The Silver Millennium

Authors Note: I would again loooooooove to thank everyone who’s reviewed. I like chapter five better than this one, but I did enjoy doing Ron. Well here’s the chapter! ; )

-|- Chapter Six -|-

From the Future to the Past, and then Back Again

“Are you all right, Hermione?” Ron asked.

Hermione looked over her shoulder at Ron and then down at her bandaged wrist. “Yeah, I’m fine. I’m just worried about Harry, Ron. What if he never comes back? What if he’s already de-dead,” she said fearfully.

Ron didn’t answer; he too had been worrying about Harry and he didn’t want to reassure Hermione of something he wasn’t even sure of himself. He sat down next to her, and said, “he’s probably okay. He’ll be coming back any day now.”

Tears had started falling out of Hermione’s eyes. She wiped away at them furiously, and mumbled, “why’d he have to be so brave? Why does he always have to do stuff like this? Why, Ron, why?” She buried her face in her hands.

“Hermione, calm down,” Ron warned, “don’t get too worked up over this. He’s fine. Harry always makes it out fine. Like I said, he’s probably coming back any day now. Don’t cry over him, because he’s probably out in the future right now having the time of his life. Yeah, that’s it.”

Hermione stood up and walked over to the common room window. “He’s only been gone for almost a week now and so much has happened. Do you think the Order will ever recover now? How could Harry leave like this? Grrr…” She let out a growl of anger towards Harry’s selfishness.

“Well, I still don’t think we did the right thing telling Dumbledore about Kira. Harry’s going to be furious when he gets back,” Ron said, nodding his head. “Besides what happened to her? Sure she needed some attentive care from St. Mungo’s, but do you think Dumbledore sent her back to the future without telling us?”

“I don’t know. And I don’t care if Harry’s mad,” Hermione replied, still rather crossly, “I’m mad at him.”

Ron nodded his head again with a slight smirk at Hermione. “That’s why your bawling you’re eyes out in worry over him,” Ron said, “not that I’m not worried, but I’m sure he’ll be back. There’s no need for hysteria in a time like this.” He stood up and looked at his watch. “We have Prefect Duty. We should get going.”

Hermione agreed and followed Ron out the common room. “We’re on ground floor today, right?” Hermione asked him. “I know this is probably the first time I’ve ever said this, but I don’t feel like doing Prefect duties today.”

“When do I ever feel like doing them? The thrill of being a Prefect wore off last year when I realized I couldn’t purposely get Crabbe and Goyle into detention, because Malfoy was a Prefect. Damn my luck,” Ron muttered viciously, snapping his fingers.

“Ron!” Hermione said, annoyed.

“I mean…yeah I don’t feel like doing Prefect duties much either,” Ron corrected.

They were walking along one of the hallways on the ground floor, when Hermione stopped. She walked over to the arch shaped window, and peered through it at something far away on the ground lawns. When she confirmed what she was peering for was actually there, she started running toward the nearest exit of the hallway that led straight onto the grounds; Ron followed curiously.

“Hermione! Where are you going?” Ron shouted, trying to keep up.

But she didn’t answer. She continued to run fairly fast until Ron saw it, too; his jaw dropped and he began running instead of jogging wearily.

“HARRY! HARRY, IS THAT YOU?” Hermione was yelling.

Recognizing the familiarity of the voice, Harry replied in a yell, “YES, IT’S ME! HERMIONE? RON?” He couldn’t believe they had met him so quickly when he had barely returned from the year 2005 only a minute ago. He had landed promptly on the same spot in which he had left to the future. At first he was a bit baffled at where he was before he saw the outline of the Hogwarts castle in the near distance.

When Hermione finally reached him, she grabbed him vigorously and gave him a welcoming hug; she had once again started crying. “I can’t believe your back!” she sobbed into his shoulder, “I thought we were never going to see you again!”

Ron had finally reached the two of them and he stopped panting a lot, but managing to give Harry a friendly smile. “Great to know you’ve finally remembered what year you belong in,” Ron panted, jokingly.

