Unspoken
by Teddylonglong

Please refer to chapter 1 for my disclaimer and warnings. Thank you.


"Now, the elixir as it is does not work in the way you need it for your project." Nicholas cast Harry a sharp look. "It merely ensures that you won't die provided that you won't be attacked or killed in an accident."

"Oh, that won't work then," Connie muttered, more to herself than to the others.

"Are you ready to give up that easily?" Nix asked in a sharp voice, causing her to look at the yeti in apparent shock.

"Of course not, sir," Harry replied, indignantly. "We need to adapt the elixir to our plan."

"Exactly." Nicholas nodded in apparent appreciation. "Considering that you both passed your Potions NEWT with an O, you should be adept enough to assist.

"I only passed the exam, because Harry managed to cast the required spell at my potion at the right time without anyone noticing it," Connie admitted, smirking.

"That was a well-done cheat then." Nicholas chuckled in apparent amusement, while Nix grinned broadly.

Looking at the yeti, a sudden idea crossed Harry's mind. "Eh, would it perhaps be possible to somehow add a time slide charm of about an hour to the elixir? I mean…"

"… so that they'd appear to be dead for an hour, but truly aren't?" Connie completed his strand of thought in eagerness.

Nicholas and Nix exchanged a glance. "Perhaps, that would be the solution for part of the problem. Archie, what do you think?"

Nicholas nodded. "On the one hand, yes, but still, if someone was attacked after taking the elixir, they'd be dead."

After a longer discussion, they decided to add Whisker and Felina to their research team, considering that they belonged to the same Unspeakable team as Archie and the Mini Unspeakables, so that they did not need Croaker's permission. 'They know what we're doing anyway,' Harry thought, feeling very much reassured to have the two capable Unspeakables, who were part of his own family, support them.

Nevertheless, it took them a few months of brewing, testing the concoctions on rats and developing a time sliding spell that could be cast on a potion, before they were contented with the result of their research.

It was on the first day of Connie's Easter holidays the following year that they met in Archie's Alchemy lab for a final test.

Whisker produced a stunned rat, which he placed on the floor in front of him. Everyone gathered around it and watched, as Harry spelled the lightly orange liquid from a small phial right into the rat's system, before Archie cast the killing curse at the animal.

Harry and Connie both shuddered upon seeing the green light of the curse.

The rat appeared dead, and Whisker cancelled the stunning spell; however, when Archie cast a diagnostic charm at the small animal, it showed that the rat was still alive.

"Assuming that this is going to work and the rat will wake from its stupor in one hour's time, we should discuss how to proceed further."

Harry cast Nicholas a grateful look.

"Have you managed to time slide over a longer distance already?" The old wizard questioningly looked from him to Nix.

Harry grinned. "Yes sir. I have practised about one hundred times, only to the future and back though, not to the past and back."

"That should not make a difference." Nix sounded contented.

Archie nodded. "Very good. How many hours, months, years into the future?"

"Five years into the future and back was the longest. I travelled from my own room at home, so I didn't meet anyone."

"And you arrived back at the exact time?"

Harry nodded. "Three to five minutes after I left each time."

"Where can they go years into the past without anyone seeing and possibly killing them without waiting for an explanation?" Connie stared at the adults in obvious concern.

"That is not a problem." Archie smiled, reassuringly. "Hundreds of years ago, Perenelle and I have discussed the possibility of time travel, although there was no means for such a thing at that time, and we have set a password phrase. You can travel right to our home and tell us this specific phrase."

"Will I be welcome in your home, sir? As you know, I should accompany Harry, even if it is not possible for us to time slide together."

"Of course, Nix. I will give you an explanatory letter for my younger self and even ask him to assist with your endeavour."

"Is there no way I can accompany Harry?" Connie looked sad, as she gently cuddled Lucy close.

"No, young lady. This time, it will not be possible."

'If it works, I'll take you somewhere to a different time,' Harry silently promised his wife, when he recalled that Nicholas had not told them the password yet. "Excuse me, sir. You said something about a password phrase?"

Archie nodded. "Time is destiny."

"Thank you, sir."

"Now, seeing that you're well prepared," Archie stated, once they had observed the rat wake up and flee from the sight, "I suggest that the two of you, Paws and Nix, leave right away. Accompany me to my home first and travel from there. You should make sure to arrive a day ahead. My younger self and my wife will be happy to accommodate you." He handed Harry a folded parchment. "Give this to my younger self after telling him the password."

"Now?" Harry stared at the older wizard in shock.

"It is only nine o'clock in the morning, and you'll have the whole day to return here, before anyone will miss you," Archie stated, matter-of-factly. "Do you have your Unspeakable robes with you?"

"Yes sir." Harry and Nix nodded and hurried to put on their robes.

Connie pulled him into a bear's hug. "Come back soon and safely. I'll take care of Lucy."

"I will. Thanks," Harry replied. 'Perhaps, it'll be good to go right away and get over with it, before this uncertainty will spoil Easter for the whole family,' he thought, as he mentally readied himself for the task ahead.

"Bye, Turtle, Lucy, Felina and Whisker. I'll see you soon."

"Take care, Paws. We'll be waiting for you," Felina replied, pulling him into a light hug.

"See you later, little one. Be careful." Whisker gave him a reassuring slap onto his shoulder.

'Take me with you.'

'Sorry, Lulu, I can't, but I'll be back in a few minutes' time.'

With that, he reached for the Portkey that Archie held out to Nix and him, and the laboratory vanished from the sight.

tbc...?

Thank you so much for the kind reviews for the last chapter. Are you still interested? Please tell me what you think and what you would like to see in this story. My muse appreciates it.