Out of the mouths of cubs
Minerva was tearing through the halls, stairways and narrow corridors of Hogwarts. She was searching desperately for something, no…someone. Though Minerva knew exactly where she was, she felt lost nonetheless – as though her internal compass were missing. She had no plan, no ideas – other than the knowledge that she was running out of time. The only sound that could be heard was her bare feet slapping against the cool stone of the castle floors. Her hair was coming undone from the long braid that flew behind her, wisps of it getting stuck in her mouth as she panted hard. 'Merlin, where is she?' Minerva cried in her head. She screeched to a halt when she heard a voice reverberate through the empty halls:
"You think you know…what you are, what's to come. You haven't even begun."
Where was the voice coming from – and who was it talking to? Minerva wondered. She continued her frenzied search. She took a moment to catch her breath, but when she looked up, she saw the bottom of an emerald green traveling cloak floating around a corner and disappearing. She knew that cloak…she gave it to her last year. Minerva cried out "Wait!" and ran around the corner to find…nothing. With a new-found determination, Minerva ran down the hall, convinced she was now going in the right direction.
"You run not towards sanctuary, but from your own fears."
Where was that blasted voice coming from? Minerva's heart was pounding in her throat as she ran. She turned a corner, about to run down the next long hallway, when she stopped. At the other end of the hall was a girl. She couldn't have been more than 13 or 14 years old. She had long, curly, auburn-brown hair, and emerald green eyes. She was wearing the green cloak that Minerva recognized, but it did not belong to her – it belonged to her mother. A moment of realization hit Minerva in her gut. She knew who this was. She slowly and cautiously walked towards the young girl, who held out her hand – waiting for Minerva to accept it. 'Is this a dream?' Minerva wondered. Minerva made it to the end of the hall and slid her hand in the young girls'. "Morgaine?" Minerva asked.
The young girl did not answer, she merely smiled, stood on her tiptoes – and kissed Minerva on the cheek. This was the only answer that was needed to tell Minerva that she was holding the hand of her teenage daughter. "How?" Minerva asked. "What is this?"
Morgaine's eyes were big and beautiful, and they seemed to speak volumes – just like Hermione's. Morgaine smiled briefly, then grew serious as she pulled Minerva down to her level. Her voice sounded just like Hermione's, yet it had a hint of Minerva's Scottish lilt – obviously picked up over the years.
"You need to know. You need to see." Morgaine said softly, holding her mother's face in her hands.
Minerva covered her daughter's tiny hands with her own and asked urgently, "What do I need to know, sweetheart? What do I need to see?"
"I'm here to show you." Morgaine whispered, covering Minerva's eyes. When she removed her hand, Minerva saw that they were both in the Great Hall. It was crowded, and decorated for Yule Ball. Morgaine led their way through the crowd, but it was apparent that no one could see them. 'This must be a dream or vision of some sort…but I've never had visions before…' Minerva thought. They made their way to the front of the hall, where Hermione was on a platform – just how she used to be, strumming the last few chords to a song, "…you make me complete, you make me complete…." As the applause died down, Minerva watched as Hermione stepped off the platform and into the arms of…Minerva – only it was a different Minerva across the room.
"What is this?" Minerva whispered.
"One of many possible futures." Morgaine replied, smiling at her parents' embrace.
"What do you mean?" Minerva asked.
"The future can change with every breath we take…with every choice, with every action – and every inaction. Now, more than ever, you need to be on guard. This is no time to rest on your laurels. Mother has a long way to go for this future – and she needs you to be there every step of the way. She needs you to protect her, the way you said you would – and she will need you to lift her up when she falls if you want to see me reach the age I am appearing to you now…or if you want to see me reach the age I am there…" Morgaine pointed a little to the right of her parents and saw Molly Weasley crouch down to the floor with a baby. She had emerald eyes and auburn-brown hair. Once the baby steadied herself on her feet, she toddled over to Minerva and Hermione, arms outstretched, waiting to be picked up by her mothers. A tear slid down Minerva's cheek as she watched them really be a family.
