[REPOST]
I'm baaaaaak~!
I promised I would return, and I have! I know it's been a while, been a bit busy with uni and all, but most of my assignments are done and handed in so now I can focus on my story again yaaay!
But you're not here to hear me talk, well more type, you're here for the story! And without further ado, the story!
Natsu mewled as he forced his eyes open. Everything seemed fuzzy, muffled voices traveling from God knows where. As he sat up groaning, the sheets fell off his chest with a light thud onto his lap. He held his head to try block it from his throbbing head. Like that would do anything. He looked around the room, noting he was the first to wake up.
"Natsu!"
Okay, the second. He felt something fly into his stomach, causing him to grunt slightly. Looking down, he saw his favourite exceed crying as he hugged him. "Hey Happy." Natsu smiled with a bit of hoarse in his voice.
"Ah Natsu my boy!"
Natsu's head jolted up, his master and head master approaching his bed with warm and soft smiles. "Master Makarov, Professor Dumbledore…. What happened?" Natsu asked, weakly looking around. He winced a bit as he turned his neck, it stung a little bit. "You fought admiralty my boy. I am very impressed with the way your guild has fought Master Makarov." Dumbledore smiled, looking down at his father's old friend. "Yeah well tell that to the mountains of paper on my desk." Makarov chuckled, folding his arms.
Dumbledore chuckled slightly, before turning back the the injured boy. "There is some medicine for you. It should give your energy back." Natsu turned his head to the side table, a spoonful of medicine and water already prepared for him. He stretched out slightly, arm paining a bit as he did. He grabbed the spoon and gave it a sniff first. It smelt foul, Natsu's nose wrinkling at the stench, his tongue reaching out of his mouth in disgust, and held out the medicine as far as he could away from him,
"Do I have to…?" Natsu whined. "Natsu. Take it." Makarov said with a slight growl. He didn't want to be a dad today. "No I don't wanna!" Natsu shook his head like a toddler. "Natsu, Take. The medicine." Makarov growled again.
"But it stinks!" Natsu protested. "I don't care, now TAKE IT!" Natsu flinched at Makarov's yell. Natsu grumbled and mewled, bringing the medicine close to his mouth again. He began to gag every second the spoon got closer, he deliberately slowing down his hand while it inched closer to him.
"Oh for Pete's…"
Makarov had ran out of patience and yanked the spoon out of Natsu's hand, shoving the spoon in the back of his throat. Natsu gagged at both the taste and the sudden jab of the spoon. His cheeks puffed, his legs kicking, hands to his mouth. A few seconds later, he managed to swallow the foul liquid. "Oh!" Natsu's eyes widened, as his body had a wave of refreshness. He flexed his muscles, feeling free and sharp again, like he never had fought last night. "Woaaah I feel great! What is this stuff?"
Natsu smiled, reaching for the bottle. "Medicine, what else?" Makarov sighed, rubbing his temples. "Oh. Anyway, how is everyone? Wait, is Lucy hurt too?!" Natsu leaned forward, about to pounce out of bed. "Everyone is fine." Dumbledore said with a soothing voice, his hand up lowly to stop Natsu from moving.
"They are only resting at the moment. That is all." He explained. "Oh… okay… What about Harry and Sirius?" Natsu asked, softly petting Happy's head. "They are fine. Both of them are resting at the moment. Harry is in the infirmary, Sirius is in a... confidential area." Natsu nodded, looking down. "And Ron and Hermione?"
"Both of them are with Harry. Although Ron's leg is horribly injured, but they are all safe." Natsu smiled at Dumbledore's words, and looked around the room. Everyone was still in a deep slumber, eyelids heavy. "Natsu, since you are awake, would you like to tell us what happened?" Dumbledore sat down at his bedside, Makarov daking the other side. Natsu looked down, and muttered something under his breath. "What was that Natsu?" Makarov asked, leaning forward to hear him better.
