A/N: Big clue.

... I'm rocking out to that Pepsi Cola commercial with Britney Spears in it. Yes, that's right. Britney Spears.

This is short because I want to give vital information without getting into the month of October. cries Oh, Lily and James!

The Scribe's Resurrection
Part Three: Chapter Twenty-One

Wednesday, February 18, 1981

"How does this sound?" Selena interrupted Sirius' quiet time. "In contrast to the Branching Theory of Time, as stated by many Chronos Scholars, the Linear Theory constantly proves itself to be the only truly possible conjecture as to the flow of time."

"I have no clue what the hell it means, but sounds nice."

"It means that, say, for example, you've got a choice. You either go to the store or you don't. In the Branching Theory, you might die if you go to the store. But let's say you don't go to the store. The choice that you had to go to the store is forever marked in time, and time can go that way, and it does, in an alternate reality. But the path that you are on, physically, says that you didn't go to the store, but you forever have the choice. Basically, the Branching Theory is made up of infinite multiverses- as opposed to our single universe- and that for every choice we could have made, there is a timeline that follows it."

"Okay, I get it. And the Linear Theory?"

"Everything has already been decided. I had the choice this morning to go to work and write this essay, or I could stay here and write the essay. But I chose to stay home."

"Yeah."

"Therefore, all the other choices I could've made are nullified, because they didn't happen, and therefore, they don't matter."

"I like that one better."

"Yes, it makes more sense. There is only one human spirit residing in each human- hopefully- and the spirit can't branch off like that. The theory is wrong."

"Okay, okay, don't get so worked up about it."

"Sorry, it's just, I can't believe the Ministry would allocate money to supporters of the Branching Theory."

"Why?"

"Well, the Ministry wants to figure out a way to go back in time and get rid of Voldemort by use of the Branching Theory. If we get rid of this timeline that we're on now, they think that we'll switch to an alternate timeline."

"That's stupid."

"Yeah. Because let's just say that tomorrow some bloke goes back in time and makes it so that Voldemort was never accepted into Hogwarts."

"Okay."

"Branchingly, yeah, it could happen, but time would just switch timelines. And that would be very, very bad. Linearly, it's already been done. Time has a very good sense of where it wants to go, and it will happen. We wouldn't even feel it if they succeeded at that endeavor."

"So... Everything's already been done, and time won't deviate."

"Yeah. Now, why can't the Chronos Scholars get that through their thick heads? I've done numerous time trials, and time and time again, it's been proved that time flows linearly."

"Write it down, then."

"I am."

Selena's quill scratched over the parchment, flowing with Selena's thoughts. James had given her a special note-taking quill that was similar to her ostrich feather quill with her journal.

"I've been thinking," Sirius spoke.

"About what?"

"About who the leak is."

"We all have."

"I think I know who it is."

"Who?"

"Remus." Selena whipped her head around.

"How'd you figure?"

"Well, Voldemort's using werewolves, and Remus is a-"

"Don't even go there."

"Why not? Remus is smart. He can outwit us and stuff."

"What's his reason?"

"I don't know. Does it matter? I didn't like the vibe I got when we were at the party."

"Sirius, that could've been anyone. You were sitting next to me and Peter too."

"Peter's not smart enough to trick us."

"Remus' willpower shows his loyalty- only someone who is weak would side with Voldemort. He would die for us."

"Right. Bloody werewo-"

"What is with you?"

"We are losing this war, and maybe Remus figured that he wanted to be on the winning side. I mean, hey, he's never gotten attacked."

"Oh, Sirius. I'm more likely of being the leak."

"Puh-lease."

"Honest."

"I don't trust him."

"You turned Animagus for him. It's the full moon, and James is with him right now, helping him along. You both did some dangerous stuff to be Animagi."

"That's because Remus was my friend then."

"And he isn't now?"

"Not if he's the leak!"

"Oh, Sirius." Selena shook her head. "Your rationale is so skewed. Voldemort killed his father and mother!"

"Werewolf."

"He's got feelings too."

"How do we know that? What if he's evil and he's been planning this for ages?"

"I trust Remus with my life. I don't know about you, but-"

A baby began to cry.

