A Timeturner in the hands of the Marauders
The third school year began and the four friends were suspicious what subjects they each chose for this year. James and Sirius chose Care of Magical Creatures and Study of Ancient Runes. Peter took Care of Magical Creatures as well and his second choice was Muggle Studies. âWhich subjects did you choose, Rem?â, Sirius asked Remus when they all got their timetables. The tall boy blushed and just passed his timetable to his friends. They looked at it in shock. It was a whole lot fuller than their own. âThere must be a mistake. How are you supposed to be in two lessons at once?â they asked and Remus just replied: âDonât be silly, I canât be in two places at once.âÂ
Over the school year Remus' friends tried to figure out his secret, he never missed a lesson, not even one. It was not until Easter that they finally found out. James asked Lily Evans (James crush) if she would have seen him, as he knew that she and Remus were close friends. Most of the time they finished their homework together, as they both had chosen to take every single subject. Before James could start flirting with her she told them where to go. Sirius took James by the arm and dragged him away from Lily with a thanking and apologetic smile to her. They found him asleep in the library, with his head on his homework. Remus was lucky they found him before Madam Pince did, she would have been furious.
After they woke him up gently they went back to their dormitories (Sirius carried Remus books). âBefore you fall asleep again you have to tell us how you get to all of your classes, Rem.â Sirius persuaded him while he put the books on the table. Weirdly enough Remus was more talkative when he was about to fall asleep then when he is fully awake. âYou must not tell Lily that I told you. Promise?â They all promised and Remus continued: âLily and I get to all our classes with this time turner.â He pulled a tiny golden hourglass out of his pocket. The boyâs stared at it for a moment then Peter asked: âWhat can you do with that?â Peters squeaky voice brought Remus back to his senses. âI should not have told you about it, Lily will kill me.â He slipped the hourglass back in his pocket. âI should not haveâŚâ he still murmured when he turned away to go to sleep.
The next morning when Sirius, James and Peter woke up Remus was already gone. They werenât worried Remus had a class before them on Wednesdays, but they started worrying after breakfast. Usually they would meet Remus on the way to Care of Magical Creatures but he was nowhere to be seen. Another very unusual thing happened just then, Lily Evans walked up to them and asked if they had seen Remus. âI thought you two had all lessons together, he should be with you.â Sirius sounded worried but before either of them could explain the lesson began. None of them could concentrate very much on today's class, they were all too concerned about Remus. After class they had a break and Lily came up to the boyâs once more: âI think I should tell you guys something.â They looked at her waiting for her to continue. âCou⌠Could we just go somewhere more quiet, please? I donât want us to be overheard.â The boyâs nodded and led the way to a big tree by the black lake. âMuffliato. Just in case.â murmured James before they all sat down to the ground. The rest of the school was inside now for lunch in the great hall. âWell, Remus and I choose to take all subjects as you probably already know.â She waited a second and continued after they nodded knowingly. âSome of our classes overlap just like our first two lessons this morning before Care of Magical Creatures. I bet you guyâs wonder how we managed to get to all our classes all year long?â She wanted to make a dramatic pause but Peter interrupted: âWe know you use time turners, James just explained to me this morning what they can do.â James and Sirius jumped on him to hold his mouth shut before he could reveal even more. However, it was too late for that, Lilyâs face went red with madness: âHe told you didnât he?! Oh - If we ever find Remus again, I am going to kill him! Professor McGonagall made us swear not to tell anyone!â Before she could run off James sprinted after her and grabbed her by the wrist: âThat still doesnât explain where he is now, or better when he is now?â Lily calmed down quicker than any of them could have hoped for, she was seriously concerned about Remus wellbeing. Her voice dropped almost to a whisper: âI thought he wouldâve just jupped a hour forward, but he is still not here. I need to tell McGonagall, she will know what to do.â James still held on to her wrist, his voice now so low only she could hear him: âYou canât tell her. You and Remus would get in so much trouble, we have to find him on our own. What exactly did he do?â Lily looked up to him, her eyes filled with tears. Sirius and Peter catched up to them, she looked at them: âI am so sorry. I didnât know.â She looked back to James, her wrist still fixed in his hand. âWe turned at the same time, two times, but he turned the other way. Professor McGonagall told us to never turn it clockwise. I didnât know it would be this bad.â Tears were rolling down her face now, she wiped them off quickly with her free hand. âWhat happens when you turn it clockwise?â Peter asked. âYou jump forward in time.â It seemed like an obvious answer, but their problem was when was Remus and how to get him back? After some time of thinking Lily agreed to search the library for answers while the boys were looking for their friend in the castle, in case he really just jumped a couple hours forward and were hiding somewhere. No matter where they looked they couldnât find him before the next lesson started. âAny luck, Evens?â James asked Lily when she came over to their table in their potion lesson. âNo, but I guess you hadnât either. We have to be quicker before the teachers start to worry. I have the bad feeling that we wonât find him today.