But as the clock struck midnight, and they still lacked a better idea, Sirius finally said, "Ok, we're the Marauders. So let's give it a go. As Muggles say, 'no risk, no fun'. Everyone knows what to do?". James and Mercuria nodded. James called out, "Alright, let's do it." James transformed into Prongs and with his wand Sirius formed two pointed, sturdy roebuck horns out of the stag's magnificent antlers. Then he transformed Mercuria into the little white dog. Prongs and Mercuria sat down on either side of the dog flap. Sirius sent a spell at the flap, which slowly rose and stood open. The barking of the Dobermans sounded from outside, as the dogs jumped back and forth excitedly. Eventually they quieted down and only a constant rumbling growl was heard. Sirius pointed his wand at a large bowl on the floor and muttered an incantation. Slowly, a reddish, powdery cloud rose from the bowl. An intense smell of pepper diffused through the kitchen. Sirius directed the cloud to the dog flap, where it hovered in the air for a moment. With a gentle wave of his wand, he blew the cloud through the flap onto the Dobermans waiting in front of it. As it dispersed, it caught the dogs off guard. Taken by surprise they howled and whimpered in pain. Than they began to cough and retch. Sirius shouted, "Now," made the bowl disappear and transformed into Padfoot. When he gave the starting signal, Mercuria leapt through the flap and dashed between the confused dogs towards the woodpile. The Dobermans shook themselves and rushed after her, yelping loudly. Prongs had crawled through the flap right behind her and galloped after Mercuria and her pursuers. Padfoot followed last.
Mercuria doubled several times and had almost made it to the woodpile when one of the Dobermans grabbed her and flung her into the air. She whimpered pitifully in pain and fear. The other five dogs attempted to pounce on the little animal, but Prongs jumped in between. With his head lowered, he attacked, rammed his pointed horns deep into the side of one of them and spun it through the air. The Doberman hit the ground and yowled helplessly as the unleashed stag hammered its mighty front hooves heavily down on its back. Covered with bloodstained gashes, his bones splintered as the Doberman tried to crawl out of harm's way, until it didn't move no more. Padfoot leaped in the middle of the other four and, by biting them ferociously, attempted to protect Mercuria. He knocked one of the attackers over and sank his teeth deep into its shoulder. With a violent jerk of his head, he tore out a piece of flesh. The dog, whimpering loudly, limped on three legs to the back of the garden. Padfoot wheeled around and froze. Mercuria had tried to get out of the fray and run to the woodpile. One of the Dobermans grabbed her by the neck and violently shook her back and forth. Suddenly she somehow got her head up high enough to reach the big dog's nose and bit into it with all the force she could muster. The Doberman howled in pain and struggled frantically to shake off the little dog with its paws, while Mercuria swayed back and forth, desperately holding onto her attacker's nose with her teeth and clutching at its muzzle with her tiny front paws. Her white curly fur turned red from the blood running down the Doberman's nose. Before Padfoot or Prongs get close enough to interfere, the Doberman banged its head furiously up and down, and the doggie could no longer hold on. It was flung high into the air and hit the ground hard, where it rolled over several times before it lay motionless, one paw splayed at an unnatural angle from its body.
Padfoot froze in motion. His whole body trembled and for seconds he was paralysed. Then an unbearable pain seized him, and he howled aloud in horror. An uncontrolled rage swept through him, and he dashed at the unfortunate Doberman, who tried to run away in panic as the giant black dog lunged at him with bared teeth and a ferocious snarl. Padfoot knocked the Doberman over and in his fury bit it again and again. The taste of blood in his mouth and the sound of splintering bones sent him into an uncontrollable frenzy and he did not stop even when the other had long since turned limb. Finally, Prongs approached and nudged him gently. At last, Padfoot let go of the other and paused, breathing heavily, in front of his prey. He threw his massive head back and his howls rang through the valley and up the hills. Prongs pushed him towards the little dog. It lay motionless on the ground. Padfoot whimpered sadly and tenderly licked its face. He jumped back, startled, when the small animal suddenly jerked and gave a low moan. Surprised, the black dog barked loudly and nudged the little dog carefully. He was beside himself with joy and licked the blood from the little animal's fur until it finally lifted its head and awkwardly tried to sit up. Padfoot yelped in relief and looked around for Prongs, who was keeping the two remaining Dobermans at bay. These watched from a safe distance, growling and snarling.
