A/N: Such an amazing response to my story really makes my day! Thank you so much to all of you who reviewed my story! All those wonderful things you said really made my day. I might write more about Ron's other cases. Maybe after I finish my other fanfiction story.
Just a head's up before you read this chapter, though my story is an AU, I'm trying to stick as close to canon as I possibly can. By canon, I mean the seven HP books and not CC, which one of my reviewers aptly describes, as a cursed disaster. Writing about time travel can be quite tricky and things can become a convoluted mess. Check out The Flash on CW if you want to see what I mean.
I will attach an author's note to end of this chapter to address any issues that you may have. Other than that, enjoy the chapter and once again, do review if you can! I appreciate you all very much!
Disclaimer: I believe HP belongs to JK Rowling
Ron's Last Case: The Turn
Ron stared at the large stained glass window depicting the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus over at the door of the church. Despite having been built in the thirteenth century, St Jerome's Church still remained perched near the village square of Godric's Hollow, having stood the test of time. Though he made his way to the front door, Petrov grabbed his hand and instead, lead him to a back door of the church. Unlocking the door, Petrov then led Ron into what looked to be a storage room for cleaning supplies. The room was narrow and its ceiling quite short as Ron squeezed uncomfortably with Petrov inside the small room.
"Not to be a drag, Petrov, but usually when I go into rooms like this, it's because Hermione and I need a quiet place to make out," Ron grumbled as Petrov gave him an amused look.
"I do find your humour quite refreshing, Ron. Nevertheless, the reason we are here is because back then, the 10th of August was a Monday and hence, there will be few people present in this church. Secondly, since we shouldn't be seen, a storage closet seems like a good hiding place to appear from." Petrov replied as he placed the bracelet on his arm. Ron felt his leg being squashed by a mop.
"Should we ask your father about the letter?" Ron asked as Petrov shook his head.
"No. Besides looking at the letter, I say he doesn't know what's going to happen either. My plan is that we follow the instructions that my late father gave us. Do not deviate from it."
"I'm still wondering about the date, though. I can't think of anything specific from my end." Ron grunted as he kicked the mop away. "I mean, if I was Boris and I could time-travel to any point in history that will help You-know-who come to power, then there's just so much to choose from. Tell me about this Boris guy again."
"Well, Boris from a long line of fanatical Purebloods, one of the oldest families in Bulgaria. To ensure their purity, they often had inter-family marriages. Boris himself was a product of incest, his mother being his sister."
"Gross!" Ron cried in disgust. "Shouldn't he be deformed or something?"
"Not necessarily," Petrov said though Ron could see that he shared the same disgusted expression. "Wizarding genes are different from Muggles. As long as the male is Pureblood or his dominant genes are taken from his father, the chances of the child being deformed are rare. Then again, other factors can also affect genetic material like being exposed to Dark magic or having been bitten by a Crumple-Horned Snorkack though such a creature is thought to be mythical. Here's a picture of him." Petrov said as he showed Ron a recent photograph of a light-skinned wizard with long, black hair and piercing green eyes.
"Looks a little like my Potions Professor," Ron said as his thoughts turned to Snape. "Is there anything about Boris that you can link with this date? Anything at all?"
"Nothing comes to mind."
"I thought as much." Ron sighed as Petrov placed his wand on the bracelet.
"Hold on to me. I myself have never time travelled before so I can't tell you what to expect." Petrov said as Ron grabbed his arm. Offering a smile, Petrov stared at Ron. "We're in a church. Maybe say a prayer if you're nervous."
If there was one thing anyone knew about Ron Weasley, it was that he wasn't at all a religious man. Instead, Ron placed his faith in a different source, a source Ron firmly believed in despite what anyone said and one that had given the patience and temperament to be the person he was today.
"Go Cannons," Ron yelled as a bright white light emerged from the ring, blinding them both. Ron felt the unpleasant sensation of having a hook pulling him from somewhere behind his navel before he and Petrov disappeared, leaving nothing except a few broken supplies and an empty storage closet.
…
"Bloody hell." Ron groaned as he vomited once more into the mop bucket while swearing upon his life never to eat before time travelling again.
"Come, Ron," Petrov said gently as he smiled at Ron. "The 1981 air will do you some good."
Ron knew the device had worked as soon as they stepped out of the church. The sun shone brightly on their faces as Ron felt the heat on his skin compared to the cold winds of an English winter. The streets were filled with all kinds of buildings that no longer stood during his time. Even the people were dressed differently. Ron noticed many of the Muggles wearing skin-tight trousers or fashionably-designed drainpipes jeans though a few still had bell bottoms as they tried to cling on towards earlier times. Even though most of the wizards still wore robes which weren't that different in his time, Ron could see many of the younger wizards sporting unusual haircuts ranging from permed hair to outrageous Mohawks, no doubt from being influenced by the late 1970s punk rock scene. Ron stared at the nearby graveyard, which had certain tombs conspicuously missing. Without wasting any time dealing with the present, Ron raced to catch up with Petrov as the pair walked through the village.
Petrov's home stood on the outskirts of Godric's Hollow. It was a small, brick house with a smoking chimney, signifying that someone was home. The two storey cottage looked rather quaint with a nice garden and a small shed next to it. As Ron walked up the stony path towards the door, he could see Petrov lagging behind, his eyes glistening as the wizard looked to be trying to come to terms with what laid in front of him. Ron stood to the side as Petrov approached the brown, oak door before pressing the doorbell. Ron held his breath as a loud ringing ran throughout the house. Within a few seconds, the large, front door creaked open and a man stood at the entrance.
The first thing Ron thought of as he saw the man was that he had to be Petrov's doppelganger. The man had a slightly larger build to him, though Ron noted that the man was about the same height as Petrov. The man also had white-blond hair and wore horn-rimmed glasses. He had grey eyes just like Petrov and similar facial features as well. The startling resemblance to his son was uncanny and if not for the fact that the man was bespectacled and looked slightly older, Ron was certain he could be looking at twins. No doubt, the man was Ivan Petrov as Ron turned to his son whose eyes looked to be brimming with tears. Seeing that Lukas was too stunned to speak, Ron decided to get the Snitch flying as Ron showed his wand before speaking.
"Ivan Petrov?" Ron asked as the man nodded.
"Yes, that's me. And who, may I ask, are you two?"
"My name is Seamus Finnigan and this is my partner…Viktor Krum." Ron replied as he decided to mask their identities for the moment. "We are newly appointed members of the Order and we need your help."
"How do I know that you're members of the Order?" Ivan asked as he glared suspiciously at the pair.
"Ask us anything about it," Ron replied.
"Very well, who created the Order?"
"Albus Dumbledore."
"Too easy. Name me three individuals who are members of the Order."
"Remus Lupin, Sirius Black and James Potter."
"Tell me something that only an Order member would know."
Ron hesitated at the question. Unlike Harry and Hermione, Ron wasn't well informed about the history of the Order, knowing only the minimal facts about the secret organisation. There was, however, one vital piece of information that he knew though Ron couldn't say for certain that Dumbledore would have informed every member of the Order. Nevertheless, Ron decided to play his hand.
