Chapter 14
Time to Fix Time
Two day and three nights came and went before Harry and the others had even seen Aeryn. And for that matter they hardly saw Draco as well.
Preparations for the trip to the Bermuda Triangle were being made. Lily and James offered to accompany Harry, Hermione, Ron and Sirius. They would Portkey to the nearest shore that was the closest to the Triangle and head over the ocean by broom. Harry was in charge of the Trident, although he had no clue how to use it when the time came.
Aeryn and Draco were sitting in the kitchen when Harry and Hermione entered together.
"Good morning," Aeryn said extra chipper.
"You're in a good mood," Harry said with a yawn.
"Why shouldn't I be?" Aeryn asked knowing what Harry meant. She hoped he would get the hint not to get into that topic of discussion.
"What do you mean, `Why shouldn't I be'?" Harry said, obviously he did not, "You've kinda been locked away in your room for the past few days."
"Lay off Potter," Draco said, "She's in a good mood and I advise you not to piss her off."
"So what's going on with our trip?" Aeryn asked.
"We're all good to go; it's just a matter of when." Hermione said. They told them what exactly was planned. While Harry and Hermione were doing that, Lucius slipped in not unnoticed.
"Maybe we should do it today," Aeryn suggested, "I mean there's no time like the present."
"May I be bold as to make a request?" Lucius asked politely.
"How about, not!" Draco said.
"Draco," Aeryn scolded him, "It won't to hear what he has to say." Harry gave her a weird look as to say `What the hell are you doing?'
"I couldn't help but notice that you will require my help on your mission." Lucius said, "You will need to know the date as to when time changed."
"Actually, if what I've read about this particular time turner, the date will be shown on the devise itself," Hermione told them, matter of fact like.
"Well then think about this," Lucius said, "who better to take on a person, other then the person himself?"
"Come again?" Draco asked.
"I think what he means to say is that when we go back in time we will have to face the Lucius Malfoy from our time-line," Aeryn explained, "Who better to duel with him, then him himself. Did that make sense?" Aeryn asked at her usage of the word `him'.
"So your `request' is that we let you come along. So that you can take on yourself?"
"Does it not make sense?" said Lucius.
"It does," Harry said, "but not coming from you."
Aeryn quickly got up from where she sat, "Oh relax Harry, he has our best interests at heart." Aeryn grabbed her mug that was on the table and brought it to the sink. "I'm going to pack a few things. Request granted Mr. Malfoy. We need all the help we can get." Aeryn walked out of the kitchen. Harry quickly followed her.
"Aeryn, what is going on?" Three days ago you still wouldn't give that man the time of day, now he is coming with us?" the others joined them.
"Harry, ever since I arrived here, I have been judged by the actions that are not my own. Why should we put someone through that any longer? And the fact that now I don't have to face that monster, makes my day a whole lot better."
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The afternoon seemed to drag on like forever. But the time finally arrived. It was like a time that you didn't want to come. The urge to do selfish acts was strong in some. Harry had grown accustom to having parents around. Part of him wanted to keep everything the way it was, despite the condition of the world, just so he would have them alive and in his life. Then there was his little sister MacKenzie, changing time would be condemning her into non-existence.
Hermione was torn in two, she wanted Harry to have his family, but that was at the sacrifice of her own family and so many others.
In all their hearts they knew they had to do this, it was for the greater good. So the nine of them left via Portkey, to the shore of the point closest to the Bermuda Triangle. The air was hot and thick, filled with humidity, even though it was windy. The nine mounted their brooms and headed out to sea, however Hermione shared a broom with Harry, she felt safer that way and didn't have to worry the group with her lack of flying skills.
"How long do you think it will be before we get there?" Ron asked.
"Why, do you have a hot date or something?" Draco replied to him.
"It's just that riding a broom for a long period of time might become a little uncomfortable." Ron said. The only three girls of the group started to laugh.
