"What would we need to clear out of here?" Wilkes asked, turning to Regulus. "I have my potion stores but I'm not sure about your healing equipment." Regulus looked around, pausing for a moment as he considered his own inventory.
"I have a lot here," Regulus admitted. "Everything I saved from before and everything I've made since then."
"What do you make?" Remus asked curiously. Regulus's eyes hardened a little as he looked at Remus. Almost as soon as Remus spoke, Regulus's whole persona shifted. Gone was the man who had seemed calm and sure of himself, if a little eccentric, and in his place was a man who seemed anxious and unsure, like someone trying to decide whether to fight or flee. His eyes shifted around the room, but he ignored Remus, not even turning to face him. Wilkes's eyes flashed to look at Remus and then back to Regulus. It was clear that neither were going to answer him.
"Who all will stay in my house?" Molly asked. "All of them, right?" As she said "them," she gestured towards the dimension travelers, and Remus realized that the five of them, having nowhere to stay and nothing but what they were wearing, were going to be a huge burden on Molly. It was more than he ever could ask of her, and he quickly opened his mouth to say so, but once again, no one was looking for his answer.
"If that's okay with you, then yes," Dorea said. "As well as Leon, Regulus, and Minerva, of course." As Dorea spoke, Minerva stepped forward and held up a hand to get everyone's attention. The old teacher surveyed everyone with her keen eyes, looking last at Regulus and Wilkes. She looked much more grey than the Minerva that Remus remembered, despite the fact that they were the same age. Remus wondered just how badly the war and the death of Dumbledore had touched the professor.
"I don't know if we should be this hasty," Minerva said. "Hogwarts has been in our control for this entire war, and the idea of losing it is unthinkable." Her voice choked up as she spoke of losing Hogwarts, and Remus understood why. Hogwarts had been a home for so many wizards and witches over the centuries. The idea of the historic school falling into hostile hands here was just as horrible as it had been in his own world. Remus was sure that Sirius wouldn't be much better for Hogwarts than Voldemort had been.
"We've already lost it though, haven't we?" Bill said. "The school is closed. You and Regulus are the only remaining staff here – what else is this place other than our memories now?" He looked around the room as he spoke, looking at the changes in the Headmaster's Office. It was no longer Dumbledore's Office. Instead, it seemed generic and cold, with no eccentric tools or portraits. Remus wondered if this is how the Order chose to change it, or if they just couldn't bear to see Dumbledore's touch after his death.
"Hogwarts is closed?" James demanded. "Why? It's the safest place for the kids." Remus could feel his shock without even looking at him, but he seemed to be the only one who cared about it. No one even really looked James's way, rather continuing their own discussions.
"Hogwarts is a sign of hope," Minerva said. "It's easy to forget while in hiding, but there are thousands of witches and wizards out there hoping that we win this battle. If we lose Hogwarts then they'll lose hope." Regulus laughed at her words, an insane sound that caused him to throw his head back. Remus was reminded uncomfortably of both Sirius and Bellatrix Lestrange by the motion, the Black family madness that existed as merely a hint in his own Sirius and fully in Bellatrix.
"Hope is pointless and meaningless. You know that, Minerva. This far into the war, all hope does is get people killed." He turned away from her and looked towards the door out of the office. The heavy wood stood unyielding, and for a moment Remus expected him to storm out, but he only faced the door and clenched his fists.
"Regulus," Minerva said, taking a small step towards her old colleague. "It isn't like that. You know that people still believe in you. Just because the Ministry doesn't -"
"They shouldn't," Regulus said. He allowed Minerva to place her hand on his shoulder. "Because if they do, then that hope will kill them. I'm not their bloody savior, and you know that, Minerva!" He nearly pulled away from her once again but then paused. It was clear that Regulus was remarkably unsure about what was happening.
"Regulus." Her voice was calming. "They still hold hope. They know that you're here, and that Hogwarts is standing, and that is why they still fight."
"I don't think I'm strong enough to kill him," the tall man whispered, turning to look at the shorter professor before him. "He's my brother. Even though he killed Remus, even with all the things he's done, some part of me still wants him to look at me and look at all of us, and see that he is wrong."
"I know," the old woman whispered. "I know. He was my student, remember?" The reminder made Regulus flinch a little bit, and for a moment he looked apologetic, and he opened his mouth to say something. Looking at Minerva stopped him, and he paused for a long second.
