A/N: HERE IT IS! THE CHAPTER YOU HAVE ALL BEEN WAITING FOR! HOW THEY TRAVELLED BACK IN TIME! WOOOOOOO!
Before I say anything else, I would just like to say a huge and heartfelt thank you to Comet Jim who essentially created this idea up for me! I just tweaked it a little, but he came up with it! Give him some love, people!
Cheers for all of your help with this, Comet Jim, and double thanks for letting me use your idea! This chapter is dedicated to you!
Now, here is the part where I tell you my excuses of why this chapter is so late.
First of all, it was back to school time, where I am in my last year of sixth form. That means that I have been writing my personal statement, filling out UCAS applications, going on university open days and all that jazz. Then, my school messed up my timetable and put me two of my classes on at the same time, which meant that I was expected to be in two places at once about 5 times a week. This has been sorted, but I am not in the normal lessons as my peers and I have 4 less lessons than the rest of my year. I also had 3 anniversaries of close family members deaths in the space of two weeks, so that brought me down.
The biggest reason as to why this is late, however, is that I was the victim of a homophobic attack.
Basically, a group of guys stood outside my house late at night and shouted abuse at my window whilst chucking eggs, cakes and trifle at my house. This happened every night for a week, then it stopped. Unfortunately it carried on again not long after.
I had no idea who it was, only that they went to school with me. So I have had to go to school every day and attend lessons, not knowing who was harassing me and terrorising me. It's been nothing short of hell- I haven't even felt safe walking my dog.
To all those who may agree with the bigots and cannot stand the thought of reading a story written by a gay author:- you might as well press the back button now if you can't stand it. Don't send me a scathing review or PM me giving me a load of abuse or nasty comments or anything like that. I don't have the time, patience or mood to deal with any of that, so if you don't like it, then just pretend this story never existed. If you can look past that and keep on reading, then that's great! In no way will my sexuality be portrayed in my work, nor will it ever be a main focus of this fic. People like me and anybody else who is part of any minority whatsoever have the right to not be harassed and be able feel safe and have the same privileges that everyone else does. Don't like that? Go away and get a life.
To all those who have ever been through something like I have, or who are part of any kind of minority around the world:- Don't stand for it. You deserve to be treated better. Whether you are gay, bisexual, religious, from another country or are part of any other minority, that is what makes up a part of you and who you are is beautiful. Never, EVER let anyone bring you down- you are special and great and unique just as you are. Always stand up for yourself and what you believe in, and I promise you that you will always come out better than the bigots who try to drag you down.
If anyone wants to talk more about this, or want to ask questions or anything like that, then just PM me. I will always answer!
Now, all of that aside (sorry for my mini rant!), enjoy!
Disclaimer: I own nothing to do with the Harry Potter universe. Only the plot line is mine, and the time travel explanation belongs to Comet Jim. The only thing I own is a rather fetching pair of turquoise reading glasses ;)
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The Intentions Of An Old Man.
Molly was in a state of shock as her husband led her back to their bedroom. She couldn't seem to blink or stop her tears or open her mouth and say something; all she could do was watch the image of Harry thrashing on his bed, hurting himself, play in her mind over and over again while her heart seemed to crack like a brittle china pot.
Arthur had his jaw tensed the whole way back. He pushed his memories of what he had just seen to the back of his mind and decided to instead concentrate on what needed to be done now. Earlier he had decided to talk to Molly about his daughter and her husband's sleeping arrangements. However, a big mess in the ministry had caused him to be home late and he never had the chance to. He knew that now was the time for such a talk- maybe what Molly had seen happen tonight would be enough to convince her to change her mind.
Eventually they reached their bedroom and the sharp click of the door closing finally snapped Molly out of her depressing reverie.
"Oh Arthur!" She sobbed louder as she threw herself into his arms. She continued to babble nonsense as Arthur gently rocked her and whispered soothing sounds in her ear. When he felt her cries lessen and quieten down, he led her to sit on the bed, leaning away from her and angling his body so he could still look into her face. Molly began to hiccup a little as she looked into her husband's blue eyes and realised that his next words were going to be important- or something she wasn't going to like one bit.
"Molly, from now on Harry and Ginny are going to be sleeping in the same room." The tone the Weasley patriarch used clearly showed that that was what was happening, no matter what his wife had to say.
Molly sat there, staring at him for a moment as she tried to process what he had just said. It was only a few moments later that she opened her mouth and began to argue back, just as Arthur had expected she would.
"But Arthur, they can't! They're-" Mr Weasley wouldn't even let her finish.
"No, Molly. That is what is happening, whether you like it or not!" He raised his voice a little over hers as she began to try and interrupt him again. "Do you not see what has happened tonight? What has happened since they got here? Molly, Harry hasn't slept a full night since he got here! I hear him sometimes at night, creeping downstairs. And he is always the first one awake, with large black circles under his eyes."
