The whole room froze, Tori started crying, and even Daphne seemed on the verge of tears. Susan was scared, and Harry was pissed. Before any of them could regain their voices, Morgan continued, "They found him at a muggle hospital. It seems that he was caught up in a muggle shooting. He was the only one left alive. Right now, he is critical, but it seems like he'll pull through. Sirius is on his way back; He'll explain and answer any questions. I've got to see if I can get him transferred to St. Mungo's. Sirius will bring you to see him later." Daphne looked relived, but Tori still cried, seemingly not having heard a word that her mother said. Morgan cut off the connection, and at that moment, the door opened and Sirius entered, looking exhausted. "Morgan told you?" they nodded, "Then I'll keep this quick, after hours of searching, we found him in a muggle hospital. It looks like some muggle lost it, it started shooting everything, Cyrus included. Luckily, his aim wasn't very good, and he missed every vital organ. The muggle healers seem to think that he'll make it, meaning that he'll be fine if we get him to St. Mungo's." "Let's go see him." Harry said, while Susan and Daphne tried to calm Tori. Sirius shook his head, "Not now, he's still in surgery and they wouldn't even let Morgan in. She's waiting there now, for now, we'll stay here and wait for her to give us an update. I'll answer whatever questions you've got in the meantime."
Tori was the first to ask, "Do you know what happened?" Sirius shook his head, "Unfortunately, no. Cyrus hasn't regained consciousness, and he's the only one that know what happened." Daphne asked another obvious one, "If he hasn't regained consciousness, how did you find him?" Sirius nodded, "Ms. Figg, one of the people I told about him was at a hospital visiting her friend and saw them bringing him into emergency. She went straight to Diagon alley and told me, and I told Morgan and everything after that, you know. "The name seemed familiar to Harry, before he found it. "Arabella Figg?" he asked. Sirius looked a bit surprised, "Yeah, how'd you know?" "She lived down the road from Privet Drive. I used to stay with her whenever the Dursleys went on vacation." Sirius smiled, "well now I owe her another one for looking after you, pup." Susan looked at them, "Do they know who shot him?" Sirius face turned grim, "No, Cyrus is the only witness. Everyone else is dead. The guy's got a serious set of stones, shooting up a street full of people in the middle of the day. Even Voldemort-"everyone flinched, "never did that. " Daphne was about to ask another question, when she stopped and reached into her pocket. Opening the watch, they saw Morgan looking incredibly relived, "Cyrus has been transferred, and the healers say that he'll be fine in a couple of days. They'll let everyone come over for about half an hour tonight. Sirius, can you bring them all?" He nodded, "Not a problem, what room is he in?" Ground Floor, room 24. The floo network should be open, so that would be the best way to get everyone there." She answered, before cutting off the connection.
They were ready to go in five minutes. Tori went first since she was the most anxious, then Daphne, Harry, Susan, and Sirius brought up the rear. After spinning to a stop, Harry landed on his feet for the first time, and was so surprised, he didn't move until Sirius knocked him over. Daphne and Susan laughed, but Tori had already left to go to the room. They all went together, and found Tori giving Morgan a hug next to Cyrus' bed. His entire torso was covered in bandages, but he didn't seem to be in any pain. "Has he regained consciousness?" Sirius asked after taking a seat across from the bed. Morgan shook her head, "Not yet, But the healers say he should soon." "A little late for that, Mor." Came a voice from next to them. Daphne tackled the bed and gave her father a hug, "Daph, that hurts…" Cyrus says wincing slightly, but still smiling. Sirius smiled, "Glad to see you're awake. What happened anyway? You had us worried sick." Cyrus frowned, "Kids, do you think you can get me a drink? I haven't had anything to drink since breakfast." "Sure, we'll be right back." Harry said, relived that Cyrus was going to be alright. The girls followed suit.
