The battle was over, and the castle was celebrating like it never had before. The Great Hall was filled with students, teachers and Aurors eating and cheering wildly for their accomplishments earlier that day.
The Gryffindor table seemed to be celebrating the hardest, at least to Harry’s eyes. Seamus and Dean, at one point, got up on the table and started doing an Irish dance until Kevin came around and dragged them back to their seats. It wasn’t that he didn’t want the boys to be in a jovial mood, but he preferred to stop anything that could cause an accident. With all the food and drink scattered around, it was possible that the two boys could have slipped.
It then came as a surprise to the entire hall when Kevin bounded up on the staff table and started a dance of his own. He was only doing it for a few seconds until he remembered what a horrible dancer he was and took his seat again. The hall was indeed alive with happiness.
Alive, Harry thought.
He looked up at the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher and remembered that this man had died at one time. Harry remembered seeing his corpse lying in the streets of Hogsmeade; an image that Harry will never forget. Even though the timeline was changed, it still haunted him that something like this could actually happen.
Remembering the previous timeline drew Harry’s attention away from the head table and turned it to the red-haired beauty sitting beside him. He hadn’t told Ginny about what had happened yet, and he wasn’t sure that he wanted to. Telling his girlfriend that she had died while protecting him wasn’t something that could be brought up in conversation easily. Harry wrapped an arm around her shoulders. Ginny gazed up into his eyes and kissed him. It can wait, he thought.
He glanced over at the Slytherin table and saw Draco Malfoy celebrating along with everyone. Malfoy noticed that he was being watched, and gave Harry a spiteful glare. Harry thought about what Malfoy had said in the other timeline, and thought, He’ll never believe that he could really say something like that. It was a shame really. Harry sort of liked that side of Malfoy.
The party lasted for almost an hour before Professor Dumbledore called for order. With a wave of his hands, the food and drinks were cleared from the tables and floors. The students sat quietly as the headmaster addressed them. “Today, I can say with great certainty, that Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry has produced the finest students that I have seen in my long years here. I am proud of all of you, those that fought and those that had the good sense not to rush into something that they were unprepared for. Indeed, it perhaps was the cool heads of some of the less experienced students to stay behind that we have no fatalities.” His head inclined towards the Gryffindor table. Harry caught the little wink Dumbledore gave him. “Though some of our students suffered injuries, I have full confidence in Madam Pomfrey and the medical wizards from St. Mungo’s to fix them up, good as new.
“I do, however, have some rather disturbing news.” Dumbledore paused for a moment to clear his throat. “Voldemort is not dead.”
The Great Hall suddenly exploded with murmurs and shouts to contradict the headmaster. “But we saw him disappear!” “Professor Hall used a spell on him!” “The ground shook!”
Dumbledore raised his hands to silence all the voices. “I know that you all saw the Dark Lord disappear, but that was only a victory for a battle. The war is still very much alive.”
Kevin stood up to address the students. “What some of you saw was a dispelling charm that takes a great deal of power to cast. It works much like the Unforgivable Curses in that the wielder has to want to use the curse badly enough to put enough force behind it. It isn’t used often, because most people who would go so far as to dispel a wizard would just as soon kill them. That, and the spell can only be used once. After a wizard or witch has been affected by the curse, it can never be used on them again. Their body and powers have adapted to it and can repel it. Also, the curse is only useful for one year, sometimes less.” Kevin folded his hands in front of him. “I knew that I could not kill Voldemort, but I could stop him for a while.” He sat back down.
Harry was stunned. Voldemort was still alive, but powerless. This would be a perfect opportunity to hunt him down, while he was weak. This chance would never come again.
Dumbledore spoke again. “We tell you this, so that you may understand the necessity for continuing study in the coming years. Your learning will, of course, take place here at Hogwarts. The Ministry has decided to lift the ban on the school in light of recent events.”
