Hiya, so this is exactly what it says in the description; a series of semi-connected, mostly-oneshots centered around Harry, Ron, and Hermione traveling to different times. Some info to start:
No persisting plot line except hunting Death Eaters - each chapter will have a small story on its own, usually the timeline's original influenced by the time travelers.
If you have any requests/ideas for a time period or situation you want the three to land in, leave it in the comments. Death Eater OCs are also welcome, though do be warned, they'll be captured (or worse) by the end of their chapter unless you request otherwise.
Additional tags related to each chapter will be in that chapter's summary.
As this won't have a set number of chapters, or even a pre-planned timeline, updates will be very random and may be very slow at times, depending on how much I'm in the fandom.
Enjoy this looong prologue
"Is that... Harry Potter?"
"It is! I can see the scar!"
"I can't believe we actually get to see the Boy Who Lived!"
"Do you think he'll give us an autograph?"
Harry couldn't help but roll his eyes when the familiar whispers reached his ears. He spared a glance at the three young witches sitting in the seats opposite him, who were trying - and failing - to keep their voices inaudible, before returning to his copy of the Daily Prophet, carefully keeping it tilted in a way so that the man seated next to him couldn't see the moving pictures that accompanied the text.
It seemed not even muggle public transport was safe from his 'fans' anymore. He probably should have listened to Hermione when she told him to get a driver's license as soon as he turned of age by muggle standards, but he just never got around to it. It wasn't his fault that Auror training took up most of his free time (he pointedly ignored the fact that his female best friend did in fact get her own license despite taking part in the same training).
He tuned out the trio's whispers as his eyes skimmed over quidditch news, reports, and interviews, before finally landing on the article he was looking for near the end of the paper. The entire page seemed to stir as the various witches and wizards scowled, sneered, and soundlessly yelled at him from their mugshots underneath the large caption 'Death Eaters still at large', and a smaller text instructing what to do if one were to see any of them.
Harry scanned over the list of names, which had been steadily growing shorter since the war's end nearly four years prior. He noted with satisfaction the absence of five more Death Eaters compared to last week, including the two he and Ron captured - with minor difficulties - on their last mission, but his frown gradually deepened when he reached the pictures of Fenrir, Yaxley, Dolohov, and a few others he had a personal vendetta against after the battle of Hogwarts. Their faces were sneering at him in the same repulsive way they had been since the first time the list had been printed.
The train came to halt and Harry folded the paper and hid it in his coat, preparing himself for the crowded escalator ride that would take him out of the Underground and into the heart of London. The three witches from before made every effort to stay directly behind him the whole time, giggling and throwing out whispered remarks about his physique that made the young man blush. He managed to lose them rather quickly in the crowd outside and kept his head down to avoid further detection. At least paparazzi weren't hunting him down anymore like they had for the first year.
Glancing at the watch Molly had given him for his seventeenth birthday, he smothered the slight panic of being late, and quickly made his way towards the underground toilets that hid the entrance to the Ministry of Magic. He only stopped briefly to exchanged greetings with Seamus and Dean, and soon found himself in the ministry's Atrium.
Here he was subjected to more staring and whispers, although most of it came from visitors since the ministry's workers were long since used to his presence. He did his best to ignore all of them though, and instead started looking around for-
"Harry!"
He turned around at the familiar voice and his face was split by a giant grin when he saw Ron and Hermione rushing towards him. He opened his mouth to answer them but all that came out was an oomph as Hermione crushed him in a hug. Ron was there a second later and clasped Harry's shoulder, his other arm circled around his girlfriend, a spark of concern only now disappearing from his eyes.
"Bloody hell, Harry, you really gave us a scare! You should have sent us an owl earlier."
Harry shot his friend a look over Hermione's stormy hair.
"Oh come on, it wasn't anything serious."
"You call being unconscious for a full day not serious?!" Hermione exclaimed as she let him go, eyes searching him for any sign of lingering injuries, "We were worried you wouldn't make it! When we came to visit you yesterday after work, the both of us nearly got a heart attack when we found your room empty! The healers had to force us to drink some calming drought before they could even explain that you pestered them into letting you go home early."
The two fixed Harry with a glare.
"If it wasn't as late as it was, we would have busted down your front door and dragged you back to St Mungo's ourselves. Someone who I literally had to carry back after the mission shouldn't be walking around so soon." Ron's expression shifted into something the other two knew all too well. "...you shouldn't have taken that curse for me."
"Well, I couldn't have let it hit you either, could I? And since Edelberg disarmed me before I took him down, this was the only way. I mean it worked, didn't it? Both he and Williams are in Azkaban now," Harry shrugged, earning himself an exasperated sigh from the redhead.
"Look, just... don't throw your life away to save mine, ok? I'm not worth it," the Weasley muttered, prompting Harry to scowl and grab his arm, locking the three of them in an awkward triangle.
