The Time Travel Crew
Chapter 6: Minerva takes action
Minerva finally found herself sitting on an armchair, with a book in her hand, it took her a moment to realise that she was in her quarters. She was dressed in her nightgown and had been probably reading at that time before she went to sleep. That in itself was strange, for Minerva could never recollect reading at midnight.
She sat up straight and checked the time just to make sure she was successful. Her old clock on the mantle said that it was eight thirty. Confused and rather alarmed, Minerva cast the charm to show her the date.
'31 Oct 1991 - 8.30 p. m.' said the weak red lines that flew out of her wand.
Minerva's hands began trembling as she stood up and dressed into her day robes. She put on her cloak and hurriedly made her way to meet her fellow time travellers. In the entrance hall, she stopped as she heard two footfalls rushing towards her from the dungeons. She let out a sigh as she saw Pomona and Severus running upstairs wearing pale faces.
Pomona and Severus gave Minerva two winks each, as decided by the whole crew, to let her know that they were time travellers. She responded with two of her own.
Pomona said in a fiece whisper, "I am going to throttle that old homuncule! He said we'd reach a few minutes before or after midnight! Not three and a half hour prior!"
Severus sighed, "Calm down, Pomona. Whatever's done is done. The mark feels just like if felt after Voldemort fell for the first time in the previous time, so he has been temporarily put out of the way...I just hope Harry doesn't have to see too much."
Minerva felt her eyes widen as the thought struck her. She had completely forgotten that this was the approximate time that James and Lily were killed. She pinched the bridge of her nose and said, "I hope he doesn't do anything stupid."
A pitter patter could be heard coming from the marble staircase. Looking up, the three professors saw Filius hurrying down with a sheepish, confused look in his face.
"Look." he panted as he came to a stop, looking up at them. "I haven't the faintest idea about what happened. I don't understand what went wrong! I measured and remeasured, calculated and recalculated the figures I measured at least twenty five times -"
"Now's not the time, Filius." Minerva hissed. "We need to get to Godric's Hollow. Fast!"
Together, Minerva, Pomona, Filius and Severus jogged out onto the grounds that held no tomb or irremovable residues of war. Together they crossed the grounds and reached the gates and headed to Hogsmead after making themselves invisible and they disapperated to Godric's Hollow.
The house was in ruins. It was the first sight they caught when they reached the place, due to the breaking of the Fidelius Charm. Minerva stiffled a gasp at the sight and followed Severus inside, taking off the disillusionment charm at the same time.
There on the cramped hallway floor lay James Potter, his eyes open and glassy, his expression determined.
Pomona let out a deep, heavy sigh.
"Oh no! James!" Minerva couldn't stop the words from tumbling out of her mouth. It was as if it happened all over again and Minerva had to admit that she had hoped silently that this could have in some way been prevented. Oh, if they could have reached just a little earlier.
Severus moved forward, bent down and closed James's lifeless eyes, the only deed of kindness he had ever shown towards James Potter. They made their way through the the room that was completely covered with white powder, the further they went, the more foreboding became what they could see.
The group headed up the rubble filled stairs trying,but failing to make as little noise as possible. They heard a muffled, but happy "Da!" and Minerva just hoped against hope that the Harry up there was the Harry they travelled with and not the Harry of this time.
From the stairs itself, they could see that the door was open and even if anyone tried to shut it, they would fail thanks to the amount of rubble that lay blocking its way.
Once they reached the landing, she rushed into the nursery to see the dusty but shaking figure of Lily Potter, whose back was towards them, very much alive!
This time, Minerva couldn't suppress her gasp of shock...Harry...that boy had somehow saved his mother around the same time as she saved him with her love, if it happened that way. What exactly happened, would probably have to wait. Looking down, Minerva saw Voldemort's body lying near the door, lifeless, almost buried by the mess he made. But Harry was no where to be seen.
Then, Minerva's hand moved instinctively to her chest, she saw the tousled head of baby Harry Potter, without the scar, peep out from behind his mother's shoulder. His eyes showed an intensity of emotions, that Minerva understood to be happiness... excitement... guilt... grief... and satisfaction.
Harry seemed to catch her eye and gave her two winks. There was a collective sigh of relief from the four professors. Answering Minerva's unasked question - Is the Horcrux destroyed? - Harry, wandlessly procured the blanket he had taken with him from their time, without his mother's knowledge and lay it on the floor at Filius's feet. Filius nodded and vanished the blanket.
