Harold Black, formerly known as Harry Potter, rushed into the campus library to get out of the deluge of rain outside. He closed his umbrella with a snap and turned towards the front desk. He was surprised to see a woman who looked a lot like his friend Hermione, although she was obviously much older.
"Can I help you?" she asked automatically, but with a nice smile that seemed to light up her face. Harry thought that he could almost hear the faint trace of an English accent, but figured he was just imagining it because he thought she looked like Hermione.
"I just stepped in out of the rain," Harry said, "But I'll probably work on my studies." The woman nodded at him, and he wandered farther into the library until he found a desk tucked away in a corner where he could sit and read, although it was really sitting and contemplating.
He was in America, hiding from the wizarding world. At eighteen years old, it was easy for him to use magic to forge paperwork saying that he had a high school diploma, and during the summer he took the SAT's—blasted tests, nearly as bad as the OWLs—and had gotten a good enough score that getting into an American school was no problem. He had had a good sum of his Gringotts gold transferred to a Muggle account in Britain, and then he converted it into American dollars to pay for school and to live off of.
Harry had come here because he needed to be normal. For the first eleven years of his life, he had grown up unwanted and unloved, perpetually called a freak of nature, and scared of the strange things that he could do. The next seven years of his life were a drastic change. He discovered that he was The-Boy-Who-Lived, Savior of the Wizarding World, or at least the European part of it. He was hero-worshipped by many, and loved by some. He met his best friends and mentors. He finally had a place, but there was an evil that was determined to destroy him. Not a single year of his education went by when he didn't have to battle against Voldemort and his followers or lose someone that he loved, or both, with the exception of his third year, when he thought that his godfather was a crazed murderer out to kill him, but he wasn't really.
Harry had finally defeated Voldemort at the age of seventeen after destroying all the Horcruxes with the aid of his friends. He didn't like to think about the events. After that, the fame was even more overwhelming than ever before. Harry was unable to be with his friends because of all the pressures put on him by the wizarding world to be a famous savior rather than a person. That's what he had escaped. He'd never had a chance to just be a normal person, not even a chance to be a normal wizard really. In the American Muggle world he was safe. As far as he knew, he hadn't come in any contact with American wizards or witches, and he was learning what it was like to be a normal American college student.
It wasn't hard. Not compared to his past. His first day at school, he was surprised to see people upset to be away from their parents. It wasn't the surprise that they were upset - after the Weasleys, he understood that you could be upset to be apart from loved ones. It was the fact that they were eighteen years old and were apart from their family for the first time. He had been on his own at school since before he was a teen, and couldn't quite comprehend being that close to family all that time.
Students seemed to enjoy their liberty immensely. Harry went to a couple parties, but was disappointed heartily. He'd had firewhiskey a few times back in England and didn't see the point in drinking until he was violently sick like many of his fellow students did. There wasn't even butterbeer, and Harry didn't like the people that he met at those sort of parties.
He started concentrating more and more on his studies, and was amused to see the influence that Hermione had had on him throughout their school years. She'd be proud of his color-coded study schedule. Having spent his past years concentrating on entirely magical subjects, Harry was somewhat behind in the Muggle school. He wasn't even sure what he wanted to do, so he was taking General Education classes. He had a literature class, a psychology class, a chemistry class, a communications class, and a pottery class that he took in homage to his true last name.
Harry was staring blankly at his literature text when he heard someone clearing their throat behind him.
"Yes?" Harry asked with a sigh, automatically reverting into his tones of weariness that were associated with eager fans back at home.
"We're closing in ten minutes," said the woman that Harry had seen at the front desk, "And it's still raining. Do you want me to drive you to your dorm?"
Harry was surprised at her kindness after his gruffness towards her, and smiled at her, "That would be great. I'm sorry, I don't think I caught your name?"
"I'm Gertrude Gallagher, but you can call me Danger," she replied. "And you are?"
"Harold Black, but you can call me Harry," Harry smiled a bit more at her. She was older than him, but something about her just seemed familiar to him.
"You don't really look that hairy," she said with a laugh.
Her laugh was infectious, and Harry found himself laughing along to the old and over-used joke. He began to gather up his textbooks, and Danger helped him.
"What's your concentration?" she asked him, making small talk.
"I'm still undecided," Harry said with a shrug, "But I'm starting to lean towards psychology."
"Why?" Danger asked him, looking at the psychology text with a look that bordered on hatred.
"I'm good at reading people," Harry started, "But throughout my life I've made mistakes at judging some people, and sometimes I was right and wish I wasn't. I want to learn what makes people what they are, what part of their mind makes the difference between them being a good person or a bad one? I want to be able to help people to be the good person, and I think that psychology is going to be the best way to do that. I might do a criminal justice minor though."
