Harry sat down fiddling with a few Gobstones. Could have had a sister. Weird.
Hermione walked up to where Harry was sitting in the middle of the common room, and sat down. It was late at night, a month since the Alternator.
Harry shrugged, I dunno, it's just weird, everything would have been fine, except Ron of course.
Hermione smirked, Of course.
Harry's eyes widened, Sorry, guess I was being selfish.
Hermione grinned, It's OK, you'll get over it, hmmm?
Harry nodded, Yeah, I will.
Hermione pursed her lips thoughtfully, I wonder where Hagrid is...
Harry shrugged, a bit startled by the change of topic, Probably still negotiating with the giants. We really need them if the dementors have gone over to Voldemort. Harry sighed, he really needed a vacation, preferably away from the wizarding world and all of it's troubles.
Harry heard someone groaning outside the portrait hole. Who in Heaven's name to could that be at this hour? Harry quickly got up and walked to the portrait hole, and was about to open it when Harry heard Hobbes' voice.
Great wizards, Calvin, I don't want to do this! I hate being duplicated or transmogrifed or cerebrally enhanced.
Shut up, Hobbes. After nine years you should know that when the box is opened it's a Time Machine!
Harry and Hermione froze. A Time Machine? Harry had very little experience with time traveling, but he had managed to save the lives of Sirius Black and Hagrid's hippogriff Buckbeak using Hermione's Time-Turner. For the entire year, Hermione had used the Time-Turner to be able to get to all of her classes. Unfortunately, or fortunately, depending on how you look at it, Hermione dropped enough classes to have a normal schedule at the end of the year.
Their pause gave Calvin and Hobbes enough time to open the portrait hole and walk in carrying an innocuous cardboard box, with the words TIME MACHINE messily written on the side.
Harry asked incredulously, Is a Time Machine?
Calvin and Hobbes sat the box down in the common room and nodded.
Hobbes said, We've used it a few times, nearly got killed though, at this Hobbes looked harshly in the direction of Calvin.
Calvin defended himself, Look, the first time that dinosaur wasn't even a carnivore. The second time that allosaur wasn't my fault. You steered up straight into the Battle of Gettysburg,
And you got nearly me shot, Hobbes pointed out.
Calvin continued ticking off his time-travel escapades that were Hobbes' fault, You nearly got us shot down by the U.S. Army's hypersonic planes when we flew over New York in 2348 A.D. You flew right into Persian Gulf War, and caused this, Calvin pointed at a clean bullet hole in the right side of the box.
Harry started laughing, and Calvin and Hobbes whipped their heads around.
You two are hilarious! That was exactly what I needed! Prattling on and on about whose fault it was!
Calvin grinned and rolled his eyes after giving an over exaggerated bow, Thank you! Thank you!
Harry feigned anger and playfully punched Calvin on the shoulder.
Oh, the agony, Potter punched me! Calvin wailed. With that, Ron Weasley walked down the stairs in his Chudley Cannons pyjamas, mumbling to himself, Cripes, I bloody forgot all about the Charms essay due tomorrow, better do it now.
Harry rolled his eyes, Oy! Genius, it's not due til next week!
After being on Herm's study schedule, Harry found himself keeping better notes and doing his homework earlier. In fact, he had finished all of his over winter break faster then anyone, except Hermione of course who finished in two days.
Ron snapped to attention, Oh, thanks Harry! Thanks. Blimey, I could have done that entire essay for nothing.
Around then Ron noticed Calvin and Hobbes.
Oy! What's with the box?
Time Machine, Hobbes grunted, obviously not wanting to talk about it.
Ron walked over with interest in his eyes, Where you gonna go?
Hobbes quickly interjected, but Calvin shook him off.
The era of the dinosaurs, you guys want to come?
Harry and Hermione nodded, Ron looked over his apparel, then shrugged and climbed in.
They were all cramped in the cardboard box, although Harry didn't care, he had his arm around Hermione.
Oh jeez, Calvin muttered under his breath, I nearly forgot! Goggilio!
With that, all of them were suddenly wearing thick flying goggles.
Uh, Calvin, Ron said, What's with the goggles?
