Hippocampus by JJOAS
A Harry Potter story, all copyrights belong to J.K. Rowling. Time travel if you please. Starring Hermione Granger, Harry Potter, and Sirius Black. This chapter is dedicated to my godchildren, Kanata and Kai; the world is just a little darker without both of you here.
I'm sorry for the lateness of this chapter. I've been in the hospital for a bit, working and being sick.
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Chapter Eight: The Toll Time Takes
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Persevere: Verb – To persist in anything undertaken; maintain a purpose in spite of difficulty, obstacles, or discouragement; continue steadfastly.
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The colors that had fallen away from the trees soon seeped back into life as winter began to turn into spring. And the occupants of a hidden house were slowly regaining their own color.
Petunia worked under the hot sun with a large floppy straw hat providing the much-needed shade she longed for. With a trowel still firmly in her grip, she continued to weed the newly blooming Black gardens. She smiled at the sight of the lilies that were flourishing near one of the rose bushes near by. Wiping the sweat off her brow she made sure none of the invading plants could reach her posies.
A slight breeze lifted up the heat that day and caused the wind chime hanging by the back door to tinkle and twirl. It's silver stag and doe glittered in against the sunshine. This caught the attention of a little boy who was lounging in the arms of one Sirius Black. Said man was dozing with a baseball cap pulled over his face while Harry bounced in his arms happy to be outside. Although the baby seemed to have quite a bit of fun watching the chimes dance in the breeze, he still searched around for his mother. However, he found that he couldn't really look around because he was too tightly embraced. Sighing a little to himself he pouted and started to pat his father's head, gurgling out a stream of babbles and laughter.
This slight breeze blew by the open back door into the Black house letting cool air permeate where it could. Hermione looked past the window a smile warming her whole face as she washed up the dishes in the sink. She could see that Harry was looking for her and knew that he would be hungry soon. Her breasts felt heavy with the milk, but it didn't seem to bother her. This was because in the sunshine with the slight breeze in the air, everything felt almost right with the world. If you forgot about everything else, which she always never did, it seemed to be perfect.
Humming a song under her breath she stole a glance at the young infant sleeping soundly in the living room with her two close friends. Remus turned and smiled at Hermione giving a slight wave when he had felt her gaze in their direction. Turing back to Tonks his face flushed a light pink before nodding. Tonks in turn let out a loud laugh whilst pinching Remus's side before scooting impossibly closer. Wrapping an arm around his waist she laid her head on his shoulder wiggling her fingers at Dudley as he gurgled up happily playfully hitting the wiggling fingers in his line of sight. Remus's cheeks turned into a deep maroon tinge while he settled in to the new position given to him, his eyes glittering his unsaid joy.
All this was new to Dudley and he couldn't really wrap his little mind at why they had moved or where his father and mother had gone. His sense of the permanence of things wasn't yet developed enough to know that even though his mother was not in his sights, it did not mean she was erased from reality. However, deep deep in his sub-consciousness where his little baby instincts lay, he knew he would never see his father again…not in this life any ways.
It looked to be a lovely peaceful day at the Black house, which was a miracle in itself when you considered who occupied the house now. That is it was until a knock at the front door echoed throughout the whole house causing everyone to stop what they were doing.
Hermione dried her hands, a frown marring her face, as she began to walk to the front door. Sirius soon came behind her with Harry securely in his arms. Petunia wiped her hands against her apron as she followed closing the door behind her securely. Tonks and Remus came at the rear with Dudley resting in Tonks' embrace. Petunia smiled at the couple beside her. They had all discussed safety precautions, and they were all better off fighting together.
With their wands at ready they made sure to keep an eye on the infants before creaking open the door. Hermione glanced at Sirius, her wand sparking at her side. Sirius nodded before he flicked his wand silently opening the door.
To their surprise Dumbledore stood at their doorstep ready to knock again, perhaps thinking that no one was home. Hermione shot Sirius a glare, before turning her frosty visage towards the headmaster, "Dumbledore how did you gain access to a restricted area?"
