Of Time and the Snorkack

by Wrexscar

One moment you are 27 the next 9 again . What would you change after all everyone lived happily ever after didn't they? No pairings. A Luna Lovegood time travel tale. Read authors notes at the end of chapter 1. This leads into The Time of Consequences, consequences is abandoned. Consider this a dead fic.

21. Chapter 21

21

Disclaimer

J K Rowling and their respective copyright holders own Luna Lovegood, Harry Potter and other characters.

A.N.

I remind you this is a T rated story I have no swearing, sex or violence in this chapter but some of the themes are quite dark and getting darker.

A.N. 2. This is a reposting with added grammar and two thousand extra words. If you are a regular reader scroll down to the last section.

Chapter 21

Sirius left Amelia's office, pleased with his morning's work. While Amelia had not committed herself to a timescale, Sirius was certain that she would go after Crouch sooner rather than later.

Sirius had managed to beg a map off Amelia so he could find his next destination. He soon found himself heading down a slightly dingy corridor that ended with a door to either side of him. If it wasn't for the brass plaque on one door, he would have had a hard time guessing which was a broom cupboard and which was the office.

Sirius decided that barging in would set the wrong tone, so he knocked on the door and waited patiently to enter.

A rather flustered Arthur Weasley opened the door.

"Hello, Sirius. Come in, but be careful what you touch. I've just come across a rather wonderful Muggle thing: blue ticks. They work just like a sticking charm. I've been using them to put up some Muggle pictures."

Sirius looked around the office that must not have been much bigger than its neighbouring broom closet. Two desks took up the majority of the space, the rest taken up by filing cabinets on top of which files were piled almost to the ceiling. Across Arthur's desk were many little blue pellets.

Arthur began to try to roll them up and get them into one lump rather than the bits he had everywhere.

"This is the new poster I got today." Arthur proudly gestured to the wall behind him. The poster showed an electrical plug with its top removed, showing the wires leading to various pins. Across the top of the poster, the letters PXR5 were emblazoned.

"Wonderful people, Muggles. The things they invent to replace magic." Arthur was unpeeling little blue spots off himself as he talked.

"So, Arthur, have you given any thought to my offer?" Sirius asked to divert Arthur from a long lecture on the wonders of Muggle inventions.

Arthur slumped in his seat. "I have. I'm afraid I'm going to accept. At least on behalf of my children. I'm aware of the teasing they get off some members of society. I have chosen this life. I could get a better job if I decided to put aside this obsession with Muggles and their welfare." Arthur laughed a bitter little laugh.

"I believe that you judge a man not by how he treats his betters, but those who he is better than.

Some in our society treat Muggles as nothing more than creatures to use for their own amusement. I do my best to stand up for them and oppose those who treat them as such. It is not a popular idea, so I get a broom closet for an office, no resources, and no staff to speak of. I am a department head, technically, although my pay band doesn't show it.

"I can't ignore how hard it is for my children. Bill and Charlie didn't get it too bad. Bill had mostly new things. But Ron is getting hand me downs that have passed through five sets of hands before him.

It doesn't help that Ginny, being a girl, gets if not new clothes, at least ones that are new to the family. No, I can't ignore the effect this is having on my children, so I will accept restitution from you, but not charity."

Arthur, who had been talking with his head slumped, looked up and his tone hardened at the last phrase.

"I understand, Arthur, and I respect you for the work you do. I have my own resources that I'm using for the betterment of society. I believe you and I share an ambition." Sirius lowered his voice. "We would both like to find evidence that could land Lucius in Azkaban."

"If you ever found something out, I would be more than willing to carry out an official raid on his property." Arthur had an eager tone to his voice.

"Personally, Arthur, I'd love to find him using an Unforgiveable, but I'll settle for walking too slow in a no-loitering area. If you ever hear a rumour that you can't officially proceed on, let me know, as I might be able to do something with it."

Arthur laughed at that idea. "I understand completely, Sirius."

