A/N: The past is in normal type. Present is in bold. Letters are in italics.

Disclaimer: Harry Potter and all of its characters etc. belong to J.K. Rowling, who uses her possession to drive us all mad with anxiety trying to patiently wait for the new book. It is because of our total lack of patience that we use fanfiction to fill the void.

Chapter One: Hopes Death

The war had not been kind to what many referred to now as the "new" trio, though without any humor. Hermione, once curvy and pretty, was thin and ill-looking, with dark circles under her eyes. Tiredly, she gripped her husband's hand and squeezed. Ron's body and face were a tapestry of old scars, cuts that had been healed the Muggle way, mute testament to the fact that healers were scarce, having been picked off long ago. Madam Pomfrey herself had died in the fall of Hogwarts, trying to make portkeys for all the students trapped in the hospital wing. It was Ginny Weasley, though, who looked the most different. Her bright red hair and warm brown eyes now looked cold and dull. There was one defining characteristic they all shared: none of their eyes held a single tinge of hope. Their "hope" had died ten years ago.

Ginny Weasley woke up to a tapping at her bedroom window. Thinking it was Pig confusing her room and her brother's room again, she tried to ignore it. She hadn't slept well the previous night, as she'd cried herself to sleep over her now ex-boyfriend Harry. She understood why he'd broken it off with her, the stupid noble git, but didn't he realize that the safest place she could possibly be was next to the one man who would always protect her? The man she loved?

The tapping persisted. Exasperated, Ginny flung off her covers and stalked to the window to let the stupid little owl into the house…only to find Hedwig looking at her with an expression that clearly said, "Are you going to let me in or let me hover out hear 'til I become as worn out as Errol?" Shocked, she quickly threw open the window and allowed the beautiful white owl in. Regally, Hedwig landed on her desk and held out her leg, to which was tied a letter addressed to her in Harry's messy scrawl. Fingers shaking a tiny bit, she reached out to untie the letter.

To my dearest Ginny,

I…I'm sorry. I've been a complete asshole jerk prat and I should have known better. Ginny…this past month I've been trying to convince myself that I was doing the right thing, breaking up with you. But I keep...seeing your face. The tears in your eyes after I told you we couldn't be together, your smile when we walked around the lake after the Quidditch match, the fierce determination when you helped me face down death eaters at the Ministry, the concern after the Chamber…and I realized: you can take care of yourself. I've never known anyone stronger than you. And I'm stronger when I'm with you. I also realized that just because I told you to stay home doesn't mean you will. You are one of the most stubborn people I've ever met.

It's one of the reasons I'm in love with you.

I'm sorry, ok? I know I hurt you. If someone else did what I did to you I would probably gut them, and they'd deserve it. I deserve it. But I'm hoping you'll forgive me.

I'm coming to the Burrow tomorrow. When I get there, I'd like it very much if you'd give me another shot.

Here's hoping.

With all my love,

Harry James Potter

Ginny sank into her chair, shock apparent on her face. Her eyes stared straight ahead without even faltering when the twin terrors burst into her room.

"Hey, Gin did we just see Hedwig"

"Fly out of your window?"

"Did Harry send"

"A letter?"

They broke off as they took in their sister's blank gaze and Fred (or George) carefully pried the letter out of her fingers. Heads together, the twins quickly scanned it, finishing at the same time. Then they turned to each other, identical expressions of shock on their faces.

"Do you know what this means, Fred?"

"You're Fred. I'm George"

"Oh, right. Well, do you, George?"

"Yes, but tell me anyway."

"Harry Potter's going to be our brother!"

That snapped Ginny out of her stupor quick enough. Immediately she started to blush. "It wasn't a marriage proposal you idiots."

"Ah, but young Harry,"

"Who can't even handle a hug from Mum without blushing,"

"Just declared his undying love for you."

"Trust us, it's going to happen," they finished together.

Ginny rolled her eyes, still blushing madly, but she couldn't hide a big grin at their words. "Whatever. Listen, guys. Can I go with you into Diagon Alley today? I'd like to get him a birthday present."

"Sure, Ginny, but first,"

"You need to write Harry back."

Ginny nodded, and immediately pulled out parchment and ink while Fred and George went to spread the good news.

When Harry saw Pig flying towards Privet Drive, he was pretty sure his heart stopped. Quickly, he grabbed hold of the little ball of fluff and quickly opened the letter, fingers shaking with nerves. The note was only a couple of lines, but they filled him with an intoxicating warmth.

Harry,

Yes, you were a prat. But you're my prat and I'm afraid you're stuck with me.

Yours always, with all my love,

Ginny

P.S. See you tomorrow.

