Is this a Work of Destiny?
This is a...er...interesting story, which I think you'll enjoy. No, I don't own the song, but I don't remember who does, I just know that it's perfect for this fic, so don't flame me for that, please. BUT, do review! Thanks!
Oh, and in advance, pardon my French. Literally. If you speak French, please tell me if you can tell what my incantation means...or at least how to say it properly? Thanks!
Disclaimer: I don't own the characters or any of that stuff, obviously. I don't own the little song lyric below either, but I can't remember who sang it. I think y'all know the song thought. Well, it belongs to whoever wrote it obviously!
~For everything, turn, turn, turn,
There is a season, turn, turn, turn,
And a time for every purpose
Under Heaven~
***
~January 28, 1972~
Remus knew they were in trouble as soon as Sirius entered the room, with a smile even more devilish than usual.
"What did you do now, Padfoot?" He asked of his slightly crazy friend.
"It's not what I did, it's what I'm GOING to do!" Sirius replied, grinning, if possible, an even wilder grin.
"Padfoot, dear friend, I hope you're not trying to break my detention count. You know I have you beat this year." James replied, sticking his tongue out at Sirius. Peter rolled his eyes.
"You two are just TRYING to get us into more trouble, aren't you?" He said. Sirius turned and bowed low.
"But of course, Wormtail my good man!" He exclaimed. "Isn't that our job?" Peter just sighed and went back to trying desperately to understand that night's Transfiguration homework.
"And anyway, Prongs," Sirius continued. "I wasn't going to try and break your detention record. I'm saving that for next year, when you're Head Boy!"
"Who said I'm going to be Head Boy?!" James demanded, standing up as if insulted. Sirius laughed.
"Just kidding, Prongsie. Anyway, I have something much MUCH better in store for tonight than some stupid old detentions." His eyes were alight with a mischievous fire. Remus pretended to shudder, earning a playful punch from James.
"What then, O Ingenious Padfoot?" James asked, mock-worshipping his friend. Sirius laughed.
"I can't tell you yet." He replied, looking around the common room. It was nearly midnight, and there were still a few seventh years and fellow sixth years left. "When everyone else has gone to sleep." He looked out at the crescent moon of the crystal clear night, grinning.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*
~January 28, 1997~
A clap of thunder caused Ron to jump slightly. He looked out of the window at the raging thunderstorm, and cursed it before looking down at Harry again.
"Are you sure he's going to be okay, Madam?" Hermione asked anxiously, biting her lip and refusing to move from the side of Harry's bed. Ron, likewise, was fluttering about the area like an over-excited shadow. Madam Pomfrey shooed them away from their friend.
"He's FINE!" She insisted, once again. "You can see him in a few days."
"A FEW DAYS!?" Hermione and Ron exclaimed in unison, an identical look of horror on both their faces. Madam Pomfrey sighed.
"He's lost a lot of blood and broken more than his share of bones, but it's nothing life threatening!" She said, exasperated.
"Could've fooled me." Ron muttered under his breath. This was the last straw on the back of Madam Pomfrey's camel.
"OUT!" She screamed, pointing to the door and breaking her own rule of quiet.
Muttering, the two sixth year Gryffindors trudged out of the hospital wing and upstairs. Ron was cussing insanely. He was still in his practice Quidditch robes and in desperate need of a shower. Hermione was impeccably clean, as always, but still as wet as Ron. In her worry even she had forgotten to cast a drying spell and didn't remember until she and Ron were halfway up to the common room. They then fled to the Fat Lady, hoping against hope that Filch wouldn't pursue the muddy footprints until he found the culprit.
"Bolbotuber!" They panted, out of breath. The Fat Lady raised her eyebrows but no more. She had heard, of course, from Violet about Harry Potter's accident and wasn't about to lecture his friends. They climbed into the hole gratefully to find it almost empty.
"Honestly!" Ron burst out when the portrait was safely shut behind them. "She acted as if it weren't such a big deal!"
"I know." Hermione replied, biting her lip again. "But he'll be okay. I'm sure he's fine."
"Fine? FINE? Hermione, he just fell fifty feet from a broomstick!" Ron said, gesturing with his hands.
"I know, I know!" Hermione said, closing her eyes, trying to block out the mental image of her best friend falling from his broom. It didn't work. "But, I mean...he'll be okay. Harry's gotten through worse things than this."
"Yeah, yeah. You're right, as usual." Ron sighed. "I still can't figure out what happened. He was fine one minute, and the next he was on the ground!" Ron also shut his eyes to block out the image, except that he had been there and actually seen Harry smashed into the ground. Once again, it didn't work, and Ron found it easier simply to keep his eyes open. He sighed. "I'm gonna go take a shower, all right?"
"Fine by me. I'm going to bed. G'night, Ron!" Hermione said, jogging upstairs to her dorm. Ron waved and went upstairs to shower.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Okay, so what's this brilliant plan of yours?" Demanded Remus, once the very last yawning seventh year had retired right before midnight. Sirius grinned (again) and reached into his bag. He looked up at his three friends.
