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Author: Sorting Hat Story: The Future's End Rating: Teens Setting: Pre-HBP Status: Completed Reviews: 5 Words: 44,601
James, Ron, and Ginny walked into Professor McGonagall's office less than an hour after Hermione's disappearance. James was surprised to find the normally immaculate office in disarray. As James had come to expect, the Deputy Headmistress didn't waste any time. As soon as the trio sat down she began to question them. “What do you know about the Order of the Phoenix?” “My parents and older brothers are in it, but all I know is that it is an organization set up by Dumbledore to defend against against dark forces,” Ron spoke up. For a moment, James thought Ginny might add something to this, but she only nodded. McGonagall turned to him. “As far as what the Order is now? Probably most of what you know. It's ancient history from my perspective, Professor,” James said flatly. “I see,” Professor McGonagall said. She appeared to consider his words for several moments before continuing. “You've been to a meeting before?” James nodded gravely. Professor McGonagall considered James for a long moment. James held her gaze. Eventually, the old professor sighed. “You know the procedures then,” she said. A statement, James realized. Not a question. He nodded again. Professor McGonagall handed James a parchment and said, “One Liter, three pints, and twice past a lemon drop.” James studied the parchment, as a recipe for lemon cake began to appear. A moment later, it was finished. “Thanks.” After that, McGonagall ushered them out her office. James led the way while Ron and Ginny followed. Ginny's looked puzzled. Ron looked furious. “What was the point of going to see her? For all we know, Hermione could be dead right now and she gives you a cake recipe?” he yelled at James. James glanced backward at him, but said nothing. “Are you listen--” “Wait,” James said firmly, looking down at the recipe he'd been given. He traced his index finger in a thin line under several words. He saw Ron glance at them and then sigh in exasperation. Clearly they meant nothing to him. James didn't mind that. Everything would clear up in a moment. “Two pints of lemon colouring, three pinches of hope, and a lot of prayer,” James said out loud. Ron looked at him as though he were nutters. Ginny mirrored her brother. James kept silent as he waited. A door appeared in the wall several feet away. James turned to his mother and uncle. “This door will take us to the place where the Order of the Phoenix meets. It's sort of like a Portkey and a bit like the Floo network. Just close your eyes and empty your lungs before you go through the door and you'll be fine.” “What does it do?” Ron asked, his voice a bit wary and uncertain. James considered. How could he explain this in terms Ron would understand? A moment later, it came to him. It's like Apparation. Only, it's controlled by the castle and only accessible to certain people. I'll go first. You watch me and then follow. Exhaling until his lungs were empty and shutting his eyes, James stepped through the door into the void. It could have been seconds or hours before his feet touched solid ground again. There was no way to measure time inside the void. James was surprised to see Ron and Ginny already inside. Ginny was sitting on the floor with her hands over her eyes and Ron was over in a corner. James averted his eyes before a horrible spattering sound filled the air. “I never want to do that again,” Ginny said, glancing over at Ron. “I'll say. You could have warned us, James!” Ron said, when he was able to speak. “I did. There isn't much else for it. The unpleasantness will pass and usually only happens once. People have different reactions the first time they step through. It's part of the castle's security system,” James explained. “What would happen to someone who wasn't supposed to be here?” Ginny asked, looking up. James' face turned slightly green. “They'll not be able to walk for a while....” “What do you mean?” “The reason you don't feel well is because the trip through affects your inner ear. The part that helps you balance. If someone stepped through who wasn't invited, they'd get more of what you have. Did you ever spin around until you were so dizzy you couldn't stand straight anymore? Like that except worse. They can't get up for several minutes. By that time they're surrounded by members of the Order of the Phoenix.” “Shut up, shut up!” Ron said savagely, before giving into his stomach and losing what was left of his lunch. “You probably opened your eyes too soon, Uncle Ron. I always wait at least ten seconds before I open mine.” “How come we got here first?” Ginny asked. James shrugged. “The castle decides who gets the fastest route. Can you stand, Uncle Ron? We have a way to walk.” Groaning, Ron struggled to his feet only to collapse again, cursing as he hit the floor. Ginny gasped and James walked over to