Disclaimer: All characters herein except those otherwise noted belong to J.K. Rowling, who I think, on occasion, to be some sort of goddess. Inspired by another fic of mine, and throught out while sitting through much boredom at work. Spoilers for all five books, I suppose.

Notes: Thanks so much to Kathy, for beta, and for helping over rough spots plotwise. Love ya, babe. Thank you to everyone who has reviewed and given me such wonderful feedback.

Through Time

Nine: No Turning Back

Lily walked down the stairs from Dumbledore's office, her brain again working frantically. James stepped forward and took hold of her hand.

"Lil, we're going home," he said. Lily stopped and looked at him.

"James, I am not going to go home and leave our son here alone, to die." Lily snapped. James backed up, but held onto her hand.

"He's not alone," James said. "He's never, ever alone, and don't you EVER think that."

"James, when he faces Voldemort, he will be alone." Lily said.

"No," James said. "I'll be with him."

"Not if Dumbledore sends us back." Lily said.

"James is right," Sirius said. "We'll all be with him. Except for Remus. Sorry Remus."

"I would be if I could be," Remus said. "But since my adult self isn't dead… but who knows. I might be by then."

Lily stared at them.

"I am always with my son," James said. "You are always with your son. Sirius is always with his godson. When he could not be in life, so he is in death."

Lily's eyes were suddenly shining with tears. "When did you get so smart?" she asked James.

"When I met Harry," James said, and gave the girl who would someday be his wife a quick smile.

"I'm not going back," Lily said. "Not yet."

"No," Remus said. "We aren't. I didn't learn that spell for nothing."

"And if push comes to shove, Remy can hold him down, and we can beat the hell out of him," Sirius said, slamming one fist into his open palm, grinning wildly.

James grinned at his best friends. "Oh yeah," he agreed. They continued down the stairs.

~`~

Harry led the group of Hogwarts students down the corridors to the great hall. He strode across the flagstones to the wide doors of the entrance, and, with Ron's help, threw them open.

They started down the lawns, this small band of students, girls still in their uniform skirts (except Hermione and Ginny, who had changed), robes fluttering as they walked with purpose.

"Harry," Hermione said, almost running to keep up. "Where are we going?"

"Malfoy Manor," Harry said, shooting a glance at Draco, who's pale, tight-lipped face turned slightly toward them. "Draco told me that with his parents gone, it had become the base of operations, if you will."

"How do you know?" Hermione asked Draco.

"The Dark Lord demanded that I leave the school along with the other kids. My uncle was supposed to bring me home, but I told Dumbledore that I wouldn't leave," Draco said. "I told him everything, and asked—begged—that he not let my uncle take me. And here I am."

Hermione looked at the boy, at the set of his jaw, and nodded her head. She didn't trust him completely, but something about the set of his jaw and the look in his eyes told her that he meant what he said. That he told the truth. Ginny stepped up beside them, reached out, and squeezed Draco's hand.

"I shouldn't trust you, but I do." She said. Harry looked at Ginny, who gave him the slightest of nods. Ginny knew things that other people didn't—being possessed by Voldemort in her first year had changed her, had given her a sixth sense, a way of sensing the true nature of people. Perhaps it was knowing true evil, being so close to it, that had shown her that no one—not even Draco Malfoy—was as evil as Voldemort.

"How are we going to get there?" Neville asked.

Harry looked into the forest. "The same way we got to the Ministry," Harry said. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small pocketknife.

Hermione's eyes widened. "What are you going to do?" she asked, a feeling of dread welling up in her stomach.

"The thestrals," Neville said. He watched as Harry drew the knife across his palm, watched the other boy's face go pale and tight with pain as he drew his own blood. Harry flexed his hand, causing blood to well up, spilling in dark red trails across his palm.

"It won't be enough," Neville said. The chubby boy reached out for Harry's knife.

"No, Neville," Hermione said, glaring at Harry and drawing her wand. Neville took the knife from Harry anyway. "Neville," Hermione said, reaching out.

Neville dug the knife into his palm with a sharp gasp of pain. His blood joined Harry's in dripping onto the ground, so, so red.

"Still not enough," Neville said. He pressed his lips together and flexed his hand the way Harry had. Draco reached out and took the knife from Neville. Hermione looked at him in shock. This Slytherin boy was about to shed blood for the quest of a Gryffindor? Didn't that go against everything he stood for?

Draco slashed his palm open, unflinching, not making a sound. Hermione wondered if maybe the pale blond boy hadn't been conditioned to endure pain soundlessly. That seemed like the kind of thing Lucius Malfoy would impress upon his son.

