1995:

He heard Voldemort's scream of fury at the same moment that he felt the jerk behind his navel that meant the Portkey had worked – it was speeding him away in a whirl of wind and color, and Cedric along with him. . . . They were going back.

1974:

The Great Hall had just erupted in song. Lily Evans restrained herself from covering her ears at the hundreds of voices on different tunes and keys. James Potter was seated a little farther down and was continually glancing at her to see if she was impressed by his extremely loud, slow tune. Avoiding her eyes, Lily quickly joined in on the singing as quietly as she could.

. . . . until our brains all rot!"

Lily was one of the first to finish and had to wait a full five minutes for Potter and his friends to finish.

Dumbledore had tears in his eyes, "Ah! Music! Wonderful – Wonderful! Now, off to bed –"

There was a loud crash and two boys fell from the ceiling, right in front of Lily, who screamed. At the sound of her voice almost every other girl and quite a few boys screamed. The newcomers seemed to be covered in blood and dirt. But what had really terrified Lily was the brown haired older boy dressed in yellow and black; his eyes were wide open staring at the ceiling. He was dead.

The other boy was sobbing uncontrollably, holding on to the boy and a shining cup as though his life depended on it. He was face down with his eyes tightly closed.

Dumbledore ran to where Lily was sitting, followed by all the other teachers. He pulled her and her friends, Alice, Frank, and Amy off the bench and away from the boys. Everyone else near the two newcomers had already jumped up and ran away.

McGonagall shouted, "Prefects! If you could, please, lead your houses to your dormitories!"

The students began to leave, following their leaders, and Lily's friends tried to tug her along but she couldn't move. There was something different about those two . . .

"Lily, come on – "

"We don't want to be here."

"Lily? Are you alright? Let's go, really –"

But Lily ignored their attempts and they looked to Professor McGonagall to make Lily leave. But McGonagall, like all the teachers, was staring at the boys, waiting.

James Potter, meanwhile, was urging his friends to get under the invisibility cloak so they could eavesdrop; the Marauders loved being the first to hear news.

"Guys, c'mon! If we don't go now, chances are we'll never know!"

"James, don't you think you're being a bit dramatic?" Remus Lupin was looking at his friend in exasperation.

"No! I'm not! D'you think they'll tell us the truth about those two? The teachers will cover it up!"

"Remus, he does have a point." Sirius was on his friends side, besides, to him it sounded like an excellent way to one up the teachers.

Remus frowned but said, "Oh alright! But only you and Sirius'll fit under the cloak. Peter and I'll wait for you in the common room."

James smiled, "You're the best!" and with that he threw the Cloak over Sirius and himself while Peter looked on longingly.

The two snuck back into the Great Hall where Lily was still ignoring her friend's pleas for her to leave.

Why's she want to stay? James thought. Lily never disobeyed a teacher especially not on something as big as this.

Professor McGonagall had finally noticed Lily's persistence to stay and said, "Evans? Why don't you leave."

Lily shook her head resolutely causing expressions of shock to appear on her friends, James, Sirius, and McGonagall's face.

"Ms. Evans!"

"Minerva. Let her stay." Dumbledore interrupted. He had been surveying the boy who was alive and made a possibly reckless decision. Raising his voice slightly, he continued, "Mr. Potter! Would you please reveal yourself and, Mr. Black? Would you escort Ms. Evan's friends out of the hall and be sure you all stay out."

He spoke with such finality that Sirius and James, along with Alice, Frank, and Amy complied immediately.

The staff was crowding the table so neither Lily nor James could see. But the noises of shock from their professors made them curious and they pushed their way through the mass. James went white and Lily looked shocked at the sight of the alive boy's face.

"Potter – He looks just like you!"

The alive boy was looking at Dumbledore's face, which was now inches from his own. Obviously recognizing it, he whispered, "He's back. He's back. Voldemort."

Everyone flinched but Dumbledore. Lily's mind was whirling; what did he mean? You-Know-Who's back? But he'd never been gone, in fact, he'd just gotten powerful. The staff was muttering along those lines too until Dumbledore made waved them to be silent.

"Boy?" Dumbledore wished he knew what to call him but felt the use of Legilimency on the boy would be unwarranted. Looking at the boy's hand which was clutching his dead fellows arm, he said, "Let go. You can't help. Let him go."

