Time In A Phial

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Chapter one. Harry ponders time.

Harry sat on his bed at 12 Grimmauld Place. He owned a flat in London close to the Ministry of Magic offices, but he preferred to do his serious thinking here. For three years he had worked hard as an Auror, working his way up through the typical ministry bureaucracy. And now as the assistant director of Auror services, he was bored. Since the war ended and all or most of the known Death Eaters were dead or in Azkaban, his world was quiet; too quiet. He had friends, Ron and Hermione among them, but it just wasn't enough. I need a project to perk my interests, he thought to himself. Or maybe some loving. Girls had never been a problem, being the 'boy who lived', he could have any girl he wanted. He did date a lot, but no one every sparked his interest. Sure, the sex was great, but it was only that. Hi, let's go to bed. Your place or mine? Bang. Bang. Well that was nice. See you around.

He and Ginny were never really an item. They quickly got over their early crushes on each other, going back to the incident in the Chamber of Secrets, but they both moved on. She was his best friend's baby sister, so hands off. She was the only daughter of the Weasley family. Hands off. The Weasley had accepted him as their own. Hands off. He would never do anything to alienate the only real family he had ever known. Hands off. Ginny was as close to being his sister as anyone could be, except maybe Hermione. Hands off. Harry never developed any romantic interest in Ginny, he liked to think, nor she in him, which he didn't like to think. Best that way. Hands off.

He had to admit though, she was beautiful. Spunky, intelligent, feisty, quick tempered. Everything he admired in a girl. And that red hair, his mother was a redhead, so it was in his genes. He was so enamored with redheads. He was at the Burrow for Sunday dinner when Ginny announced her engagement. He thought back on that, remembering that although he was truly happy for her, his heart sank. He couldn't help but think, if only.

Harry sat on his bed perusing the mindless articles in the Daily Prophet. He came upon an article about Stonehenge. Once a year there was a ceremony there attended mostly by historians who spent their time debating the purpose of the arrangement of the various monuments. Boring, thought Harry. Then a thought occurred to him. Wouldn't it be great to go back in time to discover the true meaning of Stonehenge. Still boring he thought. But wait a minute. Time travel. Now that was something that interested him.

The more Harry thought about it, the more interested he became in the concept. Having used Time-Turners, he concluded that going back in time was certainly a possibility, although forbidden by wizard law. But Time-Turners were to restrictive. They were limited to only short time periods, and there was no way to return to the present until the set time ran it's course. There has to be another way he thought.

So Harry set this to be his quest. Find out every thing he could about time travel. Since it is currently forbidden, he reasoned that any valid information would have to be in very old tomes. And Grimmauld's library was the perfect place to start. He ventured deep into the bowels of the old building and found several volumes that looked interesting. Dusting them off, he carried them up to his bedroom an started reading.

For the next four weeks, Harry absorbed everything he could from the material available. He made copious notes, all carefully organized by content. At least he had learned something from Hermione, he thought. The information he gleaned about Time-Turners was very enlightening. It seems that certain types of crystals were what powered them. The grains in the hourglass device were not sand, but miniature crystals, each representing a unit of time. Each turn transferred exactly the correct number of crystal grains that represented one hour of time. Not only that, but there were two types of crystals. One type would bring you back in time. The other would bring you forward in time, but only to the present. You could not use them to project into the future, because the future doesn't exist yet. Well Harry thought, that explains the limitations of the Time-Turners we were using. To go back and forth in time would require two such devices. It is possible, he thought, that either they didn't exist, or that no one knew about them. He also learned that it takes an extraordinarily powerful wizard to use the crystals by themselves, and not those encased in an hourglass enclosure. Several references were made to Godric Gryffindor as the only wizard of the time who was powerful enough to make use of the crystals. Very interesting. Time to call Hermione.

The following week Harry had dinner at Ron and Hermione's flat. Ron cooked the dinner and Hermione made desert. Store bought ice cream with chocolate sauce. "So Harry," Hermione started. "What did you want to talk to me about. It sounded urgent."

