The Jewels of Time

by Jefinismonchapitre

The wizarding world has been in chaos for many months. The darkness has won, the Order of the Phoenix has fallen, the Chosen One is dead. Hermione is the last resistant and to save the magical world, she must find the Jewels of Time. With the help of unsuspecting allies, her journey will take her beyond the limits of possibility. Time Travel TW: rape, suicide, torture - Complete

88. Epilogue four - Raphaël

Tomorrow, at dawn, at the moment when the day breaks,

I will go. You see, I know that you are waiting for me.

I will go through the forest, I will go across mountains.

I cannot stay away from you any longer.

I will walk eyes fixed on my thoughts,

Without seeing anything outside, without hearing a noise,

Alone, unknown, back hunched, hands crossed,

Sad, and the day for me will be as the night.

I will watch neither the gold of the evening setting sun,

Nor the faraway sailboats descending upon Harfleur.

And when I arrive, I will put on your grave

A bouquet of green holly and heather in bloom.

Victor Hugo, Tomorrow, at dawn

"Leave me alone! Get the fuck off me, leave me alone!"

"Raphaël, stay there!"

In reply, the young man slammed the door and disapparated. Regulus slumped into the first chair within reach and took his head in his hands. He was beginning to despair. It had only been a month since Raphaël had returned to the UK and it was unbearable. He didn't know how to deal with the young man's grief, and no matter how much he asked James or Alice and Frank for advice, they all seemed as lost and embarrassed as he was. Except for one thing: they didn't know the whole story. Regulus had found it hard to believe what Raphaël had told him when he'd told him about Remi and Helena's identity. Wizards from the future. He'd never imagined such a thing. And to top it all off, Remi was Remus. When he'd found out, Regulus had been happy for a moment to be sworn to secrecy; it wouldn't be up to him to break the news to his brother, the day the explanations came. Because he was certain that, one day, he and Raphaël would have no choice but to reveal the truth.
But for now, he had to deal with the crisis of a fifteen-year-old teenager, and that was far from an easy thing to do.

Raphaël, once outside, had apparated down a Muggle alleyway and was heading for a place he knew well, it was where he went every time he had an argument with Regulus. Or with James, or with Sirius. Every time he argued with someone. He knew his mother or Remi wouldn't have approved of his behavior toward others, but he couldn't help it. He felt consumed by anger and sadness, and he needed to vent. He needed to fight. He didn't want to join a Muggle gang or fight in the street, he knew Hermione would have been terribly disappointed, so for the past few weeks he'd been going to the Plymouth Boxing Club, where he could fight however he wanted, respecting the rules of boxing all the same.

He was pretty good, after all, he'd been training to fight since he was eleven and Hermione didn't let anything get past her, but it was still strange not to use magic. The Muggles he fought had no idea who he was, what he did, and that suited him just fine. He knew he was young compared to the others, and that the younger ones normally had classes at specific times, but he didn't feel like mixing with the others.

He'd been letting off steam for over two hours, and now he was sweaty and exhausted. But he stayed in the room; he liked to see other people in the ring after he'd been there. He turned his head when he saw a girl sitting next to him. There weren't many girls who came here, in the three weeks he'd known the place, he'd only seen two, but this one had been back several times.

"You fight well for a beginner. You let your guard down a little too much, but that's not bad."

"I'm not really a beginner. In boxing as such, in a ring with rules, yes, but I learned to fight a while ago."

"My name's Ava. I'm the boss's daughter. That's why I'm here a lot. I've been boxing since I was five. You should sign up for classes if you want to improve. Given your level, you could even compete, you just need a license."

"I've never really thought about it. I just come here to let off steam. Not to do anything stupid. And I'm Raphaël."

"Would you like to go for a drink, Raphaël? You seem like a nice guy, but my dad doesn't like it when I stay here talking to strangers."

"Does that happen a lot?"

"The more I talk to people, the more I open myself up to different cultures, different ways of thinking... I like meeting very different people. You seem to be different from the people who come here. And you're about my age. My aunt runs a bar a few blocks from here. She makes the best cocktails in the world."

Raphaël agreed to join her, and they left the boxing club. At least she was as sweaty as he was.

"Damn, it's dark already."

"Do you have to go home?"

"Nah, it's my guardian... He'll be worried, I left without telling him where I was going."

"Your guardian?

"Yeah, my parents are dead."

"You can call him there, my aunt's got a phone."

"We don't have a phone."

Ava didn't seem to understand why, today everyone had a phone. Raphaël scratched the back of his head, annoyed. He would have preferred his secret not to get out, but the girl seemed nice and she might not tell everyone what she knew.

"I'm a wizard, we don't communicate like that."

"Oh. Okay. You've got owls, right? I don't have any, though."

"There are spells, too. Expecto Patronum. Send message to Regulus Black. Reg, I'm sorry I left like that, I shouldn't have. Don't worry about me, I'm safe, I'm fine. I'll be back late, don't wait up. And don't answer, I'm with muggles."

"I've never spoken to a wizard before. Your parents, did they die in the war?"

Seeing that Raphaël wasn't answering, she hastened to add:

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have brought it up. I'm always told I'm unfiltered and tactless. Let's talk about something else."

They walked in silence to Ava's aunt's bar and sat down at her usual table. She ordered two cocktails, and the silence continued. She didn't know what to say to restart the conversation. Raphaël did.

"My biological parents died when I was six from a wizarding disease. My adoptive parents died during the final battle."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be. Let's talk about you. What do you like besides boxing?"

"Piano. I love the piano, it's all I live for, and boxing. My mother and her husband would like me to give up boxing and devote myself entirely to the piano, and my father would like me to give up the piano and concentrate on boxing. But I love both. It gives me different things. Only my aunt supports me all the way in what I do.

"It's good to have passions, it keeps you going. That's why I wanted to do something physical: it's a way of getting things off my chest. And even if your parents don't necessarily support you, it's good that you keep going."

"They're so different, I wonder how they ever managed to get together. They split up when I was two and my mother soon got married and had twins, but even though they're my half-brothers, I don't get on with them, they're too perfect, like their father who's the most uptight person in the world with his upper-class looks. I can't stand him. Did you... I don't want to be indiscreet, especially after earlier and…"

"I can understand that. My life is complicated. My biological sister and brother died three and a half years ago, there was a battle and they didn't survive. They were supposed to leave and come and pick me up afterwards, but that wasn't possible. They were much older than me, more than twenty years apart, and even if they weren't always there, they were the ones who raised me. And then there's my family at heart. Harry and Neville... they'll be eight in a month. They're my little brothers, and even though I haven't seen them for a year, I love them very much, and I looked after them a lot during the war when their parents were occupied. With Reg', it's more complicated. He's my guardian now, but it's only been a month and it's hard. When Mum was alive, it was much simpler. He risked his life to save me, I was so reckless and he almost died, I blamed myself for months. And little by little, he became my brother, it was as simple as that. I had my mother, and Regulus was my brother. But now…"

"But now it's complicated because he has to be the authority figure. Even if he's not your parent, he has to put himself in that position because that's what's expected of him as a guardian, but neither you nor he can find his place in that role. That's it, isn't it? You've been used to having a brotherly relationship, and now he's responsible for you. Don't look at me like that, it's not hard to understand. I know it's easier to flaunt your life in front of strangers, I do it every week, but I think you two are sorely lacking in communication."

"Ava!"

The two teenagers turned sharply toward the voice, and saw the girl's aunt pointing to the phone, indicating that her mother had called and that she didn't understand why her daughter still hadn't come home from boxing.

"I'm going to have to go. It's really late, and I know better than to keep my mother waiting when she asks me to come home."

"Do you live far away?"

"I'll take the bus, tt only takes fifteen minutes."

"Would you like to try something faster?"

"Magic?"

Raphaël nodded and they headed for a secluded alley. Ava seemed terribly excited, but she had no idea what to expect. If she'd known, perhaps she'd have been less enthusiastic. Raphaël grabbed her arm and disapparated, before abruptly stepping aside out of reflex. And he was right, for she vomited immediately after hitting the ground.

"Don't worry, it's normal for first-timers, as it is for many wizards, so for muggles it must be even worse."

"Wizards are crazy"

"Thanks. See you later"

Raphaël was about to disapparate, but was held back at the last second.

"You haven't answered my question. Would you like to compete? Get a licence and take lessons?"

"I don't know if I'm ready."

"Of course you have to be more rigorous, but there's nothing to lose by trying. All I need is your surname, a photograph and a cheque for fifty pounds."

"Do you need an id or…"

"Your name is enough."

Ava thought he was weighing up the pros and cons, but no, his mind was already made up. He was thinking about what to say to the young woman instead. He had never dared to do it, but his mother had told him at length that he was legitimate, so he took the plunge.

"Grace. Raphaël Grace."

Raphaël stomped into the house, not wanting to wake Regulus. It was all in vain because as soon as he took off his shoes, he saw the living room light go on and Regulus approach. The wizard was staring at him, his face neutral, without letting anything show. Sometimes it was good to be a Black, as he was able to wear a mask of coldness in all circumstances. Raphaël remained frozen in front of him; he had naively thought that Regulus would be asleep given the time, but it was perfectly normal for him to still be awake given that he didn't know where he was.