â After a double lesson potion they were finally free for the day to look for Remus. This time they all searched the library and found after hours the right book. They were very lucky it wasnât a book of the restricted section. âTime turners and How to use themâ was written in golden letters on the white covered book. âHow did I not see this earlier?!â Lily scolded herself. âNever mind that now, lets see what we got.â Sirius wrenched the book out of her hands and opened the book. He went quickly through some pages then pointed on something that looked more like a math problem than anything else. âCounter clockwise: One turn equals half an hour back in time, two turns equals one hour back in time, etc., etc⌠Clockwise! Clockwise: One turn equals 23 years forward in time, two turns equals 46 years forward in time!â Sirius read aloud and just got shushed by Madam Pince twice. âHe is 46 years in the future? That's 2020.â Sirius continued whispering. âThat doesnât even sound like a real number.â whispered Peter for which he got a little hit on the head by Sirius. âAre you stupid or what? Itâs easy math 1974 + 46 = 2020 meaning we can get to him with two turns and we can come back together with⌠wait a second⌠for a day back we need 48 turns, so a year needs 17.5020 and that 46 times would be 805.920 turnsâ Sirius gulped. âWait guyâs look at this âThe more turners one got the faster the traveller.â Together Remus and I got two turners. We can make it back in just half the time, but this still would take way too long. We donât have a choice we have to tell Professor McGonagall.â - âTell me what, my dear?â McGonagall stood right before them. They went back to her office to tell her everything. Well actually it was Lily alone who told her everything, the boys just stood behind her and nodded when needed. âWell, well, well you got yourselves into a lot of trouble, especially Mister Lupin.â Her mouth was as thin as paper but then she smiled at them. âIt was wise of you to tell me and donât worry we will get your friend back. He turned it twice, you said?â Lily nodded at her almost in disbelief. âNow there are still consequences for you, Miss Evans you have sworn to me not to tell anyone..â - âBut ProfessorâŚâ- âI know you had to tell them, Mister Black, Mister Potter and Mister Pettigrew deserved to know where their friend had gone or better when. However, you should have come straight to me, poor Mister Lupin wandering around Hogwarts in 2020. Who knows what he had to go through. I will get him back but I am sorry to tell you, both of you have to give back their time turners. Itâs way too dangerous. I am afraid both of you have to quit some of your lessons to shorten both of your timetables. Before I forget - â she looked at the boys now â You will all have detention for trying to go forward in time, this isnât just highly dangerous but also illegal. Iâll send you all an owl when Iâve decided on your punishment.â Lily gave her time turner back to McGonagall and thanking her before she followed the boys out of her office.Â
âHello? Is someone here?â Remus was very confused, the castle looked nothing like before and no one was in the corridors. Perhaps they all had classes, he thought. However, every classroom he looked into was empty with a thick layer of dust on every surface. Even the library changed, there were only a few books left and it looked as if the empty shelves were once broken or even burned and just fixed with a lazy reparo charm. Remus did not know what had happened; it did not look like Hogwarts anymore. He cempt through the castle just to find another living soul or a ghost, he didnât care anymore. He needed someone or something to talk to. Just then he remembered: âThe paintings! The fat lady! She must know what's going on.â He ran through deserted corridors, no pupils, no teachers, no poltergeist, no ghosts and no paintings to be found. He was on the seventh floor by now but the fat lady was nowhere to be seen nor heard. Remus was all alone in the big castle that seemed so unfamiliar to him. Hours over hours he tried to find someone, there were not even elves in the kitchen. He almost gave up when he finally remembered Hagrid. âHe must be here, he lives here.â Remus' hope rose again, he stood back up to his feet running outside. Hagrid's hut looked nothing like he remembered but he didnât care; he just needed to see someone to talk to. He knocked hard on the door. A tall figure opened the door, his hair and beard covered most of his face. Remus froze when he saw the crossbow in the half giants hands. âWho are you?! What do you want from me?!â, the hairy man shouted not letting go of his weapon. Remus trembled: âItâs me, Remus Lupin. Hagrid, itâs me, Remus.â Hagrid looked at him for a moment before he let his crossbow down and let him in. âHow is this possible, you look so young.â - âI donât really know, you look much older now. Well you might remember I got a time turner at the beginning of the school year. I turned it clockwise, I wanted to skip a lesson. I know I normally donât do such things but I was really done. I just wanted some time for myself. I thought I would only jump an hour or so but now I donât even know when I am.â It was just then, someone knocked on the door. âI havenât had this many visitors in months.â Hagrid opened the door: âMcGonagall! You look so young! I bet you are here to bring Remus back.â Professor McGonagall stepped inside the hut: âMister Lupin how good to see youâre well. But before we two can go back my time turner has to recharge again and I have to confiscate yours, Mister Lupin. For the time being, Hagrid, please tell us what in Merlin's name happened here. Why arenât there any students?â Hagrid poured them all a big cup of tea before he started: âWell you know Professor 2020 has been a very tough year so far.â