Two smiling figures stood atop the famous Eiffel Tower. They
were silent, gazing across the evening Parisian sky. The two seemed quite
oblivious to the figures jostling around them – leaving, mostly, as closing
time was imminent. Wild little children, asking their parents if they could fly
down from the top of the magnificent edifice – others, slightly older,
inquiring whether anyone had any spare camera film – and adults who looked
thoroughly as though they wished one could purchase alcohol on the troisième etagé of the landmark.
The two characters with which we are concerned, a girl and
boy in their late teens, stood motionless with their arms around each other. Of
course, it would have been beyond obvious to any onlooker that these two
adolescents were a loving couple. However, if these perfectly normal people
could have been told about the lives of these two young humans, they would
certainly have accused the informant of one too many glasses of Bordeaux Rouge.
For these two figures were not normal people, at least not in the literal meaning of the word.
These adolescents, along with many others, existed in a different place, a
different time – a different world, even. These two creatures, long since
resigned to the fact that they would never have a true place in the Muggle world,
harnessed the power of magic.
Despite the magical world's usual seclusion from the Muggles
– for, as I have mentioned, Muggles and wizards are quite sensibly kept apart –
(the Muggles are those who cannot conjure aforementioned magic) over the past
two weeks there had been an understandable cause for celebration. For the
magical world was at last free from its oppressor, free from a terrible force
that had plagued it for nearly fifteen of the last thirty years. This force had
been known as Lord Voldemort.
A young hero by the name of Harry Potter had finally
vanquished Lord Voldemort two weeks prior to the day I now describe. Harry had
always been an illustrious figure in the magical world – even at the lowly age
of one, he had very nearly conquered the Dark Lord following the murder of his
parents – and yet now he was beyond fame status. He was the hero of the magical
world, their protector, their guardian, even. And it is with Harry Potter that
the conversation between our two young friends atop the Eiffel Tower is
concerned.
'It's so
beautiful,' said the girl, straining her eyes across the wonderful landscape of
Paris. Her companion pushed his hair out of his eyes, wondering if, two and a
half weeks ago, he could possibly have known how happy he would feel in the
time to come.
'Not as beautiful as you,' he replied
quietly, earning an approving glance from his companion. She smiled and kissed
him on the nose. He pulled back slightly to smile at her.
'We should head
back,' he said quietly. 'Harry wants everybody there for the funeral.' The girl
nodded.
'You're right,'
she said. 'Are all three of them being buried at the same time?' The boy shook
his head.
'No,' he replied
sadly, knowing how hard it must be for his friend. 'Just Ron. Snape was buried
last week and Peter –' He cleared his throat, '– Peter's body was not found.'
He looked back across the twilight view of Paris. He could
see the Arc de Triomphe quite clearly
in the night sky, and further off down the Seine he spotted the famous Notre Dame cathedral. He had always
found Paris more magical a place than any other in the world.
'What are you
thinking about?' his friend asked, noticing his slightly faraway look.
'Remembering,'
the boy replied, pushing his sandy hair back once again. 'The first time we met
…' At this, Marie Déesse let out a slight chuckle. Seamus Finnigan turned to
look at her questioningly.
'Don't you
remember that night?' he asked. Marie chuckled again.
'Of course I do,'
she said, smiling. 'I was just remembering the kind words I spoke to you when
you asked me for a film.' Seamus smirked.
'Aren't we
forgetting something, Miss?' he said, pointing to his teeth. Marie smirked as
well.
'Put a sock in
it, Daffy,' she said, barely holding back laughter. Seamus grinned and moved
forward to grab her. She ducked out of the way, however, and darted to the
lift.
'You can run but you can't hide,' Seamus
taunted. He heard a giggle from the left lift, and almost managed to sidle in.
'Shit,' he swore, having hit his leg on
the lift door. Marie emerged from her hiding place, a mischievous grin on her
face.
'Aww,' she said. 'Is my wickle Seamikins
hurt?' Seamus put on a brave grimace. 'I wonder,' Marie continued, 'what we can
do about that?'
Seamus' answer wasn't in words.
Eventually, the lift reached the bottom of the Tower, with
Marie and Seamus still kissing each other with a great deal of passion. Of
course, when a Tower guard gave them both a very strange look, they desisted, watched
the guard return to his hut muttering about the youth of today, and burst out
laughing.
'Come on,' Seamus said as the two crossed over the Seine,
noticing for the first time fireworks coming from the direction of the Rue de Sorcière. 'Let's go back.'
*
James
Potter sat comfortably in the Gryffindor common room, a large leather-bound
book across his knees entitled Magical
Retreats for Potential Evil-Doers. Or, rather, Iago Alfarero did. Resigned
to the fact that if any newspapers got wind of his hasty return to the magical
world he would never get a moment's peace, James had agreed to return to his
disguise. He glanced at the clock. The funeral was scheduled for eight o' clock
the next morning, and James' departure back to his own time for the following
evening.
It
pained him to have to leave 1998. However, Harry and Hermione now had each
other to look after – at last – as did Seamus and Marie. Draco Malfoy and Flora
Déesse, Marie's older sister, had expressed their wish to leave for France
following James' departure. James was just wondering whether to go and get some
food when Harry and Hermione entered the common room arm in arm.
'Evening,' James said, the corner of his
mouth curling into a grin. 'Been having fun?' he added innocently. Harry turned
to Hermione and they both smiled.
'Of course,' Harry replied, 'but
–' His smile faded slightly and his voice lowered, 'we were just thinking about
Ron.' Hermione suddenly became very subdued, tears appearing in the corners of
her eyes.
Ron
Weasley had been Harry and Hermione's best friend for the past seven years, and
yet Voldemort's downfall had had its repercussions. Ron was dead – murdered by
Voldemort in cold blood in an attempt to will Harry onto the Dark Side. The
Dark Lord's plan had failed, but that hadn't brought Ron back. And he hadn't
been the only one.
Also
lost in the attack had been two of James' classmates from Hogwarts. The first
was Severus Snape – an ex-Death Eater who had helped Harry and the others in
their defeat of the Dark Lord.
And
Peter Pettigrew – who had at one point been one of James' three best friends.
Peter had helped the Dark Lord to find and kill James and Lily Potter, and yet
had, with an unbelievable change of heart, willingly sacrificed himself to help
destroy the Dark Lord's power source. Of course, Peter's body had not been
possible to retrieve as he had been at point blank range to the energy field
when it had exploded. Only one thing still confused Harry over this point,
which he voiced at that moment.
'You know Voldemort said he had sent three Death Eaters to the
energy field to stop Peter?' James nodded. 'How d'you suppose he got past
them?' James shrugged.
'No idea – perhaps he had help.'
'Impossible,' Harry said. 'Because I saw
him go alone.' James shrugged again.
'No idea, in that case. Have Marie and
Seamus showed up yet?' Harry shook his head.
Seamus
and Marie had left for Paris two weeks ago, for Marie wished to visit her one
living relative in Paris. She had promised to explain to them exactly what she
knew of the previous three weeks, and yet she had not yet returned. Harry still
had many questions – most notably who the other Death Eaters with the
blue-striped masks had been.
For
Harry, James, Ron, Severus, Draco and Marie had had help from two others. Draco
had to admit afterwards that he did not have a clue as to who their enigmatic
helpers had been. Marie remained the only one who could know.
'They simply came up to me,' Draco had
recounted. 'And asked me if I wanted to help the Light Side. They explained the
plan – and then told me about the ancient magic. They explained about how the
combined power could defeat Voldemort. They merely told me to put in my share
when it was required. I was clueless for a long time as to what they were
talking about, but when I saw someone who so resembled James Potter I felt the
time had come to act. Anyway,' he allowed himself a slight grin. 'I have
actually visited the Department for Magical Law Enforcement several times – I
checked the records following the second lot of new arrivals and after that I knew there was no such Auror as Iago Alfarero. I was suspicious – but
when James appeared in the Hall of Death it all made perfect sense – and he and
I both knew what we had to do to help Harry. It just seemed to come naturally.'
Draco
had not yet recounted all he knew and had therefore agreed to come up that
evening to try, with Marie's help, to make everything much easier to
understand. However, as James sat alone in one chair and Harry and Hermione sat
in another, they had not yet shown
up.
The
first knock came at around ten o' clock. It was obvious that it would be Draco,
for he was the only member of the group who did not know the password to Gryffindor
Tower. He entered, silent as ever, but with a tired smile on his face. He
nodded to Harry, Hermione and James, and sat down in a chair next to the fire.
A
good deal of the enmity between the Gryffindors and Slytherins had been
dispelled with Harry and Draco's newfound friendship. As many of the Slytherins
had been forced, like Draco, to support the Dark Side by their fathers, a good
deal of them were now becoming more and more friendly. Of course, there had
been a few voluntary Death Eaters in the House, most of who had returned to the
Light Side. The few that remained loyal to their deceased master had fled
Hogwarts forever.
