Merlins Beard

November 1994

Harry had three weeks to "get ready" for the "unknown" first task. The night after the Goblet pulled his name he got up early and met Hermione in the common room. They waited a half an hour to see if Ron would come down but he didn't. Harry knew he wouldn't, Ron felt too overshadowed to really believe Harry but he had hoped that this time would be different. He took Hermione to the Room of Requirements and they started looking. This time, since there wasn't a psychopath killing their friends, they didn't spilt up. It took no time at all to find the Diadem, which Harry stashed in his bag. The problem was they were looking for whatever had turned back time on him and he didn't even know what he was looking for. They spent a few hours looking from the pile the diadem was in with not luck. Harry did find that stupid stuffed dragon though and this time he stuffed it in his bag with the diadem. It was a Hungarian horntail, how ironic. After a few hours of looking, and coming up empty Harry and Hermione went to lunch.

As Harry walked into the Great Hall he remembered why he had hated fourth year. It wasn't the tasks or even the Dragon, it was the "Harry Potter Stinks" Badges and the looks he received. Half the school loved him and called him a hero, half the school wanted him dead. He and Hermione sat at the end of the Gryffindor table to avoid as many "admires" as he could. Colin Creevey still wanted pictures and the twins thought he was brilliant and wanted him to share what he had done but Harry wanted was to curl into a ball and hide. They ate quickly and went back to searching through the rubbish in the room of requirements.

School continued as it had the first time Harry was a 4th year. Classes were the same. Badges started popping up. And of course, "Moody" was terrorizing students. Harry knew he needed to turn in Crouch Jr. in he just needed proof first. With Ron not believing him he knew he sounded crazy and needed more proof before he could do anything.

It wasn't until the weighting of the wands that things started to change. Harry refused an interview with Skeeter this time around and instead ran off with Hermione as soon as the weighing was done. They headed straight to the Room of Requirements and started their search again. As Harry searched he got angrier and angrier at the entire situation. He knew he was throwing things in his anger and he knew he was cursing people and things, he probably looked crazy but why wouldn't he? He was probably going crazy, he was stuck in the past and so far nothing had changed and that bloody cockroach of a women was attacking him and Hermione all over again, and fucking Crouch Jr. was still tormenting his friends and he was going to end up in the cemetery all over again. He was going to watch Cedric die, hell if this kept up he was going to watch Siris die! Damn it he had to do something!

"Bloody Hell Harry!" Hermione screeched after he accidentally threw something near her. He hadn't meant to of course but he was throwing things about in anger again.

"Sorry Hermione! I didn't mean to! I was just lost in my thoughts.." He looked at her sheepishly as he apologized.

"That's it. Harry James Potter, you are going to tell me everything or I'm not helping you anymore!" Hermione said standing up to face him. "I've put up with Ron's bloody bad attitude, and quiet honestly yours isn't much better now a days. You're moody and whiny and you won't even tell me why. Always mumbling things like 'Crouch Jr.', 'bloody cock roach', 'graveyard', and 'horcuxes' and like hell if I know what any of it means and I can't find anything in the Library about any of it! I know you said you're from the future but if you don't start tell me what to expect future boy I'm going to start hanging out with Ronald instead. At least he's honest about what is making him moody!"

Harry was shocked. Sure Hermione had lectured them before but he couldn't remember being the blunt end of her anger. That was usually where Ron was while he stood on the side and watched. He just blinked at her before saying "you're right" and sitting down in defeat. He had let his angry control his emotions. He was no better than Ron and he didn't even know what he could do about it.

Hermione walked over to him and sat down in front of him. "I can't help you if you don't tell me what is happening" she said reaching out and taking his hand.

Harry's heart jumped at the contact. He may be 14 again but he had never lost his feeling for Hermione. He had pushed them aside of course, mostly because he had other things to worry about but in the last two weeks he had laid in bed and remembered what it felt like when he saw her and Ron kiss and how he had wished it was him she was kissing instead. Harry closed his eyes and said, "you're just so young…"

"Harry Bloody Potter we are the same age, don't give me that BS. Merlin, you're making me swear like Ronald," she scolded him and he had to laugh at the irony. Yes they were the same again but he was also four years older than her and yet he was stuck in his 14 year old self's body. Merlin, how did his life get to be so confusing?

