Chapter Six
The Annualis-Glass
The first thing Harry noticed about Transfiguration class was the size or more importantly the lack thereof. Apparently either a lot of people didn't pass their Transfiguration O.W.L. or a lot of people didn't need the N.E.W.T. for their chosen field of work after school. Where normally students of two school houses were combined to form a single class of approximately twenty-five to thirty, it seemed as if all four houses were represented in a class of about twenty.
The three of them found an empty table in the back and made themselves at home while Professor McGonagall shuffled papers from side to side on her desk. The bell rang in the distance indicating the start of class.
"Some of you may have noticed a decided lack of students in this N.E.W.T. level course of Advanced Transfiguration," began McGonagall. "That is because not everyone has the determination and aptitude to advance this far. Most of you may count yourselves amongst the brightest Hogwarts has to offer of the sixth-years."
Harry spotted Draco Malfoy near the front of the class straightening his robes and trying to look haughty.
"While others have arrived in the class on pure blind luck."
Malfoy stopped and Harry snickered into his sleeve so he wouldn't be heard.
"The coursework over the next two years will expose you to the final phase of transfiguration, Conjuration. In the simplest terms, conjuration is the act of summoning. In practical terms you will eventually be able to do this."
She held he wand up and waved it in a wide circle at the floor and in an instant a squashy armchair appeared. "Or this." She waved her wand again, in the air this time. A multi-colored tropical bird flapped its wings and shot around the room once before she vanished it.
"Before we move on I would suggest you consider what demands will be laid upon you in the last two years of your education." She picked up a stack of papers from her desk. "Miss. Patil, pass these around to everyone."
Padma Patil stood and took the proffered papers and passed them out. Harry noticed strangely that her sister Parvati was not in the class.
"This is the coursework Syllabus for the next two years in Transfiguration."
Harry looked at what had to be fifteen or twenty pages of reading assignments, projects, and castings that made up the remainder of their time in this particular class. In a word he was stunned.
"The only thing that differs in this syllabus from the traditional are the projects you will be involved in and have to turn in and pass before you advance to the next school year or in order to be qualified to even attempt your N.E.W.T.'s."
He heard a very audible gulp from his left as Ron looked on at the amount of homework he would have. He thought the only person in the classroom that remotely looked happy was Hermione.
"Please consider whether or not you are prepared to continue. If not I would strongly suggest you drop this course and think of another option. Of course, those of you opting for Evocation this year will not have that option as this course is required in conjunction."
Harry recognized Terry Boot raising his hand.
"Yes, Boot"
"Please, Professor. What is Evocation. I must have missed ..."
McGonagall raised her wand and pointed it at the armchair. He watched as she squinted her eyes for a moment and a blast of flame shot out and engulfed the chair. "That, Mr. Boot, is Evocation." The flames disappeared and all that remained of the chair was a black pile of cinders smoking on the floor which was vanished a second later.
"Only the most clever of each house is even allowed to take the course and then very few pass." She looked around, "How many here have been accepted into Evocation?"
Harry and Hermione raised their hands along with Malfoy and Padma.
McGonagall shook her head. "Only four this year? That's too bad. If past experience is any indication only two of you will pass."
Harry's eyes centered on Malfoy and were immediately returned. Which would it be, him or me? wondered Harry.
"Now for the first lesson you should have already read chapter one of Advanced Transfiguration and know the incantation for conjuring a matchstick. Begin."
By the end of class only three people had successfully conjured a matchstick: Harry, Hermione, and Padma. Ron had come close but it had gone up in flames. They were allowed to continue to the next chapter and the rest of the class had twelve inches of parchment to write on why they hadn't been able to successfully complete the assignment. Harry breathed a sigh of relief and promised to himself he would be at least one step ahead in this class. He couldn't afford not to be.
The shocker came after class when Harry was about to get up and leave Hermione pulled him back down. "Where are you going?"