But,
as Dark Magic went, it seemed as though an era had ended. It was highly
unlikely, in James' opinion, that a wizard more evil than Voldemort could rise,
at least during the remainder of Harry's life. And, with Voldemort gone, that
stood to last a very, very long time.
The
four sat in silence for a few more minutes. Hermione was lying across one of
the comfortable chairs, her head resting in Harry's lap as he stroked her hair.
Draco was looking at them and smiling absent-mindedly, whilst James sat lost
deep in thought, still attempting to unveil the heart of the mystery. However,
after several minutes it became apparent to him that he could go no further
without extra information.
Seamus
and Marie showed up about a quarter of an hour later. Both were smiling and
seemed almost inseparable as they sat down side by side.
A
light breeze drew in through the window of the Gryffindor common room. It
passed around the room, taking careful note of the inhabitants. The saviours of
the magical world. It stopped first at Seamus, flickering through his sandy
hair. He pushed a strand of it back. His face showed undeniable weariness, but
his eyes were over bright and alive as he intertwined his fingers with those of
Marie. Marie, in turn, looked pale and haggard, but again her eyes showed just
how happy she felt inside. Her lips curled into a grin as Seamus leaned over to
peck her lightly on the cheek – the warmth was radiating from her.
The
eyes of Harry and Hermione were no less overflowing. They seemed alight with
happiness – their eyes being like a passageway into the inner feelings of the
soul – as they sat near the blazing fire. They were happy. Harry, for one, felt
as though, for once in his life, he felt truly happy with all that was around
him. The Dark Lord was vanquished – and Hermione – she felt the same way as he
did. She felt the same way.
James
and Draco surveyed the two couples with some interest. Draco's face had, for
once, lost its deathly pallor. There was distinct colour in his cheeks and a
jagged smile across his features. It was evident that he knew his decision had
been correct. He glanced across for a moment to James and their eyes met. A
thousand thoughts crossed between the two in that split second. For an
eternity, James' warm, sparkling blue eyes looked into Draco's of silky grey,
smiling back at him.
Harry
suddenly cleared his throat.
'Right, everyone, let's just get this over
with. Come on.' The six friends rose. Hermione's eyes lingered for just a
moment on the couch where she and Ron had … they had nearly … Harry seemed to
read her thoughts. He stepped closer to her and whispered something into her ear.
She smiled back at him, the faintest tears perceptible in her eyes. They
crossed the room, and left via the portrait hole. Harry was the last to leave,
and just before doing so he turned back to the couch Ron had occupied for the
better part of seven years. The odd, clenching feeling in his stomach returned
as he glanced to the seat and the ghost of an eleven year old Ron appeared in
front of him.
He
knew his eyes were playing tricks, but as he watched, the young Ron slowly
started growing … it showed a Ron sitting with Harry at Christmas … arguing
with Hermione about Scabbers the rat … standing perfectly still as a pin-on
badge hit him off the head. The figure eventually grew taller – the hair
becoming longer and messier. And the last figure it showed was a Ron Weasley
with his arms around Hermione Granger … holding her tight and smiling deeply.
Harry closed his eyes again, and saw the horrified look on Ron's face as
Voldemort lowered the wand – the flash of green light – the sickening slump to
the floor. And the motionless expression.
'I'm sorry,' Harry whispered, his heart in
his throat. He saw the lifeless eyes … 'Ron … I'm … I'm sorry for everything.'
And
with a final sigh, Harry left the common room, pained with the remembrance of
the best friend he had ever had.
*
Dumbledore
rose from his chair.
'Welcome,' he said, smiling, as the six
teenagers slowly entered the room. As they took seats that had been placed
around the room, Dumbledore knocked on the door of the adjacent chamber. It slid
open and a very white Arthur Weasley stepped through. Harry hadn't looked at
him for more than a few seconds before feeling a prickling sensation in the
corner of his eye.
Focus, Potter.
Mr
Weasley nodded sombrely to Harry, Marie, Seamus and Hermione, but shot
quizzical looks at James and Draco. Harry thought back to a week and a half
ago, when a similar meeting had taken place. That had, however, been far, far
more depressing, as Ron's entire family had been present.
Mrs
Weasley had been the only one absent – she had been committed to St. Mungo's
for a brief period after hearing of Ron's death. The whole experience had made
Harry feel that it would be better to have Ron back than Voldemort dead, when
he realised how selfish his thoughts were and how impossible it was. Ginny had
cried unwaveringly into her father's robes during the interview – very little
had actually come to light in terms of information as, firstly, Seamus, James,
Draco and Marie had not been present, and secondly that Ron's death had pushed
everything else to the back of Harry and Hermione's minds.
Fred,
George, Percy, Bill and Charlie had looked so … stricken. Anguish and grief had
been so firmly imprinted into their impressions that it seemed unlikely they
could ever smile again. It was particularly bizarre to see Fred and George,
usually so lively and cheerful, having to deal with such pain.
It
would have been hard to say who had been hit hardest. Harry and Hermione would
never, of course, be the same again. The same applied to all the Weasleys.
James had never heard in his life of such a close-knit family, and knew what
Ron's death would do. It had subdued most of the students at Hogwarts, even
with the end of the Dark Age. And those closest to Ron were but empty shells at
times.
Lifeless.
Dumbledore
cleared his throat as he stood up. He nodded to James, and turned to Mr
Weasley.
'Before we
begin,' he said heavily, 'I believe it is important that we agree to recount
all details on a policy of strict and unwavering honesty. Therefore, Arthur, I
would like to introduce you to our humble visitor. James, if you please.' Mr
Weasley watched in amazement as James ran a hand over his face. His skin tone
was getting lighter and he was growing slightly. Mr Weasley allowed himself a small
gasp. The Spaniard's shoulders broadened – and James Potter was back again, his
blue eyes flashing.
Mr Weasley had stood and was clutching his chest. He had
gone as pale as a fish's belly.
'J – James
Potter?' he stammered. 'But he – how?' It appeared to be too much for him. He
rested back down in his chair, breathing hard. He looked very close to
fainting.
'It was a
time-turner, Arthur,' James said quietly. 'It malfunctioned. I was brought to
1998 and have been living here safely for several weeks.' Mr Weasley seemed to
relax a little as James laid the infamous time-turner on Dumbledore's desk.
Suddenly, however, he gasped again, and was back on his feet, an incredulous
look on his face. He pointed to a beaming Dumbledore.
'Albus!' he cried,
comprehension dawning across his face. 'It was you! I saw you! How did
you know?' Dumbledore smiled again, and Harry couldn't help but feel he was
concealing something. However, he merely replied, 'Later, Arthur. First we must
hear this account.' Mr Weasley took his seat again, regarding Dumbledore and
James with a look of sheer amazement. Marie, meanwhile, had stood up, bowing to
Mr Weasley and to Dumbledore, and breathing deeply. Seamus clasped her hand;
she smiled weakly, and then began to speak slowly.
'I suppose this
all began two years ago,' she said softly, 'when Seamus and I met in Paris.
That is where my involvement in the whole situation came about.' She sighed
again. 'My mother, Belle, was a Death Eater – she was – one of the worst. I do
not wish to talk long about this, but –' she put her head in her hands and it
was obvious to James that she was crying. Seamus placed a comforting arm around
her shoulders. Marie coughed. 'I was made a Death Eater, against my will.'
There were several shocked gasps around the room, Seamus especially. Only Draco
and Dumbledore looked unsurprised. 'Yes,' replied Marie miserably. 'Look, look
'ere –' she started to pull back on her robes. 'I 'ate to look at this, but –'
Now it was her turn to gasp. She had lifted the arm of her robes, but where
there should have been a Dark Mark, there was …
'Nothing,' said
Draco, a grim smile across his features. Marie looked up at him, horror in her
eyes.
'No,' she said,
'look!' Draco, for once taken aback, approached Marie and glanced closely at
the spot on her arm where the Dark Mark would once have been. Draco looked at
it, confused.
'There's nothing
there,' he said, stating the obvious. As James leaned over, he too could see
that Marie's arm was completely free of any marks. Marie, however, could
evidently see something that the others could not.
'Can you not see
it?' she cried helplessly. 'It looks like wings – it is purple – a mark. Purple
wings!' She looked like the very epitome of distress. Draco took her arm in his
strong hands.
'It is
invisible,' he muttered. Then, he suddenly turned, and ripped off the sleeve of
his own robes. James could have sworn to Merlin that he saw something flicker
on Draco's arm before Draco put it to the light. The colour drained from his
face.