"He wanted me to bring him back," the boy muttered. "He wanted me to bring him back to his parents. . . ."

Shock and sadness became apparent on everyone's faces. Dumbledore looked sadly down at the clasping hand and began to pry it off.

"Tell me, what's your name?" Dumbledore asked. Whatever he should have said, that wasn't it, because the boy seemed to realize he wasn't where he thought he was and rolled away only to fall off the table to the floor. He landed hard on a very bloody leg and cried out.

A couple people gasped at his pain and began to rush forward to help him, Lily and James included.

The boy stood on his wounded leg and raised his wand bravely, green eyes wide in terror. Lily and James were hidden by the teachers but James glimpsed those eyes and thought Lily's eyes. Turning to her, he began to whisper a question when –

"Stupefy! Expelliarmus! Stupefy!" The boy had the element of surprise as he took out two teachers and another's wand but sure enough –

"Expelliarmus!" Dumbledore shouted and the force of the spell pushed the boy down. He quickly stood back up, sadness mingled with anger and fear in his eyes.

"Why are you doing this? Why? Isn't it bad enough you're going to kill me? That you tortured me? That you killed my friend in front of my eyes? Was –"

"My dear boy – " Dumbledore began.

" – it not enough? Did you have to do this? Force me to battle you while you look like Dumbledore!" Tears were streaming down the boy's face and James and Lily exchanged terrified looks before they ran forward.

"What are you talking about?" Lily shouted, looking at the severely injured boy in front of her. James was right behind her.

"Yeah! Dumbledore'd never harm anyone! NEVER!" It was a little disorienting to be talking to what looked like a clone and James stumbled a little over the words.

The boy paled noticeably at their appearances and sobbed harder, "NO! I WON'T LET YOU DO THIS TO ME!" and he charged Dumbledore.

Dumbledore flicked his wand and set the boy flying backwards where he screamed upon landing on his leg. Dumbledore paled at the sound and said, "I'm so sorry! Let me –"

"NO! What more do you want from me? Whatever it is; get on with it! Unleash you're torturers or do it yourself! Or KILL ME! You've already taken everything from me!"

"What are you talking about?" Lily shouted, but she was not the only one. McGonagall had shouted too, her expression angry.

"As if Dumbledore would do that to anyone!" She continued but Dumbledore himself waved her down.

The boy gave a strangled laugh, "Dumbledore! As if! It's a new way to make it hurt! For me to feel as though I was killed by my mentor, the man who protects me while my teachers defend him! Oh no! It's Voldemort hiding behind that face!"

Dumbledore nodded, as if he'd been waiting for the boy to say that. The nod confused the boy who was looking wildly about for what the nod signaled.

Lily glared at him and James walked angrily towards him; drawing his wand from his robes. As James raised the wand the boy paled, turning to Dumbledore, horror spread across his face. "No. No. P – Please! I- I'll d-do a-an-nyt-thin-ng!" He was pleading and had collapsed onto his knees.

"James! James! Stop! NOW!" James only stopped at the last word, still staring in anger at the boy who had the nerve to call Dumbledore Voldemort.

Dumbledore looked at the sobbing boy and said, "Stupefy."

Silence ensued.

"Well, that was enlightening," Dumbledore said and everyone started talking; waking up their fellows that had been stunned, asking questions of Dumbledore and of each other. James was still looking angrily at the boy and Lily was staring at him in confusion. Finally –

"SILENCE!" Dumbledore yelled, "I'll make my best guesses towards all of your questions but only one at a time."

Madam Pomfrey walked forward; in her hands was the Triwizard Cup that the boy had dropped in his hurry to get away. "Explain this."

Dumbledore sighed, "This is the Triwizard Cup. It's always part of the last challenge in the Triwizard Tournament; the champion who finds it wins the Tournament. I can guess that both of these boys were champions in the Tounament. Since there's not one going on now and he mentioned Voldemort coming back, I can guess the boy's from the future."

"Who is the boy?" Lily asked, curiosity written on her face. He has my eyes.

Dumbledore smiled, "I have a guess, but it's his secret. I won't tell anyone until he does."

Most of the staff looked unsatisfied by this answer but McGonagall pressed on in a wavering voice, "What was he on about? Torture, death, I mean, he can't have been telling the truth. He looks no older than fourteen."

James and Lily whispered, "Our age."

Dumbledore looked grave, "On the contrary I think he was telling the truth. Every word."

