Chapter 1 and 2 have been beta'ed and edited :D please enjoy.
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Harry chuckled as he watched the first years nervously approach the Professors table ready to be sorted into their new houses. He wondered what the older years had told them about the sorting on their journey to Hogwarts. He glanced down to his right at Flitwick who was eagerly watching the first years, his brown hair starting to grey, the seat on his left was empty as McGonagall stood by the stool with her list of names.
Looking across the Great Hall Harry's heart jolted when he saw Snape sitting further down the Slytherin table staring in disgust at the Gryffindor. His body became so cold that not even the warmth of Hogwarts could warm his skin. 'If Snape is here that must mean...' following his future Professors gaze he saw the four Marauders huddled together. Sitting up straighter, his heart pounding as he watched James and Sirius conversing. Remus looked down the hall towards the first years before catching Harry's eyes causing the older man to blink, slightly startled. Remus turned back to his friends and motioned towards him causing the other three Marauders to gaze up at him before turning back to each other, Harry's fingers dug into his thigh as he fought to keep himself still as he stared hatefully at the little rat that sat aside his father, his jaw clenched painfully together.
After the first years had finally been sorted and McGonagall sat in her seat at Harry's left, Dumbledore stood from his seat, his presence demanding everyone's attention.
"Before we begin our banquet, I would like to say a few words and introduce our new Defence against the Dark Arts Professor, Professor Harry Evans!" his voice rang across the hall, McGonagall lightly elbowed Harry making him nervously stand from his seat and drawing the students attention towards him. He offered a small smile as he scratched the back of his head in embarrassment as a round of applause spread through the tables, the Slytherin table looking at him in displeasure. Sitting back down he nodded his head towards the Headmaster in thanks and half-heartedly listened to the warning that the elder man offered his students in regards to Voldemort, remembering how he had landed the job in the first place.
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The vibrant feathers were as soft as ever under his fingertips and a soft smile slowly peaked its way onto his face as he stroked the phoenix who released a content chirp. Dumbledores office had not changed much over time, the portraits who weren't dozing in their chairs looked at him in curiosity as he sat before the Headmaster, his wise eyes sparkling over the rim of his glasses.
Harry had felt like he'd been slapped in the face when he had first seen his old Headmaster, a feeling of dread had ran through his body at the implications of what had happened just moments ago. His fist clenched beneath the table as he fought against the need to pull at his hair from the sudden slam of emotions he was feeling. Taking a deep breath, Harry refocused on the elder man, trying to push down the rising need to physically lash out.
"Lemon drop?" the elderly man asked motioning to a small bowl filled with the sweets that sat upon his desk. A small chuckle erupted from Harry, his own green eyes shining with amusement as he reached for one of the sugary yellow sweets and holding it between his fingers as he gazed at it.
"You haven't changed much" Harry forced himself to laugh before popping the sweet in his mouth and savouring the taste. Dumbledore looked at in equal amusement before leaning back into his chair and stroking his beard which was not as long as when Harry had last saw the man alive.
"Everything changes with time and yet it does not change" the Headmaster said causing Harry to life a brow and shake his head knowing he'd understand what the older man meant as time progressed. "It's been a while since I've had the pleasure of meeting a time traveller Mr Potter. But I must warn you, you must not tell anyone of your current future as you being here is a paradox in itself."
Letting Fawkes fly back to his perch Harry ran his hand through his messy hair and groaned in frustration, "I know Professor, I just need help finding my way back to my own time."
"I'm afraid there aren't many options for you to do so, time-travel is tricky and is normally used for short durations, not twenty-three years."
"Wait, twenty-three years? It's 1977 now?" Harry asked his body leaning forward as stared at Dumbledore in amazement, "I'm not even born yet" he leant back into his chair, his head resting in his hand as he tried to calm himself down, biting through the sweet harshly. 'That means my parents are still here' he thought to himself eagerly.
