Unexpected Events

Severus Snape paced around the hospital bed that held his son.

His severely injured son.

Fortunately, his injuries wasn't critical or even life threatening, but it galled him that Talon was injured at all.

And it was all those blasted Marauder's fault.

As he expected, Sirius Black did not take it well when he found out that he became an escaped fugitive in the future.

He took revenge the only way the idiot knew how - by pranking Talon. Two days after they found out about Talon's life story, Black hit him will a spell that transformed his robes into pink, saying 'Gryffindor Rules - Slytherins Drools'. Talon had taken one look at his robes, sneering disdainfully before stating, 'Is that the best you can do?' and walked away.

It had been like waving a red blanket before a bull, and Black, and his friends, had spared no efforts in their attempts to humiliate his son.

His. Son.

Talon had been utterly unimpressed with the Marauders' pranks, often scoffing at them for their unimaginative ideas. No matter what Sirius and James threw at Talon, the teen simply refused to be impressed.

Slowly, the attitude of the rest of the school began to change as they watched the escalating war between the Marauders' and one, single, third year Slytherin.

They no longer laughed at the pranks, instead the student body began to mutter angrily about four fifth year students hounding a third year. They also began to see the unfairness about four boys against one.

Even the Gryffindors began to grumble eventually, but only a bit, and not where the Marauders could hear them.

Little by little, the Marauders went from being hailed as heroes of the school to where they were regarded as little more than rabid bullies.

The Marauders were well aware of the shift in their status. But instead of doing the sensible thing - stop pranking Talon at every opportunity - they actually stepped up their attempts, proving once and for all to Severus that James Potter and Sirius Black were both imbeciles. Peter was nothing but a simpering hanger-on, and Remus... Remus was a spineless fool who was utterly incapable of keeping his friends in check. He should never have been given a Prefect's badge. And he should never have been allowed to keep it when it became obvious that he couldn't manage to perform his duties.

And Dumbledore, as always, was doing nothing. Not even when the pranks stopped being humiliating and started to become life threatening.

He should have stepped in long before now. Then maybe his son wouldn't be laying in that bed, recovering from falling off a moving staircase.

And why did Talon fall off said staircase? Because the Marauders were laying in ambush, waiting for him, simultaneously firing off two Tarantallegra spells.

Talon had been chanceless.

But what truly galled Severus was that Remus and Peter had received praise, praise, for saving Talon's two companions.

The boys wouldn't have been in any danger if it hadn't been for James' and Sirius' bloody cursing them!

Reaching a decision, Severus halted his pacing and whirled around to glare at his silent friend. "This has gone on long enough. Dumbledore won't do anything to stop the idiots? Fine, I can't do anything about that. But I can take Talon out of Hogwarts, and I will do so the moment he is strong enough to travel."

"I fully agree with you, Sev. I was actually going to suggest that to you once Talon was recovered. It is no longer safe for him to stay here.

"It is a pity because he has made some good friends in his year. But his health, his life, has to come first," Lucius said sombrely.

"You will of course come and live with me. No, Severus, I insist on it," Lucius ordered, holding up a commanding hand to halt Severus' automatic protest.

Severus glowered at his best friend, but then he deflated. He knew it was his pride talking. He hated accepting Lucius' help when there was nothing he could offer him in return, other than his friendship. But that just didn't seem enough at times.

Living with Lucius at his manor would help solve several problems. Like where to find the money to get food and clothes. Then there was the need to find tutors and...

"Thank you, my friend, I'll gladly take you up on your offer," Severus said with gratitude, albeit a bit stiffly. He hated being poor.

"Think nothing of it, Sev. Besides, who else would keep me company and stave off my boredom?" Lucius asked with a mischievous grin.

Reluctantly, Severus felt himself respond to that grin. Merlin help him, but Lucius' moods had always affected him, whether he wanted them to or not.

The blond's grin turned wicked and Severus huffed in mock-annoyance, turning away to check on his son so he didn't have to see that grin turn smug.

oOo

Five agonising days later Talon was finally free to leave the hospital wing. The thirteen year old all but skipped when walking through the doors. The knowledge that they would be leaving Hogwarts only increasing the bounce in his steps.

