02 October 2028
By the time I was ready to, once again, travel to the past, I felt like my brain was about to implode. I kept wanting to research what had caused Dad's death, but I was a little afraid to delve into what must be very dark magic indeed. I knew where the reference books were, or at least I thought I did. But I was pretty conspicuous -- even after all these years, people still remember Dad's face, and how it is echoed in mine. I could use Polyjuice Potion, but that could possibly take months; I could change my looks with human transfiguration, but something stopped me.
It sounded remarkably like Emmy's voice (when she had tried to stop me from making my first jump), and every time I jumped up, bathed in a cold sweat, ready to run out and find answers in books made from human skin or printed in blood or bound with bone, it stopped me. Every time I intended to Apparate to Knockturn Alley and bury myself in magic that would make my skin crawl, a small voice in my head told me I was being rash.
And that I still had a job to do, and I couldn't lose focus. I couldn't lose my head and forget that Rookwood knew about the prophecy just because there was a chance that Dad's supposedly natural death hadn't been so natural after all. Stop Voldemort from finding out, I told myself. Then you can figure it out. I also planned to do my research in the blackest magic in the past; it felt safer somehow. I would be completely anonymous.
I stared down at the blank parchment, and played with the end of my quill. I took a deep breath, hoped for the best, and began my letter to Aunt Luna. I felt like a bit of a coward, but I was very glad that Aunt Luna (last seen as a precocious six year old who still sucked her thumb) was out of the country.
Dear Aunt Luna,
I'm sure you remember (I wrote that I wasn't, at first, but I was just being stupid) meeting me in 1988. Thanks for not telling anyone, by the way. Especially since I screwed up so badly by writing that stupid article. I honestly meant to save them, rather than turn them away from Mum, Dad, and Uncle Ron forever.
I've discovered that Rookwood was the one to tell Voldemort about the time travel. It's just about certain. He worked for the Department of Mysteries -- there's no reason that he couldn't have known what 'bent' meant. He was in the Hog's Head Inn in 1981, and I'm positive that he obliviated me. So I'm going to go back and stop him. I need a memory from you to do it; right around the time of their escape.
Love,
Al
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21 October 2028
Instead of an owl, a large bird with a huge beak soared into my open window; he carried a small, rolled up parchment. Dangling from its foot was a small, crystal jar filled with one of her memories. I set it down next to the pensieve that I had liberated from the Institute; apparently Severus Snape, having no memory of me, had donated Albus' old one to the Institute. I wondered if I'd always find small ironies in my life.
Dear Al,
Still not much of a correspondent?
Save Neville.
Love,
Aunt Luna
P.S. No more articles!
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The Laws of Time Travel: (These are definitely set in stone; literally these laws can't be broken)
The Traveller may not create a Reality in which the Traveller no longer exists. This will cause Pain unto Death. (The universe is not kidding about this one.)(After everything else I've changed, I'm sort of glad that I'd die before I could kill Mum and Dad)
The Traveller may not change Prophecy, and that which has been Foretold by the Ones with the Far-Seeing Eyes. This will cause Pain unto Death. (Prophecy can't even be diverted. Fate is basically the anus of the universe)(Yep, still don't like Fate so much)(I still hate Fate, but I hate articles more)
The Traveller may not challenge the Cornerstones of Fate, upon which Reality turns. This will cause Pain unto Death. (Still have no clue what these are. I think it's probably safe to say that I tried to break this law too)(I'm still waiting to find out what these are; I've got a bad feeling)(I wonder if this has something to do with the fact that no matter how much I change things, certain events always happen, like Dad having his blood taken in the graveyard, or Granddad Weasley being attacked at the Department of Mysteries)
The Guidelines of Time Travel: (These can be broken, but it's probably best if they aren't.)(Even if you really, really, really want to get drunk)
Don't get drunk. Just don't do it. It may not cause 'Pain Unto Death' (even a hangover is not that bad compared to the spanking the universe gives you if you're naughty), but it's just not a smart idea.
Don't try to get around the Laws. The universe is smarter than you are.
Don't tell your dad that you are his child from the future. He will just think you're a lunatic.
Try to avoid the subject of someone's imminent death. They get really cranky when they know exactly how and when they're going to die.
Don't do things to deliberately turn people against your father. They will actually be turned against him, and they may not find a way back from distrust and dislike.
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Author's Note:
In order to prevent the explosion of heads, I've put in this handy flow chart that my friend Mel typed up. Thanks to Mel, who is far more organized than I am.
Original timeline: Everyone dies except H/R/G. DD dies as in canon, by Snape, at the end of HBP
Tears of Merlin: H/R/G go to see DD's portrait, although we don't learn until later, he at first tries to dissuade them from going back. He has no independent knowledge of what will happen.They send their memories back.We don't see this journey in BWP but hear about bits and pieces later. In this journey, H/R/G don't tell DD everything right away. They also free Sirius immediately. Because of their travel, the prophecy is changed to include "Bent for always and always" The final battle with VD happens in the DoM when Harry is 15.DD dies.The twins die. Snape dies.The rest of the lives progress, Harry and Ginny get married (again, technically), and have James, Albus and Lily.Harry dies at 39 from an illness.
Merlin 1: Al, at age 22, goes back to Halloween 1981.He cannot change the prophecy.His presence alerts the world to the fact of it, and also adds the word "terrible" to it.His presence, plus the fact that his parents freed Sirius right away, plus other unknown facts, alert Voldemort to the time travel (or so they think).DD is tortured for info about the time travel. The final battle is pushed back by two years. Molly, Dumbledore, Snape, Sirius, Remus, Charlie all die during Harry's fourth year, right after Voldemort returned. Harry and Ginny marry, etc., have James, Lily and Al, etc.Harry dies at 41. At age 22, Al begins acquiring memories of what he did.He goes to see DD's portrait to plan his next trip back.
Merlin 2: Al continues meeting with DD, but is eventually found out by his mother.He takes a memory from his drunk uncle Ron.The memory is of a time about four days before the final battle in the OT.The purpose of this trip is to make his father think that the Hallows kept him alive, and to have Dumbledore be supportive and ask to be told immediately about the time travel.This is necessary so that he can truly sacrifice himself again when the time comes.The final battle happens much the same way as is Merlin 2.VD still knows about the time travel. Snape survives the strike against the Order, though he is badly burned. I would suggest rereading the prologue to Backward With Purpose, with the knowledge that Dumbledore had already met Al as Merlin.
Merlin 3: Obviously, the article has changed quite a lot. Harry was kicked out of the Burrow, the Weasleys distrusted him, and the Molly interlude never happened. The Weasleys never chose to trust Harry (except for Percy), so the estrangement between them from the time Harry got kicked out to the time they tell the family the truth lasts for a lifetime in this timeline rather than just a few years. Also, Arthur was killed by Nagini in the Department of Mysteries. Voldemort found out about the time travel, and Sirius, Remus, Tonks, Kingsley, and Dumbledore are dead. Also, Al talked to Luna and her dad.