Those left in the room sank back and looked at each other. Dawn put on the radio for want of something to do. Some gentle classical music wafted through the air. The younger ones for once didn't complain. They looked out the patio doors at the exquisite gardens and beyond that belonged to the Greengrass family.
'Why do they have to destroy so much beauty?' Iris sighed. Daphne could only hold her as the others sat silently, wondering the same things.
Draco meanwhile had had a lightbulb moment. It had been what My had said. A manual. It had been staring them all in the face. There was a manual. But first, 'Luna and other Luna. We need to go to Hogwarts. I need you both to check the mirror for me.'
Both Luna's simply nodded as they made their way to the floo. Albus had kept the link to his office for emergency use.
'What are you thinking? Hermione asked him.
'A manual. A to-do guide. ABC. 123. Numbers,' Draco said shortly. Hermione's eyes widened in recognition.
'You don't think,' she trailed off.
'I need to be sure,' Draco said.
Within a few moments, they were making their way down the corridor to the Dungeons. Draco put the harp out for Fluffy.
The four of them now stood in front of the simple mirror.
'Now. Can you both put your hands on the frame and keep them there? I need to know exactly what you feel,' Draco said in earnest.
Both Luna's did what Draco asked them to without question. He looked very intense.
A few moments went by. Hermione and Draco looked at them both curiously.
'It feels alive,' one of them said
Draco gestured to them to continue.
'It feels like it's beating. Like a heart, but not quite. It beats then stops. Then beats again,' the other one informed him.
'The portal feels different from the other time. This feels more full.'
'What is the rhythm of the beats?' Draco asked quietly, 'Can you imitate them for me?'
The Luna with the sadder eyes nodded, 'Dum, dum, dum, dum, dum, dum, dum, dum, then it stops, then it starts again, Dum, dum, dum, dum, dum, dum, dum, dum, Then it stops,'
Draco's grey eyes grew wider, 'Stay there. I need to know if it's always eight beats,' he insisted.
'Eight,' Hermione said as she stared at Draco, 'Resurrection,' she whispered in a shaky voice.
Both Luna's stayed there and monitored this. If they thought this behaviour was peculiar they didn't say.
Ten minutes later Draco was convinced, 'Thank you both very much ladies. You have been a massive help.'
'Let us know if you figure this out,' Luna said to him.
Draco gave a brittle smile, 'I need to go to the library. I remember something I once read a long time ago. If I'm right then we have our manual.'
Both Luna's waved him goodbye as they returned to the Manor. Draco and Hermione made their way swiftly to the library and proceeded to turn the place over. The book was here somewhere. His eyes lit up as he spotted the old leather-covered book tucked away in the corner of a bottom shelf. Taking it gently off the shelf he held it close to his chest as Hermione dashed over. The manual. He looked down at the title.
'Magickal Numbers and what they mean.'
Draco turned the pages till he found what he was looking for. 8. He flipped the book on its side. The infinity symbol was staring up at him. He passed it over to Hermione whose face lit up.
Draco sat down suddenly. His mind pictured the mirror. He had always been studious. Even when he was small. Knowledge was power. It was one of the reasons he had gravitated towards Hermione. They learnt from each other. Pushed each other to obtain any scrap of knowledge they could find that could maybe help. Knowledge could also mean survival. Draco had always been there, in the background. Watching, learning. He had watched as day by day their world became darker. As Iris would say, it was tough to stop a moving train and this train was crashing.
Draco had always been very pragmatic by nature. He had unfortunately understood the sordid cruelties of this world at a very young age. He knew that Judgement Day was coming and from what he had witnessed of this Earth and the abuses mankind had wrecked on it, their Judgment day would not be favourable. So, as Draco had mused from a young age, why did the universe decide to give Iris that ring? Their souls had been tested on other universes under different circumstances. He had been given a choice on this Earth. He hoped he had acquitted himself.
