Epilogue
"Reality is merely an illusion, abeit a very persistent one." - Albert Einstein
Harry got up to meet the sparkling blue eyes of her guardian again.
Hogwarts December 18, 1977"I cannot stress how important it is that what we are about to talk whithin these wall is not to leave it." Dumbledore looked his very most menacing while striking ice into the eyes of the students before him. "Is that understood?"
"Yes, sir."
"Yes, headmaster."
"Yes, professor."
The chorus stopped and continued to fidget under the old man's scrunity.
"Good. Now as some of you may have quite visually figured, Professor Potter does have some unusual talents, per se. Let me inform you also that the man she was dealing with is Lord Voldemort." The students flinched from hearing the name. But the look of worry in their faces caused the Headmaster to continue, "Do be assured that the Dark Lord will not come back to haunt you. At least not during this time, and certainly not looking as he did."
Lily decided that it was time to make her voice known, "How did he overpower you?"
Dumbledore signed, "Because for the simple fact that he if from the future, which also comes to prove my last two statements."
Sirius decided to annoy Flawkes even more by asking more questions, "Then what about Harry?"
"Ms. Potter is also from the future. By banishing Voldemort from Hogwarts, she sent him back to the time line that he belonged to." The Headmaster started to stroke the regal bird, who was looking at Peter Pettigrew very intently, "And if my suspicions are correct, Professor Potter will also be back to the time she belonged in, since it was the Dark Lord who sent her here in the first place, and therefore she is bonded to whereever in time he left to."
"So why didn't You-Know-Who go to the future? He could have seen what will happen to him, right?" Remus laid back into his chair in thought.
"Yes he could." Dumbledore's twinkle returned, "But do you really want to know your future? What if you went two years into the future only to find your house chosen to have the Dark Mark cast on top of? What if you came into the future only to know that you have been killed by the most feared Dark Lord in a century? Your spouse and child ruthlessly murdered in cold blood." Dumbledore looked sharply at Lily and James, who never got the point of the stare, "For the case of Lord Voldemort, what if you looked into your future only to see your end, the very thing you wanted to detour you entire life? The future holds many hopes and fears."
"But can't that be impossible? The future isn't determined, is it?" Heista, one of Lily's good study partners drew her eyes to Lily's in question.
Lily just shrugged.
"Time is the most fancinating studies to be carried out by human beings. The future is very much determined, Ms. Jones. A certain timeline of events must and will occur in our world, nothing can change that." Dumbledore walked back behind his desk and sat in his large ornage, red cushined chair, "Time is a straight line that can loop back and return to the exact same place without leaving a trace of change." Dumbledore waved his hand and orange flames erupted in the side fireplace, "Very facinating, time. Let's take an example of Ms. Potter herself. She was only able to come back to this time, because her parents married, had children, and Harry met Lord Voldemort, which resulted her in coming here and uniting her parents, which led to her parents getting married, which resluted in..." An old smile grew on his old features, "I believe you understand."
Minerva came into the room, "Albus, the students need to their dinner, the time's almost over."
"Goodbye, Professor."
"Goodbye, Headmaster."
"Goodbye, sir."
Minerva closed the door as the students left, and turned on the Headmaster, "You know more than you are letting on, again."
"My own mistake, I'm sure." Dumbledore twinkled at the pun.
Minerva signed; to come into Albus's room, only to contemplate his sanity again.
James waited until all of the people had retired to their yearly rooms, so seek out Lily. He caught her, packing her bags up to retire also. He took a deep breath, and then walked up to her, "L-Lily, do you want to go out to Hogsmeade this weekend?" He winced, looking down.
Lily looked deeply at the boy before her. Give him a chance, Lily, you never know what's lurking around the corner. Catch the ball before it hits the ground, out of your grasp. Harry's words echoed in her mind. Lily smiled a small smile, "As friends?"
"If you want to."
"No, why don't we skip that part." Lily flashed a beam at James and walked up the stairs to the girls dormitories.
James was sill standing in shock, contemplating what Evans had just said. "SIRIUS!"
Lily laughed outright when she closed the door behind her.
Headquarters of the Order of the Light, December 18, 1996"We can only hope that Harry will not do something stupid." Gawian frowned.
"But I can acutely remember that Harry left this same day." Dumbledore shook his head in confusion.
"Maybe Riddle took a slight detour?" Lancelot squinted at the magical sensors, made especially for Harry.
Moody snorted, "The Lord Voldemort I know does not take detours."
"This is not the Lord Voldemort you knew." Hope shook her head, lying down on the couch.
"Find anything?" The Weasly twins flanked Hermione.
"No we have not, Ms. Granger. Harry Potter is now offically-what do the muggles call it?-Missing In Action." Remus stood up and stretched.
Hermione and the rest of the crowd behind her just nodded.
Where in between the worlds was Harry?
"What am I to do know?" Harry groaned and sat up.
Atomos was furious, "You should not let your emotions take control of you! What a wizard feels should be what they feel only, don't let your enemy cause you even more stress."
"But it drove him away." Harry pointed out.
"The emotional stress almost killed you form your exess use of magic. Unfortunately Excalibur only gives you knowledge, not maturity." He struck his forehead in annoyance.
"Why are you acting different?" Harry frowned.
"Because I realized that, because of you, I will have to enter the war." His eyes looked far away into the distance.
Harry's eyes widened, "But you are a spirit! What can you do to help us?"
Blue eyes came down to meet emerald, "Because I an not only your guardian, I am myself the first and only student of the Sorcer Merlin. I am King Arthur."
Harry took a step back, "B-But..." She shook her head, "This belongs to you, then." Harry unhooked Excaliburs hilt form her belt, "You are the heir of Excalibur, not me."
"Yes, unfortunate for me, but I am." Arthur unseathed and inspected the sword, "I am the maker of Excalibur. My destiny made it. You must forge your own."
Harry nodded in understanding, "So what now?"
"Now you must take a small detour, while I return to my home." King Arthur showed her his youthful form again.
Harry closed her eyes and let her body fall into the blue depths, all in instinct created by Arthur.