He looked at his schedule and saw Evocation was being taught in the same classroom. Once the rest of the students left and only the four that raised their hands earlier remained, Harry and Hermione picked up their books and moved up front.
"Hold a moment." McGonagall waved her wand and vanished all of the desks and replaced them with a large slab of granite on four legs with four stools on one side spaced widely. "I find the Evocation spells a lot less harder on the furniture if it's a bit more resilient."
Harry remembered the charred kitchen table back at Grimmauld Place and agreed.
"Since we've gone over the swim or sink policy of the class already, we'll skip that portion."
She survey them critically for a moment before beginning her opening speech. "I take a certain amount of pleasure in tell you four that you are the brightest of your year. We will not go into specifics about ranking as at this point it does not matter. The most clever of you still may not be able to excel at this class while those that rank lower may arrive at the skill level of Master Invoker.
"Almost anyone can produce the effect that I displayed in the previous class. the trick to Evocation is in control; to be able to affect your target with pinpoint accuracy."
Her eyes trailed to Malfoy when she produced her wand once more and waved it in his direction. A very large plumed quill appeared in front of him. "Malfoy, be so good as to pick up the quill by the point and hold it in the air."
"Fresen!" A cool white breeze shot out the end of her wand and trailed from the tip of the quill to the feathered end, precisely. When she ended the spell the quill looked like it had been dipped in water and frozen forever in place.
"We will work on the Freezing Charm first. Wands out..."
The end of Charms class also signaled the end of his school day and the beginning of his study time, but Hermione in her infinite sense of compassion allowed Harry and Ron to go out and play after finishing their Charms homework and Harry, his Defense homework.
By that time it was four-thirty and plenty of daylight was out for a rousing few turns around the Quidditch pitch. Harry had almost forgotten what he lived for and at this time it was soaring through the air on his Firebolt while his girlfriend sat in the stands below doing her Ancient Runes homework.
He zoomed by a few times just to see the look in her eye and the sweet smile on her face ... well that and he wanted to hear her squeak. The school year could not have started off any better, knowing he was at the top of his class, knowing that he now stood a chance at beating back Snape and his stupid Occlumency lessons, knowing that for once, people seem to like him and not think he's a freak, and the best of all knowing that there is someone that thinks he's good enough to be boyfriend material.
The only thing missing was his parents or at the very least, Sirius.
He had spent so much time thinking of what kind of people his parents had been. So many people had told him how courageous they were, how much they loved him, and how so much like his father he was, but the nagging scene in Snape's memories of his father acting the complete ass that Snape always said he was, spoiled the idealistic picture in his mind. If only he had the chance to know them before they died ...
He did have a chance to know Sirius, however, and that was almost as good. From what many have said, they could have been brothers, much like he and Ron ... and that would make Hermione much like his own mum.
That thought made a lightening quick path through his head. Was Hermione like his mum? Were they supposed to grow up and graduate school and get married ... maybe have a baby ... maybe watch him or her grow to a year's age and have Voldemort destroy their home and have their child grow up without parents like he did? Is that what was in store for him?
He told himself that everything was going to change this time around and he would change things for the better. It was his life that Voldemort was messing with. He had made Harry's entire existence a hellish nightmare and it was Harry's turn to show Voldemort that he was through being a pawn in his and Dumbledore's game of Wizard Chess.
Harry's eyes snapped open and he brought his Firebolt in a wide arc and dove for the ground. He pulled up in plenty of time in front of Hermione and she smiled again.
"Feel better?" she asked.
Harry set a determined look on his face. "I feel stronger."
She gave him an odd look.
"I have to go see Dumbledore."
She cocked her head. "Do you want me to come with you?"
He shook his head. "It's Order business. I'll fill you in as soon as I know what's going on."
She nodded, gathered her books and stood up. Harry saw her in a different light, now that he thought through things. He could definitely see them together for a long time. It was both thrilling and very scary all at the same time. She was his best friend in all the world and now his best friend was becoming something more. It was as if a light bulb had finally blown in his head and let him see past the glow that had been blocking his view for so long.
