Story Soundtrack: Michael Giacchino - Enterprising Young Men (Star Trek (2009) Film Score)
Wednesday, 31 July 1996 - Hogwarts - Headmaster's Office
Albus Dumbledore frowned thoughtfully at his papers as he leaned back in his office chair. Popping a lemon sherbet into his mouth, he reached behind himself and ground a knuckle into the small of his back. A quick glance at the calendar had him frowning thoughtfully.
Harry Potter had been missing since shortly after their discussion at the end of the previous school year. Never truly biddable, this latest assertion of the young man's independence was alarming. Albus worried that, in possession of incomplete information as Harry was, that the one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord would do something rash.
Looking over the stack of completed paperwork, Albus pursed his lips and rolled his sweet thoughtfully. The day had been remarkably free of interruptions. At first the elderly wizard had welcomed it, but now he found it worrisome. Things were too quiet.
As though in response to the old wizard's thoughts, a prideful, female snowy owl swept into his office, casting with perfect accuracy the package carried in her talons. Hedwig, for it was indeed Harry's familiar, then impudently showed the headmaster her tailfeathers before vacating.
With trepidation, Albus opened the package, finding within a mirror the size of a large reference text, mounted in a handsome frame. The headmaster blinked… looking back at him from the mirror was not the familiar blue eyes, long beard, and crooked nose, but Harry Potter.
"Good afternoon, headmaster," the young man greeted him.
"H-harry," Albus stuttered.
"Aye, aye, 'tis I!" the younger wizard rejoined. "And in three minutes and seventeen seconds, I will have vanquished the Dark Lord. Right now a younger me with a time turner liberated from the Department of Mysteries is at Diagon Alley, baiting the Death Eaters and generally causing a ruckus."
Albus blinked. A truly clever and quick wizard, Harry had nonetheless managed to throw him into stunned confusion. A cold smirk flashed through the mirror.
"Dobby was quite pleased to disable your floo," Harry provided. "And those interesting Patronus messengers of yours have a flaw, did you know? If there's a dementor between the sender and recipient, the Patronus will divert to fulfill its original purpose.
"So," Harry clapped his hands together. "You have about two and a half minutes before the vanquishing. Questions?"
"How!?" Dumbledore demanded.
"The 'power the Dark Lord knows not'," Harry answered. "It was actually pretty obvious, once my emotional upheavals were out of the way. I've actually been working on this since the middle of my first year. Ever since I sat my first broom I've been figuring out how to use magic to get into outer space.
"The power, sir, is near-c orbital bombardment."
Dumbledore sat in silent despair, watching the young wizard through the mirror. Harry was watching something off camera.
A sudden flash of light to the south made the aged headmaster flinch. Harry smiled coldly.
"Well, that's done," he said cheerfully. "The Dark Lord's vapor, the muggles have a new Tunguska Event to wonder over, and I have a date."
"Harry," Dumbledore choked. "How… how could you?"
"Why, your own example," Harry replied coldly, eyebrows raised in mock confusion. "You taught me very well, professor.
"It was for the greater good."
Author's Note: Well, that was a grim little thing. This came from an image in my head of Harry standing on the bridge of some generic space ship wearing a generic fleet uniform and too many dark!Dumbledore fics.