Ch5
By September, Harry was doing better than any had dared to hope. Bella and Harry's adventurous activities did not stop at the Hogwarts gates. They continued to sneak around, risk their lives, and do stupid things that, without supervision, most teenagers are want to do. The map was so devastatingly important to the two. It was as if by doing all the stupid things that Sirius would've done with the Marauders, Bella and Harry were connected to him- at least that's what McGonagall was overheard saying to Slughorn in the teacher's lounge one evening. Bella was still a prefect, they technically hadn't done a single thing wrong... well the hadn't been caught. Obviously, the inhabitants of the castle knew their odd quacking after their morning pumpkin juice was likely because of either those two or Forge, but Forge was all about marketing and advertising their pranks, while this quite duo often walked away scot-free. Not that the elder Scots woman wanted to catch them, she truly just wanted them to be as lighthearted as other teens- they had both had such difficult lives so far, and this prank-a-palooza seemed to be helping, largely.
During this time the two rarely slept.
Harry was haunted by images of Sirius falling back towards the veil while whispering that it was Harry's fault; while a set of red eyes and a room of mirrors haunted Bella. They both would wake up screaming and in a sweat, Harry clutching his forehead and Bella her wrist.
So, naturally and ogically, they decided sleep was unnecessary.
They began to brew their own pepper-up potion and drank heaps of muggle coffee, "Always Black" they would before the first sip. Dobby was more than happy to help out and could always be counted upon to have a fresh pot brewing for the pair.
About once a week they would crash, hard. Hermione and/or Ron would escort/levitate them to Pomfrey and she would administer a dreamless sleep draught. It was during these times that the Headmaster would visit. He would often sit between the two beds and read or write, but he would stay almost the whole time.
One particularly rough week in November, Dumbledore was there when Bella's draught wore out. He was immediately alerted to her distress when she folded into herself assuming a fetal position and began to whimper. When she was awoken by Madame Pomfrey, Bella's eyes were lifeless and unresponsive, but it was her next words that chilled the Healer to the bone "it burns, get it out"… followed by a soft and pleading "please, please don't leave me".
She was quickly asleep again and Dumbledore knew it was time.
Emmett POV
It's not every day you surprise a coven of vampires.
But hey, it is also not everyday you find out that the little sister you loved and thought you lost was actually a witch sent into hiding. You also don't always hear that her memory was wiped so she had no idea she was magical or that magic even existed, but she is so powerful they had to bind her magic or the Dark Lord that was after her would've found her. You ALSO don't typically find out that she had a brother about a year older than her but they were separated the night of their parent's murder by said mad man/dark lord/ moldyshorts something or other. Another thing that isn't typically revealed in your morning cheerios is that currently said little sister is in school for magic 'Hogwarts to be exact', has no recollection of her time here or you and also her 'dad' the chief of police, was actually a notorious murderer, nee fighter of the dark lord and avenger of her parent's death who spirited her away to a tiny town in Washington state and only regretted that he couldn't get both children out of the country and presume the second, an elder boy, to be dead. Also he is standing right in front of you with much better hair than you last recalled and a smirk a mile wide. Oh yeah, you also don't typically find out that he knew you were vampires the WHOLE. DAMN. TIME.
I think Eddie is going to have an aneurism.
But this means we can FINALLY get Belly back!
Dumbles, as I've now taken to calling him, walked into our front room and almost lost his head for it. He waltzed out of the fireplace in our Concord home, mind you the green fire alerted us that something might be coming but no one thought it would be an old man in a dress.
He has the longest beard I've ever seen, and I'm from rural Tennessee! He spoke quickly and quietly to Carlisle who put everyone at ease. Carlisle apparently knew him from many moons ago. Carlisle knows everyone. I swear, you can't take him anywhere without stopping for a chat. He's like a southern mom in a grocery store.
Anywho, Dumbles explained to us that no one currently living in Forks remembers Bellybean or the Chief, he said that they had all been 'Obliviated' but I think he meant they were oblivious. hehe
The others are staring at him as he explains about magical communities around the world and all sorts of 'Order' 'Prophecy' 'Chosen one' business that, frankly I can't be bothered to listen to. Jasper and Edward will fill me in, they appear to be eating this stuff up.
I do start to listen when Edward asks the first important question of the day… 'What does any of that have to do with Bella?'
I do start to listen when Edward asks the first important question of the day… 'What does any of that have to do with Bella?'
Dumbles quickly launched into the explanation that Bella was not Bella Swan, she was in fact Euphemia Arabella Potter. She was removed from magical Britain by her uncle Sirius Black (aka Chief Swan) after the Dark Lord attacked the Potter cottage.
They had been out for a ride on his motorbike, the only way to get her to sleep in those days, when the wards went off. He abandoned the bike, picked a random place, and apparated them away. He intended to go back, and did. Seeing the wreckage of the house and its focus on Harry's room, nearly killed Sirius. He presumed that Harry had died along with his parents. Sirius went after Peter, attempted to kill him, but the bugger got away and Sirius was arrested. He knew he owed it to Lily and James to take care of the godchild across the pond. So, with that sobering thought, he transfigured a bat to look like him and apparated stateside. He came back and freshened the charm every few weeks when he, as Charlie, went on a 'fishing trip'. Bella was his life now.
The wizarding world mourned Lily and James and celebrated Harry, while all the while no one knew of little Euphemia Arabella Potter. She was born during the Potter's hiding and kept so secret that only a handful of people knew she existed, and two were dead.