'I see it too,'
he said, his jaw locked. 'What does this mean,
sir?' Dumbledore, for perhaps the first time, seemed unable to give an answer.
'Only two
possibilities can I predict,' he said, his eyes radiating sparks. 'One – that this
is the symbol that counteracts the Dark Mark – the ancient Mark of Angels – or
–' he cleared his throat. 'It represents the coming of another cruel oppressor,
however unlikely it may seem.' A sudden gasp came from Hermione.
'Draco, Marie,'
she said hurriedly. 'Is that mark royal purple with four wings?' Draco and
Marie nodded simultaneously. Hermione gasped, and left the room with a shot.
She returned a few minutes later, oblivious to the confused
looks everyone but Dumbledore seemed to be giving her. She had a large Charms
book under her arm.
'I was flicking
through this the night I had that nightmare,' Harry and Seamus nodded,
remembering. 'I couldn't concentrate that night – you know, when you two went
to find Peter …' her ears were turning red, and James was having trouble
suppressing a grin.
'I wonder why
you couldn't concentrate,' he said airily, looking between Harry and Hermione.
Hermione grinned.
'Oh hush,' she
said, matter-of-factly. Anyway, I remember glimpsing something like – yes! Here
it is, look!' She showed a page to Draco, and he nodded, confirming that the
mark on it corresponded with the one on his arm. She passed the book to James,
and he read the passage underneath the purple wings:
The Mark of Angels has often been perceived as the
counter-symbol to the unfortunately well-known Dark Mark. The spell has no
incantation, and it is believed were the Dark Lord to be destroyed, each Death
Eater's Dark Mark would transform into a Mark of Angels. This comes from
ancient times, however, and we do not know how accurate the prediction is.
There was once an ominous prophecy made by Circe in relation to the Mark of
Angels, but its last owners were two valiant Light-Siders killed some ten years
ago. Their identities were never discovered.
Harry looked up at
Dumbledore, amazed.
'Could this be what it seems? Does it just
confirm Voldemort's death?' Dumbledore nodded.
'With considerable lack of evidence to the
contrary,' he said. 'I should say yes, it could do just that.'
There were a few excited
murmurs in the room, but they deceased when Marie stood up again.
'I was taken to live with my sister,
Flora, because both my mother and father were dead. Flora 'ad met some boy
during her brief stay in Paris with me and went on about 'im continually. It
was not until I arrived 'ere that I realised who that boy was.'
Draco's cheeks went pink.
Marie smiled.
'Flora
took me to train as an Auror – it was when I 'ad my first shower there I
noticed this repulsive mark – 'ow I could have not observed it before will
always be a mystery. So there I was, stuck in an Auror training centre with the
Dark Mark on my arm. I could be accused of being a spy at any moment. I
confided in Flora my predicament, and she, thankfully, believed that I had been
initiated against my will.' Marie's voice cracked slightly as Seamus took her
hand once again.
'After my father died, and I found how I
'ad been … stained with this mark, I became a very different person. I was
forced to grow up. In Paris I had always been spoiled, and I knew it, and I was
never really a nice person.
'The final blow for me came when my
cousin, one Donna de l'Entrecôte, was captured and murdered by the Dark Lord.
It was part of 'is plan to have someone stationed inside 'Ogwarts. He knew that
if 'e could kill a student, the Order of the Phoenix – for 'e knew of its
existence – would be mobilised. He knew that any Phoenix members to be placed
at Hogwarts would come from Camé, that
is, the Circe Academy of Magical Education. Therefore, shortly before Donna
died, he 'unted me via the Dark Mark. He asked me if I would willingly 'elp
him. I refused. Therefore he placed a powerful Imperius curse on me. It would
cause me to act quite normally during the day, though at night I did his
bidding. Slowly, during my time 'ere, I weakened the anti-Apparition fields on
'Ogwarts. When I arrived at the castle, I found, to my horror, that in my
possession I had this –' She pulled from around her neck the small crystal
necklace which had taken James, Harry, Draco and her to Albania. Also, I found
a Lethifold.' Harry gritted his teeth, glancing momentarily to Hermione.
'Yes,' she continued quietly. 'A
Lethifold. I tried again and again to get rid of it, but my resolve was not
strong enough to overcome that of the Dark Order. In the end I disposed of it
in 'Ogsmeade when attending the dance with Harry. I threw it into the town
flame but it may have escaped. I was not thinking properly – for it was night
time, and at night time my actions were not my own.'
'We noticed,' said Harry grimly.
'The rest is simple,' Marie continued. 'I
was forced to take Ron, 'Arry, by quite an ingenious method.'
'How?' Harry asked. Marie picked out her
brooch.
'You see this?' she said, holding it up at
the end. 'Look how it is stained at the end.' Harry looked closely, and gasped
as he saw the end of the pin was green.
'Imperius Solution,' Marie said miserably.
'When I fell on top of Ron, I – I stabbed 'im with this pin.' Harry put his
head in his hands, Hermione gasped, and Seamus merely shook his head sadly.
Marie trembled. 'I … I left the room and turned the door of the kitchens into a
Portkey. 'Ow I knew where it was I shall never know. I 'ad Ron in my power, and
I could feel the Dark Lord telling me to tell Ron what to do. I told 'im to go
to the kitchens. Several minutes later 'e did, though you may 'ave noticed the
somewhat strange manner in which he left. So, Ron was sent to the Dark Lord, as
a warning to 'Arry.
'But he had already warned me through
Donna,' Harry pointed out. 'Could there have been any other reason?' Marie
shrugged.
'If there was, I would not 'ave been told
about it. I doubt it, 'Arry.'
'Very well,' said Hermione, understanding
what had happened. 'That was how Ron was captured. What about Avery and Peter?
How did they escape?' Marie looked stumped, but Harry stood up.
'I can explain that to you,' he said, his
green eyes alight. 'When I was in the cell with Sn – with Severus, I managed to
deduce how they did it.
'Peter was locked in a very singular room,
and held in place with magnetic Crœsium chains. They were released only when
Severus brought them food and he had left and locked the chamber. Therefore, I
took it as a working hypothesis that Avery must have brought into the room
something to defy Severus' plan. After a few minutes, it became obvious that
the only possible thing could have been a –'
'– time-turner,' James finished, seeing what Harry
was getting at.
'Precisely,' Harry said. 'But an
Invisibility Cloak as well, otherwise the plan would not work. Think about it
like this – at, say, midnight, Avery was put into the room, bringing in with
him, though we were all unaware of this, an Invisibility Cloak and a time-turner.
He and Peter, using the time-turner, travelled back two hours, to a time when
Peter was asleep. They hid under the Invisibility Cloak, and waited for Avery
to be brought in again. When he was brought it, they stunned the past Avery,
the past Peter and the past Snape.'
'Why stun Avery and Peter?' Draco asked
swiftly.
'To prevent them from seeing their future
selves,' Hermione replied, remembering her third year. 'Or they might have
attacked each other.'
'Exactly,' Harry said. 'Then all they had
to do was take Snape, shut the door behind them, and rendezvous with Marie to send them back to Albania.' Marie
stood, nodding profusely.
'That must be correct,' she said, amazed.
'They were there when we left, though
invisible. 'Ow did you work it out?'
'Well,' Harry said. 'James' arrival led me
to think of time travel, and then when Peter and Avery entered my cell, I saw
my prediction to be correct, for Avery had the time-turner not so
surreptitiously around his neck. The fact that Avery took in an Invisibility
Cloak went without saying, because another person would not be able to hide in
such a small room as that.'
'So Avery went into Hogsmeade with the
intention of being captured?' James asked.
'Yes,' Harry replied. 'But killing a few people
might have kept him entertained. He was lucky but also unlucky to be put in
with Peter. His intention was to rescue Peter, but had he known that Peter
would later turn to our side again, he would of course have left him.' The
others nodded.
'Might he not have been able to travel
into the future and check where he would be put?' Hermione asked.
'Who knows?' said Dumbledore, startling
them all, because they had almost forgotten his presence. 'You must remember me
telling you, Miss Granger, that time is not a matter to be messed around with.
Young James here will, I am sure, assure you that this is the case.'
'It isn't always a bad thing,' said Draco,
smiling. James smiled back.
'OK,' said Hermione after
a few minutes, 'so now we know what happened prior to Ron's capture. What about
–?' Hermione was suddenly interrupted.
'Hold on,' said Harry suddenly. 'What
about the green dot on the Marauder's Map? What did that mean?'
'I know that, Harry,' said a voice from
behind him. Remus Lupin strolled into the room, Sirius just behind him. There
were a few minutes as everyone welcomed the newcomers, and then Remus sat down,
pulling the Marauder's Map from his pocket.
'I discovered what the green dots meant,'
he said. 'It was a charm made by Peter called the "protection charm".
