Harry received a note from the twins, they wanted to meet so they could discuss the terms of their blackmail. To get them to go along with him back to the Great Hall following Quirrel’s death he’d offered them the chance to meet the two remaining Marauder’s. Padfoot and Moony. With a grin that made the students around him nervous he sent a reply to meet him on the seventh floor by the dancing trolls. Watching as the paper bird made its way back to the twins.
He found them peering at the dancing trolls being taught ballet and talking quietly in half finished sentences.
‘Did you get the Hogsmede dates?’ Watching them spin towards him.
‘We did.’ Fred handed Harry a torn scrap of parchment that was tucked into the ever present satchel the boy carried.
‘Alright, pay attention as I show you something that is not on the map.’ He walked up and down thinking of the Gryffindor common room and smiled at the gasp that told him the door had appeared. ‘This is the room of requirement. You walk up and down this wall and think clearly of what you want, and the castle will provide it, within reason.’
‘An undiscovered part of the castle Forge.’
‘I may just faint Gred.’
‘I’ll always catch you Forge.’
They followed him into the room and stood there with jaws dropped as the door closed behind them. Harry took a seat in the chair that had always been his favorite part of the common room back when he’d worn red and gold.
‘It’s almost exactly like the common room.’
‘How do you know what our common room looks like? Ron’s not that good at describing things.’
Harry pulled a collection of snacks out and set them on a table as the twins swung into the seats opposite him. ‘I will need a vow of silence from you both before I can explain that.’
Once wands were put away Harry sighed and began speaking. ‘I was brought back in time to the age of eleven by Lady Magic. I was originally sorted into Gryffindor and Old Voldesnorts caused a lot of problems, lots of good witches and wizards along with other magicals, died because of him.’
‘You are from the future.’
‘That’s how you know about the map.’
‘Have you got it with you now?’
Fred pulled the folded parchment out and set it on the table.
Harry used his wand. ‘I solemnly swear I am up to no good.’ And watched as the magic of the map unfolded. Three students looked but were unable to find themselves on the map.
‘Wicked’
‘Mischief Managed.’ Harry put his wand away.
‘So the future?’
‘I spent the first six years of school trying to survive. In my first year, well, you met Fluffy and Quirrelmort. Next year would have been a basilisk with the most self centred, useless wizard for defence. Third year Sirius would have broken out of Azkaban but I didn’t know he was innocent at the time.’ He reached for one of the butter beer’s he’d set on the table. ‘Fourth year was shit. There was a death tournament and a death eater impersonating our defence professor. Volde used that to get his body back. Fifth year was worse.’
‘What could be worse than a death tournament?’
‘A teacher with blood quills using them to give students detention.’ Harry looked down at his hand, thankful the only scars he had were the one’s he’d gained by the time he left the Dursley house. ‘In my sixth year I learned about horcruxes.’ Harry looked at George. ‘I spent what would have been my seventh year on the run hunting for them. I needed to destroy them so when I defeated the no nosed wanker it would be permanent. He invaded the school and lots of people died who shouldn’t have.’
‘Horcruxes?’
‘They are very evil, very dark magic that allowed a moron like the half blood Tom Marvolo Riddle, to keep parts of his soul alive so if he dies, he can come back.’
‘Riddle?’
‘You don’t think Voldemort’s parents named him Voldemort do you?’ Harry asked.
‘Hang on, so if you came from the future, you know who wins the Quidditch world cup.’
‘We could make a fortune with this.’
Harry shook his head. ‘I was more worried about saving people’s lives than Ireland winning the cup my fourth year. But I can tell you not to take any bets from Ludo Bagman, he will pay you in Lepricorn gold.’
‘Oh.’
‘That is disappointing.’
‘You still got the money for your shop in Diagon Alley.’
‘You know.’
‘About that?’
‘You wont be starting it up in quite the same way this time, I may have removed the reason you set fireworks off during exams my fifth year.’ He smiled, there was no remorse in removing Umbitch from her seat of power as Fudge’s chief toad.
‘We set fireworks off in exams?’
‘I bet our mother was not happy.’
‘She was not. But I am still prepared to help you with an investment in Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes. But you will need to get your NEWTS and provide a proper business plan.’
‘Did you see our shop?’
‘Was it beautiful?’
Harry shook his head and rolled his eyes. ‘I wont tell you that because that is up to the two of you to create.’
‘How bad was it that you felt it worth coming back in time?’
Harry swallowed his answer. Did he tell George he would lose not only an ear but also his twin. He tried not to see timers counting down to the dates he remembered as the day certain people died. It would only get worse as he got closer to those dates. And when he looked up he found himself squashed between the twins.
‘Guess that answers that question then.’ George said softly.
‘It doesn’t matter because it isn’t happening this time. I’ve already changed things so it wont happen the same way. And you will both be encouraging generations of Weasley’s and witches and wizards with your prank items and joke candies. Just, stay away from love potions.’ He wriggled out from between them. ‘I’ll give the Hogsmede dates to Padfoot and Moony and they can owl you with where and when they can meet you.’ He watched the twins swoon theatrically and quickly stepped out of reach.
