Victor and Harry stared at each other for a bit, before Victor abruptly stood up and from a desk, he clutched a gleaming jet-black box with the mark of Merlin on the top. He returned to his seat and presented the box to Harry.
Victor began his tale, "This box has been in the possession of my family. My great-grandaunt, Vinda Rosier, was Gellert Grindelwald's most faithful acolyte, and just before their fall, Grindelwald gave this box to her for safekeeping. I didn't know how Grindelwald found this box or did he know what it was truly about but my great-grandaunt heeded his orders and stored it along with all the Rosier family heirlooms.
"Of course, being a pure-blood family, the Rosiers were honored and kept it safe, and continued to hold on to the outdated belief of wizards only marrying those whose blood is pure, as seen with my grandfather, Pierre, and uncle, Evan, serving Lord Voldemort.
"My father, Louis, however, was disowned by my grandfather for not parroting his beliefs despite a respectable marriage. Perhaps in an act of insolence, my father stole the most valuable artefacts he could find, including this box. This stressed out my grandfather, leading to his death.
"Father was every bit of a scholar and didn't like not knowing things. So, he scoured everything to find out about the artefacts. He found out the rune here was Merlin's mark but he couldn't find anything about the box. However, he did find out Merlin's Cove was in Hogwarts and left me the translated runes that contain the password in hopes that I can find out more about this.
"And I did. In my first year, I accessed this room and there was a key that fit the box," Victor trailed as he stood up and opened a drawer. He picked up something small inside and turned to Harry to show him a silver key.
"Merlin told me all about the box and what's inside it," Victor said as he handed Harry the key. Harry immediately made quick work to open the box. Slowly, as if afraid of something jumping out, Harry opened the box. The box wasn't cursed nor it contained a curse but he could see a yellowing bit of parchment, a bounded scroll.
Carefully, he untied the scroll, and found himself staring at strange runes that he was pretty sure Hermione would be able to decipher. However, he could not make sense of it and looked back at Victor.
"Don't you think it strange that Merlin was around when King Arthur's alive knowing that the prophesized King was around fifth century? Hogwarts was built around the tenth century and we all know Merlin attended Hogwarts as a student since he was born around the same century. What can you infer from this, Potter?"
Harry's forehead creased as his eyebrows furrowed, "But that's impossible! He couldn't have been at the same time periods at history at the same time, could he? Even with Time-Turners, he can't have done that. Unless…"
Harry trailed off as he realized the point Victor has been making. His eyes widened comically and flew towards Victor who was watching him seriously. The Ravenclaw didn't miss the questioning look on Harry's eyes, and he nodded.
"The scroll contains Merlin's equation, or the spell creation of traveling through time."
Harry was dumbfounded. This was incredulous, so stupid but yet, it made sense. Pieces were starting to click and his eyes found those of Merlin's and the wizard in the portrait merely smiled. He understood the secrecy of the box, why it was hidden. Time wasn't something to be meddled with, and never lightly. The consequences were far too grave, but if this saves a lot more lives… Harry thinks he could pay the price.
"So, this is it, then? This is the mean to achieve do everything all over again?" Harry said, eyes burning with determination.
"No," Victor shot him down immediately. It was almost funny how the hopeful expression in Harry's face crumbled and the flicker of hope in his eyes gone instantly.
Harry stood up quickly, face contorted with rage and anger. Snarling, his voice filled with venom, "You've given me hope just to tell me no."
"Well, I guess the rumors are true. It's not very pleasant to be at the end of your fiery temper," Victor quipped, and then he sighed, "You haven't let me finish what I was going to say."
"It's dangerous to play with time, you see. Time traveling means moving between certain points in time, meaning you would have to go in time with the body that you have now," Victor said.
Harry retorted, "So?"
Victor ran his hand through his hair, seemingly exasperated.
"You don't understand, Potter. While Merlin, the greatest wizard known in the history of Mugglekind and wizardkind, had the liberty, prowess, and exceptional skill and knowledge to back him up, I only know to work out and tweak the spell, and even so, my knowledge about it remains frighteningly little.
"Should someone discover you, it would be disastrous. Even if you work in the shadows, there's only little that you can do. You can not save anyone by hiding or being someone else. Disillusionment Charms would only work to a certain degree, and you'd have to fake a lot of credentials – meaning wasting time for planning which I'm sure someone of your temperament would not appreciate."
Harry bit back a reply because he knew Victor was right. "What about Polyjuice, then?"
