A/N: The world of HP is JK Rowling's! So sorry for the delay guys, I wanted to get this chapter out sooner but I have had some seeeeerious shit going on. And I'm not entirely happy with this, but here it is anyway. There isn't much Sirius interaction, but - well, I'll let you get to reading and I'll explain more at the end!
Chapter 6
The next two weeks flew by in a blur of twelve inch essays, NEWTS pamphlets, and serious talks from all the professors about "our future." Black and I pointedly avoided each other, refusing to even make eye contact. Of course, I spent so much of my energy focusing on avoiding him that I noticed immediately when he wasn't in the lineup for the first Quidditch game of the year.
"Where's Black?" I spoke loudly over the cheering students, linking my arm through Lily's as the Gryffindor team took their positions on the field opposite Slytherin. My hair whipped around my face in the wind as I stared intently at the seven gold and red clad figures, trying to determine who the back-up beater was.
"I heard he wasn't feeling well, he ran out of the Great Hall this morning," Marlene overheard from next to me, leaning her head towards mine in an effort to be heard over the screaming students. "That's what Dorcas said, anyway. It's a shame, he's half the reason I turn up to these games anyway," she joked, and I forced myself to laugh.
"Aaaaand the Gryffindor lineup - it's Captain and Keeper, Marcellus Wood, Chasers James Potter, Dorcas Meadows, Sandy MacLeroy-"
Suddenly the magically magnified voice of Lance Buchanon cut out, and everything sounded as if it were underwater. The cheering, the announcer, everything was muffled. I could still sense Lily and Marlene on either side of me, but it was like another version of them was superimposed on top. I shook my head back and forth to try and clear the fog, but it didn't help.
Then, the strangest thing happened. Though I could still hear Buchanon's voice in the back of my mind, a much clearer version rang out from what sounded like it was right next to me.
"And a nasty shot by the Slytherin beater! Potter takes a hit to the left arm almost immediately into the game, and he's flying down to the ground to get that checked out - what a poor bit of sportsmanship, looks like he'll be alright, though."
Strangely enough, even though I could see James's outline still hovering just above the ground, opposite Slytherin, I saw what seemed like another version of him zigzagging down to the ground from above, clutching his arm.
And as quickly as it had started, it stopped, and the two scenes before me snapped back into place, one clear image once more.
I gasped loudly, doubling over with my hands on my stomach. I felt as though I'd just apparated; nauseated, dizzy, and slightly disoriented as to where I was.
"Isa! Are you alright?" Lily's worried voice sounded from over me left shoulder, and she tugged at my arm. I could feel Marlene's hand rubbing at my back, and I quickly stood back up, blinking hard.
"I-I'm fine," I said shakily, though I didn't feel it. "Just feeling a bit off, is all." Lily continued to stare at me with probing eyes, but I tried to ignore it. The first few minutes of the game went by in a blur; I kept my eyes focused on James, deeply worried about my brother. Had what I seen been some sort of weird hallucination? Or had it been like the dreams I got sometimes?
"Oh my god, no!" I shouted suddenly as I saw, in slow motion, one of the Slytherin beaters - Goyle, I think his name was - wind up with his bat and take aim at my brother. I clamped my hands over my mouth, watching in horror as the bludger flew straight into James's arm. I saw him double over in pain, and a gasp went through the Gryffindor stands. Lily's fingers were in a vice-like grip around my arm.
"And a nasty shot by the Slytherin beater! Potter takes a hit to the left arm almost immediately into the game, and he's flying down to the ground to get that checked out - what a poor bit of sportsmanship, looks like he'll be alright, though." My ears rang and a chill went through my body as the words I'd heard in my head were spoken a second time.
I stared at Lily in shock, but she barely registered my panic. She was looking straight at James, her face absolutely devoid of color. Normally this would have provoked a reaction from me but I turned my head back to the Quidditch scene in front of me. I was vaguely aware that Alice and Frank were saying something from the other side of Marlene, but I could barely hear them.
James was being attended to by Madame Pomfrey, but I could tell he was completely fine by the way he was posing and blowing kisses at the crowd. Or, specifically, in Lily's direction.
The game continued on, and after about twenty minutes James was released back in, as the score was 40-10, Gryffindor. He high-fived the descending stand-in chaser mid-air on his way back up.
"I have to tell you something," Lily blurted suddenly over the sound of the whistle blowing. The players immediately began whipping back and forth across the field again, in a vicious chase for the quaffle.
"What is it, Lils?" I asked her, my eyes still on the scoreboard. I blinked, hard. Why did it look like the score was 40-20? I swear, just a second ago, it had said-
Ding!
