"Break into the Ministry itself? Spirit, are you daft?" Moony asked.
"Moony, we have no other choice. We know where they are and there's only one solution."
"No, Stag, we can ride it out here, no one knows us and we can blend in." Remus continued his thoughts. Sirius and James both nodded, letting one member of their group speak for them all. Eileen sat quietly and listened, still unfamiliar with these new names being fired about.
"Remus, Harry's right, there's no other choice. And we have one advantage; Harry and I aren't known here." Hermione continued to defend her plan.
The Marauders all listened and considered every option. The team began creating and rejecting possible plans to correct the atrocities of this world; atrocities created because of a series of events that never happened. Everyone here knew the details of those events, and not a soul blamed her for this reality. After all, if she was never born to save her ancestor, how could she be blamed for this world? During the first few days the group locked themselves away to build a master plan. That plan seemed simple enough, but each step needed details, each step was fraught with danger.
Get into the Ministry; isolate Voldemort from any guards while Eileen and Hermione stand watch to prevent his supporters from helping. James, Remus and Sirius will attack from three angles, to divert his attention. And Finally Harry will use his spell to again destroy Voldemort.
These few steps seemed straightforward, and the decision to implement the attack would not be made until after each step had been mapped out, with all contingencies defined. This would require time to think out each possible scenario. Sirius had been the driving force behind spending as much time as possible creating a foolproof plan of action, although not because he was afraid to jump in to the fire, or that this was too dangerous. Time was needed for this group to meld into an effective team; they all came from diverse backgrounds, they had skills that needed to be shared and internal wounds to be healed. He also noticed that now there were two couples that needed some personal time, one to heal and the other to grow. James and Alycia's smoldering ember had found fuel to grow, and Sirius could see Hermione's distress at this world's plight.
Harry knew this area well, as did Hermione. In that first week, they spent every evening alone, they left the haven of Ponce Inlet for an undisclosed location. They went to that same beach on the isolated island where they left Alycia in the care of the Marauders. It was that same beach they visited in their magical summer together when she offered herself to him on his birthday; the same spot he whisked her to just a few nights ago. It was a spot of refuge. It was a spot they always felt close and intimate even when they simply watched the moon in the distance, as they did on these nights. This was the spot where they fully shared their deepest feelings with each other.
No one asked or attempted to follow them when they left each night. In the morning when they returned, her outlook was a little brighter. After a short while, she put aside her guilt for this world's problems and the confidence and emotional stability returned to her, all with Harry's understanding and love. She was making peace with herself, and he was giving her the tranquility to make that peace.
While James and Alycia found comfort in each other from the ruins of this world, Hermione was the only one that didn't notice the attraction. Her mind had been preoccupied. Harry liked and approved of the idea of his father and her mother, although it did seem strange at first. Harry considered the possible outcomes, and one such possibility seemed too remote. Since she was nearly fifty, and a muggle, she was probably past her time to raise a family.
James offered to retrieve any personal belongings from the house in Victoria Park, and the few things Alycia wanted only required a single trip; a few family items and a single bag of clothes. Alycia began to exit her cocoon under James' attentiveness by raiding Eileen's wardrobe for a different type of attire. She began dressing as a woman, instead of a nondescript lump. Her transformation began gradually, first by adding light breezy skirts to her ensemble; then the bulky jumpers were replaced with light cotton blouses that began to reduce in coverage over time.
The youngest woman in the group had been too self-consumed with her conscience over this world, and how to rectify the problem, to notice. It caused her to miss the evolution of two members in the group. It took a startling discovery on her part to finally notice the budding romance. One evening while they stayed in Ponce Inlet, Hermione stood on their balcony looking out to the ocean. She had resumed her nervous habit, as she rubbed her scar through the thin blouse she wore. She was returning to her self imposed prison, when she sensed the presence of another. She continued to look from their vantage point out to the beach, and noticed a couple walking along the edge, ignoring the waves as they lapped at their feet. The couple stopped frequently, holding each other in a tight embrace. Their faces were obscured by the hiding moonlight, rays danced through the clouds keeping the couple in the shadows. Hermione watched the two, who were obviously involved with each other, when she felt a pair of hands on her waist.
