The redheaded man softly moaned as his hand moved towards his aching head. George Weasley rolled slowly to his side and drew his legs up as he tried to steady himself. The grass beneath him felt cool and the dew settled upon his clothes where he rolled. The world was spinning and his eyes screamed at the bright light of the sun dancing through the trees off on the eastern horizon.
He didn’t know where he was and he quickly sat up wondering where Fred was. But sadness and heartache soon descended as he remembered that his twin brother had died at Hogwarts during the final battle against Voldemort. The world swirled more quickly around him from sitting up so fast and nausea threatened to bring up his last meal…although what that was George could not remember.
George sat bent over with his head between his legs as he pulled himself back to the present. The pain of losing his brother also faded to the dull ache he was more used to lately. A level he could more easily bear. Once his nausea faded a bit, he slowly lifted his head and slowly looked around. His head still ached terribly and he looked around for his bag. He’d had several such headaches when some of his experiments with Fred went wrong or sometimes went right and he had the perfect cure with him all the time. Together they had found cures to all their mishaps. He still felt incomplete but his family made sure he knew they were there for him. Finding Aria also helped heal the pain of missing Fred. None of them could take Fred’s place, but he knew he needed to keep living. Fred would not have wanted him to die, too. Together he and Aria helped heal each other’s pain, both having lost their twin in the war against Voldemort.
George looked around him and to his right on a shrub laid his satchel, and next to that was his wand. He opened his satchel to find his headache cure and found also inside a map, a history book, and something that was under the map…a Time-Turner? He also realized that he was sitting in the on the edge of a grassy field surrounded by short shrubberies. What on earth was going on?
A look of confusion crossed his face. He looked around and saw a piece of parchment lying on his other side. He reached for it and read:
In March the rain brings out the bloom,
Tis there that our hero goes.
Three hundred years to stop her doom,
And save the Raven-haired Rose.
A lightning bold would forever be gone,
If this lass lives not till dawn.
To stop the evil plan this night,
Stop the assassin’s desperate flight.
The twenty first is the date, so move fast
To send your champion to war in the past.
Suddenly his memory returned and he quickly gathered his things. He had mysteriously received the prophecy in the owl post a few days before and had to hastily prepare for this task. He was here to save Harry’s Great-great-grandmother. One of the Death Eaters had escaped into the past to kill her.
George turned and was unsure about which direction to go. There were two ways to leave the field. The first led into another open field filled with fruit trees that were covered in blossoms. Spring awakened them to bring out their beauty for all to see. The other led into a dark forest, that seemed to call out to him, representing all the pain and torment his soul had been going through in recent weeks. He moved towards the darkness and shadows. His wand was at the ready to protect him as he went, a voice of caution ready to defend him…but another melancholy voice was ready to join Fred in the afterlife.
He moved down the dark road, the shadows matching the lost parts of his soul. Empty places existed in his soul that seemed to spread out and overwhelm him. Numbness threatened to reach out and take away what feelings George had left. George felt more alone than ever, lost in life without his brother’s bright smile to keep him going. A tear escaped out of the corner of his eye. He felt it trickle down to his chin and roughly brushed it away. Aria had brought happiness back to his life. Their romance had started healing his life…but she was not here. She was centuries away and melancholy surrounded his spirit. Depression threatened to overwhelm him again, but he reminded himself of his mission. He stomped further down the path.
The deep silence of the forest around him lay thick and oppressed his spirit even more. He let his thoughts grow as dark as the deepest shadow…so many innocents had died in the war. So many Death Eaters had lived. It was not fair! Despair started to overtake him, just as it had several times since that fateful night that cut him in half. But then he heard a bird’s song ring out through the forest…and a breeze started to whistle through the budding leaves on the trees.
George became angry with himself for taking the darkened road over the bright one that brought promise of new beginnings. He made a mental note not to turn his back on the star that showed in the dark back home. Aria surely was his guiding star! He started to turn around when something caught his eye. There, under the trees, was a little sapling, taking root and grown, even though the sun was blocked by the taller trees around it. It struggled higher, so that someday it too would share in the warm sunlight that bounced down from the canopy of leaves above.
The decaying leaves from the fall lay around the forest floor; the damp smell that drifted up from them reminded him of his mother’s garden. He stopped to breathe in the musty scent when he heard a melody drift through the forest and moved towards the upbeat tune. Around the next bend in the path George stopped in his tracks.
