Prelude

For some reason, Harry found himself thinking about Gabrielle; Fleur Delacour's little sister instead of paying attention to the battle around him. He came to his senses just in time to dive out of the way of a jet of red, a cruciatus curse, sent from a black-cloaked figure. He turned and watched as the spell collided with a cabinet full of Time-Turners and at the same moment he saw a green flash about to hit him.

-HP&PWT-

"Maman?"

"Baby?"

"Did you feel zat maman? Something eez not right."

"You're imagining things, little Gabrielle," Apoline told her daughter with a concerned look. "Now run along and get Fleur, supper eez ready."

Gabrielle left and returned a moment later with Fleur in tow, white as a sheet.

"My daughter, are you well? Should I get a Healer?" Apoline cried in alarm, starting for the fireplace.

"No maman, I am just a leetle shaken," Fleur said quietly.

"Did you feel it too?" Gabrielle asked excitedly.

Fleur leaned so her mouth was next to Gabrielle's ear before she breathed, "I see it." She touched a hand to Gabrielle's shoulder.

Gabrielle saw light as day what appeared to be the boy who rescued her last year, Harry Potter, in super-accelerated reverse. He was next to a cabinet full of funny looking necklaces, then on a skeleton-looking horse, then on a carriage, then he was in a graveyard, then he was swimming through murky, green water, running from a dragon, fighting a hundred dementors, watching his aunt blow up, stabbing a huge snake with a sword, crashing a flying car into a tree, watching a strange man turn to ash, almost being killed by a huge troll in a bathroom, laying in a cupboard under the stairs.

Gabrielle began to cry uncontrollably as she saw more memories of her hero being abused. He was so nice; to have a family so ungrateful filled her heart with pity, sadness, and anger beyond all. Gabrielle knew if she ever met those people she would make them pay for hurting her Harry.

She woke up in her bed and looked out her window to see it was pitch black. She knew her mother had stunned her to calm her down; she'd done it before when Gabrielle was out of hand. She went back to sleep wondering what was going to happen to The-Boy-Who-Lived. She had no idea she would find out much sooner than she though.

-HP&PWT-

Harry's birthday was so unimportant in the Dursley household that Harry had almost forgotten when it was. He would have too, if a huge man hadn't kicked the front door down.

"Harry! What on earth happened to you? The Ministry and the Order have been looking all over for you for almost a year!" He roared. "What are you doing here? And why are you so…small?"

"I'm sorry, who are you? And what's the Ministry, and the Order?" was all the small boy could say in response as he jumped to his feet from the floor.

"Who am I? I'm Hagrid?" The hairy half-giant fell flat on his backside, shaking the whole house, and proceeded to cry his eyes out. After a while he pulled what appeared to be a red checkered tablecloth from his coat pocket and wiped away his giant tears. "You really don't remember?"

"I'm sorry, no." Harry said a little taken aback. He felt bad for the ,an, as scary looking a he was with his huge size and wild beard and hair.

Just then Harry's uncle had just got his wits together. He jumped up from the couch and yelled at the stranger, "You sir are breaking and entering! I demand you leave at once!"

"Dry up Dursley, you great prune!" Hagrid spat, sending Petunia, Vernon, and Harry's cousin Dudley scrambling up the stairs. Harry just fell back into the couch, not trusting his legs and tried to shrink from sight.

"I'm not gonna hurt you Harry, but you'd best come with me. The Headmaster's got lotsa explaining to do…" He said giving Harry a questioning look. When Harry didn't move he said, "Unless you'd rather stay here of course?"

It was a no brainer; Harry went with Hagrid, who seemed to know and like Harry. When they had walked a block from the Dursley's house, Hagrid grabbed Harry's arm and with the feeling of being squeezed through a tiny tube, they were standing in front of an old pub called The Leaky Cauldron.

"Uh, Hagrid? What exactly just happened?" Harry asked, beginning to panic and backing away from the man, ready to run if need be.

"Apparated. Appreciate if you didn't tell anybody at Hogwarts about that, strictly speaking I'm not allowed to do magic, except to get you," the wild man said jovially.

Harry just gulped and nodded as they stepped into the pub. Hagrid kept Harry close behind him, not wanting anybody to see what had happened to the greatest hero of the century.

