Disclaimer: See chapter one for disclaimer.

A/N: Some of these scenes may seem to be a little out of order. There are multiple reasons for this. One, sometimes I will show a scene from multiple points of view. Two, sometimes I will write them as they come to me, which is sometimes out of order. Three, we're talking about a story involving a Magical TARDIS here people… Wibbly wobbly timey whimey. Lastly, I don't know where to go after this chapter. Maybe this will be a short, two-chapter story, maybe I will add a small epilogue of a third chapter, I just don't know right now. In the first few hours of chapter one being posted, I lost count of the number of email notifications I got telling me this story was being followed, favorited, or myself as an author being favorited. I would like to keep this story going for those of you that like it and want to see more, but at the moment, I'm out of ideas really as I'm not really good at doing full rewrites of canon like some authors can. If you have any ideas that you might like to see incorporated into this story that you think I can make work, please leave your brief summary of the idea in a review or PM it to me.

Chapter 2: Life's Work

Harry woke before dawn. He knew his time was running out so, he made sure to get an early and restful night of sleep. Directly after dinner, he cleaned up the lab, keyed his young friend into the supply trunk, and left out the staff he created for her from the same magical alloy that the goblins gave him to create his own staff. With everything in order and all his letters written, he quickly made his way to the room of requirement.

Once inside, he opened the "broom closet" that he had been researching on how to make for a century and spent the last fifteen years working on. All that was left to do was to inscribe the last rune onto the magical reactor and he would be ready. He was truly sorry that his young friend that helped him create the reactor would not be here to see it start, but he consoled himself with the fact that he left her everything she would need to know to be able to recreate it.

Working only by the faint light of his staff, almost as if worried that too much magic would wake up the castle, he set about inscribing the final rune. It took several minutes because it had to be absolutely perfect, but when it was done, it was obvious.

Harry placed his rune carving kit back into the pocket of his robes and tapped the head of his staff to the reactor to give it the tiny jumpstart that it needed. The crystal core of the reactor exploded in a brilliant show of bright purple light as it hummed to life and began to power the rest of his creation. Lights came on all over what he was calling his time ship.

Just as he was about to seal the compartment to the reactor closed, he was startled by the eruption of three purple fireballs off to his side causing him to spin around with his staff ready, only to stare in shock at what he was seeing. There before him, hovered a Phoenix trio with purple, lavender, and lilac plumage. He sucked in a breath as he realized he was present at the birth of these three immortal birds.

"Luna," he said softly as his eyes misted over slightly. "You're the triplets, aren't you?"

They nodded in unison which caused Harry to smile sadly.

"So, you've come to see me off then?" he asked with a faint note of amusement.

The trio squawked as one, which he seemed to understand, which was a surprise in itself.

"No?" he questioned, even more curious now. "I admit, I'm at a loss to understand why you would be here, then."

This time they trilled in unison.

"Oh, I still have a few goods hours left before I go onto my next great adventure."

Another trill.

"What do you mean 'it has already begun,' I'm not dead yet."

A more musical trilling.

"What are you laughing at?"

In response, one of the immortal birds flew at speed past the old Headmaster, who spun to watch in shock at its intended destination. "Nooooooo!" he cried out as he watched the Phoenix disappear into the core of the reactor.

An instant later, there was a powerful wave of magic that exploded out of the reactor and washed over the entire time ship, but leaving the other beings unharmed. Harry's eyes went comically wide as he felt the magic absorb into his creation. The hum of the reactor increased in pitch but lowered in volume until it was barely noticeable in the background.

Another trill caught his attention, causing the old man to spin around only to scream as he saw one of the two remaining birds flying straight at him. It impacted with his chest and dissolved into him as he collapsed to the floor and his eyes rolled up into his head.

Several minutes passed before the old man opened his eyes and let out a groan. "You sneaky witch," he said as he got to his feet with the help of his staff. Looking up, Harry saw the reactor sliding deeper into the center console before the access hatch close by itself.

A lone trill made him turn to look at the remaining Phoenix. "Yes, yes, I understand now. All her memories are up here now," he said as he tapped the side of his head with a finger. He let out a sigh as he realized he wasn't going on 'The Next Great Adventure' as he thought, but rather another in his long string of Potter adventures, as Luna liked to call them.

"Well, come on then," he said to the Phoenix as he made his way back to the stairs. "let's go change some history, shall we?"

.oOo.