"Should we really risk Hogwarts?" Regulus said doubtfully, looking out over the rest of the Order. "Even if we remove Leon's potions and my research, we still lose a lot of ground. Molly's house isn't nearly as well protected as this is."
"We could try to regain Potter Manor," Lily said, stepping forward in front of everyone. "That wouldn't risk Hogwarts, and it would give hope if we succeed."
"I can't fight in Potter Manor – not again," Regulus said quickly. "We can't do that." Regulus's breathing quickened, and a small gleam of sweat began to appear on his forehead. His hand drifted towards the pocket where he kept his wand, and his fingers draped over it, ready to draw it if necessary.
"Reg," Wilkes said quietly. "We'll all be there. We won't that happen again." He approached Regulus, but the man jerked out his wand a little, and Wilkes held his hands up. "I'm not your enemy, Regulus."
"But – but how can you be sure it won't happen again?" Regulus demanded. "I won't go back there! I won't let him torture me again! I can't do it." Remus felt a chill shoot through him as he realized that Sirius must have captured Regulus the last time they fought at Potter Manor. No wonder the man was so adamantly against it.
"The fight will be different this time," Dorea said. "We'll be on offensive, not defensive. This time, we are strong enough to prevail there." Regulus spun to face her, a wild look in his eyes. She stood her ground, a few steps away from the scared madman.
"Regulus," Wilkes said, "There was so much we didn't know back then. We lost because of that, but now, now we have a chance." Wilkes took a step closer to Regulus, who moved his hand away from his wand. He took a deep breath and looked around the circle of people he most trusted. Despite the rest of the Order being within the room, it was clear that the five who stood in the middle saw no one else.
Regulus, the broken healer who had lived through pain and horror after his defeat of Voldemort
Lily, the woman who had lost her original love and her friends as she fought against her old friend
Wilkes, the loyal man who had followed his friend into a battle nearly too big to imagine
Dorea, the woman who had lost her son and watched her adopted son burn the world because of it
Minerva, the professor who had watched her school die as the war continued onwards
The five made a shocking team, a team that fought hard and that was bonded together by grief. A team that if James Potter had survived, would have never been formed. In Remus's world, it was unlikely that the five had ever even met, let alone become friends or allies. Remus couldn't help but wonder at the mysteries these people held.
But just as quickly as the moment had been created, it fell apart, and Regulus once again stepped into his role as the leader of the Order. To Remus, the many faces that the man had were a little terrifying; Remus sensed that he could spend months watching Regulus and still not comprehend the complex character. He understood why the others occasionally tried to leave him out of discussions: the leader was a wild card. Regulus was important; there was no doubt about that, but he also was unpredictable.
"Do we agree that this is the best place of attack?" he asked everyone, moving his head so that he could look at everyone. The too-thin man met the eyes of every person in the room, even Remus, who found himself nodding under the man's sharp gaze. "Dimension travelers, will you fight with us?" Remus paused uneasily. In one sense, this was far removed from his own duty, but on the other, he felt a drive to help these familiar strangers.
"I will," Sirius said. "I can't help but feel responsible for my counterpart's actions. But I am rusty. I haven't dueled in years." Remus could see a small amount of shock in Sirius's eyes, and for the first time, Remus realized that it had probably been horribly shocking to see his counterpart. The man was shaking a little, but Remus knew that it was not fear.
"I will too," James said. "In part, this is because of me – well, the other me. I need to help end this. But I don't have a wand." Remus had expected that from James; after all, James was already involved, considering the split in the worlds and any tactical advantage granted by their presence rested in James alone.
"Your wand was buried with you," Dorea said quietly. "I can get it." James met the eyes of his mother, and he nodded slowly, recognizing her pain. Dorea sent him a pained smile in return, and Remus remembered how she had seemed happy that there was another world where her son had lived a couple years longer.
"We should talk about this before we jump to conclusions," Lily said, distracting James from his mother. "James, Sirius, if you die then what if you never return to our world." She looked at James, and Remus heard the fear in her voice. She was worried about losing her family once again.
"Flower, I can't let this Sirius ruin the world in my name – even if it's not really my battle," James said, his voice soft. "I have to risk it. Otherwise, they could lose, and I don't want to let that happen." Lily nodded slowly and then looked at Sirius.
"I'm the same way, Lily," Sirius said. "I know the risks, and I just can't sit by and watch it happen." Lily once again nodded, and Remus realized that she was horribly scared, much more than James and Sirius were. Even more than he was, but part of him wondered if that was because the situation hadn't fully set in. If he died in this battle, he may never see Dora or Teddy again.
