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Professor Dumbledore, headmaster of Hogwarts School of witchcraft and wizardry, sat alone in his office on a particularly cold day in December. He leaned idly in his chair blowing out his breath which appeared as steam in the crisp air of his office. It happened to be a Hogsmeade weekend and most of the pupils and staff had already departed from the castle, grateful to get out of the stuffy old castle to frolic in the snowy banks of Hogsmeade and spend their funds on countless trinkets and sweets the festive town had to offer. Usually Professor Dumbledore would be along with them, sharing a carriage with Professor McGonagall for the journey to the Three Broomsticks where he and the other teachers would gather for a drink and talk about various subjects ranging from the Flitwick's new shoes to the dangerous growth of Voldemort followers. Yet on this morning he sat in his office drumming his lanky fingers together awaiting the arrival of a childhood friend and retired Ministry man, and now headmaster of Salem Academy of Sorcery, Elmer McCabe. They had been due for a friendly visit for years.
A few moments earlier Dumbledore peered outside his vast office windows to see a midnight blue carriage with the McCabe family crest embroidered on the side pull up to the front gates of the school. Dumbledore sat there waiting for the arrival of his surly yet good-hearted comrade.
"Three...two...one." Albus counted down silently to himself to the arrival of Elmer.
Elmer McCabe burst through his office door with his bald head shining and stroking his gray beard wearing a grin on his face. The portraits on the wall gave a startled gasp as he made his sudden appearance.
"Dumbledore, you haven't kicked the bucket yet?" Elmer said only half jokingly. Letting out a wheezy laugh he extended his hand to Albus.
"My dear friend, you're right on time." said Dumbledore pulling McCabe into a hug.
"Please, please, Albus, you know I've never been the touchy feely type..." McCabe said easing out of his long time friend's embrace.
They sat and chatted about new business and how life had been treating them for quite some time. After a few minutes Dumbledore stood and walked towards the door.
"Well, I suppose you'd want the grand tour of Hogwarts, eh? See how it compares to your American facilities?"
"Actually... I was wondering where we could get a drink."
In the cozy bar, The Three Broomsticks a group of sixth year Gryffindors sat in a back nook chatting and taking a break from their hectic Christmas shopping.
"How do they do that?" Ron Weasley wondered aloud while gazing intently at the steam rising from his large mug of butterbeer.
"Do what Ron?" Harry questioned taking a sip of his own butterbeer.
"Make butterbeer so addicting! I woke up craving the stuff! I honestly think they put some kind of drug in the stuff..." Ron said taking another sip and belching loudly.
"Ron that's disgusting!" Ginny and Hermione said in unison both their faces scrunching up in disgust. Ron's freckled face enlightened with color.
"Well excuuuse me!" Ron muttered indignantly.
Neville and Harry laughed to themselves.
A handsome Hufflepuff guy with blazing gray eyes and long, tamed dark hair tied in a ponytail, came up to their table and grinned at Ginny. When Ron saw this, his auburn eyebrows shot up nearly disappearing in his hair.
"Hello everybody." He greeted politely then his eyes returned to Ginny. "Ready to go?"
"Yeah, let me just get my bag..."Ginny said making an effort not to meet Ron's eyes.
"Go?! Go where? Where is he taking you Ginny? Ginny?" Ron said frantically his anger steadily rising.
Ginny tried to ignore her brother as Hermione handed Ginny her shopping bag and shooed them off before Ron could say anything else.
"Bye Blake, Ginny." Hermione said cheerily. They waved back to them in response.
"Hermione, where are they- you knew- how come- what happened to Dean?" Ron sputtered angrily walking up to the window to see his little sister kiss Blake on the cheek and walk out on the snowy path. Neville just sat back in his seat looking a little dejected. Harry turned to Hermione.
"So... got anything in there for me?" Harry questioned, playfully poking Hermione's bulging shopping bags.
"Hmmm... let me see..." Hermione said sifting through the bag, "Nope, nothing for Harry. Sorry." She replied with a grin, grateful Harry had changed the subject.
"Aw, come on. Let me have just a little peek, please?" Harry said grabbing her arms, trying to pry her bags from her tight grip.
Hermione just giggled as Harry mockingly strained to get the bag.
"Oh will you guys cut it out?" Ron snapped, interrupting their playful game.