"One room, preferably on the end, Tom." Hagrid said to the bartender, who tossed Hagrid a key. Hagrid turned to Harry, "Go to your room and stay there. Don't let anybody in unless they have the password, Phoenix. The Headmaster should be here in a bit to explain things, and I'll have Tom send some food up."

Food sounded great to Harry, who had gone two days without food for doing something he couldn't even explain and that shouldn't even be possible. He nodded at Hagrid and his emerald eyes seemed to say "thank you" as they met the beetle black eyes of what he had already come to think of as his protector.

Hagrid patted Harry on the shoulder with one of his dustbin lid sized hands causing Harry's knees to buckle and he went tumbling to the dusty, hardwood floor.

"Sorry 'bout that!" Hagrid chuckled. "Take care Harry."

-HP&PWT-

"Am I to assume you don't know who I am?" The old man said, stroking his overly-long beard. The man fixed Harry in an intense stare and seemed to be searching him for something, as if he was looking into Harry's mind.

"No, sorry sir." Harry said. He wasn't sure what he thought of this man in his long maroon robes, his half-moon spectacles, and that odd twinkle in his eyes. He would give the old man a chance.

"Hmmm. Well Harry, listen carefully." The man sat in the armchair in the corner of the dark, dusty room. "You're a wizard Harry, and you should be fifteen years old. You were in a battle at the Ministry of Magic, yes there is such a thing, and nobody is really sure how it happened but the best guess is that when a number of Time-Turners went off they sent you back to your eleven-year-old self before you found your abilities, and at the same time you were going back, you were hit by a killing curse. Your…shall we say present self was killed, allowing your past self, you, to take free reign."

"But sir-"

"Dumbledore, or Professor will do Harry."

"Right. Professor, what's a Time-Turner?"

"It is a sort of time-machine, very small, hard to explain. Nobody really knows how they work except a few Ministry employees sworn to secrecy."

"Professor, I'm very confused…" and the small, malnourished boy fainted and fell back onto the bed.

"Odd, he never once questioned being told he was a wizard…" Dumbledore said quietly to himself. He pulled his want, pointed it at Harry and mumbled, "Ennervate."

Harry's eyes snapped open. "What happened?"

"You fainted, my boy," Dumbledore said with a slight chuckle. "Hagrid will be along shortly to help you get your things."

"My things?"

"Yes Harry, you're going back to school," Albus Dumbledore replied with a wide smile.

"Wait, Professor!"

"Yes my boy?"

"Why can't I use a Time-Turner to go back to where I belong?"

"I am sorry Harry, but I'm afraid I can't answer that yet. It should be apparent before too long, though you'd best hope not," came the reply, only succeeding in confusing Harry more.

Dumbledore left and Hagrid returned an hour later flashing a wide . "Ya ready Harry? We're gonna go to Diagon Alley."

-HP&PWT-

For some reason, Gabrielle and Fleur both had the sudden need to go to Diagon Alley as soon as possible. They begged their mother and father, going as far as to get on their knees for two days until they finally agreed to take them on the next.

"Thank you maman, papa!" Gabrielle cried as she embraced her parents.

"What has happened zat you need to go to zat cluttered dump?" Jean Delacour asked his daughters.

"I do not know. But I hear a voice telling me eet is zee place to be," Fleur said, and Gabrielle nodded vigorously next to her.

"A voice?"

"Oui."

Jean had convinced Apoline not to call a healer when they began seeing things but now he was himself tempted to.

Three hours later found the four of them standing on the steps on Gringotts Wizard Bank, Gabrielle's eyes the size of galleons seeing the size of the huge, white marble bank.

"You girls go have fun, yes? Your father and I have some business with ze goblins."

"Where do we go now?" Fleur asked Gabrielle.

Gabrielle looked around for a bit before spotting a sign that said Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor. "Ice cream!"

Gabrielle and Fleur made their way to the shop and sat at an outside table. An old man came bustling out, "What would you like dears?"

"Deux chocolat," Fleur said quickly.

"Two chocolate cones, please," Gabrielle said noticing the man's confusion.

The man hurried off to get their cones.

