"Mundungus Fletcher?!"
But how?! How on earth was Mundugus Fletcher in her world?! Because, yes, he may look like Andy Linden but not exactly. And Callie knew well what Mundungus Fletcher looks like. And that old man is him!
She needed no more confirmation, Fletcher made a run for it. Callie ran too and the boys followed. Sam, not knowing what to do, ran too.
Why would he run if he wasn't the Fletcher who was known for his conduct of illegal activities? And if he was Andy Linden, why was he in a dark alley opening a door?
Because he wasn't. He was Mundungus Fletcher! And he knew they recognized him. And he recognized James Potter despite his cap. It never appeared in his mind how James Potter came to life and followed him.
A tall gate halted him for a few moments. He tried to crawl up of it to pass to the other side. But Mundungus Fletcher was a man with some weight; he wouldn't be able to carry himself over the gate fence. Yet still, he tried. Only to massively fail.
The group caught up to him. James pulled him down and he landed on the ground. When he faced them, Regulus was pointing a wand at him, Sam's wand. He took it from Callie earlier while they were running. The rest of them surrounded him while Sam chose to stay behind like a lookout, asking herself what on earth just happened right in front of her nose. And why wasn't her best friend freaking out like this was normal?!
Sam gasped at the action. She looked at her best friend and Callie wasn't even batting an eye that Regulus was pointing a weapon at someone. And did her best friend say, Mundungus Fletcher?! The guy from the series? He bought the Marauders Map from someone from a different world?!
"Are you the one who sold the Marauders Map to Sam?" Callie asked.
"Y-y-yes," he stuttered, shielding his face with his hands and arms.
"Where did you get that map?"
"I-I-I stole it from P-Potter."
"Me?"
"From Harry Potter," he clarified and specifically looked at James. "You're supposed to be dead."
"And you're supposed to be in the Wizarding World," Callie said back. "What are you doing here? How did you get here?"
Sam thanked the heavens that they were in a dark alley. Because it looked like her best friend was harassing someone to talk.
"I discovered this world after the Second Wizarding War ("Second?" Sirius whispered in disbelief) and hid here- can you stop pointing the bloody wand at me?"
"Not until you answer all our questions," Regulus' voice did not waver.
Fletcher rolled his eyes and continued his explanation, fixing his seat. "I enchanted what I had and made good money out of them. Including what transported me here."
"So you turned the Marauders' Map into a sort of," Callie couldn't find the right word, "like a portal?"
"A one-way bridge," he rephrased. "A bridge that'll connect this world to mine but can only be used once." He raised a finger to show the number. "After that, the object is no use."
A one-way bridge. That must be the reason it didn't work when she attempted to back into her room. She sighed. But they still had him, they could still get back, one-way bridge or another.
"Do you have anything else like that?" she asked after much thinking. It was a great idea she took the cash Bria pushed to her, they might need it with this man.
"No. You see, girl I don't know, I am retired now. I already have enough muggle money to live long. And I'm living well in this world." He relaxed, still finding Regulus' wand a threat but there was a feeling in him that he had leverage.
"What charm did you use to make a portal?" Regulus asked, not minding how his arm was beginning to sore.
Fletcher smirked. He knew that question would come. So he opened his hand and showed them his palm. "Answer's not free."
"Tell us or-"
"Or what?" He stopped Regulus's speech. "You'll kill me? Then who will give you the spell?"
"Stop with the toying," Sirius said through gritted teeth. He'd have Fletcher by the collar if Remus didn't hold him back.
"He's right," Callie sighed in defeat. "As much as I hate to admit." She dig in her bag and handed Fletcher an eighth of the cash she had.
He took it and counted. But he shook his head. When he was done. "Not enough," he said.
Callie contained the urge to lash out and instead gave him what he wanted. She knew he was their only way back to the Wizarding World.
"What's the charm and how do you cast it?" she asked, growing impatient every moment that passed.
"You would need something from that world. Tap it twice and say 'Temporus Viaportum'."
Callie's eyes narrowed. "You're telling the truth?"
"Yeah, I am! We did business. I am honest in business."
"That was for the one-way charm, correct? Is there any charm for a long-lasting one? One that doesn't expire?" It was the moment she needed, the moment they all needed. If Fletcher had something like what Callie wanted, she would be willing to give everything she had in her bag. The price for being able to cross between two worlds she held dearly was more than the worth of what she had.
"Yes. A bridge that will last forever."
Oh, thank God. Callie couldn't describe the relief that there was one. That she and Regulus and the Marauders would never be parted again by time and space. That she'd be able to go back to her family and friends.
"What is it?"