"Ahem," He said, as if expecting them to do something. They stared blankly. "AHEM!" Sirius said again. Still, nothing. "DRUM ROLL!" Sirius yelled, as if this were the obvious thing to do. Rolling their eyes, the other three Marauders rolled their tongues and, quietly, stomped their feet. "Thank you." Sirius said.
And, with a flourish, he pulled something out of the bag. The drum roll immediately ceased, and the Marauders crowded around Sirius to see what treasure he had brought with them.
"A quill, Sirius?" Remus said, raising an eyebrow. Peter let out a sigh of relief, and James looked insulted. But none of this phased the ever infamous Padfoot.
"Not just any quill," Sirius said excitedly, and Peter's relief vanished like the morning mist. "THE Quill. This is the Quill of Pere Epoque." Peter and James continued to look at Sirius as if he were even crazier than they had previously thought, but Remus jumped up in disbelief, carefully taking the quill from Sirius and examining carefully like a precious object.
"How did you get this?" He asked in disbelief, handing it back to Sirius in awe. Padfoot threw his shoulders back haughtily.
"A true Marauder never tells anyone his secrets." Sirius replied. Remus rolled his eyes, and James and Peter stared from Sirius to Remus and then back to Sirius.
"Ahem," James said, directing their attention to himself. "What exactly is this 'Quill of Pere Eqoque'?" Remus rolled his eyes.
"Honestly, James, do you NEVER do your History homework?" He said.
"No," James replied casually. Remus sighed.
"The quill...THIS quill, was invented by a French follower of Grindlewald." Remus explained. "He named it 'Le Stylo de Pere Epoque' which translates to 'The Pen of Father Time'. It has the power of time travel. It was taken from the man after he was killed in the Battle of the Final Hour, in which Dumbledore defeated Grindlewald. It was said that Dumbledore kept it hidden, but know one ever knew. How DID you get it, Sirius?"
Sirius just shook his head and grinned wider, swelling with pride.
"How does it work?" James asked eagerly, leaping up and holding the Quill with new respect.
"Simple," Sirius replied. "You write down the date and time of where you want to go. Then you place the quill vertically in the center of the paper. One paper will take up to four travelers, each of which hold on gently to one of the corners, and, in unison mind you, say an incantation: 'Ce n'est pas une époque je ne peux pas voulour'. Then it will take them to the desired time." He looked around, as if daring each of the other Marauders to come along. Remus shook his head.
"I don't know, Sirius...this could be really dangerous..."
"Oh, c'mon Moony!" James said, thumping Remus on the back a bit too hard and earning a glare. "Where's your sense of fun?"
"I hate it when you say that!" Remus said, remembering all the detentions he'd received after James had used that particular phrase.
"What about you, Wormtail?" James said, rounding on Peter, who was looking thoughtful.
"I don't think anything THAT bad could happen..." He looked around and shrugged. "I guess, as long as we don't get caught..."
"When does Sirius Black get caught?" Sirius replied, acting as though he had been offended. He turned back to Remus. "It's three to one, Moony. You really wanna back out?"
Remus was biting his lip. He should be the sensible one and talk them out of it. Time travel was extremely dangerous, not to mention illegal. But Remus did have an adventurous spirit, to the surprise of many. He desperately wanted to see what it would be like.
"Okay," He said finally, and James whooped loudly. "Where shall we go?"
"When shall we go, you mean," Peter corrected, grinning.
"Hmmm...what about the future?" Sirius proposed.
"Okay, how far into the future?" Remus asked.
"Twenty-five years." James replied without hesitation. "We can see what the castle would be like!"
"Maybe one of us will have kids!" Peter said, getting caught up in the excitement. Sirius snorted.
"Not you, Wormtail my friend." He said, and ducked Peter's punch. Eagerly he produced a piece of parchment. Carefully he wrote upon it:
January 29, 1997, 12:01 A.M.
Sirius lifted the Quill and looked anxiously at Remus, who nodded. They all held a corner, and began to speak the words that would transport them forward into time...
"Ce n'est pas une époque je ne peux pas voulour..."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
January 28, 1997, 11:59 P.M.
Ron couldn't sleep. He made his way down to the common room. Everyone was in bed. 'Funny for everyone to be asleep already,' He thought to himself.
Why had Harry fallen off his broom. It just didn't add up! Harry NEVER fell when flying. NEVER! Something must have happened to his firebolt...but what? Ron sighed. Perhaps it was just destiny. That seemed to be the only reason Harry Potter would fall while flying, since his entire life seemed to be hampered by it.
He looked once again outside into the storm, lost in his own thoughts, when suddenly there was a clap of thunder, and a blinding flash of lightening. Ron jumped slightly. 'Funny how close together they were,' Ron mused. 'Almost like it was bringing something else too...'
"OUCH! Get OFF of me, Moony!" Someone in the corner of the common room shouted, causing Ron to leap off of his chair in surprise and turn in wonder to see a pile of people in a shadowed corner of the room.
