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Chapter Text

The table was loud and busy as they all ate their meal. Someone had decided that they'd take the rest of the day off reading and that meant that the young people would also get out of their lessons. They were eagerly discussing if they could find a chamber big enough to play pick up quidditch and whether Mother Magic would provide them with broomsticks and equipment.

The adults on the other hand were having several serious conversations.

"I just can't fathom why the ministry was not informed that a teacher had died in the school," Amelia said to her colleagues.

None of them responded. They had no explanation to offer. They couldn't believe it either.

"Things are going to have to change at Hogwarts," Moody said gruffly.

"Potter wasn't even offered to see a mind healer," Tonks said in utter bewilderment as she watched Harry explain to his younger self all about Quidditch.

"As much as I hate to say it," Moody growled. "I think Potter should talk to Lucius Malfoy and Augusta Longbottom about Hogwarts Reform. That boy has some good ideas and as much as I dislike the man, Malfoy has the know how to see it done."

They were not the only ones talking about what had happened during the last chapter. The teachers were all sitting together at one end of the long table.

"You're all telling me that I never explained any of that to you?" Albus asked.

"No. I knew that Quirrell had tried to steal the stone," Minerva said crossly, "but I didn't know he was dead or that You-Know-Who was actually in the school."

"What was I thinking?" Albus murmured.

"That's what we'd like to know," his teachers, young and old, said, glaring at him.

"Amelia is going to press for changes," Albus said.

"Yes! And she's not wrong, is she?" Minerva retorted quietly. "We've endangered our students, failed to discipline them correctly, rewarded them for reckless behaviour and completely ignored what they were saying to us. I'd be surprised if we don't have a Parliament of owls descend upon Hogwarts when we return, demanding all our resignations."

The other teachers nodded their agreements. Yes. Their jobs were definitely on the line.

Sirius and Remus were equally focused on their own conversation. "We really need to do something," Sirius was saying.

"I'm not sure there's anything we can do," Remus sighed, "except prove to him that we love him and that his life is just as important as anyone else's."

"But how do we do that?"

"I don't know, Sirius. But I'll tell you something. It won't happen overnight."

The adults failed to notice when all the younger ones left the dining room in search of a place to play quidditch but some time later, they found them in an impressively large cavernous chamber up in the air on broomsticks. The teams weren't divided by house and the adults stood and watched as the younger ones achieved something that none of them ever had. Inter-house unity.

Chapter Text

The next morning everyone was awake bright and early, ready to start the next book. The break the day before had been a blessed relief and they'd had a lot to think about but they were all eager to continue. The young ones - even Ron - went to their defense training without any complaint before joining the adults for breakfast. Everyone was excitably talking about what they were expecting to happen in Harry's second year at Hogwarts.

Draco Malfoy was moaning that they'd have to hear more about the terrible muggles Potter lived with first.

No one could bring themselves to correct the young man however since they were all in full agreement. Hearing about Harry's time with him relatives would not be fun.

They all moved through to the chamber. The aurors were huddled together, parchment and quills ready to make notes. The teachers were sitting together looking nervous. They were really beginning to worry about their jobs, especially the older ones who knew a little more about what had happened over the years Harry had been within the castle. The two Malfoy families were still sitting together but they were now accompanied by the two Andromedas and her husband Ted. Sirius and Remus were sitting together and young Harry was sitting beside young Neville on the ground in front of their sofa. Older Harry was sitting on a nearby sofa with Ron and Hermione, muttering about all the things they were bound to get into trouble for in this reading.

Just as Professor Flitwick was raising his wand to start the charm on the book, there was another blinding light and Mother Magic appeared looking slightly harrassed.

Everyone got to their feet to offer her a bow and then she quieted them all down with a small smile. "No reason to be alarmed. My sister, Lady Fate, insisted that I visit you before you started the next reading. She insists that we give you the opportunity to bring more people here. Personally, I think she just wants to make things more complicated but unfortunately, she won several bets we placed on your reactions to the last book, and this is her prize. So, I'm supposed to ask you if there's anyone particular you'd like to join us."

Draco was the first to speak. "Anyone but the Dursleys."

Everyone laughed including Mother Magic. Although Sirius looked like he'd like nothing better than to have the Dursleys in the chamber so he could use them as target practice for the new wand that Ollivander had made him just yesterday afternoon. Mother Magic looked at him knowingly and said, "No violence, remember."

Everyone was quiet for a moment, considering their various options.

"I'd quite like Cedric Diggory to join us," Harry said. "If we can avoid his death, that would be great. Plus maybe his parents. Maybe if Mr Diggory realised how hard Cedric worked to make him proud..." He stopped speaking abruptly when he realised that absolutely everyone was looking at him.

"Yeah, and that has nothing to do with your obsession with quidditch players," Hermione teased. She'd always suspected that Harry might have a crush on the older boy.

"Huh? No. I just think it would be good for him to be here," Harry muttered, blushing brightly.

"Very well," Mother Magic said. "Any one else?"

"What about Theo?" young Draco asked, thinking of his best friend. He'd been surprised when the other boy wasn't in the chamber with him.

"Just Theodore or his father too?" Mother Magic asked with a strange edge to her voice.

"Just Theo. He doesn't really get along with his father." Draco looked nervous like he expected her to say no. He was taken aback when she smiled widely at him and nodded her agreement.

"What about non wix?" Harry asked.

Mother Magic smiled again. "Don't worry about your magical brethren, my child. They are more aware of what is happening here than you realise."

"What about the minister or someone else from the ministry?" someone asked.

Harry almost growled. He really did not like Fudge.

"Unfortunately, there are not many in the ministry I would trust with the knowledge I am awarding you," Mother Magic said. "Especially your current minister and those closest to him."

Albus wondered if he should ask for some of the other members of the order of the phoenix. He wasn't sure who he would ask for though and he was beginning to think he'd be better off trusting Mother Magic's judgement. Clearly, he'd made several mistakes. And not just small ones either. No. He wouldn't ask for anyone. Not even his brother.

"If there's no one else you'd like to join you at this time," Mother Magic flashed away with another blinding light and in her place stood a small crowd of very confused people. There were two Mr and Mrs Diggorys and a young Cedric and two Theos.

The two Theos made a beeline for Draco before giving each other a strange look.

"What the hell is going on?" the older one asked.

At the same time both Amos Diggorys had raised their wands and were aiming it at the entire chamber. "That's what I'd like to know!"

The older Mrs Diggory on the other hand, had noticed her son, and quickly fell about crying. She must be dead. That was the only explanation she could find for why her beautiful boy was standing in front of her. Amos's eyes landed on her before looking at their son. "Ced, my boy."

He rushed forward, engulfing him in a warm hug as his other self looked startled. Was someone using polyjuice and pretending to be himself and his wife?

Albus tried to explain the current situation as best he could and the entire chamber tried to describe what had happened in the first book, leaving all of the new arrivals looking dumbfounded.

"This can't be real!" Amos said gruffly before he noticed the death eaters in the room. He pushed his family behind him, his younger self included, and raised his wand once more. "What are they doing here?"

"They were brought here by Mother Magic," Albus said softly. "Just as you yourself were."

Amos looked like he wanted to argue but his wife pulled him over to one of the available sofas while his younger self was dragged to the one next to it by his own wife.

Albus got a thoughtful look. "I wonder..." He reached over for the first book and cast a quick spell so there were now an extra seven copies. One for each of the new arrivals. He hovered the books over to them and advised them to read them in their own time. After that, Professor Flitwick started the spell on the second book and the narration kicked in once again.

Not for the first time... “If you can’t control that owl, it’ll have to go!”

"Argh, I really hate your uncle, Potter," Draco said with a shudder. "Are all muggles like him?"

"No. Some are okay," Harry said with a shrug.

Harry tried, yet again, to explain... He exchanged dark looks with his wife, Petunia.

"They were keeping Hedwig locked up?" Ginny asked, looking horrified.

Harry tried to argue back... “I want more bacon.”

"His manners are truly terrible," Narcissa said with a tut.

“There’s more in the frying pan... grinned and turned to Harry.

"That boy is a heart attack waiting to happen," the younger Poppy grumbled.

“Pass the frying pan.”... veins throbbing in his temples.

"I don't get it," Sirius complained. "What did you do?"

"Said the word magic," Harry answered softly. He really hated this and they'd only just started.

"But it's just a word," Sirius said.

"Not to my uncle, it isn't."

“I meant ‘please’!”... pounding the table with his fist.

"It was hardly a threat," Remus growled.

“I just—”... watching Harry closely out of the corners of his small, sharp eyes.

"Abnormalities?" several of the wix gathered looked offended.

Ever since Harry... He missed Hogwarts so much it was like having a constant stomachache.

"Come to think of it," Harry muttered. "That was probably just hunger." Even when the Dursleys let him eat, it wasn't much.

He missed the castle... and fourteen players on broomsticks).

"It really sucked being back," Harry told Hermione and Ron.

All Harry’s spellbooks... the instant Harry had come home.

"They took your wand?" Mr Ollivander demanded heatedly. "How dare they!"

"How did you do your homework?" Severus asked.

"I didn't."

What did the Dursleys care if Harry lost his place on the House Quidditch team... (not a drop of magical blood in their veins),

"Actually, your aunt and cousins are squibs," Albus said. "They just don't have enough magic in their underdeveloped cores to be allowed entrance to Hogwarts."

and as far as they were concerned... to stop her from carrying messages to anyone in the wizarding world.

"That's terrible," young Luna said with wide eyes.

Young Ron looked at the small girl and gave her a weak smile. "I'm sure she'll be okay."

Harry looked nothing like the rest of the family... lightning shaped scar.

"Personally, I'm glad you don't look like them," Hermione laughed.

It was this scar... nobody understood why Voldemort’s powers had been destroyed the instant he had failed to kill Harry.

"Why is the book repeating itself?" Fred grumbled. "We already know all this."

So Harry had been brought up... but to ignore it completely…

"What did they usually do for your birthday?" Ron asked.

"Nothing much. I usually had slightly less chores," Harry said with a shrug.

At that moment... (Uncle Vernon’s company made drills).

"Bet he did that on purpose, the bastard," Sirius growled.

Mrs Weasley clucked disapprovingly but managed to hold her tongue.

“I think we should run... “They’ll love him!” cried Aunt Petunia rapturously.

Several people laughed. "Did they really have to go over how to be polite?" Draco asked with a smirk.

“Excellent, Dudley,”... “I’ll be in my bedroom, making no noise and pretending I’m not there,” said Harry tonelessly.

Both Sirius and Remus growled at that.

“Exactly,”... “My perfect little gentleman!” sniffed Aunt Petunia.

The younger twins did an imitation of Dudley that had the entire chamber erupting with laughter. Even their mother couldn't bring herself to tell them off.

“And you?”... “I’ll be in my room, making no noise and pretending I’m not there,” said Harry dully.

Another growl, this time from more than just Harry's father's old friends.

“Precisely... “I’ll be in my room, making no noise and pretending I’m not there,” he said.

"I really wish we'd asked Mother Magic to bring them here," Sirius growled, momentarily forgetting the no violence rule.

“Too right, you will,”... any better in Majorca than they did on Privet Drive.

"You actually think they'd have taken us with them?" young Harry asked.

"Not likely," Harry said with a shrug.

“Right... “You stay out of your aunt’s way while she’s cleaning.”

"Your aunt was cleaning?" Minerva asked. She'd had the impression Harry did most of the housework.

"She didn't think I'd do a good enough job when there were guests coming," Harry muttered.

Harry left through the back door... happy birthday to me…”

"Harry, mate, that's seriously depressing," Ron said with a frown. He was really beginning to think he'd been an arse to his best friend. Never appreciating just how lucky he was to be loved by his family.

No cards... spending the evening pretending not to exist.

"Wait!" Sirius said. "Surely, your friends sent you something."

He glared at Ron and Hermione.

"We did. He just didn't get them," Hermione said defensively.

He gazed miserably... Harry missed his best friends, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger.

"AWW. Harry, we missed you too," Hermione said, hugging him close.

They, however,... Ron had said he was going to ask Harry to come and stay.

Everyone was glaring at them. "We wrote!" Ron said pointedly.

"The book will explain," Harry said with a shrug.

Countless times... locking him in the cupboard under the stairs with his wand and broomstick.

"I'll kill them if they tried that again," Sirius promised and Harry couldn't help but wonder how his godfather would react to everything that happened that summer.

For the first couple of weeks back... and now Ron and Hermione had forgotten his birthday.

"WE DIDN'T!" Ron and Hermione both said. Everyone was still glaring at them and it was beginning to bother them.

What wouldn’t he give now... Draco Malfoy, just to be sure it hadn’t all been a dream…

"HEY!" Draco glowered at Harry.

Not that his whole year at Hogwarts had been fun... remembering his livid face, his wide, mad eyes—

"Should have seen a mind healer," Narcissa said sharply.

Harry suddenly sat bolt upright... Two enormous green eyes had appeared among the leaves.

"What the hell?" Sirius demanded, jumping to his feet.

"I thought his house was supposed to be a secure location," Amelia said thoughtfully.

Harry jumped to his feet... “So you’ve finally learned the days of the week.”

All of the younger people in the chamber laughed.

“Today’s your birthday,”... “Better not let your mum hear you talking about my school,” said Harry coolly.

"That little shit!" Sirius complained.

"SIRIUS!" Both Mrs Weasleys screeched.

"What?"

"Language!"

Sirius merely shrugged, returning his attention to the book.

Dudley hitched up his trousers... Dudley stumbled backward at once, a look of panic on his fat face.

Severus and all the slytherins smirked. Even Albus looked a little entertained, not that he'd ever admit it.

“You c-can’t—... squiggly wiggly—”

"What was that?" Ron asked.

"A lot of the words muggles use in pretend magic tricks come from actual spells," Hermione said, entering lecture mode, "such as abracadabra - which no doubt comes from the killing curse."

“MUUUUUUM!”... she aimed a heavy blow at his head with the soapy frying pan.

"How dare she!" Mrs Weasley screeched once again. The other mothers in the room looked just as horrified. Amelia was making notes, carefully cataloging everything.

Then she gave him work to do,... and repainted the garden bench.

"That's far too much to do in one day," Madam Pomfrey complained.

The sun blazed overhead... sweat running down his face.

"You most likely had heat stroke by the time you were finished," Madam Pomfrey said. She didn't like this. This should never have happened to the boy.

"I don't get it," Theo said. "Why would they make you do chores?"

"They don't like me and they don't like magic," Harry said with a shrug.

"Yeah but... My dad doesn't like me and he doesn't make me do chores," Theo said gruffly.

Harry didn't really know what to say to that but he was luckily saved by Severus Snape of all people.

"Abuse takes many shapes, Mr Nott. Sometimes, it's physical violence, others negligence, still other times it is emotional, and sometimes it is... well, sometimes it is sexual in nature. Regardless of how a person is abused, it is still abuse."

It was half past seven... pointing to two slices of bread and a lump of cheese on the kitchen table.

"That's all she's going to give you?" young Poppy asked. "After all that work?"

She was already wearing a salmon pink cocktail dress... “Remember, boy—one sound—”

"Argh, have I told you Potter that I really hate your uncle?" Draco said with a glower.

"Yeah. You did." Harry grinned at the other boy.

"Good. Just thought you ought to know."

Harry crossed to his bedroom on tiptoe... there was already someone sitting on it.

"Who?" Sirius demanded.

"How could someone get into the house?" Tonks asked.

"So much for Blood wards," Severus murmured.

Chapter Text

"I can't believe the chapter ended then!" Sirius complained.

"Talk about a cliffhanger," Remus agreed.

Harry managed not to shout out, but it was a close thing.

"Why? Who was it?" Sirius demanded.

The little creature on the bed had large... “May I take your coats, Mr. and Mrs. Mason?”

"What is it?" Remus asked, clearly displeased by the small amount of information that the book had provided thus far.

The creature slipped off the bed... with rips for arm and leg holes.

"A house elf?" Sirius asked, looking confused. "What was a house elf doing there?"

“Er—hello,”... Such an honor it is…”

"Wait! Did he just say his name was Dobby?" Both Draco's asked, looking between themselves and the book.

Lucius, the elder one, groaned. This book would not make him look good at all. Then again, he couldn't imagine any of the books would make him look good. Come to think of it, he'd be lucky not to end up in Azkaban when these books were finished.

“Th-thank you,”... “Who are you?”

"Polite even to house elves," George said. "That's our Harrykins."

“Dobby, sir... “Sit down,” said Harry politely, pointing at the bed.

"That was a mistake if you want him to be quiet," Sirius said with a chuckle.

To his horror,... “I didn’t mean to offend you or anything.”

"Harry, Harry, Harry..." George shook his head.

"House elves everywhere idolise Harry Potter," Luna said sweetly. "Because he's so respectful."

"I'm sure that's an exaggeration," Harry muttered, blushing slightly.

“Offend Dobby!”... an expression of watery adoration.

"Oh, dear, you have a new fan," Remus teased.

“You can’t have met many decent wizards,”... “Bad Dobby! Bad Dobby!”

"What is he doing?" young Hermione asked, her eyes wide with horror.

"He's punishing himself," Lucius said with a frown. "He's inadvertently offended the family he serves by agreeing with Heir Potter and so feels he must punish himself."

Harry struggled not to glare at the older man.

“Don’t—what are you doing?”... bound to serve one house and one family forever…”

"Well, that's just..." young Hermione was lost for words, surprising everyone. But it didn't last long. "Barbaric! How can wizards keep slaves?"

"It's not as simple as that, Hermione," Harry tried to say, but even older Hermione was glaring at him now. "What 'Mione? It's not that simple."

"It really is." She crossed her arms over her chest.

"House elves are not like wix," Lucius decided to explain. "Their own magic is unstable. Their cores have not evolved to contain as much magic as they are capable of. It's believed to be the result of a curse or a genetic mutation or something. Although no one is quite sure."

"That doesn't excuse keeping them as slaves!" young Hermione screeched.

"Manners, Miss Granger," Minerva said crossly. "Perhaps, if you listen, you might understand."

Lucius nodded at the head of Gryffindor before continuing. "As their magic cannot be contained within their cores, it escapes, literally into the world around them and it kills them. Usually before they even reach adulthood. For this reason, the house elves came to the wix for help. They requested that they bond with magical families so that the wixen magic can stabalise their core and help them keep their magic. It is a tradition among purebloods that we uphold the intention and honour of that agreement by giving house elves a place in our families."

"So, you're saying they become part of the family?" Hermione asked, wondering about how Dobby had been treated.

"Yes. They are family. They serve us, yes. Mostly because they enjoy the work," Lucius said with a small smile, remembering several house elves from his own childhood who he had deeply cared for. At least, until his father had realised and killed them in front of him. He'd learned quickly after that never to show his true feelings. Especially in front of his father. "There are exceptions of course. Some wix will abuse their house elves and take advantage of the bond but for the most part it is respected, cherished even."

"It's true," Sirius said. "My family's house elf was more like a nanny or a favourite uncle. Although he never forgave me for leaving home."

"You said there are exceptions?" young Hermione asked. "So what is done to protect them? What laws are in place to safeguard them?"

"Not enough," Lucius admitted. "In the interest of full disclosure, I will tell you that Dobby is a Malfoy house elf."

Young Hermione's mouth dropped open. "But you just said..."

"Yes. I did didn't I?" Lucius laughed hollowly. "My father was a cruel master. He punished our elves for the smallest infraction, oftentimes, making up an infraction just so he could punish them. He would encourage them to give themselves extra punishments and he'd do it all with a twisted, gleeful look on his face. He was not a kind man. Though I suppose that was never to be expected from one of the Dark Lord's closest friends and allies."

Narcissa took her husband's hand in her own. She knew how much her husband hated talking about his father. The man smiled sadly at his wife before continuing.

"When I was a child, my father felt I was a little too attached to two of the house elves in our home. My nanny elf and one of her children. He killed them in front of me. And in front of Hoddy's other child." There were actual tears in his eyes now. "Dobby never forgave my father, not that I blame him. And I think he probably blamed me too for what happened. I know I certainly did. After that my father was especially cruel to Dobby and nothing I could do would help. Especially as I look so much like Abraxas."

There was silence in the chamber. "One thing you might not know about house elves is that they will often follow the orders of their masters even after death. And that is what happened to poor Dobby. He continued punishing himself because that is what his master wanted. And no order from me ever stopped him - well, it would in the moment but then the next time I would see him, he'd have new self-inflicted wounds and if I told him off, he'd just punish himself for disappointing me. I couldn't help him. I didn't know how."

“Do they know you’re here?”... If they ever knew, sir—”

"I've never told him to do that," Lucius said. "I would have been surprised, angry even - especially if he's about to tell you family secrets - but no, I wouldn't have punished him."

“But won’t they notice... Sometimes they reminds me to do extra punishments…”

"Abraxas did indeed do that. It doesn't help that his portrait is still hanging in the manor," young Lucius said gruffly.

“But why don’t you leave?... Dobby will serve the family until he dies, sir…”

"Why haven't you freed him?" Hermione asked, her voice less shrill than moments ago. "If you honestly care about him?"

"His magic," Lucius reminded her. "I'd be handing him a death sentence."

Harry stared... Dobby never knew…”

"Yup. Dobby is a fan!" Sirius laughed. "I wonder if you can work that magic on Kreacher too."

Harry, who was feeling distinctly hot in the face... He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named.”

"He heard a lot about you in our household," young Narcissa said. "Draco always wanted to hear about the boy-who-lived. You were the one that rescued his father from the Dark Lord's service. You were his hero."

Both Dracos blushed at that. "MUM!"

“Voldemort?”... Speak not the name!”

"Even house elves are scared of saying his name?" Hermione asked and several people nodded.

“Sorry”... Thinking about Ron was painful, too.

"I can't believe you actually thought we'd just forgotten about you," Ron said. "We wouldn't just abandon you like that."

Dobby leaned toward Harry... that Harry Potter escaped yet again.”

"Where did he hear that?" Lucius asked aloud. "I never told him that. I had no idea."

Harry nodded... Harry Potter must not go back to Hogwarts.”

Lucius groaned. Yes. This was going to make him look very bad indeed. And he wondered if these people would believe him if he told them the truth. That he'd made a mistake. So focused on emptying his house of anything that could get him or his family into trouble during a raid, he'd stumbled across the long forgotten diary. He'd foolishly picked up the book and started trying to work out why the Dark Lord had left it with him. That had been a terrible mistake because quickly he started losing track of time and somehow, though he wasn't completely sure how, he'd ended up giving the diary to a small child. Mistake number two. Even now he could barely remembered the altercation that led to him putting it in young Ginny Weasley's cauldron.

"What's he talking about Lucius?" Narcissa asked at the same time her cousin made his own demand for information.

"I'm sure it will all come out sooner or later," Lucius said with a sigh. "Suffice it to say, I wasn't in my right mind that summer. Not that that is an excuse for my actions. I knew better."

"Well, I know that. You spent most of the summer camped out in your office, muttering to yourself."

There was a silence... If Harry Potter goes back to Hogwarts, he will be in mortal danger.”

"Just what did you do Malfoy?" Sirius growled.

Lucius didn't know how to answer that question. In all honesty, he still didn't understand his decision process that summer.

“Why?”... He is too important, sir!”

"What about the rest of us?" Dean Thomas asked with mock annoyance.

Seamus laughed. "He only cares about the Boy-Who-Lived. The little folk don't matter, Dean."

The boys both smiled at Harry by way of expressing their hope that he'd know that they weren't serious and he grinned back at them.

“What terrible things?”... banged his head frantically against the wall.

"He can't tell you," Sirius said. "Probably been sworn to keep it secret."

Sirius glared at Lucius who nodded his head. "I believe so. I don't really recall much of that summer. But no doubt if I knew Dobby was aware, I would have sworn him to secrecy."

"Are you saying you were under the imperius curse?" Moody demanded. "You can't expect us to fall for that again, Malfoy."

"Not the imperius, no. It wasn't a curse so much as a cursed object. In fact, something far more sinister than a cursed object."

“All right!”... “He hasn’t got a brother, has he?”

"Oh Harry!" Hermione shook her head.

Dobby shook his head... powers no decent wizard…”

"I'm surprised to hear your elf speak so favorably of me, Lucius," Albus said with his usual twinkle.

"I might not like how you manage Hogwarts, but I can certainly respect magical ability."

And before Harry could stop him... flinging himself onto the bed just as the door handle turned.

"Oh, no. Your uncle is going to be furious," Hermione sighed, hiding behind a cushion.

“What—the—devil—are—you—doing?”... “Friends who don’t even write to Harry Potter?” said Dobby slyly.

"That sneaky elf has been stealing your letters," Moody growled.

"Did you press charges, Mr Potter?" Amelia asked.

"Press charges?"

"You could have charged the Malfoy family with the theft of your letters since it was their elf that took them."

"Yeah, I didn't do that."

“I expect they’ve just been... if he gives Dobby his word that he will not return to Hogwarts.

"You better not promise him anything," Sirius growled. "He's hoping for a magical vow."

Ah, sir... sprinted down the stairs.

"What the hell is he going to do?" Lee Jordan asked, sitting on the edge of his seat. Who knew Potter's life was so dramatic?

Mouth dry... “Say it, sir…”

"Dobby has always been one of our more sneaky elves," Lucius said, almost proudly.

“I can’t—”... for Harry Potter’s own good.”

"I hate it when people say that," Harry muttered.

The pudding... promised Harry he would flay him to within an inch of his life when the Masons had left,

"If he touched you, I'll kill him," Sirius said.

and handed him a mop... and to ask whether this was their idea of a joke.

"Who the hell sent the owl? That's a breach of the statute of secrecy!" Amelia complained.

Harry stood in the kitchen... twelve minutes past nine.

"Please tell me that owl was not sent by an idiot at the ministry?" Amelia grumbled.

As you know... International Confederation of Warlocks’ Statute of Secrecy.

"Like sending an owl to a muggle house," Amelia growled. "Whoever sent that letter is going on probation! Where the hell were the obliviation squad? Why weren't the DMLE informed?"

Enjoy your holidays!... Ministry of Magic

"I'll have Hopkirk's job for this!" Amelia said.

"It hasn't happened yet," Moody said with a smirk.

"I don't care. If she's not followed proper procedure once, she's done it twice. And I'll find the evidence."

Harry looked up from the letter... I’m locking you up…

"That's it," Sirius said. "That man's life is forfeit. You'll either put him in Azkaban, Amelia, or I swear, I'll take the law into my own hands."

"We don't usually put muggles in Azkaban, Lord Black."

"Make an exception. Hurting a magical child should be reason enough."

"I can't promise Azkaban but I'll see him tried for child abuse," Amelia promised.

You’re never going back to that school… he dragged Harry back upstairs.

"Did anyone check on you after this? Albus? The ministry?" Sirius asked, struggling to contain his anger.

Harry shook his head. "No."

Albus buried his head in his hands. How had it come to this? What had he been thinking?

Uncle Vernon was as bad as his word... Otherwise, he was locked in his room around the clock.

Both Remus and Sirius growled. Sirius was now pacing about the chamber. And Severus had to offer him a calming draught.

Three days later... Hogwarts would expel him for doing it?

"We wouldn't have expelled you for that," young Minerva said.

"If you believed me," Harry countered.

Yet life at Privet Drive had reached an all-time low... he’d probably starve to death anyway.

"Tell me they at least fed you?" Augusta asked sternly.

"Yeah, a bit."

No one dared ask what that meant.

The cat flap rattled... he drank half of it in one gulp.

"Azkaban," Sirius said again, "or so help me..."

Then he crossed the room... somehow even hungrier than he had been before the soup.

"That's because you were," Madam Pomfrey said. "You were given enough to wet your appetite, the promise of sustenance without any actual sustenance."

Supposing he was still alive... Would they be able to make the Dursleys let him go?

"Of course, we would come for you, Mr Potter," Minerva said. "And I would not allow the Dursleys to stop me taking you."

The room was growing dark... laughing at him.

"You have the weirdest dreams, mate," Ron said with a grin.

“Stop it,”... Ron Weasley was outside Harry’s window.

"What? How is that possible? Your room wasn't on the ground floor," someone said.

"Magic," said Ron and George in unison.

Chapter Text

“Ron,”... which was parked in midair.

Amelia shook her heads. Just how many people had broken the law in the years Harry Potter was at Hogwarts? "A flying car? You have got to be kidding me!"

Both Arthurs looked suddenly sheepish and their wives were glaring at them.

Grinning at Harry... you’d got an official warning for using magic in front of Muggles—”

"And he'll probably get another one after your little stunt," Moody growled.

“It wasn’t me... “Oh, this doesn’t count,” said Ron.

"It counts, Mr Weasley," Amelia said. "The only reason you potentially got away with it is because it couldn't be tracked."

“We’re only borrowing this... the Ministry’Il think that’s the second spell I’ve done in three days, so—”

"You really thought they'd leave you there?" Sirius and Remus asked.

“Stop gibbering,”... “Don’t worry,” said Fred, “and stand back.”

"You do of course realise this is a terrible idea?" Severus asked, his eyebrow raised.

Harry moved back into the shadows next to Hedwig... but there was no sound from the Dursleys’ bedroom.

"You cannot tell me none of the muggles heard that," Amelia said with a shake of her head.

When the bars... “Out of the way, Harry.”

Mrs Weasley was horrified. She couldn't believe that not only hadn't she listened to her children when they'd told her about the bars on Harry's window, but that they'd endangered themselves like this, not to mention the statute of secrecy. She was sitting with her fists clenched, about to explode and trying her very hardest not to.

Fred and George climbed... even if they are a bit slow.”

"Just where did you learn to do that?" young Mrs Weasley demanded angrily.

"I taught them," young Arthur said. "It seemed like a good idea at the time. Useful skill to have."

There was a small click... Harry heard Uncle Vernon cough.

"This is going to go wrong, isn't it?" Sirius asked.

At last, panting, they reached the landing... “THAT RUDDY OWL!”

"HEDWIG!" Luna cried. "Please don't tell me you forgot her?"

“I’ve forgotten Hedwig!”

"Harry, how could you?" Luna looked truly offended.

"It wasn't intentional," Harry said with a sad smile. Hedwig meant the world to him.

Harry tore back across the room... dived at Harry, grabbing him by the ankle.

"GET OFF MY GODSON!" Sirius shouted.

Ron, Fred, and George seized Harry’s arms... he’d slammed the door shut—

"I imagine that hurt, Mr Potter," Poppy said with a frown. "Did you receive medical treatment?"

"Er... I think I sprained it. It was okay though."

"It was certainly not okay for your guardian to manhandle you in such a way," young Poppy said crossly. "You should have been removed from his care. My colleagues and I have failed you. I'm sorry."

“Put your foot down, Fred!”... “See you next summer!” Harry yelled.

"Do not draw attention to yourself," Moody growled. "Your relatives might know about magic but Merlin knows who else was looking out their window."

The Weasleys roared with laughter... Hedwig soared joyfully out of the window to glide alongside them like a ghost.

"Let me guess, you also taught Ronald," Mrs Weasley asked her husband.

"Er..."

"Mum, dad taught all of us," Bill said. "And he's right, it has been very useful."

“So—what’s the story, Harry?”... “What, you think he was lying to me?” said Harry.

"That would be one hell of a bad prank," Remus said.

"Not at all sportsman like," Sirius agreed.

"James wouldn't have liked it one bit."

"No Remy, no he wouldn't. He was always telling me off for some of my more unfriendly pranks."

"Except when they were aimed as Severus."

"Well... yeah... But he was jealous of Sniv..."

"SIRIUS!" Harry growled.

"Sorry, habit. Habit. I apologise, Severus."

"Why was he jealous?" Severus asked, struggling to believe what he was hearing.

"You were friends with Evans." Sirius shrugged. "That boy was obsessed."

“Well,” said Fred, “put it this way—house-elves have got powerful magic of their own... Can you think of anyone at school with a grudge against you?”

"MALFOY!" all the gryffindors called.

“Yes,”... “He was a big supporter of You-Know-Who.”

Lucius grimaced but he could hardly complain. He'd said the same about Old Dumbles supporters after all.

“And when You-Know-Who disappeared,”... Dad reckons he was right in You-Know-Who’s inner circle.”

Again, Lucius said nothing and Arthur looked apologetic. "I'm sorry. It's not fair that my sons are judging yours because of what I've told them of your past."

"Can't be helped," Lucius said, waving it off. "You spoke the truth after all."

Harry had heard these rumors... Dudley Dursley look like a kind, thoughtful, and sensitive boy…

"That's not true! You take that back, Potter!" Draco growled. They'd been sort of getting along, but Draco really didn't like being compared to the other boy's beast of a cousin.

"Sorry, Malfoy," Harry said with a grimace.

“I don’t know whether the Malfoys own a house-elf…”... he could just see Malfoy strutting around a large manor house.

"HEY!" Draco frowned. "I don't strut."

"You do, son," Lucius murmured quietly. "Or should I say you did. You've grown up a lot since then."

Sending the family servant... Had Harry been stupid to take Dobby seriously?

"Did you report what happened to an adult? A teacher? Mr or Mrs Weasley?" Remus asked.

"Er... No." Harry groaned. He was pretty sure he'd be asked that a lot.

"Why not?"

"Because after this conversation I thought it was just a prank."

“I’m glad we came to get you, anyway... “Said he needed him.”

"You could have told me why you needed him," Percy said seriously. "I didn't realise you were so worried about Harry."

“Percy’s been acting very oddly this summer,”... Fred twiddled the steering wheel.

"I wasn't acting weird," Percy grumbled.

"Percy had a girlfriend," George whistled. "A secret girlfriend."

"I was also sending out feelers for intern positions for the next summer," Percy said.

“So, does your dad know you’ve got the car?”... without Mum noticing we flew it.”

"Not likely," both Bills said at the same time.

“What does your dad do at the Ministry of Magic,... “The Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office.”

"Your father's work is not boring, Ronald," Molly grumbled.

"Yeah, if you love muggles like Dad does."

“The what?”... Dad was working overtime for weeks.”

"Oh, the irony," Amelia said with a grimace. "Breaking your own rules."

"Technically, I didn't break the law," Arthur said but quickly shut up at the glare his wife was sending his way.

“What happened?”... and they had to do Memory Charms and all sorts of stuff to cover it up—”

"There really should be more people in your department," Hermione said with a frown. "There should be an entire department dedicated to dealing with muggles. It shouldn't just be a sub-department, but a department of its own with various sub-departments."

Harry was nodding along so no one argued with her. They had a feeling that if Potter agreed with something, chances are it was going to happen in the future whether they liked it or not. He was Mother Magic's prince after all.

“But your dad—this car—”... It drives Mum mad.”

"Great example you've set for our sons there, Arthur," Mrs Weasley said sharply.

“That’s the main road,”... Several fat brown chickens were pecking their way around the yard.

Draco had an odd look on his face. He'd teased Ron for living in a pig's sty. He now felt like a right shit for it too.

“It’s not much,” said Ron... no one need ever know we flew the car.”

"If you think that will work, I have a cauldron to sell you," Charlie said with a smirk.

“Right,” said Ron... it was remarkable how much she looked like a saber toothed tiger.

Mrs Weasley blushed at the description. 

“Ah,” said Fred... “Have you any idea how worried I’ve been?” said Mrs. Weasley in a deadly whisper.

"Oh dear, it's bad when mum goes quiet," young Bill said.

“Sorry, Mum, but see, we had to—”... we never had trouble like this from Bill or Charlie or Percy—”

"Mum why did you bring us into it?" Percy asked. "This is why the twins prank me so much!"

“Perfect Percy,” muttered Fred... “You could have died, you could have been seen, you could have lost your father his job—”

"No. I'm sorry but if Arthur loses his job over that car, it's his own fault for enchanting it," Amelia said. "You shouldn't put that on your sons."

Mrs Weasley turned abruptly towards the head of the DMLE, looking much like the previously described tiger, ready to pounce.

"Your children were reckless," Amelia said, "but really, it's your responsibility to keep them out of harms way. Not the other way around."

It seemed to go on for hours... “Come in and have some breakfast.”

"Were you scared?" Mrs Weasley wilted. "I never meant to scare you."

"When people shout like that, they usually hit me," young Harry said, eyeing the woman cautiously.

Mrs Weasley moved to get out of her chair - most likely to smoother the boy in a hug - but her husband held her back. "Let's keep reading."

She turned and walked back into the house... “Witching Hour, with the popular singing sorceress, Celestina Warbeck.”

"ARGH! Mum loves her!" All the weasley children complained.

Mrs. Weasley was clattering around... tipping eight or nine sausages onto his plate.

"Please tell me you didn't eat all of that," Poppy said, her eyes wide with panic.

"No. I snuck them onto the other boys plates."

"Good."

"What? Why wouldn't he eat it?" Mrs Weasley asked.

"He was starved. His stomach needed porridge or soup, something easy to digest. Small snacks rather than full meals. He'd have been very unwell if he ate all that."

“Arthur and I have been worried about you, too... “They were starving him, Mum!” said George.

"They told you they were starving him?" Sirius demanded. "What did you do?"

"I thought they were exaggerating," Molly admitted, "to get out of trouble."

"We'd never do that!" George said angrily, crossing his arms and his younger twins were nodding their head in agreement.

“And you!”... gave a small squeal, and ran out again.

Ginny blushed. Merlin, this was going to be embarrassing.

“Ginny,”... she’ll be wanting your autograph, Harry,” Fred said with a grin,

"That's not creepy at all," Sirius said with a grimace.

but he caught his mother’s eye... You’re going to de-gnome the garden for me; they’re getting completely out of hand again—”

"You haven't even talked to them about why they did it," Augusta tutted.

“Oh, Mum—”... I’ve never seen a de-gnoming—”

"Good boy, Harry," Sirius said.

“That’s very sweet of you, dear,... George groaned.

"Godric, how I hate old Lockhart," George said.

"Don't be rude," Mrs Weasley said tersely. She was not enjoying having the whole chamber critique her parenting techniques. Sure, she made mistakes but she'd like to see them raise seven children.

“Mum, we know how to de-gnome a garden—”... it’s a wonderful book…”

Everyone who had had Lockhart for a teacher groaned.

“Mum fancies him,”... when I come out to inspect it.”

"I'm surprised you're punishing them before they've even had time to sleep dear," Arthur whispered. Molly glared at him, quickly shutting the man up.

Yawning and grumbling,... “like fat little Santa Clauses with fishing rods…”

"I'd like to see that," Lucius said.

"I have several," Mr Weasley said. "Your welcome to come over and see them."

"Thank you. I might just do that," the Malfoy patriarch said.

There was a violent scuffling noise,... he grasped it around the ankles and turned it upside down.

"I quite like gnomes," Harry said with a grin.

“This is what you have to do,”... so they can’t find their way back to the gnomeholes.”

"How can that not hurt them?" Hermione asked.

He let go of the gnome’s ankles:... “I bet I can get mine beyond that stump.”

"BARBARIC!" young Hermione cried out.

"No, it's really not," young Luna told the older girl. "They really like it."

"And how do you know that?" young Hermione demanded angrily.

"They told me," the other girl said airily.

Harry learned quickly not to feel too sorry for the gnomes... “Wow, Harry—that must’ve been fifty feet…”

"Good job, Harry!" Charlie cheered.

The air was soon thick with flying gnomes... Dad’s too soft with them; he thinks they’re funny…”

"That's because they are funny," Arthur said.

"We taught them all the naughty words," young Fred said in an undertone, hoping his mother wouldn't hear. This was wishful thinking seeing as how there were two of them.

"GEORGE!" Mrs Weasley screeched.

