Harry Potter and the Fountain of Possibilities
Chapter 10:
"The Truth Comes Out"
A few hours later, under Harry's invisibility cloak, he, Hermione and Kruge watched as Professor Albus Dumbledore was smiling and playing around with a roll of parchment. Suddenly, there was a knock on Dumbledore's office door. Dumbledore put the roll of parchment in a drawer as the door opened to reveal Deputy Headmistress Minerva McGonagall. "Minerva, what is wrong?" Dumbledore asked.
"Another student has been petrified, Albus," McGonagall said. Dumbledore followed McGonagall out of the office. Once the door shut behind Dumbledore, Harry, Hermione and Kruge lifted the invisibility cloak and began to look around. "Look in that drawer right there," Harry said, gesturing to the drawer Dumbledore had put the parchment in.
As Kruge moved to look in the drawer, Harry noticed a flash of movement out of the corner of his eye. He moved over and saw the Hogwarts Sorting Hat. "My word," the hat said. "Harry Potter? Is that you?" "Yes, it is me," Harry said. "We've traveled back in time from five years in the future to correct a series of grave injustices that have arisen out of the events now unfurling around us."
"I see," the Sorting Hat said. "Put me on and let me see." Harry nodded and put the Sorting Hat on his head. As Harry closed his eyes, the Sorting Hat began to access his memories—from the petrifaction of Hermione to Harry, Hermione and Kruge's jumping through the Guardian of Forever's portal.
"My word," the Sorting Hat said. "You said it," Harry said. "So you believe Professor Dumbledore has been helping the Weasley Family prevent you two from coming together?" the Sorting Hat asked. "Exactly," Hermione said.
"I found it!" Kruge said. He held up a roll of parchment with a red and black seal on it. Harry smiled when he saw the seal was that of Gringotts Wizarding Bank. "We need to get out of here before Dumbledore returns!" Hermione said.
"Go this way!" the Sorting Hat said, gesturing with its tip to a nearby secret entrance. "Put your cloak back on and good luck!" Harry, Hermione and Kruge nodded, dove back under the invisibility cloak then exited Dumbledore's office through the secret path that the Sorting Hat had suggested.
A few hours later, Harry, Hermione and Kruge arrived at the apparition point near Gringotts Bank in Wizarding London. "Put these on," Hermione said, holding out two Starfleet commbadges. Harry and Kruge did so, then tapped them. Hermione did the same with hers.
Harry, Hermione and Kruge's appearances were replaced with those of a trio of American aurors. "Will the goblins recognize that these are not real appearances?" Kruge asked. "No," Hermione said. "Agent Dulmur informed me that these holo-cloaks were tested on Gringotts goblins back in our time and they worked perfectly. Let's get this will to the goblins!"
Inside Gringotts Bank, Harry, Hermione and Kruge walked up to a teller. "May I help you?" the goblin asked. Hermione looked at the brass plaque on the desk, which read "Griphook, Account Manager for the Most Ancient and Most Noble House of Potter." "Master Griphook, we are here on behalf of the International Confederation of Wizards with a piece of parchment we discovered during an investigation of Hogwarts School," Kruge said.
"You will noticed woven into the cloth seal ribbon the words 'Last Will and Testament of Lord James Edward Potter and Lady Lily Joanna Evans-Potter,'" Hermione said in a flawless American accent. "And where was this located?" Griphook asked.
"In the office of Headmaster Albus Dumbledore," Harry said, tapping his commbadge in order to let Griphook see who he really was. Hermione sighed and Kruge let out a Klingon curse before deactivating their holo-cloaks.
"Harry Potter? Hermione Granger?" Griphook said. "Yes, Griphook old friend," Harry said before dropping to one knee. "I am sorry that we had to deceive you." Hermione and Kruge repeated the gesture.
"But the deception was necessary," Kruge said. At a gesture from Hermione, Kruge continued, "I am Kruge, son of M'Kar, and I swear on my life and honor that what I am about to describe is true. We have traveled back in time from five years in the future in order to prevent the disruption of the destined union of Harold James Potter and Hermione Jean Granger."
Then, as if to underscore Kruge's words, Harry and Hermione grasped each other's hands. A gold glow encompassed Harry and Hermione's hands. Gasps from everyone in the bank lobby could be heard as they realized that a magical event of the rarest order was happening around them. "A soul bond is being formed!" Griphook said to a nearby goblin subordinate. "Tell Leader Ragnok immediately!"
