Author's Note- It's here! The final chapter of Part Two: The Goblet of Fire. And God does this chapter have a lot. It took forever to write this chapter, especially since I had to scrap an entire section because it sucked horrible. Anyway, look, Severus is leading us off today! On to the story!
Chapter 14: It Will Happen Tonight
Severus
The day of the Final Task started off well in comparison to how it ended. And it started off shitty to begin with so that's not saying much. His Floo roared to life as Lupin's voice sounded through. Great…
"Severus, may Sirius and I come through? Albus isn't answering his floo."
"That's because it's six in the fucking morning Lupin. Go away." See, entirely too early to deal with stupidity.
"But Severus, we promised Harriet we would be here for the Final Task." Fuck my life. Now he would have to let them in. What had that girl done to him?
"Fine." He sneered out and set to the side as Lupin and Black tumbled through.
"Thank you, Severus." Lupin said politely before nudging Black. Black glared back at him before saying,
"Yeah, thanks Sniv- I'm mean, thanks Snape." Severus nodded back to them before moving back to his morning coffee.
"Tinsel." He called out as his house male elf appeared. "Bring more coffee and tea." Silently the elf nodded and popped away. The two Gryffindors shared an uneasy glance, uncertain of what to do next. Severus rolled his eyes.
"Well you're already here. Quit standing around. You look more idiotic than normal." That snapped them back to normal. Black glared at Severus but helped himself to some coffee while Lupin opted for the tea.
"So, what is the task exactly?" Black asked almost politely.
"A maze was created in the Quidditch Pitch-"
"They ruined the Pitch?! My baby!"
"Black!"
"Sirius!"
"Okay, fine, no jokes this early in the morning. Got it."
"As I was saying," Severus continued. "The center of the maze will have the Triwizard Cup. First champion to reach the cup wins."
"Sounds too simple." Noticed Lupin, Black nodding along in agreement.
"The maze is infested with Hagrid's finest, plus a few extras. Miss Potter will be entering first follow by Krum, Diggory and Delacour. Also, I wouldn't be surprised if the maze move similarly to Hogwarts' staircases." He concluded and finished his coffee. The two uncles shared alarmed looks at the idea of their honorary niece entering a monster infested maze. Granted, he wasn't very pleased about it either.
"Is she ready?" Lupin asked, the worry tainting his voice. Severus bit back his snarky reply before answering calmly.
"She's mastered the Four-Point spell as well as twenty different battle spells. She's fast and a quick thinker. I'd say she probably the best prepared for this task."
"Do we have you to thank for that, Snivellus?" Black asked. However, there was no bite to his words, only what sounded like defeat. Severus raised an eyebrow at the Marauders.
"I have no idea what you're talking about."
"Bullshit." Black snapped back. "Minerva told us, Snape." Severus looked at Lupin, who nodded in agreement. He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. Deep breaths, Severus.
"I see, what exactly did she tell you?"
"That you're training is probably the only reason Harriet lived during this tournament." Lupin snarled out the last word in disgust.
"She handled the first task all on her own."
"Bullshit, Minerva said that you two came up with at least five back up plans." Blacked interrupted.
"Six actually."
"The point is," Lupin continued, "that you know what you're doing and we are thankful that you're protecting her." The wolf sounded almost sincere. Dammit, he might actually be sincere.
"You didn't have to do any of this, especially after how all of us treated you." Lupin glared down at Black, who at least looked sheepish.
"We are sorry, for how we treated you, right Sirius?" The mutt glowered before answering,
"Sorry for almost killing you, Snape."
While Severus wanted to do nothing more than throw the two out, he realized how important these two men were to Miss Potter. These were her uncles and they wanted to protect her just as much as he did. Even though Severus would never completely forgive them for their treatment of him, he could put that aside if it meant keeping Miss Potter safe from the Dark Lord. After all, the enemy of my enemy is my friend.
So, he just nodded, not trusting his words to stay civil. Finally, it was time for him to escort Lupin and Black to Albus so that they could surprise Miss Potter. Their walk was silent in the brisk halls. Albus was already waiting for them when they arrived.
"Aw, Remus, Sirius, welcome back. How was Haiti?"
"Hot. Where's Harriet?" Black demanded as he transformed into his human form. Severus remained silent as he surveyed the trinkets that lined Albus' office. They moved and sounded in the room. Each held different charms and monitors, ready to alert Albus of a problem at a moment's notice. Still, it baffled Severus could have so many of these objects and none alert Albus to Miss Potter's previous home life. Foolish meddling bastard.
"Harriet!" Black and Lupin's shout of joy broke him out of his thoughts as Minerva and Miss Potter entered the office. Miss Potter looked dressed for battle. She had forgone her school robe for the tighter fitting, black dragon-skin robe that wrapped around her body. Robe fell to mid-thigh length in order to hide her knives. Her legs were clad in some sort of black material and boots shielded her feet. The lump on her right arm indicated her wand holster. Her black hair was done up in a way that resembled a German milkmaid. In all, she looked calm, but deadly, ready to strike out at any second. Yes, she was ready.
Twelve hours passed and the Final Task of the Triwizard tournament was about to begin. The judges now consisted of the three headmasters, Bagman and the Minister. Crouch had been officially declared missing and that Percival Weasely's ordered weren't actually from Crouch at all. That put Severus on edge, but not as much as the sight of Moody talking to Miss Potter did. The ex-Auror was talking to the girl after he had pulled her away from the champions, as if he wanted to give her last minute advise. But Miss Potter stood tensely, her body inching farther and farther away for Moody with each word. She didn't look afraid, per say, but she did look nervous around the DADA professor. Granted, with her track record with them, she had every right to be.
Finally, Bagman stood up and left the judges booth. Miss Potter took this as a que to leave Mad-Eye and stood with her fellow champions as Bagman called for order.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to the Final Task of the Triwizard Tournament! Our brave champions will have to find he center of the maze. There we have placed the Triwizard Cup. First champion to reach the cup wins. Our leader, Harriet Potter, will enter first! Viktor Krum, how is currently in second place, will follow her after five minutes. After Viktor Krum will be Cedric Diggory and after him will be Fleur Delacour! Now, are you ready? Let the Final Task begin!"
With that, Miss Potter was off and the cloud that followed the champions through the task started to play. She started in a light jog to gain distance from her colleagues before she reached her first fork in the maze. She pulled out her wand and laid it flat in her open hand.
"Point-To-Me the Triwizard Cup." She chanted and the wand spun around before pointing to the left half of the cup. She followed her wand like a compass, keeping up her jog. Severus heard Krum enter the maze but his eyes remained glued to the screen with his pupil's image. He could practically feel the worry that came out of Lupin and Black (in mutt form). They stood beside him, clearly both on the edge. The three men watched as Miss Potter faced her first obstacle.
