The day started fine, he had an hour free so he decided to go to the requirements room, Regulus discovered a time turner but it’s broken so he is trying to fix it now. He is about to head out to his room without making any progress when Sirius, his brother, appears.
“Hey Reggie, here you are, I was thinking we should hang out more and I have free time now, if you want we can do something”
“Okay but, if we are hanging out as brothers what is he doing here?” Regulus says pointing to James Potter.
“Wait what’s that?” Sirius looks at the time turner without even answering the question.
“You didn’t even answer my question, why should I answer yours?”
“I’m here because I don’t have much to do, I can leave if you want” Potter clarifies.
“You can stay I don’t mind, and this is a time turner but it’s broken” Regulus tries to sound nonchalant, truth is he has a crush on Potter since he was like 14 or something, of course he is not doing anything about it, he acts like he hates the boy but what is he supposed to do? It’s not like Potter likes him back.
Sirius is now playing with the machine and that’s a very bad idea, they don’t even know how it works.
“Stop it” Regulus snaps at his brother
“Or what? It’s not like I’m going to break it, it’s already broken”
“You are an idiot”
“Pads, I think Reg is right you shouldn’t play with these things.” Potter has some common sense after all, surprising.
“Oh come on, what’s the worst that can happen?”
That’s the worst he could have said. There’s a blinding light and Regulus feels weird, they are now in the same room but something feels different, weird.
“Okay what the fuck was that?” His brother is confused
“I don’t know but I’m going to my room before more weird things happen” He opens the door and something odd happens, there are students but Regulus doesn’t recognise them. People stares at him as he was another fucking species or something.
“Okay why don’t I recognise any of them?” Potter asks just behind him.
“Oh shit you scared me.”
“Prongs is right, this doesn’t feel right, they look at us like we were from another planet”
“Okay yea, this doesn’t feel right” Regulus admits, he thought it was just him being paranoid but it seems he is not the only one and everyone always recognises James Potter so it’s a weird situation.
“I think is better if we talk about this in the common room, Remus will know what is happening” Proposes James.
“Wow Potter you can think, surprising”
“Funny” The boy replied sarcastically
They walk to the Gryffindor common room, even though Regulus didn’t want to go there it was the best for them.
“Prongs, did they tell you about changing the password or something?”
“What? No”
“Okay then why doesn't it open?”
The two are talking about it and Regulus is so fucking stressed, lets see, if they don’t know none here and the password is another one, then… the only explanation is…it can’t be, please, anything but that.
“Who the fuck you are and why are you trying to enter the Gryffindor dorms?” A voice talks behind them.
“Who are we? Who are you and why…” Sirius is saying but stops when he sees the other boy.
“Okay, why are you like identically to Prongs? Is this some sort of prank or something because it’s not funny”
“What the fuck is a ‘Prongs’?” The mysterious boy asks with aggressiveness.
“He is not like me” Potter argues
“Oh come on Potter, that boy could perfectly be your brother”
“Okay so what I’m hearing is that I’m similar to that one, whose name is Prongs?”
“It’s a nickname, you know what you call your friends” Sirius explains
“I know what a nickname is, I’m not an idiot”
“Well here we have the difference between you and Prongs”
“Okay enough, who are you?” Regulus patience is ending
“Who are YOU? I asked first” The boy says
“That’s fair, I’m…”
“Stop” Regulus say to his brother
“Why?” He asks confused
“Let me do the talking for now. Okay mysterious boy, I have my suspicions of what is happening but I need to go to the common room and see something, would you be so kind to let us in?”
“No way, this has to be a prank and I’m not that stupid”
“If we were pranking the Gryffindor dorm we wouldn’t be so stupid to put a Slytherin here you idiot” Regulus points to his tie
“You sure?”
“We are not pranking, once we are inside you can guide us to your room and we will explain everything”
“You know what, fuck it, come on”
The boy guides them for the room and Regulus knows, Gryffindor common room is not like this, or at least it isn’t in their year.
“Here we are” The room is empty, thanks Salazar for that. It's messy, this boy and his roommates are not very clean but he is in no position to judge that now.
“Where is Remus?” Sirius asks
“It’s weird, he said he would be here, and why didn't I recognise a single person?”
“Who is Remus?” The random asks
“You are joking, there’s no way you don’t know who Remus is”
“You know I should go get McGonagall, this is getting weird” Mysterious boy proposes.
