Harry Potter: Time Tested

by Abigail Skywalker

Ever wanted just a few things changed in the Harry Potter world, maybe just tweaked a little bit to make the story more terrifying or happier, or more interesting. Maybe Dumbledore has already tried it. What if he did all these things first before the time line you see in all the books. Dumbledore just can't stop Harry from Dying, no matter how hard he tries.

4. Welcome?

Review! If you think it's good, and even if you think it's not good. Tell me what you like. :D I like feedback, even if I don't agree with it.

Be prepared for a cute six year old Harry.

.

.

Harry Potter: Time Tested

Chapter 4: Welcome

.

.

Today was July the 17nd of 1986, and it was another terribly hot summer's day, that was promising imminent rain. The North winds that seemed to have taken a break from gushing down through the town, were still doing a little more work and were blowing the threatening black clouds down towards England. At an old, rustic pup in Edinburgh, sat an old man whom would have blended into the wallpapers of the place if he hadn't had long greying hair. He was dressed in very elegant, but odd purple and pale green embroidered robes, and beside him stood a much younger man, (but with a far less sophisticated style), who seemed to have been overcome and belonged to the emotion of disgust, dressed all in black, leaning on the bar, and was looking down his nose at whatever he was drinking as if debating whether or not it was worthy to be consumed, and then getting over the hesitation he drank it down as if it were water.

These two people were Wizards. The elder, anyone from Hogwarts would have recognized as Albus Dumbledore, and it was he who was speaking to the younger, a mister Severus Snape in the crowded area. It appeared as if Dumbledore was trying to talk Snape into something, but from what one could see that the younger man seemed to have given up on something quite vital.

"I don't want to teach anymore." Severus muttered back at Dumbledore obviously just answering a question asked of him.

"But, you've been doing it for five years why change your mind now?"

The young man shook his head. "I gave you my reasons in that letter." He looked a lot older than his mere twenty-five years. Some others might conclude that it was a deep depression at work that was taking it's toll, but people throughout the wizarding community all said it had to do with spells and potions that he had tried out, because the darker and meaner the spell the more liking it was to show on your face.

"I'm sorry, but the idea of loosing you is quite disastrous." Dumbledore admitted. "I must admit that I didn't know what to think of your methods when you first came, but your house has greatly improved since you got into teaching. I mean last year your house won the Quidditch house cup off Gryffindor. Something I had not imagined happening in my lifetime."

Snape gave his companion a raised eyebrow. "As headmaster you should not take sides so quickly."

Dumbledore's sharp blue eyes seemed to twinkle. "I can't help it. I was a Gryffindor. It's in my blood to wish well with my house and to mourn her loss."

Severus smirked, he still found it strange that he should have become relatively good friends with Albus Dumbledore, a teacher that he had at first hated and tried his hardest to avoid on all possible occasions. He didn't really need to start up the conversation when he was with Albus. No, that wasn't really Severus's style, that was all Albus, but what Severus did seem to end up doing was … Well everything else. Whenever Albus called him out to a meal or just a chat, it was usually to ask a favour of Severus, and now he was just waiting for the pleasant waffling, (that the wise wizard always seemed to relish in doing,) to die down before he could actually get to the point.

They talked, their words rotating around the subject of school for a little while, and when that was done Albus asked him about what he was planning on doing once he left.

"I've been asked to make a few things for the ministry. They seem to assume it would be ideal if I were to contribute. They've been saying more … savoury stories about what I might be getting up to at Hogwarts. I thought it would be quite beneficial to have a change of scene."

"Give me their names. I'll see if I can clear up this information."

"That will be fine, Headmaster." Severus sighed. "I doubt you interfering again will make matters better for me." He looked back up at Dumbledore then. "I hope you don't think I'm ungrateful. I have found this job very helpful. And I am… for all that you've done."

"Oh, no." Albus nodded seeming to understand Severus's awkwardness easily. "I know what you meant. Of course you might want to come back and teach in the future."

"I hope not."

"I thought you might want to stay just in case we come across another, apparently, unbeatable Riddle that needs solving."

Severus frowned, looking deeply concerned. "You think he can come back. Really? Even after what happened at Godric Hollow?"

"And what exactly happened at Godric Hollow Severus. I don't know. I'm not sure anyone else does either. How the boy survived where so many others did not?" Albus became silent when Severus's eyes glazed over and focused on the golden liquid in his glass. "It might be possible. I have my theories. I have thought back to how confident he was in boasting how he could not be killed, and my conclusion has been more than dismal."

