Callie took the World Turner off around the boys but she kept it hidden beneath her clothes like a necklace.
Nothing changed in the Shack. It was still how they left it.
"What do we do now?" James asked as they formed a circle.
"If we're going to bring down Voldemort, we have to destroy that one last Horcrux. Any idea where he could be?" The plan was sidetracked so now, they had to go back on the racetrack. They had to continue the plan and go on. They had to finish the race and race faster than Voldemort.
Voldemort's aim was to push them off the tracks. He successfully did. Only for a moment. Thank the heavens and everyone Callie could thank that they managed to find their way back.
"We always had our meeting in the Lestrange Manor. That's where they held us. Maybe he's there with the locket," said Regulus.
Callie nodded. "Right. But we can't go there with just us. We need help."
That was her mistake before. They didn't have reinforcements at the beginning of their mission. She asked Dumbledore and he hadn't responded yet she didn't want him or him sending kids as reinforcements. She had seen the movies and read the books enough to decide that this war should not involve kids fighting. And definitely, not have Dumbledore lead.
And this war was different than before. Before, Voldemort didn't know her or their actions so moving with a small group would be the most likely option. But now, Voldemort knew her and what they did. There was no sense of hiding anymore. And certainly no sense in harbouring a small group to fight him. The last time they did, they ended up with Cruciatus Curse.
"We've got no time to spare," Sirius shook his head. "Who knows what Voldemort is doing now?"
"We have to divide the work," Remus suggested. "We need those who will secretly take the locket and destroy it and those who will call for help."
Splitting might not be the best action base on their experiences while doing this mission. But Sirius was right, their time was ticking and they had no idea what Voldemort had in mind for them. Callie was sure he was searching for them. But she had no idea to what extent.
"I'll help to retrieve the locket. I know my way around the manor," said Regulus.
Maybe, being a former Death Eater wasn't so bad after all. Of course, he regretted being one and idolizing the person who put them through a wand. But if he didn't, then their assets would decline even more. If he wasn't one, they wouldn't be able to have an idea where the locket was or any of the contributions he'd done.
"I'll be with Regulus." Of course, Sirius wouldn't allow his brother alone in the very same household that brought back his trauma of the Cruciatus Curse. No. He wouldn't do that. He would be with his brother. He wouldn't accept any complaints.
Lucky for him, there was none.
"I'll be with them." And of course, Callie didn't want to leave them both alone for the same reason as Sirius. But unlike him, there was a complaint.
And the complaint came from Regulus. "No, you're not going with us."
"But-"
"No buts, Callie. It's dangerous there."
"Exactly! That's why I'm going with you." If it was dangerous, she couldn't just sit back and not know what was happening to them.
The three Marauders knew what would happen next. They turned their back on them and planned their move. The two can quarrel as much as they wanted without them having to witness it.
"No. I can't risk you."
"I can't risk any of you either!" Not after what happened. She promised she would protect them all. That no harm would come to them. But it still did. And it did while she was kneeling in front of them and crying. The memory triggered stinging in her eyes.
"Callie, listen." He held her arms and made her look at him. "Sirius and I will be fine. We'll keep each other safe." Just like what they did before. "They will need your help convincing anyone for help." Callie knew a lot about their world. And she was pretty convincing. So Regulus was right.
"I'm scared," she admitted in a whisper, trying not to let her tears drop.
"I know," Regulus hugged her as a means of comfort. "But there's nothing to fear. I promise nothing bad will happen to us. We won't let it, all right?"
Callie could hold onto that. Even though when she first came, the Black Brothers were ripped apart, they stitched themselves back again because no matter what, the fibres of their love were still attached to each other. Despite the distance, despite the opposing beliefs, despite the thought they both forgot about each other. A brother's love wasn't that easy to tame.
"We'll see each other again." Regulus planted a kiss on her forehead. One that he meant only for her. He planted it deeply that she shivered under it, closing her eyes to drink his warmth even more as if it were their last.
That evoke the tears to flow one by one until they were crazy. She nodded. "Keep your promise."
