A/N: It's only now that I truly appreciate the Authors that can update their stories on a regular basis. After school was completed this spring, I started working 40 hours per week to pay for rent for next year of school and just haven't had the time to write the story. I've gotten around to bits of pieces of it and am happy to report that I have finished the rough draft of the completed version. Anyways, on to the story!
"Oh Harry, the look on your face is absolutely priceless."
The man in white clapped exuberantly with the same smile on his face.
Harry had his head bowed down and his eyes closed. The smile on Bob's face faltered for one moment.
"Mr. Potter, I know the news might be a bit of a shock but I assure you tha-"
Harry attacked. A gleam of silver reflected against the light as he raised his knife high into the air. The knife came plunging down but all Harry hit was the mahogany wood of the office desk. He blinked unexpectedly and whirled around to see the Traveler clear across the room, leaning against the far wall.
The Traveler clucked softly, mockingly inspecting his expertly manicured nails.
"I expected better from you Harry," Bob pouted exaggeratedly.
With a quick flick of his wrist, Harry sent the knife tumbling end over end at the Traveler. The man in white simply side stepped the pocket knife and watched as the serrated edge embedded itself into the wall behind him.
"Now, Harry, I assure you that I had the best intentions in mind," Bob stepped forward gingerly although he was clearly not afraid of being harmed.
"Why did you even do it? Who are you in the first place?" Harry eyed him wearily.
"Ah, well, I suppose now would be as good of a time as ever to explain myself. As long as you don't…attack me again," the Traveler said with a smug smirk on his slimy face.
Harry only nodded, refusing to speak to such a devilish creature.
"I deeply apologize for all I have put you through, Potter," Bob moved shockingly fast until he was a mere inch from Harry, his nose poking Harry's nose. Stepping away, the Traveler continued with his soliloquy.
"What do you mean?" Harry asked in a tired voice.
"Harry, what do you know about Time Travel?" the Traveler mused with his back turned to Harry.
"You can do it."
"Thanks, water boy, but I'm asking you what do you specifically know about Time Travel," Bob replied sarcastically.
"It's possible. I've done it before," Harry sighed.
"Correction, you've done it twice," the Traveler said slowly, watching Harry's expression carefully.
"That's impossible. What happened to me wasn't time travel. There was nothing traveling about…my experience," Harry said uncertainly.
"Let me give you a simpler explanation, Harry."
Bob took a step back and waved his wand elegantly through the air. A crack and a hiss separated the ground below the Traveler's feet. Harry watched with an open mouth as rivulets of blood seeped from the growing cracks. Eventually, the cracks came to a stop at Harry's feet. A wavy line connected Harry and the Traveler.
"You see Harry, time is like a river. The path between us represents the life that has been planned for us. Sort of like your infamous prophecy if you will. The river then flows through the river bed as shown below."
The Traveler, comically scientific, flicked his finger at the pooled blood. The blood began to flow slowly along the path, the thick layers rolling over each other in a grotesque manner.
"The blood represents the time that is currently occurring. Most people travel back into time," The Traveler flicked his wrist and the blood arched gracefully in the air and landed in a spare rivulet at a spot closer to the Traveler.
"So when they change the order of time, a new flow is created."
The small rivulet slowly expanded until the blood, still arched in the air, began flowing in the new direction.
"A new plain is laid out and the river of blood will continue following along this new path until another incident and another incident and so forth."
Harry was speechless. Whether it was from the spectacle of blood or the revelation of how the universe worked he did not know, but he listened intently to Bob's next words.
"Fortunately, I have a special gift that far exceeds the likes of some measly Time Turner. Not only can I send the flow of time further back," The Traveler brought the river of blood all the way back to the starting point and expanded yet another rivulet, "But I can also place someone ahead of the flow of time."
Harry watched a bloodied pebble rise from the river of blood and skip ahead until it collided with the front of his shoe. His eyes were glued to the bloody stone. He was afraid to touch it, afraid to move it.
"Unfortunately, there are some complications that occur when such an event takes place. Since the flow of time has not yet caught up to the person in question, nothing exists. It was as if, time was frozen."
The river of blood continued to run towards Harry at a maddeningly slow pace. An onslaught of voices was ringing in Harry's head but he could barely hear them over the pounding of his heart. The sudden revelation of his departure from time had suffocated him.
"But, of course, time will eventually catch up because the pebble cannot move without the aid of the river. When time catches up, everything will return to normal."
The river of blood finally reached Harry's shoes and Harry watched, entranced, as it pooled around his feet until he was standing in a wide puddle of blood.
"This is what happened to you, was it not?" The Traveler asked softly, leaning forward with the eagerness of a snake finding a mouse.
