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Chapter Text

Lupin sprang to his feet: his chair toppled over backwards, and he glared at them so fiercely that Harry saw, for the first time ever, the shadow of the wolf upon his human face.

“Don't you understand what I've done to my wife and my unborn child? I should never have married her, I've made her an outcast!”

Lupin kicked aside the chair he had overturned.

“You have only ever seen me amongst to Order, or under Dumbledore’s protection at Hogwarts! You don't know how most of the wizarding world sees creatures like me! When they know of my affliction, they can barely talk to me! Don't you see what I've done? Even her own family is disgusted by our marriage, what parents want their only daughter to marry a werewolf? And the child- the child-”

Lupin actually seized fistfuls of his own hair; he looked quite deranged.

“My kind don't usually breed! It will be like me, I am convinced of it - how can I forgive myself, when I knowingly risked passing on my condition to an innocent child? And if, by some miracle, it is not like me, it will be better off, a hundred times do, without a father of whom it must always be ashamed!”

CRACK!

A loud bang came from upstairs. Immediately, all four were sprinting up the stairs, wands held aloft. As they neared the study, they heard voices, children's voices. They were arguing over something.

“James! You idiot, you broke the time-turner, and now we could be anywhere! All we know is that we're in Grimmauld Place, and you know what Sirius’s family were like!”

“It's not my fault! Moony broke it!”

“No, Prongs, I tried to get it off you! You, Fred, Louis, and Roxanne are the ones who had the bright idea of going in Uncle Harry's office, when you know we're not allowed!”

A new voice broke in, “Shut up, I heard something!”

The four waiting outside took this as their cue to enter. They saw 18 teenagers, looking remarkably familiar. Many had the signature Weasley-red hair, and two looked just like Harry, only the older one had brown eyes, instead of green. One looked like a younger Draco Malfoy. As they walked in, everyone gasped.

“Who are you, and how did you get in here, this house is under the fidelius charm?”

“What year is it?”

Harry narrowed his eyes, “1997”

“We come from 24 years in the future. This idiot here broke a time turner.”

“Prove it.”

“Your bedroom until your first Hogwarts letter arrived was the cupboard under the stairs. The Dursleys told you your parents died in a car crash. You didn’t know their names until Hagrid told you; you didn’t even know your own name until you started primary school, you thought you were called ‘Freak’ or ‘Boy’.”

“How do you know that?”

“You told me.”

“Okay, I believe you. We’ll see about trust later on.”

“Now can I ask you some questions to prove you four are Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger, and Remus Lupin?”

“Sure.”

“Harry, what did Dumbledore tell you he saw in the Mirror of Erised?”

“A pair of thick, woolen socks.”

“Good. Remus, after the Battle of the Seven Potters, what security question did you ask Harry, and what was the answer?”

“What was in my office the first time he visited in his third year, and the answer was a grindylow in a tank.”

“Now everyone trusts everyone else, why don't we introduce ourselves?”

The older Harry-clone looked at the one who had just been speaking, and said, “Oldest first.”

He looked down, then looked back up, past Harry, locking eyes with Remus. “Teddy Remus Lupin, son of Remus and Nymphadora Tonks Lupin, age 23, Auror, Hufflepuff, Prefect, Head Boy, chaser, and a better prankster than the Golden Marauders, because everyone thinks I'm innocent, despite Dad being a troublemaker,” he finished with a smirk.

Remus stuttered, “Are you… a…”

“No, I'm not a werewolf.”

“But he gets very grumpy on the full moon,” the Weasley twin look alike broke in.

Lupin looked like the weight of the world had just been taken off his shoulders.

The next one stepped up. She had a sheet of silver-blonde hair and brown eyes. “Victoire Gabrielle Weasley, soon to be Lupin, eldest daughter of Bill and Fleur Delacour Weasley, age 21, Healer, Ravenclaw, Prefect, Head Girl, and engaged to Teddy”

Remus was suddenly trying to kill her with his eyes.

The next girl chuckled. “I'd rather you didn't harm my sister, thanks. She's already been threatened quite a bit.” When his eyes turned on her, she smiled, and said, “Dominique Apolline Weasley, middle child of Bill and Fleur Delacour Weasley, age 18, I work at Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes, I was a Slytherin, don't start, Slytherin doesn't mean evil, did you know Moody was one?”

Harry and Ron gaped, and Dominique smirked.

“I'm also a chaser”

A boy stepped forward next, the first with red hair, a mischievous grin adorning his face. “Louis Arthur Weasley, youngest son of Bill and Fleur Delacour Weasley, age 16, Gryffindor, chaser, and a member of the Golden Marauders.”

