The Beginnings of Confusion: ?
A light wind caressing her skin was the first thing that Ginny was aware of as she regained consciousness. Next came the heady smell of flowers in full bloom along with freshly mowed grass. Then she heard Harry's voice frantically calling her name. Finally, she opened her brown eyes to stare into a pair of worried green ones.
"Harry?" Ginny groaned as her husband helped her to sit up next to him. "What's happened?"
"Thank Merlin you're okay Gin," his voice was thick with distress as he pulled her close to him, "I woke up and you were just lying there and I thought that." abruptly, the tears that had been filling his eyes began to fall, "I couldn't stand to lose you, too."
"Shh," she pulled his trembling body into her arms. "I'm here, it'll be all right." Her own tears were falling silently down her cheeks, "You're never going to lose me, love."
Harry stroked her hair as she expressed the grief that they were both feeling. They sat there taking comfort in the presence of the other for a long time as they came to terms with the past hours.
"I don't know what's happened," Harry commented, breaking into the quiet cocooning them. It was time that both of them regained control of their emotions, for he believed them both to still be in possible danger.
"The last I remember is Voldemort and the Killing Curse," Ginny offered, wiping the tears from her cheeks. As the implication of what she had said sunk in, Ginny blanched. "Do you think we're.?"
"Dead?" Harry replied soberly as he scanned the area. "That could explain why everything is calm here."
"What do you mean, 'here'?"
Pointing over Ginny's shoulder, Harry simply answered, "That's what I mean by 'here'."
Turning around, Ginny was shocked to see off in the distance Hogwarts gleaming in the sun. A Hogwarts without blast marks scaring its façade. A Hogwarts with its Great Hall intact. "Oh gods! Oh shit!" the words came rushing out of her mouth. "We're dead. We're dead! I'm only nineteen, I can't be dead! You can't be dead!" Her tone grew higher along with her distress. "We were supposed to live till we were old and grey and senile. I wanted grandkids and-"
"Gin. Ginny!" Harry's slightly amused voice broke into her triad. "I don't think we're dead."
"What's so funny? And what do you mean you don't think we're dead!" she practically screeched, showing her Weasley temper. "Voldemort plus Avada Kedavra plus green light plus a pristine Hogwarts equals dead! You might be 'The Boy Who Lived' but I'm bloody well not!"
"I hope not!" came the indignant reply along with a smirk. "It would mean that I married myself and, despite what Severus says, I am not that in love with myself."
Harry's reply brought her back to her senses, "What?" Suddenly, a lecherous smile spread across her face, "So that means when we-?"
Brushing aside her comment, Harry continued, "Some things just don't make sense. If we are dead, where is everyone else?" Harry's voice faltered as he thought of Flitwick and Sirius. Recovering himself, he pressed on, "Also, right before the Killing Curse, I thought I heard Remus shout something, possibly a spell, can't remember what it was though. What if that hit us before the curse? And." he shrugged, "I just feel it. I don't think we're dead."
"Okay," Ginny took a deep breath to calm the last of her nerves. "Let's assume that you're right and we're not dead. What, then, are we?"
"Not sure, just not dead. But I can tell you where we are. If I've got my bearings right, I think we're just off the path to Hogsmeade."
Looking around, Ginny closely studied her environment. Harry was right; they were just off the path the students used when they went to Hogsmeade. However, as she thought about it, something was not right and she pointed this out to her husband.
"What do you mean? It's the Hogsmeade path, we both recognize it. How can it be 'not right'?"
"Trust me, something's not right," she stated as she scanned the area once again for any clues that would explain the feeling she had.
"I trust you, its just that I wish I could see it too, whatever it is," standing, Harry held out a hand to help her up. "Well, we might as well go into the village to see if we can find any answers there."
"Maybe I'm being silly, but I think we should be careful about this," Ginny gave a tight smile as she got up. Bringing out her wand, Ginny began to cast the "Somebody Else's Problem" charm over both of them. The charm was the brainchild of Dean Thomas, who had come up with the idea after reading about it in a Muggle book. He had then gone to Ginny, who had excelled in charms at Hogwarts, for her help. When Flitwick had found out about the project, he was delighted and offered his help. The spell encouraged people to ignore those under it and they were unable to see those under it unless they knew what they were looking for. The spell had proven to be very useful in reconnaissance missions against the Death Eaters and had provided the Light with valuable information.
"Okay, well that's done," she clasped Harry's hand with her own, "Ready Mr. Potter?"