The hall cheered once again. The school was going to stay open, and the students would be allowed back next year. This news almost overshadowed the shocking revelation that Voldemort was still alive. Dumbledore allowed the cheering for only a moment. “We are all proud that the school may continue to teach you all, but I must now ask that you return to your dormitories. Though term will not officially end for another few weeks, I see no reason for you all to remain on the grounds. The Hogwarts express will be here at ten o’clock tomorrow to return you all home.”
He bid the students goodnight and dismissed them to their dormitories. Harry and Ginny got to their feet, but had not gone far when Kevin’s hand fell on Harry’s shoulder. He looked up at the older wizard. “You two, with me,” Kevin said. He kept a firm grip on his shoulder so as not to lose the two Gryffindors.
They walked down the corridor and proceeded into Kevin’s office. He told them to take a seat in front of his desk, and he sat behind it. Harry and Ginny exchanged confused glances. “What are we…” Harry started to ask.
Kevin put a finger to his lips to cut him off. “In a moment,” he replied. They sat in silence until the door to the office opened once again and Dumbledore walked in carrying his Pensieve. He set the stone basin on Kevin’s desk. Kevin got to his feet, “Albus, you called this meeting. What’s this all about?”
Dumbledore glanced over at Harry. “Mr. Potter and I have something that we must share with you and Miss Weasley.” He waved a hand at Harry. “Please come over here, Harry.”
Harry stood and walked over to the Pensieve. Dumbledore took out his wand and placed it near Harry’s temple. As he pulled it away, a long silver strand of smoke followed the tip. Dumbledore placed the strand into the Pensieve and swirled it with his wand. After a moment, smoke started to billow up from the basin. Harry knew what Dumbledore was doing now.
He was going to show Kevin and Ginny their deaths.
The smoke started to clear and reveal the battle of Hogsmeade. Wizards were casting spell after spell against one another. The scene started to shake and Harry knew he was being dragged by Kevin. The next scene happened much slower then what Harry remembered. Griff aimed his wand at his brother and cast the killing curse. The view shifted to show Kevin’s body lying spread out on the street.
Harry glanced over at Kevin and saw a frightened look on his face. He had never seen this seemingly brave and determined wizard look ill before, but it seemed that Kevin’s face had gone white. When Harry looked back over at the Pensieve, he saw the image of Voldemort dominating the smoke. The Dark Lord had his wand fixed on Harry, spoke the incantation… and Harry had to turn his head away.
Ginny’s image flung itself in front of the curse, and her body was thrust back into Harry’s. Ginny clutched Harry’s arm as she watched herself being killed by Voldemort. Harry turned to her and wrapped an arm around her shoulder. The smoke fell back into the Pensieve.
Kevin fell back into his chair. “Was that supposed to be some sort of joke, Albus? If it was, then it wasn’t funny.”
Dumbledore shook his head. “What I have just showed you was Harry’s memories of the battle that took place at Hogsmeade.”
“That’s not possible,” Kevin replied. “Ginny’s still alive, and so am I. That has to be a mistake.” Dumbledore reached into his robe and pulled out a small glass sphere with a flame inside. Kevin relaxed his posture. “The tempus flame. So, Harry went back in time?”
“As well as Mr. Weasley and Miss Granger,” Dumbledore said. “It was their choice to change the events of what happened earlier this day. They knew the consequences of their actions.”
“Consequences?” Ginny asked.
Kevin slapped his forehead. “Voldemort. He was killed in the previous timeline, wasn’t he?” Dumbledore nodded. “In this timeline, all I did was take his powers away. How did it happen?”
Dumbledore walked over to Harry and Ginny. “It was the bond between these two that brought his downfall. Much like the protection that Lily gave you, Harry, Ginny also was able to give you a barrier that could deflect the Dark Lord’s curse. The ultimate cost, unfortunately was her life. Now that she is alive again, the protection is gone.”
Kevin stood up. “Well, we weren’t counting on the protection anyway.”
“No, we weren’t,” Dumbledore answered. He handed the tempus flame to Kevin and left the room.
Harry looked from the door to Kevin. “What’s going on?”