Danger looked at him with a bit of admiration, "You seem a bit older than I think you are. How old are you?"
"I'm eighteen," Harry responded, "Just turned eighteen this past July."
Danger laughed a bit, "Each year the new students make me feel ancient."
"How old are you?" Harry asked, not knowing that it was considered rude to ask a woman her age.
"I'm thirty-seven," Danger said with a soft smile.
"That's not old," Harry said with a laugh. To him it wasn't. Old for wizards and witches didn't happen until a person was in their seventies or older, since they lived longer.
"Thanks, kid," Danger said with a laugh, "Doesn't change the fact that I'm old enough to be your mother, though."
Harry shook his head, "You already feel more like a sister than a mother." By this time they were in Danger's car, a light blue two-door number that Harry was unable to identify.
"This is my baby, Periwinkle Pericula," Danger said with a laugh, "I had to name her that when this turned out to be the only car I could afford and it ended up being this color. 'Pericula' is 'danger' in Latin."
Harry climbed into the car, unsurprised to see stacks of books in the back. She really did remind him of Hermione, albeit a more fun Hermione.
"Which dorm are you in?" Danger asked as she climbed into the car.
"I'm in Bursley," Harry said. He never ceased to be amazed at the coincidences. He had to end up in the one residence hall in Michigan that rhymed with his living relatives surname.
"Alright then," Danger said, and drove that way. "You're from England, aren't you?"
"Guess I'm not very good at hiding my accent," Harry said with a shrug.
Danger laughed, "Live here long enough and you'll lose it. I moved here twenty-eight years ago and my accent's gone."
"I knew it," Harry said with satisfaction, "I thought I heard a hint of an accen. Sot it's not all the way gone, even after that amount of time. Why'd you move?"
Danger looked a bit uncomfortable, "My mother was a single parent, and it was difficult for her. And then I started being a bit—troublesome, and then my uncle showed up, practically out of nowhere. I don't know what he said to Mum, but he convinced her that it would be better for me to come here and live with him. I know a big part of it was him convincing her that I needed to go to a special school, even though others disagreed and said that I didn't really need the special school."
"I see," Harry said, but didn't exactly. He understood living with an uncle, but didn't understand how her mother had to be convinced to let her go, or even really understand why her uncle would want her. Even after seeing the power of love, Harry still had difficulty understanding familial love.
"Here we go," she said, dropping him off in front of Bursley, "Maybe I'll see you around. Have a nice night."
"Thank you very much for the ride," Harry responded as he got out of the car. "And you have a nice night too."
XxXxXxX
Harry found himself going to the library more often after that night. It was partly because of his studies, but was also because he was drawn to Danger. Not romantically, there were too many years between them, but Harry loved her friendship.
Danger had helped him finally decide on the psychology major with the criminal justice minor so he could work in social services. He had gradually told Danger about the abuse he had suffered at the hands of the Dursleys growing up, and she accepted that as his reason for traveling across the Atlantic to attend school. She also helped him to realize that he would work well in social services helping kids to get out of environments like the one he grew up in.
Danger helped him with his psychology studies, despite not particularly liking the subject after a particularly nasty instructor. She also introduced Harry to American sports. His favorite ended up being soccer, though he insisted on calling it football just to annoy Danger. Harry didn't lose his accent; in fact, through his friendship with her Danger's seemed to get stronger again.
Coming up to graduation day, Harry was uneasy, sad, uncertain, and resolved all at once. He had finally decided what he wanted to do after school. He had had four years of normalcy. He had had friends, although he wasn't as close to any of his friends his age as he was to Danger, and he had been out of the limelight. Now he needed to right some wrongs in the world.
"Danger, can I talk to you about something?" Harry asked nervously, showing up at the front door of her apartment.
"Of course, Harry," she said, opening the door wide enough so he could walk in past her. "What is it?"
Sitting down on her beige couch, Harry looked up at her, a bit of regret in his eyes, "I've decided what I'm going to do after college, but I have to explain something to you first. You should sit down."
Danger sat on the couch, and looked at Harry with concern, "You seem nervous. Come on, you know you can tell me anything."
"Well, you see, I'm not—normal," Harry said after some hesitation.
"Not normal how?" Danger asked with a small smile.
"I can do things that normal people can't," Harry said, tripping over his own words.
"Harry, did I ever tell you what school my uncle brought me from overseas to attend?"
"What?" Now Harry looked confused as well as nervous, "No. What does that have to do with anything?"
"My uncle enrolled me in Great Lakes," Danger said softly.
"Great Lakes, great, anyways—" Harry tried to push on with the conversation, but Danger interrupted him.
"You look thirsty Harry, you want something to drink?"
