Albus Dumbledore sat in a chair by the window of his office, thoughtfully twirling a golden chain with a small hourglass in his hands. The time wheel — for some, a powerful artefact, for others, a source of regret for lost time. Once, in his youth, Albus had been lucky enough to get his hands on a time-turner, and he decided that he had found the path to power, but life quickly proved him wrong, exposing all the limitations of the wonderful device.
Firstly, time is continuous. Nothing that has happened in the main flow of time can be changed. The artefact merely creates a thin stream in the thick flow of lives, which is incapable of radically changing time itself, and after a brief moment, it immediately merges with it. The wizard gains additional abilities at a heavy price. In the main timeline, Dumbledore loved to visit the Hogwarts library and study books. Using the time-turner, he read many more magical tomes than others. He spent a lot of time practising spells, returning to the past again and again. But everything has a price, and Dumbledore paid with his life. Now he is just over a hundred years old, but he feels like an ancient old man. Even his predecessor as headmaster, Armando Dippet, died only this year and now watches Albus gloomily from his portrait, even though he was already three hundred and fifty-five years old when he died!
Secondly, the past is only your past. You can't go back and see events you didn't participate in. Albus himself, for example, wanted very much to understand how Voldemort disappeared and what happened that day with his own eyes, but he didn't even try. He tried many times to find out about key events in history, but he didn't succeed, unless he was there himself, of course.
And thirdly, the future is inaccessible. Perhaps it simply does not exist yet. Everyone who tried to turn the wheel in the opposite direction disappeared.
Looking at the hourglass, Dumbledore's thoughts returned to the past: "On the one hand, the wheel of time has allowed me to achieve a lot and become a great wizard, but on the other hand, what good is that if I don't have long to live?"
Never mind, I must finish off Tom and gather all the Deathly Hallows. All I have left to find is the Resurrection Stone. Then a little ritual and the most important question in life: am I worthy of immortality or not? There is hope, so we must continue to fight."
***The school was once again in turmoil over the news. The petrified students were safely disenchanted, and Snape had finally concocted a potion to counteract the curse. Lockhart was found at the bottom of a pipe leading to the sewer, alive but with the mind of a five-year-old child. He was immediately sent to Mungo's, and the toilet was closed to visitors. Potter and Weasley were awarded a bunch of points for saving their classmate, which raised Gryffindor to first place. The students of the red-and-gold house cheered happily, while the Slytherins, who had been moved to second place, frowned. The rest didn't care, so they just joined in the general applause. Dumbledore gave a rousing speech about peace, friendship and goodness, then dismissed everyone for the holidays.
Draco and Cassius received only "excellent" grades, even in history of magic. The summer break should be peaceful. Draco secretly hoped to spend the whole summer in France. His childhood affection for the young Veela had not gone away, and he hoped to have fun with his girlfriend again. Cassius, on the other hand, was looking forward to seeing his teacher again. Chibuzo Inu had won the boy's heart, and he wanted to share the information about the events he had been involved in. Next year would be his final year, so he needed to study even harder.
Severus Snape stretched his legs with a satisfied groan, settling himself comfortably in an old, worn armchair. After many experiments and sleepless nights, he had managed to develop a potion that saved the petrified children. Of course, no one trumpeted about it in the Daily Prophet, his colleagues got away with a simple "thank you," and Dumbledore said nothing at all, believing that was how it should be. But Severus was still pleased that he had been able to invent something important, that he had saved children from a terrible fate. A short summer break was coming up, and Severus planned to write a few articles for Potions Practice, experiment with aconite potion to reduce side effects, and just get a little drunk to numb the pain in his soul. The constantly mischievous offspring of the hated Potter aroused a deep hatred in him, and when he looked into his eyes, he felt longing...
***In the Weasley family, black and white stripes mixed in some kind of crazy kaleidoscope. First, there was her husband's illness, which they managed to get rid of by spending all their savings on healers, then their daughter fell into a terrible trap. And even though the girl had returned outwardly healthy, Molly could clearly see all the terrible problems in her aura. Ginny would never have access to the Prewett magic; she had burned its source almost completely. Her daughter would not say who had done it. When asked, she would shut herself off and say she remembered nothing.