"Score for Slytherin!" Buchanan announced, lackluster, and the board changed from 40-10 to 40-20. The Slytherin stands burst into screams, and the feeling of dread in my gut intensified. What the fuck was going on?
"-on the night of the party," Lily was saying, and I turned quickly back to her.
"I'm sorry, can you say that one more time? I couldn't hear you," I tried hard to focus on my best friend and her worried expression.
"I said, I'm ready to tell you what happened at the night of the party!" She looked almost as shaken up as I felt.
"What do you mean?" I was caught slightly off-guard, eyes flickering to the field and then back to her.
"With James!" She cried impatiently. "Isa, I tried to kiss him! I was drunk, and I tried to kiss him. We were alone, we were talking - we were actually talking, and he was kind and considerate and I was just so confused, I was having all these feelings and then before I knew it I was leaning in! But he stepped back!" She was whispering furiously, and to my surprise, her eyes were brimming with tears.
"Erm-what?" I could hardly believe my ears. I stared at her in shock. Lily Evans, the girl my brother had been desperately in love with for six years, had tried to kiss him? I'm not going ot lie, part of me wanted to do a huge happy dance right then and there. I felt excitement on behalf of James. But, wait-
"He stepped back?" I repeated, unsure I'd heard right.
"Yes!" Lily repeated woefully. "He rejected me!"
"He couldn't have," I shook my head. "I know my brother. He would never-"
And then it happened again. Everything faded away to the corners of my vision, and all I saw was James's hand closing around the snitch. I heard the roar of the crowd.
"Gryffindor wins the first game of the season!" I heard Buchanon bellow, his voice muffled as if floating to me from very far away.
This time the vision faded quickly, though, and I was left staring at a befuddled looking Lily.
"What just happened? Did you see that?" I gasped, grabbing her hands. I could feel my heart beating quickly, and I felt as though I'd just been turned right-side-up after hanging upside down for several hours. I fell back in my seat, and Lily came down with me, looking alarmed.
"Isa, are you alright?" She pressed, and Marlene turned back and stared at us.
"What's going on with you, Isa?" She worried, mid-clap. "Are you feeling sick?"
"I-yes," I said quickly, standing to my feet. "I'm feeling very sick, actually. I think I need to go back. Lily-"
"I'll go with you," she said immediately, putting her arm through mine. "I want to make sure you get back alright." I nodded unenthusiastically; I had just wanted to be alone, and I was so panicked about what was happening to me that I could hardly focus on what she had just told me about James. But maybe it was better that she came.
We stumbled our way up to the staircase and then down the Gryffindor stands, all the while trying to reassure Lily that it was nothing serious. But I could tell something was going on. As we followed the path back to the castle, Hogwarts looming ahead of us, the edges of my vision grew blurry. And then everything went black.
I blinked the fogginess away, struggling to focus my eyes back on the scene in front of me - Lily was staring at me, jaw dropped. I was still standing there - not much time could have passed.
"What? What is it?" I asked her, slightly uncomfortable.
"Y-you just-" she pointed at me with a trembling finger.
"What?" I pressed, grabbing her arm and walking quickly back to the castle. I just wanted to be back home, in from out here. I wanted to know what was going on with me.
"Isa, wait!" Lily tore her arm out of mine, whirling in front of me. "Isabel, your voice just got bloody strange, and you were talking about the people around us dying if misplaced trust isn't righted!" Her voice shook slightly, and the hair on the back of my neck stood up. It sounded familiar, but...I hadn't said that, had I?
"What are you talking about, Lily?" My voice was slightly snappish, and I continued to walk quickly back towards the castle. "I didn't say anything."
"You did!" She insisted. "I-I don't remember it word for word, I was so surprised - but it was creepy, Isa. I promise, all of a sudden you just stopped and went still. And your voice got all raspy, and your eyes were wide but I felt like they weren't even seeing me. It felt like a warning!" I stared at her for a moment, then whirled on my heel and all but started running for the castle.
"Isa!" Lily pleaded, jogging to keep up. "Will you please tell me what's going on? I'm worried!"
"I've got to go to Dumbledore," I decided suddenly. "That's where I'm going. Lily, please don't tell anyone about this." Pulling open the heavy front doors I marched inside, past the empty Great Hall and down the corridors. My footsteps echoed loudly in the absence of any other person there; sun spilled in from the windows, but I still felt chilly.
"Do you want me to go with you?" Lily asked as we finally stopped in front of the great stone gargoyle that guarded the Headmaster's office. I was lucky I was James Potter's sister; otherwise I'd never know where Dumbledore lived.
