Chapter Text
Is that what sent him back? Some old, forgotten about time turner at hogwarts? Ron pondered as he walked out of Leakey Cauldron, into the streets of diagon alley.
It could make some sense, time turners may not go back years, but clearly something had happened. Hogwarts is an ancient, sentient castle and perhaps the destruction of the battle triggered something, lay lines or something, Did Hogwarts have lay lines? Ron tried to recall anything Bill might have spoken about regarding Hogwarts.
Maybe not ley lines, runes? Merlin, knowledge about runes would be really helpful right now.
“-Ron!”
Ron turned towards Hermione, who had apparently been trying to get his attention for awhile if her face was any indication,
“What’s the matter with you today? You’re acting weird” Question Hermione with a concerned yet inquisitive frown on her face.
Debating with himself internally only for a moment, Ron grabbed Hermiones arm and turned towards his parents,
“Mum, is it alright if me and Hermione go-”
“Go on, but be quick and meet us back here in two hours” Answered Mrs Weasley, his strange behaviour today pondering in the back of her mind.
“Thanks! Come on” Ron shot a grin at Mrs Weasley and dragged Hermione away.
“Ron what. Let go of me, what are you doing?” Hermione questioned insistently, appearing puzzled.
Ron ignored her for the time being, instead trying to find a suitable place to speak to Hermione without the fear of anyone overhearing. Ron spotted Florean Fortescue's and dragged Hermione to one of the tables outside, away from others.
“You better explain yourself right now, Ronald Weasley” exclaimed Hermione after finally being allowed to catch her breath.
“Right yea sorry, I just really don’t know how to tell you any of this and if anyone overhears then…” Ron trailed off as he took notice of Hermiones expression turning more and more concerned as he rambled on.
“Ron, just tell me. It’s not this Sirius Black is it? I saw the posters, and nevermind his face all over muggle news” Her expression becoming more and more wild
“No, no! Just listen for a moment will ya? I know this is going to be hard to believe but you’ve gotta. I’ve been thinking about this and you’re the only person I can think to tell right now, and you know, you might know more about this than me.” Merlin, is this a good idea? Is he ruining everything right now? Is this even how visiting diagon first happened back in third year?
“Wh- why- what would I know more about?” Hermiones patience was thinning, her insistence becoming more incoherent and confused.
“Right okay well, how do I put this?” Hermione shot him a glare, “Well this morning I woke up somewhere I shouldn’t have been”
“What do you mean? The burrow?” Hermione interrupted.
“No, well yes but no. Just let me get this out, as mad as it sounds. I shouldn’t have been at the burrow at all. I don’t even remember going to sleep last night but I do know that it was not 1993” Hermione went to interrupt him again, eyes wild, expression turning from annoyance, bewilderment and finally dumbfounded.
“I’ve time traveled Hermione. An- and I don’t know how or why or what the hell is going on but I woke up in my room at home, in a different body and everything being wrong. But- but not wrong because it was normal and happy and everything it should have been and stayed and I can’t do this! I can’t do this alone, why me? Why not Harry or you! It shouldn't be me when you could do a much better job. I mean what can I do compared to the Brightest Witch Of Her Age or the Boy Who Lived” Ron finally managed to stop, breathes ragged, face downcast in shame and exhaustion, it seems just having been fighting in a war has finally caught up to me.
Hermione stared, and just continued to for what felt like hours, Ron finally looked back up and gazed at her, “Huh, I seemed to have finally rendered you speechless” Ron attempted to joke, and Hermione seemed to be shot back into action, grabbing Ron’s arms in the process, leaning close to him, attempting to lessen the chances of anyone overhearing,
“That’s not possible. No one can time travel that far, I mean time turners can’t even go back that far, theres dire consequences for doing so. I mean the risks of creating paradoxes or people accidentally killing themselves…It’s just too dangerous an- and impossible!” Hermione ended her speech finally.
“This is why I need you, your knowledge on time turners. I mean, I know the basics but I reckon you’ve done a lot of research on them” Ron explained to a still perplexed Hermione, who slowly turned pink,
“What? Why would I know about time turners?” Hermione stuttered out, Ron grinned again,
“I just told you, I’ve time traveled, so I know all about that little present Mcgonagall has got for you”
“No one can know, I was specifically told my Professor Mcgonagall to keep this a secret Ron. What if they take it away?”
“Bloody hell Hermione, I just told you about me time travelling and still all you think about is school work” Hermione had to decency to appear abashed.
“ No, you’re right. I’m sorry. So you’ve time traveled? Well how far? How old are you? Wait, what do you mean happy and should have stayed that way, what happened?” Hermione came back to herself, immediately diving straight into interrogation mode.
“One question at a time women. It’s kinda hard to explain and i’m scared that i’ll ruin things if i say too much but I was in 1998 so i’m eighteen and i- no we need to at least try to figure things out before I go damaging and changing the future. And see! You’ve already helped me.” Ron ended with a burst of excitement, might be closer to figuring out how to fix this
“How?” Hermione exclaimed, “I haven’t said anything.”
“No no you have, see the reason time travel is so dangerous is the consequences of your past self seeing you. But my past self isn’t here, i’m back in my thirteen year old body. So there’s not a chance of creating a paradox or-”
“A alternative reality” Hermione finished for him
So this is still the same reality, meaning there’s not a reality of himself losing fred. He can fix this. He can end Voldemort before he kills anyone.
Excitement burst within him, he can do this. He may not have his Harry and Hermione but he has some version of them.
“We can talk more about this later without the fear if others overhearing, and when we get to Hogwarts I am going to find as many books on time travel that I can and we can figure a way to send you back” Hermione interrupted his musings.
“Send me back? No Hermione, I can fix things, make sure no one has to get hurt!”
“Hurt? Ron who’s hurt? What happens in the future?”
“I can’t tell you right now, later when we’re alone” Ron answered with a shake of his head,
“Well we need to find Harry then” Hermione stated, intending to stand up. Ron quickly grabbed her arm, bringing her back down,
“We can’t tell Harry.”
“What? What do you mean we can’t tell Harry? Why not Ron?” Hermione asked frantically, uncomfortable with the idea of keeping Harry in the dark,
“I know, i’m uncomfortable with not telling Harry as well but I have a plan, well a beginning of a plan and I just need to time figure this all out. I don’t want to hurt him any more than he needs to be”
Hermione looked hesitant, indigence over keeping her friend in the dark, and worry for Harry fighting with her, “Well alright! But you’re telling me everything later”
“I will! I Promise.” Ron nodding his head frantically.
“What are you promising?”
Ron and Hermione both swung their heads towards to the voice,
Harry stood in front of the table, grinning.