"I've noticed." Molly admitted in a small voice. Her eyes dimmed like a blown light bulb as a few tendrils of guilt twisted in her stomach.
"I know you have. Molly, something happens in the future, something that Harry and Ginny have had to live through. Something so bad that it still haunts him and causes him to subconsciously hurt himself in order to escape it." Mrs Weasley shivered as she remembered Harry's attack on himself, remembered his nails raking into his own skin- it turned her stomach. Arthur, upon seeing his wife's distraught demeanor, softened his voice as he continued. "He needs her, Mollywobbles. He needs her to chase those images away. You saw how she calmed him down tonight. And I'm willing to bet that he gives her the same amount of comfort as well."
"But they're so young…" She argued back in a weak voice. She couldn't even look her husband in the eye anymore; instead she focused her sorrowful gaze on her twisting hands that lay in her pajama covered lap. He smiled gently at her and tipped her chin up so he could look into her eyes.
"They may be physically young, but as far as Ginny is concerned she's a married adult with a kid on the way. They're both going through a difficult time- Ginny more so than Harry- and they need the comfort that only they can give one another."
Chocolate eyes brimming with sadness gazed into those of an ocean blue that were filled with persuasion, compassion and understanding. Eventually the scarlet haired woman nodded and folded into her husbands arms.
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Hermione Granger couldn't keep still, so instead she paced up and down the small space that was available in her bedroom. Normally this would have annoyed the hell out of one Ronald Weasley, but after what had happened tonight he was perfectly happy to let her pace while he held his head in his hands and stared dejectedly at the threadbare carpet. So far they had stayed silent as they sorted through their own thoughts, but soon enough this was not enough for the bushy haired girl.
"Something happened to him, Ron. Something horrible." Her voice was full of determination, almost as though she dared him to contradict her. Ron just sighed and then shifted his head to look up at her.
"I know." He whispered to her. "I know."
"Oh really? You know?" She bit harshly at him. Her eyes narrowed with anger and, although most of him knew he deserved the upcoming lecture and insults, a small part of Ron felt that she shouldn't be having a go at him because she was upset over what had just happened. "How could you possibly know, Ronald? You've hardly spoken to him or Ginny since they arrived! You've just glared and pouted and stormed off and acted like a spoilt child! How could you have any idea, huh?" Her voice steadily rose in pitch the more agitated she became.
Ron flinched slightly at her accusations but couldn't deny them. He knew that he had acted horribly and like a child. He knew he was angering his sister and hurting his best friend; he had seen the flickers of sadness and pain in his best mate's eyes whenever he left the room, and while it had caused him to feel triumphant for a while, now all he felt was a dull feeling in the pit of his stomach that grew bigger each day.
"I know, Hermione." He said quietly as he sighed heavily. "I've screwed up and I've been a pain for the past few weeks. It was just such a big shock. I mean, one day everything was normal, then I find out that my best friend has knocked up my little sister and they're married and from about 8 years in the future!" He threw his hands up in the air before dragged them roughly through his hair. Hermione watched him for a moment before going to sit next to him. Both ignored the butterflies that erupted in their stomachs at the close contact. The sensation increased as Hermione gently rested her hand on his, and a hot flush rose on their faces.
"Ron," she began in a calming tone. "This whole situation is difficult for them both. They have to readjust to somehow traveling back in time, plus Ginny has to cope with pregnancy hormones on top of normal teenage hormones."
She promptly ignored Ron's grumbling of not needing to know about his sister's hormones before she leaned closer to him and dropped her voice to a murmur.
"I think Ginny hoped for her big brother to be there for her, and Harry hoped for the support of his best friend." Ron grimaced as guilt echoed around his heart, but neither said anything more for a few more moments; they were content to just listen to their own thoughts and the warm feeling of the other's body against theirs.
Eventually, Ron broke the silence again. "You know, I always wanted them to get together." Hermione's head snapped up from where it had been resting on his shoulder.
"What?"
Ron snorted. "Yeah. I always pictured them getting together. They just seem to… fit, you know. But Ginny could never say more than a few words to him before she fled the room with a tomato red face." They both chuckled a little as they remembered the times when Ginny would run away whenever Harry so much as said 'hello' to her.
Hermione rested her head on his shoulder again, reveling in the feeling of comfort. "I always thought they would make a good couple as well."
"Uh-huh." Ron nodded before shaking his head ruefully. "But as soon as they do get together, I have to act like a real prat." She squeezed his hand slightly.
"They'll forgive you. I know they will."
"I didn't know you wanted to take after Trelawney, Hermione."
"Prat."
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The morning sun rose on the quiet square of Grimmauld Place, bathing the entire street with a rosy tint as the sky slowly turned from a dark indigo, to a light blue with swirls of lavender. A milk float buzzed languidly down a neighboring street and birds whistled a merry tune, creating a peaceful atmosphere in the sleepy road.