He had fought for what was right at a deep personal loss because he knew it was the only path to follow in which he didn't despise himself. He understood with implicit insight why one of his counterparts had killed himself. He remembered his lonely nights as a boy. That secret vial of poison he had kept hidden in case he broke. Draco could look at himself now in the mirror without wanting to spit at his reflection. In his heart, he knew he had chosen correctly. But why was he given that choice?
Harry mentioning the magical number seven had jogged his memory. Seven mirrors. Magical numbers. They all meant something in universal law.
Hermione's eyes were darting down the page. Her hand was trembling when she passed the book back to him.
They returned to the mirror with the book. Staring at this benign object. He moved slowly up to it. It hadn't spoken to him like it had Luna. He held his hand to the frame. He felt nothing. He looked again at the infinity figure.
'Read it out,' Hermione whispered.
'Eight. The number of perfection. The Infinity. The final point of the manifestation. The totality of the universe,' Draco raised an eyebrow. The mirror sat there silently.
His eyes moved down the page, 'Eight. The symbol of new life. The final resurrection. Eight represents the Earth,' Draco felt something vibrate from the mirror. His mouth tugged upwards. This time he felt the beats as Luna had. Eight beats in a row. Then a pause. Then another eight beats.
Draco's mouth quivered. With sudden clarity, he realised Riddle hadn't put this here. Whoever had planted this on their Earth meant for them to find it. Iris had come back from the Infinity. They had simply assumed this was part of Riddle's collection from the images in her mind. They had all been labelled T. M. Riddle. They had assumed wrong. He looked in awe at this mirror. The Peverell ring had activated the moment Iris had touched it. It had shown her a diabolical future so they knew they had to change it. It was trying to protect them.
He looked further down the book, 'Eight. The number for Oxygen and Life. Eight. Communication from the Divine,' Draco felt his heart leap. He read further on, 'Eight represents power and strength. Eight is the number of magic. Limitlessness. Eternity,' he kept his hand on the frame. The beats were soothing him.
'Iris hadn't gone through the mirror, she had come out of it.' Draco thought. How to use this?
There wasn't time to get billions of people through before Judgement day. His mind went back. Luna had been cautious at first. She had felt something ominous in there. Dangerous. They thought it had been a bomb. Draco frowned. They hadn't intended to take this mirror off.
Albus hadn't taken the mirror off this one. Iris had been able to fall out of it due to the Peverell ring. It must have been safer than they thought. Draco blinked. It couldn't possibly be so simple. Then he smiled at Hermione. All those steps they had taken together. All the worry. All the losses. The help the Peverell ring had supplied. In the potential future, they had all fought bravely. All of them had fought to the end. It wasn't all about being smart. It was how you fought against wretched, tainted evil in your world no matter the odds. Those from the other worlds were already on the verge of their Judgement days. They had fought to the end even though they were on the losing side. Death himself had told Iris the others had earned their places in Equilibrium.
They took one last look at the mirror. They knew what they had to do. That mirror had to come off.
'Do you think it will be like the Big Bang? Hermione whispered.
He thought of the Big Bang Theory. He mused that maybe this was not the first time someone had taken the mirror off in another universe, millions of years ago. Gabriel had spoken of other worlds, corrupted with evil, that had been given their Judgement days. Draco felt his spine straighten.
He nodded to Hermione, 'We have to let the bomb explode. It may be our only chance to save our souls.'
Hermione gazed at him in shock as she took a deep breath and wrapped her arms around him. He hugged her back tightly. There was nothing more to say.
They moved back to Dumbledore's office. They were not going to like this. It was only a theory. But they thought of all those poor people, their souls split in two. Their future selves.
Lost for all eternity.
Draco nodded grimly to himself. Theory or not. Even if they all died, this was a better way.
They stepped into the fireplace and back to Greengrass Manor and into absolute pandemonium.
'No, I will not calm down!' Daphne screeched across the room to someone in the crowd. Draco sidled up to the group.
