Disclaimer……….. All characters are the copyright of JK Rowling
Time Again
Sitting in front of the warm fire with Hermione held tight Harry worked out what he wanted to say. He took a deep breath "Right now I don't want any interruptions while I tell you. If you have to say something, which I am certain you will, then I ask you now to wait till I am finished," Harry took another deep breath then looked nervously at Hermione who nodded her head in agreement. Telling Hermione about the plot to portkey him straight to Voldemort waiting in a graveyard, left Harry with the problem of telling and yet not revealing his previous life, he knew it would make him sound crazy, so he changed the story to be the story of a vision.
Harry pulled her close and began "First I think I now know how to destroy Voldemort for good, I have a plan that will help us to capture both him and wormtail. I think we will need to go and see Dumbledore with it. I had this dream, no it was a vision. Professor Moody is not the real Madeye. He is trying to get me to win the triwizard because he has a port key ready to send me too Voldemort. I just wanted to see if you think I might be crazy or should I really tell Dumbledore."
Hermione studied him for a while before she asked "Is this something to do with your scar?"
'The perfect opening' he thought as he quickly answered "Yes."
"Well then we should tell the headmaster as soon as we can." She said decidedly
Then she took a breath before speaking again "Harry? You said something about soul-mates, what exactly is a soul-mate and what makes you think that's what we are?"
"Well I heard that some people who fall in love the first time they meet are soul-mates, like a marriage made in heaven as the Muggles say, and well I, you know."
"How do I find out, and what does being a soul-mate mean?" she wondered aloud.
Before Harry could answer a small book appeared on the sofa between them, its pages were opened. She picked it up and read the open page then she slowly closed the book and put it down beside her.
"We have to go see the headmaster Harry." She whispered.
"Ah Mr Potter, Miss Granger, to what do I owe the pleasure of your visit," Asked headmaster Dumbledore as the two teenagers entered his office.
Hermione spoke first "Sir is there anyway to find out if a couple are soul-mates, and is it true that they become married when they kiss?"
Harry was still a little worried, would Hermione think he had tricked her into marriage, would she see their first kiss as a disaster. Albus answered her question with a slight look of worry "There is a simple method yes; there is a book at the ministry that registers soul-mate unions, along with the date of their marriage. Might I ask why you would need such information?"
"Sir," Asked Harry "Do you think a check could be made for us, and how long would it take?"
"I can do that for you right now," The headmaster said as he walked to his fireplace.
Five minutes later and Hermione had it confirmed that she was indeed Mrs. Harry James Potter, and had been since breakfast. Both Dumbledore and Hermione sat back in shock as the ministry wizard's head appeared in the fireplace and confirmed the entry in the book. Although Harry was inwardly rejoicing he tried hard to keep a shocked look on his face.
"How did you know Harry?" Albus questioned
"I'm not sure sir, I just kept thinking of Hermione as the one who would be my wife," He answered congratulating himself on his quick thinking.
Hermione however to Harry's great concern still had not said a word. It was a while before she spoke, her face a little paler than was usual but gave away nothing of her feelings. "Well then husband dear," she said emphasising the word husband, "You had best tell the headmaster what you told me, so that he can make any arrangements, oh and we will need to visit my parents so I can introduce my husband. I just hope my dad doesn't kill you Harry."
Harry was amazed at how calm Hermione seemed to be, but thought that maybe, just maybe Hermione had just had all her prayers answered and was in fact quite pleased. Harry then went on to tell the headmaster about Professor Moody being an impostor and where they could find the real Moody. He told him about Voldemort and Wormtail hiding out in little Hangleton. How they could be captured. He then went on to tell the headmaster he knew all about the Horcrux's and where they all were.
Then he realised the one that he had carried inside himself had been destroyed and probably could not return when he had been sent back in time, but thought that they should find a way to confirm this before doing anything about it. Then taking a chance he asked if a visit to Hermione's parents could be arranged for after the Yule ball.
Dumbledore readily agreed pointing out that as Hermione's parents were away on a Christmas break, he would rather like to visit with them and enjoy one or two days break from routine, so he would accompany them, and help explain things to Mr and Mrs Granger. Albus Dumbledore wanted to know how Harry knew so much, what had happened to allow this fourth year boy to know things well beyond his years. Harry simply informed them he had woken up that morning having dreamed or had a vision about Dumbledore taking him to the future and he remembered the vivid dream and all the things in it.
