TITLE: Better Early Than Never
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Harry Potter, nor do I receive any profit from any of my stories other than the joy of seeing reviews and favourites.
Chapter Two: The Return
Harry awoke with a start and in the process ended up smacking his head on the curiously low ceiling. He brought a hand to his throbbing skull and winced as it made contact.
Well, at least he knew where he was; his cupboard. It was just as dingy, just as small, just as depressing. Although, Harry thought as he swung his much smaller legs over the side of his small mattress, the sight of the godforsaken place meant that it had worked! He was back in time, and he was going to change things. He was going to change everything.
He reached into his black robe, he had made sure that it was a magical one that changed sizes when the wearer did before he came back, and brought out the time turner. He dropped it onto the bare concrete floor and stamped on it until hourglass gave up and smashed to pieces in a cloud of golden dust. Part one of his Escape the Dursleys Plan complete. Time to commence part two.
Harry stood and then crouched on all fours on the cold floor. He closed his eyes and bit his bottom lip, hard, in concentration, all the while pouring magic onto and around himself, almost concealing him from the outside world in a ball of red flames.
"Magicae clypeus."
The powerful layer of red circled him for a few more seconds before dissolving into the floor. Harry grinned. That was the Ministry's little trace sorted. But now to see if the time travel had messed around with his powers or not. What to do? Something simple, obviously, as his body was still recovering from the travel itself. His green gaze drifted over to a pair of dirty old socks next to him on the floor. He waved his right hand over them, allowing a small piece of his magic to release out of his hand and into the socks, and they quickly transfigured into a small golden snitch that started fluttering around the small space. Harry nodded once in satisfaction.
Good. He could still do the simple stuff, his whole plan would have been in disarray otherwise. He snatched the golden ball out of the air with precision that only an one hundred and twenty year old seeker, who still practiced three days a week in private, could have, and with a small squeeze turned it back into the pair of socks that he then left discarded under the mattress.
Right then, Part Three was a go. He stood and reached into his pocket, taking out the shrunken trunk that was placed there. He then touched his black wizarding robe and it seemed to dissolve into thin air, leaving a small black t-shirt and dark blue jeans with black sneakers. Happy with himself, he placed his trunk into his jean pocket and grabbed an oversized grey hoodie that used to be Dudley's and put it on, concealing his shirt and part of his jeans, that way his Uncle wouldn't notice anything different.
He raised his hand and said, "Tempus." Glowing yellow letters appeared in front of him that read, 'Little Whinging, Surrey, England. 06:54am, July 24th 1991.'
The 24th of July. Harry could have laughed himself silly, he had gone back to the day when his first Hogwarts letter was delivered! This was just perfect, even better than what he had planned to do, and it meant that Harry could work in secret away from Hogwarts and away from Dumbledore, who would no doubt want Harry to stay with the Dursleys for seven more years; that was the one thing wrong with Dumbledore, he just didn't see the smaller picture, always the big.
He smiled and unlatched the cupboard door before walking out and closing it slowly and gently behind him, so as not to wake up his 'family'.
He made his way to the kitchen and started on breakfast. Back when he really was ten, he would have waited for his Aunt to come down and wake him up before receiving instructions on how to cook their breakfast, but now he knew that he was a wizard already, and he could already use wandless magic to the level of a master, so he had no trouble making it without any instructions. He waved his left and right hands wide in opposite directions of each other, making the cupboard doors snap open and plates to float down to the table where they were joined moments later by the knives, forks and spoons. He tapped his right hand on the frying pan causing it to heat up and with another wave of his left hand, bacon landed in it, oil and grease spitting. Soon eggs were frying along with the bacon and then after about ten minutes Harry was sat at the table blowing on his eggs.
It took about twenty more minutes for his Aunt to come down, he smirked as he heard her shriek to his closed and empty cupboard for him to get up. When she reached the kitchen Harry fixed his eyes to his plate and finished off his eggs, but when he heard a small gasp coming from the doorway, he had to look up. It was all he could do not to laugh. Petunia was stood in the doorframe staring at Harry and the table with wide and confused eyes.
Harry put on his most innocent smile and as she slowly lowered herself into her seat opposite him, he said, "Good morning, Aunt Petunia."
She narrowed her eyes at him, but other than that seemed to just pretend he wasn't there. He watched her as she sniffed her eggs, perhaps to see if they were poisoned. At that he snorted, making her eyes snap up to him, and he stood, carrying his plate with him to the sink. Sadly her eyes still tracked him when he got to the sink, so he washed his dirty plate non-magically and placed it on the drying rack.
Uncle Vernon and Dudley entered the room just as Harry turned around. His Uncle eyed him suspiciously before barking at him to, "Comb your hair!", and Dudley just went straight to the food. Once they had all sat down, Harry wiggled his fingers behind his back and an envelope appeared in his before free hand. He waited standing by the sink until Aunt Petunia had finished and was just sitting there watching Vernon and Dudley before he went back to the table.
He sat down and placed the envelope on the table in front of him with a 'whack!' that made his Uncle and Aunt glare at him.
"What?" Vernon snapped through a mouthful of egg yoke. Harry shook his head and opened the letter, taking out a piece of parchment. He slid it in front of his Aunt.
"That's an emancipation form." he said, making his Aunt's eyes open wide and stare at him, whereas his Uncle was clearly gleeful and itching to sign, and Dudley was confused, "Once you both sign, I can go and you'll never have to see me again."
Vernon slapped down his cutlery and pulled the paper towards him and Harry handed him a pen. He watched as his Uncle signed the section of the form he was supposed to and then handed it back to his wife, nudging her when all she did was look at Harry.
Finally she spoke in a quiet voice, "But...what about the letter?"
