All the Time in the World

Chapter Forty Three

Harry woke early. He did not want to stay in bed, so he rose. He went to the window and glanced out. The sun had not yet risen, but there was the faint grey light of pre-dawn, bathing the castle. Harry was feeling quite depressed. For all his resolutions of the previous night, their failure did affect him deeply.

He knew that he had to get over it. Brooding over it and wondering what they could have done differently was not going to help. They had failed. End of story. It was time to put it behind them.

He pressed his forehead to the windowpane. He wondered if Dumbledore was going to be disappointed in him. After all, he had been opposed to this plan and only on Harry's insistence had he allowed this plan. Months of persuasion was what finally made Dumbledore relent and agree, and that too when he realized that Harry had his heart set on this course and nothing was going to take his mind off it.

And yet, at the end of it, Dumbledore had proved right. He had only made things worse. He only wished he could set things to right now.

Ron grunted and Harry turned from the window. Ron sighed in sleep. Harry turned back to the window, when his own reflection caught his eye. For a moment, he did not realize what he was seeing. Then he raised his hand and touched his forehead.

His heart rate and breathing sped up. What did this mean? He went to Ron's bed and shook him.

"Ron! Wake up!"

"Wazzup, Harry?" Ron asked groggily as he opened one bleary eye.

"Ron. My scar! It's gone!"

Ron opened both his eyes. "Blimey! You're right, Harry! It's gone! Does this mean we've succeeded?"

Harry thought for a moment. "Riddle knew his powers broke when he attacked me. I didn't tell him how. So, he doesn't know it was because of my mother's sacrifice. He knew Voldemort had to spend twelve years as less than spirit." He paused. "If you had that kind of knowledge, what would you do?"

"I would not attack you," said Ron. "Merlin! That ought to mean that he never went away. That the war is still going on. That it started before our births!"

Harry nodded. The scenario Ron described might be the true one. And that meant that his parents were alive and he was free from the burden of the prophecy. But it did not change the fact that Voldemort was still out there, and had to be stopped.

Of course, the absence of the scar might mean that they had somehow been successful, that Tom Riddle did not become Voldemort. But Harry did not believe that. There was nothing about the Tom Riddle they knew that could suggest such a possibility.

He and Ron dressed in silence and went down to the common room. They needed to talk in private. And they needed to talk to Hermione. It was not possible for anyone to be up this early, so they were guaranteed some privacy.

But no sooner had they reached the common room than the portrait hole opened and a man came in.

"Sirius!" Exclaimed Harry, feeling as if his heart would burst with emotion. Of course, Sirius was alive. If Voldemort never attacked his parents, it meant Sirius never had to go to Azkaban. He was not a fugitive. And he was alive.

"Hey," Sirius grinned at Harry. "How're you doing Ron? All ready for the test?"

"Test?" Ron croaked.

"Your apparition test. It's today, isn't it?"

"Yes..." Ron sat down. "Somehow, I'm not feeling too good."

Sirius laughed. "It's nerves. It'll pass. Where's Hermione?"

"She'll be down soon, I think," said Harry, who was gazing rather hard at the robes Sirius was wearing. It stuck him that he'd seen similar robes on Dawlish and Kingsley last year when they came to arrest Dumbledore last year. Did that mean Sirius was an Auror in this time?

"What are you doing here anyway?" Harry asked.

"Security detail for the minister."

"The minister?"

"The Minister for Magic? Don't tell me you forgot he requested for a private meeting with you today?"

"Oh that," said Harry, giving Ron a "what-the-hell-is-going-on" look.

"Yes, that. And your parents have expressly charged me with seeing that you are all spruced up and wearing your best robes."

"When is he coming?" Asked Harry. What did Scrimgeour want with him? He remembered their meeting during Christmas. Of course, that meeting might not have happened in this time. Scrimgeour might not even be the Minister.

"After, your friends have departed for their test. So you have plenty of time. I just came to see if you were up. See you in the Great Hall for breakfast, Harry."

Harry and Ron looked at each other.

"What was that all about?" Asked Harry.

"I have no idea. And Harry? Am I really having my apparition test today?"