Dumbledore continued to explain that Sirius was unaware of Harry's continued existence until Harry's third year. He was freshening up the charm on the bat when he saw the Daily Prophet photo of the Weasleys' trip to Egypt and the quick line about Harry. His axis tipped. Harry was alive!
He was again a man obsessed. He hunted Peter down with the help of Dumbledore and a few time turners. During this time Bella's magic was bound and she was attending muggle schooling, but Sirius was unwilling to take the risk of reintroducing her to the magical world just yet, even if it meant keeping her brother from her and she him. Sirius, with the help of Dumbledore, was able to use a time-turner to apparate between Harry and Bella. He knew the only way he could bring Bella back into the magical world was if he could godparent them both, so he worked diligently to clear his name and find the rat. The time turning though, set the world askew.
The overlap of time turners used to save him 'broke' all the time he had previously turned. During the time that Sirius was at Hogwarts years had collected. The time turner that saved his life that night on the tower also took it from him. When he returned to Bella she was years older. She had brief memories of him from the past years and a whole heart of pain. Magic is a curious thing, and when a debt is owed to time, it collects- one way or another.
During this time she had grown to a wizarding adult and her magic was fighting her. When Sirius returned he saw that her magic was attempting to ease the pain of losing Edward and she was near-catatonic from magical exhaustion. Dumbles was able to reverse the aging on Bella and seal her memories, but she was unraveling. Her subconscious recalled the horror she faced at the hands of James and the loss she felt when Edward left. Dumbledore said that he hoped to unite the two temporal differences in Bella when he unbound her magical core.
I was lost. What?! Bella was actually 14 when she and Eddie fell in love? No, they said she was aging. So wait is she still 17? Is a 97 year age gap weirder than 94? How old is she now? Does age matter? How did magic do that? Who am I? What is the point of life?! I got a little carried away but … this is weird!
So I did the thing I do best.
I asked questions.
"So how old is Bella now?" Dumbles replied quickly "She is in her 6th year, she will be 17 in a few weeks."
"Does she remember us?" less quickly he replied "I believe she does, but she is in an immeasurable amount of pain at the moment, her mind is attempting to release the memories, but if it lined up with the current timeline her 'Charlie' and 'Sirius' would both be dead and I'm afraid at what might happen when she realizes that. As of now she is still plagued by dreams that I only get glimpses of before she shields them, but they are not pleasant."
"Why are you here then?" at this, a chorus of apologies flew in Dumbledork's direction. I had no idea why though. I lost it. "If he came all this way to tell us that Belly is in great pain, doesn't remember us, AND we can't do a damn thing about it we're worse off than before he popped out of the fireplace like a fricken Slimfast Santa!"
Dumbles laughed. Actually laughed at that. He muttered something about weasels and placed his hands calmly in front of him. "Emmett is right, and thank you for noticing my weight loss, robes can be so dawdy looking", at this Alice nodded emphatically, "but there is something you can do, which is why I've bothered your peace." He continued speaking, but his smile from my earlier joke faded faster than a summer camp tie-dye "However, if I'm wrong about my next theory I must leave, for I cannot risk the consequences." He finished, and in that moment I knew he was quite a powerful wizard. The air felt thick with magic and I pulled Rose closer.
"Edward," he began "did you leave Bella to protect her from yourself and your vampiric way of life for fear she end up like you and risk her soul in the process?"
Gobsmacked, man I love that word, Edward was gobsmacked.
He nodded.
Dumbles continued "You love her and would risk your happiness, and her own, to do what is right for her."
Edward nodded again, though that wasn't really a question.
After a knowing nod Dumbles spoke again "You feel hollow without her, she is your soul's-mate."
Edward stared at Dumbledore for a moment he began to say something, I'm positive it was to refute that he 'has not a soul to mate to' or something ridiculous like that, but before he could do so Edward's eyes almost fell out of his head. "Impossible" he whispered… quickly he closed his mouth and fumbled to answer "Possible!" "I mean, yes, soul's-mate, she's mine, ergh… we are soulmates!"
Carlisle beamed and Edward turned to us "We have souls!"
Jasper and Rose looked unconvinced so he continued to ramble "Dumbledore was blocking me this whole time, then let his shield down, showed me a vampire being- sorry what was it called?" "Kissed" supplied Dumbledore helpfully "Right, kissed. So that is when these awful things suck your soul out of your body and leave you a hopeless soulless creature, ISN'T IT GREAT!?"
Esme was the first to break the silence "Not for those poor unfortunate souls, but for us darling, for your clarity, yes, I suppose it is."
Great, now the 'Poor Unfortunate Souls' song from the Little Mermaid was playing in my head. When did I even watch that?
Alice spoke next "I've just lost all visions of us for the foreseeable future, I presume someone just made a decision to go see Bella?"
They all looked to me "I'd decided it as soon as this dude said he knew her! I didn't wipe the all-seeing mind clear! Not me!"
Rose spoke up,"I did."
Again, everyone was gobsmacked! Great word, le sigh.
Rose again spoke "If we can help her, we should. She wa-is family."
Alice was gone and back in a flash wearing a black and white checkered mini skirt and a union jack long sleeve shirt, and *gasp* converse. She went full on '90's English punk on us.
We quickly redirected our attention to Dumbles and Carlisle spoke for the family "We would love to aid Bella in any way, what do you need us to do?"