You are not dreaming, I am finally updating this story after a duration of nearly one and a half years. So many things have changed since the last time I updated this story. I started this story in class tenth and now, I'm in my final year of high school.
In the meantime, I created an account on Fanfiction.net. So, you can also check that out.
Now, coming back to this story, this was definitely the most challenging chapter I ever wrote, not to mention the longest. But, I hope that the wait for this chapter was worth the delay.
But, before everybody else, I would like to thank Eric Bronson (Spenser Hemmingway) and Tom (MinistryMalcontent) for taking out time from their daily life and helping me to make this chapter better as well as to remove errors.
Please share your opinion about this chapter. After all, the only thing I can gain from this chapter is your views about my work. READ and Enjoy!!!!
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Time Troubles | ||||||
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Category: Post-OotP, Alternate Universe, Post-DH/PM Characters:Albus Dumbledore, All, Harry/Ginny, Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley Genres: Action/Adventure, Fluff, General Warnings: None Rating: G Reviews: 32 Summary: Kids are excited that they will start a new school year. But, what happens when James pranking mind sends them back in time. And they found themselves stuck in their parents time. Hitcount: Story Total: 27054; Chapter Total: 2691 Author's Notes: |
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The orange light of the morning Sun bathed the grounds of the castle where the three time travellers were sleeping completely unaware of the adventures waiting ahead for them. Lily Luna Potter opened her eyes and blinked several times to wipe out the last remnants of sleep struggling to overwhelm her. A smile crept across her beautiful face as she recalled the time she spent chatting with her mother’s younger self in the Common Room after everybody went to take a well-deserved rest to start their new year at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry completely afresh. She was definitely looking forward to spending more time with her; eager to know her mother when she was just a teenager who made mistakes and was keen on proving herself instead of a woman who was an ideal example of a lady who had full confidence in her own abilities and fiercely protective of her loved ones. Lily wanted to be just like her mother when she is grew up; a woman, who was not only beautiful and graceful as a lioness moving closer to her prey, but confident, independent, and an epitome of optimism and inner strength. With that thought in her mind, she quickly prepared herself for the day and ran out of her dormitory to the Common Room. Similar thoughts were running in the minds of her two elder brothers, James and Albus, as they came down to meet her in the Common Room. Their eyes were lit with excitement completely thrilled at the idea of studying with their parents and relatives. In James’ case, it was also a chance of causing mischief with his favourite uncles, Fred and George. “Good morning, Lily!” greeted Albus as he enveloped his little sister in a bear hug. “Morning to you too, Al!” replied Lily, her voice also filled with anticipation of the day ahead as she accepted the hug from her brother. She added in a sing-song voice, “Good Morning, Jamie,” clearly knowing that her brother disliked somebody who used his childhood nickname. According to him, this nickname was not good for boys his age. James scowled at her but the nonetheless, greeted his sister. “It is good that our disguises are holding well. I was a little worried about their stability,” said Albus as he released a breath, he didn’t know he was holding. “Don’t worry; I have full faith that the Professors have made a good potion. We should be thanking them for aiding us. Otherwise we still would be hiding from everybody. But, yes, I’m worried that I’ll forget our new name or the information, we created as our cover story,” replied Lily little bit nervous as she bit her lower lip, a habit her father says she has inherited from her mother. “What names and information are you talking about, my dear little baby sister?” asked James to Lily and continued completely ignorant at the fact that his sister was glaring daggers at him. “I can just imagine your face when you blow our cover.” Albus quickly interrupted James as he noticed his sister’s face turning red with anger and replied before Lily could do any serious harm to his eldest brother. “Lily, just don’t listen to this idiot. You’ll not blow our cover, that’s for sure. The only person who we need to be wary of is our dearest brother because only he is capable of destroying our cover,” he said while giving Lily a reassuring smile. Lily gave Albus a timid smile in return and turned to come face to face with James with her hands across her chest, her one foot tapping the carpeted floor and narrowing her eyes. It was a stance she learnt from her mother when she was angry, and she growled, “Utter one more word from your mouth, and I’ll Bat Bogey you so badly that you’ll wish to hide behind Mummy’s legs.” James was about to angrily retort back at his sister, but quickly bit his tongue to stop the words in his throat when he saw his sister giving him the same look his mother gave him when she is absolutely livid with him. He gulped as he clearly remembered advice given to him by his father when he was young kid. *** Harry told his son when he slept on the couch because her mother was angry at his father for some reason, “Jamie, whatever you do, make sure that you never mess with a redhead. Because, when they are angry, they are worse than Voldemort himself. Understood?” James