Second Chances
Chapter 16: This will never be forgotten.
When Lily and Severus came up the stairs, nobody seemed to be around. Severus rose a brow at his lovely partner.
"I didn't realize I was that intimidating," he stated dryly and couldn't help but smile when Lily chuckled merrily, her green eyes twinkling brightly.
"In fact, you were, but I think they merely wanted to grant us some privacy. If I know our family right, they're outside right now and visit the horses," she answered, linking arms with him while steering him to a large wooden door that lead outside.
Severus felt his heart warming once more. 'Our family'. He couldn't believe he had a family to belong to again, after only ever belonging with Dominick. But then he had yet to righten matters with the others, he had really treated them very badly and the least he owed them was an apology. He could just hope they would accept it and could forgive him.
"A Knut for your thoughts," Lily's sweet voice leaked into his thoughts, rich and warm like honey, as they left the House and went outside.
"I just wondered how I could make up to the others for being a complete bastard this morning," he replied truthfully.
She squeezed his arm lovingly. "Don't worry, love. I wouldn't be surprised if Jamie had already explained everything to them."
He nodded, feeling somewhat relieved. Not wanting to earn the praise for someone else's work, he had naturally told her what her brother had done for them. Knowing her twin, she hadn't been surprised at all.
Snow was sparkling in the bright sunlight and the forest around them looked like some winter wonderland as they followed a small path through the trees. Soon laughing and chatter could be heard, and Severus cast the redhead at his side a questioning glance.
"We have a truce with most of the creatures in the area, so that they protect us and we them, along with providing them with things they can't get for themselves, you know, healing potions and stuff like that. Consequently we don't need to watch out close by the House and can just relax and be ourselves," she answered his unspoken question.
They passed through a group of firs, and found themselves on a wide clearing. A flock of the furry, sturdy horses that clearly belonged to the same kind as Goa and Saga was spread over the place, some of them resting, others guarding, and a bunch of them playing with the three adolescents, while the two human adults and several equine ones were watching in amusement. Severus didn't know their game, but it seemed to involve several snowballs, much running and hiding and a whole lot of fun. Two of the adult horses looked up as they approached the group, and Severus recognized the mares that had accompanied them so far on their way through the wood. They separated from the rest of the gathered equines and came forward to greet them. Saga whinnied warmly and even Goa growled friendly, both nuzzling their hands amiably. They were still occupied with the mares when a mental 'whoop' of joy sounded and two familiar fire-balls zoomed around them in excitement.
~You back!~ Ardent's tiny voice exclaimed happily.
~You well!~ Glimmer, his female counterpart could be heard.
The two Fire-Fays swirled merrily around them both, until Ardent bustled into Severus' hair and settled in the soft black shoulder-length tresses.
~Missed you, Sev,~ the male Fay sighed contentedly, ~ is fun, talking to you.~
Slightly embarrassed, the Potions Master mumbled something incomprehensible, but didn't object to the small humanoid staying where he was. Lily just smiled, let Glimmer settle in the long curls cascading over her shoulders and resumed their walk to her brother and their werewolf friend. James grinned broadly at the pair, looking quite smug, and Romulus bore a look of approval that made him seem more human. His yellow eyes gleamed golden in the sunlight as he rolled them at the two.
"Humans! I wonder how that race always manages to survive, despite all those misunderstandings and troubles concerning the courting rituals. I knew it when I first saw you two together that you were destined for each other," he growled friendly.
"Maybe, but you have the advantage of your keen senses over us poor mortals, oh mighty lord werewolf," Lily retorted heartily.
Romy's eyes twinkled and he patted her generously on the head. "It's never too late to learn, my dear child," he said magnanimously.
Lily snorted, and released a heap of snow by heating a branch of the tree they were standing beneath with magic. It fell neatly on her target, while the Fays squeaked and hurried out of range to avoid any regrettable accidents.
"If you say that, who am I to contradict you?" she replied meekly, before she couldn't suppress the laughter any longer at the sight of her friend, glancing at her with faint surprise from under a cap of snow.
Romy just quirked an eyebrow at her. "What are you laughing at, girl? Never seen a werewolf take a snow-shower in the midst of winter?"
That sufficed to let James and Severus break into laughter as well, and Romy promptly joined them, dusting the snow off himself and throwing some handfuls at each of them for revenge. Just then, a well-aimed snowball hit James in the shoulder and spluttered all of them with snow. Upon turning around, they could see three mischievous faces beam at them, before James yelled a battle-cry, grabbed some snow, and launched into a counter-attack, the remaining adults following him suit, Severus hesitating only for a brief moment. The youngsters squealed, and hurried away into different directions, hiding between their four-legged partners in crime. Soon, a hilarious battle was ensued and even the stern Potions Master had to admit that he thoroughly enjoyed himself. The kids worked together in a way that would have made every Slytherin proud, and were in addition aided by the horses, while the adults were pretty much without a tactic until Severus took matters into his hands. In the end, both parties were exhausted, but happy and a truce was called. Saying their goodbyes to the horses, they set to return to the House, soaking wet, tired, but very content.