Harry nodded mutely, unable to rip his eyes off his reflection in the puddle of blood. He swayed back and forth and placed his hand out to steady himself but found that no one was there to catch him. Instead, he vomited violently into the puddle of the blood. The blood and vomit mixed into a murky substance that forced Harry to finally close his eyes. When he reopened his eyes, the blood and cracks were gone and were replaced by a marble floor.
"Sorry about the visual," Bob said without looking sorry at all.
"Why?"
"Pardon me?"
"You still haven't answered why," Harry said almost tiredly.
"Why isn't important right now Harry," the Traveler waved his hand airily.
"Why is the only thing that's important."
"No, Potter, it isn't," the Traveler said with astounding finality.
"You see, when you have seen as many things as I have seen, you start to realize the incredulity of it all. The apathy that courses through your veins throughout the several mundane decisions you make through life is no more real than the decision between Butterbeer or Firewhiskey. Think about all the decisions you make through one unequivocally boring day of your short existence. Do you constantly ask yourself why you make those decisions?"
The Traveler began to walk back and forth, gesticulating to the invisible crowd in the Parthenon.
"You don't ask yourself those questions because you already know the answer. You always know the answer Potter. Deep inside the clutches of your heart where you dare not look, the answer always lies there. It's our fear that disguises it, shields us from the pain of the truth. So you need not ask me why because you already know why," Bob paused in mid-step, his foot still raised in the air.
"What?" Harry asked, honestly bewildered.
"Dwell on it later, Potter, there are more important matters for us to discuss," Bob snapped his fingers and a comfortable leather chair appeared out of mid-air.
"Take a seat."
With another snap of the Traveler's fingers, Harry felt a child slide underneath his knees and sat down rather gruffly.
"Oh wait," the Traveler snapped his fingers again and the pair was now situated in a large coliseum of sand and stone. Harry gripped the arms of his chair as he surveyed his massive surroundings. He had seen pictures of this place in many Muggle books. They were in Rome, or so Harry thought.
"Don't worry, we're safe in here," Bob said with a yawn as he crossed his legs and examined his well manicured nails again.
Harry continued to twirl in place as he took in the endless pillars of stone. The Traveler watched intently as Harry's eyes glazed over as Harry scanned the horizon.
"You don't seem surprised," Bob said.
"When you live with ghosts and shadows for six years, nothing surprises you," Harry muttered.
"Ghosts?" Bob said as he stopped filing his nails, raising his eyes to stare into two dull green orbs.
"Not part of your plan?" Harry conjectured.
"Erm…there are some…side effects…that come along with traveling such great distances in time," Bob stuttered.
"Really now?" the sarcasm all too evident in Harry's voice.
"You know, I came to you for answers and all you've done is spout some jibber jabber with some fancy wandless magic and snappy fingers," Harry accused with multiple jabs of his pointer finger.
"I have not spouted jibber jabber," the Traveler quoted "jibber jabber" with his fingers while he exaggeratedly rolled his eyes, "What I told you was the truth and the sooner you realize what I meant, the sooner you will come to terms to what you must do."
"Why can't you just tell me what you meant?" Harry asked.
"It's not my place," the Traveler said softly.
Harry groaned in frustration and kicked up a plume of sand.
"Immaturity at its finest," Bob grumbled.
"I'm done with being mature and taking care of myself. I want some fucking answers and you're going to give them to me," Harry took a step towards the Traveler before the Traveler snapped his fingers again.
Harry's foot was in midair, poised over the sand when the Traveler snapped his fingers. In the blink of an eye, Harry found that his foot was now suspended over water. Harry quickly regained his balance and tried to find his footing on the small rock he was on. He gazed around and was shocked to find that he was on a boulder situated near the edge of a waterfall.
"Niagra Falls!" a voice yelled from behind Harry.
Harry carefully turned around to see the Traveler situated on a similar boulder not ten meters away from him. The Traveler, though, didn't seem particularly troubled by the locale.
"It's not my place to tell you how the future plays out Harry. All I can do is tell you what has happened and guide you in your next step," Bob yelled amidst the thunder of the waterfall.
"The question is, will you accept your fate?"
"It would help if I knew what it was!" Harry yelled back.
"I can help you with that!" the Traveler snapped his fingers and Harry found himself in the dark room that they had started in except that now, there was a window that faced the main chamber he had entered through.
Harry was surprised to see Hermione and Ron overlooking an object on a table. Harry waited for them to turn around and spot him but was shocked to find them immobile. There was no mistake in their statuesque appearance. It was as if they were suspended in motion, Hermione's arm reaching towards the table, and Ron's arm on his way to scratch his red hair.
"What did you do to them?!" Harry bellowed.
"Relax, Potter," the Traveler snapped his fingers, and Harry watched as they immediately snapped in regular motion.
