Harry walked into an elevator in the Ministry building still a bit tired from the previous night. His eight year old son, Albus had been having nightmares since James showed him a scary movie. In the middle of the night Al came to their room in tears saying that he had a dream that a boy who looked a lot like James was murdered.
"It was -hic- so real. I- I don't think I've ever seen the place it happened. A-and I've never s-seen James in the clothes the dead boy was wearing. But I swear he looked just like James!"
He and Ginny comforted Albus and sent him back to bed after a warm cocoa.
"We'll keep you all safe" Harry told him as he tucked him back in.
"Promise?". Albus asked.
"Promise" Harry said.
Harry sighed and looked up as the lift door opened and a young woman with a visitor badge walked in. She had almost shoulder length brown hair, with a side section dyed purple. She wore slim boxy black glasses. Harry estimated that she was twenty or just shy of it.
"Hi there!" She spoke with an odd accent that Harry took a moment to register as American.
"Hello" Harry said "which floor?"
"This one" Harry's eyes widened in surprise as she indicated the floor he knew to be the Department of Mysteries.
"Really?" He asked as his hand hovered around the button.
"Sure as I could be! I have an interview with them. They want to ask me about my article.". She said. He pressed the button and the elevator started moving.
"Oh? For the Daily Prophet?"
She blushed and looked away. "Not...quite. it's for the Quibbler."
"Ah. What's it about?"
"Well it's an interview with a Japanese man who claims he has memories of going back in time and changing the future.". She said.
Harry let out a chuckle of surprise. "You believed it?"
"Of course I do!" The woman said flushing. She caught herself. "I mean...he was so earnest about it and gave so much detail, it was hard for me not to," she said. "...and I suppose I also want to believe it's possible."
"To go back in time?" Harry asked
"To fix the past." The woman said quietly. "I'm sure everyone out there has something they want to fix."
"I suppose" Harry said.
"Oh it's my floor. Bye." When the elevator door opened again she left.
Harry realized that he didn't get her name. Oh well. He could always look it up in the Quibbler.
He walked off the lift and to the Auror department as one of his coworkers walked up to him and handed him a file. It was labeled "Parker, Trent".
"Trent Parker? He disappeared before I started here" Harry said, surprised. "I thought his case was closed?"
"Ah not quite" his coworker said. "There's still things that never got figured out. The boss wants you to look over it and see if you can find anything.".
"Right" Harry took the file and walked back to his desk. Once at his desk he opened it, noting how thick it was. From what he recalled, Parker was sent overseas to the United States to root out some escaped Death Eaters. That was in the summer of 2006.
He went completely silent in the beginning of 2007 and by summer the Auror department found he had been killed.
Harry picked up the sheet of paper at the front of the file documenting the facts. Harry was drawn to one statement at the end of the file.
"The body was never found and his murder has since gone cold."
Well that made things rather sticky. Harry shuffled through a pile of articles from American sources. One was the American wizarding paper, The Eagle and the others were muggle papers, much to Harry's surprise.
It seemed they kept everything they could find on it.
He picked up one clipping from a muggle paper dated June 1,2007.
Wilmington, NC-After a year marked by tragic murders of students at Edgewood Elementary School, fifth grade teacher Trent Parker has been missing for eight days. His body has still not been found and suspects are being investigated.
Authorities were called when Parker, 34, did not arrive at home after being seen leaving Edgewood Elementary School at 4:45 pm on Friday May 25th,2007.
Harry scanned the whole article a few times before moving to another one in the wizarding newspaper, announcing a suspect in Parker's murder.
Septimus Sawyer. The picture showed a scowling man with bad acne and long straw colored greasy hair tied back in a ponytail. He wore a plaid jacket over a gray shirt. His eyes looked dark and murky. According to the article, he had a record of harassing muggleborns and anti-muggle crimes.
However much to Harry's frustration a clipping from five days later announced Sawyer's release.
He denied all accusations saying that if he murdered Parker he would have used one of his "toys" .
The bloke was definitely shifty.
Harry got out a notepad from his jacket pocket. He'd had it for a while and couldn't remember where he got it. Still it was useful. He flipped it open and wrote down
'Septimus Sawyer'
He was still curious though, the first article mentioned murders of students. He shuffled through before finding an article of The Eagle with a picture of a boy who looked hauntingly like his oldest son, James.
Timothy Montegomery
November 14th, 1995-November 14th 2006
With a lurch Harry realized- the boy died on his birthday. As he read the article it only got worse. Montgomery's body was never found. However what police did find was a letter, with blood drippings on it, a letter of acceptance to Ilvermorny, the American Wizarding school.
"The youngest son of prominent Magical Senator, Oswald Montegomery, Timothy was a student at muggle elementary school, Edgewood Elementary He was an active participant in the local Wizard Scouts.."
Harry set the clipping down and rubbed his head, wondering why he had to get this file. He shuffled through the papers finding several clippings paperclipped together. Harry gingerly took them apart finding that each one was a different child. All between ten and eleven years old.
Oh Merlin.
He shook his head and read them all taking notes of the names of each child and their death dates. Seven children in one school year.
Finally he found an article where someone was caught for them.
