A/N: Hey guys and gals! I've previously posted this fanfic before, but I did a lot of editing and made some changes to it, so I am re-posting it and I have deleted the old one. I felt it would be easier to just do it this way rather than going back and editing each and every chapter on here.
Non Revertens
Theme Song: People Change - For King and Country
Chapter One: Living NightmareHold Me Now - Red
Fall asleep to dreams of home,
Where the waves are crashing.
The only place I've ever known,
Now the future has me.
I see the fire in the sky,
I see it all around me.
I said the past is dead,
The life I had is gone.
Said I won't give up until I see the sun…
"Shhhh, Harry. You're okay." Lily's gentle eyes looked into Harry's tearful ones. "You're safe, love." Not a minute after she told him he was safe, a voice shouted from downstairs.
"Lily! Take Harry and go!" Lily heard her husband's panicked voice. "It's him! Go! Run! I'll hold him off!"
There was a loud cackle, and then a flash of green. James could no longer be heard shouting. Harry began to cry louder. Lily was sobbing as she slammed the door to the nursery shut and shoved a chair up to it. She locked the door, though she knew it was no use. She held Harry in her arms. "It's okay. Momma's got you. I'll keep you safe."
There was a loud bang and Lily put her son in his crib. She took her wand out, prepared to fight. Another bang. Voldemort's patience was lost. There was a blast, and pieces of wood flew everywhere as the door was blasted away, along with the chair.
"Stand aside!" His high, cold voice sent Harry into hysterics. Lily wouldn't move for him, instead, she stood her ground, pleading for him to spare her only child.
"Please, not Harry! Take me instead!" she cried. Voldemort laughed again. Humourless.
"You silly girl, get out of my way!" he yelled over her pleading and Harry's screams.
"No! I won't let you take him." She spread her arms to keep him from Harry. Voldemort raised his wand and pointed it at her.
"AVADA KEDAVRA!" The green flash met its target, silencing Lily's screams. A cold, mirthless laugh, and then another green flash.
Harry woke up to somebody shaking him violently. "Harry! Wake up, will you?" Hermione lit her wand, casting a soft glow in the room. Ron was sitting up, awake. Harry sat up.
"You had another nightmare again, didn't you?" Hermione asked. Harry looked away, and Ron and Hermione could both assume that he did. "Harry, it's okay, we all have them."
"It was my parents. I witnessed their deaths," Harry muttered almost soundlessly as Ron pushed himself off of the bed. "Again."
"Shouldn't those nightmares have stopped?" He asked.
"Not necessarily, Ron. Think of all the trauma we've all dealt with." Hermione scolded him for his ignorance, but Ron just tilted his head and shrugged.
"I'm not brainless, Hermione. I know about all the trauma we've dealt with. I just thought those nightmares were linked with Voldemort. Anyways, I'm going to go get something to drink. Do either of you want anything?" He asked. Harry and Hermione shook their heads.
It was silent for a little while. Hermione sat beside Harry, and Harry stared off, looking at nothing in particular. His glasses were on the nightstand beside his bed, so he couldn't really see anything even if he tried. Hermione let out a deep breath and then spoke.
"I'm going to look for my parents. In Australia. I'm going to try and restore their memory," She said. Harry looked at her. He could only make out her outline, so he couldn't tell what expression her face held.
"Accio glasses." He held his wand out, and he caught his glasses with his free hand. He put them on, and looked at Hermione. Her face showed what most everyone else's showed these days. Grief. He sighed. "Ron and I will come with you."
"No. I need to do this alone. I'll be fine, I promise. Besides, I have something I need you to look after for me." She pulled something from the inside of her shirt. It was a time-turner.
"Hermione, I thought you gave that back!" Harry said, astonished. Hermione gave a small, sad smile.
"This isn't the same one. I found this on the grounds at Hogwarts after the battle. I've had it ever since. And it's a bit sensitive." Hermione unclasped the chain around her neck, holding the charm carefully. "I don't think it would be a good idea to take it with me to Australia."
"Alright, I'll look after it," Harry said, taking the time-turner and clasping it around his own neck. "Anything else?"
"Yes. Don't tell Ron about it. I don't want him to try anything. The past shouldn't be tampered with." Her voice became quieter, but more genuine as Harry tucked the time-turner into his shirt.
"You have my word, Hermione." Harry gave an understanding little smile.
"I'm back." Ron walked into the room and sat on his own bed, taking a large sip from a bottle of butterbeer.
