if no one will
Noooo-
“SLYTHERIN!”
harry frowned. damn it. way to raise suspicion, damn hat.
“Right.” The headmaster said, pulling the hat off of harry.
“Now that you’ve got your house, go to dumbledore. The stairs will lead you, and the ghosts are good guides. He will assess you. All you need is your wands. You do have wands, right?”
Harry and luna had their wands, quickly holding them up to the headmaster and nodding.
they linked arms once again, walking (and luna skipping) to the stairs, knowing their way already.
PRESENT.
Knock.
Knock.
Knock.
“Harry? Are you there…?”
..
No answer..
“Harry.. No one can find you.. Im sorry if i hurt you enough to not go to class for a week.. Please can we talk this out?”
…still , no answer
Hermione was growing more worried. No one else had noticed that harry potter had disappeared from hogwarts, not even showing up in the marauders map.
She had to remind ron of his existence quite a few times, aswell.
She was worried. Really worried. Had her emotions really hurt him this much? She was. Distraught, and had even gotten quite a few inquiries of why she had dropped her studies and showed up less to class.
She was spending more time looking for harry, as ron had given up after two days.
She had even gone far enough as to check the chamber of secrets, with rons help.
Hermione paced back and forth in the empty common room, the firelight flickering across her furrowed brow. She clutched the Marauder’s Map in one hand, her wand in the other.“I solemnly swear i am up to no good.” she scanned every inch of Hogwarts once again. But just like every other time she’d checked, Harry’s name was nowhere to be found.
“Think, Hermione,” she muttered to herself. “Where could he be? How could he vanish without anyone noticing?” Her thoughts were a jumbled mess, guilt gnawing at her every step. The last time she’d seen him, they’d argued.. no, fought. Over her overextended use of the Timeturner. She couldn’t even remember all the words they’d exchanged, but the look in Harry’s eyes, that mix of sadness and worry, haunted her.
What if something had happened to him? What if he’d tried to stop her.. Nono. She couldn’t think like that. The portrait hole creaked open, and Ron stepped in, looking irritated. “Hermione, you’re still at it?” he asked, dropping into a chair. “I told you, he’s probably just... I dunno, off sulking somewhere. He’ll turn up.”
“Sulking?” Hermione spun to face him, anger flaring. “Ron, he’s been missing for a week. He’s not ‘sulking.’ Something’s wrong.” Ron groaned, running a hand through his hair. “I get that you’re worried, but what else can we do? We’ve checked everywhere. He’s not on the map, he’s not in the castle. Maybe he’s given u-”
“Don’t say it,” Hermione snapped, her voice trembling. “Don’t you dare say he left Hogwarts. Harry wouldn’t do that. Not without telling us.”
Ron held up his hands defensively. “Alright, alright. But you’ve got to admit, this is weird, even for him.”
Hermione let out a frustrated sigh and sank into the seat opposite him. She stared down at the map, her fingers tracing the lines of the castle absentmindedly. “There has to be an answer,” she whispered. “Something we’ve missed.” For a moment, neither of them spoke. The crackling fire was the only sound, filling the heavy silence between them. Then, as if struck by a thought, Hermione sat up straight.
“The time turner,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper.
Ron frowned. “What about it?”
“What if... what if something happened when he grabbed it? I wasn’t paying attention…I didn’t even realize he had it until it was too late.” She stood, pacing again. “What if he... what if he ran away from this time?” Ron’s expression shifted from confusion to concern. “You think he’s... what? Stuck in the past or something?”
“I don’t know!” Hermione said, throwing her hands up. “But it’s the only thing that makes sense. If he’s not here and he didn’t leave Hogwarts, then maybe he’s... not in our time anymore.”
Ron stared at her, the weight of her words sinking in. “Alright,” he said after a moment. “Let’s say you’re right. How do we figure out where- .. when…?? he is? And how do we get him back?”
Hermione stopped pacing, her mind racing. “We need more information. I’ll have to check the library, look up cases of time travel. Maybe there’s a way to trace him.”
Ron groaned again, but there was less resistance in it this time. “Of course it’s the library,” he muttered. “Alright, let’s do it. But if this ends with us going back in time to chase him down, you owe me a Chocolate Frog.”
Despite herself, Hermione smiled faintly. “Deal. But first, we need to be sure.”
As they left the common room together, Hermione’s resolve hardened. She wouldn’t let Harry face whatever danger he was in alone. She had to find him.
PAST.
“Hello new students, im glad to see you’ve been put into your new houses. I am professor Albus Dumbledore.”
It was.. Mind boggling. Confusing. To see dumbledore.. Younger.
He looked close to the same, but much less … white. He still seemed to have his normal “jolly” mood, atleast.
