HEATHER BLACK AGREED TO DO THE THING THAT NOBODY ELSE COULD TO DO.
Use her animagus form, and protect Harry Potter for fifteen years.
As an owl.
As Hedwig.
***
Travis McKinnon wanted nothing more than to do something useful.
So he used his animagus...
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HEDWIG MISSED THE SCARLET TRAIN. It had been fifteen years since she'd last seen it—returning from her fifth year, unknowing that she would not be back for so long.
But as Dumbledore had assured her, the spell only lasted fifteen years. It would fade by the time Harry was in his fifth year—and Heather would return, and she'd be able to see Travis again...
And they'd look exactly the same as they did fifteen years ago. But they weren't the same people anymore. Taking on this mission had made them realise that they had been such children; that there was much more to the world than what they'd believed.
And they were glad for it.
Hedwig hooted a little as Harry pushed his trolley down the platform, and Harry murmured, "Hedwig, any idea where I've got to go?"
He probably didn't realise that had Hedwig been in her human form, she would've actually replied—because she knew where he had to go.
But instead, Hedwig just shook her head a little and turned to stare at the people in the crowd.
She recognised a few families—such as the Weasleys, and the Malfoys...
There were no Black's or Lestrange's in this generation, it appeared—there seemed to be less purebloods than there were when Heather went to school.
She wasn't sure if that was reassuring or not, because it meant that her family was getting smaller...but it also meant that society had become more accepting of other blood statuses—that even the purebloods had taken to marrying half-blood or muggle-borns or even muggles, despite their upbringings and the belief that pureblood had to remain pure forever—and that there was a bit less prejudice in the world.
Harry took his trolley over and gave his trunk to the man loading them onto the train, before he took Hedwig's cage and carried her onto the train with him.
This was going to be a long five years, Hedwig thought to herself, hooting a little as they entered the Hogwarts Express.
***
"ALBUS, THEY'RE ONLY CHILDREN," Augusta Longbottom said, wringing her hands as she spoke to the Headmaster of Hogwarts.
"Yes...but Neville and Harry need to be protected—and this is the only way that we can do it without raising suspicions or having Harry and Neville find out about it, Augusta," Dumbledore said, getting up from his chair swiftly, "Heather Black and Travis McKinnon knew what this mission entailed eleven years ago."
"I know...but—every time I look at Tra—Trevor," Augusta shook her head, "I feel so sad...because these kids—they're losing time, and they're trapped in their animagus forms."
"The spell won't and can't wear off until fifteen years have passed, Augusta," Dumbledore sighed, "As much as I would like to remove the spell now—precautions had to be made; we had to make sure they wouldn't accidentally turn back into their human forms in the company of any witnesses. We had to make the spell permanent. At least for fifteen years."
"Only four years to go," The old woman muttered, "Only four more."
"Yes," Dumbledore said with a smile, "Only four more."
He knew that Augusta Longbottom had always been a motherly figure to Travis McKinnon, even before Marlene McKinnon, Travis' older sister, passed away.
But especially after Marlene passed away, Travis had needed somebody to depend on—to comfort him, and Augusta and Heather had always been there.
Heather and Travis had been best friends since they met when they were thirteen. They were in the same year, but had been in different Houses, with Heather being a Slytherin alongside her older sister Andromeda, and Travis being a Ravenclaw—and they never really met other than passing by each other between classes.
But their older siblings became friends, so Travis and Heather met and grew close, too.
But the two of them had spent eleven years, now, without seeing each other. They had seen each other's animagus' forms before the spell was cast for fifteen years—so knew what each other looked like...but had never had the chance to meet again.
Augusta sighed, "You say there's no way to remove the spell?"
"No, there is not."
"Then...I suppose all we can do is wait, then."
"Yes. All we can do now, is wait."
***
TREVOR SAT IN NEVILLE'S LAP calmly until he saw Harry Potter pass by the window of the compartment, carrying a familiar snowy owl.
When Neville was captured by Hannah Abbot's plant, Trevor took the chance to slip off the boy's lap and hop out, following Harry Potter down the corridor. He did have to dodge several students who were boarding the train, though he managed not to get noticed.
He snuck into the compartment that Harry Potter had chosen and hopped up onto the overhead rack where the black-haired boy was now putting Hedwig.
The owl saw the toad.
Grey eyes met blue.
And for the first time in eleven years,
they didn't feel as though there were
universes
between them.
Their past lives, as well as their future, didn't seem so far away anymore.
Author's Note:
<3
Thanks for all the votes, guys, I really appreciate it! Also, I hope you guys liked this chapter!