Ron sat back in his chair obviously seething. Harry blushed slightly and let go of Hermione. Hermione kept her eyes down on her butterbeer, her eyebrows slightly creasing. Ron was beginning to bug her immensely with his little crush thing. He wouldn't act on his emotions so he took out his frustration on her whenever Harry got 'too friendly' Neville looked back and forth between his friends silently sipping his drink.
Suddenly the bell on the door jingled and Dumbledore entered the Three Broomsticks laughing jovially, followed by a bald, dumpy little wizard who was also laughing. The wizard accompanying Dumbledore wore gold and green pinstripe suit under an extravagant midnight blue robes and he also sported a large golden watch around his neck.
"Who's that with Dumbledore?" Neville questioned breaking the uncomfortable silence.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~Hogwarts, December 2019~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
A tall lanky sixth year boy dressed in his burgundy and gold Quidditch uniform dashed down the last staircase and stood before the doors of the Great Hall. The boy lifted his gloved left hand and attempted to smooth down his unkempt tan hair before entering the Great Hall. With no avail to fixing his hair he simply shrugged and adjusted his golden rectangular framed glasses and pushed open the doors.
He walked over to the Gryffindor table which was crowded and scanned it, apparently looking for someone. His mirthful emerald eyes paused and rested on a girl who was scratching away with a quill on a piece of parchment, surrounded by books and chatting students. The girl paused to rake an exasperated hand through her ebony hair but did not turn around. The boy walked up behind her and covered her eyes.
"Hey!" The girl shrieked obviously surprised.
"Guess who Lexi..." Said the boy dodging the girl's flying fist.
"Get off of me Sebastian!" she said finally releasing herself from the grip of her older brother's hands. He chuckled and plopped down in the seat next to her and snatched a slice of toast from a boy about his age who was about to take a bite.
"Hey, Sebastian get your own!" The boy growled snatching back his toast.
"Hey, sharing is caring Archie," replied Sebastian taking the toast yet again. The girl sitting next to Archie laughed gallantly and took the toast from Sebastian and took a bite.
"Sharing is caring so I knew you were about to hand the toast over to me, right?" The girl questioned through a full mouth with her cerulean eyes shining with laughter.
Archie simply sighed angrily and reached for a pancake since that just happened to be the last piece of toast.
"Don't be that way, Archmiester!" Replied the girl ruffling his rust colored hair roughly.
"Hey knock it off!" Archie said easing away.
"Yeah, you might kill some more of his brain cells, Riley." Alexia said with a quiet smile.
"Or worse," said a new voice behind them. It was two twins, a girl and a boy, both with the same shining curly auburn hair and hazel-green eyes, grinning broadly. They appeared to be no older then ten or eleven.
"Riley could've screwed up his hair for good," The girl said.
"Yeah, made him look like-" The boy started.
"Dun, Dun, Dun..."
"-Sebastian!" Both twins started giggling.
"Oh shut up, runts. You're just jealous of my...rugged, dangerous...sexy hair." Sebastian replied stoking his untamed mane which apparently ran in the family.
"Phoenix, Fiona, is there any other reason you came here besides mocking Seb?" Alexia questioned as she smiled to her younger siblings.
"Alas, there is." Fiona said.
"Dad gave us a message-" said Phoenix pointing to a shaggy haired professor sitting to the left side of the Headmaster up at the head table.
"-For Sebastian actually-"
"He says good luck as your first game as captain-"
"And don't screw it up!" They both went into a fit of giggles again.
"And..." said Fiona pulling out a piece of parchment from her robe pocket and presenting it to Alexia.
"From your dear Artemis Elliott in the library."
"What?!" Sebastian exclaimed dropping the sausage he was chewing on.
"We must be off now," Phoenix said swiftly trying to avoid enquiring from his brother, "So long Mr. Longbottom, Miss Andrews..." Phoenix started, waving to Archie and Riley while pulling his twin in the opposite direction.
"You too, snotfaces." Archie said.
"Good luck in the game guys." Fiona said.
Alexia was blushing and reading her note silently until Sebastian grabbed it out of her hands.
"What does Elliott have to say that I can't hear, huh Lexi?" He said trying to avoid the note being taken back by Alexia.
