Chapter 1: When the Levee Breaks

Six years difference in body and mind

On the twenty-first birthday, she shall find

Reality twas wrote for her to read

A prophetic warning she must head-

*beep* *beep* *beep*

Ugh, never enough sleep. Clarity thought as she awakened from her fifth dream that week containing that stupid rhyme that seemed to always stop in the same spot. She threw the covers off of her bed and walked into the bathroom. Splashing water on her face, she studied her reflection in the mirror. Dark cayenne curls bounced around her shoulders as she removed the scrunchie from her ponytail, her grey-blue eyes still showing her lack of sleep from the night before, hardly focusing on anything, barely working without her glasses.

Wait, she thought. I know that I always promised myself I'd be happy by my twenty-first birthday. I just didn't think I'd cut it so close.

Clarity had never been an ugly girl, per se. Nor had she ever been insecure. Her complexion had never once been graced with a blemish, sans that one allergic reaction she had to when she began attempting makeup at age fourteen and the dusting of freckles over her nose and cheeks. The curls she was naturally given were tight yet loose, the perfect combination of beach waves and ringlets, with a color difficult to get from a box. Not to mention that her eyes had always been the mesmerizing color of stormy waters, easily the prettiest thing about her by far. She had never been too thin, nor would she have ever considered herself large. No, her body was a bit hourglass-shaped, fuller at the top and in her bottom, coming in just enough at the waist and toned enough by her many years of cheerleading and kickboxing. If anything, Clarity had almost always been the picture of beauty. But she had never been truly happy in her skin, something had always been missing. Today though, she felt as though that something was finally right, or rather it would be soon.

"Clarity Mckenzie, if you don't get your hind end down these stairs right now we are never going to beat the traffic back to Georgia!" Her mom screamed from down the stairs of her loft. Clarity threw on a black cropped tank and denim shorts, as well as her belt and high tops, running down the stairs.

"Remind me again, mom, why I decided to move back home on my birthday?" Clarity asked, blowing a stray curl out of her face. "I am not looking forward to sitting in a car, much less a U-Haul, for a quarter of the day when I'd much rather be getting drunk for the first time." Her mom let out a laugh.

"I think you mean legally drunk, baby girl. Don't think your sister doesn't tell me stories that I wish you had told me in the first place. Now let's hit the road". Climbing into the moving truck with her mother, Clarity admired the woman's features. Kimberly Greene was a beautiful woman, just as the rest of Clarity's family. On the other hand, Clarity could never help but notice the differences in their features. Like the rest of the Greene family, Kimberly had straight blonde hair and bright green eyes, as well as a natural, olive-colored tan, something Clarity had always wanted rather than her own creamy nude skin tone. She had always noticed the differences between her and her mother, her whole family in fact, but today they stood out more than they had her entire life.

"I love you, C Mack, you know that right?" Her mother's declaration broke Clarity out of her trance. There was an odd look in Kimberly's eyes.

"I love you too, momma, but where'd that come from? You said it like you always do when I leave, and I'm literally moving home!" Clarity laughed. "I still can't believe I got such an amazing job offer so close, especially straight out of school". Kimberly gulped visibly, though unnoticed by Clarity as she looked out the window at the passing scenery.

"It's amazing, baby. Are you sure you don't want to spend your birthday with your roommates, though? I didn' even see you girls say goodbye".

"We did last night. Are you avoiding taking me home? You can't get rid of me that easy".

"Not at all, Clarity. There are just some things I wish we had discussed before you start this next stage in your life". Kimberly coughed nervously. "Just know that you mean the world to me. Now, why don't you get some sleep so you have the energy to celebrate later? You look pretty tired". Clarity looked at her mother, confused by her tone.

"Okay, momma. Whatever you say". She pats her mother's hand, dozing off to the same rhyme going through her head as few nights prior.

Hours later, after a restless nap for Clarity, her mother shook her awake.

"We're home baby. Come in and say hello to your dad and siblings. We'll worry about unpacking later". Clarity's stormy eyes looked at her mother who, if anything, looked saddened to be home with her whole family back together.

Adjusting her glasses and rubbing the sleep from her eyes, Clarity jumped out the care and walked briskly into her front door, smiling as she saw her father and brother, their bright green eyes shining with love.

"Happy birthday!" They yelled in unison, picking her up in a bear hug.

"I love you, kiddo." said her dad, followed by her brother mumbling, "I love you, big sis".

"I love you both!" she laughed. "Now where's my heathen of a sister?"

"Right here!" her sister screamed, popping a champagne bottle and allowing the spray to go all over Clarity's face, kindly avoiding her clothes. "Happy birthday, Betty. You're twenty- fun years old! Now act like it!" Clarity laughed at the pet name her sister, Kat, gave her for being so "uptight" all the time and quickly wrapped her younger sister up in a hug.

"I missed you too, Kitty Kat. I love you and thank you for the lovely refreshment."

"Anytime, Clarity. Now come on, get dressed so we can go grab some of your friends and get you blacked out!" Kat smiled eagerly.

"Actually," Clarity's father, David, interjected. "There's something we need to talk to you all about first. Why don't we all sit in the living room?" He looked nervous.

The family of five moved to sit on the leather sectional in the living room, surrounding the burning fireplace and the three siblings looking intently at their parents. The youngest of the three, Elijah, was the one to voice the question they were all thinking.