Dumbledore, who had come to congratulate them on their family's happy reunion, only managed to dodge the Avada Kedavra spell cast by the distraught woman and, amid Arthur's embarrassed apologies, simply fled. To restore Ginny's health, at least a little, Molly decided to go to Egypt, the cradle of modern magic. The local alchemists and healers had many secrets and healing techniques, and the former Prewett hoped to find something there that would help her daughter.
So one fine day, they gathered to visit their eldest son, Bill Weasley, who was working in Egypt as a curse breaker. Dumbledore, as an apology and knowing that Arthur was a big fan of the Ministry lottery, arranged for him to win seven hundred galleons in the next draw, hoping to appease the explosive woman. If she had the chance, Molly would gladly have burned the bearded director, despite all his merits, but the past cannot be changed, and revenge would not change anything. On the contrary, killing the old schemer would only create problems for the family. It would be better to find a way to improve her beloved daughter's health and ask the children to stay away from Albus.
Bob Sheldton looked up at the leaden sky with a dissatisfied expression. It was always chilly here on this cursed island. A nasty wind ruffled the wizard's robe, crept inside, and chilled his body.
"We're here," chuckled the captain of the boat, "your new place of service is waiting for you, lad.
Shedleton climbed down the gangway and found himself on a small pier at the foot of the fortress. Shedleton had previously served in Azkaban, but life had taken a turn, and now his job was here. He was not a model Auror, like many others, turning a blind eye to the traders in Lutno in exchange for small gifts. But one day he was caught by Moody himself, damn him, and Moody quickly arranged for him to be transferred to the most inhospitable place imaginable.
Aurors always left Azkaban either as civilians or in a coffin, depending on how well they could hold out. Working alongside Dementors was pure torture, and protective amulets were far from foolproof. The only thing that pleased Bob about his upcoming assignment was the opportunity to see his old enemy, Sirius Black. That bastard had stolen his beloved girlfriend when they were young, the girl he was going to marry after Hogwarts. The rich boy had briefly turned the head of the beautiful girl, and she forgot everything. And then he dumped her just as easily, and poor Eliza died with her parents during another attack by the Death Eaters.
Shedlton gritted his teeth: "Never mind, I now have enough opportunities to get even with that hateful Black, the closest associate of He Who Must Not Be Named."
Sirius was getting worse and worse. Since the support of his family's magic had ceased, Black had felt everything his mother had always told him about. It turned out that the family magic had prevented his foolish offspring from falling into ruin, but since his mother had stopped coming and Black had learned of her death from the guards, he had simply been cut off from the source.
Now he was Black only by surname, but he no longer had any connection to the magic of his clan. And then there was the first visit of the new guard, who turned out to be an old acquaintance — Bob Sheldton. The jailer, with a malicious grin, announced that he would not be ignoring the unnamed man's closest assistant, and Sirius knew what the guards were capable of in a prison where inspectors were so rarely seen. The bloodcurdling screams at night, which could be heard even at their level, were not uncommon. The guards did not bother them, though.
Perhaps it was the proximity of the Dementors, or perhaps it was someone's hairy paw, which shielded this level from abuse like a golden wall. But Shedleton was a new guard and, as it turned out, he hated Black fiercely, so Sirius, who was sitting next to the other Death Eaters, was in for a world of trouble.
Today was the day of an unscheduled inspection of the prisoners, and the Ministry was expecting a visit from the Minister of Magic himself. Sirius sat listlessly on his bunk in the filthy rags that his clothes had become over the years in prison. His thin face, tangled long hair, and wandering gaze had turned the once cheerful young man into a real madman.
Footsteps and voices talking about something could be heard in the corridor. Suddenly, Sirius saw the Minister of Magic and a photographer standing near the bars of his cell. A plain-looking man with a camera asked Black to lift his face for a photo, while the minister surveyed the cell with curious interest.
The flash went off, and Sirius quickly covered his eyes, which were accustomed to the constant semi-darkness.