Essentially, if a dot turned green, that person needed immediate protection
from something or someone.'
'Yeah,' said James, remembering vaguely
what Remus was talking about. 'That makes sense. When Ron's turned green, he
was about to be captured – well, in a few hours – though Harry's didn't take as
long.'
'It could well have been green for several
hours beforehand without you noticing.'
'True,' James admitted. 'It was in Harry's
trunk for the whole afternoon.'
'One thing, Remus,' Hermione said,
suddenly. 'If you haven't seen Peter, how do you know of this charm?' His eyes
might once again have been deceiving him, but James was sure he was faint
hesitation on Remus' face. He knew the man well enough to know if he was
telling the truth or not.
'I found it in the old book of charms we
used back then,' he said, his voice slightly higher than usual. James gave him
a strange look. Everyone else, however, seemed satisfied.
'That all makes sense,' Seamus said
slowly. 'So, what happened when you got to Albania?'
'Harry and I were imprisoned,' James said.
'With Snape and Ron.' He and Harry proceeded to explain what had happened to
them in the cells.
'You say you saw someone you recognised?' Hermione
asked, a little curiously.
'Yep. You'll never guess who, Sirius.'
'Jason Mak,' said Remus, startling them
all. Sirius gasped loudly. James stared at Remus.
'How the hell did you know that?' he said
amazedly. Remus smiled mysteriously.
'I just do,' he said. Sirius looked
completely stunned.
'Jason – why would he do
something like –?'
'He was under the Imperius curse,' Draco
interrupted. 'I remember his capture.' Sirius nodded, still giving Remus
incredulous looks when James continued.
'Anyway,' he said. 'I think Jason was
stunned by another Death Eater.'
'Did you get a look at him?'
'It was a her,' he said quietly. 'I didn't
see the face.' Harry nodded, though Remus looked a little unsure.
'Never mind,' he said. 'Now, Marie, Draco,
care to tell us what happened to you?'
Draco stood up from where
he had been sitting, and took a seat next to Marie.
'There's not much to say, really,' she
said pensively. 'I arrived the same as you, Draco and James, but instead of
being imprisoned I was taken, with Draco, to the 'All of Death. The Dark Lord
commended me and Draco for bringing Harry and Iago, for he mistakenly thought that Draco had assisted
me.' Marie winced.
'You know,' Draco took over, 'How I was convinced into helping you, though I can't say
the same for Marie.' He looked at her, and she sighed.
'I was, of course, still under the effects
of the Imperius curse at that point, so my thoughts were not my own. I was
taken there, and I remember being told by Voldemort to sit in one of the small
rooms off the 'All. Well, I did so, and I distinctly remember hearing someone
say, 'Billy.' Do you know any Death Eaters of this name, Draco?'
'William Clarke,' Draco replied instantly.
'That makes perfect sense, actually – William, or Billy, as he was always
referred to, was one of the few anti-Death Eaters. Didn't like the Dark Lord's
methods. Voldemort had suspected for a long time that he was a spy.' Marie
nodded curtly.
'Then it is so,' she said. 'This Clarke
must 'ave been one of these blue-striped wizards or an assistant. Anyway, I
'eard movement, and without a word of warning, the curse was suddenly thrown
off me.
'You can imagine my 'orror to discover
where I was, especially since I'd no idea how I 'ad come to be there. There was
a wizard in the room, though, and 'e spoke to me quietly. 'E explained
everything clearly … where I was, and what I had to do. 'E gave me this –' She
drew from her pocket a Death Eater's mask with three clear blue stripes across
it.
'This wizard … 'e must 'ave been a Seer …
explained what was going to –'
'Parker!' Draco cried. 'He is the only
Seer in the Death Eater ranks. It must have been him!'
'There is your mystery solved then,
Harry,' Marie said. 'It is merely a shame we cannot meet our comrades.' Harry
nodded glumly, looking a little unconvinced. There were a few minutes silence.
'Well,' said Dumbledore,
after several minutes. 'This interview has been most informative. Thank you all
for coming. I expect –' he sighed heavily, '– that I will see you all in the
morning.' He smiled. 'I suggest you get some rest. Tomorrow will be a difficult
day.' His eyes twinkled as he surveyed James and Harry in turn. Harry, however,
suddenly remembered something.
'Professor?' he asked. Dumbledore turned.
'When we were in the Hall of Death … Severus cast some kind of spell over James
and me. We were caged in a dome of light … similar to what happened after the
Triwizard Tournament … what caused it, sir?'
'I can only suggest,' Dumbledore said,
smiling, 'that the link between yourself and James was so powerful that it
could become tangible. I think I know why Severus knew of this particular
spell, but even in life that remained a personal matter between him and myself.
I feel I cannot dishonour his sacrifice by explaining the situation.' Harry
nodded, as James cast his mind around. Dumbledore smiled around the room again.
'Good night,' he said solemnly, with a
strange hand gesticulation. He bowed, and left the office. Mr Weasley thanked
everybody and followed him. Sirius stood and faced everybody.
'Come on,' he said. 'You guys had better
get back to your common rooms. I'll –'
'One question,' Remus interrupted. 'Sorry
Sirius, didn't mean to interrupt.' Sirius shrugged. 'Harry –' Remus continued.
'You've told us you vanquished Voldemort with the TriPower curse? How did you
come to know the Incantation?' James turned, interested by Remus' question. It
was true – Harry had conjured the spell out of nowhere. They all turned to look
at him, and were surprised to see a slight grin curling about the corner of his
mouth.
'I read it,' he said. 'I picked up a book
several weeks ago – found it on my bedside table –' He stopped for a moment here,
for Remus had gone very, very pale. So pale, in fact, that James immediately
rushed to him to prevent him from falling. Seamus, Draco, Hermione, Sirius and
Marie were fixed with equal looks of perplexity.
'Remus – what's going –?' Harry began, but
Remus started again, causing him to tail off in mid-sentence. He looked at
Harry, eyes gleaming.
'Harry,' he said breathlessly. 'This is extremely important. Did you notice who had got the book out
of the library?'
'I did,
as a matter of fact,' said Harry, looking surprised, 'because it was very
strange. "Hermes", it said. Obviously a nickname.' This was, inexplicably, too
much for Remus. With one last amazed sigh, he slumped heavily to the floor, his
brow creased and his face a deathly pallor.
*
James sidled breathlessly
into the common room. He and Sirius had taken Remus up to the hospital wing and
left him with Madam Pomfrey, who was just a bewildered as them in terms of what
the problem actually was.
'Neural shock,' she had explained. 'Though
what caused it I have absolutely no idea.' She released Remus' clammy hand and
let it fall back to his side. Sirius blinked.
'He's only ever this pale after a
transformation,' Sirius noticed. 'And that was nearly three weeks ago – the
next won't be for another week – it's as though he's seen a ghost.' Sirius'
voice was strangely subdued as James nodded in agreement. Turning, James
noticed that Sirius was looking between Remus and himself. He felt another
feeling of discomfort flitter across his stomach. Sirius sighed.
'I had better get back home,' he said
quietly, his voice high. James sighed, and pulled Sirius into an embrace.
'I'm sorry,' he whispered, as Sirius
choked slightly. He raised his head and swallowed, though his throat seemed a
little inactive. He looked into the eyes of his best friend.
'I never meant to –' he gulped again, '– I
didn't mean to hurt you, Sirius –' And all of a sudden, he had a vague
impression in his mind. That night …
He sees a man, of his height and looks, one arm around
his beautiful wife, the other over the chest of their baby, sleeping peacefully
in a cot. Then there is a crash – from the front of the house. The man leaps to
his feet, pulling out a thin strip of wood. He sees what is coming. He and his wife
embrace briefly – they share one final
kiss – for they know it could be their last – he kissed his son on the forehead
before the woman leaves the room with her baby, and the man grits his teeth,
gripping his wand tightly.
'Show
yourself, coward!' he shouts, and there is cold laughter from behind him. He
knows his instincts to be correct – and he must protect the baby.
'Lily, take
Harry and go! It's him! Go! Run! I'll hold him off –' He hears a murmur of
assent, when the shadowy figure enters the room. The figure removes its cloak.
'James,' the
figure hisses, with a cruel stare.
'My Lord,'
James replies sardonically, with a small bow. The figure emerges from the
shadows, and a vague sign of human countenance is perceptible. The figure shines
its eyes on the young man, and they turn slowly crimson.
'You know what
I want, James,' he says coldly.
'Never,' the
other replies, smiling slightly. 'You will never have him.' The Dark Lord is
beginning to lose his patience.
'Your valiant
attitude fails to amuse me, James. I want the baby.'
'Hell can
freeze over before I hand Harry over.'
