� She took two steps towards him and smacked him across the chest. “Be serious! Now, I know exactly what that prophesy was referring to and I assume that you fit the requirements in it.� She glared up at him. “So why are Sirius and Remus medaling with time? And what does it have to do with you?�

“I’m not trying to change the prophesy, if that’s what you’re thinking,� Harry stated. “That’s not possible.�

“So says the guy who’s trying to convince me that people can travel through time!�

“Gin, we’re going back to save someone.�

Her eyes widened. “We? You’re going too?� Her eyes started to fill with tears, but before they could fall down her face, she blinked them away.

“The war’s hopeless,� Harry’s voice had softened. “I can’t beat him.�

“You’re running?� Ginny’s voice was dangerously low.

“Not even,� Harry said, almost wanting to laugh, but knowing it was not the right moment. “I’m going to get help.�

“Who?�

“My parents.�

Ginny’s face softened instantly but she kept her worried look. “You’re parents? Merlin...you’re going to try and save them?�

Harry nodded.

She didn’t say any more and didn’t look up at him, just stared at the ground, deep in thought.

“Look, Gin, Sirius and Remus know what they’re doing, blimney even Dumbledore agrees!� He laid both hands on her shoulders and she looked up at him, one single tear in her eye. “It’ll work, I just know it.�

“Everything’s going to change, isn’t it?� She said it so bluntly and softly that it shook Harry to the bone.

“Yes.�

Both were silent and not another word was spoken that night. After a few moments, Ginny calmly walked away, up the stairs to the girls dormitory. Harry stood perfectly still until he heard her door click shut and then he grudgingly made his way up to his dorm room, realizing, with some trepidation, that this would probably be his last good night’s sleep for a long while to come.

The next morning was rather chaotic for Harry. He dashed all over the dorm room, trying to remember all the things that Remus and Sirius had instructed him to bring. This, of course, was rather strange behavior for him and caused his roommates to look at him curiously.

“Going somewhere, Harry?�

Harry jerked up suddenly and looked at Ron, starting to feel nauseous again.

“Yeah,� he said shortly, going back to stuffing things in his small pack.

Dean, Seamus and Neville all left, glancing at Harry doubtfully, but knowing that Ron would sort things out, being best mates and all.

“Are you coming to DADA?� Ron pressed, slinging his own school bag onto his shoulder. Harry’s eyes darted over to his stack of schoolbooks, none of which were coming with him.

“No.�

He finished packing and zipped the bag up, slinging it onto his shoulder. When he stood up straight, he turned to see Ron still looking at him curiously.

They both stood in silence for a full minute, Harry racking his brain for ideas. He didn’t want to have to explain everything to Ron, though he knew Ron deserved to hear the truth. Sirius and Remus had told him that if he wanted too, he could bring one other person with them, since the spell was strong enough for four. Harry had shook his head, not willing to put his friends lives in any more danger. But if he was going to bring someone, he knew it would most likely be Ron, not Hermione. Not even Ginny. His heart twitched at that though. He wondered if he’d run into her on his way to Dumbledore’s office.

“What’s going on?� Ron finally asked.

“You’ll be late for class,� Harry reminded him lamely.

“So will you.�

Harry sighed. “I’m not going to class today.�

Ron looked rather hurt. “Harry, are you going to tell me?�

Staring hard into Ron’s eyes, he shook his head shortly and watched Ron’s face fall slightly. But almost instantly, it hardened into a resigned expression. Ron nodded once at Harry before shouldering his pack again and taking off down the stairs.

Harry’s shoulders slumped. Hopefully he wouldn’t run into Hermione. He knew she wouldn’t let him off that easy.

He crept down into the common room, making a hasty exit, but keeping a wary eye open for a familiar tuft of red hair.

As he walked to Dumbledore’s office, he wondered why he dreaded the thought of having to face Hermione, but also dreaded the thought of not having to face Ginny.

This was going to be harder than he thought.

----

Harry had tried to stall as long as he could: tying his shoe for five minutes, going over the last minute details for more than a minute, explaining for the 50th time his dislike of floo powder…but she still hadn’t showed up.

He sighed deeply, facing the facts and turning back to Sirius and Remus who were mumbling about something, starting the fire with their wands. They both turned to him, hesitant smiles on their faces.

“Ready now?� Remus asked.

Harry just nodded once, resigning himself to the fact that she was still mad. He didn’t blame her, but he did wish he would be able to see her one last time.

Just as he reached for the floo powder, the door slammed open, and there she was, panting heavily, lugging her books behind her. She stopped abruptly at seeing all three of them there and her face colored. Harry had to smile though. She came, that was what mattered.

Ginny’s gaze fluttered over to Harry and they locked eyes for a moment before she finally broke the silence.

“See you soon?� It was a statement full of hope and terror at the same time and she didn’t seem to care anymore that both Remus and Sirius were standing in the room with them. Though, Harry didn’t care much either.

His face broke into a relieved smile. “Definitely,� he said, nodding once.

She smiled hesitantly, a small tear coming to her eyes. Harry held the eye contact for just a moment more before turning towards the fire again. However right as he turned, she shot forward, wrapping her arms around him and burying her face in his chest. Not arguing, Harry held onto her tight, burying himself in the smell of her hair and the way she fit so perfectly into his arms. She was shaking slightly when she pulled back but she managed to still look him in the eye again.

“Promise?�

Feeling much more daring than he ever had before, Harry reached down and answered her question with a sound kiss (conveniently forgetting the fact that Remus and Sirius were both standing together to the side of them, trying desperately to seem invisible). He reluctantly pulled away, realizing how much he was going to miss kissing her.

“It’ll be alright, Gin,� he said solemnly, reaching up to wipe away the one tear that had sneaked its way down her face. “I’ll be right back.�

“Will you?� She sounded doubtful.

He smiled. “If I don’t, I give you permission to hunt me down and beat me around the head until I ask you out. Deal?�

She managed a smile. “Deal.�

“Then we’ll both drag Ron and Hermione together and lock them in a room again. Okay?�

“Okay.�

He nodded once, letting go of her and stepping away. He threw the powder into the roaring fire and looked back at her once more. Not wanting Remus and Sirius to see, he mouthed ‘I love you’ quickly to her before stepping into the flames, shouting out loud, “The Department of Mysteries!� and disappearing in a whirl of flame and ash.

It was another one of his graceful landings, this time thankfully unseen by anyone else. He scrambled up quickly, grabbing the pack that had fallen off his shoulders during the trip and reaching up to wipe away the last of his tears.

Yes, she had come. Yes, he was still going. And yes…he decided that he loved her.

He didn’t have much more time to think before Remus, quickly followed by Sirius came tumbling out of the fireplace, landing much more gracefully than Harry had, and proceeded to wipe the soot off their clothing. Harry looked up to see Sirius giving him a sort of wistful smile and Remus rolling his eyes.

Harry smirked. “Yes, Sirius?�

“Ignore him, Harry,� Remus said quickly, leading them both out the door and into the familiar circular room with doors. As the door slammed behind them and the room started to spin, Remus turned to Harry. “He just got an old flashback of Lily and James when he saw you and Gin.� Remus tilted his head a bit, examining Harry. “It is rather strange that you would end up with a redhead as well.�

Harry smirked and turned to look as the doors stopped. Remus then knelt on one knee, drawing his wand and sticking it into a small hole in the ground that Harry had never noticed before. He heard Remus mumble something and suddenly the doors had labels on them!

That would really have been useful last year…Harry thought glumly as the three of them entered the door which Harry noticed was entitled “The Death Chamber�.

He gulped, his eyes unable to leave the veil as soon as he saw it. Sirius must have seen his nervousness, for he put a comforting hand on Harry’s shoulder as they walked towards it. Surprisingly, Dumbledore was sitting on one of the stone benches, waiting for them. He smiled when they reached him and stood, handing Remus and Sirius a few things as he spoke.

“I’ve managed to acquire most of the items you requested, though I wasn’t able to get quite enough money.�

“I’ve got some,� Harry said quickly. Dumbledore smiled, nodding his head once to Harry in thanks.

“Well,� Dumbledore stated, after Remus and Sirius had loaded their bags with the new things. “Shall we go?�

Harry gulped nervously as they approached the veil. He glanced over at Sirius and saw that his Godfather was very pale, but had a determined expression on his face. Remus too looked rather peaky, but also looked firm.

“Now, as we don’t want you to get separated, you will all three enter at once,� Dumbledore explained. “Harry, I assume you know the light spell?�

Harry nodded, his mouth going dry.

“I’m going to be doing that part,� Sirius said, taking a step up. Dumbledore nodded, then, almost reluctantly, took a step back, and motioned them forward. Taking a deep breath, Harry, Sirius and Remus went towards the veil.

As the three took one step, the ground seemed to suddenly start to shake beneath them. Harry looked around in terror, the walls seemed to be cracking around them and the veil started blowing in a very violent non-existent wind.

“Bollocks!� Sirius shouted.

“Get in! Quick!� Harry heard Dumbledore shout.

Before he knew it, Sirius and Remus had both grabbed him and all three jumped through the veil.

Harry’s world went instantly dark and his blood seemed to run cold. Instinctively, he reached back and felt behind him, but, as Sirius had said, there was no veil, only a solid brick wall. Harry’s mind started to panic, but suddenly, a bright jet of light burst out of Sirius’ wand. Harry blinked in astonishment as terrible screams echoed through the room. He glanced toward the light and saw several pairs of large eyes clamped shut, their owners obviously the ones making the screaming noises, though Harry could not see any part of their bodies save their eyes.

These were, without a doubt, the Gitres…the Fates.

“Remus, now!�

Harry felt his world tilt slightly when Remus started muttering some words under his breath. Just as Harry felt he might tip over from the nausea, he felt someone grab him by the shoulder, tugging him sideways. As his brain registered that it was Sirius, stars began to dance in front of his eyes. It took a moment for him to realize that the stars weren’t just in front of his eyes, but everywhere around them.

“Harry! Grab hold! Quick!� Sirius shouted.

Fumbling to control his arms in the total chaos around him, Harry reached around, finding some material and grabbing onto it. He finally got his head to cooperate and saw that he was clinging tightly to Remus’ robes, Sirius still having a firm grip on his shoulder and his wand still pointed towards the Fates. The stars all around them seemed to swell suddenly, the light becoming brighter and brighter. He heard the Fates still shrieking in the background, their cries almost drowning out Remus’ spell.

Harry opened his mouth to scream in fear, but stopped short as the stars around him exploded, blinding him, His grip tightened on Remus’ robes. The Fate’s shrieks were instantly silenced and Remus’ voice also stopped. Harry’s breath was caught in his throat. He felt that he could not shut his eyes despite how terribly bright it was all around him.

But as quickly as it had started, everything was gone. The light disappeared, leaving pitch black behind. Harry still couldn’t gather the thoughts to breath. Sirius’ hand squeezed his shoulder once, making him a bit more relaxed, but not completely.

The change then happened so suddenly that Harry was sure he had blinked and missed it.

The light exploded out from them, but then it immediately was sucked away again, only this time, pitch black wasn’t all around them.

They were standing in a lightly wooded area, birds chirping around them and sunlight falling through the canopy above them. Harry didn’t dare let go of Remus, but Sirius lifted a shaky hand off of Harry’s shoulder. Glancing around them, Harry frowned, trying to figure out what had happened and where or when they were. All he could see, however, were woods, and they were woods that he was almost sure he didn’t recognize.

Almost sure.

“Where are we?� Harry finally whispered. “Did it work?�

“Blimey, Remus, you’re good,� Sirius breathed out.

Harry turned to ask his Godfather what he was talking about, but stopped short at seeing both Sirius and Remus transfixed on something in the distance. He followed their gaze till his eyes rested on a large house in the distance.

He squinted, trying to get a better look.

“I’ve seen that house before,� Harry stated, searching his memory.

Sirius and Remus both turned around, grinning like idiots.

“I should hope so,� Sirius said cockily.

Harry still was confused.

“Harry,� he turned to Remus’ kind voice, “That is Godric’s Hollow.�

Harry’s jaw dropped, his breath stopping again. It had worked…they were here…

“Are we in the right time?� Sirius said tensely, glancing around as if the current year was written in the trees around them.

They were saved from having to figure it out themselves by a harsh but firm voice shouting something in the foliage in front of them.

“Stupify!�

A jet of red light flashed towards them and Sirius managed to tackle Harry out of the way, the spell smacking into a tree behind them. Remus ducked down, joining Sirius and Harry behind a large tree, all three of their hearts beating wildly.

Motioning Harry and Remus to stay covered, Sirius peaked his head around the tree, squinting into the distance to try and see who their attacker was. Another stunner whipped right out at him, and if it wasn’t for Harry pulling him back, it would have hit Sirius right in the face.

“That’s some bloody good aim,� Remus muttered.

“If that’s who I think it is, he’s got better aim than that,� Sirius said, slightly pale. “Doesn’t seem like he wants to kill us.�

“You know who that is?� Harry whispered with wide eyes.

“Well, I-“

Sirius was cut off by the voice again, this time speaking rather than shouting out a spell.

“I’m sick of you bloody Death Eaters! You can tell your master that my answer is still no!�

Harry was surprised to see the blood drain out of Remus’ face as they heard the voice. But before he could ask, another voice joined them.

“And if Bella’s there tell her that I’m sorry I couldn’t make it to the wedding!�

“Bollocks!� Sirius hissed, and this time Harry knew why.

“That’s you!� he whispered with wide eyes towards his Godfather.

“We’re never going to get past them!� Remus whispered angrily.

“I don’t know whether to take that as a compliment or not,� Sirius mussed.

“Well whatever it is, it’s true and we’re running out of options.�

Remus stopped short, and they all three heard the rustlings behind the tree.

There was complete silence for a full 15 seconds and Harry put a hand to his chest, fearing his pounding heart would give them away.

Suddenly, in one quick motion, all three whipped their wands out, coming face to face with two people who had just jumped out in front of them.

Harry felt his knees start to shake and the blood drain from his face as his eyes focused on the men in front of him.

There, alive and well, though rather pissed off at the moment, was a 20-something-year-old James Potter. Without a doubt, Harry knew it was him. His untidy black hair fell into his eyes just slightly, with round glasses on his nose and light hazel eyes. Harry could see instantly why people compared him to his dad. But he also saw the distinct differences in the shape of the face, Harry’s nose was also slightly smaller, and his cheekbones were more pronounced than James’. But, almost creepily, Harry felt like he was staring into a mirror.

On his right stood a much younger Sirius Black, glaring at them despite his earlier joking voice. It took a moment longer for Harry to recognize him. His black hair was longer than James’ and fell more into his eyes, giving him a very handsome aura around him, his grey eyes burning and his wand, ironically, pointed at his much older counterpart.

He heard both Remus and Sirius gasp beside him and saw that Sirius’ wand arm was shaking slightly as they five men stared one another down.

James Potter was the first to speak. His voice came out in a deadly whisper that gave Harry the sense of a man who wasn’t intimidated by anyone or anything.

“Who in bloody Merlin are you?�

PLEASE READ BEFORE READING CHAPTER:
(a few things to know)

#1. REMEMBER: Sirius and Remus have had time to get used to the idea of seeing these people in the past, and Harry has barely had 12 hours to get used to it. Their reactions are meant to be different than people who travel back in time purposly. Also, they came back to purposly change things...remember that.

#2. NOTHING is going to go right...ever. (as you will find out in this chapter...)

#3. People who have future couterparts have '' around their names.

Okay...NOW you can read the chapter.

----

“Who in bloody Merlin are you?�

Sirius opened his mouth to respond, but snapped it shut instantly, the entire plan going out of his mind as he saw his best friend again. His best friend who had been dead for fifteen years…

James still looked just as Sirius captured him in his memory. Being around Harry so often in the past few years, Sirius’ original thought had been comparing James to Harry, but what he really should have been doing was comparing Harry to James. He didn’t dare look over to see how Remus and Harry were handling the shock, fearing that if his eyes left the two men in front of them, they would somehow disappear.

He also got caught up in the gaze of…himself? It was rather disconcerting, staring at a twenty year old Sirius Black, a Sirius Black who had never been to Azkaban, who still had three best friends, who still had a fiancé (Sirius looked down quickly and saw the ring on ‘Sirius’’ finger, yes, she was still alive!), who still had his whole life ahead of him…

“It’s okay, Harry, lower your wand.�

At those words, Sirius finally looked away and saw Harry slowly dropping his wand at Remus’ request. He looked over to Remus and saw that his old friend hadn’t stopped staring at the newcomers either, but he had lowered his wand. Drawing a deep breath, Sirius looked back to the two younger marauders and slowly lowered his wand, his gaze once again transfixed on James who was still glaring at them. Neither the younger Sirius, nor James had lowered their wands, but both seemed a little startled that the so called ‘Death Eaters’ dropping their guard.

“How did you even get on this property anyway?� ‘Sirius’ said with malice. “Something Voldemort taught you?�

Sirius felt Harry bristle next to him but laid a hand on his shoulder to stop him from exploding. “What makes you think we’re working for Voldemort?� Sirius asked his younger self calmly.

James laughed shortly. “You want to give another reason why you’re sneaking onto my property? Or why you’re trying to impersonate me with him?� James motioned to Harry who frowned with disgust. “You didn’t do a very good job anyway. His eyes are the wrong color and he’s got a scar on his forehead.�

“We’re not here to hurt you or your family in any way,� Remus said, trying to sound like his usual, calm self, but failing miserably. It seemed that seeing James again had shaken him as well.

James and ‘Sirius’ both turned to Remus who, to his credit, didn’t flinch under their glare. They both studied him for a moment before turning back to Sirius.

“Who are you two?� ‘Sirius’ asked.

“Remind you of someone, do we?� Sirius smirked and folded his arms.

“You could say that,� James said, for the first time showing a little hesitation in his voice.

“Well as long as you think we’re Death Eaters, we won’t have an easy time convincing you otherwise, will we?�

“So you’re feigning ignorance,� ‘Sirius’ scoffed. “That goes over well with the Ministry, I can assure you.�

Sirius felt a rush of anger, not towards his younger self, but the reminder of the incompetent Ministry that still existed in this time: The Ministry who had sent him to Azkaban without a trial.

Remus, obviously noticing Sirius’ downshift in temperature, coolly stepped in. “Maybe if you’d lower your wands as well we can give you some type of explanation.�

“Some type of explanation? No, we want the truth,� James demanded.

Remus hesitated, glancing over to Sirius and meeting his friend’s eyes. According to their plan, they weren’t supposed to give their real identities until they were with Dumbledore from this time, but, as Remus had pointed out, nothing was going to go as they expected. Sirius raised an eyebrow at him, as if sensing what he wanted to do. Remus raised both eyebrows, questioning if Sirius had a better plan. When Sirius finally looked away, Remus had their answer.

“Fine. Lower your wands and we’ll tell you the truth.�

“What!?� Harry exploded, obviously remembering how much they had drilled him about not telling people who they were till the right moment.

“Harry, not now,� Sirius said quickly.

“Let’s at least go to Dumbledore first,� Harry bit back. Sirius, startled at his godson’s anger, turned quickly towards Harry with wide eyes. He saw Harry glaring at him with exasperation, but he also saw Harry’s eyes which held more fear than Sirius had ever seen in them before. Harry was not mad, necessarily, he was afraid. And things that made Harry Potter scared were not to be taken lightly.

Sirius looked quickly up at Remus who shrugged his shoulders, clearly at a loss.

“Dumbledore?�

Sirius turned at James’ much softer voice. The younger man was now looking at the three of them with curiosity.

“What do you need to see Dumbledore for?�

“James!� ‘Sirius’ scolded. “We don’t even know who these people are! They could be plotting to kill Dumbledore or something!�

Sirius barked a laugh, earning a surprised glanced from the two younger men. “Kill Dumbledore? Blimey, kid, even if I was working for Voldemort I wouldn’t try that.� It was rather strange to call himself ‘kid’, but the title was rather suiting to what Sirius remembered himself as when he was this age. So naïve, so bloody impatient…

Out of the corner of his eye, Sirius saw Remus crack a grin, but Harry was still looking scared and rather angry. Harry had always hated it when people accused him of Dark Wizard activities. Merlin knew he had been through enough of those in his life.

Both ‘Sirius’ and James narrowed their eyes at that comment, but Sirius could see that he had said the right thing. Their wands dropped just slightly and their grips relaxed.

“What are your names?� James finally asked.

Sirius, ignoring Remus who was desperately trying to catch his eye and Harry who looked like he might pass out, smirked and stepped up.

“Sirius Orion Black, at your service.� He topped it off with a much exaggerated bow. When he looked back, both James and ‘Sirius’ were looking at him with wide, disbelieving eyes.

“And this,� Sirius said quickly, not wanting to break his streak, “is Remus John Lupin.� He waved his arm out, presenting Remus who couldn’t seem to decide whether to laugh or smack him over the head.

Without missing a beat, Sirius then moved his hand over to Harry’s shoulder and looked back at the two young marauders. “And this fine young gentleman is my Godson, Harry James Potter.�

A full five seconds passed before ‘Sirius’ blurted out, “You’re mental!�

Sirius, enjoying himself much more than he had been two minutes ago, turned to his younger counterpoint with a grin. “Careful there, you’re talking about yourself.�

“Alright Sirius, that’s enough,� Remus said, almost resigned, as if he knew nothing he said would really stop Sirius from continuing.

Fully getting into the notion they might just pull this off, Sirius felt his heart soar and turned to look at James who was not staring at him, but staring at Harry curiously. Harry seemed to be trying to act defiant under his father’s glare, but Sirius could see by his Godson’s white face that he was still not quite sure about the whole situation.

“Merlin! James, let’s just get them to the Ministry and have them carted over to St. Mungos,� ‘Sirius’ said with pleading, laying a hand on his friends shoulder.

James jerked out of his daze and turned to ‘Sirius.’ “Well, you have to admit, it is rather odd how much they look like-“

“Oh, please, James,� ‘Sirius’ interrupted. “They’re mental!� He shot a disgusted look over at Sirius who was still looking rather unconcerned.

“Let’s go back.� Sirius turned in surprise toward Harry who had grabbed onto his sleeve and was looking up at him with serious eyes. “Now. I changed my mind.�

“Ah, Harry, that would be a little complicated at this point,� Sirius said, feeling nervous once more. Harry seemed to be growing more and more uncomfortable, Sirius looked up at Remus with worry, but Remus only frowned.

“I told you we should have told him sooner,� Remus scolded Sirius. “This has got to be a thousand times worse for him than it is for us.�

“Excuse us; while we’d hate to miss this lovely Death Eater meeting, we really would like to establish who exactly you are.�

Sirius turned, mentally cursing how annoying he could sound when he was younger and glared openly at ‘Sirius’. But before he could open his mouth, Harry spoke.

“He already told you!� Harry practically shouted. Sirius and Remus both looked at him with wide eyes. They had not expected this type of reaction from him, but, as Remus said, he hadn’t had much time to get used to the idea.

James and ‘Sirius’ also seemed to be rather stunned at his outburst, but not for long.

‘Sirius’ narrowed his eyes. “Please, if someone came along trying to impersonate you, your best friend and your Godson from the future, would you really take it so lightly?� He frowned at Harry. “Whoever you all are has yet to be stated, and unless someone starts talking soon, I won’t make James miss anymore.�

Everyone turned as Sirius and Remus both started chuckling.

“Sirius?� Harry said uncertainly as ‘Sirius’ and James glared at him for using that name.

“Oh, wow…� Sirius wiped the tears from his eyes. “I forgot I used to do that.� He turned to Remus. “You know I’m the only reason you didn’t get hexed that night during the sixth year ball? James wanted to murder you for dancing with Lily.�

Remus smirked. “I had a feeling that you wanted him to hit me, Padfoot.�

“Hold on a bloody second!� ‘Sirius’ shouted. They all turned to him and saw that both he and James had gotten rather white. “What did you just say?� He pointed to Remus.

For the first time on their trip, Sirius saw Remus smirk. “Padfoot.�

James and ‘Sirius’ both dropped their arms in astonishment, though it wasn’t for long. It seemed the war had already been conditioning the young men. Both their wands were up again in an instant, their masks of coolness up now.

“Who are you getting your information from?� ‘Sirius’ snarled.

“What are you talking about?� Harry said, quite annoyed.

“We know that information is leaking,� James said evenly, his gaze now locked on Sirius as if he was the leader of their small group. “Tell us the person’s name now or you’ll be unconscious faster than you can say Quidditch.�

Sirius barked a bitter laugh, unable to hold back any longer as he heard James defend Peter. “Don’t ask us. Why don’t you ask your friend Wormtail?�

“Sirius!� Remus scolded. That had not been a part of the plan. It was obviously a wrong move as both James and ‘Sirius’ narrowed their eyes.

“How dare you,� James hissed in a low voice.

“Oh, I dare alright,� Sirius bit back, though he was feeling quite a bit of emotion welling up in him, standing in front of a man who was defending the person who would betray him and lead him to his death. “I dare because I know the truth, as you two are going to find out very soon.�

“Look,� ‘Sirius’ bit back, “The only reason we haven’t stunned you yet is because you lowered your wands. Don’t make us forget that.�

Sirius looked over towards Harry and Remus, trying to get a grip on the situation he had gotten them into. Harry was still white as a ghost but seemed to be getting a better grip on the situation and was studying both James and ‘Sirius’. Remus was looking hard at James, but looked up as Sirius turned and caught his eye. After a silent battle of wills, Sirius turned back to James and ‘Sirius’.

“Just take us to Dumbledore. We’ll prove it.�

“No bloody way,� James said quickly. Sirius remembered how protective James had been of Dumbledore after his parents had died and the old man had become somewhat of a father figure to him. “If you think you’ve got free reign to just tell us a pack of lies and expect us to march you up to Dumbledore, you’ve got another thing coming.�

“What would make you believe us?� Remus’ quiet voice cut in and both James and ‘Sirius’ whipped around to look at him. Both of them seemed rather surprised as they started to really look at him.

Sirius and Harry both frowned in confusion, but let Remus continue as the younger men studied him again.

“What did we do last night?� ‘Sirius’ asked, a little less suspicious than he had with Sirius.

Remus frowned. “Ah, actually, we don’t even know what date this is.�

“August 14, 1981.�

Sirius sucked in a deep breath. Yes, he remembered last night…

It seemed Remus did too as his face fell slightly, but he answered. “I went through my transformation. I got too wild for Prongs and Padfoot to handle and got into a nearby village…� Remus visible shuddered. “I don’t remember anything except for what James and Sirius told me. I was very close to biting a few people.�

“But you didn’t,� Sirius said quickly, positively fuming at James and ‘Sirius’ for bringing that up. None of them had ever talked about that night since it had happened. The mentioned two turned to look at him and he knew his eyes were blazing but he didn’t care. “Nice question boys, any others?�

Both of them looked rather taken aback at Remus’ correct answer and lowered their wands slightly. ‘Sirius’, though, was looking intently up at his older self. “You ran away from home. When and why?�

Sirius’ eyes narrowed even more. “How could you, you of all people ask me that?� He snarled. “You know what happened and why I left. I’m you for Merlin’s sake!�

‘Sirius’ took a step back, but didn’t seem quite as phased as Sirius had hoped. “Fine, how about this one: How did you meet your fiancé, or I guess, wife?�

Harry gasped next to him and Remus reached over, laying a hand on his shoulder as Sirius, unable to take any more of the past at the moment, squeezed his eyes shut, looking towards the ground and trying to keep the tears from falling.

“Ari…Arianna died, during the war,� Remus explained softly to James and ‘Sirius’. Sirius heard his younger self gasp and felt the smallest sense of victory that they were finally getting through to the two of them. He hastily tried to blink back the tears as he looked up.

“He killed her…just because of her bloodline…thought it ‘unfit’ for a Black to mix with such…such…� he couldn’t finished the sentence, and he didn’t bother to exaggerate on who ‘he’ was, but saw that the point had gotten across to ‘Sirius’. Taking a deep breath, he glanced down again to ‘Sirius’’ hand where the ring still lay, the familiar sight making him slightly tense in the stomach. It wasn’t very long now…he figured up the calculations in his head. Only about one more week…

“You’re lying!� ‘Sirius’ tried to cry out, but it came out too soft to be really demanding, as if he didn’t believe his words.

“I wish,� Sirius said shortly, wanting to get off the subject. He watched as James laid a comforting hand on ‘Sirius’’ shoulder and instantly remembered the task they were back here to complete. His expression must have given him away, for Remus reached over and squeezed his shoulder.

“The future?�

All three of the time travelers turned to James’ voice and saw with some excitement that both he and ‘Sirius’ had lowered their wands completely and their expressions had softened somewhat.

“That’s right,� Remus nodded.

“Well, I thought you did look familiar,� James admitted, looking at them curiously, but this time with a little more excitement than anger. “But it still is rather hard to believe.� His eyes focused in on Harry. “Why are you here then?�

Sirius gulped, trying to come up with a suitable reply. James had no idea how much he was killing Sirius, just standing there like he had no problems in the world, like he would still be alive for the next three months…which Sirius knew he wouldn’t. He had the aching urge to just gather James into a hug. Seeing the only person he ever really regarded as a brother standing there, alive, after fifteen years, was starting to take a toll on his mind as he tried to think. And now that James knew who they were, Sirius was starting to think of the possibilities that their trip would create.

“You said something about Peter,� ‘Sirius’ added, coping James’ inquisitive look. “Is there something you’re coming to tell us?�

“And why did only you three come?� James asked. “Where am I? Or Peter?�

“That’s, ah, all very complicated,� Sirius admitted.

“That is, we’d much rather tell it all at once,� Remus added hastily. “In front of everyone.�

“Everyone?� James raised an eyebrow. “Like who?�

Remus and Sirius looked at each other again.

“Dumbledore,� Remus stated. “Let us see Dumbledore.�

“And Remus can come too,� Sirius said, turning back to them. “Your Remus, I mean.�

James and ‘Sirius’ exchanged pained looks.

“Er…he’s still not doing too well,� ‘Sirius’ said with some hesitation, reminding Sirius of what had occurred the night before. “We have him in the Hogwarts infirmary. He always hated going to St. Mungo’s.� ‘Sirius’ barked a familiar laugh and turned to Remus. “I guess you already know that, though.�

Remus rolled his eyes. “Yes, I do.�

“But Dumbledore’s at Hogwarts as well,� James put in. Both he and ‘Sirius’ had pocketed their wands and James pointed towards the house. “We can floo there; Dumbledore connected Godric’s Hollow to the school just last week.�

Sirius nodded towards Remus and he saw Harry nod in agreement. Thankful that his Godson was becoming more relaxed, Sirius turned back to the younger Marauders. “Right. Let’s go then.�

“Oh, wait,� James said quickly, holding out his hands to signal them to stop. “Lily’s there,� he said nervously, his eyes flickering to Harry, “with Harry.�

Sirius saw Harry’s eye go wide with shock.

“It’s alright, James,� Remus said first. “She needs to hear what we’re saying too.�

“What about Arianna?� ‘Sirius’ asked softly. “She’s there as well.�

Sirius felt his heart clench as he thought of seeing his fiancé again. The picture he had hidden of her came to his mind again and he suddenly felt very jealous of this Sirius: His best friend was alive, his fiancé was alive, his name was clean…so much to change, no, so much to correct…

“Sirius?� Remus had turned to him, leaving it up to him to reply.

Looking over at his younger self, Sirius nodded halfheartedly. “Yes. She needs to come as well.�

It was exactly how Sirius remembered it.

His eyes followed the small crack running up the side of the steps that James kept promising to fix, the dark blue shutters that James had painted himself (“The muggle way! No magic Lily-bear!�) just because he heard Lily admire the color once, the tidy patches of flowers sitting on each window that Lily protected with her life from the Marauder’s stunts, the small but growing pile of rocks and leaves that little Harry had grown fascinated with collecting…even the small inscription on the side of one of the tall pillars that held up the small roof over the porch.

Sirius stopped and reached out, touching the words as the memories flooded back to him.

Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs

Marauders to the End

He smiled slightly, having stopped completely now and vaguely hearing James talking with his younger self about something. Sirius’s fingered slipped down, following the words that were written beneath.

Prongs and Lily Forever

He chuckled. James had insisted on using his Marauder name, wanting people to get really confused about why a prong and a flower wanted to be forever. He almost stopped there, but managed to look down farther.

Siri and Ari 4eva

A tear formed in his eye, finally. After the almost half hour of excruciating pain of being in this time and seeing these people and these things he had lost so long ago…the tear trailed down his face and he smiled. He had never been one for a lot of words. But she didn’t care…no, she didn’t.

He frowned slightly as his hands found another inscription below it and as he saw what was engraved there, the color drained out of his face and he racked his brain, trying to come up with a reasonable explanation. Why hadn’t either of them remembered? What hadn’t Remus remembered?

He whirled around, finding Remus right behind him, giving him a small but tired grin. Sirius didn’t bother to notice that ‘Sirius’ and James were still talking fiercely about something and that Harry seemed to be studying ever inch of the house, his eyes wide and disbelieving. Sirius’ eyes were just focused on Remus.

“Emily.�

Remus’ face dropped and his expression mirrored Remus.

“Emily?�

Both the older Marauder’s turned towards James’ questioning voice. It seemed he and ‘Sirius’ had come to some sort of agreement for James had his hand on the door and they were just about to go in.

Sirius didn’t dare glance at Remus.

“She’s in Ireland right now, for her work you know,� ‘Sirius’ said curiously, trying to gauge Remus’ reaction. “But she’s due home in two days.�

Sirius knew Remus would have passed out if he hadn’t been there to catch him quickly. He felt very foolish for brining it up, but it was going to come up sooner than later.

“Ireland…� Remus whispered, standing up again, his face still deathly white. He turned to Sirius, ignoring James, Harry and ‘Sirius’’ inquisitive looks.

Sirius frowned. “What?�

“She’s in Ireland,� Remus breathed out in disbelief.

The meaning hit Sirius instantly. Ireland. If Emily was in Ireland….She had gone to Ireland plenty of times but this time…The dates clicked into place and he realized what exactly had Remus so worried.

“Thursday…I get the owl Thursday…�

“We’ll fix it Remus, we’ll fix it all,� Sirius said determined. He kept his arm around Remus and turned back to James and ‘Sirius’.

“We’ll explain later. Please. Let’s hurry.�

Harry came over on Remus’ other side. “Remus? Are you alright?�

They three followed a very confused James and ‘Sirius’ into the house, Sirius throwing one last look at the engravings, his eyes resting on the bottom one.

Remus and Emily Forever

How could he have forgotten Emily? How could Remus not have remembered? How could they have just managed to come right in time? Something was going to go wrong and Sirius was scared at which thing it would be.

Turning into the house and walking in, the nagging thought that he was dreaming sprang up and he wanted to pinch himself just to be sure. He still had the slightest bit of doubt until he heard her voice and his blood stopped cold.

“Sirius!�

His heart dropped to his ankles and he turned quickly, just in time to see a tall, petite, brown haired beauty that he only ever saw in his dreams, launch herself into ‘Sirius’’ arms.

He gulped as he saw his younger self hold her tight and kiss the top of her head solemnly. Not many girls could make Sirius Black that serious (no pun intended)…in fact Sirius would bet money that the only girl that could was standing right there, her arms tight around her fiancé’s neck.

“Really, Ari, it was just a single breech, no need to get worried,� ‘Sirius’ said cockily. He pulled back and looked at her. “Careful, people might think you care.�

Sirius sucked in a sharp breath, remembering how often he had said that phrase to her. Remus seemed to have recovered enough and was standing up straight, his arm now gripping on Sirius’ shoulder, as if giving moral support. Harry on the other hand was glancing across the room and Sirius followed his eyes.

There they were. Both of them. Just as he always remembered them in his best memories. James was grinning like and idiot, teasing her to the point where he had to kiss her to shut her up. Lily, beautiful Lily, had her hands on her hips with exasperation, reaching across the table a few times to try and smack James when he said something stupid (which he often did). Sirius managed a truly happy smile as, right when he predicted, James leaned across the table and covered Lily’s mouth with his, silencing her cries of outrage that they had both been gone so long.

Sirius looked over to Harry and saw that there were a few tears in his Godson’s eyes as he watched his parents kiss. But Harry turned away suddenly, blinking the tears away and looking back at Sirius. His bottom lip was trembling, but Sirius saw the silent thanks that burned in them. Ever since the incident with Snape’s pensive in his third year, Harry had always been a bit apprehensive about his parent’s relationship and his father’s behavior. Sirius could see that just letting Harry see this small moment put all his fears to rest.

“Can you go now?�

He turned once again to his younger self and his fiancé. ‘Sirius’ was speaking in low tones and looking at Arianna solemnly. Ari’s forehead was furrowed and her eyes studied ‘Sirius’ face. She really was just as Sirius remembered her. Her rich brown hair hung in loose curls around her lightly tanned face. Blue eyes that he had never been tired of looking into were still bright and kind. She was tall, but still about 2 inches shorter than ‘Sirius’. In fact, looking over towards his younger self, Sirius was slightly surprised to see he hadn’t grown any taller, but he shrugged it off.

“What happened? Did someone get through the wards?�

Her voice was like music. Sirius closed his eyes, relishing in hearing it again. He never thought he would ever hear that voice again. He opened them to find her staring right at him and his heart gripped in fear. Would she recognize him? What would she think?

She frowned uncertainly. “Sirius? Who are they?�

‘Sirius’ turned to look at the time travelers, smiling slightly. “They’re the ones that got through the wards. But they’re alright,� he said quickly, as both Lily and Arianna gasped in surprise. It seemed James and Lily had both turned to their conversation as well as Harry and Remus. “They’re here to help us.�

“We need to get to Hogwarts to see Remus and Dumbledore,� James added, leaving Lily’s side and going over to the fireplace. “They’re still there right?�

“Yes, but, James, shouldn’t we let Remus sleep? I mean, he’s still very weak-“

“Who are you?�

Sirius looked back to see that Arianna was still staring at him and her eyes had not left his face since she first looked at him. She had a calculating expression on, and Sirius wondered vaguely if she really did recognize him. But if his own self couldn’t recognize him, how would Arianna?

“Me?� He breathed out, almost unable to talk and feeling very stupid that he had no better reply.

“I recognize you…� she cocked her head to one side. “Have we met before? Are you part of the Order?�

“Ah, you could say that…� Sirius said uneasily, but he was spared any more by ‘Sirius’ tugging Arianna towards the fireplace.

“I’ll explain everything at Hogwarts Ari. Come on,� ‘Sirius’ said quickly. James had already lit the fire and was pulling Lily over.

“Wait, what about Harry, James?�

Apparently unable to contain himself anymore, Harry let out a half gasp half cry. Luckily Lily and Arianna didn’t seem to notice though. James turned back to his wife his eyes wide with realization.

“Is he napping still?�

“Yes, and I have no desire to wake him up. He had a nightmare last night and he’s tired.�

“So are you, love,� James said quickly, reaching forward and planting a small kiss on Lily’s forehead. “Just go grab him in his blankets and bring him. We won’t be long.�

Lily frowned. “Why can’t we just call someone to tend him for a bit? He needs his rest James.�

“Who do you have in mind?�

“Well, Peter offered yester-“

“No!� Sirius, Remus and Harry all said at the same time. Harry’s eyes were wide with fear, Remus had reached over and gripped Harry’s arm and Sirius’ arm was reached out towards his old friends, pure panic on his face, as if he wanted to take Harry himself.

James and Lily turned to them, astonished. James looked more concerned than Lily, though. She frowned at them and then turned back to James.

“James, what is going on? Who are these three?�

“Love, please, one more time, trust me,� James begged. “Just go up and quickly grab Harry. Everything will be explained soon.�

Still looking quite suspicious, Lily hurried up the stairs and returned moments later with her arms wrapped protectively around a small bundle of blankets leaning against her, a tuft of black hair peaking out from them. Sirius glanced over at Harry and saw him looking at the baby with rapt fascination. Of course ‘Harry’ wasn’t quite a baby anymore. Just over a year, Sirius calculated in his head.

“Right,� James nodded, giving Lily and Harry a once over before turning back to the time travelers. “Let’s go.�

“We’ll go first,� Remus said quickly and Sirius readily agreed with him. Reaching out, Sirius grabbed Harry’s arm, snapping him out of his stare and dragging him towards the fireplace.

“I hate floo powder,� Harry grumbled, taking off his glasses and putting them into his pocket.

“Get used to it, kiddo,� Sirius said with a smile.

Harry soon disappeared into the flames, Remus next. Sirius stopped before going and turned back to James. “See you there?�

James nodded. “We’ll be right behind you.�

The nervous feeling creeping back into him, Sirius turned towards the fire and stepped in, shouting “Hogwarts!� and was swallowed in a mirage of colors and sounds until he finally landed hard on the ground. He scrambled out of the fireplace and was given a hand by Remus who pulled him out just in time to keep from getting hit by ‘Sirius’ who came out next. Looking around, Sirius saw that they had come into the Great Hall which was completely empty, due to the time of year with no school going on.

Arianna, Lily (still holding Harry) and James soon joined them and the six of them started the trek towards the hospital wing, a very uncomfortable silence stretched between them. As they started climbing the stairs, Lily and Arianna had entered into a soft conversation with each other and ‘Sirius’ made his way next to Sirius.

It was still weird for Sirius to be near his younger self. He racked his brain trying to think of what he was like at that age, but it seemed that most of the happy memories were chased away by Azkaban and all that were left were depressing and things he never wanted to remember.

“What happened to her?� ‘Sirius’ said softly, making Sirius suck in a sharp breath, knowing his counterpart’s exact meaning.

“She died,� Sirius answered shortly.

“Soon?� ‘Sirius’’ voice lowered.

Sirius only nodded and continued to climb the stairs. He watched his younger self glance desperately over at Arianna and then back at him.

“How did it happen?� the younger Marauder said. “I see how you look at her, you’re in pain every time you do…was it Voldemort?�

Sirius had been trying to keep the tears at bay, but the memories floated back up, and with them came the tears. ‘Sirius’ face fell.

“No, it wasn’t Voldemort,� Sirius said quickly. But he left it at that. ‘Sirius’ seemed to get the hint and floated back to his fiancé’s side, though he kept shooting worried glanced towards Sirius the whole way up.

Finally reaching the hospital wing, James and ‘Sirius; entered first with Lily and Arianna by their sides. The time travelers, with a little more trepidation, followed.

‘Remus Lupin’ lay on the bed before them, breathing evenly, his white face in great contrast with the cuts and bruises that seemed to cover every inch of his body. Sirius saw James and ‘Sirius’’ downcast faces and his memories sprang up of that night. It had been terrible, ever worse than the first few months when Moony was still getting used to having the new animals and scents around and all four of them came back with bruises and gashes. On this night, Remus had almost committed a crime, committed a crime punishable by imprisonment for life, committed a crime that he would never even remember committing. All because his three best friends were trying to help him and they had screwed up and become careless.

Of course, Remus had never put it that way. He always put the blame on himself and silenced any of them who tried to take the blame away.

And there he was. The skinny twenty year old who had been cursed for life by a simple mistake made when he was a boy.

Sirius looked over at Remus who seemed to be taking the situation quite well, though there was an unusual amount of pity in his eyes for his younger self.

“No Wolfsbane…� Remus murmured, his eyes still locked on ‘Remus’.

Sirius nodded in agreement. The days without Wolfsbane had been practically the same for him, but for Remus they were as different as nigh and day and Sirius could tell that his friend was probably remembering the pain from those experiences.

“Remus? Hey, Moony, wake up sleepyhead,� ‘Sirius’ said with as much cheerfulness as he could managed, leaning over the bed and shaking ‘Remus’ slightly.

