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

The Death That Started It All

Hermione sighed sadly as she wrapped her arms tighter around Harry as he softly cried, she knew Sage was dying and it hurt her also, she had looked up to the woman on some things, the way she was determined to safeguard them all, the way she worried so little over herself. "She loves us, Harry, just remember that, when the time comes," Hermione whispered to him. Trying to softly and silently sniff back her own tears.

Taking hold of Hermione's arms wrapping around him, Harry gently squeezed her arm here and there, knowing she was hurting also from the thought of losing any of them, including Sage.

June 20th, 1995

Sage sighed as she sat on the fountain rim wrapped in a winter shawl for warmth when she felt a presence behind her, the heat that burned behind her told her exactly who it was. "Anya," she said without looking over her shoulder.

Smiling, she sighed as she walked around the fountain and took a seductive seat beside her, it wasn't intentional, it was simply how she was. Gently nudging Sage's arm a little playful, Anya's smile fell sadly as she saw the thick tears sliding down her pale face, as she looked out to the setting sun before them. Sighing, she wrapped her arms around the redhead and kissed her head, "I remember you as a blonde," she said sadly.

Sucking in a trembling breath, Sage let the breath out sadly, "How is it that you remember the lives? How did you even get here?" Sage asked.

Smiling weakly, Anya sighed once again as she looked out towards the lowering sun, the reds, oranges, blues, and the stars that were starting to come out, the moon in the darkening light of the day coming to an end, "It starts here, with you… But you saved me once upon a time and gave me a time-turner. In the process of me trying to survive as well, I too messed with time, but my punishment is different than yours. My mind is synced with the other lives of me, which is this life, your other life, in which my cycle is more in synced with that life than this life, that life is where I started. That was the life I was born to. When I went back in time, which put me in this life, the life I have today, I suddenly appeared randomly, confused and lost, my mind was scrambled. I didn't even know my name, I lived my life from there as a start, then one day I met Gregory after I became what I am now, my curse that is. And he explained what the time-turner had likely done and what likely happened. He gave me a potion to help my mind at least sync with the other lives of me I had likely lived. Now, I am here to help you."

"What was her name?" Sage asked.

Smiling sadly, Anya looked back to her, taking the tip of her index figure, and took hold of Sage's chin and drew her head to look at her, the same blue eyes Aurora had, or will have. "Aurelia Aurora Newnan, and to answer your next likely burning question, your soul won't make it to her for quite some time, Sage." She told her with a smile of belief.

"How do you possibly know that?" Sage asked in a whispered tone.

Smiling, Anya kissed her forehead, "Because I see emerald skies in the night of a grand story yet to be told to a little boy who adores you," she answered her with a riddle and a smile. Standing, Anya moved to leave. She sighed with a defeated sigh and turned to face the woman watching her, "Can I offer you some advice, Sage?"

Thinking for a moment, Sage nodded softly to her.

"Love them, that's how you save them, by loving them. And let me go… I wish you luck Sage, for the next time we meet you won't remember me." And with that, Anya Lestrange, shifted in a ball of fire into a deep red Pheonix, a gentle cry left the now Pheonix before she flew off.

Sage watched Anya fly up into the setting sky, her words echoing in her mind, "Emerald skies? The sorting hat said that too."

"Sage?" Harry's timid voice said walking up behind her. He jumped a little when she softly shouted from being startled, resting a hand over her pounding heart he softly cleared his throat a little as he froze in his spot.

Softly chuckling at her fright, Sage turned to look at Harry with a smile, "Sorry Harry, startled me is all." She told him. But the fallen and sad face on him had her worried, "Darling, what's the matter?" she asked with concern, holding her arm open for him, she was a little taken aback when the boy not only took his seat beside her but buried his face into her neck and began to weep. Wrapping her shawl around them both, her arms around the crying both tightly, "Harry, what's wrong?" she asked him.

"I want to go home, I-I don't want to do this next challenge. Please," Harry begged her. Even though he knew she'd have taken him from the school in a heartbeat, the Goblet of Fire had a magically binding contract, he had to attend the next challenge.

Her heart shattered at him pleading with her to take him from the school, to run from the next challenge, and with every fiber of her being she wished she could take him away from it. But the Goblet of Fire wouldn't have allowed it at all. She didn't know the consequences of him running from the last Task, and she didn't want him scarred for life, or ridiculed, because whether he would say he'd be okay with that she was not. Kissing the top of his head, she sighed, "You know I would if I could sweetheart. I'll be there, the entire time-"

"But when I walk into that maze I'm on my own," he cried. "I can't do this anymore. I'm scared," Harry cried.

