AN: Hi! Just a short chapter of what I think would have happened if Lily and James hadn't been killed when Harry was young. Not my best but well I was inspired. Enjoy! Xxx
Harry looked into his soon-to-be-wife's soft brown watery eyes. A slight smile crawled on his face as he said, as clearly and loudly as possible, 'I do.'
Ginny practically jumped on him and kissed him deeper than she'd ever done before. All that was going through Harry's mind was that he was actually married to this beautiful woman. He heard a large round of applause and broke off the kiss, gently touching Ginny's face with his rough hands.
All throughout the wedding, friends and family (in-law) were coming up to him giving them presents and wishing them well. Towards the end, Hermione and Ron came up, with large grins on their faces.
'What are you two so happy about?' Harry joked.
'We have a surprise for you!' said Hermione excitedly. 'Come with us!' She pulled Harry away from Ginny, who'd started talking to Angelina about her dress.
'What is it?' Harry asked, slightly annoyed. 'This is my wedding, you know.' He glanced around the large room. They were holding it in the church in Godric's Hollow, of which Lily and James were buried beside. It was decorated in white and pale blue, with large round tables and an elaborate dance floor. It was perfect.
'Mate, seriously. You'll love it.' Even Ron couldn't hide the excitement in his voice.
Hermione took them out of the church and into a tiny building beside. There was only one room, in which sat an aged woman with fading blonde hair.
'Who's this?' pondered Harry.
'Alicia Stappelhorn,' said Hermione simply, as if it would mean anything to Harry. 'She works in the Ministry. She used to research the time-turners before they were destroyed and, well… We made another one. For you. For your wedding.'
Harry was flabbergasted. He didn't know what to say.
'It was Hermione's idea. Completely brilliant, if you ask me. We've all been working on it for over a year now. You better be thankful!' Ron joked.
Alicia Stappelhorn stepped forwards and placed the golden time-turner around Harry's neck. Hermione spun it practically hundreds of times, and soon enough, Harry found himself being lifted off the ground and thrown through time. The last words he heard were from Hermione, saying 'Don't change anything about the past, Harry! Don't let yourself be seen!' Harry then thanked himself that he still took his invisibility cloak everywhere with him. But where was he going? Why had Ron, Hermione and this Alicia person spent so long on a present as extravagant as this?
After what seemed like hours, Harry's feet touched the wooden floors of the small building again. The sun was shining brightly through its one window, and he slipped the cloak on, making sure his feet were covered. He felt incredibly disorientated and out of place. He'd only been to Godric's Hollow a few times, and that was either to the church or to his parents' old house. Oh my God. My parents, he thought. Harry wandered through the village, his feet tapping slightly on the bricked road. Soon enough, he came to a small park. Under a large tree in the centre of this park, was a family. A man, with raven-black hair, glasses, and a very young, boyish look about him. A woman, with long soft red hair and a pale complexion. She was looking at the man with obvious fake disgust. In her arms lay a tiny baby, no bigger than a loaf of bread, it seemed.
Harry couldn't breathe. That was his parents, under that tree. That was him. He found himself walking over to them, addicted to the sight. They were so happy. Happier than Harry could ever remember being. Even a large smile, so similar to James', was on the youngsters face. Lily and James' old friends were not lying at all when they said Harry looked like James. Despite Harry's scar and eyes, you could probably pass them as twins, as they were about the same age at this time. The urge to talk to them was infuriating Harry so much, he found himself biting down so hard on his tongue that he could taste the blood. Before he could do anything about it, he was in earshot.
'Happy birthday, Harry!' Lily was saying.
'One year old and you're already making me feel about 90,' James joked.
So this was his first birthday. Harry smiled wider than he ever had before as he heard his old giggle.
'I love you, Harry,' Lily mumbled. She turned to James. 'I don't want to go into hiding,' she complained. 'I don't want to bring Harry up, living in fear of being killed by Voldemort.'
