Usual Disclaimer: This world does not belong to me. I just borrowed it along with its inhabitants. Thanks J.K. for lending me your ready made world of magic.
A/N: I repeat, this story will be continued until it is finished I'm sure very few of you would like to know. I think there will be two more chapters, maybe three and I know this chapter is quite short but I thought I had kept you waiting long enough and also, the next chapter will probably be really long but it will be a while before it is posted. Anyway, thanks to those who reviewed, namely: Silver Crystal 177, Laura, and Val.
Hope you like this chapter and please be patient while I write the next one, I'm superbusy at the moment. Thanks.
McGonagalls-Biscuits.
Chapter 13
"I won't let you do it alone, Harry." Ginny said, hands resting firmly on her hips.
They were still talking about the spell now that they were back inside the castle, warming up in front of the fire in the common room.
"Gin... It could be dangerous..." Harry began, but he knew his efforts were in vain as he looked to the determined face of his girlfriend.
"If you insist on doing this, then I'm coming with you and that's the end of it." Even though they were talking in whispers to prevent Ron and Hermione hearing them, Ginny's words still managed to have the same quelling effect as those of a howler from her mother. Harry sighed knowing that there was no use in arguing with Ginny when she was as determined as she was at this moment. She took after her mother in that respect - a Weasley through and through with the stubbornness that was a true Weasley family trait. "And don't even think about trying to sneak away."
Harry sighed exasperatedly, the girl knew him all too well. He looked into her frowning, coffee brown eyes.
"Okay! I give in, now sit down and relax." He said trying to sway her with a smile and succeeding as she sat, albeit grudgingly, in his lap. She gave him a last withering look before resting her head at his neck and falling into a light sleep.
They seemed to be doing a lot of that lately, Harry thought to himself, sleeping. A side effect of the amount of magical energy they had used with the Animagi spell he supposed. Then again they could just have been exhausting themselves between their practising spells from the guidebook, their jaunts in the forest and their snowball fights. Harry smiled as he thought about all the fun things they had done these holidays, which, in a few days would be over. Hopefully, Harry thought, their sleep patterns would soon return to normal.
Harry knew he would always remember this Christmas. It had been the most fun yet and it being in their last year made it all the more special. He didn't know where the Marauders would be spending their next Christmas but he hoped that things could only get better.
He cast a glance over to friends who currently sat, snuggled with each other, on a couch at the opposite side of the common room. Hermione had long since given up trying to read her book, which now lay open on the arm of the couch, as Ron constantly whispered in her ear, trying to distract her and succeeding as she giggled quietly at his antics.
They were so happy together and Harry was happy for them. He couldn't imagine a better-suited couple. Anyone with eyes could see how great they were together. How it took them so long to see it themselves, Harry could only wonder in amazement.
Harry watched Ron trace light circles on the back of Hermione's hand before entwining his fingers with hers and kissing her softly on the lips. They were looking intently into each other's smiling eyes, happily oblivious to Harry's eyes following their movements. Harry recognised the look Ron was giving her. The look of intense, irreversible love and adoration. Harry identified with him; he often looked at Ginny that way. He turned back to look at his sleeping beauty, he usually watched her when she wasn't aware of his gaze. While she slept, while she laughed and smiled with Ron and Hermione or her classmates, while she sat studiously poring over books and homework, or while she was eating meals at the same time listening raptly and enthusiastically to those around her.
Sometimes Harry felt detached from the world around him as he watched Ginny. She had such a passion for life, she was special and unique and not a day went by when Harry didn't thank his lucky stars that he retained the privilege of holding her, of kissing her rose pink lips, as soft as petals to the touch.
Half an hour went by as Harry watched Ginny sleep, before Ron and Hermione roused him from his thoughts, saying that they should head down for dinner.
He gently shook Ginny awake as Ron and Hermione went ahead and was glad to see, that when she woke, she no longer adorned her stubborn frown but instead was smiling sleepily at him.
"But I'm not sleepy." Ginny protested and Harry laughed as he escorted her to the girl's dorms not long after dinner that night.
"You sound like a spoilt child." He laughed, quickly kissing her before she had a chance to voice her imminent complaint. "You need to sleep now or you'll be too tired later." He said quietly and meaningfully.
"Tonight?" Ginny whispered, surprised at the seeming suddenness of Harry's decision.
Harry nodded. "Till midnight, my Ruby." He whispered, kissing her and then turning and heading back down the stairs, leaving her in the doorway of her dorm feeling like an excited, if not a little nervous, little girl.