Harry laughed. "No Mione, not urgent, just interesting. For the past few weeks I have been researching time travel."

Hermione jumped in her seat "Harry, that's illegal. It's against wizard law."

"No Mione, it's against the law to practice time travel, not read about it. And that's all I have been doing."

"Well, ok I guess. So why? What's this all about?"

"Several weeks ago I was reading an article about Stonehenge, and I got the idea that time travel would be something interesting to research. That's all. No ulterior motive. I have all my notes here, and if your interested, I thought it might be fun to have a project to work on. Something other than the usual mundane crap of every day life."

Harry pulled out his stack of notes and handed them to her. "If you are interested Mione, read over my notes and see what you think."

"Harry, that's more than a few notes. It will take time, but I will give it a try."

"That's all I ask, Mione. If it's too much, or if you are just not interested, no problem. I'll understand." Harry wasn't worried. He knew that Hermione couldn't resist a research project.

The trio adjourned to the living room and spent the rest of the evening in pleasant conversation as they watched a movie on the telly. As it was getting late, and they had work the next day, Harry said good night and disappeared into the floo.

The following Saturday, Harry was starkers in bed with a girl whose name he was desperately trying to remember when Hermione's voice echoed through his flat. "Harry!, Where are you? I need to see you right away."

He stumbled over to the floo and replied, "I'm right here, Mione. What do you want?"

"I need to talk to you right away. Can I floo over?"

"NO! Were not dressed, Mione. Give me half an hour. I'll let you know."

"WE?" Hermione questioned. Ok, but hurry up. This is important."

A half hour later, Harry had solved his problem with his guest, saying to himself, well I probably won't be seeing her any time soon. He called Hermione by fire-floo and she instantly appeared in his kitchen. "So what's the big hurry, Mione?"

Excitedly, Hermione exclaimed, "Harry, I think I have the answer. You mentioned in your notes that Godric Gryffindor had done a great deal of research on this subject. That's the clue, Harry. Gryffindor is the key. Everything fits. We need to go to Hogwarts library and read everything we can find on him. When can we go?"

"Calm down, Mione. Have you had breakfast yet? I haven't and I'm starved."

"Oh, your worse than Ron, really. Hurry up and eat. I'll owl headmistress McGonagall and see if she will give us permission to use the library today."

Harry started the eggs and bacon and turned to Hermione. "Actually, McGonagall doesn't have a choice Mione. As a senior Auror I have full access to the Hogwarts library any time I want. So let's eat and we can go. Why don't you fire-floo McGonagall and inform her that we will be there in about an hour."

For the next several hours, Harry and Hermione scanned every book on Godric Gryffindor they could find in Hogwarts' library. Finally, Hermione let out a scream and called Harry over to her table. "This is it, Harry. Everything about the crystals that Gryffindor was writing about."

Harry read on for about fifteen minutes and then started to write. "Your right, Hermione, It's all here. The crystal is called 'Preteritium', and it's found in the Himalayan Mountain Range in Asia. One problem though, it has to be encased in Obsidium, a type of volcanic glass."

"So how do we do that?" asked Hermione.

"Haven't a clue, Mione. That's something else to research."

"Also Harry, there's nothing in here about what incantations need to be said to activate the crystals."

"So I see. Well, first things first. Let's find the Preteritium crystals, and then see about encasing them in the Obsidium. I think that's enough for today. I'll do what I can, and let you know. Thanks, Mione. You have been a great help."

That Wednesday, Harry had the day off from work, so he packed a bag with everything he could think of that he might need. Shrinking the bag he placed it in his pocket and made a portkey to take him to the Himalayan mountains. He dressed for freezing temperatures and activated the portkey.

Harry searched and searched for anything that resembled a crystal, all to no avail. In desperation he raised his wand and yelled "ACCIO PRETERITIUM CRYSTAL!"

Nothing happened right away, but then he spotted something in the distance heading towards him. "Look out!" he cried to no one, and about a dozen small rocks flew out of the snow and landed at his feet. How serendipitous he thought. Why didn't I think of that sooner. Harry examined the rocks carefully. It appeared that there was a crystalline formation inside a covering of semi-clear glass like material. Great Merlin's ghost, Harry thought. It's all here. The crystal is intact and encased in the Obsidium. He placed all the crystals into his bag and returned home.