"What?" Fleur said, hearing a sharp intake of breath from her little sister.

"Eet eez 'im!" She replied, pointing to a sleeping boy sitting all alone at the table next to them, his head resting on his arms.

"Who?"

"Harry Potter!" She said, a little too loud.

"Whazzit?" he groggily asked. "Whosaidmyname?" Came out in a long yawn.

"I 'ave seen 'arry Potter, and zis is not him. He is just a leetle boy!" Fleur said.

Harry gasped and rubbed the lightning scar on his forehead, it started burning like never before.

"Where is Harry Potter?"

"Milord, he is dead, ki-killed at the Ministry…"

"No! He is not dead, I would feel it!" The pale snake-like man raised his wand at the plump mousy man kneeling in front of him, "Crucio!"

"Milord, please! Even the Order acknowledges they saw him hit with the Killing Curse…" the man stated feebly. "He hasn't been seen in a year, milord. Surely that is proof?"

"Where is the body Wormtail, that is the only proof I want!"

"The-the-there isn't one mi-milord…"

"Crucio!" The man writhed in pain. "Find him, fool!"

Harry woke on the ground, and several people were around him, looking at him like he was a ticking time bomb, all except two beautiful girls; one young and one much older, both with worried smiles, silver-blonde hair, and beautiful blue eyes.

He rubbed the tears from his eyes as the pain began to recede. Giant hands picked him up and cradled him like a baby.

"Yer alright Harry, jus' need some rest is all," Hagrid said quietly, and he began walking toward the Leaky Cauldron to put Harry to bed. What he didn't know is that he was being followed by two French sisters who desperately needed to see Harry Potter.

-HP&PWT-

Harry woke to a knock on his door. He kicked the blankets off, got out of bed, and pulled on a pair of Dudley's hand-me-down shorts before going to the door.

"Who is it?" he inquired trying to look through the door's peephole. It was too high even with Harry standing on his tip-toes. "Come on," he said to himself and the peephole moved down the door to perfect eye level. It was the same girls he'd seen at Florean's.

"Gabrielle and Fleur Delacour," the little one said, "You don't know us but we know you."

"I'm not supposed to let anybody in unless they have a password," Harry said unconvinced.

"Are you expecting Death Eaters to try to assassinate you in ze middle of all zese people who would give zer lives for you?" The older sister said.

He didn't know what a Death Eater was but the girls didn't look like somebody who wanted to hurt him, the opposite in fact, so he unlocked the door and let them in.

He turned to go sit on the bed and heard a gasp. "Huh?"

"Your back, what has 'appened? It looks 'orrible!" Gabrielle cried.

He turned toward them, hiding the scars on his back that he had gotten from his abusive relatives. "Uh, no-nothing is wrong…j-just an accident." He said uncertainly.

"Zat cannot be an accident, eet is not possible!"

"Drop it, please," Harry pleaded.

"This room is very unfitting for Harry Potter," Fleur said after a long, awkward pause looking at the bare walls and rickety furniture and trying to change the subject.

"Better than my cupboard…" Harry muttered, rubbing his lightning-shaped scar.

Unfortunately Gabrielle, who was closer than Harry though, heard him.

"Oh how 'orrible! I saw you in zis cupboard but I thought zat maybe it was some kind of punishment! They actually make you stay zer?"

"It is punishment in a way, punishment for existing…" Harry said under his breath. "Hey, hold on, what do you mean you saw me?"

"We have a vision of you, yes? You were growing younger." Fleur interjected.

Harry collapsed on the chair in the corner and his shorts slid up a little, exposing a jagged scar running up his thigh.

When Gabrielle saw this she began to cry and Fleur turned and fled the room. Harry just hid his face in shame. Gabrielle saw how sad he was and ran to give him a hug, starting him sobbing as well. Never had the Dursleys shown him anything but cruelty for ten years and here was a girl he met minutes ago comforting him; mere moments later Fleur walked back into the room followed closely by her parents. Gabrielle backed up as her family came rushing in.

"Harry Potter, an honor to meet you!" said the girls' mother, offering her hand. Harry looked up and she saw the tear tracks running down his face, and then she noticed Gabrielle looked much in the same shape. "What is ze meaning of zis? What has 'appened?"

