Reversed Role

Albus Dumbledore sat at the head of the large table in the dining room of Potter Manor and slowly the chairs were filled with people, Aurors, professors, teenagers, healers...

"We've got nothing, Albus," Kingsley said dejectedly, "no sign of him or her since Romania." 

Dumbledore smiled benevolently at him, "We can only hope that he has been preoccupied with something else and has been delayed in his agenda," he glanced at the empty chair on his right, it was Minerva's. 

"The werewolves have refused any contact with us," Fleamont and Euphemia Potter sighed. 

"Has anyone tried to find the werewolf boy? Lupin?" Everyone in the room tensed slightly, James Potter's eyes were fixed on the floor and Sirius Black looked up at the ceiling, seemingly untroubled. 

James spoke hesitantly, "He hasn't answered any of my owls since... well, since last year." 

His mother gave him a sharp look "It's only natural, there is no greater betrayal than what you have done" 

"But I had no idea what was going to happen!" The boy protested. 

Sirius scoffed, "You were pretty excited when I told you we were finally going to get rid of Snivellus"

Gasps of indignation echoed around the room, Albus knowing full well that the presence of James Potter and Sirius Black was not to everyone's taste. 

"You're joking, aren't you Sirius? I didn't know you meant it literally!" The teenager gave him an insulted look, "Look, we've had this conversation a hundred times, no need..."

Black smiled at him, swaying in his chair, "And when you heard him enter the hut, you laughed with me."

James sat back, his face impassive, "Yes, and now I'm a murderer," Sirius lost his smile.  Then a childish pout formed on his face, "Lily will never want to speak to me," Fleamont had a tired, disappointed look on his face. 

"Boys, you need to put this behind you," Dumbledore said, glancing at the empty chair again, "Now, I think some information needs to be revealed, as it's been three months since she disappeared." It had been a complicated operation to make everyone forget Miss Evans' involvement in Minerva's death, but at the time he had still hoped she would come to her senses and needed to protect her reputation, she could have been a formidable addition to the Order. 

Moody grumbled to his left, "It's about time..." His new magical eye moved erratically in its socket, his face badly disfigured by the dark curse Lily had sent him. 

The former headmaster stood up, "I regret to inform you that Miss Evans has disappeared..."

"She's been kidnapped? Why didn't you say so before? We could have saved her!" James shouted. 

"Let me finish James" The boy sat back, intimidated. "No, she wasn't kidnapped, she joined Voldemort," a shiver ran through the room, "To join him, she wounded Moody here and... Minerva lost her life because of her. Lily Evans is the enemy now." 

A sob was heard at the other end of the table, it was Molly Weasley, "Poor dear, so young... that awful Voldemort; taking advantage of a young girl like that!"

Albus nodded solemnly, "Indeed." 

"We must save her!" James protested, "She's probably under Imperius!" 

Alastor grunted, "I doubt it's your face she'd want to see if that's the case, boy, you killed her best friend." 

The Potter heir's face contorted into an ugly grimace but he didn't speak, he just left the room, Sirius sighed and went after him. 

"What a fool," Moody muttered in a harsh voice. 

Euphemia hid her head in her hands, "How did he get so..." She whispered to herself. 

Elizabeth Abbot snorted, "You spoiled him to excess, the boy has no idea what the word no means." Several people at the table, including Augusta Longbottom and the Shafiq's, nodded. 

"He's done nothing of note, yet you have bowed to his every whim, and now he is an accomplice to murder," the Longbottom matriarch said dryly. 

"It's because of Sirius! Our Jamie wasn't like this before he met that boy!" Ragged Lady Potter, Albus allowed himself a sigh. 

Alastor sneered, "Black is the same, a rich, charming boy from a powerful family who has no concept of boundaries and tends to turn into a cruel, violent adult, reveling in their supposed superiority instilled in them by their parents since birth, and now we have people like Black, Potter and Bellatrix Lestrange". 

"My son is no Death Eater Moody!" Fleamont protested. 