"I'm Fred," Fred said matter-of-factly.

"Don't play that prank..." Mrs Weasley continued.

"It's not a prank," George answered. "That's Fred. He's not lying to you. Really, every word out of our mouths are not a lie."

Mrs Weasley looked momentarily affronted before looking cowed, going suddenly silent with tears in her eyes.

Just then, the front door slammed... “Nine raids. Nine! And old Mundungus Fletcher tried to put a hex on me when I had my back turned…”

"Damn Mundungus," Amelia growled, making a new note on her parchment.

Mr. Weasley took a long gulp of tea... But the things our lot have taken to enchanting, you wouldn’t believe—”

"Like cars?" young Mrs Weasley said.

“LIKE CARS, FOR INSTANCE?”

Both Mr Weasleys gulped.

Mrs. Weasley had appeared,... while really he was enchanting it to make it fly.”

"Are you scared of your wife, Arthur?" Kingsley asked with a smirk.

"Wouldn't you be?" the other man asked.

Mr. Weasley blinked... As long as he wasn’t intending to fly the car, the fact that the car could fly wouldn’t—”

"Really?" Tonks asked, looking at her colleagues for confirmation. They quickly nodded their heads.

“Arthur Weasley,... Harry arrived this morning in the car you weren’t intending to fly!”

"She's got you there, old friend," Kingsley said with a grin.

“Harry?” said Mr. Weasley blankly. “Harry who?”

"Best reaction ever," Harry said with a smile.

He looked around,... “that—that was very wrong, boys—very wrong indeed…”

Mr Weasley glanced at his wife. He would probably get in trouble for this all over again thanks to these books.

“Let’s leave them to it,”... a pair of bright brown eyes staring at him before it closed with a snap.

"Yup, definitely creepy," Sirius muttered, glaring at the young girl.

“Ginny,”... “Ninth in the league.”

"How can you support the canons?" Draco asked. "There are only nine positions in the British league!"

Ron’s school spellbooks... the Mad Muggle.

"The mad muggle? Really?" young Hermione looked angry again. "Are all wizards derogatory of muggles?"

"Pretty much, yeah," Hermione said.

Ron’s magic wand was lying on top of a fish tank full of frog spawn on the windowsill,

"No respect for your wand," Ollivander said with a grimace.

next to his fat gray rat, Scabbers, who was snoozing in a patch of sun.

Ron, Hermione and Harry all exchanged a look that mostly went unnoticed by the others.

Young Ron groaned. "I forgot Scabbers is missing!"

"WHAT?" Ron, Harry and Hermione all jumped to their feet, surprising everyone.

"He was definitely in my pocket when I arrived," young Ron said, looking nervously between the three.

"That's it," Harry said, "after this chapter, we're going rat hunting."

"Remember, Mother Magic, said no violence," Hermione reminded them.

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean we can't lock the bastard up," Ron said.

"RONALD!" Mrs Weasley screeched. "LANGUAGE!"

Ron ignored his mother. "Let's finish this chapter quickly so we can hunt the rat."

Sirius and Remus were both growling, having quickly realised just who they were talking about.

Harry stepped over a pack of Self-Shuffling playing card... “This is the best house I’ve ever been in.”

"Did you actually mean that?" Ron asked shyly.

"It was pure magic. I'd never seen anything like it."

Ron’s ears went pink.

Both Rons suffered from the same affliction, and quickly covered their ears.

Chapter Text

Characters coming from the Battle of Hogwarts:

Hogwarts Students:

• Harry Potter
• Ron Weasley
• Hermione Granger
• George Weasley *although he's technically no longer a student
• Ginny Weasley
• Draco Malfoy
• Luna Lovegood
• Percy Weasley *although he's technically no longer a student
• Susan Bones
• Neville Longbottom
• Blaise Zabini
• Oliver Wood *although he's technically no longer a student
• Seamus Finnigan
• Lee Jordan *although he's technically no longer a student
• Dean Thomas
• Angelina Johnson *although she's technically no longer a student
• Theodore Nott

Foreign School Students:

• Viktor Krum *although he's technically no longer a student
• Fleur Delacour *although she's technically no longer a student

The Adults in Harry's Life:

• Molly Weasley
• Arthur Weasley
• Bill Weasley
• Charlie Weasley

Hogwarts Professors:

• Filius Flitwick
• Minerva McGonagall
• Pomona Sprout
• Poppy Pomfrey
• Rubeus Hagrid

Other Adults:

• Narcissa Malfoy
• Lucius Malfoy
• Andromeda Tonks
• Kingsley Shacklebolt
• Augusta Longbottom
• Xenophilius Lovegood
• Garrick Olllivander
• Antonin Dolohov
• Augustus Rockwood
• Rita Skeeter - spying in her beetle form
• Amos Diggory
• Mrs Diggory

Characters coming from a few months before Harry starts Hogwarts:

Hogwarts Students:

• Harry Potter
• Ron Weasley
• Hermione Granger
• Fred Weasley
• George Weasley
• Ginny Weasley
• Draco Malfoy
• Luna Lovegood
• Percy Weasley
• Susan Bones
• Neville Longbottom
• Blaise Zabini
• Oliver Wood
• Seamus Finnigan
• Lee Jordan
• Dean Thomas
• Angelina Johnson
• Theodore Nott
• Cedric Diggory

Foreign School Students:

• Viktor Krum
• Fleur Delacour

The Adults in Harry's Life:

• Sirius Black
• Molly Weasley
• Remus Lupin
• Nymphadora Tonks *although she's not long out of Hogwarts herself
• Arthur Weasley
• Bill Weasley
• Charlie Weasley

Hogwarts Professors:

• Severus Snape
• Albus Dumbledore
• Filius Flitwick
• Minerva McGonagall
• Pomona Sprout
• Poppy Pomfrey
• Rubeus Hagrid

Other Adults:

• Narcissa Malfoy
• Amelia Bones
• Mad-Eye Moody
• Lucius Malfoy
• Andromeda Tonks
• Emmeline Vance
• Kingsley Shacklebolt
• Augusta Longbottom
• Xenophilius Lovegood
• Garrick Ollivander
• Antonin Dolohov
• Augustus Rockwood
• Barty Crouch Junior
• Ted Tonks
• Peter Pettigrew - hiding somewhere as a rat
• Rita Skeeter - spying in her beetle form
• Amos Diggory
• Mrs Diggory

Explanation Time...

So, our story takes characters from two very specific points in time, removes them from time, and brings them to Mother Magic's domain. Characters CANNOT come from a time outside of those two specific points (just before book 1 starts and the moment Harry takes the killing curse for the second time). I appreciate that it significantly limits what characters can join them in the chamber, but even Mother Magic knows not to mess too much with time, even if she has Lord Time on her side.

This means that...

Lily and James Potter cannot come to the chamber. Yes, potentially, Harry could ask for a portrait or something and maybe something like that could happen in the future. Who knows. If it adds to the plot, I'll do it. If I don't think it does, I won't. I don't want Harry obsessing with his dead parents but rather embracing the new found family he has around him.

Regulus Black is equally not an option as he died during the first war. Sorry, I know Regulus was awesome and we'd all love to see that hero in the story. It just can't be done while keeping to the rules I've established for this story.

These are the main ones that have been mentioned but also the same applies for Walburga and Orion Black, the Prewitt Twins and pretty much everyone who died in the first war/ any time before Harry comes to Hogwarts. Sirius's grandfather might be an option as he technically dies in 1991, and I do love him playing the great-grandfather for Harry... so I'll consider that.

As for why I haven't brought in Tom Riddle. There's only one point in the timeline he can join - 1991. At that point he was a wraith and with less than 1% of his soul he is clearly insane and unable to be reasoned with. This is why him coming to the chamber would not fit Mother Magic's agenda. Remember how she refused to let Theo's father come? Same thing. Him coming as he is will not further the mission and could potentially lead to more damage. This does not mean that Tom does not have a part to play. He definitely does. And I love redemption stories for him so that might happen but I cannot say that it will happen in the chamber. It might... I'm considering ways to bring it about while they're in there (probably involving a little death magic) but I can't make any promises until the plot bunnies settle.

I hope this explains my thinking a little.

Chapter Text

Harry was on his feet almost immediately, ready to go looking for Peter Pettigrew. Everyone watched him anxiously. They didn't really know what was going on, for the most part.

"Right, we're going to split up into groups," Harry said authoritatively. "This place is kind of amazing and seems to just grow the more space we need. That makes it very easy to hide in, especially for a rat."

Ron and Hermione were nodding beside him.

"I don't understand," young Ron was whining. "Why are you trying to catch Scabbers?"

"It will all be explained soon," older Ron answered, before looking back to Harry.

"Do not go looking alone. Especially if you're under seventeen. We're not talking about a normal rat," Harry explained. "Each group needs to have at least three of age wix. You're going to need to know the spell to detect animagi. Don't use any spells that would be considered an act of violence by Mother Magic. Find the rat, disarm him and contain him."

There was a murmur of confusion as they considered Harry's words and also what Mother Magic had said earlier about people sneaking in.

"Madam Bones, I'd like you, Moody, Tonks and the two Kingsleys to check the bedrooms," Harry said. "I'm hoping that everyone will forgive the invasion of privacy, especially once they learn just who the rat is. But I believe you five are perhaps the most likely to be trusted with the role of checking our personal spaces. Does anyone disagree?"

There was silence. Even the deatheaters didn't complain. After all, they hadn't brought anything with them that could get them into trouble. Except perhaps their wands - if they still had them - and those were on their person. Madam Bones led the aurors out of the chamber. 

"Ron, you go with your younger self, both Professor Flitwicks, both Georges, and Fred. I want you to check the chamber we used to play Quidditch."

"Sure thing," Ron said before following Madam Bones example and leading his team out of the chamber, his chest puffed out proudly.

"Hermione, take your younger self, both Narcissas, young Fleur, and both Ginnys, and check the kitchen. The house elves will most likely help you if you ask nicely."

Hermione didn't look overly impressed at the idea of asking the house elves for help but her opinions were slowly changing so she simply nodded before leading her team out.

"Sirius, you go with both Dracos, both Theos, both Viktors, and both Arthurs and check the chamber the younger ones have been using as a classroom."

Sirius grinned. "No problem," he said with a salute to his godson. Although he did look slightly apprehensive at the idea of leaving either Harry alone.

"Remus, er..." Harry looked around the chamber, "both Mrs Weasleys, both Lunas, both Percys and both Susan Bones." Harry grinned. "Remus, I'd like you guys to check the classroom us older ones have been using."

They quickly got up and left the room. Even Mrs Weasley who looked like she really wanted an explanation.

"Professor Snape, can you take both Lord Malfoys, Cedric Diggory and my younger self," Harry asked, hoping that the professor and everyone else present would realise how much trust he was showing the professor, "and check the dining room."

"I can do that," he said with a sharp nod, before walking away with his robes billowing behind him.

Next Harry turned to the other teachers. "Headmaster, I'm giving you a slightly larger team because I'd like you to patrol the corridors. We don't want the rat to hide in the open."

The headmaster nodded, surprised that he'd been trusted with leading a team. He certainly hadn't expected it after realising how much of a mess he'd apparently made of everything.

"Take both Nevilles, both Zambinis, both Professor Sprouts, both Charlies, and both Hagrids."

"Very well," the headmaster answered with twinkling eyes before he took his leave with his own team following behind him.

"Bill, I want you, your younger self, your wife, both Professor McGonagalls, and both Rockwoods, to go from room to room casting anti-animagi wards. If people want their forms to be added to the wards after today, they will have to register them with our little mini DMLE office." Harry laughed at that. It was weird. They almost had their own little governing body, where he was strangely in the top job.

"Right you are, Harry," Bill smiled, roughed up his hair and made his way out of the chamber, wand in hand, the others following behind him.

"Madam Pomfrey, could you and your younger self, both Oliver Woods, both Seamus Finnigans, both Lee Jordans and both Dean Thomases, check the hospital?"

"Of course, heir Potter," she said with a small smile before making her way out.

"Andromeda, take your younger self, your husband, Emmeline Vance, and both Madam Longbottoms and check the bathrooms, please."

The witch smiled before leading her team out of the chamber too.

This left Harry with a much smaller group of people, including the two Lord Lovegoods, the two Ollivanders, the two Dolohovs, Barty Crouch Junior - who was looking quite nervous -, the two pairs of the Diggory parents, the two Angelina Johnsons, and four people who had mostly kept to themselves so far; two pairs of the Greengrass sisters, Daphne and Astoria.

"Right, you guys are with me. We're going to check the main chamber," Harry said, running a nervous hand through his hair. "Remember what I said before, if you're underage stick to someone older, like a sticking charm okay?"

Both Astorias and the younger Daphne nodded their heads along with the younger Angelina.

They spread out throughout the chamber, looking under furniture and in cupboards. Every nook and cranny was searched but they failed to find anything. Harry searched the skirting boards for any sign of a rat hole. He silently hoped that Mother Magic would not help the rat hide. Although he suspected it was much more likely that Lady Fate would do that.

Just as he was about to levitate one of the sofas, he heard a squeal from the youngest of their group, Astoria. "Ew! There are bugs in my hair!" She was batting at her head, trying to dislodge them. "Get them out!"

Both versions of her sister and her older self were trying to help her but all her flailing about made it very difficult.

"Bloody hell, Astoria stand still!" Daphne said.

Harry caught a glimpse of the two bugs and smiled a little evil smirk - not that he'd ever admit it - and raised his wand. A blue flash of light shot from his wand hitting the first beetle and then the second in quick succession. And before everyone's eyes, two rather disheveled Rita Skeeters appeared.

"Oh hello Harry dear," the older one said in a crooning voice that made Harry feel a little sick.

"Rita, what an unpleasant surprise," he said, not dropping his wand. "Incarcerous!" he cried and ropes quickly wrapped around the first reporter, just as Ollivander stunned the other, the two Dolohovs grabbed each Rita's wand. They handed them over to Harry although the younger one, the one that came straight from Azkaban looked longingly at the wand for a fraction of a second.

"Well, that was a surprise," Harry said as he stunned the first witch just as she was about to start complaining about being bound and plonked them both down on a wooden chair, pocketing the two wands. He quickly made sure they were both bound to their chair before the team returned to their search for the rat.

They were soon joined by some of the members of Bill's team who set up the anti-animagus ward for them and Harry let out a sigh of disappointment. He hadn't found the rat.

This disappointment didn't last long though. As very soon after, Sirius sidled into the room with his team all wearing ridiculously large grins. Sirius was holding a rat by the tail and looked rather pleased with himself.

Chapter Text

"So, do we get an explanation now, Mr Potter?" Severus asked, his eyebrow raised.

Harry looked uncertain. Everyone had returned to their seats and so far no one had commented on the rat that was in a magically enforced cage on the mantelpiece. The spells on it allowed Pettigrew to stay a rat so long as he was in the cage, regardless of the wards on the chamber. They equally hadn't commented on the fact that two Rita Skeeters were tied to wooden chairs in the corner, knocked out cold.

He wasn't unsure how much he should tell them. After all, it might be better for them to hear about Pettigrew in the book.

But equally, he knew he had to explain why he'd insisted that even their bedrooms be checked for the rat. And young Ron was looking very upset. He didn't want to hurt his young friend.

"Right, yeah..." Harry started. "Well, first, I should tell you that we also managed to find Rita Skeeter. You might not know this but she's an illegal animagus - beetle to be exact - and uses this little known skill to eavesdrop so she can get a juicy story. Why she bothers, I have no idea, seeing as most of her stories are factious at best."

"Okay. That explains the witch," Severus said with a smirk. "What about the rat?"

Harry glanced at Remus. He didn't want to tell everyone the other man's secret without his consent.

"Go ahead, Harry. It's going to come out anyway, isn't it?" Remus said with a sigh.

"Next book," Harry said with a nod.

The older man smiled softly at him. "It's unavoidable. But perhaps, I should tell my part?"

"If you want," Harry agreed.

The entire chamber was now looking at the werewolf. He took a deep, steadying breath, hoping to prepare himself.

"I'm a werewolf," Remus said.

There were gasps of shock from many. Some looked genuinely concerned about being in the chamber with him and looked ready to run.

"What are we going to do when the full moon comes?" young Draco asked in a panicky whisper.

"We don't have to worry about that," Harry said with a soft smile for the younger boy. "Time stands still here, remember. No full moon. No matter how long we're here."

He wasn't sure how he knew that. Only that he was certain it was true. A weird sort of resonance in his magic promised it.

"Oh, that's good," young Draco said. "If we're not in danger, that's kind of cool. I've always wanted to meet a werewolf."

Lucius rolled his eyes. His son had always been obsessed with magical creatures and beings. Lucius thought it was a shame that the war had destroyed that side of his older son. He'd feared werewolves ever since meeting Greyback and for good reason. That man was a beast and the things he'd threatened to do to his heir, were enough for Lucius to wish he'd been able to put the dog down.

"So, as I was saying I'm a werewolf," Lupin continued, "I have been ever since I was four. My father was quite vocal in his dislike of werewolves and Greyback took umbrage. He bit me in an act of revenge."

Several people expressed their horror at such an act being committed against a child.

"I never imagined I'd be allowed to go to Hogwarts given my condition. It had never been done before. But the headmaster..."

"I decided that the education of a child should not be prevented because he suffers from such a terrible affliction. The were curse is devastating in how it ravages the body." Albus's eyes softened. "I know, I know, you all probably think me reckless. But I felt duty bound by my position as an educator to provide an intelligent, well natured boy an education that might save him from the suffering that those like him are forced into. Our world does not do enough for those suffering from lycanthropy."

"Then why only do it for Remus?" Harry asked. "Or were there others?"

"There have been others. Though few. There is in fact one about to enter into seventh year in September. I've tried to approach others over the years," Albus admitted. "Parents are often too scared, especially where the parents are afflicted themselves. They do not trust wix."

"And for good reason," Remus said in a gentle tone. Although his voice held clear reproach, not so much aimed at Albus but everyone else present. After all, they represented the world that treated him like a monster.

Young Hermione frowned. "Is it like how people with leprosy were treated in the past?"

"Very similar. In fact, that's probably one of the closest similarities you'll find," Harry said. "Or perhaps someone suffering from AIDs in the muggle world, I guess. There's a huge social stigma. But it's more than that. Not only are people scared of being bitten and cursed with lycanthropy themselves, but the wizarding government actively restricts the rights of werefolk."

Several people looked like they wanted to speak up in defense of the restrictions but they were unwilling to be the first to do so.

"They cannot hold down a job because of discrimination," Harry said bitterly. "There is a registry of all known werewolves in Great Britain, which in and of itself isn't so bad except it leads to further discrimination and the wizengamot and people like Umbridge are constantly trying to restrict their rights further, like they did in 1993. The cost of wolfsbane is astronomical as the ingredients are on the pricey side, which when you consider most werewolves live in poverty due to discrimination, makes it impossible for them to use the potion to protect those around them. It's a catch twenty-two."

"Catch twenty-two?" someone asked.

"Muggle reference," Ron said, having heard the phrase from his muggle raised friends before. "It basically means, the first leads to the second and the second leads back to the first. It turns full circle."

"What would you do, Mr Potter?" young Lucius asked, leaning on his cane. "You're prince of the Wizarding World. You can effect real and lasting change. How would you help the werewolves?"

Harry paused only for a second to consider the question. "First, the government would subsidise the cost of wolfsbane to make it affordable. Secondly, I'd create new towns - magic only towns - where werewolves could live, start their own businesses if they so wished, receive schooling, close to magical forests where they could run free on the full moon under careful wards to protect themselves and others. "

There was some murmurs of agreement while others looked skeptical.

"Wouldn't that lead to a form of Apartheid?" young Hermione asked.

"Possibly. Although my hope would be that not only werewolves would live in these town, but other magical folk. The forest could be warded against wix entering it during the full moon. The towns themselves would be safe."

"What's apartheid?" Daphne asked.

"It's something that happened in the muggle world," Dean Thomas answered. "The white muggles thought they were better than the black ones and so they - well, they kept them as slaves at one time but later, when slavery was abolished, they kept their societies separate. Black people weren't allowed in white only spaces."

"White only spaces?" young Astoria asked, horrified.

"Yeah, that was a thing," Dean said.

"It would be something to avoid at all costs. All magical brethren should feel safe and included in our world. Equal even," Harry said sternly. "I'd make it illegal to discriminate against werewolves when considering housing, employment, or any other social situations including schooling. Hate crimes would not be tolerated."

"As much as I applaud your vision for the future, Potter," Severus said, "I still really want to know about the rat!"

"Right, sorry, Professor. So, as Remus told you, he's a werewolf and Headmaster Dumbledore allowed him to attend Hogwarts, where he made three friends; James Potter, Sirius Black and Peter Pettigrew."

Several people were nodding along. Severus's eyes were glued to the rat.

"We quickly realised that something odd was going on," Sirius said with a grin. "Moony here, kept disappearing off once a month and we eventually put two and two together and confronted him."

"I thought I was going to lose all my friends and be expelled. I had been instructed to keep my condition a secret."

"Well, obviously we were better friends than that. So, we devised a plan so that we could join Remy for the full moon. We became animagi when we were fifteen."

"AT FIFTEEN?" Both Mrs Weasleys screeched. But this time they were not alone. Young Minerva McGonagall had joined them and she looked close to fainting from the shock.

"Yeah, James was ace at Transfiguration," Sirius said with a shrug.

"My dad was a stag, Prongs," Harry began.

"WAIT!" young George and Fred cried out, getting to their feet. "They're - you're - you're the marauders!"

"Yeah, that's us," Sirius said, looking rather pleased that their legacy had lived on.

"Right, as I was saying," Harry said in exasperation, "Dad was a stag, Prongs, Sirius was a grim, Padfoot, Remus was named Moony seeing as he was a werewolf, and Peter Pettigrew..." He looked up at the rat on the mantle. "Peter Pettigrew was a sneaky little rat and was named Wormtail."

"So Peter Pettigrew isn't dead?" Amelia Bones said.

"Yeah, he's on the mantel and betrayed my parents," Harry said, crossing his arms over his chest, "not to mention, he killed twelve muggles."

Silence. No one spoke. They were all too busy staring at the mantelpiece and the rat that was cowering in a corner of his cage.

"You mean that scabbers is a grown man," young Ron said, his eyes wide, "and he's been sleeping in my bed for the last six months?"

The child looked close to tears and he wasn't the only one. Young Percy looked positively traumatised.

"I'll kill him!" Young Mrs Weasley screeched, brandishing her wand.

Harry cast the disarming spell with a sorry expression. "Sorry. No can do. He unfortunately cannot be harmed. We don't want to break Mother Magic's edicts. She said no violence."

Molly was staring at the rat as she considered all the terrible things that man could have done to her babies. She eyed her sons nervously. She needed to calm down. She'd need to be calm so that she could handle this appropriately. It required delicacy. And probably more of it than she could muster. Perhaps Arthur...

When the younger Mrs Weasley looked slightly less murderous, he handed back the wand, and suggested they continue reading.

Chapter Text

"Er, Mr Potter," Amelia Bones said before Professor Flitwick could start the spell once more.

"Yes, Madam Bones?"

"Does Ms. Skeeter really need to be restrained?"

"Er... well, she broke the law," Harry said in a voice that suggested he was pulling at straws.

"So too have many of the others in this chamber but you haven't tied them up."

"Right. Yeah, well..."

"What Harry means to say is that he doesn't like her," Ron says with a smirk at his friend's discomfort.

Harry sighs. "We can release her when she comes round but first I want to make sure she knows that sneaking around won't be tolerated."

"And she can't use that Quick Quotes Quill of hers," Hermione added.

"Yeah, that too."

"I see," Madam Bones said with a small chuckle. "Although surely she'll struggle to sneak about now that her secret has been revealed and we have anti-animagi wards in place."

"True. But she's still a sneaky little..." Harry stopped himself. "Anyway... Let's start reading. Before one of the Weasleys realise it's already lunch time."

"WAIT! WHAT?" All the Weasleys looked about as if searching for confirmation of the time. Luckily, the house elves quickly popped into the room with a buffet of sandwiches, crisps and various cakes for everyone - especially the Weasleys - to eat.

Professor Flitwick cast the spell and everyone's attention was returned to the book.

Life at the Burrow was as different... burst with the strange and unexpected.

"The burrow is super neat," Harry said. "I love it."

Harry got a shock... “Tuck your shirt in, scruffy!”

"I'm surprised it didn't say anything about your hair," Severus said with an eyebrow raised, hiding a smirk.

The ghoul in the attic howled... considered perfectly normal.

"Of course, it is, dear Harrikens!" George said.

What Harry found most unusual... everybody there seemed to like him.

"Oh," the mothers in the room looked close to tears and on the verge of rushing over to smother him in motherly love.

Mrs. Weasley fussed... fourth helpings at every meal.

"Please tell me Mr Potter you didn't actually eat that much?" the younger Poppy asked nervously.

"No. But Ron ate six."

"I didn't. I ate just as much as you did," Ron said.

"Plus everything I sneaked onto your plate."

"Who knew Harry Potter was so sneaky?" Theo asked Draco.

"Not me. That's for sure," Ron said, overhearing him.

Mr. Weasley liked Harry to sit... explain how things like plugs and the postal service worked.

The Weasleys all groaned. They loved their dad but he really was obsessed with muggles.

“Fascinating!”... how many ways Muggles have found of getting along without magic.”

"It's only because they don't know it exists," Hermione said huffily. "It's easy to live without something you never had."

Harry heard from Hogwarts... knocked her porridge bowl to the floor with a loud clatter.

"Well, that's..." Fred started.

"Embarrassing," young George finished.

"How are we..."

"Related to her?"

"Now, now boys," Arthur said through a smile.

Ginny seemed very prone... took the toast Mrs. Weasley offered him.

Both Ginnys groaned in embarrassment. Could this get any worse?

“Letters from school,”... still in their pajamas.

"The envelopes write themselves," Albus said. "I can't take credit for that."

For a few minutes there was silence... books he’d need for the coming year.

"It's not going to list the books, is it?" Astoria grumbled quietly.

"Probably," her sister said.

SECOND YEAR... Gilderoy Lockhart

"That's a lot of Lockhart," Sirius said. "Does one of the teachers have a secret crush?"

"Wasn't he at school with us?" Remus asked.

"Oh yeah, that little Raven with the big fake smile," Sirius said. "He was so full of himself."

Severus and Remus both coughed discreetly, trying to hide their snickers but they did share a look, that Sirius of course noticed. "Oi!"

Fred, who had finished his own list,... —bet it’s a witch.”

Several people laughed at that.

At this point,... “Lockhart’s books are really expensive…”

"And a complete waste of money too," Minerva muttered.

“Well, we’ll manage,”... and put her elbow in the butter dish.

Most of the Weasleys looked awkward at the discussion about money but both Ginnys looked exceptionally embarrassed.

Fortunately no one saw... pinned to his sweater vest.

"Why were you wearing your prefect badge?" Bill asked.

"It's no wonder the twins tease you so much!" Charlie laughed, messing with his brother's hair.

“Morning, all,”... rescue you from the Dursleys.”

"You didn't wonder why your son thought Harry needed rescuing?" Amelia Bones asked.

"I thought they were just being kids. I thought Ron probably wanted rescuing from home too sometimes," Molly said, looking disappointed in herself.

"It's okay, Mrs Weasley," Harry said softly.

"No. It's really not, Harry," Mrs Weasley said.

He carried Errol... “Pathetic.”

"He's not pathetic, Ron. He's just old," Arthur said.

"Why not retire him then?" young Draco asked.

"We couldn't afford to buy a new one. Not with five children at Hogwarts."

Then he ripped open... you didn’t do anything illegal to get him out, Ron,

Madam Bones huffed. She hadn't forgotten about the flying car.

because that would get Harry into trouble, too.

"Not worried about me though are you 'Mione?" Ron teased.

I’ve been really worried... I’m very busy with schoolwork, of course—

"What school work?" Minerva asked. "We barely gave out any homework over your first summer."

Hermione blushed. "I might have re-written my essays a handful of time and I also borrowed some books from the library to read over summer."

"How many?" Minerva asked.

"Er... one or two."

"More like twenty," Ron teased.

"You better not have, Miss Granger. This is a restriction on the number of books that are allowed to be borrowed from the library, especially over summer."

"Five. I took five."

Professor McGonagall huffed, shaking her head. "You are supposed to enjoy your summer, Miss Granger."

“How can she be?”... as long as they didn’t fly too high.

"Nice. Now that is what you're supposed to do over summer," Blaise said with a grin.

"In between tutoring," Draco muttered.

"You didn't have that much tutoring, Dragon," Narcissa said.

They couldn’t use real Quidditch balls... outstripped by passing butterflies.

Several people laughed at that description.

Five minutes later... he stayed shut in his room the rest of the time.

"That's another one who needs to have a little more fun," Pomona said.

"How those two ever made it into Gryffindor, I'll never know," Flitwick muttered. They were clearly Ravens.

“Wish I knew what he was up to,”... twelve O.W.L.s and he hardly gloated at all.”

"That doesn't sound like Percy," Charlie said, baffled.

"WAIT?" Hermione sat up a little straighter. "How is that even possible?"

Percy looked a little nervous, glancing between Professor McGonagall and Headmaster Dumbledore.

"The Department of Mysteries and Hogwarts have a long standing..." Rockwood began but Hermione brushed him off with an, "I know that."

"What I mean is even with..."

"Hermione, that was quite rude," Mrs Weasley tutted.

"But... I don't understand."

"As Mr Rockwood was trying to explain," Albus said gently, "we have a longstanding agreement that our very top students - if they ask to take all twelve subjects - receive..."

"Yes, I know, Headmaster. I know all about the timeturners!" Hermione huffed.

"Miss Granger!" Minerva's voice was shrill with disapproval. "Manners."

The young woman sat back in her chair, looking seriously unimpressed.

"I know that you struggled with the timeturner, Miss Granger," Minerva said. "I imagine it's because you over did it with too much studying. But you are not the first student to attempt to use them for this purpose, nor will you most likely be the last. Both Bill, Percy and Barty, used one to achieve their twelve o.w.l.s."

"But how?" Hermione asked again, but quieter this time.

"I imagine they had a little bit more self control and were more prepared for handling the stress caused by such an extensive schedule. It requires a lot of self control to know when it is time to stop."

“Ordinary Wizarding Levels,”... I don’t think I could stand the shame.”

"I swear there might be seer blood in your family, Ron," Harry said, trying to lighten the mood. Hermione was still sitting with a terrible frown on her face, like she was about to explode.

Bill was the oldest Weasley brother... And Ginny needs robes and a wand and everything…”

"It wasn't easy but we did it," Mrs Weasley said, taking her husband's hand in her own. "It was nothing for you boys to worry about though."

Harry said nothing... his parents had left him.

"Harry, that money is yours," Mrs Weasley said soothingly. "You never have to feel bad that we have less than you do."

Of course, it was only in the wizarding world... magic would stretch to a large pile of gold.

Sirius growled.

Mrs. Weasley woke them... bacon sandwiches each,

"I do not understand how you made it to Hogwarts, Mr Potter," Madam Pomfrey said tersely.

they pulled on their coats... After you, Harry dear!”

"Wait just one second!" Sirius said with a frown. "Did you completely forget he's muggle raised?"

Mrs Weasley blushed.

And she offered him the flowerpot... “Sorry, Harry, I forgot.”

"It wasn't your responsibility to remind me, Ronald. I should have considered it." Mrs Weasley was wringing her hands. She remembered how worried she had been when Harry had gone missing.

“Never?”... “Were there escapators? How exactly—”

"ARTHUR!" two very stressed Mrs Weasleys berated their husbands.

“Not now, Arthur,”... “Harry, watch us first.”

"He can't just watch," Remus said. "Please tell me someone at least escorted him."

No one spoke. He let out a disappointed sigh.

He took a pinch... “And be sure to get out at the right grate…”

"That's no help. How is he supposed to know what you mean by that?" Amelia asked.

“The right what?”... helping himself to Floo powder, too.

Mr Weasley had the good nature to look slightly abashed as several people threw him a glare.

“But, dear,... “They wouldn’t mind,” Harry reassured her.

"And that didn't concern you?" Tonks asked with a frown. Were all the adults in Harry's life utterly oblivious?

“Dudley would think it was a brilliant joke if I got lost up a chimney, don’t worry about that—”

"It would be sort of funny," young Draco said before realising who he was agreeing with.

“Well… all right…  “And your eyes shut,” said Mrs. Weasley. “The soot—”

"If his eyes are closed how will he see the grates?" someone asked with a chuckle.

“Don’t fidget,”... wait until you see Fred and George.”

"Again, he can't see them with his eyes closed," Sirius roared. He was furious. His pup was supposed to be safe and loved and - Severus handed him another calming draught, this time placing a hand on his shoulder and giving it a gentle squeeze in understanding.

Trying hard to bear all this in mind,... and immediately swallowed a lot of hot ash.

"Oh dear," Remus said. "No one said to not breathe in."

“D-Dia-gon Alley,” he coughed.

"And now we have Harry Potter missing in the floo network," Kingsley said with a sigh. "Another security breech that definitely went unreported."

It felt as though he was being sucked down a giant drain.

"Is that foreshadowing?" Ron asked Harry quietly.

"What?"

"You know foreshadowing, like 'Mione is always talking about."

"Yeah, I got that. I meant the giant drain."

"Oh, I mean you know because of the bathroom..."

"Oh!" Harry grinned. "Yeah, it might be, you know."

He seemed to be spinning very fast... made him feel sick—

"I really hate wix travel of all kinds," Harry said.

"All kinds?" George teased.

"Except broomsticks," Harry said eventually, "and maybe threstral and I guess hippogriff and... maybe... dragon."

something hard knocked his elbow... felt the bridge of his glasses snap.

"Well, at least he's not lost in the floo network," Kingsley said.

"But he could be anywhere," Tonks muttered.

"Not to mention he's incapacitated without his glasses," Moody tutted. "Really needs to sort his eyesight."

Young Kingsley was nodding in agreement. The kid could be anywhere and wouldn't be able to assess what sort of danger he was in.

Dizzy and bruised... —but nothing in here was ever likely to be on a Hogwarts school list.

"That sounds strangely ominous," Fred said.

A glass case nearby held a withered hand on a cushion,... a bloodstained pack of cards, and a staring glass eye.

"Oh dear," the aurors said in tandem. If they were to cast bets, each one of them would put him in Knockturn Alley.

Evil looking masks... and wearing broken glasses: Draco Malfoy.

Lucius's eyes widened. This would not be good.

Harry looked quickly around... leaving a small crack to peer through.

"Good, you definitely don't want to be spotted there, laddy," Moody said gruffly. "And definitely not by a death eater."

"I wouldn't have hurt the boy," Lucius said and then hesitated. "Actually, I can't say that for sure. I wasn't myself at the time."

"Yeah, yeah, likely story, Malfoy," Moody tusked.

"Alastor," Madam Bones soothed her co-worker. There was little point getting into arguments about who was and who wasn't a deatheater here. For one thing, there was nothing they could do about it. And for another, she wasn't sure there was cause to do anything. Mother Magic had brought Lord Malfoy here. He must not be completely irredeemable. And she'd honestly believed the explanations he'd given previously about his actions. He'd certainly seemed sincere and he'd been nothing but polite thus far.

Seconds later, a bell clanged,... “Touch nothing, Draco.”

"Why would you take him with you?" Mrs Weasley asked, although she didn't screech. She seemed to genuinely be asking so Lucius answered her honestly.

"He will be head of my family some day and our family has many dark artifacts in our possession," Lucius said. "It is important for him to understand the uses they might have, but far more importantly the dangers."

"It was a lesson?" Arthur asked, leaning forward.

"I never want my son to come across something that could potentially harm him - or worse kill him - and be unprepared."

Arthur nodded in understanding.

Malfoy, who had reached for the glass eye, said, “I thought you were going to buy me a present.”

"Spoilt much?" Theo teased.

Draco glanced at his parents to make sure they weren't looking before sticking his tongue out at his best friend.

“I said I would buy you a racing broom,”... Malfoy bent down to examine a shelf full of skulls.

"Someone's jelly," George smirked.

“…everyone thinks he’s so smart, wonderful Potter with his scar and his broomstick—”

"Yep, definitely jelly," young Fred said.

“You have told me this... ah, Mr. Borgin.”

"Ah, is that how you really feel, Mr Malfoy?" Harry asked with a grin.

"In part, yes. Back then, more so than now, my family's reputation was everything. We couldn't afford for people to believe any more than they already did that I was a willing death eater. Draco's discord with you was a risk to our family's safety. But equally, his childishness was also irritating and honestly it was ridiculous how quickly he'd turned against you. He used to wax poetic about how you'd saved our family from the Dark Lord. Thirdly, we were in public and most specifically in a place where I could be overheard. I could not provide those listening with any cause to believe that I was disloyal to the dark."

Harry nodded, accepting the man's words.

A stooping man... and very reasonably priced—”

"What did you buy?" young Bill asked eagerly. He had a fascination with all things cursed that had of course led him to become a curse breaker.

"Nothing. As you will soon learn. I was not there to purchase anything."

“I’m not buying today... “I have a few—ah—items at home that might embarrass me, if the Ministry were to call…”

Several people sat forward, eager to know what was on the list.

"I really hated having to sell those items," Lucius grumbled, much to everyone's surprise.

"I don't blame you," Harry said. "I bet at least half of them are part of your family's history."

"Exactly, Mr Potter. They should be kept for posterity sake."

"Personally," Hermione said quietly, speaking for the first time in a while. "I'd like to see some of the worst in some sort of museum. We shouldn't just destroy dark artifacts but learn from them."

"Of course, Miss Granger, there are many who would say the knowledge is too dark to be known by the average man," Lucius said with a small smile.

"That's one of the reasons the wizarding world keeps ending up in civil war with dark lords running rampant," Hermione replied. "If we bothered to educate about dark magic properly, and also about magical cores, then perhaps we would see that just because you're a dark wizard, it doesn't make you evil."

"As I said, not many would agree with you," Lucius said, "but if you need funding for your museum, drop me an owl."

Mr. Borgin fixed a pair of pince nez to his nose... There are rumors about a new Muggle Protection Act—

"Those raids were a little excessive," Arthur admitted. "The law itself was very useful. But its implementation in the first few months was highly challenging. There was supposed to be evidence of intent to use any items on muggles or to sell it to those who would. Actually, you trying to sell the items would break the act more than you owning the items, if you could prove that they were well guarded either in a warded location on your own property or in a vault at Gringotts. Preferably with a plan for their destruction - or inheritance to your son in the case of family artifacts - in place for upon your eventual death."

"Good to know," Lucius said. "I don't think many people realised that. The aurors who searched certainly didn't seem to."

Madam Bones looked momentarily affronted before she realised this hadn't happened yet and so she couldn't possibly comment on how the law was implemented. So, she looked to Kingsley.

"It was a free-for-all. You instructed Robards to oversee it. But he didn't exactly take it seriously and mostly just left it with the junior aurors who I'm not even sure bothered to read the legislation."

no doubt that fleabitten, Muggle loving fool Arthur Weasley is behind it—”

"Fleabitten?" Arthur grinned.

"Apologies," Lucius said with a bow of his head.

Harry felt a hot surge of anger.

"There's the Potter temper," Sirius smirked.

"Nope. That's pure Lily. She was always defending those she cared about." Severus disagreed.

“and as you see, certain of these poisons might make it appear—”

"Poisons?" Madam Bones asked.

"Hundreds upon hundreds of them," Lucius grumbled. "Held under stasis to be used at the Dark Lord's bequest. I was really quite put out when he disappeared. As I had no use for them."

