Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter the book or movies or any of the characters.
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Hermione watched as McGonagall carefully transferred the silver memories from the object into the spare pensieve.
As they flowed gently into the bowl she let out a sigh of relief. It would be just their luck to have the memories destroy themselves; she wouldn't put it past fate….
A tense silence filled the room and was only broken when Ron tapped his foot impatiently against the floor. McGonagall glared at him warningly and Hermione watched in amusement as his ears turned a vibrant red.
The stern Headmistress straightened her back as she spoke, "I suppose that I will have to find out what time Mr. Potter was thrown into," the elder woman pursed her lips at Ginny who was on the edge of her seat, "As I go in I must insist that you do not touch anything in this room! I will only be gone for a moment…"
Hermione nodded obediently and the Headmistress straightened her robe before plunging herself into the liquid. A sigh of defeat came from Ginny and a yawn tore itself from Neville's mouth. Luna pulled out a copy of the quibbler that she carried around and began on the first crossword.
A silence filled the room. A grandfather clock ticked slowly in the corner, the incessant sound broken only by the soft humming of Ginny.
Hermione watched Ginny as the other girl observed her fingers. The red head seemed to coping with the disappearance with Harry incredibly hard. It had been odd when she had suddenly started taking up humming under her breath. Though Hermione had to admit, it had relaxed her, she could only guess that it was probably her method of keeping herself in control.
The bowl started to swirl as the memories were being viewed by McGonagall.
The younger red head abruptly yelped in surprise as McGonagall shot out of the pensieve. A stunned expression sprawled on the woman's face as she straightened her glasses and tended a loose strand of hair.
She spoke quickly, "Well, this is certainly a surprise. It seems that Mr. Potter has landed himself in the time of his father."
A yell of outrage sounded from Ron as he stood up forcibly, "BUT!!...that's!! What!?"
McGonagall looked towards Neville and Luna who sat silent at the side of the room. Neville shifted uncomfortably as she peered at them.
She spoke solemnly, "Mr. Longbottom, Miss Lovegood, I will be needing you to keep up appearances around the school, I'm sure there is enough talk about the disappearance of Mr. Potter."
Neville frowned in confusion, "Are they going to go somewhere, Professor?"
The Headmistress smiled as she spoke again, "Yes, they will be going somewhere."
Hermione glanced at Ron who looked questionably back at her.
The Headmistress sighed as she sat down in her seat again, "You and Miss Lovegood are free to enjoy the rest of the afternoon."
Neville stood up and smiled in their direction, a slight look of dejection on his and Luna's face, "Have fun then."
The door closed with a click after the pair walked through.
As soon as their footsteps receded, McGonagall pursed her fingers, "Now, I am sure that if I stopped you from going on this journey you would quite possibly find a different route to reach Mr. Potter. That's why, at a large risk, I am going to allow you to follow him."
Ginny spluttered in amazement and a broad grin spread across Ron's face.
Hermione frowned and asked, "But Professor, he traveled through time. How are we going to reach him?"
The headmistress looked down her nose at her and answered slowly, "I believe…that you are quite familiar with the time turner."
Her eyes widened in understanding as she thought of what the professor was implying.
"I have a spare time-turner in the draws of this desk, Professor Dumbledore was very resourceful. So, I suggest that you find an empty classroom when you do this, I'm sure that it would be quite a shock to the students if you wound up in their dormitories."
The group nervously laughed at the thought as the professor produced a small time turner, the gold lace thread over itself to keep it from dangling.
". About…forty-two turns should be right. I trust that you will keep each other safe."
Standing up, Hermione took the time turner from the out reached professors hand and gripped it tightly. She took a deep breath and smiled wobbly, "We'll try our hardest, Professor."
The Headmistress regarded her sympathetically as she walked out of the room.
Once the newly formed trio had descended the stairs to the office they stopped.
Ginny looked towards Hermione and spoke off handedly, "so…what room?"