Hermione looked around at the rest of the group. No one moved, but Padma Patil had her hands over her mouth and had turned away. Hermione waited for someone else to move forward, to ad their blood to Harry's, Neville's, and Draco's. She heard a sharp gasp of pain behind her, and turned to see Ginny screwing up her eyes at the sight of her own blood.

"Bloody hell," Hermione said, as Harry, Neville, and Draco turned toward the trees.

A thestral made its way slowly out of the trees, toward the three boys. Harry walked toward it, his bloody hand outstretched. Hermione paled, hoping that it would not try to bite his hand off. Ginny looked, hoping to see what the boys saw. Hermione remembered that the year before, Draco had not been able to see the animals when Hagrid had introduced them in Care of Magical Creatures.

"Who," she said softly. "Who did you see die, Malfoy."

Draco turned pale, cold gray eyes to her, and Hermione was reminded of the sky before a storm. Ginny watched the Slytherin boy as well, her eyes on his face.

"My mother," Draco said. His eyes narrowed. "I went with her to my father's execution. Then when we got home…" his voice trailed off. "You know the rest of the story."

Truthfully, the girls did not, but they did not want to ask. It was not their place.

Three more thestrals came out of the trees.

"There are four," Luna said, speaking up for the first time. "We need so many more than that."

Ginny turned and counted quickly. "Fifteen." She said. "There's no way we'll get that many fast enough.

"Then we'll just wait for eight." Harry said, tight lipped.

"I'm not sure we can even wait for that many." Draco said. He was facing the castle now, looking up. "They'll be here soon."

"Who?" Ron asked, glaring at the blond boy.

"The Professors. Your mum and da." Draco said. "Lily."

"Harry," Luna said, rushing forward. She rubbed a hand down the side of the thestral. "More are coming."

"Ginny, you, Luna, and Neville stay here. You can attract the thestrals and Luna can help people mount." Harry said. "If we can mount two on an animal, eight of us can go now."

"They can carry two, probably," Draco said, looking at the horse-like creatures. "Horses that size could. These should be able to."

"Right then," Harry said. "Hermione, you ride with me. Blaise will ride with Draco. Two. Um. Ron, you come here, you can ride one, and Padma with you. Ernie, you and Susan can take this fourth."

Harry reached out and took Ron's arm, leading him to the closest thestral. He helped his best friend mount the skeletal beast, and twined Ron's fingers in the horse's mane. "Padma," he called softly. The thestral whinnied softly, and nosed at Padma as she walked by. The girl jumped, but Harry caught her arm and helped her mount the beast behind Ron. She closed her arms tight around Ron's waist.

"Ernie," Harry said, motioning at the blond Hufflepuff boy. Ernie walked over cautiously, unable to see the skeletal horse that awaited him. Harry guided him to the animal's back as two more thestrals came out of the trees. "Yes," he hissed softly. He waved to Susan and secured Ernie's hands in the thestral's mane. Susan walked over and mounted behind Ernie.

"You can see them?" Harry asked. The Hufflepuff girl nodded and locked her arms around Ernie.

Harry turned to see Draco climb onto a thestral, pulling the dark haired Blaise up behind him. On the other side of them, Luna was settiling Dean Thomas and Katie Bell onto a thestral. Neville, while holding his bleeding hand out, was helping Zacharias Smith and Cho Chang onto the back of another. Ginny was looking about worriedly, flexing her hand to keep the blood flowing.

Harry marched to his own mount and climbed on, reaching out to Hermione. His girlfriend walked over, holding out a hand, and Harry helped her climb onto the magical beast.

"Land in the village below the manor," Draco said. "There's no way to land inside the grounds. My father made sure of that."

Harry nodded, and looked at the other riders to make sure they heard. They were pale, but they mostly nodded. As Harry's thestral launched itself into the sky, the final two thestrals emerged from the woods, as Professor McGonagall came striding out of the castle and toward them. Harry looked back to see Luna hurrying Seamus onto one of the beasts as Neville hauled Ginny up behind him.

Harry took a deep breath and was thankful for Hermione's arms around his middle, and her cheek pressed against his back. He was scared—more than he had ever been any other time he had faced Voldemort. This time, he wasn't going to save anyone. He was going to save the world.

The thought jarred him, but there was no turning back, not in the air with the sounds of beating wings. Not with Hermione at his back, and Ron at his side.

Not now and not ever again, would he be able to turn away.

This was his destiny.