For Merlin's sake! Calvin exclaimed, Ron, this isn't like walking down the street! We have light-speeds and hypersonic vortexes and space-time continuums to deal with! Of course we'll need goggles!
Ron made a motion to get out, but Calvin cuffed him on the arm, Sit down, ickle Ronniekins.
Ron's lips went into a thin line, he absolutely hated it when people said stuff like that to him.
Calvin went on, The dial is set for 160 million years ago, so, AWAY WE GO!
The Time Machine hovered a few feet above the ground for a few moments then zoomed into...
Harry was dizzy, he looked at all the multi-colored patterns of the wormhole they were traveling to. Hobbes was moaning about time-travel makes me queasy, he heard a sound of vomit and then Ron's , and Calvin's You idiot! You just barfed in a wormhole, Heaven knows were that's going to come out! (A/N: And at that moment, Al Gore was narrowly missed getting hit by vomit which apparently came from the sky...)
Ron groaned, He started leaning towards Hermione who immediately pushed him back.
Oh no, you don't! she cried, and Ron threw up again.
Hobbes snorted, Calvin screamed.
Hobbes, it's not funny, he's making us lean and we might pass our gateway and end up in the pre-Big Bang universe!
Harry's curiosity was aroused, What would happen then?
Calvin sighed, and then answered loudly, There'd be no universe, and probably no time! So please shut up and let me drive!
Hobbes called out from the back, Hey, are you sure we're facing for the past?
Calvin was obviously getting irritated, Yes! I'm positive.
Ron moaned.
Hermione leaned back and yelled at Hobbes, You mean if you face the wrong way you go into the future?
Hobbes nodded vigorously, When Calvin was six we tried to go into the next millennium to see what life was like...
Calvin interjected, To swipe something, and then pretend to invent it so we'd get rich.
Hobbes smiled widely, But, our resident genius here, sent us into the year 165 million B.C. instead.
What do you think I had? Calvin retorted, Some sort of Triple-A map for the highways of Time?
Hobbes sniggered, Anyway, that's also how we entered the Battle of Gettysburg, we jumped through the wrong gate on the way to future after we had visited the year Caesar was killed.
Calvin screamed back, That was your fault! I said lean port!
You thought port meant right you git!
By this point, Harry and Hermione were in hysterics, and Ron was smiling slightly through his queasiness. Naturally he then barfed once more.
Ronald Weasley! Calvin exploded, This the last time you ever travel through time with me!
Harry was doubled over with laughter.
Calvin yelled, We're leaning too much, stop laughing! Our gateway's coming up sooooooooooon!
WHISH! With a rushing of hot air, Harry looked out and saw rich vegetation everywhere he looked, dinosaurs towered and cowered above strange-colored trees. The air tasted bad, really bad, but Harry Potter wasn't thinking about that right now.
Calvin began to take on the voice of a computerized tour guide.
Welcome to the Jurassic Parking Service. The year is approximately 160 million Before Christ, and this is the rich and fertile continent of North America. Over to your right are tricerotops grazing off of the rich nutrients of this era's plants. To your left are brontosauri, traveling in herds. We will be landing shortly. Please keep all appendages safely inside the Time Machine, and please remember where we are parked.
Sniggering, they all waited until Calvin landed the Time Machine, which rested easily with a mild thump.
Hermione asked, What are we going to do?
Calvin shrugged, Just look around I guess. One time I came here and took some photos of the dinosaurs for Time magazine, but nobody believed me. My parents thought it was a hoax, but as you can see, it plainly wasn't.
Hobbes was looking a little jumpy, What's the matter Hobbes? Hermione inquired politely, as Harry took her hand.
Hobbes sighed, I may have been a great Auror, he answered, But I've had more messes with Calvin then ever before, you see I couldn't use magic around him. We had some real fine crises because of that. Get this, once he built a Duplicator, actually it was just a box, but he said Zap!'. You know the magic words.
Calvin quickly pushed Harry to the side.
What was that all about? he asked angrily. Calvin merely pointed at the plant he had nearly stepped on, That's so poisonous, it kills on contact with the skin.
Harry was taken aback, he said hollowly and took Hermione's hand again.