"Don't you dare say that! You, Hermione, Ginny, and all of the others - you'll always be worth it."
The two stared at each other until Hermione, noticing the weird looks they were starting to get from the passersby, finally broke the silence.
"Ok, that's enough, you two. All that matters is that in the end you both made it back safely. Now come on, I have something I wanted to show you before you run off on a mission again." With that she grabbed both of their wrists and started dragging them towards the lifts, not noticing the knowing and fond look the two men shared at her actions.
Harry and Ron spent the ride up to the second level catching Hermione up on the mission that landed Harry in St. Mungo's - a routine capture mission of two newly discovered Death Eaters - and then Hermione took over with chastising Harry for 'yet again deciding being a human shield was his true purpose'. As the disembodied voice announced their arrival on level two, the three friends left the cabin, and Hermione yet again seized their wrists, pulling them towards one of the unused offices that belonged to the department of Improper Use of Magic.
"What's this, Mione? Did you finally decide to leave our department?" Ron teased, as he eyed the door, inclining his head towards the shiny new name-plate that read 'Hermione Granger'.
"Oh don't be ridiculous!" Hermione slapped his arm lightly, "I might transfer in a year or two but right now I'm perfectly happy as I am. This was a... how did Kingsley call it-"
"He called it 'a gift to help an amazing witch do even more good for this rundown place than she already does'," came a voice behind them and the trio turned to see Gawain Robards, the Head Auror, exiting the other lift. After exchanging greetings, the man glanced up at the door and then at Hermione.
"You're giving this department a reputation almost better than it deserves, Granger. I must say I'll miss you when you eventually move up, but this Ministry really needs people like you in higher positions, so I'll learn to live with it."
As Hermione tried to hide her half-embarrassed, half-flattered blush, Gawain turned to Harry and Ron.
"Great job out there with Edelberg and Williams, you two. And good to see you back on your feet so soon, Potter. Take some time to relax, but not too much! I still want to see your reports on my desk by Friday. Unlike our future Minister here, I actually have a reason to fire you two if you laze off too much."
As Hermione reddened even more, he simply gave them a wink before disappearing among the cubicles further down the hallway.
"Honestly, that man..." Hermione started, but both of her boys gave her a look clearly saying 'He's not wrong though'.
By now it was commonly accepted that within a few years, Hermione would make her mark as the youngest Minister for Magic in history. After all, she was the only one of the three that returned to Hogwarts to properly finish her seventh year and got her N.E.W.T.S, while Harry and Ron signed up for Auror training right away. Although she initially joined the Ministry as an Auror, the same as her two friends, after finishing her training she ended up spending twice the time helping around other departments and Kingsley himself than she did on actual missions. The three of them worked together with the newly appointed Minister on the much needed reforms, but Hermione did arguably the most work.
Deciding not to push the issue further, Hermione instead pushed the door of her new office open and invited the two inside.
It wasn't anything too grand or fancy, and bore definite signs of its new owner just settling in, but it already had a somewhat homey feel to it. There was a small coffee table and armchair right underneath the single window, which was showing the false view of a light rainstorm, and Harry and Ron could already see several of Hermione's favourite books strewn about. A small kitchen corner was currently being used as a storage space for the many boxes of files, reports, and other papers that were carried here from Hermione's old cubicle, some in the process of being emptied.
Most of the remaining space was occupied by a large desk and a filing cabinet behind it. On said desk sat a framed copy of the Golden Trio sitting in the Burrow's living room. It was one of the few photos of all of them together when they were still teenagers, taken secretly by Mrs. Weasley the day before they left for the Quidditch World Cup. The wide smiles on their faces as they chatted away were a warm reminder that despite all the ups and downs their group went through before and after that moment, their friendship always held strong.
"Not bad, Hermione," Ron whistled as he made himself comfortable in the armchair, "Not bad at all. You won't mind if I come to visit you from time to time, won't you?"
Harry rolled his eyes as he went over to the desk to examine the photograph closer, "Why, so you can drink all her coffee? I'm warning you, 'Mione, he tried that with me after Patil accidentally flooded his cubicle - worst week of my life."
Ron folded his arms and pouted while the other two held back laughter.
"Not true, I was the model of a good cubiclemate! Besides, we both know Robards will rope you into being Head Auror in no time, so it's not like you would've needed that place after! Come on, Hermione, it probably won't be for long, just a few months," the two sent him questioning looks at the time limit, and he grew serious again, "Well... don't tell anyone yet, but I've actually been thinking about hanging up my Auror robes and helping George with the shop. He's been a bit lonely in there since Fred..." he trailed off, and the other two simply nodded.
