To Sleep, Perchance to Dream
by Teddylonglong
All recognizable Harry Potter characters belong to J. K. Rowling, and I am not earning anything by writing this story. I am merely borrowing the characters to play with them.
I am not a native speaker of English. Please excuse my mistakes.
Warnings: Completely AU, partly OOC, perhaps Weasley bashing, possible time paradox. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, as well as places is purely coincidental.
On the winter solstice of the year 2020, they arrived at the Mirai School of Wizardry and Technology in Tsukuba, Japan. The office of Abe-sensei looked just like they had seen it in Harry's vision, apart from the fact that Fawkes, who was perched on Harry's shoulder, had not been present in his vision. Harry and Hermione almost sighed in relief, when everything occurred just like they knew it from the vision.
After the greeting scene, which they already knew by heart, the headmaster's twins Kenji and Kazumi gave them a tour through the school building, which looked extremely futuristic, not only in contrary to Hogwarts, but also compared to the Kilian's School for Magic in Würzburg and the Scuola di Magia in Venice.
HP
Before they could properly begin to study, the New Year celebrations took place.
Kazumi and Kenji informed them that New Year was the biggest holiday in Japan and would be celebrated for three days. During these three days, everyone had to visit all their friends and family and, seeing that they did not know anyone in Japan so far, the twins took Harry and Hermione with them. Every two or three hours, they visited someone else's place and were happily greeted with more tea, assortments of Japanese delicacies and food than their stomachs could handle. When Kazumi and Kenji told their friends and family that Harry and Hermione came from Britain, they had to answer what felt like a trillion of questions.
'Thank Merlin they didn't say anything about our time travel,' Hermione thought to Harry, who rolled his eyes at the mere idea. Everyone was very friendly to them though, and by the end of the three days, they felt as if they had gained many acquaintances.
"See it as a culinary introduction to Japan," Harry told Hermione, when they were resting in their room after returning to the school late in the evening of January 3.
"Thank Merlin it's over now or we'd have to enlarge all our clothes," Hermione replied, yawning. "Perhaps we should participate in the fitness training in the park every morning, while we're here," she added as an afterthought.
"That's a brilliant idea," Harry agreed, knowing that every morning, shortly after 6 o'clock, the instructions of the municipality came over the loudspeakers, which guided the inhabitants through the morning training.
From that point onwards, they headed out onto the grounds at six o'clock every morning to join several other students for the training, and while it was not extremely stressful, they realised over the months that they felt much fitter than before.
HP
The following months were extremely interesting. While during the times of Merlin, their co-founders and Boy Fawkes, they had often restrained themselves to not tell anyone about the future. In this time, they did not have to be careful at all but could simply bombard their teachers with questions about anything that came into their minds.
While they generally studied together, they realised soon that Hermione was much more interested in Laser magic, which mostly covered the area of Healing, on which she had already concentrated during her studies with the co-founders of Hogwarts. Harry, however, was extremely attracted by the subject Modern Technics, which mostly consisted of an adaption of modern muggle technics to the magical world.
"You do not have to study together," Kazumi told them one day. "If Hermione decides to concentrate on studying with me doing laser magic, Harry could study modern technics with Kenji. That's completely up to you."
'Maybe that would be the best. We can always teach each other,' Hermione thought to Harry, who full-heartedly agreed that they could make much better use of their time if they studied separately.
HP
During the following months, Harry studied mobile phones, tablets and smart watches and their application in the magical world. However, after studying with Kenji for a few months, doing his own research in addition, he decided to further specialise on magical smart watches.
In September, for Hermione's twentieth birthday, he presented her a magical smart watch. The leather watchstrap was dark blue, however, shimmered in various shades of blue, while the face of the watch was freely adjustable. At the moment, the background was a photograph of the two of them kissing in the beautiful garden of the Mirai school with Fawkes perched on a nearby maple tree, which Kenji had unobtrusively taken a few weeks ago.
