Everyone moved out to take a little break. Lily frowned when she digested what she learned over the past eleven chapters. James, Sirius, Remus, Peter, and Natalie stood behind her.

"Okay, Prongs?" Sirius asked.

"I'll live," James said. "But, I think I was lucky this time. Someone wants us dead."

"No, I think they want Harry dead," Remus said. "We're just in the way."

"And to think this is only the beginning," Natalie said. "Do you think there's something Harry and Astra aren't telling us?"

"Likely," a distracted Lily said. "They know each other, yet Astra's nowhere to be found. None of us are. And there has to be a reason for it."

Natalie's gaze fell onto John Constantine. The only one this group knew who seemed to have lived to the year 2020, for whatever that was worth.

"Johnny?" Natalie asked him.

"Oh, Nat," John said.

"What happened to us all?" Natalie asked.

"I can't spoil that," John said. "You'll find out before the end of the books."

"You can barely look me in the eye," Natalie said. "Am I dead because of something stupid you did?"

"Well, I did something stupid, which I'm still paying the price for," John said. "It's not my place to tell."

"You let Harry go to the Dursleys," Lily said calmly.

"I was trapped in a nightmarish limbo hellscape," John said. "I'm learning a lot about his life for the first time. And I doubt Harry would have been much better with me. Although, Dumbledore's stubborn enough to think his way, is the only way."

"I want to have a word with him," Lily said.

John sighed, sensing a moment of doom coming.

"Harry and Sara both said no," John said. "And they said no for a reason."

"Astra's my daughter," Natalie said. "If she's anything like me, she would find Harry. And I don't know why I let Harry go there. Did I have a falling out with Lily?"

"No, you were friends until the end," John said. "You were Harry's godmother and Black was his godfather."

"Figures," Peter said. "Congratulations Sirius."

"Yes, I'm either dead or in prison," Sirius said. "I have to be."

"So, where am I, John?" Natalie asked.

"Dead," John said. "Dead. And what happened was my fault."

"You got me killed," Natalie said.

"In a matter of speaking," John said. "Why don't you talk to your children if you really want answers? I need a bloody drink."

John moved away, casually side-stepping the conversation.

"I want to know what he did to get me killed and apparently make my daughter an orphan," Natalie said.

"He's tense," Remus said. "He might blame himself, but he didn't do anything to get you killed directly."

"Are you talking about what you would do or what Constantine would do?" Sirius asked.

"Potter?"

James Potter turned and came face to face with Severus Snape.

"We need to talk," Severus said.

"Why?" Peter asked suspiciously.

"I didn't ask for you, Pettigrew," Severus said. "Potter. He's the one."

"In his condition, I can't let him do this," Sirius said. "Snape could be finishing him off."

"Use your brain, Black," Severus said. "If I tried anything with Potter, I wouldn't make it out of the room alive. It's obvious I'm being monitored."

"Don't worry, I'm always watching," Gideon said. "Except in the bathroom. That's a blindspot."

"And I won't be following Snape into the bathroom," James said. "Actually, I want to talk to you."

Severus and James walked into the next room.

"Five minutes," Lily said. "If they're not back in five minutes, I'm going in after them."

In the next room, James and Severus stepped towards each other.

"We can't keep this up," Severus said. "I know we'll truly like or trust each other, but I don't like what I've become in the future."

"I can understand," James said. "We went way too far at times."

"You did," Severus agreed. "But, I poured plenty of gasoline on the fire. And taking it out on your son and Lily's, crossed a line. I'm not sure whether or not this can be completely blamed on you or my future self being shoved so far underneath Dumbledore's thumb, that I'm lashing out."

Severus took a second to contemplate his words.

"I don't like you, Potter. I never will like you. Or your friends. But, this has to stop."

"Likewise," James said. "There's just too much bad blood for us to patch this up completely. But, you leave me alone, and I'll leave you alone."

"Agreed," Severus said.

James started to flicker for a second before he stabalized.

