A/N: Thanks for all the great reviews guys! I hope you enjoy this story and yes, I got inspiration for this story from the movie Back to the Future. I love that movie. And for the small percentage of you who haven't seen it, you must!
The Train Ride
Harry sat in the train compartment doing his best not to act like a pouty nine year-old but the fact of the matter was, Hermione giving this…stranger a little TLC was more than discomforting to him. Ron was sitting across from him, munching on food and treats from the trolley not even bothered by this new guest.
"Do you think he's going to be okay?" Ginny asked.
"I dunno, I think so," Hermione replied.
Harry chanced another glance in their direction, seeing Hermione cradle this guy's head in her lap while she put ice on the back of his head.
"Do you know his name?" Ginny asked.
"No, I've never seen him before," Hermione shook her head. "Maybe he's a transfer student."
"It was so romantic the way he jumped in front of you like that," Ginny said dreamily.
Harry scoffed softly. He would've gladly jumped in front of Hermione. In fact, he was just about to when this git got in the way. Who the hell did he think he was anyway? Besides, he saved Hermione loads of times and he didn't get any treatment from her the way she was giving it to this guy.
Hermione heard his scoff and turned to look at him. "Don't be like that, Harry," she said gently. "You're not the only one in this world with a `Saving People' thing."
"I know that," he muttered and Ginny rolled her eyes.
"Oh, look, he's coming to!" Ginny exclaimed.
Ryan's head hurt and he felt as if he was awakening from a very odd and terrifying dream where he went back in time and saw his parents as students.
"Hey there," he heard the welcoming and comforting voice of his mother, "take it easy. You took a nasty hit to your head." He could feel her hands gently touching his head the way she used to whenever he was hurt or sick.
"Mum?" he said aloud and Harry and Ron snickered. Hermione shot them nasty looks that sent Harry back to his brooding state. Ginny was looking at Ryan as if he were an injured puppy.
Ryan opened his eyes, blinking them to bring the fuzzy image before him into focus revealing his still young looking mother.
"Hullo," she said with a smile.
Ryan's eyes widened and he sat up quickly, scrambling to the opposite side of the compartment and squishing himself into the corner. Uncle Ron, Aunt Ginny, his mother and father were all looking at him, all dressed in Hogwarts attire, all of them his age. This wasn't a nightmare, it was really happening to him.
"What a way to meet, huh?" Hermione said, trying to ease this jittery young man. "Um, my name is Hermione and this is Ginny."
"Hi," his aunt said kindly.
"That over there is Ron," Hermione continued, "and that is Harry." His father gave a curt nod of his head. "And you are?"
"Uh, R-Ryan," he stammered out. This could not be happening to him. He felt like a trapped rabbit surrounded by wolves.
"Ryan," Hermione repeated. "That's a nice name. Well, Ryan, that was a very brave thing you did, jumping in front of me to block that hex." His father muttered something in the corner but he didn't catch it. "I just want to say thank you."
"Er…you're welcome." He needed to get out of this compartment, he needed to get off this train. "Excuse me," he said, jumping to his feet and hastily stumbling out of the compartment. Part of him wanted to believe that this was a nightmare and that he could just get off this train if he willed it somehow. Like if you dreamt you were falling and you made yourself land on a cushion manifested from your own mind. But it wasn't, there was no way off this train and he knew nobody on it except for well, his family but they hadn't met him…yet. Oh this was so messed up.
He could see the lavatories up ahead and he ran to them, finding an unoccupied one and scrambled inside. He locked the door and laid his forehead against it. He felt so lost and he felt more than a little silly at the fact that the two people he wanted most to see, the two people he always came to with a problem were his parents. But he couldn't go to them now, they had no idea who he was and he had a feeling that if he explained to them who he was, it may not go down as he had envisioned. Ryan just wanted his family back, his family from his time.
He sank to the floor thinking this was indeed the longest train ride on the Hogwarts Express that he had taken. Longer than the first one he had ever taken but even then his father had said that it would be okay, that he would make friends on the train. His father was right, of course.
Hugging his robe closer around him, a crinkling sound caught his attention and he reached into his robes to pull out an envelope. That's right! Professor Lupin had told him to deliver this envelope to him as soon as he reached school, no matter how strange his situation was. Well, in his book, this definitely qualified as strange. But it gave him an odd sense of comfort. He had a plan to get through the next few hours: just stay in here for the rest of the train ride, talk to no one and get to Professor Lupin as soon as the carriage dropped him off at the castle steps.
