Chapter 6
The open mic—as good as the idea was—is turning out to be a bit of a mess. Plenty of people have something to say, but the quality of their input varies wildly.
At first, many use the opportunity to search for someone, which is understandable but not very helpful. After the third James goes on stage looking for his Regulus, the Lilys have had enough and decide to ban public searches. “You’ll have to do that on your own time,” Lily announces firmly.
Still, some find creative loopholes to misuse the mic.
“Hi, I’m Sirius, and I’m a Muggle,” a Sirius says, stepping up confidently.
“HI SIRIUS!” the crowd chants back in unison, amused.
“I just want to say to Moony that I’m sorry for kissing that other Remus—”
A Lily flies across the stage to stop him, but he clings to the mic, speaking faster now.
“It’s just—he was a fucking werewolf, MOONS. A WOLF! Can you believe that? I’m sorry, I love yo—”
He’s cut off as two Lilys drag him offstage, his protests drowned out by laughter and scattered boos.
Others technically provide information but are so emotionally invested that it’s hard to extract anything useful.
“—It’s just hard to understand, right? Why are Sirius and Regulus always brothers? They don’t even like each other!” Evan complains into the mic.
A loud “HEY!” erupts from several Siriuses and Reguluses in the crowd.
“Fuck off, you don’t. But you know who does like each other? Pandora and me. So why are we not always siblings? One of you sick perv Evans out there is even dating her!”
The crowd reacts with disgusted noises.
“Dating your own si—”
He’s yanked away before finishing, leaving the audience in uproar.
Sometimes, someone’s statement sparks a response, like politicians in a chaotic debate.
“—I just want to say that I love my brother!” a Sirius shouts passionately into the mic. “And if you look to the Ravenclaw table, you’ll find a whole group of Siriuses who’d do anything for their little brothers. We even have a few Reggies who love us back! So, if any of you Reguluses out there miss your big brother, come to the Ravenclaw table! Let’s show those Rosiers what real sibling love looks like!”
A loud roar of excitement erupts from the Ravenclaw table. The Lilys scramble to quiet them down, relieved that they’d thought to cast a shield charm in front of the mic as curses from offended Evans fly toward the speaking Sirius.
Occasionally, someone uses the opportunity to deliver warnings from the future.
“—So if you even for one second think about going into that cave alone, DON’T!” a Regulus yells, glaring at the crowd. “And don’t be smart with me! Kreacher doesn’t count!”
Other times, the suggestions are more drastic.
“We need to kill all Peters—”
The crowd erupts with outrage, but the adult Remus at the mic raises a hand for quiet.
“I KNOW, I KNOW! Settle down! But he’s the spy!” he argues. “I know a lot of you love him, but he will betray you. Maybe not all of them, but we can’t take that chance, right, Sirius?”
“Right, Moony,” the adult Sirius next to him agrees solemnly.
It’s not a popular suggestion, to say the least.
After about an hour of this, Lily is ready to give up. Clearly, no one has any idea why this is happening. A wave of exhaustion washes over her as the Marlene who’s just been speaking leaves the stage and the next speaker—a James—steps forward.
This James looks rough . His hair is even messier than usual, standing on end like he’s been electrocuted. His eyes are dark and red, with a desperate look that’s easily found on countless Remuses and Barties around the room, but that she has never before seen on a James. He’s twitching slightly as he makes his way to the microphone.
His breathing grows louder as he nears the mic—not that anyone notices. The crowd is chatting loudly, most of them having lost their focus.
“Hi. I’m James, and it’s my fault we’ve ended up here.”
The chatter dies instantly. The silence that follows is absolute. Every single person in the room is staring at the James, waiting for him to explain.
“I come from a place that mirrors a lot of the places you know: Hogwarts, Marauders, war.” He lists the words on his fingers.
“I too dated Regulus Black—or maybe I still am.” His body twitches, though it’s more like glitching now. It’s unsettling to watch.
“I was in love with Regulus, but when he took the Mark, I couldn’t stay with him.” His face twisted with the pain of the memory. The glitching intensifies—Lily has never seen anything like it, like a candle flame flickering in the wind.
He takes a steadying breath, and for a moment, he looks more solid.
“The war went on. I didn’t see him anymore, but I never stopped loving him. And then came that gruesome night in the cave. He died.”
A small gasp echoes through the room. Some have tears in their eyes. There’s something in the way this James tells the story—one they all know in some form—that feels impossibly raw.
“He died, and the world stopped. I felt it the moment it happened, like the final tick of a clock.” His voice wavers. “This isn’t a metaphor. It happened. I felt a tiredness like no other wash over me, and when I woke up, I was back in sixth year. The clock had reset. The universe had bent time and space for this boy. I understood it—because I would have done the same if I could.”
James takes another breath.
“I got the message, clear as day: I had to save him.”
The room is frozen in shock; no one dares to move.
“I tried to save him, but I failed. And then it happened again—I was sent back.”
The glitching is worse now, his form flickering like static on a broken screen. Lily feels a pang of helplessness, unsure of what to do.
He takes another deep breath, then another, and another, until he’s more steady.