"I'm pretty sure I brewed those," Severus said.

"You did my friend. I was merely the keeper of the poisons. A most tedious job, I assure you."

Severus actually laughed, loud and booming. "I remember that you used to complain about that."

"I really never understood why he thought he needed so many poisons!" Lucius sighed in exasperation.

“I understand... amount to more than a thief or a plunderer, Borgin,” said Mr. Malfoy coldly,

"Quite the put down, Lucy," Sirius teased.

"Why, thank you, LORD BLACK," Lucius replied, rolling his eyes. He was getting far too comfortable with his wife's cousin.

and Mr. Borgin said quickly, “No offense, sir, no offense meant—”... “that may indeed be all he is fit for—”

"That's a little harsh," Mrs Weasley said. "Were your grades particularly bad?"

"No," Draco complained.

"That year they were," Lucius retorted. "Barely more than acceptable, except in potions. The agreement was top ten or no quidditch. And he just kept blaming it all on Miss Granger. As if she held all ten of the top slots."

"Still..."

"Mrs Weasley, I know what my son is capable of and acceptable does not cut it." Lucius's voice was ice cold. "Not when I have invested a small fortune on his education. He is the heir to my house and he owes it to those he will lord over to be as well educated as he possibly can be."

“It’s not my fault,”... no wizard family beat you in every exam,” snapped Mr. Malfoy.

"I apologise, Miss Granger," Lucius said with a bow of his head. "I was simply frustrated, in the presence of someone who would spread rumors about this conversation and quite frankly, I am - I have always been something of a blood supremacist, I suppose. I'm very protective of our world and our heritage and I have always seen - whether rightly or wrongly - people like you, muggle borns - in fact, all muggle raised - as a threat to our way of life. Still, it does not excuse my words. So, I sincerely apologise that you have had to hear them." 

“Ha!”...  I have important business elsewhere today—”

"What sort of business?" Moody probed.

"Buying my son's school supplies," Lucius said. "For the most part and something else, which I am sure will come out in the course of this book."

They started to haggle... Caution: Do Not Touch. Cursed—Has Claimed the Lives of Nineteen Muggle Owners to Date.

"As if they put that on the card!" Hermione tutted.

"Borgen's is frequently raided," Arthur said.

Draco turned away... you haven’t sold me half of what’s hidden in your manor…”

"True enough," Lucius laughed.

Muttering darkly... and out of the shop door.

"Right, good. Get out of there," Sirius said.

Clutching his broken glasses... Two shabby looking wizards were watching him from the shadow of a doorway, muttering to each other.

"You're definitely not safe there," Moody said. "Time to get moving. CONSTANT VIGILANCE!"

Feeling jumpy,... Trying to stay calm, he wondered what to do.

"Keep moving," Remus said. "And don't look scared."

“Not lost are you, my dear?”... “I’m fine, thanks,” he said. “I’m just—”

"Don't talk to her," Moody growled.

“HARRY!... beetle black eyes flashing over his great bristling beard.

"Thank Godric!" Sirius sighed in relief.

“Hagrid!”...  twisting alleyway out into bright sunlight.

"You could be a little gentler with him," Poppy complained. "He's a lot smaller than you, Hagrid."

"Sorry, Poppy," Hagrid grimaced. "I was mostly just scared he wer' down ther' ya see."

"I know, dear."

Harry saw a familiar... Harry—don’ want no one ter see yeh down there—”

"Forget seeing him," Moody said. "He's far more likely to be kidnapped and turned into Hag soup."

“I realized that,”... They set off together down the street.

"Good, well, at least he's not alone," Remus said.

“How come yeh never wrote back ter me?”... “If I’d’ve known—”

"Wait!" Madam Bones turned her eagle eyes on Hagrid. "He told you what happened with the Dursleys?"

"Well, some. He said they were trying to stop him coming back to school. He didn' say nothin' about bein' locked in his room or bein' starved."

“Harry! Harry! Over here!”... Are you coming into Gringotts, Harry?”

"Didn't really give him a chance to answer any of your questions did you?" Percy laughed.

“As soon as I’ve found the Weasleys,”... she’s coming now—”

"Better have been," Sirius muttered darkly. He wasn't feeling very forgiving.

“Where did you come out?”... “Excellent!” said Fred and George together.

"Not excellent!" all the adults - even the deatheaters - said. While the nicer side of Knockturn was full of useful businesses, it was no place for un-escorted children.

“We’ve never been allowed in,” said Ron enviously.

"And for good reason, young man!" Mrs Weasley spoke up.

“I should ruddy well think not,”... and returned them, good as new.

"What about his injuries?" Poppy demanded.

"He didn't mention any," Mrs Weasley said.

"You didn't ask!"

“Well, gotta be off,”... “Oh, I’d love to get Lucius Malfoy for something…”

Lucius laughed good-naturedly when Arthur apologised. Seriously, would they ever stop apologising back and forth. "Should we just agree, we're both sorry, and only apologise verbally for the worst offenses from here on out?"

"That might be wise," Arthur said with a grin.

“You be careful, Arthur,”... “That family’s trouble. Don’t go biting off more than you can chew.”

"I think I like you, Mrs Weasley," Lucius said with a smirk. Mrs Weasley blushed.

“So you don’t think I’m a match for Lucius Malfoy?”... “But you’re Muggles!” said Mr. Weasley delightedly.

"You know that was quite intimidating," Hermione said softly but still reproachfully, "and a little offensive. The whole bank was looking at them. It was embarrassing. They didn't like being gawped at like that. Like some sort of circus act."

"I'm sorry, Hermione. I never thought." Arthur looked truly troubled that he'd upset anyone.

“We must have a drink!... when it was opened.

"What? Why?" Ron looked confused.

There was a very small pile... he hastily shoved handfuls of coins into a leather bag.

All the Weasleys looked slightly red faced at the mention of their vault.

"Dad, why didn't you ever say if things were that bad," Bill murmured quietly. "I'd have helped."

"That's why I didn't son. It's not your job to support the family, it's mine."

"Like you could hide all that gold, mate," Ron laughed, trying to diffuse the awkwardness.

Back outside on the marble steps... Mr. Weasley was insisting on taking the Grangers off to the Leaky Cauldron for a drink.

"Please tell me you did not leave Harry Potter unattended?" Amelia glowered at the Weasley parents.

“We’ll all meet at Flourish and Blotts... who were stocking up on Dr. Filibuster’s Fabulous Wet Start, No Heat Fireworks,

"Really? Please tell me you did not take them to Hogwarts!" Mrs Weasley scolded.

"I speak no evil," George said, miming zipping his mouth closed.

and in a tiny junk shop full of broken wands,

"Who in their right mind sells broken wands?" Ollivander exclaimed.

lopsided brass scales... deeply boring book called Prefects Who Gained Power.

"Sounds like Percy," George teased.

“A study of Hogwarts prefects and their later careers,”... “Go away,” Percy snapped.

"That's not very nice, Percy, dear," Mrs Weasley looked shocked.

“’Course, he’s very ambitious, Percy,... today 12.30—4.30

"ARGH! I really wish we'd gone any other day," Harry complained.

“We can actually meet him!”... mind the books, now…”

"Glad I don't have his job," Remus said.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione squeezed inside... “We’ll be able to see him in a minute…”

"Are you sure you don't fancy him, Molly dear?" Arthur teased.

"Don't talk nonsense Arthur."

Gilderoy Lockhart came slowly into view... “This is for the Daily Prophet—”

"Well, that's rude," Lucius said.

“Big deal,”... He stared.

"Oh, bugger," Sirius grumbled. "He's going to cause a scene."

Then he leapt to his feet... “Together, you and I are worth the front page.”

"How dare they!" Sirius thundered. "That's it. I'm buying the daily prophet and sacking the bleeding lot of them."

When he finally let go of Harry’s hand... clamped him tightly to his side.

"He needs to get his hands off my pup or so help me, I'll..." Sirius gulped back the calming draught that Severus was practically force feeding him.

"Don't tell everyone - including the aurors - all your plans, Black. That's a sure way to end up back in Azkaban when you actually follow through with them," he murmured quietly into the other man's ear.

“Ladies and gentlemen,”... Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry!”

"You have got to be joking," Severus barked. "That fool teach Defense? Over my dead body."

The crowd cheered... “I’ll buy my own—”

"I didn't want them. I hate it when people give me stuff just because I'm Harry bloody Potter."

"Except ice cream," Ron said with a knowing look.

"Mr Fortescue is different. He's nice to me. And not just because I'm Harry Potter. He helped me with my History of Magic homework."

“Bet you loved that... without making the front page.”

"Why is it always you Draco that begins these little confrontations?" Narcissa asked. "You really just can't help yourself, can you?"

"Sorry, mother," Draco gulped.

“Leave him alone... “Potter, you’ve got yourself a girlfriend!” drawled Malfoy.

"That wasn't necessary," Narcissa hissed.

One of the Ritas was awake now, the older one, Harry suspected. "A girlfriend?" she asked eagerly, although everyone ignored her.

Ginny went scarlet... “I suppose your parents will go hungry for a month to pay for all those.”

"DRACO!" Both Narcissas glared at the older version of their son.

Ron went as red as Ginny... sneering in just the same way.

"And you wonder why our son behaves this way," Narcissa murmured angrily in her husband's ear.

“Lucius,”... I hope they’re paying you overtime?”

"You knew perfectly well they weren't, given how you'd made sure they'd cut my budget," Arthur said, but strangely he was almost smiling.

"I'd apologise but we agreed," Lucius was definitely smiling.

He reached into Ginny’s cauldron... if they don’t even pay you well for it?”

"LUCIUS!" Narcissa pinched her husband's knee and the man actually grimaced.

Mr Weasley flushed darker... and I thought your family could sink no lower—”

"Once again, Miss Granger, I apologise. I was behaving most discourteously."

There was a thud of metal as Ginny’s cauldron went flying;... “Gentlemen, please—please!” cried the assistant, and then, louder than all—

"Yep, definitely glad I don't have his job," Remus muttered.

“Break it up, there, gents, break it up—”... his eyes glittering with malice.

"I wasn't quite in my right mind," Lucius said, "although at that time, I did not realise it. It wasn't until later, when it came back to me that I realised what I'd done."

"A compulsion?" Albus asked. "To fight Mr Weasley?"

"No something far more sinister," Lucius admitted, with a bone weary sigh.

“Here, girl... beckoned to Draco and swept from the shop.

Lucius looked physically repulsed by his own words, or perhaps his actions. Everyone just sat there feeling very confused.

“Yeh should’ve ignored him, Arthur,”... bad blood, that’s what it is—come on now—let’s get outta here.”

Draco looked ready to argue but Lucius shook his head. He deserved that censure for what he'd just done to the poor girl.

The assistant looked as though he wanted to stop them leaving... said it was all publicity—”

"I really hate that man," Severus grumbled, "and your telling me I'll have to put up with him for a whole year at Hogwarts."

But it was a subdued group that headed back... It definitely wasn’t his favorite way to travel.

"Broomstick, threstral, hippogriff, dragon," Harry muttered.

Chapter Text

"What did it feel like Mr Weasley to give Lord Malfoy a black eye?" Rita asked as her younger self stared bug eyed at him, almost drooling at the potential of a story.

Arthur refused to comment. Amelia glowered at the woman. "Nothing that happens in the future will be released to the public, Rita," she said coolly.

"My readers need to know," young Rita argued.

"Let's continue reading," Amelia said eventually. "We'll deal with you later."

"Does that mean you'll release us?"

"Not right now," Amelia said with a grimace. "Technically, you've broken the law."

"Which isn't relevant as we're in Mother Magic's domain," Rita retorted.

"Still, better to keep you within my line of vision, for the time being." She gestured to Professor Flitwick to start the book.

The end of the summer vacation... next time he turned up on Privet Drive.

"You were jealous?" Ron asked.

"Yeah. You had a real family," Harry shrugged.

On their last evening... carrying Ginny’s trunk to the car.

"That sounds like utter chaos," young Rockwood said.

"Every year," the Weasleys chorused.

Harry couldn’t see how eight people... so that the luggage fitted easily.

"ARTHUR!" Molly grumbled noisely.

"Sorry, dear."

When at last they were all in the car... it was this roomy from the outside, would you?”

Everyone snickered. Even Mrs Weasley.

Mr. Weasley started up the engine... George had forgotten his box of Filibuster fireworks.

"You told me it was a textbook!" Mrs Weasley complained.

Five minutes after that... Ginny shrieked that she’d left her diary.

"Wished she'd left that behind," Ron muttered and the younger Mrs Weasley told him to apologise to his sister, to which he refused.

By the time she had clambered back into the car, they were running very late, and tempers were running high.

"Why didn't you just owl them the stuff they left?" Dolohov asked.

"Errol..." began the Weasleys but really no explanation was necessary. That bird probably wouldn't survive the journey to Scotland.

Mr. Weasley glanced at his watch and then at his wife... We’d be there in ten minutes and no one would be any the wiser—”

"ARTHUR WEASLEY!" Amelia Bones looked murderous. "That is in direct violation of your own laws, and you know it!"

“I said no, Arthur, not in broad daylight—”

"What? So its okay for dad to break the law in the dark but we can't do it at all?" George demanded.

"Your father is an adult," Molly said.

"So am I!"

They reached King’s Cross at a quarter to eleven.

"That's cutting it close," Remus commented.

Mr. Weasley dashed across the road... In the blink of an eye they were gone.

"That's a breach of security!" Moody growled. "Does no one pay attention to security. You're escorting Harry Potter. A known target for dark wizards - and no I don't mean dark cored wizards - but criminals!"

“Let’s go together... CRASH.

"What happened?" people all throughout the chamber cried.

"This is why you do not leave minors - especially Harry Potter - unattended!" Moody hissed.

Both trolleys hit the barrier... “What in blazes d’you think you’re doing?”

"You mean that really happened?" Minerva asked.

"Obviously," Harry rolled his eye in a perfect imitation of Snape. Even causing the older man to huff in amusement.

"This isn't good," Sirius groaned. "They're drawing attention to themselves."

“Lost control of the trolley,”... A dozen curious people were still watching them.

"I was literally panicking," Ron admitted.

"Understandable," Moody said gruffly. "You shouldn't have been left..."

"Alright. I get it! I messed up," Mrs Weasley said shrilly. "No need to keep..."

"Molly, that's enough," Arthur murmured. "Alastor doesn't mean anything by it. WE made a mistake."

“We’re going to miss the train,”... Have you got any Muggle money?”

"Muggle money? Why would you need muggle money?" young Draco asked.

"Because they are stranded in the muggle world, Draco," young Lucius said with a frown.

"Oh, yeah."

Harry gave a hollow laugh... “I think we’d better go and wait by the car,” said Harry.

"Good idea, Potter," Kingsley said.

“We’re attracting too much atten—”...  “We can fly the car to Hogwarts!”

"Bad idea!" Mrs Weasley said, crossing her arms.

“But I thought—”... section nineteen or something of the Restriction of Thingy…”

"This does not count as an emergency," Minerva said.

"Section nineteen or something of the Restriction of Thingy?" Hermione and Percy asked, sharing a smirk.

 “But your Mum and Dad…”... and we’re not allowed to Apparate yet…”

"I really can't believe you're even considering this," young Mrs Weasley said.

Harry’s feeling of panic... but their street was empty.

"They're going to be seen," Amelia said with a shake of her head.

“Okay,” he said… —and so did they.

“That’s bound to be a bit strange. Especially if you’re in the air,” Remus said.

Harry could feel the seat vibrating… floating a few feet above the ground in a dingy street full of parked cars.

”That’s disturbing,” Severus said with a shudder.

“Let’s go,”…  below them.

”That’s kind of cool,” young Seamus said to his older self, who nodded in agreement.

Then there was a popping noise… “It’s faulty—”

”Definitely going to be seen,” Tonks said.

Both of them pummeled it… “We need to see the train to know what direction to go in,” said Ron.

”Oh dear, they’ll either be seen or get lost,” young Mrs Weasley said. 

“Dip back down again—quickly—”… like a scarlet snake.

”Foreshadowing,” Ron muttered, much to Harry’s amusement.

“Due north,”… they burst out into a blaze of sunlight.

”Wow!” Everyone gasped.

”Yes. It’s all very pretty. Until they’re in the hospital wing with third degree burns and sunstroke,” young Madam Pomfrey said. “Please tell me they came to the hospital wing.”

Her older self shook her head. “I didn’t even know about this.”

It was a different world… “All we’ve got to worry about now are airplanes,” said Ron.

Mrs Weasley let out a whimper. 

They looked at each other… with a fat pack of toffees in the glove compartment,

“Toffees? Just what you need to dehydrate yourselves quicker,” Madam Pomfrey complained.

and the prospect of seeing Fred’s and George’s jealous faces… villages with tiny toy churches.

”Dehydration aside, it must have been quite the sight,” Albus said.

”Don’t forget every time they dip down, they increase the chances of being seen!” Amelia hissed.

”I think, dear, that ship has sailed.” Albus’s eyes were twinkling madly as he popped a lemon drop in his mouth. 

Several uneventful hours later,… and they had nothing to drink.

Poppy huffed. Folding her arms. Did the teachers of Hogwarts actually respect her? She was beginning to think they didn’t? It was the only logical explanation why so many injuries failed to be reported to her. Was it time to look for another position?

He and Ron had pulled off their sweaters… end of his sweaty nose.

Poppy grimaced as she mentally listed how she would treat them if she had been given the opportunity.

He had stopped noticing the fantastic cloud shapes… Why hadn’t they been able to get onto platform nine and three-quarters?

”Only wondering that now, Potter?” Alastor asked.

“Can’t be much further, can it?”… It was much darker beneath the canopy of clouds.

”Good. You haven’t lost it,” Sirius muttered.

Ron put his foot on the accelerator… the engine began to whine.

”Oh. No. That’s really not good,” Charlie said.

”It’s the furthest it’s ever flown. I never flew it myself,” Arthur said with a frown.

Harry and Ron exchanged nervous glances… “It’s never been this far before…”

”Machines don’t get tired. They don’t have feelings.” Hermione shook her head.

”That car did,” both Harry and Ron muttered.

And they both pretended not to notice… as though in protest.

”They’re going to crash and die,” young Mrs Weasley was muttering under her breath.

”Clearly not, dear, or they wouldn’t be here safe and sound.”

“Not far,”… Hogwarts castle.

”Oh thank Mother Magic!” Both Mrs Weasleys cried.

Sirius was pacing the room. He looked on the verge of grabbing his god sons and making a run for it.

But the car had begun to shudder… issuing from under the hood.

Sirius whined.

Harry found himself gripping the edges… The car wobbled again.

”Crash in the lake!” Sirius said before turning to young Harry and asking, “You can swim, right?”

Young Harry shook his head.

”Oh bugger. We’re going to fix that.”

”That’s it. I’m removing you from Hogwarts. I’ll home school you.” Sirius was nodding to himself.

”I can’t give you anymore calming draughts, Black. You need to calm down.” Severus glanced at Madam Pomfrey.

Poppy got out of her seat and began giving Lord Black an impromptu health check. He looked like he was about to start hyperventilating at any moment.

“Come on,”… and the engine died completely.

Severus stunned the man and they lay him down on the sofa.

”Good call, Severus,” Madam Pomfrey said. “We’ll be lucky if he doesn’t suffer a heart attack. He is just out of Azkaban, after all.”

Harry stared at his godfather in horror and Remus rushed forward to embrace him. “It’s not your fault, Harry. You hear me?”

Harry just about managed to nod his head. But all he could think was that he can’t lose him again. He’d only just gotten him back. 

“Uh oh,”… heading straight for the solid castle wall.

”Can you stun me too?” Mrs Weasley muttered as she clung to her husband.

“Noooooo!”… soaring over the dark greenhouses,

“Well done, Ronald,” Percy said.

then the vegetable patch,… “STOP! STOP!” he yelled, whacking the dashboard and the windshield,

Hermione muttered the correct spell under her breath much to Ron’s annoyance.

”Yes, I know it now, Hermione. Not so much at twelve.”

”Even if you had known it, the stress of the situation would have made a challenging task near impossible,” Flitwick said.

but they were still plummeting,… CRUNCH.

”Why weren’t we informed they crashed, Arthur?” Mrs Weasley was crying now.

”I don’t know, Molly. But I’m going to find out.”

With an earsplitting bang… Steam was billowing from under the crumpled hood;

”At least it’s over,” Arthur said.

”Don’t speak too soon, dad,” Ron said bitterly. He hated that tree.

Hedwig was shrieking in terror… where he had hit the windshield;

“A HEAD INJURY!” Both Poppys were on their feet screaming, loud enough to wake Sirius.

”Is it over?” Sirius asked. “My pup’s not dead, is he?”

”Not quite, dear. Just you rest,” the older woman said to their patient before turning back to the teachers. “A student had sun burn, heat stroke, dehydration, and a head injury, if not worse and I was not informed. I demand an explanation!”

”Er… they seemed fine. They said they…” Minerva began.

”They are CHILDREN! You are the adult Minerva. It is your duty to protect them and seek medical treatment for them when they need it, not when they damn well want it.”

Young Poppy looked at the two Harrys and then back at her colleagues. “I’ll listen to the rest of the books, but… if I stay on at Hogwarts after this - and that is a big if - it will not be for any reason than to protect these children from the likes of you.”

Minerva looked close to tears. How had she missed this? Was she so angry that she’d failed to see that they were unwell and injured?

and to his right,… It had snapped, almost in two;

“Wait! Your wand snapped at the beginning of the year?” Arthur asked. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

”When? Before or after Mum’s howler?” Ron retorted angrily.

the tip was dangling limply, held on by a few splinters.

”Please tell me you didn’t use that wand for an entire school year. You’re lucky to be alive, Mr Weasley.” Ollivander looked utterly distraught. “Why didn’t his teachers report the damaged wand? I would have come to the school myself to provide him with a new one.”

”We..” Flitwick hesitated. Had he even realised the boy needed a new wand? He couldn’t recall.

Harry opened his mouth… just as an equally heavy blow hit the roof.

“What now?” Sirius whimpered.

“What’s happen—?”… as thick as a python smash into it.

“More foreshadowing,” Harry said with a grin to Ron, taking his godfather’s hand.

The tree they had hit was attacking them.

“THE WHOMPING WILLOW! You hit the whomping willow,” Remus said, looking ready to faint.

Its trunk was bent almost double,… which seemed to be caving in—

“You need to get out of that car!” Several people called.

”You think?” Harry replied sarcastically.

“Run for it!”… —the engine had restarted.

”How?” Someone asked.

”Who cares how. Just get out of there!” Lee Jordan cried.

“Reverse!” Harry yelled, and the car shot backward;

“Just what did you do to that car, Arthur?” Kingsley asked. “It seems sentient.”

the tree was still trying… Well done, car—”

”Did you just praise the car, Ronald?” Hermione asked.

The car, however, had reached the end of its tether… the car was ejecting their luggage from the trunk;

“Definitely sentient,” Rockwood said.

Hedwig’s cage flew… without a backward look.

“Poor Hedwig!” Luna and young Harry cried.

Then, dented, scratched,… brandishing his broken wand.

“Watch what you’re doing with that wand,” young Ollivander said.

“Dad’ll kill me!”…  “we’d better get up to the school…”

There was utter silence. No one quite knew what to make of what they'd just heard. Mrs Weasley was overwhelmed. First she’d learned that a family pet was actually a death eater in disguise - sleeping in her son’s beds no less - and now this. Her son hadn’t just flown to school and broken the statute of secrecy. No, he’d nearly died doing it. And somehow she’d never known.

Everyone else was just staring at the book in utter shock. Professor Flitwick had turned off the charm early seeing as how everyone seemed so distressed.

”I think we need a few minutes break before we continue,” Arthur said and the house elves popped in with cups of tea and coffee. “Weasleys, family meeting. NOW!”

Chapter Text

Mr Weasley led his family to the suit of rooms they'd taken over as their own. It was a large suit with plenty of room for all of them, evening in the cosy sitting room. It strangely reminded Arthur of the Burrow and that helped settle his mind. This was not going to be easy. His younger self was looking apprehensive and their wives were clinging to each other, crying. That would not help.

"Mollywobbles," Arthur soothed. "Sit down, let's get you some tea and a biscuit."

A house elf popped in with tea and biscuits for everyone and was quickly thanked before popping back out of the room.

"I don't w-want a biscuit," Molly huffed, still clinging to her younger self.

Younger Arthur rolled his eyes at himself before taking a seat himself and pouring himself some tea.

Young Fleur was really not sure why her older self had dragged her along to this meeting. The first one hadn't been so bad. But surely, this would be far too personal for her to witness... She sat tightly into the sofa next to her elder self, staring at the wall. She had never felt so awkward in her life. It wasn't like she was going to marry this Bill Weasley any time soon.

"Right, well..." Arthur's ears pinked up as he tried to work out what he should say. "I don't really know where to start."

His younger self shrugged, clearly lost too.

"Erm, so let's talk about Scabbers," Arthur said eventually.

None of his children were meeting his eye and he couldn't help but wonder how many of them knew and hadn't told him - and perhaps more importantly, how did they know?

"Scabbers was in our home for a long time," Arthur said, "and I am sincerely sorry that I did not -" He sighed. "I should have realised. I should have placed anti-animagi wards around the house. I was a fool and I endangered you all, and I am sincerely sorry."

"Dad, it's not your fault," young Ron said.

"It's kind of you to say, son, but I'm afraid it is." Arthur sat up straight. "Now, you don't have to talk about it right now. But I want to know about any strange experiences you might have had with Scabbers or perhaps dreams of a - a man in your bedroom - or anything peculiar like that. Anything in our home that made you feel unsafe."

They were all looking at the ground, except Bill and Charlie. They were looking between their younger siblings in concern.

"Also anything that might have happened while you were away at school. Scabbers was there with you and I - If anything did happen, you should know you did nothing wrong and that I won't blame you or be angry. I merely wish to help."

"Help?" young Percy asked.

"It might be that you would benefit from talking to someone," Arthur said gently. "I believe yourself and Ronald, probably too for that matter, for the simple fact that Scabbers was your pet, you cared for him, loved him even. Even if he was the perfect pet," he bristled at the word, "and never did anything to hurt or scare you, this is still rather shocking and no doubt very upsetting for you both."

Arthur waited but neither boy looked like they were going to speak, so he turned to their older versions.

"I'm all right," Ron said with a shrug. "It wasn't great when I learned about it..." His voice died away.

"Why didn't you say something?" Molly cried. "You should have told us!"

"Molly, that's enough," Arthur said sternly. "While I agree that I wish Ron had informed us, it does nothing to berate the poor boy now."

Arthur turned back to his son. "Ron, when something like this happens, please tell us. We are your parents. What if he'd done something to you?"

"What like touched me?" Ron asked bewildered. "I'd remember, wouldn't I?"

"Possibly, although you could have blocked out the memory, explained it away as a bad dream perhaps, or worse, he could have used magic to make you forget."

Ron immediately thought of Gilderoy Lockhart and felt sick.

"I-I didn't really think of that," Ron said with a shrug. "Either way I'm okay."

"But what if he hurt Percy, or one of your other brothers or Ginny?" Arthur asked. "If we know we can help, but if you don't tell us, it's hard for us to know what you need."

"I get it. I was wrong. I should have said." Ron crossed his arms over his chest.

"I'm not blaming you. You were the child. I was the adult. You were my responsibility. I just hope that if you ever find yourself - magic forbid - in a situation like this again, that you will come to me and trust me with whatever pain you are feeling."

"Right. Sure. I guess."

Arthur sighed. "Tomorrow, our entire family will be visiting Madam Pomfrey."

"Whatever for?" several of the Weasley children demanded.

"To ensure that our memories haven't been tampered with and that none of you were hurt," Arthur said soothingly. "It is my duty as your father to protect you and to comfort you. I have failed at the first, please help me to fulfill the second."

There was a general murmur of reluctant agreement.

"Next on the agenda for this impromptu meeting," Arthur said in a falsely cheery voice, "is the matter of the car."

"Argh, is this really necessary, dad? I've already been punished for it - years ago."

"You misunderstand me. I do not wish to punish you. I mean to apologise. I was not informed of the severity of the situation. No one informed me that you had crashed or that you were injured. Equally, I did not know your wand was broken."

"Well, I didn't tell you, did I?" Ron said. "How were you supposed to know?"

"The school should have informed us," Molly said. "I'd never have sent that howler if I knew you were hurt. I'd have rushed to the school to check on you."

"First, I need you to know that no matter what you do or what sort of trouble you might be in, if you are hurt, I want you to come to me," Arthur said with a voice of steel. "Second, if you need help, again regardless of whether you are in trouble or you fear the consequences, always come to me."

"What were you going to do?" Ron asked with a shrug. "I was fine by morning and you couldn't afford a new wand - especially after the fine."

"We would have found a way, Ron," Molly said. "You're our baby boy. Your safety comes first."

She rushed over to her son and embraced him. "Mum, ger off..."

"Not likely," Charlie chuckled.

In the main chamber, Sirius was being examined by Madam Pomfrey. "I'm find, Pops. Don't worry your pretty little head about me."

"I'll tell you if you're fine or not!" she huffed.

It took a solid ten minutes before she allowed him to sit up once again. "Fortunately, it was just a panic attack but Sirius, you really need to be more careful. You just got out of Azkaban. Your body isn't well enough for this much stress."

"Tell that to the books," Sirius muttered.

Harry looked like he was blaming himself so Sirius opened his arms and pulled his godson closer. "I'm fine. There's a lot of life left in me. Don't you worry yourself."

Eventually the Weasleys returned and they all settled down to finish the chapter.

It wasn’t at all the triumphant arrival... toward the great oak front doors.

"Should have come straight to the hospital wing," Poppy muttered to herself.

“I think the feast’s already started,”... (Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin).

They all cheered for their house, even the Slytherins.

Harry well remembered putting it on... beating Slytherin for the first time in seven years.

"So when did that hindsight kick in, Potter?" Severus asked with a smirk.

"It was a few years before I realised that hadn't been fair," he said quietly, still eyeing his godfather nervously.

A very small... Where’s Snape?”

"Oh no," George frowned.

"You're in trouble," Fred said.

Professor Severus Snape... “Maybe he’s ill!” said Ron hopefully.

"RONALD!" Mrs Weasley had found her voice again.

“Maybe he’s left,” said Harry, “because he missed out on the Defense Against Dark Arts job again!”

"Maybe you should head inside before you're caught," Remus said with a wry grin.

“Or he might have been sacked!” said Ron enthusiastically. “I mean, everyone hates him—”

"Oh no... What do you wanna bet he heard all of that?" George asked the younger twins.

They exchanged a look. "No deal."

“Or maybe,”... he and Ron were in very deep trouble.

"I would say so," Severus said, "although, I hope that had I realised you were injured, I would have taken you to the hospital wing."

"It was dark, sir. It's all right." Harry shrugged.

"You're too quick to excuse people for not showing you the required amount of care," Severus tutted.

“Follow me,” said Snape... down a narrow stone staircase that led into the dungeons.

"I would have thought you'd have taken them to the headmaster," Sirius said.

“In!”... Wanted to arrive with a bang, did we, boys?”

Sirius glared at Severus.

"I haven't done it yet," Severus reminded him.

"But you will!" Sirius huffed.

"No, I won't. That version of myself didn't know Potter. I do."

“No, sir, it was the barrier at King’s Cross, it—”... “What have you done with the car?”

"At least let them answer before asking another question," Arthur complained. He was really beginning to get angry about the goings on at Hogwarts.

Ron gulped... as Snape unrolled today’s issue of the Evening Prophet.

"I knew they'd be seen," Amelia grumbled.

"I told you so doesn't look good on you Amelia," Moody smirked.

“You were seen,”... “Dear, dear… his own son…”

"That is quite enough!" Arthur said, getting to his feet. "If this is the way students are treated at Hogwarts, I think I'll be taking a leaf out of Sirius's book and homeschooling my children."

"Arthur, please," Albus said.

"No. Absolutely not. I don't care that he has some sort of personal vendetta against a dead man, that is no excuse to take it out on those boys."

"You're right," Severus said quietly. "Though I haven't done this yet and therefore won't apologise. It should never have been possible."

Harry felt as though he’d just been walloped... considerable damage seems to have been done to a very valuable Whomping Willow,” Snape went on.

"You have to be joking!" Sirius huffed. "You care more about the wellbeing of that blasted tree than my godson and his friend?"

"No. I don't. And I don't think he - that version of me did either - but..."

"Severus is a spy," Albus said coolly. "He has a role to play. Like it or not."

"A SCHOOL IS NOT A PLACE FOR WAR GAMES, HEADMASTER!" young Mrs Weasley screeched.

“That tree did more damage to us than we—”... You will wait here.”

"You actually threatened to expel them?" several students asked. They thought Potter just got away with everything.

Harry and Ron stared at each other... but she was still extremely strict.

"Fairer?" Sirius huffed. He still hadn't forgotten the massive point loss in the previous book.

Ten minutes later, Snape returned,... Harry and Ron both flinched,

"Did you not notice that your students actually flinched when you raised your wand?" Sirius asked. "If that doesn't tell you something, I don't know what will."

"You teachers need anger management lessons," Remus growled.

but she merely pointed it at the empty fireplace...“Explain,” she said, her glasses glinting ominously.

"You know it's bad when she's using one word sentences," George commented.

Ron launched into the story... I believe you have an owl?” Professor McGonagall said coldly to Harry.

"An owl would never have arrived in time for someone to come and rescue them. They were stranded in muggle London, with muggles gawping at them." Tonks was furious. As much as she agreed they never should have flown the car. She could understand how they'd made such a poor decision in a moment of panic. They were twelve for goodness sake and they'd been left alone in muggle London of all places."

"I obviously did not have a clear understanding of events, Miss Tonks," Minerva said, sounding very prim. She didn't particularly like having so many of her ex-students commenting on her conduct. Even if they were right.

Harry gaped at her.... “That,” said Professor McGonagall, “is obvious.”

"Really, it's no wonder these kids don't come to adults for help," Sirius said, flinging his hands into the air in the universal sign for giving up.

There was a knock on the office door... wishing he and Ron were still being beaten up by the Whomping Willow.

"Disappointing a respected teacher always seems to have a greater effect upon one's future choices than making them angry," Albus said thoughtfully, giving a quiet reminder to his staff that volume and anger were not necessary.

There was a long silence... and spoke instead to his knees.

"Weird isn't it, that old Dumbles knows how to listen," Bill said, surprisingly angry - he was normally so calm -, "and yet two of his most trusted professors seem incapable of it."

He told Dumbledore everything... find a flying car parked outside the station. He knew Dumbledore would see through this at once,

"I don't imagine I believed that for one second," Albus chuckled.

but Dumbledore asked no questions about the car... “Well, you’re expelling us, aren’t you?” said Ron.

"Not likely," Sirius said gruffly. "I did far worse and they never expelled me."

Harry looked quickly at Dumbledore... I will be writing to both your families tonight.

"Like they'd even read it," Harry muttered.

I must also warn you... Christmas had been canceled.

George and the younger twins laughed at that. Severus rolled his eyes. He thought his older self was behaving quite ridiculously too. Not that he'd ever admit it.

He cleared his throat... leaving them alone with Professor McGonagall, who was still eyeing them like a wrathful eagle.

"Like you never broke the rules," Sirius laughed, looking straight at Severus.

"The rules, yes. The law, well, yes," Severus laughed, giving the other man a rather wide smile.

“You’d better get along to the hospital wing, Weasley, you’re bleeding.”

"So, you noticed he was bleeding!" Poppy exclaimed.

“Not much,”... “Your sister is also in Gryffindor.”

"So, not going to insist that they both be checked out?" Sirius demanded. "Harry had a head injury!"

“Oh, good,” said Ron... “And speaking of Gryffindor—” Professor McGonagall said sharply,

"Here we go," Sirius tutted. "Going to make their house hate them before term has even started."

but Harry cut in:... watching her anxiously.

"That won't work," Remus said. "Good try though, cub."

Professor McGonagall... “But you will both get a detention.”

"One detention?" Remus asked. "Talk of expulsion one second and its a single detention?"

"Remus, shush! We're happy about this!" Sirius grumbled.

"No. We're not. How are the students ever to learn the seriousness of their actions if the punishments are so haphazard. Fifty points and detention for being out of bounds after curfew, but break the bleeding law and you get off with a detention. Of course, we'll take your blood and a couple of your brain cells for good measure, but at least it's just a bloody detention."

Remus stood up and stormed from the chamber.

Everyone stared at the doorway. No one - or at least very few present - had ever seen the gentle werewolf so angry.

"Do we wait or..." Flitwick asked, his wand at the ready.

"Just continue. He needs a few moments." Sirius said, his eyes focused on the doorway through which his closest friend had just stormed.

It was better than Harry had expected... they’d just be disappointed that the Whomping Willow hadn’t squashed him flat.

Sirius growled as he wondered if it would be over-dramatic if he stormed out too.

Professor McGonagall raised her wand again... “I must also return to the feast.”

"You left students - second year students - in my office?" Severus demanded. "They could have been seriously hurt in there. The potions ingredients..."

"Like they weren't already seriously hurt," Poppy grumbled. "They should have been sent to me."

When the door had closed behind her... “Fred and George must’ve flown that car five or six times

Mrs Weasley glared at the three twins.

"This is why you're supposed to have these sort of things warded properly, Arthur!" Amelia complained.

Arthur nodded his head. There was really no argument he could make.

and no Muggle ever saw them.”... “Why couldn’t we get through the barrier?”

"That's what I'd like to know," Moody said. "Did you bother to at least look into their story?"

"Of course we did," Minerva said brusquely. "There was nothing wrong with the barrier when we checked it."

"And when was that?" Tonks questioned.

"Shortly after curfew."

"So a whole twelve hours after the event," young Kingsley said, "giving the perpetrator plenty of time to remove all evidence of tampering. This is why you should have reported it to the aurors!"

Harry shrugged... “Doesn’t want people to think it’s clever, arriving by flying car.”

"You were not wrong, Mr Weasley," Minerva offered the young man a thin smile.

When they had eaten as many sandwiches as they could... “Password?” she said as they approached.

"Let me guess, you didn't even bloody give them the password!" Remus called from the doorway. He was about to return but was now reconsidering it. He stormed away again.

“Er—” said Harry... someone said you’d been expelled for crashing a flying car!”

"You really need to let them speak, Miss Granger," young Minerva said calmly.

"Pot meet kettle," Sirius growled.

“Well, we haven’t been expelled,”... “but that’s not the point—”

"Quickest way to stop a 'Mione rant before it starts," Harry said with a smirk.

Her words were cut short,... people’ll be talking about that one for years—”

"Yeah, right," Harry laughed. "There'll be something new to gossip about me within a month."

“Good for you,”... who was wearing a scowl just like Percy’s.

"Neither one of you are their parents," Pomona said.

"I was a prefect!" Percy said stubbornly.

"So what? The issue had already been dealt with by the headmaster and your head of house. There was no need for them to be further berated."

They managed to get to the other side of the common room,... Harry couldn’t help it. He grinned, too.

"It was kind of cool," Harry said wistfully. "Having people talk positively about me for once."

Mrs Weasley smiled at Harry before turning on McGonagall. "Why were we not informed that they were injured?"

"I did not realise the severity of the incident."

"Did you or did you not know that they had crashed the car?"

"I knew that much. Yes."

"And do people usually come out of car crashes uninjured?"

"No," Hermione said. "Not usually."