"Looks like we'll soon be having some serious changes from all sides then," Harry remarked, but neither he, nor the other two were sad about this. They survived a war against Lord Voldemort; something like a career change wasn't enough to threaten their friendship.
After that they descended into casual chatter, eventually getting up to help Hermione continue moving into the office. This went on for a good two hours before hurried footsteps sounded outside from the direction of the lifts. That wasn't too uncommon here, so the three ignored it, but the sound stopped outside and then the door to the office slammed open.
Hermione turned from the files she was sorting and was about to lecture whoever barged in on knocking, but froze when she noticed the panic in the newcomer's face.
"M-Ms. Granger," the young wizard stammered, trying to catch his breath, eyes wide as he took in the legendary trio, "Ms. Granger, t-the Minister asked me to take you to him immediately - and, uh," he glanced nervously at the two men before his gaze darted away, "Mr. P-Potter and Mr. Weasley too. He says to hurry, that it's an emergency."
"What kind of emergency?" Hermione asked, already reaching for her beaded handbag, which she set aside on her desk.
"He-he didn't say, just that I had to find you immediately. And..." he wrung his hands as if he was debating whether or not to say more, "he... he also said that if I couldn't find you that he would have to declare a M-Ministry-wide lockdown."
Harry, Ron, and Hermione shared a look.
"Lead the way," Hermione said, her two friends already at her side.
They boarded the lift and to their surprise instead up to the Minister's office, they headed down towards the lower floors. As the ride dragged on, the trio talked in hushed voices, not wanting the other witches and wizards that got on and off to overhear. By the time they reached level nine, they were once again the only ones on the lift.
None of them could suppress the slight shiver as the entrance to the Department of Mysteries came into view, spurring memories from their fifth year in Hogwarts. They hadn't entered that place since then, even in their years working at the ministry. But now they headed towards it, each of them somewhat hoping they'd be redirected to the staircase leading to level ten. They weren't; instead the young wizard, who was apparently an Unspeakable, opened the door and ushered them inside.
As the walls in the first room started spinning around them, Harry found himself repeating a mantra just like the time he was first wearing the Sorting Hat; Please don't be the room with the veil. Please don't be the room with the veil.
He wasn't sure what he'd do if it was.
Ron and Hermione gravitated closer to him, whether intentionally or not, he didn't know. They too had rooms they didn't want to revisit, but whichever one they would enter, subconsciously they all knew together they'd be able to face it.
The room finally stopped spinning and the Unspeakable walked up to one of the doors, not stopping for even a second as if he knew immediately which door led where. Harry found himself releasing a breath he didn't know he was holding when the door he led them through showed the Time Room. As long as they wouldn't go to the adjacent Hall of Prophecies, this room was probably the best option.
He would soon come to revise his opinion.
The room was buzzing with activity. Unspeakables were running around, handing around various files, and talking in hushed voices that were further overshadowed by the ever-present ticking of dozens of clocks. In the center of the room stood Kingsley, talking to a stern-looking older woman none of the three recognised. The normally stoic man seemed nervous, he was rigid and his leg was tapping out a steady rhythm.
As he noticed them approach, some of the tension seemed to leave his body language.
"Thank Merlin the three of you are alright," the minister greeted them with a tight smile.
Harry's eyebrow shot up.
"We're perfectly fine, sir, just a bit confused by all this commotion. Is there an intruder in the ministry? Someone who's after the three of us?"
Kingsley shook his head. "No, although that would almost be preferable. No, to tell you the truth, I worried we would find the three of you no longer exist," he confessed to their collective confusion.
"Does that have something to do with the fact that you wanted to announce a Ministry-wide lockdown if we weren't found?" Ron guessed.
"And why we're here instead of your office?" Hermione added, looking uneasily at the empty shelves that once held the ministry's stock of time-turners.
"Unfortunately, yes," Kingsley nodded grimly, "I'm sure as Aurors the three of you are aware of the small number of Death Eaters that still evade capture," the trio nodded, "Well until now they weren't that much of a problem since the moment any of them caused too much trouble we were able to grab them. But now, well-"
"Now a group of them has come to threaten our world as we know it!" the woman next to him piped up, obviously bored of being left out of the conversation. She looked to be around her fifties, with brown hair streaked with gray strands, and sharp blue eyes so bright they seemed to be almost glowing. When she locked eyes with them, the trio were reminded of professor McGonagall.
"This is Olivia Quintrell, she's in charge of the research of time here in the Department of Mysteries. Olivia, I'm sure you already know Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger," Kingsley introduced them, and the woman gave them a curt nod.