‘Remus’’ eyes flickered open quickly, smiling slightly when he saw James and ‘Sirius’.

“Shut it you,� ‘Remus’ tried to reach up to smack ‘Sirius’ but he dodged. ‘Sirius’ and James tried to keep smiling, but both their faces couldn’t seem to handle it.

“How are you feeling, Moony?� James asked.

“Bloody brilliant,� ‘Remus’ said sarcastically.

Sirius watched their interaction with reminiscence in his eyes and could see Remus doing the same. He remembered vaguely how much more enjoyable his memories were when Peter hadn’t been around. The three true Marauders talked quietly for a few minutes and Sirius, Remus and Harry, unwilling to interrupt, turned to one another.

“It’s gone okay so far,� Sirius said quietly.

“Okay?� Remus whispered in disbelief. “Sirius, James tried to kill you.�

“And he would have,� Harry added curiously. “You two never told me what good aim he had.�

“Well, he was an Auror, wasn’t he?� Sirius answered. “But I wasn’t talking about that. At least they believed us.�

“It took them quite a while though,� Remus mused. “You’d think we’d look more familiar.�

“I guess 12 years in Azkaban and getting grey hair before you’re thirty changed us a lot,� Sirius said with a slight smirk. “Good Merlin I was a cocky kid.�

“I remember you just like that, Sirius,� Remus said with a grin. “And these were some of your better years.� He turned to Harry. “He and James had the most inflated egos I had ever seen.�

Sirius reached over to smack him but stopped short as a voice spoke up behind them.

“Well, this is a rather peculiar sight.�

The three time travelers stood up straight quickly, turning to see Albus Dumbledore looking at them in surprise. None of them had ever seen him speechless but he was rather close to that point. It seemed he was recognizing them more than anyone had yet.

“Headmaster!� James called out, leaving ‘Remus’’ side and rushing up to the aging wizard, Sirius following close behind.

“James, my dear boy, you of all people should know by now that I prefer Albus,� Dumbledore said kindly. “Headmaster makes me feel old.�

Harry snickered but only Remus and Sirius seemed to notice, for James just continued. “Sorry, Albus, but we came to see you. I hope you didn’t mind that we used the new floo network between Godric’s Hollow and Hogwarts, but this was an emergency of some sort.�

“Nonsense, James, that is what it’s for,� Dumbledore said, still smiling and it seemed he had gotten enough of a grip on the situation that his twinkle was back in his eyes. “Perhaps we should all sit down and we can talk about it.�

No one moved for a full fifteen seconds. Lily and Arianna were still over by Remus’ bed looking even more curiously at the time travelers. James, ‘Sirius’, Sirius, Remus and Harry were all staring at one another, trying to decided who would make the first move.

They were interrupted by another voice.

“James? Are you here?�

Sirius felt the blood rush into his head as he heard the voice and he let out a snarl, reaching for his wand. Remus quickly laid a hand on his arm, ever the calm one. Harry, though, was quicker than either of them.

Peter Pettigrew walked into the room, a shorter boy than the other Marauders and stockier. His blond hair was a little messy and his watery blue eyes flickered around the room nervously as he stopped short and saw everyone. In one quick move, Harry rushed toward him, pinning him to the wall, his phoenix core wand pointed right at his throat, ignoring the up cry that rose around him.

“Wait!�

“What’s he doing?�

“No, Harry!�

What the-“

“Peter!�

“You.�

Harry’s deadly low voice made everyone’s outcry stop suddenly and Sirius stopped struggling against Remus’ hold on him, holding his breath for what Harry would do next. No one moved again, but everyone saw the complete hate that welled up in Harry’s eyes as he looked upon Peter. James and ‘Sirius’ seemed quite torn between wanting to help their friend and glaring at him at the same time. ‘Remus’, Lily and Arianna all were looking on horrified.

Thankfully no one seemed to notice Remus’ slip of the tongue when he had shouted out Harry’s name.

“You killed them. You betrayed them.�

Harry’s voice was still low and menacing and his wand dug deeper into Peter’s throat as the rat animagus looked at his attacker in terror.

“You’re already planning it, aren’t you?� Harry continued. “You probably have his mark already…�

‘Remus’, Lily, Arianna, James and ‘Sirius’ all gasped aloud as Peter’s face went ghostly white and he started struggling even harder. No one seemed to know what to say. Sirius had a good right to just let Harry have his way with Peter; it would take care of one of their problems quick. Remus, however, didn’t feel the need.

“Harry, not now.�

It wasn’t hard to miss the blatant way Remus said Harry’s real name and three eyes looked over at the time-travelers with wide eyes.

Harry, however, got Remus’ point and managed to tear his wand away from Peter’s throat, being sure to shove him harshly onto the ground before walking away, barely containing his anger as he reached Sirius and Remus. Remus laid a comforting hand on his shoulder and Sirius slung an arm up around him.

Peter was gasping and wheezing on the floor, but no one seemed to care. Everyone’s eyes were fixed on the time travelers and even James and ‘Sirius’ were sending them questioning glances.

“What did you call him?� Arianna’s voice broke the silence.

Sirius turned to her with a resigned expression, realizing that she had already figured it out. He opened his mouth to reply, but Harry cut him off.

“My name is Harry James Potter, son of Lily Evans Potter and James Richard Potter.�

Harry stood tall as he spoke, his eyes searching everyone’s faces as if daring them to contradict him. Lily gasped and grasped ‘Harry’ closer to her, a few tears springing into her eyes. She looked towards James who gave the slightest of nods. There was silence after that and no one said anything, so Sirius stepped up.

“And I'm Harry’s Godfather, Sirius Orion Black.�

He looked right at Arianna as she gasped and looked at him with wide eyes. ‘Remus’, who was lying on the bed, was looking at him with a thoughtful expression so like him in these types of situations. Peter, who was in the process of getting up, stumbled again and looked towards them with wide eyes.

“And I am Remus John Lupin.�

All the eyes flickered to Remus as he spoke and his younger self looked the slightest bit worried as he looked at him, but took it better than James and ‘Sirius’ had.

“We are from the future,� Sirius continued, moving his gaze from Arianna to Lily and to ‘Sirius’ and James. “We have a lot to talk about.�

“I really don’t know where to start,� Sirius said nervously, running a hand through his shoulder length hair as he assessed the situation around him.

The chairs all around the hospital wing had been moved together in a circular pattern, ‘Remus’’ hospital bed behind included in the circle as well. Harry, Remus and Sirius all sat together, slightly separated from the rest of the group. On one side of them sat Dumbledore, Peter on his other side (who had only been allowed to stay in the room if he didn’t move and didn’t talk: a request from both Sirius and Harry) with Lily and ‘Harry’ next to ‘Remus’. On the time traveler’s other side sat James and ‘Sirius’ along with Arianna who was gripping tight to her fiancé’s hand but couldn’t seem to stop staring at Sirius. It was starting to unnerve him a bit but he had never had any problem with her staring at him before, and despite the rather different circumstances, on some bit it felt rather nice.

Before they had all sat down, Dumbledore had asked quickly for permission to read their minds, helping him feel more comfortable about their identities. He had instantly found that they were telling the truth and was the one who had insisted on everyone hearing the story together.

He smiled kindly over at Sirius. “The beginning is usually the best part,� the wise old Headmaster helped. “You say you are from the future. Why don’t you start with how in the world you were able to travel so far back in time?�

“Well, Moony can answer that better than I can,� Sirius said, looking over to Remus and ignoring the slight mumble of voices that arose when he used Remus’ Marauder name.

Remus hesitated for a moment before starting. “It’s quite a long story, but I think I can sum it up.� He cast a careful look over at ‘Sirius’ and at ‘Remus’ before continuing. “About six months ago, in our time, there was a rather costly battle fought in the Department of Mysteries.� He looked to Dumbledore. “I assume you all know what that is?�

Dumbledore nodded and a few other murmurs of agreement were heard, so Remus continued.

“During the battle, Sirius was struck down, not with the killing curse, but with just a violent hex. Unfortunately, he was standing right in front of the veil that is in the death chamber. And I assume that you all don’t know much about that?�

“Neither did we,� Remus continued, looking over everyone’s confused faces, “at least not then. We thought Sirius was dead…� he hesitated and looked over at Harry who was thankfully keeping a calm face. “It was a very hard time…for all of us.�

“But he’s right there,� James pointed out obviously.

“Right,� Remus took a deep breath. “Four months after falling in, Sirius turned up, alive and well.�

Remus looked over quickly and saw Sirius had put his hand up around Harry’s shoulders and Harry was trying to blink back his tears.

“It would be too hard now to go into all of the details about what he found out and what we deducted, but after a few weeks of persuasion on Sirius’ part, he convinced us that time travel through the other side of the veil would be possible. Using Merlin’s ancient spell for time travel, we calculated when and where we wanted to go and the three of us went back through the veil. I preformed the spell and we ended up right outside of Godric’s Hollow.�

“And at just the right time,� Sirius added.

No one spoke for a moment before finally, ‘Sirius’ voiced everyone’s thoughts.

“Why did you come back?�

Sirius looked hard over at his younger self before turning to Sirius and Harry.

“That is a long story,� Sirius leaned back, accentuating long, but nevertheless, continued talking.

“It starts just about a week from now, in this time,� he said carefully, thinking about the dates and trying to keep his composure. “Well, I guess with Emily,� he heard ‘Remus’ sit up higher on his bed but he looked towards the older Remus with sorrowful eyes.

“I get a letter,� Remus said, as calm as he could, “on Thursday from Emily’s Head of Department saying that she’s gone missing.�

“What?� ‘Remus’ practically gasped out. “No, but-but she’s due home in two days!�

Sirius looked mournfully up at such a younger Remus Lupin. “We don’t actually figure out what happened to her for another four or five days when we….when we find her body.� He looked over at Remus and saw that he was doing a good job of keeping his tears in check. “Why didn’t we remember her though?� Sirius had lowered his voice a bit, but he knew everyone could hear him. “We remembered everything else…�

“When we came back,� Sirius explained to the others, “we had a very strict agenda to what we were trying to accomplish and what we were supposed to change.� He looked over at Remus again.

“I didn’t want to remember,� Remus finally said quietly, making everyone turn to him. Sirius looked at all the downcast faces and saw with some relief that Lily had reached over and laid a hand on ‘Remus’’ shoulder as he looked on in horror at what they were talking about.

“Everything went so wrong.� Remus put his head in his hand. “It was like her death spiraled in to so much and eventually into everything that went wrong with my life after that…� He finally looked up and straight into the eyes of his younger counterpart. “I had to give her up…the pain was so much that I’m sure I would have gone insane…that or tear myself apart during the next full moon.�

‘Remus’, with tears now trailing down his face, gulped and leaned back in his bed, seemingly unable to sit up any longer.

“It got worse?� Lily’s scared voice cut in and all three time travelers turned to her.

Sirius nodded. “Next week….next week Ari was killed.�

Arianna gasped and ‘Sirius’ reached up to put an arm around her but Sirius didn’t have the heart to look at them. He opened his mouth a few more times to talk, but Remus finally took over for him. It was easier for both of them if they didn’t have to talk about their own experiences.

“Sirius’ father confronted him at his work one day, having heard about his engagement,� Remus started. “Arianna was muggle born, of course, which was not something that pureblood families did. Well, except for Potters I guess,� he managed a smile over at Lily and at James. “But Cetus Black wasn’t about to let his oldest child marry anyone other than a pureblood, even though he had unofficially disowned Sirius years before.�

“He kidnapped Arianna, no doubt with some help from a few death eaters. He tortured her…� Remus turned to Sirius with some hesitation. “He even forced Sirius to come and watch.�

Sirius felt a tear sneak down his cheek as he remembered those awful sights. Her cries of agony and his inability to do anything…even shut his eyes and block it out.

“He was going to let Arianna go if Sirius would promise not to marry her and join the Death Eaters with his brother.�

Sirius let out a bitter laugh and cut off Remus. “Bloody fool. Always too scared himself to join Voldemort’s ranks but showered Regulus with hugs and kisses when he ended up going off to get himself killed with the dark mark burned into his arm.�

Sirius knew Remus didn’t want to continue, but he let the silence ring for a moment before he continued. “I refused. And he killed Arianna.�

A soft cry was heard and Sirius’ head shot up and he saw Arianna crying softly into ‘Sirius’’ arms as he held her tight, a few tears escaping his eyes as he tried to whisper some kind of comforting words to her.

“Bollocks,� James Potter broke in and Sirius turned to him, still a few tears sparkling in his eyes. “I hope you’re lying.�

“I assure you,� Sirius said, taking a deep breath. “I am not.�

“You’re here to prevent those deaths?� Lily questioned.

“Actually, our main purpose in coming back was to save you, Lily,� Remus spoke up, “you and James.�

“What?� ‘Sirius’’ head came up in shock but he still held tight to Arianna.

“The prophesy,� Harry spoke up for the first time during the conversation. He was looking right towards his mother. “The one about predicting Voldemort’s downfall.�

Lily’s eyes went wide as she looked into her son’s eyes and only tore her gaze away to look at James with shock and surprise.

“Not everyone in here knows about the prophesy, Harry,� Dumbledore said gently. “In fact, I think only Lily and James do at this point.�

“No,� ‘Sirius’ said quickly. “I do.�

“What does it say?� ‘Remus’ asked quietly.

Harry took a deep breath, reciting the prophesy word for word and Sirius watched Lily’s arms grip tighter and tighter around a still drowsy Harry that she had clutched to her.

“So you don’t end up defeating Voldemort?� James asked.

“No, that’s the point,� Harry answered, looking over towards his father. “I do defeat him, but only because….only because you and Mum have to die for me.�

Lily looked over at James sharply. “It works!� She breathed out in fascination.

Probably noticing everyone’s confused looks, Lily turned back to them, focusing mainly on Harry. “I’ve been researching for months, ever since I found out about the prophesy, for some type of spell to help protect Harry.� Reflexively she leaned down and nuzzled ‘Harry’s’ hair. “The plan was to be able to cast some sort of protection spell on you if Voldemort ever found us.�

“But that’s impossible!� James cut in. “We’re going under the Fidelius charm soon. He wouldn’t be able to find us.�

“That,� Sirius answered quickly before Remus or Harry could reply, “is where Peter comes in.�

All eyes turned to Peter and he slid down his chair a bit under everyone’s gaze.

“Lift up the sleeve of your left arm, Peter,� Harry said in the same menacing tone that he had used when he had Peter cornered against the wall.

“James! Sirius! Please, you two know I’m not a Death Eater!� Peter said, panicking more than an innocent person would as he looked desperately at his friends. James was looking at him more hurt than anything else, as if he didn’t want to believe it, but knew it was the truth. ‘Sirius’ wasn’t even giving him the satisfaction of being hurt, but was openly glaring at him, still holding to Arianna who had calmed somewhat but still had tear streaks down her face.

“Remus, Remus, please! Do you believe them? The future? I mean, come on, Remus!� Peter looked frantically over at the werewolf, but Sirius was pleased to see that even ‘Remus’ didn’t believe him and was looking at him with something akin to horror and disbelief.

“Just lift up your sleeve, Peter,� Remus said, more calmly than Sirius would have. “If you're so innocent, what do you have to hide?�

Peter wasted about three more seconds looking completely terrified before he bolted out of his seat. He wasn’t quick enough, though, as Sirius and Remus both jerked him back by his arms, both of them wanting to take out their anger just as much as Harry had wanted too before. Through his cries, they threw him into the middle of the circle, both of them taking out their wands and pointing them down at his pathetic form. Sirius’ memory went back to the night in the Shrieking Shack where this very familiar sight had happened as well. Harry stood up behind them, but did not draw his wand. It seemed he could tell that this was Sirius and Remus’ right, and he just openly glared down at the fourth Marauder.

“You do, don’t you?�

Nothing could have made the situation any worse for Peter, but James, one of his best friends and his idol, openly accusing him of Dark Wizarding activities made Peter burst out into childish sobs.

Unable to take it any longer, Sirius reached down, grabbing Peter’s left arm and hiking it up. Remus reached over to help and together they pulled the sleeve up, revealing the black skull and snake that had been burned into the young man’s skin.

“Peter!� Lily cried out, in tears herself. “How could you?�

“You were our friend!� ‘Sirius’ said menacingly, letting go of Arianna carefully and joining James as they both stood up next to ‘Remus’’ bed to stare down Peter’s now limp and sobbing form on the ground before them.

“I would never have thought…� ‘Remus’ said softly from the bed. “Peter, you utter fool…�

Remus’ rebukes had always been the most painful for any of the Marauders. His voice always being the voice of reason, if he had reason to chide them it was taken seriously and often to the heart.

“What did he offer you?� James hissed out. “A family? Friends? Because you’ve just lost any of that you thought you had. You’d better hope that with all that power or glory or riches or whatever bull that Voldemort promised you that you can buy yourself some new acquaintances.�

“But-but I’m scared!� Peter cried out. “He’s everywhere, James! You know that! What could be lost by joining him?!�

“Much more than you seem to realize, Mr. Pettigrew.�

Dumbledore had now joined the group standing around Peter and Sirius saw that Dumbledore’s eyes had lost their customary twinkle and he was looking down at his student with more pity than anger.

“I would never, James…I would never betray you-“

Peter was cut off this time by Sirius shoving his foot down on him and leaning down with his wand pointed right at his heart, wild anger and revenge sparking in his eyes that he had not felt since he had found Peter all those years ago outside the Whomping Willow.

“Don’t. You. Dare.� Sirius hissed out. “You bloody rat! Do you have any idea how much I lost because of you? Do you know how much pain you caused people in this room? You were the one who told my father where Arianna was hiding! You were the one who told the Death Eaters where Emily was traveling! You were the one who sold out Lily and James to Voldemort, causing their deaths! You were the one who framed me for their deaths! I went to Azkaban because of you! Twelve years, Peter! Twelve years with nothing to do but plot the perfect death for you and your pathetic master!�

Sirius faintly heard James whisper “Azkaban?� but paid it no mind.

“You are going to learn exactly how stupid this choice of yours was and by the time you’ve spent five minutes in Azkaban you’re going to be begging anyone for mercy, but even Voldemort won’t give that to you…�

Finally backing off, Sirius, looking down at Peter with disgust, conjured anti-animagus ropes (a useful spell he had studied up on before traveling back) and a gag around Peter before going to sit back in his seat. Remus and Harry went back to sit down, all three of them breathing heavily and not looking at any of the other occupants in the room. When Sirius finally did look up, he saw that ‘Sirius’, James, ‘Remus’ and Dumbledore were all still staring at Peter’s exposed forearm with mixed expressions of pity, anger and sadness. Lily and Arianna had moved next to each other and were holding hands, looking mournfully at the friends who were finding the traitor in their midst. Little Harry had started whimpering slightly and Lily had placed him in a bassinet in the far corner of the room, away from the excitement.

“I think I shall make a quick fire call to the ministry, if you all will excuse me.�

And with that, Dumbledore quickly exited the room, his aura of power following him, but his deep disgust with Peter still seeming to linger in the air.

At least, James, ‘Sirius’ and ‘Remus’ looked up at the time travelers, bittersweet thanks in their gazes mingled with sadness and grief.

“You were right…� ‘Sirius’ said in awe, looking mostly at his older self and collapsing into the chair behind him. “We would have never known…�

“He betrayed all of us,� ‘Remus’ said mournfully, also looking at his older self, who nodded back. “He betrayed Emily….he betrayed Arianna…�

“He does a lot more,� Sirius stopped him. Looking up into the young eyes of one of his best friends, Sirius felt another thrill of excitement pass through him. It was working…they were doing it… “More than you would believe, even if I told you.� His gaze moved back to James. “But even if all he did was betray you to Voldemort….he still deserves this, all of it, anything he’s going to get and more…�

James nodded through his tears and, to Sirius’ surprise, took two steps forward, enfolding him in a hug. Sirius gasped with surprise, but didn’t let it bug him for too long. James. James was here, he was giving him a hug, he was alive and safe…Sirius held on fiercely to his best friend. He didn’t know how awkward it was for James to be hugging him, but he had a feeling that James was doing it just for him.

“Merlin, Prongs…� Sirius finally managed to get out, “You’re alive…you’re okay…�

“Of all the people, Padfoot…� James pulled back and looked Sirius in the eye. “Only you would do something this crazy to try and save my life.�

“Hey!� ‘Sirius’ shouted, making Sirius grin and step back from James, blinking back the tears.

“Thank you,� Sirius said softly to James, knowing that James would understand his meaning, which, of course he did. James just smiled wider and nodded.

“Harry.�

Sirius looked up quickly and watched with continuing tears in his eyes as Harry and Lily locked gazes. He saw how strong Harry was trying to be. He saw the tears that Harry was blinking back. But he also saw when he couldn’t hold them back anymore. Loud, racking sobs burst from his young Godson who leaned forward, burying his face in his arms. Sirius’ moved quickly to go comfort him, but Lily reached Harry before he did, wrapping her arms around him and starting to cry herself.

To his everlasting joy and surprise, James crossed in front of his vision, kneeling on the floor next to his wife and future son, joining in the tears and embrace.

Sirius couldn’t remember how many times he had wished to see that scene. He had played it over and over in his head countless times but nothing that he had ever imagined was as bitter sweet as the real thing that he was seeing.

The Potters were back together, and he would make sure that they would be together for a long while yet.

A hesitant hand tapped his arm and Sirius turned quickly, seeing Arianna standing there beside him, a hesitant smile on her face. ‘Sirius’ stood behind her, grinning up at his older self. Sirius looked at her in confusion for a moment before she too threw her arms up around him, pulling him into a hug. It could have turned out to be a rather awkward moment but it was still right. She still fit and he still could wrap his arms perfectly around her. He held her tight, knowing that his was as close to her as he would be getting in awhile, but he was grateful for anything he could get.

She finally pulled back, blinking her own tears away. “I thought you looked familiar,� she said softly. Her face dropped slightly. “I’m so sorry….sorry that you had to go through that. I can only imagine what it would be like if our places were reversed….� She let out a quiet half laugh half sob and ‘Sirius’ stepped forward, putting an arm around her waist. She looked back at him, smiling, but then turned to Sirius again. “Thank you. You definitely are my Sirius.�

Then she turned away, ‘Sirius’ giving him a small wink before gathering her into a hug himself.

He looked around the room again, taking in the sights there that he had convinced himself he would never see again or ever.

“We did it…� Sirius breathed out, almost as if he couldn’t believe it himself. He turned and locked eyes with Remus, the reality of the situation hitting them both as they realized what they had just accomplished.

“Now,� Remus continued for him in all seriousness, “we see the consequences.�

Harry could hardly believe that less than twelve hours ago he had kissed Ginny goodbye.

He was laying quietly on a bed in one of the spare rooms of Godric’s Hollow…

Godric’s Hollow…

He smiled widely at the thought, turning his face into his pillow as he could barely contain his urge to jump for joy, shout, scream and tell the whole world what had just happened.

James and Lily….his parents…they were here….alive….

He relished in the memory of his mother’s arms around him, for once not feeling the least bit embarrassed about his tears in front of another person. She was his mother….James was his father….he was supposed to cry in front of them, he was supposed to be able to hold them when times were bad or things got rough.

Harry thought back to seeing his parents kiss in the kitchen and the pure love and unending affection that he saw between them. A huge weight had lifted off his chest, knowing for himself what kind of people his parents really were. Sure they weren’t perfect, but they weren’t anything near what Harry had dreaded them of being. The episode in Snape’s pensive had been on his mind almost constantly since Sirius and Remus had told him about traveling back to possibly save his parents. It had replayed in his head over and over as he wished and prayed with all his might that he could see, really see what they had been like.

And he had…oh, he had…

He remembered the looks he had sneaked as James and ‘Sirius’ had greeted Remus in the hospital wing. His first thought had been comparing them to Fred and George. Their eyes were full of mischief and laughter. But mingled throughout the conversation had been an unspoken worry for ‘Remus’ health and the calamity that had happened the night before.

Brothers….Harry had decided on that word.

He hadn’t been so sure at first, but then, neither had they. Harry replayed their first confrontation with James and ‘Sirius’. His mind had started to panic at seeing his father so young and so…angry. Scenes from Snape’s pensive had flashed through his mind and it got worse and worse as he heard James and ‘Sirius’ cold voices towards them. Their semi-cocky attitude had also hit at him hard and he had lost his breath, daring to actually believe that James might turn out to be all the things that he had dreaded, all the things that Snape had drilled into his head for the past five years.

When Sirius had full out announced their names, Harry had felt like he wanted to faint. The annoyed and disbelieving look that James had thrown him had gripped at his heart so bad that he wanted to throw up. Not knowing what else to do, but his whole mind and heart in a panic, Harry had turned to Sirius, begging to leave, trying to do anything so that he wouldn’t have to find out the truth…wouldn’t have to face up to what he feared his father was going to be.

Then as his father, his own father, accused him of being a death eater, Harry had snapped back at him, feeling for a moment as if he was in a routine fight with Malfoy. But that wasn’t enough. James and ‘Sirius’ had kept going, questioning Sirius and Remus down to the last detail. It wasn’t until he heard James defend Pettigrew that the thought dropped into his head.

War…they were in the middle of a war. Not just any war, but one that had being going on since before they were in school and that had no end in sight.

As he heard his father defend one of his friends, Harry’s heart slowed down, his thoughts started to process rationally again. Yes, James might have been defending the man that would betray him to his death, but the point was that he was defending his friend, no matter what the circumstances were. Sirius had told him repeatedly about how loyal his father always was to his friends, how loyal all the Marauders had been to each other, and something had almost made Harry forget it.

Shock after shock had followed as he heard about Sirius’ fiancé, as he traveled to his first home and stepped foot inside, seeing his mother for the first time and dying to collapse in her arms, begging forgiveness for getting her killed, seeing his much younger self relaxing purposely on his mother’s shoulder, unaware and blissful to the destiny that lay before him…

Harry did not allow another shot of anger, fear or despair hit him until Pettigrew showed up.

He wasn’t sure what he would have done if someone had tried to hold him back. Thankfully Remus was too busy holding back Sirius to take much of a notice how Harry’s hand had tightened on his wand when he heard Pettigrew’s voice and how his eyes had flashed darkly at the door, begging the traitor to enter just so he could point his wand at his throat and hear him beg for mercy…hear him beg just how Harry had to hear his own mother beg every time he came near a dementor.

It had felt bloody good to just slam the rat up against the wall and hear him squeal in pain as Harry had dug his wand into his throat and let the whole room know what kind of person he was.

Remus’ ever voice of reason had pulled him back into the present, or rather, the past, and Harry had saved the rest for Remus and Sirius to uncover.

It had then been his instinct to announce his real name to his mother, his father already knowing it. She had shed tears for him through her lovely eyes that he had inherited from her, and indeed he had. It was the first thing he had noticed about her, and he had no doubt it had been the first thing that James had noticed about her as well. He wondered if anyone saw his eyes in the same way that James saw hers.

The explaining of the story had gone well on all accounts and Harry once again turned his face into the pillow as he thought of Peter bound in cords on the ground, struggling to get free as he saw all those around him find out who and what he truly was.

He had the strangest urge to go find the owner of WWW and announce to the world what they had just been able to do.

He thought about how his mother had rushed up and just held him in her arms, weeping with him and for him as he had begun to realize what they had just accomplished. Harry’s heart had almost stopped as he felt James’ arms around him as well and dared to think the word ‘family’ in his mind as the three of them sat there together, crying and smiling and being.

A soft knock on his door brought his face out of the pillow and he leaned up on his elbow, grateful he hadn’t fallen asleep yet or changed into his pajamas.

“Come in.�

He couldn’t help but grin as he saw Lily peak her head in smiling at him before walking through the doorway slightly.

“Do you like the room?� She said with a small amount of hesitation.

“Oh, oh yeah, it’s great!� Harry said quickly. Sitting up completely as she came forward and sat next to him on the bed, smiling. They both were quiet for a moment before Lily finally turned to him.

“I actually came up here, well, oh I don’t know how much you are like your father, but,� she giggled slightly, “I’ve been trying to ask Sirius, your Sirius, a question, but he keep’s skiving around it. I know that James wouldn’t tell me either, especially if it was Sirius, but I was thinking maybe you could enlighten me a bit.� She turned to him innocently and Harry cracked a smile.

“I’ll have to get back to you on the ‘How much I’m like James’ thing, but why don’t you ask me your question and I’ll see if I can answer it?� Harry asked her.

“Well, I heard what Sirius said about Azkaban,� Lily started, looking away from him and fiddling with her hair. “And if James and I were gone…?� she looked up at him helplessly. “We were both wondering…who raised you?�

Harry’s eyes went wide and his heart sped up. He had not been expecting that. He had not even thought about the fact of revealing to his mother how cruel her sister and brother-in-law had been to him and he certainly didn’t want to think about it now. He opened his mouth, but couldn’t think of anything to say.

Lily frowned. “What? What is that look? Harry, who was it?� She pleaded, reaching forward and grabbing one of his hands. Harry looked down at their clasped hands and felt a strange emotion rise in him.

Sharing his feelings and his secrets had not ever been easy for him. Ron and Hermione were probably the first people to get him to open up so much. Sirius had gotten a little more, but never had Harry felt comfortable enough to just tell someone about…well…everything.

I was missing a mom, he realized. The missing piece…

He looked back up at Lily, tearing at his new revelation, but still shaking his head in the negative.

“No, no, you don’t need to know that,� he took his hand away and bit his bottom lip, looking away from her downcast face.

“It was her, wasn’t it?� she said in a soft voice.

Harry whipped his head around in astonishment and saw that Lily had tears running down her cheeks and was looking at him. “Petunia…she must have had to take you…�

“How did you-?�

“She’s the only one I could think of that would have had the legal right. Without Sirius or Peter, and Remus wasn’t allowed and if Emily and Arianna both died….oh Merlin…� she dropped her face into her hands and Harry’s eyes went wide as she started crying softly.

“Mum…Mum, please don’t cry…�

Harry did the only thing he could think of, and that was reaching down and pulling Lily against him, once again feeling the awesome power of a mother’s love as she openly cried for his sake, for the years of punishment and isolation that her son had gone through.

“Shh….it’s not your fault…� he tried to convince her softly.

As her tears finally died down, she pulled back, a little embarrassed but still gazing straight at him. “I can only imagine,� she sniffed. “Of course, you probably don’t know much about my relationship with her.�

“I guessed quite a bit,� Harry said, his lip twitching a bit as he thought about some of the awful things his aunt had called his mother throughout the years.

“We never did get along, even before I went to Hogwarts,� Lily said softly. “She was the eldest and I was always tagging along after her, wanting to be with her friends and be one of the big girls,� she laughed slightly. “I was so, so thrilled when my Hogwart’s letter came. Petunia had always done everything first, being the oldest with the new clothes and being taller….I was so excited to get out of her shadow, become something of my own…But,� she turned back to Harry, “she never really did understand about our world. I think she was afraid of me for the most part. That or she was upset for being pushed out of the spotlight for once…�

Harry nodded in agreement.

“Oh, my poor Harry,� she reached out and stroked his cheek in a very mother like way and Harry closed his eyes, relishing the contact. She had called him by his name, not said “boy� like his guardians always had. It was amazing how well they had fallen into the mother-son relationship, like it was the most natural thing in the world, despite that they only had a five year age gap between them.

She left her hand on his cheek and he opened his eyes, wondering what was wrong when she didn’t move. She was just looking at him with pure anguish in her eyes.

“Why did Sirius and Remus let you come back?� she whispered, her eyes tearing. “So much could go wrong…�

Harry felt his heart reach out to his mother and reached his hand up, covering her hand with his and bringing it down in his lap and gripping it softly. He then looked her right in the eye, hoping that she would be able to understand what he was about to say.

“The first eleven years of my life, I had no idea who you were, or dad. All I knew was that you had apparently died in a car accident and that you were both rather, er, different people.�

Lily snorted. “I’m sure that’s not the word my sister used.�

Harry shook his head, “No, but that doesn’t matter. The point is, when I finally found out who you were, one of the first facts I learned about you was that you had…you had died for me…�

He wanted to look away and hide his tears, but he kept eye contact, wanting, needing her to understand.

“Let me try to save you this time,� he said solemnly. “If not for you and dad, then for me.�

It seemed that she did indeed understand for she reached up to wipe her tears away.

“Sweetheart…� she said painfully looking at him.

“Please, Mum,� Harry cut her off and then smiled. “I’m sorry, is that weird when I call you that?�

“No,� Lily shook her head, smiling. “I think it’s brilliant.�

“Oh, good,� Harry said, relieved, “I guess I’m not quite used to saying it yet.�

They smiled at each other once more before falling quiet again.

They both sat in companionable silence till Harry heard a few faint laughs from downstairs followed by a cursing voice that sounded a lot like Sirius.

“What are they doing down there?� Harry turned to her, confused.

Lily laughed slightly. “James, I mean, your father and Sirius are trying get your Remus and Sirius to tell them more about the future, but,� she giggled, “they weren’t being very cooperative.�

A louder shout was heard, this time followed by a very distinct “Sirius!� and that followed by running footsteps that sounded more like a dog and a stag than a human.

“Great Merlin,� Lily rolled her eyes. “Two Sirius Black’s in this house…I’m going to go crazy.�

She got up and started to move towards the door, neither of them noticing how silent the downstairs had suddenly become.

“I best make sure they don’t break anything,� Lily started saying, “Are you sure you don’t need any-“

She was cut off by the door bursting open, the ‘Remus Lupin’ standing there, looking positively fearful. James, Sirius, ‘Remus’ and ‘Sirius’ stood on the stairs a distance behind him, all sharing identical looks.

“Remus!� Lily scolded. “You should be resting on the couch still!�

“He’s gone!� ‘Remus’ said quickly.

---

“You say you come here to change the past and yet you still won’t tell us what happened?� ‘Sirius’ snarled in annoyance, glaring at his older self who just laughed.

“I think Sirius is having a little too much fun with this,� Remus said dryly from his position on the armchair, typically Remus Lupin as he was looking through some books he had found. “Blimey, I haven’t seen these in ages,� he awed, turning the pages of his current book gently.

Sirius just laughed harder at his old friend’s antics and sat down on the couch next to ‘Remus’ who had a steaming cup of tea and was watching everyone with a mute expression of delight in his eyes. “Now this is how you’re going to turn out in our future,� Sirius told the younger Remus as he pointed to the older Remus who glared at him. “Tell me, you really want to turn into a bookworm?�

“Sirius, I am a book worm,� ‘Remus’ chuckled, holding up the book he was holding for Sirius to see.

“Bloody Merlin they’re everywhere!� Sirius jumped up and ran off to the kitchen where James had disappeared to.

“Nice to see I haven’t grown up too much,� ‘Sirius’ said sarcastically after him.

Sirius just kept smiling. It seemed he couldn’t stop. Perfect. It was all going perfectly. And while he knew that thought should have made him a tab bit nervous, his extreme happiness clouded it over.

Poking his head into the kitchen, he saw James writing something at the table furiously.

“What’s up, James?� he asked loudly.

James jumped five feet into the air, obviously not having heard Sirius’ approach and being too absorbed in his work

“Sirius!� he cried out when he got a look at his sneak.

Forgetting all his troubles instantly at the sight of his best friend, Sirius just grinned, whooping once before turning into Padfoot and scurrying away.

He vaguely heard Prongs galloping after him and rushed back into the family room, only to collide with ‘Sirius’ who ran right into him. Prongs fell right into the mess and both James and Sirius turned back into their human forms, scrambling to get up.

“Animagus?� A surprised voice said to one side.

James and Sirius turned and saw that ‘Sirius’ had been heading to where Albus Dumbledore was standing at the front door, looking quite surprised.

“Ah…?� James seemed at a loss for words.

“I suppose you boys will never stop surprising me.� Dumbledore waved it away. �But now, no now is not the time.� He turned to Sirius gravely. “I’m afraid I bring some troubling news. It seems the Dementors lost hold of Mr. Pettigrew while escorting him to Azkaban.�

The room was so silent it seemed everyone had stopped breathing.

“Peter has run away. We have no idea where he is.�

Sirius would have stood shell shocked for another hour if ‘Remus’ hadn’t bolted up from his position on the bed and began rushing up the stairs. Immediately James, Sirius, ‘Remus’ and ‘Sirius’ followed him.

They all four stopped in time to see Lily open the door of Harry’s room.

“Remus!� Lily scolded mother-like. “You should be resting on the couch still!�

“He’s gone!� 'Remus' blurted out.

Sirius saw and heard Harry get out of bed and rush up to his mother’s side, his eyes wide and disbelieving.

“Pettigrew escaped,� 'Remus' finished.

Lily gasped, holing her hands to her mouth. Sirius felt a knife twist in his heart and caught Harry’s eye, seeing the desolation in his face and knowing that his own expression looked remarkably similar. Turning to Remus, he knew what the old Marauder would say without him having to.

“Now we see the consequences,� Remus whispered once again.

----

“Miss Weasley? Miss Weasley, a word, if you please…�

Ginny turned, surprised and wondering what exactly she had done to merit staying behind in Transfiguration class. Sure her rabbit hadn’t exactly looked perfect, but she was sure that its ears would grow back eventually.

She gathered her things quickly, stuffing them into her bag and then hurried forward to Professor McGonagall’s desk.

“No you’re not in trouble, Miss Weasley,� McGonagall assured her, obviously noticing her tense posture and questioning eyes. “I merely wanted to ask you a question.�

Ginny let out a sigh, relieved and relaxed her shoulders a bit. “Yes, Professor?�

“I saw you coming out of Professor Dumbledore’s office earlier today.�

“Yes Ma’am.�

“Did you have a meeting with the Headmaster?�

“Not exactly…�

“I am not trying to accuse you; it’s just that no one has heard anything from Professor Dumbledore since last night.�

Ginny’s eyes went wide and she bit her bottom lip.

“Would you know anything about that?� McGonagall questioned.

Ginny looked down. “I actually didn’t see the Headmaster there, professor.�

“Then who were you up there with?�

“Well…I went to see Harry.�

McGonagall leaned slightly back in her chair. “Ah, yes, Mr. Potter. No one has seen him today either. Was he ill?�

“No.�

“Miss Weasley, would you like to tell me something?�

Ginny looked up to see Professor McGonagall looking at her persuasively.

“You mean you don’t know?� Ginny wondered aloud. Dumbledore had not even told McGonagall and yet Harry had told her? Her heart clenched, wondering if Harry wasn’t supposed to tell her but had anyway.

“Know what?�

Ginny looked hesitantly at her teacher, wondering if she should tell her or not. On the one hand, Ginny could tell that Dumbledore had not wanted anyone to know about it, but on the other hand, if no one had seen Dumbledore all day…

“Sirius and Remus were up there with Harry,� Ginny started explaining. “I went to tell Harry goodbye. He told me he was…he was leaving,� she finished lamely.

“Leaving where?�

“That’s rather complicated.�

McGonagall huffed once and sat up straighter. “Well then, perhaps you could tell me where Professor Dumbledore is?�

Ginny could not bear to meet the animagus’ eyes. “I don’t know where he is.�

“Guess.�

Still not looking up, Ginny, dropped her voice lower. “The Department of Mysteries.�

McGonagall’s eyes widened considerably. Ginny flinched slightly as McGonagall lifted her wand, but she just flicked it quickly, causing the door to slam behind them and Ginny jumped slightly at the noise.

“Miss Weasley, is there something you would like to tell me?� she repeated.

Ginny gulped and nodded slightly.

Professor McGonagall just raised a questioning eyebrow and waited patiently.

“Harry came to me last night,� Ginny finally started. “He explained that he was going to be gone for a while, and that Sirius Black and Remus Lupin would be going with him.�

“Did he tell you where he was going?�

“Yes. He was going to go back in time.�

Ginny had never seen her strict professor so shocked before.

“Surely you can’t be serious.�

“That’s what Harry told me,� Ginny defended. “He wouldn’t lie. Besides, he told me about what Sirius, Remus and Professor Dumbledore have been working on for the past few weeks.�

McGonagall nodded understandingly. “I had been wondering…� she trailed off, then cleared her throat and looked sternly back at Ginny. “You’re saying that Professor Dumbledore was not going back with them?� She still sounded skeptical and it made Ginny slightly cross.

“Not that I know of,� she answered in a guarded tone.

McGonagall stood up suddenly and started walking towards the door as she spoke. “Come Miss Weasley, you are going to accompany me to the Department of Mysteries.�

Ginny opened her mouth to object but her professor cut her off.

“And you are excused from your classes for the rest of the day.�

Smiling, Ginny, hurried out after her.

---

The panic seemed to seep through the walls as Ginny entered the Department of Mysteries alongside McGonagall. It was like a bomb had gone off inside, causing the walls to crumble, dust to fly through the air and a whole lot of people to be agitated. One younger worker came right up to them as she saw them first.

“I’m sorry, this area is closed off-“

“I am well aware of that,� McGonagall cut her off, her eyes flaring. “It seemed quite obvious by the large signs posted outside the door.�

“I’m sorry, Ma’am but I’m going to have to ask you to leave-“

“Where is Albus Dumbledore?� McGonagall said impatiently cutting off the girl again.

The young Ministry employee paled slightly and made a big show of checking her parchment as she looked for the information.

“I believe Professor Dumbledore has been moved to the intensive care section of St. Mung-“

“WHAT!?� Both Ginny and McGonagall exploded at the same time. The frazzled young woman seemed positively terrified of them both and Ginny didn’t blame her. McGonagall’s gaze looked like it was shooting daggers.

“Look, we’re really quite busy and I don’t think that-“

“Kingsley!� McGonagall called out sharply, making the young woman jump high into the air and look frantically around. Ginny sighed with relief as Kingsley Shacklebolt walked quickly up to them, shooing the now terrified assistant away.

“What happened? Where’s Albus?� McGonagall said quickly as Kingsley led them deeper into the Department, ministry workers rushing all around them and quite a few alarms going off in the background.

“What’s she doing here?� Kingsley asked, surprised as he looked at Ginny who looked back defiantly, as if daring him to tell her she was too young.

“She knows more about where Albus is then anyone else,� McGonagall said, waving impatiently. “What happened?�

“All units were put on alert about two hours ago,� he explained. The three of them stepped into the circular room that Ginny recognized from last year, but it seemed even this room had damaged as none of the door’s turned and they walked straight into another one. “High magical disturbances, fluxuated magic coming from the Death Chamber.�

Ginny sucked in a sharp breath as she saw the Death Chamber around her once again, memories of last year flying into her head. But it was almost unrecognizable. The benches were all dust, as if someone had “burned� the stone. The walls all had deep cracks in them and pieces of the ceiling were fallen to the ground. She saw the largest piece had fallen right in front of the veil and was completely blocking the entrance.

“What in the-“ McGonagall gasped in amazement and both she and Kingsley seemed to have forgotten that Ginny was there. “What happened?�

“We’re not very sure,� the Auror admitted, scratching the back of his neck. “Tonks was the one who actually found Albus, none of us saw him at first. By the time we got there, he was unconscious, had lost a lot of blood and so we hightailed him over to St. Mungo’s.� he looked seriously at McGonagall. “He’s still in critical condition the last I heard. And we’re sure that he’s probably the only one who could tell us what happened.�

McGonagall pursed her lips and Ginny could tell that she was trying hard not to tear up.

“Why wasn’t Hogwarts notified?� McGonagall snapped.

“Someone was actually on their way to tell you in about fifteen minutes,� Kingsley said apologetically. “We’ve spent most of the last two hours trying to shut up Fudge.�

“Ah, right. And where is Fudge?� she asked.