'Your
insolence will not be rewarded,' he continues. 'Proximo!' A flash of blue light
springs from his concealed wand. James is ready for this, however. Just in
time, he conjures a Shield Charm.
'Best you can
do?' he smirks, sending a burning curse back at Voldemort, which he only just
avoids. James sends another straight away, and this time his aim is true.
Voldemort blanches, a livid wound on his arm. He knows he may not win this
fight – James has been taught well.
But there is always one weakness.
'You may not
have remembered, James,' he says coldly, after several more curses have been
fired. 'But I was assisted in finding you.'
And that is when the cold dread hits James. In his rush of adrenaline, all
thoughts of his Secret-Keeper had vanished.
'No,' he says,
paling. 'No … Peter,' he chokes on his words. 'No … how could you?' And
suddenly all seems irrelevant – James' wand drops to the floor silently as he
lets out an anguished cry. The Dark Lord smirks cruelly. James shakes himself …
what is he doing? He must protect Lily! Harry! He raises his wand again…
But all is lost.
'Avada
Kedavra!'
James started, opened his
eyes abruptly. He could have sworn he had just seen green light pass across his
eyelids. Sirius blinked.
'Are you OK?' he asked. 'You seemed to
have dozed off.'
'I was remembering,' James said sadly,
shaking slightly. 'Remembering the future.'
Back in the common room,
James was settling into an armchair, still thinking about that brief vision. Was
that how it really happened? he wondered,
flicking open a book. It must have been …
So that was how he was going
to die. His body was to be simply wiped of life, leaving little Harry to deal
with everything all by himself. James knew that he was in very deep trouble.
What could he do? In his mind, he now knew every systematic detail of the
remainder of his life in the past. He could not possibly return with the
knowledge, for the whole course of time would be altered. Peter would not be
made Secret-Keeper … Voldemort would not be vanquished … yet he and Lily would
be alive, and life for Harry would be …
James stopped in mid-thought. He was being utterly selfish. Was it worth
sacrificing possibly the whole wizarding world just to prolong his death?
Besides, he would eventually be struck down anyway, if Voldemort was allowed to
prosper … no, there was simply no way he could leave 1998 with the knowledge.
No matter how much he
wanted to.
Harry sidled quietly into
the common room, and, noticing James immersed in thought, said nothing. Harry
was suffering. Seeing James, his stomach tightened.
The Final Night.
James seemed to register
Harry's presence, however, for he looked up and smiled. Harry forced a grin,
and flopped down in the opposite armchair.
'I know what you're thinking,' James said,
giving an involuntary shrug. 'You know I can't help it, Harry.' Harry nodded
sadly.
'True,' he murmured. 'But it was nice to
meet you.' James let out a laugh.
'I don't think "nice" really describes it
for either of us, do you?' Harry sighed.
'James, when I learned of Hogwarts, and
Hagrid … Hagrid told me what had happened to you and mum –' he swallowed, '– I
spent seven years being haunted by the
final moments of your life.' James' expression changed at the speed of light,
and was too horrific for words.
'In the first year it was just the
laughter. The green light, and the … the laughter … the cold, merciless
laughter.' Harry was shaking. James put out his hand and Harry took it.
'The second year wasn't quite as bad … I'd
got a little used to it by then … besides, I had other things to worry about
that year … but then … when Sirius escaped … the Dementors –' Harry closed his
eyes, seemingly reluctant to continue.
'Go on,' said James, in a strangled voice.
'The first time I was in the presence of a
Dementor, I heard … the screaming … Mum … Lily … trying to protect me from
Voldemort … a flash of green light … the laughter again –' Harry put his head
in his arms, a few teardrops falling to the floor.
'Later that year,' he continued, with some
difficulty, '– Remus was teaching me to fight the Dementors … and I heard … I
heard … you.' James shook his head
sadly.
'You have to imagine,' Harry said. 'How
difficult it is … yet how wonderful … to be able to see a person you love …
someone who has dogged your nightmares.' James put out another hand, but Harry
pushed it away. 'That isn't the worst of it,' he murmured.
'See … the very sad thing is … when I
heard these voices … I had a guilty desire to hear them again. Again and again.
I wanted to hear Mum speak … albeit screaming … I hadn't
heard her before when I could remember … and I wanted to hear you, dad.' A
single tear dropped from James' eye. That was the first time Harry had called
him that.
'I wanted to imagine what it would be like
if you had lived – taught me to play Quidditch – seen me play Quidditch. That's
why I'm so lucky to have had Sirius. He was the closest thing – the next best
thing to a – a real father.' Harry put his head in his hands. Throat too tight
to speak, James pulled him into an embrace.
'I'm sorry, Harry,' he choked.
'Just try to imagine,' Harry said. 'What it's been
like for me – knowing you for nearly three weeks – after all this time. Thanks
for coming, James.'
'Anything for you, Harry,' he replied, smiling.
'Anything for my son.'
*
Sometime later that
evening, James awoke with a start. Though not quite sure why, his feet led him
to the corner of the boys' dormitory. Rubbing sleep dust out of his eyes, James
yawned and headed down to the common room.
A few dying embers still
remained in the fireplace, giving the whole room an eerie glow. James sighed.
Later that day, he checked his watch – in approximately eighteen hours – he
would leave 1998 forever, with no knowledge of what had transpired. He could practically
see himself back in 1978 – knowing with frustration that something had occurred, but never being able to reach the lost
memories. James' eyes roved around the common room, and came to rest on a
particularly heart-warming sight.
In the largest armchair
of the room, illuminated by the light of the fire, lay two still figures, arms
wrapped around each other. Harry lay across the sofa, a cloak over him, and his
glasses on the floor. Hermione was resting on his chest, his arm around her and
a smile on her face. James smiled at the two, as they lay sleeping silently.
And for the first time in
three weeks, James registered that his presence was no longer required in 1998.
*
'Friends, family, guests
– we are gathered here this morning to mourn one of the noblest members of our
wizarding community – who now lies at peace. Mr Ronald Weasley showed true
courage in his final hours in the last battle against the deceased Lord
Voldemort.' As Dumbledore paused, Harry noticed with some satisfaction that nobody
in the congregation shuddered.
It was a bright spring
morning, and a large group of people was assembled at the edge of Hogwarts
Cemetery. The wind rippled through the grass, making large arcs of it seem like
waves. The Cemetery was an ominous place – not until Harry's sixth year had he
learned of its existence. Low-hung willows stood around its edges, and rows and
rows of graves lay across the smooth cut grass. Alongside these rows, right in
the centre of the graveyard, stood a magnificent cylinder of stone, built from
the ground. This stone – the Jubilee rock – had, according to legend, risen up
from the ground at the very moment when Godric Gryffindor had vanquished
Salazar Slytherin. Since that day, it had recorded; in much the same way as the
quill from Godric Gryffindor's Phoenix recorded births, all deaths in the
magical world. Each time a witch or wizard died, their name would be inscribed
on the stone. Harry had not found himself able to check for Ron's name yet.
'Ronald Weasley was truly an unforgettable person, as
many of you here will no doubt know. To talk to you a little about him is
someone who knew him probably better than all of us here today … Harry Potter.'
Harry rose shakily, looking far older than his
seventeen years. He hadn't expected to
have to give a eulogy, but he owed it to Ron to at least make an attempt. He closed his brilliant green eyes briefly,
collecting his wits. His lips parted to
speak, but no words came out. How could
he summarise the life of his best friend and what he meant to him in mere
words? He cast his mind around, and thought of a song he had heard nearly a
lifetime ago.
'There's a
grief that can't be spoken
There's
a pain goes on an on
Empty chairs at empty tables
Now my friends
are dead or gone,' Harry recited slowly,
glancing wistfully to Sirius, at the back of the crowd. 'Not a cheerful
outlook,' he began quietly, the light wind ruffling his hair, 'but it describes
rather well how Hermione and I have felt over the past two weeks.' Harry
noticed a number of people in the congregation blowing their noses.
'Some of you here,' he continued. 'Will
have known my father.' Certain informed heads flicked back to where James was
sitting, concealed again as a Spaniard. Others merely gave Harry sorry looks.
'You will know the friendship my father shared with one Sirius Black.' This
time more heads turned. 'There are many kinds of friendship, but I think that
friendships such as the ones I shared with Ron and my father did with Sirius
are the most special. After a time, a special link – a bond – is created
between two people like this. It is almost as delicate as love, but –' he
glanced to Hermione, '–there is something more complex, more underlying.' Harry
stopped to wipe his eyes.
'Ron was a good friend. He was not the
first magical person I ever met, as such, but he was always there for me. We
had skirmishes, of course, all friends do, but since my fourth year here and
probably before that, Ron Weasley remained the thing I would miss most were it
to disappear.' He noticed tears running down Ginny's face.