A colorfully dressed woman sat next to the path, a flute pressed to her lips. Her bright clothing showed every color of the rainbow and the lantern at her feet wiped away the shadows of the forest and seemed to fill him with warmth. He watched her from behind a tree to see if it was safe to approach.
George watched as the woman finished her song on the flute and then opened her eyes. She reached for the bag at her side and pulled out a hairbrush. She reached up and removed the multicolored scarf that encircled her head revealing her raven colored hair. George gasped and studied the woman closer. At the sound of his breath she looked in his direction and he saw emerald green eyes staring out at him.
“I was wondering when you would come. I knew a stranger would be coming this way. I got tired of waiting so I tried playing my flute to see if it drew you here faster. I guess it worked,” the woman said with a laugh as she brushed out her shoulder length hair.
George moved closer to her, “You knew I would be coming?”
“My mother was a bit of a Seer. On Avalon she made her home but my calling is out in the world. Last night I had a dream that a red-haired man came and led me to my future husband. In my dream he arrived as the first flower bloomed, so I knew he would arrive today, on the spring equinox. A dagger chased the man in my dream, but I woke before I could see more. My dreams have never led me astray,” the woman explained as she bound her hair back again and gathered together her things.
George saw her put a wand in the leather belt at her waist. She packed up her flute and added it to her bag. George approached her and held out his hand. “My name is George Weasley. I’m not sure why I’m telling you all this but I came back in time from the future to save your life. A very dangerous man has come to kill you. I was sent to prevent that. I was trying to figure out how to do it without explanations, but you seem the type that I can confide in.”
“I am happy to meet you, George. My name is Rose le Fay, gaining my last name from my Grandmother, as my mother is a priestess at Avalon and never took a last name. I see a bit of shock in your eyes,” Rose said with a laugh at George’s open mouth when she said her last name was le Fay. “Yes, my grandmother was none other than Morgan le Fay from the Arthurian legend, although her life was not near what legend would have some believe.” George just stared at her in bewilderment. After a moment, Rose finished brushing her hair and pulled her hair back into the scarf, wrapping it back around her head.
She straightened up and said, “We do need to get going. There is a village not far from here we may head towards to leave this dark and dreary wood.” She started heading down the path. George followed the young woman, not exactly sure about what had just happened. He just felt like laughing at the whole situation. She seemed to know better what was going on than him.
As the two approached the village George began to feel a bit more out of place in his Dragonhide jacket and faded jeans. His tee shirt also set him apart from all the other people they passed, few though they were. Between Rose’s bright clothing and his own, the pair were getting a few hard stares. This would not help him keep Rose safe from the rogue Death Eater who had come back in time to kill her.
“Rose, I think I need to find more, ah, time appropriate clothes. I’m here to blend in and keep you safe, not to draw attention. Stop a minute, I need to explain a few things,” George requested as he gently pulled Rose off to the side of the road they were now traversing. Once off the road the woman looked up at George with sincere interest showing on her face.
“I came back in time to keep you safe from an assassin who has come to kill you so that in the future your great-great-grandson will be able to defeat a very dark wizard. I just left a time of war and frankly, reading just the few pages of this history book I have, I don’t want to be seen by Muggles and burned at the stake! I need to find clothes that won’t stick out so much, and perhaps we should find you some less colorful clothes. You look like a gypsy,” he explained to the woman.
“I did get my clothes from a gypsy, my priestess robes would not work to go out into the world. I guess I did not realize how much they draw the eye. Maybe you are right,” Rose said with a sigh as she studied a couple that passed them. “Come here behind these trees, I should be able to make us look a bit more like the rest of the travelers we have seen,” she said as she pulled out her wand and whispered a few spells that George could not quite understand. As she whispered her clothes changed to a soft blue dress that matched better with the local style of clothing. His clothes also changed into more time appropriate garments…even his Dragonhide jacket was transformed into a more appropriate overcoat that matched the time. He would have to remember to have her change it back before he went home, as this was his favorite jacket.
Thinking back to the history book he had read from the night before, they were dressed as middle-working class citizens. Once changed, they moved back onto the road and continued into town. As they moved through the market in town George thought he saw someone he did not want to see. Rodolphus Lestrange. He gently grabbed Rose’s arm and pulled her towards the closest tavern. “We need to hide! I see one of the Death Eaters.” A look of confusion entered her eyes and George realized she would not know what a Death Eater was. “Er-uh, one of the assassin’s, who were sent to kill you. Quickly, he is a very dangerous man,” George cautioned as he hunted for a place to hide, praying that the man had not seen him.