Morgaine looked up at her mother with a serious expression. "Now, hold on to yourself." Minerva looked down at her daughter, who led her up to the platform. She gestured to the crowd and whispered into her mother's ear. "There are wolves out there in the skin of sheep. They have the power to bring about hell – do not let them take you with them…do not let them take her…or me." Morgaine gestured to her Hermione and then herself.
"How?" Minerva asked, tears now streaming down her face as she scanned the crowd – hoping to see someone obvious, but all she saw were students and staff.
"Look for the signs. Stay vigilant. Stay aware…" In a swirl of color, they were suddenly in the infirmary – which was covered in rubble, broken windows, cracks in the walls, and many injured witches and wizards. In front of her was Hermione, lying broken – once more, on a bed. Across the room, Poppy was arguing with the Minerva of that reality.
"I have been able to heal her time and time again, and now you are telling me that it's not possible?" Minerva screeched to a sad looking Poppy.
"Minerva," Poppy began. "You have been able to save her before because it was not her time – because you were meant to save her, and she was meant to come back…but we have tried everything under the sun. We have tried both muggle and magical methods, but you need to realize that everyone's time eventually does come in the end. Sometimes it's impossible to save someone's life…sometimes the only thing we can do is save them from suffering."
Poppy and Minerva walked back to Hermione's bed. Her breathing was labored, but she could sense Minerva's presence and held out her hand. "Is it really all that bad?" Hermione asked.
"Don't be ridiculous." Minerva replied. "You're going…to be fine."
Hermione opened her eyes slowly and gave the love of her life a sly grin before saying "Liar."
Minerva broke down atop Hermione and asked, "What am I going to do without you? I don't know how to live in this world if you aren't by my side."
Hermione stroked Minerva's hair and rocked her gently. "You can…and you will. You need to live…for me. There are so many people who need you: Morgaine, Igraine, everyone at Hogwarts!" Hermione looked sad as she continued, "Shhh, shh. Everything is going to be ok now. I promise." She raised Minerva's face to hers and said, "There was a time when you said that I was going down a path that you could not follow…well that is what I am doing now. This is not 'goodbye', this is 'until we meet again.' Do me a favor. Do not waste the rest of your life on revenge. There is much work that needs to be done, and you need to be the one to do it – or else, everything is lost…and everything that has happened – will be in vain. I need you to be strong for me, just as you have been from the very first day we met all those years ago."
Morgaine and Minerva watched the scene play out before them of the lionesses' last moments together. Suddenly there was a bright light, but no one seemed to notice except for Hermione, Morgaine, and the "visiting" Minerva. Hermione's mother stepped out of the light and extended her arms, tears in her eyes – but a smile on her face.
"Come with me, where chains will never bind you. All your grief – at last, at last behind you…"
"NO!" Minerva cried, dropping Morgaine's hand and rushing to protect Hermione. Instead of stopping when she reached the bed, she walked right through it. She looked up in surprise at Morgaine.
Morgaine shook her head sadly and said, "This is merely a vision, mother, of another possible future. No one here can see or hear you, for this has yet to happen. This is merely a vision to prepare you."
Minerva rushed back to her daughter and took her by the arms. "You mean this is going to happen? Can this be stopped? How do I stop it? Who is responsible for this?"
"I told you, this is only one possible future. But you need to be prepared. Desde abajo te devora." Morgaine replied.
"What do you mean?" Minerva asked.
"I mean that while you and mother are regaining your strength now, the enemy is doing so as well. While the battle may be done, the war is far from over." Morgaine replied. "I cannot tell you what is going to happen because I do not know. I cannot tell you who would be responsible for this future because there are many possibilities, and revealing too much can lead to dire consequences. Though the future can be changed, there is still a balance that must be maintained. You must mold your future – our future by realizing that nothing is ever 'over', things can be changed and there are ways to fight through the darkness to emerge into the light. You must shape the future through strength and intuition – not direct knowledge. All that I can reveal about what led to this," Morgaine gestured to the dying Hermione, "is that there are wolves in the world. Some are more obvious than others, but I can only guide you. It is up to you which direction to take – which future you will be led to. But trust in yourself and what you know…what you can do…after all – it takes a cat to snuff out a rat…"
"Sometimes people leave you, halfway through the wood. Others may deceive you – you decide what's good."
