Author's Note: This is sort of important people. I came up with the idea when I watched the movie Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. Red hair, is totally in love with Harry who is like his father a helluva lot...let's make a complex plot out of it! Just so you can work with my dates and stuff, according to Nearly Headless Nick's Death Day, the 31st of October, 1492, and his 500th celebration in book 2, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's stone is set in 1991. I wanted to make Lily and James Potter 20 when they had Harry (I'm probably a year off). I hope that explains it. Don't get discouraged by my ramblings. Please read and review!
The one where Ginny gets forced back in time
Ginny Weasley nearly collapsed with the weight of all her extra books. Why had she asked Hermione for help with her timetable? It was bad enough that her schoolwork was growing harder and harder, but to add the time traveling...she felt worn out. The small little health problems that had been bugging her were getting worse. A simple cold could land her in bed for days.
That was the trouble in trying to outdo everyone else in her family. Charlie and Bill were like idols to her, they had worked hard and played hard. Now they had great jobs that they loved. If she could struggle a little harder with all her subjects, maybe she could be like them.
Fred and George were exceptionally busy with their store. Everyone at Hogwarts knew who "The Weasley Twins" were. Most of them had sat on one or more of their patented Flatulence Pads. She was grateful for their antidote they gave out to their inner circle. Prankster wannabes constantly placed them on chairs so the victim was plagued with flatulence all day.
Ron was...well...Ron. He had Harry's reflected glory and even had a little in his own right. Her brother was able to take risks. All of them were. All she ever did was write in an evil diary and almost killed all the Muggle-born in the school. What kind of glory was that? It was more like a stupid mistake that made her into a child in everyone's eyes.
She looked at the time turner. How could such a little thing do so much? The Time-Turner she owned was a new model. It took her back years as well because of the slight glitch in the makings of the other ones. Whenever you tried to go back past a New Year, it wouldn't let you, even if it was New Years Day. Ginny let it fall back against her skin.
Stretching her back, she set off towards the Muggle Studies room. As if she needed to know about plugs! She knew more than she ever wanted to about the things, her father had a collection after all.
Her eyes lingered on Harry. Her heart clenched. He was gorgeous, his head bent over a piece of parchment held down with goblets. Her pitiful yearnings were depressing. Ginny scoffed down some of the pasta and got to finishing the homework from Care of Magical Creatures. She felt Hermione's eyes on the back of her neck.
'Yes, Hermione?' Her voice conveyed how distracted she was.
'You should take it easy, Ginny.' Hermione frowned. 'I almost had a nervous breakdown when I used the time turner as much as you do now. I admit, you've lasted longer than I did, but be careful.'
Ginny raised her green eyes to Hermione's brown ones. 'I will, Hermione.' Turning back to her work, her elbow knocked a goblet of pumpkin juice over. The orange stain spread all over her parchment. Her muttered curse made both Ron and Harry look up.
'Gin, you should take a break.' Ron said, helping her with a drying charm.
'Yeah, we've noticed how tired you are.' Harry added.
'Guys, leave Ginny to handle her own life.' Hermione thought that her friend might need a little help.
'Thanks 'Mione. Look, I'll see you in the common room. I'm going to the library before it closes. It's a long shot, but maybe I could squeeze in an hour of studying.' Ginny packed up her things and left the hall to get to the library.
All three of them watched her go. They all were concerned over her well being. 'I hope she looks after herself.' Harry said, chewing thoughtfully on some of the garlic bread.
'So do I.' Hermione added.
'I'm worried about her. She never drools over you anymore. Whatever she's doing, it's leading her to distraction.' Ron slapped Harry on the back, a grin on his face.
'You can joke at a time like this?' Hermione was appalled.
'It's called lightening the mood, Hermione.'
'Guys, can you please be quiet. I'm thinking.' Harry mumbled and they finished eating their dinner in silence.
Ginny woke up in the library. Her face felt numb as she raised it out of the book. It hadn't made the best pillow. She rubbed her face. What time was it? Why hadn't Madam Pince woken her up? Her heart started to beat faster at the thought of all the time that had passed. The clock on the wall told her it was a quarter to midnight. How strange that the librarian hadn't told her about closing.
