Story: Days That Don't Belong

Author: Midnight Axis

Rating: T (most likely won't change)

Warning: This is SLASH with Albus/Harry but Albus is young again. If you don't like it or it creeps you out, don't read and don't flame but constructive criticism is always welcomed as long as you aren't insulting.

This story contradicts some deaths in DH but has almost no change in the plot line whatsoever other than that.

Now on with the story. Hope you like it!

-Chapter 1-

-The Reminders-

Harry watched the grandfather clock with the yellowing head tick down the time until Ginny would arrive as per the letter she had sent a few measly days before. Days didn't really matter to Harry much anymore since the war. The only thing days meant for Harry was when he'd have to go to the next funeral and the next obligatory trial for the hundreds of random people being accused of assisting the Death Eaters in the war.

Harry was sick of the days that went by and forced him to remember all that was wrong in his life. Harry knew, from what people were constantly telling him, that he should be happy that he survived and that he had saved the world from certain chaos, but Harry just couldn't forgive the days for ganging up on him in order to pass by slower than they had ever had in Harry's life, including Harry's time at the Dursley's.

The Dursley's had returned back to their house when a month after the Final Battle some Ministry official thought it would be good to suck up to Harry and thought going through his relative's was the best way to do it. So the summer after sixth year wasn't the last time he had been forced to see them. Uncle Vernon had horrified many wizards in his day but none quite like this certain pretentious official. Vernon Dursley ended up being forced to live out his life with purple polka dots that sprung frequent warts. Dudders on the other hand had become somewhat of an occasional acquaintance to Harry in his couple months at Grimmauld's Place, giving advice that Harry had been sure hadn't existed inside Dudley's head until they started up an occasional Muggle correspondence. Harry thought it interesting that Dudley had realized that his life could be something that other people didn't expect him to be while Harry had lived by expectations all his life and was just now slowly learning to live with his own direction.

Ron and Hermione visited him frequently. They both still lived with the Weasley's though Harry couldn't see why anyone would want to be around the extremely protective and hysterical Mrs. Weasley but they both had their jobs that Harry supposed offset the constant shadow of the war. Hermione spent much of her time helping Ron through his experiences in the war without really bothering to see anybody for her screwed up mind. Harry knew that the wizarding psychologist that he corresponded with was just dying to get inside her brain, but Hermione was the steam engine that could. She never stopped working on new projects trying to sew up the fissures that had erupted across the world especially between the Muggle and wizarding world, and Harry was just counting on the days until it finally sunk in that they had lost Lupin, Tonks, her parents that were still somewhere in Australia that last she had heard, and several friends that she talked with at school as well as the fact that Voldemort was gone and he wasn't coming back.

Ron was going into the Auror program. He was Harry Potter's best friend and a big war hero so the Ministry couldn't afford to not accept him, but Harry didn't know what to do with his life anymore. The ideal life of an Auror saving people from the dark wizards that still ran rampant through the wizarding community, many looking for revenge for the Dark Lord's death. The worst part is that so many were mad that they didn't care about being caught as long as they proved there point which led to many horror stories that would shock even the harshest war survivors.

Harry wanted to help but he didn't want to be the center of attention. Maybe this was arrogant, but even though Harry was thinking of going into healing, he just wasn't sure that he would get the same experience that everyone else took for granted and one that he needed. His immense power and reputation for being the Savior and now the Man-Who-Lived was a spotlight at the best of times.

The doorbell chimed at the door to Grimmauld's Place. After the war, when Harry had only wanted to hide for days on end and get away from the world that had screwed him over, this was where he came. Since he didn't want hordes of devoted fans easily finding the now freely given address on a whim, Harry had redone the Fidelius Charm upon the dank old building that Harry had been working to clean since his arrival a month or so ago. Apparently he was one of the only wizard's alive with the power to perform such ancient and powerful magic. Now only he, Hermione, Ron, Ginny, and the astoundingly alive Professor Severus Snape (Order of Merlin First Class) knew where to find him these days in his misery.

Harry's experience with Severus Snape when they first saw each other after his recovery from Nagini was something that Harry still had to play over and over in his mind.

Harry walked into the room in 's that Snape had been moved into after Harry had testified of his heroism in the war. Before Harry had done so, Snape had been lucky that the Healers hadn't just pulled the plug. The system after the war was not fair in the slightest. The more heroic stories you had from the war, the more and better you got treated. Harry loathed many of the Healer's prejudices from the war but it wasn't his battle until Snape very nearly died again when he was helped while Harry was getting his charges cleared.

"Snape." The man in question raised his head from where he was attempting to put on his robes to leave the place. Snape's voice was scratchy at best and would probably always be hoarse to some extent.

"Potter. Thank you." That was all that was said, and that was all that was really needed. Soon the two became confidants of the other as they both dealt with their experiences that no other could relate to. This helped their friendship along greatly.

Harry had Snape over for tea every Tuesday but for some reason the black-clad man hadn't shown up the other day. Harry had considered flooing over to see if he was alright until he realized he didn't know where Snape lived,

Harry rose from his melancholy state in what could now safely be called a parlor in order to answer the door for what he assumed to be Ginevra Weasley. The portrait of Mrs. Black was probably even more annoyed than Harry at the suggestion of visitors, though it was a close call.