Hermione looked a little guilty herself. She hadn't even questioned if they were hurt. She didn't like that. She should have asked. Should have insisted on a trip to the Hospital wing or at least suggested it.

Chapter Text

The next day,… who had her copy of Voyages with Vampires propped open against a milk jug.

”Not sure how you could read that trash,” Ron said.

”Especially without realising he was a great big fraud,” Harry muttered.

There was a slight stiffness in the way she said “Morning,” which told Harry that she was still disapproving of the way they had arrived.

“I repeat the teachers dealt with it. It really was none of your business, Miss Granger. They needed a friend, not a mother.”

Neville Longbottom… something large and gray fell into Hermione’s jug, spraying them all with milk and feathers.

“What was it?” Young Rita asked, staring at the book. 

“Errol!”… and a damp red envelope in his beak.

”Argh! Not a howler. My mum used to send howlers.”

Mrs Weasley didn’t like being compared to Walburga Black.

“Oh, no—”… looking at it as though they expected it to explode.

”Better not delay,” Remus said as he came back into the chamber and took his place once more. “It’ll only get worse.”

“What’s the matter?”… “it was horrible.”

”I really don’t get why parents do it. Do they think embarrassing you in front of the whole school will make you more likely to listen?” Dean asked. 

Harry looked from their petrified faces to the red envelope… “It’ll all be over in a few minutes—”

”Good advice, Neville,” Remus smiled. 

Ron stretched out a shaking hand,… Mrs. Weasley’s yells, a hundred times louder than usual,

“That’s terrifying,” Severus muttered. He didn’t not want to listen to her incessant screaming.

made the plates and spoons rattle on the table,… I THOUGHT YOUR FATHER WOULD DIE OF SHAME,

“While your son nearly did die,” Madam Pomfrey grumbled. “Did you at least ask how they were?”

Mrs Weasley was red faced with shame.

WE DIDN’T BRING YOU UP TO BEHAVE LIKE THIS,… YOUR FATHER’S FACING AN INQUIRY AT WORK,

“That’s his own fault,” Amelia said. She wasn’t impressed that the adults were blaming the children when really they should not have been left unescorted in Muggle London of all places. Not to mention, it was Arthur’s responsibility to secure the car.

IT’S ENTIRELY YOUR FAULT AND IF YOU PUT ANOTHER TOE OUT OF LINE WE’LL BRING YOU STRAIGHT BACK HOME.”

”That just wasn’t true, Molly,” Arthur looked cross now. “It was my fault. Not theirs. We should never have gone through without them and I shouldn’t have left the car there. I should have shrunk it, secured it and taken it with us. I know the law and should know better than to break it - especially since I wrote it.”

A ringing silence fell… “Well, I don’t know what you expected, Ron, but you—”

”Miss Granger, that really isn’t necessary,” Pomona said. 

“Don’t tell me I deserved it,”… After all Mr. and Mrs. Weasley had done for him over the summer…

”Harry, you still needed to eat,” Poppy said. ”You’d already been punished. You certainly didn’t need to punish yourself too.”

But he had no time to dwell on this;… was being perfectly friendly again.

“I’m not sure what makes Miss Granger the judge of when one has been punished enough,” Severus muttered.

As they neared the greenhouses… several of its branches now in slings.

”Mr Potter, please do not feel too bad for the tree. It’s a vicious young thing and is more than capable of making a good and full recovery,” young Sprout said.

Professor Sprout was a squat little witch…  “Just been showing Professor Sprout the right way to doctor a Whomping Willow!

“You have got to be joking!” Young Pomona said.

”Unfortunately not. He offended everyone on staff that year,” her older self said.

But I don’t want you running away… not at all her usual cheerful self.

”I was in a foul mood. He’d managed to almost get me injured several times.”

There was a murmur of interest… do you, Professor Sprout?”

”Of course I minded. Held up the whole lesson.”

Judging by Professor Sprout’s scowl,... and closed the greenhouse door in her face.

"No manners at all," the younger Ollivander grumbled.

“Harry,”... “Harry, Harry, Harry.”

"Just how patronising can he get?" Percy asked.

Completely nonplussed,... Could have kicked myself.”

"What is he talking about?" Ginny asked.

Harry had no idea... Harry, Harry, Harry.”

"If he says your name one more time..." Remus growled.

It was remarkable... and you couldn’t wait to do it again.”

Professor Snape snorted. Even he could see that the Potter heir hated his fame.

“Oh, no, Professor, see—”... grasping his shoulder.

"Why is he touching him?" Narcissa asked. "Are Hogwarts teachers not taught about creating healthy boundaries between themselves and their charges?"

"I think Gilderoy might have missed that workshop over the summer," Flitwick commented.

"You have workshops?" Harry asked.

"Of course," Minerva replied. "It's mostly just a chance to hone our understanding and familiarise ourselves with the staff rules. But it is mandatory. Just like the two weeks of summer that each professor must spend in some way furthering their understanding of their subject. Even if we all have masteries in our chosen field, we are all still constantly learning."

“I understand... ‘It’s all right for him, he’s an internationally famous wizard already!’

"He's so full of himself," Fred huffed.

"If his head was," George said.

"Any bigger," young George said.

"It would explode," Fred finished.

But when I was twelve, I was just as much of a nobody as you are now.

"Did he just call the Boy-Who-Lived a nobody?" Draco asked.

"The man is clearly delusional," Lucius murmured. "I'd love to know how he passed the interview, let alone the security checks, for the Defense position."

"Then again," young Lucius replied, "if a man possessed by the Dark Lord could get the job, I would hazard a guess that the security checks are not being completed."

The two men glared at the headmaster. Albus frowned. Were they right? Was he so concerned with filling the vacancy that he'd allowed security to be weakened. Although clearly he had weakened security himself, lowering certain wards. Part of him wanted to say it was all for the Greater Good, but a small little voice was telling him that that wouldn't excuse his sins.

In fact, I’d say I was even more of a nobody!... —but it’s a start, Harry, it’s a start.”

Remus and Sirius both growled angrily. "If I ever meet that man!" Sirius muttered darkly under his breath, remembering all the curses his mother had taught him.

He gave Harry a hearty wink... “Mandrake, or Mandragora, is a powerful restorative,” said Hermione, sounding as usual as though she had swallowed the textbook.

"Do you not even wait for the teacher to call on you, Miss Granger?" Narcissa asked, her eyebrow raised.

"Er... I don't know," Hermione looked genuinely unsure. "I guess, I just get excited and forget to..."

"It means you fail to let the other students get a chance to participate in the lesson. You are not the only student in the room. And what's more, you do not have to prove that you know the answer. At least, not constantly. The true proof will be in your exams."

“It is used to return people... Harry’s glasses as it shot up again.

"Sorry Harry." Hermione winced. Had she really been this bad?

“The cry of the Mandrake is fatal to anyone who hears it,” she said promptly.

"I didn't wait then either, did I? I'm sorry Professor," she said, looking over to Professor Sprout.

"No problem, dear. We all have faults and area where we should improve. It's that we do - improve I mean - that matters most."

"It doesn't help that your professors seem to praise the behaviour," Remus commented. "They reinforce the bad behaviour, instead of correcting it."

"That is also true," Sprout admitted. "I certainly did in that lesson."

“Precisely. Take another ten points,”... seize a pair that wasn’t pink and fluffy.

"Just what is wrong with the pink and fluffy ones?" Sprout asked, looking only slightly affronted.

“When I tell you to put them on,... and was clearly bawling at the top of his lungs.

"They really are a bit ugly, aren't they?" Dean Thomas laughed. Both Nevilles and both Sprouts glared at him.

Professor Sprout took a large plant pot... knew by sight but had never spoken to.

"I didn't really know anyone from the other houses properly before fifth year," Harry told his younger self. "You should fix that. Some of them are pretty cool."

Young Harry nodded, but Harry frowned. He was beginning to get a little worried about the kid. He'd been very quiet recently.

“Justin Finch-Fletchley,”... The Howler was obviously still on his mind.

"You guys are famous," Neville teased. "Whatever you do, don't tell Lockhart!"

“That Lockhart’s something, isn’t he?”... just fantastic.

"Why is everyone obsessed with that git?" Sirius asked. Surely, they weren't all completely stupid. Clearly Lockhart was shifty as fuck. "Do you think he places compulsions on his books. Read his book and be ensnared to always love him..."

"I don't think he was capable of that," Harry said after a moment's consideration.

“My name was down for Eton,... useful it’ll be to have a fully trained wizard in the family…”

"What is Eton?" Draco asked.

"A super posh muggle school," Harry answered.

After that they didn’t have much chance to talk... Harry spent ten whole minutes trying to squash a particularly fat one into a pot.

"They do occasionally mix the batch up," Sprout commented. "You end up with a couple that are slightly more mature than the rest. Good job your ear muffs were in place."

By the end of the class,... He was supposed to be turning a beetle into a button,

"Do you think we could do that to Rita?" Hermione asked, giving the older woman a sour look.

"Why you little!" Rita began.

but all he managed to do was... it engulfed him in thick gray smoke that smelled of rotten eggs.

"How did you miss that?" young Minerva asked her older self.

"I'm really not sure," Minerva admitted with a frown.

"The boy is lucky to be alive," young Ollivander commented coldly.

Unable to see what he was doing,... “Stupid—useless—thing—”

"That will not help," Ollivander tutted. "In fact, you could cause all sorts of damage doing that. That wand is volatile and you are lucky it isn't firing off random bits of magic."

“Write home for another one,”... “It’s your own fault your wand got snapped—”

"I wouldn't have..." Molly began.

"Yes, you would," all of her children argued.

"We'd still have replaced the wand," Arthur said with a frown.

They went down to lunch,... handful of perfect coat buttons she had produced in Transfiguration.

"Aucun tact du tout," young Fleur muttered to her older self.

“What’ve we got this afternoon?” said Harry, hastily changing the subject.

"Do you do that a lot?" Sirius asked.

"What?"

"Change the subject before they start arguing?" Remus asked.

"Er... yeah, I guess."

"That sounds exhausting," Sirius frowned at his godson's friends.

“Defense Against the Dark Arts,”... Hermione snatched the schedule back, blushing furiously.

"Hermione has a crush," George teased. Hermione glared at him.

They finished lunch... buried her nose in Voyages with Vampires again.

"If you were reading those books constantly, how did you take so long to realise he was a fraud?" Harry asked quietly.

"I... I really don't know," Hermione admitted with a shrug.

Harry and Ron stood talking about Quidditch... he went bright red.

"Another fan?" Sirius glared at the book. These kids were creepy.

“All right, Harry?... “A picture?” Harry repeated blankly.

"I'm surprised he actually asked," George grumbled.

“So I can prove I’ve met you,”... “I know all about you.

"It's funny how everyone thinks that," Harry said bitterly.

Everyone’s told me.... So I’m taking loads of pictures to send home to him.

"Please tell me he didn't send photographs home to the muggle world?" Amelia asked, leaning forward in her chair. Seriously, how many times would she learn about people breaching the statute of secrecy in these books?

"Some of us older students had a word about it with him. He agreed that it would be better to just show his dad over the holidays, but keep the photos himself." Percy puffed his chest proudly.

And it’d be really good if I had one of you”... “Harry Potter’s giving out signed photos!”

"Do you have a crush on Harry?" young Luna asked Draco.

"WHAT?" Draco turned bright red. "No. Of course, I don't."

"I think you might have when you were younger." Young Luna wasn't even looking at him, too busy staring at the fireplace. "Oh look! Is that a Blibbering Humdinger?" She pointed at the fireplace but no one saw anything. No one noticed the way she smiled at Draco, helping him avoid the attention her own words had drawn to him.

“No, I’m not,”... I don’t think getting your head cut open makes you that special, myself.”

"DRACO!" Narcissa was angry. She was trying so hard to remember that her son had grown up and that this had happened years ago. But her son had always had such brilliant manners and she was horrified to learn this was how he behaved when she wasn't present.

Crabbe and Goyle were sniggering stupidly... rubbing his knuckles in a menacing way.

"Ron... prophetic much?" Harry asked.

"If that was really an insight from the future it would not have been directed at Malfoy," Hermione interjected in her best know-it-all voice.

"Ever hear of a joke, 'Mione?" Ron asked irritably.

Harry frowned. He really didn't want them to start arguing now. "Let's continue reading."

“Be careful, Weasley,”... A knot of Slytherin fifth years nearby laughed loudly at this.

"This is why howlers from parents should not be allowed," Remus said. "It just encourages bullying."

“Weasley would like a signed photo, Potter,”... “Who’s giving out signed photos?”

"Just what you need," muttered Sirius.

Harry started to speak... We meet again, Harry!”

"Why is he touching you again?" Sirius demanded. "He needs to keep his hands to himself or I'll cut them off."

Pinned to Lockhart’s side... signaling the start of afternoon classes.

"That won't be happening," Sirius said. "I'll sue anyone who takes your picture without your consent, Harry. You hear me? I'll make sure you get some bloody privacy!"

“Off you go, move along there,” ... your schoolmates won’t think you’re setting yourself up so much…”

"He is something else entirely," Snape groaned, rubbing the bridge of his nose.

Deaf to Harry’s stammers,... looks a tad bigheaded, Harry, to be frank.

"He would know," George muttered.

There may well come a time when,... or they’ll be starting a Harry Potter fan club.”

"Please Ginny, tell me you didn't," Harry asked.

"Er..." Ginny blushed.

“Shut up,”... I didn’t get rid of the Bandon Banshee by smiling at her!”

"Do witches really find that charming?" young Draco asked.

"Yeah, I don't get it either," Harry said.

He waited for them to laugh;... What is Gilderoy Lockhart’s favorite color?

"How is that relevant to the course?" Amelia asked with a shake of her head. No wonder the DADA OWL and NEWT results were so poor, if this was the caliber of the teaching.

2. What is Gilderoy Lockhart’s secret ambition?... and what would his ideal gift be?

"Is he fishing for presents with a bunch of twelve year olds?" Bill asked, utterly horrified.

Half an hour later,... “—full marks! Where is Miss Hermione Granger?”

"Full marks?" Minerva asked. The girl definitely had a crush.

Hermione raised a trembling hand... “Freshly caught Cornish pixies.”

"That build up for pixies?" Severus actually chuckled. "If I didn't know better, I'd think he was pranking you."

Sirius looked like he agreed.

Seamus Finnigan couldn’t control himself... “Devilish tricky little blighters they can be!”

"That's not untrue, but they're not dark creatures and therefore will not show up in your exams." Remus laughed. "They're more of a household pest. Definitely worth knowing about. But not really something you should be learning about in Defense."

The pixies were electric blue... And he opened the cage.

"He didn't even tell you how to defend yourself, catch them... anything," Remus said gobsmacked.

It was pandemonium... Neville by the ears and lifted him into the air.

Augusta Longbottom looked ready to kill someone.

Several shot straight through the window... within minutes, half the class was sheltering under desks and

"This is why none of you had any of your homework completed?" Minerva asked. "Why didn't you say anything?"

"What was the point?" Harry asked.

"I'd have given you an extension," young Minerva said.

"Right," Harry looked away, clearly not believing her.

Neville was swinging from the iron chandelier in the ceiling.

"THAT MAN IS NEVER TEACHING MY GRANDSON!" Augusta shouted, making everyone jump. "I'll have Hogwarts closed if that man ever gets a position as a teacher. I swear on Merlin himself, I'll do it."

“Come on now—... “Peskipiksi Pesternomi!”

"THAT'S NOT EVEN A REAL SPELL!" several people shouted at the book.

It had absolutely no effect;... who fell a second later as the chandelier gave way.

"How badly where you hurt?" young Madam Pomfrey demanded.

"Nothing too bad," Neville said with a blush.

The bell rang ... shut the door quickly behind him.

"He did not just leave you three to deal with them?" Sirius growled as Remus muttered about incompetent fools.

“Can you believe him?”... stuffing them back into their cage.

"Well done, Miss Granger," Flitwick cheered.

“Hands on?”... “He says he’s done,” Ron muttered.

"Yeah. There's no way those books are legitimate," Remus agreed. 

Chapter Text

Once they'd all settled down from reading about the incident with the pixies, the young people all filed out of the chamber behind the two Andromedas for their very first afternoon lesson. Other than their defense training, they hadn't had any other lessons at all yet. This was because they'd been given time off when they finished the first book the day before. It was only their fourth day in Mother Magic's realm but it strangely felt like they'd been here much longer than that.

They all settled down in one of the two chambers that had been taken over for their lessons. Over the last few days, the two Ollivanders had been working none stop to ensure that everyone in the chamber had a wand. Those that hadn't gone to Hogwarts yet, were all in need of one and still more had lost theirs during the war. There had been some arguments about whether or not the deatheaters should be allowed wands. But Harry had argued that Mother Magic had instructed them against violence and she had decided who was welcome in the chamber. He believed they should trust her judgement. Plenty of people didn't like it. But no one was willing to disagree with Mother Magic's prince.

Their first lesson was supposed to be magical theory and so they wouldn't actually require their new wands, much to everyone's disappointment.

Young Andromeda flourished her wand and multiple beanbags appeared all over the empty chamber. They all quickly settled down for their lesson.

"Magical theory is still I believe a class that all Hogwarts students have to take," Andromeda said. "Is that correct?"

"Yes," Hermione answered. "But it's a short course. Only six weeks at the beginning of first year."

Both Andromedas tutted and Hermione blushed. "Sorry. Should I have raised my hand?"

"No. That wasn't the issue. Magical theory should be studied all through your Hogwarts years, and beyond. It grows and changes as the magic you perform grows and changes. To limit your knowledge of the theory to a single six week course, is to seriously hamper your magical understanding and therefore your skill."

"Magical theory," young Andromeda continued, following her older self, "is the study of the very nature of magic."

"How spells work?" young Harry asked.

"Yes and no," Andromeda replied. "Yes, part of Magical Theory is knowing the basis of how our spells work but it encompasses so much more than that. Magical Theoreticians study everything from our magical cores, how magic interacts with us as wix, and the wider world, even muggles, they break down how spells work, and create formula for spell creation. Without magical theory you will never be accomplished spell crafters and that is a skill that should never be lost to a generation. They also study the transference of energy - or magic - throughout spell craft. It is our study of Magical Theory that have allows us to understand the fundamental laws of magic."

"We do not know how long we will be in Mother Magic's realm, and I know there are a lot of subjects that the adults want you to learn - perhaps too many - but if there is one thing you must learn while in this chamber, it is Magical Theory. If you know the theory, every part of your magical education will become easier to understand and you'll therefore learn it quicker. There is much to cover in Magical Theory and I do not for a second think we will have enough time to cover everything - that is everything wixen kind understand at the present time - but we can try." Young Andromeda snapped her wand and words began to appear in mid-air, the fundamental laws of magic. "We're going to start with the Fundamental Laws of Magic and then if we have time today we might start to discuss magical cores."

"Does anyone know any of the laws?" Andromeda asked.

The youngest in the room remained silent. But Hermione's hand immediately skyrocketed. Hers was not the only one in the air however and so Andromeda allowed Neville to go first.

"The first law - the law of balance - states that breaking the laws of magic will have equal sized negative consequences," Neville said slightly shyly.

"Very good, Neville. Those of you who are muggle raised might notice the similarity to Newton's third law of motion. Miss Granger could you tell us the law?"

"For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction," Hermione said.

"Very good. Can anyone think of an example of how this law might be broken, or has been broken, and what sort of effect might result?" Andromeda asked.

"Love potions," Draco said. "You cannot create love, only imitate it. A child born under a love potion is said to not be capable of love."

"Excellent, Draco," Andromeda smiled at her nephew.

"This isn't just relevant when we look at breaking the laws of magic, but at all times," Andromeda continued. "Magic must always be balanced. If we focus too heavily on one aspect of magic and not the other, we create an imbalance, that magic will rectify - at great cost. We are the evidence of that, by the simple fact that magic has called us to this chamber."

"Are you saying we should practice dark magic?" Hermione asked in surprise.

"I am saying our understanding of dark and light magic has become distorted and has been widely seen to be a case of good and evil. That is inaccurate and is leading to an imbalance. Does everyone need to practice dark magic? Probably not. But it should not be prohibited the way it is in our time. Those with light or dark cores will naturally lean to what comes best to them, but that doesn't mean we should prohibit others from practicing what comes easier for them."

Hermione looked like she wanted to argue but the younger Andromeda has started asking again for another law.

Rockwood and several other adults had gathered in the entrance to the chamber. "You do realise," Rockwood said matter-of-factly, "that this will change everything?"

"Isn't that the idea?" Minerva replied.

"Yes. But I'm not sure the light will like it. Too long the dark has been forced into the shadows. But here, now, that is going to change."

Minerva agreed. Many of her own friends would not like the change. But if what Mother Magic had said was true, then this was necessary.

The adults came and went over the course of the next hour, only Dumbledore remained constantly watching. He considered the bleak picture Mother Magic had offered and he blamed himself. He himself had campaigned against the dark. Marginalised those with dark cores. Was he really any better than Voldemort if he could not see that what Mother Magic predicted was a direct result of their failure to maintain the balance. He knew better and yet he'd fallen into the pitfall of thinking he knew best. Oh, the irony. Still he felt apprehensive about the children learning more about the dark.

Yes, all dark magic was not evil but the darker - eviler parts - were tempting. He himself had been tempted.

But, what had tempted him more than the magic was the power. This wasn't about dark and light. It was about men like him and Grindlewald - men like Voldemort - who wanted power. Yes, that was the lesson that the children must learn - regardless of their core nature or what forms of magic they would come to practice - they must learn not to chase power the way he had. He could at the very least provide them with that warning.

The lesson had moved on from the fundamental laws of magic to that of magical cores and Dumbledore was rooted to his spot, smiling softly, as he for the first time in longer than he could recall, got a first row seat to witness young minds learning something new. That was a sad thought. He'd been headmaster of Hogwarts for too long perhaps. When was the last time he just popped into a classroom to watch the students learn?

"Each person in this chamber has a magical core," young Andromeda was saying, "either light, dark or grey."

"As families share their family magics," Andromeda continued, "more often than not, the cores within a family are aligned. The Blacks, my own family, are well known for being dark. The Longbottoms light. The Bones neutral - or grey."

"Our power ebbs and flows throughout our lives," young Andromeda said, "as our cores evolve. There are several stages to this. The first is during early childhood when your core is mostly latent. Those of you below the age of eleven are most likely still in this stage. At this time, your core is growing gradually so that it can contain your magic. It's gradually filling and expanding. Accidental magic is frequent in the stage as your magic begins to awaken. Trauma can have an averse effect on the magical cores of children, as can attempts to perform magic too early. Especially more complicated or advanced magic. It is too easy to deplete your magical core during this time and so magical parents are often extremely protective. It is one of the main reasons - besides the statute of secrecy - why we have restrictions on underage magic. If you are a light wix, your parents might allow you to try basic light magic - perhaps a lumos, but nothing more complicated than that. Equally if you are a dark wix, your parents might encourage you to try the bubble charm."

"Lumos? The bubble charm?" young Harry asked.

Andromeda gave a quick demonstration of each charm. First light erupted from her wand then a stream of bubbles in various colours. "The bubble charm is technically dark as it requires an emotion to fuel it - joy. People tend to forget it's dark as it it harmless. Much like the patronus charm requires happiness, so people forget that it's actually a dark spell. Dark magic is often mislabeled as that that requires negative emotions.

"Once you know your alignment," young Andromeda said, "you'll be able to try out the spell that matches your alignment. Though, I do ask that you refrain from the other until after you reach Hogwarts and your first maturation."

"First maturation?" young Hermione asked, eagerly taking notes on everything that was being said.

"The first maturation usually happens around the age of eleven," Andromeda said. "This is why you begin your Hogwarts education at that age. Any earlier - actually performing the magic - would be detrimental to your magical wellbeing. Your core rapidly expands and during this time and your magic develops quickly. This is the perfect time to learn control as a lack of control at this age could be devastating. Again though, it is important not to rush through your learning as your core is still young and therefore fragile. Too much magical use will lead to magical exhaustion and potentially death as we witnessed in Harry's first year at Hogwarts."

Young Andromeda took over. "The second maturation usually happens at the age of seventeen. This is why we are deemed adults in the wixen world at seventeen. Our magical core usually has one final large growth burst before settling into a more natural ebb and flow pattern."

"There is some evidence to suggest," Andromeda said, "that particularly powerful wix might have a third maturation that happens sometime in their formative years, equally their is more evidence still to suggest they simply start to develop their magic earlier than most - Harry is a prime example of this as he performed his first feat of magic not even an hour after his birth."

"Is there a way to find out your alignment?" young Harry asked, equal parts wanting to change the subject from himself and wanting to know the answer.

"The Potters were well known for being neutral. This is believed to be because they were descended from the Peveralls. So, I imagine, you would be neutral. Especially considering the task Mother Magic has assigned you. However, yes. There is a way. It is tradition that when a baby is born into a family, we take them to the Goblins. With a single drop of blood on ritualised parchment - similar to an inheritance test - we are informed of the infant's core affinity and their potential power level. As I said, it is tradition."

"Do we not have anything that does the same?" Hermione asked. "We seem to rely on the Goblins for a lot."

"We do not," Young Andromeda said. "The Goblins ritualistic magic far surpasses our own. And they keep their secrets almost as well as they hide their gold."

"Unfortunately, we do not have any Goblins in the chamber to ask," Andromeda continued. "So, we will have to ask Mother Magic herself if she is willing to provide."

With a flash of light, in front of each of the students, there was now a piece of parchment and a small dagger.

"Thank you, Mother Magic," everyone whispered in awe.

"Simply prick your finger and allow one drop of your blood to land on the paper," Andromeda said.

They all quickly followed the instructions, eager to know the answer. Harry cut his finger and allowed a single drop to fall before casting a quick healing charm for himself and his younger self.

We're grey, young Harry hissed, looking between both his own and older Harry's sheet.

We're grey, Harry agreed, messing up his younger self's hair.

That's good, I think. Young Harry said.

Harry nodded in agreement before looking back down. "Er, Andromeda what do the runes mean?"

"There are usually two Elder Futhark runes," Andromeda answers. "The first tells you your potential power level - or the size of your magical core. While the second, usually tells us a little about your magical nature. Of course, runes can be very hard to understand. Especially when they are used alone. One rune alone could mean many things, but when aligned with another, they begin to paint a clearer picture. We will walk around and help you all determine what your runes mean."

"If you have not had any experience with runes," young Andromeda said, "please raise your hand and we'll try to help you first."

Both Harrys lifted their hands and Andromeda made a beeline straight for them. "All right, Harry. Let's see what you boys have got there."

Harry offered Andromeda his copy of the ritual.

Andromeda's eyes widened for a fraction but other than that she showed no reaction to what she saw.

She settled down on a beanbag next to the two boys and put up a privacy charm around them. "Excuse me, but I don't imagine you'll want them all to know the details of this."

Harry nodded. He hated it when everyone knew more about himself than he did.

"First your power level. Dagaz. That is the highest level, Harry. I think you might be more powerful than Albus or You-Know-Who. Possibly on par with Merlin, if not higher, as we do not know what his power level was. Only that he was a great sorcerer. It makes sense, of course. As you are Mother Magic's child."

Neither Harry said anything. They were that powerful? Was this just one more thing that made them a freak? That made them different?

"Dagaz represents the dawn. It symbolises awakening, certainty, illumination, completion, hope. I'm sure you'll agree, it's fitting."

Harry wanted to speak but he couldn't. He was still wondering if he was just a freak - a freak that everyone expected too much from. His younger self took his hand and they exchanged a look. "Hope?" young Harry asked.

"Fitting, as I said. You're our hope, Harry. You always have been. Even if we - the magical world - failed to remember that we should also be yours."

They were quiet for a moment and then Andromeda continued. "Of course, most people only have two runes so your result is quite unusual and not just because of how powerful you are. Let's see what we have here... Gebo represents a Gift. It symbolizes Balance, Exchange, Partnership, Generosity, Relationships. Hagalaz represents Hail. It symbolizes Nature, Wrath, Being Tested, Overcoming Obstacles. Nauthiz represents Need. It symbolizes Restriction, Conflict, Willpower, Endurance, Self-Reliance. Eihwaz represents a Yew Tree. It symbolizes Balance, Enlightenment, Death, The World Tree. Perthro represents a Dice Cup. It symbolizes Fate, Chance, Mystery, Destiny, Secrets. Sowilo represents the Sun. It symbolizes Health, Honor, Resources, Victory, Wholeness, Cleansing. Tiwaz represents the god Tyr. It symbolizes Masculinity, Justice, Leadership, Logic, Battle. Seven... Did you take arthmancy?"

"No, but I know seven is the most magical number," Harry muttered.

"Yes, exactly. It's perfection. There is so much that could mean. I would recommend you meditate on it. Usually, family will meditate on the potential meaning and settle on whatever feels most right."

Very soon their lesson was over and they were all heading down to dinner. Harry glanced at his younger self, slowing down slightly so they could escape the bigger group. "Are you okay?" he asked his younger self.

"Yeah. This is all just..."

"A bit much?" Harry asked.

"Yeah. It's a lot."

Harry hugged his younger self. There were no words he could offer himself. He didn't know how to make himself feel better, let alone his younger self. But he hoped that the other boy would at least feel like he was not alone.

"We're in this together, Harry," older Harry said.

"Together," younger Harry agreed, his eyes shining with unshed tears.

Chapter Text

The following morning, the children - although tired from the defense lesson - were still talking about their magical cores. Breakfast was as lively as ever and the strange assortment of people that made up the people Mother Magic had gathered for these readings quickly prepared themselves for another day of reading.

"I wonder what will happen next?" young Neville asked his grandmother eagerly.

"I don't know, Neville. Absolutely anything seems possible when Heir Potter is involved."

Harry sat between Sirius and Remus with Severus Snape close by - presumably with more potions - while young Harry went and sat with the other younger boys. Harry smiled when he realised that his younger self was making friends with more people than he had at Hogwarts. That was good.

Professor Flitwick waited until the chamber had quietened down before re-starting the charm on the book.

Harry spent a lot of time... however exasperated Harry sounded when he said it.

"Was he following you around?" Remus asked.

"Yeah, I think so," Harry said with a shrug. The kid had been annoying but he was essentially good and kind.

Hedwig was still angry... throbbing green boil where it had struck.

"And yet no one took him to get a new wand?" Ollivander aked.

"I..." Flitwick cast back, trying to recall the incident. "I don't know why I didn't do something..."

So with one thing and another,... Captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team.

"Just how early was it?" Minerva asked Oliver.

Oliver looked a little bit sheepish. "Can't recall exactly."

“Whassamatter?”... “It’s the crack of dawn.”

"Definitely before seven," Harry muttered.

“Exactly,”... “Meet you on the field in fifteen minutes.”

"He gave you fifteen?" George grumbled. "We were told ten."

When he’d found his scarlet team robes... I wanted to show you—”

"Yup, definitely a stalker," Sirius growled.

"He wasn't too bad," Harry reassured him.

Harry looked bemusedly at the photograph... “Sorry, Colin, I’m in a hurry—Quidditch practice—”

Everyone laughed at the idea that even photograph Harry wanted nothing to do with Lockhart.

He climbed through the portrait hole... It was like having an extremely talkative shadow.

Several people laughed at that.

"You dad would have loved that," Sirius laughed. "You're so similar and yet so different, Harry. It's brilliant."

“I don’t really understand Quidditch,”... resigned to explaining the complicated rules of Quidditch.

"It's hardly complicated, Harry," Hermione laughed.

"It's plenty complicated," George tutted. "Most people don't even know half of the rules."

"Plus, I'd like to remind you I'd just woken up," Harry grumbled.

“They’re called Bludgers... That’s it, really.”

"See! Not complicated." Hermione huffed.

"It was six am, Hermione," Harry argued.

"And that's not even all the rules," Angelina said.

"Nowhere close," Oliver agreed, but Percy covered his mouth to stop him listing them all.

But Colin didn’t stop... were yawning side by side opposite them.

"Wood, just how did you manage the get the girls?" Minerva asked, with a raised eyebrow that reminded them all of Professor Snape.

"Er... Flew up to their window and knocked," Oliver admitted.

“There you are... Harry sank into a stupor as Wood droned on and on.

"Wouldn't this have been better discussed when your team were awake?" Snape asked.

"Er..." Wood looked surprised. "I hadn't realised they weren't listening."

“So,” said Wood, at long last,... “Why couldn’t you have told us all this yesterday when we were awake?”

"Good question," Minerva and Severus said.

Wood wasn’t pleased... had suffered their worst defeat in three hundred years.

"Not your fault, Harry," Wood said.

Wood took a moment to regain control of himself... although remnants of mist hung over the grass in the stadium.

"Galloping gargoyles," Minerva frowned. "Just how long were you in there?"

"An hour maybe," Wood said.

"Try two," George and Angelina said.

As Harry walked onto the field... waking him far more effectively than Wood’s long talk.

"Which is why all the new tactics would have been better discussed in the air," Minerva said, glowering at Wood.

It felt wonderful to be back on the Quidditch field... “No idea,” Harry lied, putting on a spurt of speed that took him as far away as possible from Colin.

"HARRY!" Hermione stared at him open mouthed. "I can't believe you just did that."

"It was embarrassing," Harry grumbled.

“What’s going on?”... “Because they’re here in person,” said George, pointing.

"Oh, this is going to get ugly," several of the teachers murmured.

Several people in green robes...  We’ll see about this!”

"Surely not the whole day?" young Minerva asked.

"Well, no. But certainly the morning," Wood answered.

"And if you booked the pitch, why were your team unaware?" Flitwick asked bemused.

"I er... I forgot to tell them."

Wood shot toward the ground... “Plenty of room for all of us, Wood.”

"That would be a mistake," Pomona said.

Angelina, Alicia, and Katie had come over, too... “But I’ve got a specially signed note here from Professor Snape.”

"I wouldn't do that," Severus said thoughtfully. "There's a schedule for a reason."

“I, Professor S. Snape... It was Draco Malfoy.

The gryffindors in the chamber looked like they wanted to speak, but they all held their tongues.

“Aren’t you Lucius Malfoy’s son?”... Gryffindors’ noses in the early morning sun.

"I told you that was a bad idea," Narcissa whispered to her husband.

"I wanted Draco to know I was proud of him for doing so well in his tutoring," Lucius retorted.

"Then buy him a broom, not the whole team," his wife hissed.

“Very latest model... He was looking at Malfoy, taking in his Slytherin Quidditch robes.

"And now things will escalate - where a Malfoy and Weasley come together, there will problems be," Narcissa said.

“I’m the new Slytherin Seeker,... The Slytherin team howled with laughter.

"Not necessary, Dragon," Narcissa hissed.

“At least no one on the Gryffindor team had to buy their way in,” said Hermione sharply. “They got in on pure talent.”

"And there it is," Narcissa said. "I hate to say I told you so..."

The smug look on Malfoy’s face flickered... you filthy little Mudblood,” he spat.

Narcissa was on her feet in an instant. "DRACO MALFOY!"

Draco stood and did what he knew his mother expected. He turned towards Hermione and said, "I... Look, you probably won't believe me, but I actually am sorry."

Hermione nodded her head. She wasn't sure what to make of the apology. Draco Malfoy didn't apologise. Well, at least not before coming to this chamber. And she wasn't sure she should trust it now.

Draco didn't dare look at his godfather, knowing full well the man would be disappointed in him.

Harry knew at once that Malfoy had said something really bad... pointed it furiously under Flint’s arm at Malfoy’s face.

"Not with that wand!" Ollivander cried.

A loud bang echoed... several slugs dribbled out of his mouth onto his lap.

"EWW!" all the girls cried.

"Serves you right for trying to hex another student," Mrs Weasley said curtly. "Two wrongs do not make a right, Ronald."

The Slytherin team were paralyzed with laughter... Malfoy was on all fours, banging the ground with his fist.

"How undignified," Lucius said, glowering at his son.

The Gryffindors were gathered around Ron... pulled Ron up by the arms.

"He should have been brought to the hospital wing," Poppy complained.

“What happened,... “Can you hold him still, Harry?”

"Did he really think that was the moment for a photograph?" Tonks asked.

“Get out of the way, Colin!”... Hermione followed, somewhat reluctantly.

"Good hide," Sirius agreed.

“It’s a simple matter if you know what you’re doing!”... thought you mighta bin Professor Lockhart back again—”

"I wasn't a fan," Hagrid said gruffly.

Harry and Hermione supported Ron... “Get ’em all up, Ron.”

"I could have had him fixed up in a jiffy," Poppy grumbled. "But no, you're just going to wait it out."

“I don’t think there’s anything to do except wait for it to stop,” said Hermione anxiously,

"You are neither a healer or a mediwitch, Miss Granger. I assure you there was plenty more that could have been done!"

watching Ron bend over the basin... If one word of it was true, I’ll eat my kettle.”

Everyone eyed Hagrid in surprise. "I didn't like the man," Hagrid admitted.

It was most unlike Hagrid to criticize a Hogwarts’ teacher... he was the best man for the job—”

"Miss Granger!" Pomona frowned. "Hagrid is a grown man. What do you think you're doing, coming into his house and trying to censure his speech?"

Hermione remained quiet.

“He was the on’y man for the job,”... “Who was he tryin’ ter curse?”

"I applied," Remus said.

"As did I, most likely," Severus added.

“Malfoy called Hermione something... I could tell it was really rude, of course—”

Everyone in the chamber eyed Hermione with varying degrees of pity.

“It’s about the most insulting thing he could think of,”... he’s pure blood and he can hardly stand a cauldron the right way up.”

"Sorry Neville," Ron said, before his mother could demand it of him.

“An’ they haven’t invented a spell our Hermione can’ do,”... Least yer not in trouble.”

"I would have," Lucius admitted. "Draco would have been punished too, if I knew what he'd said, but that would have been done privately."

Harry would have pointed out... Hagrid’s treacle fudge had cemented his jaws together.

"Oops, sorry, Harry," young Hagrid said sheepishly.

“Harry,”... How come I haven’t got one?”

Everyone gaped at Hagrid.

Furious, Harry wrenched his teeth apart.

Madam Pomfrey flinched.

“I have not been giving out signed photos,” ... Yer more famous than him without tryin’.”

"Thanks Hagrid," Sirius said. He was grateful someone was looking out for his pup.

“Bet he didn’t like that,”... “Well, I’ve bin givin’ them—you know—a bit o’ help—”

Amelia Bones shook her head. She was literally surrounded by criminals. Next she'd hear her own niece... No, that wouldn't happen. Susan had more sense than to be involved in anything illegal.

Harry noticed Hagrid’s flowery pink umbrella... “Well, you’ve done a good job on them.”

"They were even bigger by Halloween," Neville said.

“That’s what yer little sister said,”... “If yeh ask me, she wouldn’ say no ter a signed—”

"Hagrid! You never teased any of us like this!" Sirius complained. He'd thought him and James were close to the half-giant.

"Ah, Harry's special, ain't he?" Hagrid said.

“Oh, shut up,”... “You will both do your detentions this evening.”

"I wonder what death defying detention they'll come up with this time," Andromeda said sarcastically.

“What’re we doing, Professor?”... “And no magic, Weasley—elbow grease.”

"Well, that's a bit more like it," Remus said.

Ron gulped... Eight o’clock sharp, both of you.”

"Did you honestly think that was a reasonable task for his detention?" Sirius asked.

"Er... well... It was a little tame perhaps."

Harry and Ron slouched into the Great Hall... Both he and Ron felt they’d got the worse deal.

"Harry wins. Filch over Lockhart any day," George said and plenty of people agreed with him.

