Reflection: Chapter 5

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Past 1980

The Marauders stared deep in thought at the silver hourglass which Peter held apprehensive in his stubby hands. All four of them were contemplating about which point in the last twenty-four hours they should return to.

Peter rubbed with his thumb over a part of the bronze hour-glass's remains that still clung stubbornly onto the silver part. A small cut appeared on his thumb, but he didn't feel any pain.

How could he? After suffering the agonizing pain of the Dark Lord's wrath through his Mark, any other pain was mellow.

James stood up and started to stalk hence and forth again. "We have to stop Lily from going to Albus' office," he decided.

Sirius shook his head. "We have to prevent the Deatheaters from entering Hogwarts grounds first!"

Remus stopped the two from starting an argument with one silencing motion of his hand.

"During the attack, professor Sprout, Flitwick, Sinistra and several other wizards and witches from Hogsmeade who came to help, died. We need to go back to a time where we can help them too."

James could see the logic in that, but what about his son? What about Lily?

"But…" he sputtered. One look from the werewolf silenced him and Remus continued his calm explanation.

"No one got killed in Albus' office, but from what I saw You-Know-Who was severely weakened." He frowned as he thought about that enigma. "Though I have no idea how it happened."

James hesitated, wanting to plead for his plan, but then nodded resigned. The short silence after was interrupted by Peter who spoke shyly up.

"I know when the Dark Lord started the assault… can that be of any help?"

Sirius and Remus stared confused at him while comprehension appeared on James' face. The be-speckled man jumped up just as Sirius suspiciously asked: "How can you know that?"

"Peter!" James yelled excitedly and the younger man flinched when James put a hand on his shoulder. "When was it?" James questioned him urgently.

Peter unintentionally started to rub in a soothing manner over his arm. "Do you remember around what time I was brought to the infirmary?" he asked.

James nodded slowly.

"That must be about the time they left from The Lair. And just before Hogwarts' wards went off, my Mark stopped hurting."

"This is great Wormtail!" James said ecstatic, his worry disappearing as he now started to see a plan in his mind to set things right. "We can go back to about-"

"Hold on," Sirius suddenly ordered, James and Peter turned their attention back to their other companions. Sirius glanced suspicious from James to Peter, while Remus stared pointedly at Peter's arm.

"What am I missing here?" Sirius demanded to know. "Have you two been keeping things from me?"

Remus just walked to Peter, grabbed his arm and pulled his sleeve up only to let go of Peter's arm as soon as he saw the raw-looking Dark Mark. He recoiled away from the Death Eater.

"What the Hell-!" Sirius cursed loudly in surprise. He stared in sick fascination at the Mark and only moments later, James had to jump in between his friends to keep them from lynching the rat-animagus.

"Stop it! Sirius! Remus!"

"How can you protect that two-faced rat, knowing that he's a bloody Death Eater?" Sirius growled angry at his best friend.

"Peter is a spy for the Order of the Phoenix; he's been risking his life trying to get us information. And it is partly thanks to him that I'm not dead right now!"

Sirius and Remus seemed to calm down as they listened to James' fierce explanation.

"This whole evening, Peter has been tortured by Voldemort through his Dark Mark; because he kept Lily, Harry and I from going home, where Voldemort wanted to attack us!"

Sirius glanced incredulous at the shivering Peter while Remus seized the hurt arm again. This time he was gentler and studied the Mark carefully with his eyes. "It looks painful," he finally said.

"It-it is-was… it just stings right now. I-I think it doesn't hurt so badly now 'cause… He is hurt or something."

The werewolf let his hand fall down to grasp Peter's hand.

"Okay," was the only word he said and he then turned to face Sirius. Sirius stared at the two hands clasping each other and then into Remus' determined amber eyes.

"Just like that?" he asked.

The werewolf shrugged calmly. "Just like that."

Sirius lowered his eyes for a moment as he thought, and then looked up again. "Okay."

He stalked the few steps towards his friends and Remus let go of Peter's hand. Sirius then took Peter in a bone-crushing hug. He finally let go to stare into his smaller friend's dazed face and smirked slightly.