him. Together, they managed to lift Ron to his feet. James pulled one of Ron's arms around his shoulder and began to walk. Ron wobbled a bit, but they were soon on their way. “Where are we?” Ginny asked, taking a deep breath. “The air seems different here. Smells--” “Stale?” James cut in. Ginny nodded. James explained, “we're below Hogwarts. In fact, we're way below the castle. You could probably fit another Hogwarts in the space between the school and where we are now. The reason the air is stale is because there is no natural ventilation. It's all magically done. I imagine no one has been down here in quite some time and it takes a while for the air to completely recycle itself.” “How do the first people come down here then, if there is no air?” Ron asked. “Bubble head charms. There's air in Hogwarts,” Ginny speculated. James nodded. “Something similar, but that's the basic idea, yes.” Several moments later, the three students arrived at the end of the corridor. Ginny pressed her hand against the smooth rock wall. Nothing happened. “I thought it would be like platform nine and three-quarters,” she said in confusion. “Sort of. One Liter, three pints, and twice past a lemon drop.” The others looked at him as though he'd lost his mind. James shrugged and caught Ginny's wrist as she fell trough the wall. Still supporting Ron, James barely managed to pull Ginny back to her feet. “Can you walk now?” he asked irritably. Ron shifted away and took an experimental step. “Yeah. I think so,” Ron said, taking a few more steps. After verifying Ron wasn't going to fall, James turned toward the wall. “Just walk through it. Nothing will happen,” James said, before stepping through it. Ginny and Ron popped through a moment later. The sheer enormity of the room was the first thing James noticed, as he always did. The room was big enough to hold a multitude of people and probably had at some point. “Whoa,” Ron said, looking around. Ginny's eyes just widened. Voices from the far end of the room caught James' attention. Nothing seemed rushed, but there was a tense feeling in the air. Professor McGonagall was nowhere to be seen. Clearly, the meeting hadn't started yet. Suddenly, a voice cut into James' thoughts. “Harry. Good to see you again. I suppose you're here about Hermione?” Bill Weasley asked gravely. “Uh, Bill,” Ginny began, but Bill was to focused on James to hear her. “She's bound to be around here someplace. We just have to find her. I imagine some of what you learned for the Triwizard Tournament will come in handy and--what Ginny?” Bill finished angrily. She'd been tugging on his sleeve. James stepped back a half step. “This isn't Harry,” Ginny hissed. A confused look settled over Bill's face. James took hold of the older man's right hand, before the situation could escalate. “My name is James Potter,” he said shaking Bill's whole arm, “Harry's had an accident and is up in the hospital wing. I don't imagine you'd realize, having been in Egypt.” “J-James, Potter?” Bill asked in total confusion. “But he's dead.” Ginny gently extracted Bill's arm from James' hand and took her brother's hand herself, leading him away. James hoped she could explain in a way that wouldn't get him killed. Soon after that, Professor McGonagall arrived and called the meeting to order. One by one, the names of the people who had arrived were called out and appeared on a list in front of the room. James flushed a bit when his name was called. Very few knew him so everyone turned to see him. Before anyone could say anything, Professor McGonagall grabbed their attention again. “Circumstances has become much more dire since our previous meeting. A new threat, known as the Toscora have made themselves known to us, Professor Dumbledore and Harry Potter are currently in the hospital wing as a direct result of their last attack. Also--” There was a sharp intake of breath from most of the assembled crowd, which cut off her words. Someone even began yelling in anger, until Professor McGonagall held up her hand for silence. She gestured toward James to join her at the front of the room. He did so, trying very hard not to notice everyone staring at him. Some wore blank expressions, some were confused, and a few were openly hostile at what they probably thought was some sort of trick. Professor McGonagall moved a half step behind James, so as not to block anyone's view and said, “This is James Potter, the son of Harry Potter. Due to some particular circumstances, he has joined us from several decades in the future. I shall leave it to him to explain.” “Tell them why and and how you got here. Maybe some of what you hope to accomplish as well,” Professor McGonagall muttered. James nodded. He'd discussed the Order meetings with some of the surviving members in his own time before he'd attended them, and learned what to expect. “Sonorus,” he whispered. “Can everyone hear me? Okay. My name is James Potter, like Professors McGonagall said. I've come back to