"What would you do without us girls?" Lily said, "We already thought of that and charmed the brooms to make sure that none of us get uncomfortable."
"And here I was thinking one of your first questions on this trip would be `when are we stopping to eat?'" Hermione said.
"Ha ha very funny."
The traveled hard for about an hour before they were suddenly halted. Before them was what looked like some sort of barrier. You could only tell it was there because in looked like the air was rippling like water yet you could see beyond.
"So what do we do now?" Draco asked observing the barrier.
"I assume this is where we use the Trident." Sirius said.
"Oh, that would be smart," Harry said, "Mione would you mind getting it out of my pack." Hermione got the shrunken Trident out and passed it to Harry who then returned it to normal size. The Trident immediately started to react to the barrier as Harry and Hermione neared it. Bolts of electricity shoot out of it and attacked the barrier. The barrier quickly collapsed. Once that happened Harry shrunk the Trident again and handed it back to Hermione and she put it back in his back pack.
Beyond was just like Harry and Aeryn's dream with the boat and the crashed planes, except this time there were no lost souls.
"Ok, so if Atlantis is at the bottom of the ocean, how in bloody hell are we supposed to get down there?" Draco asked. Just as he asked that a huge watery figure rose out of the water.
"Why have you woken me from my slumber," it said in a booming voice.
"It's Poseidon, god of the sea," Hermione whispered to Harry, "well he is mort like a ghost now, he wasn't really a god."
"We seek safe passage to Atlantis, the great city of the water!" Aeryn yelled out to him.
It looked like Poseidon was observing the travel group, "Ah, three I see are of noble birth, descendants of the first. Others may come, but only you three truly hold the right."
This confused them, "Hold the right to what?" James asked.
"The right to Atlantis of course. Why do you think I guard the place, so that just anyone may hold the rights to the city?"
"Someone was let in before." Aeryn said bitterly.
"There are other ways to get to Atlantis other then through me; I do remember someone coming out of Atlantis many years ago. But I don't remember how he got in. Now I can rest, my duty is done. Alas I will help you but only two riders my go. That is all the power I have left. Yes only two, the ones who share same day of birth will do."
He went back into the water and the water divided into two tunnels, like twisters, big enough for one rider each.
"Harry?" Hermione said nervously.
"Just hold on tight," He told her, "I won't let anything happen to you, I promise."
Harry could feel Hermione's arms around him, gripping very hard like a vise. He took a deep breathe as he readied himself for the task.
Aeryn could feel Draco getting something out of her pack, but she did not look back. As soon as she felt he was done she zoomed right into one of the tunnels. Harry soon followed into the other one. As soon as they both entered the water closed up above them, which caused concern for the rest.
"Where's Draco?" Lucius pointed out to the others, they all looked around to discover he was not among them and his broom lay floating in the water.
~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~
They made their way down the tunnel, Hermione was very scared and it didn't help that the water was closing in behind them. But at last they reached the bottom onto some sort of platform. Aeryn soon joined them and they all happily got of their brooms.
"I'll be glad if I never have to go on one of those ever again." Hermione said, glad she made it in one piece.
Before them was a door, it looked very strong, strong enough to with stand the pressure of the waters that surrounded them. There was no visible way of opening the door other then a bottom on the side frame that looked like a doorbell. Harry reached forward and pushed the button and the door slid open. Once inside there was another door.
"I guess this is to make sure you don't open the door by accident and let in all the water," Hermione observed. They went though the second door, inside was pitch black. Aeryn reached out with her hand and said "Lumos," and not only did a small light, light in her hand, but many lights around the room lit up like a well lit room.
"Ok," Aeryn said observing the room, it was small and circular and other then the door, it had windows all the way around. In the very center of the room was a door that looked to be some sort of elevated for all they knew. Aeryn walked to one of the windows and gasped. "Oh my god!"