Her arms tightened around him, she could feel him trembling in her arms. She wished she could do something that could help him, to protect him further from his fears when he walked into that Maze in a few days. A sudden thought came to her when she thought of protection. Smiling, she unwrapped her arms from Harry, "Here, I have something for you that you can use. Even if I can't be near you in the Maze, this will always have a part of me with you." She told him, slipping a black metal band with a seethrough crystal gem on as its center, wrapping her hands around the object she smiled at Harry and brought her cupped hands around the ring and whispered very softly spoken words. After a moment she showed Harry the bright blue glow the gem gave off. She laughed a little at the happy and shocked smile on Harry's tear-stricken face as he looked at the gorgeous item glowing bright blue.

"It looks like a star," he said, whipping his tears from his face. He was further astonished when she transfigured the ring into a necklace, the gem now hanging in the same kind of black metal framing as the chain now held it on, and let her slip the necklace around his neck.

"Anywhere you go, if you're ever in danger, just call for me, and I'll be there." She told him with a smile.

Studying the ring transfigured necklace, Harry looked from the time still in his hold, a form of safety net, as he looked at her, "Promise?" He asked.

"Promise," she told him, wrapping her arms around the young boy who welcomed her comforting arms as they sat there and finished watching the sunset.

Sirius smiled weakly as he watched from one of the top floors.

"Why not join them, my boy?" Albus asked him.

Looking over his shoulder to the smiling headmaster, Sirius sighed and shook his head looking back to the two out in the courtyard. "Because this is their time. And Harry is trying to spend as much time with her as he can."

"So, he knows then?" Albus asked with a saddened sigh.

Nodding, Sirius sighed sadly, grabbing ahold of the stone railing in front of him as he looked out over to Sage and Harry, "Yes, he knows."

Seeing Sirius's conflict within himself, Albus worried for the man, "We can't save her, Sirius. You know this. She will die, and she will die on her time. Not ours. Even if we beg her to live, no one can fight or flee from death forever." He told the young and heartbroken man. Watching as Sirius's head fell with a sad sigh.

"I know. But I can't help but have this dreading feeling that even if she dies, this time will move forward without her while a different Sirius Black holds her. Or a different man in a different life." He sighed.

Placing a comforting hand on Sirius's shoulder, Albus sighed as he looked out towards Harry and Sage, "If this time moves forward without her, then rest easy that even in her next cycle she is meeting you again. So, while it will be a different you holding her, you'll still be there, falling in love with her all over again. Let her save us this time." Albus told him, patting his arm sadly and leaving the man to stand there watching his godson and the woman he'd come to falling in love with,

June 24th, 1995 - The Maze

Sage paced the stands nervously as everyone filled in with excitement. Alastor had taken to staying near Harry's side the day the last Task came around, in fact, the Auror had been glued to the boy's side and shadow since the beginning of this tournament, and she knew she didn't like it, she'd tried several times to convince Albus something was not right about the man, but Albus had understandably not listened to her, he'd known Alastor longer and far before he had ever met Sage, And she honestly didn't blame the Headmaster. Her gut was twisting uncomfortably the whole time the stands filled with students and other viewers alike The task started like any other previously, besides the loud cheers soaring through the air with the music being more invigorating for the four champions to uplift their clear nervousness.

Sage sighed as she watched Alastor leave with the trophy, but something still didn't feel right. "Sirius, I'll be right back,"

Concerned and confused, Sirius huffed a little and gently took hold of her arm as she moved to leave the stands, "Where are you going? Harry -"

Turning to face him, Sage took a calm breath and kissed him with a smile. The last thing she wanted to do was frighten him or stir him further. They had all been on edge since the start of this Tournament. Pulling from the kiss, Sage smiled with a soft sigh, "Harry will be fine, I'll be back as soon as I can. I'm just checking something out." She told him, and before he could argue, she was gone.

Leaving the stands she ushered herself into a jog and around the far end of the Maze away from other's curious eyes. "Okay Anya, I'm ready. Where are you girl?" she breathed deeply from the lack of breath as she softly began to cough from the exhaustion.

"Right here, are you sure you're ready Sage? Flying isn't everyone's favorite thing when it comes to a Phoenix carrying them." She joked a little.