“Filch’ll have me there all night,”...  he’ll be a nightmare…”

"What is this detention supposed to teach them?" Luna asked. "I would have thought it would have been better to have them do the detention in the library, writing an essay on the importance of the statute of secrecy."

The teachers all looked at Luna in surprise.

Saturday afternoon seemed to melt away... “This first one’s to Gladys Gudgeon, bless her—huge fan of mine—”

"At least you don't have to see their letters," Sirius said with a shiver.

The minutes snailed by... “Fame’s a fickle friend, Harry,” or “Celebrity is as celebrity does, remember that.”

"Weirdly that's not bad advice," Harry said.

"What?" several people asked at once.

"Fame is fickle. One moment everyone loves you, the next they hate you."

The candles burned lower and lower,... And then he heard something

"Oh no, now what?" Sirius murmured. He could just tell something bad was going to happen in this book too. He was just waiting for it.

—something quite apart from the spitting of the dying candles... ice cold venom.

"A voice?" Remus asked, leaning forward.

“Come… come to me… let me rip you… let me tear you… let me kill you…”

"What the hell was that?" Sirius asked.

Harry gave a huge jump... “What voice?”

"He didn't hear it?" Moody asked.

“That—that voice that said—didn’t you hear it?”... I’d never have believed it—the time’s flown, hasn’t it?”

"Four hours?" Remus asked. "That's not detention. That's four detentions back to back."

Harry didn’t answer... Feeling dazed, Harry left.

"That must have been really scary," Hermione said gently.

It was so late that the Gryffindor common room was almost empty... —even someone invisible would’ve had to open the door.”

"Yeah, they weren't in the room," Moody said, "unless they'd been there the whole time. But they'd have made a noise. Four hours is a long time to stay quiet."

“I know,”... “I don’t get it either.”

"I don't like this," Sirius said. "I really don't like this."

Chapter Text

Chapter Text

Characters coming from the Battle of Hogwarts:

Hogwarts Students:

• Harry Potter
• Ron Weasley
• Hermione Granger
• George Weasley *although he's technically no longer a student
• Ginny Weasley
• Draco Malfoy
• Luna Lovegood
• Percy Weasley *although he's technically no longer a student
• Susan Bones
• Neville Longbottom
• Blaise Zabini
• Oliver Wood *although he's technically no longer a student
• Seamus Finnigan
• Lee Jordan *although he's technically no longer a student
• Dean Thomas
• Angelina Johnson *although she's technically no longer a student
• Theodore Nott
• Daphne Greengrass
• Astoria Greengrass

Foreign School Students:

• Viktor Krum *although he's technically no longer a student
• Fleur Delacour *although she's technically no longer a student

The Adults in Harry's Life:

• Molly Weasley
• Arthur Weasley
• Bill Weasley
• Charlie Weasley

Hogwarts Professors:

• Filius Flitwick
• Minerva McGonagall
• Pomona Sprout
• Poppy Pomfrey
• Rubeus Hagrid

Other Adults:

• Narcissa Malfoy
• Lucius Malfoy
• Andromeda Tonks
• Kingsley Shacklebolt
• Augusta Longbottom
• Xenophilius Lovegood
• Garrick Olllivander
• Antonin Dolohov
• Augustus Rockwood
• Rita Skeeter 
• Amos Diggory
• Mrs Diggory
• Mr Granger *although he doesn't remember who he is.
• Mrs Granger *although she doesn't remember who she is.

Characters coming from a few months before Harry starts Hogwarts:

Hogwarts Students:

• Harry Potter
• Ron Weasley
• Hermione Granger
• Fred Weasley
• George Weasley
• Ginny Weasley
• Draco Malfoy
• Luna Lovegood
• Percy Weasley
• Susan Bones
• Neville Longbottom
• Blaise Zabini
• Oliver Wood
• Seamus Finnigan
• Lee Jordan
• Dean Thomas
• Angelina Johnson
• Theodore Nott
• Cedric Diggory
• Daphne Greengrass
• Astoria Greengrass

Foreign School Students:

• Viktor Krum
• Fleur Delacour

The Adults in Harry's Life:

• Sirius Black
• Molly Weasley
• Remus Lupin
• Nymphadora Tonks *although she's not long out of Hogwarts herself
• Arthur Weasley
• Bill Weasley
• Charlie Weasley

Hogwarts Professors:

• Severus Snape
• Albus Dumbledore
• Filius Flitwick
• Minerva McGonagall
• Pomona Sprout
• Poppy Pomfrey
• Rubeus Hagrid

Other Adults:

• Narcissa Malfoy
• Amelia Bones
• Mad-Eye Moody
• Lucius Malfoy
• Andromeda Tonks
• Emmeline Vance
• Kingsley Shacklebolt
• Augusta Longbottom
• Xenophilius Lovegood
• Garrick Ollivander
• Antonin Dolohov
• Augustus Rockwood
• Barty Crouch Junior
• Ted Tonks
• Peter Pettigrew - trapped in a cage
• Rita Skeeter
• Amos Diggory
• Mrs Diggory
• Mr Granger
• Mrs Granger

Chapter Text

When Harry found Hermione and Ron, Hermione was curled up in Ron's lap sobbing. They were sitting on Ron's bed and Ron was awkwardly rubbing Hermione's back. His eyes were wide with panic and he seemed to be silently begging Harry to do something. Although Harry wasn't quite sure what.

"Hermione?" Harry said softly as he sat on the bed opposite them.

"Humph," Hermione replied, burrowing herself deeper into Ron's lap.

"I spoke to Madam Pomfrey and Professor Snape," Harry said, "and they're going to help your mum and dad."

"I stole their memories - their identities - they're never going to forgive me."

Harry and Ron exchanged a look.

"I don't know if they will," Harry said honestly, ignoring Ron's glare. "They might not."

"Harry, mate!" Ron complained. "Not helping."

"They might not," Harry continued. "That's a reality Hermione is going to have to face, Ron. But we can hope that once they hear everything, when they know what happened, and they hear how hard it was for you to do, and you apologise, then maybe, they'll forgive you. Even if it takes them some time."

Hermione sniffed.

"Luckily, that's something we have an almost infinite supply of here," Harry said. "Plus, I don't think Mother Magic would have brought them here, if she didn't think they could help."

"I don't want them anywhere near all this. It's too dangerous."

"I know. But the thing is, Hermione, they're your parents. They deserve to know everything that happened to us in that school."

"Yeah, some of it was pretty fucked up," Ron said, remembering the family meetings his father had insisted on.

"I'm going to go and explain everything to the chamber so that when you come back - when you're ready - you won't be pressured to talk about it." Harry got up again and left the room.

Harry could hear raised voices coming from the chamber. Angry voices.

"Just what was she thinking?" Amelia said bruising. "She could have severely damaged their mental faculties."

"Clearly she wasn't thinking," young Mrs Weasley was saying. "No one in their right mind would do something so... so... heinous."

"There must be an explanation for this," young Arthur said, trying to placate his wife.

"IT'S ILLEGAL, ARTHUR!" young Mrs Weasley screeched.

"See here!" Mrs Weasley said, "It wasn't her best decision but..."

"I just don't understand why..." young Augusta was saying.

"Are you telling us that our daughter..." Mrs Granger began but no one was listening to her.

"She stole their memories!" someone cried.

"Pure scandal," young Rita said from the seat beside Amelia. Her and her older self had been forced into being hounded by the aurors ever since their discovery in the chamber. She'd barely had a moment to herself since.

When Harry entered the chamber everyone immediately went quiet. "Are you all quiet done?" He gave them his best impression of Snape - which in his opinion was actually pretty good.

"Harry, you can't surely think that what Miss Granger did..." Remus began.

"You've lived through a war," Harry said. "Tell me, honestly, what wouldn't you do to save your family?"

Everyone stared at him, not one person speaking.

"You, Madam Bones, if you could save your brother and his wife? Or you Dowager Longbottom, if you could save your son and his wife?" The two women hesitated. They wanted to say that they wouldn't take their memories - after all it was a terrible thing to do - but if it meant they lived? "Or you Mrs Weasley, if you could have prevented your brothers from dying?"

Harry took a deep breath. "For you, the war has been over for ten years. For us, it's been less than a week since we were literally in the middle of a battle field. A battle that made the first war look like child's play. Which is ironic, since this time the battle field was littered with child soldiers. Yes, Hermione's decision seems drastic without context and sure, it might not have been her best choice. But do you know what desperation looks like?"

"Harry," Sirius murmured. He didn't like seeing his godson so upset.

"It's a son becoming a deatheater to save his mother," he glanced at Draco, "it's a muggle born fifteen year old boy knowing he doesn't know enough magic to survive the battle, but fighting anyway because then his little brother might just have a chance, It's being tortured for information and knowing that if you give up, you'll finally die, but so will everyone else too, it's seeing a giant fucking snake come for your neck and knowing you don't have the anti-venom on your person, it's knowing that you are literally undesirable number two and knowing the only way - and I mean the only way - to protect your family is to send them a whole world away. Knowing that the only way they will ever leave, is if they don't fucking remember you."

"Undesirable number two?" someone muttered.

"None of you get to judge Hermione for what she did. Sure, it seems extreme. But I wouldn't have survived without her. And if I'd died," before the proper time, he added in his head, "we'd have lost the war. Muggle borns were being rounded up and sentenced for stealing magic. And Hermione was one of my best friends. That alone was a death sentence."

When Harry stopped speaking, Lucius spoke up, "It is fair to say that the Dark Lord was looking for Mr and Mrs Granger. And he would not have hesitated from torturing them for information on their daughter's whereabouts."

"Personally, I think it was very brave of Miss Granger," Kingsley said. "I don't know if I could have done it."

"Drs. Granger," Harry said to the younger couple, "I know you're probably very confused and angry. But I promise you, Hermione only ever thought to protect you."

The two adults nodded before glancing at their older selves.

"Is my daughter okay?" Mr Granger asked.

"She's a little overwhelmed," Harry said with a shrug. "Mostly I think she's just relieved you're all here and safe."

Hermione's father nodded his head, accepting that answer and the chamber returned to silence.

"I think we should keep reading," Sirius said.

"Yes, perhaps we should hold our judgement until we reach that point in the books," Amelia said thoughtfully. "We clearly cannot appreciate the context as Heir Potter has pointed out."

Remus quickly explained that they had some copies of the first book that the two sets of Granger parents could read between chapters if they wanted too. All four of them nodded, although the older pair looked confused, not really understanding how they'd ended up in some sort of book club.

Everyone once more took their seats and Professor Flitwick glanced at the door before looking to Harry. "Should we wait?"

"No. They've already lived it," Harry joked soberly. "They'll return when Hermione has calmed down."

Flitwick pointed his wand once more at the book and the next chapter began.

“What’s going on here?... And his popping eyes fell on Harry.

"He doesn't surely think you had anything to do with it?" Mrs Weasley asked, horrified.

“You!” he screeched. “You! You’ve murdered my cat! You’ve killed her! I’ll kill you! I’ll—”

"I understand that the man is emotional," Amelia said, "but I sincerely hope that something was done about this. He just threatened to kill a student."

The teachers all looked between themselves. No. Nothing had been done.

"Of course, not," Amelia muttered irritably. "No wonder the children don't trust any of you, when you allow them to receive death threats from members of the faculty without consequence."

“Argus!”... “You, too, Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley, Miss Granger.”

"Why single them out like that?" Sirius asked.

"They were the first ones there," Minerva said. "And they weren't at dinner."

"So, you've already presumed them guilty?" Sirius growled.

"Of course not but it was highly suspect."

Lockhart stepped forward eagerly... Harry saw several of the Lockharts in the pictures dodging out of sight, their hair in rollers.

"Now that would be worth seeing," George said with a smirk.

The real Lockhart lit the candles on his desk... It was as though he was trying hard not to smile.

"Bloody git thought we were going to be expelled," Ron said as he sauntered back into the chamber with Hermione at his side. Her eyes were focused on the ground but it didn't stop everyone from noticing how red and puffy they were.

Mrs Granger rushed over to her and took her in her arms. "It's okay, dear. Whatever you did, I still love you."

Hermione flung herself into the embrace, sobbing heavily. "I'm so sorry. I was just so scared. And I needed to know..."

Mrs Granger shushed her softly and led her over to where the rest of their family were sitting. "Don't worry. We'll discuss it later. For now, let's just here about all the other secrets you've been keeping from us."

There was a little censure in her tone but also some humour and Hermione chuckled lightly. Her parents were in for a shock.

And Lockhart was hovering around all of them... I know the very counter curse that would have saved her…”

"Lying git," Sirius said.

Lockhart’s comments were punctuated by Filch’s dry... though not nearly as sorry as he felt for himself:

"I'm not sure the man deserves your pity, Heir Potter. He just threatened the life of the last of the Potter line - not to mention all your other titles. He's lucky he's not in Azkaban." Lucius frowned at his younger self's words. If everyone actually had to pay for their crimes against Heir Potter, the whole wizarding world would probably be in prison - himself included.

If Dumbledore believed Filch, he would be expelled for sure... which cleared the matter up at once…”

"I wish someone would silence that man," Flitwick said matter-of-factly.

The photographs of Lockhart on the walls... “She’s not dead, Argus,” he said softly.

"Well, that's a relief," young Mrs Weasley said. She was concerned, Ginny - or the older version of her daughter - was crying silently, clutching at George's side. She knew her daughter loved animals but this was a surprisingly strong reaction and Mrs Weasley couldn't help but be a little concerned.

Lockhart stopped abruptly... “But how, I cannot say…”

Liar, Harry muttered in parseltongue. The more he thought about it, the more it just didn't make sense. Surely, the exact same thing had happened last time the chamber had opened. He must have known. Young Harry glanced at him in concern.

“Ask him!”... “it would take Dark Magic of the most advanced—”

"This is ridiculous. If you have questions for the children, they should have been asked privately, not with Filch there threatening them." Augusta was shaking her head with disappointment. "They'll never talk to you with that man intimidating them."

"He's not exactly threatening them," Minerva argued.

"He just threatened Heir Potter's life in front of half the school!" Augusta argued. "You have just proven to the entire school that you can even threaten Heir Potter's life without consequence. I hate to imagine what the student body will do to him next time they decide they don't like him."

“He did it, he did it!”... “He knows I’m a Squib!” he finished.

"I didn't even know what a squib was," Harry said pointedly.

“I never touched Mrs. Norris!”... “And I don’t even know what a Squib is.”

"SEE!" Harry muttered. He was fed up of people ignoring him. He'd had years of being villainised and he was so done with it.

“Rubbish!”... he was sure nothing Snape had to say was going to do him any good.

Remus growled, his eyes turning amber.

“Potter and his friends may have simply been in the wrong place at the wrong time,”... Why wasn’t he at the Halloween feast?”

Sirius looked like he wanted to shout at the man but he silently tried to remind himself that for him and Snape this hadn't happened yet. And if he had anything to do with it, it wouldn't happen either.

Harry, Ron and Hermione all launched... “Why go up to that corridor?”

"Have you ever tried eating after a deathday party?" Sirius asked with a glare.

Ron and Hermione looked at Harry... “We weren’t hungry,” said Ron loudly as his stomach gave a huge rumble.

"No one would ever believe that of a Weasley," Charlie chuckled.

Snape’s nasty smile widened...  I personally feel he should be taken off the Gryffindor Quidditch team until he is ready to be honest.”

"You git!" Sirius had had enough. "You slimy good for nothing..."

"Black, I haven't done this yet and quite frankly, I find what my future self is doing, just as abhorrent as you do. Don't work yourself up." Severus looked worried. That was strange. Harry couldn't imagine a world in which Severus Snape worried for Sirius Black.

“Really, Severus,”... His twinkling lightblue gaze made Harry feel as though he were being X rayed.

"X rayed?" someone asked.

Amelia was staring at Albus. "If I get any confirmation in these books that you dared to use legimency on a student, Albus, I'll ruin you."

“Innocent until proven guilty, Severus,”... “I want to see some punishment!”

"Probably wants to hang Potter from the ceiling," Draco muttered.

“We will be able to cure her, Argus,”... I will have a potion made that will revive Mrs. Norris.”

"Why not just buy the potion?" Augusta asked. "Or more mature ingredients. The Longbottom greenhouses would have provided mature mandrakes if you'd made us aware of the situation."

“I’ll make it,”... “But I believe I am the Potions master at this school.”

"AWKWARD," George, young George and Fred said together.

There was a very awkward pause... They went, as quickly as they could without actually running.

"Wait just one second!" Sirius was on his feet now. "You have reason to suspect someone has used advanced dark magic in the castle and you just let them leave ALONE."

"Yet again, the security of the boy-who-lived is found lacking," Kingsley said. "What a surprise."

"Forget the bloody boy-who-lived. Harry! Harry is my godson!" Sirius was shaking with rage. "Harry, Ron and Hermione deserved to be protected by their teachers. And yet again you FAILED." He was pointing at Minerva in particular. They were her responsibility after all.

When they were a floor up from Lockhart’s office,... even in the wizarding world.”

"Bad advice," Molly whimpered.

"He's not wrong though," Tonks said. "His teachers didn't believe him last year, why would they this year. Especially when what he's going to tell them will make them think he's a few inches short of a full wand."

Something in Ron’s voice made Harry ask... might’ve been Bill…”

"Yeah, I was obsessed with the Chamber of Secrets for a whole year," Bill said. "I think it was fifth year. I was convinced I'd be able to find it. Failed obviously."

“And what on earth’s a Squib?”... Ron stifled a snigger.

"RONALD!" Mrs Weasley looked affronted. 

“Well—it’s not funny really... “He’s bitter.”

"True but still unkind, son," Arthur looked somewhat disappointed.

A clock chimed somewhere... tries to frame us for something else.”

"Yeah, future you really had a stick up his..."

"SIRIUS BLACK!" Mrs Weasley screeched.

"Goodness sake woman!" Severus turned on her. "He has plenty of reason to be angry. It's no excuse for you to harp on like that."

Absolutely everyone stared at him. Had he really just defended Sirius Black of all people?

For a few days,... trying to put them in detention for things like “breathing loudly’ and “looking happy.”

"He should have been given some form of compassionate leave," Tonks said. "He's clearly not taking this well."

"Were the aurors called in to investigate?" Amelia asked, even though she was pretty sure she already knew the answer.

Ginny Weasley seemed very disturbed... “Honestly, we’re much better off without her.”

"Not helping," said all the Weasleys together.

Ginny’s lip trembled... I’m only joking—” Ron added hastily as Ginny blanched.

"Ronald!" Mrs Weasley huffed, folding her arms, although she didn't raise her voice, eyeing the potions master a little fearfully.

The attack had also had an effect on Hermione... where Snape had made him stay behind to scrape tubeworms off the desks.

Remus growled. He tried to control his temper but these books were really getting to him. He couldn't believe how people were treating his cub.

After a hurried lunch... turned abruptly, and sped off in the opposite direction.

"That's weird," several of the adults commented.

Harry found Ron at the back of the library... “And Hermione’s done four feet seven inches and her writing’s tiny.”

"Do you intentionally make your writing as small as possible so you can write more?" Severus asked with a smirk, trying to bring the sad looking girl out of her shell.

"Er, sometimes. When I find it interesting."

"You should just ask the professor if you can write an extended essay for extra credit," he suggested. "Trust me, none of us want to read tiny writing. But most of us can appreciate enthusiasm for the subject as long as the essay is written well and you show critical thinking skills."

“Where is she?”... “All that junk about Lockhart being so great—”

Mrs Weasley was struggling to keep her mouth shut. This happened years ago, she kept telling herself.

Hermione emerged from between the bookshelves... “to read up on the legend of the Chamber of Secrets.”

"Obviously," Severus said with a sigh. These kids were going to get themselves involved in even more danger. Severus was beginning to think it was no wonder his future self was dead. His vow should have toppled him years ago.

“What’s that?” said Harry quickly... “You’ve had ten days to finish it—”

"No cheating, Mr Weasley," Minerva said forcefully.

“I only need another two inches, come on—”... Ron and Hermione led the way to History of Magic, bickering.

Do they ever stop fighting? young Harry asked.

Sometimes. Not often though. Harry shrugged.

History of Magic was the dullest subject... his routine had not varied in the slightest since.

"We really should get a new history teacher," Minerva said to her colleagues.

Today was as boring as ever... I was wondering if you could tell us anything about the Chamber of Secrets,” said Hermione in a clear voice.

"You'll be lucky," Sirius chuckled. "He's not deviated from the goblin wars in the last fifty years."

Dean Thomas... “I deal with facts, Miss Granger, not myths and legends.”

"Which usually have some basis in fact," Lucius remarked.

He cleared his throat... “Miss Grant?”

"He can't even remember your name when you just told him it?" Andromeda asked. This was a teacher?

“Please, sir, don’t legends always have a basis in fact?”

Lucius nodded his head in appreciation, offering Hermione a small smile.

Professor Binns was looking at her in such amazement... Harry could tell he was completely thrown by such an unusual show of interest.

"That's just disappointing," Remus said.

“Oh, very well,”... and Slytherin left the school.”

"I wonder how true that is," Harry muttered.

"What do you mean, Harry?" Hermione asked.

"Well, a lot of the kids would have been muggleborns. They were the ones most at risk of being killed by the muggles. I just can't imagine an educator being so stuck on blood purity in a time when every magical life was in danger. It was a time to band together." Harry paused. "We don't actually have any evidence that he was a blood supremacist."

"The chamber!" Hermione said.

"What about the chamber? It could have as easily been there to protect the students from the very real muggle threat that was just beyond the wards," Harry said thoughtfully.

"The history books..."

"Are all full of legends and stories, Hermione. No one actually knows. There are no journals from that time or anything. It's weird. That's all I'm saying. If he was really as the history books depict, there would be evidence. The fact there isn't, makes me think the truth has been hidden away."

Professor Binns paused again... The heir alone would be able to unseal the Chamber of Secrets,

"How?" several people asked.

unleash the horror within... “That is believed to be some sort of monster, which the Heir of Slytherin alone can control,” said Professor Binns in his dry, reedy voice.

Sirius was thinking. Only the heir could enter the chamber... only the heir could control the monster... PARSELTONGUE! Harry was hearing a snake in the walls.

The class exchanged nervous looks...  “you’d probably have to use Dark Magic to open it—”

"Not necessarily," Sirius and Severus said together. They'd clearly drawn the same conclusion. And what was worse, Harry had mentioned something about fighting a...

"A BASALISK!" Sirius thundered. "There was a bloody basalisk in the school and you didn't close!"

Everyone was gaping at him in surprise and Severus poured another calming draught down the man's throat. "You need to pull yourself together. I can't keep giving you these and Potter needs you alive, you great mutt."

“Just because a wizard doesn’t use Dark Magic... We will return, if you please, to history, to solid, believable, verifiablefact!”

"Why is he so angry? His students were actually engaged in what he was teaching them for once and he lost his cool." Tonks shook her head.

And within five minutes... I’d’ve got the train straight back home…”

"That's not nice, Ronald," Hermione grumbled.

Hermione nodded fervently... Slytherin would help you on the way to greatness, no doubt about that…

"Oh, I'm sorry, Harry!" Hermione cried.

Ron had the good manners to look apologetic. "I didn't mean you, mate."

But Harry, who had already heard of Slytherin House’s reputation... “Harry—Harry—a boy in my class has been saying you’re—”

"What are they saying about you now?" Sirius asked, looking apprehensive.

"Probably that I'm the heir of Slytherin," young Harry muttered. His older self just smiled sadly.

But Colin was so small... “People here’ll believe anything,” said Ron in disgust.

Several of their year mates looked apologetic. 

The crowd thinned... and that makes me think that whatever attacked her might not be—well—human.”

"There are plenty of curses and spells that can't be immediately cured," Madam Pomfrey argued.

As she spoke... “The Chamber of Secrets has been Opened.”

"Why go back there?" Percy asked, shaking his head.

“That’s where Filch has been keeping guard,”... “Scorch marks!” he said. “Here—and here—”

"That's odd," several adults commented while still more told the book versions of them to go back to their common room.

“Come and look at this!”... “Have you ever seen spiders act like that?” said Hermione wonderingly.

"Yup, definitely a basilisk," young Kingsley said. "The school needs to close immediately."

"It wasn't," his older self said with a frown.

“No,”... “I—don’t—like—spiders,” said Ron tensely.

"Me neither," Draco said.

"Or me," Luna said, surprising everyone. "They're the only creature I don't like."

“I never knew that,”... Hermione giggled.

"You shouldn't laugh at that, Hermione," young Mrs Granger said. "Your friend was brave enough to share his fear with you and you laughed."

"Sorry, Ron," Hermione said with a blush.

“It’s not funny,”... and suddenly it had too many legs and…”

"It was accidental magic!" Fred said bitterly. "I didn't mean to!"

He'd gotten into a lot of trouble for that.

He broke off, shuddering... “That’s a girls’ toilet.”

"Are you embarrassed, Ron?" George teased. "Might catch cooties."

"Bugger off," Ron muttered.

“Oh, Ron, there won’t be anyone in there,... scratched and one of them was dangling off its hinges.

"Really, just what sort of school are we sending our daughter to?" Mr Granger asked his wife quietly.

Hermione put her fingers to her lips... “They’re not girls.”

"Shocker," Lee Jordan said.

"I never knew," George said. "Did you, Freddie?"

"Nope. Never." Fred smirked.

“No,... “We wanted to ask—”

"You're going to upset her," Ginny said quietly.

“I wish people would stop talking behind my back!” ... now people come along ruining my death!”

"She's mental!" young Ron said.

“We wanted to ask you if you’ve seen anything funny lately,”... “Did you see anyone near here that night?” said Harry.

"Harry, why are you three playing detectives?" Remus asked. "It's not your problem. You should have just left it to the teachers."

"If we did that someone would have died," Harry argued.

“I wasn’t paying attention,”... “Already dead,” said Ron helpfully.

Several people had to hold back laughter, even though they tried to hide it.

Myrtle gave a tragic sob... prefect badge agleam, an expression of complete shock on his face.

"Oh no," George groaned, "Ronnie's in trouble."

“That’s a girls’ bathroom!”...  forcefully of Mrs. Weasley.

Percy frowned at the comparison. 

“Get—away—from—there—”... “Listen, we never laid a finger on that cat!”

"Of course you didn't," Mrs Weasley said, glaring at Percy.

“That’s what I told Ginny,”... “You’re just worried I’m going to mess up your chances of being Head Boy—”

"Ronald!" Mrs Weasley couldn't believe that her boys were behaving like this.

“Five points from Gryffindor!”... To Harry’s surprise, Hermione followed suit.

"He really needs a new wand," Ollivander said.

“Who can it be, though?”... “Who do we know who thinks Muggle-borns are scum?”

"You thought it was me?" Draco asked.

All three of them nodded.

He looked at Hermione... “Malfoy, the Heir of Slytherin?” said Hermione skeptically.

"Didn't you listen to old Dumbles say it was advanced dark magic, something no second year could have done?" Tonks asked.

“Look at his family,”... His father’s definitely evil enough.”

"Sorry," Harry muttered, unable to meet Lord Malfoy's eye.

"You more than most have good reason to say that," Lucius said softly.

“They could’ve had the key... “But how do we prove it?” said Harry darkly.

"You don't," Remus said. "You leave it to the teachers."

“There might be a way,”... We’d be breaking about fifty school rules, I expect—”

"Only fifty?" Severus asked sarcastically.

“If, in a month or so, you feel like explaining,... “All we’d need would be some Polyjuice Potion.”

"Like Potter said, impossible," Severus said. "You're second years!"

“What’s that?”... better to do in Potions than listen to Snape?” muttered Ron.

"Ronald Weasley, apologise to Professor Snape," young Mrs Weasley blustered.

"Sorry, sir," Ron said before flinging a glare at his mother.

“It transforms you into somebody else... “What if we were stuck looking like three of the Slytherins forever?”

"That's the least of your worries," Severus said.

“It wears off after a while,”... You needed a signed note of permission from a teacher.

"Those are hard to come by," Remus said knowingly.

“Hard to see why we’d want the book, really,”... we were just interested in the theory, we might stand a chance…”

"No teacher would fall for that," Minerva scoffed.

“Oh, come on, no teacher’s going to fall for that,” said Ron. “They’d have to be really thick…”

"What he said," Flitwick laughed.

"Right," Mrs Weasley said getting to her feet, "I'll go see what I can rustle up for lunch."

"That's if the house elves haven't beaten us to it," young Mrs Weasley said, also standing.

Conversations erupted all around the room. Several people - mostly the adults - were talking about the idea of a basilisk in the castle while the children were discussing their magical cores. They'd all really enjoyed their lesson on magical theory the day before.

"I have a grey core," young Susan Bones was telling young Dean Thomas.

"I'm light," he said, nodding excitably.

"What about you Seamus?"

"I'm dark," he said shyly.

"That's cool," young Dean said. "I can't wait to learn more about dark magic. That bubble spell was kind of neat."

"Yeah, it was, wasn't it." Young Seamus smiled at the boy who would become his best friend.

Chapter Text

Snape and the two Pomfreys pulled the older Granger couple out of the chamber. Monica and Wendell Wilkins were very confused. For one thing, they'd arrived in a very strange place with very strange people - including a couple of people who looked exactly like them except younger. But they had different names and apparently had a daughter.

"Excuse me," Monica said, "exactly where are we?"

"We're not completely sure," the younger Mrs Pomfrey said. "We're just calling it Mother Magic's realm."

Monica and Wendell exchanged a look. That was it. These people were crazy. Magic wasn't real.

Meanwhile, Madam Pomfrey was discreetly waving her wand as she performed health scans on the pair. "They're both healthy - even their minds. Don't tell her I said this, but Miss Granger has performed the memory wipe better than I'd expect."

"That should make it easier," Severus said before calling a house elf to bring some sandwiches for the couple. "Sorry, what did you say your names were?"

"Monica and Wendell," Mr Granger said. "Wilkins."

"Right. Well, Mr and Mrs Wilkins, we are er..." he hesitated. He really didn't want to lie. They weren't doctors but that's what they'd understand. As a potions master, he had to study healing and preferably have a healing licence - something he'd gotten over five years ago now. "We're medical professionals and we're here to help you."

"But we're not sick," Monica said forcefully.

"No. Of course not. But the journey here was most likely fatiguing and we just want to confirm you are in the best of health."

"Journey?" Wendell asked. "I don't remember a journey."

"Exactly. You are no doubt overtired." He cast the spell as gently as he could and began to look through the man's memories searching for the first sign of the memory block. It didn't take long. Madam Pomfrey was right. It had been done very well but it was still quite obvious. Mostly because of the care that had been taken to not just block the memory but rewrite something over it. There were no gaps, nothing that could lead to confusion or mental illness as a result of the block. He began removing the first falsified memory and removing the block on the real one. He worked diligently but carefully - not wanting to cause the couple any harm.

Once the first block had been removed, Wendell blinked in confusion. "Why did that woman do to us?"

He'd remembered Hermione raising her wand at them and casting a spell but nothing else. He had no idea who Hermione was because that memory had been blocked further back in his mind.

Madam Pomfrey tried to sooth him while Severus got to work on the man's wife. "That woman is your daughter," Madam Pomfrey said gently. "Her name is Hermione and she was trying to save your life."

"Were we sick?" Wendell asked. His wife was watching him in concern.

"No. And what was that stick thing she was brandishing about. In fact," he looked about, spotting their wands, "why do you have them too?"

Oh dear, young Madam Pomfrey thought. This is most likely going to turn violent as these cases so often did. "We mean you no harm," she said, lowering her wand. "I promise you. You're safe here."

He didn't look like he believed her but all three of them had lowered their wand, even if Severus's was twitching at his side as he continued working away at the block inside Monica's mind.

An hour later, everyone had reassembled in chamber for the next chapter. The younger Grangers had had a brief discussion with their daughters and decided to hold judgement until they'd heard everything. They'd both accepted a copy of the first book to read in their spare time and Hermione was looking a little shell shocked. She couldn't believe that they hadn't raged at her for what she'd done. She knew she deserved it. She'd stolen their very selves from them - their identities - and their autonomy. She'd taken their choices.

She wasn't sure she'd be as quick to forgive that.

Monica and Wendell were sitting as far away from their daughter as was possible. They sat on a sofa just behind the two Madam Pomfreys and Professor Snape. They eyed the young woman suspiciously. They weren't sure that they believed what the doctors had said about her being their daughter.

Since the disastrous episode of the pixies... He usually picked Harry to help him with these reconstructions;

Several people snickered until Sirius eyed them with a glare that threatened murder.

so far, Harry had been forced to... this time acting a werewolf.

Remus growled. "Honestly, what is this supposed to be teaching them?"

If he hadn’t had a very good reason... who delivered them from the monthly terror of werewolf attacks.”

"He did not actually lay his hands on you did he?" Sirius demanded. "Put his hands around your neck? Jump you?"

"Er..." Harry rubbed the back of his neck.

The bell rang and Lockhart got to his feet... where Ron and Hermione were waiting.

"A poem?" several of the adults asked in exasperation.

“Ready?” Harry muttered... slow acting venoms…”

"That man is a fool," young Minerva said, "if he falls for that."

"He's a fool," said everyone who had been at Hogwarts that year.

“Ah, Gadding with Ghouls!”...  the way you trapped that last one with the tea strainer—”

"Impossible," Remus muttered.

“Well, I’m sure no one will mind me giving the best student... “I usually save it for book signings.”

"Because that's not creepy at all," muttered Lee.

He scrawled an enormous loopy signature... Always happy to pass on my expertise to less able players…”

"Less able?" Sirius growled. "I'll show him less abled."

Harry made an indistinct noise... “Just because he said you were the best student of the year—”

Several people had to try and restrain their laughter, including Hermione's parents.

They dropped their voices... but Hermione wouldn’t let go.

"That's just embarrassing," George said, shaking his head.

“I was wondering if I could keep it,”... trying not to walk too quickly or look too guilty.

"No doubt you failed," Severus said sarcastically.

"Why didn't we think of getting Lockhart to sign a slip?" George murmured to himself.

Percy surprised him by answering, "I did."

"You little rule breaker," George grinned. "I'm proud of you."

Percy smirked.

Five minutes later... but they were ignoring her, and she them.

"Please tell me you don't actually intend to brew in there," Severus said, crossing his arms. This was guaranteed to go horribly wrong. He just knew it.

The three young people exchanged a look that made it quite clear that that was exactly what they'd done.

"Well, rather you than me, is all I'm saying. I wouldn't have drank a potion mixed in that bathroom if you paid me. Never mind the risk to the brewing process itself or the lack of ventilation."

Hermione opened Moste Potente Potions... Harry sincerely hoped the artist had imagined the looks of intense pain on their faces.

Severus chuckled. Harry was strangely similar to himself. He remembered thinking the exact same thing when he'd first read that book.

“This is the most complicated potion I’ve ever seen,” said Hermione as they scanned the recipe.

"You wouldn't say?" Severus remarked. "It's on the NEWT curriculum and only as a potion you should be aware of, not one that you need to be capable of brewing. It's far above the skill set of a handful of twelve year olds."

“Lacewing flies... —shredded skin of a Boomslang—that’ll be tricky, too

"It's sale to Hogwarts students is monitored too," Severus said, "to prevent young children from doing exactly this. Any ingredients that are unnecessary for the first two years of the curriculum cannot be owl ordered to the school."

and of course a bit of whoever we want to change into.”

"WHAT?" Many of the younger ones shouted out and the two Mr and Mrs Grangers too.

“Excuse me?”... because we add those bits last…

"Toenails?" Monica asked, clearly disgusted.

"It's much more common to use a single hair," Severus said.

Ron turned, speechless, to Harry, ... I don’t know if this is a good idea…”

"You're quite right, Mr Potter," Severus said, glaring at Hermione, "that is not a good idea."

Hermione shut the book with a snap... I’ll go straight to Madam Pince now and hand the book back in—”

"Oh, you manipulative little..." Mrs Granger couldn't believe her ears. Her wonderful angel was trying to goad her friends into breaking school rules. She'd actually just called them chickens.

“I never thought I’d see the day when you’d be persuading us to break rules,”... I’d say it’d be ready in about a month, if we can get all the ingredients.”

"You would have been better to just send a letter to the DMLE and reported the whole incident," Madam Bones said.

"I didn't even know what the DMLE was," Harry shrugged.

“A month?”... “But it’s the best plan we’ve got, so full steam ahead, I say.”

Mrs Granger and Monica both tutted.

However, ... “It’ll be a lot less hassle if you can just knock Malfoy off his broom tomorrow.”

"RONALD!" Both Mrs Weasleys screeched.

"Yes, Mother. I know. It wasn't the nicest thing to say," Ron said rolling his eyes. "I was twelve and stupid."

"Yeah, don't forget," Fred said.

"Stupid," young George finished.

Harry woke early on Saturday morning ... all looking uptight and not speaking much.

"Are you really all this worked up because they got new brooms?" Sirius asked disbelievingly.

"Yeah," the team all grumbled.

As eleven o’clock approached,... “Slytherin has better brooms than us,” he began.

"Brooms do not make a team," Minerva said.

“No point denying it.... Wood turned to Harry.

"As far as speeches go, it could have been worse," Sirius said with a shrug.

“It’ll be down to you, Harry,... we’ve got to.”

"Die trying?" Sirius growled, getting to his feet. "Die trying. Did you die trying to keep the quaffle out, Wood?"

"Er," Wood looked terrified. They might have heard that Sirius wasn't a mass-murderer but that didn't make him any less scary.

“So no pressure,... gripping rather harder than was necessary.

"Trying to break my hand more like," Wood muttered.

“On my whistle,”... shooting underneath him as though to show off the speed of his broom.

"What are you doing, Draco?" Theo grumbled. "You were supposed to be looking for the snitch, not harassing Potter."

Harry had no time to reply... ready to knock the Bludger back toward a Slytherin.

Everyone sighed in relief.

Harry saw George give the Bludger... shot straight for Harry again.

"That shouldn't happen," Sirius said, pulling Harry into his side and closing his eyes.

Harry dropped quickly to avoid it... shot at Harry’s head.

"That's been tampered with," Rockwood said.

Harry put on a burst of speed... the Bludger was knocked off course.

"You need to call time out," Sirius said. "Get that bludger looked at."

"And this needs to be reported to the authorities," Amelia said, even though she had a strong suspicion that wouldn't be done. AGAIN.

“Gotcha!”... “Slytherin lead, sixty points to zero.”

"So, not dying trying then, Wood," Sirius glowered. People really kept putting too much on Harry. Expecting too much.

"Where were the teachers?" Remus asked. "Why weren't you all doing something?"

The teachers couldn't answer. They weren't sure where they'd been. Had they even been at the match?

The Slytherins’ superior brooms... breaking Harry’s nose at the same time.

"FINALLY!" Sirius and Remus exclaimed.

Wood had obviously got the message... Fred, George, where were you when that Bludger stopped Angelina scoring?”

"Are you not paying attention to your seeker at all?" Sirius growled.

“We were twenty feet above her,... and there was nothing wrong with them then…” said Wood, anxiously.

"We didn't fix the bludger," Draco said sharply.

Madam Hooch was walking toward them... Go back to the rest of the team and let me deal with the rogue one.”

"Absolutely not!" Sirius said, now on his feet and pacing the chamber. "Not acceptable. If you kids go along with that plan... I'll... I'll give you detention!"

That caused a release of the worry filled tension in the room as everyone laughed at the idea of Sirius Black as a teacher.

“Don’t be thick,”... Let’s ask for an inquiry…”

"I like her," Remus said sharply.

“If we stop now,... Come on, Oliver, tell them to leave me alone!”