"In the meantime, I suggest you try and live a normal life here just in case you're unable to go back" Dumbledore reasoned as if he was oblivious to Harry's thoughts which the younger man knew he was not, "I've always had a problem with getting a Defence against the Dark Arts Professor" he sighed before his sparkling eyes caught Harry's own green ones and his white brows lifted before he motioned to Harry's clothes. "I believe that is your times version of the Aurors uniform is it not?"
"Yes Professor" Harry answered in amusement at where the conversation had lead, he had never though he would be back in a teaching role, the memory of Dumbledore's Army flashed before his mind. "I take it you would like me to take on the role then? I'll need to get myself some new robes and other essentials first. Don't suppose I could have my first months wage now could I?" he asked, a cheeky smile present on his face.
"No need, I'll have everything delivered to you within the next few days" Dumbledore waved his hand before standing from his chair. "Now, I believe that I should show you to your quarters. I think you already know where the kitchen is if you're hungry" he walked around his desk, grabbing a lemon drop on his way before stopping before the door, "ah! We can't call you Potter in this time" he said turning to look at the younger male in thought, "there's only one wizarding family with that name and they can trace their heritage back to the ancient houses."
"Call me Evans, Professor Dumbledore" Harry replied without thinking as he stood, it would be easier for him to reply to as it was his mothers maiden name.
"Very well" the elder man replied before opening his office door and motioning for Harry to leave first.
They walked through the hallways in silence as Harry took in his surroundings with a content smile, Hogwarts never really changed over time. The portraits were the same and some of the décor may have changed but mostly it was a replica to his own time studying at the school making him feel more comfortable in his surroundings than he had been in years.
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Sighing, he quickly grabbed an assortment of food and placed them on his plate pouring gravy and mint sauce over the potatoes and chicken before he elegantly ate his meal whilst conversing with McGonagall and Flitwick for the rest of the evening. He had already received his timetable and marvelled at how much work the Professors have to do and now had a higher respect for the teaching staff, especially those who had been teaching for a long duration of their lives.
"Are there any students that I should be careful around?" he asked the elder Professors, lifting a spoonful of hot toffee fudge cake to his lips giving it a gentle blow to cool it down before putting it into his mouth and humming in satisfaction at the flavour.
"Well there are some sixth years, the Marauders are pranksters, that's James Potter, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew. Peter isn't so bad, he mainly just follows the other three around and Remus makes sure that the boys don't go too far with their pranks" McGonagall explained to him and pointed towards their group at her house table. Harry nodded his head at the information as if he hadn't known about it beforehand.
"What's the worst they can do? They're only sixth years correct?" he questioned placing his head on his hand as he leaned forward staring at three of the four boys. Had anyone looked deeper into his eyes, they would have seen the longing in the bright green depths.
His ears twitched at the soft chuckles of Flitwick, leaning back into his chair he looked down at the small male. When the elder noticed that he had the attention of both Harry and McGonagall he blushed slightly, "I was just remembering when they made some of the corridors bouncy. Everyone had to bounce across them like those muggle bouncy castles" he chuckled again, his words bringing a smile to McGonagalls face as she remembered and a laugh erupted from Harry at the images in his mind.
"I can see this year being very interesting indeed" his laughter calming down to a light chuckle before stuffing another spoonful of pudding into his mouth realising too late it was too hot for his mouth. He reached for his goblet whilst waving his other hand in front of his mouth as he swallowed the sweet pudding before gulping down his drink, a satisfied groan left his wet lips as his co-workers laughed at him.
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The next day found Harry in his classroom preparing for his first lesson with the sixth year Gryffindor and Slytherin students when his door opened and a small group of girls entered giggling to each other before they stopped at the sight of him.
"Good morning" he said, his voice gentle as his eyes softened at the sight of Lily, "You're early, I take it you're here for my class?" standing up straight Harry motioned for them to sit themselves down where they liked as he used his wand to neatly write the date and his name on the board as they once again giggled to themselves making him feel self-conscience.