"Yes, call me Mrs. Quintrell if you will. Now enough pleasantries - such troublesome things, and there's even less time for them now when the timeline might fall out from under our feet any second. You see, since you little visit to our department six years ago," she gave them a look that only intensified the resemblance to McGonagall, bringing back memories of being caught outside their common room after curfew, "we've been trying to refill our supply of time-turners. A couple weeks ago we finally managed to get ourselves a good supplier of time-sand - most of them out there are a hopeless bunch of scammers - and had him send us a shipment. Long story short, your wayward group of Death Eaters found out about it and managed to scrape together enough brain cells to capture it."
For a few moments it was quiet as the Golden trio processed what she just said.
"So you've dragged us down to this nightmarish place to tell us some Death Eaters can now play in some special sand?" Ron finally asked incredulously and was promptly slapped upside down on the head by Hermione.
"Honestly, Ronald, have you ever read a single book in your life? It's not just 'some special sand'. Time-sand, before admeasured into a time-turner, is uncontrollable and extremely volatile. It can accidentally bring someone years into the past - decades even. Which means..."
"...there's a group of Death Eaters out there that could travel through time," Harry finished, a cold sweat passing over him.
Both Kingsley and Mrs. Quintrell nodded gravely.
"So I take it you want us to go retrieve this shipment before that happens?" Harry asked, already making plans in his head. But Kingsley shook his head.
"Not exactly. You see, we received the report about this two days ago and sent out a team of Aurors right that hour, but even they were too late. They only arrived in time to confirm we now have an uncertain number of Death Eaters lost somewhere in time."
"Wait, if they've already time traveled, how come we're still... well, us? Or alive really," Ron asked, unwittingly grasping Hermione's hand and scooting slightly closer to Harry as if he was afraid they'd vanish right then and there.
"That is an excellent question, and one that I hope we will have an answer to after thorough research has been conducted. Research into what happens to the point of origin of a drastically changed timeline while the time traveler has yet to return is extremely hard to conduct for obvious reasons. There have been attempts that-" Mrs. Quintrell cut herself off and shook her head, "Well, none of that is important now, is it? We were handed an opportunity to fix this unfortunate mishap and I will not look a gifted unicorn in the mouth."
She snapped her fingers and pointed at one of the nearest Unspeakables, "You there! Fetch prototype TLM5 and bring it to my office, on the double!"
The startled wizard nodded and ran off, while Mrs. Quintrell motioned for the trio and Kingsley to follow her, talking all the while.
"As you can probably guess, since the travel was done accidentally, pinpointing the exact time where our fugitives emerged would have been nearly impossible, even more so since it seems as though almost no two Death Eaters ended up in the same time - we'll get back to that later," she said when she saw all three of the Golden trio about to give questions.
They seated themselves in her office, and Mrs. Quintrell let out a long sigh before continuing.
"Luckily, our department has recently been working on a modified time-turner that would allow us to monitor disturbance in the time stream and pursue them without the need to turn it several thousand times. Now telling you this is a direct violation of our code as Unspeakables, but with the permission of the minister and under the current circumstances, we have decided to bend the rules a little. Do keep in mind that if you tell anyone about this, I will have the authority to send you all to Azkaban, and I will use it," she said. None of the three had any doubts she meant every word.
At that point, the door opened and the wizard from before walked in, carefully placing something on the table before ducking out again.
The trio leaned in to inspect the strange device.
It didn't look like any time-turner they'd seen before - rather that an hourglass, it resembled a small sundial covered by a glass dome. The gnomon seemed to be made of a transparent crystal of some sort and was lazily rotating in a full circle, sometimes changing directions. The dial plate was covered in a web of thin grooves, with sand flowing lazily through them like water, not a grain spilling out despite nothing holding it in. Instead of numbers, the edge of the dial was covered in runes so small they were unreadable, and judging by how it was a separate piece of the contraption, it was also rotatable.
"Like Ms. Granger said before, time-sand is very volatile, and if not given a concrete point in time, such as through a time-turner, when activated it ends up carrying a person to a point usually associated with their current biggest desire. Because of this we believe there was a disagreement among the Death Eaters over where in time they should travel to, should they discover how to use the sand. So when the sand was actually activated - perhaps even accidentally - each member of the group was sent to a different time, which left behind traces the time-monitor," she lightly tapped the strange device, "can help you follow.
"We will give you a reserve of specially tuned time-sand capsules, which you'll use on the Death Eaters once you capture them to send them back to our time. This will erase their trace in time allowing you to move on to the next one. Not only that, unlike a normal time-turner, once all traces have been erased, the time-monitor is also capable of bringing you lot back to the present in order to erase the last trace - yours."
"So just to be clear," Ron said after a moment of silence, "you want us to drop everything and use this... this time-monitor, which by the way I'm pretty sure you called a prototype, to jump into random times and hunt down these Death Eaters before they destroy the timeline? And I'm guessing we'll have no idea where we'll end up, so it could be the Three Broomsticks just as likely as we could land smack dab in the middle of the Battle of Hogwarts?"