"Have you anything to say?"

Raphaël remained silent, not daring to move for fear of making Regulus even angrier than he already was.

"Well, if you've got nothing to say, go up to your room."

Raphaël obeyed like an automaton, turned on his heels and started up the stairs. He stopped when Regulus spoke to him one last time.

"Next time you go off like that, I'll cast a tracking spell and an anti-disapparating spell on you. You'd better not let it happen again."

Raphaël didn't have time to reply as Regulus closed the door to the living room with a wave of his wand. He heard the young man climb the last few steps and slump into his armchair. He had gone to see James after Raphaël had run away, and the wizard had advised him to set limits. He knew it was hard for Raphaël, he had to grieve, but letting him do anything and everything wasn't going to help. And Regulus knew that he needed to have a long talk with him, and that they needed to get back on solid ground, otherwise it would never work. But he was lost. He had been brought up in violence, in ignorance, and he didn't know how to act. He couldn't take his parents' example, and nobody had ever taught him how to raise a teenager. He hadn't asked for this responsibility, and of course he didn't want Raphaël to be with strangers, but he didn't want to spend his time fighting either.

Regulus lay awake for the rest of the night, unable to fall asleep, so he wandered around his house in circles. He tried to keep himself occupied as best he could, but the books in his library seemed uninteresting, and the letters he received from Gringotts and the Ministry of Magic were of no interest. His mind kept wandering to Raphaël, and his worries wouldn't go away, at least for the evening. Regulus finally went upstairs and discreetly entered Raphaël's room to make sure he was asleep. He hadn't closed his shutters and the moonlight was focused on his face. Regulus felt a twinge of sadness when he saw the tear streaks on Raphaël's cheeks. He had been crying. And of course he was angry, because he'd probably cried because of him. The two of them absolutely had to have a conversation. But Regulus wasn't ready, and Raphaël certainly wasn't either.

Taking one last look at the young man, Regulus realised that the full moon would be the following day. And tomorrow, like every full moon night, Harry would be coming to his house, while James and Sirius would be together. And since Alice was very tired with the baby coming, he had promised to look after Neville as well. At least that might stop Raphaël from shutting himself away all evening.

Early in the morning, Regulus had prepared breakfast and was eagerly awaiting Raphaël. He didn't know what time he was going to wake up, but he had to get himself in the best possible condition for the subjects they were going to discuss. Because it wasn't going to be easy, and their bad memories were going to come flooding back.

Raphaël emerged at half past ten and froze when he saw Regulus waiting for him. He could feel his gaze on him but tried to avoid it. He sat down at the table, poured himself a glass of orange juice and began.

"I wanted to apologise for yesterday. I shouldn't have shouted at you and left like I did."

"No, you shouldn't have. It's difficult for you, I know that. But it's not my fault, Raphaël. I didn't ask to be in this situation. I wonder if everything wouldn't have been easier if you hadn't been entrusted to someone else. Someone who knows how to look after teenagers in distress."

Raphaël turned whiter and whiter as Regulus spoke, he feared what this meant.

"You... You want to give up my custody?"

He was completely panicked and hundreds of scenarios were being created in his head. Regulus stood up and sat down on the chair next to Raphaël, placing his hand on the young man's shoulder.

"No, of course not, that's not what I said. But we're not happy in this situation. Neither you nor I. And I can't go on for weeks like this. We can't go on arguing every day, and you just disappearing off somewhere. I know you're still grieving, still adjusting to Remi's disappearance, just as you're still not over Helena's death. But despite your grief, you can't go on like this."

"A friend of mine told me that we lacked communication, and that it was destabilising for both of us because we were moving into a relationship where you were responsible for me. But I didn't want that to change anything between us. But I can't talk to you, I can't tell you how I feel. And with Remi, I was able to hold it together. But now everything reminds me that Mum's gone and you're not the same as you were, and I can't seem to move on. "

"I'm not asking you to move on. Raphaël... You've been through things you should never have been through, especially at such a young age. And I can't understand you, because although I was manipulated by my parents, I wanted to make them proud, I wasn't close to them, and I didn't really love them. Sirius is still alive, and despite his condition, he's here. In fact, the first person I was close to and really loved who died was Helena."

"Loved in what sense?"

Regulus ran his hand through his hair before meeting Raphaël's gaze.

"I fell in love with her. Sirius always tells me I am a hopeless romantic. I think she guessed it, I wasn't that discreet. But I knew it was impossible. I think I have a problem with impossible loves."

"I didn't know."

"It's normal, I never told you. And I knew Helena wouldn't tell you."

"Did... did you suspect they were from the future?"

"No. I could never have guessed such a thing. I never made the connection between Remi and Remus. And I haven't spent as much time with them as James, Sirius and the others."

"Sirius... how is he?"

"He's destroyed. It's been a year, but it's still so painful, I don't think he's moving on. And the day he finds out Remi's identity... I hope he'll have been able to grieve by then, otherwise... It's a good thing James is with him. He's the only one who can really understand him."

"But James had Harry to hold on to. Sirius has no goals."

"He'll get better, don't worry. But Raphaël, if we want to carry on, we're going to have to make an effort. Both of us. Rebuild. The War destroyed a lot. But we've got to get over it, all right?"

Raphaël didn't have time to answer, there was a knock on the door, and two little tornadoes rushed into the house, followed by the calmer James. Harry and Neville rushed up to Raphaël, and he listened attentively, trying to ignore James's gaze on him. He knew the two adults were talking about him.

---

"I'm not going back there."

"Raphaël, at least take some time to think about it."

"There's no way I'm going back to the place where I experienced the horror! Do you want me to see Mum's corpse every day? Do you really want me to suffer? Just because I was happy to meet Mum, to meet Remi and you, doesn't mean I want to go back there! It was horrible there! It was the worst time of my life! I have no desire to go back to that bloody castle!"

"But don't you think it might do you some good? You're completely isolated. You never see people your own age. I'm sure it could help you."

"Stop thinking you know what's good for me, will you? And you don't know if I'm isolated or not! You've got nothing to say to me! If I don't want to go back, I'm not going back."

"Raphaël..."

"You're not my father! You've got nothing to say to me. My parents are dead, I'm alone, I no longer have a family, so I can do what I want!"

Regulus looked as if he'd just been slapped in the face. He froze and looked at Raphaël, saying nothing.

"You no longer have a family…"

His voice was bitter and Raphaël realised his mistake. Instead of apologising, he preferred to flee the house, and disapparate directly. Regulus remained motionless for a moment, before disapparating in his turn. He landed in a sitting room and fell to his knees in tears. James and Sirius, who were in the room, rushed over to him, wondering what had put the wizard in such a state.

Raphaël had rushed out of his house and over to his boxing club. Before entering, he conjured up some sports clothes and slipped them on with a flick of his wand. He took no notice of his surroundings and climbed into the ring as soon as he was free. He had cut himself off from the world and could hear nothing; all he cared about was hitting.

He was brought back to reality abruptly when he was yanked backwards. He saw that everyone present was staring at him, looking shocked. His gaze fell on the person confronting him and he saw that his face was bloody. He paled suddenly and approached the young man, who immediately recoiled.

"This isn't a sparring ground, my boy. This is boxing. Boxing's a sport, there are rules. You can't just do as you please. If you let your emotions get the better of you in the ring, things will never go well. You're angry, you hit a bag, you're in control, you're boxing against someone. Go on, get out of here."

Raphaël let out a weak 'sorry' to the boy in front of him and rushed out of the ring, then out of the room, followed closely by Ava. He hadn't missed her look of shock, and with good reason. He'd let his feelings get the better of him, and he knew that was wrong.

"Can you tell me what got into you?"

"I... I was angry."

"Why the hell did you go into the ring in the first place? I mean, you know, you're angry, you pick up a bag and you hit. But what happened? You and Regulus fighting again? I thought you guys were getting along better."

"He wants me to go back to Hogwarts."

Ava stared at him, not understanding.

"It's the magical school where all the wizards in the UK go when they're eleven. But for me it was only a school for four months. The rest of the time it was the headquarters of the resistance, of the Order. Those who fought against Voldemort, the last ones, those who weren't dead yet, they were there. That's where the final battle took place, that's where Mum died, where Remus died, where Remi was cursed. It hasn't even been a year and a half, and he's asking me to go back, as if I'd got over it. But that's not true, and he knows it. And I'm not the only one! Sirius is still down in the dumps, but I'm the one being told off, I'm the one who has to come to terms with my grief and…"

"Raphaël. You need to calm down. I wasn't there, so I can't know what Regulus is really thinking, but I think you need to see a therapist. "

"I am not crazy!"

"It's not for crazy people! It's for people who have problems and can't solve them on their own. Raphaël, you were at war for a large part of your childhood, and you were in the spotlight for several years. You've lost both your parents, twice. And you need to manage your anger. It's more than normal to be angry. But you can't come in here every time you have a fight with Regulus in this state."

The two teenagers were abruptly cut off by an owl which dropped a letter on Raphaël and left again immediately. He recognised James's owl and began to panic. He hurried to open it and saw at once that it was a letter from Harry, because of the handwriting and the spelling mistakes.

