The universe knows that J. K. Rowling is bad at math and it's used to ignoring the computational errors it comes across. If an extra Weasley twin is running around in 1989, it probably won't notice — even if that twin happens to be forty years old and from the future.
Basically, a "George Weasley goes back in time to save Fred" fanfic with some bizarre twists on the Peggy Sue genre. There is no mental time travel, but the person who sent him back makes it so that whenever Fred drinks pumpkin juice, Old George starts or ceases possessing his younger counterpart. Also, George is not allowed to let the fact he's a time traveler leave his head for a year or the universe will notice he doesn't belong and it'll kick him out. These two facts combine to make no one trust this "Saintlike One" who can possess Young George and knows far too much.
Written by pisoprano. You can read it here.
This story provides examples of:
- Actor Allusion: George takes up the pseudonym "James Oliver." James and Oliver Phelps were the twins who played Fred and George in the films. When Remus goes back in time, he takes the name Thewlis.
- Adaptation Distillation: Invoked for the climax. There's George as Quirrellmort in Chamber of Secrets resurrecting Voldemort after killing Dumbledore so that Harry can defeat him.
- Becoming the Mask: George becomes legitimately crazy from being possessed by Voldemort
- Bittersweet Ending: Dumbledore and Voldemort are the only casualties, but Old George ends up insane in the process (though it is implied that he'll eventually recover).
- Bullying a Dragon: Old George and the young pranksters annoy Voldemort at every available opportunity.
- Chekhov's Gun: The fact that one of the only things George was able to take with him was his wand. It is used multiple times to confirm his identity.
- Crazy-Prepared:
- It's implied that Old George kept Gryffindor's sword in his pocket for a year, and that was before he was even possessed by Voldemort. Of course, he may have had Fred leave it in his pocket at a later date, but he's still over-prepared.
- Old George appears to be this when Fred, Young George, and Lee try to prank him. Of course, almost all of the pranks they tried were attempted by him before, but even when they make a truly random prank, he still takes it in stride.
- Deconstruction Fic: Deconstructs a lot of Peggy Sue tropes and eventually deconstructs itself.
- Determinator: George will do anything to make sure Fred survives this time.
- Figure It Out Yourself: George sends Dumbledore on the Horcrux Hunt without all the information, as that will make the Saintlike One seem even more suspicious than he already is. This backfires with a vengeance because George forgot that the first Horcrux Dumbledore found on his own was the ring that killed him. Afterwards, George is more forthcoming.
- Impersonation Gambit: George claims that he's Mundungus' long lost friend Charlemagne. It helps that George has heard Dung's stories about him, and the fact that Charlemagne has and will continue to be missing for decades.
- Infraction Distraction: Mundungus thinks George had him visit Azkaban to steal the wands of convicts. While that is useful, the real reason is so George can contact Sirius and convince him to escape.
- Mad Oracle: George claims to Voldemort that he's an artificially created seer that went wrong.
- Meaningful Echo:
- The story concludes with George saying Fred's last words before he died.
- Also happens when Young George starts telling his family the story of his older self.
- Mysterious Employer: George is sent back in time by a mysterious voice known only as "The Trickster." He eventually finds out that it's a time traveling Lysander Scamander who wants George to send someone else back in time and to save his grandma.
- Mythology Gag: All over the place.
- The spattergroit cure George suggests is what a painting tried to convince Ron to use when he visited St. Mungo's in Order of the Phoenix.
- Elvendork. It's unisex.
- Fred suggests that a gnome would probably have stolen George's beans, which gnomes in the video games do.
- TROLL! IN THE DUNGEONS!"Professor Oliver": A word of advice: never trust the Defence professor!
- Also lampshadedThe Trickster: It'll be like you died and your body was lost in Majorca, never to be found.
George: Majorca?
The Trickster: Obscure reference, never mind.
- Noodle Incident: Many of the pranks mentioned never happen onscreen.
- Obfuscating Insanity: Lots. George pretends to be insane so that he's sent to St. Mungo's instead of Azkaban when Mundungus and Aberforth find out he isn't who he says he is. It turns into a running joke that everyone claims George to be insane, which makes it all the worse when he has to fake insanity to Voldemort and eventually become legitimately insane.
- Only One Me Allowed Right Now: Most people can't travel back in time for very long because the universe will eventually notice there's two of the same person running around and try to correct it. However, identical twins are an exception because of how the universe compensates for being bad at math; if the twin travels back in time (so there's three identical people at once), the universe assumes it miscounted the duplicates and won't react unless the time-traveler calls attention to themself.
- Punctuated! For! Emphasis!: "YOU WILL! NOT! FORGET! WHO! I! AM!"
- Refuge in Audacity: It wouldn't be a story about Fred and George if there wasn't this.George: I just have to read my mind without controlling myself and go into a coma — I'll be so helpless, no unicorn could resist me.
- Reality Warper: More or less how long-range time travel works. The trick is to exist long enough that you don't disappear in a Puff of Logic.
- Sarcastic Confession: When Old George is the Saintlike One he refuses to lie. He does, however, have a tendency to phrase things a bit unbelievably.George: I'm George Weasley, also known as Fred, Gred, Georgie, Your Holeyness, Harry Potter, Tentacula, and, of course, the Saintlike One.
- Sequel Hook: Although the author doesn't plan on writing more, she's left enough for there to be more than one sequel.
- Shout-Out: All over the place.
- "It's a turban. I wear a turban now. Turbans are cool."
- George describes Voldemort as "mostly dead".
- The Ghost of Trickster's Future uses some phrases from the announcer in Portal 2.
- George has seen Star Wars and wonders if Dumbledore has too.
- Dumbledore uses some words from The Vestibules' routine, "Bulbous Bouffant".
- "I don't even like this tree that much..."
- George has also read stories "written by his nieces and nephews", which he references on occasion.
- "For all we know, his scar is a psychic who encourages Harry to make bets on Quidditch matches!"
- George mentions the possibility of Harry having a terrible power.
- Apparently, he has seen his universe's version of A Very Potter Musical, if him calling himself "Harry Freaking Potter" and his legitimate mad babbling before Voldemort sends his snake after him is any indication. And he may or may not have shown Fred and Young George his memories, considering that their imitation of the troll incident has them dressed up like the actors in the musical.
- He's also familiar with 104 Ways to Annoy, Harass, Confuse or Generally Scare Lord Voldemort.
- The Sorting Hat once sorted someone who asked if it was fully conscious in the sense of being aware of its own awareness. And Dumbledore lets the twins use "Spontaneous Duplication" as an excuse.
- "Do not mess with time." In the middle of what would ordinarily be a very somber conversation, no less.
- Stable Time Loop: Mentioned by name and averted. The whole point is to break this in such a way that the universe doesn't notice until too late.
- Trapped in the Past: Well, more like trapped in the present after George breaks time travel for everyone to send Remus farther back.
- Younger Than They Look: Invoked so that George's story of fighting during the war against Voldemort while a teenager holds water. Also noted as being the case for Severus Snape, which doubles as an Actor Allusion.
