Remus woke slowly, he was lying on something soft and was covered with warm bedclothes. Thoughts of a startled voice, then kind hands wrapping him in blankets, a hot bath, being tucked in bed came to him. If memory served him correctly he was in someone's home just after he had undergone a change, but who's house? He opened his eyes and moved slowly as he knew from experience he would be in pain from his transformation. The only consolidation to his condition was the fact he would not scar, no his "furry little problem" would cause him to rip himself up if he could not get a hold of someone else. Though he would be sore and in pain for a time the outward signs would not be there except for him looking tired and sick. The only scars he had were from Grayback that first time when he was bit.
He opened his eyes and looked around the room he was in. It was a comfortable room with cream colored walls, purple curtains and bed coverings with dark oak floors, wainscoting and trim. There was a wardrobe in the corner and the curtains were drawn so that the light of the day was kept mostly out. Even so Remus had very good eyesight in dim light and could see everything clearly. He lay back and looked up as the door to the room opened and a tall woman clad in a long blue gown, her light brown hair piled up on her head came into the room. She was older with sharp features and sharp brown eyes, she looked over at Remus and put her hands on her hips. Remus knew who this was, it was Augusta Longbottom, Frank Longbottom's mother and Neville Longbottom's grandmother. Remus realized he was naked under the bedclothes and he blushed though he knew Mrs. Longbottom probably had not put him to bed herself and could not see anything as it was.
"Good to see you awake." She said putting a tray down on the nightstand by Remus's head. "Algernon, he likes to be called Algy brought you here. He found you in one of his outbuildings this morning, he knows as do I what you are, has for years."
"I can leave ma'am." Remus said expecting to get kicked out now.
"Don't be silly, not as if you could help what you are, I see you have something Filius made you, a muzzle, he is simply the best with charms." Mrs. Longbottom said, "you may stay as long as needed."
"I can work, so I can pay you back for your hospitality." Remus said.
"Nonsense, but if you want to earn your keep you could see about helping my grandson, Neville is not the brightest boy but maybe you can help out with that." Mrs. Longbottom said.
"Yes ma'am." Remus replied.
He looked down at the bedspread and wondered why the formidable Longbottom widow wanted to help him. He was a monster, a dark creature and he was dangerous he knew that much. He also knew about the future and had to see about Harry too. Yet he was so tired right now and just wanted to rest as his body still ached from the change. He looked sad and Mrs. Longbottom looked at him with a hint of concern. She may have had her faults, what human didn't? But she did not fear this werewolf, she reasoned if Dumbledore let him go to Hogwarts then he was not an evil werewolf, unlike Grayback. Besides he had a muzzle it seemed to keep him more or less tame and he was very bright, she knew that. She hoped he could help her grandson as so far he was not living up to Gryffindor house, he was far too timid!
"I don't mind what you are boy, heavens if Dumbledore let you go to Hogwarts and you never harmed another student then you are welcome here." Mrs. Longbottom said, "besides it would be good to have someone close to my son here."
"Thank you ma'am." Remus said.
"Well Neville will be here tomorrow, school will be out then and you can meet him." Mrs. Longbottom said, "today you rest and eat."
"Yes ma'am." Remus said.
He wondered if Fate had something to do with this but realized she already had done something by letting him go back in time in the first place! He rested the whole day and the next day he was able to get up. He got a shock when he was given clothing and robes that had belonged to Frank Longbottom. Mrs. Longbottom had them fitted to him and refused to let him have the rags he had been wearing before. Humbled he waited in the sitting room of the manor for Mrs. Longbottom to get back with Neville. He remembered all that Fate had told him and he wondered when he was to see Harry, would he have to wait for the train ride back to school? For now he waited and nibbled at the plate of meat and cheese left for him and took a sip of tea. He stood up when the front door opened and got his first good look (or second first look) at Neville Longbottom.
"Neville dear this is the tutor that will be helping you this summer." Gran said bringing the young man into the house, "this is Remus Lupin, Remus this is my grandson Neville."