"Here's your newspaper," said the minister in a bored voice. "Well, gentlemen, shall we move on?" The crowd of wizards moved on to the next cameras, and Sirius heard Bellatrix's maniacal laughter.
Black brought the newspaper closer and suddenly froze when he saw the photo on the front page. In the picture, against a backdrop of pyramids and sand, was the Weasley family, with whom he had been in the Order of the Phoenix.
But the most terrible thing, Sirius noticed, was the rat sitting on one of the children's arms. The rat was, down to the last detail, the Animagus form of Peter that he knew so well. He would have recognised him among a hundred similar creatures. What's more, he vaguely remembered trying to grab the bastard and throwing a Securius at Peter, but the fat man had blocked it with his arm, which was instantly covered in blood.
The rodent was missing one finger, and Sirius immediately felt completely certain that the rat was his long-lost friend. "The boy is Harry's age, and the Weasleys always studied at Gryffindor. Sohatik is James's son, which means he also studies there. What if Peter is looking for a way to kill Potter's son?" Sirius even growled like a dog in anger.
"What should we do?" Rising from his bunk, Black began to pace frantically around the cell. "Warn Dumbledore, but how? If he hasn't found time to visit his man in twelve years, will the old man listen to me now?" Sirius's thoughts raced around in circles. He couldn't think of anything, but after considering all the options, he decided that he would have to do it himself: "I'll escape from prison, find Peter and kill him before he gets to Harry. James and Lily will never forgive me when we meet again."
The former marauder sat down on his bunk and froze. He had searched every inch of his cell, but found nothing except a small piece of stone that had fallen from the wall. To relieve his boredom, Sirius had sharpened the fragment against the same wall, and over the years, it had become a razor-sharp weapon. Of course, it was of little use against wizards armed with wands, but Black sometimes imagined sticking the stone under the hood of a Dementor and finally killing it.
At four o'clock in the morning, Black's keen hearing woke him up. The prisoners had long since fallen asleep on their bunks, and someone was moving silently towards him in the corridor. Sirius grabbed the shard and covered his eyes, leaving only a slit open. The stranger stopped near his cell, and Sirius heard the bars slide aside with a soft rustle.
"Well, creature, it's time to pay," whispered the unknown figure feverishly in the darkness. Sirius tensed his whole body and braced himself.
"Now we'll see what colour your blood is, you bastard." The visitor leaned slightly over the man lying on the floor, and Sirius recognised Sheldton. He was holding a thin, narrow dagger in his hands and was about to plunge it into the "sleeping" man's chest.
With one hand, Sirius silently grabbed the wrist holding the dagger, and with the other, he slashed the attacker's throat. The mage, who had not expected this, gurgled, trying to scream, but could not. Blood poured from the torn arteries, and within a minute, Sirius was wiping the attacker's face and hair, stained with scarlet liquid, with his cloak.
After searching the body, Black hung the warden's amulet around his neck and picked up the magic wand. Wrapping himself in the cloak he had removed from the body, he moved down the corridor towards the exit. At first, Sirius wanted to simply kill all the Death Eaters in the corridor, but then he decided that it would cause a commotion, the guards would come running, and he would be captured. Gritting his teeth, Black silently passed everyone without even turning around. He had a goal, and he was going to get out of there and to freedom.
Hiding in the shadows, Sirius quietly made his way out of the fortress and stopped on the shore in bewilderment. There was no motorboat, not even a boat capable of taking him to the mainland. He couldn't Apparate in his condition, and Apparition from the island was impossible. After searching the shore for something that floated, the wizard couldn't take it anymore. Dawn was breaking, and his escape could soon be discovered. Black turned into a dog, grabbed his wand in his teeth, and jumped into the icy water.
Sirius did not know how long he swam. The sea was a little stormy and tossed him from wave to wave. Black had long since lost the wand in the sea. It was cold, but he knew that if he stopped, he would die. When he had no strength left and his body was numb with the cold, Sirius suddenly felt slippery stones under his paws and realised that he was standing.