MACUSA LOBBYIST'S SON ACCUSED OF ELEMENTARY SCHOOL MURDERS
The picture showed a mugshot of a glaring young man in his twenties. He wore a dark trench coat over a shirt reading 'Bikini Inspector' He had spiky brown hair and blue eyes.
Several things stood out in the article.
'Jackson 'Jack' Aspen, son of MACUSA lobbyist Reginald Aspen who was known for being vocally traditionalist, had strong ties to Pureblood Pride groups.'
Harry could guess what 'traditionalist' and 'Pureblood Pride' meant. Reginald Aspen and his son were sympathetic to Death Eaters.
'Aspen was a reporter for an 'alternative' publication The Grimoire, known for pushing a narrative favoring blood purity and disdain for muggles. He was suspended from Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and continued the rest of his wizarding education by correspondence course. '
Aspen was practically all but expelled from Ilvermorny. Motive?
'Aurors found numerous photographs of Edgewood Elementary students, including the victims of the murders, in Aspen's room. When Aspen could offer no explanation of why the photographs were in his possession, he was apprehended-
Harry felt revulsion rise up in his throat as he thought about the implications. He found himself wishing Aspen's suspension from Ilvermorny was the only motive.
"Following his son's arrest, Reginald Aspen retired from lobbying, thoroughly disgraced'
For the first time since he got the file, Harry felt a stab of satisfaction.
'Jackson Aspen has maintained his innocence. but has remained in Alcatraz in a solitary ward.'
Harry set down the clipping, thinking. He wrote down Aspen's name as well. Aspen was connected to this, but there were still more questions about it all. For one, Harry wondered why they never connected Parker's death to Aspen. The more he read about it all, the more it felt like there was something missing.
He tapped his pen looking at all the names on his notepad. He wondered if Kentworthy, the Head Auror, saw the gaping holes in this story as well.
"Oi, mate!"
He looked up to see Ron standing over him. He glanced at the clock and relief washed over him. He set aside the file and pocketed the notebook before pulling his coat on. As he left the Ministry he resolved to talk to Kentworthy about his suspicions first thing tomorrow morning..
2016
Japan
Satoru Fujinuma stared at the man sitting across from him, trying desperately to place him. He had largely recovered from the effects of his coma but still had some difficulties with his memory. The man was familiar with him but for the life of him Satoru couldn't figure out where he met him.
The man laughed. "It's understandable. When I last saw you, you were still in your coma."
"I am Tsukino Koshiro. Your mother sought me out to help you when you were in your coma."
"Why...you specifically? I thought once I got transferred to a larger hospital-"
Koshiro chuckled. "That is a good question. I'd be surprised your mother never told me...but…"
Satoru tilted his head "But….?"
"It's...a very complicated matter to explain" Koshiro started.
"Believe me I can understand complicated things." Satoru said, "Just...do the best you can."
"All right." Koshiro took a deep breath. "I...am not an ordinary doctor. I was called out of desperation when...normal methods didn't seem to be doing anything."
"Normal methods?" Satoru asked.
"I suppose I'll just come out and say it then. Satoru, I'm a wizard. And according to your mother, you are as well." Satoru stared for a moment.
"Y-you're joking...right?" This sounded like the kind of thing his mother would say before saying "I'm kidding, obviously"
"I am not. From what I understand, your father was one and he left over...disagreements over how to raise you. " At Satoru's blank stare he added. "I did tell you it was complicated." He got out a long stick and placed it on the table along with a teacup. With some words that Satoru didn't quite catch, Koshiro waved his wand and the teacup slowly levitated in the air.
"No...way" Satoru said. A moment of silence occurred between them. "...how...how am I one? I don't remember doing anything like that. I think I'd remember something like that."
"How far back can you remember, Satoru?" Koshiro asked. Satoru closed his eyes and searched his memories. Everything earlier than maybe ten years old was a blank. "Your mother told me that you had some accidental magic when you were a child but it became less common once you turned-"
"Eleven," Satoru said quietly.
"Right" Koshiro nodded. "It's common for highly stressful situations to unintentionally suppress magic. Sachiko tells me you became very upset over the situation of your classmate."
Satoru remembered it now. When he was in his eleven year old body he knew a murder would take place, and he recalled the old timeline. The one where he failed to save Kayo and the others. The guilt of it all weighed on him so badly he tried to suppress ithe memories.
"I see…" He said. He looked up at Koshiro. "and...Mom...called you to help me"
"Yes..sadly, even I could find no way to bring you out of your coma. Your mother was, understandably, very upset and asked me to leave when I told her."
Satoru sighed. He could imagine his mother's helplessness at learning that even magic could not help him. "...It's ...pretty wild but, I think I believe you. Tell me, is there magic that can reverse time?"
Were his revivals a manifestation of his magical ability?
Koshiro raised his eyebrows. "Well, there have been, most of them tied to artifacts. Its regarded as very tricky and dangerous magic. Changing the past can drastically change the future. Why do you ask?"
"Well…." Satoru told Koshiro all about revival and his memories. The man remained silent through it all and looked down tapping his chin.
"That...is quite a story," he said. "You say this is how you stopped that killer?"