'What's happened?' he asked in a deliberately nonchalant voice. He didn't want to aggravate the situation.
'Luna being Luna. Both of them,' Ginny said crossly.
Draco gave a vague murmur of sympathy.
'All I was saying is I think we are certainly approaching the end of this world. That unpleasant brute, Riddle and his detestable chums, Grindelwald and Hitler. They've made a real mess of it all. I don't think we can untangle it. Time travel is just too confusing for us to win against, isn't it? That is just what we both believe,' one of them said airily as the other one with the sad eyes read the Quibbler.
'It was only an observation. Daphne seemed to take great offence to this,' Luna sounded genuinely perturbed by this.
'We're going to stop him,' Harry shouted across to the Lovegood twins.
'I'm quite sure of that, Harry. I have a great amount of faith in you. I've seen you play that flying game in the sky. You almost always catch that little gold bird. You are a very determined young man,' Luna said mildly.
Harry put his hand over his mouth to refrain from saying something unpleasant towards the speaker of this very patronising statement.
'This isn't Quidditch,' Ron growled.
'Isn't it? Two teams go to war. To the victor the spoils,' the other Luna said over the Quibbler.
'It's not a great analogy,' Ginny sniffed. She still had red eyes from falling apart earlier.
'Moving on,' Draco interrupted. This conversation was going nowhere.
'Oh, yes. You looked like you were in the zone. Have you found anything out?' Daphne said. Her agitation had settled a little at his presence.
Draco smiled and handed her the book, 'The frame. It beats eight times in a loop. I read this out to it and now I can feel it, like both Luna's can.'
Daphne's eyes widened as she stared at the book. She flicked through to number eight as they watched her eyes dart down the page.
Draco looked around the room, 'Magical numbers. It was what My said about a manual that triggered this. It's been there at the back of my mind for a while now. Seven mirrors. Riddle has or rather had, seven intentional Horcruxes. What happened with Harry wasn't a magical ritual as such. We don't think there are any more. He managed to squeeze one out with the crown and another with Nagini. Gabriel said the body in limbo is almost solid. He had to replace the diary and locket he used to regenerate. Now. The thing with magical numbers is you are dealing with a much higher power. This is serious stuff. This is even past both Riddle's and Dumbledore's abilities. Dumbledore would know not to tamper with this. Riddle is arrogant. He thought himself superior to it. It's not for the likes of us. The spiritual. The universe. It is not to be tampered with if you don't fully understand it. The consequences if you muck it up are catastrophic.'
Daphne was absorbed in the book. Iris was reading it over her shoulder.
She turned the book on its side like Draco had and gave a tiny gasp.
She looked up at Draco, 'The last mirror. Does it represent Infinity? Resurrection? A new Earth?' she questioned.
Draco gave a firm nod, 'Yes. I can't say for definite. We need to talk to Dumbledore and the others. I don't think these are Riddle's mirrors. I don't think he knows about them. I think the images Iris received were for us. We are being led.'
'How do you think it works?' Iris asked quietly. Her heart had leapt at this news.
Hermione spoke then, 'We both think it's designed to be simple for us. We just take the mirror off. Luna said the portal has changed. It feels fuller. It's just a matter of time. I imagine we didn't do this in the future Iris went to. We thought it was a dangerous bomb.'
'Isn't it?' Daphne asked as the others in the room were watching this conversation intently.
'It's a bomb all right,' Draco said in earnest, 'But not of this Earth. We think it's been open before and we think it's going to cause one very big bang,' Draco told her solemnly.
Daphne fainted.
There were a variety of expressions. The two Luna's looked delighted. Cedric astonished. The other two Hermione's were looking shocked. Both Harry's looked sceptical. The others in the room moved closer to Draco. Bella and Sirius had been listening to all this with growing excitement.
Iris was trying to wake her sister.
Lavender was pondering this, 'I'm confused. Draco. Why are you talking about taking the mirror off something that would cause a very big bang if you did?'
