A/N: Okay, this time it really wasn't my fault! My stupid computer died, and I had most of this chapter saved on it, and since it still won't restart, I've had to retype the whole thing on another computer…. grrr. Anyways, there are probably about five more chapters and an Epilogue left after this, and then there shall be a sequel! But for now, before I am lynched, I'll get to the chapter, and talk more at the end of it. :D
Warning: Mild Harry/Nimi fluff in this chapter- nothing serious, but they do begin to realize something. Also a few suggestive themes, once again, nothing all that major.
Timeline:
1960: The Marauders are born.
1971-77: Marauders go to Hogwarts,.
September 27th, 1978: Lily and James are married.
July 31st, 1980: Harry is born.
September 30th, 1981: Arianrhod is captured.
October 1st, 1981: Remus discovers Ari's 'body' on his doorstep.
October 10th, 1981: Mel is captured.
October 17th, 1981: The Potter's appoint a Secret Keeper; Sirius.
October 24th, 1981: The Potters switch Secret Keepers to Peter Pettigrew.
October 31st, 1981: The Potters are attacked; James and Lily die and Harry receives his scar.
November 1st, 1981: Sirius attacks Peter and is sent to Azkaban without a trial.
November 3rd, 1981: Harry is sent to the Dursleys'.
June 28th, 1982: Mel's daughter is born.
1991: Harry begins his first year at Hogwarts.
Chapter Twenty-Five: Begun By BloodSeverus Snape stared at him for a long moment before a smirk mirroring Harry's own spread across his features. "Whatever is better for you." The smirk abruptly disappeared, and was replaced with a look of sorrow. "H- Lord Azkaban, I-"
Harry waved it off. "It really isn't important, sir. Not a bit. I was never angry at you- while you were a bit of a smarmy git to me, if you don't mind me saying so, that was a constant, and rather refreshing. No, if you would allow it, I would be honored to have you on my Council as Secondary Advisor and Hogwarts Liason because, you see, once I graduate from that castle I have little to no intention of coming back, least not while Dumbledore is there. What do you say?"
Snape shook his head and let out a short laugh before nodding and shaking Harry's outstretched hand. "I'd be honored, Lord Azkaban. You didn't answer me, though- will I be spying?"
Harry bit his lip. "As much as I hate to say it, I think it's the best course of action until I can find a way to sever the bond he put in place through the Mark. Do you mind?"
The Potions Master shook his head again. "Not at all. May I inquire, though, what happened to you? Everyone believed you guilty, and then dead."
"That's…. a bit of a long story. I'll give you the short version. Nimi, the girl who was banging her head when we arrived? She was a Lieutenant at the time of my arrest, and a few weeks later, stationed on patrol. She saw my hand glowing, and looked to find the Rune of Azkaban. She took me to the Hospital Wing, and they examined me and found I was the real Lord. I had to have an explanation for what happened to Harry Potter, so we said he died. That's the gist of it, really."
The other man nodded his assent. "So, it's off to Hogwarts then, is it?"
"Yes, but first…" Harry muttered something under his breath and waved his hand in the general direction of Snape. A moment later, tha man was in the clothes of the Council of Azkaban. "Much better. Well, let's round everyone up…"
A few moments (and much arguing over whether Ari and Mel should stay behind) later, they had gathered the others, who had left during Harry and Snape's conversation, and were ready to go. With a whispered "Portus" and a finger on an old shoe, they were gone in a flash of silver light.
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It was too late to return to classes that day, but it didn't matter; they were all called off in a day of mourning for Harry Potter. Harry himself sat in the Azkaban Common Room, chuckling under his breath at random points at the absurdity of the day. Not only had he been freed, the people who had once scorned him and claimed him a guilty imbecile were now weeping at his supposed 'death'.
Luna and Nikolai had gone into an attatched room to work on their dueling skills, as they had wanted to level up to Harry, and the presence of Snape was required at the Great Hall ceremony, which left Sirius, Remus, Harry, and Nimi to sit behind; Mel and Ari had eventually been convinced to stay and help guard Azkaban, as Harry feared an attack. Voldemort was gathering strength, and he felt much safer with people he trusted at home.
So wrapped up in his thoughts was he that he jumped nearly a foot when Nimi tapped him on the shoulder. "Are you alright?" she asked softly. "You seem worried about something."