assist with the war effort. We all know Voldemort is back, but what you don't know is that in the coming years the war will go very badly for our side. To put it bluntly, I'm here because our side lost. I was sent back by Headmaster Montgomery Scarborough, who replaced Professor Dumbledore. At the time I left, very few witches or wizards on the side of good remained. I've since returned, and come back again after having seen my fears confirmed. I'm here to make sure we don't make the same mistakes, or miss our opportunities.” James paused to take a deep breath and consider his next words. When he had an idea of what he wanted to say, he continued. “The Muggles are fond of saying that no one can change the past. I can already see proof that this is wrong. From what I was told by my parents and their associates in my own time, several of the people in front of me right now should be dead and yet they are here. We may have lost in my time, but that was the future. This is the present and anything can happen.” Feeling he'd overstepped his bounds, James sat down without saying anything more. Professor McGonagall thanked him and moved to the next item on her agenda. “As I am sure you are all aware, a student has been taken from our midst. At present, we are unsure how, or when this took place. We--” She stopped because James had raised his hand. She nodded. “I think I know when it happened.” “Oh?” she asked. “During the Toscora attack. Everyone was distracted, Dumbledore was been hurt and my father possessed. We were all distracted. It was a perfect opportunity. I could be totally off my mark, but that's the only time everyone was looking the other way. Hermione could have been kidnapped by a Death Eater in Polyjuice and replaced before anyone realized what was happening,” James said. Professor McGonagall nodded thoughtfully, but Ginny voiced her doubts. “But she helped us do the new Patronus. How could she do that if she'd been replaced?” “Only a very powerful witch or wizard can create a cauldron clone. It would take someone more powerful still to control the clone to that degree. They were probably already interrogating her for information,” James explained. Remus Lupin suddenly spoke up, “How many witches or wizards are there who could create one of those clones?” James considered for such a long time that Remus repeated his question. “When I give the names, they are the people I knew, from my time,” James said, to which Remus nodded. “Me, You, Hermione Granger, Draco Malfoy, Voldemort, Blaise Zabini, and several Death Eaters I don't know the names of. Those are just the ones I've seen first hand. Several more could do it, but they're already dead.” “But these people were from your time. Who could do it today?” Remus asked. “Me. But as I've told Professor McGonagall, I think someone from my time has come back, who isn't on our side.” “Someone you've just named?” Remus asked. “Could be. Or someone else entirely.” “What we need is--” Remus began. “CONSTANT VIGILANCE,” Alastor Moody hollered, causing several people to jump and one older woman to shriek in surprise. “Some way to prevent anyone else from being snatched,” Remus finished, throwing a slightly annoyed glance at Moody. “What do you suggest, Lupin?” Severus Snape asked sourly. “More wards, Severus,” Lupin answered calmly. “And a couple of curse breakers,” he added, glancing at Bill and Fleur. Fleur rubbed her hands together speaking to Bill very rapidly in French. He answered a few of her questions, faltering as she got more and more detailed, until finally he was forced to hold his hands up like a shield and say “Whoa!” James chuckled, then turned his attention back to Professor McGonagall. “--who may also be able to help Harry Potter break free of whatever curse Voldemort has him in,” she finished, nodding again in Bill's direction. Bill's face turned very grave and he began speaking to Fleur in a voice to low for James to hear. He forced himself to focus on Professor McGonagall once again. “The rest of you will divide into teams. One of those teams will remain at Hogwarts, the rest will begin searching for Miss Granger. I need not remind you of the importance of locating her as soon as possible.” “Tell us more about this new threat. The...Tosona, did you call them?” asked an old wizard James didn't know. Professor McGonagall glanced in James' direction and gestured to him. Sighing, James back walked to the front of the room. “Sonorus. The Toscora....” James trailed repeated, wondering where he could start and what he could say that would be the most beneficial. Eventually he decided on reiterating most of what he'd already said. “The Toscora don't exist yet. They were created several years from now, as an experimental weapon against the Dementors. During the first tests, they seemed to be a very effective defense, but something happened and they got loose. They were supposed to be a short range defense for repelling the Dementors who came