She stuffed her things in her bag and looked around. How bizarre, she thought, the tables weren't like that when I fell asleep. Rearranged. Ginny frowned and walked over to the locked door.
'Alohomora.' Ginny said listlessly. She made her way to Gryffindor tower and stopped outside the Fat Lady's portrait.
'What are you doing?' The Fat Lady said cautiously.
'Trying to get into the common room. Toad hole.'
'Toad Hole? That's not the password. I don't know who you got it off, but they told you a lie.'
'The prefect told me! What is going on here?'
'That is what I would like to know.' A voice behind her was cool.
Ginny swung around and looked at Professor McGonagall, a very young looking Professor McGonagall. She must be trying a new spell on her face. It's working well. 'Ah, Professor, the password is toad hole, right? Or have they changed it in the time I fell asleep in the library?'
'I assure you, Miss, they have never used toad hole as the password. Please, follow me.'
Concerned and scared, Ginny followed the Head of Gryffindor house. She noticed that it was the path to the Headmaster's office. Her stomach flipped with nerves. What had she done? McGonagall stopped in front of the familiar stone gargoyle.
'Licorice Twists.'
The gargoyle slid away, leaving stairs that she knew rose up to the office of Professor Dumbledore. With heavy footsteps, she walked up the steps, Professor McGonagall behind her so she couldn't escape. Not that Ginny would ever dare to disobey a teacher.
'Ah, Miss Weasley, I have been awaiting your arrival.' Dumbledore smiled at her. Professor McGonagall prodded Ginny to take a seat.
'Uh, Professor Dumbledore, sir, what is going on here?' Ginny's voice was rather timid.
'I believe this is yours?' He pulled out her Time-Turner. 'It caught on the book you were using as a pillow when you woke up and spun you back in time.'
Her mouth was dry with fear. 'When is it, Professor?'
'The year is 1976. Does that mean anything to you, Miss Weasley?'
She did some quick mathematics. Her jaw dropped. 'That would mean that...Harry's father is at school!' Ginny allowed herself to get a little excited. How fun would it be when she went back to her own time and told him all about the adventures she had with his father and friends?
'Ginny, I am a Seer.' The news didn't shock her. Very little went past her Headmaster in the future. 'I can tell that you are going to play an integral part of the future.' He smiled at her. 'That's why I ask you to continue your learning here at Hogwarts.' Seeing her unease at his words, he continued.
'Your presence here will not lead to an alternate future. The fates brought you here so you could fulfill a job.' Taking her silence as a positive sign, he said: 'I am under the assumption that you were in Gryffindor?'
'Yes, sir.' Ginny hoped that she'd see her parents or friends again. What Dumbledore was proposing would take her away from her family and all the friends she had made in her time.
He pondered for a moment. 'Because your last name is rather...unique, and your parents haven't even had you yet, perhaps you should be advised to take up another name whilst here?' He paused, thinking, then clicked his fingers. A tingle went through her. 'I've always been partial to the name Lily Evans.'
'No.' Ginny breathed. The pieces were falling back together. She had a crush on Harry and he acts and looks so much like his father. Her eyes were the same shade as his. The red hair that she had seen in pictures of Harry's parents. 'No, Professor. There's someone named Lily Evans here already. She's in love with James Potter. They get married and have Harry. Then You-Know-Who kills them!' She was close to tears.
'Lily, it is your destiny. All will be well, I promise. You will not do anything you do not wish to as long as you believe in me now. You will see all your friends again, all your family.' His voice had become a whisper so only she could hear it. It surprised Ginny how quickly she had picked up on the name of Lily. 'Minerva, please take Lily to the Hospital Wing. She needs to recover from the time travel shock that has set in.' Dumbledore made his voice louder for the Professor sitting in the other chair.
A comforting hand landed on her shoulder and Ginny thought somewhere in her mind that she was glad that at least Professor McGonagall was being nice to her again. 'Come, Miss Evans.'