"That is the gist of it, yes. But are you not Aurors? Unless things have changed quite drastically in the past 50 years, I believe you are trained to handle unpredictable situations. I fail to see how the time period should change this. And yes, the time-monitor is still a prototype, but it has gone through excessive testing so it is still your safest option," Mrs. Quintrell said calmly, leaving Ron to open and close his mouth as he tried to articulate just how crazy the plan was.
Hermione cleared her throat.
"I have a question. Why us? Surely there are people better trained for this sort of thing, and even if not, we're literally talking about the Harry Potter and his two best friends. In most of the times the Death Eaters are likely to pick we're sure to be recognised, and if any of the Death Eaters tries to reach Voldemort first, we'd probably run into some people who we aren't exactly on friendly terms with. Wouldn't it be better to send someone who could remain undercover?"
Kingsley nodded, fiddling with his lone earring, "A strong argument, Hermione, and precisely the reason we spent so long debating who to send on this mission."
"Too long," Mrs. Quintrell mumbled.
"In the end we settled on you three for one simple reason. You know better than anyone what it took to get to this point."
When the three still looked confused, he sighed.
"I don't think this even needs to be said, but we absolutely cannot allow any changes to be permanent, even the seemingly good ones. Something as simple as being reognised by anyone from the Order could cause major damage down the line. Our timeline isn't perfect, but considering what kind of enemy we faced, it's practically paradise. You three nearly sacrificed everything to get us to this point, and we believe that's what can help you overcome the temptation to change things."
That prompted another moment of thoughtful silence in the group.
"Could we..." Hermione started carefully, "Could we get a moment to talk about this? Alone?"
Kingsley immediately got up, nodding, while Mrs. Quintrell threw her hands up.
"Of course! The timeline could crumble around us at any second, but please, go right ahead and talk your little hearts out! You brats are lucky there are still some preparations to be made, otherwise I would never allow such a needless waste of time."
She continued grumbling even as she stood up, surprisingly carefully scooped up the time-monitor, and walked out the door, Kingsley close behind.
"We'll be right outside once you're ready," he said before closing the door.
"Why does this keep happening to us?!" Ron asked almost immediately, lightening the mood at least a little as his friends chuckled at his defeated expression.
"So... what do you guys think?" Harry asked, eyes flitting to the spot the time-monitor was in before.
"About dropping through time, possibly right onto Voldemort's head after we already put all that stuff behind us? This might surprise you, mate, but I'm not exactly eager to go," the redhead groaned, letting his head fall onto the table with a thump.
"For once, I agree with Ron, but I also don't think we really have a choice," Hermione said, absentmindedly brushing the ginger's hair.
"Of course we do; we can go out there and tell them to dump their problems on someone else, but we won't because we're the good guys!" Ron mumbled into the desk, "Merlin's pants, who knows what going so far back could do to us..."
Harry's hand instinctively went to the scar on his forehead. It faded quite a bit and hadn't pained him for four years - and he thought it never would again. He wondered whether going back would bring the pain with it, or if the fact he no longer had a piece of Voldemort's soul within him would mean his connection with the Dark Lord was permanently cut.
And once he realised what he was pondering, he knew he would accept the mission. No matter how hard the added rules would make it for him, he couldn't entrust something like time travel to anyone else, even a trained team of Aurors. If he had to to go about his life, wondering when the world would start crumbling around him, it would surely drive him mad.
But Ron and Hermione were finally settling down, their wedding only a few months away. He didn't want to drag them with him, and quite frankly also didn't want to put them in danger when they could be here in the future, at least relatively safe.
He opened his mouth to voice his thoughts, but Hermione lifted a hand, silencing him.
"I know what you're going to say, Harry, and you can save it. If you're going, we are too."
Harry frowned and tried to speak again, but was interrupted by Ron who made a sound that was most likely supposed to sound agreeing, and turned his head to look at him.
"Harry, we've known you for, what, over a decade now? We know the kind of troubles your hero complex gets you into. You really think that you could face Voldemort without us when you couldn't even do it the first time around?"
This time Harry just sighed and silently accepted it, but couldn't help the small smile curving his lips. In the end, it was just like their seventh year - more than anything, he was glad they would be with him.
"So it's decided? We're accepting the mission? You two should seriously think about this. I only lost friends in the war, but you two lost family," Hermione asked, clearly worried. Harry and Ron shared a look and each gave their friend a quick nod, albeit Ron's was a bit stiff.
Knowing that talking about it further would only make the decision harder, they exited the office, stepping into an even bigger chaos than they arrived into the first time. Mrs. Quintrell seemed to take her frustration at their indecisiveness out on her fellow Unspeakables, and sped up the preparations alongside starting two new projects.
