The Marauders Year Five Part 2 #Wattys2017

To Number 12 Grimmauld Place

To Number 12 Grimmauld Place

James felt like he was going to be sick. Everything around him moved in a blue of colour as he spun the knob on the side of the time turner, his hands shook and he stared down at the shiny gold because it was the only thing besides himself that was holding still. It was as though the world was spinning backwards - back and back and back and back....

"One..." he counted.

"...two...."

"...three...."

"...four...."

And he turned the wheel one rune and spun the knob again...

"One..."

"...two...."

"...three...."

"....four..."

"...five...."

"...six...."

And he stopped. And the world stopped. And it was the weirdest thing because there he sat, in the same chair before the same desk in the same room - though the light outside was a wee bit darker, the earth tilted just a wee bit further from the sun in January than it would be in April.

"Mr. Potter," Dumbledore's voice made James look up. And there he sat, minimally perplexed, considering a boy had just appeared in his presence. He stared at James for a long moment, his eyes flickering to the time turner in his hands, and Dumbledore said. "I see." He stood up. "Where do you need to go?" he asked, instantly falling into the role of helper without asking a single question.

"Number 12 Grimmauld Place," James replied. He thought about it for a moment. "To Sirius's bedroom, the upstairs bedroom." That was the only place he knew of that neither he and Maryrose, nor the Death Eaters had been to in the house. Therefore, it would be there that he would be safest until he could figure out how he was going to save Maryrose.

Dumbledore nodded, and he asked, "Am I to stay with you?"

James thought for a moment. Having Dumbledore there would be quite handy. But then again, the future Dumbledore had told him to go and get Maryrose and then bring her to his office and that he would help him at that point. There'd be no reason in having mentioned that step if he was to have brought Dumbledore along with him. No, James thought, I gotta do this alone. So he shook his head, "No sir. I'm to go alone."

"Very well." Dumbledore looked about and then picked up a teaspoon from a tray at his side and set it onto the desk before him, before he waved his wand over the spoon. "Portus," he whispered and the spoon glowed for just a moment before going as dull as it had been before. Dumbledore looked up at James. "There you are. A Portkey."

"Thank you, sir." James hadn't used a ton of Portkeys in his life, but he'd done some so he knew how to use it. Just it would be the first time he'd do so without help from his father and the thought frightened him.

A fleeting thought went through his mind. If Charlus continued getting ill as he was... eventually there would be quite a lot of things that James would do for the first time on his own without his father's help. And the thought both terrified him and gave him strength and so he reached out his hand and closed it 'round the spoon, feeling altogether the role of a man for the very first time in his life.

Dumbledore stared at the empty seat long after James had disappeared, stroking his beard and wondering what his future self was up to.