"HARRY JAMES POT-!" Mrs Weasley started screeching.

Sirius actually silenced her before turning on Harry. "You listen to me, Harry. Your life, your health, is far more important that a quidditch game. I don't care if you win or lose, I only care that you walk away from it at the end of the day - ALIVE. Do you understand me?"

"Yes, Sirius," Harry grumbled, but was quickly pulled into a hug by the older man.

Amelia waved her wand at Mrs Weasley, although she seemed to hesitate for a moment.

"SIRIUS BLACK! HOW DARE YOU SILENCE ME!"

"Oh, be quiet you old shrew. He's my godson and I'll be the one to teach him his lessons, not you."

Severus smirked, as did several others in the chamber. While they liked Mrs Weasley, they couldn't stand the way she seemed to constantly need to be parenting everyone around her.

“This is all your fault,”...—leave him alone and let him deal with the Bludger on his own.”

"I'll have your captaincy for that," Minerva said in a deadly cold voice.

"But Professor, I haven't done it yet," Wood grumbled.

Minerva shrugged, she wasn't sure if she should follow through with it or not. He was right it hadn't happened yet. But it said something about what sort of captain he was that he prioritised winning over his team's safety.

The rain was falling more heavily now... A whistling in Harry’s ear told him the Bludger had just missed him again

Sirius whimpered.

he turned right over... glaring back at Malfoy in hatred,

"How oblivious are you?" Ginny asked.

Draco blushed.

he saw it—the Golden Snitch. It was hovering inches above Malfoy’s left ear—and Malfoy, busy laughing at Harry, hadn’t seen it.

Lucius shook his head in disappointment. Yes, his son was clearly obsessed with Heir Potter. Which in and of itself wasn't a problem, but the way Draco went about it, was.

For an agonizing moment... WHAM.

"What happened?" Sirius demanded.

He had stayed still a second too long... get to Malfoy.

"Absolutely not," Remus muttered, eyes amber. "Get to the ground and get medical attention!"

Through a haze of rain... trying hard not to pass out.

"Bloody hell," Sirius muttered.

With a splattering thud he hit the mud... And he fainted.

Sirius was shaking, Remus wasn't much better. "He's fine. He's on the ground." They kept reminding themselves.

He came around... “Oh, no, not you,” he moaned.

"Lockhart?" several people asked.

“Doesn’t know what he’s saying,”... “I’ll keep it like this, thanks…”

"He needs to be brought to the hospital wing," young Madam Pomfrey grumbled.

He tried to sit up... “I don’t want a photo of this, Colin,” he said loudly.

"That little..." Sirius started but Harry covered his mouth with his hand, laughing.

“Lie back, Harry,”... through clenched teeth.

Madam Pomfrey looked furious. She remembered how the boy had had to regrow all those bones because of this fool.

“He should really, Professor,”... your best yet, I’d say—”

Sirius growled. "Get him to the hospital wing!"

Through the thicket of legs around him... It was still putting up a terrific fight.

"So you're all telling me that no one inspected that bludger for tampering?" Amelia asked disbelievingly.

“Stand back,”... —nor did it feel remotely like an arm.

"What the hell did that fool do?" Moody demanded.

"He should have been fired for causing grievous bodily harm to a student," Tonks said.

“Ah,” said Lockhart. “Yes. Well, that can sometimes happen....—er—tidy you up a bit.”

"That doesn't happen sometimes," Madam Pomfrey argued. "Not if you know what you're damn well doing."

As Harry got to his feet... He had removed them.

Several people looked furious. Harry couldn't help but be surprised. It wasn't normal for people to actually care.

Madam Pomfrey wasn’t at all pleased.

"Of course, I wasn't!"

“You should have come straight to me!”... “If Harry had wanted deboning he would have asked.”

Several people had to cover their laughter with coughs.

“Anyone can make a mistake,”... “But it doesn’t do anything else either.”

"You actually defended him?" Percy asked. He'd always thought Hermione was quite a sensible girl.

"Er... well, yeah."

As he swung himself onto the bed... he looked ready to kill!”

"I knew the rest of the team would be angry with me," Draco muttered.

“I want to know how he fixed that Bludger,” said Hermione darkly.

"I didn't!"

“We can add that to the list of questions... You’ve got to be joking,” said Ron.

"Polyjuice's taste varies from person to person," Severus said, entering lecture mode. "They say its because a person's 'goodness' influences it. I'm not sure how true that is. Goodness is too subjective to gather accurate data."

The door of the hospital wing burst open... with nothing to distract him from the stabbing pains in his limp arm.

"It really was horrible," Harry admitted.

Hours and hours later... “Dobby!”

"Oh no. What is that elf doing there?" Sirius asked.

The house-elf’s goggling tennis ball eyes... pointed nose.

"Poor Dobby," Luna said and Harry really wanted to point out that he was only in that bed because of Dobby. Poor Dobby, my arse.

“Harry Potter came back to school,”... “And how did you know I missed the train?”

"He blocked the entrance," Kingsley hazarded a guess.

Dobby’s lip trembled... and never did Dobby dream that Harry Potter would get to school another way!”

"He's not the brightest lumos, is he?" Moody muttered.

He was rocking backward and forward... Such a flogging Dobby never had, sir…”

"I didn't flog him," Lucius said. "I've never flogged him."

Narcissa smiled sadly at her husband. "I know, love."

Harry slumped back onto his pillows...  or I might strangle you.”

"HARRY!" Hermione, Luna and Ginny all glared at him.

”WHAT?” He glared back at them. “He nearly killed me. I like the elf and all — but I could have died.”

Dobby smiled weakly... Dobby gets them five times a day at home.”

Lucius huffed. "I'm silencing my father's portrait after this."

He blew his nose... for then he would be free to leave their house forever.”

"He could make his own clothes though," Lucius said. "Most of my elves wear a uniform. It has our family crest on it and they're all quite proud to wear it. Only Dobby didn't. No matter how hard the other elves tried to make him. I blame my father. He terrorised Dobby."

Dobby mopped his bulging eyes... You made that Bludger try and kill me?”

"I'm going to kill that elf!" Sirius muttered.

“Not kill you, sir, never kill you!”... Dobby only wanted Harry Potter hurt enough to be sent home!”

"There's not much that would get you sent home but not kill you,” Madam Pomfrey commented.

“Oh, is that all?”... now that the Chamber of Secrets is open once more—”

"What does he know about the chamber of secrets?" several people asked.

Lucius was too busy wondering if Voldemort had done something to Dobby during the first war. He'd tried so hard to keep the Dark Lord away from his home and everyone who lived there.

Dobby froze... “And did you say it’s been opened before? Tell me, Dobby!”

"It's no wonder you end up involved in all this drama," Sirius said. "People practically thrust you into it."

He seized the elf’s bony wrist... ’tis too dangerous—”

"What were you planning, Malfoy?" Moody demanded.

"Nothing personally," Lucius said. "It wasn't me... not exactly."

"Likely story," Moody huffed.

“Who is it, Dobby?”... Harry Potter must not—”

"Harry Potter needs to tell a teacher," Remus said sternly as if he thought the characters in the book might actually listen.

Dobby suddenly froze... Together, they heaved it onto a bed.

"Oh, dear," young Minerva said, "what happened?"

“Get Madam Pomfrey,”... “Minerva found him on the stairs.”

They all gasped.

"Well, they can't blame you now," Sirius said firmly. "You've an alibi. You were in the hospital wing."

“There was a bunch of grapes next to him,”... A ray of moonlight lay across its staring face.

"Who is it?" several of the younger ones asked, clinging to one another.

It was Colin Creevey... —who knows what might have—”

"Yes, because that's what saved Colin's life," Harry laughed bitterly.

The three of them stared... “Good gracious!” said Madam Pomfrey.

"WHAT?" several people cried.

A jet of steam... “that the Chamber of Secrets is indeed open again.”

"You can't tell me you don't know what the monster in the chamber is," Harry said to Albus.

"We never caught the creature the first time. I had my suspicions but nothing concrete."

Madam Pomfrey clapped a hand... “The question is, how…”

"What does that even mean?" Sirius demanded.

And from what Harry could see of Professor McGonagall’s shadowy face, she didn’t understand this any better than he did.

"I was just as lost as you were, Mr Potter," Minerva agreed irritably. "He never tells me the full story. It's very frustrating."

Chapter Text

Harry woke up on Sunday morning... “When you’ve finished eating, you may leave.”

"One of my shortest visits," Harry commented, smiling softly at the mediwitch. She returned the smile. She shouldn't have favourites. But Harry was rather special.

Harry dressed as quickly... he had his bones back or not.

"You thought we didn't care?" Hermione asked.

"Just for a minute," Harry said with a shrug.

"I would have thought your friends would be there," Sirius said, eyeing Hermione and Ron.

As Harry passed the library...—you earned fifty points!”

The Gryffindors in the chamber cheered.

“You haven’t seen Ron... not in another girls’ toilet…”

Ron blushed. "It wasn't just me. Harry was there too!"

Harry forced a laugh... heard their voices coming from a locked stall.

"I can't believe you're going to brew in that bathroom," Severus said. "This is a terrible idea."

“It’s me,”... “Fine,” said Harry, squeezing into the stall.

"No thanks to Dobby," Sirius muttered. "If I ever meet that elf."

"I owe him my life," Hary said firmly. "If you ever meet him, you'll shake his hand and thank him."

"He almost killed you," Sirius whined.

"But he didn't," Harry said. "What he did do is die, trying to rescue me."

An old cauldron was perched... waterproof fires was a speciality of Hermione’s.

"Not hygienic at all," Severus muttered.

“We’d’ve come to meet you... but Hermione interrupted.

"That was rude, Hermione," Mrs Granger said.

“We already know... he took it out on Colin.”

"It wasn't me!" Malfoy complained.

“There’s something else,”... how come nobody’s noticed it sneaking around the school.”

"Very good question," Moody commented.

“Maybe it can make itself invisible,”... —I’ve read about Chameleon Ghouls—”

"In fairness, this is something I can't quite work out," Sirius said. "How did a bloody great big snake get about the castle?"

"We're lucky there weren't more attacks," Remus said.

“You read too much... as though scared they would be attacked if they ventured forth alone.

"Oh the poor little dears," Young Mrs Weasley cried.

Ginny Weasley... tell her Ginny was having nightmares.

"We didn't cause the nightmares," George said mulishly.

Meanwhile, hidden from the teachers... protective devices was sweeping the school.

"Why wasn't that reported to the staff?" Minerva asked.

"I tried informing you, Professor," Percy said. "You were a bit busy at the time. Something about essays that needed marking.

Neville Longbottom bought... therefore unlikely to be attacked.

Augusta shook her head at her grandson's antics.

“They went for Filch first,”...  I’m almost a Squib.”

"You are not a squib!" Augusta said harshly. "I hate hearing you talk like that about yourself."

"Sorry, gran," Neville said.

In the second week... which struck them as very suspicious.

"We were away in America visiting his sister for the whole of December," Narcissa said. She didn't like how her son had behaved thus far in these books, but she was still somewhat offended that Draco was their first guess.

The holidays would be the perfect time... from Snape’s private stores.

"Oh, you'll get caught if you even try," Severus said confidently. He didn't for one second think that three gryffindors had succeeded at one, breaking into his stores, two, brewing polyjuice or three, getting into the Slytherin common room. The idea was preposterous. 

Harry privately felt he’d rather... Snape busy for five minutes or so.”

"Easier said than done," Severus said, leaning forward. He couldn't help but be intrigued by this turn of events. He wondered if students would learn quicker if they created weird quests for them - it would definitely work for the lions. His own snakes didn't require such tactics to trick them into learning. Their survival instincts told them to be the best - after all, survival of the fittest.

Harry smiled feebly... poking a sleeping dragon in the eye.

"Indeed," Severus agreed. Depending on how they caused said mischief, this could be very bad.

"I just want to say that I'm not proud of this," Harry said.

Potions lessons took place... kept flicking puffer fish eyes at Ron and Harry,

"DRACO!" Severus glared at his godson.

"Sorry, Sev," Draco muttered.

"You know better than to mess around in a potions lab."

"Yes, sir," Draco nodded.

who knew... “Unfair.”

Sirius shook his head, glaring at Severus.

Harry’s Swelling Solution... walked off to bully Neville,

"I hope you didn't bully my grandson!" Augusta huffed.

Hermione caught Harry’s eye... Fred’s Filibuster fireworks out of his pocket,

Severus's eyes widened. A firework? No. Absolutely not. Potter wasn't foolish enough to let off a firework in his classroom, surely.

and gave it a quick prod... right on target in Goyle’s cauldron.

"YOU FOOLISH BOY!" Severus shouted.

Both Harrys flinched at the use of the word boy.

Goyle’s potion exploded... —when I find out who did this—”

Severus tried to control his temper. The one thing he prided himself was his safety record. Children were rarely hurt in his classroom and there had never been a fatality. Not one. It was far better than Slughorn's record where accidents were a daily occurrence. Not to mention that three students had actually died as a result of the injuries they'd received in old Slughorn's classroom. But not his. No, Severus made sure that his students were safe. They might not like him. They might not even like potions but at least they were always safe.

Harry tried not to laugh... a small melon.

Sirius frowned. "It's not funny, Harry. Draco - and any number of the students in that room - could have been seriously hurt."

Harry blinked. He was so surprised to hear Sirius actually tell him off. "I know, Siri. It's the only time I ever did something like this, I swear. And for what it's worth, I really am not proud of it."

Sirius nodded. That was good enough for him. He knew what it was like to have done things you weren't proud of. "Okay. I think you owe Severus and the people who were hurt an apology though."

Harry nodded before doing just that. He got to his feet and offered a bow first to Severus and then Draco and the other Slytherins - as they were most injured - and lastly the other Gryffindors from his year group.

As half the class... “I shall make sure that person is expelled.”

No one argued that it was too strong a punishment. If anything they thought it might be too lenient. They were fortunate that they were studying swelling solutions that day. Other potions might well have reacted to the firework, instead of just exploding and Merlin knows what would have happened then.

Harry arranged his face... “I could tell.”

"I probably suspected it was you," Severus admitted, "but I wouldn't have known for sure."

Hermione threw the new ingredients into the cauldron and began to stir feverishly.

"Don't just throw them in!" Severus glared at the young witch.

“It’ll be ready in two weeks,”... frothed and bubbled.

As cross as Severus felt, he couldn't help but pay attention to their potion making. To think that three second years were attempting a NEWT level potion.

A week later... they might come in handy one of these days…”

"A dueling club?" Sirius asked, excitably. "I used to love the dueling club. So did you dad, pup."

“What, you reckon Slytherin’s monster can duel?” said Ron, but he, too, read the sign with interest.

"Unhelpful, Ronald," Percy huffed.

“Could be useful,”... —maybe it’ll be him.”

"I wish it had been," Harry muttered.

“As long as it’s not—”... —for full details, see my published works.

"Why is he promoting his books?" Minerva asked. "Doesn't he realise he's literally forced them all to buy ALL his books already?"

“Let me introduce my assistant, Professor Snape,”... never fear!”

"You know a tiny bit about dueling?" Sirius asked. "Please tell me you wiped the floor with his hair."

"I wish I could but seeing as how I have yet to live through this..." Severus smirked.

“Wouldn’t it be good... he’d have been running as fast as he could in the opposite direction.

"So you do have self preservation instincts, Potter," Draco commented.

Lockhart and Snape turned to face each other... Neither of us will be aiming to kill, of course.”

"I wouldn't say that," Severus muttered.

“I wouldn’t bet on that,”... and slid down it to sprawl on the floor.

"NICE!" Sirius grinned. "Sleazy git had it coming."

Severus blushed. He felt like he'd entered the twilight zone. Something was very wrong with the world if Sirius Black was complimenting him.

Malfoy and some of the other Slytherins... his wavy hair was standing on end.

"I'd pay to see that," Remus remarked.

"It was quite impressive," Lee Jordan said.

“Well, there you have it!”... I felt it would be instructive to let them see…”

"Lying, little..." Sirius started.

"Language," Mrs Weasley tutted but Sirius ignored her.

Snape was looking murderous.... “Weasley, you can partner Finnigan. Potter—”

"Weasley shouldn't be dueling anyone with that wand," Ollivander said. "It's a recipe for disaster." 

Harry moved automatically... —you can partner Miss Bulstrode.”

"Malfoy, really?" Minerva asked. "Why put two students together when you know they are antagonistic at best?"

Malfoy strutted over... a picture he’d seen in Holidays with Hags.

"Harry!" Mrs Weasley shook her head. "That's a horrible thing to say!"

"Hence why I didn't say it," Harry retorted. "Please don't try and censure my thoughts. Because, I can guarantee if we had to read seven books about your teenage years, you'd probably think a lot of things you'd never actually say too. Thoughts are private."

Mrs Weasley looked shocked that Harry had talked back to her. "Even so..."

"No. I did not say it. Had I said it and Bulstrode was here, I'd apologise. But I didn't and she's not."

She was large... not taking their eyes off each other.

"Good. Don't give the enemy an opening by taking your eyes off them," Moody gruffed.

“Wands at the ready!”... Malfoy had already started on “two”:

"Dirty little cheat," Tonks grumbled, glaring at her cousin.

His spell hit Harry... head with a saucepan.

"That wasn't the disarming spell," Moody said. "If I had to guess, I'd say that was a curse."

"I..." Draco didn't look at either of his parents - which was especially difficult with four of them in the chamber - as he said, "I tried to use the bludgeoning curse."

Both Narcissas gasped in shock. They couldn't believe that their son - their precious dragon - would attempt such a potentially lethal curse. It was one thing in a real life fight to the death during a war but during a dueling club? What had he been thinking?

"So, it was weakened," Moody said, "seeing as how you didn't have the power required to actually cast it. But even so, you could have broken several bones. Did you go to the hospital wing, Potter?"

"Er... No," Harry muttered.

He stumbled... “Rictusempra!”

"Still not the disarming spell," Tonks huffed, "but certainly a better choice of spells."

"In fairness, we hadn't actually been taught to disarm yet. We had literally seen it once. And no offense, Professor Snape, but you didn't exactly demonstrate the wand movement or anything. And yes, I know that in a duel you want to limit your wand movement as much as possible to keep your opponent guessing but it doesn't actually help teach us the spell if we don't know how to cast it."

Severus nodded, giving the young man a smirk. "Point well made, Mr Potter. Next time I let you witness me disarm a teacher, I'll make sure to show you the wand movement."

A jet of silver light hit Malfoy... unsporting to bewitch Malfoy while he was on the floor,

"Stop being noble, Potter and try and disarm him," Kingsley said, shaking his head. "Your disarming spells are the thing of legends! Disarm the boy!"

but this was a mistake... out of his control in a kind of quickstep.

"If this duel in anyway reflects what is happening with the other students," Andromeda laughed, "I think its safe to say the teachers are not in control."

“Stop! Stop!”... and they were able to look up.

"Well, at least one of the teachers is competent," Sirius laughed.

A haze of greenish smoke... She was a lot bigger than he was.

"She was bigger than most people," Harry said when everyone laughed.

“Dear, dear,”... it’ll stop bleeding in a second, Boot…”

"If a student was bleeding, they should have been sent to me," Poppy said, only to sigh a second later. She was wasting her breath.

“I think I’d better teach you... Neville’s round, pink face went pinker.

"And how would you know that?" Augusta asked. "When you teach a subject that does not require a wand?"

Severus merely shrugged. He wasn't about to apologise for his future self. "I imagine some of what I said, was only said because I had a part to play. Being antagonistic to certain pupils was unfortunately a requirement of my being a spy."

“How about Malfoy and Potter?”... “Whoops—my wand is a little overexcited—”

"Surely, he's going to give a better demonstration than that!" Dolohov complained.

Snape moved closer to Malfoy,... “Just do what I did, Harry!”

"Drop your wand?" Young Fred asked.

“What, drop my wand?”

The entire chamber erupted with laughter.

But Lockhart wasn’t listening... “Serpensortia!”

"How is he supposed to use a blocking spell on a snake?" Tonks asked, glaring between Severus and Draco.

The end of his wand exploded... poised to strike.

"This is why we don't summon live animals when we're teaching twelve year olds protective spells," Tonks huffed.

Harry wasn’t sure what made him do it... “Leave him alone!”

"Oh no," Sirius murmured. "You just used parsel in front of the whole school and they're going to think you're the heir."

"They already thought I was the heir," Harry muttered.

And miraculously... —but certainly not angry and scared.

"I didn't know that no one else could understand what I'd said," Harry said.

“What do you think you’re playing at?”... and Harry didn’t like it.

"Why aren't the adults saying something!" young Hermione complained. "You said parseltongue isn't evil! So tell them that."

"I imagine I was in shock," Severus said thoughtfully. He was not sure his older self would have said anything to ease the situation for Harry even if he hadn't be caught off guard.

He was also dimly aware... Why didn’t you tell us?”

"I didn't know!" Harry folded his arms in exasperation. He really hated second year.

“I’m a what?”... it had never seen Brazil?” Ron repeated faintly.

"That's what you get stuck on?" George asked.

"I would have been demanding to know what the snake did to Duddikins!" Fred said.

“So?”... Harry, this is bad.”

"It's not bad," Remus said. "It's just bad timing for it to come out."

"It's actually a very useful gift," Severus said. "Potions masters would pay good money to have a parselmouth talk snakes into providing venom."

“What’s bad?”... —it was creepy, you know—”

"It wasn't creepy," Luna said. "Everyone is just too prejudiced to see that there's nothing wrong with speaking parseltongue."

Harry gaped at him... knowing I can speak it?”

"Family magic," someone said.

"Or..." Bill hesitated. Harry didn't want to bring up the horcruxes prematurely.

Ron shook his head... doesn’t have to join the Headless Hunt?”

Draco coughed to cover up his laughter.

“It matters,”... you’re his great great great great grandson or something—”

"I mean you are related," Sirius said, "sort of."

"What?" several people said.

"If I remember correctly, Harry is descended from the third Peverell brother, while Slytherin was descended from the second. Technically, it could be a Peverell family gift but we'd have to look through the Peverell vaults to confirm it."

“But I’m not,”... you could be.”

"Everyone is related to everyone in the magical world," Andromeda huffed. "It really doesn't mean much."

Harry lay awake for hours that night... It seemed he had to be face to face with a snake to do it.

"With practice, you'll be able to do it without a snake present. You'll also be able to read parselscript and use parsel magic." Severus looked almost excited.

But I’m in Gryffindor,... don’t you remember?

"Would it have been so bad if we were in Slytherin?" young Harry asked.

"No. It wouldn't have been bad. I was just really self-conscious. All my friends hated slytherins - everyone at Hogwarts seems to hate them - and I didn't want to be... I was worried that if my friends knew that I was nearly put in Slythern, they'd hate me."

"Harry!" Hermione and Ron both stared at him. "We'd never hate you."

"I know that now..." Harry shrugged. "I was twelve. Had friends - something I'd never had before - and was scared I'd lose them. That's all."

Harry turned over... revive Mrs. Norris and Colin Creevey.

"Wait just one moment!" Amelia paused. "You haven't ordered mature mandrakes?"

"No," Minerva said with a sigh.

"A student has been petrified and you haven't..."

"The headmaster said the board," Minerva began.

"I can explain this," Augusta said. "There were several people on the board that thought it should be left to the young man's parents to arrange his treatment."

"Excuse me?" Amelia glowered at the woman.

"There were very few willing to cover the expense through the school budget," Amos Diggory said. "Myself, Lucius and Augusta were outvoted."

"If we're being completely honest," Lucius said with a sigh, "I believe Mr Creevy's blood status played a part in the board's refusal."

"I would have to agree," Amos said. "It was mentioned by at least two of our colleagues."

Harry fretted... “Go and find Justin if it’s so important to you.”

Mrs Granger frowned. Her daughter wasn't being particularly considerate of her friend's feelings.

So Harry got up... had turned his friend into a badger.

"That was me and my friends, I bet," Cedric admitted, looking a little sheepish. “We sort of do it to each other all the time.”

Resisting the urge to take a look,... hidden in the Invisibility section.

"The irony of hiding in the invisibility section," Remus chuckled.

“So anyway,”... it’s best if he keeps a low profile for a while.

"Has everyone completely forgotten that Harry had a solid alibi for the attack on Colin?" Sirius asked with a sigh. These kids were stupid.

Of course, Justin’s been waiting... Everyone knows that’s the mark of a Dark wizard.

Sirius and Remus both growled.

Ron glared. "I hate that pompous git."

Have you ever heard of a decent... Serpent-tongue.”

"It's only seen as dark in the U.K." Severus said. "Plenty of other countries are more open minded."

"It's seen as sacred in India," Neville said. "I remember Parvati telling us that."

"Yeah, she thought it was really cool you could talk to snakes, Harry," Dean said.

There was some heavy murmuring... —Creevey’s been attacked.”

"Both attacks do seem to be linked to Potter," Moody commented. "Almost like the perpetrator is focused on Potter. Perhaps trying to get his attention."

Ginny blushed. She wasn't sure how the victims were chosen. It may well have been because of her own infatuation with Harry. She just didn't know.

“He always seems so nice, though,”... Only a really powerful Dark wizard could have survived a curse like that.”

"That little bast-" Sirius started.

"SIRIUS BLACK!" Mrs Weasley screeched.

"Stop screeching woman," Sirius grumbled. "You're going to deafen us all."

He dropped his voice... I wonder what other powers Potter’s been hiding?”

Sirius growled again. He didn't like this kid. "You're not going to be friends with him," he said to the younger Harry who quickly nodded his head in agreement.

Harry couldn’t take anymore... and the color was draining out of Ernie’s face.

Several people laughed at that. Professor Sprout looked incredibly disappointed in her badgers.

“Hello,”... snake at the Dueling Club,” said Harry.

"You looked really angry," Susan Bones said.

"You were there?" Amelia asked. "And you didn't say anything?"

"I didn't really know Harry," she said with a shrug.

Ernie bit his white lips... the snake backed off?” said Harry.

"Pointless even discussing it with them," Moody said. "People see what they want to see."

“All I saw,”... “It didn’t even touch him!”

"You're just going to get angry," Sirius said with a sad smile. "Better to just walk away."

“It was a very near miss,”... my blood’s as pure as anyone’s, so—”

"Harry's mum was muggleborn," Mrs Weasley said crossly. "What absolute nonsense!"

“I don’t care what sort of blood you’ve got!”... “I’ve heard you hate those Muggles you live with,” said Ernie swiftly.

"How does he know that?" Sirius asked. "If even the puffs know that Harry hates the Dursleys, how are the staff unaware?"

"That's a good point!" Moody growled. If it was common knowledge that Harry's home life was unpleasant, then the teachers should have looked into it.

“It’s not possible... “I’d like to see you try it.”

"Agreed," said young Lucius Malfoy and Remus Lupin at the same time.

He turned on his heel... he was in such a fury.

"The Potter temper," Sirius laughed, "is rather explosive."

The result was that he walked into something... A dead rooster was hanging from one of his massive, gloved hands.

"Dead rooster?" Moody asked. "Presumably killed by the perpetrator to protect the basilisk."

"The whole lot were killed that year," Hagrid said. "Had to replace them all."

"And no one thought that was suspicious?" Moody growled.

"Just thought a fox had gotten into the hen coop," Hagrid said gruffly. "I mean who thinks ter themselves, ey, another roosters dead, must be a basilisk."

“All righ’, Harry?”... ter put a charm around the hen coop.”

"This is why the aurors should have been informed," Amelia said. "Little things - clues - were being missed."

He peered more closely... Potter he was Muggle-born…”

"You shouldn't let his words bother you," Remus said. "He doesn't know you."

Harry stamped up the stairs... felt as though his stomach had dissolved.

"Oh no!" Ginny cried, hiding herself in George's side.

Justin Finch-Fletchley was lying on the floor... shock identical to Justin’s.

"Bloody hell! Even the ghosts aren't safe?" Sirius asked. "Please, tell me you closed the school. Two attacks is definitely grounds to close the school until after the Christmas break so the school can be searched."

Harry got to his feet... away from the bodies.

"Another clue," Moody said. "Shame you're not taught about magical creatures until third year."

"Not that basilisks are on the curriculum," Tonks said sarcastically.

"The point is that if Potter can spot these things," Moody said with an eye roll, "I want to know why the teachers haven't."

The only sounds... he hadn’t had anything to do with this?

Sirius frowned. The right thing to do was to get a teacher, but he could understand Harry's fear. The teachers hadn't exactly given him reason to trust them.

As he stood there... ATTAAAACK!”

"That's one way to sound the alarm," Remus said with a sigh.

Crash—crash—crash—door after door flew open along the corridor... people kept standing in Nearly Headless Nick.

"What were you all doing?" Amelia demanded. "This is insane. A student has been attacked, the other students should have been kept in their classrooms where they are supposedly safe, until you could confirm that it was safe for them to leave. And they certainly did not need to see this."

Harry found himself pinned against the wall... Ernie the Hufflepuff arrived, panting, on the scene.

"Oh, dear," Andromeda cried. This was just getting worse and worse.

“Caught in the act!”... “That will do, Macmillan!” said Professor McGonagall sharply.

"He wasn't caught in the act," Sirius complained. "He didn't even have his wand raised when Peeves found him. This is ridiculous."

Peeves was bobbing overhead... you think it’s good fun—”

"Catchy tune though," Sirius muttered.

“That’s enough, Peeves!” .... “Professor,” said Harry at once, “I swear I didn’t—”

"Of course you didn't!" Remus said angrily. "Anyone with any sense knows that."

“This is out of my hands, Potter,” said Professor McGonagall curtly.

"Excuse me?" Sirius demanded. "Out of your hands? Not even a 'I believe you.' Did you think he'd done it too?"

"No. Of course, not."

"Then tell him that. Don't just march him off Merlin knows where!"

They marched in silence... This must be where Dumbledore lived.

"You should have asked him for his side of what happened!" Remus said. "Have a bloody conversation with the child!"

Chapter Text

Mrs Granger frowned at her daughter. “Next time we have a break from reading, we’re going to be having a chat about this whole polyjuice thing, Hermione.”

Her husband was nodding his head in agreement. He couldn’t believe that his daughter had stolen from a teacher. Or that her and her friends had risked the safety of the other students in such a way. Not to mention, she’d practically badgered her friends into participating in the first place. “I believe you will need to write some apology notes,” he said eventually.

They stepped off the stone staircase… alone.

“You didn’t say anything else?” Young Pomona asked. No wonder the boy thought the entire school was against him when even his head of house didn’t show him any kind of support.

”You were his head of house,” Filius said with a sigh. “You had a duty of care.”

Harry looked around… very pleased to have a chance to look around it.

”You’re always welcome to visit,” Albus said. “Any of you can.”

It was a large and beautiful circular room… all of whom were snoozing gently in their frames.

”Pretending to, more like,” Sirius said.

There was also an enormous.. tried it on again?

“Were you really that worried you didn’t belong in Gryffindor?” Minerva asked.

”The students in your house treated him terribly,” Flitwick said, “proven by his first year, and you weren’t exactly a good head of house to him. Really what reason did the boy have to feel welcome?”

Just to see… you would have done well in Slytherin—”

“Difficult to place?” Draco asked.

”Harry would have probably fit into all four houses easily,” Ron said, almost proudly. “He’s kind, like a puff. Insanely loyal, like a puff. Smart,…”

”Not that he works hard to use those brains,” Hermione huffed.

Harry rolled his eyes.

”Like I was saying, he’s smart like a raven. And I imagine if he didn’t have a crazy dark Lord after him, he’d have done better in school. He’s brave like a lion. Sometimes a little reckless too. But he’s also sneaky and wants to prove himself or whatever the hat said.”

Harry’s stomach plummeted… “You’re wrong,” he said aloud to the still and silent hat.

“There’s nothing wrong with being a slytherin,” Sirius said quietly.

”I know that now,” Harry said equally quietly.

It didn’t move… He wasn’t alone after all.

“Constant vigilance!” Moody growled loudly.

Standing on a golden perch… a couple more feathers fell out of its tail.

”Oh no!” Young Ginny and young Hermione had wide, fearful eyes.

Harry was just thinking… when the bird burst into flames.

Dumbledore laughed. Although his eyes softened as he considered how much Fawkes must like Harry to let him witness a burning day.

Harry yelled in shock… but a smouldering pile of ash on the floor.

”What did you do?” Several of the younger people said.

The office door opened... Dumbledore smiled.

”What?” Young Hermione asked, clearly not enjoying being confused. 

“About time, too,”… Watch him…”

”Wow!” Several people said.

Charlie Weasley, old and young, glared at Harry. “You get all the creature luck. See a dragon hatching, check. Fight a troll, check. See a phoenix burning day, check.”

Harry looked down… and they make highly faithful pets.”

”No fair,” Sirius said. “I never got an impromptu lesson on magical creatures when I came to your office.”

”You came to my office because you were in trouble,” Albus said.

In the shock of Fawkes catching fire… light blue stare.

”You better not be using Legilimency,” Amelia said firmly, her gaze focused on the headmaster.

”I certainly do not make a habit of using Legilimency on my students,” Albus said.

Before Dumbledore could speak… he never had time, sir—”

”Finally someone is standing up for him,” Sirius said, offering Hagrid a thankful smile.

Dumbledore tried to say something,… I know Harry never—”

”Thanks, Hagrid,” Harry said softly. 

“Hagrid!”… Harry attacked those people.”

”Did you tell the rest of the school that thought?” Remus growled.

”No. He didn’t,” Harry said. 

“Oh,”… “But I still want to talk to you.”

”About what?” Sirius asked. He looked at the headmaster, evidently suspicious.

Harry waited nervously… “Anything at all.”

Everyone held their breaths. Would Harry tell the headmaster about the voice he’d heard?

Harry didn’t know what to say… he was somehow connected with Salazar Slytherin.

”I’m sorry that I hadn’t earned your trust, Mr Potter,” Albus said with a sigh. 

“No,” said Harry. “There isn’t anything, Professor…”

”You should have told him, Harry,” Hermione said.

”Right,” Harry scoffed. “Like twelve year old me was going to do that.”

The double attack… nervousness into real panic.

“They should have closed the school,” Andromeda said.

“Did the teachers say anything about it?” Amelia asked. “Anything at all? Reassurances or anything?”

”Nope,” all the students said together.

Curiously, it was Nearly Headless Nick’s fate…   go home for Christmas.

”They should have all gone home so the school could be searched by aurors,” Tonks said with a huff. 

“At this rate, we’ll be the only ones left,”… What a jolly holiday it’s going to be.”

”That sounds like a recipe for disaster,” the teachers muttered.

Crabbe and Goyle, who always did whatever Malfoy did,…  and hissing as he passed.

”Doesn’t Hogwarts have an anti-bullying policy?” Mrs Granger asked. “I’m shocked none of the teachers did anything about that.”

Fred and George, however, found all this very funny.

“GEORGE!” Mrs Weasley screeched.

”We just wanted to make Harry feel better,” George said with a huff. “Plus he needed protecting. Some of the older students were a little curse happy.”

They went out of their way… seriously evil wizard coming through…”

Sirius grinned at that. It was a little tasteless but it was exactly the sort of thing he and James would have done. 

Percy was deeply disapproving… a cup of tea with his fanged servant,” said George, chortling.

”A cup of tea?” Remus choked. 

Ginny didn’t find it amusing… ward Harry off with a large clove of garlic when they met.

”Best way to deal with bullies, is to show them you’re not hurt,” George said matter-of-factly.

Harry didn’t mind;… who looked increasingly sour each time he saw them at it.

”See!” George grinned. 

“It’s because he’s bursting to say it’s really him,”… We’ll be getting the truth out of him any day now.”

Severus glared. He couldn’t believe they’d thrown a firework in a cauldron, endangering everyone in his classroom, STOLEN from him, and now were brewing a potion that even seventh years never actually learned to brew. It was a highly regulated potion and for good reason.

At last the term ended,… rather than visit Bill in Egypt with Mr. and Mrs. Weasley.

”Hey!” young Bill looked slightly hurt by that.

Percy, who disapproved… this troubled time.

”And you wonder why the twins tease you,” Charlie said with a smirk.

Christmas morning dawned,… fully dressed and carrying presents for them both.

”Hermione!” Mr Granger raised his eyebrow at his daughter. “You know full well that you should knock when you’re entering someone else’s private space.”

Hermione immediately argued. “It’s only Ron and Harry!”

”They are boys,” Mrs Granger said. “What if they were dressing?”

Hermione blushed.

“Wake up,”… shielding his eyes against the light.

”It worries me that Mr Weasley is having to remind Miss Granger of the rules!” Filius said. 

“Merry Christmas to you, too,”… It’s ready.”

”Oh, no,” Severus said. He really didn’t want to even consider what would happen to the three students when they failed to brew the potion properly.

Harry sat up… I say it should be tonight.”

”Do you even have a plan?” Tonks asked.

At that moment,… “Are you speaking to me again?”

”She didn’t talk to you until Christmas?” Several people asked.

”Hedwig was the worst for holding a grudge,” Harry told them. 

She nibbled his ear… he’d be able to stay at Hogwarts for the summer vacation, too.

Sirius growled and Remus’s eyes were glowing amber. 

The rest of Harry’s Christmas presents… he and Ron were planning next.

“I would have thought you’d be avoiding trouble after being threatened with expulsion,” Remus agreed. Not that he blamed Harry. There was no evidence that the teachers were doing anything about the petrifications so of course, Harry would feel responsible. It’s what everyone seemed to expect of him.

No one,… Fred had bewitched his prefect badge so that it now read “Pinhead,” kept asking them all what they were sniggering at.

Percy looked misty eyed at that.

Harry didn’t even care… a few hours’ time.

Narcissa tutted. She knew full well that her son was a bit spoiled but it was something else altogether to witness it for herself. 

Harry and Ron had barely finished… he’ll tell them anything.

Malfoy laughed at that. Gryffindors really didn’t understand Slytherins.

And we also need to make sure… ignoring Harry’s and Ron’s stupefied faces.

“I’ll be seriously disappointed if this is how all your little plots go,” Draco scoffed. “Granger telling you both what to do like a pair of five year olds. It’s embarrassing.”

She held up two plump chocolate cakes… hide them in a broom closet.”

”No way anyone would fall for that?” Sirius laughed. 

Harry and Ron looked incredulously… not unlike the one Professor McGonagall sometimes had.

”Hermione you can’t force your friends to break the rules,” Mrs Granger whispered. She was surprised by her daughter’s behaviour. 

“The potion will be useless… Whose hair are you ripping out?”

”This is guaranteed to go wrong,” Severus grumbled. “You’ll be lucky if you don’t cause yourself permanent damage. Not to mention, you’re drugging two fellow students. You deserve to be expelled for this. And no, Mr Potter, it’s not because I hate you but because this is insanity!”

”You’re not wrong,” Harry agreed.

“I’ve already got mine!”… —so I’ll just have to tell the Slytherins I’ve decided to come back.”

”No one would ever believe that,” Blaise said. 

When Hermione had bustled off to check on the Polyjuice Potion again… so many things could go wrong?”

Severus looked like he wanted to agree. Hermione was glaring at her two best friend.

But to Harry’s and Ron’s utter amazement,… shoveling down fourth helpings of trifle.

“That’s lucky,” Tonks commented. Her inner auror didn’t like how much the kids had left to chance.

Harry had perched the chocolate cakes…  next to the front door.

”Surely, they’re not actually going to fall for this,” Sirius said. No one could be this stupid.

“How thick can you get?”… they both keeled over backward onto the floor.