~*~
The task was easier said than done. Ryan easily lost himself in the crowd of students that poured into the castle, all of them chattering and excited for the start of a new year. However, since the professor's typically ate at the head of the Great Hall at a long table, getting Professor Lupin before that, proved to be challenging.
He darted out of the crowd and headed to the DADA classroom but it was empty, the professor had already left for the dining hall. When he sprinted back to the Great Hall, everyone was already seated and chatting excitedly for the start of the sorting. He saw Professor Lupin already seated at the table talking with Professor Flitwick. He could just make his way up there and hand him the letter but as soon as the thought formed in his mind, the doors opened and Professor Sinistra was leading the group of First Years down the aisle. Ryan quickly sat down at the end of the Gryffindor table.
"Is that him?" Lavender leaned forward and whispered to Hermione and Ginny.
"Hermione's hero," Ginny beamed and Harry rolled his eyes. Now that Parvati and Lavender got wind of this story, he wouldn't be hearing the end of it any time soon.
"Oh, he's so cute!" Parvati whispered.
"I know!" Hermione agreed and Harry shifted uncomfortably in his seat. She hadn't acted this silly, even with Krum.
"Why don't we go and invite him to sit with us?" Lavender suggested. "I mean, look at the poor thing sitting all by himself."
"We should, I think he's a transfer student and he probably doesn't know anyone," Hermione looked down at him. "Harry, you should go and get him after the Sorting."
"W-what?" Harry looked at her incredulously.
"I think it would be a good gesture since you're the one who's been awful to him since we got on the train," she said.
"What are you talking about? I didn't say a word to him!" Harry retorted.
"Exactly," Hermione said. "I practically had to drag you down the train to help me look for him."
"So you see? I was nice, I helped look," Harry nodded. Okay, really, he didn't look too hard, he was just strolling up and down the train trying to pass the time until Hermione released him from the task.
"I just think it would mean more if you invited him to sit with us," Hermione looked at him pleadingly. Oh, why did she have to look at him like that?
"Yeah, okay," he heard himself mumbling.
So, after the little sprogs had been sorted and seated, Harry reluctantly left his place at the table when the delectable food for the feast had appeared. And he was sooooo looking forward to that first bite. But he might as well get this over with quickly so he could return to his seat before Ron ate everything in sight.
Ryan was seated at the end of the table, not even paying attention to the food in front of him, he was watching the front of the Great Hall where the teachers were seated.
"Ryan right?" he said.
Ryan jumped in his seat. "Da-er, dude! You startled me."
Harry looked at the jumpy young man. Warning bells rang in the back of his head. There was something very familiar about this bloke although he couldn't exactly pinpoint what it was.
"Yeah," Harry said slowly. "You seem a little jumpy."
"Do I?" Ryan asked, running a hand through his brown hair, causing it to stick up at weird angles.
"Listen, do you want to come and sit with us?"
Ryan looked down the table where the other seventh years were sitting, the girls eagerly looking at him.
"Um, no," he said slowly, "but thank you."
For some reason, an odd sense of relief overcame Harry when Ryan said this. He wasn't going to argue with the guy. "Okay," Harry said and walked away.
"What happened?" Hermione asked him as he sat down.
"He said no," Harry answered plainly, grabbing some ham and mashed potatoes that Ron hadn't gotten to yet. He looked up and saw the frown on Hermione's face and he felt horrible. He had to say something to ease her upset. "I think he's just really, really shy. I mean, he practically jumped out of his seat when I spoke to him."
"Oh that is sooo cute," Parvati said.
"Well, I honestly can't let him sit by himself after what he did for me. That would be just rude," Hermione said, getting up from the table and grabbing her plate and goblet.
"Hermione!" Harry protested as she walked away. The guy really seemed like he didn't want to sit with them.
"Hello. Mind if I sit here?"
Ryan looked up wide-eyed at his mother, instinctively scooting over to make room for her as she sat down.
"I couldn't let you sit here by yourself in good conscience," she said. "Especially after what you did for me on the platform."
"It really wasn't anything," Ryan spluttered out. Hermione looked at him. There was something about him that attracted her to him.
"Of course it is," she smiled. "You really didn't know me but yet, you still jumped in front of me to take that hex. That's very admirable in my book."
"Admirable," Ryan repeated nervously. He personally would have chosen the word idiotic.
"So Ryan," Hermione scooted closer to him and Ryan scooted away. "I don't know anything about you. Like, where did you transfer from?"
"Er," he floundered around for another wizarding school and said the first thing that came to his mind. "Durmstrang."