Hobbes continued, His duplicate made four new duplicates! And we couldn't use the Singlecate Counter-Charm either. I mean, those dupes were a mess to handle. We tried splitting up he school week between five duplicates. That didn't work, none of them did the assignments, cause the other one never told the one going the next day what it was! Not to mention all the trouble they'd get into! I was afraid Calvin's parents were going to go insane!
Calvin looked at a small green lizard which waddled past screeching a little bit. Calvin went pale, Let's get out of here.
Four heads turned,
Calvin pointed at the small dinosaur, Ron laughed, Honestly, Calvin. What is a small lizard going to do to us?
Calvin was slowly edging away, That's a compy. (A/N: All readers of Jurassic Park remember these little suckers? ::grins evilly::) Their scavengers, Ron. They'll give you a nasty cut and poison you, and for mine and everyone else's sake, just walk away from it. There's probably a bunch of them lurking around...And we can't use magic in the past, it'll really screw things up.
Oh sure Calvin that's right, Ron replied and walked over towards the creature. Harry took a quizzical look at the animal.
I'll agree with Ron, Harry said.
Hobbes shook his head, Trust me, Calvin's never wrong on this stuff. By age six he'd read every book on dinosaurs available. He knew more then the guides at the Natural History Museum.
Hermione stared at it, Precompithiod or something like?
Calvin nodded, I forget the full Latin name, but Ron, those compys are something to reckon with.
Harry debated this in his mind. If Hermione knew about it,then Calvin was probably right. Plus, Harry had come to trust Hobbes.
Calvin cried out as Ron squatted down next to the green compy,
Ron laughed as the compy cocked it's head as it looked at him. Then with out warning, it jumped for his face sending a deep scratch down the side of his face. Ron then bellowed out something that might've been funny under different circumstances, but wasn't now. As the four rushed over to help the fallen red-head, out of nowhere dozens of compys burst out of the bushes and attacked. Harry and Hermione reacted on pure instinct and they grabbed Ron who was batted the dinosaurs away with his hands, and dragged him away to (partial, at least) safety. The duo then returned to where Calvin and Hobbes were fighting them off with their hands and using their wands as clubs.
Harry yelled, we've got Ron, let's go!
Quickly, Calvin send a compy a fierce blow to the head with his wand, and then ran over to where Ron was lying, following silently was Hobbes.
The compys meanwhile, soon decided that these new creatures were not a very good meal, as they put up too much of a fight. Therefore, they chirped a little to each other, and walked off, much to the gang's relief.
Will he live? Harry asked nervously.
Calvin bent over to examine the cut, Well, the older you are the better your chances of survival are when you face a compy. Also, he must the most amazing reflexes in order to have pulled back so fast.
Harry distinctly heard Hermione mutter under breath, Lucky git. I'll kill him when we get back.
Harry grinned and put an arm around her and whispered in her ear, I'll help you.
Hermione smiled, All right then.
Calvin hit Ron a few times lightly across the face until he groggily woke up.
Wha' happened?
What happened, you git, Hermione answered, Was you tried to be friendly with a compy who could've killed you! You got a cut on your face, at this Ron touched his hand to his bloody scratch, And you pulled away before it got too deep and you fainted. We saved your worthless hide.
Ron sighed, Sorry guys.
Calvin was more worried about his patient' then anything else right now, Can you walk?
Unsteadily, Ron got up, he shook a little bit and proclaimed himself fine. Calvin let out a breath. You're lucky, you could just as easily have been really weak, maybe comaed, if he'd scratched you enough and gotten about a quarter-inch, or should I say a few centimeters deeper.
Ron shuddered slightly, Well, now where to?
Hobbes answered at once.
Ah, Hobbes old buddy, where's your sense of adventure- Calvin broke off his sentence because one Harry Potter was collapsing towards the Jurassic ground, his scar gone.
Harry knew what to expect, either his mother or father would be there, he was, partially right.
Standing there, with his mother and father was Cedric Diggory.
Harry wondered aloud. Cedric nodded. But why?