'Haven't you heard of the Big Bang Theory?' My asked her.
Lavender shook her head.
'It's science,' My explained.
'Oh, then definitely not. They don't cover that at Hogwarts,' Lavender said.
'Right,' Draco said, 'In layman's terms the Big Bang theory is the start of a new universe.'
'Oh, ok. Thanks for clearing that up,' Lavender said in a high pitched voice, 'So, if we open up that mirror then there will be a very big bang then boom, a new universe. I'd better get packed then. When's moving day?' her eyes were open very wide as her eyebrows were shooting up to her hairline.
'Are you in shock?' Ginny asked her in concern. Lavender had gone as white as a sheet.
Lavender grimaced, 'I think I might be,' she admitted.
Parvati didn't look much better as she hugged her friend.
The two Luna's were chatting amongst themselves, 'Finally. We actually have a solid plan,' one of them said to the other with a grin.
'I have to confess, I'm relieved. I was becoming a little anxious,' the other said airily.
Iris had just about renovated Daphne who by this point was looking around in bewilderment. Draco was holding one of her hands for comfort as Iris held the other.
'You're ok,' Iris said, 'Big news, right,' she said gently.
The other Greengrass sisters were still each sat motionless as they absorbed this news. The Longbottoms, the Greengrass parents and Hagrid were not faring much better. The Finnegans had moved onto the beer at this stage. One of the Minerva's had opened up the scotch as Dawn poured. The telltale noises of lighters being used were registering as people scuttled out onto the patio for their nicotine fix to calm their frazzled nerves.
'How sure are you of this?' their Harry asked Draco.
'Almost sure,' Draco told him, 'It makes sense. Gabriel said everything that has been happening on this Earth seems to be some sort of test of our souls. Judgement day and all. I think as all our planets crumble they are going to be replaced by whatever is behind that mirror. We've all been tested. One way or another. Harry, this planet is going to die. Luna and Luna are right. Riddle has got us cornered. Don't you see? You killed him in the end and our world was destroyed anyway. There has been too much wickedness on it. Too much poison. Too much greed and cruelty. Not enough good. Even in a fantasy world, say we kill Riddle today, prevent that demented future Iris saw and survive Judgement day? How soon before the next Riddle comes along? The greedy and sadistic will always follow them. This world is rotting.'
Harry gazed at Draco in thought.
Draco continued, 'Look at the other worlds. Even without Riddle, there's always going to be a Hitler. A Grindelwald. A Mao. They're just figureheads. Always enabled by the worst amongst us. And there are millions of them. It's over. The nuclear poison from the destruction of Israel is in our air already. All their other poisons and bombs and weapons that have been launched on this planet. I think, I hope anyway, that this portal can somehow resettle us to a new world. I don't want to die yet. I want to live. I want a family. I want my children to grow up in a better world than we have. I want them to feel safe. They're never going to be safe here.'
Harry stopped short at this. He never really spoke too much to Draco but he knew that Draco had seen more than him of the reality of the brutality of mankind. Harry had seen war. The furore of street fighting and bombs. Draco had seen the other side of war too. The degradation, the humiliations, the endless torture of the children and the innocent. Draco was standing in front of him now. His eyes still held that troubled look of his youth sometimes. Harry could see it clearly now.
'It's over, Harry,' Draco said to him quietly, 'Hopefully, we can take Riddle out before we go but if not, well, he won't be coming with us. This test Gabriel suspects. I can assure you Riddle has failed. Whatever is behind that mirror even he can't stop.'
Harry looked at Ginny then who was staring at Draco. Ron was looking downcast.
'Draco's right,' Hermione said darkly, 'We're kidding ourselves if we think that by defeating Riddle this world would ever be wonderful. It can't be now. The damage has been done. Nazis and Death Eaters are everywhere now. They have all that might. Secret bases. Underground facilities. Fallen Ministries. The Ministry think over a billion people have already been killed globally because of this New World Order. China will launch nuclear weapons in a few months. They have found a way to duplicate the magical gene. Even if Iris opens up Hell, too much damage can be done by them globally in retaliation. The damage has been done. We can't come back from this.'
