Little Do You Know | Marauders Time Travel ✔️

Chapter Eleven

James:

There's no way. No fucking way. I...I can't believe that Padfoot had to spend that time in Azkaban. There isn't a shadow of a doubt in my mind that he is innocent. Innocent of betraying me. Innocent of killing those muggles. Innocent of killing Wormtail. Innocent.

I walk back to the common room because Potions would be over by now. I see Evans on my way there, and she looks at me and smiles. She smiled! At me! This day just keeps getting stranger and stranger. I decide not to tell her to meet me and the Marauders because I don't really think that this concerns her. I walk back to the common room, and immediately get swarmed by Gryffindor students. "That prank was incredible!..."Awesome!"..."So cool!" I hear, as well as other little snippets of praise, but I'm just not in the mood. Wow, I can't believe that that prank was only hours ago - it feels like years. I see the boys sitting recounting how we came up with the prank to some avid listeners, but I don't care. I need to talk to them. Now. I don't really know how Wormtail is going to react - him and Pads aren't as close as me and Pads are, so maybe he will think that Padfoot really is guilty. I hope not though. My main concern though is that Old Man Moony seems to believe it. I hope regular Moony doesn't! I walk up to them and say, "Guys, can I talk to you? Like now. In private.". They look a bit confused but nod their heads anyway. We walk over and ask the Weasley twins and Lee not to come up to the dorm for a while, and they agree. To be honest, I really do not want to know what they think we're doing up there that we need privacy!

We walk up to the dorm, and I cast a silencing charm on the entire dorm. I take a deep breath and begin, "Ok, so as you know I went to see Dumbledore. He told me to ignore all of Snivelly's punishments and instead I'll be doing a month of detention with him. Um....I....How do I say this? When I was there I asked Dumbledore why we had to be so secretive about our true identities - why can't we tell the people that know us who we really are? I also asked why Old Man Moony looked so sad...so broken. Dumbledore told me some things, things that happen in the future. According to Dumbledore, and bear in mind that I don't believe this, Pads betrays me to Voldemort and that results in my death. Apparently he also murders Wormtail along with an entire street of muggles. This was twelve years ago. Pads, you spend twelve years in Azkaban and only just recently escaped. That's why Old Man Moony is so sad - all of us are gone!". Here I stop and await their reactions.

Pads inhales sharply, "I...I'm at a loss for words. H-How? Prongs, I would NEVER betray you, I hope you know that. I would die for you, mate. Wormtail, I could never and would never kill you! I would rather die myself. Please believe me.". "Of course I do Pads. And you should know that I would die for you as well." I say, shooting him a reassuring smile. "B-But Prongs, I-I can't believe you're dead! I just...just can't." he says, a single tear rolling down his face. He doesn't bother to wipe it and just lets it drop. I follow the teardrop until it stops, right over his heart. I love my brother, and I hate the pain that he has to endure in his lifetime, and I hate the fact that I won't be there to help him through it. Watching that single tear slowly make its way down his face, the face that will no doubt be scarred and aged by Azkaban, makes me want to cry too. Nut I can't. I have to stay strong for my brother. For my Padfoot.

Moony bows his head slowly. "So, future me believes this? I...wow. That's a lot to take in. I...I don't really know what to think." Moony says, stuttering a little bit. "Well I do!" Peter speaks up angrily, "You murder me! You betray Prongs and murder me! You are a Black after all. You say that you are a proud Gryffindor, that you hate the rest of your family, and would rather die than be like them, but you're a liar. A pathetic liar! I knew I should never trust a Black!". And with this he storms out.

Peter's words make the dam break in Padfoot's heart. He cries and cries for minutes. He actually cries himself sick. How could Peter be so horrible. Notice how I'm calling him Peter. Anyone who talks to my brother like that is most certainly not a friend of mine. Peter has officially lost his Maraudership in my eyes. How could he say those things to Pads though? How could he? He said all of the things that he knew would hit Pads the hardest. Watching my brother so distraught, so broken, kills me. I would do anything in my power to make Padfoot's life a little bit easier. And I mean anything.

Moony then speaks up, "I believe you Pads. I know future me doesn't, but present me does. You could never to that to Prongs. And Peter doesn't know what he's saying. You're not a Black, and you never will be. Prongs and I will make sure of it.". Pads looks up and smiles at us both. He heads into the bathroom to try his tears, wash his face and do his hair, in true Padfoot fashion.

"Ok," he says, coming back into the room, "Let's go get some dinner. All that crying's made me HUNGRY!". Me and Moony laugh and follow him downstairs. It's truly amazing how quickly Padfoot can recover from being given horrible news. I know that he's not fully ok, and that he is still deeply hurting on the inside, but that will get better. What's important is that he knows that he will be able to continue on with life as normally as possible.

I really do love my brother.