Chapter 16: A trip to the past
On Halloween morning Harry and Ginny rose before the sun and headed up to the Headmaster's office with their magically enlarged trunks following behind them. They stepped up to the Gargoyle and Ginny said the password, "Tooth flossing string-mints." Pushing the trunks ahead of them, they allowed the stairs to take them to Dumbledore's door. When they arrived at the top, Harry knocked.
"Come in," the Headmaster replied. Harry allowed Ginny to precede him into the room. "I'm glad to see that you are both on time, you will have breakfast here, and then we shall send you on your way." He waved his wand and food appeared on the table in front of them. They both dug into their breakfasts, wanting to finish so that they could get this whole thing over with. "I would like for the two of you to keep me informed of everything that is happening," he told them. "You must remember to try not to change things too much, but if you must, you may tell Remus, Sirius, and James what happens. It may change our time, but if it keeps you safe, it must be done."
Harry and Ginny walked over to where their trunks were sitting, "Professor Dumbledore, what about the message trunks?" Ginny asked
Professor Dumbledore waved his wand and two small trunks appeared. "They are much bigger inside, and you will be able to send and receive Christmas presents through this, so that you won't feel too far from home."
They placed the smaller trunks into their magically enlarged trunks and closed them up. Harry checked the latch on his trunk and turned to Dumbledore, "Could you send Hedwig to Mr. and Mrs. Weasley? I know that they will take care of her, and that they can use her to send letters and stuff to Ron while we are gone. I don't want her to feel forgotten," he said.
"Of course, Hedwig will be sent to Molly and Arthur with a note asking them to care for her until your return," he answered. "Do not worry, you will be safe with your father and his friends. And I will be sure to keep your loved ones safe here."
*****************************
With a wave of his wand Dumbledore sent them into the past.
Ginny and Harry were surrounded by a swirling rainbow of colors, and a feeling like they were trapped inside a whirlwind. A few seconds after it began, it stopped, leaving them standing in the same place they were.
"Good morning," Professor Dumbledore said to them. "Welcome to Hogwarts, as you can see, I am a younger Professor Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster." Harry and Ginny looked at him shocked. He didn't really look very different, just a little younger. "I trust that you both arrived here unharmed?" he asked, looking at them both with a twinkle in his blue eyes.
"I'm sorry sir," Harry said, looking over at Ginny. "Yes, we have arrived unharmed."
"I'm Ginny Weasley, sir," Ginny told him.
Harry stepped forward, "Harry Potter, sir."
Professor Dumbledore looked at the two teens standing in front of him. "Miss. Weasley, Mr. Potter," he inclined his head toward them. "Miss. Weasley, would you be related to Arthur Weasley?" he asked.
"Yes sir, he's my father. I'm the last of seven children," she told him.
He turned his head toward Harry, "And you Mr. Potter,"
Harry quickly interrupted, "James Potter is my father," he told the headmaster.
"James, quite interesting. Whom, may I ask, is your mother?" he asked, unveiled curiosity showing in his eyes.
"Lily Evans," Harry told him.
The Headmaster nodded his head, "Well, now that the introductions are taken care of, I must say that I wasn't expecting a student's child." He sat down behind his desk and gestured for them to take the seats in front of the desk.
"Professor, your older self only told us that we were being sent to this time and that my dad, Sirius and Remus had agreed to keep an eye on us," Harry said. "I think that telling them that he is my dad, well, it could be kind of strange for both of us."
Dumbledore chuckled, "I can see where it could be a problem. My older self has told me that you were going to try not to tell the three marauders about the future, unless it is unavoidable. But he said that you would tell me, if I felt the need to know." He stared at them, watching their faces. "I think that it would be best if I knew everything from the start."
*******************************
An hour later, Harry and Ginny had explained everything. The Headmaster was sitting at his desk, staring thoughtfully at his Phoenix, Fawkes. "I believe that telling them right away would be a problem, so we will give you different last names for the time being. Miss. Weasley, you will be called Virginia Arthur, and Mr. Potter we will call you Harry James. If the time comes that you have to tell James, Remus, Sirius, and Lily the truth, bring them here to my office and we will explain together. They, all but Lily, know that you are from the future. They have been told not to ask you about anything that happens, but knowing those three, you will be bombarded with questions. Now, for what you should tell them for now. You will have to tell James that you are related to him, the resemblance is too great to deny, as for the other two, what ever you feel necessary." He stood up from the desk, "I understand that you are both Gryffindor, so I will escort you to your common room."
The trip to Gryffindor tower was completed quickly, and Professor Dumbledore stopped in front of the portrait of the fat lady, "Two new students for you, they have both been sorted into your house."
She looked at the two and smiled, "Welcome to Gryffindor Tower, the password is 'wormwood'." With that the portrait swung open and they went into the common room.
Professor Dumbledore looked around the room, "If you two would just make yourselves comfortable here for a few minutes, I will go and collect James, Sirius, Remus and Lily, since they are all sixth years. Lily will show Miss. Arthur to her dorm, and the three gentlemen will escort you Mr. James to yours." With that he turned and walked back out of the tower.
