Away and Back
by Teddylonglong

All recognizable characters belong to J. K. Rowling, and I am not earning anything by writing this story.

I am not a native speaker of English. Please excuse my mistakes.

Harry

Right after breakfast on Sunday morning, Harry flashed into the past together with Minerva McGonagall, careful to arrive at the beginning of the summer holidays just a year after he had spent the summer in the past.

Although he could not wait to speak with Salazar, he decided to take his guest to Godric first.

"The annoying gargoyle isn't here yet," the professor commented, when they approached the headmaster's office.

"Thank Merlin," Harry replied, dryly, when he suddenly remembered something. "Oh, Professor, will you please remind me to change the password, once we're back in the future?"

"Sure," the old witch replied, smirking. "Harry, now that we're colleagues, please just call me Minerva," she added, just when they stopped in front of the door to Godric's office.

Godric called them in, before Harry even had to knock. "Harry," he greeted the young wizard with apparent enthusiasm before giving the old witch a questioning look.

"Hi Godric," Harry replied, smiling, "this is Minerva McGonagall, our Gryffindor head of house and the deputy headmistress. I thought you might want to get to know each other."

"Yes, you thought absolutely correctly," Godric informed him, seemingly pleased, as he walked around his desk to greet the future head of his house. "I am very glad to meet you, Professor," he told her.

"The pleasure is on my side, headmaster, and please just call me Minerva," the witch replied, with a rare smile playing on her lips.

"Fawkes," Godric addressed the phoenix, "please call the others."

The phoenix flashed away, only to return five minutes later with Godric's three colleagues in tow, who immediately made a fuss about Harry.

'He can flash three people,' Harry thought in amazement. 'Just flashing one is already tiring. Oh well, they didn't travel through time though. Thank Merlin that it seems to be evening, even if we left in the morning. I'm really tired.'

Inefficiently trying to hide a yawn, he observed the founders and Minerva introduce themselves to each other.

"Harry," Rowena finally turned her attention back to him, "it's good that you came, as we've much to tell you. We've found solutions to the two problems we spoke about last year."

"Thank you so much," Harry replied, suddenly feeling very much relieved.

"I think the child is in dire need of some rest, before we can talk to him about anything," Helga spoke up, giving him a sharp look.

"The 'child' is our headmaster since the day before yesterday," Minerva threw in, smiling fondly at him.

"Really? You're the headmaster now?" Godric blurted out, seemingly happy.

"Yes sir," Harry admitted, suddenly feeling shy in front of the founders.

"Congratulations dear," Rowena was the first to reply. She stepped over, pulling him into a light hug, apparently remembering from the previous year that he did not take hugs too well.

"Nevertheless, flashing through time together with a guest must take a lot of magic, even for a headmaster," Salazar spoke up, giving Harry a what seemed to be proud look. "Go to bed, grandson, and we'll speak about everything in the morning."

Harry agreed and quickly took his leave, feeling reassured that the founders would take good care of his deputy headmistress.

Minerva

'I can't believe that I'm here together with the founders of Hogwarts. How Albus would envy me if he knew,' she thought, feeling extremely happy to meet the four wizards and witches they all adored so much in spite of not having met them even once.

"Are the two of you going to remain here over the summer?" Godric enquired, looking at her with apparent interest. "We're all willing to teach you whatever you wish to learn."

"No sir." Minerva shook her head. "In our case, the school year is not over yet, and Harry told me that he only wanted to come here for a day to speak with Rowena and ask Salazar something," she explained. "I believe that he intends to come here again during the summer holidays."

Rowena nodded. "Yes, he must bring Hermione and Draco with him, as we have to teach them an important spell," she informed Minerva, before she showed the older witch her visions about Voldemort's demise making the images float over her Pensieve.

"He should bring his mother here again," Salazar spoke up, sounding grumpy. "I'm certain that there are more potions recipes, which are lost in the future. I could well teach her for some weeks."

"Lily is our Potions professor now that our former Potions master, Professor Snape, killed Headmaster Dumbledore and was sent to Azkaban," Minerva informed Salazar. "However, Draco, whom Harry is supposed to bring with him, is her apprentice, and I'm certain that he'd love for you to teach him."