"Peter Pettigrew…" Natsu repeated, a little louder. Dumbledore's eyes widened a little, before softening his look and gave a warm, gravely hum. Natsu could tell he didn't need to tell him the rest. "Professor, who is Peter Pettigrew?" Natsu asked, looking up. Dumbledore stood up, hands softly collapsing on top of each other. "He was a student here long ago. He was a boy who wavered with his confidence, idolising James Potter, Sirius Black, and Remus Lupin. Unfortunately, he wavered to the wrong side, and he betrayed the very people he once called friends."
Dumbledore turned around, Natsu's head now down and teeth bare. "How dare he… He was their friend and he sold them out…." He growled. "Natsu, I understand that your guild focuses on the bonds of you and your teammates, am I correct?" Natsu looked up and gave a nod. "In my youth my father taught me that same thing. That the bonds of one's friends can either end in success or failure. But remember Mister Dragneel…" Dumbledore sat back down, and leaned into Natsu's face with a soft whisper. "That whatever a person says or does, isn't what's always in their heart…"
Dumbledore leaned back and stood up once more, heading towards the door. "If you are well Mister Dragneel, you should visit your roommates in the infirmary. I'm sure they would want to see you." And with that he left. Natsu and Makarov looked at each other, the latter sporting a warm smile. "Master, do you think one day something like Peter Pettigrew will happen to us?" Natsu muttered, Happy looking up at their master with the same question burning in his eyes. Makarov sighed gruffly, folding his arms.
"Well it's hard to say. None of us can tell the future. Well, maybe except Cana but that might be a little out of the child's league."
"But what if it does?"
Makarov sighed, rubbing his temples with his thumb and forefinger. "Natsu, remember the ordeal with Grimoire Heart? It's happened before, but we managed to beat Master Precht. No, Hades. Master Mavis always wanted Fairy Tail to be full of love and family, but there always will be one person with the darkest of intentions. Maybe not now, but in the future, or maybe they'll be spies from another guild, light or dark. Take Gajeel." Makarov twitched his head to where Gajeel was resting, Natsu following the line.
"He may have started with the unpurist of intentions, but as a leader it was my duty to help him back on the right path. No matter what may come, my dear boy, we will help those who have strained on the dark path. No matter who they are."
Natsu smiled as he stroked Happy's head. He carefully picked Happy up and placed him on the bed and stood up. His legs felt a little bit like jelly, but because of the medicine earlier he felt like his legs would have been worse than before. He was still wearing his wearing what he had the night before with a few dirt patches. He sipped on a jacket and zipped it up silently.
"Where are you going Natsu?" Happy asked, flying onto Natsu's shoulder. "To see Harry, Ron, and Hermione." Natsu replied with a smile. "Master, if the others wake up, tell them I'm seeing them in the infirmary." Makarov smiled, and gave a nod. "Be careful." Makarov wished. Natsu turned around, asking what Makarov meant by that, but hey, anything crazy can happen. "I will." Natsu simply replied and made his way to the infirmary.
There wasn't a soul in sight as Harry moved through the old building. For some reason, things felt colder. Every minute he thought about Peter's betrayal, his anger just kept building and building. But also the more he thought about it, the more he remembered his master's words. If someone like Peter did "grace" them with their presence, he will help them or die trying.
He took a deep breath, focusing on his path until he reached the infirmary, Dumbledore already ahead of him. "Ah Natsu. Glad you could join me. I was just about to check on the children myself." Natsu teetered from side to side a bit before giving his toothy smile. "Yeah, I just wanted to see them as well." He admitted.
"Harry?"
Natsu could hear muffled talk through the door, his body leaning to the side to hear more. Dumbledore turned as well, presumably to hear their talk.
"I saw my dad…"
"What?"
"He sent the dementors away… across the wood."
Natsu's face went white, his head reeling at how that was possible. But that soon went out the window at the next line.
