They were in the infirmary, Ron was lying on a bed, his leg plastered. Hermione was also lying on a bed, discussing with a panic Harry. They were younger, probably in their third or fourth year. "They are going to kill him, he is innocent! We have to do something!"
The door opened, cutting Harry's angry rant, to let Dumbledore and Mary in. "You've got to stop them, they have the wrong man." Started Hermione "It's true Sir, Sirius is innocent." Pursued Harry. "It's scabbers who did it. It's my rat, he is not really a rat. He was a rat, my brother Percy's rat, but then they gave it to me." Harry cut Ron's rambling "Sirius is innocent, please believe us."
"I do but I am sorry to say, the word of three thirteen years old wizards will convince a few others." Was Dumbledore's gentle reply. He went to Hermione's bed "Mysterious thing time, powerful, and when meddle with dangerous." The headmaster turned toward Mary. "Sirius Black is in the topmost cell of a dark tower. I suppose you know the laws Miss Summer. If you succeed tonight, more than one innocent life could be spared. Three turns should do." Dumbledore was already living in his last sentence. "What the bloody hell was that all about." Ask Ron. Harry looked at Mary with expectation, he knew she had understood. Mary was waiting on Hermione for something : an hourglass necklace. "You know how it works ?" "I do."
Mary took the necklace and placed it on Harry and herself, and then turned the hourglass. Harry saw everything around him spin at an unnatural speed until it was still again. "What happened ?" Asked Harry looking around. "Seven thirty, where were you ?" Harry gazed at her puzzled "Don't know, Hagrid's?"
Mary tugged at Harry's sleeve and started running. She hid them next to a rock when voices reached them. Once the people disappeared, they moved again. "What the hell, Mary ? This was Ron, Hermione and I." "The necklace, it's a time-turner. Hermione uses it for classes. We went back in time, three hours." Harry gazed at Hagrid's hut trying to process the information. "Buckbeak is still alive." Mary's eyes light up "Yes, more than one innocent life could be spared. We have to save Buckbeak, come on." Harry was clearly not following Mary but stocked to her side.
They went behind the giant squashes until everyone was inside the hut. Harry then distracted Buckbeak toward them into the forest with dead rabbits. Then, Harry led the way to the Whomping Willow. Ron could be seen running after his rat, Harry and Hermione on his tail. A big black dog appeared behind the two and attacked Ron, biting his leg to get him under the tree and inside the shrieking shack.
Watching from behind the tree and now having to wait until they got out, Harry decided to explain what happened to Mary. "The dog is Sirius, he is an animagus. He is not a traitor, he wasn't the secret keeper, Pettigrew was. Pettigrew is Ron's rat. He never died, he cut his own finger to frame Sirius."
They saw the group exit the shack's entrance; Sirius was helping Ron walk and gently sat him on the ground before joining the other Harry.
"Sirius is asking me to come and live with him. I won't have to go to the Dursley anymore." Said Harry with a shy smile.
"It's nice, maybe he will be a good ear for your troubles, and he will protect you from Dumbledore." Mary replied with the same smile.
"Protected me from Dumbledore ? What... why?"
"Harry, you do realize Dumbledore is testing you, he might even, in his own way train you - right?" Harry was at a loss for words. "I know this is the wizardly world, but Hogwarts is a school. You are not supposed to go against a giant troll, or a basilisk, or pieces of Voldemort. Teachers are there to prevent those things and protect children; not you." Harry was taken aback, he had never thought of it this way. He had faced dangers and had survived, that had always been it. He had no parents to question his injury or his mental state.
"Well, those tings happened to me and I dealt with them. Is that a bad thing ?" Was his reply. Mary turned away from the group and looked straight into Harry's eyes. "Depends. Are you aware that you are toyed with and raised as a human sacrifice ? And are you okay with it ?" Instinctively, Harry took a step back, as if he had been slapped.
Movements and Hermione's voice brought him back to what they were here for. They saw Remus starting to transform, Pettigrew escape and Sirius trying to help Remus. Mary imitated the howl of the wolf to let Harry and Sirius escape the wolf's clutches. "He is coming, what do we do now?" "I didn't think about that." They started running, Buckbeak came to the rescue, and defended them from the wolf when suddenly everything felt cold.
"Sirius" said Harry while taking Mary's hand and running to the lake. The other Harry and Sirius were on the ground, surrounded by dementors. "Harry, what are we waiting for ?" Came Mary's stressed question. "My dad, he is going to come. He will conjure a patronus."
Mary took a comforting voice and said"Harry, your dad is dead. No one is coming... you are dying." Her words were drenched in pity. Harry, on the spur of the moment, moved forward and took out his wand to cast a fully form Patronus : a majestic stag.
Harry and Mary flew on Buckbeaks back to the topmost cell while around monologuing about his dad and his patronus. Mary cast a powerful Bombarda to free Sirius.
Faces started to disappear and the background was smoked until it reformed again.