"Having spent time thinking it all over I decided the dream was a sort of vision. I just know it was all real." Harry told him.
Both Dumbledore and Hermione accepted that, as the part about being soul-mates was true they believed the rest of his hastily thought up explanation.
Harry felt awful about having to lie but he knew they would not accept the real truth; his revelation about the Horcrux's and the prophecy fully convinced the headmaster. Having explained to Hermione what a Horcrux was, and all about the prophecy made about himself and Voldemort, plans having been made to leave Hogwarts for France by portkey the morning after the ball. Harry led the way out of the headmaster's office and down the spiral stair way.
Hermione did a most unladylike jump thumping her fist into the air and yelled "Yes!" as soon as they reached the corridor leading away from the gargoyles guarding the spiral stair to the heads office. Harry could not resist asking what that was all about.
"You're my husband, I am your wife, what more could I want in life?" she answered.
"Maybe eleven or twelve OWLs and just as many NEWTs." Harry laughed.
Hermione threw her arms around his neck and kissed him with more passion than either of them had shared in their earlier kisses. That night in the common room Neville looked up from his game of chess and asked
"How come you two look so happy?"
"Mainly because we are married," Hermione answered laughing and leaving a huge smile on her face.
The night of the ball Harry walked so proudly down the great staircase toward the great hall, he could see all the eyes on him and Hermione, the looks of surprise on the faces of their fellow fourth years had him smiling. The looks of admiration Hermione was getting reminded him of just how beautiful she looked in her gown. The first dance began and Harry and Hermione seemed to float around the dance floor, there were several comments made about how well they danced together. Harry thought he had never enjoyed dancing so much before.
"Harry you are an absolutely excellent dancer," Hermione told him as they waltzed past Ron.
"You are brilliant too my love," he replied as he sent her into a spin.
Harry danced with McGonagall and Ginny while Hermione took a rest. The remaining dances they danced together. Half way through the evening Malfoy approached and insulted Hermione once again. Harry had almost forgotten just how nasty Malfoy was till then.
"Hey Potter wouldn't a garden gnome have been a better looking dance partner." Malfoy sneered.
Harry in his anger forgot where he was and used wandless magic to turn Malfoys head back to front then he hung him in mid air over the dance floor,
"No little piece of a Death Eaters sexual accident is getting away with insulting my wife," Harry growled before sending Malfoy around the great hall spinning like a top fifteen feet in the air. Total silence was heard as everyone in the dance hall looked up and watched Malfoy as he cart wheeled around in the air. It took Flitwick, Dumbledore and Snape, an hour and a half to break the spell holding Malfoy in the air as he spun his way around the great hall; it took them two days to talk Harry into performing the unknown to them, counter spell that would put a very hungry Draco Malfoys head back the right way around. Harry threatened Malfoy that the next time he heard him insult anyone especially Hermione he would remove both his tongue and voice completely before turning his head inside out. A very frightened Malfoy remained in the hospital wing for several days. At the end of the ball Harry and Hermione took a moonlight stroll outside and watched the snow fall, "Merry Christmas Mrs Potter." Harry said as he kissed her tenderly.
"Merry Christmas Mr Potter." She replied with a dreamy look in her eye.
'I am going to really enjoy this new life' Harry thought as they walked slowly back inside, his arm around her shoulders, her arm around his waist.
Hermione thanked Harry for standing up for her against Malfoy "And in front of every one you told them I'm your wife," She said with a proud gleam in her eye.
"There isn't a man alive in the universe that could be as proud of his wife as I am." Harry declared.
A huge smile came over Hermione as she looked at the boy who was her husband. The thought of Harry being her soul-mate filled her with pleasure, causing a small tingle in her stomach. He was a wizard to be proud of and she had no doubt she was exceedingly proud to be Mrs Harry Potter.
"Harry how did you perform those wandless spells? I've never seen you do that sort of thing before," She asked as they walked up the main staircase.
Harry thought fast then said "I'm not sure; I think it could have been like accidental magic, I was so angry I just didn't think what I was doing."
"That's what I thought, but if you could do that with out the anger just think how useful that would be," Hermione whispered in her thinking voice.
Harry knew that his wife would soon have him practising wandless magic. "That makes me think, I should try a lot harder in class now, I mean being married to the brightest witch of the age I should at least be half as good as my wife don't you think."
