31. Chapter 31: I Knew You'd Come

A/N: My story is very nearly at its end! The last few chapters are taking me a long time to write, as did the last few chapters for my other story, so you will have to be patient.

I am getting so many reviews per chapter that I feel I owe it to you to write the concluding chapters properly. Like the naughty Fay, I had this all planned from the start, but so many of you have seen different (and great) directions for this story that I'm worried you'll be mad at me for the way I end it.

To my mind, there is only one suitable ending to this whole crazy tale, and you may agree with me, and you may not... but whatever it is, you will find out what it is by next week!

Chapter 31: I Knew You'd Come

A very odd group was gathered in Severus Snape's office. Professors Dumbledore and McGonagall were there. Profressor Snape was there dressed in potion-proof robes of metallic silver and that made him look like rather like a baked potato wrapped in foil. To his left were three young people, two men and a woman, dressed in elaborate costumes from the 15th Century.

"You look nice" said Blaise, looking approvingly at Ron. Ron blushed. He felt stupid in the tunic and hose, and couldn't understand how Draco could look as if wearing suc an outlandish costume was the most natural thing in the world. Draco was pacing up and down Professor Snape's study, his leather boots with their high heels tap-tapping across the cold stone floor.

"You look nice too" said Ron. Blaise was wearing a dark-blue velvet gown which Professor McGonagall had managed to salvage from one of the attics. A few anti-mothhole spells had made it as good as new. Blaise touched the outfit reverently.

"I can't believe people used to wear things like that all the time" she said.

"They did" said Draco shortly. "Believe it."

"No need to snap" said Ron.

"Where the hell is Potter?"

"Now, be careful with these wands" Professor McGongall said, handing over a bunch of ancient wands to Draco, Ron and Blaise. "They haven't been used for many years, so they may be a bit temperamental."

"Test them out" said Dumbledore. "We found them in Argus Filch's storeroom, confiscated from errant witches and wizards over the years, and these dated as far back as the fourteen hundreds."

"Lumos" said Draco quickly, flicking his wand. It gave a few weak sparks before giving out a soft glow at its tip.

"Wingardium Leviosa" said Blaise, pointing it at a book on the table. The book gave a few nervous twitches before lifting itself two feet into the air.

"Er... Avis" said Ron, and two little birds shot out of the end of his wand, and twittered madly around the room.

"Thank goodness," said Professor McGonagall. "Now, we only hve to wait for Harry to test out his..."

"Hmm..., all this history hunting has given me an idea. Severus, Minerva, what do you think of the idea of setting up a Hogwarts Museum in one of the spare halls? We could include that lovely collection of singing tea-cups from the eighteenth century..."

Severus Snape rolled his eyes. "Fascinating idea, Albus".

Dumbledore chuckled, seemingly unaffected by the tense mood in the room. "And that hideous duelling outfit from the thirteenth century..." he mused.

"I still use that outfit" said Snape, rather stiffly.

There was a knock at the door. Draco whipped around as Harry let himself in.

"Have you got it?" asked everyone at the same time.

Harry grinned and held up a small vial of potion.

"Is that all?" asked Draco in surprise. There must have been less than a tablespoonful of potion in the vial.

"That's standard sample size for Ministry records" said Snape, taking the vial from Harry. He read the label aloud, "Sample 44523.12.TE Thyme Eliminus, brewed by Hermione Granger on 21 May 2005, extremely unstable, DO NOT HANDLE WITHOUT PROTECTIVE WEAR".

"I'm sorry I was late" said Harry, turning to Draco. "Security seems to have increased since the last time I broke into the Ministry. I nearly got caught by the sentry trolls."

But Draco simply flicked his hands impatiently and hurried over to where Snape was separating the potion into four separate vials.

"You realise of course, Albus, that what we are doing is highly illegal?" said Snape, looking up.

Dumbledore winked, "The level of legality of an operation is proportional to it's necessity. As there is an extreme necessity for our actions, it follows that our actions must be extremely legal as well."

Professor Snape looked unconvinced, but he had long ago given up trying to understand the twists and turns of the Headmaster's mind.