In a swirl of color, Minerva saw the infirmary slip away and her sitting room come into view. "But do not despair." Morgaine said. "Happiness can be found…" Minerva heard soft music playing as the rest of the room came into focus. Her heart leapt and breath hitched as she saw herself dancing with a silver haired, slightly wrinkled Hermione. "I needed you to see that the future is not set in stone, mother – but there are challenges up ahead. You will both be needed for things to come out well in the end, and you will both need to be strong." Morgaine said.
"So we will really be able to know peace?" Minerva asked, not taking her eyes away from the sight before her.
"That is entirely up to you." Morgaine replied. "And up to mother of course. But time is of the essence, which is why I have come to you now. I told you before, the future can change with ever action, or inaction. Things have been put into motion that cannot be undone, and the hard work needs to start now…mother needs to get well – and you are going to need to push her. If that doesn't happen, not only will you never get me back – but you will never get this, either." She gestured to her parents dancing. "Hogwarts will fall if everyone does not do their part."
Minerva nodded. She looked down at her daughter and asked. "Is this really happening, or am I dreaming?"
Morgaine smiled slyly. "Why can't it be both?"
"How is this possible?" Minerva asked in confusion.
"Let's just say that it's a good thing I was rescued before Voldemort discovered the nature of my powers." Morgaine said with a chuckle. "I have the blood the 2 most powerful witches in the world flowing through my veins. Two witches whom I desperately want to find my way back home to…"
Minerva smiled, envisioning her tiny infant in the basinet, already able to perform powerful magic. "You are your mother's daughter." She said.
"I'm both of my mother's daughter." Morgaine said, slipping her hand once more into Minerva's. "There will be a day when you no longer have to run, when you no longer have to search. I have faith in you and mom. Soon there will be no more despair…but you need to find her now to keep it that way."
Minerva looked at her child with a mixture of fear and confusion.
Morgaine continued, "Though she does not know it, the direction she is currently taking will irreparably alter the future. You need to find her, you need to stop her. Tonight is not the night for self-sacrifice. She needs to be physically well in order to find her way back, and she is about to throw it all away." Minerva began to shake, but Morgaine did not elaborate. She embraced Minerva once more and whispered, "I know you can bring me home."
Minerva kissed Morgaine on the head and held her at arm's length. "I won't let you down. I won't let either of you down." They looked at each other thoughtfully for a moment before Minerva spoke up once more. "Your mother mentioned that I will be needed by you…and Igraine. Who is she, how do I find her?"
Morgaine shook her head and said, "All I can tell you is that she cannot be found right now, no matter how hard you look…but…she is someone that we will desperately want and need in our lives, and the only way to find her is to find mother, get her well, and remain vigilant." Morgaine stepped away and said "Remember, if you're born a lion – don't bother trying to act tame. I have faith in my parents that I will see you soon."
There was a flash of light before Minerva's eyes and she instantly found herself shooting up in bed, gasping for air. She clutched her chest and let out a loud sob. Was it all just a dream? Minerva knew better than to question the unexplained. She put her hand down beside her and realized that Hermione was not there. She looked down at her empty side of the mattress, nonetheless, and began to panic. She looked in the bathroom and the sitting room, only to find them empty as well. She was about to run out of the room to search for Hermione when she saw the note that Severus left on the bedside table with the Phoenix potion. Minerva suddenly remembered something Morgaine said in her dream, "Tonight is not the night for self-sacrifice". She didn't even need to search – she knew Hermione better than anyone, and knew that she was going to give the potion to Cedric…if she hadn't already. Minerva ran out of the room, not wasting time to put on shoes or a robe. Once out in the hallway, she turned into her animagus form, knowing she would be faster – and sprinted off towards the infirmary. Upon reaching the infirmary, Minerva transformed back into her human form just in time to see Hermione raise Cedric's head and tilt a small vial to his lips…
TBC?...
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