Only Time Will Tell
Chapter 14
Settling Once And For All
"That's it, we're not going to be the only ones left behind!" Hermione exclaimed, grabbing two pocket watches off of the table and shoving one to Remus. "If Ron could figure out how to get these things working, the two cleverest students of their times can too!" Remus nodded energetically and began to rewind his watch.
And so, Hermione and Remus sat once again bent over a pile of pocket watches, tediously winding and adjusting certain gears, making the occasional spell on the appropriate springs and such. It was nearly one thirty in the morning, and both were exhausted, but alas, students like Hermione and Remus never give up.
"Hermione?" Asked a voice from behind her, startling her and causing the spring she was tightening to pop out with a particularly loud twang.
"What? What is it?" Hermione snapped before looking around. She put down the watch to face the interruption. It was Colin Creevey. "Oh, sorry, Colin! I didn't know it was you, I've just been really busy… do you need something?"
Colin looked puzzled, switching from Hermione and Remus (who he had absolutely no idea who he was), who had pocket watches spread across an entire table.
"Uh, yea." Colin answered after a moment, bringing his glance away from the watches. "D'you know where Ginny is? She was supposed to help me with my Charms homework."
"Well, she's not here right now, and I'm not exactly sure when she'll be back." Hermione answered truthfully, turning back to her watch.
"Okay… thanks anyways, Hermione." Colin replied, beginning to turn to leave. He gave one last glance at the boy at the table, the one he didn't recognize. He was positive that boy was not usually a student there, but as to who he was, he had no idea. Hermione went back to winding her watch.
"Strange kid. Does he always carry that camera?" Remus asked after Colin had joined his 5th year friends again. Hermione smiled.
"You should have seen him Harry's second year, asked for an autographed picture of him!" Hermione chuckled, recalling the memory.
"PROFESSOR LUPIN!" Came a shout from across the room, startling both Hermione and Remus. Colin pointed avidly at Remus, suddenly recognizing the face of his second year Defense teacher. Several other students craned their necks trying to see why Colin had shouted.
Hermione grabbed Remus's hand, picked up the watch she was working on and whispered, "Reloj Vicus Eo!" Nothing happened.
"Did that kid just call me 'Professor'?" Remus asked Hermione in shock. Hermione ignored him, banging the watch against the table to get it to work, Colin coming towards them.
"Reloj Vicus Eo!" Hermione shouted this time, and the watch hands began to spin around the face at a mind boggling pace.
BANG! The Common Room erupted with light, and Colin had to throw up his arms to prevent himself from being blinded by it. After the light had gone out, he lowered them, but the table of watches was deserted. Hermione and Remus were gone!
"So, what school do you come from, if you're a transfer student?" Annie Weasley asked politely of Peter, er, John Brown. Peter scrunched his face in concentration for a moment, his friends usually did the quick thinking whenever anyone asked any pressing questions.
"Home schooled!" Peter piped after a moment, triumphant that he had conjured such a convincing lie. Sirius Potter and Charlie Weasley seemed to accept this story, but Annie frowned slightly.
"But, it clearly says in 'Magical Educational Institutions of Europe' that home schooling a wizard during his spell training years is illegal!" Ron, still hidden by the charm, had to stifle a laugh, Hermione would certainly have said the same thing.
"Yes, of course it is!" Peter squeaked, racking his brain for a way to straighten his story. "That's, um, why I had to transfer, because it's illegal." He finally replied, and even Ron had to admit it was a nice save.
"So, John, do you play Quidditch?" Charlie cut off his sister from making another boring inquiry, in his opinion.
"Well, actually, no. I'm really not that athletic. But my best friends, James and Sirius, they're on the House team!" Peter answered cheerfully before he realized his mistake. Ron's eyes widened as they words came out, and it took all the self control he could manage to not strangle Peter.
"Sirius?" Sirius asked blankly. Peter muttered nervously.
"Did I say Sirius? I meant, um, Sydney! You said you're name was Sirius, and so, well, I got confused, and, but, well, I definitely don't know another Sirius!" Peter gasped, and Ron had to stifle another chuckle of mirth and relief. If Sirius Black ever found out he was also known as Sydney, Ron thought gleefully to himself, making a mental note to tell Harry's godfather.
Sirius is dead. Ron remembered this minor detail dully after a moment. He had forgotten, perhaps because of the Marauders deciding to take a trip to the future, and seeing Sirius again, alive, well, he hadn't really wanted to remember that in the present, Sirius was dead.
"But how could they be on a house team if they didn't go here?" Charlie asked. Peter smiled weakly again, really wishing that Ron could just do the talking as he was doing a terrible job.
"Not here, at a different school I was looking at. It's a really small school, you wouldn't know it." Peter added quickly as Annie's mouth had begun to open with another question, which she promptly shut.
Ron cleared his throat meaningfully, and Peter knew it was the signal to get the conversation moving to the desired topic. The next generation, ignoring Ron, ignored his noises as well.
"So, do you know how to travel through time?" Peter asked brightly, and to Ron's dismay, bluntly. The three offspring looked at him curiously. Sirius whispered something to Annie nervously, and she nodded slightly.
"Well, not exactly, but we do know where one would go in order to travel through time… why do you ask?" Sirius inquired, looking very puzzled. Ron couldn't take it anymore, besides they were bound to figure out sooner or later. Before Peter could answer, Ron had removed the charm.
"Because we're from the past." He stated plainly. Peter's eyes contracted in surprise, and Ron's son, daughter, and nephew looked upon their 16 year old father and uncle disbelievingly.