Hermione released Harry, only to push him furiously. “How could you do that to us?” she growled angrily, “how could you just leave to the future like that without so much as a goodbye? How could you be so irresponsible and mean, Harry? Do you know how worried we’ve been? Do you realize that when you make stupid decisions they affect us, too? How could you do that, Harry?” She exhaled rapidly.

Harry didn’t say anything at first, because he was still in surprise at how quickly Hermione had gone from hugging him appreciatively to pushing him and yelling at him angrily. When he regained his ability for speech, he smirked. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know it was going to make you lot go spare. Next time I’ll be more considering.”

“Next time!” Hermione shrieked, “oh, so there’s going to be a next time? HA!”

“Hermione, breathe…count backwards from ten andcalm down,” Ron advised, “yeah, you did leave us going kind of spare, especially Hermione, as you can tell. So, are you going to tell us what happened or are you going to be a mute about it?”

“Nothing happened,” Harry answered, “I didn’t do it. I came back, because I had a dream that you lot were attacked, but now I see that it wasn’t true.”

“Where’d you stay for all the time you were gone?” Ron questioned.

“With a nice lady and her seven Foster children. One of them particularly, Kaitlyn, was very nice to me,” Harry explained, unable to stop grinning at the mention of her name, “she started crying when I told her I had to come back. She said she was going to miss me bunches.”

“Hmmm…nice to see you’ve made new friends and forgotten all about us,” Hermione spat in rage with her arms crossed.

“I didn’t,” Harry disagreed, “I didn’t want to leave, okay, I just felt I had to. Anyway, where’s Kira? What happened after I left?”

“Well, for your information there was a big battle between the Death Eaters and the Order of the Phoenix,” Hermione remarked, cutting off the beginning of Ron’s sentence, “two members were murdered, five innocent Muggleborns were murdered, and only one Death Eater was captured. In sum, we lost that battle. As of right now the Order of the Phoenix is under reconstruction…they’ve been holding meetings like mad; Headmaster Dumbledore and Professors McGonagall, Snape, and even Hagrid have been absent for the past couple of days. It’s been real chaos, Harry.”

“Who were the two Order members murdered?” Harry asked worriedly.

“No one you knew. They were newly recruited members that had barely joined in the summer,” Hermione replied, “I hope the fun you had in the future with Kaitlyn was worth it. Oh, and Dumbledore knows about Kira.”

“He what?” Harry gasped, “how?”

“We told,” Hermione said shortly.

“We? Erm…it was more Hermione,” Ron said with a grin and a nod, “yeah, Hermione…not me. No, I wanted to keep that from Dumbledore, so don’t blame me, Harry.”

“Fine,” Hermione said stubbornly, “it was me then. It was my idea.”

“What happened to Kira?” Harry questioned.

“Dumbledore took her,” Hermione said coolly, “and he also wanted to speak to you when you returned from the future. He was very angry, too. I don’t want to sound stringent, but I think you deserve whatever you get for what you did.”

The happiness of returning to the past was starting to seep away. Harry almost rolled his eyes at the last comment made by Hermione. He looked past his best friends and up at the Hogwarts castle. “I’m tired. I think I should head back now.”

“Chee, thanks for inviting us with you,” Ron retorted with a sarcastic manner.

“I assumed you would come,” Harry said to Ron, “I didn’t know you wanted to be asked.”

The three of them decided to stay in quiet as they walked back toward the castle; now Harry definitely was missing the year 2005. It wasn’t that he didn’t like being with his best friends anymore, it was that they were annoying him. He missed Kaitlyn’s gentle, polite attitude, and Agnes’ loud voice. Even if he had only been in the future for a few days, it somehow seemed better than the past.

“So, what’s this Kaitlyn like?” Ron asked as they were heading up the marble staircase.

“She’s great,” Harry said, happy to talk about something he was so eagerly missing, “she’s really polite, but she’s kind of bossy at the same time. She’s also a good listener. She’s a really good person.”

“That’s all good,” Ron said, “is she pretty?”

Hermione rolled her eyes at their conversation.

“Yes,” Harry answered.

“Well, then why in the bloody hell did you come back here for?” Ron asked in astonishment.

“Shut up,” Hermione snarled jealously, “you both are acting like jerks.”

