Chapter Text
Albus knew, almost immediately, that he and his siblings had messed up big time. He stood up and looked around, thankful that the spinning had stopped. It didn't take him long at all to notice that his surroundings, while very similar, were also very different. The books that had laid scattered across the floor only moments ago were now placed neatly on the bookshelf, which was covered in dust and cobwebs. The old robes that Lily and Rose had been playing with were nowhere to be seen, but the chest in which they had found them was sitting in the same place it had been before. And if this wasn't enough evidence that something wasn't right, then the giant creature sitting in the corner certainly was. Al had never seen a hippogriff up close before, and he couldn't help but step forward in fascination.
Meanwhile, Winnie screamed in Sirius's arms, her tiny fists clutching at his robes as if her life depended on it. "I don't like it, Papa," she hiccuped. "Make it stop."
The large hippogriff backed up as the child's cries grew louder, its giant nostrils flaring as it stood on its hind legs, letting out a haunting screech.
"Al, back away slowly," Sirius said, his voice quivering a bit as he motioned for his grandson to move.
Al took one step back, and then another, but this only seemed to frighten the creature more. Then, remembering the story his father had told him, Albus slowly bowed. At first nothing happened, but then the bird bowed back, and both Sirius and Albus let out quiet sighs of relief.
"Well done,” Sirius said, flashing his grandson a reassuring smile. He rubbed soothing circles on Winnie's back, and soon her tears subsided. She rubbed at her puffy eyes for a moment before looking up.
"HORSIE!" she squealed, sticking out a slobbery finger. "Papa!" she tapped Sirius to get his attention, her eyes wide with the innocent fascination only a child can have. "Papa, it's a horsie!"
"Actually, Winnie," Rose spoke up, not being able to help herself from educating her younger cousin. "It's called a Hippogriff."
""Wicked!" Hugo exclaimed. "How did it get here?"
"That's the least of our problems," Rose said, biting her lip nervously. "The hippogriff wasn't here before, and seeing as James just dropped a Time-Turner, the only real explanation is that we travelled back in time." She looked up at Sirius, gauging his reaction. "The real question is when are we?"
"1995," Sirius sighed. "Maybe 1996."
"Are you sure?" Rose's lip quivered as she spoke.
"Pretty sure, seeing as I gave him back to Hagrid after my name was cleared."
"B-but that's impossible. Time-Turners can't go back more than a few hours."
"Typically, no,” Sirius agreed. "But then again, time turners aren't typically shattered." He eyed his eldest grandson, not a hint of a smile on his face. "Besides," he added. "My parents had all kinds of strange and unusual stuff lying around here. It wouldn't surprise me if the Time-Turner you found wasn't a typical one."
"Great," Teddy groaned. "Way to go, James. Once again, you managed to screw up, and this time you dragged everyone along with you. This is all your fault."
"My fault? Why is it my fault? It isn't as if I came up here on my own."
"No, but I'm sure the idea was yours."
"Besides," Rose added, “you’re the one who dropped the Time-Turner. If you had just put it down instead of—"
"Enough." Sirius held up a hand, immediately silencing the room. "James made a mistake, yes, but standing here arguing isn't going to make anything better."
Teddy closed his eyes, a soft sigh escaping his lips. "You're right. We need to figure out how we're going to fix this." He eyed Sirius with worried yet hopeful eyes. "Any ideas on how we plan to do that?"
Sirius looked around the dark and dusty room for a moment, as if doing so might give him an idea. His eyes lingered on an old photo of his Uncle Alphard. He was one of the few relatives that understood Sirius and back home, in the future, his photo was hung on the wall where it belonged. Of course, in this time, it was still in the attic, where his mother had tossed it along with all the other junk she no longer wanted to look at.
"You'll get out of here one day, Sirius." His uncle had told him when he was a young boy. "You're a lot like me, you know. You're a free spirit with beliefs that contradict everything you were raised to believe. You don't belong here. I know it's hard to believe now, but you won't be stuck here forever. One day you're going to leave this place and never look back. Just you wait. You'll go on to do great things. I know you will."
It was several years before Sirius had worked up the courage to run away, but the moment he walked out of that door, he had felt as if a huge weight had been lifted off his chest. He had promised himself as he fell asleep in Potter Manor that night that he would never return to Grimmauld Place. And he kept that promise—that is, until he was forced to return while on the run.
For years, Sirius believed his uncle had been wrong about him. He hadn't gone on to do great things. He had gotten his best friend killed and made his godson an orphan. He had made a rash decision that landed him in Azkaban, and even after he escaped, he hadn't been able to help Harry as much as he would have liked. But then his name was cleared. He not only took Harry in but also adopted him, and now he was a husband, a father, and a grandfather. This was when he realized his uncle had been right. He did go on to do great things, and it all started with disobeying his family's wishes.