Harry was in a dark room, walking past a dead basilisk with a sword and a fang in hands. His walk was wobbly, he let himself fall on the ground next to a red-haired girl. She was pale and motionless, she seemed lifeless. "Remarkable isn't it ? How quickly the venom of the basilisk penetrates the body." Said an older dark-haired boy approaching Harry. "I guess you have little more than a minute to live. You'll be with your dear muddleblood's mother soon." He continued, disgust evident in his intonation and in his face.
Harry took the girl's hand, searching for a bit of warmth testifying she was still alive. "Funny, the damage a silly, little book can do. Especially, in the hands of a silly, little girl." At these words, Harry eyes, which were fixated on the boy, became decisive and he took a diary out of the girl's hand. His instinct was to kick in and tell him to destroy the diary. He grabbed the fang lying next to him when the boy urgently said "What are you doing ? Stop! No!" Harry plunged the fang into the diary, liquid expunged out of it, dark and liquid ink. Harry stabbed the diary repeatedly when he noticed the boy's body disappearing with each blow.
The memory turned to smoke before they dived into another one.
Harry was dragging Mary up a grand wooden staircase. The house was gloomy and cobwebby, with the wallpaper peeling off the wall. When they arrived at the top floor, Harry smiled and pushed Mary in front of one of the two doors. The door was marked by a sign on the door – "Do Not Enter Without the Express Permission of Regulus Arcturus Black". Mary took a heavy breath and clasped her hands. "You get it - right ? R.A.B Regulus Arcturus Black." Said an excited Harry at the same time.
"I didn't know your godfather had a brother." Mary vigorously nodded while she put her hand on the handle.
"Mary, what are you doing? It's written to not enter. We should wait for the other, or ask Sirius for permission." Harry was trying to reason Mary. Sirius has never talked about a brother. Sirius was the first parent Harry ever had, he was reluctant to disappoint him.
"Harry, you know nobody is going to give us permission. They will say thank you, and that's all. Now, I want to know what a Horcrux is. There was nothing about it in the Black's library but there might be something in his room."
Seeing that logic was going to work, Mary went for mischief and pride. "Oh, come on, you are the Gryffi! Nobody is there, they are either doing Order's business or Christmas' shopping ; no one will know." Recognizing Harry's mischievous' look, she knew she had won and pushed the door open.
The room was dusty and untouched. The walls, windows and bed are draped with Slytherin's trademark colours: emerald and silver. Harry went for the shelves and Mary the desk and bedside tables. After a moment, annoyed by the absence of clue and intrigued by the silence, Harry turned around. Mary's back was facing him, she had been looking through the right bedside table, and was fixed on something Harry couldn't see what it was." "Did you find something ?" He asked hopeful. Mary turned around suddenly, a crack was heard.
"What are young Master and Miss doing in Master Regulus' room?" Came Kreacher painful and distraught's question. They had forgotten about Kreacher, the elfe was very protective of the Black's. Mary discreetly put the photos back in the drawer, and moved closer to Harry, ready to apologize. Harry was faster than her and spoke insistently "Kreacher, Regulus owned a locket, didn't he ? Where is it ?"
"Kreacher does not know."
"But did you see it?"
"Kreacher does not betray his Master Regulus Black." Kreacher was starting to get angry.
"What did Regulus tell you to do with the locket ?" Mary's voice was kinder. Sirius and the others were always ordering Kreacher around or tell him to disappear, she knew being yell at wouldn't change his answers.
"Destroy it. It was his last order to Kreacher! But no matter how hard Kreacher tried, he could not... Kreacher betrayed his Master, Kreacher could destroy the locket!" Kreacher started crying, sad and frustrated by his Master's death and his lack of success on his last order. They knew the elf was stubborn and unless it was a direct order from his Master will answer as he pleased. Mary made a motion to her neck, then Harry's pocket and Kreacher. Understanding the assignment, Harry took the fake necklace from his pocket and showed it to Kreacher.
"Here Kreacher, I want you to have this. We want to finish what Master Regulus started. We want to destroy the real locket." Kreacher looked at Harry and then Mary with bright eyes.
"Mundungus. Mundungus Fletcher. He took the locket."
"Can you find him ? Can you find Mundungus please ?" Kreacher disappearance and Mary's voice were the last fragments of the memory.
Harry felt sick, Dumbledore's search felt like being on a fisherman's boat during a strong. He knew Mary and the twins were watching him. He wasn't even aware of his surroundings when the headmaster spoke. "They are three : the locket, the diary, Hufflepuff's Cup?"
"We do not know; the dark Lord has created at least three. It is believed that his snake, Naggini, is also one and that he used his family ring, the Gaunt, to create another." To most people, Theodore's voice was smooth and neutral. For his friends, his fury was hidden in his intonation. Dumbledore, too engrossed by the knowledge they were providing, wasn't taking into account the others students present in the great hall. Horcrux were one of darkest magic and not to be discussed before young wizards. Even after graduating, 99% of wizards didn't know what an Horcrux was.