When all of them had showered and changed into dry clothes, they met again in the living-room and gathered comfortably in front of a homely fire with hot chocolate, still steaming, waiting in mugs on a small table between them. Severus sat in a very large armchair, Lily in his arms who softly leaned back into him utterly relaxed. Two smaller armchairs were occupied by James and Romulus, while the young ones were sprawled on a big sofa with many soft-looking cushions.
Severus sighed in contentment and a kind of pleasant defeat, and Lily, sensing what he was about to do, squeezed his hand reassuringly.
"I think I owe all of you an apology," he said softly, "I've been a mean git at breakfast and... I'm sorry."
This said, he heaved another sigh and leaned his chin on Lily's hair when she snuggled closer to him.
Romulus snorted. "Damn right to be, ShadowBoy," he growled. "But by now, we all know that it was due to special circumstances, so you are forgiven. But next time something like that occurs, you better just go and talk to the person who offended you as soon as possible, okay? We wouldn't want any regrettable accidents to happen, with all us werewolves around. We tend to bite people when they upset those we care for, you know?" But he smiled when he said that, and winked at him good-naturedly.
"I think I got your meaning, my friend," the Slytherin retorted wryly, but also had a faint smile on his face. Then he looked at the amber-eyed man inquiringly.
"You seem to be astonishingly at ease with being a werewolf. I don't think I recall any other of your kind ever displaying such a peace with their condition."
Romulus leaned back in his armchair lazily. "Being at peace is the result of accepting yourself the way you are. And to accept yourself, you have to know yourself. Most of us don't. They are unable to get to know both sides of their nature because they are afraid of the wolf. And as long as they can't accept the wolfish part of their soul, they can never be at ease with what they are."
"And you accepted what you are," Severus commented.
The werewolf grinned at him slyly. "It seems so, doesn't it?" he replied. "But then, it was never as hard for me as it was for others. Being accepted by those you care for helps a lot. The Draught we developed did the rest."
"You have mentioned this 'Draught' before. Just what is it? And what are its effects?"
"That, you better ask those who created it," Romulus answered, gesturing towards the assembled McGonagalls.
Severus looked down at Lily, eager to learn more about the potion. But she just yawned and nestled closer against him. Her brother chuckled at the sight.
"Well, it seems our FireChild is too exhausted for scientific discussions at the moment." He looked over at the youngsters, who tried to conceal their excitement, but didn't quite succeed. Putting on a stern expression, he said: "Since it is the three of you who are responsible for her weariness, it will also be at you to answer the Potions Master's questions." Their eyes started to sparkle at that, and James resumed his smile. "And since it was Holly's idea to begin with, I suggest that you start with the explanation."
The twin in question nodded and turned to meet his inquiring gaze. She was quite a pretty girl, and with the long hair a few shades darker than the average Weasley's in addition to her startling blue eyes, she promised to grow into a beautiful woman one day. Said eyes, bright with intelligence and filled with respect, met his fearlessly as she launched into her answer.
"As you know, Sir, almost all of the research done on the cure of lycantrophy has been aimed at suppressing the animal nature, 'keeping the beast at bay' so to speak. Those potions made the werewolves weary and tired, because the struggle of their two natures wore them out. Your Wolfsbane Potion was the first that didn't interfere with the transformation, but instead strengthened the human mind enough to retain sanity during the process, which was a distinct improvement."
Admiration flashed through her glance before she continued. "But it was still no solution to the problem. So we got the idea of trying a completely different approach. The concept behind the Draught of the Full Moon is based on what Romulus just told you. A werewolf goes into rage when he transforms because the human mind abhors the beastly nature and fights violently against everything associated with it. Now we wondered if that could be helped by somehow combining the two. And that's what the potion does. It merges the mind of the wolf with that of the human."
Severus felt his eyes widen. "It does what?!" he exclaimed.
Holly looked over to her twin, who neatly took over.
"It makes the instincts and thought processes of the wolf fuse with the higher cognitive capacities of the human. The result is a werewolf who has the benefit of a wolf's keen senses and sharp instincts as well as a human's intellect all the time. Some features of the wolf-shape manifest also in the human form, such as the canines and the eyes for example, while the hair colour changes to match the fur colour in wolf form. Once solidly merged, the mind stays the same in both forms," Heather told him with a touch of pride at their achievements.