Harry wasn't sure what to say to the random change of topic, and was unable to say anything for a few moments after because of what he saw and heard.
"Accio glass," Danger said after pulling a wand out of her sleeve that had been hidden remarkably well. When the glass arrived she caught it neatly, "Aguamenti," she said, and the glass filled with water from her wand. She handed it to Harry, who gulped it so that he wouldn't have to say anything. "Great Lakes School of Magic."
Harry set the empty glass down and was quiet for a few moments more, gathering his thoughts. "I guess this makes things a bit easier then, since I don't have to explain magic. The next thing is, I'm not who you think I am."
"Yes you are," Danger said, leaning back in her seat, "You're Harry Potter."
Harry felt as though everything he had planned out was falling to pieces, "You knew? You knew all this time?"
"It was obvious the first time I saw you," Danger said with a shrug, "I kept up with what went on in Britain. My mother still lives there. And my sister. I kept track of the wizarding world, even though I was never a part of it in Britain. Apparently my magic didn't register there. My uncle saw it in me somehow. I've never really understood how. My mother didn't even know that her own brother was a wizard until he had to explain to her why some of the strange things happened that did. I would have true dreams and tell them to my mother, and they didn't get picked up as active magic, but my uncle recognized it. Anyway, that's not the point. I read in the news when you defeated Voldemort as a baby. I kept track of the wizarding world more intently when you started school because it turned out that my little sister was a witch too."
"Your little sister?" Harry asked, feeling small.
"Hermione Granger. My mother had dated David—Dad I guess—when she was young, and became pregnant, but he left for University and she didn't tell him. When he returned, I was a toddler and my mother was worried about rejection from him, though she shouldn't have been, from everything she says in letters he was a great man. Anyway, apparently after I moved with Uncle he ran into her in a bookstore, and they started talking to each other again, then started dating again, and it led to marriage, and Hermione."
"Hermione never said she had a sister," Harry said, shaking his head.
"We told her I was her aunt, it was easier," Danger replied sadly.
"But if you knew who I was, why didn't you ever say anything?" Harry asked her.
"You said your name was Harry Black, and you appeared to want to have a normal life. I privately told the few witches and wizards in the area to treat you as a Muggle. You needed this time it seemed, so I worked to make sure you had it."
Harry felt tears begin to come to his eyes, but held them back by a force of will. "I don't know what I would have done without you, Danger."
Danger smiled softly at him, "Thanks Harry. That really means a lot to me. But what was it you had to tell me?"
Harry sighed and leaned back on the couch. "I have to do something. It's going to be something big. I don't think I'll see you again, or at least not so you would know. I—I came to say goodbye. There are a lot of wrongs that I need to fix, and I finally figured out the best way to fix them."
Danger looked at him intently, as if she were weighing the balance of his soul, "I suspected it was something like this. Then farewell, Harry. I better see you at some point in the future, even if it isn't the way you would expect."
Harry hugged Danger, not wanting to let go, but knowing that he had to. He had to take care of some last things before he started on his biggest quest yet. This was the hardest step, saying goodbye to Danger. "I'll never forget you," he whispered into her hair as he hugged her. He broke away and prepared his magical strength for the gut wrenching and magic consuming transatlantic apparition to England.
He had timed it correctly. The Leaky Cauldron was empty of most patronage at the end of the night, and the few who were there were so far gone that they wouldn't notice the return of the departed hero.
"Tom, I'm exhausted, can I have a room for the night?" Harry asked, approaching the bartender who had a reputation for being discreet.
"Harry Potter?" Tom blurted, wide eyed with amazement.
"Yes, Tom. I ask that you don't let word out until after I leave. I understand that it'll probably pick up business for you, but I will reimburse you if you keep it discreet."
"Of course Harry," Tom said with a smile, "Follow me." He led Harry to a bedroom where he collapsed into his bed for the night.
XxXxXxX
Harry had an important stop before he took care of his business at hand. He approached a nondescript house in London under cover of his invisibility cloak and knocked brusquely on the door before he could back down.
The door was opened by a sleepy looking redhead with tousled hair. "Bloody kids, ringing the doorbell and running away. Can't even let a bloke sleep in on a Saturday," He mumbled, almost incoherently, but Harry had had a lot of practice at deciphering his mumbling through the years.
"Ron, let me in please?" Harry said softly, aware that there were a few muggles going about their business in the streets that would be rather disturbed when thin air started to speak loudly.
"Harry?" Ron was wide eyed, but also spoke quietly. Ron stepped out of the way and Harry entered quickly. Ron shut the door quietly behind him.
Harry whisked off the cloak and turned and hugged Ron tightly. "It's so good to see you mate!" Harry said at top volume.
"A bit quieter mate," Ron said softly, wincing.