A smile crept on her face; the moon seemed to be enticing others into liaisons. The couple on the beach became a distant thought, as she felt those same hands find their way tighter around her waist. She tilted her head slightly as she felt his cheek brush past her hair, her eyes closed. He lightly kissed the side of her neck, lingering at an exposed ear. She was grateful his arms were around her, she was certain her knees had melted. One hand remained on her hip as the other slipped under her loose blouse, lightly caressing her stomach. His hand lingered, she could feel the warmth of his touch.
They stood on the balcony, in more than just a simple embrace. She could feel the Earth moving beneath her feet as it continued on its endless journey. She lingered in the peaceful moment of two lovers simply standing in the moonlight.
"They look so good together, don't they?" He broke the silence, but not the moment.
"Yes, they look so much in love; I hope we still have that feeling when we've been together that long." She sighed.
"No, we've got a head start on them; it took us seven years to get to that point. It's only taken them a couple of weeks."
"Don't be silly, they…" she finally got a good look at them as the clouds released a ray of moonlight on them. "MOTHER?"
Her sudden exclamation at the revelation wasn't loud enough to be heard on the beach, with the sound of the ocean licking at the edge of the land with its mild waves. Hermione watched in surprise, as father and son seemed to be of the same mind with mother and daughter.
She stood in mild shock as she again watched the couple on the beach share what should have been a private and intimate moment. Harry chuckled at her sudden discovery, and did his best to prevent another outburst. She pushed him away, having lost the moment.
"Where's the harm? In this world, neither had married nor ever been attached. I think it's brilliant. Creepy, but brilliant."
She turned to face him, but angled the conversation so they could still watch the couple on the beach. "But that's your father with my MOTHER! Harry that's too… too…"
"Weird? Yeah, I thought about it when I saw them at first, but seriously, I think they deserve some happiness. Just look at them."
"But…"
"They're actually happy. Haven't you noticed your mum open up more? She's really quite attractive, you know."
"HARRY!"
"Well, I have been sleeping with her daughter for ten years." He grinned. "So I may be somewhat partial."
She was still stunned and simply watched as her mother continued doing what most would expect from a pair of teenagers, not middle-aged adults.
"Besides, I've only seen that look on his face in pictures, when he was with mum; I want to remember him like that. And your mum has that glow you have. They are quite taken with each other."
"But…" The thought that this world was somehow playing a vicious joke on her wasn't lost, but Harry was right, James and Alycia were as happy together as she and Harry were. They deserved it too, she rationalised. In truth, she wasn't shocked, but more surprised they had found an attraction.
Harry resumed his advances, mirroring the actions on the distant sand. Hermione was still in mild shock at the scene below, but there was a definite magic from his lips that made her forget, or at the very least, begin to accept.
The following day, Hermione spent most of the morning actually watching her mum and his dad as they interacted with each other. She could tell that Harry was right, they were good together. As if nature conceded that these two families had to be together. She watched them at breakfast and noticed an obvious glow in her mother when the couple was close. She also began to really notice her mother's appearance becoming more like that which she remembered, not the nondescript lump she met in this world.
James, for all his years living as a recluse with two other men, seemed to know how to treat a woman. He gave her just enough attention to let her know she was special, but not too much to blatantly display his affections. Remus and Sirius seemed to ignore the change in their trio's dynamics, as if there was an unspoken rule about accepting another's mate into the fold, should it happen.
Harry leaned in closer to Hermione at the table, and whispered "That must have been the way they were with mum, open and accepting."
"It makes me a bit upset, actually." She replied.
"Why? I thought you liked the thought of them last night."
"I was thinking of Luna, how we never really made her feel like she was one of us. Just look at how Remus and Sirius have taken to her, as if she's been a part of them all along."
Their whispered conversation at the table raised a couple of eyebrows, and a few loud coughs.
"What?" He asked to no one in particular. "Can't a bloke whisper his intentions to his wife in peace?"
That remark earned him a slap on the shoulder and a few smirks around the table.
"Oh let him be, Spirit," Remus piped in.