Professor McGonagall and Harry reappeared from the side room. Harry was wearing a dark green suit and hose. In his hand was a 500 year old wand that once belonged to Fulvic the Frivolous, a past Hogwarts student who had had his wand confiscated for constantly making the suits of armour in the hallways tap-dance.

"Neat outfit" said Ron, grinning.

"The hose is a little tight" said Harry, pulling at it.

"Let's go!" said Draco, impatiently. "We don't know quite where or when we'll end up, so let's not waste any more time."

Professor Snape eyed Draco in surprised. All his years in Hogwarts, he had never seen Draco so passionate about something before. The boy had always been laid-back and unmotivated. Could it be that he had really changed so much over the last six months? And if so, what experiences had he gone through to bring about such a huge change in him?

"Calm yourself, Malfoy" said Snape, handing him a vial of the potion. "Panic only causes us to make mistakes."

Harry, Ron and Blaise each took a small vial from Snape as well.

"Good luck" said McGonagall suddenly. Everyone turned to look at her. She had tears in her eyes. "Please bring Miss Granger back" said the old witch in a choked voice, "She doesn't deserve to die like that."

Albus Dumbledore put a comforting arm around his friend. "There, there Minerva...we all know what Mr Potter and Mr Weasley can achieve, and I think they an't help but be even more succesful with the aid of the very capable Mr Malfoy and Miss Zabini."

Dumbledore turned to the four young people towards him. "That is not to say that what you are undertaking to do is not a very dangerous and serious mission."

"We know" said Harry.

"Please understand," said Dumbledore, "that changing history is never simple or predictable. I must warn you to stick entirely to your mission- get Miss Granger home. Hermione knew the importance of preserving history- it is why she gave up her opportunity to return home: to ensure the safety of her ancestors so that the Granger line continued. I want you all to promise me that you will not change anything else."

The four of them exchanged nervous looks. "I promise" said Harry quickly. Ron and Blaise followed. Draco nodded, "Yes."

"All right, everyone please stand three feet apart from each other. Albus, Minerva, if you would please move to the back of the room..." Snape nodded curtly. "Good luck."

The four students looked tensely at each other, their vials held at the ready.

"On the count of three. One....two...."

"Wait" said Draco suddenly, turning around to where the Professors stood at the far end of the room. The hands of the three others froze in the air, on the way to pouring the potion on themselves.

Draco looked over at where his Potions Master stood.

"Professor Snape..." he said, in a soft voice, "if...if...anything happens to me, will you please look after my mother?"

Severus Snape's eyes softened behind his protective goggles. Draco continued, "Narcissa's not well, after all that trouble with father, and she needs proper care. Father's in Azkaban now, so there's no one else. I knew you were her...friend...back in your Hogwarts days."

"Of course," said Snape quietly. "I am still her friend. I always will be."

"Thank you," said Draco, in a genuinely grateful voice.

Harry and Blaise smiled, and Ron cocked his head to one side as he heard Hermione's voice from long ago saying.... "his father is in Azkaban and his mother is sick. We shouldn't give Malfoy a hard time..."

"Time to go" said Harry, putting a hand on Draco's arm. There was no count-down this time, in silence, the four young people splashed the potion on themselves.

*******************************************

There was a familiar feel to the place. The smells, the sounds....Draco leapt to his feet. It was dark all around him. It took a few moments for him to remember where he was and what he was doing there. Thyme Eliminus...Hermione....Witch Burning...Hogwarts...Harry, Ron...

"Blaise?" he called uncertainly, looking around him at the cottage. "Potter? Weasley?"

He lifted his arm and saw that his arms were covered with rich brocade. He wasn't naked- Dumbedore had been right, as usual....the suit had withstood time travel. In fact, it looked newer now than it had back in Hogwarts. Quickly, he felt inside his cloak for his wand – his fingers curled around the the slim, wooden object and he drew it out in relief.

"Lumos" he said. The room lit up with a pale yellow light.

Where on earth are Harry, Ron and Blaise?

With a shock he recognised where he was- this was Ruth Brenthurst's cottage. It seemed like yesterday he and Hermione had lain on the straw pallet beside the fire, but the fireplace was empty and the floor covered in leaves. It didn't work thought Draco desperately, This is the wrong time!

