I walked into my bedroom and jumped onto my bed, a harry potter book falling open after bouncing a few inches off the soft black comforter that I never slept under. I decided to pick it up and read a bit, not having anything else to do. I sighed as I realized what page the book had opened to. "Snape's worst memory" I read out loud.
Suddenly, the house began to shake. I shrugged it off. living in southern California, these things happened often. A glass fell off of the shelf and hit my head, damn science.
I landed on something soft, and smelled earth around me. Wait, what? I opened my eyes to see a scene right out of my imagination. The vast lake seemed to stretch on forever, and underneath a tree was someone I'd only ever seen in my imagination. "Merlin's pants!" I exclaimed. Hmm, at least I won't have to get used to the lingo. I already used it.
I walked over to Severus. "Um, excuse me, but I'm a little lost." Thank goodness I was short and could pass for a first year. "Could you show me to the headmaster's office? I need to speak with him." I said putting on my best 'so innocent' face. I saw Severus stiffen as he appeared to be looking past me. Suddenly it hit me. This was his worst memory. James and Sirius were about to taunt him for what must be the millionth time in the last five years. His eyes flicked to mine.
"You've been here all year, go find it yourself."
It appeared I'd have to use different methods with this one, as I really had no idea where Dumbledore's office might be located. It was a big ass castle! "Look, you can show me around, or you can sit here and get beat up by those 4 again." I said giving him a knowing look. I'm not sure if it was the truth in my words, or the curiosity in his eyes that made him get up and begin to show me the way.
"Oi, Snape!" I heard James call. Double damn. Today wasn't my day. First, I was hallucinating that I was in the Harry Potter universe, next I was hallucinating James Potter was in my hallucination. Oi. "Sod off." I said in what I hoped was an intimidating voice. I didn't have a wand, and didn't feel like watching Sev try and defend himself. 4 against 1 wasn't really fair odds. I noted the shock in Snape's face as I defended him. "The whole world isn't against you you know. Let's go, he'll give up eventually." I said grabbing his arm and turning back to the castle.
"Snivelly's got himself a girlfriend!" Sirius said. I turned around and punched him in the face, not exactly sure when he'd caught up to us. Luckily, Lily decided to show up. "James Potter, put your wand DOWN." she said. "And leave them alone." she looked up at me. "Those are odd clothes, where are your robes? And why haven't I seen you here before."
Oh. Bollucks. This is why I needed Dumbledore. "Erm, I'm kinda new, and a tad confused. I just need to see the headmaster. This nice boy was just showing me the way." I lied feebly. I could tell Severus could see through it. Yes, he'd make a great occlumens in about 2 years time. If only he used his powers for good and not evil. Lily nodded and Severus and I walked on.
We reached the castle in silence, at which time he pulled me into a small alcove and cast a silencing charm. "What the hell do you know about me? Or James Potter?" his eyes fell. "You're not new, and definitely not confused. You knew he was going to pick a fight." I sighed. "You always were intuitive. Would you believe me if I said I couldn't tell you?" He shook his head. "Are you sure? Because I could tell you exactly how you die, what your whole life is like. What you would have said to Lily had I not just interrupted." HIs eyes lit up, in fear or comprehension I couldn't tell.
"You're from the future." he said finally before raising his wand and taking the silencing spell down. I decided to let him think so and nod. "Yeah, something like that.." I said quietly. He looked back. "The year is-" "1975" I interrupted. This time travel hallucination crap was getting annoying. He looked down. "Oh..wait, how did you..?" he let the sentence trail off.
"I just do, Severus." Don't get me wrong, I don't LOVE Snape as a person by any means, but I've always had a soft spot for him. He's a good character, with more depth than many of them. He's really misunderstood.
"We're here." he said in his dismal voice. I nodded and looked at the gargoyle. "Oh damn..you wouldn't happen to know if Professor Dumbledore's been into a particular sweet lately do you?" He shook his head, not bothering to try and figure out what I meant. He shrugged and left me. I sighed. "Leave it to Severus to leave a poor defenseless time traveller here all alone. Maybe I could hallucinate something to help me. Like McGonagall." I rolled my eyes as it didn't work, not that I was expecting it to. Suddenly I got an idea. "Erm, hello, house elves? Are you there?" The resounding pops nearly scared me to death. I clutched my chest and tried to regain a normal pattern of breath.
