Out of the Past, Into the Future (a Harry Potter fanfic)

10 - Breaking the News

Chapter Ten - Breaking the News

1st November, 1981

The Headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix

Remus drew his eyes away from the door to look at Sirius, who pulled his eyes from the window to back at Remus. They shared a look that plainly said, what did we do to get into this situation?

Sirius' eyes darted to the empty spaces Harry, James and Lily had left behind them, then to the brass clock on the wall that showed it was 1 o'clock in the morning. Where had all the time gone, Sirius wondered.

Just then there was a quiet, but definite CRACK outside. By default, Remus's eyes went back to the door, and Sirius's snapped back to the window. He could just make out a shadow … a tall one.

Remus's eyes widened in alarm as the door burst open, but luckily, it was only Dumbledore. He gave them both a firm look, and Remus felt as though he was flying into the past; another day, another time.

"I trust you all know why you are here," Dumbledore's voice echoed in Remus's memory; he was in Dumbledore's office with his friends - the marauders were back together, if only in memory. Remus hung his head in shame, but provoked by a strange sort of urge, looked up and into Dumbledore's eyes. They were sad - stern - and suddenly he was no longer in Dumbledore's office, no longer a misbehaving third year, no longer with his best friends - the only people he felt completely accepted by and at ease with - he was frozen to the spot and grief-stricken at the disappearance of his best friend.

Dumbledore gave the pair a stern look and raised his hand. "I'm sorry for doing this to you. I swear, it was absolutely necessary. I couldn't have you jeopardising the plan. I'm going to release you, if you promise not to attack me. You can blink to promise that you won't."

The pair looked at each other, then back at Dumbledore. Then, slowly and deliberately, they blinked.

With a wave of his wand, Sirius and Remus became unstuck; they both stumbled to the nearest sofa and flopped down on it, shaking out all their stiff muscles.

Sirius looked up first. "Where are they?" he demanded.

Dumbledore sighed, and Sirius noted how tired and sad he looked. "They are in a safe place," he said. "But I'm afraid you won't see them for a little while."

Remus opened his mouth to ask a question but Dumbledore raised his hand and cut him off.

"I need to perform a little spell on you, just so you will be safe too. It won't hurt, I promise." Sirius nodded. He looked at Remus for reassurance, but in doing so, let his guard down. He had been frozen again. Remus jumped up in defiance, but Dumbledore turned the wand on him and spoke so quietly, Remus barely heard.

"When it comes to the right time, you will understand. Obliviate."

He had said it wouldn't hurt, but Sirius soon knew he was wrong. Seeing the memory of his friend drained in front of his very eyes hurt more than he could have imagined. He saw his friend loose all memory of James's disappearance and return to the worried state it had been in for the past year that Lily and James had been in hiding.

"What have you done to Sirius?" Remus demanded, drawing his wand, but Dumbledore, merely put his arm round Remus's shoulder and led him into the hall. Remus cast a worried look back at Sirius, who heard Dumbledore say "Confundus!" and then tell his friend about how he was to go up north on a mission. He had been there for a week already, searching for a suspected Death Eater in hiding. He heard the front door open and close, and a CRACK from outside told him that his friend had disapparated.