After he left, Sirius cast Mufflaito on the door, "Now, what is it that you don't want Harry to hear? I know you, Cyrus; you wouldn't worry about a drink unless you didn't want him to know something." Cyrus nodded, "You're right, Sirius. It's not that I don't trust him, I just don't want to give him false hope. I saw who did this, and it was Lily. I don't know how that is possible, but I know what I saw." Reaching for his wand on the table next to him, he conjured a vial, and removed the memory, and handed it to Sirius. "Something happened, but that was not the Lily Potter we all knew. She would never do that. Do you know how many died?"Morgan shook her head, but Sirius answered, "seventy-five dead. You were the only survivor." Cyrus looked like he might cry, "It's all my fault. Why did I follow her? If I hadn't, all those people would've lived." Morgan shook her head, "You couldn't have known. If it really was lily, then she would never have done something like that." "Imperius Curse?" Sirius suggested. Cyrus replied, "An Imperius Curse would never work on Lily. You might as well try and kill You-Know-Who with a tickling charm." Morgan thought, "Polyjuice?" Cyrus again shook his head, "That was Lily's magic; she repelled my curse without a wand. Only Lily could have achieved that without any effort. No matter how I look at it, that was Lily. Take a look at the memory and give me your thoughts."Sirius nodded and pocketed the vial. At that moment, the door began opening and Sirius hastily undid his charm.
Harry and the girls headed for the fifth floor to get something for Cyrus. Harry wasn't stupid enough to think that Cyrus really needed something to drink. "Girls, I'll meet you there, I've got go to the restroom." And ran back the way he came. Stopping outside the door, he could hear a faint buzzing sound, but not what was being said. Figuring that they'd charmed the door, Harry took out one of the experimental items Fred and George had given him, al long flexible, cream colored string they called an extendable ear. Sliding it under the door, Harry waited for a second before, "I saw who did this, and it was Lily." Harry heart skipped a beat, and he dropped the other end of the ear. Picking it up, he heard, "hadn't, all of those people would've lived." "You couldn't have known. If that really was lily she would never have done something like that." another person said. Harry couldn't bear to keep listening, and withdrew the ear, before returning to meet the girls. Together, the four of them brought back, four hot chocolates for them, and three cups of coffee for the adults. Tori, who was the only one with a free hand, opened the door and walked through.
She dropped her cup as soon as she opened the door. Blood covered the walls, Sirius and Morgan were lying in pools of it, and Cyrus was gone. As Tori fainted, Harry and Daphne ran to help Sirius and Morgan, while Susan ran to the healer's station nearby. As they ran, they never heard the faint song echoing through the halls. Both Morgan and Sirius were alive, but Harry feared they might not stay that way. He held his hand over the wound and tried to stop the bleeding, but it wasn't doing any good. Just as his breathing seemed to slow, the healers arrived and began working on the wounds. Harry reached over to try and help them move Sirius, and saw a small vial under his body. Taking it, Harry helped the healers to move Sirius. After more healers arrived, Harry and Daphne stepped aside and let them take care of everything. One of the healers turned to them, "We'll do everything that we can, but it's not looking good. You're welcome to stay in the guest rooms, I'll be sure to keep you updated on any changes." They nodded and followed him to the guest rooms, with Tori being supported by Susan and Daphne, still hysterical.
After they went into the room, a healer came by and delivered several doses of calming drought, recommending that they get some sleep. Daphne practically poured it down Tori's throat, along with a sleeping drought, to help her get some rest. After she was asleep, the gang started talking among themselves for several hours, Harry still holding back what he'd heard from their parents just before they were attacked. The healer came back, "they just came out of the operation, the wounds are serious, but the healers are optimistic that they'll make a full recovery. It seems that they were attacked by a muggle firearm. They'll be hospitalized for several weeks, at least. Is there anyone that you can stay with?" Susan and Daphne shook their heads, but Harry said almost instantly, "Remus Lupin or Professor Snape."" The healer nodded, "we'll notify them, and ask that they come down to talk. The hospital is preparing a press release about this unfortunate tragedy. Is there anything you would like to be expressed?" Again Harry answered, "Can you lie about their condition? Saying that they likely won't make it? Someone attacked Cyrus to keep him quiet, and if they know Sirius and Morgan are going to make it, they might try again." The healer, slightly surprised that Harry was still so calm, responded, "I'm not sure if we can, but I'll be sure to inform our PR rep of your request."