“I’ve been sent back over fifty times—and not once have I been able to save him. The last time I felt the tiredness, I expected another reset. But instead, I woke up here . I don’t know what it means, but it can’t be a coincidence. And I am so, so sorry for bringing all of you into this.”
He pauses, trembling. His voice cracks.
“I think the solution is to kill me.”
A silent beat. Then a Sirius calls out, “We can’t kill him!”
The crowd erupts into chatter—some arguing, others yelling that there must be another way.
“There’s no other way,” James says, his voice steady. “I’ve accepted my fate, and I’m ready to see him again.” He looks certain now, no longer glitching. “As far as I can tell, none of you are from my timeline. So, my final wish is to go by the hand of you, Lily.” He turns to her.
“M-me?” she stammers.
He offers her a small, bittersweet smile. “Yes. You remind me so much of my Lily. If I have to die, I’d want it to be by her hand.”
Lily feels tears welling up. She shakes her head. “No. No, James.”
He gently cups her face in his hands, wiping away her tears with his thumbs. “Yes, Lily. Please, do this for me.”
The desperation in his eyes is gone, replaced by a soft, familiar gaze. She feels lost in his eyes, as she’s been so many times before.
“James…” she croaks.
He holds her gaze, their foreheads pressing together. “Please, Lily. Do this for me.”
She’s sobbing openly now, but he lets her go. Trembling, she turns to the crowd.
“James!” she calls, her voice trembling, hoping the right one will hear.
He does.
Pushing through the crowd, marked by a bold red X on his wrist, her James emerges.
“Lils,” he breathes when he reaches her, and she crashes into his arms. He holds her tightly, brushing a hand through her hair.
“I couldn’t do it without you by my side,” she whispers. “I couldn’t take that chance.”
“I know, I know,” he murmurs, pressing a kiss to her hair. “You don’t have to do this. That’s not something he can ask of you.”
She looks up at him, and sees him watching the other James, like he’s something to be wary of.
“No,” she says, shaking her head. “I’ll do it.” She swallows hard, her expression resolute. “Hold my hand?”
“Always,” her James says.
“Thank you,” the other James mutters, sinking to his knees.
Lily pulls out her wand and points it at him.
Okay Lils. it's just a spell. just a spell like any other spell. Two words you can do it, come on!
She breathes in.
“Don’t do it!” a Sirius yells from the crowd.
“Don’t listen to that dickface, just get it over with already!” a Barty counters.
“Ignore them. You are doing the right thing.” The kneeling James says.
YES. EXACTLY! you are doing the right thing so just do it. You can do it.
Oh but how is she ever going to do it when it’s James? James! Her James! Or not her James, but in a way yes, because in a way, every James is her James.
No! I can't think like that. I have to do this! For everyone!
“James” she whines, and he tightens the grip on her hand
“Everybody look away!” He calls out.
But nobody moves. All eyes remain fixed on Lily Evans, wand raised, about to speak the two words that will end it all.
She takes a deep breath. “Avada ka—”
“STOP!”
The voice cuts through the silence like a blade. Everyone, including the kneeling James, turns to look.
Regulus Black is running to the stage. In moments, he’s standing between James and Lily, his stance protective.
“Regulus?” Lily blinks, noticing the red X on his wrist. It doesn't take her long to guess which one it is.
“You can’t do this!” Regulus says angrily, glaring at Lily.
“Regulus,” the kneeling James pleads from the floor.
“No! No. I won’t let you do it. What if it doesn’t fix anything, huh? What if he’s exactly what we need to fix this, and once he’s dead, we’re all stuck here!”
It’s a good point, and Lily can’t help but feel a bit foolish for not thinking of that herself.
“I will not stand for the murder of even one small James Potter!”
A chorus of ‘aww’ rises from the crowd.
“Shut up, or I’ll kill you all!” Regulus snaps, turning back to Lily. “There’s another solution, we just have to find it!”
“I… I might have something,” a small voice pipes up from the audience.
“YES! Little girl, come here!” Regulus beckons, pointing to her.
The girl is unfamiliar to Lily, no older than thirteen, with big, untamed hair and Gryffindor robes.
On stage, Regulus thrusts a microphone into her hand. The girl looks at him, wide-eyed but determined.
“My name is Hermione Granger, and I’m from the future,” she announces confidently.
“Miss Granger! Whatever are you doing here?” an older Remus Lupin exclaims.
“I don’t know, Professor,” she admits. “Dumbledore gave me a Time-Turner so I could take more classes, but the last time I used it, I accidentally ended up here!”
Something about the girl makes Lily’s heart aches—it’s like seeing herself at that age.
“Anyway,” Hermione continues, “my best friend is Harry Potter, and I think he’s the answer to all of this.”
Lily startles. “Harry Potter? As in…” She gestures between herself and James.
Hermione nods. “Harry Potter. As in the son of James and Lily Potter.”
“What makes you think that?” Regulus asks, blinking in disbelief.
Hermione looks momentarily taken aback. “Because… he’s always the answer,” she says earnestly.
“Miss Granger—” Professor Lupin begins, but his words are cut off by a loud CRACK of Apparition.
In the middle of the stage stands Mad-Eye Moody.