James flinched slightly at the use of Voldemort's name, but just said, 'I'm going to miss this.'
Lily obviously couldn't think of anything else to say, and so she said nothing at all. Harry was overcome by the sadness that these two beautiful people only had a few months left in the world, yet they did not know it. Hermione's going to kill me, he thought, as he ran behind a building and took of the cloak. He was embarrassed to find he was still in his dress-robes, but hoped they'd think nothing of it.
His feet were running towards them without permission. Harry didn't even know what he was going to say yet.
Lily smiled politely up at him as he approached them. 'Hello, Sir. Can we help you?'
'I, er…' Harry stuttered.
'You alright, mate?' asked James, now turning around to face him.
Harry saw Lily's eyes flicker between himself and James. He internally punched himself for being so stupid.
'What's your name?' asked Lily innocently.
'I, um… Ron… Ron Weasley.' Harry said the first name that came to mind.
Lily almost looked disappointed. 'You look so much like my husband. Oh, how incredibly rude of me!' She stood up, and dusted herself briefly from stray grass. 'I'm Lily Potter,' she said, shaking Harry's hand. 'And this is my husband, James.' Lily looked down at James. 'And,' she finished, picking up baby-Harry from James' grasp, 'this is our son. Harry.'
Harry could feel himself shaking. 'It's a… Pleasure to meet you both.' Harry so desperately wanted to tell them the truth. But he couldn't. 'I'm here,' he finally said. 'Because I have some… Information. About the war and Voldemort.'
James flinched slightly again at the use of his name, but stood up to face Harry. They were exactly the same height, and even stood in the same way. Yet the young man was completely oblivious to the fact that this was their son, as an adult, standing in front of him.
'Please, do tell,' prompted James.
'Do not put your faith in Peter Pettigrew.' He found himself saying it without meaning to. How could he do this? The whole future would change!
'And why not?' asked James, outraged. 'I'll have you know he's one of my closest friends, I can't believe that you'd even say that…'
Harry quickly tried to recover the situation. 'I have been informed that he's working for Voldemort. A spy, almost. You'll be dead in only a few months if you trust him.'
'How can we be so sure?' said Lily, shivering slightly.
Harry faced the floor. 'Just trust me,' he choked out, trying not to cry.
'Thank you for this… Information, Sir,' said James awkwardly. 'I am forever in your debt.'
Harry smiled, shook their hands and turned away. Just before he was out of earshot, he heard Lily say, 'James, look! Was that a time-turner he was wearing?' Bugger, thought Harry.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
Once he got behind the building once more, Harry slipped the cloak over his head. What was going to happen now? Everything would be different once he returned to the present. He realised now that it was a stupid idea, and after pacing around under the cloak for about an hour and a half, he gathered up the courage to go back to the present time.
Feeling his feet lift off the path, Harry took in a deep breath and prepared himself for what was about to happen.
He found himself in his usual bed, in his usual house, next to his usual Ginny. Suddenly Luna burst in.
'Ginny!' she cried. 'Wake up! It's your wedding day!' She pulled the duvet off the both of them and Harry sighed in relief that he wasn't still wearing his dress robes.
'Harry,' Luna added. 'You're supposed to be at your parents' in half an hour. Hurry up!' She grabbed his arm and threw him on the floor. Wait, what? Harry thought. My parents? They're alive? They're… alive!
Harry leaped up and ran into the bathroom, dragging some clothes after him. In only 10 minutes, he was ready to apparate. He was about to, until he realised that he didn't know where his parents lived. Would it still be that house, in Godric's Hollow?
'Forgotten your parents' address?' asked Ginny, a smirk on her face.
'It's… Early,' said Harry, only able to think of this feeble excuse.
'I'll take you,' she laughed.
The two of them apparated and Harry found himself at the gate of the same small house that he'd visited only once in the life he'd had before. Although then, it was completely destroyed. The house that stood in front of him now was in perfect condition, with neatly trimmed hedges and blooming flowers in the small garden.