"Shit!" She cursed loudly as a vine from maze appeared in front of her, snapping itself like a whip. She jumped back, fixing her grip on her wand. Her wand arm slashed down in diagonal across her body as she spelled,
"Incendio!" As slash of orange red flames hit the vine, burning it in half. Pushing past the remains of the burning vine, Miss Potter resumed her Four-Point charm. He could see the determination in her eyes. She looked ready for anything. Severus watched as the Girl-Who-Lived moved on, escaping the clutches of the Sphinx easily with her intelligence.
Then a scream from another screen alerted Severus away from the girl. His body filled with dread as he recognized the spell that the French champion withered under. Cruciatus. Miss Potter heard the girl too because she said out aloud,
"No, Fleur!" God dammit, don't! However, the girl's charm changed direction and Miss Potter sprinted off to save her friend.
"What's Harriet doing?" Lupin asked as Severus started marching up to the judges table.
"Being a bloody Gryffindor, that's what." He snapped back as his eyes scanned for anything thing else that was odd. Mad-Eye Moody had disappeared. Lupin and Black fell behind him as he pushed past the security with ease.
"Headmaster-" Severus started but Albus cut him off.
"I know, Severus. We're currently debating on what to do next." Like him, Albus looked as stressed and worried as he felt. The Minister stuck up his nose.
"I'm sure it's nothing to worry about."
"That's the Cruciatus, Minister!" Lupin supplied out of shock at the Minister's stupidity, Black barking in agreement. Before the Minister could retort back, the audience gasped as Miss Potter arrived to the scene. Delacour screamed and trembled under the spell that Krum held her under. But his eyes were glazed over, almost as if…
"He's under the Imperius!" Karakaroff shouted out as the scene played out.
"Viktor?" Miss Potter called out. Finally, her shock wore off and she casted,
"Stupefy!" The Krum boy hastily dodge, his body not his own as he started to cast,
"Avada-"
"Stupefy Duo!" Luckily Miss Potter was faster than the Imperius champion. The red spell struck him dead on and he stayed completely still. Immediately, she ran up to the two fallen champions, checking the unconscious French one to see if she was still alive. Then Miss Potter stood and looked up and towards the judges table. They didn't need to screen to tell how unpleased she was. She shot up red sparks before she spoke again.
"I'm done with this. This deathtrap ends now. Accio Firebolt!" There was a loud bang that sounded from the shed next to the booth as the Firebolt broke through the glass window and flew itself to Miss Potter at lightning speed. It arrived in front her in a matter of seconds and she hopped on.
Miss Potter flew high above the maze as her green eyes scanned from the center. She dove once she found it. With the skill of a Seeker, she dove down. Arm extended out, she grabbed the Cup, flying away with it in her hand. At least she would have, if someone hadn't turned it into a Portkey. Severus' heart sank to his stomach as he watched helplessly as Lily's daughter vanished from sight completely, her face filled with shock and pure horror.
Don't Turn Away, Don't Try to Hide, Don't Close Your Eyes
Harriet
Why the Headmaster wanted to see her a week before the final task, she'll never understand. Quite frankly, it was cutting into her preparation time and that annoyed her to no end. None the less, Harriet found herself in the Headmaster's office, declining his offer of lemon drops.
"Why am I here, Headmaster?" She asked coolly after moments of silence. It wasn't that she didn't trust the Headmaster, it was just the Harriet saw past the grandfatherly mask that he held. The man knew too many secrets and she feared that because of his secrets, her life would get worse.
"How are you faring with the Tournament?" The old man asked gently. She shrugged, her black hair tumbling down her shoulder.
"As good as I can be, I guess."
"Good, good, and with Minerva?"
"Fantastic. Mama's the best thing to ever happen to me. What's this about Headmaster?" Her patience had drawn thin. The old man looked at her, a twinkle in his eye. He stroked his long beard before asking,
"Do you feel different, Harriet?"
"How can I not? I'm fourteen years-old, fighting in a tournament meant for Seventh years, and I'm the Girl-Who-Lived." She rolled her eyes at the last title. His damn twinkle wouldn't go away.
"Yes, but besides that. Is there something else that makes you different from other witches? Something innate?"
Harriet's heart skipped a beat as she tried not to show too much emotions. Should she tell the Headmaster? What would happen if she did? But from the looks of it, he already knew.
"What do you think then?" She replied back, crossing her arms and staring him down. At that, Professor Dumbledore threw his head back, laughing boisterously.
"Oh, you look just like her when you do that. It's amazing!" Then he sobered. "I believe, Harriet, that you are a rare form of witch. So rare that I have only had the pleasure of meeting two. One of those witches was-"
"My grandmother, Dorea Black." She interrupted before sighing loudly. She looked away, staring at Fawkes' flames.
"You're a Nereida, Harriet."
"Yes, I am. But that doesn't change anything, I'm still me." She insisted and Headmaster Dumbledore nodded along in agreement.
"However, how much do you know about Nereidas?"
"Very little." Harriet admitted. She was hoping that she could use this summer to research more about herself and her grandmother, seeing as this year had been a little crazy. The man nodded in understanding.
"There is very little written about Nereidas. The Council prefers to keep it secretive. However, your grandmother was kind enough to explain a little bit of it to me." Harriet nodded along and he continued.
"You were born with innate vocal magic. This magic makes your voice captivating to the listen and often draws in great support for your speeches if you are put into a role of leadership." Yes, that sounded correct.
"However, you have a close affinity towards a certain type of magic. Do you know what kind it you have?" He asked her gently and she shook her head. Sadly, Harriet hadn't found which type of magic she was great at. It couldn't be magic as broad as Transfiguration or Defense. No, affinities were more specific branches of magic, weather magic, vocal magic, illusion magic, etc.
"Finally, Dorea explained to me that Nereidas are often hunted after. This, they have a protector, or Chevalier, who travels with them in order to both teach and protect them. Where is your Chevalier, Harriet?"
Where was her Chevalier? That was a great question. From what Harriet had been able to quickly research, shortly after a Nereida is born and before her fifth birthday, the Council of Nereidas finds her. The Council of Nereidas was made up of Nereidas, their progeny, full-fledged Chevaliers and the trainees. The Council brought in trainees, boys or men, who would receive some sort of training beforehand. The young Nereida would then get to choose which boy she would want to be her Chevalier. Finally, he would take the Vow. Harriet didn't actually know the specific wording behind the Vow but she did know that it bonds the couple together until one of them dies.
But no council had come for her when she was five. No Chevalier had rescued her. Why didn't the Council find her and does she even have a Chevalier? These questions burned her curiosity.
"I don't know." She whispered out. Strangely, the twinkle in Dumbledore's eye didn't die at all, if anything it grew stronger.
"I think he is closer than you think, Harriet."
"Point-To-Me the Triwizard Cup." Harriet casted as she jogged through the maze. Her wand had become the perfect compass. Her heart was beating rapidly in her chest as she tried to forget the way Mad-Eye had pulled her aside.
"Lass, are you ready?" Moody had asked as his hand clamped down on her shoulder. Instantly her senses flared and she moved to detach the man from her. All year, Harriet had stayed wary of the ex-Auror. His magic felt off to her and his magical eye was always planted on her person. No, she didn't trust him one bit.