"Sorry, Padfoort. OW! James, that was my leg!"
"Well if PETER weren't-"
"Excuse me?" Ron said. The four sixteen-year-old boys turned around and straightened up. Sirius cursed under his breath and slipped the parchment into his pocket.
"Hello," Remus said nervously. "Um, I know this is, um a little strange, but really-"
"Lupin?" Ron said in shock. He looked a lot younger than Ron remembered, but there was no mistaking him.
"How did you know?" He asked, obviously confused.
"How did who know what?" Peter said, finally standing up.
"Wormtail?" Ron said in shocked disgust.
"How does he know us?" Remus muttered.
"Maybe he's related!" Sirius said, grinning. Ron's eyes widened with shock and he felt his jaw drop.
"Okay, this is seriously weird. What are YOU doing here, Padfoot?"
"Definitely related." Sirius said, sounding proud of himself.
"I don't know, none of us have red hair..." James said, finally standing. Ron gaped and tried to back up, which resulted in falling out of the chair. He quickly stood up and turned toward them as if afraid to have his back to them.
"Okay, that's it. I don't know WHAT'S going on, but it's not natural!"
"Um, I think we need a memory charm right about now, Remus..." Sirius said, looking at the boy as if he were slightly mad.
"Calm down, you look like you've seen a ghost!" James said.
"I HAVE seen a ghost!" Ron said, staring at James in total and complete shock.
"What are you talking about?" James replied, just as confused as Ron. Before any of them could respond they were interrupted by a very loud yawn coming from the general direction of the girl's staircase.
"Harry?" A girls voice said. "Harry, is that you?" She emerged into sight, and the Marauders saw a girl around their age with bushy brown hair that was incredibly tangled at the moment, with dark blue pajamas with a cloud print and a blue bathrobe.
"Hermione-" The red haired boy said to the girl, but she interrupted him when she saw James.
"Don't even try to tell me, Ron!" She said. "Let me guess, you helped him sneak out of the Hospital Wing," The boy, apparently Ron, gaped at her. As she said this she was walking toward James. She stalked right past the remaining marauders as if they weren't even there.
"Harry, what are you doing, I thought you had more sense than this!" She scolded, getting into James's face. Sirius was starting to laugh.
"Shut up, Ron, this is NOT funny!" She yelled, not turning. "Harry, you could have been killed today, again, and STILL you won't stay in the Hospital Wing! I can't believe you! How can you see, you don't even have your glasses! How could you forget them! And..." Hermione paused briefly, as if noticing something very strange about James, besides his expression that quite clearly said 'I-don't-even-know-who-Harry-is-or-what-you're-talking-about'. "What did she do to your eyes?"
"My eyes?" James said, more confused than ever.
"Yeah, and your scar. Where's your scar?"
"I don't know what you're talking about, Lady. Who's this 'Harry' anyway?" James said. Hermione stared at him in confusion, and suddenly a look of understanding dawned on her face and she backed away, breathing as if she were winded.
"But that's...that's impossible," She said to herself, almost running into the boy.
"What's impossible?" James asked.
"That's you're...James Potter." She said.
"The one and only!" He said, grinning. He was very relieved that she finally knew who he was. However, this statement seemed to have a very negative effect on her. She fell backward, and was just barely caught by Ron. They both stared at him in shock.
"What?" James said, annoyed. "Do I have something in my teeth?"
"I need to sit down," Hermione said faintly, and Ron helped her into a chair never taking his eyes off the marauders.
"Hey, are you okay?" Remus asked her. Just then did Hermione notice the other three boys.
"Lupin?" She said in further disbelief. She looked with apprehension at the other two, "Sirius? Wormtail?"
"All four Marauders," Ron said with awe. Sirius grinned and bowed.
"But...but...it's impossible!" Hermione said, no longer sounding panicked but simply practical. "I mean, apart from the obvious, they're so...young."
"I was just about to explain that!" Remus said, stepping forward. "We are the marauders from the year 1972. We're sixteen. Sirius over here got his hands on a time travel device, and we decided to visit the future. Some quill or something."
"The Quill of Pere Epoque." Hermione said with understanding. Even Ron knew what she was talking about. It was said that the Quill had been a tool of Voldemort's to make several attacks at once.
"Yeah," Remus said. "And so...here we are."
"You decided to come visit the future?" Hermione said in a distant voice. "Do you realize the forces that you're dealing with?"
"Yeah, we knew it was risky, what harm could it do?" Sirius asked casually.
"Yeah, Hermione, what harm COULD it do?" Ron asked. He was beginning to think that it would be fun to have the four biggest troublemakers at Hogwarts back for a while to terrorize the Slytherins.
"Ron," Hermione said in a whisper so that the marauders couldn't hear. "What do you think Harry would do if he saw James? Or Pettigrew, for that matter?"
"Good point." Ron said, sighing loudly and making sure the others could hear him. "I guess they'll just have to go back."
"Go back?" Peter cried. "We just got here!"
