Epilogue: Pt. II

Minerva suddenly found that her throat was very, very dry.

"Are you Lily?" she whispered.

When the girl nodded, Minerva felt her stomach plummet.

"I'm sorry to be a bother, but could I get that tea? I'll explain everything in a moment," Minerva said, not unkindly. She was buying for time, and she was sure Violet thought she was barmy, but she couldn't care less.

Had she found Athena, however inadvertently?

Minerva thought for a moment. The date was January 30, 1971. Athena and Dalton had departed their original timeline in August 1967. Three and a half years later, it appeared that Athena was eleven instead of the twenty-three-year-old woman she would have been. Therefore, Dalton and Athena would have been seven and a half years old upon arriving in their new lives.

It was all starting to make Minerva's head spin.

"Here you go," Lily said, slightly uncertain as she handed Minerva a cup of tea. She peered at Minerva before sitting tentatively on the couch beside her. "Hey, you have green eyes, too! No one in my family has green eyes. I think I'm adopted, but Mum swears she remembers being pregnant—"

"Lily," Violet admonished. Violet was too busy frowning at her daughter to notice Minerva's rapidly paling skin. "Don't reveal too much and scare her off. Listen to what the Professor has to tell you." She turned back to Minerva. "I'm sorry, Professor. You said something about magic?"

"Yes," Minerva said. She swallowed. "I am the Deputy Headmistress at Hogwarts. It is a school for young witches and wizards in Scotland. We help our pupils to gain control of their magic, and we help acclimatize them to the magical world." She handed Lily the letter she had brought with her. "Here is your official Hogwarts letter. Your book list and other requirements are enclosed."

As Lily excitedly pored over the letter, Violet asked, "At the risk of sounding rude, how do we know you're not pulling our legs?"

"I thought you might ask me that." Minerva withdrew her wand, pointed it at her teacup, and said clearly, "Scribblifors!"

Lily and Violet watched as the teacup became a quill.

"You're going to teach me to do that?" Lily asked, disbelieving. "Really? Where can I get one of those stick things?"

"It's a wand, and you can procure one at Ollivanders wand shop, which is located in Diagon Alley. Here, Mrs Evans, is a package containing information about our world." Minerva handed another document to Violet, and took the chance to study Lily.

Lily had the same red hair, the same build, the same mouth—this was Athena, but with Minerva's eyes.

A memory pushed its way into Minerva's thoughts, but she cast it away.

She wanted to try something.

"Lily," Minerva said gently, "have you ever done anything you haven't been able to explain? Something that may have happened when you were really scared or happy?"

"Oh, loads of times!" Lily answered. Her eyes lit up excitedly. "One time, I made a flower move, and then another time, a swing set broke on a bully, and then—"

"All right," Minerva interrupted. She smiled. "I understand. Can you try to do something for me now?"

Lily's eyes widened. "Like what?"

"Anything."

Lily thought for a few moments, and then closed her eyes. Minerva watched as a book flew into Lily's hands.

"That is quite impressive, Lily," Minerva said truthfully. It was impressive for her to be able to Summon a book like that without formal training, but that wasn't what held Minerva's attention.

Lily's magic felt precisely the same as Athena's had, and Minerva knew her suspicions were confirmed.

Lily Evans was Athena Dumbledore.

"Really?" Lily asked, shaking Minerva from her thoughts. "I think I can do more if you let me. Am I allowed to try something else?"

"No," Minerva responded firmly. "While accidental magic is completely normal and to be expected, you cannot willingly perform magic outside of Hogwarts until you turn seventeen. The Ministry will have expected this—we always deliver letters to children from non-magical families on their eleventh birthdays—but this was a one-off, if you will. No more magic until you get to Hogwarts, I'm afraid."

"Oh, bummer."

As Lily stewed quietly, Minerva took the opportunity to give her usual spiel about Hogwarts to Violet. Lily and Violet both had questions, but Minerva was quite thankful that they seemed to take the news in stride.

"Do either of you have anything else you wish to ask?" Minerva asked once she had finished.

"I do! There's a boy that lives nearby who told me all about magic!" Lily said excitedly. "Do you think that he'll come to Hogwarts with me?"

Minerva's heart hammered. Was she talking about Dalton? "It's a possibility, Lily."

"You knew about magic?" Violet asked her daughter.

