A/N: I'm kind of mixing the movie with this.
I kind of gave away the ending. Seriously.
I have a playlist on my computer that I listen to when I write this story in order to think about the chapter titles.
The Scribe's Resurrection
Part Four: Chapter Twenty-SevenHogwarts, June 9, 1994
Same Night, 10:06 PM
Selena glanced at her cane and other shoes, grateful that she had on her silver shoes. If she needed to run, she could. She definitely might have to. Selena waved her wand, and a giant peacock Patronus flew through the air, headed for Albus Dumbledore's office. She diligently watched the Whomping Willow for signs- it was after dusk. She saw them, the dark figures in the night, walking up from the Willow and out into the moon. And she almost retched. Remus was turning. She glanced at her watch; it read six minutes past ten. A noise startled her that came from the beds.
-
"He's lying." Selena was frustrated. "Sirius is innocent and Harry and Hermione are telling the truth. Severus is lying."
"Really, Professor Riviera? Where have you been during these events?" Cornelius Fudge asked.
"I've been in this castle all night. All night."
"We cannot deny the facts, Professor. You are married to the man known as Sirius Black, are you not?"
"I am."
"I vouch for her, Cornelius. She has been under my personal supervision this entire year." Albus Dumbledore rested his hand on Selena's elbow, warning her not to say anything more.
"It's true, Minister. Selena has not been involved with Black since she came to the school," said Severus coolly.
"What about her daughter? Sirius Black is her father, is he not?"
"Alrescha-"
"Alrescha Riviera Black has nothing to do with this matter. She is just a young fourteen-year-old witch."
"I should still like to question her."
"Question me about what?" Alrescha had arrived, sporting a bloodied arm and nose.
"How did you get those injuries?" Fudge inquired.
"Do you really need to know?" Alrescha pushed open the doors of the infirmary, and Madame Pomfrey whisked her away. Cornelius Fudge and Severus Snape went in as well, leaving Selena and Dumbledore.
"How is he?" Dumbledore looked at her sadly. Her husband was going to receive the Dementor's Kiss.
"You could speak to him now." Selena shook her head.
"I- I can't." She cleared her throat.
"I think… I think I'd like to speak to Hermione and Harry and Ron."
"I do too."
Right after Madame Pomfrey threw out the Minister for Magic and Professor Snape, Dumbledore invited himself in, Selena close behind.
Hermione and Harry, as Ron was sleeping, immediately began explaining to the Headmaster what had happened, and Dumbledore explained that there was nothing they could do.
"But you believe us, right?" Harry said once Dumbledore had finished.
"Yes, I do."
"And I've always believed Sirius was innocent." Alrescha, from her bed, mumbled something also about how she was right the entire time.
"What we need," Dumbledore said slowly, gazing at Hermione, "is more time."
"Oh, oh!"
"Sirius is locked Professor Flitwick's office on the seventh floor. Thirteenth window from the right of the West Tower. However, you may find it better to go directly to the top of the West Tower. If all goes well tonight, you can save two lives."
"Remember, Hermione. You must not be seen."
"Of course." The young woman nodded.
"I will lock you in," Albus Dumbledore said. "It's five minutes to midnight. Three turns should do it. Good luck." Dumbledore silently left, nodding to Selena.
Selena looked at Hermione and Harry intensely.
"Listen to me. It's very, very important. When you part with Sirius, tell him to go to my father's house. He'll be safe there, and only there. On the grave of baby Raphael is a box. In the box is everything he'll need."
"Okay." Hermione nodded. Then she gave Selena a very suspicious look. "What are you going to do?"
"Don't worry about me."
"You guys'll be alright," Alrescha suddenly spoke. "Just, just don't worry about me."
Harry and Hermione used the Time Turner and went back three hours.
"Okay," Selena mumbled. "Now me." She pulled her own Time Turner from the folds of her robes.
"Be careful, Mum."
"Don't worry." After sitting on the bed, Selena took off her cane and shoes, giving them to Alrescha along with her wand. "Get these to my room before dawn."
"Okay."
Selena threw her Time Turner around her neck and turned it back two hours. When she got her bearings, she found herself staring at her own self.
"I'm getting Remus," she whispered.
"Okay," she said. Her past self walked to the bed, holding the cane and her regular shoes. "Madame Pomfrey knows I'm in here."
"Good." The past Selena slipped off her silver shoes and gave them to herself. Selena put them on as her past self leaned on the cane.
"This is so weird," they both whispered together. Selena stood up and inched out of the infirmary, leaving her past self; earlier when she'd saw her future self- from the perspective of her past self- she had wondered how her future self knew what to do. Selena smiled with the thought that she was now from that unknown future, and still had no clue.