“Minnie, finally someone who I know” Sirius says and the boy similar to James puts a face to the nickname.
“Just wait, I think I know what is happening” Regulus says and the other three turn around to watch him.
“My theory is that we come from the past, maybe the future, I’m not sure honestly”
“You are crazy, I can’t believe I’m losing time to practice Quidditch for this shit” The boy laughs.
“Can you tell me the year?”
“1998”
“The we are from the past, that means, maybe if one of us became important, maybe he knows who we are”
“Wait Reggie, you are saying your stupid machine worked?”
“I think so”
“Then of course you know me surely I’m super famous or something, my name is Sirius Black, also known as Padfoot for the friends”
The boy's face is now of pure horror.
“No, no that can’t be right, okay this is not funny, I understand some jokes but this, this is cruel”
“This is not a joke, okay see Pads already presented himself, I’m James Potter, Prongs, and this one is Regulus Black, he doesn’t have a nickname because he is boring”
“You, you are cruel” The boy is in the verge of tears
“What? we haven’t done anything” Potter says confused.
“Get out”
“But”
“GET OUT, THIS IS NO FUCKING FAIR YOU HEAR ME?”
There’s a knock in the door and a different boy pokes his head, it’s a blonde boy with a Slytherin tie.
“Hey are you alright we were supposed to go together to hogsmeade and I heard screaming. Oh, who are they?” The boy is now standing next to the James copy.
“I’m James Potter, this is Sirius Black and he is”
“What the fuck? Are you alright in the head? This is not a mother fucking joke” The boy is also aggressive, maybe even more than the other one.
“We are not joking, we are from the past, 1977” Regulus is convinced about that, judging from the reaction of the boys, they really are important, but not in a good way.
“Listen please, you clearly know who we are, I promise it’s not a joke, we need to go to our year”
“Bullshit” The Potter similar boy snaps.
“Maybe they are right, I don’t think nobody is heartless enough to joke about this.” The blonde one comments.
“I don’t know, do you think?”
“I think we should go to see professor Lupin, I know that if this is a prank it will hurt him but I think it’s our best option”
“Wait? Professor Lupin? as in Remus Lupin being a professor? Oh wait till we tell him, he’ll hate it” Sirius interrupts the moment joking oblivious to everything.
Potter has been quiet all the time but laughs a bit with Sirius' comment.
“See? I don’t think they are acting honestly” The blonde convinces the other boy
“That’s a very Sirius Black actitud”
“That’s because I’m Sirius motherfucking Black how I was supposed to act?” His brother is an idiot honestly.
“Sirius is probably Sirius I knew him enough to tell he is acting exactly how he acted” The boy whispers to the blonde, they shouldn’t be able to listen and he is sure Sirius and James didn’t listen to that but okay, he KNEW Sirius? as in past? That can’t be good.
“Come with us” The boys decide. And of course Regulus and the other two idiots follow because they are in no position to argue really.
They arrive to the defense against the dark arts classroom. The boys knock and after hearing a ‘come in’ they do as they are told.
“Potter, Malfoy, why do I have the pleasure of your visit?” There is a professor backwards, without even turning around he recognises his students, that surprises Regulus. And also, the boy is a Potter, that explains the similarities, it also makes sense the blonde is a Malfoy, he is a bit like Lucius.
“We have some sort of problem, is better if you just turn around and see it for yourself professor”
In the other man’s face there is recognition.
“What? I”
“They say they are from the past, they are here because a time turner or something they said, Regulus Black, James Potter and” it’s like it pains him to say the name “Sirius Black”
The three watch all confused, what is happening? Why is the presence of Sirius Black such a sad thing? That can’t be right, Sirius name always bringed joy (except to his family of course) it shouldn’t be this sad to talk and to see Sirius.
Then it comes to a surprise for all of them because Professor Lupin, Remus, starts to cry. In all the years Regulus has known Remus, he has seen him cry just once.
“Sorry, I, okay, just a second” He is looking at Sirius. Then at James and finally him.
“Sorry for this professor, we should have gone to McGonagall but we thought” the blonde starts
“It’s okay, okay now I’m ready” Lupin regains his composure.
“We thought it could be a prank sir but it doesn’t seem likely” The potter boy explains
“It isn’t” The professor denies
“How are you so sure sir?” the Malfoy boy asks.