"Look maman, papa!" Gabrielle said pointing out the scar on Harry's thigh, despite his best efforts to hide it. "And his back!"

Harry brought his legs up and hugged his knees, trying to show as little as possible.

Jean walked over and easily picked the boy up. He took him to the bed and laid him on his stomach. He wanted to puke at what he saw. On his back was a giant "X" stretching from shoulder to hip. Harry began to sob into his pillow.

"And zey make 'im sleep in ze cupboard," Fleur added.

"Zis is an outrage! They cannot be allowed to treat Harry Potter in zis manner!" Jean declared. "We must speak with your family 'arry."

"NO!" Harry shouted. He began shaking uncontrollably.

"What eez 'appening?" Gabrielle shrieked.

"'E is going in shock!" Apoline said.

"But…why?" Fleur asked an hour later while Harry slept peacefully in his bed at The Leaky Cauldron.

"Maybe he feared for 'imself so much?" Jean offered, "And after seeing what I 'ave I cannot say I blame him."

"But we must do something! He seepmly can no longer stay with zese animals!" Apoline raged.

"We can do nothing at ze moment, but shush. He must sleep."

-HP&PWT-

The first thing Harry saw when he opened his eyes was Gabrielle Delacour's beautiful face and even more beautiful smile.

"You are awake finally, it 'as been several days."

"Days?" Harry exclaimed.

"But you are better now, non?" Gabrielle said, still smiling.

"Loads," He replied sitting up. There was nobody else in the room. "Not to be rude or anything, but why are you here?"

"Because I love you 'arry Potter!"

"Well that does…wait what?"

"I 'ave loved you since you save my life last year."

"Well I don't remember any of that, I'm sorry." He said.

"Eet doesn't matter, I still love you and I always will 'arry," Gabrielle said sincerely.

Harry just smiled. Even only knowing her for a short time, Harry knew it was impossible for him to not feel something for her, especially since she was the first person to show any affection to him, besides Hagrid.

"Well…I have to go shopping today." Harry said. "Would you want to come with me?"

"Yes!" she squealed in delight right before giving Harry a bone crushing hug and speeding off to find her family. "Brilliant."

Harry glanced at the large grandfather clock on the opposite wall, 6:30. "Too early," he said aloud to himself before going back to sleep.

He woke again at almost ten and headed down to the bar after getting dressed.

"Ah, zer he is," said Apoline, pulling a very confused Harry into a hug.

"Uh, morning?" Harry said.

"Eet was very nice of you to offer to take Gabrielle shopping with you; she loves you very much you know." Apoline said beaming at him.

"I think I may love her too…but I don't know. It seems crazy that I could love somebody I just met," Harry said in response.

"I can think of several reasons," Jean butted in, "But I bet it is because after suffering so long without love, you loved the first likely person to compensate…if that makes sense?"

"I think I understand…"

"You really are a very bright child, 'arry," Jean said, giving him an approving look and ruffling his hair.

"This sounds strange to me so I can't begin to imagine how it sounds to you, but I can say you are the closest thing to family I have…" Harry said with watery eyes and a sad smile.

Apoline pulled him into another hug. "But 'Arry, we have talked about adopting you, surely you wouldn't mind? And I doubt your family does very much eizer."

Just then Gabrielle ran up to Harry. "When do we get to go?" She asked excitedly.

"I suppose we could go now?" Harry said smiling. Yes, he definitely loved this amazing girl next to him.

She grabbed his hand and pulled him after her into Diagon Alley.

"Are you just starting school?"

"Oui!"

"Do you need a wand?" Harry asked the blue-eyed beauty holding his hand.

She nodded and he pulled her into a store named Ollivander's. Harry paid for both their wands which earned him a quick peck on the check from a giggling Gabrielle. He hid it as best as he could but Harry was very upset. Gabrielle's first wand chose her and he must have went through a hundred before just buying one at random.

"Where to next?" He asked her.

"I am sinking zat you need clothes zat fit, non?" She pulled him into Madam Malkin's where they were fitted for robes. He also bought some muggle clothes from the small supply available.

