Chapter 23
The future…is Now!
Harry sat on the floor tapping his wand against his forehead in deep thought. Hermione had traveled around the room several times trying to find a break in the wall or some indication of at least where the wall and the floor met. Nothing.
Hermione sat down with a sigh next to her boyfriend leaning against his back.
"I guess it's likely we haven't finished the spell, yet. Maybe there is something else at this stage. We've never been on the inside only on the out when we made our wishes. Could it be as simple as making the wish inside?" Hermione spoke over her shoulder.
"I don't think so. I've been wishing for a whole bunch of stuff and nothings happened. It has to be more than that." Harry pursed his lips and stuffed his wand behind his ear.
"Maybe it's just is new at this. We have to really wish hard. Let's try together. What we need is the room from our time. Can you visualize it, Hermione? We need all the pillows in the corner, all the books on the wall…" Harry grabbed her hands and closed his eyes concentrating hard.
"…and the sneak-o-scopes and that odd Mirror on the wall…"Hermione continued for him.
The walls started to shimmer as if it was remembering something out of focus but couldn't quite make it clear.
Slowly different items started to appear. In moments a door came into view and breathlessly Harry stared at Hermione
wide-eyed.
"Do you think…?" Hermione grinned and ran to the door just as the knob started to turn. Cho Chang stared stupefied at Harry and Hermione as the voice of Terry Boot could be heard just behind her.
"I knew it!" Cho sputtered and spun around to run right into Terry's chest. Harry gave a whoop of joy and lifted Hermione up into the air for a second then pulled her through the door. Even Hermione couldn't help jumping up and down with elation at finally getting home. She gave Terry a buzzing smooch on the cheek and Harry laughed as they looked down the hallway to see things just as they should be. They looked a little bedraggled having come through so much. Harry turned to Hermione and grinned hugely.
"Ron's gonna have kittens!" Harry laughed at the idea of seeing Ron again and Hermione grabbed his hand in agreement.
"What day is it, Cho?" Hermione was giggling and looked at the pretty Ravenclaw expectantly. When Cho didn't say anything, she turned and looked at Terry who had an expression of dismay and shock all rolled into one.
Cho's face grew cold. "You've both been hiding in the Room of Requirement for two months and act like nothing has happened? You could have left a note or something. I mean, there's been a few rumours that you two…" She raised her eyebrows and sneered leaving them to fill in the blanks.
"Well, I can't say I really want to see what the room's been like for you two, but I guess I could stand a quick look…" She smiled viciously and turned expecting to see something salacious about the room and was disappointed.
Harry and Hermione's expressions quickly lost their smiles and they both stared at Cho and her harsh and accusatory stance.
"What are you talking about, Chang?" Hermione raised her hands to her hips and looked incredulously at the Ravenclaw.
"It's December 7th. You've been missing for ages. Everyone thought Harry decided to run rather than face You-Know-Who and he took you along to, well…I don't know why he'd take you, but… whatever." Cho flipped her hair back and stood defiantly with her arms crossed.
"You thought I'd done WHAT?" Harry got loud and immediately angry.
Hermione turned and took Harry's hand in hers. He grasped it tightly but he was still tense and just barely holding back on his anger.
"I'm sure you had nothing to do with all those foul rumours, did you, Cho? Sometimes I can't believe what a jerk you can be. Come on, Harry. We have friends who are probably worried about us." Hermione pulled him away still seething at what the girl had insinuated and they ran down the stairs to the Great Hall.
"You realize we've skipped a month or two here. When we were in the past it was only mid- October. What happened to the other days? Did we spend all that time in the Room of Requirement?" Harry looked still angry but now leaned more toward confused and irritable.
"I don't know Harry. I am just glad to be back even vaguely close to the time we left. I'm not going to mess with time for…well…a long time." She snorted at how stupid that sounded.
The doors to the Great Hall burst open with Molly Weasley ranting at the top of her voice at Headmaster Dumbledore with several other of the faculty following closely behind. Harry could see Ginny and Ron coming up the rear and with a whooping yell he bounded around the crowd and nearly knocked Ron over. Instantly Ron had his wand out and ready to fire before he realized who had attacked him. Ginny saw Hermione and Harry and nearly sat down on the floor in amazement. Hugs went all round until the boys became uncomfortable hugging then merely tried to beat each other to death in joy.