But now he was back in his old family home. The place he had spent years making happy memories with his wife and children was gone, and he was a lonely prisoner, sitting alone in the attic with a wild animal. Only he wasn't alone, and he wasn't a prisoner. He was in the wrong place—the wrong time—and the people he loved were with him, counting on him to fix things.
"Granddad?"
A gentle hand touched his arm, bringing him out of his dark thoughts. Looking down, Sirius found himself staring into his granddaughter's bold brown eyes. Eyes that held not an ounce of fear, despite the situation they were in, and it both amazed and concerned Sirius.
"Everything will be okay." She said, her gaze unwavering. "I know it will be."
"How?" Sirius's voice came out as a mere whisper, making him feel ashamed. It should be him comforting the children, not the other way around.
"Because everything always works out the way it's supposed to," Lily replied, a small smile tugging at her lips.
Sirius closed his eyes, fighting back the urge to cry. He of all people knew that things almost never worked out the way they were supposed to. If they did, Peter wouldn't have betrayed them. James and Lily never would have died. Voldemort wouldn't have gained power, and Harry wouldn't have spent years in a house where he wasn't loved. But Lily—sweet little Lily, who had never faced the consequences of war—was oblivious to just how bad things could get. In a way, Sirius envied his granddaughter. She had grown up in a loving household, with parents who doted on her, and although she had heard some stories from the past, that's all it was—stories. Her world wasn't filled with violence and death but with hope and love. She didn't live in a world where the smallest of mistakes could cost her or her loved ones their lives, but in a world where she could get right back up and try again.
"Lily, that's not—" Albus began, only to be cut off by his older brother.
"Lily is right,” James said, his voice strong, but his eyes cast downward like they always were when he knew he wasn't being truthful. "We'll all be okay. Right, Granddad?"
"Right," Sirius agreed, doing his best to sound convincing.
"But—" Al began.
"We'll be okay,” James said again, his voice firmer than before. "We'll be okay because we always have been. We'll be okay because Granddad is here, and he's not going to let anything bad happen. He'll fix this, just like he's always fixed everything." He looked up, his eyes misting ever so slightly, and in that moment, Sirius was reminded of the young boy who had made him a grandfather, rather than the young man he was quickly becoming.
"And Daddy too," Lily added. "He'll know we're missing."
"Of course,” Sirius agreed, reaching out a trembling hand and gently squeezing his granddaughter's shoulder. "Your dad loves you all very much, and he won't give up until you're back in his arms. Don't you ever doubt that."
"That may be true," Rose said. "But we can't just wait around for them to find us. They haven't a clue what happened. We need to work on our own plan to get home."
"Of course,” Sirius nodded. "And I think I have a pretty good idea where to start." He turned to James. "Where did you find the Time-Turner?"
"That box, right over there,” James motioned to the corner, where piles of boxes were stored. "Why?"
"Because," Sirius said, handing Winnie to Lily and making his way across the room, "if it's there in the future, then it was probably there in the past. Most of the stuff has been up here for as long as I can remember. The only stuff I added were the dark artifacts I found throughout the house that I had no way to destroy and felt were too dark to pawn off. I don't remember ever seeing a Time-Turner." He opened the box and began shifting through the items, groaning as he came up empty-handed. "I did, however, move some boxes around. It should be here somewhere."
"We can help look," Rose offered, taking a step forward.
"No!" Sirius practically shouted. "I don't know what's in here. The last thing I need is for one of you to touch a cursed object. I'll look for the Time-Turner; you kids just stay out of the way and make sure Winnie doesn't get into anything." He shuddered at the very thought of all the things that could go wrong if his youngest granddaughter got into any of his parents' old belongings. "And keep her away from Buckbeak. He's friendly enough, once he learns to trust you, but if she so much as touches him wrong or yanks at one of his feathers, I dare say he won't be too thrilled."
Lily sat on the floor, setting Winnie in front of her, as Teddy went to help Sirius. "Let's sing a song." she said, holding up five fingers. Winnie squealed in delight as she held up her own hand.
"Five naughty Nifflers running away, looking for something shiny for them to play,” Lily sang. "The first one climbed into a trunk, digging his paws through all that junk. And what to his mischievous eyes should he find, but a big golden galleon that blew his mind." She stuck one finger down, and Winnie copied her.