Harry and Hermione quickly went to Aeryn's side as they saw what she was seeing. Atlantis wasn't just a big city, it was a massive city. The whole of Atlantis was lit up. Aeryn went from window to window sizing up Atlantis, "This place had got to be half the size of Manhattan."
"Aeryn, something is in your pack, it's moving." Harry told her. Aeryn slid her pack of her shoulders and opened it, up and onto her shoulder came a white ferret.
"Why you sneaky little ferret." Aeryn scolded it. They ferret jumped to the floor and transformed. Harry started to laugh.
"Don't even start Potter," Draco said.
"What's so funny?" Aeryn asked.
Harry stopped laughing by then, "Nothing, it's just that Draco is the amazing bouncing ferret."
"I said don't start."
Just then Poseidon the ghost appeared. "Truly an amazing sight isn't it?" He said.
"Yes it is." Hermione said.
"I'm sure you'll want to raise the city so that your other companions may join you."
"We can do that?" Harry asked.
"Well no, only one of you can. Only one of you can take the key from its place."
"Gee, you're as cryptic as old Dumbledore." Aeryn commented.
"Any way, good luck," Poseidon said, "I can't help you anymore. You're on your own. Just remember to keep the key safe and on you at all times." And with that he went through the window and out to sea. Draco casually went over to the elevator and pushed the button.
"Going down," he said as the door slid open like a sliding door. When the entered the saw what appeared to be a map of Atlantis painted on the wall. "If I were a key where would I be?" The map on the wall started to change, in the middle of the map there was a point pointed out that said `THE KEY' and the door slid open again to find a different and much larger room.
"We didn't even move." Harry said.
"Yeah, that's what you would call magic." Aeryn said.
The room they were now was on the bottom floor, and it was huge. You could have fitted about ten of Hogwart's Great Halls in it. In the very center of the room was a small pedestal with a light shining right over top of it. The ceiling was a huge glass dome that looked out into the water.
Hermione was busy admiring the walls; they had everything from Egyptian hieroglyphs to ten different crests. "Look at this," she said to the others, "These are school crests, look there's Hogwarts."
"How is that possible?" Harry asked, "Wasn't Atlantis built before the thought of Hogwarts even existed?"
"Yes it was," Aeryn said, "There's the Holic crest, and the one for Salem Academy."
"What's the O.U.S.?" Draco asked as he observed one of the crests on the wall.
"Read the fine print brainiac," Aeryn said pointing to the smaller print at the bottom, "The Outback Underground School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."
Other crests that were displayed in this Great Hall included, Beauxbatons, Durmstrang, Solución Escuela de Hechicería in Spain, as well as a school in Germany, Italy and Japan.
"Well let's get that darn key and float this boat," Aeryn said. The four of them circled the pedestal. The key appeared to be some sort of ring; it was silver and had aqua blue waves on the side all the way around. The only way to get the ring was to slid it up and of its holder. Hermione went for the ring first, but it would not budge. Next Draco tried, and got the same results. That left Harry and Aeryn. Harry waited for Aeryn to try it.
"It's not going to be me," Aeryn told him, "You're the one who is Harry Potter."
"What does that have to do with anything?" Harry asked.
"You're the one with the destiny. The only reason I got special powers like you is because we are twins. This is your thing."
"And I've got a hunch that has nothing to do with this," Harry tried to pull the ring off but couldn't not either, "Think of what that sorry excuse of a sea ghost said, `Three I see are of noble birth, descendants of the first,' and if I know anything from what reading I actually have done in the past few weeks, it's the first born who gets the inheritance."
Aeryn opened her mouth to argue, but he did have a point. "Why did I have to be the first born?" she muttered, "It doesn't matter anyway, it'll be yours once this is all over." Aeryn easily pulled the ring off and as she did something happened.
"Are you ok?" Harry asked her.
"Wow, it's like the Marauder's map permanently sketched in your head, I know where everything is." Aeryn said, "A lot of thing in this place are so advanced, they even look like muggle technology but is strictly magical." Aeryn was getting excited, "Let's go raise this place."