Severus and Lucius had refused to leave his side while he was bedridden, claiming that they were worried about his safety and not about to leave him open to further attacks.

Dumbledore had been insulted, of course, all but demanding that the two boys return to class. When they refused, ignoring the mass loss of points and the numerous detentions heaped on their heads, the Headmaster had gone as far as to suspend them, even threatening with expulsion if they did not comply.

They didn't.

Their precaution proved wise since the Marauders refused to give up.

Twelve times they tried to sneak into the infirmary to prank Talon.

When that didn't work they sneaked into Pomfrey's office and messed with her potions in hoped to be able to catch Talon that way.

They didn't count on Severus' over protectiveness of his son. Or on his skill in Potions. It was child's play for the budding Potions master to spot the tampering.

Once again Dumbledore was called upon to interfere.

Once again he merely twinkled his eyes and pushed the matter under the carpet.

By then Lucius was furious, furious enough to summon his personal healer and demand that he have the sole care of one Talon Snape.

Dumbledore had actually lost his twinkle at that demand. But when Healer Applegate threatened to call in the authorities and have the Marauders' charged with attempted manslaughter, the Headmaster, reluctantly, backed off.

And today they were finally leaving.

After today, Harry would never have to see Dumbledore ever again.

He couldn't wait.

They only had one, last confrontation to get through.

oOo

Severus Snape swept into the Great Hall, the sneer that one day would be his trademark firmly in place.

Walking up to the Head Table, Severus black eyes locked with twinkling blue ones, allowing all the contempt he felt for this man to show. For once he held nothing back.

"Mr Snape, is there something you wanted?" Dumbledore asked with a grandfatherly smile, ignoring Severus' contempt with ease.

"Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of this school. Since you are incapable of keeping the students under your care in check, it is with some regret I hereby inform you that my son and I are withdrawing from Hogwarts, school of witchcraft and wizardry," Severus announced in a ringing voice.

"And good riddance. It will be a blessing not having to see your ugly mug every day, Snivellus," Sirius shouted with glee, high-fiving his friends. They had done it. They had managed to drive the Snapes out of school. Surely, things were going to go back to normal now?

Severus didn't react other than arch a pointed eyebrow at Dumbledore who, as usual, was pretending that nothing was happening.

"Very well, if that is your wish, then there is nothing I can do to stop you," he merely stated, going back to his lunch.

Severus snorted and turned to leave, wrapping a protective arm around his son's shoulders.

"I wish to make the same announcement," Lucius said calmly, he too ignoring the increased victory celebrations coming from the four Marauders.

"Lord Malfoy?" Albus asked in shock, looking up from his plate. He hadn't believed the blond's threat about leaving Hogwarts for a second. Why should he? "Why would you wish to leave Hogwarts? After all, we offer the best education in Europe."

Lucius pressed his lips together in anger. "I see. When Severus announced he was leaving you couldn't care less. When I made the same announcement, you suddenly are worried. Could it be that you only care about your wealthy students, Headmaster? Or are you worried about how the other Purebloods are going to react when they learn that I have opted to leave this... fine establishment?" Lucius asked contemptuously.

"I care for all of my students, Lord Malfoy. Perhaps you are too young yet to realise that. The reason why I didn't attempted to stop Mr Snape is because, no matter how talented he is, Mr Snape has never fit in here. I was hoping that he would be happier in his new school.

"You, on the other hand, has never had any problems fitting in with the other students, so it is only natural for me to worry that you are making a rash decision. A rash decision you will regret once your emotions has had a chance to settle," Albus explained, going for calm and rational but coming across as condescending.

"Funny, Severus has never had any problems with the Slytherins and the Ravenclaws. He gets along very well with them. Isn't it closer to the truth that it is the Gryffindors that for some reason have problems with him? Admit it, Headmaster, you are relieved that the target for your pets are opting to leave, meaning that you will no longer have to clean up the messes they make.