Raphaël paled as he read. The little wizard asked him what he had done to make Regulus arrive in such a state. He'd just been crying, and James had asked Harry to come up to his room, but he'd decided to hide on the stairs and listen. He said Regulus was crying, that his dad and godfather were trying to comfort him, but it wasn't working very well, and that they were talking about him a lot.

"I've got to go."

He immediately moved into James's living room and the three men there instantly turned towards him. Regulus had suddenly stopped crying, but there was no doubt about what he was doing just a few seconds before. Sirius and James had closed their faces and Raphaël knew that, as well as hurting Regulus, he had hurt them too. He turned to his tutor and looked him in the eye, after what he had done to him, he had to do it to try and make amends. As soon as he met Regulus' gaze, tears welled up in his eyes.

"I'm sorry. Please don't give up on me. I'll see a therapist, I'll go back to Hogwarts, I'll give up boxing, but please don't leave me alone. I'm terribly sorry. I shouldn't have said I didn't have any family. Just because Mum's gone doesn't mean I have to... I have to pretend I'm on my own when I'm not. Mum kept telling me. She told me that if she had to die, it would be hard, but that I wouldn't be all alone because the rest of my family would be there. I didn't listen to her, but she was right. You are my family Reg'. Harry is my little brother. Sirius and James are like my uncles. Of course you're my family, I'm so sorry. I don't know how I could have said that, even in anger. It was ungrateful, and so unappreciative of what you've done for me."

Regulus took his time answering. First he had to sort out his thoughts.

"Firstly, stop thinking that I'm going to give up your custody every time you make a mistake."

"It wasn't just a mistake! I practically insulted you!"

"Raphaël, don't interrupt me. Secondly, I do think seeing a therapist is a good idea. I underestimated the trauma you've been through, and I shouldn't have. We'll make an appointment as soon as possible. Thirdly, it's true that you hurt me. We've already talked about it, we're all angry, we're all hurting, but that's no reason to take your anger out on me. It's not my fault Helena's gone, it's not my fault Remi's gone either. I know you would have preferred to be with them. I know that, and we'd all have preferred it that way, but that's not the case. I know you've only been back a month and a half, but you can't go on like this. And I'm not going to force you to go to Hogwarts. I just want you to think about it. We know that you don't have the same experience of the castle as we do, that for you it's not a school but the place where your parents died."

"I'm going to make an effort. I promise you that. I'm going to try to calm down and control my emotions."

"That's all I ask."

---

Regulus was slightly confused. A week had passed since Raphaël's outburst and there had been not a single argument between the two men. Regulus knew that Raphaël had cast a spell so that he wouldn't hear him cry, but he didn't blame him, he knew that he needed to be alone at times like this. But if Regulus was lost right now, it was because he was in the Muggle world, at Raphaël's request, and he didn't understand what he was doing there.

"You must be Regulus."

The wizard was startled and turned towards the voice that had just spoken. It was a young woman, probably Muggle, about Raphaël's age.

"My name's Ava. He didn't tell you about me, did he? I'm a friend of Raphaël's."

"Where is he now? I don't understand why he told me to come here."

"Don't worry, it's normal to be lost, especially for you. I know you're a wizard. Come on, it's this way."

They entered a building and Ava led Regulus to the bleachers. Regulus saw people fighting each other, and although he didn't really understand the point, why fight someone you don't know for no reason, he had to admit that the audience was lively. Then he spotted Raphaël in the same outfit as the others.

"Does he do that? He hits people for no reason?"

"He doesn't hit people. Except when you're arguing and he gets thrown out of the room. He's lucky my dad's the manager. And it's boxing, it's supervised, there are rules. You'll see, Raphaël is good for a beginner. It's his first competition and he really wanted you to come, especially after everything that's happened between you."

"That's where he always disappeared."

Ava nodded and concentrated on the fight ahead. She encouraged Raphaël and was pleased to see that Regulus joined her in the second fight. Raphaël lost in the semi-final but fortunately managed to win the bronze medal. The wizard asked Ava to take a photo of the podium while he applauded loudly.

They eventually left the gym and waited for Raphaël to come out. When he did, Regulus rushed over to him and gave him a hug.

"Well done, I'm very proud of you."

Raphaël's eyes filled with tears and a genuine smile graced his face. Ava congratulated him too, reminding him that it was exceptional to win a medal in your first competition, just a few weeks after starting.

For the first time in weeks, months, Raphaël was genuinely happy, and more than that, he had brought Regulus pride, and if Regulus was proud, he hoped with all his heart that those who were no longer there, wherever they were, could see him, and be proud of him.

Regulus could see Raphaël smiling, and the very sight made him happy. He'd been so withdrawn and so sad recently that seeing him so happy warmed his heart.

---

Raphaël was sitting on the train, slowly watching London go by. He had no desire to leave, to leave his life at Godric's Hollow, to leave Harry, Neville, Regulus, James, Sirius, Alice, Frank, Ava, boxing, everything. He had no desire to return to Hogwarts. Hogwarts had never been synonymous with school for him. It had always meant war, death and despair. He knew it was different for Regulus and the others, who had first experienced the happy, carefree atmosphere of the castle, their second home. But that wasn't the case for him. And this castle reminded him of everything he no longer had.

He was jolted out of his thoughts when someone entered the wagon. He held back a sigh; he would have preferred to be alone, but he knew he had to make an effort. But he was relieved when he realised who they were.

"Hi Raphaël, this is Charlie Weasley, he's a friend of mine. Charlie, this is Raphaël."

"Tonks has told me a lot about you."

"For my irresistible charm I suppose…"

He saw the witch blush and smiled. He knew that wasn't what Tonks had been talking about, but he knew her, and knew that it wasn't for malicious purposes. After all, she too had lost her father on the day of the battle, so she could understand him to some extent. He hadn't seen her since, but she hadn't changed that much. In any case, with her hair, she was easily recognisable.

"You can sit down, I'm not going to eat you."

Raphaël had fallen back into his thoughts, but was listening to their conversation with a distracted ear.

"Charlie Weasley... You're the one who loves dragons, aren't you?"

"Erm, how do you know?"

"My mum told me. She talked about it with you and your uncle years ago. It'll give you something in common with Hagrid."

"I remember him from first year. I knew he liked special animals, but I didn't know he also liked dragons. Do you know him?"

"Not really."

He didn't talk during the trip again, sinking back into his thoughts. He was entering his fifth year, as were his two travelling companions, and he didn't understand. How could they be allowed to enter Hogwarts as if nothing had happened, when a war had destroyed the school less than a year and a half earlier? And it was so unequal. They'd never had any real lessons and they were far from having equal knowledge. Their wagon was a perfect example. Charlie had had to have four months of lessons before being taken out of school. Raphaël had been trained by the best, he wasn't ashamed to say, and Tonks had arrived much later and although her learning had begun, it was still minimal compared to what he had received. And then the lessons they were going to have... How important was it to know how to turn an animal into a teapot. Seriously, there was no point.

Raphaël didn't know much about the year ahead, but he knew it was going to be a tough one. Regulus had insisted that he go, supported by James, although they had assured him that they wouldn't force him to do anything. But he had promised them that if things didn't work out, if it was too difficult, he could stop at Christmas. A four-month trial period. He knew that not being able to go out as he pleased would plunge him back into the infernal spiral of thoughts of war. Wandering around the castle without being able to get out was going to be an ordeal. But at least, unlike the other pupils, he would be able to go out once a week to see George, his therapist, who had finally convinced him to come back, in addition to the outings to Hogsmeade which would take place once a month.

When the train stopped, Raphaël made sure he got off as quickly as possible and took the first carriage that came along, making sure no one was with him. He needed to be alone to rediscover the castle. He could feel the tears welling up and couldn't hold them back when he saw the towers of the castle looming up in front of him. He didn't want to be there. All he wanted to do was get up and walk away from here. But he didn't. He got out of the carriage, but instead of going into the castle, he turned away and headed towards Hogwarts Park. As soon as he saw the imposing tree in front of him, he fell to his knees and let his tears flow freely. He had held back from crying on the train, his tears had begun to flow in the carriage, though he had tried to contain himself, but now he was letting go. He was shaking, he wanted to vomit, his whole body was expressing its disapproval of being here. It was physical, he couldn't move. His brain sent him images of his mother's body, of all the wounded he had drunk and helped to heal, of the corpses that littered Hogwarts. Finally, he threw up and lost consciousness.

---

The months passed and Raphaël remained at Hogwarts. Despite the fiasco at the start of the new school year, the teachers had been kind to him, the majority knowing him well. The adjustment had been very difficult, he had suffered a lot, cried a lot, but the two-way mirror that Sirius had given him had helped him a lot, so he could communicate easily with his family. And his return to Hogwarts had allowed him to concentrate on a goal he'd lost sight of for a while: saving Remi. He had done a lot of research, reading every book in the library at his disposal (being Sprout's favourite helped him gain access to the reserves), but to no avail. He had read hundreds of books on curses, but nothing, absolutely nothing, had come up. More often than not, it was pages and pages of theory and the few examples cited had nothing in common with Remi's situation.

He wasn't stupid, he'd known for a long time that it was Hel Hogwarts that had cursed Remi, just as it had done with Lady Anastasia and Sir Raphaël. He would have liked to have met them, after all his biological parents had named him Raphaël in tribute to him, they were great admirers of their work, he had no doubt, if he'd been a girl, he would have been called Anastasia.

