HARRY POTTER WLoF REWRITE PART 3 CHAP 8

"Now remember, I don't want you leaving the park at all." A young woman with black hair tied neatly in a ponytail said to the gaggle of small children. "Stay with your trip buddy at all times, and if you have any problems, I want you to come to me."

"Yes Ma'am." The group replied. Max held onto Harry's hand tightly looking around. They had gone to the local park, a small park. She didn't necessarily mind it as it was really a fine. There was a cool outdoor stairwell that went up a few feet. Some daredevils would jump off various floors to see if they could jump into the trees…at least that's what the rangers said. Thankfully the top floors were closed off at the moment. But the first two floors were open. She fiddled with her locket, looking around, but stayed close to Harry. It had taken a lot of pleading on their part to be paired with Harry. Currently they were on the second floor with other students, the teacher nearby talking to other adults.

"Oye, Cretina!"

"Oh no…" She murmured as they turned. Harry frowned in annoyance.

"What do you want Eligio?" Harry said coolly.

"Just wanted to know how the Witch is?" He asked and Harry looked confused as did Max.

"What makes me a witch?" She asked nervously. She didn't remember doing any accidental magic lately. But that was just it…it was accidental, meaning she didn't have any control over it or knowledge of how to stop it. Eligio snorted, looking as though she was something nasty a dog left and he had stepped in.

"Well you're ugly enough to be a witch." The young boy replied easily. Max flushed red, Harry saw red.

"Take that back, Eligio." He warned.

"What's that?" The squat Italian boy asked, ignoring Harry and snatching Max's locket from her. She made a slight yelping sound, lurching forward, trying to grab it, but Eligio held it just above her reach.

"Give it back!"

"What is it?"

"It's mine. Now give it back!" She exclaimed, her voice cracking slightly. Harry moved forward threateningly. The other boy merely sneered, before tossing it over the edge. Max watched it, with a sinking heart, as it tangled in a tree branch. She continued staring at it as Harry rounded on Eligio.

"Why'd you do that? That was really important to her!" He snapped, shoving the boy backwards. Eligio shoved Harry in return.

"If she wants it back, she'll have to fly to get it back." He said with a huff, then grinned, much to Harry's anger. "Too ba-"

It seemed timed slow as Harry saw in his peripherals a dark blur rushing towards the railing. He heard the nearby teacher scream as Max pulled herself onto the railing and propelled herself forward. She seemed to almost make it to the tree branches, maybe a few inches away, before gravity took over and she fell like a stone. He could have sworn he heard a crunching sound, before that was drowned out by screaming as he raced down the stairwell.

It took him a few seconds to realize it was him.

---

"What the hell were you thinking?"

"Mum-"

"No. Don't Mum me." Moria snapped as she looked at her daughter, one of her tiny arms in a thick white cast, and a bandage on her cheek. She didn't even want to remember the patronus Remus had sent her at work about the call he had gotten from the daycare. "What the hell were you thinking?"

"I was just trying to get my necklace back."

"Maxine…" Moria hissed out, almost tiredly as she sat down on the hospital bed. Max sniffled and any angry notion disappeared. However the exhausted feeling from the loss of adrenaline kicked in. She kissed her daughter's head.

"You don't have any idea what it was like to get that call." She whispered into her daughter's hair. "I thought I had lost you too."

Max didn't need to ask who else her mother had lost. That was a list she didn't want to enter, nor did she want to bring up.

"I'm sorry Mummy." She said.

"Why was your necklace there in the first place?"

"It was…" She trailed off. Her mother was already worried enough. Would adding the fact that Eligio bullied be stupid? She sighed. "I was swinging it around and not being careful."

Moria looked at her confused. That didn't sound like an actual answer. Had she the energy, she probably would have pressed. But right then, she was just happy her youngest baby hadn't broken her neck. She kissed her forehead.

"You'll give me more grey hair than your father ever managed." She whispered and she heard Max laugh.