"Until that happens, the Draught has to be taken every day, then once a month," their brother resumed the explanation. "We used mostly ingredients that balanced the two fighting natures, combined with fusing and mending essences we took over from healing potions."
He then started to elaborate on the ingredients and the making of the Draught, together with the two girls who occasionally added the one or other comment.
Severus watched them in carefully concealed awe. Hearing the boy, who resembled Harry Potter so strongly that, if given a pair of glasses and the famous scar he could pass for the Boy-Who-Lived any time, talk so animatedly about Potions, was very strange. But he had to admit that the youngsters knew their stuff and more. As he joined in the discussion, he quickly discovered they were easily OWL-level, probably even further. And to his surprise he found he enjoyed the conversation, for all three had sharp minds and were quick thinkers, thus coming up with quite interesting and creative ideas. The twins turned out to have quite different personalities. Holly, being the more subtle one, chose her words well and tactical, while Heather was more on the open, forward side, though she, too, considered well what she said. Harry, however, let the girls do most of the talking, just now and then adding his own opinion in a calm and gentle way. But whatever he said was well thought trough, and the Slytherin had to admit he liked the quiet boy and his two sisters, and he wondered what it would be like to have them at Hogwarts.
James and Romulus had finally joined their conversation when it turned from potions to other topics. As the werewolf leaned towards them, the light of the fire caught on the strange pearly gemstone at Romulus' throat and Severus remembered that he still didn't know about the function of it.
"That is a peculiar pendant you have there, Romulus. I think I saw a similar one with Ria. Does it have something to do with her being able to assume wolf form when there was no full moon?" he asked.
The grey-haired man nodded and reached up to touch the stone tenderly. "Yes, it does. James and Grandma Rose created a charm that is able to bind the light of the full moon into a carefully chosen and specially treated moonstone. This way we are able to transform whenever we wish. And since it is no longer bound to the pain and horror it has been before, we can use our wolf form like an Animagus his animal form. We have to charge the stone regularly, but that poses no problem."
Severus eyed the others with respect. "So you succeeded in taking the edge out of what people consider a curse and making a weakness into a strength. That is most remarkable. You have my deepest regards."
The three youngsters blushed slightly at the compliment, and James and Lily smiled happily.
"The werewolves are our friends. Knowing we could help them is the best praise we could wish for," Harry said in a soft voice.
Silence followed his words, as everyone of them hang after his own thoughts for some moments. Then one of the twins, Heather, glanced at Severus and her eyes sparkled with curiosity.
"Sir? Dad told us you are a Potions Master at Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry. Would you mind telling us a bit about the school?" she asked shyly, but with great interest.
The Slytherin eyed the siblings and saw the same expression on their faces.
"Why not?" he replied, "What do you want to know?"
That served to let loose a whole avalanche of questions, and soon all of them were deeply engaged in conversation again. Completely oblivious to the amount of time that passed, they only then fell silent when an eerie trill interrupted their talk. Severus started at the voice that clearly belonged to a phoenix and looked questioningly down at his love who straightened at once.
"That's Jeanne!" she exclaimed in joy, and just as she raised her arm, a beautiful fire-coloured phoenix swooped into the room and down on her hand.
The magnificent bird chirped happily, and turned her glittering dark eyes to look over the redhead's shoulder at the dark-haired man.
Lily stroked the bird tenderly. "Severus, that's Jeanne, she's Grandma's familiar. Jeanne, that's Severus Snape, the love of my heart."
Sweet warmth spread through his body upon hearing her call him that and he squeezed the hand of her that he still held lovingly as he nodded at the phoenix. Jeanne crooned what he assumed was a 'hello' at him and continued to enjoy Lily's caresses.
"That means Grandma..." James started, but was cut of by a warm, female voice.
"... is back. That's right, my dear."
All of them turned to the entrance, where a tall, silver-haired lady passed through the door and made her way towards them. Lily sprang out of the armchair and ran to enclose the old woman in a hearty embrace.
"Oh Grandma, it's so good to see you again!"
"My dear child, you know I'm always with you, even when you can't see me," her grandmother replied warmly.
The redhead let her go, just to be replaced by the three adolescents, who had hurried over to hug the elderly witch with equal enthusiasm. After her family was finished with greeting their Grandma, she let her gaze rest on Severus, who by now stood as well with Lily at his side.
"Grandma, this is..." she began, but once again, the older woman took over the sentence.
"... the person you chose to bring with you from Hogwarts, I know. It's a pleasure to meet you at last, Severus Snape, I'm Grandma Rose. Your brother spoke of you quite often, he held you very dear. It brings great joy to my heart to see life granted Lily and you a second chance and you were wise enough to take it. Welcome to our family, my dear boy."
