The Glimpse
Here's to Looking Ahead
Chapter One

"If you could take a chance and see the future would you? Would you dare to see where your life might take you? What if seeing that future caused it never to happen? Or if seeing it was exactly what caused it to happen? Would it be worth it?"

The questions ping-ponged inside her brain. She needed some answers, but even more Harry needed some answers. He craved to be assured that this war would someday be over and that they would come out victorious. His hopes has been so crushed since the death of his hero, and he really had lost that spark that caused him to fight with such vitality. Hermione wanted to help her best friend in whatever way she could. She had been researching spells for nearly a week straight and just happened to come across this one.

The one that had been boggling her mind ever since she accidentally turned to it. The Glimpse...

It was a complicated spell, and she wasn't even convinced that they could realistically do it. It required all three of them to complete the spell, and some odd ingredients. But if it could prove to Harry and Ron that the war would someday bring them to a happier life. If it gave them the strength to fight; if they already knew they would win, wouldn't it be worth it?

She hadn't said anything to them yet. She wanted to be sure that there weren't any loopholes before she suggested it. No point in getting their hopes up for nothing. She read the passage and re-read it. Then she looked up the spell in other books. It all came down to the same things:
-Three to be entwined across time and space.
-A magical potion made of Acorus calamus, hawthorn, and Chicorium intybus (Chicory). To represent the mind, the body, and the soul.
-A magical spell to bend the time line and allow the triad a glimpse.

It would only be a glimpse. It would not be time travel. Each text expressed this over and over. The only things that perplexed Hermione were the specifics. There were no details about exactly how the "glimpsing" would go. She imagined it would be like "The Christmas Carol," where the Ghost of Christmas Past would show them around their futures, or perhaps even similar to using the time turner. Though the spell assured that it was not actual time travel, it still warned that seeing the potential future could cause one to destroy that very future or even create that future. (For example one book talked about a young wizard with no interest in charms, who took a glimpse. He said that in this glimpse he saw himself as a very famous man for his charm work. As a result he pushed himself in school and studied charms like he had never studied anything before. While it is all together possible that it was his destiny, it is also possible that seeing that glimpse is what caused him to become a famous wizard for his charm work. You see)
Hermione also was a bit worried about how to get out of the glimpse. All of the texts referred to an epiphany point that would release the triad from their glimpse, but none of the texts explained it much more than that.

She fretted and fretted, but decided that it seemed like a sound enough idea to at least discuss with Ron and Harry. They would be able to help her question the spell, and together the three of them could determine if it was a good idea.

The sky looked ominous as the rain pelted against the windows. The Common Room was practically empty. Only a few second years sat in the corner playing wizard's chess. Ron and Harry sat idol on the couch. Hermione felt a tug at her heartstrings as she once again had to see the sorrow in the faces of the two boys she loved so much.

She glued a smile in place and walked straight towards them.

"Hey guys, what's going on"
They shrugged, but neither made a move to open their mouths. "I have something that might cheer you both up. Well it might or it might not. It's just an idea really. I mean I'm not quite sure -"

Ron interrupted her rambling, "Hermione! Just bloody tell us what it is."

Harry couldn't help but let out a little laugh.

Hermione grinned sheepishly, "Sorry, OK. It's a spell. Called a glimpse..."

She explained the spell in detail. (Almost to the point that Ron and Harry were bored)
She carefully told them the positives and the negatives to such a spell. She continued with the series of questions that she, herself, had been pondering.

Harry spoke up at last. "It doesn't really sound as if we would have much to lose. It seems like if nothing else it would be a break from the stress of everything going on lately."

Ron nodded his head in agreement. "Yeah, Plus it'd be really neat to see myself as a world famous Quidditch player."

Hermione tried not to laugh at the suggestion.

Harry didn't. He laughed and laughed to the point that Ron said, "Hey it could happen. You never know."

Harry smiled and turned to Hermione attempting at last to return to the serious part of the conversation. "So would we stay together for the whole thing? or would we be apart?"

"I'm not really quite sure. It doesn't seem like this is a very widely used spell, and most everyone who goes through it prefers not to talk about it, as if talking about what they saw might jinx it into not happening."

Ron posed a question, "What about the ones that don't remember it?"

There had been a few cited cases where the spell had seemed to do almost nothing for two out of the three. Almost like they had just taken a nice sleeping potion.

"Well, most everyone who has ever done this spell says it is like waking up from a dream, and sometimes we just can't remember what we've dreamt. All of the cases like that recall a few things, just not quite as vividly as the others."

The nodded in understanding.

