The hall was chaotic. Everyone was shouting, people were hurling insults at the Potters, and people were scared. Suddenly, a cold presence arrived in the hall, and eery humming was heard. Everyone looked around to locate the source, and immediately Fleamont and Lydia Potter's glowing eyes attracted the ha;ll's attention. Suddenly, gold flashed in the room, and the man from the video, Lord Mortem, arrived.
"Dear one," Lord Mortem simpered, "you and the little enchantress called?"
"Yes," Fleamont answered cooly, "could you please restore order to this hall? I give you the permission to use all means necessary."
"Very well Master," Lord Mortem bowed before Fleamont, grinning as his eyes glowed gold. As soon as they did, gold tendrils of magic sprung from his arms, and split into hundreds of beams. The beams approached all the occupants of the hall, and promptly plopped themselves into everyone's souls. Silence was finally achieved, as Lord Mortem had taken away their speech.
"Return their speech to them as soon as their souls decide to leave us alone," Fleamont commanded, his countenance powerful, "and only after you may leave."
"Bye Mortem!" Lydia shouted, before giving death personified a big hug. If she hadn't convinced the hall she was crazy yet, all doubts flew out the window.
"Farewell little enchantress," Lord Mortem bowed once before her, and disappeared in a gold blast.
The scene shows 32 year old Sirius Black reading a letter from Iola. He swears profusely, waking Amelia, who had fallen asleep on the couch.
"What happened Sirius?" Amelia was suddenly alert. Sirius hardly ever swore, a habit he'd developed since he began raising children.
"Snape's a professor at Hogwarts," Sirius's fist tightened on the paper, "what's Dumbledore's game? He fought with us for 9 years to get him out of Azkaban, claiming he was a spy. We all know that's not true, so Snape has something Dumbledore needs. Sure he gave information about other death eaters, that's what got him out in the first place, but Snape wasn't a very high death eater until after the prophecy."
This is the second time a prophecy was mention, Dumbledore wondered to himself, could that be what led Tom's downfall? Or was it the Potter's secret gift that defeated him. After all, Tom's greatest fear was death. Dumbledore would have loved to question Fleamont, Euphemia, Lydia, or even young Sirius, but he knew he needed to let go of that desire. Otherwise, he'd never be able to speak again.
"I agree," Amelia says, "Dumbledore's been suspicious for years. We've been trying to rally support for a ministry intervention at Hogwarts, but most people don't want to break the tradition of Hogwarts independence. They don't realize the kind of damage that's been going on in the last 4-5 years. But this might be exactly what we need to push Dumbledore out."
"It seems that you two don't like me very much," Dumbledore questions his students, trying to see if such sentimentality already exists, "might I know your grievances with me?"
"That's the future Professor, so I don't know." Amelia's voice had never been sealed by death. She was too close with Potters and young Black to harass them over the information. Did it scare her? Yes. It was terrifying to know that one of her classmates could command the power of death, and likely had other abilities, all rooted in the unescapable force. However, she loved Lydia far too much to make drama over it. She'd simply ask Lydia whenever they got a break.
"Very well," Dumbledore sighed with relief. It seems their issues with him developed after their school years. He could handle adults feeling unsafe and not trusting of him, but if his students did, then he really messed up. His number one priority was to protect, cherish, and educate his students. He may use twisted and unsavory methods, and he may cross the line on occasions, but he does it all for them. So if a student would feel unsafe, he would have been a failure.
"I don't care about that!" Sirius shouts angrily, "I care about Iola. I care that she doesn't have to deal with his toxicity. I care for all the students who's families were harmed because of him. I care for poor Lily, who miscarried because of him. She's pregnant again Amy, she doesn't need him there to remind her of what she lost. It might cause her to miscarry again. It's dangerous."
"You did what Sev?!" Lily Evans stood up, green eyes burning with betrayal and anger, "I thought we were friends?! We were friends and you kill my child?!"
Severus Snape couldn't answer. The curse of death was still on him, and in truth, he was probably lucky that it was. Severus couldn't understand why future him would do that. Even if Lily married someone other than him, he would never do such a thing. If anything, he'd kill her husband, but never her child. Never someone who would have a piece of Lily in them. SO why did he do that?
"Shh," Marlene comforted her friend, "let's find out more shall we? Don't let the future hurt you." Lily simply sobbed on her shoulder.
"I'm not disagreeing," Amelia points out, "I'm just trying to be positive. Find the glitter in the dark I suppose. But I agree something should be done. As the new head of the DMLE, I can't join you, but be sure to grab Augusta when you go. She's sure to be pissed, and she's a right old Medusa when she's angry."
"Oh," Sirius suddenly smirks, reaching the end of Iola's letter, "it seems you owe me 300 galleons."
"Why's that?" Amelia asks, dread pooling in her stomach. She couldn't have lost all three did she?
"All my guesses on their sortings were right," Sirius brags, "Iola's in Hufflepuff and Nev and Suzy are in gryffindor."
"Sue's only in gryffindor because of you," Amelia huffs, "and I can't believe Neville didn't go to ravenclaw. He's such a nerd over plants, and he gets so hyper-fixated on them. I thought he'd for sure be there."
"You also thought Iola'd be a raven," Sirius is rubbing it in now, "and look what happened. I also get 60 from Augusta, she guessed Suzy right, and 20 from Dorcas. She got everyone but Susan. She thought Susan would be a puff."
"And now you're so much richer, " Amelia forks out the money, "curse you Sirius."
"That's not what you were saying last night," Sirius smirked. Amelia simply swats his head.
Present Amelia and Sirius blush at the implications, and Lydia openly laughs at them. "So unfair," Sirius mutters, "these things are only embarrassing me."