Hermione laughed and tapped him on the shoulder, "Harry you will be the greatest wizard since Merlin, I know you will."
Their conversation fell off as they shared a few kisses while they walked back to their common room. Ron was pacing in front of the fire when they entered the room; he started with his angry tirade as soon as he saw them.
"What the hell do you mean Potter? First you steal my girlfriend then you call her your wife in front of everyone in the great hall, just what do you think you are up to?"
Harry was about to answer him when Hermione hissed at Ron "Soul-mates you moron, we are married, and I was never your girlfriend, I would never even have considered you as a boyfriend unless there was absolutely no chance to be with Harry or anyone else, so don't you ever say I was your girlfriend."
Harry placed his hand gently on her shoulder knowing how angry she was, Ron always said something extra stupid that would make things worse. "Come on love, he can't help it."
"What the hell is wrong with you two? People don't treat their best friends like this." Ron yelled at them.
"Oh no, no, no. You Ronald Weasley are not my best friend, a best friend would not have treated me the way you did, even Neville and Seamus believed in me, but you wouldn't accept that someone entered me in the triwizard to get me killed. So don't give me your stupid brain dead rubbish." Harry said fuming with anger at Ron once again.
"Harry's right Ron, while he was facing being killed by a dragon you refused to talk to him, so shut up, and leave my husband and me alone till you have something sensible to say." Hermione shouted with exasperation.
Ron with a blazing expression on his face was about to yell again when half the people in the common room stood up and rounded on him, they were all pushing toward him about to say something when Neville beat them all to it.
"Ron why don't you just take your stupidity and go find a troll to play with, every one here is heartily sick of your stupid arguing with Hermione. As if some one as clever as she is could even think of some one as thick as you as a boyfriend, If you stopped for a moment to remember that she happens to be the cleverest student in the school, then maybe you would realise you must be wrong most of the time, so go be a dumb ass somewhere else."
A great cheer rose from those listening "Bout time someone told him." yelled Seamus.
"Hey Ron, don't bother looking for a troll, it'll be to clever for you," Parvati Patel shouted above the noise
Harry looked around at his fellow Gryffindor's and wondered if they had always thought of Ron in that way. Seeing all the nods and hearing the agreeing comments he had to conclude that in his other life he had been wrong to let Ron and Hermione go on at each other. Ron angry as usual stormed from the room clambering through the portrait hole with his fellow students commenting if he found a troll he should get it to teach him some manners, and quite a few comments that were not quite as nice. Quiet fell on the room as students went back to their seats. All that is, except Neville and Ginny who sat with Harry and Hermione.
"So how come you said you were married Harry?" Neville asked
"We are soul-mates; the ministry has us registered as married." Hermione answered proudly.
"Whoa, that's a shock," Ginny said as she stared at them.
"Well how do you think Hermione's parents are going to react when they find out?" Harry said with a slightly worried look.
"Oh boy! You are in deep water yet again Harry," Neville said with a small gasp.
"They don't know yet then?" Ginny said looking slightly worried.
"Well we get to go and see them tomorrow; Dumbledore says he will be there to help explain it all to them." Harry mumbled.
Seven thirty the next morning Harry joined Hermione in the common room, they were to meet Dumbledore in his office at eight. Hand in hand they walked down for breakfast. Harry still felt somewhat worried about what Mr and Mrs Granger might say, even though he knew that their marriage had been ordained. Hermione like him was still an under age teenager and could be removed from the school by her parents. Hermione was unusually quiet. This in it self had Harry a little more worried.
"You don't regret our being married do you?" he asked.
Hermione looked at him in shock "Harry, I have been waiting and dreaming since we first met, nothing will make me regret my dreams coming true."
Harry released a small sigh; at least she was happy about being his wife, even though he was not quite fifteen years old yet. At Hermione's parents things were not going well. Neither her father or her mother were happy about their daughter being married in what to them seemed an arranged or forced marriage. It took Dumbledore quite some time to get them to agree that they did actually believe in the old Muggle theory about marriages made in heaven. Then he pointed out that soul-mates were just that, 'marriages made in heaven' it was just that in the wizarding world they had a way to record such events leading to the couple being recognised as legally married. It took almost three hours to get the Grangers to accept that their little Hermione was no longer a little girl; Harry thought it had helped when Hermione assured them that there would be nothing of a sexual nature until they were both old enough and mature enough to take that step as husband and wife. Harry was thanking the stars above for his wife's intelligence when they finally left the Grangers. As their son in law both the Grangers had invited Harry to visit their home any time he felt like visiting.