"Yes, sir." Still, he was a professor and she had to give him some respect. She flinched back slightly as his human eye ogled her, scanning her body up and down as if she was for sale.
"Nervous, girl?" His voice had shifted, almost becoming unrecognizable. Then he coughed and took a swig of his flask.
"Who wouldn't be?" Was her sarcastic reply. His predator stare continued and Harriet had never been more grateful for when Bagman stood up to start the task.
"Shit!" She cursed loudly as a vine from maze appeared in front of her, snapping itself like a whip. She jumped back, fixing her grip on her wand. Hm, let's try this. Her wand arm slashed down in diagonal across her body as she spelled,
"Incendio!" As slash of orange red flames hit the vine, burning it in half. Pushing past the remains of the burning vine, Harriet resumed her Four-Point charm. She forged forward, slightly more cautious. She turned the corner and spotted a woman sleeping with a lion. No, wait, scratch that, it was a woman's face on a lion's body. The Sphinx opened an eye, before rising up.
"Welcome, Champion. You are the first to face me. Answer my riddle, and you shall pass. Fail to answer it and suffer by my hand." The Sphinx purred before her yellow eyes glowed and her voice turned older and raspier.
First think of the person who lives in disguise,
Who deals in secrets and tells naught but lies.
Next, tell me what's always the last thing to mend,
The middle of middle and end of the end?
And finally give me the sound often heard,
During the search for a hard-to-find word.
Now string them together and answer me this,
Which creature would you be unwilling to kiss?
God, that's an easy riddle.
"A spider." Harriet answered. The Sphinx looked at her in shock before stepping aside to let her pass. She moved on. There was an eerie feel in the air, like something was about to jump out and scare her.
Harriet froze when she heard a scream. A scream that brought her back to her dream of Wormtail and the snake baby, Voldemort. It reminded her of a screaming, dying woman, Bertha Jorkins. The screaming was definitely a girl's. Which meant-
"No, Fleur!"
Harriet felt the adrenaline rush through her as she raced towards the screaming. She had to get to her, she had to get to her! But the sight that she ran into cause her to freeze. Fleur landed on her back, wand out of reach. Her eyes were rolling to the back of her head as she twitched and screamed. Harriet's gaze shifted to the spell caster. She didn't want to believe what she saw.
"Viktor?" Harriet called out. He flinched, as if he recognized her voice but couldn't move. She needed to end this. Wand pointed straight at her ex-boyfriend, she casted,
"Stupefy!" Viktor dodged jerkily and turned to face. His eyes were glazed over and his limbs imitated that of a marionette's. He was under the Imperius Curse. He raised his wand arm to her slowly, as if he was trying to fit off the curse but couldn't. His mouth opened and Harriet knew that she would have to outduel him.
"Avada-"
"Stupefy Duo!" Luckily Harriet was faster than the Imperius champion. The red spell struck him dead on and he stayed completely still. Immediately, she ran up to the two fallen champions, checking the unconscious French one to see if she was still alive. Oh, thank God, they're ok.
Then the Girl-Who-Lived stood and looked up and towards the judges table. Anger pooled in her. How dare they? How dare they do this to them? This Triwizard Tournament could have killed any of the champions and no one show it right to end the Task the moment the Unforgivables were used! Well, no more. She shot up red sparks before she spoke again.
"I'm done with this. This deathtrap ends now. Accio Firebolt!" Glass shattered and her trusty broom zipped towards. It arrived in front her in a matter of seconds and she hopped on.
She flew high above the maze, soaring faster than she had ever done before. Her green eyes scanned from the center. She spotted Cedric as he approached the route to the Cup, dueling against the Skrewts. He was so close but she had to finish this. Sorry, Cedric. Harriet dove down, her eyes lock on the Cup. With the skill of a Seeker, she extended out her arm. She grabbed the Cup and magic flared. There was a pulled at her navel and she started to spin so fast that she lost her grip on her broom. Terror blackened her soul as she disappeared from the maze, the audience gasping in a mixture of confusion and joy when she didn't appear outside the maze.
The Cup spat her out. Harriet grunted as her back collided into hard, dead earth. Rolling onto her side, her eyes widen at the sight of all of the tombstones. It seemed endlessly and ghostly in the thick fog. She rose to her feet, wand grasped tightly in her hand. Harriet glanced around and spotted the Cup a few meters away from her. She pointed her wand at the damn thing when a clocked stranger appeared. She screamed.
No, she didn't scream at the sight of the strange. No, she screamed at the eruption of pain from the scar on her head. It felt let a being was behind her forehead, trying to claw its way out. She stumbled back, clutching her forehead. She bit back the screams as the figure manhandled her. She tried to kick and punch but the pain of her scar made her struggles light love taps.
They reached a clearing. In the clearing was a mausoleum with a large, smoking caldron. The figure tossed her into the doorway of a mausoleum, engraved on the door was a familiar name. Tom Riddle. Her back crashed into the marble and she nearly sobbed at the pain. Black cords shot up and wrapped themselves around her wrists and ankles. Arms lifted above her head, the cords forced Harriet to stand but not move. The headache started to vanish. Standing before her was Peter Pettigrew. She snarled at the sight of the traitor and struggled against the cords.
"Hello, Wormtail." She sneered out the hatred burning through her eyes. The traitor, though, was shaking as he pulled out a knife. He stepped towards her.
"Don't come near me!" Harriet snapped out and Pettigrew froze, her voice keeping him in place. Then a loud hiss sounded and Pettigrew started towards her again. This time he reached her. He didn't look her in the eyes as he slit a slim but blood drawing cut on her left forearm.
She spat at him and he took it. Pettigrew moved back to the cauldron, his body shaking with greater intensity with each step. He stood before the cauldron a shaking mess as he lifted up a bundle of blankets. Pettigrew carefully unravel the blankets until he was holding Voldemort. The baby-snake-thingy was uglier than she remembered. Turning to the cauldron, Wormtail raised Voldemort above the smoking potion. Voldemort shifted his little head to look at her, his red snake eyes searching to lock with hers. For reasons that she didn't know, she looked away. Voldemort let out a ticking noise before hissing,
"Until we meet again, Harriet Potter." With a splash, Voldemort dissolved into the potion.
Pettigrew shook like a life in a hurricane as he raised a bone over the potion. He looked to be mumbling a pray before he straightened and looked up at her. She glared at him through broken lenses.
"Bone of the father, unknowingly given, you will renew your son."
The bone fell and vanished into the potion. Reaching into his worn robes, Pettigrew pulled out a different, longer and sharper knife. He held his deformed hand over the steam. The blade rested at the wrist. Harriet looked away as old Marauder cut off his own hand and screamed bloody murder.
"Flesh of the servant…" Pettigrew sobbed out, clutching his bleeding appendage. "willingly given… you will revive your master."
Harriet could only watch in horror as Pettigrew raised the knife the dripped with her blood.