James Potter cut in, We've been watching you and Voldemort. Things are gearing up for another attack. The reason Voldemort hasn't used the Fifth Curse again is because it drains the power of the wand that fires it, and he doesn't trust any of his Death Eaters to do it. He'll be completely recharged soon enough. Maybe two more months.
the melodic voice of Lily Potter broke through Harry's mind, Harry, don't dwell on the sister you could have had. Or the times you could have had. Or what we could have done. Don't worry about the I'm related to. Dwell on the friends you have now, in this timeline.
Harry nodded.
Cedric's voice broke in, Harry, I'm here for another reason. Stay close to Calvin, Hobbes, Hermione, and Ron. Be careful, all right? Don't worry about anything. Just-just Harry avenge my death. Your parent's deaths, and the Ministry. I know you all will defeat Voldemort. Remember us, Harry. Remember.
Harry solemnly nodded.
Calvin jumped back, and Hermione helped Harry sit up. Harry was vaguely aware of everyone looking at him. Hermione put her arm around Harry. Hobbes' eyes were wide with fear. Ron was completely pale. Calvin just looked plain freaked.
Hermione whispered, Your scar disappeared, did you see your parents?
Harry nodded, And-and Cedric...Diggory.
Hobbes' eyes went wider if that was possible. The kid who died last year. From Hufflepuff, right?
Harry said, Hufflepuff, and it was my fault.
What did they say? Hobbes asked.
Harry thought, My dad told me Voldemort, Ron gasped, Was gearing up to attack another place with the Fifth Curse, like Hogsmeade.
Calvin went whiter then anyone, and had someone not seen him alive a second before, they would have sworn he was a ghost.
Harry continued, Mum told me not to worry and Cedric to stay with you guys. And, Harry looked away, Cedric also told me, that we should avenge the deaths of those Voldemort killed, and to them.
Hermione looked into Harry's eyes, and then looked around at everyone else, Let's do it.
They all nodded, The Phoenix Underground will need a new motto, Hobbes said.
They had one? Calvin asked incredulously.
Hobbes shook his head, No, but we do now,
They all nodded, then Hobbes did something that surprised everyone.
Ronald Harold Weasley, Hobbes intoned, and Harry and Hermione's eyebrows perked. Ron's middle name was Harold? Like some people though Harry's first name was? Well, Ron was younger then Harry having been born on August 24th, so did the Weasleys name him after Harry? Over the last five years at Hogwarts you have shown courage, and dedication. As Chief Auror of the Phoenix Underground, I ask you, to join the Underground.
There was a small pause.
Ron managed to croak out, But why now, and not last summer?
Becuase your needed now, Hobbes answered, side-stepping the question.
Ron nodded.
Harry said, full realizing that what he was about to say was completely pointless, Now what?
We should probably get back, Hobbes said grimly.
Calvin sighed, Hobbes we don't need to, we can return at the very moment we left, and then tell Dumbledore.
I don't think that's such a good idea, Hobbes countered.
Harry noticed Hermione's arm around him and slipped his own around her and smiled. He then kissed her on the cheek and she blushed.
Harry grinned, Ron noticing this rolled his eyes, and mumbled he wished Cho was a Gryffindor.
Let's go, Harry interjected, as Calvin and Hobbes were still arguing with no apparent end to the disagreement in sight.
Calvin feebly tried to get a vote on it, but his proposition of staying was defeated 4 to 1. Sighing, he led them back to the box, which apparently hadn't been touched.
That's lucky, Hobbes commented, Remember the time that saber-tooth tiger played' with the Time Machine on our trip to the Ice Age three years ago?
Calvin apparently chose to ignore Hobbes, and they all climbed into the Time Machine without incident. Calvin set the dial for the current year and the time they left, and they zoomed off towards the sky.
At this point, a particularly hungry Tyrannosaurus was marching through the jungle. He was perfectly content had had just finished off a delicious tricerotops moments before. His contentment, however, was breached by the small object that flew past him. The tyrannosaur lunged for it with a claw, but it did a fascinating barrel roll and shot up towards the sky. The tyrannosaur shrugged off the intruder after he missed it and continued on to take a nap.
Holy moley! Calvin exclaimed as he relaxed, they were in the wormhole between space-time now, and were perfectly safe.
Harry and Hermione, who had grabbed each other so tightly they each nearly choked the other one, let go of each other, sighed, and kissed.
Ron threw up again.
