Potions and Snitches
Snape and Harry Gen Fanfiction Archive

Look to the Past

Sirius paced in front of the large fireplace in Haven's common room; a seemingly endless cycle of eight steps in one direction, pivot and back again. He was certain that Dumbledore was off his rocker. Harry and Ron had been allowed to go to Hogsmeade for a few hours; it was supposed to be a chance for the two boys to do something "normal" instead of being cooped up in Haven or even Hogwarts. Remus and Shape had accompanied the them; several other members of the order were strategically placed through out the small wizarding town for added protection, as well.

He still didn't know what had possessed Dumbledore to agree with Ron's suggestion. After hearing some of what Remus had to say about the goings on around Haven in the past week, however, he was glad that Ron had finally realized all was not right with his friend. He agreed with Ron that a change in atmosphere and some fun would do Harry good, he would just prefer that 'the fun' was flying around on the Quidditch Pitch and not Hogsmeade. He couldn't shake the feeling that something was going to happen and he knew Bella felt the same. The last time both of them had felt this kind of foreboding, Severus had disappeared and been declared dead, Peter had betrayed James and Lily and he had ended up in Azkaban.

Shaking off the dark thoughts, Sirius continued his pacing while thinking of Arabella. She had returned from her lunch with Harry and Snape in a foul mood. She hadn't even noticed he had returned from weeks being cooped up at their old family home, which had been turned into a safe house for the Order. Turning to make yet another return pass in front of the fireplace, Sirius barreled into his twin, earning him a disgruntled growl.

"What do you think you're doing?" he snapped, taking a step back to allow some personal space between them.

"Trying to get your attention! If you'd been paying any attention to the outside world instead of wallowing on your own, you would have heard me calling you. Now shut up and come help me," Arabella snapped back then turned and stormed over to the sofa, dropping several dusty, old books on the coffee table. Taking the book of the top of the pile, she dropped unceremoniously onto the sofa and started scanning the contents.

Sirius regarded his sister for a moment. She usually didn't snap at a people. She was generally the mellowest person he knew, or at least she had been before that Halloween. Like everyone else, she seemed to have developed a sharper personality. The few short periods he'd been able to spend with her in the past month, she seemed higher strung than he remembered; quicker to anger, moodier in general, but stronger at the same time. At the moment she seemed tense and vulnerable, like she could see an impending disaster she was powerless to stop.

Taking a few steps closer, he got a good look at the book in his sister's hands and immediately recognized it. It was the journal in which the spells that had been used to disguise Harry were detailed. Slowly, Sirius walked over to the sofa and sat down beside Bella. He smiled to himself slightly as she shifted closer to him; it was a habit formed very early in their lives when he had been her primary companion and protector. He'd asked her once, in annoyance at her invasion of his personal space, why she did it and she told it made her feel safe, like nothing could hurt her. She had explained that she could almost fit her entire body within his "aura;" that it was like wrapping her in a warm, soft, familiar blanket. Shifting a bit to accommodate her, he wrapped a hand around her shoulder; if his presences, tainted as it was by Azkaban, could offer her comfort, he wasn't about to begrudge her.

"What's so important about the charms, Bella? Are we going to reinforce them?"

"Don't know," she replied absently, "that's up to Harry. I want to see if we can use them to disguise Hermione in a similar fashion. We'll need to strengthen them, though and I'm not really sure how."

"Strengthen them? Why? Who are you disguising her as?" Sirius asked, craning his head to try and see her expression.

"My daughter," she replied. "Well, if I can find a way to strengthen the blood ties."

"Yours and Severus'?" Sirius asked, "And just how do you plan to do that? How do you plan to explain where she was the year before you disappeared? That Snape didn't know?"

"I don't know, Sirius," she said, annoyance and frustration creeping into her voice and he could see she was withholding something. "I haven't figured it all out yet."

"Alright, alright," he replied, knowing when not to push his sister. "So tell me more about why we need to strengthen the blood charms?"

Arabella sighed, "I don't know all the details, but several hundred years back, the Snape heir of the time was married to a Malfoy. She was murdered by a group of scared muggles who saw her apparate. She was seven months pregnant at the time. The families made a pact after the deaths that the first daughter borne to either house would marry the heir of the other. In the generations since, not one daughter has been borne."

"Wait," Sirius said, "you're telling me that if Hermione goes through with this, she'll be betrothed to Draco Malfoy?"

"Not necessarily. There is are loopholes in the pact; the Snape's and Malfoy's are as paranoid as the Black's, especially when it comes to the purity and well-being of their lines."

Sirius snorted in agreement. He was very familiar with the Black family's pureblood mania and dark tendencies. He shuddered to think what he would have been like if his mother had been anyone but Anne Walsh, daughter of the acclaimed Healer Grainne Figg. He knew it was the influence of his sister and both women that kept him from the same superiority complex as the rest of the family. "Okay, so we need something that will fool the most powerful identity charms. Do you know what kind of tests Malfoy will use?"

"No," Arabella sighed, dropping her head back against his shoulder. "Sev will probably know."