"Yes. It took me a few tries. After one attempt my classmate still died. I got sent back to a present where my mother had been killed and I was suspected of it. The second time, I did it."
"I don't think that I've heard anything like that but...well magic is a mysterious force that even we wizards don't fully understand." Koshiro said. "But I believe you. Your story is far too specific to be a lie. And explains quite a bit. Thank you for telling me."
Koshiro left but soon after that Satoru was contacted by more wizards. Eventually he found himself interviewed by phone by a young English speaking woman.
2017
England
Jordan Hewitt still thought about what she said to the Auror she met on the lift that morning. She had been, perhaps more honest than she had with anybody, for whatever reason. She had studied to be a journalist after Ilvermorny but one thing she always kept her eye on was the subject of time magic. Before she was born, MACUSA destroyed all the time turners it had in its possession and issued a blanket ban on time magic, declaring it, for the time being, far too dangerous for wizardkind to mess with.
For a long time, Jordan felt hopeless, knowing that time magic was banned in the United States, and in England time turners were destroyed.
She never forgot how she felt after fifth grade, after attending far too many funerals than any eleven year old ought to. Funerals of people who were far too young to die to begin with. Everyone told her she was feeling grief and perhaps -one psychologist suggested- trauma over the loss of her teacher and classmates. But she knew what she felt beyond that, was the haunting feeling that somehow, it all was never supposed to happen.
Desperate to escape the hometown that haunted her,she got a student visa to study abroad in England after she graduated from Ilvermorny. She got a job working for an eccentric wizarding magazine called the Quibbler. She learned that the Ministry was starting to study a few rare accounts of wizards and witches who claimed- to much ridicule- that they had gone back and seen another timeline and fixed it.
That was around the time she learned of the story about Satoru Fujinuma. She followed the story once she read about it in a Japanese wizarding publication and followed it obsessively. Papers like the Daily Prophet wouldn't accept anything on it.. But Luna Scamander believed her and published her article.
She had been shocked when she got a summons to the Ministry to talk with Unspeakables about it. It almost seemed too good to be true and Jordan half expected them to laugh in her face. But Luna encouraged her to at least try.
They believed her article.
Sure she had to swear to keep it on the down low for now, as the story was officially Ministry business.
But they believed her.
And even more, she was now convinced beyond a doubt that it was possible- in some occasions- to change history. She found herself looking at a note she had jotted down after she finished interviewing Mr. Fujinuma.
"Hey…..don't be afraid to reach out sometime"
When he got home Harry found a rack of copies of the Quibbler in the sitting room. She knew Ginny followed the magazine to support her friend. He looked through them furrowing his brow. It had to be recent.
"What are you looking for there?" Ginny asked. He nearly jumped out of his skin in surprise and turned around.
"Oh..er….a recent copy of the Quibbler has an article that's of some interest to the Ministry. It's got to be last month, or this month." He said scratching his head. "I met the writer today on the lift."
"Oh right" Ginny said, going over to another basket of various magazines and pulling out one. It had one headline.
INTERVIEW WITH A WIZARD WHO CHANGED HISTORY
Harry flipped open to the noted page and sat down to read.
"By Jordan Hewitt."
He wound up reading the whole story. It was, to say the least, quite a tale. Harry personally thought it sounded like a wild dream Fujinuma must have had in his coma. He was convinced any methods of changing time were destroyed with the destruction and in some countries, banning, of the time turners.
'"Hm" Harry set it down. He recalled what the woman on the lift said. She seemed rather fixed on the idea of fixing history.
"Interesting?" Ginny asked.
"To say the least." He said.
"The Quibbler often is. Come on then, dinner is almost ready" Harry followed her to the kitchen where James, Albus and Lily were already sitting around the table. Harry's stomach lurched as he looked at James again and thought of the Montgomery boy. He shook it off and sat down, resolving to say nothing of it.
Harry woke up with that feeling that he had something important to do but he couldn't remember what. It lasted until he got his coat on and found his notepad.
Septimus Sawyer
Trent Parker
Edgewood Elementary School
Timothy Montegomery (November 14th, 2006)
Skyler Simon (May 7th, 2007)
Dane Whitmore (October 31st, 2006)
Blaise Dubois (October 31st, 2006)
Emmett Cameron (October 31st 2006)
Claire Dunwood (February 10, 2007)
Hazel Pratt (February 10, 2007)
Jackson Aspen
Harry stashed the notepad back in his pocket,as memories of the Parker case flooded back. He had to talk with Kentworthy about his suspicions. That would be the first thing he'd do, he told himself. He left the house like a guided missile. Normally he waited for his best friend and brother in law, but he told himself he'd see Ron at work and on the way home.
The memory between his house and the apparition spot to the Ministry building in London was fuzzy. It would be overshadowed by the memory of stepping into the Ministry front hall and feeling everything around him freeze.
To everyone else around it seemed as if, out of nowhere , Auror Harry Potter had disappeared in thin air. One moment he had been there and the next he was gone.
Ron Weasley stood across the room, having seen it happen right before his eyes. The last time he saw something like this was when he watched Harry and Hermione use the time turner in third year.