"I wouldn't be too relieved. They will soon pick a new target. One can only hope that they don't pick a first year this time. They certainly have proven themselves more than willing to curse those who are younger than them," Lucius said, his voice cold as ice.

"No matter. My decision stands. Come, Severus, Talon, let us leave, the air in here is... rank," Lucius commanded, starting to make his way to the doors and to their freedom.

"Not so fast, Lord Malfoy. You might be a lord, but that does not give you the right to make baseless accusations," Albus said reprovingly, getting to his feet when it became obvious that the three former students were not about to stop.

Slashing his wand, the doors closed with a bang, warded tightly shut.

Immediately, the three Slytherins whirled around, their wands in their hands.

"Release the doors," Severus snapped, infuriated.

"No, not until Lord Malfoy apologises," Albus stated firmly, the twinkle in his eyes gone.

Lucius unconsciously adopted a regal stance. "No."

"You refuse?" Albus asked, not believing his ears.

"I refuse to shame my House by apologising for stating the truth. Now release those doors," Lucius ordered.

Dumbledore snorted. "It is clear your father failed to teach you proper respect for your elders."

Lucius twitched, the death of his father was still a sore wound and it hurt to have his honour questioned like that.

"You are nothing but a bully. No wonder your protégé acts like he does. You are the one lacking honour. You are the one lacking manners. You are the one trying to force a Lord to apologise to you for daring to tell the truth. How on earth did you manage to fool the masses into thinking that you are Godof Light?" Harry asked in disgust.

Albus pressed his lips together for a moment, the only outward sigh of his rising fury. "Mr Snape, I suggest you keep that smart mouth of yours shut while in the presence of your betters."

Harry arched his eyebrow and stared at Dumbledore in silent challenge.

"Your attitude needs to be adjusted, Mr Snape. I am not above placing you over my knee and attend to that adjustment myself," Albus snapped, ignoring McGonagall's indignant splutter, not realising that it was him the Deputy Headmistress was displeased with.

Harry recoiled, the Headmaster's words too close to the words spoken in the new life he had created in his head. What if...

Harry forcefully squelched that line of thought. He wasn't about to get kidnapped. He wasn't about to be separated from Snape. Nothing bad was going to happen to him, period.

"Albus Dumbledore, you go too far," Severus snapped, infuriated by the old man's causal threat to spank his son. His son.

"No Mr Snape, it is you who go too far. I was going to let matters be, but I seen now that I have no other option than to correct a great wrong," Dumbledore said, throwing out his arms unexpectedly, freezing everyone present in the Great Hall.

"You, Mr Snape, is in a serious need of an attitude change. The same goes for that spawn of yours. Lord Malfoy, I regret doing this to you, but I cannot have one of the peers disobedient to my rule. Obliviate."

Harry was frozen in place like everyone else, no matter how much he struggled to get free of Dumbledore's spell.

But when seeing his 'uncle' threatened like that, something snapped inside of him and he managed to cast off the spell holding him in place, throwing himself at the blond, taking the spell for him.

"Talon!" twin voices cried out in pain and shock.

"Albus bloody Dumbledore, how dare you harm my son?!" a voice roared, sounding as if it came from thin air.

Dumbledore's holding spell fizzled and died as everyone cringed at the shout, even Albus Dumbledore himself, as they looked around frantically, wondering who had spoken and what calamity was about to befall them now.

Then a vortex appeared, exactly like the one that had appeared at Halloween, and then a figure, a man, was coming through the blackness.

Talon could only stare in shock, then he gleefully shouted, "Papa!" as he dashed forward, throwing himself at his father who immediately scooped him up and held him close.

"Talon, thank Merlin I found you in time," Severus whispered, hugging his son as tightly as he could.

"Papa, oh Papa, I missed you so much," Talon sobbed. "Younger you took great care of me, and younger Uncle Lucius too, but it wasn't the same. And the Marauders, and Dumbledore, and..."

"Hush now, Talon, hush, my lovely boy, you are safe now, they will never be able to harm you again," Severus promised, doing his best to calm his hysterical son down.