Kevin set the glass sphere on the desk. “Sit down, Harry, and you Ginny.” They sat back down in their chairs. Kevin was silent for a moment. “Harry, what you and Ron and Hermione did took courage. Especially with the chance that Voldemort would be brought back to life as well. I have to ask, though. What was going through your mind when you agreed to do this?”
Harry looked down at his feet. “I don’t know. I just wanted to put things right.”
“But things were already right,” Kevin replied. “Voldemort was dead. How could you risk bringing him back, as well as us?”
Harry’s head shot up and he looked into Kevin’s eyes. “Don’t tell me I made the wrong decision! I did what I thought was right!”
“And what are you going to do now?”
“I don’t know!” Harry shouted. Ginny shrunk back a bit. “Why are you questioning my choice like this? Why are making me feel like I should have left you and Ginny dead? Shouldn’t you be grateful?”
Kevin leaned back. “Who said I’m not grateful? I just want to know why you did what you did…because I have to know that you can make another hard choice.”
Harry’s voice softened. “What choice?”
Kevin looked over at Ginny. “Tell me something, Ginny. Why did you fight today?”
Ginny, who was surprised to be included in the discussion, folded her hands in her lap. “I wanted to keep Harry safe.”
Kevin smiled. “Amazing that girls will give more honest answers then boys ever will.” He looked back over at Harry. “That’s why you did what you did, isn’t it Harry? You wanted Ginny back, right?” Harry nodded slightly. “There’s no shame in that. I would do anything to keep Sara alive. Fighting for someone you care about is the most noble reason to fight, but you don’t have anyone else to fight for do you, Harry?”
“I don’t understand.”
“Well, Ginny is alive. Ron and Hermione can take care of themselves. The school is relatively safe as long as Voldemort is powerless. All you have to do is pass the last year of school, and take on Voldemort whenever he gets back to power.” Kevin grabbed the tempus flame and turned it around in his hands. “But what if, somewhere down the line, you decide that your reasons to fight don’t serve your own interests.”
Harry was shocked. “Serve my own interests? That’s a selfish reason to fight.”
Kevin laughed. “You think that people stand up to Dark Wizards for purely noble causes.” His laughter got louder. “The naiveté of youth. Harry, the most basic reason to fight is self-preservation. We all have the need to stay alive, but some of us are lucky enough to have more people’s lives to worry about. That’s why Dumbledore gave me this.” He pointed to the glass sphere. “We’re going on a little trip.”
He stood up and motioned for the students to do so as well. They stood close to one another. “This little bit of fire has a lot of uses, if you know how to use it.”
“Des Lagrate...Mori Tempe Et Intervalia!
*************************************************************
Harry knew this burning sensation that washed over his body. The tempus flame had been shattered and the fire within had been unleashed. He was being pulled back in time, but for what reason?
He felt Ginny clutch his arm. Harry wrapped an arm around her to comfort her. The trip eventually ended and Harry’s breathing stopped when he realized where he was.
Godric’s Hollow.
But at what time period he couldn’t be sure. It was night in the village, but lights from inside the house illuminated the evening. Harry wanted to run up to the door and go inside, but he was frozen in his tracks. Ginny knew this place as well. “What are we doing here? Why aren’t we still at Hogwarts?”
Kevin walked in front of them, looking up at the house. “Ginny, we’re here to give Harry a reason to keep going, to keep fighting. He has the drive to become one of the greatest wizards ever. He knows it, but there are times when he doubts his own prowess.” He turned to look at them. “After tonight, nothing will stop him from doing what he knows is right.” Kevin walked up towards the front door.
Harry wanted to shout at him, to tell him not to knock on the door. A part of him, though, was eager to see this through. Ginny placed a hand on his arm and gently led him forward. Kevin raised a hand and lightly rapped on the door. A few moments passed before it opened. A tall man with jet-black hair stood in the entryway. Harry almost fainted.
Kevin extended a hand. “James, good to see you again.”
James Potter accepted the handshake. “We’ve been expecting you. Come in.”
