The Time-Turner

The Time Turner

"Everyone has heard of the paradox of time travel," Riddle said after the uproar subsided, "where you alter the future by changing your past. This is, of course, why it's highly regulated by the Ministry of Magic. However, what we have here is unprecedented as far as I know. Travel into the future is supposed to be impossible because you can't go to a when that hasn't happened yet. You don't have any references."

"Have we really examined his time turner?" one of the professors asked. "It might give us some clue as to what happened, and how to send him back."

"Twenty-one years is a very long time," Flitwick answered. "The best time turners we have today only go back five years. Perhaps six. I don't think we can send this young man back further than that. And I don't think we should try. However, I do agree that we should study the device that brought him here."

The Headmaster nodded. "Here it is. What do you all make of it?" He handed the medallion to Malfoy,

Malfoy's eyes rose as he studied the time turner. "This has the Malfoy crest on it!" He turned to look at Severus, who wouldn't meet his eyes. "Was it this prefect who shares my name who lent this to you?" His fingers traced the serpent coiled around the hourglass for a moment and then set it down on the table.

Merlin's teeth! This Malfoy was just as sharp as his counterpart. "Yes," he mumbled. "Lucius let me borrow it."

"By my seventh year, I certainly knew that time turners were regulated. We should probably assume that the other Lucius does – or did – also. So he gave you this time turner to use. Now from what you've said of Slytherin in your time, it is a hotbed of treachery. Is it possible he was trying to get you expelled?"

"I... I don't think so, sir. We – Lucius and I – made a bargain. He wanted help with his Potions NEWTs next term."

A dark-haired, bearded wizard had picked up the medallion while they were talking and looked at it. "I suppose we shouldn't try using it again?"

"Absolutely not!" It was hard to tell who'd said it first – Riddle or McGonagall. The Transfiguration professor continued, "Sirius Black, you haven't changed a bit since you were in school. We don't dare try it again. Certainly not without examining it first!"

Sirius Black! It couldn't be! Severus gritted his teeth and tried to remind himself that this Sirius wasn't the one who'd nearly killed him. His stomach churned madly, and he swallowed hard. No! This isn't him! They just have the same name! His stomach wasn't interested in listening to logic. Out of the corner of one eye, he caught Malfoy watching him. Professor Black sat down again with injured dignity, and Professor Flitwick took the floor.

"There is a theory – it's only a theory right now – that states that there are an infinite number of time streams in existence. When you travel through time, you actually change time streams." He thought for a moment and drew several long parallel lines on the tabletop with his wand. The lines promptly began glowing an electric blue. "This is simplified, of course. Let's say that this middle line here is the one we are in." He tapped the middle of the line in question with a gnarled forefinger and a white spot appeared "The streams on either side of it are quite similar. In fact, they might be extremely difficult to distinguish. But as one gets further and further away from one's original stream, the differences become greater and greater. The point of divergence goes further and further back." He tapped the end of another line and another white spot appeared.

"Point of divergence?" Sprout asked, studying the lines.

"That's the point in time where things start to become different between any two time streams. Now, time turners work to keep you from getting too far from your original path. But here's the interesting part: it's speculated that once you make a journey through time, you can NEVER get back to your original track. Oh you might get very, very close, especially with a time turner. But it would never be exactly the same."

He steepled his fingers in front of him. "If this is correct, and all evidence points to it being so, then we cannot return Master Snape to his original time. We might be able to get him to something close to it, but it would be far in his future. That would bring up the paradox of meeting one's self – and current theory is that such a meeting would be catastrophic."

"So Filius, you're saying that Master Snape is trapped here permanently?"

"Headmaster, I'm saying that attempting to relocate him to something closer to what he remembers could potentially cause a great deal of trouble – and has very little chance of succeeding."

"We should at least try!" said Black. "What's the harm?"

"Plenty," Malfoy answered sharply. "I sometimes wonder if you truly listen to anything that's said here, Sirius. No one knows what might happen, and I would rather not be responsible for sending a fourteen year old boy into what might be his death!"

"Lucius!" The Headmaster's voice cracked over Black's outraged sputtering. "Control yourself. Sirius, Lucius is right. We cannot send this young man back like he is so much misdirected post."

Black muttered something under his breath, but he subsided.

"Very well," Pomona Sprout interjected in a no-nonsense tone. "We won't send him back. At least, not until we're sure no harm will be done. So, what do we do with him?" She pushed her hat back. "He's a minor by wizard law, and will need an adult to be responsible for him."

The adults exchanged glances. "Perhaps an orphanage..." began Professor Black, only to be cut off again, this time by Madame Pomfrey.

"Orphanage! Sirius Black, that is the most ridiculous thing you've ever suggested! This young man is almost an adult, and he's gone through quite a shock! The last thing we should do is send him away!"

"I will stand as his legal guardian," said Professor Malfoy. "if he is willing. I have no family to consult on the matter, and I am quite secure financially. His care will be no hardship for me."

Severus looked down at the floor. "I don't want to be any trouble."

"Trouble? You won't be trouble. It will take time to get used to things, but that isn't trouble. Come, give Malfoy Manor a try for a week or two. If you can't abide it, we'll find somewhere else for you to stay."

Filch cleared his throat. "There is also the matter of what we tell the other students. Rumors are already flying about the Slytherin Common Room, and will probably have spread to the other Houses by the end of the day."

"Oh what a tangled web we'll weave..." Riddle misquoted, running a hand through his hair. "Argus makes a good point. We need to agree on an explanation that's plausible, easy to remember, and cannot be challenged easily." He looked around the room. "And someone needs to make sure that Madame Hooch is also informed of this situation. Where is Rolanda anyway?"

"Diagon Alley, buying Quidditch supplies," Sirius replied. "I'll let her know."

"Could I be a transfer student from Durmstrang perhaps?" Severus offered.

The Charms professor studied him for a moment. "Young man, with your accent, there's no passing you off as anything other than a native of Devonshire. But it was a good thought nonetheless."

"He could be my cousin," Malfoy offered. "It's a nice non-specific relationship. There are at least two cadet branches of the Malfoy family in Devonshire. Home-schooled, and now attending Hogwarts..."

"...while my parents are in America doing some unspecified research." Severus finished.

"If you're going to be staying with Professor Malfoy over the summer, that story will give you some credence."

"Your appearance in the Common Room will be harder to explain though." Filch leaned back in his chair and stared at the ceiling. "You can't Apparate on school grounds. Perhaps an accident with the Floo network?"

"You were trying to Floo to the Front Gatehouse, and wound up in the Slytherin Common room by mistake. That could work." Riddle nodded. "Argus, you'll have to break the Floo network so I can have the Ministry of Magic come in and fix it."

"You can't Floo to Hogwarts!" Severus exclaimed. "It was disconnected years ago! I read it in Hogwarts: A History..." he trailed off as the faculty stared at him.

"We've been on the Floo network for years, Master Snape," Riddle said gently. "Ever since it was built, in fact."

Severus shook his head. "This isn't going to work. Everything is so different here! How'm I going to manage?"

Malfoy placed one hand gently on his shoulder. "We," he emphasized the pronoun, "will have to spend a good deal of the summer bringing you up to date. I think we should relocate to Malfoy Manor today."

"What 'ouse will 'e be in, Perfessor?"

"Slytherin, of course, Rubeus." Riddle's voice cut over the babble. "I see no reason to undergo a public Sorting."