From Darkness to Destiny

A/N: A deep thank you to the extraordinary, one and only gem of a writer and exceptional, generous reviewer Fairfield, whose feedback and questions have allowed me to experience further levels of writing and who has gently nudged me and inspired me to finish this tale, which I've been wrestling with since falling in love with the Harry Potter universe many years ago. Thank you, the reader, who has followed this tale...I truly appreciate it! And thank you, the one and only Clairvoyant, for patiently willing to admin my scribbling, time and time again through the years...you are an admin goddess!

Disclaimer: The wonderful J.K. Rowling owns everything...the Harry Potter fandom/Potterverse fandom. I do not own the Harry Potter fandom, nor the characters in it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

* R *

30 October, 1981

The Knights of Walpurgis revelry was not in full swing.

In fact, the atmosphere had a stagnant, morose feeling to it; the air was thick with incense...a film of mist in all shades of colour and scents. The sconces danced and flickered with the motions of figures moving deeper into what registered to Remus as a very old building.

Something is off, thought Remus. He huffed as he glared at Rookwood's back. Isn't there supposed to be some festive action going on? Shouldn't the Death Eaters, like satyrs, be dancing the antic hay?*

Remus felt Nagini take his hand, and he shuffled slowly and loosely behind her. Cloaked and masked with a simple Venetian-style eye mask, he followed her. They seemed to straggle behind a hooded and masked Sirius and Augustus through the dimly lit, wide corridor of the Lestrange's manor deeper into the inner rooms of the manor. He could feel the flooring slanting and opening to a lower level as they moved further away from the previous space. The hum of murmured conversations was heard as they entered.

We're in the dungeon level!

"Stay back, until summoned," instructed Rookwood sharply to the three of them before heading deeper into what could be seen as a dark, crowded, cavernous space. Remus saw that Augustus made directly for the other end of the room. There appeared to be a semi-circular clearing there in the midst of unsynchronized movements of the attendees, and as his keen eyesight zeroed in on a pale, anorexic figure, his blood curdled in disgust. Voldemort!

Sirius' eyes glinted, and he followed Remus' gaze, saying under his breath, "Riddle!" But his barely audible intake was overlapped with a sharp loud crack of a hiss above the murmurings going on in the dungeons.

Nagini snapped her eyes upwards. She moved her head in an odd way and then gave Remus a look, her eyes doleful and large. "I am summoned!"

Remus watched her slowly go; she did not look back. He and Sirius slunk back into the shadows. Noticing that Padfoot seemed uncharacteristically subdued, he gave a steady look around, observing in detail in the dim light the other masked guests at Lestrange Manor. His nostrils flared slightly, and his eyes narrowed beneath his mask as he glanced here and there.

Remus spotted the arrogant stance and long whitish-blond hair protruding from under one Death Eater's mask, easily pegging Lucius Malfoy. Ridiculous! Why the fuck do they even bother with these fucking masks?

He clenched his fist, trying to suppress a growing urge to fight or flee. He could not now think clearly enough to differentiate whether this was due to the moon waxing near, almost complete in its fullness, or if it was from the repercussions of distasteful Death Eater conversation going on around them and why they were actually here.

As Sirius instinctively pressed him against the wall, as if to hold him back from his impulses, Remus continued to stealthily categorize all that he observed. He could recognize and label individuals by the person's gesture, his or her voice, a whiff of perfume, a waft of whisky, and of course, the scent of someone's sex.

He heard Sirius quietly speaking, "She never had a chance."

"What?" The wolf clenched his jaw and ground his teeth, his incisors feeling particularly sharper than they had since yesterday.

"Nagini."

Remus stopped observing and gave Sirius a vexed look. "Maybe not. Doesn't matter now. We're here to finish him. The past doesn't exist; it doesn't matter."

Sirius gave Remus a belligerent look. "It should. I need you to know..."

"What? For fuck's sake, what?" Remus controlled his nerves to speak more calmly. "Padfoot, speak now or forever hold your peace. I doubt, even if," Remus gave a cock of the head towards Voldemort's end of the room, "we're going to get out of here alive."

