Chapter 10: Preparing for The Dark Lord's Return
—
"So, how'd the rest of your meeting go?" Ron asked as Harry stepped out of the headmaster's office fifteen minutes later. Ron and Ginny had been sitting on the stone floor by the gargoyles. Hermione was nowhere to be found. "Can you tell us what you talked about?" he added.
"I can't talk about most of it, but the meeting went well," Harry said. "We're going to meet once a week for the foreseeable future. I'm just glad he believed me. He did ask me to tell him something he hasn't told me in this timeline but that he did tell me in other timelines to further prove myself. I info dumped on him a bit but I reckon he finally believed me when I told him how he usually dies."
"Dumbledore usually dies before you turn thirty-five?" Ginny asked. "You said you've never lived past thirty-five, right?"
"Uh, Dumbledore usually dies when I'm sixteen," Harry replied.
"Woah," Ron said. "For the record, we both believe you, Harry… Hermione is skeptical but you know her. She doesn't believe in divination, does she? I think she believes you… or she at least wants to believe you. You might need to tell her some more stuff you don't have any business knowing."
"Yeah, from your perspective, this looks like divination, doesn't it?" Harry said. "It's not though, it's closer to time travel… where is Hermione anyway?" Harry asked. "I thought she'd be waiting here."
"I'm here, Harry," came a voice from behind him. Hermione was approaching, followed closely by Susan and Luna.
"Whatever this is, Harry, it better be good," Susan said, feigning annoyance. "You ruined Luna's picnic!" Susan approached and gave him a proper hug while also planting a kiss on his cheek.
"Hermione was supposed to collect you when you arrived and take you down to the lake, Harry," Luna said dreamily, a picnic basket in one hand. "But apparently, fate had other plans." Susan stepped away and Luna approached him. She got up on her tiptoes and planted a peck on his jawline. Harry was relieved to hear she had dropped calling him by his full name for now. It was funny but it had gotten old.
"So, what's happened, Harry?" Susan said. "Hermione said she couldn't say… just that something has happened to you and you had to be the one to tell us or we might not believe it."
"I'm still having a hard time understanding what happened," Hermione frowned. "Maybe you could explain it again with different words?"
"Not here," Harry said. "Follow me."
Harry took his entourage to the seventh floor. He then paced three times in front of the statue of Barnabas the Barmy and a door appeared.
"How did you do that?" Susan asked.
"I'll explain once we're all inside," Harry said.
The Room of Requirement looked like a copy of the Gryffindor common room, except there were a few Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw decorations where the Gryffindor ones usually were.
"What is this place, Harry?" Ron asked.
"This is the Room of Requirement," Harry said. "We used it as a combat training room in the future. It becomes whatever you want it to become. Just focus on what you want and walk past that statue out there three times."
"Sorry, Harry, but did you say 'in the future'? Susan asked, raising an eyebrow.
"I did," Harry said. "Everyone sit down." Luna and Susan sat on a couch by the fire. Hermione and Ginny sat on the other couch nearby. Ron and Harry sat in chairs. They were all now huddled around a coffee table.
He repeated his story for the benefit of Susan and Luna and he used different words and analogies for the benefit of Hermione's skepticism. This time he framed it in such a way that he simply acquired knowledge of possible future timelines and skipped trying to explain that, from his perspective, he was from those timelines.
"This is all amazing, Harry," Luna smiled. "You can use this knowledge to defeat You-Know-Who."
"I knew you were special, Harry," Susan said, "But I had no idea just how special."
"Heaven itself chose you to fulfill part of their grand plan," Luna added sagely.
"Harry, I want to believe you, I really do… I just think there might be other explanations that you and Dumbledore aren't considering. What if it's a trick…"
Harry was growing annoyed with Hermione at this point. He looked her in the eyes and scowled. "I didn't expect to have to work so hard in persuading you, Hermione. I've never lied to you before. I don't know why you won't just believe me."
"I want to, Harry!" Hermione pleaded. "This just doesn't seem possible."
"I had to tell Dumbledore some things he'd told me in my other lives to convince him fully. Let me do that with you."
"Okay, Harry," Hermione nodded. "Go ahead."
"You hate your teeth. You think they're too big and you want to fix them with magic but you're afraid of what your parents will say," Harry said.
"Harry! Why would you say that!" Hermione frowned. "Obviously I'm insecure about my teeth, just look at me! That's not future knowledge, that's just mean!"
Harry continued. "Madam Pomfrey will fix them for you by the way. All you have to do is ask. But fine, here's something a little more personal. Your younger sister died when you were seven," Harry said sadly. "Her name was Rose. You want to name your first born daughter Rose."