"Alright, then why don't we see what kind of relationship spells we can find in the books. I'll take the transfiguration texts. Snape would be best to deal with the potions. Do you think you can handle the Charms?" Sirius asked as reaching for one of the dusty books Arabella had brought out of the library.

Arabella snatched the book from him, her eyes narrowing and her mouth scrunching up in annoyed pout. Chuckling to himself, he grabbed another book and sat back into the cushions. He scanned through the index and marked the pages for deeper examination. Summoning a quill and parchment, he settled in, taking notes on possibilities for further research. It was over a half an hour before he realized that his sister was perfectly still and not searching though her text as he was.

"Bella?" he asked softly.

He was shocked when she turned her head up to him and he saw the tears streaming down her face and the fear in her eyes.

"What is it? Severus? Harry?" Panic surged through him at the thought that something may have happened to his godson. He hated the helpless feeling, so much stronger know that he knew the boy than it had been when he was in Azkaban and Harry was simply 'James' son.' "Bella, please!" Sirius shifted his body so he could see her more clearly, urging her to tell him. It took him a few moments to realize that the alarm and grief he saw in her eyes were not dire, more like an echo of a past pain or maybe a foreshadowing. He was perplexed when she handed him a folded piece of parchment until he recognized the handwriting. It was Lily's. Flipping the letter open, he began to read:

June 15, 1980

Dear Bella,

Somehow I think it will be you who finds this letter first. There is so much I need to tell you, so much you need to know and I doubt very much that I will be there to tell this to you in person.

Before I go further, I wish to ask you to take care of my baby; to love and raise him or her as if it were your own child. I know that is asking a lot of you, but regardless of the tensions between us these past months, you are still my friend and the only one I would trust to the task. Bad things are coming, Bella, and I can't shake the feeling that my time and James' runs short.

Now, the things I need tell you are related to some research I have been doing and a prophecy Dumbledore had partially confided to James and myself. First, the prophecy, I can't tell you specifics because I do not know them. According to Dumbledore, the prophesy predicts that a child, born at the end of July and who carries the blood of the Covenant's Founders will have the power to exile then destroy the Rising Darkness. Albus is doubtful that it is my child as he believes James is the father and I, of course, am Muggleborn. Although, since James is descended from Gryffindor and Avalon, Dumbledore doesn't wish to rule it out either.

Now for the second part. I have been doing research for the past several months, since I discovered my pregnancy and confirmed my suspicions on the paternity. I knew I would have to disguise the child somehow to protect both it and Severus from Voldemort, not to mention James and myself. I have spent a number of hours in Haven's library, but if you read this several years from now, you will likely know about that research. It is my discovery about my own heritage I need to convey to you as it might save my child where it would fail to save me.

Do you remember in History of Magic, when we studied the Schism War, the Great Weapon that end the war and the creation of modern Magical Society? So much information has been lost from that time or tainted and destroyed by the final conflict between Salazar Slytherin and Godric Gryffindor. I always wondered if there was more to the story than what we know or what has been recorded in Hogwart's: A History, and I found my answer.

There is a journal concealed amongst the library books in Haven; it is charmed to reveal itself only to the descendents of the original owners. My child should be able to find it quite easily, as I did. I won't go into too many details here, as it is all in the journal. I will tell you that if the journal is to be believed, my child and I are descendents of not only Salazar Slytherin and Godric Gryffindor, but also of the last Lady of the Lake. The final entries in the journal describe the 'Great Weapon,' being used against Lady Serena Slytherin, the wife of Salazar's eldest son and heir, Arick. She was the granddaughter of Gryffindor and the last Lady of the Lake. The weapon, although not used properly, was still powerful enough to bind Serena's powers. Several years later, Serena bore a daughter to Arick. It was discovered that the daughter's powers were also bound and that it would likely to continue for several generations. Knowing Arick needed a magical heir, Serena renounced her marriage and left wizarding England with her daughter.

Bella, I believe I am the descendent of that daughter. As I said, the book was charmed to remain hidden from anyone not of the bloodline. If what I suspect is true than the prophecy I mentioned earlier more than likely does pertain to my child as it would carry the blood of three founders, Slytherin and Gryffindor through me as well as the blood of Ravenclaw through Sev and Avalon through both of us. I am not sure which frightens me more, the thought of my child bearing such a burden or the thought that I will not be there to offer my support and guidance. Knowing that you and Severus will be there is my one consolation.

I am entrusting my child to you to protect and love, Bella. I know you will not fail.

Until we meet again,

All my love,

Lily

With shaking hands, Sirius refolded the letter and handed it back to Arabella before gathering her in his arms and holding her tightly. He didn't know what to think. His head was swimming and he couldn't quite fathom the burden his friends had carried, virtually alone, for the last year of their lives. Their reactions and behaviors made much more sense now in hindsight. He hadn't learned the full prophecy until just this past year and he couldn't help but wonder if James and Lily would be here now if they had chosen to confide the full truth to Dumbledore. He felt Bella shift in his embrace and watched as she unfolded and examined the letter again. He could almost see her mind working as she worked something out in her mind. Her head suddenly snapped up and she sprung off the sofa.

"Hermione! Ginny! Get in here!" She called excitedly and immediately began walking back toward the library.