Kingsley, who was awkwardly standing next to the woman and trying to avoid colliding with any of the rushing witches and wizards, seemed both relieved and anxious when he saw their determined expressions.
"I take it you're accepting the mission then?"
At their confirmation, he sighed.
"I... thank you. I confess I feel guilty for asking you to risk your lives against an old enemy, especially after everything you've had to endure to defeat him the first time."
"With all due respect, sir, I believe you were right to pick the three of us. Not just because of what you said, we also have more experience with fighting Voldemort from the inside than anyone," Harry paused at the memory of Snape, and then added, "or anyone still alive that is."
"True, but just because it's the most logical decision, it doesn't make it any easier," Kingsley sighed, "Now then, Mrs. Quintrell was hoping to send you off as soon as we explained what was going on, but since this will most likely be a long-term mission, I imagine you first want to get your things in order and prepare. I'd also advise packing some necessities, like clothes, food, and shelter, since you don't know where and when you'll end up. If possible, we would still like to send you on your way before the day is out."
The three nodded and were quickly ushered outside, Mrs. Quintrell's shout echoing around them until the moment the Time room's door was shut.
"Minister?" Harry started as they entered the elevator again, "I want to tell Ginny about this too. The Holyhead Harpies just finished up for the season and she's home taking care of Teddy. She deserves to know."
Kingsley hesitated and then slowly nodded.
"I understand that, and it would be better to inform those that would notice your absence first, but I hope you know there are things the young Mrs. Potter cannot be told?"
"Of course," Harry nodded, "I won't mention anything about the time-monitor, or anything else regarding the Department of Mysteries."
Kingsley nodded, satisfied, "Good. The three of you may use the fireplace in my office to go to your homes and then come back. Let's head up now, there's still some details we have to work out."
Harry stepped out of the fireplace into the living room of Grimmauld place 12 feeling extremely tired. It wasn't even noon yet and he already felt like he'd just gone through a week-long undercover mission and had to write a full report about it.
He stepped out into the foyer and started down the stairs, dusting soot off his coat on the way.
"Harry?"
He paused to look up towards the kitchen entrance. Ginny was standing there, donning her apron, wand held loosely in one hand, cautious expression giving way to surprise. "What are you doing back so early? I thought you said you'll be going out with Ron and Hermione after work."
Before Harry could answer, Teddy's face popped out from behind Ginny. He was clinging to her leg fearfully, but upon recognising Harry his face lit up.
"Uncle Harry! Uncle Harry!" the four-year-old yelled as he ran forward, and Harry opened his arms and swept the young Lupin into a hug.
"Did you catch any bad guys at work today? You're home super early, are we going to visit grandma Weasley? Or uncle Bill and cousin Vicki?" the little boy asked enthusiastically as he hung onto Harry's neck.
"Sorry, not today, Teddy, there's something important I have to take care of first. Maybe Ginny can take you, but right now I have to talk to her about grown-up stuff, so you go play, alright?"
Teddy pouted for a second but lit up again when Harry handed him a chocolate frog he'd been saving. Ruffling his hair, he set boy loose and walked over to Ginny.
"You spoil him too much," his wife teased, but melted into him when Harry captured her lips in a deep kiss. It lasted long, and even after they separated, Harry was reluctant to let go of her.
"Well someone's affectionate. Did something happen at work?" Ginny asked carefully, leading him to the couch.
"Merlin's beard, you have no idea, Gin," Harry sighed, brushing his hair out of his eyes tiredly before he started explaining everything that just took place at the ministry, omitting only the bare minimum parts.
"...so it looks like I'll have to go away for... a while. Kingsley wasn't even sure how many times we'll have to pass through since we don't know how many Death Eaters time traveled. And I know what I told Ron and Hermione, but, oh gods, Ginny, what will I do if I see my parents, or Dumbledore, or-or Sirius? I don't know if I can stop myself from trying to save them but then... What if I come back and things are worse? What if Teddy's not here? What if you're not here?" he finished in a whisper, hiding his face in his hands to try and stop the panic threatening to take over.
Ginny didn't speak at first, reaching over to rub soothing circles on his back as his shoulders shook with repressed sobs.
Only once his breathing calmed again did she speak.
"James Sirius Potter."
"Excuse me?" Harry looked up, slightly startled.
"That's what I want to name our first son. James Sirius Potter," she repeated with a small smile, "I was torn between that and Albus Severus, but I think James Sirius is better for our first."
"Ginny, what-"
"Harry, I've wanted to have a family with you for a long time. And when Voldemort was in power... when I saw Hagrid carrying you out of the Forbidden Forest, I though I never would. Back then, I was ready to take Voldemort head on, even though I knew I didn't stand a chance, because without you, I didn't have a dream to live for anymore. That's why I was ready to die if it meant another person could escape and live out their own dream. And when I found out you weren't actually dead, it made me realise that all the people that died for us probably thought the same thing.