George couldn’t hide some of the fear in his voice. He was wishing that Fred here to have his back, missing his brother more than ever. He looked around and saw an inn nearby and led Rose towards it. He looked at the sign as they entered and tripped over the doorstep. The sign named the inn the Leaky Cauldron. Wow, that makes me feel a bit safer and more at home! George thought as he led Rose towards a table.
George sat Rose down at a table. “I need to make sure he didn’t follow us in here.” He looked the woman up and down, really getting a good look at her face for the first time. He saw where Harry got the shape of his eyes and chin. Many of Harry’s features resembled the woman sitting in front of him. He needed to find a way to disguise her better. He did not want Rodolphus to recognize her as his target. “We also need to figure out a way to hide your features. You look a lot like Harry. Rodolphus will know you are his target the second he sees you.” Rose looked up at George a minute before reaching into her bag and pulling out a cloak. George had seen that cloak many times before, only he remembered it from a few hundred years later as Harry’s.
“I can hide beneath this,” Rose said, quickly looking around before slipping the cloak on and disappeared from view. Not a second after Rose put on the cloak, George heard the door open. Before he could turn around he heard Rodolphus say, “Well, look what the Kneazle dragged in, one of the Weasleys.” George slowly turned and saw the man standing with wand drawn, pointing right at him. A dagger was in his other hand.
George backed away from Rodolphus, his wand at the ready. “Look what came crawling out of the sewers, a rat. What are you doing in this time and place Lestrange? Trying to hide from the Order? Not enough people to murder in cold blood in our century?” George taunted the older man.
“I don’t need to hide, blood traitor! I came here on a mission. Killing you in the process is just an added bonus.” Lestrange sputtered, his face becoming red with anger.
As if suspecting trouble, an older man whom George took to be the innkeeper approached and said, “Good afternoon gentlemen. I am Simon Amherst and this is my inn. We want no trouble here and I must insist that your wands, and other weapons,” he added to Lestrange, “be put away,” he said with much authority. “There are protections around my inn to prevent magical dueling and we do not need the Muggles in town to suspect anything about my inn. Put away your wands or I will do it for you.” The innkeeper was an older man with hair flying in every which direction. He did not look very powerful, but the tone of his voice showed that more backbone was a part of this little disheveled man. The neatness and activities around the inn also pointed to the man having a bit more resources than met the eye.
George lowered his wand, but continued to watch Lestrange from the corner of his eye. Lestrange moved towards George and shouted, “Avada Kedavra!” He seemed a bit surprised when the first word of the incantation was out of his mouth, and his wand went flying from his hand to the little innkeeper’s preventing the spell from being cast. Rodolphus continued towards George with his eyes flashing red, so the innkeeper quickly cast a spell that tripped him and then bound him from head to toe. He also took possession of the dagger. The curses from Lestrange were quickly quieted with a silencing spell.
“That was not nice at all, young man. That spell is quite forbidden and I refuse to allow it under my roof! I warned you. Now what to do with you,” complained the older man who seemed at a loss, watching Rodolphus struggle and fight his binds.
“Sir, this man is a known enemy of mine and is actually not from this area. I have with me a powder that will send him back to where he belongs and he will be justly punished for this crime along with many others he has committed,” George informed the older man.
“Well, I just don’t know what to do in a situation such as this. Obviously you are a just man because you listened to me and trusted me to protect you since you put down your wand. I want to trust you, but I need to follow the law. I am the Wizarding officer of this town, so I hold prisoners here until someone with more authority comes to take them to Azkaban to await their trial at the Ministry of Magic. Usually does not take long. Are you an officer? Do you have permission to take prisoners?” the man asked of George.
George was unsure of what to do now. He was not an official of any sort, but he needed to send Lestrange back to the future so that he could pay for his crimes there. As he pondered what to do George felt something brush up against his arm and heard Rose softly whisper, “Ask him about the Justice Spell. It would determine who had the most rights to hold this prisoner.”
“Justice Spell?” George asked which brought much delight to the older gentleman.
“That is exactly what we need! Cast the Justice Spell and then we’ll know for sure who should take the prisoner!” the old man exclaimed.