The staff looked stunned and Dumbledore looked around, "Horace? A calming drought if you would."

Professor Slughorn nodded and went over to the boy, drawing a flask out of his robes. Dumbledore meanwhile looked to the staff, "I'm sorry, but I think it would be best for most of you to leave. Minerva, Poppy, Horace, James, and Lily you may all stay, but would everyone else please leave for a moment."

Some grumbled but anyone whose name had not been listed left. Dumbledore conjured seven comfortable chairs for everyone left. Horace Slughorn nodded to show he'd gotten the potion down and Dumbledore pointed his wand at the boy's chest, "Ennervate"

The boy woke up and looked slightly wary of those in front of him, "Are you Death Eaters?"

Dumbledore got up and the boy flinched, "No." And he grasped the boy's arm, intending to lead him to the chair when he let out a cry of pain. Startled, he let go of the arm. Seeing blood on his hand, he took the boy's other arm and gently pulled him over to the final chair.

"I'm sorry about that." Dumbledore said to the suspicious face, "Now, I understand I look like someone you know and the first thing you should know is that the year is 1974."

The boy opened his mouth in shock, "N- No it's not, it's 1995." He looked around and saw the young figures of his mum and dad and said, his voice trembling, "You're lying."

Dumbledore ignored the last comment and pressed on, "What's your name?"

The boy looked down, his leg was killing him. Madam Pomfrey noticed the look of pain and glared at Dumbledore.

"Boy- "

"Harry, Harry Potter." The figures of his parents stared at him unashamedly, but the use of the word 'boy' reminded him too much of his Uncle Vernon for him to care.

"What?" James gaped

"Never mind that, Harry," Madam Pomfrey said, "I can't heal you here but I'll make the pain less."

Harry nodded and gritted his teeth.

As soon as she was done Professor Dumbledore asked, "Can you tell us a bit of your back story, please?"

"Yah!" Said James, "How'd I get Evans?"

Lily rolled her eyes, "As if I'd ever go out with this arrogant toe rag! Let alone get married!"

"Who said you were my parents? My parents are d- dead." But Harry said it in a way that made it seem as though he was trying to convince himself.

They both looked confused and Dumbledore looked sad. Harry eyes had misted over as though recalling something when Dumbledore's voice broke through his thoughts.

"Harry?"

"Right, you want to hear my story." Harry said hoarsely then a sudden anger seemed to take over, "as if you didn't already know it! As if you aren't the reason it's a story." The calming draught was no longer taking effect. Harry stood, looking around for his wand again.

Madam Pomfrey took the pain charm away from him and he let out a shriek. Lily threw her hands over her ears and looked reproachfully at Madam Pomfrey, "Why'd you do that? Can't you see how much pain he's in?"

"I'll do whatever it takes to make him listen." Madam Pomfrey was staring angrily at Harry.

Dumbledore paled as Harry gritted his teeth and stood, being careful to put as little weight as possible on his injured leg. Dumbledore quickly rose, his wand outstretched and Harry stood taller. Straight- backed with his head held high; just like his father would die in the future.

Dumbledore lowered his wand, sadness riddling his old features; what had happened to this boy to make him believe that every time someone he didn't know pointed a wand at him it was to kill him? In the background he heard Lily stifle a sob.

Harry, however was looking at him in confusion, "Aren't you going to kill me or –" his face twisted in pain and he slumped to the ground, gasping.

Dumbledore kneeled next to him and Harry began to use his good arm and leg to crawl away. "Harry. That's enough. Now, what will it take to make you believe me?"

Harry's brilliant green eyes stared into Dumbledore's blue eyes as he propped himself up, and said, "Wh – What's the most powerful force in the world?"

Dumbledore stared at the boy, how would this boy know? It's not exactly well known. Anyways, I'm pretty sure I'd never talk about something like that to a student. "Love."

It was barely a whisper but Harry heard it and nodded, tears springing into his eyes. "You're Dumbledore. No one can fake the way you say that word, Voldemort would've scoffed."

Madam Pomfrey still looked angry and did not rush forward to help the boy, but Lily did. Gently, with the help of Professor Dumbledore, she pulled him back into the chair, trying to ignore his gasps of pain.

Dumbledore stared at Harry and Lily for a moment before saying, "Harry? I need your story. Top to bottom."

Harry looked at him then at his parents, "No."