“Molly Cedrella Weasley, eldest daughter of Percy and Audrey Weasley, age 20, I work at Flourish and Blotts, I was a Ravenclaw, a Prefect, and Head Girl.”

“Lucy Scarlett Weasley, youngest daughter of Percy and Audrey Weasley, age 16, Gryffindor, chaser, and a member of the Golden Marauders.”

“Fred Jordan Weasley-”

“-and Roxanne Alicia Weasley-”

“-son-”

“-and daughter-”

“-of George-

“-and Angelina Weasley,”

“age 16,”

“Gryffindor,”

“beaters,”

“and,”

“most importantly,”

 “members of the Golden Marauders!” they finished together.

Harry grinned. It was good to see someone so carefree after the news they had just received about the new regime on muggleborns.

Next was a girl with Hermione’s bushy hair, only it was Weasley-red, “Rose Lavender Granger-Weasley, eldest daughter of Ron and Hermione Granger-Weasley, age 15, Ravenclaw, Prefect, and chaser.”

Ron and Hermione were bright red, refusing to look at each other. Harry and Remus looked at each other, struggling to hold back laughter at the pair’s reaction to what everyone else knew was going to happen.

“Hugo Victor Granger-Weasley-”

“Why is my son named after him?!” Ron, not surprisingly, hollered.

Dominique rolled her eyes. “You heard Rose’s middle name, didn't you? Hugo's name is Aunt Hermione’s revenge.”

Hermione smirked. “Go on, Hugo.”

“Youngest son of Ron and Hermione Granger-Weasley, age 13, Hufflepuff, and keeper.”

“Finally! It’s my turn!” the older Harry-clone exclaimed. Dominique, Rose, the last girl, who hadn’t been introduced, and the Malfoy-clone facepalmed.

“The amazing, the wonderful, James Sirius Potter! Oldest son of Harry and Ginny Potter!” Ron looked angry, then seemed to realise that if there was anyone good enough for his sister, it was Harry. Harry just looked happy.

“Age 16! Gryffindor Quidditch Captain! Chaser! And, most importantly, Prongs II, leader of the Golden Marauders!”

The four facepalmed again.

The other Harry-clone shoved James out the way. “Albus Severus Potter-”

“Why would I name my son after that murderous traitor?!” Harry roared, suddenly furious.

“Because he's not a traitor, Dumbledore asked Snape to kill him!” Albus screamed back, equally furious, yet clearly used to defending his name. “Besides, you said he was the bravest man you ever knew, you just didn't find out until the 2nd of May. Can I continue now?”

Harry nodded, still fuming, and Albus went on.

“Middle son of Harry and Ginny Potter, age 15, Slytherin, Prefect, and seeker”

“Lily Luna Potter, youngest and prettiest” (she smiled sweetly at her older brothers) “child of Harry and Ginny Potter, age 13, Gryffindor, and a chaser, but I’m the Gryffindor seeker. I’m also the only one named after more than two people. My first name, Lily, comes of course from Grandma Lily, and my middle name comes from Aunt Luna, of course, but also Remus Lupin, because luna is Latin for moon, and Remus’s nickname wa- is Moony.”

All four picked up on her swiftly corrected past tense. “Was?” Harry asked.

Teddy looked down, and said, quietly, “War takes lives.”

Remus rushed to engulf his son in a hug, which the 23-year-old gratefully accepted.

After a few seconds, the Malfoy-clone cleared his throat. “My turn now. Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy, only child of Draco and Astoria Malfoy, age 15, Slytherin, and chaser.”

“Malfoy’s son? But he's evil! What are you doing with him? Did he kidnap you?”

Rose was furious. “Dad! He's one of my best friends. Besides, Sirius was a Black, and their reputation’s even worse than the Malfoys. Did that teach you nothing about judging a book by its cover?”

Ron huffed, the wind taken out of his sails by both his daughter’s vehement defense of the boy and the unknown phrase. “Judging a book by its cover?” he asked. “What does that mean? People aren’t books, they’re people.”

Hermione sighed, wishing Ron was a little less obtuse. “It means to not form an opinion on something or someone before you get to know them.”

Sensing the end of the conversation, another set of twins stepped forwards, with the same blonde hair and dreamy expression as Luna Lovegood. They spoke together, “Lorcan and Lysander Scamander, sons of Luna and Rolf Scamander, great-grandsons of Newt Scamander, the famous zoologist, age 14, Ravenclaw, chasers.”