"I'll get her. We'll finish this conversation later." Sirius left the room. Selena directed her face towards the window.

"And it's the beginning of the end," she mumbled to herself. She sighed and continued working on her essay. She had a startling revelation- a third theory- as she poured over her books. "In some specific cases, the Branching Theory is possible if one knows exactly what they want to change, but then the time shifts. This is known as Linear Branching..."

Monday Afternoon of April 27, 1981

"Happy birthday dear Alrescha, happy birthday to you!" Everyone erupted in applause. Alrescha sat, stunned, with a cupcake in front of her.

"Blow out the candle, sweetie," Selena said. Sirius took pictures of everyone.

"C'mon, blow it out!"

"Like this, baby." Selena blew air from between her lips. Still puzzled, Alrescha did it, and the light on the candle went out.

"YAY!" Everyone said. Alrescha clapped her hands, picked up the cupcake, and bit into it.

"Alright, let's cut the real cake."

"Miss Selena!" Selena heard little people voices. She turned around and saw a sea of redheaded boys.

"Hello. Bill, Charlie, Percy, Fred, George. My, you're growing up fast."

"Hiiii!" They all said.

"I start Hogwarts soon," Bill said sweetly.

"I can see. Are you excited?" He nodded fervently.

"Our mother said to give this to you," Percy said, pointing to a giant box that Charlie carried.

"Oh, thank you. Is it for Alrescha?"

"Yes."

"Ooh."

"Bye!" They all scurried off again. Selena hovered the box over to the other presents.

"All right?" She turned around and met Remus.

"I'm fine. You?"

"I got my own place."

"Yeah, I heard." Selena paused. "Listen, I know you're not the leak, but-"

"It's alright." He sighed. "My affliction can be... difficult to get past. Especially after the death of that little girl in Kent."

"Yeah... Mauled..." Selena shook her head. She had known the family.

"Funny how we can find the smallest bit of joy in these times." Remus looked at the people at the party.

"Hmm. Everything's just so awful. Sirius has gone crazy with that camera, taking snapshots of everyone. He thinks they might be gone in the blink of an eye. He's right, though. ... This just might be the biggest party we've had since our wedding."

"Yeah, I think so." Remus took a sip of his butterbeer; Selena could see a deep gash on his hand. "How's Sirius? He won't speak to me."

"He's scared."

"Aren't we all?"

"Dumbledore told me that information's been leaked for about a year now."

"Merlin, Quicksilver, that long?"

"Yeah. And that whoever it is, he's doing it carefully. Giving Voldemort bits of information every two months or so, so that he'll keep his cover."

"How are we going to get through this...?"

"I don't know, Remus, but I feel it. I feel like something is going to happen."

"Me too. We are so in this for the long haul."

Saturday, May 23, 1981

Selena knew there was something wrong with her, which was why she was in St. Mungo's. Home with Alrescha, Sirius thought she was in Level Nine.

"Selena Black, Healer Kincaide is ready for you now."

"Thank you." Selena shuffled into the office and closed the door behind her.

"Hello, dear. What can I help you with today?"

"I feel funny." Selena hesitated and then went on, leaning on her cane. "I haven't had my period in two months, but I'm definitely not pregnant. I did a spell." Healer Kincaide frowned.

"I'm going to try a different charm."

"Okay." Rising to her feet, Healer Kincaide sighed and waved her wand over Selena's stomach.

"Mortuum vitae." Selena felt a sharp pain in her gut, as if something was trying to break out. Then, as quickly as it had come, it went away. "Don't worry; it's supposed to be like that."

"What's it mean?"

"Sit." Selena sat. "I don't like giving this news, sweetheart."

"What?" The young woman's face, puzzled, was fixed on the older woman.

"You... you were pregnant." She sighed. "But you lost it, dear. Your body's absorbing it back."

"No..." Selena breathed. "Oh, no! Is there anything you can do about that? I mean, can we stop that?"

"I'm sorry. We can't."

"Oh. Okay." She was stunned as she removed herself from the chair. "Oh. Thank you, Healer. I've got to be getting back to work."

"No problem, Selena. Get some rest. Usually when things like that happen, it means you're stressed."

