Reliving the Past, Present, and Future

Chapter 22

Harry laid in bed with his hands behind his head, staring up at the ceiling as if the answers to his questions were hidden within the wood. So much had happened in the past three months... he looked over to the sleeping form next to him. Her long red hair splayed across the pillows and bedsheets, her body curled into his side. 

Merlin had he never been so happy than the stolen moments with Ginny Weasley this summer. They hadn't had too much time alone due to tackling Grimmauld Place's infestation and being surrounded by members of the Order and her family, but her coy smile and secret kisses were enough to lift his spirits when darkened clouds loomed overhead.

Their first uninterrupted kiss had been a week after they arrived to Grimmauld Place. He, Ginny, and Ron were tackling a wardrobe attempting to strangle them when Hermione asked for Ron's help with doxies. Harry had his suspicions Hermione and Ginny planned this because as soon as the door closed behind Ron, Ginny jumped into his arms. Her lips tasted like the apples from breakfast. He had spun her around with his exuberance while she laughed.

He absentmindedly brushed his fingers through her hair and Ginny snuggled further into him. It wasn't too often he snuck away under the invisibility cloak to sleep with her. Harry needed her last night - today was August 12th, the day of his disciplinary hearing. Would he be expelled? His wand snapped in half?

The answer was no.

Because Teddy Lupin had apparated into his life and turned everything upside down. If the timeline continues its course, then he will be deemed innocent; Dumbledore will burst into the room and bring Mrs. Figg as a witness. 

It wasn't the hearing inducing the insomnia - the antidote happening to be the beautiful witch beside him - it was the bleakness of the future if they didn't change it. They would win the war, yes, but at what cost? Enough for his future self to set it right. 

Their last meeting before Teddy returned to his original timeline was a night Harry continued to replay in his head. Teddy hadn't told them everything, but he revealed enough.

Horcruxes.

The word was foreign on his tongue, but familiar in his thoughts. Seven horcruxes. Voldemort's soul, fractured through murder, and placed into items he valued. 

They apparently spent months hunting down horcruxes on the run - the locket in itself involved infiltrating the Ministry to even obtain and it would take several months for them to learn how to destroy it. But this is where the future will forever be altered - he and Ron destroyed the locket three months ago... two years before it was meant to happen. 

This time, Teddy Lupin was helping them find and destroy horcruxes. 

The second piece of news was to hear about what happened at the end of their year. His dreams... what the corridor all lead to in the end: the Department of Mysteries, where a prophecy had his and Voldemort's name on it.

According to Teddy, Voldemort will learn about their connection and send a false vision: they had Sirius. This would lead to he, Hermione, Ron, Ginny, Luna, and Neville to leave Hogwarts for the Ministry of Magic only to be walking into the arms of Deatheaters. 

He would make it out alive, but Teddy cryptically said Harry would lose someone he loved on this night. 

The new plan was for the Order of the Phoenix to secretly escort Harry into the Department of Mysteries for his prophecy and smash it - leave a fake. When Voldemort tries to lure him there, he would know better. He would not go. 

It seemed simple... but if Voldemort found out earlier than intended...  

Harry sighed, lightly kissed the top of Ginny's head, and left her bed. He hastily shoved his glasses on and covered himself with the invisibility cloak before making his way back to where he and Ron slept.