"Potter, if you're going to disappear from reality, please do it outside of my presence," Severus said. "And we better go out and prove that nothing bad happened."

"Agreed," James said. "I just wonder what mistake you made."

"I suspect these books will tell us," Severus said. "Although, whether or not we're allowed to retain the information once the danger is passed, is another matter entirely."

And with that, the two left.

"So, did you two kiss and make up?" Peter asked.

"No, we just called a truce," James said. "We leave Snape be, and he leaves us be. Especially for things which he hasn't technically done yet."

"What about his moody future self?" Sirius asked.

"Well, he did do all of the stuff you're going to be angry about," Severus said.

"He's right, blame that Snape," Lily said. "I know I do."

"I can't believe the two of you used to be friends," Peter said.

"People change," Remus said.

"We won't," Sirius said. "The four of us, we're going to make sure we fix this, somehow."

"If we're allowed to," James said. "And maybe we shouldn't meddle with the past. Maybe we'll make it worse."

"And how can we stand back and let all of the bad things happen?" Lily asked. "If there's a way, we can fix it."

"Should we, though?" Remus asked.

"Let's have all of the information," Natalie said. "Including what exactly happened to me…and to Astra."

"Are you going to talk to her?" James asked.

"Later," Natalie said. "She'll tell me when she's ready."

"And talking to Harry is a no go, because he would tell you that's Astra's place to tell you," James said.

"John's telling a half-truth," Remus murmured. "I can practically smell deception off of him."

"Your wolfie senses are tingling?" Peter asked.

"Exactly," Remus said.

The Marauders, Lily, and Natalie all moved off. They wondered where Harry, Astra,Sara, and Mia disappeared to you.

Bartemius Crouch Junior faced Hermione Granger.

"So, you wanted to have a discussion about house elves, right?" Junior asked.

"Yes," Hermione said. "It's just, no one wants to listen to me about them."

"Well, I can understand your problem," Junior said. "You're coming at this without considering the wants and needs of house elves. They want to serve. They need the appreciation of a loving family. The systematic problem is not with the fact they are slaves, to use your term, but the fact is there are many wizards, where if you give an inch, they'll take everything. Looking at this Dobby, he comes from such a family."

Hermione responded with a nod.

"You're passionate about a cause, and I respect that," Junior said. "And it sickens me to see people treat house elves like dirt. Say what you will about Dumbledore, but the Hogwarts House Elves are the happiest in the world under him. And Winky, my house elf, she's more than a servant. She's a beloved caretaker and friend. My mother couldn't be there physically, because she was always sick, and my father didn't offer enough emotional support. My father was like you, passionate in his cause."

"I'm not like Bartemius Crouch," Hermione said.

"Oh, you have a similar energy, like it or not," Junior said. "Passion for your causes. An energy of following the rules to the letter, although you will break the rules, but only you can break them properly. Although, to you, deep down you know that rules are the only thing that keep you in check, because you would be just as bad if not worse than the monsters you seek to take down."

"You think you know me?" Hermione asked.

"Not you, personally,' Junior said. "But, I know your type. And I know it, because I see a lot of how I interacted with the world. There's some kind of pressure for you to be your best. To be better than your best. And it's not coming from your mother, she doesn't seem like the type. Your sister obviously shows that. So, that pressure has to come with your father. Who, I can see you have issues with. We have a lot in common. What's his name?"

"David Herman Granger," Hermione said.

"So, not directly named after him, per say," Junior said. "If you were born a male, you would be Herman Granger or maybe David Granger Junior, after him."

"David Granger the Fifth actually," Hermione said.

"Oh, a family legacy, which was ruined when your mother gave birth to a girl instead of a boy," Junior said. "And your middle name is…"

"Jean," Hermione said. "It was Jane, after my great-grandmother. My grandmother, Joyce, insisted upon it."

"Oh, you changed it then?" Junior asked.

"After I realized that I shared a middle name with…an awful woman," Hermione said.