Unfortunately, the peace that had been found outside was not present in the Most Ancient House of Black. The majority of the people inside were irritated and groggy from lack of sleep, their eyes gritted together and a bad taste lingering in their mouths.
Sirius Black, Remus Lupin and Nymphadora Tonks were slumped in various positions around the kitchen table, bloodshot eyes downcast on a cold cup of tea in their hands. None of them had slept all night and a heavy silence had punctuated the air as they lost themselves in their thoughts.
Tonks was simply horrified. She couldn't feel anything else- after all, as she had mentioned to herself before, she hardly knew Harry or Ginny. But the relationship she had made with them was gradually becoming something like siblings, and watching her almost 'younger brother' go through something like that was something she never wanted to see gain. It was horrific to know that he went through so much, had seen so many terrors in his young life that could cause him to act like that. It was enough to break anyone's heart.
Remus just sat with a numbing sadness weighing down in his heart. Lily and James would be turning in their graves if they knew how much their little boy had suffered so far- and how much more he had in the future. The lycanthrope couldn't help the small shiver that went up his spine as he thought about the future. Sure, Harry and Ginny had divulged some information on Voldemort's Horcruxes, but they steadfastly refused to say anything else about the future. Remus wasn't quite sure he wanted to know if Harry's nightmare was any indication of just how bad it could get.
Sirius… well, Sirius wasn't sure what to feel. A part of him felt a deep melancholy towards what he had seen last night, while another side of his brain just wanted to grab hold of his godson and hug him and never let go. However, the animagus mostly felt anger and self-loathing. It was irrational, he knew, but he couldn't help but kick himself for dying when Harry needed him- even if he hadn't done anything yet. He felt so helpless and all he could do was drown in his own depression as he watched the sun rise.
This wasn't allowed to go on forever though, as soon enough a dishelmed and aged Molly Weasley walked through the door, intent on making breakfast.
"Have you been here all night, dears?" She asked them all quietly. It was clear from the hoarse tone of her voice that she had hardly slept a wink. Tonks nodded and Sirius stayed silent.
"Yes. We couldn't sleep after last night." Remus sighed as he ran a hand tiredly over his scarred face. Molly hummed in some sort of agreement and then silence reigned, only disturbed by the quiet clangs of the pots and pans.
"Poor Harry," Molly eventually commented. "Why…. Why did… I just wish…. Wish I could…" She trailed off when it became apparent that she could find no end to her queries.
Sirius looked up at her. "I know. I feel the same."
Molly looked into the grey eyes of Sirius Black and saw the raw pain in them as he thought about last night, saw the torment he felt at not being able to do anything about his godson's suffering. His eyes reflected the same amount of emotion that Molly's did, perhaps even more, and that was what finally convinced her that Sirius loved Harry as though he was his own- that he loved him for being Harry, not James. A small shrivel of remorse creeped over her heart and she wished with all she had that she could take back the harsh words she had said and thought about him in the past few weeks. Sirius would do anything for Harry, had done everything he could up till now, and it was only at this moment did Molly realise it.
Molly opened her mouth to speak but was cut off by the door opening, revealing her husband, the twins, Ron and Hermione.
Arthur gave her a small peck on the cheek before slowly sitting down and Ron and Hermione gave a quiet greeting. Fred and George had different ideas though.
"Morning All!" Fred crowed.
"Isn't a beautiful day?" George cheerily commented. They both flopped down in their seats, flashing winning grins as everyone stared at them. The twins shared a quick glance.
"What?"
"Do we-"
"Have something-"
"On our faces?"
"Because if we do-"
"We'd appreciate it if you could-"
"Tell us."
Everyone just gawked at them before Ron blunted asked the question that was on all of their minds.
"What's up with you two?"
Fred and George glanced at each other again, a silent conversation hanging in the air that only they could decipher. Slowly, they turned back to the others with their broad grins slipping a little, but still plastered on their faces.
"Whatever do you mean, Ronnie?" Fred asked. Ron scowled at the nickname.
"Why are you being so chirpy? Especially after last night?" He clarified. The occupants were all giving them the same look: raised eyebrow, slightly open mouths, confusion, wariness and disbelief painted across their features. The twin's expressions rapidly changed from cheery to completely serious.
"Last night was awful-"
"Terrible-"
"Frightening-"
"But Harry wouldn't want us to mope about."
"Yeah, it would just make him feel all guilty and angry at himself."
"So me and Fred here decided that we aren't going to mope about-"
"Instead we're going to be our usual happy selves because that's what he'd want us to be." They finished with a unified sanctimonious nod.
"Thanks guys." A voice came from the doorway. They all whirled round to see Harry leaning against the door frame, a gentle smile on his face with Ginny beside him, her hands rubbing her protruding bump. Both of them looked well rested and calm, despite the still prominent black circles under their eyes and the angry red lines that marred Harry's face and arms.
Fred and George flashed them grins as they moved forward to sit down. Harry clasped Sirius' shoulder briefly as he passed and Ginny continued to caress her stomach when she had sat down.