Fletcher offered his hand again. Without a doubt and without looking, Callie pulled more than half of what she had and slammed it on top of his hand. The boys weren't even able to complain and she already gave the man what he wanted.
Of course, they understood that. They, too, would give anything for a chance to let them be together until the end of their lives. That was why they did not complain.
"Just like before, tap the thing you got from that world twice and say 'Perpetus Viaportum'. That thing will become a bridge that will never burn. Ever."
Perfect. That was all Callie wanted. But...
"I still don't know whether to trust you or not." That was Mundungus Fletcher they were talking to. But that was the only thing they could do right then, trust him. Hopefully, they weren't wrong with that decision.
"I can cast the chant," Remus said. "What do we have from our world that isn't the map?"
The only thing he knew they have from their world was their clothes... that they left with Callie's room. But she had something up her sleeves. The map couldn't be used anymore. But inside her bag, she fished the Time Turner.
She pulled it out and showed it to the boys.
"The Time Turner," Regulus murmured.
"Where did you get that?" James asked.
Callie handed it to Remus. "When we were searching Filch's office for the diadem, I found it and thought to keep it in case we lost and there was no other way. I didn't know it was this way this Time Turner will help us."
"I need to remind you, once you've enchanted that Time Turner, it can't be used as a Time Turner anymore. It'll become a portal," Fletcher reminded them.
Using it as it was would be a great option. But Time-Turners were tricky. That was why they were destroyed in the fifth book of Harry Potter. Callie couldn't risk that.
She nodded to Remus as a go sign.
Regulus handed him the wand. As soon as Remus took it, Fletcher attempted to escape. But Sirius and James pushed him back to the ground.
"Not yet until we're gone," said Sirius, flashing a grin.
Remus concentrated on the Time Turner in his hand. He breathed in and out. He tapped it twice and chanted, "Perpetus Viaportum!"
The wind blew from the tip of the wand. A soft, green mist came out and wrapped around the Time Turner. As if it was sipping the mist, it slowly absorbed the green mist until it was gone.
"The map worked when I chanted what the Marauders would. What's the mechanism for the Time-Turner?" Callie asked.
"Wear it, turn it around whilst imagining the place you wanted to be until you are there. If you wanted to go to our world, turn it anti-clockwise. And if you wanted to go back here, turn it clockwise."
Remus nodded to her and gave her back the Time Turner. Was it even appropriate to call it that? World Turner, probably. Callie sucked at naming things. Just take Bubbles as an example.
"I'm still not sure whether to believe you or not," she told Fletcher as she wore it.
Remus gave Regulus the wand back and he pointed it to the man again.
Callie put the World Turner around the boys, making sure all of them are within it. Regulus still hadn't broken the wand away from Fletcher.
"Callie," Sam called from behind, shaking that she just saw magic.
"Sam, go ho-"
"I want to come with you?"
She shook her head. "No, Sam, you shouldn't."
"Then why are you back there? I'm coming with you."
"You're not! I won't allow you to. It's dangerous there right now and we are trying to keep it safe."
"It's dangerous but you'll still go?"
"Of course, I have to."
"Well, well then, let me help."
"You can help Sam if you go back to your home, keep mum, dad, and Bria accompanied while I'm gone and make sure they know I'm coming back. But I won't allow you to help in a war you're not conditioned with."
Truth be told, Sam had no idea what kind of war she would face when she crossed worlds. She didn't even know if she was prepared for that in the first place.
So she nodded, giving in. "Okay."
Callie nodded too in relief. "Good. Thank you for everything. I'll explain everything soon. Every single thing. I promise."
"Just be careful."
Callie nodded. She closed her eyes and imagined the safest place she could think of, the Shrieking Shack. Her fingers trailed over the turner.
Regulus retreated his stretched arm but still kept it pointing at Fletcher.
Slowly, Callie turned the World Turner. She kept doing so while clearing the image of the shack in her head. The charm they used wasn't taught anywhere but only by Fletcher. They didn't even know if it was safe or if he was telling the truth. But they had to trust him.
At every turn, the image of the shack became clearer. And every turn, she could feel the temperature around her changing. It was warm back in the alley, the cars and busses honking began to fade. And slowly, the birds tweeting replaced the noise of the city. The warmth of the dark alley became cold and humid.
"Callie, stop," Remus said.
She flickered her eyes open. Her heart sank to the wooden floor of the shack when she saw it again after some time. She never thought she'd lay eyes on it ever again. The trashed yet the room that kept her safe and hidden. It was a reunion she never knew she needed.
"We did it," she breathed with a smile of a mix of belief and disbelief.
"Yes, we did." Regulus traced her forearm down to her hand and intertwined their hands together. "We did it."