nodded while laughing at the advice given to him his Dad thinking,” This is so silly. How could somebody be worse than Voldemort?” *** James had failed to understand the importance of the advice, but now he knew that his father was speaking with some experience as he thought, “Dad was right. Redheads are definitely scarier than even a rampaging Voldemort.” He was like a fish out of water ready to be a meal for the hunting bear as he said in a pleading tone hoping that he will not be a victim of her sister’s wrath. “I’m sorry, Lily. I didn’t want to anger you, but just release bit of your tension. Please forgive me.” Lily nodded mutely and accepted her brother’s apology and said, “Okay, enough chit-chat. Let’s go before everybody eats our breakfast.” “Too right! I’m starving and I couldn’t help Uncle Fred and George in their pranks. After all, causing mayhem in this school is not easy especially when your stomach is empty and you’re dying because of hunger,” James said as the three Potters walked towards the Great Hall in order to satisfy their growling stomachs. **** In the Great Hall, Harry and Hermione were having a heated discussion about their classes and their expectations of the new academic session. Ron was busy shoving food into his mouth like a person who hadn’t eaten a single slice of bread for the past few months, completely oblivious to the conversation going between his two best mates. “Harry, I’m so excited about this year. I’ve read the books regarding the topics, we’ll be doing until winter break, and they are so interesting. I’m especially looking forward to Transfiguration and Ancient Runes.” Hermione gushed out in one breath which made some first years passing them look at her awestruck. Once she became aware of the young kids looking at her with their jaws dropped, her cheeks turned crimson red as she ducked her head in embarrassment. Harry and Ron openly laughed at Hermione who glowered at them but that only made them cackle harder. “Harry, see, I told you that our Hermione is the biggest bookworm in this world, but you didn’t believe me. And, here’s your proof, even those little kids agree with me,” said Ron still laughing gaily as Hermione glared at him with a murderous look in the eyes. Harry quickly noticed the furious expression in his best friend’s eyes as he gulped and moved a little away from his best mate, whose death was just minutes away. He tried to warn Ron but decided against it because of the fear of what Hermione will do to him if he meddled with her prey. Hermione stood up angrily and moved across the table with a grace of a lioness ready to take down her prey and a look that could’ve made Bellatrix Lestrange shiver in fear. Soon, she smacked Ron on the head and, before he could react, punched his shoulder. “OW! Hermione, that hurts!” said Ron rubbing the sore spot and wincing in pain as he continued. “That was totally uncalled for.” “Oh, really, then why did you made that comment about me?” she hissed, her face still red from anger. “It’s not like I’m lying. What I said is completely true, isn’t it? I don’t know why are you trying to hide yourself?” “No...I didn’t ...” but, Harry was completely unaware of the on-going argument between his two best friends as he observed Ginny entering the Great Hall, engrossed in a conversation with Luna Lovegood. He couldn’t see anything but Ginny as his eyes followed her, ‘I wish I could touch her silky red hair and kiss...No! What the hell I’m thinking, if Ron or for that matter, any of her family member came to know, then I’m dead. Yeah, I can just the painful ways by which they can kill me but... if I could kiss her once. I’m sure that the taste of her pink lips is as sweet as her. Harry, STOP YOURSELF bef...” His internal struggle ended when he realised that somebody was waving in front of his face and he, soon discovered the owner of the hand was Lily. “I’ve been trying to greet you from the past five minutes but all I get in return, is a dreamy look with a silly grin plastered on your face,” said Lily with a smile on her beautiful face as she saw that Harry was glancing at Ginny. She couldn’t stop feeling giddy at the thought of her father looking at her mother. She just couldn’t wait to tell her mother that she finally saw how her father used to peek at her in real and not in a bedtime story. But, the thought soon reminded her of the fact that she’ll be unable to get a bone crushing hug from her mother or the goodnight kisses from his father. She quickly masked her feelings as she listened to her father apologizing to her for not paying attention. “So, Alice, did you sleep well?” asked Harry as he took another slice of bread from his plate which was forgotten until now. “Yeah, very well. I couldn’t wait for my classes to start. Can I sit with you?” Lily said very softly like she was afraid that Harry will yell at her. She felt like she knew and doesn’t know her father at the same time. On one hand, her father was as gentle and sweet as his future self but on the other hand, for her father, she was just a stranger and not the princess, he adored. With each passing moment, she desired to be cuddled by her parents. Her thoughts got disrupted when she heard her father’s reply. “Of course, Alice. You don’t need to ask me if you want to sit next to me. I have no problems.” Lily smiled gleefully as she plopped next to her father and quickly filled her plate with all the lip smacking food made by the house-elves. The breakfast went on smoothly as they all chatted with each other. James rapidly swallowed his meal and stood to search for the infamous twins. His void was shortly filled by Ginny. The rest continued to eat their breakfasts while talking merrily and separated only when they heard the school bell ring indicating the start of the day’s classes. ***** After morning classes at the time of Lunch... James released a sigh of relief as he stepped out of Transfiguration classroom, completely drained. ‘No doubt that Dad said I was lucky to not have McGonagall as my Transfiguration professor. She’s strict more than she is at our time. No worries, I’ll wear her out soon enough.’ With a mischievous smirk on his face, he bid adieu to Harry and Neville to go and meet his siblings. As soon as James entered the Common Room, he saw his siblings on the couch. Lily was reading a book about Charms while Albus was sleeping. “Hey, what’s up with you two?” “Nothing, just doing homework assigned to us by Flitwick. Need to finish it today. He said he’s going to test us about the all the charms tomorrow, we learnt till now as a way to revive our knowledge about the charms, we forgot,” Lily said without raising her eyes from the book, she was reading. “Okay, so ...why Al is snoring in the middle of the Common Room?” asked James while pointing at his brother. Lily giggled and replied. “Oh... he was having his History of Magic class and Binns apparently haven’t changed at all. So, he was sleeping to reenergize himself for the rest of the day.” Suddenly, a thought popped in the head of prankster James as he took out his wand and aimed at his little brother. Lily saw this and moved herself away in order to keep her safe from the impending fate of her beloved brother. James muttered under his breath, “Aguamenti” and as soon as he finished, a jet of cold water from his wand hit his brother on his face. The reaction was instantaneous as Albus shrieked and fell out of his transit bed landing on the floor with ‘Oomph’. Once he was successfully able to come back to his senses, he saw his brother laughing merrily at his misery while Lily trying to stifle her laugh. His face quickly turned a bright shade of red in embarrassment which was soon replaced by anger as smoke came out of his ears and yelled, “What the hell, James? Why did you do it? I was just sleeping, you jerk!” James was quick to retort back as he said in a sing-song voice, while simultaneously thinking about how much he loved to press Albus’ buttons. “You could have just blown our disguises, green eyes.” Albus jumped from his spot to strangle his brother. “You...” but he was stopped in his endeavour by Lily who jumped between them as a barrier. “Al, don’t waste your time on him. I’m sure everybody is waiting for us in the Great Hall. Come on, let’s go” and she took her books to her dormitory to complete it afterwards, most probably, after dinner while having a ‘girl-talk’ with her mother. “You are lucky that she was here otherwise that would have been your last prank,” Albus said and, to prove his point, moved to smack James on the shoulder. James skilfully dodged the punch and replied airily, “Empty threats won’t harm me, Al. You should know better. After all, you are my favourite target apart from Lily and Rose.” Before they could further continue their argument, Lily came down the stairs with a skip in her steps as she said, “Come on, babies. It’s time to go for a snack.” Both the boys scowled at her but acquiesced to their sister’s command as all of them went to the Great Hall to chat and soothe their growling stomach with the delicious food. ***** Harry and his best friends entered the Great Hall to find it completely filled with students satisfying their empty bellies, but their gaze landed on the new students who sat in the corner chatting with each other and piling up food for their stomachs. Harry moved forward to join them but before he could move a step further, a hand on his shoulder stops him and turns to see Hermione shaking her head. At his questioning glance, she spoke, “Let’s allow them to eat alone as a family. I’m pretty sure that they’ll want some time away from us so that they can discuss about their classes, after they are their first ones.” Harry thought about this for a moment, then glanced at the seats, and was surprised to see three pairs of eyes staring at him. They smiled and waved at him and he happily returned the gesture. Albus saw his father staring at him and smiled at him. He was expecting his father, uncle, and aunt to join his siblings, but instead they sat in between Neville and Seamus for the lunch. He, then observed his sister who was looking little sad that her Daddy hadn’t come to meet her. Also, since they haven’t spotted Ginny once after their morning breakfast, how it was dampened the spirits of the youngest redhead Potter. He knew that Lily who was being used to be the little princess in the eyes of his parents found this situation the most demanding. He really felt for his sister, but he knew that when this little ‘past trip’ would be past all of them, then his sister would come out as a stronger girl. He knew this because he knew that Lily is not a quitter. She might falter but would never give up. She would endeavour to achieve the success, no matter the obstacles lying before her. He saw that James was also staring at her and when they made an eye contact with each other. They smiled knowing that everything would be alright at the end. Meanwhile, a similar kind of internal debate was going on in the minds of Harry and Ron who were thinking about various methods to torture Dean bloody Thomas. As soon as Parvati told them that she spotted Ginny and Dean near the grounds, both of their minds went into overdrive. ‘How dare that slimy git even think of touching my sister? If he tries to take advantage of her innocence, then I’ll make sure that his death is a slow and torturous one. Oh yeah, I can ask the twins or maybe Bill to tell me about a curse that can cut his limbs or could even ask Charlie to roast him alive.’ While Ron’s mind was scheming ways to kill Dean, his best mate’s mind was on a completely different road. ‘How could Dean do the things to Ginny which I want to do with her? How could I have let her? And, why she’ll ever listen to me, after all, I am his brother’s best friend? If I hadn’t been a fool and asked her out instead of Cho. If, if, if...’ Harry stabbed his food with his fork like he was stabbing his worst enemy. His musings were disrupted as he saw Ginny entering the Great Hall. He smiled but his bright mood, soon ended as he saw Dean ‘so-dead’ Thomas following her like a lost puppy. Oblivious to him, Lily also smiled at her mother and dropped her fork to... Suddenly, her heart was filled with a sensation of warmth that made her feel like she had the power to achieve anything in this world and her ears drummed with a melody that she had only heard very few times in her short life span. Before she could determine the source, a flash of blue light made her blind for few seconds as she saw stars in front of her eyes. She was not the only one in the Hall who felt this way because all the people including the teachers, students, and even the headmaster of the school, Albus Dumbledore, closed their eyes to protect them from the blue light. When he opened his blue orbs, his eyes widened in shock as he saw a blue bird, more specifically a blue feathered phoenix hovering in the Hall singing his song which warmed his heart to the core. Similar kinds of reactions were recorded in the Hall from everybody else. There was a sense of disbelief on everybody’s faces. After all, a bird appearing completely out of nowhere was a rare event, even in the world of wizards and witches where everything is supposed to be possible. What left their mouths hanging open was not the fact that a phoenix has appeared but the fact, the firebird, instead of going to Dumbledore, like many believed, went towards the newcomers and landed gracefully on the shoulder of the youngest girl, Alice Bernard. Once Lily and his siblings recovered from seeing a friend they never expected to meet in this timeline, they jumped up and down in delight while Lily squealed and danced in merriment. All of them welcomed the phoenix wholeheartedly. The phoenix trilled in happiness as he nuzzled the cheeks of his master’s and mistress’ youngest offspring. “Hello, Mac. It’s so good to see you,” said James as he stroked the smooth blue feathers of the bird. “Yeah, never expected to see you here,” Albus said in a cheerful tone. Lily couldn’t contain her joy as she met a friend, which she couldn’t meet until she went to the time where she rightfully belongs. Probably, her parents will soon come to take her and her brothers, but before she could ponder on this subject more, her gaze fell on a piece of parchment tied to the legs of the Phoenix. “Hey, guys, look!” Lily exclaimed as she pointed her fingers to the tied piece of paper. Her brothers followed her gaze and gasped as they saw the parchment. “Could this be...” but James didn’t dare to complete the sentence as he felt his throat go dry in anticipation. He quickly untied the parchment and turned to see the name of him and his siblings in a neat handwriting, which he could decipher even it was completely dark. He reeled back in shock. In the neat and elegant handwriting of her mother, the words were written: To: James, Albus and Lily Potter All the three kids stared at each other dumbstruck. Something they thought impossible until some moments back was now a reality and the proof was lying in their hands. Finally, James was able to break out of his stupor as he moved his fingers to touch the place where his mother had written their names. This parchment, in a matter of seconds, had become the most precious thing, he ever held in his hands easily surpassing all the amazing gifts given to him by his parents including Firebolt III. With their hearts in their mouths and abated breaths, James opened the letter to discover its contents... My two handsome sons and my beautiful daughter, I hope you are all right. We know where you are, but we’re sorry because we can’t reach you. I feel so weak sitting here writing you this letter in the hopes that you’ll receive this little piece of parchment. I felt like I just lost a piece of my heart when I came to know that you haven’t reached Hogwarts. We know that you are in Hogwarts in the year 1996 as well as the reason behind this whole mess. I know that this is not the first time I wrote you all letters, but I feel so lonely knowing that you could be in danger and I couldn’t do a thing about it. When you were all born, I promised that I will take care of you, no matter what, and to shelter you from all the hardships, but I am so sorry, my munchkins that I failed. I’m so sorry that I failed to protect you like I promised. I hope that you’ll forgive your mother. I miss you all so much, sweethearts. All of you even, when you were in Hogwarts, I knew that you were all safe and sound and if any trouble came, they’d contact me. But, now, this is not possible, which makes this so much more heart wrenching. James, I am sorry for yelling at you when I said goodbye to you at the King Cross. You are a wonderful boy even though you are mischievous and loves to annoy others, but you are also a good individual, a great friend, an excellent brother, and foremost, my son. I won’t have you any other way. You play pranks on your loved ones not because you like to tease us but because you want everyone to be smiling. You might cause mayhem and be Achilles heel of some people because they make you brothers and sisters and friends sad. And even though I shout at you and sometimes, no often, angry with you for one thing of other, but remember that I’ll always be proud of you, my son. Please take care of your brother and sister for your parents. When James read this heartfelt