"I'm not alive to get embarrassed," Lydia shrugs, "and the scenes of the past will probably embarrass me at some point."
Sirius just hugged Lydia at the reminder that she was dead in the future.
The scene shifts to Augusta, Sirius, Remus, and Lily sitting in Dumbledore's office. "I know why you're here," he begins, looking them directly in the eyes.
"Do not attempt legillimency," Sirius warns, "I have very little patience as it is. Do not test me. I want to know why Snape is here. Why in Merlin's name are you allowing him to be around the children of his victims?"
"You must understand," Dumbledore begins, "that Voldemort is not dead."
Gasps could be heard in the hall. The death eaters, who had been depressed since the news that their lord had been defeated was given, brighten, smirks on their faces.
"He's dead," Augusta warns, voice dangerous, "do not diminish Lydia's death. She cast a fiendfyre so powerful, the Dark Lord could not escape it. She died in a blaze of glory, and you will cease to claim her death was wasted."
"I understand that the two of you were close," Dumbledore began, "but-"
"CLOSE!" Augusta shouted, fury uncontainable, "that girl was my niece! My dearest Mia's long awaited child! I watched that girl grow from a little scamp into the single greatest witch I've ever met in my life. I watched her cross boundaries with magic that were previously deemed uncrossable. I lost that lovely girl to your negligence, and only three days later, I lost Frank and Alice Once again, I lost children to you. You dare allow the man who was responsible for Frank and Alice being targeted to work as my grandson's teacher. I'll show you close, when I rearrange your face!"
"GO AUNTY 'GUSTA!" Lydia shouts, "YOU TELL HIM!"
"Oh I certainly will," Augusta rolls up her sleeves, "in fact, I'd like to-"
"Calm down," Euphemia soothed her friend, "he'll pay. Not now, but he will. Don't allow yourself to get all worked up."
"Only for you Mia," Augusta cooled, "only for you."
"I'm deeply sorry," Dumbledore placated, "I take all the blame for Voldemort finding out. However,-"
"You didn't even warn Lydia," Augusta continues, "only those in your Order of the Phoenix were awarded that. It was Lily and Remus who came and told us the prophecy. Lily and Remus who informed us that Voldemort likely knew a prophecy that would lead him to hunt down the children. Lily and Remus who told us to go into hiding."
"The thing is Headmaster," Remus began, voice angry, "that it was all avoidable. You could have placed privacy charms, you could have held the meeting inside Hogwarts itself. Hog's Head Inn is known to be of ill repute. Yet you did it anyways, and the prophecy was leaked to Severus Snape. "The time for one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches... Born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the third month dies... and the Dark Lord will mark as his equal, but will have power the Dark Lord knows not... and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives..." Those words sealed our daughter's fate."
"Severus would rather keep me alive," Lily sneered, "over my child. So he poisoned me, killing my child, and effectively removing me from his own master's crosshairs. Yet you'd have that man teach children."
"I didn't know Snape was so possessive of the girl," Lucius whispered to Narcissa, "that could cause issues. He has a lot of potential, but she's in the way."
"She clearly has no love for him," Narcissa points at the red head smirking, "and that in itself will draw him to us. We have given him our approval and attention, and he responds well to it. We'll have him in the Dark Lord's grasp soon."
"Right as always love," Lucius kissed her forehead, "we shall win, no matter what Potter does."
"Voldemort is not dead," Dumbledore insists, "there is too much evidence to prove otherwise."
"Evidence you won't share with the class," Sirius counters cooly, "evidence, that frankly, doesn't exist. He's dead. My brother and sister made sure of it."
"If you could forgive Regulus," Dumbledore asks, "why is it so hard to forgive Severus? He is essential for when Voldemort eventually returns. He will serve valiantly as a spy."
"Are you delusional?!" Sirius shouted, the portraits in the room shaking their heads, "Regulus was a 16 year old who got his head to far in. He volunteered to both the DMLE and Lydia essential information that lead to the war being won. It is true he was a death eater, but he nearly gave his life on multiple occasions to take down Voldemort. Snape was a fully grown adult when he volunteered to give a prophecy that seemingly targeted children to a madman. And for the lat time, VOLDEMORT IS GONE! There will be no return. And I warn you, if Severus Snape remains here, I will find a way to bring the full force of the DMLE on the two of you."
"I'm so proud Reggie," Sirius fake cried, "you grew up so nicely."
Regulus was unable to reply. Yet his heart warmed at seeing his brother care for him. Perhaps Sirius was right. The Dark Lord was seemingly mad, and Sirius was best friends with the mistress of death. Death clearly believed the Potter's were right, so he must be the one in the wrong. Sirius's muggeborn wife seems to be powerful and intelligent, being an unspeakable, and Potter's spawn is clever for a half-blood. Perhaps he was in the wrong.
"Very well," Dumbledore sighs, "I will remove Severus from the position. However, I will not remove him from the castle. Voldemort's plans have begun now, and I cannot afford for my best agent to be indisposed."
"Then I wish you good luck," Remus throws his hat on the desk, "you're going to need to find a new defense teacher."
"and a new potions teacher," Lily stands up, "I will not stay in a castle alongside the man who murdered my child. Especially not with the baby on the way."
"You're welcome to join me in my new project," Sirius offers, "I pay well."
"Let's head home and discuss this," Augusta motions for them to leave, "I wish to be far away from this man."
"I will be back next week," Sirius turns to Dumbledore, "to remove Iola from this establishment. I will personally teach her until I can arrange for her to go to another."
"I as well," Augusta warns, "so choose wisely." They all leave, and the scene switch's to Lydia Potter's mind.