"Harry!" was the voice that came from the beautiful young woman on Harry's doorstep. It wasn't that Harry wasn't happy to see Ginny, just that he didn't know what to do with her once he saw her. Harry wasn't sure of his feelings towards most things nowadays let along old girlfriends that he had broken up with months ago for her own safety, or so he told himself.

"Hey, come in?" was Harry's generous response to Ginny's enthusiastic smile.

"I've come with amazing news you will never guess what I am about to tell you!" Harry was going to guess something simple such as Teddy had learned how to create a pig's nose or some other cute trick that Teddy seemed to be learning in abundance these days. But what came out of her mouth was, "Albus Dumbledore's alive!" And that was where Harry had had enough of his life. He fainted with no clear plans if he ever wanted to be conscious again.

The thing about Albus Dumbledore was that he was one big contradiction staring you in the face. Manipulation and lying was good if it meant that the world would stay out of chaos for another few years. Harry didn't know exactly how he felt about Albus Dumbledore since Harry's death. Before Harry's death, he had learned many things that had deeply troubled him but when he met with Dumbledore in King's Cross, Harry almost understood Dumbledore's need to protect all he cared about even to such extent. Harry was still confident that he had seen Dumbledore when he died even though Hermione, and because of their new flourishing relationship, Ron, thought that it was his mind's ramblings to sort out reality and not an actual occurrence.

"I think he's awake!"

"Oh! Harry dear, are you alright? Open your eyes if you can."

Harry cautiously opened his eyes and saw an only slightly foggy version of Mrs. Weasley and Ginny hovering over him. Harry was going through a potion's regimen to correct his vision, a strange thank you from Snape for defeating the Dark Lord though the man claimed it was due to the great offence his old glasses made to the world that didn't need any more horrors than necessary.

"Wha's going on?" Harry mumbled.

"Dear, you fainted. You should be perfectly fine but do you remember what happened right before you fainted?" came from a caring but hesitant Mrs. Weasley.

Harry's eyes widened to the point that he resembled a very strange owl. "He… Dumbledore!" Harry leapt out of the bed that he had been levitated onto during his fainting spell and grabbed his wand from the bedside table. Harry was planning to go to the one place that he was sure Dumbledore would always return to, Hogwarts.

Amazingly enough Harry made it through the door even with the attempts of the women to catch him before he successfully made his escape.

Since the war, Harry and thousands of other magical beings had helped raise the school from its rubble and into a past glory that hadn't been seen in centuries. In a few days the school would be opening once again to allow students in to its hallowed halls.

This year a new curriculum was in place in a separate part of the castle for young muggleborns to learn about the wizarding world for a couple months every year mostly due to Hermione's influence at the Ministry. Harry agreed with this new addition to the school and had heard endless rants about it from Hermione. The woman would have loved to teach it but she decided that she needed to work at the Ministry to help other messed up areas of the wizarding world that held archaic views.

McGonagal gained the position of Headmistress while Snape decided to live in a newly bought cottage in the country working for himself in an Owl Order Business that from what Harry heard was quite swamped as a Potions Master of Snape's caliber was rare. The Potion's Professor was taken over once again by Slughorn. The man had barely escaped Azkaban in the riots of the aftermath of the Final Battle, but he really did know potions.

The position of the Transfiguration professor was handed to an old rather wizened witch that couldn't tell if up was down or the cushion she had transfigured in order to see properly at the Head Table was a broomstick. Harry didn't have much hope for the next year at Hogwarts which wasn't to say McGonagal would be a bad Headmistress, only that she wasn't Dumbledore and the teachers couldn't put Grindylows to shame.

But now Dumbledore was back, he was alive!

As Harry apparated to the gates of Hogsmead, many cries arose of 'Harry Potter!' but they fell upon deaf ears as Harry raced down the path leading to Hogwarts. When Harry burst through the front doors after overriding the protective enchantments with a wave of his hand, he was assaulted with an array of wands before Snape's voice came to his ears.

"Potter! You daft idiot! We could have killed you. Is it really that hard to learn how to knock?" but Harry wasn't listening because in front of him surrounded by a gaggle of teachers was Dumbledore or someone who looked suspiciously like Dumbledore.

"Harry!" was the soft exclamation of delight that came from a young man perhaps in his late twenties. Unfortunately once again he fainted.

This time when he awoke he heard the same voice he had heard last time. "Foolish boy. We told him to rest but no, can't listen to old mothers; they don't know a thing at all." But then that so familiar voice came again.

"Molly, don't be so harsh on the poor boy. Oh well, I suppose he is the Man-who –Lived now. Anyhow, he just received a shock and don't you remember the other day when you found out. I am afraid, madame, that you cannot judge Harry for his reaction to startling news, he has been through a lot." There it was Dumbledore's voice but it sounded younger, a baritone that washed over Harry's senses. That couldn't be right, Harry was delusional again but this time it couldn't be Voldemort's fault because he was dead. Harry had made sure of that, so Harry opened his eyes.

There he was.

Young like in the picture in Rita's book.

Albus Dumbledore.

Apparently, back from the dead.

Hopefully you liked it.

If you have any questions or comments, either leave a review or email me at midnightaxisyahoo .com. I'd love to know what you think as long as you don't spend the entire time insulting me.

I'll update soon.

(For any of you who read Beyond any Sight lays the Truth (Voldemort/Harry) I have the chapters on a different computer and am working on putting them up now. Thanks)