"You're saying they died for nothing, the relief we've been feeling is nothing, that he could come back at anytime, using a form of magic only known to him?"

Dumbledore looked uncomfortable. "I'm only repeating this because I trust you, and I believe you should know my point of view from me before hearing a distorted version from someone else."

"I understand." Severus confirmed.

"Well, please except my best wishes for you and your new job." Albus said pleasantly, standing up and nodding toward him. "Oh, and may I have a moment of your precious time in two weeks or so. I must ask you for some advice in person."

Severus's left eye squinted. He didn't like the sound of this not at all. "I have time during the weekends, you know this already."

"Wonderful, I shall make certain I see you in two weeks, today, in London then Severus."

'Why do get the feeling that this visit is going to be dreadful?'

.

.

It was a very dismal day when Albus came to Severus's house. The clouds were emptying their pockets, as they say, or God was taking a bath. When the front door received a hard knock! knock! knock!

Severus moved out of his chair, placing a book on top of a nearby tabletop. He walked around another stack of books, passed moving pictures in his hallway, some containing images of his mother and father or of people, which he didn't really care for. And then he was at the door. Severus opened the it and in walked Dumbledore, while clutching his right sleeve was a young Harry Potter obviously feeling a bit dazed and shy about visiting a person of whom he knew near to nothing about.

"Hello Severus!" Albus said cheerfully, while trying to pull Harry Potter forward from out of his very long sleeves, but to no avail.

Severus observed that he was quite as shocked with the appearance of Harry Potter as the child was at the sight of him at that moment. Although he hadn't given Harry Potter more than a glance when he saw him as a baby, he could definitely see his father in him especially with his glasses that he wore. But it was when Harry blinked that Severus caught the glint of his green eyes. 'Got his mothers eyes.'

"I suppose you want me to heat water for three." Severus said breaking his gaze away from the intruders.

"Oh, thank you Severus, that would be most kind."

.

.

After an hour or so of talking Harry had overcome his shyness and had begun, much to Severus's dismay, to explore around the house. He came back with games that Severus had no idea he still had. He finally managed to settle himself down with a puzzle of the world and seemed to have taken a liking to it. Leaving both adults to the task of talking.

"It's been a while since I have visited your home." Albus said, sipping his tea, and looking at the stacks and shelves of books. "I had forgotten how much of a collector you were."

"Two weeks ago you didn't ask me what you had intended. You obviously wanted to speak to me about something important, I'd like to get to that particular part now."

"Indeed." Albus said in a soft voice, looking from Harry playing on the floor and then at Severus. "I was wondering… Did you want to Adopt Harry Potter?"

Severus had been expecting some terrible suggestion or piece of information, like someone was already after the boy again. Or perhaps that Harry had eaten something poisonous and was scheduled to die in a few weeks, but even that hadn't made sense, Albus would have brought him to Severus right then and there if there had been a problem. In those few seconds his mind froze, whirling around the why, and the what ifs. He would have undoubtedly coughed, and then choked on his tea if he hadn't already been predicting some terrible nuisance. Instead he pulled his cup away from his mouth, placed it calmly on the table, and looked back up at Dumbledore, and said. "What?!"

Harry took notice and looked up at the two of them. Dumbledore didn't answer straight away. Instead he smiled back at Harry, and within 10 seconds Harry had lost interest in what was being discussed.

"I think I would like to leave Harry with you for a little while."

"Are you mad? I don't want a child under my roof. I don't like most children. It's one of the things I'll be counting as a blessing, to be rid of, once I've left teaching at Hogwarts."

Albus shook his grey head. "You misunderstand. I want him to stay with someone who can teach and protect him. Someone of whom I can trust to do the job well."

"There are people, many different wizarding families, who would be more than happy to take care of the Boy who lived. I'm not a nanny for fatherless children." Severus spoke in a bitter whisper.

They both then looked sideways to the boy. But Harry hadn't seemed to have noticed them talking about him. Albus frowned at him. "I don't want Harry to live in a home with a parental figure that worships him and his abilities. He would be alienated and treated differently. He would be lifted up above his peers before he even knew why. That will probably happen when he's older."

"Unless he's a squib." Severus said with a happy smirk on his face.

"He's not a squib." Albus said.

"How can you be sure? He might be. I can wish can't I?"

"You seem to have an uncommon hatred towards a boy you barely know."

"Why don't you just look after him yourself then?" Severus said in a low voice.

Dumbledore's face looked downcast for a moment, and then he answered. "I have foreseen only disastrous trouble if I let Harry too close to me."

Severus stood up. "I doubt he could be any better with me."

