Back to the Past
Harry and George stood in Gringotts, surrounded by the goblins who had helped him and the remaining members of their family.
This was it.
They were going back in time.
They were going to try and change the world.
They were going to try and save people.
They were both beyond nervous.
Harry looked at George, still somewhat shocked to see him looking exactly like Harry did now. Harry, and now George, were a perfect mix between Barty and Regulus. Regulus’ eyes and hair, Barty’s facial structure, but Regulus’ nose. Somehow they were both rather short, though, at 5’7, thanks to Harry’s malnutrition. It was weird for both George and Harry to watch George shrink that much during the blood adoption.
But they were getting used to it, slowly.
“You are going back to the summer of nineteen seventy-five, correct?” Ragnok asked.
“Yes,” Harry said nervously.
He really hoped that was far back enough to be able to help make a difference. He also hoped that he would be able to save Severus from, well, everything.
Merlin, he was terrified. His body was trembling.
Was this really the right decision?
He hoped so.
Ragnok picked up the time turner and cast some spells Harry didn’t know on it, before giving it to Harry, “Once you are both wearing it around your necks it will start turning. When it is done, you will disappear from this time and we will fade. Good luck,”
“We believe in you,” the room chorused.
Harry sighed shakily and placed the time turner around his and George’s necks. George grabbed his hand as it started to turn, it was so fast that Harry didn’t know how many turns it was doing, it was too blurry to see it properly, and Harry clung to it just as tightly.
It took about a minute for the turner to stop.
And then everything started to fade into a haze of gold. He saw his family smiling sadly at him as they faded away, and the pride and faith in their eyes.
Then they were gone in a blur of gold light. And soon they were materialising in an alley just off Diagon and the gold light disappeared.
The two of them stood staring at each other for a few moments, taking shaky breaths as they tried to swallow the tears they felt in their eyes.
“Fuck,” George whispered, and Harry couldn’t help but laugh.
Harry took the time turner off and shoved it into the pocket of his jacket. The two of them took a moment to look at their surroundings, thankfully there was no one around, though it did seem to be the very early hours of the morning as the sun wasn’t quite up yet.
“What do we do now?” George asked, almost panicked.
“Well, we need to go to Gringotts to find out the coordinates of our home, get out some money, and make sure our identities are in order. We then need to write to the Headmaster and see about becoming students. When he says yes, because we are Peverell's, of course he is going to say yes with how desperate he is to become the Master of Death, we will need to go school shopping. Then it is just preparing for the school year, I guess. It depends what date it is I suppose, on how long we have to prepare,”
“Right, okay,” George breathed.
Then they were off towards Gringotts.
They were shocked, when they entered the bank, at the sight of Ragnok and Bagrod, although younger looking, waiting for them with wide grins on their faces.
“How did you know we were coming?” Harry asked, almost gaping at them.
“Magic,” Ragnok said, “Follow us,”
Harry and George nodded and followed the two goblins towards Ragnok’s office.
“So, let’s get down to business,” Ragnok said once they were all seated around the desk, “Today is the fifteenth of August nineteen seventy-five, which gives you a couple of weeks until the start of term. Once the old man has accepted you as students you will be going into your fifth year. Your names are Hadrian Ignotus Peverell, and George Frederick Peverell. You are twins born on the first of April nineteen-sixty to Ignotus Regulus Peverell, and Leo Severin Peverell, nee Black. Here are the coordinates and floo address to your home,” Ragnok passes them a small piece of parchment each, and they accept them thankfully, “And here is some money so you are able to get what you need,” he places a bag filled with coins on the desk and they thank him again, “Now, is there anything else you wanted to cover today?”
“Erm, no, I think that covers it, thank you,” Harry said in shock, not being able to really think about anything else they might need.
“Great. If you need anything feel free to write to us, or come in,” Ragnok said.
Harry and George nodded and left the office, highly confused, but thankful that it was quick so they could do what they needed to do and get home to… well, to attempt to sort themselves out.
They soon found themselves in Eeylop’s Owl Emporium looking at the owls, knowing they would need one to send letters and such. But Harry stopped when he came across a certain snowy owl who looked so much like Hedwig, just, younger.
“Harry, you okay?” George said as he came up to him and saw the tears in Harry’s eyes. He gasped when he saw the owl Harry was focussed on, then held Harry’s hand, rubbing his thumb over Harry’s fingers comfortingly.