"Hello Neville, I knew both your parents and I must say you look so like both your parents." Remus said getting Neville to beam.
"Hello sir, pleased to meet you." Neville said shaking Remus's hand.
Remus was surprised that Mrs. Longbottom wanted him to help her grandson. Then again despite her formidable exterior and the way she had raised her grandson (who had buried his magical talent so deep everyone feared he was a squib) she had a good heart. She did not share the same prejudices that many did about werewolves having been one of the few from magical England to travel all over the world. Her travels had ended when her son and daughter in law were driven insane and she was left with her grandson to raise. She loved Neville but did not know what to do with such a fearful near-squib child. She had been glad that he had finally shown magical talent (though not really happy he was dropped as he was) and so made sure he had the best to go to Hogwarts, she had even given Neville his father's wand to use at school!
"What is it you wish me to tutor Neville in madam?" Remus asked.
"Defense, Hogwarts has not taught him what he needs to know, how is my grandson to live up to his parents if he cannot defend himself?"
"I can do that madam." Remus said. "I will need to see what he knows first then we can began the lesions."
He waited until the next day to start training Neville. He saw how nervous the young boy was and so he spent some time to get to know the boy. Neville found he could trust the kind werewolf and so he opened up to him like he had not felt he could with his own family. It was clear though he had been hiding when Bellatrix and her crew came to torture his parents he had seen everything. No wonder the poor boy was so scared all the time! It had been Moody who had found him after Bellatrix and the others had left sobbing and got the story out of him. Publically it was his parents who had identified the Lestranges and Crouch but it was Neville who had been the only sane one to do so. Neville started to cry and Remus put a gentle hand on his shoulder.
"I want to kill her, and them they had no right to do that!" Neville sobbed.
"No they did not, nor did you deserve to have to see that and at such a young age too!" Remus said.
"How do you cope with this?" Neville said, "how do you block the horrible images?"
"Well my parents helped me when I was bit," Remus said, "I find prayer works, I am Christian you know."
"We are too." Neville said, "but why would God allow such things to happen?"
"God gives all free will, some people use it for good some for evil and will suffer for what they did." Remus said, "have you never spoke to your gran about any of this?"
"I-I guess I did not want her to worry." Neville said looking down at his boots. "Took me until my uncle dropped me to manifest any magic and then only to save my life."
"You know that not all magic is bad right?" Remus asked him.
"Yes but I cannot seem to cast spells as I would like, I try and try and they seem to come out all wrong!" Neville said.
"Show me." Remus asked then he saw the worn but still useful wand of Neville's "is that yours or your father's?"
"My father's." Neville said.
"Hmm show me what you can do, I might be able to help." Remus replied.
Neville showed him what he had learned and it was clear he was struggling. The wand was all wrong for him and was not working well for him at all. He could cast the simplest of spells but many times Remus had to put up a shield charm as a spell went wrong. It was clear Neville needed him here more than Harry did at the moment. Remus knew exactly what Neville needed but how to speak to madam Longbottom about it? He looked up as an owl flew down and perched on the bench he was seated at and stuck out her leg with a letter. He took the letter, gave a few treats to the owl and read the letter.
Dear Remus,
I hope your first full day awake is going well. Your first mission is to get Hagrid a new wand along with Neville Longbottom. You will find madam Longbottom accepting of this. I know you do not wish to do this but you must is to kill Barty Crouch Jr. and his father. Do not use magic as it will be traced back to you, as you have lived in the muggle world you will know what weapons to use.
Mercury.
So he was to help Hagrid get a new wand, that part did make since. Hagrid had been acquitted as of last year and magic was really needed for teaching any subject. He thought on how to kill Barty Crouch Jr. and knew the simplest way would be the best. He would just have to buy a handgun from the black market (he could not go through legal channels to get it) and take care of Crouch that way. He saw how upset Neville was and knew the boy was really trying hard. He gave Neville an encouraging smile and went to lunch with the boy. Neville picked at his food and Remus had to ease the boy's misery at once.
