A/N: After many, many months of not writing, I am finally back! I apologise to my readers but it's hard to find time to write when you're a new father and starting a new job. Honestly, I wanted to dive into my other stories but having been away for so long, I need time to really think through those plots. So to ease myself back into fanfic writing, I thought I try a short story instead.
One flaw I have with myself is that whenever I write a story or a chapter, I'm my own worst critics. I have like ten incomplete stories in my folder, most of which I'm too scared to post because I don't think it's good enough but my wife convince me to just write and post so here goes one of those tries. It's an idea that's been stuck in my head for months and I just couldn't put it into words until today. I admit I am rusty so please be gentle with me! Ha-ha.
This is going to be a short story, maybe a three-shot and I mean it this time as I have other stories to focus on with what limited time I have. This story will focus mainly on the Golden Trio but other characters POVs will be just as important as well.
So do enjoy this story and yes, your reviews are very much appreciated. Thank you for reading and sticking with me!
THE VOLDEMORT PARADOX
"It is forbidden to kill; therefore all murderers are punished unless they kill in large numbers and to the sound of trumpets." - Voltaire
Chapter 1: The Stage is Set
"Wait…let me just…wait…"
On any other day, Harry would find Ron's flabbergasted expression highly amusing as his best friend continued to gape and scratch the top of his head. Needless to say, there was nothing funny about their current situation. The white walls of St Mungo's were starting to make Harry feel slightly claustrophobic as Ron continued to stare in astonishment at the most unusual sight in recent wizarding history.
The baby's cries were being muffled by a Silencing Charm as Ron continued to pace around the cot. Harry could see that the wizard was wrestling with the idea of touching the new-born infant and yet, each time Ron's hand moved towards the cot, he retracted them with such force as if he had just touched a scalding hot pan. Eventually, Ron settled himself next to Harry, his arms crossed as he shook his head repeatedly.
"No, it can't be. It just can't…"
"It is, Ron." Harry sighed, recalling the constant questions he had been barraged with once he told Ron of the baby's existence. "Hermione is down at the Ministry right now, confirming what we already know. That the baby's magical aura is a direct match for –"
"Don't say it!" Ron snapped before looking sheepish. "Sorry, it's just...I need a moment to process. How can you be so calm about this?"
"Oh, trust me, mate. I was much, much worse than you when I first found out." Harry replied. "I even gave Edwards and Hanson a talking to before I got the results. And even then, well, I still can't believe it now. Hence why I asked Hermione for help. She's trying to confirm our findings."
"Uh-huh," Ron said as he shut his eyes tightly before opening them up again. "And Croaker's theory…that checks out?"
"His son confirmed it with us. Plus, Saul himself agrees."
"Wait, Saul?!"
"His portrait."
"Ahhh… okay." Ron exclaimed as he ran his fingers through his hair. "Merlin, Harry. I can't…I mean…"
"Want to retreat to the room next door?" Harry asked as Ron nodded. The two wizards exited into the corridor where Auror Edwards and Hanson stood guard.
"Listen," Harry said, addressing his Aurors. "I want you all to seal this corridor. No one, not even the Minister himself, is to enter this area without my permission. You can make exceptions for Hermione Granger-Weasley and Healer Thomson. Otherwise, no one gets in. Understood?"
"Sir!" Edwards and Hanson cried in unison before the latter cleared his throat.
"The press, Sir, they've been alerted to your presence, Sir. What should we tell them?"
"Nothing. Not a word. Turn them away and say nothing. Understood?" Harry said as the two Aurors nodded once more. Harry and Ron then made their way into the next room where upon entering; Ron made a beeline towards the empty bed before throwing himself on it. Smirking to himself, Harry followed suit as Ron made way for his mate to share the bed.
"Bloody Hell!" Ron cried as Harry murmured in agreement. "I can't believe that…that baby next door…is actually…baby –"
"-Tom-"
"Voldemort!" Ron exclaimed as he grabbed a pillow before passing one over to Harry. "I mean, what the actual fuck!"
"Tell me about it." Harry sighed as he rested his head on the pillow. "I mean, here I was, having a good day, thinking about the new year and looking forward to tonight's family dinner and suddenly, it's like we're back to our seventeen-year-old selves."
"Did your scar hurt?" Ron asked as he turned to face Harry. "I mean, when you heard about the baby?"
"No," Harry replied as he touched the lightning scar on his forehead. "But that's because this version of Voldemort isn't even a wizard yet, much less making Horcruxes. Anyways, if there's a silver lining to my day, it's that for once when it comes to Voldemort, I don't have to do a thing."
"That's right!" Ron said as he clapped his hands. "Just have to deal with for a week and then, poof, he goes back to not existing anymore. That's what you said Croaker mentioned right?"
"Right," Harry replied as he twirled his wand. "Eh, where are Rose and Hugo?"
"With Mum," Ron replied before snickering. "Can you imagine if Mum hears about this? She'll go berserk, I tell you."
"Don't I know it?" Harry said as he shifted uncomfortably. He had yet to drop the bomb on Ron and Hermione.
"So who else knows about this? I mean, you're definitely going to have to keep this contained." Ron said as Harry sat up.
"So far, besides us three, it's just Edwards, Hanson, Healer Thomson, Robards, and Kingsley," Harry said. "I'm in charge of…him…so I'll have to make sure that he's safe before he returns back to his time."
"How are you going to do that?"
"Same thing that happened to me. Fidelius Charm." Harry replied as Ron sat up so quickly that Harry was nearly shoved to the floor.
"Blimey, Harry! That means you're his Secret Keeper!"
"Talk about ironic, huh."
"Forget ironic, mate. This is just fucking bizarre!"
"Ronald Bilius Weasley!"
Both Ron and Harry gave a start as Hermione entered the room with a slightly amused look on her face. "How many times have I told you to watch your language?! And what, in Merlin's name, are the two of you doing in bed?"
"Sorry, love," Ron replied as he gave Hermione a kiss. "But Harry used to warm my bed long before you came into it."
"Thanks for that image, mate!" Harry said as he made a face while Ron and Hermione laughed.
"Honestly, you two," Hermione said as Harry and Ron made space for her on the bed. "Although given what we just witnessed today, I can't believe that the two of you sleeping together would actually be normal compared to this."
"Hermione!" Harry and Ron cried in unison as Hermione rolled her eyes before bickering with her husband about giving her a pillow. Even though all three were now in their late-thirties and were renowned war heroes, Harry smiled at the sight of moments such as this where the Trio could just get together and be themselves. You can take the students out of Hogwarts, but you can't take Hogwarts out of the students Harry thought.
"Well, I think a Fidelius Charm sounds like a good idea, Harry," Hermione said as Ron traded resting his head on a pillow for Hermione's lap. "We can get Professor Flitwick to cast the spell. He's probably the best at it."
"No," Harry replied. "This has to be kept under wraps. I was thinking, perhaps, you can do it."
"Harry… I'm not as skilled as Fidelius Charms as Professor Flitwick. I haven't even cast one out yet." Hermione said Ron gave a grunt.
"My wife's just trying to be polite, mate. You know she's bursting to try out her Fidelius!" Ron replied as a blushing Hermione playfully swatted his forehead. "Owww!"
"So then it's settled," Harry said as he gave Hermione a warm smile. "You'll be the spellcaster."
