Chapter 33 Alone
Sirius woke in an unfamiliar bed. It took him a while to put the broken pieces together. Still, it was fuzzy. What happened? He vaguely recalled the moment before he collapsed in his grandfather's arms. All his strength had focused on a single task. Retain his secret identity. Thinking of nothing else. ' Nothing else. Think of nothing else.' He sank back into his pillow, unable to move as his mind conjured up fuzzy memory after fuzzy memory. "What happened?" His mouth finally caught up to the rest of him. He felt the mattress sink a bit and his eyes focused on his grandfather's grim and relieved expression.
"Sirius?" His grandfather gripped his shoulder, providing an anchor to the young man. He glanced down at his clothing and frowned noting he was in pajamas and not in his fur-lined cloak. But it wasn't what he was wearing that was disturbing him. Padfoot's absence struck him like an open wound. It was… So lonely! He felt a shiver pass through his body. He clutched the fabric over his chest into a fist. It hurt! It actually felt like someone had punched a hole through his chest. He moaned softly.
A soft Pop! Sounded and Mimsy arrived holding a potion bottle filled with a soft blue liquid. "Calming drought, master." She said, her eyes moving anxiously to Sirius. "Young master's magic is damaged." She claimed in a soft whisper. "It isn't as strong as it was." She cast worried eyes on Arcturus.
He nodded in understanding. "He is magically exhausted Mimsy. He needs to rest." He sighed, "And please wake Lady Black and show her to the trunk."
Sirius eyed his grandfather dubiously, "Are you sure that's a good idea?" A new emotion roiled through the chaos of emotions he was feeling. His grandmother was a formidable woman. Frankly, she terrified him when she was angry.
Arcturus nodded, "Keeping her in the dark, will not endear her to our cause." He looked down at the potion half tempted to take it himself before handing it to Sirius, "Here take this." Envying him its steadying effects.
Sirius quaffed it quickly, trying not to think of all the ingredients that went into its construction. All of the Black potions were provided by Aunt Cassie, and the calming drought had an almost immediate effect. Sirius's heartbeat slowed to a normal and steady rhythm. His breathing slowed and he took a deep relaxing breath, as the tension eased from his muscles and limbs and he sank comfortably into the pillows. His expression smoothed from anxious to calm in a heartbeat and a goofy smile came to his lips. He gave a deep smile of contentment. "So, bet you wish you had another one." He almost giggled as he heard his grandmother's voice call out from below.
"Up here." Arcturus said from the loft. "Can you make it up the ladder?" He asked his wife dubiously. She was wearing her housecoat, and soft pink colored slippers, her hair had been put up in a quick bun.
"What the bloody hell are you doing up there?" She spun around, "And this is… all inside a trunk?" She smiled as a thought occurred to her. "Oh, Arcturus. Is this… Is this all for me?" She clasped her hands to her bosom, "An anniversary present? You shouldn't have." She eyed the ladder dubiously, "Darling can you come down?"
Arcturus blinked and shook his head. He glanced over at his smirking grandson who looked like he was having a hard time not laughing at his expense. "Mimsy, please bring your mistress up here." Mimsy nodded and gently offered her hand to her mistress who took it with enthusiasm and within seconds Dora was standing beside Arcturus in the loft, spared from having to climb a ladder. She smiled at her husband but his grim and nervous expression halted anything she might have said, but then the sound of laughter had her sliding her gaze from Arcturus to her grandson who was tucked into the bed. Not a romantic liaison then? She moved quickly to her grandson and checked on him anxiously,
"Sirius? Are you okay?" Not seeing any obvious injuries, but noting the empty potion bottle and the residue of a calming drought, her gaze turned stormy. "Arcturus?" She gave him a no-nonsense glare and Lord Black had the grace to blush.
