Harry sat reading one of the texts from the east annex on protective charms. The library was impressive. He had gotten there early to check out the library, but really to wait for Lily who he had asked to come ahead of time. Quickly it appeared that the books – while very illuminating – all dealt with relatively well know subject matter. In fact the tome Severus had pulled out to research their custom spell had been the strangest one by far.
Punctual Lily came in just five minutes later than he had asked. He put away his book and she came over to sit in a chair near him instead of beside him on the couch. It didn't seem like she would speak first, clearly she was still a bit cross about how the party had turned out. He stood up and went over, taking her hand.
"Come over." he said.
"I don't feel like it." she said averting her gaze.
"Please. Pretty please. Pretty please with cherry on top?"
She tried very hard not to grin. He took her other hand too and pulled her up. "Will you look at me?"
Her eyes softened as they met his and he rubbed his thumb on top of her hands. "I like when you tie your hair back." he said.
"Do you?"
"Yes," he said gently kissing her on the lips, "it reminds me how you looked that night when I first told you everything. You stole my heart that night."
"Did I?"
"I'm afraid so." he said with a cheeky smile.
"You are such a sap."
"Am I?" he laughed.
"Yes! Can you just stop this nonsense and kiss me?" she said.
He did so feeling like nothing had been lost where they left off. He swore he saw her eyes glint fluorescent for just a moment around her dilating pupils. A strand of copper red hair tickled their faces between them, their arms slid comfortably around each other, falling into a familiar rhythm.
"So tell me why you wanted me to come early." she said.
"I just wanted to make sure you knew you should never feel like you have to be jealous." He pulled her close and kissed her cheek. "Of anyone, ever."
"Well, I guess I could forgive you..." she said with a grimace.
"Thanks."
In better spirits they cozied up on the couch. "You felt it too didn't you?" he said.
"Things are changing." she said looking up at him with a nod.
"I hope Keldran isn't wasting our time. Though, I have to say he seems to know what he's doing."
"We need to talk about Peter, when this is over. We have to know what happened, if only to make sure we're safe."
"I agree."
She shifted slightly, seemingly something on her mind.
"You're still thinking about what I told you?"
"I guess it's just hard for me to imagine Peter being responsible for –" she said and sighed.
"I don't have more information than what I told you. Believe me, giving bad news isn't something that makes me happy."
"And Remus, Sirius and James still don't know a thing. I know, we can't tell them." she said reassuringly.
Together they had some tea while discussing the book Harry had been reading. It was good he now could keep up with her academically and connect on that level. Remus and Severus came in one after the other, taking a seat to discuss the end of their trial. The former still had a shadow of doubt and sadness over him.
"It's hard to believe we'll still find Keldran on the 7th floor," Severus said, "the whole thing seems like something I dreamed."
"Or a nightmare." Remus answered.
"We'll find out what happened to Peter, you know that's going to be our priority." Lily said.
"Even though we think he betrayed us?"
"Regardless of whether he did." Harry said.
Lily stood up and moved towards the exit, looking back at them with a calm purposeful look. "Let's go."
The four of them walking together through the castle didn't draw the same questions as it once did. They had been marked as friends, now more than ever with the Marauders losing a limb.
The ground was shifting beneath Harry's feet, and he had no way of knowing which way was north. Keldran's words were still present in his mind, but still he thought of how powerless he was to judge any of it. He wished there was a better way than just to cross his fingers and hope for the best. Peter wasn't supposed to die.
The appearance of the golden handle brought with it the realization of the depth of their responsibility. Keldran was seated at his ebony desk hunched over a large tome, gray wisps of smoke floating around him like cirrus clouds. He emptied his pipe in a tray with three taps and waved his hand to disappear the haze around him. "Right on time." he said standing up.
He stood before them carefully studying their demeanor, hands behind his back. "Now, I bet you're all wondering why all I've done is sent you packing without your wands. Well, you don't build castles without strong foundations. Now that the groundwork is finished..." He took out three wands from his robes and placed them on a wooden stand. "Remus, Lily, Severus, why don't you show me the results of your exercise."
Without much delay, the three extended their hand and the three wands came flying into them. They all tested weight and the magic focused into their wands, they exchanged looks of satisfaction. Keldran snapped his fingers and the wooden stand fluttered into a kaleidoscope of butterflies. "Now, be careful with those, you should have more control over your spells but the first few tries might surprise you. Do feel free to keep practicing wandless as you like, I trust you'll understand the benefit."