"What does this watch do apart from showing me the time and this beautiful photograph?" Hermione asked in excitement, as she eagerly inspected her new toy.
"You can use it to send a Patronus, a Floo call, a letter, and you can even perform laser magic with it," Harry explained, grinning at her stunned expression. He whispered something into his watch, and an instant later, a small chameguise popped up from her smart watch relaying his message. "Let's go to the Planetarium and have some birthday cake."
"This is just amazing," Hermione breathed. "Birthday cake? No, first you have to show me how to do that," she insisted, causing Harry, Kenji and Kazumi to laugh aloud.
"That was so clear," Kazumi quipped in apparent amusement.
"And what if the recipient doesn't have a smart watch?" Hermione enquired, completely ignoring her friends' obvious amusement.
"Then it'll just show up like a usual Patronus," Harry explained, grinning, before he dragged his wife to the Planetarium, which was the large dining hall at the Mirai school. It slightly reminded Harry and Hermione of the Great Hall at Hogwarts, however, it was a circular room and not only the ceiling, but also the walls were charmed and showed the sky along with thousands of little stars and planets. It was a beautiful room, especially at night, and Harry and Hermione simply loved it.
HP
During the remaining months of their stay at the Mirai school, Harry and Kenji concentrated on equipping the smart watches with further features such as verbal communication between smart watches as well as apparition features.
One day, Harry simply pointed at Hermione's icon on his smart watch, whispering "Ikuyo" and was immediately whisked away from the spot, only to reappear next to Hermione.
"Harry!" Hermione lightly scolded him, playfully slapping his arm. "Don't give me such a fright."
Kazumi rolled her eyes in apparent annoyance. "Don't tell me you've added an apparition feature to your smart watch," she quipped, mouthing something to Hermione that Harry interpreted as 'Men are play children'.
"What?" he protested. "It's an extremely useful feature."
"Yes, that it is," Kazumi admitted in a soothing voice. "Well done, Harry."
"Well done," Hermione echoed, smiling at her excited husband. "It's very useful indeed."
HP
From that point onwards, Harry and Hermione intensely began to study for their NEWTs in Laser Magic and Modern Technics.
"Seeing how much you taught each other during the evenings, you should both try to do both tests," Kenji advised them. "In the worst case, you fail it, but it doesn't matter anyway."
"That's true," Kazumi agreed, pensively, when Harry and Hermione cast them questioning looks. "I think we should go for a trip to pay a visit to Gijutsu Ookami, the goddess for technics," she added as an afterthought. "Especially, since you're not from here and haven't paid visits to any Shinto god or goddess before, it might be necessary to receive her support to pass your exams."
"All right," Harry agreed, casting Hermione a questioning look.
"Where do we have to go?" Hermione enquired, eagerly.
Kazumi and Kenji smiled. "Luckily, Tsukuba is the city of modern technics, so it's only about an hour's walk from here. We could walk there and then just use the smart watches to pop back to the school."
Harry and Hermione agreed immediately, and on the following Sunday morning, Kazumi and Kenji took them to the Gijutsu Jinja to worship the goddess. The Shinto shrine had a modern flare, however, was still kept in earth colours that gave it an old-fashioned image in contrary to some more colourful places, which they had seen during the ten months of their stay in Japan.
'Thank Merlin Kazumi and Kenji went with us,' Harry thought to Hermione, as they exactly repeated what the twins were doing in front of the goddess.
'It was interesting though,' Hermione replied, when they readied themselves to return to the school using one of the newest features on their smart watches.
During the following week, their NEWTs took place, and to their relief, they both managed to pass both exams with high scores – just like they had passed all tests during their apprenticeship.
'Thank Merlin, that was the last test of our apprenticeship,' Harry thought to Hermione, when they readied themselves to return from the Ministry of Magic in Tokyo by the Portkey feature of their watches.
'So that means that our apprenticeship is finished now,' Hermione thought back, contentedly, when they arrived in the garden of the Mirai school.