"Hey!" Riley said taking the note and pointing up toward the head table. "Hush up, Headmaster Lupin is speaking."
Sebastian's eyes went to the head table while Riley slid the note across the table back to Alexia, who gave her a grateful look.
"...Our third Quidditch game of the season is due to start soon so will all players of the Slytherin and Gryffindor teams head to your locker rooms? Good. Students will be allowed in the stands shortly, now don't let me interrupt your breakfast!" Headmaster Lupin said and sat back in his chair, brushing his nearly all gray hair back from his face and returning to his morning chocolate bar.
"You heard him guys..." Said Archie motioning for the fellow Quidditch players along the table to get up.
Sebastian glanced across the hall at the Slytherin table where Francis Weasley and Aphrodisia (Hahaha...) Malfoy were already heading for the door, followed by their burly teammates. For a second Aphrodisia and Sebastian's eyes met before Sebastian looked down and began to blush madly.
"Okay, let's go." He said to Alexia, the only remaining member of the Gryffindor team at the table.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Back in 1996*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Professor Dumbledore and Professor Elmer sat at a table not to far from Harry and his friend's, reminiscing old times and laughing in an exultant matter. They didn't even seem to notice the glances they got from passerbies. After a quite a few drinks Elmer McCabe shakily got to his feet.
"Come now Albus, before we return to the castle I was wondering if we could make a tiny detour to our favorite sweet shop? You remember... the one up the hill next to the er...?"
"Honeydukes?" Dumbledore suggested.
"Oh yes, that's it! Honeydukes! Lot's of great times there..."
"Let me just pay the bill..."
"Oh no, allow me Albus," McCabe said searching his robes for his change carrier. He pulled out an entire array of items from his seemingly endless pockets.
"Now where did I put that...- Aha!" He exclaimed setting down a couple of sickles on the table.
"Now off we go." Albus said pulling his companion's sleeve.
McCabe gathered his items off the table and walked off with Dumbledore.
"...All the Lemon Drops and Chocolate frogs we could want...!" McCabe said as the door closed behind them.
Unbeknownst to McCabe was his round golden watch that hung around his neck; lay on their previously occupied table, forgotten in their flurry to Honeydukes. And just their luck to have Malfoy and his cronies stagger by spotting the object. Malfoy picked it up and fingered it between hiss thumb and index finger.
"I bet it isn't even real gold..." He muttered to his comrades who laughed.
Neville caught sight of Malfoy behind Ron's back.
"Isn't that the watch that Dumbledore's friend had around his neck?"
Harry, Hermione, and Ron turned to see Malfoy walking over to them with the watch in hand.
"Well, well, well... if it isn't Potty, Weasel, Mudblood, and Widebottom." Malfoy sniggered flipping the watch up and down in his right hand. Neville blushed lightly as Ron just stared at the watch.
"Oh, Go away Malfoy, and take your trolls with you..." Hermione hissed idly swishing her butterbeer around in its mug.
"Actually I was thinking of staying." Malfoy said pulling up a seat next to Hermione. Hermione scooted her chair away in disgust and Harry came to her rescue.
"She said go away, Malfoy! We don't need trash around here!" He growled.
Malfoy just laughed. "You say you don't want trash but you hang around with this bunch of misfits? A mudblood, a fat, useless, poor excuse for a wizard that couldn't even pull a spell if his life depended on it, and poor weasel here who's staring at my watch as if he's ready to pawn it so his family can get a decent dinner once in a while."
At the last comment Ron leaped out of his chair and charged at Malfoy. If Neville hadn't been quick on his toes to restrain him he would have been pounded to a bloody pulp by Crabbe and Goyle who were standing protectively behind Malfoy, cracking their beefy knuckles.
"It's not your watch, Malfoy! It belongs to that man Dumbledore was with!" Harry said getting to his feet as well.
"He's right!" Hermione said behind him.
"Oh here we go again. Dumbledore's little pets coming to the rescue so at the end of the day Dumbledore can hand Potter a treat, pat him on the head, and tell him what a good little orphan he's been, as usual." Malfoy sneered.
This really ticked Harry off. He grabbed at Malfoy's front robes and spoke though clenched teeth.
"You know what, Malfoy, don't think for one second I would hesitate to kick your ass again just like me and Fred (Or was it George?) did last year!" Harry said shaking a shocked Malfoy by his robes."