They went all over Diagon Alley, from Zonko's Joke Shop, to look at animals at The Magical Menagerie, back to Florean's. What caught Harry's eye most was a shop called Quality Quidditch Supplies. He didn't know what Quidditch was but it appeared to be popular from how crowded the shop was. They finally made it back to The Leaky Cauldron five hours later laden with sweets and joke props. Gabrielle immediately went to show off her new wand and robes to her parents while Harry went back up to his room.

"Ah, Bella. You have news I take it? It would be unwise to call me otherwise."

"Yes milord, one of our spies claims he saw Potter at Diagon Alley, yet he appears to be a boy, just turning Hogwart's age," said Bellatrix.

"If this is true then things have gotten much easi-"

Harry woke from his dream covered in sweat. He rolled over to get comfortable and go back to sleep when he noticed somebody else was in his bed; Gabrielle was sound asleep with a wide smile.

He snuck from under the covers careful not to wake her and went to get breakfast. The only person awake was Apoline.

"Morning Mrs. Delacour," Harry said.

"Good morning 'Arry.

"Uh…so…Gabrielle…I swear I didn't do anything! I just woke up and she was in my bed!" Harry blurted out. He threw his hands over his head expecting to be beat.

She half smiled, half frowned. "Do not think zat you are in trouble 'Arry, zis is good. She really loves you, is what zis means.

"You're not going to…hit me?" Harry asked, not sure whether or not to trust his instinct or habit.

"Non, never. Like you say earlier, we are family."

"For all that means. So what do I do then?" He asked timidly.

"She is yours, do what you wish," Apoline said shrugging.

"Huh?"

"You heard me, she is yours. I sink she has bonded with you. She is veela after all."

Harry woke up in his bed shortly.

"Love? Are you good?" Gabrielle asked.

"I fainted, didn't I?" He knew the answer before he asked.

"Oui."

"Oui," he said smiling to himself.

-HP&PWT-

"Uh, Gabrielle? Did you really, uh, bond with me?"

"Oui 'Arry."

"But…why?"

"Because I love you, 'Arry!" Gabrielle said, bringing Harry into one of her signature bone-crushing hugs.

"But what is this bond?"

"Eet means I will do anything for you! I will go everywhere with you, even to death," she said, smiling all the while.

"Even to death? So that means if I die-"

"Zen so do I," she finished.

"You realize my chances on not dying, right?" Harry said. He couldn't believe somebody would attach their life to his, especially when according to Dumbledore, and his visions, dark forces were trying to hunt him down this very moment.

"Oui 'Arry. Love eez more important than life."

This time it was Harry who pulled Gabrielle into a hug. Before he knew it he was crying. He finally has something to hold onto, a reason to live. He she was bound to him now, he had to protect her. He jumped out of bed and picked up the spell book on the dresser that's he had bought earlier. He opened to a random page.

Stupefy

This was an easy spell compared to the others he was looked at; there wasn't even any specific wand movement. He flipped to the next page.

"Ennervate," that could be useful for you Gabrielle, he said to the curious girl trying to read over his shoulder. "As much as I seem to pass out, a revive spell is just what you need."

"But you are so cute when you are sleeping," she joked, kissing his cheek.

"I'm going to miss you Gabrielle," Harry said sadly. "Will you visit again next year or am I going to have to walk all the way to France?"

"Why would you mees me? Maman and Papa say I must go to "Ogwarts with you." She sat next to Harry and laid her head on his shoulder.

Harry noticed she had tears building in his eyes, so he put an arm around her and gave her a squeeze. "But what about your family? Are they staying too then?"

"Non, they are going to go back to France."

There was a huge explosion and Harry's door was blasted open. Harry jumped behind the bed pulling Gabrielle with him as spells of every kind and color began flying into the room. Harry grabbed his wand, and took a blind shot with a Stupefy. He heard a satisfying thunk and looked under the bed to see a black robed and masked man motionless on the floor. Another man came running into the room and sent a green jet, like one that Harry had seen in his dreams, about to hit Gabrielle's exposed head. Without thinking, he pushed Gabrielle to the side and felt suddenly as if he were on fire. The last thing he heard was his beautiful Gabrielle scream his name.

"Zis eez impossible, he wakes!"

