It had been three years since the war had ended and people were still healing. It would take many more years for the scars of the war to vanish, but none were as lost as one raven-haired man known as Harry Potter. He had lost a lot because of this war: his parents, his godfather, some of his friends, and a chance at a normal life.

Not everything in his life had crumbled, of course. He had an amazing fiance that he was in love with and his two best friends had made it through the war as well, but none had come out unscathed. Ginny Weasley was haunted by the events that happened during her sixth year under the rule of the Carrows... Ron Weasley still had to wake Hermione Granger in the middle of the night and hold her as she sobbed because her nightmares repeated all of the torture she endured at the hands of Bellatrix Lestrange...

And, of course, there were the families of those that he cared for that were torn apart. George Weasley had lost his other half and as much as he tried to continue moving forward—as his brother would've wanted him to—it was too difficult to continue something that they created together. Dennis Creevey had left Hogwarts and pursued a life in the Muggle world not being able to stand the death of his brother. Little Teddy Lupin didn't know his parents, and though he loved his grandmother and godfather very much, it was different.

But nothing can change the past, so everyone had to continue moving forward.

In the late hours of the night, Harry Potter could be heard walking through the deserted corridors of the Ministry of Magic. He glanced around and let out a deep sigh. He was supposed to be at home but a few minutes before he had left his office he had received a message. Glancing down at the letter in his hand, he reread the words:

Mr. Potter,

Sorry for the inconvenience, but you are
needed in the Department of Mysteries. It
is very important that you report there before
you leave for home. It won't take too long.

-An Unspeakable

Stepping into the lift in the Atrium, he crossed his arms and tried to reign in his impatience while he headed down to the ninth level. As the door slid open, he took a deep breath and looked at the halls that often roamed his nightmares.

'This is where Sirius died,' he couldn't help but think to himself.

He shook his head and pushed the dark thoughts out of his head. He couldn't dwell in the past anymore, he had to continue thinking about his future.

Opening the door and making sure it didn't close behind him, he made for the door in front of him. He finally understood the magic of this room and knew that the door that he needed would always be straight ahead. Finally pushing the last door open, he stepped into an empty room.

"Well, this can't be right," he grumbled to himself.

He looked around again and tried to think back to what would've been here. In his fifth year he had managed to get through a few of the rooms while in the battle, but this room was unfamiliar. The walls were blank, there were no tables, and there was definitely no sign of life. He turned back towards the door—believing that he stepped through the wrong one, even if he was sure that the magic would've known where he was needed—before stepping back a few steps.

In the place of a normal black door that he was expecting was something that he had never thought he would see.

It was an hourglass.

Tilting his head to the side, he thought what it could mean. An hourglass? Finally, it came to him.

"Time," he murmured, hitting his forehead with the palm of his hand. "This was the room of time."

He remembered back to the battle. Flying curses breaking the time-turners, the death eater getting his head shrunk, and Hermione not letting him curse the man because 'he couldn't hurt a baby'.

A slight smile tugged at his lips at the last thought, though there was really nothing humorous about it. That death eater looked grotesque with a grown body and the head of a baby.

He walked forward and gently ran his fingers against the shimmering door and felt for the doorknob. He had obviously not noticed that the door was shaped like an hourglass while in the middle of the battle, but he was already late and didn't have time to waste.

Harry snorted to himself, no time in the room of time.

He began to turn the knob, but released it when he felt the magic pulse at his fingertips. It wasn't unpleasant. Actually, it was very inviting. A shiver ran down his spine before he steeled himself and opened the door.

His mouth dropped in awe at what was hidden behind the strange door. Instead of the room with many doors that he was expecting, there was nothing but a bright light.

Always being the curious one, he slowly reached his hand out and put it on the light. Nothing happened. After another deep breath, he stepped completely through.

His eyes began to drop in exhaustion and his knees buckled, but he managed to clear his head slightly when he heard a voice.

"This is your second chance, Harry Potter. Use it well. No one deserves it more than you."

He tried to look up to spot the voice but he lost the battle and knew no more.

A/N: Short, I know, but it's just the prologue. The other chapters will be longer. :)