He heard a sound outside the cottage. "Potter, is that you?" he called.

The door was pushed open and sunlight flooded the cottage.

"Bless the Lord! You've come back!" said a familiar voice with a heavy accent. "And they'd said you were dead!"

"Ruth!" said Draco, quickly sheathing his wand and walking towards her. The old woman had aged a lot, she looked thinner and frailer than he remembered. "Where is Hermione?" he said.

Ruth Brenthurst began to cry as she sat down at the table. "Gone! The lassie is gone!"

It was a long time before Draco could get a coherent response out of her. "Where is she?"

"She is taken to Essex, to be tried on charges of witchcraft!"

Draco's eyes blazed in triumph, "What day is this?" he asked.

"What?" Ruth Brenthurst wiped her eyes on her apron. "Have you lost your mind?"

Draco nearly stamped his feet in frustration. "What day is this?" He repeated, as patiently as he could, "I have been travelling and have lost track of time." Again he wondered if the potion had gone wrong, and where in the world were Harry, Ron and Blaise.

"It's the seventh day of November, in the year of our Lord fourteen hundred and eighty six" said Ruth, beginning to cry again, "Such unhappy things have come to pass! The lass went with Mary to answer for you back at Granger mansion, but they caught her on charges of witchcraft. She is brought to Essex and stands trial today! I have searched everywhere for you, but word went out you were dead in Goringsbury! If you be ghost or man, I do not know, and it does not matter!" Ruth rocked back and forth, weeping. The stress of the past few days had clearly taken their toll on her.

Draco felt a strange emotion well-up in his heart. It felt like pain, but it also felt good. He put his arms around the old woman, "Don't upset yourself, I am come to save my wife." he assured her. The feeling in his heart, was compassion and kindness.

Ruth nodded and smiled. "I said it would be thus. I said you'd come back, but everyone called me an old fool."

"You told me to look after my wife," said Draco, "I will."

"You'll be needing a horse," Ruth said, getting to her feet. "Go to Crunther at the Bull's Head and ask for his strongest. Essex is not far, seven hours hard riding should take you there. Do you ride well, Draco?"

Draco was already hurrying out of the cottage. "I ride very well" he said, confidently.

*******************************

"What the..." said Ron, staring at Harry and Blaise. His eyes were full of confusion.

"It didn't work!" said Blaise in disappointment. She had been so hoping to go back in time to help save Hermione.

Severus Snape and the other Professors hurried over.

Harry was holding his head. "Something's wrong" he whispered, "Something's wrong."

"Are you all right Harry?" asked Blaise, looking at him in concern. "What's wrong?"

Harry rubbed his temple, "How strange, it's passed. It was like when Malfoy disappeared, I felt something jolt within me, like something in my mind...didn't you feel it?"

Blaise looked thoughtful. "Yes...now that you mention it. My first thought was that the potion didn't work on us, but then, I also felt a little strange...like a numbness. But it's nothing, Harry. Probably just the potion."

"Yeah," said Ron, "just the usual failed potion head-ache. We're lucky it didn't turn us into trolls or something. I don't undestand why it didn't work on us!"

Dumbledore listened to the conversation with interest. Hmm, how interesting that those three had felt a jolt. As a matter of fact, he had felt a jolt too. It troubled him, but not unduly.

"Yeah, Professor Dumbledore...why didn't it work?" said Harry, looking around in confusion.

That, I can answer thought Dumbledore, remembering his very candid conversation with a very guilty and troubled Draco the day before. Clearing his throat. "Ahem..Well, Harry, let's just say that all along I thought this might happen."

"What? That the potion would only work on Malfoy?" said Ron, "Why?!"

"Let's just say that it was Draco's wish."

"He knew all along? He wished for us to stay behind?" said Blaise.

"Not exactly," said Dumbledore. "Not that sort of wish. In fact, not one that we can understand at all."

The three young persons stared at the headmaster curiously...what on earth was he on about?

"I can offer you a simpler explanation, Weasley," said Snape, rolling his eyes. "The Fay Dust in the potion makes it extremely unstable. It isn't surprising that it worked only for Draco and not for you."

