It was with a certain sense of childish joy that Unspeakable Ninety-Two returned to Hogwarts. This was like Christmas morning to a member of the Time Division. This would change everything if it were true.
If – that's an important bit. Chances are that Seventy-Four is mistaken. The Laws of Time are absolute. A child could not have possibly managed to break them.
With his badly-hidden glee slightly tempered, Ninety-Two hurried up the path to the castle with Seventy-Four at his side. He hadn't been here in nearly half a decade when he went to the graduation of a friend's son. His memories did not do the castle justice, but that was hardly what he was thinking about. Ninety-Two focused again on the rather one-sided conversation that Seventy-Four was attempting to engage him in.
"Dumbledore contacted me as soon as he could. If it had been anyone else, I wouldn't have believed the story. Harry Potter was nearly killed tonight by dementors. Damn things attacked him in the hundreds. The Headmaster didn't give me the details, but it seems that a future version of Potter used a Patronus Charm to drive them off. The boy doesn't realize that what he did should be impossible, but the Professor certainly did. That was when he called me in. We'll be unable to talk to the boy during our investigation, but we will be allowed access to the grounds and the memories of the event. I suppose the memories will have to be good enough to give us an idea of what happened."
Ninety-Two glanced skeptically at Seventy-Four.
"Why on earth would we waste our time on memories? We have access to the real thing."
"I don't follow," Seventy-Four said quizzically.
"We're in the Time Division. We have time turners. Let's just go check out what happened."
Blushing, Seventy-Four said, "Oh, yeah. I work mostly on theory – I barely time travel myself. It's always seemed safer to use test subjects."
Ninety-Two snorted. "Well, if you're dead-set on using test subjects, it seems Potter might be willing."
"Oh, shut it."
Seventy-Four scowled as the two Unspeakables reached the doors of the castle. The Headmaster was waiting for them there, and he ushered them into the castle and led them to his office.
"It's always good to see former students return to Hogwarts. Or are you two former students?" Dumbledore said.
Annoyed, Ninety-Two replied, "Stop mining for information, Headmaster. We're Unspeakables, not fools."
Dumbledore frowned. "I should certainly hope that no former student of mine would be so quick-tempered with me. Fine. Let's talk about why I requested your presence. I assume Allen filled you in?"
"You told him your real name?" Ninety-Two looked sharply at Seventy-Four. "That is against regulations and you know it. If you're so careless with your identity, you won't last long in the Department. Be more careful."
"Come on, Ninety-Two. Dumbledore isn't going to target me for my research. I've known him since I was a boy. The same rules hardly apply. Let's talk about why we came here."
Ninety-Two sighed and returned his attention to the situation at hand. Looking around the room, he noticed several things seemingly out of place. On the table in front of him, there lay Penseive filled to the brim with memories and a time turner. Was this Time Turner the instrument used by Potter to perform time magic? That broke so many ministry regulations. There shouldn't be a Time Turner outside of the Department in all of England. Ninety-Two asked Dumbledore to explain how it came to be in his possession.
"Ah, it was relatively simple. I requested it from the Ministry for my own personal use. A situation arose that required a certain timely response, and so I entrusted it to Mr. Potter to use as he saw fit. But that is hardly why you're here. Look into the Penseive. It has my memory of the recounting of Potter's exploits by the young man himself. You should be able to find everything you're looking for in there, I hope."
Ninety-Two and Seventy-Four entered the Penseive.
This is entirely impossible.
Ninety-Two and Seventy-Four finished watching the events that led to the creation of a full paradox from under two Disillusionment charms. Both of them looked on in amazement as Harry Potter saved … himself … from certain death.
This shouldn't be possible. If this occurred, then Potter shouldn't exist anymore. He should have been entirely wiped from time and space! Something's wrong here.
Despite their mutual disbelief, neither Unspeakable could deny what they had just seen. Full paradoxes were possible for Harry Potter. As Potter fainted and lay in the field, his future self turned and ran towards the castle.
"We need to report this to the Administration. They'll want to know." Seventy-Four said.