“Do you know the spell?” George asked.
“Well, no. I remember reading it on an ancient scroll. It was archived at the town library. I have a key to the Magical Library. We have not had a librarian for many years now, been looking for someone to take the job. Know anyone who would be interested?” the old man asked.
“No, I’m sorry. Where is this library so that I can go find the spell?” George asked the innkeeper.
“It is up at the end of the street next to Town Hall. The door is concealed from the Muggles, but you should have no problem finding it to the right of the Muggle library,” the man explained as he handed George a skeleton key from his key ring.
“I’ll be back in a bit then,” George said as he left to find the library. Once outside he felt Rose walking next to him. “Stay underneath the cloak until we are inside the library. I don’t know if he was the only person sent back to find you,” George instructed the young woman.
It did not take George long at all to find the library. It was an ancient looking building that obviously had anti-Muggle charms placed around it. He moved to the front door, quickly unlocking it and moving inside, waiting for Rose to enter, too. She emerged from beneath the cloak and let out a gasp. When he turned around he was overwhelmed with the task that he was assigned. The room was filled with scrolls that were thrown around in total disarray.
“How are we going to find one scroll in this large room? How did you know about that spell anyway?” he asked as he turned towards Rose.
“My mother used it many times in Avalon but never let anyone in the room when she cast it, to preserve the sanctity of the spell. It is a powerful spell and should not be cast by just anyone. You have an authority about you and I know that you will not abuse it. It will also help you in your task,” Rose explained. “We will find the scroll we need by searching for it. It may take us a little while, but we’ll find it.”
Rose gently rolled up her invisibility cloak and put it back into her bag before turning to the closest table. George moved to the other side of the door to start his search there when he heard a sound behind him. What is it this time? he thought as he readied his wand. He turned to see a tall, thin, blond haired man wearing glasses staring at him in shock.
The man slowly raised his hands and said, “Good morning stranger, I hold no grudge.” George quickly lowered his wand.
“I am real sorry, but it has been a rough day and I already had one person come up behind me trying to kill me, I am most sorry. My name is George Weasley,” George said offering the man his hand.
“I am Julian Potter,” the man replied shaking George’s hand. “I was coming here to do a bit of reading. History fascinates me. This library has a lot to read, too bad it isn’t organized.”
Rose wandered over and introduced herself. The looks Rose and Julian shared reminded George of the way his parents still looked at each other. It also reminded him of Aria. This must be the man Rose is to marry. George mused as he moved back towards the table of scrolls to start looking for the Justice Spell, recognizing the last name. “Do you come here frequently?” he asked of Julian.
“At least several times a week,” Julian said, not taking his eyes off of Rose. “My grandfather gave me the key when I kept asking him for it almost daily.”
“Maybe you can help us. We are searching for a scroll that contains the Justice Spell. We are in great need of it.” George inquired of the man.
Julian stared at Rose a moment more, before looking around the room. “I believe the law spells are over by the far wall,” he answered pointed at the back right hand corner of the room. “I can help you search if you like.”
“That would be most gracious,” Rose said as her cheeks flushed to match her name.
The three worked together in silence for the rest of the morning. They took a break at lunch while Julian ran home and brought back a nice picnic lunch. Rose and Julian whispered to each other off and on throughout the day, while George watched from the other end of the table containing the law scrolls. I wonder if Aria and I ever look like that when we are together? I know there are times that all I see is her. Quickly it seemed the pile behind each member of the group was growing. George felt his depression from earlier start to creep back up on him as loneliness settled into his heart again.
He started to think of Aria and wondered if what he had with her was anything like what he saw budding between Rose and Julian. He knew that Aria helped to ease the burden of Fred’s loss, but was it enough to keep him going? No one would ever replace Fred, but George knew that Fred would not want him to give up on living. The joke shop was still something George worked on and when the world stabilized a bit he planned on finding a new location to start again. The old store remained, even though it was a bit beat up, but George could not face going back there and trying to do things there without Fred. A new location would allow him to start over again, but still carry on their dream. Aria eased his heart and encouraged him with his dreams. Her own dream was to become a Healer.
The trio searched for several hours more while George pondered his life and his future. They all started to share parts of their lives with each other, which helped pass the time and increased the bonds forming in the room. George felt a bit of hope opening up in his heart when he heard Rose exclaim, “I think I’ve found it! George, come and look.” By now it was almost dinnertime, and all three were beginning to show signs of impatience with the searching.