The silver-haired witch stepped forward to enclose him in a welcoming embrace and for the first time he could see her features clearly in the firelight. Shock made him stiffen and his eyes go round, and Rose chuckled warmly, when she pulled back and saw the expression on his face.
"You.. you...," was all he managed to stammer.
She chuckled again. "My dear, no need to look so terrified. One could think I look like Voldemort himself."
"Quite on the contrary," he finally choked.
The woman in front of him was old. Long silver hair streamed down to her waist, and wise cerulean eyes twinkled brightly at him. But that was not what had disconcerted him so much. He was looking into the face of a carbon copy of Albus Dumbledore. Granted, her nose was straight and her eyes had a slightly different colour, but the rest of her features were just like those of his old mentor and friend.
Rose twinkled at him a moment longer, before she finally took pity on him.
"To answer your unspoken question, yes, I'm related to Albus and no, he didn't know about it when he let you accompany my granddaughter. As to all the other questions you and Lily undoubtedly have, I suggest we all move over to the dining-room and have lunch, and after that the three of us go down into The Garden for a walk and you will get your answers. Is that agreeable with you, my dear boy?"
Severus swallowed, but had regained his composure by now.
"Sure, that's fine by me," he replied calmly.
"Excellent," Rose beamed at him, "Come along then, all of you."
Lily slid under his arm, and keeping her close to him, he followed the old witch into the dining-room along with the rest of the family.
He would never forget that meal he had with Lily and the other McGonagalls, and that was not due to Rose's excellent cooking. No, what made lunch so special was the company. All of them were chattering merrily, teasing, laughing, bickering, and they enclosed him in their talk. They truly made him feel like he belonged here, like he was part of this family, a feeling only Hogwarts had ever come close to. For him, who had never had anyone care about him other than Dominick, Lily and Albus, it was almost overwhelming.
Rose for her part was every bit as magnificent as Albus, down to the twinkle in her eyes and the way she seemed to look right into your soul, as well as the genial mind she displayed throughout the conversation. What set her apart from his mentor were the wise, yet sometimes totally enigmatic remarks she used to throw in from time to time, but he could always sense some kind of deeper meaning to her words when she did this, and it made his respect for her only increase. And she really was a very dear old lady, full of the same fire that filled her granddaughter, determined and energetic. He found he really liked her.
Most of the talking done during the meal was idle chat, and the twins explaining the family's naming tradition to him. As they told him, every girl was named after a flower, chosen to try and best symbolize their personality, while every boy was called James and granted with a more or less suitable middle-name, so Harry was in fact James Harold McGonagall. Since the older James had never ceased to be called Jamie, the family had taken to call the younger one by his middle-name, Harry. They also confirmed his suspicion that the ornamentations on the bronze door represented their family tree and the twins were more than willing to provide him with further information on the different flowers' symbolic meanings. Again, time passed fast, and soon they rose from the table with Lily and Severus following Rose down to The Garden.
The sun stood high in the enchanted ceiling, and it was pleasantly warm. In silence they passed the first hills, and Severus found himself being led to a small lake with three benches at its shore. Rose gestured at them to take a seat at one, while sitting down at another one that formed a right angle with the first. Once they were all comfortably seated, the silver-haired witch spoke up.
"Ask your questions, my children, and I will see what answers I'm able provide you with," she said gently.
"Well," Severus began," perhaps you could start by telling us who you really are. A daughter of Albus maybe?"
Rose gazed warmly upon him and chuckled in amusement. "Oh Lily, that's a sweet one you chose. Daughter, indeed..." She shook her head softly. "No, my dear, I'm not Albus' daughter, though your compliment warms my old heart. I'm his sister, Aurora Dumbledore."
The Potions Master felt his eyes widen once again. "But that can't be. Aurora Dumbledore is presumed dead..." he exclaimed, slightly shocked.
"As is Romulus Lupin. As are the others who run with the pack or reside in several small villages throughout the forest. I believe you just discovered one of the Secrets of the DarkWood," she told him calmly.
"But how... and why...?" he asked faintly.
"You see, Slytherin was not the only one to pass unique abilities onto his descendants. Although it is nothing near common knowledge, Godric Gryffindor had a certain gift of his own, which happened to breed true in every single of his children to a different extent. And believe me, he had quite a few of them, thus the gift spread so wide that today it is almost impossible to trace it back to him except for some very old families, of which the Dumbledores happen to be one."
"We are descendants of Godric Gryffindor?" Lily asked in awe, while Severus took in the information and inquired: "And what is this gift of yours about?"