“He finally showed up about an hour ago ago, shouting out how Dumbledore had destroyed the Department of Mysteries and whatnot,� Kingsley rolled his eyes in exasperation. “We ended up literally kicking him out so we could get out job done. Merlin knows he’d just get in the way.�

McGonagall snorted. “You’d think he’d learn, what with last year and everything.� Surprisingly then, she turned right to Ginny. “Miss Weasley, did Mr. Potter tell you anything else about what they were planning?�

Ginny cowered a bit under both hers and Kingsley’s stares, but managed to keep her confidence up enough. “Harry said that they were using the veil to do it.� Ginny didn’t want to give so much away in this open area where anyone could overhear. “He said they had found a spell that would work with the, ah, conditions behind the veil.�

McGonagall’s nostrils flared a bit and she turned to Kingsley who looked rather confused. “It seems that not only Albus but Harry Potter, Sirius Black and Remus Lupin are involved in this,� she explained shortly, also not giving much away.

Kingsley didn’t seem to mind though, most likely from his job as an Auror and member of the Order.

“Is Tonks here?� McGonagall asked quickly.

Kingsley pointed over towards the veil and they turned and saw Nymphadora Tonks and a few other witches and wizards, all with Auror badges on, who were trying different spells to move the gigantic piece of ceiling that was blocking the veil.

“They’re been working on moving that thing for half an hour. Seems this place was more magical that we expected and none of our spells are working,� Kingsley explained. “Hey! Tonks!�

Tonks, who was today sporting a bright orange hairdo that was long and pulled into a messy bun, whipped her head around, smiling a bit as she saw Ginny and McGonagall and then jogging up to meet them.

“Believe me, it looked worse when we got here,� Tonks explained, shaking McGonagall’s hand as she came up and throwing a wink at Ginny. “If only we could get that bloody boulder to move now.�

“Where was Albus found?� McGonagall asked her.

Tonks pointed to right near where the front bench would have been. “He was stuck under quite a few boulders. His wand seemed to have been knocked out of his hand. Luckily it didn’t snap though.�

She pulled the wand out and showed McGonagall. “We did Prior Incantato on it, but apparently the spells he was doing were to shield himself, not attack or anything. So we’re getting that-“

“That he was attacked,� Ginny finished, looking quite horrified.

“Right,� Tonks said grimly. “Though it’s not really a lot to go on. We won’t know more until he wakes up. If he wakes up,� she added, even more depressed.

“We probably shouldn’t tell you much more,� Kingsley said quickly, glancing quickly at Tonks who rolled her eyes. “I’m not saying that I care, but I don’t want to see Fudge back in here today, yelling about how we broke the security measures or gave away classified information.�

“Right,� McGonagall sighed, looking more tired than she had just a few minutes ago. “I’ve got to get to St. Mungo’s…�

“Professor McGonagall?� Ginny asked timidly, cutting off her Professor in her won daring. To her credit, though, she didn’t flinch as they all turned to look at her. “I was just wondering…if…well, if they really did go, you know, back, then why hasn’t anything, well, changed yet?�

No one but McGonagall seemed to understand, but it was enough to get them curious.

“We’ll have to ponder that on our way to St. Mungo’s, Miss Weasley,� McGonagall said briskly, starting to walk out the door. “Tonks, if you would like to come with us? Kingsley, if you would be so kind as to floo Hogwarts and inform Professor Snape what has just happened. Also, if you by chance run across any of the old crowd, have them get to Hogwart’s immediately. I will be there in half an hour.�

Ginny knew that “old crowd� was a type of code name for the Order Members, and she watched as Kingsley nodded once, taking off out of the room, and Tonks followed them back out the door and down the broken hallways. Ginny was surprised at how easily they both obeyed McGonagall’s instruction, but then she remembered that Professor McGonagall was second only to Dumbledore in the Order, and they were probably used to her being in charge when Dumbledore wasn’t around.

As they stepped out into the sun again and began making their way to St. Mungo’s on the Knight Bus, Ginny frowned deeply, wondering if Dumbledore would wake up and wondering if Harry was okay.

Silence rang through the Potter house in the early morning hours of August 15th. The Potter's themselves, James and Lily, were still in the same position that they had been all night: sitting on their couch in their living room, holding each other's hands and talking occasionally to the guests in their house, little Harry still asleep up in his crib.

'Sirius' and 'Remus', James' two best friends, sat across from the couple, not looking much better than them and trying their best to come up with a solution that wasn't presenting its self.

The other occupants of the house, while looking very much in place and quite familiar, were the most nervous as they sat in other various parts of the room, occasionally taking part in the conversation, but mostly lost in their own thoughts, or quiet conversations with each other.

Finally, as the first beam of light seemed to creep through the windows, James Potter leaned forward and spoke again.

"Voldemort will know who you are by now," he said in a half whisper, not meeting the eyes of anyone in the room.

The silence lasted for a moment more as everyone absorbed the information that had finally been said aloud.

Then, from over in the corner, a much older and much more tired Remus Lupin spoke up.

"Then none of us are safe..."

The uncomfortable silence dropped over them again and was interrupted this time by a sharp knock on the door. James stood up immediately, fingering his wand just slightly as he went over and pulled the door open.

It was only Dumbledore.

Their old professor smiled kindly at them as James motioned him in. Dumbledore looked around curiously, obviously noticing the downcast mood of his audience and their rapt attention that was now fixed on him.

"Well, Albus?" Lily asked.

Dumbledore spread his hands out in apology. "The tracking charm put on Peter seems to have been disabled. We fear he has reached Voldemort already."

No one seemed to know what to say. All of them had been hoping for the best, but knowing in their hearts that it was too easy to happen so quickly.

"What could you get out of the Dementors?" Sirius asked, the trace of bitterness in his voice something that he was unable to hide.

"It seems that the Patronus charm was indeed cast on them as they were escorting Mr. Pettigrew, though, it was not from him."

"Bollocks!" 'Sirius' pounded his fist on the table in front of him. "How could anyone have gotten to him so quickly?"

"Not much more is known at this time," Dumbledore replied sadly. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I must return back to the school and take care of a few things."

Their feeble goodbyes followed Dumbledore out and as soon as the door clicked shut, 'Remus' looked up.

"We have to reach Emily in time..." he said in barely above a whisper. "What if he's already got her?"

"We'll get her back," Sirius assured him. "Make no doubt about it..." he turned to Remus. "We'll get her back..."

"And what about Arianna?" 'Sirius' questioned. "Is she still safe? If Peter was the one who turned her over too..." He trailed off and Sirius could see the fear showing up in his younger self's face.

"No one knows where she is right now," Sirius assured him, "except for us. Not even Peter knows. He can't do anything to her."

"Still...Peter was a Marauder..." 'Sirius' bit his bottom lip. "Wouldn't she be safer here? Or at Hogwarts?"

Upon leaving Hogwarts, the group had decided that, for her safety, Arianna should immediately go into hiding, at least until Peter was secure in Azkaban. Hogwarts was, of course, their first choice, but as the castle was still deserted besides a caretaker and a groundskeeper, as Dumbledore would be gone on Order business, they had to figure something else out. Neither of the Sirius' were taking chances and so 'Sirius' had taken her to one of the "Marauder Spots", as they liked to call it, and locked her in, promising to come and get her when it was safe. As a double caution, in case Peter did escape and it wasn't just Sirius' father who was looking for her, they had set up numerous wards around the hideout.

"The way I see it," James interjected, "we need to send someone to get Arianna and someone to get Emily and get them to Hogwarts as fast as possible. Dumbledore will be there in a few hours and we can stay there until we figure out our next move." He blanched a bit. "Who knows what Peter has told Voldemort already?"

Sirius felt the familiar burst of anger toward Peter again and wondered vaguely why he had been expecting this to be so easy. Dumbledore himself had warned him and Remus about the dangers of playing with time...

He hoped that this was going to be the only slip up they would have to deal with, but in his heart he knew that this was just the beginning.

"James is right," Sirius said, standing up. "But we have to move quickly. Now."

----

Sirius hurried along the path, Remus trying to keep up as best he could as they walked along the dark road, their cloaks wrapped tightly around them to block their identity and their faces turned down as they skillfully navigated through the quiet and almost deserted streets of Hogsmead.

He stopped suddenly, seeing a shadow come out of one of the shops. Staying in the darkness, he motioned Remus to stop and they both held their breath as they squinted to try and see the identity of the person.

Seeing it was only the store owner closing up, Sirius started off again, trying to calm his beating heart. They had to make it in time...he didn't think he could take it if they weren't in time....

They had split up earlier that morning and Remus and Sirius had been assigned to go get Arianna out of her hiding place. They had, unfortunately, spent most of the day trying to loose the shadow they had acquired as they went through a muggle neighborhood that was near the Leaky Cauldron. They had thought they had lost the person over ten times, but he had always shown up again. Not about to lead an unidentified person into one of the Marauder Spots, they had taken to traveling in circles. They finally lost him by going down Diagon Alley during the rush hours of the late afternoon and had only just made it over to Hogsmead.

But by now they were both as jumpy as heck.

"Calm down, Sirius," Remus whispered from behind him, and Sirius wondered for the 500th time how he did that.

"How is it," Sirius hissed, annoyed, as they stopped once again to let a group of drunken wizards pass them over, "that you always seem to be able to read my mind?"

"Maybe I've been taking occlumency lessons from Dumbledore."

Sirius turned sharply to him, frowning. "Well at least you didn't say Snivellus."

Remus, undoubtedly thinking his friend quite childish, rolled his eyes and nudged Sirius to start walking again. They were silent all up until they reached the mountainside behind Hogsmead and began to climb.

"It's strange," Sirius said softly as they climbed, "how much I've forgotten."

"Yes, I know what you mean," Remus said dryly, obviously referring to Emily. "Though, you must admit that we did have valid reasons to not want to remember."

They both got up to the first ledge and began creeping along the sides.

"True," Sirius admitted. "I mean, never in a million years would I have seen us here, doing what we're doing..." he shook his head in disbelief. "I don't think I've even dreamed of something like this."

Remus chuckled lightly and Sirius smirked, pulling out his wand as he saw the familiar landmark come into view.

It wasn't an outstanding landmark for any reason, and that was exactly why the Marauders had decided to use it. The rock on the hillside jutted out just slightly, a perfectly normal occurrence in the jagged hills, but this one was different; different for the precise fact that it was the key to the entrance to one of the famous Marauder Spots.

Waving his wand slightly, he managed to dispel the wards that covered the outcrop and allow him and Remus to enter. Taking a deep breath, Sirius reached his wand out, tapping the small ledge slightly twice and said,

"Brothers in breath,
Brothers in death,
My brothers I will defend
From now until the end."

They had come up with many silly rhymes throughout their Hogwarts Days, most of them ending up as passwords for a Marauder Spot or for one of their legacy items that they left at Hogwarts, things like the Marauders Map.

As he finished talking, the ledge began moving out ever so slowly, until it was wide enough for four people to stand on it. Pocketing his wand quickly, Sirius heaved himself up onto the ledge before reaching down to help Remus up. As soon as they were both standing on it, the ledge started moving in again, but Sirius and Remus didn't panic. Despite that both of them had not been here for several years, they knew this place like the back of their hand. As the ledge disappeared into the mountainside, so did Sirius and Remus. Quick as Platform 9 3/4, the two Marauders entered the secret room.

Neither of them moved for several seconds as they saw what it looked like inside. It wasn't a very big room, probably the size of Gryffindor Boy's Common Room, but it looked even smaller as they saw the destruction all around it.

Every piece of furniture was turned over and thrown haphazardly; most of them were broken as well. Every item in the room seemed to have been thrown against the wall and shattered. There were pieces of ripped up and crumpled parchment, a lot of it ripped out of books, scattering the floor.

Sirius felt his heart stop beating in his chest as he realized what had happened.

Arianna was gone.

----

'Sirius' was not always good at hiding his feelings and for this very reason he managed to stub his toe right good as he kicked a brick wall in frustration. This only caused 'Remus' to frown at him seriously.

"Cut it out," 'Remus' scolded, holding his lit wand out farther so they could see in the growing dark of the evening. "You're not helping her by hurting yourself."

But 'Sirius' just scowled at his friend, not believing him at all. "Well at least when I'm in pain I think about something other than her."

'Remus' wisely chose not to say anything and continued pressing on, feeling more lost than he had felt yet that day, which was saying something as it had taken the both of them half a day just to find the right apparition point in Scotland.

"Who made these groups anyway?" 'Sirius' asked, continuing to scowl. "I should have been able to go get my own fiancé."

'Remus' rolled his eyes, looking much like his older counterpart and brushed aside his hair as he looked down at the map in his hand. "You agreed to go in these groups. If we get caught, we can't afford to have a counterpart and their, well, counterpart, caught at the same time. How would you react if someone did a routine biospell on you and found that you were a cloned copy of your traveling companion and then you got thrown into bureaucracy as you tried to explain to our lovely Cornelius Fudge about the ethics of time travel?"

"Alright, alright, I get it..." 'Sirius' mumbled, seemingly defeated as he managed to stay quiet for the next few minutes, giving 'Remus' the time to check the map and do a four point spell with his wand, thankfully showing him not far away from Emily's Inn that she was staying at.

"Besides," 'Remus' grinned and started walking towards the main street, already able to spot the sign of the Inn, "don't you trust yourself?"

"Remus, I know myself...why would I trust myself?" 'Sirius' said obviously.

"Oh, I don't know, you seemed a little more mature..."

"Well I guess Azkaban will do that to you..."

'Remus' turned to his friend in surprise as they stopped to wait for the cars to finish going across. He hadn't yet heard 'Sirius' mention anything about that little piece of information that he was sure Sirius had let slip on accident. Through the faint light of the muggle street lights, 'Remus' saw the very melancholy look on 'Sirius'' face and the way the light in his eyes seemed to die as he thought about it.

"Come on," he grabbed onto 'Sirius'' arm, tugging him across the street, wanting to pull him out of his thoughts. The two of them crossed the street swiftly, both of them being sure to look around discreetly for any shadows they might have picked up.

But all was clear as they entered the building and started climbing the stairs. It was a wizarding Inn but being in a mostly muggle neighborhood, it was under heavy wards and to most of the muggles outside, 'Sirius' and 'Remus' literally disappeared into thin air.

Reaching room 313, 'Remus' breathed a sigh of relief at seeing nothing out of the ordinary around the floor. He looked back at 'Sirius' who just shrugged, looking quite unconcerned. As he was about to raise his hand to knock, the door flew open and 'Remus' felt his heartbeat slow down considerably as Emily stood there, confused, but still with a smile on her face as she saw them.

"Remus!" She launched herself into 'Remus'' arms and he held her tightly, trying to convince himself that she was okay and they he really was holding onto her at the moment.

He heard a very fake sniffle behind them and turned to see 'Sirius' looking on with his lip in a pout.

"I feel unloved," 'Sirius' wined, making 'Remus' smirk and Emily laugh.

Such a beautiful laugh, 'Remus' thought to himself as Emily reached up to give 'Sirius' a hug. Merlin, what if one day it really was just taken away from me...I'd want to forget as well...

"So what are you two doing here?"

Emily's voice snapped him to attention again and he looked up at her to see her smirking at them both, motioning them inside her small hotel room that was dimly lit.

"Were you asleep?" 'Remus' asked with concern, but Emily only smiled.

"Just on my way, no big deal," she smiled at him in his heart melted again. 'Remus' joined her over on the small couch as 'Sirius' started, as usual, poking nosily around the apartment.

"What's the big deal then?" she looked from 'Remus' to 'Sirius'. "Escaping from another prank?"

"Ah, Emy, I wouldn't hold that one time against us," 'Sirius' said cheekily. "We only came to you because we knew you'd rather eat dung than get mad at Remus."

'Remus' blushed slightly, but managed to reach out and grab Emily around the waist, pulling her closer to him as 'Sirius' reached over, shutting the door of the apartment, plunging them into the semi darkness of Emily's room. He never wanted to let her out of his sight again. He wondered just exactly how his future self had reacted when he had seen her dead body.

Involuntarily shivering, 'Remus' buried his face in Emily's hair, holding her to him. Despite her obvious confusion, Emily still held him back strongly while she scowled at 'Sirius'.

"None of that, Sirius," she warned. "I can still whip your arse at dueling practice."

'Remus' pulled away and content himself with just holding onto her waist as he watched his best friend and his girlfriend have their common war of words with one another.

"I dunno," 'Sirius' said lazily, twirling his wand in one hand. "I've been practicing."

Instead of biting back though, Emily turned to 'Remus'; her eyes full of concern.

"Are you okay?" she whispered to him, obviously thrown off by his unusually clingy behavior. They had both been technically going out since their sixth year at Hogwarts, but they had only reached the really comfortable stage around each other about a year ago. Rarely did they hold each other so much in public. She frowned, "How was the last full moon?"

"Bloody awful," 'Remus' said shortly, turning away from her. He never felt comfortable talking with Emily about his condition, though he knew he shouldn't be. It's like he always had this underlying fear that if they talked about it too much she would suddenly realize what he was and pick up and leave.

"I'm sorry..." she leaned forward; resting her forehead on his and making him look at her.

At her unspoken invitation, Remus leaned down, kissing her softly, relishing in the fact that she was still here, still in his arms and very much alive.

"Emily, you have nothing to eat in here!"

They both broke apart, Emily giggling and 'Remus' rolling his eyes again, as he tended to do a lot whenever 'Sirius' was around. Apparently when the Sirius-so-called "lovey stuff" had begun, 'Sirius' had wandered into Emily's small kitchen area and had scrounged for food.

"Merlin, Sirius! It's nine at night! Didn't you have dinner?" Emily asked, of course, already knowing the answer.

Sure enough, 'Sirius' poked his smirking head out of the door and cocked his head at her. "Yes. Your point?"

"Human garbage disposal, that's what you are," Emily growled playfully, getting up out of 'Remus'' arms and going over to a cabinet, pulling a bag of biscuits out and throwing them at 'Sirius'. "Knock yourself out."

'Sirius' immediately dug in and 'Remus' chuckled, relieved that at least some things, like 'Sirius'' amazing appetite, never changed. Emily fell down on the couch next to him again and leaned her head on his shoulder as he put his arm around her.

"So what's up, Remus? Not like I don't enjoy having you come visit..." He saw her smile slightly and he couldn't help but smile too, despite the news he was about to tell her that he was sure would not make her smile.

Opening his mouth to speak, 'Remus' was cut off by a loud explosion behind them, shattering the two windows in the room and throwing the broken glass around them as Emily screamed and 'Sirius' let off a string of curses.

Instinctively, 'Remus' pulled Emily down behind the couch, giving them some kind of protection for the flying projectiles as chairs and side tables also exploded in the ruckus.

He dimly heard Sirius shout something that he couldn't make out. It was followed by several flashes of bright light and streams of sparks beginning to fly all over the room.

The Death Eaters were here.

Harry had never had a whole lot of experience with babies.

Well, scratch that, he had never had any experience with babies.

Though, he supposed that even if he had, this was a slightly different situation.

Staring into the bright green and wide eyes of little ‘Harry James Potter’, Harry’s first thought had been somewhere along the lines of how cute he had been as a baby.

James had then broken in, laughing as he asked Harry what had happened.

Lily, thankfully, had stepped in and saved her from-the-future-son by reminding James that he and Harry were practically identical.

He had been startled at their request to look after ‘Harry’ as they both separated for their tasks for the day, everyone splitting up that morning in an attempt to reorganize themselves after they found out about Peter’s escape. Harry had never pictured himself a babysitter, and was put out for a little while when he was not given an assignment. But, not knowing what else to say, Harry had agreed and watched as his parents waved goodbye, leaving him with…himself.

The first few hours had been relatively easy, as little ‘Harry’ had immediately taken to Harry, becoming enamored with his hair and glasses. Harry couldn’t decide if that was because he looked so much like James, or that ‘Harry’, having that mysterious baby intuition, was able to tell that they were one and the same person.

Whatever it had been, ‘Harry’ was content for about two hours to just sit on Harry’s lap and watch him make funny faces and pull on his glasses and hair.

One of the first things Harry had noticed was that he must have been a relatively easy child, which led him to understand another reason why the Dursleys hated him so. Dudley must have been an absolute nightmare. Harry wondered vaguely if he had even cried the first time he had been shoved into the closet.

They had played with a few of ‘Harry’s’ wizarding baby toys, which Harry, not having any experience with, was probably more fascinated with than ‘Harry’ was.

The most fun part, however, was Harry’s attempt at feeding his younger self.

So that was the catch.

He had often wondered why he was always so skinny. It was probably because he never ate anything as a child, even as a baby. Every single speck of ‘Harry’s’ food had ended up on the floor and Harry had a wonderful time cleaning it up as ‘Harry’ waddled around him, making gurgling noises and trying to communicate in a language that Harry wondered how he learned.

Never having watched kids before, Harry was exhausted after lunch and thankfully so was little Mini-Me, as Harry had taken to calling him. ‘Harry’ fell asleep almost instantly on Harry’s chest and Harry was content just to sit quietly, watching the little boy sleep.

Sure, it was still rather strange and Harry kept pinching himself to make sure he wasn’t really dreaming, but it was oddly…comfortable. Harry supposed it was because he had always imagined that he would have a son with the same untidy black hair. It wasn’t that different.

Besides…Harry thought as he gently lifted up little ‘Harry’s’ bangs revealing a smooth forehead, the scar’s not there yet.

This little boy wasn’t The-Boy-Who-Lived. He was just Harry Potter.

Harry managed to drift in and out a few times over the next two hours, but tried not to sleep too hard as he wasn’t sure when ‘Harry’ would wake up.

A soft pop sounded from inside the kitchen and Harry groggily turned and saw Lily walk in, smiling as she saw them.

“He’s quite a handful, isn’t he?� she asked with a smile, sitting down next to him and relieving him of the warm weight on his chest. ‘Harry’, as if sensing that he was now with his mother, burrowed his head into her chest, gripping her cloak with one of his tiny fists and falling asleep again instantly.

“Oh, I don’t know,� Harry grinned over at his mother, “I thought he was quite good.�

Lily smiled wider and glanced down at ‘Harry’, smoothing his hair out very motherly-like and kissing his head.

“Well you would,� she replied, standing up. “I’ll go set him in his crib. Be right back.�

Harry nodded once and Lily hurried off upstairs. Almost right after she had gone from sight, another pop was heard in the kitchen and James Potter strode in right after it, looking rather frazzled. He froze slightly when he saw Harry and managed a small smile.

“How was he?� Harry’s dad asked kindly, throwing his cloak over a chair and shuffling through some pieces of parchment he had brought with him. “Not too bad I hope?�

“Well it’s not like I could really get mad at him,� Harry said with a smile, liking his father more and more as each moment he experienced with him passed.

James laughed. “Yes, I suppose that’s true.� He started to rift through the parchment again, frowning.

“Did you find anything out?� Harry asked curiously.

After learning only a few hours ago that both his father and godfather were Aurors, Harry had become quite curious as to what they both really did in their work. Splitting up that morning, James had been assigned the ministry and had left to go cover as to why Sirius wasn’t going to be in work and also find out as much as he could about Peter’s escape. Dumbledore himself couldn’t get as much information out of the ministry as James could. It seemed he was close to being the head of the Auror department and being from an already prominent Wizarding family, it was easier for him to get around the rules than Dumbledore.

James sighed, an exhausting sound that Harry winced at when he heard. He had never pictured his father as a serious worker, being so involved with his job and with, surprisingly, politics, but Harry could already tell that James was very dedicated to his job.

“James – whatever else he may have appeared to you, Harry – always hated the Dark Arts.�

Harry thought of Sirius’ words as he saw the lines already in his father’s youthful face but with it the sheer determination to keep going. He was in the middle of a serious war at the moment, the kind of war that Harry was sure he was going to be facing in his last couple of years at Hogwarts.

“Not really,� James admitted, frowning even more as he looked through the parchment. “I did, however, find out that Peter did escape in his Animagus form, though no one really understood that since he was unregistered.�

“What’s that?� Lily asked, coming in, frowning at her husband’s exhausted stance.

James looked up quickly, once more managing a tired smile, but it dropped quickly. “The Dementors apparently saw Peter disappear after they lost their grip on him and one of the guards that was stationed nearby saw a rat running away from the scene.� James shrugged. “It’s not like he thought much of it. There are rats everywhere there.� Pulling a face, James smacked the papers down on the table and turned to Lily. “Ready to go?�

“He just fell asleep, James!� Lily pouted and Harry snickered a bit as James turned to him.

“Hmmm…you’re better than I though,� the marauder said with a twinkle in his eye as he seemed to look Harry over. “By Merlin you are my clone.�

Harry chuckled. “Yes, we’ve already established that.�

“I swear, it’s like looking into a mirror,� James shook his head in exasperation and turned back to Lily. “He can sleep at Hogwarts. We’re supposed to meet the others at Hogwarts in a half hour and we’re going to have to go the long way since Harry can’t apparate.�

“What’s the long way?� Harry questioned as Lily gave up and went right back upstairs. “Why not floo powder again?

“I asked Dumbledore to disconnect us until more protection was put around the house,� James explained. “We can’t take any chances now.�

“Why did you leave me here, then?� Harry frowned. “Is it not safe?�

“Oh, no, we’re plenty safe,� James said hurriedly, shoving the parchment back into his cloak. “The Floo system was the thing that we were unsure of. But as we’re no longer connected, it’s not a problem.�

“So what’s the long way then?� Harry asked as he went for his own cloak and put it on.

James, who was in the process of looking into the mirror and trying to make his hair lie flat, cocked his head back to Harry.

“Driving,� he said simply.

Harry gaped at him. “You can drive? Sirius doesn’t even know what cars are!�

James snickered. “Oh, he does, he just doesn’t like to admit it; afraid he’ll start to enjoy muggle contraptions.� He frowned through the mirror at Harry’s reflection. “You know about his motorbike, right?�

Harry nodded. “Yeah, but I’ve never actually seen it. Well, I guess I saw it when I was little, but I don’t remember.�

“That’s his one and only muggle obsession, besides television, of course, which he finds hilarious.� Giving up on his hair, James started pulling on his cloak again. “We have a car mainly because Lily refused to give it up. Her parents gave it to her for her sixteenth birthday.�

Harry’s eyebrows shot up. “Really? Even though she was a witch?�

James shrugged. “She’s apparently wanted one forever and she loved it anyway.�

“Where is it though? I didn’t see it when we came in…�

James was prevented from answering by Lily coming back down with a rather fussy ‘Harry’ in her arms who she dumped into James’ arms.

“You’re making me wake him up, you can deal with it,� she said haughtily, watching with satisfaction as ‘Harry’ wiggled in his father’s arms, his face squishing up and whimpering as James held him firm, not letting him down.

“Not now Pronglet, we’re going for a ride,� James soothed the little boy and Harry couldn’t help but watch with rapt fascination as ‘Harry’ immediately calmed at hearing his father’s voice and turned to look up at him with big eyes.

“Oh no you don’t,� James said quickly, moving ‘Harry’ onto his hip as he went for the door. “That look only works for your mother, even if you do have her eyes.�

Harry didn’t realize he was staring until he felt a hand on his shoulder and jumped slightly, looking over at Lily who was smiling at him kindly.

“Alright?� she asked.

Harry nodded dumbly and went back to looking at James and ‘Harry’ who seemed to be having quite a fascination conversation, on both sides, about the finer details of Quidditch. Lily’s eyes followed his gaze and he saw her face drop slightly and she moved her arm up around Harry’s shoulders.

“I don’t know how much you know about your father,� Lily started, leading him out the door, her arm still around him, “But you should know that he is, possibly, the best dad I have ever seen.�

Harry looked up at her in surprise and frowned slightly. “You’re right, I don’t know very much…about either of you,� he added as an after thought.

Lily managed a melancholy smile and Harry saw that she was watching James and ‘Harry’ again. James was currently trying to do something about making ‘Harry’s’ hair lie flat, but wasn’t having much success.

Harry grinned. “He should know better. Not even the Dursleys could find a way to make my hair flat. Even tried to cut it all off once and it was all back by the next morning.�

Lily laughed lightly. “Oh, I wish I could have been there when Petunia saw that.�

Harry, of course didn’t mention the punishment he had received after that particular incident.

“Yeah,� Harry said soft enough that Lily didn’t hear, “me too.�

----

A small and prematurely balding man was shoved forcefully into the ground by two larger men, both of them wearing black robes and masks that hid their identity. But Peter knew who they were, even if he could not see their faces. Snape and Malfoy both seemed to radiate that ‘don’t-mess-with-me’ aura wherever they went. He knew that up to this point, neither of them had known him to be a Death Eater, and the fact that their master had commanded them to go break Peter out of prison must have made them upset.

“Pity our master does not seem to want to let you die yet,� Malfoy sneered, taking off his mask and revealing his perfectly defined pureblood face and white-blond hair. Snape followed suit, but did not say anything, merely glared and wrinkled his nose at Peter as if he was a fowl smelling sock.

“I-I have informat-“

Peter was cut off by Snape kicking him in the stomach, making him double over again.

“You were not told to speak,� Snape sneered. “I must confess, Pettigrew, you were playing your part quite well. A shame you messed up, once again.�

Peter tried to glare defiantly back at Snape, but his chest was burning and he was still having flashes of his experience around the Dementors. He knew he had felt something akin to relief when he saw that Malfoy and Snape coming to get him, but they had done nothing but make him want to go right back to Azkaban.

“Now, now, Severus. Be kind to our guest,� the chilling voice of Voldemort cut in. Peter dared not move as he heard his master’s voice but managed to flicker his gaze over to where Voldemort’s billowing robe had just entered the room. Voldemort’s piercing eyes seemed to bore into Peter and he felt himself shaking even more, as he always did whenever he was in the Dark Lord’s presence.

“Well done Lucius, Severus,� Voldemort continued and the two Death Eaters bowed to him slightly before he turned his attention back to Peter.

“Peter, Peter, Peter…� he mocked, coming closer and closer until he was standing right in front of Peter’s withering form.

Peter was shaking like mad now, fearing the Dark Lord’s anger.

“Lost all his friends…does not even have Dumbledore’s trust anymore…� Voldemort ticked mockingly. “No, this will not do, Peter…�

“I would ask what has happened, but I already know most of it…� Voldemort reached down, roughly grabbing Peter’s arm and making him scream in pain as he felt the Dakr mark begin to burn. “You assured me that you would not be found out….Peter, Peter, Peter…how shall I get the Potters now?�

“Forgive me…my Lord…� he screamed in pain again until Voldemort finally let go and stood back up, glaring at him evilly again.

“Lucius informs me that you have information for me, Wormtail.�

Peter felt a small surge of hope.

“Is it enough to make me spare your life for your idiocy?�

“It is about the-the P-P-Potters, my Lord.�

He saw Voldemort raise an interested eyebrow. “Really? You know where they are hiding?�

“N-No my Lord-“

Voldemort cut him off with a Crucio Curse making Peter twitch and scream on the floor again, this time his whole body coursing with pain.

“I am not interested in your childish games with your so-called friends!� Voldemort spat at him once the curse was lifted. “Where are the Potters hiding!?�

“At H-Hogwarts,� Peter replied meekly, knowing that that was the wrong answer.

“Wormtail…� Voldemort said, his patience running thin. “Tell me what you are hiding from me.�

“The people….the ones who exposed me…� Peter began.

“Ah, yes, the mysterious three who appeared at Hogwarts for some unknown reason,� Voldemort drawled. He turned to Snape. “Have you come across them, Severus?�

“No, my Lord,� Snape said apologetically. “I have only heard rumors, which are the things I have already informed you of.�

Voldemort looked thoughtful and then turned back to Peter.

“Well, Wormtail? What about these people? How were they able to find out your secret?�

“M-My Lord, they come from the future…�

Silence followed his words and Peter felt his hands become sweaty again and his heart speed up. He dared not look up.

“Do you take me for a fool, Wormtail?� Voldemort finally hissed out. “Do you mean to tell me you have no logical explanation for your secret being revealed?�

“No! My Lord I would not lie!� Peter said hurriedly, cowering even further as he felt Voldemort begin to probe into his mind, searching for the truth.

There was silence again and it was broken only by Voldemort letting out a low hiss that seemed to echo eerily off the walls of the hidden room deep in Voldemort’s stronghold.

“Well done, Wormtail,� he finally stated and Peter began to breath again. “This is indeed an interesting twist in the battle thus far…�

No one spoke for several seconds.

“I assume you still have the information about the werewolf’s girl and the mudblood?�

Peter nodded meekly, hoping that James, Remus and Sirius had not been coordinated enough to step into action that quickly and hoping that he could still predict how they would think. Arianna would of course be in hiding, but they hadn’t been expecting Peter to be around to tell Voldemort that he knew all of the Marauders’ hiding spots.

“Excellent. This could be our chance to get the elder Blacks to join our cause. Cetus has been most enraged that his son has chosen a mudblood for his wife…� Voldemort drawled again. “Lucius, Severus, get what you need to know out of this maggot and place him down in the cells until I decide he has learned his lesson. Contact Cetus Black when you have the information that he requested and bring the hiding place of our dear friend ‘Emily’ to me…�

And with a billow of black robes, Voldemort was gone. Peter was gasping for breath, holding his chest. He wasn’t comforted for very long before Malfoy and Snape both advanced on him.

“Well, Pettigrew? Where are they hiding?� Snape asked shortly.

Peter took a deep breath and told them everything, not holding anything back.

He had nothing to lose now.

He wasn’t usually late. Even the great Sirius Black managed to find time to hold to his promises. And James Potter considered this a big promise. The more they just sat there in Dumbledore’s office, the more worried James was becoming. He glanced over and saw that Harry was also quite worried; the boy wouldn’t even sit down. Neither of the other groups had even so much as reported back, and from James’ own experience, that usually meant the worst.

No, he didn’t want to think about that just yet.

James looked over to his right where Lily sat next to him, little ‘Harry’ in her arms who was now wide awake and seemed to be interested in the funny faces that all the portraits were making at him. At least it was keeping him occupied. James jumped at the chance.

“So,� he said smoothly, putting an arm up around Lily’s shoulders as she raised an eyebrow at him. “What are you thinking about?�

Rolling here eyes, but still in a rather melancholy mood, Lily laid her head on James’ shoulder. “Believe it or not I wasn’t thinking about you.�

“Really?� It was James’ turn to raise an eyebrow. “And just who were you thinking about?�

Lily smirked, “I was thinking about Sirius…and Remus?�

“Ah, I see. Triple timing me, are you?� James said with a chuckled, reaching out to grab one of Harry’s flailing fists and watched with fascination as his son’s tiny hand curled reflexively around one of his larger fingers.

“You know me,� Lily said and James could tell she was smiling, “a regular scarlet woman.�

“You just have to make sure Sirius and Remus don’t find out about one another. Sirius gets awful jealous, not to mention Remus would die from a broken heart.�

James’ heart considerably lightened as he finally heard Lily laugh. He loved hearing her laugh. If he could, he would work his whole life to get her to laugh.

“And then there’s the problem with Emily and Arianna,� she joined in the teasing. “When are you going to break it to them that you’re still actually in love with me?�

James felt himself becoming more and more relaxed as they fell back into their familiar bating of one another.

“Well,� James leaned back dramatically and stretched. “I suppose I should do it before Sirius and Arianna’s wedding. I don’t know if Arianna would still have the guts to run away from the alter like we had been planning.�

Lily laughed again but was cut off by the door being flung open and a very out of breath Sirius and Remus rushing in. James jumped up instantly and he saw Harry cross his vision, running right up to Sirius and Remus. James was sure that Harry would have given them a hug if the two older men hadn’t looked so terrified.

“What’s wrong?� Harry blurted out. “Why are you late? Where’s Arianna?�

“She’s gone…� Sirius blurted out, looking as if he was about to pass out and kill someone at the same time. “He must have found her!�

James muttered off a few words which Lily smacked him over the head for before he looked back up. “That rat…I guess Voldemort decided to let him live after all.�

“Where are the others?� Remus asked carefully, finally shutting the door behind them and guiding Sirius to a chair before he collapsed.

“Ah, we don’t really know,� James admitted. “We’ve been waiting for a good two hours. Dumbledore left about an hour ago to try and get some answers, but we haven’t heard from him since.�

Both Sirius and Remus looked rather worried by that news, but mostly Remus. “You mean Emily’s not back yet?�

James winced at the desperate sound in his friend’s voice, managing to shake his head discouragingly.

“I’m glad you guys are back at least,� Harry’s timid voice broke in and at once both Sirius and Remus turned their attention to Harry. James watched with mixed feelings of fascination and jealousy as he saw Sirius give Harry a bear hug and Remus ruffle his hair, both of the men offering encouraging words and getting Harry to smile his small little smile that James had seen on his face a few select times. That boy had grown up with no father. His son had grown up with no father. The thought still didn’t seem to be processing in James’ head.

He turned again as Lily squeezed his hand comfortingly, as if sensing what he was feeling.

The moment once again ended quickly as the floo behind them suddenly flamed into life, Dumbledore’s head popping up suddenly and scaring the wits out of most of the people in the room. ‘Harry’, however, found it quite amusing and clapped his hand with excitement.

“Albus!� James jumped up again and Remus, Sirius, Harry and Lily immediately followed, all of them crowding around the fireplace.

“Did you find them? Are they okay?� James continued.

Dumbledore’s eyes focused on Sirius and Remus, something akin to relief in them. “Well I am pleased that this Remus and Sirius were able to get back in safely, though I assume they have told you that Miss Moore has been taken by Cetus Black.�

Sirius rattled off another swear word and James could tell that he was having trouble controlling his temper.

“This, however is not the worst of it I’m afraid. I was able to get some contacts from the Order up in Scotland. It seems that our other Remus and Sirius, along with Miss Fairchild have completely disappeared.�

No one seemed to know what to say, so Dumbledore continued. “It seems Miss Fairchild’s hotel room was broken into by someone-“

“Three guesses who,� James heard Sirius mutter behind him.

“-and they were taken.� Dumbledore looked terribly depressed as he spoke and James saw the pure exhaustion in his eyes. As much as James wanted to press for more, he instead said the exact opposite.

“Albus, you’re exhausted. You need rest,� he pleaded.

Dumbledore shook his head. “We all need rest James, every single one of us has not slept for the past two days and that is not exactly the best thing, but it was necessary.�

“But we have to do something!� Sirius fumed. James turned around and saw that Remus had collapsed into a chair and was staring silently at the wall. Sirius, on the other hand, was clenching his fists tightly, his muscles twitching with nervous energy that was so akin to his character. “I know where my father has Arianna! The only reason I didn’t go get her straight away is because I knew we needed to meet up.�

“Sirius, please,� Dumbledore cut him off. “We do them no good by rushing headlong into the fight. Remember back to your younger years when you learned those lessons and try to stay calm.�

Dumbledore’s little speech seemed to calm Sirius down a bit, though he was still clenching his fists.

“James.� James turned as Dumbledore spoke his name. “I do need rest. It appears that I’m not as young as I always thought I was.� Both of them cracked a smile. “I have plenty of people working right now to get me the information we need, but I think it would be advisable for all of us to at least try to get some sleep tonight if we are to be prepared for trying to solve this pickle we’ve gotten ourselves into.�

James didn’t think he had ever head Dumbledore use the word pickle. It would have made him laugh if the line hadn’t reminded him of how exhausted he really was.

“Everyone can stay in the guest rooms at Hogwarts, as with Peter loose and most likely already with Voldemort, there aren’t many safe places right now.�

He paused to take a deep breath and James felt a pang of fear at how old Dumbledore was starting too look.

“I will be flooing there within the hour, but I advise you to all go to bed as soon as possible. I don’t know exactly when we’re going to have to make our move, but get in as much rest as you can.�

He then turned to Sirius and Remus who both looked dead on their feet, the exhaustion they were feeling obviously manifesting itself as well. But along with it, James saw the determination that had been with both of them slowly leak out of their expressions. It seemed they were both having similar thoughts, but Dumbledore knew just what to say.

“The knowledge that you have brought with you is going to be vital to getting both these young women back alive. Cetus will not harm Arianna until he has a chance to confront Sirius about it and Emily still has ‘Sirius’ and ‘Remus’ with her, wherever she is.� He looked at both of them smartly.

“Do not think that you have made a mistake in coming back,� he said suddenly, making all three time travelers look up at him in surprise. “I have been doing some thinking about your predicament, and yours as well, Harry. When next we get the chance, I will want to meet with the three of you to discuss some of your options and some of my theories on the matter.�

And with that his head disappeared in a wisp of flame, leaving everyone shell shocked in front of the fireplace, none of them quite sure how to handle what had just been told of them.

Finally, James straightened up and turned to Sirius. “I expect you still remember where the guest rooms are around the castle?�

Sirius nodded half heartedly, Remus nodding as well.

“A few are occupied, but the one on the fourth floor behind the painting of the mountain is open, as well as the one next to it behind the mirror.�

Sirius nodded again and James winced again at the pain that he saw in his friend’s eyes, his much older friend’s eyes. He reached up, laying a hand on Sirius’ shoulder. He opened his mouth to offer some words of comfort, but found himself, instead, pulling Sirius into a hug again, holding him tightly and feeling a few tears fall from his own eyes as he heard Sirius sniffle slightly.

Pulling back he repeated the hug with Remus. Lastly, he turned to Harry and at once the teen jumped into his arms, holding him tightly.

“G’night dad,� Harry whispered. James wasn’t sure he was supposed to hear it, but just incase, he didn’t react to it and just pulled away, leaving room for Harry to reach over and hug Lily.

“Sweet dreams, Emeralds,� she said as she pulled back, kissing him on the cheek which made him smile a bit more before he gave them both one last look and headed out of the room, Sirius and Remus following behind them.

As soon as they descended the stairs, James reached down, grabbing Lily’s hand tightly in his and, after making sure she had a tight grip on ‘Harry’, lead them both to their guest room.

The winding halls and dizzy staircases of Hogwarts would always be a source of joy for James. As he lead his family through the old building, he couldn’t help but smile as he thought of the past, of the easy and wonderful life that they had experienced in these halls.

Neither of them spoke and even ‘Harry’ remained thankfully quiet through their trip. When they reached the second floor and came to the familiar painting of Godric Gryffindor, James smiled at the old man’s cheerful face.

“Ah! James and Lily! Wonderful to see you again! Need a place to crash for the night, do you?�

Lily even smiled and James wrapped his arm around her waist. “If you don’t mind. The sword in the stone.�

Gryffindor grinned at them and bowed slightly as he swung open, opening the doorway to their regular rest stop if they had to stay at Hogwarts overnight, which was becoming more and more of a habit. James had discovered this room only in his second year at Hogwarts and he and Sirius had declared it their favorite, thought James had declared it his and Lily’s when they got married. It was furnished in lovely dark reds and gold, perfectly suiting to his family’s Gryffindor heritage.

Lily ducked into the side room quickly to put ‘Harry’ to bed before dropping off herself. James walked up to the large bed and sat down on it gently, relishing in how comfortable it was and how tired he was. As usual, he found a pair of pajamas in the dresser and was just finishing buttoning his shirt when Lily entered again, ‘Harry’ dozing off in her arms, already dressed in little gold footsie pajamas. The outfit also came with a hood that made ‘Harry’ look like a lion, but he always refused to keep it on his head. Lily smiled up at James and held his son towards him.

“I thought maybe you wanted to say goodnight,� she said with a little bit of hesitation. James tried to hid his surprise, and reached down, gently plucking ‘Harry’ out of his wife’s arms and cradling him close to his body, not taking his eyes off of his small and innocent face. Harry’s face flashed into his head and he wondered how this perfectly beautiful, innocent and naïve child could become a teenager with such sorrow, fear and pain in his expression.

