Author's note: Please be aware that I own ABSOLUTELY NOTHING, everything, except my character OC(S) I place here, belongs to the wonderful Lady J.K. Rowling. THIS IS A TRIAL RUN! I would very much like to hear your thoughts. I was originally never going to upload this fiction, however, I know it was something I was looking forward to sharing. This is a Sirius Black/OC, maybe Severus Snape/OC, Fanfiction. So, welcome back, readers! I hope you enjoy this one as much as you have the first 2 Harry Potter stories! :) Do enjoy, this is the Harry Potter Era, so it's going to be a bit. Keep your heads up. Enjoy!

Updated: 12/2021

Chapter 18

Sage had been bedridden, mainly forced from leaving the hospital. However, she had refused to leave Hogwarts to go to St. Mungo's Hospital. She would not leave Harry and the others. They were still not safe.

The kids would come often to visit her, and Sirius had taken the bed beside her. He wasn't letting her out of his sight in the least, scolding her every time she tried to leave. Even Severus had scolded her when she had left the hospital wing when Sirius had worn himself out and fallen asleep. Remus had returned to the school as an extra precaution, helping Sirius watch her closely so she wouldn't get too far, walking out with her to the courtyards as long as the days were not too cold. Knowing that the weather did many things to one's weak lungs. Even dear Narcissa had come to see her a few times and given Poppy a few very strong sleeping herbs to help Sage sleep through her sleepless nights, and to keep her resting as often as she could.

As February came around, Sage was able to leave the hospital for a short while, but she was still forced to be accompanied. It was then that Newt had returned to them with grave news.

"There is, sadly and with deepest regrets, nothing I can do to stop this. Her blood is clotting at an alarming rate. Frankly, I fear she will be dead far sooner than we thought." He told them, his tone was soft, regretful, and sad. He'd not wanted to come to them with this news, but her condition was worsening as the days drew on.

Severus had dropped by during nights when he assumed no one was around or thought she was sleeping and would talk about his past, about Lily, Gabrielle. James and the others. Even though the Marauders had been bullies to him as children and teenagers, she knew he'd had at least a few better parts to live in his past than her own. He'd had the chance to go to school, to make a friend, only for his humiliation at the hands of the Marauders to lose her, he'd found someone who could have loved him, but he lost her as well, unable to save her.

If she could, Sage knew she'd go back and change everything. At least then she could have tried changing the now. Make his life back then at least the slightest amount happier. But she felt a deep dreading in her heart that he'd have died either way in the times to come. But at least he'd have felt what it would have been like to have been loved, to have been held by a woman who'd loved him for himself, loved for the heart she knew he had. She also knew that if she could have, she'd have saved the Potters and if unable to do that, she could at least try to spare Sirius the life of imprisonment for a crime he hadn't committed.

February 26th, 1995 - Task 2 The Lake

The match started off like the previous one, nervousness was all around with excitement bustling from the other students cheering for their teams.

Sage had of course been removed from all duties, even the light ones, and restricted to bed rest, to her highest annoyance. She hated it, she felt as if she were being babied. Her condition had worsened, but she was still outside, watching the match, waiting anxiously as they all waited.

After some time, came Albus's announcement, "Unfortunately, Miss Delacour has been forced to retire early, all we have to do now is wait for the others, thirty minutes remain on the clock." Dumbledore's sudden announcement had drawn their attention down to the Champion of Beauxbaton Academy with worry.

"Is she okay?"

"She looks upset,"

"Of course she's upset, you idiot! She's just been taken out of the game and put in last place, you mumbling fool!" Dagny snapped.

"Wonder what they took from Fleur," Crabbe was heard asking with worry as he watched. Draco watched sadly as his brother glared at the boy then smacked him upside the head. Sighing, Draco looked up to them and did something he knew was right but could get Crabbe in a world of hurt later. However, it couldn't possibly be any worse than the constant slaps upside the head or absolutely nothing. "Hey, Crabbe!" Draco called up to the boy, "Why don't you come down here with me for a bit, yeah?" he asked. He smiled a bit when he saw the boy smile big as he looked down to him then pale and doublethink that thought as he looked back to Dagny with some fear, but the boy still scooted away from the oldest Malfoy boy and ran as if hell were opening up on him and ran down the steps towards Draco. "Hi," Crabbe said with a bit of nervousness.