Battle of Hogwarts

"Mum? Dad?" the nearly eighteen-year-old Harry Potter spoke after he turned away from the ugly creature that was Voldemort's Horcrux.

"It's us, my son. The real us this time," Lilly told him with a hitch in her voice.

"The real you?" Harry asked, confusion evident on his face.

"Yes, Pronglet," James said with a sad smile. "The resurrection stone can't truly recall spirits. It creates illusions out of your own mind."

"Oh," he said, looking so disappointed.

"Why so sad, Harry?" Lilly asked him as she pulled him in for a hug.

"It wasn't real," he said as his eyes misted over in the first hug he could every remember from his mother.

"Just because it wasn't real, doesn't make it any less true," James told him. "Everything our illusions said was the truth, Harry. We are very proud of you.

"Thanks, Dad," Harry said as he pulled his father in to make it a group hug.

"So, is this heaven?" Harry asked when he pulled away a few minutes later with a watery smile on his face.

"No, Harry, this is a crossroads," Lilly spoke softly.

"Huh… guess that's why it looks like King's Cross Station."

"No," James said with some mirth. "This place took this form because your subconscious mind sees this place as your introduction to the magical world. Now, it represents your decision. From here, you can move on, or go back."

Harry opened his mouth to say something, but his mother shushed him. "No, don't say anything just yet. Before you decide, there are some things you need to know."

"Don't I have to decide quickly, though?" Harry asked.

"Time has no meaning here," James told him. "We can spend a few years chatting and when you went back, only a few seconds would have passed."

"How is that possible?" Harry asked curiously.

"Because of you, my beautiful boy," Lilly told him lovingly. "You managed to find a way to rewrite time."

"Huh?" was all Harry could say for a moment before his brain registered what his mother told him. "That can't be. If I had done that, I would have found a way to save everyone. Remus, Tonks… Her… Hermione," he said as his throat closed.

"Harry," James said with a smile on his face. "Why do you think they are not here with us to greet you?"

.oOo.

Bellatrix cackled with glee as she sent a killing curse at the mudblood bitch. She cackled even louder when she heard the Potter brat scream the mudblood's name and watched her turn around to see the stream of sickly green magic right in front of her. The Death Eater watched in surprise at her own power as the killing curse impacted with such force that the splash of green energy shrouded her from view for a second before Potter's bitch fell to the ground in a lifeless heap

.oOo.

Harry watched in terror as Bellatrix suddenly spun away from their duel to fire a killing curse at the woman he only recently realized he was desperately in love with. "Hermione!" he shouted hoping she could get out of the way in time, only to see her turn around in shock and watch helplessly as the green magic of the killing curse took away his love. His scream of grief rocked the grounds of the school, causing everyone, even the Dark Lord, to stumble and fall.

.oOo.

Hermione heard Harry shout her name and spun to see what was happening, only to see a bolt of green magic, obviously the killing curse, streaking towards her. She was frozen in shock for a moment before she saw it splash against an invisible barrier just inches from her. Her mind reeled for the second that the splash of green magic obscured her view. That's not possible, was her last thought as her eyes rolled up in her head and she fell to the ground.

.oOo.

"Okay, I have to time this exactly right," Harry said to himself as he flicked a switch that would set the engines to silent. "Come on… come on… THERE!" he exclaimed as he pulled the lever to land him in the exact spot the ship needed to be at the exact second. Just a moment after the center column stilled, the entire time ship shook as it fought against and dissipated the killing curse that struck its invisible outer shell. Harry ran to the doors and threw them open to see Hermione crumpled on the ground and his breathing stopped.

"Did I do something wrong? Am I too late?" he cried out, only to hear a Phoenix trill behind him. "Of course," he said as the old man used his staff to levitate the woman he loved into the console room and take them away from the battle. His heart soared as he heard a groan from her. Switching off silent mode for now since they were now just floating in space, he waited.

Hermione gently opened her bleary eyes and instantly realized she was no longer on the grounds of Hogwarts. She could see a lot of metal made up the structure of wherever she was, and she heard a faint wheezing and groaning noise coming from behind her.

"I cannot begin to describe just how glad I am to see you awake," a voice said from nearby with what sounded like a sigh of immense relief. She felt like she should know the voice but couldn't place it just now.

