Harry Potter and the Ethereal Time

A Decision Reached

Harry pushed aside the veil, a chill spreading through his hand were it made contact with the tatters. He had expected to see Sirius standing there, smiling and laughing at the clever trick he had played on his godson and everyone else, and asking why it took so long to come back for him. But there was nothing. No lop-sided grin that had become so familiar to Harry, no barking laugh, no laughing eyes already planning the next trick. There was nothing there besides a black void, chilling in its emptiness.

He might still be there, the sixteen-year-old thought, clinging to a vague hope, I just need to follow him through there, then I'll find him. Steeling his courage, and blinded to logic by his grief, Harry stepped one foot through, giving a gasp as he felt cold begin to spread up his leg, slowly claiming more and more of his body.

Out of shock, he pulled his leg back out, hurriedly stumbling backwards towards the edge of the dais – away from the veil and the calling voices. Looking at his now near-frozen leg, Harry saw it turning pale, almost transparent. Confusion and fear spread through him, and he once again realised that his rash decisions had gotten him into more trouble than he could manage. But this time no one could save him because no one knew he was here. In desperation, Harry searched the room; there was nothing there to save him and he would never make it out to the front desk in time to get the night guard's help.

There's only one thing for it. He told himself, bracing himself to do the only thing he could think of. Closing his eyes, as if in prayer, Harry spoke aloud, "Merlin, help me," before stepping clear through the veil.

In a place beyond the boundaries of time and space, five ethereal beings met for a discussion. Or rather, an argument.

"I don't see why this brat should be helped!" A deep contempt-filled voice spoke out, echoing around the unearthly room where the beings met in their vague, shifting forms.

"You don't see why we should help anyone, you always vote for us to leave them to their own devices!" retorted another voice coming from a being of a soft yellow colour; this one was female and motherly, though strong in her point against the first. "The poor lad can't help himself; he doesn't understand what he has gotten himself into!"

"And that is exactly why we shouldn't bother with him! He didn't seem to worry about what would happen before he got into the situation, so why should we?"

A third of the beings spoke up, "you do realise what the consequences of intervening or not would be, correct?"

"Of course I realise, but it's his own fault for not paying attention and throwing his life away needlessly." Spoke the first voice, pulsing a deep green colour in his impatience.

"To him it wasn't needlessly," the motherly one said, showing more of her seldom-seen strength, "he believed he was being loyal to his family, he believed he was doing the right thing! And, yes, I too realise what the consequences are, but whichever way we go we'll have our own consequences to deal with, so it is better for us to help him for the greater good, than leave him to die and ruin the only chance the wizarding world has!" She addressed the last to the rational being, who nodded in response, clearly thinking the situation through.

After a moment's pause where the beings ceased in their arguments to rally their view, the rational one of them spoke again addressing a fourth being who had so far been silent on the matter. "And what say you? It is unusual of you to be silent, especially considering who he is to the world, and to you."

He spoke with a strong voice, deep and rich, that matched his vague appearance of a deep crimson colour. "I fear that not helping him will throw the world into despair, but I know that despite what has been prophesised, there is more than one hope for the situation. As for him specifically, I want to help him, I don't want to leave him stranded in the veil of death, wandering an endless afterlife of darkness. But I also don't want him to suffer when he goes back." He sighed, the possibilities weighing on him. "If we do send him back, I fear he will only make life harder for himself. He is not ready to shoulder such heavy burdens, in that the old wizard is right, but unlike that aging headmaster, I think he deserved to know what was coming, to prepare for it." Looking around at each of his companions, he spoke again, this time with more vigour in his strong voice, "what he needs is more time. Time to deal with his grief and the new found knowledge of the prophecy. And perhaps the best time to deal with his grief is a time when he can get to know some of those he has lost."

Silence followed this proclamation. But only for a moment before two of them protested against what was being suggested. Loudest in protest was the contempt-filled voice, "you cannot be serious! That is not something we can just hand out to every poor sop who fails to make a good judgement. It is not a simple matter, moving people about in time, not even for us! And that brat? Does he really deserve that after the way he threw his life about when he knew what was at stake? He would be ill suited to deal with the experience in a useful way! I cannot stand by and watch you send him through time, just so he can 'deal with his grief'. I firmly oppose what you suggest." His piece said, he moved back to allow the second, calmer protestation from the rational one who now glowed with a deeper blue as she spoke strongly.

"You know as well as the rest of us the rules we must follow. And we al know of your dispensation to breaking rules, but this one is not something that we can just break without grand consequences! This will change the timelines and history itself. Bad things happen to wizards who meddle with time, remember? I'm sure you are well aware of the dangerous possibilities, so I will not go further unless you persist in this foolishness." She moved to stand beside the emerald coloured being, saying as she moved, "I, too, firmly oppose your suggestion."

Speaking up, once again, the strong crimson being addressed the only one who appeared to support him, he said "and what of you? To you believe this to be foolishness as well?"

"Yes, I do. But a foolishness that will do what it is needed. The world needs this boy. Though it is true the wizards will be able to pull through this situation on their own, they will come out the worse for it. And so we need to save him and give him the chance to learn how to take on the world before he is required to. He cannot learn safely in his own time, so when better to send him than where he can learn about the family he barely knew?" She moved to stand next to other, who glowed a brighter red for her support. "I support your suggestion."

The two groups remained as they stood for a moment, engaged in a battle of wills to which there could be no winner. They had been divided before, but never so evenly or over such important decisions.

Seeing the stalemate, the eldest of the beings, glowing a bright white, spoke in his wise voice. "You all have your views, and for different reasons. I speak now as a tiebreaker. My decision could change what we have lived by, or change how they," he indicated a vague gesture below him, "live their lives.

"I also speak as the one he called, the one he asked for help. And so, Godric, I support you. We will send our young hero back in time for a chance to rest and learn."

A/N: Don't worry, I'm not abandoning Fulfilling Prophecies, I just got an idea for the start of a time travel fic I want to write eventually. I will be focusing on FP so this will most likely not be updated unless I get a block on that or inspiration for this.

I also would like to know what people think of this, whether you like it, don't like it or think I should wait till I've finished FP to do it… if you have an opinion on this (or even if you just want to say 'meh') drop me a review. :)

Antares.