He saw his future and it scared him. He saw his future and he knew he had to make the right decisions or it would all melt away like so much used candle wax.
"Harry," Hermione asked. "is everything okay?"
In response he placed his hand behind her head and pulled her close to him and his hungry lips. "It will be ... I promise." He set upon her for a few moments just to let her feel what he was experiencing ... an epiphany of sorts.
She pulled back afterward and her eyes were glazed and her lips called for more. "W--what was that for?"
Harry smiled. "I just realized something and I wanted to share it with you."
She smiled goofily. "Okay."
"I think I love you, Hermione Granger."
He saw her tremble slightly and watched as she caught her breath. "Harry ..."
He stepped back and smiled as he mounted his broom. "I just--wanted to tell you that."
Ron landed a second later and scoffed. "You two have plenty of time to snog in the common room. It's time to fly."
It seemed as if Hermione didn't hear a thing Ron said as her eyes stayed locked on Harry's, and he looked at Ron. "You're right, mate, but I have to take care of some business first."
He pushed off and twirled in circles until he reached the top of the stands. He paused for a moment to look back down and Hermione had dropped her books and was hugging Ron, then he shot off to the castle.
He tried to remember the exact angle of the Quidditch field he had seen from Dumbledore's office last term. Once he had found it he set off to find the proper window. That's when he noticed Dumbledore waiting for him. His office window was too thin to enter so he rode up along side.
"Preparing for the new Quidditch season, Harry?" said Dumbledore.
"Yes, sir."
Dumbledore looked at him with a critical eye. "You have questions for me?"
"Yes, sir."
The headmaster nodded. "Very well. Come in through office entrance. The password is Twizzle Snaps."
Harry nodded and set off for the front entrance. His dismounted his broom and carried it with him as his took the steps of the marble staircase two at a time up to the second level and down the hall to the empty corridor with the stone statue of a Gargoyle, squatted and thinking.
"Twizzle Snaps."
The gargoyle animated and leapt aside to reveal a secret door that Harry had long since learned about from him many times in the Headmaster's office. He stepped on the spiral staircase as it revolved upward to his destination. Once he stepped off he noticed the door to Dumbledore's office was ajar, but he knocked anyway.
"Come in, Harry."
He entered the circular office and the first thing he noticed was the small table to the right that held Dumbledore's mysterious silver devices had either been replace, or considering the office in question probably had been magically repaired.
Harry set his broom to the side and sat on the armchair he usually choose in front of the headmaster's desk.
"Shall I assume you are here regarding Order business?"
"Yes, sir." Harry paused. "I think it's about time I heard about the Death Eater's March."
Dumbledore smiled as if Harry had solved some difficult puzzle. "Anything I could tell you is available in history books located in the school library, and judging from the look on your face you have already researched that particular avenue."
Harry kept his back straight. "Hermione has, I haven't."
"Of course." Dumbledore considered for a moment. "Tell me of your conclusions."
Harry remembered what Hermione had said back at Grimmauld Place. "We figure he's using the attacks on Muggle villages as a ruse to find somebody or something. A weapon or someone that know how to build a weapon."
Dumbledore nodded. "That is exactly what Voldemort is attempting to do, Harry. However, the only person that is capable of ever recreating the particular weapon in question is long dead."
Harry sat forward on the edge of his seat. "So it's a weapon he's after."
Dumbledore nodded. "I should rephrase. The device can be used as a weapon, or simply as a research tool. Do not ask me what the device is Harry for I cannot tell you."
"But, you said ..."
"I said that I would let you participate in Order meetings and in essence know what every other member of the Order knows. Only one other knows of the device's existence and location and that is in case something were to happen to me."
Dumbledore saw the look on Harry's face and frowned slightly which increased the number of deep wrinkles on his own face. "The temptation to use the device against Voldemort would be overwhelming, Harry. Even for someone as strong-willed as you. I cannot say anymore on the subject."