"No," I told her, giving her a smile. "It's alright. I need to talk to him in private." Lily nodded reluctantly, looking up at the unmoving stone gargoyle.
"Erm - how do you get up there, exactly?" Lily asked, reaching forward cautiously and giving the gargoyle's chest a firm knock.
"Don't do that!" Its voice snapped suddenly, stone head turning and fixating on Lily. We both jumped backwards, stifling shrieks.
"Merlin's beard!" I gasped, stomach feeling like I'd just unexpectedly tumbled down the staircase. "It's an emergency, I really need to get up," I pleaded to the gargoyle, who had gone back to its original position and looked as though it had never moved a centimeter in its life. "Please?" I tried again, and to my surprise, the gargoyle began to ascend upwards, revealing a stone staircase.
"Well," Lily said uncertainly, taking a step back. "I'll leave you to it. I'll meet you back in the Common Room later, yeah?"
"You're not going back to the game?" I turned back to look at her, my foot on the first stair.
"Erm-no." She was twisting her hands in front of her. "I'll just stay here a bit, and get some homework done."
"Lily, are you sure you're alright?" I looked intently at her.
"Me?" She barked a short laugh. "I'm more worried about you right now. And don't worry. We'll continue the talk later. Right now, just get yourself sorted out."
I nodded, turning around and ascending the spiral staircase, one hand trailing along the brick wall to my right.
When I finally reached the top, I jumped with fright. Dumbledore himself was standing right at the entrance, smiling serenely at me with his hands folded over his midnight blue robes as if he'd been waiting for me all along.
"Oh, Professor - I'm sorry!" I gasped, suddenly realizing that it had probably been incredibly rude of me not to knock or in some other way announce myself.
"Not to worry," Dumbledore said kindly, stepping aside and allowing me to see, for the first time, the inside of his office. "You'll find that there are very, very few things happening within this castle - or on the grounds - that I am not aware of."
My jaw dropped slightly as I stepped forward. His office was large, high-ceilinged, and circular. A large balcony jutted out from the back of the room, which looked over tables and desks full of silver instruments, some of which were whirring, others smoking, and some, both. Against one wall, what looked like a stone basin was peeking out from a mirrored partition; whatever was inside seemed to be glowing. Entranced, I stepped towards it, almost unconsciously.
"So, Miss Potter. What has brought you to my office on this day, and in the middle of the Quidditch game, no less?" I snapped out of it, turning back to face him.
Suddenly, it dawned on me. "Professor, why weren't you at the Quidditch game? Don't you normally go?"
"Ah, yes," Dumbledore admitted, striding over to his desk and sitting down. He gestured for me to do the same. "Normally, I do. But it just so happens that I had several things requiring my immediate attention and could not be left until after the game. However, they are now complete. You have my full and undivided attention, Miss Potter. And I must say, your timing is impeccable."
"Erm, what do you mean, sir?" My brow wrinkled.
"I have just received correspondence from your parents, my dear girl. They wish to meet with you, at your convenience. I have temporarily opened up a Floo network into Hogsmeade, where they are waiting for you." I inhaled sharply, and I could see a sort of understanding in his eyes. "But first, I believe you had something you wanted to tell me?" He stared over his half-moon spectacles at me, and I got the distinct impression he was staring directly into my soul. I also got the impression, somehow, that nothing I told him would be a surprise to him. I opened my mouth and began to speak.
I told him everything, from the very first few dreams I had that ended up coming true, to the way I was feeling now - the way Professor Cromwell had seemed to stare at me in class, what happened with the game, and also what happened after the game, with Lily.
"And now you believe that something's wrong with you," Professor Dumbledore said softly, steepling his fingers against his forehead.
"I-erm, yeah, pretty much," my voice cracked, and to my surprise, tears welled up in my eyes.
"My dear child." Dumbledore's gaze burned bright, and I blinked back the sudden moisture that had formed in my eyes. "There is nothing wrong with you. You are not broken. The things you are seeing, the things you know…it is a gift. You, Isabel Potter, have all the makings of a very gifted Seer."
A jolt of fear and excitement shot through me. I supposed a part of me had suspected this, in the back of my mind, but then the more logical part of me always shut it down with a critical scoff.
"It is both a blessing and a curse," Dumbledore continued. "To be able to see everything so clearly. To see things before they happen. But Miss Potter - you must remember. Seeing the future does not absolve you from having to live it."
I nodded, letting those words sink in. "Professor, what I said to Lily. About people dying if misplaced trust isn't righted. What could that mean?"