"Well, I get it, er I think" said Ron, starting to feel foolish in his medieval get-up. "We'd better get out of these then."

"I hope Draco managed to save Hermione on his own." said Blaise worriedly, "It would be awful if anything happened to him as well."

"Draco Malfoy is perfectly capable of looking after himself and Hermione" said Snape. "As long as Miss Granger doesn't try any of her rash and overly-heroic Gryffindor missions again."

McGonagall looked disapproving at Snape's choice of words. "I think you mean spirited and brave Gryffindor missions, don't you Severus?" she said.

"Perhaps" said Severus, "Anyway, we'd better get down to business. I think Draco had a request before he disappeared, did he not?"

"Yes," said Harry slowly, rubbing his temples as he was getting that throbbing jolt of a headache again.

"So are you going now?" asked Blaise.

"Come on then" said Snape looking at them with a long-suffering air, "Much as I hate having hangers-on, you three can probably provide a better explanation at Malfoy Manor than I can."

*******************************

Bruised and dirty, Hermione was thrust forward into the courtroom by armed guards. Her eyes flashed angrily as she stared at the panel before her. There was an empty seat in the middle of the panel.

"You are making a big mistake" she said. "I was not meant to die like this!"

"Are you saying you can see the future, witch?" cried one of the men on the bench. He was a priest, who looked much like Father Lorenzo, but whose eyes were hard. Father Lorenzo was now miles away, in Mildenstowe, while she was all alone here in Essex, where the witch trials were conducted.

"Once again, I ask you what this foul philtrum we found on you is?" said a well-dressed man on the bench, holding up her leather pouch of Reverse Thyme Eliminus.

"Why don't you drink some and see?" she said, wearily.

"The witch tries to murder us!" said someone in the crowd, and several people crossed themselves.

"He is here!" shouted someone. A hush fell upon the crowd as heavy footsteps approached the room.

"My Lord" said a guard, falling back.

Her hands tied behind her back, and her feet chained together, Hermione tried her best to turn around to see who had arrived. A tall, hooded figure in a black cape stepped into the room.

There was a familiar aura about the figure.

The figure lifted a pale hand and held out a royal decree, clearly stamped with the Royal Seal of Henry Tudor.

"My Lord...you have come so swiftly, as usual... we are much obliged. Please, take your seat."

The figure's face was half-obscured by his hood, and the rest of it was in shadow. Calmly, he mounted the raised dais and took his seat on the bench at the centre of the panel. There was a quiet moment as he regarded Hermione from beneath his cloak. She thought she saw him nod imperceptibly, before he began to speak.

"I wish to have a few moments with this witch alone" he said in a familiar voice. "She is hard to break and very dangerous."

It couldn't be. Hermione caught her breath.

"Please, my lord, are you sure you can handle this..." said one of the priests on the panel, doubtfully.

The figure turned to him and said haughtily, "Have my methods ever failed before? You think I am incapable of doing this?"

"No, my lord... the effectiveness of your methods are legend...it is just that..."

"Perhaps you have no faith" said the figure silkly, "Maybe you do not trust in the Lord our God, in which case we should have you..."

"Not at all, my lord" said the old priest, leaping to his feet. "We will leave you with this witch."

Hermione cottoned on quickly. There was no mistaking that haughty drawl... "Leave or I will curse all of you! Curses allus!" she screamed, suddenly to the gallery. The peasants gathered there screamed and crossed themselves, rushing for the exit.

"SILENCE WITCH!" roared the master witch hunter. Hermione fell silent and cowered. "You see, she fears me" said the figure, in a choked voice.

In a flash, the room was cleared of people. Hermione made sure she glared and muttered at each of the panel members on their way out. Finally, she was alone in the room with the Master Witch Hunter. He stood up from the bench.

"Curses allus?" said the master witch hunter mildly, throwing back the hood of his cloak and grinning. "Is that the best you could think of?" He descended the dais quickly and took out his wand.

Hermione trembled as he walked towards her. Her eyes were bright with joy.

"Evanesco" he said to her bonds, and they disappeared.

That was enough delay. Hermione threw herself into his arms and held him so tightly he lost his breath.

"I knew you'd come!" she cried