Disclaimer: All characters herein except those otherwise noted belong to J.K. Rowling, who I think, on occasion, to be some sort of goddess. Inspired by another fic of mine, and throught out while sitting through much boredom at work. Spoilers for all five books, I suppose.

Notes: Thanks so much to Kathy, for beta, and for helping over rough spots plotwise. Love ya, babe. Thank you to everyone who has reviewed and given me such wonderful feedback.

Through Time

Seven: The Calling

Lord Voldemort called his Death Eaters home on Halloween.

James found out first, when Slytherin (and not Slytherin) parents began arriving and demanding that their children come home, late, late in the night. Dumbledore let them go without a word, just a silent stoicism, but he knew why they left. James sat next to the fire on one of the dark leather sofas of the common room, a book in his lap, watching surreptitiously.

Lily knew next, when the Ravenclaws arrived for Transfiguration on the morning after and the Slytherins did not. She looked at McGonagall, her eyes wide, and McGonagall's lips turned to a thin, almost nonexistent line in her pale face. She dismissed the class immediately and hurried to Dumbledore's office. Lilly ran through the corridors and out into the courtyard, then down to the greenhouses, bursting in on where the Sixth year Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs were having class.

Sirius looked up at her, and so did Professor Sprout. "Miss Evans?" the Professor asked, looking worried. Lily was panting, her red hair windswept and stuck to her face with a light sheen of sweat.

Lily turned her head sharply to look at Harry. She heard Hermione gasp, and Ron dropped his trowel. Sirius tripped over a stool and had to catch himself against one of the tables.

He hurried toward Lily. "Do James and Remus know?" Sirius asked. Lily looked around warily as he said Remus's names. Lily realized that at this point, it didn't matter.

"James has to, he's in Slytherin. They're all gone." Lily said.

"Not all of them," Harry said. "All of the first and second years are still here. Most of the third and fourth years. It's the rest that are gone."

"Excuse me!" Professor Sprout said. "You are interrupting my class!"

"Professor, Lord Voldemort—" Lily had to pause while the entire class—save Harry and Hermione—winced. "He has called his Death Eaters to him. They took their children…I don't know…"

"To be initiated." Hermione said, her eyes wide. "To make them part of Voldemort's army."

"Draco Malfoy was still at breakfast," Ernie McMillan said. "I would have thought that him, of all the Slytherins…"

Professor Sprout shot him a glare. "McMillan, you keep your mouth closed about other students."

"Sorry Ma'am," Ernie said.

"Now, class, please return to your houses, and REMAIN THERE," Professor Sprout ordered. She turned to Sirius and Lily. "You two please escort your housemates to your houses."

She left the greenhouses, lifting her robes high over her feet and running up the lawns as fast as her short, pudgy legs could carry her.

Lily looked at Sirius. "Meet me back at the stairs in ten minutes." She said. "Gryffindors! Follow me!" A low chatter began in the classroom as the students began putting their tools and books away.

"Leave them, and come on!" Sirius said. "Hurry!"

Sirius and Lily led their housemates up the lawns and into the castle, where they broke apart, Lily calling to Sirius "Ten minutes!" and they took them to their dormitories.

Twenty minutes later, they met back in the main hall.

"Sorry," Lily said. She motioned to the group standing with her. "Dumbledore's Army here, caused me a bit of a problem."

Harry crossed his arms and stood behind her. Hermione was at his left, Ron at his right. Behind him was Katie Bell, the oldest of the army still at the school, Neville Longbottom, Ginny Weasley, Colin and Dennis Creevy, Dean Thomas, and Seamus Finnigan. Sirius gave her a smile.

"I had the same problem." He said. Behind him were Zacharias Smith, Susan Bones, and Ernie McMillan.

"We know what we're doing," Ernie said, a strong set to his chin. "We're not Gryffindors, and none of us are as talented as Harry, but we want to do what we can."

James came walking into the hall, a bottle of a strange blue liquid in his hand. Draco Malfoy and a pretty girl with blue-black hair that Lily nor Sirius recognized by name trailing behind him.

He held up the bottle. "Snape left this for us. It's the counter-potion to the one that Sirius, Remus and I take," he said. "And… this is Draco. I guess you all know him."

Harry stepped up, narrowing his eyes. "He's just as bad as any Death Eater," Harry said, almost snarling the words. "He's just as evil as his father was."

"Don't you mention my father!" Draco shouted. Lily looked at him, at the pale, pointed face, grey eyes rimmed with dark circles, and bloodshot. He had been crying.

"Harry, please," James said. He uncorked the bottle and took a drink, then held it to Sirius.

"Is it poison?" Sirius asked.

"Drink up, Si," James said. "If Snape poisoned me, you're going down too. Besides, he left the same bottle for Remus too, and they were always…cordial."

Sirius drank, stowing the last portion of potion away in its vial in his pocket. "Why the Slytherins?" he asked, curling up his lip at the word.

"Please, Harry, Sirius," James said. The group standing with them watched as both Sirius's and James's hair began darkening, their faces changing. Susan bones covered her mouth in shock. "His father is dead."

"They executed him last month," Draco said, his voice harsh, filled with tears. Lily saw him swallow several times before he opened his mouth to speak again. "My… my mother." He ducked his head down, and when he looked back up, there were tears streaming down his cheeks. "She killed herself. Sent me a note, yesterday morning, told me… told me that she had no life without my dad."

"Bollocks," Ron said. "She couldn't have loved. He couldn't have loved her. Heartless—"

"Shut your mouth, Weasel." Draco snarled. Harry looked at him, the boy broken, and knew how he felt, being an orphan. "My mother loved my dad more than anything. Except herself. More than me. More than life."

"What about her?" Lily asked, nodding to the girl, trying to head off the argument. She was glad that Draco was taking up the good fight, for what it was worth. Someday, her son would be able to forgive him, maybe. It would take time, but maybe…

"Blaise," the girl said. "Zabini. And I want nothing to do with my parents, my family, Lord Voldemort. I like being alive."

Lily stared at the girl, and could almost feel the fire inside her. Blue eyes in a pale face, Blaise stared back at anyone who would give her the chance. Someone like that was what the side of good needed. Someone strong.

"Good," Lily said, taking charge. "Let's go find Remus, then go up to Dumbledore."

"Wait, wait. Who are you guys?" Neville said, speaking for the first time. Lily spun around to face him, her dark red hair flying.

"I'm Lily Evans. Or maybe you don't know me." She said. "There's a long story. I was brought forward through time to wage war against the man who wants to kill my son."

"Yeah right," said Zacharias Smith. Sirius looked as though he might hit the boy.

"Yeah, farfetched, I know. But someone brought me here, and I'll give my life for my son, if I have to." Lily said. "Again."

"That doesn't make any sense," Ginny said. Hermione spoke up, her voice ringing through the hall.

"She's Lily Potter. Harry's mother."