Sirius blinked hard and began speaking in a low voice. "Voldemort had pegged Nagini from the moment he heard she was a Parselmouth, gifted with a level of clairvoyance. Her father bragged once too much about how special these gifts were... Her mother, Portentia..."

"I know. I remember. She killed Rolph."

"Yes, but only after... Riddle wanted the girl, the child. But Lestrange offered him another choice... his wife. Voldemort took him up on the offer...she was a renowned Seer, a beautiful and powerful witch in her own right, and Riddle was curious at what else he could extract from the noted Belby witch... Afterwards, of course, he still demanded Nagini. Portentia took her and fled... until she was hunted down by Rolph..."

"Why are you bringing this up now?"

"Just that you know her troth plight to the House of Black was in some way my sick mother's way of protecting Nagini. That's all. Walburga Black was a vicious, supremacist bitch, but she never liked Riddle... though his political visions agreed with hers."

Remus swallowed down the bile rising in his throat, and his concentration wavered further as he reflected on the earlier events of the day, which now seemed like years ago. He let out a deep sigh, remembering, with a painful bitterness, his and Nagini's desperate fucking in the Chief Warlock's inner chamber. No, it wasn't mere fucking... it was... He felt his stomach tightened as he completed his thoughts. It was saying... goodbye?

They had barely spoken a word as they redressed and composed themselves. He would never forget the look on her face as she turned back to him before returning to the Department of Mysteries and he went back to the Auror department.

A quick but concise briefing soon afterwards was held with Dumbledore and Moody. Sirius soon arrived, joining the meeting and confirming that this evening would be the beginning of the end. Body parts of one of the Prewett twins, Fabian it was believed, had been found, but the remainder of his body had not been found, either whole or in other parts, nor any traces of Gideon discovered... yet.

"Bartemius and his team found pieces... The fuckers cut him up...they've dismembered Fabian," growled out Alastor in a low voice. "We find out who did this, and I want to personally deal with them."

"So we cancel the Rookwood happening and go straight for patrolling in the north and do away with each and every Death Eater we come into contact with?" asked Sirius heatedly. "Leave one alive to get answers out of?"

Remus caught Sirius' eye, and they stared at each other, neither able to read the other's thoughts, as they heard Dumbledore's controlled authoritative voice instruct, "You two will still go to this evening's soirée, and at an opportunistic moment, you will strike together... kill Voldemort."

Remus snapped his head to Albus. He blinked hard and could barely manage to utter, "I think a room full of Death Eaters will notice if we've put a Disillusionment Charm on ourselves...a little suspicious to disappear after we've arrived." He tried to contain his sarcasm as he pointed out the obvious. "You expect us to just walk in, tagged members of the Order that we are, and be allowed to sit around as if invisible, permitted to wait until it's convenient to kill their leader?"

The silence was painful as Remus waited for someone to respond.

Feeling as if a shard of glass was piercing him, he heard Sirius softly speak. "We shouldn't be immediately noticed. Rookwood told me all will be masked, including us, except for Bellatrix and... Nagini... Voldemort prefers them to be... exposed, at all times."

"He told you that?"

"He gave me details and admitted that Riddle will most certainly be there."

Remus stared at a spot on the stone wall beside Dumbledore's head as he heard Sirius take a deep breath before continuing, "We'll have to have a distraction."

"Such as?"

"Nagini. Nagini will be the distraction."

"How so?" His throat tightened, and his voice sounded weak and thin as he said, "It would seem that she isn't... They are all familiar with her...how could she distract them? And Voldemort..." Remus ran his hands through his hair. "Nagini told me he... they..."

Dumbledore peered over his half-moon spectacles. "Distract him she will. We need not know how."

"Oh, but I think we do." Remus felt a wildness being unleashed within him. "Riddle...he possesses her somehow; there is a dark and deep connection between them. He'll be watching for any sign..."

"No, it won't be so obvious; at least, it shouldn't be, not at first. We'll also distract him, approach him in a different way..."

"We?"

"Yes." Sirius bit his lower quickly before elaborating. "Nagini and I."

"You... and Nagini? When did you discuss this?"

"Just now, before I came to this briefing." Sirius cleared his throat and held up his left hand. On his little finger was a ring. He recognized it. Nagini's! But is it? It seems different.

