Chapter Text
"And now, I'll do what's best for me..."
- John Green
⚡️
She never meant for any of this to happen. She only meant to change one thing and hoped that by doing so she would save the wizarding world in the process. Taking the Hero complex out of a Potter was harder than she thought it would be. Hermione frowned as she looked over at Harri. "I am sorry," She said. "Honestly, I am, Harri."
Harri tucked the little bundle closer to her chest. She ignored Hermione's apologies because it wasn't Mione's fault their only way out broke. It was Ginny's fault if they wanted to be frank about it. The git.
"Where do you think Ginny went off to?" Hermione tried again. Harri shrugged, her creepy Avada-colored green eyes bearing down on the baby that cooed in her arms. He was close to a year old but he was still very small.
"I'm more concerned about Luna..." Harri meant it too.
It seemed the DA had some fight left in them even when they honestly didn't need to fight anymore. Luna Lovegood and Ginny Weasley had decided they weren't going to sit back like the two of them made them do a year ago. They were going to help whether Hermione or Harri said otherwise.
"I'm positive she'll be fine," Hermione didn't sound all that convinced.
The sad thing was, neither was Harri.
Luna was their little sister through choice and through a blood pact between the four girls. Something Molly Weasley had been aghast to learn of when Ginny accidentally spilled the beans on it.
After the war... After the Battle of Hogwarts, Harriett needed some grounding. She felt alone even if she wasn't but in a very large way, she was. She had no family left and Luna, darling sweet Luna, was the one who convinced Ginny and Hermione to make some blood pact that made Harriett their sister. Harriett didn't say no. She gladly cut her palm to make it official because it meant these girls would be her blood sisters for life. Apparently, they were sisters through time travel too.
"Good thing we had gotten our affairs in order then," Hermione tried to joke but it fell flat.
Harri finally looked at her, she wore a tired expression. "Really?" her voice dripped with scarsam. "Did you really make a joke at a time like this?"
Hermione's cheeks tinted pink. "I was trying to be... You know... optimistic."
The baby in Harri's arms let out a soft hiccup and began to go a bit taut before it burst into tears. Harri cuddled him. "It's okay, Thomas," She cooed. "I'm here... I'm here..."
Hermione reached into her bag and pulled out the necessary items to make a bottle for the little guy.
"Eee!"
"Ouch, Teddy!" Hermione hissed when Teddy tugged on one of her curls. Harri laughed, rocking Tom in her arms while Hermione wrangled with Teddy.
Teddy, almost three months old and quite mean for a child with his impatience. He yanked on Hermione's curl again with vigor. He too wanted a bottle.
What the ever-loving fuck was Harri thinking in taking on two boys? She was going to lose her mind and as well as her youth to even more stress and wrinkles than she already had.
At this point, Luna and Ginny finally arrived. "So, I've figured out where we are," Ginny said, tugging Luna along because as usual, their little sister was in her head. "Birmingham. Near Smart Teeth or whatever the fuck it's called."
"Small Heath," Luna dreamily said.
"Yeah," Ginny nodded. "What she said. Anyway, it's 1921."
"That's not so bad!" Hermione grinned. "We only went back about six years!"
Tom settled down in Harri's arms, his tight grip around her finger brought some comfort to her. She softly smiled down at him. To think this little thing... This little person would b-- was going to be Voldemort. It was hard to imagine. He's so precious.
Luna plopped down beside her, her delicate milky fingers brushing the dark hair on his little head. "You're going to be a wonderful mum, Harriett," Luna said. Harri smiled at her.
Ginny had thought her mad when she said she wanted to go back and get Tom Riddle before he became what he was supposed to be. Harriett wanted to love the hate right out of him before he was forced to believe he had to be evil. Because no child was born evil... They were created that way and Harriett Potter was truly under the belief that Dumbledore was wrong. He had always been wrong.
Tom Riddle was a victim forced into bad situations time and time again. If someone had just guided him, he would have never split his soul apart and become this terrible thing. Dumbledore had villainized a child who had been severely abused and tortured every single day of his life by god-fearing religious monsters and foolish children in a time of war and strife. Of course, the boy would do anything to feel safe even if that meant the matron of Wools would have had him exercised by men of the cloth. It was a no wonder why Voldemort hated Muggles the way he did.
