5. The Future
"What?" Neville asked stupidly.
The man who looked like him laughed in a kindly way. "I remember, you see. Because I was you and I was there."
"Right."
"I know what you're trying to do. Obviously. It was me who was trying to do it after all. You are – I was – very tired. It's been a difficult year to say the least, hasn't it? And the Battle. Look at me, fresh from my heroic battle." He chuckled. "You can't undertake something complex like this without knowing a lot more about Time Travel than you do now."
"Do you know about it? I mean, do I know now? Will I know?"
"I know what you mean. It's complicated, isn't it?" he smiled. "There's a lot more to it than grammar, as well. Yes. I have studied Timelines for years. I understand now. You will understand."
"The Time Turner's stuck."
"It's not. There are charms and patterns connected to the journey back. It's a safeguard to make sure you get back to exactly two minutes after you left. You need to return to the starting point so that you can see the effects of any changes you've made without running into yourself."
Neville looked curiously at his future self. "Haven't I just run into myself?"
The man smiled. "Yes, it's very naughty. However, I remember this conversation, so it's embedded on the timeline already."
"You're going to show me how to get back to just after the death of He Who Must Not Be Named?" Neville asked.
"In a minute."
"And then how to go back and warn my – our – parents?"
"No."
Neville scowled at his future self. "Why not?"
"You'll understand. One day."
Neville looked around him. "What am I doing in the greenhouse? Where's Professor Sprout?"
"She retired years ago."
"Yes. Of course."
"You're not stupid. You're tired and overwrought. Stop thinking of yourself as stupid. That's the first thing I have to tell you." He smiled. "I'm here because I'm the Herbology Professor. That's what you're going to be, it's what you need to work towards."
"What about everyone else, what are they doing now? Luna? Is she –?"
"There's a limit to how much it would be sensible for me to tell you. I will say, though, that you need to forget about Luna." He shook his head. "That wasn't ever going to work out."
Neville felt his own face falling. The tiredness swept through him. For the first time, he was aware of it. He felt the years of work ahead of him to achieve what the man in front of him had done and it exhausted him.
"When you get back you need to sleep."
"And have a bath," Neville said.
"Yes. And find Hannah."
"Hannah?"
"Hannah Abbott. She's been watching over you for months."
"Hannah Abbott?" Neville asked his future self stupidly. He knew he had to stop thinking of himself as stupid. He really didn't understand though. "Why?"
"She loves you. She still loves me. We're married, Neville, and she's the most wonderful thing in my life. I didn't understand when I was you. I could have missed out on so much happiness. Trust me, you need her. I'll send you home. She'll find you."
"Then what?"
"You'll know when you're there. Now, let's get you back to your own time. You have a great couple of decades in front of you. Enjoy. Believe in yourself and you'll end up being me. I'm very happy, I promise you."