"Blood of the enemy, forcibly taken, you will resurrect your foe." Her blood spilled down the blade and formed a perfect teardrop. The blood fell from the tip of the blade and rippled the potion.
The once ugly green potion turned a violent shade a red, then pitch black. Finally, it turned a palely gray, the color of a drowning victim. The potion bubbled and bubbled. Steam shot up in a ferocious column. Rapidly, Harriet watched the different body parts that seemed to be created. Finally, an entire stood in to the large cauldron. The thing resembled a manikin, showing an outline of the human body, but what should not be capable for life. It was only pasty skin and bones. The thing opened its eyes and breathed, a creepy, snake like smile appearing on his nose less face.
"Ah, Harriet Potter." It spoke above a breathy whisper. Voldemort was alive again. And her blood had made it possible.
"No…" She felt like she was suffocating. He's back, he's back, no, no, no! Harriet could only watch as the scene unfolded around her.
"Master?" The rat asked timidly as the snake man turned towards his crying servant, the bloody stump unfaltering in its stream of red.
"Peter, my most loyal servant. You have served me well. Hand me my wand." The traitorous servants handed Voldemort his wand. The wand mocked her own, the damn thing a prefect replica. Voldemort snatched Pettigrew's stump and the rat screamed in pain.
"Tsk, tsk, Peter. Master will make it all better." Voldemort hissed before the wand touched the bloody appendage. A silver hand replaced the missing one. Pettigrew looked at his new hand in awe.
"Oh, thank you, Master!" He was crying now with joy when Voldemort sent a Cruciatus at him. Voldemort held him under the curse for a few more seconds before releasing the spell. The mad man smiled at his pain before barking out,
"Robe me." Shakenly, Pettigrew robed the resurrected Dark Lord. Fully-robed, Voldemort descended from the cauldron.
"Your arm, Peter." He lifted his fixed one. Voldemort rolled his red eyes before hissing,
"The other one." At that, Peter's eyes widened with recognition before he rolled up his sleeve until his left forearm was visible. The Dark Mark was pitch black and complete. Voldemort reached out a boney finger and touched the Mark.
The sound of cracking exploded around her. Crack, Crack, Crack! Soon the entire cemetery as surrounded by Death Eaters. As Voldemort started to talk down to his Death Eaters who didn't look for him during his absence, Harriet's desperate eyes search the crowd. Her fear wasn't for herself. No, her heart clutched at the idea of him being here. Anxiety and anguish filled her very being as she searched for Professor Snape. She couldn't find him. He wasn't there.
"And to those who have not responded to be here on this most glorious of nights, like our dear Igor, shall suffer greatly for their disloyalty. Where is Severus?" No! Harriet choked down the tears of panic and worry. He's going to kill him, he's going to kill him! No, not him, please, not him. Lucius Malfoy, who appeared to age ten years since the last time Harriet had saw him, looked pained before he smoothed his features and stepped closer to the crazed being. Malfoy bowed low and spoke carefully.
"Severus was dragged to the side by Dumbledore. The Minister was wondering what had become of Miss Potter," His blue eyes flashed up at her and for a second, she could have sworn she saw pity in them. "after her abrupt disappearance. Severus could not leave without drawing attention to himself and losing his position, my Lord."
Harriet didn't know why, but her gut was telling her that Malfoy was lying in order to protect Professor Snape. About what part, she didn't know. Luckily, it seemed Voldemort believed it.
"Ah, Severus, ever the thinker. Very well, Lucius. Though do tell him that we must have a chat." Oh no! Voldemort turned back to look at her before he started to clap slowly. She found herself as dumbfounded as the Death Eaters when the almost human gave off a chilling laugh.
""You know of course, that they have called this girl my downfall?" He laughed again. "You all know that on the night I lost my powers and my body, I tried to kill her. Her mother died in the attempt to save her" She flinched at the reminder.
"- and unwittingly provided him with a protection I admit I had not foreseen... I could not touch the girl." And Harriet liked it that way. "Her mother left upon her the traces of her sacrifice..." He paused and waved his wand. The ropes securing her limbs drop and she stumbled to catch herself. Her wand, which had fallen during the altercation with Pettigrew, was brought to her by a woman with snow white hair. Her violet eyes held back tear of fear and pity. In fact, all of the Death Eaters looked terrified of Voldemort and pity filled for her.
"I'm sorry." The woman mouthed to her as she pressed Harriet's wand back into her hand. The woman steeled her features before disappearing back into the crowd. Harriet tensed and moved herself into a dueling stance. Voldemort smirked at her.
"This is old magic, I should have remembered it, I was foolish to overlook it... but no matter. I can touch her now. Come now, Harriet Potter, let's see if you are truly invincible." Faster than she expected for a man who's been gone for 13 years, he casted.
"Curio!" She leaped to the right and the aftermath of the spell grazed her before a second Cruciatus caught her. Her nerves buzzed in pain as she tried to bit back her scream. Later on, Harriet would admit that he probably wasn't at full strength yet. Still, Voldemort looked oddly pleased at her when she shrieked out through the pain,
"Stupefy!" He dodged the spell and it struck Crabbe Senior. The dodged had caused Voldemort to lose concentration and drop the Cruciatus. She tried to catch her breath when he laughed again. Her limbs shook from the curse's aftershocks.
"Amazing. Perhaps there is more to you then I thought, Harriet Potter. Oh, what a good asset you would have been. Too bad I can't afford to have you alive. Let us duel." She glared at him, the adrenaline overriding her fear once again.
"Let's." She snarled. They stood facing each other, the Death Eaters circling them.
"Shall we bow, Miss Potter?" The deformed man teased.
"What good would that do, Mr. Riddle?" The outrage covered his features before he casted,
"Avada Kedavra!"
"Expelliarmus!" Harriet spelled at the same time. Stupid spell choice, Miss Potter. She could almost hear Professor Snape berating her. Even so, the two spells collided and locked. The two streams of spells struggled against the other in midair, as two large domes of magic started to form from the spells. Soon the visible magical forcefield engulfed Voldemort and Harriet as the castors tried to will their spells to overpower the other. The Death Eaters couldn't even stop the duel if they wanted to because of the domes.
"What! What is this?!" Voldemort fumed as they remained locked. Then the image of Betha Jorkins appeared.
"Don't worry Harriet, we'll help you." And Harriet's spelled inched Voldemort's closer. Then another spirit appeared, thank of Frank Bryce.
"Kick his arse, lass!" Another inch forward. Spirit after spirit of Voldemort's victims emerged and with each spirit Harriet's spell got stronger. The second to last spirit confused her. The man looked like Sirius, almost identical, actually. He smiled at her.
"Hey, Harriet, do me a favor and tell my big brother Sirius that I'm sorry and that I forgive him for being a total arse. Also, tell your Chevalier that he deserves to be happy and that he acts like the self-sacrificing bastard that he is, I'll kick his arse."
The man's smile widened even more as she looked at him in confusion. He disappeared and the spell as only a meter anyway from Voldemort.