"Listen Harry, they've captured Sirius. Any minute the dementors are going to perform the Kiss."
"What?! They're going to kill him?"
"No it's worse, much worse. They're going to suck his soul."
Natsu froze, and looked at Dumbledore, who was still completely calm about the whole conversation. "Sir, is this true…?" Natsu asked, barely close to a whisper. Dumbledore looked back at Natsu, not giving him a response. Natsu didn't ask again, taking his silence as a confirmative answer.
He tsked, marching to the door and opening it with force. Ron laid on the bed, his leg in a cast and supported by a pillow, while Harry jumped from his seat on the bed, and Hermione turning around at the sudden bang.
"Natsu! I'm glad you're alright! You just disappeared on us!" Hermione breathed, hugging her friend. "Sorry, I tried to go find help…" Natsu apologised, hugging her back. The young witch suddenly turned her attention to the headmaster who followed the foreign wizard in. Hermione let go of her hug and walked towards the man.
"Headmaster, you've got to stop them! They've got the wrong man!" She pleaded, Harry behind her. "It's true sir. Sirius is innocent!" Harry exclaimed. "Yeah, it's Scabbers who did it!" Ron yelled from his bed, a little hurt he was left out of this conversation. "Scabbers?" The old man repeated.
"He's my rat sir. Well, he's not really a rat, but he was a rat. He was my brother Percy's rat. But then we gave him an owl…" Ron rambled. Hermione slightly rolled her eyes, and turned back to the headmaster. "The point is we know the truth! Please believe us!"
"I do Miss Granger." Dumbledore said warmly, giving a slight look at Natsu, then back at Hermione. "But the word of three thirteen year old wizards will convince few others." He explained, leaving Natsu out as the others didn't know Natsu already told them.
He then pushed lightly between the three wizards, and towards Ron, stuck on the bed. "A child's voice, however honest and true… is meaningless." He placed his hand on Ron's injured leg, causing Ron to yelp slightly in pain. "To those who have forgotten how to listen." The man pat Ron's leg again, the injured yelping once more as he held his leg for comfort.
In the distance, the clock chimed its heavy bell. Dumbledore looked up, as if he just remembered something. His eyes wandered to Hermione, knowing she had something. Something that might just help the children in their pleas.
"Mysterious thing, time." He began, making his way towards the door. "Powerful, but when meddled with, dangerous." He stopped at the door, looking down the long corridor. He watched the gears at the end grind slowly with every tick and groan of the mechanism. He gave himself a silent chuckle, knowing that they would succeed.. "Sirius Black is in the topmost cell of the Dark Tower." He swiftly turned, eyeing Hermione dead in the eye.
"You know the laws, Miss Granger. You must not be seen and you would do well, I feel, and return before this last chime. If not, the consequences are too ghastly to discuss. If you succeed tonight, more than one innocent life may be spared. Three turns should do it I think." Dumbledore held his fingers up in a twisting position with a wink, before he turned on heel once more and left closing the doors.
Before the boys could ask Hermione what the headmaster was going at, the doors opened again with said man's head peeking through the doors. "Oh lastly! When in doubt, I find retracing my steps to be a wise place to begin. Good luck." And with that note, the doors finally closed.
"What the bloody hell was that all about?" Ron gaped, looking back at Hermione. Hermione huffed, whipping her head back to Ron. "Sorry Ron, but seeing as you can't walk…" Hermione dug under her shirt and pulled out a round pendant with a small hourglass in the middle. It was attached to a long golden chain, and had tiny knobs on the side.
"Come here Natsu, Happy." Hermione muttered, placing the chain over them and Harry. Both boys looked at each other, wondering what was going on. Hermione held up the pendant, Harry holding the other side. Natsu was also curious, reaching out to touch the pendant. Hermione sucked in her lips, and smacked the boys' hands away. "Ow hey!" Natsu complained, but that was ignored.
