DISCLAIMER:: I'm not writing a disclaimer at the top of every single
chapter I update. This will be the last time. I do not own J.K. Rowling's
marvelous characters and names, which only a very gifted and talented
person could create (only the ones you don't recognize). Nor do I
own....anything else you recognize ::she finished lamely and let her head
fall down to her chest in embarrassment::
A/N:: Nice to see you again. Thank you very, very much for your reviews!!!! They were awesome!! The second chapter awaits you. I tried to make it somewhat long because I'm going on vacation and won't be able to update for a while, two weeks at the least. Sorry 'bout that. Also, I need a beta reader. Anyone who would like that happy job, e-mail me at Lunachild121@hotmail.com Happy Reading!!!
Chapter 2- The Welcome
"Miss Evans?...Miss Evans? Can you hear me?"
The auburn-haired girl stirred in the bed. Slowly, her eyelids opened to a man with slivery hair standing over her.
"Ahhhhhh!!! You startled me...but..Professor, you're so..."
"Old. Yes I know Miss Evans. I certainly look dreadful. And the worst part of all, the skin care products dry out my skin horribly."
"Oh...I'm...umm...sorry to hear Professor. Anyway, what happened? I have a splitting headache. I don't have a hangover again, do I? I mean everything that happened I didn't imagine, right?"
"Hangover? Of course not, dear. Something much worse actually," with this the girl inhaled sharply, "Miss Evans, you fell backwards in the Great Hall and Mr. Potter was unable to catch you in time, although he did try. No lasting damage. Just a small fracture."
" A small fracture?! Where?!" the girl cried.
"Oh, the back of your skull. Don't worry about it. Madam Pomfrey fixed it in no time. Just try not to seriously injure the back of your head again. It's a good thing Lockhart isn't here anymore," he muttered under his breath.
"Professor that's exactly what I plan to do. Just go to staircases, hallways, and rooms, and then fall, just for the sheer pleasure of cracking my head open."
"Miss Evans, please do not be sarcastic about it. If you do receive another serious blow to your head, you might die."
"I thought you said she fixed everything!"
"I said she fixed 'it'. As in the fracture. But your brain cannot suffer another crack."
"Oh peachy...Professor, you said something about Lockhart? Isn't he that smarmy git in first year?"
"Well, actually, he was a teacher here about five years ago. Here at Hogwarts." Dumbledore then proceeded to hum "Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy, Warty, Hogwarts" oblivious to his pupil's gaping mouth as she looked on.
"Professor, I know I might be speaking out of my place, but you're acting quite strangely."
"Strange, my dear? I'm merely feeling exuberant. There has been little to celebrate these past years. I will explain everything. But, first we must go to my office. James is waiting there." At this comment, Lily rolled her eyes ever so slightly.
When the two entered the Headmaster's office, a raven-haired teenager whipped around to face the intruders. After a slight hesitation, the boy's emotions got the better of him and he fluidly rose from his seat.
"Lily, are you okay?"
"Of course, Potter. Why wouldn't I be? I'm always okay," she spat.
"I'm sorry, I thought a hard enough hit on the back of your head would have knocked enough sense into you. I guess not."
"One, What is that supposed to mean? And Two, Are you implying that you meant to not catch me?"
"Oh, it doesn't mean anything except I thought perhaps you'd realize when someone's trying to be nice and-"
"ENOUGH!!!!! You two are acting like children. You should be ashamed of yourself. Take your dispute someplace else after I'm done talking to you. This is a serious situation and you too can't even see past your own differences to work together. Now. May I please say my bit?"
"Certainly, Professor. Sorry, Professor," they said in unison, not daring to meet their superior's burning eyes, but rather looked past him into the roaring fire.
"Right now, my primary concern is to find out how you got here."
"Well, just out of minor curiosity, sir, when and where is 'here'?" James interrupted.
" 'Here' is Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, October 31st in the year of our lord 1997."
"Oh...well that just clarifies everything, doesn't it?"
"Miss Evans, I could do without the sarcastic comments while I'm explaining this. Now, both of you are here for a reason. It is my belief that in time this reason will be revealed, whether it be a charm gone wrong, as you two were fighting about, or something much bigger. When you both arrived you were talking, or rather yelling, about this charm. Please explain what happened and which charm you were practicing. Miss Evans you may speak first."
"It was a charm which turns the first object the conjurer touches into a sort of, time portal. When Professor Flitwick explained it, he stressed that when one uses it, they would not become part of history. They would just be there watching in the time, they had set it to. No one would notice them and they wouldn't be able to interact with the people, which is why we knew something was wrong when we came to this time and everyone was staring at us." Lily finished and then turned to James.
"Professor Flitwick explained that it was so complex, that it needed to be performed by two people. He picked the partners. Me and Evans were paired because we had just gotten into a fight and as punishment, you had us work together on everything we had to do. In-class assignments, homework, detention, we even had to eat together."
