A New Beginning Chapter 1: A New Beginning, a harry potter fanfic

A New Beginning

Harry stood up, looking around. Was he in some big room of requirement? He looked around briefly to see that Albus Dumbledore was walking toward him.

"Hello Harry!"

"Professor Dumbledore, what are you doing here? What is going on?"

"Oh my dear boy! It seems you have made it to the crossing! The place between life and death!"

Harry heard a strong whimper coming from somewhere behind him. He turned abruptly to find the source of the awful noise. There, in the corner, was what looked like a small naked child. It was curled up on the ground, its skin raw, rough, and hideous, yet more than a little frightening to young Harry.

"What is that Professor?"

"That, my dear boy, is the Horcrux that once lived inside you. It is a small piece of Lord Voldemort's soul. When the curse hit you, Harry, that small piece of Lord Voldemort's soul died off. You on the other hand have a choice as to what will happen to you next."

"What do you mean?" Harry asked.

"I mean that you can choose to board the train." Harry looked in the direction Professor Dumbledore was pointing. For the first time he could see a train that looked precisely like the Hogwarts Express. For the first time he realized that this place looked remarkably like the Kings Cross Station.

Professor Dumbledore continued on his speech oblivious to what Harry must be thinking.

"Should you board the train it will take you to the afterlife. You may choose to go back to the forbidden forest to where Voldemort struck you down with an Aveda Kedavra. It is your choice Harry! Do you know what it is you would like to do?"

A sudden thought crossed Harry's mind. Maybe it had something to do with an inner fear of dying. Maybe it was a fear of having to wake up in the forbidden forest surrounded by Voldemort, and a sea of his most avid followers. Or maybe it was just the great and powerful longing to see those he cared about. Those who had lost their own lives in this vicious war. To see them alive, well, and healthy again was all he really even wanted. The longing he felt for Fred, Remus, Tonks, Moody, Sirius, Cedric, his parents, and so many others was almost too great to bare. Surely it couldn't hurt to at least ask, he thought!

"Professor, are we not currently out of time?"

"What do you mean, my dear boy?"

"What I mean is, do I have to go back into the forbidden forest? Do I have to go back to the same place and time that I left? Would it be possible for me to go back to a time before so many people died and try and keep some of the horrible things from happening?"Harry noticed the great big grin that suddenly spread across professor Dumbledore's face.

"It's certainly possible, my dear boy!" However, you must be very careful. There is a very real danger that by doing so you could only make things worse. "

"I think I understand professor, but I must try." Harry stated.

"Alright then Harry! Here is what you most do! Think hard about the time period you would like to go! No matter where you end up you will still retain your 17 year old mind, and have all the knowledge of what you have learned up to this point. However, you will have the body you had at the date and time that you choose to go back to.

Harry thought hard. He wanted nothing more than to see his parents again! To celebrate a birthday with them. To protect them from Lord Voldemort in the same way that they had managed to protect him. With anymore conscience thought on Harry's part there was a puff of smoke and Harry was gone.

"I see the boy found my memories and got himself killed on account of it."

Professor Dumbledore heard the snarky voice of the potions professor coming from right behind him.

"Oh Severus I was expecting to see you a while ago. Where have you been?"

"Good question Professor. As this is the first time I have ever died before I can't rightly tell you where I've been."

"Fair enough!" Professor Dumbledore replied. "I take it Potter went to join his parents in death now." Professor Snape inquired. An edge of disappointment sounding through his voice.

"No my dear boy! I believe Mr. Potter has actually entered the body of his younger self! His very first birthday I believe."

"What?" Professor Snape's mouth seemed to open in complete astonishment.

"Yes my boy! Honestly, I think it might be prudent if you joined him." Professor Dumbledore said.

"And why would I do such a thing?" Snape replied.

"Because young Harry is in the body of his younger self. He will have a very hard time changing the things he wishes to change for the better. If you were to join him however, you would be able to protect him. You would be in the perfect position to ensure that everyone remain safe." Professor Dumbledore seemed to put special emphasis on the word everyone.