"This gathering is under the guise of the Knights of Walpurgis, so I've been told...listen, Remus, listen," pleaded Sirius fiercely, apparently seeing Remus balk and flush with a deep anger.

"Why do you have her..."

"Family heirloom ring? I don't...it, this one is mine. It's been at Alphard's all these years. Well, it's my family's. It was to be claimed by either Regulus or me, being the male heirs of the House of Black...it's her ring's twin." Sirius allowed what he was trying to say sink in. "Purebloods have this thing about arranged..."

"You were troth-plighted to her? How noble, how pure, Padfoot," scoffed Remus. "Don't think Voldemort will give you his blessings."

"It's two fold, presenting this...one, it's a pretext to maybe have contact with Regulus. The berk's gone missing, you know. Don't know if he... escaped or if one of them..."

"You think that for one instant, Voldemort..."

"Two, just to bide time. One minute, thirty seconds...anything! Because, dear friend, remember who I was, before. Who I am to them. My father was a Knight of Walpurgis, like his forefathers before him...like everyone's in that room except Riddle's..."

"Who doesn't give a fuck because he's Salazar Slytherin's descendant! Who gives a fuck?" roared Remus.

"They want me to beg to be accepted back as much as they want to kill me! It'll amuse this crowd; the futility will amuse Riddle, and in that sliver of a moment, we can make our move."

* R *

Rookwood's voice snapped Remus out of his reflection.

"Come, Sirius. Lupin. It is time." He led them through the gathering, where Remus and Sirius stood beside Nagini, all in front of Voldemort.

"Rookwood, your and Nagini's special guests have dared to come, I see," stated the Dark Lord.

"Kneel," whispered Rookwood, suddenly irritated and tense. "And take off your masks."

Sirius' facial muscles clenched, but he proceeded to follow Augustus' directions, followed by Remus. But as Nagini made to kneel beside Remus, the voice commanded, "No, Nagini. Here."

Without a second's hesitation, Remus saw Nagini move in front of the pale, dark-haired figure and position herself, kneeling at his feet. Bellatrix had perched herself on Voldemort's other side, twirling her wand in her hand with a wild look in her eyes.

Voldemort's features were eerily distorted, stretched with a sickly hue as he whispered to Nagini in Parseltongue, "Relax, my pet. And watch. Be ready. The time is near."

Remus heard Riddle quietly hiss a command to Nagini, who then changed her position to a sitting one. Under his lashes, he saw that she stared blankly above the gathering, as if looking through the dungeon's walls. But his eyes darted back to Voldemort as he heard him directly say, "Ah, Sirius Black... The one that got away, only to return... in need of what?"

"In need," Sirius halted and seemed to summon his inner will to force himself to utter, "my Lord, with kindred purebloods, in honour of this gathering to commemorate the Knights of Walpurgis, a token from a time past."

Voldemort barely moved his fingers, and the twin ring flew to his palm. "Your trinket does not appease me, Black."

"Perhaps my brother Regulus can..."

"Regulus? Ah, yessss, Regulussss... "

Remus felt and heard the room grow even colder and deathly still. He dared a glance at Rookwood, whose smug smile confirmed that he had led them to slaughter...not a revelry, but a slaughter. His fingers twitched and he made the slightest movement. "Don't," croaked Augustus in a low threatening tone, causing him to wince, knowing that Rookwood was completely on to them.

Voldemort gave a cryptic smile as he gazed at Sirius. "You wish to see Regulus?"

Remus saw Sirius give a quick glance around, as if expecting Regulus to step forward. But nothing happened.

"Rookwood informs me that you wish to return to the fold?"

"I feel I could be useful with the Ministry, Crouch, Moody, Dumbledore..."

"And yet you have chosen to keep company with a werewolf? With undesirables?" Voldemort's eyes flickered red at Remus momentarily before boring into the eldest Black brother again. "Aligned yourself with blood traitors?"

In a flash, Riddle snapped his wand at Sirius, spellbinding him.

Remus turned to Sirius, who had begun to laugh only for the sound to change, turning into a scream. A deep, agonizing one, and he collapsed on his knees and hands.

Remus had barely managed not to react, remaining in place. The plan was they were to strike together. And now, what? Waiting, watching, waiting.