"About a year ago, there was a prophecy concerning a boy belonging to James and Lily Potter. That boy's name is Harry Potter and it is said that he will defeat You-know-who. In order to protect him, the Potters are now under the Fidelius Char – "
"Shhh!" Ivan interrupted as he glared at the pair of them before looking around. "Okay, I believe you," Ivan said, much to Ron's relief. "Now, what do you want?"
"If you'll be so kind as to let us in, we would be happy to explain." Petrov blurted out as Ron turned to him. He could see that Lukas was trying hard to compose himself at the sight of his late father. Ron felt sorry for his partner and wondered, as they entered the house, how he would react if he met with Fred once more.
….
As Ron swung himself on a wooden, rocking chair, he took the moment to survey the Petrov's living room. The room itself was fairly neat and contained the basic furnishing such as a sofa set, threadbare carpets and a large bookshelf filled with volumes of books about Healing and magical spells. He could hear voices being raised in the other room where Petrov had asked to speak to his father in private. Turning his attention to a glass cabinet near a corner of the room, Ron could see items such as a bezoar as well as potion bottles containing all sorts of concoctions, some of which Ron hadn't even heard of although he could recognise a few. A loud slam of a door jolted Ron from his thoughts as he turned to face Petrov whose eyes were red.
"What happened?" Ron asked as he approached Petrov who collapsed onto the sofa.
"I've managed to convince him who I am and what we must do," Petrov replied grimly.
"How did you do that?" Ron asked.
"Told him some things that only he and I know. Don't worry; I never said anything that could affect the timeline." Petrov said as he wiped away a tear. "He finally came round and I told him about the mission. I left the part about the letter, of course."
"Are you okay?" Ron asked as he looked at Petrov sympathetically.
"Forgive my state," Petrov replied as he rubbed his eyes. "I never expected to feel quite so emotional."
"It's only natural," Ron replied gently as he tried to console Petrov. "Merlin only knows how I would react if I had the chance to talk to Fred again. Bloody hell, I might not even say a word. Just hug him and tell him to stay away from Hogwarts on a certain date. I know, I know, timeline and all that crap" Ron said as he raised his hands.
Petrov said nothing though he offered Ron a bittersweet smile. Ron sat down on the couch next to him. Suddenly, a thought struck him.
"Where's the younger you?" Ron said as he looked around as if expecting a younger version of Petrov to enter the room at any moment. Instead, Petrov gave a light chuckle.
"I'm not here today. Or all this week. I'm actually away in Bulgaria, staying with a few of my relatives. I imagine it can be quite a sight, seeing your older self sitting on the couch as you enter the house." Petrov said as he took out the letter.
"So what's the move now?" Ron asked as he took the letter.
"I have no idea. I'm just as clueless as you are." Petrov said as he shrugged his shoulders. The door to the living room opened and Ivan entered, carrying with him two bottles of Firewhiskey as Ron noticed the senior Petrov's hand trembling as he set the bottles on the table.
"I'm sorry. I wasn't sure if I should serve you drinks." Ivan spoke. Ron turned to Petrov who smiled as he gratefully accepted the bottle.
"I doubt that it will do much to the timeline. Sometimes, people who turn back time make small adjustments like pushing against a rock that they stepped on or cutting themselves on the branch but these actions don't have much effect on the timeline. Besides, we have a time device. If anything changes, we can change it back."
"Thank Merlin," Ron said as he took his bottle. "I could use a drink."
"I don't suppose you're really Seamus Finnigan?" Ivan asked him as he fixed Ron a curious stare.
"No," Ron said as he looked at Petrov who shook his head. "I can't tell you my real name either. Sorry."
"That's quite alright," Ivan replied as he gave Ron a smile. "My son has informed me of your delicate time situation. I just…sorry…this is all still very new to me."
"You and me both," Ron said as he took a swig of Firewhiskey. "So you're a member of the Order, Mr. Petrov?"
"More like an acquaintance," Ivan said as he sat on a chair across the pair. "I am sort of a private healer to the Order though the knowledge of that is only to Order members. Forgive me for questioning you both but Dumbledore informed me that there was a spy in our ranks and I had to be sure that you both were genuine. As for the three members you mentioned, I know of them but I've never met any of them before. I know about the prophecy and the Charm because Dumbledore mentioned it to me, asking me to keep a lookout for any strange occurrences that might occur in this village. Clever man, that Dumbledore."
"Yes, he was," Ron whispered under his breath as his fingers found the Deluminator that Dumbledore had given him. Ron brought the item on every Auror mission, its usefulness having saved his and Harry's life on more than one occasion.
"Was I a good father?" Ivan asked suddenly as Ron could see Petrov turning pale as the question struck a chord with the latter.
"Why are you using past tense?"
"Because I'm dead, aren't I?" Ivan said as Ron nearly spat out his drink. "You always had a poor poker face, Lukas."
"Father…I…"Petrov stammered as Ivan reached over to touch his hand.
"It's okay," Ivan said gently as he smiled at his son. "I don't know how, in Merlin's name, are you here nor can I trust myself to believe it but yet here you are. Now I know that no matter what happens to me, you would get the chance to grow up. I just hope I did the best that I could, Lukas."
"You did more than your best," Lukas said as the two Petrov men stood up to embrace. Feeling awkward at the situation, Ron cleared his throat.
"I'll just give you guys some privacy."
"Nonsense, Seamus!" Ivan said as he and Petrov pulled away from each other. "It is I who has to leave. Now, son, you didn't specify where I have to go."
"Just away from the house for the moment, Father," Lukas replied as he exchanged a look with Ron. "If anything comes up, I will inform you."
"Very well then. I shall return back to St Mungo's." Ivan said as he summoned a bag into the room. "You were quite fortunate to catch me during my lunch break. I'll just finish it at my office. Usually, it's about the only time I can be at home during this time, if you recall, Lukas."
"Yes, Father," Lukas said as he smiled warmly.
"Are you sure you should head to St Mungo's?" Ron asked as he looked at the younger Petrov who gave him a puzzled look. "What if you bump into someone you're not supposed to meet? Couldn't that change the timeline?"
"Not to worry. I can simply apparate straight to my office." Ivan spoke as Petrov contemplated Ron's words. "No one is allowed in my room nor would they suspect that I've return early."
"Ahhh."
"Well, gentleman, if that's all then I bid you farewell for now," Ivan said as he shook Ron's hand before giving Lukas a hug. "Lukas, if it were possible, do stop by at my office before you leave. I do wish to say a proper goodbye."
"Yes, Father."
"Well, gentleman, I wish you both luck though I, myself, am in need of one. I might have two babies to deliver soon. Can you imagine that one of the couples refuse to know the sex of their baby? Imagine that, not knowing if it's a boy or a girl. I couldn't possibly do that." Ivan sighed as he stared at Lukas. "Oh wells, take care!"
CRACK!
Both wizards stared at the spot where Ivan Petrov had Disapparated from. Ron turned to Petrov, who looked deep in thought.
"Hey, you okay?"