James gently leaned down, planting a soft kiss on ‘Harry’s’ cheek before handing him back over to Lily who gave him a hesitant smile before disappearing back into the adjoining room.

James didn’t move from his spot until she came back and Lily looked at him with worry, walking up to him hesitantly. “James? Are you alright?�

“What?� James jerked out of his daze and looked down at her. “Oh, yes, sorry, just dozed off there for a moment.� He managed a smile. “I must be pretty tired.�

Still looking suspicious, Lily went over to the dresser and quickly put on her nightgown before going back over to him and leading him to the bed. Sitting him down on it, she took his head in both her hands and made him look at her.

“Do you want to talk about it?� She asked softly.

“Do you?� James said back, knowing what her answer would be.

“Of course I do…I just didn’t know if you were comfortable enough yet.�

James leaned back against the headboard, pulling a pillow up so his head wouldn’t hit the wall and Lily leaned back with him, both of them staying silent for a few moments.

“He called me dad,� James finally whispered.

Lily reached up brushing some of his unruly hair out of his face, her eyes filling with tears.

“Yes, he slipped yesterday and called me ‘Mum’,� she grinned slightly. “He stopped himself quickly, asking if it was okay if he called me that…�

They both fell silent again until James broke the silence a second time.

“When we were in seventh year,� he started, holding Lily around the waist, “After we had finally started going out…this may sound crazy, but I actually sat down on several occasions with Sirius and had some good one-on-one chats with him about our lives in the future…�

He looked down at his wife and saw that she was still smiling through her tears. “You were in all of our chats, on my side of the chat, of course…I knew I wanted to marry you, I mean, I had known that since fifth year. Sirius was pretty obsessed with Arianna by that time as well so we got into a lot of talk about marriage and families…children…�

He finally felt a tear drop down his face, but he didn’t reach up to wipe it away and blinked back the others that were threatening to fall. He chuckled. “We both…we both wanted to be dad’s real bad…� He shut his eyes. “Sounds crazy, right? James Potter and Sirius Black, fathers…we had some good laughs about it, but so many times we tried to imagine what it would be like to have children…I was a little more serious about it than Sirius. After all, he and Arianna had been on and off in their relationship for years and he was probably more focused on getting out the ‘I Love You’ than thinking about family life…�

“And then you said yes…� James felt Lily snuggled closer to him, but he didn’t look down at her. “I know I’ve told you this before, but the day you told me that we were going to have a baby was probably one of the happiest days of my life…�

James reached down, wrapping his arms around Lily who still remained quiet and comforting by his side.

“I had it all planned out, me and Sirius. His thrill of having children died down a bit, but when we found out that Harry was coming, Merlin, we planned out that whole boy’s life, down to his position on the Gryffindor Quidditch team, and the person he would marry…�

“Who he would marry?� Lily finally spoke up. “Did you have a list?�

“Well, not exactly. We narrowed it down to one after going through the requirements that we had listed.�

“Which were?� James heard her yawn.

“Gryffindor, strong family, spunky, pretty…redhead, of course.� He kissed the top of Lily’s head lovingly.

“And you found a baby with these qualities?� Lily shook her head in disbelief.

“Well, we mostly looked at the families of the baby’s.�

“And who was the lucky girl?� She yawned again.

“Well, it took us quite a long time, but then we heard that that big family of redheads, what were their names? Weasley? I think that was it. Anyway, they had a pack of boys, but finally had one girl, about nine months after Harry was born.�

“James, sweetheart, I love you to death, but arranged marriages were outlawed in the seventeenth century.�

James shrugged, unconcerned. “Well, you know me and Sirius…�

Lily smiled against his chest. “Yes, I do. Sorry, go on…�

“Yeah, well…we did have it all planned…then we heard that prophesy-“ Lily’s hand tightened on his shirt, “-and instead of making me more worried, it just made me more determined that my little boy would grow up in the best way possible…�

Another pesky tear trailed down his cheek.

“With both his parents….with his great ‘uncles’ and ‘aunts’, going into Gryffindor and making some good friends…living as normal as possible…�

He closed his eyes against the barrage of tears that started to trail down his face. A moment later, he was surprised to feel someone lightly kissing his cheeks where his tears were and opened his eyes to see Lily’s beautiful eyes mirroring his own. Without a word, he leaned forward, capturing her lips in his, once again knowing that he could never get enough of the feeling of kissing her. It was a sweet and simple kiss, and when he pulled back, Lily leaned her head against his chest and he wrapped both his arms protectively around her, both of them feeling each other’s racing heart.

“Did you see his smile, Lil’s?� James whispered. “It doesn’t reach his eyes….And his posture…he never stands up straight, as if he’s got the fate of the world on his shoulders…� he stopped and reached down, burying his face in Lily’s red hair. “Well,� he mumbled, “I suppose he does, doesn’t he?�

“Yes,� Lily replied softly, “he does, James.�

“I glad,� he realized suddenly, “That he at least had Remus and Sirius. They’re good guys, even if Sirius isn’t exactly the best role model.�

“Glad or jealous?� Lily contradicted, pulling up slightly to look her husband in the eye. “I saw you earlier this evening, when Remus and Sirius came back. He ran to them, not to you.�

James opened his mouth a few times to reply, but couldn’t think of the right thing to say. Lily pressed a finger to his lips.

“James, neither of them are trying to replace you. They can’t replace you. Can’t you see that? Don’t you ever notice how Harry’s eyes light up when he sees you or when you talk?�

“It’s the same with you…�

“Well, yes. I expect that growing up with only Petunia as a mother figure would give him some want to see me as well, but James…� she put both hands on his face again, making him look at her. “You were not replaced, and neither was I. He’s never known us. He’s never even known real parents, as far as I can tell. He’s given us - We’ve just gotten a second chance to be parents to him. If this plan works out, every single thing you planned for Harry can come true, down to the fiancé, but only if Harry loves her,� she added with a small smirk.

James’ eyes searched his wife’s face, wondering for the billionth time how she could always make him feel so good whenever she was around. He leaned forward again, kissing her a little harder this time and pulling her tightly towards him. Her hands moved from his face up to his hair and she played with it ideally as they kissed, his own hands strong and still around her waist as he relished in the moment.

“I love you,� he mumbled as they finally pulled apart.

“I love you, too,� she whispered back.

They both sunk down into the soft covers and fell asleep quickly in one another’s arms, the tears still falling down their cheeks.

A/N: So many reviews! I love you all!

----

Sirius was glad some things hadn’t changed.

Reaching down, and feeling just as stupid as he had in his second year, Sirius grudgingly tickled the painting of the pear, instantly prompting the handle to appear. Straightening up, he pulled the secret door open, quickly stepping inside and out of the cold, dark hallway.

Careful not to make too much noise, Sirius shut the door behind him and tiptoed to the solitary table, in its custom place. He had no sooner sat down than a sleepy house elf raced up to him.

“Can we be getting you anything sirs?�

Sirius winced. He wasn’t exactly hungry, but he knew that the house elves would be terribly desolated if he turned them down. He had never been too fond of house elves. Between Kretcher, who managed to make his life a living hell since he was born, and Dobby, who managed to make Harry’s life a living hell during his second year, he had all but run out of his patience for them.

“Just whatever you have leftover,� he managed. “A sandwich or something?�

Instantly, three more elves ran up with a plate of sandwiches and a six pack of butterbeer.

“Ah…thanks.�

“Anything else sir?�

“No, no this is great, thanks.�

Finally, the small creatures disappeared back into the shadows of the kitchen and all was silent again. Sirius looked around uncertainly, wondering why he had come here if he wasn’t even hungry.

Sighing, he leaned back in his chair, forgetting the food on the table and trying to bask in the peace and quiet, neither of which he had had in quite a few years.

“Sirius?�

He jerked up, knocking the table and almost knocking the butterbeer off the table, but managed to reach his arm out, steadying it and turning towards the kitchen entrance to see a messy-haired James Potter standing there, shutting the door behind him.

Not now…Sirius thought desperately. I’m not ready yet…

Indeed, Sirius had been gearing up for some one-on-one time with James, something he had been dying to have for the last fifteen years. Now though, seeing his twenty year old best friend in pajamas and a robe, flopping down in the chair across from him, he felt like he was in Azkaban again…going mad…or worse…

“Hey, James,� he managed, grabbing one of the butterbeers and popping it open, wishing now that he had asked for some firewhiskey.

Not like a school would have any anyway…

“Couldn’t sleep?�

Sirius looked up and his heart jumped as he saw James smiling at him, the familiar smirk something he hadn’t seen for a long, long time…

He did manage to keep control of himself though, and ruefully smiled back. “Obviously.�

James chuckled and Sirius took another sip of butterbeer as he heard James grab a bottle and pop it open.

“So what’s your excuse?� Sirius bravely said, trying to strike up conversation.

“Huh?� James yawned a bit and mussed up his hair.

“If I had a wife as pretty as yours I wouldn’t just leave her in bed alone,� Sirius said with a melancholy smile while James blushed.

“Ah, Lily fell asleep hours ago, but I kept waking up…� he leaned back in his chair and Sirius saw that it was the exact same movement that he himself did on numerous occasions. He wondered idly who had picked it up from who. “Too much on my mind I guess.�

“Yeah, I know the feeling…� Sirius took another sip, thinking of actually calling the house elf back and asking it to go to the store and get him some firewhiskey. This stuff wasn’t nearly strong enough.

They both stayed in silence for a few more moments until James spoke, his familiar voice helping to calm Sirius down a bit.

“I know that we’ve asked you this before, but…� Sirius looked up, curious as James cocked his head to the side, giving Sirius his familiar look of curiosity, “How was his life? Really? Not just the tidbits that he accidentally lets out.�

Sirius closed his eyes, hardly daring to breath. This was the conversation that Sirius did not have any desire to delve into. How was one supposed to tell their best friend that their child had grown up fighting Basilisks, Dark Lords, murderers and an incompetent ministry? To top that off, how was one supposed to tell that friend that they had never even been there for their child? That no one had really ever been there for their child?

“Why do you want to know?� Sirius decided on, popping open another butterbeer, despite that he was already getting sick of it, and wondering, no, hoping, that it would at least get him a little tipsy.

“See, now,� James held the butterbeer bottle in one hand and pointed a finger at Sirius, “that right there tells me a lot.�

Sirius scowled. “You were always too nosy for your own good, James.�

“And you weren’t?� James shot back with a raised eyebrow. “Pardon me for saying it, but you’re not as much fun when you’re old.�

Anger and hatred shot up through Sirius and he looked up, scowling at James. However, seeing his old friend’s face, his temper seemed too cool right down again.

“Yeah, well, things change…� he took a small sip. “A lot of things change…�

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw James raise his eyebrow. “Maybe I would understand more if you would give me some hint as to what was so horrible that you broke the laws of time to change it.�

Slowly looking up, Sirius saw genuine sincerity in his friend’s eyes. James was not joking now, nor was he smiling.

“You don’t think the fact that you and Lily died was enough?� he asked shrewdly.

James shrugged. “We had been dead for, what? Fifteen years?�

“Well, we didn’t exactly know anything about the veil back then,� Sirius remarked dryly. “And the little fact that I was shoved in Azkaban and Remus went into some major depression didn’t help either.�

“What about Harry?�

“What about Harry?�

“How did you end up meeting him? Did they find you not guilty or something?�

Sirius turned to James, curious. “No one’s told you anything yet, have they?�

The older Potter raised an eyebrow. “Would I be asking these questions if they had?�

Sirius sighed again, remembering how sleepy he had been only hours ago, but had conveniently forgotten when he had reached a bed. Running a hand through his shoulder length, black hair, he did not look up as he spoke.

“I didn’t get to see Harry again until he was thirteen, almost fourteen.�

“Merlin….� James whispered. “Yes, I remember you saying that you were there for twelve years but…twelve bloody years!�

Sirius just snorted, finishing his second bottle of butterbeer, upset to find that he was not the least bit drunk yet.

“So how did you end up getting out?� James finally asked as he grabbed another bottle as well. Sirius felt them both getting into their familiar routine of the somewhat serious conversations they had begun having the last few years that James was alive.

Merlin, he missed those conversations.

“Escaped.�

James spewed out the sip that he had been taking and coughed a few times. Sirius tried not to notice, though he grinned to himself, taking another sip and basking in the thought that he had finally taken James by surprise.

“What!?� James practically cried out. “What in bloody Merlin is that supposed to mean?�

Sirius leaned back farther, putting his legs up on the table, not smiling anymore. “I saw a picture of Peter in his rat form in a newspaper that someone had left for me.�

“Pettigrew? He’s still alive??�

Sirius scowled even harder, trying to figure out if throwing his current bottle of butterbeer would make him feel any better.

He decided it wouldn’t.

“Yes.� It was short and to the point and thankfully James knew Sirius well enough to back off for a bit.

“So when did you get cleared?� James said, trying to switch the subject.

Sirius snorted, letting his chair fall back onto its four legs and finishing the bottle of butterbeer. Ugh, he’d be getting a stomach ache before he got drunk off this stuff.

“I never did get cleared.�

“What?�

“Do I keep mumbling or something?�

“Sirius, try and be your mature self again for a moment and tell me what you’re bloody talking about!�

Deciding that he might as well do it, now that the bottle was empty, Sirius chucked it at the nearest wall that was conveniently right next to them. The sound of the glass shattering made Sirius wince and he wondered if he was in fact getting drunk.

James, however, didn’t move and didn’t speak, waiting for Sirius to make the first move, no doubt.

How very James-like…Sirius thought. He knows me too bloody well…and I know him too bloody well to think that I’m leaving without telling him.

“I’m still on the run James, even when I got back out of the veil,� Sirius started. It seems James was keeping his mouth shut again, so Sirius pressed on, wanting to get this out before he lost his nerve. “I escaped during Harry’s third year, after finding out that Pettigrew was still alive. I spent the next ten months looking for the rat and trying to get into Hogwarts, as that’s where he was hiding.�

“At Hogwarts? Was Dumbledore blind?�

“Only to the Maruaders it seemed. Wormtail was posing as a kid’s rat, one of Harry’s best friends, actually.�

Sirius heard James growl low in his throat. It seemed that the young marauder had already developed a keen hatred for Peter Pettigrew that Remus and Sirius had been building up for years.

“I finally managed to grab the boy, while he was holding Peter and drag him into the Whomping Willow.�

James frowned. “How does that work with you being an escaped criminal and all?�

“I was Padfoot at the time. Though, knowing Harry’s nature and his feeling’s towards me, I transformed back into myself inside the shack and when he came in to help his friends, I confronted him.�

His friend seemed thoroughly intrigued. “So Harry does break rules. Alright, that’s a start at least.�

Sirius rolled his eyes but kept going, playing with one of the empty bottles in his hands, tossing it back and forth.

“Harry, at the time, believed me to be the murderer of his parents. Merlin, even Remus showed up and I wasn’t sure that either of them would believe me. But somehow, through reason’s I’m still not clear of, Harry had the map, and Remus had seen Peter’s name on it.�

“The map!� James breathed in awe. “Blimey, we still don’t know where that thing is….and to think, my son ended up with it, after all those years…�

Sirius cracked a small grin, but still didn’t look up at James. “Yeah, crazy that old magic worker ‘Fate’? She’s made a mess of my life, I can tell you that…� he sighed and finally looked up, trying not to sink into the past too much. “As if the situation was going too well for me, that’s when Snape had to show up…�

“Snape?� James frowned. “What was he doing at Hogwarts?�

“Teacher,� Sirius snorted. “He wasn’t too happy, as you could imagine, but to both Remus and my surprise, Harry and his friends took him out, completely and efficiently, knocking him cold. He didn’t speak again for the rest of the night.�

Sirius grinned at seeing James’ proud expression.

“By that time I had Remus convinced, but Harry wasn’t sure still, so Remus and I forced Peter back into his human form and he confessed then and there, squealing on the ground like a bloody baby…� Sirius wanted to grin, but found himself frowning instead.

“So that’s it then? You took Pettigrew up to the castle and got cleared right?�

Sirius’ upper lip twitched. “No.�

“No?�

“Well, we had a little problem when Moony showed up.�

James paled. “Oh my gosh…�

Sirius nodded dumbly. “I managed to save the kids, turning into Padfoot and chasing Moony away, but Pettigrew…� Sirius scowled. “He got away.�

They were both silent again and Sirius faintly heard a clock in the distance strike to three.

“At least you had Harry then, and Remus,� James said softly, though Sirius could tell by the deadness in his voice that he was feeling a lot of sorrow for his friend.

“Yeah…�

Sirius was eyeing the remaining bottle of butterbeer, contemplating trying to get drunk one more time when James broke the silence once more.

“So why did you do it?�

Sirius started, turning and looking, really looking, for the first time at his old friend. James had another curious expression on his face and seemed to almost be looking right through Sirius, as if he already knew what he was going to say.

“What?�

“You travel back through time, having this big plan to save your friends and your fiancé and…and for what, Sirius?�

Sirius finally felt the first tear gather in his eye, but Merlin forbid he was going to let it fall.

“You wouldn’t understand…�

“Make me!� James hollered, standing up and shaking the table a bit. Sirius looked up in surprise but was shocked into silence and stillness when he saw that James was not holding his tears back. Flowing freely down his face, Sirius tried to remember the last time he had seen James cry.

He couldn’t remember.

“It’s a war James,� Sirius said softly, looking directly into his friend eyes. “It’s a war going on back where I came from.�

“There’s a war here, Sirius,� James said through gritted teeth. “There are people dying every day…good people. That doesn’t give us a reason to…to mess up the space time continuum!�

“No, James, the good reason comes when it rests on the head of one Harry James Potter, who is the only person in this war who is going to be able to defeat Voldemort!� Sirius stood, matching James intimidating pose. “This boy has grown up with no love in his life, you have to understand that! I’m sure – I know that you and Lily gave him plenty of love…but he,� the accursed tear fell, “he lost you James. We all did. You and Lily were gone, and Harry was left with nothing, not even his own stupid Godfather who had promised to take care of him no matter what!�

James seemed to finally be getting the point and he had sat back down, more and more tears running down his cheeks.

“You and Lily died to save him, leaving on him the protection of love, which is, what Dumbledore believes was going to be his best weapon against Voldemort. But James…James…� Sirius finally had to sit back down as well and another tear fell down his cheek. “That boy….that boy has never experienced love. He doesn’t even know, really, what it is. Sure, he’s heard about you two and heard people say they care about him; friends and professors…� Sirius broke eye contact and dropped his head, shutting his eyes to stop the tears. “I don’t think he even knows how much I love him…�

“He wouldn’t have been able to do it, James,� Sirius said, looking back up. “Don’t you see? He wouldn’t have ‘power the Dark Lord knows not’, because he himself wouldn’t know that power!�

Sirius finally snapped, and though he didn’t sob, tears streamed down his face and he buried his head in his arms not wanting James to see…thinking about all the terrible things that he had just told his best friend…thinking about all the terrible things he had left out and those that were left to come.

A hand touched his shoulder and he jumped up again, to look right into James hazel eyes, looking at him with a few tears glistening in them.

“Don’t, Sirius.�

“What?�

“I know what you’re doing, and I want you to stop it right now.�

Sirius frowned, taking a few deep breaths to calm his breathing and looking curiously at his friend.

“You’re blaming yourself Sirius. Blimey, are you ever going to stop doing that? Do you really think I would blame you for anything that happened in Harry’s life?�

Sirius blinked in surprise. Actually, he had thought a lot about what James would have thought about his role in Harry’s life, though most of those nightmares ended with James hexing the heck out of him and spitting on his crumpled form.

Nothing like this, though.

He couldn’t think of what to say, so he nodded dumbly. This seemed to please James enough, for he leaned back and rested his chin on his propped up hand, gazing off into the nothingness, going into one of his ‘contemplation modes’ as Sirius used to call it.

Regaining his dignity from falling apart in front of his best mate, Sirius snatched up the last butterbeer and flipped the top off, taking small sip out of it and trying to not look too interested in what James was thinking about.

“So you came back…to save me and Lily…� James whispered, so softly that Sirius almost didn’t hear. “Did you think of these consequences?�

Sirius sighed and held a hand to his forehead. “I never thought it would get this far…�

James looked over at him, probably surprised that he was admitting it.

“But,� Sirius held up a finger to stop James from saying anything, “As bad as this looks right now, James, nothing, nothing is worse than that world that Harry, Remus and I came out of.�

“Nothing?�

“Nothing.�

Silence.

“I hope you know what you’re doing, Sirius.�

“Yeah…me too.�

----

Albus Dumbledore was just about to finally go up to his living quarters to rest, when his fire flamed to life, startling him a bit, but even more as he saw who came out of it.

Severus Snape, dressed in black robes that Albus knew all too well and a loose mask hanging around his neck, walked carefully from the fireplace. Albus watched with fear and fascination as Severus placing his wand on Albus’ desk calmly, leaving his hand over it for a second as if willing it to not move. He paused for a moment before he finally looked up at his old headmaster.

Severus’ eyes were hollow and black, missing any sign of happiness in him that Albus had always hoped the boy would find. Indeed, Albus still remembered the conversation they had had, and the reactions on both sides

“I wish you luck with your future Severus. If all else fails, I’m sure we would be pleased to accept you as a teacher here. No doubt your skills at potions would be a great help to our school,� Albus said gently to his most unusual and quite talented student.

Severus Snape had never particularly shown in any way that he liked his headmaster, but Albus had seen in him something that set him apart, however slightly, from his fellow Slytherins, most of who, Albus knew, would be joining Voldemort’s forces that night in an initiation ceremony that Albus’ spies had yet to locate.

“Thank you, headmaster, but with my parent’s death I am going away for a while to try and…find myself,� Severus said carefully.

Albus noticed his hesitation but did not comment on it. “Indeed? Then I will let you go join your classmates. Good luck, m’boy.�

After shaking hands, Severus started out of the room, but quickly, before he lost all hope, Albus, caught up with him, reaching out and touching his shoulder.

Severus looked around in surprise and a bit of fear, but Albus just smiled gently.

“Severus, I want you to promise me that if you ever need help, help of any kind…� he paused, “that you will not hesitate to come to me.�

The Slytherin seemed confused for a few moments, but straightened out his expression and solemnly nodded towards his headmaster. “I will…Thank you, sir.�

Albus had not seen Severus since that night, and looking at him now, he could not help but hold his breath as he hoped.

Severus’ voice was scratchy and raw, sounding as though he had either been shouting for a long period of time, or hadn’t talked in days.

“Professor Dumbledore…I…I need your help.�

Apparating was harder than he had expected, but ‘Sirius’ wasn’t about to back down from the chance. After two attempts with no success, he opened his eyes, frantically looking around to make sure that no one had seen them.

“Sirius?�

He glanced down and his heart broke as he saw Emily lying there, ‘Remus’ kneeling over her with a pained expression on his face as he held her hand. They had had no choice but to escape with Emily still unconscious. ‘Sirius’ was just thankful that they hadn’t killed her yet. On top of his own grief that would no doubt overtake him, ‘Remus’ would probably be ten times worse.

He knelt down quickly beside ‘Remus’ looking over both of his friends and taking in the situation again, his eyes sweeping from ‘Remus’ and Emily to the dark grounds of, what he could only guess, was Malfoy Manor.

“She’s losing too much blood…� ‘Remus’ muttered quietly, trying to use his wand to heal the numerous bruises and cuts that covered his girlfriend’s body.

‘Sirius’ frowned harder as he once again tried to apparate and nothing happened.

“Moony, something’s not right…Apparation’s not working…�

‘Remus’ turned to him at once and ‘Sirius’ saw him frown in the faint moonlight.

“What?� he hissed. “But he said this was the point-“

He was cut off by a loud bang from the house, followed by a large beam of light traveling up through the air and exploding like a muggle firework. ‘Sirius’ and ‘Remus’ both jerked around in horror. The light covered the whole grounds, lighting up their hiding place in the dense trees.

“Come on!� ‘Sirius’ hissed. “Move!�

Not needing any more encouragement, ‘Remus’ scooped up Emily’s body quickly and the two Marauders began running farther and farther into the woods.

As they ran, ‘Sirius’ could hear the faint calls behind them, men shouting orders and someone who sounded suspiciously like Voldemort trying to interrogate the Death Eater who had been holding ‘Sirius’, ‘Remus’ and Emily’s wands.

“Try again!� ‘Remus’ called out in a huff to ‘Sirius’ after they had run for another two minutes.

Bringing out his wand for the extra power, ‘Sirius’ turned to ‘Remus’, both of them stopping and looking gravely at each other, panting and shaking through their exhaustion.

“Marauder Point Nine?� ‘Sirius’ said quickly, seeing ‘Remus’ nod instantly.

At once, the light exploded all around them and before either had a chance, spells shot out towards them.

‘Sirius’, having the faster reflexes and no person in his arms, rolled away instantly, remembering his Auror training and was able to fire off a few stunning spells.

‘Remus’ wasn’t so lucky.

‘Sirius’ watched with horror as a curse struck ‘Remus’ in his shoulder as he tried to run, clinging to Emily tightly. Both of them fell down and ‘Sirius’ mind went numb as he saw them lying there, helpless under the bright flashes of the curses still being fired towards them.

Neither moved and ‘Sirius’’ mind raced as he tried to consider his options. As he thought, he ducked around the tree, firing spells and trying to figure out how to get them out of it. He cursed quite a few men who tried to run up to ‘Remus’ and Emily, but he didn’t dare to go out to them himself.

“Black!�

He groaned in frustration and panic as he heard Voldemort’s voice yelling at him.

“Plan B, Voldikins!� He called back, trying to be mocking as his mind still raced, a plan formulating in his mind as he looking back and forth between his stunned friends and the approaching line of Death Eaters.

“You fools! Go out there you idiots!�

He cracked a smile as he heard Voldemort yelling at his own men, frustrated with their lack of courage.

He also smiled as he thought of the final pieces of his plan.

For a split second, between firing off curses, he aimed his wand at ‘Remus’ and Emily, muttering the emergency portkey spell and watching with bated breath as they glowed blue for a moment and then reverberated back to normal. Firing off three more curses, he took a deep breath before throwing himself down on his friends, the remaining Death Eaters finally starting to rush up to their captives as Voldemort’s yelling stung their ears.

‘Sirius’ prayed with all his might as he managed to just reach ‘Remus’’ fallen hand.

The last thing he heard was Voldemort’s cruel voice directing the killing curse at him, a rush of green light….

And then nothing.

----

Severus Snape never thought of himself as an “evil man�. He had had many people to compare to, and many examples of evil, but for some reason, despite the years he had tried, he found no pleasure in wickedness.

Though he expected everyone who was in the presence of Albus Dumbledore always felt slightly evil.

Not facing his headmaster in nearly four years, Severus felt extremely uncomfortable in his office, sitting in the same chair he had sat in when being punished, commended, or even scolded. But he was not a boy anymore. No, the last few years had proved that, and it seemed that Dumbledore realized that as much as he had.

Dumbledore, ever the poise of confidence, was sitting serenely behind his desk, his hands folded in front of him as he simple looked at his old student. His gaze had always been unnerving to Severus, as if Dumbledore could know everything about him simply by looking into his eyes.

If he actually could see…if only he knew…

Severus shivered at the thought and tried to control his posture as he was not here to be intimidated. No, not nearly.

“I expect you’re waiting for me to talk,� he finally said, bluntly, as that was his style and the manner in which he had grown accustom to talking to those around them.

Dumbledore managed a small smile at him and nodded slightly.

Suddenly unwilling to meet the older man’s eyes, Severus fidgeted in his chair slightly, trying to find the right words to say first. He knew it had been a risk coming her tonight, but any time would have been a risk.

Lupin and Black had been the perfect cover for what he had wanted.

“I know where they are, Professor.�

Another blunt comment, but as Severus chanced a look at the clock, he began to grow nervous, wondering why they hadn’t shown up yet.

Not that he cared. But it was rather crucial proof of his story and hopefully a type of bargaining item that he would need to start regaining the Headmaster’s trust again.

Dumbledore merely raised his eyebrows slightly at Severus’ statement.

Blast that man.

“Black and Lupin,� Severus hissed out, trying to control his rage of the thought of actually saving the lives of those two. “The girl as well…�

Dumbledore looked slightly more interested, but Severus could tell that the old man was waiting for something else, something more along the lines of why Severus was here in the first place.

“They were taken to Malfoy Manor…� he still did not meet Dumbledore’s eyes but tried to choose his words carefully.

“Indeed?� Dumbledore finally spoke, raising a curious eyebrow.

Silence reigned again and Severus was nearly driven mad by it, knowing that Dumbledore knew quite well everything that he was about to say, but the old man was making him say it, for what purpose, Severus did not know.

“May I ask a question, Headmaster?�

Dumbledore smiled. “I believe you just did.� The bloody twinkle showed up in his eye again and Severus groaned. “But before you ask another one, I would request that you call me Albus, like all my old students do.�

Severus was quite shocked at the amount of calmness in Dumbledore, no Albus’s voice. The trust that he could already feel coming from the man was not something to be taken lightly.

“Very well, Albus,� he tried the name out and it seemed quite foreign to him, but he waved the awkwardness away quickly, trying to focus instead on his question. “Is there a reason you did not kill me or curse me on sight when I showed up in your office?�

Dumbledore’s (he could not call him Albus just yet) smile faded a little, but it seemed to be because he was contemplating something.

“You know very well who I am…what I am,� Severus practically spat out.

“Yes Severus, I do…� Dumbledore leaned forward slightly. “But I had two reasons, actually, why I chose instead to ask you to sit down and join me. One is that no person can come through my floo network unless they mean me no harm.�

Severus had never before heard of a spell of enchantment that could regulate the floo network like that. Fireplaces and fire itself was too unstable to really make conditions for it. Most people who had threats simply disconnected their floo network or got rid of their fireplace all together. Though the mean of transportation was quick and efficient, it came at a high price when you had an enemy.

“I had wondered,� Severus said aloud, “why it had been so simple for me to come. True, it did take me a while to find a port that was actually connected to Hogwarts, I had imagined having to break quite a few wards to even get within the confines of the castle.�

Dumbledore nodded. “Most people would have to.�

“But not me?�

“Reason number two,� Dumbledore, continued, choosing not to answer him, “is that you, my dear boy, have never been a threat to me.�

“That can be taken in two ways,� Severus said, feeling rather confused. “Either that my magical skill is nowhere near yours, which I know happens to be true, or the fact that you knew I would never make a good Death Eater.�

There he had finally said it. He felt the title drip from his lips like poison and he cringed, thinking about the choice he had made at age seventeen and the consequences of that choice.

“Oh, no Severus, you are mistaken on one point I’m afraid,� Dumbledore answered. “Though it is true that in some areas of magical ability, I have the upper hand, there were moments, many moments my boy, when I felt your power stronger than mine.�

Severus tried to sneer, but felt himself just frowning in confusion. Albus Dumbledore was the strongest and most powerful wizard alive. What exactly was he saying?

“Your potion skills for one thing,� he expounded, “were not something that I think any of the professors here took lightly. In fact, I don’t believe that anyone doubted you in that area for a moment. Another example is your Occlumency training.�

Severus took a deep breath, trying to control his racing heart. Dumbledore knew? How-

“Yes, I knew,� the wizard replied, once again being almost too omniscient for Severus’ liking. “I’m quite skilled in the area myself, Severus, and I fear that even you, training yourself with help from no one, are able to block me completely.�

Severus' eyes went wide at the confession and he forgot for a moment why he had come here in the first place. Why was it that Dumbledore seemed to always get the upper hand with him, no matter what their discussion was about?

“Sir, I…� he stuttered, trying to get back on topic before Dumbledore could make him even more speechless. “I…I remembered what you told me, that night before graduation…�

Dumbledore nodded. Blast that man!

“Before my parents died…� Merlin, he couldn’t believe he was telling someone this! “My father was very proud…strict and firm in his beliefs, my mother as well…Both knew the risks of joining him,� Severus did not say his name on purpose, “But neither cared, and neither backed down from doing his…bidding,� he said the last work mockingly and bitterly, realizing that he himself had been doing that man’s bidding for the past four years.

“I joined simply because it had been expected, even required, for me, being from my family line.�

“And yet you are here,� Dumbledore said gently, once again realizing what Severus wanted to say before he even did. “You are different from them, Severus.�

He reluctantly nodded. “That is a realization I have only begun to acquire…How is it that you already knew?�

Dumbledore leaned slightly back, smiling a bit. “I notice things that you would never believe Severus, and I watch all my students more carefully than they believe.� He leaned forward and for some reason his gaze drew Severus back in again and he locked eyes with his old Headmaster again. “You say you remember the conversation that we had that night, Severus?�

“You knew even then.� Blunt, to the point. Severus was getting tired of this cat and mouse game.

“I did.�

“And yet you let me go to him. You let me serve that…that monster. Throwing away my life and giving in to this power hungry man who burned his mark into my arm and used me as a footstool.� Severus’ voice was not accusing, merely contemplative and questioning as he realized just how tricky this old man was.

Dumbledore nodded. “I did. And I believe that it was best for you.�

“Best?�

“If I had told you that night the things I have told you tonight, would you have listened? Would you have given a second thought to the polar life that I would have offered you? One away from the people you had grown up with and come to agree with?�

Finally realizing where he was going, Severus leaned back in his seat, putting a hand over his face. “No,� he mumbled. “No…I wouldn’t have…�

“Yet now, you are here, fully aware of the consequences from both sides and fully understanding both sides of the story.�

Severus wasn’t aware that the old wizard had moved, but he suddenly felt a hand pull his arm from in front of his face and he looked questionably into the twinkling blue eyes of Albus Dumbledore.

“I…I am sorry Albus…� he said for absolutely no reason at all, though he knew that he had to say it.

“For what?�

“You know for what, blast it all!� Severus stood up quickly, knocking over his chair and backing away. “Merlin! How could I have been so….Blimey, how could anyone be so, so bloody ignorant of, of everything!�

He had his back to his old professor and slammed his hand into the wall, trying once again to calm his racing heart.

“Power, and the illusion of it, can be a very tricky thing,� Dumbledore’s gentle voice broke in. “You were also raised in a certain way, Severus, raised in a way that made you want to follow that path. But upon entering that world, that society and seeing it for what it was you found your conscience again and made your choice. And, if I do say so myself, I am very proud of you.�

Severus whirled around and with wide eyes tried to digest what he had just heard.

“Headmaster, I have killed, murdered, innocent people. I have tortured ministry workers and been at the Dark Lord’s side as he kills people that I grew up in school with. I have seen the killing curse more times than I wish to remember and I have preformed it more times than a person would dream of. I have brewed potions that make that man, that monster, stronger and more powerful so that he could rid the world of the ‘unworthy ones’. And the only reason, through all of this, that the Dark Lord didn’t kill me was because I forced myself to learn Occlumency at school, terrified at the thought that any ill thought or dream that he came across would cost me my life…�

Dumbledore, however, did not seem phased at all.

Blast that man.

“Severus, why are you here now?�

“What?� Severus snapped back.

“Here. Now. Did someone force you? Were you tricked?�

“Of course not!� Severus glared, finally ripping the mask off his neck and throwing it on the ground. “I chose to come here.�

Those eyes of his twinkled again.

“Exactly, Severus. Exactly.�

----

The dark corridors of Hogwarts had not changed at all, and Sirius was grateful that he was now walking through them without breaking the rules and therefore didn’t flinch as he saw Filch’s cat race by him unexpectedly. Shaken, but still trying to recover from his talk with James, he sped up, hoping to get back to his room quick enough to catch a bit of sleep before they began again in the morning.

He was undoubtedly tired now, more so than he had been in Dumbledore’s office. The talk with James seemed to have taken a few of the weights off of his shoulders so that relaxation wasn’t as hard as it had been.

After James had left, Sirius had found himself falling asleep in his chair and had decided to try and make it back to his room to at least sleep somewhere where he wouldn’t wake up with a kink in his neck in the morning.

Turning one of the last corridors, his eyes went wide instantly as his foot caught on something and he fell to the ground with a grunt, his already weary body protesting to the ill treatment.

Cursing a few times, he tried to scramble up, but it seemed the thing he had tripped over was far larger than he realized. He nearly cried out at seeing the mound of bodies that was now behind him, but bit his bottom lip, pulling out his wand and scrambling up pointing it down at the bodies as he whispered “Lumos.�

Dropping his wand in shock, he fell to his knees again, flipping the top body over and seen his younger face, eyes closed and limp as death. Quickly flipping over the other two bodies, he saw Remus’ young face as well as a face that he hadn’t seen in years but knew all too well. Emily…

Seconds ago, he was sure his exhaustion might have even prevented him from making it back to his room, but now he scrambled up, Emily’s body in his arms and rushed down the hall towards the Hospital Wing.

Luckily he wasn’t far away and kicked the door open, not bothering to look around for Madam Pomfrey. He rushed to the nearest bed, lying Emily on it carefully before rushing back out and repeating the process with Remus and finally with himself.

As he entered, carrying his younger self, he saw that the matron had obviously heard his racket and was bustling about the beds, mumbling to herself and waving her wand around. She looked up, surprised at seeing him and seeing the body in his arms.

“Please,� Sirius crocked out, his voice horse from his exhaustion that he had forgotten about momentarily. “You have to help them…� He didn’t have time now to explain who he was to her and had no intention of trying to make her understand before he knew what was wrong with the three unconscious people in the room.

“Come, lay him over here.� Ever the diligent nurse, Pomfrey motioned him to another bed and he went over, carefully laying ‘Sirius’ down. As he pulled back, however, he stopped short, holding his breath as he stared at his younger form. Pomfrey pushed him slightly out of the way, but he moved to the head of the bed and kept staring at himself.

What the-?

Sirius’ eyes went wide as he figured it out, and Madam Pomfrey seemed to realize it at the same time. She stopped short, her eyes going wide.

But before Sirius could say a word, she had shoved him out of the door, commanding him to fetch the headmaster and locking it behind him.

But Sirius didn’t move. He couldn’t move and he felt as if he couldn’t breath…

Well, maybe he couldn’t…

Because his younger form wasn’t…

‘Sirius’ wasn’t breathing.

St. Mungo’s had never been a particularly pleasant place for Ginny. The unnaturally white walls and ceiling seemed to blind her as she followed McGonagall’s swift pace through the bustling corridors.

The older woman finally stopped in front of a door, wasting no time as she opened it, stepping inside and looking frantically around the room.

Ginny spotted him first and gave a little gasp, covering her mouth with her hand and her eyes going wide. McGonagall seemed to follow her eyes and though she did not cry out, she walked swiftly over to the headmaster’s bed.

He was lying on his back, thankfully breathing but looking a sickly white color and covered with numerous bruises and cuts. Ginny saw that both his legs were bandaged and splinted and she ideally wondered why St. Mungo’s would need to splint a broken leg. Wouldn’t they be able to heal it instantly?

McGonagall stared at Dumbledore for a moment before going around the bed and grabbing the small stack of parchment that lay on his bedside table, riffling through it.

“Minerva!�

Ginny actually jumped at the voice and the sound of the door crashing open. McGonagall’s head snapped up and she looked rather pale from looking through the parchment, though the visitor did not seem to calm her fears any more.

Greasy-haired as ever, Snape walked into Ginny’s view, looking heartily upset and annoyed at the same time as he walked straight over to McGonagall who, without a word, handed over the parchment to him.

Careful to not be too obvious, Ginny studied Snape’s face as he skimmed through the notes. She felt herself becoming more and more upset as Snape’s scowl seemed to leave his face, his skin getting whiter and whiter and his eyes going white.

“Dear Merlin!� He hissed out. “How is he even alive?� He glanced sharply up at McGonagall. “Why didn’t they come to us sooner?�

“Fudge,� McGonagall answered shortly.

“Bloody Bureaucrats,� Snape spat out, going over to the table and looking at the assortment of potions that were set out on it, some of them empty but others partially or totally full.

Ginny’s eyes traveled over to her unconscious headmaster and she suddenly felt rather scared as she looked at his all too still form. What had Snape meant by that? How is he even alive? Just how bad was it? She grimaced, realizing that she was probably going to be the last person to get any of that information. She was sure that the only reason she was still here was because McGonagall didn’t want to take the time to return her to the school.

“Miss Weasley!�

Ginny’s head snapped up and she looked fearfully up at Snape who had resumed his sneering facial expression, reserved for Weasleys, Potters and Longbottoms.

“Y-yes sir?�

“Great scott, Severus, you’re not in your classroom anymore,� McGonagall scolded. “Let the poor child be.�

Snape turned to McGonagall quickly and Ginny’s eyes followed him. “Why is she even here? No doubt you pulled her from my class so that she wouldn’t loose your house any more points, Minerva.�

McGonagall’s nostril’s flared and she glared at the potions master. “For once do you think you can lay aside your petty temper and try to focus on the problem at hand?�

“Which is?�

Pointing to the unconscious Dumbledore, McGonagall practically shouted. “Well, Albus for one thing! I don’t suppose you had any idea about what he and Sirius and Remus have been working on for the past week?�

Snape sneered again. “I hardly think that anything involving Black and Lupin would ever be brought to my attention, at least if either of them had any foresight to realize that I wouldn’t give a care.�

“The veil, professor!� Ginny butt in, unexpected to everyone, including herself, and she colored slightly as both the professors turned to her.

“What?� Snape snapped back.

“I seems Miss Weasley knows more about this than anyone else,� McGonagall explained to the thoroughly confused Professor. “She claims that Sirius, Remus and Harry went through the veil in the Department of Mysteries.�

Ginny was surprised to see Snape frown rather than sneer at the audacity of it. “Is this about the body they found? Please tell me that Black, Lupin and now Potter tried to commit suicide or some other such nonsense.�

“Only you would hope,� McGonagall huffed. “They had something more substantial in mind I expect. Traveling through time.�

This statement didn’t seem to faze Snape as much as it had McGonagall. His eyes did get a little wider but kept his calm considerably well.

“And they meant to accomplish this through the veil?� Snape said shortly, his eyes flickering over to the small bedside table again.

“Yes, but the details on it are a little hazy-“

McGonagall stopped talking as Snape’s hand reached down, going through a small pile of materials that Ginny just now noticed were on the table. A few scraps of parchment, an ornate looking pocket watch and a wand. Snape, hand hesitated before picking up the scraps of parchment, but then, as if acting of it’s own free will, his hand snatched them up quickly and he smoothed them out, glancing over them.

His eyes, if possible, went even wider.

“Weasley! Hogwarts! Now!� He snapped without looking at her.

Ginny frowned, opening her mouth to argue, but was cut off by McGonagall.

“You may use the floo, Miss Weasley.� Her transfiguration Professor looked at her keenly. “Please return to the school and tell no one of what we have discussed. I will inform you of any changes in the Headmaster’s condition.�

Ginny knew better than to argue with her professor and, sending a pained look at Dumbledore, walked slowly out of the room.

As she threw the floo powder into the flames, she scowled, wondering how she was going to get through this, especially since she knew that McGonagall had no intention of telling her anything else.

----

As soon as Weasley stepped out of the door, Severus whirled on Minerva.

“How come neither of us knew about this?� he hissed at her, fuming from what he had just read on the parchment.

“Obviously Albus wanted as few people to know about it as possible,� Minerva reasoned.

“Well, obviously he did have second thoughts about it,� Severus replied, shoving the pieces of paper in her hand and reading them again over her shoulder as she read it for the first time.

