Times of Trouble

Sometimes things happened, things that didn’t make much sense at the time, but later, later they make perfect sense. Harry Potter’s arrival, that hadn’t made sense when Albus first thought about it. Why would someone be thrown a hundred years into the past? Time travel was a silly thing to do. One couldn’t truly change the future. All you could do was create an alternate reality. Or at least that’s what his research had led him to believe. But now, after much thought and careful consideration Albus had reached the conclusion that Harry Potter and his friends had come back in the past for one reason, and one reason alone: to show Albus the true path to greatness.

For, if Harry Potter hadn’t arrived and alerted his family to how bad the muggle bullies were in their area than the Dumbledore’s would never have moved to Godric’s Hollow. And if they had never moved to Godric’s Hollow he would have never met the one person on Earth that could match him in all ways: Gellert Grindlewald.

The man was perfect, from the top of his golden head to the tips of his dragonhide boots. And it wasn’t just his appearance, oh no, Albus was too intelligent to fall to just a handsome face. It was the words that came out of that perfect mouth. The thoughts and ideas that bloomed in that brilliant brain that had Albus so excited.

Here was someone who could be his partner, someone that could help him show the world, and his siblings, just how much of a hero he truly was.

Albus couldn’t keep a smile off his face as he watched Gellert explain the best ways to properly raise muggleborns. They had both seen how ill-equipped muggleborns were when they entered the magical world.

“I think the easiest way would be to offer a small reward to all muggles that give birth to a witch or wizard. Combine that with a hefty penalty for failing to report accidental magic and the stupid muggles will be clambering over each other to give us their children,” Gellert said. His rich voice making the words dance like music in Albus’ ears.

“Ah, but what would be the penalty for failing to report? And how would we enforce it? We can’t make laws we can’t enforce.”

“Of course not! That would only undermine our power. No, we must implement some sort of mandatory testing. Yes, that would work.”

“I think we should make the reward higher for giving birth to a witch or wizard. A caste system will be necessary in any good open society.”

“Certainly, we must keep the wizards and witches at the top. Likely the top caste will only be open to purebloods.”

Albus shook his head, “No, we want to stop the inbreeding that’s currently rampant in wizarding society. It isn’t healthy. You should hear the stories my father tells from St. Mungos. We’ll only weaken ourselves.

Gellert frowned in thought and Albus had to resist the urge to reach out and smooth the wrinkles from his brow.

“I’ll have to think on it, but you’re likely right. You know more about health than I do. If we do that than I suggest four castes. The top is purebloods and half-bloods. Next come muggleborns. After that are squibs and all muggles that have given birth to at least two witches or wizards. The bottom caste is for the regular muggles.”

“That sounds like a good stepping stone, but we’ll need to start acting fast. Have you looked at the muggle world recently?”

Gellert snorted, “No, why would I?”

“Because we need to know all the facts. And right now magic is still stronger than technology, but I’ve taken a look at some of the newer things that have come out and they’re getting strong. Did you know muggles can now make their own moving pictures?”

“Really? They can do that?”

Albus nodded, “Yes, they’re very rudimentary, but they can do it. And their weapons are getting scarier. We’ll need to start moving soon and plan well if we want to do this. They do outnumber us.”

“Then we’ll use the rest of the summer to plan and then pick a country to start with in the autumn. But I think I’m done for today.”

Gellert closed his notebook and put it down on the grass beside him. He then lay back on the grass and closed his eyes. A moment later his breathing changed and Albus knew he was asleep.

As quietly as he could, Albus lay down himself and propped himself up on one elbow. No thought sat in his head as he watched Gellert’s handsome face.

Why should he think? Everything was going perfectly.

XXX

Donald Longbottom scowled down at the broken time-turner, refusing to look at the bushy-haired girl he knew had to be scowling at him. How was he supposed to know that the sand would speed up enough to wear through the glass after only six years of travel? He wasn’t a glass expert!

Luckily though…

“Josephine!”

“Yes? Did you holler like a common barkeeper for your wife?”

Donald turned his famous frown towards the golden-haired witch standing in the doorway. She merely crossed her arms and raised one delicate eyebrow at him.

He raised his own bushy eyebrow at her, “I’ll holler any way I like in my own home.”

“Oh, is that what you think?” Her eyes gained a twinkle and Donald felt a shiver of anticipation race down his spine as he tried to keep his frown in place. “Then I suppose I’ll just have to-”

A sharp cough cut through the room and Donald and Josephine Longbottom turned as one to the girl.

