š„ I. A Day of Peace, or the Illusion of It
It began simply.
Hermione tugged Chris from the library with a smirk. "No timelines, no threatsājust butterbeer."
He resisted at first. But how could he deny her?
They strolled through Hogsmeade, the snow painting rooftops in soft silver. Chris laughedāreally laughedāfor the first time in what felt like weeks.
They sat near the fire at the Three Broomsticks. Her hand brushed his. Neither pulled away.
š§ System Notification:š "Bond Deepening⦠Synchronizing Emotional Coresā¦"Warning: Vulnerability Enhances Magical Synergy But May Attract External Forces
Chris leaned in.
ā "If this were the last calm before the stormā¦"
Hermione smiled, eyes glowing.
ā "Then I'm glad I spent it with you."
But even before the words settledā
š® II. The True Archive Awakens
The coin-shaped Chrono Token Dumbledore's echo gave Chris burned hot in his pocket.
A clock somewhereāa real one, beyond timeābegan to chime.
š "Access Approved: True Archive"ā ļø "One Truth Must Be Seen ā One Future Must Be Chosen"
Hogsmeade shimmered around them, fading.
Suddenly they stood inside the Heart of Timeāa place older than magic, where every possible ending was written in mirrored sand.
Voices whispered across infinite paths.
One showed Chris dying to protect Hermione.Another showed Hermione choosing to forget him to save the world.Oneāa golden threadāshowed them surviving, united⦠but ruling in shadow.
Chris reached for it, but a mirror shattered.
š III. The Storm Returns ā But Twisted
From the fragments of fate, three figures emergedāflickering, corrupted by Solan Myrr's influence:
ā” A timeline-twisted Harryāscarred, wandless, and consumed by vengeance
š„ A dark Ron, wand in each hand, eyes empty of joy
š A merged Voldemort-Solan echo, cloaked in both prophecy and paradox
Solan's voice filled the chamber:
ā "You saw the Archive. You chose your future.Now I show you what choosing costs."
He threw forward a Temporal Lanceāstraight at Hermione.
Chris stepped in its path.
š„ SYSTEM TRIGGER: FATAL DECISION BRANCH
Editar𩸠HP Critical ā Soul Fracture Detected š¬ Emergency Protocol: Split Timeline Initiated ā Choose One Path: [1] Let Chris take the hit ā Hermione survives intact [2] Hermione takes the wound ā Chris retains full system power [3] Split the impact ā both survive, but future magic is unstable
Chris looked at her.
And chose: [3].
The blast splitāshattering a chunk of Chris's System Core and Hermione's magical flow.
They collapsed in each other's arms, pain humming through their veins.
But they were still there.
š§ SYSTEM UPDATE:
Editarš System Core Damage: 22% š Bond Status: "Intertwined Souls ā Level 5" š° Time Distortion Stabilized: Partial š Timeline-Twisted Trio Now Active Threats Next Step Unlocked: ā "Forge the Thread of One Ending" ā You and Hermione must now decide what timeline is worth saving⦠and what must be let go. Optional Side Threads Unlocked: š Discover Hermione's alternate magical heritage š§Ŗ Craft the Chrono-Seal Spell ā binds a timeline into permanence āļø Begin assembling allies from fractured timelines