Harry carefully cleaned and polished each of the crystals until they shined like glass. Holding the largest in his hand he noticed that it looked very much like the phials that Dumbledore used to store his memories, without the stopper of coarse.

In his Auror spell classes, he learned a spell that would tell if an object was magical. It would have no effect on a non magical object. Magical objects would glow. Yellow for most, blue for dark magical objects, orange for powerful objects, red for very powerful objects. His instructor said that he had never seen on object glow red, and wondered if there were such powerful magical objects. Ok, Let's try it. He aimed his wand at the largest crystal and cast the spell. Immediately the crystal glowed a brilliant red. "Great Merlin's ghost!" Harry exclaimed, and fell back onto the chair. He tested the smaller crystals and found that they did not glow as brightly as the largest crystal. The big one will work best, he told himself. "Wait till I show Hermione. She will jump out of her knickers."

Harry and Hermione spent the next week researching possible spells that could be used to activate the crystal. "Harry, your not seriously considering trying this, are you?"

"Why not, Mione. I've gone this far. Tell you what. Once we've worked out the incantations, I will try it right here with you. We'll set up an experiment to go back only a few seconds at a time. If that works, I'll try it for a few minutes. Then maybe for an hour. Why not, Mione. This is ground breaking stuff."

"Harry, it's illegal. They could send you to Azkaban."

"Only if they catch me at it. Oh, another thing. I think we should keep this to ourselves. No mention to Ron of what we have been doing. For his protection, you know."

"I agree, Harry."

"So next week, after I have worked out the incantations, come over here whenever you can get away for a while."

"Ok. But I don't like it, Harry. What if something happens and you can't get back?"

"That's why I will only try it for short periods of time. The worst that can happen is that I will lose a few minutes of my life."

Harry worked for days to develop an incantation that would work. He set up a clock on the kitchen table so that he could observe the time to the second, then set his wrist watch to the exact same time. I'm ready he thought. Time to call Hermione again.

Harry and Hermione set up their test run for that Thursday evening, Ron having a night out with the boys. "Ok, Hermione, I'm ready."

"Are you sure Harry?" What will I do if it goes wrong.?"

"It won't, Mione. I have to try this."

Harry hung the crystal phial around his neck, and pointing his wand spoke the incantation.

"Vices eo tentatio in preteritus centum nonus quattour luna circuitous."

Harry immediately felt his body being squeezed into a tube much like the feeling of using a portkey. Almost immediately he found himself in his kitchen standing in front of Hermione.

"Harry!" she gasped. "You disappeared for about a second and then you were standing in front of me again."

"I think it worked, Hermione. I set it for only one second. I felt myself moving through a tube. Then I was right here."

"WOW! Harry. I don't know what to say."

"Well, after I calm down a bit, I will try it for ten seconds."

"Harry, Why is the word 'luna' used in the incantation? Doesn't that refer to the moon?"

"That's right, Hermione. I figured that the only repeating time frame had to be something that was consistent with the natural way of things, not an arbitrary time reference used by man. So I used the natural moon cycle of 28 days."

"Brilliant, Harry. I never would have thought of that."

"Thanks. So let's try for ten seconds. Watch the clock Hermione."

Harry again issued the incantation and instantly disappeared, only to reappear seemingly

instantly. "What happened Harry? Did you change your mind and come back before your ten seconds was up?"

"No Hermione." Showing his watch to her he said, "Check my watch. Compare the time with the clock on the table."

Hermione looked from his watch to the clock. "Harry, your watch is ten seconds ahead of the clock on the table. How can that be?"

"From your perspective," Hermione, "no time elapsed between my going and returning. But from my perspective, I am ten seconds older."

Hermione was totally speechless. Mouth open, she just stared. Finally, she found her voice and spoke. "I'm totally aghast, Harry. I don't know what to say. I don't really know

if I understand it.