"Yeah, but Severus told me not to tell anyone. He said it was a secret." Lily looked at Minerva again. "I know! I have a picture of Severus. If you see him, maybe you'll know if he's coming, too!" Lily hopped off the couch and ran off, presumably to find the photograph.

Severus? Minerva thought. Was that her son's new name? It wasn't a name she would have chosen, but she could live with it if it meant knowing that he was here, and he was safe.

Lily suddenly appeared in front of Minerva, waving a photograph. "Do you know him?"

Minerva's heart sank. There was no way this boy—this Severus—was her Dalton. They didn't look anything alike.

"Unfortunately, I don't," Minerva told Lily gently. "I've never met him, but that doesn't mean he won't come to Hogwarts."

"He knew all about magic," Lily repeated, nodding. "He said his mum was a witch, too!" She lowered her voice and whispered in Minerva's ear. "Sev was telling me about all sorts of spells and charms. I don't want to get him in trouble, but he can make flowers float in the playground—just like me!"

Minerva smiled. "Chances are you'll see him at Hogwarts, then." She looked back at Violet. "If you need anything else or have any other questions, please feel free to write to me. My owl will know where to find you."

"You have an owl?" Lily grinned and turned to Violet. "Mum, can I get an owl?"

"Um—is that typical?" Violet asked, somewhat skeptically. "For students to have owls?"

Minerva nodded. "They can be quite useful, yes. Now, I'm afraid I must be returning to Hogwarts."

"Wait!" Lily threw her arms around Minerva's waist. "Thank you so much for coming!"

Minerva closed her eyes and patted the girl's back. "You're very welcome. I'll see you in September—and happy birthday."

Minerva had barely made it out of the house and around the corner before vomiting in an alleyway. She felt sick—worsened by the fact that she should have listened to Albus and remained on bed rest—and Minerva knew that Albus would be feeling her illness, too.

She Apparated back to the Hogwarts grounds, and, sure enough, her husband was there to meet her at the gates.

"Min?" Albus asked anxiously, striding towards her. He rubbed her back as she hunched over and vomited again. "What's wrong? Were you still too ill to leave the castle?"

"No," Minerva said, shaking her head. "No, that's not it. Well, not all of it."

"Did something happen with the family?"

"Oh, something happened all right," Minerva muttered. She straightened up and looked at him, and Albus was surprised to see her eyes were wet.

"Min?" Albus asked again. He felt an uncomfortable trepidation build in his chest. "Minerva, what can I do? Please, tell me what's going on."

"We need your Pensieve," Minerva told him hoarsely. "I need you to see what I saw, and then I need to know if we've come to the same conclusion."

Albus looked at her with fear in his eyes. "All right. Come, I'll help you up to the castle."

He lifted her, cast a Disillusionment charm upon them, and walked her back to their quarters.

"No, Al, we need your office," Minerva insisted as he set her down on the couch. "The Pensieve, remember?"

"Yes, I remember. I was going to bring the Pensieve here so you could rest at home. There is a reason I connected our rooms, my dear."

"Yes, fine," Minerva muttered. She closed her eyes and leaned wearily against the back of the couch.

Albus practically ran through the corridor he had created, charmed his Pensieve to float behind him, and returned to Minerva's quarters.

She didn't appear to notice him, so Albus said as softly as he could, "Min, I'm back. I have the Pensieve."

To his surprise, her eyes were fierce when she opened them.

"Before I show you the memory, Al, I need you to promise me something. I want your word that you'll let me Obliviate you if it's too much. If you ask me to Obliviate you, I will."

Minerva knew that would just be delaying the inevitable—Albus would surely see the girl in the autumn—but if necessary, she would take a few extra days to compose herself before trying to tell him again.

Albus raised an eyebrow. "Minerva, what the hell happened today?"

"Your word, Albus. I won't be responsible for inflicting this pain upon you."

Albus was genuinely worried now. "All right. You have my word. Will you be coming with me, or...?"

Minerva shook her head. "No. I can't do it again." She withdrew her wand and cast the memory into the Pensieve.

Albus felt a strange sense of apprehension as he looked at his wife, who was clearly in great distress. "Before I go, do you need anything?"

"Just view the memory, Albus," Minerva said, sighing. "Please."