Dumbledore's glare stopped on Regulus. Even dead, he had been an occurrence in those memories. The boy, the only official Black heir, was destined and obliged to follow the death eaters path. The headmaster had never pay too much attention to Regulus. The boy was too closed off to share his beliefs and his position in this war. Maybe that has been a mistake. In the future, Regulus had discovered Voldemort's dirty secret. For how long had he knew ? How did he knew ? Did he discovered more than one Horcrux ? What pushed him to treason ?
The headmaster then looked at Severus. He had coerced him into accepting his peers' beliefs. Severus would at one point came back to him, he was abused by his father and couldn't really stand hurting others. Besides, he was deeply smitten by Lily Evans. Later, Severus would be the perfect spy. A brilliant mind Voldemort would take a liking to, and a wounded heart making amends, perfect for the Headmaster's game.
"Miss Summer, I suppose the necklace you were clutching yesterday was one ?"
"We won't give it to you." Fred's snippy reply was instant.
"Albus, it is Saturday, and the young Mister Potter, as well as Miss Summer, seem quite dizzy. Maybe we could let the students enjoy their day and pursue this in a different setting." McGonagall was furious of the careless treatment of those children. Nevertheless, Albus was a friend and the headmaster, she had to play along.
Harry was still feeling under the water, what an awful sensation, the Headmaster had been boorish. The fact that Mary had it done to her two times was a concerning thought for him.
Harry felt foreigners' hands, in his hair and on his own hand. He didn't know this touch, but it was nice, calm and soothing; he could fall asleep in those hands. "Harry, are you okay ? Do you want to go somewhere ? We can get some fresh air and sleep. Lily will come." Harry was quite please to hear from Mary that his mother was willing to spent time with him. On second though, those unknown hands were surely his mother. He knew he would forever cherish this moment. "Sirius will come." This was an order directed to Sirius. Said Sirius who looked baffled by Mary's injunction.
The twins were the first one up, and gripped Sirius on each side to make he was going with them. Mary, Harry and Lily followed. After seconds only, James and Remus went along, as well as Hermione and Ron.
Peter, not keen on unspoken conversation, was left alone at the table. Maybe it was for the better, he was sure Harry had purposely avoided him during the evening and in the morning. Wishing his friends wouldn't be gone for long, Peter went to find a distraction.
Students started to leave the great hall by small groups. All ushering about the new informations that had witnessed. Some had taken notes to try and form a timeline and a story.
Bartemious, Evan and Regulus were surprised to have heard Regulus' name so many times. Despite his apparent death, he had been the one deciphering the Lord's secret and had pave the way.They were not idiots and now understood why Theodore Nott had come to them. They all three glare at the three newcomers, it seemed some explanations were in order. Knowing their stares would be understood, the left toward the lake.
When they arrived, followed - as intended - by Nott, Flint and Greengrass, they notice another group was already there. Without meaning to—or maybe completely meaning to— Regulus found himself searching the Gryffindor's group. His gaze stopping at the sight of a slight tan skin boy with dark thick hair and hazel eyes. James is sitting with Sirius, Remus and Lily and facing the newcomers. Lily is laughing with Harry, and James smiling at them. Regulus stiffened.
"We should probably go with them. One explication is better than two." Was Dahlia Greengrass' suggestion. She was wearing a scorn, she was as displeased with her suggestion as the others. Bartemious joyfully brace Regulus' shoulders -avoiding any escape- and the group move forward.
"Hello little snakes." The twins were the first to acknowledge them. Evan snorted and Bartemius laughed at the nickname. Regulus didn't respond or reacted at all. James and his brother's proximity was making him feel on edge. Mary, who seemed to be chatting with Sirius, turned around at the twins' voices, and smile brightly at them -all of them-. Ron, and the other girl -Regulus couldn't remember the name of- were not happy to see them.
Flint and Nott were the first to make a move, completely ignoring Ron and the girl. They made their way over to the blanket, and sat down facing the others. Mary, still smiling, made a motion to sit down. James's leg started to bounce nervously. Sirius stiffened. "What did you explain ?" Theodore broke the tight atmosphere. "Nothing yet. James was apologizing to Harry for his behaviour. Saying he is sorry for his reaction and ignoring. And that he did it because he doesn't understand how Lily and him got together. They are good friends, but not friends with benefits, and there is no romantic feeling between them." James looked at Mary outraged by the amount of private information she had just revealed. Harry, trying to divert everyone attention pursued "And Mary was grumbling about her hair and how she didn't have any product there to avoid running them. And how she refused to looked as myself with my thick, untidy or deranged as Bellatrix with her wild, untamed hair." Flint grinned sharply "Indeed, better avoid another hair crisis. Now, why do we explain and where do we begin?" Mary and Harry looked sheepishly at the twins. Silently asking them to be protective big brothers and make a decision on the way this explanation would go.
George winced but answered nonetheless to Flint's question. "We need context, so we should start by explaining what happened the night of 31 October 1981."