"Stop this!" He screamed in fury as two people formed their ghostly bodies before her. She almost dropped her wand in shock and nostalgia.
"Mum? Dad?" Harriet whispered out as her parents smiled at her. If it wasn't for their transparent bodies, she would have thought that they were alive.
"Hi, baby girl." James Potter said softly, the tears leaking out from under his lenses. "Look at you, my little princess is all grow up." Her mother nodded sadly in agreement, her flaming red hair bobbing. Her mother's emerald eyes locked with her own, tears pouring out of the pair of gems.
"Harriet, sweetie, Mummy needs you to listen to me very carefully." Harriet could only nod. "No matter how much I want to hold you in my arms again, I want you to live and have the life you deserve to have. Mama and your aunt have a plan to help you be prepared. You have to go through with it to keep you safe."
"Though you can totally-"
"James!"
"Right, right, sorry. But seriously, Harriet, you have to do it. And listen to Sn- your Chevalier. God damn bastard's done a far better job at protecting you than I ever did." Her father grumbled the last sentence in defeat while her mother rolled her eyes at him.
"Ignore your father. He finally knows what karma is. We love you so much, sweetie. We'll give you a distraction so that you can get out of her. Good luck, Harriet."
"We Love You!" Her parents exclaimed as their spirits shot into her wand and Harriet's spell completely overpowered Voldemort's. The spell stunned him and sent a wave of energy exploded out. The wave crashed into the Death Eaters, temporally stunning them all.
"Accio the Triwizard Cup." Harriet whispered out as she collapsed to her knees, a waterfall of tears pouring down her cheeks. The Cup reached her and she clutched it to her chest like a teddy bear. She spun away, the pain of the Cruciatus, the knowledge of Voldemort's rebirth and the sight of her parents killing her from the inside out.
She arrived back to the Quidditch pitch to find it in complete pandemonium. Students were screamed at the sight of her, blood covering her clothes, the almost dead and defeated looks in her eyes. She watched as the members of the Ministry and Hogwarts staff started towards her. Shakenly, she placed her wand to her throat. It nearly killed her to say it but someone had to tell them.
"I, Harriet Dorea Potter McGonagall, swear on my body and magic that-" she stopped to take a shaky breath. "that Voldemort is back." She watched as chaotic screams broke loose and the crowd tried to trample their way towards her, stopping the advancement of the Hogwarts staff. Her eyes locked with her mother before an arm wrapped itself around her waist and started leading her to the castle.
Harriet shouldn't have let Moody escort her back to the castle. In her defense, she was exhausted and just saw the resurrection of her parents' murder. They arrived in Moody's office and she sat down in a chair, her head fall into her hands. Stupid, stupid, stupid! How stupid could she be to let herself get captured? God fucking dammit, Voldemort was back and it was her fucking fault!
She didn't even feel like crying anymore. No, she was pissed, she was fucking furious! How dare that bastard decide to fuck with her again? No more. She was going to end him. Completely and utterly end him.
"Here lass, have some." The DADA professor said as he handed her a potion. It looked to be a calming draught but she didn't like the look it's shade of purple. It looked too dark. Probably over mixed, it won't do anything but make my head hurt more.
"Thanks." She mumbled and accepted the drink. She didn't drink it and tried to hide the fact that she didn't. Of course, Moody's magical eye caught her in the act. Moody tsked at her.
"Not your Death Eater's normal quality?" It seemed like he was trying to tease her but it came out more of a sneer.
"Forgive me if I seem paranoid. Constant vigilance, I suppose." Harriet scorned, her dislike for the old Auror evident in her tone. He smirked at her though and pulled up a chair, limping slowly all the way.
"So, what happened, lass?" He asked, almost excitedly. As if her words would remind him of the old days. Oh, how right she was.
"He's back." She said shortly. "Some Death Eaters arrived, Voldemort and I dueled, I escaped. End of story." Harriet rose from her seat, eager to leave.
"And who did you see at the cemetery?" He asked calmly. Instantly her wand was in her hand and pointed at the professor. He did the same. They had a stare down, no one budging.
"How the hell do you know that?" She hissed out, her eyes glaring down the old man. She watched him as he continued to smirk.
"How else do you think you would get to the Cup?" He started to monologue.
"Oh, it was so easy to put your name in the Cup. The piece of shit didn't care if you weren't the one putting in your name. As long as your name was on the paper, anyone could have entered you. And I was going to help you cheat so you could get to ahead in the tournament. Believe me, I was. But you're smarter then you look and somehow you seduced that hard-arse into being your little guard dog. I must give you praise."
"I don't know what you're talking about." She was lying, the blush burning her cheeks. There was absolutely nothing going on with her and Professor Snape. Her magic snapped in defiance. Be quiet!
"Aw, you're so naïve. Some would say that he's more loyal to you than his real master. Someone should really let the Dark Lord know that there's a traitor in his mix." The horror filled her eyes as the mad man started laughing. No, I won't let you. The temperature dropped rapidly as she shouted,
"Caesa Maxima!" The slash of magic traveling to Moody in lighting speed. He barely dodged it when she casted again,
"Stupefy, Expelliarmus, Bombarda, Baubillious!" The last spell hit him straighten, the bolt of lightning paralyzing him temporally. The door to the office burst open, another spell shooting out a hitting the man.
"Carpe Retractum!" Ropes encased him, causing him to lose his wand and fall to the ground. She spun around, ready to attack when for the first time since the Final Task, she smiled. Her magic seemed to shout for joy at the sight of him, something that she didn't notice was happening or had happened many times before.
"Excellent shot, Sir." Professor Snape smirked back at her before marching past her and lift Moody by the collar. The Potions Master sent a Homini Revelare on Moody. The face of the ex-Auror melted away to reveal a much longer looking Mr. Crouch.
"I lost my parents to the Lestranges." Neville once told her when they bonded over their loss of their parental units. "Mr. Crouch's son was with them. He went to Azkaban and died there. Good ridden." What's with dead Death Eaters and not staying dead? Harriet really hated her luck sometimes.
"Hello Barty, fancy meeting you here." Professor Snape growled as he held convict a good foot above the ground. Obviously, Professor Snape was stronger than he looked. And he looked pretty strong to begin with.
"Now, let's not be hasty, Severus-" Crouch Jr. tried to answer but his capture tightened his grip.
It was at that moment that Sirius, in animagus form, rushed in and positioned himself in front of Harriet. He growled at Crouch as Headmaster Dumbledore, two Aurors, Remus and Mama entered the room, all out of breath. Professor Snape raised an eyebrow at them, as if asking what took them so long. He shared a look with Sirius, a pleased gleam entering his eyes.
"Tell me, Crouch. How would you feel about becoming a chew toy?" At that Sirius jumped up and started barking and snapping at Crouch, who flinched with every sound.
"Now Severus, we need him alive so that we can find the actual Professor Moody." The Headmaster said lightly.
"Must we?"