“Would you like to get her?” George said gently.
Harry nodded, trying to discreetly wipe his eyes with the back of his hands as George picked up the cage with the young snowy owl in and took her up to the counter.
“Can we also get a large bag of owl treats, and one of those gold stands please?” George asked the man behind the counter.
“Of course, young sir,” the man said and wrapped up the treats and stand for them before ringing it through the till.
“That will be fifteen galleons, please,” the man said and George pulled out the required money from the bag, handed it over and picked up the cage and wrapped box of goods before leading a silent Harry out of the shop.
They went to the nearest apparition point and memorised their co-ordinates before apparating away to the edge of the wards at their home. It was as stunning as it looked when he and George visited it in the future. He definitely saw himself living here for a very long time. It was everything he could imagine him having a family in if he got that far.
They went to the living room and George placed the owl on one of the coffee tables next to the larger of the sofas. Harry went over to it, kneeling on the floor in front of the cage, and opened the door.
The owl burst out and into his chest, Harry wrapped his arms around her and couldn’t stop the tears and the laughs that erupted from him as he held her close.
“Hedwig,” he whispered, and smiled in awe as the owl looked up at him with large yellow eyes, snuggling into his chest.
“Do you think it’s really her?” George asked gently as he kneeled next to them, smiling slightly.
“Yes,” Harry breathed, “She feels the same,”
She really did. His magic could feel hers and she felt like his Hedwig. She was the same owl, just younger. He didn’t know how she was here, when they had gone back more than twenty years, but he didn’t care. He was so very grateful to have her back in his life. Those months without her were some of the hardest months, and he didn’t want to lose her again.
“Fuck,” Harry breathed, although he laughed when Hedwig hit him lightly with her wing and scowled at him, “We really did it. We’ve gone back in time,”
“Yep,” George said, smiling at the two. “Do you want me to write the letter to the Headmaster?”
“Just go grab some of the parchment and such from the office and bring it in so we can write it together. What classes are we taking?” Harry said.
“Well, Potions, Transfiguration, Charms, Herbology, Astronomy, History of Magic, DADA, Care of Magical Creatures, Ancient Runes, and Arithmancy. Then we are with Severus for all classes, and the others have helped us get up to date on Runes and Arithmancy, so we should be okay. And we have two weeks to learn what we can so we will actually be okay in the class,”
“Sounds good,” Harry nodded.
George left and came back a few minutes later with parchment, an envelope, a quill, and a jar of ink. They sat on the floo around the coffee table and wrote a basic letter to the Headmaster asking for places in Hogwarts.
Dear Headmaster Dumbledore,
My name is George Frederick Peverell and I am writing to you to ask for admittance into Hogwarts, beginning on the 1st of September, for my fifth year alongside my twin brother Hadrian Ignotus Peverell. We have been home-schooled the past few years, however our parents have now died so we need somewhere to continue our education, so we were hoping Hogwarts would be that place.
Sorry for the late notice, and we understand if you won’t be able to accept us this year, we will also be writing to Beauxbatons and Durmstrang just in case. If you are able to accept us, however, then please do send us a list of the items we need to purchase.
We would like to study Potions, Transfiguration, Charms, Herbology, History of Magic, DADA, Care of Magical Creatures, Ancient Runes and Arithmancy if you can fit us in those classes.
Thank you for taking the time to read this and we eagerly await your response.
Kind regards,
George Frederick Peverell
Hadrian Ignotus Peverell.
“I think that will do the trick,” Harry grinned.
“Hm, he definitely won’t want to be losing two Peverell’s to Beauxbatons or Durmstrang especially,” George chuckled.
“Indeed,” Harry said, smiling as George put the dried parchment into an envelope and closed it with a wax seal, “Hedwig, will you be okay making a trip for us?” the owl hooted happily, “Great, if you could take this to Headmaster Dumbledore for us that would be amazing. Thank you,” Harry said and Hedwig bobbed her head before nipping on Harry’s finger affectionately and holding out her foot for George to wrap the letter around her ankle.
Harry walked Hedwig over to the window and opened it, “See you soon, girl,” Harry said, kissing the top of her head and holding out his arm for her to jump off it.
He watched Hedwig fly away wistfully.
“We can do this, can’t we?” Harry asked George worriedly.
“I certainly hope so,” George said as he came to stand next to Harry, squeezing his hand gently.
Harry certainly hoped so, too.