"Where are you going to put him?" Ron asked as Harry and Hermione exchanged a look before the pair smirked at Ron who scowled.
"Fine, fine, whatever! Put him in the Chamber for all I care." Ron muttered as Harry's eyes widened.
"Merlin, why didn't I think of that?" Harry said as Ron held a smug look on his face while Hermione rolled her eyes once more.
"Because you need to speak Parseltongue to get in, and last I checked, Harry can't speak Parseltongue anymore."
"He doesn't have to speak it, just imitate it as I did," Ron replied with a hissing sound.
"And you want to put a baby inside the Chamber, Ron. Really?" Hermione said as she crossed her arms.
"It's not a baby, Mione. It's Voldemort!" Ron retorted as Harry coughed out loud.
"Exactly, Ron! If anything happens to him, our entire timeline might get shifted!"
"It's like I'm back at Hogwarts," Harry remarked as the pair turned to face him. "The three of us, sharing a bed and talking about Voldemort."
"Well, it's only been like ten to fifteen years," Hermione replied as the trio exchanged looks before laughing once more. "But you're right, Harry. Let's just do the charm and in a week, everything goes back to normal."
"Should we tell the others tonight?" Ron exclaimed as Hermione glared at him. "Of course not! Well, maybe just Ginny because she's your wife, Harry but other than that, any word about this will just cause trouble. Can you imagine if the wizarding community finds out that we have baby Voldemort in our hands?"
"Funny you should mention that, Hermione," Harry said nervously as the pair turned to him once more. "See, the thing is, someone else already knows about it. We had a leak."
"A leak?" Ron exclaimed as Harry looked really uncomfortable. "How that happened?"
"One of the Aurors accidentally let it slip to someone that we had baby Voldemort."
"So?" Hermione replied. "Just explain to whoever that person is that this is classified Ministry information and place them under a binding non-disclosure agreement."
"I wish it were that easy. See, the person who heard it isn't someone who likes to keep her mouth shut, especially when she hears a juicy story. And unfortunately, we can't force her to keep it shut as you know all too well, Hermione."
"Oh no!" Hermione cried as her hands clasped her face. Ron looked momentarily confused before realisation began to dawn in.
"Oh, mate. Please don't say who I think you're about to say."
Harry gave a sigh. When it rains, it truly pours.
…
Harry eyed the chairs placed around the table before settling on the one made of oak and had the red, velvety cushions. Though it looked like the most uncomfortable of all, it was also the one that was furthest away from the host's chair.
As John Croaker brought in the portrait of his father along with him, Harry shook the hand of his fellow Ministry colleague. Harry grumbled at the thought of having to be here rather than helping himself to one of Molly Weasley's' famous pumpkin pies but as Head Auror, he had responsibilities. Soon the pair was joined in by two individuals, the first a short, plump man with frizzy brown hair who wore a Muggle suit as he merely nodded at Harry and John. Patrick Martins was his name and Harry recognised the man as the Head of the British Muggleborn Society, a private group formed from the survivors of the Second Wizarding War and whom Hermione, being Muggleborn herself, had butted heads with constantly. While Patrick did share certain opinions with his fellow best friend, he went about it just as ruthlessly as Rufus Scrimgeour and Barty Crouch did with their beliefs. To put it simply, Patrick was too extreme for his liking, Hermione perhaps said it best that Patrick was more interested in being right rather than actually fighting for Muggleborn rights. Still, Harry very much preferred Patrick than his compatriot, a familiar witch with blonde curls, a heavy-jawed face with rhinestone spectacles and ghastly long nails.
"Hello, Rita," Harry said, not wanting to get up from his seat as Rita gave him a sickening smile. After the war, Rita Skeeter had been fired from the Daily Prophet, thanks to Hermione's efforts. However, just like a cockroach that was unwilling to die, Rita took to the radio, setting up the Rita Skeeter Show in which she often attacked Ministry policies and took shots at everyone including the Golden Trio to the Sorting Hat. Due to the Ministry wanting to retain an image of impartiality and the promotion of free speech, Rita's show was allowed to air on the wireless and unfortunately for Harry, it had quite the audience. Tonight, however, Harry grimaced, would probably be their greatest show ever.
"Hello, Harry. I trust you'll keep to your promise."
"Of course, Rita," Harry replied dryly as Rita smirked at him before bossing herself around the set. When he found out that Rita had heard about it, Harry was dead-set on bringing her in and isolating her away from a week. However, Kingsley had pointed out that while Rita may not be able to spread the news, no doubt she had in place safeguards which would allow the news to filter out regardless. Keeping her would also mean that once the debacle was over, Rita could incite the public in other ways, particularly towards the Ministry's view of free speech. Thus, in order to avoid a scandal of public embarrassment, it was decided that the news of today's incident would be broadcasted on the Rita Skeeter Show, provided that Harry and John were there to supervise as well as give an official Ministry stand.
"We're on in one minute." Someone shouted as Rita cleared her throat before looking at Harry.
"As agreed, I've kept my mouth shut. No one else knows about this."
"Well, of course." Harry snorted. As if Rita would damage her one and only chance to give out the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity at the greatest news coverage of all time.
"Wait, what's he doing here?" John interrupted as he pointed towards Patrick. Rita gave a grunt of irritation before fixing back her smile. "He's here to provide a neutral opinion about the situation."
"Neutral, my arse!" John replied, in a tone surprisingly similar to Ron. "This man here has been attacking our policy of hiring wizards and witches into the Department of Mysteries for years."
"That's because your Ministry hiring policies are toxic!" Patrick retorted as he scowled at John. "How many Muggleborns have been allowed to become Unspeakables, John? How many?!"
"For the last time, the Ministry is not biased towards Muggleborns!" John snapped. "Our hiring policies are based on the results of our applicants, many of whom happen to be Purebloods and Half-bloods. Muggleborns tend to choose careers that would help them in both the Muggle and wizarding world. Your idea of bias is not only myopic but I daresay bigoted as well!"
"Oh, I'm the bigot, am I, you cretin!" Patrick roared as he stood to his feet. Harry sprung himself between the two as he calmly motioned for John to sit back down while pointing his wand at Patrick.
"Sit your arse down, Patrick."
"This doesn't concern you, Potter!"
"Either sit down and be quiet or I'll have you thrown out of this interview," Harry exclaimed firmly as Patrick stared down at the tip of his wand.
"Patrick, my dear, save it for later," Rita said as Patrick glared at John and Harry before reluctantly sitting himself down on his seat. Clapping her hands, Rita pointed to her watch. On cue, a member of her radio staff placed his finger to his lips before uttering.
"In, 3, 2,1, GO!"
"Good evening, my faithful listeners, witches, wizards, and magical creatures, welcome, welcome to the Rita Skeeter Show! Now, I know that tonight, we had some other topics from last week to discuss but we are going to put all that on hold right now. Yes, you heard that right, on hold! Because tonight, my fellow sorcerers, I bring to you the most amazing, most incredible, most unbelievable piece of news in all of my illustrious career right into your ears. To those of you who think that I am being overly dramatic, allow me to present to you for the first time on this show and if I'm not mistaken, the first time you have ever heard him on the radio, the War Hero, the Chosen One, the Boy Who Lived –
Harry groaned internally as he glared at Rita who ignored him
"- Witch Weekly's most eligible bachelor until his recent marriage to miss Ginevra Weasley, the Triwizard Champion, famed wizard and Head Auror for the Ministry of Magic, Mister HARRY JAMES POTTER!" Rita bellowed as she stood to her feet while all around her, Harry could hear the applause from her staff.
