It felt like walking through a gust of wind, but only for a second. As soon as the wind vanished she felt herself fall on her buttocks and slide across the hall until her head hit a table. What was all this shouting? She grumbled while massaging the back of her head and raising herself leaning on the table. Turning around, she faced what it seemed to be the entire Slytherin house. Weird, she thought, none of the faces looking at her with a frown or a mock seemed familiar.
"What have you done !?" She recognized Ron's angry shout and looked for him. Ah Ron was in the middle of the great dining hall, wand pointed towards Nott, Flint and Greengrass. Typical
"Why would it be us ? I do know you suffered a blow to your head Weasley but I did not know your brain had been injured as well." Nott reply was smooth ; his voice was controlled in spite of the situation.
Nott was a seventh year and Ron, just like Mary a fifth. If Ron decided to do something stupid, Nott would be able to defend himself easily without injuring Ron. She took the time to look at the great hall and the students, trying to guess how many hours in the past they were. Strangely, she had had as much trouble with the Gryffindors' faces as the Slytherins'. She glanced over the Ravenclaw's table, maybe she would have better luck with her own house. Even if she spent a good amount of time at the Gryffindor's table, between classes, the common room and the dormitories, she did spend a good amount of time with the Ravenclaws.
"Why ?! Why ?! Do you take me for a foul ?! You are Slytherins... Ron's angry tirade was cut short by Harry. "Enough, that's not the point, they were with us and not against Ron. And what we need to focus on right now is how many hours we have. Hermione ?"
"I don't know. I don't know how or why but it's broken." Hermione looked puzzled and unsure of herself, which was unusual for the bright witch she was. "Harry" she hesitated "Where is Mary ? She was towards the entrance near Umbridge, did we leave her ? Is ..." Greengrass decided to stop Hermione from rambling.
"No, she is other there." She mentioned the front of the Slytherin table where Mary was with her right hand, her left arm on Flint. Harry took the time to check her. Some of her wavy black hair was loose from her usual braided bun. She seemed unharmed. Her oval slightly angular face shape looked the same, and her fair complexion was not damaged or bloodied. She was scanning the great hall with her eyes, before focusing on someone at the Gryffindor's table.
"Oi, are you crazy ? What the bloody hell were you doing ?" Ron resumed his angry shouting but towards Mary this time.
In the great hall, students of all houses and teachers eyes were darting back and forth between the group of students and a unfazed Mary.
"Mary, what were you thinking going up against Umbridge like that! You almost got a diffindo cursed at your face !" Harry's voice wasn't an angry one but a concerned one.
Mary raised her left hand showing her friends the locket while saying "I don't think this is what we should be worried about right now." Her eyes met Harry's "And we probably shouldn't be thinking in hours but in something bigger." She continued while indicating to her friends to look at the front of the Gryffindor's table with her chin.
Everyone followed her indication, and gasps were heard. The Slytherins group reported their attention to Mary, while Harry, Fred, Georges, and Hermione were completely dumbstruck. Ron, who had the worst temper amongst them, raised his wand at a distracted Nott ready to hex for the situation.
Gazing toward the Slytherin and catching Ron's body movement, Mary rapidly drew her wand and cast an expelliarmus at Ron.
Casting a disarming spell in the great hall seemed to relieve the professors from their stupor. Dumbledore rose from his seat and calmly spoke. "Children, enough. I take pride in knowing all students faces but all yours are new to me and your are not first year students; who are you ?"
In tense situations Harry was always the most brave of their little group. As usual, he was to answer. "Professor Dumbledore, I am Harry P..."
"Harry, no ! Terrible things happen to wizards who meddle with time" Hermione and Mary had shouted the same sentence at the same time. Both of them were wary of the damage their presence could generate. Indeed, there was no mistake possible, all of them had seen too many photos of James Potter to not recognized the Gryffindor student Mary had previously pointed out.
Students from this timeline, the past, started to whisper. Were those students really time-travelers ? How many years in the future ? Could those be their children ? The dark hair boy wearing glasses was, after all, a copy of James Potter. The red-haired twins looked like Fabian and Gideon Prewett to those who knew them.
"Professor, I'm Harry, Harry Potter. We were attacked and trying to get a way and start again..." The boy, Harry, was clearly hesitant and trying to carefully voice his trouble. The watchful eyes of the two girls from before added to his uncertainty.
"Prongs, you got a kid!" Was heard from a fairly handsome dark-haired boy seated next to James Potter.
"Yes, I see that." Was the sad and lacking in enthusiasm response made by James. The latter cast a quick glance at the Slytherin's table before returning to the newcomers.
Harry's revelation having created a brouhaha and Harry's distraught visibly to Mary's eyes, she decided to move forward and reached for his hand, squeezing it, once she got next to him.