Turning around, Hermione's jaw fell open as she saw the image of a man she never thought she would see again. Flowing robes, long white beard, and a Phoenix perched on his shoulder. "Headmaster Dumbledore!" she half shrieked at the impossibility of the situation as she scrambled to her feet and grabbed her wand.

The old man chuckled with great mirth. "You are half right, Hermione," the man said in such a way that made her breath catch in her chest. "I was, at one time, Headmaster of Hogwarts."

Looking closer, Hermione finally noticed the differences between the man before her and her former Headmaster. Rather than a wand, he held a metallic staff. The Phoenix perched on his shoulder was purple instead of red. Instead of half-moon spectacles he worse rounded glasses in front of his… she gasped… piercing green eyes! "H-Harry?"

"I can't begin to describe how much I've missed you, 'Mione," he said, using the nickname that she would only ever let him use.

Hermione launcher herself at him, giving him one of her patented bear hugs. Causing him to wheeze slightly.

"Careful, Hermione, these old bones can't take your usual hugs."

"What happened, Harry?" she asked him in concern as she stepped back and took in his extremely aged appearance.

"I'm 162 years old," he replied with a chuckle. "That's what happened."

"How are you here, now, though?" she asked, her mind getting back up to speed.

"Take a look at the runes carved into the ring between the panels there and the glowing tube," he told her with a twinkle in his eyes as he gestured at the center console.

Turning around and leaning over the console, careful not to press any of the buttons or switches, she peered at the band of material around the tube. She slowly walked around the console, following the circular line of runes around the column until she got back to the beginning again and turned to look at her… old friend. "They look familiar," she said.

"I should hope so," he replied, greatly amused. "You saw them every day of our third year thanks to your thirst for knowledge."

Hermione pondered that for all of two seconds before her eyes looked to be in danger of falling out of their sockets. "You… you turned this… whatever this is… into a giant time turner!?"

"There's that keen mind I fell in love with so long ago," Harry said with a chuckle.

"What!?" she shouted before her hands flew up to cover her mouth in surprise.

"Yes," Harry said with a nod. "I came back to stop you from dying so that I might eventually be able to tell you that I'm madly in love with you."

"What do you mean by eventually? You just told me," Hermione spoke with a look of confusion on her beautiful face.

"I… this me… I'm dying, Hermione. Luna, rest her soul, gave me part of a prophecy on her deathbed. She told me when I would die. I only finished this time ship a few hours ago. I have the rest of this last day of life to save you and the others that died in the Battle of Hogwarts."

The trill of a Phoenix caused them both to look at the majestic purple bird. "Yes, yes, I was just getting to that."

"What did she say?"

"She reminded me to tell you this is not really going to be me dying and also she reminded me that she has a gift for you."

"Huh?" Hermione asked, confusion once again evident on her face.

Without warning, the Phoenix jumped off Harry's shoulder and shot towards Hermione, impacting her chest and dissolving into her as the girl he loved burst into purple flames. A moment later, the flames cleared revealing a fully healed and refreshed looking Hermione.

"Huh… I didn't burst into flames when that happened to me," Harry commented.

"You have a Luna Phoenix in you too?" Hermione asked as she processed the new information that was unfolding in her mind.

"Indeed, as does the heart of this ship," he replied.

"Oh, Harry," Hermione sighed in an unusual way as the rest of the new memories settled into her mind. "The Order of Granger, to recognize academic honors? I'm touched."

Harry smiled at her, no longer saddened by that award now that his love was no longer dead. "It seemed appropriate."

"So, what do we do now?" Hermione asked, causing Harry to grin.

.oOo.

Severus Snape closed his eyes as his former students ran off on his instructions. He knew he was only seconds from death. He only wished there was more he could have done to help. He was surprised when he heard a squeak, like a door opening. Even more surprised when he heard the top of a potion bottle pop.

"Drink this, Severus, hurry, before it's too late," a voice said to him as he felt a potion bottle pressed to his lips. He moved his lips slightly and allowed the unknown potion to work its way into his system.

Over several minutes, he felt his strength returning, venom pushing out of his wounds, and said wounds slowly knit themselves back together. "What…" he said hoarsely. "What have you given me?"

"A special potion made with a bezoar and unfused with freely given unicorn blood and phoenix tears," the old voice spoke.

Snape opened his eyes to see a sight he never expected to see again. "Albus? How?" he asked, his voice still rather weak.

"Come, my friend, I have much to explain," the old man said as he gingerly helped the potion master to his feet and led him through a set of doors to sit on a comfortable chair.