confession of her mother, tears welled up in his eyes in pure happiness. He was delighted, he felt like he was on top of the world, when he read that his mother is proud of him. He couldn’t help but a brilliant smile lit up his face. This probably was his biggest accomplishment to date. Albus and Lily were also smiling at their elder brother, and the little redhead girl decided that this was the perfect opportunity for teasing her brother. “Do I see tears in your eyes, my dear macho brother who always boast of being a man?” She was surprised though when instead of retorting back, James laughed and replied, “Yeah, but I will be an insensitive brat if I say that this has no effect on me. After all, my mother just told me that she is proud of me. And who wouldn’t be so happy when their mother tells them such?” Lily just smiled and hugged her brother tightly while Albus nodded to his brother who acknowledged this gesture with a smile. “Okay, can we read further?” James asked inquisitively when everybody settled down. Everybody nodded and continued to read further. Albus, my shy, intelligent son. I hope that you are helping your siblings because without your intelligence, I am sure they can’t do anything. If you were not there, then I would probably be worried at the fact that your brother and sister might kill each other. As soon as I laid eyes on you and saw your beautiful emerald green eyes, so similar to your father, I knew that you’ll grow into a kind-hearted, generous and smart individual like your father. You are so similar to your father, not only in appearance but also the way you behave, but at the same time, you are so different. You have my smile, your father’s perchance for trouble and my determination. You once asked your father why everybody expects you to be as brilliant as him, and sometimes, you feel the need to prove yourselves. I am probably repeating the words, Harry said, but they are so true. There’s only one Albus Severus Potter in the whole wide world, and there will be nobody like you again. You are unique in your own amazing way and be like that. Don’t ever change it and you will never need to prove anything to us ever. Being our son is the reason enough for us to love you and cherish you. Always remember this, my little knight in shining armour. Always keep smiling. Albus had a similar kind of reaction to the words of her mother. Being a little more sensitive boy than his brother, tears of happiness fell from his eyes. He laughed gaily and embraced his siblings tightly. They responded with equal passion, love and intensity as the kids share a little family hug. Now, at last, Lily, my angel and your daddy’s princess, I hope that you are all right. I miss your cuddles so much, my little redheaded fairy. I am missing playing with you, telling you stories, kissing you on the forehead, just talking with you. Baby, you know, each day I thank the supernatural to have blessed me with such a precious and sweet daughter. Each day you are growing up but for me, you’ll always be the little girl I first held in my arms. You truly are my special girl. If your brothers hassle you and don’t listen to you, then just tell me when you comeback. I’ll make sure that they’ll learn to cater for you but I’m sure that you’ll handle them yourselves. Sometimes, I really get scared at the thought that you’ll not need me. Your grandpa once told me on my wedding day that being blessed with a daughter is the best and worst day of their parents’ lives. I was confused at the moment, but as soon as I held your little fingers, I understood that he was right. Each day, I thank that you came into my life as well as dread the day when you’ll leave us to start your own life and family. I love you, my sweetheart so much. I hope to see you soon. Lily was sobbing on her brother’s chest. She was happy that her mother missed her as much as she has in the past days but reading the letter has evoked memories that she tried to lock but she failed miserably in her endeavour. “I miss my mummy; I just want to be back with both Daddy and Mummy. It is not fair.” Albus was stroking her sister’s hair and whispering soothing words in her ear in an effort to calm his melancholic sister. James gazed at his sister sadly. He knew how much Lily was from trying to fool everybody into thinking that she was fine. He has watched her take her first steps and instantly knew that she was miserable from inside. Probably, her tears were the first steps in a long road for recovery and coming in terms for Lily. “Lily, will you spend the whole time crying or will read the letter further?” James said jokingly trying to lighten the mood of Lily. It worked like a charm as she nodded and asked in a timid voice which was so unlike her vivacious and bubbly attitude, “Promise me that we’ll meet them soon?” “I promise, Lils!” said James. With this, the attention again focussed back to the letter lying in front of them. Children, I ... They saw some tear stains on the piece of paper, and assumed that these little drops of salty water fell from their beloved mother’s eyes. Their suspicions were confirmed when they read the next line and clearly, saw the difference in the handwriting from their mother’s calligraphic writing to their father’s messy scrawl. Kids, I hope that you are all fine. Please stay together during this time. I share the sentiments of your mother and I’ll miss you all so much. This letter might be the last piece of communication between us because Mac could only send this message only once. After that he will be unable to travel back to your timeline. Last night, we told everyone in the family about this crisis and with help from your uncles and aunts, we came up with a solution to the problem for us to remain in contact with each other. The solution is there