The Time Turner.
As they walked with the crowds towards the castle, Harry could feel a pair of eyes on him. He turned and saw Malfoy looking at him with an unreadable expression. Turning back around to face the front, Hermione and Ron started bickering about whatever.
Once reaching the steps, she prodded him to make him walk faster, desperate to get out of the cold and up to the castle. It looked just as beautiful as Harry remembered it. As homely as it always was.
Through the giant oak doors, the crowd walked, the halls lit with flaming torches. The door into the Great Hall stood open as always, and as the three followed the crowd, a voice called, "Mr Potter! Miss Granger! I would like to see you both!"
They both, with the addition of Ron, stopped walking, turning to see McGonagall calling them from over the crowd. Merlin, they'd only been back 2minutes, what could he have done now? As if reading his mind, she said, "There's no need to look so worried, I just want a word."
The trio were ushered away from the crowd, Ron only barely managing to come along after McGonagall threatened him a detention if he didn't leave and he continued to stay. She didn't bother giving him the detention, however. They accompanied her across the entrance hall, up the staircase and along numerous corridors until they finally got to the office.
Once inside, McGonagall motioned for them to sit down, she, herself, settling behind her desk.
"Professor Lupin sent an owl, stated you seemed unwell on the train, Mr Potter."
Harry blinked before shaking his head, "The dementors just affected me more. I've already had chocolate, and I'm fine now."
"Are you sure you feel all right, Potter?" Professor McGonagall asked sharply.
"Yes, Professor."
"Very well. Kindly wait outside with Mr Weasley while I have a quick word with Miss Granger about her course schedule, then we can go down to the feast."
Harry and Ron sat up straighter at the mention of the course schedule, "Actually Professor, we wanted to talk to you about that as well."
McGonagall arched a brow, her stern look not faltering, "What do you mean?"
Ron spoke up for the first time since they came to the office, "Well Professor, we, me and Harry, were wondering if we could do more subjects as well as Hermione. I mean, we both have passing grades in everything but History of Magic."
McGonagall's eye twitched, "More subjects?"
Harry spoke this time, "Not all of them, like Hermione-"
"I will not be taking Muggle Studies, actually, Professor," Hermione cut in.
"-But we wanted to do a few more. Well, I want the same workload as Hermione, but Ron wants to take Arithmancy, Divination and COMC. We already have the books, so you can't exactly deny us for that reason."
McGonagall narrowed her eyes at the boys, "Have you read up on the course? Are you prepared for the workload?"
Both of them nodded. "I think it'll be good for us, Professor."
Harry nodded at Ron's words, "Yeah, it could also play in part as a good distraction about the whole Sirius Black thing."
McGonagall tensed slightly, and after a few long moments, took out a bit of parchment and a quill, writing on it. The three sat awkwardly as she wrote, before she took out her wand, tapped the paper and it disappeared. She said, "I wrote to Dumbledore explaining the situation, he will write back on his answer."
The three swallowed and nodded, tensing. He will either see this as a way to keep us oblivious and distracted, or a way of us gaining knowledge. A glance at Hermione and Ron confirmed they were thinking the exact same things.
After 2 minutes and 15 seconds, Harry counted, a piece of parchment appeared and fluttered down to the desk. McGonagall picked it up, reading it thoroughly. She sighed as she placed it back down, "You may take the subjects, you three."
The trio grinned.
McGonagall continued talking, "Very well then. Due to the timetable this year and lessons overlapping, you will have to use this," she took out a strange looking hourglass charm on a ridiculously long chain, placing it on the desk in front of them, "to get to your lessons. This is a time turner, it allows the user to travel back in time up to 5 hours," she explained.
Ron, Hermione and Harry all looked stunned. TIME TRAVEL? They're handing a magical object which can let people go back in time to teenagers?!
"There are strict rules when it comes to time travel. You cannot let your past, or well current self see your current, or technically future self. You cannot disrupt things that have already happened that you have witnessed or heard confirmation of. Example being you cannot walk in and stop someone from doing something if everyone knows they've already done it.
"It is dangerous to meddle with time, so I trust you to be sensible with this. To use it, all that wishes to go back must be within the chain, and you must spin the hourglass the amount of hours you want to go back. 1 spin is one hour. Do you understand?"
They all nodded.
"Very well then. I will escort you down to the start of year feast," McGonagall stated as she stood, around the desk and past them to the door.
The trio stood, Hermione taking the time turner and carefully placing it in her pocket, murmuring to the other 2, "We will discuss who keeps this on them most when we get the timetables tomorrow, agreed?"
They nodded, and the three followed behind McGonagall to the Great Hall.
They walked in whilst the sorting ended, causing Hermione to frown as they sat at the Gryffindor table. McGonagall strode towards her empty seat at the staff table, and the trio ignored the looks they received and the whispers.
"How much would you bet the twins that there's some crazy rumour about you tomorrow morning?" Ron asked with a smile.
"100 galleons," Harry stated, half joking, causing Ron to snicker.
Hermione looked like she was gonna add to the joke before Dumbledore stood and began his welcome speech. The three turned their heads and all three tried their best to hide their growing hatreds towards the man.
"Welcome! Welcome to another year, or your first year, at Hogwarts! I have a few things to say. I think it'll be best to get the serious things out of the way before you become befuddled by our excellent feast," Dumbledore cleared his throat, eyes twinkling, and continued, "As you are all well aware after the search of the Hogwarts Express, Hogwarts is presently playing host to some of the dementors of Azkaban on Ministry of Magic business."
