The Time-Turner Chronicles

Chapter 13

The Vision

"You - you have been through this story before?" Hermione asked into the deep silence that filled Dumbledore's office.

"Yes, I have," Dumbledore replied slowly. "And more than once. The first time, it was explained to me by some students... eight of them, to be precise. Their names were Aaron and Kathryn Giles, Fabi and William Nelster, Narcissa and Sirius Black, Lily Evans and-"

"James Potter," all said in dull unison.

"Exactly. Twenty-three years ago."

"Twenty-three years ago?" Ron asked.

"That would mean..." Draco mumbled, brow furrowed. "No, that can't have happened, we changed the past... that doesn't make sense..."

"No... we were there..." Harry started, but couldn't think of anything to continue his sentence with. What was Dumbledore trying to tell them? That the course of events hadn't changed? That everything had happened the way it did anyway? No. This couldn't be true.

"Surely not..." Hermione whispered, white as a sheet. "This... no... no, it couldn't..."

"Are you trying to say, Professor Dumbledore, that everything that happened in the past... a few hours ago to us... are you trying to say that it's the way our parents' past looked like anyway?" Draco asked, his voice quivering. "Are you telling us that we just did whatever made the future - our present - turn out the way it did?"

Harry slowly recovered from his initial shock. "This really happened in our parents' past?" he exploded, his voice was getting louder and louder... the rage he thought had left him was back... they had gone to the past and made it turn out the way it had. They killed Lily, James and Sirius by going there. This is what Dumbledore's words were implying, after all. Harry was furious. There was no doubt that Dumbledore had known. Of course he had. He had nearly said it. Harry's voice trembled as he continued, growing louder still. "The mind wipes and all that stuff? The attack? The meeting of the houses? All of that? And if we hadn't gone it wouldn't have-"

"No, Harry. If you and Draco hadn't gone, you would never have been born. If you hadn't gone," a shadow passed over Dumbledore's face, "all the students I named before would have died at the hand of Lord Voldemort."

"So we didn't change anything? Not a single...?" Ron asked, shaking his head. "I don't believe it. I just don't believe it."

"YOU!" Harry yelled, jumping up and pointing a finger shaking with rage at Dumbledore. "YOU KNEW ALL ALONG! YOU MADE US GO THERE! I'VE BEEN SUSPECTING SOMETHING LIKE THIS FROM THE MINUTE DRACO TOLD US THAT HE HAD BEEN SENT!"

"Harry, there's no need to get so mad. Let me explain how this all occurred-"

"YOU FOWL... YOU LYING-" Harry started but was cut short by Hermione.

"HOW DARE YOU DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT?" she shrieked, much to everybody's surprise, jumping up next to Harry. "HOW DARE YOU USE US LIKE THAT? THIS WAS NOT LEGITIMATE, AND YOU WERE FULLY AWARE OF IT!" she glared at Professor Dumbledore, catching her breath and it seemed as though she now understood something she had been pondering about for a long time. "YOU! YOU SENT ME THE TIME-TURNER! YOU ARRANGED ALL OF IT WITHOUT ASKING US FOR OUR PERMISSION, YET ALONE FOR OUR OPINION!"

"Now, there's no need to get so upset, everything's turned out fine-"

"NO, IT IS NOT! YOU USED US FOR NOTHING MORE THAN YOUR PLANS CONCERNING VOLDEMORT! WHAT IF ONE OF US HAD BEEN KILLED? WHAT IF SOMETHING HAD HAPPENED-"

"Hermione, please try to understand. I knew nothing was going to happen, because you had already managed perfectly when I met you in the past, twenty-three years ago..." Dumbledore said soothingly, calming her down. "Don't think I did all of this without putting much thought into it..."

"You still used us," Ron said bleakly, looking away from Dumbledore, "you used us and nothing will change that fact."

