Twilight

Twilight

L.S. Song

Chapter Five - Godric's Hollow

Harry woke up the next day, puzzled at seeing a blanket on him. Hermione must've put it on me, he thought.

"I'll have to remember to thank her," Harry said aloud.

"Thank me for what, Harry?" said Hermione, who was taking a bread roll out of the picnic basket the house-elves had left.

"For the blanket."

"What blanket?"

"You didn't put the blanket on me?"

"No... must've been a house elf."

"Oh okay..."

"Here, have a roll." Hermione tossed a butter roll at Harry. "We've got about twenty minutes left... so hurry up and eat so we can go."

"I haven't packed yet..."

"WHAT?!"

"I haven't packed yet!" Harry ran from the room, stuffing the whole butter roll into his mouth.

Harry threw things into a day-bag, three sets of robes, one set of casual clothes, and his invisibility cloak. Harry thought better safe than sorry.

Harry slung the bag over his shoulder and ran down to meet Hermione, who was already next to the portrait hole.

"Come on! We're going to be late!"

Harry and Hermione sprinted out of the portrait hole, to Dumbledore's office. Hermione paused at the gargoyles. "Oh no, we don't know the password!"

"Honestly Hermione!" said Harry in a perfect imitation of Hermione. "Licorice Stick!"

"Licorice? Disgusting..."

Harry and Hermione knocked on Dumbledore's office door. "Come in," they heard.

"Professor, sorry we're late," said Hermione breathlessly.

"Oh, not at all. How was your breakfast? Satisfactory I hope?"

"Oh yes, it was delicious."

"All I had was a roll..." Hermione elbowed Harry in the chest.

Dumbledore laughed. "Well that won't fill a growing man's stomach will it?" With a wave of his wand, Dumbledore conjured up a plate of sandwiches.

"Eat up, whilst I explain the theory behind the time-travel charm."

Hermione cast Harry a disapproving look as he started shoveling sandwiches into his mouth.

"The time-travel charm is to allow one's essence, spirit if you will, to enter the fourth dimension and fly backwards, hence traveling backwards in time. Wizards have honed this charm to allow a person to choose exactly when and where they want to go, with certain limitations of course. I have further developed the charm to take our bodies back. The incantation is 'Tempus Rewindo' followed by your stated time and destination. Wand movement is a full circle going anti-clockwise. Remember that, you MUST NOT go clockwise, or your body will be transported into the future whilst your mind goes to the past - or so my theory says. Needless to say, it would be very hard to reunite your body and spirit when they're in different timelines, making it impossible for you to do any counterspells. Now, practice the wand movement, follow my demonstration." Dumbledore swung his wand around in a circle, then flicked when he reached the starting point of the circle. Red smoke stayed in place where Dumbledore's wand had traced through the air.

Harry and Hermione did as they were told, but it was a couple of times before Dumbledore was satisfied with their wand movements.

"Good. Now, put your wands down and practice the incantation."

"Tempus Rewindo, December 1979, Godric's Hollow," said Harry and Hermione as one.

Harry shot Hermione a curious glance. "You want to go meet my parents too?"

"Of course I do, and its better if we stick together anyway."

"Right."

"So, we have our destination planned already I see. Okay, before we go, we will need a method to convince Lily and James that we are not hostile, and we are who we claim to be. The easiest way to do this is the memory duplication charm, which shouldn't be too hard for you to master. The incantation is 'memoirtransverto', you may practice now."

Harry wasn't certain he wanted to do this. Hermione looked equally nervous.

"Well... I'll go first then. Memoirtransverto!" said Hermione.

Harry saw Hermione's life flash before him. Memories as a little child, licking ice cream and playing jump rope, to a nervous eleven year old placing the sorting hat on her head, to a frightened girl as they went down the trapdoor to retrieve the Philosopher's Stone, to the cold emptiness of being petrified, to the fright of Dementors and riding a hippogriff in third year and the joy of helping Harry free his godfather...

Harry grimaced. Hermione's crushes now flashed through his mind. Victor Krum, and Ron. Blissfully, the crushes ended, and Harry saw the whole fight at the department of mysteries through Hermione's eyes, feeling her own admiration for his ability to think under conditions like that. Then was the sixth year - Hermione's year with Ron. Harry shut his mind at that, and said, "Yeah it worked. My turn, I suppose. Memoirtransverto!"

Hermione's eyes glazed.

Slowly, tears began welling up in her eyes. Hermione then winced a great many times, until a big, knowing smile appeared on her face, only to be wiped out again.

"Oh HARRY!" Hermione hugged him.

Harry was uncomfortable. He could not think of any words to say, so he gave a pleading look to Dumbledore over Hermione's head.