But the guardians had only been freed after ten centuries, which was a long time. And he wouldn't live ten centuries to ensure that Remi would no longer be cursed. And he had to find a solution. So he began to learn about runes, arithmancy, anything that might help him in the future to free Remi. He was certain that he would either succeed in saving Remi or die trying, but he couldn't abandon Remi like that. He'd spoken briefly to Regulus about his research, but hadn't elaborated.

He missed Harry and Neville very much, they wrote to each other every week and Neville never missed an opportunity to talk about his little sister Amelia, who had been born a few weeks earlier. He also missed Regulus, James and Sirius, but at the moment it was all right as they were all present in the Minister for Magic's office while Raphaël was yelling at him.

"Are you telling me that you don't intend to give a memorial plaque to one of the two people who killed Voldemort?"

"Who told you that?"

"Three of your agents. I'm aware that there were a lot of deaths during that war and that it's difficult to get everyone's names, but we're talking about the person who killed Voldemort, the one who saved us by delivering the fatal blow."

He didn't die in the war. Listen, young man..."

"Stop patronising me right now. I'm not a 'young man', I'm the owner of one of the largest fortunes in the country, and despite my age, I have a great deal of influence over your ministry. And you're forgetting who I inherited this fortune from. Those who put an end to Voldemort's reign, an end to the terror that had reigned over our country and Europe for more than a decade. I will not let anyone sully their memory. And not to give Remi a plaque is to sully his memory. You forget that in addition to my own influence, I also have the support of Lord Potter, Lord Black and Lord Longbottom, who all have a seat and can therefore thwart your plans. So you're going to put up a plaque for Remi Lucas, and it had better be next to and as beautiful as the one for Helena Grace. You already have the bad taste to call this place the Field of Honours, I could be very unkind if you don't comply with my requests. And I hope you won't forget to give Remus Lupin a proper plaque either."

---

"You want to ask a Muggle girl to a wizarding ball."

"Yes."

Raphaël, you know you're probably going to cause a scandal."

"I have no desire to go to this stupid ball. I don't need it to remind me that it's two years since my mother died."

"At least they had the presence of mind to do it on the third of May and not the second."

"Whatever. They're deliberately making an invitation I can't refuse, I'm bringing someone who can entertain me."

"It's your choice. I'd advise you to get her a dress anyway."

"What, she can't come in a boxing outfit?"

Harry entered the room, followed by his father and godfather, interrupting Raphaël and Regulus's conversation.

"So Raphaël, do you know who to invite?"

"Stop bothering me, you look like teenagers full of hormones."

"Is she your girlfriend?"

"No, Harry. Ava's my best friend, that's all."

"You do spend a lot of time together. Are you sure you don't have a little crush on her?"

"She's my best friend, what part of that don't you understand? And I'm pretty sure she's a lesbian."

"What makes you say that?"

"The way she looks at the arse and breasts of every girl we meet."

"What does lesbian mean, Dad?"

"It's a girl who likes another girl."

"And you know, I'm not the only one who has to be accompanied. Everyone has to be accompanied, so who are you going with?"

"I'm going with Sirius. Don't look at me like that, we have to be accompanied, we're not asked to sleep with the person. Sirius and I are going with each other, as best friends."

"I'm going with Andy. She lost her husband, I wasn't going to let her go on her own."

"I hope Tonks will be there, I haven't seen her for a while."

"Raphaël, it's three days since you left Hogwarts."

"Yes, but lately I've been locked in the library."

"What were you doing locked in the library," said James and Sirius in the same disgusted voice. "Raphaël is becoming a bookworm."

"I'm studying for Remi. And don't worry, I'm using the map to avoid Filch."

"For Remi. What do you mean, for Remi?"

"He's not dead. He's been cursed. And I'm looking for a solution to remove that curse."

"But you said... you did..."

"I lied. Can we talk about something else?"

---

Raphaël sat in a chair, watching people dancing in disgust. This evening was ridiculous, this ball was ridiculous. The members of the Order of the Phoenix were scattered around the room, wearing much the same expression as he did. The only people enjoying themselves were the cowards who had fled to other countries and returned like a flower as soon as his parents had killed Voldemort.

The day before he'd celebrated his sixteenth birthday by crying all morning and listening to Harry try to entertain him, his father, his godfather and Regulus in the afternoon. And today, the wizarding and muggle worlds alike were paying tribute to those who had given their lives for this war. And in Raphaël's opinion, it was pitiful. They had laid flowers in front of the brand-new "Field of Honours", all dressed up. The minister had made a pitiful speech and then they'd headed to the Ministry, where the party had begun. They were celebrating the end of the war, but in Raphaël's eyes, they were celebrating the death of his family.

He was abruptly snapped out of his thoughts by Ava, who slumped into the chair beside him.

"Wizards are tiresome."

"I warned you that looks would be inappropriate."

"Anyway, it doesn't matter. What's her name, your pink-haired friend?"

"Tonks? The one with Charlie?"

"I don't know who Charlie is. But I don't think you have many pink-haired friends anyway. Is that really her name? Tonks."

"That's her last name. She'd kill me if I told you her first name, nobody calls her that, except maybe her mother. Why do you want to know that?"

"I like her."

Raphaël saw the look on her face, and knew at that moment that Ava would do anything to take Tonks out and get her into her bed.

"Uh, you do what you want, but I don't want any trouble. Tonks is my friend too, and she's Reg's cousin's daughter. And the Black's wrath is a legend, but I'd rather not be confronted with it."

---

Raphaël sat on the sofa in his living room, staring at the letter in front of him. Regulus was still asleep, but it wouldn't be long before he woke up, and Raphaël didn't want him to see him in such a state. Today was the second of May and he was seventeen. Like the previous year, Hogwarts had closed its doors for a week, so that students could mourn with their loved ones. And so it was that Raphaël found himself crying on his sofa at seven in the morning. He didn't hear Regulus's footsteps, and only became aware of his presence when he sat down next to him.

"What's wrong?"

"It's... It's a letter from Mum."

"Oh..."

"The vial contains her memories. But I don't want to... I'm not ready... I..."

"Can I read the letter?"

Raphaël held it out and Regulus skimmed through the contents.

"You don't have to look at them now. Or ever. Helena simply wanted you to have them. She didn't say you absolutely had to see them. If you're not ready today, you don't look at them today."

"I don't know if I'll ever be ready."

"And that's okay. This is my present."

Raphaël unwrapped a gold watch and stood in awe of its beauty. He suspected Regulus would give him one, after all, it was wizarding tradition. But he'd never imagined he'd receive one so beautiful.

"It's much too beautiful for me."

"Of course it isn't. You deserve the best, Raphaël. Come on, I'll make you breakfast before everyone gets here."

Raphaël dried his tears and followed him, happy to have Regulus in his life. He was obviously thinking of his mother, who had disappeared three years earlier, but he had to listen to Regulus, and make his coming of age a day of celebration. He'd cry the next day.

---

Raphaël stood in Hogwarts park, smiling tremulously at his family. Today was the last time he would come to Hogwarts as a student. It was NEWTs graduation day, and his entire class and their families were gathered in the park where the headmistress, Sprout, was handing out their diplomas one by one. He had passed with flying colours, with no mark below Exceeds Expectations. When he stepped up to the podium, he could see the pride in Regulus's eyes, but also in those of Sirius and James. Harry and Neville were there too, and they were overexcited. They were waving at Raphaël and he waved back; they were far too happy for him that it wouldn't have been right if he hadn't done it. Tonks and Charlie laughed beside him at the sight of them.

Once the ceremony was over, he walked over to them and hugged them one by one. He was happy to see how proud they were of him.

"Shall we? I'm sure Ava is impatient and pacing up and down my living room."

Raphaël nodded and they all headed outside the protective barriers of Hogwarts, where they could disapparate without a problem. As Regulus had predicted, Ava was indeed pacing in her living room. She rushed over to them, took Raphaël in her arms, then turned to Tonks and kissed her. Yes, she'd had her way and the two girls had been dating for several months. Raphaël didn't mind, as long as he got to see his best friend alone, that was all that mattered. The living room was rather full, there were of course Regulus, James, Sirius and Harry, Neville, Frank, Alice and Amelia were present too, although the latter didn't take up much space being in Alice's arms. Tonks and Andromeda were there too, and Raphaël understood why Charlie had refused to come, the whole Weasley family wouldn't fit in his living room.

"So Raphaël, you still haven't told us what you're going to do now. Have you made up your mind?" asked Alice in a curious voice.

"I'm going to start an apprenticeship with an Irish witch to master the runes.

"Oh, and what are you going to focus on? Runes are so varied that you had to choose a specialization."

"The focus will be on curses."

"Well, congratulations. It sounds like a complicated path, but with hard work, I'm sure you'll get the hang of it."

"Thanks, Alice."

Raphaël did his best not to meet Regulus's gaze. He knew that, without having to look at him, the wizard had surely paled and was probably already worried. He wanted to change the subject and ask Tonks, even though he already knew the answer, but Regulus stopped him.

"How long is this going to last?"

