Disclaimer in 1st chapter
Chapter 2
Decisions, Goodbyes, and Rituals.
Harry leaned back looking up from his notes as someone knocked at his door. "Enter", he stated tonelessly.
The regal form of Head Mistress Alexis Von Ritcher entered the room her elegant voice and slight smile were always a comfort to those around her, next to Dumbledore, Harry felt she had been the best Headmaster or mistress he had known. But in all fairness McGonagall had not held the position long enough to make it her own. "Ahh still hard at it I see Professor Potter. Don't you ever stop reading and have some fun?"
Harry smiled slightly "No Alexis, I am the only one with the power to fix this. Everyone knows that I defeated Tom and I can do that it makes me the most powerful wizard in the world, Whether I want it to or not. Sometimes I think they are waiting for me to figure this out and save them." He stood and walked to the window and stared out into the night sky. Sighing sadly he began, "I am afraid I will be leaving in a few days that is why I called you hear."
"You have found something then?" she asked interrupting as she took a seat across the desk.
"Yes but not what we were looking for, I had a idea several nights ago I have been researching ever since." He turned away from the window and returned to his seat folding his fingers. He seemed deep in thought for a moment, so Alexis waited until he began to speak again.
After a few moments Harry began to speak in a very serious tone. "The idea I had was time travel we will not find the ritual or how to reverse it until it is too late already the muggle population has shrunk to the point that it will take centuries for it to recover. The magical community hasn't faired much better. I have theorized that the only way to stop the death of every living thing on the face of the planet is to travel back in time and stop Voldemort from being able to perform the ritual. Also to stoping him from killing so many people wouldn't hurt my feelings. With my knowledge of events I can stop him from being so powerful or such a threat."
"What's the catch?"
"We will have to give up the society we have today. The corporation between all races unless I work it just right during the war. But to be honest without the threat of Voldemort I don't think it can be accomplished. However I'll be able to introduce the cure for Lycanthropcy about 30 years sooner when it will do the Werewolves some good not just the other lycans." Harry explained. "Also I will be trapped there until I catch back up with the time I left."
"Like a time turner?"
"Exactly, your taking this well, I thought you would try and talk me out of it."
"I have known you long enough, Harry to recognize that look. Your are going no matter what any one says. Try to remember also Harry they don't view magic like we do now they are still prejudice against dark magic. Many of the powers you have developed and spells you used to defeat Voldemort would get you into lots of trouble. Plus without the open war decree that came after the third Minister was assassinated openly killing death eaters will definitely be frowned on. Your old strategies will not work."
"Unless I get them to declare War sooner." Harry said mischeviously, " I was thinking about when to return to perhaps you could help me with that. I feel I should go all the way back to when I was still in school. Much happened then that allowed Voldemort to become as powerful as he was before his defeat. His rise to power was practically ignored by everyone but myself and a few others for an entire year. Plus some people were in positions of power that shouldn't be, and others were trusted that shouldn't have been." Harry scowled as he said this.
"You are referring to Fudge and Snape aren't you?" Alexis asked.
"Yes but what year should I go back to? It doesn't make sense to return to earlier than my third year, nothing significant happened in my first two years that hold much baring on the events of the war."
"You mean besides you defeating Voldemort again and Ginny falling in love with Harry Potter the boy not the boy that lived."
Actually blushing at this statement Harry waved it off, "I would rather not mess with those events, but something happened in my third year I would like to change."
"If you are wishing to go that far back I recommend that you go to the day before your Aunt Marge arrives at your home. Blowing up your aunt would not be a wise way to start your quest."
"I was thinking the same thing; also Fawkes is going with me so I will be contacting Dumbledore straight away so that we can locate certain things and certain people. Also so we can help remove or deal with certain individuals." Harry stated as he began to rise from his seat absently waving his hand he packed his things. "I am leaving all of my possessions to you that I leave behind but I am afraid I am taking my trunk with me along with my wands, swords, and battle robes."
"I think you should take the muggle clothing you own as well as your robes with you, they are charmed to adjust to your size and have anti wear charms on them, it will save you some money, are you going to take the same classes?"
"No, I figure I should take Runes and Arithmancy, and perhaps I'll talk old Dumbledore into introducing that Muggle combat class that was started during the war."
"What are you going to do about Longbottom?" Harry hadn't anticipated that question, in fact he had forgotten about his former housemates betrayal. It had come as such a shock. While in school, no one have guessed that shy little Neville Longbottom would join the ranks of the death eaters and rise to become Voldemorts right hand man. But it happened; Neville had been consumed by a need for revenge against the death eaters that had destroyed his parents. Until he learned about the prophecy, that one event changed his life forever. Somehow in his mind it became all Harry's fault that his parents were in St Mungo's. He began to hate Harry and everything he stood for it was totally irrational no one understood, least of all Harry, the duel between Harry and Neville at the final battle had revealed much. Neville had never truly been in his right mind he had actually seen his parents attack. Then the Obliveators had decided to put a strong memory charm on an 16 month old boy. The experience had left him slightly unbalanced. Learning about the Prophecy had somehow pushed him over the edge. Even though Harry knew what had caused it all it still made about as much sense as standing in a thunderstorm holding a long metal rod.