“I hate to cute through your flirting, but we really need to get this time-turner fixed so we can leave as soon as we set things right with the Dumbledores.”

Josephine sent Donald a look that told him their previous conversation was far from over before striding over to take the broken time-turner from his hands.

He lost his frown at that moment and a small smirk stayed on his face as he and Hermione explained to Josephine just what had gone wrong with the time-turner’s glass.

He couldn’t wait to continue that conversation.

XXX

“So, Harry, do you know how you’re going to fix this?” Ron asked before taking a bite of his apple.

“No clue,” Harry said as he twirled his apple on its stem for perhaps the hundredth time. The way it kept twisting so far one way, before swinging back the other way entranced his mind. He’d sent Albus swinging down one path, could he still get him to come back?

“I don’t think letting Ariana be attacked and possibly killed by muggle bullies will fix things. Nor would it be the right thing to do.” Neville added.

“Certainly not. Anyways, with Harry and his saving people thing he wouldn’t let that happen. Though, really, from what you said about your own time I don’t see how mine is any worse.”

Ron had a point, Harry thought. Hogwarts was still kept safe by a Dumbledore, granted a slightly different one. And Voldemort was still at large in both worlds. Only difference was the fact this Greater Good had taken over half of Europe. That didn’t seem like the best thing. Especially since the destruction of the barrier between magical and non-magical society was now beginning to collapse everywhere.

And it wasn’t pretty.

So, actually, no, Harry thought his time had been better than Ron’s. At least for everyone except Ariana Dumbledore, and possibly Aberforth as well.

“What if we sat Albus down and talked to him?” Neville asked. “He’s certain to understand and listen to what we say. He’s not a bad man.”

“Neville, he likely found the letter from Hermione. He knows a lot of the future, and he still changed it; making it worse. I think giving Albus lots of information isn’t the best thing to do.”

“Well, we need to come up with something! We can’t leave until we do!” Neville said in frustration, slamming his fist down on the table.

Ron and Harry both almost jumped out of their seats. Ron’s eyes were as wide as saucers, “Woah, mate! What happened to you?!?”

“He encountered Donald Longbottom. What else is there to explain?” Harry grumbled. He was finding it very hard accept how much Neville had changed in the last year.

“What does that-” Ron started, before being interrupted by the sudden shouting from the other room

“DON’T YOU DARE PUT THAT CHARM ON THERE!!!! IT WILL-”

Donald’s shouting was cut off as quickly as it had begun and the three boys were left staring at the wall separating the kitchen from the study.

“See? Nothing else to explain,” Harry stated. “You should’ve heard the Neville and Donald arguing about the wood on the time-turner. I think they heard it in Australia.”

Ron looked at Neville with newfound respect and a bit of awe. “Well, um, alright then.”

Neville scowled, “I did not change just because I encountered Donald. Things happen, no one can stay the same forever.”

Ron snorted, “Oh, really? What about the twins? I don’t think they’ve changed at all since they were born.”

Harry looked at Ron in surprise. “They haven’t changed? What do you mean? They may’ve always been devoted to mischief, but they’re serious now. They have a plan and a goal. They don’t just do it for laughs.”

“The twins? Have a plan? What’re you talking about? All they’ve done since graduating is hide in their bedroom and blow things up. Mom’s about to hex them they’re getting on her nerves so badly.”

“Wait, they didn’t leave Hogwarts in the middle of the school year?” Neville asked in surprise.

“Leave? In the middle of the year? Why on EARTH would they do that? Mum would’ve skinned em alive!”

“Um,” Harry stopped twirling his apple and looked at the back of his hand and the scar on it, “because of Umbridge?”

Ron’s lack of reaction to the name told Harry very clearly that quite a few things had changed. “Umbridge? Who in the world is that?”

Harry and Neville shared a looked, both of them silently debating whether or not to open that can of worms. It was Neville who gave a small, almost invisible shake to his head.

“Never mind, she’s not important. What about the Triwizard Tournament? Didn’t I, um, ‘win’ it and then give them the galleons?” Harry asked, turning the conversation away from sadistic teachers.

“Triwizard Tournament? What in the world is that?” Ron asked, looking extremely confused.