Harry reflexively looked around- Sirius and Remus were talking quietly in the corner, and other than that they were alone. He nodded to Nimi, and then towards the second spare room. She stood and walked in, shutting the door softly behind her. A moment later, Harry followed. After he cast an Imperturable Charm on the door, he turned to see her peering at him through the darkness.
"What is it?" she asked concernedly. "Something's wrong, I'm positive. You aren't usually this… well, depressed, I suppose."
He shook his head and gave her a small smile. "It's nothing serious. I've… A few minor visions have managed to get past my blockade… people are being hurt, Nimi. And I'm scared. I'm scared for everyone, for the Ministry, for Britain, for the world, and for our people… what if something happens and I'm not there to prevent it?"
"Oh Harry," she said, her voice laced with sadness. "You can't save everyone."
"I know," he whispered. "And that's what scares me."
He was more than a little surprised when she crossed the room and wrapped her arms around him. He wasn't exactly used to physical contact- the Dursleys' had never initiated any when he was small, nor he with them, and few of his friends and those he would consider family had done so. He stiffened for a moment before uneasily wrapping his arms back around her. She squeezed him once before letting go and stepping back, and he was surprised to find that he was almost reluctant to have her do so. What…
He forced his thoughts away from that path and smiled at her. He could think on it later. For now, he needed to live in the present. The future could come when it would.
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Remus was staring at Sirius. "You… you have a daughter." Sirius nodded. "And… and she's…"
Sirius nodded again. "Yes. I just don't… Mel wanted to be here to tell her, but she agreed that she should stay behind to continue to recuperate and help protect Azkaban, she said that if I had a chance, I should tell her… but how?"
Remus bit his lip. "I have to say I really don't know, Padfoot. I've never dealt with something like this before. I think that you should definitely tell her though. She deserves to know, and I know that she'd love you. You'll be a great dad, Sirius."
The other man smiled. "Thanks, Moony." A mischievous grin lit his face. "What about you? You realize the Werewolf Restrictions don't apply to you anymore."
Remus turned an odd shade of red and muttered something under his breath vaguely resembling "Hemerditygibbitfer…"Sirius snorted and made to tease him further, but was cut off as a door opened and Luna and Nikolai stepped in, both rather red and sweaty, their wands hanging in limp hands.
"Whew!" Nikolai said, smiling. "I think we're definitely improving."
"Yes," Luna added. "But we were wondering if Harry and Nimi were here, so that we could go against someone more experienced?"
Sirius suddenly looked up. "They're not-" He was cut off by Remus shaking his head.
"It's alright, Sirius, I saw them go into the room there, looked like they wanted to talk about something."
"Oh," Sirius said, relaxing. He hadn't even realized how tense he had become at the thought of a threat to the two teens. "That's alright then."
Harry and Nimi chose that moment to step into the room. Seeing all the heads swivel towards them, Harry immediately tensed. "Is something wrong? An attack?"
Luna hurried to correct him. "No, not at all; we were just wondering where you were."
He relaxed a bit, though he still seemed tense. "Oh," he muttered, a tinge of red appearing on his cheeks. "Sorry about that."
Sirius spoke before the others could respond. "It's fine. Harry. Not a big deal. Nimi, could- could I speak with you for a moment?" Remus shot Sirius an encouraging look as Nimi nodded, confused, and followed him out of the room.
"What was that about?" Harry asked, echoing the thoughts of all but Remus, who sat in his chair, looking for all the world like the cat who had just caught the canary.
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Nimi looked up at Sirius as he shut the door on the room that she and Harry had just previously occupied. "What's up, Sirius?"
His face was emotionless, she noticed, but his eyes were filled with an odd sort of fear. "I… what was life like for you, as a child?"
If she had been expecting anything, that wasn't it. "What?"
"It is important, I promise you. Just… who did you grow up with, what did you do… did you like your family… that sort of thing." It was the pleading look that she suddenly realized lined every inch of his face that made her comply.
"Well… alright. Though I really don't see why…" She sighed.
"I don't really remember my first year or so- that was when I was living with the Stardreamers, the people who adopted me. Their names were Joyanna and Michael. They had another adopted son about eight years older than me- that's my brother Apollo. They couldn't have children, so they were happy to adopt.