"Now… to which time shall we return to, Petey?"

Future – 1995

He was in the heart of the battle and he loved every moment of it. All around him he could see the tremendous destruction and wild havoc which he himself had created!

He grinned proudly as he took in the large quantities of blood splattered around him, not caring from whom it once could've been.

An Auror stepped up from the rubble and Lord Harold J. Potter pointed his wand at the purple-haired witch, intent on sending a nasty cutting curse at her.

Then suddenly, without warning, her appearance started to alter and Lord Harold J. Potter faltered and froze when he suddenly found himself staring at his own face.

She changed appearance again, looking similar to someone with brown curls… someone his unconscious told him he used to know very well.

'Know-it-all' part of his mind whispered, 'Enemy' yelled another part.

He dropped spooked his wand and grabbed for his head as a painful memory attacked his mind.

The memory of a certain brunette chained onto a wall while he himself stabbed her with a dagger in her chest and dragged the sharp blade slowly down to tear open her stomach.

The blood gushed over his fist and he could see how her intestines startled to push themselves out, the girl screamed in pain and he laughed.

His head was hurting as the girl's scream seemed to echo through his mind and an icy cold started to engulf his heart before he lost consciousness.

He woke up to what felt like only seconds later, but found him bound and gagged on a uncomfortable bed. This situation gave him the strangest feeling of deja-vu…

What had happened to him? He could only vaguely remember something about standing in front of a mirror and seeing a certain Tom Riddle in it, or was it his own reflection?

Memories overflowed through each other and then it became even worse. The icy cold he had felt earlier returned, yet this time it seemed even colder and predicting a nearing doom.

Goose bumps started to cover his skin and all that Lord Harry J. Potter could do was mouth a useless 'Patronus' into his gag when he was hit by the rollercoaster of bad memories, with as background music the feverous pleading of a woman.

"Not Harry. Not Harry!" were the last words he heard before he greeted a very familiar darkness.

(Prior to)Past 1980

The Marauders arrived a bit dazed at the exact same place they had left only seconds ago; only now they were several hours back into the past.

"That felt quite… peculiar."

Remus smiled at Sirius' way of trying to word their irregular voyage into the past, but then he became serious again.

"Peter and I will stay in Hogwarts and alert the ghosts, house-elves and professors so we can be prepared. James and Sirius; you'll seal all the secret entrances in Hogsmeade and make sure the people stay in their houses. Take the brooms in the Shrieking Shack to get to Hogwarts again."

They separated paths and Sirius and James found they were quite quickly done with their work. But as they glanced around, the noticed there still were many people walking around; people who could get hurt during the attack.

"We have to find a way to get the people off the streets," James frowned.

Sirius gave him a doggy-like grin. "Leave that up to me old chap!" He answered and changed into his counterpart Padfoot. He started to run through the streets, barking loudly and gaining lots of attention.

The people were startled at first, but then panicked and ran inside, screaming: "It's the Grim!"

Sirius strolled proudly back to James' side who chuckled and rubbed his head. "Now, do we have a few traps we can use to piss off the Deatheaters?"

Sirius changed back and grinned. "Prongsie, I can't even believe you could ask that with a straight face; of course we have!"

Future – 1995

Harry's nose twitched as a reputant smell reached his nostrils. It smelled of rusting copper, sweat and excrement's. He raised an arm and realized by the weight and a clanging sound that he was shackled. He opened his eyes, which didn't seem to make any difference, since it was still black as the night around him.

He moved his hand again and was caught off guard when he saw a flash of silver from the chains that were attached to the shackles in a bit of faint light coming in from under the door.

His eyes slowly readjusted and gave him a bit more sight in the place he was in. It looked like a cell. From his sitting point on the ground he could judge that if he were to lie down on the ground, his feet would touch the wall.

The walls were of large grey stones, at least in the small amount of light they looked grey, and the door was of a solid looking wood.

Harry raised his hand, with the intention to knock on the wood to see if it really was as solid as it looked and with the small hope that someone would react to the sound and come to explain what was going on, when he felt the tug of the chain.

