Mirror, Mirror

“Percy, wait!” Charlie called after him.

They had just finished eating dinner in the Great Hall. Hogwarts felt different now. He had only been once since it was rebuilt. Memories of Fred’s dead body was burned into his mind. It was laid right over there, by Tonks and Remus, right where the Ravenclaws happily sat.

Looking up at the staff table he saw Professor Snape, just as grumpy and unlikable as ever. He had planned to speak to Snape after his first potions back but now he was thinking about bottling it. When he thought about it there really wasn’t a hurry. It wasn’t like Sirius was going anywhere. As soon as the thought came to him, he felt guilty. Just the thought of being wrongly convicted and put in Azkaban for years was horrific. The more he thought about it the more he worried Snape wasn’t the right choice. There had to be someone that wanted Sirius free and Harry with him. It wasn’t Dumbledore, Harry had told him that he had made sure he stayed with his aunt and uncle. It was something to do with safety, but Grimmald place was as about as safe as you could get.

“REMUS!” he shouted.

Several heads turned to him, and Charlie was now looking at him like he had lost the plot.

“Who?”

“Umm…nothing. Can I help you?” he asked.

Charlie rolled his eyes. “What’s with you lately? You’ve barely been acting like your pompous self.”

“I’ll try harder.”

“Was that a joke? I didn’t know you had it in you.”

In the years after the second war, he had loosened up. He had to blame George for that. After Fred died, they all took turns to keep George company. There were tears and awkward quiet in the beginning but one day George made a joke. The next he showered without someone reminding him. Then he made a new invention, then another. While George never healed from Fred dying, he made a good impression of it. If Percy did what he planned, George would never have to piece his life back together.

“Is there something you need Charles?”

“Charles? There’s my little brother. Oliver said he was worried about you. He said you didn’t eat at dinner.”

“I’m fine. I’m just not hungry.”

“You need to eat, you’re too skinny as it is. Mum said you’ve been sick every night. She wanted me to keep and eye on you but that’s just not possible with my other responsibilities. You don’t need anyone taking care of you, right? Perfect Percy.”

He hated that nickname, well, he hated all of them. Why did they think it was alright to always talk down to him and make fun of him? Everyone else in the house, people wanted to be around them. It felt terrible to always be the one left out. The odd man out as always. Bill and Charlie were always together when they were home. The twins were always conspiring together and of course Ron and Ginny because they were the babies. He had to pretend that it didn’t hurt him, so he got lost in his books.

Breaking into Gringotts would be easier than getting attention in his family. Of course, his little brother did do that. He was livid when he found out. The laws his brother and his friends broke were astronomical, but they were celebrated in the streets. He didn’t understand it try as he might. When he was little, he tried so hard to be good and not make a fuss. His mum had her hands full with the twins and he wanted to be a good big brother like his dad asked him to be. How could his father and mother ask him to follow the rules and be good but reward his siblings when they were naughty? Not only that, his parents had never really disciplined his siblings when they pulled pranks and tricks on him.

“Is that all you wanted?” he asked. His hormones were all over the place and he didn’t want to embarrass himself in front of people and his brother.

Charlie looked at him curiously for a minute. “Yeah, that’s all. You would tell me if something really was wrong, right?”

“Of course,” he lied. Even before the second war and everything he would never depend on his family. He loved them but he didn’t trust them.

Charlie smiled but Percy could see it was unsure. Percy didn’t have time to worry about that, he had to write to Remus and ask him to meet him in Hogsmeade. He would leave Scabbers in the dorm while he spoke to him. All he needed was the map and the truth, hoping that would help start things off. With Remus helping, he wouldn’t have to worry about so much.

It had been over a week since he had sent the letter to Remus. Would he even bother writing back? All Percy wrote was that he needed to speak with Remus at his soonest convenience. He gave the date and a time to meet in the Hog’s Head. If Remus didn’t write back, he would just wait and see if he came.

The morning of the Hogsmeade weekend he was nervous. If Lupin didn’t show up, he was in trouble. The more he thought about getting help from Snape the more he worried that wouldn’t be the right choice. It really had nothing to do with not trusting Professor Snape, no, it was because there was just too big of a chance someone would catch on to him being a spy. Snape already had too much on his plate. Because of that, it wasn’t a good idea to tell him about what happens in the future. He would have to hold some things back from Lupin.

As he was nibbling on dry toast at breakfast the owls came in delivering the post. A large brown barn owl flew down close to him, dropping an envelope in front of him. His hands shook a bit before he opened it.

Dear Mr. Weasley,

            I was quite surprised to get your letter. I have to admit you have my interest. I will meet you at the Hog’s Head at your specified time. Looking forward to meeting you.

                                                                       Remus Lupin

He let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding. Soon, he wouldn’t be alone in this, at least he hoped. While he knew he was a fully grown wizard on the inside with all the knowledge, the part of him that was still a fourteen-year-old thought it was better to have a ‘real’ adult.

There was a part of him that was worried that when Bill came home to visit during summer holiday, he would spill everything. He had always wanted his oldest brother’s approval, something he never got in the original time.

No one bothered him as he waited for time to go to Hogsmeade, no one ever did. His only friend was Oliver, but he had too many other friends to waste his time only around Percy.

He had to make sure his cloak was fully around him because he had started to show. He had to spell his trousers because they were too tight. If anyone did notice they would think he was just getting fat. After all, who would jump to the conclusion that the boy that didn’t have any mates or admirers was four months pregnant.

There was a big question mark about what he would do when the baby was born. A part of him hoped he would be able to find a way back home by then. Mostly, he thought if he ignored it, it would go away. He didn’t want anything to happened to his baby, but he just wished he could pause the pregnancy until he was back into his life.