"Harry, my old friend, don't be shy. Introduce yourself." Rita said as she pointed to the speaker.
Harry cleared his throat. "Hi, my name is Harry and we are not friends, Rita. The reason I'm here is because –"
"Now, now, Harry!" Rita laughed as she cut him off. "You may be used to running things with your Aurors but on my show, I am in charge," Rita said as Harry glared at her. "So let us finish the introductions. Harry is here with Ministry official John Croaker, portrait of the late Saul Croaker and my fellow free speech advocate and justice warrior, Patrick Martins."
"Now, on to the topic at hand, Mr Potter," Rita spoke as she turned to him. "Would you now kindly and politely tell my listeners why indeed you are here on my show?"
"Well, before I was so rudely interrupted," Harry replied as he savored the temporary disgruntled look on Rita's face. "I am here give an important Ministry statement on an incident that took place early this morning in London. Around nine am, we detected a strong wave of magic in the heart of London. In a bank this morning, a new-born baby wizard appeared out of thin air and shocked various Muggles inside the bank. Now, such incidents are common especially in cases of underage magic. My department went down to the bank and took charge of matters. It is here that I would like to report an unusual event and I urge everyone listening to please, please listen before jumping to any conclusions."
Harry took a deep breath before speaking once more.
"When we were on site, the baby's magical aura was read by our Charms department back at the Ministry. As you all know, magical auras often have links to wizarding families and it is here that we detected an anomaly. After extensive hours of research and confirmation, we have managed to secure the baby's identity. The new-born baby's name is…Tom Marvolo Riddle, whose name you might recognise as being…Lord Voldemort himself."
"So the Dark Lord is back?!" Rita called out suddenly as Harry gave a start before glaring daggers at the bespectacled witch.
"Not in the slightest, no. The wizard, known as Lord Voldemort, is dead and our community has nothing to worry about." Harry exclaimed though he clenched his fists tightly. Stupid cow! Harry thought angrily as he watched Rita exchanged a smile with her producer. It was inevitable that Rita would do something like this. He wondered just how many people were now listening to her channel.
"In order to better explain the situation as well as this unusual phenomenon, I would like to bring in the expertise of my fellow colleague, John Croaker."
"Thank you, Harry," John said hastily as Rita opened her mouth to protest. "Now, I would like to reiterate the point made by Head Auror Potter. The Dark Lord is NOT BACK and you ARE safe. There is no cause for alarm or panic because as far as things come and go, nothing has changed. Before I go into that, I would like my father to talk to you about the topic of time travel so that everyone listening can fully grasp and understand what is happening."
For the first time since his arrival at the studio, Harry locked eyes with the elderly wizard with wisps of white hair. With his grey beard and twinkling eyes, Saul Croaker was the physical embodiment of Albus Dumbledore. As with the former Headmasters of Hogwarts, the Ministry also had a room filled with the portraits of deceased Ministry officials, those deemed important enough that their memories needed to be preserved in a portrait. Harry watched as Saul rubbed his eyes before clearing his throat to speak.
"Thank you, son. Now, as many of you might know, my name is Saul Croaker and I was a former employee of the Department of Mysteries. My area of expertise concerns that of time travel, an important and critical part of the department. Not only have are we credited with the invention of the Time-Turner, we also spend countless hours studying time and its aspects. The Department of Mysteries commissioned us to conduct experiments on time travel although many of these have ceased since 1899. That being said, there were a few that still continued due to amount of research and effort that had put in."
"On the 31st of December 1926, two individuals, Unspeakable Thomas Melville and Unspeakable Margaret Lee were part of a classified experiment known as Operation Tempus. The purpose of Operation Tempus was to uncover a way for wizards and witches to time travel, not to the past but to the future itself. This is inherently more difficult as unlike the past, the future is not set in stone. Needless to say, due to the complexity of the experiment and the potential dangers it could bring should it be successful, this operation was kept classified from even the Minister."
Saul took a moment to clear his throat as Harry noticed the wizard looking slightly uneasy.
"I won't go into what exactly happened that night but the morning after, both Thomas and Margaret were found dead in their homes, their bodies having aged dramatically just like in the case of Eloise Mintumble twenty-seven years prior. No other experiments have been conducted on time since then."
"Thank you, Mr Croaker," Rita spoke as she took a deep breath. "Can you tell us how this pertains to what Ministry found earlier today?"
"Well," Saul spoke as he exchanged a look with his son. "It seems that while the experiment looked like a failure, something did come out of it. In our investigation, we surmised that the spell in which Thomas and Margaret were working on to travel into the future had backfired for whatever reasons. And with any spell, there was bound to be a wave of effect. It seemed that while the wave of magic made Margaret and Thomas age considerably, it also affected a singular wizard who happened to be within its blast radius."
"What my father is trying to say…" John spoke as he took over. "Is that the spell also latched itself onto any magical persons or creatures within the area. Now back in the past, the bank where we first found our anomaly today was in fact, not a bank, but rather a Muggle orphanage. In this area, the spell detected a secondary form of magic and latched itself onto the baby known by the name of Tom Riddle. We believed that once that wave of magic hit Tom, for some reason or another, the spell worked and Tom Riddle or Voldemort was instantly transported into the future earlier today."
"But if Voldemort were here today, how can he be alive in the past?" Rita asked.
"Well, that's where time travel comes in. You see, time is a force that is governed by certain rules. Now, every wizard knows that with each spell, its effect will wane over time. We believe that whatever spell Thomas and Margaret cast, its effects on Tom will only last about a week. Once the week is over, Thomas will be transported back to his time instantaneously to the exact moment he left, thereby allowing no one during his delivery or within range to suspect a thing. It will be as if nothing has changed."
"And how do you know this?" Patrick asked.
"Simple," John replied. "Because our timeline is still intact. We still, unfortunately, recall and have experienced that tragedies brought by the rise of Voldemort. This means that our timeline hasn't changed. If we apply the principles of Occam's Razor, we would come to the conclusion that the simplest answer is that Tom will go back in time. In the end, all we have to do is just wait a week and let time take care of the rest."
"And that's the official Ministry statement on this whole affair?" Rita asked as John looked to Harry.
"Yes, yes it is," Harry replied.
Patrick opened his mouth, ready to speak, only to clamp his lips shut at the sight of Rita raising her hand.
"Quite an extraordinary phenomenon," Rita replied as she smiled sickly at John and Harry. "So, where is baby Voldemort now?"
"That is classified information, Rita, as you well know," Harry said as Rita rolled her eyes.
"So tell us more about him? Does he have those familiar dark red eyes of his?"
It was Harry's turn to roll his eyes. "Rita, I would like to take this opportunity to remind you as well as all your listeners that what we have currently in our possession is a new-born baby. This baby is not Lord Voldemort. It's just a baby."
"And you're his babysitter? Changing his diapers, are you now, Potter?" Rita laughed as Harry gave a smirk.
"What can I say, Rita. I took care of him as an adult and I guess I'm taking care of him now."
"Interesting wordplay," Rita grunted. Turning her attention to the portrait, Rita addressed Saul Croaker.
"Mr Croaker, you mentioned something about Eloise Mintumble. Could you give us just a brief explanation as to what happened to her?"