"Who are you and what are you doing here?" Albus thundered, infuriated that his spell had gone awry. He could still salvage this mess, of course, but first he needed to know who or what this new threat was.

Severus snorted. "I am Potions master Severus Snape. I come from the future, just like Talon does. As for why I am here..." Severus trailed off with a wicked grin that sent shivers up and down Dumbledore's spine.

"Don't torment your pray, Severus, it's unbecoming of you," a second voice chided good-naturedly.

"But Luc," Severus all but whined. "It's Albus Dumbledore."

"I am well aware of that, but where is the fun in playing with an unarmed opponent?" Lucius Malfoy asked, stepping through the vortex, and he wasn't alone.

"True," Severus reluctantly admitted. "After all, Dumbledore is nothing but a fumbling buffoon an eight year old can outwit."

"Yes, as your son proved. Often," Lucius replied with a wicked grin.

Lucius could only stand there and stare as an older version of himself stepped through the swirling vortex. He was pleased to see that he grew up to become quite handsome. But it was the sight of the many, many children with blond hair that kept him frozen in place even after Dumbledore's spell was broken.

"Merlin and the Founders, how many children do I have?" he blurted in shock.

"You said you wanted a lot of children," his Severus teased, moving to join himself and his son.

"Yes... But..." Lucius spluttered, trying to count the blond heads.

The older Lucius laughed. "Let this be a warning to you all. Never marry a witch who comes from a family famous for producing triplets and twins.

"And if you do, make sure she isn't cursed to always be overly fertile."

"You did? She was?" Lucius asked dumbly.

"The answer is yes to both questions."

"Where is Aunt Mireille, Uncle Lucius?" Talon asked, still wrapped in his papa's arms.

"She stayed in the future, Talon. In fact, she left me," Lucius admitted with a sigh.

"What?! Why?" Talon demanded angrily.

"She went back to France, claiming that she did not dare to stay with me. She refused to give birth to any more children, and since our best efforts to avoid pregnancies weren't good enough, she left.

"According to the rumours I heard, she is living the high life on the Riviera with a very nice witch, swearing that she is never allowing another wizard near her ever again," Lucius said, fighting to keep his amusement hidden.

"But... that's wrong! You love Aunt Mireille," Talon complained, not fully understanding what his uncle was telling him.

Younger Lucius and Severus did and had a hard time keeping their hilarity contained.

"It is all right, Talon. Yes, I will miss Mireille, but I have the children, and you, and your Papa. I will not be lonely, I promise you," Lucius soothed, ruffling Talon's hair affectionately.

"Good," Talon said, putting his head back down on his papa's shoulder. For now, all was well in his world.

"Ahem, I do not know why you opted to come here, but this is not your time. You should not be here," Albus chided, making mental notes to ensure to keep Malfoy far away from this Mireille girl.

"I'm so sorry, Albus, but this trip is one-way only," Severus said, his voice fairly dripping with fake sympathy. "As for why we are here, I already told you, it is your own bloody fault."

"Severus, the children," Lucius chided automatically.

"Children, don't swear," Severus responded equally automatically, never taking his eyes off Dumbledore.

"My fault, how can you claim that this mess is my fault," Albus asked, outraged.

"Ah, but it is, Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore," a new, dreamy sounding, voice spoke.

"Who goes there?!" Albus shouted, swiftly reaching the end of his rope. All he wanted was for the Snapes to be gone and the Malfoy Lord to be brought to heel. But with all these people interrupting him... How was he supposed to get everything back on track when strange people insisted on interrupting him all the time?!

A new person shimmered into view. "I am Luna. In a few years time you will 'discover' a prophecy. Or rather, what you think is a prophecy. It is nothing more than a drunkards ravings that his friends recorded for a lark.

"The entire thing was then forgotten for a few hundred years, until you stumbled upon it, Albus.

"Since the drunkard in question was one of your ancestors, you believed it was a prophecy left for his descendants. You became convinced the prophecy spoke of you and the emerging Dark Lord.