Ron grinned as his ears turned a mild shade of red. “Why are we jerks? Are you jealous, Hermione Jane Granger? If I didn’t know better I would say your jealous of this girl Kaitlyn from the future. But, hey, if I were a girl I’d probably be jealous, too.”

“Shut it, Ron,” Hermione said.

“Speaking of stuff like this…are you still seeing Krum?” Ron asked nosily, “you haven’t mentioned him since June?”

Hermione ignored his question and continued walking up the stairs in aggravated silence. Harry had fallen into silence, too, mostly thinking of Kaitlyn; if he didn’t know better he was beginning to think he fancied Kaitlyn. Ron forcefully had stopped talking, looking quite upset that he hadn’t gotten his answer from Hermione.

When the time came for Hermione to separate from Harry and Ron at the foot of the dormitory staircases, she said, “good night. I hope you both have pleasant dreams dreaming about this Kaitlyn girl.”

“Psssh,” Ron murmured, “jealously doesn’t do her well.”

- | -

Harry barely got any sleep that night. All he did was lye on his back in his four poster bed and stare up at the ceiling thinking about how much he wanted to use that Time Turner to go back to the future; he sensed that Ron wasn’t asleep either since there was an absence of snores during the entire night.

By the time the sun rose, Harry was beginning to regret his lack of sleep. He waited purposely until Dean, Seamus, and Neville had gotten dressed and left the dormitory, before he sat up from his bed. He felt the Time Turner that was still hanging around his neck; he was tempted now more than ever.

“What are you thinking?” Ron asked, who had been watching him from across the room. He stood up and walked over suspiciously. “You’re not going back, are you, Harry?”

Harry didn’t answer. He continued to debate the matter in his head. Finally, he seemed to make up his mind. He looked up at Ron with a guilty gaze. “I dunno,” he lied, “I’m not sure what I want to do right now.”

“You’re not going,” Ron said seriously, “it’s too dangerous to go alone.” And then he grinned.

“You want to come, don’t you, Ron?” Harry asked knowingly.

The dormitory door burst open as Ron nodded zealously. Hermione came striding in, already dressed in Hogwarts uniform. She was looking in a better mood than the night before, seeming to have forgotten her momentary jealousy.

“Hermione!” Ron said in surprise, “you know you really need to stop walking into our dormitory so freely. We could have been changing you know or worse, showering! Maybe knocking wouldn’t do you too bad.”

Ignoring his comment, Hermione’s hazel eyes looked strictly at the Time Turner around Harry’s neck, that he was touching cravingly. “You two have to get dressed for lessons,” she said, “and put the idea of going back out of your head, Harry.”

“Why should you care if he goes back?” Ron asked.

“Ron!” Hermione hollered, “have you forgotten the last time which was just yesterday?”

“It’s Harry’s decision if he wants to go,” Ron said, ignoring her question.

“You want to go, too, don’t you, Ron?” Hermione asked consciously, “don’t you think I know you both by now? It’s so easy to tell what you’re thinking. But, you both have to forget about it. You can’t go back to the future.”

“And why not?”

“Because…because, it’s illegal!” Hermione informed.

“Hermione, we’re both going,” Harry said honestly, “but you can’t change our minds. It’s only for a little while. What can go wrong? Nothing, that’s what. If anyone asks where we’ve gone just tell them we’re sick today.”

Ron walked over to his trunk and pulled out a comb to brush his wild hair. Harry went into the bathroom to change into some better clothes than his pajamas. Meanwhile in the dormitory Hermione started arguing with Ron for enticing Harry to go back to the future. When Harry came out from the bathroom Ron went in to change into some decent clothes now, disregarding Hermione’s words completely. When Ron shut the bathroom door, Hermione turned to Harry instead.

“You both love to torture me,” she said, giving him a stare that made him feel guilty, “why do I even bother? You both never listen to a word I have to say anyway. It’s like I might as well not even try. And you know what? I’m not anymore. Go ahead. Have fun. I need to get to class since I’m already late. Just please take care of yourself, Harry.” She walked toward the dormitory door.

“It’s not that we love to torture you, Hermione. We just really want to go,” Harry explained, “and we do listen to what you have to say even if it doesn’t seem that way. Just calm down, okay?”