Molly had pushed everyone out of the way until she could grab Harry and be sure for herself he was alright. She spent several minutes hugging him and cleaning bits of dirt off his face and more hugging. After she was sure he was perfectly fine, she changed into a frightening figure that promptly railed and scolded him for being missing for so long. She could have continued for quite a while if Dumbledore hadn't gently led her to his office where she instantly started sobbing in relief.
Harry was truly touched to see how much she cared. Walking over to the softly crying woman he kissed her fondly on the cheek. With a watery smile she pulled him again into a hug then released him when the rest of the group started to settle down and sit in the magically produced chairs that filled Dumbledore's office.
Ron sat next to his friends staring at them as if they could disappear if they tried to get out of his sight. Hermione had settled beside Harry into a fluffy reading chair wide enough for them both and released a sigh of contentment and relief to be finally home.
The group grew quiet and their faces lobbed from Harry's to Dumbledore's as neither said a word; merely grinned at each other remembering the Past.
"Ok. Fine. WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?" Ron couldn't stand it any longer. He had jumped out of the chair and stood over the couple in the chair like a crazed interrogator.
Dumbledore chuckled and waved his hand causing Ron to plop back down into his seat indignantly.
"I know there are numerous questions you would all like to ask, but I am going to request that you take my word that Harry and Hermione were on a mission for me. They were safe and always under my care. I couldn't tell you when they were to return because I didn't know exactly, but I knew they would be all right. There are some things that must remain secret." Dumbledore took a small round ball that made Hermione gasp in recognition and he threw it up into the air where it promptly disappeared. The old wizard smiled softly to everyone in the room.
"Would anyone like a lemon drop?"
"Oh, Albus. That tells us nothing!" She harrumphed and stood up to leave. "Harry, dear. I am so glad you and Hermione are all right. Maybe when you come this summer you will be willing to tell me the truth." She glared at the Headmaster and strode out the door.
Ron and Gin both watched their mother pet Harry and not even acknowledge that they were there. Ron snorted. Sometimes when his mother was in this kind of mood it was better no to be noticed.
Ginny crossed her arms and fumed. She still didn't know anything!
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Hermione had had a headache from the moment they had come back. The building of pressure was starting to make her cross. Her stupid wrist starting itching again and the welt had returned full force. Maybe she had an allergy or something. All I need is a good long shower and a change of clothes.
Hermione had dragged herself upstairs and had basically collapsed onto her bed. It seemed like too much energy would be needed to reach the shower after all.
"Weren't you going to the showers, Herms?" Ginny had skived off class to make sure Hermione was alright. Not that it took much to make Ginny want to sneak out of Potions with Professor Snape. It seemed anyone with red hair had a target painted on their backs in that class.
Lazily Hermione grinned at her friend. "Well, that sure smacks of effort, doesn't it. I don't think I have the energy to even crawl to the baths. I'll get there…it just may take a while."
Ginny grinned back. "If you were meeting a certain green-eyed Seeker, you'd jump up in a hurry!" Hermione merely stuck out her tongue and threw a pillow at Gin.
"You'd be just as giddy if you convinced Nev to finally ask you out!" Hermione laughed but stopped when she saw the horrified expression on Ginny's face and she sat up quickly when her friend crumpled into tears.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Harry had watched everyone else exit leaving him staring at Dumbledore trying to find "Buzzy" inside the face he knew so well. A turn of the jaw here or a twinkle in the eye made Harry grin at the memory of the funny, quirky boy from the past.
"You've changed, a little." Harry grinned.
"You haven't at all." Dumbledore responded with a wry smile.
"I knew you the instant you started here. Younger, yes and so very tiny, but it was you. I was sure of it. One of many different secrets I've hidden from you." Dumbledore leaned back into his tall chair and stroked his beard absently.
"I was just glad that Nigellus didn't remember me in the office from last year. He probably wouldn't have given me the time of day if he had. I guess all Slytherins aren't bad. He really came through in the end. I think I understand Filch a little better, too." Harry couldn't help but take a quick look up at the portrait of Headmaster Nigellus who was staring down at him with one eyebrow raised.