Then the Charms expert let a fiery line into the air that twisted into words, "Don't let her become aware of my presence. It may make her and Dumbledore suspicious. After I finish here, I will check on the other time travellers. You be discreet, keep your heads and get her to the headmaster. If he asks, I am asleep in my quarters."
Filius then made himself invisible and he and Pomona set about clearing the debris from around the room at the same time, vanishing his footprints from the dusty floor.
Turning her attention back to Lily, Minerva realised that she was in shock. After a quick glance at a still and pale but immensely relieved Severus, she tentatively stepped over the body of Voldemort, and slowly and gently placed a hand on her shoulder.
Lily took in a shuddering breath and said softly, "Not Harry, please. Kill me, leave my Harry alone."
"Oh, Lily." Minerva said, gently rubbing her shoulder. "It's alright, you're safe. It's just us, Minerva, Pomona and Severus. Please, calm down, take a nice deep breath... Come on..."
But Lily wasn't in a position to focus on anything that was happening around her. Minerva felt Severus putting a vial into her free hand, "Calming drought" he mouthed to her at the same time.
It took a while to convince her, but Lily was soon downing the potion in the vial. The potion seemed to be working, for the young woman's shaking was becoming less pronounced.
"Minerva?" she said when she came to her senses a few minutes later. Immediately tears were rolling down her face.
"James?" she asked in a tone pleading them to tell her that he was alive as well.
Minerva's shook her head sorrowfully and Lily turned away from her with undisguised, bitter disappointment.
Harry began wailing again and only a stern look from Minerva silenced him, but she saw genuine tears rolling down his face making her feel guilty immediately.
Finally, Minerva said to Lily, "Come dear, this house isn't safe. Let's get you to Hogwarts."
She knew that taking Lily to Dumbledore would compel him to put the same protection on her and Harry's home - wherever they would live from then on - as he put on Privet Drive back in her time.
She and Severus helped Lily, still clutching on to a now dosing Harry, to her feet. Pomona and invisible Filius had cleared most of my the rubble and other obstacles from the nursery, making their movements easier.
"Severus." Lily said turning to Severus and acknowledging him for the first time.
"Yes, Lily."
"Please tell me you aren't working for him, that you're on our side..."
Severus seemed desperate to get Lily to believe him and his expression reminded of the boy Severus when Minerva taught him.
"I really am, Lily..." Severus said, "I'm on your side... I'm working as a spy for Dumbledore."
"I trust Severus with my life, Lily." Minerva put in kindly, knowing this needed a second opinion. "He has risked his life by placing himself in such a precarious position. If You-Know-Who finds out the danger he will be in is unimaginable..." she broke off with a shudder.
Pomona piped in, "Albus has hired him as Hogwarts' new Potions professor for Horace Slughorn decided it best for him to retire just this week."
Lily gave Severus a tired smile and Severus looked very relieved. Then she surprised him with a brief hug, which he returned mindful of the brat in her left arm.
"How did you all turn up here?" Lily asked.
Minerva said smoothly, silently praising herself for the quick thinking, "I had cast a charm on you and James a while ago. This charm would warn me if you were in danger. It went off a little before eight thirty and when I reached the Entrance Hall and ran into Pomona and we headed here. Severus reached here a second after us."
Minerva closed her eyes and said sharply. "We should have come sooner!"
It wasn't the truth. It wasn't a lie either. Lily sighed and said nothing more.
Severus said, "I'm going to inform the Headmaster about the current situation."
Pomona said, "You do that Severus, but, goodness, we need answers! You-Know-Who is dead! What did you do, Lily? How did this happen?"
"I'd rather not talk about it just now, Pomona." Lily shuddered weakly. "But I assure you, I have no idea what happened."
"I believe you, my dear." Minerva said handing her her wand and then looked at her watch.
Minerva was looking forward to seeing Albus alive and well, but she hoped against hope she wouldn't tear up in his presence... Well, if she did tear up, she could put the blame on her grief for James or even her happiness that the world had finally got some relief from such a terrible situation.
With a final nod, Severus hurried down the stairs. Minerva had a feeling that Filius had left them too.
Slowly, she helped Lily and Harry as they and Pomona headed down the now clean stairs. When her eyes fell on her husband, Lily let out an anguished sound and ran and knelt besides him, clutching Harry closer to herself with one hand and stroking James's face with the other.
