Back in Time

Epilogue 3

based on "Back in Time—Epilogue 3" from Odd Ideas

"Another year gone, my old friend," said Albus Dumbledore.

"I'm not as old as you, Albus," replied Charles Jameson, Professor of Defence Against the Dark Arts at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. "Fortunately, it was uneventful."

"Yes, that's right," said Dumbledore. "The first of the Potter and Black children are coming next year. I hear that Minerva wanted to resign when I told her."

"A new version of the marauders?" asked Charles. "That would be interesting to see. Harry is a good child. My dad thinks that he will become a powerful Auror once he's left school."

"Very interesting," said Dumbledore.

It would be a couple more years until the Jamesons revealed who they really were to their counterparts. They knew that Hermione was still in the Muggle world at this time, and it would be easier to explain it to both of them.

"How have you enjoyed teaching," asked Dumbledore conversationally. This was not the first time he'd asked that question, and it wouldn't be the last. The Headmaster tended to have these casual "let's see how the professors are doing" talks at the end of the school year.

"It's been great, Albus," said Charles. "The students get to learn from a certified teacher, who has actually seen most of the things that the textbooks talk about. Honestly, I'm not sure Sarah could've taken it for much longer."

"Taken it?"

"She was terrified every single time that I left the house," said Charles. "Would this be the day that I met some Dark wizard who would manage to kill me? Also, I barely had any time for the children."

"How are they doing?"

"They're well," said Jameson. "Julia and Severus got married five years ago, if you might remember, and she's pregnant with his child. Morgan is with her girlfriend Amelia, and are looking to adopt a child. Matthew got married to Gwen Johnson this past year—she is a fascinating woman, by the way. I think that Michael is planning on getting engaged to Hoshi this summer. He's trying to come up with just the right date."

"I'm not so old that I can't remember my son's wedding," said Dumbledore. "It was really five years ago, though?"

"He was getting his Potions Mastery, so they didn't have time to have children," said the former Auror. "She needed to work so that they had enough money to feed themselves, and to save up a bit."

Harry and Hermione Jameson were quite surprised to see how forward-thinking the Headmaster was becoming. When he noticed the signs of abuse in Severus, he promptly applied for custody of the boy to give him a better house to live in. Unfortunately, it was too late for Severus' mother Eileen, who had died from injuries inflicted by Tobias a couple of days before. Tobias Snape had been arrested and sentenced to Azkaban for Premeditated Murder, spousal abuse of a Witch, Abuse of a child, and many other charges.

"Poor Harry will have a parent on the staff," commented Dumbledore. "I wonder how Lily feels about that."

When Horace Slughorn had retired a couple of years after Lily left Hogwarts, she was his first choice of replacement. As she'd just finished up most of her Mastery, she was more than glad to take the role. Occasionally, she helped Severus with his shop in Diagon Alley, which sold pre-made potions. His potions were considered some of the best in Great Britain, and he was well known for it. James and Severus had put aside their schoolboy disagreements, as James had sponsored the shop's opening.

It hadn't hurt that Lily had lectured him with her wand pointing at a very sensitive spot. Sirius was mostly over the rivalry, as well. Regulus had been killed in an 'accident' when his cousin Bellatrix slammed him against a wall. She had been sent to Azkaban, as she was well over the age of responsibility.

"Oh, I'm sure that Lily will be glad to see Harry on a more regular basis," said Charles. "What I wonder is what Harry will think."

James had been an Auror since leaving Hogwarts. He'd sent his children to a Muggle school so that both he and Lily could have their careers. Occasionally, Sirius would babysit, Harry, Rose, and John.

"You know, I'm a bit surprised," said Dumbledore. "A long time ago, I received a prophesy."

"A prophesy?" asked Charles. "You know those are rubbish."

"To a certain point it was accurate," replied the Headmaster. "It made certain accusations against my father and my brother. The point of the prophesy was that I'd defeat two Dark Lords in my lifetime."

"I assume that this prophesy was from before I came to Hogwarts?" asked Charles. "Specifically, some time before the second half of '35?"

"Yes, that's correct," said Dumbledore.