"You need to report this to the Administration." Ninety-Two quickly said. "I don't want any part in the paperwork that will follow, and I need to get to my laboratory and begin – actually, maybe we should test it out here. You said earlier that you never really time travel anymore, so this is perfect. You need your practice. Look at your watch."
"But –"
"Look at it."
With a sigh, Seventy-Four looked at his watch. "What am I looking for?"
"Read off the time to the exact second." Ninety-Two said.
"It's 2:34:26 in the morning and I really should be in bed." Seventy-Four continued looking at the watch and failed to notice Ninety-Two drawing his wand.
"Avada Kedavra!"
Seventy-Four was tackled to the ground by a moving mass, narrowly avoiding the green beam of light. The new arrival jumped to his feet immediately and began casting. He sent three stunners before Ninety-Two was even able to lift up his wand arm again. Ninety-Two dove for cover behind one of the forest's many fallen trees and considered his options.
Ninety-Two was not a fighter. He never had been particularly excellent in combat. He favored research and the careful application of researched courses of action to the fast-paced madness of flinging spells back and forth in an attempt to solve some petty personal problem. He was given very few options in his current predicament, however. Sparing a glance to where the future Seventy-Four had been moments before, he saw a spell heading his way. Ducking below the spell, Ninety-Two quickly thought up a plan of action.
"Sonorus. Stop! I have no desire to fight."
"You just tried to kill me, you stupid bastard!" Seventy-Four said indignantly.
"Hardly. I'm putting down my wand and coming out. Don't cast. I can explain myself."
Ninety-Two cancelled his charm and walked out from behind the fallen log and was immediately greeted by a fist. Ah, yes. The second Seventy-Four. Well, the first, technically. Ninety-Two raised his hands in surrender.
"That hurt, you idiot. Give me a moment to explain. I didn't actually cast a killing curse at you. I'm not that stupid. A hair loss curse has a passably similar color, though, don't you think?"
The first Seventy-Four went to kick at Ninety-Two again, but was stopped by the second Seventy-Four. "Why would you try something so stupid? You forced me to time travel to save myself from a hair loss curse?"
"Ah, but that's the beauty of it." Ninety-Two smiled, pleased with himself. "You didn't save yourself from a hair loss curse. As far as you know, you saved yourself from an Unforgivable. You wouldn't have come back if you knew that it was only a hair loss curse. Of course, this is impossible. You can't influence future events on this scale. It's not possible. Obliviate."
This time it was the second Seventy-Four's fist that connected with Ninety-Two's face while the first one stood in a daze. Ninety-Two grabbed the second Seventy-Four and jumped behind the fallen tree. "Why'd you do that, you fucking turncoat? I like my memories!"
"It doesn't matter how much you like them. You don't have them at the moment. It's the only way for events to occur. Watch."
The first Seventy-Four looked around, confused, as Ninety-Two and his future self looked on. He suddenly jerked to attention, as if remembering an important event. Fumbling in his pockets, he withdrew a time turner. Glancing around to ensure no one was watching, he spun the time turner two times and disappeared.
"He'll be going back to save himself now. All because of you." Ninety-Two stated.
"That isn't possible." Seventy-Four wiped dirt off his robes from the quick jump behind the tree as he stood up. "I can't have prevented myself from being hit by the curse only to let my past self do the same. That's against the Laws of Time. Even the newest trainee knows it can't be done and you were a fool to try it. I could have been erased!"
"But you weren't. You're still here. What you just performed – it was a full paradox, was it not? You're entirely right. Even a trainee knows that a full paradox isn't possible. We were wrong, though. You just performed one. Give me a second to think." Ninety-Two paced as he considered this new information. "Who discovered that full paradoxes are impossible?"
"No one did. It's just always been known. It can't be tested. The very fact that no one has tried testing it before is proof that full paradoxes result in the erasure of the attempt from time."
Ninety-Two stopped and looked up at the night sky. If no attempt at a full paradox has ever been made but full paradoxes are possible - could it really be that simple? No one bothered to try because no one tried before?
"Go alert the Administration of this development." Ninety-Two said, turning to Seventy-Four. "I think I have to go back to my office and work on a paper."
"Why?" Seventy-Four said.
"Because I've already seen myself doing it."