Hogwarts with the Marauders (II) [OLD]

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN - ... Are As Mysterious As They Get

If you're confused why the title is like it is, I suggest you read the author's note at the end of the previous chapter, if you don't remember. I really don't have a good excuse why I haven't been updating, I guess I'm just lazy, and I'm really sorry!

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Alessia, Lily, the Marauders and Liam all sat in a small Muggle bar in the village. You may ask how seven sixteen-year-olds managed to slip into a bar undiscovered, but if you are, that means you've forgotten that our young heroes are magic. One simple Confundus charm fixed them up, though all of them were tensed and stressed as they waited.

It was almost eight o'clock in the evening, which meant the bar was almost empty, making it easier to keep an eye on their prey, but their deadline was also drawing dangerously close and the Marauders weren't even sure this plan would work.

"I already hate that wanker." Sirius muttered darkly, his eyes narrowing as he glared at the man across the room.

The man had thick black hair that had been cut short and stubble on his chin. He seemed to be in his very early twenties, making him too old to attend the half-created Hogwarts on top of the hill.

"Guys," Alessia said suddenly, a smile stretching onto her lips. She shook her head in a disbelieving fashion. "I can't believe it didn't click before this, but we're in an early version of Hogsmeade! If we get this all sorted out on time, I want to go looking for Ollivander's!"

"Not the time, Alessia." Lily scolded.

"I think he's leaving!" Peter added.

They scrambled up, knocking into each other because of the size of the booth and hurried after the man who had shut the door behind them.

The door had been a big obstacle, believe it or not.

Peter had slammed into it and stumbled to the floor, leaving Liam and James to help him up while Sirius fumbled for the handle with Alessia and Lily urging him to hurry. Finally, Remus had pushed past Sirius and pulled the door open, leaving a bewildered Sirius - who had been pushing the door this whole time - standing there as the rest of them rushed past.

Alessia had to return and pulled him along through fits of laughter.

"Where'd he go?" Liam asked.

The man had disappeared. James swore loudly, making a couple of old ladies strolling past him scowl and hunch over, walking faster to get away from the young man they clearly thought was off his rocker. He was swearing with words Remus didn't even know existed.

"I can't believe we lost him!" Sirius cried.

"After hours of sitting in that stinkin' bar." Alessia agreed. She sighed loudly and impatiently. "I wish Dumbledore was here! He'd know what to do."

"Holy sh-" Remus cut himself off.

Albus Dumbledore - or at least a hologram of him - was standing a few feet away, leaning casually against a lamp post. His beard and hair were both as white as ever and long enough to tuck into his belt. His nose was still crooked.

It really was the headmaster.

"Wow, Mr. D," Sirius whistled, impressed. "I didn't know you were that old."

James face-palmed, and for a moment, the others believed he was about to say something half-intelligent, like pointing out the fact that Professor Dumbledore couldn't possibly have been born in the fifteenth century. But instead, he said, "You bloody idiot, he can't know we're from the future!"

"You just admitted it." Peter informed him.

"And Professor Dumbledore isn't that old, Padfoot." Remus added.

"Then what is he doing here?" Sirius turned to the headmaster.

"Alessia, I believe, has called me." Dumbledore said simply, his blue eyes twinkling as he smiled over at Alessia. "You need help? Well, I must warn you, I can only help you once in this whole tradgedy. That's either giving you answers, or helping you out. Choose wisely."

"We need help now." Lily said confidently, and no one dared argue. "We lost Slytherin's kid. We need to find him right away."

"Simple." Dumbledore shurgged. "He'll be heading up to the castle right about now."

"Thank you so much, sir!" Alessia cried, grinning.

"Come on, let's go!" Liam urged. The Marauders had forgotten the boy was there, and were surprised that he hadn't asked who the hell this old man was, offering them help suddenly. After everything that had happened in the past two days, he knew better then to ask, for the answer would just confuse him further.

As they all turned to run, Dumbledore spoke again. His voice was calm and soft, though everyone heard it. "By the way," he called. "his name is Bennet."

Then, the future Hogwarts headmaster disappeared in a poof of smoke, as cliche as that was.

"Okay," Lily took a deep breath. "We have no time to lose; it's almost eight thirty."