Attention Readers: I have been simply jumping up and down in a state of near ecstasy as a result of your reviews. I know that you've all waited patiently for this sequel and I'm sooooo glad you've liked it so far. Individual responses are at the end of the chapter, so now…on with the show!
More thanks than I can fit on a screen for my WONDERFUL beta – Azhure! In case you haven't done it already, as soon as you finish reading and reviewing this chapter, you need to check out the story we are co-authoring. It's called Per Solum Lacuna: By Words Alone, and can be found in my profile. Then you can go to Azhure's profile and read her works, Saturn Returns, and the sequel, Black Magic. I promise, it's worth it! She's great!
Fight the Future – Chapter One(Excerpt taken from "Blast from the Past")
~ Before they knew it, they were alone in the potions classroom. They sat there, looking at each other in shock for a moment. Then Lucius promptly burst into tears, unable to deal with the loss of Severus and Draco in the same small time span. James simply stared, unable to accept what his son would become. "We failed," he whispered quietly. They both looked up as the Headmaster and Professor McGonagall entered the room. They waited in silence and almost welcoming anticipation for the Obliviate spells that would take these memories away from them. ~
The Headmaster recognized the panicked looks and quick, shallow breathing of his students. James and Lucius were so agitated that Dumbledore reached deep inside his robes and pulled out two small vials of calming draught. The boys were too troubled to reflect on the man's perceptive abilities. Once their breathing had were closer to normal, he broached the topic they both wanted to avoid. "I take it things didn't go as planned?"
James had a fleeting thought of disbelief that the Headmaster could ask such a question when it seemed obvious that things hadn't gone well. Mere seconds after that thought flew through his head, he found that his pain and anger were dampened by the calming draught. Nevertheless, he felt he had to speak up about this. "Why bother to ask that? You just cast calming spells on us. Did you really think we would have been in need of calming spells if things went as planned? If we'd been successful?"
Professor McGongall pursed her lips slightly, no doubt considering a reprimand for James' impertinence. A gentle hand on her arm gave her pause and she turned to the Headmaster.
"It's quite all right, Minerva. The boy does have a point." He turned back to the boys. "Why don't you just tell us how everything went?"
"Horridly," Lucius intoned.
James nodded his agreement for a moment, then seemed to reconsider. "Well actually," he sighed, tilting his head in consideration and quickly running a hand through his hair. "It was confusing at first, then I thought we could actually do it. I thought everything would be all right." He smiled slightly, but the sorrow in his eyes showed a nearly broken spirit. His smile floated precariously on the surface and promptly disappeared. "But then, just before we came back there was…"
"Yes?" Professor McGonagall prompted.
James glanced at Lucius, (who was very nearly oblivious to the entire conversation), then back to the professors. "Did you bring us back early?"
"No, Mr. Potter. I believe the potion was designed to do that on its own, was it not? Didn't you and Mr. Malfoy build that aspect into your work?"
"Well, yes. Of course, but," he paused, floundering for words. He found himself unconsciously gripping Lucius' arm and recognized it as a gesture of seeing some stability or familiarity. Odd, he thought, how quickly we've become friends. I never would have turned to him like this before, but now he's the only one who can understand. "Sir," he continued, "the potion shouldn't have brought us back until we were finished."
"Perhaps you were finished in that time."
"Do you think there's a different time we need to go to? Some time earlier or later?
Lucius looked up in fear. "Sir, I don't believe that returning to the future would be wise or beneficial. What's done is done. There were far too many factors involved. We are by no means exaggerating when we say it was horrible. Based on what I saw, the horror that would have followed our leaving is unimaginable."
"This may be true, but the problem has yet to be solved. The scales of power still show a troubling shift that simply cannot be permitted."
"But then," Lucius wondered aloud, "why did we come back when we did?"
"Perhaps because at that moment you had gained the information needed to complete your mission."
"No." The single, quiet word drew the attention of Lucius and both professors. James had been pacing the room and was now standing just where he had first seen his son. The memory still strong, he felt he could almost see him standing there now, the myriad of emotions flashing through those green eyes that were easily recognizable as Lily's. "No, the potion was designed to bring us back after we were finished. If it was working properly, that would mean we'd done all we could. There's nothing we can change now." He dropped his gaze to the floor, hoping to hide the sudden tears that gathered in his eyes as his mind's eye replayed the events of the past week. His conclusion was the same as it had been earlier. "We failed."