Dumbledore took advantage of the chaos to spell-bind the students and teachers; all the information that was going to be disclosed could not be discussed with someone who was not present. He then let Harry know with a small smile and a head nod that he could pursue.
"What year is it ?" Asked Mary, she wanted her thoughts to be organized to process any information and to choose which to give.
"1978, Miss... ?" Answered Professor Mcgonagall with a questioning tone. The young girl, Mary if she was not mistaken, had used a spell against another student inside the great hall, she wanted to know who she was dealing with.
"Winter, Mary Winter" came the reply, she had a charming and sweet voice ; perhaps she would not be so much trouble.
"Yes, thank you, professor Mcgonagall, maybe we should start with your identity. Mister Potter I suppose is related to the Potter family. However, I do not know of a wizard family bearing the name Winter. Are you muggle-born child ?"
A look of anger crossed Harry's face when sniffs of disgust coming from some Slytherins were heard. Mary took a second to choose the words she would use. "I was born in 1980 during the winter and left at an orphanage, the nuns always chose a biblical first name and the surname is given according to the season. I am a fifth year, Harry as well."
Excited murmurs echoed within the great hall. If the newcomers were fifth year students born in 1980 or around, they were indeed their children or nieces and nephews.
Dumbledore nodded at her words, thinking that she didn't confirm being a muggle-born or one of the other two possibilities. His eyes glance toward the chestnut haired girl.
"Hermione Granger professor, yes muggle-born, fifth year."
"George Weasley, this is my twin Fred, we are seventh year."
"Ronald Weasley, fifth year."
Gasps and chats were coming from every side of the room. Were this three Arthur and Molly's ?
"Dhalia Greengrass, seventh year."
"Marcus Flint, seventh year."
"Theodore Nott, seventh year."
Two distinct reactions were overheard following the Slytherins identities. From their counterparts, noises of satisfaction, knowing these noble and ancient families produced heirs; Slytherin heirs nonetheless. From students cautious of traditional values and the snake house, scowls and groans were perceived.
Unfazed and reassured by Mary's presence, Harry resumed what he hoped was a coherent depiction of the event.
"Hogwarts is... was...? attacked by death eaters. Some of us gathered in the great hall. All of us and minors years. We knew there was nothing we could do to save ourselves. The seventh years apparate the youngers to Hogsmeade. Mary, Hermione and I we were supposed to use Hermione's time-turner, for a few hours only, to find a way to warn adults and prepare ourselves. Mary wasn't with us... she went for the locket because Umbridge was wearing it. We had been looking everywhere for it after the cave. The seventh years were going to apparate the rest of us... everything happened so fast... we tried to wait for Mary, but Umbridge was ready to hex her... someone disarmed Umbridge...we couldn't maintain the protection charms long enough. There was a breach, I think, and an hex touched the time-turned and they tried to apparate at the same time... none of it worked, there was wind, such a strong ... and sand ?... or dust ?... we were sucked out and then we were here. But Mary wasn't with us... Mary wasn't with us... how did you get here ? His eyes locked with Mary when his last question was pronounced, cutting his rambling short.
"One of the death eaters, I think it was Evan Rosier, kicked me in the belly and it propelled me toward you and I was sucked into the storm."
Evan Rosier, at the front of the Slytherin table, was tense after this revelation. Was he the Evan Rosier the girl was talking about ? He put his mask on and kept his eyes on the newcomers, ignoring the best he could the students' glares.
"Are you hurt ? Why did he kick you ? This is not a death eater way to treat the enemy. Was he disarmed ?" Nott was the first one to voice everyone's thoughts. Admittedly, Rosier was an adult and stronger than Mary, the kick must have hurt. However, death eaters enjoyed casting torture spells and never missed a chance to do so.
Mary shrugged her shoulders and frowned while chewing her lips. "He had his wand in his hand. I don't know why, he said something about a friendship that didn't die." She raised her head to look at Nott green's eyes. "I'm not injured."
Harry shook her hand lightly, asking for her attention. "Should I say more ?" Nott answered Harry's question before Mary could voice any thought."I think it is better if we now wait for specific questions to avoided revealing too much."
"I hate to say it but I agree." Was Hermione's response. She pressed her heel on Ron's foot to prevent him from insulting Nott.
Dumbledore was silently processing young mister Potter's monologue and the little information the others let slip when a cold, demanding voice emerged from the Gryffindor's table. "Good, I do have a question! I am the only Potter heir, so correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm your father. Who is your second parent ?" James Potter was standing and seemed almost angry.
Harry let out an annoyed breath not keen on disclosing this piece of information, since none of them knew if James and Lily were already together.
"My parents are James Potter and Lily Potter née Evan."