Students were running and laughing on their way to Hogsmeade. It made him upset that he couldn’t have the same carefree attitude like them anymore. He knew what lurked in the shadows, waiting for the chess pieces to fall into place.

“Look, Georgie, if it isn’t Pompous Percy,” Fred said.

Fred then ran into him, almost knocking him to the ground. He knew nothing he said would make them stop. The first time around he would have just been himself, telling them about the trouble they could get in. But he had places to be and didn’t want his brothers to follow him.

“I think we hurt his feelings, Fred.” George had put his hand out, helping to stop Percy from falling. That’s it with his brothers, that’s why he couldn’t hate them. They were equal parts jerks and caring.

“Just leave me alone. I wasn’t bothering you,” he finally said.

“Alright, no need to get all bent out of shape. Come on Fred, let’s go to Zonko’s. I have a feeling we need some more supplies.”

Great, now he would have to check his bed before he went to sleep tonight. Not only did he have to worry about what they were doing, he had to worry that what they would do might hurt the baby. If they found out, he knew they would want to know who the other father was. There was no way to say who it was without making him look mental, especially if they asked Marcus.

He made sure no one was following him when he ducked into the pub. It was dark and no students ever went there. Looking around, he saw Remus Lupin right away. The scarred man was sitting in the corner, his back to the wall. It was something Percy himself had done, keeping his back to the wall so he could see everything around him. Everyone from his time that were still alive did this, including his own mother. Having spells shot at you from behind in the hundreds would make anyone a little paranoid. Lupin had been through the first wizarding war, so it made sense he too wouldn’t be exposed in a pub.

“Remus Lupin?” he asked, more just letting the man know he was expecting him than a question. After all, he had seen the man countless times at Grimmald Place in those early days.

“Yes, Percy Weasley, right? You’re a bit younger than I expected.”

“Sorry,” he said before sitting down. “I don’t have time to prattle on, so I’ll just get to it.” He pulled the map out; he had stolen it out of George’s trunk. Thankfully he knew the protection charms his brother kept on it because he hadn’t changed once they were adults.

Percy unfolded the map on the table, took his wand and looked at Remus. “Do you want to do it or shall I?” Remus just looked at him suspiciously. “Alright, I guess I’ll be the one.” He pointed his wand at the map. “I solemnly swear that I am up to no good.” The map started to fill out. “Messrs. Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs are proud to present the Marauder’s Map. Aren’t you going to say anything?” he asked.

“What do you want me to say?” he said, studying Percy.

“Let’s just look at the creators of such a trouble making map. Moony, that would be you, Remus Lupin. Wormtail, that would be Peter Pettigrew. Padfoot, that’s Sirius Black and let’s not forget Prongs, the late James Potter.”

That seemed to get a response out of him. He glared at Percy, before grabbing the map but not picking it up. “Shows what you know, Peter is dead too.”

“I hate to argue with a smart man like yourself, but you’ll find if you look in Gryffindor tower, fourth year boys’ dormitory, someone who shouldn’t be.”

Remus looked at him again but now he looked curious, not upset. He opened the map fully and looked where Percy had told him.

“It can’t be,” he said, more to himself than Percy.

“I’m sorry, but it very much is. Turns out being an unregistered Animagus isn’t the best of ideas because that means men who sell out their friends can disappear and no one the wiser.”

Remus cleared the map with a quick “Mischief managed.” Now he was looking at Percy like he was something interesting.

“How do you know all that you do? You’re what? Fifteen?”

He looked around to make sure no one was playing attention to them before casting Muffliato to make sure they couldn’t be heard. “Fourteen. I’m not from this time. I worked in the Ministry of Magic and did a stupid thing and took a shortcut. Turns out the Department of Mysteries is not to be taken lightly. I went from a twenty-nine-year-old man to a fourteen-year-old. Not only that, but I’m also back fifteen years in the past. It’s been a while so I’m sure it’s not a dream.”

“This is unheard of, surely. I just don’t know what to say.”

“Say that you’ll use this information to get Sirius out of Azkaban and Harry away from his abusive family.”

“What? What about Harry? Lily’s sister was to have him.”

“Harry’s aunt and uncle hate everything magic. They treat him like a nothing, worse than one really. He’s living under the staircase in a cupboard.”

“I-I don’t know what to say. This is a lot of information.”

“I know. But we don’t have much time. The longer we take the more a chance Wormtail will escape again. I don’t want Sirius to be on the run this time.”

Remus sat back, looking like he had been hit. “I hadn’t wanted to believe Sirius would have hurt James and Lily. I should have listened. What else can you tell me about the future?”

“Nothing right now, we don’t have time. I’ll keep him caged but you need to bring aurors to take him. He maybe weak and stupid but he’s wily. If we stop him from being Voldemort’s pet, then we will change some things. Please, just before the end of school, I don’t want to take him back to where my little brother and sister are.”

“This is a lot to take in. I’m not sure how I will get the aurors to believe me. Maybe if I get Dumbledore to talk to them.”

“No, Dumbledore can’t know.”

“Why? Dumbledore is as far from the dark as there is.”

“Dumbledore is doing what he thinks is best, but this will be the first time in his life that he doesn’t know more than someone else. I can’t tell you everything, no one can know everything. Can I trust you to take care of this?”

“Yes. I want Sirius out of there more than you can know. I’ll have Wormtail gone within the week.”

“Good, I’ve got to go. Owl if you have any questions or need to tell me anything.”

He grabbed the map and headed out the door, hoping to get back to the castle before his nerves gave out. He was not a brave person and he felt like he was going to be sick giving Lupin orders like that. There was no going back now.