Although he could not quite understand what was being said Professor Dumbledore thought he heard Severus grumble underneath his breath.

"Fine! But after this I am through with trying to protect the Potter brat." With that Professor Dumbledore saw another puff of smoke and Severus Snape was no more."

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Harry opened his eyes to see the bright rays of morning light shining through the window beside him. He looked around him slightly confused. On every side of him he could see wooden bars. Was he in prison? No! No! definitely not prison. He bounced his little chubby legs up and down on the soft mattress. A mattress! That was what it was. He was in a caged bed. No! Not just a caged bed but a crib. He looked down at his body. He was clearly wearing a nappy as well. 'Oh my,' He thought to himself. 'Am I a baby?' Suddenly, he recalled what Professor Dumbledore had said to him while he was in the mythical King's Cross station. He had said that whatever time period he might return to he would be the age he had been during that particular time.

Then Harry recalled how he wished to be able to celebrate a birthday with his parents. 'Is that where I am now?" "Could it possibly be my first birthday?' Harry really didn't know! He wasn't really even sure what to do. Part of him really wanted to meet his parents yet another part of him was deftly afraid to do so. What if his dad hadn't grown up the way that Sirius had said? He recalled again the moment he saw his parents before he had walked into the forbidden forest. They hadn't seemed so bad then! Maybe he really did have nothing to worry about. Suddenly, he heard girlish laughter coming from just outside the bedroom door.

bedroom Doorknob turn. His body froze with anticipation. He was about ready to meet his mother for the first time. A Lily Potter that wasn't a ghost-like figure. Not one that was just an image in a mirror, or a picture in his picture frame. This was a mother he would be able to touch. As exciting as the idea was he also found it somewhat terrifying. Harry's eyes grew wide as the door opened up.

"Well hello birthday boy! I was hoping you might be awake! Are you ready for your first ever slice of birthday cake?"

Harry tried to say something but unfortunately he could not seem to form the proper words. Or, any words for that matter all that seemed to come out of his mouth was the word Mama along with a bunch of gibberish. It was so frustrating! Harry could feel tears forming in the corner of his eyes. Before he knew it he was letting out a long strangulated cry.

"Oh sweetheart what's wrong? There is no need to get upset. We are going to have the most incredible day today! You will see! Now let's get this nappy changed shall we!" Harry's eyes grew wide at the thought.

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Severus Snape awoke with a groan. He quickly surveyed his immediate surroundings. What is going on? He thought. The very last thing Severus could remember was Nagini's fangs clinging tightly to his neck. He remembered falling and bleeding profusely on the floor of the shrieking shack. Why wasn't he dead? He couldn't quite recall how he had managed to get to his home at Spinner's End.

Snape got up out of his bed and proceeded with his normal routine. If only he could find something to jog his memory. He quickly dressed himself in a black T-Shirt and blue jeans. Severus never wore his usual wizarding robes at home. He did live in a muggle neighborhood after all. He could not allow them to become too suspicious of him. Severus heard something pecking at his kitchen window. "Ah," He said to himself. That must be the Owl post. He quickly opened the window wide and grabbed the day's edition of the Daily Prophet. As he flipped open the paper he momentarily glanced at the date at the top of the page, July 31, 1981.

Severus suddenly recalled the conversation he had with Professor Dumbledore shortly after he was attacked by the giant snake. He did not know whether or not to sigh in relief that he now would have a chance to change one of his biggest regrets in this life. Or, if he should just run off to find little Harry Potter and strangle him for getting them both mixed up in this living hell all over again. Severus finally decide it would be best to try and fix what he could. The last thing he needed was Lily murdering him for killing her only child. That and he was actually beginning to like Harry a little bit. The boy may have much to be desired, However it took a lot of selflessness on his part to sacrifice himself for the sake of all his little friends. That was a quality Severus could not help but admire. If only just a little bit.