After a few minutes, and much of his strength returning, Snape looked around the room he was in. It was a room of metallic construction. In the center of the room were several panels with various controls on them, all surrounding a transparent tube filled with purple glowing energy. On the other side of the room, he saw the Granger girl sitting in another chair. Closer to him, he saw an old man leaning on what looked to be a goblin forged staff with a purple crystal glowing at the top of it. What struck him the most were the man's eyes. Lilly's eyes.

"Potter? How is this possible?" he asked.

"What gave me away?" Harry asked with a mock pout.

"Lilly's eyes," Snape said, still with a trace of confusion in his voice.

"Ah, yes. That would do it," Harry said with a trace of mirth. "We have quite a story to tell you, old friend, but a few more people to tell it to."

.oOo.

Remus and Tonks were backed into a corner and fighting for their lives. A short way down the corridor, Death Eaters were advancing on them. Knowing they were outnumbered with nowhere to go, they shared one last kiss. When Remus saw green out of the corner of his eye, he closed his eyes to enjoy the last moment with his wife. The kiss felt like it went on for a blissful eternity, only to be interrupted by the squeak of a door and the clearing of a throat.

Both turned in shock to stare at a smirking Hermione in the doorway of… something that they had never seen before.

"In your own time, Mooney," they heard an old voice call from somewhere behind Hermione. Remus and Tonks looked at each other for only a second before they followed Hermione into… whatever it was.

.oOo.

Harry was fighting for his life and the life of his friends. He wished they had stayed back at Hogwarts since this was obviously a trap, but they came with him anyway. He and the Order had to get them to safety. He didn't think he could go on if anything happened to them.

Then, something even more horrible happened. Harry watched in horror as a stunner from Bellatrix struck Sirius, causing him to fall towards the Veil of Death and disappear before his eyes.

Unknown to the grieving young man that began chasing after the bitch that just took his godfather away from him, inside an invisible time ship in front of the Veil, people were scrambling about.

Remus and Tonks caught Sirius as he fell unconsciously through the doors. They dragged him over onto a chair where Snape hit him with an Eneverate and Hermione lightly slapped him in the face to wake him quicker.

"Huh… what?" Sirius spluttered as he regained his sense and took in the form of his godson's best friend. "Hermione? What's going on?"

"We have a lot to catch you up on, Padfoot?" an old man spoke from nearby with a twinkle in his emerald green eyes.

.oOo.

Dumbledore was wandering through a thickly overgrown trail, casually casting detection charms as he carefully made his way along the path. When he reached his destination, he saw the shack he was expecting. What he was not expecting, was to see a man that looked remarkably like himself leaning against what looked to be a Hogwarts broom cupboard next to the shack. The man had an incredible looking staff in one hand, and the ring that Albus was searching for in the other.

"I was wondering when you would show up," the man said in a voice that was different enough from his own to realize it was not a polyjuiced imposter. "We've been camped here for almost a week waiting for you to show up."

"We?" Dumbledore asked, not lowering his wand. "I'm afraid you have me at a disadvantage."

"I know you won't yet, but it's perfectly safe to lower your wand, Professor," the old man said to him. "I've already removed the compulsions, curses, and poisons from the Horcrux."

Dumbledore flicked his wand and was surprised when the ring didn't jump to him, but instead the crystal at the head of the stranger's staff lit up.

"It's no use, sir. I'm maintaining a nullification field around myself for the moment tuned specifically to the Elder Wand," the man said, causing Dumbledore's eyes to widen.

With a chuckle of great mirth, the man continued. "Ah, that's what I was hoping for. I've wanted for a very long time to get one over on you, just once. I think that makes us even for all those years I had to put up with the Dursleys."

Dumbledore actually dropped his wand in shock before quickly summoning it back to his hand. "Harry?" he asked with no small amount of surprise in his voice. "How is this possible? Have you had an accident with an aging potion? I know that time turners can't go back for more than a few days."

"Time turners can't," Harry said with a chuckle. "But, in my 162 years of life, I've managed to make something that can."

"Step inside my humble abode," Harry continued, gesturing to the broom cupboard. "We have much to discuss and I'm sure Severus has a bone or two to pick with you."

.oOo.

"An impressive tale," Dumbledore said as he looked around at all the others that Harry had already saved. "And you say the ring would have killed me over the course of a year?"