Ah, the letter Dumbledore had left for them to read. Harry rolled his eyes and put the pen in front of her, "Whatever Dumbledore said in that letter was not true. Just sign it."
After about five minutes of obvious inner battle, she signed and Harry sagged in relief while Vernon smiled wider than Harry had ever seen. She handed it back to him and raised a curious eyebrow, "What now?"
Before Harry could answer, his Uncle cut in, "He leaves, Pet! He goes!"
Harry chuckled at his Uncle's enthusiasm, which made the older man eye him again, "Yeah, I'll leave, but first I've gotta wait for a letter." Harry then tapped the letter, which duplicated it into two (Vernon swore violently, Petunia paled and Dudley stared at the two letters). Harry ignored them and placed one of them in front of his Aunt, "Here's your copy. If anyone tries to destroy it, don't worry 'cause I've placed an indestructible charm on it, show it to anyone who comes here looking for me."
Before anyone could say anything, they heard the click of the mail slot and flop of letters on the doormat."
"Well, this is it." Harry said as he stood and placed the letter in his pocket, where it vanished, leaving his pocket empty, "Uh...thanks for the roof over my head, I guess."
With that he walked out of the room, trying to ignore their stares at his back. Just like last time three things lay on the doormat: a postcard from Uncle Vernon's sister Marge, who was vacationing on the Isle of Wight, a brown envelope that looked like a bill, and - the letter for Harry.
He smiled and ripped it open revealing the yellowed parchment and the Hogwarts crest. Harry sighed in contentment as he read the familiar letter;
HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY
Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore
(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock, Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)
Dear Mr Potter, We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.
Term begins on September 1st. We await your owl by no later than the 31st of July.
Yours sincerely,
Minerva McGonagall
Deputy Headmistress
Harry grinned and ran his thumb over McGonagall's signature. It had yet to occur to him that he would be able to see his good friend again. He pulled the second piece of parchment out of the envelope;
HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY
UNIFORM
First-year students will require:
1. Three sets of plain work robes (black)
2. One plain pointed hat (black) for day wear
3. One pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar)
4. One winter cloak (black, with silver fastenings)
Please note that all pupil's clothes should carry name tags.
COURSE BOOKS
All students should have a copy of each of the following:
The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1)
by Miranda Goshawk
A History of Magic
by Bathilda Bagshot
Magical Theory
by Adalbert Waffling
A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration
by Emeric Switch
One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi
by Phyllida Spore
Magical Drafts and Potions
by Arsenius Jigger
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
by Newt Scamander
The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection
by Quentin Trimble
OTHER EQUIPMENT
1 wand
1 cauldron (pewter, standard size 2)
1 set glass or crystal phials
1 telescope
1 set brass scales
Students may also bring, if they desire, an owl OR a cat OR a toad.
PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST YEARS
ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOMSTICK
Yours sincerely,
Lucinda Thomsonicle-Pocus
Chief Attendant of Witchcraft Provisions
Brilliant. Escape the Dursleys Plan was complete. Now for phase two.
Harry breathed a heavy breath out. This was going to be the hardest bit. But first of all, Harry had to send his reply.
He sniggered to himself and waved his hand over the parchment with what he would need to bring with him, he didn't need it, he had everything in his trunk already. He muttered a charm under his breath and the parchment turned bright red and golden writing appeared, he had even made sure that there was a lion on the back, just to stick it to Snape...well, if he already thought that Harry was a show off, then Harry didn't really care if anyone else thought it. He blew on the paper and it folded itself into a small bird and flew off through the porch's open window. That was that, he was going to Hogwarts.
And now for his Phase Two.
Take over the magical world before second year.
Meanwhile in the Great Hall at Hogwarts the faculty were sat around a long table in the middle of the Hall.
Dumbledore was, naturally, at the top of the table with McGonagall on his left and Snape on his right. Sprout was next to McGonagall and Flitwick was next to Snape. In the other seats were Kettleburn, Filch, Trelawney, Sinistra, Burbage, Quirrell, Hooch, Vector.
"-well, I for one am looking forward to the students arriving again, it gets much too quiet around here in the summer." McGonagall was saying as she sipped her water. Flitwick nodded excitedly and Snape merely grunted.
"Oh yes, especially the first years. How wonderful, another generation of magical students coming through these halls." said Flitwick and Sprout nodded, a smile on her face.
Snape rolled his eyes and McGonagall snapped her eyes to him, "Come now, Severes. Surely even you are looking forward to the dungeons not being so silent?"
The man scoffed, "If anything I prefer the silence. I imagine-"
But before he could say any more there was a loud roar from up above them, every conversation stopped as heads turned to see what had emitted the noise.
A collective gasp went around as they all saw a large red phoenix that appeared to be made out of paper appear. McGonagall almost fell out of her seat when it landed in front of her and said in a loud, clear voice, "Professor McGonagall, I would be delighted to attend Hogwarts School and am excited to learn about every area of magic I can! Actually, I bought a book yesterday about charming paper to make shapes, did I do the bird right? I hope I'm in Gryffindor as that's where my Aunt said my Mother and Father were. Looking forwards to Hogwarts, Harry James Potter."
"Harry Potter?"
"But-But...he's only eleven, how did he do that!?"
"Harry Potter?"
"As in James and Lily?"
"Well, he is Lily's son, so one can imagine that he got her talent-"
"Harry Potter?"
"Yes, Quirinus, Harry Potter."
Dumbledore smiled serenely as the paper Phoenix waddled over to him and once he had patted it twice, it crumpled in a pile of paper cuttings.
He cleared his throat and spoke more to himself than anyone else, although they were all listening, "I believe it is safe to say that we can expect great things from Harry Potter."