Temps

Chapter 1

To The Headmaster

A Note: I looked for a nice title for this story, and I thought of this one. It's in French and it means: time.

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"Well …" Harry said, as he remembered. "Even the smallest things could change the course of the future"

Flashback (a long one!)

Harry looked at the courtyard that he was in. it was a very beautiful one, with a fountain in the middle, students were sitting and chatting happily.

He walked slowly, looking around at the strange and unknown place to him. No one was looking at him … as though he wasn't there, (but I am in a dream after all!) he looked at a group that was sitting around the fountain. Harry noticed that the other students were sitting away from them, as though they feared them.

Harry walked towards the fountain and saw a boy that looked like he was the leader of the group, sitting on the edge of the fountain and splashing water at students who were nearest to them.

Harry took a glance around him again, and saw someone …

Harry woke up. The dormitory was still dark. He felt very thirsty, so he got up and headed for the water jug which was seated on the edge of the window. He was just drinking when he remembered something and he stopped.

The dream, he looked around him, but who…?

He was trying to remember the face of that student he turned to see, the one who was sitting behind him, but his mind was not remembering anything.

He drank the last drops of water from his glass and headed for his bed. When he glanced at his watch, he received a shock.

It was 3:30 in the morning, and it felt like it was still night.

He sat there, wondering if he should go back to sleep or not. Then he thought that they had potions this morning, and he might get late if he slept now, so he got up, dressed, and went down to the common room.

It was empty (Duh!) and it was still very dark. He sat next to the fireplace, which was fireless, and looked at the window.

The dark blue sky was winking at him with little dots of starry light that shown through the glass.

What was that dream? He thought, remembering it again. It was a normal dream if he thought about it, yet, his heart told him that it isn't so.

He thought about it as he stared, and stared, and stared at the window.

He opened his eyes. It took him a moment to register what happened.

"Oh no!" he said, as he quickly got up. "I'll be late for potions"

He ran to the dormitory to get his bag, when he entered, there was no one inside.

He picked up his bag and ran towards the dungeons; he noticed that the corridors were empty except for a small number of students.

He arrived to the door, panting, and then knocked on it.

"Enter" Snape's voice said.

Harry opened the door and saw the whole class staring at him. Ron and Hermione were sitting in their usual table at the back of the class.

Why didn't they wake me up? Harry thought angrily, as he closed the door behind him.

He mumbled, "Sorry" for being late, and was heading to his chair next to Hermione and Ron, when Snape said, "Mr. Potter?"

Harry stopped; he knew that Snape wouldn't let him get away so easily.

"Yes sir?" Harry turned to look at his professor.

Snape eyed Harry for a moment, a long one, then he said, "50 points from Gryffindor"

Harry was a little surprised. Usually, Snape would let them explain the reason of them being late, then take points from their house, and Harry was just thinking about a good excuse.

"But…" Harry began, "I'm only late for…" then he realized that he doesn't even know the clock.

He looked down at his wrist, but then remembered that he forgot to wear his watch on his way out.

"Follow me, Potter" Snape said, as he headed for his office at the front of the class. Harry frowned at him.

He looked at Ron and Hermione with one last angry look, and then he entered the office behind Snape. Snape closed the door behind Harry and then turned to him.

"Detention Potter" he said, and Harry groaned inwardly. "Now … can you tell why you are late for class?"

Harry thought for a moment, not knowing what to say. "I … I was just"

"Do you know how much late you are?" Snape asked him, and Harry shook his head. He thought of telling the truth for once, maybe something good will happen.

"I woke up very early sir, and I couldn't go back to sleep again, so I stayed up 'till … sometime" he said, Snape listened to him. "But I must've slept while I was sitting in the common room … and couldn't wake up again"

Snape looked at Harry with a blank expression, then he said, "And why didn't Mr. Weasley or Miss Granger wake you up? Or anyone of the other Gryffindors?"

Harry wanted to say 'I would like to know that myself' but he stopped himself, "I … I guess they didn't"

He looked down at his feet, losing all hope to get out of here safe and well.

"This will be the last time you reach my class this late Potter, do you hear me?" Snape said in a dangerous voice.

Harry nodded, still looking at his feet.

"Now … off you go" Snape said.

Harry looked up, what?

"Off you go" Snape repeated, "I believe that the headmaster is waiting for you … the password is jelly slugs"

"But … professor … I won't do it again" Harry said, not wanting to go to Dumbledore for something as silly as this.

Snape looked at him for moment and then said, "you will go to the headmaster and explain everything to him … after all … it's just something silly"

Harry slapped himself from inside; he forgot that Snape can 'read minds'.

He closed his eyes, opened them again, and headed for the door.

When he was in the classroom again, he looked at Hermione and Ron who were frowning at him, and then shook his head and went outside the classroom, hearing Malfoy laugh a little, before closing the door behind him.