"Huh, what?" Petrov said as he stared at Ron, looking flustered. "Sorry, just thinking about something."
"Okay," Ron said as he walked towards the living room door. "By the way, you're absolutely sure about that thing where small actions don't impact the timeline that much?"
"Yes, why do you ask?" Petrov asked, staring curiously at Ron.
"Because I need to take a dump," Ron replied as he ran towards the toilet while Petrov sighed and rolled his eyes at him in a surprisingly good Hermione-like fashion.
…
"Hey, Ron, so what did you do today?"
"Oh nothing much, Hermione, just the usual Auror stuff. Say, remember that broccoli and carrot salad your mother made me try last night as part of her insane crusade to get us all to be vegetarians? Well, it's in a toilet at Godric's Hollow nearly twenty years ago! Can you bloody believe that?! I took a shit into the past"
"Ronald Weasley! Watch your language! And what in Merlin's name do you mean?"
"It means, my dear, is that the only place safe to store that horrible meal your mother tries to pass as food is in the pa-"
"Ron! Are you alright? You're taking quite some time." Petrov said as a loud knocking on the toilet door shocked Ron away from his thoughts.
"I'm fine!" Ron roared out as he sat on the toilet bowl, tapping his feet while waiting for his bowels to do its thing. He eyed a copy of the Daily Prophet that was left near the toilet sink. Picking it up, Ron ignored the usual main headlines which he figured were full of news about Voldemort and his followers. Instead, Ron did what he always did with the Daily Prophet, flip to the sports section. There, once again, on the third page of the sports section were the results for last weekend's national Quidditch league matches. Ron groaned out loud as he read about the Chudley Cannons' incredible ten point loss to the Kenmare Kestrals, having gotten the Snitch but lost out due to the Kestrals incredible scoring Chasers.
At least that's one thing I can count on Ron grumbled as he tossed the newspaper aside before his bowels started to move. He wondered if he could persuade Petrov to lend him the device so he could bring Harry and Hermione to 1892, the last time the Cannons won the title. As his thoughts turned to Harry and Hermione, Ron reached for his wallet in his pants and pulled out a bunch of photographs that he kept with him at all times. The first was one of him with Harry and Hermione taken at King's Cross the day Hermione left for Hogwarts to complete her education. The second was of him and Fred, taken during their Egypt trip in his third year. The third was of the DA, taken during one of their training sessions by Dennis Creevey. A lone tear streaked down his face as Ron stared at the photograph at the faces of those who he had lost two years ago. Fred Weasley, Colin Creevey, Lavender Brown and even Dobby, whom Harry had invited along for that day.
Not wanting to fall prey to his emotions once more, Ron continued to flip through the photographs, each a treasured memory from his past. There was a picture of him and Lavender during their early dating days, a picture of him and Harry during their Auror training, a picture of him and Hermione on their first official date as a couple where they ate at this nice Muggle café in Australia when they went to retrieve Hermione's parents. Ron chuckled as he came to the last photograph, one he kept for devious reasons. It was a photograph of an eight-year-old Ginny in one of Aunt Muriel's wedding dresses. Ron recalled that day when Ginny burst into his room while asking him to help her put on make-up that she had taken from their parent's room. Ron laughed at the photograph, noting how badly he had applied the mascara and lipstick. He also made excessive use of the blush, insisting he had to cover her freckles which were, strangely enough, not quite as much as the rest of his family. The end product left Ginny looking more like a clown than a bride and the taking of this photo meant that Ron always had a form of blackmail to use against his sister if she ever pushed too far. He sighed at the photograph, reminding himself of the promise he had made to Harry as best man.
A loud ringing broke Ron out of his thoughts. He quickly departed the toilet as Ron entered the living room, his wand by his side as Petrov motioned his head towards the front door. The doorbell rang once more as Ron and Petrov heard loud banging on the front door.
"Mr. Petrov, are you there? Please, I need to speak to you."
For some reason, the voice sounded vaguely familiar to Ron though he was sure he had never heard it in his life. Moving slowly towards the window next to the front door, Ron motioned for Petrov to stand guard by the door as he snuck a peek through the window. There was no one at the front door.
A loud banging on the front door startled Ron as he leapt back from the window while Petrov kept his wand firmly aimed at the front door.
"Mr. Petrov, please, I really need to speak to you if you're there." Ron exchanged a look with Petrov before nodding his head towards the front door. Understanding his cue, Petrov kept his wand by his side as he slowly opened the door while Ron stood to its side, his view of the front being obstructed by the door. He could see Petrov's eyes widening as he gasped at whoever stood at the front of the house.
"Please, please come in. I know who you are, of course." Petrov said as a figure entered the house. Ron could see that from his back, the man looked fairly well- built and had silky black hair. The man turned around to face Ron who nearly toppled over at the sight of the man.
"This is … one of my patients, Seamus Finnigan." Petrov said quickly as the man looked confused for a moment before extending his hand towards Ron with a big smile on his face. For years, Ron had seen pictures of the man, especially during his time at Hogwarts where often, he would catch his best friend staring at a picture of the man before he went to sleep. Ron remembered each night staring at Harry's face as he slept, wondering just what the man must have been like during his time. Never in his wildest dreams did Ron ever expect to meet him again and yet here he was, standing no less a foot away from Ron.
"Pleasure to meet you." James Potter said with a smile, after almost twenty years of being dead.
…..
If Ron thought that the resemblance that Lukas had to his father was uncanny, it was nothing compared to James and Harry. Other than the colour of his eyes which were brown and the conspicuous lack of a lightning-shaped scar on his forehead, James was every bit the physical embodiment of Harry Potter. Ron watched as James placed the Invisibility cloak he had used to disguise himself on the table as Petrov led him into the living room. Though he tried his best to be polite, Ron could see that James looked anxious as his eyes darted around the living room.
"Take a seat, James. May I get you something?" Petrov spoke in a calm manner, as Ron noticed how well he composed himself. The meeting with his late father had helped Petrov to get used to the situation although Ron couldn't say the same of himself. He stood in the corner of the living room as he stared at James who shook his head at Petrov's request.
"No thank you, Mr. Petrov." James started to speak before Petrov raised his hand
"Please, call me Ivan," Petrov replied as he gave James a reassuring smile. "What can I do for you, James?"
James sighed as he turned his attention towards Ron. "Forgive me, but what I need to say to you is confidential." That seemed to jolt Ron out of his daze as he nodded his head and was about to head for the door when Petrov spoke.
"It's quite alright, James. Seamus here is a newly appointed member of the Order."
"He is?" James said though Ron could see that the wizard was unconvinced. "I didn't know we had any new members."
"Dumbledore recruited a few after the many losses we've suffered," Petrov replied, without missing a beat. James stared at Ron for a few moments before heaving a sigh.
"I don't blame him. I don't even know much of what's happening anymore." James sighed as he ran his fingers through his hair. "You'll probably already know this but it's been more than a year since I had a proper conversation with anyone other than Lily."
"Ahh, yes," Petrov replied as he nodded. "But I suppose that's what one has to sacrifice being under the Fidelius Charm. Which brings me to this question, why are you here, risking your life to come and see me? Surely an owl would have sufficed."