Grinning from ear to ear, Harry threw himself into his remaining chores with a sense of euphoria. The Dursley's were having guests over tonight and they wanted the house spotless before they got there. Considering it was the last night he'd ever have to spend with his "family" he was perfectly willing to play the slave one last time.

Finally he was finished, and he collapsed onto his bed, exhausted but elated. He held Ginny's letter to him as he daydreamed about the future he wished to have with her. Then the sound of the doorbell echoed through the house, and the last sound Harry expected to hear quickly followed.

"Harry," his aunt called, "the guests are here and would like to meet you!"

Like to meet him? Since when did the Dursley's acknowledge his existence to guests? In too good of a mood to care too much, Harry shrugged and shuffled down the stairs and into the living room. What he saw there froze his blood.

"What? How?"

Lucius Malfoy, Bellatrix Lestrange, and an array of other Death Eaters stood smiling next to the smug Dursleys. Sitting casually in an armchair was Voldemort himself.

"You're relatives," said Malfoy with a leer, "invited us. And all it took was a little bit of gold to convince them."

"Yes," cut in Lestrange, "it seems they're dying to see you die almost as much as we are."

Harry's hand flew to his pocket for his wand, only to remember Vernon had locked it and his trunk in the cupboard under the stairs when he'd arrived at the beginning of summer.

"What have you done?" he yelled at the Dursleys. "They'll kill you too!"

They were his last words. With lightning speed the dark lord uttered the two words that would seal his fate, and as a rush of green light hit him, his last thoughts were of his Ginny, and how he'd never see her again.

Pocketing his wand, Voldemort turned to the Dursleys and with a smirk said, "He was right you know." As they stared in horror, Voldemort nodded to his death eaters and with a last, triumphant glance at Harry's lifeless body on the floor, he gave his instructions and vanished.

With a terrifying smile, Bellatrix advanced on the limp form. "Aw, poor little Hawwy…betwayed by his own family." And with a wink for the frozen Dursleys, she pointed her wand at the dead boy. "Vivix Mordre Impericorpus," she whispered.

As his relatives quaked with fear, the body of Harry James Potter slowly rose to its feet and began to walk toward them. With careful precision and an unnatural strength, he fastened his hands around his cousin's fat neck, seemingly unaware of Vernon and Petunia trying to pull him off. The last thing Dudley saw before his world went black was Harry's glazed, dead eyes staring directly into his as his hands squeezed the life out of him. Looking on in horror as their son fell to the ground, the remaining Dursleys didn't notice the death eaters pointing their wands at them until they heard the words "Avada Kedavra"

Over the next few months, the Inferi that was once Harry James Potter, son of Lily and James Potter, appeared at the attack and downfall of the Ministry of Magic, Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade until the body was recovered and disenchanted at the battle of Hogwarts. Three days after the school fell, the Weasley family, along with the surviving members of the Order of the Phoenix, held a small funeral by the ruins of the castle, next to the tomb of Dumbledore. The presents for the birthday he never reached were placed on his grave as the world mourned the last chance they had to withstand Voldemort, and his friends mourned the boy they loved.

Ten years later found both the Wizarding World and Muggle World in shambles. Voldemort and his death eaters controlled the government, if it could be called that, and all of the schools. Not a day passed in which hundreds, if not thousands, of muggles, muggle-borns, and squibs were killed. Those few members left of the resistance lacked direction and won few battles, most fled the country for the relatively safe haven of the States. Ron, Hermione, and Ginny Weasley seemed to be all that was left. And they were down to their absolute final chance.

"Are you sure it will work?"

Hermione nodded tiredly. "While it is unlikely that it will change "our" timeline, theoretically we will be able to create a new timeline, in which this…this disaster never happens." She looked sadly at her husband and sister-in-law. "It's all we have left."

There was silence. Then, Ginny nodded. "If there's a chance that we can save Harry, even if it isn't our Harry, we have to." Ron gave a sad nod in agreement. They stood and walked towards their places on the floor they'd spent weeks covering in ancient markings.

"I, Ron Weasley, hereby give a portion of my remaining life to stop a past that should have never been."

"I, Hermione Weasley, hereby give a portion of my remaining life in defiance of a present that should not exist."

"I, Ginny Weasley, hereby give a portion of my remaining life because of a future that I wish to see."

Together, they recited the spell that had taken years to create.

"Maxima Temporis Destine Amorus"

And in the final headquarters of the deceased Order of the Phoenix, a bright white light blinded the occupants, and time stood still.

End Chapter One

A/N: Ok, well I was planning not to put this out until I finish the entire story but I want to get it out there. I hope you liked. I have up to 3 chapters written and chapter 4 is about done and chapter 5 will be working on soon but my beta writer more like translator by Wooster.