Thinking, Hermione mumbled to herself as she thought, "Well….I don't think that the transfiguration rooms are any good, they are always in use… I refuse to go to the potion rooms," Ron chuckled at that; "…I think that the DADA rooms are the best options."
Ron glanced down the corridor as a student walked around the corner, "How 'bout that one down the very end of the hall next to the painting of the baby?"
Hermione looked up in shock, "did you just….say something….useful?"
A splutter of outrage came from Ron as he rubbed the back of his neck, his ears going red again, "Hey! I say heaps of good stuff."
Ginny grinned at the pair and Hermione rolled her eyes, continuing, "Okay, we'll meet there in half an hour. That gives us enough time to get something to eat and get a jumper. For all we know, we could end up in the middle of winter."
They nodded and parted ways; Hermione going to the Great Hall for some food, Ginny heading to the toilet and Ron up to his dorm.
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Looking at her watch Hermione tapped her foot impatiently, the room had just dropped three degrees since she had arrived, and Ron was the only one who was late.
Ginny bit a nail as she waited, her jumper sliding down her arm.
Perking her ears slightly, Hermione listened as the thudding footsteps of who she could only guess as being Ron skidded down the hall.
The door swung open to reveal Ron with a large book underneath his arm.
Hermione gritted her teeth as she spoke in a low voice, "Ron….You do realize that we aren't allowed to take anything back?"
Ron paused in mid-stride and wrapped the long chain around his neck, "Yeh, I know. But, you know, it isn't a book, it's an album."
"Why have you got an album Ronald?"
The gangly teenager shifted his feet nervously, "Well…since Harry's with his parents. I thought that he might not want to come back so I….I wanted to remind him of all the people he's leaving behind…."
A giggle sounded from Ginny, though soon turning into full blown laughter, "Ron! You are just so lame!"
Ron shot back quickly, "Oh and your so brilliant yourself! This is coming from the girl who's had a crush on him since before school!"
Ginny fell quite and Hermione observed a blush that had spread over her cheeks.
She sighed in annoyance, "Okay, would you two just stop it. Ron you better have that album out of the circle by the time I reach forty-two turns or I will personally make sure you don't have a comfortable landing."
Ron pouted and mumbled something under his breath as Hermione started to turn the small time turner.
Before he had tossed the album onto the floor beside them, Ron paused. He hadn't actually taken into consideration what a dangerous mission this could be. For all he knew, he might never make it past the last turn.
His ears flamed red and his face turned beetroot as he thought what he really wanted to do. He had been imagining just how he would do it for two years, waiting for that perfect moment. It was too bad that he might never live to see the perfect moment, so by his logic, it was better if he just acted now.
Gulping nervously, Ron decided.
Leaning towards Hermione, he gave her a small kiss on the cheek.
A squeak erupted from the girl and she pushed him away, dropping the time turner. The album fell to the ground where it vanished, whisked away to some random time.
Ginny watched as the time turner fell and strained the arch of the chain, forcefully twisting the turner again and again.
The group looked on in astonishment as the room around them changed, the blur flying past them and a seemingly never ending process of flashing light: daylight and night blinding their eyes.
Desks constantly moved in all different directions, from being stacked or layered out neatly to being perfectly arranged in symmetrical rows.
And just as quickly as it had started, it stopped.
A bright stream of light filtered through the dirty window, cobwebs stretching from corner to corner.
An awkward silence filled the room.
A small shuffle came from Ron as he scooted away from Hermione.
The silence seemed to stretch for a long as it could, neither Hermione nor Ron making a move to speak.
Just as the silence seemed deafening, Ginny burst out in astonishment, "What in Merlin's name was that!!... Ron did you just??... Did he just?!?...wow…!!!"
Hermione blushed red as she turned away from Ron, her bushy hair hiding her embarrassed smile.
Ron's voice cracked as he mumbled out, "…sorry…"
Ginny watched in silence with an amused grin on her face.
