Chapter Text
THEY CAREFULLY TIPTOED through the Forbidden Forest, avoiding every tree branch to avoid giving their positions away. The wind swept lightly throughout the trees, magical creatures rustling on the branches to watch the newcomers with curiosity. James and Fred stood beside each other, both looking opposite directions to ensure both sides were protected.
In his hand, James Sirius Potter held a steel bucket. Inside were balloons filled with paint. A type of paint ever-so magically tainted to the point that a drop would be permanent for nearly a month. Fred Weasley the second, beside him, held a balloon in either hand, looking through the dense tree branches. Not paying attention, he stepped on a branch. A loud crack echoed throughout the area.
James and Fred froze. James glared at the boy with a 'what did you do?!' expression, Fred bowed his head ashamed at himself. Coming from behind a large tree, a balloon came hurtling toward James' face.
He ducked and the balloon splat against the tree behind him, covering the brown surface in Slytherin green.
The Weasley-Potter-Malfoy and previously Lupin clan were playing a game in which they played at least twice a year. They would all meet up in the Forbidden Forest, of course unbeknownst to the Hogwarts staff, and they'd have a super massive permanent-paint balloon fight.
James looked up, surprise coloring his vision and betrayal deep in his stomach as he spotted his younger sister staring at him cynically. Lily Luna Potter, a Slytherin, was holding two green balloons in her heads. She had already taken out three people; her cousin Rose Weasley, the eldest and only daughter of Ron and Hermione—a Gryffindor. Lucy Weasley, the youngest daughter of Percy and Audrey—a Hufflepuff. And only a few minutes ago, Louis Weasley, the youngest and only son of Bill and Fleur—a Ravenclaw.
The eldest potter slapped a hurt, dramatic hand to his chest. "My sweet sister, how could you?" Lily responded with only a smirk before she threw another balloon at him. He ducked and threw a red balloon in return. It missed her by a few inches, she was going to get him back for that.
A little ways away from his siblings, Albus Severus walked through the dark forest alone. A balloon in each hand as he warily looked at all the trees. He regretted splitting up from his family, he was not ready whatsoever to get eaten alive by a giant spider or a man-eating unicorn.
"State your name," Called a voice, their shadow peeking out from a tree. Albus jumped at first, but immediately sighed as he straightened himself with recognition of the voice.
"Scorp, it's me, Alby."
"Never can be so sure," Scorpius smiled, walking out from behind the trees and giving his boyfriend a kiss.
Albus stepped back, looking around, "You never know who's watching."
Scorp smiled, "Don't worry, no one's around." He had already done a sweep through the area.
Albus smiled, almost cynically as he stated, "Then we've got to go where everyone else is. I'm not losing this bloody game this year, James will never let me hear the end of it."
"'Gryffindor wins, like always,'" Scorpius mocked, attempting to sound like Albus' elder brother. Albus laughed and grabbed Scorpius' wrist as they ran through the trees to where they heard the sound of splashing.
By a small crick, Rose and Louis sat in boredom skipping rocks in the water. They had already been taken out and they didn't care too much about it, neither did Lucy as she had brought herself a book to read once she was taken out. Rose was only a tad pissed with herself whilst her compatriots relaxed under the trees, doing nonsense over homework. She didn't even want to play the ruddy game. Though, each year she was always wrangled into it, whether it's her brother dragging her in or her very persistent cousins. She was normally the first one to get taken out, though this year she was the second taken out—Lucy being first.
Causing the brunette to startle, someone ran out from behind a bush—Hugo, her brother. He looked fearful, his arm raised with a golden-yellow balloon. Rose stood up, yelling for him to stop before he threw it at them—who were already out of the game with green paint splattered on themselves.
"Hugo, stop!" Rose screeched, jumping to her feet. Lucy, beside her, placed her book down before also standing up, moving behind Louis and using him as a shield—he already had a large splash of green paint on his chest.
"Oh, are you guys already out?" Hugo asked, dropping his arm with disappointment.
"Obviously!" Rose exclaimed, pointing to her leg that was splashed green in contrast to her ocean washed baggy jeans.
"Sorry," he meekly stated, bowing his head as he walked towards his sister. "this ruddy game has me all paranoid. Have you seen any of the others?"
"'I haven't,'" James heard Rose say as he hid behind a tree.
"Neither have we," added Louis, motioning towards himself and Lucy.