"The werewolf would do this out of what, loyalty? To you, Black?" Voldemort's eyes flashed red. He slashed at Sirius' collapsed form while throwing the troth-plight ring to the floor. "And the Potters, Black? Reveal their hiding place to me...prove your true worth!"

There was only a defiant growl of sorts emitting from Sirius. Voldemort flicked his wand again, and Sirius writhed on the floor in agony, unhinged.

"Black has displeased me."

All of the masked figures seemed to titter and sway, and then blur, for Remus felt as if the room was turning as Riddle turned his attention to him.

"I have been told you wish to serve me discreetly. Would you pledge your service to me without Black? Or has this all been a futile ruse?"

A groan of consent seemed to eek forth from Sirius, and Remus' fingers twitched to grasp his wand and send an Avadra Kedavra at Riddle. But his instinct also told him he had to wait. For what? He caught Nagini's image in the corner of his eye, passive and petrified.

At Remus' hesitation, Voldemort's voice seemed to soften as he pressed, "You are willing to spy for me, against your kind, half-breed? Both the human and the animal? To be a liaison with your kindred werewolves?"

For some reason, he could only nod his head and made some unintelligible sound.

"You lie, son of Lyall Lupin."

"No," he heard himself whisper.

"What did you say?"

"Yes," he consented aloud vigorously.

Even as a wand flashed a Crucio curse, hitting Remus full force, he heard "Yes, what, beast?" It was Rodolphus Lestrange behind him, digging a wand into his back.

There was raucous laughter ringing in his ears as the pain of the curse burned through him, and he felt his body grow heavy, collapsing downward to the floor.

"On your knees, and repeat, 'Yes, my Lord'!" shrieked Bellatrix, pointing her wand at him, ready to hex him into another hell.

Remus raised his eyes and gave a fleeting glance to Nagini, whose eyes were now filled with an indescribable pain.

The final mistake was made.

It was not Bellatrix's nor Rodolphus', but Voldemort's wand that in a flash had been waved and placed him in an Imperioed state. Remus could not help but stare into the burning red eyes of Voldemort.

The longer he was held in Voldemort's gaze, the more his throat muscles tightened.

"So," Riddle hissed maliciously, "you dare in front of me to covet that which is mine, wolf?"

Choking from an invisible force, Remus rasped, "No."

"You lie again, Lupin."

There was a searing sensation around Remus' throat, like an electric wire lassoed around it, tightening.

"I know what you are, Remus Lupin. What you want." His eyes flashed red again in the light. "I have probed Nagini's mind, many a time. I have seen her every memory... felt each one," he hissed, his eyes glinting dangerously. "Do not believe otherwise... She has no secrets from me."

Remus heard a roar rushing through the room, like a locomotive engine going out of control. His heart pounded wildly as Riddle said quietly, "Now, Nagini. Do it."

Nagini rose, her eyes and features neutral. She raised her wand and slashed; Remus buckled. He heard Bellatrix cackling as Nagini came nearer. She raised his head and lunged around, grabbing and twisting his arm behind his back.

He suddenly felt an object being pressed into his palm, even as he felt her place her wand at his throat with her other hand. Nagini swooped down, as if she were hissing an expletive in his ear, but hissed, "Both you and Sirius!" She squeezed his hand hard, which now gripped her heirloom ring.

He couldn't think straight, only, No! Not without you!, and made indistinct protesting grunts.

Voldemort jeered, "Cut his throat like a filthy Muggle, in tribute to his Mudblood mother!"

She raised her wand, as if to place a Diffindo spell, and then suddenly clenched and shoved Remus sideways, both toppling onto Sirius' prostrate form. Remus' fist loosened, and in lightning speed, Nagini squeezed it closed with her hand simultaneously touching a portion of the ring's edge and Remus' fingers gripped around the Portkey.

"Now! Together, Remus...Chocolate Frog girl!"

Instinctively, even as he said the phrase with her, Remus slid his free arm under Sirius' torso, holding him tight, and simultaneously felt the overpowering hook-like sensation pulling him into space.

But even in that very moment, as he clasped the heavy weight of his dearest friend to him, he also felt a sudden lightness overwhelming another part of him, physically and psychologically.