Instead of answering, James turned his attention to Ron as if trying to size him up. "Sorry, but what did you say your name was, again?"
"Seamus Finnigan," Ron replied seamlessly though his fingers fidgeted nervously in his pocket.
"And how did you get recruited? How did you know about the Order?" James asked, his eyes narrowing on Ron.
"I'm related to the Prewetts," Ron said as he racked his brains for an answer. "I'm cousins with Fabian and Gideon Prewitt as well as Molly who's married to Arthur Weasley, of course. When my cousins passed, I asked Molly about them and how I wanted to help in the war. She's the one who introduced me to Dumbledore.
"Ahh, I see," James replied, his expression softening at the mention of Ron's uncles. "I'm sorry for your loss. I knew Fabian and Gideon, two of the fiercest fighters I ever had the pleasure to meet. Forgive my cautiousness but I had to be sure. Like Moody says – "
"Constant vigilance," Ron replied, finishing James's sentence for him. James gave a warm smile before turning to face Petrov.
"Ivan, I need your help. Dumbledore warned me against leaving my house, insisting that I stay there at all times so you can see that I'm taking a risk just coming to see you." James sighed once more as he looked about the room. "Dumbledore told me about you so I know I can trust you. I recognise his description of you as soon as you opened the door."
"Thank you for your trust in me, James," Petrov said as he and Ron waited patiently for James to continue. The latter motioned the pair closer as he spoke in a low whisper.
"Lily's not feeling well lately. I fear that something may happen soon and I need you to come and see her."
"What's wrong with her?" Ron asked as James shook his head.
"I can't say. With all due respect to your house, Ivan, we never know if anyone is listening. All I ask is that you come over to my house to see for yourself."
"But without knowing her condition, how can I know what potions or medical supplies to bring?" Petrov asked.
"I already have everything you need but I need a Healer to help me. Here, take this." James said as he gave Petrov an empty piece of parchment.
"It's fitted with a Protean Charm," James said as Ron's eyes began to widen. "When the time comes, I will write a message on it, informing you to come. Once that's been done, destroy this parchment and come as soon as you can."
"Very well," Petrov said as he took the piece of parchment from James. "Seamus and I will go to your home as soon as you call us."
James gave Ron an apologetic look as he turned to face Ivan. "I'm sorry but the invitation to my house is just for you and you alone. It's just a matter of security, you see. No one knows about my wife, not even Sirius."
The mention of Sirius's name took Ron by surprise. Ron knew, of course, the friendship that James and Sirius share was more than just a close one. James trusted no one more than Sirius and even made the latter godfather to Harry. As such, the thought of James keeping anything from Sirius was unimaginable, to say the least.
What could be so important that James wouldn't even tell Sirius?
"I'm afraid that's really quite out of the question," Petrov replied. "Mr. Finnigan here was bitten by a Murtlap and he is still under observation. He's okay for now but his body could relapse within the next twenty-four hours and I must do his recovery charm immediately or he might die."
James shifted his gaze from Petrov to Ron and back again to Petrov. Ron could see that James seemed to be deliberating upon whether or not he could come. After a few long seconds, James gave Ron a reluctant nod.
"Fine." James sighed as he headed for the front door.
"How are we to go to your house if it's under the Fidelius Charm?" Petrov asked as James turned around to smirk at him. Opening the front door, James whistled loudly.
"I had to leave him outside. Don't worry, he's been checked for diseases."
If Ron thought his meeting with James was emotional, it was nothing compared to what happened next. For one thing, Ron had never interacted with James while he was alive nor had he ever witness James's death. The same couldn't be said for the person who came into the house. From the moment Ron set his eyes on a huge, black dog bursting into the room. He felt a sharp pain pierced through his heart as Ron tried very hard not to cry. Though his relationship with the man was brief, he was someone Ron looked up to, even admired as the man gave Harry such joy and hope while he was alive. As the dog transformed into a handsome, young man with long black hair, Ron couldn't help but stare deep into the man's grey eyes which were very much still full of life.
"Sirius Black," Sirius spoke as he gave Ron and Petrov a wicked grin. "How can I be of service?"
….
Somewhere in the house, Ron could hear a clock chiming for midnight. He watched as Petrov picked up the parchment for the umpteenth time as he glared at the blank paper staring back at him. Ron could hear his stomach growling though he pushed away his growing appetite as he twirled his wand. He could picture being back at the Department of Mysteries once more, watching Harry call out for Sirius as the dead man fell through the Veil, courtesy of a Killing Curse by Bellatrix Lestrange.
Sirius and James had left hours ago after Sirius had revealed the location of the Potter's home to Ron and Petrov. For added security, James left his Invisibility Cloak with Petrov so that he and Ron could sneak into the house without attracting attention. Ron watched as James and Sirius transformed into their Animagus form as the unusual pair of animals left Petrov's home through the back. Ron picked up the Invisibility Cloak as he recalled the very first moment Harry had shown it to him back when the pair snuck to look into the Mirror of Erised. Ron welcomed the happy memory before the image of a dead Sirius tormented him once more.
"Petrov, do you think…"
"No, Ronald," Petrov answered before Ron could finish. "We cannot change the timeline."
"But an innocent man is about to go to jail for something he did not do!" Ron replied, his temper rising. "What's the point of having this ability to change time if we sit around and do nothing? If I could convince Sirius to remain as Secret Keeper, You-know-who doesn't find James and Lily and Harry gets to grow up with his family. We could save three lives instead of none!"
Petrov placed down the parchment as he stared back at Ron with sadness in his eyes. "Tell me again about the prophecy, Fidelius Charm and what happened in 1981. Everything that you know."
"What?" Ron asked as he sat down on a chair. "What's that got to do with anything?"
"Just humour me. While we still have time."
"Fine," Ron replied as he fold his arms across his chest. "In early 1980, Dumbledore interviewed Sybill Trelawney for a job at Hogwarts. During that interview, Trelawney made a prophecy that referred to a boy born at the end of July who would defeat You-know-who. Part of this prophecy was heard by Severus Snape who told You-know-who. You-know-who decided that the boy was Harry and sought to hunt him down. Dumbledore, upon hearing this information from Snape who defected because of his love for Harry's mother, placed the Potters in a Fidelius Charm in August 1980 with Sirius Black as Secret Keeper. Upon completing the charm, Dumbledore ordered that no one in the Order was allowed to visit the Potters for security reasons. He suspected that someone had been passing information to You-know-who."
"Wait, so no one had any contact with James and Lily during this time? How did you know that?" Petrov asked.
"Kingsley told us," Ron answered as he continued. "Now, as the war raged on, Sirius felt that the Death Eaters were on to him and so, in an attempt to throw the Death Eaters off his trail, Sirius gave the Secret to Peter Pettigrew who betrayed the Potters in less than a week, causing You-know-who to kill James and Lily. Lily sacrifice herself for Harry, as You-know-who had initially wanted to spare her life upon Snape's request."
"I see." Petrov sighed as he gave Ron a bittersweet smile. "Tell me, Ronald, what would you suggest to do?"
