I'm targeting to finish this thing this year. So no worries. Besides, I think we have… three or four more chapters left?
Aww. I'm going to miss working on a time travelling fic.
I'm working on another thing anyway.
Disclaimer: I do not, in any way, own Harry Potter. Because if I did, Fred I's not gonna die.
CHAPTER 15: THE VOID
*In the future*
Astoria Malfoy nee Greengrass has never been this much worried before.
She was not this worried when she took her O.W.L and N.E.W.T. exams.
She was not this worried when she took her U.T.E. (Unspeakable Training Exams).
She was not this worried when she walked down the aisle, about to be married to one of the richest young man in Great Britain.
She was not this worried when Scorpius and Hailey first rode Hogwarts Express, nor when she got a letter saying her children with a few of their friends went off to the Forbidden Forest and did not come back for three days.
She was as worried as hell. Not because her twins might get in trouble—she knew very well that trouble is nothing to Scorpius and Hailendra Malfoy, they were already trained to handle any kind of trouble—what she was worried for, however, is that what her twins might discover in the past. What they might learn. And she's not yet ready to remove the cat from the bag.
It is, though, safe to say that she was this worried when she gave birth.
She squeezed her eyes shut, remembering the screams of agony she heard in the second ward, minutes after she gave birth to Scorpius Hyperion. She knew exactly what it meant.
And it seemed so, that of all times for her sister's seizure to attack, it has to be the one that she can't be there; for Maebosis can only be prevented [not cured] by a person who have stayed with you throughout their whole life. And Astoria did, except in that moment. Which was the worst one. It was like having your half removed from you.
But now she's afraid she might lose her twins.
She listened in carefully as a man named Teddy Lupin recounted to them what was happening in the past, careful not to skip any detail. She knew she has to take in every bit of this information; it's an Unspeakable protocol, and it is her business (as it has something to do with Time Travelling), but somehow she found herself groping for information about Scorpius and Hailey. A mother's love over duty, because a mother loving her children is a duty in itself—one that you could never resign, retire, or quit away from.
That's when she heard a familiar name—Leonard Laurent.
Astoria placed a hand over her heart, breathing heavily. They will know. Her twins will know.
Draco placed an arm around her comfortingly. Astoria felt like she swallowed a very big watermelon. "Draco, they can't—they're not yet—"
"When will they be, sweetheart? We'll have to explain by the time they get back." He whispered back, stroking her back in circles. Astoria bit her lip. She hoped this day would never come.
Of course, that hope was useless. Fate likes messing with them.
If only she knew.
Teddy sighed heavily, glancing at his family and friends, and then talked back to the hair band (which has been the recent communication panel they have).
"Teddy, have you thought this through? Do you know how much trouble you will have to go through?"
"Yes, dad." Teddy replied quietly. He already got used to calling Harry his dad for as long as he could remember. "I know the danger."
The other line was silent. It sounded as if the adults were having deep and serious conversations.
"We wish at least one of the adults can come with you, somehow. Or better yet, someone one of us."
"No need," Teddy put in quickly. "You're forgetting that these are Weasleys and Potters, including Malfoys with me—we may have the rottenest of luck possible, but we still escape every single time."
There was a long pause.
"We allow you Teddy. Besides, I agree with your statement."
Teddy almost let out a shout of whooping joy, but fortunately grabbed hold of the band tighter.
"Just be careful, okay? And Lily…"
Teddy smiled. Of course daddy would worry about his little flower. "I'll watch her Uncle Harry."
"Oh, and Teddy?"
"Hmm?"
"If I get contented with the results of this expedition, you're going to get a promotion."
Oh, he's DEFINITELY not letting this opportunity down.
Meanwhile, behind Teddy, the other teenagers were seated in an irregular circle. Hailey was talking to Scorpius quietly, as if having a silent argument. About what, no one knew.
"I can't believe you weren't able to get the supplies. I know we should've bought it ourselves." Louis muttered, flicking a dust on the carpet. Rose snorted magnificently. "Oh, right. Sorry. You know, a man coming up, suddenly screaming in the middle of the street, 'YOU DO NOT BELONG IN THIS TIME' and we, like, dropped the grocery bag and panicked. So we're very utterly and mostly sorry that we were not able to save your precious supplies."