Nagini had let go.

* N *

Nagini felt the slash of a burning curse hit her in the second she uttered the words Chocolate Frog girl with Remus.

Her body was thrown against the wall by an invisible force.

She raised her wand to send one last curse at Voldemort. It was slapped from her hand, her arm feeling like it had been cut off.

There was a roar of commotion as in a wavering rippling effect, and Nagini struck back the only way she had left; not having her wand, but with her deepest wish, she transfigured herself into her Animagus form.

Riddle flinched in surprise, seeing her having dissolved and morphed; there were nervous exclamations and shrieks, fervent movements now that all faced a rearing, hissing serpent of substantial size. "Leave her to me!" bellowed the Dark Lord.

For Tom was only unnerved a second before he retaliated. Wrathfully, he sent a spell at the Animagus, hitting the creature full force. What followed was a painful, grotesque transfigurement of a half-morphing: Nagini's reptilian form slowly distorted and throbbed before coagulating back into some semblance of her human form, but it stalled mid-transformation. "You shall be an abomination to all that lay eyes on you," he hissed softly, smiling a cruel, knowing smile.

Then he screamed, "You dare to strike at me? Finite Animagus!" At his command, an ear-piercing scream erupted from amidst the remaining serpentine hissing, the force of the spell wrenching the involuntary full transfiguration.

Once Nagini was solidly in human form, Riddle whispered another spell, and the now convulsing Nagini clawed at her neck as if an invisible force was strangling her. She felt the warm sensation of her own blood run down her neck as her fingernails desperately attempted to arrest the invisible force, but to no avail; the smothering, crushing sensation against her windpipe was propelling her into darkness.

His visceral hissing cut through her thoughts, "All shall loathe your form and fear you. You are mine, a part of me; I am a part of you."

Turning to his followers, Voldemort roared, "I want the pieces of that filthy blood traitor Gideon Prewett's carcass strewn all over Hogwarts! I want the old man to know he and those resisting me are next! GO!"

Voldemort held out his hand as if catching something large and invisible from the dispersing Death Eaters within his grasp. "Not you, Pettigrew," he hissed malevolently. "You remain here with me and Nagini."

Nagini could hear Peter's whimpering, "Yes, yes, my Lord."

Then the Dark Lord was standing above her, gloating. Nagini saw Voldemort's facial mask drawn back with a satisfied leer. Her throat was parched and aching as he grabbed it and squeezed tightly. "Nagini?"

With an unnerving expression, a mocking smile was given to her as he jibed, "It's time."

She shivered as his face beamed with smugness. "Our last time, witch," he hissed in Parseltongue. "The third time... The spell shall be completed. Thrice, thrice, thrice..."

Like a slap to the face, his distorted features were suddenly one inch from hers, his body laying hard and brutally on her, his skeletal sharpness pressing painfully down into her softness. Her heart was thudding wildly in her chest as he coaxed, "The last time, Nagini. The last layer of the spell... Our spell."

An odd look of placid satisfaction appeared on the Dark Lord's face, unnerving her further, as he suddenly, sultrily hissed, "Accept me completely... willingly... and I will be a merciful lord. I will spare the wolf's life..." He gave her time to let this sink in, smiling slyly. "Not just Lupin, but the others, Severusssss, all who have befriended you in one way or another; you shall feed on them as you wish..." As her eyes rolled back, the hand of power released her, and she gasped and clawed for air. Then his weight was on her, all over her, pressing her down, flattening and spreading her flesh upon the floor. Her chin was jerked and held, forcing her eyes to lock with his. "Open your body, mind, and ssssoul for me, Nagini."

She could feel the Dark Lord scraping around in her submissive mind, probing and tearing memories and images from her deepest corners. He smiled coldbloodedly as he saw Remus and her. He felt vicariously Nagini's pleasure, angst and... betrayal.

His red eyes gleamed, and she heard in her mind, The new world order. My world order. But first... my power. My need. My release. My vessel. My Horcrux!

Riddle gloated as he grasped her throat again. All that exists is my power! Feeling his long nails grasping her throat tightly, her body was jarred and inched back and forth in a sporadic rhythm; a ragged tune to Voldemort's thrusts as he fucked her, rammed her hard and deep, slowly then fast. Around and around. My needs, my release... are all that exist, Nagini... You will act on my every whim...