Fred gave James a look and the messy-haired boy nodded in agreement. They proceeded to both circle around the tree with their arms raised. Seeing this movement, Rose looked behind her brother and saw the two boys ready to attack. Her eyes widened and she grabbed her brother, pulling him in front of her as a red balloon came their way; striking Hugo directly in the heart.
"Dirty, Rose," James sneered, throwing another balloon at her. "dirty!"
Rose squealed and ran towards her bucket, throwing the balloons she had leftover at the boy to get him off her back. Coming from another area, Lily Luna ran out and began throwing balloons at her brother and cousin, crying a shrill war cry. After a few throws, James got pegged in the leg. He turned to see his younger brother standing with a smirk, he was defeated but did not stop fighting. Despite the rules.
Hugo sat down next to a log, bringing his knees to his chest and rocking back and forth. "Merlin, save us." He begged, looking towards the sky as the mayhem went on around him.
Albus ran behind Louis for cover, who then ran behind Albus. A balloon was thrown at him but it was intercepted midair by another. The Slytherin looked over to see Scorpius, a proud smile on his pale face.
"Nice aim!" Albus called out.
"Tha—" Cutting him off, Scorpius was hit in the face with a balloon. He crashed towards the ground, sliding through the paint-mixed mud.
"Stop the game!" Albus called, "Who hit Scorp in the face? That's against the rules!"
"Wasn't me!" Lily immediately stated, dropping her bucket and raising her hands in surrender.
"Wasn't me, either," James said, imitating his sister who glared at him.
"I think it was me," Fred said in embarrassment, his nose scrunched as he looked at the boy. Scorpius was being helped up by Albus, the boys face was covered in red paint, a paint destined to not come off for nearly a moon cycle.
"You know what that means, Freddie," Lily stated, a smirk growing on her face. The boy nodded and fell to his knees, he took off his shirt and covered his face with it. Next thing he knew, he was being pelted with balloons by everyone. After all, it was against the rules to hit the face.
As she hid behind a tree, she watched as her brother got pelted. She only had a few balloons left, all the others tipped out after she accidentally tripped over a rock—which turned out to not be a rock but, instead, an incredibly large dungbeetle. She sucked in a deep breath and rushed out from behind the trees.
"Gryffindor," she shouted, throwing a balloon at an unsuspecting Albus, striking him in the back. "wins!" she finished, now hitting Lily on the arse, splattering red all over the girls jeans.
"Bloody damn it!" Lily shouted, throwing her balloons on the ground.
"Language!" her brother tutted, helping Fred up before celebrating with Rose and Roxanne.
Lily growled and went to attack but got held back by Hugo. Lucy frowned, "Why can't you guys ever let anyone else win?"
"My dear cousin," Roxanne started, walking up to her younger cousin and placing a hand on her shoulder. "that's now how The Game works, you see? If you want to win, don't get yourself disqualified five minutes in."
Lucy glared at the girl and sat down, grabbing a book that she managed to cover with a giant leaf before it got stained by paint. With a fume-dazed Scorpius by his side, Albus scrunched his eyebrows as he noticed something shining from the ground. He let go of his boyfriend and walked over to where Scorpius had skid and kicked up the mud and dirt. James watched him suspiciously, careful that his brother wasn't going to surprise him with another balloon. But instead, Albus lifted up something with a golden chain—a trinket, of sorts.
"What's that?" Louis asked, interested by the shiny thing.
Albus looked it over. Despite being in the dirt, it was completely clean without no scratch in sight. "I have no idea."
"Let me see," Rose asked, walking up and holding a hand out. Albus handed it over and she examined it, her eyes widening when she realized what it was.
"What is it?" Lucy asked.
"A time turner!" Rose breathed out, moving her hand away from the turning rods so she didn't accidentally twist herself back in time.
"Bollocks!" James said, every ounce of himself in disbelief. He walked up, grabbing it from his cousin.
"Be careful, James!" Rose said, trying to snatch it away from the boy.
"That can't be a time turner," Fred stated, looking at the thing in his cousins hands. "There hasn't been one seen since the one Aunt Hermione and Uncle Harry used back in the nineties!"
"I thought they were all destroyed by the Ministry." Albus added thoughtfully.
"Yes, you're both right," Rose stated in annoyance, giving up after her third time jumping for it. "but Fred, where did my mum throw it after they were finished with the blasted thing?"