Ginny kissed him goodbye and apparated back to their house to see Luna. Harry shyly opened the creaky gate and walked carefully up the path, as if the whole house would collapse around him at any second. He knocked the Lion's head-shaped silver knocker on the door and a smiling Lily opened it almost straight away.
The first thing Harry noticed was how different she looked. The young, almost still childish woman he'd seen earlier was gone, and was now replaced with an obviously tired, overworked older version of her. But Harry didn't care. This woman in front of him was his mother, who he'd never seen in person until earlier, and now. But she didn't know that; so he had to act calm.
'Hello, mum,' he greeted her, feeling slightly odd at saying that word, when he'd never said it to someone before in his life.
'My Harry,' she said, running her fingers through his already-messy hair. 'I can't believe you're getting married…' Tears filled her green eyes that were so unmistakably like Harry's. 'It seemed like only yesterday you were tiny enough to fit in my arms…'
Harry gave her a short, sad smile and held Lily in his arms. He'd never done this before. Ever. He'd hugged Molly Weasley plenty of times, of course, but never Lily. The feeling felt somewhat alien to him.
'Come inside, Harry,' said Lily, wiping her eyes on the sleeves of her cardigan.
Harry followed her inside the cottage and looked around the room where he'd grown up. Tears filled his eyes as he wished he could remember his childhood as it could have been.
If I never took Voldemort's powers when I was a baby, then what happened to him? What happened to the others? Harry was surprised to find that this was the first time the thought had come into his head since he woke up.
Harry discreetly looked in a mirror beside their front door and noticed that, to no surprise, his lightning shaped scar was nowhere to be seen. He allowed Lily to show him to the living room, where James was sat, pouring over The Daily Prophet.
'Dad,' breathed Harry, shuffling shyly over to him.
'Harry, my boy,' answered James, looking upwards for the first time and flashing a smile at him. Harry's smile.
James then stood up, almost exactly the same height as Harry, and gave him a strong hug. He pulled away, and James said, 'Padfoot will be here in a moment.'
Harry could barely breathe. 'Sirius?' he choked.
'Yes?' asked James, confused. 'You think your Godfather, would miss out on your marriage?' He laughed.
'No, I just…' Harry didn't know what to say. Sirius was alive? Had Voldemort not killed his parents, Sirius would still be there. He was beginning to think that this really was what was meant to happen.
And soon enough, whilst the three were talking, there was a loud crack and Sirius appeared, right in front of the coffee table.
'Prongs!' he exclaimed, as though he hadn't seen him for an age. 'Harry! It seemed like only yesterday was your parents wedding! Give old Padfoot a hug, yeah?'
Harry leaped up, delighted to see Sirius again. He looked barely older than he had when he died; although perhaps slightly better-cared for. Harry had to remind himself that this Sirius hadn't been locked up in Azkaban for 12 years. Enclosing Harry in a bear hug, Sirius patted his back. 'You've become so much like your father,' he said.
Harry pulled out of the hug and smiled at his Godfather. The emotions he felt were so much more different to those that he'd felt when he saw his parents. He assumed it was because he actually knew Sirius. The pain that he felt when Sirius died was so different to growing up without Lily and James. His parents had always seemed so much further away, if that made sense. As if they were just a dream that he'd once had. However he'd known that Sirius had lived. And he himself was the proof of that; but Harry could barely remember his parents, apart from in the Mirror of Erised, Voldemort's wand in the graveyard and in the Forbidden Forest during the Final Battle.
Sirius enclosed James in one of his bear hugs, then went over and kissed Lily on the cheek and hugged her also, although not with as much power.
'Got an owl from Ron earlier,' said Sirius. 'Said he may be a bit early… Which is about now, really. Oh, how fun!' he exclaimed.