He quickly conjured two chairs, one on either side of the king-sized bed. Plenty of space between him and his beguiling and dangerous witch. He motioned to her to take a seat in the comfortable chair and he followed as soon as she reluctantly complied. She crossed her arms expectantly beneath her expansive bosom.
Sirius wasn't sure he felt as comfortable with the seating arrangement. His dangerous positioning wormed its way past the protections of the potions abilities. His worried gaze traveled between his grandparents situated to his left and right, with him stuffed like a turkey between tightly drawn sheets. He giggled a bit. The potion must have a bit of cheering charm included. He giggled again softly.
Arcturus cleared his throat and said, "Well, yes. Explanations. You know I can't tell you everything, and you know why." He nodded to his wife who simply continued to glare. "But, I have permission to tell you some things. What is necessary." He smiled hopefully at his wife. She nodded for him to continue.
"I was possessed by a time-traveler from the future," Sirius noted. "I was possessed by myself from the future." Sirius blurted. "Cool right?"
Arcturus stared at Sirius, blinked, sighed, and shook his head then looked at his wife who was glaring between the two Blacks. Her fiery gaze went to Arcturus's and she likely would have hexed him senselessly for pranking her but she was arrested by her husband's guilty expression. And something else, there was loss there.
Finally, she nodded and turned her gaze to the hovering elf, "Mimsy please bring us a light meal, coffee for myself, tea for Lord Black, and hot chocolate my grandson." Mimsy was about to pop away to comply when Dora added, "And a calming drought for Lord Black."
Arcturus did most of the talking, while Sirius sipped his cocoa and nibbled on buttered toast. Occasionally he would chime in with a clarification or added detail but contented himself with his grandfather taking on the responsibility for the story. The calming drought dulled his worries and concerns and made him much more likely to say something he shouldn't, so he kept his mouth occupied with the food and listened to his grandfather's voice.
Some of the story was new to him, he hadn't known about the vow his grandfather had taken. His grandfather skated around a lot of the story, while still managing to give his grandmother what was necessary for her to know. It was simple really. A magical artifact had transported Sirius into the past. Into his younger counterpart. He had confided in Arcturus alone and he had made a vow to Sirius that he would do everything he could to avoid a horrible future for not only himself but for the wizarding world which was heading for a civil war. Arcturus was going to do everything in his power to make sure that a Dark Lord could not rise to power and take over their world, that he wouldn't allow that darkness to devour the Ancient and Noble House of Black.
Arcturus spoke openly about the inheritance ritual, and Sirius being a metamorph and animagus. That magic had gifted him with not one, but two forms. Sirius worried that he wouldn't be able to shift into Padfoot, and his grandfather forbade him to try until his magical core settled down. Finally, the story wound itself down to what happened that evening at the ball.
When he got to the portion of the story that had him creating a false persona for her grandson and the newly added Marius branch to the Black family tree, Dorea fumed at her husband. But he gallantly continued with the story, bluntly explaining the decision to attend the ball, and her stormy eyes looked at Sirius, "You went to that ball, even though I had forbidden you to attend?"
Sirius blinked, "Hey don't blame me! I was possessed!"
Her gaze slid from her unrepentant grandson to her nervous-looking husband. "And what possessed you Arcturus? The spirit of Godric Gryffindor?" She practically snarled at her husband and he swallowed nervously.
"I admit in hindsight the ball was a bad idea," Arcturus confessed quickly. "I should never have gone against your wishes."
She was having a difficult time coming to terms with and processing the story her husband was telling, and she gave Arcturus a look that he knew very well. He tried to look nonchalant and continued on valiantly, knowing that his transgression would be revisited later.
"So… everything was fine, he had a dance with his cousin, and thoroughly made the Malfoy heir jealous, and then just seemed to go into a trance?" Arcturus remembered how Sirius had frozen for a long moment, and then almost as if he had been put under an imperious, he had confronted Lord Voldemort. He described how Sirius had gone to his knees as if hit with a curse, his eyes had turned milk-white, and the echoing prophecy. Finally, he told how he had brought Sirius here after he had collapsed in his office, claiming that his future self was gone.