Harry tried to think of a way around the topic so that he could find out more about what it was that was being hidden. "If it's so safe then why is Voldemort pillaging Muggle villages to find it?"
"Because he does not know it's whereabouts. He is only led by folklore and legend. He does not think that anyone else is clever enough to have found it already for the creator of the device was himself one of the most cleverest wizards ever known."
Harry pondered the answer for a moment. "Who ..."
"I think it would be wise to return to your studies, Harry. Forget about the device. It is out of Voldemort's hands and the Order is using that knowledge against him to anticipate where he might turn next. There is nothing for you to do at this moment in time."
Harry nodded and retrieved his broom before heading back downstairs to the Gryffindor common room. Ron and Hermione had commandeered a large circular table by one of the windows near the back of the room and he saw his books and homework laid out for him.
Ron had looked up and waved short. Hermione was sitting forward on the table with her chin sitting on the heel of her hand, staring out the window, dreamily.
Harry made sure nobody was around the table within earshot before he sat down. Hermione snapped her head around and smiled brightly at him.
"It's a weapon."
Ron's eyebrows furrowed. "What's a weapon?"
It clicked faster for Hermione. "The Death Eater's March?"
Harry nodded. "Dumbledore said it was a device that could be used as a weapon or research, whatever that meant."
Hermione leaned forward. "What else?"
"He said that one other person knows where it is just in case something happened to him." He paused for a second to recall the rest of the conversation. "He said that one of the cleverest wizard's ever made it and Voldemort is running around trying to find it because of some legend."
Hermione looked down at her watch and back up again. "The library's closed already. We'll have to research it tomorrow."
Ron sighed with relief.
Hermione glared at him. "With those clues it couldn't be hard to find at all, Ron. I wouldn't say more than two or three days of looking."
Ron thumbed at her. "Two or three days she says. That's not long at all."
"Well it's not long compared with how long it took us to find Nicholas Flamel now is it?" she huffed.
Ron shrugged.
The next morning after breakfast, Harry skived off Care of Magical Creatures and went to Professor McGonagall's office to drop the course.
"Any particular reason you are dropping, Potter? Seems like it would be an easy N.E.W.T. for you considering your O.W.L. score in that area." asked McGonagall.
"It's everything else this year, Professor. I didn't know if I would be able to take Potions and I wanted to have something else in it's place so I took Evocation and I don't want to drop that class." He paused to take a breath. He had made out a complete speech for her that morning. "Care of Magical Creatures isn't required for Auror training and basically really isn't any fun if Hagrid's not teaching."
McGonagall smiled to herself. "I'm sure Hagrid would be very happy to hear you say that, Potter." She looked down at his schedule and crossed through the course and initialed one side. "Take this to Professor Grubbly-Plank for her approval and you will be dropped. Use the extra time wisely please. Don't make me regret my decision."
He nodded and smiled. "Yes, ma'am. thank you," and he hurried off to the library to do some research.
Hermione was in Arithmancy at this hour and Ron was busy with Care of Magical Creatures so it was just him in the library sifting through book after book written by the most cleverest wizards he could find. While there were some very impressive charms and inventions, Harry could not find anything that he thought Voldemort could use or even would want to use as a weapon.
His time in Evocation class was spent practicing and refining the Freezing Charm and not much else. When class was over he and Hermione walked hand in hand down to the dungeons for their first Potions class of the term.
"Were you able to find anything?" she asked.
He shook his head. "No, but I did drop Care of Magical Creatures. Ron's going to be peeved but I need more time for myself this year."
She smiled. "I think it was a good decision. Now if we can just make it thorough Potions."
The queue for potions was vaguely familiar, consisting again only of Draco Malfoy, Padma Patil, Hermione and himself. Malfoy's eyes narrowed.
"I thought you were taking Remedial Potions lessons last year, Potter. What are you doing here?"
