Turning Time (A Harry Potter Fanfic)

Letter Universe, pt. 3

It was late, but Harry was bound to be able to find a copy of the Prophet somewhere in Hogsmeade.

He hurried out of the Shrieking Shack and into Hogsmeade. Under the safety of the invisibility cloak, he walked down the middle of the street, eyes moving quickly to spot a copy of the paper. 

There one was, across from the Hog’s Head. Harry ducked next to a nearby store and whispered, “Accio Daily Prophet!” The paper landed at his feet, and he bent to pick it up. 

“Got you!” Someone pulled off his cloak. It was Raven. 

Harry stood and put his hands up, noticing the wand she had pointed at him. They both glanced at the Hog’s Head.

“I shouldn’t come in contact with the other Harry.”

Raven pushed her hood back, eyebrow raised. Wand still raised, she motioned for him to come further out of sight. “How do I know you’re Harry Potter? Tell me something you know that he,” she gestured into the Hog’s Head, “doesn’t.” 

Harry fidgeted, thinking quickly. “Oh! You don’t, or at least didn’t, think we should have houses at Hogwarts.” 

Her wand lowered slightly.

“What else?”

“You like to draw, er, your parents were disappointed that you weren’t sorted into Slytherin, you knew Regulus and Sirius Black when you were younger…” He stopped listing because she had lowered her wand, covering her mouth with her other hand. 

Harry cut through her shock. “I need you to tell me who died in the past two years.” 

Raven blinked and lowered her hand. “I can’t tell you, Harry’s supposed to tell you.” 

“If you don’t, I’ll Apparate and find out some other way.” 

She considered him, then gave in. “Alright. Death Eaters, too?” 

“I suppose—how about Lucius Malfoy and Peter Pettigrew?” 

“Dead. I mean, Peter Pettigrew is. Lucius is alive.” 

Harry exhaled. “Alright, go on.” 

“Well, there’s Voldemort, he’s dead, I don’t know if that’s a shock for you. And, look, before I continue, at least tell me what’s going on.” 

Harry leaned against the side of the wall behind them. “The short of it is I used Dumbledore’s Time-Turner to travel back to 1971, when you were starting school, thinking I could, I dunno, get closure on things. This was after the Second War ended, and Voldemort was killed. I thought I could make Severus’ life better. I felt guilty, and that kind of changed over time into us being friends. You and I were best friends, too. I went to school with you, in disguise, for five years, so. It didn’t work out, because he and Lily, they…well, if they got together instead of Lily and James, I wouldn’t’ve been born.” 

He paused. Raven was chewing her lip, but said nothing, so he continued. 

“This was me trying again. I left a letter for you and myself, hoping to save you and also make his—Severus’—life better. But I can’t make everything permanent until I know that things are better.” 

Raven leaned up against the wall next to him. “What could’ve happened to make your War worse than this one was?” 

“We destroyed all the Horcruxes and Voldemort died, but a lot of people died that I cared about. Remus, for starters.”

Raven turned to Harry. “Remus is alive.”

“Tonks, then, do you know her? Is she…?” 

Raven smiled. “Yeah, she’s alive. They’re together, you know.” 

Harry glanced at her, careful not to appear too elated, in case it was still a sensitive subject. “You don’t still…?” 

“No. Oh, Merlin, no, we’re fine. And how do you know, was that in your journal?” Raven chuckled, then looked at Harry. “He should be with her. I was too conflicted, and didn’t want to start something too serious if I wasn’t ready. You must know how that would hurt him.” 

Harry nodded. 

Raven cleared her throat. “More casualties. Albus…died. I’m so sorry. He was killed by Voldemort.”

Harry swallowed, blinking rapidly. He had expected that to be the case once again, but one of his hopes was put out. “He died in my time, too. Er, how, exactly…?”

“Two summers ago, before you were in sixth year, Albus went to destroy Gaunt’s Ring. It was a set up, it turns out. See, by then his diary, diadem, and locket had been destroyed, so he suspected Albus. Who else could it have been? We think Albus couldn’t keep up with Voldemort because the Horcrux attacked him, somehow. But he still destroyed it.” 

“How were the locket and the diadem destroyed?” 

“Albus theorized about the Horcruxes, and knew after the diary about their potential. You took it upon yourself to find the diadem, somehow figuring out that it was in the school. When I learned about the Horcruxes, Albus helped to interpret the instructions Regulus left me before he died in that cave.” 

Harry nodded. “When did Voldemort die?” 

“Over a year ago. November 2nd. You were in your sixth year.” 

Harry was silent for a while. Finally, he asked, “How is that possible?”

Raven crossed her arms; the temperature was dropping. “You were on the run. You destroyed all of the Horcruxes, then battled Voldemort outside of Malfoy Manor. You had let yourself be captured.” 

“Did I know, then?” 

“Know what?” 

“That I was a Horcrux.” 

Raven nodded. Harry noticed her eyes shift to the Hog’s Head. “I suppose I should start from your fifth year…You had destroyed the diadem and the locket. At the end of the year, Albus gave you the Elder Wand.” She waited for an indication that he knew what she was talking about, then continued, “We think he knew he might be killed while destroying the ring, so it became yours instead of Voldemort’s. You had to go into hiding, because he wanted you dead, and he wanted the wand.

“Severus sent Fawkes to find you and deliver a letter to you after you killed Nagini. It tried to kill you, but you had Gryffindor’s sword. I believe Hermione beheaded it. Anyhow, the letter was to set up a meeting. Severus felt too pressured to directly meet, so he sent me instead.” 

“Were you on the run, since you were on the List?”

“Not until I knew the Death Eaters were taking over Hogwarts. When I found out you had to die, I admit I lost faith. Severus had only found out before Dumbledore was killed, and he, I believe—” she stopped to compose herself, “…wanted to die.” 

“Did he die?” Harry had dreaded the answer to this question since he picked up the journal. 

He waited for Raven, who was unresponsive, to reply, and was about to repeat the question when she said, 

“Yes. Well, he’s…” her voice was quiet. “He’s missing.”