Meteor Shower 🌠

31/10/1981 – 00:00

James Potter looks around the hall to check who else is yet to arrive. Other than his best mate Sirius Black, who had gone with Lovegood to get the last few ingredients for the ritual.

The banquet hall of the MacKinnon Manor is occupied in its full capacity. Though the ancestors who had designed this house would never have thought that their decedents would be using it for anything other than merriment.

The room has around 65 witches and wizards. Around 15 muggleborns, 15 half-bloods and 35 purebloods. And approximately 30 magical kids, most of whom are contribution of Molly and Arthur Weasley.

“I still don’t understand why there is need of these people here. Minerva had lost her marbles now that Dumbledore is gone. More the merrier she says!” Says Cassiopeia Black from the corner where she is sitting on her conjured chair as if it were a throne and she were a queen about to address her peasants.

James will be the first to admit that her presence in this ragtag group was shocking. She is definitely on the top ten list because there are other more strange presences too.

Frank had told him and Sirius that his mother, Augusta Longbottom nee Rosier was school friends with Cassiopeia Black. Somehow the two strict and stern women have maintained their friendship till their 60’s.

So, Augusta was one of the reasons of the Black spinster’s presence among them.

But he would have never guessed the aloof old spinster to agree to such a thing. But who is he to find this indigestible when he became an unregistered Animagus for his Werewolf best friend at the very young age of 15. Though that could be chalked up to his stupidity and naivety of not knowing dangers of such a task.

Right Ex- best friend. That is.

Remus Lupin could be called amicable acquaintance if James was feeling generous, if not then he will call his ex-best friend a stranger with whom he shares bittersweet memories.

“Haven’t you heard miss Black, everyone and everything created by the almighty has magic. Muggles’ magic is just suppressed and hidden and unacknowledged. And any extra helping hand is always appreciated.” Pandora replies to old Cassy.

James gets the feeling that the spinster would have liked to argue if they were not on such a time crunch. That and it is quite difficult to argue with Pandora Lovegood nee Vanity when she talks to you so sweetly and never raises her voice even in heated arguments. She is a voice to be reckoned with. A strong woman with equally strong values.

Right, James looks over the left corner of the room where a handful of muggles are watching the proceedings and preparation with a wide-eyed wonder. It must be quite a new experience for them.

They are all relatives of some of the muggleborns and half-bloods wizards and witches who could not afford to leave the country or their loved one’s behind.

Sophie Brown had suggested that they also involve the muggle relatives present in the ritual. Most people have agreed or were indifferent but no one seem to be creating a fuss over the matter.

After all half of them are ex members of the disbanded Order of the Phoenix. Others are seeking sanctuary with their friends and relatives, so they have not much say in the matter. Two are fugitives from Voldemort and one is a spy of the new resistance against Snake face.

Some others are here on the request of their relatives or friends for the sole purpose of this ritual like Cassiopeia Black called by Augusta, Ignatius and his wife Lucretia Prewett nee Black who are here at the request of their nephew- Fabian and Gideon Prewett. Pandora had called her cousin Emma Vanity. Edgar Bones had called his friends Pankaj Patil and Kevin Turpin. Minerva had called Professor Septima Vector and Aurora Sinstra from Hogwarts to help them in the ritual. And so on.

 They have waited for this day for long. Afterall it is very uncommon for Samhain or Halloween as muggles call it, to fall on the night of no moon. Evanna McKinnon has advised that today will be the best day for this ritual and since it was three months wait only, they all decided to wait. Because they can’t afford this ritual to go wrong. And they needed time to arrange for more and more people to participate on their free will and time to arrange for weird things required for this ritual.

This is their last hope. And as there is no future without hope.

James himself had not much faith in this ritual. He does not think that they should lay all their trust on this but he had seen the last survivors of this dark dark war looking forward to this day. And who is he to step on that believe.

No, he will go along with it, though he himself has not got his expectation much raised.

If today turns out to be a failure, then people will go into hiding, they will leave the wizarding Britain altogether or some will try to mould themselves according to the new world created by Voldemort.

So, maybe James should try to bring forth all the positive emotions while participating today. He himself has no idea what he will do if the ritual turns out to be a failure.

He had decided to trust on the trust Sirius has on this.

That is another surprising thing. Sirius has never once given much credence to old rituals and customs. He even went as far to say that they are all barbaric. But his best friend wanted this to be successful as much anyone else in this hall.

For Sirius’s sake, James prays that the ritual brings them some solution because he cannot withstand those stormy grey eyes to lose their spark and hope. That day will be the last day of James Potter’s life because he would not let Padfoot suffer on his watch.