Harry smiled slyly. "I guess they'll let just about anyone in this class, huh? I mean you even got in."
Padma ignored the verbal dueling between the boys and looked down at Hermione and Harry holding hands. "Oh, are you two dating now?"
Hermione grinned and nodded.
Harry continued on with Malfoy. "So, um ... how was the trophy room last night? Did you polish up my dad's Head Boy award real good?"
He knew Malfoy would have had to. From Ron's description of the experience, Filch was a stickler for perfectionism when it came to the gleaming trophies.
Malfoy just stewed in his anger.
Padma neared. "Cho said you two would be getting together last year after Valentine's day. Guess she was right."
That caught Harry's attention. Cho had embarrassed him in front of a number of couples on their date to Hogsmeade last Valentine's day in Madame Puddifoot's. She had basically accused him of dating Hermione as well and stormed out of the cafe with yells and screams.
He didn't know she was talking to other people about it, but she was in the popular crown so it made sense.
"What's that Potter?" laughed Malfoy. "You and the Mudblood?"
Before he knew it his fist was singing through the air and connecting with Malfoy's chin with a resounding snap as Malfoy's jaw was slammed shut and he hit the floor holding his mouth.
The door to the Potion's classroom flew open and Snape tried his best to tower over Harry. "Fighting again Potter?'
Harry was about to snap something back at him when Padma intervened. "Sir, Malfoy was goofing off and hit his face into the wall."
Snape looked down at the blonde boy clutching his jaw in pain. "Is that what happened, Draco?"
He looked like he was going to consider telling what really happened, but thought better of it, not wanting it to get around the school that he was decked by Harry. Instead he just nodded.
Snape shook his head in disappointment. "Off to the Hospital Wing with you." Then back to the three waiting. "Inside, now."
Potions went as expected. Snape found reasons to take off a total of twenty points from Gryffindor and addled Harry enough to mess his potion up resulting in only five points awarded to Hermione for completing the assignment at the end of class.
At the bell Snape held him back. "Stay, Potter for your remedial lessons."
Hermione stayed as well to Snape's annoyance and withdrew her Ancient Runes homework in the interim. Harry withdrew his wand and stood his ground with much more confidence than previous lessons. With Hermione's help he had found another way to protect his thoughts and now had little fear of Snape's intrusion into his mind.
He watched as Snape pulled out his Pensive from under his desk and withdrew a number of silvery threads, with his wand, from his head to place inside. Then an idea came to him.
"Ready, Potter?"
Harry closed his eyes and thought of his flight yesterday afternoon, soaring through the wind feeling nothing but freedom. He opened his eyes again and Snape was ready for him.
"Legilimens!"
The itching prickled along his scar and he raised his wand effortlessly. "Stupefy!"
Snape was tossed to the floor, unconscious, once again.
Hermione looked up and clapped softly. "Nice, though you might want to quit stunning him. It tends to drag these lessons out. and I'm hungry."
Harry waved her to. "Watch him. If he stirs, stun him again."
"What?"
"I think I know who the other person is that Dumbledore told about the weapon."
Comprehension dawned on her face. "The one person that could keep it from Voldemort because he's the only other Occlumens in the order. Brilliant, Harry."
She looked at the Pensive wearily. "Do you think it's in there?"
Harry nodded. I'm about to find out. "Remember to stun him quickly. Some times these memories are long."
She pulled out her wand and stood guard. Harry took his own and copied Dumbledore's movements from last year, dipping it into the silvery substance and stirred it around much like a potion. He saw his father's face and was tempted to look in on that memory, but kept going. What could only be his parents screaming at him, he kept stirring. And then finally Dumbledore's face. Harry leaned forward until his nose touched the silvery substance.
He felt a strange jerking and found himself in Dumbledore's office.
"It should be destroyed, Headmaster." Snape said
Dumbledore nodded, "I agree, Severus, but unless you have found a way to penetrate the restorative properties of the Annualis-Glass were are at somewhat of a standstill, for every attempt to destroy the artifact will be erased and it will still be standing here."