"Look," Hermione said sharply. "You really don't know the kind of damage you could do here. You need to go back. End of story. You will probably change the entire future if you stay in ways that you can't even begin to comprehend."
"She's right." Remus said. Sirius sighed. He could tell by the scared look on Peter's face, and the sensible look of James that he was going to be over ruled as far as staying in the future. Not to mention that this girl was very insistent, and looked like just the type that would haul them to Dumbledore, or whoever was Headmaster these days.
Suddenly Sirius had an idea. He pulled out the parchment with the day's date written on it. The only way to return to the past was to take the parchment and say a different incantation. What if he just slipped it back into his pocket, and pretend he didn't have it? No one would ever know and they would be forced to stay.
Without even thinking, he did this.
"All right, Sirius, how do we go back?" James said putting into words the silent agreement of the other three. Hermione breathed a sigh of relief.
"Simple," Sirius replied, shrugging as if he agreed that they should return the past. "You just do the same thing with the same piece of parchment and a different incantation."
"All right then!" Hermione said enthusiastically. "Just use that corner over there. C'mon Ron, let's go to bed."
"Why?" Ron asked.
"Because, Ron, haven't you heard about, you know..." She gestured, and Ron understood what she meant. It was said that bad things happen to those who watch people traveling through time via the Quill.
"Ron, tomorrow we pretend this was all a dream." Hermione muttered to him. He nodded and they went their separate ways.
"Okay, James, I've got the Quill. Where's the parchment?" Sirius asked.
"I don't know," James said, surprised. "I thought Remus had it,"
"Me?" Remus replied. "I saw Peter with it."
"I don't have it!" Peter said. "It was Sirius's plan, he's got it!"
"I do not, I saw James take it!" Sirius said. He was lying, but none of his friends suspected it. He grinned to himself. Eventually, the marauders decided that they would stay, at least until they found the parchment. However, they all agreed that they did NOT want to run into that Hermione girl again while here in the future.
"What I wouldn't give for your invisibility cloak, James," Sirius muttered, more to himself than James. However, when he did look at James, he realized that he was grinning.
"How dumb do you think I am?" He asked, pulling his cloak out from under his robes.
"That makes life easier." Remus said.
"Well?" Sirius said, a glint in his eye.
"Well what?" Peter said, although he already knew.
"Well, are we going to go do something or what?"
"Why not?" James asked. They bunched under the invisibility cloak. James's father had enchanted it to fit as many people as went under it. Of course, eventually it ran out of room, but as James had never tried to go anywhere with more than the other marauders under his cloak, he didn't know exactly how many he had the ability to take.
They wandered around the halls aimlessly for a bit, before eventually, for reasons unknown, they wound up in the Hospital Hall.
"Shall we go in and cause a ruckus for Madame Pomfrey, Sirius?" James asked, grinning.
"Of course. Maybe we'll discover who this 'Harry' character is." Sirius replied, winking. They silently crept into the Wing.
"Not much to see, is there?" Remus muttered, and Peter nodded his agreement.
"Well, no one will catch us here, let's split up," Sirius said, desperate for some kind of adventure. The four slowly and silently cast off the invisibility cloak and each went in a separate direction. There wasn't too much to see. All of the beds were empty.
All the beds except one.
"James!" Remus hissed, going slightly pale.
"What?" James whispered, creeping over to Moony.
"It's...you!" Remus said, sounding confused. The other three marauders were anxious to know what he was talking about.
"What do you mean, me?" James asked. They all crowded around a single bed. Lying there, obviously in a very uneasy sleep and a lot of pain, was James. Not an older James, but James exactly the way he was now. James's eyes went wide in astonishment.
"What...how?" Sirius said, confused.
"No!" The boy in the dream moaned, and the other four boys quickly hushed. "No! Leave them alone! No!" He suddenly sat straight up, panting as if he had been running, his hand clapped to his forehead. The marauders couldn't move, and they had quite forgotten that they were no longer visible. However, the shadows hid them...for a moment.
The boy looked around, and sighed.
"A dream," He muttered. "Just another nightmare." He groped for something on the bedside table, and finally found what appeared to the marauders to be glasses.
"There," He said, slipping them on and leaning back into his pillows. He looked forward again, and saw plain as day the marauders standing at the foot of his bed.
"Sirius?" He said groggily, not quite comprehending what was going on. "You shouldn't be here, Sirius, it's dangerous. Why'd you bring Remus?"
"I...what?" Sirius asked confused.
"And...WORMTAIL!" Harry suddenly sat straight up, his eyes wide open and alert. That's when the marauders realized that it wasn't James at all. This boy had startling and flashing green eyes.
"Well, at least it's not you, James." Remus said, studying the panicked boy in the hospital bed thoughtfully.
"James?" He said, faintly. It wasn't until then that his gaze was turned to the last of the marauders, who was staring back at him with a strange feeling of regret and wild happiness and sadness that was confusing him in such a way as he had never known before.
"Dad?" Harry whispered, his green eyes as round as saucers, his voice trembling, his face pale. He fainted before anyone could reply.