Speaking of the devil, Sirius comes along with Xenophiles Lovegood with some kind of yellow colour plant with red leaves and green flower in his hands. Wow. Never thought that combination was possible.

But the Lovegood couple are good at this, While Pandora is an expert in all sort of plants and herbs and trees etc., her husband has a weird passion for finding weird animal that no one has seen before or believe that they exist.

Really a match made in heaven. The two of them.

Though Pandora could not go tracking in the mountains to search this plant because she couldn’t leave little Luna behind so the next best person to be able to recognise it was her husband. Sirius was there for Lovegood’s protection from the wildlife.

He approaches them as Lovegood moves ahead to pass on the last requirement of the ritual to Evanna Mackinnon.

He gives Sirius a tight hug. He won’t say it but he is really relieved.

Nowadays, no place is safe. Even though Voldemort and his minions have no need to be at a weird mountain, but he was still worried for Sirius.

“I am alright, Prongs.” Sirius whispers in his ears. Seemingly nothing can be hidden from him.

He relaxes breathing the familiar scent. Cigarettes, rosewood and something musky that is solely Sirius.

He nods at him and they move to join the circles that is formed at the moment.

James once again marvelled at the unique collection of beings. Muggles and wizards. Kids and adults. From various range of the supposed ‘purity’. And even house elves.

Yes. James had to give credit for this idea as house elves have their own brand of magic. But since it came from Barty Crouch Jr., James kept his thoughts in his head.

All the families who have elves and are in presence here have asked their house elves to join them. There were about 15 of them.

Archie Mackinnon was helping his mother with the seating arrangements. Apparently, they want the seating arrangements to be even so the magic flows in the circle evenly. So, it’s a witch/ wizard then a muggle and then a house elf and again a witch/wizard.

Every one is holding a candle. The children who are above 10 are also included in the circle while the others are either in the hands of or near their parents.

There is a second circle in the middle of this circle formed by people and elves holding candles. As the person with the most knowledge of this ritual, Evanna Mackinnon is sitting in one corner of that smaller circle which is formed with the help of mix of the blood freely given by a centaur and unicorn.

How that came to pass he could not even imagine. What did old pal Roland Davis had communicated to the unicorn and the centaur, so that the holy creatures have decided to bleed for the guy is a mystery. But that guy has a way with magical creatures. If it hadn’t been for the ongoing war, he would have been the Newt Scamander of their generation.

James gives Padfoot a small smile from his place who returns it.

Then seven people start incantation for the ritual which is in Latin so James does not understand what is spoken. They are Evanna, her son Archie, her daughter Marlene, Professor Aurora Sinstra, Cassiopeia Black, Lucretia Black and surprisingly Evan Rosier.

The environment within the hall is charged in some way. Like everyone is buzzing with anticipation.

It keeps going on for what seems like hours. They had commenced at midnight exactly when it turns the darkest. James does not feel tired though so maybe not much time has passed.

James’s attentions comes back when the enchanting stops and Evanna motions towards Pandora.

Then it is Pandora’s sweet voice that speaks in English from where she is standing holding a candle.

“We all have gathered to request your help. We have become directionless in the face of all the chaos in the form of war. We have lost so many of our people both soldiers and civilians. The muggles are not safe. Magic is not safe. We have no hope left beside this. We beg you, to help us bring an end to this barbarity. Show us a way. Bring us help. Guide us. You are our last hope.”

James gets the feeling as if someone is peeking into his person as if to decide if his intentions are true or not.

Looking around the room, he can tell from the expression of others that they are also feeling the same.

It keeps going for a long time where people shift from one foot to another from where they are standing, uncomfortable from the prodding at their thoughts and feelings and emotions.

James knows that it is not Legilimency, as his thoughts are not riffled through.

Then a deep, distinctively male voice speaks,

“A gift from the future and a gift from the past.

Both broken, both brought to repair the broken cycle.

Let them heal and they shall heal you.

United they shall restore the equilibrium.

Tough times have not passed yet, there are more challenges to be faced yet.

Trials to be faced, victory be achieved, reconciliation be made,

Trust the men I have sent thy way.”

Before James could understand the meaning of this fucking riddle, there is a huge gust of wind out of nowhere and all their Candles are extinguished.

The room is engulfed in pure darkness and then there is a distinctive sound of a thud and then some squelching sounds.

James doesn’t know if this is the part of the ritual because he very much wants to find what that sound was but he doesn’t want to risks anyone’s wrath if the ritual fails because he used magic during it.