"Severus…"
"Fine. Well, next time Mutt." With that, the roped man fell to the ground with a thud. Professor Snape moved to the door, standing guard to prevent any attempts on Crouch's part to escape.
"Minerva, perhaps you should bring Harriet to Poppy for a check-up." Professor Dumbledore stressed as the Aurors lifted Crouch Jr. off the ground, glaring daggers at him. As the McGonagall women started to leave, Harriet reached out and grabbed a hold of the grim man who had done so much for her in the past two years. He looked at her in surprise when she almost jumped him, hugging him tightly around the waist.
"He wanted to tell You-Know-Who that you switched sides. Don't let him." She whispered so only he could hear before releasing the man. Her magic seemed to want to reach out to him. He still looked at her in wonderment, good or bad she didn't know.
"Thank you, Sir."
The walk to the Infirmary was filled with whispering students and worried glances. But Harriet's head spun, today's events triggered her mind into overdrive. Until that moment, she had wondered and worried about the rise of Voldemort and had prayed that it would never happen. Now that it had, she feared what would become of her, her friends, her family. She feared for Britain and all of Europe. Most of all, she feared for Professor Snape, because she knew that he would have to go to Voldemort tonight, that he would have to start spying once again. She finally knew, without a shadow of a doubt who her Chevalier is. Honestly, she didn't know how she didn't see it sooner. Harriet feared that if Voldemort doubted for one second Professor Snape's loyalty, she would lose him. And that scared her more than any Dark Lord or Dementor.
Sanctus Espiritus, redeem us from our solemn hour; Sanctus Espiritus, is this what we deserve, can we break free from chains of never-ending agony?
Severus
"Fucking Hell." Severus cursed as the audience exploded into pandemonium as the Girl-Who-Lived vanished from the Quidditch Pitch. The officials looked just as shocked as the judges while Minerva clawed her way over to the judges. She looked beyond furious, the steam nearly spilling from her ears. The judges spilt quickly, leaving only the Minister and Albus. Severus watched with mild interest as Karakaroff ran like a bat in hell. Why would he do that?
"Now, Minnie-" Albus tried pitifully.
"I will deal with you later!" She snapped at him. The Minister tried to use Albus as a shield but Severus felt that it was his personally duty to Minerva to present the Minister to her. Fudge didn't even have time to glare at him when Minerva snarled,
"Where is my daughter?!" The politician flinched back as Black began growling in harmony with Minerva. Lupin's eyes seemed to glow a deadly gold while Severus, not to be out done, let some his own magic spill out. A black and silver glow encased him and the Minister looked ready to piss himself when he saw it. Kingsely and Miss Tonks seemed to be turning a blind eye to the scene, while the actual Minister Auror Guards were too nervous to stop them.
"Where is she?!" The mother demanded again.
"Madame, I'll have you known that I am the Minister of-"
"Cornelius Fudge if you think you can pull that bullshit with me, I'll tan your arse so bad you'll have to go to St. Mungo's to get it fixed. Where is my fucking daughter?!" All of her former students looked at her in dead shock at her colorful language. Who knew that Minerva had it in her?
"I don't know, Professor!" He yelped out, his hands reaching back to shield his arse. "I'm sorry Ma'am!"
"Then find her!"
"You heard the Professor! Get me Harriet Potter! Go!" Fudge and his Aurors scrambled away.
"Imbeciles." Severus tsked before turning to Albus, glaring at the Headmaster.
"You let down the Portkey wards?" It came out more of a statement and less of a question. Albus at least looked bashful when all of the glares shifted to him.
"The Ministry insisted. Though, in hindsight, I should have checked the Cup myself before the task. I am sorry, Minerva. Perhaps I have forgotten what it was like to be cautious and untrusting." Albus nearly lamented as his oldest friend continued her glare. Finally, she sighed out.
"Just get her back, Albus."
"Where is she though?" Lupin asked carefully, not what to be on the receiving end of Minerva's anger.
Suddenly his left forearm burned. Severus hissed and clutched at the arm. He saw out of the corner of his eye a number of former Death Eaters Apparating away in pain. Lucius locked eyes with him, giving him a subtle nodded before leaving too.
"Severus?" Everyone seemed to ask.
"He calls. The bastard's back." Then it clicked.
"He has her. Shit, he's got her!" Severus was ready to Apparate away too, ready to go save Miss Potter when Albus' hand clamped down on his shoulder.
"No, if you go now you'll compromise your position."
"You care about that more than saving Miss Potter?!" He nearly shouted in disbelief, the others looking on feeling the same as he did. Albus truly looked torn as he tried to explain, casting a Muffliato charm around them.
"Please understand everyone that I want nothing more than to save Harriet but if Severus were to arrive even at this moment, Voldemort would question why he was late and likely torture or kill. The chances of us losing both of you are too high."
"Damn you, old man." Severus grumbled in defeat. The manipulative old bastard was right. Still, his magic seemed to protest violently at the idea of not going to save Har- her from the Dark Lord. Stay down! He snapped at his magic, pushing his emotions behind his mental shields.
"Well, tell us where she is at least." Miss Tonks insisted.
"My dear Nymphadora," she flinched at the use of her first name. "two Aurors are no match for Voldemort and his Death Eaters. Our chance at a rescue mission would be to call the Order."
"That could take too long!" Lupin growled out. "My pack is being threatened, let me go!"
"And risk you going savage and possibly infecting Harriet?" Albus countered. Minerva looked ready to argue when the audience gasped again.
Severus turned around to see the Girl-Who-Lived-To-Give-Him-A-Heart-Attack. The Cup laid at her feet and her arm bled slightly. Her eyes looked dead and defeated and her skin was so pale that she looked as if all of the life was dragged out of her. She raised her wand to her neck and Severus moved to go to her.
"I, Harriet Dorea Potter McGonagall, swear on my body and magic that-" she stopped to take a shaky breath. "that Voldemort is back." Shit. He watched as chaotic screams broke loose and the crowd tried to trample their way towards her. He pushed and shoved through the crowd, swearing at anyone who tried to stop him.
He reached the spot where the Cup laid, Miss Potter nowhere to be seen. Next to the Cup was an oddly familiar flask. Some of the continents spilled out on to the ground, just enough for Severus to notice that it wasn't liquor. He grabbed the flask and sniffed its contents.
"Polyjuice." He threw the flask to the side and broke out into a dead run towards the castle. His party lagged behind him as he shouted out.
"Moody's got her. And the bastard was drinking Polyjuice!" His magic seemed to be leading him to her location. Up to the DADA office.
He arrived to find the door still locked but that matter very little to him when he heard that shouts of a young woman dueling for her life.
"Stupefy, Expelliarmus, Bombarda, Baubillious!" Kicking the door in, Severus casted,
"Carpe Retractum!" Ropes encased the fake-Moody, causing him to lose his wand and fall to the ground. Miss Potter spun around, ready to attack Severus. He watched as a large smile split across her face. She was safe.