Hermione's jaw dropped. "I've… I've never told that to anyone…"
"Need more? You used a magical artifact last year all year to get to your classes on time," Harry said.
"Harry, stop," Hermione said. "Noone is supposed to know about that! I… I believe you, okay? You… you really do have knowledge from the future. I suppose I told you all of that in the future?"
Harry nodded.
"So… what now?" Ron asked.
"I need to start planning on how to defeat Voldemort," Harry said. "If I don't do that this time I'll just get sent back again. That would eradicate this timeline just like all the others. Plus, in future attempts I probably won't have this advantage since the celestial is supposed to wipe my memory when she sends me back."
"Why are you telling all of us all of this, Harry?" Susan asked. "What can we possibly do to help? We're all just teenagers."
"Voldemort killed me when I was seventeen last time," Harry responded. Susan cowered at this information. "I'm telling you all of this because in my past lives you all, apart from Ron… were the people closest to me… my…"
"Your soulmates?" Ginny finished, remembering that the term had come up in Dumbledore's office.
"That's right," Harry nodded. "I love the five of you more than I can possibly explain."
"How can a person have more than one soul mate?" Luna asked curiously. "Do souls not have one perfect match?"
"No, souls don't have one perfect match," Harry said. "You four are four of my five best matches."
"Five?" Ginny said, raising an eyebrow. "Who's the fifth?"
"I'm not a good person in every timeline," Harry frowned. "She and I brought the best and the worst out of one another. I was a dark lord in the making and she was my dark lady. But it doesn't matter. I don't want anything to do with her."
"Who is it, Harry?" Hermione asked, setting a hand on his arm comfortingly. "If she's an enemy…"
"No, she's not an enemy," Harry said. "She's one of the few good people in Slytherin. I think I corrupted her somehow… or maybe Voldemort did. I just need to stay away from her."
Harry wasn't sure why he never mentioned the name of the celestial he met in the inbetween was Destiny. He wasn't sure why he couldn't bring himself to say the name Daphne right now. He had to figure out how he felt about her first. He was reasonably certain that Destiny was Daphne from the timeline in which he'd murdered Umbridge. He had started to refer to this timeline as his darkest timeline.
The group spent another hour talking about their futures. They began making plans to start up the DA again, but since the year was almost over, it didn't make sense for them to start meetings until next year.
Harry began dictating lists that Hermione wrote down listing off names of people to invite and who to avoid inviting. He left off a few names of people who had joined in previous timelines but were mostly useless in actual battles as well as those who turned out not to be loyal. Marietta Edgecomb, Zacharias Smith, and Ernie McMillian were all specifically banned by name as they had all been disloyal in various timelines. All Slytherins had a blanket ban as well.
Harry then dictated another list of all known Death Eaters and a third list of sympathizers.
Harry wordlessly cast germinio all the lists and rolled up the copies to put in his pocket. "We can keep those lists here in the room," Harry said. "But I'm going to give a copy of each to Dumbledore."
"It's going to take a while to get used to you casting spells silently, Harry," Ron mused.
"Imagine how good I'd be at magic if I had memories from all my past lives," Harry smirked. "I only have full knowledge of about twenty or so timelines."
"So, when do we start recruiting?" Susan asked.
"Now's good," Harry shrugged. "Or any time this week really. No reason for delay. How about we have them all meet here Wednesday after dinner just to give out information and plan for next year? Can you talk to all the Hufflepuffs on our list, Susan?"
"Of course," she smiled.
"Luna, your housemates don't like you, so let's have Hermione be in charge of asking all the Ravenclaws on the list to join," Harry instructed. Both girls nodded.
"Ron and Ginny will handle inviting all the Gryffindors listed," Harry added.
"What are you going to do in the meantime? Ginny asked.
"I'm going to be working on what to say to the DA," Harry said. "I have to convince them that a war is coming don't I? I won't be surprised if most of them don't choose to join up until after Voldemort comes back… and I unfortunately don't know for certain when or how he'll do that this time. I mean, its usually this year at the solstice, but he as far as I'm aware, he isn't in a position to try it yet. I'm also trying to decide who else to tell that I have future knowledge. I'm pretty certain I'll tell Fred, George, and Neville… oh and Hannah… but that might be it."
"Ron doesn't need me to help him invite all the Gryfindors, Harry," Ginny said. "I can help you work on your speech."
"Thanks, Gin," Harry said. "I think I'll take you up on that. Let's meet up after dinner tomorrow."
"Before we go, Harry… there's one more thing I want to say," Luna said.
"What is it, Luna dear?" Harry asked.
Luna sat up straight and put on a big smile. "I love you too," she said simply.