"Exactly my dear," Harry replied aloud, before he stepped over to her and pulled her into a kiss. "Hermione," he then added in a smaller voice, "if I hadn't already bonded with you at the age of eight, I'd ask you now if you wished to become my wife."
Seeing Hermione smile broadly, he took a small box out of his robe pocket. As he opened it, a ring was sitting in the middle of it, and it was simply breath taking. It was silver, however, shimmered in different shades of blue just like the strap of her smart watch. Two chameguises decorated the ring, and Hermione could not help chuckling, when they began to play with each other, occasionally changing into one or the other animal.
"I have the same ring," Harry informed her, making the ring, which was sitting on his right hand, visible to her. "The rings are bonded to each other, and I hope that they will be able to overcome any possible changes to the timeline, so that even if everything changes, we'll still be able to find each other and bond to each other."
"I hope very much that this will work," Hermione replied in a soft voice.
"No one but you will be able to take the ring off your finger," Harry added as an afterthought.
HP
Much too fast for their liking, their year in Japan passed and, as intriguing as it seemed to simply stay another year, Harry and Hermione forced themselves to return to the past on the winter solstice.
On the one hand, they wanted to return far into the past to visit their co-founders, Ceridwen, Morgana and Merlin; however, on the other hand, they could not wait to see how much they had changed their own time.
"Harry, I'm scared," Hermione admitted. "What if we don't even know each other in our own time? What if one of us doesn't even exist in our time? I know that we have the rings as well as the smart watches but still."
Harry remained pensive for a moment, before he replied, "If one of us didn't exist, we wouldn't be together now, considering that we're in the future of our own time. We still know each other, and you're still my wife. Maybe it'll afford some effort from you, me or both of us, but we'll do everything to get together again, won't we?"
"Of course," Hermione agreed, smiling, as she looked at her ring in admiration. "Thank you," she said, thoughtfully, "for taking so many precautions."
"Our smart watches are connected, too," Harry replied, smiling. "Let's just go and not worry so much," he then decided, and Hermione hesitantly agreed.
Leaning close into each other's embrace, they cast the time spell to arrive on the day after the solstice 1994 in front of the Flamels' house.
"Thank Merlin," Hermione breathed, once their vision returned. "We're still together."
HP
"Hermione, Harry," Nicholas greeted them just an instant later. "Welcome back to our time."
"Hello Nicholas," they greeted him, casting him smiles that did not really reach their eyes. "This is Fawkes, our familiar," Harry then introduced the phoenix, who let out a series of happy trills.
"Have you finished studying?" Nicholas enquired, as he ushered them into the parlour to have tea and cake together with his wife, who gently admired Fawkes.
Harry and Hermione nodded.
"Yes sir," Hermione replied. "We have studied with thirteen wizards and witches in four countries and eight different years," she added, giving Nicholas a hesitant look.
"Well done," Nicholas commended them, "and you have passed your NEWTs in which subjects?"
"Alchemy with you, sir, in 1992, Arithmancy and Ancient Runes in 1951 with Professor Einstein," Hermione began to enlist.
"Music and Magical Arts in 1716 in Venetia," Harry continued, "then Transfiguration with Merlin in 991…"
"Potions and Charms with Salazar and Godric in 992," Hermione interrupted him with apparent eagerness.
"Then Hermione took her NEWT in Healing with Helga Hufflepuff in 993, when I took mine in Divination with Rowena Ravenclaw."
"After that, we took our NEWT in Magical Chemistry with Boy Fawkes in 1601," Hermione continued, "and then Laser Magic and Magical Technics with the Abe twins in 2021."
"So that means that each of you has passed twelve NEWTs," Nicholas stated, as he accepted their certificates. "And you received nothing but O's in all your tests. Well done. Very well done. That means that you have efficiently completed your apprenticeship. Congratulations Harry and Hermione."
"Congratulations dears," Perenelle echoed.
"Thank you," Harry and Hermione replied, simultaneously, and Harry could sense over the bond that Hermione felt proud of their accomplishment, a feeling that he unconditionally shared.