Potion: Mix of “Greatest Wish� with “Time Redo�

Merlin’s Time spells: “Travilias� and/or “Priorit Travent�

“Dimensions of Reality� by Elias Whitheim

It ended there and though Severus could tell that Minerva was confused, but he knew exactly what Albus was talking about.

“What time did Weasley say they went through?� he questioned.

Minerva shrugged. “She didn’t know much about their exact plans, only how they were planning on doing it.� She went over and sat on a chair next to Albus’ bed. “She didn’t even know what date they were planning on going to.�

Feeling suddenly lightheaded from the thousands of thoughts that were zooming through his mind, Severus took a seat as well. “Did she even know what they were going to change?�

“Yes. Harry told her that they were trying to save his parents.�

Severus was taken aback by that statement. “But surely if they had accomplished it, this reality would have been changed the instant they went through the veil.�

Minerva sighed. “I hate to assume that it went wrong, but that is the only theory I can work with right now. Albus kept most of his information about the veil hidden from even me.�

Severus frowned in thought as he went over Albus’ words on the parchment again.

“There’s something there….that potion,� Severus mused to himself.

“You know it?� Minerva questioned him.

“I know of both of them,� he said with a slight sneer, having mixed memories of both complicated potions. “The potions are old and highly unstable. No sane wizard uses them anymore as the consequences are better left unsaid…� he lifted the parchment up again, studying the words. “This word...’Mix’…it sounds like he’s telling me to add the two potions together….but that is more suicidal than going through the veil and trying to travel through time…�

“Perhaps not,� Minerva cut in, coming up behind his chair and pointing at some of the words. “I don’t know those spells myself, but it seems to me as if he’s saying those two combined does the same thing as one of Merlin’s ancient time travel spells.�

As much as Severus wanted to bite back at her, he found himself agreeing with her.

“Alright. Let’s just pretend that I am able to make these potions and combine them. What then? Why did he leave this for us to find?�

“For us to find? No Severus, I have no affinity for these potions. This message was for you.�

“For me?� Severus spared a glance over at Albus who was still lying perfectly still on the hospital bed. “Why me?�

“Albus is a careful man…� Severus looked back around and saw Minerva going to sit back in her chair, her obvious exhaustion showing now and she sighed before looking back at him. “He always has a back up plan.�

“Yes?� Severus curled his upper lip. Merlin, he did not want to hear this.

“And I’m guessing that you were his back-up plan.�

----

“I wish to tell you once more that this is insane.�

Minerva merely raised an eyebrow at him as she opened the door, letting him go through first and then following him in. They both walked swiftly down the halls of Hogwarts, students passing by and talking with one another, probably off to get into trouble with the hour lunch break that most of them were on.

Severus growled low in his throat, unconsciously running through his list of supplies again as he tried to figure out a better way of getting out of this.

“You’re certain you made both of them right?� Minerva questioned as they both stopped and she turned to him, for the first time showing a bit of hesitation in her voice.

“Of course!� Severus snapped back, feeling the two potions in his side pocket as they both swayed dangerously in their air tight containers, reminding him of the idiotic task he was about to attempt. The loose bag that he had strung on his shoulder with supplies also swayed and for the fiftieth time he tried in vain to remember why he was even considering this.

Neither of them spoke as they finally reached the headmaster’s office and Minerva said the password. As they went up the revolving staircase, Severus tried once more.

“Wouldn’t it be more prudent to wait until Albus woke up? Surely he could give us a better explanation than that ruddy book did.�

They entered the Headmaster’s office, both of them remembering that it had been nearly a week since Albus had set foot in this room. The Healers at St. Mungo’s were still scratching their heads in confusion as they could not understand why he had not yet died.

Severus blamed Fate, but then, he blamed a lot on that retched word.

Minerva had been doing her best to take over Albus’ duties, but there was only so much that woman could do.

Severus knew that neither of them would be able to wait for Albus to wake up very much longer.

“Just do it now, Severus,� she answered, a slight tremor in her voice.

Grimacing, Severus pulled out the two vials of potion that he had carefully brewed over the past week and set them on the headmaster’s desk, pulling out a third beaker which was larger and empty.

“You have everything? And you brought the date?�

“Don’t nag,� Severus sneered at the older women, becoming increasingly more annoyed with her nervousness, as she wasn’t even really a part of what was happening. In response to her question though, he pulled out a small piece of paper and laid it next to the empty beaker, taking a deep breath.

Once more, he looked over at her, serious as ever and still frowning.

“You are aware that I am the last person that Black is going to listen to. And make no doubt that if I run into Potter I will not hesitate to curse him on sight.�

The transfiguration cracked a smile. “Which one?�

Severus curled his upper lip. “Either.� With a swish of his cloak he turned back to the vials and picked up both of the smaller ones and uncorking them.

“You’d best get out of this room unless you want to risk traveling back in time as well,� he said after a moment. “I am not yet sure whether I have to drink it or merely add them together and then drop the date in.�

Minerva seemed to hesitate for a moment, but then nodded to him once before walking swiftly for the door.

“Severus.�

He turned to her.

“Remember why you are doing this.�

Huffing once, Severus glared at her. “Does this entail James Potter or Sirius Black, Minerva? Because if it does I would advise you to stay silent.�

Her eyes narrowed at him. “Well, maybe while you’re back there you can try to give yourself a better chance.�

Severus sneered and turned his back to her, picking up the potions again.

“I’ve already switched sides by this point,� he said darkly.

“Oh?�

“Yes, but just barely.�

“But you didn’t take the teaching job until September.�

He paused. “Let’s just say that it wasn’t exactly the easiest thing to go behind the Dark Lord’s back and betray him.�

“But you said you had already switch sides?�

He turned to her one last time, trying to control his temper at her impudence. “Just because I hadn’t officially started spying for the Order does not mean that my allegiance laid with the Dark Lord.�

Silence hung and he turned his back to the desk, standing still until he finally heard the door close and her descending steps.

Taking a deep breath, Severus began pouring both of the potions into the larger vial.

As they first came into contact, a large hiss escaped them and immediately dark purple smoke began filling up the room.

It would help if I knew if that was a good thing or not…

He almost panicked, but managed to keep a cool head as he finished pouring both vials. Hands shaking slightly, he picked up the small bit of parchment and doubled checked it one more time.

August 16, 1981

Merlin, he hoped that was somewhere along the lines of when the others went back.

Satisfied, he dropped it quickly into the potion, watching with fascination and reservation as he saw it slowly dissolve within the potion. The smoke all around him instantly changed to pitch black and he gripped tightly to the desk, his hand lingering near the bottle as he waited.

He couldn’t see anything around him now as the smoke seemed to get thicker and thicker all around him.

Just as he was deciding to pick up the potion and drink it, the smoke suddenly zoomed right back into the vial, leaving him once again standing in the middle of the headmaster’s office.

He blinked in confusion and surprise as he took in his familiar surroundings. The office was the same as it had been moments before. The noon day sun was still shining cheerfully through the windows and the bookshelves were all organized and neat, with the paintings lightly dozing in their frames or sitting lazily, looking bored.

Had it not worked? Had he dome something wrong?

Glancing down into the barely smoking potion, he saw that all that was left were a few fumes in the bottle. All the liquid was completely gone.

Severus hesitantly let go of the desk, letting out a large sigh and squeezing his eyes shut, fighting off a headache that he knew was coming.

It hadn’t worked.

After over twenty years of friendship, Remus was sure that he would never be able to understand the inner workings of Sirius Black’s mind. No matter how much he tried.

Sirius had looked dead on his feet when they had reached the guest quarters earlier that night and as he, Harry and Sirius had collapsed into their individual beds, Remus had fallen asleep instantly. Obviously Sirius hadn’t.

It was times like this when Remus regretted not keeping the Marauder’s Map when he found out that Harry had it. Hogwarts was like home to him, but a really large home that was almost impossible to search by yourself. But, not wanting to disturb Harry, Remus had gone out looking for Sirius on his own. Therefore he was walking through Hogwarts dark and cold halls at four o’clock in the morning, wondering if Sirius was ever going to grow up and figure out that nighttime was time to sleep.

He held his wand slightly in front of him, lighting up the dark corridors and chasing back that shadows a bit. Turning a corner, he saw a faint light coming out of a pair of doors a ways away. Squinting, he saw that it was the hospital wing and frowned, wondering what Madam Pomfrey could be doing up this early. Walking closer, his light made out the form up a figure leaning against the wall, huddled over and not moving.

Quieting his light, as the light from the hospital wing was enough, Remus leaned down hesitantly, trying to establish the identity of the person.

“Sirius?�

Sirius jerked his head up and Remus almost jumped back in shock as he saw his friend’s tearstained face. Shock turned into confusion as Remus saw that his friend was shaking slightly and trying not to make eye contact with him.

“Sirius?� Remus repeated, unsure of what to say. Ever since coming out of Azkaban and more recently from coming out of the veil, Sirius’ up and down moods had slightly scared Remus as he was trying to remember his spunky and upbeat friend from school who had pranked Dumbledore himself and lost just as many points for Gryffindor as he had earned. Sirius was changed, and Remus wasn’t sure if he liked it.

The door from the hospital wing flew open, throwing light into the hall and causing Remus to squint slightly at the form of Madam Pomfrey who looked out at the two of them.

“What’s going on?� Remus asked quickly, remembering that Pomfrey didn’t know their real identities, only that they were guests of the headmaster.

“I need one of you to go fetch the headmaster, that’s what!� she said snappishly. Remus grimaced at her, feeling like a student in trouble again. “And if your friend there isn’t capable, then I suggest you do it before I loose two of my patients in here!�

Frowning, Remus glanced down at Sirius who didn’t seem to be responding to anything. Panic gripped him for a moment, and he was at once overwhelmed with what he should do.

“Please, just get him into one of the beds,� Remus pleaded, his voice cracking slightly as he suddenly wondered who her patients in the hospital were. He stood up and started walking towards Dumbledore’s office.

Not waiting to hear her reply, as soon as he turned the corner her broke into a run and reached the statue of the phoenix in only a few minutes, speaking the password quickly and not bothering to knock as he burst through the door.

“Professor Dumbledore! Please, you have to come to the hospital wing-“

He cut himself off as Dumbledore stood quickly, coming around his desk with a worried face. Remus’ eyes, however, strayed over to the young man sitting on a chair in front of Dumbledore’s desk.

“Severus Snape?� he said disbelief. That didn’t make sense…Snape wasn’t supposed to switch sides until September.

Snape merely glared coldly at him and though Remus knew that he didn’t have any clue who he was, Snape already hated him.

“What happened?�

Dumbledore’s voice jerked him out of his daze about Snape, and Remus turned back to the headmaster. “I’m not sure…Sirius was missing and I found him in some kind of shock outside of the hospital wing and them Pomfrey told me to come and get you because there were some very serious patients in the hospital wing…� Remus rattled on, not quite caring or not quite realizing that he had said Sirius’ name.

Dumbledore and Snape shared a glance that Remus didn’t quite understand and at once they both started forward. Not really in the mood to ask about Snape, Remus simply lead them towards the hospital wing, his mind jumble of thoughts that he wasn’t able to process at all. Between Snape, Sirius and the bodies in the hospital wing, Remus was quite sure he had no idea what was going on, and he wasn’t sure if he was ready to find out.

Sooner than he would have liked, the reached the double doors and Dumbledore threw them open quickly, moving right over to the nearest bed, Snape following behind him. Remus, however, went over to the lone bed on the opposite side of the room where he saw Sirius sitting. Coming up on the side of the bed, Remus froze upon seeing Sirius. He was sitting on the side of the bed, his face in his hands and his shoulders shaking slightly, as if he was still in shock. Remus was reaching out to lay a comforting hand on his shoulder, but Dumbledore’s voice broke in first.

“Mr. Lupin?�

Remus whirled around, realizing that Dumbledore was trying not to reveal his true identity to the people in the room, and, still slightly in shock, hurried over to where everyone was standing.

Remus’ heart skipped another beat as he saw ‘Sirius’ lying on the bed in front of them, looking even worse than the other Sirius. He was lying still on the bed, deathly white and seemed to not even be breathing. He turned shakily towards Dumbledore who was looking at him gravely.

“It seems Mr. Black was hit by the killing curse at the exact moment that he was being transferred by a portkey.�

“What?� Remus breathed out, unable to believe what he was hearing. “But that would mean he’s-“

“No, he’s not dead,� Dumbledore interrupted, though he didn’t seem quite sure of himself. “But he is very near. Rarely does this happen, but when the killing curse is used in conjunction with certain kind of magic, it throws its power off and merely seems to stun the person severely and do them grievous physical damage.�

“He wasn’t breathing at first when that man brought him in,� Pomfrey explained, pointing to Sirius who didn’t seem to realize there was a conversation going on. “I was afraid that he was dead, but he only had a collapsed lung which I was able to fix.� She looked sympathetically down at the unconscious ‘Sirius’. “Both his legs were broken and one of his arms. He had a great slash in the back of his head, which is where I expect the curse hit. His heart also seemed to have stopped for, what I could figure, at least a minute or so, which, needless to say is not very normal.�

Remus looked horrified as pieces clicked into place. He whirled around, running over to Sirius and without a word, reached on the back of his neck and up his hairline, eyes going wide as he felt a long scar running up the back of his friend’s head.

“Ow! Merlin, Remus!� Sirius jerked up, startling Remus completely as he still stared, horrified at his friend. Sirius stood up, turning to face him, his face still pale with tear streaks, but his eyes narrowed and his breathing labored.

“Sirius…that scar-�

“Yeah…I know…� Sirius snapped back, running a hand through his hair and closing his eyes tightly as if fighting off a headache.

Remus gulped. “What happened?�

“How should I know?� Sirius practically cried out. “I found the three of them in the hall and they were all knocked out. I put them in the hospital wing and then realized that I wasn’t breathing!� He glared at Remus. “How would you have reacted?�

“Sirius,� Dumbledore broke in, ignoring the looks of confusion on Madam Pomfrey’s and Snape’s faces, “please try to stay calm-“

“Calm!� This time Sirius did shout. “We screwed up! Why doesn’t someone just admit it!� Remus winced at the harshness in his friend’s voice. “Nothing like this ever happen…ed…�

Sirius trailed off and his face dropped, his eyes glossing over as he froze. Remus reached out a hand, meaning to go up and help him, but didn’t get very far when Sirius suddenly reached up, holding his head and shutting his eyes tightly, once again looking like he was shutting out a headache.

Remus moved toward his friend but stopped short and looked helplessly up at Dumbledore who was looking curiously at Sirius.

“What’s going on?� Remus finally got out. “What’s happening to him?�

Dumbledore seemed to think it over for a moment, looking between the younger Sirius and the older Sirius before finally looking back at Remus.

“My best theory? He is receiving the memories from this latest event that has just happened.�

Remus frowned. “Then why wouldn’t I-“

He never finished the question, but he got his answer immediately as a tremendous amount of pain suddenly shot through his head. So great was the pain that he wanted to cry out, but couldn’t seem to. He leaned forward slightly, bringing his hand to his head and his eyes squeezed tight as suddenly hundreds of millions of images started to flash through his mind, most of them accompanied with pain and fear as well as worry and a few with love and comfort.

As soon as it had come, it seemed everything stopped and his breath was coming in short gasps as he blinked the stars out of his eyes, trying to take control of his body again and sort through everything he had just seen and felt.

A reassuring hand on his shoulder comforted him a bit. He looked up and saw Sirius standing in front of him, pain clearly evident in his eyes as he gripped his arm tightly, steadying him as much as he was himself.

Both of the old marauders shared a glance before turning towards the others in the room.

----

The castle was quieter than Harry had expected. He had never really been in it during the summer, but it was rather disconcerting the way that there was no one around. Of course, when someone would walk past, he would deftly duck into the shadows, not wanting to answer questions from the staff about who he was. Dumbledore had assured them that the teachers all knew that the time travelers were Dumbledore’s guests and were not to be questioned, but Harry knew that curiosity most often would override rules.

At least in his experience.

After dodging around a quite younger McGonagall, Harry managed to make it to the kitchens and hurriedly tickled the pear, his stomach growling as he thought of how long it had been since he had eaten. More than twelve hours….another interesting predicament. Harry had woken up this morning to an empty room and a clock that read 11:00 am. Not that he really minded, he probably needed the sleep anyway. He just hoped that Remus and Sirius had gotten enough sleep as well. He wondered where they were.

A house elf rushed up as he entered and he was at once grateful that Dobby wasn’t at Hogwarts yet.

“Can we be getting anything for you, sir?� the squeaky voice asked.

“Do you have just some toast I can take with me? I have to go find my friends,� Harry explained as another elf rushed up with a napkin and 3 slices of toast with butter and jelly.

He smiled and thanked them, stepping quickly out as he munched on the toast, trying to figure out where he should go first. The most obvious place was Dumbledore’s office. He could go try to find his parents quarters, but he had no idea where they were except for the floor.

Making up his mind, Harry headed towards the headmaster’s office, wiping off his hands and throwing the napkin in the trash as all the toast was now gone.

His fast walk quickly got him down the right hall and right as he turned the corner to go to the office entrance, he stopped short, seeing someone walk out of the entrance. Ducking behind a suit of armor until the person passed, Harry squinted, trying to figure out who it was. He scowled as he saw the greasy haired potions professor sneer at the empty hallway and begin walking towards him. Harry moved farther behind the statue, praying that Snape wouldn’t see him. He’d probably assume that he was James and Harry wasn’t sure he would be able to control his temper if he heard that man bad mouth his father any more.

Wait…

Harry frowned. Something was wrong about Snape. He wasn’t as young as Harry had figured he would be. In fact, he looked exactly like he had in Harry’s time.

Great Merlin! Did he ever wash his hair?

The thought snapped into Harry’s head so quickly that he was surprised he hadn’t thought of it before.

Taking a chance, Harry deftly stepped out from behind the armor, carefully gauging Snape’s reaction at seeing him.

“Professor Snape?� he questioned, raising an eyebrow.

Snape stopped short and graced Harry with his customary sneer that he saved for Marauders and their relatives. But then his face immediately dropped and his gaze started darting all around him as he looked at his surroundings. Not quite sure what he was doing, Harry just stood still, trying to look unconcerned and at the same time wearing a look that dared Snape to make one crack about him or his father.

When Snape’s eyes finally rested back on him, he scowled again.

“Potter. No doubt just come from a teary eyed reunion with your pathetic father, did you?�

Harry’s temper flared, but he bit it back and matched Snape’s glare with one of his own.

“No doubt you find it funny to try and screw with the universe for your own amusement, but incase you two haven’t noticed it by now, something has gone wrong.�

Harry’s eyebrows went up a bit, but he tried not to show his surprise.

“And how would you know that, Professor?� Harry bit back. “And to top that off, how did you even get back here? I don’t recall you wanting anything to do with any person in this time right now.�

“For your information, Potter,� his upper lip curled and to Harry’s surprise, he began walking again, so Harry followed, “I was sent here by Albus because he obviously knew that that pair of dunderheads you traveled with wouldn’t be able to do and adequate job.�

Not able to take it any more, Harry whipped out his wand, getting in front of Snape and making him stop as he pointed it right at him.

Snape showed no sign of fear, but he did stop walking and he did increase his annoyed look about ten times over.

“Going to curse me, Potter? How so like your father. He would curse anything on sight. At least you wait for a reason whereas he-“

A bright light shot out and clipped Snape on the shoulder, sending him toppling to the ground before he could say another word. Harry’s eyes went wide and he whirled around to see James Potter standing there, glaring hatefully at the fallen potion’s professor, his wand still in his hand.

Harry glared at his father. “Did you have to do that?�

James walked up beside Harry and though his face softened slightly when he looked at his son, he still had a purely disgusted expression. “Don’t tell me you weren’t going to.�

“I was, and that’s my point. I think it’s the first time that I’ve actually had the guts and the means to do it and you took away my chance.� Harry cracked a small smile and James mimicked him, rolling his eyes.

They both looked over as Snape stirred, starting to stand up. Harry and James both frowned and narrowed their eyes as Snape stood up, holding his shoulder. He stopped dead at seeing both of them and huffed once.

“Bloody Merlin, I must be in hell,� he muttered. “Or is it just a privilege of few to be able to see both Harry and James Potter together.�

“I’d keep your mouth shut, Snivillus,� James hissed and Harry was taken aback by the hatred in his voice. “Unless you want to find yourself on the ground again.�

“Still the same as ever, aren’t you Potter? Of course I’ve had to go through the past five years of teaching your wretched son, so make no doubt that I’ve had my fill of Potters and I need no more of your smart remarks.�

James ignored him and turned to Harry. “He was your teacher?�

Harry nodded reluctantly.

James huffed. “What was Dumbledore thinking? He’s a Death Eater!� James hissed out, pointing to Snape. “Everyone knows that.�

Harry opened his mouth, confused as to why James didn’t know about Snape being a spy, but Snape cut him off.

“I think it would be prudent to save this conversation for a later time.�

Both Potters glared at him, but Harry did agree that he had a point.

“So what are we supposed to do then?� Harry asked him. “Stand here and stare?�

“I suggest we find the headmaster,� Snape said stiffly.

James looked back at Harry, not bothering to acknowledge Snape anymore, probably. “What’s he doing here? He didn’t come back with you guys.�

Harry bit his bottom lip. “I’m not exactly sure. He said something about it going wrong…What are you doing here anyway?�

James’ expression softened. “I came looking for you actually. Both of the Sirius’ and Remus’ are in the hospital wing.�

“WHAT!?� Harry exploded. “And I get told this NOW??�

James grimaced. “Ah, neither of them wanted us to wake you, your Remus and Sirius I mean. They’re not that bad, just a little shaky from the memories?�

“Memories?�

James sighed. “Look, Dumbledore can explain this better than I can.� He turned back to Snape finally who had seemed content to just glare at the two of them as if his gaze would be able to make them disappear. “I suppose you ought to come as well. Though your double is in there as well.�

“My what?� Snape snapped.

“Your younger self,� Harry explained as they started walking.

“Yeah, it’ll be like one big cheery reunion,� James said cheekily. “I’m sure your Remus and Sirius are just dying to see you again, Snape.�

Harry bit back a laugh as he saw Snape stop short at Remus and Sirius’ names, but then trudge forward, muttering obscenities under his breath as he followed the two Potters towards the hospital wing.

Sirius’ head was still pounding as he managed to gulp down the headache potion that Madam Pomfrey had cooked up for him and Remus. After receiving the memories, both Remus and Sirius had been so exhausted that they had practically fainted and ended up sleeping for about six hours. Neither of them had spoken since waking up, but what was to be said? He supposed that this situation could be taken two ways. On the one hand, these new memories and scars were a good sign, showing that they actually were accomplishing what they had planned to accomplish. But on the other hand…

Sirius gulped the last of the potion and turned to watch Remus finish his. He could see by the look on his friend’s face that they both had realized the same thing.

His musings were interrupted by the hospital wing doors opening and three people entering. Sirius immediately forgot about what he was worried about and almost dropped the goblet that he was holding.

“I don’t believe it.�

Harry and James stopped walking and looked up at Sirius, cracks of smiles on their faces as they obviously knew what he was talking about. Turning around to their third party member, they gave him pointed looks.

Sirius, however, was not so polite. He opened glared down the older Severus Snape, cursing that man into oblivion for coming back here and trying to act the hero. His gaze trailed over to the younger Snape who was standing over near Dumbledore by the beds of ‘Sirius’ and ‘Remus’ and who hadn’t seemed to grasp the whole “time-travel� concept yet. ‘Snape’ was looking his older counterpart up and down, as if trying to take off Polyjuice Potion with his eyes. Sirius’ eyes traveled back and forth between the older and younger Snape, realizing that both of them were wearing identical sneers, had their hands curled into fists and neither seemed to have washed their hair within the last two years.

“Dear Merlin, there are two of them…�

He felt like he was going to pass out again but figured that that wasn’t the best thing to do at the moment, especially that there was some major explaining to do on all sides of the room.

Dumbledore, as always, didn’t seem to be phased by the new arrival of the older Severus Snape. In fact, it looked almost as if he had been expecting it.

How in the world did he do that?

“Ah, Severus, so glad you could join us,� Dumbledore said cheerfully, and Sirius noted with a minute sense of relief that Snape seemed to not look so annoyed when Dumbledore spoke. Maybe they would be able to accomplish something as long as Dumbledore was always there. “Why don’t we all sit down?�

With a wave of his wand, Dumbledore conjured several chairs around the room and closed the curtains of the still unconscious ‘Remus’, ‘Sirius’ and Emily. Snape’s eyes flickered to the still forms, but he passed over them quickly and sat down in the nearest chair, farthest away from any of the others.

Remus and Sirius both sat down as well, Harry next to them and James next to him. Dumbledore and ‘Snape’ also took their seats.

Everyone paused for a moment as the eyes traveled across the room.

Sirius sat fuming over his recent bout of bad luck and he could have sworn that his headache was coming back just because he was sitting in the same room as two Severus Snapes. No one should have to suffer that much.

He turned and saw that Remus looked perfectly normal, blast him. He had paled a bit at seeing Snape, but seemed to now be in control of the situation and was whispering quietly to Harry who seemed the least concerned of anyway and looked to be worrying more about Sirius and Remus’ headaches than anything.

James was sitting lazily in his chair, twirling his wand in one hand, his gaze occasionally resting over on the older Snape as if itching to curse him.

Snape looked more like a pouting three-year-old than a full grown man. His arms were folded in front of him and he seemed content to glare at both Harry and James while occasionally fiddling with a bag that was strung on his shoulder.

Dumbledore was looking with a raised eyebrow at everyone in the room, one by one studying them, just as Sirius seemed to be doing.

‘Snape’ couldn’t seem to take his eyes off of his older counterpart. He was frowning still, of course, but seemed to also be scrutinizing him, measuring him up and trying to decide from himself who that man really was.

Sirius didn’t blame him. If he saw his older self and he looked like that, he wouldn’t want to believe it either.

“I believe I’ll begin, as I seem to know more of what’s going on than even our guests,� Dumbledore said carefully as all eyes flickered to him. Sirius had to agree with the old man. He now knew, thanks to the memories, what had happened last night, but he suspected that that was the only knowledge that he held to himself at the moment. Most of the answers today would be coming from Dumbledore.

Dumbledore pulled out a folded piece of paper that appeared to be tattered and looked at many times. Sirius recognized it as the letter he had given to this Dumbledore from his time’s Dumbledore. He had almost forgotten that.

“This,� the old wizard began, “is a letter from myself, to me, and was written approximately fifteen years from now.�

Thankfully everyone seemed to have a good enough grip on the situation that they weren’t surprised, merely curious.

“And it says some things in here that I think everyone should know. For one, I, that is, my future self, did indeed plan on having Severus join us back here if things went ill.�

Everyone turned to Snape, most likely wondering what exactly “went ill� meant. Sirius was, however, surprised to see Snape get a little pale under everyone’s gaze and after hearing Dumbledore’s words.

“Albus is currently unconscious, well, by this time he could very well be dead,� Snape said shortly.

“What!?� Remus was the first to get out and Sirius was startled by his outburst. “What happened?�

Snape shrugged. “No one is quite sure. He was found in the Department of Mysteries underneath a pile of rubble.�

Sirius went quite pale at those words and Remus looked as if he was about to faint. They both turned to each other, ignoring the others in the room who were giving them questioning glances.

“The earthquake-“

“Right as we were leaving-“

“He must have-“

“He got hurt.�

They both whirled on Snape who put on his sneer again.

“He was by the veil?� Sirius questioned quickly. “In the Death Chamber.�

“Yes,� Snape answered shortly. Sirius was surprised by his lack of taunting and derogatory remarks, but he had come to realize that whenever Dumbledore was involved, Snape at least seemed to try and stay civil. The old man’s kindness to the ex-Death Eater had certainly made a large impression on him.

Silence ruled again and the only people who seemed to have the remotest idea what was going on were Sirius and Remus who were still sorting through their own thoughts. Finally, Sirius turned to Dumbledore.

“As we were leaving, just about to go through the veil, in fact, the chamber around us started to rumble, like some type of earthquake or something.�

Remus continued. “We had anticipated that something might have happened to prevent us from going in. After all, we were dealing with Fate here and she doesn’t like to be screwed around with.�

“We knew the consequences, though, and Dumbledore was actually the one who practically shoved us into the veil, leaving him alone in that chamber that was going to destroy itself to prevent us from changing anything.�

Dumbledore looked highly interested, his eyebrows raised and leaning forward in his seat. “So even I knew the consequences and you still chose to come back? For the lives of two people?�

Sirius at once felt like panicking but managed to control himself and looked helplessly over at Remus whose eyes were darting over to Harry who was looking at both of them with interest. Neither of them had explained these finer details with Harry, unsure of how he would react.

Sirius loved that boy like his own, but sometimes, lots of times, he knew that it wasn’t enough.

Remus finally caught his eye. “You want to tell them?�

“They’re going to have to find out sooner or later,� Sirius reasoned.

Still looking doubtful, Remus nodded slightly and Sirius turned forward, not really wanting to face anyone in particular as he spoke.

“The prophecy. We’ve talked about it before.�

He glanced over at Dumbledore and saw the old man nod. Sirius’ eyes darted to ‘Snape’ and felt a pang of nervousness as he saw the young Death Eater. He only hoped that Dumbledore was making the right decision for him to be in on this meeting. Having the older one here was bad enough.

“It’s true that one of our first impulses to go back was to save Lily and James,� Sirius gulped and looked over at James who grinned at him. “But we did our homework, did our research, and came up with a few alternate reasons why we were going to take such a big chance.�

He closed his eyes, gathering his thoughts and taking a deep breath. “In our world right now, Voldemort has just come back for the second time, gathering many, if not all of his followers again, even breaking them out of Azkaban. There are even rumors of Azkaban going under Voldemort’s control within a few months, as the Dementors are becoming so unreliable and unwilling to stay on our side.� Another deep breath…he could do this. “Both Diagon Alley and Hogsmead had been attacked several times over the past few months and Auror numbers are dying down too fast. More and more people are joining his side and are leaving us with few options. Our ministry is in shambles and the only people who seem to be doing the right things are Aurors, who are becoming few and far between. Hogwarts is basically the only safe haven, and we’ve been careful to try and keep these things out of the student’s eyes.�

Sirius spared a glance at Harry who was looking at him with worry and distraught in his bright green eyes. He wasn’t able to maintain eye contact very long.

“The Order is working…but we aren’t making much ground. Our only hope in the moment is in Harry…Harry and the prophecy.�

“Voldemort….� He looked over at Dumbledore. “Over the summer, Voldemort was able to hear the entire prophecy. He knows now just how important Harry is.�

“What?� Harry’s strained voice broke in and Sirius turned painfully to look at him. Harry was staring at him with horror and sadness. “And you just never thought to tell me? About any of this?�

“Harry, you don’t need to-“

“No, Sirius!� Harry yelled, standing up, glaring at him. “I DO need to know! Or have you forgotten exactly what the prophecy says? Have you forgotten that I’m the one who has to beat him?�

Remus stepped in for good measure, but Sirius already knew that he had screwed up. “Harry, you’re already dealing with school and with Sirius dying and then coming back, we thought-“

“Argh!� Harry cried. “I’m so sick of you people thinking? Can you for once think about what it would be like to be in my place? To be told that things that I’ve been told and seen the things I’ve seen and lived the way I lived?�

He whirled on Sirius and Sirius wanted to cry out as he saw Harry’s fuming face and James in the background looking more upset than angry.

“For once, for once I thought I had you two! Two people that I could look up to and trust in and get answers from.�

“We gave you answers, Harry,� Sirius said softly.

“Well…obviously not all of them,� Harry replied coldly before storming out of the room, slamming the door loud behind him and leaving the entire room silent as the grave.

Sirius shakily leaned back in his seat and ran a hand over his face, trying to erase Harry’s cold words and his scathing look.

“That was stupid,� Remus’ soft broke in and Sirius looked over to see his best friend as white as him and shaking slightly. Remus turned to him. “We should have learned our lesson by now, but we still screwed up.�

Sirius didn’t reply, but merely turned to Dumbledore, trying to ignore James’ piercing stare on the back of his head.

“That,� he pointed to the door where Harry had just exited, “is the main reason we came back. That boy…that young man, he needs someone…and I’m not enough.�

“Sirius-“

“Cut it, Remus,� Sirius couldn’t help but snap. “You know I’m right, and stop trying to justify it. Harry can’t get through this with an incompetent, on-the-run Godfather and a loner werewolf.�

He could practically see Remus flinch at his harsh words, and he regretted them the minute they left his mouth. But he didn’t apologize, he kept talking.

“So much went wrong at this time, in this place…� Sirius paused. “We had to come back.�

Silence again and Sirius looked down to the ground, still feeling James’ eyes burning into him, but not quite knowing what to say to him. Dumbledore broke the awkward silence by turning to Snape.

“Severus, perhaps you could tell us your side of the story.�

Sirius grimaced as he looked up at Snape, not really wanting to hear the man taunt him anymore.

“There’s not much to tell. I went to the hospital to see Albus and found some small notes in his pockets that outlines spells and potions and a book for Time Travel. No one knew exactly what Black and Lupin had been working on, but Minerva and I became suspicious when neither of them or Dumbledore or Potter showed up for half a day. We surmised from the notes that it was time travel, and Miss Weasley confirmed that for us.�

“Ginny?� Sirius asked in disbelief. How much had Harry told her?

Snape nodded shortly. “She was at the hospital with Minerva when I got there. Apparently she knew more about what had happened than anyone else. Must have to do with sticking her tongue down Potter’s mouth.�

“Watch it, Snivillus!� Sirius hissed at him. Merlin, don’t let this start now.

“Now is not the time, either of you,� Dumbledore warned, getting both of them to lean back again. Sirius, however, was still fuming in Snape’s direction.

“There is not much after that,� Snape said, all hint of humanity out of him as he looked once again like his old, greasy, miserable, mean self. “I managed to make the potion and travel back. Though to what purpose I haven’t a clue.�

----

A quick relocation to Dumbledore’s office whittled their party down to just Dumbledore, Sirius and Remus. Snape had agreed to visit with his younger self for a while, neither sure what would come out of it, but both keen on interrogating one another. James had volunteered to go after Harry, who no one knew the whereabouts of, and after trying to catch Sirius’ eye several times and failing, had gone to collect Lily and both of them would look for their future son.

“The memories,� Dumbledore began, sitting down at his desk, “the memories are a strange thing, and I’m afraid that I don’t have many answers for you, only theories, each as unlikely as the next.�

“Well, we’re both pretty much clueless at this point,� Sirius huffed. “You realize it’s like we haven’t changed anything? We both have memories from last night, but we still have the memories from James and Lily dying, from Arianna dying and Emily going missing….nothing….nothing disappeared.�

Sirius sighed. When he received the new memories, he expected…more….more memories, more change more…deletion.

But there was nothing. It was like nothing had changed except they had had one more adventure and that was it. He still remembered his years in Azkaban too vividly for words. He remembered his absolute sorrow and pain the night that he found out that James and Lily were dead…

He remembered Harry’s livid face as he held a wand at his Godfather’s chest, believing him to be the reason for his parent’s deaths.

Dumbledore, surprisingly, just nodded. “Yes, my future self suspected that.�

“Well what does it mean?� Remus leaned forward, as thirsty for knowledge as Sirius. “Does that mean that it didn’t work? That we haven’t changed anything?�

“Oh no,� Dumbledore chuckled, “You three certainly have made some keen changed around here, and for the better if I do say so myself. No, my theory is in two parts. One, that you have made changes, but those changes could still be changed themselves, nothing is certain yet. Two, that for some reason or another someone could possibly undo the changes you have made, making them obsolete.�

Sirius leaned back in his chair, trying to take in exactly what Dumbledore was saying. Remus seemed to be faster.

“That would explain why Harry isn’t getting new memories. If the changes are erased, or the events still happen…�

“He still wouldn’t know his parents,� Sirius finished.

“Exactly.�

“But, Albus, who would be able to change what we’ve done?� Remus wondered aloud. “I mean, I still have memories of finding Emily dead in no less than three days and I know for a fact that she’s safe in the hospital wing.�

A thought came quickly to Sirius.

“Remus, think about it. What went wrong?� He reasoned.

“Well, Peter, obviously,� Remus said slowly, coming to the realization himself. “But we still exposed him. He can’t possibly become James and Lily’s secret keeper.�

“No, he cannot,� both of the younger men turned to Dumbledore as he spoke, “But, you forget what is possible under magic. Strong memory charms are an option, as well as deceiving, which we all know Peter is capable of.�

“Who could be that powerful, though?� Sirius said carefully. “They’ll have to charm all of us and then send us back to the future before tomorrow is over, since that’s when this stuff really begins.�

“Can you think of no one?�

“…Voldemort…�

----

There were plenty of times when James had just wanted to be alone, away from it all and sit and mull over his thoughts. Most of those times had been during seventh year when he had been desperately trying to get Lily to go out with him. So he figured he knew the prime spots for seclusion and could at least find his son…wherever he went.

But it proved harder than he thought.

“I just don’t get it! I mad the map! I should know everything on it!� James said in exasperation to his ever so patient wife who just smirked at him.

“Maybe Harry and his friends found something you didn’t know about,� she jabbed him, smirking. James looked over at her and saw that she had hold of both of ‘Harry’s’ hands and was helping him “walk� with them, ‘Harry’ having the time of his life as he giggled and smiled. James smiled reminiscently and stopped for a moment to watch his son.

Lily must have noticed, for she looked up at him, her smile dropping slightly. “James?�

“Humm?� he replied absentmindedly.

“You’re awfully quiet…did something happen?�

“No,� James said too quickly, standing up and starting off down the hall again, wanting the break to be over and done with suddenly.

Luckily, Lily let it go and the rest of the search was in silence until James finally found him. He was in one of the last places that James would ever have guessed, but as he saw it, he realized somewhat why Harry had come here.

It was a tall tower on the north side of the school that the Marauders actually had discovered, but James never remembered them coming back to it. It was completely devoid of anything magical in it, which always seemed to irk James, wondering why such a plain room would exist in such a magical place. He cracked open the door a bit more, making it squeak a bit and Harry jerked around form his place at one of the windows, surprised.

James frowned and looked back at Lily who was waiting behind him. He motioned for her to stay put and entered the room by himself, carefully closing the door behind him and taking a deep breath, gearing himself up for this. He wasn’t sure he was ready, but he knew from just those few moments in the hospital wing that James was the one person Harry needed right now, even if they only were six years apart, and even if neither of them quite knew why.

Harry looked at him uncertainly and James was at least pleased to see that he hadn’t been crying, merely thinking and watching and waiting. James knew the look, as he had experienced it several times in his life. The more he learned about Harry, the more he wondered how his son could grow up to be so much like him without even really knowing anything about him.

“I thought you might be the one they’d send,� Harry said softly, finally breaking eye contact and going back to leaning against the window ledge. “I don’t think anyone quiet knows how to deal with me anymore.�

A pang of familiar guilt shot through James and for the hundredth time he wished that Harry was younger, young enough that James wouldn’t feel odd giving him a hug and wiping away his tears.

“I take it that the fight in there wasn’t a one time thing,� James asked carefully, coming around to stand by Harry, both of them looking out the window.

Harry blew out a long sigh. “It’s that obvious is it?�

“Well, I do know Sirius and Remus better than anyone else.�

James was surprised when Harry smiled a bit at that, turning to look at him. “Don’t get me wrong,� he turned away again, “they’re both great….more than I deserve I’m sure…�

Frowning at the thought of his son feeling worthless, James kept his mouth shut.

“It’s just hard a lot, like they’re too overprotective, trying to shield me from things that I have a right to know even before they do.�

“Every parent makes that mistake, I’m sure,� James reasoned, remembering how protective he was of ‘Harry’ and Lily. “It’s something I didn’t understand until becoming a parent myself. It’s hard to understand, but there are some things, some people that you protect with your life, no matter what.�

Harry snorted. “I think I know the feeling…I’ve experienced it enough.�

“Have you really?�

Harry turned to look at him, curiosity on his face.

“You say that I died protecting you and your mother, and that Lily died protecting you. Is it so hard to believe that Sirius and Remus, my two best mates, would do anything they could to make you happy?�

His son seemed to consider this for a moment before turning away again. “They make me happy…� it was so soft that James wasn’t sure he was supposed to be hearing it. “Can’t they see that’s enough?�

“I think you have to understand Sirius a bit before making another assumption,� James said after a moment. “He’s my brother, truly, in everything but blood. He was actually the one who got your mom to the hospital the day you were born and then came to get me at work…He’s over at our house constantly to just play with you and be with you.� James smiled as he remembered. “He said he didn’t want you to grow up not knowing who your Godfather was, claiming that that title was the most important he ever had.�

James turned and saw Harry looking at him with wide eyes and he chuckled. “Yeah, I know, hard to see Sirius acting so like his namesake, isn’t it?�

“No…it’s just…� he turned away again. “Never mind.�

James looked at him curiously, but let it go and continued, hoping by some miracle that he was actually getting through to the boy. “Your first word was actually ‘pafoo’.�

Harry actually chuckled. “Really? Now there’s something I never thought I’d learn…�

“Yeah…� James went back to looking out the window, trying to picture his beautiful baby boy and finding it hard to look at the sorrowful teen beside him. “I was so bloody mad….claimed Sirius had been, and I quote ‘corrupting my child’…�

Harry laughed a little louder and James felt his spirits lift.

“The point is, he was like a second father to you, truly, and I didn’t mind it at all. He was my best mate and I wanted him in your life as much as possible. He took that job seriously.�

James looked over just enough to see Harry’s mouth quirk up a bit.

“I have no idea what it would have been like for him to lose me…I can only imagine what it would be like for me to lose him.� He reached over, laying a hand on Harry’s shoulder and the boy looked over at him. “I guess if you should really be blaming anyone it’s me. He feels he has to make it up to me by letting you stay naïve and innocent.�

Surprisingly, Harry’s face fell and he flinched back out of James’ reach, frowning. “Do I look innocent, James? You know the prophecy. You know what I have to do.�

“But that’s just it, Harry!� James reasoned, trying not to think about how Harry had called him ‘James’ and not ‘dad’. “You’re so bent on that being the only reason for your existence! Don’t you see what Sirius and Remus are trying to do?�

He took two steps forward; laying a hand on his son’s shoulder and making Harry look up at him.

“They’re showing you that you’re not just the bloody Boy-Who-Lived…but that you’re Harry Potter, the son of their best friend, and you’re their whole world right now and you deserve to live just like any other kid in the world.�

James thought Harry would break down there, but all that came out was a single, solitary tear that railed down his right cheek.

“But I’m not just any other kid,� he whispered. “I can never be…�

“Harry…� he finally did it and pulled his son into a fierce hug, elated as Harry testily wrapped his arms around him, holding him back. “That’s what they’re trying to change, son. We all are…�

“I assume this was your idea?�

“What makes you say that?�

“Obviously Dumbledore is trying to get you to convince me to be a spy. I’ll tell you now that it’s not going to work.�

Severus stopped, scrutinizing his younger self and once again feeling quite…weird. There was no other word for it. This was just a weird position to be in.

‘Severus’ didn’t seem to be intimidated by his older self and Severus could see why. They were both still the same height and seemed to be wearing the same black robes. The only differences that Severus noticed was the years had not yet lined his younger self’s face. His accursed grey streaks that were starting to show also set him apart from his younger self.

He racked his brain, trying to think of himself at this age, at this time of his life. He remembered the absolute horror at the first time he had betrayed the Dark Lord and not gotten caught. It had been during a routine raid of a muggle village. He had been instructed to go find the two adults in a house and upon finding them had gotten them to safety rather than taken them to Malfoy or Bellatrix. Claiming they had already gotten away, he breathed a sigh of relief and took his first steps to become exactly the opposite of what he had been.