“If I don’t disagree with stuff like this, then who would?” Hermione asked very angrily, spinning back around to face Harry, “no one and I don’t even want to think what else you two would have been up to. I dunno, sometimes I just wonder why you two even talk to me if I’m always bothering you.”

“Hermione, don’t do this,” Harry groaned, feeling guilty.

“Do what?”

“This…you know, making me feel guilty. Look, if you don’t want us to go so badly, then we won’t. Happy? We won’t go. We’ll stay here and go to class,” Harry caved in, “we’ll forget about the Time Turner and never ever go back into time.” He started toward his trunk for his Hogwarts robes.

“No,” Hermione said, “go. Just go. If you want to go, then go. I won’t say anything. You both should be able to go if you want to go. I shouldn’t be nagging at you both to not go. Like I said before, just make sure you take care of yourselves.”

The bathroom door opened and Ron came out the restroom fully dressed. “So we’re still going, right? You haven’t let her dissuade you from going, right, Harry?” Ron asked, worried that Hermione had gotten to Harry.

“Erm, no, we’re still going,” Harry responded awkwardly.

“Yeah, we,” Hermione said surprisingly.

“Wait, what?” Ron and Harry said together.

“I’m coming,” Hermione said simply, shrugging.

“Wow, wait, times out. You’re not coming to spoil everything, are you?” Ron asked her suspiciously, “because if you are, don’t. That’s just very, very cruel.”

“No, I’m not,” said Hermione, “honestly.”

Harry nodded as he grinned and said, “Okay then let’s go.”

- | -

“HARRY, YOU’RE BACK!” Kaitlyn screamed at the top of her lungs when she saw him. She came running over to him similar to a fashion that Hermione had done the night before and pulled him drastically into a hug. “I’M SO HAPPY!”

“Thanks,” Harry said, blushing very deeply, “I’m happy to be back.”

Kaitlyn eventually let go of him and looked over at Ron and Hermione; Ron was grinning and winking at her as Hermione simply stared at her with a raised eyebrow. Kaitlyn neither did nor said anything just glared at Harry’s best friends.

“Why’d they come?” she asked, finally.

“Because,” Harry said, “their my best friends.”

“Right,” Kaitlyn slowly said, “erm…nice to meet you Ronald Weasley, Lady Nap…I mean Hermione Granger.” She was now speaking in a very polite voice. She held out her hand and shook both Ron and Hermione’s hand. She looked scathingly at Hermione and said pleasantly, “Those are Hogwarts robes, correct? I suggest you not wear those robes…it’s a mark of the past.”

Hermione nodded reluctantly, and took off the black robe. “There,” she said when she was done, “I hope that’s to your satisfactory.”

“Yes, it is,” Kaitlyn answered with sort of narrowed eyes. She looked away from Hermione and spoke to Harry and Ron, “come on in. Ms. Colmes is just making breakfast. She’ll be very pleased to have you both. And you, too, Hermione Granger.”

Just then Tawny, Elizabeth, and Ren came running outside from inside the house. They stopped immediately, and screamed, “oh my Merlin! Look whose here! We must tell Ms. Colmes. We have to tell her whose here!” They ran back inside as quickly as they had come, Tawny lingering longer than the other two.

“Right,” said Ron slowly and confusedly.

“Just ignore that,” Kaitlyn suggested, “their very small and ignorant for their ages. You see, not everyone here has the good fortune to be fully educated. I was lucky enough to be taught to read, because I learned ten years ago back when things were different as you know.”

“Right,” said Ron again very slowly and confusedly

Kaitlyn led the three of them inside the very poorly built home, shutting the door behind them with a bright smile when she accidentally hit the back heel of Hermione’s foot when she went to close the door.

Agnes Colmes promptly dropped the glass bowl she had in her hands, and her jaw dropped. She began shaking out of panic as she screeched, “welcome my Lady! Welcome! Have a seat, my lady, have a seat.”

Hermione looked over her shoulder to see if Agnes was talking to someone else, but Harry had just remembered exactly why Agnes was treating Hermione this way.

“Yes, Lady,” Kaitlyn said with a very large beam, “have a seat.”

- | -

Authors Note: Thank you for reading & please review. ; )