When the story had been told, the three fell into contemplative silence. Dorea sighed and shook her head then let her gaze rest on her grandson for a long moment. "I wish you could have told me, but I understand why you didn't." She stroked his face gently, "Take your sleeping potion and tomorrow we will discuss how we handle the fallout. For now, you need to rest and restore your strength."
Sirius did as he was told, and soon he was in a deep and dreamless slumber. Arcturus was quiet. Waiting on her no doubt. She finally said, "You did the right thing Arcturus. I'm not going to question your wisdom or insight. Thank you for helping our grandson. I know there is a lot you are still keeping secret, but I am your partner, and you should have trusted me, enough to tell me something." She sighed, "This place for example. I would have liked to know I could visit my grandson once in a while." She growled, "And it's an excellent emergency exit." She nodded. "Not everything needed to be secret. And how can you think training first years as animagus's is a good idea? Don't you think their parents should have a say?"
Arcturus shook his head, "No. The fewer people who know about this the better. It's not exactly legal you know." He sighed, "Dorea. I love you. I respect you. I swore to protect Sirius's secrets. I wished a million times I could confide in you. But… Dorea." He stepped close to her and took her hand in his and sank to his knee beside her, "Will you help me save our world? Save our family? Cause it's not over. Sirius. Future Sirius will be back. And we have to make sure that when he does, we are ready for him. He left me a list… Us a list. Things to do before leaving Earth list. I can't do it alone my love. I'll need you by my side."
Dorea studied him for a long time before letting her features soften and she leaned forward kissing him gently on the lips, "Yes my love. I thought you would never ask."
Sirius stood before the veil. His mind focused on the entity that stood apart, looming in the gray. He was a spirit once more. Fate had ripped him from his younger body without warning, a moment of chaotic disorientation, a warning echoing in his mind even as he was whisked away to find himself kneeling at death's feet.
"You can break the threads of fate or reweave them. You walk a fine line between obedience and rebellion. There is a price for both. Tread softly servant of the dead."
The entity, known as Death, which still appeared to him as an ever-shifting shadow of darkness, merely motioned towards the veil, its silence more ominous than a lecture. Sirius stood for a brief moment trying to collect his scattered thoughts then stepped through into the middle of a battle.
"Shields!"
A voice shouted and Sirius saw several curses hurling towards a group of students caught in the open. He watched in amazement as the spells splashed harmlessly against a powerful shield that a red-headed student had raised hurriedly. Lily?
He watched as a younger him stepped in front of the group and cast a blasting curse at the ground in front of the group of Death Eaters that were attacking. Dirt and debris flew high into the air and right into the faces of the trio of masked wizards blowing a sizeable chunk out of the ground and throwing them back several yards where they landed with a crunch.
He recognized James who suddenly disappeared in the chaos. The cloak!
Severus stupified one of the wizards before he hit the ground, and Remus had all three in ropes quickly. Sirius saw another group of death eaters approaching at a run and then Lily was being snatched under the cloak with James and he assumed he was trying to get her to safety.
Sirius, Remus, and Severus all spread out preparing to meet the next wave. Sirius was scared to approach or distract his younger self at the moment.
Together the three began casting as one, and fire burst forth from their wands as if in concert and the Death Eaters were forced to fall back and shield against the column of fire that started to cyclone in their direction. It was an awesome spell and Sirius wondered when they had learned to combine their spells like that.
He thought they looked to be about the fourth or fifth year. He drifted higher above the battlefield and for the first time took in the scope of the offensive. Several of the buildings were on fire, and citizens were frantically trying to put them out. Other students caught in the crossfire were taking shelter behind whatever cover they could find and were putting up a fairly vigorous defense. The most stunning revelation was that the death eaters were losing.