This is a...er...interesting story, which I think you'll enjoy. No, I don't own the song, but I don't remember who does, I just know that it's perfect for this fic, so don't flame me for that, please. BUT, do review! Thanks!
Oh, and in advance, pardon my French. Literally. If you speak French, please tell me if you can tell what my incantation means...or at least how to say it properly? Thanks!
Disclaimer: I don't own the characters or any of that stuff, obviously. I don't own the little song lyric below either, but I can't remember who sang it. I think y'all know the song thought. Well, it belongs to whoever wrote it obviously!
~For everything, turn, turn, turn,
There is a season, turn, turn, turn,
And a time for every purpose
Under Heaven~
***
~January 28, 1972~
Remus knew they were in trouble as soon as Sirius entered the room, with a smile even more devilish than usual.
"What did you do now, Padfoot?" He asked of his slightly crazy friend.
"It's not what I did, it's what I'm GOING to do!" Sirius replied, grinning, if possible, an even wilder grin.
"Padfoot, dear friend, I hope you're not trying to break my detention count. You know I have you beat this year." James replied, sticking his tongue out at Sirius. Peter rolled his eyes.
"You two are just TRYING to get us into more trouble, aren't you?" He said. Sirius turned and bowed low.
"But of course, Wormtail my good man!" He exclaimed. "Isn't that our job?" Peter just sighed and went back to trying desperately to understand that night's Transfiguration homework.
"And anyway, Prongs," Sirius continued. "I wasn't going to try and break your detention record. I'm saving that for next year, when you're Head Boy!"
"Who said I'm going to be Head Boy?!" James demanded, standing up as if insulted. Sirius laughed.
"Just kidding, Prongsie. Anyway, I have something much MUCH better in store for tonight than some stupid old detentions." His eyes were alight with a mischievous fire. Remus pretended to shudder, earning a playful punch from James.
"What then, O Ingenious Padfoot?" James asked, mock-worshipping his friend. Sirius laughed.
"I can't tell you yet." He replied, looking around the common room. It was nearly midnight, and there were still a few seventh years and fellow sixth years left. "When everyone else has gone to sleep." He looked out at the crescent moon of the crystal clear night, grinning.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*
~January 28, 1997~
A clap of thunder caused Ron to jump slightly. He looked out of the window at the raging thunderstorm, and cursed it before looking down at Harry again.
"Are you sure he's going to be okay, Madam?" Hermione asked anxiously, biting her lip and refusing to move from the side of Harry's bed. Ron, likewise, was fluttering about the area like an over-excited shadow. Madam Pomfrey shooed them away from their friend.
"He's FINE!" She insisted, once again. "You can see him in a few days."
"A FEW DAYS!?" Hermione and Ron exclaimed in unison, an identical look of horror on both their faces. Madam Pomfrey sighed.
"He's lost a lot of blood and broken more than his share of bones, but it's nothing life threatening!" She said, exasperated.
"Could've fooled me." Ron muttered under his breath. This was the last straw on the back of Madam Pomfrey's camel.
"OUT!" She screamed, pointing to the door and breaking her own rule of quiet.
Muttering, the two sixth year Gryffindors trudged out of the hospital wing and upstairs. Ron was cussing insanely. He was still in his practice Quidditch robes and in desperate need of a shower. Hermione was impeccably clean, as always, but still as wet as Ron. In her worry even she had forgotten to cast a drying spell and didn't remember until she and Ron were halfway up to the common room. They then fled to the Fat Lady, hoping against hope that Filch wouldn't pursue the muddy footprints until he found the culprit.
"Bolbotuber!" They panted, out of breath. The Fat Lady raised her eyebrows but no more. She had heard, of course, from Violet about Harry Potter's accident and wasn't about to lecture his friends. They climbed into the hole gratefully to find it almost empty.
"Honestly!" Ron burst out when the portrait was safely shut behind them. "She acted as if it weren't such a big deal!"
"I know." Hermione replied, biting her lip again. "But he'll be okay. I'm sure he's fine."
"Fine? FINE? Hermione, he just fell fifty feet from a broomstick!" Ron said, gesturing with his hands.
"I know, I know!" Hermione said, closing her eyes, trying to block out the mental image of her best friend falling from his broom. It didn't work. "But, I mean...he'll be okay. Harry's gotten through worse things than this."
"Yeah, yeah. You're right, as usual." Ron sighed. "I still can't figure out what happened. He was fine one minute, and the next he was on the ground!" Ron also shut his eyes to block out the image, except that he had been there and actually seen Harry smashed into the ground. Once again, it didn't work, and Ron found it easier simply to keep his eyes open. He sighed. "I'm gonna go take a shower, all right?"
"Fine by me. I'm going to bed. G'night, Ron!" Hermione said, jogging upstairs to her dorm. Ron waved and went upstairs to shower.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Okay, so what's this brilliant plan of yours?" Demanded Remus, once the very last yawning seventh year had retired right before midnight. Sirius grinned (again) and reached into his bag. He looked up at his three friends.
