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-rw-r--r--novellas/contingency/01-plans.mdwn38
-rw-r--r--novellas/contingency/02-escape.mdwn196
-rw-r--r--novellas/contingency/02-rescue.mdwn34
3 files changed, 216 insertions, 52 deletions
diff --git a/novellas/contingency/01-plans.mdwn b/novellas/contingency/01-plans.mdwn
index 7e3f79e..d7ce429 100644
--- a/novellas/contingency/01-plans.mdwn
+++ b/novellas/contingency/01-plans.mdwn
@@ -1,14 +1,14 @@
1[[!meta title="Chapter 1: Plans"]] 1[[!meta title="Introduction: Plans"]]
2 2
3Hermione was scared. 3Hermione was scared.
4 4
5Ron had abandoned them, they had *no idea* where the remaining horcruxes were or 5Ron had abandoned them, they had *no idea* where the remaining horcruxes were
6how to destroy them, snatchers and death eaters were just *everywhere*, and 6or how to destroy them, snatchers and death eaters were just *everywhere*,
7*everything just kept getting worse.* 7and *everything just kept getting worse.*
8 8
9Frankly, it seemed like failure was the most likely outcome. Almost certain, in 9Frankly, it seemed like failure was the most likely outcome. Almost certain,
10fact. But Voldemort couldn't be allowed to win! If they were going to die, she'd 10in fact. But Voldemort couldn't be allowed to win! If they were going to die,
11just have to do something about it. 11she'd just have to do something about it.
12 12
13"Harry, there's something I need to do." 13"Harry, there's something I need to do."
14 14
@@ -45,11 +45,12 @@ like batteries collecting magic. We're going to borrow some of that magic."
45promise it's safe, and after we do this you can just forget all about it. It's 45promise it's safe, and after we do this you can just forget all about it. It's
46just something I need to do for us." 46just something I need to do for us."
47 47
48"I trust you, Hermione. OK, let's get everything packed up and we can head out." 48"I trust you, Hermione. OK, let's get everything packed up and we can head
49out."
49 50
50<hr /> 51<hr />
51 52
52"...seventh year, so we draw from the point seven degrees deiseil of Jupiter, 53"...seventh month, so we draw from the point seven degrees deiseil of Jupiter,
53and orient towards the moon. There, done!" 54and orient towards the moon. There, done!"
54 55
55"Done?" 56"Done?"
@@ -78,8 +79,9 @@ Hermione had pieced together this ritual from bits and pieces she'd found
78looking for ways to help in the fight against Voldemort. Nothing like it had 79looking for ways to help in the fight against Voldemort. Nothing like it had
79ever been tried, as best as she could tell. That was one reason she'd 80ever been tried, as best as she could tell. That was one reason she'd
80constructed the ritual circle in the Ring of Brodgar; the ancient stones held 81constructed the ritual circle in the Ring of Brodgar; the ancient stones held
81protections that should safely ground any dangerous magics if her ritual failed. 82protections that should safely ground any dangerous magics if her ritual
82If the ritual succeeded... best not to think of it. Just a contingency plan. 83failed. If the ritual succeeded... best not to think of it. Just a contingency
84plan.
83 85
84Harry took a few minutes to enjoy the stars. He trusted Hermione to know what 86Harry took a few minutes to enjoy the stars. He trusted Hermione to know what
85she was doing; if she wasn't telling him what the ritual was for, there must be 87she was doing; if she wasn't telling him what the ritual was for, there must be
@@ -95,8 +97,8 @@ flashed red, then darkened and returned to its mundane state.
95 97
96Harry looked over at Hermione. "Was that it? Did it work?" 98Harry looked over at Hermione. "Was that it? Did it work?"
97 99
98"Yes, Harry, it worked. Now forget about it. Help me erase these runes and clean 100"Yes, Harry, it worked. Now forget about it. Help me erase these runes and
99up, will you?" 101clean up, will you?"
100 102
101"OK, Hermione. Hey, that thing you drew on my chest is gone!" 103"OK, Hermione. Hey, that thing you drew on my chest is gone!"
102 104
@@ -106,11 +108,11 @@ up, will you?"
106 108
107Plans. His whole life had just been other peoples' plans. 109Plans. His whole life had just been other peoples' plans.
108 110
109Dumbledore's *stupid* plans to ruin his childhood and make him sacrifice himself 111Dumbledore's *stupid* plans to ruin his childhood and make him sacrifice
110to defeat Voldemort. The Ministry's plans to parade him around as a figurehead 112himself to defeat Voldemort. The Ministry's plans to parade him around as a
111and political tool to keep the same old politicians in power. Molly Weasley's 113figurehead and political tool to keep the same old politicians in power. Molly
112plans for One Big Weasley Family and her damnable willingness to help her 114Weasley's plans for One Big Weasley Family and her damnable willingness to
113children along with love potions. 115help her children along with love potions.