Harry pulled two smart watches out of his robe pocket, which he had charmed for Perenelle and Nicholas, and during the following twenty minutes, they busied themselves explaining the features of the watches to their mentor and his wife, who profusely thanked them and announced that they would put them to good use.
"What is going to happen now, sir?" Hermione asked, eagerly.
Nicholas cast them a broad smile. "Now," he replied, seemingly happy, "you're going to be my successors as the living contact for the ancients. You will take over as the Head Unspeakables and replace me."
"Merlin and Morgana?" Hermione blurted out in apparent shock. "That was us?"
"Yes," Nicholas replied, smiling.
"Excuse me, sir, but who chose these names?" Harry enquired.
"The two of you," Nicholas informed him, quirking an eyebrow. "Are they not fitting?"
Harry remained pensive for a moment, while Hermione nodded in apparent eagerness.
"For Hermione, Morgana is a brilliant choice; however, I was much closer to Salazar than to Merlin," Harry replied, thoughtfully, only to look at his wife, when she spoke up in a soft voice.
"Harry, we don't know yet what we're going to do in the future apart from being the Head Unspeakables," she said, "however, if we had anything to do at Hogwarts, we would visit the founders' quarters, and whenever we did so, we'd speak with Salazar and our other friends. With you as Merlin, it might be less complicated than if you took on the name Salazar."
"That's true," Harry replied, thoughtfully, before he agreed. "All right then, Merlin is fine with me."
"Very well," Nicholas said, seemingly contented. "Please accompany me to the Unspeakables' office, so that I can introduce you as my successors as the Head Unspeakables."
HP
After introducing them to Unspeakables Croaker, Ra, Raros and Mento, Nicholas ushered them back into his office.
He let out a deep sigh, before he slowly began to speak, "While you have achieved wonderful things during your apprenticeships, you have changed the timeline very much – unfortunately, not only for the better. Some things are better than before; however, others are worse, and several people, who are supposed to be alive, are not." Ignoring their simultaneous gasp, he continued. "I ask you now, and this will be my last request to you as my apprentices, to travel back twenty-four years and work as Unspeakables from the winter solstice 1970 onwards."
"Sir," Hermione spoke up in a soft voice, and Harry felt that she was close to crying, "please give us an advice. We don't know what went wrong by our doing. What can we do to remedy things in that time?"
Nicholas let out a deep sigh. "At that time, I will still be the Head Unspeakble and able to assist you as long as necessary. Ra, Raros, Croaker and I will help you destroy Voldemort's Horcruxes, and I suggest that from September 1971, you take on teaching positions at Hogwarts to keep an eye on your parents and their classmates. I will see to it that you as the founders of one of the houses will be given teaching positions in addition to the head of house position. Do you have any further questions?"
"No sir," Harry replied, looking at his wife in surprise, when she did not voice any question either. 'That must be a first,' he thought in amusement, even if he did not feel any happier with their situation as Hermione. "Thank you for everything, sir, and we'll see you on the winter solstice 1970."
"Come here to my office then," Nicholas instructed them, causing Harry and Hermione to nod. "You can use the watch to travel, as I will give the watch to my younger self to use it together with the two of you," he added, smiling.
"Fawkes, will you please take us to the Hogwarts grounds," Harry asked his familiar in a soft voice, before they both grabbed the phoenix' tail feathers and were whisked away.
HP
"That was a slap in the face," Hermione uttered, once they arrived on the Hogwarts grounds.
"That it was," Harry replied, grimly. "Now, let's travel to the winter solstice 1970 and begin anew," he continued, sighing.
As soon as Fawkes had made himself comfortable on Harry's shoulder, Hermione leaned into his embrace, and they cast the time spell to leave their own time again after only just arriving two hours before.
End of Part II
Thanks to the kind readers who commented on the previous chapter. Please let me know what you expect from Part III.
Next chapter: 'A slap in the face'.