"I can't help you," Harry said suddenly. "I'm sorry, but my world needs me. I'm the one that needs to kill Voldemort, and without me then my world will lose." Regulus looked at Harry and bowed his head a little.
"I understand," Regulus said. "And I wish you luck with your battle. We will prepare to fight, but we will also search for a way to send you back to your world." The two heroes looked each other in the eye, and Remus saw respect pass between them.
"Thank you, Regulus," Harry said. "And good luck to you as well."
"That's the problem in these fights," Regulus said quietly. "Even without a prophecy, the world always seems to turn to one person to fix things for them. Harry, after the meeting, stay up here for a while. I don't know if the Voldemort I killed was the same as the one you are fighting, but if they are, then I may know a couple things that will help."
"Thank you!" Harry said, eyes wide as he looked at the man standing before the group.
"I will help you too," Remus said. "I failed when I fought for my wife and my son. This may be my chance to redeem myself. I don't have my wand either though."
"I have your wand," Regulus said looking straight at Remus. "I will give it to you tomorrow, once we begin to prepare."
"Thank you," Remus said, trying not to look shocked as Regulus stared at him. Normally, wands were buried with wizards and witches. It wasn't unheard of for someone to keep another's wand, but it certainly wasn't common either. Had he lived, he doubted that he even would have kept Dora's wand, preferring for it to be with her even if she was gone. It was a strange type of person that kept a wand of someone close to them. Remus knew that Regulus had once called him his best friend, and now he saw that they must have shared a very strong bond for Regulus to have done that.
"I don't think I can fight," Lily said. "I don't have my wand, and I don't think it's going to be easy to get it." She looked at the other Lily as she spoke, and the other Lily's hand dropped to her pocket, where her wand was. Unlike the other two, Lily's counterpart in this world was alive, and there was no way for both of them to use the correct wand.
"So there we have it," Wilkes said. "Is this acceptable to everyone? Potter, Black, and Remus fighting with us?"
"How won't we confuse the two Blacks?" the remaining Weasley twin asked. "I don't know about anyone else but I'm very creeped out looking at him now, let alone during a battle." Several other voices agreed, including Mrs. Weasley, who glared at Sirius.
"That's a good question, George," Regulus said. "I don't know what we'll do about that. A Glamour, perhaps?"
"Why don't we just shave his head or something?" James said. "A Glamour takes energy to maintain, which is something that he can't spare in a battle."
"No," Sirius exclaimed. "There's no way I'm shaving my head. I'm supposed to be dead – what if it never grows back?" Remus snorted at the show of vanity. Trust Sirius to be too vain about his hair before a battle.
"Why don't I just wear muggle clothes?" Sirius said. "I prefer fighting in them anyway, and I doubt the other Sirius would wear something like that." Regulus looked at him curiously for a moment before nodding.
"That works for me. Is that good for everyone else?" There were various nods, and no one spoke up and disagreed.
"Okay then, that's all we need to discuss currently, I believe," Regulus said. "We will train tomorrow, beginning at 8 AM. This battle will happen very soon, before Sirius has time to prepare another trick, so I suggest working hard. All who plan to fight, be there." And with that, he dismissed the Order. The Weasley's left, returning to their home and so did the few people that Remus didn't recognize. He supposed he'd have to meet them soon, otherwise he wouldn't remember them on the battlefield.
"Hold out your right arm," Regulus said, pulling out his wand. "We communicate through a direct link between my mind and those who bear this mark." He motioned towards the strange phoenix tattoo that he had used to summon the Order. "Don't worry, it's not a Dark Mark. I developed it myself, and it can be removed easily." Remus held out his arm, as did the others.
"Leon creates our strategy before the battle, but I'm the one who generally makes decisions during them. This mark gives me the ability to open a connection and make you aware of what is happening." Regulus stopped and surveyed those in front of him.
"But recognize that I am trusting you a lot with this step. This link is a connection between us, and it is difficult for me alone to sever it. I will feel much of the pain you feel if you allow the link to remain while being tortured. And same for myself as well. If I am captured, I will release the link, and you must accept the release."
"What is the link?" Remus asked. "I've never heard of anything that powerful except for the Dark Mark." Regulus looked straight at Remus.
"I am trusting you with my life, and I knew your counterpart well. You are similar to how he was many years ago, when Sirius was still his friend and was hiding the Dark Mark. Because of this, I will tell you that it is a modified healing link between us, as well as something that allows me a small entrance into your mind. Healers use it to see where the pain is and how much pain there is. I modified it for tactical use."
