Disclaimer: Jo's world, I just play here.
Summary: Don't ask, just…don't ask.
A/N: Ok, so, list of excuses in chronological order: school started, writer's block, original stories demanded attention, and then – oddly enough the thing that got me working on it again – my oldest brother committed suicide. Please send me your condolences and e-hugs, it's a hard time for me and my family right now. We miss him so much, and it's only been a week since we found out. Christmas is going to be really hard.
Okay, deep breath, please enjoy the chapter.
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Chapter 36: Aries Hesuchazo and the Half Blood Prince Part II
It took a full two weeks for Aries to complete his Dark magic leeching treatment at Severus' direction. Charles wondered if he perhaps should have used a bit more moderation during the Gryffindor's near miss with Home Binding, rather than doing the whole treatment in one night. He couldn't exactly ask; explaining why on Earth such an issue would occur…well it would just be too complicated.
Once the Spellsmith was released with a clean bill of magical health, Charles relayed everything Severus had told him about Dumbledore. Apparently, the old headmaster trusted his potions master just as much as he always said he did. Severus told them that Dumbledore had injured himself with a cursed ring during the summer, and only quick intervention prevented him from dying right then.
"He only has, at most, a year to live," Severus had admitted, "and he already knew about the younger Malfoy's assignment. To spare Draco from getting blood on his hands, and to spare himself from a slow, torturous death should someone else get their hands on him, he has asked me to kill him."
He refused to say more, and Charles had been grateful for a break then, to give him time to absorb his new understanding of that awful sixth year. While he had been plotting the old man's death, Dumbledore had been quietly planning to save him, while preparing to die anyway.
Aries took the news much less quietly. His emotional state was ragged enough that, upon hearing of Dumbledore's plots from Charles, he burst into loud, messy tears. Shocked, the redhead just looked at his friend, then conjured a handkerchief and pushed it awkwardly into Aries' hand. As abruptly as the crying had started, it stopped, and the Spellsmith wiped off his wet cheeks.
"Well that was embarrassing," he commented, voice thick from sobbing. "I am really relieved, though. I've been dreading this day for 19 years," suddenly his voice jumped an octave and took on a squeaky tone that made Charles cringe, "I'm so glad to know that he really is good." He sniffled and whimpered into the Auror's handkerchief. "Sorry."
"Yes, well, erm," Charles stammered, unsettled. He coughed and stood, looking pointedly in another direction. "I'll let Sev know that emotional instability is a side effect of prolonged use of his potion, and we'll just both hope this isn't permanent."
"Right," Aries agreed, laughing a little and continuing to hide his face. "I'm also going to hope for some memory loss, if that's alright with you."
Charles laughed heartily, feeling better than he had in months.
"You do that, mate."
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Aries felt awful for another week after that conversation. Any spell more difficult than wingardium leviosa made the scars on his arms ache, and whenever he thought about Severus or Dumbledore, Inferi or Horcruxes his throat started to close and tears sprang to his eyes as if someone had conjured them. It was ridiculous, and his face burned with humiliation at the very thought of being Called in such a state.
Thankfully, time and patient Occlumency practice got rid of that particular side effect. Cathartically, he wrote an entry in his journal, the one from his school days that he kept locked up tighter than the Crown Jewels.
Dumbledore asked Snape to kill him. I'm so happy, and I know I shouldn't be. But Dumbledore has been dead for me almost twenty years. I knew he would die again. But to know his final words were not a plea for mercy, ignored by a traitor, and were instead a final wish, fulfilled by a reluctant friend. I feel like shouting for joy that I do not have to turn my back on him, the man I consider one of my closest friends. Dumbledore will die in less than a year, but my trust in Severus will still be alive.
He left the entry unsigned, as all his others had been, and locked it back up.
Somewhere in the English countryside, leaves turned yellow and drifted to the ground, only to be covered by a layer of slushy snow. The area of London where Aries lived didn't see much of that. Most of the leaves ended up in the gutter, and there was slush, but it was black from car grease. It wasn't until early January that Aries received a call for anything other than routine Death Eater rallies and attacks, after which he would take a small dose of Sev's potion and have a lie-in. A large part of him was disgusted at how mundane it all had become, but he pushed through it, hoping for some good news.
The January meeting was inner-circle only. Voldemort updated them on the progress of the war, and laid out plans for a ministry take-over during the summer. It all seemed very…dull. At least, until the meeting was adjourned. Everyone was sent home except for Bellatrix and Aries.