He raised an eyebrow at ‘Severus’ and seemed inclined to glare, but could not bring himself to act bitter towards him. “Do you know who I am?�

‘Severus’ didn’t seem to yet share Severus’ ideas of common courtesy to one another and frowned, glaring at the older version of himself. “I know who Dumbledore says you are, and those other people in there. Give me one good reason I should believe it.�

Severus thought back to his knowledge at this time. If he was correct, he should know by now…

“Tell me, Severus, how much do you know about the Time Redo potion?�

They had begun walking again and though Severus hadn’t the faintest idea where they were headed to, he didn’t give it much thought. He seemed to be fascinated by the absolute immaturity and cockiness of his younger self. Surely he hadn’t been like this?

Matching his earlier expression, ‘Severus’ gave him a doubtful look. “The one found in Merlin’s book? You meant to tell me it actually works?�

“By itself, no,� Severus replied. “However, mixing it with Greatest Wish and dropping the date in achieves the affect.�

“And you did this?� ‘Severus’ didn’t sound convinced in the slightest. “I did this?� He shook his head. “Time travel is impossible. If you were really me, you would know that.�

Severus raised a curious eyebrow. “Why?�

The younger man gave him his most hateful look yet and they both stopped walking. “Why? Why ask me? Don’t you know?�

Then it hit Severus and he mentally slapped himself, wondering why he hadn’t thought of it before. “The Dark Lord.�

“Exactly,� ‘Severus’ sneered, looking him up and down. “The Dark Lord has had me working on a time travel potion for the last year and it’s not possible. If it was, I would have found it by now.�

Severus narrowed his eyes, getting annoyed with…himself? Was that even possible. “Cocky little Slytherin, aren’t you Severus?�

“You would know,� ‘Severus’ bit back, walking away again. “I’m not going to sit here and listen to this. You’re mad, the lot of you. It was a mistake coming to Dumbledore in the first place.�

Reaching out quickly, Severus grabbed his arm, stopping him and holding tight so he wouldn’t be able to go away. “I’m beginning to wonder how Albus put up with me at this age. Don’t ever call that a mistake.� There was more malice in his voice than he had expected, but it thankfully seemed to get the point across. ‘Severus’ stopped, turning to him with a faint hint of caution on his face.

“So you’re a spy now, are you? Sticking your neck out everyday for people like Potter and Black? People who don’t even think you’re worth being in existence?�

That comment did hit a point with Severus, but he managed to keep his temper in check as he was remembering more and more how hard those first few months were as he was a spy. Merlin, he wouldn’t wish that on anyone, but now looking back over the years, not months, he had to admit that it had all been worth it, even if he hadn’t seen it way back then.

“There’s more to this war than just you, Severus.�

“Like who?�

“Albus for one.�

“You sound like his bloody lapdog!� ‘Severus’ growled, ripping out of Severus’ grip. “What has that man ever done for me?�

“He hasn’t done much for you, yet, but he’s done more for me than any person alive,� Severus tried to explain, keeping his temper in check again.

“So that’s why we turn, is it? Albus bloody Dumbledore does us a favor and we feel the need to repay him?�

“Severus!� Severus reached out quickly, grabbing his younger self again and holding tighter this time. “You’ve already turned! Can’t you see it?�

Silence for the first time in minutes resounded through the hallway and Severus had to hold his breath to keep from shaking. Something was happening in his mind. He was remembering, but not remembering what he was used to remembering. Vaguely he tried to think about what had been the final straw that convinced him to be a spy, and he couldn’t recall much more than one day he didn’t want to and the next, he did.

His head started to ache softly, but he ignored it.

‘Severus’ on the other hand seemed to finally have gotten some sense knocked into him and was looking at Severus as if he had never quite seen anything like him before. It was almost like he was in shock.

Severus grinned evilly as he recognized the look, as he had worn it himself on several occasions. ‘Severus’ realized he was telling the truth. Of course, Severus had no recollection of ever meeting his so-called “future self�, but he could imagine that his reaction would be about the same.

“You know it,� Severus said in a low, cold voice. “Now I’d appreciate it if you would stop acting like the cocky death eater that I know you’re not and listen to me for a moment.�

He pushed ‘Severus’ away slightly, trying to get his temper in check as he began to think about how this was, in essence, him, and he probably had no right to be scolding him. ‘Severus’ still seemed shocked though, and he just stood there, as if he didn’t believe what he was hearing and seeing.

“Listen, you have to understand….� He suddenly felt his throat go dry and he licked his lips. How in the world was he supposed to say this? The next twenty years are going to be hell for you, Severus, but don’t worry because it’s all worth it in the end.

Right.

“You don’t know what all is going to happen in the future. I do. This is the right choice to make.�

‘Severus’ cocked his own disbelieving eyebrow, but did not turn away. “Why should I listen to you? You don’t look exactly at the pinnacle of happiness.�

The old potions professor wanted to flinch at those words, but he knew they were true and calmly took a breath, trying not to lash out at himself again.

“You’re making assumptions when you don’t know the whole story.�

‘Severus’ narrowed his eyes. “And you know the whole story? You know exactly how I’m going to change from me to you and you’re telling me that’s the right choice to make? Somehow I don’t see the lines connecting.�

“My point exactly,� Severus said through his teeth. “You don’t see the lines, but I do. They connect, believe me.�

The younger man still looked doubtful and he crossed both his arms in front of him and glared at Severus. “So you’re saying that you became a spy? You turned…..I turned.� He paused for effect. “Why?�

That was the last question Severus wanted to answer at the moment. “I…I can’t remember.�

“Convenient,� ‘Severus’ hissed out.

“So you’re just going to break away from the Dark Lord! Just like that!� Severus finally exploded, not able to keep it in any more. “Listen, I know what he does to those who defy him. Ever think that maybe I was thinking of myself when I turned? Ever think that maybe I was saving my own skin when I started to spy?�

“What about Dumbledore?� ‘Severus’ shot back. “What makes you so loyal to him? I saw you in there. Black and Lupin still seem to annoy you, but you act like Dumbledore’s your savior.�

Severus kept quiet, racking his brain for the proper response. Unfortunately, he didn’t realize that that was as good as a defeat for his ever-so-Slytherin younger self.

“That’s something that you have to find out for yourself,� his voice shook slightly as he spoke. “But believe me when I tell you that it was worth it.�

“All of it?�

“Yes.�

-

Harry heard his father knock softly on Dumbledore’s door before admitting them both in. He saw Sirius and Remus sitting in front of the Headmaster’s desk, an empty chair next to them. Sirius tried to smile at Harry, and Harry gave him a small smile in return, but couldn’t manage much more as he thought about the last words his father had told him.

“Dumbledore wanted to just speak to you and Sirius and Remus,� James had said quickly as he led him up the headmaster’s stairs. “You have to promise me that you’ll think about what I said and try to give Sirius and Remus the benefit of the doubt. They’re trying Harry. You try too.�

Harry had given his father a halfhearted promise before falling silent, contemplating exactly what the headmaster wanted to talk to him about. He thought about Dumbledore’s words the night before.

"Do not think that you have made a mistake in coming back. I have been doing some thinking about your predicament, and yours as well, Harry. When next we get the chance, I will want to meet with the three of you to discuss some of your options and some of my theories on the matter.�

No one spoke as Harry went over to the empty chair on the side of the room and practically collapsed in it. James had followed Harry and reached over, squeezing his shoulder once. Harry looked up at him, smiling gratefully before turning away. In response, James glanced over towards Sirius and Remus, offering them a thankful smile before going out the door again and leaving the time travelers alone with Dumbledore.

“Harry?�

Out of the corned of his eyes, Harry saw Sirius open his mouth as if to stop Dumbledore, but then close it again. Harry was grateful. Maybe he would get some information out of this conversation, real information.

“Yes sir?� Harry seemed to finally have gotten a hold of himself and was looking at Dumbledore calmly, ignoring both Remus and Sirius as they looked at him uncertainly.

“Have you felt him here?�

Harry felt his heart skip a beat, wondering how on earth anyone knew about that. He knew exactly what and who Dumbledore was referring to, but he had no desire to talk on the subject. Unfortunately, that seemed to be the topic that Dumbledore had called him here to talk about, so Harry nodded briefly, trying to ignore Sirius’ downcast face.

“Sirius and Remus have explained a bit to me about your connection to him,� Dumbledore explained, “And I have explained a bit to them about the prophecy. Would you like to hear my theory?�

Harry glanced over to Sirius who gave him a small nod of encouragement.

“Please.�

Dumbledore leaned back slightly in his chair, but his gaze did not deviate from Harry’s. Finally he spoke.

“The Prophecy exists in both times, Harry.�

“I know that, sir.�

Another pause. Dumbledore seemed to be trying to choose his words carefully.

“In both times, the prophecy tells us that you and you alone can beat Voldemort. If your guardians have been telling me the truth, he seems to have tried to kill you on several occasions already with no success.�

Harry nodded stiffly.

“In this time, however, he hasn’t attacked you yet, he also has no ‘marked you as his equal’, as the prophecy also states. Despite these things, there is still a prophecy, and although you are not a part of this time, it is still referring to you.�

Harry had to wonder where he was going with this, but he didn’t wonder for too long.

“Time and Fate are complicated things to understand, Harry,� Dumbledore said gently. “But I, for one, believe that everything happens for a reason.�

The thought seemed to strike Harry quicker than ever and he was surprised that he had not thought of it before.

“You think I can defeat him,� he said bluntly. “You think I can defeat him in this time line.�

“Yes…Yes, Harry, I do.�

“But, Professor Dumbledore…� his words shook ever so slightly. This was not part of their plan…whatever plan that might have been, “Even if I do defeat him, in this time line I mean, would that really work? I mean, if I defeat him then in the future when the Harry in this time line is sixteen he won’t have any need to go back in time and defeat Voldemort and so he’ll never really be defeated-“

“Whoa, Emeralds, don’t hurt yourself, there,� Sirius said quickly. “You’re thinking too far into it.�

“Am I really, Sirius?� Harry said back quickly. “You said it yourself; time isn’t the most stable thing.�

“Exactly, Harry,� they both turned to Dumbledore. “We can’t know the outcome of everything.� The old wizard’s blue eyes were sparkling and Harry had to wonder how exactly he seemed to act so calm. “But what we can do is do our best with what we have, where we are.�

Harry gulped, feeling a bit more scared but squaring his chin against his fear as he turned back to Sirius. “I can do that, sir.�

-

“Pettigrew!�

Peter lifted his head up weakly, trying to fight off the dizziness he felt as he moved. Merlin, how long had he been in here? It must have been a week at least.

“Get up, rat.�

A sharp kick in the ribs and Peter winced at the contact, scrambling away as best he could but still not having the strength to stand.

“It’s only been a day, Pettigrew. Amazing, isn’t it? What Dementors can do when they have a bit of fun?�

Lucius Malfoy’s taunting voice shook Peter almost as much as he had when the Dementors had been guarding outside his cell. Only a day? Peter shivered at the thought. If a single day had been this bad, he couldn’t imagine what it would be like to stay here indefinitely.

“Get up!�

A rough hand pulled him finally to his feet and he was still shaking as they proceeded to drag him out of his cell. He could make out Malfoy’s form walking in front of him and figured that Nott had to be the one that was dragging him. He tried clumsily to walk himself, but it only resulted in Nott grabbing his arm harder. His legs were getting scrapped on the ground, but he decided to stop struggling, deciding that it was inevitable in the end.

Finally he was thrown onto the ground, a door slamming shut behind him. He looked up, shaking as he saw the Dark Lord standing in front of him, several, if not all, of his death eaters standing in the room as well. Peter suddenly started to feel like the small rat that he was.

“Peter,� Voldemort purred, “so nice of you to join us.�

Peter didn’t dare look up. He felt the Dark Lord probing his mind once again and didn’t dare fight him.

He could see Voldemort feet as he stood up, walking towards him a bit before stopping and then turning towards all the other gathered Death Eaters.

“The three we are after go by the names of Sirius Black, Remus Lupin and…Harry Potter.�

Peter shivered at the malice in Voldemort’s voice as he said Potter’s name.

“Bring them to me…alive.�

There was a great whoosh of cloaks and several sounds of disapperation before the room was once again silent and Peter was terrified to be completely alone with Voldemort who leaned down. Drawn by magic is seemed, Peter looked, horrified, into the Dark Lord’s emotionless gaze.

“Well, Wormtail…are you ready to prove yourself to me again?�

-

‘Sirius’ had to blink several times before he figured out where he was. Two more blinks later, he was considering crying out in pain when he realized how much his head was hurting. All he managed thought was a muffled groan, which was enough to bring a frantic James Potter over to his side.

“Sirius! Oh, thank Merlin!�

James pulled him into a quick hug that made ‘Sirius’’ aching muscles protest just a bit before he managed to pull back.

“Blimey, James! Give the man some room to breathe!�

‘Sirius’ shook the stars out of his eyes and managed to focus enough to see a pale ‘Remus Lupin’ grin down at him. He squinted, the throbbing still painfully obvious on the back of his head and without saying anything, he gingerly reached back, startled as he felt a long line of raised skin along the back of his head.

“Oh, right,� James’ voice broke in again and ‘Sirius’ turned to him, confused. “Dumbledore said that you would have a scar there. After all, your double does.�

‘Sirius’ followed James’ gaze and saw his older self dozing off on a nearby chair.

“Wha – what happened?� he coughed out, wondering why his throat was so dry. A glass of water was shoved into his hand by ‘Remus’ and he saw both their faces turn slightly grave.

“Well, we’re not exactly sure,� James admitted. “You’ve been out for a good two days and….well, the older Sirius didn’t want to talk about it.�

‘Sirius’ frowned, remembering what had happened, but most of all, remembering the green light that shot towards him. He coughed in the water, only able to drink a few sips before ‘Remus’ grabbed it out of his shaky hand.

“Where….where’s Emily?�

“She’s fine,� ‘Remus’ said carefully. She and I both woke up yesterday.� ‘Remus gave ‘Sirius’ a pointed look. “What happened? How in the world did you get us out of there?�

“Long story,� ‘Sirius’ said dryly. “It’s not important…� he glanced towards James and then over at Sirius who was still sleeping fitfully in the uncomfortable chair. “Any word on Arianna?� Merlin, he didn’t want to hear the answer to that.

“No,� James said softly. “Sirius…he said we should wait for you to wake up. It’s a lucky thing you did though. You got a letter from your dad today.�

‘Sirius’ turned to James in shock as James pressed a crumpled piece of paper into his hand. He looked at him questioningly.

“Yeah, sorry about that,� James said apologetically. “He,� he motioned to the sleeping Sirius, “wasn’t exactly thrilled when he read it. He wouldn’t let any of us read it though. Only you.�

Sirius frowned, his head and now his heart pounding heavily as he tensely opened the black parchment.

Son-

You know as well as I do that I have her. I would advise you to not try anything, as I am currently in the Dark Lord’s good graces since your brother joined his ranks. I should think you would be ashamed to be outshined by your younger brother, but I supposed status has never mattered to you, especially since asking a filthy mudblood to be your wife. Make no mistake that I will not hesitate to harm her. I won’t, however, kill her until you give her death sentence.

Bring me your answer to the basement of 66 Bishop’s Mews by Friday.

- Your Father

Everything down to the last two words seemed to ignite the fury inside of ‘Sirius’ and, following his own example, he crumpled the paper in one hand. As if that wasn’t enough, he pelted it across the room, purposely hitting the sleeping Sirius straight in the face.

Sirius jerked awake quickly and ‘Sirius’ was the first one to catch his eye as he looked up. Sirius followed his eyes down to the crumpled parchment on the ground and seemed to take in the situation instantly. His eyes flew back to ‘Sirius’’.

“Is that the same note he sent you?� ‘Sirius’ wanted to shout, but he couldn’t.

Sirius could only hang his head in sadness and ‘Sirius’ finally felt his tears of anger and fear begin to fall.

-

A/N: I am going to say this: As no one really knows the true "ethics" of time travel, I'm having to create this on my own. Believe me when I say that it will all make sense in the end and try not to bombard me with questions about time travel and the potential consequenses. Believe me, I know them and I've asked myself them more times than I can count. Next chapter up soon!

Sirius had never been a patient person. His one major pet peeve was sitting around while others did the work, or played the game or, at the very least, got into trouble.

It took all his willpower not to leave the castle and go get Arianna himself.

But it wasn’t his place, no, he knew that much. But sending out his two young versions of his best friends and his younger self took all the willpower that Sirius had.

It was all up to them at the moment.

And all Sirius could do was sit…sit and wait.

-

They crept silently….stealthily, towards the run down house on the almost completely abandoned street. Three Marauders. That had been Sirius’ great plan.

‘Sirius’ himself could see it working, as he had the same impossibility thinking as his older counterpart. But he also could see it not working, as all plans go, and so he still had doubts.

Neither James nor ‘Remus’ had yet to make any smart comments about the impossibility of the plan, for which ‘Sirius’ was grateful. Even with Emily still lying very weak in the hospital bed back in Hogwarts and Arianna in Cetus’ clutches, ‘Sirius’ had to have the faith that things would still work out. The time travelers had been optimistic when the Young Marauders had left, but ‘Sirius’ could see the fear in his older self’s face and his silent pleading that all would go off smoothly.

Well, ‘Sirius’ didn’t have to be told twice. This plan was either going to come off without a hinge, or he knew right now that he wouldn’t be able to comprehend the consequences.

Finally making it to number sixty-six, all three of them paused in the shadows of the flickering streetlamp.

“Ready?� Sirius whispered without looking back at the other two.

-

The words all blurred together on the page that Harry was trying to read and he felt his headache becoming increasingly worse. The eerie silence of the school was unnerving to him and he could practically see the shadows from the tall walls of book jumping out to grab him.

Glancing at his watch once more, Harry sighed deeply, wondering just how far along ‘Sirius’, ‘Remus’ and James were. According to plan, they would just be getting to the house.

Though Harry knew from experience, that things like this rarely went according to plan.

-

They began systematically checking the house, careful to not use traceable spells. ‘Sirius’ and ‘James’ handled most of this, being experienced because of their Auror training. They found that Cetus must have at least had some dignity, as there appeared to be only two people in the building.

‘Sirius’ prayed that one of them was Arianna.

Finally, after doing as much as they could in ways of protecting the house and ‘Sirius’ they split up: ‘Remus’ staying in the shadows in the front and keeping a watch, and James tracking around to the back, staying in clear view of a basement window so that ‘Sirius’ could send him a signal if things went wrong.

But most of the plan was left to ‘Sirius’ and he entered the house cautiously, hoping with all his might that he would be able to pull this off.

-

Remus sat in a chair in the hospital room, exhaustion covering his face as he continued to stare out the window into the dark Friday night. He turned slightly when he heard something, but saw that Emily had merely groaned in her sleep softly.

His eyes moved all the way down to her face and he felt another jolt of anxiety as he saw her tattered frame. Yes, she had woken up, but she still hadn’t said a word and she had fallen unconscious again almost twelve hours ago, Remus keeping a silent vigil by her bed as the memories from his time with her flooded back into his mind.

He moved his hand to cover hers, giving it a soft squeeze that she didn’t return.

His eyes moved back to the window and he sat still again. Waiting.

-

“Hello, blood traitor.�

‘Sirius’ at once had to stop himself from lashing out as he heard his father’s voice. He hadn’t communicated with his father in nearly three years and thrust into such a perilous situation with him was not only trying his patience, but his temper.

There was a reason he had run away all those years ago.

“You’ve got a lot of nerve,� ‘Sirius’ hissed out, furious with the man who now stood before him. The Blacks might have been more human than Voldemort, but Sirius still had trouble thinking of them as living, breathing human beings. They certainly had never acted like it. “Prey upon the weak to control the powerful, is that Voldemort’s new teachings to you?�

Cetus stepped out of the shadows, chuckling deeply at his son’s temper no doubt. “Weak? I’d hardly call the Mudblood weak, blood traitor. No, she did put up a good fight, but we all knew who was going to win in the end.� He snapped his fingers and two torches sprang to life behind him, illuminating a bloodied and beaten Arianna, crumpled on the floor.

‘Sirius’ cried out, starting to rush towards her, but was blocked by a magical shield five feet from where she lay. His eyes were wild and wide as he simply looked at her, almost shouting for joy as she moved slightly, moaning in pain.

“I don’t like to beat around the bush,� Cetus said carelessly, coming up behind ‘Sirius’ and grabbing him by the shoulder to spin him around.

‘Sirius’ eyes were filled with tears when he locked eyes with his father and he suddenly felt unyielding fear well up inside of him, the entire plan rushing out of his mind as he hurriedly fought to remember the things that Sirius had told him.

“He taunted me for almost thirty minutes before he actually…before he killed her. Taunted me by torturing her…� Sirius voice cracked. “If you want to save her, you’ve got to figure out a way to keep his attention on you and not her.�

Cetus laughed at ‘Sirius’’ tears. “Why so sad, Sirius? She’s only a mudblood after all…�

Before ‘Sirius’ could react, Cetus had already started the taunting and Arianna’s screams tore through his heart.

-

Lily watched ‘Harry’ play in front of her, watching, but not really watching.

She thought of Arianna.

She thought of Sirius.

She thought of James.

She thought of Harry.

“Mommy?�

She turned to ‘Harry’s’ small voice and found him to be right in front of her, holding out one of his magical blocks for her to take. She smiled at him slightly, taking it and holding it out so that he could take it back if he wanted. Maybe it was all babies, but ‘Harry’ always seemed to have a hard time deciding what toy he wanted to play with and what toy he wanted her to play with.

‘Harry’, though, seemed to be in rare form today and merely toddled off again, going back to the rest of his blocks. Her eyes followed his movements and she felt them filling with tears as he babbled on and on to himself and his toys, not realizing anything

Not realizing anything.

As he broke out into childish laughter about a tower of blocks falling down, Lily hung her head, tears flowing freely down her face and her shoulder bobbing as she sobbed.

-

“STOP IT! LET HER BE!� ‘Sirius’ cried out, cursing loudly and practically tackling his father, turning his wand away from his fiancé, dying inside as he heard her lingering whimpers and sobs, even though the curse had been lifted from her. ‘Sirius’ wanted to sob himself, realizing for the first time why it had been so difficult for Sirius to remember the details.

‘Sirius’ wanted to forget already.

Cetus just chuckled again, pulling away from his son and smiling evilly at him. “You know, your mother and I never understood you, from the first time you could walk and talk. We had always wondered what we had done wrong.� He was talking in a mocking voice, acting as if it was ‘Sirius’ who had strayed down the dark road.

‘Sirius’ had turned again and had both his hand up on the invisible shield that kept him from Arianna. His mind was racing. Sirius had said nothing about a shield. In fact, several times Sirius had mentioned that he had taken curses for Arianna, that is, until Cetus had bound him to a chair and made him watch. He was also racking his brain, trying to figure out how Cetus’ curses made it through the shield, but ‘Sirius’ himself couldn’t.

“I guess I was just lucky enough to not listen as a child,� ‘Sirius’ bit back, turning to face his father once more, deciding to not give him the pleasure of seeing his son so heartbroken.

Cetus smirked. “Distracting will not help you. Or her.�

He fired off another Crucio, and this time ‘Sirius’ was ready for it. He threw himself in line of the red light, trying, but failing to bite back his screams as an unforgivable curse struck his body.

-

James used all his willpower not to rush into the house as he heard ‘Sirius’’ screams echoed from the house. Hearing Arianna’s screams had been bad enough. This was driving James crazy and he didn’t know how much longer his willpower would hold out against his loyalty to his best friend.

He tried to distract himself by glancing around the darkened woods behind the house. As ‘Sirius’’ screams finally stopped, James breathed out in relief and hoped that ‘Sirius’ would be able to get the upper hand soon.

Not soon enough though…

James raised his wand slightly as he saw a shadow of a man creeping its way through the forest towards sixty-six Bishop’s Mews.

-

‘Sirius’ bit back another cry as he was thrown against the wall, stars dancing in his vision as he tried to stay conscious, all the time relishing in the fact that Cetus was now focused on him rather than Arianna. He felt his wand, which was still hidden in a holster on his upper left arm, dig into his side and he started forming a plan as to how he would send James the signal. It had to be when Cetus least expected it, that’s for sure. And for that, ‘Sirius’ needed to taunt him a little more.

“Loosing your touch, old man,� he croaked out, picking himself up off the floor where Cetus had dropped him too and wiping the blood off his lips, trying to look defiant. “You’d never last a minute in the Auror Divison.�

But instead of cursing him again, as ‘Sirius’ had been intending, Cetus turned his wand back to Arianna.

‘Sirius’ tried to jump forward again, but Cetus flicked his wand carelessly, flinging him into one of the rickety chairs and causing ropes to spring up, binding him to the chair.

‘Sirius’ could only cry out in horror as Arianna’s screams filled the air again.

-

Dumbledore paced his study, careful to not let his footsteps make a sound as he reviewed the plan again, trying to rationalize his decision to let the three boys go on their own. Sirius had pointed out that if ‘Sirius’ brought back-up, Cetus would most likely kill Arianna instantly. Also, the fact that Sirius had tried to curse Cetus on sight when he had gone through this and that had only resulted in a destroyed wand before Sirius had a chance to do anything of value made reason for ‘Sirius’’ wand needing to be hid.

A soft trill from Fawkes brought him out of his musings and he padded over to the beautiful bird, reaching up to stroke his long feathers softly. Fawkes trilled again, bringing a wave of comfort that washed over Dumbledore as he stood alone in his office.

A distant cry from a wolf caused Dumbledore to look back out of his window into the still August night.

Albus Dumbledore considered himself a relatively clever and smart man, able to read people and situations quite easily due to his years of experience. But if anyone had asked him days ago what he would be doing, he would never have imagined this.

Anything but this.

-

The last time that ‘Sirius’ could remember doing wandless magic had been right before his fourth year, accidentally, but purposefully, making his mother go mute for a while day and causing his father to be able to speak in nothing but bubbles. He had received such a terrible punishment for it that since then he had never allowed himself to get so wound up. It only ended bad.

But he couldn’t hold his power back anymore. For almost a full minute Arianna’s screams had torn him to shreds and he knew that if he didn’t stop it soon he was going to pass out from the mixture of fear, hate, anger and rage.

So he wasn’t too surprised as the ropes binding him shrived away from existence and how a powerful wind swept through the room, knocking both him and his father to the ground.

Thankfully Arianna’s cries ceased.

‘Sirius’ scrambled up, about to reach for his hidden wand before saw a wand pointed directly at his heart and he looked up, seeing his father’s fuming face glaring at him.

The tricks were done. Time for the trump card.

-

Remembering his Auror training, James managed to stay unseen from the shadow until he knew he could surprise him. His wand was continually trained on the form and only lowered after James fired off a stunning spell and rushed forward as the figure dodged it easily, like he knew it was coming.

Too frustrated to be startled, James used the old fashion method and leapt on his opponent, wrestling him almost too easily to the ground and only stopping as the person’s hood flipped back and he saw who it was.

“Peter?�

-

“Enough of this!� Cetus bellowed in his face, spewing him with spit. “I want your answer now!�

‘Sirius’ heart raced with fear. “I-I…�

“Sirius….Siri…no…� ‘Sirius’ gasped in horror upon hearing Arianna’s gasping and scratchy voice. He whipped his head up to look at her and they connected gazes for a full second.

Cetus flicked his wand casually over at Arianna, sending a lethal cutting curse that tore through her leg violently and she screamed loudly. On instinct, ‘Sirius’ moved towards her, but was stopped by the sharp point of his father’s wand in his chest.

“Now, Sirius,� he said maliciously, wildness dancing in his eyes that ‘Sirius’ could only compare to insanity. “Your love or your allegiance? Of course if you choose love, it won’t make much of a difference.� He glanced casually back at a sobbing Arianna who couldn’t seem to move. Turning back to ‘Sirius’ he grinned again. “She’ll probably bleed to death anyway.�

Rage like a giant wave tore through ‘Sirius’ and he felt the unseen power of magic crackling in him again as he heard his father’s taunting words. But he did not need the magic, no not this time. Without thinking of the consequences, ‘Sirius’ hand came up faster than lightning, punching his father straight in the face.

-

“Peter?�

James could only gape for a moment as he looked down at the man beneath him. It surely was Peter, his eyes wide in surprise as he looked at James who was poised on top of him. Too late for his liking, James snapped out of it and his fist came up, punching Peter right in the face two or three times before he scrambled up off of him, pulling the ex-marauder up with him and punching him once again for good measure, causing him to fall back to the ground, whimpering in pain.

James was too enraged to care.

“How dare you? How dare you?� He cried in rage, forgetting the detail of secrecy that they were supposed to be taking into account on this mission. All rationality went out the door as James came face to face with Peter, trying to remember why only five days ago they had been best friends and now they were sworn enemies.

“James….James, please…� Peter whimpered pitifully, cowering on the ground, his nose bleeding from James’ punches.

But James wasn’t going to fall for it. There was no way. He whipped out his wand again and with a shaky hand, pointed it at his one-time brother, his one-time friend.

-

Cetus obviously hadn’t been expecting ‘Sirius’ resort to the so-called “muggle technique� of fighting back, so he practically went down with one punch. His head jerked violently back and though he didn’t loose grip on his wand, ‘Sirius’ wondered if he was actually going to fall backwards.

But there was no such luck. Cetus recovered quicker than ‘Sirius’ expected and he lunged towards ‘Sirius’ obviously resorting to the muggle technique as well. ‘Sirius’ managed to back away enough to that Cetus could only grab his arm, but that seemed to be enough for the elder Black.

Just as ‘Sirius’ was about to break free, Cetus’ grip tightened forcefully, causing ‘Sirius’ to gasp in pain. Not stopping there, Cetus jerked his arm sharply, twisting it around and forcing ‘Sirius’ to his knees, wincing in pain as his father held his arm behind his back, his nails digging into ‘Sirius’ skin so hard that they drew blood.

Cetus leaned down right next to ‘Sirius’ ear, whispering maliciously.

“Right about now is when you beg me for mercy.�

-

‘Remus’’ head perked up as he heard muffled cries from the backyard and he at once jumped to his feet, forgetting his own watch and rushing towards James.

As he rounded the corner, the first thing he saw was a livid James, standing up tall with his wand pointed downward at a withering form curled up in a ball below him. ‘Remus’ might have called out to him, but he suddenly got close enough to hear the person’s voice.

“Mercy! Mercy, please! James! Please! I didn’t mean it!�

A surge of anger went through his heart, so unlike the calm, collected disposition that he normally had, and ‘Remus’ at once whipped out his wand, running up to James’ side. James turned just barely as he came up to him, but he already seemed to have sensed that it was Remus there and he merely gave him a chilling look before turning back to the sobbing form of their former best friend lying on the ground before them.

Peter seemed positively horrified at seeing both of them there. He seemed to have lost his voice for he simply gaped at them, trying his best to blend in with the ground below him.

James and ‘Remus’ couldn’t seem to find words either. This confrontation had been coming long enough and they both knew what they wanted to do. The only piece missing was…

Both their thoughts were interrupted by a blood-curdling scream from the house behind them. A very familiar scream.

-

“Never,� ‘Sirius’ managed to gasp out as he felt his arm being literally torn in two. He would never have believed his father to be so strong,

He didn’t see Cetus move, but he heard more of Arianna’s screams in the background and Cetus twisted his arm even further, making him gasp in pain again.

“Wrong answer son…�

“Leave. Her. Alone.� He said through gritted teeth, wondering why James and ‘Remus’ hadn’t come in yet. If he hadn’t given the signal by fifteen minutes, they were supposed to take that as a sign that he really needed help. Where were they? Surely it had been at least fifteen minutes?

“You know what I think?� Cetus’ voice purred in his ear.

“What?� ‘Sirius’ spat out.

“I think that even if I kill this girl you won’t turn.� He paused and ‘Sirius’ didn’t dare hope that he was actually not going to kill Arianna. “I think that you’ve been around those bloody Order members for too long, not to mention that Potter boy.� ‘Sirius’ felt his nails dig further into his skin as he said James’ name. “I think that you’re too bloody noble for your own good.�

“How nice,� ‘Sirius’ said sarcastically. “Glad you finally noticed. I was put into Gryffindor you know-“

Cetus growled loudly, jerking ‘Sirius’ back to his feet and cutting off his words. ‘Sirius’ arm groaned in protest and he felt tears come into his eyes at the sharp actions. He tried vainly to jerk away, but Cetus seemed to have more power than he thought and his grip was too strong. Only then did ‘Sirius’ realize that in the kafuffle, Cetus had managed to freeze his other arm so he couldn’t use that one to break free either.

“You’re not my son!� Cetus bellowed. “You will never be my son! A pansy Gryffindor who relies on courage and bravery to save him in every option!� Cetus slammed ‘Sirius’ up against the wall again, half by strength and half by magic. “Where is your Gryffindor bravery now? Where is the courage that will save you from this!�

‘Sirius’ vision was swirling from so many blows to the heard, but he could still make out Cetus shoving the sleeve of his robe up his arm, which was surly broken somewhere and seemed to not be responding to his commands, and he watched in horror as Cetus raised his wand to ‘Sirius’ upper arm and said one cruel word.

Pain beyond pain coursed through ‘Sirius’ arm and through the other parts of his body and as soon as he managed to inhale again, he did the first thing he could think of.

He screamed.

Harry grimaced as he felt his left arm tingle slightly and took a break from his reading to reach down and scratch the pain away. His hand then went up to his scar as he felt another twinge from Voldemort. Over the past hour they had been becoming more and more frequent and his headache continued to grow.

Not quite sure what to think of it, Harry leaned back slightly, trying to clear his mind and remember the rather sparse Occlumency training he had received.

As he took another deep breath, he was assaulted once again with a sharp jab of pain in his scar, so unexpected that both hands flew to his head and he fell out of his chair, loosing his balance.

He hit the floor with a thud, hardly realizing the sharp pain in his side as his scar began to burn more and more intense in his forehead.

He considered crying out and was about to do just that when his whole world suddenly went black.

-

James and ‘Remus’ both whirled towards the house upon hearing ‘Sirius’’ all too painful scream.

Peter suddenly became second priority.

They rushed towards the house, neither seeing and neither really caring as Peter slowly disappeared back into the forest, trying desperately to scramble out of sight.

James lifted his wand, blasting away the locks on the cellar door and throwing the two wooden planks aside as they both scrambled to go help their friend, whatever the cost.

James was the first to enter the room and the sight was awful. Cetus Black was collapsed by the wall, crumpled in a heap and apparently unconscious as he wasn’t moving. His wand lay near him, snapped in half. ‘Remus’ rushed to Arianna who was in an opposite corner, blood already seeping into the floor from a large gash in her left leg and neither could tell if she was breathing.

James, however, scrambled over to the still-as-death form of his best friend. Terrified tears pricked at James’ eyes and he almost didn’t make it to ‘Sirius’’ body. He fell to his knees a foot short, reaching over tenderly and with shaky arms, turned his friend face up and let out a strangled sigh of relief as ‘Sirius’ took in a sharp breath, wheezing and coughing.

“Bloody hell, Sirius…� James whispered, reaching down and propping him up so that his air could flow better. “What happened?�

“Mors…mordre…� ‘Sirius’ coughed out and with just one word, James understood explicitly. He shut his eyes tightly, hoping to stop the tears as he thought of the pain that Sirius had just gone through.

Among ‘Sirius’’ awful memories of his home, was the time, right before he decided to run away, when his father attempted to put the Dark Mark on him. Of course it didn’t work, only Voldemort had the power and control to be able to control such powerful dark magic, but ‘Sirius’ confided in James the immense pain that it was still able to put him through. He had described it like a Cruciatus curse concentrated entirely on your arm and at a point it felt like your arm had been cut off. On top of that, it was like a second Cruciatus over your entire body. After the incident, ‘Sirius’ had run away to the Potters and never spoken to his family again. At least until that night.

James glanced over to Cetus Black’s still form. He turned back to ‘Sirius’. “What did you do to him?�

‘Sirius’ coughed again, shaking his head slightly and James understood that he didn’t exactly know what happened. Sighing, James pulled ‘Sirius’ closer to him, hugging him tightly. “Merlin….don’t do that again, Padfoot…� he whispered, more tears pricking at his eyes as ‘Sirius’’ screamed still echoed in his head. He felt ‘Sirius’ weakly try to hug him back and the gesture made James hold him even tighter.

“James?�

A breathless ‘Remus’ came over and knelt down by James. James looked over at him, not bothering to hide his tears.

‘Remus’’ face was already white and he looked tensely at ‘Sirius’. “How is he?�

“He needs to get to St. Mungo’s,� James said carefully, trying not to have his voice shake as he spoke.

“Arianna has lost a lot of blood,� ‘Remus’ said quietly, bowing his head slightly. James’ head jerked up and he heard ‘Sirius’ whimper a bit at Arianna’s name. His eyes traveled to Arianna’s still form and he saw that ‘Remus’ already had her on a magical stretched and there was a large bandage covering her leg. “We’ve got to get them some medical attention now.�

James turned back to ‘Remus’. “One of us has got to tell the others.� He finally heard his voice crack.

‘Remus’ must have heard the desperation in his voice because he just nodded slightly. “You stay with them, Prongs. I’ll get word to Hogwarts.�

James’ relieved expression gave him all the “thank you� he needed and with one finally last look at ‘Sirius’, ‘Remus’ disappeared up the stairs, on his way to get help. James looked helplessly down at ‘Sirius’’, who now appeared to be unconscious, and at once snapped into action, determined to not let either of them die.

He whipped out his wand carefully conjured a stretcher, lying ‘Sirius’ gently on it, careful to not touch his left arm which hung significantly more limp than his other arm. After linking both Arianna’s and ‘Sirius’’ stretcher’s together, he reached in his pocket, bringing out the portkey that Dumbledore had made for them. He held onto it (a broken pocket watch) with one hand and gripped the edge of ‘Sirius’’ stretcher with the other.

“St. Mungo’s,� he whispered.

And all three of them disappeared from the house, leaving nothing but Cetus Black’s unconscious body and a terrified Peter Pettigrew who continued to run as far away from the house as he possibly could.

-

‘Remus’ knew luck was with him as he ran up the front stairs at Hogwarts and saw the dim outline of an older Sirius Black pacing around the foyer of the grand castle.

“Sirius!� ‘Remus’ shouted, practically out of breath. Why couldn’t they make it easier to get to Hogwarts?

Sirius whipped around, quick as lightning and at once met ‘Remus’ halfway, gripping his shoulder tightly, holding him up as ‘Remus’ struggled for breath.

“Sirius…Arianna, they’re at St. Mungo’s.�

It seemed those were the only words that Sirius needed.

-

“Remus! St. Mungo’s, now!�

Remus was startled by the frantic Sirius black that rushed into the hospital wing, and ever remembering his duties as current best friend, he immediately rose up, going over to calm him down.

“What is it? Are they back?� Remus said quickly. He got his answer immediately as ‘Remus’ followed Sirius into the infirmary and gave him a weak smile that didn’t reach his eyes. Remus frowned, looking back to Sirius.

“What happened? Are they okay?� Remus reached out, grabbing Sirius’ arm to stop him from leaving the room.

“She’s in St. Mungo’s, Remus…Merlin, she’s still alive….� He said frantically. He finally glanced up at Remus. “I’m there too, but I’ve still got to be okay because I’m still alive now and-“

“Sirius…Sirius, snap out of it!� Remus reached over, grabbing both of Sirius’ arms and shaking him slightly to stop his mindless babbling. Sirius did manage to calm a bit, but he didn’t look up at Remus. “You can’t just walk into St. Mungo’s? What are you thinking?�

As much as it pained Remus to tell that to Sirius, he knew that it was true. No matter how dire the emergency got, there was no way that either of them or Harry could step foot into such a public area. It was as good as suicide as the space time continuum would probably explode.

Then again, they had already done a lot to make it bloat just a bit.

He glanced over at his younger self, still getting used to seeing such a young and healthy version of him. “Can you get the Headmaster? And find Harry too if you can.�

‘Remus’ seemed to hesitate for a moment and Remus saw him glance desperately at the still unconscious Emily on the hospital bed. Remus felt a small pang in his heart at the glance, but managed to give ‘Remus’ a reassuring nod.

True to his character, ‘Remus’ let it go immediately nodding back and rushed out towards Dumbledore’s office. Still holding onto one arm, Remus guided Sirius to a chair, making him sit down on it.

“Get a grip, Sirius,� Remus scolded gently. “You gave them all the help you could. You did everything that was possible. Don’t start beating yourself up because they’re in the hospital. Just be glad that neither of them is dead.�

“Yet,� Sirius grunted, holding his head in his hands and staring at the floor.

Remus just sighed, understanding both sides of the coin and deciding to just leave him be. Sirius may have been reckless, but he knew how high the stakes were and he knew that leaving Hogwarts again, for either of them, was just asking Voldemort to find them.

He stood up, walking out of the infirmary and making sure that Sirius didn’t follow. Closing the door behind him, he was just in time to catch Harry running towards him, a terrified look on his face.

“Remus! Remus! He’s here! He’s coming!� The young teen shouted desperately, sweat covering his face as he finally almost collapsed in front of Remus.

Remus caught him in his arms instinctively and tried to steady him, wondering exactly what he was talking about. He opened his mouth to as just that question before his eyes fell on Harry’s scar and his heart dropped.

“Dear Merlin…� he breathed out, hardly daring to realize what Harry was saying. His scar was bright red against his pale feet and Remus could make out remains of wiped away blood lingering near it.

“Remus…Harry!�

Sirius must have heard Harry’s cries for he peaked out of the hospital and immediately rushed over to Harry, putting a hand on his shoulder and helping Remus steady him.

“Sirius…now,� Harry emphasized, pushing away from them to stand on his own and leaving one hand holding his forehead. “He’s coming now…�

Sirius paled instantly, obviously catching on faster than Remus.

Harry was saved from any more questions as a large explosion rocketed the north end of the school, knocking them all off their feet and Remus and Sirius got the gist of just exactly how soon “now� was.

Lord Voldemort was attacking Hogwarts. Now.

-

The wards were never broken at Hogwarts, it was a fact. A fact of life no different than snow fell in winter and flowers bloomed in the spring. And yet something somehow had gotten through the wards without the castles consent.

Albus knew he was the first one to realize it. Of course he considered Harry’s connection to Voldemort and pondered if Harry had seen this coming and if he had, why he hadn’t told anyone?

Nevertheless, for whatever the reasons, Albus knew that the wards had been breached and he was trying to remain calm as he considered his options.

It was still the summer, and therefore he didn’t have students to worry about. In fact, the only people he really had to worry about were the mysterious time travelers, no doubt the main reason the wards had been broken. There was still a sufficient amount of protection around Hogwarts and he wasn’t sure whether or not it would hold the intruders or not. But he didn’t want to take that chance.

He considered going to face the intruders alone, trying to draw Tom (for only Tom would be foolish enough and powerful enough to invade Hogwarts) away from the school. But he knew that was near suicide, even if he showed the full extent of his powers.

He rounded his desk, quickly leaving word with Fawkes for all the remaining staff in Hogwarts to meet him in the entrance hall and hurried there himself. He had rounded the corner when he ran straight into a frantic ‘Remus Lupin’.

“Professor Dumbledore!� ‘Remus’ said in relief. “You have to come quick! Sirius and Arianna are in St. Mungo’s and James is with them!�

Albus hitched in a breath at the news. All he could cling to now was that neither of them were dead. He knew that he had to move fast if he was going to save Hogwarts and his students, past and future.