"Four naughty Nifflers running away, looking for something shiny for them to play,” Lily continued to sing. "The second one spotted a golden locket; he shoved it straight into his pocket."
"Nifflers don't have pockets,” James spoke up, leaning against the dusty wall.
"It's a children's song, James,” Rose sighed. "They hardly ever make sense. At least it's keeping her occupied."
"Rose is right,” Teddy said, pulling out an old sock and quickly tossing it to the side as a spider crawled out. "Besides, if I remember correctly, you used to love that song."
"Well yeah, but—" James trailed off as both his sisters shot him a glare that reminded him of his mum's.
"May I finish now, James?" Lily snapped.
"By all means," James said. "Go ahead."
Lily put a second finger down before helping her younger sister to do the same. "Three naughty Nifflers running away, looking for something shiny for them to play. The third one crawled under a rug, but all he found was a slimy bug."
Winnie got to her feet, shrieking as her older sister used her hands to make a spider. "You can't catch me!” she giggled as she made a run for it. Lily tried to catch her, but the young girl was fast. She leapt over a loose floorboard and dove into an old wardrobe, pulling it shut.
Lily tried to open the door, but it was locked tight. "This isn't funny, Winnie," she said, yanking the door even harder. "Unlock the door." When Winnie didn't answer, her older sister grew frantic. "OPEN THE DOOR NOW, WINIFRED."
Sirius turned around, eyes going from narrowed to wide in a matter of seconds. "Fuck!” he swore as he stumbled towards the wardrobe. "What happened?!"
"She shut herself inside!"
"I TOLD YOU TO WATCH HER, DAMNIT!”
Lily stepped back, nearly tripping over the loose floorboard as tears welled up in her eyes. "I'm sorry."
Sirius didn't even bother trying to open the door. "Someone find me something sharp!" he demanded. "Now!"
"Something sharp?" Albus spoke up, voice quivering slightly. "Like what?"
"A knife," Sirius said. "Or a razor. Something I can slit my hand with."
"What?" James gasped. "Why would you—"
"NOW!" Sirius barked as he looked around the room.
The children scattered in all directions, looking for something—anything that Sirius might be able to use.
"I don't see anything,” Hugo said as he emptied a box onto the floor.
"Me neither," Hanna said, digging through a chest.
"Seriously?" Sirius groaned. "My family has all kinds of dark things up here. There has to be something."
"How about this?" Teddy asked, grabbing a piece of broken glass.
"Perfect,” Sirius said. He took the glass and made a long slit across his palm, not even wincing as blood oozed from the open cut. He threw the glass aside and put his hand to the lock. There was a small click, and the door swung open.
"Papa!"
"Winnie!" Sirius pulled her into a one-armed hug, clinging to her as if his life depended on it. "Shh," he whispered. "I'm here. You're okay. Everything is going to be okay."
Lily trembled in the corner of the room, tears rolling freely down her cheeks. "C'mere,” James said, opening up his arms. He stumbled a bit as his younger sister barrelled into him.
"What was that all about?" Teddy asked as he healed Sirius's cut with a simple healing spell his father had taught him.
"Blood magic,” Sirius mumbled darkly. "The door locks the moment someone steps inside, and the only way to open it is to give blood. It only works if you're closely related to the Black family."
"That's horrible,” Rose gasped.
"Yeah," Sirius said, standing up and placing Winnie on his hip. "Well, that's my family for you." He ran soothing circles over the toddler's back, trying desperately to calm her down. It wasn't until he looked up that he noticed that Winnie wasn't the only one crying.
"I'm sorry,” Lily whimpered, tears rolling freely down her cheeks. "I'm sorry."
Sirius closed his eyes and sighed. "Lily, sweetheart, come here." His voice no longer held anger, but Lily still stood frozen in fear.
"It isn't your fault, Pixie,” Sirius said, using a nickname he hadn't used for the girl in ages. "I'm sorry I yelled. I was just—"
Lily let go of her brother and rushed into her grandfather's arms, burying her face in his chest and breathing in the scent of cigar and firewhisky. Sirius held her close, running his fingers through her fiery red hair and whispering soothing words.
"I want to go home," Lily cried.
"Me too," Hugo said, biting his quivering lip to stop from crying out.
"Did you find the Time-Turner?" Hanna asked, though by the look on her face, she already knew the answer.
"No,” Sirius sighed. "Teddy and I checked every box in that area, but it wasn't there."
"Now what?" Rose asked, tears filling her own eyes.
"Does this mean we're stuck here forever?" Albus's eyes widened in fear.
"It won't be forever,” Rose sniffed. "Eventually we'll disappear from existence."