Harry pointed his wand at Tom, and sensed James beside him do the same. Tom, however, did not appear threatened by this, he twirled his wand absentmindedly between his hands, as if he were bored.
"I seemed to have touched a nerve. Apparently Lord Voldemort is not a comfortable topic for you? That's good." Tom smiled sinisterly at them, and Ginny, who had been standing behind Harry, felt her knees buckle at his handsome yet haunting smile… she felt as though she would vomit.
"Perhaps you won't tell me about my future, and that's understandable. You will tell me later, don't fret. But how is it that a group of people from the future, different futures, I might add, know so much about me, a person from the past?" Tom asked in a lulled voice, but dangerous all the same.
"I wouldn't want to spoil that for you, Tom. If I told you now, the next time we meet won't nearly be as much fun for you!" Harry replied with equal ferocity, stepping forward towards him. Tom continued to smile, but Harry noticed he had recoiled slightly, as though meeting someone who did not cower in front of him unnerved him. Harry wasn't cowering, but nor did he feel very brave.
"Just leave him, Harry. Let's get Sirius and go, he's not worth it." Ginny pleaded, and James, who was torn between pride of his son's courage, the strange relationship his son had with this Voldemort person, and worry about Sirius, turned to see Ginny was very white.
"Just leave him, Harry!" Tom mocked in a high pitched voice, laughing cruelly. "I see you're not afraid of me, Harry. I better make this short, then. Innundio!" Tom yelled before Harry had a chance to react, sending a beam of blue at Ginny's chest, knocking her over. Harry knelt down by Ginny, but James no longer needed his wand.
He had no idea who Tom Riddle was (well, except for he got an award), or why he and his son knew each other so well, or why Ginny was so afraid of him (that could have something to do with the reason she is on the floor out cold, she didn't want to get attacked, he thought to himself). But he did know one thing, Tom Riddle was going down!
Tom had only the chance to notice a blur pelting towards him before he was on the ground, his wand flying out of his hand as the Gryffindor who resembled the one called Harry tackled him.
"Ginny! Ginny! Please wake up! Don't be dead, Ginny!" Harry pleaded, trying to get Ginny to stir. It was only after the words had left his mouth that he remember the last time he had said something similar.
"She won't wake!" Tom gasped from under James, who had gotten him into a headlock. Tom threw off James for a moment. "She's alive, but only just!" And with that James jumped onto Tom's back and the two toppled over, reengaged in their previous tussle.
Harry set his jaw upon hearing those words. Gripping his wand tightly in his hand (he wasn't going to make that mistake again), he stood up to face Tom.
"Accio, Sirius!" He spelled, and Sirius's limp form slid across the stone floor to Harry's feet. "Innervate." He muttered, pointing his wand at Sirius's chest. Sirius blinked, then immediately sprang to his feet.
"I'll kill that bloody imbecile!" Sirius growled, but Harry caught him by the arm before Sirius joined the wrestling match that was going on.
"Sirius, get Ginny and head for the exit. James and I will follow after I've untangled James." Harry said to his godfather urgently. Sirius looked as if he were about to protest, but seeing the set look on Harry's face, nodded and gathered up Ginny. As he carried her towards the direction which he hoped was the exit (he hadn't entered the same way, although it seemed like there was only one direction to go), he couldn't help but wonder about Harry. He was intense, alright. He's definitely dealt with some heavy stuff, Sirius thought to himself. He's suffered, but why?
His thoughts about Harry were interrupted, however, as he stepped into a different type of room. Rodent skeletons littered the floor, making a crunch-crunch noise as he stepped on them. And in one corner was a giant snakeskin. This place was definitely creepy. Duh, Sirius! Slytherin… he reminded himself and had a small laugh at the cost of Snivellus and his kind.
His joke was cut short, however, when he realized what the way out was. He stood there, looking up into a pipe that inclined upward very steeply. Apparently, this was the way out… Damn you, Salazar Slytherin! Sirius cursed to himself as he levitated Ginny up to the pipe opening, and prepared to climb the plumbing of Hogwarts.
Back in the Chamber, Harry watched for another moment James and Tom struggle. He held in his right hand his own wand, and in the other, Tom's wand. The brother of his own wand. The wand that had given him his scar. The wand that had murdered his parents. He longed to snap it, but he knew that would do no good in the long run.
"James, let him go! Tom's battle is with me!" Harry forcefully told James, who gave Harry a curious look before releasing Tom. James backed away, both him and Tom breathing heavily.
"And why would that be, Harry?" Tom asked, also giving Harry a strange look. Harry gave him an even stranger smile.
"One of those reasons you'll have to wait and find out, Tom." Tom shrugged and nodded, but then shouted, "Accio Wand!"
Harry's own wand flew out of his hand and into Tom's. The wand pointed at his owner, and Harry knew he had no choice but to fight with Tom's wand.
"We may share a future, but not if I leave you in the past, Harry." Tom smiled cruelly once again, and James turned to Harry.
"Harry, we could just-" He began to say, but Harry shook his head. James recoiled upon seeing the look in his eyes.
"Trust me, James. Turning your back to Tom Riddle is not a smart thing to do." And with that Harry turned back to Tom. "I have the advantage, Tom. We've met in my past, your future. I already know your weaknesses, but you have not seen mine."
"Voldemort has no weakness! You must have gotten lucky." Tom retorted, bowing to Harry to start the duel.
"Maybe so, but I might get lucky again, and we might settle this once and for all between Tom Riddle and Harry Potter." Harry shot back, equally determined.
And the spells began to fly.