Students were fighting back. He saw several Death Eaters engaged in hand-to-hand combat, the Death Eaters taken by surprise by the combination of muggle and magical defense. A skill they could only have learned from the Dawn Patrol.
"Sirius! Behind you!"
Jame's voice cut through the battle and he whipped around in horror just as a jet of sickly green death headed right towards his younger self's back. There was a moment when Sirius knew it was over. There was no time to react. The spell would reach him before anything could be done, but suddenly Sirius was on his back. Remus had swept Sirius's feet out from under him and the killing curse passed over over his head. But that wasn't the only thing that had happened in the span of a second. Severus had spun and cast a cutting curse towards a disillusioned figure where the curse had originated and the curse struck true causing the wizard to drop his disguise and tried to escape through the trees, only to be met by Lily and James.
James was frightening. Anger and fury seemed to fuel him. The time traveler watched in awe as he executed a perfect butterfly kick, his foot connecting so hard with the man's head that he swore he saw teeth flying into the trees. He noticed the toe of his sneaker had been transformed into metal. Smart! Lily followed up with a sweep to his legs, dropping the bastard onto his back, following through with a disarming spell and karate chop to the man's throat. She was glorious in her fury as she snagged his wand and snapped it against her knee tossing the pieces aside like trash. The pair smiled and high-fived each other, then turned to assess the battle wands at the ready, shoulder to shoulder and once again they disappeared beneath the cloak.
A flare of flame in the middle of the street heralded the arrival of Dumbledore with the assistance of Fawkes, and seconds later a contingent of Aurors apparated into the village. Sirius rolled defensively to his knees after Remus had dropped him and then quickly brought his wand to bear on a pair of masked wizards who looked torn between fighting and running. In the end, both took off through the woods and soon they heard the sound of them disapparating. Sirius still kept his wand pointed outward and slowly climbed to his feet, looking for threats and calling out. "Everyone okay?"
James's voice came from beneath the cloak. "We're good." Then a second later the sound of flesh smacking flesh. "Ow!"
"Hands Potter!" Lily's voice hissed.
Severus nodded, "A few bumps and bruises." A frown that threatened retribution was thrown somewhere in the direction of Lily and Jame's voices.
Remus growled, his wolf side riled too much for coherent conversation. "Fine. Angry. Cowards!" He was fuming, his eyes glowing yellow and his body tense.
"I'm okay too." He scanned the village. "We should help get the students back to the castle." He noted and they all made their way towards the Headmaster who was soon joined by house elves transporting injured and traumatized students to the infirmary.
Soon they split up into pairs looking for stragglers or any students who might be trapped or still hiding. Sirius went with Remus. It was while they were searching the shed behind one of the shops that it happened.
He had to act soon, while his young self was alone. He had trailed his younger counterpart waiting to make sure the distraction of his possession wouldn't put him at risk. He felt bad about it, knowing the toll it took on an eleven-year-old self and having no desire to take what didn't belong to him, but having no other options he reached out and touched his younger self's shoulder from the shadows, and the dark act was done.
He felt the same painful disorientation he had felt the first time, but it seemed to last longer, and he didn't remember it hurting quite so much last time. He felt as if he'd been crucio'd. His hands went to his temples and suddenly Remus was there. "Sirius!" He felt his friend's arms holding him steady. "We need to get you to the infirmary." Remus chastised himself for not insisting on it earlier. But Sirius slowly pulled away and let his hands drop to his side and shook his head gently at the werewolf.
"It's okay. Let's finish this and then we all can go let the evil witch douse us with her evil potions." Sirius smiled tiredly at his friend.
Remus looked unconvinced but finally released him. Having failed to find any students the pair made their way back to the center of the village and Dumbledore, who looked relieved when they arrived. James, Lily, and Severus arrived shortly after, and the five were transported to Hogwarts by the house elves.
Sirius wasn't sure what to expect, but an excited welcome from his younger counterpart was not one of them. 'Padfoot! You're back!"