Hermione cleared her throat and walked towards the door, "Well…we should probably find out were we are…I mean, what time..."
She walked out of the room and Ron glared at Ginny as he followed.
Following Hermione, they could distantly hear the sounds of footsteps down the end of the corridor. Catching up to the hurrying girl, the group followed the noise and emerging into a busy corridor.
The hall was filled with witches and wizards of every age, some clumped in groups while others were walking slowly down the hall. It seemed to Hermione like none of them were in any real hurry.
Walking hesitantly out, she glanced at Ginny and gulped.
Taking the first step, Hermione steeled herself for the inevitable stares.
The trio kept walking and looked around quietly, surprised at the lack of attention they were receiving. The groups of middle aged wizards were still conversing in the corner, the younger wizards and witches still dawdling down the hallway. It was as if nothing was out of the ordinary.
Grabbing Ginny and Ron's coats, Hermione dragged them to the side of the corridor. Checking to see if the coast was clear, she whispered to them both, "I don't think this is Harry's time…"
"How do you know that, we haven't even seen Harry yet?" Ginny pulled her jumper sleeves over her hands as she spoke.
"Well, for starters, none of these people look like students. I once read in Hogwarts: A history, that there was an uproar in Britain on the relations between Muggles and magical folk, although of course the muggles didn't realize that so many despised them. Anyways, because so many magical folk didn't want to live near muggles they all requested residency in highly magical populated areas. The minister ordered Hogwarts to be opened for the magical folk in response; I think Hogwarts obeyed because the current headmaster saw it as a way to gain popularity with the ministry…so, by the look of things, I think we could be there. Hogwarts, being a boarding house, wouldn't allow random people to just hang around it…"
Ron flicked his eyes over to Ginny as he spoke, "…So your telling me…that we traveled back in time…and didn't even end up in the time of Harry?"
"Well Ronald, if you hadn't of made me drop the time turner then it wouldn't have spun those extra times and we wouldn't of ended up here!"
An outraged huff came from Ron as he spoke back, "So the one thing I do nice is now considered as a bad thing! Brilliant, maybe I should just be a jerk every second then!"
Ginny stuck her hands in between them as she whispered dangerously, "Time out you two! Ron, you're a jerk all the time and Hermione, well don't get angry at him for doing something I know you've wanted to do for a long time!" A blush spread over both of their faces and they avoided each other's eyes. Ginny continued, "Now, we need to find a way to get to Harry or to get home so I suggest we make this strictly business. Agreed?"
A mumble of agreement passed over the group.
"Hey! You there!"
The group turned sharply to the man who was walking quickly towards them, a stern expression lining his face, making him seem older than he was.
The man stopped in front of Hermione and glared at her hand before grabbing it, opening the fist and removing the time turner from it.
He glared at her, "What do you think you are doing with a ministry object?"
Hermione could practically feel Ginny and Ron's eyes widen. Half way through thinking up her excuse, the man spoke again, "By decree of the ministry, all objects of the ministry are to be handed in and documented for the safety of the market and its consumers."
She could feel her heart drop painfully as he pocketed the time turner.
"You should be lucky that I'm letting you off, I could have you arrested for that." He stuck his chin out as he patted the pocket, pursing his lips in the attempt to be professional.
A pair nearby them watched on curiously as they fidgeted nervously, their eyes bulging in fascination.
Hermione could only watch in horror as the ministry official walked away, their only way of getting home being concealed in his left breast pocket.
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"Okay….we have….um….Double Defense!"
Harry let out a sigh of relief; he was so glad that it wasn't Potions. He really couldn't stand another lesson with the Slytherins, let alone snivelus.
James shut the book that had his time table taped in it with a snap. The grinning marauder scooped more bacon onto his plate and made an exaggerated display of breathing in the aroma, letting out a huge breath as he exhaled. Sirius soon followed suite, though skipping the sniffing and devouring the food until the plate was completely free.