"It wouldn't be an issue if you carried out your intentions once in a while." She teased as she stood and left the table amid murmurs from the others.
"And there goes Stag in a glorious blaze." Sirius joked.
Harry stood and followed his wife from the table. She headed for their bedroom, but stopped at the door when she noticed he had started to follow her. She motioned to him to meet on the balcony as she slipped into the bedroom.
With a slight change in stride, he altered his course, crossing the main room of the apartment to the balcony. He sat at wrought-iron table to wait for her to join him. He gave a gentle wave of his hand, and a tray appeared with a pair of cups and a matching tea pot. He poured the steaming contents into the cups and gently set the pot on the table. His wait would end sooner than expected.
The moment the teapot lighted on the table, his hand tightened on the handle. His hand began to shake and he lost all feeling in his body, the edges of his vision blurred and darkened. The soundless void was returning; he felt a nauseating pull from his abdomen. His eyes rolled back into his head and all colour disappeared.
"Harry, I wanted to go over these pages again, there's bound to be some…" Hermione had stepped onto the balcony chatting away, when she heard a distinctive crunching sound. He had snapped the teapot's handle and was grinding it in his hand. She cut short her thoughts, dropping the papers and instinctively fell to his side.
"Harry! What happened?" she held his cheeks in her hands and pulled his face to hers. She was not frightened nor was she worried, this was an all too familiar occurrence, but one nearly forgotten with time.
His eyes opened and locked onto hers, but they were cold and empty, as if he was looking through her into another reality. His mouth opened to speak, but it wasn't his voice. The voice she heard spoke in a monotonous, detached way that was so unlike him.
The one the dark lord marked will come with his spirit
They shall join with their blood to stand against the tide;
Their kin will complete what the witch lost began.
His head fell back, eyes shut, into her arms, as if he had collapsed from exhaustion. She could tell it was over; the nightmare passed when the rigidity of his body faded, and he slowly began to revive.
The others had crowded the balcony door when Sirius noticed she had apparently slipped and was on her knees, the chair Harry occupied was not visible from the kitchen. The sight of Harry just recovering and the fresh blood from the gouges in his hand sent a chilling message to the rest. They waited patiently for her explanation.
"His mum was a seer," she said, never taking her eyes from him, "and he used to have visions in his sleep, but they haven't happened since we've been together, I thought they were gone." He moaned as he regained consciousness, shaking off the feeling he'd missed something.
"What happened? I felt as if I were falling."
"You had a vision and…" Hermione paused before continuing, not knowing if the others had heard him. "You said something of a riddle."
His eyes snapped open at the mention of the word. He looked at her expression, hoping to divine some additional meaning from those words. But she held a mask to block anyone from discovering what may have been an ominous prediction.
She remembered a familiar bundle of papers recently discarded on the floor as they began to rustle and threatened to blow off the balcony. Eileen also noticed the wind picking up and retrieved the documents before they were lost. She looked them over and the writing hadn't changed. All the sheets contained were undecipherable squiggles and lines. All except one page, it remained blank.
"Bring him inside, he'll be more comfortable." James offered, but Harry waved him off.
"No, I'm fine." Harry replied, as he began to wrap his hand in a napkin.
"Well at least let us take care of that, that looks deep, it must hurt." Eileen reached for his wounded hand, but Hermione stopped her.
"He's my responsibility," she smiled and took his hand in hers. She pressed her other hand on top, and a warming glow began to radiate through her hands into his open wound. She had done this many times before, and a few times before she even realized her power.
Eileen watched, as did the others. A true healer was rare, most used spells and potions, and had some ability to heal a wound, but not with the ease she demonstrated without a wand. Eileen reached for his hand after Hermione released him and removed the blood soaked napkin to reveal a flawless palm with no sign of damage.
"It's a natural gift." She shrugged it off as she put her hand out for her papers. Eileen still held them tightly, still trying to absorb the scene she just witnessed. In truth, all the others were impressed, except Alycia.
"So, isn't that normal? I always thought you people could do things of that sort?"
James placed a hand on her shoulder and whispered, "I'll explain it later, love. She really is extraordinary." Alycia nodded her acceptance.