'But I knew Ron very well,' he said, 'and
he was never really one for sentiment. Were he here and I there –' he motioned
to the coffin, '– which I regret to say is not the case; I believe Ron would
talk about the good times. He was an optimist. You could always count on Ron to
give laughs and look on the bright side of things. Some of his brothers were
the same –' his eyes roved over Fred and George, '– and I believe it was one of
his most powerful traits.' Harry stopped talking, and lifted back his hair,
leaving his scar very visible.
'Everybody knows how this scar was
caused,' he said, without a hint of arrogance. 'And I will always have it. This
scar will remain. The same applies, I think, to this. Ron's death will be like
a scar upon us, and will always remain. I would ask you all to stand, just for
a moment, and think for a few minutes. Think about whatever comes into your
mind. Then sit down. Thank you.' Harry left the stand, smiling briefly to
Dumbledore. Meanwhile, everyone else was now standing, and Harry saw, feeling
happy, that many people had their eyes shut but smiles on their faces. Happy thoughts, he thought, that's
what Ron would have wanted.
The service continued,
but it was fairly short in all. Mr. Weasley said a few words, impressing how
hard it had been for the Weasleys, and yet admitting how proud they were of
Ron's sacrifice. The very last person to the stand was Ginny Weasley, with a
piece of silver parchment in her hand. James could have sworn it was gleaming
in the sun. She turned to face them all without a word, and began to read,
slowly and clearly.
'Stop all the
clocks, cut off the telephone.
Prevent the
dog from barking with a juicy bone.
Silence the pianos and with
muffled drum
Bring out the
coffin, let the mourners come.
'Let aeroplanes circle moaning overhead
Scribbling on
the sky the message He Is Dead.
Put crêpe
bows round the white necks of the public doves,
Let the
traffic policemen wear black cotton gloves.
'He was my
North, my South, my East and West,
My working
week and my Sunday rest,
My noon, my
midnight, my talk, my song;
I thought
that love would last forever: I was wrong.
'The stars are
not wanted now: put out every one;
Pack up the
moon and dismantle the sun;
Pour away the
ocean and sweep up the wood;
For nothing
now can ever come to any good.
Ginny's eyes were red with crying as she descended back to her
seat. Looking across the crowd gathered, Harry saw that nearly every person was
in tears, clutching at handkerchiefs or tissues for relief. Dumbledore stood
again, and announced that it was time for Ron to be put at rest.
The coffin lay right at the front of the aisle, covered for
the most part with pure white Lilies. At Dumbledore's signal, Harry, Fred,
George, Mr. Weasley Bill and Charlie made their way to the front. They picked
up the coffin together, and slowly began to walk up the aisle to the freshly
dug grave where Ron was to be buried. Feeling almost compelled, Hermione got to
her feet. She walked out into the aisle and supported Ron's coffin with the
others, earning some bemused looks. She did not care, however … it just felt …
right.
They reached the grave, and the crowd gathered around
slowly. Hardly keeping his emotions stable, Harry helped as Ron's body was
slowly lowered into the ground. Even Dumbledore, who was usually so stoical,
looked as though he was having difficulty concealing tears.
'Ron Weasley is
now laid here to rest. Ashes to ashes … dust to dust.' He closed his eyes. 'Let
perpetual light shine upon him, and may he rest in peace.'
As he finished, Dumbledore waved his wand over the grave,
and instantly a shimmering silver gravestone appeared. They looked at it, all
of them, smiling very slightly.
Ron Weasley
Changed over, Monday 16th March, 1998
Beloved son and caring friend
A prince laid to rest
*
James laid a consoling
arm on Harry's shoulder. Hermione was standing just behind the two of them,
shivering slightly. James had the impression it was nothing to do with the
cold.
'Come on, Harry, let's go back.' Harry
turned, a slight smile on his face again.
'You two go,' he said, in an oddly quiet
voice. 'I'll be – I just have to say goodbye – to an old friend.' James and
Hermione regarded him sadly, but both nodded. Harry, however, suddenly put out
his hand. 'James,' he said quietly. James turned. 'Stay for a moment, would
you?' James looked to Hermione, who shrugged, but he turned back nonetheless.
Hermione smiled.
'I'll see you both back at the castle,'
she said warmly, before wrapping her cloak tightly around her shoulders and
leaving.
'I can imagine what it
was like for Sirius when you and Lily died,' Harry said pensively, looking down
at Ron's grave. He felt the tearing hole in his spirit widen. James said
nothing. Harry stopped for a moment, and knelt down slowly at Ron's grave. He
looked distinctly pained. 'Goodbye, Ron.' He got to his feet, and he and James
left the small enclosure, Harry leaving with it his very last words to the best
friend he had and would ever have.
*
'What did you want to
show me, Harry?' James asked as the two crossed the gravesite.
'I think you need to see something,' Harry
replied shortly. 'This way.' He led James into a shadowy corner of the
graveyard, where the moss and weeds were more overgrown. James noticed as he
walked through that these graves belonged mostly to Dark Wizards. He shot a
questioning glance at Harry, but Harry merely beckoned for James to follow him.
Then all of a sudden he stopped. Harry pointed.
'See that?' he whispered. James followed
his gaze. Right in the back corner of the place stood a huge Whomping Willow –
behind that stood its cousin, a weeping willow. James looked nonplussed. Harry
bent closer.
'Stop the Willow – you know, press the
knot – and walk through.' Knees shaking slightly, James approached the vicious tree.
It lashed violently as he got closer but he transfigured his quill into a long,
thin stick, prodded the base of the tree and it instantly froze. With a strange
sense of foreboding, James continued. Looking back, he realised Harry was no
longer behind him. The thin willow branches were the only things now standing
in the way. James took a deep breath and walked forward, through the leaves.
And he gasped.
He appeared to have
walked in on some sort of magical dream, paradise, even, or that was at least the
first thought that struck him. He was no longer in a dark, shadowy corner, but
in a very small, enclosed patio (which he suspected was enchanted). High,
sweet-smelling conifers stood all around the outside, and a small flowing
stream ran through it, trickling off in the direction of the lake. There were
many other trees in this haven; each filled with colourful, cheery songbirds.
The whole place was filled with nature's beauty. And suddenly, James noted that
light was shining on the yard, but in a very peculiar manner. It was shining as
normal, but right in the centre, it was shining with unnatural brightness.
James inched closer, eager to see what constituted this magical sunlight.
And then he saw.
And his heart turned
cold.
Dead in the middle of the
small yard lay two elaborate headstones, the column of light directly on them. Gravestones. With a feeling of grey despair, James edged even
closer, when the small yard was filled with beautiful music. Momentarily
distracted, James looked up into the nearest tree and, right at the top, he
could distinctly see a beautiful, multi-coloured bird with an enormous plumage.
A Phoenix. Seeming almost to sense James' dismay, the bird was now filling the
place with unwavering Phoenix song – music to James' ears, filling him with
hope. He was suddenly given confidence, and, bracing himself, he stepped in
front of the two side-by-side graves.
Lily Potter
Released, October 31st 1981
Loving mother of Harry Potter
Affectionate wife of James Potter
A candle in the darkness
James choked slightly as
he read the gravestone … released … she
had been released. James smiled at this particular use of terminology – nothing
described it better. With a heavy heart, James turned to the second gravestone
… his …
James Potter
Martyred, October 31st 1981
Loving husband of Lily Potter
Caring father of Harry Potter
A hero laid to rest
James could feel tears
burning the corner of his eyes … this was … his … Lily's … they were …
'Beautiful, isn't it?'
said a kind voice from behind him. James turned and noticed Harry, with a kind
of painful smile on his face. He knelt down next to the grave, sighing.
'You know I said,' he choked, his voice hoarse.
'That I first came to the Cemetery last year?' James nodded, tears flowing down
his face. 'Dumbledore –' Harry swallowed, '– Dumbledore showed me this place …
he explained that …' Harry couldn't finish his sentence. He swallowed, breathed
deeply, and attempted to continue.
'Dumbledore created this,' he went on,
'even though you and mum were buried ages ago. He made it a separate shelter,
because there are fields around it that prevent any people other than Potters
entering. If you look around, you see this is the Potter Sanctuary.' And as James gasped, other graves began to appear
slowly, in spirals, all of them marked with the names of Potters. James saw
them everywhere, and could no longer resist the urge to cry.
'Thank you,' he said, his stomach writhing
uncomfortably. 'Thank you, Harry. Thank you for showing me this place.' The
rows and rows of graves slowly disappeared from view again as Harry and James
shared an embrace very close to the centre of the yard. Words were unnecessary
as the two of them clung onto each other, still shaking.
And all of a sudden, the
incredible light shining on Lily and James Potter's graves moved ever so
slightly to the right, and came to rest on the young boy who had lost so much
in life, and the father he had never known. Together, after so many years, as
one.