Giving her hand a squeeze, Harry gave her a small smile, "Ready, Mrs. Potter."
The walk into Hogsmeade was quiet as they both observed their surroundings as they tried to piece together what had happened to them.
"I think I now know what you meant when you said it was 'off'." Harry commented as they entered the village of Hogsmeade, breaking their silence.
"Yeah," Ginny replied absently as she took in the sight in front of her. Hogsmeade was definitely "off." The most noticeable difference was that it was smaller than she was used to. There were fewer cottages lining the main road than she was used to. The Three Broomsticks, Honeydukes, and Zonko's were still there, but smaller than she remembered. The Owl Post Office was on the wrong side of the street. The greatest difference was that there was hardly anyone on the street, despite the fact that it was noon according to the clock in the Post Office's window.
As they continued their journey into Hogsmeade, Harry reached down to pick up a newspaper that had been carelessly discarded on a nearby bench. Ginny kept looking around the village, trying to find something that she recognized as being "right." It was incredibly disconcerting to be somewhere that you should recognize yet you did not. So far, the only thing that seemed correct to her was the Shrieking Shack looming on the hill up the street, but even that was not as dilapidated as it should have been. Suddenly, the thought came to her, 'The trees. The trees are too short.'
"I'm gonna kill that bloody werewolf!" Harry suddenly exclaimed from next to her. "Next time I see him, I gonna-"
"Harry, what's gotten into you?" Ginny asked, alarmed by his words.
"That," he growled as he pointed at the newspaper, "is what has gotten into me."
Taking the newspaper from him, Ginny scanned it. "It's a Daily Prophet. What does it have to do with Remus?"
"This."
Looking closely at the paper, she saw that Harry was pointing at the date. The date that was not October 31, 2001 as it should have been. Instead, it read June 10, 1976.
"Bloody hell."
A/N: Ack, took longer than I expected. Sorry about the delay all.
The Bumbling Firefly: Can't tell who it is, that would ruin the whole plot.
Bucky: Sorry about Padfoot, but don't worry. He'll be all right in the end ^_^ Look for him in the next chapter alive and well.
Alarium, sew2100, and Tinabedina: Thanks for the encouragement!
RogueAngel and Caitey: Thanks for your help guys! I couldn't do it without you! And yes, Harry and Ginny will be older than their parents ^_^
A light wind caressing her skin was the first thing that Ginny was aware of as she regained consciousness. Next came the heady smell of flowers in full bloom along with freshly mowed grass. Then she heard Harry's voice frantically calling her name. Finally, she opened her brown eyes to stare into a pair of worried green ones.
"Harry?" Ginny groaned as her husband helped her to sit up next to him. "What's happened?"
"Thank Merlin you're okay Gin," his voice was thick with distress as he pulled her close to him, "I woke up and you were just lying there and I thought that." abruptly, the tears that had been filling his eyes began to fall, "I couldn't stand to lose you, too."
"Shh," she pulled his trembling body into her arms. "I'm here, it'll be all right." Her own tears were falling silently down her cheeks, "You're never going to lose me, love."
Harry stroked her hair as she expressed the grief that they were both feeling. They sat there taking comfort in the presence of the other for a long time as they came to terms with the past hours.
"I don't know what's happened," Harry commented, breaking into the quiet cocooning them. It was time that both of them regained control of their emotions, for he believed them both to still be in possible danger.
"The last I remember is Voldemort and the Killing Curse," Ginny offered, wiping the tears from her cheeks. As the implication of what she had said sunk in, Ginny blanched. "Do you think we're.?"
"Dead?" Harry replied soberly as he scanned the area. "That could explain why everything is calm here."
"What do you mean, 'here'?"
Pointing over Ginny's shoulder, Harry simply answered, "That's what I mean by 'here'."
Turning around, Ginny was shocked to see off in the distance Hogwarts gleaming in the sun. A Hogwarts without blast marks scaring its façade. A Hogwarts with its Great Hall intact. "Oh gods! Oh shit!" the words came rushing out of her mouth. "We're dead. We're dead! I'm only nineteen, I can't be dead! You can't be dead!" Her tone grew higher along with her distress. "We were supposed to live till we were old and grey and senile. I wanted grandkids and-"
"Gin. Ginny!" Harry's slightly amused voice broke into her triad. "I don't think we're dead."
"What's so funny? And what do you mean you don't think we're dead!" she practically screeched, showing her Weasley temper. "Voldemort plus Avada Kedavra plus green light plus a pristine Hogwarts equals dead! You might be 'The Boy Who Lived' but I'm bloody well not!"