"But you never could get things to fit together quite right, could you, Albus? So you began to look around for a more likely candidate, fixating on Severus' son Talon.

"Poor Albus, you worked so hard to make the prophecy true. All for naught," Luna said, her tone of voice sad but the look on her face was anything but.

"You mean to tell me he put us through hell for nothing!?" Severus roared, clutching his son tighter.

"Yes. I am sorry for your pain, Severus, Talon, that was never the Fates' intention. But even the Fates are bound by the rules. Rules that has now been thoroughly broken. Broken by the madman sitting up there, thinking he is the god of the magical world.

"When Dumbledore sent Talon back in time, Change began to stir. Time and Destiny also took notice, and they watched in approval as your younger self stepped up and assumed responsibility for Talon.

"But then Albus Dumbledore once again began to meddle," Luna spat disgustedly.

"What would have happened?" younger Lucius asked, his face composed even though his innards were quaking with dread.

"Albus was going to meddle with your relationship with Severus, making you think that you had had a falling out sometime in previous years, effectively ending your friendship.

"Without your support, Albus would have had an easy time compelling Severus to fall in line, forcing him to become Albus' slave more or less, proclaiming that Severus' was his 'apprentice' since it would be a shame to allow such a talent in Potions to go to waste.

"Talon would be forced back as a student, and in three weeks time, the Marauders would finally manage to kill him in an 'accident'.

"Severus would be a broken man, losing his will to live. In fact, you end your life in two years time, unable to endure the hell Dumbledore had created for you any longer.

"Without Severus' friendship, and thanks to the damage Dumbledore's spell causes, Lucius Malfoy becomes a cruel, heartless man. He will join the emerging Dark Lord but will soon surpass him and kill him, becoming an ever worse danger to the magical world. Under his rule, magical Britain will collapse within one hundred years, and in his desperate attempt to save his empire, Lucius will end up wiping out all life on the planet.

"All that happened because you consider yourself a god that knows best, Albus. It could not be allowed, of course. The debates about how to solve this mess went on for decades, but in the end Time and the Fates agreed to go with what you had started.

"You were the one to send Talon back in time. You hoped that you could mould him easier if Severus wasn't there to guard him. You sent careful instructions to yourself, but Destiny intercepted them, the stars alone know what mess you would have created otherwise," Luna said with a heavy sigh.

"Since Talon couldn't be retrieved from the past, it was decided to send his papa back in time as well. Lucius Malfoy, the loyal friend he is, insisted on coming with him.

"With both of them back in time, it was decided that the two most successful Headmasters since the Founders time should take over the school early.

"In other words, Albus Dumbledore, you are fired," Luna singsonged with a smirk. "And since you have no purpose here anymore, Destiny and Time are eager to speak with you. Begone, pesky mortal," Luna cried, waving her hand as if shooing off an insistent fly.

To the amazement of everyone in the Great Hall, Albus Dumbledore simply disappeared.

"Hey, you can't do that!" James shouted, shooting to his feet.

"I think you will find that I can, James Emanuel Potter," Luna replied sternly. "Do not think that I have forgotten you and your friends. You are nothing but bullies and petty tyrants. You attempted to murder Severus Snape. You did manage to kill Talon Snape.

"In the future Talon hails from, you lived a good life under Albus Dumbledore's wing. And you took full advantage of that protection. You never grew up. You continued to prank people, not caring whose life you ruined as long as it made you laugh.

"Until you went too far. You killed the heir of a visiting maharaja, and caused his wife to miscarry their fourteen weeks old son.

"Albus was unable to protect you, and you were all put to trial and sentenced to prison. Albus managed to whisk James away before he could be sent to Azkaban, forever damaging Britain's relationship with India and that part of the world.

"Sirius eventually managed to escape with the aid of James Potter and Remus Lupin, and all four of them were on the run when Talon was sent back.

"That is who the Marauders truly are. Cowards and murderers. People who doesn't care about anyone or anything. All they care about are their own selfish whims and wishes.