Propping his head up with his hand, Harry played with his eggs and asked, "Who's the teacher again?"
Remus looked up from the newspaper he was reading and replied quickly, "Uh…Professor Dale, which means that we shouldn't be late…"
Harry smiled to himself as he watched Sirius and James eye the last piece of bacon, they licked their lips and each grabbed a fork, preparing themselves to fight over it. They wouldn't be moving from the table until every piece of food in a five meter circumference was devoured. Just as they both lunged for it Remus swiped it, grinning mischievously as he pretended to drown from the flavor,
"Oh, yum, this would have to be….mmm….the best piece of bacon I have ever tasted. Mmph..."
The two boys glared at him as he licked his fingers. Standing up and grabbing his books and wand, Harry watched as the others followed suite, though Sirius stuffed a hash brown into his mouth before he grabbed his books.
Passing through the Great Hall doors, the group walked towards the defense room. Only slowing down as Peter hesitantly asked, "Aren't we in that really old and dingy classroom? The one with that has that really creepy painting of a baby out side of it?"
James groaned as he swerved to the corridor that led to the classroom, "I hate that classroom. It's so gross, I mean, you'd think that they would at least get rid of the cobwebs…"
Sirius chuckled, "I like that classroom, and it holds good….memories for me."
Remus raised his eyebrows and grudgingly asked, "What is that supposed to mean?"
"Well….not being used gives it extra…privacy. I put it to good use."
Shivering from the mental image, Harry passed them and slipped through the open door, missing the grins that James and Sirius passed as they watched him.
A stern voice sounded just as they passed through the old wooden door, "Late again, though I shouldn't expect more from students like you."
The professor stood in the middle of the room, his robe fitting like a second pair of skin and, if possible, making him look more formal than ever. Professor Dale turned his attention back to the rest of the class, effectively ignoring the group.
Harry whispered through his teeth as they settled at the back, "Is he good or bad?"
James whispered back, "Good. He may seem strict but he's got a soft side to him."
The boys turned their attention back to the teacher as he explained the lesson, "Today I will be teaching a practical lesson, therefore, all books to the side please," a shuffle of clothes and the thump of books being thrown against the wall followed and Professor Dale continued, "Now, as you are all aware, there are creatures in this world that will not say please or thank you. These creatures will and can attack you, which is why we wizards and witches defend ourselves. One of the darkest creatures in this world would be the Dementor. Does anyone recognize that creature?"
Harry watched as a few students raised their eyebrows at him, none putting their hands up.
Sighing, Harry hesitantly raised his. The teacher nodded his head at him, signaling him to answer. After a pause, Harry answered, "Dementors are dark creatures that guard the prisoner of Azkaban. They….feed off the emotions of others…."
The teacher raised his wand and held it like a conductor, "Correct. Five Points to Gryffindor," A nudge in his ribs caused Harry to look at James who was grinning.
Professor Dale continued, "Today, we will be learning the spell of Expecto Patronum, which is the incantation that is used to repel a Dementor. This spell will take the form of an animal, though yours of course will be a silver mist at the moment, it is a very powerful spell."
As he lifted his hands his robe folded into his elbows, giving him the appearance of a dueler. Frowning, the teacher paused for a moment before bellowing the spell. The classroom watched in amazement as a silver sparrow sprung from his wand and glided around the classroom, soon vanishing in a silver mist.
The teacher straightened and gestured to the room, "I will be calling five students in a group to perform the spell and yes Miss Breerstring, all of you will have a chance in this lesson so you need not worry."
Walking towards the students at the front of the group, he motioned for them to go out in the front. More than one of the students tried to push people in front of them, though Professor Dale singled them out and pulled them to the front.