"Crabbe, Goyle help-"Malfoy screeched out before being interrupted by a stern voice behind them.
"Is there a problem here, students?" McGonagall questioned surprising everyone.
Harry turned Malfoy loose and immediately sat down brooding. Neville, Ron, and Hermione followed the suit.
"N-Not at all P-Professor." Hermione whimpered.
"Good." McGonagall said giving Malfoy a glare that said 'leave now before Potter turns loose on you again' she stalked off.
Malfoy stubbornly left but not before hurling the watch at Ron's left eye.
"Here Weasel! Why don't you go pawn it and send funds to your poor mother instead of letting your little sister whore herself on the streets!" He mocked pointing at the window across the street where Ginny and Blake were visibly having a good time at Madame Puddifoot's. Neville and Hermione held on to Ron's robes so he wouldn't spring up and go at Malfoy again. Malfoy and his gang just walked away sniggering rudely.
"Just ignore them Ron..." Hermione whispered.
Harry picked up the watch and began to inspect it. It was golden but had little silver carvings of clocks and some Latin words printed on the surface. Harry tried to open it with his fingers but it wouldn't budge. Hermione watched as he used a fork and pried it open with quite a struggle. Inside the watch wasn't the usual numbers you see on a clock or even locations (like the Weasley clock) but a circle of numbers ranging from 5 to 100.
"This is odd." Harry said quietly.
"What?" Hermione said getting closer to Harry to see the figures on the clock. Neville got on Harry's other side and looked down on the watch too.
"I wonder how he tells time on it." Neville said.
Ron stopped nursing his already bruising left eye and snatched the watch from Harry.
"Of course he can't tell time on it, it's not set!" Ron said spinning the dial on the back of the watch.
"Ron, I don't think you should-" Neville warned.
"Ron stop!" Hermione said grabbing the watch from him. The hand on the watch had stopped a little under 20 and was now making whistling and whirring noises.
"What did you do?" Hermione screeched trying to stop the gold light the watch was now shining on them.
"I only wound it!" Ron hissed with a hint of fear in his voice.
As the whistling grew louder a cackling sound began and the four began to dissapear. Hermione frantically clutched Harry's arm as everything around them started spinning. Things were spinning so fast everything around them was just a blur of colors.
"This is all you fault, Ron!" Hermione screamed above the whistling and cackling that had become unbearable.
Suddenly all the spinning and whistling finally stopped very suddenly. There was a groan of relief as they panted in their seats grateful for the lack of motion.
"What...was...that?" Harry panted out. He looked around at his new surroundings. They were obviously still in the Three Broomsticks but there were changes. Everything looked as if it had aged a bit more, such as the stone walls which appeared to have more stains or the tables that looked more worn out then the one's he had seen about five minutes ago.
"Are we still in the Three Broomsticks?" Ron managed to get out. His freckles shown out on his now very pale skin.
"I think..."Hermione whispered.
Suddenly they were approached by an older woman. The woman wore an apron that read The Three Broomsticks and had her silver and black hair tied up in many frilly ribbons. It was none other than Madame Rosmerta. Everybody around the table let out a gasp and stared at Rosmerta in awe.
"I wasn't notified that Hogwarts students would be coming into the village today. It's only Friday!" She exclaimed looking back at the calendar.
"We-what-Friday?" Ron sputtered out, unable to get real sentences out.
"Friday?" Hermione repeated. Five minutes ago it was Saturday.
"Yes Friday." Rosmerta said eyeing them suspiciously, "Now if you don't want me to notify Headmaster Lupin I suggest you four find your way back to the castle. I hear it's a Quidditch game today..."
"Headmaster Lupin?" Harry peeped out.
Rosmerta turned to leave but Hermione stopped her.
"Rosmerta! What's the date, today?" She questioned suspiciously.
"I already told you, it's Friday!"
"Friday the what?" Hermione pressed on.
"Friday, December twelfth, 2019, now if you kiddies don't mind, I've got work to do!" Rosmerta replied, apparently annoyed.
There was a dead silence between the four which was interrupted when Neville gasped out,
"I think I'm gonna be sick."
And true to his word, Neville vomited all over the table.
AN-There's the prologue! If you guys are quick to review you can expect a next chapter very shortly....