"If it was up to me you would be killed on the spot. Alas, Destiny thinks you can still learn to become responsible adults and I can do nothing but bow my head to Her wisdom. Begone, insects, may you learn the lesson She is trying to teach you," Luna intoned, watching dispassionately as the four Marauders and Lily Evans was removed from the Great Hall.

"Why Lily?" Severus the younger asked, not sure if he should be relieved or sad to see his friend disappear like that.

"Because she chose to stand by James Potter to the bitter end," Luna said sadly.

Severus closed his eyes as he mentally said goodbye to his friend. Opening them again, the first thing he saw was Talon and he couldn't help but smile.

He had lost Lily, but he had gained so much more.

"What happens now?" Severus the older asked.

"Now you and Lucius resume your Headmaster duties. You work on making Hogwarts something you can be proud of again. You help teach the students tolerance and wisdom."

"I have yet managed to teach a single student wisdom," Severus grumbled.

"And you live happily ever after, of course," Luna said with a bright smile, fading out in a burst of rainbow coloured sparks.

"Are we safe now, Papa?" Talon asked worriedly.

"Yes, baby, we are safe now," Severus replied.

"Good. I'm hungry, can we eat now?" Talon asked, basking in the scent and sound of his strong papa.

"Yes son, we can eat now," Severus chuckled. "Students, considering the upheaval you have all gone through, not to mention that Lucius and I will need some time to sort through the mess Dumbledore no doubt left behind, you have the rest of the day off. Madam Hooch, would you be willing to supervise those who wish to play a game or two of Quidditch?"

"Of course," Hooch replied happily, her answered drowned out by the cheer coming from the students.

"The kitchen?" Severus asked, glancing at his fellow time traveller.

"The kitchen," Lucius nodded in reply.

oOo

"So... How many children do you... I... we have?" Lucius asked once everyone had a full plate in front of them.

"Well... First we had a set of triplets. Amanda, Beatrice, and Claudia," Lucius replied, pointing each child out. "Thank Merlin none of the children are identical or we would be in a real pickle.

"Next are Daniel, Ethan, and Ferdinand, the second set of triplets. Then we have Gareth and Henry, our first set of twins," Lucius went on.

"Are all of our children named alphabetically?" Lucius asked, not sure how he felt about that.

"It was Mireille's idea," Lucius replied with a shrug. "At the time it seemed safest to give in to her whim.

The smirk older Severus send his friend spoke volumes and younger Lucius had an inkling just when the issue of the babies' names had been settled.

"Then we have Ilena and Janice, and Katerina and Leah.

"It was when Mireille was pregnant with our second set of triplets we found out about the curse. We consulted the best healers and the brightest curse breakers in an attempt to break it, but the best they could do was ensure that we would only have twins from then on.

"It was when Mireille became pregnant with Ilena and Janice we found out that magical preventive spells and potions don't work for her. And it was when she became pregnant with Katerina and Leah we discovered that Muggle precautions don't work any better.

"It was then Mireille decided to leave, vowing to never let a certain part of the male anatomy near her again. Ever," Lucius explained dryly.

Younger Lucius couldn't help but snicker. "But why did she leave you the children?" he asked somewhat perplex.

"We have twelve children, me. We really need to figure out what to call each other, it feels weird to call myself Lucius. Anyway, we have twelve children, all relatively close together in age. What woman wanting to live the high life on the Riviera wants twelve children underfoot?" Lucius asked, making sure to put up a privacy barrier to ensure that the children couldn't hear him.

"Oh..." Lucius murmured, a little bit disappointed that his wife apparently hadn't been the love of his life.

"We did love each other. Once. In the beginning. But Mireille wasn't as interested in children as I was. Probably because she came from a large family. She knew I wasn't opposed to having a lot of children, but she only wanted one or two. And she definitely wanted the gap between them to be larger.

"She never asked to have twelve children, although that was the fault of her great-grandmother. We're not sure why but we do know it was she that cursed the females of her line."

"So our daughters...?"