Rose smiled benignly at him. "Have you ever wondered how Albus always seems to know about everything that's going on?" At his nod, she continued. "Our gift grants us awareness of events happening at a certain time window. Albus 'knows' about the present. I, on the other hand, am aware of the future."
"So this is where my dreams and presentiments come from! And Jamie, his gift is about the past, isn't it?" her granddaughter exclaimed in surprise. "But why didn't you tell us?"
The older woman eyed Lily with love and a kind of... regret. "Knowing about the future is a heavy burden, my FireChild, and as nearly every manifestation of this gift works slightly different, every one of us has to learn to deal with it on their own. While your gift gives you dreams about what is going to happen, along with an improved sense of intuition, mine gives me an insight about how things will develop according to current events. To put it another way, your Sight shows you how stones are going to fall in the near future, or situations where some kind of a crossing is reached and alternative paths can be taken. It tells you when something is important or dangerous. My version of Sight shows me the course the stones will take from the present circumstances, so the view changes from second to second as the future is always in motion."
"That... is a most disconcerting ability. Great, but terrible," Severus stated calmly.
"That it is. But many years ago, even before James and Albus succeeded in defeating Grindelwald, it showed me how another Dark Lord would rise, more powerful and evil than the one we were fighting at that time, and almost impossible to defeat. So I took it upon myself to arrange things in a way that would render his ultimate downfall possible. This forest, with all its inhabitants, is one of the precautions I made."
"But why did you never tell me?" Lily repeated, clearly upset with what she had been told, "Why did you never tell me I was a witch and made me think I had nearly no magical abilities at all? Why did you keep me away from Hogwarts? What was all of that good for?"
"Oh my dear child, I never intended to hurt you," Rose said empathetically, taking her granddaughter's hands in her own and pressing them in a loving gesture. "It was absolutely necessary to protect you and your brother. Your father... he had been very close to Voldemort, but he failed to see him for what he really was, a spirit evil to the core. Salvia always tried to show him, to make him understand, but when he finally did, it was too late and he was betrayed and murdered by the Dark Lord. Your mother hadn't told her husband about her pregnancy yet, so Voldemort didn't know about it either. If he had, he surely would have been after you, and would have killed you along with her. Hiding you here, out of his reach, was the only possibility of keeping you safe."
She paused and, sitting back again, let go of Lily's hands. "As for the magic... I never really said you had no magic, I just... didn't encourage you trying it out for a very simple reason: We would have needed wands to do that. And there was no chance of us ever leaving the wood, much less going to Diagon Alley."
She held up a hand when her granddaughter opened her mouth to protest. "I know what you want to say, what about wandless magic? Think about it, child. You know now how much control and discipline is needed to perform this kind of magic. We both know the others didn't give you that nickname without a reason. You have inherited much of your father's and grandfather's temper, and you really are every bit a Child of the Fire. By now, you have cooled down a bit, but can you imagine what could have happened would you have been able to use magic when you were younger? Considering your affection to that element, your temper would most certainly not have been the only thing to flare up when you were angered. Thus I taught all of you the things I could, so that all you would need to catch on would be the practice."
Lily's eyes darkened with surprise. "How do you know about the lessons Professor Dumbledore gave us?"
Rose chuckled again, a warm, rich sound. "You forgot that it is my brother we're talking about, my dear. Of course I had a fairly good idea what he would do once you were at Hogwarts. So your Animagus form is a phoenix? Jeanne is going to be quite proud of you."
The redhead grinned at the thought, but it quickly turned into a slight frown. "Grandma, how can this be? I mean, I never heard of an Animagus whose form is a magical beast before," she demanded.
"That stems from your father's side, in his line there have been some Animagi who took on those unusual forms, though it is a rare feature and may manifest not in every generation. Alas, your brother and you have so many Transfiguration-talented ancestors that it's no wonder one of you happens to be a Fantastic Beast Animagus. Would you show your form to your old grandmother then?" she requested.
"Sure," replied Lily and changed. Next to Severus sat the beautiful phoenix and chirped before taking off and soaring through The Garden. Her flight was full of freedom, and a heartfelt joy, and the dark-haired man never took his eyes from her until she returned and settled on the elderly witch's arm. Rose's eyes sparkled with love and pride and she nodded at her grandchild approvingly.
"Jeanne will indeed be very proud of you. As am I." She paused, the expression on her face turning very gently. "As your mother would be."
Emerald eyes glittered with emotion, and changing back in an instant, Lily hugged her grandmother fiercely. Rose returned the embrace tenderly, and caressed the dark-red curls. Several moments later, they separated, but Rose kept one arm around her granddaughter and Lily leaned into her motherly warmth, just to back away again, fumbling for something in the pockets of her robes.