"That's the amazing thing, Hermione. I found myself standing here in the kitchen. You were there with me, just as you are right now, and I talked to you."

"Amazing, Harry. I don't have any recollection of it."

"Of course not, Mione. You were in real time. To you, it never happened. Let's try that again, but with a twist." Harry placed a cup on the table next to the clock. "Now watch the cup Hermione." Harry again issued the incantation and instantly disappeared, only to reappear seemingly instantly as before. "So Hermione, where is the cup?"

Hermione gasped. "Harry. The cup is gone. How is that possible?"

"Because I took the cup off the table before I returned." Harry pulled the cup out of his pocket and placed it back on the table. "See, there it is. And now my watch is about twenty seconds fast."

"Absolutely, incredibly amazing, Harry. "I never would have believed it if I hadn't seen it with my own two eyes. Wow! So what now Harry?"

"Now, I need to think about this very carefully, and think it through covering all possibilities. I need to test a way to get back to real time before the past time expires. I have a lot to think about, Mione. I'm considering going back several centuries to explore, to answer questions. For example, I could go back to the time Stonehenge was being built. Find out exactly what it all means. Or just go back to explore."

"Harry, I don't know, what?"

Harry interrupted her. "Mione, I have made up my mind. I want to do this. If I go for an extended period of time, you will know right away that something is wrong. Can I count on you to tell people that I have gone on a long vacation or something? Say that I wasn't happy here, or I just needed time alone, or something, anything. Can I count on you, Mione?"

"Yes Harry, of course you can count on me. But I still don't like it."

"Well anyway, thank you for all your help. I couldn't have accomplished this without your researching help. Thanks again. And tell Ron I said hello."

Harry spent the next weeks refining the incantations, making it failsafe, working out an 'abort mission' scenario in case he had to return to real time before the time indicated within the incantation was reached. He tested everything many times. He tested all variations of the words in the spell. He tested a few of the other smaller crystals, finding that they did not work as well, the smaller ones not working at all. He was ready he thought. One more family obligation to take care of first. The Wedding.

Harry was not looking forward to this. He knew that it would be vary hard, but he is family, and he owed it to Ginny. He Apparated to the Burrow and tried to make himself invisible. Everything was perfect, the flowers, the decorations, music. So many of his friends in attendance. When he saw Ginny walk down the aisle with her father, his knees went weak, and his stomach churned. He looked to the podium to see Bill and Luna waiting with the minister. And of course Ginny's future husband. Not a thought he could linger on.

Sean O'Peccamen, Ron had done a background check on him at the Auror office. Muggle born in Ireland, his parents moved to Canada when he was about five. At age eleven his parents returned to Ireland and enrolled him in Hogwarts. Being five years older than Harry and Ron, they do not remember him. After he graduated his parents returned to Canada. He seemed an alright bloke, to use Ron's words. For Ginny's sake, Harry certainly hoped so.

And now Sean and Ginny exchanged their vows and were married. Harry couldn't watch. He felt terrible, as if he was betraying her, his sister, his family, but he just couldn't.

As the festivities moved on and the dancing began, Harry waited for his opportunity. He walked across the floor to where Ginny had just finished a dance with her brother Bill.

"Hi stranger. May I have the next dance?" he asked her, holding out his hand. Ginny took it and pulled him into her. "I thought you'd never ask," she said.

Harry embraced her and started to move with the music. Ginny was clutching his arm as her head rested on his shoulder. She was shaking and breathing hard. "What's wrong Gin?"

"I don't know Harry. This is all so surreal, like a dream." A tears ran down her cheek as she laid her head on his shoulders. She pulled back and looked up at him. "Do you believe in destiny Harry?"

"I don't know Gin. I don't know what destiny is, really. But I do believe that each of us has to take life as it is dealt to us, and make the best of it. We can't always control everything in our lives. Things happen. Things we can't predict or anticipate I know that sometimes life seems cruel and unfair, but I believe that in the long run everything works out for the best."

They danced in silence, holding each other in ways that denied their respective feelings.