"Convince James not to let Peter become Secret Keeper."
"So that Harry's parents would live. But, Ron, if Harry's parents lived, that means Harry never stops the Dark Lord that night. And if my reading of your records after the war are correct, Harry never becomes a Horcrux. Thus, he doesn't receive the power meant for him to defeat You-know-who. And what then? Harry and his family go on hiding forever while You-know-who continues to wreak havoc on the world."
"No, Dumbledore might have stopped him," Ron said firmly as Petrov shook his head.
"You're forgetting the Horcruxes, Ronald. Dumbledore wouldn't be able to stop You-know-who. It was, and always will be, Harry who had to carry out that task."
"What if we send a letter to Dumbledore, stating that Sirius switched with Peter?" Ron snapped, not wanting to give in. "We may not be able to save James and Lily but at least, Sirius might have a chance at going free. Harry could be with his godfather and not be raised by those awful Muggles!"
"In which case, Peter, whom it was said escaped during your third year, would be much more resolved in his pursuit of bringing back You-know-who and once again, if You-know-who were to come back earlier, he would continue to pursue Harry and continue his reign of chaos."
"But what if we told Sirius about how…"
"Ronald!" Petrov said firmly though Ron could see sympathy in his expression. "You are not the first person to suggest changing the past nor will you be the last. It is in our nature, of course, to want to change things but you must place your faith in the future that holds endless possibilities. You might think that what you are doing is noble, and I admit it is, but the consequences could be devastating. What if by changing the past, you inadvertently create a newer, more dangerous foe? What if by changing the past, you kill millions just to save one person? No, Ron, like I said before, we mustn't meddle in time. The responsibility of a time traveller is to protect the timeline."
"The responsibility of a man is to protect the ones he loved!" Ron yelled as he stood up. "How could you stand there and tell me that if there wasn't a way to prolong your father's life, you would not take it? Sirius wasn't supposed to die! James wasn't supposed to die! Lily wasn't supposed to die! Remus! Tonks! Dobby! Colin! Lavender! FRED!"
At the mention of the last name, Ron kicked the table in anger as it overturned, causing the empty bottles of Firewhiskey to shatter on the floor.
"He was only twenty years old! He was my brother!" Ron shouted as warm tears fell from his face. "He was supposed to live a long and happy life and instead, he's now six feet under the ground. It's not fair."
"Of course it's not fair," Petrov replied gently as he used a Mending Charm to repair the damage. "None of this is fair. I know it's not easy for you nor for myself to sit here in the presence of people who are but ghosts to us but it doesn't deter us from our duty. This is what I hate about alternate timelines. Instead of allowing us to grow as people, we rather misplace our faith to try to alter what cannot be altered just because we wish to have control. But we don't, Ronald because to have such power can be too dangerous. Death, time, love, these are things that are out of our control and we need to accept that. You-know-who couldn't accept death and look what happened to him."
"So I'm supposed to let Sirius go to Azkaban and James to die simply because time is something that I shouldn't control?" Ron sighed, his expression softening as Petrov nodded his head. All of a sudden, the parchment vibrated as Petrov snatched at the parchment before offering Ron a poor expression of a cheeky smile.
"It's time," Petrov said as it was Ron's turn to roll his eyes before grabbing the Invisibility Cloak.
….
"I don't see why we can't just Apparate there."
"Because, Ron, for the last time, you cannot Apparate onto the grounds of a place that has the Fidelius Charm."
"Yeah, yeah, I know! Are you sure your last name isn't Granger?"
"Ron, we're here," Petrov said as he pulled the Invisibility Cloak off the pair.
Though there seemed to be nothing special about the two-storey cottage, Ron knew that in a matter of months, this house would arguably be the most important structure in all of British Wizarding history. There were hedges surrounding the cottage as a light shone in an upstairs room. The outside walls were made using large cobblestones as Ron swung the small, wooden gate that led towards the front door. Unlike the day, the night was cold as Ron felt the freezing winds pierce through his coat. A streetlight illuminated the stony path in front of them as Ron felt the Deluminator in his pocket as Petrov knocked on the front door. After a few seconds, the door swung open as James ushered them inside.
"Seamus, you can wait here in the living room," James said as he motioned towards a comfy-looking chair next to the fireplace. "Ivan, I need you upstairs now."
"Daddy?"
The three men turned and Ron nearly gasped out as a tiny, one-year-old Harry peered from the top of the steps.
"Merlin's beard, Harry!" James cried as he ran up the stairs to scoop Harry into his arms. "How did you get out of your cot? Forgive me, Ivan, Seamus, this is Harry, my son. Say hello, Harry." James replied as Harry gave a tiny laugh while his green eyes widened at the sight of the two strangers.
"He's adorable," Ivan whispered as he smiled at Harry. Ron, on the other hand, stuck out his hand to Harry who grabbed his thumb in response before trying to put it in his mouth.
"Easy there, Harry!" James laughed as he pulled Harry away. "Sorry Seamus, he can get quite handsy. Though he must really like you, Harry doesn't usually respond this well to strangers."
You have no idea Ron thought as he gave Harry his famous lopsided grin. "He had beautiful eyes," Ron said though he stared at Harry's forehead which was as smooth as it could be.
"He has Lily's eyes," James replied as a loud scream was heard upstairs. "Blimey, Ivan, we need to go. Seamus, wait for us downstairs." James said as he carried Harry upstairs while Petrov followed behind. Ron went back to the living room as he sat in the chair while taking in his surroundings.
"Hey Harry, guess what? Not only did I meet your parents but you tried to eat me the first time we met." Ron laughed as he tried to picture how that conversation with his Harry would go. Seeing a bunch of picture frames on top of the fireplace, Ron got up and approached the mantle. Most of the pictures were of Harry growing up as James and Lily photographed every moment of his life so far from his first few steps to the day James helped Harry to potty train. Though some of these pictures were in the photo album that Hagrid had passed to Harry, many were not as Ron smiled warmly at the sight of a family portrait where James and Lily kissed Harry cheeks as baby Harry giggled in response.
You had such a wonderful family, Harry Ron thought sadly as he picked up a picture with James and Lily dancing on their wedding day as friends and family cheered in the background. He could see Sirius and Remus laughing by James's side while a cold rush of anger ran through Ron as Peter Pettigrew stood next to Remus, laughing as well.
Before he could dwell further on the photograph, a bright white light appeared in the centre of the room. As the light began to fade, Ron could only stare in shock at the sight of a tall wizard with long black hair and light skin. The wizard appeared to be just as shocked to see Ron as Ron was to see him.
Ron felt his Auror instinct's kicking in as he raised his wand faster than the wizard could. "Expelliarmus!" Ron roared as the wand flew in the air allowing Ron to catch in. Before the wizard could say a word, Ron whispered a binding charm to the chair as he watched the wizard float into the air before finding himself seated on the chair, unable to move.
"Nice to meet you, Boris!" Ron said to the light-skinned wizard who glared back at Ron with piercing green eyes.
…..
"Who are you?" Boris growled as Ron smirked at him.