Harry sighed and thought a moment. "I am not sure I know that I will have Dumbledore remove the memory charm, and I will also tell him that I think Neville needs counseling. Perhaps we can avoid him turning evil but I don't know it doesn't make any sense to me why he turned"
"I know you don't like talking about this but I may have some insight. Neville had a lot of anger inside him but he didn't know why with the memory charm in place he couldn't understand why he hated so much. Also to place such a powerful memory charm on one so young is unprecedented. Memory charms used to block powerful memories have been known to cause dementia in adult wizards. I can only imagine what it would do to a child."
Harry nodded that made sense; perhaps it was the memory charm that caused it. "Well that explains how it happened how do we stop it Nev was almost as bad as Tom himself, and nearly as powerful as both of us. If he had undergone the rituals Tom had, I would have been in serious trouble in that duel against him."
"There is something else you should know, we discovered it during his autopsy," she took in a breath then continued, "Neville had DMA"
Harry looked stunned, he sat slowly down in the chair and stared at Alexis, "Dark Magic Addiction you mean that because I taught Neville the dark magic so he could use to defend himself I am partiailly to blame."
Alexis sighed, "No Harry, how could you have known that Longbottom had that condition?"
"Why are you telling me this now
"Because", she answered, "you never wanted to talk about Neville, bloody hell Harry you don't even like thinking about Neville."
"I understand I need to prepare for this ritual as near as I can figure Flammel perfected a ritual that allows the caster and anything inside a Runic circle to travel back in time. He first went back one day then thru changes in the ritual he managed to travel as far as one year in the past. Flammel discovered that if you use the words day, week or year during the ritual and then the number of years you wish to travel back you and the things inside the runic circle will be transported back in time, your soul will merge with that of your past self to prevent a catastrophe like meeting yourself. Its pretty simple actually the hard part is getting the runes right and I have to do it 46 times"
"What do you mean?"
"Hmm? Oh you have to make a rune for each day, week or year outside the circle to power the spell."
"What happens if you mess up on one of the runes?"
"Oh the usual," Harry said as casually as if talking about the weather, "the fabric of time will unravel causing a release of powerful magic energy that will destroy the world."
"Oh is that all, so you are going to risk all our lives to save our lives is that it." Alexis smirked.
"Well I figure it's about time you guys shared in the danger while I try and save your butts for once". Harry responded while laughing. "Well I need to finish packing and start the ritual"
"You mean WE need to start the ritual, if you think I am going to let you do Rune Magic without help your crazy, you have never been formally trained and you aren't very good especially at repetitive ones."
Harry thought a moment Alexis had that determined look that told him saying no would be an exercise in futility. "Fine you can help."
SEVERAL DAY LATER
"Well its ready if we did it right all you have to do is step in the circle and say the incantation and you will be transported back. Harry there is something I have been meaning to ask if your soul is going to the past to merge with your past self what is going to happen to your future body?" Alexis asked as she helps Harry shrink the last of his belongings to put in his trunk, which was shrunk, then placed it in his pocket.
"Well guess I had better get going, come on Fawkes," Harry said ignoring the question.
"FREEZE POTTER!"
Harry froze in place and turned looking at Alexis, despite being several years younger than Harry she had always had a soft spot in her heart for him and he for her. She was old enough to know it wasn't love in the romantic sense, but Harry needed someone to lookout for him and she had taken the job as sister after getting to know him during the war. "You answer my question and I mean now."
Harry sighed and motioned for her to sit down. "Alexis when my spirit leaves my body for the past my body will expire then disappear."
"Where will it go?"
"Where ever I will be in the new future.", he shrugged, "I am not sure."
"How will I know if it worked?"
"You won't once I go back I will have re written history meaning your past. You will only remember the new past. Hopefully everything will work out." Harry sadly looked at her.
"You mean I might not remember you at all?"
Harry nodded looking down and closing his eyes. The next instant he was crushed in a hug by the surprisingly strong arms of Alexis. "I'll miss you even if I don't know what I am missing Harry, you have been the big brother I never had."
"And you the sister I lost." Harry sadly stated as he removed himself from the hug and stepped into the circle. Harry smiled and waved said the incantation "Chrono turnis 46 years revertia". His body crumpled the phased out as it did the Earth began to shimmer and vanish.
Alexis blinked a few times and looked around something was nagging her but she couldn't place her finger on what so smiling happily she returned to her desk and began prepare her lessons for the coming year. She had to have everything done before the pre-term meeting. The headmaster was real strict about these things.
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