"Excellent shot, Sir." Professor Snape smirked back at her for her complement before marching past her and lift Moody by the collar. The Potions Master sent a Homini Revelare on Moody. The face of the ex-Auror melted away to reveal a much longer looking Mr. Crouch. Barty Crouch Junior, Ravenclaw and once a very good potions maker. So, this was Severus' thief?
"Hello Barty, fancy meeting you here." He growled as he held convict a good foot above the ground.
"Now, let's not be hasty, Severus-" Crouch Jr. tried to answer but his capture tightened his grip. The death glare Severus sent him also shut him up.
It was at that moment that Black, in mutt form, rushed in and positioned himself in front of Miss Potter. He growled at Crouch as Headmaster Dumbledore, Kingsley, Miss Tonks, Lupin and Minerva entered the room, all out of breath. Severus raised an eyebrow at them. How the hell did they not catch up to him? He wasn't running that fast. Suddenly, an idea entered his head. He shared a look with Black, a pleased gleam entering his eyes.
"Tell me, Crouch. How would you feel about becoming a chew toy?" At that Black jumped up and started barking and snapping at Crouch, who flinched with every sound.
"Now Severus, we need him alive so that we can find the actual Professor Moody." Albus said lightly. Dammit, always running his fun.
"Must we?"
"Severus…"
"Fine. Well, next time Mutt." With that, the roped man fell to the ground with a thud. Severus moved to the door, standing guard to prevent any attempts on Crouch's part to escape. He sent a little magic check over Miss Potter. Yep, she's still alive. Good.
"Minerva, perhaps you should bring Harriet to Poppy for a check-up." Albus stressed as the Aurors lifted Crouch Jr. off the ground, glaring daggers at him. As the McGonagall women started to leave, Miss Potter reached out and grabbed a hold of the grim man. He looked down at her in surprise when she almost jumped him, hugging him tightly around the waist. Not knowing what to do, he stood there in shock.
"He wanted to tell You-Know-Who that you switched sides. Don't let him." She whispered so only he could hear before releasing the man. He still looked at her in wonderment. She was trying to protect… him? What an odd girl.
"Thank you, Sir."
Albus had shuffled them all into his office when the Floo roared to life.
"Dammit, Dumbledore. Pick up!" Lucius' voice rang out, the worry almost palpable. Severus shared a look with Albus before the Headmaster knelt down, answering the Floo.
"Yes, Lucius? How may I help you?"
"Severus, where is he? He isn't answering his Floo!" Severus Occulemens, making his thoughts and face unreadable before tapping Albus' shoulder. It was time.
"Good luck, my boy." Albus said as he rose carefully. Severus let himself be dragged into to another hug, knowing that he had a fifty-fifty chance of returning tonight.
"Move aside, Lucius. I'm coming through." With that, the Spy of the Order of the Phoenix left the safety of Hogwarts. The war had officially begun.
His muscles twitched violently when he flooed into Albus' empty office, the Cruciatus causing more discomfort than he let show. On the desk was a letter address to him in Albus' hand writing. Severus stuffed the letter into his robe pocket before he flooed again to Poppy.
The Slytherin matron sat diligently at her desk, a cup of tea and potions ready for his arrival. Neither said a word as he started scoffing down potion and she looked him over.
"He was displeased with everyone." Severus stated softly after tense moments of silence. "Luckily, Lucius covered for me and the Dark Lord believed that I kept my post here for his benefit. Others weren't so lucky." Karakaroff had been dragged in by his feet into Malfoy Manor, the Dark Lord's new headquarter. He was the first of many to lose their lives today. Severus pitied Lucius and Narcissa for having to house the Dark Lord.
"We told Harriet the plan after you left." Poppy whispered out. His head snapped out to look at her. "She agreed."
"Don't lie to me." Severus hissed. "She would never- She deserves better!" Her shaking head mocked him.
"We didn't even have to try to convince her. Harriet thought about it before agreeing. She'll take the potion the day after everyone leaves." Still, he was in disbelief.
"Tell Minerva I wish to speak with Miss Potter at her earliest convenience." Severus said, standing up and fixing his shirt. Poppy scuffed softly.
"You should rest here, Severus, so I can make sure that you aren't suffering any after affects."
"I'm fine, Poppy."
"Stubborn man. Fine, go. Get some sleep. I'll see you in the morning."
Save yourself, don't look back; Tearing us apart until it's all gone
Harriet
Harriet shifted nervously on her bed. After giving her a check-up, Mama and Aunt Poppy decided to move themselves into the quarters that she shared with Mama. Her mother insisted that she wait in her room while the older women went to get something. Little did they know that Harriet had heard them talking about a plan. The plan that her parents told her to accept. She worried about what this plan would intel, especially with Voldemort alive again.
Not only that, the realization that Professor Snape was her Chevalier didn't shock her as much as it should. It was almost as if she knew subconsciously that he was but never believed it until now. However, all of the signs pointed to him. Her magics reaction to him, how he could calm here down easily, how he seemed to be there for her at any given moment. Of course, it took the resurrect of Voldemort to realize it but when had she ever done anything normal? Though, it did make her wonder, did he know?
"Harriet." Mama called as she slowly opened the door. "Come into the living room, cuilean. Poppy and I want to talk to you."
The three women sat around the salon table, coffee, tea, and snacks littered across it. Harriet nibbled on a cookie before Aunt Poppy cleared her throat and gave her a soft smile.
"Harriet, would it be possible to tell us what happened after you touched the Cup?" The infirmary matron reached across to give her clutched hand a squeeze. Harriet squeezed back and sent her a weak, tired smile.
"I'll try." She didn't leave out a detail. She described the pain from her scar. She described Pettigrew and the ritual. She described how Voldemort summoned nearly all of his Death Eaters, most of them there unwillingly. She described her duel with Voldemort.
"And they were just there…" She trailed off, a faraway look in her in her eyes. "They said that they loved me and that they would cause a distraction. They saved me." Mama's eyes shone with tears as she pulled Harriet close and held her. They stayed that way until Harriet broke the silence.
"What is 'the plan'?" The two matrons froze.
"How did you know about that?" Aunt Poppy asked very carefully, as if she feared that Harriet knew the actual details.
"Mum and Dad said that I should trust your plan and go through with it. What is it?" She asked, nervous to know what they had in store for her.
"Before we start, I need you to listen to everything I have to say Harriet. When I'm done explaining, you can choose wither or not you want to go through with it. We aren't going to force anything on you. You know that, don't you?" Mama seemed to plead. Harriet nodded confidently.
"I trust you and your judgement, Mama. Always." The Head of Gryffindor pulled up her courage before starting,
"Even when the war end, Albus was always fearful of You-Know-Who's return. He had asked Severus to keep his intelligence open in order to have an upper hand over You-Know-Who. Just before the World Cup, Severus received word that Barty Crouch Jr., the man who impersonated Alastor Mood, was alive and was going to try to resurrect his master. We tried to plan in order to stop it but obviously, we failed miserably." She stopped to take a sip of tea.
