Hey! Ok, so there's this idea that popped into my head a while ago and wouldn't leave. Or rather, I noticed something after re-reading the whole series again. So here it is. Honestly, I don't know how long this story will be, or if I'm even going to continue it after this chapter. My muse is the world-class bi... yeah, you know what I mean.

So, here are a few explanations?

1. The story will be slightly AU with a mix of something else (don't want to spoil anything if I ever get to that part :P)

2. There will be slash in later chapters (LV/HP)

3. For the sake of avoiding any future confusion, there will be time-travel but not 50 years back or anything like it.

4. English is soo not my first language so forgive for any gramar mistakes (I know for a fact that there'll be a whole lot of 'em :P It's been a while since the last time I wrote something.)

5. If someone is interested in beta-ing this story let me know. I really could use one ;)

So, I guess that's it ;)

"abc" - talking

abc - thinking

Disclaimer: Do I even need to bother? :P

Destiny and fate, the universal forces that drove him. They are twin conduits, almost identical until, you see them beside each other and they join as an unstoppable power. They provide the universe with its momentum.

His name is Harry Potter, The Boy Who Lived

Destiny and fate, the rest of the world became a blur as he concentrated on the black wand in his hand.

His entire life had led him to this moment.

This was the reason he was born— his destiny—but the situation was not something he had chosen.

The events selected him—fate.

So then…

What had him so unsettled?

He just defeated the one called the most feared wizard in history by the whole population, saved countless of lives and gave meaning to deaths of those who perished along the way. Even mastered all of the Deathly Hallows.

And yet, Harry thought, looking at the most sought after wand, something just doesn't seem right.

"Harry, what's wrong?" Hermione asked, seeing the distress written all over her friend's face.

"Don't you find it strange?"

"Strange? What?" Ron supplied, feeling quite alarmed all of a sudden. Had they missed something? Was it possible that Voldemort had created yet another horcrux? He looked to his right at Hermione, who, upon sensing his trail of thoughts nodded. She had been thinking along the same lines. After all these years together, they'd learned not to underestimate their friend's intuition.

"Horcruxes are supposed to 'bind' the person's soul to earth, so that if the body is destroyed, the spirit remains," Harry said, or more like murmured to himself. Even though his friends could hear him.

"We've been through this before, Harry," Hermione said with a frown, "the soul cannot be… banished from this world unless it's whole. That's why we-"

"That's just it!" The green eyed teen cut in suddenly, before lowering his head, a frown gracing his features.

"Back in the forest, after Voldemort… killed me, I woke up in a strange place. It looked like a King's Cross station, only… purer. There were benches there and under one of them was…" he paused, recalling what he saw there.

"What did you see?" Hermione asked carefully, having learned over the years not to interrupt, when Harry was having one of his moments.

"There was Tom, or rather, what was left of his soul anyway. It was a deformed creature, cut and bloody all over, curled up in itself and-"

"Mate, don't tell me you feel sorry for it?" Ron cut him off, knowing that Harry was seconds away from rambling. He so did not need it right now.

"You haven't seen it Ron! I…" the teen paused and took a deep, calming breath, "If destroying the horcrux is supposed to put the piece of the person's soul back together why did it look like it? Why wasn't it manifested like a body before the first splitting? Back in the Chamber of Secrets the horcrux inside the diary looked like a Tom from his school days and not…" he paused again, an image of young and handsome boy with slightly curly hair flashing before his closed eyes.

"Harry… what are you trying to say?" Hermione whispered, having an idea where this conversation was going.

"I… I did it 'Mione. Each time we destroyed the horcrux we weren't freeing the soul within it."

"Oh, Harry, it's not-"

"I was supposed to have the power he didn't know. I was supposed to save the world from him. Sure, I did, but for what price!"

"Mate, what are you talking about?" Ron asked, quite confused at the sudden change in his friend's behavior.

"I killed him Ron! Each time we destroyed the objects, we destroyed his soul as well! I slaughtered him again and again! Saving the Wizarding World by becoming someone I was prophesized to protect it from!" Harry was practically hyperventilating by the end of his speech. His fists clench together tightly behind his head. Hermione took a careful step, kneeled in front of him and put a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"I couldn't save him, 'Mione. I…" his voice broke slightly, the sudden revelation cutting deeply and painfully.

"We can't change what has already happened, Harry…" the girl supplied quietly, giving her friend a reassuring squeeze.

There was a bit of silence, before the raven's magic pulsed suddenly in the air.

"Mate?"

"That's it… if we could… just like the last time…" His green eyes that were dulled just moments ago, were now back to their sparkling brilliant color, looking expectantly at Hermione.