Albus nodded, and Minerva watched as he dipped himself into the Pensieve. She Summoned a Pepper-Up potion, drank it, and then waited nervously for him to reappear.

When he did, he simply looked at her. His face was ashen.

"Al..."

"I'm going to view that again," Albus said, almost more to himself than to Minerva.

He disappeared once more into the Pensieve.

When he exited, he said, "You called her Lily, not Miss Evans."

Minerva looked at him, startled by the statement. "Your point?"

"You're never that familiar with students," Albus remarked. He looked between her and the Pensieve. "Why did you do that?"

"Perhaps because Violet was there? I don't know, Al, but I think you're rather missing the Hippogriff in the room."

"It was rather foolish of the Ministry," Albus muttered, not acknowledging Minerva. "Clearly, their family members remember what they look like. We remember what our children looked like. A change in eye colour isn't quite enough to fool anyone, let alone their parents."

"Al?" Minerva asked. "Al, please. Come and sit with me."

"I don't know what to do," Albus whispered, and she saw the truth of it in his eyes.

For all of his intellect and power, he could do nothing about this.

"So, do you agree with me?" Minerva watched him carefully as he paced. "That girl—Lily Evans—is—"

"Is my daughter, yes," Albus interrupted. He stopped walking. "I have no doubt about that. That is Athena." He laughed humourlessly. "With Violet, of all people."

"At least she's with family," Minerva replied gently. "Albus, please come and sit down."

"What happened to her eyes, Minerva?" Albus resumed pacing, causing Minerva to roll her eyes. "It makes sense that the Ministry would alter their appearance, but how did they do it? How did they give her your eyes?"

"I have an idea on that score," Minerva said softly. "I have another memory that may be relevant."

"Oh?"

"During my Animagus lessons," Minerva asked, "didn't you assign me some readings regarding permanent Transfiguration?"

"Yes, but what exactly—oh. You're talking about a permanent exchange of body parts," Albus breathed. He thought back to that day in his office, when he and Minerva were fighting after she had seen his memories with Gellert, and Albus could see the logic in her train of thought.

Minerva nodded. "I remember asking you about it, and you said I would only need to know more if I wanted to—"

"—'delve more into the world of soul bonds.' Yes, I remember now." Albus stared at her. "Do you think that Dalton and Athena permanently exchanged body parts, thus keeping their bond intact?"

"It would certainly explain why Athena seems to now have my eyes." Minerva stood, took Albus' hand and squeezed it. "Al, I have no doubt that was Athena. Her magic felt the same, and with the exception of my eyes, she looks practically the same."

"But why would the Ministry be so careless with their appearance? We're all still alive, and that girl is clearly Athena." Albus thought for a moment. "Maybe they thought that the chances of us running into Athena and Dalton again were small—we wouldn't have seen them if we didn't work here."

"The Ministry doesn't know that we know them," Minerva pointed out. "Well, they know I do, but they don't know how well I know them. For all the Ministry knows, I'm an old friend of Dalton's father." She rubbed her forehead. "Honestly, Al, I don't have any more answers than you do."

"But they must have had a reason for sending them here!" Albus cried. "Why now? Why keep them in danger?"

"Maybe to help with the brewing war?"

"That doesn't reassure me, Minerva."

"Do you believe it reassures me?" Minerva exclaimed. "I still have no idea where Dalton is." Her eyes widened. "Dalton wouldn't be older, would he? I know they mentioned de-aging Athena specifically, but if they thought I might know who he is, they might not have wanted to make him school age."

"I would think they would keep Dalton and Athena the same age. If they were worried about you identifying him, they might not have kept Dalton here in Britain. He could be at any of the other wizarding schools on the continent."

Minerva paled. "Merlin, I hope he isn't with any of Aidan's extended family."

"I doubt that very much."

"But where else could Dalton be?" Minerva screamed in frustration, causing Albus to take a step back to protect his ears. "It's not like his other parent is out there! We don't even know that many people. I suppose he could be with someone in Poppy or Ro's families, or Lucy's, or now that Iolanthe is one of them, perhaps he is with the Potters—"

"Min. My dear. Love of my life." Albus took hold of her arms to stop her wild gesticulations. "We will find him. Whether it is tomorrow, when he gets to Hogwarts, or in ten years, we will find him."

