AN: I got this idea while browsing through the available fanfics, so bare with me if it's a little bit rubbish; it hasn't exactly got a full thought-out plan. Please message me with ANY ideas you may have about where this could go and with ALL thoughts you have. THANKS. Also this will be done using Harry's POV unless otherwise stated – this chapter has been updated/edited, so I suggest reading it

"Are you sure this is what I have to do?" I am standing in the headmistress's office at Hogwarts. I look around the room. There have been a few changes that have given it the McGonagall touch, but not many. The main differences are that portraits of Dumbledore and Snape hang with the rest of the old headmasters of the school. No longer is there a cage for Fawkes and the pensieve has been moved into a corner locked up with the memories. On the desk sits the copper tea set, hat and biscuit jar that are all too familiar.

Professor McGonagall shakes her head. "Would I lie to you Mr. Potter?" She takes a sip of tea as I sit down.

"Well... No... It's just..." I shift around in the uncomfortable, antique, wooden chairs that sit opposite her desk. Can't she see why this was insane? This is pure madness.

"It's just what?" She quirks an eyebrow.

"I can't go into the past and teach my father and his friends. What about the rule of not being seen?"

"The rule is that you can't be seen by yourself or anyone that could reveal what you are doing. You don't have to worry about that rule because that rule wasn't made until after you left." She stops and thinks. "In fact I think it was your visit that brought about the rule." I smirk, that sounds like something that would happen.

"You did a splendid job of teaching Mr. Potter; in fact I think most of the students found you their favourite teacher."

"It didn't stop Sirius, Remus and my mum and dad from getting killed though did it!" I sat down and tried to calm myself. It wasn't not her fault, I just thought that I would have gone back to prevent their death.

"No Potter it didn't, but things turned out the way they did. You taught at the school for three years and then returned here." She sighs.

I stand there socked at her words. Three years without my family? That's like when I was stuck with the Dursleys. How am I supposed to go back to that feeling of abandonment? Even worse, is the fact that I would be abandoning them. I frown. "What about Ginny and my kids? I can't leave them for three years." James is 3 and Ginny is due to give birth soon. I'm going to miss them so much.

She shrugs. "You don't have to worry about them."

Now I was confused. "Why not?"

"You can return to this exact moment." Even it's only a second for them; it's three years for me. Ginny's definitely going to notice that a change in me.

"Will I change?" I ask, honestly curious. "Surely Ginny will notice if I came back from our meeting looking older."

She looks puzzled for a second. "I'll figure something out."

I frown again – is that supposed to reassure me?

"Isn't there anything else you can tell me?" I look hopefully at her. She can't just send me back in time to the year 1975 with not much more information than that I'm there to teach.

She starts to sieve through various piles of transfiguration books that are scattered around the room on numerous desks. Finally, she finds something between two books and returns to her seat. "Well Potter, you told me to hand you this." I sigh as she hands me a sealed muggle white envelope. "I haven't read it, of course. However, I believe you said that the fact it was a muggle envelope would help persuade you."

I sigh in defeat and start to open the envelope. A hand abruptly stops me. I look up, confused, at Professor McGonagall. "You told me not to let you open it up until you got there."

"Of course I did." I mutter under my breath. I start thinking about all the good things that could happen and the experiences I could gain from doing this. I'll get to meet my mum and dad. I'll be able to see Sirius and Remus again. Maybe, I might just get to help them through some of difficulties they had. I'll be able to actually see what they were like. But what if Snape was right about my father and Sirius? Do I really want to see them like that? Maybe I can help them with their behaviour and become a sort of role model for them? Even if I'll have to face the rat that betrayed the people that mean most to me every day, is this an opportunity worth missing?

Sighing, I admit defeat. If this is what I did, then I have to do it – right? 'Cause what will happen if I don't and I can't give up this opportunity to meet my mum and dad. "Fine, I'll do it."

"Good." Her expression is no different. That's probably because she knew I would cave in eventually. From a pocket within her cloak she takes out a key. Slowly she unlocks a draw in her desk, opens it, and puts something in front of me. She locks the draw before putting the key back in her pocket. As soon as I look down, from experience, I know that it is a time turner. "Wait, but what about the professors I will be working with? When do I arrive? How do I get the job?"

"Mr Potter, you arrive just as Dumbledore is saying goodbye to the last applicant."

"Ok."

"I trust you know how to use the time turner."

"Yes."

"This however, is a different type of time turner. You get hour, day, week, month and year time turners. Now all of those are under strict protection, but there was one made that turn back 10 years." She looks at the time turner on her desk. "This is that one I take another look and notice that the time turner is larger and missing the chain to make it a necklace. "As you can tell, this is quite large to carry around, so you can use a shrinking spell on it." She hands it to me. "Well, good luck Potter." She hands me the time turner.

This is it. I take a deep breath and turn it back three times.