"Eh-hem. I know it is trying to experience Harry's life in such a short period of time, but we really must get going on our field trip before the rest of the school gets up. Our bodies should only disappear for one minute, but it would be hard to explain if someone saw. So, on the count of three then?"

Harry and Hermione picked up their wands.

"One..."

Harry checked his watch. It read 8:19.

"Two..."

Harry thought of Ginny, and how he had left things with her at a bad note. Harry stiffened, knowing he wouldn't see her again for another month. Well at least he could think of ways to get back on her good side whilst he was away...

"THREE!"

Three voices yelled, "TEMPUS REWINDO, December 1979, GODRIC'S HOLLOW!"

The sensation was strange. Harry felt a jerk from all directions, making him feel rather stretched out, and then his mind spun around and around and around, until he landed face first into a red and gold carpet.

Harry felt Hermione next to him, and he saw Dumbledore's boots next to his face.

How did the headmaster never fall over when using strange forms of travel?

Harry heard his voice, "LILY, RUN! THEY'VE FOUND US, I'll head them off!"

James Potter ran into the living room and sent out a flurry of stunning spells. Dumbledore produced a shield out of thin air without an incantation, which absorbed all of James' stunners.

"Dumbledore?" uttered James in disbelief. "Who are those two people, and why is one of them disguised as me? Are these Death Eaters you captured?"

Harry and Hermione stood up.

Dumbledore said, "I should hope not, James, as these two are Head Boy and Girl at Hogwarts in the year 1997. More importantly, that boy is not disguised as you... he is your son."

James laughed. "Now come on, Albus, seriously. Who are they?"

"My name is Harry James Potter. It's a pleasure to finally meet you, dad," said Harry, looking his father in the eye. Harry felt like he was looking into a mirror, only James Potter's eyes were brown and he did not have a scar.

"Oh my god, you're not joking are you Albus... He has my looks and Lily's eyes... but wait... how did these two come to our time?"

"With a lot of research and a bit of my help. They are here to learn, James."

"You came from the future too?" asked James, disbelieving.

"Dad, can I transfer some memories to you to show you?" asked Harry, almost timidly. "If you hear me saying anything else other than memoirtransverto, you may stun, or kill me, whichever you wish."

James Potter nodded, but kept his wand up.

Harry waved his wand and said softly, "Memoirtransverto."

James Potter stood, quietly at first, until his body had begun shaking violently. When he looked up, he was fully convinced.

"Oh... oh my god... me and Lily died? You grew up with those pathetic muggles?" stuttered James.

"And you went through all of that without a family? DAMN PETER!"

"I did gain a substitute family though, the best I could ask for. The Weasleys, Hermione, Hagrid, Remus, and... and Sirius..."

In response, James yelled, "Lily! Come here! You'll never believe this!"

Lily Potter walked into the room. She had shoulder-length dark red hair, and almond shaped emerald green eyes. Harry smiled at the sight of his mother; she was just as people described her. Beautiful.

"James, what is going on? Oh hello Albus... who are those two?" said Lily Potter very fast.

"Lily, that is our son... the one you're just pregnant with right now... that's his best friend Hermione Granger... and that's Albus 18 years later... those three have just come here by a time-travel charm..."

Clearly, Lily Potter was not convinced.

Whipping out her wand, she yelled, "FINITE INCANTATEM!"

Nothing happened. Harry, Hermione and Albus stayed exactly the same way they did, James Potter looked like he was about to laugh, and Lily Potter turned bright red.

"Lily, let Harry share his memories with you. You'll understand then."

"No way am I letting some random stranger who is probably a Death Eater perform a spell on me, no matter how much he looks like you, James!" yelled Lily, still brandishing her wand.

"Mum, I honestly hope you have better thoughts towards your own son than to think he's a Death Eater," said Harry.

Lily Potter met her son's eyes, and saw no hint at a lie. "Fine, do your spell."

"Memoirtransverto."

Lily's reaction was almost exactly the same as James'. At the end of it, however, Lily Potter was in tears. She looked down at her yet to be born son, and the seventeen-year-old standing before her.

"I'm sorry that we let you down, Harry," whispered Lily.

Lily ran and gave Harry a hug. Wordlessly, Harry smiled at the fact that for the first time in his life that he could remember, his own mother hugged him.

Hermione, Albus and James watched on, with a smile on their faces, until James walked to his son and wife and joined them in their happiness.

"So why are you three here?" asked James and Lily the next morning, over platefuls of eggs and ham.

"The wizarding world in our time is darkening again, Voldemort has risen for the second time, and his influence is rapidly spreading. You know of the prophecy, I trust? Well Harry will need some training up, and who better to train him than one of the top Aurors, and the most brilliant charms inventor the world has seen for many years?"