with the letter. Once you make sure that you are out of reach from everybody, just call us and if everything works out, then we’ll answer you immediately. But, we can’t guarantee you anything because this’ll be the first time, somebody will try this method. If you can’t reach us, then both your mother and I will like to tell you that we both love you. James, I’m pretty much sure that you are happy because you finally have an adventure in your hands. Please stay safe and most importantly, together. I hope that you enjoy your time. Will meet you soon. With love, Your Mum and Dad. James sprung to his feet as soon as he read the contents in the hope that they might be able to contact their parents. He quickly free the second piece of parchment tied to the leg of the phoenix. As written an object fell into his hands which he soon discovered was a shard of mirror. “Shard of mirror, how will this help us?” Lily asked dubiously eyeing at the mirror. “Not just any shard. It is a two way communication mirror. Dad told me that Grandpa and Sirius used to talk with each other in Hogwarts when they were in detention,” James told his siblings. Lily eyes shined with a spark of hope ignited inside her. “So, what are we waiting for? Come on, let’s go to the Common Room, there we can use the mirror since everybody is here.” “She’s right! Come on, Al, let’s go! Thanks Mac for delivering the letter and the mirrors. Express our gratitude to Mum and Dad and tell them that we also love them and miss them,” James said stroking the feathers of the blue phoenix’s wings. Mac sang in delight and satisfaction at the fact that he was successful in his endeavour to deliver the message. With a trill then, he returned to his master and mistress’ timeline the same way, he came to deliver the all-important letter tied to his legs. The Potters stood there for a moment before running out of the Great Hall for their house’s Common Room, their lunch lying on the table forgotten and untouched. Unbeknownst to them, the whole school including the staff as well as the students saw the arrival, their expressions while reading the letter, and the group running out of the Hall after the disappearance of the firebird. “Did you see that?” Ron asked to his best mates, awestruck at the turn of events. “I thought that Dumbledore was the only wizard who has a phoenix as his pet. Do you know what does this means?” “No, Hermione. We don’t, please stop playing riddles and tell us what do you think?” Ron said exasperated. “Well, we all thought that Fawkes considers Professor Dumbledore to be his master because of his power and his actions to get this Wizarding world free from evil. And, phoenixes only help those who support goodness and light magic. So, their parents must have done something great for the light.” “You are probably right, but how then we don’t know about them? Any person who owns a phoenix must be a celebrity.” “I never thought of that, Ron. They might hide this fact really well. I think they only use the phoenix in dire circumstances. Didn’t see the tears in their eyes when they were reading the piece of parchment, which I guess was a letter.” “Why would they send a letter with a phoenix not an owl? If they are trying to hide the bird, them why reveal it to do such a trivial task?” “Probably, they did it to make sure that nobody else could intercept their letter. After all, they told us that their parents were helping in the War. The letter might contain some valuable information,” Ginny said as she also joined the conversation. “Guys, I think we should stop talking about this topic. Whatever might be the reason of the letter or the phoenix doesn’t concern us,” Harry said finally breaking his ‘vow of silence’. “Doesn’t this surprise you at all, Harry? I know that you must be curious about this whole thing,” Hermione said as Ron nodded his head in agreement. “Of course this makes me curious and surprised, but doesn’t mean that we have the right to poke our noses into somebody’s personal matters,” Harry replied sternly indicating that this topic is over. Ginny understood the reason behind Harry’s statement. After all, he also faced the same problem when everybody tried to decide and meddle with his life. She really felt for him sometimes; whenever somebody told him something about his parents that any child might know about them. “But...” “Ron, I think Harry’s right. We can’t meddle with somebody else’s life. We all are curious, but we will not ask them anything about this whole event until and unless they are ready to tell us,” Ginny said in a tone which was eerily similar to her mother’s tone when she wanted to end an argument. The effect was instantaneous as everybody dropped this conversation and continued discussing about their day. ***** The Potters ran all the way to the Common Room completely oblivious to the weird looks students were giving them. They were panting heavily when they reached their destination, but their nervousness and excitement has made them hyperactive. They were sure that they could go to the Moon and comeback and they will still have the energy to test the mirror. When they finally got their lost breaths back, they looked at each other as James motioned them to follow him to his boys’ dormitory. They climbed the stairs and finally the moment came. They locked eyes with each other as James brought the mirror near his mouth and whispered very softly, “Mum! Dad! Anyone there?” They waited for response from the other side for some moments while gazing at each other’s eyes and observe as the shine of hope sparking in their eyes, not long ago was diminishing very rapidly. Suddenly, they were startled by a voice... “James, are you there?” James couldn’t believe his ears as he heard the sweet voice of her mother. His throat dried up as he