"Yes, but what other choice did I have? If I had asked you to go, it wouldn't have worked, you see. The students had told me that night, twenty-three years ago, why Harry had come to the past and how he had done it. They had told me he wanted to save his parents... and that he hadn't known anything about the events that happened. If I had explained why you had to go, firstly Harry wouldn't have wanted to, because it was the normal course of things and therefore meant that he would not be changing anything in his parents' or Sirius's life and secondly everything would have happened differently: you would have known what to do, how to save yourselves, what you were there for; and we can not afford to change any of those events."

"That's not the right answer," Draco spat. "We are not figures on a chessboard you can place and sacrifice at will."

"I am aware of that," Dumbledore said gravely. "Hermione, Harry - please sit back down. The reason why it was so important for you to go there is not mainly because Voldemort would have killed a lot of students, what with you not blocking him in the portal. No, the reason why you had to go, both Draco and Harry, was because of what Harry brought back," he paused and walked over to a cabinet, pulling his Pensieve out and placing it on the desk. "It's because Harry needs the power of the houses united to defeat Voldemort at good last."

~

Albus Dumbledore looked at Narcissa Malfoy quietly, before speaking. "It sounds very plausible that Bellatrix killed Andromeda. I will look into this as quickly as I can."

"Thank you," Narcissa nodded. "But, as I said right at the beginning, this is only a kind of background knowledge you will need to understand the rest of what I have to say," she continued slowly, her icy-blue gaze resting upon the headmaster.

"Continue," Dumbledore said simply, "I am listening."

"Yes... yes, of course," Narcissa said, closing her eyes for a few seconds. She opened them again quickly and went on, looking straight ahead of her. "Things started tumbling down on me after reading Andromeda's letter. I felt guilty, I found myself thinking of the happier years of my childhood at every single second. That is when I rediscovered our passion, one that Bellatrix never shared: Greek Mythology. Andromeda and I would jump up with names of Greek gods and heros, trying to catch the other one out if she didn't know a story about that person. Well, Andromeda had done that in her letter," Narcissa said, pausing because the memory seemed to pain her. "She had mentioned one of my favourite tales - the story of Echo, a nymph."

Dumbledore was listening carefully. Still, he could not see what Narcissa had discovered that was so urgent to talk about, but he had the impression that they were getting nearer to the reason by the minute.

"When Andromeda left school I started writing into a diary, because, although I still had Bella, I was lonely. I was flicking through it a few days after I received Andromeda's letter... and I found an entry that was protected with an additional password. Upon seeing that, I had vague memories of always trying to work that password out, because I seemed to have forgotten it very quickly; something that appeared very strange to me. After all, if I had put an additional password on that entry, it had to be very important - why would I have forgotten how to access it? I was very curious about what I could possibly have written in that entry... I tried a various spells and incantations, but they wouldn't work. Until I got Andromeda's letter with the story of Echo. My favourite story, Echo, the nymph." Narcissa's voice trembled a little as she continued. "I took out a quill at once and wrote those four letters onto the blank page. It was the password. The page revealed its secret." Narcissa slowly lifted her gaze so that she was looking straight into Albus Dumbledore's light-blue eyes. "I was sixteen at the time. In my sixth year at Hogwarts. I have a question to ask you..." Narcissa said and leant forward. "Why did you wipe our memories after the Dark Lord's attempt to enter the school?"

~

"What a surprise," Harry mumbled and slumped back into his chair. He looked at his hands for a few seconds before continuing. "So you made me go to the past to condemn my parents and my godfather to death and bring back somekind of supernatural power to defeat Voldemort, right?"

"You and Lord Voldemort are equals, Harry-"

"Well, no, we're not exactly equals, now I've got this funny power inside me."

"Yes, and that's the pivoting point. As equals, you will never be able to defeat one another. The prophecy says however, even though you are equals, one will be stronger. It is our task to make sure you are stronger than him."

"Uhm... Professor?" Hermione asked, sounding confused. "There's one thing I don't quite understand..."

"Yes?" Dumbledore smiled. "Please ask."