Saul cleared his throat once more. "Eloise was a former Unspeakable who used to assist in experiments concerning time travel. One day, Eloise tried to travel back into the past but she went too far and found herself stuck in the year 1402 for a period of five days. When she returned to the present, her body had aged five centuries and was irreparably damaged and she soon died at St Mungo's. In her last few moments, we managed to talk to her and we realised that her five days in the distant past had caused great disturbance to the life paths of all those she met, changing the course of their lives so dramatically that no fewer than twenty-five of her descendants vanished in the present, having been 'un-born'."
"I see," Rita replied as she pursed her lips. "So what you're saying is that Eloise changed the timeline?"
"You can't change the timeline!" Saul scoffed. "What happened to Eloise was a tragic and horrible thing. If anything, it teaches us not to mess with the timeline."
"I concur but in reference to my question, she did change the timeline, did she not?" Rita asked as Saul narrowed his eyes at the reporter.
"Now, listen here. The timeline isn't some sort of object that you can shape to your desires. It follows certain rules. For example, if you were to walk into a room and step on broken glass, you would cut your feet. You then try to alter this scenario by going back into the past and preventing yourself from ever walking into the room in the first place and hence, preventing your feet from injury. But you just created a paradox because, without the injury, you wouldn't have travelled back into the past to prevent that injury. How can you prevent yourself from doing something that never happened to you in the first place?"
"True but then in the case of Eloise, didn't she do just that? Travel back and change the timeline by meddling in the past?"
"Eloise was an exception to the rule!" Saul snapped.
"An exception which changed the rule!" Rita retorted.
"Let me take over," John said as the tension in the room began to rise. "What my father is saying is that in a singular timeline, paradoxes cannot exist. You can't change what has already happened. What you can do, however, is alter the timeline."
"Isn't that the same thing? Alter and change?" Patrick interjected as John scowled at him.
"You must understand," John spoke in a serious tone as he turned his attention back to Rita. "Most people who work in the field of time are conservatives who believe in the importance of preserving a timeline. Now, Patrick does have a point but it's all about the degree of change. Let's assume you have a time-turner. You walk out to your garden, travel back into the past five minutes, pick up a leaf and tear it in half, place it back down and then you walk away so that when your past self comes into the garden five minutes later to time-travel, you are not in sight. Now, the only thing you have done is tear a leaf in half. Is the timeline still exactly the same?"
"No," Harry exclaimed as he considered John's words. "Not exactly but a tearing of a leaf is just insignificant."
"Precisely!" John cried as he clapped his hands. "Time-turners have often been used to overcome obstacles with little to no impact. A potioneer who would need time to brew a potion could simply do so by turning back time and so long as he keeps away from anything that can cause significant change, including interaction with others, it wouldn't matter to the timeline."
"Or like a student using it to attend several classes," Harry said with a smirk as he pictured Hermione's face at that very moment.
"Well, yes," John said. "In a nutshell, all these small alterations would, of course, alter the timeline causing alternative timelines. But because these changes are contained, the timeline is preserved. Think of a boat that has to travel from Dock A to Dock B in a straight line. Alterations in the timeline will cause this boat to veer off course but so long as it gets to Dock B, it is fine."
"So, in a nutshell, for the most simplified explanation, the timeline can be changed," Rita said as Harry watched the late Saul Croaker make a face while John, seemingly caught between explaining it once more and knowing the futility of doing so, decided on a middle ground.
"Well, semantics aside, yes, I suppose it can be altered," John said, turning to Harry who took this as the moment to step in. Harry wanted nothing more than for the interview to end.
"So, Rita, I suppose since John and Professor Croaker has put in a satisfactory answer to your question, we are done for today?"
Rita gave Harry a wry smile as she exchanged a look with Patrick.
"Harry, tell me, in your history with Lord Voldemort, has there ever been any moment in which he showed a chance for redemption?"
"What?!" Harry cried, clearly taken aback by the randomness of the question.
"Please, humour me one last time and then you may leave. Just answer my question."
Harry narrowed his eyes at Rita. He knew, of course, that the question was in no way random and being the queen of ulterior motives, Harry knew that she had been leading them all towards a point. On any other day, Harry would have pushed for more. Yet his discomfort and a roaring appetite seemed to convince him otherwise as he comforted himself with the knowledge that whatever fires Rita would be planning to start, it could be easily extinguished.
"No. Lord Voldemort was cruel and evil. There was no remorse in him." Harry spoke poignantly as he recalled his last wandfight with the dark sorcerer. "But once again, I have to remind you. What we have is a baby, nothing more."
"Yes, yes, of course," Rita said excitedly as she clapped her hands. "Now, my listeners, this concludes part one of our interview tonight but don't go anywhere. We will now be taking a ten-minute break before we continue with the second part of our interview, one in which my guest, Patrick Martins and I will be discussing arguably the most important discussion of our century.
Taking a deep breath, Rita stared at Harry before giving a mischievous wink.
"Should the Ministry kill baby Voldemort?"
…..
"Harry, what are we going to do?" John asked as he glared once more in the direction of Rita and Patrick. The bombshell which Rita had just dropped had forced John to remove the portrait of his father as Saul Croaker had been screaming at the top of his lungs once the Skeeter Show had gone for its break.
"We're staying," Harry replied firmly as he folded his arms. The stunt that Rita just pulled was a dangerous one. Harry knew, all too well, how persuasive and charming Rita's words could be. Allowing the discussion to continue unsupervised would be asking for a disaster.
"Welcome back!" Rita Skeeter exclaimed as she and Patrick exchanged a look. Both Harry and John took to their seats, the pair leaving a space where Saul Croaker's portrait had laid. Harry placed a comforting hand on John's shoulder as this glowering colleague nodded his head. It was important that they both kept their cool though Harry, just like John, knew that was easier said than done.
"Now, for those of you tuning in, I want you to brace yourselves. As the topic we are about to discuss is one that has very real-world implications. I urge all of you to contact those who aren't listening right now to tune in as well."
Rita took a deep breath as she paused for dramatic effect.
"My fellow wizards and witches, magical creatures and everyone else tuning in, we are on the verge of embarking on perhaps the most important decision of our lives. For those of you yet unaware, the news is that we have Lord Voldemort in his infant state with us due to some inexplicable time travelling charm. What we have here, my listeners, is a decision to make. For we have a chance to rewrite history as I speak. I am now putting forth the proposal for our debate today and that is we should at the very least consider the possibility of eliminating Lord Voldemort."
Harry watched as Patrick gave a slight nod towards Rita.
"Now, let me make it clear, listeners, I do not, in any way, CONDONE killing, let alone an infant but this is NO ORDINARY infant. As per the first part of our discussion today, you have heard from no less than Harry Potter himself that Lord Voldemort has no redeeming qualities. Should we allow him to return back to his time, that young infant will one day grow as he did to become the most vicious murderer of our time. That is the INEVITABLE outcome that will happen once the charm wears off in a week and we send him back to his time. However, my dear listeners, I urge you to consider this possibility. Why don't we take matters into our own hands?"
"How much have our lives been changed by this monster? How many lives have been lost by this monster? For those of you, like myself, who has lived in two wizarding wars all because of this insane, draconian tyrant, can you imagine what the world would be like if he never existed? Think of the people you lost, the fathers, the mothers, the sons, the daughters, the husbands, the wives, the loved ones, the friends and so many others who have died all because of him? What if we could bring them all back? Shouldn't that, at the very least, warrant a discussion?"
