The pair exited their little cupboard and made their way across the Entrance Hall, Lily waving to many of her classmates. It was clear that she was very popular. Many students were milling about, most exiting the Great Hall for their classes, some rushing in for a last-minute breakfast.

As Lily and Harry drew level with the marble staircase, a yell echoed, "LILY! Wait up!"

As one, Lily and Harry turned towards the stairs. Harry saw a frazzled young witch tripping down the white staircase.

"Hey Mary," sighed Lily. "Why are you late today?"

"I forgot to do the Defense homework. Can you believe Dumbledore set us three rolls?" Mary asked Lily exasperatedly. "And who," she turned to Harry "are you? You're not James' long lost twin are you? Cause we definitely don't need another Potter here at Hogwarts." She mumbled the last bit, but Lily nodded fervently.

"This is Harry Longbottom." Lily introduced Harry to Mary. "He's from Durmstrang, and is here for—" She broke off and turned to Harry. "I didn't ask you: How long are you here for?"

"Well, I—" Thankfully Harry was interrupted by Mary, who from the three minutes that he had spent to her seemed all over the place and positively raring to go.

"C'mon Lily, and Harry was it? We need to get some b-fast before the house elves have cleaned it all up!" With that, she took Lily's elbow and frog-marched her into the Great Hall. Harry heard her mindless chatter continue. Lily turned around with a helpless look, found Harry's face and mouthed, "C'mon". Harry followed them into the Hall.

He looked around with a critical eye. But no, everything was the same. The only change was that the ceiling was clear blue as opposed to that morning when it had been murky grey. Harry passed this off to a change in weather fronts. The house tables were in the same order: Gryffindor table was the farthest from the doors. The staff table was at the top of the hall as always.

He continued to follow Lily and Mary to the Gryffindor table, which was almost empty. The plates on the table were just as bare. All that was left was a couple of stacks of toast and a few battered sausages left at the bottom of a dish.

Mary sat down and took the last sausages, stuffing them into her mouth. Harry did not like this Mary very much so far.

Lily patted the bench beside her, and Harry sat down. He wasn't very hungry, but buttered up some toast all the same.

"How bout you just follow me to classes today, so you don't get lost?" she asked kindly.

Harry had just taken an extra-large bite of toast, chewed very fast, and swallowed an all-too-big amount, with the result that his airway was blocked and he turned purple in the face. Lily calmly waited until his cough died down.

"Um- Al-alright then," Harry spluttered, taking a large gulp of pumpkin juice, which, fortunately there was an abundance of.

After breakfast, Mary went off to Muggle Studies, while Lily and Harry returned to the Gryffindor common room, for their free period, Lily apologizing profusely.

"I said I'd take you on a tour! Oh, I'm so sorry Harry. I totally forgot about Dumbledore's essay too! He wants three rolls of parchment on nonverbal Shield Charms!"

Harry reassured her that it was fine, and that he would just spend the period relaxing. In fact, Harry spent the free forty-five minutes again contemplating all that had happened. After seven years in the wizarding world, each year the amount of strange things he did not understand lessened. This was definitely one of those things. The only mention of time travel he'd ever heard of was the Time Turners. However, he and his friends had smashed the lot of them during their little jaunt at the Ministry. He was sure Hermione would know what was going on. But Hermione was back in the future. The concept sent Harry's mind spinning. He needed to figure out how to get back to the future, but right now he was concentrated on just making sure that nobody found out that he was from the future.

Three quarters of an hour later, Harry and Lily set off for Herbology together. Harry was surprised to find that Professor Sprout was teaching. She looked pretty much the same as she did in Harry's time (his real time), except for that her face was slightly less lined and her hat was not as patched.

Lily was very pleasant to Harry throughout the class, in which they were potting Poisonous Ferancula, which had a nasty habit of biting off thumbs. Just thumbs, not other fingers. James was nowhere to be found. I bet he doesn't take Herbology, Harry thought. Harry was looking forward to talking to his father.

During a lunch of steak and kidney pie, Harry looked down the crowded Gryffindor table. He spotted his father, sitting next to a handsome young man who was unmistakably Sirius. The boy on Sirius's other side had his long nose in a book, whom Harry recognized as Remus Lupin. Across the table, a small boy was sniffing lamp chops in a most curious manner. Wormtail, Harry thought venomously.

It would be so easy to dispose of Wormtail, right now. Then he would never have joined the Dark Lord and soul his parents' whereabouts. His parents would be alive. But as Harry thought it, a million complications popped into his mind. No, it would be best not to tamper with the past.

It was fun to watch his parents, to get to know them as they had been when they were Harry's age. Even if his parents had been alive, Harry would have enjoyed this. But he couldn't stay in the future forever.


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