"I see that too, very well I understand Severus."

Albus excused himself for a moment to use the lavatory, leaving Severus and Harry alone in his over-stored living area.

Harry apparently bored now with the puzzle that was harder than he had thought it would be, walked over to where Dumbledore had been sitting and dropped himself into the big chair and looked up at Severus. "Hi!"

He answered reluctantly, in a boring monotone voice. "Hello Potter." Severus tried to focus on anything else in the room apart from the boy in front of him.

Harry seemed to be trying to copy the wizard that just vacated it, and with a serious expression and a pouty mouth (which the child probably thought looked serious) he asked. "Why do you live in a Library?"

Severus frowned. 'I do not live in a Library.' "Because I like to read." He said instead.

Harry nodded. "Why do you have lamps on inside when it's light-time outside?"

"I hate the windows."

"Oh….. What's your favourite colour?"

"Black." Snape answered. 'I hope he gives up on this soon.'

"I like yellow!" Harry smiled. "It's the colour of the sun!"

"Really?" Snape rolled his eyes and looked at the books on the shelf above Harry's head.

Harry turned around and stood up on the chair to look at what Snape was occupied with. "Did you lose something?"

"No."

"What are you looking for?"

"Nothing."

"Oh…. So sir…., can I have some cake?"

"No."

"Please?"

"No."

"Please, can I have some cake?" He said stringing all his words together.

"No. And besides I don't have any cake."

"Yes you do. We brought some it's in the kitchen. Do you want some?"

Severus sighed. 'Of course Dumbledore thought it would be good to bring cake didn't he.'

Against his will and better judgement he walked the child to his kitchen, because he was not going to be the one to tell his professor that the precious potter had died from badly placed knife and cut.

.

.

He brought the cake back into the living room/Library and almost trod on and walked over Harry, as he was so keen to see the cake and look at it.

'You'd have thought he hadn't been the one to bring it.'

They both sat down at the table, Severus was pleased it was just a plain carrot cake and nothing to fancy and big.

"It's my birthday today!" Harry said with his second mouthful.

Severus almost dropped his fork. He had forgotten. He had forgotten that Harry was born on the 31 of July, just three months and one year before his parents died. Before Lily….

His fingers closed around his face trying to massage his pain away. And then he leaned further back into his chair trying to throw off the feeling of sudden guilt that swept over his mind.

"Are you okay Mister?" Harry had put down his cake and looked at him with a worried expression. Severus noticed again just how green Harry's eyes really were. 'Life is just one cruel joke.'

"I'm well enough Potter." He cleared his throat, and added reluctantly. "And Happy Birthday."

Harry smiled again, obviously pleased to be given a 'Happiness blessing', and it just seemed to make his green eyes sparkle in the golden lamplight. Severus suddenly realized just how tiny he was, how much of a little runt he looked like, how pathetic, and innocent, and probably slightly stupid.

Harry lifted his plate to the table and got up to get off the chair his sudden movement knocked the table and he knocked the plate off the table. Both pairs of eyes watched it fall to the wooden floor with a crash, and a big chip broke of one curve. Harry's hands went to his mouth and looked horrified.

"I'm so sorry." He looked as if he was on the verge of tears. "I didn't mean to."

"I could see that." Snape said and stood up.

There must have been something threatening in his low voice that sent Harry over the edge because he then burst into tears.

"Don't be foolish!" Severus snapped, annoyed at the sight of unnecessary tears. "It was just an accident."

But Harry only seemed to cry louder. Severus lifted the two pieces into his left hand while grabbing his wand with the other. "Look…. repario…."

Harry watched in amazement as the plate repaired itself and put itself back on the table, leaving the forgotten, spilt crumbs on the floor.

"Wow!" Harry staring wide-eyed, picked up the plate again as if he was holding something of immense value, and looked up at the older man. "How did you fix it?"

"Magic." Snape answered, relieved to have found that doing something so simple could have stopped the child from crying.

Harry clapped his hands in excitement. "Do it again! Do it again!"

"How about we play the game of pick up all the crumps you dropped, and then I'll show you another magic trick." Snape said sarcastically, not really caring if Harry understood it or not.

"Okay." Harry nodded and bending his knees he squatted and started picking up all the crumps, and bits of cake that had been dropped onto the floor, into his hand.

Snape sat back down and just observed the young boy. He wasn't used to this age. All the children he saw on a daily basis at Hogwarts were all 11+ but this child was… "So you are six years old now aren't you? Have you started school yet? Potter?"

Harry looked up. "Yes. I'm six today."