"Ahem," He said, as if expecting them to do something. They stared blankly. "AHEM!" Sirius said again. Still, nothing. "DRUM ROLL!" Sirius yelled, as if this were the obvious thing to do. Rolling their eyes, the other three Marauders rolled their tongues and, quietly, stomped their feet. "Thank you." Sirius said.
And, with a flourish, he pulled something out of the bag. The drum roll immediately ceased, and the Marauders crowded around Sirius to see what treasure he had brought with them.
"A quill, Sirius?" Remus said, raising an eyebrow. Peter let out a sigh of relief, and James looked insulted. But none of this phased the ever infamous Padfoot.
"Not just any quill," Sirius said excitedly, and Peter's relief vanished like the morning mist. "THE Quill. This is the Quill of Pere Epoque." Peter and James continued to look at Sirius as if he were even crazier than they had previously thought, but Remus jumped up in disbelief, carefully taking the quill from Sirius and examining carefully like a precious object.
"How did you get this?" He asked in disbelief, handing it back to Sirius in awe. Padfoot threw his shoulders back haughtily.
"A true Marauder never tells anyone his secrets." Sirius replied. Remus rolled his eyes, and James and Peter stared from Sirius to Remus and then back to Sirius.
"Ahem," James said, directing their attention to himself. "What exactly is this 'Quill of Pere Eqoque'?" Remus rolled his eyes.
"Honestly, James, do you NEVER do your History homework?" He said.
"No," James replied casually. Remus sighed.
"The quill...THIS quill, was invented by a French follower of Grindlewald." Remus explained. "He named it 'Le Stylo de Pere Epoque' which translates to 'The Pen of Father Time'. It has the power of time travel. It was taken from the man after he was killed in the Battle of the Final Hour, in which Dumbledore defeated Grindlewald. It was said that Dumbledore kept it hidden, but know one ever knew. How DID you get it, Sirius?"
Sirius just shook his head and grinned wider, swelling with pride.
"How does it work?" James asked eagerly, leaping up and holding the Quill with new respect.
"Simple," Sirius replied. "You write down the date and time of where you want to go. Then you place the quill vertically in the center of the paper. One paper will take up to four travelers, each of which hold on gently to one of the corners, and, in unison mind you, say an incantation: 'Ce n'est pas une époque je ne peux pas voulour'. Then it will take them to the desired time." He looked around, as if daring each of the other Marauders to come along. Remus shook his head.
"I don't know, Sirius...this could be really dangerous..."
"Oh, c'mon Moony!" James said, thumping Remus on the back a bit too hard and earning a glare. "Where's your sense of fun?"
"I hate it when you say that!" Remus said, remembering all the detentions he'd received after James had used that particular phrase.
"What about you, Wormtail?" James said, rounding on Peter, who was looking thoughtful.
"I don't think anything THAT bad could happen..." He looked around and shrugged. "I guess, as long as we don't get caught..."
"When does Sirius Black get caught?" Sirius replied, acting as though he had been offended. He turned back to Remus. "It's three to one, Moony. You really wanna back out?"
Remus was biting his lip. He should be the sensible one and talk them out of it. Time travel was extremely dangerous, not to mention illegal. But Remus did have an adventurous spirit, to the surprise of many. He desperately wanted to see what it would be like.
"Okay," He said finally, and James whooped loudly. "Where shall we go?"
"When shall we go, you mean," Peter corrected, grinning.
"Hmmm...what about the future?" Sirius proposed.
"Okay, how far into the future?" Remus asked.
"Twenty-five years." James replied without hesitation. "We can see what the castle would be like!"
"Maybe one of us will have kids!" Peter said, getting caught up in the excitement. Sirius snorted.
"Not you, Wormtail my friend." He said, and ducked Peter's punch. Eagerly he produced a piece of parchment. Carefully he wrote upon it:
January 29, 1997, 12:01 A.M.
Sirius lifted the Quill and looked anxiously at Remus, who nodded. They all held a corner, and began to speak the words that would transport them forward into time...
"Ce n'est pas une époque je ne peux pas voulour..."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
January 28, 1997, 11:59 P.M.
Ron couldn't sleep. He made his way down to the common room. Everyone was in bed. 'Funny for everyone to be asleep already,' He thought to himself.
Why had Harry fallen off his broom. It just didn't add up! Harry NEVER fell when flying. NEVER! Something must have happened to his firebolt...but what? Ron sighed. Perhaps it was just destiny. That seemed to be the only reason Harry Potter would fall while flying, since his entire life seemed to be hampered by it.
He looked once again outside into the storm, lost in his own thoughts, when suddenly there was a clap of thunder, and a blinding flash of lightening. Ron jumped slightly. 'Funny how close together they were,' Ron mused. 'Almost like it was bringing something else too...'
"OUCH! Get OFF of me, Moony!" Someone in the corner of the common room shouted, causing Ron to leap off of his chair in surprise and turn in wonder to see a pile of people in a shadowed corner of the room.