"When Severus agreed to tutor you, he planned to apprentice you in Defense Against the Dark Arts at the start of your fifth year. Your apprenticeship would be done by your graduation and by then you would be prepared to defend yourself against You-Know-Who. Today's events have put a stop to this plan. If it became known that Severus apprenticed you, he would lose his position amongst the Death Eaters and likely be killed for such 'treason'." Mama scoffed out the last word.
"Poppy and I decided after the World Cup that we need a backup plan. Bear with me for what I'm about to say is far-fetched but it will work. This plan mainly involves the use of a time-turner." Harriet's eyebrows shot up at that.
"Like Hermione had?"
"Close. That one was only an hourly one and was given to the school by the Ministry. It would be worthless in this situation. No, my family has an heirloom time turner that can only be used once every three decades. Luckily, it was last used four decades ago by my brother-in-law, Malcolm. Afterwards, I came into possession of it and no one used it since. The time-turner can send you into the past by however many years you desire. However, you cannot interact with yourself once you've gone into the past or else you risk destroying yourself and your future." Harriet gulped at that.
"With this time-turner, we plan to send you back to 1992. Once in the past, you will travel to America where you will train. Say if you went back in time today, May 30, 1995. You would arrive in the past, May 30, 1992. You would spend three years training. Once time returned to May 30, 1995, you, the time traveler, would be the only Harriet because the other had gone to the past. You would have to return back to Scotland on May 31, 1995 to avoid crashing the time lines. Does that make sense?"
"Yeah, it does. But how would I train if I don't have anyone to… train with?" Realization spread across her face as she blushed slightly. "Oh…"
"Yes, Severus will be traveling back with you. You need him to teach you, Harriet. He is the only one qualified and the only one I trust with your safety."
"Ok."
"However, there are two other things that are going to happen before you travel into the past." Poppy interrupted. Mama nodded in agreement.
"The first is that you have to take an age exceling potion." Harriet stared at her mother in shock as the woman continued. "The first reason is that we want to be able to learn everything and to travel freely as an adult. Aging you will also allow you to carry your wand fulltime. American laws restrict underage witches and wizards from carrying their wands outside of school, which I find absurd." Ok, that made sense.
"How old will you age me?"
"Five years, thus you will be nineteen, going on twenty." Ok, she can deal with that. Even so…
"What's the second reason?" Harriet asked. Mama and Aunt Poppy shared another look before Mama continued.
"The reason we are sending Severus with you is not only to teach you but also to protect you. Out of the four of us, Severus is the only one to have gone to the Wizarding America. Say, God forbid, you end up hurt and you have to go to the Magical or even Muggle Hospital, with his current status, he wouldn't be able to get to you. Even if you were to write it down that he was your next of kin, my authority of you would make it impossible for him to see you because they would contact me first. And if they were to contact me first-"
"It destroys the time line." Harriet finished, looking down at her hands. "How would it work then? The only way it would work is if… I was married to him." She felt faint. Very, very faint. She leaned back against the sofa, not trusting herself to stay upright. Aunt Poppy pulled out a parchment and placed it softly in her lap. Carefully, Harriet unbound it and read. It read,
The Marriage Contract of Harriet Dorea Potter McGonagall to Severus Tobias Snape
Let it be noted that on this day, _, Miss Potter-McGonagall married Mr. Snape under legal jurisdiction of country of Scotland. The couple has agreed in only a marriage by name alone. This marriage does not require the consummation of marriage, unless both participates agree to. Thus, should either party may exit the marriage at any time, they may. There shall be no children that should come from this marriage, unless both participates agree to. This marriage does not bind the couple together but will be legal in all eyes of the law. The signatures below legalize the legitimacy of this marriage. So, mote it be.
Underneath the paragraph were spaces for signatures. The witness signatures were already filled in with Mama's and Aunt Poppy's signatures. The other two remained blank for the… the bride and groom.
"Wouldn't I still be too young to marry?" Harriet questioned softly. Mama sighed before answering,
"Now that you are a permeant resident of Scotland, we follow Scottish laws. Girls can marry here at the age of 13 with their parents' permission." Ok, that explained that.
"Let's just say that I go through with this, no one would find out?"
"No, The Ministry won't find out because the two branches hate each other and the Scottish branch doesn't even have a person to keep a record and announce it to the media or anyone for that matter. It magically records itself, stays hidden in the Book and that's it."
"And Professor Snape, he… agreed to this?" The two matrons actually shared an amused look before Aunt Poppy spoke up,
"Actually, he argued vehemently against this. He feels, and I quote, that you shouldn't be tied down to a man who is old enough to be your father and that you certainly deserve better than him. Of course, we explained to him that this wasn't a full magical marriage and he agreed in order to protect you but it took a lot of convincing." Harriet's eyebrow shot up.
"Better than him?"
"Oh, yes. For all of his confidence, Severus absolutely believes that he doesn't deserve to be happy. Says that he's committed too many sins to be happy." Harriet scoffed at that.
"Of course, he deserves to be happy." Harriet protested. Then she fell silent, weighing her thoughts.
Should Harriet go through with this plan? Should she age herself, go back in time, go to America, and- and get married? Would it be worth it in the end?
"What if I say no?" Harriet asked.
"Then we train you in secret here." Mama answered. What to do, what to do? Would it work?
"What about paperwork to get into America?" The young Gryffindor questioned.
"We have charmed all of the Muggle and Magical paperwork to match your identity. It should get you into America. Once there, you and Severus will be able to request a meeting with MACUSA. With Severus' connection, they should let you in."
Harriet thought some more, because this was not a decision that should be taken lightly! Though in all honesty, the only part of the plan that threw her off was the marriage. Everything else, she would agree to in a heartbeat. But marriage and to her professor? It seemed too fantastical, too mind bending. But would it be bad, being married temporally to Professor Snape? To her Chevalier? Could she do it?
Then, she remembered Voldemort and his new body. At the moment, she was ill prepared to face him in another duel. The honest truth was that her parents saved her once again. She needed to train, she needed to end him once and for all. If Harriet and all of Britain were going to have a nice, happy future, she need to make some sacrifices.
"I'll do it." After all, there are worse people to be married to.
Author's Note- Hey guys! So, what do you think? I known what all of you are thinking, she's 14. Don't worry, believe me, I know. I give you guys quick layout of the next few chapters. First off, nothing will come out of the marriage because it literally is just a way to protect Harriet in a foreign country while also training her for war. Severus and Harriet will be in America together but they are not in love. Not at all. But they will grow together and will form a strong friendship and partnership. This foundation will become the love and romance in the future chapters. I'll explain it better in the next chapter because they will be in America and have to explain themselves before MACUSA. Also, you guys wouldn't believe the writer's block this chapter gave me because I had this really bad idea of Harriet almost get raped by Crouch Jr. and Severus going all animal alpha male to swoop in a save her. God, that was a shitty idea. Anyway, let me know about what you think of this chapter and the direction I'm going with this. I love you all so much! See you guys soon!
-V.I. Winthrop