I have only one thing to say about how long it took me to update: Finals. Okay, two things: Finals and moving house, and everyone knows how trying those things are. That being said, you may be surprised at how short this chapter is. I'm dubbing it a 'transition' chapter, But it's necessary to the plot.
Ginny's POV
"Ah, I thought you might be here," said Dumbledore quietly, looking , I thought, wary and a tad bit guilty.
I first felt surprised, and then annoyed; Harry and I had scoured the castle, trying to find someone who knew where he went, and now here he stood before us. Then I was relieved: Here was Dumbledore, the man that could pull solutions out of the hat, even if there was no hat.
There was a loud thump as Rose, Lily, James and Albus jumped.
"Harry, Ginny: Would you join me in the hall for a moment?" Dumbledore said quietly.
"All right," said Harry.
We followed him, and Dumbledore closed the door behind us.
"Professor, we-" said Harry.
"I know what's happening, Harry. Believe me, I'm well informed. I only need you to tell me how much they know." He stared down at me, surprisingly, piercing me with his intense, blue gaze.
"Lily and James know that they're Harry's parents, that's all," I answered.
He nodded seriously but absently.
"Come back inside, I need to explain…" He turned on his heel.
"Wait, Sir, don't you want to know -" started Harry, but the headmaster was already inside.
It was evident that neither Hermione nor Ron had made any progress towards acceptance, in fact they were standing at opposite ends of the room, facing away from each other. The tension in the air was a tangible electric feeling.
Dumbledore stood facing us, and everyone was paying him rapt attention.
"Seeing as you are all very curious people, it seems foolish to have to explain what has happened to you. You all know that those who have time traveled did so by a time portal?"
Most of us nodded, while Ron and Hermione said, "No."
"You haven't had time to explain to them, then?" He turned to the confused teens. "Lily and James and James, Albus and Lily (who are from the future) traveled here through time portals, an invention of the twenty- first century.
"The headmaster of Hogwarts in the year two thousand and twenty three sent me a letter explaining eveything; everything he knows, that is. There is a potion that has to be made in order for them to get to their own time, and I would advise that it be made as soon as is possible."
He would advise?
Harry was think the same thing as I was. "But, sir, aren't you going to help-"
"I'm afraid not, Harry. I can, however, help you in other ways."
"Professor, we really need-" I started to say, but Dumbledore cut me off with one of his signature glances.
"How can you help us, Sir?" Harry asked.
"I can help you by giving you permission to use all of the schools potion ingredients and equipment."
"That's-that's it? Well we need…"
"Help?" Dumbledore repeated.
"We need a lot of help," I said.
"Why do you need help?"
"Because… they need to get back!"
"And why is that so urgent?"
What is this, some kind of psychoanalysis?
But when I actually listened to the meaning of the question, I realised that I didn't know the answer.
"Umm… because they'll be stuck here if they don't go soon?"
"Not quite," he said, smiling a little. He faced the six time-travelers, and with an air of plunging-in, said in a grave voice, "If you don't return before the seventy-two hours are over, you will be trapped here, existing as mere spirits until the time you are born."
A terror-filled shiver went down my spine, and a feeling of dread made my chest feel as though it was plummeting to the floor.
Trapped… existing as mere spirits…
I wanted to cry at the look on their faces. I was safe, but they… they had just found out that unless they left soon, they would be forced to live a half-life for more than a decade.
The awful silence was broken by a strangled voice, "But sir, can't you- can't you help us?" It was Albus.
"I -" Dumbledore suddenly stiffened up, looking at the ground as if he was listening to a message whispered in his ear, and hurried out.
"Professor Dumbledore!" we cried, running after him.
"Where'd he go?!" yelled young James.
"I don't know! We have to- we've got to- We have to go after him!" said Al.
"He can't leave us!" said young Lily defiantly.
"We need- bloody- HELP!" Rose shouted.
There was a strage quiet; nobody had anything else to say, anything else to complain about. Then,
"What're we going to do?" Rose whimpered.
"Make the potion, I guess," said Harry's dad.
Everyone knew, or could sense, that there was no point in going after Dumbledore. There was no qestion that his actions meant he really wouldn't help us.
"Okay then, all right… we'll just… Lily and James, you really need your disguises back on."
It struck me that she kept saying this. Sure, I knew it was important, but only the teachers would recognise Lily and James. What was with all the urgency?
Rose put James and Lily's disguises back on, and then explained the situation to Ron and Hermione. They understood but they seemed very awkward. That annoyed me. It was so obvious that they liked each other, I just felt like shouting at them "STOP BEING SO DARN STUBBORN!" But I didn't think that was appropriate in the tense circumstances.
"Wher're we going to make this potion? In Myrtle's bathroom?" asked James Junior.
"It worked last time, why not?" said Harry.
I was forcefully reminded of my first year at Hogwarts. The diary that wouldn't be destroyed… I supressed a shudder.
"Dumbledore said we could use the school's potions ingredients, so I guess that means… does that mean proffesor Snape's stuff? Because…" I said. I didn't need to finish the sentence.
All of the time-travelers tensed, looking alarmed.
"We'll get potions stuff!" yelled James, Al and Lily.
"Snape's a Professor?" said James Sr. incredulously.
"Erm… yeah…" I said.
"I know: Why don't James, Lily, Ginny, Harry, Hermione and Ron go and… make sure Myrtle's bathroom is available, and we'll get the potions things."
We nodded.
"Oh, and can you get some food? I'm starving," said young James.
"Make that a lot of food," added Al. His stomach rumbled.
"All right," I said, "We'll meet you in Myrtle's bathroom in… what? Twenty minutes?"
"That should be enough," said Rose.
"See you later, then."
In a very natural gesture, Harry took my hand as we walked away.
Leave a review, let me know what you think!
P.S. I'm planning to extensivly edit chapter 3, so if you want me to keep anything or if you have any quotes that you like from that chapter, please tell me. Thanks!