"Now then, Arthur, I shall set up a vault for you. I know Hogwarts fees, so I'll ensure there is enough money to meet the cost of putting four children through the school. I'll increase it next year for Ginny. I'll also add ten percent for school supplies for all of them."

"My lord, that is too generous. Five percent would be too much."

"Arthur, I know what was taken from you. This doesn't begin to equal that, but I know you would never take that much."

"Fine," sighed Arthur.

"The thing I want to know is: is there anything I can do for Charlie?"

"I will think on it and let you know."

"Thank you, Arthur. It has been nice seeing you again."

Sirius cheerfully made his way to the lifts and headed back down to the entrance foyer. He headed back out into Muggle London, as it was referred to. Taking his Bonnie from out of an inside pocket and bringing it back up to a size he could ride, he roared away into the traffic.

ooo000ooo

It was a cheerful and optimistic Luna that threw floo powder into the fireplace and asked permission to visit. She was allowed entry by an elf who promptly disappeared to tell Sirius of her arrival at Black Cottage.

"Hello, Luna, how are you?" There was a note of caution in Sirius's voice as he entered the room.

"You'll be pleased to know I've gotten myself together. I had a few problems coping after he got out." Luna shrugged. "My dad has convinced me that I shouldn't feel responsible for everything that happens. It appears I'm not god, so my knowledge only goes so far. But it's time to get ourselves together again. If you still need my help." Luna couldn't help herself and put that last comment in. She hoped Sirius didn't blame her directly for the death of his men, but she gave him the option to go it alone if he so chose.

Sirius settled into an armchair. "Of course I want and need your help. Luna, you are the general in this campaign. I might control the men on a day-to-day basis, but we do as you ask. Things went wrong with the last plan, but it was something no one could foresee. Have you ever heard the saying that no plan survives first contact with the enemy?"

Luna nodded and let out a little breath that she had been holding. Sirius was still willing to work with her; she felt the tension she'd been holding ease. "So how has everything been going? Anything to report?"

"Sir, no, sir." Sirius jumped to his feet and pulled off a sloppy salute. Sitting back down, he paused a moment to gather his thoughts. "I've pulled out of negotiations with Cuthbert for the Riddle house. The curse breakers have everything they need out of it. Buying it would have stretched my cash reserves too far."

"Is that a problem? You're not bankrupting yourself doing all this, are you?" A note of worry was back in Luna's voice.

"It's only a problem paying the commission the Goblins charge for converting Galleons to Muggle cash. The Black fortune could bankroll what we are doing several times over. In fact, some of the schemes we have put in place have or will make me more money. Every time I buy a business I will eventually make money back, or if not me, Harry or his heirs. I'll also make even more in the long run if we can get the Malfoys in a weakened state – I can buy up businesses that they now control.

So when I say my cash reserves would be depleted, I mean the Muggle currency I hold.

Everything else is just ticking along.

"Sanchez has hinted that in the right circumstances she will destroy the Cup, to remove the Horcrux.

I will be able to persuade Amelia to stand for Minister if we need her to. Unfortunately Susan wasn't paying much attention at the feast, so if we want her to go after Albus, we'll have to be more direct."

Luna pursed her lips in thought. "Albus isn't the enemy, but I'd like him off-balance. If we stop him from stepping up to lead in a crisis, more people will be alive at the end of it. Him included. " Luna sat upright, making a decision. "If the choice is his reputation or peoples' lives, we'll damage his reputation. Next time you speak to Amelia, let her know about Fluffy."

Sirius nodded in agreement. "Apart from that, not much has happened. Those minor Death Eaters we are targeting have fallen a little deeper into our web. No information on Malfoy, Nott or that Umbridge woman."

"Who of the Death Eaters could we neutralise now?" Luna asked, sitting up straighter.

"I'd have to check my files. I know Yaxley for certain, possibly Waldon Macneir." Sirius stared off into the distance as he tried to remember the details.

"We should start taking them down, then. Not all at once, but every few months. Some legally, if we can, others however we can. Even if Lucius tries to bail them out, it will start to have an effect on his cash flow."