Unknown to the three time-travelers from the future, the effects of the formation of Harry and Hermione's bond were being felt far from the lobby of Gringotts Bank.
Hogwars School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
Infirmary
Tears were falling from the past Harry's eyes as he looked upon the petrified form of Hermione. "Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley, visiting hours are over. I must ask you to return to the Gryffindor dorms," a voice said. Harry sniffed back his tears and looked at Madam Pomfrey.
"Of course, Madam Pomfrey," Harry said. As Ron walked out of the Hogwarts Infirmary, Harry felt something snap in him. He realized that he had romantic feelings for Hermione. Harry leaned down and whispered as if Hermione could hear him, "We'll find a way to bring you back, 'Mione." He then kissed Hermione on the forehead and said, "I love you."
Suddenly, the petrified form of the past Hermione began to glow gold. The gold glow then spread to encompass the past Harry before fading completely, revealing that the past Hermione had been restored to life. "Hermione!" the past Harry said before hugging the past Hermione.
Gringotts Wizarding Bank, United Kingdom Branch
Diagon Alley, London, England
Griphook stepped out from behind the desks and gestured for Harry, Hermione and Kruge to follow him up to a door marked "Ragnok, Leader of the Goblin Nation." "Wait here a moment," Griphook said. He knocked three times. "Enter," the voice on the other side of the door said.
Griphook opened the door and led Harry, Hermione and Kruge into the office. "Return to the front desk, Griphook," the goblin said. "This conversation is for myself, Mr. and Mrs. Potter and Mr. Kruge alone." "Yes, My Lord," Griphook said before bowing and exiting the office.
The goblin returned to face Harry and Hermione. "You will notice that I referred to you as Mr. and Mrs. Potter," the goblin said. "The golden glow you exhibited in the lobby marked your soul bond. And since your future selves bonded in this time period, the versions of your selves in the present time will also be bonded and marked as married."
The goblin gestured for Harry, Hermione and Kruge to have a seat in three chairs that appeared from out of the floor in front of the goblin's desk. "I am Ragnok, Leader of the Goblin Nation, and I understand the importance of deceiving the Goblin Nation in this instance," he said.
"I thank you, Lord Ragnok," Harry said. "As for the parchment you retrieved from Headmaster Dumbledore's office, it is indeed the last will and testament of your father and mother, Lord Potter," Ragnok said. "It reads as follows:
'We, Lord James Edward Potter and Lady Lily Joanna Evans-Potter, being of sound mind and body, do hereby make the following declarations regarding the disposition of our assets in the event of our untimely demise:
To Remus John Lupin, we give the sum of 5,000 galleons and a lifetime supply of wolfsbane potion in order to allow you to live as normal a life as possible given your rather hairy situation.
To Sirius Orion Black, we give the sum of 10,000 galleons per annum and the custody of our son, Harold James, in order to ensure that he is raised in a magical and loving home.
To Peter Pettigrew, we give the traitor's sum of 30 sickles and wish it known that if we are gone before our time, Peter Pettigrew was the Secret Keeper of our home in Godric's Hollow and provided that information to He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. Whomever is reading this message, please provide it to Lady Amelia Bones of the Division of Magical Law Enforcement.
To Lucius, Narcissa and Draco Malfoy, we give the sum of one galleon each so as to prevent any protest of this will or its contents.
In the event of our untimely passing, care of Harold James Potter should go to the following in order of availability:
Sirius Orion Black
Remus John Lupin
Frank and Alice Longbottom
Cyrus and Ellen Greengrass
UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES is Harold James Potter to turned over to the care of Vernon and Petunia Dursley, as they do not have any love for us or for anything magical.
Finally, to my son, Harold James Potter, we give the remaining balance of our assets in both the muggle and wizarding worlds in order to allow him to live whatever kind of life he so chooses. Harry, our child, find a loving woman and raise a family to keep the Potter name alive into the next generation and generations yet to come.
Signed,
Lord James Edward Potter
Lady Lily Joanna Evans-Potter
Executed this 29th day of October, 1990.
Witnessed by:
Griphook, Account Manager, Gringotts Wizarding Bank Services, United Kingdom Branch
Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, Headmaster, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards
Sealed by:
Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, Headmaster, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards."
::TBC::