"I have a task for you two," he hissed. "A task only for you; I forbid you to breathe a word of what I am about to say to anyone – even fellow members of the Inner Circle."
Aries and Bellatrix both pledged their undying loyalty and secrecy, although Aries felt he retained somewhat more dignity in the process than had his fellow Death Eater, and listened attentively to the task.
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"What is that?" Charles asked, voice soaked in upper-class disgust.
Aries ignored him, making sure the wad of chewed gum was stuck tight to the lamp. He walked across the flat to his bedroom, where he pulled out a second piece of gum and stuck it in his mouth and chewed. Charles had followed him, curious despite his revulsion
As the gum softened, turning into a tasteless rubbery glob, a sudden magic tingle alerted Aries that it was about to activate and he quickly spat it at his bedside table, where the lamp from the other room appeared.
"There had better be some sort of explanation for why you are sticking gum to things and spitting all over the place or so help me I will never share a flat with you again," Charles teased.
"It's Portkey Gum," Aries explained, laughing, eyes bright with success.
"Portkey. Gum," the Auror repeated in disbelief. "Explain, please?"
"Well you know how portkeys work, right?"
"Of course, you pick it up and it takes you somewhere, it's not rocket science."
"Well it is a bit more complicated than that," Aries sat on the bed and picked up the lamp, working on un-sticking the gum as he spoke. "Portus, the spell to create a portkey, it actually creates a double of something in the place where you want to go, and you can activate it by touch or activate it by time limit, but either way, when it's activated the original merges with the copy, dragging anyone holding on to it through Extra-Dimensional Time Space to do it. It's quite ingenious, really; same thing probably would have happened to us when we were born if we weren't so different by then, and it's how a time-turner's spatial location spells work."
Charles took that all in, then realized he hadn't really taken in any of it.
"What do you mean, how are any of those things connected – our birth, portkeys, time-turners?"
"Well the universe hates it when there's two of the exact same thing," Aries pointed out, sounding as though this should be perfectly obvious. "I mean, I'm not talking two copies of War and Peace, I the exact same thing in two places at the same time. If we'd come back in time to a time when we already were we'd probably have merged into one person, or the universe would have exploded or something. Luckily, by the time we were born, we'd already taken on new identities, and really become those new identities. I mean, there was that little accident with my animagus form and whatnot, but otherwise we're fine. Time-turners have special protective spells to keep that from happening, but they still use the effect to make sure that, when you use them, you show up near where the time-turner was at the time you end up."
After he ran out of breath, Aries seemed to realize that he'd gotten somewhat off topic.
"Well, anyway, the portkey gum. See, the problem with portkeys is that they are an object, and they're used to transport people," he explained. "But I wanted to transport objects, and I wanted to be able to transport them to any place, and at any time, without having to decide when and where before I cast the spell. So I created portkey gum. I cast the spell, so I create two identical pieces of gum, then I chew one and stick it to the object I want to transport. Now the sticks of gum aren't identical anymore, because one is chewed up, right?" He didn't wait for any answer, but rolled right along, excited about explaining his latest craft. "Right. So whenever I want to summon the object, I just pop the double into my mouth, chew it until I feel the spell start to activate, and then I spit it out and wherever I spit the object shows up!" He held up the lamp in demonstration.
Charles blinked at him, raised an eyebrow, then smirked, sighed, and shook his head before walking out of the room.
Aries thought it was quite unfair that he'd worn himself out jabbering on about portkey theory, and Charles could say that much with just body language. In any case, he was still quite proud of his invention – he'd had the idea years ago, but with his new assignment, he had the impetus.
And if the goblin wondered, a few days later, why the Spellsmith had stuck gum on the golden cup he was delivering to the Lestrange vault, well, goblins weren't paid to wonder.
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Winter snow melted slowly away. The spring rains washed London as clean as they could, unaware that, in a simple flat, in an unremarkable-looking trunk, lay one item of unimaginable evil, along with the keys to finding more. Harry had progressed quite far on his appointed task. Unfortunately, Aries had one more task to complete, and time was running out.
The time travel research wasn't going well at all.
In a drawer of the Spellsmith's desk lay the remnants of the time turner. Aries had taken it apart, pulling spells out and examining them the best he could. He had poured the sand out of the hourglass in the center, but found it to be just sand. Nowhere, in all the workings – in all the spells as complex as any clockwork – was there anything that taught him how to send something through time.