"Right," Junior said. "Because, that's the only reason why you changed it."

"Look, I thought we were talking about house elves?" Hermione asked.

"You can't free them, until you can free yourself from the shackles of your own insecurities," Junior said. "Daddy, Grandma, and Grandpa must have done a number of you."

"You don't know me at all!" Hermione snapped.

"I know your type," Junior said. "Have a pleasant day. See you, at the reading, Hermione Jane."

Hermione folded her arms and pouted.

"Oh, did someone smarter than you put you in your place?"

Katherine Elizabeth Peverell, Kate, walked up to Hermione.

"Not now, Katherine," Hermione said. "He's not smarter than me. After…what he did, he's just another sycopant follower."

"Oh, well there must have been a good reason why Dumbledore kept sending Harry back to the Dursleys, despite having bars on his windows," Kate said in a mock version of Hermione's bossiest voice.

"I thought the Weasleys were…well they were exaggerating," Hermione said. "I don't know what to think about Dumbledore. But, it all worked out in the end. Harry's here."

"Mum's upset at you," Kate said. "All of the things that you've been through, that you decided not to share with our mother and David."

"I…I had to," Hermione said. "Harry needed to be there. I couldn't be there if Mum and Dad freaked and pulled me out of Hogwarts."

"Dad's done well enough without you for years," Kate said. "Seriously, if you stopped being such a selfish cow and you pulled your head out of your arse every once and a while…"

"I'm really sick of everyone judging me about what I've done in the past," Hermione hissed.

"Oh, I'm not, but I am judging you by the fact you've refused to learn the simplest lessons," Kate said. "And we both know there's something coming up which you never told Mum about."

"Well, too late to do anything about it now," Hermione said.

"You could admit you're wrong," Kate said. "You were wrong to shut people out of the loop. Because, we both know where that escalated to."

"Well, if that didn't escalate, it's not like you would be here right now," Hermione said.

The two sisters looked at each other. Kate reached for her wand for a second.

"I respect Sara's rules, because I respect everything she's done," Kate murmured. "But, I don't blindly follow them. Even after Granny Granger's dead, she's still pulling your strings."

Hermione slapped her sister across the face and stormed off. Kate rubbed her eye.

"Kate, are you…okay?" Ruby asked.

"Fine," Kate said. "My sister's just in a mood."

'Oh?" Ruby asked. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"I'd rather spend some time hanging out with the half-sister I can stand," Kate said. "The one who can learn from her mistakes occasionally."

"Not as much as you think," Ruby said.

"Well, you're not a selfish entitled cow who tells her so-called friends what to think," Kate said. "Although, Mum won't be pleased if she catches me calling Hermione that. She wants us to try and get along."

"Sis, I don't think you try that hard," Ruby said. "No offense."

Kate just shrugged and moved over to join the rest of the group.

"Sibling problems?" Zari asked.

"One could say that," Kate said.

"The Weasleys moved off for a family meeting," Zari said. "I'm keeping an ear at the door to make sure there's no bloodshed."

"Again, they didn't take this into the bathroom, so I can hear them," Gideon said. "And they're being cordial.

"At least someone is getting along with their siblings," Kate said. "I just wish I can prepare Mum with what she has to deal with in a couple of chapters. Dad assumed that Hermione shared more than she did."

"Oh, I'm really sorry about that," Zari said with a slight wince. "But, spoilers and all that. They're not fun."

Kate settled down and had a brownie. It mellowed her out a little bit. Because otherwise the next time she saw Hermione, she might punch her in the nose.

"Sorry, kid," Zari said. "Things are going a lot rougher from here."

"I didn't know Harry had that bad of a time of things," Ginny said.

"Well, Harry's very good at downplaying his trauma," Ron said.

"Isn't that the truth?" Fred asked dryly.

"Well, at least not all of Hufflepuff took leave of their senses," Ron said.

"Beatrice really would take offense to people spreading unfounded rumors," George said seriously.