"You don't think of…" the girl trailed of, her own eyes widening in realization, "Oh…"

"What? What's going on?" Ron asked, looking frantically from one to the other, expecting an answer.

Harry's face split in a wide grin, an idea already forming in his head.

"Are you nuts?" Ron screeched when Harry explained his plan, with Hermione supplying the bits and pieces of information about their little 'trip' back in the third year to save Sirius and Buckbeat.

"Ronald!" The girl countered, giving him a disapproving look.

"No, 'Mione, can't you see what he's trying to do? Save a bloody Dark Lord!" Then his head turned to Harry, "I knew you were bonkers, but this is even worse than I thought!"

Said teen frowned, not liking the insult.

"I will go back, Ron. Whatever you say will not stop me. Bonkers or not, I refuse to become a murderer." Harry answered and the red head took a step back at the sharp look with something dangerous glinting at the edges of those green eyes.

"Fine! But don't expect me to help you!" Ron spat and turned to walk and sit at the other side of the bridge.

"I'm sorry, Harry. He's just…"

"It's ok, 'Mione. If not for the fact that this is my idea, my reaction would probably be the same." The raven murmured with a small smile. Hermione couldn't help but return the gesture, before her face turned serious again.

"Are you sure you want to do it, though?"

There was a bit of a pause before he answered.

Was he sure?

No.

Was it worth it?

Merlin knows.

Did he want to do it?

Yes.

Because despite it all, despite what people would think when they find out, he really, truly wanted to do it. Not for Voldemort and probably not even for himself. After spending all those times inside Dumbledore's pensive, watching countless memories of a young abandoned child that grew up in a world where love and friendship was replaced by hate and deceit, he wanted to save the soul of one Tom Marvolo Riddle.

And it was exactly what he told Hermione.

She just looked at him, not saying a word. Yet her eyes, so warm, so full of understanding told him all he needed to know.

"Well then, wait here. I'll just go grab a few things and we can go," she said while standing up and dusting her knees off.

"What?" Harry asked, flabbergasted.

"You don't think I'll let you go alone, do you?"

"No… 'Mione, you can't! Merlin knows what could happen this time. I don't want to see any of you hurt or in danger anymore."

"How do you even plan to… get back in time?" Ron asked, suddenly finding himself next to his girlfriend. After thinking it through he admitted to himself that maybe his reaction was a little off.

But just a little.

Harry's face split into another grin.

"It's quite simple, actually. You see, I know for a fact, that there's this very smart witch we both know. And it just so happens that said witch has a time turner she accidently 'acquired' in the Department of Mysteries in our fifth year," the teen finished and couldn't help but laugh at Hermione's beet red face.

"How did you know?"

"The golden chain on your neck, obviously. I've seen it before, you know," Harry answered with a roll of his eyes.

The girl sighed, her shoulders slouching slightly. There was no way out of it, now that the cat's out of the bag. With a quiet murmur of 'Accio purse' she waited a few seconds before the all too familiar object flew straight into her awaiting hands.

Harry watched as she opened it and rummaged inside the bottomless space for a couple of minutes, pulling different sorts of things, starting from their tent and following with a toothbrush. Finally she smiled, grabbing the small wooden box and handing it to Harry.

He opened it without hesitation and sighed in content upon seeing the small hourglass framed inside the golden circle with an attached chain.

Quickly, he put it around his neck, before any of the other two present could say something. While he loved them to death, quite literally, he knew they wanted to go with him.

And he couldn't have that. Not this time.

With his mind set, he turned back to them.

Hermione smiled sadly. While she understood that Harry told her to stay because of Ron and their newly found relationship, she couldn't help but worry about him.

"Stay safe," she whispered while hugging him tightly.

"Yeah, you too," he whispered, returning the gesture. A little too tightly.

With a mumbled apology, he turned to his other friend, because no matter what Ron might say, Harry knew that the red head was just as worried about him as he was.

Possibly even more.

"Mate, I…" Ron started, but, after not being able to find the proper words, he just hugged the raven with a pat on the back. His special way of encouraging.

"Take care of 'Mione," he whispered in his ear quietly.

"You know I will," the red head answered with confidence.

They released each other and the pair took a step back to give Harry more space. He grabbed the time turner and started to slowly turn it.

"Don't get in any trouble!" Hermione added while her friend started to disappear.

"C'mon 'Mione, you know that is not possible," Harry answered and all three of them smiled before his vision blurred into a mass of colors.

Even if it was for the sake of the whole world, there was one thing he refused to become.

A murderer.

He will go back.

Go back and save Tom Riddle's soul.

So, um, what do you think? *shies away* It may look like your typical time travel story, but believe me when I say my mind is not normal. So don't expect this story to be normal either. I just hope it's at least a little orginal, that's all.

See you (hopefully) soon ;)