"That's good," Salazar replied, giving her a sharp nod, which somehow reminded her of her former colleague.

'I wonder how Snape could fool all of us including Albus for all these years,' she mused. 'I never even suspected him, since Albus was so sure that he was on our side. And then he all of a sudden kills him.'

Hermione

Sitting near the head table, Hermione waited for Draco to appear. As soon as he entered the Great Hall making a beeline towards the head table, she called him over.

"Draco, come here and have breakfast with me," she invited him, causing the boy to cast her an incredulous look.

"Are you sure that I'm allowed to sit at the Gryffindor table?" he enquired.

"I'm certain, considering who the headmaster is," Hermione replied, grinning, noticing that Lily was observing them from the high table in apparent amusement.

"Very well," Draco replied and lowered himself into the seat next to her. "How are things?" he enquired, giving her a sharp look.

"Fine," Hermione replied, smiling. "I'm so happy to have you and Harry as well as Lily here, even if I'm totally shocked about Snape's betrayal."

"Yes, me too," Draco admitted. "He was my godfather, and even if I knew that he was good friends with my father, I didn't expect him to be a real Death Eater. I thought he was on Dumbledore's side."

"Everyone thought so," Neville spoke up, taking the seat opposite of them. "Who do you think is going to be the new head of Slytherin?"

Draco shrugged, letting out a long sigh. "I'd love to be the head of Slytherin," he finally admitted, "however, not now. Only after taking the mastery exam and after our classmates have left Hogwarts. I know for a fact that several of them are already Death Eaters, and I wouldn't want to be their head of house."

"So next summer then?" Hermione enquired. "Maybe you should speak with Harry and tell him as much," she suggested.

"I'll do so," Draco replied, smiling. "We're all staying in the founders' quarters by the way. Why don't you come and visit us tonight?"

"Oh all right, I'll do that, and I'll bring Susan and Dudley," Hermione promised, looking up in surprise, when Blaise Zabini approached their end of the table. 'Oh well, don't fret,' she calmed herself. 'Draco once told me that he was his best friend. He won't do anything to him.' Smiling, she observed how Draco followed the other boy out of the Great Hall.

Harry

When Harry entered the Great Hall for breakfast in the morning, he realised in surprise that only the founders and Minerva were present.

"Did Ceridwen not stay at Hogwarts over the summer?" he could not stop himself blurting out in disappointment. 'She's always great fun,' he thought.

"No, she left together with everyone else to assist my Mum. Our mother is the healer at Hogsmeade, and she wants to train Ceridwen over the summer," Helga explained in a soft voice.

"Oh all right," Harry said in understanding.

"Excuse me, but who is Ceridwen?" Minerva enquired, giving Harry a surprised look.

"Ceridwen is Helga's younger sister, and a very alert, young witch," Rowena informed her, smiling at Harry.

"She's a good friend," Harry confirmed, returning the smile. "Salazar," he then addressed the older wizard, determined to change the topic. "Would you perhaps like to join us in the future for a year in order to take the position of the head of Slytherin?"

Harry realised that everyone stared at him in clear surprise.

"I'd love that," Salazar replied immediately. "The future must be a treasure trove for a Potions Master of my time."

"That it certainly is," Minerva acknowledged, "and you'd be able to study together with Lily Potter. You could teach her potions that are lost in our time and vice versa."

"What about me?" Godric spoke up, seemingly incredulous. "I'd love to be the Gryffindor head one thousand years into the future."

Harry chuckled. "I understand, but you know, all the other houses have their head of house…"

"And we would not mind spending a year solely teaching and not being responsible for a house," Minerva interrupted him. "Godric, you're very welcome to join Salazar, provided that Harry won't mind taking you to the future and back."

"Of course I don't mind," Harry promised, before turning to the female founders. "Helga, Rowena, what about you? Would you care to join your husbands in the future for a year?"

"Someone has to remain here though, we can't leave Hogwarts alone," Godric replied in a strict voice.

"You won't," Harry assured the headmaster, chuckling, "because I'm going to bring you back on the same day, before even fetching the ladies."

"Then we will surely accompany you," Helga spoke up, "won't we, Rowena?"

"Of course," Rowena agreed.