Wanting to laugh she coughed again, "Yeah," she said, holding a minute figure up to the now concerned blonde gently rubbing her back, her face paling as her hand glided around her back then up around to the front of her chest to rest over Sage's heart and down and around her lungs. Sucking in a trembled breath, Anya's eyes watered, "Sage -"

Raising her hand to silence Anya's words, Sage coughed again. Finally regaining herself, Sage cleared her throat and chest from the congestion, and gently shook her head to the woman, "I know, I'm not lasting the night, let's just get this over with." Sage breathed painfully.

Feeling a lump lodging in her throat, Anya nodded. Her hot fire burned around her body as she shifted into her Pheonix body, Flapping her wings, she moved over Sage, and her feet locked around Sage's wrists as she held onto Anya, and flew they had. And what they saw down below worried them. Swopping down, Sage was casually dropped in the small distance of Alastor Moodey as he set the Cup upon the stand, but with his wand drawn, he began casting his spell over the cup, muttering and laughing.

Looking up to Anya with worry, she nodded, "Go to Albus, tell him,"

Nodding, Anya screamed as she was struck by a painful spell knocking her to the ground.

"Anya!" Sage shouted. Drawing her wand, Sage turned on the person who had cast the spell at Anya. She came face to face with a smirking Alastor Moodey. Glaring, to the man, Sage huffed as she knelt beside Anya as she tried forcing her eyes to stay open before she fainted. Checking for a pulse, her eyes remaining on Alastor, she felt a relief sigh leave her as she felt the gentle pulse. "Who are you," she demanded.

"Alastor Moody, Ex-Auror-"

"Stop lying to me!" She said cutting him off from the constant repeat she had noticed he'd coached himself on the entire school year. Tonight she was getting her proof. "Alastor Moody wouldn't have attacked us, as well to the fact you just cast a spell over the cup when there was already a spell to take the cup to signal that there is a Winner. Who are you!" She demanded.

Hearing a laugh behind her, a laugh she hadn't heard in a few years, one that still haunted her. With a chill running up her spine, Sage solely turned to face the person to whom the laugh belonged too. "Sean?" she whispered his name as if it were a curse to her lips. The flash of the curse that left his wand had her sucking in a gasp of air, but the painful shout that would have left her from the pain that ripped through her body once she had turned to dodge the curse had been lodged in her throat as she hit the ground, gasping for breath that was lodged in her lungs. The ground drank her blood as if it were thirsty and dry as the desert. The curse had ripped into her like she was nothing but butter, slicing her deeply, the poison that was laced with the curse being absorbed into her body and veins, turning the vessels emerald green in likeness.

"What do we do with her?" 'Alastor' asked Sean with a grumbling snarl.

"Leave her, she can't do anything after that curse. But take her wand. She won't need it." Sean answered him with a laughing sneer, kicking her wand from her hand.

While Dumbledore explained everything to the Champions and personally gave the four students warnings of the Maze's enchantment, they all couldn't help but notice that something wasn't right.

Sirius felt a chill rolling up along his body, making the hairs of his skin stand on edge. He felt cold and uncomfortable, like something in his was slowly dying.

Remus sighed as he approached Sirius in the stands, looking around for Sage curiously, "Where's Sage?"

Sighing as his friend asked him the one question he really didn't wish to think about, "She said she'd be right back, that was almost thirty minutes ago. I'm getting worried. She should have been back by now." He told his friend with worry. "I'll be back-"

BANG!

The cannon blew while Albus had tried to count down, causing the Professor to glare towards Mr. Filtch with aggravation. It had not been the first time that had happened.

"Wait, they're going into Maze now," Remus told Sirius, stopping his friend from leaving the stands.

A suddenly unsettling feeling settled in Sirius's stomach, "That's what I'm afraid of." Sirius whispered, eased from Remus's hold, and walked down to the Professors and Snape, "I need to speak to you both," he told them both.

As they left, Sage gasped for a while, trying to find her breath, but there was none for her, air would hardly come into her lungs, and none would leave her. She couldn't move, her limbs paralyzed as she panicked and fear bubbled deep with In her, then she began to choke on the thick, nasty poisoned blood that filled her throat and she closed her eyes in growing fear. This was not how she expected to die. Not at all. She knew her death was going to be painful and slow, but she didn't think it would be this way, not like this, by her own brother.

