Harry glared at the desk. Harry Potter, an Auror of the Ministry. He never would've imagined himself like this as a young child. He was so feeble and intimidated well, he reflected.
He was struggling in his current job. The boss seemed keen on bullying Harry. He always said it was because he didn't favor him, and Harry shouldn't expect special treatment wherever he went. It angered him, obviously, but Harry kept the thought to himself, knowing keeping quiet was sometimes the best solution.
RING, RING
Harry scowled. Ever since the Weasleys had understood the correct use of the telephone, they had been phoning him. Normally, he would've pleasantly answered, happy to give Arthur or Ron some answers. But now? No.
"What is it?" snarled Harry.
"Oh, it's me. I just thought I'd check up on you, but if you're busy, it's fine."
"Ginny!"
"Yep. Bye!"
Ginny hung up. Harry sighed.
Everything was so difficult. Ginny seemed uneasy around him, and they were drifting off. Maybe in the future, he and Ginny would be total strangers, only connected by his friendship with her brother.
Burying his head in his arms, he wondered what went wrong in the first place.
What made the boss bully Harry as if he were a six-year-old?
How did he and Ginny drift apart so much?
It had happened in a blur. He could barely remember it.
Harry rammed his fists in the quivering table.
The table leg creaked, and broke down.
"ARGHHHH!"
As if everything was going perfect.
To add some salt, there was a doorbell ring. A boyish giggle was heard, and there was a sound, something like a young one running.
Harry scowled.
Pranksters.
I never did these pranks, Harry thought bitterly. Dudley did.
"YOU!" he snarled as he opened the door widely.
Of course, there was nobody in sight, but it felt good to scream once in a while.
Harry James Potter was living in a poor situation.
Everything had gone wrong from the start.
He had gotten into the Ministry quite easily, and he thought his life would be kind that way, countering his childhood. But he had made the foolish decision to move away, into the Muggle cities, to hide from the Wizarding World, for the interest in him was increasing.
Perhaps that was why he and Ginny had drifted apart. Long distance relationships didn't work out well, after all.
Anyway, moving into a loud, noisy, messy city didn't help Harry's headaches, and it was far too much a risk to get identified as a wizard, and seeing it from the city, no one would notice if a mob of Rita Skeeters came and interviewed Harry to death.
He decided to move to a quite village, quite like Privet Drive, but also like a village full of the Burrows.
Unfortunately, the next-door neighbor had two boys named Martin and Freddie. Freddie reminded Harry of Fred very strongly. First, he had blazing red hair. Second, he had freckles. Third, he and his brother were insufferable pranksters.
Snarling at his situation, Harry attempted to kick the ground.
His foot connected with something solid. Harry picked it up the ground. He felt like when no one believed his story about Voldemort. Old anger surged, but he pushed it away and examined the object.
It looked exactly like a… a…
Harry widened his eyes in horror. No way.
"A Time Turner," Harry whispered.
The thing he had seen in Hermione's neck his whole third year. The key of saving Sirius from a Dementor's Kiss. The objects he had destroyed when trying to save Sirius.
Bitter thoughts came to his mind, but he pushed it away once more, and thought. How could this have survived? Was there any chance that this Time Turner might be real? That this could actually work like… like the one Hermione and he had used?
Interested, he put his fingers to the golden Time Turner.
He shook out of his trance quickly.
"No," he told himself sternly. "Discuss this with Ron and Hermione."
His thoughts were instantly transported to Ginny Weasley. Maybe he should invite her too. But wouldn't Ron…. No. Who cared what Ron thought? He would invite Ginny… maybe naturally as he told Ron about the whole story.
He rung the Weasleys.
"Hello? Weasley."
Ginny? No…
"Hi, Molly." Harry said, forcing a bright tone.
"Oh, Harry," Molly exclaimed, "it's so nice to see you! Well, hear from you. Ginny told me she called, and you weren't in a good mood. Are you good now? You seem fine. She looked worried…"
Ginny was worried. It brightened him up a bit.
"Oh, good," he said cheerfully. "Could you pass the phone to Ron?"
Molly laughed. "Of course. Ron! Would you like me to tell Hermione? She's here."
Harry frowned, but said lightly, "Yep. Thanks."
Soon, Ron spoke into the phone. "Hey, Harry! How's it going?"
"Nicely," Harry lied. "But anyway."
"Don't lie, Harry," Ron sighed. "I'm in the same department as you. I know how much a pain in the neck that thing is…"
Hermione snorted. "Don't say those things!"
"Hermione, I can say whatever I want to say. Anyway, Harry, what's the deal?"
"Oh, just wondered if you two will come to my house… we've got some talking to do. I haven't connected to the Floo Network, and I had to block my chimney, so forget about that. And Apparation can't be done, the Muggles are going to pretty surprised. And please – you nearly killed me the last time you just Apparated in my house." Harry recalled the funny memory.
Ron's laugh was heard. "Sure. We'll go a teensy bit by Apparation then walk. Right, Hermione?"
"We'll be there!" Hermione called. "And yes, you're right, Ronald."
"Hey, could you bring Ginny along?"
Harry knew Ron would've raised his eyebrows suspiciously, and Hermione to grin mischievously.
"Of course. I will." Hermione giggled.
"Yeah, I guess," Ron sniggered.
"Bye."
"Bye, we'll be there in…"
"Twenty minutes," supplied Hermione quickly. "We'll see what you wanted to talk there. With Ginny… wait, we should check on her. Ginny! Yes, yes, it's Harry on the phone… do you want to come along? Oh, it'll be fine. Oh! The mor…" She had moved away from the phone, and Ron explained she had Ginny were having a quiet talk. Harry heard Hermione's rapid footsteps, and she exclaimed, "Great. She's coming. Bye, Harry! Double date!"
"Hey!" Ginny protested.
Harry flushed. "Well, bye."
After he hung up, he fingered the Time Turner again. He just had to look at it. See it again. Finger it, touch it again. His longing turned stronger as he gripped the golden hourglass in his hand.
Finally, he held it up to his eyes, and slowly began to spin it. One hour at the time… if he remembered correctly, after all these ears…
The world began to spin as the hourglass turned once. Harry was dizzy, but he didn't lose grip of the small hourglass. There would be no worse thing than it… maybe than losing Ginny… but… he groped around, and by that, he turned the hourglass again. Twice… thrice…
He tried not to scream as he turned along with the hourglass.