'Then I really should be going,' laughed Lily. 'I think the four of you together may be a bit overpowering for me, now! Anyway, I promised Ginny that I'd go and see her as soon as I could. Bless her heart, if only Molly were here…' She said nothing else on the matter, merely kissing all three of them on the cheek and disapparating. Harry fought hard to hide the confusion from his face. What had happened to Molly? he asked himself.
Before he could think more of the issue, however, Ron apparated to exactly the same spot that Sirius had appeared in. His eyes were red and swollen, but he gave the three men a huge grin.
'Congrats, mate,' he said to Harry, giving him another bear hug.
'You alright?' Harry whispered in his ear, after they'd pulled away.
'Yeah, just… Wishing she was here… You know?' Ron gave a sad smile, and Harry gave him a sympathetic look, although he had no clue who he was talking about. Molly, perhaps? He brushed it off and thought no more of it.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
The morning progressed well, as Harry, Ron, James and Sirius sat around, drinking a few butterbeers and just generally having a good time. Harry felt that, although the death of Molly Weasley was burning at his insides, going back and protecting his parents was an all-around good idea. He also couldn't help but wonder how Voldemort really did die. If he was dead, that is. What if he was still alive? But no, he thought. That couldn't be true. Someone, possibly I, will have killed him.
Meanwhile at Ginny and Harry's house, Luna and Lily were rushing around frantically looking for hair accessories and jewellery, despite there being hours left before the wedding.
Once they'd settled down on Ginny's makeup table, Luna began combing through her straight red hair.
'Thank you for persuading James to give me away, Lily,' whispered Ginny, tears in her soft brown eyes, so alike her mothers had been. 'And Luna,' she added, closing those eyes. 'Thank you both for being my bridesmaids.'
'I wouldn't have it any other way,' said Lily, giving her a warm motherly smile.
'It's not a problem,' answered Luna. 'I know you'll do the same at my wedding.'
'Of course.' Ginny smiled, but then it faded. 'I wish Hermione was here.' A single tear fell from her eye.
'As do I,' mumbled Lily.
'Terribly misfortunate,' breathed Luna, tears streaming down her pale face.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
And so the ceremony began. Harry stood up at the altar next to Ron, who looked as if he'd start crying any minute. Opposite them stood James, Sirius, and, to Harry's delight, both Fred and George, with identical grins on their faces, both with two ears. On the front row of the church sat Bill and Charlie, each with their supposed wives/girlfriends. But no Percy. There was no sign of Arthur or Molly, however Harry assumed that, what he had guessed earlier was right, and Molly was dead, and Arthur was giving Ginny away. Next to Bill sat a younger black-haired girl, with hazel eyes. Harry did not recognise her, and it came as a shock to him that that might be his little sister…
On the other side of the front row sat a perfectly sane Alice and Frank Longbottom, but no Neville. Something must have happened to Neville… And then Harry noticed who was sat next to the couple.
Remus Lupin, Nymphadora Tonks, and a young boy with almost glowing blue hair sat there, laughing and having a generally good time. Harry saw Sirius slip in, slightly late, next to them, and the ceremony began. Where were his parents? Or Luna? Or Hermione? There was also no sign of Hagrid. But, before he could think much of it, Harry saw his new fiancé drift peacefully down the aisle.
Ginny was wearing a very simple, long, strapless dress, with delicate silver embroidery in a spiral from the waist down. She looked completely beautiful. Harry was slightly shocked to see James walking her down, her hand shaky on his arm.
So Arthur must be dead, too, thought Harry ruefully.
He shot her a warm smile and she blushed. Behind her walked Luna and Lily, both wearing simple pale blue bridesmaid dresses. They both looked exquisite, as well. Lily looked even more beautiful than she did when Harry saw her on his first birthday.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
And then, once more, Harry found himself saying, 'I do,' at the counter, and feeling that rare kiss from Ginny again. The crowd applauded them and as he pulled away, Harry saw James brush a tear off of Lily's pale face. Once the attention had been drawn away from the newlywed couple, Harry felt that it was appropriate to ask, 'Ginny, where's Hermione?'