Harriett felt bad for the young Tom Riddle. The innocence was snuffed out of him when it should have been nurtured. That's why she made a quick and unthinkable decision to be the person who would be the one to do it. Hermione, of course, said she would come. Especially when Ron and her did not agree to be more than friends. The war had inevitably put a wedge there... And Harriett for all that she did and held true, couldn't forget that Ron had abandoned them when she and Hermione needed him the most. Hermione had clearly agreed once the war was over. And it's not like Hermione had any family either seeing as she wiped her parent's memories of her existence. So, they were now both orphans.
Andromeda had been murdered three months after the battle of Hogwarts by vengeful straggling Death Eaters. Harri was Teddy's godmother and the only family he had left. She blood adopted him a month later and now he not only looked like Remus but magic had cursed him with the Potter hair. Poor bloke.
As for Luna... Well, she too was an Orphan. Her father was killed when the Death Eaters arrived after they escaped from his home.
As for Ginny? Ginny couldn't handle the fact that Fred was gone. She thought if she came, she could help the three of them change history. Harriett had loved Ginny for her bravery. And it would be nice to have her there with them. Only it wasn't supposed to be this... This stranded in the past.
The goal was to retrieve (kidnap) baby Tom from Wools and poof themselves back to 1998 where Harriett would take baby Tom along with Teddy, her godson, and Hermione to go abroad for the remainder of their days. That's why they were in the possession of the entirety of the Potter and Black Vaults.
"Can it be fixed?" Ginny asked. She was holding up the broken time turner, a frown on her face. Hermione snatched it from her grasp and shook it angrily at her.
"No! It most certainly can not be fixed, Ginerva Weasley!"
"Oi!" Ginny batted it away. "I was only asking."
"You broke it!" Hermione cried. "You did!"
"I said I was sorry!"
"Enough!" Harri snapped, rocking Tom against her breasts. "Don't upset Tom! And don't make Teddy start screaming bloody murder again! Look, I know it's a shit situation all around but it is what it is. You lot knew the Potter Luck would strike at some point in this little hail mary of an adventure so, can we just... Please... Accept it and move on."
"Who are you and what have you done with Harri?" Ginny demanded, hands on her hips. Harri gave her the same tired look she had given Hermione.
"I'm no longer Dumbledore's savior, Gin."
She most certainly wasn't. She hated that man more than she did Voldemort and that was saying something. Dumbledore put her into her abusive aunt's household and forced her back there time and time again. He abandoned her and never checked on her. He had her so desperate for love and acceptance that she blindly and ignorantly fell into that old coot's trap. She could never be that girl again. Never.
And that meant letting go of her savior's complex and her Sherlock Holmes alter-ego. At least now it meant letting go. She had two sons to look after all opposed to the just one she should had have.
What in Circe's holy name made her want to mother the future Dark Lord?
"It's getting rather late," Hermione was looking up at the sky. "We should find shelter in town, I don't have a good feeling about setting our tent up around this area."
"Can't we just apparate somewhere?" Ginny asked.
"Neither you nor Luna can apparate properly!" Hermione snapped. "So, no! We can't! Not to mention, we're all exhausted!"
"Oh bugger off, Hermione," Ginny groaned. "You are in a foul mood."
"Because you--"
"I said ENOUGH!" Harri shouted, effectively silencing them. Luna giggled. "You two squabble worse than a married couple! What is up with Grangers and Weasley's constantly in a pissin' match? Huh! Fuckin' stop because I will kick you both in your fannies!"
At least they both had the decency to look just a little ashamed of themselves.
"Now," Harri let out a breath. "Hermione is right. It is getting late and I don't fancy myself getting robbed tonight. We need shelter and food."
Luna stood up and slung her coat back on and took Teddy from Hermione. Harri used her cloak to bundle Tom a little tighter to keep the chill away after making sure Teddy was warm too in Luna's arms as they made their way down the hill, Hermione and Ginny followed behind quietly.
As soon as they passed the cut and into the city, all four girls recoiled from the smell. "Ah bloody hell," Harri groaned when her eyes set upon the town of Small Heath. "I can feel my lungs burning like I've been dropped kicked by a Thestral!"
"It's... quaint?" Hermione didn't sound optimistic.