Same Time, 10:07 PM
Alrescha had been flying her broom when she saw them put her father in Flitwick's office. The school was supposed to be dark in that area, but a lot of commotion was coming from that window. So she flew to it, knowing exactly what she'd find. She slid off the broom and onto the ledge of the castle. She cast the broom aside and peered in the bars.
A very grimy man sat there, pale as the moon. He was ragged, clothes tattered and torn. His hair was long, his beard overgrown. He had the look of someone who hadn't been properly fed or hugged in a good long while. He was in chains.
"Dad?" She whispered, horrified. The man turned to meet her gaze, and Alrescha met a set of grey eyes not unlike hers.
"Al-Alrescha?"
"Daddy!" She almost burst into tears. He made to move to the barred window, but the chains held him back. He could only look at her, heart filling with pride and joy.
"How did you get there?"
"Broomstick."
"I always knew you could fly." Alrescha beamed.
"I think we should get you out of here."
"That is a wise decision, Alrescha," a quiet, even voice said. Dumbledore slowly went into the room.
"Headmaster," Sirius straightened himself up. "Hello."
"Hello, Sirius."
"You have to tell them I'm innocent, sir, I-"
"I know you're innocent, Sirius. But we have no proof. And until then, we cannot do anything as far as clearing your name."
"I understand." Sirius sighed and began to tell Dumbledore exactly how he'd gotten into Hogwarts. He ended by asking, "I'm getting a visit from the Dementors, aren't I?"
"He's not getting the Kiss," firmly said Alrescha. "I will not allow that. Ah-" She had shifted, almost losing her footing. She slipped from Dumbledore's and Sirius' view, bumping her nose on the brick block. Blood seeped out.
"Rescha!" Sirius gasped, body wrenching towards the window.
"Alrescha?" Dumbledore quickly walked across the room and looked through the bars.
"I'm fine, I'm fine." Alrescha pulled out her wand. "Time to get out of here."
"Wait. Wait until you cannot hear my footsteps anymore, and then you may get Sirius out of here." Alrescha nodded.
Dumbledore left, locking the door behind him; Sirius and his adopted daughter fell deathly silent, listening to the tap-taps slowly fading. When they could hear no more, Alrescha waved her wand twice, and the bars on the window slid down, allowing her to climb into the office.
"Now." She searched in her brain for a spell to unlock the chains. "Uh… umm…"
"Disseratus," Sirius murmured, thinking of Spell Making.
"Yes! Disseratus!" The chains immediately let Sirius go, and he sprung up. "Now you're free."
"Thank you!" He wrapped his arms around her. Alrescha did not mind the awful dirt or the smell. He pulled away from her, thinking of how he did not want this to be their first true conversation. "God, I can remember when you were afraid of the 'tubby monster' living in the bathtub." He cleared his throat.
"C'mon, let's climb out of here." He and Alrescha wiggled out and began to climb up the parapet to the top of the tower. It wasn't far, and the castle was very forgiving with the ledges.
"How's your mother?"
"I don't know. She's always been the same to me, but Uncle Remus says she's gaunt."
"Oh." They sat at the top, resting, until Alrescha spotted something in the distance.
"It's Buckbeak! With Harry and Hermione!" She waved, standing up. She slipped a bit, causing her to cut herself on some of the castle wall and tear her shirt.
"Hey, hey!" Sirius pulled her up. "Don't fall."
"I won't." She sent sparks up into the air, signaling to Harry and Hermione. They swooped down and switched places with Sirius.
"What happened to the other boy? Ron?"
"He's fine, he's in the infirmary."
"Professor Riviera says to go to her father's house and that on the grave of baby Raphael is a box. She wants you to have the box." Sirius nodded.
"How can I ever thank you?"
"Just go! GO!"
"Harry, you truly are your father's son!"
"GO, DAD!" Buckbeak flew off with Sirius Black on his back.
"I've got to get my broom. It's that way."
"What time've you got?"
"Twelve, eleven minutes to midnight. Why?"
"Time Turner," said Hermione.
"Well, I've gotta get my broomstick. See you in the infirmary."
---
Same Night, 11:09 PM
Selena was running, running as hard as she could. She reached the Forbidden Forest and, with one bound, transformed into her wolf Animagus. She breathed deeply- she could smell him, just a few kilometers away.
Selena felt more primitive as a wolf. Running with the wind, able to smell everything. Understand the birds and the squirrels, able to taste the world. She let out a smart bark, trying not to laugh with the sweet freedom that she felt. Then she heard frantic voices and screams.
"GET HIM AWAY FROM THE YOUNG ONES." Selena slowed, creeping up to the centaur herd.
"Ronan! Take them and get out of here!" She heard most of them gallop away, but she could see that some ten of them stayed, watching Remus wildly grab at them. Selena tore from her hiding spot and barked at them.