"Hey, supplies are important. They're always a necessity in pranking. How can you prank without them?" James said, wagging his finger, as if teaching Rose an important lecture in life. "Right, Hailendra dear?"
Hailey turned up from her conversation with Scorpius, and looked at James blankly. "You know, Prongs, I love you as much as a friend loves her friend, but try calling me that one more time and I'll do the butterfly knife trick on your skin."
Fred and George snickered. "Butterfly knife?"
Hailey was about to answer when…
"He's awake!" Molly shouted to everyone, gathering them in a semi- sort of- circle around the couch where Leonard Laurent is resting.
Leonard sat up, taking his surroundings one by one. Not that he could see them. His irises were white, making his pupils visible, and his shaggy dirty- blonde hair fell around his face. He looks about forty or so, but his eyes looked even… ancient…
"Leonard Laurent." Dumbledore said, catching the man's attention. Leonard turned to the direction of his voice. "Who are you?"
"You may call me a friend, sire." Dumbledore said calmly, sitting on a stool that he just conjured. "My name is Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, a wizard of 114 years. I was informed that you are a Time Wanderer of your own rights."
The children were amused when their old professor's age was revealed, and how easily he spilled out information about him to a man they got from the streets, who, apparently, was Leonard Laurent.
"Yes, yes I am… because of one stupid mistake… because of a stupid mistake…" the man said dismissively, trailing off as he vainly searched for something in his dark world. "Where am I, if you could tell? I'm afraid my eyes cannot see as they used to."
"You are in 12 Grimmauld Place, August 1995. We came to ask for your help." Dumbledore said.
Leonard frowned, and then was followed with a hollow laugh. "What would you need a mad, blind man for?"
"I have friends who have accidently time traveled using the Mirror of Time."
"THE MIRROR—they actually—oh, goodness—where did they get it from?"
"They said that Father Time sent it." Dumbledore paused, handing the man's walking stick since he was feeling for it. "'To turn things right'."
"To turn things right…" Leonard repeated quietly. "What do they need my help for, then?"
"They need your help to return back to their own timeline."
Leonard laughed. Hollowly. Emptily. Bitterly. "Get back to their own timeline? Do you hear what you're saying, my old friend? I myself, a Time Wanderer, can't get back to my own timeline."
"But sir," Teddy interrupted. "You have to understand. Our friends and family—"
No one ever thought white could look dark until they saw Leonard Laurent's eyes. "Friends and family. Do you think I don't have them? Yes, I have tried. I have tried going back to my own time. I have tried to slip past Father Time. I have tried to get the Compass of Destiny, but look where it got me!" he pointed at his eye, growling angrily. "I even tried to construct another Mirror! But it turned out different! It only showed… only showed… it only showed the thing I wanted… the most…"
Through his angry rants he panted, his voice turning slow and quieter. Hailey gritted her teeth and glared at the man.
"YEAH, WE KNOW! WE'RE SORRY YOU DIDN'T GET TO REUNITE WITH YOUR DAUGHTER AND BELOVED, BUT YOU DIDN'T HAVE TO BE BITTER LIKE THAT! SOME OF US WANTS TO BE GIVEN THE CHANCE TO GET BACK TO OUR TIME, YOU KNOW!" she screamed, her patience now wearing off. Her talk with Scorpius earlier didn't help in her mood getting better, plus being in the bloody past, and getting herself tangled up in this whole mess. Yeah, she bloody adored adventures, but can those adventures please limit their selves? She was thrown disapproving looks from the adults and shocked looks from friends, but she was already off to go to the bathroom. Rose was about to follow her but Scorpius shook his head, going to follow his sister instead.
"Who… who is she?" Leonard asked, after a few moments of silence.
"She's our friend, Hailey Malfoy. We're sorry for her behavior, sir. She was just stressed out and all…" Rose said lamely. Leonard Laurent kept himself silent.
"Malfoy… Malfoy… Yes, yes I see…"
"May I… ah… introduce you to my time travelling friends?" Dumbledore asked politely. The man merely nodded, but Dumbledore introduced them anyway.