"I'll be asking the questions if you don't mind," Ron replied. "How did you get here?"
"You look familiar to me," Boris said, ignoring Ron's question. "Where have I seen you before…ahhh yes… Ronald Weasley, Harry Potter's famous lapdog." Boris drawled as he sneered at Ron. "Had enough of sponging off your famous friends?"
"Really, that's the best you can do?" Ron said as he shook his head. "I had to put up with Draco Malfoy. Surely you can do better?"
"Oh, what are you going to do to me, Auror? Send me to Azkaban?" Boris laughed derisively as he glared to Ron. "We're a little out of your jurisdiction, don't you think?"
"Not for long. I'm going to bring you back to our time." Ron growled as he pointed both wands at Boris. "Then, you're going to Azkaban."
"On what charges?" Boris laughed as he continued to sneer at Ron. "I haven't done anything yet. There are no laws on the use of time travel this far and I doubt the Ministry would want any word of this to get out. Think of the issues that could arise from it. No Wizengamot could convict me as there are no grounds to do so. If anything, I would probably get a hefty sum just to keep my mouth shut."
"There are grounds." Ron snapped though he knew, in all probability, that Boris was right.
"How about you give me back my wand and we duel like men? Attacking an Auror would be enough to convict me. If you win, you send to Azkaban." Boris replied as he smiled wickedly at Ron.
"How daft do you think I am?" Ron said as he dragged a chair in front of Boris. "Just be quiet."
"Where's Lukas? Where is my good friend?" Boris asked as loud screams of pain coming from a woman could be heard from upstairs. "What's happening?"
"Just shut the hell up," Ron growled though he was curious as well. Seeing that Ron was unfazed in telling him more, Boris tried a different tactic.
"How about we do this differently? I'll tell you something and you tell me something."
Ron said nothing as Boris continued to speak. "Fine, I'll answer your question."
"When I gave Petrov the device, he refused to join me. Lukas always had a very narrow mind when it comes to the timeline. When he pulled his wand on me after I took the liquid from the Time Portal, I used the device to turn back time before I entered the room of the Time Portal. There, I had planned on retrieving my device before Petrov and I even entered the room, even at the risk being seen, before something came over me."
"Something came over you?" Ron said as Boris nodded.
"Suddenly, I found myself escaping the room and as soon as I was outside, I apparated to Godric's Hollow where I used the device to send me back to this moment in time. I was counting on the Potters being asleep and the date itself seemed random enough. Then you appeared in front of me and we find ourselves here."
"But this house is protected by the Fidelius Charm. There's no way you could enter." Ron replied icily as he glared at Boris.
"How in Merlin's name did you become an Auror?" Boris scoffed as Ron glared at him. "When I used it in my time, there was no Fidelius Charm then so I could just walk into the living room. As time travel devices deal with time and not space, the device sent me here into this house and I'm free of the Charm because I'm already inside."
"And you plan on murdering the Potters just so your Lord can live," Ron said in disgust. "You make me sick."
"You have just as narrow a mind as Lukas," Boris replied as he shook his head before whispering harshly. "Do you think I'm doing this because I want to let some sociopathic wizard rule over us? No, Ronald, I intend to present the deaths of the Potters as a gift to the Dark Lord. The Dark Lord would then take me under his wing as reward for my efforts. There, I'll learn under his tutelage until I become just as powerful he is. Before Voldemort knows anything, I would simply go back in time and kill him but I, I will have retained the knowledge and powers the Dark Lord had bequeathed to me. From there, I will go back in time learning from the great wizards themselves. Dumbledore, Grindelwald, even the great Merlin himself, I will learn and I will kill and I will become the most powerful sorcerer to ever walk this earth."
Boris smiled as his eyes glinted evilly under the light of the fireplace. Ron felt himself shuddering as he took a step towards the wizard.
"You're nothing but a madman," Ron growled as Boris let out another derisive laugh.
"Is that what you call me? Mad, am I, just because I have vision. Just like your Dumbledore had vision, did he not, when he wanted to rule the world with Grindelwald."
"Dumbledore knew the difference between right and wrong!" Ron snapped hotly
"Only because a tragedy stopped him for truly realising his potential. But Ron, why are you fighting me when you can join me?" Boris asked as Ron stared back at him in disbelief.
"Why, in the name of Merlin's most baggy Y-fronts would I even consider joining you?" Ron asked.
"If you let me do what I come to do tonight, I will ensure your family's safety. Then you can join me together in my quest. We would become Gods, Ronald. Masters of time! The Dark Lord was foolish to think he could cheat death. Death would have found him eventually but not us. Not us! We could simply turn back time, over and over again, out of Death's chilling hands."
"Even if you did kill the Potters, you wouldn't exist!" Ron snapped. "The timeline would change and so would you."
"Because you believe in paradoxes?" Boris laughed. "Did you think I would make such a device and not thought of that? Wearing that time device allows you to become an entity outside of time. We could create alternate timelines and not subject ourselves to the harsh cruelty of a singular timeline. Think of the lives that you could save, Ronald? If I killed Voldemort in his youth, wouldn't James and Lily still exist? Wouldn't Harry? In my alternate timeline, everyone wins especially us."
"You're a monster!" Ron growled as Boris glared angrily back at Ron.
"As compared to you?! You, who would rather subject yourself to Petrov's theory! And how does that pan out? James and Lily will die! So too will their friends! And yours as well. All those who lost their lives in the Battle of Hogwarts will be dead because of you! Even…"
A sick smile appeared on Boris's face.
"Even your brother, Fred if I'm not mistaken, would be alive. You could save Fred, Ron."
"Shut up," Ron whispered dangerously as he took another step. "Don't you dare mention my brother's name again."
"So it's come to this, is it?" Boris whispered as he glared at Ron. "Tell me, does it feel good, Ronald Weasley to watch your loved ones die when you know you could have saved them. Does it feel good, knowing that all the pain in your life could have been prevented and yet you're too cowardly to do so because you're afraid of destroying the timeline? How noble of you, Ronald Weasley, to let them all die. I hope, for Merlin's sake, that you are haunted each and every night by the face of your dead brother because by doing nothing you're might as well have killed him yourself, you murderer!"
"SHUT THE FUCK UP!" Ron yelled as he threw the wands down on the ground before grabbing Boris's collar. Upstairs, Ron could hear Harry crying as he glared daggers at Boris who seemed unaffected by Ron's response. "Say anything about Fred or my loved ones and I swear to Merlin, I will end you right here."
Boris laughed wildly at Ron's threat as the latter felt his temper about to blow over. "Stop fucking laughing, you filthy piece of scum."
"Piece of scum, eh," Boris said as he grinned at Ron. "Tell me, Ron, did Petrov tell you about what we learn in Drumstrang during our final year?"
Boris moved his head closer to Ron before whispering. "How to use wandless magic to lift spells."
Ron's eyes widened as he felt a couple of hands push him back towards his chair. As he crashed, Ron saw Boris picking up both wands. Moving as fast as he could, Ron grabbed the Invisibility Cloak that he had placed on the chair and placed it on. He could see Boris twirling the wands in his hand in a familiar fashion.
