Harry's and Severus' Change of the Future – Chapter 4
Severin had just transfigured the boy's bed into a bathtub, when Madam Pomfrey hurried into the room. She quietly waved her wand over the child and kept pointing the wand to his head to check his temperature until his fever had dropped two degrees. Then she transfigured the bathtub back into a bed, and confirming that Harry was fast asleep, she motioned Severin out of the room.
"That's what I meant with 'progressing lung infection.' It's a chronic disease, which is lingering and can break out at any time. With a day or two of bed rest, he'll probably be all right, but it can happen again all of a sudden. Therefore, I don't know if it would be wise to let him stay in a dormitory. I wonder why he didn't have problems so far in your own time. When I told him that it probably resulted from an untreated flu, he admitted that he had 'something like that' as were his words during the summer holidays."
"When we left Hogwarts, it was still the second week after the beginning of the new school year," Severin explained. "Maybe it was still too early for him to get problems."
The Healer and the Potions Master talked about several matters for about an hour, until Madam Pomfrey excused herself and Severin retreated to his potions lab in order to brew another potion for Harry.
In the morning, Harry couldn't recall any of the nightly events. However, he felt absolutely horrible. His chest all of a sudden hurt, although he had no idea why, and he was feeling hot and cold at the same time. 'I wonder what's wrong now,' he groaned in disappointment. 'I wanted to attend classes with my Mum.'
The Potions Master's arrival pulled him out of his thoughts. "Good morning Harry," the man said in his soft silky voice.
"Good morning sir," Harry mumbled back, astonished that his voice sounded hoarse.
"Remember, I'm not 'sir' but Severin," the professor corrected him lightly, while he stuck the thermometer under Harry's tongue. "According to Madam Pomfrey you have a light lung infection and have to stay in bed for at least two days."
Harry sighed in relief, glad that he didn't have to explain how bad he felt.
"Forty point six," the professor stated and helped the boy to sit up, so that he could take his potions.
"Do you think my mum could visit me, or would she get the lung infection from me?" Harry asked hesitantly, slowly looking up into Severin's dark eyes.
"No, she wouldn't get ill. I will speak to Professor McGonagall as your Head of House at breakfast, which I unfortunately have to attend, and I will ask her to speak with Lily."
"Thanks a lot, err... Severin," Harry replied gratefully and gulped down his potions.
HP HEALER POMFREY HP
Lily was allowed to visit Harry over lunchtime and was told to call a house-elf for lunch for both of them and try to make Harry eat some soup.
"Hey sweetie," she said softly, sitting down on the edge if his bed.
"Mum," Harry replied happily. "Um... Is it all right to call you that if we're alone?" 'I can't believe that I'm able to talk to my Mum,' he mused in absolute amazement.
"Of course Harry, I like it," Lily told him, smiling at her future son. "Now Harry, we're going to have lunch together.
"No thank you," Harry whispered. "I don't want anything."
"I'm sorry son, but you have to eat some soup." She gently supported Harry's back to help him sit up, while lunch appeared on the small table next to his bed. Lily put the bowl with chicken broth in front of Harry and gave him a pointed look. "At least try to eat a bit."
Seeing that Harry didn't move to take his spoon, she picked it up and spooned a little of the liquid into his mouth, causing Harry to blush terribly and take the spoon from her. He ate another three spoons full, before he pushed the bowl away and lay down again.
Lily took the cloth from his night table, which was charmed to remain cool, carefully bathed his hot face, and finally placed it on his forehead, receiving a grateful smile in return. "Harry, may I ask you something?" she then asked hesitantly. Seeing that Harry gave her a surprised nod, she said thoughtfully, "Sorry, if I'm wrong, but I have the impression as if you never met me before. Is that so?"
Harry gave her a horrified look, before he remembered what Severin had told him about going back into the past to change the future forever, and he explained to his mother how he lost his parents when he was fifteen months old only to grow up with the Dursleys.