"Hellfire," she breathed, taking out the envelope Albus had given her, "I almost forgot about the letter with all those recent events." Handing it to Rose, she explained: "Albus wrote it, he said he wanted to ask you to let me come back to Hogwarts."
Her grandmother nodded, not surprised in the least, and broke the seal. She sat silent for a moment after she had finished reading it, and just when Lily was about to say something, she smiled, albeit a bit sad, it seemed.
"I fear these matters will sort themselves in a short time," she told them enigmatically in a soft voice.
Severus just opened his mouth to ask how she had meant that, when all of a sudden a hot pain seared through his left arm, so strong it made him go down on his knees. Clutching his fore-arm, he moaned in agony as his world narrowed to a small patch of consciousness left beside the anguish that flowed in waves through his body. Eternity seemed to burn its way through his mind and wrecked his body on its way through.
But as unexpected as it had come, it was over, and he found himself wrapped tightly in the arms of his love, her hand covering his where it was clutching the Dark Mark branded into his skin. He let himself be soothed for a brief moment, then comprehension washed through him like ice-water.
"Voldemort," he choked, looking up to Rose in terror, "he found a way to activate the Dark Mark!"
"I know." The older woman just nodded and crouched down beside him. "Keep still for a moment," she said, pulling a wand out of the sleeve of her robe. Pointing it at the spot where their hands lay over the Mark, she quietly said: " Prodico Coniunctio."
A tingle went through his arm, but it was not unpleasant, just peculiar.
Rose straightened up. "You can remove your hands now, children. Voldemort won't be able to reach you again, my dear boy."
Reluctantly, both let go of his arm and helping him stand, Lily snuggled closely against him. Enclosing her in his arms firmly, he looked at the silver-haired witch and asked: "What did you do?"
Before Rose could answer, however, a wave seemed to go through the building, and was shaken like by an earthquake.
The old witch looked up to the ceiling. "No time for answers anymore, I'm afraid, my boy. Voldemort tries to breach the wards. Once he has succeeded, he will be able to apparate into the house."
She held the envelope from Albus up and turned it head down, which made two brass keys fall out of it onto her hand. Then she looked at the pair standing in front of her, desperately clinging to each other.
"Don't worry, my children, he won't get you. Albus sent these two Portkeys along with the letter, they will take you straight to Hogsmeade. We better go up to the others and tell them."
And with this said, she hurried to the exit of The Garden, leaving them to rush after her. The three of them had just climbed the stairs, when a second wave struck the house, making the walls rattle violently. The rest of the family was already on the corridor, calm, but clearly distressed.
"Grandma, the wards...!" Jamie started, only to be cut of by Rose.
"... won't hold any longer than ten minutes, I know. Now go and get the stuff you packed, and hurry. Romulus, my dear, you know what you have to do?"
The werewolf nodded. "I'll go and warn the pack. I take it you already alarmed the villagers?"
"Indeed, I did. Go, my dear boy, and run as fast as you can. I want you to be a good longitude away when those Death Eaters arrive here. No stops, no fighting, did I make myself clear?" she told him sternly.
"Crystal-clear, Grandma," he replied and she smiled and hugged him cordially.
"Then off with you. And remember: Some things always change and some things always stay the same. Be careful, my dear."
He hugged her back warmly, then pulled back and smiled. "I will," was all he said, before he bade farewell to the others and took off.
Rose looked around and raised a silver eyebrow. "Well, what are you waiting for? Voldemort? Go get your things. Lily, my dear, I took the liberty of packing for you, the bags are shrunken and lie on your bed."
The young woman just nodded with wide eyes, disentangled herself from her partner and rushed off with the rest of her family.
Severus looked at Rose, shaking his head in wonder. "You knew this would happen."
"Yes," she replied matter-of-factly, before another quake made the walls groan around them.
"And yet you let me come, although you knew he would use me to get through the wards," he stated quietly.
The elderly witch stepped nearer and squeezed his shoulder comfortingly. "Don't worry, my dear. Some things are just necessary. Believe me, you know I see where they lead. This was my choice, and I take the full responsibility for it."
A series of shocks ran through the building, followed by several noisy explosions. Rose looked down the stairs in direction of The Garden, but said nothing.
Before Severus could ask anything though, the youngsters came racing back, closely followed by Lily and James.
"We're ready, Grandma," Heather panted and the others nodded their affirmations.
Rose smiled sweetly upon them. "Excellent, my beloved children. Now take the Portkeys, go outside and wait for me there, will you? I want to do some spells to bid Voldemort a nice welcome and I can't do that while anyone is still inside."