Dumbledore chuckled. He remembered their punishment particularly well. The only other time he had to do something like that to one of his students was at the beginning of this past September. The current head boy and girl, Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy were forced to stay within three feet of each other for the whole year because once they got off the train, it was apparent they were both covered in hex marks...from each other. In fact, they had gotten through two months, so far. They only had eight to go and already they were being somewhat nice to each other.
"-and when we got out of class, it seemed everything we touched turned into a time portal. Not just the one thing that was supposed to, but everything. We were visiting hundreds of different places throughout the day. We'd leave for hours and then come back at the same time we had left. The strangest thing of all though, was that we kept visiting the past, never the future, like now. Even if we touched the same thing, except for the first trip we took, we'd go to different places. However, it was always the same time period.
"First we 'visited' 977A.D. The Hogwarts founders were building Hogwarts. I saw Godric Gryffindor. Evans saw Rowena Ravenclaw. Each spoke to us. They told us, 'Thou art thy heirs. Thou shall unite to defeat.'
"In and out of time, wherever we went, there was someone there to greet us, and always the same message, 'Thou art thy heirs. Thou shall unite to defeat.' It was eerie. Almost like they expected us. They had food laid out, and rooms prepared in advance. Then we'd appear out of nowhere and they wouldn't act surprised," James finished off.
"How many trips did you make before you came here?"
"About nine or ten," Lily answered.
"I see. Well, that should be all Miss Evans, Mr. Potter," the headmaster nodded at both his students.
"But, Professor, don't you even want to know the name of the charm," the girl protested as a device to allow them to stay longer in the safety of the office.
"No my dear, I already know what charm you performed. The Tempus Incantatem is one of the most complex charms ever created by Circe. She was a marvelous witch. Professor Flitwick was only teaching this to his Advanced Charms class, correct?"
"Yes, Professor," she answered.
"Good," he said simply.
"Now, I am going to call a few students to my office so they can help you out," Dumbledore took a fistful of silvery-green powder in his fist and threw it into the cackling fire. "I would like to speak to you for a minute."
"Certainly, Sir," exclaimed Remus Lupin as he stepped out of the, now green, fire. "What is it that you- sweet Merlin! James! Lily! Bless my soul. I never thought-"
"Remus," Dumbledore said in a warning tone, "Now is not the time."
"Right, sir."
"Please go get Hermione and Draco, Harry, Ron, and Ginny. And do tell them what they're about to see. Try and explain it. You know what happened. "
"Of course, sir. To the best of my ability, sir." And with those words, Remus sped out of the Headmaster's office via the fire, swiftly opening a leather pouch attached to his belt. As soon as he left, Dumbledore got up out of his seat and went to stand behind Lily and James' chairs. Within minutes, Lupin was back, very much out of breath with an entourage of Hogwarts students behind him. As he stepped out of the fire he quickly tied up the small leather pouch. "Never leave home without it," he said, grinning to Lily and James. Each of them chuckled, the first time since they arrived in 1997.
"Good old, Moony."
"Now that you three have seen each other, it is time for you to meet everyone else. Harry, meet Lily and James," from behind their chairs, Dumbledore made an ever so slight shake of his head towards Harry, alerting him to not say anything recognizing them as his parents or alerting them to the fact that currently, they were indeed, dead. From Lily, an audible, sharp intake of air was heard as Harry stepped forward to be viewed by his seventeen-year old parents. His shock of raven hair stood up on his head, messy as always, glasses settled on his nose, tall, with a lean but muscular frame. And green eyes, already vivid, but even more so against his pale complexion and black hair.
"James, he looks just like you. He looks exactly like you."
"I know, Lily. I know," he said in awe.
"Ron and Ginny, please step forward." Two teens took Harry's place at the front of the group giving him the chance to let two salty tears flow. The red hair that was so prominent gleamed even brighter as the light from the chandelier above hit it, showing blond, auburn, and even redder highlights in each teen's hair.
"They look exactly like Liz," Lily exclaimed.
"Hermione and Draco," a sliver-haired boy with a smirk on his face and brown-haired, brown-eyed girl marched to the front of the group. "Hermione and Draco have the exact same bonding charm you two had placed on you. Except stronger. They can't go three feet without each other." At this comment, both sets of teens scowled at their peevish Headmaster. "These five students are going to show you around, make up excuses for you, help you out if need be. All you need to do is not ask them about themselves, their families, etc. You may tell them about Hogwarts, your friends and everything that happened if you wish, but I strictly prohibit you asking them anything whatsoever. You may change the future. But right now, they cannot change the past. Now, you may leave. Remus, you may show them where they are to sleep."