"Anyway, not long after, they were killed. So, I went to live with my brother at my aunt's house. I grew up a tomboy, not for lack of trying on my aunt's part, but I wasn't ever mistreated. I went to school, got good grades, and at age eleven was offered a spot in a pre-training Militia program.
"My aunt wasn't happy, but I accepted, and was eventually accepted into the actual Militia and went on to do that. My main home is at the Castle now, but I still have a room at my aunt's place." She looked at him suspiciously. "Now, will you tell me why you wanted to know?"
Sirius sighed, sat down, and rubbed his hand over his face. "Because my wife and I had a child."
"Oh! She would be older than Harry, I suppose?"
He shook his head. "Actually, almost two years younger. She was born when Mel was a prisoner. Severus- Professor Snape, the Potions Master? He was working as a spy in the Death Eater ranks and was put on duty right before she went into labor. He took our child away once Mel had named her, and brought her to an adoption agency."
A crazy idea was beginning to form in her head and she squashed it down. There was no way. "Why are you telling me this?"
He looked up at her. "Because Mel had named her before Severus took her. And she named her Nimi Gemini, who once she was adopted was named Nimi Gemini Stardreamer. Because, you see, that girl is you."
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"What news, Lucius?"
"My son has written, my Lord. He has declined joining our noble ranks."
A high pitched laughter echoed. "So young Draco thinks he will escape us? Send three of your best to tail him, and bring him to me. Perhaps I can find a way to make him reconsider."
"Of course, my Lord. Is there anything more?"
"Anxious to be away from this place, are we, Lucius?"
An audible gulp, and then-
"Never, my Lord. I merely wish to know how I may best do your bidding."
A wheezing chuckle. "Simply by not speaking when I do not request it, Lucius. Crucio!"
Screams echoed through the building, but in the town of Little Hangleton, nothing but a shiver disturbed the silent night.
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.:Harry's POV:.
I remember a time- it was a few days after I got home from Fifth Year, less than a month since Sirius had fallen. I went to the park across the street. It was pretty nice- it had your typical swingsets, horsie swings, slides, monkey bars- nothing out of the ordinary.
That day was special, though. I was just sitting on the swing like I usually did, not really moving, just thinking. Thinking about how I had failed everyone, how it was all my fault. It really is, you know. If I had thought to use the mirror…
But lke I said, that day was special, I was just sitting there when a man came up to me. He was in his mid-sixties, I would say- grey hair, slightly stooped walk, a limp in his left leg- but what really got me were his eyes. They were hidden behind large bulky glasses, but were a bright brown, not like the muddy color you'll sometimes see. They seemed to shine with a joke that only he knew, and to smile with all the joys of all the people in all the world.
He was carrying a pad of paper, I remember- an artist's pad, probably about 11" by 14". He walked over to me, and smiled, and sat on the swing next to me. I looked at him with idle curiosity, to depressed to truly move from my perch. And he flipped the pad around to reveal me.
I was sitting there on the swing, my head bowed in shame and mourning, my eyes peering out from under a fringe of hair. My whole posture was filled with pain and sorrow, and my eyes looked to the horizon- as though they awaited the coming of a ship sailing from the sea. The detail was amazing- my knuckles white from gripping the chains, my knees slightly bent and the tops of my tennis shoes skimming the dirt… and the too-big clothes on the too-small boy with glasses too large and too round for his angled face.
I remember his smile turning sad, and him ripping out the page, putting it into my shocked hands- and I remember him slowly and creakily getting up to leave, and turning over his shoulders to whisper parting words that I will never forget.
"A memory of could-have-been's is never as good as a dream of soon-might-be's."
And he continued on his way, never again looking back. That was how he lived his life, I now realize. Always looking forward, and never looking back. I wish that I could learn to do the same.
A/N: Whee! Finished! Tell me what you think! Did you like the POV thing? Should I do it again? Or did it suck?
Anyways, info on the sequel:
It will be another jaunt into a typical fanfiction line (aka Harry in Azkaban, etc.) and will hopefully be original once more.
It will involve lots of those wondrous could-have-been's.
Harry teaching!
Also, I have a question for you, dear readers- should the title be something taken from the 2nd Knights of the Old Republic Game, like how this was taken from the first, or should it be another four-piece title, like Hero, Villain, Savior, Conqueror? Drop me a line and tell me what you think!
Aerin