"I know... I know it'll be hard for you, seeing them again and not doing anything; I would do anything to get George back too, but... I also know that if he were here, he'd tell me not to be stupid and risk our future for his sake. They died fighting a war for our futures, Harry. All we can do is respect their sacrifice and live the life it gave us."
Harry looked at his wife, her sad expression and earnest eyes, and felt as if he could breathe a little easier. The two rarely talked abut the Battle of Hogwarts, since it was full of painful memories they weren't eager to relive, so the fact Ginny brought it up just to try and calm him down... it meant a lot to Harry.
"I..." he coughed to dispel the lump in his throat,but still couldn't find any words to express the gratitude he felt towards his wife at that moment.
"Thank you, Ginny," he finally settled on that simple sentence, hoping she would understand the magnitude of feelings behind it.
Ginny smiled, much happier this time, although a great deal of sadness sill remained, and pulled him to his feet.
"You're welcome. Now come on. If you're going away for so long, you'll need to pack up, and Merlin knows if I don't supervise you, you'll end up going to the past with nothing but a spare pair of socks and your wand."
Harry mumbled some retort, but let himself be dragged upstairs to their room regardless. He had to admit his packing skills had greatly diminished since his days at Hogwarts, partially because his Auror training taught him to pack light, and partially because after their first trip together, Ginny was so horrified by his supplies she took over his packing for all their following vacations.
While Ginny took to packing a change of clothes and other essentials into a small bag, Harry entered his study - Sirius' old room - and turned his attention to more personal items.
He first pulled the mokeskin pouch Hagrid gave him out of the desk and emptied it, smiling when an old golden snitch tumbled out. He put the tiny ball in the drawer and after some searching gathered the Marauder's Map, a small pouch of floo powder, his Auror badge, and a roll of parchment and some ink and quill, and placed it in the pouch. Then he went through the satchel that held his galleons until he found the most recent one and also placed it inside. He figured it was a good idea to carry something that could prove they were from the future, just in case, and since galleons were magically stamped by the Ministry, it would have been nearly impossible to forge an authentic one with a future date.
As he tried to think of anything else he'd need, his hand came to rest on the medallion hidden under his shirt. Mindlessly he pulled it out and opened it, smiling at the photo within. It was one he took himself of Ginny playing with a two-year-old Teddy. He managed to capture the moment she noticed him taking a photo, and her part-surprised, part-flustered expression mixed with slight irritation and fondness quickly made it his favourite.
He considered carrying it in Regulus' false Horcrux a bow of respect to his godfathers late brother.
I can do this. For them, I will. he thought resolutely.
Slipping the medallion back under his clothes, he tucked the invisibility cloak under his arm and went to the bedroom, where Ginny was just finishing up.
"Ah good, you have it!" she exclaimed and took the cloak from him, adding it to the already packed bag, "Now, I know the Aurors taught you some spells for basic hygiene, but do try to find some time to take an actual shower, ok? That cleaning charm always leaves a smell of ozone about you."
She paused as he put the bag on his back, and tried to straighten nonexistent creases on his clothing.
"You know, if it weren't for Teddy, I would put my foot down and come with you. But just like back in school, I'm left to hold down the fort."
She looked him in the eyes, every bit the terrifying hex master Harry knew she was.
"But this time, I know where you'll be, Harry Potter. I'll give you time, but if I don't hear from you for more than three days, I'll turn the Ministry upside down until they send me after you. I'm finally getting my dream, Harry - our dream. I need you to come back alive from this if we're ever going to live it out fully."
Harry didn't say anything, only nodded and took her hand to lead her back to the living room. He didn't want to give her a promise he wasn't sure he'd keep.
"James Sirius Potter, hm?" he hummed to himself as they descended the stairs, "I think Sirius would have liked that."
As Harry was tying his shoes in front of the fireplace, Teddy emerged from his playroom, his favorite wolf plushie happily trotting behind him
"Uncle Harry? Are you going away again already?"
Harry sighed before gesturing for the boy to come over.
"I am, Teddy. There's some bad guys I, uncle Ron, and aunt Hermione have to catch, and it will probably take a while this time, so I'll need you to protect Ginny for me, alright?" he said, placing a hand on his godson's head.
Teddy grinned in a way that only an innocent child could and nodded vigorously.
"I will, uncle Harry! Me and Moonie will be the bestest protectors in the whole world!" he exclaimed, holding the enchanted plushie up.
"I'm sure you will be," Harry smiled sadly, giving the boy a gentle kiss on the forehead before standing up and facing Ginny again.
He could see her eyes shine with tears she refused to shed, and could feel his own tears try to claw their way to the surface.