Hermione helped Harry to the table, and motioned to the Marauders for some privacy. She picked up his hand again as if to further examine it, "He'll be fine, there's no harm done. Can I have a few minutes alone?" She asked looking to James.
James slapped his two old friends on the shoulder and put his arm around Alycia. Eileen looked to Hermione, then back to the others, who appeared to have lost all interest in the events of the past five minutes.
"Hermione, I…" she put a finger to his lips and then placed her lips to his. At this, they were left alone.
"I don't want them to know what you said, not yet." She whispered as she put her head to his shoulder, imitating a hug. "This is something else to decipher, you said something that sounded ominous, and then I remembered this sheet." She whispered as she sat back in her chair pointing to the blank sheet.
He picked up the single sheet from the table and held it, examining the sheet as words raced across the page.
"Merlin gave this to me and I forgot about it, it fell from the diary I had, and that's when I remembered about it. He said it would reveal any prophecies to the holder. I only saw a jumble of words when I held it earlier."
"That's all I saw, too. I read this the day we came here."
"You saw this before? Why didn't you tell me?"
"I didn't think it was that important, nothing made sense then. But there were more phrases on it before, now all it says is 'Dark Lord marked… his spirit… their blood…'"
"Strange, all I can see is 'The one… shall join… witch lost…' and what you said last night seemed to almost make sense."
He looked at the sheet again, thinking what she had said, but the words remained unchanged. She sat closer and reached for the sheet, to take look and see the words he saw, but when they both held it the entire verse he recited earlier appeared.
The one the dark lord marked will come with his spirit
They shall join with their blood to stand against the tide;
Their kin will complete what the witch lost began.
"Let it go for a moment," she said, and the phrases shifted to those few she had read earlier. "That is the exact phrase you said moments ago."
"This must be meant for the both of us, since it only appeared when we both touched it." Harry offered. "But what could it mean?"
They spent the remainder of the morning trying to understand the meaning.
It was nearing the end of June; a month had passed since Harry and Hermione Potter came to this world. The time passed comfortably for the Marauders as they grew accustomed to the relaxed Florida lifestyle. The years and struggles spent in the shack in Godric's Hollow were all but forgotten. Life was peaceful. The two remaining 'bachelors' discovered the wonders and inherent relaxation of fishing; they spent many hours of their days sitting on one of the bay's many docks with a pole and a can of bait. The plan to help remove the evil now seemed forgotten. The news from abroad via the propaganda networks remained unchanged; the news never reported the continuing abuses to the non-wizarding world.
The identities of the group staying with Eileen Madison remained a mystery to nearly all the local residents of Ponce Inlet; Eileen had taken a couple of close friends in the local wizard community, Chrissy and Steve Linter, into her confidence about her house guests and they were introduced only to Harry and Hermione. These contacts helped Hermione and Harry to remain focused on the tasks before them, even if the three older wizards were content to stay where they were. The news from Britain wasn't the only information the newcomers provided; detailed but encrypted information on the day to day activities of certain members of the elite filtered from the underground networks overseas to the network in Florida through them.
Hermione had asked Eileen about the loyalties of these two, and the answer Eileen gave was easier to believe than to question. In the fifty years Voldemort had oppressed the planet, support for a rebellion had been difficult to build, but not impossible. Each new leader of the opposition found they had a shortened life expectancy once they were discovered. To this end, the opposition leadership appeared to be nearly invisible.
The underground alliances had been growing over the years in small networks isolated from each other so one could not reveal another. These resistance networks cooperated with each other through covert methods; using clandestine message drops and cryptic ciphers in their messages. Some messages were carefully planted using local media coverage of seemingly mundane events. Messages delivered by news reporters with local stories of human interest or 'feel-good' events such as neighborhood celebrations. The actual messages usually revolved around combining key facts from several stories and rearranging these facts to form messages, either of an upcoming meeting, or planned event.
Each network consisted of a number of cells, with only a couple members in each cell. Each cell had only one leader and none of the leaders knew any other leaders of any other cells. This way if a member of a cell had been caught, the damage to the network was minimized. Each cell leader received instructions from a source that remained hidden, the head of the network, through the cryptic media announcements. Most of the underground networks operated in the 'old world' of Europe, although a few operated in the other countries, and in the former United States, a number of larger networks operated throughout the land.