"I think it'll be nice!" Luna grinned and pointed with her free hand. "See! Look that nice man is helping that woman with her dress."
Hermione covered Luna's eyes. She, Harri, and Ginny shared a look.
That man was having very public sex in the middle of the street.
"I don't think my feminist self is going to love it here," Ginny muttered.
Tom cried in Harri's arms as if he completely agreed with them. Teddy just gurgled.
"I think that Pub is open," Harri pointed to "The Garrison"
The sky cracked above them and rain came pouring down from the heavens making them shriek and rush towards The Garrison for shelter.
"Awe," Luna said. "He's trying to make that woman wa-"
"Stop looking, Luna!" Hermione hissed. Ginny snorted.
Harri opened the Garrison doors and as soon as she and the others stepped in, it went oddly quiet if she were to drop a pin in there, it would be quite loud.
"Sorry, Loves!" Some man behind the bar said. "I can't serve you unless you have an escort."
"Then don't serve us," Ginny spat, thrusting a thumb behind him. "It's pouring rain. We just needed to take shelter until it stopped."
"Is that a babe?" Some drunken man slurred as he came a little too close to Harri than she was comfortable with. She pulled back a little from him, her nose scrunched up from his foul-smelling stench. He smelt of wet coal, cigarettes, and day-old ale that had been left in the sun for way too long.
"You can't bring babies in a Pub!" The Bartender was startled. Harri glared.
"Oh? I'm sorry, I'll just sit them both outside and tie them to the pole so they don't run away."
Somebody snorted a laugh and chuckles followed. "Oh come on, Harry, let the lassies stay until the rain stops. I hardly think the bairns are gonna go breakin' glass or of the sort. Lil' tykes barely look a year old."
Harry huffed and nodded his head.
"We'll call you Barkeep!" Ginny shouted when the noise picked up. "Seeing as our sister is also named Harri!"
"Don't trouble yourself though!" Hermione smiled. "You'll hardly believe us here!"
Harri led the way to a further back corner of the pub, a few men got up from one of the booths and let them sit there. Harri and Hermione nodded their thanks, but Ginny like the bulldog she tended to be when men stared too long - had faked a lunge at a black soot-cover man and he fell off his chair causing his friends to laugh.
Hermione yanked her down in the booth, pressing her in beside Luna before taking her seat as well. "Don't be an idiot, Ginny! We're not even supposed to be in here!"
"Sexist Cunts!" Ginny spat, her cheeks flaming red. "Because we have breasts we can't have a nip ourselves! I could take all these men down before they even knew I got the drop of 'em!"
"Of course, you can, Ginerva," Luna smiled dreamily at her. "It would be very brave of you."
Ginny puffed with pride. Harri laughed.
"Merlin's pants, you're worse than Ron."
"Oi!" She gasped. "Do not compare me to that git!"
A bowl of salted nuts and four frothy mugs of ale were sat down on the table along with chips. The girls looked up to find another woman standing there, a piercing look on her - Hermione went pale.
"You girls need to eat and drink something," The woman said. "Especially you," She turned that dark gaze on Harri. "Nursing a babe isn't as cracked as it is and you need your strength even more with two."
"Uh..." Harri found herself lost for words because this woman looked identical to Narcissa Malfoy apart from the white streaks in her hair. It was clear the woman most certainly was not Narcissa though.
"Are you alright, Love?" She directed at Hermione. "You look a bit peaky."
Hermione squeaked when the woman sat down by Harri and pushed the mugs at them all. "Drink up. Don't worry about payment, I've handled the bill. Now... Let's get a look at this little one first shall we?"
Harri curled herself around Tom. The woman noticed.
"Ah," She smiled. "Protective are we? Don't worry, I just want to check their temperature because of the rain. None of you were fit for it and I gather the boys aren't either."
Harri slowly shifted and Tom put his gummy smile on display for the woman, only a few of his teeth on show.
"My name's Polly, Polly Gray," The woman smiled so warmly at the baby. "He looked a bit like my nephew did when he was a baby..." and so this Polly scrutinized Harri. "You haven't fucked a Thomas Shelby have you?"
Harriett choked on her ale, sputtering across the table and hitting Ginny. The girl recoiled.
"HARRIETT!"
