Catching Up
Author's note: So this is something I thought up quite a few years ago... thought it was kinda neat, but I might be wrong ;) Tell me what you think in your reviews, please!
Disclaimer: I sadly do not own any of Ms. Rowling's characters.
Chapter One: Wishes and Dreams
Harry pulled his thin covers up over him as he lay on his bed in the smallest room of the Dursley house. He closed his eyes, thinking. Too much had happened in the previous year to be able to sleep easily. He was supposed to find Voldemort's remaining Horcruxs with the help of his best friends. However, they wouldn't be able to help him in the final battle. Harry knew that. He sighed deeply, and wished that Voldemort had not chosen him for the prophesy. Turning over for the umpteenth time, Harry finally fell into a deep sleep.
He dreamt of his parents, who were lovingly teaching him how to walk. He dreamt of a big, beautiful house and of family gatherings. He dreamt of fighting with his parents and of spending time with them. He dreamt of finding out that he was accepted to Hogwarts and having a party with all of his friends.
Harry awoke suddenly, the warmth of the sun on his face. He waited under his covers for the pounding knock of Uncle Vernon, ordering him to make him some breakfast. Just as he thought this, a soft knock came from the door. Harry was startled at this; the Dursleys didn't have such good manners, at least, not when it came to Harry.
The door creaked open and Harry heard soft footsteps coming towards his bed. This was most peculiar, as none of the Dursleys had ever set foot in his room since he had moved to it. A gentle hand was placed on his cheek and he opened his eyes.
There, in front of his eyes, was a woman's pale, smiling face. She gently placed Harry's glasses on his face. Her red hair tumbled across her face as she leant over him, her jade eyes worried. Harry's heart quickened as he looked into his mother's face.
"You still look ill, darling," she commented, as she placed a cool hand on his forehead.
"Wha- what year is it?" Harry faltered; his voice higher than normal.
"It's the summer of 1991, dear," She replied, frowning slightly. She bent over him and kissed him on the cheek. "Get dressed and come down for breakfast." And with that, she was gone.
If she was right, Harry thought, then that would make me eleven again. His head was swimming. He couldn't comprehend what had happened. The last thing he had remembered was wishing it hadn't been him that Voldemort had chosen, and then he drifted off to sleep. That must be it! He thought. It's all been reversed, my wish has come true!
Harry sat up and looked around his room. His table was no longer ratty and used; in its place sat a beautiful mahogany desk. In the place of his dresser were the doors to an enormous walk in closet. His room had nearly tripled in size from Dudley's old second bedroom.
Harry traversed his room to the closet and jerked open the doors. To his delight, every shelf had clothes or toys jammed into its small, confined space. He quickly browsed through the shelves, his curiosity getting the better of him. From downstairs he heard his name being called. He then grabbed the closest clothes to him and hastily got dressed.
Running the length of the hall, he made his way down the stairs and, following the noise, found the kitchen. The room was very cozy, with rich wood floors, cabinets and a beautiful table in its center. The walls were rich yellow ochre in colour.
At the stove, Lily Potter was flipping pancakes from a frying pan onto a plate. She turned and smiled at him as he entered the room. Harry looked around, and his heart skipped a beat. At the table sat a man with messy, jet black hair and glassed perched on his nose. He raised his chocolate eyes from the paper he was reading to smile at his son. Harry grinned and walked over to sit next to his father.
Finally he was normal. All his problems now belonged to someone else. Then a pang of guilt clenched its fist around Harry's stomach. Who had he doomed to the life of misery he had gone through? Who was destined to defeat Voldemort in his place? And then he remembered.
"Nevilleā¦" He whispered, appalled with himself. He had doomed one of his good friends to the life of heartache that he had endured.
"What was that, dear," his mum asked, while placing a plate in front of Harry. She summoned the syrup from the counter and placed it next to Harry's plate, handing him the butter in the meantime.
"Mum," Harry began in a conversational tone, "could you tell me about what happened when I was one?" His mother and father exchanged glances, and then she went on. Obviously the two of them thought that Harry might be too young to hear some of the details, so Lily paused for a minute to think. Harry desperately wanted to tell them what had happened to him, but of course, they would think he had gone mad if he told them that he was really sixteen and that he had lived through more than they knew.
His pancakes lay forgotten on his plate as he waited for his mother to answer. "Well, there was a very powerful wizard named Voldemort." She began. Harry made a mental note of her use of his name. "He wanted to take over the wizarding world. Our world. And so he began to use his great power for bad. He gained many followers and they intentionally hurt men and women who did not join him. But then one day, he went to the Longbottom house to kill all of them. He killed Frank and Alice, but was unable to kill their year old son named Neville. Lord Voldemort was somehow defeated by a baby." Her face looked pensive.
Suddenly she smiled. "He's going to Hogwarts this year also, Harry." She informed him. "Do be nice to him, please. Your father and I knew and liked his parents. Now, do eat up Harry, dear."
Author's note: So that was it... I actually wrote the majority of this quite a few years ago- in 2005 to be exact, when I was fifteen. However, I have decided to finally continue writing it. So what did you all think? Alright, so a cookie goes to the first person who tells me what word I avoided using that most authors use too often... The hint is that I didn't even use it once. :D Okay- review away!
Have a great night!
Naaxi