On Halloween morning Harry and Ginny rose before the sun and headed up to the Headmaster's office with their magically enlarged trunks following behind them. They stepped up to the Gargoyle and Ginny said the password, "Tooth flossing string-mints." Pushing the trunks ahead of them, they allowed the stairs to take them to Dumbledore's door. When they arrived at the top, Harry knocked.
"Come in," the Headmaster replied. Harry allowed Ginny to precede him into the room. "I'm glad to see that you are both on time, you will have breakfast here, and then we shall send you on your way." He waved his wand and food appeared on the table in front of them. They both dug into their breakfasts, wanting to finish so that they could get this whole thing over with. "I would like for the two of you to keep me informed of everything that is happening," he told them. "You must remember to try not to change things too much, but if you must, you may tell Remus, Sirius, and James what happens. It may change our time, but if it keeps you safe, it must be done."
Harry and Ginny walked over to where their trunks were sitting, "Professor Dumbledore, what about the message trunks?" Ginny asked
Professor Dumbledore waved his wand and two small trunks appeared. "They are much bigger inside, and you will be able to send and receive Christmas presents through this, so that you won't feel too far from home."
They placed the smaller trunks into their magically enlarged trunks and closed them up. Harry checked the latch on his trunk and turned to Dumbledore, "Could you send Hedwig to Mr. and Mrs. Weasley? I know that they will take care of her, and that they can use her to send letters and stuff to Ron while we are gone. I don't want her to feel forgotten," he said.
"Of course, Hedwig will be sent to Molly and Arthur with a note asking them to care for her until your return," he answered. "Do not worry, you will be safe with your father and his friends. And I will be sure to keep your loved ones safe here."
*****************************
With a wave of his wand Dumbledore sent them into the past.
Ginny and Harry were surrounded by a swirling rainbow of colors, and a feeling like they were trapped inside a whirlwind. A few seconds after it began, it stopped, leaving them standing in the same place they were.
"Good morning," Professor Dumbledore said to them. "Welcome to Hogwarts, as you can see, I am a younger Professor Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster." Harry and Ginny looked at him shocked. He didn't really look very different, just a little younger. "I trust that you both arrived here unharmed?" he asked, looking at them both with a twinkle in his blue eyes.
"I'm sorry sir," Harry said, looking over at Ginny. "Yes, we have arrived unharmed."
"I'm Ginny Weasley, sir," Ginny told him.
Harry stepped forward, "Harry Potter, sir."
Professor Dumbledore looked at the two teens standing in front of him. "Miss. Weasley, Mr. Potter," he inclined his head toward them. "Miss. Weasley, would you be related to Arthur Weasley?" he asked.
"Yes sir, he's my father. I'm the last of seven children," she told him.
He turned his head toward Harry, "And you Mr. Potter,"
Harry quickly interrupted, "James Potter is my father," he told the headmaster.
"James, quite interesting. Whom, may I ask, is your mother?" he asked, unveiled curiosity showing in his eyes.
"Lily Evans," Harry told him.
The Headmaster nodded his head, "Well, now that the introductions are taken care of, I must say that I wasn't expecting a student's child." He sat down behind his desk and gestured for them to take the seats in front of the desk.
"Professor, your older self only told us that we were being sent to this time and that my dad, Sirius and Remus had agreed to keep an eye on us," Harry said. "I think that telling them that he is my dad, well, it could be kind of strange for both of us."
Dumbledore chuckled, "I can see where it could be a problem. My older self has told me that you were going to try not to tell the three marauders about the future, unless it is unavoidable. But he said that you would tell me, if I felt the need to know." He stared at them, watching their faces. "I think that it would be best if I knew everything from the start."
*******************************
An hour later, Harry and Ginny had explained everything. The Headmaster was sitting at his desk, staring thoughtfully at his Phoenix, Fawkes. "I believe that telling them right away would be a problem, so we will give you different last names for the time being. Miss. Weasley, you will be called Virginia Arthur, and Mr. Potter we will call you Harry James. If the time comes that you have to tell James, Remus, Sirius, and Lily the truth, bring them here to my office and we will explain together. They, all but Lily, know that you are from the future. They have been told not to ask you about anything that happens, but knowing those three, you will be bombarded with questions. Now, for what you should tell them for now. You will have to tell James that you are related to him, the resemblance is too great to deny, as for the other two, what ever you feel necessary." He stood up from the desk, "I understand that you are both Gryffindor, so I will escort you to your common room."
The trip to Gryffindor tower was completed quickly, and Professor Dumbledore stopped in front of the portrait of the fat lady, "Two new students for you, they have both been sorted into your house."
She looked at the two and smiled, "Welcome to Gryffindor Tower, the password is 'wormwood'." With that the portrait swung open and they went into the common room.
Professor Dumbledore looked around the room, "If you two would just make yourselves comfortable here for a few minutes, I will go and collect James, Sirius, Remus and Lily, since they are all sixth years. Lily will show Miss. Arthur to her dorm, and the three gentlemen will escort you Mr. James to yours." With that he turned and walked back out of the tower.