"With Petunia?" Lily asked, terrified. "That must have been horrible, Harry. She is absolutely jealous of me, and to think that you had to grow up with her and a Muggle family of her..." She slowly trailed off and pulled him in a slight hug, pulling back immediately when he unconsciously flinched back.
"Well, the professor, I mean... err... Severin, said that he was going to try to change the future completely, and he wanted me to go further into the past with him in order to do so."
"He is not really your father, but James Potter. Did I understand that correctly?" Lily asked with a hint of disbelief in her voice.
"Yes. In fact, Severin hated my since my first Potions class, because I look so much like James. Only when we arrived here yesterday, he suddenly started to be friendly to me."
"But you have my green eyes," Lily said proudly. "Severus has always been my best friend, since we met on the playground when we were toddlers. I can't understand why I didn't marry him but James Potter."
"That's probably because at some stage he joined the Death Eaters, but he said he was going to change that and hoping that you'd remain with him instead of James."
"And you? You wouldn't be born then, would you?" Lily asked sceptically.
"According to Professor Dumbledore of the future, I would still be born as your son, just with a different father," Harry replied, coughing.
"Don't talk too much," Severin admonished him lightly, entering the room.
"I'm sorry, Sev; that's my fault. I asked him a lot of questions," Lily apologized immediately.
"I'll answer all of your questions in the evening. I believe that it's time for you to head to your afternoon classes and for Harry to sleep for a while anyway."
"All right, Sev." Lily leaned over and kissed Harry on the cheek. "I'll see you in the evening, Harry. Rest well, so that you'll be able to join us tonight."
"Thanks Mum," Harry croaked, before Severin shut him up by sticking the thermometer into his mouth.
HP HEALER POMFREY HP
Due to the potions that Severin had given him, Harry slept through the afternoon, while Severin brewed the time travelling potion once more and began to research on the antidote, which they would need to go back to the future.
When Minerva, Albus, Poppy, Lily, and Severus joined them in the evening, Severin told them that he had already been able to brew the antidote and had efficiently managed to go back an hour into the past and back into the future.
"Congratulations Sev," Lily said warmly. "You're absolutely brilliant."
"Another version of me should arrive in a few minutes, provided that I'll be able to go a day back tomorrow," Severin announced just in time, before his one day older self arrived.
'Oh no,' Harry groaned inwardly. 'One of them is bad enough, but three of them are a nightmare.' To his relief, the time travelling Severin returned a day into the future after a few minutes.
"Well, Harry and I should be able to travel forty-five years into the past as soon as Harry will be back to full health. However, I believe that we need help from someone in the past," Severin told the others.
"If you don't mind, Severin, I will accompany you. We will go to Dumbledore Manor before we take the potion, so that we'll arrive there in the past and only have to deal with my younger self. In 1930, I lived alone at the Manor. I can't be of help at Hogwarts, because I only started to teach here in 1938. However, I know where the orphanage is and will be able to take you there."
"Thank you Albus. I'd appreciate your help very much. However, it will have to be Harry to finish the Dark Lord off, at least according to a prophecy that was made around 1980."
Everyone, including Harry, let out a huge gasp. "But how?" Harry asked hoarsely.
"We will still have to think about that," Severin said thoughtfully.
A week of intensive discussions and planning later, Poppy finally deemed Harry's concussion and lung infection healed enough, so that he could travel with Albus and Severin. The three wizards took the Floo network to Dumbledore Manor and sat down comfortably in the living room. Severin produced six phials and handed everyone two phials, one with the potion they had to take and one with the antidote to keep with them in their robe pockets in case they got separated on their way. Albus and Severin each grabbed Harry's left arm, while they downed their potions.
The movement began instantly and seemed to last forever before it finally stopped. Although both teachers still held his arm, Harry couldn't keep himself upright, and when he managed to scramble back onto his feet, wondering why Severin hadn't helped him up like the last time, he heard a voice shouting, "Expelliarmus!" and found himself looking straight down the business end of a wand.
tbc...
I'm not a native speaker of English. Please excuse my mistakes or help me to correct them.
All recognizable characters belong to J. K. Rowling, and I am not earning anything by writing this story.