"How... how do you know that this power Harry now has will be enough to defeat Voldemort? Isn't it... quite an assumption?"

"Yes, it does sound a little haphazzard to me," Draco agreed.

"Well... no. But I can't expect you to understand yet..." Dumbledore said and pulled his Pensieve closer to the middle of the table so they could all see. "I must start a few weeks back..."

He placed his wand near his temple and when he pulled it away again slowly; a glistening strand was clinging to it. Dumbledore let it hang on the tip of his wand for a while and then added the fresh thought to the swirling mists of the Pensieve. The surface of the liquid or gas - Harry could still not tell - that filled the Pensieve became smooth and calm. The headmaster approached the contents with his wand again, and like the waters of the lake outside in a breeze, the surface rippled; he prodded the contents and a figure rose from it, slowly rotating on the spot... it was young woman, of about thirty-five years of age, sitting on a seat, looking down nervously at her hands. The woman looked up at an imaginary person sitting opposite her, pushed a strand of fair hair behind her ear and spoke: "I was sixteen at the time. In my sixth year at Hogwarts. I have a question to ask you..." The woman leant forward and in that moment Harry realized who the person was, although he had only seen her once in his whole life, back at the Quidditch World Cup a few years ago. It was none other than Narcissa Malfoy. Her figure continued to speak, scowling a little. "Why did you wipe our memories after the Dark Lord's attempt to enter the school?"

~

Albus Dumbledore looked at Narcissa Malfoy wearily. So she had found out after all... he had always expected one of them to get his or her memories of that specific day back sometime. The moment Narcissa had mentioned her diary, he had known. Yes, he had known and he had prepared for this kind of meeting for a long time. Nevertheless he had expected it to occur before now. Twenty-three years was long enough to find out after all....

He sighed. "I suppose after reading a few lines of your secret entry you remembered everything so clearly as if it had only just happened a few minutes ago? It is called total recollection... I never expected anything less."

"Why did you do that?" Narcissa whispered fiercely. "Why? That day, if I had remembered it, if it hadn't been erased from my memory, would have changed a lot of things... it would probably have changed my whole life ... After coming so close to meeting the Dark Lord and after witnessing the way my son and Harry acted, so brave and selfless, it would have changed so many things..." Narcissa closed her eyes, her voice trembling slightly as she continued. "It would have shown me the correct choice between good and evil. Between Andromeda and Bellatrix."

"Narcissa, I am sure you already know the reasons. But let me explain all the same. The knowledge of what happened that day was something you had kept well to yourselves when you arrived in my office that evening, all of you, and I was ever so thankful for it. This knowledge was only shared by eight students and me; and these eight students - I am sure you know of whom I speak - would have been in great danger. You knew that the power of the houses united had been transferred to one single person. You knew the immensity of this power. You knew everything about it, because you were a part of it. And that would have made you a target for Lord Voldemort." Narcissa flinched at the sound of You-Know-Who's name and Albus Dumbledore frowned a little. "Excuse me," he continued, "I tend to forget people don't like hearing his name. But to come back to that one day, twenty-three years ago.... The knowledge put you in great danger. And not only yourselves. You see, letting you keep your knowledge could have changed your whole future... just as you said yourself."

"Yes, and I believe I would have been happy about it!" Narcissa said angrily, her pale cheeks flushing pink as she slapped her hand on the desk in irritation.

"I understand, Narcissa, I understand. But if your future had changed and you had fallen out with your family to keep close to your sister Andromeda - you would not have married Lucius Malfoy-"

"What a tragic loss," Narcissa replied sarcastically.

"Perhaps not. But then, Draco would not have been born. And if he had not been born, he could not have come to the past. He could not have completed the circle of four united houses. Harry would not have received the power. I knew that you were Draco's mother after all; I had talked to them before speaking to you. I had quite some information about how everything was intertwined with each other, yes, I had a fairly clear picture. I also knew who you were married to, and that you had sided with your family, against your sister Andromeda. I knew all of this had made Draco the way he was. And it was essential that none of that changed."

