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Chapter 16

Ginny approached the library door wondering what Alessio had wanted to talk to her about. She decided there was only one way to find out, and it wasn't by standing outside the door. She entered the library to see Alessio already sitting on one of the cozy purple couches waiting for her.

"Alright, Ginny?" Alessio greeted her.

"Alright. Thanks." Said Ginny, sitting down next to him. "So what did you want to talk about?"

"Well, you mentioned that you weren't sure how things were going with you and Harry." Alessio started, the look in his eyes urging her to continue for him.

"Yes," Ginny sighed. "We kissed the other night, and we sorted out some problems, but we never discussed the status of our relationship."

"If you two don't know what's going on, I suppose no one does. There's just one thing I thought might help, I found this on his desk." Alessio said handing Ginny a scrap of paper, something written on it in Harry's hurried handwriting. It was a letter.

Ron & Hermione,

It's me, Harry. Ginny and I were sent a century back in time, and I worry we'll never get back. I don't know what the chances are that this letter will make it into your hands, or even last for the next hundred years. On the chance that this does last, I want you to have answers about what happened to your friends, and for the Weasleys what happened to their only girl. We've landed and been accepted into a wealthy family with a huge manor, we'll have everything we need. And Ron, I want you to know, Ginny will be fine, she can take care of herself. She can, but she doesn't have to. I've fallen in love with Ginny, and I'll be with her as long as she'll have me. I hope you'll both lead a long and happy life, free of danger (fingers crossed). I love you both, you two and the rest of the Weasleys are the only family I've ever known.

Love Always,

Harry

"I can't believe he wrote this." Ginny felt tears welling up in her eyes, though for once she didn't feel weak about crying. This was worth crying over. Harry had expressed his emotions in a way she'd never known him to do before. Only one thing made her want to rip the letter to shreds. Harry was giving up. He had made himself content to be stuck in this time forever.

"Are you alright?" Alessio asked sympathetically, awkwardly patting Ginny on the back.

"Fine. It's just, I can't believe he's given up." Ginny sobbed in disbelief.

"Look, there's one more thing I wanted to mention. Zachariah used to talk about this professor he had, Trelawney I think her name was." Said Alessio, looking up thoughtfully and tapping his chin. "He used to say she was extraordinarily young for a professor, hardly out of school herself. Anyway, he was greatly impressed by her talents -at what he never said- though one summer he came to visit, quite frightened at something she'd said during his last class with her. It was only a few days later that you and Harry appeared here in his place."

"Well, we have a professor of divination called Trelawney, but she's young as well, it couldn't possibly be the same woman a hundred years in the future." Said Ginny. She then remembered Zachariah's diary, and realized it was sure to mention whatever it was that had frightened him so.

"I think Harry will be getting lonely, why don't you go and find him." Alessio sighed, he had clearly been hoping Ginny would know more about what may have gotten Zachariah so worried.

"Okay then, why don't you come with?" Ginny asked.

"I don't think so, you two should have some time alone, I think I'll go find the twins and help them make mischief." He responded, albeit with little enthusiasm. It was obvious to Ginny that he was missing his best friend and sister terribly.

"See you later then. Don't worry, we'll get Zachariah and Lucia back." Said Ginny comfortingly; though not so sure she was being truthful.

"Bye then." Said Alessio as he got up, walked past Ginny and left the library.

Ginny exited the library, turning down the corridor in the opposite direction Alessio had gone. She walked briskly down the corridor until she reached Harry's room. She burst in without bothering to knock, and found him sitting in the middle of the bed, wand out, with Zachariah's stuff scattered haphazardly around him.

"Ginny, you really need to start knocking, I thought you were Signore Garibaldi!" Harry sighed exasperatedly, still pointing his wand at her.

"No time for that, Alessio mentioned that Zachariah used to talk about a teacher called Trelawney—" Harry snickered and lowered his wand. "My thoughts exactly, though apparently he spoke of her with high regard."

"It must have been Cassandra Trelawney!" Harry gasped, his eyes lighting up. "The renowned seer, our batty old fraud is a descendant of hers." Said Harry, remembering Umbridge's remarks in his fifth year.

"That explains it then!" Ginny was now jumping excitedly. "Alessio said Zachariah came home from his last year at school very distraught over something she'd said. It must have been a prophecy of some sort. We have to get that diary opened! Forget the time travel book!" Ginny shouted, going red in the face.

"Gin, calm down!" Harry chuckled. "First off, I finished the book, there was nothing there. I started looking through this other stuff, and I managed to open the diary."

"How?" Ginny asked incredulously, knocking some textbooks out of the way and sitting down next to Harry.

"I had to combine a simple 'Alohomora' with a password. Once I realized I needed a password, it was easy enough to guess, 'Lucia Garibaldi'." Said Harry.