"Will be virtual baby makers, yes," Lucius nodded with a sigh.

"Huh, we'll have to ensure their husbands are worthy of them then," younger Lucius mused.

"Oh, we will, we will," Lucius vowed ominously.

oOo

Talon sat snuggled up on his father's lap, clutching the younger version's hand, wanting to ensure that both versions of his father was close, and here.

He knew that Dumbledore was gone. He knew he couldn't hurt him ever again. But that didn't mean that the fear was gone.

All the thirteen year old knew was that he was safe as long as Severus Snape was close.

He no longer remembered his life as Harry Potter. Dumbledore's spell had removed that life from his mind. With the Fates' blessing. Talon Snape was home now, with his family, and here he would remain for the rest of his life.

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Elsewhere

"You did good, Great-granddaughter."

"Thank you, Great-grandmother," Luna replied with a happy smile. "So... what will happen to Harry now? Is he truly safe?"

Selene, the goddess of the moon, smiled serenely. "Harry Potter is no more. Harry chose to become Talon Snape and Talon Snape he shall forevermore be.

"And yes, child, he is safe and I foresee a long and happy life for the boy. Severus and Lucius will ensure that."

"Good, he deserves some happiness after everything he has been through," Luna said, observing her friend via the scrying mirror with a tender smile.

"But what of Tom Riddle? Will he...?"

The moon goddess laughed. "Oh, he will try, but he won't get very far. Both Severus and Lucius knows his origins and they will spread that knowledge wide and far, causing most purebloods to shun him.

"He will still manage to gather the dreg of the magical society, but without the Purebloods' money and support, Tom Riddle will not get far.

"Still... Lucius the younger will be so disgusted by the way the Ministry acts that he will put all his efforts into becoming the next Minister of Magic," Selene said with a chuckle, causing her great-granddaughter to burst into a delighted peal of laughter.

"Yes child, this Lucius Malfoy manages to fulfil his dream. And he will succeed far better than Fudge and Scrimgeour could ever hope to.

"Under Lucius' leadership the magical world will finally experience the peace and prosperity it so sourly need," Selene said with deep satisfaction.

"The Fates agree?" Luna asked, biting her lip worriedly.

"They saw reason.

"In the end," Selene added, a rather frightening smile playing on her lips. Luna opted not to ask.

"Besides, the Fates still have Harry's world to play with. They will muck it up, of course, but you can't save everyone, unfortunately," Selene added with a soft sigh.

"What will happen to that world? Will Riddle win there?" Luna asked curiously.

"He will, for a while," Selene replied with a small shake of her head. "Albus Dumbledore will fumble the ball, as usual. The Marauders are, after all, only fifteen years old. They aren't the Order members that Dumbledore and his people remembers and mourns.

"They still have a lot of growing up to do, as most adolescence do. Albus will expect them to be like Harry Potter, powerful, downtrodden, and willing to do anything for Albus Dumbledore and the wizarding world.

"All the Marauders will want to do is plan and execute pranks. The Weasley twins will challenge them to a prank war that will last until the Christmas break, determined to decide who the prank kings are, them or their idols. The Marauders will jump at the chance and will not bother with the war effort at all.

"Lily on the other hand will focus on her O.W.L.s, and will clash, quite badly, I'm afraid, with Hermione Granger, who will not take it well that another witch has appeared to challenge her number one spot. It won't help that most will favour Lily in respect of her memory," Selene said, a faraway look in her eye as she Saw that dimensions' future.

Then she snorted. "It will further complicate things that Severus is their Potions teacher. The Marauders will resent him. Nay, they will hate him with the passions of hell. They will do everything within their powers to make his life miserable, attempting to repay him for the sins of Severus and Talon Snape.

"They won't stand a chance, of course," Selene continued with a wicked laugh.

"What about Lily?" Luna asked, well aware of the feelings Harry's Severus Snape harboured for the redhead.

"Oh she will soon realise that her childhood friend has grown up to become a fine male specimen. It doesn't hurt that he is a renowned Potions master with an excellent future ahead of him if he can only survive the war," Selene said with another wicked little laugh.