"And have you started school yet?"

Harry looked curious and somehow offended. "I don't do school yet, I'm too little. I can do pre-school though."

"Aren't you a little old for that now?" Severus raised an eyebrow.

Harry had another mournful look on his face again. "Yes," he sniffs only got louder. "I'm too old to play. I'm too old. I'm going to miss my friends." He scrunched up the crumbs in his hot hand. "Mr. Dum-bly-Door said I have to go somewhere else…."

Severus almost smiled. 'Dumblydoor?'

"… but I don't want to. I don't want to." He sniffed again. "And I wish my Grandad, and Granny didn't die. I think it's my fault." His hand let go of the squashed, tiny, warm, carrot-cake ball, he took off his glasses and he started to use it to rub his eyes that were pouring out tears.

Severus stood up. 'What the hell am I supposed to do in a situation like this?' "Potter, it isn't your fault."

That only seemed to make it worse, as Harry then started using both fists to wipe and rub his eyes. Severus bent down, put the Harry's glasses on the table, and then kneeled down beside Harry and pulled him into a hug. Well it wasn't much of a hug more like a light-touched, holding and a patting on the back.

After quite a few minutes of crying Severus spoke. "Potter… I mean Harry listen."

Harry sniffed and brushed his nose with the back of his hand, and looked at him. Disgusted Severus produced a tissue and gave it to the tearful child. Harry blew his nose and looked down at his feet as if sorry that he might have said something bad.

"Harry listen…" Severus repeated. "You didn't cause your grandparents' deaths, dying is a part of living, it was just meant to happen that way." Even to his own ears he thought it sounded hollow and ridiculous.

"I heard some old lady at their fuu-nun-ral say it was. And my auntie says it's my fault my mummy and daddy are dead…" He was shaking now and gripping onto Severus's black cloak as if his life depended on it.

'What aunt tells her five-no-six year old nephew that he was responsible for his parents deaths? I mean, well I do believe it, but I wouldn't tell him that.'

"You shouldn't believe everything you hear P..er…Harry." He touched the top of Harry's head his thick mass of black hair defying gravity and bouncing back after every pat and stroke. "They didn't die because you were there, they just died because it was there time to go, and no one can cheat death, yet."

Harry looked up at him then suddenly curious, very distracted, and surprised. "What do you mean, 'yet'?"

"No wizard has yet been truly been able to conquer death, but some still try. And they say that there was one wizard that could never die…" His voice trailed away and he looked at Harry's scar. "But sometimes big things die for very little, but good reasons."

Harry wiped away the rest of his tears. "I don't want to die."

Severus stood up. "No of course not. You're not going to die yet, not until you're old. You've got lots of time to live." He picked Harry up, not surprised that he weighed near to nothing, and walking across to the other side of the room he plopped him down onto a deep armchair. Harry almost disappeared into the striped, old taup and chocolate-brown armchair, and the down-filled, ribbed cushions seemed to swallow him when he leaned back on them. He looked at the shelves on his walls for something, anything that would take Harry's mind off the subject of dying. 'Where are those bizarre picture books? I'm sure I had some somewhere.'

He found one eventually, 'The Fantastical Creatures Muggles Wish Were Real' it was a collection of the words of Polius Snorfinn and his study into the strange paintings and thoughts of muggles, whom were continulessly trying to prove the existence of fairies, elves, and mermaids. Most the pictures were entirely wrong however, and the mermaids looked far too human, but they had some facts right. But they were beautiful pictures, and they would distract him.

"Here." He gave Harry the book. "Just sit there, and read for a bit."

"Thank you." Harry smiled, and opened the book to read.

"And don't get too cold." Severus grabbed a folded blanket that was at the bottom of his bookcase, shook it out and dropped it on him.

"Thank you." Harry's voice was muffled as he was so buried. He had to fight his way to one end and flipped it over. There he could breath, and lifting his arms and book over the blanket, Harry opened it again and started reading.

It was only when Severus turned away from him to walk into the kitchen that he noticed Dumbledore in the doorway watching him. 'Oh, no.'

They both walked into Severus's kitchen, which looked very old-fashioned, with it stone countertops and copper pots, pans, and utensils all hung above the cooker and stove. The entire room had dark green and copper colours all over it. And the overall affect was quite pleasant. It was to bad that the man who looked after it was nearly as good at looking after his own appearance as he was at making his kitchen clean. However, what would you expect from a potions master?

"So, you seem to be getting on well with Harry. I don't see what your problem is. It didn't look like you were finding that difficult at all." Albus's eyes twinkled.