"Five years in all. The first three years I'll be observing her, learning a lot, traveling the world to discover all kinds of curses, how runes are essential to counter them... The next two years I'll be doing my own research, on my own, on a curse and I'll have to hand in a dissertation at the end to validate my master's degree or not."

"Does that mean you'll be leaving? That's sucks, it's bad enough we're not going to Hogwarts together, and now we won't even see you during the holidays!"

"We'll write letters to each other, and it's only for three years, so it'll pass quickly, don't worry."

His statement left a blank, which he quickly filled in by asking Tonks if she'd found her reference in the Aurors.

You want to join the aurors! But you should have told us, we'd have supervised you with pleasure!"

"I was going to ask you, but first I wanted to have some nerves and ask him if he'd take me on. I was sure he'd refuse. But he agreed, so I didn't need to tell you."

"Who is it then?"

"Moody."

"What! But Moody hasn't taken on an apprentice since..."

"Since me. But he only did it because he was friends with my father. Good job Tonks. Moody taking on an apprentice I never thought I'd see. You'll have to work ten times harder than the others to keep him happy. I know, he told me. But it's a good challenge, so..."

"Entering the Aurors is a challenge in itself. And what does Charlie intend to do?"

"He's off to Romania to study dragons. He can't wait."

"I think it will do him good, he's the first to say that his family is too invasive."

The evening went well, even if Raphaël avoided Regulus. He spent most of the evening recounting the year's anecdotes to Harry and Neville, with Ava and Tonks listening distractedly. Then, gradually, the guests went home, Raphaël took Ava home, and he found himself alone with Regulus.

"Please don't be angry."

"I'm not angry."

"I know you, Reg. I didn't want to tell you too soon because I knew you'd react badly. But you knew I'd never get into the Ministry and you knew I had no desire to become a mediwizard. You knew I'd need a job that moves, and I love runes."

"I don't want your future choices to be based solely on Remi. He didn't want you to waste your life trying to do the impossible."

"I know that, Reg', he told me so. But it's not just that. Of course I chose curses for him. But I'm also going to learn so many different things, I already know it's going to be fascinating. And the witch I told you about is the best in her field. I'm very lucky that she agreed to take me on as an apprentice. I know it's going to be a long three years apart from all of you, but I'm going to make one of my dreams come true."

"We'll make sure you enjoy your summer then."

---

Raphaël broke away from Neville to take Harry in his arms. Even though they were both grown-ups, they accepted a hug from Raphaël before taking the Hogwarts Express. Even though he'd only taken it four times, it still felt strange not to be taking it this year. He then let the two children say goodbye to their parents.

"Harry, you've got the cloak, Raphaël gave you the map."

"Yes, Dad, they're the first things I've put in my bag."

"Right, good. Don't forget to annoy Filch and the Slytherins."

"James! Don't tell them that."

"And remember, we'll be proud of you both, whatever house you're in. They're all the same, there's not one that's inferior and one that's superior."

The children nodded and waved one last time before boarding the train. They waited for the train to pull away and the platform to empty before breaking the silence.

"Well, I guess we have to say goodbye to you now."

"This is going to go by fast."

"You know it won't."

"We want to hear from you, not have you disappear for three years."

"We love you Raphaël. Don't forget that. Take care of yourself."

Raphaël nodded and took them one by one in his arms, then gave them one last wave and disapparate.

"It's all right, they're all gone, we can cry now."

And the adults let their tears flow, thinking of the long period of time that the absence of their family members would represent.

---

Raphaël apparated to the outskirts of Godric's Hollow, impatient. It had been three years since they'd seen them. Two years and eleven months to be exact, as his training had ended a month early and his boss had let him go early. The last few years had been a daydream. He'd travelled to dozens and dozens of countries, seen hundreds of different curses. He'd learned so much, and he'd never be grateful enough to the old witch for it. But he'd missed his family terribly, and that had been the one dark spot in his apprenticeship. He could have gone home for a shower, he knew Regulus wouldn't be there, but he was too eager to see them. Especially as they were all at Alice and Frank's, because today was the thirtieth of July and Neville was fourteen.

He entered the property, opening the door with a simple spell, trying not to make any noise, after all it wouldn't be a surprise if he found himself tied up because he'd entered their house. He strolled down the corridor and listened to what was being said.

"Who's the latest present from?"

"I don't know, Neville, it was there when I dropped ours off."

"It's mine."

All heads turned at once to the man standing in the doorway. Because that's what he had become, a man, no longer a teenager. They had no trouble recognizing him. He hadn't really changed. His chestnut-blond hair was still bushy, his dark-blue eyes were the same but they sparkled more and the little beard he had didn't change his face all that much.

"Raphaël!"

Neville rushed towards him, quickly followed by Harry. These two always seemed to be inseparable.

"Ah, if you only knew how much I've missed you. Let me have a look at you."

He released himself from the two teenagers' embrace and observed them attentively.

"You've grown so much. And happy birthday, Neville. How has this year been? I know I've been writing less lately, but that was just so I could get home faster."

"Um... You know I'm in Ravenclaw?"

"Yes, Harry, James told me. Why were you afraid of my reaction?"

"I didn't want you to be disappointed."

"Why would I be disappointed? Ravenclaw is a very good house. The most important thing for me is that you have friends and that you're happy. Is that the case?

"Yes. My best friend is Hermione. She's also in Ravenclaw. I think she'd love to meet you, she says she'd love to ask you all sorts of questions about your studies. And it's a secret" Harry moved closer to Raphaël so that only he could hear, "Neville's in love with her."

"Harry!"

"But it's Raphaël, Nev'! He won't tell anyone."

"Harry, Neville, can we talk to Raphaël too, or are you going to monopolize him all evening?"

The two boys stood back and Raphaël straightened up. His gaze met Regulus's, and immediately strong arms encircled him.

"I've missed you so much, Reg'."

"Me too, the house is so empty without you. Look at you, you're taller than me now!"

James and Sirius took him in their arms, and at least they were still taller than him, taking great pleasure in ruffling his hair. Frank and Alice followed suit, but were more reserved. Finally, Raphaël's gaze fell on the last person present, the one he knew least.

"Is that you, Raphaël?" asked the little girl.

"I'm Raphaël."

"And you're Harry and Neville's big brother?"

"Yes, I suppose I am."

"Can you be my big brother too? You're bigger than Neville, so you can protect me even more!"

"I'd be delighted to be your big brother, Amelia. Well, Neville, aren't you going to open your present? I'm here, so you can do it now."

Neville nodded and opened the large box in front of him. He was stunned to discover its contents. It was an impressive plant, the like of which he'd never seen before.

"It must have cost you a fortune."

"I got it in Central America, which is the only place you can get plants like this. I know how much you love herbology, so here it is."

"What's it called?"

"That's for you to find out. I'm sure Sprout will be able to help you find the right books to guide you."

"Thank you very much."

It was a pleasant evening, filled with anecdotes from Hogwarts and Raphaël's travels, the atmosphere was cheerful and Raphaël was genuinely happy to be there.

"You're glowing."

"I'm glad to be back. I've missed you all terribly."

"It's been very hard for Regulus. Your leaving has been a serious blow to his morale. James and I tried to help him as best we could, but the only thing that really made him happy was your letters."

"Didn't he have someone in his life?"

"No. Why?"

"Neville told me he'd caught him with someone in the kitchen. He hadn't seen the other's face, but they were kissing. I thought he would have told you, since Neville implied it was a man."

"I can't believe he's being so secretive."

"It may not have lasted long."

"You know Regulus isn't the one-night stand type. I don't understand why he didn't tell me."

"Maybe it's someone you know who didn't want you to know."

"Oh, Morgana."

"What?"

Sirius didn't answer him and hurried over to Regulus and James, who were talking to Alice.

"Did you two sleep together?"

"What?"

"Sirius, there are children here, I don't think…"

"Oh, come on, they're fourteen. Did you sleep with my brother?"

"I thought they were both your brothers."

"Why would you think that?"

"Because Neville saw Reg' kissing another man and, as Raphaël so rightly pointed out, if you haven't told me, it's because it's someone I know. Now, the two of you spend a lot of time together and I couldn't understand what had changed in your relationship."

"We don't just sleep together."

"Ah, there's something there."

"We're dating. We just didn't want to talk about it too soon."

"Why didn't you tell me earlier?"

"Don't tell me you were worried about my reaction."

At the look on his father's face, Harry continued.

"Come on, Dad! My godfather is gay! He dated my uncle my whole childhood! Do you think I have a problem with you going out with a man? I love Regulus! Honestly, just because the world is homophobic doesn't mean everyone is, especially with our family. Not to mention Tonks and Ava who took me to protest last year and are going to... I'd better keep my mouth shut or Tonks is going to kill me."

"You could have told me you'd switched sides."

"I haven't switched sides."

"A straight man who sleeps with another man is no longer straight, Prongs."

"Can we talk about something else, it's embarrassing enough as it is."

"Are we going to move out? Well, if you live with Regulus, it's easier, isn't it?"

"We're not moving out just yet, Harry."

Frank finally put Amelia to bed, as she'd stayed much later than usual, and the others went home. Raphaël was happy to be home again and slumped onto the sofa, exhausted.

"I'm really glad to be here. I don't regret my experience, but it was very hard to be separated from you like that."

"I was really unwell too."