The last two, a boy and a girl, both with Neville’s round face, also came forward together. “Frank-”

“-and Alice Longbottom II,”

“children of Hannah-”

“-and Neville Longbottom,”

“age 14,”

“Gryffindor,”

“Alice is keeper,”

“and we’re both secret members of the Golden Marauders.”

“Right,” Ron said. “Now everyone is introduced, what should we do now?”

Chapter Text

“Right,” Ron said. “Now everyone is introduced, what should we do now?”

“How did you get here?” Harry asked.

“The adults were out; me and Victoire were babysitting everyone here, at Grimmauld Place,” Teddy explained. “The Golden Marauders, wanted to go in your study, as you had confiscated the Marauder’s Map and the invisibility cloak from them yesterday. Usually, the door is locked, but, for some reason, today it wasn’t. When we heard them go in, Victoire, Molly, Rose, Albus, Scorpius, and I went to stop them. James had found a time-turner, and was spinning it. Hearing the commotion, Dominique, Hugo, Lily, Lorcan, and Lysander came to find out what was going on. When I was trying to get the time-turner, I tripped, it broke, and we ended up here.”

“Do you have any way of contacting our future selves?”

“No… Yes! Lily, do you have the mirror on you?”

“Of course! I always have it, in case James does something stupid, which happens rather often. Hang on a moment… Dad!”

“Lily! Is everything all right!”

“Yes! Well, sort of. Not really. James went into your office to steal back the Map and the cloak, broke a time-turner, and now all of us are in the past. Still in Grimmauld Place, but in 1997, the day Remus came to visit you.”

“Oh…! I… What have you said?”

“We talked briefly about your life before Hogwarts to persuade you to trust us, then we introduced ourselves. We were going to have to wipe their memories anyway; we look too like you.”

“Yes, good. Remus does know that Teddy isn’t a werewolf, right (however grumpy he gets near the full moon)?”

“Yes, of course! You think we’d keep it from him?”

“No, but- Your mother’s calling. I’m going to have to tell her where you are. You know she’s going to shout at James. Not that I’m not angry too, I am, but not as much as Ginny. She inherited her mother’s temper. Yes, Gin. James broke a time-turner, and know all all 18 of them are in Grimmauld Place, 1997, the day Remus came to visit.”

“They’re WHAT! JAMES! HOW DARE YOU ENTER YOUR FATHER’S OFFICE! YOU KNOW YOU’RE NOT ALLOWED! THEN TO MESS WITH A TIME-TURNER WHEN YOU KNOW HOW UNSTABLE THE NEW PROTOTYPES ARE! YOU ARE ALL IN DANGER OF GETTING KILLED! DID YOU EVEN THINK ABOUT THE CONSEQUENCES, YOUNG MAN? WHEN YOU GET BACK, I’M KEEPING THE MAP AND CLOAK FOR SIX MONTHS LONGER THAN I WAS GOING TO, AND YOU CAN ONLY HAVE YOUR BROOM FOR OFFICIAL PRACTICE AND MATCHES! AND YOU’RE NOT ALLOWED TO SCHEDULE PRACTICE EVERY NIGHT JUST SO YOU CAN FLY! NO MORE THAN THREE TIMES A WEEK! AND IF I HEAR YOUR HOMEWORK ISN'T UP TO SCRATCH, YOU’LL BE OFF THE TEAM! IT’S ONLY BECAUSE YOU’RE THE CAPTAIN THAT I’M LETTING YOU STAY ON AT ALL! DO YOU UNDERSTAND THAT!”

“Yes, Mum,” James said in a very small voice.

Harry took the mirror again, “I’m going to tell your aunts and uncles where their children are. We’ll try and get you home. Don’t leave Grimmauld Place. And Marauders, please don’t prank. You’re in enough trouble as it is. Feel free to tell them anything about the future, as Lily said, we’re going to have to wipe their memories anyway. But, for the love of Merlin, do try to be gentle on the deaths!”

“Yes, Uncle Harry”

“Bye, Dad”

“We’ll be gentle, Uncle Harry”

“Don’t worry, we’ll keep them safe. I promise.” The last one came from Teddy, who was determined to not let anything happen to his family. And they were family, related by blood or not, family was those you loved dearly, not necessarily those who shared your blood.

“Now that’s sorted, older Harry said something about telling us anything about the future?” Ron asked, hopefully. “Voldemort’s gone, right?”

“Of course!” replied Teddy. “But don’t say the name, he’s put a taboo on it. That’s how you were found on Tottenham Court Road.”

“He found us because we said the name?!” exclaimed Hermione.

“It makes sense,” reasoned Harry, “the only ones who say the name are the ones brave at fighting against him. This way, he can catch them easily. Now, what happens in the future?”