"No?" Professor McGonagall stood, her mouth a thin line.

Harry flinched but said, "No."

Dumbledore flagged down McGonagall, James, and Pomfrey (all of which were looking angry), "Why?"

"My friend always said that awful things happen to wizards who meddle with time and I can't risk that. I can't risk anything changing." His voice broke as he continued softly, "It could mean hundreds of lives lost where none were lost before. I c - can't change it, n –no m-m-matter h –how much I w –want to."

Tears were falling fast down Harry's face; it was just too much. Seeing his mother and father alive and knowing that he couldn't keep them that way. Dumbledore was listening attentively but McGonagall spoke, in harsh tones;

"Is your story really that influential?"

Harry struggled to contain his tears and after a minute managed it. He looked at his teacher with cold eyes, "Yes. It really is."

McGonagall opened and closed her mouth before turning to Dumbledore who sighed, "That's enough for now, let's let Poppy get to work."

Madam Pomphrey didn't rise immediately but shifted herself to look Dumbledore full in the face, "Are you sure? There's a lot of answers we never got and, I'm sorry, but I don't see any reason to trust the boy."
Dumbledore's face hardened, "So, your caring, to which I thought there was no end, does not extend to an injured 14 year- old?"

Madam Pomfrey stuttered, she had not been thinking of Harry as a 14 year old she had been thinking of him as an enemy taking polyjuice. "Headmaster, how do you know that it's not, well, one of his followers in disguise? It'd be a great way for You-Know-Who to come into real power if you were murdered."

"You're right Poppy; there's no hard fact to prove Harry's trustworthy." Dumbledore looked weary as he turned to Harry, "Harry? If I could examine one of your memories from tonight –"

"What?" The boy looked scared. "Would I have to see it too?"

Lily gave a whimper,but Dumbledore nodded gravely, "You would have to steer me in the right direction."

Harry nodded, his face unreadable, and closed his eyes. Gently, Dumbledore probed into his mind.

Colors were flashing, the world spinning. It's a Portkey Dumbledore realized. Two people fell on either side of the Triwizard Cup. Harry was still lying on the ground but his companion had stood and was looking around at a graveyard.

"Where are we?" Harry asked and the other boy pulled him to his feet.

"Did anyone tell you the cup was a Portkey?" the other boy was now looking from Harry to the cup.

"Nope," Harry responded, looking around, "Is this supposed to be part of the task?"

"I dunno," The other boy said nervously, "Wands out, d'you reckon?"

"Yeah."

The two boys stood still, wands outstretched, wary of any movement.

Soon, Harry said, "Someone's coming." The boys plus Dumbledore watched the advancing figure. It looked like it was carrying something, something that almost looked like it was a baby.

The two boys lowered their wands and exchanged confused glances before continuing to watch the figure.

It stopped beside a towering marble headstone approximately six feet from them and looked at the boys. Suddenly Harry had fallen to all fours and was screaming in pain, his wand falling from his grasp as he held his hands to his forehead.

There was a cold voice, "Kill the spare."

The hooded figure drew his wand and said, "Avada Kedavra!"

Green light illuminated the graveyard and the other boy fell to the ground. Harry opened his eyes to see his companion dead on the ground. The hooded man dragged Harry to the marble headstone and slammed him against it. Dumbledore saw the illuminated name.

Tom Riddle

And it all began to make a bit of sense to him. Dumbledore quickly turned back to the man and Harry. The man was conjuring cords to tie Harry, from neck to ankles, to the stone. Harry was fighting him and the man hit him with a hand that had a finger missing.

Dumbledore was repulsed but Harry seemed to recognize the hand and gasped, "You!"

Dumbledore saw the face and was horrified; it was Peter Pettigrew. He was friends with James and here he was, tying up James' son (unless he was very much mistaken, Harry was James' son), hitting him.

Peter was checking the tightness of the cords with trembling fingers. As soon as he was finished, Peter stuffed some black cloth into Harry's mouth and hurried away to check on the thing that looked like a baby.

Dumbledore looked at Harry and saw the boy's eyes wide open in horror, with bit of pain in them. A giant snake was slithering through the grass and began circling the headstone Harry was tied to. Pettigrew was pushing a black cauldron in front of the grave. He lit it and filled it with liquid that seemed to heat very fast.