"How is we helping misses today?" one asked bowing low. I looked down at the poor creatures, and tried to remember that they wanted this. "It's how they live." I muttered.
"Uh, do you think you could tell the headmaster to come down here? Or tell me the password, erm, please?" The elves looked up in awe. I'm guessing nobody around here used manners, except maybe Dumbledore. One of them nodded and squeaked. "Licorice Wand" before disapparating again. "Tell him thank you." I said to the others as the gargoyle moved aside, having heard the correct password. I walked onto the staircase and stood as it moved. The headmaster was already waiting at the door. "Hello there." I said calmly. Looking up at the twinkling eyes of the greatest wizard of all time. Yep, definitely hallucinating. Maybe this was all stupid. Maybe I should have as much fun here as possible. MAYBE I should have told Severus and James their life stories. Because it's not like it would change anything. I went back to the task at hand. "Professor, no doubt you already know who I am and how I got here, so would you care to explain the last part to me?"
He smiled. "You seem to know a fair amount about me, Tracy. I do believe the earthquake you experienced upon landing here was no ordinary earthquake. It caused a hole in your dimension, sending you here. And you are most certainly not hallucinating, and you may NOT tell James potter his life story." I looked up, noticing he said nothing about Severus. "No, NO I'm not saying anything more to Severus than I already have unless I have to. Nobody's finding out about this. If...if what you say is true then I know the fate of everybody at this school, and some not yet born. I refuse."
He frowned. "I'm afraid there's no refusing, as there's no way to get you back. I hate to say you're stuck here." he replied sadly. "NO! I can't. I want to go back to 2009 and go back to this being FICTION. A work of creativity. I want...I want my mom, and my father, and I don't want to be an orphan in this world. That's how-" No, I wasn't going there. I'm not Tom Riddle, even though I most certainly have 'Daddy issues' I looked up at the sorting hat. Would it know where I belong? I always joked that it wouldn't know where to put me and I'd end up in Hufflepuff. The headmaster caught my gaze and said "Yes, I suppose you'll have to be sorted. Unfortunately the year is just ending...where shall you go?" This was a very serious question. "Um, Professor, if you don't mind, Lily Evans seems as good a choice as any. i'd like to think her parents would agree." He nodded. "I'd have thought, you knowing as much about the families here as you do, that you'd pick a pureblood family. Where you could learn about magic." he said eyeing me up.
It's useless hiding things from Dumbledore. "Professor, she'll need a friend. I'm not going to change the timeline. I know what I'm doing." He seemed to give in and said simply "I'll contact her parents and explain the situation, but I suggest you think of a second family, in case." I nodded. "Now, on to more important matters. You need a wand. And you need sorted. And I daresay you've got a lot of magical education to catch up on." My eyes fell again on the battered old hat. Damned thing. I swore mentally as Dumbles got it down from the perch.
Before I knew it the blasted hat was on my head. "Hmm. I see a lot of cunning in you. How Slytherin. But you're also very loyal. A bookworm, but your courage outweighs it all. You would do anything to protect your friends and family. GRYFFINDOR." I sighed in relief. One of the two acceptable houses. My other choice being Slytherin. In fact, if you had to ask me what my house was in MY world I'd say Slytherin. But here? Gryffindor was the only house I could be in. I can't see Sev, or Regulus. I'd be too tempted to save them. And I can't change anything. "But you already have" my mind says maliciously. Oh hell. I'm sure Severus will find another opportunity to call Lily a mudblood.
"Now that's settled, what year would you be in and how old are you?" The wise headmaster probably already knew, but he was going to torture me instead, by making me seal my fate by saying it out loud. "I'm 16. I'd be in my 5th year right now." He nodded. "It'll take some time, now are you going to keep your name?" I looked up, tears almost overflowing. "No." it was too painful, reminding myself of what i'd lost. "I'll take a fake name. Arianna...Price." He nodded. "Do you need help finding the common room?" I nodded. He put a comforting hand on my shoulder and led me out.