"Yes, Sirius told me. That's how we came to talk about... I'm sorry, I didn't mean to put you on display like that and I never imagined it was James, otherwise I would have stopped Sirius from blurting it out like that. I think James would have preferred to talk to Harry first."

"Don't you worry about that. Are you sure you don't mind?"

"Of course I don't mind. As long as I don't walk into a room where you and James are having sex, I'll be fine. I'm surprised, of course, I didn't know James was... but I've got no worries Reg', don't be afraid."

---

"I'm pregnant."

Raphaël was stunned, too shocked to answer. Pregnant. A baby.

"I think he's broken."

"What a shitty godfather."

"You want me to be the godfather?"

"Who else would it be? If it wasn't for you, we never would have met."

"I'm very happy for you. Shocked, sure, but happy."

"Did you really think we'd never be mums?"

"No, I figured you would eventually, I know you. I just thought you'd wait longer. You can't get pregnant by accident so I thought Tonks would want to finish her studies, but this baby is coming now and it's great."

"That's why I'm the one who's pregnant and not Dora. We thought it would be safer and allow her to start her career without being away for too long."

"Do you know what you're going to call them?"

"You'll find out."

"Don't I get any godfather advantage?

"You'll be the first to know. We'll tell my mum she's the first if we don't want to die, but you'll know first."

Ava and Tonks having a baby. He'd never have believed it. It hadn't even been twenty-four hours since he'd returned to Britain and he was already falling head over heels. He was very happy for them, very honoured to be the godfather. He hoped he would be up to the task. He considered asking Sirius for advice, but decided against it. The situation was very different for Harry, his life was very special and Raphaël would learn, but do his best with this baby.

---

Regulus entered the living room and was surprised not to find Raphaël there. In recent weeks, whenever he came home, he found the young man immersed in his books and notes. He strained his ears, but heard nothing. He thought it strange that the wizard hadn't warned him, but after all, he was of age and had every right to go out without asking. He made a quick tour of the house, then froze in front of the scene unfolding before his eyes. Raphaël was in the grip of an intense panic attack and seemed completely cut off from the world. Regulus's gaze fell on the source of this crisis and he saw the pensieve of his family.

"Raphaël, concentrate on my voice. I'm here, everything's fine, you're safe, there's nothing to worry about."

Regulus continued to murmur reassuring words for several minutes, until Raphaël managed to snap out of his crisis. There was silence and Regulus was worried. He knew that whatever Raphaël had seen, it wasn't good. Helena's memories... They were horrors and horrors, each more unimaginable than the last. And even though Raphaël was an adult, that didn't mean he was ready to face them.

"I... I never want to see that again."

"I'll keep them away from you then. Why didn't you wait until I was there for you?"

"I don't know. I just... I needed to know more about the Jewels of Time for my research, about the curse Hogwarts put on the guardians."

"Do you think it's the same one Remi suffered?"

"I'm pretty sure it is. And he's probably keeping the Jewel that's in Australia."

"I really wish I was there. But whatever, what's done is done. I just want you to promise to come and talk to me about it if you feel the need."

"I will."

There was silence again, both men lost in thought. Raphaël was reliving his mother's life over and over again, and Regulus was worried about the young man's state of mental health, because he was sure that seeing these memories would leave its mark. But what was Helena thinking? He understood the witch's desire for her son to understand who she had been, but she could have spared the most sordid details. The mere mention of rape and torture was disturbing enough for Raphaël, why add the images on top of it?

"Don't you sometimes miss being free to say everything that happened? To say why the war happened the way it did, to no longer lie to James or Sirius about Mum and Dad."

"I can't tell them anything. But I don't think knowing the truth would help them anyway."

"It'll be up to me to tell them. Only I have the right to do that. I just don't know when that conversation will take place. Hopefully not right away. I'm not ready."

---

"Are you all right, Raphaël?"

The young man turned to Harry and saw that all eyes were on him.

"Yes, of course. Why wouldn't I be?"

"You look so sad."

The doorbell rang and all eyes turned away from him.

"That must be Hermione!"

Raphaël froze instantly, Regulus met his gaze and saw the panic in it.

"Hermione? Hermione Granger?"

"Do you know any other Hermione?"

Harry suddenly looked very uncomfortable.

"Is that a problem? I thought I told you she was coming to spend the last two weeks of the vacations here. I'm sorry if it bothers you, I didn't think..."

"Of course not, she's your best friend Harry, let her in."

Harry nodded and did as he was told. Raphaël couldn't help admiring the girl before him. He knew she looked exactly like his mother at the same age. There was no physical difference between them at the moment. She wasn't wearing her Hogwarts clothes, and there was nothing to suggest that she wasn't in Gryffindor like her counterpart. He finally took his eyes off her and plunged into his thoughts. He avoided talking to Hermione, but as he suspected, the witch was curious and wanted to know more about his studies. Making an effort for Harry and hiding his unease as best he could, he explained what he was doing. Talking about his studies took his mind off his mother.
He was relieved, however, when Regulus declined the invitation to stay and eat by finding some pretext.

"Are you sure you're all right?"

"No, I'm not. Because the girl in front of me, I saw her a few days ago going back in time with her best friend, imitating a werewolf and almost getting her soul sucked out so your brother wouldn't get the detractor's kiss! She was exactly the same. Nothing's changed about her, she doesn't have a scar either, it's her hair, her eyes, her face, everything's the same."

"Raphaël. It's not Helena. It's Hermione."

"But Helena was just a mask! Rem' never called her Helena in private! My mother's name is Hermione, not Helena! And I can't get these fucking images out of my head! I don't know if I'm going to make it to the end of the holidays."

"Raphaël, there's still two weeks to go! You've only been back a short time! You're not going back already. You've been away for so long. "

"I know, I know. Please forgive me. But when school starts again, I'll go. I still have to finish my essay and I've only got two years to do it. But don't worry, I'll be back much more often. I've got all the gold in my safe to spend on portkey to get back here."

"And where are you going to start your search?"

"Australia. That's where Remi is, I'm sure. It seems obvious to start there, I'll see where it takes me."

---

Raphaël admired the pyramid before him, proud. He couldn't believe how far he'd come in the last few months. He'd finally left the UK two weeks later than planned, in mid-September, spending his time with Ava and Regulus. The young woman was nauseous and insufferable all the time, but she'd said it herself, it was to give Raphaël the most beautiful godson in the world. Regulus had been more than happy to be with Raphaël for a little while longer, and the two of them had spent a lot of time with James and Sirius, where the four of them could talk quietly like adults. Then Raphaël left the country for Australia. He stayed for three months, returning to his native country every two weeks, much to his family's delight. There, he had been able to study Remi's whereabouts, thanks to Hermione's memories, which were very precise, even though his mother had never been to the exact spot where the Time necklace was kept. With the help of several rune suits, he had managed to remove the barriers that contained the magic and had been able to fully feel the magic and power of a jewel. But despite all his efforts, he hadn't been able to make contact with Remi. It had been incredibly frustrating to know he was so close and yet so unreachable. But he had been able to learn more about the magic of time, and that was a big step forward.

At the end of those three months, he had returned to Godric's Hollow and spent Christmas and New Year with his family. He knew he still had that sad look on his face, and that the others, especially Harry and Neville, were wondering, but he couldn't manage to pretend. Then he'd written the first part of his essay, on his research and conclusions about what he'd done in Australia. At first, he'd been afraid he wouldn't be able to present this curse for his master's degree, but his apprenticeship teacher had taught him that examiners were sworn to secrecy and swore an oath not to reveal anything about what they'd learned, which also ensured that young graduates wouldn't have their work stolen.

At the end of January, he had left again and gone to Peru. He was staying in the same hotel where he and Remi had stayed six years earlier.

For several weeks, he had worked tirelessly to achieve his goal. He barely slept, spending his time at the Machu Picchu site studying the magic of the area. Then he succeeded. After intense effort, he had succeeded in entering the Underworld. He had achieved the impossible. Firstly, because he had no Jewel of Time, and secondly, because he was alone. It took some cunning on his part, but by recreating a semblance of time magic using his memories and hundreds of runic combinations, each more complex than the last, he had succeeded. As for his solitude, he didn't understand, but the main thing was that he was there. He suspected that even if he wasn't there to retrieve the bracelet of time, the guardians would still have to test his magical potential. He made a mental note of everything he saw, really hoping to retain as much as possible for his memoir, but he stopped dead in his tracks when he found himself in front of the guard.

"Hello Raphaël Brocklehurst. My name is Proserpina and I'm here to test your potential."

"I'm honoured to meet you, Lady Anastasia."

For half a second, the guardian smiled, then immediately resumed her neutral air.

"I'm going to test your logical potential. You'll have to answer a riddle, and give me an answer. Here it is: Tell me what's always the last thing to mend, the middle of middle and end of the end."

"Are you serious? Even the riddles to get into Serdaigle are more complicated. The answer is the letter d."

For all answer, Raphaël felt himself sucked in and landed hard against a stone floor. He picked himself up and saw the two Guardians watching him.

"I'm delighted to meet you, Sir Raphaël."

"Likewise, Raphaël Grace."

"Why do you call me that? I thought you could only say my name."

"Isn't that your name?"