They both looked directly at Harry and he jumped as if he had been caught, but then realized that they weren't staring at him; instead they were looking at something behind him. Harry spun around and saw what it was. Sitting on the shelf was a two foot tall hourglass, glowing somewhat eerily.
The scene ended and Harry pulled himself out of the Pensive.
"Stupefy!" Hermione whispered and stunned Snape again. "Hey, this is fun!"
"I know what it is, but not where!" he exclaimed. "I've got to go back in."
But at that moment they heard footsteps echoing from down the corridor. Hermione's head swiveled around. "We don't have time. We'll have to wait until your next lesson."
She went over and knelt by Snape's body and turned back. "Try to look smug, like you just stunned him."
Hermione uttered the counter-charm and Snape's eyes snapped open. "Are you okay, Professor?"
The door to the potions room opened and Draco Malfoy stood there looking down at them.
Snape was quick on the uptake and yelled at a smug looking Harry. "Fifteen points from Gryffindor, Potter. and clean this mess up before I fall again."
Harry looked back up at Malfoy who was looking particularly happy to witness yet more points being taken away from Harry.
They hurried down the corridor and up the stairs to the entrance hall where Ron was waiting for them outside of the Great Hall.
"Where have you been. I'm starving!"
They went in found their seats and began to dig into their lunch.
"It's called a Annualis-Glass." Harry whispered so only Hermione and Ron could hear."
Hermione looked much like she did whenever Luna Lovegood was around talking about mythical creatures. "It's only a legend." But as soon as she said it she remembered what Harry had said about Voldemort chasing around something based only on folklore.
"What did it look like, Harry?"
He thought on it and held his hand over the floor. "About this tall. The stand was a dark colored wood with symbols carved into it. It was like a really big hourglass."
Hermione's hand covered her mouth in shock. "It's real!" she whispered.
She wouldn't say anymore until after they finished their lunch and found a more appropriate place so they wouldn't be overheard, which happened to be Classroom Eleven. Hermione checked to make sure that there was nobody in the imitation forest the was recreated for Firenze's Divination class.
"We only have fifteen minutes until Herbology, Hermione."
She didn't look worried. "It won't take that long. The Annualis-Glass was said to have existed back in the medieval period and was invented by Cassius the Clever."
"I guess that's why Dumbledore said he was long dead."
Hermione nodded. "Basically it's a time-turner."
"Huh?" asked Ron.
"Well the right wizards can posses a normal time turner which is about this big." She held her fingers apart about two inches. "But a normal time-turner wouldn't be much good. The most he would be able to affect time is twenty-four hours. Anything more and turner won't work properly; it shatters and reassembles itself dropping you back off in the original time source."
"You think this one is different?" asked Harry.
"Legend says Cassius was able to break the twenty-four hour barrier and basically make the Annualis-Glass. It would allow the traveler to go to any time, in the past, that he chose," she finished very seriously.
"Blimey, Voldemort wants to go back in time ... for what?"
Hermione sighed. "It's obvious, isn't it? He'll want to go back to a time where he was stronger and the wizarding community was deathly afraid of him; when the Order of the Phoenix was pitifully outnumbered ... to undo his biggest mistake."
She looked up at Harry who was going deathly pale at the moment. "He mustn't get a hold of that hour glass, Harry."
"It is already too late, Harry Potter."
The three of them spun around and saw Firenze stepping out of the conjured forest.
"Firenze!" Harry called out.
"The stars above have foretold a time of confusion very soon. The Dark Lord will possess the Annualis-Glass and with it do great harm."
Ron, having attended a few of Firenze's classes in the past knew that the centaur was nothing if his wasn't vague. "Think the stars above will spit out a few details this time? Like when is You-Know-Who going to nick the hour glass?"