Narcissa looked at him silently for a while, her cheeks still flushed with the angry pink colour, but the sparkling glare had disappeared from her eyes. "You were right," she said finally. "I did know your reasons."

Dumbledore smiled but did not answer. She had found out about everything, moreover, she had remembered it - fair enough. But still, his senses told him that they weren't at the end of the story yet. Apparently waking from her own thoughts, Narcissa continued, rather calm and composed, back to her usual self.

"Yes, I realized your reasons at once when I read my diary... the sixteen-year-old did not know about the memory wipes when she was writing, but I remembered everything after just reading the first sentence, including the meeting in your office." Narcissa paused thoughtfully. "I wonder if you remember what subjects I took at NEWT-level, Professor?" she then asked rather abruptly.

Dumbledore smiled. "Yes, I remember well. An interesting combination, if I may say so. Your subjects were Transfiguration, Charms, Potions, Arithmancy and Ancient Runes. All very logical and rational arts. And, on top of those, as if in contrast to them, you also had Divination. One of your favourite subjects, if I am not mistaken."

"Indeed. I did possess a fairly clear Inner Eye," Narcissa said nearly dreamily as if she was thinking of old times and wishing them back. But her tone was quite brusk and sharp when she continued. "And I still do."

Interesting, Albus Dumbledore thought. Very interesting indeed.

"And due to remembering all of this, due to all the pain I felt for losing Andromeda, due to all the hate I felt towards my family, my sister Bellatrix, my husband... I felt that there was something inside me that wanted out. There was nobody at home... of course not... since Lucius is in prison - and I will not deny the fact that I am happy about it; it has definitely losened the bonds that strap me to him - I am alone in the estate most of the year. I retreated to my room, and did something I hadn't done in ages, Professor," Narcissa said. "I consulted the fates."

"I will not deny that I have never had quite the right mind for Divination, nor the patience that is required," Dumbledore said quietly, studying her face. "True Seers are rare... but anybody with a little talent in this branch of magic - and students that take Divination at NEWT-level usually are quite good - can change a lot. I am anxious to hear of your results, Narcissa, for this is why you have come here."

Narcissa nodded at him. "That is quite right. This is indeed the reason I have been searching to talk to you... for what happened twenty-three years ago concerns a lot more than I think all of us initially believed. Let me take you through my vision again..."

Albus Dumbledore watched Lucius Malfoy's wife sit up a little straighter in her seat and closing her eyes apprehensively. He had the impression that something he had been suspecting for a long time would be confirmed shortly. Narcissa's hands were folded in her lap peacefully but suddenly, she clenched them to tight fists. She opened her mouth and when she spoke, her voice was deep and harsh; at the same time, her eyes flew open again, not pale, icy blue anymore but intense black, rolling in their sockets.

"The Dark Lord has risen again... his strength surpasses anything known to mankind to this day... to defeat him, one single person has been sent, one person that has been marked as his equal long ago... but as equals, none is more powerful that the other, none can defeat the other... the one person to overcome him will therefore need a power of that the Dark Lord is unaware... a power immense and ancient... the power of the houses united... the only way to restore peace on earth is to make sure he can acquire the power... then, the battle will be able to take place... then a chance to defeat evil is given..."

Narcissa's eyes closed again as her voice faded away. Her hands were still clenched to fists and she was breathing heavily, when her eyelids fluttered and her eyes flew open wide again. Their colour was back to normal, not the starry black they had been just moments ago. She gripped the side of her armchair with one hand tightly, pressing the other against her chest and coughed. Albus Dumbledore got up at once and strode over to her quickly.

"Narcissa... are you alright?"

"Yes, yes, thank you," Narcissa breathed, interrupted by another cough. "I'm sorry," she coughed again, "It's easy to repeat a vision I had, but the effort involved only shows afterwards..."

"Should I get you anything?"