She became lost in his hypnotic whisperings and had no sense of time, mesmerized by his grimacing visage, only a dull registration of his burning, hard member spreading her flesh with each sharp thrust, piercing her core. But memories flooded back in her mind. Visions. Images. All the times before. Blood being drained. Blood being exchanged with Dark spells. Multiple times. Each time, she felt filled with... something... with him!

But there were two distinct memories, as clear as clairvoyant visions she had had, of a spell being involved. A spell that permeated and seemed to draw her very blood and soul out of her.

She went somewhere else in her mind. She was beyond pain. The touch of her dominator was all she knew, sharp and digging, demanding. Suddenly, she was aware of the sensations of a pain, a numbing pain from her waist down, throughout her entire body... beyond... encompassing her, encompassing him... them together. It was searing through her, come and blood. She felt him, holding her hips in place in a vice grip as he impaled himself again and again until in a hard jerk he laid his full weight on her and whispered the Horcrux curse in her ear:

Thrice, thrice, thrice

Possess me, master!

"Repeat with me, Nagini, as I come inside you." All she knew was that she was one with him; all she knew was to repeat after him, with him; they were blurring and had become one. The fraction of her humanity was diminishing, the tether of a former being was stretching wispier and wispier as she felt a force of life energy, alien yet familiar, leave and then enter her.

* V *

Tom Riddle hissed a painful hiss as he came deep within Nagini, as a part of his soul yet again left him and transferred into a powerful object, a living object! He lay still, feeling momentarily weakened. Then, the awareness that he had succeeded in transferring another part of his soul into a living object sent a rush of invigoration through him. I have pushed magic beyond its boundaries, further than Herpo the Great could have ever dreamed!

As he raised himself, looking down at Nagini's comatose form, his eyes rolled back in exaltation. The months, no years, it has taken to prepare my vessel for me!

And now, the Potters! I must eliminate the tyke they've spawned!

The Dark Lord stared down at her. He spoke another curse, hexing Nagini back into her Animagus form, imprisoning her in this state. Permanently. He Accioed her wand and triumphantly broke it in half, throwing the parts on the floor.

"When I have exterminated the Potters, I will call for you, and you will come to me."

* N *

Nagini felt both complete yet lost, floating in time and space. She felt the Dark Lord withdraw himself from her, point his wand, whispering a Dark spell, and felt her body throb and morph back into her reptilian form. He will summon me and I will come to his bidding!

She stared up at her master, fixated on him.

Voldemort had a satisfied look, odd yet decisively triumphant. He appeared to tremble, as if a force had left him, but he seemed to just as quickly recover. He stood upright, his eyes glowing red with a secret fire.

"Pettigrew!"

Nagini could hear the echoes of Peter Pettigrew's screams as she lay, not moving. She heard him squealing in pain, "Godric's Hallow! I'll take you there, my Lord!"

Then there was silence. She felt her frail human faculties were rapidly fading fast, slipping away. For a second, the thought of struggling against a strange, suffocating energy that seemed to encompass her occurred. Transforming into her human form fleetingly crossed her mind, then just as quickly vanished.

Her serpentine nostrils flared slightly, sniffing the air. It was daylight, and it was All Hallows' Eve 1981.

* R *

Remus was saying the words... He felt the warmth of Nagini's hand tight on his; yes, he was saying the words, so short, three little words. There was a fierce tugging, a suctioning force into space simultaneously occurring with a bright flash....

She isn't with me?

He only knew he was still grasping Sirius; they both were bleeding, but alive, gasping and laying on another but vaguely familiar stone floor. There was the hum and ticking of multiple clocks in the distance. Fawkes was staring down at them from his perch...they were in the Headmaster's office. They were safe.

She let go? Nagini!

* R *

31 October, 1981 and beyond

It was All Hallows' Eve, and Remus had been sent to the north of the country to patrol and search again for Antonin Dolohov and others for the brutal murder of the Prewett twins. He and Sirius had been quickly healed of physical wounds by Madam Pomfrey and Moody in Dumbledore's office and immediately sent on separate missions.