James never even noticed the Headmaster's approach. He flinched slightly at the unexpected hand on his shoulder, but still refused to look up. "Perhaps, my dear boy, you simply haven't finished." This got his attention, the confusion and stress of the situation getting to him once again. He felt nothing but hopelessness and a bit of frustration that Dumbledore seemed to be blithely ignoring their explanations.
"But we're back now! We can't stop him! He's worse than you could ever imagine. Even Voldemort isn't that vengeful. And sir, the things that happened, they were awful! It was," James paused, swallowing thickly around a lump in his throat. He closed his eyes tightly, as if to erase the images that were burned into his memory, but found the effort useless. He had been on the verge of yelling, but when he spoke again, it was just above a whisper. "It was dreadful sir, horrifying and dreadful!"
Professor McGonagall cleared her throat, gathering the boys' attention. "Listen to me, Mr. Potter, Mr. Malfoy, and listen well. There is more at work here than you know. Time is not necessarily like a wheel, nor is it a straight line. As you move normally through time, you create a line. However, that line spirals upon itself. Each ring can be connected to others, such as the connection that you created with your potion and incantation to take you to 1997. Any significant event can cause a branch, a secondary spiral that twists itself in another direction based on the outcome of the signification. When something gets changed, altered from the way it should be, the entire structure can be altered. Now, according to the experts, it appears that the timeline, or time spiral if you will, was damaged. The resulting structure is unstable and incorrect, much like the results of mixing potion ingredients in the wrong order." She cast a meaningful glance at Lucius.
The room fell silent for a few minutes as the future potions master contemplated these statements. Finally, he voiced the only conclusion he could formulate. "So, the only way to fix it is to start over?" When Lucius saw his Headmaster's nod of confirmation, he gave up all hope. If there was no other way, then they were all doomed. "Please sir, just take the memories now so we can have the bliss of ignorance."
The infamous twinkling eyes and sly, all-knowing, smile accompanied his response. "I don't recall telling you that you would be Obliviated."
"But you did sir! Or rather, you will." Lucius paused to think through the intricacies of time travel. "Your future self was going to do it, but we got sucked back here before we saw you again – er, saw him again."
James had once again slipped into his memories, contemplating whether or not he should feel guilty about their memspheres, which obviously went against Dumbledore's wishes. He wondered briefly if he should add the memories of the final battle, but decided the whole thing was pointless. There was no way to imagine a happy ending with the knowledge of how dark Harry had become. He didn't even realize it when he spoke, "It was all useless, he's evil."
"There is no good and evil, there is only power."
James looked up quickly, shocked at hearing those words again. He looked at the Headmaster in disbelief. "That's what Harry said, too!"
"Harry?"
"That's who you sent us to stop, but it didn't work. Too much has happened, too many things we couldn't fix or control. He's lost all interest in working for the Light."
"You mean he will lose interest," Dumbledore corrected.
James sighed. "Yes, whichever. He's gone mad, it was horrid. So many people have died already, and then he killed so many more…"
"They will die. He will go mad." Albus and Minerva exchanged meaningful, understanding glances. This wasn't what they had planned on, but it was obviously what needed to be done. The future they had foreseen simply couldn't be allowed. They waited patiently for the boys to catch on to the implications.
"Yes, of course," James replied. "It does get a bit confusing to talk about when things happened."
"My dear boy, I think you misunderstand me. These things have not yet come to pass."
"Yes, but we know they will." Lucius was beginning to get tired of the circular conversation. He much preferred the uncertainty of the future to this utterly abominable, unchangeable knowledge.
"Yes, you do know, don't you?" The Headmaster's point was quite clear with that statement. Both Lucius and James simply stared in awe, finally realizing what he meant them to do.
"You knew all along, didn't you? You knew who we were looking for?" James was stunned at the boldness of his Headmaster and professor. Surely such actions went against Ministry policy?
"As we told you before, the time stream has been damaged. We simply sought out the most qualified candidates to see to the repairs."
Lucius, previously so caught up in his memories and grief for Severus and Draco, finally began to take an objective look at the power he and James now held. If they were to review their memories, contemplate the discussions they'd had with their sons, and carefully consider the ramifications of each and every action, they could indeed prevent certain events that would have led to the future they wanted to avoid. They could, in point of fact, change the world!
Professor McGonagall smiled at the sudden dawning on both boys' faces. "I'm sure you both have a great deal to think over. Please keep in mind that you are welcome to approach either of us if you need to discuss this further. Of course, you will need to keep this extremely quiet."
"Of course, professor." Both boys were so lost in their own thoughts that they barely noticed when the Headmaster and Professor left the potions classroom. They sat in silence until James finally came to a decision.
"You have to tell Severus."
