Chapter 2
Draco’s head spun as he and Potter were swirled away from Hogwarts into—well, wherever he was bringing the two of them.
…and where were they?
“Merlin Potter, what is this place?”
It did not calm Draco’s nerves when Harry looked just as confused as he, glancing around sheepishly.
“Oops.”
“Oops?”
Potter looked down at the still-vibrating time turner resting in the palm of his hand. “I knew I must have spun it too far. No matter, this will be educational anyways.”
Draco raised an eyebrow. “Where—when—“
Potter cut him off by grasping his wrist and forcing him to crouch. “Look.”
When the blond squinted, he could make out figures in the distance. It couldn’t be a group of more than thirty people, trenching along rocky and muddy paths into a forest. As they disappeared into the greenery, he felt a strange vibration against his shoulder.
Potter was…shivering.
Draco had a stupid idea to lean closer. Fortunately, Potter saved him with a glance up and a lopsided grin.
“It must be turning winter. Those people are nomadic, or seasonally mobile. I know exactly when we are. This is the Paleolithic Era.”
Draco’s face was blank.
“Old Stone Age?” The blond nodded. “Yeah, same thing, Malfoy. Anyways, that means we could be as far back as 300 thousand years ago.”
“That’s a lot of years.”
Potter ignored him. “But I don’t think we should skip forward just yet. Understanding these people can lead us to figure out why people who live closer to our time, like 1200 A.D. and such, act the way they do.”
The Slytherin sighed. “Ok, Potter, but let’s make it quick.”
“Sure. Whatever. Come with me.”
Draco let the boy drag him along, astounded by his directional instincts. Potter led him to a nearby grassland and pulled them down into the bushes once again.
“See them?” He pointed. “Leading the animals. They’re pastoral societies, who are also getting ready to move for the season. Both of these groups we saw are egalitarian.”
“Nondiscriminatory?”
“Yes. Most early societies were, until the chiefdoms. They were elitist, yet still better than most governments today. The people in power relied on their generosity and not their violence to keep their public approval.” Potter moved his hand away from Draco’s knee, blushing and turning away. Draco hadn’t even realized it was there; but now that it was gone, he found himself longing for the warmth.
“Were civilizations like that too?”
“Some early ones. But as they grew, power lay in the strength of military-like forces. Civilizations were not only characterized by their prejudices, though, but their highly productive agricultural economy as well. These big population groups generated states, which were government structures focused around certain territories.”
Draco nudged Potter’s leg with his own. He was cold, okay? “And where were the earliest civilizations?”
“Egypt, Mesopotamia—which is now Iraq—and Peru. Okay, this is freezing. Let’s get out of here, huh?”
Draco rolled his eyes and reluctantly stood up. “Lead the way.”
They joined hands and spun the time turner once more, both holding their breath for no apparent reason. Suddenly the world fell on an axis and they were sucked into whenever they were headed to next.
Draco became overwhelmed with the sudden rush of heat and fell backwards, only to be caught like a bloody damsel by Potter’s arms.
“Woah there, Malfoy, at least take your test first. We can’t have you dying on me yet.” Now it was the Slytherin’s turn to blush. He turned away quickly with a sneer and brushed his trousers off. His head was turned up once more at the smell of spices and the sound of hooves on a sandy road.
Potter stood there for a moment, probably debating whether to hide or not, before seemingly deciding against it and tugged Malfoy along the road. “1200s. I believe we are currently under the power of the Seljuk Empire. This means the ethnically Arab group with previous political power, Abbasid Caliphate—considered the golden age because of the House of Wisdom in Baghdad—is on a decline as the Turks gain more power in Dar-al-Islam.”
“What is Dal-Islam?”
“Dar-al-Islam. The House of Islam. We are now in the Islamic Heartland of Anatolia, or modern Turkey.”
Potter was interrupted by a large, bearded man walking over to them, yelling something indeciphable. “And that’s our cue to leave.” He grabbed Draco’s arm, but instead of spinning the time-turner again, Draco was surprised by the sudden crack of apparation. When he caught his breath, he tilted his head at the boy next to him.
“Egypt.” Draco raised an eyebrow. “I assumed we would find more space here to rest. Here we are, under the rule of the Mamluk Sultanate. Do you happen to recall the story of the rise of this empire?”
“Oh, I remember that. Saladin enslaved the Mamluks under his power, but when he died the latter took control.” Draco scoffed. “What a jerk. He really got his karma, didn’t he?”
Potter grinned and Draco’s heart skipped a beat. “Exactly. You know, you retain more than you let on.” He frowned for a moment, thinking. “Hey, let’s set a timeline to make this easier. To see it visually, y’know?”
He took his wand out of his pocket and muttered a spell unrecognizable to Draco. Amazingly, the wand started to draw words in the windy air. “750 AD. The Abbasid Caliphate rose to power. They were an arab dynasty. Are you with me?”
Draco nodded.
“Good. 1000 AD. The Turks arrived.”
“Were they Islamic already?”
“No, they converted as they assimilated into the community. Then in the next century, the Seljuk Turkic Empire arose and began the practice of a Sultan rather than their previous Kaghan.”
“The Abbasid Caliphate’s previous ruler?”
“Good question—no. The Turks had a previous practice of a Kaghan, and they began worshipping a “Sultan” in their new empire. This was also new to the Abbasid Caliphate.”
“Okay, that makes sense.” He waved his hand, smirking. ”Carry on, Potter.”
“The 13th century. Mongols invaded.” Frustrated, he had to draw “Mongols” repeatedly in the air before it was legible, and Draco hid a snort behind the back of his hand. “Anyways. The Mongols ruled Persia, which is a story for a different time, but the main take away from this is that they ended the already-declining Abbasid Caliphate in their time.”
Draco leaned back on his palms. They were both seated in a vacant land of dirt and grass, with the occasional blow of wind hitting their faces. As far as places go, it was pretty peaceful.
“And after that, from 1300-1900, the Ottoman Empire arose and brought political unity to Dar-al-Islam.” He brushed back his bangs with his elbow, taking in the greenery before looking back to Malfoy. “Hey, I have a test for you. What was the split in the beliefs in Islam?”
Draco bit his lip in thought. “Okay, I know it was Shi’a verses Sunni. I think it was a fight over who should be the successor to prophet Muhammad? The caliph?”
“Yes, Malfoy. Shi’a was the group that believed that the caliph should be the bloodline of Muhammad. Sunni believed in a more qualified candidate, chosen through public support. It’s very important to remember that they fought over this in many different places, which I actually think we should visit next. Specifically, the Safavid Empire against the adjacent Ottoman and Mughal Empires.”
“Sounds thrilling, Potter, but give me a moment to rest before we hop into another time or whatever, okay?” Potter nodded. They hesitated before leaning back upon the ground together, resting in the grass under the shade of an Ashoka tree.
The brunet turned his head, almost knocking his glasses off in the process. “This is nice.”
“Whatever, Potter.”