“Uh, big tournament with Durmstrang and Beauxbatons? Harry was illegally entered and forced to compete. Then he got kidnapped and witnessed You-Know-Who come back from the death.” Neville explained as he watched Ron for any sign of recognition.

“Oh! I don’t know anything about a tournament, but as for You-Know-Who, Harry was captured during a visit to Hogsmeade. Why would he need to be entered into a tournament to be kidnapped?”

Silently, Harry wondered the same thing.

“You know, I really don’t know…” Neville said aloud, frowning down at the table. “Maybe You-Know-Who just wanted to make a big spectacle.”

“He is fond of those,” Harry said, remembering his past encounters with Voldemort.

“Speaking of spectacles, what do you think the Death Eaters thought of us taking off on a dragon,” Ron said.

Harry chuckled, “I wish I had seen Mr. Malfoy’s face. He doesn’t react well to being foiled.”

“You two realize we need to take care of them before we leave, right? We need to get them back to the future with us. Just imagine what they could do if they started to prepare the world for You-Know-Who before he’s even born. Actually, is You-Know-Who not born yet? Could they have gone looking for him already?”

Harry shook his head, “No, I know Tom Riddle was a student fifty years before our second year. That means he was at Hogwarts in the 1940s, so he can’t be born yet.”

“Well, that’s a relief. I wonder if he was a creepy child,” Ron said before taking the final bite of his apple and tossing the core into the barrel of food waste against the wall.

“Tom Riddle? Is that You-Know Who?” Neville asked.

“Oh, yeah, sorry Neville, you wouldn’t know. Voldemort was born Tom Marvolo Riddle and later changed his name to Lord Voldemort,” Harry explained.

“That’s odd, Riddle doesn’t sound like any wizard family I know of. Wouldn’t You-Know-Who be a pureblood?” Neville asked, looking at Harry.

Harry shrugged, “Maybe he’s a half-blood and ended up hating his muggleborn side? Or maybe one parent was a muggle and didn’t react well to finding out he married a witch? Didn’t Seamus say his mum didn’t tell his dad till they got married? I know he reacted well, but not everyone would. Just think how my uncle would’ve reacted if my aunt was a witch like my mum.”

Ron shuddered, “Your uncle could make anyone hate muggles. Dunno how you don’t.”

“I’ve met more nasty wizards and witches than I have muggles, Ron. Anyways, at least the Dursleys never tried to kill me.”

Ron opened his mouth to reply then paused, frowning as he tried to think of a reply to that. After a moment he closed his mouth again.

Neville chuckled, “Point for Harry.”

“Why is Harry getting points?” Hermione asked from the doorway.

Ron opened his mouth to explain and then froze, suddenly realizing that Hermione was a muggleborn and that the previous conversation could not be explained simply without making him look like a Death Eater, or as good as one.

“Don’t worry about it, Hermione,” Harry said, coming to Ron’s rescue. “We were just discussing what to do about the Death Eaters Ron followed through time. We can’t leave them here.”

“Of course not!” Hermione exclaimed. “Just imagine what they could do if they found a child You-Know-Who!”

“Exactly! That’s what I said.” Ron said.

“Ron, you didn’t say that, Neville did,” Harry pointed out. He may be willing to cover for Ron, but he wouldn’t let him take credit he didn’t deserve.

“I know he did, but I agreed with him, so, really, we both said it,” Ron said.

Three sets of eyes stared at Ron disbelievingly.

“Um, Ron, I don’t think that’s how that works…” Harry said.

Ron opened his mouth to reply, but Hermione cut him off.

“Honestly, boys, could we stay focused? Josephine is working with Donald to repair and strengthen the time-turner. Josephine thinks she can make it strong enough to survive a fifty year trip. So we’ll go fifty years in the future, stop for a few hours to let it recharge, then jump back to our own time.” She paused to focus her piercing gaze on Harry. “Since that’s settled, we need to figure out how to fix the timeline. Did you boys come up with anything?”

Harry felt the urge to squirm under Hermione’s gaze. He was still no closer to figuring out how to fix things than he had before.

When none of them replied she let out a long sigh.

“Fine, I guess I need to do all the thinking. Luckily we have six weeks before Albus goes off to study with Nicholas Flamel. Let me go get something to write with and we’ll get to work.”

Ron and Neville watched Hermione walk out of the room, but Harry didn’t. His eyes went back to apple. If only he could get Albus to swing back to where he should be as easily as the apple did.

But then, when had things ever been easy?