to close to the school grounds. As I said, they got loose somehow and started to breed in the wild. We think they were approached by Voldemort soon after their escape. After several months, they began to attack the school itself. They aren't harmed by the normal Patronus, but we've been working on a variant that may prove effective. It requires several individuals working together to cast it however, so it is limited,” James explained, pointedly ignoring the people who flinched at the name. “What are these Toscora like? I mean, what sort of creature?” someone called from the back. “Physically? They're similar to a Dementor, but not as solid and they look different. Closer to what a ghost would look like. One feature that sets them apart is the fact that they can see, while a Dementor can't.” “You said you were working on a defense against them. Didn't you design them with a defense in mind?” Professor Tofty called from someplace near the center of the crowd. James briefly recalled the old man's affinity for Defense Against the Dark Arts. “The Patronus was supposed to be our defense in case of emergency. The first ones we made were constructed in a way that even a regular Patronus could defeat, but they evolved. The new Patronus we're working on is more effective, but only in groups. Preferably very large groups.” “What if the groups get separated?” Bill Weasley called. He seemed to be over his initial shock at meeting James and was now all business. “Well...I suggest you try to make sure that doesn't happen,” James said gravely. Bill shook his head slowly. “What do you expect us to do, without any sort of defense?” Bill snapped. Ginny whirled toward him, probably to tell him off, but James held his hand up for silence. Ginny glowered. In any case, James felt Bill had a point. “All we can hope to do is avoid them for now,” James said darkly. “And if we can't? What happens if they attack us? I mean, how do they kill their opponent?” Bill asked. “They fly through you, causing a massive neural disruption and the synapses in....” James trailed off because Bill began to look lost. He considered for a moment before settling on a more basic explanation. “They fry your brain and they make it so your heart can't beat anymore.” Most of the relativity young members of the Order of the Phoenix shuddered. “How can we possibly defeat something like that?” someone asked. James glanced at Professor McGonagall, trying to communicate a thousand thoughts at once. Perplexed, the professor just nodded. James' voice firmed. “I won't lie to you and tell you I have a solution I can just pull out of thin air. We're working on it. You all know I'm from the future. There were those in my time who said the reason we lost is because we did to little, to late. I'm here to change that. What I can do now, is teach you some of what I know.” James turned away from the crowd and gestured toward Professor McGonagall, who walked over to him. “May I use the Room of Requirement for this?” he asked quietly, pointing a finger at his throat to cancel the voice amplification spell. She nodded. James turned back toward the Order. “Those of you who work at St. Mungo's, or any other hospital or place of medicine should stay after the meeting. Those of you who are potions masters should stay as well. There will be discussion about other types of information later.” James sat down with a conjured glass of water to drink while Professor McGonagall resumed her place at the podium. “You will receive a summons the usual way, when Mr. Potter has something to teach which relates to your field. If there is nothing else? This meeting is adjourned.” The meeting began to break up and James watched as Bill and Fleur walked over to Professor McGonagall and Mrs. Trelawney looking very determined. James was about to go join them when a hand suddenly closed on his shoulder. He tensed, ready to attack and turned around to find Molly gazing down at him. He yelped. “Hello, James. Are you too old to give your grandmother a hug?” Molly opened her arms as James responded, melting into those familiar arms he'd known all his life. He had expected her to stumble over the words, but she didn't. It was then that James realised that all of his impossible circumstances, his oddities and the fact that he stood there older than her daughter, didn't matter. Molly's embrace was just as warm, as loving, and as natural as it had always been. She was his grandmother. Nothing more, nothing less. Unbidden, James' mind drifted again into his past. He'd fallen and scraped his knee. Wailing, he reached out his arms. Grandma picked him up. He'd been bitten by one the the gnomes in the garden behind the Burrow. Grandma gave him a hug. He'd had a nightmare. His father had been killed him his dreams and James had bolted up in bed screaming. Grandma gave him a cup of hot chocolate and a hug. He'd been picked on by some of the other boys in Diagon Alley. Grandma gave them a telling off and