Another explosion shook the house and James looked at his grandmother with concern in his cerulean eyes. "But Grandma, we have... "
"... still enough time for that. Trust me, my dear boy." She pulled first the three adolescents, then the adult twins, and last Severus into a heartfelt embrace. "Don't worry, everything will work out for the best. Just remember that I can never be truly separated from any of you. There may be dark times to come, but when the past seems to narrow your path, only recall that stones fallen are best laid to rest in order to gain peace. I love you and I'm very proud of you. Now go!"
Something in her voice kept them from objecting, and when they had cleared their minds from her mysterious words, they found themselves already outside in the yard. Suddenly, the house shook violently, several more explosions roared and the air around them blurred, before it cleared again.
"The wards are down," James stated in a rough voice.
Lily paled. "Grandma!" she cried and prepared to run back to the house, and surprisingly it was Harry who intercepted her before any of the others could move.
"Aunt Lily," he pleaded, "you can't go back there! The Death Eaters are already in The Garden!"
Lily stared at him, shocked. "How do you know?" she whispered.
"He knows about the present like I about the past and you about the future, Lil," James said softly.
The red-haired witch went dead white. "My vision! It's going to happen here, very soon. I have to get Grandma out of there!"
They had no chance to hold her back as she changed into her phoenix form and soared towards the house.
"Damnit!!!" Severus cursed, looking after her retreating form. Then he turned back to the others. "Take one of the Portkeys and go. I will go get them."
"Don't!" Holly said in a calm voice. Severus eyed her questioningly. "My gift works very similar to Grandma's. If you follow her now, all three of you will die."
He quirked an eyebrow at her, trying hard to keep a reign on himself and stay calm. "And what do you suggest instead, young lady?"
"Wait here. You will know when the time has come to go after her. There will be a sign to show you," she answered in the same enigmatic way her grandmother used to.
The Potions Master rolled his eyes. "Absolutely great." Then he sobered up at once. "Do you know what you are asking of me?" he demanded hoarsely.
The girls eyes softened, and at that moment, she looked much older than her years. "Yes, I know," she said very gently. "Please, trust me. Trust her."
He closed his eyes, as if in pain, and opening them again, slowly, hesitantly nodded.
"Then we will go now, and call the Headmaster as soon as we are there," Holly stated firmly and smiled a brief, sad smile at his surprise. "Why should I trust you any less than you trust me?" she asked genially.
Severus shook his head and took one of the Portkeys out of his pocket. James reached for it reluctantly.
"You will take care of her and yourself, won't you?" he demanded in deep concern. "I... we wouldn't want to loose you."
Severus smirked grimly. "Don't worry, James. I will bring her back. Trust me."
The other man smiled at him slightly. "I do. Good luck, ShadowBoy." Turning to his children, he added: "Let's go then," and held out the brass key. The youngster bid him farewell and when he was sure all were touching the magical device, James spoke the word to activate the Portkey. The four of them were gone in an instant and left Severus standing alone in the yard.
Lily in the meantime was swooping towards The Garden. The bronze door stood ajar, and the noises of fighting came from inside. The Animagus didn't hesitate one moment, pushed the door further open with her magic, and slid past it.
Once inside, a picture like out of a nightmare greeted her. Death Eaters were gathered around one of the hills and formed a circle around two combatants that were fighting on it. Curses flew back and forth, and Lily could make out the figure of her beloved grandmother battling a tall stranger in the typical black robes. When she drew nearer, her keen eyesight showed her that his skin was very pale, and his face not quite human, more like the features of a snake. Just when she thought that, a real snake, and a fairly big one at that, rose out of the high grass behind her Grandma, ready to strike.
'NO!' Lily's mind screamed frantically, and a piercing battle-cry left her throat as she made a dive for the reptile, her sudden appearance and sharp talons catching it completely by surprise. Carrying it high with her in a death-grip for a few moments, she let it dump onto a rock across The Garden, hoping it would break its ugly neck. Then she turned back to the fight, preparing to go for the Dark Lord himself. His followers, however, seemed to have other plans, and soon all she could do was dodge the curses thrown at her.
'Grandma! Hold on! I'm coming!' she thought desperately, rushing towards the two figures despite the Death Eaters' attempts to prevent her from it.
As if the old witch had somehow heard her, she looked up for a brief moment, and their eyes met as she swooped down on the dark wizard. Voldemort ducked just in time to avoid her claws and was distracted for a second. That second was enough. Rose smiled then, and looking back to her opponent, she raised her wand in a fluid mock salute, before she pointed it at him. "Separo Animae!" she shouted.