"Okay." Selena already had opened the door to leave.

"Thank you. Bye."

"Good bye, dear."

The young woman closed the door, and went out of St. Mungo's and into the parking lot where her car sat.

"Keys, keys," she sniffled. With a trembling hand, Selena pulled out her car key and unlocked the door; she slid into the driver's seat and locked herself inside.

Her hands found their way onto the steering wheel after putting the key in the ignition. Facing forward, she stared blankly at nothing. Tears dripped down from her eyes as she exhaled.

"I failed him again..." Selena collapsed, her head falling onto her hands. Her body wracked with sobs. She felt so full of self-loathing, so terribly full of every bad emotion one could feel.

And she was way past due for a cry. Every single awful thing that had happened within the past six months came back to her, and this information from today was just the icing on the cake. Selena could only cry.

She cried for Remus and Sirius and Darcy and Regulus and Alrescha, for James and Lily and Snape and Peter, for the Weasleys and the Prewetts and the Boneses and the Longbottoms. She sobbed for everyone in the Order: Professor McGonagall, Headmaster Dumbledore, Emmeline Vance, Alastor Moody, Mr. Diggle, Mr. Doge, Rubeus Hagrid, and even Aberforth. She pined for stupid things like Quidditch, butterbeer, fake wands, and ice mice. She thought of silly places like Hogsmeade, Hogwarts, Level Nine, the Ministry, St. Mungo's. She cried for things she'd never had: a honeymoon, a baby from her blood, and more memories of her parents.

Selena thought of things that reminded her of her duty, of things that reminded her of what she'd never have, and of things that reminded her of her place in life.

As she cried, Selena held on to the jewelry around her neck- her goldenrod whistle from the Marauders and the moonstone crescent necklace she found on the Belladonna Estate.

Sunday Morning, September 13, 1981

"Say hello to Harry, Alrescha!"

"Hello!" Alrescha waved happily at her playmate. Harry not only waved back, but also gave her a hug.

"He likes to hug," James said.

"Aw, they're so cute," Lily cooed.

"Give Harry a crayon."

Alrescha picked up a jumbo purple crayon and handed it to Harry.

"Color," she said. She began scribbling on a piece of paper with her own jumbo crayon. Harry followed suit. Soon, they were both playing as if they had been doing so for hours.

"Merlin, have you seen the paper lately?" Sirius asked. A glass of lemonade popped up next to his hand. "Oh, thank you, Muffy."

"Yes. Rosier and Wilkes are dead," James said, referring to two Death Eaters.

"That's some messed up crap," Selena grumbled. "Bartemius Crouch, gave sweeping powers months ago. Aurors can go kill anyone who's a Death Eater, and anyone can go to Azkaban without a trial nowadays."

"How is that bad?"

"Just you wait. Someone innocent's going to be in Azkaban next. Thankfully Alastor won't use them."

"The what?"

"He's got authorization to use the Unforgivable Curses, that's what."

"No!"

"Yes! All of the Aurors do." Selena sighed. "Alastor lost his eye and a piece of his nose bringing in Karkaroff. He won't use the bloody curses, and frankly, he's good for not doing it. Who'd ever stoop to their level? If I ever want to get back at someone that badly, I'll wring their neck."

"Sheesh, Selena."

"What? It's true." There was silence, and then tears sprang to Selena's eyes. "Have you heard from Allan lately?"

"No. No, why?"

"He wrote me that he'd had a baby boy. Dean. And I went into the Archives a couple days later to see and, well, um, Allan is listed as dead."

"What? How?"

"I found the names of Rosier and Wilkes as the cause of death. I was hoping that the Archives were wrong, but they never are."

"Why does this happen?" Lily mumbled. "People keep dying."

"And I hate seeing it all," Selena said quietly. "I hate seeing it all."

Ending Author's Note:

The next chapter may take a while to come out. It's going to be long; it's going to be sad.

On a lighter note, I watched Quest for Camelot last night. I got great material for this story through it. reading this chapter, you can probably figure out what the ending will be. But you've got to figure why and how. I'll try not to put too many hints in the next chapter- got to throw you off the trail.