Upon reaching the common room, and discovering the password was Riddle (very clever I thought) I saw the very person I was hoping to avoid. "Sirius." I said simply. His eyes widened "How did you know my name?" I decided to mess with him and the rest of the marauders. "The headmaster warned me about you. Something about fleas, though I have no idea what he could mean." I whispered. His eyes widened in shock and he ran off to James. I smiled satisfactorily and walked over to Lily. "'Ello there!" I said cheerfully. I engaged in a refreshing conversation with Lily before we both got tired and headed up to the dormitory.
"So, Arianna, where did you transfer from?" she asked. "You've got an American accent, was it somewhere over there?" I went with it. "Oh yeah, there are loads of schools back there, but my parents died and I was sent to live over here. Merlin only knows why their first instinct was to send me to a different country." There, lie weaved. Now to only remember it. I sighed, it was going to be a long lifetime, if I was truly stuck here forever. Merlin's sagging...I'd have to live through the war. And I can't change or stop ANYTHING. Joy. With those thoughts I drifted to sleep quietly and suddenly. Time travel takes a lot out of a person.
The next morning came quickly and annoyingly bright. I groaned and rolled out of bed, I fell off, realizing I was no longer in my comfy bed at home, but in a four poster at Hogwarts. In a dorm with Lily Evans and whoever else happened to be in fifth year at the time. "Oh Merlin. I'm never going to get used to this." I muttered before walking down the stairs to the common room. My eyes immediately fell on a sandy blonde head, with a few scars on the face. "The headmaster has asked me to escort you to Ollivander's today. Said you lost your wand in a freak accident and need another." he said moodily as we walked out of the common room to the headmaster's office. We flood to diagon alley and I explained that he'd also given me money to get the rest of my school supplies. I was wearing standard issue hogwarts robes as we walked down the dismal street. I suppose this is what happens when you get sucked into the middle of the first war. It was going to e a long six years. It was already starting like last time. Disappearances, posters, darkness. I shook my head and remus pulled me into a small street. "Alright. What do you know about me and my friends?" he asked me at wandlength.
"Ooh. Arent' we the scary gryffindor today? Threatening a helpless girl?" I rolled my eyes as his wand lowered a little, but he seemed to be deciding whether or not he could trust me. "I wanted to scare James and Sirius last night, let them think the headmaster knew their secret. However, as far as I know, he remains blissfully unaware." I caught the look in his eye. "Yes Remus, I know your secret too. And it's safe with me. Now I must ask that you keep mine." he nodded. "I'm from the future. I wont' say how, or how far, or even what type of future. You can understand that can't you?" He nodded and let me go. We walked down the rest of the street in silence, stopping at Ollivander's first.
He really was just like the books. Very vague, annoyingly so. "Ah yes, interesting." -sighs- "Let's try this one" how he could make that sentence sound ominous I have no idea. An hour later, I was the owner of a yew wand with a dragon heartstring core, 11 inches. Good for Charms. I let out an exasperated sigh as we left. "And that's only stop one." I muttered as I went to the apothecary with Remus in tow.
Later that night I collapsed on a couch practicing some Charms with my new wand. I decided to start with the first book and work my way up. "Wingardium Leviosa" I muttered, levitating a book off the table to hit James in the back of the head. I really don't like him.
Hello! This is the first fanfic I've done like this.
A few things.
Yes, she's told Severus and Remus already (dumbles doesnt count) , but I'm REALLY partial to those characters, so they get to know. Only one other person gets to know, and I'm assuming you know who that is already. If not, well, you'll find out. Probably within the next few chapters.
The main character is rather close to me. Personality wise.
So, comments, suggestions? Hate? I picked Arianna on purpose. -smirks- She really is kinda mean to old dumblybee.
Next chapter: We get to find out what the Evans' think about adopting a hopeless case!
