Drarry O'Clock- Part 1

24: The Mending

Harry's perspective

I mark the hours, push them back. Too much, or you I can't protect.
To mend me you must break yourself. Your greatest weakness, peel off the flesh.

Harry booped Draco's nose. No response. He paced in Draco's dorm in deep thought.

"I think I know the answer to our problems. Remember what Hermione said? That six of the Time Turners got stolen before a proper safety charm was placed on them? What if something happened to this one where the safety charm stopped working in our last time travel?" (The first theory)

Draco was sullen and refusing to attend meals in the  Great Hall. He seemed deep in his own thoughts.

They were both stuck in between two theories. Whichever one happened to be true would make all the difference. Harry looked at Draco's sad appearance and sighed.

"Charms go wrong all the time. We just got unlucky. It's not your fault, Dray."

Harry sat in front of Draco.

"We can fix this," assured Harry, "no matter why this happened, we'll make it all back to normal."

"The other theory seems more likely."

The other theory...they tried to not consider it.

Harry was dismayed when Draco would not eat his food, even when he joked about feeding him. Harry was himself distraught, and seeing that Draco wasn't even trying to be positive, Harry decided he should leave.

Hermione was talking to the twins, and Ron was a distance away talking to other Gryffindor boys he half-recognised.

"I sense some disturbance in your mood."

Harry looked behind him and saw his Professor approach him.

"Actually I sense disturbance in a lot of things regarding you lately."

Harry guiltily nodded.

"Aren't those Gryffindors your friends?" Dumbledore nodded towards them from over the balcony that both were on.

Harry thought he would get a telling off about his temper when he jumped Quirrel. But, Dumbledore was quiet.

Harry could not bear to look Quirrel in the eyes at all. Quirrel was the reason for the Dark Lord coming to Hogwarts. If anything like the other universe repeated here, the Dark Lord would once again return.

"Whenever I need a place to think clearly, I go to the Astronomy Tower."

"I mostly think of stars when I'm there," said Harry with a shrug.

"Let your imagination extend to more than the stars. Go there when you're alone some night, and just really think about what confuses you."

"Sir, students are only allowed to go there for classes..."

"Quite right," Dumbledore said and tilted his head as if just realising.

Harry still could not find a solution to his problem, so he walked down the stairs to reach the courtyard.

Not wanting to be around unfamiliar faces, he walked to the twins and Hermione, ignoring Ron since he was with people Harry was not sure he should know.

"You're still reading that book? Is there something particular that you're looking for?"

"Nothing really."

Harry clumsily covered the title of the book from Hermione.

"We were just talking about Neville. His grandmother sent him a Remembrall, but after practice he couldn't find it. We think it fell out onto the courtyard and someone in our class took it for themselves."

"You've tried asking professors?" Checked Harry.

Hermione nodded.

"Poor kid," said Fred Weasley, "he'll be going through a lot more mishaps."

"Don't say it like that..." Hermione was upset, "We need to help him. I saw him all alone on the moving stairs, and he wouldn't talk to anyone."

"Which moving stairs?" Asked Harry almost harshly.

"Well, the stairs move sometimes. What about them?"

"Some of the stairs lead to dangerous dungeons," stood up Harry, "I'll go check on him."

"I'll come too."

Hermione followed him.

They saw Neville's pale face and wide eyes.

"Looks like he just woke up," Hermione pointed out.

"Neville, don't try to stand up yet!" Warned Harry.

The staircase accelerated in speed and Neville clung onto the rail with dear life. Hermione pulled out her wand, but blinked furiously trying to recall which spell was correct.

"Woahhh...heeeelp!"

Neville's fingers was shaking and slipping.

"Immobulus!"

Draco Malfoy stood there, his wand out.

Harry looked at him thankfully, before turning back to Neville, "Okay Neville, stay calm and still until a teacher comes."

Professor McGonnagal came in the hallway just then, and did spells to move the stairs back into the correct position.  Neville looked like he wanted to thank Draco, but he was already walking off.

Harry went after him.