"Gin, let me ask you something. Do you love him?"

Gin rubbed her cheek against his shoulder again, rubbing away the tears. "I think so Harry. At least as much as I will ever be able to love someone with…." She didn't finish the sentence, but instead whispered something in his ear. Something that rocked him. He wasn't sure that he had even heard her correctly.

She suddenly pulled away and said, "I have to go now, before I completely lose it. Have a good life Harry," and she disappeared into the house.

Harry knew it was time for him to leave also. He made his way over to Mione and Ron, wiping his own tears away. "Mione, I have to leave."

"What's wrong Harry. Your eyes are all red."

Harry ignored the comment. "Please give my thanks to everyone. Tell them that I wasn't feeling well."

"Everyone will see through that Harry."

"I don't care, Mione, I have to go now. See you on Tuesday."

Tuesday, so now it was time. He had been planning this for many weeks, ever since his first successful tests. He would pick a year, maybe about eight hundred years or so. That would put him in England about Shakespeare's time. And a location. What's wrong with right here in England he reasoned? The hills around the Burrow. He purchased a tent similar to the one Mr. Weasley had borrowed when they attended the world cup match. He had it equipped with all the necessary extras. Next he laid out a food plan, enough for about a year. He figured that he could supplement this by hunting and foraging when necessary. Next, magical supplies, potions for healing, other medical supplies. He found a book on magical survival in the wilderness, and stocked everything the author suggested, including some muggle weapons. He included his tely-dvd portable that he had magically modified to work without electricity; thank you Mr. Weasley. Last things, a writing notebook to keep a daily diary, his invisibility cloak, his Firebolt, and an extra wand. He shrunk everything and placed it all into a small rucksack. He was ready.

Hermione entered Harry's flat at about noon. He told her of his intentions to be away for possibly up to a year.

"Harry, your crazy," she told him. "What if something happens? What if you can't get back? What will I do? We'll miss you while you are gone, Harry. You can't do this."

"Mione, I know I have many good friends, and I am grateful. But really, I don't have any blood family here. I don't count the Dursleys as family. I don't even have a girl friend. I have nothing now to be here for. If something happens and I can't return, then, well…" Harry paused, and looking into Hermione's eyes, he continued. "Then I'll make a life there, where ever that is."

"Harry, listen to me. I did some research on the law that forbids the use of time travel. If you were to kill someone, then every person that descended from the one you killed would cease to exist forever. Think about that Harry. Suppose you killed someone that you were descended from. You would simply disappear. Every one of your family too."

Hermione was in tears now, panic in her voice. "Your parents, all the Potters in your family tree, and many others you are related to would be gone. The same would be true for anyone you killed. Gryffindor realized this. That's why time travel was outlawed. Think about it, Harry. Please don't go."

"Yes, Hermione, I have thought about that. Very carefully. I know the dangers, and I know the risks. I promise you, I will not put myself in a position where the possibility exists that I would have to kill someone. And if that situation should arise, I will die first. That will not change the future, or put anyone's family at risk. It's my responsibility, and I will be careful."

"Now I must go. If I am successful, no one will even known that I was gone. You saw how it went with the tests. No matter how long I'm gone, in real time it will be less than a second. You will know immediately. If I don't return within a few minutes, you know what to do."

"Yes Harry, I know what to do. I promised you, and I will follow your wishes."

"Good. I'm going to leave from the hills around the Burrow. Do you remember where we took the portkey to the world cup match?"

"I think so."

"Ok. I will be leaving from there. Hopefully, that area will still be open land when I arrive. Otherwise, I'll be in trouble. Here, hold my hand and I'll Apparate us both.

"Ready?" They landed with a plop on the tall grass.

Harry leaned over an kissed her on the cheek. "See you in about a second dear sister." He pointed his wand at the crystal phial and quietly spoke the incantation. In a flash, Harry disappeared, then immediately reappeared. He looked different, Hermione thought. He was scruffy and bleeding. His clothes were strange and in tatters. His skin seemed darker, and his hair was longer. And he was not alone.

End chapter one.