Times of Trouble

“This is pointless,” Lucius Malfoy stated.

Currently the three Death Eaters were hiding in an old shack on some Welsh mountain. They’d been here for several weeks already and despite their best efforts had not been able to locate Potter or his friends.

“Then I think we should fall back on Plan B,” Dolohov said with a grin that twisted his long face even more than it usually was. Lucius resisted a shudder. He just didn’t understand how someone could care so little about their appearance.

“I like that idea, it’s been much too quiet since we got back here. Some nice screams will make our sojourn here so much more pleasant, don’t you two agree?”

“Oh, of course. The only question is, who should we make scream? There’s a nice little muggle village down the mountain,” Dolohov offered.

Excitement lit up Bellatrix’s face and Lucius could swear that her breathing grew heavier. “Dolohov, what a wonderful suggestion! Just think how delightful their little screams and squeals will be with a nice roaring fire in the background!”

Lucius had nothing against baiting muggles, personally, but surely it shouldn’t be done if there was nothing to gain? Speaking of something to gain…

“I have a better suggestion,” he stated coolly, choosing to ignore the blood-lust evident on his companions’ faces. While they did need to cause mayhem to draw Potter out, it should be purposeful. Attacking a remote village in Wales would only alert the current ministry.

“Oh, dear brother, what could possibly be better than screaming muggles?”

From the looks on their faces he could tell that they didn’t imagine there to be anything better. But he knew they’d see his way. His idea was just too good.

He smirked at them and simply stated, “Dumbledore.”

XXX

“We leave in a week, are you ready?” Gellert asked. He and Albus were sitting side-by-side on a blanket in the meadow they’d taken over at the beginning of the summer. Books and parchment lay all around them. All of their research and ideas were laid about before them, just like their future.

And as far as Albus could see, the future was as golden as the sun hanging over their heads.

He grinned up at Gellert, “I’m ready, you?”

Gellert grinned back at him, “Ready to conquer the world with you? Of course.”

Albus’ insides melted as he met Gellert’s eyes. He didn’t know what was exactly happening between them, but he’d never felt this way before. When he was with Gellert nothing mattered except for the two of them. His dreams to make his siblings see him as the hero he knew he was, his hatred of Harry Potter, his plans to change the world, none of it mattered if Gellert wasn’t by his side.

“Gellert-” he started, but cut himself off, suddenly, for the first time in his life, afraid.

What if, despite all of their plans, Gellert didn’t see him the same way?

He didn’t think he could take that.

Better not to know.

Resisting the urge to sigh he broke eye contact and looked down at the book in his hands. Before he could focus on a single word he felt a finger touch his chin, lifting his face back up, until their eyes once again met.

There was no grin on Gellert’s face now. His eyes didn’t twinkle with mirth like they often did, rather, they held a nervous hesitancy that Albus was sure was mirrored in his own.

“Albus-”

Albus straightened up and cut Gellert off in the simplest manner possible.

For half an instant Gellert sat there, as if he had been petrified, but then he softened. His hand moved until it was cupping Albus’ face. His thumb stroking his cheek.

When they broke apart neither of them said a word for several minutes. Both of them were content to just stare into each other’s eyes.

“Gellert-”

“Albus-”

They both paused and watched the other expectantly. It was Gellert who lost patience first.

“Albus, I’m not misunderstanding anything, am I?”

Albus shook his head, “No, I don’t see how you could.”

Gellert smirked, “Good, I don’t like to misunderstand things. Even when the misunderstandings involve kissing adorable boys.”

Albus pulled back and playfully punched his shoulder as he felt his face go up in flames.

“If I remember correctly, you weren’t the one doing the kissing. And I’m not adorable.”

A chuckle was the only verbal response before Albus felt himself pulled back into Gellert’s arms.

A few minutes later Gellert said, “There, NOW I can say I kissed a adorable boy.”

Albus found himself incapable of giving a retort, instead, he wrapped his arms around Gellert’s neck and pulled him in for another breath-stealing kiss.

XXX

Kendra Dumbledore glanced up at the clock and then rolled her eyes. He was late, again. Honestly, she was happy Albus had found such a good friend in Batilda’s nephew, Gellert Grindlewald, but she was getting very tired of him being late for dinner.

Muttering to herself she headed down the hall to the study, poking her head in she found Aberforth sitting at a desk, writing an essay, and Ariana was sprawled on the floor, reading a book and taking notes.

“Having fun?” she asked them.

Aberforth looked at her, disbelief visible in every line of his face. “Really, Mother, having fun? Since when did transfiguration essays become fun?”

“Ab, ignore her, you should know she’s pulling your leg,” Ariana said, dropping her quill and putting a stopper in her ink bottle. “Mother, what do you need?”

“I bet she needs one of us to go collect our sneaky snake of a brother.”

“Ab, be nice! There’s nothing wrong with being a Slytherin. Albus isn’t a bad person.”

“Doesn’t mean he isn’t sneaky. Or a snake.”

Kendra pointedly cleared her throat, drawing their attention back to her. “It’s dinnertime. So, yes, I do need one of you to go collect your brother.”

“I’ll do it,” Ariana volunteered.

“Thank you, dear,” Kendra said before heading back to the kitchen to finish setting the table.

XXX

Neville had never considered himself to be impulsive. In fact, he thought that he was a rather patient person. It took a lot of patience to deal with his grandmother. Or to tend plants.

But after six weeks of discussions and arguments he couldn’t take any more. Not when they didn’t seem to be going anywhere.

