A/N: It has been a while due to life and me needing either to work at this or a burst of inspiration when i am on my computer otherwise the ideas never get out of my head.

Last Time: We left the Golden trio making the largest decision of a century, so lets see what they chose.

Up on the gritstone escarpment called 'The Roaches', in the midst of an impenetrable wall of fog, a small A-frame tent appeared to unfurl from a fallen fern stem. The occupants, who took a few minutes to get themselves together, crawled towards the opening and once they had poked their heads from behind the canvas; one was a raven haired, gem-eyed, specimen of the male half of the species more concerned with checking the surroundings than his companion; the female of the pair, who has wood-mouse coloured corkscrewed hair and a pair of milk chocolate eyes, well, she was more intrigued as to where they were.

"Umm, Hermione, did we die?" the dark-haired lad inquired.

"I, uh, I'm not sure Harry. If we didn't, then why has the tent moved." Was the response from Hermione.

"Have we moved, or has the weather closed in?" Harry replied.

"The ground's changed, and no trees near the tent like in the forest." The brown haired girl commented, and was almost interrupted by the other person in the tent. "Ok, so, assuming that we didn't move the tent and obliviate ourselves, we died and been brought back to life by Bill."

"Ah, so you got Bill, I got Remus, wonder who Ron got?"

"I have no idea on that apart from it being whoever he respected the most at the time of his death, I was told that I'd get sent to where I could do the most good."

"Same, just, have you got any idea why were we brought together and Ron was separated from us?"

"We were close enough physically and time-wise to be placed together whereas, He died half an hour after us, apparently, and a fair distance from us, too far to be told any details."

The shock on the young man was obvious, even more so when his next thought was vocalised "Why would he have died just half an hour after us? I expected him to go home and almost get crushed by his mum."

"That makes two of us thinking both of those thoughts, but I hope that he has decided to come back too, it would be a big bonus to us to have another face we recognise."

"Hang on, what is there to say that he got the choice to come back to life, he might not have had that choice, or it might be a different Ron, or an older version of him from a different timeline."

After looking a bit pensive for a few moments the young female responded, "for once, you have thought of something I haven't. Hey, are you thinking that we have slipped into a parallel universe?"

"That, or we had no effect on the events we are aware of."

"Is it bad that I am hoping that it was the parallel universe?"

"No, or at least I hope not, I'm thinking the same."

"Whilst we're here, won't we need to get money or are we going to be 'run-away lovers' whose families don't want us together?"

"Hopeful or realistic thinking Harry?"

"Realistic right now, with a view to being hopeful later."

"Just remember that I have looked through more of Hogwarts library than any living person."

"Ok, I won't take the mick any more. Just out of interest, who holds the all-time record then, if it isn't you?"

"When we left, there was only three people above me, #1 was Professor A.P.W.B. Dumbledore, #2 was Professor M. Egg, and #3 was Head Girl Lily Jade Evans."

"OK, I should have known that you would know those names. So two teachers and a head girl beat you."

"Yes but the teachers both ended up as the head teacher, and the head girl was the brightest witch of her age, muggleborn to boot, and her last visit was on the 21st July 1978."

"Why are you so fixated on this Lily-Jade Evans person, it's not like they have any connection to us now does it?"

"She is your mother, Harry; did you forget your mother's maiden name?"

"I haven't needed it for years, and the last time I remember it being said was when Snape was 'teaching' me occlumency."

"I remember you telling me about that, sorry to remind you of it."

"Don't worry its history now."

"It's not, it's the future."

"What?

"What was the date that Snape started teaching you occlumency?"

"Fine, date-wise it still hasn't happened but, from my side of things…"

"I'm just messing with you, give over."

Around the tent and its former occupants, the fog had started to burn off in the weak sun in the 10 minutes that the two have been sat talking, as a result a shape started to form in the distance that appeared to be rather square given the remoteness of their position.

"Harry?"

"If you're just going to insult my memory again, keep it."

"No, it's just; when in nature do you see straight lines?"

"Not often…" after trying to focus in the direction that his associate was looking, eventually the young lad noticed the straight edge "and I don't think we can add an exception to the norm here, that appears to be a building."

"Thought so, shall we head towards it?"

"If we are to figure out both when and where we are it would be useful."

"It also means that we can figure out which side this area is likely to fall on."

"Harry, hold still a minute."

"Hermione, what are…" as the lad turned partially around he spots a think piece of wood protruding from his friends hand towards his head. "DON'T POINT THAT AT ME! Can you still remember the others who died because of them?"

After being startled by her friends reaction and dropping the piece of wood

"Of course I still remember them! And, sorry, I completely forgot that you hate someone pointing a wand at you without warning you first. I was going to cast a colour change charm on your hair."

"I'm sorry I snapped, I just don't like not knowing where we are and everything being out of our hands. And why are you casting a colour change on me?"

"It's just in case we run into death eaters, your hair is similar to your dads and probably other relatives too. I was attempting to hide your identity from anyone, seeing as we don't know when or where we are."

"Thanks but, won't Death Munchers still recognise the style?"

"Most wizards are not that smart; I highly doubt that any one will be looking for a potter with red hair."

"I'll agree, but I Have to say I thought that Dudley was thick, but magicals are worse, even after all these years and getting to be around them most of the year, you would've thought that I would be used to it."

"After being on the run with the same two people, you don't notice things like that, and you and Ron were never any good at spotting things anyway."

The pair approach the structure that is both longer and thinner than it appeared from a distance, eventually making out the name, upon spotting the sign on the end wall of the gritstone block, longhouse looking building.