Five nervous students stood at the front of the group with Professor Dale pacing in front of them. He spoke to them, though occasionally turning to the class, "Of course the spell is immensely important but it is not the only thing that is needed. Since the Dementors feed on the emotions of others, it is vital that you bring forth a good memory. Not just a good memory but that has a special place in your heart. Yes Mr. Potter, I am aware of how I sound but when you are in front of a Dementor you will not be thinking of how macho men don't show sensitive sides…Of course, this will be much easier than in real life as we do not have a spare Dementor to practice on."
Harry shivered as he remembered his encounters with the Dementors. It seemed so unreal that the very voice he had heard in his head constantly begging for life was one that he heard nearly every day now. His very own father, one that was destined to be murdered was standing next to him, chuckling about having to show a sensitive side.
The professor continued his speech, "SO, when you cast this spell, first bring forth a memory and then speak the spell."
He turned to the students and waited for them to begin.
A Gryffindor boy rolled his eyes at the others and lifted his wand, bellowing the spell out. The boy next to him laughed as a faint mist appeared and a scowl followed.
Soon after the others in the group joined in, though none of them was achieving more than a mist.
To say that Harry was nervous would be the understatement of the century. The very instant that he spoke those two words could be the very moment that everything he had built up would be destroyed: the image of a carefree boy, the befriending of his family, the stealing of the map. All of it would be for nothing. He was sure that his father would react with horror, it's not everyday that you find out that your friend can produce a Patronus that is in the form of your unregistered and illegal and apparently secret animagus form. The image of the stag was his savior and now his downfall.
"Mr. Barton, I can not hold up this class for you." Harry's head snapped up and he gulped nervously as he walked up with James, Sirius, Remus and Peter to the front of the room. As he faced the class he watched in dread as the class faced him.
Each of the boys before him cast their spells, laughing when none of them achieved the form or even close to it.
At last it was his turn.
Harry inched forward and shakily raised his wand. He glanced at the boys next to him and saw Sirius roll his eyes at his dramatics.
He opened his mouth and spoke loudly, his memory of first seeing his father and mother already formed.
"Expecto Patronu-."
With a sharp slap, a large book landed on his head, knocking him to the floor in shock.
Groaning in pain, he could distantly hear James say, "…pretty crappy Patronus…" and Sirius laugh in reply.
He clutched his head as Remus helped him stand painfully up.
What the bloody hell was that?
Blinking blaringly he glared at the book.
His heartbeat skipped as he realized what it was, he had poured over it for years.
His family album.
Swinging his eyes to James he could see the boy look at it in interest and bend down to pick it up. With his mind gone completely blank he dived forward and slid on top of it, pushing it away from James.
Grabbing it from underneath him, Harry jumped up, smiled apologetically at the teacher and ran out of the room, leaving a stunned classroom behind him.
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"What information have you found, Wormtail?"
A shiver ran up his spine as he heard the cold voice of his master echo through the room.
Fidgeting nervously he spoke in no more than squeak, "H-he….Potter has….disappeared."
An intake of breath, like a snakes hiss came from the wizard. He ran a hand over his wand as he spoke again, "Wormtail…men cannot simply disappear."
Wormtail sunk to his knees and added in a whisper, "W-we found from one of our spies that he disappeared through an-an accident with a pensieve…"
A silence ran through the room once more, the only noise being Voldermort's loud and hollow breathing.
Expecting a curse, Wormtail yelped in fear as the Dark lord opened his mouth. He watched in astonishment as the dark wizard laughed softly to himself, the sound more chilling than any scream he had heard.
Wormtail waited for the laughs to cease, surprised when were replaced by his soft murmurings.
"Yes….the time is right….For how can Harry Potter stop me now?"
A small pang of sympathy registered in Peter's mind as he thought of the fate of all wizards, witches and muggles.
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AN: Wow, sorry for not updating for AGES! I am so slack….well it's partly because I had no idea on how I was going to end the story…..but now….thanks to KERDLE!! I do. We gave up and entire ancient history lesson to figure it out….dies
Well anyways, please review and tell me how it is….or I will simply loose interest….