'Judgement Day. It's too late. It's coming,' Draco said, 'Iris. I think you will need to be the one to detonate it. It's connected to the Resurrection Stone.'
Iris nodded mutely. She had listened to all of this. After what she had endured in the future she had to agree with Draco. Anything to stop those split souls would be good with her. She still couldn't get those people out of her head.
'Draco's right. We can't risk that future. A proper death is preferable to that unimaginable pain. We've got to be realistic. We're cornered. We'll run it by the others when they get back. I think, once they see those memories they'll agree it's worth the risk,' Iris said.
Bella and Sirius were watching all of this with amazement.
'Would you say you were all a little jaded?' Bella asked them in a peculiar voice.
'I am,' Iris said as she glanced around at the others, 'I think we all are.'
Bella nodded, 'It's just. I have been sitting here listening to you all casually discuss the end of this world and I have to admit, battle-hardened is not the word.'
Iris sighed, 'I saw them in the stars, Bella,' her eyes went wet as she wiped the tears away, 'You can't imagine. I just showed you a few glimpses. It's too much. There are some things worse than Hell.'
They all looked at Iris with sympathy. She was clearly shaken up.
Iris looked around at them, 'When Riddle does die he'll join his soul pieces. Gabriel will send him to Hell. Satan will put him in the black hole where he will cease to exist. That will be that. Riddle gloated about the suffering of those people. He laughed at their agony,' Iris took a deep sigh, 'It hardly seems fair that is all the consequence he will endure.'
Hermione gave her a side hug as Iris sank in her chair.
Iris's actual sister, Daphne, had found her tongue, 'So, Draco. If this Big Bang theory is actually true then what sort of world will it be? Will it be this world? Will we still be able to go to Equilibrium? Will there be an infrastructure there or will it be like new?'
Draco stared at Daphne, 'I genuinely don't know,' he answered.
'Will we be able to pack some essentials?' Daphne asked.
Hermione interjected, 'I have several extendable bags. They're a real lifesaver. I know Diagon Alley has some lovely trunks. I don't know if they would survive the trip though.'
'We have the Black beauty spell now,' Lavender interjected, 'We may be able to cope without makeup if we have to rough it for a while.'
The Greengrass sisters mused positively about this, 'We'll need to take some good quality shampoo and conditioner. We can replicate them. Oh, don't forget Fabio!' Daphne exclaimed, 'Make sure he's with us. I swear. I can cope with anything as long as we have a decent hairdresser nearby. And clothes. Plenty of clothes. We can miniaturise them before we go. I'm taking my entire wardrobe. I am not being caught out having to wear sacks.'
The group split into two as the vainer amongst them continued to plot what they needed for their future essentials. Outside on the patio the older amongst them were speaking of similar things. The practical. What sort of planet would it be? Would it be Jungle? Cold? Hot? Ice caps? Mountains? Would there be materials? Magic? What would they need to pack if this were to actually happen? The scotch was down by half a bottle already as Gareth picked out another from his stores. He glanced down at his wine collection. That would definitely be going with them.
The group around Draco were a lot more sombre about all of this.
'It could kill us or send us to Hell,' Draco reasoned, 'We don't know about our Doppelgangers in the other universes. What choices they made. Do you think it's some sort of point system?'
Iris shook her head, 'I don't think it's like that. That wouldn't be fair. I think it's more likely if every one of our Doppelgangers has been horrendous pieces of shit then we personally just go to Equilibrium. I can take you all there now. I think maybe that the people who go onto this new planet are the ones who have been more consistent through the universes. People who can be trusted in any circumstances to not be corrupted. Like Luna and Cedric have been,' Iris mused out loud.