George hurried over to Rose’s side, but Julian beat him there. “By Golly, this is the Justice Spell. Here you go, George!” Julian said handing him the scroll, with a slight tremor in his hand. A bit of sadness seemed to cross his face and George realized that he was afraid he would never see Rose again.
“Thank you, mate, for your help,” George told the young man. Rose and Julian were staring at each other again and George wasn’t sure he could take those looks any more. He stepped between them offering Julian his hand to shake. “We need to be off, back to the inn. Rose, you should put back on that cloak of yours before we go back into public. The sun is setting, but there is still danger out there.”
“Danger? What Danger?” Julian asked Rose. “Is there some way I can help?”
Unable to bear the chill that had risen in the air from Julian when he heard that Rose was in danger, George said, “It’s a long story, but there are assassins after Rose. I’m here to protect her from them.”
“Assassins! I can help protect her if you like. Let her stay here until you finish your business at the inn. I promise I’ll keep her safe,” Julian said.
“Do you want to stay Rose? I’ll be back as quickly as I can, although it is getting late. I was thinking the inn would be a good place to stay the night.” George asked the young woman.
“My parent’s home is just around the corner. They have a couple of spare rooms that I’m sure they would not mind you staying in,” Julian informed them.
The assassins could just as easily be after Julian as Rose. They are both Harry’s great great grandparents. “It is a very long story, but you are actually both in danger from these assassins. Finding a neutral place would probably be better. Let me go back to the inn and finish there, and Rose can fill you in on what is going on. I hope you’ll believe our story, as it may sound a bit astonishing. I’ll be back as quickly as I can. Try to stay hidden, both of you.” George cautioned as he headed out the door towards the inn.
George made his way back to the inn. When he arrived there, Simon, the innkeeper looked at him in surprise. “You came back!” he exclaimed when George approached him.
“Of course I came back. I found the Justice Spell and came to take custody of Rodolphus Lestrange. Where is he?” George inquired of the now confused looking innkeeper.
“After you left another man came to the inn and said that he was an Auror looking for a red-haired young man who was accompanied by a dark haired young woman. I didn’t know anything about the woman, but I explained to him about your encounter with Rodolphus. He asked where Rodolphus was and I took him to the room where I was keeping him and released Lestrange to his custody,” the man explained.
“You what? You made me go look for this spell to gain custody of Lestrange but you just handed him over to the next person who came to the inn? Why?” George asked the man as his temper started to flare.
“Truthfully I did not think I could trust you to take him into your custody. I saw him try to kill you and though I had no reason to arrest you, too, I did not feel I could release him to you without proof of your intentions. The man I released him to, looked a bit out of place here, but I felt I could trust him better then you,” Simon revealed.
It took every ounce of George’s self control but he calmly picked up a spoon on the counter and looking at it said, “The way this works is that the object chosen will tilt towards the just one in a situation. If there is balance, then the object will remain balanced. Do you understand?” George asked of the older man. Simon nodded his head.
“Justicia Revealo” and the spoon tilted down towards George. “There is your proof old man that I told the truth. I need you to describe the new man to me in as much detail as you can because you just gave Lestrange to one of his colleagues and both are here as assassins for a young lady of my acquaintance and would be just as happy to kill Julian Potter, whom you may know because he lives here in town. Both their lives are in danger now because of you,” George informed the man with obvious anger in his tone.
“Julian, what does he have to do with this? My grandson has done nothing to get into trouble.” Simon exclaimed. His head had shot up at George’s mention of the young man.
“I owe you nothing, old man. Just describe the man to me. You waste my time and I need to hurry back to where I left Julian and the young woman hidden. Rodolphus heard where you told me to go look for this spell. I need to hurry,” George said through clenched teeth.
“The man had blond hair, was big, had harsh facial features, and Rodolphus called him Rowle when the man unbound him, which I’d cautioned him against. With one look from Rowle, Rodolphus was quiet and cooperative until they left.”
“That had to be Thorfinn Rowle. He is an associate of Rodolphus and a very dangerous man. I need to go save Julian and Rose from them.” George moved into action as soon as Simon gave him the description of the man, running out the door and back to the library praying he was not too late.