---

"Pppllleeaaassseee…"

"Why the heck do you want to go back to the park that Max nearly broke her neck at?" Geoffrey asked, looking at Harry. "I don't."

"Because."

"Because why?" Geoffrey asked.

"Because her locket is still there." He replied easily. The six year old stared at him and then groaned.

"Fine. You do have a basic idea of where the locket is right?"

"Pretty much."

---

Geoffrey stared at the tall tree branch in mild disbelief.

"If you don't mind me asking…how do you think we're going to get the locket back?" Geoffrey asked. Harry shrugged.

"I dunno."

"You…" Geoffrey began than groaned. "Harry!"

"What? Auntie Moria always said to be spontaneous."

"Spontaneous is one thing, but we sort of need a plan that doesn't involve us breaking any laws." He grumbled.

"Ooh, ooh! I have an idea!" Harry suddenly exclaimed. Geoffrey looked at him.

"And that is?"

Apparently the plan involved Harry to climb onto Geoffrey's shoulders, and then, realizing he couldn't reach, climbed onto the young blonds head.

"Higher!"

"Oh, of course, Harry, WHAT was I thinking?" Geoffrey snapped struggling to straighten himself. "Standing up straight with a five year old on my head, what a novel thought!"

Harry didn't reply, but stretched in vain towards the necklace. It was then he began to lose his balance. Geoffrey tried to keep his balance, stumbling forward and then backwards. Two yelps sounded as they both fell, though one was cut off, as Harry landed on Geoffrey. They stayed still for a few moments.

"Alright…any other ideas Mr. Bright Ideas?" Geoffrey grumbled.

"Hey, at least I had an idea!" Harry snapped. "What about you?"

"Hey, I suggested we get my Dad." Geoffrey snapped back. "What were you expecting, that we yell 'LOCKET COME HERE' and it would magically glide effortlessly to us? I mean come on Har-"

His retort was cut off when he yelped loudly. A metallic object had torpedoed into the back of his head, clinking to the ground. Rubbing the back of his head vigorously and looked to see what had hit the back of his head. To the young boys surprise, there, gleaming in the afternoon, was Max's locket, laying there in an almost mocking fashion. They stared at it for a little while longer.

"Well…it didn't glide to us."

"Oh shut it, Harry."

But it had been worth it, the two boys finally conceded when they came back home and Max looked up, one arm still in a cast that she would be forced to wear, despite the fact that her mother was a witch. Muggles had seen her arm broken, so it wouldn't make sense for her to not have a cast…there were already drawings from the other two, as well as from Remus and Moria, though the adults had been more forced to do this, rather than just sign their names. She glanced at them curiously, before her eyes widened when they lifted the locket up, matching pairs of victory smiles echoed on their faces.

They had done well; they both thought as the little girl scrambled off of the couch and tackled the pair, crying out in glee.

They had done well.

---

"Our first mission!" Rosetta cheered, nearly jumping on the walls as they walked down the hall in the ministry. Moria sighed. She shifted in her uniform, still trying to get used to the outfit. It was a black sailor jacket over a light grey turtleneck. They wore black jeans and black boots. Moria had a wand holster wrapped around her left leg, allowing easy access to her wand. She glanced at Rosetta.

"Yes. Yes. Yes. It's not that big of a deal."

"Not a big deal? We're babysitting the Minister's children!"

"Babysitting. Children aren't that hard to take care of once you get to know them." Moria retorted. Giacintro looked at her annoyed.

"Oh? And what makes you such an expert."

"I'm the mother of two children."

"I don't remember seeing a husband at the graduation ceremony."

"THAT is none of your business." Moria retorted angrily, storming away from him. He looked at her in confusion, before rolling his eyes and continuing to follow the rest of the group. Rosetta and Florentia wisely kept her mouth shut. It was obvious that the topic of her husband and how she came to being the guardian of Harry was a sore topic for her. They stopped when they rounded a corner, observing the group of five. If there weren't guards around the family, it would have been easy to assume that it was just a family out for a little trip to the Ministry. Moria observed three children all clamoring around the mother. Two young girls, probably twins she could gather, raced around the parents, while a small boy clutched his mother's skirt, sucking on his thumb. Lucio was talking to the father of the group. He noticed the six adults and motioned them to come over, which they did.