"The thing about prophecies," he said softly. "Sometimes they take many years to come to light. Sometimes, they come about in ways that we do not expect. And the most important thing of all to remember - predicting things about the people closest to you...it is nearly impossible. Expectations and emotions get in the way. The future is a fragile thing - nearly impossible to grasp. Light as a feather, and before you know it, it is slipping away from you in the wind."
I nodded slowly. Part of me wondered if Dumbledore was a seer. He just knew so much. "I do have another question," I blurted suddenly, after a moment of thought. "My mother - Amalia - was she...like me?"
"I remember Amalia Potter." Dumbledore got a far away look in his eyes. "And I seem to remember a conversation very like this one, in which a different Miss Potter came to me in tears after she saw the death of a student's parent before it happened." My eyes widened, stunned. Somehow, I had suspected this. But now that it was out in the open, hanging in the air in front of us...this was why I'd kept my mouth shut for the last few weeks. I knew once I talked about it, I'd have to face it...all of it. For the first time, I was absolutely terrified to have to go and speak to my parents.
"What did you tell her?" My voice shook slightly.
"Well," Dumbledore began. "I offered her training. I told her many of the same things I told you. You recall what I told you, about the gift of prophecy being a blessing or a curse?"
I nodded.
"Well, as I mentioned before, the future is a slippery thing to hold on to. It is easy to become lost in it. Is it easy to become...obsessed. Those who can see the future, they walk a fine line between timelines. If you're not careful, it can pull your mind in too many directions at once. It can drive you to do things you wouldn't normally do. It can cause a person to act...dangerously. Impulsively."
"Like becoming addicted to Felix Felicious?" I asked softly. Dumbledore inclined his head, his eyes sad.
"Your mother was a wonderful student. And and even more wonderful woman. But she was overburdened with the gift of sight. Knowing what we know now - Miss Potter, you have many, many people that care about you. No one is going to let you down a similar path." To my surprise, I had tears in my eyes.
"Just the Quidditch game was enough to make me a bit batty," I whispered shakily, wiping at my eyes with my robe sleeves. "I don't know how to control it. I feel like it's getting stronger...or worse."
"I have just the thing," Dumbledore's voice was soft, but firm. "Now, this is not a permanent fix. It is more of a bandage, until we can get your abilities under control, until we can begin your training. I am afraid...well, Miss Potter. I cannot force you to do anything. But I must say, when I offered training to your mother, she refused. She did not think she needed it. And I do believe that that choice, that decision, was the first one that set her down the wrong path."
"I want to train," I said immediately. "I need to train. I can't let this consume me."
"I commend you. That is a wise choice. But for now, you have enough to worry about. I have something for you, and then I will let you depart, and speak with your parents." Dumbledore stood to his feet, flicking his wand up over my head. A small, silver vial came zooming out of nowhere, from deep within the back of the office - Dumbledore caught it nimbly. It flashed in the light as he set it down on the desk in front of me. It was full to the brim with a bright, shining substance, like liquid moonlight.
"What is it?" I asked curiously, taking the bottle. It was cold to the touch.
"It will help you if you become overwhelmed with visions or premonitions from the future. Think of your ability as a sixth sense - this very potion is designed to target this sixth sense, and mute it. It will have no effect on the rest of your magical abilities, nor your day to day life. You will simply not become overwhelmed with images of what is to come before you are ready and equipped, as a trained Seer, to handle them."
I stared at it suspiciously, though I did slip it into my robe pocket.
"And Miss Potter," Dumbledore stared at me intently over his half-moon spectacles. "Please do not think it a weakness to take this potion. I implore you to look at it as a necessary medication until we can put other practices in place that will help you."
Nodding shakily, I stood to my feet. "Okay. I will, I promise. I'll take it if things get bad again."
"Very well." Dumbledore spread his arms, and started towards a large, empty stone fireplace. "We will continue this chat later. For now, I will send you on your way."
Taking a deep, shaking breath, I stepped forward, and closed my fingers around a handful of Floo powder.
"You will find them at the Hog's Head, waiting for you," Dumbledore instructed me. I stepped into the ashes, taking a deep breath before letting the Floo Powder tumble from my hands, announcing my destination loudly. I closed my eyes and felt my body being yanked upwards, backwards, and in a million different directions.
A/N: OKAY! That was basically one long big scene but it needed to happen. Again, I apologize for the lack of Isa/Sirius interaction, but his absence from the Quidditch game which was briefly touched on is actually veeeeery significant, and let's just say there will be a looooot more action in the next chapter with our favorite not-quite-couple. ;) Again, thank you to ALL my reviewers, I really love you guys. You have no idea how much I appreciate reading every single one. They really do make my day!