The world had gone irretrievably mad, and a panicky reaction ensued.

Remus was informed of Lily and James Potter's death. Returning to London empty-handed, he was numb, and in his grief, he searched for Sirius, Peter...his fellow Marauders for consolation. But they could not be found.

It was in agonizing pain that the unbelievable, apparently, had happened. Moody had to hold him down with a hex full force as yet further traumatic events were revealed to Remus: Sirius was the spy... Sirius had murdered twelve Muggles and their long-time best friend Peter Pettigrew.

Only Peter's finger remained...

Nagini! Sirius! Peter! Remus ripped at his hair, snapping. A traitor to Lily and James? No! A spy for the other side? I knew... I knew that Harry had been identified by Voldemort as the child in the prophecy... a possible target. James and Lily! But the child has survived? Harry?

He had been aware that James and Lily had used the Fidelius Charm. Of course Sirius was their Secret-Keeper! Who else? Destitute and wretched, Remus' body shook with sobs.

Traumatic event after traumatic event became Remus' life during those days. It would come to no one's surprise that he disappeared, became a recluse, lived in poverty, in a derelict cottage in Yorkshire. That is until Dumbledore tracked him down in the summer of 1993 and offered him the post of Defence Against the Dark Arts Professor at Hogwarts.

It would only be then that he would become aware of Pettigrew's duplicity and know Wormtail not to be dead. An innocent happenchance of seeing Peter's name appear on the confiscated Marauder's Map that he and his dearest mates had created so long ago would cause him to suspect the unimaginable.

* N *

With all her strength, Nagini willed herself to move, arched her vertebrae, and set her long form into motion, slowly slinking and slithering across the floor and through a rotten wooden flap of the old manor's cellar, leading out into the tall grass and onto the cool earth.

She knew not how long she travelled through grass, over pebbles and dirt and stone until she at last came to a forest she knew well. She hissed at the castle in the distance and veered deeper and deeper into the thickness of the Forbidden Forest. Something propelled her to a grove where an old Hawthorn tree stood. And there in the heart of it glowed something golden, something tasty. A golden Horklump! She slithered up to it and, in an impulsive move, lashed out and clamped down on the magical fungi.

She found herself Portkeyed on the Squib's vessel; he seemed to be expecting her. He led her to the lower hull, where she curled up and slept a deep sleep. Feeding on mice and trickles of water, she voyaged in the ship until it was docked in the lower Mediterranean. She sniffed the air and it was familiar to her. We've been here before, haven't we, Master?

Slithering off the ship in the middle of the night, she slunk and moved into and through the deep, dark forests. Yessss, I'll wait where the Diadem was for you, Master... You shall come to me soon...

For Nagini felt the Dark Lord's life force pulsing within her.

* R *

It would be in the distant future that Nagini's prophecy for Remus would be filled.

He would indeed finally accept another, be loved and fulfilled in a previously unforseen way. He would lose himself in the arms of a pink-haired witch; she would try again and again to ease his torment, to love his nightmares away... Nymphadora would replace his nightmares with an unconditional love and hope.

Holding his infant son cradled in his arms, he would not remember that long ago time when someone he could not save had touched his face... and he had laid his head in her lap wanting time to stand still forever...

Long gone were those days.

The reality of and the precedent to wipe Voldemort off the face of the earth, once and for all, to ensure a safer place for his son and others to grow up in, would be his driving force in life.

It would be a cause he believed worth fighting for. And dying for.

* N *

It would be in the distant future that Nagini would return from the dark, deep forests of Albania with her master and their companion Pettigrew, enslaved and kept alive with a part of Voldemort's soul embedded and entwined with her own life force.

And it would be on an embattlement of Hogwarts, a cherished refuge for so many, that she would find her death at the blade of Gryffindor's sword, yielded by a pure soul, noble in heart and deed.

As the part of Voldemort's soul embedded within her also met Godric's searing blade, it disintegrated, and her life force was truly freed and ended.

She would then be allowed to be at peace, free from an accursed existence.

The twists of fate would allow that.

* FIN *

* 'My men, like satyrs, ... shall with their goat feet dance the antic hay.' (Christopher Marlowe, Edward II I, I, approx. 1593)