Hermione nodded at this, 'Possibly,' she looked at the Peverell ring, 'Whatever this force is, I think it's ultimately for good. They would want to populate a planet with people who are not wicked and won't destroy these lands. Eventually of course, over thousands of years, there will be another tipping point. Unfortunately, that is humanity,' she sighed in distaste.
'At least we have a chance,' Ron said, 'I can see if I can find another Burrow if I get accepted,' he said with a smile. The other Hermione gave him a soft smile and patted his arm fondly as his ears went pink. He smiled back comfortably.
My leant back into Cedric's arms and gave a grin, 'I still say this place is better than where we came from. I'm glad we came,' Cedric leaned down and kissed her.
Hermione watched all this with a curious expression.
'We need time to get this clear in our heads,' their Harry said, 'We must check with Dumbledore. I can't even get my own head straight about this.'
Draco nodded, 'I think this is the only way,' he said simply, 'The other planets that are flailing and have already gone. We can only guess if they are behind us or in front. That whole thing that Gabriel said about us being the head of the snake curling into itself. It's all circles within circles.'
Luna and the other Luna smiled at Draco, 'It certainly clearer than that time travel parallel,' one of them said.
'Tell me about it,' Iris said, 'I can't get my head around it. Back to the future confused me. I mean, don't get me wrong, great movie, but when Marty gets back what happened to the other Marty who had the memories of that new timeline?'
A few of them nodded ruefully at this.
'I never quite got that bit either,' Harry admitted.
There was a moment where they all looked at each other. The situation was veering into the great unknown now.
'Just, where is Riddle?' Ron asked them all, 'When is he?'
They all shook their heads.
'I don't think he would be in the past,' Luna said. 'In his mind, he's got everything where he wants it. He wouldn't want to jeopardise the present.'
'You don't think he's on the future planet?!' Iris sat up straight.
Both Luna's shook their heads, 'Doubtful. It wouldn't be in the same place as Earth is now. The bang is going to go trillions of miles from here. Even if this Earth is transformed it's going to move in the force. It can't stay in the same place. We're dealing with Infinite time and space. Time travel involves only a small area. Possibly a gateway or standing still. It's the world that changes around you. Riddle would have fallen into nothing if he had gone into that future.'
Iris frowned, 'He just, he sounded so confident that he was going into the future.'
They watched the others in the room. People were chatting in groups. James and Lily were chatting with the other James and Sirius.
Iris gave a soft smile. It was so nice to see them all here.
'How many people do you think will be able to go there?' Iris said to them.
Hermione and Draco shook their heads, 'Who knows?' Draco said, 'I feel this is the right choice though.'
Iris felt it in her heart too. All these years had been building up to something. They would all soon know.
They all jumped when the floo went into action and Severus Snape came stepping out elegantly. Kingsley followed with a beaming Albus Dumbledore behind.
'Oh, Iris. Your request has been fulfilled, my dear,' Albus said with a twinking in his eye.
'You absolute legends!' Iris cried in joy as she ran up to hug him.
'How?' Hermione spluttered.
'It was a very tedious mission and incredibly dull,' Severus said in his dour voice as he spotted two James Potters.
'But, we managed to switch Nagini with a very convincing duplicate,' Kingsley said with enthusiasm, 'It should take days before he realises. Riddle won't know where to start. We led the fake Nagini a merry dance all around Europe.'
'So, it is now just him,' Albus said.
Once the shock news had settled in Albus turned to Iris, 'I have been very curious about your travels.'
Iris's smile fell, 'Yes, right. There has been a lot happening here too. I'll show you the memories. It's worse than you could ever think, but the most important thing is this. We think Draco has worked out the purpose of the last mirror. It's all to do with the magical number eight.'
Albus's legs gave way, 'The Big Bang theory?' he asked Draco.
Draco nodded, 'Infinity and Resurrection, amongst other things. There are eight beats on a loop coming from the mirror now.'
Albus gazed around the room, 'Merlin.'