"Morning." Ginny greeted quietly.
Tonks, Remus, Sirius, Ron and Hermione stared at them, wondering where the peaceful smiles that lit up their faces came from. Arthur cast a pointed look with his wife. She nodded in agreement with him- it was clear that sleeping together had done them the world of good and she could no longer deny them that comfort.
"They're right, you know." Harry spoke in the silence. He looked each of them in the eyes as he carried on speaking. "There's no point dwelling on it. It happened and we just need to move on from it."
"But…" Molly began. Harry grabbed her hand and squeezed it reassuringly.
"I'm fine, Molly." He gave her a small smile before turning to Sirius. "Really."
His godfather gave him a sad smile but couldn't say anything as there was a sudden knock on the front door causing Mrs Black's portrait to start screaming abuse. Remus and Sirius jumped up to answer it and shut the old bat up, while Mrs Weasley began to dish up her superb breakfast.
There were a few muffled greetings in the hallway before the door to the kitchen opened again to reveal a red haired man with thick muscles and burns marring the skin that was available to the eye.
"Charlie!" Molly beamed in greeting as she rushed forwards and enveloped him into her arms. Arthur too stood up and clasped his son on his shoulder while the Weasley brothers grunted hellos around mouthfuls of food. Hermione rolled her eyes at their behaviour while Harry chuckled and Ginny turned a little green.
"Hey there Harry, Hermione." Charlie said as he sat down and his mother placed a plate full of food in front of him.
"Hello, Charlie." Hermione welcomed. Harry merely nodded at him, a nervous smile plastered on his face as he squeezed Ginny's hand uncomfortably under the table.
"No offence or anything, but you all look like dragon dung." Charlie commented in a nonchalant tone. "What happened?"
As one, everyone's eyes turned to Harry as though asking for his guidance. He barely controlled the urge to roll his eyes (such a thing had happened a lot in the future). Before he could answer though, Charlie caught sight of the scratches on his face.
"What's with the scratches? Get into another fight?" His tone was light and teasing, but the look in his eyes was simply concern. Harry raised an eyebrow at the fight comment as Ron snickered. The best friend's eyes met briefly before Harry turned away. Ron's eyes dropped to his plate miserably.
"No, no fights. Just a nightmare." He answered with a wry, humourless grin. Charlie's fork paused halfway to his mouth as his blue eyes locked on Harry's.
"No shit?" He asked in disbelief.
"Charles! You watch your language!" Molly scolded him.
"Sorry mum." He mumbled before finishing his forkful of food. Ginny swallowed thickly. "Is that what you asked me to come home for? A few bad dreams?" He raised a half singed eyebrow.
This time Harry's eyes dropped to his own plate of breakfast as his nerves got the better of him. His mouth seemed to have fused itself shut and he had no intention of ever opening it again as long as Charlie was in the room. Sirius and Tonks snickered at him as the twins and Ron smirked. Hermione took pity on him and answered the dragon-tamers question herself.
"No, Charlie. I'm just going to say this bluntly." She took a calming breath before looking the older man dead in the eye and continuing in a no nonsense tone that was normally aimed at her two best friends. "Harry and Ginny are from the future. They somehow travelled back eight years in time and now the are stuck here. They took over their younger selves bodies but to them their minds still contain all of their future memories. They are married and Ginny is still pregnant with Harry's child."
Harry's face went white as Charlie's wide popping eyes flashed to his in the amused and apprehensive silence that spread over the room. The only sound was of Ginny's shallow breathing as her stomach twisted.
"Oh God," Ginny groaned after a tense moment as she lurched to her feet and practically flew out of the room. Harry didn't even think about it before he was on his feet and chasing after her. Neither of them registered the fact that Charlie got an eyeful of Ginny's pregnant stomach. His mouth dropped open and the look on his face was so comical that Tonks couldn't help but laugh at her long time friend.
"Close your mouth, Charlie. Who knows what'll crawl in there!" She giggled. Charlie closed his mouth but his eyes remained wide as he turned to his amused parents.
"So it's… it's true? All of it? The time travel and the preg-pregnancy?" He nearly chocked on the last word which caused a few laughs to ring out.
"It is, son." Arthur spoke up. Nothing more was said as they let Charlie try and wrap his mind around the fact that his baby sister was 14, married and pregnant.
"Bloody hell!" He muttered to himself as he rubbed his hands across his face. Molly was too entertained to reprimand him for his swearing.
Harry and Ginny came back a few minutes later, Ginny still looking queasy as Harry rubbed her back soothingly. They sat down, keeping wary gazes on the second oldest Weasley sibling, Harry's hand still ghosting up Ginny's back. Fred and George took it upon themselves to be the first to speak up.
"Now, now Harry dear. You've had Ginny to yourself all night after she unceremoniously kicked us out of your bedroom last night." Fred said as he grinned at the two.