"I… er…" Harry said hesitantly. "I did say I love you all… didn't I…"
"I feel it too," Susan added timidly. "I'm, er… not ready to say it out loud yet, Harry, but I can feel it."
"Same here, Harry" Hermione said, chewing nervously on her lip. "I feel the same."
"You already know I love you, Harry," Ginny said. "But as a sibling… this whole soulmate thing is really throwing me. I can't get past the fact that you're my brother."
"Please don't feel like I'm pressuring any of you to reciprocate romantic feelings," Harry said quickly. "Especially you, Ginny. While I have memories of being your partner I also see you as my sibling. I'm just happy to have you all close. I think of you all as family, regardless of what we call each other and how you feel about me.
Luna smiled. "Susan, Hermione, and I talked about you while you were gone over Easter break. We've come to an understanding."
"Luna and I," Susan smiled. "We're girlfriends now… and we'd like you to be our boyfriend… officially."
"Mione?" Harry said. "How do you feel about this?"
"I'm okay with this, Harry," Hermione said. "As much as I care for you, I still don't feel ready for a relationship and like I said a week ago, I know they both make you happy and I don't want to take you away from that…"
"But?" Harry asked, sensing she wasn't done.
"But I enjoy the cuddles and the hugs and the kisses…" she said. "And I don't want to stop doing those things… I'd like to be your 'friend with kissing rights" as Susan calls it."
"Susan and I are open to sharing you with Hermione," Luna smiled. "I understand perfectly well that you can love more than one person at a time."
"This is what you all want?" Harry said, unable to hold back a grin. The three nodded in unison.
"Geez, Harry, save some girls for the rest of us," Ron complained, though Harry could tell he was speaking in jest.
"Come on, Ron, let's give them some privacy," Ginny said, getting to her feet and heading towards the door.
"Yeah, sure," Ron said, also standing and heading to the door.
"So Susan," Harry began once his siblings had left. "What made you change your mind about being my girlfriend?"
"Luna told Hermione and me about polyamory," she said. "That's what it's called when you have a romantic relationship with more than one person."
"And you realized you were polyamorous?" Harry said. "You realized you would feel restricted if I was your boyfriend because then you couldn't have other relationships?"
"Something like that," Susan smiled. "But also, a big part of why I didn't want to be your girlfriend is that I was putting pressure on myself to be a perfect partner. I don't have to be a perfect girlfriend if you have more than one. Luna and I can take care of you together. We both have our strengths."
"This only works if we keep communicating our feelings regularly," Harry said. "If any of you feel jealous or left out then we need to talk." Harry looked pointedly at Susan, knowing from lifetimes of experience that she was most likely to bottle up her feelings and just not say anything.
"Can we have our picnic now?" Luna said, opening the basket she still had with her.
She handed out pastries and bottles of lemonade and the atmosphere in the room became more relaxed. Before Harry moved over to sit between Luna and Susan and conversation drifted aware from memories and relationships.
Before long Harry was feeling normal again. He was just Harry. Sure, he had a bit of knowledge of possible futures in his head, but other than that, he felt perfectly normal again. All thoughts of Daphne were now thoroughly buried away… she was a situation to address another day… or maybe never…
—
"Harry, relax," Hermione whispered. "Dumbledore knows they're here. He's keeping an eye on them."
Harry was sitting in the stands between Luna and Hermione as they waited for the final task of the tournament to start. Ron was sitting on Hermione's other side. Neville, Hannah, Susan, and Ginny sat in the row behind them. Susan was directly behind Harry and she was playing with his hair. From where he sat he was staring across the way at two Death Eaters in the crowd who were apparently looking for food seats to watch the task.
"I can't relax, Mione, it's the summer solstice. Voldemort always comes back on a solstice, often this one," Harry explained in hushed tones. "Also, Alecto and Amycus Carrow usually aren't at the tournament. There's something different about this timeline."
"You said Pettegrew and Crouch Jr. worked together to kidnap you in your last timeline," Luna whispered, her arms wrapped around Harry's arm. "They both got the dementor's kiss last summer. They can't kidnap you this time."
"Yes but the Carrows could!" he hissed back.
"In your last meeting with Dumbledore you told everything to McGonagall, Snape, and Moody," Ron said, leaning across Hermione to speak. "They're all keeping an eye on them too, look." Ron pointed down to where all the teachers were sitting. Moody's eye was working overtime and all four professors, Dumbledore included, were indeed glancing over at the Carrows with regularity. Harry had also noticed Tonks and Kingley in the crowd.
"If I've told him they're Death Eaters, why hasn't Dumbledore moved to capture them or at least banned them from attending?" Harry complained.
"Anyone can attend, Harry, it's in the rules… and Dumbledore doesn't have any proof beyond your word," Hermione said smartly.
