A/N: Just a few quick notes and reminders. As always, a tremendous amount of thanks to LB Domingo for beta reading this story.
Responses to the reviews left for me at ff.net are posted at the web site listed in my author profile. If you ever visit the site please mention it somewhere, somehow, to me so that I know whether I should continue posting responses. (You can just mention it in a review or leave a note in the guest book there.)
Concerning H/G: Several of you have made comments about it in your reviews. You have no need to worry about it. . . yet. If you read this story's sequel, or the one after, you do need to worry. They are a little young right now.
Some of you have asked about my update schedule. Technically I have no schedule. However, pretend like I get twenty reviews or something for a chapter. The next chapter will come out very fast. Next example, I only get five reviews or something. I'll get around to updating. . . eventually. So basically its up to whether I get the feeling you like the story or not. :)
Enjoy the chapter! :)
Harry looked desperately at his ring. Could he risk having it transport him to where someone might see him appear? Thinking quickly Harry transported himself to behind a tapestry near the portrait of the Fat Lady.
Looking around carefully, Harry emerged from behind the tapestry and ran down the hall towards the Gryffindor Common Room. He yelled the password, ("devil's snare!") and burst into the Common Room looking wildly around for Ron and Hermione.
The victory party was over and few students were still awake. Harry spotted the pair sitting at a table doing their homework. He quickly ran over to the table.
"Hermione!" Harry panted. "Your family. They're in danger. Death Eaters."
Hermione's face whitened. "How do you know?"
"I'll explain later. We still have time. I saw into the future." Harry said as he regained his breath.
Ron spoke up, "We need to alert Dumbledore immediately."
Harry shook his head. "There's no time Ron. We'll send someone else to tell him. Like Ginny."
"No you won't," came Ginny's voice from behind Harry. She had just come down from her dormitory. "I will be coming with you."
Harry nodded slowly. "I suppose that's okay."
"How do we get to my home?" Hermione asked in a weak voice.
Harry held up his hand and showed everyone his ring. "This is a sort of portkey that I can use. It'll take us anywhere we wish to go." While they gaped he grabbed a piece of parchment and a quill and scrawled a note to Dumbledore. He quickly folded it over and handed it to a younger student who was studying. "Do you know where Dumbledore's office is?"
The astonished student nodded in shock.
"Good," Harry said. "Take this note to him immediately." The student nodded and left the Common Room at a run. "Everyone hold onto me," Harry instructed.
Hermione, Ron, and Ginny all grasped Harry's arm and he briefly concentrated on the ring and the corner the mysterious wind had taken him to earlier. They all appeared on the dark corner. "How much time do we have?" Hermione asked in a shaken voice.
"I don't know, let me see if I can figure it out," Harry mused. He once again held up the ring. "Can you help me?" Harry whispered.
For the briefest moment blue light flared from the sapphires set into the ring. In the brief light he could see his ghostly form walking down the long street. Nearly to Hermione's house. "Run!" Harry commanded.
The four took off down the street running as hard as they could as they drew their wands. As they ran, Harry could feel the ring beginning to turn very cold. It felt like it was burning with a cold flame. Harry looked around half expecting to see himself back in the Time realm that he had just encountered. They were still in the normal realm though. The ring's coldness was a different kind of cold.
As the quartet approached the house there was an explosion. The Death Eaters had already attacked. They ran into the yard brandishing their wands. Hermione and Ron began shooting stunning spells at the closest Death Eaters.
Harry spotted a Death Eater running into the house. He raised his wand to stun the man but in its cold fury, the ring had already struck the Death Eater. Screaming, the Dark wizard erupted into cold, blue and gold flames. The flames were extinguished when he fell. Harry rushed up to him and checked him quickly. The man was still alive, but barely.
Wasting no more time, Harry charged into the house shooting spells at the Death Eaters the ring did not attack. Just as the ring 'flamed' the last Death Eater, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny rushed into the house.
Crying, Hermione rushed over to where her parents lay.
"Are they okay?" Ron asked quietly.
"I don't know," Hermione wept quietly.
Ron walked over and gave her a reassuring pat on the shoulder. "Don't worry, it'll turn out."
After a couple of moments Professor Dumbledore and Mr. Weasley rushed into the house. "Harry," Dumbledore said quickly. "You four need to leave quickly. A lot of fur is going to fly at the Ministry over this incident and we don't need you to be involved in any way. We'll say that you warned us and we came and did this. Go back to Hogwarts and we'll send for you all so you can visit Hermione's parents at St. Mungo's."
Mr. Weasley was attending to Mr. and Mrs. Granger. "They'll be okay," he told them in a calm and gentle voice. "Just do what Dumbledore said and everything will be fine."
"We'll be in my office," Harry told Dumbledore as his friends held onto his arm. He then had the ring transport them back to Hogwarts.
