WE ARE NEARING THE END. Maybe. :)
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.
CHAPTER 14: THE MYSTERY IS SOLVED… SORT OF.
Lily Luna is a stranger to silence.
She hates silence.
Growing up with two older brothers that bicker louder than a cat and a dog, and with a family that must have been ¼ of Hogwarts' population, she finds silence only in… well, almost none.
Still, the man who introduced himself as Leonard Laurent might as well drop a bomb in Grimmauld Place. Aknut could have fallen off and everyone would hear it. Everyone was slack jawed, surprised, shocked, and thoughtful. It's mostly Dumbledore that's thoughtful.
It seemed to it that the Order Meeting was already dawning to an end that only Snape, Dumbledore, Tonks, and Lupin remained (not counting Sirius, Molly, and Arthur; they naturally stay in the place.) and was able to see who Hailey, Ginny, Rose, and Hermione brought back.
Lily was peeved that she was not invited to come with them, but she let the matter go. After all, she had her own escapades before, and only a few members of their family knew it.
Professor Dumbledore decided to break off this silence. "How did you get into this timeline?"
There was no use beating around the bush. Everyone knew and hoped that this man is the Leonard Laurent. The man blinked.
"After I used the Mirror of Time, an ancient peace of magic devised by the world's powerful Forces, Father Time became angry at me. He had cursed me, sending me to travel between different timelines and not staying for more than a few days. But I would never be able to come back to the original timeline I first traveled." He answered dully. This time, Remus talked.
"Why would you want to come back to the first timeline you went?" he asked.
"I… I… have left a family in that timeline."
The man's lower lip trembled, a tear escaping his eye. "Oh ,oh—the pain! The pain and the mistake of falling in love in an age that I do not belong—my dear love, I am sorry! I'm sorry for leaving you and the child! I am—I am—"
The man went into hysterics, breathing heavily as he cried. No one was able to take a step forward and help him.
"What else happened?" Dumbledore pressed on, staring intently at the man.
"As I drifted off to different Timelines," the man continued, recovering back to normal as soon as the question was asked. "I was able to enter one place, and stay there for as long as I like. It is the Mansion of the Void. It is the place where they keep a special tool called—called—the Compass of Destiny."
"And where is this place?"
"I don't know, I don't know. I visit it when I sleep, when my body is awake—I don't know! Nothing is clear!" the man was shouting, Lily clung on to James, who gripped her back protectively.
"But can you show the way to that place?" Arthur asked. Leonard nodded.
"Yes, yes I can. But only those with the blood of a Time Wanderer can enter the Mansion, and claim the Compass."
"A Time Wanderer?" the others echoed, confused. Leonard straightened properly.
"A Time Wanderer is a person that can travel between times due to the unusual amount of magic in his blood. Or, according to my case, a curse by a Force."
"Other than you, is there any Wanderer you know of?" Dumbledore asked. Leonard Laurent shook his head.
"None that I know of. Except of a man I met in a different timeline; one older than this. His name is Marchall Green, and his daughter is a Wanderer."
Hailey and Scorpius exchanged glances worriedly.
Leonard Laurent then spoke, with such despair that no one could bear hear his voice. "My child—my beautiful child—she is a Wanderer, because she bears my blood. But, Alas! I have no power to reach her! Oh, how cruel! How cruel the Forces are!"
And with that exclamation, the man fainted. His ropes were removed, and he was transferred into a couch to make him more comfortably.
"Marchall Green," Hailey mumbled to Scorpius, who nodded blankly, staring into space. "That has to be him, isn't he?"
Scorpius nodded, his neck becoming stiff.
"So great, now we have to find a Wanderer." James asked the others. Dumbledore nodded grimly. "That is quite right, Mr. Potter."
"Where the heck do we find a freaking Wanderer?" he exclaimed, looking at his companions. Teddy rubbed the back of his neck tiredly. "I don't know James. In fact, no one here knows."
"We do." Hailey spoke quietly, glancing at Scorpius briefly.
"What?" All of the others' gazes were entirely focused on them.
"We know who Marchall Green is." Scorpius said. "He was the one who researched about Maebosis; an ancient disease running in pure blood families."
Dumbledore nodded in agreement. "What Mr. Malfoy said is correct."
"What is Maebosis, then? I have not read about that yet." Rose said, turning to the three who knew of them.
"Maebosis is a magical disease in which the 'Magic' running through a magical creature's blood clots, resulting in irregular magical flow. It is not contagious, but may be genetically inherited." Dumbledore answered, stroking his beard.
"How can Magic clot?" Hugo asked confusedly, frowning.
"Magic is mixed with our blood, although on different ways. While our blood flows in our body, our magic flows in our soul; our very being. Once it clots there, it affects all the other aspects as well; mind and emotions." Scorpius answered, hanging his head dejectedly.
"Then how does a person get it?" Harry asked in turn.
Hailey cocked her head to the side. "You lot know of pureblood families marrying into pureblood families, right? Everyone is connected with one another, and according to theory, that's the reason it existed. If a pureblood marries a muggle- born, or even a half blood, the lesser the chance of having the disease."
"Then why do pureblood families keep on marrying their kin?" Ron asked confusedly.
"Because although Maebosis is dangerous, it also makes one powerful." Dumbledore answered.
"Green's daughter, as Laurent mentioned before, has this sickness, which was why he researched on it. Every time the girl has a seizure [they call the moment Magic clots in the body seizures] she time travels somewhere." Hailey added.
"How do you know all this?" Hermione asked the twins; she did not doubt Dumbledore, of course he already lived for too long to not know this. But the twins…?
Hailey licked her dry lips before answering. "Marchall Green is our ancestor. Originally, Greengrass was Green. Besides," she said, sighing heavily. "Our aunt died of Maebosis."
Rose's eyebrow shot up. "Your aunt?"
"Daphne Greengrass." Scorpius said quietly. "She died when Hailey and I were born. She had a seizure while mum was giving birth, but then her physical body cannot handle the attack. So she passed away."
Silence rung in the place again.
"What's the plan, Teddy?" Lily asked quietly to his godbrother, who was staring at the floor.
"I'm thinking of something," he replied. "But we have to ask your father's permission."
"What?"
"We have to get Leonard Laurent to bring us to the Mansion, and make him get the Compass for us. I'm sure he'll understand, once he hears our situation."
oOo
Teehee! 'Tis my favorite part! Especially explaining Maebosis [pronounced as Ma- ye- bow- sis], which, by the way, is owned by me.
I hope you enjoyed the periodically and slightly inspired chapter.