"Well, it's nearly nine, so there's no point in going back to sleep," Hermione stated. She looked over at Ron, who was eyeing her curiously. "Ron, I'm going to Australia. To find my parents. I'm going to try to restore their memories."
"What? Then I'm going with you." Ron nearly choked on his butterbeer.
"No, Ron. I need to do this alone. I'll be fine. Honestly, you think I'd let myself get hurt?" Hermione smiled at both boys, and then left the room.
"Blimey, what's got into her?" Ron asked. Harry shrugged.
"She needs to figure things out for herself." Harry stood up and began to dress into day clothes. He took care to hide the time-turner from Ron, slipping it off when his back was turned, and tucking it into his pocket before he changed out of his shirt.
"Do you think it'll work? Do you think Hermione can restore her parents' memories?" Ron asked.
"I don't know, but I doubt it. Not because I don't think she's capable, but because that kind of thing is nearly impossible." Harry pointed his wand to his shirt and it zoomed toward him.
"You're going to Diagon Alley today, aren't you?" Ron asked. Harry pulled the shirt over his head, covering his previously bare chest. He didn't change his pants, and instead used the scouring charm to clean them and straighten them out.
"Yeah, I'm getting a new owl," Harry replied. "Is your mum up?"
"Yeah, she was about to make breakfast in the kitchen when I went down there. Should be ready soon by now."
Harry left the room, slipped the time-turner back on under his shirt, and made his way down the numerous steps toward the kitchen. There, he saw Mrs. Weasley making breakfast, and Hermione holding a very familiar baby in her arms. Harry raised his eyebrows at her, wondering when he got there.
"Teddy arrived this morning. Andromeda isn't feeling well, so Mrs. Weasley agreed to take care of him while she recuperates." Hermione explained, gently rocking the small child, whose wispy and short hair changed from his favourite turquoise blue color to golden brown curls that matched Hermione's.
Harry sat down beside Hermione, smiling down at the growing baby in her arms. He was a reminder of what was taken from them all, but he reminded Harry of himself. Orphaned. Only this time, he would be treated right.
"Breakfast!" Mrs. Weasley called. All at once you could hear footsteps thundering down the seemingly fragile staircase. It was amazing how well it had held up over so many years of so many kids parading up and down without a care in the world. Only now, did they take care. It wasn't filled with the happy banter that used to fill the silence. It was just normal, careful conversation.
Mrs. Weasley distributed plates and glasses and food and drinks, and everybody helped themselves. Hermione fed Teddy Lupin soft food, and Harry watched, smirking as Teddy spit it out on her. There was no real conversation, and this bothered somebody at the table.
"What happened to our family?" George's voice spoke out among the quiet clatter of plates and silverware.
"George?" Mrs. Weasley asked, her eyes wide with question and worry.
"I know that we've lost friends, and it hurts me, believe me it does. But I know that they wouldn't have wanted us to mope around dwelling on something that can't be reversed," George went on, earning everybody's eyes now. Even Teddy stayed quiet. "They would have wanted us to go on with our lives. To make jokes and to be proud of ourselves," he said. Fred smiled sadly.
"We won the war!" He said. His eyes threatened to spill over with tears, but he blinked them away and stared at his mother intently.
"You're right boys. We've stopped moving forward," She said with a weak smile playing across her weary face. "From now on, let's all try to look ahead."
Hermione glanced at Harry, who had looked over at her knowingly. She hadn't discussed her plan with anyone else yet, but now would be a good time. "Speaking of looking ahead," She said. "I've decided, that I'm going to look for my parents in Australia. I think it's what I need right now."
Everybody turned to stare at her now. Even Ginny was shocked, and they were very nearly best friends now. The red headed girl spoke up. "Is anybody going to be going with you?" She asked.
"No, I'm going alone," Hermione replied, just as she had told Ron and Harry before. And they all knew she needed this.
"Normally I'd say you were mad, but, after all that's happened, this is something you need. I know you can handle yourself now, Hermione."
"Thank you Mrs. Weasley. That means a lot to me," Hermione replied.
"When will you be going?" Arthur Weasley asked her with a mouthful of scrambled eggs.
"Tomorrow. I'll be going Tomorrow." Hermione looked down at her plate as she spoke, hushed, and they all knew then, in that moment, that she was afraid. She had momentarily forgotten about Teddy, and the small baby began to cry, his hair turning black, like Harry's unruly black hair.
Harry stood, having just finished his breakfast, and took little Teddy up into his arms. Harry wasn't a mushy person, nor did he know how to care for a small child, but he smiled down at the baby anyways, hiding his apprehension.