She had heard the Cannon sound in the distance and her tears fell in heavy streams. She couldn't cry, she could go into a hysterical weeping puddle of fear because she could hardly breathe as it was. But she couldn't help it. She was forced to listen to Fleur scream in the distance, and she couldn't help but fear that her brother or the imposter of Alastor had killed her, or harmed her. What about Harry? Cedric? What about Viktor? What was happening? Clenching her eyes with panic, Sage opened her mouth, trying to call out for help, by any means necessary. But nothing came. Then, she felt a set of long and cold fingers and a hand gently rest at her cheek. Opening her eyes to the sight of Death, or the grim reaper, which one this creature was, she was not sure, it, or he, or maybe it was a she? Either way, she wasn't sure, and she honestly didn't think the creature went by any gender identification, but in the end, it didn't matter. She wouldn't live long enough for it to really matter. It hadn't exactly introduced itself to her either. She opened her mouth to ask the being why? Why this way? But nothing came out other than the choking green blood.

Looking down to the dying woman, Death gently placed its cold hand to her cheek, "It will end soon, you are not alone. Even death never abandons its children. Close your eyes, Sage, close your eyes and sleep. You will wake up. I promise. Thrice the life, remember. Thrice the Life." Deaths' cold voice vibrated softly, lulling her into slumber and watching as his magic worked its way through her, pulling the poison up from her veins to make the pain less for her, to help her sleep. Death's magic pulled the green poison up and into her eyes and watched as her pale blues were filled with the green of the vile poison that was killing her, changing her eyes into deep emeralds. "Bright blue eyes and emerald skies. For one life ends, another shall begin." Death whispered, sending out a wave of green magic from Its' smoky body, killing all in the Maze meaning harm to the children. The magic of his curse lit the night sky as deep green as her dying eyes had become, eyes to which he knew saw nothing but green in the moments before her heart stopped and her eyes dulled and bright blue lights swirling in her pupils. Her body glowed a light blue of peace then shockwave into a whirlwind of magic and power with a ball of red bursting out once her body had vanished into little orbs of light. Floating back from the power, Death held Its arms open and Its head back to the skies and screamed a roaring scream before bursting into dark mist and surrounded the bright light mixed with emerald green power that rushed out through the Maze.

The Shockwave affected everything and everyone, not just witches and wizards and magical creatures alike, but muggles as well.

This event of magical combination was turning back time.

"Waite, she did what?" Snape snapped.

Sighing heavily, Sirous pinched the bridge of his nose, they were really beginning to aggravate him, "Likely went into the Maze after Alastor, she's been noticing strange things about him, things I honestly wouldn't have noticed off the back, but she's right. Albus, Seveuers, please just listen to me, he insisted to take the cup into the maze this task, he's been beside Harry this entire time where he's safest with Albus, myself even you Severus. My god, he's safer with Remus or Hermione if not with any of us!" He told them, his tone full of irritation as well as trying to keep hive voice down from any of the students possibly hearing him. Or Rita. That would be a bad night for them all.

"Alastor is an Auror, Sirius, Harry is safest with him," Albus argued with a huff, "First Emma, now you?" He said with aggravation.

At Albus's slip, they each looked at him, Albus's own aggravation faltering into deep concern upon realizing the name he'd just said. A name that did not belong to Sage McGonnagal, nor was it close in the least to the woman's name. "Emma?" he asked, looking around to the other two faces of shock, as well as the familiarity of the name.

"… Evans." Severus finished for the Headmaster slowly and with his concern filling him as he looked over to Sirius, "Where did you say Sage went exactly?" Severus asked a frozen Sirius Black. It was as if the man couldn't move.

A sudden and unexpected shockwave blasted from the center of the Maze of dark smock and a bright blue light in the center as it whirlwind outward, covering the entire maze quickly.

"Sirius?" he asked again, grabbing ahold of the man's arm, Severus stumbled through the man. With a frightful panic, Severus caught himself as he turned to face the Professor, Sirius Black was nowhere standing where he had been just seconds ago. "What the hell is this?"

Feeling his body freezing, Albus took a forced breath, "It's time, it is fixing… Thrice the life… It has started." Albus whispered.

Panic set in with the students and others who had come to witness the tournament screams filled the Maze, flashes of green and red here and there in the mix of the blue mix, "Then Sage is-"

Watching as the students and others ran from the stands screaming, Albus felt his chest squeeze as the wind picked up, blowing against them all. A tear or two rolled from his eyes as the smock and light grew closer and closer, "Dead,"

"Hermione!" Ron called with worry as they all ran for it, but he couldn't find Hermione. "Hermione! Draco! Dad! Harry!" He called.