tried to answer back but found that he was incapable of speaking. He was speechless and stunned. It seemed like he had lost the ability to talk. For him, it felt like an eternity has passed, but in reality it was only few milliseconds. Before, he could muster the energy to croak a reply, Lily snatched the mirror from his hand in a quick, fluidic motion as she yelled. Her voice was overflowing from happiness. “Hi, Mummy!” Finally, the spell that had mesmerized the occupants of the room broke as they heard a reply. “Lily, how are you my sweetheart?” They could all hear the relief and contentment in the voice of Ginny Potter. “Until this morning I was good, but after hearing you, I’m in bliss,” Lily said, her insides dancing with joy. She wanted to yell from the top of the Astronomy Tower in delight and sheer exuberance. “Boys, are you all right?” Harry’s voice floated from the mirror as finally the family of the Potters, who were separated by the wall of time was able to break the barrier which made both the children and their parents miserable. “Yes Dad! We’re all great!” came the reply from James and Albus Potter, their feet shaking in pure delight. They chatted for a few seconds when the children heard a gasp come out from their mother’s mouth. They looked at each other confusedly and shared worried glances that probably might lost the contact. “What the ... What did you do to your faces?” The Potter’s younger generation exhaled a sigh of relief as they told their parents about all their preparations to tackle this problem head on. Harry and Ginny looked at their children, slightly impressed but their eyes were filled with pride to the brim. They were so proud of their children and told them so without their hesitation. They laughed heartily as they saw their kids’ cheeks turned rosy pink. “I told you that you all make an outstanding team that can beat any obstacle, but you didn’t believe me. This is your proof that I was indeed right,” Harry said, his heart filling with warmth, a touch of healing and love soothing his soul. “James, I need you to do a task for me which I’m sure will help you in keeping your disguises. Are you ready?” James felt his chest tighten with pride, as he confidently replied, “I’m ever ready. Just tell me what is it and consider it done?” “I knew that I could trust you all. Okay, here it goes...” ***** Potter Manor, Ginny’s POV: I came out of bathroom after taking a long and relaxing shower. I was humming the lullaby I used to sing for my kids when they were unable to sleep. It always worked like a charm. They used to sleep like a log after that. I think James and Lily liked it the most. Harry is in his study inspecting the reports about the various investigations undertaken by the Auror Department last month. Well, I don’t think that he’ll be coming down any soon. So, I guess I can read a book or write the pending article of the match between the Cannons and Tornadoes. With that thought running through my mind, I changed my wardrobe into more comfortable night clothes. After eating some fruits, I sat down on my desk and glanced at the shard of mirror. I am so thrilled that the plan worked. I can talk to my kids whenever I wish, but, still it doesn’t compare to the hugs or the kisses. ‘Goodnight, pumpkins. Sleep tight’ I whispered. I closed my eyes and the flashback of the beautiful memories I shared with my perfect family. Meanwhile, I guess my hands were working on their own accord. After all I didn’t even understand how I was able to finish half of my report until tomorrow. But, I am not complaining. I jumped nearly eight feet in the air when I heard her daughter’s ringing voice calling her. ‘Mummy, Mummy, are you there? I need to talk to you.’ Startled, I swivelled around to see the source of the voice was the mirror. Stupid mirror; nearly gave me a heart attack. One minute... mirror...My eyes widened like saucers as I realised that my daughter was calling me! I grabbed the mirror and whispered my angel’s name. “Hey, Lily, is everything all right?” “Yeah, everything’s good. I just wanted to talk to you! I missed our ‘girl-talk’.” I smiled in pleasure at the knowledge that she also missed our late night talks. “I also missed our conversations, angel.” “Mummy, here you are all so different, as well as same.” I was again taken aback from her observations, but nonetheless asked her to elaborate on her remark. “I mean to say that you all behave the same way, well mostly, but I can’t go to you for hugs and you don’t give me goodnight kisses. I know that I am here in the past and for all of you I am just a stranger. But, it hurts!” My heart shattered to pieces when I heard my daughter crying. I wanted to take her in my arms and cover her face with kisses. “Baby, don’t cry. Everything will be fine. You are my strong daughter. Don’t worry when...” “No! Nothing is all right! Each night I sleep thinking I might be dreaming but each morning, I realise that it is not a dream but reality. You know, I always wanted an adventure like you guys. I wanted to know when you were young from my own eyes and not from stories. And, I got my wish. I was excited at first, but then, as time went by, I only wished to be back with all of you grew. I can’t go to Daddy because I don’t know how he’ll react or confide my secrets in you.” As she continued to confess her true feelings, I knew she was hiding from everybody. I became more and more miserable seeing my daughter so weak. I cursed myself for not being there for her. “Sweetie, remember that we’ll always be with you in your heart. You are a beautiful girl and I’m so proud of you. Don’t let this whole mess get to you. See this as an opportunity to know your family better. Always smile, my sunshine and this time will be over in a blink of an eye.” I tried to comfort her, but