But his worry was for naught. As Evanna had cast a Lumos from her wand and is pointing in the middle of the inner circle where now lays what seems like two male bodies.

One of them is in muggle jeans and t-shirt. He is tall and has red hairs. He seems like a distant relative of the Prewetts or the Weasleys.

The second body is laying face down so James can’t identify them. They are wearing wizarding robes though.

Evanna stands from her place and moves towards the second body and turns them.

James feels that he his heart just stopped when he got a good look at the second man. More like boy.

“Reg?” This one is Evan Rosier. He along with Barty Crouch Jr. moves towards the new arrivals.

James glances at Sirius to make sure that he is doing alright after the strange turns of event, only to find that his friend had fallen on his knees and has his face covered with both hands and is heaving dry sobs.

James is momentarily shocked because Sirius make a determined effort to appear a particular way in front of outsiders, to see him break down before audience is shocking to say the least. He moves towards him and engulf him in a hug and rubs his back.

Cassiopeia, Lucretia and Ignatius have moved towards the younger Black brother while Molly, Arthur and the Prewett twins are crowding the second boy with red hair.

James looks across the room where Andromeda Tonks nee Black is standing with her daughter and husband. Also shell shocked at seeing her youngest dead cousin.

Moody is barking at them to move side so that he could Rennervate them and ask them questions. But one look from Cassiopeia was enough to make the formidable Auror and war soldier Mad eye pause.

Madam Pomphrey moved to check Regulus Black while Ted Tonks was attending the red-haired guy whose name they didn’t know.

Meanwhile others in the room were forming small groups among themselves and discussing about what just happened and what did those words from that deity meant.

But James paid them no mind, his utmost priority was to make sure Padfoot was alright. Apparently Peter and Frank also wanted to check on him so they silently asked James who just shook his head in respond.

“Padfoot.” James whispered.

“He is back Prongs. My brother is back.” He said from where he has hidden his face in James’s chest.

James decided that they didn’t need to put on a show for these people so he took his friend outside the hall so that he could process his thoughts and emotions without all that commotion.

“How do you feel.” James asked once they were far away.

Sirius looked at him, his eyes red with unshed tears and emotions, “I don’t know, prongs, fuck, I don’t know what I feel.” He says pulling at his hairs.

James took Sirius’s hands in his hand and hold onto them tightly, to keep Padfoot rooted.

He waited, knowing Sirius needed time to process what he was feeling when it came to the people who are biologically related to him. Because it always involved too much emotion.

And too much of nothing is good.

“I am happy that he is back and but I shouldn’t feel that way, you know, he is a death eater. How could I feel relief at seeing my brother back when who knows how many people he had killed out there.” He said in a small voice. “Why did the stupid, idiot joined them?”

James’s heart broke for his Sirius. The guy who is so strong that he never listened to people who told him how to behave, what to do, what to wear, whom to talk to, whom to befriend, whom to hate.

The same person is left to doubting himself because Regulus fucking Black decided to show up. The only person that Sirius cared about from his family despite how vile they all were.

But this is not about Black, it is about Padfoot.

“I mean I don’t completely understand the ritual even after it is over. But the whole objective of this exercise was to seek help from higher beings and if Regulus is sent then something must be the reason. Also, maybe he found out something, you know, that is why Voldy decided to end him.” James tried to make his friend see reason.

“I always thought that he got cold feet you know.” Sirius said. “I thought he was killed for wanting to leave or something. I thought he didn’t even understand completely what he would be asked to do. Just being naïve enough in doing something to make Her happy.”

James nodded. He also had the same theory, though Sirius has never before discussed his brother’s disappearance and then subsequent death. That was the only topic that they didn’t discuss, otherwise they told each other everything.

“Well now he is here, I am sure we will find out what actually happened. And you are allowed to be happy to see him. He is your brother. You have shared happy and sad moments together. Of course, you will feel relieved that you got him back, now we will make sure that he stays safe.” James assured him.

Personally, James does not understand Regulus Black but if he is important to Sirius then James will make sure that baby black does not becomes the reason of his friend’s sufferings. Neither in his life nor in his death.

Sirius initiates a hug this time. Seemingly wanting to get back his bearing by seeking comfort. He takes deep breaths. James sways them a little and hums a tune to the muggle song Padfoot is always singing. Some band that he himself won’t bother with.

He feels that things are about to change.

The ritual has given them two teenagers who somehow hold the key to end this fucking war once and for all.

Only time will tell what is stored in their future.