The Marauders: Year Seven Part One

Sirius's Precious Seconds

Sirius contemplated this, then quickly aimed his wand. "Accio," he said, tying at summoning a trinket from the shelf, but it didn't move. Sirius swallowed nervously, and tucked his wand back into his hair, having proven Mopsus was telling the truth.

Mopsus's smile widened.

Sirius leaned against the door, deciding to play it cool. "What'd you do? Why doesn't my magic work? What are you here for?"

"One question at a time, my boy."

"Why doesn't my magic work?"

Mopsus nodded. "A good one to start with." He walked forward, closer to Sirius, who instinctively moved away so that they were separated now by the couch and a small table. Mopsus stopped and stared at Sirius a long moment, then said, "We are in a time loop."

"A time loop."

"Yes," Mopsus nodded, and he moved his finger in a circle... over and over again, slowly, his shriveled hand out before him. "We are living in the same one second, over and over and over. All of your spells would take longer than a second to be fully cast and therefore cannot take effect."

Sirius's eyes moved to the clocks. Each said different times, but indeed, the second hands were quivering ever so slightly... again and again and again, as though they wanted to move, but could not. He looked back at Mopsus. "Why are you here?"

"I'm afraid I must ask a favor of you."

"A favor of me?" Sirius asked, a scoff to his voice.

"Indeed," Mopsus nodded.

"And why should I do you any favors?" Sirius asked, "After all the rubbish you've put my friends through? You got a lot of nerve, you old bastard."

Mopsus nodded, "Well you aren't wrong about that," he whispered, and for a moment, his milky-white eyes looked sad. "I am a bastard."

Sirius's eyes narrowed. He didn't want to see sadness in the old man's eyes. He didn't want to feel as though he should contemplate pity for him. "Answer the fucking question," Sirius hissed.

"You ought to do me the favor because your loved one is in need of you. He suffers. You ought to do the favor for him."

Sirius raised a skeptical eyebrow.

"It will only take use of a couple of precious seconds, Sirius," Mopsus promised, and then you can get the mirror and be on your way back to the camp with Lily, James, and Remus. You do need that mirror," he said, "For Peter will be looking for you soon. Mopsus sees all."

Sirius's words were sharp, "Yeah, I heard all about you and your precious seconds! I saw what you did to Lyall Lupin, trapping his soul in a clock and feeding off it yourself. How many people have you got trapped in timeloops like this one, stealing seconds away from their lives? How many people's lives have you ruined to save your own?"

Mopsus's voice was hard. Instead of answering, he asked, "Will you help me or will you let your loved one suffer?"

Sirius hesitated, stepping quietly so that Mopsus could not possibly hear where he was, but the old man turned with him every step he took. "Who is it I'm helping?"

Mopsus did not answer.

"Who is it I'm helping, old man?"

"Does it matter?" Mopsus asked. He simply held out his hand, palm up, as though beckoning for Sirius to take a hold of it.

Sirius hesitated, but with another glance at the unmoving clock, he realized he didn't have much of an option. So he took a couple quick steps forward, "Fine. Let's get it bloody over with, then."