"Young wolf, you- Selena Riviera!"
Yes, I am Selena. Please, don't kill him. Let me deal with him.
"Why should we?! He attacked our children!" A centaur with black hair, whom Selena knew as Bane, lunged at her.
Magorian, please. Selena gazed at Magorian while Remus lunged towards the young Firenze. He dodged. Magorian nodded wordlessly.
Selena barked at Remus, getting his attention. He ran up to her and swung one of his paws, catching her in the shoulder. Selena howled in pain, rolling to the side, but then she got up. Now she was angry. Her hackles bristled, tail straight up. Remus tried to do the same.
No! She ripped at him. You will listen to me. Selena charged, paws landing on his shoulders and pinning him down. Her lips curled, showing him her sharp incisors. Finally, Remus whimpered and nudged upwards. She moved off of him, and he got on all fours, lowering his stomach to the ground.
He won't come back again. She turned to Magorian. I promise.
"Farewell, friend." Selena took off running, and Remus followed. She led him away from the centaurs and farther from Hogwarts. Finally, she stopped to rest by a small pond and took a drink.
Remus barked, scratching himself.
No. Scratch the trees or- Remus lunged forward, pushing Selena over. He wanted to play. Selena felt that this would somehow be a long night.
The Next Day, June 10, 1994
"You can stay in Sirius' house until you get yourself back on your feet," Selena said, embracing Remus.
"I'm sorry for all the trouble I caused you last night."
"Remus, it's okay. Stop apologizing." She held him still. "It was fun teaching alongside you, you know. And I am so happy that you and I are best friends again. I was miserable, not able to talk to my best friend."
"Brother, remember?"
"Right, right. Twin."
They smiled at each other, and Remus stepped into the carriage and he was gone.
-
"Professor?"
"Harry! Hi." This was the first time Harry had ever visited Selena. She was sitting at her desk, reading. "Come in, sit down!"
"Are you busy, Professor?"
"It's Selena, and no, I'm not."
"Well, Selena, I wanted to know… Why you never told me."
"Told you what?"
"About Sirius' innocence." Selena knew Harry was frustrated that Sirius was still on the run.
"If I'd told you, what would you have done differently?"
"We would've found Scabbers and taken him directly to Dumbledore. Or you."
"Really?" Selena frowned. "Sometimes, Harry, it's best to find out the truth yourself and not rely on what others tell you."
"Alrescha knew, and she never told me. I mean, why didn't you two say something? Anything at all?"
"Harry, some day I'll tell you. I promise." She smiled at him fondly. Harry did not get up.
"What do you know about Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs?" He put the Marauders' Map in front of her. Selena picked it up, fingering the edges.
"Do you know anything about Quicksilver?" She asked Harry.
"Well, Miss Quicksilver insulted Snape- I mean, Professor Snape, when he tried to read the Map. Professor Lupin said that he, my dad, Sirius, and Pettigrew made it, but he didn't say anything about a girl."
"I didn't know they were writing it until they were almost finished. My dad furnished the ink and the paper to make it. I'm Quicksilver."
"Why Quicksilver?" Harry asked, amazed.
"Well, in my fifth year, Sirius made me some silver shoes that I can walk in without my cane. With the shoes, I was the fastest, so I was Queen Quicksilver."
"So you knew my dad?"
"Knew him? He and Remus were like brothers to me. And Lily was like a sister."
"And you never told me you were my godmother." Selena shrugged.
"No reason to, I suppose. You were the sweetest little baby, Harry. Always hugging people and playing and smiling. I have some pictures. Want a look?"
"Sure," said Harry happily. He glanced at her walking stick. "I can get it. Where is it?"
"Over there, second shelf down, silver box."
Ending Note:
I have quite a bit of clues in this one, clues that I did not intend to have in the story. I sort of deviated from the original plan when it came to Alrescha, but I wanted to show how the relationship between her and her mother is a little deeper than a familial thing. They know each other quite well. Perhaps Alrescha is a minature Selena.
Two hints as to how the story will end.
a.) Selena's patronus is a peacock. In shamanism (haha), the peacock stands for: all aspects of beauty (including inner and outer), immortality, ability to see the past, present, and future, dignity, self-confidence, and rising from the ashes (like a phoenix). That's a big, giant clue. (I wonder what her Animagus means, hmmm...?)
b.) Things have a habit of happening to Selena in groups of seven.
Another interesting thing: Remus and Selena are best friends, which is kinda weird, considering that Remus is a werewolf and is afraid of the moon (which is what Selena's name means). Also weird that Selena's Animagus is a wolf, the only thing that a werewolf could possibly listen to other than the moon. Also... isn't silver supposed to kill werewolves? Hm. Ha, that's not a clue. I just thought it weird.
Yes, I did put a lot of thought into this story. Too much, I think.