"Oh, sorry, is 'Mione still asleep?" Harry lowered his voice respectively.
"No she's reading. I don't see how she's awake, I mean, David and Esther kept us awake for more than half the night…"
"David, Esther?" Harry looked shell-shocked.
"Harry, we sent you a letter ages ago telling you that we were pregnant! And then another one a couple of weeks ago when the twins were born. We know that it takes you ages to reply to letters, so we didn't think anything of not getting a reply… but did you even read it?"
"Ron," Harry said before his friend could get angrier, "It can take months for me to get mail. If you use an owl it gets sent to my Diagon Alley PO Box. Then it gets sent into 3M, and is sent by parcel post to another PO Box in New York where they sorted out my real mail and my fan mail, and then it's sent by US Mail to my college, where it gets sorted by the schools post office, then finally put into my mail box. The last I heard from you two Hermione had just started her new research job and you had taken down that criminal in that raid."
Ron looked appeased, "Well then, come get a look at the kids."
Ron led Harry to a nursery where Hermione was half asleep reading a book, and two cribs held one sleeping girl and one restless boy.
"Come here David," Ron said, reaching down for his small son, instantly transforming into a young man who was head over heals in love with his children.
At Ron's words Hermione jerked awake and looked up. "Harry?" She asked softly, rubbing her eyes. "Harry!" She shrieked, forgetting where she was until she heard the sound of double wails.
She immediately forgot her best friend and turned to her daughter, "Hush now, Mummy didn't mean to wake you, mummy didn't mean to scare you. Shhhh."
Harry stared at the small family and felt so lonely and out of place that it only clinched what he had to do in his mind.
He spent the day with Ron and Hermione, holding the children, feeding and changing them, getting used to the idea of two children at once—not that he ever planned on having twins or anything—and most of all, spending time talking to Ron and Hermione, learning about what was happening in their lives and the lives of their mutual friends and families.
"Oh, your sister says Hi Hermione," Harry said as an afterthought during one of their conversations about his studies of the past four years.
"Harry?" Hermione gave him an odd look, "I don't have a sister. I'm an only child."
Harry was panicked for a moment, "I mean Aunt. Your Aunt says hi."
"My Aunt? Whatever are you talking about?"
"Danger," Harry said simply.
"You know Danger?" Hermione had the strangest look in her eyes, "I—I've always wanted to meet her… how'd you meet her, and why'd you think that she was my sister?"
Harry sat back and sighed, "It's a long story."
Harry's story, and from there, his plans lasted the rest of the night. Harry ended up staying over, and nothing the couple could say could deter him from what he had planned. So before they awoke the next morning Harry slipped out of the door to do what needed to be done.
XxXxXxX
Navigating Diagon Alley in an invisibility cloak was quite a feat, but Harry didn't want to cause a stir with reappearing suddenly in the middle of the busy street. He navigated around people, being cautious not to bump into anyone too hard. At Gringotts, he waited outside until someone else entered, and entered as close to their heels as he could and not be noticed.
Once inside Harry had to remove the cloak. Luckily for him, within Gringotts, people were too busy going to get their money to notice the celebrity. Harry approached one of the goblins and handed them his key, "I need to go to my vault."
"Follow me, Mr. Potter," the goblin said brusquely, not making a big deal about who it was.
Harry arrived at the vault after a convoluted trip on a cart, and entered it with trepidation, but was surprised to see that even after four years of tuition, room, board, books, and everyday expenses, he appeared to actually have more gold than when he left. It helped that he had gotten such a huge reward from the government after the downfall of Voldemort.
Harry got out the bag that he had enchanted to be bottomless and weightless and commenced to shovel all of the gold into it. After a while the goblin helped, a while longer and he called for reinforcements. After what seemed like hours they finally had every single coin, down to the last Knut, in the bag.
Harry put the bag into his pocket, and followed the goblin out, steady onto his next stop. It was to a place that he never thought he would willingly enter again, but it was the only place that he could think of that the item would be.
"Harry Potter?" The question was asked in shock as soon as Harry took off the invisibility cloak when he entered Borgin and Burkes.
"Yes," Harry said, "I'm looking for something, and I suspect that this is the only place where I can find it. I need an industrial time-turner. Money's not an issue."
"I have one of those, but you can get in trouble from the ministry for using one," the man said grimly.
"I need it," Harry said flatly. The man took one look at Harry's expression and hurried to get the item. Harry paid over the amount necessary before taking the item away and Apparating to Hogsmeade. From there, he walked to the Forbidden Forest, where he knew he would be unlikely to run into anyone.
He looped the time turner around his neck and braced himself. "1922, here I come," Harry said, before giving the turner the necessary amounts of turns.