Eileen had introduced Harry and Hermione to members of one such cell in the Eastern Resistance Network; they were a brother and sister team that was a part of a cell that had been a particular annoyance to the ruling factions. Chrissy and Steve Linter had grown up in this world, to them, trust had to be earned on a daily basis, they trusted each other, and no one else. The rest of the wizards in this world were treated with extreme caution. Even other members of their own cell were not trusted completely. Their suspicions of Eileen abated every day when they rendezvoused with her on their terms and she satisfied the daily scrutiny, however nervous she appeared. On the day she introduced the Potters, the limits of that caution and safeguards had been put to the test. Eileen was a member of their cell, but her role was to remain behind and function as a coordinator. This cell had lost their leader nearly a year earlier in a raid that was designed to capture all the members, only Eileen and the Linters escaped, the others were executed without a trial. This was the reason for their caution, and why Eileen was trusted as much as she was, since she was the last member of that original cell.
Chrissy and Steve were not as powerful as the Potters; they drew that fact from the lack of information on them. Only those of power could effectively hide for as long as they obviously have. Steve knew most cell leaders achieved that rank either by attrition, namely the deaths of their predecessor or by exhibiting greater powers or skills then the others. It was also common knowledge that network leaders had the same quality of power over cell leaders. They also had the advantage of anonymity within their own commands. Steve instinctively felt the power of this new wizard and that of his wife at their first meeting, even though neither of the pair performed so much as a lumos.
In that first meeting, Eileen did the majority of the talking, introducing both couples and giving Chrissy and Steve as much information as she dared about the Potters. Hermione's only comments were in the form of an initial request, that of information. Harry remained quiet, letting Hermione and Eileen drive the meeting. Both Chrissy and Steve had dealt with this situation, having the strength to lay in the background. Neither of the couples underestimated the other; and neither pair had noticed a soft scraping sound near the site of that first meeting.
Their second meeting was again on the Linters' terms, in a location a bit too remote for Harry and Hermione's taste. But this was the beginning of the information feed to complete the first step of their plan, entry into the Ministry back home, and another step, to identify a pattern they could exploit.
Their third meeting had been arranged for more detailed daily activities of the 'ruling class' but there were specific people they were interested in. This time, Harry opened the meeting.
"Steve, all this lurking around is overkill." he stated. "Look, I understand you being cautious, but this is too much. If you want our help, then drop the 'cloak and dagger' mystery."
"If that's the way you feel, Mr. Potter, then I believe our business is done. Don't try to contact us again, and Eileen, don't expect us to contact you either. For all we know you've turned to 'them'."
"She's not part of 'them', as you put it." Harry came to her defence, "I'm tired of this waiting. The longer we wait, the longer this is going to take to get rid of him, again."
"Again? Like you've done this before?" Steve remarked skeptically. "No one's survived facing his personal guards, let alone facing him."
"That's where you are mistaken. Harry and I both faced them all, but in a different reality. We're not from this world."
Before another word was spoken, Steve's wand had been drawn, pointed directly at Harry, while Chrissy had hers trained on Hermione.
Harry stared at the couple and passed his hand in front of them, "Put those down, we are not your enemies." He said passively.
Chrissy lowered her wand, Steve's arm began to move, and he shook his head, as if waking from a dream. "I said our business is through." He again raised his wand at Harry.
"Steve, lower your wand, I have no intention of harming you." Harry raised his hand again, palm out as if to stop Steve's actions.
A red stunner erupted from Steve's wand, striking Harry, or more precisely, his hand. His hand began to glow from the spell as it engulfed his hand and arm. Harry smiled, as the spell was absorbed by his own magic. He still stood with his arm outstretched, but his hand gesture changed, and his arm lowered to waist level. He left his hand in a handshake gesture and waited. In the background a sixth pair of eyes watched the exchange and they scurried to safety.
"We are here to help. If I thought either of you would or could harm us, do you think I'd allow you to keep your wands?"