---
Sirius looked up from his godson’s letter and grinned. ‘Moony, you are never going to guess.’
Remus sighed softly. ‘Fine, if I’ll never guess you’ll have to tell me.’
‘Remember Fab and Gid?’
‘Their sister married Arthur Weasley, good cook but a bit, shouty.’
‘Ah ha, well her twins have taken up the prankster mantle and Prongslet wants us to meet them.’
Remus put the Prophet down.
‘I asked him for the Hogsmede dates so we could met the twins, they are third years. I thought we could meet them at the Three Broomsticks and buy them lunch.’
‘When?’
‘We could meet them next Saturday, it wont clash with the full moon like the one after that will.’ He handed the letter from Harry over with a sigh. ‘To think Moony, we have inspired the next generation of pranksters. I’m sort of proud.’
Remus looked at Sirius and realised the man was genuinely touched. With a sigh he summoned ink, quill and fresh parchment. ‘Best we accept then.’
In Scotland several professors felt a cool breeze ruffle their awareness as they sat in the Great Hall.
---
Harry stood in the Great Hall and raised an eyebrow at the approaching twins. They were dressed in identical three piece suits with red roses in their lapels. ‘You know Sirius will recognise who you are when he sees you.’
‘A strange house elf turns up wearing his own suit and thrusts clothes at you.’
‘You don’t argue with him.’ George added.
‘That’s Kreacher, he’s taken to wearing formal muggle clothes. I think it’s mostly a protest because he never really liked Sirius.’
‘Quite the dapper dresser.’
‘The fedora was a nice touch.’
‘Right, well you two have fun but remember, they don’t know.’
‘Don’t worry, unlike Ronniekins.’
‘We can keep a secret.’
As one they turned with a wave and headed out with the other students off to Hogsmede for the day.
‘I’m sure the hat wanted to put them in Slytherin.’ Harry muttered before heading deeper into the castle to meet up with his friends.
Remus looked up as Sirius started bouncing in place, standing outside the Three Broomsticks.
‘That explains the clothes and the roses.’
‘Yeah, I asked Kreacher to take them suits so we’d recognise them.’
The werewolf shook his head and wondered why he was still surprised by his childhood friend.
Fred and George stopped in front of the two wizards also dressed in three piece muggle suits and with roses in their lapels. With a bow they spoke as one.
‘We are honoured to meet you.’
Sirius watched them with the biggest grin on his face as they straightened up. ‘I’m Padfoot, this is Moony.’ Shaking their hands. ‘Come on, I’ve reserved us a table so we can talk pranks. I knew your uncles you know. They liked pranks too.’ He led them to a private corner table with a wave to Rosmerta as they sat down.
She placed four butterbeers on the table along with menus. ‘I’ll be back for your orders when I bring your next drinks.’
Sirius handed her a couple of gold coins and winked. ‘I’ll be waiting.’
She slapped his arm and tucked the coins away with a laugh.
‘So you two have our old map then.’
They laid the map on the table. ‘We found this.’
‘Our first year.’
‘In Filch’s office.’
‘We owe so much.’
‘To the Marauders.’
‘So much.’ They said together.
Sirius barked with laughter. ‘Your uncles did that all the time, drove your mother spare.’
‘Mum wont talk about them.’ Fred said softly, hopeful he might learn more than just pranks from his little Slytherin friend’s godfather.
‘We were aurors together, Prongs, Harry’s dad, he and I would often be paired with Fab and Gid.’ He shook his head with a sad smile. ‘Mad Eye said it was because we were the only ones who could tell them apart.’ He sipped his drink and smiled. ‘But you two probably know what that’s like.’
‘Harry’s one of the few people other than our dad who can.’ George said softly as he played with his bottle of butterbeer.
‘And Ginny, our sister.’ Fred added.
Remus put the menu down he’d been looking at. ‘That’s actually quite common for magical twins. Even your magical signatures are almost identical and almost impossible to tell apart.’
‘You should ask your aunt Muriel, she’ll be able to tell you about the twins in the Prewett line. You may be surprised to find it’s actually family magic. I remember Fab and Gid talking about how one of them would establish the alibi while the other pulled the prank.’ Sirius watched them sit up straighter and handed them menus. ‘Now, you need to decide what I am buying you for lunch so we can talk about mentoring you.’
‘Harry said you plan to open a joke shop.’ Remus added. ‘And that you are both highly talented inventors.’
‘He said he’d invest in us.’
‘But we need to finish school first.’
Sirius groaned as he saw Remus’s eyes light up. ‘Now you’ve done it.’
Walking into the Three Broomsticks as one of the professors on Hogsmede duty Snape felt himself shiver as he glanced over and saw Sirius Black and Remus Lupin sitting with the Weasley twins. Worse, he saw the twins with notebooks madly writing as they all spoke. He wondered if it was too early for fire whiskey.