An icy wave immediately threw him forward onto the rocks, but Black was unstoppable now, and despite his wounds and bloodied paws, he staggered ashore and fell onto the sand, collapsing helplessly in the icy wind. His thin sides rose and fell quickly and sharply, his hoarse breathing lost in the sound of the surf.
Finally, having regained some of his strength, Sirius, without looking back, got up and made his way to the road running along the shore, heading towards the lights of the nearest village. The case of the warden's murder was hushed up, and word spread that Sirius had simply escaped. Even the Muggle government was notified of the dangerous criminal's escape.
***
Dumbledore sat in the nervous Fudge's office and looked at the minister's face, which had turned white with indignation and fear.
"He'll try to get into Hogwarts!" Cornelius cried in alarm. "That Black will definitely want to finish what he started and kill Harry Potter. My constituents won't understand if we don't do anything, gentlemen!"
Rufus Scrimgeour and Amelia Bones, who were also present at the meeting, exchanged glances.
"What do you suggest?" Scrimgeour asked sharply, looking at the minister. "We don't have enough Aurors to protect Hogwarts on all sides. Besides, Black also studied there, so he probably knows all the ins and outs."
"I understand," Fudge said, "but we have to do something, don't we?"
"Hogwarts is the safest place in England," Dumbledore began reassuringly.
"Yeah, the safest place in England, where, according to my niece, a real basilisk was crawling around!" Bones replied sarcastically, her eyes flashing.
"A basilisk?" — Scrimgeour opened his mouth. — A creature rated XXXX for danger to children? Dumbledore, you're out of your mind," he whispered incredulously.
"The monster that awakened the spirit of Voldemort, killed by Harry Potter with the sword of Gryffindor!" Albus said solemnly, his glasses sparkling.
"A boy? With a sword? Do you really believe that, Albus?" Madam Bones looked at him in amazement. "That's impossible."
"But it is true," Dumbledore's eyes flashed. "The boy is a true hero!"
"Well, gentlemen," said the Minister. "Since you have no ideas on how to protect Hogwarts from Black, I have no choice but to surround the school with Dementors. They won't let a fugitive criminal in."
Everyone fell silent in dismay...
"I like that," Scrimgeour said, coming to his senses. "Let's station them around the school and keep an eye on the train in case he tries to get to Hogwarts that way.
Dumbledore looked incredulously at the officials sitting around him:
"But these creatures are deadly dangerous to children!"
"Don't worry, Albus," Fudge smiled reassuringly. "We'll catch the fugitive quickly and protect Harry Potter.
Dumbledore tried to argue, refusing to involve such dangerous creatures in the school's defence, but in the end he was forced to obey and left for Hogwarts in a rage. He still had to find a teacher for DADA, a professor who would want to work in a school surrounded by Dementors. Realising that finding such a wizard would be virtually impossible, he remembered another former Marauder, Remus Lupin.
Recently, due to a law prohibiting werewolves from working in state-owned enterprises, which was actively promoted by Fudge's assistant, Madam Umbridge, Remus had been fired from his latest job and was looking for work again. Remus had been a good student in his day and would probably be able to teach. Moreover, knowing his former school friend well, he would surely understand if Black appeared at the school. Satisfied, Dumbledore immediately sent his patronus to the werewolf with a request for a meeting.
***
Sirius finally made it to London. At first, he wanted to crash at Uncle Alphard's old house, but luckily he noticed the Aurors lying in wait. Then he headed for Grimmauld Place. His mother was dead, the house had been empty for a long time, and he could at least rest and calm down a little there. Kreacher had probably died with his mother, and only protection and invisibility had saved the house from being looted by marauders. Fortunately, Sirius was on the list of those who could see the family residence and enter it.
The big black dog reached the square and sat down cautiously under a tree. He didn't dare go into the house right away; it was possible that in twelve years, the residence had long been found and sold. An hour or so later, a young fair-haired man in decent clothes came out of the front door and walked slowly across the square.
"Stop, lad, do you live here?" Cassius stared in amazement at the man walking towards him from the trees. The vagrant with his matted hair was repulsive. Dressed in torn and dirty clothes that he had obviously picked up from the rubbish, the man was somehow vaguely familiar.