"Durmstrang?" Hermione's eyes widened. "I know someone from that school."
"Yeah, Viktor Krum," Ryan answered. His father teased his mother mercilessly whenever the Bulgarian team came to play.
"How did you know?" Hermione chirped. "I suppose everyone knows about that," she sighed. Ryan vowed to keep his trap shut.
"And your parents?" she asked. "What do they do?"
Oh the irony. "My dad's an Auror and my mum works for the Ministry in the Magical Rules and Regulations department."
"My parent's are muggle dentists," Hermione said. Ryan smiled his cavity-free smile. His grandparents never failed to send him and his brothers and sisters home with toothbrushes after every visit.
Their conversation mercifully ended when the Headmistress McGonagall stood to address the class. They would be dismissed soon and that would be his chance to speak with Professor Lupin.
"Do you want me to show you the way to the Gryffindor common room?" Hermione offered as they stood to go to their dorms.
"Er, no," Ryan said, keeping an eye on Professor Lupin who was getting up to leave. "I know the way," he said dismissively and made his way to the front of the Great Hall.
Hermione returned to join Harry and Ron but was immediately ambushed by Ginny, Lavender and Parvati.
"Well, what did he say?"
"What's he like?"
Hermione was beaming. "He was so nice and cute. He's an absolute dream!"
"Wow, Hermione," Ginny smiled. "I think you've got it bad!"
They made their way to the common room and Harry reached out and grabbed Ginny, distancing the two of them from the others.
"What do you mean Hermione has it bad?" he asked her in a low voice. "Is she hexed or something?"
Ginny laughed. "Oh, Harry. You guys can be completely clueless sometimes. She's not hexed. She's just crushing on Ryan."
"What?!" he yelped.
Ginny rolled her eyes. "I don't know if you know, Harry, but Hermione is indeed a girl and that she may fancy someone of the opposite sex."
"I know she's a girl!" Harry said irritably. "I just can't believe she'd like someone like…Ryan."
"Why not? He's kinda cute and he has that `saving people' complex that you have. Oooh and mysterious. He's got the aura of….mystery about him."
"If you ask me, he's a bit of squirrelly fellow to me," Harry grumbled.
Ginny rolled her eyes. "Oh Harry, you are being just as bad as Ron was with Viktor."
"I am not. There's a big difference there."
"Whatever," Ginny replied and stopped him. "I'm warning you Harry. Hermione deserves a little bit of happiness and I don't want you or Ron to ruin this for her." She pointed a finger in his face as she said this.
*
"Professor Lupin!" Ryan called out as he reached the table. Lupin turned around and looked at the student. He had never seen him before but there was something about him that was oddly familiar.
"Yes?" he asked kindly.
"Professor, I was told to give this to you as soon as possible," Ryan said, handing him the envelope. Lupin took it and read its contents, his brow wrinkling in disbelief as he kept reading. At last, he finished it.
"Who gave you this letter?" he demanded.
Ryan stared at him. "Well, you did, Professor."
A clock chimed the hour in the background, catching Lupin's attention. Ryan opened his mouth to speak but Lupin held up his hand in a gesture of silence as his attention was brought to the Hufflepuff table as the students filed out of the Great Hall. There was suddenly a loud explosion and feathers went spewing in the air as one of the students turned into a bird, the familiar result of a WWW canary cream. Lupin then looked down the table at Professor Flitwick who was scrambling over the table to get to a student only to be thwarted by Hagrid who tripped and fell on the table, see-sawing it and sending Flitwick in the air.
"Come with me," Lupin said, yanking Ryan from staring at the commotion before him.
"I don't know what kind of joke you are playing or who set you up to this," Lupin said as he closed the door of his office behind Ryan, "but it isn't funny at all. A faulty time turner?"
"Is that what I touched?" Ryan asked. Lupin narrowed his eyes at the young man. "Look, I'm not lying! Why would I lie about this? Do you think I'm enjoying this? Do you think I want to be here? No! I want to go home! I want to see my family, my parents!" He slumped down into a chair and sighed.
Lupin looked at the crestfallen young man. "What are your parent's names?" he asked.
Ryan looked up at him. "Harry Potter and Hermione Granger."
Lupin looked at him for a long time. Yes, he could see it now. Why the boy looked so familiar to him. He had the familiar green eyes of Lily, of Harry. In fact, he looked a lot like Harry except for the glasses and brown hair. He looked up at the ceiling, "Well, Sirius, I guess I owe you a few galleons, huh? Well, young man, let's see this time turner of yours." Ryan handed him the tiny object, no bigger than a snitch, over. "Ah, yes. I've never seen this model before. Most definitely new."
