A MEMORY IN TIME

Chapter 2: "Jet Lag" and a Family Left Behind

A/N: OMG, you guys I am soooo sorry!!! I really did mean to get this posted the day I had off from school but then time got away from me. I was a little sick so I didn't get out of bed 'til noon when my boyfriend called and woke me up . . . lol . . . yeah you can guess how happy I was. Then my friend kindly informed me of an English essay that was due in two days which I hadn't even started yet, so I worked on that all day but I was able to work a little on it during that Monday. I typed a little onto a word document at home, I do that with all my writing so I can check for grammatical errors and such first before I post it. Oh and one last thing before I let you get on with reading the story (I know you are ready to kill me now but . . .) . . . . what is your fav color? . . . lol . . . (runs and ducks ass you really do try and kill me) no I was just kidding I am not seriously asking you the dreaded question . . . but I did start another story. It isn't a hpff but I did write it. It might be a little sad by the time I am finished with it but do you guys want to read it any way? Well comment and let me know . . . now on with the story . . .

Remus stared in shock at the place where Harry was standing just moments before. How could he just leave with out saying good-bye? Does he realize what he is doing? Is he ever coming back? A million thoughts were zooming through his head as he stood there in almost complete shock, almost. Luckily Remus had always been a logical thinker and that part of his brain was able to kick in a few minutes after the panic.

GO TELL SOMEONE! GO TELL MCGONAGALL! GO NOW! MOVE!

When Remus finally registered his logical thinking, he started sprinting towards the house with all his might. He threw open the door and headed for the fireplace, picked up a handful of floo powder, and stepped into the fireplace.

"MCGONAGALL'S OFFICE" Remus yelled and disappeared in a swirl of soot. A few seconds later Remus stepped through the grate in what used to be Dumbledore's office.

"Ah, Professor, I knew you would still be awake, we need to talk now! There's a problem with Harry . . ."

Some time in the middle of the night Ron awoke with a start. Wha? I could have sworn I just heard someone yell something about McGonagall's office.

"Harry, did you hear something? Harry? Harry, you there?" Ron got up, looked over at Harry's bed, and had to blink twice to make sure what he was seeing was real. Harry was not there. Something's wrong.

Ron got out of bed and made his way to the bathroom to check if Harry was there. He wasn't. The next stop was the kitchen and finally the living room where Remus was sleeping. Great, not there either, wait neither is Remus, maybe they're together . . .one can only hope. . .

Ron, convincing himself that Harry was safe with Remus, went back to bed and slept fitfully through the rest of the night.

Harry tried watching as time sped by in reverse but only lasted a few minutes before he had to shut his eyes. When all was done, he was standing in the lawn of a burrow that looked much younger than the one he just come from. Harry checked over his body to make sure he was in one piece and was still seventeen, because if his age had decreased as he had gone back in time, well, lets just say it would have greatly complicated things.

What Harry failed to notice until it was too late was that there were people in the yard staring at Harry, who to them, appeared out of thin air. There were four children with flaming red hair, three boys and one girl. Harry, luckily being a very quick thinker, was able to excuse his sudden appearance.

"Hi there, sorry for just popping up, apparation test gone wrong. Well, I'll be going now." With that, Harry disappeared with a crack, but shortly re-appeared near and old looking bar that was still in use. Before entering the Leaky Cauldron, He quickly changed the color of his hair to that of a sandy blond. It was quite a change to his normal raven black color. But by no means did it look bad, quite the contrary, but it still wasn't "Harry". He also tried his hardest to produce his strongest concealment charm to hide his scar but the most he could do was lighten it so it did not stick out so much on his forehead. Harry left his deep emerald green eyes the same in memory of his mother.

With one quick look at himself in the window he stepped inside deciding there wasn't much else he could do, if people can recognize him looking like this, then they would always be able to recognize him. He walked up to Tom, the bar tender at the Leaky Cauldron.

"Hi my name is Harry Evans." Harry introduced him self.

"Hi, I'm Tom the bar tender, you from around here?" Tom said back.

"Yes I am . . ." Harry said out of habit, but then mumbled "Well, sorta."

"What's that, I didn't quite catch it?" Tom inquired as he heard Harry mumble.

"Uhhh . . . do you happen to have a room available?" Harry covered up quickly.