"Impossible, non. He eez 'Arry Potter after all."

Harry woke up and took a deep breath that felt like his first in a year. He couldn't see, his eyes wouldn't open! His hands went to his face which felt it was suffering from a thousand bee stings.

"Don't touch it Harry!" He heard Dumbledore's voice and felt his hands grab his and take them away from his face.

"What happened?" Harry mumbled.

"You were hit with a very nasty curse, one that has never been identified," he said.

"I feel like I'm on fire."

"You were on fire 'Arry!" Gabrielle cried somewhere next to him.

"Gabrielle? Are you all right?" Harry asked.

She started sobbing. "Oui, because of you 'Arry…"

"The scars will heal Harry," Dumbledore said. "You did a very noble thing today."

"Eef he is not even safe 'ere, I must insist he be moved to a safer place!" Apoline's voice said.

"The safest place for him now would be the Dursleys, I think," Dumbledore said slowly.

"Non! He cannot go back! Zey beat him, look!" He felt someone's hand running up his thigh.

"Harry, what happened here?" Dumbledore asked, anger rising in his voice.

"Ac-accident…" Harry stuttered.

"Zer is no way to prove zat, but 'is back eez most defiately not an accident!" Jean said matching Dumbledore.

He was being picked up by what must have been magic because he felt no hands. He was rolled over in midair.

"Harry. Harry, who did this?" Dumbledore thundered.

"Do I have to go back?" he asked quietly, fearing the consequences of these people seeing the signs of abuse. His uncle wouldn't let him eat for a week. Food was nothing compared to the physical punishments he would receive, especially Vernon's studded belt that he had bought just for Harry.

"Tell me who did it or I shall go in and find out myself."

"Dudley and his friends…" Harry said, starting to sob.

"And Vernon didn't know about this?"

"He-he-he said it was payment."

"For what?"

"Taking me in!"

"I think we may need a new living situation…" Dumbledore said to himself, lowering Harry to the bed where he felt Gabrielle's small, soft hand take his and give him a reassuring squeeze.

"'E eez more zan welcome with us," Apoline said loudly.

"There is only one week until Hogwarts starts. He should be fully recovered by then. Take good care of him." A pause and then, "Ah. Cornelius, I wondered when you'd show up. Maybe we can take this to another room and dive the poor boy some well-deserved rest?"

Harry woke up in the softest bed he had ever been in. Even better was that he had his sight back. He had no idea where he was however. He was in a huge room, with white walls and big mahogany dressers, a giant mirror (which he was afraid to look into), and two big windows with blue curtains drawn. He kicked off his sheets and grabbed his wand and glasses from the little bedside table. "How did I get in pajamas?" he thought.

The door to the room burst open and he was tackled onto the bed where he continued to receive what must have been a hundred kisses.

"You are finally awake! We were beginning to sink zat you would not be able to go to 'Ogwarts tomorrow!" Gabrielle said in between kisses.

"Tomorrow? But school doesn't start for another week."

"Non, you went to sleep and didn't wake up, we were so worried zat you were trying to pass. But you're back now!" she chatted excitedly.

"Wow, I'm sore now."

"Well come down and maman will make you better."

Harry followed Gabrielle out of the room, down a long hall and past several rooms, down a wide fancy staircase, to the left into the dining room.

"He says he is sore," Gabrielle told his mother, who was setting the table.

Apoline pulled her wand and tapped Harry on the forehead with it. A warming sensation went through his whole body and his muscles instantly relaxed.

"Thank you Mrs. Delacour."

"Very welcome 'Arry. Zis train, the 'Ogwarts Express leaves at eleven exactly. Hurry and eat breakfast or we will be late."

As she finished her sentence, a huge box shot out of the fireplace labeled, To Mr. H. Potter from A.P.W.B.D. A letter attached to it said that everything in the box had belonged to him when he "died" and was still rightfully his. Tearing into the box he found a wand that created a red aura when Harry grabbed it, a shrunken trunk which Harry assumed had school stuff and clothes in it, a package with a cloak, and a bird cage. Another note told Harry to keep the cloak, which was an invisibility cloak, on him at all times, even around the house.

-To Be Continued-