“Remus, listen to me very closely,� Albus said gravely, starting to lead ‘Remus’ back to his office. “You must go to my office and use the floo to get to St. Mungo’s. If the floo isn’t working, call Fawkes to you and he will take you there.� He paused, seeing the question on the young man’s face before it was asked. “You must get word to the ministry that Hogwarts is under attack.�

‘Remus’’ eyebrows shot up and he looked behind them frantically. “What? Now? But no one can-“

“Lord Voldemort is marching upon this school at this very moment, Remus,� Albus interrupted, not wanting to waste any time. “I cannot leave while Hogwarts is in danger. You must go and get help.�

Dumbledore had not thought of sending someone for help, but since stumbling across ‘Remus’ he had found the perfect opportunity to kill two birds with one stone. ‘Sirius’’ and Arianna’s fate were now in the hands of the healers at St. Mungo's, but Albus knew that both ‘Remus’ and James needed to be there with their friends. Emily was still lying in the hospital wing, but Albus knew that nothing could be done about that knew. She would only fall if Hogwarts fell, and Albus was not going to let that happen any time soon.

‘Remus’ had gone very pale and his eyes frequently darted to the empty hallways around him, but he managed to square his chin and nod sharply towards Albus, understanding his order. For even though Albus was his old Headmaster, he was also the leader of the Order of the Phoenix, and ‘Remus’ would heed his words.

At that moment, sooner than Albus would have wanted, a large explosion rocked the school and both of them were knocked off their feet. ‘Remus’ scrambled up at once and went over to help Albus stand, but he waved the boy away.

“Remus. Go.� He said firmly, ignoring the ach in his side as he propped himself up on the nearby wall and waved his old student away.

‘Remus’ shot him a pained look, but bit his bottom lip and ran off. Albus watched him until he disappeared up the staircase to the headmaster’s office.

-

‘Remus’ scrambled out of the fireplace in the floo room at St. Mungo’s and at once rushed up to the receptionist there who was filing her nails and seemed rather annoyed that he was bothering her, despite that it was her job.

“I’m looking for Sirius Black and Arianna Moore,� ‘Remus’ said quickly, ready to bolt as soon as she told him.

The woman gave him a doubtful look, rolled her eyes and slowly reached down, thumbing through the names on the magical parchment in front of her, her eyes going slower than ‘Remus’ thought was possible.

“Can you hurry, please?� Remus tried through the grit of his teeth, trying to sound polite. This only seemed to annoy her further as he stopped, slowly looking up at him and raising one eyebrow.

She didn’t even say anything, which made ‘Remus’ even more angry. Merlin! It must be a requirement on a receptionist application to be annoying and haughty.

So he just rolled his eyes, backing off a bit which made her look back down again and continue to scan the names.

After waiting an eternity, an amount of time that ‘Remus’ found entirely too long, she looked up at him with a bored sort of expression. “Mr. Black and Miss Moore are in the intensive section of spell damage level 4…�

‘Remus’ cut her off immediately by darting from the room and rushing to level four.

Intensive section….that didn’t sound good at all, though he wasn’t surprised. He was just grateful James had obviously been able to get them here quickly and right into the healers…

He finally reached the fourth floor, ignoring a few calls for him to slow down (“This is a hospital, young man!�) and was right about to step through the doors labeled “Intensive Section� when he was stopped by a tall wizard in Healer’s robes.

“Hold on there, son. You need authorization to get through those doors.�

Already annoyed and more frightened than he cared to admit, ‘Remus’ was about to snap back at the wizard when another voice yelled at him.

“Remus!�

Finally relieved about something, ‘Remus’ rudely pushed past the wizard and met James halfway, startled at his shaking form and white face.

“What’s going on? Are they alright?�

James shook his head frantically, looking like a lost little boy who didn’t know how to react to a situation. “I don’t know. They won’t tell me anything!� He threw his hands up in the air in defeat and went back to sit in the chairs outside of some doors that Remus noticed were labeled “High Risk-Emergency�. He shuddered at the hospital smell, the smell he knew he would never like and never get used to, and sat down next to his friend.

“James…� ‘Remus’ whispered to his friend. “I went to Hogwarts, but Dumbledore just sent me here alone…� James looked up in surprise and ‘Remus’ felt himself start to shake a bit as well. “Hogwarts is under attack, Prongs. Voldemort’s there.�

The news seemed to shock James into a stupor for he didn’t even blink for a full thirty seconds, merely stared at ‘Remus’ as if he didn’t quite hear him correctly.

“Hogwarts….b-but, that’s impossible!� James breathed out. He glanced around. “Merlin, we have to tell someone! They’ll need help!�

“I know,� ‘Remus’ said urgently. “I’ve got to floo call some of the members of the Order, but you stay here and keep me infor-“

He cut himself off as the door next to them clicked open and both of them looked up in surprise as a Healer walked out softly, shutting the door quietly behind her and then turning to face the two of them. ‘Remus’ recognized her as Tanya Higgins, a Ravenclaw five years ahead of them in Hogwarts who had become quite good friends with Lily when Lily had been learning emergency med-witch procedures at the hospital.

The grave expression on her face gave away more than either of them wanted to hear.

‘Remus’ already felt tears in his eyes, not even knowing what was wrong or which friend was possibly gone already, but not being able to hold them back.

“James….Remus…� She acknowledged them both with a short nod which neither returned, not out of rudeness, but out of grief and anticipation of the worst. “Sirius is resting as comfortably as we are able to make him at the moment. He may wake up in two hours or he may wake up in two days. He suffered great trauma under some form of the Cruciatus curse, especially on his left arm which was severely broken and had several torn ligaments…�

‘Remus’ reached over, squeezing James’ shoulder for support as he saw the tears refuse to fall down his friend’s horrified face.

“But thankfully, we are confident that he will be alright after some serious rest and recovery time…�

She paused, paling a bit before clearing her throat slightly and continuing.

“Arianna lost a tremendous amount of blood for a body so frail, revealing days of torture under both the Imperious and Cruciatus curses. Her mind was also shot a bit through the haze that the Imperious inflicted upon her. We…we were unable to stop the blood flow from the large gash in her left leg…�

“She died about five minutes ago.�

Ginny was frankly shocked when Professor McGonagall poked her head into the charms classroom, calling out to Professor Flickwick.

“Excuse me, Professor, but might I borrow Miss Weasley for a moment?� she said shortly, not bothering to wait for the tiny man’s answer before she reached out, grabbing Ginny’s arm and non-ceremoniously dragging her out into the hall.

The door shut quickly behind them, cutting off Flickwick’s chuckle of consent before Ginny found herself being pulled down the hallway.

“Professor? Professor, what’s going on?� she asked uncertainly, not quite sure whether she wanted to know what McGonagall was acting in such a bizarre manner.

“Professor Dumbledore is awake, Miss Weasley.�

----

She still didn’t quite know why she was there, but Ginny was grateful at least that she was able to see her Headmaster looking somewhat alive again. He was still ghastly pale and couldn’t talk very much because of his weakness, but his chuckle was still the same, the one or two times she had heard it, and his piercing blue eyes never ceased to startle Ginny into recognizing his incredible powers.

“You sent Severus back?� Dumbledore was saying softly to professor McGonagall.

Ginny didn’t exactly know what they were talking about, but she had some clue, as she knew that Harry, Sirius and Remus had gone back in time….that must have meant that Snape was sent back as well…

She grimaced, just imagining Harry’s reaction to that little revelation.

McGonagall looked hesitant, an odd look for her, but she recovered quickly, nodding. “We assumed that was your plan….if things went ill…� she stopped, gauging Dumbledore’s reaction. His face didn’t change though, he merely sighed, closing his eyes for a moment and breathing deeply.

“What happened, Albus,� McGonagall whispered. “In the chamber?�

Dumbledore sighed again and opened his eyes. “Fate tried to stop us.�

Ginny frowned at the old wizard’s words. Fate? Was he serious?

“Literally, it looks like,� McGonagall huffed, gearing up to become annoyed again. “Did you never think of the consequences of messing with time?�

“Oh, I have thought of them a lot….many times throughout the past few weeks.� He coughed gently. “Almost as many times as I’ve thought about Harry and the prophecy.�

McGonagall’s eyes flickered to Ginny and it seemed for the first time, Dumbledore noticed that she was there. Or had he always know? You could never tell with that man.

“Ah, Miss Weasley. Yes, don’t worry Minerva. I believe Mr. Potter has already taken the liberty of explaining the prophecy to her.�

Ginny nodded nervously. “Yes sir….right before he left he….he told me.�

“She was the only one who had any remote idea what you four were up to,� McGonagall huffed, obviously ready to completely explode about Dumbledore’s terrible lack of information to her.

“Well, thank you for your help, Miss Weasley,� Dumbledore said gratefully, smiling at her. “At least Mr. Potter had the foresight to tell someone, even if I did not.�

There was silence for a moment, the word “foresight� ringing in everyone’s mind.

“Professor,� Ginny started, practically bursting with questions, but knowing the one that she wanted to….needed to ask. “If they went into the future through the veil…why is it….why is it that nothing has, well, changed?�

Dumbledore let out a weak chuckle. “I suppose that is the penetrating question, now, isn’t it, Miss Weasley?�

McGonagall huffed, but Dumbledore just continued.

“The truth is; I have no definite answer. But I do have two guesses.� He coughed again but was able to scoot himself up a bit on the bed so that he was sitting up more and continued. “No change has happened either because time itself cannot be changed, which would mean that all our work will be in vain. “His voice sounded pained at that thought. “My other guess is that nothing is changing yet because of just what you said before, Miss Weasley.�

“What?� Ginny frowned. Sometimes Dumbledore’s omniscient riddles could be highly annoying. “What did I say before?�

Dumbledore smiled gently. “�Through the veil.’ I don’t know how much Harry told you about Sirius’ return, but the main reason that the spell would actually work was because behind the veil-“

“-time is different.� Ginny finished bluntly, remembering Harry’s lengthy expression about the veil.

“Exactly,� Dumbledore’s eyes were starting to twinkle again, and Ginny could tell that he was hoping that this theory, at least, would be proven correct. “Mere minutes passed behind the veil for Sirius, where months passed in the real world.�

“How long do you think it will be before we feel the effects?� McGonagall cut in, catching on quick.

“It’s hard to tell…� Dumbledore sunk back into the bed, letting out a long breath. “Probably not as long as I’ll have to spend in this hospital bed.� He smirked and gave Ginny a wink, but she didn’t feel much like smiling at the moment.

----

Ginny glared daggers at the books and parchment in front of her, her heart pounding with fright, anticipation, anger and nervousness. In the long run, did it really matter if she got this potion’s essay done? On the one hand, Professor Snape was still gone, and neither McGonagall nor Dumbledore could vouch for him coming back any time soon. On top of that was the fact that any minute, any second, the world as she knew it could be completely changed.

She gulped, pushing her chair away from the table and getting up, flopping onto the nearby couch in the commons room and trying to ignore the conversations all around her.

Just her luck, Hermione flopped down on the couch next to her, following suit and staring into the fire.

“You think he ran away because of us?� She finally whispered after almost a minute of silence between the pair.

Ginny whirled around to face the older girl. “What!�

Hermione reached up, wiping her face and Ginny saw through the firelight that there were streaks of tears running down her face.

“Hermione?� Ginny said in a softer voice.

“Do you know where he is, Ginny?� Hermione said softly, turning to look at her, pure desolation on her face.

“Who?� Ginny breathed out.

“Harry.�

Sucking in a knowing breath, Ginny closed her eyes for a moment trying to get a hold of herself. Merlin, she hadn’t even thought about Ron and Hermione the past two weeks! She hadn’t even remembered that they were Harry’s best friends. They were the ones who were there for him from day one.

They were the ones that had a right to be worried. Ginny felt too much like a wannabe girlfriend.

Without a word, Ginny reached up, putting an arm around Hermione as the older witch began to silently sob, her face in her hands and her anguish going unnoticed by most everyone in the commons room.

“What would he just go?� Hermione whimpered. “Without a word to any of us…doesn’t he know how much we care?�

Ginny felt a silent tear run down her own face. Maybe this was a way to get off her own fears, comfort someone else’s. At least she knew where Harry was, or rather when. Hermione and Ron knew nothing. Speaking of which…

“Hermione….where’s Ron?� she asked softly. The two had been becoming so close over the weeks before Harry left and now that Ginny thought about it, she hadn’t seen the both of them together in a while.

Hermione sat up slightly, seemingly embarrassed about crying, but managed to still look positively devastated, even when she wasn’t trying. She glanced over towards the stairway to the boy’s dorms. “He didn’t come down for breakfast today…� She sniffed and another tear fell down her face. “Merlin,� she breathed out a sigh, trying to get a hold of herself, “we just had this huge fight about Harry and…oh I don’t know!� She hung her head again and Ginny reached up and began to scratch her back in a sisterly kind of way, waiting for her to continue. “Harry was always the glue, you know? I don’t think either of us realized how hard it would be for us to be the golden duo instead of the golden trio…� she took a deep breath. “Neither of us are mad at him but Ron…Ron just doesn’t know how to take it…� she began to tear up again. “He’s scared. He’s scared just like me…�

Ginny didn’t quite know what to say, but she knew that Hermione, at least, had Ron figured out.

“Do you know where he is, Ginny?� She finally repeated, sitting up straight and looking at her right on, tears continuing to fall down her face. She must have seen Ginny’s hesitant face, for she suddenly reached forward, grabbing her arm, her bottom lip trembling. “You have to tell me. Please…please, Ginny…�

“He’s fine, Hermione,� Ginny said softly. She pulled away, trying to ignore, Hermione’s continual silent pleading. Standing up, Ginny glanced down at the ground. “He’s…he’s where he should be right now.�

Ginny was so terrified that she barely felt the tears that were now covering her own cheeks and continually blurring her vision. Not quite able to take it any more, she backed up a few steps before turning and walking quickly out of the portrait hole, practically collapsing in sobs as the picture of the Fat Lady closed behind her. She managed to grip onto the nearby stair railing and hung on for dear life as the sobs racked her body and for the first time since Harry kissed her goodbye, Ginny allowed herself to cry for him.

Lily bit back the desire to scream as she felt the school rocket under an attack. ‘Harry’ was knocked off his feet, but thankfully didn’t cry when he heard the loud noise or when he fell to the ground. Lily rushed over to him, scooping him into her arms and running farther back into their hidden room.

Her thoughts flew to James, praying and hoping that he was safe, whether in or out of Hogwarts. She felt tears running down her face as she began to panic, wondering if this was the way she felt when she sacrificed her life for Harry.

‘Harry’ started to whimper slightly, obviously picking up on his mother’s feelings and wondering what was wrong.

Lily didn’t take the time to comfort him just yet. Reaching the back of her and James bedroom, she tapped a few bricks with her wand, opening another secret passageway that would hopefully lead her and her baby boy farther away from the intruders…whoever they were.

As the door slid shut behind them and they were guided only by the light of Lily’s wand, she prayed with all her heart that they weren’t who she thought they were.

But she knew in her heart that her prayer was in vain.

----

‘Remus’’ head was spinning and he swore that he felt his world turn literally upside down. It wasn’t until he blinked again and saw that Tanya was no longer in front of them that he realized just how long the both of them had been standing there, shell-shocked.

Forcing himself to snap out of it, put of the grieving for the moment, ‘Remus’ walked swiftly away, heading towards the nearest floo station.

Turning back quickly, he saw James still standing perfectly still, not even noticing ‘Remus’’ sudden departure.

I have to get help, ‘Remus’ thought painfully, tears finally falling down his face. Hogwarts needs help…

He was slamming all the doors that he went through, but he didn’t care. He didn’t even care about the rude comments shouted at him for making such a racket.

She was….she…

Not now! He chided himself, finally making it to the communication room and walking quickly to an empty fireplace. He dug in his pocket, almost mechanically and drew out a small knut, slipping it in the slot and being rewarded with a small amount of floo powder deposited in the tray.

Throwing caution to the wind, he bent down, sticking his head into the raised fireplace and dropping the pinch of powder onto the logs. The flames sprang to live and he called out “Gideon and Fabian Prewett, Auror Headquarters!�

At once the office of the two Order Members swirled into existence. ‘Remus’ was relieved to see Gideon sitting at his desk writing something.

“Gideon!� he called out, startling the Auror who swirled in his chair, eyebrows raising when he saw ‘Remus’.

“Remus?� He immediately got up, crouching down to the fire level. “Are you alright?�

“No…� Remus shook his head. “No, I’m not right now, but that’s not what I’m here to talk about. Gideon, Hogwarts is under attack.�

Gideon’s surprise was practically tangible and he jumped back a bit, disbelieving. “You can’t be serious.�

“I barely got out in time. I was able to see the floo be blocked right as I whisked out of there…Dumbledore sent me to get help.�

“How long ago was this?� Gideon had gotten up and was rushing around the room, grabbing things and stuffing papers away.

‘Remus’ hesitated. “Hard to tell, maybe fifteen minutes?� ‘Remus’ felt his hands shaking from the built up tension and he knew his powder was running out anyway. “Look, Gideon, I…I have to go deal with something else right now.� He almost chocked on his words. “But they’re going to need help. Merlin, they need help now.�

“I’m on it, Remus,� he finally grabbed his wand off his desk, shoving it in the holster in his arm and grabbing his Auror cloak with the spells and enchantments to help protect them. He turned, giving the werewolf one last look mixed of disbelief and determination. ‘Remus’ knew he had made the right choice in who to contact.

“Don’t just go yourself,� ‘Remus’ pleaded. “Dumbledore said it was Voldemort himself.�

“What?� Gideon snapped.

“Please, Gideon, I’ve got to go…but please, go help them, please. Much more is at stake here than a children’s school.�

Gideon nodded. “Hogwarts is like a second home to me, Remus, we’ll keep her safe.�

At that moment his floo ran out and he was once again back in the fireplace at St. Mungo’s. He didn’t move though,

“No…it’s much more than that,� ‘Remus’ whispered to the empty fireplace. “Much more than anyone could understand. Even me.�

----

Sirius grabbed Harry, pulling him into the hospital wing, Remus following right behind and slamming the door shut, all of them breathing heavily. They were all deathly silent, waiting.

Harry’s aching moan pulled them out of their shock and Sirius suddenly realized that he was supporting almost all of his godson’s weight. Glancing down, Sirius saw a fresh trickle of blood running down Harry’s face from his scar and Harry’s eyes were shut tight, his body stiffening slightly as he tried to stand, but couldn’t seem to hold his own weight.

Moving fast, Sirius picked him up completely, setting him on the nearest bed. Harry, however, didn’t quite agree with that plan of action. He roughly pushed Sirius back, scrambling off the bed.

“Harry, stop it! You’re not strong enough-“

“Shut it, Sirius,� Harry growled back, his face still etched in pain as he waved off his godfather’s worry. “He’s coming here.�

“What?� Sirius and Remus said at the same time.

They were answered by the door bursting open. Lord Voldemort had arrived.

----

If it weren’t for the constant pain in his forehead, Harry wouldn’t have had any clue who the man in front of his was. Voldemort looked nothing like the ghost of a man that Harry knew from his time. The man in front of him was most definitely human, his sharp and fairly pale features gave him a sort of aristocratic air, and his head of dark black hair made Harry think of the Tom Riddle he had met in the Chamber of Secrets all those years ago. He was easily able to make the connection between the two.

Voldemort was grinning wickedly, two Death Eaters on either side of him who were both staring with wide eyes at Harry.

“Harry Potter….� Voldemort’s voice wasn’t any different, and Harry cursed the day he first heard it. “I’ve been anticipating this meeting for quite some time…�

“I’ll bet you have,� Harry sneered back, blinking the stars out of his eyes as his head continued to pound. How was he supposed to be able to fight when he couldn’t even see straight? “Always helps to have a rat around to do your dirty work.�

Voldemort chuckled. “It always amazed me that nobody figured it out before. Pettigrew does seem the type, doesn’t he?�

Harry’s head finally seemed to be getting a hold of itself and he stood up straighter, not replying to Voldemort’s taunts. He glanced quickly to the death eaters, but could not make out their faces as they were wearing masks.

“The One with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord…..tsk, tsk, is that really you, Harry Potter?� Voldemort began walking toward him and Harry saw Remus and Sirius both jump in front, their wands steadily pointing towards the Dark Lord. He stopped walking, raising an eyebrow at them. “Sirius Black if I’m not mistaken and…ah, Remus Lupin too, of course.� He smiled. It would have been a welcoming and cheerful smile on a normal person, but on his face it just looked evil. “Come back to stop your little friend? Come back to save your worthless lovers from their fate?� He turned to Sirius. “How is your father?�

Sirius didn’t reply, much to his own credit, merely glared.

Voldemort sighed. “It does seem a pity to think that I wasn’t able to destroy all of the famous Marauders. Though, by what I hear about the future it didn’t make a different anyway.�

“Let them go, Tom,� came a firm voice.

Voldemort turned and Harry relaxed just a bit as he saw Dumbledore standing out in the hallway looking perfectly calm, staring straight at Voldemort.

“But I’ve just gotten here, Dumbledore. Be a good host and wait outside.�

Voldemort casually flicked his wand towards Dumbledore, but Dumbledore was too fast and erected a shield just as the light from Voldemort’s wand was about to hit him.

“I will not have you endangering my students, Tom, past or present.�

Dumbledore’s voice was the same tone it had been when he fought in the Ministry of Magic in the future. Calm, cool, collected and not the least bit worried. Harry could practically see the annoyance creeping off Voldemort.

Seeing that Voldemort’s back was to him, Harry quickly fired off a stunning curse that struck Voldemort in the back, surprising Harry immensely, but continuing to surprise him as it merely made him stumble a bit and he whirled around, sending a body binding curse at Harry that Sirius quickly deflected.

“Is that the best you can do, Harry?� Voldemort taunted.

Three curses were thrown at him at the same time, Dumbledore, Remus and Sirius aiming true, but Voldemort merely disappeared in a puff of smoke, reappearing a few feet away, still smirking.

“Ganging up on me are you? How un-Gryffindor like.�

“You’re the one who brought your little minions in with you,� Harry said harshly, motioning to the useless Death Eaters who now had their wands trained on the four of them.

That seemed to hit a small nerve as Voldemort’s temper flared and he fired off a round of spells towards Remus and Sirius. Harry attempted to block them, but his shield didn’t do nearly enough, and Remus and Sirius had not been prepared. Both of were knocked off their feet.

“No!� Harry cried, watching them both fly into the back wall, unconscious.

Dumbledore at once called out his name but at the same time Harry heard a group of voices shout some curses and he whipped back around just as Voldemort fired a curse towards him and this time was able to get his shield strong enough to deflect it.

Voldemort chuckled and Harry was pained to see that Dumbledore had apparently been the target for the stunners and was collapsed behind Voldemort. Harry couldn’t see if he was breathing. His heart skipped a beat.

“Now it’s just you and me, Harry. Fair enough odds, wouldn’t you say?�

Harry swore at him violently, causing him to just chuckle even more. He felt like he was in fourth year all over again.

He glanced over at the Death Eaters again, wondering if any of them were the same ones he had met that night.

“Stupify!�

“Avada Kadavra!�

The simultaneous cries rang through the castle and Harry wasn’t that startled to see the wands connect with a bright flash of light. Not wasting the time that he had last time, he wrenched his wand free, panting and shaking from the effort, and fired another curse towards Voldemort.

Too startled by the connection, which he hadn’t seen before, Voldemort wasn’t quick enough to stop Harry’s slashing curse and a large gash appeared in his right arm.

His smile finally dropped.

“So very close to dark magic, Harry. Just what did that old fool teach you in the future?�

“Enough,� Harry snarled back, holding his wand out defensively.

“Obviously.�

Another volley of curses headed towards him, making him panic slightly, erecting his shield and trying to navigate around to the other side of the nearby hospital bed. He blocked all but one, a Cruciatus curse. Harry fell to the floor, screaming in pain, his wand falling from his hands as his body twisted in pain.

As soon as it was lifted, he took a sharp breath, scrambling for his wand, but was hit by another one, even harsher.

But on top of Voldemort’s laughter, a half a dozen firm voices shouted together.

“Stupify!�

----

James knew he was having trouble breathing, but something so trivial didn’t seem like that big of a deal at the moment. He vaguely heard ‘Remus’ rush away, but still couldn’t seem to find the strength to move at all. His mind just kept replaying the words.

She’s dead, she’s dead …

The tears he had been trying to hold back from ‘Sirius’’ report were not longer even attempting to stay back. His face was pouring with tears and he finally felt his knees give out.

He landed hard on the ground, his knees taking most of the impact, but he couldn’t feel the pain. He felt too much emotional pain to be thinking of anything physical.

Arianna…she had been like a sister to him. Merlin, she had been his best friend’s fiancé…she was going to be ‘Sirius’’ wife!

His face finally fell into his hands and his shoulders bobbed slightly as he thought not of Arianna, but of ‘Sirius’.

----

That was how ‘Remus’ found him when he came back. Kneeling on the cold floor, continual tears running down his face as his grief came pouring out. ‘Remus’’ own tears were now just a single trickle as he seemed to be able to get control of himself. He had managed to send off a short note to Hogwarts, praying that one of the time travelers would be able to get it and get over here to help him and James. He didn’t know how strong either of them was going to be for the next little while.

He gently reached down, pulling James up and setting him on the chair, leaving an arm around his shoulders.

“What are we going to tell him?� James whispered between his lingering sobs that were starting to die down. “How can we tell him?�

‘Remus’ did not have an answer.

----

Still shaking with the after effects of the curse, Harry lifted his head up, looking around to where Voldemort had been moments before, and saw only a wisp of smoke. His breathing was irregular and his heart was beating out of control as he propped himself up on his arm gingerly, not moving too fast.

He finally noticed the other people in the room. The one’s who had apparently chased Voldemort away.

Auror’s…

A tall red-haired man came around Harry’s left side and reached down, helping him to his feet.

“What in Merlin’s name were you thinking, kid? Going up to him alone?� The man said in a slightly shocked voice.

Shaking away the dizziness, Harry squinted, looking up at the man. He looked slightly familiar, but Harry was sure he hadn’t met him from anywhere. “Is Dumbledore dead?� he blurted out.

The man smiled. “Far from it. He just got knocked out by at least four stunner as the same time. He’ll be alright though, along with your two friends over there.� He motioned to the far wall where Harry saw a few Auror’s reviving Sirius and Remus. “You, however, need to go lie in one of those beds until one of our medics can check you out.�

Harry didn’t quite have the strength to argue so he allowed himself to be led over to one of the beds and sat on it quietly, taking the opportunity to look around at what had been left behind.

He saw a dozen or so Auror’s rushing around the room, a few binding two of the Death Eaters who obviously hadn’t gotten away, another few talking to an exhausted Dumbledore and another few looking as if they were interrogating Remus and Sirius who both looked rather puzzled about what was going on.

Jumping off the bed, Harry quickly went over to them.

“Young man, you are to stay on that bed until you get checked out,� the same red haired man said firmly.

“Gideon, stop being a git,� Sirius sighed, holding a hand to his head in exasperation.

Harry searched for the name, trying to remember where he had heard it before.

Gideon turned to him in surprise. “Do I know you?�

“Merlin, you are going to make me die young, Sirius,� Remus mumbled, looking as if he wanted to smack Sirius for what he had said.

Sirius did color a bit, realizing his mistake too late. “Just heard about you from Dumbledore, that’s all,� he said in a would-be casual voice.

Gideon didn’t look convinced. “Sir, you still haven’t answered the question. Who are you and what are you doing at Hogwarts?�

“I will answer that one Mr. Prewett,� Dumbledore’s voice cut in and he walked up behind them, giving Gideon a gentle smile. “These are my guests here at Hogwarts for the time being.�

Dumbledore vouching for them did seem to calm Gideon down a bit, but he still looked at Sirius skeptically, and then looked over at Remus. “I could have sworn…no, never mind.� He turned back to Dumbledore. “How are you feeling sir?�

“Just like new, perfectly grand, I assure you,� Dumbledore said, regaining the twinkle in his eyes, and clapping Gideon on the shoulder, starting to lead him away. “I can’t tell you how grateful I am for you and your men’s quick response to our call…�

As soon as they were out of earshot, Harry felt himself being pulled into a sharp hug from Sirius and then by Remus.

“Calm down you two,� Harry said, pulling back and smiling as best he could through his exhaustion. “I’m fine.�

“Don’t do that again, Harry,� Sirius said in a firm voice.

“I can’t control it, Sirius,� Harry replied, a bit annoyed. “No one can.�

Sirius’ eyes flickered up to Harry’s scar and he sighed. “You’re right…I was just-“

“-worried, I know,� Harry said with a melancholy smile. He glanced over to Remus. “I think I’m the one that’s making you guys go grey so early.�

“Grey, me?� Sirius said skeptically, grabbing a piece of his hair and trying to examine it in front of his eyes.

Remus chuckled, reaching down to grab Harry in a short hug again. “Sorry we weren’t there for you,� he whispered.

“It wasn’t your fault,� Harry argued, pulling away. “I have to face him alone anyway.�

Sirius and Remus both stopped at those words and simply stared at Harry, unnerving him a bit.

“Excuse me, gentlemen.�

They turned to see Dumbledore walking up to them, no smile on his face.

“We’ve just received a note from Remus and Sirius at St. Mungo’s.�

Even in the past, Severus felt more comfortable in the dungeons. Something about the darkness and the almost complete escape from the outside world helped him calm down and forget about his life, if only for a moment.

He sat at his desk, well, his desk in the future. It currently belonged to no one, as the last potions teacher had retired at the beginning of the summer. Severus knew that the next person who would sit at this desk had to be him. It had to be…

His mind was still whirling from the conversation with his “younger self�. If anyone could have known how that talk went, it should have been him, but he was still at a loss at what to make of it. ‘Severus’ had left the castle right after, leaving only a strict promise that he would think about it. Severus didn’t doubt that he would think about it. He just hoped that he changed his mind in time. Something was going to happen…

If only he could remember.

Pouring himself another drink, his mind drifted back to his real worry at the moment,

"So you're saying that you became a spy? You turned...I turned. Why?"

"I...I can't remember."

"Convenient.�

It certainly had been anything but convenient. The problem was that now, still, he couldn’t remember the real reason he changed. Even with the new memories.

He took a sip of the firewhiskey, thankful for once for its burning feeling down his throat.

That had not been the nicest experience. The headache had lasted a whole day and he even blacked out for a moment as he tried to regain control of the onslaught of memories that invaded his mind all at one moment.

He could remember that Dumbledore had done something…saved him? Helped him? The memories were especially blurry around that time and he didn’t waste time wondering why. With time travel, who knew what could happen.

But whatever it had been, it was going to happen soon and Severus only hoped that his younger self would make up his bloody mind quick enough.

----

‘Severus’ gripped his wand tightly underneath his flowing black robes. The tower castle of Hogwarts stood before them, its wards growing weaker by the minute as the Dark Lord had his fun with them. He sneered at the perverted smile on Voldemort’s face as he slowly disintegrated Albus Dumbledore’s protection spells.

Not knowing exactly how or what the Dark Lord was planning, ‘Severus’ was merely there for appearances sake. Only a few people had asked him about his whereabouts the night he had gone to Hogwarts, and he had waved them away easy enough.

Voldemort had not been so kind.

‘Severus’ could not suppress the shiver that ran through him as he thought of the Dark Lord’s conversation with him, probably one of the most terrifying moments in his life.

“Do not fail me, Severus. I need a way inside that old fool’s resistance…�

The memory was broken as he heard the finally loud explosion and turned to see that the Dark Lord hadn’t wasted any time and already had let loose a spell on the now unguarded castle, the dozen or so Death Eaters flowing in behind him.

‘Severus’ followed the flow, entering the school and looking at his for the first time through his Death Eater mask. Breathing suddenly became uncomfortable.

He heard various laughter and orders being shouted that he didn’t pay attention to. It didn’t matter, however, since he was pulled along with Avery, Nott and Karkaroff as they ran down to the dungeons.

So they were searching the whole school. Fools.

‘Severus’ sneered at their idiocy, but followed, whipping out his wand in defense as they came to the first narrow hallway. He couldn’t count the number of times he had been down here. This was, of course, the way to the Slytherin Common Room and he had walked that plenty of times. But the potions classrooms were also down this way and those had been his sanctuary through his seven years at Hogwarts.

Nott and Karkaroff began banging the doors open one by one, checking for inhabitants. Avery ran ahead of all of them, checking the hallways. Not knowing what else to do, ‘Severus’ turned to the door nearest him, blasting it open, not surprisingly finding it empty.

This pattern went through most of the hallway. When they came to a fork in the hallway, they split up, Nott reminding all of them that they were to capture anyone alive, as the Dark Lord was searching for the so-called “time travelers�.

‘Severus’ went down the next hallways alone. It wasn’t long, only four doors and a dead end. Never-the-less he opened them one by one, checking inside.

Coming on the third door, he almost jumped back in surprise as he opened to find a wand pointed in his face. Never to be intimidated, he instantly put up a shield, causing his attackers expelliarmus to bounce harmlessly away. He was just about to shout a stunning spell, but stopped short at seeing who it was.

It was…him. His older self. The one who was trying to convince him to spy.

The only time traveler that Voldemort didn’t know about. Only ‘Severus’ did.

They stood in tense silence for a full fifteen seconds. ‘Severus’ didn’t know how, but he had a feeling that Severus recognized him as well. ‘Severus’’ eyes flickered to the desk, seeing a half empty bottle of firewhiskey and an empty glass. He also noticed that there was a steaming cauldron in the corner, curious purple fumes coming out of it with a scent that ‘Severus’ couldn’t identify.

His older self didn’t speak. He raised a surprised eyebrow towards him, as if daring him to explain why he was there, dressed in Death Eater robes when both of them knew that he despised the very thought of the Dark Lord.

Shouts from his other three companions forces ‘Severus’ to make a quick decision so he lowered his wand and without saying a word, turned from the room, practically running away.

“No one down there,� he said sharply to the others as they met up in the main hallway. “Let’s go back up.�

As they headed back to the main level, ‘Severus’ risked a quick glance back and, sure enough, saw the dark shadow of a man staring after him.

----

Severus watched silently as his younger self ran up the stairs with the other three death eaters.

An attack on Hogwarts? Impossible. Voldemort never managed to get through the wards at Hogwarts. Never. Then how was it that his younger self and his “friends� had been snooping around the dungeons in full Death Eater garb?

Years and years of being a spy had taught him something of stealth and secrecy. Making up his mind, he crept down the dark hallways, following the group and trying to see exactly what Voldemort was attempting to do.

----

‘Severus’ tried to ignore the fact that they were being followed. He knew it, and he was positive that the others didn’t. He tried to remain inconspicuous as he glanced back every so often, but he never saw anyone.

But he already knew who it was. And on the one hand, it made him feel just the least bit safer.

They reached the main level, hearing the commotion from above and continued to climb the stairs hurriedly.

Voldemort had found the others.

----

Severus had heard the commotion from above as well, cursing under his breath as he realized that Voldemort was indeed here. And judging by the familiar shouts from above, he had found Potter.

Even someone who hated Potter as much as Severus did couldn’t ignore the facts. He needed help.

Thinking quickly, he took a quick detour to a familiar hidden passageway down the corridor a bit, hoping to make it to the hospital wing quicker than the others.

However, right as he triggered it open, he was met with the most unusual sight.

A disheveled and tear streaked Lily Potter stood right before him, a small child in her arms who appeared to have been calmed with a sleeping charm for no sane human could sleep through the racket coming from the hospital wing.

Lily gasped in horror, obviously not recognizing him as they had not been properly introduced yet, and whipped out her wand defensively.

Severus had never had any particular love for the woman who willing chose to marry James Potter. He supposed that she had been a decent enough person, for a Gryffindor. They hadn’t gotten along marvelously in school, or beyond. Nothing to rival the animosity between him and her husband, but it would be a stretch to call them friends.

“Wait!� he said quickly, not in the mood for an unnecessary fight, as they were technically on the same side.

Her eyes narrowed behind her wand. “Who are you?�

“A…friend,� he said carefully, “of Dumbledore’s.�

She was still frowning. “There’s Death Eaters running around out there and you expect me to believe that you, someone I’ve never seen before, aren’t any threat to me?�

“Lily,� he said through gritted teeth, “there’s not time for this. Voldemort’s in the hospital wing.�

The color drained from her face. “What?�

“Look, I don’t have time for this right now,� he snapped, pushing past her.

“S-stop!� she called after him, not having dropped her wand yet.

He turned, annoyed.

“Who are you?�

He studied her for a moment, his brain finally catching onto the fact that the child in her arms was none other than Harry Potter. The same Harry Potter, more or less, who was currently face to face with the Dark Lord.

“I am one of Harry’s teachers,� he sneered, ending the conversation and taking off down the hidden passageway.

After a moment he heard her softer footsteps following behind.

----

By the time they got there, it was all over.

Severus stepped out into the hall, his heart calming down as he saw a group of Auror’s binding a few Death Eaters and one of them talking to a tired looking Dumbledore.

Lily came and stood beside him, clutching ‘Harry’ tightly to her as she surveyed the scene as well.

“What happened?� she whispered.

“Voldemort…�

Severus left her with that, walking away from her and glancing around, looking for something. He passed by a few Auror’s who shot him a suspicious look, but didn’t do anything. He walked down to the end of the hall, glancing down to the hospital wing again before turning down the corridor.

That’s when he saw it. Just around the corner, hidden by a suit of armor, a foot poked out into the open.

He walked purposefully up to it, stopped inches away by a leg lock curse that he didn’t have the foresight to dodge. No matter however, as he managed to stay on his feet clumsily and didn’t draw his wand as ‘Severus’ stood up quickly, coming into the hallway.

“What to you want?� He spat, his voice shaking a bit.

Severus didn’t move. “You should have left with the others. The Dark Lord’s going to be suspicious if you stay away too long.�

‘Severus’ gave a hollow laugh, lowering his wand and tearing his mask off. “No, he won’t.�

“What?�

“He won’t be suspicious,� ‘Severus said lazily, flicking his wand and releasing Severus’ legs. “Because he told me to stay behind.�

“What!� Severus said in confusion.

‘Severus’ glanced down, gripping his wand tightly, his face dropping. “So tell me, Severus,� he sneered the name and looked back up, “did you really spy for Dumbledore, or did you follow the Dark Lord’s order?�

The memory flashed up quick as lightning and Severus let out a long hiss, chastising himself.

“He asked you to spy?�

‘Severus’ gave another dry laugh. “Ask? No, the Dark Lord does not ask.� He paused. “You know, I think he knew where I was that day, even though I’m pretty sure I was shielding very well from him…� his eyes darkened. “He told me I could ‘think’ about it, but he’s already given me instructions.�

Severus couldn’t find words to say.

----

Remus tried to keep the tears out of his eyes, but had to keep reaching up to wipe them away, for they kept coming. He didn’t sob, however. He didn’t think he had the energy.

His watery gaze moved from the discarded letter on the floor to the closed door in front of him. He was starting to get worried about not hearing anything coming from it.

Upon reading the letter from the ‘Remus’ and James, Sirius had rushed out of the room, the crumpled letter in his hand, no tears falling down his face. Remus had taken a few moments to collect himself before running after his friend. He had finally spotted the letter lying in front of the Room of Requirement’s shut door.

He had only been standing there a few moments when he suddenly heard a loud crash from inside, followed immediately by another, and another.

Panicking, Remus threw the door open rushing inside.

Sirius was standing in the middle of the room (which resembled the Marauder’s dorm room in seventh year), wand out as he pointed it at various objects and sent jets of dark red light at them, causing the loud noises.

Remus stood shell-shocked for a moment, the debris flying everywhere.

“Sirius?� He cried out.

“She’s dead, Remus,� he said immediately, blowing apart a side table. “She’s DEAD!�

The light suddenly was pointed at him and Remus instinctively brought out his wand, blocking the spell.

Sirius didn’t seem the least bit affected as he continued to randomly fire around the room. Remus saw tears start to leak out of Sirius’ eyes as his spells became more and more erratic.

“Stop! Sirius, STOP!� He raised his hands, blocking the debris from flying into his face.

“SHE’S DEAD!�

Not thinking, Remus rushed up to him, grabbing both his wrists.

“Sirius! Sirius, you’ve got to stop!� He cried, feeling his own tears coming back. Sirius tried to break his grip, but Remus wouldn’t have it. After a moment of struggling, Remus slammed Sirius’ hand on the nearby dresser, knocking his wand out of his hand. Both of them collapsed to the ground in a heap.

Remus was breathing heavily, still gripping Sirius’ wrists as he heard Sirius start to sob, not longer putting up a fight at all.

Moving his hands up around Sirius’ shoulders, Remus pulled him into a tight hug, his own tears starting to fall once again.

----

“Severus? Look at me.�

‘Severus’ looked up hatefully at the older man, daring him to offer advice. Goodness knows he hadn’t given very much of it that had been “good� so far.

His older self seemed rather pale and not very good at hiding his current emotion of fear.

“You have to decided. Soon.�

“Soon? How soon?� ‘Severus’ shot back.

Severus sighed, frustrated. “I don’t know, but something’s going to happen soon-“

“Incase you didn’t notice, something did happen!� ‘Severus’ said, annoyed. “What am I supposed to tell him when I get back? Oh yeah, Dumbledore’s already invited me into the Order of the Phoenix and I just had a cozy chat with James Potter while we all had tea and crumpets?� He reached up, ripping his mask off and stowed his wand in his pocket. “Or how about this one: I had a smashing chat with my future self who came back, looking like hell I might add, wanting me to spy for Albus-bloody-Dumbledore!�

Severus didn’t seem to have a reply, but did look as if he wanted to punch him in the face. ‘Severus’ didn’t blame him though. He was itching to do the same. What right did this man have to come here and tell him what to do with his life? He had just wanted to break away from Voldemort, get out from under his foot and get out of this bloody war completely. Spying was just as good as putting a knife to his throat.

Huffing in frustration, ‘Severus’ spun on one heel and began walking down the long corridor, away from Severus.

“You won’t regret it!�

He stopped cold, not turning to see Severus’ expression, knowing in the tone alone how serious his older self was being. He clenched his fists, willing his life to just erase the last two days.

“No regrets?� ‘Severus’ turned slightly as he asked the question.

“I have regrets, everyone does,� Severus said back carefully. “One of my main ones was joining the Death Eaters in the first place, which I’m sure you already know about, as you feel the same way.�

Blast that man.

‘Severus’ knew that he was telling the truth, if not for his unusually humble tone, but the main reason he had gone to Dumbledore was that he regretted joining the Death Eaters; regretted it now more than ever.

It pained him to think that even years from now he would still carry that regret.

He turned back around so that his back was completely to Severus, and took a deep breath.

Before he started walking away again, he spoke one last time to his older self.

“Tell Dumbledore that I’ll come see him tonight.�

James had always considered himself a good friend, especially to ‘Sirius’. Knowing each other from day one at Hogwarts and becoming as close as brothers, they always knew they could count on each other.

Taking in all the facts, James knew that it was him who had to tell ‘Sirius’ about Arianna.

So after several hours of mind numbing tears and too much time to think, James found himself sitting next to an sleeping ‘Sirius’, surrounded by the unnaturally white and sterile hospital walls.

The animagus had thankfully come out of coma after only a few hours and they were now just waiting for him to wake up so that they could give him the last few potions he would need and rewrap his still-tender arm. But before they did any of that, James was going to tell him.