Harry simply tossed the Horcrux to Albus who instinctively caught it and shivered. "Yes, I see. I can feel the evil within it. I don't believe a compulsion would have been able to get me to put it on, however."

"The Horcrux is actually the ring itself," Harry said. "If you take a close look at the stone itself, you'll see why the compulsion would have worked on you especially."

Dumbledore did as instructed, turning the ring over a few times in his hand, inspecting the stone in the setting of it. After a few moments, he gasped as he realized what the stone was.

"Now, you understand," Harry said with a slight smirk causing his beard to twitch.

"I don't get it," Sirius said from beside Harry. "What's so special about the stone?"

"That is between Harry and me for the time being," Albus said firmly.

"Professor," Harry started. "We need to try to keep the timeline as intact as possible. With that in mind, I have a couple tasks for you."

Dumbledore arched one of his bushy eyebrows at that and chuckled. "So, the student has become the teacher after all."

Harry chuckled as well. "I need you to continue with the lessons you planned for my younger self this year," he said as he pulled two lockets from his pocket. "Towards the end of the year, you got a lead on another Horcrux, this locket. But what the lead actually takes us to is this other locket, a fake with a note from Sirius' brother."

"Reg?" Sirius asked in surprise.

"That's right, Sirius," Harry told him. "Your brother was a Death Eater and Voldemort asked him for the use of his elf. He made the elf drink the poison in his hiding spot and deposited the locket into it before adding more poison. That elf was Kreature. When Regulus found out about it from Kreature, he was livid. He nursed Kreature back to health and worked with him to discover what the locket was. You brother eventually went back to the cave with Kreature and drank the poison himself, giving the Horcrux to Kreature and replacing it with a fake. Your brother died fighting against Voldemort."

"What do you need me to do, Harry?" Dumbledore asked as Sirius wept silently for his brother.

"The night before we would have left to find the fake, I need you to have the younger me call Kreature to your office. Have me instruct him to obey you as he would his own master and then send me away. Then you can explain to him that you and I are working to find a way to destroy the locket that Master Regulus left in his care. Tell him that it is very difficult to destroy so we need time to come up with a plan but in the meantime you want Kreature to keep it safe for you. Make sure to order him to speak of it to no one but you or I. Then, the next night, rather than going to the cave to get the fake, have me meet you on top of the Astronomy Tower and explain that you already got it because it was a fake, but show me the note inside it."

"That is the night that I ask Severus to kill me, yes?" Albus asked.

"It is," Harry said with slightly misted eyes. "And it will look like he does."

"Look like?" Snape asked with a slight glimmer of hope in his eyes.

"Yes, sir," Harry replied as he turned to face the potions master. "This time ship has a shield capable of blocking the killing curse. This version of me will have it parked along the side of the rampart, invisible, with the shield extended just less than an inch in front of Albus. When your killing curse strikes the shield, I will…" Harry paused a moment to chuckle. "I will summon Albus into the ship. We will then drop a transfigured dummy to the ground where he would have landed."

"This all sounds very well thought out, Harry," Mooney said from his spot next to the nodding Tonks.

"I've been thinking about this for over a century, Mooney. It damn well better be well thought out," Harry intoned seriously.

"I've got both the dummies ready to imprint," Hermione said from where she was leaning against the door frame of the kitchen.

"Both?" Tonks asked in confusion.

"Well… Shack is going to need some trusted help getting the Ministry into shape after the war," Harry said with a smirk. "We're going to go get him that help right now," he continued as he stood up with the aid of his staff.

"Shouldn't I leave first," Albus asked as he followed with the others to the console room.

"I'll bring you back here to drop you off when we're done, sir," Harry said as he began to adjust some of the controls on the main console. "We're going to need you to give credibility to my story."

"Just who are we saving this time?" Albus asked with an arched eyebrow.

Instead of answering, Harry just chuckled and threw the main lever to begin the dematerialization sequence.

.oOo.

Amelia Bones was reading in her den while Susan was spending the week with the Abbots. She had been working a lot more recently with the resurgence of Voldemort and the Death Eaters that Potter and his friends caught at the Ministry after hours. This was the first chance she had to relax even a little in several weeks.

So, she was understandably annoyed when her thoughts were disturbed by a strange wheezing and groaning sound coming from the living room of the manor. Picking up her wand as she set down her book, the Director of the DMLE carefully made her way down the hall to see what was happening in her living room.

