Anamoran

Chapter 3: The Ring

A/N: Thanks to the following folks for their assistance in helping this story along: brownlark42, ladyofsilverdawn, SassenachStarbuck, and MrsBennettFrazier

Sandra-Sempra made amazing cover art for this story. See it on my Tumblr crochetawayhpff. And let me know what you think of this chapter!

Chapter 3: The Ring

June 16, 1944

Tom did not leave the Hospital Wing after Madam Davies banished him, not entirely anyway. He slid out the door, but before it closed all the way, he stopped it with his foot and stuck his ear in the crack between the doors. He cast Disillusionment and Notice-Me-Not Charms on himself and an Amplification Charm on the far end of the hospital ward.

"Is that a Time-Turner?" he heard Professor Dumbledore ask.

Merlin, a Time-Turner, Tom thought. Those were highly controlled by the Ministry. They were quite popular among the upper echelons of society, but when the Ministry caught word of them, they had confiscated every single one of them as dangerous magical artefacts.

"They don't in 1998 either," the girl, Hermione Granger, said.

Tom gasped, just barely managing to keep quiet. Incredible, Avens was from fifty-four years in the future she could be unbelievably useful to him. He just needed to figure out the best way to do what he could to keep close to her. He still had a year of school left, and she looked to be his age. But what if Avens was finished with school already? He vowed right then and there that he would do whatever he had to in order to keep her close.

"Can you tell me who Lord Voldemort is?" Professor Dippet asked after he finished his Legilimency.

Tom's next gasp was louder. Not only was Avens from the future, she either knew him or knew of him in the future. His plan was set. He would use whatever means necessary to get close to her. Avens would be invaluable to his future.

Tom let the door close. Nothing else Avens had to say was nearly as important as the fact that she knew who he was, and from 1998, that was fifty-four years from now. He wondered if he was famous in the future, and that's how she knew him. Or if he and she were...colleagues. He would have to ponder it.

Tom was a little surprised Avens had acquiesced so easily to the Legilimency by Dippet. Maybe she knew Dippet in the future too. Tom had been taking his own lessons from Professor Dippet for the last two years, learning Legilimency and Occlumency. Tom wasn't nearly as skilled as Professor Dippet, but he was getting better. One day, he would surpass him; he was sure.

There was a lot to think about: Avens was from the future, sent back impossibly far into the past via Time-Turner. Tom didn't know that much about Time-Turners, but he was sure they only went back a couple of hours at the most. So how did she get here? And could she find her way back? That was the only part that worried Tom. He was confident in his ability to charm any witch, but if she figured out a way to go back, then Tom would be lost. He would just have to find out as much as he could from her before she figured anything out. Or stop her if he could.

A quick glance at his watch told him it was almost dinner time. He made for the Great Hall with a spring in his step. Things kept looking up for him, and he couldn't wait to speak with Avens alone tomorrow.

June 17, 1944

Tom stopped by the Hospital Wing during his only free period the following day. It was right before dinner and Avens was asleep in her bed, much as she had been for the last two weeks.

He settled in to get some work done on his Ancient Runes assignment, one of his favorite subjects. It could be tedious, but this year, they had begun studying the effects of using Runes in spell casting. Using the right Runes could make wards nigh unbreakable and made rituals and spells that much stronger.