"Okay, that's enough!" John snapped as Harry turned to his colleague, who looked almost ready to pounce on Rita and Patrick. Harry could understand his friend's anger. Rita had made a masterful move by playing on people's emotions, some of which were still fresh from the wars.
"Ahh, yes, John Croaker from the Department of Mysteries and Ministry official, would you care to weigh in?" Rita said with a smirk as Harry glared at her. Her inclusion of the words "Ministry official" was undoubtedly deliberate on her part as everything John would say could be misinterpreted as a Ministry position. Before Harry could warn John, however, his colleague had moved on.
"While you, Rita, may try to manipulate the people into your emotional and myopic way of thinking, there are many things you haven't considered. First and foremost is that this cannot be done! The timeline cannot be changed!"
"But it can be altered," Rita interjected. "As per your own words!"
"Not on such a massive scale!" John snapped. "In the case of Eloise Mintumble, you've seen the repercussions of such a move! But that was just one insignificant witch. This is a wizard who has made massive and vast effects on not just a local, but a global scale! Do you realise how many of our lives are intertwined with his? It would completely shatter the timeline and Time might not even allow you to make such a move! Your Killing Charm might not even work on him!"
"Fine then!" Patrick yelled as Harry turned his attention to the Head of the British Muggleborn Society. "If we were to give it a try and it doesn't succeed, then we have no choice but to accept it. But not to even attempt such a move, let alone talk about it, is downright bigoted!"
"Bigoted?!" John exclaimed as he glowered at Martins. "You're the cauldron calling the kettle black! How about this then? You claim to care so much about lives? Well, take this for example. Let's presume that a move like this will work, that means that time itself would have to change. It means everything you have now may no longer exist. All the families you have, your new-born children, they might not exist because with this new timeline, events may have occurred to prevent you from getting to where you are now. How you may ask? Let me explain. In the wars that happened, many wizards and witches got together and fell in love. Many chose to have children, simply because it gave them hope in a time of everlasting darkness. Take away the darkness and you have people who may have never met each other in the first place. You might be wiped away from existence, Patrick, and with that your children as well. Can you live with that?"
Patrick sneered at John as he leaned forward from his seat.
"You presume, Johnathan, that I didn't consider such a possibility when Rita brought the idea to me? Yes, our timeline would be changed and it would be altered and yes, there will be lives that would be wiped away due to these specific circumstances but we cannot see this as a decision that affects the individual! That would be selfish! We need to see this as a discussion that would benefit society as a whole. Yes, some people who did exist now may not exist but anymore but at the very least, these people would not suffer the effects of war. They would simply not exist. As for the rest of us who would survive in the new timeline, we would be having fresh new memories of peace rather than war. And not to mention, there would most definitely be more people, people who should have existed if not for an evil monster. Think of the families who should have survived, the children they would have brought forth? Think of society who would have no doubt flourished under the years of peace! If my existence is the price to pay for that, then so be it. It wouldn't affect me in any way! I would not exist! But the innocents will. Society would undoubtedly be better off without Lord Voldemort, that you cannot deny, John!"
"Would it? Are you omniscient now, Patrick?" John snapped. "The wars, as horrible as they were, brought about change! Minister Shacklebolt fixed many things in the Ministry, things that had been wrong for so long, even before Voldemort was even born. Harry Potter and Ronald Weasley revolutionised the Auror Department! Hermione Granger-Weasley has put forth many laws, most which obliterates our old way of thinking, the pureblood supremacist ways that you yourself have fought for! As gruesome and destructive as the wars were, we have finally found a path of peace. Society is better off, Martins!"
"At what cost, Croaker?" Patrick roared as his voice began to rise. "At the cost of all those lives lost?! Are you seriously so stubborn that you refuse to acknowledge that there may be a better way of doing things, a better way of living compared to just settling for what we have now?! I agree that the old pureblood ways of thinking were wrong and yes, these were ideas that existed long before Voldemort but did you forget the Muggleborn Minister for Magic Nobby Leach? Back in the 1960s, change and progress was already in the air and we were ripe for a better world. If not for a plot to overthrow Leach, led by none other than Abraxas Malfoy, a known supporter of Voldemort and one whom many agree was a part of a plot conceived by Voldemort himself to overthrow the Minister, we would have the life we had now nearly fifty years ago! Leach would have destroyed the Pureblood riots just like Eugenia Jenkins did and has been regarded as much more competent than the latter and Harold Minchum put together. We wouldn't have needed the Golden Trio to save us because we were already saving ourselves. The darker pureblood families would have posed problems, I'm sure, but none as dangerous and powerful as a certain dark sorcerer who galvanised his troops and tried to rule over the world."
"You don't know that, Patrick!" John sighed, his temper clearly ebbing away as frustration began to set in. "You're presuming all this based on historical events which may, and in all certainty, will not follow the same path just because you removed an anomaly from the timeline! What if by taking Voldemort out of the equation, we allow for another more vicious and more dangerous wizard to rise in his place?"
"Oh, don't go there!" Patrick cried as he scowled at John. "Such theories should be left to Muggle stories wherein cases such as this, they always cheapen it by taking the easy way out."
"Forgive me for interrupting this riveting debate," Rita interjected though Harry could see that she was beaming. No doubt, their discussion tonight would have blown her ratings through the roof. "But what's this about Muggle stories and time travel?"
Patrick sighed before smiling at Rita. "Well, Ms. Skeeter, in many Muggle stories where time travel is a plot, in these stories there is a scenario that is similar to ours. Take for example in the Muggle world, there is a monster similar to Voldemort called Hitler, a ruthless tyrant himself. Now, in these stories, these so-called time travellers find themselves at a crossroads to change history in this case, saving the world from dealing with Hitler. Granted they might not have to kill baby Hitler in order to achieve this but maybe dissuade from going into politics or prevent his parents from getting together. But in almost all of the stories, it is shown that messing with the timeline is a bad choice. That by doing so, they create a future which is significantly worse from the one they had or in some unique cases, the decision to interact with Hitler's live inadvertently caused the rise of the dictator in the first place but that's just it. These are fictional stories! Why the author chooses to proceed in such a manner is his own choice but it baffles me! Is it because we feel that messing with time inexplicably makes us God? And doing so is not only wrong but sacrilegious in some way? Why can't we accept or at least consider that messing and changing the timeline could be better?!"
"Because it gives us the dangerous idea of a hopeless venture rather than allowing us to deal with a more important facet of our lives, Patrick," John replied. "To move on. Time manipulation is just a whimsical fantasy that makes us want to believe that we can eradicate the pain of the past rather than realistically dealing and moving on from it."
"If there are any lessons to be learnt from here, John," Patrick exclaimed. "Is that realistically we should also accept that this time, this one time, perhaps it is best to change history. I could go through an entire night worth of facts that show you just how the world would be like without Voldemort in it. How we would have progressed far better in those years of peace especially with Albus Dumbledore standing on our side. After all, it was the Purebloods' belief in Voldemort being better than Dumbledore that spun the wheels of war. Otherwise, with the most powerful wizard in our corner, nothing would have happened. I urge you to think reasonably, John. To use logic and not emotions!"