“Lune and Harrison, if i may ask. What year do you think you are.. Capable of? How far has your private studies gone in spells and other things.” it was a simple good question, but it was hard to answer.. What if the years were taught differently in the old times? They must have different curriculums..
“I’m not quite sure we know, professor” lune said, softly
“We weren’t taught with years in mind, so we dont know the levels. If we could.. Show you?”
“Ah. understandable. yes , yes. How about we go outside then? Wouldn’t want to ruin this perfectly good office with an expelliarmus, now would we?”
The two nodded, smiling gently and following the professor outside.
The cool breeze of the Hogwarts grounds swept past as Harry and Luna followed Professor Dumbledore outside. The younger version of the wizard they had known carried himself with the same measured grace but lacked the weight of time and war in his gaze. His vibrant auburn beard swayed slightly as he walked, and his blue eyes twinkled with curiosity. “Here we are,” Dumbledore said, gesturing to a clear patch of lawn near the edge of the Forbidden Forest. “A bit of open air is always refreshing, don’t you think? Now, let’s see what you’ve learned.”
Harry exchanged a quick glance with Luna. She smiled serenely, her usual calm demeanor steadying him. They had to tread carefully.
if they revealed too much or too little, they risked exposing themselves. “I suggest we start with something simple,” Dumbledore continued. “Perhaps a disarming charm? It’s always a useful spell, after all.” He conjured two dueling dummies with a flick of his wand, the wooden figures standing stiffly at attention.
Harry raised his wand, his grip tightening. He aimed at the dummy before him and cast the spell. “Expelliarmus!”
The dummy’s wand flew into the air, spinning dramatically before landing several feet away. Harry sighed inwardly with relief; at least that hadn’t gone wrong.
“Excellent form,” Dumbledore remarked, stroking his beard. “Your incantation was clear, and your wand movement precise. Now, Miss Starling?” Luna’s wand was already raised, her posture as relaxed as ever. “Expelliarmus!” she said in her soft, dreamy tone. The dummy’s wand shot up like a cork from a bottle, soaring even farther than Harry’s had. She watched it float down with an amused smile.
“Well done,” Dumbledore said, clapping his hands lightly. “It seems you both have a firm grasp of the basics. Let us try something more advanced. How about... a Patronus charm?”
Harry’s heart skipped a beat. This was risky.. His Patronus was a stag, a symbol tied closely to his father and known by those who studied Voldemort’s rise. Would that draw suspicion? He hesitated, but Luna stepped forward without concern.
“I’ll go first,” she offered, winking at harry.
She closed her eyes, her expression serene, with a gentle smile. With a wave of her wand, she whispered, “Expecto Patronum.” A silvery Bunny leapt forth from her wand, bounding gracefully across the grass before circling back to her side. It lingered for a moment, glowing softly, before fading into mist.
“Ah, a hare,” Dumbledore mused, his tone warm. “A most fitting companion. A creature of speed, elegance, and mystery. Well done indeed.”
Harry took a deep breath and stepped forward. He focused on a happy memory.. Which one..? Seeing his parents in the mirror? Meeting Hermione and Ron? No.. all he could think about was last night. The comfort of being next to Luna, her breathing, her heartbeat still beating in his mind.. the sound of his parents’ voices from the Mirror of Erised was nothing compared to this new memory, bittersweet but powerful.
“Expecto Patronum!”
This, was not harry’s stag.
It was much more powerful than that.
A large thing, flying up to the sky, couldve engulfed half of the school. It was a phoenix, flying around him and shrinking to perch on his shoulder, flowing as it if were made of silk. Dumbledore’s eyes were wider, his curiosity and shock sharpening. “A pheonix. Fascinating. Quite rare, I must say. It seems your magic is both powerful and deeply connected to your spirit.”
Harry shifted nervously under Dumbledore’s gaze but managed a small smile. “Thank you, Professor.”
Dumbledore straightened, his demeanor thoughtful. “You are both clearly talented, id say you are in.. about fifth and sixth year. Maybe higher. But, for now, however I am satisfied that you are capable of keeping pace with our current students.”
He gestured back toward the castle. “I will arrange for your integration into classes. Miss Starling, you shall join Hufflepuff. Mr. Evans, you will, of course, be with Slytherin.”
Harry winced inwardly at the reminder of his placement but nodded. “Understood, sir.”
“Excellent. Welcome to Hogwarts,” Dumbledore said with a small smile. “I trust you will both make the most of your time here. And remember, if you ever need guidance, my door is always open.”
As they followed Dumbledore back toward the castle, Harry and Luna exchanged a look. They had passed the first test, but the real challenges were yet to come.
convincing the students not to dig into their lives too deep.