His gaze traveled from the shackle on his wrist up the chain till his head was craned in his neck and he was staring up at what appeared to be a large ring above his head. The chain went through the ring and to the shackle on his other wrist.

He lowered his head again to stare unseeing at the wall in front of him. What was the logic of chaining him against a wall when he already was locked in a tiny cell? Was it merely to make him more uncomfortable?

Another interesting question would be why he was feeling so lethargic. Harry felt really calm and accepting of the bad situation he appeared to be in. The thought that he might be sedated crossed his mind, but was gone just as quickly as it had come.

Then the sound came from outside of the cell and before he knew it, the door was pulled open and blinding white light shone in, burning the young prisoner eyes so he could only see flashes of blue, green and red. And then a voice spoke.

"We've been looking for you."

(Prior to)Past 1980

Peter and Remus looked proudly on a piece of parchment that was called 'the Marauder's Map'.

On it they could see the results of their battle preparations. They had alerted the ghosts and house elves who were preparing all over the castle to protect it when assaulted.

The professors were also informed about the four time travelers from the future and most of them were working together with the house elves to cast protective and defensive spells.

They also had sent a message to the Ministry of Magic, but knew from the past that they would not act until there was actual proves of a battle. They were most likely to appear an hour after the Death Eaters start their attack.

The only people they weren't able to contact and warn were their counterparts of the past. To be specific: the Remus, Sirius, James, Peter and Lily of the past had no idea what was going on.

While, Remus and Peter were on their way to the guests' chambers where, according to the Marauders Map; past Sirius, Lily and baby Harry were; James and Sirius, were going after the Remus and James of the past.

But it was then when a loud bell went off, signaling the arrival of Deatheaters at Hogwarts' borders, and James shared a glance with his best friend.

"It has started."

Future – 1995

Harry was taken out of the cell and dragged as a lifeless puppet through the unfamiliar hallways of what appeared to be a prison. Harry didn't question what the men with white masks wanted from him.

He also had no idea if they were his allies of enemies. That was; until he suddenly spaced-out. It was only thanks to the two masked men, who had their hands on his arms and were steering him into the right direction that he didn't crash into objects or people.

A tunnel of discarded images, emotions and ethics he didn't know he possessed later, and Harry was fighting again; totally in his element.

He turned around and spotted a new victim; a redheaded woman who was standing with her back towards him and was sending curses all around to protect her fellow light-fighters.

He crept up to her, with the intention of giving her a scare before using a Crusioon her; he so loved to see the pain and fear in his victims' eyes before they died.

He was only a few feet away from her when she saw his shadow on the ground and whirled around, jinx already on her lips, but she froze the moment she saw him. Harry on his turn stared startled into the same emerald green eyes he saw each day in his mirror.

"Harry…" she whispered and Harry whipped his wand around, creating a sphere-like bubble around them as protection against the other fights around them.

"Who are you?" he demanded to know, pointing his wand threatening at the woman.

"Lily," she glanced from his face to the wand and back. "Lily Potter."

"Must I know-," Harry trailed off as he remembered something. Some vague memory from a far away past and he shook his head to clear it.

"Are you," his asked again, but then eyes widened in shock as he connected the woman in front of him with a certain word. "Mum?"

The red head gasped and raised a hand to her mouth in shock. "You… you remember me?"

Harry shook his head in denial, hesitated and then nodded. "No-yes-I don't know. I'm confused..."

He raised a hand to rub over his forehead and frowned. Something told him that he should have felt something with his fingertips, but he knew there was nothing on his forehead! Of course there was nothing; Harry didn't have a single scar on his body! So why-

"What is happening? Is my insanity finally catching up with me?" Harry mumbled, not realizing his mother was coming closer to him. He was startled out of his frantic thoughts when she touched concerned his shoulder.

"He warned me about this," he mumbled, his mind clear for a change.

"Who?" Lily asked hesitantly.

"My dad. He said we could be-" his eyes grew wide and he grabbed Lily by her shoulders. "Where is dad?"

Lily was frozen in shock at his sudden outburst and Harry shook her roughly. "What happened to James Potter, my father?"

