Author note: This isn't much but as I've had nothing out for ages I thought I'd put this up. It was supposed to be the first half of a chapter but I'm not sure what's going into the other half so I'll leave that for next time.
Chapter 19 - The last Twelve Hours.
Harry met Hermione at ten o'clock. It was a cold morning and Harry had been unable to rouse himself from bed any earlier. Hermione was sat by the fire looking furtive when Harry entered the common room. It was sparsely populated bar the handful of fifth year students playing gobstones over by the window. Harry made his way over to Hermione anxious to hear her plan, wondering of it was likely to be as dangerous and difficult as she'd promised it to be the night before.
"Morning," he said, sitting down. "Where's Enola? Still in bed?"
"She's outside doing her exercises," said Hermione, motioning to the window. "Strange things if you ask me."
Harry got up and looked outside. Sure enough there was Enola, perched on the frosty ground near the lake twirling her wands like some sort of musical conductor, occasionally sending sparks flying into the glass-like surface of the water.
"So, do you want to hear my plan?" asked Hermione quietly as Harry sat back down.
"Eager, aren't you?"
"Well, we don't have much time," said Hermione. "Actually, ironically enough…"
Harry had a brief moment where he realised what Hermione's plan might be before she herself confirmed it by pulling down the neck of her robes to show the long golden chain and the unmistakable hourglass of a Time-Turner.
"Hermione - where did you get that?" Harry breathed.
"I, er, sort of, borrowed it," said Hermione guiltily. "I'll get it back as soon as we're done. And don't look like that, Harry - you want to find out what attacked Malfoy, don't you?"
"Of course, but I assume you got that from McGonagall and if she finds its missing and thinks we're meddling in her affairs again -"
"Then lets get it over with before she can find out."
Hermione jumped up, grabbed Harry's arm and dragged him across the Common Room and out of the portrait hole. They stopped in an empty corridor not far from the courtyard and Hermione pulled out the Time-Turner, throwing the long chain around Harry's neck.
"I think about twelve turns should do it," said Hermione.
"Er, Hermione," said Harry, struck by a sudden thought. "Are we going to have to relive the whole last twelve hours?"
"Um, yes, probably," said Hermione candidly. "I don't think it's safe to use it going forward. We'll just have to find something to do for eleven hours."
"Your mind is getting filthier by the day," said Harry with a smirk. "Just turn the thing."
Twelve times Hermione spun the tiny hourglass and Harry watched as time span backwards in front of his eyes. When all the different kinds of spinning had stopped Harry and Hermione made their way along the corridor but they hadn't gone more than a dozen feet before Hermione grabbed Harry and thrust him into a nearby broom cupboard, shutting the door behind them.
"Do you have to do this every time you go back in time?" Harry asked crossly, rubbing his head where it had smashed into the back of the cupboard.
"No," said Hermione briskly. "But we must make sure we aren't seen. Take out your Invisibility Cloak. I forgot you'd brought it with you."
"What will it matter if people see us?" asked Harry getting the cloak out. "They'll just think it's the real us, won't they?"
"Maybe. But what if they've just seen us somewhere else? Or what if we see ourselves? Do you remember where you were twelve hours ago because I don't. Right, are you covered? I can't see in the dark."
"You need to eat more carrots then," said Harry.
"Ho ho, very funny," said Hermione. "Come on, the coast's clear."
With some difficulty they edged out of the cupboard and made their way towards the courtyard. They stopped in a secluded corner and sat down to wait, hoping that they weren't interrupted by anyone else. It was several minutes before Harry spotted something in the sky. A blurry, blonde-haired something twisting and shooting through the air. Malfoy was swooping lower now, almost level with the top of the clock tower. Another circle of the courtyard and he landed gently on the far side of the fountain and stowed his broom safely away.
Just like in Enola's vision Malfoy suddenly span around, eyes darting around the place. The stalked towards the fountain gripping his wand inside his jacket, calling out for the person he was sure was watching him.
"Oh, it's you," said Malfoy. "What do you want?"
"Nice to see you too, Draco," said a voice which made Harry and Hermione spin round to see. It was Ginny. "What are you doing out here? It's freezing."
"I was just flying, not that it's any of your business," said Malfoy. "I thought I told you yesterday to leave me alone."
"You didn't mean that," said Ginny moving towards the fountain herself."
"I did."
"Really? That's why you kissed me back, was it?"
