A few days later, the day before the third task, Albus received the address of the nurse. One of his many contacts had managed to track her down, she was now working in some small wizard only town in Bulgaria and took the position of assistant to the local medicomage. Albus and Severus decided to go together and they left the castle in the late afternoon, after warning Minerva McGonagall that they'd be back before the third task started and that she could use Albus' phoenix to contact them if there was an emergency.
Usually, traveling between countries took some time but Albus knew enough people that he managed to get the usual permissions much faster and they used a port-key to get to their destination.
When they arrived in front of the woman, they realized that she was working very hard to hide her nervousness and the fact that she was guilty. She had definitely recognized them both but was trying to pretend she didn't know who they were, that she was confused as to why they were here. She had even changed her appearance, in hopes that nobody from her past would recognize her. Her hair were now curly and long, instead of short and straight. They were a deep black instead of their original dark blond and she wore fake glasses to hide her eyes.
Of course she lied to them, telling them that she barely remembered James Potter and that she didn't know what they were talking about, even pretended at first that she wasn't the one they were looking for.
"You do know, Miss Collins, that I'm a great Occlumens and Legilimens, don't you?" Albus reminded her before he entered her mind, seeing the horror of what she had done.
"Severus, call the ministry of magic, ask them to send Aurors here so they can arrest her for the kidnapping and mistreatment of Rose Lilly Potter." Albus declared, looking truly angry and dangerous at the moment.
The voice he spoke in, and the face he made, helped understand how great dark wizards like Voldemort or Grindelwald could have ever been scared of the kind old candy loving headmaster.
"What do we do now, Albus?" Severus asked him.
"We take everything that belongs to Rose, which doesn't seem to be much, and go back to Hogwarts for the third task. Once this is over, we tell Harry everything and we'll go and get Rose." Albus stated.
"Where will she live? We both know that Petunia barely tolerates the boy. She'll refuse another one." Snape reminded the Headmaster.
"But, my dear Severus, you seem to forget that the only reason Harry lives with the Dursley's is because he's protected as long as he can call home a house where his mother's blood lives. Up until now, Petunia was the only possible solution but now…"
"Rose has their mother's blood… They'll be able to live somewhere else." Severus realized, happy for the boy he tried to hate.
"Exactly. I think the Weasley's will love to have them both until we can find another solution. Maybe Remus will be willing to move in with them."
"The ministry will never allow it. He's a werewolf and the law forbids him to be a child's guardian if he didn't father said child, and it'll get worst if we're right and Voldemort is gaining power." Severus reminded the old man as they waited for the Aurors to arrive.
"They're teenagers, almost adults. We'll find a solution, like I said, Molly Weasley will love to have them both until we can find a more permanent solution. Maybe we'll even manage to free Sirius by then. If we can prove his innocence, he'll be able to have both twins live with him and Remus will be able to join them. Until then, if Molly can't have them, I'll name myself their guardian and move in with them for the summers." Albus decided.
"Right." Severus frowned, wondering if Albus Dumbledore would really be a good guardian for children.
He was sure that the old man would be the kind of guardian to allow them to go to sleep as late as they wanted and to allow them to eat sweets at all hours, but at least he'd keep them safe.
"I know that you don't like Sirius, for many reasons. Because he's the best friend of the man who was loved by the woman you loved and because of his horrible actions the night you found out about Remus' secret. He is impulsive, which is why he's in his present situation, but he's a good man. You two are on the same side and you're going to have to work together if our instincts are right and Voldemort is coming back." Dumbledore explained.
"I know you're right Headmaster, but knowing and being able to do it are two very different things." He replied just as three Aurors in purple official dresses appeared in front of them, ready to do their job.
They had with them two Bulgarian Aurors as well, since this was happening in Bulgaria, both countries would have to work together for this case.
.
The situation was sorted quickly and Dumbledore got back to his school with Snape, arriving just in time to follow the crowd to the field where the third task was about to take place. Before he joined everyone though, Albus asked Severus to go to Hagrid's house and warn Sirius about what they had just discovered.
Severus wasn't exactly happy about this task but he did it anyway. Albus was right, Sirius and he were on the same side. Severus wanted to protect Lilly's children and Sirius did too. It was time they both behaved like the adults they were instead of like the teenagers they used to be.
"It's only me, Black. The task is about to start but there's something Dumbledore asked me to warn you about. Something we just found out earlier today. You're going to want to shift back to your human form to hear this." Severus declared as the dog shifted back into a man.
He did his best to speak without any animosity, in a normal tone and was surprised when Sirius did the same.
"What is it? You look nervous, it's unlike you and truthfully, it's making me nervous." Sirius replied, doing his best to act civil as well.
"Dumbledore overheard, about a week ago, a few Durmstrang students speaking about a fourth year in their school named Rose Lilly. A very gifted girl with a fiery temper. He looked into their minds and the girl… He said she looked like Lilly, expect she had James' eyes. Curious, we looked together for the nurse who helped deliver the twins." Severus started to explain.
"Because she used to like James a lot?" Sirius asked in a small, expectant, voice.
That detail, Severus though, sure had marked people. It seemed that everyone remembered that the nurse used to be in love with James.
"Yes. We found her today… Black… Sirius, the girl… She's Lilly's daughter, Harry's twin sister. She's alive and studying in Durmstrang." Severus told him.
"Rose is alive? Did you tell Harry?" The hope in Sirius' eyes made him look younger, Severus thought.
"No, Dumbledore thinks it best to wait until the third task is over to tell him about it. He doesn't want to distract him. He's planning on telling him tonight though, once the task is over." Severus replied.
"He's probably right, it's going to be hard enough for Harry as it is… Thank you, Severus. I appreciate you taking the time to warn me about this." Sirius nodded.
"I should go back to the field, I have to patrol." Severus said awkwardly.
"You're right, got to keep watch on these kids, I know all too well the kind of things they have on their minds." Sirius replied with an amused wink before he shifted back and laid down next to Hagrid's dog, ready to listen to the commentaries that would follow the champion's journey through the labyrinth.
Severus left and went to the spot he was supposed to patrol, surprised at how easy it had been for him and Black to be civil to each other. Maybe they could both make an effort. They'd never be best of friends, but if they forgave the past, then the future would be easier on them all and it would be easier to keep Lilly's children alive.
What did you think will happen after that? Do you think some of the Order members will die like in the Original books?
Review please!
Lorelei Candice Black