George ran back towards the library, taking a back alley he suspected would bring him out behind the building. Shadows were lengthening as the sun was just about to set. As he grew nearer he slowed his pace, because behind a shed, next to the library, were the two men he suspected of being after Rose. He crept up behind them and right when he was close enough to cast a stunning spell on one of them, he saw that Thorfinn was holding a golden time-turner.
George knew that the men had to come back in time somehow, but actually seeing a Time-Turner in one of their hands angered him. Very few were remaining since the night Harry and the other students had gone mistakenly to rescue Sirius Black. It had taken a lot of searching and a very persuasive Hermione to gain use of the Time-Turner that George was carrying in his bag.
“So where did two convicts come by a Time-Turner?” George demanded of the two Death Eaters, his wand out in a defensive stance.
Thorfinn and Lestrange quickly turned to face George. Rodolphus dropped the piece of parchment he was studying. A breeze blew past and sent the piece of parchment right to George’s feet. He carefully bent over to see what was on the parchment, not taking his eyes of the men standing in front of him. Once he was standing up straight again, he did a quick glance at the parchment only to almost drop it himself out of shock when he saw that it was an exact copy of the poem that had sent him back to this age to rescue Rose.
Meanwhile Rodolphus bellowed, “We owe you no explanation, blood traitor!”
Thorfinn noted George’s shock when he saw what was on the parchment. A look of first confusion, then understanding flashed across his face until he said, “I know we are sworn enemies here, but maybe we need to remain calm and explain what each of us is doing here, at this time.” He gently grabbed Rodolphus’s wand arm to lower it. Then he walked over and took the parchment from George’s hand.
George didn’t lower his wand, but did allow the man to take the parchment back. He reached into the top of his bag and removed the parchment with his quest inscribed upon it. “I’m going to cast a spell right now on that stick against the wall. It is a justice spell and will help me determine if I can trust you in this matter or not.” He bent over to pick up the stick, being extremely careful not to take his eyes from the two Death Eaters.
Rodolphus looked a bit confused and like he wanted to kill George and be done with it. Thorfinn still had a hand on Rodolphus’s wand arm to keep him from doing something brash.
“Justicia Revealo,” he said, then just as quickly he added “Veritas Revealo!” The stick stayed balanced. So Death Eaters can tell the truth. I need to see why these men are here; maybe they know something I don’t. “Ok, so truth and justice are on your side. Why are you here?” George asked of his sworn enemies.
“Just let me kill him Thorfinn, then we can get on with our task!” Rodolphus complained to the blond haired man next to him.
Thorfinn looked over at George and then glanced at the parchment George held. “It would seem that we are here on similar tasks, although I think we read them a bit differently. We were sent here to prevent the death of the Dark Lord’s great-grandmother. Someone has come back in time to kill her so that the war of our time does not occur.”
“I came back to protect Harry’s great-great-grandmother and so it seems to introduce her to her soon to be husband. So you are telling me that you did not come back in time to prevent Harry from being born?” George inquired of the other two men.
“No, although that would be a nice bonus,” Thorfinn said with a grin which quickly faded when George went back to full battle stance. “We are looking for the future Rose Gaunt who would be a child at this time to prevent her death tonight. The problem is that we do not know her maiden name.”
“Who has come to kill them?” George asked out-loud.
“My guess is that someone lost a relative or loved one in the war of our day and thinks that by preventing both Harry and the Dark Lord from being born, the war will not take place. I do not know who it is though,” Thorfinn told the red-haired man in front of him.
“Since we don’t know who this person is, it may be best for us to work together. Can we do that without killing each other; come to a temporary truce?” George asked.
“Let it be so, until the assassin is caught,” Thorfinn said.
George looked to Rodolphus who did not look so convinced. Thorfinn slapped him on the back of his head. Rodolphus was angered by this, but nodded his head in agreement.
“I know someone inside who may be able to assist us in finding your Rose. I just need you both to hold by our compact.” The justice stick still hung in front of them. It dipped just slightly towards George but then straightened out again. “The stick tells me you will hold by our bargain. Come along with me then.” George said leading them inside the library, bringing the stick with him.
As they entered the library, it appeared to be deserted. George remembered his caution to the two young lovers he had left behind and said, “Rose, Julian, come out. While these two aren’t exactly friends, they aren’t currently enemies.”
In the back corner of the library the two emerged from behind a stack of books. George could only assume that they didn’t want to let the Death Eaters to know about the invisibility cloak.