The healer left, and Harry decided to come clean about what he'd heard. "Listen, last night, when I went to the restroom, I went back to the room, and I heard them talking about who attacked Cyrus." They looked at Harry, slightly confused, "It was my mom. That was what they said." "They weren't sure what to say. Daphne was the first to speak, "But Harry, isn't your mom… dead?" Harry nodded, "I don't know, that was what he said. I got this-"pulling out the memory, "from under Sirius last night. I hope that it's some kind of message for us." The door opened, and Remus ran into the room, "Harry, are all of you alright?" Harry nodded, "We're fine, I'm sorry to call you, but I didn't have anyone else to turn to besides you and Professor Snape." Remus smiled, "I'm glad that you called, Harry. I sent Amelia an owl, telling her about the situation, so hopefully we'll hear back sometime today. Do you know anything about what happened?" Harry nodded, "I overheard Cyrus talking to Sirius. I'll tell you when Snape gets here." Remus nodded, but didn't have to wait long, as Snape arrived less than ten minutes later. "What happened? He said as soon as he came in. Harry gave Snape a quick overview of what happened, including what he overheard last night, and the memory that he had found under Sirius. Their responses were the same, "What!? Lily?! How?!" Harry just shook his head, "I don't know. That was what Cyrus said. I'm thinking that this memory was left for us by Sirius, but until we get back to the Manor, we can't know what it is."
Remus looked to Snape, "Do you have any idea what this could mean?" Snape thought for a moment, and then just shook his head, "It could have been an inferius, but I've never known one that could maintain its powers from before death. There are no Necromancers that would have the power to control someone of lily's caliber, and I saw her body myself. There should not be any way that she could be alive." "But, I doubt that Cyrus would have said anything unless he had no doubt about it." Remus reasoned. Snape nodded, "which means that either an extremely powerful necromancer has risen, or it was someone that knew Lily well enough to impersonate her." Susan spoke up, "what bothered me is that the weapon was a gun. I've never heard of a wizard that used guns." Remus nodded, "It's illegal here, but in other countries, wizards commonly use them for protection. They're easier to use, and harder to block. Perhaps it was a foreigner?" "Or someone wanted us to think it was a foreigner. Criminals don't usually worry about if something is illegal." Harry added, which everyone agreed. "Could it have been whoever killed all those muggles?" Daphne asked. Remus shook his head, "A muggle couldn't have gotten into St. Mungo's, let alone get out. They had the hospital locked down within minutes of the shooting. You kids are exhausted, go get some sleep. " "We can't just go to sleep. He's still out there-"Susan started, before being cut off by Snape. "All the more reason for you to get some rest. You can't think clearly, and that won't help anything. Get some sleep. Remus and I keep investigating. We'll go back to the manor in the morning. Hopefully that memory will shed some light on this whole affair." Harry started to protest, but Remus put an end to that by saying, "Somnus!" and sleep passed over him.
When Harry awoke the next morning, he got up like he always does, until he looked around and saw that he was still in the hospital. Memories from yesterday suddenly came back and he bolts out of the room, barely taking the time to get dressed. He ran to the healer's station, and found the healer he was talking to yesterday, "How are they?" He put down his cup of coffee, and sighed, "Lady Greengrass will most likely live, but Lord Black is still touch-and-go. We're doing everything we can. Hopefully his condition will improve." Harry nodded, "Did you find Cyrus?" the healer shook his head, "They found his wand and robes around the back exit. The Aurors are searching everywhere, but they haven't told us anything. We'll be sure to send you updates whenever either of their conditions changes or we find Lord Greengrass." Harry went back to the room and found all of the girls awake, talking nervously. When he walked into the room, Tori turned to him, clearly afraid. Harry knew that it wouldn't change anything to lie, so he said honestly, "It seems like Morgan will live, But Sirius is still unknown. No sign of Cyrus." Tori started crying again, and Daphne cried into her sister's shoulder. Susan went to the window and retrieved the Daily Prophet. Harry took one look at the front page, then had Susan put it down on the table. Harry read:
Tragedy at St. Mungo's!