"Not going to help you," Ron said out loud as he tried to flank Boris. "You can't Apparate in the grounds of the Fidelius Charm."
"You're not as dumb as I thought, Weasley," Boris said as he tried to source for the sound of Ron's voice. "Doesn't matter, I'll just go up these stairs and do it myself."
Ron watched as Boris headed for the stairs. Knowing he only had a small window, Ron lunged for Boris who, unfortunately, expected the move as he fired a Stunning spell at Ron's feet. Ron felt himself crashing before the first step of the staircase as the cloak came off his body.
"An Invisibility Cloak." Boris smiled as he picked up the item. "You never cease to amaze me, Ronald Weasley," Boris said as he admired the cloak before flinging it aside. Ron watched as Boris pointed both wands at him, the pain from the fall preventing him for grabbing at it. He waited for the inevitable Killing Curse but instead, Boris did something unexpected. He threw Ron's wands into his hand.
What the –
Before Ron could finish his thought, Boris had pointed his other wand at him before whispering a familiar curse.
"Imperio."
…
Ron felt himself standing up on his feet, despite the pain while holding the wand in place. He felt a most wonderful feeling, like a floating sensation as every thought and worry in his head started to evaporate. Boris laughed as he touched Ron's face with his cold, clammy hands.
"You know, the Imperius Curse was a specialty of Lukas. He was the best at it. Lukas could Imperiused you without you even knowing about it. Kind of ironic, don't you think, for him to die at the hands of it?"
Ron said nothing as he merely stared at Boris who instead, laughed wickedly at his poor attempt.
"Do not strain yourself, Ronald Weasley. Though I may be not as good as Petrov, I assure you that the curse is quite effective. Now…" Boris said before looking at Ron's relaxing hands and pointing his wand at him. "Hold the wand with two hands! We don't you dropping the wand when you kill your best friend and his family, do we?"
Ron felt his other free hand grab the centre of the wand as he held his wand firmly with both hands. Boris smiled at Ron's action before pointing the wand towards Ron again. "Now, march up these stairs. Let us do what the Dark Lord could never do."
With each step, Ron felt nothing but bliss as he wanted to canter up the stairs to whatever it was that Boris wanted him to do. Yet something was nagging at the back of his head, slowing down his reaction.
"Come now, hurry!" Boris said impatiently. "I've waited too long for this!"
The nagging feeling became stronger, only it wasn't so much as a feeling now as it was a voice. A familiar voice yelling at him
"Do it, Ron!" Harry yelled.
Memories started to enter Ron's head. Ron thought back to that night, deep inside of the Forest of Dean, where he heard Harry screaming at him as he stared back at the images of his worst fears. It was that night that Ron swore never to allow another evil force to manipulate him as the locket once did. Drawing strength of the memory, Ron felt his movements slowing down even further.
"You're testing my patience, Weasley," Boris growled behind him yet Ron paid no attention to the wizard. Instead, he thought back to the photographs he kept in his wallet and the people that he held dear.
Dressing up Ginny. Hanging out with Fred in Egypt. Practising with the DA. Learning to be an Auror with Harry. His first date with Hermione…
"Not the past, Ron." Ron heard Petrov's voice in his head. "Place your faith in the future that holds endless possibilities."
Ron's thoughts turned instead to the future and the life that awaited him.
Being best man for Harry. Harry and Ginny's wedding. George and Angelina's wedding. My wedding with Hermione. Getting our first house together. Getting Hermione pregnant. Get my Muggle driver's license that Hermione thinks I can't get. Becoming a father. Raising my kids. Take them to their first Quidditch match where I will raise them to become Cannon supporters. Watching them go to Hogwarts for the first time together with Harry and Ginny's kids where I will send them off before Hermione and I take a well-deserved vacation. Preferably somewhere nice and warm.
Like Fiji
Fucking Fiji
Ron felt the curse slowly lifting its effects as he resisted as hard as he could, using his thoughts as willpower. Ron felt a wand prick his back as an idea came into his head
"Hurry up!" Boris growled angrily as Ron looked towards his wand. It was a risky move but Ron had seen it work first hand before and he prayed to Merlin that it would happen again. Using what little strength he had, Ron split his wand in half, leaving the two pieces dangling off each other.
"What are you doing?!" Boris cried as Ron whispered a single word.
"Stupefy."
The next thing he felt was his two hands burning as the wand exploded in his hands. The charm backfired as Ron felt himself crashing into Boris, who gave a yelp, before the two wizards careened down the stairs. Ron felt pain shooting against all sides of his body as he felt himself being cushioned by Boris as they landed on the bottom step. The last thing he heard was a loud snap before the living room of the Potter's cottage faded from his sight.
…..
"Owww!" Ron cried as he felt a throbbing pain at the back of his head. He blinked his eyes open as Ron felt a warm solution being rubbed on his hands.
"You okay?" came the voice of Lukas Petrov, which Ron realised was not in his head as he stared up at the wizard rubbing Essence of Dittany onto his injured hands. The solution brought about a soothing relief which Ron welcomed gratefully.
"Just give me a minute." Ron groaned as he began flexing his fingers. Petrov looked at him with concern.
"Did your wand backfire?" Petrov said as he showed Ron the remaining shards of his shattered wand.
"Blimey, Hermione's going to kill me. That's the third one this month." Ron chuckled as he placed the broken pieces of his wand into his pocket.
"Why, in Merlin's name, would you cast a spell on a broken wand?"
"Wouldn't be the first time…Wait…Where's Boris?" Ron said as he winced slightly while pulling himself up to his feet. Petrov said nothing as he motioned towards a figure being hidden under a blanket. Giving Petrov a puzzled look, Ron lifted the blanket and nearly blanched as he stared into the cold, dead eyes of Boris whose neck looked unnaturally twisted.
"He broke his neck when you landed at him," Petrov replied grimly as he covered Boris up. "What happened down here?"
"In a minute," Ron said as he rubbed the back of his head in the hopes that the pain would subside soon. As he winced about in pain, Ron recapped everything that had occurred with Boris as Petrov listened intently. At the end of his story, Petrov clapped his hands as Ron could see knowing look on the former's face.
"What? What is it?" Ron asked as Petrov gazed at Boris once more.
"It all makes sense. But Ron," Petrov said as he looked up the stairs. "There's something you need to see."
"First, tell me what is it that makes sense."
"Ron, I must insist tha- "
"Petrov!" Ron roared as he glared at the wizard. "I was nearly manipulated by a madman to kill my best friend and his family not to mention you! Now tell me what makes sense!" Ron demanded as Petrov sighed.
"Very well," Petrov said as he motioned for Ron to take a seat. "First, do you remember what I told you about the singular timeline? About being a closed loop?"
"Yes, yes, chicken and egg thingy," Ron replied impatiently.
"Well, when we came to my father's house and introduced ourselves, the thought occurred to me. The reason we know what date to return to and what to do is because prior to us leaving the timeline, I must have informed my father to do so but to only reveal the information to me on the day after Boris time travelled back in time. You see, the reason we know what to do is because we already told ourselves to. What I couldn't figure out is how Boris fitted into all this."
