A Warning Written in Time
September 19th, 1978
The autumn air carried the scent of damp earth and something heavier—something unspoken that weighed down the night. Marlene McKinnon walked in step with Sirius Black, her wand loose in her grip, but her senses were sharp. The war had changed them both. She used to be reckless, quick to throw herself into danger, but now every step was calculated.
Sirius, for all his bravado, had changed too. He still smirked, still carried himself like nothing could touch him, but Marlene could see the tension in his shoulders, the way his eyes flickered to every possible hiding place. The war had hardened them both, though Sirius still carried that roguish smirk and unshakable arrogance that made him infuriating and endearing all at once.
“Another quiet patrol,” Marlene muttered, scanning the empty street. “Feels like the calm before the storm.”
Sirius snorted. “Or the calm before Moody yells at us for not finding anything to fight.”
Marlene rolled her eyes but smiled. The world was falling apart around them, but somehow, Sirius could still make her laugh.
Marlene McKinnon and Sirius Black walked side by side down the dimly lit alley, their senses on high alert. The war had taught them not to trust the silence. It was in the quiet that danger usually lurked, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.
Marlene tightened her grip on her wand, scanning the empty street. “Something doesn’t feel right.”
Sirius scoffed. “Nothing ever feels right these days.”
Then, as if summoned by fate, a sharp crack echoed through the alley. Marlene and Sirius spun on their heels; wands raised.
Marlene and Sirius spun around, wands raised, ready for a fight, as two figures stumbled into the alley. But what they saw made them freeze.
They were young—no more than teenagers—both battered, their robes torn and bloodied. The taller boy of the two had striking white-blonde hair, wild and short, his arms wrapped protectively around the smaller girl beside him. The boy looked too familiar. The girl had a mess of curls, blonde with streaks of natural brown threaded through it.
But it was her eyes—those familiar blue eyes—that stole Marlene’s breath.
Marlene barely had time to process the shock before the blonde girl—wounded, exhausted—stepped forward, breaking away from the boy's protective hold. Marlene’s grip tightened on her wand. “Who are you?”
The taller boy shifted, his stance instinctively defensive, as though shielding the girl from them. “Hermione, you need to rest,” he murmured, his voice soft in a way that suggested something far deeper than just friendship.
Hermione—because that was her name, wasn’t it? —shook her head. She was trembling now, barely holding herself upright. Blood was smeared across her temple, and her breaths came in short, pained gasps. But there was no hesitation in her gaze as she fixed it on Sirius and Marlene.
The girl, Hermione, stared at her with something unreadable in her expression. Then she swallowed hard. “Don’t trust Dumbledore.”
Sirius stiffened beside her. “Excuse me?”
Marlene barely heard him. She was too busy staring at the girl—at the way her features mirrored hers and Sirius’s in a way that shouldn’t have been possible.
“Who are you?” she demanded again, her voice sharper this time.
The girl let out a shaky breath. “I don’t have much time,” she said, her voice hoarse. “You can’t trust Dumbledore,” Hermione continued, every word dripping with urgency. “He plays people like pawns on a chessboard—moves them, sacrifices them, all for the greater good.” She laughed bitterly, though it was almost a sob. “But it’s never his sacrifice, is it?”
Marlene’s stomach twisted.
Sirius took a step closer, his gaze locked onto the girl. “And why exactly should we believe you?”
The boy—the silent protector—tensed, his stance shifting as if he were ready to intervene at any moment. The curly-haired girl turned to Sirius, and for a moment, there was something deeply personal in the way she looked at him. A kind of sadness that made Sirius’s usual bravado falter.
“I’m your daughter,” she murmured.
The air between them grew impossibly still.
Sirius inhaled sharply, his composure slipping just enough for Marlene to see the crack beneath the surface. But before he could speak, the girl reached into the satchel slung across her body and pulled out a small, tattered journal.
“This has answers,” she whispered, holding it out. “The journal will guide you towards what needs to be changed.”
Marlene hesitated, then slowly reached out and took it. The moment their fingers brushed, the girl exhaled shakily, her composure flickering.