"Harry, is that Neville, over there?" Ron asked, as they walked among Diagon Alley, which wasn't as packed as it normally was. Most of the people in the wizarding world were still afraid. The Battle of Hogwarts had only happened a month ago, after all.
Harry looked in the direction that Ron had pointed, and saw Neville Longbottom escorting a blonde witch toward Gringotts.
"Yes, Ron, I think that is Neville," Harry replied, a smirk on his face as they watched Neville open the door, holding it for the witch.
"Blimey, I didn't think he'd ever get a girlfriend," Ron said. Harry didn't laugh. So many people didn't think that much of Neville, even after what he did in the war, because not many people knew how important what he did was. Harry gave Ron a look that immediately wiped the smile off of his face.
"Neville is a great person, and I'm glad somebody can finally see that in him," Harry said.
Without another word, they walked to the owl emporium, where Harry looked at the owls cooing in their cages. He had already told himself that he wouldn't buy another snowy owl. So, he settled upon the barred owls, also known as hoot owls. Ron was eyeing a tawny owl, perched inside it's cage, following his movement with it's head.
"Harry, I think I might get an owl too." Ron said, reading the sign in front of the owl. "Pig is okay and all, but he isn't reliable for larger parcels."
Not yet named, this female tawny owl is reliable,
and proud. She can deliver your mail under numerous conditions,
and she'll tolerate other pets.
"That doesn't seem like a bad one, Ron," Harry called. He looked over at the tawny owl that Ron was now taking to the witch at the counter. Harry continued his search for an owl, finding a male barred owl that was described as reliable and quiet compared to other hoot owls. He took that one, and brought it to the witch standing behind the counter. Ron had just finished paying the witch, and Harry paid the witch ten galleons for his owl.
"What are you naming yours, Harry?" Ron asked as they walked along the street toward the Leaky Cauldron.
"Not sure. I was originally going to get a female, so I could name it Cliodna, but this one's a male." Harry looked down at the owl and the owl gazed back.
"Mind if I take that idea from you then?" Ron walked into the Leaky Cauldron, Harry following behind.
"Sure, go ahead." They made their way to the bar, setting the cages on top. They both ordered a firewhiskey and sat down.
"I wonder when things will go back to normal?" Ron asked. Harry and Ron had made an agreement weeks earlier that they wouldn't let the tragedies during the war stop them from having normal conversations and living life.
"I dunno. Everyone else is living in fear, so I guess whenever they decide that it's safe again. You never really can tell, anymore though. Everyone thought it was safe over sixteen years ago, didn't they? So now, only a few people are absolutely sure that it's over." Harry took a sip from the firewhiskey that had just been placed in front of him.
"Are you going to go back to Hogwarts for your seventh year?" Ron asked, taking a sip from his firewhiskey as well.
"Yeah. I have to, right? I mean, if I want to be an auror, and all. I know Kingsley said that we could start training now, but I don't want to seem too privileged." Harry looked around. The pub was nearly deserted, and the bartender, Tom, was sitting on a stool behind the counter nearby.
"Yeah, I'm going to go back too. I wonder, who else is returning?" Ron looked at his owl, now dubbed Cliodna. "Don't suppose you could get me some bacon, Tom?" He called to the bartender.
"Yeh, I can do that." Tom got up and summoned bacon from the back, magically cooking it. He then placed it on top of a plate and set it in front of Ron. Ron thanked him and broke a piece of bacon into smaller pieces, tossing some of it into Cliodna's cage and eating the rest himself.
"I don't know who else will return, honestly. But I hope it's the same as it was before Voldemort returned." Harry took another sip, the golden liquid burning his throat as it went down.
"Did you hear about the trials they're having?" Ron asked.
"For the Hogwarts Students that have been accused?" Harry replied.
"Yeah, apparently quite a few of them have a chance of getting off with a warning," Ron said.
"I was asked to testify at the trials. Didn't want to tell you or Hermione, or anyone for that matter, but now I'm beginning to realize I shouldn't keep secrets."
"Really? They haven't asked me, but I overheard Hermione and Ginny. I think they asked Hermione to testify too," Ron said. "What are you going to say?"
"The truth. If I'm testifying for someone who I believe might actually be guilty, I'll tell them the truth. Same goes for those that I don't believe to be guilty," Harry replied.
They sat there for a while, drinking firewhiskey and talking. They were beginning to head toward the Leaky's fireplace, planning on using the floo network since they were slightly buzzed, and couldn't apparate. As they walked, their cages in their hands, there was a loud crash, and the sound of many feet scuffling around. Soon, Harry and Ron were surrounded.