"I-In the Forbidden Forest." Fred said, his eyes widening in realization.
"Do you think it still works?" Lily asked, interest in her eyes as she moved towards her brother to look at it.
"Most likely," Rose stated, "but it may not work properly. It's been here, surrounded by magical creatures and eroded by nature for what, thirty years?"
"We should try it out," James said, dangling it in front of his face. "how does the blasted thing work?"
Rose quickly snatched it from him, "We are not using it, we should get it back to Headmistress McGonagall before one of us accidentally travels back to the stone ages."
"And what do we say, hm?" James asked as Rose started to walk away, her brother by her side. "We didn't find it in the Forbidden Forest after we didn't sneak in to play The Game—which, may I remind you, she banned when Teddy was in his fourth year!" Rose turned, her mouth opening and closing like a gaping goldfish. He was right, after all, there was no way saying how they found it without them getting into trouble. She couldn't afford getting in trouble, she's already had two detentions in her seven years of Hogwarts. She couldn't afford any more. But at the same time, she couldn't leave it, James would surely do something rash. "See?" James said, looking at Fred with a smirk, "Why don't you just give it to us, hm? We'll keep it safe, won't we Fred?"
"Of course," Fred said in fake reassurance, "Roxy will even help us. Won't you, Roxy?"
Unsure, Roxanne nodded as she stepped beside her twin. Rose shook her head, "Like I'd give it to any of you." she said, "I'd trust Scorpius with it before you guys."
"Hey!" Scorpius said in offense, remembering the time he accidentally shared her first kiss secret. "That was one time!"
Rose glared at him and raised the time turner so she could wrap the chain around it and put it in her pocket. Though, before she had the chance, James snatched the chain and the two were in a tug-of-war. "James, you'll break it!" Rose said in a panic, already imagining themselves traveling back to the Salem Witch Trials.
"No, you will!" James stated breathlessly, "Let go of it, Rose!"
"No, you let go of it!" Rose stated, panic now all over her face. Roxanne cringed at herself as she grabbed James to pull him back, in hopes he'd let go of the chain. Though, it did not go that way as he clutched harder onto it to the point that the chain broke. The time turner itself then shattered, the two simultaneously dropped it as the pieces started to vibrate.
"Look what you've done, James!" Rose scolded, pushing her brother protectively back from it.
"Me?" James asked, "Look what you did!"
"Look what you've both done!" Lily fearfully stated as the time turner began to glow. The group huddled around it and watched as wisps of light started to erupt out of it, encircling them all.
Rose gasped as each one of them disappeared with a crack, one by one. "Bloody he—"
CRACK!
It was morning time in the Grimmauld Place, everyone had already eaten breakfast but Ron was still famished. He sat at the empty table, a bowl of cereal in front of him. He ate it like he hadn't eaten in days, milk dribbling from his mouth. Hermione, his only compatriot at the moment, stared at him in disgust as he ate while reading the Daily Prophet. She nearly screamed when a crack popped beside her.
Following those cracks, several more came and Hermione ran around the table to where Ron was. She held out her wand and watched as it seemed to be bodies piled up on the floor where she once stood.
"Merlin's beard James, get your leg off of me!"
"That's not my leg! Hey Lily, would you please SHOVE OFF!"
A smack was heard.
"Damn you, woman!"
Another smack was heard.
"Would you please stop slapping him? He jumps back whenever you do it and his bloody elbow goes right into my crotch!"
"Sorry, Alby!"
"James Potter, I am going to murder you!"
"Rose, I don't think we're in 2022 anymore . . ."
Hermione and Ron stared in disbelief as ten teenagers, all appearing as people they know, stood up out of the tangled mess they were in. Ron sat with his spoon at his chin, his mouth agape with milk dripping onto his trousers. Wiping the dust off her legs, Lily turned around. Her eyes widened at the sight of her aunt and uncle, her young aunt and uncle. She patted Albus on the shoulder, he was still untangling himself from James.
"Hold on a minute, Lils," Albus stated in annoyance, shoving his brother off of him. causing him to slam into a wall.
"Ouch!" James yelled.
Albus turned around and his expression turned similar to Lily's. Rose gulped, opening her mouth to speak but nothing came out. Lily cautiously looked around, spotting the cereal, "Er, good morning?"