"And yet your opinion is fuelled by emotions, isn't it, Mr Martins," Harry spoke for the first time as all three individuals turned their attention to him. Harry unclenched his fists which he had balled up during the heated debate between John and Patrick. While he could see both sides of their argument, inside his head, however, was a different matter.
Harry saw his parents, Dobby, Fred, Sirius, Remus, Tonks and so many others who had died in the war. He recalled the pleas and cries for help during the Battle of Hogwarts. Narrowing his eyes at Patrick, Harry cleared his throat.
"Patrick, at the end of the day, you may choose to defend and substantiate your stance for as long as you possibly can but despite what you may say, there is only one reason why this discussion is even being brought up. If I may be so bold, who was it that you lost, Patrick?"
For the first time since he came on the show, Patrick looked unhinged. Gone was the presence of a confident, powerful man and in came the image of a person being forced to relive his worst memory. Seeing Patrick tremble as a tear rolled down his cheek, Harry felt a pang of guilt and yet, he stood by what he said. If we're going to talk about it, we should at least have all our cards on the table Harry thought as Patrick took a deep breath.
"My daughter," Patrick spoke as Rita signalled at him to speak up. "She would be graduating from Hogwarts this year. She loved Quidditch just like you did, Harry and she also wanted to be a Seeker. My little girl should have been in school, making friends, going for classes and thinking about the future. I should be a father now and Voldemort took that away from me."
Patrick gave a sniff as Harry gave the man a sympathetic look.
"And you're right, Harry. You're right. This is an emotional decision because I was affected in ways that only those who lost loved ones in the war can possibly understand. I loved my little girl from the moment she first opened her eyes to the moment he closed them. And I have tried to move on, I have, as much as I possibly could."
"And yet you want to manipulate time to save your daughter." Harry sighed. "Believe me when I say I understand, Patrick, I do. But you're clinging on to a hope that you might now have placed into people, a hope that is dangerous as it might undo the work that countless of individuals have put in. There are forces at work, higher powers, things we don't understand or comprehend and instead of accepting what we have, you rather put yourself at the mercy of a fantasy."
"I accept the things that I cannot change, Mr Potter," Patrick spoke. "I really do. I accept that I cannot control death, that I cannot control time and that there are things out of my control but this isn't one of them. If we are presented with the opportunity we have now, don't we also have the responsibility to consider doing it especially if it's for the betterment of society? Even if it's just for wanting to bring our loved ones back?"
"You're talking about committing infanticide!" John leapt in once more. "You do realise that what we have is a baby, right?! Are you suggesting we kill a baby?"
"Of course not!" Patrick spoke, his usual brisk demeanour rushing back in. "Look at it this way. I've thought long and hard about this. Supposing we insert some charm, some spell, maybe even manipulate his memories so that Tom does not become Lord Voldemort. Yet, Potter here has told us that the man feels no remorse for what he did. Further studies into Voldemort has shown that he was born under the effects of a Love Potion, rendering him unable to feel love. Sooner or later, that baby will become the monster that almost destroyed the world so any attempt to dissuade him now would in all probability fail miserably –"
"-So we just kill him?"
"We save him!" Patrick roared. "By doing what needs to be done, we not only ensure a better world filled with the people who should have lived but we also save Tom from himself! Tom will never grow up to be a monster. His soul will be intact. He will move on into the next life with absolutely no sin. How is that not gracious?!"
"I can't believe you would –" John cried, only to be stopped by Harry.
"Mr Martins," Harry spoke as he leaned forward towards the older wizard. As far as Harry was concerned, the discussion was over and it was now time to play politics. "The Ministry hears your opinion. And believe we know that this situation isn't normal nor straightforward. But as a member and official of the Ministry, I can urge you as well as all of you who are listening that the Ministry heard you and we will make the most suitable choice for our community."
Patrick stared at Harry for a long moment before a smile broke on his face.
"With you as Head Auror, Harry, I have no doubt. Rita, I've given my opinion for the day. Perhaps you would like to have a go instead?"
Surprise etched itself onto Rita's face before the witch quickly recovered by giving her final thoughts. Harry watched as Patrick Martins stood on his feet and motioned for Harry to follow him across the room. Motioning for John to remain in his seat, Harry made his way over to Patrick. He could see that Patrick wanted to say something but Harry had other ideas.
"What in Merlin's name are you thinking?!" Harry whispered angrily as he glared at Patrick. "Ten years! Ten bloody long years since the war ended and here you are, reopening old wounds and giving false hope to those who have suffered! What if it doesn't work, huh? What if baby Voldemort is protected by the spell? Then what?! We have been making strides, trying to heal and now, because of you and Skeeter, we might all relapse!"
"Harry, I understand your anger. Believe me, I do." Patrick sighed. "And as shocking as this may seem to you, I have nothing but respect for you, Mr. Potter. You saved our world and I will forever be grateful for it. But when Rita brought up the topic to me beforehand, I couldn't resist. I owe it to my daughter, Harry. Surely you, of all people, can understand that?"
"Of course I understand that!" Harry snapped. "But what you and Rita just put forth could have been done in private!"
"And let the Ministry silence us, as Fudge tried to do to your beloved Dumbledore?" Patrick laughed. "Not a chance. I've learnt the hard way not to put too much faith in those in power."
"I'm not Fudge. This is a different Ministry!"
"Forgive me for being sceptical but a Ministry has agendas and while I trust you, Harry, I do, I cannot do the same for the rest of your lot. At least this way, even if you do choose to wipe my memories or take any measures, the word is out and the wheels are in motion."
"You think your thought hasn't crossed my mind as well?" Harry said as he averted his gaze away from Patrick. "Trust me, when he first came, that was all I could think about. Seeing my parents and so many others back. But we can't just make decisions purely on emotion."
"Why not?! Listen to your heart, Harry." Patrick urged as he snuck a glance back at Rita and John. "You've always made the right choice and weren't all those choices heartfelt? It's our brain that likes to overthink, keep us second guessing until finally, we do nothing. As an old Muggle saying goes, the only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing. If we choose to not even attempt anything on Lord Voldemort, then he wins, Harry. He wins."
"He lost," Harry replied adamantly. "I beat him."
"Did you? Tell me, are you moving on from all those deaths? Are you okay? Are you healed?" Patrick growled. "Tell me you don't see them in your dreams. Tell me that all those lives lost don't torment each and every day. He may not be alive anymore but what he did will forever live on. And those wounds, Harry, they never close."
"We're done here, Patrick. I have to go now anyway." Harry said as he turned to walk towards John, only for Patrick to grab his arm.
"Wait, just hear this out. Please." Patrick begged as Harry turned to face him. He could see the melancholy behind Patrick's eyes as the wizard heaved a sigh. "Look, I'm sorry it has to be you. I truly am, Harry. If this thing fails, then fine. We've done all we can and so be it. But if there's a chance, a chance to change things we should take it. Please, my daughter didn't deserve to die. I, like you, keep telling others to move on. Some do, but not us. We owe it to them, Harry."
"Goodbye, Patrick," Harry whispered as he gave the old wizard a sympathetic look. Sighing, Patrick gave Harry a smile before nodding his head. All of a sudden, he let out a mirthless laugh.
"What's so funny?" Harry asked as Patrick shook his head.
"It's nothing. It's just…my healer keeps telling me that eventually, time will heal all wounds. I used to tell him that that was a load of dragon dung. That there are some wounds that will never close, never be repaired and that there was nothing time could do about it."