"A slight change to the time-line, and I would've been your Dark Lord," said Charles. "A witch by the name of Merope Gaunt had a child with a Muggle, Tom Riddle. The child ended up in an orphanage, as the mother died, and the father abandoned the family. Wool's Orphanage to be exact. Now, I consider the people who rescued me from that orphanage to be my true parents. If I would not have met them, I would have become the Heir of Slytherin, changed my name, and become the most Terrible Dark Lord this continent has ever seen."

"How do you know this?"

"Because, my parents showed me the memories," said Charles. "Harry and Hermione Jameson didn't exist until 1935, July 31. They are time-travellers from after Mr Riddle's reign as Dark Lord. They decided to do an experiment: Nature v Nurture, i.e. was I born evil or could I change with the right influence?"

"Obviously, in your case 'nurture' won out," said Dumbledore.

"Correct," said Charles. "While I advocate what your pal Alastor says, 'CONSTANT VIGILANCE!', I'm sure that you don't have to worry about me."

"That is very reassuring," said Dumbledore. "I'm slowing down as I age, and I don't think that I would ever be able to defeat another Dark Lord again."

On that note, Charles and Albus got out of their chairs. "I will see you in the fall, headmaster. It looks to be an exciting year. One only wonders what the Potter boy will bring to the school."

"Minerva is wondering whether she should take an early retirement or not," said Dumbledore. "She is only 56. But I will see you in the fall. Say hello to your family and Severus for me."

"Come to dinner, won't you?" said Charles. "Every Sunday, 14:00. Everyone in the family gets together."

"Perhaps I will, Charles. Perhaps I will."

OMAKE 1:

"How do you know this?"

"Because, my parents showed me the memories," said Charles. "Harry and Hermione Jameson didn't exist until 1935, July 31. They are time-travellers from after Mr Riddle's reign as Dark Lord. They decided to do an experiment: Nature v Nurture, i.e. was I born evil or could I change with the right influence?"

"Obviously, in your case 'nurture' won out," said Dumbledore. "However, I believe that you should tell me the true identities of your parents."

"To quote a television programme that hasn't aired yet, 'Spoilers'" said Charles. "It's from a season of Doctor Who that I saw in a Pensieve."

"What does it mean, 'Spoilers'?"

"It means I won't tell you because it would interfere with how things are meant to go," said Charles.

"But this could be a matter of national security! One of the younger counterparts could go Dark!"

"Albus, you left the boy at the house of someone who hates witches and wizards," responded Charles. "They abused him—only mentally and physically, not the other one—and he never even considered joining my counterpart's side. If that doesn't turn him Dark, then how will actually living with his family? I've met him, and he's a good kid. I haven't met the girl, yet. She's Muggleborn, see."

OMAKE 2:

"So what you're saying, Mr and Mrs Jameson, is that you're us, come from a future Professor Jameson was evil?" asked Harry and Hermione.

"That's right," said Harry Jameson. "We came back in time, and we decided to raise Charles as our own. So, take a good look kid, you're going to be shaving this face some day."

"Only he wasn't Charles Jameson," said Hermione. "Since we didn't exist at that time in our original time-line, he was still using his birth name of Tom Riddle, and then became Voldemort."

"All because he never knew love?" asked the younger version of the couple, who were finishing up their seventh year at Hogwarts, and had been together since before the OWLs in fifth year.

"That's right,"

A/N: Julia is named after a girl who recently died of cancer at the age of 13. She came to DC from Florida for treatment, and the priests at St John's Russian Orthodox Cathedral were cautiously hopeful. Unfortunately, she did not survive, and laid in repose at said Cathedral before her funeral and burial at another Orthodox church. According to the sermon that the Cathedral Archpriest gave, she was a devout Orthodox Christian, who sang in the choir, and played violin and piano. May her memory be eternal.

I used her name as a tribute, but as I never actually knew the 'real' Julia, I must give this disclaimer: All characters appearing in this work are fictitious. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

The prophesy:

The one with the power to defeat two Dark Lords is here,

Born to a man that harms Muggles to protect his family,

And whose brother likes goats.

Two Dark Lords will rise, two Dark Lords will fall at his hands.

Lover of one, teacher of the other

A man with a phoenix who will defeat two Dark Lords is here.