“I don’t know who or why would they make this prank, and also, if it was, then another person would be here”
The blonde is confused but Potter boy seems to understand it and he looks sad, why is everyone so sad?
“Can someone explain what the fuck is happening?” Sirius jumps to say.
“Siri don’t be insensitive”
“Sorry but everyone here is sad to say my name and it’s starting to freak me out”
“I’m going to ask some questions as to prove your identities, once we confirm you are who you say you are we will figure out how to make you go back to your time”
“We can do that” Potter, the real Potter, James, confirms.
“I will start with you. Full name?”
“James Fleamont Potter”
“When and how did you meet me, Remus Lupin for the first time?”
“It was the first day at Hogwarts, I saw you sitting in a compartment alone and when I saw you I just wanted to talk to you, you were bitter, saying to go away, you probably didn’t have a lot of friends back then, I introduced myself and I kept talking all the trip, you only said your name when we arrived, like ‘I’m Remus Lupin, not here to make friends leave me the fuck alone will ya?’ with your poor grammar”
“Okay”
“Did I pass?”
“Wait, there was no one else there? just to be sure it is the real one” Malfoy asks to make sure
“We were alone, Peter wasn’t there he was with Marlene and I don’t know where Sirius was, we met him later”
“Regulus Black” He looks at him
“Remus Lupin” Regulus decides to say
“Which year was it when you were in the past?”
“How is that proving I’m Regulus Black exactly?”
“Just answer”
“1977”
“Then it’s safe to ask about this”
“Oh okay I think I know where are you going”
“You were the first to know about it, do you remember that conversation?”
“No everything about it but I can explain the circumstances until you are satisfied”
“Start then”
“At that moment I wasn’t your friend, not really, you were just my brother’s friend but I was in the library, no one else was there, pretty late I think it was, you were crying, the only time I seen you cry, until today of course, but I suppose that this is difficult for you so we are not talking about it. I don’t really know how the conversation went but at some point you said ‘don’t be in love, it hurts too much’ and I was like okay, how am I in the situation to talk about love with Remus Lupin? I just want to get out, I can’t stand people crying. But you were just too destroyed. I knew I needed to help you, it was only fair.”
“Okay and then?”
“One thing I remember is that I told you, no matter how much or how often people hurt each other, loving someone is never a waste”
“That phrase made me realise we were in the same situation”
“But you had your happy ending”
“And how do you know you won’t have yours?”
“Oh Rem you know better than that, I’m a people watching, I know how it ended just watching this moments in the future”
“And how do you know?”
“You know how I know”
“I want you to tell me”
“I won’t, and it would be stupid to think this makes me a ‘fake Regulus Black’ because you know as well as I do that for me it’s better to die than to speak.”
“I know. You really are Reg”
“Reggie, you like someone?” Sirius asks, shit he forgot about that
“This whole friendship speech didn’t clarify it enough for you, I knew you were dumb but it’s clear I got all the neuron cells”
The other people present laughs at that and James, oh James, he is watching carefully, he watches him and Regulus needs to contain this feeling, the desire to kick his legs like a teenage girl or something like that.
“I don’t know why I did the whole interrogation, that comment alone was all I needed to prove your identity. Okay so how can you return to the past?”
“And what about me?” Sirius asks
“We know you are Sirius Black there’s no point in doing it” the Potter boy explains
“Okay but can you tell me why you were so sad to see me? Where am I? Why, why did you react like that?”
“Sorry but telling you would change things here, and we can’t do that”
“Moony, please” Sirius looks at him with pleading eyes
“Sorry” Remus looks away, this world has to be really shitty. All the time they were there, Remus seemed tired, too tired and sad and lonely.
“But professor, if we tell them, it could change”
“We can’t”
“Please, that’s our opportunity to, to have a happy life, I know you want it” The Potter boy pleads.
“That change that would make you happy could have bad consequences, I don’t know, break your relationship maybe, or something worse, we can’t just play with the time”
“How do you know?” Malfoy asks
“About you two? Come on, you are the same I was with my boyfriend in school, nobody notices it because they are too dumb to know Potter not only likes girls”
“Oh, that makes sense” Malfoy say
“Can we go back to the initial problem, listen, our world is already shitty. I don't have anything to lose just Draco and I know I won’t lose him, what can you lose, professor? Sorry for this but right now you have nothing, just a lot of memories that pains you to remember, an empty flat” The Potter boy tries to convince Lupin.
