t o u c h

Hogwarts - 1996

To anyone else, it seemed like a normal night in the Gryffindor Common Room. Some students sat around the fireplace studying for exams, while others sat in the various corners of the room playing Wizard's Chess. On the couches sat one of the most well known group of students throughout the school; most likely known for causing constant chaos from year to year. This group included none other than Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger, Neville Longbottom, Ginny Weasley and Alexandra River.

"Why do you suppose Dumbledore told you that? Has he got another one of his plans up his sleeve?" Ginny asked, referring to Harry's previous statement.

"I don't know. Maybe he's giving us some sort of a clue towards something. Something we can do to stop him," Harry suggested. Hermione sat beside him, tapping her fingers on her Transfiguration textbook.

"It's not like we can go back in time and keep his parents from-" Ron paused, scrunching his nose at the thought. "Never mind."

"Dumbledore said that if his mother had survived and had been able to love him, there's a chance he would've been saved from the darkness. Maybe he wants us to go back in time to save her," Harry thought. The group became silent for a moment, thinking. Hermione was the first to speak up.

"Dumbledore did give me that time turner my third year. You know how his mind works, maybe he gave it to me for bigger reasons than my classes. You know, kind of like what we did to save Sirius."

"If it was that easy, Hermione, my parents would be alive right now. I wish that was how it worked, but Dumbledore must be thinking something different. He wouldn't think of something so simple and not do it himself," Harry protested. Everybody knew he was right. Dumbledore wouldn't tell Harry such an important piece of information so suddenly if he didn't have any intentions. What could he be hinting at?

"Maybe he wants us to go back, but not that far," Alexandra spoke up.

"To when? The night he tried to murder Harry?" Ginny asked. Alexandra shook her head.

"To when he started becoming evil. When he was here at Hogwarts."

"What do you suppose we do to stop him?" Neville asked.

"Dumbledore told Harry he could've been stopped if he had experienced love. Maybe it doesn't necessarily have to be from his mother," Alexandra continued.

"He was born under a love potion. He can't love," Harry argued.

"Maybe he can't love, but he can experience it. He can feel it. Maybe that'll be enough to stop him, or at least slow him down for a while."

"And where do you suppose we find a girl willing to fall in love with Voldemort?" Ron asked, sitting back in his chair with his arms crossed.

"You find someone else who can't love; someone who can fake it. Someone who was also conceived under a love potion," Alexandra responded, mimicking Ron's posture.

"Who?" Harry asked. Everybody's eyes moved to Alexandra as she casually crossed her legs.

"Me."