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The guys had decided to explore some of the old ships that were still afloat as they passed the time. Lily had to admit it was a lot better then staying on that darn broom. She did warn them to be very careful.
She was looking out towards the open water when Lily noticed the surface was starting to bubble. It wasn't in the `the sea is starting to boil' kind of bubble, but something else. The ship they were on started to rock back and forth violently. Lily quickly mounted her broom and rose up into the sky. The others soon joined her.
"What do you think it is?" James asked her.
"It might be Atlantis." She told him. And she was correct. Atlantis slowly rose from the water. It was so beautiful, the sun shone down on it with the water cascading down.
"Wow," Sirius said, "Complete with a Quidditch pitch and everything." And indeed there was.
"Bloody Brilliant," was all Ron could say.
Down below on the main entrance platform stood Harry and Hermione, waving for them to come down. The remaining five travelers descended down and came to a landing.
"That was impressive," Lucius said.
"You should see the inside," Harry said.
"Harry, we don't know where Draco is…" Ron started.
"Oh, don't worry about the ferret; he snuck in, in Aeryn's pack."
"Well, that's great leave me here with the grown-up while you have all the fun… wait did you just say ferret?"
"In his words, `Don't start,'" Hermione said.
Since they didn't really have the time to explore and run the risk of getting lost they all took a lift (elevator), which could go anywhere where there was a station. The map on the wall showed two points labels `AERYN POTTER' and `DRACO MALFOY' and decided to go there. They ended up where Aeryn and Draco where, which was a room where a giant hour glass was located.
"I guess this is it." Lily said sadly.
"The date is set on July 17th 1980, two weeks before we were born." Aeryn said, "Is everyone ready?"
"Not really, but let's get this done." Harry said.
"We will all meet at the Burrow," Ron said, "I mean, we have to tell Dumbledore what happened here and I think it's best if we are all in the same place other then separated."
Everyone nodded in agreement. Aeryn pulled a lever which made the whole hour glass spin. The room seemed to spin around them and they were thrown back in time. When the room stopped spinning the only things that changed were the fact that they were under water again and it was pitch black, save for the illuminated wand of a certain Lucius Malfoy who was walking towards the lift.
"Lumos!" Aeryn commanded once again as the city lit up; startling the one they were after.
Aeryn, Lily and James found themselves in three separate amber colored bubbles of sorts.
"You!" Malfoy whispered.
"What?" Aeryn said from her bubble which she could see clearly out of, "Did you think you had seen the last of me. You made the mistake of telling me all about this stupid time traveling thing before you slit my throat."
The evil Malfoy started to run past the lift into some other room and the good one followed sending curses already. Meanwhile the rest of them tried to find a way to get Aeryn, Lily and James out of the bubbles.
"What are these things?" Harry asked.
"For once, I don't know," Hermione said.
Aeryn was trying to blast her way out but it was no use. No spell could break it from the outside, or the inside.
They felt their time was desperately short. Harry saw time was slowing down; Aeryn and Draco trying to get at Aeryn's bubble while knowing this was it, trying to get that last touch before everything went away. And he was trying to do the same with his parents.
Harry closed his eyes, and when he opened them again he was standing in his room, on Privet Drive. He looked around, everything was almost the same, except for the fact that all of his stuff was gone and there was a lot of dust lying around. He was confused by this, but he apperated to the Burrow none the less.
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A/N: Well that certainly took me a while to write, but its here! There is one more chapter to go and hopefully I'll get it out soon. And for those of you who don't know already, I've started a prequel for this awesome series called `Beginning of It All' http://fanfiction.portkey.org/index.php?act=read&storyid=2620
And my inspiration for Atlantis is based on the Atlantis from Stargate Atlantis. I've just added the HP twist.
And if you want you can check out my live Journal at http://www.livejournal.com/users/_sk8erwitch_/ which I will update when life hands me lemons that I can't update my stories with.
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