Back at Hogwarts, in his own time, he’d always felt like the unstoppable trio of Harry, Hermione, and Ron were incredible. Many times he wondered if he’d be better off trusting them rather than adults. He’d believed that they always knew what was best. Hadn’t they saved the school several times? Hadn’t Harry confronted You-Know-Who and lived?

But now, watching them run in circles about how to fix things, he knew they weren’t all knowing. They didn’t know how to fix things. Was it even possible to fix things?

Neville didn’t think so.

They had changed too much. They’d created a fork in the road of time as soon as Harry had saved Ariana. Maybe they’d even created several forks since then. Certainly telling Preston about the future of Skinwalkers had changed the future. If they left today for the future Ron wouldn’t return to the world he knew either. And there was nothing truly stopping them from returning now. They’d completed the time-turner. They’d even made a second one, just in case.

So Neville was taking matters into his own hands.

Quite literally.

A quick pinch of Floo Powder, a single step, and a shouted address and Neville was stepping out into a small, cozy study.

He coughed, clearing ash out of his throat. A blonde-haired teenager was sitting at a desk, writing. He whipped around, training his wand on the fireplace as soon as Neville coughed.

“Who are you?”

Neville couldn’t help but stare. Aberforth, for he was too young to be Albus, was certainly not the young boy he remembered. There was a look in his eye, one Neville hadn’t seen before. He felt a pang of sadness for the lost innocence that would give someone that look.

“I see you’re much faster than you used to be.”

Aberforth frowned, “What do you mean?”

Neville reached up to brush ash off of his shoulder, careful to keep his movements non-threatening. “I mean if you woke me up in the woods now I don’t think I’d get the drop on you anymore.”

It took a moment, but a light of understanding appeared in Aberforth’s eyes. “Neville?” he asked disbelievingly.

Neville smiled, “Yep, it’s me.”

Aberforth lowered his wand, but there was still distrust in his gaze.

“Why are you here? Where have you been for the past six years?”

“Well, to answer the second question, I’ve been traveling with Hermione and Harry. We just arrived back here a couple of weeks ago, but we’ll be leaving again soon.”

“Then why are you here? In Godric’s Hollow?”

“I can’t come just to visit?”

Aberforth stood up, slipping his wand into holster of some kind clipped to his belt. He proceeded to cross his arms and glare.

“It’s been six years. Mother and Father gave us some vague lies about why you left. Albus walked around in a terrible temper for months afterwards. Ariana cried herself silly. You three never wrote. Why should I believe you just came to visit? I may not be a genius like Albus or a prodigy like Ariana, but I’m not an idiot. Tell me your real reason.”

Neville winced, he’d always liked Aberforth. Ever since their tussle in the woods. Maybe it was because Neville knew what it was like to be overlooked. He’d never truly agreed with Hermione’s policy of not changing time, after all, they’d already changed it beyond repair. So, he decided to do something that he knew would have his three friends call him all sorts of terrible names.

“We’re from the future.”

Aberforth’s jaw dropped open and the muted distrust turned into full-blown disbelief in his eyes.

“You’re from the future?”

“That’s right.”

“Why did you come to the past?”

“It was a magical accident.”

“When did you come from?”

“1996.”

“Do you know me in the future?”

Neville shook his head, “No, I know Albus though.”

“How?”

“He’s the Headmaster at Hogwarts.”

Aberforth snorted and rolled his eyes, “Really? Albus settled for being headmaster?”

Neville winced, “Well, that Albus is very different from this Albus. We, uh, we think Harry accidently changed something and that, well, that changed Albus.”

There was a moment of silence and then Aberforth gasped, “Ariana.”

Neville couldn’t stop it, the pain laced in that one word made him flinch.

“Yes, we, well, we think Ariana died or was badly injured in our timeline.” He took a deep breath and began to pour out the entire tale. “And, well, we’ve discovered that because she didn’t the future changed. Another one of our friends came back. You work at the ministry and Araina is Headmistress of Hogwarts now.”

“And, Albus?” Aberforth whispered, cluing in on the one Neville didn’t mention.

“We don’t know, but we think he’s a dictator called The Greater Good, he’s conquered most of Europe.”

Aberforth fell backwards, hitting his desk hard and knocking a bottle of ink onto the floor, where it shattered. Neither boy paid any attention to the ink slowly seeping into the carpet.

He was shaking his head and whispering, “No, no, not Albus, no,” under his breath.

Neville crossed the room and put his hand on Aberforth’s shoulder. “Aberforth, we know Albus isn’t a bad person. I knew him in the future. He’s one of the greatest wizards of all time. I need to go talk to Albus. I need to help him. Where is he?”

“He-” Aberforth stopped and took a deep breath, then released it, shuddering. “He’s out in the field, with Grindlewald. Ariana went to go get him for dinner.”

Neville had begun to turn toward the door, but he immediately froze and whipped back around.

“Who-who is he with?!?”

“Grindlwald. The two are inseparable.”

“Oh my god.”

“Neville, what’s wrong? Do you know Grindlewald?”

“Oh my god, no, no, this, this can’t be right.” Neville muttered to himself, shaking his head.

Albus Dumbledore, the only man You-Know-Who ever feared, was good friends with Grindlewald? How- Was this because of what Harry did? Or was Grindlwald still good? Or not evil at least? How?

He shook his head violently and grabbed Aberforth by the wrist.

“There’s no time. Let’s go. I don’t know if what I’m going to do is right, but I have to do this. Some things have to be said.”

And with that he pulled Aberforth out of the house and off in search of two of the four most important wizards of the twentieth century. He knew it wouldn’t be long before his friends figured out where he had gone, and then there would be three.

God help them all if You-Know-Who decided come back in time to Godric’s Hollow.