then gave him a hug. His sister had died and his father was withdrawn. James was miserable and Grandma gave him a hug. He missed his father, who'd been gone for over a month. Mum had no idea where he was and she was crying. Grandma gave her a hug. James tightened his grip around Molly and shocked himself by beginning to cry. Not loudly, or violently enough to alert the other Order members or his friends, but enough for Molly to tighten her grip around him. “Hi, Grandma,” he said. “Hello, James,” Molly said softly. James stood there for another half minute. The last time he'd done this, his grandma had been killed shortly thereafter. James broke away reluctantly when Professor McGonagall, Fleur, Mrs. Trelawney, and about thirty members of the Order of the Phoenix approached. “The day after tomorrow, meet me in the Room of Requirement at six o'clock in the evening. Bring your basic tools. Are there any questions right now?” “How long will the instruction take and are you qualified to teach it?” someone asked. Professor McGonagall spoke up before James could answer. “Mr. Potter has my approval and confidence in his ability to teach.” James picked up without missing a beat, “The instruction will take several weeks. Any more questions?” No one said anything and the crowd dispersed a few minutes later. A second later, Bill and Fleur walked up to him as he headed toward Professor McGonagall and Mrs. Trelawney. “We need to go see Harry and we'd prefer you to come along,” he said without preamble. “Why?” “If this was something from your time affecting him, you're more likely to be able to identify the curse, once Fleur and I expose the less visible symptoms,” Fleur explained. James momentarily lost focus, but then applied a spell his grandmother had often termed a counter-curse to dispel the affects of her Veela magic. “That makes sense. When do we want to do this?” “Right now. Mr. Lupin is going to meet us there,” Bill said. James shrugged. They all left for the hospital wing. They arrived several minutes later to find Remus waiting for them. “Seems a lot like a something I saw performed years ago, called the Calamitix Intelleai curse. It's not, but that may give us somewhere to start,” Remus informed them. James knew about that curse. It controlled the victim by causing the electrical signals in their brain to misfire in controlled sequences, so the victim would be made to do whatever the caster instructed them to do. Similar to the Imperius curse, but not as reliable. Bill muttered an incantation and waved his wand over Harry's chest. A large red constantly changing shape appeared; Bill and Fleur both groaned. “What?” Remus asked. “It's effects aren't a constant. It's going to be much harder to break.” “Maybe the changes conform to a pattern,” James suggested. Bill nodded while Fleur said something in French, causing a purple shape to surround the red shape. The purple shape formed itself to the red shape, closing it in until the purple shape moved exactly along with the red one. The group studied it for several moments. “Doesn't seem to be. Of course, if Voldemort knows what we're doing, it wouldn't be all that hard to intentionally change it,” Bill muttered. Fleur, Remus, and Bill moved in circles around Harry, muttering various charms and counter charms, while James watched the shape. Its changes seemed so completely random that he sighed in frustration. A clump of Harry's hair fell out, in response to one of Fleur's counter-charms. James reached to pick it up and accidentally brushed his father's scar. The instant he did so, he was nearly thrown off his feet by an invisible force. When he picked himself up off the floor, he gasped. Remus, Bill, and Fleur were raptly watching the shape which had changed colour. The purple layer was now dark green, while the red layer was orange. As James stared at it, the pattern began to stabilize itself. No one dared even breathe as the changes slowed and suddenly stopped. “This isn't possible. A curse can't have this configuration,” Bill snapped. Fleur nodded helplessly. Remus' shoulders slumped. After a moment, he spoke up sharply. “What, James?” James' face had twisted with anger and his normally brown eyes were almost black with emotion. “I know what this is.” “What is it?” Bill asked slowly. “This is the Nacarium Rolsari curse. This is what the Death Eaters did to my grandma Weasley in my time. Harry's brain is being controlled with specific patterns of damage. Eventually, his brain will be little more than a lump of tissue. When they did it to Grandma, it only took a few hours because she was hit with so many at once,” James growled in frustration and despair. He glanced at Bill who's face had gone white at the description of what had been done to his mother. “There is no cure and there is no counter-curse.” “So, what you're saying is--” Fleur began. “Nothing we can do for him except wait for him to die.”
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