Padfoot lovingly grabbed the doggie by the scruff of the neck, carefully lifted it up and ran towards the woodpile, over which he jumped with a mighty leap. The stag followed on his heels, and they dashed up the hill to the cave where they had hidden their brooms. Padfoot gently put the little dog down before turning back into Sirius. James conjured a blanket on the ground, and carefully placed the little dog on it. Then he transformed Mercuria back. He sat down next to her, straightened her up and took her in his arms. Dazed, she leaned against his shoulder. With his wand, Sirius pulled the boot off her twisted leg. The ankle was badly swollen, and the foot stuck out at an unnatural angle. He knelt beside her and carefully placed her leg on his thigh. Mercuria moaned in pain and James pressed her tightly against himself. Sirius took his wand out of his pocket and pointed it at the injured joint. Softly he whispered incantations and slowly the swelling disappeared. Finally, with an energetic wave of his wand, he set the joint into place again. Gently, he palpated it. "Does it still hurt?". Mercuria replied, "No. It's fine. Guys, we really did it. I no longer thought we would at the end. But it was pretty close, wasn't it?". James said, "I'll be damned if I've ever seen anything braver than your fight with this Doberman. That was truly extraordinary, cousin. Everything's all right now. We should get out of here soonest. This has already cost us much more time than we expected". James climbed onto his broom. Sirius lifted Mercuria up and placed her into his friend's arms. Then he stowed the blanket and jumped on his broom. "Let's get moving then."
They made fast progress. Sirius landed on a country road bordered on one side by a tall hedge. They stood next to a bus stop. Looking at the dilapidated shelter James said, "I don't think a bus has stopped here for a long time". Sirius laughed "I don't think a bus has ever stopped here at all. It's been taking the bypass for years. Nobody lives here except Phineas. And he certainly doesn't take the bus". He touched the yellowed timetable with his wand. A soft rustling sound went through the leaves of the hedge as it parted to reveal a large wrought-iron gate. Slowly, the two wings of the gate opened to let them enter Phineas' huge country estate. They heard the gate close behind them as they flew along the winding alley. James and Mercuria marvelled as the huge castle-like mansion loomed before them. "Padfoot, it looks like you'll be living the high life in the future. This property is truly incredible. I didn't even know there was an estate like this owned by a private person in the Wizarding World". Sirius snorted. "Why do you think my mother is still grovelling here? Phineas gave the whole family the middle finger when he amassed his vast fortune. This mansion, by the way, belonged to an impoverished Muggle family. Phineas bought it and remodelled it. To be honest, I prefer my flat. In the city you have a lot more options. But perhaps I'll have a different view in twenty years' time".
They landed in front of the entrance door. As Sirius bent over to operate the heavy bronze door knocker shaped like a ram's head, the door opened, and a house-elf peeked out cautiously. "Hello Dinky. Remember me?". "Master Sirius. What a pleasure. Master Phineas is away on a journey. But do come in". Dinky gestured invitingly with her hand, and they entered the spacious entrance hall. "Master Sirius. You look like you've been on the road for a long time. I can see you're hungry and tired. I will fix you something to eat. Then you can rest". They followed Dinky into the kitchen. The house-elf paced busily back and forth and within no time they helped themselves from the steaming bowls on the table. "Tell me, Dinky, can everyone visit Uncle Phineas estate when he's not here?". The house-elf looked surprised. "Of course, nobody can't. The Master used every protective charm he could think of to secure his property. When Master Phineas is at home, he decides for himself who may visit him. When he is away, as he is now, only you can enter the grounds. You are his heir now that Master Alphard has passed away. Because you have broken away from the family". The house-elf beamed at him while Sirius looked puzzled. James said, "So it is true that the casket will pass into your hands. We suspected as much, but now we know for sure. What now?". Mercuria said, "I am just too tired to place the casket into Uncle Phineas painting tonight. This is a complicated job that requires the utmost precision. To be successful I must be rested. First, I must get some sleep before I can start. After all, we still have the whole day tomorrow".
Sirius nodded and said to Dinky, "Can you show Mercuria where she can sleep? James and I are going to pay Uncle Phineas' portrait a visit. Where is it?". "In the living room. That is the room opposite the entrance door". They stood up. Sirius kissed Mercuria before he headed for the sitting room. The two friends made themselves comfortable on the sofa with a bottle of whisky and scrutinised the painting thoroughly. It showed the interior of Phineas' famous library. In the centre of the portrait was a huge desk with an inkwell. Next to it lay an unrolled parchment with a quill. In the background were several bookshelves reaching to the horizon. Sirius said, "He was probably sitting at his desk, writing, when the portrait was painted. Too bad, I was hoping that he would be in his portrait. Then we could have explained to him what we are up to". "Well, I'm very curious about that. Sirius, child, what brings you here?". From the side, Uncle Phineas stepped into the painting, leant against his desk, and looked at them both expectantly. He was tall and incredibly lean. Yet he held himself upright like a stick. Sirius had told James that he and his brother had secretly nicknamed the old man 'Scarecrow'. The crumpled straw hat on his short white hair and the oversized green long jacket with its wide sleeves reinforced this impression, and James grinned. Phineas' blue eyes flashed as he examined them closely.