Sirius looked at the children, who, despite their best efforts to remain brave, were cracking under the fear of the unknown. Rose, who was always so logical, was quickly coming up with every worst-case scenario. Hanna, who normally hid her emotions, refusing to break down in front of a large group, stood off to the side, her hand trembling ever so slightly. And Lily, who had been so full of determination only moments ago, was now shaking like a leaf. The fire in her eyes had burned out, leaving behind a scared and vulnerable child. Even Teddy looked ready to crack under the pressure, though he was more composed than the children. And then there was Sirius, who was absolutely terrified, not for his own safety, but for the safety of the children. He wanted to sit down with a glass of Firewhisky. He wanted to drink all his worries away, something he hadn't felt the need to do in years. Maybe it was the stress of the situation. Maybe it was the fact that he found himself in the attic he had sworn never to step foot in again, surrounded by objects that reminded him of his past. All Sirius knew was that he was feeling a lot more like the man who had been trapped here all those years ago and less like the family man he had become. But it didn't matter what Sirius felt like doing. He had seven children depending on him. He didn't have the option of shutting down.
No!" he said, voice firm. "I won't allow that to happen. We'll figure out a way to get home if it's the last thing I do."
The group stood in silence for a while, the only sound being the soft sniffles coming from Winnie, Lily, and Rose. That is, until a loud gurgling brought them all out of their thoughts.
"I'm hungry," Hugo said, rubbing his stomach.
"Me too,” James agreed.
Rose snapped her attention towards both boys, rolling her eyes in annoyance. "We just ate not that long ago."
"Well, yeah,” Hugo shrugged. "But Nana does say we're growing boys who need nourishment."
"She does say that,” James grinned. "And besides, this is a very stressful situation. I get hungry when I'm stressed."
Winnie, who had calmed down and was now resting her head on her grandfather's shoulders, quickly reached into the pocket of her red velvet dress, pulling out a half-eaten biscuit, breaking it in half, and holding both pieces out, offering them to her brother and cousin.
"Er, that's alright, Winnie," James said, wrinkling his nose in disgust. "I don't want your biscuit.”
"Share,” Winnie insisted, shaking the two pieces of biscuit in the air. "Sharing is nice."
"Thanks, but—"
"Oh, for Merlin's sake,” Rose sighed. "Just take the biscuit."
James and Hugo each accepted their small bit of biscuit, but the moment Winnie turned her head, they each threw it to Buckbeak, who gobbled it down in one bite.
"More,” Winnie said, reaching into her pocket and pulling out another half-eaten biscuit.
"Er, no thanks." Hugo said. "I'm full."
Winnie took a bite of her grandmother's homemade treat before shoving the rest towards Sirius's mouth.
"Thanks, love,” Sirius said, opening his mouth and taking a small bite. He chewed and swallowed before planting a kiss on his youngest granddaughter's nose.
"Now what?" James asked, kicking at the dusty floor. "We can't stay up here forever."
"No," Sirius agreed. "We can't. But if it's the same day here as it is back home, then the place is packed with people."
"But we know them,” Lily pointed out. "Can't we just explain—"
"And risk messing up the timeline?" Rose interrupted. "The first rule of time travel is that you must not be seen."
"But we might not have a choice,” Al said. "We can't stay up here forever. So unless someone has a better idea—" he trailed off, looking around as if waiting for someone to come up with something better. His eyes lingered on Rose, who always seemed to have a plan up her sleeve. Rose remained speechless, however. After a moment of silence, James spoke up.
"Why don't we just apparate out of here?"
"That's your idea?" Albus scoffed. "In case you didn't know, only two people in this room are capable of apparating."
"Besides," Rose added, "Apparation isn't safe for Winnie."
"And there are spells up preventing apparation in and out of this house,” Sirius added.
"So the only way out is to go downstairs and head out the front door?" Hanna groaned. "We'll be seen.”
"I reckon it's a risk we're going to have to take," Teddy shrugged.
"But even if we make it outside, then what? Where would we go?"
Sirius knew his daughter was right. They were in the past. Voldemort was currently gaining power, and there was no way he could keep everyone safe if they left the safety of this house. But on the other hand, being seen by the Order could have dire consequences. One little change could change their entire future. They were screwed either way.
But before Sirius could make up his mind on what they were going to do, the door creaked open, and he found himself looking into the haunted eyes of his past self. The younger Sirius stood in the doorway, mouth slightly askew as he took in the many unfamiliar faces in the room, a dead bird hanging from his hand. He dropped the bird, pulled out his wand, and pointed it forward. "Who are you, and what are you doing in my house?"