He took out a fourth wand, rough wood with spiraling green slits carved into it. "I noticed yours was slightly out of tune with your style, Harry. So I took the liberty of… replacing it with a more suitable one."
Stepping over to Harry, he presented the one he was holding. Harry looked at the strange piece of wood and took it. He instantly felt some connection, like electricity zapping along his arm. His mind went to his first visit at Olivander's and how different this felt, no fated connection to the Dark Lord. This wand was his own. "Thank you. It feels...nice." he said, flicking it around producing wisps of blue red and purple.
"My pleasure," Keldran said with a nod, "but now that we are quite done with the easy part, it's time for you lot to put in some real effort." He paced along the foursome, regarding them in a new light. "I've taken the liberty of adding a new library to the original Common Room. It's embedded into the fountain for safekeeping. In there you will find the wisdom of generations, collected for your reading pleasure."
"Books?" Harry asked.
"You'd prefer a suit of armor?" Keldran said with an amused chuckle. "You are wizards, knowledge is everything for you. There is a deeper reason behind it all, of course. You might find yourself drawn to some tomes more than others. Your choices will make you mature into what you need to become. Think of it as an audience, a way to figure out your wishes and aspirations. Ah – I've also dispatched one of my aids to help you navigate it."
He rested his staff against his shoulder and leaned onto it. "Your exams are coming up soon, but I trust you won't have much trouble with them. All of you have expanded your horizons beyond what you would consider comfortable. Think of them as a formality, because the real test will be how you use the boon I have granted you. By the end of the year you'll have succeeded in my training, or failed. Time is of the essence in this case, your trial will come after it."
"What trial?" Remus asked.
Keldran looked down at the floor for a moment before replying. "If you thought the tomb was too much, you might as well quit now. What I'm offering you is the key to solving any and all problems." He sighed and switched his staff to rest between his elbows behind is back. "But great power is not given up easily. If it was, our enemies would have gotten it by now. I'm asking you to prepare yourselves to face the worst magic has to offer. If you fail, you will most certainly die, if you succeed however." He smirked. "Nothing will stand in your way."
Worry came over Lilly and Severus' faces and Keldran gave a knowing nod. "No need to commit so soon. My library will speak for itself."
"Any more questions?" He said flipping back his staff into his right hand.
Harry looked at his companions, seeing Remus shrug and the others looking at him. "Wasn't there..." he said expectantly.
"Yes. If Severus and Remus have no more questions, I'll ask the two of you to stay." He said nodding to Lily and Harry.
As both men retreated, Keldran called back to them. "Oh! Remember from now on my door is always open, don't hesitate to come to me with questions." They nodded back and left the three in silence.
Keldran slapped a hand to his forehead. "I didn't even offer them tea, how rude!" he said, sitting down at the table and pouring them three cups, the two leftover took a seat as well.
"It's good to see you two even closer yet. Warms my weary heart, really, fills my mind with lyrical beauty. I've scarcely seen two people so devoted."
The couple blushed and sought the comfort of each other's hands.
"Forgive me, I'm a romantic at heart." He dug into an inner pocket and produced a glass eight-sided shape framed by gold, rotating it in his hand. "As promised, your reward."
Harry took it and looked at it, seeing the seemingly golden wire suspended within it. "What is it?"
"A good question, one I don't have the answer to. Suffice it to say that it's something invaluable I came across a long time ago. All you have to do is whisper a name into it and it will reveal a person's thread of fate, strong if they have all their life ahead of them, frayed if their death comes closer." He leaned meaningfully forward. "You, Harry, are in quite the unique situation. Your very origin means you have the power to influence people's fates. I do recommend caution, as many have lost their minds trying to bend fate to their will."
"If you know, then why do you have to burden him with something that dangerous?" Lily asked in an annoyed tone.
"Because the guilt of not knowing would be overwhelming. Am I right, Harry?"
Harry nervously regarded the item, gingerly holding it in his hands. "Thank you." is all he said. But a moment later his eyes narrowed as he twisted it between his fingers. "Peter Pettigrew." he whispered. The thread appeared strong and golden at first, and quickly the string snapped at its outer edges, ending in a single thread connecting it at the center. Finally that too failed and the gold turned to rusty brown as the whole crystal darkened. A sadness he didn't expect came over him.