"Tell old Scarecrow what's bothering you, child". "You know about that?". "Sirius, I am not an idiot, and I am quite good at Legilimency. Besides, I understand I must look like a scarecrow to two adolescents. It amused me. It was honest and appropriate. And far more pleasant than the hypocritical compliments of your mother, who is only interested in my money and possessions. It gave me pleasure to torment her with false promises. A terrible hag. Knowing your parents, I even more appreciate that you have become such a decent young man and an excellent wizard. I follow your personal development closely, child. Now let me hear how I can help you". Phineas listened intently as Sirius first read the letter from the future to him and as the two friends then told him the rest of the story. "Hear, hear. A Muggle girl who can paint Wizarding portraits. That's really extraordinary. I can't wait to meet her. I would have loved to be present when she took on old Rosier. Pompous old bullfrog. And dumb as a post. Well, that accounts for most pure-blood wizards. It was a clever move, by the way, to paint a hornet's nest into his picture. Insects have always scared the hell out of him". "You know him?". "Certainly. We went to Hogwarts together". At James' astonished look, he added, "Boy, I'm ninety-two now. And I have no intention of stepping down for a long time yet. To return to your request. Tomorrow that amazing Muggle child will paint Rosier's casket into my portrait. I would like to be alone with her. In the meantime, the two of you can look at the house and the property or keep yourself busy otherwise". "Perhaps she needs help". "From what you've told me, I honestly find that hard to believe. For the rest, Dinky can help her if need be. No, I will be alone with her. Before you leave, I will show you where to hide the casket. If all goes according to plan, it will be on my desk by the time the Muggle girl has completed her task. The real casket, I mean. And the real desk, of course. I really don't think it's a good idea for it to remain in plain sight for years". Sirius and James were surprised. Neither of them had thought about what would happen when their task was completed. "Boys, you both look tired. Why don't you go to bed? We'll talk it over tomorrow. And then decide what we will do with the casket when we actually have it". The two finished their drinks and got up. As they opened the door, Phineas said, "Sirius, I am very glad that you have turned to me and took me into your confidence. I will do everything I can to help you". Sirius nodded delightedly.
The next morning Sirius woke Mercuria up early. "There's a long day ahead of us. And we want to be back with Lily as soon as possible. I'm sure she's terribly worried. So, you should start right after breakfast. By the way, Uncle Phineas wants to be alone with you. James and I are therefore going to have a look at the grounds". "Why?". "I don't know. There must be a deeper meaning behind this. You can tell me afterwards". After breakfast, James and Sirius accompanied Mercuria to the living room and introduced her to Uncle Phineas. Then they took their leave and set off to explore the estate. It was frosty cold, but the sun was shining, and the two friends enjoyed their ride. Phineas' property was huge. First, they were flying over meadows, then over fields, until they reached the edge of a forest. They were surprised to see smoke rising from between the trees. Cautiously they approached and were stunned when they came upon a small settlement. They landed in a square between the huts. Immediately one of the doors opened and an elf came rushing out. He bowed low. "Master Sirius". "You know me?". "Oh, yes. As a boy you often stayed here with your mother and brother". "What are you doing here? Why aren't you with your families?". "Oh, we are with our families. Our own families. But you must have meant the families we work for". Sirius nodded. The elf laughed. "If you have a moment, I will explain. Take a seat on that bench over there". James and Sirius sat down. By now more and more elves had come out of their houses and stood in a circle surrounding them. They were offered steaming cocoa and the house-elf told them: "Centuries ago, the rich, old Wizarding families took house-elves into their homes as servants. Originally, both benefited from this. The house-elves were provided for and, as a magical people of lower rank, enjoyed the protection of their masters, and in return they served the wizards. It became part of a house-elf's self-concept to valet a wizard".