Harry's mind flashed to Sirius Black when Dumbledore paused. A quick glance at the teachers showed they were not at all happy with this new security.
"They have been stationed at every entrance to the grounds, and while they stay with us, I must make it plain that nobody is to leave school without permission. Dementors are not to be fooled by tricks or disguises, not even Invisibility Cloaks," he added, as an after thought, with a chuckle. Harry and Ron glanced at each other as the old man continued, "It is not in the Dementors nature to understand pleads or excuses, I therefore warn each and every one of you to never give them a reason to harm you. I shall look to the prefects, and our new Head Boy and Girl, to make sure no student runs into one."
Harry could see Percy, who was seated a few seats down, look around the hall as he puffed up his chest.
"On a happier note, I am pleased to welcome two new teachers to our ranks this year. First, Professor Lupin, who has kindly accepted to fill the post of Defense Against the Dark Arts," There was a rather unenthusiastic applause.
"Snape looks rather..." Hermione trailed off and the boys turned their heads to look at him.
Snape was staring along the staff table at Lupin. It was pretty common knowledge Snape was after the job, but even Harry was startled at the expression twisting the mans face, and he hated the man. It was full of loathing. Harry knew the expression well, it was the one Snape had in his eyes when looking at him.
"I reckon they know each other," Harry stated.
"And our second new appointment, I am sorry to tell you Professor Kettleburn, the Care of Magical Creatures teacher has retired," Dumbledore started again as the applause died, "However, I am delighted to announce that the place has been filled by none other than Rubeus Hagrid."
The applause was a lot louder this time around than the one for Lupin, most noise coming from the Gryffindor table. Harry laughed as Ron said, "We should've known! Who else would assign a biting book?"
The three were the last to stop clapping, and Dumbles started speaking yet again.
"Well, I believe that's everything of importance. Let the feast begin!"
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The trio followed the Gryffindor crowd to the Gryffindor tower, in which Percy informed them of the password, Fortuna Major, and they all walked in.
Through the portrait hole was the familiar common room. No-one stayed, everyone making beelines to the spiral staircases which separated the girls and boys dorms. The three were no different. Ron and Harry said goodnight to Hermione, in which she slipped Harry the Time Turner, and they split off to the dorms. The 2 boys climbed the spiral staircase, laughing about how furious Snape looked. Reaching their familiar circular dormitory, Harry felt like he was home at last.
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The next morning, Harry, Ron and Hermione woke up earlier than most students and walked down to the Great Hall for breakfast, discussing what they had been told about the Time Turners.
Due to the early time, there was only 10 other students, give or take, seated eating breakfast, the Heads of houses handing out time tables to them. Over half of the students were Ravenclaws.
The trio sat in the centre of the Gryffindor table, helping themselves to breakfast. They were mid discussion when McGonagall came over with their timetables, "Here you go you three, and remember," her voice lowered, "be careful." With that, she walked back to the staff table.
"That's not terrifying," Ron remarked, picking up the time table with his name on. Harry and Hermione did the same.
========================
Ron Weasley Timetable:
Mon: Tues: Wed: Thur: Frid:
1 | Div/Arith | Herbology | | Potions | History Of Magic
2 | Transfig... | DADA | Herbology | Potions |
3 | COMC | | Transfig... | | COMC
4 | Charms | History o... | Div/Arith | DADA | Charms
AH | | Astronomy | | | Astronomy
Harry Potter Timetable: / Hermione Ganger Timetable:
Mon: Tues: Wed: Thur: Frid:
1 | Div/Arith | Herbology | | Potions | History Of Magic
2 | Transfig... | DADA | Herbology | Potions |
3 | COMC/AR | | Transfig... | | COMC/AR
4 | Charms | History o... | Div/Arith | DADA | Charms
AH | | Astronomy | | | Astronomy
====================================
"Ooh, we get to start the new subjects today!" Hermione said happily, "All 4 of them!"
Harry eyed his timetable curiously as he ate his toast. They would have to use the time turner today then.
"History of Magic first thing Friday, last on a Tuesday! It's as if they want us to fall asleep in class," Ron laughed.
Hermione glared at him lightly, "But you wont be, we have things to research, homework, and, at the end of the year, exams to study for."
Ron turned to Harry, whispering loudly, "I thought removing the Obsessive impulse was suppose to remove all of this."
Harry snickered right as Hermione picked up one of her buttered pieces of toast and threw it right at Ron's face. This did the opposite affect Hermione wanted, however, as Ron caught the slice before it fell onto the table, and took a bite out of it, "Thanks Hermione."
"Pig," Hermione retorted as Harry grinned.
As the bickering and joking continued, more and more students piled into the Great Hall for breakfast. The heads of houses noticed this and placed piles of timetables scattered over the tables.
Eventually, the twins came and sat next to Harry,"Mornin'" the said in unison.
"You alright after the dementor Harrykins?" George started.
"Uhm, yeah- why?"
"Well we heard you were-"
"Pulled aside by McGonagall-"
"And you know with the rumour mill-"
"Who knows what could of happened, right?"
"So we are here, as your favourite big brothers, of course-"
"To make sure you're alright."
Harry blinked a few times, his eyes darting between each twin as they spoke, a strange, yet not unwanted, feeling settling inside of him. He forgot what it felt like having people around you who cared after spending time at the Dursleys. He swallowed thickly and nodded, "Yeah, no I'm fine. Zoned out a bit but I'm fine now."
Ron groaned, "Will you two stop with that twin talk?"
Fred, who stood up at some point while Harry was speaking and sat on the other side of Ron, ruffled his hair as George ruffled Harrys.
"Never."