"Ron!" Draco and Hermione screamed as they ran towards the redhead.

Catching them in his arms as the two of them ran into him, Ron looked around them with fright, "Where's Harry?" he asked. The sudden blast of power that hit them had them stunned, and a force pulled them from one another's holds, "HERMIONE!"

Evans house 1968

She woke up with a scream of terror from her nightmare in tears and panic. Looking around her room, the nightlight doing little for her as she scurried out of her bed and jumped for the doorknob of her room and ran down the hall to her big sister's room and shook her big sister awake.

"Rosie? Rosie what's wrong?" her sister asked tiredly as she sat up and lifted her crying sister into her arms and pulled the covers over them both, hardly listening to her little sister mutter about her nightmare. It sounded ridiculous. When her sister finally finished crying from her nightmare, she woke to her baby sister gently shaking her awake. "Emma, what is it now, I am tired." She softly grumbled.

"Tuney?" Emma asked timidly, drying the tears from her eyes.

"What?" She asked with growing annoyance.

"Why did mummy and daddy not give me a name like they did you and Lil?" Emma asked sadly, snuggling back up into her sister's arms.

Yawning as she thought about it, Petunia sighed and wrapped her arms tightly around her snuggling little sister. Clingy was what she was, but precious nonetheless. "Because mummy and daddy didn't name you." She told her sister with a sudden smile across her face.

"What? Then how-"

"I named you," she said interrupting her baby sister. "You were sudden and unexpected, and I trotted in telling them that they got to name Lily and that I wanted to name you. I got to give you your first name. With you being unexpected and sudden I gave you an unexpecting name to fit you. So, Emma it was and Rose was the name Lily gave you. Our little rose. Now, go to sleep." Petunia told her sister a bit harshly. She was desperate for sleep.

1973

Remus ran towards the three teenagers with worry, then froze in shock as he watched it all, the blast of power that hit the three of them, then it came for him. The power that enveloped them all and pulled them in all sorts of directions. His mind reversing and memories changing. He closed his eyes.

Shooting up with a start in the darkness of some room. The cotton sheets, the soft bed, the wonderful pillow his hand was resting against, then came to the door suddenly opening.

"Remus? Sweetheart, are you alright?" his mother's voice called for him. Stunned and confused, Remus breathed, covered his face, and whipped the sweat beading off his face from the possible nightmare he'd had that he didn't remember. "Yeah, I'm alright, just a bad dream." He told her. But he couldn't remember what the dream was. It was scary, he knew that much, but he couldn't quite remember what exactly made it scary. "Sorry to wake you, mum," he told his mother.

"Alright darling, sleep well, we have to be at Kings cross station tomorrow morning." She told him and closed her sons' door.

Potter's place

Sirius shot upright from the nightmare to James shaking him awake with a look of worry. "You alright?" James asked him.

Blinking with confusion, tears in his eyes as he looked at his best friend. "James?" he whispered with disbelief, his mind quickly fogging up as to why he was so heartwrenching about seeing his best friend.

Worried for his friend, James felt Sirius's forehead, "You're burning up, are you catching something?" James Potter asked.

Shaking his head, Sirius pulled his best friend into a bone-crushing hug, he didn't know why, but he felt the need to hug James as tightly as he could at the moment. "Just a nightmare, just a nightmare…" he said softly, chanting the words to him at sinking dread from that dream he could no longer remember. Then, Sirius Black did something that scared his best friend deeply. He began to cry.

Holding his friend in his arms, James let Sirius cry for whatever reason. Then grabbed a blanket from the trunk and jumped up onto the bed and covered himself, "Alright, come on, sleep. I'll stay here and make sure you don't have any more nightmares," James teased his friend.

Laughing at his friend, Sirius gently shoved at his friend, "Shut up, I'm fine, just got a little hysterical is all. Wish I knew why though. I just… I felt… Dead. Like I was sinking and then sucked into a whirlpool," He tried to explain the feeling of the dream, but as he tried to explain it, it was slowly fading into nothing. "I can't remember," Sirius sighed, rubbing his forehead as a headache came on.

"You were scared, that's what it was, come one, go to sleep. We have to go to school tomorrow." James said with a yawn.

*"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

***I know the story and chapters went fast, but I wanted it to come to an end for the next timeline to begin :) If you're curious, follow "The Marauder's Fox" for the adventure to move forward that Time and Death have been forced to fix. Sage's adventure is not over, because death is not the end. It is simply the beginning of a new life to bloom.