"Minister. This is my team."

"Ah wonderful!" He replied with a broad grin. Moria was struck by his personality and the way he held himself, and how completely…opposite this man was to the English Minister. From the papers that she got from England, Cornelius Fudge barely looked like the most capable man of handling department of the government, let alone the Ministry, even during a time of peace. He was short and squat, balding and his hair already greying, and had the body shape reminiscent of the Pillsbury dough boy who had tried to wear clothes and came out looking like a clown wearing expensive garments that she could probably never purchase with her paycheck, if, of course she ever had the insane inkling to purchase a green bowler hat and a pinstripe suit. Likewise Fudge always had a lazy 'I'm better than you' expression on his face, and seemed to care more about his image than the actual Ministry itself, which had always screamed 'unhelpful' to her.

Guilio Racciopa, however, was a tall and burly man, nearly 6'3'' and stood proudly in front of them, though he still looked like he would actually listen to you if you had a problem. He had a full head of hair as well as a beard, and though thin lines of gray streaked through it, was still a dark black. His outfit, though a suit, was a simple muggle-business suit. There was nothing show-offy that made himself stand out or scream for attention. If she hadn't been introduced to him as the Minister, chances were she wouldn't have known. His eyes, however, was what startled her. He didn't look at any of them as though they were beneath him. Instead they seemed to consider all of them as his equals.

It was suffice to say, a refreshing change.

"I'm pleased to meet you all." He said cheerfully. They offered smiles. "I'd like you to meet my wife, Sofia." He said gesturing to the woman in a conservative witch robe and simple jewelry who gave them a soft smile. "And these are my children, Clara, Celia, and Samuele."

Moria glanced down and spotted them rather quickly. The two girls looked several years older than their brother, and apparently were twins. One of the girls had her long hair pulled into pigtails wearing a red jumper. The other girl had a ribbon tied on one side of her head, wearing a purple jumper. The small boy clutched his mother's skirt tightly, shyly peeking out from beyond her legs. Moria offered a soft smile and he ducked his head further behind his mother's leg. Moria smiled.

"They're adorable."

"Thank you." Sofia gushed.

"Mommy, who are they?"

"They are aurors."

"Aurors have girls?!" The girl in the pigtails said in excitement. Moria cast a glance at Giacintro who looked like he had swallowed a lemon and inwardly she smirked, nodding her answer. Suddenly she was tackled by the said girl, who wrapped her arms around her legs.

"You're an auror?! Wow! What's it like? Do you have to train a lot? Do you have to work out? Do you get a lot of missions? Do you go to extraordinary places? What about-"

"Clara!" The other girl exclaimed. "That's not polite!" She argued.

"I was just asking a question."

"Questions!"

The pair started arguing while Moria looked at Sofia, who looked embarrassed.

"I'm so sorry. She gets overly excited over these things." Sofia apologized and Moria offered a bright smile, shaking her head.

"Think nothing of it. I have two children of my own, so I'm quite used to this." Moria said with a smile. The children were chittering and chattering amongst each other, granted the girls were more arguing and the boy was observing. Giacintro looked at this point as though he wanted to crash through a large paned window. She smiled brightly.

Sofia smiled brightly.

"I'm glad there's a parent in this group. Normally we would take them with us, but with the Egyptian Minister not a big fan of children, we didn't want to drag them around and bore them." She explained. Moria opened her mouth to reply, but was silenced when there was a slight crashing sound. She turned to see a man struggling to right himself, carrying a ton of laundry, documents, and other things. She excused herself and went over to the figure hidden by a ton of sheets.

"Are you alright?" She asked. The man grunted a reply.

