Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter (though I wish I did), Back to the Future or their various quotes (I wish I owned that too...), American Idol, Chris Daughtry, The Chudley Cannons, or anything else that's way too expensive for me to own.
A/N: Alright so this isn't one of my more hilarious chapters, but it's fairly funny. They haven't gone back in time yet but they will at the beginning of Chapter three, I promise. This is more like a transition chapter, if you will. And I know that the American Idol thing was a loooong time ago, but that's actually when I wrote this, so please forgive me. Oh and thanks to those of you who reviewed! It meant a lot. Also, I saw that a couple people had stories with the same title as mine, and I just wanted to say that I sincerely apologize; I really didn't know! If you are really offended over that, please let me know and I'll do what I can.
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Harry, Ron, and Hermione left the Great Hall hastily and slipped into Harry and Ron's dormitory, where they could talk in private.
"Well," said Hermione brusquely. "Where do we test it?"
"We could use Myrtle's bathroom," suggested Ron.
"No, there might be a chance that someone's in there, especially Myrtle," Harry pointed out.
"Hmm…" said Hermione, rubbing her chin. "We need someplace that will be private…"
"A bathroom is private," added Ron.
"Someplace where no one can barge in on us…"
"Bathroom stalls usually have locks."
"Someplace that no one would be if we went back in time…"
"If the bathroom is smelly enough, no one would be there."
"Ron," sighed Harry. "You know that bathrooms usually have people using them, and if we go back in time in a stall we might end up on someone's lap."
"Yeah," said Hermione curiously. "Why are you so eager to go back in time in a bathroom?"
Ron grimaced. "I…have to go…"
"Go where?" asked Harry, knitting his brows together.
"You know, to the bathroom..."
"Why?"
"Because I have to GO!"
"Why?"
"Harry, Ron means he has to use the restroom," explained Hermione exasperatingly.
"OH! Right."
"Anyway," growled Hermione, no doubt wondering why a genius like her had two morons for best friends. "We need a secretive place to go back in time."
"No, NOT a bathroom," added Hermione when Ron opened his mouth to speak.
Harry was lost in thought. He was trying to think of someplace he, Ron, and Hermione could go without being discovered, back in time or not. Why did that sound so familiar…?
"Of course!" shouted Harry, causing both Ron and Hermione to jump in surprise. "The Room of Requirement! Why didn't I think of it before?"
"Harry that's perfect!" exclaimed Hermione.
"Yeah, that's brilliant Harry!" Ron chimed in, "But I have just one request."
"What's that?" asked Harry
"Can we stop at the bathroom first?"
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Once Ron had taken care of business, the Trio hurried toward the 7th floor and faced the blank wall just opposite of the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy being clubbed by several rather disgruntled trolls in pink tutus.
"Alright," began Hermione. "Before we enter I just want you to know that there could be a possibility that someone could be using the room when we arrive to our chosen destination."
"Why would someone be going back in time?" asked Ron, scratching his head.
"It's not just the room that we will be using, it's the whole Room of Requirement," explained Hermione, turning to Ron. "Someone could be using an emergency bathroom and we could just appear. I'm not sure what would happen then."
"It could ruin the very fabric of the space time continuum!" gasped Harry.
"That's right-" started Hermione, but stopped herself to gaze at Harry with surprise.
"Anyway," Ron interceded impatiently. "What should we tell the door?"
"How about 'we need a place to go back in time in without being interrupted?" offered Harry.
Hermione shrugged. "Well alright, let's try it."
The three of them paced the hallway back and forth three times and repeated the appropriate words inside their head.
When they had finished, each opened their eyes slowly and found themselves facing the large door that lead to the Room of Requirement.
Harry reached for the door knob and turned it very slowly (so as to create dramatic suspencefulness) and they entered.
The first thing known to them when they cautiously stepped into the room was the smell; it was a strong fume of chocolate pudding. Once they had gotten used the smell, the Trio looked around; it was a very bright room painted with a blinding neon orange color. On one wall there were, painted in big, red, sloppy letters, the words 'Chudley Cannons' scrawled across the whole length of the wall. On the opposite side of the labeled wall was a small TV playing various episodes of 'The Bachelor'. Next to the TV was a large plate of chocolate chip cookies and a tall glass of milk. Otherwise the room was completely empty except for a few posters of The Backstreet Boys, the Chudley Cannons, and several pictures of Hermione hanging on the walls.
"I think I'm in heaven…" breathed Ron, gazing all around the room.
"I think I've died and must have been very bad," muttered Harry under his breath.
Hermione gaped at the room in surprise. "What in the name of Merlin does this have to do with TIME?"
Ron promptly sat on the floor and stared at the TV while happily gobbling the cookies as if they were his last meal.
"Harry…" hissed Hermione suspiciously. "Were you thinking of anything else besides the sentence we had agreed upon?"
"No way!" exclaimed Harry heatedly.
"RONALD!"
Ron choked on the milk he was drinking.
"Where you thinking anything else besides what we were supposed to think?"