It was his turn to nod. He pressed their foreheads together and unclasped the pendant he gave her. "Let me keep this. I'll give it back to you after this, personally."
She let him. She broke their touch, already feeling the cold of the space between them. Regulus put the pendant on and wiped her tears staining her cheeks.
The boys were done with the plan.
"Moony, Callie, and I will ask for help," said James as confirmation.
Callie nodded with a half heart. But she knew she had to be with them. She knew she would be capable of encouraging the adults to help them against Voldemort. She nodded again, this time with determination.
"I have our action planned," said Sirius, earning a nod from his brother. "So, what are we waiting for?"
"Let's go."
With Callie's mark, the boys walked about. But she pulled Regulus before he went. She hugged him again and tight, hoping she'd never have to let go. But she did need to.
"Just come back to me. I don't care about that necklace. Just come back to me."
Regulus smiled and nodded. "I will."
Hand in hand, they followed the Marauders outside. They ran towards Hogwarts Castle, Regulus catching up to his brother to hear the plan they formed.
Once they were inside the castle Regulus and Callie separated ways. The Black Brothers headed for the Chamber of Secrets whilst the trio headed to Minerva McGonagall's office. They didn't know if Dumbledore was already present so they chose to go to the next, obvious adult, the Deputy Headmistress.
Students were filling out the room until the hallways were flooded with heads and uniforms. But in the midst of them, James noticed the pointy hat and the wrinkled face of the Deputy Headmistress.
"There!" he yelled and pointed at her, garnering some attention from students.
Remus and Callie found her too. They ran against the current of the crowd without noticing Lily and her friends looking around after spotting James' voice.
"Professor!" James called when Professor McGonagall turned around to walk away.
"Professor McGonagall!" Remus followed.
Callie was busy trying to not trigger her phobia of the crowd around them. She was too busy that she didn't even notice Mary MacDonald spotting them amidst the crowd.
"Professor!" Remus repeated. And this time, Professor McGonagall heard them.
She stopped in her tracks and turned around. When she spotted them, her eyes widened at the same time as her brows knitted and pulled down.
The three stopped in front of her and spoke all at once. They were rambling about Voldemort and then the Horcruxes and the Callie and then Regulus and Sirius and then the Death Eaters and then Callie's world and then Mundungus Fletcher and then the break into Gringgots and then the dragon and then-
"Mr Potter! Mr Lupin!" Her shout levelled above all of theirs, shutting their mouths. "If you'll speak altogether all I'll hear is buzzing of flies. Where have you two been? You did not attend any of your classes for the past few days. You're nowhere to be found in the school with the two Mr Blacks and Mr Pettigrew! You know what this will cost you and your houses."
"Save the detention for later, Professor, we need your help," James said, panting after his ramble.
"Help? Who is this?" She pointed at Callie who she just noticed.
The trio looked at each other, asking who should prompt the explanation. Remus nodded at Callie, telling her she should do it. Callie looked at James for approval and he gave it.
She looked at the woman before her. Professor McGonagall raised an eyebrow, waiting for her answer.
Callie swallowed. "H-hi, Professor. I'm Caledonia Sinclair." Callie explained everything to the woman from the beginning until then.
They knew the farther Callie went, the more confused Professor McGonagall got. She might not be uttering a word but her face said, "absurd" the longer she stared. And every time she mentioned Voldemort by his name, she'd gasp. Because how come she could just call him by that name without hesitation?
"Sirius and Regulus are now on their way to get Basilisk's fangs to destroy the last Horcrux: Salazar Slytherin's locket. Once that Horcrux is destroyed, we can now completely stop Voldemort. He has to be stopped right now-"
Professor McGonagall was done listening. She turned to the two boys on Callie's side. "Is this just one of your pranks? Mr Lupin?"
"Professor, we wished it is. But it's not."
"Believe them, Minerva," an old, almost hoarse voice said behind the Professor.
Professor McGonagall turned around and gave way for the trio to see the Hogwarts' Headmaster, Professor Dumbledore. He held a paper in his hand, eyes stuck to it like glue.