"Will he? Survive the war I mean," Luna asked with a worried frown.

"That I do not know, child. I could meddle a little if you wish?" Selene asked, regarding her tender-hearted great-granddaughter with a fond smile.

"Severus deserves some happiness, don't you agree, Great-grandmother?" Luna asked innocently, giving the moon goddess her best wide eyed look.

"Scamp. Very well, child, I shall keep an eye on him for you," Selene promised with a roll of her eyes.

"Good," Luna replied with deep satisfaction.

"Are there anyone other mortals you want me to meddle with?" Selene asked archly.

"Nope. But if you could find it in your heart to put some spanners in Dumbledore's plans, I won't mind," Luna replied with a wicked laugh of her own.

"Oh there is no need for me to meddle, child. Albus will mess up just fine on his own," Selene reassured her.

"Oh?"

"Yes. He will do nothing to reign the Marauders in, as usual, but this time the teachers will be less inclined to follow his lead. The Marauders will clash violently with Severus, but with the support of the other Heads of Houses, they will not get away with much, at least not once they'd managed to rile the other three up nicely with their pranks. Albus' mistake number two."

"And his mistake number one?" Luna asked with a confused frown.

"Albus will summon the older Remus Lupin, thinking that he will be able to bond with the teens. But as always he will neglect to give Remus all the details..."

Luna pondered for a moment, and then her face cleared in understanding. "So when Remus enters the room and sees Pettigrew..."

"He will attack the betrayer of his friends. The other Marauders will rally around Peter, not believing a word of census against their friend.

"What everyone seems to have forgotten is that it wasn't until the war touched the Marauders personally that they finally began to grow up. James lost his parents. Sirius lost his foster parents. Remus was attacked by Greyback...

"As the war progressed in the original time line, all four Marauders watched as their friends were affected by it in one way or the other. Eventually they realised that the only way to get peace was to fight back.

"These Marauders has yet to live through such strife. They might chose to side with the Light again. They might chose to side with the Dark this time. It all depends on who treats them the best. Only Time can tell.

"And he won't, the old grouch," Selene added with a grumble.

"But Harry is safe?" Luna asked, needing the extra reassurance.

"Yes, child, your friend is safe," Selene replied with a smile.

"Good! Does this mean that I...?" Luna asked hopefully.

Selene sighed and rolled her eyes. "Yes, Luna, you may find other Harry Potters in dire need and offer him the book. But only those who are in dire need, mind you. We can't meddle with every Harry Potter there is, Time and Change won't let us, remember this," she warned.

Luna merely laughed and clasped her hands together in delight. It had been her idea to give Harry that book, introducing him to the ritual he had used.

Harry had messed it up, of course, honestly, using a crayon when drawing a magical circle? And a purple one at that? But what could you expect from a boy? But it had worked! And now she could rescue a few other Harrys that needed her help.

Giving her great-grandmother a wave, Luna set off on her new mission. She had Harry Potters to save.

"The stars help that child," Selene sighed as she watched her great-granddaughter set to work.

"Selene! Can't you keep that infernal child under control?!"

"Hello Time, what brings you to my humble abode?" Selene asked, conjuring some soothing tea.

"That child of yours. Have you any idea what she is up to?!" Time thundered as he came into view.

Selene merely smiled a secret little smile as she settled down to listen as Father Time ranted and raved about her great-granddaughter. This should prove to be entertaining.

The End

A/N: It was pointed out to me that it was Harry who sent himself back in time and not Albus Dumbledore. It is true that, originally, it was Harry that sent himself back, using the ritual he found in Luna's book.

But Harry's actions in the past created an alternative universe, and in this alternative universe it was Albus Dumbledore who sent Talon Snape back in time since the Boy Who Lived doesn't exist there.

I hope this explanation wasn't too headache inducing.

And yes, the ending is alluding to the fact that I have several ideas of how to use this vacation idea to send Harry here and there. The possibilities are endless after all.

The stories should appear on this site eventually.

Until then,

Janara