*
As Harry had learned what
seemed like so long ago in life, time had a disobliging habit of speeding up
whenever he wished it to stop moving altogether. And all of a sudden, his
lessons were over, lunch was finished, and the afternoon preceding James' final
departure had arrived.
There were a large number
of people in Dumbledore's office at half past seven that evening. The Weasleys
were in attendance except for Molly; she was still indisposed. Fred and George
were currently taking advice from James on excellent pranks to pull.
Also there were Draco,
Flora, Marie, Seamus, Neville, Hermione, Sirius, Remus and, sitting somewhat
subdued on a chair in the corner, Harry.
At twenty to eight,
Professor Flitwick entered Dumbledore's study, and seemed thoroughly bemused at
the number of people in there. He handed something to Dumbledore, muttering
under his breath. Dumbledore smiled thankfully and Professor Flitwick left,
still looking very confused. James, speaking with Draco, was suddenly tapped on
the shoulder. He turned and looked into Albus Dumbledore's bright blue eyes,
shining behind half-moon spectacles.
'May I borrow you for a minute, James?' he
inquired. James nodded, and the two of them left for the adjacent room. As soon
as they were in, Dumbledore pulled from his pocket what looked like an ordinary
time-turner.
'This is no ordinary time-turner,'
Dumbledore said, almost reading James' thoughts. 'This has recently been
perfected by Gilbert Wimple – a skilled member of the Committee for
Experimental Charms. It is, James, as you can see, a time-turner that can take
a person to any designated time of their choice.' As James peered closer, he
noticed a number of tiny knobs on the side of the time-turner, as well as small
dial indicating the date.
'I need not remind you, James, that this
technology is untried – however, Gilbert assures me it will work at one-hundred
and thirty eight per cent efficiency, as do most items from that department.' James
nodded.
'However, James –' James' heart gave an
involuntary thud, '– I am afraid, and you must surely understand – that it is
impossible for you to return to 1978 with the knowledge that will have come
your way over the past three weeks.' James' insides turned to lead. He had been
dreading this for some time.
'So …' he said nervously, 'I won't
remember anything?' Dumbledore smiled.
'James, I am not quite that heartless. I
know how special is has been for you here with Harry, Sirius, Remus and the
rest. I intend to give you a selective memory
charm – that is, one which will only erase memories which pose a threat to the
space-time continuum.'
'Don't they all?' James inquired.
'Not in such simple terms,' Dumbledore
said, checking his watch. 'For example, I could leave you with the feelings you
have had whilst here, such as being with Harry – though you may not be able to
remember from whence these happy feelings spring.'
'Oh,' said James, still a little
disappointed. 'Well, thank you, Albus. Shall I say goodbye to everyone now, or
–?'
'No need,' Dumbledore interrupted. 'The
memory charm will take effect when I wish it to. I will cast the spell, and
then, when eight o' clock strikes; mutter the Prolonged Memory Charm
incantation. As soon as that dial spins, which is set for exactly the right
time, every memory will pass from your mind.' James nodded sadly.
'Forgive me, James,' Dumbledore said. 'I
do not wish for this to happen … however …'
'It's fine, Albus. I think I would be
happier not knowing. What I can't know can't hurt me.' Dumbledore smiled, and
waved his wand. A bright blue sphere of light was emitted from his wand, and
came to rest on James' forehead.
'And now,' the Headmaster said, not his usual
bright self, 'I fear it is time to for you to say goodbye to us all, James.'
*
James spent several
minutes saying his goodbyes. He first shook the hands of each of the Weasleys,
giving Ginny a brief hug when he came to her. He then shook hands with Neville.
'Bye, Neville,' he said, smiling. 'Forgive
me again for taking your identity.' Neville grinned.
'No problem. Goodbye, James.'
'Goodbye, Marie,' he said to the younger
Déesse sister, pulling her into a delicate hug and kissing each of her cheeks
twice. She blushed slightly and wished him goodbye. 'And you, Seamus,' he said,
shaking the young Irishman's hand. 'I think the two of you will be very happy
together. Enjoy yourselves.' Both of them smiled back at him and wished him
good luck.
'Draco, Flora – I think you'll both be
very happy too,' he said, shaking both of their hands vigorously. Flora, in
turn, kissed him on both cheeks, whilst Draco wrung his hand, smiling brightly.
'Farewell, James,' he said. 'Thank you.'
James stepped next to Hermione, whose hand released Harry's for a brief moment.
They looked into each other's eyes for a moment before putting their arms
around one another.
'Goodbye, Hermione,' James said
soothingly, for he sensed a number of tears soaking into his robes. 'Take
care.' He leaned back and placed a kiss on her cheek. She held out her hand to
where he had kissed her, an odd look coming over her for a moment. She smiled
happily, tears still on her face.
'Goodbye,' she gulped, hugging James one
last time. 'Thank you.' She resumed her
seat again as Remus stepped forward.
'See you, James,' he said, embracing his
friend. 'No doubt Sirius and I will see you in the future.'
'You mean the past,' James replied,
smiling.
'Exactly,' Remus laughed, a genuine smile
on his face. 'Au revoir.' Sirius stepped
forward, with a similar smile on his face.
'It was indescribable to see you again,
old friend,' he whispered into James' ear. 'When you get home, come and see us
all. We were planning a surprise for you in the Great Hall.' James laughed.
'You remember that long ago?' he grinned.
Sirius smiled.
'I remember every single day I spent with
you and Lily,' said Sirius, a painful look on his face.
'Goodbye.' Embracing one last time, Sirius
moved aside, and Harry stepped forward. For what seemed like hours, he and
James merely looked into one another's eyes, before both embracing each other
tightly. Words were not needed as they held onto each other. Eventually, James
looked up, into Harry's over bright eyes.'
'Take care, son,' he said quietly. 'And
take good care of her.' Harry nodded, tears of happiness and sadness on his
face.
'Say hi to Mum for me,' he said, gulping
slightly. They hugged again, whilst everybody else kept completely silent.
'Time to leave, James,' said Dumbledore
sadly, checking his watch. James, smiling at everyone one more time, slipped
the time-turner around his neck. He checked the date … everything was fine.
Heart thumping, he looked at his watch. Twenty seconds to go – fifteen – James
went cold as he realised the spell would be applied at any second. I
don't want to forget, he thought stubbornly.
Ten seconds – he noticed Harry place an arm around Hermione – there were tears
flowing freely. Throwing caution to the wind, James leapt forward once again
and into Harry's arms. Five seconds – he felt Harry's tears stain his robes.
'We both loved you,' he whispered.
'Goodbye.' He released his grip – three seconds, and waved to all the people in
the room – two seconds – I don't want to forget – one second – please …
With one final swish, the
room turned upside down, and James disappeared with a flash.
***
31st March, 1978
19.59pm
Exactly twenty years earlier …
Lily Evans stood nervously in the middle of her final Charms
exam. The process was surely simple – go forwards five minutes in time, collect
the bracelet, return five minutes in time. Her NEWT course would be complete.
Taking a deep breath, Lily checked her watch. She was to leave at exactly eight
o' clock. Ten seconds to go, she
thought. She remembered what James had said – "time travel can't be that hard for someone as clever as you." She smiled.
If James believed she could do it, then she definitely could. Checking her
watch one final time, Lily spun the
hourglass of the time-turner over – and the world turned upside down
***
James hit solid ground, hard, and a sudden yell told him he
wasn't the only one. He looked up and gasped. 'Lily!' He threw himself at her,
and spent the next twenty seconds getting re-acquainted.
'James!' Lily
gasped, taken aback by the kiss. 'What are you doing here? This is supposed to
be an exam!'
And that was when
a familiar, prickly feeling of uneasiness began to shiver down James' spine. He
had not yet realised the importance of this familiarity.
'Oh no,' he said
quietly, for as he turned to look around the room he was in – empty, for the
most part – with a curious mirror in the corner – he realised that he was
somewhere that he definitely did not recognise. As if on cue, a tall, pretty
girl entered the room.
'Hello,' she
said, in mild surprise, clutching a very familiar map in her hand. 'Who are
you?'
Shaking
violently, James asked the girl, 'Excuse me, but what date is it?' The young
girl looked nonplussed, her vivid emerald eyes taking in the two newcomers. She
checked her watch
'It's the
thirty-first of May,' she replied, looking suspiciously at Lily and James.
'Why?'
James braced himself, though he was still unsure whether he
dared ask the question
'What year is
it?' he asked, his eyes closing in horror.
'2018,' the girl
replied instantly. 'I thought everyone knew that.' James heard Lily gasp
loudly, and shook his head, a feeling of unspoken horror in his stomach.