"Where is 'The Winking Man'?"

"I recognise the name of this place, it's a pub, and the name is in reference to a rock formation just up the road."

"Ok? But still where are we?"

"Harry, unless there are two areas with a similar rock formation, I came to this area with my parents as a child, and think we are in the Staffordshire Moorlands, near Leek."

"Moorlands? I guess that explains why it is similar to the area around Hogwarts."

"Harry, let's get out of the weather by going in that pub and get a drink so that we have a reason to be here."

Once inside the building, which has the door unexpectedly on the side, both immediately became aware of a pair of eyes on them, and upon noting the lack of patrons inside, Hermione leads the way past some rough-hewn stonework over to the middle-aged, slightly greying and surprisingly slim barman.

"Welcome T' Winking Man', I'm Mark Richardson. What can I get for you guys?"

"What have you got in?"

"Standard stuff; bitter, lager, cider, ale and stout; also have some white and red wine somewhere, but given the time of day if you are not looking for booze, you're in the wrong place but, I can do shandies."

"Can we get two lager shandies?"

"Sure, price depends on how much lager you want in them."

"A half pint each with half of each in them please"

"They'll be done in a min."

"Thank you."

"What are you doing around here? Londoners out for romantic getaway, or escaping family for forbidden love?"

"We were out for a two day hike, give the friends we're staying with some time to themselves, and got lost when the fog came down."

"That explains why you be damp then, fires lit just round the corner, go warm and dry up over there."

"How much do we owe you?"

"Quid 75, I'll get it from you when you've dried off a bit."

"Thanks."

Over by a small stove that appears to be one of the few slightly larger of the many in the building.

"Hermione, how are we going to pay for these?"

"I checked my purse before you were fully conscious, and it appears that all of the money was converted to what I can assume is 'current' money, there is nothing from 1979 or later in it."

"So you decided to not tell me when I was stressing about the date?"

"It didn't seem important to me at the time, and I forgot about it till here."

"Right, sorry, so we are at least 1979, and in Britain too."

"It helps to narrow down our search area."

"Yeah, just where is the nearest area for us?"

"It's possible that we were dumped in a pure muggle area."

"I'm sensing a 'but' coming on."

"And you'd be correct because I don't think that we are not that far from some more of us."

After a few moments of both downing nearly half of their respective drinks, the young lad had eventually had enough of waiting for his companion teasing him. "Hermione, what makes you think that?"

"I thought I saw a newspaper on a table referencing Leek."

"Which table was it on?"

"In the corner between the bar and the wall with towards the road."

After scanning that area of the pub, Harry spots the table in question and spots a man stumbling towards it with a bag in one hand and a pint in the other.

"Someone's just gone to that one."

"Ok, so what now?"

"Hermione, before you give up, they've folded it and put a bag on it, shall I ask if they are done?"

"Harry, he doesn't look like he will just hand it over, and given that we are in a bar, take care"

"Will do, see you in a min."

After a few moments, Harry is over at the table with a bloke looking likely to be about 47 judging by the notable lack of pigment in his hair on his low head hung.

"Excuse me?"

"Wha ya wan?"

"I was just wondering if I could borrow that paper."

"Nyope, I, read… it."

"Ok then, please tell me when you're done with it."

Potter turns away and gets two steps before:

"It wan't free," at that harry turns his head so that the man was just in sight over his right shoulder "cost money 'at you din't wan' give up."

"Oh shut up John, you didn't pay for it any way, 'cause I did."

"Mar, sod off."

After 'John' had returned to nursing his beer, the barman, Mark, turned back to Harry "ignore him lad, he just has nothing better to do with his days, he only comes here to escape his mum pining on and on."

"I wasn't paying much attention; I just thought that he was a bit drunk given where we are."

"Drunk, hah, that's sober for him, if you want to see him drunk, come back at about half 3 this afternoon."

"Is he like that every day?"

"Not always, now I ain't got time to talk, so scoot, I have work to do but here's a joke for you."

After the barman throws the paper at Harry without another word and going back to cleaning up. "Cheers but, what's the joke?"

"The paper, it's known for being mainly rubbish by locals who want to get their name known somehow, and most of the stuff they do is stupid so, the paper printed enough to get the nickname 'the leek joke'."

"Thanks for the clarification."

Upon returning to the table by the stove Hermione, waiting with her eyes set well and truly on the paper in Harry's left hand, still proved why she was the brightest witch of her generation by picking up right where they left off before the paper thought entered her head.

"I know it was a number of years ago to us but, my mum and dad brought me here when I was about 10 I think, yeah it was, it was the summer before we ran around sorting out for Hogwarts."

"Hermione, how does that help?"

"Sorry Harry, side-tracked. There was a store in the middle of town that we went into and I saw a ship on the wall but my parents said they couldn't see it and thought that I was either imagining it or messing around."

"You're thinking that it may be hidden to non-magicals."

"Yep. We just need to get there in order to test it."

"It may not be there in this world."

"But if it is, it is a really good place to start."

"We still need a way into town though."

"We could walk, it won't kill you."

Unknowingly to the pair the barman over heard the last three sentences and decided to startle the young people by saying "You'd be right there lass, the walk wouldn't kill him, the traffic or loose animals would, or he'd get lost. If you done with the glasses can I nab 'em, wife wants me to wash up before going to town."

"I know it would be cheeky Mark, but can we have a lift into town."

"Well, it would save the police closing the road and stopping business for hours or days depending on what hits ya, and I'm already head that way so yeah, finish your drinks and once the glasses are cleaned I'll take you down."