"Well…" said Ron meekly. "I may have thought of a few decorating ideas…but other than that…"
"…Okay…" sighed Hermione, rubbing her forehead. "Let's just get this over with."
Harry took the Time Turner out of his pocket and pulled the chain over his head while grabbing Ron by his sleeve who, in turn, grabbed Hermione's arm. Throwing the Time Turner chain over them also, Harry became conscious of the fact that they hadn't decided on a location yet. "Er…where should we go?"
"WAIT!" cried Ron, yanking the chain off his neck and had darting over to the TV.
"What is it?" said Harry, slightly alarmed.
"No, I can't believe it!" exclaimed Ron, collapsing to his knees in front of the screen.
"Ron, what's the matter?" said Hermione anxiously.
"Chris Daughtry got voted off American Idol!" wailed Ron, sobbing in his shirt sleeve.
Harry furrowed his brow. "…What?"
Ron ignored him and instead howled mournfully at Ryan Seacrest's image on the screen. "NOOOOOO! C-Chris! How c-could this happen! You were b-by FAR the B-BEST!"
"Er, Ron?" said Hermione tentively, putting a hesitant hand on his shoulder. "Umm…I'm not sure who Chris is…but it's time go now…"
Hermione lead (more like dragged) a sobbing Ron away from the TV and slipped the chain around their necks.
A few minutes later, Ron was still whimpering tearfully but was otherwise calm. Harry, on the other hand, was still taken aback and took several more seconds blinking away his shock from Ron's very strange performance. "Right then…okay, um, where should we go?"
Harry saw that all distress had vanished instantly from Ron's face as he seemed to be contemplating all the possibilities…
"Hey, let's go back in time and fool around with American Idol's vote numbers so that ELLIOT gets the boot! Or maybe Katherine...naw she's cute..."
"Ron…" said Hermione slowly. "This is just a test to see if the Time Turner actually works….and the Time Turner only travels through time, not space. Also, American Idol is a competition; we can't just change the vote so your boyfriend can stay on!"
Ron's lip began to tremble, but he didn't argue.
"Right, so…" started Harry, rubbing his chin. He was considering the time periods that could be appropriate for the present situation. "We could go back five minutes in time."
"How would we know that its five minutes ago?" asked Hermione skeptically. "Besides, we'd probably find ourselves looking around this very room when we first came in! There's no point in looking outside the door when we would just see people walking by that we couldn't have seen while we were in the Great Hall!"
"Yeah, you're probably right," sighed Harry. "So, for the third time, where should we set off to then?"
"Hey Harry!" exclaimed Ron, throwing his hands in the air excitedly. "We could see your parents!"
"What do you mean?" asked Harry sharply. Any subject having to do with his dead parents was a delicate one. After all, Voldemort had murdered his parents, so how could he possibly see his parents when they were gone? Unless…
"We could go back in time to see your parents and the Marauders! Wouldn't that be brilliant?"
"That's too dangerous!" cried Hermione, scandalized. "What if they saw us?"
"Oh come on Hermione!" pleaded Ron, "We've taken risks before, and this is no different!"
"Are you out of your MIND?" gasped Hermione, "Harry's dad could conceivably encounter Harry, and he would think Harry is himself! The consequences of that would be disastrous."
"What do you mean?" questioned Harry curiously.
"I foresee two possibilities," Hermione explained urgently, "One- James coming face-to-face with Harry, thinking that Harry is him, would put him into shock and he'd simply pass out. Or two-the encounter could create a time paradox, the results of which could cause a chain reaction that would unravel the very fabric of the space-time-continuum and DESTROY THE ENTIRE UNIVERSE!"
Hermione took a couple of deep breaths before she went on. "Granted, that's a worst-case scenario. The destruction might, in fact, be very localized, limited merely to our own galaxy."
"Well that's a relief," said Harry, raising his eyebrows.
"Oh, what are you on about Hermione?" asked Ron crossly. "What could happen? We'll just take a quick peek at Harry's parents and be off! No harm done!"
Hermione crossed her arms over her chest. "Are you really willing to take that risk?"
"I say it's up to Harry," said Ron stubbornly.
"Harry?" questioned Hermione.
Harry carefully deliberated what Hermione had said about the destruction of the universe…but then Ron's words echoed in his head...'What could happen?' Besides, Harry decided, what did Hermione know?
Not only that, but Harry really wanted to see his parents…
"What could happen…?" echoed Harry dreamily.
"Not you too!" cried Hermione, pulling at her hair nervously.
"Please Hermione?" begged Ron.
"Yeah, please Hermione?" pleaded Harry. "I just want to see my parents…"
Hermione bit her lip. "Well…alright. But mark my words we'll regret it!"
"Yes!" said Ron jubilantly, throwing his fist in the air.
"Brilliant!" cried Harry.
"I must be off my rocker…" muttered Hermione darkly.
Harry handed the Time Turner to Hermione, who sighed and reluctantly turned it the appropriate number of times.
And without further ado, a blur of colors swirled around them, and they felt themselves spin in circles uncontrollably until they were too dizzy and nauseous to think…
And then, just as suddenly, Harry felt his body collide with hard, solid ground beneath them.
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