Firenze trotted closer to Harry and ignored Ron entirely. "I have relayed my conclusions to Professor Dumbledore in regards to this matter. It is you and she that will determine the fate of the cosmos."
"She?" asked Harry. "She who?"
"Your woman, Harry Potter," clarified Firenze.
Harry looked back at Hermione. "My ..."
Now it was Hermione's turn to look shocked or embarrassed; Harry couldn't tell which.
"It has been told that both of you play an intricate role in the battle for dominance of the past. This is what Bane did not wish you to know six years ago in the Dark Forest."
Harry remembered when Firenze had saved him from Professor Quirrell who, possessed with Voldemort, had been drinking on the blood of a unicorn at the time. Bane was very angry that night and kept Firenze from telling what he knew to be important.
"I've ..." Harry paused and looked at Hermione. "We've got to go to Dumbledore. We have to become involved."
Ron looked frightened. "Harry, we've got Herbology in two minutes."
Harry nodded. "Go ahead. Tell Professor Sprout that I had to see Dumbledore."
He nodded and left.
Firenze's tail swished back and forth. "You must not delay, Harry Potter. With your entrance into this classroom and your interaction with me we have set off the first in a chain of events that will slowly build until all of present time will be undone by changed events in the past."
Harry set his jaw and looked back at Hermione. "Come on. We have to see Dumbledore." Then as an afterthought he turn back. "Thanks, Firenze."
The centaur bowed his head forward. "Go with speed and safety."
They were out of the classroom and halfway down the hall when they saw Dumbledore standing before them with a very solemn look on his face. When they came to a stop mere feet in front of him he closed his eyes and rubbed under his half-moon spectacles.
"You have seen Firenze?"
Harry nodded. "Yes."
Dumbledore sighed. "Then it has begun."
"Yes, sir."
Dumbledore took a deep breath. "You will return to your dormitories and empty the books out of your bags. You will fill the bags with necessities for a journey of two nights. It will possibly be longer, but you will be prepared that long at least. You will need to rid yourselves of your Hogwarts robes and don traveling clothes. I would suggest something warm but not overly so. When you are done bring yourselves and your broom to my office."
Harry and Hermione turned to the marble staircase.
"Be swift, for there is not much time," the head master added.
This encouraged then to start at a run until they were out of breath when they reached the seventh floor landing and headed down the hall toward the Gryffindor common room. All the while Hermione was looking very grim and worried.
"What's wrong?" he asked before giving the password to the Fat Lady.
They crawled through the hole behind the portrait and Harry gave her a hand down.
"Harry ... do you realize what we are meant to do?"
He shrugged. "I suppose were going to take the hourglass somewhere and hide it from Voldemort."
She held his eyes for a moment and dropped them to the floor. "I suppose."
"Why? What did you think?"
She shook her head. "Nothing ... I'm probably wrong."
"Hermione?"
She took off for the stairs to the dormitory. "We're supposed to hurry."
Harry set his jaw in frustration.
"Make sure you bring your moneybag, Harry," she called from the top of the stairs.
The first thing he did when he reached his room was dump his school bag on the bed and empty it of books and parchment. He flipped open his trunk, pulled out three sets of clothes, stuffing two of them in the bag and the third on the bed which he immediately changed into.
He looked at his trunk and couldn't think of anything else he wanted to take with him; just his cloak with his overly full bag of gold Galleons tucked away in the special pocket.
Harry tied his shoes off and threw the cloak around him, tying it off. He closed his schoolbag and threw it over his shoulder as he said a brief goodbye to the room and scurried downstairs to the common room to wait for Hermione.
It was only a couple of minutes later when he saw her scrambling down the staircase wearing a pair of jeans and a dark sweater.
"Ready?" he asked.
She nodded and they were out the door and on their way to the headmaster's office.
Harry gave the password to the gargoyle, it leapt aside and they ascended to the top. The door was wide open at this point and it seemed as if they had been joined by Snape and McGonagall as well. Each was performing a different task in front of the hidden closet that Harry remembered held Dumbledore's Pensive.
