Every time I had a stupid idea, Hermione was always there to fix the result for me; this time, Hermione wasn't even born yet. I was sure had Dumbledore not summoned a chair for me, I would have fallen on the ground.
It took me four hours to explain to Dumbledore what and how this happened. The first hour consisted of me crying and mumbling about how I'm out of my own time period and all of my friends are going to die. The second hour, after calming down, I explained the situation and why I wanted to go back in time— to save my friends. Obviously, I couldn't outright tell him he was going to die and who was going to die, but I tried to explain it as best as possible. Three hours into our conversation, Dumbledore and I realized that we had no clue on how to send me back.
"I've never heard of such a Charm, Miss Pyrites," said Dumbledore.
"That's impossible! You know everything," I said, standing up to pace. "Okay it is called Motus Tempus, and is a Time Charm. The movement is quite simple, you place your wand to your heart and then you go through time, into the past. The counterspell, on the other hand, is unknown to me. My best friend would know, she's a very bright witch."
"And do you happen to know what year the Charm was made?"
I opened my mouth to say something, but stopped pacing at the realization. Slowly, I turned to Dumbledore and my mouth opened and closed like a fish.
"Aurora?"
"I'm never going to be able to go back to my friends," I crumbled back down into the chair I was sitting in.
"Did you remember what year?" He asked, leaning forward on his desk.
"Nineteen eighty," I whispered.
The fourth, and last, hour of our conversation included a plan of action. Although unlikely I would suddenly remember the counterspell of a charm I was never meant to know, Dumbledore decided to help me the best he could on figuring out how to send me back to my own time. In the meantime, I would stay at Hogwarts as a student of the school.
"Are you sure you want me enrolled in your school?" I asked.
"Is there a reason why I shouldn't?"
"No, it's just that..."
"Aurora," he said with such tenderness, I knew it was bad news, "there is something we must face: There may be a possibility that... there may not be a solution to the problem until nineteen eighty. That is to say—"
"— I might be stuck here," I finished.
"I think it would be wise for you to continue your education here, at Hogwarts, so that you'd be very much adept to continue... living in this time," said Dumbledore softly.
Looking up from my hands, I saw the sad, twinkling look in his eyes and I knew he meant well.
"And what year were you in?"
"Well," I started, "it's more complicated than that. My friends and I voluntarily dropped out of Hogwarts to... do something important. I'd love to go back to school, but I don't know..."
"What year?" Dumbledore repeated.
"I should be finishing my seventh year, but only finished my sixth," I sighed.
"I believe that it would do you well to be placed back into your sixth year," Dumbledore said. "It would be wise to do so you may be refreshed in your learning."
"Of course, Professor," I said.
"This is also the year N.E.W.Ts curriculum starts, so it would be easier for you to start from this point rather than in the middle of the curriculm and try to catch up in the gap of the different material," he explained further.
"Yes, sir," I nodded.
"And I can assume you are in Slytherin like your family?"
Instantly, my eyes narrowed at him. Everyone always assumed I was a Slytherin because my family was full of Slytherin Pyrites, but I was not.
"No, sir. I am a Gryffindor," I said firmly.
"Yes, yes, I can see that," he smiled. "I apologize for the assumption."
As the sun went down and the moon came up, I was escorted to the Gryffindor Tower. It was the same as I remembered it, maybe just a little newer. Slowly, going up the spiral staircase, I made it to the sixth year dormitories. The only difference was the four four-post beds, instead of five— they were still covered in Gryffindor Red.
Dumbledore told me all of my robes and belongings would be sent to my bed. He would use Hogwarts's extra funds to get me anything I needed for my time at Hogwarts. Thankfully, I wouldn't need a new wand being I already had mine in hand.
Getting ready for the start-of-term feast was more nerve wrecking than I thought. Usually, I would come on the train with Harry, Ron, and Hermione, thinking nothing of my appearance or who I'd sit next to, but this time it was like first year all over again. Recalling the cover story Professor Dumbledore and I made, I smoothed out my dark brown hair and made sure my robes were perfectly placed. Grabbing my hat, I made my way through the empty castle and to my little hiding spot on the grounds.
My idea was that I'd wait behind a tree and then join the rest of the school on their walk from the Hogwarts gates to the castle. Seeing the carriages, my heart almost stopped— I could see the Thestrals. In the past, only Harry saw them because he witnessed Cedric Diggory's death, but since then, I've seen my fair share of death. Snapping out of my trance, I joined the concession towards the castle.
Looking around nervously, I spotted something that made me halt in my spot. People around me groaned about my short stop, but I didn't care.
"Harry!" I shouted and ran to him, throwing my arms around him.
"Prongs, way to go," a familiar voice said appreciatively.
Jumping back, I brought my arms to my chest— he wasn't Harry.
"I reckon you've got the wrong guy," the raven haired boy said.
I said nothing, my eyes widening as far as they went. The boy was standing with a guy with shoulder length curly hair, a tall blond hair kid, and a squat round nervous bloke.
"You've scared her, Padfoot," Prongs laughed.
Prongs... Padfoot... It's James Potter and Sirius Black. That means that the other two are Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew.
I cleared my throat and ran a hand through my long hair, "I'm sorry, I thought you were someone else. You look very similar to him." I took a deep breath and extended a shaky hand to him, "I'm Aurora Pyrites, but you can call me Rory."
James went to go grab my hand, but Sirius quickly bumped him aside and clasped his hand with mine, shaking it wildly.
"I'm Sirius Black," and with a goofy smile, turned my hand and kissed the top of it.
Quickly, I pulled my hand back and coughed awkwardly.