114 116
115Those love potions had shattered what was left of Hermione's independence and 117Those love potions had shattered what was left of Hermione's independence and
116motivation. Marrying Ron had destroyed all her plans for the future. 118motivation. Marrying Ron had destroyed all her plans for the future.
diff --git a/novellas/contingency/02-escape.mdwn b/novellas/contingency/02-escape.mdwn
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e641873
--- /dev/null
+++ b/novellas/contingency/02-escape.mdwn
@@ -0,0 +1,196 @@
1[[!meta title="Chapter 1: Escape"]]
2
3Harry awoke to darkness, discomfort, and impossibility.
4
5He was in the cupboard. Impossible. He and Hermione had personally flattened
6this entire house shortly after the war. The Weasleys had disapproved, saying
7Harry should forgive his relatives, but this was before the love potions had
8kicked in again and removed his free will.
9
10How could he be in the cupboard?
11
12And why was he *small?*
13
14Harry began to hyperventilate. Nothing was making sense, this couldn't be
15happening—
16
17"TIME TO GET UP, FREAK! WHY DON'T I SMELL BREAKFAST COOKING?"
18
19The tiny door was wrenched open, and Harry saw a dead man silhouetted against
20the morning light.
21
22"DON'T MAKE ME DRAG YOU OUT OF THERE, BOY! GET UP!"
23
24Harry started moving on automatic. Even after nearly 150 years of adult life,
25he would never forget the rules and demands of the Dursley household. He
26rushed out of the cupboard and hurried to begin preparing his captors' meal.
27
28As he slaved away in the kitchen, Harry tried to reason through his situation.
29A stolen glance at his uncle's newspaper confirmed the date — July 31st, 1987.
30Seven years old. How was he seven years old again?
31
32He was pretty sure he could still feel his magic, but to be certain he'd need
33to reestablish his Occlumency, and with the damage Snape had done there was no
34way he could manage that in this emotional climate.
35
36An accidental glance at his reflection on a spoon was another shock. His scar
37was *wrong.* After Voldemort's defeat, the scar had rapidly weakened and
38eventually healed over. Now it looked like it was just beginning that process.
39Whatever had caused him to return to 1987 must have destroyed the horcrux as
40well.
41
42Harry struggled through the day, barely paying attention to his surroundings.
43He had to escape, had to get in touch... with whom, exactly? Harry didn't
44trust anybody in power in this year. If only he had Hermione to help him make
45sense of this situation.
46
47By the end of the day, he'd managed to calm down enough to begin to cope with
48the situation. Locked in his cupboard, in the dark, he meditated and put
49together the barest underpinning of Occlumency. It was enough to give him some
50rudimentary access to his wandless magic.
51
52And so, Harry wandlessly and silently unlocked the cupboard and sneaked out of
534 Privet Drive. His plan was to beg his way into his trust vault at Gringotts,
54and then buy a plane ticket out of the country and hopefully into a real life.
55In a few years maybe he'd find some way to introduce himself to and rescue
56Hermione.
57
58Plans, in general, had never gone well for Harry Potter.
59
60She was waiting for him at the bus stop one block away. "Hello Harry," she
61casually remarked, "sorry for the time travel. I was wondering when you'd
62manage to get out of that house. My parents are waiting in the car just over
63there, if you'd like a ride?"
64
65"Hermione?"
66
67<hr />
68
69"Wake up, Hermione, you need to get ready for school! And happy birthday,
70dear! We'll have a cake and presents for you when you get home!"
71
72"Mom? But you're dead! And it's not my... oh no, it worked. But that means...
73why am I at home? I must have gotten the time travel wrong! What year is it?"
74
75Hermione, let it be known, had always been a very intelligent young girl. Dan
76and Emma Granger had soon gotten used to her breathlessly working through
77problems out loud, and tried to do their best to stay caught up with her
78reasoning and supportive of her curiosity. This was not to say that Emma was
79prepared for this particular line of thought, especially not early in the
80morning.
81
82"Darling, time travel? What are you talking about? Are you feeling okay?"
83
84"No. What year, please, mother?"
85
86"1986. September 19th, your birthday. Darling?"
87
88"My birthday. My seventh birthday. I must have miscalculated, it was supposed
89to be seven months before the ritual, but it was seven years after my birth
90instead. It was only supposed to be if Harry or I died unhappily... but I
91suppose that makes sense," Hermione was muttering to herself while her mother
92looked more and more distraught. Noticing this suddenly, Hermione interrupted
93herself, "Can you go fetch Dad? We need to talk about something as a family.
94And it might be best if both of you cancel your appointments today."
95
96"Hermione? What's going on?"