When the man came close, Cassius smelled the stench wafting from him and grimaced involuntarily.
"I'm talking to you. Do you live here?" the man asked hoarsely, and Cassius finally remembered where he had seen him.
"You're Sirius Black!" the young man exclaimed in amazement. "Did you escape from Azkaban?"
Cassius didn't have time to blink before the vagrant was upon him, and then his side exploded with blinding pain. The man who had stabbed him in the ribs immediately turned into a dog and ran down the street, fearing the arrival of the Aurors.
"Kreacher," Cassius whispered in a weak voice, trying to press his hand against the wound, which was gushing blood. The house-elf appeared immediately and stared in horror at the collapsed boy.
"Take me to the house and get my mother," Cassius managed to say with white lips before losing consciousness.
Narcissa was surprised to see two house-elves walking towards her along the garden path, accompanied by a third.
"Mistress, old Kricher, servant of the young master Cassius, wants to tell you something," they bowed to their mistress.
"What's happened, Creacher?" she asked anxiously.
"Your master is calling for you, madam. He has been stabbed in the street and is lying unconscious at home," the brownie said, wringing his hands.
Narcissa immediately jumped up from the swing.
"Take me to him," she ordered sharply, grabbing the brownie by the paw.
"Yes, madam, that is what the master asked.
Kricher instantly transported Narcissa to the house, and she was horrified to find her son lying on a bloodstained sofa. Cassius's face was marble-white, and only his slightly heaving chest indicated that he was still alive.
"Episkai," Narcissa began to chant immediately, turning and ordering, "Kricher, bring blood and summon our healer urgently. Tell him it's a knife wound."
Ten minutes later, he appeared at Black Manor.
"How is he?" Narcissa looked anxiously at the wizard. The old wizard in a lemon-coloured robe smiled reassuringly:
"He'll live, don't worry, Lady Malfoy. He was struck with something like a Muggle knife, and the wound was non-magical. If it weren't for the heavy blood loss, you could have easily handled it yourself. It's just a normal wound, not some kind of curse," smiled the old man. "Everything will be fine... He'll rest for a couple of days and be as good as new. Here, give him some 'rowanberry broth' and 'restorative', and with your permission, I'll take my leave.
"Thank you, healer," Narcissa breathed with relief.
Cassius came to himself and looked lovingly at his mother.
"You saved me, Mum," he said, struggling to get up.
"Quiet, son," the woman said anxiously, "lie down. The healer said you need to rest today. Did you find out who did this?"
"It was Sirius Black, but he looked strange," Cassius said, twitching his cheek.
"I'll tell your father," Narcissa's face hardened. "Don't worry, we'll take care of it."
"All right, Mum. I'll go back to sleep, then. Thank you."
Cassius, still pale, closed his eyes.
Narcissa struggled to control her temper. Previously, she had even felt sorry for her cousin and asked Lucius to help him through bribed guards whenever possible, but now she was overcome with uncontrollable rage. To attack the most precious thing she had, her child. For Narcissa, there was no crime worse than that. If Sirius fell into her hands right now, he wouldn't get away with a simple "Avada".
Fearing the unpredictable Black, Malfoy ordered his men to capture or kill the fugitive if they encountered him, and left for France with his family. Draco, completely satisfied, spent his time swimming in the sea or walking with Isabel. Veela had grown up and turned into an even more charming creature. Over the years, Draco had grown accustomed to her charm and no longer reacted to it as strongly as he had at first. The girl liked this, and she had long since ceased to fear her friend, happily spending her holidays in his company. After a serious conversation with his father, Draco understood that he would not be able to marry Veela in the future, but at twelve years old, marriage seemed so far away that the boy preferred not to think about it. Cassius, having recovered from his injuries, went to Africa to the Chibuzo Inu estate.
"So, teacher," Cassius said dejectedly. "You spend years mastering battle magic, thinking you've become cooler than Merlin, and then some vagrant almost sends you to Mordred with a simple Muggle trick.