"Perhaps he hopes they will try something and then they can capture them since he'll have proof?" Luna postulated.
"They're coming this way!" Harry barked. Indeed the Carrows were on the move. They'd spotted Harry in the crowd and were making a beeline towards him. The closer they got to him, the faster they ran. Dumbledore and the other professors had got to their feet and were hurrying behind them but the Carrows had a large lead.
Harry stood up and drew his wand. Ron followed suit. Hermione, Luna, and the others were all too slow to react. There were so many people that Harry didn't have a good shot until Amycus was right up on him.
Harry flicked his wand and casted a wordless expelliarmus, knocking Amycus's wand out of his hand. To Harry's surprise, Amycus lunged forward despite being wandless. He grabbed Harry and they began to wrestle. Harry couldn't get a spell off while being grappled.
Ron had gotten a spell off but it bounced off of Alecto's shield. Ron charged through the barrier as it was only magical and not physical and he punched her full in the face. They too began to tussle. This was a good move on Ron's part, Harry thought. Alecto had much more magical knowledge than Ron, but he was big for his age and much stronger than the thin woman.
Hermione screamed as she fumbled for her wand to try to help. Once she had her wand in hand she couldn't get a shot at the Carrows without hitting Ron and Harry. The crowd was now dispersing. The professors had just stepped into range when Amycus shouted "Portus!". Harry felt a disgustingly familiar pull from behind his navel as the man wandlessly activated a portkey.
A moment later his feet hit the ground in the graveyard. He stumbled and fell back having never mastered portkey travel in any of his previous lives. Amycus maintained his footing. A moment later, Alecto appeared, still grappling Ron.
"No!" Harry shouted through the pain in his scar. Voldemort was close. He'd felt this paint hundreds of times. This time he fought through it.
Casting from his back, a silent flipendo spell sent Alecto to the ground and Ron pounced on her again. Before he could cast another follow up spell, Amycus had dove on top of him, pinning his wand hand to the ground above his head.
A very dark memory suddenly resurfaced. It was from his darkest timeline. It was the first time he'd casted wandless magic in that timeline. He'd been dueling Belatrix Lastrange and she'd just killed… someone… someone very important to him. She'd even pinned him to the ground much like Amycus was doing to him now.
"Tonight is the night, Potter,' Amycus growled as he pulled out a black dagger. "Tonight is the night of my master's return.
Harry's hand found its way to the Death Eater's neck. He'd done it once before, hadn't he? He had to do it again.
"Sectumsempra!" Harry shouted. This spell was one he'd never managed to do wordlessly, but it was the first spell he'd ever done wandlessly. Much like Bellatrix's neck had done in his memories, Amycus's neck essentially exploded into viscera. The head rolled away in a different direction to where the body fell. Harry, covered in blood, pushed the corpse off of him. The pain in his scar made it difficult for him to realize that the dagger had been driven into his shoulder. He pulled the dagger out and dropped it to the ground.
"Accio wand," he cried out. He reached his hand out and his wand came flying back to him. A quick 'Episky' slowed the bleeding from his wound but he knew he would need a heeler to close it fully. He made a mental note to learn some proper healing spells this time around. He looked up to find Ron had pinned Aleco down.
"Harry!" Ron cried. "Harry, are you okay? Harry, she hit her head when you flipped her. She was bleeding a lot. She got weaker and weaker as I wrestled her. I think… I think you killed her when you flipped her. She might just be unconscious though." Alecto had stopped moving. Ron recovered his wand and stood up and Harry also got to his feet.
"Ron!" Harry groaned, reaching into his robe pocket and pulling out his invisibility cloak which he had bundled up into a ball. The material was so thin it barely had made a bulge in his pocket. "He's coming and you need to hide. Confringo," he added lazily, launching a blasting hex into Alecto's head. There was a grotesque crunching sound as her head imploded a little.
"Shit!" Ron said, backing away, clearly panicking. "Well you've definitely killed her now."
Harry thrusted the cloak into Ron's hand and then summoned Alecto's wand with a wave of his hand and another 'accio wand' in his third display of wandless magic that evening.
"Ron, listen, you need to hide," Harry said quickly. "He's coming. My scar is telling me he's got one more follower with him and he's coming. Stay hidden until-"
"What, now your scar can talk to you?" Ron asked incredulously.
But Harry was too late. The door from Riddle Manner opened and Avery stepped out holding Voldemort in a bundle. Harry fell to his knees in pain.
"Kill the spare!" Voldemort hissed.
"Avada Kedavra," Avery shouted. A streak of green light shot straight at Ron.
"No!" Harry bellowed as the spell flew directly at Ron's chest.