"Hey, you okay?"Darco asked him with some concern.

Nodding even though it was a complete lie, Crabbe looked out towards the lake, "Any news on Potter? And the others? What about Fleur?" Crabbe asked curiously.

Smiling softly to the boy, Draco sighed and looked back out towards the lake, "No, nothing yet. Fleur's been removed from the task. She got nabbed in the seaweed apparently and had to come up. Hey, have you seen Weasley anywhere? I can't find Ron at all." Draco asked.

Looking to the blond and youngest Malfoy, Crabbe shook his head with a little bit of worry, almost as of he'd shove him into the water, "No,"

Seeing the boy's reaction to his question, Draco's brow frowned with further concern, "Are you sure you're okay Crabbe?" he asked.

Nodding his lie, Crabbe looked nack out towards the water, trying to ignore the frowning brow of Draco Malfoy, a boy he'd truly wanted to be friends with as others around them continued to talk.

"Hey, doesn't she have a sister?"

"Yeah, a little sister,"

"And in first place, MR. DIGGORY!" Dumbledore shouted.

Fleur's chest fell when only Cho came out of the water with Hogwarts's Hufflepuff champion.

Cedric looked around after wrapping a towel and warm robe around Cho with a kiss to her forehead, but his worry fell on Fleur with confusion as a robe was thrown around him and a few hard slaps to the back was given to him.

Sage and Maxime panicked a slight bit when Fleur had come up alone, gasping for breath. She'd rushed down with Maxime for the girl and grabbed a few towels and a robe as she made her way to Maxime and the other girls holding Fleur and trying to dry and warm her. "Fleur, here, put this on sweetheart, there you go." She said and wrapped another towel around the shivering teenager, checking her over for any injuries before she smiled to Maxime, "She's alright Maxime." Sage said with a relieved smile, almost laughing when Maxime began to freat about Fleur all over again. It was minutes later that Maxime had calmed down and now they stood worrying about Fleur's little sister. With Fleur disqualified there was no one to retrieve her sister.

Draco walked up to a worried pacing Sage and Sirius. He'd watched Sirius trying to console her worries, but the man had failed in settling her nerves. "It'll be okay Sage, he'll be alright," Sirius said to her gently.

Everyone screamed and cheered as a shark head broke the surface with Hermione looking around in confusion and began swimming towards the water stands holding the viewers. "In second Place… Viktor Krum! Now, we simply have to wait for Mr. Potter to grace us with his presence…" Dumbledore's voice rang through, drawing everyone's attention back to the water.

Amos had gone down to congratulate his son while the others looked rather concerned.

Gabrielle, Ron, and Harry were still underwater, "No, she is down zer all alone," Fleur softly cried.

Sage couldn't find her words as she sadly shook her head. This made them all wonder what would happen if a champion wasn't able to retrieve their 'treasure'. Their heavy breaths were coming to a dead stop the moment Ron popped up, gasping for breath, a little girl's head popping up behind him.

Ron's first thought when he noticed the kid in the water was, 'Gotta get us out of here.' Wrapping an arm around little Gabrielle, Ron swam towards the stands and helped guide her forward in the water to her sister's outstretched hand, while Ron looked around for anyone else coming up, but he had no chance when Krum and Cedric, and a few other guys, came up from behind him and pulled him out of the water, "Where's Harry?"

"He hasn't come up yet," Crabbe told the confused boy as he looked at him, though he nodded his head in thanks for the towel. Everyone looked around with worry.

Sirius felt his heart fall to his stomach as he ran to the edge of the tower and grabbed ahold of Ron after getting the girl up and wrapped in a robe to get him warm.

"Ron, where's Harry?" Sirius asked him after checking the boy and making sure he was okay as Sage wrapped the Weasly boy in her arms, her hands rubbing Ron's arms as she held him to her, trying her best to warm the freezing boy up.

"He's still down there, I think," Ron answered as he shivered in Sage's arms.

Draco rushed around to look into the water, but still no Harry. After seconds that felt like minutes to hours, Draco felt his heart sinking with fear, "Harry!" he called.