Sirius smiled with genuine warmth at Luna. "It's good to have you back, Luna. I was beginning to worry about you."

Luna fought to control a blush. "Thank you. It's good to put my brain to some use other than moping. So that leaves us with two little details. What is Voldemort up to, and where is the last Horcrux?"

"Glad we only have such small worries to deal with." Sirius paused. "Do we have any hints on either?"

"Only guesses and suppositions. My guesses shouldn't be taken as more definite than anyone else's." Luna paused to gather herself. This was the thing she was worried about most: that her guesses would not be questioned and send them off on a wild goose chase. "On the last Horcrux, Albus was able to find it, so I believe it is linked to Voldemort's past. His father's house was a blank, but we don't know much about his mother."

"Speak for yourself. I know quite a bit. Merope Gaunt of Little Hangleton created quite a scandal when she ran off with the local squire's son. Officially, it was her brother Morfin who was convicted of the murder of the Riddle family, when we know he committed that."

Luna listened in wide-eyed amazement to Sirius, who was looking increasingly smug.

"How did you find all this out?"

"I have all sorts of people working for me, Luna. Some are good at Dark Lord hunting; some are good are digging up dirt."

Luna considered what Sirius was telling her and jumped to the only conclusion that made sense. "You've got Skeeter working for you, haven't you?"

"In six months' time, there will be a new book on the shelves. I believe the working title is 'You Don't Know Who: The True Story of a Wannabe Dark Lord.'" Sirius gave Luna his number two smile: a combination of cockiness and smugness.

Luna laughed with amusement. "Fantastic. That will also make the old families who gave him approval, if not support last time, some questions to answer. So what else has she dug up on him?"

"I've told her I want as much information on his childhood as possible. So she is researching and, if possible, interviewing the children he grew up with in his orphanage. It was Albus who conducted his introduction meeting before Hogwarts. Rita is dying to find some dirt that proves Albus allowed another Dark Lord to mature under his nose. I've told her to leave it for another book if she does. I want Voldemort – or, as I now call him, Tom – I want his reputation destroyed. Destroying Albus's reputation might be where Rita gets her kicks, but I don't want the distraction at the moment."

Luna sat back in her seat, watching Sirius get more impassioned as he spoke. "It's times like these that I suddenly realise just why it has become a rule in our society that you don't mess with the Blacks."

Sirius's smile was back on his face, preceding a comment that was at least going to amuse him. "You can try and get this dog to come to heel, but always remember it comes with a full set of teeth."

"Yes, and it's not easily house broken, either." Luna laughed as Sirius's face turned from a smile to a scowl. "So, knowing what you do of his past so far, if you were a megalomaniac wannabe Dark Lord, where would you hide a Horcrux?"

Sirius paused to consider the question. "Let's see. The Locket was in a cave for some reason. Diadem is at Hogwarts. Cup and Diary with his followers. We have enough information to make us suspect this is hidden, not given. I would go for the orphanage site, then; if not there, I'd try somewhere connected with his mother."

Luna nodded, agreeing with Sirius's interpretation. "So we need to get the address of the orphanage and, if not there, do we know where his mother's family home was?"

"Only that it was in Little Hangleton, but it shouldn't be hard to find, considering the size of the village."

"I think we should get this information to a psychological profiler. That way we can get some more insights on his character and some predictions toward his future actions."

"I've never heard of them. What do they do?" Sirius admitted.

"What year is it?" Luna paused and looked off into the distance. "There is a film out soon – or maybe out already – that will answer that question for you, Go get a new wardrobe and go see Silence of the Lambs. That will be a test to see if you can move in the mundane world without being stared at like last time."

"I thought people were staring at the handsome man inside the clothes."

"Some might. There was one man who was looking at your bum last time we went out. Not many people wear as much velvet as you consider normal in their daily wardrobe. Your dragonskin boots are a bit eye-catching, too."

Sirius coughed to cover his embarrassment. "So what clothes would you recommend?"

