It was funny how some things just never changed, and how others needed just a little work here and there to be different beyond recognition.

The letters arrived in sequence, just like they had before. So it was a very jubilant Uncle Vernon who was knocking in wooden boards on the mail slot with one of Aunt Petunia's rock-hard fruit cakes that he'd seen that day. For once, Harry was grateful he did most of the cooking at the Dursleys if Aunt Petunia's baking results made good substitutes for mallets.

There was one thing that Harry had been determined to change since he had arrived, however. The past days, he locked himself in Dudley's second room, working on his To-Do list which now included Draco Malfoy and, of course, one Dudley Dursley. Harry decided to give it a go- but not deliberately. At least, Dudley didn't have to know he'd done it purposely.

Of course, like before, the Dursleys had refrained from making him cook all too much, still under the illusion that wizards were watching them. Harry found himself snorting at the faulty prediction. In all honesty, he would have been angry at Dumbledore if the old Headmaster had known how he was treated and still left him there, but he knew that wasn't the case.

It was while he was getting breakfast ready (which was, of course, a rare occurrence now) that he saw his advantage- there wasn't enough bacon. Dudley loved that greasy stuff, so he would no doubt complain about it not being enough. During his other life-time, he had spotted this and prepared something else. He let a grin split his face. This time, he was going to use it to his advantage.

Perhaps Harry should have been slightly concerned for himself as he had deeply enjoyed cooking that day. Maybe he was a little too happy than he should have been- even the Dursleys got suspicious now and then that he was up to something. But he really couldn't help feeling great, knowing he was on the right way.

As planned, Petunia and Vernon woke up at their usual times. Dudley had only just walked in when his dad had left for work- that day was a Saturday. Dudley always slept in on Saturdays. Asking her Diddikins what he wanted and wrinkling her nose in cliche disgust at Harry, Petunia played her part as well.

"There's not enough bacon, mum." Dudley complained loudly. He pointed an accusing finger at Harry. "He must have made less to irk me, mum, see? He's planning on starving me!"

Harry silently snorted on the inside. He was surprised Dudley even knew what 'irk' meant. And he honestly thought anyone sensible enough to reduce Dudley's daily portion of food should be congratulated for helping his cousin out of the misery of obesity. Merlin knew why Aunt Petunia married Uncle Vernon in the first place...

However, Harry let a gobsmacked and indignant expression grace his features.

"No, honestly, Aunt Petunia, the bacon is over!" Harry swore, looking at his Aunt with wide eyes. Petunia just sniffed.

"Don't let the freak worry you Dinky Diddydums," she said, turning to Dudley. He voice turned into one of sympathy as she altered her voice as if she were cooing at a baby. "I'll order you your bacon right now." Petunia walked out of the kitchen, muttering things about freaks stealing her son's food right out of his mouth before she disappeared behind the door. Harry immediately turned to Dudley.

"You do believe me when I say it finished, don't you?" Harry asked with fake-anxiety. He hoped his cousin was stupid enough not to notice this change in personality- normally Harry wouldn't have cared less what Dudley believed.

Dudley snorted. "Why would I believe anything you say, you no-good freak?"

There was a pause in which Dudley stared at Harry, as if waiting for a response, whereas Harry stared right back with what he knew looked like an innocent expression of curiosity.

"How would you know if I'm a no-good freak, Dudley? What makes you say so?" His tone was questioning, but not harsh. He didn't want Dudley telling this to his parents and making them think Harry was questioning the fairness of the way they treated him.

"Uh...Uh.." Dudley shifted uncomfortable, clearly not liking the position Harry was putting him in.

"Er- why are you asking me this? Who do you think you are, anyway?" Dudley asked suddenly, his spoilt-brat-face on full gear.

Harry simply titled his head, remaining poker-faced.

"Your cousin," Harry said simply. "I didn't know my parents personally, Dudley, but I know they wouldn't have thought you were a no-good freak." Harry told him, repeating Dudley's words slowly so as not to give him the wrong idea. It was like an indirect argument of how much exactly Harry was worth.

Dudley looked uncertain, but then he stubbornly wrinkled his nose, stuck a fork full of bacon into his mouth and chewed defiantly.

"You'we parwents wewe drunkhed arhses, tat's whyh." Dudley muttered through a mouth full of bacon.

"If being a drunken...ah, person, as you put it, makes you compassionate toward your nephew, I don't think it's so bad, Dudley." Harry said softly.