Hearing the strange noise stop with a slight thump, she peeked around the corner… so see the living room empty. Stepping lightly into the room, she heard a faint creak sound, but not from the floor. It sounded like a door opening just a notch.

"I know you're there," Amelia called out to the room. "You have three seconds to reveal yourself before I become really pissed off."

"Wotcher, Boss," the disembodied voice of Tonks called out from the center of the room.

"Tonks?" she called back, not lowering her wand at all. "It's my night off, I ordered no protection detail for tonight."

"That is precisely why you are in danger," another voice called out.

"Headmaster?" she asked, now more confused than angry, but still not letting her guard down in the slightest.

"It's him, Boss," Tonks said. "If we reveal ourselves, will you join us for a brief discussion?"

"Do so slowly," Amelia said. "And show your empty hands as you do so." She watched as what must have been a set of invisible doors opened to show Dumbledore and Tonks, hands out and palms up, standing in the doorway.

"What's going on?" she asked as she slowly approached.

"I'm afraid that you are in terrible danger and we only have about fifteen minutes to explain the situation," Dumbledore said heavily.

"Giving me some proof of who you are?" Amelia demanded.

"Miss Tonks, if you will be so kind, please?" Albus asked.

Tonks smirked before screwing up her face and changing her appearance to match that of her boss right before her eyes before changing back.

"What the hell is going on here?" Bones demanded as she finally lowered her wand.

"As I said, Amelia, you are in terrible danger tonight. Voldemort is on his way here to kill you personally," Dumbledore said somberly as he stepped aside to let her in.

"How can you possibly know that?" she asked as she looked around the odd room they were suddenly in. Her wand was raised another instant later as she spotted another person in the room. "And who the hell is that?"

The crystal in Harry's staff glowed briefly as Amelia's wand suddenly flew out of her grasp into the hand of the old mand that looked so much like Dumbledore. "Calm yourself, Madam Bones," the man said. "I give you my word I will return your wand to you in a few minutes. I simply don't like having it pointed at me is all."

"Albus?" she asked as she turned to face him with a demanding look.

"It's simple really," he told her. "We know you are in danger because the attack was reported in the Prophet."

"Are you completely insane!?" Bones shrieked. "Do you have any idea how dangerous it is to try to change the past? How the hell did you even get a time turner in the first place?"

"HA!" Harry chortled. "She was a lot closer than any of you were!"

"And just who are you?" Amelia asked as she turned back to face the staff wielder.

"I like you, Madam Bones," he replied. "You were the only person in the Ministry that gave me a fair shake at my trail when I had to defend myself against a pair of Dementors."

"Mr. Potter?" she asked with an arched eyebrow. "That's not possible, you're only in your teens."

Harry raised an eyebrow of his own while tapping the central column gently with the tip of his staff. "Time Machine," he said simply.

"So, you survived the war?" Bones asked.

"No," Harry replied. "I ended the war. It was a terrible, bloody war. I can't change that, neither can you," he said with a heavy sigh. "Time can be rewritten to some degree, but I can't stop the entire war. However, by saving you, you can help Kingsley and Albus put the Ministry back right when it's all over. That will save a lot of suffering in the immediate post-war world. Hell, it will even potentially save a lot of wounded lives immediately following the final battle."

"How?" she asked, a bit curiously.

"Susan," he said with a slight grin. "She had a natural gift for healing. Eventually, she goes on to revolution the healing arts. But, immediately following the battle, she was in shock and unable to help Madam Pomfrey. If you were there to help her through it, she could help save many lives. Susan, her son, and her granddaughter are part of how I've managed to live to the ripe old age of 162."

"How do you intend to save me?" she asked.

"With this?" Hermione called out as she entered the console room from another doorway, holding one of the blank dummies with a pair of dragonhide gloves. "All you have to do is place your hand over the heart of this dummy, and it will transfigure into a replica of you with a residue of your own magical signature."

"You're faking my death?" Bones asked in surprise.

"It's the only way to save you and keep the timeline intact," Harry told her. "You will duel with Voldemort a little bit when he get's here, and then we will do a switching spell to bring you in here and replace you with the dummy instantly. But, you have to make it believable. You have to fight like you're really fighting for your life out there and not like you just gave up."

"Let's get this done," she said as she placed her hand on the dummy.

.oOo.

"Welcome back, Professor," Harry said with a twinkle in his eyes as he helped Albus to his feet from the floor of the time ship.