"Yeah, so you please stop trying to get into her knickers? It's putting us off our breakfast." George added, an innocent expression on his face. Ginny and Harry turned an alarming shade of red, Molly and Arthur startled and Sirius spat out his mouthful of tea and began to splutter.
"We mean," One of the twins carried on. "as guys, we would normally be all up for hearing all of the gory details and asking for tips on how to please a woman-"
"But seeing as though that's our baby sister, we ask that you respect our feelings and merely keep the details vague."
Harry and Ginny looked as though they just wanted to crawl under a rock and stay there for the rest of their lives and Molly was equally as mortified. Charlie guffawed as Arthur and the marauders chuckled. Hermione giggled as a blush crept on her face.
"Leave them alone guys." Ron piped up. Although his expression was stern, his eyes glittered with amusement. "What happens between a man and his wife stays in their sordid bed sheets."
The young couple's faces snapped over to his face as everyone else suddenly became quiet. Charlie's gaze flickered between the three in confusion.
"So you're over that now?" Harry asked, his voice kept carefully neutral. Ron looked down and rubbed his hand across the back of his neck sheepishly as he began to mumble his answer.
"Yeah. After last night, I figured I was just being stupid. All I was doing was hurting you both and….. Well, as long as you're happy… that's all that matters, right?" He raised his head to see Hermione looking at him, approval and pride plastered over her radiant smile. The sight let him full of butterflies and oddly breathless. He switched his gaze to his sister and her husband as his ears started to burn as though they were on fire. Harry kept his face blank but Ron could see the slight nod he gave him. The gesture made him smile- at least until his eyes landed on the furious expression on his sister's face.
"'That's all that matters'? It's taken you to now to see that you've been a prat? What, do you need something frightening to happen every time you've been a git to make you get your head out of your arse?" She snarled at him. "You've been nothing but a rude, insufferable prat that has less brains than pig! We should just ignore you and mutter scathing comments just to make you feel like we did! Maybe that's sink through your thick head so you'll know to think next-Oh!" Her rant drifted off into a breathless gasp as a joyful expression spread easily across her face like rain dripping down a window pane. Everyone started forwards, except Harry who quickly switched his hand to Ginny's stomach and gently rubbed it before resting his hand just above her bellybutton. His answering grin lit up his face like a sunrise.
"Oh, mum1 You have to feel this!" Ginny squealed as she bounced slightly in her seat giddily. Bewildered, Molly stepped forward and flinched, startled, as her daughter grabbed her hand and placed it on her stomach. Her brow furrowed as she wondered what was going on before she felt it; a small, but firm nudge that came from within her daughter's bump.
"Oh… oh! Oh, Ginny that's wonderful!" She squeaked as her eyes welled in tears. Seeing his wife sniffle a little as she gazed lovingly at her daughter's stomach made Arthur cotton on to what exactly was going on. He stood and stepped forward as he voiced his suspicion.
"It's kicking, isn't it?"
"What?" The rest of the room gasped before they all leapt to their feet and swarmed like flies around the couple. Excited babbling filled the room as they all tried to feel the movements coming from the centre of the mother-to-be.
Ginny's heart swelled with a blazing amount of love as she looked at the sparkling eyes of her family and friends. This was all that she had never thought she wanted; to be surrounded by loved ones as she basked in the realisation that she was bringing another life into the world. And not just any old bit of life, but a thing so gentle and precious that had been created by her and the one person she loved more than anything else in the world. If anyone were to ask her at that moment, Ginny would have said that such a feeling was the most purest and powerful magic of all.
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It was a few hours later that Albus Dumbledore stepped into number 12 and found its occupants draped across the furniture of the living room. Fred and George were bowing eccentrically as everyone else seemed to be in stitches. Well, almost everyone- Molly looked on disapprovingly as her lips twitched slightly.
"Well, it would appear that you've all had a pleasant evening." Dumbledore said as he stood in the doorway. A benign smile graced his tired face as they all turned to see him.
"Evening, Albus." Sirius greeted with a wary smile. The old Headmaster did not look well at all; his face seemed to be sunken slightly and his eyes were missing their usual twinkle. He seemed to have aged another 50 years and even more weight seemed to be set on his shoulders. "What can we do for you?" Sirius knew this must be some kind of social visit as if there was an attack of some sort then a Patronous message would have been sent.
"I have some news for Mr and Mrs Potter." He smiled at the ex-convict before turning his serious gaze to the young couple who were looking down at him curiously. "I do believe that I have found out why you traveled back to this summer."
His words were like a spark that jump started the young couple's hearts. Harry leapt to his feet and stood stock still as he stared at the old man in disbelief. Ginny remained seated, but reached out to clasp Harry's hand firmly in her own. He could feel the slight tremors that shook her frame and tightened his grip. No body spoke nor seemed to move as they focused their eyes between the headmaster and the Potters.