“Julian, we were hoping that maybe you know a young girl whose name is also Rose. She would be probably in her late childhood to early teens. These two have come back to protect her from the same assassin I’m here to protect the two of you from.”
“Let me see,” Julian said a look of deep thought on his face. “There is a Rose that lives on the outskirts of town. Her family pretty much keeps to themselves. A weird lot actually. They are an older Wizarding family who does not seem to mingle with other families too much. They have a nice house but the younger members rarely leave it. I’ve talked to young Rose a few times. She is about twleve years old. She runs errands for her mother on occasion. Not sure who would want to come and try to assassinate her though,” Julian said to the trio at the front of the library.
“How do we find her?” George asked of his newest friend.
“Well, late at night she often is sent by her mother to fetch her father home from the bar. He likes his drinks and goes to the tavern most nights. He is usually in no condition to get himself home again by the end of the night. She would have to pass by here on her way to the tavern,” Julian answered.
Julian, Rose, and George sat down where they could watch the passers on the street through the window and continued their conversations from earlier. Rodolphus and Thorfinn sat down on the other side to watch from there.
At about two in the morning, when all five of them were starting to show signs of being tired, a plain looking young girl was seen traversing down the opposite side of the street. Julian was the first to notice her. “There she is!” he exclaimed jumping to his feet. All the rest followed suit.
George opened the door and rushed outside just in time to see a shadow move out behind the girl. He leapt into action and dashed towards the figure yelling, “Impedimenta!” The figure was frozen in his attempt to reach the girl…who seemed oblivious to the movements occurring behind her. She kept scurrying towards the tavern.
When George got closer to the figure and could see the man’s features more clearly in the darkened night, his face went extremely pale and he just froze for a moment, staring at the man in front of him. After a minute George walked up to the figure, who was even paler then George. The two Death Eaters moved out the library door closely followed by Rose and Julian. The four of them looked a bit confused. The man George had caught had red hair and wore glasses. He looked a bit like George, and it could be assumed they were brothers, which they were.
“Percy! Why? What brought you back here to tempt fate like this? Why would you come to the past to commit murder?” George asked of his brother.
Percy sunk down to the ground, tears streaming down his face. “You were the last person I expected to see here! Why are you here? You can still help me! Help me stop Fred from dying! If He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named or Harry aren’t born, then the war will be prevented, and Fred won’t be killed trying to protect Hogwarts! Help me, George!” Percy pleaded with his brother.
“Percy, no one mourns Fred more than me. I ache with his loss, but he was Harry’s friend. Do you really think he would want Harry to never exist? Though it pains me to say this, killing that young girl, who is the ancestor of Voldemort, will not stop your pain. It will just make you as big a monster as him. Murder is not just or right, especially when the victim is a child,” George said as he knelt in front of his older brother. “Let me send you home. We can discuss more about this then, at the correct time,” George said as he pulled out the pack of Future Dust from his pocket. “This will take you to Grimmauld Place. Three sprinkles of this will get you back to our time. Mom, Dad, and everyone else will be there waiting for you.” Percy just hung his head, despair and loss over coming him as he silently nodded his head. George sprinkled the powder on his brother as tears glided down his cheeks. The remorse and sorrow in his brother’s eyes as he disappeared from view was enough to show George that he had heard and understood why he needed to go back without succeeding in his mission.
“That’s it? You are just letting him go unpunished? This mission was all for nothing?” Thorfinn asked in anger as he charged George.
“Thorfinn, I have a better idea. Perhaps that idiot of a Weasley had a good idea. If we kill Harry Potter’s ancestors, then he can’t defeat the Dark Lord.” Rodolphus said as he turned on the young couple behind him. George was too far away to stop him as he raised his wand and started to say, “Avada Kedavra!” not getting the entire spell out before Rose and Julian disappeared beneath her cloak. Green flashed across to where the two had been standing, just to bounce off and strike the door to the library. “Where’d they go?” Rodolphus stormed as he rushed forward trying to find the hidden lovers. Before he could take more than three steps George was rushing at him and Thorfinn, flinging three sprinkles of the dust at each of them. The two Death Eaters disappeared and George tripped forward, dropping the remaining powder onto the ground and landing in a heap right on top of his satchel.