Severus sighed. "If you're just looking for someone to care for him whilst you go off gallivanting somewhere I suppose I could … make sure he doesn't do something stupid, but I don't want to do it permanently."

Albus smiled. "I think that should be fine."

Within a few minutes Harry was called into the kitchen for more birthday cake.

.

.

Severus had an awful feeling that everything was going to be hell from this point on. 'What ever possessed me to agree to this? I know nothing about how to raise a child, and I'll be terrible.'

"Knock! Knock!" Severus moaned at the loud noise coming from the front door and walked up to it. He felt like a man walking to his own funeral. He opened it and was greeted with a grin and a wave from Harry, and a friendly, mind-reading, all-knowing smile from Albus Dumbledore.

'Yes, he knew it. He knew it all along. He knew I'd give in and he knew I'd have second doubts.'

"Good evening Severus." Dumbledore nodded, and Harry raced passed him into the house, for some reason keen to explore it again.

Severus nodded and let Dumbledore in. As he shut the door he turned toward his old mentor. "I … I think I have been unwise in accepting your offer. I thought it through again and I believe the child would be far better off living somewhere else." He said, before Albus could do or say something that would manage to change his mind again.

Dumbledore nodded as if in resignation. "I understand…"

'Is that it then?...'

"Harry, we're off again come along."

Harry, who had somehow managed to get upstairs, popped his head around the corner. "No. I'm not going yet. You said I will stay, so you go some to visit old friends." He sat at the top of the stairs sitting on his bottom with his legs outstretched, and with a gentle push of his hands, he started bumping his way down the stairs.

"Harry, Severus says you can't stay here at the moment, you might be able to come back another time." Albus nodded at Severus apparently feigning an innocent delivery of the man's feelings, but Severus just scowled knowing full well that that hadn't been the case.

Harry looked upset towards Severus. "I thought you said I looked at and draw some pictures in your library."

Severus felt awful. "Yes, but today is just…." Any argument that he could have put in place suddenly seemed really pathetic and sad. "It's a mess. I wasn't as ready as I'd have hoped." 'What a ridiculous excuse! It's just pathetic! Useless! Why should I be the one to look after this child? He's not mine. He's got other places to go. Better people to look after him.'

"Well, that's fine then." Albus said cheerfully. "Harry can help you clean up. He's been helping me, haven't you Harry?"

"Yes." Harry hugged Severus's legs. "I can help you if you want."

Severus felt his normally iron will slipping again and was frustrated with himself, and yet felt at peace with the idea. "Very well you can stay and help."

Harry stretched his arms out and Dumbledore bent down hug him goodbye. He then waved him off.

It hit home then for Severus. Albus Dumbledore really had just dumped Potter's son on him. Potter's son….

.

.

Harry came downstairs in his blue pyjamas and ran up to the man reading by the fire.

"I thought I told you to go to bed."

"I'm not tired."

"I'm reading. Nothing exciting's happening just because you're out of bed, now go back upstairs."

"Well," Harry said, very importantly, as he pulled up a picture book that he had undoubtedly brought with him. "I'm am reading too, so don't interrupt me!"

Severus was in half a mind to laugh at him, when memories of a young James Potter came to mind of his younger self being laughed at constantly for being smart and book-focused.

"Very well. But you only sit in that chair by the fire you understand no leaving it and running about the house."

Harry nodded looking very serious as if taking a deadly oath, and satisfied Severus relaxed back into his chair.

.

Within twelve minutes Harry had fallen asleep, no doubt lulled into sleep by the warmth from the fire and peaceful crackle of the flames. Severus had noted how determined the boy had been to stay awake. At one moment, he would be staring eyes wide open on the pictures in front of them, then his head would start nodding, swaying backwards and forwards his eyes half shutting, and then he would wake up suddenly and the cycle repeated itself. Severus got up and approached the five year old. "Come on you. It's time you went to sleep in your room. No drooling is allowed on furniture downstairs."

Harry woke up suddenly at the sound of Severus's voice. When he was near enough and seeming to be waiting for Harry to get up and follow him, Harry instead raised his arms. Severus paused for a moment, and then as if running on instinct he scooped Harry up in his arms and carried him up to his new bedroom. Harry had wrapped his arms around Severus's neck, but had been so tired that he instantly fell back to sleep, and he was now limp in the wizard's arms.

Severus managed to open the bedroom door with his wand, and pulled back the bedcovers with another small flick. He place Harry on the sheets and lifted the duvet back over him.

'This doesn't seem that hard.'

.

.

:D