Patrick stared at Harry for a moment before clapping him on the back.
"Seems I might be wrong."
…
CRACK!
"For heaven's sake, Harry, use the Floo!" Hermione whispered as Harry found himself standing in the middle of Ron's and Hermione's living room. Harry gave an apologetic look towards Hermione who was busy carrying one month baby Hugo in her arms.
"Sorry, Hermione." Harry said as Ron came down the stairs, chuckling to himself.
"At the rate we're always in each other homes, we should just live next door to each other."
"As much as I love the two of you to bits, let's never do that," Harry said as he cooed over baby Hugo. He had just tucked his own Lily to sleep and seeing Hugo resting in Hermione's arms reminded Harry of yet another baby he had to…take care of.
"I'll put him to bed. You guys go to the kitchen. Ron, do not open that bottle of Firewhiskey!" Hermione whispered as Ron gave a slight grumble.
"No," Harry said, shaking his head. "Let's just all go to Hugo's room. I rather not drink at this moment."
As Harry entered into Hugo's bedroom, he couldn't help but feel slightly envious at his nephew. Hugo's room was littered with toys, mostly products from Ron's and George's shop, not to mention a bookcase filled with books and banners of Chudley Cannons being placed all around the ceiling. Harry snuck a glance at Ron and Hermione who were tucking in Hugo into his cot.
Would this have been my life if Voldemort never existed? Harry thought as he tried to picture his parents both cooing over him as he laid in his cot, not having to deal with magical prophecies or dark wizards.
"How's Ginny and the kids?" Ron asked as he conjured up three chairs for the Trio to sit.
"The kids are asleep. Luna's over at our place. No surprises as to what they're discussing right now." Harry sighed. "Is your mom okay?"
"She will be." Ron sighed. It had been a harrowing sight for Harry, having entered the Burrow only to find that the usual boisterous atmosphere had been dampened by the absence of the Weasley matriarch, currently upstairs in her room crying and being comforted by her husband. Bill had officially cancelled the dinner once Rita's talkshow ended with the Weasley family leaving back to their homes.
"I've never seen her like that, Ron," Hermione said as she placed a hand on her husband's shoulder. Ron gave his wife's hand a squeeze as he offered a smile.
"Hey, Mom's strong. She always is."
"So..." Harry said as he stared at his best friends. "What do you guys think?"
Instead of answering, both Ron and Hermione exchanged a look. Harry recognised that move, having been familiar for many years. It was a look that indicated that both Ron and Hermione did talk about it but were now wondering the best way to express their views without the possibility of an argument erupting. Fortunately, Harry had other ideas.
"Okay, you know what? Normally, I would just press you guys but after tonight, all I can think of is what should I do? So let's forget about the whole debate on whether we should kill Voldemort again and let's just focus on our next move."
"Well, usually whenever we're stuck on a problem, I just refer to Hermione and her brain. Or we go to the library." Ron exclaimed.
"Only this time, I've no clue what to do." Hermione sighed. "There's no book telling you how to deal with something like this. I've combed through the Ministry library countless times and I can tell you that there's never been a case like this before."
"So we're stuck then," Harry said as he ran his fingers through his hair. "Okay, forget what I said. What do you both think I should do with Voldemort?"
There were only a few times in his life that Harry had ever seen Hermione hesitate to answer a question. Fortunately, Ron took the lead instead.
"Mate, as much as you value my opinion, I can't give you one right now. I mean…with Mom…you know that it's about Fred and if there's a chance that he can be brought back, all of us would take it in a heartbeat but what John said…you know…about what we're going to give up…"
"I agree." Hermione sighed. "I'm conflicted too. My head tells me that we shouldn't mess with time but my heart tells me that if there's a chance to save those who gave their lives, we should take it. But when I consider what I would be giving up….I mean…we might not even be friends."
"What?!" Ron and Harry cried in unison as Hermione glared at the pair. Sporting an apologetic look, Harry blew a sigh of relief as the trio turned to look at a still asleep Hugo in his cot.
"What do you mean, Hermione?" Ron asked as Hermione leaned her head on Ron's shoulder.
"Ron, do you remember how we all became friends?"
"Yeah…" Ron said guiltily. "You know I was just a dumb kid back then."
"We were all dumb kids." Harry said as Hermione nodded. "But I'm with Ron here. You were in Gryffindor, Hermione. We would have known each other. All three of us."
"But it was a troll that got the two of you to come to my aid. Yes, Ron, you did make me cry to go there but if Quirrell, who was Voldemort, never unleashed a troll in the bathroom, would you still have come?"
"I….I honestly can't say." Ron said sadly as he put his arms around Hermione.
"And let's not forget who I was. I was a bossy kid who admittedly was horrible at making friends. No, don't say anything, you know it's true." Hermione exclaimed. "And you know what, Ron? I'm glad you called me names because if it weren't for that, we might not have bonded that quickly. But you take Voldemort out of that equation and I might just be a girl whom the two of you would have regarded as an acquaintance more than a friend."
"Well, if we're going down that road, then Harry and I might not even be friends." Ron said as Hermione and Harry stared at him. "What? It's true. Harry, mate, the only reason you and I knew each other back then was because you had no idea how to enter Platform Nine and Three Quarters. We might have been seated in different compartments. Besides, I might not even be sorted into Gryffindor."
"Your whole family is in Gryffindor, Ron!" Harry replied, sounding slightly annoyed at the thought of circumstances being the reason for his friendships with Ron and Hermione.
"I've never told you both this." Ron sighed. "But the Hat said that he could see I had great amounts of loyalty in me. At that time, all I wanted to do was stand apart from my brothers. But the Hat said that he could see great things in my future, things born out of courage and that made me want to go to Gryffindor. Without Voldemort, our adventures, those things where I got to display my courage, they wouldn't exist. I would be a Hufflepuff."
"In the case, I would be a Ravenclaw," Hermione said.
"And I would be a Slytherin!" Harry whispered harshly as his best friends stared confusedly at him. "What? Since we're all talking in hypotheticals here, why not? Even if I didn't have part of Voldemort's soul, I would still be ambitious, wouldn't I? So why not Slytherin?"
"Your dad would skin you alive if you went to Slytherin, Harry," Ron said.
"But I would still be in it, wouldn't I?" Harry retorted before regretting the slight rise in his tone. "Sorry, it's been a long night and I don't like to think about how we wouldn't be friends just because of some idiotic evil sorcerer. As far as I'm concerned, I can't imagine life without the two of you in them. You both were my real first family, not my parents, not the Weasley's, not Sirius being my godfather and definitely not the Dorsey's. There are things I'm willing to give up but never, under any circumstances, would I give up my friendship with the pair of you. Never."
"Oh, Harry," Hermione said as she threw her arms around him while Ron wrapped his arms around the pair of them. As Harry embraced the warmth of their group hug, he could feel his heart beating wildly in his chest. This is it, this is my decision Harry thought fiercely as he recalled his Hogwarts years with Ron and Hermione. Guess I'm sending the bastard back home in one piece.
"Thanks, you guys," Harry said as he pulled himself away from the hug. "I think I know what to do now."
"Harry…" Hermione whispered as she exchanged another look with Ron. "Perhaps we shouldn't be too hasty."