"Yes master Evans, room 3 is available. Here is your key." Tom handed Harry his key when the door from the muggle street opened and the two people walked in. Harry nearly keeled over in shock as he watched a giant of a man walk in, accompanied by a small boy with raven black hair and startling green eyes.

"So you think Harry went back in time?" Professor McGonagall asked a very white Remus who was sitting in her office at four in the morning.

"It looked like a time turner in his hand, and I watched him just disappear! What else could it have been?" Remus was now on his feet pacing. He really cared for Harry, maybe I should have showed it a little more over the past year. I mean I did nothing while Sirius was around so he could have the most time with Harry, but then, well, Harry already had a support group didn't he? What would he want with an old Werewolf?

"Well, he could have apparated. How close were you standing to him?" Minerva asked reasonably, trying to hide the note of worry on her voice very ineffectively.

"Well, I suppose he could have. I was far enough away that he was trying not to make too much noise, I wouldn't have heard him." Remus said looking thoughtful.

"Well then, there's our answer. He . . .he probably just aparated somewhere. Maybe he went to Diagonally or to Hogsmede just cause he couldn't sleep or something." McGonagall said a little more shakily than she had intended. "You should go back to the burrow, he'll probably be back by the morning."

Remus looked very doubtful. It wasn't like Harry to just leave, two years ago that type of behavior was expected and protected against, but the Harry that he had just spoken to last night wouldn't have done that. He knew how much everyone would worry, and that they would come after him.

"Well . . . I sincerely hope that you are right Minerva." Remus said quietly as he stepped into the fireplace and went back to the burrow.

Ron awoke at the fist sign of light through his window. At first he didn't know why he felt so worried and anxious . . . then is came back . . . Harry was missing. Ron looked over to what he knew was an empty bed. At first Ron didn't know what to do. Then he got up to search the house again.

He checked all the rooms upstairs first (minus the girls room, and Fleur and Bill's). As he suspected he found nothing related to the where abouts of Harry, but he found an empty twins room, and Chalie wasn't in his bed either. The knot in the bottom of Ron's stomach tightened to the point of pain.

He quickly went to the girl's room and knocked on the door. There was no answer at first but then he heard the shuffle and mumbles of some one who thought they were woken up way to early. Click the door slowly opened to reveal a bed head Ginny glaring at her older brother.

"Do you know how early it is?" Ginny was more than slightly grumpy.

"Heh . . . wear's Hermione."

Ginny looked over at Hermione's bed and shrugged her shoulders.

"I dunno, maybe the Lou . . . why?" Ginny looked at her brother suspiciously.

"No she's not there, no one is. No one else is in his or her rooms either. Harry has been missing for the entire night and when I first woke up, a little past 12, Remus wasn't here either."

"Hrm . . . . Hermione was definitely here the whole night . . . I couldn't sleep so I stayed awake 'til a little past three . . . I don't know anything about any one else."

"Well, I still haven't checked downstairs . . . I'll go do that now . . ." Ron looked really distracted, and Ginny could tell he was worried.

"I'll come with you" Ginny and Ron walked into the living room to find the couch still empty. Their next stop was the kitchen, where their search ended. Sitting around the table were all the "missing" children plus one Arthur Weasley and one Remus Lupin and minus one Harry Potter. Bustling around the kitchen trying to cook an early breakfast was Molly Weasley. Everyone looked like they hadn't slept well, but everyone, except Remus, looked happy as they awaited the meal.

Ron and Ginny took their respective seats at the table and so did Mrs. Weasley as she served out breakfast. Once everyone was seated, but before they could touch their food (which they were all longing to do), a letter popped in front of every one.

"No one touch anything! We don't know who these are from . . . they might be a trap." Mr. Weasley said seriously from the head of the table just as McGonnagal stepped through the fireplace looking very old and tired. As soon as she saw that every one had a letter but hadn't touched it she sighed.

"It's ok to read the letter. I got one too. They're from Harry."

Harry stared at himself and Hagrid as they introduced themselves to Tom, and then every one else, save him who chose to stay in the corner. Harry stayed rooted to his spot as his younger self walked past him and towards the back door. His and his former self's eyes locked for a minuet before Harry broke away and headed up to his room.

As soon as McGonagall said they were from Harry, every one except Ron and Remus suddenly realized that he was not present, which made for a mad rush for the letters.

While every one else seemed fairly confused as they read, Remus look more distressed by the minuet.