"Did you hear?" Harry asked.
"Yes," Keldran said, "a victim of coincidence I assume. Please don't feel too responsible, ultimately people choose their own path in life."
"So he's dead." Lily said blankly.
"I don't know what to think any more." Harry said.
"Think of what's ahead of you, think of what's beside you. That should make things easier. I have faith in you both, in the four of you. You deserve the respite that lies at the end of the path, so aim for it."
Harry sighed and looked into Lily's eyes, and for a moment they were the only people in the room – in the world. They felt the importance of each other reflected, and it became easy to look on. What else could possibly matter more than this?
Keldran laughed warmly. "Now get out of here you two, you're getting pink all over my study."
The two students left the room. Soon after the door closed a cold and distant voice spoke up. "They won't forgive you."
Keldran sighed in annoyance. "Oh will you shut up already? Do you want me to put you back in the box?"
The other voice scoffed. "Just like you to enslave and threaten."
"Only for you, old friend. Besides, I'm giving them all the freedom they've ever wanted, and if things work out, they'll have more than they could ever dream of."
"If you say so." the voice answered with dripping sarcasm.
"No more of this, Selwin. Go tend to our hatchlings."
-sSsSsSsSs-
Outside they met back up with Remus and Severus and their dreamy mood soon turned sour as they saw their morose lupine friend. He had been holding on to unspoken doubt ever since they'd discussed Peter and Harry dreaded giving the news.
"Let's go back," Lily said to him, "there's something you should know."
Remus grunted and they walked back to the Unity Dorms. Lily rubbed Harry's back to give him courage and nodded. He took the artifact out of his pocket and presented it to them. Severus frowned interested and Remus shot him a questioning glance.
"Keep your eyes on it," he said and whispered, "Peter Pettigrew." Before them the same thing played itself out in the glint of the glass shape.
Severus looked wide eyed at Lily and Remus shook his head. "What's that even supposed to mean?" he asked annoyedly.
Harry turned to the crystal again and whispered, "Remus Lupin." In it a golden string appeared suspended and shining brightly with the most imperceptible fraying of a single thread. "I'm no expert on mythology, Remus, but Keldran told us this tells us how close someone is to…"
"Give it." Remus said trying to hold in his anxiety. He looked inside it and lowered his voice to single digit decibels, almost inaudible. "Hope Lupin." The string unraveled and reduced to but a few threads, straining under the tension and emitting a soft yellow glow. He sniffed and tears appeared in his eyes.
Lily went over to him and put an arm on his shoulder. "I didn't know."
Remus managed a small smile and returned the crystal to Harry. "Mum's been unwell for years now, cancer. I still think I should've gone back for Christmas, she asked me not to, didn't want me to see her like that and spend my holidays in the hospital." He wiped his tears with the back of his hand. "So what the hell happened to Peter?"
"I think it's safe to assume he died somewhere the night before the meeting at Hogsmeade. And if the Aurors and Headmaster were unable to track him it's going to be a difficult thing to find out ourselves, even if we know he is in fact dead." Severus said.
Remus scoffed. "And I imagine everyone will think it's more important to keep that in our hands instead of telling his family and friends he died."
"Sorry," Harry said, "but this is too important to give up. And if the Ministry got wind of it they would take it for themselves without a doubt."
Remus sighed and Lily walked over to the fountain. As if greeting a long awaited friend the stone lifted. Harry was reminded of the Chamber of Secrets and its entrance. Before them elevated six bookcases in a hexagon, ten feet high stopping just short of the ceiling. He had never been one for books, beyond the necessity of learning magic. But before the sight of centuries of knowledge each bound in unique and resplendent tomes of leather and more exotic materials, he could only gape.
Then before them appeared a ghostly figure, drifting out of the bookcases. He was dressed in a frilly shirt with a short cape on his left shoulder and a large hat with floppy fabric cuts along it and a large feather. He had an air of hidden purpose and bravery he must have carried in life.
He deeply bowed, bending a knee. "Selwin at your service, live ones. I know this library like the back of my hand, its curses and enchantments. Shall we begin your studies?"