"Hermione's right, we have a week. Let's just…not decide this tonight." Ron said as Harry gave his friends an incredulous look.
"No, we're going to beat around the bush again. It's done. I'm not going to change the past."
"Harry…" Ron said as he placed a hand on Harry's shoulder. "Listen, Hermione and I will always have your back no matter what. But there are a lot of people who are still affected by the war. This is a sensitive issue, one we cannot make without at least discussing it further."
"What's there to discuss? I'm not willing to give up everything I have right now." Harry said as Hermione cleared her throat.
"But it's not just up to you, isn't it? This affects a lot of people and we can't make this decision simply because we're feeling nostalgic tonight."
"Nostalgic?!" Harry whispered incredulously. "Hermione, I'm being realistic."
"Harry, do you believe we would be friends even if Voldemort didn't exist?" Hermione said as she crossed her arms.
"We would always be friends," Harry replied.
"Then what are you afraid of?"
"That the three of us wouldn't be…I mean…what you said…arghhhh!" Harry groaned. "You see, Hermione, now we're back to square one!"
"We never left square one," Hermione replied, sounding slightly amused.
"So what do we do now?" Ron spoke as he leaned back in his seat. "This is like the Horcruxes all over again, only this time we have to decide if we want to hunt or not. Bloody hell, it's not like we have Dumbledore helping us like the last time…"
Harry's, Ron's and Hermione's eyes widened instantly as Harry smacked himself on the head.
"Dumbledore!" the Trio cried in unison. Almost instantly, a loud crying sound came from the crib as Ron uttered a swear word under his breath.
"Ron!" Hermione whispered as she made a beeline to comfort a crying Hugo back to sleep.
"Looks like we're going back to Hogwarts tomorrow, mate." Ron sighed as Harry patted his best friend on his back. "I better get some muffins to pass to McGonagall since we've going to be using her office."
"Throw in that bottle of Firewhiskey," Harry said with a smirk as Ron glared at him. "What? Trust me, we might need a drink after all of this."
"I'll get a sitter tomorrow," Hermione said as she rocked Hugo gently in her arms. "Want me to get one for you and Ginny?"
"It's okay," Harry said as he watched Ron and Hermione put Hugo back to bed once more. Over the years since they left Hogwarts, Harry tried to recall the number of times when it was just the three of them. With Ginny joining their group as well as family members and friends, Harry couldn't remember the last time it was just the three of them. He barely saw Hermione at work and with Ron working at the joke shop, there was hardly any time for the trio to meet up, let alone go on an adventure. Harry never said it out loud and though he loved Ginny with all his heart, Harry did feel a longing for the old days. Tomorrow was such a day and with Voldemort involved, who better to help him than Ron and Hermione.
….
All over Great Britain, Muggles partied hard into the night, waiting for that impending moment when the clock will strike twelve and a new year will dawn. In one such home, a young man with mousy brown hair and similar coloured eyes found himself in the attic, with a bottle of whiskey in one hand and a wireless radio in the other. Wiping aside the tears that had streamed down his face, the man looked into the empty bottle before smashing it against the wooden walls of the tiny room.
"Baby!" cried the voice of his fiancée as she made her way up towards the attic. "Are you okay? What happened?"
"Slipped." The man replied as he shook his head. Though the alcohol tried its best to douse his pain, the man could still feel it rushing through his body. His fiancée, with a sympathetic look on her face, sat next to him as she gently grabbed his hand.
"Come on, let's go down. It's nearly midnight."
"Why don't you go ahead, Francine? I want to be alone right now."
"But…"
"Francine please, not tonight."
Francine gave her fiancée a look over before nodding her head. She had never seen him in such a state before. He had always seemed so mysterious despite possessing a boyish charm. Though he seemed happy most of the time, Francine could tell that her future husband to be was hurting at times. Perhaps it has something to do with his mysterious boarding school Francine thought as she gave her fiancé a kiss on the lips before making her way downstairs to the party.
The man touched his lips as a ghost of a smile returned, if only for a moment. Walking towards a dark corner of the attic, the man lifted away a tarp that had been covering a box. Years of dust had made its home around the box but tonight the man brushed it all away. Opening the box, the man stared inside as the wave of nostalgia from the items came rushing in.
Lifting his now way-too-small robes aside, the man reached for another box, one made of black leather as he lifted the lid. Inside, the man stared at the long, wooden stick that he had placed inside for ten years. Like a ghost from the past, the man reached for the stick, only to hesitate before reaching for the other item inside the lid.
Holding up the contraption, the man stared at the black item as tears ran down his cheek. He had tried to bury the past, to bury who he was as much as he could but it seemed tonight, the past had reared its ugly head once more. With a growl of determination, the man reached out for the stick as for the first time in ten years, he could feel a familiar wave of power coursing through his veins while a bright white light emanated from the end of the stick.
"I'm going to make this right, I promise you." the man said as he pocketed the stick before closing the box. Packing everything up from the box, the man wiped his tears as he made his way down towards the party, leaving everything as it once was with the exception of the black contraption, an old, dusty camera.
…
As the first rays of sunlight began to emerge at dawn, folks started to retreat back into the comfort of their beds, having partied throughout the night.
Up in the Scottish Highlands, the only pure wizarding village in all of Britain began to stir to life. Wizards and witches who had slept the night before began making their way outside, setting up their shops as they prepared for the day ahead. Near a rundown bar that looked abandoned on appearance stood an alley where out of nowhere, two wizards and a witch appeared on cue before disappearing once more. On the snowy paths of the village, one could see small footprints being made into the snow as they continued up a snowy path past a dark and thick forest and an enclosed dilapidated shack, past a vast, deep lake and next to a cosy hut with smoke coming through the chimney with a rather large dog barking outside as he played around the pumpkin patch until finally, the trio emerged once more into view.
"As much as I love your Cloak, Harry," Ron said as he removed the Disillusionment Charm off himself. "I think I love having to move around a lot more."
"I still think we should have said hello to Hagrid," Hermione said as she peered back at Fangs who had no doubt sensed their presence.
"We'll say hello later," Harry replied. Though he had been here countless times, there was something rather poignant about the Hogwarts castle today as the trio found themselves at the front entrance of the castle. Maybe it's because even without Voldemort, I would still have you Harry thought with a smile as the trio entered the castle.
"You know, it's still early," Ron said. "Maybe we should head down to the kitchens first."
"Honestly, Ron!" Hermione cried. "Do you think of anything else other than food?!"
"Well, if you had let me go into the Three Broomsticks to grab a meal, then I wouldn't be hungry."
"You had three sandwiches back at home!"
"You call that a breakfast?!"
"Guys," Harry said as he chuckled to himself. As much as the pair's bickering brought back a wave of nostalgia, there were more pressing matters to attend. Turning around to see Ron and Hermione staring back at him from the entrance, Harry felt something tugging at his heart.
"We would always be friends."
"Let's go see Dumbledore's portrait."
…
Let's end here for now. I've always been fascinated by people's opinions on whether or not they would kill Baby Hitler, only this time it's Baby Voldemort. In the next chapter, you'll get to see Dumbledore's perspective as well as a certain, greasy-haired individual. This story will focus on the moral dilemma on whether or not one should choose to kill Baby Voldemort and I promise you, this story will have a definite conclusion.
Thank you for reading and please review if you can! Love you guys!
P.S please forgive the grammatical mistakes.