Yesterday morning, Lord Cyrus Greengrass, British Ambassador to the United States, was caught up in a muggle shooting, and was taken to St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injures. He was given a favorable prognosis by attending healer, Hippocrates Smethwyck. His family went to visit him last night, along with close friend, the recently exonerated murderer, Lord Sirius Black. The visit was tragically cut short, as Lord Greengrass was attacked as he lay in his hospital bed. Lord Greengrass was taken from his room, while his wife and Lord Black were left to die. His children were luckily outside the room at the time of the assault and are confirmed to be unharmed. The Auror Office is conducting a nationwide search for Ambassador Greengrass; however there is no news at this time. Lady Greengrass and Lord Black are in critical condition and the healers fear the worst. The Greengrass family has issued a Ten Million Galleon reward to anyone with information leading to the apprehension of the perpetrators and the safe return of Lord Greengrass. All tips should be directed to the Auror office.
Harry sighed, "Hopefully the reward will help find him. Anyone seen Remus or Snape?" Susan nodded, "Remus was here about a minute before you came back. He said that Snape was still out looking." The conversation was halted, when a healer came in with breakfast for all of them. Remus followed him in and sat down, "We'll be going back to the manor after breakfast. We've got a lot to talk about, and it wouldn't be a good idea to discuss it here." They ate breakfast in silence. The only sound was Tori's occasional sniffles.
Remus took them back to the Manor by side-along apparition. When they passed through the gate, he nodded, "Good, Cyrus is still alive. If he'd died, the wards would have gone out of control. I'll be sure to send Severus word that he is still alive. Harry, do you still have that memory?" Harry nodded, taking out the vial. "Good, we'll look at that first. The more information we can gather, the better." The walked up the stairs to Cyrus' study and place the memory into the pensieve. Tori didn't want to, and Daphne decided to stay with Tori. So Remus, Harry, and Susan entered the memory.
The room was black when they entered, but it slowly came into focus. They were outside, on Regent Street, which was filed with muggles. Looking around they saw Cyrus sitting at a donut shop, enjoying a cup of coffee. "I don't think this is Sirius' memory." Susan said looking around. "It's most likely Cyrus' memory of yesterday morning's attack." Remus said. Cyrus got up and started to walk across the street. They followed and he turned onto Beak Street, likely headed back to the ministry. A taxi pulled up to the curb and out stepped a young woman, with long brown hair, and eyes strikingly similar to Harry's own.
Cyrus stopped dead as soon as he saw her, causing a number of muggles behind him to run into him, knocking him over. He stood up, apologizing to all the muggles who were also on the ground, and saw her going the opposite direction. He followed her as she turned onto Heddon Street. He tapped her on the shoulder, asking "Is that you Lily?" She stopped and turned around, pulling out a gun from her waist. Cyrus was barely able to move out of the way, before she fired the first shot, hit the muggle behind him in the chest. Cyrus drew his wand and fired a silent stunner at the woman, who blocked it without even moving and continued to fire at all of the muggles on the street and anyone that looked out their windows, blocking Cyrus' spells al the while. When the street was quiet she turned to Cyrus, who was caught off guard by the fact that she was paying attention to him. He failed to conjure a shield in time, and the bullet pierced his wand arm. Blood poured from his wound and he started to scream. The woman laughed before reloading her gun and firing a round into Cyrus' chest. She turned to walk away just as he lost consciousness.
Harry left the pensieve, shaking at what he'd just seen his mother do. He turned to Remus, hoping that he would tell him different. "Was that really…" he couldn't bring himself to finish. Remus said choking back tears, "That was Lily."