“It’s still dangerous” Even though he is saying that Regulus knows Remus is thinking about it.
“Do you really want to live in a world where all your friends are dead? I’m sure you don’t want to lose the love of your life another time”
“What do you mean losing the love of your life? Another time?” Sirius now asks
“This discussion ends now, we are going to see Minerva I’m sure she knows what to do” Professor Lupin refuses to look at Sirius and guides them to McGonagall's office.
They arrive and Lupin knocks.
“Oh Remus come in come in, to what do I owe the pleasure?”
“We have time travelers here” He points to them. At first the woman’s face is pure horror, then sadness, and then she masks it all.
“Sirius, Potter I thought my days with your mischief had already ended. I see I was wrong” She tries to joke a bit, but it’s clear there is sadness in there.
“And Regulus Black is here also, what an interesting combination”
“Hey Minnie how good the years have been passing for you” Sirius says, and it’s not really true, the woman looks tired, why is everyone so tired and sad?
“McGonagall I think we should tell them all” Potter boy talks
“My boy we can’t do that, they need to return to their time and life their lives”
“Their short lives” He scoffs. Okay seriously, are they all dead now or what is happening?
Professor Lupin goes to whisper something to McGonagall and she thinks in silence for a bit.
“I’m not sure this is a good idea but honestly if this goes well a lot of lives could be saved and Lupin is right in this room we all want to save you. I’m not going to tell them anything but if one of you want to, then I can’t stop it if I can’t see it”
“Thank you thank you thank you McGonagall” Potter boy hugs her
“Yes yes, now go to Lupin’s office I don’t want anything to do with this”
They walk in silence again, Potter boy smiling and Malfoy, also smiling if you can count that as a smile. Sirius and James are confused. Lupin is probably thinking all of his speech and Regulus, he is terrified of what thinks they are going to tell them.
“I don’t even know how to start” Remus confesses.
“You are doing the talking because you probably know more than us anyway, I would start with Regulus Black he is one of the more important ones.” Malfoy proposes.
“Why is Reggie the important one?”
“Shut up Siri”
“I know what I’m about to tell you is not pretty information so your warned”
“Tell me” Regulus says
“Regulus Arcturus Black, his family forced him and he became a death eater at the age of 16” Sirius gasps and James looks at him with pity, it’s okay he was prepared for this anyways.
“What they didn’t know is that Regulus had discovered a way to kill the dark lord and started going alone to missions trying to end his life. With 17 years, Regulus Black died in the cage, drowned by the inferis. His life and death long forgotten even though he was one of the more important persons. Sirius Black never knew about his brother’s true intentions and though his brother died in a mission for the dark lord”
“So I died that way huh? That cage, there was a horcrux there right?” All Lupin said it’s too much information but it makes sense, dying at only 17 is depressing but he never thought he would make it this far.
“You know about them?” The professor asks him, surprised.
“I’m right now 16, my mother arranged for me to take the mark next month, and if what you said is true I have only one year left, I know about them and I already started my research, I know about that cage, it’s the first place I thought to go”
“You are going to take the mark?” Sirius asks with panic.
“I don’t exactly have much more options”
“But”
“I knew you were going to hate me, this year I spent more time with you because I knew it was my last year in your life”
“Don’t go to that cage, we can help you” His brother pleads
“Let's hear more, we will come with a solution later” He just says.
“How are you so calm?” James asks in a demanding voice. Potter is really in panic, why? who knows
“Well Potter, maybe for you death is an horrendous concept but I spent 16 years waiting for it, I don’t really enjoy living in hell and having to work for something who I truly despite, I don’t have anything left for me, at least my death is not the worst, I die seeming a bit of a good person that’s enough for me”
“Can you please get your shit together?” Malfoy asks unbothered
“Next one is James Potter, if you are prepared?” Poor Remus, this has to be complicated for him.
“Yes, tell me”
“Okay but I warn you, after this, Sirius’ history is probably the worst one, so please Pads, promise you’ll try to stay calm”
“You are scaring me Moony haha”
“Harry, do you want to leave?” Lupin asks the Potter boy, so his name is Harry, good to stop calling him Potter boy it was confusing.