"Ginny, I..." he started but she cut him off as she surged forward and locked them in a kiss full of love and sorrow.
"Just come back to me in one piece," she whispered, briefly placing their foreheads together, "And take care of Ron, you know how hotheaded he gets."
"Don't worry, if all else fails, Hermione is an expert at keeping him in check," Harry chuckled and gave Ginny one last peck before stepping to the fireplace.
He took a handful of floo powder and for the last time looked back at his girlfriend and godson, drinking in the sight of them, committing every detail to memory.
"I love you both. Take care of yourselves," he squeezed out and then called out, "Minister's office!" and threw the powder into the fireplace.
The last thing he saw before the green flames swept him away was Teddy waving after him and Ginny mouthing the words "I love you too." as a single tear rolled down her face.
The rest of the preparations went by fairly quickly. Ron and Hermione arrived soon after him, and gave him their Auror badges to add to his own in the mokeskin pouch, while Hermione hid his baggage in her beaded bag. The following ride back down to the Department of Mysteries was quiet, each of them deep in their own thoughts.
When they arrived, Mrs. Quintrell, now strangely in a much better mood than when they left, ushered them into one of the side offices, which was without a door, emptied out, and enlarged, with a large circle drawn on the floor, which several Unspeakables were filling with countless warding and restrictive charms.
"This is where you'll be time traveling from," announced, "because of how the time-monitor works, you should appear in your targets vicinity, so don't worry about how you'll get out of the Ministry - unless one of your targets traveled here, of course. This is also where the Death Eaters you send back will appear, hence the spells. As for how you'll be sending them back."
She handed Hermione a small wooden box with an hourglass carved on top, and tapped the middle of the symbol with her wand, causing it to glow and turn in a full circle before in split in half along with the entire top half of the box. The inside was divided into smaller squares, each holding a single glass marble, about the size of hazelnut, filled with time-sand. Unlike that in regular time-turners and the time-monitor, this one was a dark, stormy blue.
"These beads will activate the moment they touch skin, so don't handle them with your bare hands!" Mrs. Quintrell warned as she tapped the box again to close it, "They are single-use and preset to bring whoever touches them back to our time, approximately the same time after the moment you disappear from here as you spend in the past. The wards here should be enough to hold any Death Eaters until Aurors come to collect them, but if possible, restrain them before sending them back. Dealing with damages from a rampaging Death Eater is not exactly my favourite past time.
"Now if you're done quite finding ways to delay your departure, step into the circle and we'll begin."
Seeing his friends hesitate slightly, Harry took a deep breath and stepped forward first.
As he crossed the first barrier, he felt a tingle pass over his skin and then an uncomfortable feeling akin to cotton pressing to him from all sides, growing stronger the closer he got to the middle of the room as the amount of spells surrounding him increased. By the time he reached the center of the circle, he was breathless and quite sure trying to cast any spell would send him straight to unconsciousness.
Ron slowly followed him, muttering curses under his breath and scowling profusely as his magic was cut off. Hermione exchanged a few quick words with Kingsley before being handed the time-monitor and following them.
"Now, whenever you're ready to move on to the next time period, rotate the ring around the edge of the dial until the gnomon stops spinning, then press down on top. Just like when apparating, you have to be holding onto the person with the time-monitor to be transported. Do try not to be left behind or accidentally transport someone with you, that is a headache I'd rather not deal with."
Hermione lifted the time-monitor to her eyes, trying to read the minuscule runes, before she started slowly rotating the dial. It took a while, but finally the gnomon snapped into place and the sand within stopped as well. Hermione looked at her friends, who both nodded encouragingly, and then gently pressed down on the dome.
The effect was instantaneous. The sand spilled out of the grooves and started swirling about the dome as if caught in a strong wind, the glass-like grains reflecting light in a way that created a mesmerising light show on the trio and the walls and ceiling. At the same time, the three felt a sensation similar to using a portkey, but instead of behind their navel, it seemed to be tugging at every part of them at once.
"Don't forget to remember everything- take notes if you have to! This is a golden opportunity to move our research forward by years," Mrs. Quintrell called at them, for once sounding genuinely excited, "Oh, and one more thing before you go! As you switch timelines you might experience some... small side effects every now and then."
"Side effects?! What side effects?!" Ron asked in alarm as the sand gradually picked up speed.
"Oh you know; de-aging, merging with your old selves, maybe appearing as something totally different, et cetera, et cetera. Standard stuff really. It should all come back to normal the moment you jump again, so nothing permanent... probably," Mrs. Quintrell hesitated before cackling almost menacingly, "Well isn't this all exciting! I can't wait to study all of you once you get back, so try not to die!"
The trio's horrified and outraged cries were lost in nothingness as the vortex of time swallowed them, leaving only Kingsley to stare horrified at the cackling woman.
Their adventure had begun.