instead of seeing a smile on her face, tears welled in her already red eyes. “Mummy, I’m going to tell you something that I haven’t told anyone.” She took a long breath and continued in a whispered tone. “I am having nightmares each night from the time we came back, but I used Silencing Charms so that nobody could hear my screams during the night. Whenever, I wake up, my first thoughts is to go to you and snuggle myself between you and Daddy.” I smiled sadly at her and with tears brimming my eyes at the sight of my daughter looking so morose. I continued, “Lily, I don’t know about your father, but promise me whenever you’ll have a nightmare, you’ll either go to your brothers or you can go to my younger self too.” She looked at me astonished and said, “You really mean that? Wouldn’t the younger you be surprised to see me if I go to see you?” “Of course she would be surprised, but that doesn’t mean that she’ll push you away. I can guarantee you that she’ll try to comfort you. After all, I’m her future self.” Finally, she smiled to my agonised heart’s relief. “Okay Mummy a...” Suddenly her eyes widened as she spoke hurriedly, “I think, somebody is coming down. Goodnight, Mummy. I love you.” “Love you too, sweetheart.” With that, her face in the mirror vanished. I continued to sit on the edge of my bed holding the mirror and gazing at a photo of Lily with me when she was younger. I was startled once again, when I felt arms snaking my waist, and I smiled as I heard my husband’s affectionate voice whisper in my ear, “Missing Lily?” I turned to face him. “Yeah. I hope that she is all right. Now, I feel that we shouldn’t have given them mirror for contacting us.” His eyebrows rose as if asking me a question and I told him of my recent conversation with our daughter. He embraced me tightly when I finished. “I feel so bad knowing that she is sad and miserable. And, the worse thing is I can’t help her. I always dreaded the day when I will be incapable of consoling our children. This was my worst nightmare which has turned into reality. I want to curse myself so badly for not being the mother, she deserved.” “Don’t you ever say that again! You are wonderful mother. You are right that we might not be there for our children physically, but we’ll be always be there in their thoughts and hearts.” My heart beats quickened and goose bumps appeared on my arms as I heard Harry whisper reassuring words in my ear. “I know, but Lily...” “She will be perfectly fine. Don’t forget, she has you.” “But, I’m here and...” “I’m not talking about you, but rather about your younger self. Many things have changed since your fifth year, but one thing which remained constant is your loving and affectionate attitude towards those near your heart.” I smiled inwardly at his words and thanked Merlin for having blessed me with the most perfect husband, any woman could ask for. He always knows what to say to make me feel better.“I hope that what you said is right.” “I know that I’m right!” With that, his lips descended on mine. I tried to resist him for few seconds but soon, I’ve lost myself in the taste of our lips. ***** Hogwarts, 1996...Ginny’s POV: I came down the steps from the dormitory with a wand in my hand when I heard a voice coming from the Common Room, which I recognised as someone crying. On further inspection, I found that the ‘someone’ was Alice who was weeping with a letter in her hand. When she looked at me, she stopped and clutched the letter little more tightly. “A letter from home?” I enquired and her answer was a nod. I just stood there for some moments waiting for Lily to continue, as I was unsure on how will she react if I tried to comfort her. Lily spoke after few minutes of silence. “Yeah, I’m just missing my parents.” I really felt bad for her. She was the youngest and from whatever, I was able to gather from our chats, was that she was very close to both of her parents and being the youngest, her bond with her parents was particularly strong. I guess, I could relate to her since I was also the youngest and knew how hard it is for her to be away from her parents. I sat down beside her and did the only thing which came to my mind. I pulled her for a bone crushing hug like my mother whenever I was afraid. She became stiff for a few seconds. I was scared that she might push me but she relaxed and moved herself to snuggle with me tightly. After a few minutes of embracing each other, she pulled away and said, her eyes downcast, “Can I come to you always if I ever had nightmare?” She made an eye contact with me and continued, “It is fine if you don’t want like it. I only said this because you remind of my mother and I missed her so much.” I smiled gently and said, “Of course, you could come to me anytime.” I hugged her once again as to tell her that she shouldn’t hesitate to come to me for any reason. It was amazing that I’d only known her for a few days. Even then, I often feel that I share a bond which is quite similar to the bond I share with my mother. This thought alone was able to excite and make me scared at the same time. I knew I could do anything to keep her safe. My thoughts were broken when I heard a mumbled “Thank you” from her position near my heart. We continued our embrace for a few more minutes as the sky turned darker as the night progressed. Lily was absolutely delighted. She nuzzled her head deeper into the breasts of her mother enjoying the feeling of warmth and affection that always seemed to be radiating from her hugs with her mother. She felt more at ease with the circumstances knowing that many things had changed between this timeline and her original timeline, but her mother’s hugs were one of the things that had remained constant over the years. |
| Reviews 32 |
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