Then, her expression softened. “I love you,” she said quietly, her voice breaking. “I wish we had more time.”
Marlene felt her heart stutter. Sirius’s breath hitched beside her.
The girl turned to the boy, the exhaustion weighing on her movements. But there was trust there—something deep and unshakable. “I’m ready.”
The boy reached for the Time-Turner around his neck, and with a golden burst of light, they vanished.
Silence collapsed around them like a heavy fog. Marlene’s breath came in short gasps, her mind reeling. Sirius stood frozen; his eyes locked on the space where the couple had disappeared.
For a long moment, neither of them spoke. Finally, Sirius let out a low, stunned breath. “What the bloody hell just happened?”
Back to Headquarters
Marlene and Sirius moved in complete silence as they apparated to the Order’s safe house. The moment they landed inside, Marlene stumbled slightly, gripping the journal so tightly her knuckles turned white.
Sirius let out a sharp breath and ran a hand through his hair. “Tell me that just happened,” he muttered.
Marlene’s pulse was still racing. “We just saw—” She cut herself off, shaking her head. “That was our daughter, Sirius.”
He turned to her, something wild flickering in his gray eyes. “We don’t have a daughter, Marls.”
“Not yet,” she whispered.
Sirius opened his mouth, then closed it, looking away. For the first time in a long while, he didn’t have a quick remark. Marlene, reached up to tap Sirius’s shoulder to get his attention then exhaled and straightened her shoulders. “Come on. We need to tell the others.”
They pushed through the door to the main room, where James Potter, Remus Lupin, and Lily Evans sat around the wooden table, deep in conversation.
James glanced up first. “You two look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
Sirius let out a humorless laugh. “Might as well have.”
Marlene dropped into a chair, her hands still clenched around the journal. “We need to talk.”
The three exchanged wary glances before Remus leaned forward. “What happened?”
Marlene and Sirius told them everything. By the time they finished, James was rubbing his face like he had a migraine, Lily’s lips were pressed into a thin line, and Remus looked deep in thought.
“A daughter,” James muttered, voice tight with disbelief. “From the future?”
“And she looked like Marlene?” Lily asked softly.
Marlene nodded. “And Sirius,” she added, barely above a whisper. "And the boy looked like he was related to the Malfoys." She sighed.
Remus exhaled slowly. “And these two teenagers came to warn us about Dumbledore. Why?”
“She didn’t just warn us,” Sirius muttered. “She practically begged us.”
James sat back, blowing out a breath. “And she left you this?” He nodded toward the journal in Marlene’s hands. She turned it over, running her fingers over the worn cover that shimmered lightly. “She said it has answers.”
Curious, James leaned forward. “Then let’s open it.”
The door creaked open and Albus Dumbledore stepped inside. “Good evening,” he greeted lightly, his blue eyes scanning the room, noticing how quiet it is, “Am I interrupting something? Did something happen on patrol tonight?”
Every mouth clamped shut. Marlene forced a tight smile. “Nothing, the patrol was quiet as usual.”
Dumbledore nodded. “Good, good.” He lingered for a moment, as if sensing something unspoken, but then gave a pleasant smile. “I must return to Hogwarts, but I trust you will all remain vigilant. Remember to be careful, you never know who’s listening.”
As soon as the front door shut, James exhaled sharply. “That was a close one. But he is right about one thing, there are ears everywhere. We’re not talking about this here,” he said firmly. “We need somewhere safe.”
Sirius and Marlene exchanged a look of silent understanding that Dumbledore was everywhere but they needed a place he couldn’t access. Until Sirius has an idea.
“The Potters’ cottage,” Sirius suggested. “It’s the only place Dumbledore has not been and James, you and Lily just moved in a few weeks ago.
James nodded. “Our house is highly warded as it is a Potter family residence. We will meet there tomorrow after a little rest. Bring the journal.”
Lily hesitated before brushing her fingers over the book. “Whatever’s in there,” she murmured, “is going to change everything.”
Marlene swallowed hard. It already had.