Victor looked at him like he was an idiot. "I thought you were there when the Professor Not-Moody reverted back? Tell me, Potter, would you like to experience that?"
Harry winced, but his frustrations built up again. Why are they still here if Rosier kept on shooting down ideas and not give clear answers? If all hope's lost, then, he's wasting his time here. He's got much better things to do than idle here discussing what-ifs. As Harry made the action to speak and exit, Victor expressed what they should do.
"What we need is to push your mind through time."
Harry's forehead creased. "What?"
"I was fascinated in learning, you see. Given the opportunity I had having Merlin's things at my disposal, I proceeded to study the equation, trying to tweak it, replicate it, in hopes of a variation. And I created a variation by the end of sixth year, even the Merlin in portrait was gobsmacked of my achievement," confessed Victor, his enthusiasm at learning shining through.
At Harry's still confused look, Victor elaborated. "Traveling through time is dangerous as evidenced by Eloise Mintumble, an impressive witch but not as exceptionally skilled as Merlin. Hence, my idea of pushing the mind through time. You would not be affected, only that your consciousness travels through time, in this case, a duplicate of your consciousness would be pushed through time."
"What happens to the present time?" asked Harry.
"Theoretically, the present would cease to exist since it travels through time to make changes, for it not to arrive at the same future."
Harry was silent for a moment, trying to take in this overload of information. He looked almost thoughtful.
"Why now?" blurted Harry.
This time, it was Victor's turn to be confused, "Why now, what?"
"First, why are you helping me? Why would you just offer this solution now? If you had this all along, why aren't you the one to go back to the past?"
Victor only gave him a tight smile. "It was foolish of me to think you'd come back for the students during the seventh year. Of course, that wasn't the case. Figure my shock when I heard the Golden Trio decided not to come back at Hogwarts. I didn't expect that, really. I thought you'd rally the students during our last year, to stand up to the new and foul administration, to Snape, to the Carrows, to You-Know-Who."
Harry was indignant hearing these expectations from him.
"You think we went out to escape the Death Eaters?! Or cowardly enough to fight back? That's where you're wrong because we had something that we needed to do—"
Victor cut him off, "That's exactly why you have to be the one to go back in time, Potter. Of course, there was a grand scheme in all this, that's why you were only able to come back during the Final Battle! You have information that I am not privy to, what use would I have been if I pushed my mind through time?
"You think I just changed my opinion of you when I heard you didn't board the train? Hell no! I immediately figured you'd have some sort of a plan because the Chosen One wouldn't just abandon us like that. Though I can't say I wasn't disappointed that I wasn't able to give you the discovery I had found!
"You defeated You-Know-Who, but the cost of the battle had been too great. I feel guilt clawing inside me every time, that I could have done more as Head Boy, and I feel that every single time I saw students being tortured by the Carrows as detentions! That's why, as foolish as it may have been, I sought you out earlier and ask you that damn question because my soul wouldn't have been able to rest if I knew what your answer was!"
Victor was now breathing heavily as he let out all of his pent up disappointment he had against himself and the guilt that was eating him inside. The thought that he could have presented this solution at the time of his discovery would continue to eat him up.
"Then, why didn't you? Why didn't you approach me that you have found out how to reverse all this? Or the teachers even?"
Victor chuckled darkly. "And what? Risk it being taken away for tampering dangerously with ancient documents? Risk it falling into the wrong hands? Often times, good intentions result badly, and I just couldn't risk it. There was a reason Merlin locked this spell, but I'm willing to cross the boundaries of legal and illegal to give Hogwarts its best chance. Even now, telling you everything is a gambit, Potter. One that would have been worth it if I were right."
Harry considered him for a moment, "And if you were wrong?"
"Then, it's a price I'm willing to pay."
The room was filled with comfortable silence as they continued to stare at each other, sizing each other up.
"All right, let's do this," Harry announced.
Victor blanched as he looked at Harry as if he was an idiot for the nth time. Harry would have been angry or irritated if he weren't used to it, having Hermione around.
"Seriously? Not even taking time to think about it?"
Harry shrugged, "Hermione would berate me for this if she were here, but she isn't. I already know that I'm moody, head-strong, and very impulsive. I wish those weren't true, but I couldn't deny them. That's what makes me who I am, and I'm not Harry Potter if I'm not diving head-first to danger to save the day. I have this saving people thing, as they call it."