"Enough!" Albus' voice boomed, "What happened was a tragic incident, but we need people on our side, Sirius has made his choice and he is a good dueler. Now back to business" He took a deep breath, it had taken an eternity to find the solution that could save them all. 

"I have found the Fae-elves." 

Gasps and cries of shock filled the room, the Fae had not been seen for centuries, only the Goblins were the last of the sub-species. 

"The elves have agreed to listen to us, they have agreed to receive an emissary, they have refused my presence on their land, so we must decide who will go".

"I could go," Kingsley said. 

"Why won't they accept you on their land? You are the representative of the Light faction," Arthur Weasley said, looking incredulous. 

Dumbledore stifled an annoyed sigh, the ignorance of some of his allies annoyed him. "Exactly, the Elves are neutral, they'll tolerate us, but I'm too far on the spectrum," he smiled benevolently, but didn't miss the sneers of disbelief from the Abbots and the Shafiq. He discreetly cast a spell to increase his sense of hearing.  

"Say the man who tried to cover up a murder..." Aaliyah Shafiq muttered. 

Her husband took her hand and whispered in her ear, "At least he's not as cruel and bloodthirsty as Voldemort... we don't have much choice". 

She nodded, "I can't believe the situation we're in. 

Dumbledore sighed inwardly and ended the meeting, Kingsley would go to the elves, Alastor and Emmeline Vance would continue to try and recruit new members for the Order. It was also important to find Miss Evans, who he was sure had something special that Voldemort had found and needed for himself. He needed to know what it was. 

The fiasco of Severus Snape's murder was something he hadn't expected, he hadn't thought the Marauders would become so unstable and unconscious. Sirius and James were talented and he needed them, but he would have to be careful. 

The loss of Remus' support was also a hindrance, as a werewolf he would have been a wonderful ally in trying to convince the various wolf packs of England to join them. 

He looked at the empty chair, his mistake also cost him his deputy, Lily Evans had become terribly withdrawn since Mr Snape's death, according to Minerva it was only a matter of time before Voldemort and his minions got their claws into her as she was in such a vulnerable state. Now the Order was weakened by its internal dissidents, the presence of James and Sirius causing much outrage, the Shafiqs, the Abbot and even Augusta giving him and the Potter the cold shoulder. 

Staring out of the window at the buds and flowers slowly growing after the harsh winter, Dumbledore felt that this year was going to be a very complicated one. 

✧ ✦ ✧

"We're going shopping," Narcissa announced one morning at breakfast. Lucius just hummed and Lily was so absorbed in her book that she didn't react: "Lily, you're coming with me" 

"Huh?" She looked up from her reading. 

"You've been resting for a week, I think some fresh air will do you good." 

Lily nodded, "OK, where are you going?" 

Narcissa smiled pleasantly, "We're going to Horizontal Alley." 

Her husband snorted, "Good luck, Lily, Narcissa used to spend all day there. And be careful, there might be members of the Order... " 

"Don't be ridiculous, the Alley is too 'pureblood' for them, all the better for us," Narcissa cut him off. 

She had no idea what Horizontal Alley was, having only heard of Diagon Alley, "What is it? What's the difference with Diagon?" 

Her friend smiled dreamily, "Just the most wonderful place in England, all the shops you could dream of are there, we also call it Ladies' Alley, although men of high standing go there too".

"It's an alley full of clothes shops?" Lily squealed in delight, rising from her seat.

"Yes!" Narcissa and Lily held hands and let out excited cries.

Lily realised that she had only visited a very small part of Diagon Alley. She was in awe of the Great Library, a beautiful silvery building made entirely of silver, white gold and brown marble with bronze veins, it was circular with a glass dome in the centre, Narcissa told her that this place was reserved for scholars and researchers. 

The Great Library was the central point of the three alleys, Diagon Alley was very famous because all the shops for school furniture were located in it, but the Vertical and Horizontal Alleys were considered to be the posh ones, Vertical Alley proposed a number of library with rare books, shop with priceless artefacts and Horizontal Alley was also called Ladies Alley because of the number of clothes shop and tea saloon that were in it. 