James interjected, "But you didn't want to serve anymore, and you deserted and settled here". The house-elf looked at him indignantly. "Not at all Master ...". "The name is James". "Not at all, Master James". He paused. "You may know that only the old, rich Wizarding families take in a house-elf. Pure-bloods. Half-bloods and Muggle-borns don't. But there are always fewer pure-blood Wizarding families. And this causes a problem for house-elves. Some Wizarding families vanished because there were no more descendants. Other married Muggles. In a word, several decades ago there were suddenly some house-elves who no longer had a Wizarding family to serve. Several went to Hogwarts, but at some point, no more were needed there either. Dinky's grandparents then asked Master Phineas if they could serve him. His house-elf at the time was a distant relative. The Master took them in. Eventually there were seven of them, I think. If I remember right in their gratitude they took it to the extreme and it just became too much for Master Phineas. They permanently argued about who was allowed to serve him and they constantly crowded around him, because everyone wanted to be the first to satisfy his wishes. In the end, he was annoyed, because he couldn't concentrate on his research in peace any more. Master Phineas then decided to put an end to it all. He sat with them in the kitchen and said, "I just need one house-elf here to cook and to do the house keeping". The house-elves were beside themselves. "You want to send us away?". Master Phineas reassured them. "You misunderstand me. I am not sending anyone away. But my estate is huge, and I don't want strangers to be working here. Can you imagine working outside the house instead of being inside? In the garden, in the fields, and so on? If so, you would then live in your own place away from the house". The house-elves considered his proposal and decided that they wanted to serve Master Phineas outside as well. After all, the grounds are indeed enormous. And Master Phineas needs a lot of hands so that he can pursue his research peacefully and not have to worry about anything. He then gave them this place where they built their shelters. As time went by, their number increased. Now there are more than twenty of us. All house and outdoor elves of Master Phineas". Proudly, he straightened up. "And when Master Phineas will be no more, we will be your outdoor elves, Master Sirius". Sirius smiled wryly. "I thank you for your loyalty. But I hope that Master Phineas will continue to require your services for a very long time". The elves bowed deeply.
As the two wizards left the small village of elves, James said to his friend, "I am impressed. Of course, I knew you came from a rich family, but this is far beyond my expectations. More than twenty house and outdoor elves. That is truly impressive, Padfoot". He laughed gleefully. Sirius said, "Phineas is a fine fellow. It sounded to me like he didn't really need them and was thinking about how he could give them a home without offending them. Like I said, fine fellows don't stand a chance in my family. I guess, my mother doesn't know about this. She would be completely beside herself. In her opinion, to be kind to a house-elf is even worse than granting rights to non-magical people". "I wonder how Mercuria feels about that. As the outside elf said, only pure-blood wizards have house-elves. What happens if you stay with her?". Sirius threw his head back laughing. "I can assure you that I have never met anybody who is more in need of a house-elf than Mercuria. In the two and a half years that we are together now, all she's ever made is coffee and cocktails. Not something as simple as a boiled egg has she managed yet. Even I would be able to cook some more dishes than she does". James joined in his laughter. "A woman who can forge swords, toss hammers and use blowpipes doesn't need to waste her time on cooking. You'll have to make up your mind what you want, Padfoot". "I've already made that choice. The letter from the future is the best proof of this. Curey and I wrote it together. I'm absolutely positive about that".
Slowly they made their way back to the house. When they approached the living room, they heard the voices of Mercuria and Phineas, who were talking animatedly. As soon as James and Sirius entered, they fell silent. "So it worked". Sirius walked up to the portrait and pointed to the casket which sat on Phineas' desk. "Yes, and here we have the real one". Mercuria held the casket in her hands. "What now?". Phineas said, "I don't think it should be opened". "Why?". "For several reasons. Curey was supposed to put a lock on it so no one who isn't authorised can open it. If you look inside now, what is the use of the lock? When you wrote the letter, you assumed that the casket would not be unlocked until sometime in the future." Sirius asked "What difference would it make? We have already invested so much". "What difference would it make? That's exactly what we don't know. And that's the problem. When you used the time-turner, you took an enormous risk. Any intervention, no matter how minimal, in the timeline can massively change your future. Sirius, child, don't. You are not meant to open the box now. Whatever the reason for going through all this trouble, the solution lies in the future. If you open the casket now and find something inside, you don't even know its meaning or importance, or what to do with it". Sirius thought about it. "I think you're right. What shall we do with the casket then?". "I will take it out of my portrait for the moment. And Dinky will hide the real casket. In case something happens to her, she will tell Donkas, the outer elf, where to find it. Dinky, do as I have told you". Dinky nodded and took the casket from Mercuria. "All right, children. You should leave now. You have accomplished all that needed to be done. We will meet again. Of that, I am sure. Take care of yourselves". They waved as they left the living room. At the front door Sirius turned to Dinky "Take good care of the casket. You hold our future in your hands". "Don't worry, Master Sirius. I will keep the casket safe for you until you return and ask for it".
They mounted their brooms and headed south. By the time they arrived at Godric's Hollow, Lily was waiting for them anxiously. "At last. I was afraid something had gone wrong". James took her in his arms and twirled her around. "Quite the opposite, dear. Everything has gone according to plan. In fact, better than expected". He told her how they had saved the Murphys from the Death Eaters. While James and especially Lily were still very much affected by the fate of the McKinnons, Sirius rejoiced at the success of their mission and any dangers seemed far away. Instead, he devoted the last days of the year to his personal happiness and thought about how he and Mercuria would carry on, now that the task that had dominated his thoughts and actions for more than two years had been successfully completed. On New Year's Eve, the four of them made plans for their common future. When Mercuria said goodbye to Lily and James on Sunday, neither of them imagined that they would never meet again.