"That's brilliant!" Said Ginny beaming at him. As she looked into his eyes, she remembered the letter, which incidentally, had never left her hand. She crinkled it a bit in her palm and averted his gaze. "Harry, Alessio showed me this letter." She began, holding it out to him. A look of recognition crossed his face.

"And…?" Harry coaxed her, not quite sure of her point.

"Harry, you've given up! I still believe we can get back, but if you've given up that doesn't matter anymore." Said Ginny sharply, looking him in the eyes again.

"Gin, I haven't given up! I just couldn't ignore the possibility, and it settled me to know that it was possible they'd be able to find out what happened to us." Said Harry, taking her hand in his.

"Oh, silly Ginny." She muttered to herself. Harry laughed gently and kissed Ginny's forehead. She looked up at him, again, unable to control herself, except this time she felt no desire to do so. Ginny leaned in and briefly touched her lips to Harry's. Harry, feeling very relieved that she was no longer being so resistant returned her kiss, and the diary was soon forgotten.

Almost an hour later, Harry and Ginny were pulled out of their reverie by loud shrieks throughout the manor of, "THERESA! ROSALIA!" Harry and Ginny separated, laughing hysterically.

"I wonder what they've gotten up to." Said Harry, raising his eyebrows.

"Whatever it is, Alessio's been helping." Said Ginny between gasps of laughter.

"As long as we've been distracted anyway, I guess we should look at that diary." Said Harry reluctantly.

"Agreed. I think it's safe to say the moment is sufficiently ruined." Ginny replied, reaching for the diary. Harry sat with his arm wrapped around her waist as they searched the book for June 1886; the month Zachariah had graduated Hogwarts.

"There!" Harry exclaimed, pointing out the date at the top of the page, June 16, 1886.

Today was my last day of classes at Hogwarts. Only this time, it's not just another year ended. I'm leaving the castle forever. It's been a great year, but I have missed Lucia terribly. It's been a long year without her, but we'll be getting married soon. I just have to complete my healer training, then I'll be able to support her, and we can run away together. Hopefully we'll be able to keep in touch with Alessio and her sisters without crossing her parents. Her father is an awfully prejudiced man, a muggle Slytherin if I ever knew one. This useless talk is fine to put into a diary, but today I have something more important to say.

I've loved Divination this year, Professor Trelawney is the greatest seer in centuries, and has a gift for teaching. She graduated Hogwarts just last year, and was immediately given the position of Divination professor. I can't believe the difference it made to have a true seer teaching us for once. I've grown verbose again; so let me make my original point. When Trelawney makes a prediction, I listen. I'd be a fool not to. Today, as I bid her farewell for the last time, and made to leave the room, she stopped me. She wished me good luck and warned me to always keep a time turner on my person, that one day it would save my life. I immediately went through great lengths, even using my family name, which you know I hate to do. I do come from a wonderful family, but I abhor using it, rather than my personal qualifications to acquire things. In this situation, however, I was so desperate that I used my family's authority in the wizarding world. I know have a time turner that I wear around my neck even when I sleep. I hope my life will never need saving, but if it does, I have the time turner.

Zachariah

"Harry, do you think it's possible that maybe, I turned Hermione's time turner at the same time Zachariah turned his?" Ginny asked, "Do you think that could cause something like this?"

"I really don't know." Harry replied, letting himself fall onto his back as he let out a frustrated sigh. Ginny gave an equally exasperated sigh as she laid back, her head landing on Harry's chest. She cuddled up against his side as he put one arm around her shoulders. They were silent, thinking through the possibilities as to what could have happened with the time turners. Soon, both grew tired and promptly fell asleep.

Author's Note: I'm back! I doubt I have any readers left, but on the off chance I do, here goes: I was ridiculously busy once school started, no time to do extra writing. When the term changed, I had time again, but I had lost the will to write this story. I continued getting reviews in my email occasionally, and I felt bad that I never finished it, and I knew it was going to bother me. I had to reread my entire story so far before I could continue. I know this is shorter than the last few chapters were but I am a). Just getting back into the swing of this and b). This was a good place to stop based on where the plot is going, trust me. Even if no one is reading this story anymore, I have to finish if for my own personal reasons, but I'm so grateful to anyone who is, and I really appreciate the reviews, and I'm sorry I kept people waiting.

One more thing, part of the reason I've had time to write is due to illness, so you can all delight at my sickness-- just kidding, I know you'd never do that…well, maybe some of you ;). Also, this is the only creative writing I've done in months, all my other writing has consisted of literary analysis, history research papers, scientific lab write ups, or opinion essays in Spanish…not even the right language (speaking of languages I got into Latin this year, and now I know what some of the spells in HP mean) my point is, if this isn't very good, I'm sorry once again.

The longwinded author's note is over!