Harry barely had time to register the shock of what Ginny had said when both she and Malfoy shot to the ground.
"Did you hear that, too?" asked Malfoy quietly. "You did? Good. That means I'm not going - AARRRGGGHHH!"
A snake, bigger than Harry thought was possible, was rearing up, spitting angrily and snapping at every part of Malfoy exposed to the air. He was writhing in agony, blood spilling from deep cuts to his face and hands. Suddenly there was a loud crack and a swarm of bees shot towards the snake from Ginny's direction. The snake recoiled and tried to snap at its flying attackers. It was only then that Harry saw they weren't bees at all, but bat-shaped bogies.
The hex worked and the snake was driven off. Ginny jumped up and tried to revive Malfoy, who had passed out, but she soon realised she was out of her depth and ran for help.
"Come on, lets go after the snake, see where it goes," said Harry.
"Shouldn't we try and help Malfoy?" whispered Hermione who was pale and terrified looking.
"Hermione - this happened yesterday!" said Harry. "We know what happens to him!"
"Oh - oh yeah," said Hermione. "Come on, the snake's getting away."
They got up and moved as quickly after the snake as being hidden under the Invisibility Cloak would allow. Luckily, Ginny's hex seemed to have injured it and it was slithering along much more slowly than it would have normally done. It was making for the school gates though there was no sign of anyone outside. Hermione suddenly stopped.
"What is it?" asked Harry.
"Whatever happens, Harry, don't do anything," said Hermione. "If we see someone, don't attack them. Don't even attack the snake. We can't alter the timeline."
"But if I kill Voldemort as he tries to save his snake that won't have a bad effect on the future," said Harry.
"It will, Harry," said Hermione anxiously. "There can't be any major difference, good or bad don't come into it. Please promise me you won't do anything."
"Hermione -"
"Promise me," she said, sternly. "If you'll love me you'll promise."
"Okay, I promise," said Harry. "But that's the last time you can use that this month."
"Deal," said Hermione, grinning. "Hurry, it's nearly at the gates."
What happened next was such an anti-climax that Harry felt oddly let down. The snake slipped under the gates but rather than being scooped up by the waiting arms of Voldemort it burst into green flames and was gone. Harry and Hermione stood dumbfounded for several moments looking at the spot where the snake had been moments before.
"Well, Fawkes could sort of Apparate and I'm sure he and Dumbledore were connected somehow," said Harry. "Makes sense that Nagini can do it to. Voldemort was probably possessing it all the time."
"If that's true then at least he's hurt," said Hermione thoughtfully. "It wasn't a complete success for him."
"It wasn't any sort of success if he meant to kill Malfoy," Harry pointed out. "He's still alive, isn't he?"
"For now," said Hermione darkly.
"Now what?" asked Harry. "We've got about eleven hours to kill. Got any bright ideas?"
"Let's go into the Forest," said Hermione, an impish grin at the corners of her eyes. "We won't get caught there."
"What did you have in mind?" said crooned.
"Just taking off the cloak, Harry," Hermione grinned. "God, you are incorrigible."
"Oh yeah, that's what I was thinking off," said Harry trying to hide his blush.
They made their way a short way into the Forbidden Forest, just far enough to be shielded from any eyes which might pass that way. Hermione threw off the cloak and sat down against a thick oak. Harry folded the cloak, slipped it inside his robes and joined her.
"Hi," she said breathlessly.
"Do you come here often?" asked Harry with a grin. Hermione laughed out loud.
"How did you ever get any girls?" she asked. "You're chat-up lines are hopeless."
"I don't need lines," said Harry. "Girls sort of come to me."
"Oh really!" cried Hermione incredulously. "Confidence isn't a problem for you, I see."
"Why shouldn't it be?" asked Harry. "You're a sure thing, aren't you?"
"Oh, Harry! The cheek of you!"
Hermione made to tickle Harry. He grabbed her and rolled her over and they wrestled like this for some time. Harry stopped with Hermione pinned down; her face was glowing and she had twigs and assorted debris through her hair. He bent down and kissed her. They stayed like that for some time, rolling around in a quite different way, until eventually they came to rest, both quite exhausted.
"Right, I think we should return to the present now," said Hermione.
"What? I thought you said it was dangerous," said Harry.
"It's called a white lie, darling," said Hermione with a wink. "I just wanted to get you on your own for a bit. Come on, back to the broom cupboard with you."
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