22 September 2028

Everyone gave me their full attention, as though relieved to have the ugly scene over with. Aunt Hermione placed her hand on Uncle Ron's arm and leaned up to whisper something in his ear. My stomach churned, but I pushed my nerves aside. I couldn't afford to exude anything other than confidence; I was already on shaky ground after my display in the shed and breaking out into uncontrollable laughter. "I need to tell you something," I repeated. "And we've got to go to Godric's Hollow to do it. We can use the Floo to go to Mum and Dad's house, and we can leave from there." I didn't wait for any of them to reply or to try to stop me. I grabbed the now empty pensieve. It was a familiar weight under my arm.

I grabbed the Floo powder off the shelf, stepped into the flames, and said "Potter Cottage!"

It was dark and musty and the moment I arrived I wanted to leave. I didn't waste any time, but strode through the living room, pulled open the door, and stepped out into the night. The ghosts of Mum and Dad were too present for me to feel easy with being in their old house. I hopped down the steps, and looked up at the dark sky. Stars were already appearing. Forward with purpose. For the first time since I'd returned to 2028, the cobwebs in my mind had totally cleared away. The display of corrosive anger had shaken it away, and I knew precisely what I was going to do.

And I only felt the tiniest bit guilty.

I wasn't surprised when I heard their footsteps. Uncle Ron cleared his throat. "This is important," I said firmly, before he could say anything. I breathed in and out, slow and even. The unsettling feeling of dueling memories had faded, and I felt a great sense of clarity. I waited until the shuffling footsteps stopped. I didn't turn around, but I knew they were all there. Despite the ugly scene in the kitchen, I knew that they wouldn't turn me away.

I led them to the old house. It looked just the same; the sign went up as soon as I opened the fence, and the hole in the second floor gaped open. I didn't pause, but I opened the door and entered. Before the inevitable questions started, I pounded up the stairs and up to my grandparents' bedroom.

"Al--"

I held up my hand, whispered an incantation, and reached under the bed. The soft, silky Invisibility Cloak was still there, and Aunt Hermione gasped loudly when I pulled it out. I turned to face her. "Do you remember the day I took this?" I asked quietly. "You and Dad and Neville sat by the lake; you were trying to get him to tell you his secret. And then Uncle Ron warned you guys about Wormtail coming; he sent his Patronus with a warning. You meant to capture him, but the dementors came, and you were having trouble fighting them off. I helped you, and dragged Wormtail away." She stared at me, uncomprehending. I held up my hand and showed her my palm. "Foci Memoria," I said simply.

She sat down on the bed with a sigh.

"Al?" Uncle Ron said uncertainly.

I took a deep breath and looked him straight in the eye. "There is another prophecy," I lied. His mouth gaped open. "My illness wasn't an illness at all, but was my memories catching up to my body." My other Weasley relatives were still and silent. I couldn't tell if they believed me or not.

"You..." Uncle Ron whispered. He seemed unable to argue with the proof I held in my hands. "But -- another prophecy? What is it?"

I shook my head. "I can't tell you," I tried to sound regretful. "I swore an Unbreakable Vow, just like Rookwood did. I can't tell you the wording of my prophecy." I really wished that I'd been able to think this through fully, though they appeared to be buying it. It helped that they'd run into this kind of situation before. "I can't even tell you who I swore it with."

"Can you tell us anything?" Aunt Hermione asked. She sounded a bit suspicious.

"It has to do with the Cornerstones of Fate," I said firmly. Her eyes widened.

"But why do you have to go to the past?" she asked, her brow furrowed. "What does the past have to do with you?"

"What people don't know about the Cornerstones of Fate is that they can be manipulated," I said. I felt more confident. "And if they're skewed, it has repercussions for the future. Imagine if the foundation of a house is built crookedly," I continued. "And it isn't noticed for years and years. Everything that comes after just gets more and more unstable the more time passes." I was glad that I had just visited the Burrow. It proved to be inspirational. "I'm sorry I have to be so vague," I lied. "But I can tell you this -- sometimes it is up to the future to change the past. You should know this, Uncle Ron."

"I do, but..."