Harry didn't know where this confidence came from when just earlier he wanted to rest. But maybe he was invigorated by the idea of changing things that all the weariness and tiredness just flew out of his body.
"Harry – is it alright to call you that? – could I have one selfish request before I cast this spell?" asked Victor.
"Of course, that would be much better than Potter. It reminds me so much of Malfoy," said Harry, as he and Victor grimaced.
"Help younger me protect the only family he has, please. I failed on that matter."
Harry saw regret in Victor's eyes and he nodded with determination.
"See you around, Harry."
Victor slowly lifted his wand, pointing at the center of Harry's forehead. Turning his wrist, and with all his willpower, he spoke the incantation: "Tempus revertemens."
A flash of bright, green light shot out of Victor's alder wand that for a moment, Harry startled and thought he was hit by a Killing Curse straight to the head, that this was just a set-up to kill him. As the temporary blindness faded away, Harry can faintly hear voices that seemed to be close yet far at the same time, echoing and overlapping with each other.
"Such a beautiful place to be with friends –"
"The ones that love us never truly leave us –"
"Do not pity the dead, Harry, pity the living –"
"—Dobby is happy to be with –"
"—but you can always find them… in here."
"Harry. Take my body back, will you?"
"—and above all, all those who live without love."
"—his friend, Harry Potter."
"Harry, back again so soon?" a cheerful voice startled Harry, and he belatedly realized he's back again in limbo, in King's Cross Station in his mind with none other than Professor Dumbledore, dressed in his ornate blue robes. The wizard was smiling kindly at Harry.
Arriving in Limbo wasn't part of the plan. Victor hadn't mentioned this part of the program. Confused, Harry asked, "Professor, how— why am I here again?"
"Ah, I think that will have to do with your mind being pushed back in time. Was it not your intention, my dear boy?" the old headmaster chirped.
Harry flushed, "Er… yes, Professor. But I didn't know it would send me here."
"Of course, it would send you here, Harry. I told you, didn't I? You can board on a train," Dumbledore replied, his eyes twinkling in mirth. "Come, Harry."
Harry followed Dumbledore as the old wizard started walking. They walked in comfortable silence before Dumbledore decided to break it, asking, "Something on your mind, Harry?"
"Professor, er, are you not gonna reprimand me of tampering with unknown magic…? I mean, what do you think of this," blurted Harry.
Even afterlife couldn't stop Harry from asking validation or approval from the deceased headmaster.
Dumbledore hummed, "I wouldn't say that I approve of this, my dear boy. But you've proven to me, time and time again that you are a better man than I was, so I am giving you full trust in this decision, something I gave scarcely when I was alive."
Harry felt a surge of relief wash over him.
"If I'm not dead, Professor, why are you here? Aren't you dead? Considering that I was here before only because I was standing between life and death… I can't make sense of it," said Harry.
Dumbledore chuckled, "If you understand that you can't make sense of it, then I assure you Harry, you are knowledgeable enough. Time is simple and yet so complex in its simplicity that tweaking or meddling with it can be confusing.
"I will not bore you with the details, but on the question if I am deceased or not, on the whole, my dear boy, I think not."
Harry snapped his head towards Dumbledore, "Not? What do you mean?"
"Not," Dumbledore repeated merrily. "You see, Harry, when you decided to go through with Mr. Rosier's spell and the moment he hit you with it, you've undone everything that happened in the course of your history. The fates carved in stone are uncarved, and those that have intertwined have been untangled by your decision.
"It's often said that the future isn't set in stone, and because you are on your way to the past, the future once again remains unclear. When you arrive, Severus Snape hasn't yet casted the Killing Curse, and it may never be, because of your presence, and your decision to undo and change what is to be."
Harry's eyes lit up with hope as Dumbledore revealed this. "Isn't that great, Professor?"
"Of course, it's great Harry! But I must warn you, it is not without threats and dangers. Thus, I remind you to be prudent and smart in the actions you take because the possibility of causing less casualties is promising; but so is a greater risk in making everything worse than it was before."
The two of them arrived in a station. They were both facing a red and black train to which Dumbledore nudged Harry for him to board.
"Well, Harry, it's time. I hope that I may never see you here again, not for a long time," Dumbledore said kindly.
Harry nodded, and smiled at the man, that despite his misgivings, truly cared for Harry and only hoped the best for everyone. Well, at least now, he already knew he was only a pig raised for slaughter. Harry then found a compartment, one he knew by heart, and settled there, dozing off to sleep.
Then, Harry's eyelids flew open.