"Sorry, Padfoort. OW! James, that was my leg!"
"Well if PETER weren't-"
"Excuse me?" Ron said. The four sixteen-year-old boys turned around and straightened up. Sirius cursed under his breath and slipped the parchment into his pocket.
"Hello," Remus said nervously. "Um, I know this is, um a little strange, but really-"
"Lupin?" Ron said in shock. He looked a lot younger than Ron remembered, but there was no mistaking him.
"How did you know?" He asked, obviously confused.
"How did who know what?" Peter said, finally standing up.
"Wormtail?" Ron said in shocked disgust.
"How does he know us?" Remus muttered.
"Maybe he's related!" Sirius said, grinning. Ron's eyes widened with shock and he felt his jaw drop.
"Okay, this is seriously weird. What are YOU doing here, Padfoot?"
"Definitely related." Sirius said, sounding proud of himself.
"I don't know, none of us have red hair..." James said, finally standing. Ron gaped and tried to back up, which resulted in falling out of the chair. He quickly stood up and turned toward them as if afraid to have his back to them.
"Okay, that's it. I don't know WHAT'S going on, but it's not natural!"
"Um, I think we need a memory charm right about now, Remus..." Sirius said, looking at the boy as if he were slightly mad.
"Calm down, you look like you've seen a ghost!" James said.
"I HAVE seen a ghost!" Ron said, staring at James in total and complete shock.
"What are you talking about?" James replied, just as confused as Ron. Before any of them could respond they were interrupted by a very loud yawn coming from the general direction of the girl's staircase.
"Harry?" A girls voice said. "Harry, is that you?" She emerged into sight, and the Marauders saw a girl around their age with bushy brown hair that was incredibly tangled at the moment, with dark blue pajamas with a cloud print and a blue bathrobe.
"Hermione-" The red haired boy said to the girl, but she interrupted him when she saw James.
"Don't even try to tell me, Ron!" She said. "Let me guess, you helped him sneak out of the Hospital Wing," The boy, apparently Ron, gaped at her. As she said this she was walking toward James. She stalked right past the remaining marauders as if they weren't even there.
"Harry, what are you doing, I thought you had more sense than this!" She scolded, getting into James's face. Sirius was starting to laugh.
"Shut up, Ron, this is NOT funny!" She yelled, not turning. "Harry, you could have been killed today, again, and STILL you won't stay in the Hospital Wing! I can't believe you! How can you see, you don't even have your glasses! How could you forget them! And..." Hermione paused briefly, as if noticing something very strange about James, besides his expression that quite clearly said 'I-don't-even-know-who-Harry-is-or-what-you're-talking-about'. "What did she do to your eyes?"
"My eyes?" James said, more confused than ever.
"Yeah, and your scar. Where's your scar?"
"I don't know what you're talking about, Lady. Who's this 'Harry' anyway?" James said. Hermione stared at him in confusion, and suddenly a look of understanding dawned on her face and she backed away, breathing as if she were winded.
"But that's...that's impossible," She said to herself, almost running into the boy.
"What's impossible?" James asked.
"That's you're...James Potter." She said.
"The one and only!" He said, grinning. He was very relieved that she finally knew who he was. However, this statement seemed to have a very negative effect on her. She fell backward, and was just barely caught by Ron. They both stared at him in shock.
"What?" James said, annoyed. "Do I have something in my teeth?"
"I need to sit down," Hermione said faintly, and Ron helped her into a chair never taking his eyes off the marauders.
"Hey, are you okay?" Remus asked her. Just then did Hermione notice the other three boys.
"Lupin?" She said in further disbelief. She looked with apprehension at the other two, "Sirius? Wormtail?"
"All four Marauders," Ron said with awe. Sirius grinned and bowed.
"But...but...it's impossible!" Hermione said, no longer sounding panicked but simply practical. "I mean, apart from the obvious, they're so...young."
"I was just about to explain that!" Remus said, stepping forward. "We are the marauders from the year 1972. We're sixteen. Sirius over here got his hands on a time travel device, and we decided to visit the future. Some quill or something."
"The Quill of Pere Epoque." Hermione said with understanding. Even Ron knew what she was talking about. It was said that the Quill had been a tool of Voldemort's to make several attacks at once.
"Yeah," Remus said. "And so...here we are."
"You decided to come visit the future?" Hermione said in a distant voice. "Do you realize the forces that you're dealing with?"
"Yeah, we knew it was risky, what harm could it do?" Sirius asked casually.
"Yeah, Hermione, what harm COULD it do?" Ron asked. He was beginning to think that it would be fun to have the four biggest troublemakers at Hogwarts back for a while to terrorize the Slytherins.
"Ron," Hermione said in a whisper so that the marauders couldn't hear. "What do you think Harry would do if he saw James? Or Pettigrew, for that matter?"
"Good point." Ron said, sighing loudly and making sure the others could hear him. "I guess they'll just have to go back."
"Go back?" Peter cried. "We just got here!"