They appeared in Harry office. Harry pulled out his wand and conjured up a black leather couch for Hermione to lie down on. "We'll wait for news here," Harry said as he sat down in the chair behind his desk.
Ginny took a seat across from him while Hermione laid down on the couch. Ron sat next to Hermione doing his best to reassure and comfort her. "I wonder what Dumbledore meant about fur flying at the Ministry," Ginny wondered out loud.
Harry shrugged. "I don't know. If it's that bad though, it'll be in the Daily Prophet."
"So how exactly did you know? Another dream?" Ginny inquired quietly.
"I fell asleep. When I woke up I found myself in this strange sort of mirror-image of the room. It was dark and cold though. I found myself at Hermione's house and saw what happened. A voice said to me that I had hurry."
Ginny nodded, seeming to accept Harry's bare bone explanation. "You'll need to explain to me more fully later. I suspect that it has something to do with your ring that you acquired this summer.
"How do you know?" Harry asked in a surprised voice.
Ginny rolled her eyes. "Really Harry. The ring transports us to Hermione's house and back without any trouble. That's one clue. Another clue, ever since you've gotten that ring you've gained maturity. You no longer struggle in any classes. You hardly spend time on homework yet Hermione is pressed to do better than you. Not only that, I saw what the ring did to that Death Eater on the porch." Ginny finished her explanation in a soft tone.
"Will you promise not to tell anyone?" Harry asked. He wasn't sure how he felt about everyone knowing about his ring.
Ginny nodded. "Of course I won't tell. It's your secret. Just let me. . . in on it."
Harry nodded and glanced over at the couch. Both Ron and Hermione had dozed off. Harry began to explain all he knew about the ring. "Dumbledore owled it to me at the beginning of the summer. . . . . ."
"You're a mage!" Ginny exclaimed softly after Harry finished telling the tale of the ring.
Harry shifted uncomfortably. "I don't know about that. . ."
Ginny reached forward and softly took Harry's left hand. "You must be. This ring is a magical object, or rather artifact. You can use its power."
Harry felt a tingle as Ginny held his hand and examined the ring. She finally let it go and Harry regretfully took it back. "I suppose maybe I am," Harry said.
"What I don't get is the part where TIME called you 'High Lord of Phoenix.'" Ginny said thoughtfully.
"Probably just some stupid saying or something," Harry said, trying to explain away the title TIME had addressed him as.
Ginny gave Harry a smile that told him that she knew that he trying to downplay the title. "I'll look that up in my spare time Harry. It may turn out to be quite interesting. However, I'll need to look in the Restricted Section to get everything I'll need. . ." She left the request hanging in the air.
His curiosity overcoming his good sense, Harry pulled some parchment and writing utensils out of a drawer and began to write.
Please give Miss Weasley free access to all of the books in the Restricted Section.
Signed-
Harry Potter- Professor of HADADA
Harry gave the parchment to Ginny. "Don't abuse it, okay?"
Ginny grinned. "You can trust me. Now, how about something for me to sleep on?"
Harry conjured up another couch for her. Ginny walked over and laid down on it, quickly falling asleep. Watching her do so, Harry smiled sadly.
Since the very moment TIME had explained a few things to him one thought had entered his mind and refused to leave. Sirius. In his spare time, Harry had thought often about Sirius. Could they have used a Time-Turner? Harry had dismissed that idea almost immediately. It was too far in the past and there had been too much chaos that night.
His thoughts turned to the other realm. The one the ring had taken him too. Could that do it? Harry doubted it. There was little chance that he could leave the realm except at the point he came from. Maybe the ring would know.
Harry held it up and studied it. What would happen if I tried to rescue Sirius? Harry asked it silently.
A small whisper seemed to echo back from the ring. "Paradox."
Harry sighed. It would be very selfish to risk a paradox just to save Sirius. It sounded as if a paradox was almost inevitable the way the ring had responded. Sirius was gone. Gone forever. Except until perhaps after death.
Harry sat back in his chair and began to silently weep. He missed Sirius. He missed his parents.
* * * * * * *
Harry woke up as Dumbledore entered his office. "Well?"
Dumbledore smiled. "You four were successful in saving the Granger's lives as well as apprehending several Death Eaters." He then frowned. "Several Death Eaters that weren't supposed to be free."
"So that's what all the mess and trouble is about?" Harry asked.
Dumbledore nodded. "It seems that Minister Fudge has been covering up some things he should not have covered up or hidden and failing in certain areas that he should be strong in. The attack should have never happened.
"So I see," Harry said. "What's going to happen?"
Dumbledore shrugged. "I suspect that Cornelius Fudge is not going to remain Minister of Magic for much longer. Hopefully they will pick out someone better. Wake the others Harry. We'll go visit Hermione's parents at the hospital.