Chapter Three:
In these matters the only certainty is that nothing is certain. Pliny the Elder (23 AD - 79 AD)
Harry awoke to find himself in the Hospital wing, again. The mirror was still in his hand, and he felt someone gripping his other hand. There were new memories. His mother…she had died when he was three. Killed by Voldemort. His father had died of cancer at the same time, but their relationship had changed, they were distant. He was still a Gryffindor, thank the Lord for small favors. He turned to the side of the person gripping his hand.
"Hermione," he said in a raspy voice. Her head shot up in surprise. He smiled lightly, happy knowing that she was still by his side.
"Harry, you're okay," she said. She threw her arms around him in a tight hug, tears falling freely from her eyes. "Harry, what happened? Why do I think that you're mother is still alive, but she's not?" His eyes went wide in surprise.
"What?" Harry asked, sitting up. He pulled her onto the bed and she moved next to him, holding his hands this time.
"I know you're mum's dead Harry, but its like I can remember you tell me she's not dead and all, and meeting her for Christmas once," Hermione said. Her voice sounded sad, and small like she was trying not to upset him. He wrapped his arms around her.
"I don't know why either Hermione, all I know is that part remembers when she was alive, and the other part…" His voice trailed off. He did not like to think of that possibility.
"Yes, there is much we need to discuss," a voice from the past said as he walked in. Their former Headmaster, or the Headmaster from this time, was still alive.
"Professor Dumbledore?" Harry and Hermione asked together. He died though…killed by ex-Professor Snape.
"It seems that someone has been making contact with the past," he said with a twinkle in his eyes, though his voice was anything but happy. Harry's eyes grew cold for a moment.
"What was I supposed to do, Professor? Let the one chance of talking to my father go!" He said, vehemently.
"I'm not saying I would have acted different in your situation, but it would have been better to think about what you were doing," Dumbledore said, sitting down beside them.
"Sir, with all due respect," Hermione said, making herself known, "I agree with Harry." Harry looked at her, surprised that she would say this. She was the one who had been warned against time-traveling. They both knew the consequences of the actions reached far beyond what they could comprehend, but she agreed with him. Dumbledore let out a sigh.
"I fear that you conversations with your father may have effected more than just me," Dumbledore said, handing Harry the photo album Hagrid gave him after his first year. Flipping through the pages, he could see the distance left between his father and himself. He sighed. "The Weasleys are no longer your friends, Harry and you are sad to say still the savior of the Wizarding World."
"What do you mean?" Harry asked.
"The Weasleys arestill in Gryffindor, however, Mister Weasley resents you even more, despite your friendship with Hermione. Two have remained in Gryffindor," he said to them. "Harry you are still Head Boy, however Hermione, you no longer are Head Girl."
"What?" Both of them said in surprise. "Who is?" Hermione managed to get out. Dumbledore put his face down. Harry put an arm around her, trying to calm her down a bit. She let out a sigh, and took his other hand in hers, relaxing.
"Lavender Brown, her father managed to…." The headmaster's voice trailed off. He seemed to change direction at this point. "Muggleborn children receive very little support here at Hogwarts, as per the governors' choice. They voted upon this and have decided that they will be segregated from the remainder of the students, and penalties are stiffer for them. Though, one child has manage to fight for them for so long. Your father would have been proud of you. Sirius is."
"Sirius is still alive?" He asked, surprised. There was just too much to take. "Wait, Professor, how do you know what is going on and we don't?"
"Only those with vital parts to play in the timeline will remember changes, it was how I remembered the change you did with Sirius in your original third year." He said with a twinkle in his eyes.
"Sir, are there any books about this?" Hermione asked. He nodded and conjured it, handing it to Harry.
"I'm sorry Miss Granger, but they would know if you were holding this," Dumbledore said, his eyes downcast.
"How?" Both Harry and Hermione asked at the same time. Dumbledore pointed toward a bracelet upon her ankle. The design showed the magical properties. It held no binding powers, other than preventing it from being removed, but it was more for tracking then anything else.
"They put it on you as soon as you enter Hogwarts, and they never remove it," Dumbledore said with sadness in his eyes. "Though, I do believe it does not prevent you from reading it along with someone Hermione." He said, eyeing the two of them. "I believe it is best if you return to you room Harry, take Hermione with you." Grabbing his mirror, Harry nodded. He looked toward Hermione, knowing she was trying to be strong
"You can stay with me tonight," he said to her quietly as they left. She nodded, and they continued down the hallway. Moving toward the Head Boy's room, he found the door was already open. With caution, he entered the room, his wand raised, Hermione stayed close behind him, the fear of the new world getting to her more.
"What are you doing with HER!?" A voice screamed. Harry cast a spell quickly silencing both the room and the woman before her.
"I believe the question is what are you doing in my room," He said, his memories of this world coming to him quickly. Lavender Brown, whore of men and women alike, was still attempting to snag him in bed. "Get out of here before I alert the Headmaster." He snarled at Lavender before removing the spell.
"What is she doing here, you know they are not allowed in our dorms," she glared at Hermione, who returned in. In one swift movement, though there was a slap across Hermione's face, causing her to crumple to the floor. Harry grabbed Lavender by the hand, violently throwing her away.
"Try that again, and I'll have my godfather remove you from your position," he said. Sirius Black, in this time line, was cleared of all charges, and one of the most influential governors, despite his stance on freedoms for Muggleborns. It was one of the reasons Harry was able to fight for their rights so much. That and the Voldemort thing. None of that mattered to him though. Not now, no one hit his friend. "Now, get the bloody hell out of my room." Lavender ran, spooked beyond belief, but that was no longer important to him. Helping Hermione up off floor, he brought her into a hug, as she began to cry.
