Disclaimer: I'm poor and I'm not published, do you think I'm JK Rowling?
By the way: This is going to have GW/RL, and HG/RL, don't read if you don't like them, 'cause I love them.
That said, onward!
The Dark Phoenix's Song
It had been two months since the end of Harry's sixth year. He, Ron, and Hermione had remained at Hogwarts over the summer. That way, the teachers who stayed over the summer and the headmistress, McGonagall, could make sure they were safe. Members of the Order made regular visits and Bill and Fleur (married) and Lupin and Tonks (engaged) had taken up residence there as well.
In the midst of the mourning that still went on, Ron and Hermione had become more or less comfortable there, but Harry was like a caged animal, constantly angry and constantly on edge.
At that moment, Ron and Hermione were sitting next to one another in their deserted common room, watching Harry and holding hands. Over the past month, Ron had asked Hermione to be his girlfriend, and she had accepted. Harry was pacing across the room.
"I have to do something," Harry said angrily. "He's out there and I have to find him! At the very least I should be out looking for Horcruxes."
Hermione sighed quietly. "Harry, you know they wouldn't keep you here if it wasn't too dangerous. You're our only hope; of course they're trying to protect you. When the time comes, you'll know it."
"I don't need to be protected! I need to go out and fight!" Harry shouted. "I'm not a child!"
Hermione, after so long, lost her temper. "Well, you're acting like one! Of course you need to go out and fight, and you will, but for once in your life you need to trust that someone else might know what's best for you!"
Harry was shocked into silence for a moment. "I know, Hermione," he said finally. "But I know the time is now."
Ron had a strange look one his face. "Harry," he said in a quiet voice. "You know I don't want you to get hurt, but if you think you have to leave, I'm coming with you."
Harry thought about arguing, but he knew he needed Ron. He needed both of them. "Hermione?" he asked.
She looked at his face for a long time. "Okay, Harry," she said.
Harry nodded. "Then we have to go, now." With that he walked straight out of the common room.
Ron and Hermione had to run to keep up with him as he walked out the portrait hole. Once they were out in the hall, Hermione asked, her voice taunt, "Where exactly are we going, Harry?"
"The passage to Hogsmeade. I have my cloak and whatever else we'll need there already."
They walked in silence for a time, and then Ron asked. "Then where?"
Harry didn't answer. He ran toward a crumpled shape lying in the hallway. The young woman whose face he turned toward them had long, flame red hair, pale skin, and was the most beautiful creature Harry though he had ever seen. She was wearing a plain white T shirt with a few smudges of dirt on it, and patched, faded blue jeans.
Ron spoke up, "She looks like Ginny," he said in a hushed voice. And so she did. She looked like an adult version of Ginny.
All thoughts of leaving forgotten, Harry turned to his friends. "I think we'd better get Professor McGonagall."
Three days later.
Harry woke with a start, his head lying on the bed next to the young woman he'd found. As he had spent most of his time by her side, falling asleep there was not a common occurrence. This time, as always, her looked at her sharply, as if he was expecting her miraculously to awaken at any moment.
But she wasn't. He reached out and brushed a stray hair from her eyes. She'd had no identification and neither Ron nor Bill could identify her as a relation. He couldn't help wondering who she was, or what she was like.
Suddenly, her eyes fluttered open. Upon seeing him she jerked back, frightened. "W-where am I?"
"Hogwarts," he answered. "You're safe."
She mouthed 'Hogwarts', her face showing fear and confusion. "What?" she breathed. Then, as if realizing something she asked, "When?"
Harry didn't understand, but he answered, "1996."
"What?" she yelped. "But… I'm from 2006. I must've… I must've gone back…" She smiled at him nervously. "I haven't seen you for a long time."
Harry swallowed. He knew he shouldn't just accept she came from the future, but he wanted to believe anything that came out of her lovely mouth. "You'd better not say anything else," he said, managing a smile. "It could destroy your future… and… you know."
She smiled grimly. "Oh, but I intend to do just that. I intend to destroy it," she told him.
"It can't be so bad," he managed.
She smiled sadly at him, "Oh, but it can."
"Well, then," he said, swallowing and sticking out his hand. "I'm Harry. Of course, you already know that, but…"
"Gin," she said. "Call me Gin."
Harry broke into a smile. "You are Ginny!" he said. "I was sure it was you," he told her.
"I was, yeah," she said.
That was when Ron and Hermione came in. Harry looked up at them. "Gin's from the future," he said. "And she'll tell us anything, because she wants to change things." He thought he saw Gin smile at his enthusiasm.
"How can you have come back in time?" Hermione asked in a low voice. She was clearly skeptical.
Gin opened her mouth and then closed it again. Then she closed her eyes and then flinched, remembering. "I was dueling someone, and then they cursed me." Her eyes snapped open. "I knew I'd never heard the words he said before. It must've been to send me back in time, but why would he want me to… and why now… what happened…" She turned to them, snapping out of her trance. "Well, any questions for me, about my time?"
"You told me you haven't seen me for a long time," Harry said, "What did you mean?"
"Well," Gin said. "I did see you not long ago, but we haven't spoken in years."
Harry swallowed. He couldn't understand not speaking to the Ginny he knew, or this woman for that matter, for years. "How'd that happen?"
"I'm not quite ready to tell you that," she said.
"How about me?" Ron asked after a moment of silence, looking around to see if anyone else would ask first.
"You're dead," she whispered. Ron paled.
Hermione spoke up. She still looked uncertain that Gin was telling the truth. "Am I alive?"
Gin nodded, swallowing, "Yeah, you are." She looked sad and paler even than when Harry had found her. "But you're in a vegetative state. We don't think you'll ever wake up again."
Hermione pursed her lips. "Did Harry defeat Voldemort?"
Gin sighed, and though she spoke quietly her words rang throughout the room. "No."