Lily vowed that one day she would set aside a week to visit Vertical Alley. 

"Oh my God, look at that hat Narcissa, how can you hope to walk straight in that?" She looked into a shop window. 

They both giggled as they looked at the huge hat with a stuffed peacock in the centre. "It looks like one of Augusta Longbottom's, perhaps she ordered it?" They broke into another giggle, the street was mostly empty so they allowed themselves to relax. 

Voldemort had disappeared without a word after Lily had fallen asleep in the Observatory, she had woken up in her bed, joined Malfoy for breakfast and Narcissa had looked after her for almost three days and no one knew where Voldemort had gone. 

Bellatrix had stormed in one day, completely insane, and it had taken the intervention of Lucius and Abraxas to get her under control. Lily had seen Abraxas look worried, he knew something the rest of them did not. 

Narcissa stopped in front of a shop with a sophisticated look, the front was made of dark marble and mahogany cleverly mixed together "Oh Lily, this is my favourite shop, they make the most comfortable and stylish clothes and dresses I know". 

Lily looked at the price tags and paled, "Errr, Narcissa...they're wonderful, but I don't have enough money to even buy a hat here.

She scoffed, "Don't worry my dear, the Dark Lord is paying for all your expenses, you are, as he said, his 'apprentice' and now he has almost killed you with a centuries old disease, so I think you deserve to have some fun".

The redhead thought about it for about three seconds before beaming at the blonde, "Okay! Look at this outfit!" 

Narcissa laughed and followed her, the outfit in question was made of black leather and silk, it had several layers. The top was skin tight and made of an intricate combination of silk, cotton and leather woven together to form abstract designs, the trousers were all leather and the boots came up to the knee where they provided protection, several silver buckles were on the side of the boots. Then the outfit also had a robe that could be used as an open dress on the front so that the first layer of clothing was visible, it was secured by a wide leather belt around the waist ornamented with a silver Celtic knot, the last layer was a leather ensemble of shoulder pads that took up the entirety of her shoulders and neck. 

"It looks like combat gear," Narcissa whispered, Lily was in love with the outfit, it looked so noble and intimidating. 

"Yes, how can I help you today, ladies?" A friendly voice asked from behind them. 

The owner was a middle-aged petite woman with short brown hair. "What material are these clothes made of?" Narcissa asked politely. 

She replied in a professional tone, "The leather is Hungarian Horntail, and the silk is Acromantula silk, of course, all the clothes are enchanted to follow the body changes of the wearer and is like a second skin, you will never be hindered in your movements. It is also enchanted to protect, curses and spells will have more trouble getting through it. It can be worn as a duel suit or even as a robe, if the second layer is properly arranged".

The price tag read one thousand five hundred galleons, nine hundred sickles and ninety-nine knuts. They looked at each other, smiled and Narcissa turned to the owner, "We'll take it”

They left the shop arm in arm, Narcissa having found two wonderful dresses, one was blue with several overlapping layers at different levels, the edges of which were shimmering bronze, and the other, a more casual day dress, was a purple grey with floral embroidery climbing up the dress. 

When they entered their fourth shop, Narcissa headed straight for the jewellery section, while Lily decided she needed more three-piece suits. There was a woman nearby looking at the dresses on the mannequin, but she didn't pay much attention to her, walking past her to choose a new suit. 

They were all so beautiful, she sighed, how to choose, one was a simple but majestic deep green with gold thread making an abstract pattern on the wrist and ankle, one was a shimmering royal blue with diamonds in the waistcoat, but the burgundy one she left...

"Evans?" She froze. 

Anger suddenly pulsed through her veins, but she kept her face unreadable as she turned to face James bloody Potter, who - Merlin, she had to stay calm - was grinning at her. 

"I knew it! You couldn't have joined them!" He made a triumphant gesture with his fist. 