Harry crept into Ginny's otherwise empty dorm at quarter to twelve that night, glad that Ron and Hermione had decided on early nights, meaning that Harry and Ginny would not need to make awkward excuses or seek somewhere hidden to perform the spell.
Ginny smiled excitedly as she woke and they crept quietly back down to the common room where Harry explained his understanding of what would happen when they performed the spell.
"So we get half an hour past, present and future?"
"I think so, and as far as I can tell, as long as we're touching when I perform the spell, you don't have to cast your own spell, we'll both be transported." Harry told her, scrutinising the guidebook to make sure what he was saying was right.
"So what's the point in visiting the present?"
"As far as I can gather, when it says present, it actually means any point in the twelve to twenty-four hours before the spell is cast. I think the reason for it is so the caster can look at themselves from an objective point of view."
"So people in the past, present or future... they can't see or hear us?"
"No, they won't be aware that we're there. If they knew we were there then there would be a possibility that we could change the future by altering the past if you get what I mean."
"Like when you saved Sirius?"
"Yeah, but I mean major changes that could alter life as we know it."
"You think about these things too much." Ginny frowned; Harry could often be too deep a thinker. She didn't like to think about how the world worked she liked to live moment to moment. That was one of the reasons Harry loved her so much.
"I know, it's a curse." Harry smiled sardonically.
"Are you sure about this Harry? I mean.. what if... what if the future isn't good?" She looked deep into his emerald eyes, already knowing his answer. She knew there was no way she could dissuade him from doing this and she was no way she would let him do it alone.
She had been aware for some time now, of her boyfriend's morbid fascination with the concept of time. It had made so much sense when he had told her about James and the spell - like father like son indeed. James, it seemed, had possessed the self-same fascination.
"I need to know, Gin." It was the answer she had anticipated, and despite the slight waver of uncertainty in his voice, she knew that there was nothing that could stop him now.
He pulled a small piece of parchment from his pocket. On it, three lines if information were neatly printed in Harry's hand. Three locations, three dates and three times.
Hogwarts twenty years ago, Hogwarts at lunch time that day, and 'Home' five years into the future.
He glanced back at the Guidebook on the table next to them. "You ready?"
Ginny nodded and Harry clasped his left hand and Ginny's right together, while he worked with his wand in his right hand.
First, he suspended the small piece of parchment at eye level, a foot or so in front of them then he took a deep breath, summoning all his power and concentration and preparing himself for the intricate and complex task ahead of him.
He paid close attention to the Guidebook as he began to work, weaving an intricate web of magic around them. He drew the pattern in a shimmering blue energy from the tip of his wand. He concentrated with all his might, knowing that one flaw in the pattern, one mistake, could prove fatal for them.
First, with the blue energy radiating from his wand-tip, he drew a criss-crossed cage of magic around them. It reached from the floor to a point in midair, a few feet above them and spread in a two-foot radius around them, looking rather like a large blue birdcage.
Ginny stayed silent as she watched her the display of extraordinary magical energy and power. She had known Harry was a very powerful and competent wizard but his movements were fluid and graceful as he worked and she admired him. She took in every detail of his features, the intense concentration etched on his face as he muttered another Latin spell - turning the tip of his wand from blue to gold - and watched as he began to work out where he should be placing the delicate strands of magic into the pattern - in accordance to where and when they wanted to go.
When he had carefully woven the strands of gold into the cage around them, he muttered yet another Latin phrase from the Guidebook, this time turning the tip of his wand pink. He then proceeded to tap several carefully chosen squares of the cage, filling them with bright, glowing pink dots. Again this had to be done with precision and Harry knew his concentration had never been tested to this extent before. However, he managed to keep himself focused, knowing that one false move and he could be responsible for a catastrophe and that was something he could not handle, not with Ginny alongside him.
Harry added and added to the web and it grew thicker and thicker, becoming more and more elaborate with every particle of magic Harry added to it. It radiated power and, Ginny thought, beauty.
After pink, there was green, purple, silver and finally and bright, dazzling white.
"This is it." Harry murmured, giving Ginny's hand a tight, reassuring squeeze, although whether he was reassuring himself or Ginny, he wasn't sure.
The room began to spin as he put his wand to the piece of parchment still suspended in front of them, magically woven into the web around them and he said the final words to complete the spell.
Faster and faster the room spun, everything becoming a blur of colour, Harry held on to Ginny's hand as tightly as he could. They spun so fast they felt as though they were going to spin off into oblivion but despite the dizziness and seeming confusion around them, Harry's voice rang out clearly and confidently.
"Tempus Inter Facio, Tempus Inter Facio, Tempus Inter Facio!"