Thank you for those who bothered to review... crickets start chirping Okay...
Thank you Kathryn for reviewing this turd of a story. I know things are rushed in the end but you know why J Anyway, have fun reading the story.
Snape could feel his heart sinking in his shoes, he couldn't believe it, they were too late! Too late! He choked down a lump in his throat, he'd die before the others would see him cry. Not that it mattered, his life was over anyway.
No, this was unacceptable! She couldn't have died, there still had to be a chance. If that bright light meant anything, it had to mean that Lierin was still alive. Focusing hard, he raised his wand again and thought of the happiest moment in his life. There weren't many of those but he was ready to admit, the afternoon that Lierin had willingly given herself to him, had made him very happy indeed.
"Expecto patronum!" he cried with a thick voice, filled with emotions - except his voice wasn't the only one that shouted. Three men and one boy stood up as one, all four of them pointed their right-handed wands at the dementors, all four of them cried out the incantation as one and Snape could feel tears of relief streaming down his cheeks as four magnificent silvery entities shot through the air, zooming towards the Dementors, scattering them away from Lierin. Snape was surpised to see what his patronus looked like; he seemed to be looking at himself running towards the dementors, but with a naked torso, long hair cascading down his naked shoulders, huge bat-like wings sprouted from between his shoulderblades and swinging around a large scimitar to scare off the dementors.
With every ounce of strength she could muster, Lierin raised her head and saw four magnificent creatures speeding towards her. Fighting to stay conscious, Lierin pulled the dagger out of the ground and attacked the dementor leader who now tried to get his hands on the Dark Ruby.
"Keep your hands off!" she hissed, "I do believe that is mine!"
Scared away by the entities, the leader vanished with the others and left her alone, facing a stranger, Harry Potter, Severus and Remus. Unable to keep her emotions under control any longer, Lierin cried out and run towards the men.
At first she wanted to fling herself in Severus awaiting arms but she hesitated in her tracks, Severus had told her exactly what he thought of her hadn't he?
So she flung herself into the arms of her second best choice instead, Remus, unaware of the look of hurt that entered Severus face.
"It's okay," whispered Remus while holding her tightly, "You've been through too much lately, just let it go. You can cry." Remus guided her gently in the direction of Hogwarts.
"But, i-it's not over yet! Remus, you don't know h-half of what's going on. I-I meant to... to tell you. But... Oh Remus, I was too ashamed of myself! This is all because o-of me! If I hadn't-"
"Shh, you're not the only one to blame. I'm responsible as well, so is Sirius here and heaven knows Severus is responsible."
"Sirius? Sirius Black?" Lierin turned around to look at the stigmatised man who was walking slightly behind her, whispering softly with Harry. Sirius looked up at her and smiled faintly.
"A pleasure to finally meet you, Lierin. Remus was always talking about you."
Lierin smiled at him, "Well, I could always handle him better than Romulus."
Remus laughed, "Not much of a suprise in that."
Lierin looked back at Remus.
"But what does Sirius have to do with... you know what?"
Sirius looked at Remus with a questioning look in his eyes.
"What do I have to do with what?"
"Right," said Remus, "I forgot you don't know about Sirius being a... Oh hell, I don't know of any other way to tell you this... Lierin, meet the Grim."
Lierin looked from him at Sirius, from Sirius back to Remus and from Remus to Severus who was determined not to look at her, acting as if he were not eavesdropping on the conversation.
"You know about the riddle? The prophecy? But... how? I never showed the entire prophecy and you weren't there when Trelawney made the prediction."
"No, but I discovered the prophecy lying on your desk before I found out that Sirius was here. And just like you, I put two and two together."
Just oustside school, Dumbledore was waiting for them, Hermione standing next to him, staring at the horizon with a troubled look in her eyes. Lierin looked around to see what troubled her and noticed the Clouds of Time not very far away from them, it was just a matter of hours now! She looked at Hermione and Dumbledore and suddenly she realised that they knew. She took a deep breath and, just as she expected he would, Dumbledore approached her and looked at her with a grave expression on her face.
"Do you know?" Dumbledore asked hesitatingly.
"Yes, headmaster. I know now, and more... Follow me."
Dumbledore nodded and let her pass. Surprised Remus looked at Sirius, but he just shrugged his shoulders, he then looked at Snape and Snape returned the look. Snape nodded his head ever so slightly and Remus nodded in response; whatever the future would bring, things would always be very different.
Suddenly a chilling draft swept over the grounds, the air just seemed to freeze around them. Sirius was the last one to enter the castle, together with Harry, but the sudden change in atmosphere made him look back and what he saw filled his heart with terror. Harry noticed the horrified look on his godfather's face and looked back as well, he gasped for air when he too saw what had scared Sirius so much. Right outside the gates of Hogwarts, an entire army of dementors were slithering towards them. They seemed to bring the night, no death with them as they approached the castle. They didn't even have to open the gates, as they approached the gates they started to shake and tremble until they were ripped from their foundation. They dissappeared in the blackness right behind the dementors. The clouds of time were swirling ominously and Harry new that, whatever was about to happen, there was little time to stop it.
Harry tried to recompose himself and he dragged Sirius behind him, screaming all the way to the large Hogwarts crest on the floor.
"They are on their way. Whatever needs to be done, it has to happen now! Everything is... dissappearing!"
Sirius and Severus seemed to be the only ones oblivious to what in Merlin's name was going on. Lierin just nodded her head with a sad look in her eyes.
At that moment Lierin looked as though she had lived forever. She seemed old, very old, though her physique was still the same. But her eyes, those sad old eyes told of things unknown to anyone.
With a small gesture of her hand she made everyone step away from the crest. The stone image of the lion was still pressed down and Lierin pushed the bird next, then the badger and lastly the snake. Nothing happened.
"Goderic, Rowena, Helga... you too Salazar... I don't know what made you decide to go with them but I'm glad you did..."
Snape furrowed his eyebrows and wondered whether Lierin had finally lost her marbles.
"It is time. Your plan succeeded. I found your clues and I know what terrible mistake I have made. I'm trying to set things right and I can only hope that someday you will all be able to forgive me for my wrongdoings. Right now, I need your help one last time as I have no idea what to do next..."
Lierin had not even finished that last sentence when several tremors shot through the crest on which she was standing and suddenly the crest carried her up. Suddenly a white forcefield appeared and Lierin dissappeared right through it. The moment she had gone through, the forcefield dissappeared and Lierin was gone.
No one dared to utter a word, the ground started to shake and tremble and a freezing coldness crept through the cracks and holes. A highpitched screaming noise echoed through the hallways and as the dementors arrived, it seemed like the gates of hell opened up.