Ginny didn't say anything. Instead, she called over Lily. 'Lily, please flu-call St. Mungo's. Tell them to come immediately.'
'Why, what's wrong?' asked Lily, panicking.
'I'll explain later.'
Lily rushed off to find the church's fireplace.
Ginny now turned to Harry. 'Harry, are you okay?'
'Of… Of course. I'm fine, Ginny. Now, where's Hermione?'
At this point, Lily rushed back with a medi-witch a few steps behind her.
'What's the problem, Miss?' she asked Ginny.
'I think there's something wrong with my husband,' Ginny replied.
'And why would this be?' asked the medi-witch.
Now, Ginny turned to face Harry, who was staring at her in shock. 'He's missing out large parts of his memory,' said Ginny. 'This morning, he couldn't remember where his parents lived, and he doesn't know that his old best friend's dead. He's asking me where she is, but,' Ginny turned to face Harry, staring into his deep green eyes. 'Harry, Hermione's been dead since your fifth year.'
Harry did not want to hear how she died. He was flabbergasted. How could Hermione die? How could whether Lily and James living or not, change whether Hermione lived or died?
'And this morning,' said Lily. 'He was genuinely surprised to see my husband's best friend. It was if Harry thought he was… Dead, or something.' Lily shivered, and James walked over with the black-haired girl.
'Do you know who this is?' asked Lily to Harry.
'Of course… She's my sister,' Harry choked out.
'What's her name?'
'I… Don't know,' he sighed.
'Something's wrong with him,' cried Ginny. 'So bloody do something!'
The medi-witch stared at Harry. 'Come with me, please,' she ordered politely.
Harry refused. 'No! I'm fine!' But he really wasn't.
The medi-witch grabbed his arm and took him into the same small building that Hermione and Ron had taken him to use the time-turner.
'Is this the result in time travel?' she asked abruptly.
'I – no…' mumbled Harry.
The medi-witch just stared at him, almost dragging the answer from his lips.
'Yes.'
'You are very foolish,' she commented.
'I know,' Harry replied, dragging his hands through his hair in stress. 'Please help me,' he whispered, almost inaudibly.
'You went back in time to make sure your parents lived, did you not?' she asked, ignoring his plea.
'Yes.'
'The only way that I can help you is if you allow Death to capture your parents once again.'
Harry was stunned into silence. To allow Hermione, Neville, Hagrid, Percy, Molly, and Arthur to live, whilst sentencing Lily, James, Tonks, Remus, Fred, and Sirius to death? Sentencing Alice and Frank once again to insanity. And his sister. That beautiful human being that had never even experienced life, all because of him…
'Is Voldemort alive?' Harry asked.
'Yes.'
That was the answer. He was endangering all of those people if he did not change time. The answer was simple. Difficult, but simple.
'Well then I need to go back,' stated Harry.
'Right then, let us go,' sighed the medi-witch, pulling out a golden time-turner. Harry had not realised that he'd lost his, once he'd returned to the future.
'How did you get one of them?' he questioned. 'They were all destroyed.'
The medi-witch chuckled. 'I'm Alicia Stappelhorn. Hermione sent me after you, using Polyjuice Potion, to make sure you didn't do anything rash. You think she'd let you mess up the future that much? She really cares about you, you know. She was so worried, once you left. However I felt that you really needed to do this, so that you knew that really, there was no other way.'
'Can I… say goodbye?' whispered Harry, tears now falling freely from his eyes.
'I'll get them. Your parents,' whispered Alicia, as she walked out the room.
'And Sirius!' Harry called. 'And Tonks! And Remus!'
Harry broke down in tears for what seemed like hours. He could not believe that, through all of his life lessons, he didn't realise that not everyone could live. But he knew now that he shouldn't mess with time. Everything that happened is for a reason, and while he would miss Lily, James, Sirius, Remus and Tonks desperately, he knew they were safe. And he'd see them one day. Maybe not so soon, but he would. And he knew that they would wait for him.