They shouted with shock as he shot out from the water, landing rather harshly against the wood floors with Draco under the boy from when he'd looked over the edge and called for his friend. Ron, Neville, Dean, and Seamus all rushed over, Dean and Neville tuned the shivering Harry on his side allowing him to spit up the water from his esophagus and coughed up the rest from his lungs, "Go get him another towel!" Seamus shouted Neville rushed off for more towels as Hermione, Sage, and Sirius rushed up.

Draco had shouted with fright as something came jumping out from the water and onto him. Draco was freaking out as he and whatever had come out of the water flooded onto the decks of the stands on the water, people rushing around to lift the body that seemed to be choking on water calling for Harry. Realizing Harry had been the thing that had scared the crap out of him, Draco shot upright and shoved through the bodies to Harry as the boy choked up the water. Slapping Harry on the back a few times, Draco wrapped his friend in a towel and the robe Ron and Hermione ran over with.

Hermione wrapped her own, still dry, towel around Harry, "Oh thank God you're alright. Personally, I think you performed admirably,"

"I came in last Hermione-" He was taken aback by her harshly grabbing his face and kissing the crown of his head, "Next to last, Fleur never got past the Grindylows."

"You did good Harry, come on man, let's get you warm and dry," Draco told him with a smile.

Dumbledore proceeded to announce that Harry made an honorable choice and for his stubborn determination to "rescue not only Mr. Weasley but the others as well. The Judges had decided to grant him with second place." This had sent Igor into an uproar, and Krum to sulk in silence taking the setback with as much pride as he could muster at the moment.

Sage sighed with delight and relief as Harry made his way to her and gave her and Sirius both huge hugs. She allowed Harry and the others to walk back with Hagrid, knowing they'd be safe with the Giant, she was going to be slow getting back as she did her best to warm up as she walked and the coughing fits returning from that morning. Sirius had sat her down on a log as the Weasley twins walked by with their looks of concern.

"Sirius, is she alright?" the twins asked.

"Here, we have some instant warm tea, herbal, not a trick at all," they said setting up a quick little teacup and an herbal tea back, "Has honey in it also, should help with anything cough wise," they said.

Smiling to the boys warmly, she nodded and gratefully took the warm cup of tea, "Thank you boys," she said softly.

Fred and George smiled sadly as they both took turns placing a gentle kiss to the top of her head, "Anything for our aunty," they said and headed back to the school.

Sage smiled as the twins left, "They're such good boys, mischievous, but good boys. I hope one day I can see them grow further and be happy." She said sadly, sipping on the wonderful tea, "Mmm, this is rather good. Here, try a sip," she said with a smile, offering the tea to Sirius with a smile. Smiling happier when Sirius softly sighed and laughed a little and took a sip of the tea, "That is rather good. They'll no doubt be famous for their concoctions. But you are right, they are good boys." He told her, kissing her cheek. Knowing something was going to happen in the coming months, Sirius wrapped his arms around her and held her to him as she sipped on the tea. "I don't want to let you go." He whispered.

Smiling sadly, she eased from his hold and looked at the sad expression on his usually warm and happy face. It made him want to cry. Sighing, Sage gently rested her forehead to his with a sad smile, "How about this, kiss me to wake me up, when it's all over. And I'll remember every adventure I shared with you. The good, the bad, the heartbreaks, all of it."

Smiling, Sirius kissed her brow and hugged her, "Why did you have to be so perfect."

Wanting to laugh at his description of perfect, Sage sighed, "I'm not perfect, Sirius, I'm just a damsel in distress for you to save. A damsel who fallen head over heels for you. I don't know how you did it. Guess you're just that smooth. Marauder." She said teasingly.

Tangling his fingers in her hair, Sirius smiled and kissed her neck, "Smooth Fox is what you are. This one-way trip seems to have turned into something completely different than any of us expected."

Hogwarts - February 29th

"A man has died Cornelius! Barty was a good man! We should not let this tournament continue!" Dumbledore growled at the Minister for Magic.

"Do you truly think I don't know that Albus! He was my co-worker, my friend also! But I will NOT cancel this tournament! I will NOT be seen as a coward!"

Harry heard Sage say something, but he hadn't been able to hear it clearly, "What did you say? What did you just say to me!"

From the tone of the Miniter, it appeared he was about to verbally attack Sage, and Harry knew if that would be the case, he may actually barge into this meeting he was not privy to.