"So Professor" a brown haired girl asked, her dark brown eyes lit up in curiosity as she place her head in her hand watching him. Turning around to fully look at her as the door opened and more of his students came in to take their seats, his class now full and his body became warm under their gazes.
"Yes Miss..."
"Alice Finkleburg Professor" she said with a grin and winking at Lily, turning her gaze back to Harry she carried on speaking, "I was just wondering Professor, but how old are you?"
Blinking as his mouth fell open slightly and a blush spread across his cheeks he glanced away. He never thought that Nevil's mother would be so forward when she was a young woman, his friend certainly took after his father then it seemed. Coughing as he gazed across the room and seeing that his other students were listening carefully, his father sat with Sirius in the middle of the class with Remus and Peter in front of them.
'I'm going to have to find away to get Peter away from them' he thought to himself, resisting the urge to glare at the rat. Turning his gaze back to Alice he smiled warmly at her before replying, "I'm sure you don't ask all your Professors that Miss Finkleburg" he teased, sitting down on the corner of his desk. Many of the students looked disappointed, the majority females which made Harry smile, "...but I'll tell you" he winked with a grin, "I'm twenty years old."
"You're not that much older than us!" Sirius cried out in shock as the room filled with chatter, "how are you qualified to teach? I thought that you had to be above fifty to be qualified."
Laughing as he shook his head, Harry moved some of his belongings across the table so he could sit more comfortably.
"I guess I'm an exception then" he said cheerfully, "I'll tell you about my qualifications then so you can see for yourselves that I'm qualified." Taking a deep breath to calm himself down he motioned to the board, "As you know my name is Harry Evans and as you just found out, I am twenty. I am a trained Auror and have been qualified to fight against Death Eaters and other dark wizards since I was eighteen."
The students looked at him in amazement, most if not all knew that it took several years of additional studying after school to be qualified to become a Auror. Making Harry the youngest in his chosen career.
"However, I have fought against dark wizards since I was at school, I've killed a basilisk, banished a hundred dementors at once, accidentally woke up a lake full of Inferi, flown on a broom with a dragon chasing me and duelled Voldemort himself." His enraptured class flinched back at the use of the Dark Lord's name, looking at him in horror.
"You said his name" squeaked Peter, his face filled with terror as if Voldemort would appear right in front of him.
"Fear of a name increases the fear of the thing itself" Harry repeated the words told to him from what seemed so long again. "By fearing his name, you are only giving Voldemort more power and control over your fear. You are allowing him to affect you without even being here. There is nothing to fear in a name as it's normally a shield for the person to hide behind."
"So you're saying we shouldn't fear you-know-who" scoffed a Slytherin boy sitting in the back, "are you mad? He's killed so many already and you're saying we shouldn't fear him?"
"No, that's not what I'm saying Mr Flint" Harry could see the resemblance between the boy and the the old Slytherin Quidditch Captain from the future, "I'm not saying you should go out there right now and demand a duel with Voldemore" again the students flinched at the sound of the name "I'm saying you should not fear a name. For it is simply a name. He is uses it to strike fear to many even when he isn't there, it allows him to control what you fear."
Many of the students looked at Harry with growing respect, the Marauders in particular. which lead Harry to hope that less would join Voldemort's cause and fight against him. He had a growing to-do list as there was little hope that he would be returning to his own time. He wondered briefly how him being there would impact the future he knew before banishing it away. He was going to make the future a brighter place to be if he was going to be stuck here, as long as James and Lilly married, he truly did not care how he affected the time line.
"Now, shall we start our lesson?"
Hey guys! Hope you enjoyed this chapter! Let me know what you think OK? I'm still deciding who I should pair Harry up with in this story but let's just say that he's going to make the future a lot brighter even though it's going to be weird for him when Ron and Hermione are born. Poor duck.
I maybe looking for a beta reader soon as I'm not that good of a writer so I need all the help I can get. I'm using this for experience with my own book that I'm writing. If anyone's interested in reading that, I'll put a link on my profile – just PM me :D