"There was some wild stuff going on at this school, even before you even came to Hogwarts," Fred added.

"And yet, you never once told it to me," Ron said.

"Or me," Ginny said. "Just how much of that mobile game is true?"

"Well, we'd have to talk to the people involved, but a good sixty to seventy percent is, maybe," George said. "It's most certainly based off of a true story."

"Bill and Charlie know more than we do," Fred said. "If Harry can get them up here for your fourth year, you can grill them then."

"Oh, I will," Ron said.

"Look, that's CJ's story," George said. "Going to be okay, Ginny?"

"I have to be," Ginny said. "After all of these years, you would think that facing this would get easier."

"You're the strongest of all of us," Ron said.

"Have to be with six brothers," Ginny said. "I just hope that Astra will forgive me for putting Harry in danger. I still can't believe that happened. And I still can't believe Hermione wants to defend Dumbledore, after learning that he left a child languishing in Hell because it contradicted his grand plan."

"Well, when you put it that way," Fred said with a sigh. "Not a good look."

"We've all got our own reasons for distrusting Dumbledore," Ron said. "Mum didn't really come around, until the very end, did she?"

"And Dad never had a chance to," Ginny concluded sadly.

"Never forgave him after that one," Ron added. "So, let's get a bite to eat before we go into the second half of the second year?"

"I could use some of that firewhiskey," Ginny said.

"If Mick hasn't drank it all up," Ron said.

Harry turned face to face with a cloaked figure.

"Drop the glamor," Harry said.

"I should have known better than to trick and trick you. After all, you learned all of these tricks."

The mysterious figure dropped the cloak and the glamor. And a twelve year old Harry Potter stood before the group.

"What?" Sara asked.

"That's what I said when he popped in," Ava said.

"What's the deal with you?" Harry asked. "Or me?"

"I come from the future…and from the past," Harry 2 said. "I woke up one morning back in the cupboard underneath the stairs. After being thirty years in the future. And needless to say, I wasn't too happy with being back there. Again. For the third bloody time."

"It's completely insane," one Nymphadora Tonks said. "Oh, Wotcher, Harry."

"Tonks," Harry agreed.

"I met up with a few friends who made the trip back and we turned the Wizarding World upside down in the past," Harry 2 said. "And the fact I don't recall having this conversation, even after having my memories restored through the Lazarus Pit, is rather telling. I'm going take a shot in the dark and say the timeline has been split."

"From these readings, I would concur," Gideon said. "There's three splintering paths in the time stream. One is from our time traveler. One is the native path. And one has been caused once we were forced to pull the crew from 1978 back out of the time strain. Although it still hasn't settled."

"And the people behind this intend to erase all versions of Harry Potter," Harry 2 said. "I barely anchored myself to the timeline, after your group was pulled out. Only, they were never returned. As far as the world knows, they disappeared."

"We have to send them back, then," Sara said.

Harry closed his eyes. He did not know what to believe.

"If you think I'm insane, you wouldn't be alone," Harry2 said. "The only hope to fix this is the Green Flame torch. We have the first piece which was hidden in Hell. And the second piece which was found in the North Pole. All we need is the third piece, and we can stabalize the timeline…and I'm about ready to flicker back out. Not much time."

"Are you following any of this?" Astra asked.

"If they win, all versions of Harry Potter, will be wiped out," Harry2 said. "That's the TLDR of the situation."

"At least we've got our little time assassin. Although his boss remains at large."

Another portal opened and four more figures stepped out of the portal. Nyssa al Ghul, the youngest daughter of the former Ra's al Ghul lead the charge, along with Thea Queen, the younger sister of Oliver Queen. Astoria Greengrass, the younger sister of Daphne Greengrass, who looked rather pleased. And also the eldest Greengrass sister herself, Daphne.

"Does this belong to you?" Nyssa asked.

"Hello, Nyssa," Sara said.