Hermione twisted the pendent three times and stopped. The hourglass began to spin on its own, chimes of the clock echoing and slowing down. The room began to go blur, brushes of people entering and exiting in reverse. Natsu and Harry looked around noticing that the sun was going backwards, and was that them?
Harry, Happy, and Natsu continued to look around, everything just going backwards. Wendy and Madam Pomfrey going about their day in the infirmary backwards. It continued until everything slowed down and came to a stop.
It took the boys a few seconds to process what just happened as Hermione took the necklace off them and shoved it back down her shirt. "What just happened?!" Harry demanded, looking around the room. "Where's Ron?" Natsu asked, now looking at an empty bed. Hermione paid them no mind, looking at the clock down the hallway.
"It's 7:30. Where were we at 7:30?" She asked, snapping her head to her companions. "Uh, I don't know, going to Hagrid's?" Harry guessed. Hermione panted, grabbing Harry's arm and pulled him along. "Come on, and we can't be seen!" She reminded them, the group running down the hallway.
"Hermione!" Natsu called out, running slightly behind them, Happy just flying behind. They continued to run until they reached the other side of the old wooden bridge that lead to Hagrid's hut. "Hermione wait! Will you please tell us what it is we're doing?!" Harry asked through pants as they stopped. But that was answered at the sight that was below them.
"You! You foul, loathsome, evil little cockroach!"
"W-Wait, that's us!" Harry gasped, watching the scene below them.
"Hermione no! It's not worth it…"
"This is not normal…" Natsu gasped, Hermione pushing Harry and Natsu back against the wall to avoid being seen. She pulled out the pendent again, holding out for the boys to see. "This is a time-turner! McGonagall gave it to me first term! This is how I've been getting to my lessons all year!" She explained, hiding it once more. "You mean, we've gone back in time?" Harry clarified. "Yes! Dumbledore obviously wanted us to return to this moment."
And with that, she went back to looking out the door frame to see where they were at in this moment of time. "Clearly, something happened he wants us to change…." She said to herself, the boys peeking behind her.
They witnessed Hermione punch Draco a second time, yells from Draco's crew yelling at him with concern while Gajeel was just sitting there nonchalantly, almost about to laugh. "Good punch." Harry complimented. Hermione gave a chuckle and smiled. "Thanks."
But the relived moment passed quickly as the Slytherins, minus Gajeel, scrambled up the hill. All of them jumped out the window and crouched down, making sure they weren't seen. "Not a word to anyone, understood?! I'm gonna get that jumped-up mudblood! Mark my words!"
"That felt good."
"Not good. Brilliant."
"Geehee! Couldn't agree more!"
"Not going with them?"
"Nah. I can only take so much of that whiny brat…"
The three looked over the scene as the Gryffindors talked to the Slytherin who stayed behind.
"If you think that of Malfoy, why do you hang around him?"
"I have my reasons…"
Natsu felt a slight swelling in his chest and slightly looked down.
"Anyway, got things to do, places to be. I'll see you guys later in class or maybe later on the weekend. Ciao."
The future versions ducked back in, making sure Gajeel didn't see them. However, he stopped at the door, sniffing the air. Natsu closed his eyes, praying Gajeel would go away. Gajeel turned around, just catching a glimpse of the Gryffindors going down to Hagrid's hut. Gajeel shook his head, mumbling something about him losing his mind and continuing on his journey.
As their past selves moved down to the hut, their future selves moved to the side of the rock, observing the scene below. "Look! Buckbeak's still alive!" Harry pointed out. "Of course! Remember what Dumbledore said? If we succeed, more than one innocent life can be spared." Hermione looked at the boys and gave a nod. "Come on, let's go!" She ran past them, and ran down the stairs. Natsu lingered behind as he ran behind Harry and Hermione. His eyes burned with desire to save everyone. Dumbledore and Hermione gave them another chance to fix the future.
And he would not let it waste.