James walked into the house, closely followed by Kevin. Harry didn’t move from the front step. Ginny leaned in close. “Harry, whatever happens, I’m here for you.” Hearing this did a bit to alleviate Harry’s anxiety, but not much.
The students entered the house and walked to the living room. Harry stopped once again as he saw a red-haired woman sitting in a rocking chair holding a small baby. She looked up at him. Her lips curled into a smile, “Hello, Harry.”
Harry didn’t know what he was supposed to do. His mother was sitting right in front of him, speaking to him…and holding him in her arms at the same time. Ginny was fascinated by this whole ordeal. “What’s going on, Kevin?”
Kevin took a seat on the sofa beside Lily. “Visiting some old friends. Have a seat.” He waved at a set of armchairs. Harry had to be guided to one of them. “Harry, Ginny, meet James and Lily Potter.” He reached over and placed a hand on the baby’s forehead, brushing back a bit of hair from his face. “And this, is baby Harry.”
Neither student said a word or made a move. They were in utter shock at what had just been said. Ginny’s mouth opened and closed, but no sound came out of it. She finally was able to say, “What…d-did you jus…”
James, who was standing behind his wife, chuckled. “Articulate thing, isn’t she?”
Kevin smiled again. “I said, these are the Potters; James, Lily and Harry. At least, these are them in 1981.” Ginny’ mouth started to move again, but Kevin cut her off. “It was the tempus flame. It brought us back in time.”
Harry couldn’t take his eyes off of his mother or the baby she was holding. He watched her cradle the infant in her arms and marveled. He always wondered what it would have been like to be held in his mother’s arms. Now, it seemed like he could find out…
“Kevin, have we come back to…” He stopped. Harry wasn’t sure how much he should say in front of his parents.
Kevin lowered his head. “Harry, we’re not here for that.”
James walked over to his son. “Harry…son,” he paused for a moment. “For whatever reason Kevin brought you here, you should just listen.”
Kevin raised his head. “Harry, this little trip is meant to show you why you need to keep training to fight. We aren’t here to change anything. I just thought you might want to meet your parents.” He got up and walked out of the room.
Ginny’s gaze followed him out. She got to her feet and left after him, quickly. Harry wanted to go as well, but he remained in the room with his parents. Lily stood up. “Would you like to hold the baby, Harry?”
Harry wasn’t sure how it would feel to hold his infant self, but he extended his arms. Lily set young Harry in his arms. He cradled his younger self close to his chest. The little boy looked up at him, smiling. “Was I really this small?”
Lily sat on the armrest of the chair. “Yes, you were, and I’m glad that we get to see you as a young man.”
Harry looked up at his mother, his eyes suddenly full of concern. “You can’t stay here. The both of you have to leave this place. If you stay here, then you’ll…”
James held up a hand to silence his son. “We already know what’s going to happen, Harry. Kevin and Dumbledore have explained it all to us.”
“Then, how can you stay here?”
James took a deep breath. “Because we have to, Harry. Some things can be changed, but some things must not. Your mother and I are prepared to accept what will happen for the greater good.”
Lily ran a hand through Harry’s hair. “Besides, as long as we know you are safe, then we don’t need anything else.” Tears started rolling down Harry’s cheeks. Lily wrapped her arms around Harry’s neck. James knelt down in front of his son and embraced him as well.
For a moment, the Potters were reunited.
**********************************************************
Ginny left the house, still following Kevin’s stride. “Where are you going?” she called after him. “What is this all about?”
Kevin stopped. “You should be back inside with Harry. He needs you right now.”
Ginny walked around him, coming eye to eye with her professor. “No, what he needs is answers, and you don’t seem inclined to give them. All right, you brought us back in time, but for what? Are you just trying to make Harry feel even worse then has already felt?”
Kevin shook his head. “Of course not. The last thing I want is to make him feel bad, but this is necessary.”
“Why?” Ginny pleaded. “Why give him this false hope?”
“How is it false, Ginny?” Kevin asked. “Harry wants to save his parents, right? Well, he’s going to get his chance.”