"It seems like a good idea to me." "Me too"
"OK. Well then when do we do it?" Hermione asked getting excited about the thought taking on such a difficult spell.

"How's tonight?" Harry asked.

Hermione was shocked at how quickly everything was moving along. "Well OK. I'm not sure if I can get all the ingredients in such a short amount of time, but I guess I can try."

And thus the groundwork had been laid for the evening. A glimpse they would have.

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Hermione had done some uncharacteristic things to get all the ingredients, but she wouldn't tell Ron and Harry how she had accomplished it. The three had agreed to meet in the Common Room at one in the morning. They would use Harry's invisibility cloak and sneak into their favorite mischief making spot: Moaning Myrtle's bathroom.

Hermione stared at the ceiling waiting for the time to pass. She questioned whether or not this was even a good idea or if it would really help anything, but no matter how much was pondered she couldn't really find anything necessarily wrong with it. She began to think about what her future might hold. She wondered what was in store for her. Would it be ten years from now, twenty, or more? Would she be married and to who? She began to get even more excited about all of it.

The trio rendez-vous'd in the Common Room and somehow made it to the bathroom without a single problem. No cat, no teachers, nothing. It was a bit odd.

Hermione swiftly set away to preparing the potion with help from her counterparts. Ron questioned with hesitation, "We're going to have to drink that aren't we?"

Hermione responded with a yes and a slight giggle at the memory of the first time they had snuck into this bathroom to make the polyjuice potion. She gagged a little remembering its foul taste and the repercussions of that accident.

Time passed and the three steadily worked: chopping, stirring, heating, cooling.

Once the potion was finished Hermione read instructions from the spell book:

"First determine which person shall represent each part of the holy triad- Mind, Body, and Soul," She paused. "I guess I'm mind. Harry and Ron which do you think you are?"

Both boys simultaneously replied, "Body."

She laughed. "Harry you should be soul. And Ron should be body." She said noting for the millionth time this evening Ron's broad shoulders and toned arms.

Begrudgingly Harry nodded OK.

She continued reading, "Next each of the three must strip down to only your purest element. Clothed only by a large white robe if necessary."

Hermione blushed. Three large white robes had been transfigured out of white t-shirts for this. She sat the book down and went into one of the stalls to undress. "Can I come out?"

Ron's voice sounded, "Just a second. OK"

His cheeks were a bit pinkish as she walked from the tiny stall carrying all of her clothes in hand. He eyed the bra in her hand, and forced himself not to think of her naked body under the robe.

She smoothly picked up the book and continued reading, "Now with the potion in the middle sit with your legs cross in a triangle." They took their spots. "And now each member of the triad shall speak their piece and follow the instructions given, beginning with mind."

Hermione took a deep breathe and continued. "I am mind. Strong of will and wisdom. Through me we shall keep our wits as we behold what may or may not ever be. Only through peace of mind and an open-mind shall we endure." Hermione now followed her instructions and filled a small glass with potion. In one swig she downed the fowl mix of herbs. Ron and Harry looked amazed as Hermione's head began to glow. Following the instructions she leaned over and kissed Ron on the temple, "May I grant you peace and openness of mind." She did the same to Harry. And each of their heads began to glow in the same faint way as Hermione's. She passed the book to Ron, whose hands were trembling.

"I am Body. Full of strength and power. Through me we shall keep our shells as we glance into what we may or may not ever be. Only through strength of body and a powerful stance shall we endure." He too, drank a glass of the fowl tasting herbs. And soon his hands had begun to glow. He leaned towards Harry and with only a moments pause kissed his friends hands. "May I grant you strength and power of body." He then repeated the same with Hermione, and they were each a little less shocked when their hands began to glow. He passed the book to Harry.

"I am Soul. Full of passion and intensity. Through me we shall keep our hearts as we foresee what may or may not ever be. Only through intensity of soul and passion of heart shall we endure." He drank his glass. And leaned toward Hermione. Awkwardly he leaned to her bosom and kissed the top of her left breast. He paused there for a moment feeling the connection burning through them. "May I grant you passion and intensity of soul." It was no surprise that the cores of their bodies glowed. He less awkwardly bent to Ron's chest, but also paused a moment as he felt the surge of power running through their connection. He repeated the line. And handed the book once again to Hermione.

"Shall we endure the glimpse." She poured another glass but did not drink it yet. She passed the book again. "Shall we endure the glimpse." Ron too poured another glass, and passed the book.
"Shall we endure the glimpse." Harry poured his glass, and all together the swigged it back.


Hey all is this story worth continuing?
Your feedback would be greatly appreciated.
Xoxo
Nicole A. Bailey