Power erupted from the tip of her wand, and a bright light scorched towards Voldemort, hitting him square in the face and surrounding him. Rose's legs gave way under her as the spell drained her of her power and she fell on her knees. Lily screamed another battle-cry and soared high above the stunned Death Eaters.
But terror clenched her heart in an ice-cold grip as she saw the Dark Lord not fall, but rise, the light dissipating around his head as he shook it. Before she could react, he had aimed his wand at the silver-haired woman. "Avada Kedavra!" he said triumphantly and the green flash left his wand and hit Rose in the chest. She was still smiling as she sank down, an expression of peace on her face.
'NOOO!' what began as the scream of a phoenix changed into the cry of a human, when the bird landed in the circle of Death Eaters and transformed into a woman.
"GRANDMA!!! NOOO!!!" Lily yelled in despair.
Red eyes with slitted pupils turned their terrible gaze at her as the Dark Lord became aware of her presence when the young witch rushed through the circle and sank down on her knees at the side of her fallen grandmother. She touched the old face, reluctantly, gently and then looked up, tears streaming down her cheeks.
"No," she said in disbelief.
The snake-like man hesitated one moment, then took one step towards her.
"NO!" she screamed in anguish and the world burst into flames.
Out in the yard, a phoenix screamed in deep pain, as she soared above a very distressed Severus towards the house. For one moment, his heart leaped in hope, but the fiery colour identified the bird clearly as Jeanne. Nonetheless, it had to be the sign he had been waiting for, so he quickly changed into his panther form and followed her.
The fire had heard Lily's call, and came to life in answer to it. All around the three figures, men were shouting and screaming in pain as the flames threatened to eat them alive. She remained oblivious to it, emerald gaze still locked with the scarlet one of Voldemort, full of pain and fury, until the shadow of a phoenix, followed by another tall, dark form approached them.
"LILY!" Severus shouted, shielding his face against the heat with one arm, while Jeanne trilled a piercing sound.
That finally sufficed to shake the woman out of her daze and the fire quickly backed away from the body of the man she loved and the bird on his shoulder.
"Lily!"
He was right beside her in an instant, hauling her up gently, the Portkey in his other hand, the bird on his arm.
Hesitating one moment, she looked back into the pale face of the Dark Lord before she touched the magical device.
"This," she told him in a cold voice, "will never be forgotten."
Then her fingers made contact with the cool brass, and the familiar tug behind her navel sucked her into a whirlwind of colours.
Voldemort stared at the spot where one moment ago the red-haired witch and his formerly most loyal Death Eater had been standing.
They were gone.
That didn't matter. There would be other times, other encounters. He could wait.
But something stirred faintly inside his mind.
A memory, long forgotten. Another life...
"Salvia," he whispered to the flames, "she must be Salvia's daughter..."
Shaking his head as if to clear it, he straightened up, raised his wand and apparated out of the burning house.
***************
A/N:
Hay everyone, I'm back!
And it surely took me long enough, sorry about that.
Well, I've been quite busy at university, as I have to spend more time in the lab this semester and in addition took two courses from next term. But since I've caught a cold, I stayed at home yesterday and was finally able to finish this chapter, so please kindly ignore the mistakes I made. And yes, I know my Latin sucks, I never learned it at school. The spells are meant to say 'Pass the Bond' and 'Separate the Minds/Souls'. Oh, and the 'Some Things Change, Others Don't'-quote is pinched from 'Matrix Reloaded' because I really liked it. *grins* And hey, wait, I think I remember reading from something akin to the Moonstone thingy in one other story, but I can't recall it's name, so if one of you does, please tell me so that I can honor the author. Thanx.
Anyways, I only hope the next chappie will be out sooner, but I'm optimistic about that since I've already written parts of it. It's going to be in a definitely lighter mood later on and will feature some rather funny situations.
Alas, I have to admit that I found the lack of reviews concerning the last chapter a bit unnerving. I put great efforts into that one and you could at least tell me when you don't like the course the story has taken, so that I can consider changing it. But except LilyEvansPotter, who did a great job like always (Thank you!!! I sooo love your reviews! *beams happily*), your comments were pretty few. So please tell me if I should go on like this or alter it, okay?
As I plan on splitting the centre of the story into two main parts, one focusing on Lily, Severus, and the other adults, and the other on the McGonagall youngsters and our favourite Hogwarts students, I'd like to post 'Second Chances' with Severus and Harry for main characters. With Lily in fact never really having been Lily Potter and such, it just feels better this way. Any objections?
Next chapter will show how the McGonagalls cope with the recent events, as well as with Hogwarts, and it's inhabitants with them. A long overdue trip to Diagon Alley will be made, the kids will meet the other students and the three of them will be sorted. So stay tuned.
Greetings,
Scheckie