"It's fairly simple, Sirius. Get some cash, wander up any high street, find a shop called Marks and Spencers, and buy yourself clothes from the menswear section. Look around you at what other people are wearing. Boxing gloves, flip flops and a summer dress is not a combination that would work well for you."

"Even I know that," Sirius said, laughing.

"I know some purebloods that don't. If in doubt, take Dora: she has a remarkably good idea of mundane fashion." As usual, Luna's face clouded over while mentioning Dora's name.

"What is it with you and her? Don't you like her?"

"In my last life, she saved my life, but in doing so ended up being killed. Bellatrix was coming after me and Dora took her on to give me time to run. I didn't. I just got some friends together and headed back, just in time to see Bella cut her down. The three of us attacked Bella and found out exactly what the word outclassed means. We were lucky to be alive at the end of it.

"So every time I see Dora now, I have to resist the temptation to declare a life debt to her. But I'm also reminded of the sight of her dying. She, even more than Harry, is why I'm doing all this. It's funny, really. The ones I am desperate to save the most are the ones I've barely spoken to this time around."

Sirius's eyes widened as Luna spoke. "I forget how hard this must be for you. You have told us you are trying to avoid a war, but it's only when you say things like this that remind me what the consequences of failure are. So what should we do first?"

Luna paused to consider the question. "Halloween is this coming Thursday. I don't want to do anything too big this week. Consider yourself on call. So see Dora, go shopping, start the wheels in motion of taking some Death Eaters out of the picture. I don't want to be negotiating a trap to get to a Horcrux when we get a panic message from Harry that something bad has happened."

"What's so bad about Halloween?"

"Let me see." Luna counted off on her fingers. "In Harry's first year, Quirrell-Voldemort lets a troll into the school. Second year, the Chamber of Secrets is opened; third year, you break into the school and take a knife to the Fat Lady; fourth year, he is entered into the Triwizard Tournament. The next few years are quite quiet, but it is enough of a pattern to make me wary."

"How about I promise not to attack the Fat Lady? Will that make you feel better?" Sirius joked.

"I'm probably worried about nothing, Quirrell is neutralised, I have plans for the diary, you are unlikely to attack the Fat Lady, and even Amelia at her most cautious will have Barty before he puts Harry's name in the goblet. Having said that, I will still be calling Harry every couple of hours on Thursday."

"Probably not the best idea. Just let him know that Halloween was a key date for you last time and he needs to contact you if anything unusual happens."

Luna slumped down in her chair. "You're right, but I'm going to be climbing walls by the end of the evening."

"Whatever keeps you from passing on your stress to Harry."

ooo000ooo

It was Thursday evening, and the Halloween feast was in full swing. Clare could hear the noise from the hall even in this part of the castle. They had come in from some passageways that her visitor assured her no one else knew of. She doubted he was really Quirrell now; the impatience and temper he displayed could not have come from that sweet man. Still, it would be over soon. He had promised tonight would be the end of it.

Following behind her was the troll. As they passed a corridor intersection, she turned and allowed him to speak to the troll with her voice.

The troll lumbered off down a corridor away from them.

"Quick, now, up to the third floor," he demanded of her.

"But what about the troll? This is a school full of children – you can't just let it go, anyone could be hurt."

"The beast is a distraction. A ghost or a portrait will alert Albus, and he will lock down the Hall with everyone in there. This will mean that he is too busy to attend to all the alarms that will go off when we open the door to the corridor. But only if we are quick. Move, girl."

All anyone watching would have seen was Clare rocking from foot to foot as she held an argument within her own head. Finally, she rushed down the corridor away from the troll. When she came to the staircase, she waited for it to move to the right ending point. She counted off the sequences in her head as it finally moved to where she needed it.

She rushed up to the third floor corridor, the forbidden floor, and took out her wand.

Clare could feel the anticipation of the other consciousness rising as she approached the door.

In the Great Hall, the feast was underway. Harry was starting to relax; he had had separate calls today from Sirius and Luna telling him to be on guard and making him swear that he'd keep them both informed if anything unusual happened.