"Wh-What!" Harri squeaked between her coughs. "They're my godsons!"
Polly chuckled. "I knew you were a virgin. You can spot the sort a mile off."
Harri went a brilliant shade of red along with Hermione. Poor Luna had no idea but Ginny blasted Ginny... She was looking smug because Ginny was not a virgin.
"Thank you," Harri mumbled. "For the food and drinks."
"You're welcome," Polly turned back to Hermione. "Love, are sure you're alright?"
Hermione nodded her head. "Yeah... Peachy. Thank you!"
Polly checked once more over Tom and then Teddy before she took her leave. She still seemed amused by Tom and by his name being Thomas. Harri frowned down at her... Her son...
"Why'd you smile at her?" She asked as if he could respond.
Tom ignored her and reached a chubby little hand out for a chip. Ginny flicked the basket closer and the boy wrapped his hand around one squeezing it to smash like the little snake he was before stuffing it in his mouth and slobbering all over Harri's hands. She scrunched her nose a bit but otherwise seemed content to hold him that much closer.
"Ew," Ginny watched in disgust.
"He's a baby," Hermione mumbled.
Teddy made another one of those impatient whines he was prone to doing. Luna gave him a chip before the impending meltdown could initiate.
"Oi!" Harri snatched it from him. "He can't have that yet!"
His lip wobbled. Harri was quick to stuff a dummy in his mouth - crisis diverted.
"Mione," Harri then reached over and took her hand.
"I'm okay, Harri," She smiled. "Just.. Give me a moment."
Ginny wrapped an arm around Hermione's shoulders. It hadn't even been a year... Let alone a half of a year since the war was over for them. The scars on them were fresh and barely scabbed over. Hermione's gift from Bellatrix was still stinging with pain every now and then. Using a cursed dagger made it impossible to heal. But Harriett tried every single day to do something to make it better. Even the scar on her hand hurt on the rare occasion "I must not tell lies" would flame an irritated red anytime she was angry.
Stupid Umbitch.
"We ought to ask around about a place to stay," Harri said, hoping to draw Hermione out of that dark place in her mind that she knew like an old friend. It seemed it worked because Hermione squared her shoulders.
"I'll ask."
"I'll come with." Ginny bounced up.
"Don't scare them," Harri snickered.
Ginny beamed. "It's not my fault they don't know how to handle a woman with a mind."
The two went away leaving Luna and Harri alone in the booth. Luna was too busy staring at a room adjacent to the bar with the door shut and Harri was too busy eying Teddy to make sure he didn't pitch a fit and watching Tom tear into the chips like a starving man. She hated Wools even more for it. They didn't feed any of the children properly but Tom was the smallest baby there. It was like they hoped he died.
She snatched a chip from the air before anyone spotted it and raised a brow at the boy. "Don't do that, here, Thomas."
He smiled at her and it broke her heart.
How did this baby grow to be the devil?
Teddy thankfully fell asleep.
It must have been around five minutes when Harri heard Ginny and then saw Ginny toss a grown man over her back and stuff her heel into his neck. She and Luna jumped up and ran over.
"Ginny!" Harri shouted.
Teddy let out a whine.
"Put your nasty fingers up my skirt aga-"
"Ginny!" Harri pulled her away. Luna "accidentally" kicked the man in the groin in the process when she came over.
"Fucking bitch!" He snarled. "I'll cut you!"
"You put your hand up my skirt!" Ginny went to go around Harri but Harri shoved Tom into her arms turned around to face the man and decked him hard across the face knocking him out stone cold.
The room went quiet. Tom laughed.
Harri shook out her fist, uncurling her fingers - when she looked up it was to find a pair of blue eyes watching her from across the room.
"I can't leave you lot alone for a minute!" Hermione's posh and very money-sounding accent didn't belong in a dingy pub like this. The bushy-haired girl made her way over and looked at Ginny sharply before looking at Harri and then at the man on the floor. "Well! I hope it was worth it if you're going to go around and punch people in the face!"
"Oh, fuck off!" Ginny laughed. "You broke Malfoy's nose for laughing at Hagrid!"
Hermione's stern expression cracked into a smile.
Harri turned away from blue eyes to take Tom back in her arms.
"Come on," Hermione said. "I've found a place."