"You're right…" he sighed and then he just started telling her everything. It was like word vomit and he couldn't stop himself. He told her everything. He told her about the up coming tasks and how Moody isn't Moody. Then he told her about the graveyard… the worse night of his life...and she just sat and listen. He went on. The dementors in Little Winging. The Order. The snake attack on Mr. Weasley. Siris's death… The next worse night of his life... The half blood princes book. The lessons with Dumbledore. The horcuxes. The Wedding. Being on the Run. Godric's Hollow. And finally the diadem. He told her everything he could remember all the important things. He didn't mention that Ron had left while camping. He didn't mention the last horcuxe was unknown. He didnt mention the months they spent alone getting to know each other or his growing feelings for her, but he told her everything else. And when he stopped he closed his eyes and felt tears bubble up but he wouldn't let them fall, he couldn't because the war wasn't over, it hadn't even started.

They sat in silence for a while and then Hermione finally said "Oh Harry" and she hugged him. That's when he cried. He didn't even know why he was crying he just couldn't hold it in anymore. All the people he had lost. The things he had seen. It all crashed down on him. He didn't sob, no the Dursley's broke him of that. He silently cried on her shoulder until his eyes were dry and his breathing came naturally again.

"I can't lose Siris again Hermione, I can't let Cedric die. I have to do something but I can't change anything until know I won't mess something up in the future. How do I get back? Do I even want to get back?… I Just… I need answers first Hermione. Answers first. Then Horcux hunting." He sighed again, he was doing that a lot lately, and let go of Hermione sitting back up.

"Oh Harry, we'll figure it out. We will - " she started to say but was cut off as she leaned back and her hand landed on something behind her.

Harry shot up form his sitting position on the ground but before he could even scream her name she was back. She looked the exact same but her eyes were wide with fear and then comprehension. "Hermione are you okay?" Harry asked coming over to her quickly.

"Harry! Give me the gloves!" She yelled with excitement reaching out to him. He passed her the dragon hide gloves they had packed just incase. Putting the gloves on Hermione turned around and grabbed... a book?

"Hermione I know you love too read and all but is now really the time, and why did you need the gloves" Harry asked. He was not seeing whatever it was that had Hermione so excited.

"Shhh…. I think I found something," she said and turned the page. The book she was holding was ancient looking, so old it probably should be in a museum not in this junk pile. The front cover had no words on it but Harry had seen a picture that looked like an hourglass. Not that that meant anything, or many it did. "I need to take this back to my room and look through my Ancient Runes books. But I have a feeling this is what we have been looking for!" Hermione said shutting the book with a wide grin on her face. "The front cover says Myrddin Wyllt"

Harry looked at her confused, "Who's Myrddin Wyllt?"

"Merlin, Harry! Myrddin is Merlins really name! He was the the Wizard we all curse, though no one knows if he was real or not with the numerous legend that surround him. The stories say he was a Welsh Wizard what was blessed with the gift of prophecy Harry!" She was smiling so widely but he was till very confused. And it must of showed on his face because she continued on, "The story of Merlin say he was a prophet but we call know divination is a scam. What if he wasn't a prophet but just a time traveler. That is WAY more believable anyway. I'm not the best at ancient runes but the ones I do recognize in here are for time travel, I remember seeing them on my time turner last year so this must be it! Harry you touched this book and it sent you back to here and now. I touched this book and it sent me two seconds in the future, I don't know why so I'll have to translate more but it makes perfect sense, this is what we've been looking for!"

She hugged the book to her self and Harry finally understood. He wasn't sure what made him do what he did next whether it was her happiness, his happiness, or the memories form months in the tent but Harry picked her up in a hug and spun her in a circle. She had done it, she had come through for him once again like she always does! The spin hug was much harder than her remembered and then he remembered at 14 they were basically the same height and he hadn't hit his growth spirt. He also realized that being close to the same height he could just lean over and kiss her without either of them being uncomfortable and before he could stop himself he did just that. He leaned over and kissed her. It wasn't a long kiss, it only lasted a second and when he realized what he had done his cheeks flared red and he backed up.

Hermione touched her gloved hand to her lips and blushed madly and then giggled. "Well I wasn't expecting that" she said between giggles.

"Sorry, I … I didn't mean to… I …" Harry stammered, he was beyond embarrassed, he scratched the back of his head and looked away. He had just kissed his best friend. He had officially changed the timeline.

"No, don't be… I… I liked it Harry," She said still blushing.

He looked back at her eyes wide. She liked it. His brain was going into overdrive. Maybe her and Ron was one-sided maybe he had a chance

"I didn't realized we ended up together, not that I'm mad," Hermione said as she started stuffing Merlins book into her bag. End up together?

"Oh we… we don't. I'm sorry I shouldn't have. Let's get this book back and see what is says about time travel" and how badly I just messed up the timeline. Ron will kill me, Harry thought to himself.

"Oh.. Yeah… lets" Hermione said blushing and they left the room both lost in thought but for completely different reason.