"If you two 'boys' are quite through flexing your 'oh so powerful muscles', can we deal with the problem at hand?" Hermione interjected. Chrissy's arm hadn't moved, and she stared blankly as Harry's display truly shocked her. She and Steve had power and skill, and to have survived this long in the resistance was proof of that. But here stood a wizard that could not be stunned.
Steve shared his sister's blank look, "H-how?" he managed to stammer. He noticed for the first time neither had displayed a wand since their first meeting. He had simply assumed they were concealed.
"He has no need of a wand, and I have some of that ability, but I still need to use mine for stronger spells." Hermione commented, as her wand was now free of its concealment and in a defensive posture directed at the girl opposite her. She knew without a glance that Harry had a knowing grin on his face, or at least he would have had one if this wasn't a dire position.
Steve and Chrissy both dropped their wands, but they flew into Harry's free hand before they could hit the floor. His other hand was still outstretched waiting to take Steve's. But Steve stood stone still as he remained proud and defiant in defeat. Harry raised his other hand to return the wands to their owners. That gesture, and Hermione lowering her wand to her side, was all that was needed. Steve took the hand in a new friendship, unsure where this would end.
"Now that we have an understanding, can we please resume our endeavors? We need detailed movements of these people." Hermione handed a sheet of paper to Chrissy, as she returned her wand to her cloak pocket. The list of names had been compiled from the intelligence gathered to date; the name at the top was unmistakable. The others were new and some unknown to Steve and Chrissy, but they assured the Potters that they would now deepen their contacts and gain what new information they could.
On the top of the list were names familiar to the Potters, people they had battled against, the second on the list was that of Lucious Malfoy, with a notation to identify his family. Bellatrix Black was the third name, Peter Pettigrew followed and in order of remembered importance to Voldemort, other well known Death Eaters.
"And you want detailed movements of all of these people? That would be difficult, with the first names on this list, the Dark Lord rarely keeps a predefined schedule. Malfoy would be an easier target since he keeps regular hours at his business. And this one, Bellatrix Black isn't her name; I assume you mean the Dark One's consort, Bella." One by one Steve and Chrissy read the list and detailed issues and potential problems tracking each one.
"We can get most of this for you, but it will take some time for it to be reliable, several weeks at least." Chrissy added.
Hermione frowned, spending a few more weeks in this twisted reality would be unpleasant, but knowing they would soon leave Florida did give her hope for their future. "We'll expect reports on these wizards soon." She said finally, nodding to Harry that it was time for them to leave. "And enough with the clandestine meetings, it's uncalled for."
Steve shook his head, "No, it's not safe to meet in the open. We'll contact you when we have more information." They stood together and the brother and sister raised their wands and vanished.
The remaining three left for the apartment building back in Ponce Inlet, Eileen had witnessed the entire confrontation; the display of sheer power from Harry, as effortless as breathing, both awed her and frightened her. She was still, fortunately for her, on their side.
That night they went to bed early since their companions all seemed to be otherwise occupied. Hermione conceded to the fact that her mother was deeply involved with a man that wasn't her father, the fact it was James did lessen the shock, lately, some of their late moonlight walks lasted until morning. Remus had discovered a local library with a section for wizards, and asked Eileen for a number of volumes to read, some for entertainment, and others to further his knowledge. That night he adjourned to the privacy of his room with one of these books. Sirius remained in the main lounge, mesmerised by the muggle device Eileen kept, a television. He had soon fallen asleep in front of the set. Hermione stayed in Harry's arms but in a light sleep.
Only Eileen remained up leaving the other rooms in the apartment empty, waiting for James and Alycia to return. She had curled up with a book in a large overstuffed chair opposite from where Sirius snored in front of the television. Hermione heard a loud raspy sound from the outer rooms and woke from her sleep. She slipped out of their bed and left Harry in a deep sleep, not wanting to disturb him. She walked silently down the darkened hall into the room were Eileen was reading and sat in a chair next to her cousin. She pulled her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around her legs. The look on her face spoke more to Eileen then the book in her lap.
"What's the matter? You two have a fight?"