"I don't know what's wrong with me Harry," she said into his chest. "I mean, I feel like I'm back in my sixth year, and I'm trying to get Ron to like me again." She cried, and he recalled that. She had stopped being herself in his original sixth year, when she wanted Ron to go out with her. When Ron finally worked up the balls to do so, she was back to her normal self and he had fallen in love with a façade. "I'm just so emotional right now." She said, wiping off some of her tears with her hand.
Their sixth year had been tough on them all. Everyone was trying to move back to a normal life, a normal life that never existed. Even Harry tried to find an escape, and felt his abilities suffer because of it. When you deny who you are, you deny your destiny, he was told at the beginning of his seventh year. He understood that then, and he still understood that now..
"I think you can afford a few emotional days Hermione," he said to her. "People change, different lives, different paths we take. But what strikes me as odd is that my life has been drastically changed not once, but three times in the past, and yet you remain here. With me."
"I told you last year that I wasn't going to abandon you Harry," she said to him softly. "And I don't intend to let time get in my way." She spoke strongly, and with a great deal more emotion then when she was crying.
"That's my Hermione," he said, causing her to giggle. Which was odd. She never giggled, only last year. Well it was only last year, now it was several lifetimes away. "Let's find you something to wear to bed."
"Harry I should tell you this, and I figure its best if you know now," she said, as if finally aware of it. "Ron and I are dating, in this timeline, and its working out pretty well."
"Oh," was all he managed to say. To say he was surprised, was to say that he was thrilled with the idea. After all, if the world wants to screw with Harry Potter's heart, there were more than one ways to go about it. "We're still friends?"
"Yeah," she said, moving over to him. "But I don't think I want to be with Ron anymore." She said, tears in her eyes. "My god, I don't know what I want…." She fell into sobs, and this time, Harry knew he could not help her. Going to his room, he changed into his pajama bottoms before bringing down the shirt. She was composing herself and gave him a small smile.
"Thank you, I needed that," she said.
"It helps to cry sometimes," he gave her a smile. "Here, you can wear this tonight and take the bed. I'll sleep down here." Her eyes went wide for a moment, shaking her head.
"Harry, this is your room, you should take your bed," she said, holding his shirt close to her chest. He turned back to see her smell it lightly, or he thought she sniffed it, which was followed by a content smile.
"Which is why you're taking the bed," he said guiding her in the direction of the stairs. She stopped at the foot of the stairs.
"Fine, we'll share it," she said. "You seem so against me sleeping on the couch, and I the same for you, so we'll share it." Harry felt his eyes go wide. "What Harry?"
"Nothing," shaking his head to rid himself of such thoughts. "Are you sure?" he asked. "I mean I'm more than willing to take the couch."
"Only if you intend to share it with me," she said sternly. A worse plan, at best. "I will not take that bed if you are sleeping upon that couch."
"What about a different couch, I mean I could easily-"
"Harry!" she said. "Is sharing a bed with me that horrible?" She asked in a small voice, and he turned his gaze back upon her. Here was a person lost in her own world. Gathering her in a hug, he felt her relax.
"No, its just, I don't know," he said in a sigh. "I guess we can, but I don't want to touch anything I'm not supposed to, and I feel like I'm invading your private space." Her blush joined his rather quickly.
"You won't touch anything that I don't want you to, and if you do its called an accident," she said through her blush.
"Okay," he managed to get out. "I think I can handle that." He gave her a small smile. "You sure its okay?" He asked once more, only to get a scolding look and a point. "Sorry." He ran up the stairs quickly followed by the sounds of her giggling. He could not help but smile at this.
His room had not changed, that much he was thankful for. His bed held a huge blanket with the marauders, minus Wormtail, on them. Sitting on the edge of the bed, Harry ran his hand over the blanket, smiling lightly.
"Your mum made that," Hermione said, sitting down on the other side. It was not a question, they both knew the answer. Whenever Harry felt alone, he would huddle up inside it, and it was almost like she was hugging him. He gave her a sad smile, before pulling back the blanket.
Hermione gave him a smile before falling into the bed and onto the pillow, a content smile on her face as she closed her eyes. "Its smiles just like you." She muttered. Harry gave her a odd look, but did not say anything as he climbed into the bed. The lights dimmed immediately, as per the charm he had placed upon it.
He lay on his side, and waited for Hermione to do the same, she did. "I don't understand it, Hermione, I don't."
"Harry, you changed the past, there had to be repercussions because of it," she said to him, touching his cheek lightly.
"Not if I have anything to say about it," he muttered, causing her to smile.
"Harry, you can't go around changing the past," she said, smilingly slightly. "Time wasn't meant to be altered."
"But there are time turners Hermione, we already changed the past once before this all happened," he said to her. "Nothing ever that drastic happened."
"Because we changed an event only a few hours old then Harry. This event was several years old, and drastic. You saved your parents life, if only for a short time, they lived with you and you felt loved."
"But I don't feel any different Hermione, I always thought I'd turn out different if I grew up with them." He lay back and stared at the ceiling, with surprise surprise, was stars, something similar to his old Headboy room. Hermione moved over and lay on his chest, hugging his side. He stiffened, both below and above the belt at the contact, but relaxed, slightly, after a while.
"Thank you Harry," Hermione whispered to him. Before he had a chance to ask "what for" she had fallen asleep, curled up on him. Kissing her forehead, he rescinded to the fate with a smile on his face as he too fell asleep. He would talk to his father the first thing in the morning, after the researched what had happened.
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