Fixing the Future

1.1

Alyssa pulled her pensive out her bag and set it down on the table.
'Okay, so I'm going to put the memory in and then one by one we'll put our heads into the basin and sort of get sucked inside it. To get out at the end, put your wand up and you'll get pulled out, I'll go first so you can see how it's done and Luna can go last so she can make sure you get in okay.'

She then pulled out the first large glass jar and unscrewed the lid carefully before tipping the blue silvery contents into the pensive. Everyone leant forwards slightly to watch as she dipped her head in and fell into the pensive. One by one, they all dropped in and saw a large street with a white sign saying privet drive.

'Where are we?' Marlene asked.
'Be quiet and you'll find out,' Alice said back and they watched the street.

Dumbledore appeared in the middle of the street dressed in wizards robes and hat. He reached inside his pocket and pulled out a silver cigarette lighter smiling proudly at it.

'Dumbledore smokes!' Sirius gasped.

He clicked it once and one on the street lights went out, the light flying to the lighter, he clicked it a load more times until the street was in darkness so no one else could see what was happening.

'Maybe not a smoker then,' he said.
'That's so cool,' Frank said.
'I want one,' James added with a grin.

The only light was two pin pricks on the gate of 4 privet drive where a tabby cat was sitting.
"Fancy seeing you here Professor McGonagall." And the cat kept of the gate and transformed into a severe looking woman. Minerva McGonagall.

'Minnie!' James and Sirius shouted making the others roll their eyes.
'Is this important.' Bellatrix asked.
'Shush.' Luna said.

"How did you know it was me?" she asked. "My dear Professor, I've never seen a cat sit so stiffly." "You'd be stiff if you'd been sitting on a brick wall all day," said Professor McGonagall. "All day? When you could have been celebrating? I must have passed a dozen feasts and parties on my way here." Professor McGonagall sniffed angrily. "Oh yes, everyone's celebrating, all right," she said impatiently. "You'd think they'd be a bit more careful, but no — even the Muggles have noticed something's going on. It was on their news." She jerked her head back at the Dursleys' dark living-room window. "I heard it. Flocks of owls . . . shooting stars. . . . Well, they're not completely stupid. They were bound to notice something."

'I wonder why they were celebrating so freely, you'd imagine they'd be more careful,' Evan mused.
'Muggles are idiots, it's a shock they noticed anything. Is this relevant anyway,' Bellatrix said earning her a few glares.

"You can't blame them," said Dumbledore gently. "We've had precious little to celebrate for eleven years."

'That's a long time.' Snape murmured.

"I know that," said Professor McGonagall irritably. "But that's no reason to lose our heads. People are being downright careless, out on the streets in broad daylight, not even dressed in Muggle clothes, swapping rumors."
She threw a sharp, sideways glance at Dumbledore here, as though hoping he was going to tell her something, but he didn't, so she went on. "A fine thing it would be if, on the very day You-Know-Who seems to have disappeared at last, the Muggles found out about us all. I suppose he really has gone, Dumbledore?"
It certainly seems so," said Dumbledore. "We have much to be thankful for. Would you care for a lemon drop?"

'You-know-Who is gone?' Marlene asked. There were many different reactions and looks of disbelief and shock.

"A what ?"
"A lemon drop. They're a kind of Muggle sweet I'm rather fond of."