"If I could go back in time, if I could change anything? I'd marry her sooner. I'd marry her the moment after our first kiss."
As he lay in bed, the words of James Potter, his father, haunted Harry's memories for hours that night.
He resonated with the notion altogether. He suspected it had been a growing force in his heart, from the day he met Luna Lovegood. He'd been drawn to her, and as they traded notes and as they spent hours together in conversation, and as they kissed the beating pulse of it tore through him with ever increasing influence. He couldn't imagine life without her, andhe was running out of reasons to delay what he felt, with every ounce of his being, was the culmination of years of longing for something he couldn't really articulate clearly.
He didn't want to waste a moment.
Not to mention, the specter of her vulnerability haunted him. For ten months she'd be, in every respect, vulnerable to the dark whims of the death eaters and Tom Riddle himself. It would be clear, he was certain, that she was Harry's girlfriend. That he loved her more than anything. He couldn't help but tremble when he considered the target she'd become.
He had to do something. And he thought he know what needed to be done. In fact, he was nearly certain he'd already done it.
The series of events were so eerily sequenced that he couldn't help but see the purpose behind them. Hermione stumbles upon a time turner, which literally fell into her lap, just prior to Harry's first real encounter with /Nexus/, just prior to declaring his intentions to marry Luna Lovegood. And immediately after he returns to his room, he finds a memory practically encouraging him to go back in time.
"Unless it, I dunno, violates some law of time travel, you can come out now." He shouted into the empty loft.
For a moment, Harry was convinced he saw an impression on the mid-century leather couth shift, and then release. A moment later, he heard the stairs creak. He'd stood, a bit spooked, and with his wand out began to follow. Just before turning to the stairs, he noticed a bit of folded parchment on the nightstand. It was his own handwriting.
Hey, Take Dobby. He won't mind at all. To be honest, he's referred to it as his "most beloved privilege" at least a few hundred times. Find Remus as soon as you can. You'll need to take a lot of cash. Ask Dobby, he'll help. Take a look just beside your wardrobe. There's a leather messenger bag with an extension charm I've worked out. Take everything you think you'll need, you've got good instincts (except you never think about money). - HP PS - You're right, it was the only way. PPS - And if you could go soon, I really wouldn't mind a shower.
"Dobby?
A whip-crack sounded through the loft. Dobby stood before him in a charcoal three-piece with neon orange pinstripes, a pair of matching orange suede oxfords, and a vibrant purple beret.
"Good evening, Harry Potter, sir!" Dobby bowed reverently.
"Hi Dobby." Harry smiled warmly. "Sorry, it's late."
Dobby shook his head violently. "Not at all, Harry Potter, sir. Dobby is pleased to serve the Noble House of Potter, and it is never too late to call on Dobby for assistance."
Harry laughed, "Thank you, Dobby. Although I'm afraid this evening's request falls comfortably in the category of 'above and beyond the call of duty.'"
Dobby actually leapt at this. "Do not fear, Harry Potter, sir. Dobby is aware of what must be done, and Dobby has never been more honored. For Dobby to accompany Harry Potter on a long journey across time! It is the most beloved privelege Dobby could ever have asked for!"
Harry's brow furrowed. "Hang on. How did you—"
"Dobby has been speaking with future Dobby. Future Dobby has relayed all of the necessary preparations, which I've just completed just before Harry Potter called!"
"Oh. Okay." Harry nodded, catching up. "So you have..."
"Six hundred and twenty three thousand pounds, in cash printed at least one decade ago. And fifty thousand galleons."
Harry was taken aback. "That's quite a lot."
Dobby shook his head. "It is nothing to the Noble House of Potter, sir. And it will be necessary."
Harry took a deep breath. "Okay." He paused, directed his full attention at Dobby. "You're sure about this, Dobby?"
Dobby was bobbing now, and had begun to tremble. "Dobby has perhaps never been this excited. To go on an adventure with Harry Potter, Dobby had never dreamed of it."
Until this moment, Harry felt as if he'd been distantly observing the series of events that seemed to lead inevitably to his departure. Just now, he felt the full weight of the notion. A year. A full year away from everything and everyone he loved. And though they'd never notice his departure, he couldn't bear the thought of their distance.
He steeled himself. Anything for Luna. Anything for her safety.
"Okay, Dobby. Give me a few minutes. I've got to pack. While I'm at it, would you mind grabbing the Time—"
Dobby was grinning, bobbing on his toes, as he held out the Time Turner, which he'd already retrieved.
Twenty minutes later, he grabbed the leather messenger bag, presently containing his invisibility cloak, a half dozen tees and three pairs of jeans, his Firebolt, the charcoal pencil and sketchbook that Luna had given him, the Peruvian Darkness Powder from the Twins, a half dozen bottles of Intelligentia Concentrata.
"Did, er, 'future Dobby' happen to mention whether I'd have access to the Potter Library in my travels?"
Dobby, who had been restlessly bouncing on the nearest wingback, nodded. "Yes. Harry Potter will have access to the breadth of his inheritance. Dobby can't wait to show you."
"Excellent." The notion of it was thrilling, momentarily drowning out his apprehension. "Excuse me, er, Cloak?"
A stir was heard downstairs, and a moment later a blur of deepest black rounded the corner and fell upon him. After a bit of a shuffle, Harry was clad in a hooded cloak that seemed to shift constantly under the influence of an unfelt breeze.
Harry shifted his shoulders, fidgeted a bit with the strap of his bag, and nodded. His head was swimming in doubts. "Okay." He took a deep breath. "Okay, Dobby, are you ready?"
Dobby leapt out of the wingback and practically threw himself at Harry. After a bit of a tumble, Dobby handed Harry the intricate artifice, which Harry dialed in, wrapped around them both, and activated.