"Yes, but not officially. It's only me who…"

"Magic has accepted this name. We're sure you've got a lot to ask us."

"Why was I able to enter without anyone with me? And why did I have a simple riddle, I didn't have to fight? And why couldn't I see my dad?"

"You're very clever. Try to understand."

"Am I wrong? Remi isn't the guardian of the time necklace?"

"No, you're right about that. I congratulate you, by the way, I didn't think you'd figure it out in such a short time."

"My dear, this is no longer the time for riddles, so we might as well tell him what happened straight away."

"We're obliged to evaluate you, but it's our choice, and She can't tell us which test you're going to get. I've decided to test your logic, no matter how difficult the riddle, that's my choice. Besides, we wanted to talk to you, so we might as well give you a simple one."

"As for the person you wanted to see, your goal was to free him. That was your only wish. And you can't meet him if that's the case. You didn't come to free us, so you can see us. Although I must say, I'm very impressed by your runes. Not many people could have thought of those combinations. I think you're the first person ever to be able to recreate the magic of time. "

"Does this mean I can never see Remi again, never free him from his curse?"

"That's not what we said. It means that until you find a way to divert this condition, you won't be able to meet him."

"Do you have any idea what that means?"

The two Damned Spouses looked at each other, and Raphaël began to panic. From the look on their faces, there wasn't much hope.

"You'll need his magical essence."

Raphaël instantly lost all his colour. That was it, his mission had come to an end. He'd failed. All that work for nothing.

"All is not lost, Raphaël Grace. You…"

"You know it's impossible to recreate magical essence. It can't be done. Nothing allows it. It's the most fundamental law of magic. Magical essence is unique to each individual and cannot be altered, recreated or stolen."

"It was supposed to be the case about time magic, but you did it! Don't give up."

"It can't be done. There's so much difference between time magic and magic essence."

"They didn't know it was impossible, so they did it. Isn't that what you told the person you want to free? You've achieved great things, don't give up now."

"I didn't know it was impossible when I said that to Remi, I didn't think it was impossible until just a few seconds ago! I think I'm going to leave. Since time doesn't pass the same here, my best friend has probably already given birth and I'm going to get killed on the way back."

"On Earth, you've only been gone a few minutes. We're in a phase where time passes more quickly here than on the surface. If you have any questions about us, for your memory, you can stay a little longer."

Raphaël nodded, after all, they were the only people who could answer his questions.

"Thank you for your help. Thank you so much for your help, I really appreciate it, you've helped me a lot. I hope Hel Hogwarts will treat you better, you deserve it."

Raphaël waited for something to happen, but nothing did.

"I thought it would work. Those were practically the words Mum said to set you free. Too bad, I'll be back, and this time I'll really do it. But I want your magical essence, otherwise, as you so rightly said, I'll never see you again."

Raphaël then emerged from the Underworld and landed in front of the Great Pyramid. He was proud of how far he'd come, but now he was also afraid. Fear of failure. A terrible, insidious fear that seeped into every cell of his body. But he was jolted from his thoughts when he received Tonks' patronus, informing him that Ava was in labour.

He immediately created a portkey, even if it was illegal. He knew full well that no one would come for an illegally created portkey, and in any case, no one would know it was him.

He arrived in an alleyway near St. Mungo's, and headed for the floor indicated for the maternity ward. Even though Ava was a Muggle, Tonks had insisted that she give birth in the magical world, and although she wouldn't admit it to her girlfriend, she had far more confidence in the mediwizards of St Mungo's than in the Muggle doctors if something went wrong.

Raphaël waited for almost four hours in the hospital corridors. Thank goodness for the silence charms, he couldn't bear to hear Ava screaming. Then Tonks appeared, happy and tired, and invited him in. His eyes immediately fell on Ava and the little being clinging to her. The young woman looked exhausted, but her smile was beautiful. Raphaël approached, deeply moved, and took a closer look at his godson.

"Meet Teddy Raphaël Davies."

"He's gorgeous."

"The most beautiful baby"

"We know you don't like 'tribute names', but it was very important to me that he was named after my father. He doesn't have a dad, so we thought it would be normal to give your name as a middle name. If you'd like, of course.

"I'd be honoured. "

Raphaël couldn't take his eyes off his godson. He listened distractedly as Tonks explained that she hadn't wanted to give him her surname too, since everyone called her by it. He finally left, so that the two women could tell their respective families, Andromeda had to be the first to know her grandson's name; he wasn't going to let her think otherwise.

He had become godfather. And at that moment, he knew that he would give his life for this little being, that he would do everything so that he could live in peace, in a better world, he would protect him, Raphaël was certain of it.

---

Raphaël apparated into the middle of James's living room, overexcited.

"Can I open my eyes? Everyone's dressed and no one's having sex?"

"Raphaël!" said Harry in an outraged voice.

"You never know, I'd rather ask than be traumatized."

He looked around to see who was present and was pleased to see that almost everyone was there, with the exception of Frank, Alice and Amelia who were at home and Ava, Tonks and Teddy who would know in a few hours."

"I GOT MY RUNE MASTER'S!"

"Congratulations!

"Good job!"

"With a special mention from the jury! They were so impressed with what I've been able to achieve at my age. I'm so happy!"

"You can be. We're all very proud of you."

And Raphaël could see that pride in the eyes of those closest to him. His smile was bright and everyone shared his happiness."

"What are you going to do now?"

"I'm going to continue working on the curse I've been studying, and I'm going to set up on my own, which means I'm going to work the way I want, for whoever I want, choosing the assignments that really appeal to me. Even though I'm a recent graduate, I'm lucky enough to have a lot of money, so I might as well use it to do things I really enjoy.

---

Raphaël froze when he saw an owl enter the living room of the Potter house. A horrible foreboding came over him and he looked for Regulus' gaze.

"It's... It's a letter from Helena. It's for you too, Neville."

This was it. It was the moment of truth. But Raphaël wasn't ready. He couldn't break up his family and reveal everything he knew now. It would hurt them too much. It would hurt him too much.

"The vial contains Helena's memories."

"Are you sure?"

Alice's voice showed her concern and Raphaël understood her. Oh, how he understood her. His mother's memories were pure horror. And they were too young. Seventeen was far too young to be confronted with that. But he had to at least make them understand what was in it.

"I have the same vial at home. These are her memories."

"Have you seen them?"

"You don't think my mother hid her memories from me and then gave them to you? I received them on my seventeenth birthday, just like you."

"And you looked at them right away?"

"No, I wasn't ready. It was when I was twenty that I decided I was capable of looking at them. But it was very hard. It's not without consequences. It haunted me for weeks. It's up to you to decide whether you're able to see them now, or whether you'd rather wait. I'd advise you to wait, but that's entirely up to you."

Harry and Neville went upstairs, but Raphaël knew they'd be watching them that evening, they knew them, they knew what they'd been through, and he was sure they wouldn't want to wait. He looked up and saw that heads had turned towards James, who also had a letter. But he wasn't the only recipient. The envelope was clear: it was for James, Sirius, Frank and Alice. And for Remus, but they all pretended not to have seen his name, it was best not to dampen the mood any further.
James carefully opened the envelope and took out a photo. Just a photo, no letter, no indication, just a photo.

Regulus had guessed and was now staring at Raphaël, who was paling more and more.

"Do you remember taking this photo?"

They all shook their heads and stared again. It was Alice who first noticed a detail, the date the photo was taken.

"There's a problem with the date. Dorcas is there. So is Peter. So is Emmeline. It says October 1979. They should be dead or no longer in the Order. Helena and Remi should be here, but they're not."

"How can this be?"

"I've no idea. How can a photo show dead people? We've seen their corpses!"

"The truth is staring us in the face. They knew us far too well to have asked around. We were always told it was impossible, that it was strictly controlled, but I can't see any other way. A rift occurred and they made an interdimensional travel."

Only Frank had the presence of mind to remember that Raphaël was there, and as he'd said, he'd seen Helena's memories. He turned to him, as if to ask him to affirm James's words.

"I can't, I... it's too hard, I'll break you, I…"

"You're the only one who can do it, Raph."

He took a deep breath and looked James in the eye.

"You're not far from the truth, James, but it's not exactly that. They didn't change dimensions, they travelled through time." A pause followed Raphaël's revelation, then they all began to speak at once, formulating their questions aloud. "Stop! I'm going to give you the broad outlines, and I know it's going to come as a shock, and probably do more harm than good. Helena's real name is Hermione Granger and she was born on September 19, 1979."

"Hermione as in Neville's girlfriend?"

"Yes, that Hermione. Yes it's very weird, I know, I've got nothing against her, but I just can't stay in the same room with her, I know Neville and Harry have always been a bit mad at me about that, now you know why."

"Wait a minute. Are you telling us that the girl who's been coming every summer for years is Helena?"

"No, of course not! She's never been through what Mum had to go through. They have nothing in common, since Mum's childhood was peaceful, whereas Hermione's was during the war, when Muggles were persecuted.

"Peaceful? But how?"

"For us, there was only one war. But before that, for Mum, there were two wars. The first ended in 1981 and the second began in 1995 and only ended when she went back in time, erasing everything that had gone before."

"I don't get it."

"How did it stop in 1981? Why didn't it stop for us?"

"Because you're not dead, James."