"Are we moving again? Is that why you aren't bothering to unpack Clarity's things? Because no offense but I'm about to graduate and I will move in with a friend until I do if I have to. You can't just expect us to-"

"Calm down, Elijah." Kimberly interrupted him. "That's not what this is about, though it is along those lines. We are about to face a change, a change your father and I did not expect would come as soon as it did". She wiped a stray tear from her face. Clarity grabbed her hand.

"Then what is it, momma? What's goin' on?"

"Maybe it's best I explain that." A figure emerged from the shadows, dressed oddly in a fluorescent orange suit with a lavender robe over top. He wore wire-rimmed, half-moon glasses, a sort of twinkle in his eye showing through. But the oddest part was how both his hair and beard reached his waistline.

Odd, Clarity thought. He looks almost exactly how you would picture- no. That's impossible. It must just be a coincidence.

"Kids," David spoke. "This is Albus Dumbledore. He's here to take Clarity".

Everything went black.

Clarity's eyes fluttered open, her head in her sister's lap. Quickly scanning her surroundings, she realized that those words spoken by her father were, in fact, true.

But they can't have been. She thought. There's no way.

"Ah," the supposed Albus Dumbledore said. "We are immensely pleased to have you back with us, Clarity. Your lovely family and I were just discussing the terms of my visit today".

Looking around again, Clarity realized that her mother and sister were holding each other, tears streaming freely down their faces. Just as well, her brother and father were doing that "manly" thing where they hold back tears, fists, and jaws both clenched as they looked straight ahead.

"I'm sorry, sir" Clarity said. "I'm just a little confused. Who are you again? Because there's no way that your name is actually Albus Dumbledore". His eyes twinkled and the corners of his mouth turned up.

"My dear Clarity, we have much to discuss. But that will come later. For now, all you must know is that yes, I am that Albus Dumbledore. From the books which I believe are sitting in a trunk on that moving van in your driveway". He smiled more as Clarity's eyes grew wide, wondering how he possibly could have known that.

"No, no, no" Clarity stood up, beginning to pace the floor of her parents' living room. "This is it then. The other shoe dropped. The floodgates have opened. The levee broke. Whatever you want to call it, I am going insane. You can't be real. Harry Potter is not real. It is a work of fiction. You have to be some sort of con artist or a-"

"He is telling you the truth, babe" David interrupted. Clarity stopped dead in her tracks, simply shaking her head.

"When the levee breaks, you've got to move" Dumbledore responded. "I always did love a good muggle tune".

"What do you mean?" Clarity asked. "I have to move? That can't possibly be.." She watched as her mother started to nod, replying "It is, baby girl. You're leaving us. There is so much that we wish we could explain, so much that we should have explained. We didn't think today would come so quickly. Everything that Mr. Dumbledore is going to tell and show you today is one hundred percent true, but even still know this. We love you, C Mack. We always have and always will". The rest of Clarity's family nodded, bringing in a group hug.

Clarity immediately began sobbing. "I don't understand!" She said. "What is going on? I'm in an institution, right? In a drug-induced haze or something". David kissed his daughter's head, a tear finally falling from the well in his eyes. "It's all real, Clarity. It'll all make sense soon. We are so thankful for and so unbelievably proud of you".

They all looked at Clarity, then at each other. Elijah sucked in a breath, nodding at Dumbledore. "Do it now, sir. Please. We love you, big sister. Always". Clarity's sister mouthed "I love you" one last time. Dumbledore looked at Clarity and said "I'm sorry, dear girl", then pointed his wand at the Greene family and clearly stated "Obliviate". Clarity realized what was happening a moment too late, with Dumbledore grabbing her arm and turning on his heels just as she dropped to her knees to mourn the loss of her memory, as well as her family.

With a quick pop, Clarity and Dumbledore were in a field- a familiar one at that. To the best of Clarity's memory, it was the field in which she had learned to play almost any sport she ever played, as well as the field where she would go to read Harry Potter when she was younger- her escape. She dropped to her knees.

"What just happened? WHY did you do that? What gives you the RIGHT to do that to my family? HOW are you doing this? I have to be going crazy. There's no way this is real." Clarity started blabbering, a habit she often took up when she was nervous.

"All in due time, my child," Dumbledore said. "For now, I will just give you the gist of things, for we do not have much time until I need to be back without reaping consequences. Sit, please". Clarity pulled her legs in to sit in the grass, thinking of how odd it was to see a man of Albus Dumbledore's stature in criss-cross position, especially in that outfit.

"Okay, I'm listening", Clarity responded.

"I fear that it may not make much sense at first", Dumbledore began. "But, as I said, we will have more time later. As we do not have time to spare, please try to take this all in and wait for any questions until we are safely back in my time. Yes, Clarity", he said, noticing her eyes go wide with the previous statement. "I am from another time. As, technically, are you. On the 31st of October in 1981, you were sent to the future, 14 years later. Your family was instructed to allow you to find pleasure in the novels surrounding young Harry's life, however, they were also instructed that on your 21st birthday you were to be sent back so that you may complete a mission. This mission will be revealed once we arrive. The biggest thing that I need you to be aware of is that when we are sent back to my current year of existence, 1993, you will be put back into the body of yourself as a 15-year-old. Your memories and knowledge, on the other hand, will remain intact. You may find yourself capable of things that you are not capable of now, but that is to be expected. Now, we must hurry before anything drastic occurs. Please, Clarity, nod if you understand all that I am saying". Clarity nodded, completely overwhelmed but still aware of Dumbledore's hourglass ring being turned counter-clockwise atop his forefinger.

"Good", Dumbledore smiled. "Then let us begin our journey". He grabbed her hand and Clarity only saw black.