George sat in the dust a minute. He could not believe that Percy was the assassin. He could not believe that he had just managed to send the two Death Eaters back to the future like that…and looking at the empty bag of future dust, he could not believe he was now stranded in the past. Then he remembered the Time-Turner and quickly started to dig in his bag…but when he found the Time-Turned it was crushed from his fall onto the satchel. Sadness once again descended upon him. Then he felt a couple pairs of hand pull him up into a stand, and Rose was hugging him. “Thank you, George! That was very brave!”
“You knew that other man? He was a relation of yours?” Julian inquired of George.
“Yes, he is my older brother. Here trying to avenge the death of my twin brother, Fred. It is a long story that has not had time to play out,” George informed the couple that stood on either side of him. “I guess I may not learn the end of this tale though. My future powder spilt in my fall, I have only enough to get partway home and I broke the Time-Turner that brought me here. I am quite stranded.” George’s thoughts were only of Aria awaiting him back home…and despair started to fill him.
“Maybe not, dear friend. There appears to be enough dust left in your bag for one sprinkle,” Rose informed her champion.
“Yes, but that will only get me one hundred years closer to home. I need to go another two hundred years past that,” George informed the raven-haired woman.
“Well, that is one-hundred years closer to home, and by then I can work to make enough dust to get you home the last two-hundred years. Potions always was one of my favorite subjects. There should be enough residue here for me to experiment with and to have some awaiting you when you get to the next century. Where does this dust take you?” Rose asked of him.
“It takes me to London, a street called Grimmauld Place. It is a Muggle street, but houses the Order of the Phoenix, the organization I represent that fights evil in my time,” George answered.
“I will find this Grimmauld Place and go to the closest tavern. I will make sure that a friend of mine works there and the powder will be in a box beneath the counter. Just tell him or her, ‘Friendship lasts through the ages, time knows no boundaries’ and the box will be yours. Can you remember that phrase?”
“Yes. Thank you my friends. I will never forget you,” George said as he bid his friends farewell. He packed up his bag. When he was about to pack up the Time-Turner, Julian approached him one last time.
“Might I keep that? It is broken isn’t it? Perhaps I can fix it?” Julian asked of George.
“Just remember that time travel is risky,” George cautioned the young man.
“I just like to study gadgets. I’m more then content to stay here in my time, although I have to admit I wouldn’t mind seeing you again someday or seeing history as it occurs, just as a witness,” Julian told his newest friend.
“Well, this definitely has been a great adventure, but I’m ready to get home and see my family again. I’m not sure my lonely heart would fit in here with you two lovebirds. My heart belongs to a lovely lady back home,” George joked with the light haired man.
“Fare-thee-well and safe travels,” Rose said with a radiant smile as she left a kiss on his cheek and pulled Julian back towards the library. “I believe I could do a lot for this library,” George heard her say as they headed down the street back towards his grandfather’s inn.
George sprinkled himself with the remaining future powder and watched the world spin until he woke on a door stoop on a Muggle street in London. He could tell that it was a different century then he had just left. He just hoped that Rose was able to carry through with her promise.
He headed down the street and came upon a filthy pub that reminded him a bit of the Hog’s Head in Hogsmeade. A bit unsure of the place, he still pushed his way inside. The hairs on his neck raised a bit as he looked around the dingy bar. Few people were seated at the bar, but he moved towards the barkeep and said, “Friendship lasts through the ages, time knows no boundaries.”
The dingy looking man looked George up and down. George cringed under the heavy eyed barkeeps stare. Alertness lay inside those eyes that outward appearances hid. After a minute of leering at George he reached under the counter and pulled out a plain wooden box. He shoved it into George’s hands and gruffly said, “Two turns should do it,” and turned back to organizing the bottles at the back of the bar.
George looked blankly at the man and then down at the box a moment before moving back into the darkness of the night. He cautiously opened the lid and saw inside a Time-Turner much like the one he had left with Julian. A note lay beneath the instrument.
Dear George,
Rose worked long and hard trying to make more powder for you, but alas, the children kept her busier than she suspected. I managed to build a few of these Time-Turners though and thought one of them would work just as well to get you back home.
Yours through the ages,
Julian Potter
George smiled as he read the hastily written note. He picked up the Time-Turner and spun it twice as the sun tickled at the foot of darkness that belonged to the night. Dawn crawled up from the earth to start a new day as unconsciousness descended upon George and he was transported back home.