"These are Louis Weasley, Teddy Lupin, James Potter, Al Potter, Lily Potter, Rose Weasley, Hugo Weasley, and those who left are Scorpius and Hailey Malfoy."
Each teenager called said 'hi', (mainly because Leonard can't see if they have been waving) but Leonard wasn't even listening. He closed his eyes, as if relishing something in his own little world. When he opened them, he looked convinced, and he was even on the verge of smiling.
"I will help you."
"What the hell, Hailey!" Scorpius shouted at his sister, who threw herself on the couch in the drawing room. ""Why did you have to blow up like that? Now the man's not going to help for sure, thanks to you!"
"What do you want me to do? Say 'please' with pouting lips and eye shining effects? Scorpius, please!"
"Don't you enjoy doing that all the time?"
"Oh, Scorpius grow up!"
"No! You grow up! You've always been the one who made a fuss of about nothing!"
"I do not—"
"LISTEN TO ME, HAILENDRA MARIE MALFOY!" Scorpius finally bellowed, shocking his sister. "You have to accept the fact that you're bloody ADOPTED! You don't have to cry every single time I bring up that matter, you have to move ON! Tell me a time when we didn't make you feel that you're not a part of the family! Tell me! Grow up, Hailey!"
Hailey gasped for breath as she fell down, looking at her brother in shock.
*Flashback*
"Hailey, daddy's going to catch us." A nine year old Scorpius said, looking around for his sister. Hailey only grinned at him and waved him off, entering their father's office without any hesitation.
"Careful! You might break something!" Scorpius whisper- shouted as Hailey rummaged through his dad's things.
Earlier that day, Draco Malfoy has taken all their sweets and chocolates away (as instructed by Astoria Malfoy), but now that he's off to work, the children thinks it's safe to look through his belongings. At least, that's what Hailey thinks.
After a few minutes of searching and such, Hailey grinned triumphantly as she lifted a small jar. "I found it!"
But something else caught her eye. On a piece of paper, she saw her name 'Hailendra Marie Malfoy'.
Out of vain curiosity, she placed the jar on the desk drawer, fighting with effort to get the papers out of the newly stacked ones.
"Hailey, what are you doing! Let's get out of here!" Scorpius had hissed, but she paid him no heed.
Instead, she lifted the paper towards her face, reading the slightly blurred out paper.
'Dear Mr. Malfoy,
We are pleased to inform you that Hailendra Marie Greengrass has been legally changed into Hailendra Marie Malfoy as per you requested, this day of December 20, 2005. You are now, therefore, along with your wife Astoria Cassiopeia Greengrass- Malfoy charged us the child's guardians and parents. This, legally approved by the Minister of Magic, Kingsley M. Shacklebolt, along with other members of the Ministry, by the death of the child's biological mother, Daphne Eponine Greengrass last December 17, 2005.
Sincerely yours,
Regulation of Wizards and Witches
Noted by:
Kingsley M. Shacklebolt, Minister of Magic.'
Hailey had inhaled, covering her hand with her mouth as she passed the paper to a rather curios Scorpius.
"T-that—does that mean—does that mean we're not really twins? T- that we're just cousins?"
*End flashback*
Hailey still laughed bitterly as she remembered how their nine- year- old minds concluded that the paper was just some kind of a joke; until they saw behind the paper itself the seal of the Minister, and that meant that nothing was a joke. Their parents don't know that they already know. Hailey and Scorpius were waiting for them to say it, for they themselves, even now, are ready to say that they entered their father's office without permission and salvaged the candy (although not so much, since they left after that particular incident), for Draco's office in the house was strictly forbidden for children. Because they found out that this was where their father kept his supply for their family shampoo, which made their hair silky straight and, in Hailey and Scorpius' case, Malfoy blonde. There is certainly a potion brewed for keeping the hair ridiculously soft.
The two looked at each other in silence.
Rose entered a few moments later, looking slightly, if not, relieved. "Leonard Laurent is going to help us."
oOo
Well? Please tell me what you think.
Oh, and I almost forgot—thank you for those who favorite and followed Mirror of Time! You guys are awesome!
[Are people even reading author's notes?]