Hermione nudged him as was about to put another slice of cake into his mouth. Turning around, he saw Peeves the poltergeist escorted into the Hall by the Bloody Barron. The two spirits flew directly to the top table and floated in front of Dumbledore.

They watched the jovial expression fade from Albus's face. He motioned for the staff to gather around him. Hallam seemed to disagree with something he said, but he accepted a counter suggestion. The Hall was quieting as more and more students could see that something out of the norm was taking place.

Harry slipped his mirror out of his pocket. "Sirius, Luna?"

The response was worryingly quick. He guessed they had their mirrors out, waiting for a call.

"Both here," Sirius answered, his voice tight with concern. "Is there a problem?"

"Something is happening. The top table looks tense. I'll leave the connection open so you can hear if they tell us anything."

Albus rose to his feet. By now, most of the Hall was looking at him. He fired a blast from his wand that sounded like a fire cracker.

"If I could have everyone's attention, please. A situation has arisen that means we are calling the feast off. I want all students to return to their dormitories at once. The Heads of Houses will speak to you and organise you." Saying that, Dumbledore beckoned to Hagrid and the two left the Hall.

"Harry." Sirius's voice called him from the mirror. "Luna says this is too close to how she remembers things happening. We will be on the grounds in five minutes. I can get into the castle if I need to. Keep us informed of what's going on."

Flitwick began organising his House. Harry and his fellow first years were soon surrounded by the rest of the Ravenclaws, with the seventh years making up the final ring. There was a commotion from the Hufflepuff table next to them as Sprout noticed that one of her seventh years was missing.

But Flitwick didn't hesitate in sending his House off to their dorms. "Can't be helped, really," muttered Flitwick to McGonagall, "our Houses have better defences than the Hall, just the risk of moving worries me."

"We obey the Headmaster, as usual, and hope he knows what he's doing."

As Harry trudged along, surrounded by a mass of bodies, he looked at Hermione, but he pulled out his mirror before asking, "What do you think is going on?"

Sirius's voice had a slight echo as he answered. "There is a troll in Hogwarts. They are getting you to the dormitories so they can be locked down. I'm in a passageway that I'm hopeful is still secret. If you call, I can be there in a matter of minutes."

Harry and Hermione shared a tense glance. "I think I'm starting to understand what 'ignorance is bliss' means," Hermione muttered as she gripped her wand so tightly her knuckles turned white.

They continued their journey in nervous silence. Toward the Ravenclaw common room, unnoticed by everyone, a figure followed them, staying close to the shadows.

Clare's first use of accidental magic as a child was on a dog. The animal in question opened its mouth and all its teeth fell out. Clare could remember it to this day; it had been a German Shepherd and had, from her perspective as a five your old child, towered over her.

She had approached it at a run and went to pet it. Her mother's shout, loud in her ears, caused her to turn suddenly, so she never saw it bite her: just felt the sharp pain on the back of her leg as its teeth sank in. The dog opened its mouth to bite again, and that was when its teeth fell out.

To this day, she still feared dogs. When faced with a boggart, it always turned into a dog. Sometimes it was a German Shepherd; other times, a Rottweiler with glowing red eyes. That's what came from watching too many horror films.

In front of her now stood the mother of all boggarts. Before her passenger could offer any advice, she took out her wand, pictured the three-headed dog as a toy poodle, and cast Riddikulus.

There was no effect. At least, no positive effect. The dog started to snarl. The lips on three sets of mouths rolled back to show three sets of teeth. The dog's yellow eyes all focused on Clare, and the dog's growling rose in volume.

"Er... good doggy." Clare took a step back as she spoke.

The central head jerked forward to snap at her, closely followed by the right. Beyond thought now, acting on pure adrenaline, Clare turned and ran. She didn't bother to close the door; she just ran. The staircase had begun to move away. Clare jumped, and her toes just made contact. She fell forward then, off-balance, her arms windmilling to try and help her stay upright to no avail. Then she tumbled her way down that level. As she rolled, she saw the dog bashing away at the doorframe of the corridor. She got to her feet, battered and bruised, and looked back just at the moment when the door frame gave way, allowing the dog enough space to squeeze though.