Lucius looked up, slightly confused. "The whole thing?"
"I don't know, but you have to tell him some of it. Remember how Dumbledore explained that bond? That bond is going to affect you and Snape. You were bonded to him then, which means you're still bonded to him now. He's got to feel that, too. But, unless you plan to never have Draco, you'd have to…"
"Of course I plan to have him!" Lucius was honestly shocked that anyone would say such a thing. How could James think Lucius would avoid the birth of a son he'd already grown to know and love? Pondering this, he remembered Draco's own surprise when they'd discussed the same thing. Draco had been visibly touched by the fact that his father was willing to deal with Narcissa Black just to ensure the birth of his future son. Lucius fought a wave of nausea that came with the renewed sadness at these memories. "But I certainly don't plan to lose him again!"
The determination was exactly what James had hoped for. He was beginning to get an idea of what they would have to do in order to prevent the things they had seen. He knew it would be difficult, and it would require certain sacrifices on both their parts, but he also knew there was no other way. He silently thanked all the gods that they had been given this chance.
"Well, the only way to have him is to marry Narcissa Black as you were intended to. But the bond between you and Severus, well, he'll need to know some of the future so he can understand why you have to do that, right?"
"Yes, I suppose that's true. What about you and Evans?"
"I don't think I'll need to tell her anything. At least not yet. We're already engaged."
"I see." Lucius paced the room for a moment, then stopped abruptly. "I'm going to find him now."
"I think you should." James watched as Lucius turned back toward the door. Just as he reached it, James spoke. "Lucius?"
"Yes?" He turned back toward James.
"What now?"
Lucius shot him a confused, questioning look. He realized moments later that it was far from the contemptuous look he once would have cast toward Potter. "I was going to look…"
"No, I mean us. Are we friends now? Like real friends, or did we just get along in the future because we were stuck there together?"
"I think, James Potter, that I have learned too much to despise you as I did before. I'm not the same person I was a week ago. Friendship, however, takes two. I'll have to leave that up to you."
James smiled. "Good. See you later, friend."
Lucius returned the smile before starting on his search for Severus Snape.
~TBC
sak – Thank you very much! I was really hoping to shock the pants off a few people with that ending. I didn't want to do what everyone was expecting. I'm glad to know I succeeded. And yes, I think you will be pleased to see a few twists as we work our way through the sequel. Thanks for reading!
JadedEros - You get a cookie for noticing the influence. I hope it didn't seem too much like a rip-off of Joss' work, though.
Aspid – So sorry for the wait. Life has been a bit crazy, but I'm hoping to keep the updates fairly regular. Thanks for reading!
Louise4 – You always seem to be on the verge of figuring out my plan! You're like Batman trying to ruin the surprise from the Joker! *grins* One rule, though. No exploding heads unless I write them myself!
Viky_mama – no illusion, this is a real update! You'll just have to keep reading to see what will happen, but I hope you're enjoying it!
LadySnapeIV – um, can you loosen those ropes just a little? It's much easier to write when I can use my hands! Okay, so I hope you're still enjoying the sequel. Keep up with the feedback because I'm addicted.
Azhure – oh, you know I couldn't do this without you. Yes, "all the time in the world"… Hmmmm, that means I could send them through all manner of time loops and keep the readers at bay so I would get endless amounts of reviews for my addiction, right? (evil grin).
Psychomek - I have to say I was amazed that you read both of these so quickly! I presume you read BFTP a few days earlier, though, right? Because I got your review for this about two hours after I posted and was totally shocked! Thank you for reading, and even more for reviewing. Wow, your comments are really special to me. You just don't know, the imagery is one thing I strive to make great and it's also the main thing I stress over, worrying it wasn't clear enough. Thank you!
Malfoysnogger - well, this chapter should have given you a clue as to what kind of ride we've got ahead of us. Oh – BTW, Harry's keeping his identity a secret because it's more fun that way. Watching people in the midst of torture when they also have the fear of not knowing the cause, it's quite a thrill! And truly, do they deserve to know?
Tangledhair - I hope it won't be too long of a wait between chapters. Thanks for the review, though! Now quite reading my stories and write more of your own!
The Shadow Bandit – well, if he spared the kids, he wouldn't be all that evil, now would he? (malevolent grin here) Thanks for keeping up with it, I hope to hear more from you as we go along.
Everyone – please, please, please click that little button and let me know what you think of this. I'm having a confidence crisis and I'm in the process of looking for a 12-step program for feedback addictions. In the meantime, though, I'd really appreciate it if you can all help me get my fix!