“I’m good professor”
“James and Lily Potter. They gave birth to Harry during the war, there was a prophecy about Harry Potter being the chosen one to end the dark lord's life. The family went hiding, only Sirius Black knew about the location or at least that’s what everyone thought. The truth is that they changed the secret keeper to Peter Pettigrew but nobody knew about this, not even me.”
“I don’t like how this is going” James comments, and Regulus also hates how that is going.
“James and Lily were betrayed by Peter Pettigrew, the dark lord killed them himself. First one to die was James trying to make time for his family to leave, Lily’s life wasn’t supposed to be taken but she sacrificed herself to protect Harry”
“You are saying Harry Potter, that boy is my child? And we died without having the opportunity to see him grow?” Harry is crying a bit, so is James, even Sirius.
“I’m sorry but the worst thing is to come, well not for you, James and Regulus are already dead, but now is time for Sirius’ history” Regulus sees the face of his friend, Remus seems emotionless, but if Sirius is the worst, Remus has been alone a lot, he supposes reviving the stories has to be a trauma. Regulus knows Lupin is strong, but now he admires him more than ever.
“I’m ready”
“When Sirius arrived at the house and saw all he ran after Pettigrew, the rat faked his death. Everyone blamed Sirius for going crazy betraying and killing all his friends, he was sent to azkaban without a trial”
“I, what? They thought I betrayed them? They sent me to prison the same day James was killed? That’s, what, what did you do?”
“I was out on a mission, when I arrived at mine and Sirius flat the phone rang, it was Mary. She said ‘Remus something awful has happened’ she told me about it”
“You believed it?”
“What I was supposed to do?”
“You really thought I killed James?!”
“Listen, I arrived at an empty flat, they told me you were all dead, the love of my life was the one who betrayed and killed all my friends, I was alone, what was I supposed to think? We were fighting at that moment, you didn’t trust me, I didn’t trust, lot of our friends were dead, it was… chaotic”
“But you had someone?”
“Mary and I were the only ones alive, and you of course. Mary couldn’t take it so she obliviate herself and went to live a muggle life, I was alone for 12 years”
“What happened next?” Regulus asks.
“I was offered a job here the same year Sirius Black escaped azkaban, the same year Harry Potter was in third. Everyone was terrified about Sirius being out, they all knew he was coming for Harry. I didn’t think I would see him again but I did. He went to Hogwarts to end Peter Pettigrew’s life”
“And I did?”
“No, you didn’t. He escaped and we didn’t have a way to prove you were innocent so you went hiding until years later everything was clear.”
“Oh well that’s not that bad, I can live with that” Sirius seems shaken up, but at least he is alive.
“That’s not everything” Harry says without looking at them.
“Is not?” James seems about to faint or something
“Harry was supposed to go living with Sirius, it was the plan, a good one, but Sirius Black died in 1996, killed by Bellatrix Lestrange, Harry and I were there, and that’s how I lost every single person I had”
“Bellatrix killed me?!”
“That’s all you have to say?” Regulus asks unimpressed
“Well it pisses me off honestly”
“You were killed by her more or less”
“How can we change things?” James asks with a lot of conviction in his voice.
“You help Regulus, he knows a lot of information about the horcrux, we know a lot because the dark lord is not here anymore so we can help you but just, don’t let him take the mark”
“Why not? With help outside I can be a good spy”
“Regulus you are too young” Sirius argues
“Yeah well I’m going to die in a year anyway”
“No you are not, we can change that”
Harry Potter explains how to end Voldemort's life, all the things to prevent and change, the death of the Mckinnons was shocking honestly. With the help of professor Lupin, Draco Malfoy and Harry Potter they have a plan, they are not going to make the same mistakes, Regulus won’t die at 17, James will have a long and beautiful life, Sirius won’t be wrongly accused of murder and Remus won’t be left alone. They can do it.
And for the way to go back, Minerva McGonagall is a genius, she knocks at the door, and has a time turner with her. How does she have one? Who knows, who cares?
Everyone looks sad about them leaving, but there is hope this time.
“Ready my boys?” She asks them with a little sad smile
“See you later Minnie” Sirius hugs her briefly
“I hope so” The woman smiles brightly for the first time since they are there.
The weird feeling hits again and they are in the same classroom but years before. Just looking around you can know they are back. Now they have much to do and to plan, after all the future is in their hands.