"Uh, pleasure to meet you," I said, rubbing the back of my hand in my robes.
"Rejected," James laughed. "I like you," he said to me. "I'm James Potter and this is Remus Lupin—" he thumbed behind him to the blond and then to the short boy, "and Peter Pettigrew."
"Potter!" a girl shouted from behind the four boys. Standing on my tip toes, I looked over their shoulders to see an angry auburn haired girl marching over to them. "What did you do to the Slytherins? Don't you dare try to— oh, hello."
Her angry face fell and a small surprised smile grew as she noticed me. The four boys watched as she walked around them and right up to me. I instantly knew who she was: Her green eyes were the exact color of Harry's— Lily Evans.
"I'm Lily Evans," she smiled.
"I'm—"
"She's Rory," James butted in.
Lily quickly spun around and I felt her anger raising again, "Potter, as a prefect, I have no choice but to—"
"C'mon, Evans," James groaned, "it's the first day of term, give me a break." He chuckled and grabbed a piece of Lily's hair, twirled it, and then walked off with his three friends trailing behind him.
"He seems—"
"Arogant— annoying— absolutely—" Lily cut herself off and took a deep breath, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to—"
"Lily, yeah? It's all right," I giggled, "I have friends just like him, don't worry about it."
"Come on, we've got a feast to get to," she smiled and looped her arm in mine.
Harry has qualities like James and Lily; impulsive and annoying, yet friendly and easygoing. Harry and I became instant friends, much like how I'm sensing Lily and I will be.
Lily and I spoke the entire walk to the Gryffindor Table. The Great Hall was just as it is in the future: It was lit by thousands and thousands of candles that were floating in midair over four long tables, where the rest of the students were sitting. These tables were laid with glittering golden plates and goblets. At the top of the hall was another long table where the teachers were sitting. Dumbledore caught my eye and gave me a quick wink, I smiled widely at him.
We found a spot, unfortunate for Lily, near the Marauders. Sirius quickly caught my eye and waved us over with a hand full of black straws. James noticed this, and turned towards us, a lovesick puppy look fell over his face. I laughed as we sat down and tried to stop laughing, but he was just too cute.
"So, Rory," Sirius started, "you're new, obviously, what year are you in?"
"Sixth, what—"
"Us too!" he said excitedly.
I laughed and nodded.
"What school did you come from?" James asked.
"Beauxbaton," I lied. This was part of the story Dumbledore and I made up. "My mum decided to pull me out because I was too far from her."
"That's so sweet," Lily said from beside me.
"So you've been sorted in Gryffindor?" Remus asked me.
"Yeah, Professor Dumbledore did a special sorting yesterday," I nodded. "I came in early being my mother wanted to properly meet and talk with Dumbledore."
Before I let anyone address what I had said, my eye caught something and I clamped my hand over my mouth, laughing loudly. Lily looked at me in confusion until she saw what I was laughing at. Her ears reddened, reminding me of Ron whenever he was angry or embarrassed. The boys noticed our faces and turned around to see what we had seen.
Across the Hall, a group, about seven or eight, of Slytherins were covered in grey-black dust. It looked like the results of multiple Dungbombs exploding— a typical Fred and George move. That's probably what Lily was so riled up about before.
"Did you lot do that?" I giggled through my hands, earning a glare from Lily. "C'mon Lily, it's kind of funny."
James and Sirius gave each other a high five and turned to face us again, huge smiles on their faces.
"I like this girl, she approves," Sirius said.
"You guys've already said that," I laughed some more.
"Well, I suppose Professor McGonagall already knows what you are up to—"
"Why do you always assume its us?"
"Potter, it's always you guys!" Lily fumed.
"Lily, I'm sure it was just a little prank—"
"No, they do this all the time!" Lily exasperated cutting me off.
"Ever think its to get your attention?" I whispered, leaning into her ear so none of the boys would hear.
Lily's face flushed red and shoved me lightly, narrowing her eyes at me. From the small huff she gave, I knew it was a playful shove and not an angry one.
Turning back to the boys, I raise a brow at James and nodded in appreciation for their little prank. The way James and Sirius carried themselves, it reminded me of Fred and George, both pranksters in their own right.
"Oh Merlin!" I gasped. "Peter Pettigrew!" His eyes widened and his face flushed at my acknowledgement of him. "Y-Your hands are—" I laughed loudly, not being able to control myself. "You've been caught red handed! Your hands are filthy!"
"Aurora! You can't just sell us out like that," Sirius said, looking at an angry Lily.
"Not my fault you lot are bad at hiding your evidence," I shot back.
"Actually," Remus said, giving me a small smile, "he's been caught grey handed."
"Very funny, Moony," Peter replied sarcastically.
For the entire feast and Dumbledore's speech, I watched and listened as the Marauders laughed at their own jokes while Lily gave them her input in their conversations. For someone who doesn't tolerate or like the boys, she sure did address them very much.
"You don't talk much, do you?" Remus asked me.
I tilted my head and shrugged, "You guys seem to be having enough fun yourselves. I didn't want to intervene," I added a small smile seeing their confused faces.
"Come off it, Rory," James said, patting my hand. "You're part of the pack now, you know how to have fun and enjoy a good prank."
Sirius laughed as Remus shot James a look. I guess the pack joke hit home a little too hard for him.
With a small smile, I raised my goblet slightly and took a sip. My heart seized at their happy, carefree faces. I was sitting with a group of ghosts, every one of them taken before they needed to be. Their eyes ever so lively and happy, their smiles wide. Biting back tears, I gave a tight smile and took another sip of my pumpkin juice.