"He-he… he was killed four months ago."

"What! Who? Who did it?"

Lily stepped away and out of his grasp. Her eyes suddenly became dark with emotion. "You did."

Harry gasped in shock. "It can't be!" He shook his head and backed away from her. "No, no! It's can't be true! NO! "

"You and your fellow Death Eaters KILLED your FATHER!" Lily spat.

"No! By Merlin! I need to get to the mirror!"

He raised his hands and with a loud crackle, he apparated away, making the shield around him and Lily burst. Lily flew several meters through the air by the force of it, only to fall down to the ground after being hit by a green curse.

She didn't move again.

(Prior to)Past 1980

The Marauders had no idea how it had happened, but before they knew it they were standing side by side with their mirror-images and fighting off Death Eaters. Only one Marauder found himself alone and that was naturally Peter.

"Where is Lily?" One of the two James' asked as he stunned at his opponents.

"With Dumbledore," a Sirius yelled back as he protected the back of his counterpart from getting hit with a stray spell.

"Where?" The two Remus' asked in sync as they ducked aside and send various quick jinxes around.

"Albus' Office," the first Sirius yelled back and then before they knew it, there was still one of each Marauder left.

When they arrived, after a mad run, by the Gargoyle guarding Albus Dumbledore's office, they saw it had been melted down to the ground. They stepped over it and raced up the stairs.

"Please don't let us be too late," James whispered softly to himself before they prepared and burst into the door.

As they entered the office, they were just in time to see how Voldemort stuck Dumbledore against a wall with several sharp spikes protruding from the old man's body. The headmaster hung there as a broken doll and had his eyes closed.

Sirius and James immediately jumped in to protect the Headmaster as Remus went to Lily's side, who was standing with Harry in her arms near the window, and Peter went to get the Headmaster down.

In the chaos that issued, it was difficult to realize what actually had happened, but most likely a stray hex hit a very explosive item in the room, resulting in a hail of junk that fell down on Voldemort.

When Voldemort had to use his wand to protect himself against the falling rubble, the four Marauders turned onto him and send their worst hexes at him.

Voldemort used the rubble instead to stop the spells and flung the rest to the Marauders who had to duck and jump away to avoid it. Voldemort used this chance to appear at Lily's side and he threw with a strong wave of his wand the werewolf away.

"Not Harry!" screamed Lily, but Voldemort grabbed baby Harry with a strong yank out of her arms.

He slid away from her and towards the window, when the Marauders had fought themselves free from the rubble and aimed at Voldemort again.

Lily screamed. "Don't hit him! He's holding Harry!'

But it was too late and four hexes reached Voldemort at the same time. The man had turned around at Lily's scream and held the baby in front of him as a shield as the four hexes reached them.

The spells touched Harry and then they were all thrown aside by a powerful explosion.

It took a few moments before they were on their feet again, but when they did and the smoke disappeared, the first they saw was the crumpled figure on the floor. On top of it lied a silent baby Harry.

They were frozen in shock. Had it really happened? Was Voldemort dead at cost of little Harry's own life?

But then the baby started to cry and Lily rushed to his side and pulled him away from the smoldering heap of what once had been a human. She clutched the baby in her arms and started to sob as she saw the large gash on his head.

"My baby! My sweet baby? Oh, your poor head!" Lily cried. "Look at his head! We need Poppy! Get Poppy!" she screamed hysterical as her hands tried to stop the bleeding from the cut on his forehead.

Peter went to get Poppy and Remus levitated Dumbledore's body in order to get it to the Hospital Wing.

Sirius walked to the smoldering heap on the floor and poked it with his foot. When nothing happened, he turned around intend on going down and helping the other teachers, in case there still were Deatheaters in the castle.

He had turned around too quickly though, as neither he nor the others noticed how a greenish glow left the shadows on the floor and disappeared through the window.

James enveloped his wife and child in protective hug. "It's alright now," he told his wife and reached out to baby Harry, who was hiccupping from having cried so much. The baby curled his small hand around James' his finger.

"He's gone now." James told his son. "You're safe. He won't be able to ever hurt you again."

To Be Continued