”Merlin, I just hope you properly brewed that potion,” Severus said. “If you’ve poisoned two of my Slytherins, Miss Granger, I’ll make your time at Hogwarts a misery.”

”Don’t worry, sir. You’ve already done that,” Hermione said.

By far the hardest part was hiding them in the closet across the hall… because their own were far too small for Crabbe and Goyle-size feet.

”You better have returned them,” Severus said sternly.

Then, still stunned at what they had just done,… Three glass tumblers stood ready on the toilet seat.

”I really can’t believe you’re doing this,” Sirius said. “Do you have any idea how dangerous this is?”

“Did you get them?”… “You’ll need bigger sizes once you’re Crabbe and Goyle.”

”I can’t believe this,” Amelia glowered at Hermione in particular before giving both boys equally disappointed looks. “I don’t know what sort of school you think you’re running, Albus but this really is beyond the pale.”

Chapter Text

Everyone was practically holding their breaths as the story continued.

The three of them stared… we’ll have exactly an hour before we change back into ourselves.”

”That’s if you’ve done it perfectly,” Severus said with a sneer. “It’s unlikely that your potion is anywhere close to perfect, even if you did somehow manage to brew it correctly. I would anticipate that at most, you’ll have forty-five minutes.”

“Now what?”… large dollops of the potion into each of the glasses.

”A single mouthful would have been plenty,” Severus said.

Then, her hand trembling,… it had turned a sick sort of yellow.

”That’s not good,” Severus said, leaning forward. “Where did you say you got that hair?”

”It was on my robes after the duelling club,” Hermione muttered.

”Foolish child!” Severus glared at her. “That could have been anything. Or anyone’s. You’re lucky it was a cat and not a dog.”

”Cat?” Mr and Mrs Granger asked.

”Based on the colour, yes, I’d say cat. Were you to accidentally use dog hair, you’d have really struggled to get rid of the tail.”

Hermione gulped.

Their older selves seemed interested too. Although not at all concerned for their daughter. For them, this was all just an interesting—and definitely made up—story. 

“Urgh—essence of Millicent Bulstrode,”… “Bet it tastes disgusting.”

”More like Essence of feline,” Severus muttered. 

“Add yours, then,”… Crabbe’s a dark, murky brown.

”That’s more in line with what I’d expect,” Severus nodded, sitting back slightly in relief that nothing worse had happened.

“Hang on,”… And Millicent Bulstrode’s no pixie.”

Several gryffindors laughed.

”Harry! That’s a horrible thing to say,” Mrs Weasley said.

”What? It’s the truth. The three of us struggled to fit, it wouldn’t have made sense to take the potion in there together.”

“Good thinking,”…  It tasted like overcooked cabbage.

”Not unexpected,” Severus said with a sigh of relief.

Immediately, his insides started writhing… shoes four sizes too small.

”Yes, it’s not a particularly pleasant experience,” Sirius agreed.

As suddenly as it had started,… low on his forehead.

“For the first time ever, I didn’t have a scar,” Harry said.

Then he realized that his glasses… “Unbelievable. “

”It was crazy,” Harry admitted. “Magic still amazes me all the time.”

“We’d better get going,”… I only hope we can find someone to follow…”

”You didn’t even stake out where the common room was?” Tonks asked. “Rookie mistake.”

”Says the rookie,” young Kingsley said  

Ron, who had been gazing at Harry,… You go on without me.”

”But this was all her idea!” Young Fred said. 

“Hermione, we know Millicent Bulstrode’s ugly, no one’s going to know it’s you—”

The lions in the chamber sniggered.

“No—really—… Five of their precious sixty minutes had already passed.

”No time to waste,” Moody agreed. 

“We’ll meet you back here,… “Crabbe holds them sort of stiff…”

”Nice attention to detail, Potter,” Moody said. 

“How’s this?”… “We’ve forgotten the way to our common room.”

”You didn’t really think that would work, right?” Remus asked horrified. No subtlety at all. 

“I beg your pardon?”… looking suspiciously back at them.

”Did you even check her uniform?” Blaise asked. “There’s no way you got into our common room.”

”I wouldn’t be so sure,” Ron smirked.

Harry and Ron hurried… feeling that this wasn’t going to be as easy as they had hoped.

”Obviously,” Severus sneered.  

The labyrinthine passages were deserted… It wasn’t a Slytherin, it was Percy.

”Oh, that’s suspicious. Percy and a raven in the dungeons?” George said with a grin. “Who wants to bet that the ravenclaw was Pennelope Clearwater?”

Percy blushed and Oliver glared at him. He’d hated that particular year. They’d kissed on the last day of term the year before, only for Percy to stop talking to him entirely. Next Oliver had heard, Percy had a girlfriend. And they were no longer friends. At least not the way they had been before.

“What’re you doing down here?”… wandering around dark corridors these days.”

”That’s a good point. Have new rules been created to ensure everyone’s safety?” Amelia asked.

”No.”

”Have the parents been informed?” Kingsley asked.

”No.”

”So what exactly were you doing?” Tonks asked with a frown. 

“You are,”… Nothing’s about to attack me.”

That made several people laugh. 

A voice suddenly echoed… Harry was pleased to see him.

”Please don’t tell me you let them in the common room yourself?” Blaise asked. Face literally in palm. 

“There you are,”… “I don’t like your attitude!”

“Where are your manners?” Narcissa asked her son quietly.

Malfoy sneered… caught himself just in time.

“I swear you two will get caught,” Blaise said, folding his arms. He didn’t like this. The common room was their safe place from the lions.

He and Ron hurried after Malfoy,… He thinks he’s going to catch Slytherin’s heir single handed.”

Percy blushed again.

”More like he’s been kissing his girlfriend,” George said.

He gave a short,… “Oh, yeah—pure blood!” said Malfoy,

“That wasn’t suspicious?” Tonks asked.

”No. They’re always forgetting the password.”

not listening,… and several Slytherins were silhouetted around it in high backed chairs.

The Slytherins were glaring at Harry and Ron.

“Wait here,”… “That’ll give you a laugh,” he said.

”What is it?” Several people asked.

Harry saw Ron’s eyes widen in shock… INQUIRY AT THE MINISTRY OF MAGIC

”Why did you send that?” Narcissa asked her husband.

”I was a little bitter about the fight in Diagon,” Lucius admitted.

Arthur Weasley,… called today for Mr. Weasley’s resignation.

”Didn’t get it though,” Arthur commented

“Weasley has brought the Ministry into disrepute,”… “Don’t you think it’s funny?”

”I don’t know why anyone would find that funny,” Lee Jordan said.

“Ha, ha,” said Harry bleakly.

”You’d make a terrible under cover auror,” Tonks said.

“Arthur Weasley loves Muggles… “Stomachache,” Ron grunted.

”You guys really suck at this,” Dean said.

“Well, go up to the hospital wing…  “I suppose Dumbledore’s trying to hush it all up.

“More like the board of governors are,” Lucius said with a grimace. “I can’t say much against Dumbledore for how he handled this issue. He was caught between a wand and a staff.”

He’ll be sacked if it doesn’t stop soon… slime like that Creevey in.”

Narcissa pinched the back of her son’s hand.

Malfoy started taking pictures… Can I lick your shoes, please, Potter?’”

Narcissa glared at her son, forcing all her thoughts behind oclumency shields. They would be having words but this was neither the time or the place.

He dropped his hands… perhaps Crabbe and Goyle were always slow on the uptake.

”Yeah, pretty much,” Draco gritted out. 

“Saint Potter,… And people think he’s Slytherin’s heir!”

Severus gave Draco an icy look and the young man gulped. He was in big trouble.

Harry and Ron waited… “I could help them.”

Lucius jumped to his feet, staring at his son in horror. This was his fault. He had taught his son all wrong.

He didn’t speak, choosing to stride out of the chamber instead. He wanted to be alone. He had things to consider. 

Ron’s jaw dropped… last time the Chamber was opened either.

“For good reason,” young Lucius said. “Last time a child died. It’s not something to gossip about.”

Of course, it was fifty years ago… a Mudblood died.

“DRACO!” Narcissa hissed.

So I bet it’s a matter of time… I hope it’s Granger,” he said with relish.

”I’m sorry, Granger,” Draco said without meeting her eye. He was too busy staring at the ground as if he wished it could swallow him up. 

Ron was clenching Crabbe’s gigantic fists...  “They’re probably still in Azkaban.”

”You seem to know an awful lot about it, sunny,” Moody said.

“Azkaban?” said Harry, puzzled.

”I really don’t get how you weren’t caught,” Tonks said. 

“Azkaban—the wizard prison, Goyle,”… and let the Heir of Slytherin get on with it.

“He did, did he?” Lucius asked from the doorway. “I don’t like it when people put words in my mouth, Draco. Trust me, I have enough to be ashamed about without having to carry the shame of your words too.”

“Sorry, father,” Draco said.

He says the school needs ridding of all the Mudblood filth,… But luckily, we’ve got our own secret chamber under the drawing room floor—”

Lucius looked like he was ready to explode. “Sharing family secrets?” Lucius asked. “You know the main purpose of that chamber is to allow the family to escape if they are attacked. And you’ve just destroyed that protection for future generations.”

”I didn’t know who I was talking to!”

”You shouldn’t have been discussing it at all!” Narcissa reminded him almost gently.

“Ho!”… “Medicine for my stomach,” Ron grunted,

“I really don’t know how we got away with that!” Ron said.

and without further ado… Moaning Myrtle’s bathroom.

”At least you returned the shoes,” Severus said.

“Well, it wasn’t a complete waste of time,”… check under the Malfoys’ drawing room.”

Lucius and Narcissa glared at their son.

Harry checked his face… “Go away!” Hermione squeaked.

Mrs Granger tutted.

Harry and Ron looked at each other… Harry had never seen her looking so happy.

”She’s really not very kind,” Harry said.

“Ooooooh, wait till you see,”… pointed ears poking through her hair.

Everyone under twenty-five struggled not to laugh. The older people in the chamber looked furious with the younger ones. 

“It was a c-cat hair!”… used for animal transformations!”

”I can’t say I have any sympathy,” Severus said. “You had no business brewing the potion in the first place. You got lucky.”

He took a deep breath before continuing, “You risked your own life and the lives of your friends! Not to mention, you broke school rules, stole from a professor, endangered an entire class by causing a potions incident, and you drugged two other students. I’ve never been more shocked.”

The other teachers looked like they agreed.

”What did you expect me to do? Just wait to be petrified?” Hermione asked. “You weren’t doing anything!”

She looked strangely close to tears and Harry wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

”I know it was a bad idea,” she said softly, “but no one was doing anything and I was scared.”

”We know ‘Mione,” he murmured.

“Uh oh,” said Ron… Madam Pomfrey never asks too many questions…”

”I wouldn’t need to ask questions,” young Poppy said. “One look at her and I’d know what she did.”

It took a long time… “Wait till everyone finds out you’ve got a tail!”

George grinned. “I wish I’d seen Granger with a tail!”

Chapter Text

Dinner was a quiet affair that evening. Everyone was deep in thought about everything they had read about that day. The teachers were murmuring between themselves, vocalising their concern that they'd made fundamental errors that particular year. They were shocked to realise that the children hadn't believed they were doing anything. Of course, there hadn't been much to do, except add extra patrols in the evenings and devote what free time they had to searching for the chamber of secrets.

"What didn't we do?" Minerva asked, a frown etched across her face. She looked older, from the sheer exhaustion of the day.

"We should have talked to the students," Filius said. "Reassured them that we were doing everything possible to protect them."

Pomona was nodding her head.

"But Albus said..."

"I think we can all agree that Albus doesn't know everything," Pomona said crossly.

At the other end of the table the aurors were discussing how they would handle the basilisk when they returned to their own time. They certainly couldn't leave the giant creature in a hidden chamber under the school.

"The problem is Potter is the only one who can access the chamber," Tonks said.

"Not true," Moody said gruffly. "He's the only known parselmouth in the UK, excluding Voldemort, of course. But there are plenty parselmouths abroad."

Amelia nodded her head. The last thing she wanted to do was include Harry in this. It wasn't safe. "Things are going to have to change at Hogwarts. While I cannot condone what those kids did, I can't help but feel that they wouldn't have thought it necessary if the teachers had been a little more..."

She paused. Unsure what word she was looking for.

"Involved," Tonks finished for her. "Honestly, I don't even think there was an announcement in the Great Hall or anything. No extra security measures. Nothing."

They all nodded their agreement. Yes. Things needed to change.

The young people were practising the etiquette instruction they had just received under the watchful eyes of the two Narcissa Malfoys. Ron wasn't enjoying it at all as she kept telling him off for stuffing his face. She advised him that he should count his bites and slow down. There was no rush. Hermione was quite withdrawn as she sat moving her food around her plate instead of eating it.

"Do you think we were wrong to do it?" Hermione asked Harry.

"Yeah, of course we were," he said. "But we were wrong to do most of the things we've done in the last seven years. The way I see it we made a bad decision, sure. But like you said, we didn't exactly feel like we had much choice."

"You don't think I forced you into it?"

"Maybe a little," Harry admitted. "But you were also the only one that came up with a plan. Ron and I didn't know what to do."

She smiled sadly at him.

"We were scared, 'Mione. Most decisions made in fear are wrong. I wouldn't beat yourself up about it."

Sirius was sitting next to Severus, much to everyone's surprise.

"This is all so messed up," Sirius said. "They were just kids. Kids aren't supposed to be worried about basilisks. They're supposed to be worried about homework."

Severus nodded his agreement. He was beginning to understand why there wasn't an older version of himself in the chamber. His vow to protect Harry had most likely killed him. Since apparently, he'd failed time and again to protect the boy.

Eventually, the meal came to an end and they all returned to the chamber for a lecture. Many of the adults looked apprehensive. They weren't comfortable being taught anything by a deatheater. But they had to admit that Rookwood - as an unspeakable - was the right person for this particular lesson.

Rookwood himself looked quite nervous as he stood in front of everyone, preparing to teach them all about ancient magical artifacts.

"Right," he said, rubbing his hands together, "this is going to be a bit of a challenge without actual artifacts to demonstrate with."

Several people nodded their heads in understanding. Rookwood was surprised to find very few of the people in the chamber were looking at him the way he might expect them to. There was very little hatred, although there was considerable distrust in their eyes.

"Regardless of whether an ancient artifact contains light or dark magic, it has the potential to be dangerous," Augustus said. "I appreciate that might come as a surprise to some of you."

There was some evident discontent from some of the older people in the chamber, but so far they had decided to remain silent. Augustus was grateful for that at least.

"Before talking about the various things that can and have been done to artifacts, one has to consider the classification of magic," he said with a sigh. This is where things would get difficult. "Over the centuries, wixan governments have tried to classify magic. At times, they have seemed to succeed, but more often than not it has resulted in arbitrary rules that do not allow for the nuances of magic."

There was a huff from somewhere, although Augustus paid it no mind. He wasn't going to win everyone over to his way of thinking. At least, not in his very first lecture. "The simple fact that we have different magical cores is proof that some - if not all - magic can be defined. Although, our understanding of magic is ever growing, just as magic itself is ever changing. Most governments - including our own - mis-define magic simply to make their legislation easier to follow."

"Excuse me," Amelia said, raising her hand politely. "Are you saying that we over categorize or under categorize dark magic?"

"Both. Many magics that are currently termed dark, are not. While some that are not, are in fact actually dark."

Augustus's younger self stepped forward. "Although its not as simple as just mis-defining dark magic," he began. "But rather entire categories are completely ignored. We put magic into two camps: dark and light. When in reality, there are five defined categories - at least to the best of my knowledge."

"Five?" Minerva asked.

"White magic, light magic, neutral magic, dark magic and black magic," Augustus said smoothly. "This is important because the way you will respond to a white magic artifact will be vastly different to how you should react to a black magic artifact, although both are just as potentially lethal."

Young Augustus continued on, "The vast majority of magic is technically neutral and will therefore be easiest for those with a more neutrally aligned. Transfiguration for example, is purely neutral spellcraft. Spellcraft referring to the act of using an incantation and some sort of focus - be it a wand, staff or other foci or your hand if you were to cast wandlessly. Divination is also purely neutral, although it is not spellcraft but rather an example of ritualistic magic."

"What do you mean ritualistic magic?" young Hermione asked.

"Ritualistic magic is any magic that involves some sort of ritual," Augustus explained. "In divination it might be the act of drinking a cup of tea and reading the tea leaves or gazing at the stars under certain predetermined ritualistic conditions. The diviner performs a ritual with the sole purpose of seeing something from the beyond. Of course, some of Mother Magic's creatures are far superior in the divination arts than us wix. For example, the centaurs have a particular talent for ritualistic star gazing."

"Arithmancy and the mind arts are also examples of neutral magic," young Augustus said.

"Wait!" Percy Weasley practically jumped in his seat. "I thought the mind arts were considered dark magic."

"Remember what I said about mis-categorising magic," Rookwood said. "The mind arts have long been deemed dark magic simply because they allow an individual to invade the minds of others and potentially protect yourself from outside influence. Rather than acknowledge that all types of magic can be dangerous, it was easier for the ministry to mis-define magical arts. Mind magic is a combination of spell craft and ritualistic magic. Legilimency is spell craft while Occlumency is ritualistic magic."

"There are some magical artifacts that use neutral magic," Rookwood continued. "For example prophetic crystal balls, while not dangerous in and of themselves, one should always be wary when confronted with one. More often than not, it is better not to know a prophecy, even if it pertains to yourself. As knowing about it can in turn lead to it becoming self-fulfilling. Equally some artifacts are transfigured and yet again, while this is not dangerous in and of itself, it can lead to danger if the transfigurations are unpredictable. For example some artifacts have been known to appear to be something innocuous, only to transfigure into something altogether more sinister once touched. As I said, artifacts do not have to be dark in nature to be dangerous."

Professor McGonagall nodded her head. She'd learned about such artifacts during her transfiguration mastery.

"We once found a mummy in an Egyptian pyramid that once touched turned into a hundred scorpions," Bill said matter-of-factly. "The tombs were full to the brim with booby traps like that."

"The next area of magic to consider would be charms or the art of bewitchment," Augustus said. "Most people believe that the charms we learn at Hogwarts are all light magic. While curses, hexes and jinxes are dark. This is inaccurate. Examples of dark charms would include the patronus charm."

"But that's not dark!" Amos said angrily.

"Dark magic is deemed that which requires emotion," Rookwood said without any heat. "The patronus charm requires powerful positive emotion. It is an advanced dark charm."

His younger self grinned. This was fun. They were shaking everything up. "The cruciatus curse is another example, of course, requiring more sadistic emotions. A desire to inflict pain and some level of hatred. The Riddikulus charm is another example as it requires joy. And of course, the killing curse, which requires that the caster wishes their victim dead."

"Arresto Momentum - or the slowing charm - on the other hand requires precision and focus instead of emotion and is therefore a light charm," Augustus said. "As is reparo - the mending charm - and alohomora - the unlocking charm - as they both require concentration rather than emotion. They are examples of one controlling one's emotions instead of allowing their emotions to build and empower their magic. Obliviation - the memory charm - is light magic, although it can be used quite sinisterly."

"There are also those charms that fall somewhere in between," young Augustus said. "The summoning charm needs focus but it also requires a desire to have that which you are summoning. This means it is both light and dark."

Several of the older people in the room were staring at him with their mouths open. Filius was nodding his head in agreement and this seemed to confuse the others even more.

"As for curses - or dark charms as the ministry would define them - in our world today are defined as anything that has a negative effect upon an object or person. Once again though, not all curses as defined by the ministry are in fact dark. The gemino curse requires precision and is actually light. The leg locker curse is another example of a light curse. As is the slug vomiting charm and the tongue-tying curse. The blasting curse can be performed either using light or dark magic - using light magic you would focus on your intention to cause an explosion. However, using dark magic to perform the blasting curse will likely have greater impact as it focuses your anger into the curse, increasing its strength if your emotions are strong enough. Another example of a curse that falls into both categories would be the reductor curse. The entrail exploding curse would be deemed dark as it requires some degree of anger or desire to cause physical injury. Fiendfyre is dark as it requires a desire for destruction."

Augustus nodded his head in agreement with his younger self. "As for magical artifacts effected by charms," he said, "both light and dark charms can be used on objects with varying degrees of consequences. An object might be charmed to send a person to sleep - sometimes this can be a positive thing like the sleep bears many of you no doubt had as young children but it can also be deadly were it to be cursed to put you into an everlasting sleep. Magical contracts are often charmed to ensure the signatories abide by the rules of the contract - again this is not necessarily a bad thing. But equally some artifacts are cursed to compel and ensnare or in some cases even cause death."

"Next we come to blood magic," young Rookwood said with a sigh. "Blood magic is considered dark by the wixen world but actually once again falls into both the light and dark categories. It combines ritualistic magic and runecraft. The Inheritance Test performed by the goblins for example is light magic as it does not require emotion. While blood adoption requires the desire to become family and some degree of love and is therefore dark magic. Both are examples of ritualistic magic. Blood protections combine ritual with runecraft - more often than not - and are dark magic as they require the desire to protect, an intention that must be very strong to ensure the protections. In fact, all protective magic, where it protects someone beyond yourself is dark magic."

"Blood magic tainted magical artifacts should be treated with great caution," Augustus said. "As they can be very deadly. Although there are examples of more positive artifacts such as family grimoires and family Lordship and Heirship rings. Again, I would argue it matters not if it is light or dark so much as what the blood magic is intended to do. Although once again, how you will defend yourself against light blood magic, will be very different to defending yourself against dark blood magic."

"Can you give us an example of light blood magic that could influence an artifact negatively?" Arthur asked.

"Light blood magic can be imbued onto an artifact to steal your magic," Rookwood said. "It can be used to drain a magical core."

There was a sharp intake of breath as everyone's eyes widened in fear. They couldn't believe light magic could do such a thing.

"Surely that's dark magic!" young Amos said angrily.

"No, sir. It's not." Rookwood frowned. "It requires no emotion or desire, simply power."

"Potions can be used on artifacts," young Rookwood continued after a moment. "Potions is yet another discipline that falls into both categories and we really don't have time to delve into the many ways potions can be used on magical artifacts tonight. That will most likely require a lecture in and of itself. And if I'm being completely honest, I'd say Professor Snape would probably be a better teacher for that subject than myself. I will say that potion brewing is an example of ritualistic magic."

"Herbology is also ritualistic magic and although I've yet to see it used to influence magical artifacts that does not mean it is impossible," Rookwood said. "Merely that it either hasn't been done yet or the knowledge has been lost to time. Once again, Herbology uses both light and dark magic - this is especially important as when working with nature one must always strive for balance."

"Alchemy is white magic and highly dangerous," young Rookwood said. "It is an example of ritualistic magic and should be treated with great caution. White and Black magic refer to magics that are either close to or do in fact break the fundamental laws of magic. For example Alchemy is able to create gold. This is in direct conflict with Gamp's Law of Elemental Transfiguration."

Even Albus looked shocked by this and he'd studied alchemy in depth.

"Elemental magic is mostly light spellcraft," Augustus continued, "and is one of the most commonly used forms of light magic in warding. Most spellcraft wards are charms based and tend to be dark in nature. Of course, there are also light and dark runecraft wards too. Where wards use runecraft instead of spellcraft, they use Ilusionary magic which is almost always dark in nature."

"Ilusionary magic can be especially disconcerting when used on magical artifacts and should be approached with significant caution," young Augustus said.

"Why?" young Hermione asked.

"Because by nature the magic is deceitful," he explained. "What you see, feel or hear, may not in fact, be real."

"Next is necromancy," Rookwood said and struggled to hold back a grin when everyone shivered in fear. "Necromancy is complicated and once again, we probably would need more time to delve into the topic. Those studying death magic in the department of mysteries spend their whole lives studying it and barely brush the surface. From what I understand, necromancy is not dark magic."

"How can you say that?" several adults asked, all of them outraged.

"Let me finish," he said, raising his arms. "Please bear with me and try to remember that I have to be very careful what I say. As an unspeakable there is much that I know that I cannot speak aloud for fear of breaking my oath. But necromancy is not dark, nor is it light. It's not black magic or white magic. Nor is it neutral. It is something else entirely. The same can be said for time magic. It is believed that these magics do not come from Mother Magic but rather from Lord Time and Lord Death as gifts. As a result our understanding of them is greatly limited and we must treat them with great caution. Artifacts imbued with them should be considered sacred. They should not be tampered or meddled with."

"There are other types of magic, of course," Augustus said, "but I fear that if we continue much longer our younger ones heads might just explode."

"Can you at least tell us what else there is?" young Hermione asked and several others seemed to be just as fascinated.

"We'll discuss them properly next time," he said with a heavy sigh. "There is healing - which combines both light and dark magic. Abjuration, which we touched on earlier, as its focus is protection and shielding - it is dark, of course.  Conjuration - a form of white magic - that invokes the deities. This is ritualistic and is mostly used on the sacred holidays. Wild magic - another form of white magic - that is said to come directly from Mother Magic. Soul Magic - a form of black magic which should be avoided at all costs. Shadow Magic - another form of black magic which uses shadows to enforce your own will upon the world around you. It can be very destructive. And evocation - which is similar to wild magic except the raw power comes from the world around you and it is often used for destructive purposes. Again this is black magic. I have yet to hear of an example of evocation that wasn't black in nature."

He smiled slightly as the young girl wrote down everything he had said. She'd made a brilliant unspeakable, if he could just help her realise that all the answers were not to be found in books.

Chapter Text

The next morning they were all relatively quiet as they waited for Flitwick to start the usual spell on the book. The younger people in the room had been worked almost to death by the aurors during their morning lesson and were practically falling asleep on the arms of their various sofas. Those that had settled on the floor were leaning against one another and mumbling complaints. Not that the aurors seemed particularly bothered to see them all suffering in the aftermath of their lesson. Those that had been reading in their own time to catch up were all trying not to stare at Harry in horror. The two sets of Mr and Mrs Granger in particular could not believe that the young man had faced such awfulness in his very first year at the school. The elder version of the couple were still struggling to believe that any of this was real.

Hermione remained in the hospital wing for several weeks... the shame of being seen with a furry face.

"Were we informed?" Mr Granger asked, folding his arms.

Hermione shook her head.

"And why not?" He turned his attention to the teachers. "Was it because we're muggles? Or is it just common practice to not inform parents when something happens to their children? You do realise that in the muggle world I could - and I would - sue you for endangering my daughter and not fulfilling your duty to keep myself or my wife abreast of any issues Hermione faces."

The teachers side-eyed Dumbledore.

"You seem to think that just because its easy to fix things with magic that you are almost exempt from the responsibility of preventing such things from happening in the first place," Mr Granger said. "I would like to remind you that is fundamentally untrue. You are entrusted with the lives and wellbeing of hundreds of children. And so far, I've seen no evidence that you are deserving of that trust."

Harry and Ron went to visit her... “Don’t be silly, Ron, I’ve got to keep up,” said Hermione briskly.

Several of the students groaned. They all knew how Hermione could be. The adults however tutted at Ron's attitude towards schoolwork.

Her spirits were greatly improved... for about the hundredth time.

"Move on," Moody said gruffly. "You've already removed him from your suspect list."

“What’s that?”... Smile Award.”

Hermione blushed while several people snickered. George wolf-whistled.

Ron looked up at Hermione... toward Gryffindor Tower.

"I don't like him," Sirius said, nodding in agreement. "Wouldn't trust him. He's a creep."

Snape had given them so much homework... I’m going to Dumbledore—”

"Why not have the house-elves do it?" someone asked.

Several people were nodding their agreement. They understood why he might need to clean the potions classrooms but the corridors were surely safe to use elf magic in.

His footsteps receded... they could hear Myrtle’s wails echoing off the bathroom walls.

"That ghost is a nuisance!" Astoria Greengrass grumbled to her sister.

“Now what’s up with her?”... ignored it as always, and entered.

"Why?" Percy asked, shaking his head. "Why would you go back? It's a girls bathroom for Merlin's sake. You're not allowed in there!"

Moaning Myrtle was crying... “Come to throw something else at me?”

"Is that even possible?" Blaise asked with a smirk.

Harry waded across to her stall... and someone thinks it’s funny to throw a book at me…”

"She's such a drama queen," young Daphne said. "It's not like it would hurt."

“But it can’t hurt you... wouldn’t it?”

"That was a mistake, Harry," Hermione groaned.

"That wasn't very kind," Luna said softly.

He had said the wrong thing... What a lovely game, I don’t think!”

"To be fair," George said with a smirk, "I'd play it."

It looked like even some of the adults were in agreement. Especially Sirius and even Professor Snape. "Why didn't we think of that?" Sirius asked Remus.

“Who threw it at you, anyway?”... it got washed out…”

"Bloody hell," Lee Jordan said. "It wasn't even like they were aiming for her!"

Harry and Ron looked under the sink... flung out an arm to hold him back.

"Do not pick that up!" Sirius said sharply. "You have no idea what it is!"

“What?”... “It could be dangerous.”

The adults were all nodding in agreement.

Young Hermione was frowning. "How can a book be dangerous?"

“Dangerous?”... how could it be dangerous?”

"Plenty of ways," Rookwood said. "It could contain magics that you have no business knowing. Or it could be bewitched or enchanted in someway."

“You’d be surprised,”... trying to do everything one handed. And—”

"Exactly," young Rookwood said.

“All right, I’ve got the point,”... and picked it up off the floor.

"Bloody hell, Harry!" Remus actually swore. "He's just told you not to. Did you completely disregard what he said to you?"

"If it was dangerous, we couldn't just leave it there," Harry muttered.

"You could have fetched a teacher," Remus countered.

"Over a random book?" Harry almost laughed.

Harry saw at once that it was a diary... it was fifty years old.

"Well, that's suspicious," Moody said leaning forward.

Tonks wanted to say that he thought everything was suspicious. But she happened to agree with him on this one.

He opened it eagerly... “T.M. Riddle” in smudged ink.

Dumbledore breathed in sharply and all eyes landed on him.

"Who is T.M. Riddle?" Dean Thomas asked, looking about at all the adults.

Most of them didn't seem to know either though, so he quickly returned his attention to the book. He completely missed the way the younger Lucius's face paled even more than usual or the angry look he gave his older self.

“Hang on,”... special services to the school fifty years ago.”

"How did you know that?" Bill asked, giving his brother a bewildered look.

“How on earth d’you know that?”... you’d remember it, too.”

Bill nodded. That made sense.

Harry peeled the wet pages apart... “He never wrote in it,” said Harry, disappointed.

"You should not be looking at it at all," Sirius said, gripping Harry's arm. "You should hand it straight in to a teacher."

"Harry is muggle-raised. He didn't grow up with the same lessons you all did," Hermione said in his defense. "He was taught not to talk to strangers, to always check both ways before crossing the road, not that books could carry curses."

"Ron just told him," Remus said.

"Yeah, but you're expecting him to react the way you all would, when he's had that advice once. You've probably been told the same thing a thousand times. Not to mention, as of yet, they've found no reason to believe it is dangerous."

“I wonder why someone wanted to flush it away?”... “To have bought a diary from Vauxhall Road…”

"Good deduction," Amelia said with a small smile.

“Well, it’s not much use to you,”... Harry, however, pocketed it.

"Why?" several people asked.

Harry shook his head. "I don't know why I did that."

"Compulsion perhaps?" Rookwood asked.

"Maybe." Harry shrugged.

Hermione left the hospital wing... at the beginning of February.

"You were in the hospital for over a month and no one told us?" Mrs Granger asked hotly, glaring at the teachers.

On her first evening back in Gryffindor Tower... I don’t know why you don’t chuck it, Harry.”

The adults were all leaning forward now. The younger ones were all looking at them in surprise. They didn't understand why the adults were so fascinated by a book. Ginny was leaning into her father's side, hiding her face.

“I wish I knew why someone did try to chuck it,”... saved a teacher from the giant squid.

"Impossible!" Minerva said with an eye roll at the same time Hagrid grumbled that the giant squid was a giant softie.

Maybe he murdered Myrtle; that would’ve done everyone a favor…”

Harry, Ron and Hermione all shared a horrified look. And Dumbledore tutted his disapproval. "That wasn't very kind, Mr Weasley."

But Harry could tell from the arrested look on Hermione’s face... “So?”

The Weasleys all moaned at how slow Ron was being. Even young Ron looked disappointed in his older self.

“Oh, Ron, wake up,”... what if Riddle got his special award for catching the Heir of Slytherin?

"Bit of a jump," Tonks said, "but not impossible. Services for the School aren't exactly common, are they?"

His diary would probably tell us everything... There’s nothing written in his diary.”

"Sometimes Weasley acts more muggle raised than you do, Potter," Draco said with a shake of his head.

But Hermione was pulling her wand out... Nothing happened.

"I still think you should take it to the teachers," Remus said. "No offence but you're second years. You don't know what you're looking for."

“I’m telling you... couldn’t be bothered filling it in.”

"Except something no one seems to have considered is that it doesn't make sense for a diary from fifty years ago - unwritten in or not - to be in the school. It's highly coincidental." Rookwood was eyeing Malfoy. He had his suspicions on just how the dark lord had ensured his immortality. Well, not suspicions any more. If Heir Potter was a horcrux, it was safe to say that there must have been others. For the soul to be so unstable as to create an accidental horcrux, he couldn't even imagine how many you'd have to make. But certainly not only one.

Harry couldn’t explain... as though it were a story he wanted to finish.

"Definitely a compulsion," Minerva said sharply.

And while Harry was sure he had never heard the name... and had half forgotten.

People all around the chamber were silently wondering just who Tom Riddle was.

But this was absurd... Dudley had made sure of that.

Remus and Sirius growled at the mention of Dudley.

Nevertheless, Harry was determined... Magical Merit, and on a list of old Head Boys.

The adults were trying their best to remember if they'd ever met a Tom Riddle.

“He sounds like Percy,”... a slightly hurt voice.

Percy himself didn't seem very impressed either. He glowered at his younger brother. Mrs Weasley looked on the verge of telling Ron off but Arthur gave her a gentle but firm look and her shoulders drooped.

"Do any of you know a T.M. Riddle?" Remus asked.

Sirius glared at the headmaster. "Dumbledore obviously knows who it is," he said.

Lucius gulped. He was pretty sure he'd end up in Azkaban once they left the chamber.

There was a pop, making everyone jump. Several people pulled out their wands as a house elf appeared in front of them.

Chapter Text

The chamber was utter chaos as everyone pulled out their wands and aimed them at the nervous little elf.

"Mr Harry Potter sir," the elf say in a high pitched voice, "it's an honour to meet his princiness."

Harry smiled sadly at him, opening his mouth to speak.

"Did he just call Harry a princess?" George asked Lee Jordan.

"It certainly sounded like it," Lee chuckled.

Harry glared at them before turning back to the elf. "Hi -"

But before he could finish his greeting there were several more loud pops as two more house elves appeared.

"Naughty Dobby!" Kreacher said, pulling at Dobby's ear. "Great Mother be telling us not yet!"

Dobby's eyes widened and he gave the two Kreachers a sheepish look.

"But Dobby needs to say sorry," Dobby said, padding the floor with his foot awkwardly.

Harry looked at the pillowcase Dobby was wearing and frowned. He hated seeing Dobby like this. He should be wearing odd socks and too many hats.

"Dobby is being sorry, Great Mother's Princey," Dobby said, his eyes wide with unshed tears. "I's not knowing what Dobby bes thinking, hurting the great Harry Potter sir."

Sirius growled and Dobby let out a little squeak before hiding behind the younger Kreacher.

"We's not be staying, Dobby," Kreacher said firmly. "Master Harry is being busy and we's be listening to Great Mother."

"Kreacher?" Sirius asked, lowering his wand a fraction.

"Kreacher bes happy that bad master is being not dead," Kreacher said, although he still looked at Sirius with distaste. "Master Harry bes needing his godfather."

"Huh?" Sirius looked ready to faint. He couldn't believe that Kreacher was being polite - well, almost polite.

"Kreacher," Hermione rushed forward, engulfing the elf in an embrace, "we were so worried about you."

Harry was surprised the elf didn't pull back or say anything derogatory about muggle-borns. He merely gave her a strange, somewhat confused look.

"Miss Hermy is being silly. Kreacher is being old but he's still a strong elf. Kreacher is going to Hogwarts and protecting the children, like Master Harry would bes wanting."

Kreacher stood proudly, the Black locket on full display.

"Thank you, Kreacher," Harry said warmly. "Have you been here the whole time?"

"Kreacher is not being saying," young Kreacher said, crossing his arms. He glared slightly at Hermione and Harry. He didn't understand why his older self let the mudblood touch him. His older self had tried to explain why he accepted Harry Potter - a half blood - as his master but young Kreacher didn't really understand. Yes, he was glad master had helped him fulfill Master Regulus's last order, but to let a mudblood touch him... It was shocking. All the same, he couldn't help but feel proud that the Great Mother's prince was his master. And maybe, to have such a master, even he might be tempted to let mudbloods touch him - shake his hand perhaps but not hug him.

Kreacher glared at his younger self. "Wes be being here," Kreacher said, "but is supposed to be being kept secret."

"Why?" Hermione asked.

"We's not be asking the Great Mother why!" young Kreacher huffed before muttering under his breath about foolish mudbloods.

Sirius opened his mouth to correct the elf. But Harry squeezed his arm. The younger Kreacher would learn but not by force.

"Kreacher," Harry said, returning his attention to the older elf, "we did it. We destroyed it. Just like I promised."

Both elves looked at Harry with matching expressions of wonder. "Thank you, master," Kreacher said eventually. "Kreacher is being very grateful."

"You only have to ask Kreacher," Harry said, dropping to his knees before the elf, "and I'll always help you."

"Kreacher's master is a good master," Kreacher said as Harry hugged him.

Lucius was eyeing Dobby. The elf was still hiding behind the younger of the two Black elves.

"Dobby," Lucius said in a tone he hadn't used since Draco was an infant. "I'm-"

He wasn't really sure what he wanted to say to the small elf. He didn't know how to make what his father had done better. In fact, if he was honest with himself, he didn't think he could.

"Thank you for trying to warn Heir Potter," Lucius said eventually.

"D-dobby is not being doing it, s-sir. Older Dobby is be doing it and he's gone." The elf looked part sad at his own death and part terrified that Lucius was talking to him. "I is not be knowing whys Dobby bes dying, sir."

"That would be our fault," Narcissa said gently.

Dobby nodded his head as if he expected this and Narcissa's heart broke just a little at the sight.

"You saved Heir Potter and his friends from the manor," she explained, "and my sister - Bellatrix - she..."

"Yous not be needing to tells Dobby, Mistress Cissa," Dobby said. "Dobby bes finding out from the books."

"You've been listening?" Harry asked eagerly.

"We is not supposed to be saying!" Young Kreacher said angrily, glaring at Dobby.

Older Kreacher nodded. "It is being time wes be going. It bes elves greatest honour to be given orders by Great Mother again."

The other two elves nodded eagerly and then all three disappeared, the air popping with their magic.

"Did Potter and Granger really just hug that house elf?" Draco asked Theo. Theo was watching Harry closely. He noticed the young man's disappointment at the elves leaving. He really was an odd person. Theo had cared about the elves in his house too, until his father forced him to watch while he punished them for his misdeeds. After that, the elves hadn't liked Theo so much. Or at least, they'd stayed away from him. Lord Nott didn't like his heir interacting with the servants. All the same, the elves had healed him from the worst of his father's punishments. Even if they hadn't been able to prevent them.

"Perhaps we should continue reading?" Professor Flitwick said, retaking his seat and flicking his wand towards the book. There was a murmur of agreement as everyone followed suit.

