A/N: Arisuno: I'm sorry I promised to update earlier, but with homework and social gatherings I did not have much time to edit this by Friday. Anyways, hope you enjoy, and I will be hopefully get much better at updating!
Chapter 2
Her Research
Leda was restless. She kept thinking about the necklace. She knew what it was- a time turner. Other than in books, she had never seen one before. Yet, there was something different about it, and it irked her that she couldn't remember what it was. Deciding to look into it further, she gave up on her agitated ponderings and headed towards her bookshelves.
Her room was larger than the living room. It had white walls, no windows and a dark parquet floor. All the furniture in the room consisted of a queen-sized bed, a desk, a chair, five large bookshelves (all full with books her mother had given her), a cupboard for potions, and a dresser with a mirror. For an underground room, it was elegantly cozy.
Reaching the other end of the room, she perused her bookshelves for something useful by only the light of a candle. After a while, she found it: Time Turners: the Debate on Their Uses. She flipped a couple of pages until she found the introduction, which, after a quick glance at it, she recalled instantly:
As many wizards and witches know, Time Turners are special devices to return to any point within that last twenty-four hours, as indicated by the number of turns given to the knob at the side of the instrument, one turn for each hour. It is a very volatile object, considering it harnesses the ability to change time itself. Such devices therefore, were to be treated with caution, and its use regulated. It was once used for advancement of academically superior students in schools, not to mention its use by Aurors or other departments of the Ministry of Magic. Now, however, they have become obsolete, only used by certain officials in high power.
Leda scoffed. She knew perfectly well that the 'officials' were Death Eaters. She moved on.
There are many effects that result with the improper use of these devices. Wizards have been said to implode, suffer excruciating pain, perish, or undergo other calamities if they misuse this dangerous implement. The Ministry of Magic has, as of 2007, due to the events of the past ten years, have concluded that the many deaths were not caused by the Dark Lord, as has been rumoured erroneously, since his death was some time in the early 80's, but by the incorrect use of time-turners. There is a wealth of evidence that supports this, and therefore, all time-turners have been tracked into safe-keeping. Consequently, the number of deaths has decreased, and has not risen since.
She knew this information to be incorrect. Everyone knew. From the smallest child in the household to the elderly, from the idiots of the town to the brainiest of the cities, everyone knew. Yet the Ministry pretended like everything was normal, when it was actually far from it. That was what Voldemort did. He made everyone live in fear for any secret surprises, while forcing them to live as normal lives as ever. Everyone, of course, except her mother, her, mudbloods, and half-bloods, and others of questionable purity.
Either they were in hiding, or they were forced to be slaves to purebloods. Muggles were left to live their lives in fear, not knowing whatever it was that started the surprise attacks, killed people, and made their lives a living hell. She hated this covert war- it was agonizing. Years ago, former Order members had been captured and sent to Azkaban, and several of them had been administered the Dementor's kiss. Before an attempt at a coup had even begun to materialize, it was quickly shattered.
Whenever she thought of this, it brought a feeling of utter hopelessness and emptiness. It brought questions of purpose and the meaning of life. Whenever she discussed it with her mother, she, too, appeared to share the same sentiments, but dismissed them and tried to change the subject. At this, Leda would get frustrated. She abhorred this feeling of uselessness. She finally shook the thought. She scanned the book once again, until she came upon something interesting:
There have been scholars who have claimed that the myth of the Fatum time turner is, indeed, fact. One prime supporter of this theory is the controversial writer, Meleager Jocasta. However, due to the extensive research of dedicated Ministry experts, it has been safely concluded, that in fact, this legendary time turner does not exist.
Her interest in the book diverted, she replaced the book in the shelf and began to look for that name that sounded vaguely familiar. She quickly found it on a book titled The Mental Dwellings of a Highly-Delusional Man, a collection of his theories. She remembered reading it for leisure about four years ago, and had found him to be an entertaining, yet informative writer. The title incorrectly suggests him to be a sort of madman or quack, but Leda knew otherwise. It was a very antique looking book, with a broken spine, loose pages, yellow stains, and torn sheets. A name was written neatly inside the front cover: Albus Dumbledore.
My mother's old headmaster, Leda thought. Opening to the table of contents, she found the chapter on time-turners and quickly turned to it:
As far as my research goes, I have reason to believe that despite the countless refutations from my peers, there is in fact, such a thing as the Fatum time turner. Said to be an ancient device, it is fabled to appear to the user at the right moment and location, assigning them a mission said to be their destiny, hence Fatum. The Fatum has been said to transcend the average time turner's limits by being able to send the user months, even years in time, as opposed to hours. It is
At this particular spot the page is ripped, the bottom half forever lost. Realizing several other pages have been ripped off, she turned to the following page, on it which contained two adjacent pictures, one labeled Standard time turner, and the other Fatum. She examined them carefully, and determined the only difference was in the engraved letters in miniscule Latin that bordered the Fatum time turner, which exactly matched the one currently in her hand.
She placed the time turner delicately on her neck, the hourglass figure gently clinking with the locket already placed there. That locket was her only connection to her father, of whose identity she was not aware of. All that she knew came about him from the engraved initials on the small piece of jewelry: DM.
Thoughts whirling in her head, she was completely intrigued yet confused. She knew it was her destiny to do something, but what bothered her was that she didn't know what her mission was, and nothing vexed her more than being ignorant of something vital.
Trudging to her bed, she decided to sleep on it. Too lethargic and absorbed in her musings, she failed to hear the faint whirling sound coming from that mischievous necklace.
A/N: I hope you guys like it so far. It will get better. I'm planning on a lot of plot twists.
You probably already know who her father is, or else you must be pretty daft. And you probably already know how she will meet Tom. The story will develop faster, I promise!
Fatum- Destiny in Latin