As the group left his office, the smile fell from his face. He turned to his phoenix and began stroking the ragged red and gold plumage. "So it has happened, Fawkes. They have come at last. The reign of terror will soon-," But before he could finish his last words, the bird burst into flame.
A/N:: Nice to see you again. Thank you very, very much for your reviews!!!! They were awesome!! The second chapter awaits you. I tried to make it somewhat long because I'm going on vacation and won't be able to update for a while, two weeks at the least. Sorry 'bout that. Also, I need a beta reader. Anyone who would like that happy job, e-mail me at Lunachild121@hotmail.com Happy Reading!!!
Chapter 2- The Welcome
"Miss Evans?...Miss Evans? Can you hear me?"
The auburn-haired girl stirred in the bed. Slowly, her eyelids opened to a man with slivery hair standing over her.
"Ahhhhhh!!! You startled me...but..Professor, you're so..."
"Old. Yes I know Miss Evans. I certainly look dreadful. And the worst part of all, the skin care products dry out my skin horribly."
"Oh...I'm...umm...sorry to hear Professor. Anyway, what happened? I have a splitting headache. I don't have a hangover again, do I? I mean everything that happened I didn't imagine, right?"
"Hangover? Of course not, dear. Something much worse actually," with this the girl inhaled sharply, "Miss Evans, you fell backwards in the Great Hall and Mr. Potter was unable to catch you in time, although he did try. No lasting damage. Just a small fracture."
" A small fracture?! Where?!" the girl cried.
"Oh, the back of your skull. Don't worry about it. Madam Pomfrey fixed it in no time. Just try not to seriously injure the back of your head again. It's a good thing Lockhart isn't here anymore," he muttered under his breath.
"Professor that's exactly what I plan to do. Just go to staircases, hallways, and rooms, and then fall, just for the sheer pleasure of cracking my head open."
"Miss Evans, please do not be sarcastic about it. If you do receive another serious blow to your head, you might die."
"I thought you said she fixed everything!"
"I said she fixed 'it'. As in the fracture. But your brain cannot suffer another crack."
"Oh peachy...Professor, you said something about Lockhart? Isn't he that smarmy git in first year?"
"Well, actually, he was a teacher here about five years ago. Here at Hogwarts." Dumbledore then proceeded to hum "Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy, Warty, Hogwarts" oblivious to his pupil's gaping mouth as she looked on.
"Professor, I know I might be speaking out of my place, but you're acting quite strangely."
"Strange, my dear? I'm merely feeling exuberant. There has been little to celebrate these past years. I will explain everything. But, first we must go to my office. James is waiting there." At this comment, Lily rolled her eyes ever so slightly.
When the two entered the Headmaster's office, a raven-haired teenager whipped around to face the intruders. After a slight hesitation, the boy's emotions got the better of him and he fluidly rose from his seat.
"Lily, are you okay?"
"Of course, Potter. Why wouldn't I be? I'm always okay," she spat.
"I'm sorry, I thought a hard enough hit on the back of your head would have knocked enough sense into you. I guess not."
"One, What is that supposed to mean? And Two, Are you implying that you meant to not catch me?"
"Oh, it doesn't mean anything except I thought perhaps you'd realize when someone's trying to be nice and-"
"ENOUGH!!!!! You two are acting like children. You should be ashamed of yourself. Take your dispute someplace else after I'm done talking to you. This is a serious situation and you too can't even see past your own differences to work together. Now. May I please say my bit?"
"Certainly, Professor. Sorry, Professor," they said in unison, not daring to meet their superior's burning eyes, but rather looked past him into the roaring fire.
"Right now, my primary concern is to find out how you got here."
"Well, just out of minor curiosity, sir, when and where is 'here'?" James interrupted.
" 'Here' is Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, October 31st in the year of our lord 1997."
"Oh...well that just clarifies everything, doesn't it?"
"Miss Evans, I could do without the sarcastic comments while I'm explaining this. Now, both of you are here for a reason. It is my belief that in time this reason will be revealed, whether it be a charm gone wrong, as you two were fighting about, or something much bigger. When you both arrived you were talking, or rather yelling, about this charm. Please explain what happened and which charm you were practicing. Miss Evans you may speak first."
"It was a charm which turns the first object the conjurer touches into a sort of, time portal. When Professor Flitwick explained it, he stressed that when one uses it, they would not become part of history. They would just be there watching in the time, they had set it to. No one would notice them and they wouldn't be able to interact with the people, which is why we knew something was wrong when we came to this time and everyone was staring at us." Lily finished and then turned to James.
"Professor Flitwick explained that it was so complex, that it needed to be performed by two people. He picked the partners. Me and Evans were paired because we had just gotten into a fight and as punishment, you had us work together on everything we had to do. In-class assignments, homework, detention, we even had to eat together."