" Wait, wait. Slow up." Ron said. "Explain it again but slower."
"Ron, I think we should – "
"Explain."
"Fine!" Petrov cried in frustration as he threw his hands in the air. "First, Boris goes into the timeline. The next day, I get a letter from my father. Then, I meet up with you and inform you that we both need to travel to 10th August 1981 because that's the date my father told us to go. We go back in time, meeting my father and telling him to do what the letter says. We then go the Potter's house where you encounter Boris and defeat him. Now since time is a closed loop and we are in a singular timeline, all we need to in order to close the loop is to tell my father to send a letter to us on the exact date when I received him, giving him the same information that we got from our letter. So we should leave Potter's cottage to meet my father at St Mungo's where I would convince him to write the same letter to us and to give it at the exact date I receive mine from the Ministry. I would also convince not to say anything to either or you and to keep it a secret until the day he dies. That way, the loop is closed and we preserve the timeline."
"But wait…" Ron said as he began working things out in his head. "So we know how to go to this date because we send a letter informing us about it in the future?"
"Precisely."
"But how did we know about the date?"
"Ron!" Petrov sighed. "Remember the egg breaking exercise. If you keep thinking about the timeline as a line, you're going to go mental. Just accept that it is a loop with no paradoxes."
"Okay, but what about Boris?" Ron said as Petrov gave Boris a grave look. "How did he know to come here?"
"Because we told him too. Or rather, I did."
"I'm confused again." Ron sighed.
"Remember what he said? About feeling something come over him and him doing something he didn't plan to? Sound familiar?"
"The Imperius Curse!" Ron exclaimed excitedly as Petrov nodded. "But when did you cast the curse on him? When Boris went back in time, you and him hadn't even begun talking about the device unless…wait, don't tell me…once we return to our time, you and I will head to the Time Portal room where we will go back in time to when Boris time travelled inside the Time Portal room. Then, while being hidden, you will use the Imperius Curse on him, telling him to go to the Potter's Cottage and come here during this time, thus closing the loop. And the reason you're smiling at me right now is because everything we have intended to do has already been done."
"Actually, it's because you're finally understanding time travel despite how complicated it can be." Petrov laughed as he clapped Ron on his back.
"What do we do with him?" Ron said as he pointed to Boris.
"We should take him back to our time," Petrov replied. "He belongs there. Don't worry. I'm sure to include the fact that his death was accidental and you did it in self-defence."
"How come you didn't come down earlier?" Ron said as he took Boris's wand. Green sparks appeared at the end of it as the wand recognised its new master. "We weren't exactly quiet down here."
Petrov said nothing as he stared at the staircase. Ron got a good look at his robes. He didn't realise it before but Petrov's robes, especially his sleeves, had large bloodstains all over it.
"Petrov, what happened upstairs? Is Lily okay?" Ron asked with concern as he recalled earlier screams.
"She's okay. Look Ron, there's something you should know." Petrov said in a serious voice as he stared at Ron. "Maybe it's best if I just show you."
…..
On a day where Ron meet up with dead people joking about in a living room, evil time-travelling wizards hell-bent on becoming God and a year old version of his best friend, Ron decided that there was nothing that could surprise him anymore as he slowly trudged up the stairs. Ron shot Petrov questioning looks about what to expect, to which the wizard ignored as Petrov brought Ron towards a bedroom door. From the outside of the room, Ron could hear the cries of a baby and soothing sounds of James and Lily coming from the inside.
"Harry's being a cry-baby as usual." Ron chuckled as he grinned at Petrov. The wizard did not return the smile nor did he say anything but rather motioned uneasily at the door. Knocking a single time before pushing it open, Ron realised as he stood before the sight in front of him, that he had been sorely mistaken.
If there was one thing that Ron prided himself on, it was that he was Harry Potter's best friend. Even Hermione couldn't make that claim though she and Harry did have their moments, it was him whom Harry spent the most time with, him who Harry shared secrets with. Ron was the one who opened his family up to Harry, the one whom Harry spoke to about anything from Quidditch, to girls, to his family. They even chose similar career paths and became Aurors together. Harry shared everything about himself to Ron and was as close to Ron as James was to Sirius, perhaps even closer.
So, it came as a surprise to Ron as he entered the room that there was something he definitely did not know about Harry Potter. To Harry's credit, Ron could see James cuddling baby Harry, who was fast asleep in his arms. Instead, the source of the crying had come from a blanket that Lily was holding up as James made faces at it while Lily laughed along with her husband before nudging him as the pair turned their attention towards Ron. James's eyes widened as soon as he laid eyes on Ron, clearly not expecting him to be in the room.
"Petrov, what is the meaning of this?" James said as Petrov tried to explain. "I thought it was best for Seamus to come upstairs to see what I was doing."
"Why?" James asked as Lily hushed her husband. "Oh, let Seamus see. This is such a happy occasion, don't spoil it, James. Come over here, Seamus. There's someone I want you to meet"
"Okay," Ron said, his heart pounding, as he walked towards the beautiful, green-eyed witch. Lily Potter looked positively exhausted though she was smiling widely as she pulled the blanket down slightly. It was then that Ron let out a gasp. There, in Lily's arms, with red peach fuzz hair and a tiny nose was a new-born baby girl. As the baby's eyelids began to move, Ron could see a small shade of brown from the baby's hazel eyes. Ron shot a blank look at Petrov who could only shake his head and stare blankly back at Ron.
What the hell?! Ron thought as Lily cleared her throat.
"Seamus, I would like you to meet our daughter, Rose."
….
A/N: This is the end of part 2. Part 3, the prestige, will finish this story. Just a few things to address
Fidelius Charm: I can't find the exact day of when the Fidelius Charm was put on the Potters though I suspect it has to be after Harry was born in 1980. SB was the first Secret Keeper but he gave the secret to Peter who betrayed the Potters in less than a week. You can apparently change Secret Keeper without the knowledge of the caster of the Fidelius Charm unless of course, it wasn't Dumbledore who cast the spell in the first place. If Dumbledore had been involved, he would have known of PP being the Secret Keeper and could have vouch for Sirius's innocence. The entire part about the Potters being away from communication from anyone other than themselves is fabrication by me though this will be explained further in the last chapter.
Are you still confused about the timeline? Just picture this. If you saw an older version of yourself waving at you, don't be alarmed. Because when you get older, you will get your hands on a time travel device where you will be travel back to that same moment to wave at the younger version of yourself.
Similarly, Ron and Petrov receive a letter from Petrov's father, Ivan, telling them to go back in time where they meet Ivan for the first time. There, they go on a quest ending with Ron killing Boris while Petrov delivers Rose. Before they time travel back into the future, Ron and Petrov have to tell Ivan to write the same letter from before and to give it to them at the moment when the pair first received the letter. The loop is closed and the singular timeline is preserved. If you keep ending up in circles as you tried to figure this out, don't worry. That's how it's supposed to be. If there are any other queries, I will look into it after the last chapter
Thank you for reading! Please review if you can!