"Oh stop it Albus, you're making me blush!" said James sarcastically, batting his eyelashes.

Everyone roared with laughter.

"But seriously, won't this training mess up the timelines or something?"

"No James. We are currently in a separate timeline, created just for the use of us. When we return to our timelines, we will be the only ones who have any memory of this period of time, however, should we choose to return again, you will remember us the way we are. In the 'real' timelines, you are currently eating breakfast with Lily by yourselves, going off to work later on, and returning home late at night. In this timeline, you can do whatever you wish. You see, the current time-line does not really exist. Time travel is a very complex thing, and I'll be glad to explain it later James, should you have forty or so hours to spare."

"Okay... I got it. We're supposed to train my son and his best friend to be Aurors?"

"More or less, that's the idea. Your main task is just to teach Harry and Hermione here as many tricks as you can. I'm sure you two have learnt some during the war so far?"

James and Lily nodded, but said, "We can have some time with Harry alone though, right?"

"Of course. I suggest daytime for lessons and nighttime for talking. I myself have a few people I must visit. I will return in a few days," said Dumbledore, who then apparated away.

"Okay then, what exactly do you two already know?"

Hermione was now in her element. "Mainly defence spells, and a few attack spells like flipendo and reducto..."

"Okay... how about we start on training tomorrow, and we just talk for today. I'd really like to get to know my son, seeing as we won't live to watch him grow up... How about you two tell us some stories?" said Lily.

The rest of the morning was spent lounging about in the living room of Godric's Hollow, a warm, comfortable place. Harry and Hermione had just been describing vividly how they helped Sirius escape, when Sirius himself popped his head in through the fire. "Hi Lily, James, do you two mind terribly if I pop on over for lunch? Wormtail is out and I can't be bothered to cook something up..."

Lily rolled her eyes, and said, "Yes sure Sirius, we have some company though. Promise me that you won't do anything stupid when you see them. We'll explain when you get here."

A few seconds later, Sirius rolled out of the fireplace, with a cheery smile.

"Hello Lily! Hello James! Hello James... what?" Sirius stared at Harry.

"Harry Potter, nice to meet you." Harry stood up and shook Sirius's hand. "Of course I have met you before... but that's a whole different timeline."

Harry swelled with happiness, seeing his godfather once more.

After the situation had been described to a disbelieving Sirius, they had lunch at Diagon Alley.

Harry observed that although Voldemort was nearly peaking in his power, the people at Diagon Alley walked around without a fear. Obviously this place was a haven. Harry and Hermione had a nice day out with Lily, James and Sirius, returning late at night after going to several shops and buying unique artifacts that would ridiculously expensive once Harry and Hermione returned to their own time. Harry bought himself a silver chess set, a gold set for Ron, a delicate looking watch for Ginny, and a book that had been outlawed after Voldemort's defeat in their own timeline - Deadly Curses and Hexes: Defence by Attack by Scott Marlowe, which was true to its name, containing many extremely dangerous spells that little did Harry know, would soon need to be used, and not for practice either.

"Harry, may we have a word with you before you go to bed?"

"Sure," Harry said, "I'll see you later Hermione."

Harry followed Lily down into the kitchen where James already sat at the table.

"Harry, when you transferred some of your memories, I could tell that something is bothering you, something that isn't related to your mother and I dying, nor Sirius dying. Do you want to tell us what it is?" asked James. "We could help."

"I don't think so, dad. It's a girl problem," said Harry sadly.

"Who better to ask than me then?" James asked with a smirk.

"Fine... well I suppose it started really in my second year, when I went to visit my friend Ron Weasley at the Burrow, and his little sister Ginny had a crush on me..."

Harry had felt much better after he let it out of his system. He had raged at Colin Creevey, and described Ginny in such vivid detail that he was surprised James and Lily had sat there wordlessly listening to him, and had not fallen asleep.

In the end, they said that he had no choice but to let the situation sort itself out. Harry wasn't really expecting any advice, but he was all too happy to let his frustration out of his system. Harry was surprised to find that he slept much better, and he was fully rejuvenated when he awoke the next morning.

"Come on Harry, we have classes!" squealed Hermione in delight.

Harry sprung out of bed, but then groaned. "Do you think I'll have to call my parents Professors Potter and Potter?"

"I'd be horrified and insulted if you did, son," James said, looking into the room. "Come on down when you're ready."

Harry and Hermione walked down the stairs, lured by the smell of Lily's cooking. After a hearty breakfast, Harry and Hermione had their first lesson with James and Lily.

"Today, we learn about different types of destruction curses. The simplest is the 'Destructo' incantation, which shatters a simple item, like a vase."

"Destructo!" said James.

A vase broke into a thousand little pieces.

"Reparo," said Lily.