"I'll tell you now," Godric addressed Harry, "that you're going to remain the headmaster. I'm only going to be head of Gryffindor house."

"Oh well, you could still take some time teaching me things, like, for example, a charm to make the former headmasters in their paintings sleep for a while," Harry replied, dryly, causing Minerva to snort.

"Did Albus already speak to you?" she enquired.

"Yes, and I neither trust him nor like him, and I'd love to have him sleep for as long as possible," Harry admitted.

"We'll see to that," Godric promised.

"Thanks Godric," Harry said, gratefully, before he set up exact dates when to pick up the founders for their year in the future.

Helga

"Now that this is all clear," Rowena suddenly spoke up, glancing at Harry, "we should proceed with the spell to take out the Horcrux."

'Oh Merlin, I just hope that the boy will be all right,' Helga thought in concern. 'This is really dangerous and dark magic.'

"You should head to the hospital room, before you cast such a spell. Then I could better monitor him," she suggested in a no-nonsense voice, knowing that her friends would not dare contradict.

"Are you not going to cast the spell together with us?" Godric enquired, looking at her in apparent surprise.

"No, I'm going to watch him and if necessary spell a pain-relieving potion into his system," Helga replied in a firm voice that allowed no contradiction.

"Is there anything that I could do to help?" Minerva asked, giving her a questioning look.

"No, I don't think so," she replied, looking at Salazar. "Won't it suffice if Rowena and Godric cast the spell together?"

"Yes, it will," Salazar confirmed and turned to their guest, suggesting, "Minerva, shall we go and visit the unicorns? We could go riding for a while."

"I'd like that," Minerva replied and followed Salazar in the direction of the entrance hall in obvious excitement.

When they reached the hospital room, Harry was instructed to lie on a bed, and Helga noticed that he looked absolutely horrified. 'The poor child,' she thought, 'finding himself at a double wand point.'

"All right," Harry muttered, giving Rowena and Godric a frightened look.

Helga noticed that her friends began to mumble a long incantation, when all of a sudden, a small, grey cloud emerged from Harry's forehead, and the boy seemed to turn unconscious. Quickly casting a diagnostic spell at the boy, just when the headmaster banished the black mist, she realised in shock that he had fallen into a coma.

"Harry has fallen into a coma," she informed her colleagues in a grave voice.

"He'll be all right," Rowena reassured him, causing Helga to sigh in relief. 'Thank Merlin for Rowena and her visions,' she thought, as she readied herself to spend much time in her office to monitor her many times great grandchild.

Minerva

Riding the unicorns had been much fun, and Minerva had thoroughly enjoyed herself. However, when they returned to the castle, hearing that Harry was in a coma, she could only stare at Rowena in shock.

"Will he be all right?" she asked, while her thoughts went haywire. 'If Harry won't be all right, I'll never be able to return to our time,' she thought, terrified.

"Of course he'll be all right," Rowena finally replied in a soothing voice. "We don't know when he's going to wake up, but if you can't stand us any longer and wish to return home, we can always ask Ceridwen to take you. She's a sand phoenix and able to travel to the future as well."

Inwardly sighing in relief, Minerva replied, "I don't believe that will be necessary, as I'm sure there are many things which I could study in this time, provided that you don't mind the intrusion.

Fortunately, Harry woke up after two days; however, Helga insisted that he should not flash so soon, especially not with a passenger. Therefore, the two time-travellers remained in the past for a month, attending lessons with each of the founders like Harry had already done during the previous summer.

Harry

"Sorry that we couldn't flash back sooner," Harry apologized, when they met in his room to return to the future.

"Harry, that's not your fault, and it was fully all right to spend a month here. I thoroughly enjoyed myself," Minerva replied, smiling.

"All right then, so we need to return to Sunday evening at the end of May, 1997, right?" Harry asked, causing Minerva to nod in confirmation.

Harry flashed, and just a few minutes later, they found themselves back in his room in the future.

"I just hope we've arrived at the right time," Harry mumbled, as soon as he had transformed back, and stepped out into the living room, where several members of his family were assembled, waiting for them.

"Is something wrong?" Harry asked, noticing the tension in the room.

"Earlier today, all Death Eaters have escaped from Azkaban," Draco informed him, seemingly frightened.

tbc...