"What did you do, before all of this happened?" Remus asked. "You couldn't have been thrown into this right after graduating Hogwarts. You-"
"I know too much." Regulus finished. "I was given a few precious years when Sirius became a Death Eater, as it threw the family expectation off of my back. I never planned on entering the war; my goal was to be a healer. Eventually, I stumbled into some books on Muggle medicine, and I found their methods ingenious. I combine Muggle and magical medicine in order to be a good healer."
"Then how did you ever become involved with the war?" Remus asked. "Why would you leave what you did before?"
"I stumbled upon a book on necromancy and found the secret of Voldemort's immortality. Everything snowballed from there, and that's all I will say about the subject." He gripped Remus's forearm and looked directly into his eyes, waving his wand so that it pointed first at himself and then at Remus. Carefully, he drew a thin silver strand from himself, not unlike a memory, which formed a small ball and landed on Remus's forearm, sinking in and forming a phoenix tattoo. Remus gasped as a flash of memories flew through him – Regulus standing before Voldemort; Regulus on the ground at Sirius's feet, bleeding onto the stone; Regulus kissing some unknown person. Then it was gone, and Remus looked into Regulus's eyes. There was compassion in them.
"I'm sorry. I haven't been able to get rid of that effect. I hope what you saw wasn't too bad. Initially, people tend to see flashes of when my emotions were very strong. You shouldn't feel that again." He repeated the same act with James before passing up Lily and Harry. "There's no reason for you two to receive these marks if you won't be fighting," he told Lily and Harry.
Then he moved in front of Sirius.
"I am unsure about how this will affect you. It is possible that as we share blood that the connection will be different. If the connection hurts too much, then sever it. You will know how to once you feel it." And Remus could see that what Regulus said was true. He could feel a small tendril of magic, almost as a string had been laid over his forearm where the tattoo was. It wouldn't have been hard to pull the string off, if he needed to. Regulus flinched when he looked into Sirius's eyes, but he proceeded normally, pushing the silver string into Sirius. For a moment, Remus saw Sirius's eyes take on the blue hue of Regulus's eyes, but it quickly returned to normal. That is, until Sirius let out a loud scream and fell to his knees, with Regulus quickly bending down with him to support him. It ended quickly though, and Sirius sat panting on the ground, one of Regulus's hands firmly on his shoulder.
"It seems the bond is stronger. You can feel how to sever it though, correct?"
"Yes," Sirius said. "But it hurts. Is it supposed to?" Regulus frowned, his eyebrows coming together before his eyes narrowed.
"Where does it hurt?" he asked, and Sirius motioned to his chest and stomach.
"You are feeling my pain," Regulus said. "The bond is affecting you more strongly than I anticipated. Sever it if you have to - if the pain is too much."
"You must be in so much pain though," Sirius said, his hand still loosely holding his stomach.
"My salve is healing my wound. It is painful, yes, but it is the only way that I will be able to fight again anytime soon." Regulus stepped back away from Sirius, only to have Wilkes grab his wrist and spin him to look at him face-to-face. The man stumbled, and Remus almost protested that the hurt man be treated so roughly.
"Stop it, Regulus," Wilkes snarled, and Remus was shocked at the harshness of the man's voice. "Let it go now."
"I don't know what you mean," Regulus said back, glaring down at the smaller man.
"You know exactly what I mean, and you know it's wrong," Wilkes grabbed Regulus's chin and pulled him in closer. "Let it go." And suddenly it seemed like Regulus did, for he staggered a few steps, and Wilkes had to steady him. His blue eyes lost the powerful, hero-like visage that they had greeted Remus with when he looked Regulus in the eyes. Back again was the brokenness that the man couldn't seem to hide.
"Why did you stop me?" Regulus said quietly, pleadingly. "You know that I need to do that."
"I know that doing that destroys you," Wilkes countered. "Reg, I won't let you break yourself. If you can't handle this fight then we won't do it, and that's final." There was a long pause as Regulus stared at the ground, looking anywhere but into someone's eyes.
"I can do it," Regulus said. "But don't be surprised if I fight like that."
"I know," Wilkes said. "But please avoid it. You're not you when you do that, and I think one day that that will kill you."
Hey, everyone! Hope you appreciate the new chapter and please let me know what you think! Thanks for reading, and I don't own Harry Potter