When he was beside Professor McGonagall only did he stop walking and looked up to see them. "You are Caledonia, I presume?" he asked.
Callie did not even think of her anger against Dumbledore. She nodded and looked at the paper he was holding. That was the note she left him while they were searching for the Sorting Hat.
"Where are the two Mr Blacks now?" he asked.
"They're still probably getting the fang from the basilisk in the Chamber of Secrets."
"And your plan is?"
"Voldemort is probably looking for us but he doesn't do it on his own. He probably dispersed his Death Eaters to do that job. So Regulus assumed he was in the Lestrange Manor.
"Now, what we should do is end him once and for all. We have to rid him available to do anything else. We already limited him by destroying all but one of his Horcrux. Regulus and Sirius are on their way for that last one. So my plan is, we'll attack the Manor."
"We can arrange that," said Dumbledore.
"But there are few conditions I ask. No students should fight." Callie made sure she uttered that as clearly as clean water. She couldn't let the Second Wizarding War replay right before her eyes. "We need to ask the Aurors for help. We also need to keep the castle safe."
"We can talk to the Ministry about it."
Callie nodded. She didn't want to trust Dumbledore. But she had to just like with Fletcher.
"You have to make sure the Ministry and the Aurors will help. Voldemort has an army, we need ours too. An army composed of grown adults and not kids."
Dumbledore narrowed his eyes and nodded in acknowledgement. Callie seemed to greatly put more thought into this world than what her letter showed.
"With your extended knowledge of what happened, I might need your help convincing the Ministry," said Dumbledore.
"No, problem."
"We're coming too, Professor," James stepped in front.
"Our friends will be on the battlefield, we can't stay here," Remus added.
Dumbledore had no problem with that. Neither did Callie. For she too, knew what they were feeling and what she was willing to sacrifice for that brothers. She wouldn't let them float apart again by anything, they just made up. They deserved more time, a lifetime together.
"James? What battlefield?" Lily's familiar voice made them turn to their side to see her with Mary and Marlene McKinnon.
"Lily!" James jumped on his girlfriend and hugged her tight. The image of her dead body in the Gaunt Shack flashed again in front of his eyes.
"Minerva, call the other professors. Tell them to put enchantments around the castle."
Professor McGonagall nodded at Dumbledore's orders.
"Caledonia-"
"Callie is fine."
"Callie, will you come with me to my office and retell me everything with every detail?" She nodded and followed him, leaving the boys.
"I found your letter. And you said battlefield? What battlefield are you talking about? God, James, I'm so worried about you." Lily cried in his chest. All the anger she had because he didn't even explain well to her why he disappeared was gone like a puff of smoke when she saw him. "Why are you wearing sunglasses? Where did you two even get sunglasses?"
James broke the hug, took off the sunglasses, and explained everything. Not only to her but also to Mary and Marlene. Remus helped too, pocketing his sunglasses.
When Lily pieced it all together she said with all determination, "I'll come."
"You can't expect me to not come too," said Marlene with hands on her hips.
"I will, too," Mary followed.
"It's dangerous," James disagreed. "We told you what happened to Callie. Do you want that to happen to you?"
"I don't care. If that happened to your friend, that may happen to you. I won't let that happen to you."
"Lily-"
"Are you underestimating girls, Potter?" Marlene asked with a teasing smirk. "Are you underestimating your girlfriend?"
"You're putting words in my mouth, McKinnon. That's not what I meant."
"Look, James, Remus," Mary began, "you wouldn't be able to get rid of us. We'll come with you no matter what. If Lily will come, we will too."
James groaned in frustration.
"Mary's right, mate," Remus surrendered. "We can't stop these girls."
He sighed the loudest, most frustrated one. "Fine."
Marlene offered her hand to Mary for a high five and she enthusiastically gave it to her friend.
"We'll just change." They couldn't fight Death Eaters in long robes.
Unbeknownst to them, Pandora and Dorcas overheard everything. And off they went to search for their friends.
°°°
A/N: And we're down to the last five(?) chapters! Anyone have any idea what'll happen?
Anyways, have a good day or night!