Climbing off the sofa, he followed his sister curiously. Her mind had obviously taken off on some tangent, and even as a child, her tangents had been brilliant. He had often thought she'd belonged in Ravenclaw and not Hufflepuff. "What is it Bell?" he asked as he entered the large and musty room. He heard the two younger girls approach behind him.

Bella smiled brilliantly at him and he could almost feel the hope and enthusiasm that ebbed from her. Sirius watched her talk to the two girls, "Hermione, I need you to go through the books and find anything you can about the Schism War and the weapon that was used end it. Ginny, please help her. Look for anything that might remind you of the old legends, especially those of the last Lady of the Lake, a promise made by any of the founder's of the Covenant or the Bloodstone. Your grandmother told you those stories, didn't she?"

"Yes," Ginny replied. Her brow was slightly scrunched hinting at her puzzled state.

"I don't understand," Hermione asked as she came further into the room and glanced around the library as if she were orienting herself. "We studied the Schism War briefly but what is so important about it now?"

"The Schism War involved a dark lord much like Voldemort, but more important is the weapon that stopped him. We came across some information that suggests a powerful weapon was used to end the war." Bella said as she walked over to join Hermione and Ginny, who were already hunched over the indexing scrolls identifying potentially useful texts.

"So if we can find this weapon, we might be able to use it against You-KnoÉ Voldemort." Ginny replied, briefly glancing up at them.

He nodded and started to walk toward the shelves of books before feeling Bella pull on his arm. Turning around, he glanced at her quizzically.

"I need you to keep on the other research." Her voice was soft and Sirius could see her desire to conceal the nature of the "other" research and nodded. He turned and walked toward the other room to gather the books that Arabella had so unceremoniously dropped on the coffee table earlier. He was stacking the transfiguration books when he heard a noise that stopped his heart cold.

"Sirius!"

Sirius could hear his cousin, Nymphadora Tonks, screaming his name, her calls growing louder as she neared the Haven common room. He felt his sister at his side in a matter of moments. Looking down at her, she mouthed "Nymphadora?" Sirius nodded just as the odd looking girl with bright pink hair barrelled into the room.

Leaning against the wall and panting slightly the younger girl looked between the two of them, her eyes flashing to the two younger girls Sirius knew had exited the library behind Arabella.

"Harry. Dementors attacked. The Ministry took Harry." She said quickly, breathing heavily between the words.

"What?!" he explained, shocked and terrified as he tried to understand what Tonks was telling him.

"Harry used his Patronus. He said the Dementor went after a young girl. They've taken him, Ron, Fred and George to the Ministry for an emergency tribunal. They don't believe him, Sirius. Dumbledore is already on his way. Severus and Remus followed. Shacklebolt took him into custody, so he isn't completely alone. Dumbledore told me to come down here and make sure you all stay put."

"Stay put?! Harry needs me! Has he even met Shacklebolt? And why the hell wasn't someone with him!" He exclaimed. He could hear Ginny cry of alarm, first at the mention of not one, but three of her brothers and then at the word 'custody.' Both cries were followed by Hermione's calmer but strained voice offering comfort and support.

"He's right, Sirius." Bella said. "There is nothing you can do for him there. Even in your animagus form, you couldn't get close to him. You'd run the risk of discovery and that would be worse. Stay here with the girls."

"And where do you think you're going?" he demanded.

"For help." She called back over her shoulder as she summoned her cloak and ran out of the room.

"Bella!" he called after, trying to follow her only to be stopped by Tonks and Moody, whom he hadn't noticed earlier. He struggled against them for a short time before pulling away violently and storming toward fireplace. He pounded his fist against the mantle, letting out a growl of impotent rage. He couldn't stand being helpless - again - to aid his godson. Turning around, his eyes first caught sight of Hermione and Ginny sitting together on the sofa, both looked extremely worried. His eyes then gradually focused on the books on the table. Taking a deep breath, he tried to force himself, at least, to appear calm.

"Why don't you both go back in the library and work on Arabella's research?" He suggested.

Ginny automatically started to balk but was stopped by Hermione's firm hand on her arm. "He's right, Gin. We have to trust Dumbledore and the others to help Harry with this one. Besides, if Lady Arabella is right," her voice drifted off as Ginny started to nodded her agreement.

Sirius watch both girls rise from the sofa with more composure than he felt at the moment. They walked quietly toward the library. Both seemed to turn back as one and open their mouths to speak.

"I promise to let you know as soon as I hear anything." He promised.

Hermione and Ginny smiled faintly back at him and walked into the library, closing the doors behind him. He watched the closed doors for a moment before turning to glare at Tonks and Moody, who had taken up positions blocking the entrances to the common room.

"So that was cousin Arabella?" Tonks said in a strained voice, as if she was trying very hard to sound casual.

"Yes," Sirius replied sharply before turning away from them. Knowing he would be stunned if he tried to get past them, he grabbed a book from the table and settled on the sofa. It wasn't long though before his anxiety won out and he found himself treading across the Persian carpet that lay before the fireplace; eight steps in one direction then pivot and back again. While he paced, he prayed that between Arabella and Dumbledore, Harry would be okay.


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