"I…I-I am fine." He stammered out. "M-M-most s-s-sorrrrrry f-f-f-for startling y-you." He stammered "C…can you g-grab t-those f-f-for me?" He asked. She was silent and began to pick up several books that had fallen down, straightening them before placing them in his open hand. It felt as though a bolt of electricity went through her hand, an uneasy feeling settled in her stomach, and she pulled away, glancing at him curiously. He didn't meet her eye contact, instead hurrying along. The Minister and his family didn't seem to notice.

"Who was that?" Moria murmured to Lucio as she walked back.

"The butler, Paolino Dinapoli." He explained. "43. Single. A squib that the minister hired to help manage the house. He works incredibly hard to maintain his job. Why?"

"Nothing…" She muttered glancing at where he had walked away to, observing as he went around a corner. "Nothing at all."

---

The Minister and his wife had left a little while ago. Lucio had gone to make sure that the charms and protective barriers were put up. The rest of the group was having a makeshift 'tour' of the Ministry. However, Moria had split from the group, Clara insistent on showing her a place that she visited multiple times without her parents and siblings

"An' this is the Oracle's Temple!"

"Oracle?" Moria murmured. "Like a seer?" She asked.

"Mhm!" Clara exclaimed. "Oracles are people who can hear the words of the spirits, tell people's fortunes, make prophecies, etc. People travel from really far away to meet our Oracle."

"Well, can't she be wrong?" Moria asked and Clara looked scandalized.

"No! That can't happen! Oracle Anima, can't! Oracles can never be wrong, and they can never lie, or they lose their powers!" The young girl exclaimed. Moria frowned, remembering that a single prophecy, that even now, she was not privy enough to know what had been said, had been what cost James and Lily their lives. She shook her head as she followed the little girl in in. As she passed, the counsel and temple workers bowed slightly to the young girl. Finally they faced a large stone door, decorated with various designs, entering it a few moments later. Moria spotted a figure sitting a seiza position farthest away from them. She sat on a low…what Moria would consider a throne of sorts, and in front of the throne was a table that had a hollow center, filled with clear water and small, pebble sized stones. Incense filtered the air and Moria forced herself not to cough. She continued to look around, trying to spot any points where there would be a break in security, or if the need was necessary, an escape route. As she finally focused on the oracle herself, she found herself a bit more surprised by how old the Oracle looked than the actual temple.

"Welcome, in this place, completely uncover the mirror of your heart and accept the Earth spirits' will." Oracle Anima said as Moria stared.

Seers that she had known and met in the English Ministry had been old, disheveled looking. Their eyes had been wide, spouting out predictions of the weather, of death, and catastrophe. From when she had visited the Ministry, whether it had been to drop lunch off for Sirius, visit Lily, or for healing purposes, she didn't remember, she just remembered that had they been in the muggle world, the seers would have probably passed off to like homeless people.

However the person kneeling on the throne, who smiled up at her with clear, coherent eyes, whose clothes weren't wrinkled and dirty, instead clean and rather, she would suspect, expensive robes, the top of her head covered by subdued version of a pandita hat that trailed all the way down her back, wasn't an old person. Hell, she wasn't even a young adult.

She looked like she couldn't have been older than ten…maybe even eleven. She gave a smile to the pair. Moria continued to stare in surprise, before kneeling as Clara tugged on her pant leg and pointed down. Clara began to talk rapidly to the Oracle, Moria continued to glance around of the cavern.

"I knew you would be coming…Moria Black, wife of Sirius Black." She heard and jerked back into reality. She stood up, glaring in warning. "Please calm yourself, Madam Black. I mean no harm. I am only the one that ties the seen and unseen worlds together. I only bestow others with words…that is all."

Moria stared at then scoffed. The girl gave a soft smile.

"…aren't you a little…young…to be showing well…such control over your magic?" Moria asked. The girl laughed loudly, while Clara looked surprised.

"Such a question I haven't been asked in a long time." The girl exclaimed then smiled. "My family is a unique one. Only one Oracle can live." She replied. "When that Oracle dies, the moment he or she takes their last breath, a new one is born. We have their memories, their lives. Their powers. My powers of 'vision' would often let me see thousands of different 'dreams'. Dreams of siblings suffering from sickness. Dreams of birth, death, illness, sadness, happiness. Their dreams became mine, and their being became mine. I have no other abilities other than this."