"How did Neville do this morning?" Mrs. Longbottom asked.
"Well he knows his spells but his wand does not work for him." Remus said, "I have no doubt it will in the future once he is trained up but for now he needs his own wand."
"It is his father's wand you know." Gran said.
"Yes well it will be a great second wand for him in a few years but now he needs his own."
He would have continued but another letter came for him with the Hogwarts seal. He hoped Dumbledore did not want him to come to the school this early. He read the letter and smiled grimly, Fate must have nudged the old man to ask him to take Hagrid to Diagon alley to get him a wand and train him in spells before the new school year. Remus gave the owl some of his ham from his sandwich, stroked the bird's feathers and wrote a quick reply before letting the bird have a drink of his pumpkin juice before it flew off with his reply. Things had changed so much already and he wondered what would change for him next.
"I can take him as soon as Hagrid can get away, I have to help Hagrid get a wand too." Remus said, "if that is alright with Neville."
"Yes sir, I would like that very much!" Neville replied.
"Splendid, I will tell Hagrid!" Remus said beaming.
Neville looked so much happier, now he had an explanation of why things went wrong with his wand he no longer looked so sad. It was not him at all but the wand, it was not a match to him at all and he needed to get his own. Some witches and wizards could use a family wand very well with no problem but their were many who could not. Like Neville and Neville was grateful he was not hopeless as he felt in school. In fact if one looked at his essays he wrote he had a very firm grasp of magic knowledge and knew why and how a spell worked, he just had a hard time getting the practical part down. Yet now there was hope in his life that he could be as powerful as his parents or maybe even more powerful!
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That afternoon Remus went to London and found a gun on the black market. He hated killing, it was not as if he had not killed before, he had. Just not like this and how he hated it. Yet he knew this was war and in war people died. He went to a muggle store and picked up a set of black clothes (he had a small advance from his parents, last time he had done nothing with it not caring about his appearance at all, now however he had much to do) that included a black ski mask. He got a satchel he charmed with an extendable charm and exchanged his clothing for the black clothing. He Apparated outside the village that the Crouches lived in and said a quick prayer of forgiveness for what he had to do.
He waited until evening to head to the house the evening shadows keeping him invisible. He came on the house and braced himself for what he had to do. He used some picklocks to get into the house and found the Crouches in the kitchen. At least one of them that is, Winky was by her master and did not see him as he stood in the shadows. He felt sick as he watched Crouch Sr. look up in shock and go for his wand and he raised his handgun and shot him dead. Crouch Jr. threw off his cloak and dove for his father's wand but was too slow and two late Remus shot him dead. Winky was too stunned to do anything and so Remus was able to Apparate out of the house.
He was disturbed at how easy it all had been but then none in the magical world expected muggle weapons. Correction none in most of the European magical world expected muggle weapons, those in the Americas and Asia did. He changed back to his robes, put his weapons and muggle clothes in a secret compartment of his satchel behind his books and headed back to Longbottom Lodge. He knew he had quite a few more to kill but he hated that part of what he had to do this second time around. Yet if it saved the innocent he was willing to risk his soul to do so.
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Alright many may be confused why Fate put Remus in time where he is. She can change some things as she stated in last chapter but some things did have to stay the same. As the Dursleys in cannon were not exactly abusive, true they did keep Harry in a cupboard and dress him in his cousin's castoffs but JKR made it clear he was not starved or beaten, nor will he have been by them here in this story either. Harry will need what he learned in his years with the Dursleys for how he acts in the future. You could say Harry lived far better than Cinder-Ella did as he at least had a bed and food not a chimney and scraps as she did.
There is a reason of course having Remus use muggle weapons, first the magical world (at least in Britain) would not be able to trace something like this. Second it would get the magical world to realize just how dangerous muggles are and most to figure out how to work with them for in all reality they cannot defeat them even if they want to. There really are too many of use compared to the Wizarding world.