"That's easy for you to say! You know where Athena is now! I have no idea where to go, or—"

"Min." Albus cut her off and cupped her chin. "If you want, I'll go to the ends of this earth to find out where he is. Now that we know where Athena is, it wouldn't be that hard. We know he is here, somewhere. But before you ask me to find him, I want to know: will it make it harder for you?"

"Does knowing where Athena is make it more difficult for you?" Minerva whispered. He knew she wasn't being obtuse; she genuinely wanted to know.

"A bit," Albus answered honestly, and she knew he would never admit that to anyone but her. "I know you've seen her, but now I have this overwhelming desire to see her for myself."

He went silent, so Minerva gently prompted him. "But?"

"But she looks happy," Albus admitted. "She looks happy and healthy, and even if her sister seems as sullen as one can be, she clearly is taken care of. And...she's with her mother. I owe Violet the chance to raise her."

"It's not like you'd be going to their house and asking for custody."

"No," Albus conceded, "no, I wouldn't be doing that. However, I don't want to cause any problems, either. We know where she is now, and that will have to be enough for me. I may be inclined to walk by her house every so often—disguised, of course—but Athena won't have any contact with me until she arrives at Hogwarts." He hesitated. "My dear, you seem quite upset."

"Aren't you, Al?" Minerva asked quietly. She sniffled as Albus wiped her tears away. "We've gone how many years without them, and now they're so close, and we'll have to see them—well, at least Athena—go through Hogwarts again..."

"I know, my dear. I know," Albus soothed. He pulled her back to his chest. "Perhaps it's best if we wait until September to try and find Dalton. If he arrives with the rest of the new students, we'll know where he is. If not, we can decide what to do then."

"That's nine months away!"

"Min, could you handle it if we found him?" Albus asked, not unfairly. "You've just been on sick leave because the thought of another baby made you ill. If you knew where Dalton was, would you become a ghost of yourself? Would you spend most of your time stalking his new home, wasting away in worry?

"Or can you live the next few months just like we've lived every other day since they've left us? With a little bit of pain that never goes away, but with the knowledge that they made the best choice for them?"

"Oh, Al, I just don't know," Minerva whispered.

"You're a courageous woman, Tabby," Albus murmured affectionately. "I know it's easy for me to sit here and preach about the benefits of staying put when I know where Athena is, but my situation is not without its drawbacks." He snorted. "In any event, we know more than we did before. We know Dalton is alive in our time, and we know Athena will be joining us at Hogwarts in the autumn." He smiled. "You'll get to teach her all over again."

"Lucky me," Minerva grumbled, but she smiled, too. "She was too much like you: brilliant, but overexcited."

"Too much like me?" Albus teased. He flicked his wrist, and his trusty, beloved gramophone started playing.

"Is this the song we first danced to during the dancing lessons for my Yule Ball?"

"Quite right, my dear. I'm glad you remember it."

"I'm surprised I remember it," Minerva said, accepting Albus' hand. "I was rather distracted at the time. That was the first time I felt our bond."

"I know," Albus murmured. He spun her around before settling her in his arms. "I'm concerned, Min: are you all right?"

"No," Minerva answered heavily. She rested her head on his chest. "No, but I'll make sure to talk to Poppy tomorrow. I'll see if I can spend some time with Lucy, as well. Seeing as you won't let me back on patrol just yet, I may as well make the most of my extra free time while I have it." She sighed. "You're right, as usual. If I saw Dalton, he wouldn't know me, and that would be even more heartbreaking than not knowing where he was. And if Athena is safe, I must believe that he is, too."

"Is there anything I can do?" Albus asked quietly.

"Just hold me," Minerva whispered against his neck. "Just hold me."

Albus tightened his grip around her waist, and for as long as the music played, they danced.

FIN.

It feels very odd for this to be over, but alas, we are at the end.

Thank you very much to everyone who has read, favourited, followed, and reviewed this story. Whether you stayed for a sentence or for all seventy-three chapters, I hope my little world helped you navigate yours.

A very special thank-you to those of you—online and IRL—who have sent me weekly notes/reviews. It has meant the world to me, and I wouldn't have been able to keep to this schedule had it not been for you. The biggest merci goes to Squibstress and Emeraldina—thank you so much for everything.

I have sequels to The Way it Should Have Been planned, as well as a few one-shots planned in the same universe.

I hope that, when they're eventually ready, you join me there, too.

Until then,

Margaret.