After a few moments, Dumbledore looked at everyone else. "Could all please give us a few moments. I think this is something they should hear on their own."
After a few murmured encouragements and worried glances, the three found themselves alone in the living room.
Dumbledore stared sadly at the two young adults in front of him. It seemed as though they were almost too scared to breath as their faces were frozen with stress. How he wished he did not have to be the bearer of this news! He knew that the two had secretly hoped that they would be able to find a way back to their own time but with what he had recently uncovered, Dumbledore knew that it was an impossible hope. He had known of the cause of their time travel for days but hadn't shared it with them until now; he hadn't wanted to explain it until he was entirely sure that it was irreversible. Plus he did not wish to see the crushing sadness that would flood in their eyes when their assumptions and dreams would come crashing down.
"Harry, my boy, why don't you sit? It might be best that you do." Dumbledore started quietly as he himself sat down in a now vacant armchair. Harry's expression remained unchanging as he stiffly moved his muscles and sat back down. Ginny immediately leaned into his side and his arm came around her as his other hand rested gently on her stomach. This sight caused another painful pang to sear across his weathered heart before he took a deep breath and moved his gaze to his hands in his lap. Seeing such an uncharacteristic gesture from the headmaster did nothing to elevate their fear and nerves.
"I have spent the last few weeks researching for any possible reason as to how you were thrown back in time with all of your memories and child intact." He began in a quiet and would-be-soothing voice. The effect was slightly ruined by the sadness that belayed his intentions. "As you know, as far as we are aware in this time, and from what you have said of the future, it is only possible to rewind time for a few hours. A full day, at the most."
"The development into time travel hasn't progressed much further in the future." Harry commented. His tone was carefully neutral as he struggled to keep his emotions internal. "That doesn't explain how this happened and you know it. Can you please get to the point?"
"Of course, I apologise for my procrastination." Albus nodded his head in a slight recognition as the young man saw through his delaying tactics. "I shall get to the point then.
"When you appeared from the maze at the end of the third task," He paused as Harry flinched slightly. "I wished to find out what had happened that night with as little distress as possible for you-"
"But you still asked me to recount my version of events." Harry pointed out. Ginny glared slightly at the thought.
"I know, my boy. I am getting to that. Even though I did not wish for you to speak about your ordeal so soon, I knew you would have to regardless, as you would not be able to overcome it if you hid it deep down inside of you. In order to try and put that off for a bit longer, I used legillimancy to look into your mind." His eyes shone with the regret and guilt that dripped from his words. Ginny sat up and turned her blazing glare on Dumbledore as Harry stiffened even more at the thought of someone accessing his thoughts without his permission.
"How dare you-" She began to hiss at the old man, but he held up his hand to quieten her.
"I know that my actions were deplorable, but it was necessary at the time."
"Of course, most of your actions are 'necessary at the time'." She snarled under her breath before falling silent as she continued to glare at him. Harry agreed with what she was saying, but he refrained from commenting as he wished to get an explanation as quickly as possible. Dumbledore nodded to the two before carrying on.
"Your mind was filled with grief and confusion, Harry, and so I could not get a clear picture of what had happened during your encounter with Voldemort. That is why I later asked you speak up. What I did find instead, disturbed me greatly." For a moment, he dropped his head again and seemed unable to say more. Tears filled his piercing blue eyes as he thought back to what he had seen as guilt crashed even more heavily into him. Out of all the mistakes he had made in the past, this was the one that he most regretted. Not only had he condemned the boy, but he had started off a chain reaction of events that had effectively almost ruined his favourite pupil's life.
The young couple watched as Dumbledore collected himself. For Harry, fear was rising like a monster inside him as he dreaded to hear what his mentor had found inside his head.
"When I left you with your aunt all of those years ago, I knew she would not be the perfect mother towards you," His voice cracked a little as he spoke. "I knew that and accepted it as my main priority at the time was to keep you from the clutches of the remaining Death Eaters. What I never even considered was the possibility that I would be condemning you to live in a house filled with abuse and neglect."
Harry couldn't take it anymore. He moved swiftly to his feet and stalked quickly towards the fireplace, rage flooding his veins. He had known! Dumbledore had known all about his childhood, but he had never done a thing about it or acted like he cared! He had just thrown him back there, summer after summer despite what he knew.
But what had he actually known? Harry didn't think he knew the full extent of his 'family's' abuse- or at least he hoped he didn't. He couldn't stand the thought that Dumbledore knew all about the cupboard and the beatings and the threats and the constant fear he had felt as a child. His mind felt frazzled at the moment as it tried to deny the knowledge of the headmaster's latest words, and it was because of that that he didn't hear when Ginny unleashed her rage.