The sun had now begun to shine... Justin and Nearly Headless Nick,

"So the diary is definitely involved," Moody muttered.

and Madam Pomfrey... fast leaving childhood.

"I really cannot fathom why the board of governors did not allow the funds for the potion," Narcissa hissed. "I was raised to hate muggle-borns but to actively prevent their healing?"

"They were adamant that the childrens' families should cover the costs," Lucius said with a sigh.

"Did the parents even know their children were petrified?" Remus asked.

"They did not," Minerva said with a grimace. She was really beginning to wonder why she had ever listened to Dumbledore.

"And why not?" Madam Bones demanded.

"It was believed that it would lead to panic," Filius said bitterly.

"Panic?" Madam Bones glared at the teachers. "The school should have been closed. The aurors should have been invited to search the school."

"To what end?" Albus asked. "The castle has been searched countless times and no one has found the chamber. The school would never be allowed to reopen."

"Better that than have the deaths of school children on your hands," Amelia said crossly.

“The moment their acne clears up... You’ll have Mrs. Norris back in no time.”

"Cares more about his cat than the students," someone muttered.

"Wouldn't you?" George said. "The students are awful to him. I don't like the man but you have to admit wixen kids are cruel to squibs."

"Wix in general are cruel to squibs," Narcissa said softly. "But that doesn't excuse his behaviour towards the student body."

Perhaps the Heir of Slytherin had lost his or her nerve... another fifty years…

"Not likely," Sirius and Remus muttered.

Ernie Macmillan of Hufflepuff... at the Dueling Club.

Pomona tutted. She'd have to watch Macmillan in the future. He was behaving like a bully, and bullying was not tolerated in Hufflepuff.

Peeves wasn’t helping matters... now with a dance routine to match.

Several people laughed and George even started singing the song, much to Harry's annoyance.

Gilderoy Lockhart seemed to think... before I came down hard on him.

"I hope the monster gets him," Sirius muttered.

Severus must have heard him because he said, "me too."

“You know,... February fourteenth.

The teachers all groaned. Those from the older timeline remembered how awful the day had been. While the younger ones were all imagining the worst.

Harry hadn’t had much sleep because of a late running Quidditch practice the night before,

"We're going to be talking about this Wood," Minerva said angrily. "I will not have you over training."

Wood looked completely unrepentant.

and he hurried... wiping confetti off his bacon.

"Eww," young Fleur looked horrified.

Ron pointed to the teachers’ table... fed him a large beaker of Skele Gro.

Several people chuckled at that description.

“Happy Valentine’s Day!”... delivering your valentines!

"That would be so disruptive!" young Filius grumbled.

And the fun doesn’t stop here... whip up a Love Potion!

"Absolutely not!" Severus growled.

And while you’re at it... the sly old dog!”

"That little...!" Young Filius looked ready to duel the man if he were present.

Professor Flitwick... force fed poison.

"Tempting," Severus muttered. "Although, I'd probably demand twenty-four inches on the dangers of love potions and why they ought to be illegal."

“Please, Hermione,... one of the dwarfs caught up with Harry.

Draco grinned momentarily, remembering how embarrassed Potter had been.

“Oy, you!... to get to Harry.

"That's assault," Remus growled. "Surely, you all realise that this was a safeguarding issues."

"We were not consulted," Minerva said gruffly.

Hot all over... Harry tried to escape.

Sirius laughed at that. This was what he'd been expecting to hear about in these books. Typical teenage angst.

The dwarf... before he’d gone two paces.

"I hope the students reported that," Remus said angrily.

“I’ve got a musical message... pulling him back.

"You have got to be kidding me," Remus muttered. "How is this allowed?"

Sirius was still laughing. Embarrassment was normal for teens. What wasn't normal was fighting possessed teachers.

“Let me go!”... smashed over everything.

"So, we have assault and destruction of property," Remus growled.

Harry scrambled around... before Malfoy could hear his musical valentine.

Ah, this was less funny, Sirius thought to himself. Being embarrassed was one thing, but in front of your bully. He should know, he'd embarrassed and bullied Snape plenty.

“What’s all this commotion?”... brought him crashing to the floor.

Several of the adults were angry now.

"Where were the teachers?" Sirius demanded. The school clearly needed reform.

“Right,”... a fresh pickled toad,

Sirius's anger dissipated quickly as he heard the first line. He struggled to keep the smile off his face.

His hair is as dark... conquered the Dark Lord.”

Sirius laughed hysterically.

Harry would have given all the gold in Gringotts... some of whom were crying with mirth.

Everyone in the chamber was laughing. "It's not that funny," Harry muttered, still embarrassed after all these years.

“Off you go... Harry realized that he’d got Riddle’s diary.

"Why were you carrying that around?" Remus asked.

The jovial atmosphere had disappeared and everyone was once more giving the book their undivided attention.

“Give that back,”... looking terrified.

The aurors all turned towards the girl in question. She was cowering against her father's side. So, Miss Weasley was involved somehow.

Tonks started muttering under her breath, "Malfoy... Diagon... Cauldron... Diary."

"Ginny Weasley opened the chamber of secrets," Amelia whispered to her colleagues.

"It would certainly seem like it," Kingsley murmured.

“Hand it over... Harry had lost his temper.

"Oh dear," all the gryffindors said. They'd all seen what happened when Harry lost his temper.

He pulled out his wand... caught it.

"Was that the first time you used that spell?" Moody asked.

Harry nodded his head.

"Impressive," the old auror commented.

“Harry!”... worth five points from Gryffindor any day.

The lions in the chamber seemed to agree or at least they didn't say anything.

Malfoy was looking furious... “I don’t think Potter liked your valentine much!”

"Draco!" Narcissa pinched the back of her son's hand. "That was unnecessarily cruel."

Ginny covered her face... Charms belching slugs.

Ollivander grimaced at the mention of the broken wand.

It wasn’t until they had reached Professor Flitwick’s class... smashed all over it.

"Definitely magical then," Flitwick said. "An impenetrable charm or something."

He tried to point this out... interested in anything else.

"How did I fail to notice that?" Flitwick asked himself.

Harry went to bed before anyone else... he was wasting his time.

Sirius looked like he wanted to remind Harry to take it to a teacher. But he knew he was wasting his breath.

Harry sat on his four-poster... dropped a blot onto the first page of the diary.

"Good," Moody said. "Don't write anything."

The ink shone brightly... vanished.

"Okay," Moody said. "Now, if you're seriously going to do this yourself, you shouldn't be alone and you need to do it cautiously."

"Don't encourage him!" Mrs Weasley said.

"It's important to know how to deal with magical artifacts," Moody retorted. "Yes, Potter should have given it to a teacher, but he didn't. So this is a good opportunity to explain how to do this safely."

"They don't need to know," young Molly said. "They just need to hand it over."

"The world doesn't work like that," Moody said. "People rarely do what they should and when they're adults they'll be grateful for this lesson. Obviously, as children they should hand it over but as adults, they'll not always have someone else to do it for them. First, you'll want to determine what spells have been used. But, I doubt that's what Potter is going to do. For one thing, he wouldn't know how. So, I'll leave teaching you the necessary spellwork to Rookwood, and just give you a few tips for interacting with magical artifacts."

The children all leaned forward. Hermione pulled out a notebook, prepared to take notes.

"First, don't touch them until you know what they are, how they're enchanted and what they're capable of. Second, don't get attached or give it any form of power over you."

"How could you give power to a book?" young Hermione asked.

"By caring too much for it," Moody replied, "or in this instance, I imagine giving it information."

Excited... “My name is Harry Potter.”

"Case in point," Moody growled. "Don't do that!"

"How does that give it power?" Lee Jordan asked.

"There is power in knowledge. The book now knows more about Potter than he knows about it."

"You're acting like the book is alive," young Hermione commented.

"All magic is in a way," Moody said. "Or at the very least there is some sentience. But certain magics, the sort I think might be in that book, is definitely alive."

The words shone momentarily... How did you come by my diary?”

"The diary wrote back?" young Ron asked. "I think you really need to give that to a teacher."

"Good advice kid," Sirius muttered. He looked close to hyperventilating. 

These words, too, faded away... who would not want this diary read.”

"Memories?" George asked. His mind was whirling with ideas. What if he could create a book that captured memories? A diary that stored your memories like a pensieve.

“What do you mean?”... Things that happened at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.”

"Manipulation," Tonks said.

“That’s where I am now,”... Do you know anything about the Chamber of Secrets?”

"And Potter falls straight into the trap," Moody muttered.

His heart was hammering... finally killing one.

"He would know," Harry muttered.

I caught the person who’d opened the Chamber and he was expelled.

"That's a lie!" young Hagrid shouted, getting to his feet. He glanced around as if suddenly realising that the others were there, and blushed heavily. He didn't like this. His darkest secret was about to be exposed and all these people were going to think he opened the chamber.

But the Headmaster... forbade me to tell the truth.

"Sounds like another headmaster I know," Minerva said bitterly.

A story was given out... not imprisoned.”

"Dirty little lying -" Hagrid was muttering.

Harry nearly upset his ink... Who was it last time?”

"It's almost pointless asking," Moody said. "You shouldn't trust anything that diary tells you."

“I can show you, if you like,”... when I caught him.“

"Absolutely not!" Sirius said, pulling both Harrys into his side.

Harry hesitated... “Let me show you.”

"I can't believe you don't have lessons on magical artifacts for muggle raised children," Rookwood said angrily. A child was being exposed to soul magic at HOGWARTS of all places.

Harry paused for a fraction of a second... “OK.”

Sirius whimpered. Severus watched him closely. The man couldn't keep taking calming draughts but Severus was seriously beginning to worry for the man's heart. Not to mention, his own health. Harry Potter was a menace and his vow was likely to be broken a thousand times over by the time they finished these books.

The pages of the diary... into a whirl of color and shadow.

"Wow," George commented, leaning forward.

"Like a pensieve?" Bill asked. He'd never heard of a horcrux that could interact with a person like this.

He felt his feet hit solid ground... “Er—I’ll just go, shall I?”

Harry's friends laughed at him.

Still the wizard ignored him... watching the door.

"Where's Riddle?" Moody asked. "If this is his memory, he must be there somewhere."

Harry looked around the office... “Ah, Riddle,” said the Headmaster.

"Do you think he was spying from outside the office?" Tonks asked her colleagues.

"Must have been," Amelia said. "It's his memory. Alastor is correct."

“You wanted to see me... Surely you want to go home for the holidays?”

Harry sighed. "Do you know as much as I hate him. I don't actually blame him."

"What?" Both Albus and Lucius looked at the young man.

"His childhood," Harry commented. "It was awful. It's easy to imagine why he made the decisions he made. I might not have done the same thing in his situation but I can't honestly say that I know that for sure."

"My boy..." Albus started.

"No. It's true. And to be honest sir, I think you let him down."

Albus frowned at that. What did Harry mean?

“No,”... “You live in a Muggle orphanage during the holidays, I believe?” said Dippet curiously.

"A muggle orphanage in the centre of London during World War two. He should have been removed from the muggle world. All muggle-raised kids should have been."

"We can't just remove children from their families," Molly said.

"During the war we should have," Hermione countered. "It's not like most kids were living with their parents anyway. They were mostly living in the countryside with strangers. London wasn't safe. The children - the muggle children at least - were evacuated. Riddle would have probably been the only child left in the orphanage, since he would have missed the evacuations while being at Hogwarts. I'd be surprised if the staff stayed."

"Teachers and caregivers were evacuated with their charges," Mr Granger said. His father had told him all about the evacuations. "It's likely the orphanage was unstaffed or was staffed minimally at best."

"Why were they evacuated?" Lee Jordan asked.

"Because of the bombs," Dean Thomas said.

"Muggle weapons. During war they are dropped from planes," Harry explained. "They destroy buildings, leave massive craters in the ground and kill people."

"London was flattened in places," Hermione said, nodding, "School-age children, pregnant women, mothers with young children, the disabled and their carers and teachers were all evacuated from the major cities."

"The evacuations between 1939 and 1945 amounted to the largest mass migration of British history," Mr Granger said, eyeing the wixen in the chamber. "How can you not know this stuff?"

The others all looked awkward. Even Dumbledore hadn't known that and he'd prized himself on being tolerant of muggles.

He was probably living hand to mouth each summer," Hermione said softly. "Food was rationed. He's lucky he didn't starve. I mean, did he even have a ration book after disappearing to Hogwarts?"

Harry was nodding his agreement.

Dumbledore looked unsure of himself. Had he advised Headmaster Dippet wrongly?

“Yes, sir,”... “Muggle father, witch mother.”

Dumbledore leaned forward. He hadn't realised that Tom was aware of his heritage at that age.

“And are both your parents—?”... Marvolo after my grandfather.”

Several of the older people in the chamber looked like they were trying to recall their genealogies.

Dippet clucked his tongue sympathetically... You will be safer by far at your orphanage.

Harry looked angry. Lucius was surprised to see the Potter Heir feeling angry on the behalf of his enemy.

As a matter of fact... about these attacks?”

"Highly suspect," Moody muttered.

“No, sir,”... He was biting his lip, his forehead furrowed.

"Thinking?" Ron asked. "More like plotting."

Then, as though he had suddenly reached a decision... He was none other than a fifty year younger Dumbledore.

"Who knew old Dumbles hair wasn't always white?" George asked in a mock whisper.

“I had to see the headmaster, sir,”... watching the passage outside.

"What is he doing?" Remus asked.

It felt to Harry that they were there for at least an hour... he heard something move beyond the door.

Everyone was sitting stock still in their chairs, listening attentively.

Someone was creeping along the passage... edged through the door and followed,

"He's a sneaky one," Moody commented.

Harry tiptoeing behind him... in the box…”

"That's Hagrid," several people muttered. Hagrid was gripping the arms of his giant armchair, eyeing the book nervously. His younger self was actually shaking.

There was something familiar about that voice... if the attacks don’t stop.”

"Hagrid opened the chamber of secrets?" several of the youngsters asked.

The adults looked less sure. They couldn't believe that the gentle half-giant would do such a thing.

"Mr Hagrid did not open the chamber of secrets." Hagrid was surprised to hear Lucius Malfoy of all people defending him.

“What d’yeh—”... Harry could hear a funny rustling and clicking.

"What is that?" Sirius asked, surprised when Ron actually whimpered.

“Come on, Rubeus,”... “He wouldn’! He never!”

"He would," Ron muttered.

“Stand aside,”... piercing scream unheard by anyone—

Draco looked like he wanted to taunt Harry but a glance at his mother had him holding his tongue. He was already in enough trouble.

A vast, low slung,... a pair of razor sharp pincers

"What the hell is that?" Lee Jordan asked almost excitedly.

"Please don't tell me that is an acromantula," Amelia whispered.

—Riddle raised his wand again... “NOOOOOOO!”

Several people were staring at Hagrid like they couldn't understand what they'd just heard.

The scene whirled... Riddle’s diary lying open on his stomach.

"Well, at least you didn't get trapped," Rookwood said seemingly disinterestedly.

Harry looked nervously at Hagrid. He hadn't forgotten that for a while he'd actually believed Riddle. How would he be able to face Hagrid?

Before he had had time to regain his breath... He was sweating and shaking.

"A magical siphon?" Remus asked, looking concerned.

Rookwood nodded. If this was the Dark Lord's first horcrux it was highly likely that it would drain a wix of their power easily enough.

“What’s up?”... Hagrid opened the Chamber of Secrets fifty years ago.”

"I'm sorry, Hagrid," Harry said, eyeing his friend. "I-"

"It's all right, Harry. Yer don need ter explain." The half giant didn't seem to look surprised that even Harry had thought he'd do such a thing.

"I do," Harry said. "I was twelve and honestly, a little stupid."

"A little?" Ron asked.

"And I didn't trust anyone," Harry said. "I was just waiting to be disappointed. It just seemed expected that you'd be just like everyone else. I'm sorry, Hagrid."

Amelia looked like she wanted to ask about the acromantula but decided against it. Hagrid was clearly distressed and she'd already read him the riot act over the dragon. He couldn't have been more than a...

"How old were you when the chamber was opened, Mr Hagrid?" she asked gently.

"Thirteen," he said hoarsely. "It was ma third year."

Chapter Text

Just as the book was about to move onto the next chapter there was a flash of light but this time no one panicked. Most of them where getting used to Mother Magic and others randomly appearing. Even if those that had come from the war were still a little tense at the idea of new arrivals. Five people stood in the centre of the chamber looking at the crowd around them.

"Well, that's unexpected," Saul Croaker said. He'd been in the time chamber in the Department of Mysteries and he was beginning to wonder if he'd done something foolish. It wouldn't be the first time.

His elder self laughed slightly, his unspeakable hood covering his face. "That's to say the least. I would say that time magic is at play here but I don't believe you or I are responsible for it."

"Oh, dear, this is very, very bad," the younger Croaker said. "Five hours."

No one seemed to know what he was talking about. Except perhaps his older self.

"I would imagine we're looking at ten years," Croaker replied. "Definitely too far back."

Meanwhile all six of the Malfoys had gotten to their feet.

"Meda!" Narcissa cried as she rushed towards her daughter as her younger self did the same. "What are you doing here?"

"Where is here?" Andromeda Malfoy asked.

Bode was watching them all nervously. Why wasn't there a second one of himself?

"If I had to hazard a guess, I'd say two timelines have merged," Croaker said to his younger self, seemingly ignoring everyone else in the world.

"If that's the case, how is time not broken?" his younger self asked.

"I couldn't tell you. This is beyond my knowledge."

"What year are you from?"

"Nineteen Ninety Eight," he said. "You?"

"Ninety One."

"So, less than ten years," Croaker said. "That's something at least."

"Ten years or seven, this should be impossible," his younger self argued. "I don't know how we're all alive."

"Perhaps I should explain that," said a strange voice. It sounded oddly like the ticking of a clock.

"L-lord Time?" Croaker asked, immediately bowing low.

The others in the chamber quickly did the same. This was the first time one of the celestial beings beyond Mother Magic had entered the chamber. It also left them feeling a little fearful. What if Lord Death decided to pop in too?

"I'm not going to bore you with the whole story when I'm sure everyone here can explain it just as well as I," Lord Time told the five newcomers. "To avoid utter destruction of your world and to prevent our own... I don't know quite what to call it. Death isn't quite right. For we wouldn't die. Merely cease to exist. Oh, well, to avoid that, we decided to deviate from our usual way of doing things."

"I'll say," someone muttered.

"We are erasing the timeline as it currently exists and creating a new one that will start from the moment you leave this realm. How that will happen again can be explained by the others over dinner or something. It's tedious and relatively simply magics and it bores me to tell you of it."

The wixen around the chamber looked at him in surprise. He considered this simple? This was the sort of situation wix didn't even dare dream about.

"Suffice it to say," Lord Time continued, "my siblings and I decided that you five should join the chamber."

"Why?" young Meda asked. She couldn't understand why she - a squib - would be included.

"You dearest Meda have accomplished much in your lifetime," Lord Time said, his eyes softening slightly. "Your older self, at only twenty-one, is mere seconds away from finding the answers to your questions. We will not allow that knowledge to disappear or your efforts to be wasted."

Meda stood like most purebloods - proud and confident - but there was something slightly uncertain in her eyes.

"Especially when that knowledge is so integral to the success of the mission we have set this motley group," Lord Time said with a tick. "Similarly, Croaker, I greatly enjoy watching you stumble about trying to understand my magic. I'd quite like to not have to watch you make the same discoveries twice. That would be tedious."

"And me?" Bode asked.

"You Bode understand magic better than most - even the unspeakables - and while Rookwood knows much, the time he wasted in Azkaban, leaves too many gaps in his understanding. While we want to change the future, knowledge must be preserved. Otherwise we put far too much trust into my sister, Lady Fate's hands. And she is far too chaotic to be trusted. No. No. I can just imagine without knowledge, we'd be back in this chamber in five years time. Something I will not abide. I will do this once. But not again."

"But what about the time between ninety one and ninety seven. I know nothing of that."

"Yes, that is unfortunate. Damn that devil's snare. Alas, there's nothing to be done. We were less willing to trust the other unspeakables with this task. While we approve the desire to seek knowledge, we will not allow anyone to turn young Harry into a... what did Lord Death call it? Oh, yes, a lab rat."

"Couldn't Lord Death bring my older self back?" Bode asked. Since the rules seemed to have been thrown out the window, he couldn't help but ask.

"He probably could but we're hesitant to do anything that might interfere with the time magic that I'm weaving. Even us celestials make mistakes and they tend to be cataclysmic."

Bode nodded.

"Don't worry though," Lord Time said, his voice doing that strange tick tock thing that made him sound oddly like a clock, "Mother Magic has awarded you full access to her library while you are here. I'm sure you'll quickly surpass your older self's knowledge."

There was silence as everyone took in what Lord Time had said before he grinned rather wolfishly at them all. "I'll leave you to your reading."

With another flash of light he was gone.

"Right, well..." Flitwick stood, making copies of the first book for the new arrivals. "You'll want to read this in your spare time so you can get caught up. Once you've finished that, we'll give you a copy of the book we're listening to now so you can read the beginning. This is probably going to be quite confusing as you're coming into the book quite late."

"Oh, dear," Meda grumbled. "I hate reading the end before the beginning.

Croaker grinned. "It's the only way to read." As an unspeakable who spent his entire career studying time magic, he rarely did anything in it's proper order.

They all took their seats. Bode sitting besides the younger Arthur Weasley while Croaker hesitated. He was tempted to sit with Rookwood. They'd been friends once. Before he'd learned that the man was a death eater. After a moment's pause, he moved to join his old friend near the fireplace. "Rookwood," he greeted him politely if slightly coolly.

"Croaker," Rookwood replied.

Their younger selves did the same and then everyone's attention was back on Flitwick as he cast the spell once more on the book.

Harry... an unfortunate liking for large and monstrous creatures.

"That's one way of putting it," Sirius said with a laugh.

During their first year at Hogwarts... for a glimpse of it.

"That's true enough," Lee Jordan said. "Can't really blame him myself."

"Yeah, we went looking for the chamber," George admitted, "and we're not even interested in beasts."

He’d probably thought it was a shame... Hagrid would never have meant to kill anybody.

Hagrid blushed. He had in fact tried to put a collar and lease on several of his creatures over the years and it rarely ended well.

Harry half wished... “Maybe it was some other monster that was attacking people…”

"Why are you going round in circles?" Tonks asked. "Go to the library and research spider creatures and you'll soon realise there are no spider creatures that can petrify a person."

Harry, Ron and Hermione all just stared at her.

"At least I don't think there are," Tonks said after a moment.

“How many monsters d’you think this place can hold?” Ron asked dully.

"Too many," several people said together.

“We always knew... Otherwise, Riddle wouldn’t have got his award.”

"And that didn't make you think set up?" Moody asked.

"They were children Alastor," Amelia said.

Ron tried a different tack... killed someone, Ron,” said Hermione.

"That wasn't very mature, Ronald," Mrs Weasley grumbled.

"I was twelve. Sue me." Ron shrugged his shoulders.

“And Riddle was going to go back... “I don’t blame him for wanting to stay here…”

"I still don't," Harry said honestly.

“You met Hagrid... The three of them fell silent.

"Nothing wrong with goin' ter Knockturn," Hagrid said. "Only place that sells them."

After a long pause... mad and hairy loose in the castle lately?’”

"You should have," Hagrid said. "I'd have told yer the truth."

"I'm sorry, Hagrid," all three said.

In the end, they decided... no whisper from the disembodied voice,

"So, the diary is definitely involved then," Kingsley said.

they became hopeful... had retired for good.

"Four months? You left students petrified in the hospital wing for four months?" Remus growled.

"Longer than that. The kid with the camera was attacked before that," Sirius muttered.

Peeves had finally got bored... This made Professor Sprout very happy.

"Shouldn't be much longer," Severus said hopefully.

“The moment they start trying to move into each other’s pots... poor people in the hospital wing.”

"That is disturbing," Mrs Granger said. "Plants that move into each other's pots?"

The second years... took very seriously.

"You all should have taken it seriously," Minerva huffed.

"I didn't even really understand what the courses were," Harry said.

"Didn't you have meetings with your head of house to discuss your options?" Sirius asked.

"No."

"What? Why not?"

"With everything happening that year, I didn't get the chance," Minerva admitted.

"Well, you can't complain that the students weren't taking it seriously, when you clearly weren't."

“it could affect our whole future,”... “I just want to give up Potions,” said Harry.

Sirius laughed at that. "No can do, Prongslet."

“We can’t,”... except not to set pixies loose.”

"It would seem that the educational standards at Hogwarts are deplorable. You have a head of gryffindor who barely fulfills her duties, a potions master who bullies students," Augusta Longbottom said, "a defense teacher who can't even disarm someone, and a history teacher that sends his entire class to sleep."

Neville Longbottom had been sent letters... Arithmancy sounded more difficult than the study of Ancient Runes.

"Do not choose subjects by how easy they are," Filius said gently. "Pick what interests you. Perhaps in second year we should have a day where they have introduction lessons to the elective subjects. A chance to wet their interest so to speak."

"That's a brilliant idea, Filius," Minerva said as if it was the first time it had been discussed, while side eyeing Dumbledore. Clearly, this was something the teachers had been requesting for years.

Dean Thomas... then picking the subjects it landed on.

"Not the best way to choose," Sirius said with a chuckle, "but I guess its better than choosing the easy O's."

Hermione took nobody’s advice but signed up for everything.

"Even muggle studies?" Lee Jordan asked.

Hermione nodded.

"That's just daft. You'll know more than the teacher."

Harry smiled grimly... Percy Weasley was eager to share his experience.

"Well done, Percy," Mrs Weasley said happily.

“Depends where you want to go, Harry,”... I’d recommend Divination.

"Bad advice," Sirius groaned. "Divination is great if you have the gift but it's a waste of time if you don't."

"Yeah, I know," Harry grumbled.

People say Muggle Studies is a soft option... Muggle business all the time.

"Good advice for a magical raised kid but not so much Harry," Remus said with a smirk.

My brother Charlie... Play to your strengths, Harry.”

"That's pretty good advice," Sirius said. "You'd do well at Care."

But the only thing Harry felt... at least he’d have someone friendly to help him.

"And knowing Ron he chose the easy O's," young Percy said.

Gryffindor’s next Quidditch match... every night after dinner,

"Absolutely not!" Minerva growled. "I'm seriously reconsidering giving you the badge this time around Wood."

"Sorry, Professor," Wood said, although he didn't look particularly sincere.

so that Harry barely had time... Quidditch cup had never been better.

"Well, that's something at least," Sirius said. "Although Quidditch isn't everything."

"Better Quidditch than Basilisks," Remus muttered.

But his cheerful mood didn’t last long... —I just found—”

"What happened?" the younger ones called out together, eager to hear more. They sometimes forgot that this was real life and not just a story book they were enjoying.

Watching Harry fearfully... the contents strewn over the mattress.

"Why wasn't this reported?" Minerva asked, glaring at her lions.

Harry shrugged.

Harry walked over to the bed... “Riddle’s diary’s gone,” he said in an undertone to Ron.

"That's not good," the aurors said together.

"Want to bet the attacks pick up again?" Tonks asked in an undertone.

"That's a sure thing," young Kingsley said.

“What?”... “Exactly,” said Harry.

"So Miss Weasley took it back?" Kingsley asked his colleagues.

"That would be my guess," Amelia agreed.

Chapter Text

Characters coming from the Battle of Hogwarts:

Hogwarts Students:

• Harry Potter
• Ron Weasley 
• Hermione Granger
• George Weasley *although he's technically no longer a student
• Ginny Weasley
• Draco Malfoy
• Luna Lovegood
• Percy Weasley *although he's technically no longer a student
• Susan Bones
• Neville Longbottom
• Blaise Zabini
• Oliver Wood *although he's technically no longer a student
• Seamus Finnigan
• Lee Jordan *although he's technically no longer a student
• Dean Thomas
• Angelina Johnson *although she's technically no longer a student
• Theodore Nott
• Daphne Greengrass
• Astoria Greengrass

Foreign School Students:

• Viktor Krum *although he's technically no longer a student
• Fleur Delacour *although she's technically no longer a student

The Adults in Harry's Life:

• Molly Weasley
• Arthur Weasley
• Bill Weasley
• Charlie Weasley

Hogwarts Professors:

• Filius Flitwick
• Minerva McGonagall
• Pomona Sprout
• Poppy Pomfrey
• Rubeus Hagrid

Other Adults:

• Narcissa Malfoy
• Lucius Malfoy
• Andromeda Tonks
• Kingsley Shacklebolt
• Augusta Longbottom
• Xenophilius Lovegood
• Garrick Olllivander
• Antonin Dolohov
• Augustus Rockwood
• Rita Skeeter 
• Amos Diggory
• Mrs Diggory
• Mr Granger *although he doesn't remember who he is.
• Mrs Granger *although she doesn't remember who she is.
• Saul Croaker

Other Children:

• Andromeda Narcissa Malfoy *although she's an adult by this point

Characters coming from a few months before Harry starts Hogwarts:

Hogwarts Students:

• Harry Potter
• Ron Weasley
• Hermione Granger
• Fred Weasley
• George Weasley
• Ginny Weasley
• Draco Malfoy
• Luna Lovegood
• Percy Weasley
• Susan Bones
• Neville Longbottom
• Blaise Zabini
• Oliver Wood
• Seamus Finnigan
• Lee Jordan
• Dean Thomas
• Angelina Johnson
• Theodore Nott
• Cedric Diggory
• Daphne Greengrass
• Astoria Greengrass

Foreign School Students:

• Viktor Krum
• Fleur Delacour

The Adults in Harry's Life:

• Sirius Black
• Molly Weasley
• Remus Lupin
• Nymphadora Tonks *although she's not long out of Hogwarts herself
• Arthur Weasley
• Bill Weasley
• Charlie Weasley

Hogwarts Professors:

• Severus Snape
• Albus Dumbledore
• Filius Flitwick
• Minerva McGonagall
• Pomona Sprout
• Poppy Pomfrey
• Rubeus Hagrid

Other Adults:

• Narcissa Malfoy
• Amelia Bones
• Mad-Eye Moody
• Lucius Malfoy
• Andromeda Tonks
• Emmeline Vance
• Kingsley Shacklebolt
• Augusta Longbottom
• Xenophilius Lovegood
• Garrick Ollivander
• Antonin Dolohov
• Augustus Rockwood
• Barty Crouch Junior
• Ted Tonks
• Peter Pettigrew - trapped in a cage
• Rita Skeeter
• Amos Diggory
• Mrs Diggory
• Mr Granger
• Mrs Granger
• Saul Croaker
• Broderick Bode

Other Children:

• Andromeda Narcissa Malfoy (Meda)

Creatures/ Beings that have visited:

• Mother Magic
• Dobby
• Kreacher (Older)
• Kreacher (Younger)
• Lord Time

The Characters Core Types:

Light Cored:

• George Weasley
• Luna Lovegood
• Neville Longbottom
• Lee Jordan
• Dean Thomas
• Angelina Johnson
• Cedric Diggory
• Fleur Delacour
• Molly Weasley
• Albus Dumbledore
• Rubeus Hagrid
• Emmeline Vance
• Kingsley Shacklebolt
• Augusta Longbottom
• Xenophilius Lovegood
• Barty Crouch Junior
• Amos Diggory
• Mrs Diggory
• Broderick Bode

Grey Cored:

• Harry Potter
• Ron Weasley
• Hermione Granger
• Ginny Weasley
• Percy Weasley
• Susan Bones
• Viktor Krum
• Remus Lupin - although a "dark creature" his magical core is grey
• Nymphadora Tonks
• Arthur Weasley
• Bill Weasley
• Charlie Weasley
• Minerva McGonagall
• Pomona Sprout
• Poppy Pomfrey
• Amelia Bones
• Ted Tonks
• Peter Pettigrew
• Rita Skeeter
• Saul Croaker

* Most of the Weasleys are grey cored because their mum is light cored while their dad is grey cored (slight dark leaning due to his mother being a Black). The exception is the twins. I wanted their cores to be something that sets them apart. They are two sides of the coin, together they are grey, but apart they are unbalanced.

Dark Cored:

• Fred Weasley
• Draco Malfoy
• Blaise Zabini
• Oliver Wood
• Seamus Finnigan
• Theodore Nott
• Daphne Greengrass
• Astoria Greengrass
• Sirius Black
• Severus Snape
• Filius Flitwick
• Narcissa Malfoy
• Mad-Eye Moody
• Lucius Malfoy
• Andromeda Tonks
• Garrick Ollivander
• Antonin Dolohov
• Augustus Rockwood
• Andromeda Narcissa Malfoy *even squibs have cores, they just can't access them

Chapter Text

They woke the next day... “Harry, buck up there, you need a decent breakfast.”

"You should listen to him," Sirius grumbled. Harry was too skinny.

Harry had been staring... He’d have to tell a teacher all about the diary,

"You should have!" Remus grumbled.

and how many people knew... the one who brought it all up again.

"I'd say it should have been brought back up," Amelia countered. "The teachers needed as much information as they could get to find the heir and stop the basilisk."

As he left the Great Hall... “Kill this time… let me rip… tear…”

"That was quick," Tonks groaned.

He shouted aloud... “I just heard it again—didn’t you?”

"No, because we're not parselmouths," Ron said with a smirk.

"We didn't know it was a snake!" Harry rolled his eyes.

Ron shook his head... And she sprinted away, up the stairs.

"What the hell are you doing?" Severus demanded. "He's just told you that he heard the monster and you're going off alone?"

Blaise grimaced. "Bloody lions. No self preservation."

“What does she understand?”... “Loads more than I do,” said Ron, shaking his head.

Hermione smiled at that.

“But why’s she got to go to the library?”... “When in doubt, go to the library.”

"You didn't follow after her?" Tonks asked. "There's a monster petrifying muggle-borns, you've just heard the monster and your friend is alone."

"Yeah, we didn't really think about that," Harry and Ron muttered.

Harry stood, irresolute... his only comfort was that everyone was now outside to watch the game.

"Except your best friend!" Daphne Greengrass complained.

The teams walked onto the field... carrying an enormous purple megaphone.

"Oh, no. That can't be good." Remus was almost certain that Hermione had been petrified.

Harry’s heart dropped like a stone... “We’ve got to play—the cup—Gryffindor—”

"Do you care about anything other than quidditch?" Percy asked with a grin.

"Some stuff," Wood said with a shrug.

Professor McGonagall ignored him... As quickly as you can, please!”

"No explanation?" Sirius asked.

"They were probably safer outside," Remus argued.

Then she lowered the megaphone... Wondering how she could possibly suspect him this time,

"I didn't suspect you," Minerva said.

"Never said it though, did you?" George said.

Harry saw Ron... perhaps you’d better come, too, Weasley…”

"Oh no!" Everyone was certain now that Granger had been petrified.

"I can't be petrified! How would I do my exams?" young Hermione cried.

Some of the students swarming around... another double attack.”

"Who else?" Astoria asked.

Harry’s insides did a horrible somersault... directions to the Slytherin common room.

"She's a half-blood," Percy said. He didn't really like talking about Penelope. He hadn't found out until he was working in the Minister's office and had to get regularly tested for potions and enchantments, but she'd used a love potion on him. Their entire relationship had been a lie. He should have suspected. He'd gone from liking Oliver to thinking himself in love with Penelope overnight. He'd asked her why she did it and she'd explained that he was something of a stepping stone. She wanted an ally at the ministry when they graduated. And since he was top of the year, she'd chosen him.

"I thought she was a muggle-born," Lucius said.

"So did everyone else," Percy said. "Her mother was a witch but she died giving birth to Penelope."

And on the bed next to her was—... her eyes open and glassy.

Mrs Granger began to cry. Even her older self was glancing at her daughter in concern. She had more memories now. Professor Snape had been helping her but it was slow progress. She still wasn't convinced that Hermione was her daughter but she couldn't deny the evidence in front of her.

Both Mr Grangers looked ready to attack the teachers.

"I presume you have lawyers in the wixen world?" the younger one asked.

"We do," Lucius said nervously.

"Right, well, if anything like this happens when we leave here, I swear I'll sue the bloody lot of you."

“They were found near the library,”... a small, circular mirror.

"Clever girl," Moody praised.

Harry and Ron shook their heads... “I need to address the students in any case.

"Finally! Took you long enough." Sirius was shaking his head with disdain.

“All students will return to their House common rooms... There will be no more evening activities.”

"That's it?" Tonks asked. "That's what you should have done after the first attack."

The Gryffindors packed inside the common room... might know anything about them to come forward.”

"You should have said that months ago too!" Kingsley barked.

She climbed somewhat awkwardly... he roared, to nods and scattered applause.

"It wasn't a Slytherin," Harry countered.

Lee Jordan looked slightly abashed.

Percy Weasley was sitting... the monster would dare attack a prefect.”

George wanted to tease his brother but he couldn't bring himself to do it. Percy for his part looked oddly angry. He hated listening about himself under the effects of the potion. Although, sure, he'd have felt bad for Penelope either way, he wouldn't have felt quite so desperate about it if it hadn't been for that blasted potion.

But Harry was only half listening... Harry now knew exactly how he had felt.

"You're never going back," Sirius promised.

“What’re we going to do?”... and that’s a start.”

"If you do that you'll be grounded for a month," Sirius said.

"It's already happened, Siri," Harry said with a weak chuckle.

“But McGonagall said... “it’s time to get my dad’s old cloak out again.”

"Do you think the cloak would protect you from the basilisk's stare?" Remus asked thoughtfully.

"Probably but you'd never find them under the cloak."

"Until you fell over their petrified bodies," Remus countered.

Harry had inherited just one thing from his father: a long and silvery Invisibility Cloak.

"Was this the first time you used the cloak that year?" Sirius asked in surprise.

"Yeah, I didn't really use it that often." Harry shrugged.

It was their only chance of sneaking out... and threw the cloak over themselves.

"I really hope you boys realise how reckless you were," Mrs Weasley said with a tut.

"Of course we do mum," Ron answered.

The journey through the dark... staring around for any unusual activity.

"The prefects should not have been involved," Remus argued. "You should have requested aurors from the ministry if you needed more people to patrol."

"Or concerned parents," Narcissa said.

Their Invisibility Cloak didn’t stop them making any noise... eased them open.

"Probably safer outside the castle," Arthur told his wife.

It was a clear, starry night... face to face with him aiming a crossbow at them.

"Were you expecting someone?" Dean Thomas asked.

"Er - I knew it were only time before the ministry would be knockin'."

Fang the boarhound... a nervous jerk of his massive hand.

If they didn't already know the half-giant was innocent, the aurors had to admit that would be suspicious. The man was clearly on edge.

“Are you okay, Hagrid?” ... and retreated into a corner.

Everyone sat forward, eager to find out what had Hagrid acting so oddly.

Hagrid checked that they were hidden... Under his arm he carried a lime green bowler.

"What is the minister doing there?" Amelia asked. "If we weren't informed, how did the minister know?"

"Albus asked the minister for help," Minerva admitted. "He asked for funds to brew the potion."

"Did you get it?"

"No. Instead he did this," Minerva said, gesturing to the book.

“That’s Dad’s boss!”... make him shut up.

Several people laughed. Ron really wasn't very good at being sneaky.

"Gryffindors," all the Slytherins muttered.

Hagrid had gone pale... Four attacks on Muggle-borns.

"See even the minister thought she was a muggle-born," Percy said.

Things’ve gone far enough. Ministry’s got to act.”

"Not without the authorisation of the DMLE it doesn't," Amelia growled.

“I never,”... frowning at Fudge.