Chapter Twenty One: Blast From the Past
"Excuse me? My daughter is in her playpen."
"I know. I am from the future."
"How?"
"I think it is the Potter-Black genes that Delilah has. I'm not sure, Eric."
"How could I pass this?"
"I'm not sure Delilah," said Sirius.
"Why did you come here then, Clarice?"
"Because I wanted to see you guys one last time."
"What do you mean?"
"Mum. Dad. You guys die before I turn three. Lucius is going to betray you to You-Know-Who. The two of you will die because you don't want me to grow up with Death Eaters."
Eric and Delilah looked at each other. They knew then what Sirius and Clarice were saying was true. Delilah and Eric had both had visions of their death.
"But why come here?"
"I am going thru hard times and nearly died. I felt the need to come see you. I needed to have my parents."
"What happened to you?"
Clarice became quiet. She had only known her parents for a few minutes and did not know how they would react to her telling them that she slit her wrists.
"You hurt yourself, didn't you?" asked Eric, as if he had gone into her mind.
"How did you know?"
"You're right. I did probe your mind."
"Are you angry at me?"
"Tell me why you did it."
Sirius stepped in the way, blocking Eric's eye contact and answering for her.
"Lucius Malfoy and his son Draco raped her."
A look of pure hatred crossed Eric's face. Clarice started to cry. Eric looked at her.
"What's the matter Clarice?"
"I didn't fight them. I'm powerful and I didn't fight."
"Honey, its okay," said Eric putting his arms around his future daughter. "It's not easy to fight back with something like that."
"Dad, I'm so sorry. I wish I could've stopped him. I froze."
"No, Honey. I'm not mad at you. I'm glad to see that you're still alive."
"Mum, I'm sorry. I didn't come here to upset you guys. I just wanted to see what the two of you were like when you were alive and together. I've heard things from Remus, Sirius and Grandfather."
"What about Severus, James and Lily?"
"James and Lily die when their son is a year old. Severus and I are just getting to know each other now."
"Why?" asked Delilah.
"Because when you guys die everyone will believe I am dead until I am fifteen."
At this moment there is a noise. Someone is knocking on the door. Delilah goes to answer it. A moment goes by and they hear a male voice.
"Delilah, I need to see Eric."
"Just a moment, Tom. Wait here and I'll get him."
A look of terror cross both Clarice and Sirius' faces. She brought them to the night her parents got killed. After looking at the two for a moment Eric realizes what is going on.
"I don't want you here, Clarice. It's not safe. He can kill you."
"No he can't. He couldn't even do it when I was an infant."
"I don't want you to see your mother and I die. Take Sirius and return to school."
"Daddy, please...don't make me leave you. I can't lose you. I can save you."
"No. It was meant to be like this."
"But daddy-"
"Eric, Tom is here to see you."
"I know, Delilah. Hold our baby and kiss her good-bye. Our time has come."
"Not tonight Eric, she is still so small."
"We don't get a say Delilah."
Eric gave both his daughters a hug and kiss. He handed Clarice his wedding band and walked out of the room into the living room where Tom was waiting. They begin to talk.
"Clarice, go on. I don't want you to witness this."
"Mummy, please, don't push me away. I can save you two."
"Take Sirius and go. I don't want my brother here when I die anymore than I want you to be."
Delilah also gave a kiss to both her daughters. She gave her daughter the locket from around her neck as well as her wedding band and engagement ring. The locket had a picture of Eric and Delilah on one side and a picture of Clarice as a baby on the other. Both pictures were wizard's photos. Delilah then walked from the room to where Eric was. Clarice started to cry and Sirius grabbed hold of her.
"Clarice, we need to go back to Hogwarts in the present day."
"I know."
"Bring us back."
"Alright."
Things began to go fuzzy again. Just as they were about to go, Clarice heard the beginning of what she knew would be her parents' last moments.
"Tom, just let them go. Please. If you're gonna kill someone for betraying you, kill me. Just leave Delilah and Clarice alone. They have nothing to do with you."
"Eric you shouldn't have betrayed me. You showed such promise to me. You were such a very powerful wizard. Your downfall is coming in the appearance of a child. I can take that problem away so you can return to my service. I will take you back into my service."
"Goodbye Mummy. Goodbye Daddy," whispered Clarice right before they returned to the lake.