"Still trying to get your grips on our son?" Sirius growled.
"To be fair, dear boy, until the blood adoption is complete he isn't truly your son and he should still…." Dumbledore's words trailed off once he spotted Petunia and her son standing with them. Quirking a brow his eyes twinkled maddeningly, "Why is your sister here?"
Hermione tensed her dueling arm before Remus and Tonks had to restrain her arms, each holding onto one arm, "That's none of your business headmaster."
Petunia looked at the headmaster with foggy eyes before her face lit up in recognition. She marched up to him making sure that her eyes were trained on his before pointing her finger at his nose, "I remember you!"
"I'm sure that you just remember me from your sister's graduation, dear girl," Dumbledore tried to soothe gently pushing her finger away from his face, "No Ms. Evans-" He looked a bit affronted when Hermione shot him a glare.
"It's Mrs. Black now, Dumbledore. As you can see we will not ever let you take Harry away. He's not a pawn in one of your manipulations," she hissed making sure that Harry was safely behind them. Sirius gave Dumbledore a sharp look before loosely pointing his wand at him.
"I agree with my wife, old man. It's best if you leave," Sirius's voice was low and Harry whimpered feeling the tension increase in the room. Burying his head into Sirius's shoulder he tried to rub away the feeling.
Petunia shook her head and gave Dumbledore a wary look, "Hey! I know that I don't know you from my sisters' graduation. I wasn't able to make it to either of them."
Hermione tilted her head back, "What are you saying Petunia?"
Petunia's voice turned impatient, her eye brows furrowing, "Mione, I'm saying that he's the one who cast that thing that made me feel so fuzzy after that mad woman came and ruined my life…"
Hermione's eyes softened towards her sister, "Oh Nia."
Remus sighed and put a hand on Sirius's shoulder making sure that Tonks still had Dudley firmly in her grip, "Sirius perhaps instead of letting this escalate into violence, we can talk this through. There are children in our presence after all..."
Dumbledore's eyes twinkled maddeningly at what Remus had said. With his grandfatherly voice he tried to coerce Remus to his side, but Tonks interrupted him before he could say anything, "Remus, dear, as much as I love how level headed you are, this about Harry, and I stand beside my cousin."
The headmaster gave them a small smile, "Why dear Nyphmedora. It's good to see you, but why would trust someone who has yet to reinstate you on your own tree?"
Tonks gave a sharp towards Sirius, "Is that true, Sirius?"
Sirius looked a wee bit frustrated before sending her an apologetic look, "I just haven't done it yet because of everything that's been happening. And why the heck are you butting in Dumbledore?"
Tonks shook her head and gave her cousin a bright smile, "Well it doesn't even matter because you're family." Cuddling Dudley up to her chest she smiled at the lot of them around her, "You're all family."
Hermione nodded and made sure to gesture towards the door, "Thank you for reminding us of this headmaster, this way we can remove and put other people back appropriately. However, it's time for you to leave now." Her voice was firm and her brilliant eyes showed a steel resolve.
Sirius let out a dry laugh before shaking his head and poking the headmaster with his wand, "But seriously, you need to leave old man."
Hermione looked a bit shocked, although when she thought about it, it really wasn't that surprising, "Sirius!"
Remus looked at Tonks before motioning towards Petunia and Dudley, "Dora." Tonks nodded, silently indicating that they should head back.
"Dumbledore please leave our premises. I'll only be nice about this once," Sirius stated firmly. He held Harry close and Hermione stood firm besides both of them.
With a frown marring his face and his eyes losing their twinkle Dumbledore finally acquiesced and nodded at the family. However, there was still a bit of determination left in his stance hinting that he would be back.
Petunia scrunched up her face, "I know he was the one who fiddled with my head…I can just feel it." She fingered her temples trying to will her memories back.
Hermione inched back towards her sister after the door had been firmly locked, "Perhaps it was for the best though, Nia." She felt sick just thinking about what had happened to her sister, but she was not going to thank the old codger, no matter how good his intentions were. She gave Sirius a look as he clutched Harry mouthing out a single no.