James, Sirius and Peter huddled under the Invisibility Cloak, walking as fast as three people under a cloak can. Satisfied that Remus had transformed correctly and wasn't going to bite his leg off, they had headed back to the castle. Professor McGonagall appeared out of the stone gargoyle that led to the Headmaster's office. A girl was stumbling close by her, almost as if she were still trying to grasp something. Like how to walk, Sirius thought suddenly. He opened his mouth to repeat his observations.
'Quiet!' James hissed, clamping a hand over both their mouths. Peter stopped his instinct to bite down on the fingers on his lips.
'Miss Evans, please follow me to the Hospital Wing.' Professor McGonagall said sharply.
When they had reached out of earshot, James let go of his two friends. 'Guys, it looks like we have another student to terrorize.' A grin that Peter thought looked evil appeared on James' face.
'Let's get back to the Common Rooms. We'll see if we can put a bug down her robes tomorrow.' Wormtail said with glee.
'That is so amateur.' Sirius sniffed, faking hurt. 'Have I taught you nothing, my son?'
'You are right. I apologize.' Peter's mumbled apology still made the two boys roll their eyes.
'C'mon. I'm tired.' James started moving forward, cloak and all.
Ginny combed her dark red hair with the brush Madam Pompfrey had given her. It was a nice gesture and one that she appreciated. Now that her silky strands were knot free, she looked herself over in the mirror. The denial that had been in mind all night suddenly dissipated. She knew her resemblance to Lily had been uncanny, now it was staring her in the face.
Maybe it wouldn't be so bad. Maybe Voldemort wouldn't kill her. With a sigh, she remembered Dumbledore's words. Your presence here will not create an alternate future. Ginny would die and Harry would live without a mother.
Ginny blushed with shame. Her son, son, had been the object of her obsession for almost seven years now. That made her feel a little dirty. She hoped James liked her. Ginny buried her face in the pillow, embarrassed. She'd never met the man and yet her mind was in overdrive with thoughts of him. He certainly looked nice enough in the pictures Harry had shown her.
'Miss Evans, how are you feeling today?'
'Much better, thank you Madam Pompfrey.' The pillow muffled her voice. 'May I go now?'
'Against my better judgement, yes.' Ginny rolled over to see the mediwitch's face and grinned.
'Thank you.' Ginny sat up and inched her way off the bed.
'Before you go, there is a letter for you. From the Headmaster.'
'Ah, thanks.' She accepted the letter and placed it in her robes. They smelt of crushed lavender since Madam Pompfrey had cleaned them for her.
Ginny, no, Lily walked outside of the Hospital Wing. There was a bench near a painting of a river and she sat down to read her letter. Her fingers fumbled at the seal, almost in a rush to see what he had written. Two pages of parchment fell out, one a timetable; the other was a letter.
Dear Miss Lily Evans,
Due to your lack of supplies for schooling, I have seen to it that there are adequate materials for you. All your schoolbooks, robes and other necessary items are waiting for you in the sixth year Gryffindor Dormitories. Your house is aware of your arrival and shall make sure you are welcomed. Please make sure you do not get on the bad side of the sixth year boys that have named themselves "The Marauders."
Your story shall be as follows. Your name is Lily Emily Evans and you live with your Mother, Father and three sisters. Your sister's names are Petunia, Jasmine and Ivy. Petunia has always been jealous of your magical abilities. All of your sisters are Squibs, despite your family history. Your father was a muggle and your mother was a witch of great power.
Since you were eleven years old, a tutor has taught you magic. If you had left for Hogwarts earlier, your sisters would have been unbearable. This explains why you did not attend a school of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
Please enjoy your stay here at Hogwarts.
Professor A. Dumbledore.
(P. S. The password for Gryffindor Tower is Magic Toes.)
Lily grinned a little at her Headmaster and folded the letter back into her robes. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad. If Dumbledore could joke about it, surely it wasn't too serious.
Ok, love it, hate it? Somehow I've grown needy for reviews. Oh, and before you ask...YES this is a distraction from A Bittersweet Victory.