"The fact of the matter is that I'm alone in this," I said. "Completely alone. That's the way it's got to be." I tried to sound grim and purposeful, as I imagined Dad had. I tilted my head. "You can try to lock me up and protect me," I said. "But the prophecy hasn't been fulfilled. And prophecy can't be averted. Ever." My voice rang with truth.

"If you have to do this alone, why are you telling us now?" Aunt Hermione asked.

I looked around. I'd mostly been speaking to Uncle Ron and Aunt Hermione, but my other relatives hovered around the door. "It wasn't always like this," I said plainly. I stared at Grandma. "I grew up knowing you once. I have clear memories of all of you. I've spent the night at Shell Cottage; I know about the squeaky stair. I know that there's a ghost that haunts the cliffs nearby, and Louis likes to say that it he was a wizard pirate, but really he was just a wizard who sailed out too far and splinched himself trying to get back to the beach." Uncle Bill's eyes were wide. "We used to be a family," I said implacably. "And if you help me... I can erase this future."

"What do you mean, erase this future?" Uncle Fred asked. He looked deeply confused.

"Imagine if, for example, you chose to trust Dad," I said simply. "Do you think if that happened you'd still be separated from Uncle Ron? You've spent the last thirty years with only half a family. I have my task laid out before me"--I neglected to mention that right now the need to reunite them and the ephemeral hope that Mum and Dad could be saved was the extent of my task at the moment--"but I'd like to have my family again. And you would know best, better than I, what needs to be done."

For a moment I thought I'd overdone it. The silence was so thick.

"We almost decided that we were wrong," Grandma finally said. She kept her eyes fixed on Uncle Ron. "It was the year that everyone was dead certain that Harry was another dark wizard, and you were in hiding. It just seemed so odd... certain things didn't add up. Bill pointed out powerful wards that protected the Burrow. Your father and I talked about it constantly. But then he died, and all the evidence pointed to Harry... he dueled with Kingsley Shacklebolt, remember? And beat him rather badly."

I was briefly thankful for all sorts of reasons that stunned me a bit. I don't think it even occurred to Uncle Ron and Aunt Hermione to question me; they knew very well that prophecies would play out. And even though I'd pulled pretty much everything I'd said right out of my arse, they believed me. I made sure that my face was set in determined, noble lines. "My suggestion is this," I spoke up. "It really needs to be later rather than sooner. There are less variables to consider, less room for things to go wrong"--I didn't want to make the time ripe for another Fiendfyre episode--"and that's crucial in my quest."

I might have overdone it a little. Uncle Ron gave me a funny look. But then he stared just over his mother's shoulder, as though he couldn't bear to look at her.

"They need to come to us before Voldemort is revealed," he said finally in a very quiet voice. He clasped Aunt Hermione's hand tightly.

"Are we actually considering letting a young man travel back in time?" Aunt Mary said in utter disbelief and confusion. She and Aunt Angelina murmured behind me.

"It's prophesied," I said. "I need a memory; I think it's best if I go back when Granddad dies at the Ministry..."

Any guilt -- and it was a very small amount -- I felt at lying to the lot of them (it really was for the best) was wiped away when Uncle Ron looked at Grandma. He'd never been one to hide his emotions, and the hope and regret was very clear on his face. Grandma was heart-broken, but she gazed hungrily at her lost son, and it was almost as though they'd already been reconciled. I'm going to do this. They're going to be a family again.

"It really is amazing, Al," Aunt Hermione interrupted my thoughts. "You look so much like your father."

"You want this, don't you?" I said. I set the pensieve on the small table. "You want your mother. And you want your son."

Uncle Ron moved quickly, but Grandma was faster. "It's the memory of the night he died, if that's okay," she said in a voice that wavered. "Or do you need more time?"

"I'll have plenty," I said. "I'll return at the new moon before the memory." I whispered the incantation, and the runes lit up. The rune that Dad had made me felt suddenly warm against my chest, where it hung from a chain. I stared around at their scared, confused, and hopeful faces and I slashed my palm. The blood swirled and the starry memory dragged me down.

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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)(Fake prophecies are the best)

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)(It's really convenient when I've got to lie to people)

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.

Being a good liar is pretty much a necessity for the time traveler.