Dumbledore set in motion the plan to capture the creature that was Voldemort. The real moody was released, his substitute was returned to Azkaban, and with help from Harry, Wormtail and Voldemort were quickly apprehended. Further revelations from Harry caused a huge purge of the corrupt members of the Wizengamont. Harry was able to tell Dumbledore where evidence could be found. Madam Bones replaced Fudge as Minister and she found evidence linking Fudge and Mr Malfoy to various crimes of corruption and assisting known Death Eaters, both were given lengthy terms in Azkaban.
Harry told Dumbledore where the Horcruxes could be found. Within a very short time all the evil bits of Voldemort's split soul were collected by members of the Order of the Phoenix. Then destroyed using Basilisk venom taken from the one Harry had killed; even Nagini the snake was destroyed leaving Harry just one small problem. How to find out if he had a piece of Voldemort inside him attached to his own soul. It was Hermione who found the way to do it, using one of the instruments that Dumbledore had used to watch Harry with. It was known as a soul reader; normally it was used to define just how evil someone's soul was. The shadowy green mist from the small instrument had always taken the shape of a pair of serpents in previous tests on Harry, during the latest test the mist that emerged was red and gold, this time it took on the misty form of a phoenix. Dumbledore declared Harry free of any piece of Voldemort. The creature that housed all that was left of Voldemort was delivered to the Ministries department of mysteries by Harry and Albus. Harry signed over the vile child sized thing to the wizard in charge. They were informed just a few days later that the creature had died as they did not know what to use to sustain it. The body of the thing was to be studied by the untouchables.
After their slightly extended holidays were over Harry and Hermione were back doing their classes. Harry with his sixty years experience as a wizard, forty three as the greatest wizard alive, had to hold back some of his ability in class. He allowed himself to slowly catch up with Hermione; after all he still did not want anyone knowing the things he knew, especially about him and what had happened at the beginning of his new life in this timeline. Albus was very suspicious but try as he might he could never get Harry to reveal anything. After their visit to Hermione's parents Harry and Hermione were inseparable. What ever they did, they did together.
The following weeks Harry tried hard to get Dumbledore to take him out of the final task of the triwizard tournament but with no success, the headmaster would not accept a Hogwarts champion pulling out because of a vision, "unless you have something to tell me Harry," he would say each time Harry mentioned pulling out. Hermione surprised him when she told him that even if he had done the task before; he should do it again, insisting that the task would be different now he did not have Moody removing obstacles for him. She was right in all she said apart from the end when Harry and Cedric took the cup together and hence the title together, just as they should have done the first time.
Hermione decided that they should use the room of requirement for practising wandless magic and within a week Harry had begun to teach her how to do it. Being Hermione she was quite proficient at it in a short time. Both Harry and Hermione did well on their end of term exams, the rest of their school year was spent either kissing and cuddling or practising their wandless magic. By the end of the year they were both able to do any spell or charm without their wand, they kept the wandless magic secret after Hermione discovered from one of her many books that it was a rare ability that even Dumbledore did not have mastered
Harry found that his life in this new timeline was much better and happier than his previous one had been. With Hermione's agreement he handed his prize winnings over to the Weasley twins, hoping they could still manage to open a shop on only half the money he gave them before.
After several weeks of not talking to them Ron joined them in the compartment on the train ride home for the summer holidays. After looking at them rather guiltily for nearly an hour he finally spoke
"Harry, Hermione, I'd like to apologise for my behaviour this year. I am not expecting you to forget what a prat I have been, I'd just like to think that you could forgive me. Maybe even give me another chance at being a friend. The thought of spending the entire summer without you two visiting the Burrow is not exactly pleasant."
"You don't have to worry about us visiting the Burrow we were invited by Ginny, who has become one of our closest friends. As for forgiving you, well I can't speak for my husband Harry on this matter, no doubt my husband Harry, will want to make his own mind up, I on the other hand can forgive you. I don't like to hold a grudge. However I shall never forget how you treated my husband Harry, and just in case your slow mind did not pick it up 'Harry is my husband'." Hermione said looking quite serious.
Harry could see her lips twitching at the corners as she repeatedly emphasised the fact that he was her husband, so he decided he would join her in her little dig at his one time best friend.