"YOU KNEW!" She screamed at the elderly wizard who cowered slightly in front of her as she stood up and towered over him in her anger. "YOU KNEW HOW THEY TREATED HIM ALL OF HIS TIME AND YOU NEVER DID ANYTHING! YOU KNEW HOW THEY HURT HIM, LOCKED HIM AWAY, BELITTLED HIM AND TERRORISED HIM, YET YOU THREW HIM TO THE WOLVES EACH AND EVERY GODDAMN YEAR! YOU NEVER TRIED TO HELP HIM, OR GET HIM OUT OF THERE! YOU JUST LEFT HIM TO ROT, AS LONG AS IT WAS FOR THE GREATER GOOD!"
Dumbledore flinched spectacularly at the last statement and was about to deny her last few statements when Ginny drew her wand and fired a hex at him.
Now, normally one would think that it would be almost impossible to have the audacity to shoot a jinx at the famous Albus Dumbledore, and even more unbelievable to actually catch him off guard and hit him with said curse, but most people don't factor in an enraged Weasley woman who was filled to the brim with fluctuating hormones and a short temper to boot. Add in the fact that she had just learned that someone she looked up to allowed the man she loved to be hurt for years and you soon have an old man fending off bat bogeys.
At any normally given time Harry would have laughed his socks off at such a sight, but the sheer shock and disbelief at what his wife had done- what she had done for him- seemed to have snapped him from his own anger as he rushed forwards to remove the jinx. With a quick wave of his wand, the headmaster was left recovering as he enveloped Ginny into his arms both to provide comfort for her and to prevent her wand from coming up again.
"Gin, calm down love." He whispered in her ear as he felt her body vibrate with the barely comprehensible death threats she was spewing out. "He hasn't finished explaining yet. He obviously did something or it wouldn't have been brought up. Please calm down so we can hear what he has to say." He pleaded with her, trying to get her to think rationally. Eventually he felt her body relax under his arms and he gently removed them before sitting her back down. He sat beside her and resumed his previous position with her as he turned towards the other person in the room. Dumbledore seemed to have taken the time to recover from the shock and effects of the curse, though his eyes held no reprimand at her actions. He felt that Ginny's actions were justified as did not feel the need to rebuke her, which was a good thing because Ginny was not prepared to apologise- she felt no regret over cursing the old man and she would do it again in a heartbeat. Her entire posture screamed anger, but she limited her reaction to glaring at the headmaster. After a moment, the old man began his tale again, leaving the previous incident to fade into the background.
"Yes, I knew of their treatment of you and after you had left to go back there, I endeavoured to find a way to solve the issue. You see, due to the blood protections given to you when your mother sacrificed her life for yours, you would have to spend about a month in the same house as a direct blood relative in order to maintain that protection. So I sought to find a blood relative of yours that you could stay with each summer instead."
Harry bit his tongue to prevent himself from pointing out the fatal flaw in the plan- something that he had only discovered when he was 18 years old. Instead, he prompted Dumbledore to carry on speaking. "And?"
Dumbledore locked his gaze on the younger man's. "I looked through some of my more ancient tomes and found a spell that I believed would work. The incantation was 'sanguine proximi stirpem reperio rectus' which roughly translates to mean 'find the next, direct blood descendant'. I cast the spell in my office and waited for it to work. According to the book, a ghostly image should have appeared showing a living descendant. No such thing happened, and so I put it down to a failed attempt." He sighed heavily and slumped down a little in his seat. Harry and Ginny watched him silently, their eyes hungry for the end of the story as their minds processed what had so far been said. They didn't fully understand it, but they had a rough idea that gave no clues as to what happened next.
"Unfortunately, due to the Ministry's current view on Voldemort's rebirth and their stance towards us, Harry, I had to out it out of my mind. Until a few days ago, that is.
"When I heard your tale, I went back to my office and thought back over the spell. I thought I had done something wrong, something that caused it to be inactive, and I spent a long time pacing my office as I tried to wrap my mind around it. Upon my pacing, I found that one of my many trinkets had been damaged."
Harry raised an eyebrow as he easily pictured the cluttered headmaster's office at Hogwarts. "Which trinket was it and how much was it damaged?" He questioned, his Auror training kicking in. He had to actively remind himself that Dumbledore was not a suspect he was grilling for information and he tried to reign it in. Dumbledore allowed himself the tiniest of smiles as he recognised Harry's demeanor.
"It was the trinket that lay on the low table near Fawkes' perch. The trinket on top was a blue spiral tower that had been passed down in my family for generations. I did not quite know what its purpose was and so I only kept it there for decoration. It had always had a constant stream of fine powder flowing through it, and it was only when I found it broken did I realise that the fine powder represented time." He paused again to allow his words to sink in. It was Ginny that answered his silent prompt, with her eyebrows furrowed and a frown upon her face.
"It was a time turner?"
Dumbledore nodded. "Yes, my dear. A very powerful and old time turner. I soon realised that it must have been broken by the force of the spell I had used, thus releasing the powder inside."
