And So It Begins
A/N: Hey guys, one year of FanFiction writing today…it's been great and I'm looking forward to more fun times. ENJOY R&R PLZ!
Hermione tossed her folder onto the coffee table, just to put distance between her and it. It felt like another Horcrux – repulsive. The pit of her stomach burned remembering the day of the third task like an old nightmare. She couldn't begin to imagine what Harry had gone through. Sometimes she wanted to blame herself. If she hadn't been so caught up with getting even with Rita maybe she would have noticed the signs earlier. Harry dismissed her attempts at guilt firmly but still she couldn't help but wonder. People told her time and again that she was the brightest witch of her age and yet look at what she allowed to happen. With Pettigrew, she could reasonably chalk it up to her ignorance; after all, not many people would think that a dead man was masquerading as their best friend's pet rat. But with Crouch Jr. it was different, she had regarded Bagman suspiciously for trying to help Harry but she didn't think twice about 'Moody'. A death eater had been roaming the halls of Hogwarts freely for months. He could have easily killed all of them in that first lesson when he so effortlessly demonstrated the killing curse.
Dumbledore pondered the all the possible ways Tom could have survived a Killing curse, each option worse than the last. The most effective, and horrible, way would be a Horcrux but that just wasn't Tom's style. He was calculating, hedging, he wouldn't like relying on one thing to keep him alive. There was more to this that was for sure.
Sirius was actually thinking about Pettigrew. The rat had literally given his right hand to that monster. When and how had their friend gone so far astray that he was willing to cut off limbs for a murderer and they didn't have a clue? Were they such awful friends that he had crossed over? He knew he and James weren't always the nicest to Pettigrew but Remus was good to him. Where did it all go wrong?
Lily knew she needed time to process everything she had just heard and stood up, "I think it's time for dinner."
Hermione got up and stretched, "You know I think we should take the rest of the evening off. This has been enough for the day." Every single person was internally grateful she made the suggestion and did not hesitate to take it.
"Good idea," James agreed instantly. "Besides two days in and we're already half way, I'd say we're ahead of schedule."
"Well if that is the case," Dumbledore rose. "I might as well go back to the school. I wish you all a pleasant evening and goodnight." McGonagall was close behind, silently acknowledging the rest of the room.
"Until tomorrow then," Sirius said genially. Both professors nodded and disappeared into the Floo once more.
"I'm going to give Harry his bath," Lily sat the infant on her hip. "Can you lot manage to start the food without me?"
"We'll be fine," Sirius flapped a hand. Lily's eyes immediately went to Hermione.
"I've got it," the time traveller said dryly and walked to the kitchen. She was no Molly Weasley but she did know her way around the kitchen. Previously cooking had seemed like one of those jobs you'd reserve for a homemaker or someone like it. But after those long months of camping, she realised that it was a definitely a useful skill to have. Deciding simple was safest, she started laying out ingredients for her mother's famous lasagna. She managed to rope Sirius into helping her while the other two played Exploding Snap in the living room. While they worked, the animagus snuck peeks at his companion. There was one thing burning him but he was sure he wouldn't get an answer, not a straight one anyway. Still he had to ask.
"What's fifth year like?" It wasn't what he really wanted to know but it was a start.
"Not something you want to think about right now," Hermione idly responded while searching for a saucepan.
"Do we die?" There he said it. It didn't help that this was met with the clattering of metal on the tile floor.
Hermione straightened up, holding a pot with unnecessary grip, "What?"
"Lily and James died but what about the rest of us?" Hermione was shocked, now confronted with the fact that every person except McGongall was going to die starting with the man in front of her and it was her job to tell them. Well she wasn't going to say anything right now. "Sirius this isn't something you should worry about at the moment."
"So, yes?"
Hermione hung her head, "Some of you will die but not all." Half-truths were really becoming her best friends in this place…
James flung his cards down in frustration, "PETER! Peter Pettigrew, the literal mouse of our group actually resurrected Voldemort."
"Pretty stupid of him really," Remus gathered the cards together, forming them into a neat stack. "He could have easily lived out his days as a rat and no one would be the wiser. Not like anyone was going to listen to me or Sirius or even Harry after Snape's little story. He's putting his life at risk more than anyone else. He's not a loyal follower, even Voldemort knows he's not reliable. The minute – no – the second he thinks he stands to gain more from siding with us then he could lose his life. He only connection to Voldemort is fear. He always aligned himself with the highest power so if we begin to win he'll switch."
"I can't believe we're actually having this conversation," James flopped back on the couch. "It can only get worse from here you know that right?"
"I know," Remus said heavily, joining James. "I can't imagine how though, I mean a young boy is dead for no other reason than just being there."
"Have you thought about it?" James looked at his friend. This was one of those times that the Marauders didn't need words – they just knew.
"Have you?" Remus returned.
"I'm already dead mate," James pointed out. "At least we know the details so we can affect some kind of change. But what if you went in the heat of battle or Harry or Hermione wasn't there to tell us what happened?"
"That's war," Remus responded diplomatically. "I doubt I'll be leaving much behind other than Harry and Sirius."
James stared at the ceiling, "I just hope we can do something about it."
Upstairs, Lily trailed her fingers in the bath water watching Harry splash around happily. She couldn't get her mind around the idea that her little boy would go head to head with Voldemort. In first year it was just Voldemort's ghost or whatever but this time it was him, all of him, and he had almost killed Harry. A second war. Her son would be a prime target in second war all by himself. Logically she knew he'd have the order and his friends but there would no one to really connect to him, who could comfort him. Lily sighed and picked up Harry, wrapping him in his towel. She carried him to the nursery and mechanically got him ready for dinner then bed. Her mind was so far away she barely noticed what she was doing. Finally she finished and went downstairs with her son with only one thought in mind – this was just the beginning.