"Hurry." That cold voice spoke again and the surface of the potion seemed to be encrusted with diamonds.

"It is ready, Master." Peter's nervous tones cut through the night.

"Now. . . . "

Pettigrew pulled the robes surrounding the creature away and Harry gave a muffled yell that was mimicked by Dumbledore. The thing was in the shape of a crouched human child but all scaly and a raw reddish black and its face was like that of a snake.

Pettigrew looked repulsed but picked the thing up and put it in the cauldron. Harry's face was screwed up in pain, supposedly from his scar.

Pettigrew raised his wand, "Bone of the father, unknowingly given, you will renew your son!"

Dumbledore gasped, this was evil, evil magic.

The stone of the marble grave split and out rose a trickle of dust that flew into the potion, turning it a poisonous looking blue.

Pettigrew brought out a silver dagger and began whimpering, his voice broken by sobs, "Flesh – of the servant – w-willingly given – you will – revive – your master!"

He held his right hand in front of him and swung the knife upwards and Harry and Dumbledore closed their eyes quickly and a scream filled the night accompanied by a sickening splash. Dumbledore opened his to see the potion had turned a burning red.

Harry still had his eyes closed and he didn't realize Pettigrew was right in front of him until –

"B-blood of the enemy . . . forcibly taken . . . you will . . . resurrect you foe."

Pettigrew grasped the dagger and pushed it into the crook of Harry's arm. He dropped the knife and grasped a vial to collect Harry's blood. Pettigrew then stumbled back to the cauldron and poured the blood inside.

The potion turned a blinding white and began to simmer, sending of sparks.

The sparks were extinguished as a man rose from the cauldron.

"Robe me."
Pettigrew clumsily gathered the robes and threw them around his master. The man, Voldemort, was staring at Harry and Harry stared back into the scarlet eyes of the man he feared.

Blackness grew over the whole scene.

"W- was that e- enough?" Harry's shaking voice vibrated through the darkness, startling Dumbledore. Dumbledore wanted to see more, wanted to see how Harry escaped, but nodded his head and with that, he extracted his mind.

Blinking in the sudden light, Dumbledore surveyed his staff. Lily and James looked like they were about to fall asleep, Horace was snoring in his chair, Minerva and Poppy looked curious, and Harry was hugging himself.

"I'm going to show you all what he showed me." Dumbledore said, forcing the images into everyone's head.

By the end of it, Lily was sobbing and James, McGonagall, Pomfrey, and Slughorn (who had awoken as soon as the memory appeared in his head) looked stunned and were white faced.

Madam Pomfrey was the first to move. She walked over to Harry and levitated him whispering, "I'm so, so sorry."

She walked out with him and Dumbledore said, quietly, "Good. Now, Lily, James? Since you're the only two students who know part of his story and you're his age I'm going to ask you to help him out. Be friends with him, help him in classes."

Lily nodded, rocking back and forth, but James said, "He's my son isn't he? Mine and Lily's. That's why you asked us to stay. You saw his eyes and he looks like my twin."

Dumbledore hesitated; Harry didn't want them to know, even if they were his parents, "No. All the similarities are coincidences. I chose you to stay because you two balance each other out and can help him the best.

James and Lily walked out together. "So." James said with a cocky smile, "Wanna go out?"

Lily looked at him in disgust, "With you? Never! Didn't you almost attack that boy?"

James looked uncomfortable, "Why not?"

"Why not attack him?"

"No! Why won't you go out with me?"

"Because you think you're so cool, messing up your hair, sneaking into the kitchens, snogging a different girl each day, not to mention hexing Severus every time he walks in a room!" Lily was walking determinedly away, the torches on the walls making her hair look like it was on fire.

"Hey! Hey! EVANS!" James tried to run after her but she whipped out her wand.

"If you think, that because some boy falls from the sky, I'll just go out with you regardless of your attitude, then you are sorely mistaken. Don't follow me James Potter!" And she swept off.

James trekked up to the dormitory in a sullen mood and muttered, "Tentacula" to the portrait of the Fat Lady.

As soon as he got inside he was ambushed by Remus, Sirius, and, the last person he wanted to see, Peter.

"What was that about?"

"Who's the boy?"

"Where'd he come from?"

James simply walked past them and collapsed in an armchair. Sirius sat down and said, with a smile, "Strike out with Evans again?"

The blush on James face was answer enough and the three boys laughed.