97
98"Please, Mom. It'll be easier with both of you."
99
100"OK, darling. I'll be right back with your father."
101
102"Thanks." As Emma turned to leave the room, Hermione added, "I love you, Mom.
103I promise, it's happy news."
104
105Now alone in her room, Hermione immediately began checking the state of her
106mind and her magic. Occlumency needed repair, but that was to be expected and
107Hermione had always been skilled at the mental arts. Her magic felt strong,
108stronger than it should for her young age; she had her adult power available.
109First things first, practice basic control.
110
111When Dan and Emma Granger walked back into their daughter's room, they could
112find no words to speak. Hermione was sitting calmly on her bed, with a dozen
113books orbited around her, flying a complicated dance to some unheard tune.
114
115Hermione smiled at them. "Mom, Dad, look! Magic is real, and I'm a witch!"
116
117<hr />
118
119"Just so I can make sure I have this all right, let me summarize."
120
121"Go ahead, Dad."
122
123"Magic is real. You can use magic."
124
125"That's right."
126
127"You're a time traveler, from the future."
128
129"From December of 2124, yes."
130
131"But you *are* our daughter?"
132
133"Yes, Dad, I am your daughter Hermione."
134
135"And you fought in a war at age 17, along with your best friend Harry."
136
137"A war we nearly lost, yes."
138
139"And so because you were worried that you would lose, you arranged for you
140both to be sent back to the beginning of that war in the case of either of
141your deaths, so you could try to warn people?"
142
143"That's right. It was a contingency, in case things went wrong."
144
145"But you didn't die. And you won the war."
146
147"Well, the purebloods were still in charge. But I suppose technically we won
148the war, yes."
149
150"And then Harry and you had unhappy lives because of these purebloods."
151
152"Very unhappy."
153
154"And then you died?"
155
156"I don't remember dieing, although I'm not sure if I would. The magic would
157trigger if either Harry or I died unhappily. We were both old, and I'm sure we
158were both unhappy enough. I know I was."
159
160"And then you came back, but not to the beginning of the war?"
161
162"I miscalculated when I setup the magic. It was supposed to be seven months
163before the ritual, but time travel is not well-studied magic, and I must have
164set the target for seventh year after birth instead."
165
166"So... what do we do? Should we be finding some wizard to warn?"
167
168"NO! All the wizards in power here in Britain are evil! I think this country
169is doomed, frankly; at least the magical side is. We have a few years before
170they'll take notice of me, and I think it may be best if we just leave."
171
172"Leave Britain? Just like that?"
173
174"Well, not just like that. Harry won't be coming back for almost 11 months.
175He's my best friend, we have to rescue him too. But we should prepare, because
176rescuing Harry will probably make someone in power notice us."
177
178"So we need to make a plan?"
179
180"Yes, we need a plan."
181
182<hr />
183
184"Hermione?"
185
186"Yes, Harry, it's me."
187
188"Why are we in 1987?"
189
190"Remember the ritual we performed at the Ring of Brodgar?"
191
192"That was time travel?"
193
194"Of a sort. I'll explain in the car."
195
196"OK. I trust you, Hermione."
diff --git a/novellas/contingency/02-rescue.mdwn b/novellas/contingency/02-rescue.mdwn
deleted file mode 100644
index 8cdf2a6..0000000
--- a/novellas/contingency/02-rescue.mdwn
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,34 +0,0 @@
1[[!meta title="Chapter 2: Rescue"]]
2
3Harry awoke to darkness, discomfort, and impossibility.
4
5He was in the cupboard. Impossible. He and Hermione had personally flattened
6this entire house shortly after the war. The Weasleys had disapproved, saying
7Harry should forgive his relatives, but this was before the love potions had
8kicked in again and removed his free will.
9
10How could he be in the cupboard?
11
12And why was he *small?*
13
14Harry began to hyperventilate. Nothing was making sense, this couldn't be
15happening—
16
17"TIME TO GET UP, FREAK! WHY DON'T I SMELL BREAKFAST COOKING?"
18
19The tiny door was wrenched open, and Harry saw a dead man silhouetted against
20the morning light.
21
22"DON'T MAKE ME DRAG YOU OUT OF THERE, BOY! GET UP!"
23
24Harry started moving on automatic. Even after nearly 150 years of adult life, he
25would never forget the rules and demands of the Dursley household. He rushed out
26of the cupboard and hurried to begin preparing his captors' meal.
27
28As he slaved away in the kitchen, Harry tried to reason through his situation. A
29stolen glance at his uncle's newspaper confirmed the date — July 31st, 1987.
30Seven years old. How was he seven years old?
31
32He was pretty sure he could still feel his magic, but to be certain he'd need to
33reestablish his Occlumency, and with the damage Snape had done there was no way
34he could manage that in this emotional climate.