"I must admit," Albus started after he got his bearings. "Even after seeing you do that with Amelia, I wasn't sure what to expect."

"Well, I'm just glad it worked," Harry admitted.

"So, what's our next step, pup?" Sirius asked, finally able to show himself after his rescue and innocence was explained to Madam Bones.

"Our next step," Harry said with a sad smile, "is where we say goodbye."

"What!?" everyone shouted at the same time.

"We are going to pick up my younger counterpart so that I can complete his training," the old man said as he adjusted several of the controls and set the ship to silent and invisible.

Before anyone could say anything else, they began to see a young man materialize in the room with them.

.oOo.

Harry was running after Voldemort toward the Great Hall. He couldn't tell if the Dark Bastard was scared or simply taunting him. He suspected scared since Neville decapitated Nagini just moments before.

He could see the doors to the Great hall just ahead but was suddenly stopped in his tracks. Why couldn't he move? He had to get to Voldemort! Why won't his legs move dammit!

That's when he noticed his vision starting to fade. No! I will not pass out now! He thought to himself. Then he realized he wasn't passing out. Something specific was fading in and out of his vision. It looked like a set of doors and a room was appearing and disappearing before his eyes! After a few moments, the new room seemed to solidify around him with a dull thud, before a wheezing and groaning sound started filling the room. Turning around suddenly, he found himself face to face with a man that looked strikingly like his former Headmaster!

"Hello, Harry," the man said before pulling him into a tight hug. All of a sudden, his world erupted into a cloud of purple mist. New memories, knowledge, abilities, and powers began flooding his mind making his head spin.

.oOo.

Everyone stared in shock as the younger version of Harry was suddenly in the console room with them. They were so shocked that no one was able to stop the old man from spinning the younger version of himself around and pulling him in for a hug.

At that moment, the old man glowed with a bright purple light that disappeared as it absorbed into his younger counterpart. When the light faded, only young Harry was left. He blinked and then burst into purple flames himself.

The strangest part was, the flames didn't seem to harm him. He stood a little bit straighter, his hair grew a little bit wilder, and arcs of energy flowed all over him beneath the purple flames. This went on for nearly a minute before the flames vanished as quickly as they had appeared and Harry let out a gasp.

"Well, that was different," Harry said as he fought to keep his balance.

"Harry?" Albus asked cautiously.

"It's good to see you again, Professor," he replied with a watery smile. "The memories are still slotting into place in my mind, but I have a general idea of what happened already," he concluded as he ran past Dumbledore looking for the one person he really wanted to see right now. When he found her, he stopped dead in his tracks as his breath left him. She was there, alive, and even more beautiful than he could imagine.

"Harry?" she asked uncertainly.

"Mione… I…" he didn't have to say anything more as Hermione flew into his arms and held onto him for dear life. Everyone, even Sirius, Remus, and Severus, looked a little misty-eyed at what they knew to be such a long-awaited reunion for the young old man.

"I love you, Harry," she whispered into his ear as she held him tight. She understood that he would be afraid to voice his feelings, especially as he was still assimilating merging with his older self.

Harry, for his part, picked her up and spun her around in joy as he inhaled deeply, relishing the scent of vanilla in her hair. "I love you too, Hermione. I have for some time now." He pulled away ever so slightly and caressed her cheek with his hand, before pressing his lips to hers in a loving kiss that he poured all his emotions for her into.

When they finally came up for air a few moments later, it was to the realization that there were others in the room that were clapping and cheering for them, causing them both to blush just a little bit.

"Right," Harry said as he finally stepped away from Hermione and over to the console where he started making various adjustments. "I want to do a lot more of that, but before we can, there's a little matter of the Dark Bastard to take care of."

"Do you have a plan for that, Harry?" Albus asked with a twinkle in his eyes.

"I do, Professor, a plan that's been in the making for one and a half centuries. How would you all like to help me with a little bit of shock and awe?"

.oOo.

The Great Hall of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry was in absolute chaos as the Battle of Hogwarts carried on. Death Eaters were fighting against students and members of the Order of the Phoenix, Bellatrix was dueling against Molly Weasley, but the main attraction was back near the teacher's table.