She plunged on. She didn't plan her escape; she just ran, out through the main doors and out into the grounds. She didn't know where she was running to, but she did know what she was running from. All the while, the voice in her head screamed at her to stop.

Within the castle, the dog, unable to follow Clare, caught an interesting scent on the breeze and plodded off along a corridor to investigate.

The Ravenclaws had reached the fourth floor when suddenly a scream of loss pierced the night.

Jessica Tilden, a seventh year at the front, called a halt. A second scream quickly followed the first. This second scream was one of pain.

"Alright, everybody, get moving. We move off at a jog. Penelope, you're a prefect, move next to the firsties. Shout out if they can't keep the pace. Right, let's go." Penelope moved back to follow Jessica's instruction, and the House set off again. This time, they moved at a jog.

Harry felt the mirror vibrate. "What's happening?" Sirius asked, his voice clipped with tension.

"We don't know. We just heard a scream from somewhere below us. Someone is in trouble," Harry answered.

"What about you?"

"Our seventh year prefects have got us jogging back to our common room." Harry stumbled over a step as he jogged.

"Potter, put down that mirror and watch where you are walking. Time enough to check if your ponytail is in place when we get safely back," Penelope scolded him.

With a shrug, Harry put the mirror away.

Sitting in a secret passageway, Sirius and Luna were listening tensely to the sounds coming from the mirror.

"Well," said Luna. "I guess Ravenclaws are showing their intelligence. Gryffindors would have run en masse towards the screams."

Sirius just grunted in reply, looking at the mirror in frustration. "What I wouldn't do to have the Map at the moment. I'm calling Hallam." Pulling out a second mirror, he called Hallam. "Situation report."

Hallam's voice came through, slightly out of breath. "The Ravenclaws are heading up the stairs to the fifth floor now. They have had no encounters so far."

"Stay with them until they get to the common room, then go back to working for Albus." Sirius ended the call and turned to Luna. "You have no idea how hard this is for me, to sit here waiting in reserve."

Luna raised one of her pale eyebrows at that comment. "Really? I may not be a Gryffindor, and I don't instinctively run towards danger, but this waiting is not easy. We need to keep your knowledge of the secret passages a secret. There will be many options to be the heroes running to the rescue before we are done. Hallam is watching Harry. If the troll is following its last pattern, then it will come nowhere near him."

"Logically, I agree. This is why I'm waiting here, but damn me..." Sirius trailed off as he tried to voice his concerns and frustration.

They stood in the soft glow of light given off by their wands, waiting impatiently. Almost at once, Sirius's two mirrors went off together. Luna took Harry's call and Sirius, Hallam's.

After a moment, they looked at each other. Harry and Hermione were safe in their common room. They could relax at last.

Out on the edges of the forest, Clare came to a halt. Exhausted from her flight, she was bent double and taking in huge deep breaths of air. She was starting to shake as the adrenaline in her system died down and all the bruises she had received falling down the stairs started to make themselves known. Suddenly, she felt herself shunted off to one side.

"You stupid waste of skin. You have cost me a chance at immortality. I will reward you for that soon." She watched in horror as she started walking further into the forest. No longer able to exert any control over her body, she could only watch. Once they had passed the Hogwarts ward line, she apparated away.

A.N.

Well that took some time.

Quite a long note here.

This is where I'm ending Snorckark, obviously the story doesn't end so I'm writing a new story called The Time of Consequences.

If you are one of those strange people who have this on story alert I suggest you move to author alert.

Until now I've been following a parallel course to canon this will end quite quickly in the new tale. For there to be any tension to give Tom and his side any chance I need to give him as many powerups as I have given the good guys.

I will also be raising the rating to M, not that I am able to write gratuitous but it will allow the villains to be villainous without me worrying have I over stepped the mark.

Thank you for reading and patience.

While waiting for the next chapter I have written a tale of 10k words that I rather like called The Sins of the Father. Check it out.