The pieces twisted and turned and reformed into a whole vase again.

"This spell by itself isn't very useful at all, unless you need to break something that you couldn't do with your hands. What you will need to learn is the Bone crusher spell. The incantation is, 'Skelestructo!' When the spell hits a certain area of the body, any bones in that place a shattered into a fine bone powder, and then absorbed into the blood. There is no counter curse to this, the only way bones can be regrown is through a new invention, Skele-Gro."

"That's unpleasant stuff... I tried it back in my second year."

"Did you? How did it feel?" asked James curiously.

"It was pretty painful, I mean it's like you're drinking liquid bone and its spreading through you..."

"Excuse me, Potter men, we were in the middle of something here," snapped Lily.

"Yes, Professor Potter, it won't happen again, miss," chorused Harry and James, who then gave each other high-fives and laughed.

Lily and Hermione rolled their eyes and Hermione said, "Honestly Harry, we're trying to learn here!"

"Yes, that's the Head Girl talking," muttered Harry so that only James could hear him.

"Anyway, if you hit someone in the head with this, you could imagine what would happen..."

All four people grimaced.

Days flew quickly by, with learning exquisite and often dangerous spells in the daytime, and sitting in the cozy living room at nighttime. Hermione had now gotten very comfortable with Harry's parents, and was constantly chatting to Lily. Harry was in total bliss - almost. He was certainly very happy, the past few weeks spent with his parents were heaven, all Harry ever really wanted. But deep down, Harry knew it wasn't real. Despite his joy in spending time with his parents, he missed Ginny horribly, and wished he could've left her with a happier note.

One night, the final night before Harry, Hermione and Dumbledore would be taken back to Hogwarts, James drew Harry aside once more.

"Harry. It has been wonderful to meet you, and knowing that when you go back, we will never be there, Lily and I have filled a Pensieve with our memories, so you can be with us even if we can't be with you." James took out a smaller version of the Pensieves that Harry had seen before; it fit into the palm of his hand. James handed it to Harry.

Harry took it with a nod, and pocketed it.

"Also, I have some advice to you about your girl. I believe that you needed some advice?"

Harry nodded, but thought to himself, didn't he already give me advice?

"Couldn't do this with Lily around, cause I'd never hear the end of it if she found out... well did you know that me and your mother never got along until the seventh year?"

"Yes..."

"Really, how?"

"Snape's Pensieve and information from Sirius."

"Right, anyway, I always had a little bit of a thing for Lily, and I tended to be, err... more of a showoff around her. I thought that was the best way to impress her by being cool. Well, Harry, do NOT try that. I wasted about 4 years doing that. It was when I gave up on my crush and acted normal that she finally fell for me. Oh... Padfoot never let me hear the end of that one..."

"But dad, it's different with me. I already missed my chance with Ginny..."

"Harry, you don't understand yet. Give it a bit of time and you'll find that you've fallen for her, and fallen hard. My point is this... when you realize that, be nonchalant but be sweet to her, be there for her if she gets hurt, and your patience will pay off. Not in the history of the Potter house has a Potter male lost his true love."

Harry smirked at that, but said, "Thanks dad, I'll keep that in mind."

"Okay, you and Hermione go to bed or something... I've got something I need to talk about with your mum..."

Harry nodded, and grabbed Hermione, saying, "Mum, dad wants to see you. Come on Hermione."

When the two had reached their bedroom on the second floor, Hermione and Harry slumped into their respective beds.

"What did James want, Harry?"

"To give some fatherly advice to me."

Hermione smirked. "Ginny?" she asked.

Harry nodded, and Hermione let it drop.

"You know, Harry, I've been having some weird thoughts lately."

"Oh yeah?" asked Harry sleepily, only moderately interested.

"Yeah... must be the whole one month of separation thing, but I think I've got that crush on Ron again..."

Harry snapped awake. "What?"

"Oh I don't know Harry, when Lily, I mean your mum told me stories about how she got together with James, it kind of sparked my desire for a boyfriend again... and I do miss Ron, even if it's just as a friend..."

"Mmm..."

"Harry?"

Harry looked up at Hermione.

"We won't do that again, I promise. I've learnt my lesson, friendship is more important than spending the maximum time with a boyfriend. After all, friendship lasts longer, doesn't it?"

Harry smiled. "Hermione, I don't mind if you and Ron get back together... honest. I want you two to be happy, and if that makes you two happy, then who am I to stop it?"

Hermione yawned and said, "Harry, you can be the sweetest thing you know? I hope Ginny realizes what she's missing soon, or someone's going to come and snatch you up."

Harry turned red. He took his wand, and whispered, "Nox Totalus."

"Goodnight, Hermione."

"Goodnight, Harry."