Dumbledore smiled. "Yes, you did make an impression on the old Headmaster, didn't you. You had a lot of anger that day." His smile faded and he looked sad for a moment.
"Do you think you are ready to hear what Sirius had to say to you? A lot has happened in the past few months. I hope you have worked through some of the pain you had kept so close to yourself."
Harry sighed quietly and felt the knot of grief drift over him. It wasn't as strong as it was, but he could still feel the regret and sadness when he thought of his Godfather.
"Hermione helped me. She's my girlfriend now, did you know?" Harry smiled softly.
"She's given me so much strength and I have to admit, she's given me so much more. I don't feel like the kid no one wanted any longer. With her, I know I am important to someone. She gives me hope."
Dumbledore's eyes were suspiciously wet, but he blinked the moisture away. Reaching into his desk drawer he pulled out a small painting. It was about the size of a postcard with a small cheap frame around it. The old Wizard handed it to Harry and tapped it with his wand making the picture expand until it was a life-size image of Sirius from the chest up.
Harry felt his breath catch as Sirius nodded at Dumbledore and cheekily waved at Harry.
"Yes, yes. I'm dead. These blasted pictures don't work until you are, so here it is." Dumbledore magicked an easel for the painting and then sat down to hear what the painting had to say.
"Well, Harry. I know you're fretting about what happened and I don't want you to take it all on yourself. Falling through a veil. How stupid am I? NO REGRETS, Harry! It wasn't your fault. Besides. You gave me back my life. If I never knew you, my life would have been so much less, you know?" Sirius started to grin wryly and rub his own eyes.
"Now. No blubbering. You may not have the real me, but at least I can make snarky comments when you try to get dressed for dates and such. I could be just like my mother and start screaming whenever you try to bring a girl home!" Sirius started to guffaw at the idea and Harry had to smile even through his tears.
"Now for the serious stuff. I want you to know how much I loved you. You were the son I would have wanted. I just regret that our time was so short. I want you to take care of Remus. I know, I know. He won't want anything, but he needs you. He's the only one left and he's all alone. SO, I want you to let him know that the Grimmauld place is his. Maybe if you're real nice he'll let ya stay there for Summers." Sirius smiled softly remembering the gentle Werewolf and old friend.
"You do realize how much I care about you, don't you? I know you probably have fan mail and people swooning at the boy-who-lived, but for me you were just the skinny messy haired son of my best mate, James. I looked at you and saw the sweetness of Lily and the mischievousness of James all rolled into one. If I had only gotten to Lilly first, you could have been my boy! Of course, she only had eyes for James, but it didn't stop me from trying in the beginning." He laughed at the scandalized look on Harry's face.
"Boy, you are perfect. You are the embodiment of all the goodness of two truly good people. I want to make sure you KNOW how much you were loved by those two. And by me. I'm sorry none of us are still here in person, but we are with you in your heart. And in this rather tacky frame." Sirius snorted at his feeble joke but resumed when he saw Harry roll his eyes.
"I'd like the Order to take what they need from my vault, but the rest is yours. I'd imagine the accumulated money from the whole of the Black family has to be considerable. You'll have enough to do whatever you want when you graduate. Be sure to help people with it. The stain of Dark Magic on the Black family ended with me. I'd be pleased to know that you're using it for the good of others…and let my family go to rot."
Harry grimly accepted the parchments handed him by Dumbledore that included the deed to the house for Remus which Harry signed and a paper from the bank with a figure that stunned an already wealthy Harry.
"I gave Remus a Trust Fund as well, I knew there'd be more than enough." Sirius nodded at the other parchments on the table.
"I wanted to be sure that you'd always have a little bit of me looking out for you. I hope you don't throw me in the attic. You know by my mother that us Blacks have a distinctly loud singing voice, so, beware!" Sirius bark-laughed softly as Dumbledore reshrank the picture to a manageable size for Harry to carry up the stairs.
"Thank you, sir." Harry whispered through his tears.
He walked up the stairs slowly and began to softly smile as he could barely hear the voice of Sirius singing ribald limericks from his pocket.
5
-->