One of the worst parts about trying to craft a time travel spell, Aries thought, was that he knew he would fail. Just as he knew the time-turner worked when the banana appeared, so he knew that each different spell he tried would not work, because no fruit or other small objects he tried to send back ever appeared.
To make matters worse, he was still called on fairly regularly to lead the Dark Lord's inferi. Every time he did, it took him a day to recover from the emotional upheaval caused by Sev's magic draining potion. And every time, he could feel the potion working a little bit less, leaving a bit more of the dark taint in his blood.
The stress was almost back to the level it had been just before he and Draco were sent back in time. Occasionally, it gave him nightmares.
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"Morsmordre."
There it was, hanging in the sky above the school: the blazing green skull with a serpent tongue, the mark Death Eaters leave behind whenever they enter a building…whenever they murder, cast from his own wand.
He stood by the lake, watching cloaked figures circle around a man in white. Dementors one moment, Death Eaters the next.
"You fool," Remus said, "is a schoolboy grudge worth killing an innocent man?"
"Vengence is very sweet," Severus countered, pulling out his wand.
The werewolf transformed and ran, whimpering into the forest.
"Coward!" Harry shouted after his retreating form.
"DON'T," shouted Dumbledore.
"CALL," Sirius.
"ME," Severus.
"COWARD!" a young Harry pointed a familiar wand between Aries' eyes – not eleven inches of holly, but longer, yew. The wand of the Dark Lord.
They were not by the lake, but in the tower, and suddenly the door burst open and somebody erupted through it and shouted, "Expelliarmus!"
By the light of the Mark, he saw Voldemort's wand flying in an arc over the edge of the ramparts, and Charles was by his side. Another flick of his wand, and Harry was immobilized, leaning against the tower wall. Aries felt relief for a moment, before Charles and Sev turned to face him, wands drawn, faces grim.
"Severus," he said, "Severus, please."
Green light flowed like water from Severus' wand, and Aries felt himself falling.
"Run, Draco!"
Falling…
Aries woke with a start to the shift in wards that signified an intruder. Someone who had not been keyed into the protective magic had entered, accompanied by someone who belonged.
Throwing on a housecoat, Aries entered the sitting room just in time to see Draco Malfoy spew all over his rug.
"Evanesco," Sev's voice incanted, and the mess vanished. Aries turned and noticed his friend in the kitchen, pouring a glass of water. No one said anything until the former professor had delivered the drink to Draco, then the two spies locked eyes, and Severus said, "It is done."
Aries nodded, thinking it strange that he should feel hollow inside, as if the grief were new.
"Where am I?" Draco asked, coming up for air. He looked pale and disoriented.
"Somewhere safe," Sev assured him, then turned back to Aries. "Keep him here, I must report to our Lord. I will return shortly."
Aries nodded, but Severus pulled him aside on his way out.
"Aries, I don't know if I shall return, and I don't know what the Dark Lord will want with Draco…"
The Spellsmith intended to assure him, as he had before, that he would stand between the Dark Lord and the things Severus held dear, but in that instant his throat closed up, and he couldn't speak. He nodded, coughed, and nodded again.
"I'll keep him safe," he choked out. "You watch yourself."
Sev nodded curtly, as aware as his friend that such a promise would be difficult to keep, and disapparated.
"Who are you?" Draco demanded, voice a little stronger. "Where am I? I demand-"
Aries cut him off with a voiceless somnulus, sending the teen to sleep. His thoughts seemed frozen with the realization that he did not know. He had always known, before, always been completely certain that Severus would survive. But this time, he did not know. His younger self had never seen Severus Snape after this night.
Completely awake now, Aries paced and fidgeted, put a kettle on, but forgot to pour himself a cup. Then poured himself a cup and forgot to put leaves in it. When the clock – a muggle one – chimed 2 AM, he nearly pulled a wand on it. Finally – finally! – someone apparated in, but it was not Severus, it was Charles.
"Sorry I'm late," he said. "Woke up to the Order alarm, and remembered what day it was." He turned and saw his younger self snoozing on the couch. "Cor, I wondered if he'd brought me here. Too much in shock to remember it, myself."
"Charles," Aries gasped out, unable to say more.
The redhead turned toward him, seeing his stricken face, and frowned, confused.
"What's the matter?" he asked. "Has something else happened?"
"You tell me," the brunet whispered. "Tell me what happens after this. I only know my story from here on out."
Charles' eyes softened and he quirked a smile.