"Oh, James."
"Da." Harry said softly.
That did it. Lily broke down, her shoulders shaking with the force of her sobs. Harry cried softly along with her. Minerva placed her hand on her shoulder as a sign of silent support.
The puttering of a motorcycle reached Minerva's ears not long after. Then the puttering was replaced by rapid footsteps, and a young, handsome Sirius Black came running in, white faced.
He stopped short, taking in his surroundings, and when his eyes fell on James, he sucked in his breath with a whispered, "No." Then he breathed out, "James."
Minerva exchanged a look with Pomona. This needed appropriate manipulation, failing which, Sirius would either be arrested or their plot would be blown wide open.
"Why are you pretending, Black?" Minerva said in as cold a voice as she could muster, her wand in hand. Knowing how terrible Sirius was already feeling was forcing her to be a little softer with him, but it had to done harshly or her cover would be destroyed.
"Or are you crying for your master who lies dead on the floor above? They're probably calling you a traitor now, aren't they? So gladly giving him the location of the friend who trusted you with his life and the lives of his wife and son."
Sirius just stood there with his hands limp at his sides, looking stricken. He gasped as realisation hit him and his widened as he turned to Minerva and said, "I didn't... Y-you don't understand... I -"
"Don't understand what?" Pomona said fiercely. "Don't we understand that you were the Secret Keeper?"
"Sirius!" Lily cried as she finally saw him. She got up and made her way towards him, when Minerva and Pomona stood in front of her, their wands trained at Sirius.
"No, Lily! That man is dangerous!"
"Oooooh!" Harry squealed excitedly as he caught sight of Sirius, his drowsiness all but vanished.
"No, he isn't!" Lily said confused. "He's just Sirius. You've probably got him confused for someone else, Minerva."
"Lily -" Sirius began only to be deliberately interrupted by Minerva.
"He has just betrayed you and your family, Lily! He sold you to You-Know-Who!"
"No!" Lily said shaking her head furiously, her confusion waning, now that it was obvious that she had finally realised what they were implying. "Sirius wasn't the Secret Keeper!"
"I'm sure, your tired, dear." Pomona said kindly. "And the shock of way the situation must have really got through you, but once we have this Death Eater out of the way..."
"I am not tired." Lily said sounding fierce as Harry pushed his weight toward, hands outstretched, trying to reach out to Sirius. "Sirius wasn't our Secret Keeper! Please listen to me!"
"Who was your Secret Keeper, then?" Minerva said with patient sarcasm.
"Peter, Peter Pettigrew. And we didn't tell anyone that we switched." Lily suddenly looked distraught. "Oh, we thought poor Remus was the traitor."
She let out a sob.
Pomona sighed and Minerva put on a torn look.
Finally, Pomona said, "Let's take this up with Dumbledore."
Immediately, Minerva non-verbally sent ropes to tie a silent but subdued Sirius up and then disarmed him. He fell to the ground with a loud thunder, and Lily let out an upset sound.
"Let him go! He's innocent!"
Harry started crying again.
"We will let Albus Dumbledore be the judge of that."
"It's okay, Lily." Sirius whispered as trying to sound as soothing as possible.
Minerva magically got him to his feet and grabbed him by the tight rope. He didn't struggle, but sent Lily a reassuring gaze as he moved along with Minerva towards James. Minerva gave him a long look, long enough for Sirius to take a last look of his 'brother in all but blood'.
Then she dragged Sirius out of the house and disapperated with him.
When her feet touched the ground, she turned to look at Sirius, who still looked very pale, shaken even. She knew this was no time to be gentle, so with stiff silence, she waited for Pomona, Lily and Harry wand trained at her prisoner.
Harry wasn't able to participate in anything that went on, but Minerva couldn't miss the hurt expression he sent her way when she put the ropes around Sirius. Harry was acting the role of a mere baby. What would he have done if he was in her shoes?
It took five whole minutes for the other three to disapperate to Hogwarts. Minerva was beginning to get anxious, though her Occlumency shields kept her from showing it to Sirius who remained respectively silent.
Now, Lily had a cloak on with her hair tied in a neat ponytail and Harry was wrapped in a number of blankets, fast asleep, or pretending, Minerva had no idea.
Lily gave Sirius's arm a squeeze and led the way through the gates of Hogwarts. Sirius showed no resistance what so ever.
To be continued...