"Think about it." He left before his cousin could say anything else, hurrying back to his room. He knew Dudley wouldn't tell his mother or father- he just knew it. Vernon was never one to be good with sentiments, and his Aunt Petunia would give Dudley a few bowls of ice cream and a fake promise before going off to berate Harry for ever thinking he was of any value at all while it was so obviously clear he was just a useless burden to a decent family who was unfortunate enough to be related to him.

Not that Harry would care, but still. He thought about this as he shuffled through the shelf of Dudley's old broken toys for his now familair piece of paper. He couldn't find a pen though- Harry resigned after searching for several minutes and summoned it wandlessly. It was immensly exhausting, and it only made it about a few inches away from under his pillow-sheets, which he had apparently hid it under- his eyes were already drooping from this small performance. A frown crossed his face. He had to practice wandless magic, and perhaps becoming an animagus, too. He couldn't just nearly pass-out after a small act of it. Wandless magic was easy enough, but actual wandless spells were tricky. He needed to be prepared if he would do this right- he was still a fairly lousy Occlumens, though he knew he made quite a bit of progress on it than he had with Snape.

Harry bit his lips as he surveyed what little he'd had time to write the past few days.

Draco Malfoy- divert Draco from the dark side and make him see the light-possible conversion to the light side.

Dudley Dursley- Mend relationship? Put in Progress.

He thought for a while before a new problem struck him out of the blue. He pondered it for a few minutes, thinking hard before coming to an appropriate solution.

Scar horcrux- destroy all horcruxes before third task of the Triwizard Tournament. Allow Voldemort to kill you. Die. Come back. Prior Incantateum; twin cores.

Harry smiled. That was one problem planned out. He knew all the Horcruxes- and if Sirius got free, (no, when he was free, Harry reminded himself) he could have easy, completely legal access to all the Black vaults, being the official Lord Black. It also meant it would be easier to transfer most of Bellatrix's gold, and all the dark aretfacts she had in her vault, to Sirius'. He could even report it to the Ministry and earn dear old Bella a few extra years in Azkaban! Gringotts' vaults were of extreme privacy and no one was allowed, Ministry or not, into them without direct permission from the owner if the vaults, which would soon be Sirius, hopefully.

Harry let a sigh escape his lips. He couldn't wait to go to Hogwarts and put his plans into action, but then again, he was too nervous about making a mistake, too. He paced thoughtfully around Dudley's second bedroom to calm himself down.

But it didn't work. Pacing only made him more pensive. What about the Sorcerer's Stone? Dumbledore thought he had it protected- the charms around the mirror of Erised were good, but if Quirrel/Voldemort figured out how they worked, they'd just drag an unsuspecting victim, threaten them into trying to find the Sorcerer's Stone, and then kill them off after getting what they wanted. Harry couldn't let that happen. Of course, there was always the option of making sure Dumbledore didn't fall for the fake letter and stayed at Hogwarts- Quirrel wouldn't have time to sneak into the third corridor that way, nor would he dare to attempt this under the Headmaster's watchful eyes. But on the other hand...Harry, nor Voldemort, would discover the protection his mother had provided him with, which would cause Voldemort to be clueless about the ritual for a while...That wasn't necessarily a bad thing, but he needed to get back to life in the graveyard so Harry could kill him, or else he would find some other dark way around that little problem about him being bodiless and Harry's information on it would be for naught. He didn't want that.

He grunted in frustration, rubbing his temples. He stopped pacing and sank into his bed. It was going to a long four years.

Things went mostly as planned. Uncle Vernon was, of course, furious when he learned that his clever little technique didn't work, but he didn't dare lay a hand on Harry now that he and Petunia thought the house was being watched

Harry was pleased to note that they made it to Hut-On-Rock with little difference from how they did the last time.

But there was one difference. This time, instead of a glum Harry Potter lying hopelessly on the cold floor with the thinnest of rugs, said Potter had a triumphant smile on his face- this was where it all would begin, and this was when the major changes were made.

Noisy knocks on the door brought his heart up his throat.

Tata! Well, thanks everyone for reviewing, it was greatly appreciated!

RRs:

White Story: Of course I won't do that! I find those as annoying as you do- so don't worry. The main point of re-do stories is to see how Fate smacks Harry in the face for trying to change things.

: Thanks bunches!

MaliciaPB: Here's your next chapter, Mali! How's your fanfic going, by the way?

Guest: Thank you :)

deant33: There you have it- I hope that answer's good for you.

Princess Of Flames: Lol, POF, you're like, one of my favorite reviewers. Seriously.

Peace out, yo-

-Ambs