"Well, can't we get another one and send me back?" he asked.
Lupin shook his head. "Nearly all of them were destroyed during an…incident a couple of years ago in the Department of Mysteries. When it was found how easily one could slip in and out of that department, it was unanimous that all of them be destroyed." Ryan's small flame of hope was just snuffed out. He was stuck here. "Our only hope is to find someway to activate this one again," Lupin said, holding the small object. "In the meantime, however, I think it would be best if you kept a low profile at this school. And above all, avoid your parents."
Avoid his parents. Well, it was a little late for that.
"You already ran into them, didn't you?" Lupin said and Ryan nodded. "Well, avoid them from here on out. You don't want to do anything that will compromise your or their futures."
"Right, okay," he said.
"Just out of curiosity, Ryan, how did Harry and Hermione get together?" Lupin asked the young man who suddenly became very pale.
"Oh no," Ryan groaned and ran his hand through his hair. A gesture that made Lupin smirk because Harry and James had done the exact same thing. "My parents! They realized they had feelings for each other when my mum was hit with a hex on the Platform. A hex that I blocked!"
"What?! Ryan do you realize what you have done?" Lupin scolded. "If I send you back now, you may not exist!"
Not exist! How can he not exist?! He had to exist. He liked existing.
"Oh Merlin," he groaned, "What do I do now?"
Lupin looked at him sympathetically. "I suppose we have to find some way to get your parents together before I send you back."
"Well, that shouldn't be too hard," Ryan said thoughtfully. "I mean it's my mum and dad. They love each other, they're crazy about each other."
Lupin looked at him. "I hope you're right, Ryan."
"I guess this blows the whole `stay away from your parents' advice out of the water, huh?"
"For now but Ryan, listen to me very carefully. You have to be cautious about what you do or say to them. You're future is already compromised, you don't need to say or do anything that would endanger it further," Lupin said.
"Right," Ryan said quietly. "Well, I guess I should head up to bed so I can face another dismal day in the past." Lupin let out a soft laugh.
"Have faith, Ryan. We'll get your parents together and you back home safely."
*
Lost in his thoughts, Ryan wandered the halls of Hogwarts until he arrived at the portrait of the Fat Lady. Oh crap, he didn't know the password. This day was turning out great.
"It's gillyweed," said a voice behind him.
Ryan turned to find a familiar looking guy standing in front of him. Where had he seen him before?
"The password, it's gillyweed," the young man said.
"Right you are, dearie," said the Fat Lady, swinging the door open. The common room was deserted, everyone had gone to bed. The young man turned to him and offered his hand for a shake. "My name's Neville Longbottom, and you are?"
"Ryan," he answered softly, staring at him. Now he remembered where he knew him from. Neville Longbottom had been a good friend to his parents and his father's partner in the Auror division up until a few years ago when they got a tip of dark wizard activity at the Fisherman's Wharf. Neville hadn't waited for his father and went alone.
He was killed.
Aunt Ginny was beyond grief, he left behind her and their two young children. His parents took his death hard, his father the hardest. It devastated him and nearly ripped apart their family. His parent's had gone to counseling to help his father deal with his grief and he eventually got better and slowly stopped blaming himself. But there were still times that his father locked himself away in a dark place inside him that only his mother could bring him out of.
"Oh right," Neville smiled, "you're the new guy. The one that jumped in front of Hermione, saving her from that hex that Malfoy sent. Good on you. I wish I was brave like you."
"I'm sure you're much braver than you give yourself credit for," Ryan said softly, remembering how great an Auror he was. Mr. Longbottom had always been nice to him. He would always have a piece of candy to offer him and his siblings whenever his father brought them to the office.
It was this painful memory that filled his thoughts as he readied himself for bed. That young man who was standing across the room from him thinking he had his whole life in front of him…
"Good night Ryan," Neville said as he began to close the hangings around his bed. "Hope you like it here at Hogwarts."
"Yeah," Ryan answered softly. "Good night."
Ryan climbed into bed and closed the hangings around him. It had truly been a long day and he wasn't at all looking forward to tomorrow. He had no idea how he would get his parents together, shouldn't they just naturally get together without him having to lift a finger? He flopped himself backward on the bed only to have his head collide with a stony pillow.
"Ow!"
Snickers could be heard that Ryan found suspiciously sounding like his father and his Uncle Ron. Ryan took his wand and transfigured his pillow back to a normal soft state.
"Very funny dad," he whispered irritably.
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