"Hm…" Moria replied softly, trying not to sound impolite.

"You are very wary of people like me, are you not?"

"I've had a bad experience with seers." She replied dryly. "Besides, knowing my name merely means that you've heard of my husband's name. He was popular to read about a few years ago."

"But for something he was innocent of, yes?"

That got Moria' attention.

"However it is most unfortunate, but I am unable to search for the location of the actual perpetrator. They refuse to be found."

"Figures." Moria grumbled. The girl seemed to observe her as she glanced around.

"You want to know about him again…don't you? You want to know about…that...person."

Moria looked up as the girl lifted her hand up, in her slack grip a pebble. "Place your hand and grasp the stone. Picture this person in your mind." She ordered. Moria hesitated briefly, before looking at the girl warily and doing as she was told. When Moria's hand enclosed around the smooth stone, Anima she pressed her other hand over Moria's.

"Your connection with him is strong…if it is you, then you can reach him." She heard. Before she could open her mouth to ask what she meant, she was pulled by what seemed to be an invisible force and soon after it was like she was flying at hyper-speed. Everything seemed to disappear, the background rushing away from her.

Even if it's just for a moment.

If I can just see him one more time.

She landed on a stone floor, and wrinkled her nose at the mold and mildew that was growing on it. She could hear the screams and laughs of the damned, and was even able to smell sea salt from the North Sea. Even if she was in this form, and probably couldn't feel anything physically, she shivered as she looked around the cell of Azkaban. Scratch marks made in a form of rudimentary tally marks had been etched into one wall. There were some blood streaks and she swallowed, trying not to think about what that meant or how they came to be.

She continued looking around until she spotted a figure curled up in a corner. She swallowed, trying to force the lump down at the figure that was sleeping. He was so…thin looking. Sickly. His hair had grown out, and a beard was visible on his face. Dark bags were under his eyes and he curled into the fetal position. Even so, she could see a large gash to his chest that had been rather hastily, and, in her opinion, rather crudely patched and bandaged up. She continued to stare at him, then kneeled down in front of him, placing a hand on his chest.

He couldn't see her, he couldn't feel her, and unless a miracle occurred, they would never see each other again. She bit her bottom lip, then blinked when Sirius' hand slowly gripped around the area that her hand was resting. She looked up and saw that he was staring, with half opened eyes at her. They were blank, any definition of the Sirius she knew was absent, but they still were staring.

Could he see her?

"Moria…James…Lily…I'm sorry." He murmured, almost drunkenly. She felt her heart break.

"Sirius…" She murmured, but he didn't hear her. He just kept repeating that same phrase over and over again. Suddenly she felt as though she was being pulled back, almost as though she had touched a port key. She swallowed and tried to fight it, but couldn't. Soon she was dragged away into swirling darkness.

---

She snapped out of her stupor and found herself back in Italy, staring at Oracle Anima, who was smiling gently at her. Clara looked impatient.

"Your bond with him is strong. Do not fret. Everything will be righted in due time." Anima stated softly.

"What'd you see?" Clara asked loudly as Moria brushed her hand under her eyes. She wasn't sure if she could speak right then without her voice cracking. Anima smiled at Clara.

"Leave her be, Miss Clara."

"But-"

"Miss Clara."

"…fine." The little girl finally conceded in exasperation.

"We…we should probably head back. Your siblings and the rest of my team are probably wondering where we are." Moria finally said, clearing her throat. She offered a slight head bow to Oracle Anima, who waved goodbye to the pair.

"What a strange future that woman has." Anima stated as she looked at the fallen stones in the water the shallow pool that lay in front of her. She tossed the pebble she had used with Moria back into the water, watching the ripples that formed.

It only takes one to start. So small at first, the ripples, then look how they grow. But someone has to start them.

Maybe it will be you Moria.

Maybe not.

Time will tell.

Time will tell.