He shouldered his bag well, and headed for the headmaster's office. When he arrived to the stone statue he mumbled, "Jelly slugs" and the statue leaped aside.

Harry climbed the stairs until he reached the black door with the griffin knock. He knocked.

"Enter" a voice said, and Harry noticed that it sounded more puzzled than welcoming.

Harry took a deep breath and walked into the office. Dumbledore looked up, and his face turned from puzzlement to a frown.

"What's wrong, Harry?" he asked the boy who just entered and closed the door behind him.

Dumbledore pointed at a chair in front of his desk, and Harry sat there.

"Snape sent me to you" Harry said.

"Professor Snape …. And why did he do that?" the headmaster asked, putting the quill that he was writing with down and looking curious.

Harry wanted to just simply say 'I don't really know' but instead said, "I … I was late for his class"

At these words, Dumbledore looked quickly at his watch.

"What class you had before potions?" Dumbledore asked, still looking at his watch.

"Err…potions is the first lesson we take each Monday … double potions" he added.

Dumbledore looked at Harry, "I see" he said quietly.

"What do you see sir?" Harry asked, politely.

"I see why Snape sent you here… he must have been mad at you"

"Why? I was only a few minutes late," Harry defended himself.

"Yes, yes … minutes late for your second lesson" Dumbledore raised his eyebrows.

Harry frowned at him, and then his frown changed to a shocked expression.

"You mean … you mean that I'm late for about … a whole lesson?" Harry looked at his headmaster, wide-eyed.

"Actually …" Dumbledore began, "a lesson and a half"

Harry was actually shocked, not because he was late that much (not now anyway) but because why Snape didn't kill him when he had the chance.

"Well … I believe that he took some points from your house?" Dumbledore said, looking at Harry through his half-moon glasses.

"He took 50 points from Gryffindor" Harry said.

"Oh, that's a lot" Dumbledore stood up and walked to his cupboard.

"Not to his standards" Harry mumbled, but Dumbledore was too busy looking for something in his cupboard that he didn't hear what Harry said.

He got out of there after seconds, frowning in his place and rubbing his chin.

"What is it sir?" Harry asked.

"It seems that we've ran out of parchments" he said, still frowning and rubbing his chin.

"!"

When Dumbledore saw Harry's puzzled expression, he said, "I wanted to write to professor Snape, to forgive you for this time, but I don't have a parchment" he chuckled, returning to his desk.

"Why were you late?" Dumbledore suddenly asked, while he was searching his drawers.

"Oh, I …I woke up very early this morning, and I couldn't go back to sleep … but then I must've slept while I was just sitting in the common room"

Dumbledore smiled at him, and Harry smiled back. "It happens" the old man said.

Then Dumbledore stood up, "I'll go to professor Flitwick's office to bring some parchments, and I'll be right back"

Harry nodded, as the man walked to the door and closed it once he was out.

Harry breathed, and looked around him. The office hasn't changed a bit since he was in here last year.

"Hello Fawkes" Harry greeted the big, red-and-gold bird that was perched on his stand and looking tired.

Harry walked towards him and looked into his eyes. They were twinkling, just like the headmaster, and they looked very wise.

"You never changed too" Harry said to him.

Then he turned to look at the cupboard that Dumbledore was just searching in, it once held a magical object that Harry used.

He walked towards it and opened it; it was empty except for some old, used parchments and some empty ink-bottles. "I wonder where it is."

Then he spotted the motionless hat that was seated upon the shelves of books. It didn't greet Harry like it did four years ago.

He walked towards the books and looked at them; they sure held a lot of information and knowledge. He walked passed them and behind the desk. Dumbledore's chair looked very comfortable and huge from a near distance. Harry touched its smooth and cold golden arm. Then he looked at the drawers, which had handles that were shaped like griffins too.

Harry smiled as he pulled the last one, which was at the bottom of the desk. It opened easily, revealing a small, black book, a key, an old, folded newspaper, and…

What's that? Harry looked at the strange looking thing that was in the drawer, it was hidden under these items.

Harry took it in his hand, and looked closely at it. It was a golden and red, two-part round thing that was incised with ruins Harry remembered from one of Hermione's books.

Well, Harry would forget about it, and return it to its place in the drawer, without doing anything … but no, wait … that is not the Harry we know.

Without thinking, as usual, Harry turned the upper part of the round object (you could turn it by the way!)

Suddenly, air rushed around him, surrounding his body. Harry wanted to return the part back to its place, but the object slipped out of his hand and it fell inside the drawer with a loud bump.

Beside this sound, Harry heard something else. He looked up, squinting in the still rushing air around him, and saw, with horror, the door of the office opening.

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- I hope you liked it. This is the first chapter of course, and I hope you're waiting for the next one. Please guys, read and review … and thanks if you read it D that makes me happy.