Sirius shook his head, a little frustrated frown marring his forehead. He let out a sigh and bounced Harry as he walked back to the garden.
Harry tried to grasp Tonks' now bubblegum pink hair wriggling from Sirius's arms, "Mummgaaa".
Sirius stopped his long strides and looked down at the wee babe in his arms, "What's up sweet pea?"
Harry turned his big emerald eyes up to Sirius and then tried wriggling towards Tonks again. He opened and closed his hands with his arms outstretched towards Tonks.
Tonks' eyes sparkled and she let out a chiming laugh, "Looks like we get to trade babies, dear old cousin of mine."
Remus shook his head with an amused look etched in his face, "We haven't really had much time to meet our little godson."
Sirius nodded getting a curious look on his face with a half smile tugging on his mouth, "Well Har-bear looks like you're getting more godparent attention, eh?"
Harry giggled and fisted his little hand into his mouth drooling happily while he awaited the transfer.
Dudley looked at the adults around him quite content and yet not really complaining with what was about to happen. He tilted his head to the side snoozing away a little as if none of the hubbub had happened. Before he did find sleep he noticed that his mummy was still worrying about something with his aunty trying to give her a hug.
Tonks gave Remus a sly look, "So it's kind of like we have our own little family, right Moony?" With a wink she whisked away Harry in her arms dancing away with a slightly panicked look making its way across Remus's face. Sirius in turn gently cradled a slumbering Dudley making sure that his sleep wasn't disturbed.
"Dora wait!" Remus's panic turned into a helpless look as he quickly followed after Tonks.
Making his way towards the couch in the living room Sirius slumped down and decided to take a nap along with Dudley, "Looks like it's just you and me for a bit eh? Let the women folk, Remus and Harry have their fun." He snuggled into a fluffy pillow and let sleep overtake him. Dudley shifted and continued his sweet slumber.
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In another home far far away where another happy family had been eating their breakfast a force of doom charged towards them.
Frank Longbottom smiled at his wife and son as he tried cooking pancakes the muggle way for the first time. He had heard Mr. Weasley saying how much more satisfying food tasted if you worked at it yourself without magic. Alice had thought it was a wonderful idea as well.
She cuddled their son to her chest enjoying the warmth of the sun and her husband actually cooking as she set the table with a flick of her wand.
Neville cooed snuggling into his mother's chest feeling his stomach gurgle the tiniest bit, but before he could whimper out the windows in their kitchen exploded in a flurry of green light. His father had ducked down fast enough to avoid the glass and the spell directed at him. His mother had quickly gone down under the table when a blasting curse hit the wall near her head.
"Frank!" Alice's eyes had a wild look to them as she silently indicated to their six month old who looked ready to cry. She did her best to try and calm him as dark shadows started approaching their manor.
"Alice, go hide him!" Frank hissed casting a silent protego against the oncoming spells that had started to shake the foundations of their house. They tried to apparate to another location, but found that an anti-apparation field had been set up. Tears ran down Alice's eyes and Frank crawled towards his little family and they quickly made their way towards the cupboard under the stairs.
"There's no where to hide, my pretties!" A cackle could be heard as the darkness approached ever closer. She started humming an eerie tune and began singing purposely making her footsteps echo, "Come my dears, rest your head. No pain will reach you when you're dead. Sleep well in the bloodied dreams I give. Don't grieve because none will live…Rest your head upon this morn. You'll be afraid for who you've born. I'll rip your head and grind your bones, and light fires upon your homes…There's nowhere to run…" Bellatrix left an eerie high note in the air and gave a maniacal smile at the destruction she found.
And she was right. Later that day the Prophet told their first true story in over a decade. Alice and Frank Longbottom had perished in a fire, but somehow luckily their son had survived. There was yet another orphan left out in the world. And at that moment time shifted.
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Cheers ladies and gents,
JJOAS