"Excuse me? My daughter is in her playpen."
"I know. I am from the future."
"How?"
"I think it is the Potter-Black genes that Delilah has. I'm not sure, Eric."
"How could I pass this?"
"I'm not sure Delilah," said Sirius.
"Why did you come here then, Clarice?"
"Because I wanted to see you guys one last time."
"What do you mean?"
"Mum. Dad. You guys die before I turn three. Lucius is going to betray you to You-Know-Who. The two of you will die because you don't want me to grow up with Death Eaters."
Eric and Delilah looked at each other. They knew then what Sirius and Clarice were saying was true. Delilah and Eric had both had visions of their death.
"But why come here?"
"I am going thru hard times and nearly died. I felt the need to come see you. I needed to have my parents."
"What happened to you?"
Clarice became quiet. She had only known her parents for a few minutes and did not know how they would react to her telling them that she slit her wrists.
"You hurt yourself, didn't you?" asked Eric, as if he had gone into her mind.
"How did you know?"
"You're right. I did probe your mind."
"Are you angry at me?"
"Tell me why you did it."
Sirius stepped in the way, blocking Eric's eye contact and answering for her.
"Lucius Malfoy and his son Draco raped her."
A look of pure hatred crossed Eric's face. Clarice started to cry. Eric looked at her.
"What's the matter Clarice?"
"I didn't fight them. I'm powerful and I didn't fight."
"Honey, its okay," said Eric putting his arms around his future daughter. "It's not easy to fight back with something like that."
"Dad, I'm so sorry. I wish I could've stopped him. I froze."
"No, Honey. I'm not mad at you. I'm glad to see that you're still alive."
"Mum, I'm sorry. I didn't come here to upset you guys. I just wanted to see what the two of you were like when you were alive and together. I've heard things from Remus, Sirius and Grandfather."
"What about Severus, James and Lily?"
"James and Lily die when their son is a year old. Severus and I are just getting to know each other now."
"Why?" asked Delilah.
"Because when you guys die everyone will believe I am dead until I am fifteen."
At this moment there is a noise. Someone is knocking on the door. Delilah goes to answer it. A moment goes by and they hear a male voice.
"Delilah, I need to see Eric."
"Just a moment, Tom. Wait here and I'll get him."
A look of terror cross both Clarice and Sirius' faces. She brought them to the night her parents got killed. After looking at the two for a moment Eric realizes what is going on.
"I don't want you here, Clarice. It's not safe. He can kill you."
"No he can't. He couldn't even do it when I was an infant."
"I don't want you to see your mother and I die. Take Sirius and return to school."
"Daddy, please...don't make me leave you. I can't lose you. I can save you."
"No. It was meant to be like this."
"But daddy-"
"Eric, Tom is here to see you."
"I know, Delilah. Hold our baby and kiss her good-bye. Our time has come."
"Not tonight Eric, she is still so small."
"We don't get a say Delilah."
Eric gave both his daughters a hug and kiss. He handed Clarice his wedding band and walked out of the room into the living room where Tom was waiting. They begin to talk.
"Clarice, go on. I don't want you to witness this."
"Mummy, please, don't push me away. I can save you two."
"Take Sirius and go. I don't want my brother here when I die anymore than I want you to be."
Delilah also gave a kiss to both her daughters. She gave her daughter the locket from around her neck as well as her wedding band and engagement ring. The locket had a picture of Eric and Delilah on one side and a picture of Clarice as a baby on the other. Both pictures were wizard's photos. Delilah then walked from the room to where Eric was. Clarice started to cry and Sirius grabbed hold of her.
"Clarice, we need to go back to Hogwarts in the present day."
"I know."
"Bring us back."
"Alright."
Things began to go fuzzy again. Just as they were about to go, Clarice heard the beginning of what she knew would be her parents' last moments.
"Tom, just let them go. Please. If you're gonna kill someone for betraying you, kill me. Just leave Delilah and Clarice alone. They have nothing to do with you."
"Eric you shouldn't have betrayed me. You showed such promise to me. You were such a very powerful wizard. Your downfall is coming in the appearance of a child. I can take that problem away so you can return to my service. I will take you back into my service."
"Goodbye Mummy. Goodbye Daddy," whispered Clarice right before they returned to the lake.