"Look," Hermione said sharply. "You really don't know the kind of damage you could do here. You need to go back. End of story. You will probably change the entire future if you stay in ways that you can't even begin to comprehend."
"She's right." Remus said. Sirius sighed. He could tell by the scared look on Peter's face, and the sensible look of James that he was going to be over ruled as far as staying in the future. Not to mention that this girl was very insistent, and looked like just the type that would haul them to Dumbledore, or whoever was Headmaster these days.
Suddenly Sirius had an idea. He pulled out the parchment with the day's date written on it. The only way to return to the past was to take the parchment and say a different incantation. What if he just slipped it back into his pocket, and pretend he didn't have it? No one would ever know and they would be forced to stay.
Without even thinking, he did this.
"All right, Sirius, how do we go back?" James said putting into words the silent agreement of the other three. Hermione breathed a sigh of relief.
"Simple," Sirius replied, shrugging as if he agreed that they should return the past. "You just do the same thing with the same piece of parchment and a different incantation."
"All right then!" Hermione said enthusiastically. "Just use that corner over there. C'mon Ron, let's go to bed."
"Why?" Ron asked.
"Because, Ron, haven't you heard about, you know..." She gestured, and Ron understood what she meant. It was said that bad things happen to those who watch people traveling through time via the Quill.
"Ron, tomorrow we pretend this was all a dream." Hermione muttered to him. He nodded and they went their separate ways.
"Okay, James, I've got the Quill. Where's the parchment?" Sirius asked.
"I don't know," James said, surprised. "I thought Remus had it,"
"Me?" Remus replied. "I saw Peter with it."
"I don't have it!" Peter said. "It was Sirius's plan, he's got it!"
"I do not, I saw James take it!" Sirius said. He was lying, but none of his friends suspected it. He grinned to himself. Eventually, the marauders decided that they would stay, at least until they found the parchment. However, they all agreed that they did NOT want to run into that Hermione girl again while here in the future.
"What I wouldn't give for your invisibility cloak, James," Sirius muttered, more to himself than James. However, when he did look at James, he realized that he was grinning.
"How dumb do you think I am?" He asked, pulling his cloak out from under his robes.
"That makes life easier." Remus said.
"Well?" Sirius said, a glint in his eye.
"Well what?" Peter said, although he already knew.
"Well, are we going to go do something or what?"
"Why not?" James asked. They bunched under the invisibility cloak. James's father had enchanted it to fit as many people as went under it. Of course, eventually it ran out of room, but as James had never tried to go anywhere with more than the other marauders under his cloak, he didn't know exactly how many he had the ability to take.
They wandered around the halls aimlessly for a bit, before eventually, for reasons unknown, they wound up in the Hospital Hall.
"Shall we go in and cause a ruckus for Madame Pomfrey, Sirius?" James asked, grinning.
"Of course. Maybe we'll discover who this 'Harry' character is." Sirius replied, winking. They silently crept into the Wing.
"Not much to see, is there?" Remus muttered, and Peter nodded his agreement.
"Well, no one will catch us here, let's split up," Sirius said, desperate for some kind of adventure. The four slowly and silently cast off the invisibility cloak and each went in a separate direction. There wasn't too much to see. All of the beds were empty.
All the beds except one.
"James!" Remus hissed, going slightly pale.
"What?" James whispered, creeping over to Moony.
"It's...you!" Remus said, sounding confused. The other three marauders were anxious to know what he was talking about.
"What do you mean, me?" James asked. They all crowded around a single bed. Lying there, obviously in a very uneasy sleep and a lot of pain, was James. Not an older James, but James exactly the way he was now. James's eyes went wide in astonishment.
"What...how?" Sirius said, confused.
"No!" The boy in the dream moaned, and the other four boys quickly hushed. "No! Leave them alone! No!" He suddenly sat straight up, panting as if he had been running, his hand clapped to his forehead. The marauders couldn't move, and they had quite forgotten that they were no longer visible. However, the shadows hid them...for a moment.
The boy looked around, and sighed.
"A dream," He muttered. "Just another nightmare." He groped for something on the bedside table, and finally found what appeared to the marauders to be glasses.
"There," He said, slipping them on and leaning back into his pillows. He looked forward again, and saw plain as day the marauders standing at the foot of his bed.
"Sirius?" He said groggily, not quite comprehending what was going on. "You shouldn't be here, Sirius, it's dangerous. Why'd you bring Remus?"
"I...what?" Sirius asked confused.
"And...WORMTAIL!" Harry suddenly sat straight up, his eyes wide open and alert. That's when the marauders realized that it wasn't James at all. This boy had startling and flashing green eyes.
"Well, at least it's not you, James." Remus said, studying the panicked boy in the hospital bed thoughtfully.
"James?" He said, faintly. It wasn't until then that his gaze was turned to the last of the marauders, who was staring back at him with a strange feeling of regret and wild happiness and sadness that was confusing him in such a way as he had never known before.
"Dad?" Harry whispered, his green eyes as round as saucers, his voice trembling, his face pale. He fainted before anyone could reply.