'Good God
Almighty...'
A/N: *evil cackle*
Yes, you guessed it, BTTF is *far* from over. Stay tuned for
Back to the Future part
II in
a month or two (ish).
So here it is,
the very last Thanks Section of BTTF1, which is, in fact, the Super
Thanks Section, as it comprises the name of every single BTTF reviewer.
Thanks a lot, guys.
*Ice Lily*, *Magic*, *Too Many Cheering Charms*, ..., ?,
~*~Bec~*~, ~silverstreak~*~, ~*-Curry Spice-*~, ~*Hermione*~, ~*Snow Angel*~, -=moonlight
girl=-
A. Spinnet, a.n.g.e.l, Acromantula,
Addie, akaSailor Mars, Al, alicia/sue
spinnet, Alyssa Michelle, Ambrosia, Amethyst,
amy, Angel
Star, Angelina
Johnson, AngieJ, Anika of Prague, Anime
Freak, anonymous, Arabella Figg, Aria*,
arne, Arthurs Merlin, Ashleigh, Athanasia
Salazar, athena_arena, atlieneko, AVK,
Ayla Pascal.
becki~, Belle, Beth, Biz
The Insane Who Has Nothing Better To Do Than Read Fanfiction And Eat French
Fries, Blondie, Blotts, BrightStar, Brittanie,
Bryana Silver, Bryn, Bumblebeee Bucy.
C R Y S T A L, Caius Julius, Calder Lynch, Cali,
California Love, CalorSolChica, Cari,
Caro, Cassandra Lynn, Cassy, Cat
Samwise, Caty, Cedric*luvr, CeiQ
Reader, Celeste Riddle, Celestia, Chantel
Hedwig Slytherin, Cheeky Witch |=P, cherry
blossoms little wolf2, Chinook, ClayZebra,
Courtney, Cousette Lupin, crazy_laulo,
Crymson Tyrdrop, cuckoo, Czarina of the Pink Squirrels.
Daniel Diggory, Darjani,
Dark Sovereign Muse, Darla, DaveH, Daydreamer,
dcChic, Demon_Child, Der Deutsch-Sprechen
Exzentriker, do you
really care ?!, Draconia, Dragon88, Dragonessa Smith.
eb, Elizabeth, Emily,
EternalAngel, ex-LongLongHair, Expelliarmus.
fairyfly, Falcon, Fallen
Darkness, FiFi :), Filipina FireFly,
Fiona, FunkyMonkyL08
G-chan, Genya Black, George and
Fred, George Must Die, Ginny :), Ginny
In A Strait Jacket, GoldenBallet, Gorbut, Grace,
Griffin, gumdrop, Guy Fawkes, Gwyneth.
H/H rules, Hallie_U, Hank Riddle, Harry and Co
fan, Harry Potter and Hermione Granger worshipper for life,
HarryRules, harry's girl 3, Harry'sLostSister,
HASKAP, Hawkins, Heaven Brooke, Hedwig,
Heraclas, Herald-Healer
Shadowsource Estharachern, Herm, Hermione Gulliver,
Hermione26, Herms, HGW, HP FREAK.
illusions2525, Imp3use, Ivi Murffy.
J, JackieRon, JadeiteZ,
Jae-san, Jagara, Jake, James+Lily,Harry+Hermione,
Jeanne, jen, Jenavira, Jenn,
Jewels, Jewelz, Jinskid3, jj, Jody,
Johsua Eide, Julia, Jus1digigirl, JustMe.
Kacie Michelle, Kaitlyn, Karen
A. Plattes, KasMac16, kat, Katana,
Kate, Katrina
Skyfrost, KE Heyduk,
Kelly, Kelso44, Kelzery, Kenady,
ker-rin, Kessie Anne, Kirjava :), Kirst, Krazzie
Krys, Kristen.
L/J
Fanatic 2, Labyrinth
Dumbledore, Lady Aquila, Lady Ev, ladybugg2886, Laila, lala, Larissa and the
Mood Turtle, Laugha holic, laure, Lavander,
Lavender, ldjkasfjdaslk, Leap, lee-anne,
len, lexsykat, liat, Lilliana Rivas, Lilly Potter, Lilly_Dee, Lily Evans, lily girl,
Lily, Lily of Ravenclaw, Lily Vance, Lily
White, LilyAyl, Lin-z, Lipsmacker,
Lita of Jupiter, Little Witch, LittleNymph,
Liz, Lizzy/Tygrestick *SSS*, Lizzy-poo,
lm;l;kkkk, Lord of the Net, Lycus.
Madam Malkin, MadonnaBLUE, MaKenna,
Malfoy's Best Friend, mamasita, Marissa,
Marril the mistress, Mayleesa, Me, Me Myself and I, Megan, Melissa, Menyl,
Goddess of Manipulation, Mina *grins*, Minestreybabe, MischiefMagnet, mixednuts,
MK, Mladybug3
*snogs*, Moonlight
girl, MoonShadow, Moony Lupin, Moony's
Girl.
Naomi, Nasha L. T. M. Potter, Nice,
Nickzchick, Nicole, Noura.
Orange Girl
*hugs* (don't want you to feel all alone in the Os).
Pacey ("Hermes"), Padfoot Lover,
Panther Lady, Paparazzi, Patrick, Penny,
Phalanx Dragon, Phoebe, phoenix, Pie,
PixyChick, pool, Ppofn, Princess
Sakura, Priori,
Professor Unicorn, Prongs, Pumpkin Hatching.
Rachel Granger-Gryffindor, Rachyr,
Rain93, Raven, Ravenclaw Filly, Ravenclawizard, rebecca, Renee, Rishi Khiara, Roarke,
Rogue15, Rosethorn, Ruby, Rufus,
Ruka-chan, Ruriko.
Sailor Galaxie, sam, Sandra
Solaria Dees, Sandrilene Anastasia, sandrine black,
Sapamfa, Sapphire Flame, Sara (Winner of the
Best Review Award) *hugs*, Sara Cassidy, Sarah :-),
Sarah, saturnova, SEEKER_2000, senshi
of darkness, Serene, Silverphoenix, SilverRaven,
SilverTone, Skittles, Slytherin Supporter,
Snuffles, Some Girl, SoMEoNe special, Someone2 and Krazy Kris,
Spartacus, split personalities are we, Sprika,
Spunky, star beneath the stairs, StarChildHermione86,
Stardust, Starlight, StarZed, Sugar
Quill, suger, SuperSayiaJin, SweetySwee,
Switchblade Malfoy.
Tai's wand, tamako, Tasha, Taylor, Teardrop005, The Frog, The House
*grin*, the seraphim, TicTac, Tiger
Lily, tina, TOGI, Tonallan, Too
lazy to sign in, Topaz, Trin, Trinity, Trisana Moonstream Granger, Twilight
and Silence *hugs*, Tygerlily.
Undercover
Angel, Unknown, Unshed
Tears, Uzbekpilot.
VIHPF5, Violet Papillon, Virgo
Ruben, vmr.
Wanderer, watever, Wendy, will, WolfMage_01.
Zapper, Zenya, Zepp Hob, zgurl, Zhen Lin, Zybenkizzashanta
There's a
cameo in BTTF2 for the first person (other than those who've already had them)
to give me the name of the (in the above alpha order) 238th reviewer
in their review.
Also, I'd
like to thank a few other people for their help with this interesting
fanfiction. Firstly, Pacey and The House for all
their new and innovative ideas and some beta-ing – Hallie, Maria
and Lizzy for inspiration one would not expect to find in an MSN
chat room, and also for several useful proof-reads. Tremendous thanks also to Arabella
for allowing me to use Amora Primus. Starlight, for a
number of hints in the opening chapters, George Weasley's Girlfriend,
for a number of hints in this particular chapter, Chinook, Mina,
my esteemed wife Lizzy/Tygrestick and ~*Snow Angel*~ for
consenting to star as the four Veela, people like gumdrop and Twilight and Silence, for making constructive comments on all
eleven chapters of the fic and, perhaps most importantly, thanks to Flora/Kim
for her beta-ing work and guidance over the past half-dozen or so chapters.
Thanks a lot, guys. Couldn't have done it without you.
Trivia
Story
Length: 12, 300 words
Super
Thanks Section/Author Notes Length: 1111 words
Overall
Chapter Length: 13, 411 words
Percentage: 9%
Recommendation:
You must
read The Minister and the Muggle by Marcus
Mortimer Caesar. A light-hearted view of life in the Boden-Smith household,
guaranteed to make you laugh.
Back to the
Future part II will be coming along fairly shortly – I won't set a date,
because I'll be horribly overdue and wouldn't want to disappoint you all ;-)
Thanks for
sticking with this story. It's been fun J.
Ciao
Andy/Sirius
****