Calling on her best acting skills, she made a face of confusion: "What? Join who?" 

He looked around, "You know who..." 

She widened her eyes in false realisation, "Oh... of course not! They tried to recruit me, so I had to run away, but Moody and Mcgonagall thought I was going to join them, they tried to stop me, but the Death Eaters were coming, so I had to run...I'm sorry about Mcgonagall, I didn't mean to, I was desperate..." She started to hiccup and Potter looked panicked. 

"It's all right! We know, Sirius and I, we didn't mean any of this, with Sniv... Snape" She wanted to stick her wand in his eyes. 

"Of course," she smiled as if she agreed. "How are things going for you with the Order?" She asked innocently. 

He pouted and sat down on a velvet padded chair, "It's boring, we don't even fight, Dumbledore says we're too young and my parents agree".

"Your parents are here?" She panicked a little. 

"Huh? My mum, she's on the other side, near the clothes"

"Oh great, well, I thought the Order was more active than that...I mean Voldemort is a real threat and no one's heard from them in weeks...it's a bit disappointing and kind of useless" She pretended to be interested in the suits. 

James gave her an insulting look, "Of course we are doing something! Mum and Dad told me that Dumbledore managed to contact the Elves! Can you believe that ?!" She smiled. 

"No way! James, that's amazing, with them we might have a chance to beat him! What are they like? Where do they live?" She sat down next to him, her eyes bright with interest. 

James puffed out his chest, "Kinglsey's going to see them in a few weeks and I think they live in the Broceliande Forest in Brittany. 

"Wow, that's incredible, you're going to make history James!"

The Potter heir ran his hand through his hair, looking far too proud of himself "You could join us, you know, you're brilliant, you could be our healer when we're wounded on the battlefield" She had to fight the urge to laugh, how could James be so... blind? Did he really think war was fun? What was he even fighting for? 

They kept talking, well James did, she answered when needed, sounding impressed when necessary, "...Vance and Moody, he's got a false eye now that can see behind and through everything, it's wicked, they're trying to recruit more people and they're looking for you".

Lily pretended to be scared, "What?"

"Oh no, no, don't worry, I won't say anything but..." 

"Jamie dear? Where are you?" A woman's voice cut him off, it was his mother, she was coming towards them. 

Lily felt her heartbeat rise, "OK, um, it was nice to see you James, I've got to go, I told my mum I wouldn't stay too late. See you," she waved at him and before he could speak she was walking away. 

A hand grabbed her wrist and turned her, "Wait! I want you to meet Mum!" He had his stupid charming smile on his face, his mother behind him, a benevolent smile on her face. "Mum, this is Lily Evans!" Lady Potter's face fell.

With a sharp movement, she freed herself from James' grasp, pulled out her wand and wordlessly cast 'Fumos'. The shop quickly became filled with smoke and Lily, using a spell Voldemort had taught her that allowed her to see through it, walked quickly, ignoring Lady Potter's screams of rage at her son and James' desperate pleas for her to come back. The customers quickly panicked and began casting spells left and right, causing several pieces of furniture to explode and dust to enter her lungs, making it difficult for her to breathe. 

Narcissa was nowhere to be found in this huge store, customers were screaming and she could hear Aurors being called when she felt someone grab her shoulder, quick as a snake she pointed her wand at her face...

"God, Narcissa! We have to get out of here, the Potters have seen me!" She explained quickly. 

The blonde woman swore and dragged her out, dodging people and fallen shelves. When they finally got close to the exit, several Aurors in crimson uniforms rushed in, hiding behind a shelf and Narcissa muttered "Eclipsium Noto" under her breath, suddenly all the Aurors just ignored the area they were in and started going deeper into the shop. 

"Let's go, we can apparate in the street" 

Lily swallowed, "Let's hope they haven't put up anti-apparition wards," Narcissa made a face and they ran out of the shop. 

When they finally left the shop in a hurry, Narcissa hid her face and Lily did the same and they were finally able to apparate without any problems.