"No, thank you, Dumbledore. I'm okay," she said and leant back in her chair. Albus Dumbledore looked ar her worriedly, but she smiled a little and pushed a strand of blond hair behind her ear. "Really. I'm fine, this always happens to me."

~

Transfixed, Harry, Draco, Hermione and Ron gazed at the ghostly figure of Narcissa Malfoy that was revolving slowly on the spot over the Pensieve. Her tiny, nearly translucent hands suddenly clenched to fists... she looked as if she was having a fit... and when she spoke again, they all jumped; her voice was too harsh, too frightening for the kind of person she was, fragile and rather like a perfect china-doll; the voice she now had did not suit her at all.

"The Dark Lord has risen again... his strength surpasses anything known to mankind to this day... to defeat him, one single person has been sent, one person that has been marked as his equal long ago... but as equals, none is more powerful that the other, none can defeat the other... the one person to overcome him will therefore need a power of that the Dark Lord is unaware... a power immense and ancient... the power of the houses united... the only way to restore peace on earth is to make sure he can acquire the power... then, the battle will be able to take place... then a chance to defeat evil is given..."

Dumbledore's memory of Narcissa sank into the swirling mists of his Pensieve feebly, her last words echoing through the room. All four students slumped back into their chairs almost simultaneously, not saying a word for a long while, until Harry, looking a little pale but determined, broke the deep, awkward silence.

"Well..." he said slowly, as if replaying the words in his head. "It doesn't sound half as bad as Trelawney's prophecies, you know."

Hermione and Ron snorted as Harry grinned sheepishly at Dumbledore, whose eyes were twinkling behind this half-moon spectacles. Draco, looking rather lost and surprised at their cheerfulness, studied all faces carefully as if hoping to find an answer. Finally deciding that he could not make out what was happening, he raised his eyebrow questioningly. "Trelawney actually can make prophecies?" he asked, amused but confused at the same time. "Well, well. This world surprises me more and more by the day."

"Yes, she can make prophecies, all right," Harry said, serious again. "And they're not really nice ones either."

"And by that, he doesn't mean the usual 'Harry-Potter-is-going-to-die-because-I-can-see-the-Grim-in-his-teacup' prophecy. You know, not the ones you usually get to hear in class," Ron said, sobering up as well.

"I never took Divination, although my mother certainly did want me too. But when she heard who was teaching it, she advised me too not study it at school. I've heard a fair deal about her classes, though," Draco said. "So what prophecies do you mean?"

"Well," Hermione started, looking at Harry as if she was asking him whether he really wanted to share this with his old enemy. But Harry just nodded and so she continued. "Trelawney made a prophecy just before Harry was born. Professor Dumbledore heard it himself," she said, raising her brown eyes to the headmaster for him to go on.

"Yes, indeed," Dumbledore said, "I did, long ago, in a shabby room at the Hog's Head Inn. In the prophecy, Sybill Trelawney said that a boy would be born with the power to defeat Lord Voldemort-" -Draco and Ron flinched- "-and that his parents had escaped him three times before. The Dark Lord heard of parts of the prophecy and went out to seek this child and kill it before it could cause him any harm... well, you know how this story ended, Draco..."

"Yes, he killed my parents and I got landed with the scar," Harry said bitterly.

"But that's not all of the prophecy said," Ron added.

"Furthermore," Hermione continued, "it also said that the Dark Lord and Harry would end up as murderers or victims - one would kill the other in the end, no matter how."

Draco nodded. "I understand why you say that it's not a really nice prophecy. I suppose your scar also constantly reminds you..." he said thoughtfully, trailing off, his gaze fixed on Harry's forehead.

"Yes," Harry said, "exactly. That's why your mother's vision is something I welcome. There is more hope in her words than in Trelawney's."

"Very true," Dumbledore said, "and very well observed. Indeed, Narcissa Malfoy's words bring us hope that we will be able to defeat the Dark Lord. That one day, Harry, you will win the battle you have been fighting since you were born."