Dumbledore chuckled. He remembered their punishment particularly well. The only other time he had to do something like that to one of his students was at the beginning of this past September. The current head boy and girl, Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy were forced to stay within three feet of each other for the whole year because once they got off the train, it was apparent they were both covered in hex marks...from each other. In fact, they had gotten through two months, so far. They only had eight to go and already they were being somewhat nice to each other.
"-and when we got out of class, it seemed everything we touched turned into a time portal. Not just the one thing that was supposed to, but everything. We were visiting hundreds of different places throughout the day. We'd leave for hours and then come back at the same time we had left. The strangest thing of all though, was that we kept visiting the past, never the future, like now. Even if we touched the same thing, except for the first trip we took, we'd go to different places. However, it was always the same time period.
"First we 'visited' 977A.D. The Hogwarts founders were building Hogwarts. I saw Godric Gryffindor. Evans saw Rowena Ravenclaw. Each spoke to us. They told us, 'Thou art thy heirs. Thou shall unite to defeat.'
"In and out of time, wherever we went, there was someone there to greet us, and always the same message, 'Thou art thy heirs. Thou shall unite to defeat.' It was eerie. Almost like they expected us. They had food laid out, and rooms prepared in advance. Then we'd appear out of nowhere and they wouldn't act surprised," James finished off.
"How many trips did you make before you came here?"
"About nine or ten," Lily answered.
"I see. Well, that should be all Miss Evans, Mr. Potter," the headmaster nodded at both his students.
"But, Professor, don't you even want to know the name of the charm," the girl protested as a device to allow them to stay longer in the safety of the office.
"No my dear, I already know what charm you performed. The Tempus Incantatem is one of the most complex charms ever created by Circe. She was a marvelous witch. Professor Flitwick was only teaching this to his Advanced Charms class, correct?"
"Yes, Professor," she answered.
"Good," he said simply.
"Now, I am going to call a few students to my office so they can help you out," Dumbledore took a fistful of silvery-green powder in his fist and threw it into the cackling fire. "I would like to speak to you for a minute."
"Certainly, Sir," exclaimed Remus Lupin as he stepped out of the, now green, fire. "What is it that you- sweet Merlin! James! Lily! Bless my soul. I never thought-"
"Remus," Dumbledore said in a warning tone, "Now is not the time."
"Right, sir."
"Please go get Hermione and Draco, Harry, Ron, and Ginny. And do tell them what they're about to see. Try and explain it. You know what happened. "
"Of course, sir. To the best of my ability, sir." And with those words, Remus sped out of the Headmaster's office via the fire, swiftly opening a leather pouch attached to his belt. As soon as he left, Dumbledore got up out of his seat and went to stand behind Lily and James' chairs. Within minutes, Lupin was back, very much out of breath with an entourage of Hogwarts students behind him. As he stepped out of the fire he quickly tied up the small leather pouch. "Never leave home without it," he said, grinning to Lily and James. Each of them chuckled, the first time since they arrived in 1997.
"Good old, Moony."
"Now that you three have seen each other, it is time for you to meet everyone else. Harry, meet Lily and James," from behind their chairs, Dumbledore made an ever so slight shake of his head towards Harry, alerting him to not say anything recognizing them as his parents or alerting them to the fact that currently, they were indeed, dead. From Lily, an audible, sharp intake of air was heard as Harry stepped forward to be viewed by his seventeen-year old parents. His shock of raven hair stood up on his head, messy as always, glasses settled on his nose, tall, with a lean but muscular frame. And green eyes, already vivid, but even more so against his pale complexion and black hair.
"James, he looks just like you. He looks exactly like you."
"I know, Lily. I know," he said in awe.
"Ron and Ginny, please step forward." Two teens took Harry's place at the front of the group giving him the chance to let two salty tears flow. The red hair that was so prominent gleamed even brighter as the light from the chandelier above hit it, showing blond, auburn, and even redder highlights in each teen's hair.
"They look exactly like Liz," Lily exclaimed.
"Hermione and Draco," a sliver-haired boy with a smirk on his face and brown-haired, brown-eyed girl marched to the front of the group. "Hermione and Draco have the exact same bonding charm you two had placed on you. Except stronger. They can't go three feet without each other." At this comment, both sets of teens scowled at their peevish Headmaster. "These five students are going to show you around, make up excuses for you, help you out if need be. All you need to do is not ask them about themselves, their families, etc. You may tell them about Hogwarts, your friends and everything that happened if you wish, but I strictly prohibit you asking them anything whatsoever. You may change the future. But right now, they cannot change the past. Now, you may leave. Remus, you may show them where they are to sleep."
As the group left his office, the smile fell from his face. He turned to his phoenix and began stroking the ragged red and gold plumage. "So it has happened, Fawkes. They have come at last. The reign of terror will soon-," But before he could finish his last words, the bird burst into flame.