Hobbes was grinning like a schooltiger and let out an estatic that startled everyone in the Time Machine.
Soon, there was the rushing of cold British air that signified their return into normalcy. Harry had grinned as he saw the Hogwarts castle towering in the sky. The last time Harry had seen the castle from above had been in second year when after the gateway to Platform 9 and 3/4 closed itself early, due to interference from a house-elf named Dobby, Ron and Harry had flew the Weasley's enchanted car to school. Harry's grin faded slightly as he remembered the grim faces of Dumbledore and McGonagall. Every year it seemed, Harry would have some fear that he was going to get expelled. Harry remembered his first year, he had figured he was to be expelled only to become the youngest Seeker, or player for that matter, on a House Quidditch team in one hundred years.
Calvin, however, was a much better flyer then a lot of people ever could be, perhaps because he had invented the Time Machine. In any event, they easily zoomed through an open window in the boys' dorms, landed, and snuck into the common room.
Harry picked up his Gobstones, exactly as he had left them. Calvin, meanwhile, looked at his watch.
Excellent, we arrived two minutes after we left, so everything should work out perfectly with no paradox.
Ron wondered aloud.
Simply put, Hobbes broke in, We see ourselves and because of it, the universe ends.
Ron swallowed,
Hobbes grinned, In any event, we need to go see Dumbledore.
Let me get this straight, Dumbledore said, with his eyes twinkling as usual, You went to the Jurassic, Ron was nearly killed by a small dinosaur, Harry's parents and Mr. Diggory told him Voldemort's wand needs to regenerate from the Hogsmeade attack, and you, Dumbledore looked in the general direction of Hobbes, Made Mr. Weasley here a
member of the Phoenix Underground.
They all nodded, after all it was the truth.
Dumbledore's face went grave, Mr. Weasley, under the best of circumstances we might have done a welcoming ceremony, I have been waiting for the right time to make you a member. Alas, if Voldemort knew what you could be...
Ron looked puzzled, What do you mean?
Dumbledore pulled a rather large scroll out from under his desk and spread it our from under his desk.
Now is the right time to show you all of this. You are basically my core members of the Underground, along with Miss Figg, Mr. Fletcher, Mr. Black, Mr. Lupin, and Mr. Snape,
Calvin muttered that this was a lot of along with, but Dumbledore ignored him.
Harry, you are first mentioned in a prophecy by Merlin himself six hundred and fifty years ago in Camelot, shortly before Merlin and the city were wiped off the face of the Earth for unknown reasons. One copy of his prediction managed to survive before the blast:
He or she who wears The Scar of Lightning
Shall have three fights, one defenseless, one tween, and one final
Should he or she win we should have peace'
Mr. Weasley, you have your own prediction, by the great Divinist, Helga Hufflepuff,
He should have hair like the Desert itself,
Red like fury,
The friend of Lightning
His power is his alone'
This is followed by Shawton Dumbledore's prediction
The Red-Haired Friend will fight with his hands
Hands from which the Elements come forth to kill.'
Good grief, Hermione said into the pregnant silence that followed.
You mean, I mean, you reckon, that I, can do element charms with my hand? Ron sputtered.
More then that Ron, Hobbes said gravelly, Your the only person in the world who can send the elements to kill with just his hand.
Dumbledore nodded, It is my belief, and I doubt that I am wrong about this, but you can perform the Fiwairthal Curse with just your hands, as well as spew out water, fire, earth, or air, by your hand to kill sort range.
But how? Ron was looking at his hands as though they would jump out and strangle him without warning.
Dumbledore motioned for Ron to stand up, and he complied. Dumbledore spoke, point you hand at the door, and yell Firos Minos!
Shaking and tottering, Ron pointed his had, closed his eyes to concentrate, and roared out so loud that it shook everyone sitting in the room, FIROS MINOS!
Orange and red flame shot out of Ron's hand and hit the door at high velocity. Immediately it caught on fire and burned to nothing but smoking embers.
Dumbledore picked up his wand and muttered a Repairing Spell, That was a Mininimum Fire Attack.
Ron looked at his hand as though it was enchanted.
They all sat still for several seconds and then Calvin broke the silence,
Holy crap.