Chibuzo smiled crookedly:
"I've got plenty of scars on my body too, kid. I didn't even bother to remove them so I could remember. Some marks speak of my stupidity, others of the fact that anyone can betray you. You're a wizard!" He looked sternly at Cassius. "Let that be a lesson to you. Always be prepared for trouble. Especially don't let strangers get too close to you.
Cassius blushed and shyly hid his eyes.
"If that Sirius had been a little more precise, we wouldn't be talking now," Chibuzo Inu snapped. "Therefore, my dear student," the wizard continued with a dangerous smile, "we will train you in real conditions. The dangerous places of Kinshasa await you, and no disguises, only a slight change in appearance.
From that day until his departure for Hogwarts, Cassius constantly found himself in trouble and learned how to get out of it. As soon as the locals spotted the "snowball" in another nightclub or drug den, they began to salivate at the sight of easy prey. The teacher forbade the use of any magic except body strengthening, so as not to violate the secrecy statute. Therefore, the boy had to increasingly rely on his sense of danger and passive Legilimency, which warned him in time of possible threats. And knives, which he had recently started carrying on his belt and leg.
***
Today, moving leisurely from carriage to carriage on the train rushing to Hogwarts, Cassius enjoyed his long-awaited safety. Habitually tracking the feelings of the people he passed, he sensed no aggression. Picking up familiar emotions, the boy opened the door to the Slytherin compartment and saw his brother with his vassals and a girl who looked a bit like a pug sitting next to Draco.
"Hi, guys," Cassius smiled, "want to try some African sweets?
Everyone eagerly moved towards the table, and Black began to lay out the exotic food he had picked up on the way from Kinshasa. Draco took out a thermos, and Pansy quickly set out cups for everyone. Time flew by as they chatted, when suddenly the train began to slow down and the window quickly became covered with frosty patterns. Cassius felt an unusual surge of strength, while the others, on the contrary, turned pale.
Draco immediately jumped up, rummaged in his bag, took out several amulets and handed them to his classmates.
"Put them on quickly," he said fearfully. "My father said that this year Hogwarts is being protected by Dementors. They are extremely dangerous dark creatures that can suck the soul out of a wizard!
The others snatched the amulets and immediately hung them around their necks. They felt much better, and their fear subsided.
"I think they'll check the train soon, and then we'll move on," Cassius reassured everyone. The children responded with much more positive exclamations, and Pansy poured tea into the mugs again."Chocolate is good for the effects of Dementors," said Black, taking several boxes of chocolates out of his bottomless bag. "Help yourselves."
At that moment, the compartment door opened and a terrifying figure appeared in the doorway, wrapped in a black, tattered cloak. The creature's face was completely hidden. A chill and fear swept over those present. Whatever was lurking in the shadows beneath the hood sucked in the air with a loud noise, and the boys turned pale again, despite their amulets working at full power. But the monster froze when it saw Cassius, and he felt another invigorating rush of dark energy.
"What are you?" Cassius asked mentally, looking at the creature.
"Ekrithdis created us to convert magic and souls into dark energy," came the reply. "He hasn't drained us in a long time, we're at our limit. I can feel the energy flowing to you, and I'm getting lighter. Help us, mage!"
Cassius nodded thoughtfully and pulled the Dementor's energy towards him with force. The magic was absorbed by a rather rumbling source, and the creature hung motionless, only its cloak swaying in a light breeze. The suffocating aura quickly dissipated, and after a few seconds, the pressure ceased altogether.
"Thank you, wizard, I will tell my brothers that you are able to help us," whispered the unusually satisfied Cassius, and the Dementor closed the door.
"What was that?" Pansy stammered in a trembling voice, and the boys stared at Cassius in surprise.
"It's okay, it's just a Dementor, and he's gone, as you can see," the boy smiled.
After a while, the train started moving again. The children, having overcome their fear, were already laughing merrily, and when Farley looked into the compartment and offered them chocolate, they handed her a mug of tea in return.
Looking out the window, Draco noticed hundreds of Dementors hovering around Hogwarts in the moonlight, and he felt a little scared again. This year will bring trials for everyone, Malfoy gritted his teeth. The main thing is that nothing happens to his brother and friends.
***
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