The young couple looked as though they had seen the ghost as they stared at Dumbledore. Their minds seemed to have screeched to a halt as they guessed what had happened next. They both had come to the same conclusion, but they did not want to understand what they knew. They felt that if they did, then they would have to admit that there was no going back, that they would have to stay in this time and go through the war again, that their baby boy would have to be born in an unhappy and dark place- a place that they thought they had left behind them forever. Tears started to leak from Ginny's eyes as she listened to the man sat across from her.
"I think that the broken time turner altered the spell that I used. I believe that it created a temporal aspect, halting the effects of the spell until the next direct blood descendant of Harry's came around- the baby that Ginevra is currently carrying.
"The broken time turner caused the activated spell to bring your child back to the time it had been cast- the present day, now- and because the baby shares some DNA from the both of you, it brought you both back with it."
"It….. The spell…. It brought Ja- our baby….. Back with…. Us?" Harry stuttered brokenly as he gripped Ginny closer to him and cradles her swollen stomach protectively. He didn't want to believe it, but the evidence was undeniable. It had happened, and there was nothing to do about it.
Ginny felt numb. Something inside her told her that there was something more to this theory, something that neither of the men with her knew about. Her mind wandered back to the night she had told Harry, when she saw his face light up with excitement as he thanked her profusely for giving him a child. She thought back to how he had proudly announced the news to her family, how she had looked at each of the shining faces filled with happiness and couldn't help but feel that something was missing….
"It's all my fault." She whispered aloud. Both of the men snapped their gazes towards her, a sudden concern etched on their faces.
"Mrs Potter, this situation is not your fault whatsoever. You weren't even aware of the cause until just now. What could you have possibly caused?" Dumbledore asked in a kind and persuasive tone. He shared a look with Harry who looked just as confused and lost as he did. Ginny shook her head in denial towards his words before she continued in a voice that was hoarse and slowly becoming more hysterical with each new word.
"It is, it is all my fault! The spell wouldn't have brought us back as soon as it did, because my baby boy would have been too small…. He wouldn't have been fully formed yet! But when I told Harry we were going….. Going…. Going to have a child…. I-I….. I wished that everyone was there with us!" She wailed. She kept on tripping over her words and stuttered as her breathing became rapped and shallow. Harry wrapped his arms around her body and rocked her gently from side to side as he panicked. He began to try desperately to calm her down, but that didn't seem possible and she continued to babble and blame herself.
"I wished S-Sirius was here… to…to… to see how h-happy you were! And… and… and I wanted Fred to see and m-meet his new n-n-nephew! It made it happen! It made the spell bring us back! It's all my fault!" As soon as she ended that sentence, she broke down into gut wrenching, body shaking sobs. In the back of her mind, she knew she was becoming increasingly hysterical, but she couldn't bring herself to care. She seemed to be drowning in grief, guilt and sorrow as she thought about the situation she thought she had put them in. Her baby would have to live in a fear ridden world and Harry would have to fight Voldemort all over again. The war had felt a long way away when she was a teenager, but after living through it, she could finally understand all of her mother's fears and the fears of the rest of the adults. She had seen her family be destroyed by the war, had seen countless of her friends and people she knew die as they fought to secure and preserve their world. She had seen all that once and now it would appear that she would have to go through it all again- something that she wasn't sure she could do.
Would she be able to see her family and friends hurt again? Would she be able to watch as the people around her started to die? Would she be able to watch as Harry battled the biggest monster the world had ever known all over again?
She didn't think her heart would handle it, and as she lost herself in the sea of emotions, she realised that her baby- her precious James Sirius- would be brought into a world of cruelty and hatred, into a world where all could be lost. And most horrifyingly of all, her precious James Sirius could end up growing up in a world without his parents.
It was a very real possibility; her Harry was going to be in the thick of this war, even more so than he had been last time, and Ginny knew that she would stand beside him always. The realisation that she and Harry could die, leaving her son behind, crushed her and twisted her heart until she didn't think she would ever surface from the pain.
LMMRLMMRLMMR
A/N: Well, there you have it!
The ending and the time travel explanation… meh, it could have gone better. Hopefully I haven't offended you in anyway, Comet Jim! I did try!
Any questions about it, either leave me a review or PM me! :D
Before anyone says anything, I purposely had Charlie's reaction minimal and comical. I'm getting a bit bored of writing all of the angst about the whole situation and the "OMG, YOUR PREGNANT! ARGH! AND FROM THE FUTURE! DOUBLE ARGH!" so I mixed it up a little. Hopefully it doesn't disappoint you!
Little side point that has nothing to do with anything:- have any of you ever noticed that 'Grimmauld Place' basically sounds like "grim old place"? It honestly blew my mind when I realised :D
Hopefully, the next chapter will be out quicker than this. Again, I am really sorry about the delay!
P.S:- anyone interested in checking out my new story? It's basically my take on a powerful!Harry story (Don't ask me why I like to write cliché storylines….. I have no idea my self!) The full summary is inside! Check it out!
LilMissMoonRay