"No doubt you have heard of my prowess," the Traveler said cockily.
"Is that what we were doing? Time traveling?" Harry asked as he pressed his hand against the glass. Hermione could be seen through the cracks of his fingers. Harry couldn't tear his eyes away from his friends.
"Space AND time Potter. You should listen to Ms. Granger more."
"I should have always listened to her," Harry whispered, mostly to himself.
Bob eyed him interestedly. Harry was gazing through at the pair through the window, but his eyes were focused on one singular target. Unknown to Harry, Bob gave a genuine smile as he watched the younger man peer through the glass. Harry reluctantly shut his hand, shielding his friends from his eyes and turned to face the Traveler.
"You said you could help me," Harry said.
"Ah, yes, that I can."
The Traveler hurried around to the mahogany desk and opened one of the drawers. After a couple seconds of shuffling, he heaved a photo album into sight. Harry only shook his head at yet another 'coincidence.'
"This is no mere photo album-" the Traveler started.
"I know, I've seen it before," Harry interrupted.
"Oh…have you know? The book always has had a mind of its own."
"As I was saying, this is no ordinary photo album. Said to be created from the vessel of Merlin himself, it contains some of the most powerful magic known to your kind. All you have to do is think of a person, yourself even, and it shall predict their future," Bob whispered.
"The future?" Harry asked skeptically.
"Yes, their future. I need not tell you the power that has corrupted those who have dared to look inside this album. It will tell you their future, but it will not tell you how to get there. It will not tell you what path you should take in order to gain that future and most importantly, the future can always change Potter. Don't forget that," the Traveler warned.
"Why are you giving it to me then? I mean, it's a lot of power to bestow upon one person," Harry asked suspiciously but inside his heart raced at the implications of the album. The Slytherin in him hissed its approval.
"I have a feeling that you will not succumb to its power until the time is right and even then, you won't truly realize what you are doing," Bob smirked.
Harry did not ask twice as he grasped the album and tucked it underneath his arm. He raised his eyes to meet the glittering black holes of the Traveler's and shivered. There was something so irrevocably eerie about the Traveler.
"Good luck, Potter. Oh, and I'm sorry about that incident with you and Ms. Granger a while ago. I did not mean to harm her in the mansion," Bob apologized.
"Oh," Harry said dumbly, his thoughts still racing from the implications of future-telling.
"Farewell."
Harry curtly nodded and exited through the singular door in the room. He motioned to Hermione and Ron and the Trio headed on their way out.
The Traveler watched as Hermione touched Harry's shoulder to gain his attention, before unsuccessfully attempting to take the album from him. The Traveler continued to watch as she tucked a hair behind his ear, all the while speaking to him. Bob's jaw tightened as he watched the Trio disappear through the doorway.
There was a rustling behind Bob, but he did not bother to look. He already knew who the culprit was.
"It worked then?" said the voice behind him.
"Perfectly."
"Excellent. I was…afraid… that you would renege on the terms of our deal."
"You delivered something to me and now I have delivered something to you," Bob said dully.
"Excellent. You really are the Devil," the person smirked.
The Traveler moved faster than light as he slammed the person against the wall, his well manicured fingers circling the person's throat.
"I did not choose to be the Devil. It was bestowed upon me for the terrible deeds I did and continue to do. You would be wise to better choose your words Riddle," Bob snarled.
"I…apologize…please," Riddle gasped, his young face clenched in pain as he struggled to breath. Bob dropped him and watched him crumble to the floor.
"Great wizard or not, I need not remind you what I can do to you," Bob said menacingly.
"Of course," Riddle muttered the rebellion fiery in his eyes.
"Good. Off with you," Bob ordered. Riddle sneered before snapping his fingers and disappearing.
The Traveler walked into the main chamber and to a nook tucked away in the back of the chamber. It was shielded by a thin black veil and the Traveler pulled it back to reveal the pale body of a young woman.
"I hope you realize what it took to retrieve you my dearest. The price was terrible, but it was worth it," the Traveler smiled manically as he held his hand reverently near her face, cupping her cheek.
"What's that my dear?" Bob held his hear next to her mouth for a moment before his smile turned into a frown.
"There is a price to pay. Potter and Granger are not unlike you and I. Their fate will be similar and that is how it shall be," Bob said angrily. He was quiet for a moment before he leaned his ear towards her mouth again. He suddenly snapped back, his arms withdrawing to his side and a sneer present on his face.
"We shall see."
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-Reviews are always welcome.
-I promise I wasn't filling up the page when the Traveler was speaking.
-The pale body behind the veil is the girl whom Traveler was looking for in Chapter 12 "A Discussion Amongst Peers"
-Yes, it's Riddle. Like, the Voldemort-Riddle.