"I hope not!" came the indignant reply along with a smirk. "It would mean that I married myself and, despite what Severus says, I am not that in love with myself."
Harry's reply brought her back to her senses, "What?" Suddenly, a lecherous smile spread across her face, "So that means when we-?"
Brushing aside her comment, Harry continued, "Some things just don't make sense. If we are dead, where is everyone else?" Harry's voice faltered as he thought of Flitwick and Sirius. Recovering himself, he pressed on, "Also, right before the Killing Curse, I thought I heard Remus shout something, possibly a spell, can't remember what it was though. What if that hit us before the curse? And." he shrugged, "I just feel it. I don't think we're dead."
"Okay," Ginny took a deep breath to calm the last of her nerves. "Let's assume that you're right and we're not dead. What, then, are we?"
"Not sure, just not dead. But I can tell you where we are. If I've got my bearings right, I think we're just off the path to Hogsmeade."
Looking around, Ginny closely studied her environment. Harry was right; they were just off the path the students used when they went to Hogsmeade. However, as she thought about it, something was not right and she pointed this out to her husband.
"What do you mean? It's the Hogsmeade path, we both recognize it. How can it be 'not right'?"
"Trust me, something's not right," she stated as she scanned the area once again for any clues that would explain the feeling she had.
"I trust you, its just that I wish I could see it too, whatever it is," standing, Harry held out a hand to help her up. "Well, we might as well go into the village to see if we can find any answers there."
"Maybe I'm being silly, but I think we should be careful about this," Ginny gave a tight smile as she got up. Bringing out her wand, Ginny began to cast the "Somebody Else's Problem" charm over both of them. The charm was the brainchild of Dean Thomas, who had come up with the idea after reading about it in a Muggle book. He had then gone to Ginny, who had excelled in charms at Hogwarts, for her help. When Flitwick had found out about the project, he was delighted and offered his help. The spell encouraged people to ignore those under it and they were unable to see those under it unless they knew what they were looking for. The spell had proven to be very useful in reconnaissance missions against the Death Eaters and had provided the Light with valuable information.
"Okay, well that's done," she clasped Harry's hand with her own, "Ready Mr. Potter?"
Giving her hand a squeeze, Harry gave her a small smile, "Ready, Mrs. Potter."
The walk into Hogsmeade was quiet as they both observed their surroundings as they tried to piece together what had happened to them.
"I think I now know what you meant when you said it was 'off'." Harry commented as they entered the village of Hogsmeade, breaking their silence.
"Yeah," Ginny replied absently as she took in the sight in front of her. Hogsmeade was definitely "off." The most noticeable difference was that it was smaller than she was used to. There were fewer cottages lining the main road than she was used to. The Three Broomsticks, Honeydukes, and Zonko's were still there, but smaller than she remembered. The Owl Post Office was on the wrong side of the street. The greatest difference was that there was hardly anyone on the street, despite the fact that it was noon according to the clock in the Post Office's window.
As they continued their journey into Hogsmeade, Harry reached down to pick up a newspaper that had been carelessly discarded on a nearby bench. Ginny kept looking around the village, trying to find something that she recognized as being "right." It was incredibly disconcerting to be somewhere that you should recognize yet you did not. So far, the only thing that seemed correct to her was the Shrieking Shack looming on the hill up the street, but even that was not as dilapidated as it should have been. Suddenly, the thought came to her, 'The trees. The trees are too short.'
"I'm gonna kill that bloody werewolf!" Harry suddenly exclaimed from next to her. "Next time I see him, I gonna-"
"Harry, what's gotten into you?" Ginny asked, alarmed by his words.
"That," he growled as he pointed at the newspaper, "is what has gotten into me."
Taking the newspaper from him, Ginny scanned it. "It's a Daily Prophet. What does it have to do with Remus?"
"This."
Looking closely at the paper, she saw that Harry was pointing at the date. The date that was not October 31, 2001 as it should have been. Instead, it read June 10, 1976.
"Bloody hell."
A/N: Ack, took longer than I expected. Sorry about the delay all.
The Bumbling Firefly: Can't tell who it is, that would ruin the whole plot.
Bucky: Sorry about Padfoot, but don't worry. He'll be all right in the end ^_^ Look for him in the next chapter alive and well.
Alarium, sew2100, and Tinabedina: Thanks for the encouragement!
RogueAngel and Caitey: Thanks for your help guys! I couldn't do it without you! And yes, Harry and Ginny will be older than their parents ^_^