Ginny’s eyes seemed to glaze over for a second. “What?”
*************************************************************
“Tell us about Ginny, Harry,” Lily said. “What’s she like?”
Harry, still a bit emotional, rubbed his eyes. “She’s wonderful. I can’t imagine a day without her.”
“She’s a Weasley, right?” James asked. Harry nodded. “The Weasleys are a good family. You’re lucky to have found someone like her.”
Harry smiled. “Yeah, I guess I am.”
At that moment, Kevin and Ginny walked back into the living room. Kevin looked down at Harry. “It’s time to leave, Harry.”
Harry jumped from the chair. “What? Why so soon?”
“The tempus flame can only keep us in this time period for a short while,” Kevin explained. “We only have a few more minutes before we’re pulled back to out own time, and I need a little time with James and Lily. I’ve got to wipe their memories so they don’t remember any of this.”
Harry didn’t want to leave, but he took some comfort that his parents wouldn’t know what was going to happen to them. James and Lily gave their son a warm embrace and an affectionate kiss before he left the house with Ginny. Kevin, now alone with the two elder Potters, reached inside his robes. Instead of taking his own wand out, he pulled two battered wands from an inside pocket.
He handed them to James. “These should do the trick, at least for what you need to be done.”
James took the wands. “They’ll do fine.” He handed Kevin another pair of far better looking wands. “Are you sure that they’ll be able to use these, instead of their own wands?”
Kevin put the wands into his robes. “With a little practice, I think they’ll do fine. Besides, there’s no way that Voldemort can be defeated with a wand just like his own. The only other way that I know of is not something that I want to try…again.” He shook James’ hand. “Remember, Harry’s wand will only slow him down for a minute.” Lily embraced him. “I’m sorry I can’t do more.”
Lily stepped back from him. “We know what we have to do.”
Kevin took out his wand. “Lumos!” A light flashed from the tip of his wand. “Have to make Harry believe I actually did the spell. He’ll sleep better if he thinks that you two don’t know what’s going to happen tomorrow.”
********************************************************
The flames rescinded and the three time travelers found themselves back in Kevin’s office. Kevin sat behind his desk. “Sit down, the both of you.” The students took their seats.
“What was the point of that?” Harry said.
“Like I said,” Kevin answered. “I’m giving you a reason to keep fighting. Do you want to save your parents?” Harry nodded. “Then, Voldemort must be defeated. His wand holds the captured spirits of your parents.” Harry’s breath caught in his throat. Kevin let this information sink in before he continued. “When Voldemort kills someone, their spirits are held captive by him. You saw this when he was resurrected in the graveyard and your two wands connected for the first time. Even though his powers are gone for the time being, he still holds these spirits captive.”
“Why didn’t anyone tell me this before?” Harry asked.
Kevin folded his arms. “We weren’t sure that something like this was possible, until your experience in the graveyard. After that, Dumbledore was able to figure out exactly what had happened. If you want to help your parents, then you have to train…both of you.” He looked between Harry and Ginny. “This isn’t a one-on-one thing. Harry, you can’t be expected to take this on by yourself.” He reached into his robes and pulled out the two wands he had gotten from James and Lily. He passed James’ wand to Harry, and Lily’s to Ginny. He didn’t tell them that they weren’t their original wands, but they seemed to know something was different about them. Kevin thought quickly. “Mr. Olivander had to do a refinishing job on them, quickly. They may seem different, but they’ll work better then ever.”
“What do we do now?” Harry asked.
Kevin waved his own wand and an hourglass appeared on his desk. He flipped it over so the sand would start running. “We prepare, Harry. The countdown has begun. In a years time, Voldemort will return…
“…and you’ve got to be ready.”
To Be Continued...
Author's Note: The end of one story. Thanks to all my loyal readers. Be on the lookout for the conclusion to this storyline in "Countdown." Until then...
By the way, Kevin's incantation is taken from the cartoon series "Gargoyles." Loosely translated it means, "Transcend the barriers of Time and Space."