"It's been a long time," Nyssa said. "He was trying to steal a very powerful object from the temple. He said that he would lead him to slay the Dragon."

"But, who is he?" Mia asked.

"Well, he's masked up," Thea said. "You've been doing some good work in Star City, taking up the mantle. Proud of you."

"Thanks, Aunt Thea," Mia said.

"Make sure he's secured," Sara said. "I'm not taking any chances."

Harry2 took another step forward and he started to flicker.

"Well, I'm glad that I could help out…I'm off…hopefully to find the last piece of the Green Flame Torch," Harry2 said. "Unless this is the timeline finally getting sick of me."

Harry blinked and he saw an image. It was a cut. Similiar to the one that James Potter had.

Curious, very curious.

"Scanning," Gideon said. "No secret weapons or magical artifacts on our new guest. Although he does have a killswitch on his mask if anyone tries to remove it."

"That will need to be disabled," Harry said. "Just who are you?"

"The one you left behind," the garbly voice said. "It should have been me, but it was always you. It's always you, isn't it, Harry Potter?"

"Spill," Astra said.

"Oh, once they have the Green Flame Torch, nothing I tell you matters," the garbled voice said. "My family's legacy will be restored and the Potters will be nothing but a mere foot note in history. You better enjoy your family and your friends while you still have breath to draw."

"Then if nothing else matters, you won't mind giving me a name," Sara said. "Or telling us how to remove your mask."

The modulated cackle was their only response.

"That's not creepy at all," Thea murmured.

"Nate and Behrad took a couple of bad hits," Ava informed Sara. "They're okay, but they're going to need to be patched up."

"I'll inform Zari, she'd want to know what happened to her brother."

"Few bumps and bruises before Daphne recruited some backup," Tonks said. "I'll be okay."

"Want you to stick around, regardless," Harry said.

"So, I guess I'll be joining the reading for a few chapters?" Tonks asked.

"Yes," Harry agreed. "If you want to."

"Sweet," Tonks said.

"I think we all could use a breather until we can plan our next move," Nyssa said. "And if it's about your history, I find it fascinating."

"Soon, it will be ancient history," the masked assassin said.

"Is there a mute button on this thing?" Thea asked.

"Third knob down," Sara said helpfully.

"Thanks," Thea said.

"Guy wasn't this chatty when I fought him earlier," Mia said.

"So, is everyone sticking around for the reading?" Sara asked. "I mean it's going to be a crowded group."

"I brought ice cream," Daphne said.

"And I vote she sticks around," Astra said.

"And some of it has been laced with my family's other major import," Daphne murmured to Harry. "Because, given what I remember this year, people could stand to chill out."

"With ice cream puns like that, someday you could be the governor of California," Thea said. "Not sure how long I can stick around. Talia's expecting me to report back, but hey, a few chapters couldn't hurt. Haven't read these books since I was about ten, so it's been a while."

"And they have notable differences," Sara reminded them.

"My sister understands the need to stick around to gain further information," Nyssa said.

"So, now that I'm back, time to bring everyone up to speed," Ava said.

"And then after that, the laborious process of introducing everyone," Harry said.

"Oh, by this point, I have a brief biographical summary at the ready," Gideon supplied.

"You're a real gem, Gideon," Sara said. "So, let's bring everyone in the room up to speed before introducing them to the ever growing reading party."

Thea, Nyssa, Astoria, Daphne, and Tonks all listened in closely as Gideon had given the introduction of everyone there.

"So, what's the deal about that eccentric version of yourself?" Astra asked..

"Hopefully, we can fix it soon enough," Harry said. "I don't want anything that sends me back to the past to do this shit all over again."

"That would drive you insane," Mia added. "Although, the part of this mysterious shadowy organization trying to wipe Harry Potter out of the timeline is concerning as well."

Yes, Harry admitted he was concerned about that. Hopefully their guest, whoever they were, would be more chatty beyond threats, vagueness, and vague threats.

Here's hoping.

To Be Continued.