Exhaustion seemed to be settling in, so James found himself leaning on the soft bed, his head resting on his arms as sleep started to call out his name. He vaguely heard the door click open behind him and footsteps walk up to the side of the bed.

“Hullo Remus,� James said softly without opening his eyes.

The person cleared their throat softly and James peaked open one eye, almost jumping in surprise.

He snapped his head off the bed, sitting up straight again. “Professor Dumbledore…Albus! Er…sorry.� His cheeks colored and he glanced away, his gaze falling once again on his sleeping best friend.

Dumbledore surprisingly didn’t say anything in reply. In fact he didn’t even move, a fact that would have unnerved James quite a bit if he didn’t have more important things to worry about.

Still looking at ‘Sirius’, James watched Dumbledore out of the corner of his eye. “Where are the others?� he whispered.

Dumbledore finally moved over to the other side of ‘Sirius’’ bed, his gaze copying James’ as he glanced sorrowfully down at his old student. “It’s not safe for those three to come here, James. You know that.�

James wanted to laugh, but couldn’t find the energy. Of course he knew. He knew that he and ‘Remus’ were alone on this one.

“Is Hogwarts safe?� His voice didn’t seem to be able to go louder than a whisper, but Dumbledore was still able to catch all his words.

“It is now.�

“And Harry?� James dreaded the answer to that, and he wasn’t sure if he was referring to his present or future son.

“Harry, Remus and Sirius were attacked by Voldemort in the hospital wing,� Dumbledore explained, making James’ heartbeat speed up. No…no, he couldn’t loose one of them too….

“Luckily, Harry was able to hold off Voldemort until the Auror’s showed up.�

James managed a relieved half grin. “So Remus got word out in time?�

“Yes, James,� Dumbledore said gently. “A squad showed up by special portkey with impeccable timing, as often happens in the Magical Law Enforcement department.� He had a small twinkle in his eye and James had to agree. Being a part of that department himself, he knew how they often had the luck of showing up at just the right time when they were called on assignments. “However, Voldemort had disabled most of the wards, therefore making it easy for him to disapparate and make a quick escape.�

“Is the school safe now, sir?�

“Oh yes, no need to worry, James. The Aurors are still there and they are finishing the wards as we speak.�

Neither seemed to want to mention that those same wards had already been breeched once today.

There was an uncomfortable silence for a few moments, as James couldn’t think of what to say. He hadn’t said much in the past few hours except his cries for Arianna and ‘Sirius’.

“James?� The unusual sense of hesitation in Dumbledore’s voice made James finally look up at him and he was shocked to see such a downcast and saddened expression on the old wizard’s face. “We received Remus’ note about Arianna…�

James felt another tear creep down his face and he was quick to reach up and wipe it away, moving his gaze away from Dumbledore again.

“She’s dead,� he replied bluntly, not willing or not able to skim around the issue with anyone at the moment. He was still trying to figure out the right words to use with ‘Sirius’. “How did he take it?�

They both knew who James was talking about.

“Honestly, I’m not exactly sure,� Dumbledore sighed. “He rushed out of the room after he read the note, but Remus went after him.� James could feel the pain in Dumbledore’s words. “I’m sure he’ll be alright, though, after a time.� James could sympathize with Dumbledore’s feelings as they both understood that even though Sirius could probably be strong through this, having experienced it before, ‘Sirius’ was going to have no such luck.

They were both pulled out of their thoughts by a sudden movement from ‘Sirius’’ bed, making James start a bit as he whipped around, eyes wide when he saw ‘Sirius’’ eyes start to flicker and he rolled on his side a bit.

James hardly noticed as Dumbledore quietly stepped out of the room, shutting the door softly behind him and leaving James and ‘Sirius’ alone.


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The hospital had never been ‘Sirius’ favorite place. So waking up in it for the second time in almost a week, his first feeling was one of annoyance. Even worse was that his head was pounding out of his skull, his arm felt like it had been amputated and he wasn’t exactly sure what had happened.

He managed to blink a few times, the bright white lights of the hospital doing nothing to relieve his pain or confusion. Only on the fourth or fifth blink did the hovering face of his best friend come into focus and he got a good look at exactly where he was.

“Hey, Padfoot,� James said softly. Why was he whispering?

“Wha-?� his voice was scratchy and raw. He frowned. Had he been screaming?

Like a tidal wave, all the answers hit him at once. Flashes of the darkened basement, his father’s insane face….Arianna’s screams…

He must have somehow been trying to sit up, for he suddenly felt James’ hands on his shoulders, pushing him back on the pillow. If he wanted to struggle, he didn’t show it. His breath was coming fast as James pushed his head down on the pillow and he felt his heart going faster than ever.

“What….what’s wrong with me?� He wheezed out, realizing now that his voice was probably scratchy due to his screaming…his own screaming as he had tried to drown out Arianna’s cries.

“Nothing,� James said firmly, a little too firmly. He reached out his hand, covering ‘Sirius’’ hand with his own and squeezing it softly. “You’re going to be just fine.�

“Cruciatus curse,� Sirius mumbled back, finding it hard to keep up his energy. Blimey, how long had he been laying here? How long had he been under the curse? He squeezed his eyes shut. “Last thing I remember…� He got a flash of his wandless magic getting loose, his father flying across the room, James and ‘Remus’ rushing into the house…

He turned his head so that he could see James again and was surprised to see that James wasn’t looking at him. In fact it seemed like James was trying to look anyway but at him.

“Prongs?�

James hesitantly turned to look at him.

“What is it?� he coughed, cursing himself for his apparent weak state. He was stronger than this, he knew he was. Besides, he’d done it. Arianna was alright.

Wasn’t she?

His body started to shake slightly, his lip trembling more so as the thought hit him. James pulled his hand away from his and looked away again. “Sirius, we…�

‘Sirius’ started to realize he was shaking his head in disbelief, hardly daring to keep listening but knowing that he must.

James clamped his eyes shut and tried to hide the tears that ‘Sirius’ had already seen leaking out of them. When he looked back at ‘Sirius’, James’ eyes were miraculously dry, though his voice was even shakier than ‘Sirius’’ was.

“Arianna…�

‘Sirius’ felt his heart stop again and his blood ran cold

“The healers did all they could…� James couldn’t seem to form the words for they came out slow and almost too quiet for ‘Sirius’ to hear. ‘Sirius’ felt time stop.

“She died, Padfoot…�

“Oh, God, no...� ‘Sirius’’ shaky whisper came out. “Oh, God, no!� He let out a dry sob, somehow unable to cry, unable to make the tears come. He brought his hands up to hold his ears, his eyes clamping shut, as if he could block out the world….or at least block out his friend’s words.

His head continued to shake back and forth and he somehow sat up, inching as far away from James as he could managed and pressing his aching body against the wall behind his bed.

Make it go away! His mind cried. Make the pain stop!

He hardly noticed James reach forward and pull him into a shaky hug. He hardly noticed that James was trying to make him move his arms away from his ears but eventually gave up and just held him tightly, like his life depended on it.

‘Sirius’ didn’t know how long it was before he finally dropped his hands and he finally found himself holding onto James just as tightly, his knuckles going white and his arms tense and tired, but with no intention of ever letting go.

Clinging to one of the last people he had in the world, ‘Sirius’ finally cried.

----

Harry’s head was reeling as he heard the news of Arianna’s death, watched as Sirius rushed off, Remus following, and then saw Dumbledore purposely stride out of the hospital wing, leaving him alone with the Aurors.

Gideon, was it? Gideon seemed to be the only one who had noticed Harry and that still seemed to be true as he led him back to a bed (“You stay in it this time!�) and called the nurse over to give him something for his pain.

Pain? Harry frowned, for the first time realizing that he actually was in pain. A pain only accentuated when a body slammed into him, a petite arm practically chocking him as he finally realized that Lily had just entered the scene.

“Harry! Oh, Merlin, Harry…are you alright?� She pulled back and Harry saw that little mini-me was in her other arm, looking as if he would very much rather be sleeping at the moment than consorting with the weird boy who looked like his father.

He opened his mouth to assure her that he was just fine, but right then, Madam Pomfrey’s hand came out of nowhere, shoving him down on the bed and shoving a potion in his hand.

“Never…in all my years…� she was huffing and Harry looked from the potion to her, seeing that she was white and shaking as she attended to him. “What were you thinking young man! Did you have any idea who that was?�

Harry grimaced. Great, another person scolding him about defending his life.

“What was I supposed to do?� he growled out, purposely not looking at his mother. “Lay down and die?�

Pomfrey just huffed again and tutted until Harry grudgingly guzzled down whatever potion she had thrust into his hand.

“Harry?�

He lowered the bottle, glancing over at Lily and saw that she had set ‘Harry’ down and he was now fascinated with the sheet partially hanging off of the bed, or rather, fascinated with stuffing it in his mouth as much as he could.

“Was it Voldemort?� she said softly, as if she already knew the answer.

He nodded half-heartedly and broke eye contact again. There was still something about staring into those eyes, eyes so much like his, that unnerved him.

“Here, drink this one too.� Another vial of potion was thrust into his hands and he dutifully guzzled it down, grateful for an excuse not to see the look on his mother’s face as she heard about her son going face to face with Voldemort.

Setting the vial down, he finally did turn back to his mom, but was surprised to see that she wasn’t there anymore. He frowned in confusion, and even more so when he heard ‘Harry’s’ tiny voice talking.

“Mummy sad?�

Harry scooted over towards the edge of his bed and looking down saw that Lily was crouched down next to Harry, tears running down her face as she had both hands on his face, simply looking at him. Little Harry, not to be undone, was reaching out, touching his mother’s face as well, though, not as gently as Lily was doing.

She must have noticed his gaze, cause she looked up, blushing and then picked up ‘Harry’ straightening up while Harry scooted back into the bed, growing sleepy indeed and grateful that the potion had indeed stopped most of the pain in his body.

“I’m sorry,� Lily said quietly, still gripping ‘Harry’ tightly to her as she glanced at the older version of her little boy.

“I wish people would stop saying that,� Harry said in a soft tone as well, scolding but not enough to make it sound harsh. “You do remember that you’re the reason I’m alive?�

Lily nodded, a few more tears. It seemed the connection that they had built up had crumbled quite a bit as Lily Potter thought of her son fighting the Dark Lord. Harry felt a bit of remorse at that fact, but knew that his parents had to come to terms with that on their own, as he couldn’t exactly lie about what his life had been like up that that point.

“I know,� Lily said meekly. “Look, I’m sorry I have to go…� She started to go, but Harry held up a hand to stop her.

“Wait! Lily…�

She turned and he saw her eyes flicker a little sadder as he called her by name.

Harry gulped. “Did you hear about Arianna?�

“What?� The color drained out of Lily’s face and for a moment she was frozen. Harry tried to open his mouth to tell her, but the look on his own face seemed to say more than words ever could.

Without another glance, Lily rushed out of the room, forgetting the toddling ‘Harry’ on the floor next to her who seemed quite upset that his mother had just run away from him.

Harry’s expression darkened at the thought of what everyone was going through at the moment. He swung his legs off the bed, trying not to picture the horrified look on both Sirius’ faces as they realized that their fiancé was gone. He tried not to picture the look on the other Maruader’s faces, and Lily’s face…

Frustrated, he slammed his hand against the bedpost, attracting ‘Harry’s’ attention. Obviously not one to be left alone, ‘Harry’ toddled over to Harry and grabbed onto his leg.

Glancing down, Harry sighed.

“Just you and me now….� He reached down and picked up the child. They stared at each other for a moment, once again having that strange connection that Harry was sure only happened when meeting your past or future self.

“Are you thinking what I’m thinking?� he said half sarcastically. ‘Harry’ tilted his head to the side a bit.

“Dada?�

Harry rolled his eyes. “How many times have I heard that one?�

Just as he was realizing that he actually was too tired to think about watching after ‘Harry’ at the moment, Madam Pomfrey rushed in, commanding him to get back in the bed. Harry complied, handing over ‘Harry’.

“Lily Potter left him here. There was an accident,� Harry said carefully, not quite willing to give everything away, “with one of their friends.�

“We’ll just keep him occupied then,� Pomfrey said dutifully, pushing Harry back down into bed and taking the little Harry over to a side room. “You. Sleep. Now.�

“Yes’m.�

But Harry didn’t fall asleep until the noise of the remaining Auror’s died down, till he could no longer hear ‘Harry’s’ little gibberish from Madam Pomfrey’s office, till he could have sworn he saw the outline of his mother and father entering the hospital wing and coming over to him.

----

James didn’t want to, but he still breathed a sigh of relief as he stepped out of the room, closing the door behind him and leaning against it for a moment, trying to pull himself together.

“Prongs?�

He whipped around quickly. It was only ‘Remus’.

“Hey Moony,� he said tiredly.

‘Remus’ walked over, clapping him softly on the back. “How is he?�

James shrugged. “About as you’d expect…they came in and gave him the last of the potions though, so he’s sleeping again. They say he should be able to come home tomorrow though, if he makes sure to keep his arm bandaged for another few days…�

‘Remus’ nodded, probably expecting an answer like that.

“Have you seen Dumbledore?� he asked.

James nodded his head. “Came and left. Did he talk to you?�

“Just mentioned a few things,� ‘Remus’ replied, leading them both over to a pair of chairs nearby. James was grateful. He couldn’t stay on his feet much longer.

They were both silent for a moment before ‘Remus’ finally broke it.

“He said we should be getting back to Hogwarts soon-“

“No,� James said firmly, interrupting him. “I’m not leaving Sirius.�

‘Remus’ sighed. “James, that potion is going to keep him out for, what? Ten hours? You need your sleep too, mate.� He hesitated. “We can’t do anything for him while he’s sleeping.�

James knew he was telling the truth, but he still felt the guilt. “What about Ari….� He whispered.

“Dumbledore’s contacting her family,� Remus said softly. “We’ll have the funeral tomorrow.�

As if that was the finally straw on the camel’s back, James felt the depression set in. Before it had been blind grief, rage and anger. Depression, James realized, was even worse. His face fell and he had the feeling that nothing in life was ever going to be alright again. Ari was gone…what else was there?

“James!�

His head perked up. “Lily?�

He glanced wildly around, trying to find her and immediately saw her rushing towards him, tears streaming down her face. He stood up, taking two steps forward as she rushed right into his arms.

“Ari…� she hiccupped and her shoulders were bobbing. “James, she’s dead….�

James didn’t say anything, didn’t question on how she had found out and didn’t even offer words of comfort. He just held her, stroking her hair and trying to not let her see his own tears.

This is “what else� there was. Lily. Lily, Harry, Sirius and Remus…

Glancing over he saw that ‘Remus’ had gone, leaving him and Lily alone in the quiet hallway. Looking back down he clung to her tighter and for the first time his thoughts betrayed him as he considered the possibility that everything was going to come out just as the time travelers had predicted.

If going to Arianna’s funeral once was hard, Sirius had no idea how he had been able to handle it twice.

Posing as ‘Sirius’ dog, with Remus having changed his hair to dark black and his eyes to brown, they had grimly gone to the funeral home and gotten through the ceremony without any of them breaking down. (Though ‘Sirius’ had trouble hearing people talking to him and seemed preoccupied with fiddling with his ring that Arianna had given him.)

As the group (consisting of Sirius, ‘Sirius’, Remus, ‘Remus’, James, Lily, Harry and ‘Harry’) walked from the carriages back up to Hogwarts, no one quite knew what to say. ‘Sirius’ was walking a bit apart from the group, head down and hands shoved in pockets, still favoring his right leg and cradling his left arm that was bandaged and in a sling. Sirius, still in Padfoot form, trotted along beside him, looking mournfully up at his younger self, probably the only person in the entire world who knew exactly how someone was feeling at an exact moment.

His ears perked up as he saw James kiss Lily on the cheek and break away from her and Harry, making his way over to ‘Sirius’’ side.

Relieved, Sirius trotted over to Remus’ side, knowing that if anyone would be able to help him at that moment, James Potter was the one.

He watched them out of the corner of his eye for several minutes and saw with great relief that ‘Sirius’ was talking a lot, something Sirius attributed to James’ presence. There was always something about James and Sirius that made them as close, if not closer than brothers.

Just as Sirius finally saw his younger self crack a small smile, everyone’s attention was distracted by the large doors of the castle bursting open, a hysterical Madam Pomfrey rushing out towards them.


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Just when he thought that things couldn’t get more complicated, Severus Snape found himself once again under the torture of another bloody headache, memories flooding his head as he managed to make it to the chair behind his desk, closing his eyes tight and gritting his teeth, praying it would pass soon.

As his eyes snapped open, almost a full hour later, he almost couldn’t breathe as he searched his mind, taking in the new memories and his eyes going wide as he realized that he could suddenly remember why exactly he had turned. And why exactly he had agreed to become a spy.

Forgetting all matters of the unfinished time travel potion that was still boiling in the cauldron behind him, Severus rushed out of the room, praying that he wouldn’t be too late too accomplish what he needed too.


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“Peter was here.�

That was the first thing out of Remus’ mouth as he stood in the doorway of the hospital wing, trying hard not to look at the now empty bed that stood in the far corner of the room, it’s sheets tangled up and falling to the floor and suspicious drops of red dotting one side of it.

Madam Pomfrey seemed to still be hysterical, no one able to calm her down as she explained over and over that she tried to stop him, that Emily was gone, and that she wasn’t able to contact Dumbledore.

‘Remus’ rushed in, pushing past his older counterpart and rushing over to the bed that three hours ago had been holding the love of his life.

Remus’ eyes shut with grief and pain as he watched his younger self glance frantically around the bed, as if he could find Emily underneath the tattered sheets or behind the small bedside dresser.

‘Sirius’ and James rushed in quickly after, getting to ‘Remus’ quickly and Remus turned away, giving the three young Marauders a moment alone. Letting out a sigh, he stepped out of the hospital wing, coming up to Harry and Sirius who were currently trying to deal with Madam Pomfrey, trying to get some kind of explanation for what had happened.

“Who was it?� Sirius was saying sharply, holding the older woman by the shoulders and shaking her slightly.

“It was Peter.�

Both Sirius and Harry turned towards Remus as he spoke, his voice deadpan as he felt like crying again, but he held the tears back. They wouldn’t change anything. Nothing would change what had just happened.

“Peter?� Harry whispered, and Remus saw Sirius’ face harden at the name.

“I didn’t see him come in,� Pomfrey started saying, still sniffing a bit. “I was in there with her the entire time and I did not see any man come in.�

Remus walked closer to her. He didn’t think he had a menacing look on his face, but the way Pomfrey backed away a bit, made him think that he was making one anyway. “What happened?�

“A man appeared, just appeared in the hospital wing! Like apparation, only there was a loud pop instead of a crack.� She glanced at all of them nervously. “I pulled out my wand, but he was obviously prepared and sent a stunner at me instantly. I was able to dodge it and ducked behind my desk. He sent a few more spells, trying to get me around the desk and I tried to hit him with something, but he seemed to have some kind of protection around him.� She hung her head shamefully. “He finally must have hit me with something, because the next thing I knew I was lying on the floor and Miss Fairchild was gone!�

She started sobbing again into her handkerchief but none of the three seemed to notice. Remus glanced at Sirius, catching his eye, trying to send him a silent message that obviously wasn’t getting across. Turning around, Remus noticed that Harry was staring at the hospital wing doors where James, ‘Remus’ and ‘Sirius’ were standing there, having heard Madam Pomfrey’s explanation.

“It doesn’t make sense.�

Remus turned back around as Sirius spoke. The dog animagus looked right at him.

“None of this makes sense. Wouldn’t Dumbledore have been able to know if it would turn out this way?�

“Where is Dumbledore, anyway?� James’ voice broke in, leaving Sirius’ question unanswered, which Remus was highly grateful at the moment.

“And Snape,� Harry added. “Weren’t those two supposed to be here?�

“Dumbledore was called to the Ministry,� Madam Pomfrey explained again, everyone turning to her. She seemed to be getting over her shock of the incident and was becoming calmer, though she was still a bit teary. “I tried to floo call him when I woke up but no one there seemed to know where he is.�

“I’m going to check on Lily and Harry,� James said quickly, not waiting for anyone’s reply as he took off down the hall, obviously fearing for his wife and son’s safety without Dumbledore in the school and with Emily having been kidnapped not two hours ago.

Remus turned to Sirius. “I have to talk to you. Now,� he said shortly.

“Where’s Snape?� the younger Sirius cut in impatiently.

“Here.�

All heads whirled to see the older Severus Snape standing a little ways away, wand in his hand, a tear in his robes and an impatient frown on his face. His eyes moved over to the older Sirius and Remus and Harry.

“I have to talk to you three. Now.� His words, unlike Remus’, left no room for argument.


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He was surprised that he still knew the way by heart, but he knew that wasn’t what was slowing him down. He felt his legs become heavier each time he came closer to Voldemort’s lair.

Since his downfall from little Harry Potter, the Dark Lord had never returned to this place, no doubt because some of his “O So Loyal� followers had ratted it out to the ministry to save their own sorry skins. No, Severus knew that this would only be Voldemort’s “home� for another two and a half months.

It was situated inside a large wall of cliffs on the edge of Ireland. Severus had never learned their proper name, but he had heard some muggles refer to them as the Cliff’s of Moher, whatever that meant.

Reaching the edge of the water, Severus glanced across the shore with disdain. He had never figured out why Voldemort had chosen here. Convenience wise, Ireland was a particularly bad choice for a man bent on taking over England. But Severus knew that the Dark Lord had his reasons (whatever those may have been) and the last person to question them had ended up dead.

He crept silently along the giant wall of rock, going over the steps in his mind.

Twenty paces from the third outcrop.

Fourth indent up.

Tap it twice with your wand,

Third indent to the left.

Tap it once with your wand.

Shallow cut in the shape of a small hole.

Press firmly with finger.

His heart raced faster as the rock wall in front of him shimmered for a second, and then reverted back to normal. Taking a deep breath, he stepped through the now disillusioned wall, thrust into the semi darkness of the Death Eater stronghold of Voldemort’s first rise of terror.

Being sure to tap the door sealed behind him, Severus at once darted to the darkest shadows, still not quite trusting his memory. Voldemort had never set up guards at his entrances, merely because the entrances were so complicated to get through that no one could possibly find them in the first place, and the protection charms around the entrance that only allowed people with the Dark Mark to go through.

At least one good thing came out of the horrid mark that Severus still bore on his arm.

His heart seemed to calm down more and more as he crept farther and farther into the caves of the lair, following the faint voices that he heard down the hall in front of him.

He finally reached what the Death Eater’s knew as Voldemort’s council room, where he called his followers when he had orders or announcements, or was bragging about his latest achievement, whether in the war, or in his ever growing dream of becoming immortal.

Casting a hasty disillusion charm on himself, he crept as close to the door as he would dare, and stayed still, listening to the growing voices inside.

“You’ve at least proven yourself worthy at something, Wormtail,� Voldemort was saying.

“T-thank you, my Lord…�

“And the girl is?�

“She is in the house in D-dingle, my Lord.�

“Good. Make sure her body is found by tomorrow morning. I want the werewolf to realize that no one rejects an offer from Lord Voldemort. He would have done better to follow your example, Wormtail.�

“Y-yes, my Lord.�

“Speaking of which…you have not yet told me of your encounter with your old friends, Wormtail?� Voldemort hissed, obviously angry now. “I assume you were also incapable of that as well?�

“T-they ran off before I could confront them, my Lord,� Pettigrew whimpered. “Black was being tortured by his father…�

“And you, Severus. Have you accomplished your task yet?� the Dark Lord seemed to have gotten bored with Pettigrew’s whimpering and Severus could practically see his younger self fidgeting under the Dark Lord’s glare.

“I’m working on it, my Lord. Dumbledore’s making it difficult to extract any information, but I believe I am making progress with him.�

Voldemort was silent and the next thing Severus knew, the door had been flung open and Death Eaters started pouring out of the room, conversing amongst themselves in whispers as the room emptied out. The last two out were a shaking, white Peter Pettigrew and a hunched over ‘Severus Snape’ who, despite what he was trying to convey, looked rather shook up.

Thankful that Voldemort hadn’t followed, Severus began to follow his younger self staying in the shadows, the disillusion charm keeping him out of sight and his years of experience with being a so-called “sneak� kept him silent and aloof as he followed ‘Severus’ through the dark hallways.

A beam of light suddenly shot out from a side hallways, catching ‘Severus’ in the shoulder unexpectedly and he stumbled back, whipping out his wand. Malfoy, Bellatrix and Lestrange came out of the shadows, frowns on their faces as they all held up their wands to ‘Severus’.

Catching his breath, Severus, kept back, not wanting to be caught and held his breath.

“What do you want, Lucius?� ‘Severus’ sneered.

“We know what you’re up to, Severus,� Malfoy drawled back, twirling his wand, allowing Bellatrix and Lestrange to keep their own weapons trained on Severus.

Severus could see his younger self panic a bit, before putting up another mask of coolness. “What makes you think I’m even up to something? I’m following my orders, just like anyone else.�

“Not everyone is asked to spy, Severus!� Bellatrix hissed, waving her wand, looking very much like she wanted to use it. “And frankly…� her face hardened, “I don’t trust you one bit. Who’s to say that you’ll really be spying for us?�

“I am as loyal a servant as you, Bella,� Severus bit back. “You have had your mark no longer than I have.�

“That may be true,� Malfoy drawled back. “But you always were a little different, Severus. A little…weaker, shall we say? I watched you in school, you know. My parents asked me to keep an eye on you, especially when your parents died.�

Severus watched with pride as his younger self kept his temper. His parent’s death had always been a sore spot for him, but he knew that now was not the time to flip out about it.

“I didn’t need a bloody babysitter,� ‘Severus’ hissed back. “Now or then! You follow your orders, I will follow mine.�

Malfoy spell came faster than Severus could blink and he was surprised that it didn’t knock ‘Severus’ off his feet. But ‘Severus’’ wand did fly neatly over into Malfoy’s outstretched hand and at the same moment, Lestrange fired off a slasher curse and Bellatrix, ever her style, complimented it with a Crucio

Wincing as his younger self hit the ground, Severus only watched as he heard his own screams. He couldn’t interfere yet. It was too soon. Something else had to happen.

“You’re just a muggle loving fool like Dumbledore,� Malfoy mocked as the curse was finally lifted and ‘Severus’ was left gasping for breath. He made his mistake by stepping a bit closer to ‘Severus’ who quickly reached out, knocking Malfoy’s feet out form underneath him, sending him toppling to the ground.

Severus watched with mixed fascination and fear as Malfoy and ‘Severus’ struggled for a moment, both earning several punches to the face before Lestrange and Bellatrix intervened. While Bellatrix helped Malfoy stand, Lestrange roughly pulled up ‘Severus’ only to send him to the ground again with a solid punch to the face.

Blinking, Severus stared as Malfoy, Bellatrix and Lestrange all stood above ‘Severus’, their wands pointed at him and murder on their face.

Bellatrix seemed to be the most impatient. “Avada-“

Not thinking, Severus hauled himself up, feeling his disillusion charm wearing off as he shot three stunners in quick succession, knocking out the three cold.

“What are you doing here?� ‘Severus’ asked, a bit annoyed, as Severus reached down, helping him to his feet. ‘Severus’ reached up, wiping some blood off his face and glaring openly at his older self. “Are you trying to get us killed?�

“So you do believe who I am?� Severus countered back.

“How else could you have gotten in here?� ‘Severus’ shot back, waving Severus to follow him. “You’ve got to get out of here before someone sees you. What did you think you were doing? It’s not like I’m gonna die if I’m you!�

“That’s just the thing,� Severus whispered back as they came towards the entrance again, staying aloof and in the shadows. “You would have died.�

‘Severus’ whirled around. “What?�

“I remember why I decided to become a spy,� Severus said, cutting right to the point.

‘Severus’ narrowed his eyes. “What?�

“Why I turn, why I spy, it’s all the same reason.�

“Yeah, Albus-bloody-Dumbledore,� ‘Severus’ hissed, leading them both out into the open again, under the afternoon sun. “You’ve told me that before.�

“No, Severus,� Severus shook his head, “it wasn’t Dumbledore.�

“It was myself.�


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“Are you mad?� Sirius shot at Snape, interrupting his tale. “What in bloody Merlin is that supposed to mean?�

Remus reached out, laying a hand on his friend’s shoulder. “He’s right, Sirius, don’t you see it?�

“I…I see it..� Harry’s disbelieving voice broke in. “I don’t want to, but I do…�

Everyone turned to Sirius and he took several short breaths, hardly daring to breathe as the thought came to him as well.

“You’re saying….you’re saying, we were supposed to come back?� he said quietly.

“Yes, Sirius.� They all whirled to see Dumbledore standing in the entrance to the Room of Requirement. “That is exactly what they are saying.�

“I had my suspicions, when you first came,� Dumbledore began, addressing all of them as they sat in the Room of Requirement, “that you had come back for a reason. After all, my older self would not send you back without some reason.�

“The reason was good enough,� Sirius said quickly, sounding somewhat impatient. “Even one of them would have been good enough but we had four.�

Harry saw Sirius’ eyes flicker over to him for a moment, probably to check on how he was taking all this, but Harry made sure to not show much of what he was feeling. He knew his face was perfectly blank, while his insides were churning. He had geared himself up for this possibility, but the thought of it actually being true…he wasn’t sure how he would react to Dumbledore’s tale.

“And all four were very noble and good, even heroic reasons, Sirius,� Dumbledore assured him. “So, you came back to save those four lives…trying to correct the past, assuming that if there was even the slightest chance to make your world, our future, better, that you had a duty to do that.� Dumbledore’s eyes twinkled over towards them, Sirius especially, and he smiled a bit. “And I could not be more proud of how far you have come, and how far you were willing to go.�

Harry tried to blink back his own tears as he looked over at Sirius himself. Remus had reached up, putting a hand on his shoulder as Sirius practically locked eyes with the headmaster.

“Unfortunately, there is always a side to magic that we are too blind to see, a side that we often don’t want to and don’t end up considering,� Dumbledore said gently, moving his gaze across all of them now. None of them responded, so he continued. “We often refer to Fate as an unpredictable force, but she has more power than we give her credit, and is actually the exact opposite of unpredictable.�

“It was Fate, wasn’t it?� Sirius spoke up, his voice sounding harsher than Harry thought necessary, but he could understand why. “We were supposed to come back.� The last sentence was more of a statement than a question, but Dumbledore still nodded in answer.

“Yes, you were. But not for the reason’s you originally thought you were supposed to.�

“Then why?� Sirius flared out. “Why put us through this? For all we know, if we hadn’t come back, James and Lily would still be alive in our time. Arianna would still be alive, and Emily-“

“It’s not healthy to think of that, Sirius,� Dumbledore’s firm but gentle voice interrupted. “It does not do to dwell on dreams…�

Harry felt a bit calmer at that statement, remembering the Dumbledore from his time telling him the exact same thing. He had been right then, and thought Harry didn’t want to admit it, he was right now. But that didn’t make the pain any easier to bear.

Remus, the ever voice of reason, pulled Sirius back into a sitting position. “You’re not helping anything by being angry, Sirius,� Remus reasoned.

“It’s sure making me feel better,� Sirius shot back.

“Is it really?�

This time Sirius had no answer. Harry turned from them back to Dumbledore and saw that the old wizard was now gazing at Harry himself.

“How are you feeling, Harry?� he asked gently.

Harry felt several emotions flicker across his mind: hurt, anger, pain, remorse, guilt, regret, hopelessness…

“I…I don’t really know…� he admitted. “I mean, I suspected that this could happen, I mean, after all, during my third year I got my fill of time travel and it should have clicked earlier that it would turn out like this.�

“What?� Sirius said quickly. “Your third year-“

“When you escaped,� Harry said quickly. “Remember? Hermione and I saved you using her time turner…� he trailed off and looked away from all the penetrating eyes that were now focused on him. “The patronus…�

“That’s right,� Remus hissed out, sounding very upset with himself as he shook his head slightly. “You conjured the Patronus to save yourself, cause you remembered it happening before.� It was Harry and Remus’ turn to look at each other. “You didn’t change the past, though. It had already happened.�

Harry nodded. “Just like Hermione and me saving Buckbeak and Sirius. We didn’t go back and correct Buckbeak’s execution and Sirius’ sentence, we completely prevented them and so even when we thought that Buckbeak had been killed, he hadn’t, cause I had gotten him away in time, and even when we were scared because Sirius was about to receive the Dementor’s kiss, we had just gotten him and Buckbeak to safety, so there was no reason to worry.�

“But Harry, there was a reason to worry,� Remus interjected. “You see, without your worry, you would never have gone back in time and none of it would have happened.�

“Exactly, Remus, exactly,� Dumbledore interrupted. “There had to have been a desire to go back and change the past, otherwise you never would have tried, and therefore, from the sound of it, too many innocent people would have died that night.�

“And in this situation,� Dumbledore continued, “You all had the need again, the desire and want to go back and change the past. And you have done so, even if you feel that you have not.�

Dumbledore looked over to Snape. “Yours is probably the most interesting, as your purpose was to come back and save your own self from death, as well as convince him to be a spy for the Light.�

Snape raised one eyebrow in question and Dumbledore nodded, smiling a bit. “I met up with young Severus Snape in the ministry not twenty minutes ago and he requested to meet with me this evening.�

Harry had to feel a little bit of happiness as Snape let out a relieved breath and let himself show a little more emotion than usual as Harry saw a single tear in the corner of his eye. A tear of relief no doubt. Harry might not have known exactly what Severus Snape had accomplished throughout the years as a spy for the order, but he suspected it was more than Sirius, Remus or Harry could imagine.

“No offense, Headmaster,� Sirius said after a moment, “but this isn’t exactly all playing out in my mind.� Harry had to at least agree with that statement. Dumbledore might have answered some of their questions but in doing so he had created about five hundred more. “How is it that Remus and I didn’t have any memories of our older selves coming back in time? And how do you explain the fact that the circumstances of both Emily and Arianna’s deaths are, well, different from what has happened in the last few days?�

Harry watched Remus out of the corner of his eye, watching the werewolf shudder a bit when Sirius said Emily’s name associated with “death�. It dawned on Harry that Remus had figured out that Emily was going to die no matter what and the emotions that flickered across the ex-professor’s face most definitely showed the horror of that thought.

“And what about Peter?� Remus added, trying to push back his own emotions. “We’ve exposed him to everyone. How could he possibly betray Lily and James now?�

Dumbledore’s face drooped a bit and he looked very grave as he spoke. “I suppose that Fate will work everything out,� he said sadly, “and I see no possible way to save your friends at this point. They were meant to die, meant to die so that Harry could live.�

Everyone turned as Harry scooted back in his chair instinctively, getting more of a shock from that statement than he realized. His eyes were wide and filling with a few tears.

“No…no, please…�

It’s not true…it’s not…I can still save them…

He heard the thoughts racing through his head as he numbly stared at the Headmaster, wishing and desperately hoping that he would wake up soon.

He heard someone speak, but didn’t find a reason to respond. He vaguely saw Sirius stand up and go over to him, kneeling by his chair and wrapping his arms around him, holding him tight. He started to feel the tears from Sirius’ eyes fall onto his shoulders just as he realized his own tears were finally starting to fall.

“I can save them, Sirius….I can save them….� His voice came out in quiet whispers between the sobs that began to rack his body.

“I’m here, Emeralds,� Sirius whispered gently, realizing that Harry was just blubbering and needed to hear those words. “Moony and I will always be here for you…�

Harry hiccupped slightly, trying to get a hold of himself as his sobs died down as he listened to Sirius’ soothing voice over and over again.

“You’ll never be alone, Harry,� Dumbledore said gently, but Harry didn’t look over at him and kept his face muffled in Sirius’ shoulder. “There are too many people here who care for you.�

Harry sniffed, finding the courage to pull away from Sirius and look up at Dumbledore. Sirius kept a hand around his shoulders, which Harry was grateful for. “They’re still going to die? No matter what we do?�

“I’m afraid so, Harry.�

Sirius grip around him tightened and more than ever, Harry was grateful for his presence. It was strange that just moments ago, Sirius had been in blind rage and grief himself, but the mere sight of Harry being distressed seemed to bring him right out of it.

Just like a parent.

At that thought, Harry felt his heart slow down a bit as it became easier to breath and though the tears did not stop, some of the sadness did leave.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
He was standing again in the Death Chamber, the fight raging around him as he looked about in confusion. He saw Moody, Kinsley, Tonks, Remus, Neville…they were all fighting.
His eyes strayed towards the center of the room where he saw the now familiar sight of Bellatrix and Sirius dueling in front of the veil.

He knew what was going to happen. He could stop it.

But somehow, his legs weren’t working. He struggled through thin air that felt more like quicksand and could only scream out as once again he heard Sirius’ familiar line.

“Come on! You can do better than that!�

Sirius’ expression changed seconds after, the beam of light pushing him backwards into the veil.

Harry heard someone screaming and suddenly realized it was himself, still struggling to make it to his now disappeared Godfather.

He finally seemed to break free of the invisible force holding him and was sprinting towards the veil, determined to follow Sirius through and bring him back out.

But right as he was about to go through, a hand reached out and grabbed him, making him stop.

“Harry? Harry, wake up! It was just a dream!�

He felt like he stumbled a bit, reflexively jerking forward and amazed to still feel Remus’ arm around him, holding him back from following Sirius into the veil. It wasn’t until he blinked a few more times that he saw that it was not Remus ho was holding him.

It was James.

Overwhelmed a bit at the suddenness of seeing his dead parents again, Harry jerked out of James’ grasp, trying to act like he didn’t notice James’ hurt look when he pulled away.

Why was he still wearing his glasses anyway? He wondered, realizing that everything in the room was clear and that his round glasses were perched a bit haphazardly on his face, like his had slept with them on.

Oh. Right.

After the kerfaffle had died down after the funeral, Harry and ‘Sirius’ had been practically dragged into beds to rest, even though it had been a full day since Voldemort’s attack and Harry was feeling just fine. Harry had done his best not to fall asleep, knowing that the nightmares would follow, but it looked like his struggles were in vain.

Getting in control of himself quickly, a task which became easier and easier after each nightmare, Harry glanced over at the two other people in the room with him.

Lily looked as if she had been crying, her face red and her eyes puffy. James looked almost numb to the pain he was obviously feeling, trying to block it out just as Harry did.

It was harder than he imagined, seeing them again. And because they weren’t supposed to know about the “little� conversation in the room of requirement, Harry couldn’t tell them outright why he looked so sad when they came into the room.

“How’s Remus?� Harry asked at once, trying to keep the focus off his latest nightmare and also worried for the younger version of his friend, whom he had not seen since Emily’s disappearance.

“As best as can be expected,� James spoke up, pulling up a chair and sitting next to Harry’s bed, Lily sitting next to him. Harry wasn’t exactly sure why they had come to see him. “He wants to go out looking for her himself, but Dumbledore says we should wait till we get some kind of ransom note.� James didn’t look like he agreed much with Dumbledore’s opinion. “He’s sure that Voldemort won’t hurt her until Remus is there to watch, but neither Sirius nor I are quite sure of that anymore, especially after what happened to Arianna.�

“Why is he doing all of this?� Harry had to ask, trying to get at least one of his questions answered. “Going after the three of you?�

James’ face darkened and Harry saw Lily’s hand reach out and grasp her husband’s, giving it a small squeeze of support.

“Well, let’s just say that Peter wasn’t the only one who was given an offer from Voldemort.�

Harry felt the pieces connect enough that he didn’t press the issue. It was obviously a sore spot for James. He thought back to when they had first come back, finding James and ‘Sirius’ in the forest and James’ words.

"I'm sick of you bloody Death Eaters! You can tell your master that my answer is still no!"

An answer….Harry could only guess the question that Voldemort’s follower had presented before James. The very thought of it made Harry want to blast something apart himself. How dare he? How dare Voldemort be so presumptuous as to think that James or Sirius or Remus were going to join him…

Because Peter did.

And like it always did, the blame circled back around to the little rat, and Harry felt even more of a desire to wish he had let Sirius and Remus finish the job all those years ago in the Shrieking Shack.

“How are you feeling, Harry?� Lily’s concerned voice broke in, obviously trying to change the subject, not that Harry or James minded.

Harry waved his question away, not really used to the obvious parental concern. “I’m fine. I’ve been through worse, it’s not like it’s that big of a deal.�

Wrong thing to say.

“You’ve been through worse?� James said incredulously. “What’s that supposed to mean?�

“Er...nothing,� Harry tried to cover up.

James and Lily both looked at each other for a moment and Harry was perplexed to notice a whole conversation pass between them without either of them so much as batting an eyelash.

“Harry?�

“Yeah?� Harry’s head snapped up at his father’s voice.

“What was that just then?�

“What?� Harry asked, playing dumb.

“Your nightmare,� Lily pressed. Harry looked over at her his face going a bit dark, the same way James’ had when Harry had brought up his last question.

“I really don’t want to talk about it,� Harry answered gruffly, looking away from both their concerned gazes. “It’s my problem to deal with.�

“But we can help you-“ Lily reached forward to lay a hand on Harry’s knee, but he shoved her arm aside before she could reach him.

“No you can’t!� It was probably too harsh, but Harry didn’t much care at the moment. The conversation from the Room of Requirement was playing and replaying through Harry’s mind. Now was not the time to get close to these people. Not when he was just going to have to say goodbye to them soon anyway. “No one can.�

Harry didn’t look up, but he had the feeling that his parents were once again having a silent conversation with one another. This time it ended with a light pair of footsteps standing up and walking quietly out of the room, shutting the door behind them.

“Harry?�

Harry looked up, confirming his guess that James was the one left in the room. He thought about feeling a twinge of guilt over what he had said to his mother, but then reasoned that it didn’t much matter in the long run. None of it did.

“We just wanted to tell you that your mother and I are both very proud of you.� James continued talking as Harry felt a few tears prick at his eyes. “Of who you’ve become….despite all that you’ve gone through.�

“Thanks dad,� Harry said softly, his anger seeping out a bit. James probably had no idea what those few simple words meant to Harry. He remembered, since he was a little boy, thinking and wondering and hoping that his parents were proud of him, of the choices that he had made in life.

“Dumbledore told me….he said that you know about the prophecy?�

Harry nodded.

James looked away again and Harry had a feeling that he was trying to blink away his tears so that his son wouldn’t have to watch him cry. Harry, however, didn’t mind at all. Seeing James Potter before him, a man with so many emotions, with a smile in his face or tears in his eyes, all of it only furthered Harry’s love for his parents. Seeing them as living, breathing human beings, being so full of familiar emotions and trials and loves, it held a special place in Harry’s heart every time he thought of it.

“Lily and I found out about two months before you were supposed to be born,� James began explaining. “It was such a shock, such a…� James hung his head in his hands. “Merlin, we were so scared.�

Harry reached out a hand, laying it on James’ shaking shoulder causing James to look up at him quickly. They stared at one another for a moment.

“Me too,� Harry whispered.

At once James’ arms shot forward, wrapping tightly around Harry and pulling him into a fierce hug.

It was different from the hug that he had gotten from Sirius a few hours before. Less familiar, but no less meaningful. Harry felt himself relax completely in James’ grip, his subconscious knowing that this, in actuality was his father, and that a hug from a father was not something to be taken lightly, especially when you had grown up without one.

"You were born to do this,� James said firmly, “and even though I wasn't there for you for so many years I'm here now, Harry,� his voice dropped to a whisper, “and I'm not leaving you again."

Harry’s arms tightened around James as he buried his head into his father’s shoulder. And he though he didn’t sob, he felt the tears begin to fall as he realized that no matter how much both of them wished it, what James had just said was never going to come true.