The headmaster's office was cold and dark, low lighting from the barely lit embers illuminated a slumped figure in the winged-back chair. Labored breathing could be heard as the silhouette struggled to catch its breath.
Albus sat alone before the dying light grasping his wand arm in pain. The golden chain that bound Severus to him wrapped down his arm tightly like a hungry serpent.
A sharp white light glimmered in the air beside him, and a soft rush of wind and robes could be heard.
His head shot up, looking at a face he hadn't seen in decades. His mouth opened and closed; his tongue stuck to the bottom of his mouth as he gagged.
The figure standing next to the fire tilted their head with a finger to their lips, "Shh…"
Juliet stood between them in a long black traveling cloak that was pulled tightly around her, 'The sooner you accept the broken vow the sooner it will be over.'
"The vow can't be broken-" The spell constricted around his arm tighter by the passing minute, "We've both broken our promises," He spat through grit teeth.
'The war started tonight.'
He stared at her in disbelief until he found his words, "Impossible, we are months – a year nearly ahead of schedule."
'You no longer have control over him, or anyone else. I will lead the Order.'
He interrupted her with a sarcastic laugh, hissing in pain with spittle on his lips as his arm slowly ripped apart, "You have no idea how delicate the timeline is – are you naïve enough to think that someone else hasn't tried this? How do you think the Longbottoms went mad? It wasn't the Death Eaters – they tried to save everyone and went mad over time with every failed attempt. Watching their friends and loved ones die over and over."
Juliet closed the distance between them, slowly and carefully kneeling before his chair and taking out her wand, 'If he knew you were weak, he would advance without hesitation.'
Her short dark wand traced the lines of the wound carefully before pressing into the wounds, 'YOU are the liability, unfortunately for those of us who are fed up with you – you're less of one if you're alive. At least towards the end.'
His arm glowed brightly before the magic around him loosened. The runes rotated in a swirling motion as they floated between them and shattered into smaller specks of light before dissipating.
"How-"
A bead of sweat formed on her brow as she tried to catch her breath, 'A ridiculous number of loopholes I don't care to explain. The vow between House Dumbledore and House Prince has been absolved.'
"This doesn't mean I'm in your debt." He scoffed and tried to stand.
A small but heavy hand pressed him back forcefully into his chair, as they forced a scroll into his chest "Aye, tha's exactly what this means. Yer to follow those instructions by the next fortnight."
As he opened the scroll, the travel companion helped Juliet to her feet. She steadied herself and looked down at Albus who was staring at the scroll in disbelief before looking up at her. His face showed concern and fear.
'Do you understand the instructions given?'
He took a few moments to read the scroll over again before burning it. Without looking up at her he nodded silently. His entire mentality and persona changed. Whatever was on that scroll was important or dangerous. Perhaps both.
"Do you have any questions?" her companion asked.
He took a few moments before answering, "I need time to process. Will I be able to reach you?"
"No, not until it's complete."
He took a sharp inhale and looked up at her from the side of his eye, "How certain?"
Juliet just nodded with a frown.
"Are the dates the same as before? If the dates change… then the stars…" he trailed off in horror.
She shook her head and looked out one of the windows to the dark sky. 'Canis Major' she wrote with her wand.
Juliet gasped the color draining her face suddenly, dropping her wand and leaning on her companion heavily. She whispered something to them privately in a panic.
Without saying another word, they performed the same blood magic that brought them there and guided her through after giving the headmaster a stern look and pointing to the large hourglass on the shelf near the mantle.
He was called back to his master; a whisper in his mind guiding him across the seas and foreign lands. He stepped out of his transformation as he landed, the world before him was nothing like he had ever seen before.
The air was thick with a strange mist that hung low to the ground, and the ground itself was covered in a layer of foliage that seemed to pulse with life. With a deep breath, he took his first step forward, feeling the ground beneath his feet shift and crunch under his weight.
The trees towered above him, their branches reaching toward the sky like bony fingers. The leaves on their branches were a deep shade of green, and they rustled softly in the gentle breeze.
The ground was covered in a thick layer of moss and vines, and every so often, he would come across a small pool of water that glimmered in the light. The air was heavy with humidity with the scent of wood and flowers, and he could hear the distant sounds of birds and animals.
As he walked, he began to feel a strange sensation in his chest. It caused him to pause in his steps. A heavy feeling came over him like he was needed elsewhere. With every step he tried to take, every heartbeat, the feeling sank deeper into him.
Somewhere far from here, something called him. He tried to shake it off, but it clung to him like a second skin. It was a feeling he had not experienced in a very long time - fear. It felt like it was trying to pull him away from his intended path.
He had been sent to this place for a reason, of that, he was sure. But what that reason was, he had no idea. He turned back, looking over his shoulder towards the dark sky. Someone needed him, but who? Where was he supposed to go?
The whispers in his mind got louder and angrier. Whomever he was supposed to meet was getting impatient. As he walked, he came across a small clearing. In the center of the clearing stood a strange structure - a tower of some sort. It was made of a dark stone that seemed to absorb the light around it, and it rose into the sky like a blackened tooth.
Without hesitating, Severus began to make his way toward the tower. As he drew closer, he could see that it was covered in strange symbols and markings. He recognized some of them as being ancient runes of protection.
As he reached the base of the tower, he could feel a strange energy emanating from within. It was dark and foreboding, and he knew though it was dangerous, he was welcomed by the dark magic as familiar.
Taking a deep breath, he stepped into the darkness of the tower. The air inside was thick and musty, and though he could see in the darkest of shadows, the dark magic kept him from seeing further than a few feet before him.
As he climbed, he could feel the magic growing stronger. It was like a weight pressing down on him, threatening to crush him at any moment. But he pushed on, driven by a need to find his master.
Finally, he reached the top of the tower. There, in the center of a circular room, stood a pedestal. On the pedestal lay an old, severed hand. Gray, weathered skin covered a bony hand that had been cut from a long-dead corpse.
"Welcome home, my son."