"That's a little overdramatic, Raph."

"I'm sorry, James. But it's part of the truth. Please don't interrupt, it's not easy to hear, I know nothing will ever be the same, but believe me, it's not easy to say either. A prophecy has been spoken to Dumbledore. The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches... Born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies... and the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not... and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives... The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies... At that moment, only two children born at the end of July matched the description. Harry and Neville.

He saw the faces crumple but continued.

"Dumbledore advised your doubles, similar ones, I'm not sure what to call them, to hide. Alice and Frank I'm not sure how it happened, but I do know that James and Lily hid here, under Fidelius Charm. On October 31st, 1981, Voldemort came here, killed James, tried to kill Harry, but Lily got in the way. By dying, she protected Harry, and the avada kedavra he threw at her backfired. Harry escaped with a scar on his forehead. Sirius was accused of treason and locked up in Azkaban for twelve years. Harry was sent to live with Lily's sister and learned about the magical world on his eleventh birthday. Shortly after Voldemort's defeat, Death Eaters broke into the home of the two Longbottoms aurors, believing they had information about Voldemort's disappearance. They were tortured to the point of insanity and became full-time residents at St. Mungo's. Neville was raised by his grandmother."

"I would never betray James. I couldn't have."

"I didn't say your double did. I said he'd been accused."

"But who was the secret keeper? There's no way someone other than me could have volunteered."

"Your double thought it was a good idea to change the secret keeper, since it was obvious to everyone that it was you, so he preferred to play it smart. They suspected Remus of being the traitor, with all his werewolf missions. So they took the fourth marauder."

"Peter. I'm going to kill him!"

"You've already killed him once, Sirius. You can't bring him back to life to kill him again."

"And it doesn't make sense. Why would I suspect Remus? I mean, it's not possible."

"You never dated there, Sirius. Never."

"But I…"

"Oh Merlin."

They turned to Alice, who like the others looked shocked.

"I think I know who Remi is. Why didn't we notice anything? They looked so much alike! And all Helena's clues…"

"Who's Remi?"

Raphaël burst into tears. It was beyond him. He could have recounted what had gone before, but Remi's identity was too much, so Alice took the lead.

"Remi Lucas. Helena kept her initials. So has he."

"No. That's impossible."

"Think, James. Can't you see the resemblance?"

James didn't answer. There was nothing to say anyway. Raphaël couldn't take his eyes off Sirius. He didn't express anything, but Raphaël knew that chaos reigned inside him.

"I'm really, really sorry."

"How long have you known?"

"That they're not who they say they are? Almost from the beginning. That they're from the future and who they really are? When Remi took me to Peru at the end of the war."

"That was ten years ago! You could have told us ten years ago and you didn't!"

"Because you weren't ready! And I wasn't ready. And if it hadn't been for that letter, I wouldn't have said anything today."

"And you, Reg, you knew, didn't you?"

"Yes, I knew. I knew since the day I got custody of Raphaël."

"Don't blame Regulus, Remi made him swear an oath on his magic, he couldn't tell you. Only I could."

Frank tried to divert attention by asking Raphaël more questions, but he wasn't too happy with the answers.

"What happened to Harry and Neville?"

"Harry was the subject of the prophecy, so Voldemort hunted him down from his first year at Hogwarts until his death on May 2nd, 1998. That's when the magical world really went downhill. Neville died in January 1999. He had been horribly tortured, and the agony would have lasted for days if Ron hadn't put him out of his misery. I don't think it's a good idea for you to know what the Death Eaters did to his corpse. On May 3rd, 1999, there was only Mum left; Ron had been killed the day before.

"And Remi?"

"She didn't know he'd survived. They found themselves imprisoned together at Malfoy Manor in December 1999. They managed to escape and began their quest for the Jewels of Time, which enabled them to return in 1977."

"Why was there no prophecy here? If this is the future, the past has to stay the same, right?"

"There was. But their coming changed that prophecy. Through the meanders of Time, Two Chosen Ones approach. They will face the Dark Lord on the cursed day, And the Lightning and the Reaper will win. But Victory will come at a price. The Reaper, with the help of her father and son, bound by everything but blood, will restore peace. Those with the power to destroy the Dark Lord approach. Victory will cost them: One will die, and the other, forever, will be cursed."

"Helena died, Remi was cursed, wasn't he? That's what you've been researching for years, trying to break the curse.

"Yes."

"What part of "forever" didn't you understand?"

"James!"

"I don't think the forever will last forever. So I'd rather speed up the process. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to bed. Harry and Neville will need support in the morning, so I'd rather be up and running. If you have any questions, I'll give you my vial of memories."

---

Raphaël entered his house, hesitating. It had been a while since he'd been back to the UK. First of all, the big revelation, as he liked to call it, had sent a chill through his family, so he'd preferred to stay away for a while, and then he'd been very busy with his work. But three years had passed since that conversation, and he was glad to be back. His family were waiting for him and had organized a meal for his return, with Tonks, Ava, Teddy, Alix and Samuel (the two youngest, eight months old and twins). It had only been four months since they'd last seen him, but apparently they were happy to see him again. But he was very stressed. Once they'd all said hello, he spoke up.

"Um... I've got something to tell you. I've met someone, and since she's been telling me she wants to meet you... She's outside, so can I let her in? I told her about you, she's not homophobic, don't worry, otherwise I'd never have gone out with her, I…"

"Raphaël, it's okay. Calm down and let her in."

He nodded and a young woman of his own age entered the living room. She felt stared at but was happy to see familiar faces.

"Hi, Ana."

"Harry, Neville, nice to meet you."

"They knew you had a girlfriend? I'm your best friend and you didn't tell me?"

"I'm her brother Ava, it's better. But every time we called him with the two-way mirror, we could see he wasn't alone, so by dint of persuasion, he finally confessed everything to us and introduced us to Ana. You'll see, she's very nice."

Everyone got to know the young woman. She was Mexican and had met Raphaël when he was looking for information about an obscure curse in Mexico. She was a professor of Charms at Illvermorny, where, unlike at Hogwarts, foreign teachers were accepted.

"I have something else to tell you. Since I've just finished my assignment in Mexico, I've decided to come back here for a while longer. You're looking at the new Hogwarts Runes teacher."

"You, Professor? At Hogwarts, the place you hate."

"I need to be at Hogwarts to research runic magic for Remi's curse. I've got my excuse. It shouldn't take more than a couple of years."

"Well, good for you, if that's what you want."

"And I could come and see you on the weekends when I'm not in charge of looking after the students."

"You won't take a portkey to the States?"

"Not every time."

Raphaël was happy with his choice. In fact, he was also glad he'd waited a while; he wouldn't have liked to have Harry and Neville in class. Still, he hoped that Neville would pass his final year of studies, so they could be teachers at the same time.

---

Raphaël watched the students from the teachers' table. He'd never thought he'd enjoy teaching so much. After all, he'd only been a teacher for a year and a half, but he wouldn't say no to staying for four or five years instead of three. And being at Hogwarts had enabled him to learn more about magical essence and runic magic mixed with time magic, but he still hadn't managed to free the guardians. He was not far off, he was sure, and they helped him a great deal in his search, but if they couldn't do it directly, they had given him many useful hidden clues. But he'd get there one day, he knew.

Today was a very special day. To the magical world, it was just an ordinary day, but to Raphaël, it had enormous significance. Today was March 18, 2022, and in another timeline, his parents had left their time today. It was a very peculiar feeling, but he'd been teaching in the same way as usual. It was just strange. Although his parents were older, they had never lived beyond today. He knew it was unprecedented, but he couldn't express how he felt about it.

He was jolted out of his thoughts when he saw the students stirring. The Hogwarts ceiling had begun to tremble, and the atmosphere was very strange.

"What's going on, Pomona?"

"The last time I saw the ceiling behave like this, your mother came out of it."

"My mother's dead."

Raphaël said nothing more and waited. A rift formed and, in a whirlwind, a body appeared. It was held two meters off the ground, then crashed. Raphaël approached, then froze when he recognized the person's identity. It couldn't be.

"Professor Sprout? What am I doing here? Where's Remi? I was standing right next to him, I heard Sirius shout my name and…"

"Remus, please calm down."

Raphaël met his gaze and saw at once that he didn't recognize him.

"The battle's over, Remus. The war is over. We all thought you were dead, until now. Merlin, I've got to warn Sirius and James. You guessed who they were, didn't you? Well, you came back the day they left. I don't understand why you didn't die, why you didn't grow old, but I'm very happy to see you alive."

"Raphaël?"
The young man nodded, as Remus looked on in amazement. He didn't understand either, but he was still very lost, but for Raphaël it was something else, far beyond the happiness this return would bring his family, he was going to be able to keep his promise.

The possibility of talking to Remi was taking shape with Remus before his eyes. And together, with his essence, he was certain, they would defeat the curse of the Jewels of Time.

THE END

---

That's it, I wrote this story during two years, finished it three years ago and only finished the english translation now.

I hope you liked it (if you're here, i hope so, otherwise why?). If that the case, please leave reviews, it would make me so happy!

Tell me what you liked, what you disliked, your favourite moment, your favourite character... What you think of the ending, of the story in general!

If you like my work, I have other story in my profile you may like.

Take care!