Minerva McGonagall, Kingsley Shacklebolt, and Horace Slughorn were fighting together against Voldemort, and managing to hold him to a draw at that. It was a fierce battle with both sides giving as good as they got. Slughorn would throw up a shield, Kingsley would fire an offensive spell, and Minerva would transfigure yet another piece of rubble into an animated protector or attacker as needed. But still, it was a draw as Voldemort managed to counter, destroy, or dodge everything that came at him.

Slowly, a wheezing, groaning sound started to fill the great hall, causing duels to stop when combatants noticed the strange sound coming from the entrance to the hall. As the sound grew louder and louder, a wind picked up around the hall, gaining more attention. Soon, all the battles, save Molly and Bellatrix, came to a halt as they stared at the strangest sight of one of the broom closets dissolving into reality in the entrance of the Great Hall. When the shape became solid with a thud, even Voldemort was staring at the strange scene.

Wondering what the hell was happening now, people all over the hall gawked as the doors opened inwards and out stepped Harry Potter with a grey colored staff topped with a glowing purple crystal.

"So, Potter, still you live?" Voldemort spoke in a soft snarl.

"I'm not the only one, Tom," Harry said as Hermione stepped out and up to his left side, taking his hand in her own.

"That's not possible!" Voldemort hissed. "I watched Bella kill the mudblood!"

"She supposedly killed me, too," Sirius spoke as he stepped around the other side of Hermione.

"Black?" Voldemort asked in an almost conversational tone. "Bella sent you through the Veil two years ago."

"We can't always get what we want, can we?" Snape said from behind Sirius.

"What trickery is this!?" Voldemort shouted. "I killed you myself, Severus, not two hours ago!"

"You thought you killed me as well, you snake-faced bastard," Madam Bones said as the appeared on the other side of Harry.

"Bones," Voldemort hissed, causing a head of red hair to spin around in the hall in shock. "What an unexpected surprise."

"Was he always this ugly, Boss?" Tonks asked as she stepped up next to Amelia.

"I suspect he didn't become this deformed until he dabbled in trying to make himself immortal," Remus said as he slid in next to Tonks, taking her hand in his own.

"What is the meaning of this!?" Voldemort bellowed, finally causing Molly and Bellatrix to stop and stare as well.

"It means that you should not have come here tonight, Tom," spoke the powerful voice of Dumbledore as he walked up behind Harry, placing a hand supportively on his protégé's shoulder.

"It's over, Tom. Two people had a plan. One of them was smart, the other one was you." Harry said as he tapped his staff to the floor to emphasize his point.

"Do not call me by that filthy name," Voldemort snarled before changing his tone again. "How is this possible, Potter?" he asked in terrified curiosity. "You are not able to work with dark arts such as necromancy."

"You're right," Harry said casually. "Never could much stand the dark arts… tastes like that coffee sludge."

"You think to mock me, boy!" the Dark Lord roared.

"No," Harry said, still keeping his voice even. "I'm here to destroy you."

"Avada Kedavra!" Voldemort screamed as he launched the killing curse directly at the boy-who-lived.

Everyone stared in horror as Harry Potter simply stood there, not moving until the last second, when he lifted his staff and simply… batted the curse away, sending it straight at Bellatrix, who slumped to the floor, dead.

With a snarl, Voldemort sent wave after wave of the killing green magic at Harry and those with him, only for that blasted staff to catch it and fling it away to claim another Death Eater. Finally, Voldemort tried a disarming and killing combo, ripping the staff from Harry's hand as the green spell of the killing curse sailed true.

Everyone in the hall was in awe of Harry as he simply backhanded the killing curse into yet another Death Eater, before summoning his staff back to him in the blink of an eye.

"Why won't you just die?!" Voldemort screamed in rage.

"Because, Tom," Harry said, still in a casual tone. "Death is pissed off at you, and I'm here to make sure you pay."

"And just how do you intend to do that, Potter?"

"A piece at a time," he replied. "Let's see… there was the diary, the ring, the locket, the cup, the diadem, and the snake. That leaves just one piece left."

Voldemort's demonic red eyes went wide as he realized all of his Horcruxes had been destroyed already. In a moment of panic, he launched another killing curse at top speed not at Harry, but at the woman by his side hoping to break the boy.

Before the curse had even gotten halfway down the hall, however, the crystal in Harry's staff flared brightly, holding the curse in mid-air. Weaving his staff slightly, Harry made the green killing curse dance around the room almost hypnotically, before launching it back at Voldemort faster than anyone could see.

The most dangerous Dark Lord in several hundred years slumped to the floor, dead.

.oOo.