Snape had his wand running over the top of the hidden door inscribing something Harry didn't recognize. Hermione poked him in the ribs and whispered. "Ancient Runes."
McGonagall was doing the same at the bottom and Dumbledore was doing his own in the middle. After they were through Dumbledore saw them standing by the door.
"After the events of the first year we thought it best if each of us performed protection runes upon the artifact so that only the three of us together would be able to open the room."
McGonagall seemed to be a tad frustrated. "What is this about, Dumbledore?"
The door clicked open and swung outward revealing its contents. Dumbledore stepped forward and grasped it by the base. "This, Minerva, is the Annualis-Glass."
She scoffed for a moment. "Dumbledore don't be ..." then she got a good look at it and paled, "... ridiculous."
Snape turned to the headmaster. "I cannot express how much of an awful idea this is. You cannot rely upon the ranting of a centaur to dictate ..."
"Thank you, Severus, for your concern about my decision and its merits, however, we need to act quickly if we are to prevent Voldemort's success."
He sat the large hourglass on the desk and held his hand out to the chairs in front of him for Harry and Hermione to sit.
"Miss. Granger, I believe you are familiar with the restrictions on items such as these."
She nodded, "Yes, sir."
"Good, forget them. For you can be sure that Voldemort will. I have it on good faith that he will strike at the house on the very same night in question however he will not perform the Killing Curse this time and will resort to rather mundane means to correct his mistake."
Harry was confused. "Sorry, sir ... um ... what are you talking about?"
Hermione grabbed hold of his hand. "We're going back into the past, Harry. To stop Voldemort from killing you."
He shook his head and if to clear something out that was obviously blocking him from understanding what Hermione had just said. "Sorry ... we're what?"
"We're doomed," Snape spat. "My life is in the hands of a complete and utter idiot."
"Severus, if you please." Dumbledore chided. "Harry, you will be traveling to the past to do as Miss. Granger has said. You must prevent the Voldemort from this time period from gaining access to your parents house and in turn, you."
Harry was stunned. "You aren't coming with us?"
He shook his head regretfully. "All of us have doubles in the past and should not attempt the journey. Too many things could go wrong if people recognized us. Even the implication that the Annualis-Glass truly does exist is enough to cause problems far beyond what Voldemort is capable of.
"You will take this with you." He grasped one of Fawkes' tail feather's. "If you please."
A plume of smoke puffed where the feather was and now Dumbledore had it in his hand. "Give this to my counterpart when you arrive. It will be proof enough of your sincerity and identity."
He handed it to Harry.
"You may interact with the members of the Order, only."
"But ..."
Dumbledore reached up over his desk and retrieved the sword of Godric Gryffindor handing it hit first to Harry. "this might come in handy. I believe you have a place to store it in that wonderful cloak of yours.
Harry took it and slid the sword into the charmed pocket.
"Now this is very important, Harry. In order for the present to right itself ... you must allow you parents to die. Only you can survive, or all is lost."
Harry started to protest but was held back. "If your mother does not die and pass on her protection to you then Voldemort will kill you and will not have been stopped by the rebounding of his Killing Curse. He will eventually rule and thousands of others will die in their place. You cannot allow this to happen."
"But ..."
Dumbledore was deathly serious about this. "I must have your word on this, Harry or we might as well seek Voldemort out and hand over the Annualis-Glass."
Harry felt his throat constrict and his chest hurt.
Snape added his two Knuts. "Think of it this way, Potter. If you allow the Dark Lord to run free then you will be putting to death what Mrs. Black called Blood-traitors. Meaning your good friend Ron Weasley and his entire family. Ginny Weasley will not have even been born yet. Not to mention all of your half-blood friends including her." He pointed his boney finger at Hermione.
Harry looked at Hermione and she couldn't meet his eyes. Instead she dropped them to the floor and he saw teardrops fall to the large rug below. "I promise."