"No, it's nothing like that, I was thinking about Chrissy and Steve, how many more like them will we have to convince and win over? I'm beginning to see the fruitlessness of this endeavor." She said as she sat with her face half covered by her knees.
"Don't worry about them, they're good at what they do, and they may be just as scared, this life is all they know. If it all goes away maybe they won't know how to deal with things."
She sat there with her face still in her knees as she started to gently rock back and forth. Harry turned over in bed as a cold sweat began to break on his brow.
"Is there something else bothering you? I find it difficult to believe worrying about Chrissy and Steve has you this worked up." She put her book on the table next to them. The silence that followed was sharply interrupted by a loud snore from the chair in front of the television.
"I guess I miss home, our home. It's not here in this world, you know. All that exists is a crude shack they've been living in for years."
"And?"
"And what?"
"There's got to be more to it."
"It's just that…"
"You think somehow this is your fault. It's not. This is just the way it is."
"But it's not. This isn't how it is in my world with Harry."
Harry began to thrash about while still in a deep sleep; the sheets became heavy with sweat. He began to feel himself fall.
"Did you cause any of this?"
"Well, no, but…"
"Did you plan for any of this to happen?"
"No, but…"
"Then there's nothing to worry over, this isn't your fault, if anything I'd say it's the fault of whoever it was that caused you to make that trip back."
"But that's just it; I never made that trip in this reality. That's why Hermia died. That's why Harry never existed."
Harry's thrashing suddenly stopped as he continued to fall through the abyss; she wasn't there and he was alone. There was nothing, the void was endless. Harry felt something he hadn't felt in years, his scar began to burn.
The images came into focus in his mind. The sensation was so real; he could smell the staleness of the darkened hall. The stone walls and floor seemed to have grown that way, each seam between the rocks was tight, not so much as a strand of hair could fit. He looked down, his feet glided well above the floor; he looked up to the ceiling. It was less than an arm's length distance.
That's when he saw her huddled in the fringe of light cast in the hall as she strained to listen. In the dark chamber at the end of hall, the black night sky was pouring in through the slits that formed the windows to the outside world. Inside the chamber a dark hooded figure and an armour clad soldier shared a conversation.
Harry watched the figure as he spoke, his features were clear. He wore dark armour, and held a helmet obviously used to hide his face. He could see the scars on the warrior; a slash from brow to chin left one eye empty, covered with a patch, riveted to his flesh. His hair pulled into tight plaits that trailed down his back. The chest plate glistened in the dull glow of the room, dark chain mail evident beneath. To his side, he could see a weapon, unlike any he had ever seen, and the hilt of a sword peeked from the cloak, but no indication of the end protruded from the back.
"My master, my spy has been monitoring the brother and sister and informed me that they have been recruiting others to build their ranks for an attack. We must crush them before they strike first."
He spoke to the mysterious figure, a face withered from age hidden behind the dark hood of a cloak, but only a leathered chin and nose could be seen. He sat on his throne, a regale figure unafraid to show his air of authority. By his hand, a metallic cylinder rested within easy grasp.
"No, my loyal servant. We will wait until the time is right. We have the luxury of time. They suspect nothing of my plans. Return to your post and wait for the signal."
"As you wish."
The soldier stood, bowed deeply and exited the chamber, leaving the seated figure alone. He could sense a smile form on the withered face before the dream faded.
"Think about it, if you didn't exist you couldn't go back. But if you did exist, then somehow Hermia survived in your time without your help. Maybe in your reality she wasn't as bad off as you think she was." Eileen continued her conversation. Hermione continued sitting there holding her legs as if she wanted to curl into a ball.
"You didn't see her, you didn't…"
A sharp crash broke the cycle of self-pity and self doubt as they saw Harry stagger in the room and collapse, pulling a small table to the floor. They both jumped from their seats, as Harry managed to pull himself to his knees. He looked at Hermione with a look of fright that had been absent for more then ten years. The paleness of his face told her that he'd had another dream, and she silently cursed herself for leaving him to sleep alone; it was something she hadn't done since their summer alone here in this reality.
"H-he's coming. H-he knows…" he said as he fell to his side.