"Excuse me, Professors, madam, Minister. But I do believe this conversation is no longer private." Alastor said, flicking his wand at the door, letting it glide open to reveal Harry standing there with full shock at being caught.

"Harry, how glad of you to come, Minister. I believe our time has come to an end. I'll escort you out. Harry, you are more than welcome to stay here until I return. Help yourself to some Licorice Snaps, but I'll warn you, they can be very sharp," Dumbledore said with a small grin, walking out with the rest of the Professors and the Minister of Magic, he seemed to have been pretty riled up.

"Albus-"

"Minister, please, this way to your carriage." Albus's voice was stern as he walked past the Minister, Cornelius forced a small smile to his face as the others followed Albus and the minister of Magic from Hogwarts as the man nodded to Harry then processed to follow Dumbledore. The door closed behind them, leaving Harry alone.

With a tired sigh, Harry took a handful of the Licorice snaps. An unexpected gasp from the sudden pain at the snaps had literally bit him, making him drop the painful little beasts. He quickly jumped into action to try picking up the fleeing snaps, 'I thought these things were supposed to be candy!' he shouted to himself mentally. Stomping after them, he found he'd accidentally stepped on some kind of hidden key lock that opened up the side of Dumbledore's wall, pulling forward a stone stand with a Pensieve sitting on top.

This confused Harry, but with his natural curiosity, he moved to investigate. The memory he found shocked him. Igor Karkaroff was in an iron cage pleading for his freedom and trading information before the Council of Magical Law, his heart nearly stopped when he named Severus Snape as a Death Eater, even Harry didn't want to believe that!

His mind swirled with shock and sadness as Igor gave the name of another who had been part of the torture of Frank and Alice Longbottom in 1981 after Voldemort had vanished. Shocked beyond belief at the name Igor shouted gleefully, grinning at everyone's disbelieved shock. Barty Crouch Jr. had aided the previous three or four torturers. His father had denounced his son on the spot. As the memory came to end, Harry was pulled back out and sent falling on his bottom painfully.

"Curiosity is not a sin a Harry, don't worry. The Pensieve is harmless. It shows me what I've already witnessed, so I can relive the memory again. To see if I overlooked anything. You see, Harry, I've searched for years trying to figure him out. Why is he doing what he has done, where he possibly is, to stop him… But I'm still missing something." Dumbledore rambled, it was like he was near the brink of a mental breakdown. Then again, one of his friends, and trusted allies, had just been murdered a few days ago. Harry wasn't expecting anything less from the schools' dearest Headmaster.

"Professor… Out of curiosity, what happened to Mr. Crouch's son?" Harry asked in wonder, he'd seen him before and now he knew who he was. In the nightmare, Voldemort had asked Jr to do something for him.

"He was sent to Azkaban. Destroyed Barty to do it, but he had no choice." Dumbledore sighed sadly, sitting on the steps of his office. A thought suddenly stuck Dumbledore at the way Harry's curious voice sounded at his question regarding the man. "Why?"

Harry stumbled over his words, but he had to tell him, that was why he'd gone to his office in the first place, he didn't know what to do. But he told the Professor everything. From then on, Harry began to notice a few strange behaviors of others. Something wasn't right. He'd spent as much time as he could with Sage and Sirius and Draco. They'd gone to Hogsmead together, Sirius had gathered Sage in his arms and began dancing around with her and Draco had snapped a photo of them, and to Harry's sadness, as he looked at the photo, it looked almost like the one of his parents with the water-fountain behind them, a photo in fall. While the seasons were different, Harry looked at the photo every night with Draco and they both had an unsettling feeling.

But tonight, Harry played in the Common room, just him and Hermione as he looked at the photo, laying on the couch sadly, his best friend crawling up behind him with concern, her arms wrapped around him, "Harry? What's wrong?" Hermione asked him sadly. She was worried, they all were.

Sniffing back the silent tears that rolled from his eyes, Harry sighed and held the photograph close to him, "She's going to die 'mione. I just know it. I feel it. She's going to die and there is nothing I can do to stop it… We're losing her, she slipping away slowly and we can't stop it. She's all we have, Draco and me, and she's dying. And she is more worried about everyone else than she is herself… I'm scared." He admitted sadly.

*"From life to death, to ashes from which we rise, for new life to shin and travel as it's meant. For time is not a toy to be tampered with, not without consequences."- Nattie8516