He thought back to the battle of Hogwarts, which clearly never even happened in this life. He thought back to seeing Fred's dead body. How George, Ron, Ginny, and the other Weasley's were so distraught by their loss. How George still wasn't the same. How, when he spent time there now, it was so much quieter. There were no more jokes. George stayed locked up in his room, and no mirrors set foot in that house again, on his behalf.
He thought back to seeing Remus and Tonks' dead bodies, lying there, almost peacefully, as if they were sleeping upon the cold stone floor. How they would never grow to know their son, exactly as Harry had never known Lily and James. Until now. He wondered if Ted Tonks would make the same mistake that he did. If he would realise that his parents died fighting for a reason, and that he could never change that…
Harry was brought back to reality when the door to the small room creaked open, and Lily and James walked in.
'Alicia Stappelhorn told us what's going to happen,' Lily whispered. She did not seem afraid.
'We love you,' said James, maintaining eye contact at all times.
'I'll miss you,' breathed Harry. 'I should never have messed with time… I know that now… I love you both.'
'My Harry…' said Lily, wrapping her shaking hands around his torso. 'I will always love you.'
Harry hugged James and found himself in tears already. He just wasn't strong enough for this.
'Are Sirius, Remus and Tonks out there?' asked Harry, looking downwards.
'Yes,' answered James. 'Would you like us to get them?'
'Not yet.' Harry shook his head at the floor. This felt so wrong.
'You're so brave,' mumbled Lily, stroking his hair that was so much like James'.
'I'm so proud of you,' breathed James, looking into the very same eyes that he fell in love with in his fourth year.
'See you in another life, my love,' said Lily. 'We love you.'
She kissed his forehead, and they drifted away like dreams.
Sirius, Remus and Tonks came in next. Harry found this goodbye slightly easier; he said the things that he wished he could have said to them all along, and after many tearful hugs, they also shuffled out of the door.
Harry was surprised to see the door open once more, and this time it was the black-haired girl. She looked about 16, and she had to look up to her big brother.
'My name is Hermione,' she whispered. 'After your friend. You named me. You really loved her, you know. I'm nowhere near as brave as you, though. I could never do this. I'm only a Ravenclaw…' She looked down at her feet awkwardly.
'Just a Ravenclaw?' Harry forced a chuckle. 'One of my best friends was a Ravenclaw, and she was incredibly brave. I sometimes think they sort too soon…' He smiled as he quoted what he'd heard Dumbledore say to Snape in the pensieve in the Final Battle.
'Well, it doesn't matter anymore. I only exist in this alternate universe, and I know that you need to reverse what you did. But I love you, Harry. Remember me.'
Harry felt incredibly rueful. How could he erase her life? 'Come with me,' he whispered.
'I can't. You've just experienced what happens when you mess with time. It all needs to go back exactly how it was,' Hermione breathed the last few words.
'I love you, Hermione. I don't know what will happen to you, and I don't really want to know. But you'll be okay, I promise.' Harry gave her a long tearful hug before she left the room, and Alicia Stappelhorn walked back in.
'Are you ready to go?' she asked.
It took all of Harry's might to reply, 'Yes.'
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
Harry didn't remember what Alicia did to make him come back. The first thing he saw when he awoke was Hermione Granger's smiling face.
'Wake up, Harry! You need to be at the Burrow in half an hour!' she ordered.
Harry said nothing. He jumped out of bed and wrapped his arms around her tiny body.
'I've missed you,' he breathed.
'Missed me?' she pondered. 'I haven't been anywhere, Harry. You know that.'
Yes, Harry did know that.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
Thanks for reading! As I said, not my best. I might make a full-length story about Harry time-traveling. Or I might not; depends what reviews I get on this! But yes, thank you so so so so much for reading!
Love you all xxx