*I am making, nor am I attempting to, make any money from this play in J.K. Rowling's World. Enjoy."
Chapter 1
War was forced upon me by virtue of my birth, by prophecy. War has brought me here, to the end of my life. Ended by the very man who took my parents 16 years ago, Lord Voldemort.
Looking across the clearing of the Forbidden Forest, I can see him smiling, beckoning me forward with a motion of his finger. Normally my scar would be searing with pain at the sight of him, But tonight, the pain was only a dull thud. He begins to speak to his gathered Death Eaters, I can see his lips moving, but the words don't reach my ears. All I can hear is the rushing of the blood rushing in my ears with every beat of my soon-to-be still heart.
Stopping before him he stares me directly in the eye. Slowly a smile stretches across his reptilian face and I become acutely aware of the Elder Wand lightly gripped in his right hand. Time slows when you raises the wand towards me. He begins to wave it in a pattern I recognize all to well, the killing curse. With a final viscous slice, the bright green bolt of death magic races towards me. My last thought is of those I'm leaving behind to finish this monster.
Consciousness comes to me rapidly, I open my eyes to an assault of bright white light that forces me to shut them tightly and curse under my breath. I quickly realize I'm not alone when chuckling reaches my ears. The sound makes my eyes fly open, I know that mirthful sound. Sitting up and twisting quickly when I comprehend that the sound is coming from behind me, I see a familiar face, Dumbledore. Even from this distance I can see the twinkling in his eyes, The sight of him brings tears to mine.
I stand quickly amongst the protests of my abused body and I turn to face him. Thoughts and questions run quickly through my mind, there are so many things I wish I could ask him, tell him, but it seems that I can not get my mouth to co-operate with me. Even so, he beats me to speech first.
"Harry Potter, The Boy Who Lived, grown into a man that I am so proud of."
"Am I dead?" Not the most eloquent thing to ask I know, but it was all I could come up with and it seemed as good a place as any to start.
His smile begins his answer and he speaks again: "You have left you physical body. So perhaps the answer is yes, but you have yet to journey on to the next world, so perhaps the answer is no."
Even in death his doublespeak gives me a head ache. "What do you mean, where are we?"
Looking around as I ask this, I notice that white is all that greets my eyes for as far as I can see.
"We are in the In Between, the space before death but after life. Most people never see this place, for most of us, myself included, we journey straight to the Gates and begin the next adventure. But you Harry, have been allowed here in order to make a choice."
He pauses and seems to concentrate for a moment before two chairs form out of the Ether next to us. He motions for me to sit and I ease myself down into the chair as he does.
"What's it like beyond those Gates Headmaster? What am I about to walk into?"
"Heavenly Harry, simply heavenly. But it is my sincere wish that you do not see the other side of those gates until you're man older than myself."
He cuts off the question that was about to spill from my lips with a raised hand and continues speaking.
"I said I was here to present you with a choice. The powers beyond us mere mortals have decreed that, if you wish it, you are to be given another chance to end your war, to save more people, to prevent so many tragedies. I have been told that war will still come, no matter what you do. But even so, you can a have a real chance to save our world. To change it for the better. You can have the chance I never gave you. By trying to allow you to enjoy your childhood for as long as possible. By not allowing you under my wing earlier. By trying to hide things from you. I robbed you of that. I am as much guilty for the devastation of the war as Tom Riddle is. And for that I am truly sorry Harry."
Looking him in the eyes, seeing the pain, sorrow, and regret swimming in them, I reach out and place my hand on the old man's weathered paw. He gives a sad smile to me and pats my hand lightly, as if afraid to hurt me further.
"Headmaster, I forgave you long ago."
Standing from my chair I walk a few steps away and then turn to face him again. Speaking as I do.
"How do I take this second chance? Do I go back to my body and finish him?"
"Not exactly Harry, you will go back to your body, but just not the one you left. The powers have decided to send you back, not to your body, but back in time. To a point where you can truly begin to make changes, both to yourself and our world."
I had already made up my mind to take this chance, I couldn't live with myself knowing I left my friends behind to face him alone. But I wasn't expecting this! So many things I could change!
"To what point would I be sent back? My eleven year old self wouldn't be able to make many changes for a few years. My two year old self even less."
Dumbledore smiled and shook his head and spoke.
"No, They didn't tell me exactly when they would be sending you back, but the said it would be some point in your fourth year. I believe this is a pivotal moment in which many great changes can be made in a short period of time in which you could affect the world positively."
Competing in the Tri-Wizard Tournement again, at the very least I could save Cedric. At the most I could stop Voldemort's resurrection. Not to mention all the things I could change in the following two years.
"Alright, seems a good spot to start. Do you have any advice?" The old man usually had a good word or two to impart.
"Seek me out as soon as you go back, tell me everything. Tell me of the prophecy, of the Horcruxes, the final battle. If we work together in a more coordinated effort, we can enact much change in the year leading up to Voldemort's resurrection."
"Alright Headmaster, but one more thing, how are they? My parents, and Sirius?"
Smiling, he answers: "They are so proud of you Harry and they wish to see you only when you're an old man. They wish you to have a long and loving life. If you and myself can make the changes that we need to, you will."
"Well, I assume you know my decision." He nods as a door materials behind him, it opens to a scene of the Fouth year boys dormitory at Hogwarts.
"Go Harry, be strong. And remember, even when it seems darkest, the night always ends."
Giving the man one last nod, I step through the door and back into life.
Onto my next great adventure.