Luna the Moon Monster's Fanfiction Archive | home
Prologue | Chapter One | Chapter Two | Chapter Three | Chapter Four | Chapter Five | First Interlude | Chapter Six | Chapter Seven | Chapter Eight | Chapter Nine | Chapter Ten | Chapter Eleven | Chapter Twelve | Chapter Thirteen | Chapter Fourteen | Chapter Fifteen | Chapter Sixteen | Chapter Seventeen | Chapter Eighteen | Chapter Nineteen | Chapter Twenty | Second Interlude | Chapter Twenty-One | Chapter Twenty-Two | Chapter Twenty-Three | Chapter Twenty-Four | Chapter Twenty-Five | Chapter Twenty-Six | Third Interlude | Chapter Twenty-Seven | Chapter Twenty-Eight | Chapter Twenty-Nine | Epilogue | Timeline
Chapter Eight
A Trip to the Library
Eleven o'clock on Saturday morning found the four time travellers, plus Ardwick, Gallatea and Christabel, sitting at a table in a quiet corner of the library. Most of the other Hogwarts students were either still in bed or doing the homework they'd been given the previous day. Ron, Harry, Hermione and Ginny had all done theirs the previous night, as their new knowledge allowed them to quickly complete the work without any research needing to be done. Gallatea, also, had done the work, but then she was a Ravenclaw and loved to do work. She was as bad as Hermione.
The group sat around the table for a few minutes in silence. No-one knew where to start, and none of them knew how the others would react to what they were told. As the silence was becoming uncomfortable, Ardwick broke the tension.
So, is there a reason you brought us here, or are we just going to stare at each other all day?
Harry and Ron exchanged looks. Harry's seemed to say `I told the story last time, it's someone else's turn'. Ron replied with a resigned glare. Clearing his throat, he looked at the expectant faces of his new friends.
Um
well there's no easy way to say this. You'll have to keep it a secret, though, otherwise we can't tell you.
We won't say anything, Christabel assured him.
Right, well, we, um
Just spit it out, Ron
Sorry `Mione. Ardwick, Chris, `Tea, we're from the future.
Silence followed. Ardwick gaped at Ron before bursting out laughing. Christabel looked at them incredulously before fainting. Gallatea was calm, and simply waited for him to continue. She already knew about it from her mother, so she wasn't showing the extreme reactions the others were. Once Christabel had been woken up and Ardwick had stopped laughing, the disgruntled students recounted what had happened to them. They explained that this was why they had been writing in English in Transfiguration, and had to perform the spell with their wands. By the end, even Gallatea was sat in stunned silence. Her mother had told her they were from the future, but nothing like in as much detail as she had just heard. After a few minutes, Christabel spoke up.
So this is what you need help researching? You need to find out about the amulet?
Yes, I have a book about it, which is where I got the spell, but I haven't finished reading it. After that, if it doesn't explain it, we'll have to look in the library here.
Taking out his book, Harry opened it to the correct page and read out the entry. They didn't really learn anything new, so they all split into different parts of the library to search for anything that might be of use.
*~*~*
By dinnertime the next day they were getting frustrated. They were just about to leave for the Great Hall, having completely missed lunch, when a triumphant whoop came from a dusty corner of the library. Upon closer inspection, Ardwick was found sitting at a table with a heavy tome open in front of him, a large grin on his face.
I think I've found what you're looking for.
Pushing the book over, Hermione picked it up and looked at the picture on the page. Asking Harry for the amulet, she compared the two and saw they matched. Quickly reading over the text she paled and turned to the others.
What is it `Mione, Ron asked the now shaking girl.
Harry took the book from her limp hands and read the short passage out.
The Amulet of Time is said to have been created by the founder of modern magic, the great wizard Merlin. Its purpose is to enrich the lives of whoever uses it
As in `great personal wealth', Ron muttered.
by transporting them to a different time. The first jump is usually the greatest. Thereafter, each jump takes the traveller nearer to their own time. The Amulet of Time usually takes the travellers to either three or four different times before returning them to their starting point. The Amulet can only be used once a year, and must be activated on the same date as, and within an hour of the time left on, the first jump. If another date is attempted, or the amulet is not activated in the allotted window of two hours on that date, the amulet ceases to function and all travellers will remain at their present time for all eternity.
And that means?
That means, Ron, that we can only use the amulet on September 1st between 12:30 and 2:30 pm. If we miss our window, we're stuck here forever.