"You'd drive yourself mad if you didn't have me around," he affirmed. "Don't worry, we're not getting out of explaining this whole mess to Sev that easily. He'll be back for Draco in the morning. Poor lad'll be stuck in Malfoy Manor with Death Eaters and Voldemort coming and going for the next few months, but it'll turn his head, it will. I know Severus lives, and stays a right-hand man for Voldemort, but I don't know the specifics of his affairs after today."
Relief didn't even begin to cover it. After Charles assured him that he'd set a few more wards and keep Draco asleep, Aries returned to his own bed, thoroughly exhausted by his own frazzled nerves.
Again, he dreamed.
White fog was blinding him. He had to fight…Expecto Patronum…he couldn't see…and in the distance, he heard the familiar screaming…expect patronum…he groped in the mist for Sirius, and found his arm…they weren't going to take him…
But a pair of strong, clammy hands suddenly attached themselves around Harry's neck. They were forcing his face upward…He could feel its breath…It was going to get rid of him first…He could feel its putrid breath…His mother was screaming in his ears…She was going to be the last thing he ever heard –
And then, through the fog that was drowning him, he thought he saw a silvery light growing brighter and brighter…He felt himself fall forward onto the grass…The blinding light was illuminating the world around him…something was driving them back, circling him and Sirius…
Harry tried to make out what it was…It was as bright as a unicorn…Harry watched it canter to a halt. For a moment, Harry saw, by its brightness, someone welcoming it back…someone who looked strangely familiar…
And then it hit him – he understood. He had seen himself.
The point of view shifted across the lack and back in time, and Harry flung himself out from behind the bushes and pulled out his wand.
"EXPECTO PATRONUM" he yelled. And out of his wand burst Hermione, looking at him with pride and admiration.
"I can't believe it," she said, "you conjured up a Patronus that drove away all those dementors! That's very, very advanced magic…"
"I knew I could do it this time," said Harry, "because I'd already done it…"
"AHA!" Aries shouted in triumph, shooting up in bed.
Charles came charging in, wand at the ready, only to roll his eyes at Aries' expression of self-congratulation.
"What is it?" he asked. "What great breakthrough have you had this time?"
Aries smiled at him, feeling a little sheepish now.
"Er, well, I think I just figured out how to invent the spell that sent us back in time," he admitted.
The Auror stared at him for a few breaths, then looked at his wand, and gave his head a quick shake,
"No, it would cause a distortion, I'm sure," he muttered, then turned to walk out.
"What would?" Aries demanded, worried about a flaw in his potential spellwork.
Charles didn't stop, but called back over his shoulder, "If I murdered you."
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Sev returned later that morning, as promised, and took Draco back to Malfoy Manor. The boy was distracted from his many questions by the promise that his father would be there to greet him, and it made Aries' heart hurt a little to think of how soon his young not-quite-friend would be separated from his father again.
Charles accepted a request from the new Headmistress of Hogwarts to apply for the Defense Against the Dark Arts position. Despite having no experience teaching, or even tutoring, he easily earned the spot, given that his only competition was a young man who turned out to be confunded, obliviated, and imperiused. As soon as the poor lad was admitted into St. Mungo's, McGonagall had Charles sign the paperwork.
The former Auror was quite shocked when he received an owl from Severus, asking if he would be willing to teach Draco defense via correspondence. He agreed, but only on the condition that it be kept completely anonymous.
Aries tested his theory on the time-travel spell in a patch of woods that he knew hadn't been disturbed in years. He was quite excited to arrive and find the small brick he had brought to send back in time waiting for him, looking significantly more weathered. An age test showed that the brick was actually only ten years older, give or take a few weeks, but he solved that problem on the second test by adding a second wand wave to the spell.
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"And the rest, as they say, is history," Aries finished, leaning wearily against the armrests of his chair.
Part of him wanted desperately to look around and see everyone's reactions, but the larger part of him didn't dare make eye contact with anyone. Charles came to his rescue.
"Yes, well, it's been a lovely chat," he drawled, standing, "but I'm afraid it's quite late. Aries and I have an appointment tomorrow that we would hate to miss, but you are free to submit any questions to us by owl at a later date."
No one said anything or tried to stop them as the two returned time-travelers walked away, back to Charles' quarters, to get what little sleep they could before facing Severus at the Safe House the next day.
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A/N: The next chapter should be posted pretty soon. I've actually got most of it written already. Now that we're back to the present, it'll only be a couple of chapters left until the story is finished, and I have to say, I can't wait to get this thing over with. I'm pretty proud of this story, but I'm ready to move on.
Thank you for all your support over the years.
PANTZ,
Emerson