"Well thank you Hermione my dear wife for not trying to sway me on this one. Ron I can no longer give you the trust it takes to be best friends. Besides my dear wife Hermione and me we have already found two new friends, one of them is now my dear wife's and my best friend, your sister Ginny has earned that friendship. I will forgive you for your treatment because as you know I always forgive, but like my wife Hermione I will not forget. We can never get back what was lost but I'm quite sure that we can be friends. If you ever repeat the mistakes you made this year I am afraid that no matter what my wife Hermione asks it will be the end," Harry looked sideways at Hermione to see that she had buried her head in a book but he could see her shoulders shaking and he knew she was desperately trying not to laugh out loud.
"Ok you two I get it, you are married, Hermione is your wife, and Harry is your husband. I won't forget," Ron said finally making Hermione loose the last of her self control.
Hermione burst out laughing and almost dropped her book as she curled up on the seat holding her stomach. Harry lost his control just a few seconds after she did, moments later they were both laughing hysterically at a rather sheepish looking Ron. Though Harry and Hermione forgave Ron, they treated him no different than they did Fred or George. Quite often he was left out of things when Harry, Hermione, and Ginny were plotting a prank or talking about wandless magic. Ginny was taught by both Harry and Hermione.
Harry stood on the platform looking around for sign of his relatives, it did not take him long to realise they were not there to collect him. Kissing Hermione and shaking hands with his in laws he wished them goodbye promising Hermione that he would send her an owl daily even if nothing happened. Harry stood and watched as the Grangers and his wife left the station and headed into the evening crowds. He waited until everyone was long gone before he decided that he would have to catch the knight bus to take him to Privet Drive.
The Dursleys refused to allow him to stay with them now that the threat that had hung over them was gone, so Harry found himself putting his hand out for the knight bus less than half an hour from his last ride on it. Harry arrived in the leaky cauldron and booked a room for the night, then wrote Hermione to tell her where he was. And why he was there. The following morning Harry made his way to number twelve Grimmauld place, the look of surprise on his godfather Sirius's face warmed Harry's heart. Since Wormtail had been caught and sentenced to death for the crimes Sirius had been locked away for, Sirius had become a free and happy man.
"Hi Snuffles, any room for a lodger?" Harry said smirking
Sirius had Harry in a bear hug almost as he stopped speaking. Tears were in Sirius's eyes as he helped Harry carry his trunk into the dark old house.
Harry's first surprise for his godfather was to cast a wandless spell that made the portrait of Mrs Black vanish. His second surprise was when he told Sirius about being married, when Harry told him that Hermione was his wife Sirius was overjoyed that the two people who had freed him only a year before were now his family. Sirius's next surprise came when Harry convinced him to give the old house elf Kreacher an old locket and tell the little elf it had belonged to Regulus and was now Kreacher's. The attitude of the old elf changed overnight and by midday the next day he was busy cleaning the house.
Harry and Sirius sat late into the night as Harry told about the events since the Yule ball. When Harry told Sirius about his life with the Dursleys Sirius was fuming and threatening to pay them a visit. Harry sent another owl to Hermione who turned up at the door of number twelve just an hour and a half later, she and her father had been on their way to pick Harry up from the Leaky Cauldron. Mr Granger insisted that Harry had to accompany them to their home, saying he would not dare to return with out his son-in-law thus defying Mrs Granger's order of 'fetch Harry'.
Hermione verified that her mother had indeed ordered them out of the house instructing them in no uncertain terms that they were to 'fetch Harry'.
Harry having met his mother-in-law, told Sirius that he would have to leave with his wife but that he would be back following his stay at the Granger's, "That is if you want me."
Sirius bid them goodbye at the door then turned to Harry and told him his room would be ready when he came home. The word home meant a great deal to Harry because he had spent a long time in Grimmauld Place in his other life and it was like a home to him. The last few days of the holiday Harry and Hermione spent with the Weasley's at the Burrow. On the second day of their stay Harry drew Mr Weasley to one side and told him he had another vision about Ginny and that she needed to visit St Mungo's to have a faulty blood vessel in her head checked. Mr Weasley being a member of the Order of the Phoenix knew of Harry's other supposed visions and took Ginny to the hospital that same day. They arrived back three hours later and declared that a weak blood vessel had indeed been found and corrected by the healers; Ginny would not succumb to a brain haemorrhage now.
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13
