Harry Potter and the Time for Childhood

Chapter 8

6th September, 89
Harry and Angelina sat down, waiting for their teacher.

They were in year 5 of Junior School now, and they couldn't wait to start. They loved school now. After things kept happening to Dudley, he had cooled off towards them in his behaviour shortly after Christmas, back in '85. Since then, they had talked and hung around with other kids, but not much. The occasional new kid that was a bully quickly learned not to bully any one – Harry and Angelina especially.

This was because Harry and Angelina weren't all that careful among the other kids, to keep their little secret.

Harry was getting especially good at Illusions, and most of the times when they stopped bullying, Harry had put one over the bullies in question so that they'd see themselves all beat up, and variations of that.

Most of the kids in their class knew they could do things. In the last 3 years, they had learned that the adults didn't ever believe them, so not one had questioned it. The kids in the other years followed Harry's yearmates lead in that regard. The kids in the other years didn't know nearly as much as the two's yearmates, but they knew odd things tended to happen; things that one very older student getting ready to go into high school, knew shouldn't have been possible without aid of advanced technology – or at all.

Despite this, no one ever talked about it. It was like they just knew, and didn't need to discuss it, or think of it.

From this had stemmed the better social interactions between Harry and Angelina and whoever hadn't been warned off by Dudley in the first place.

One lad, a Star Wars fan, especially liked their mock lightsabers, and was responsible for making a hilt for Harry – Angelina kept the first.

As they settled in and read from a library book, waiting for their teacher, those lightsaber hilts laid still in their schoolbags.


Harry sighed when the newest transfer kid called him out the very first break.

"Hey kid…" the kid began menacingly. "you're in my spot."

This caught the attention of some of Harry's nearby sort-of friends. Almost instantly, the kids began to wonder what show would be put on.

"As I have looked quite thoroughly over this small section of the old school boundary wall many times, I am very much sure that you have not placed a label proclaiming such." Harry said in one long breath. He used an illusion to make it so no one saw him gulping for air, before continuing on. "In fact, I have heard whispers of a general consensus that this spot is mine, despite not placing a claim of ownership myself." With that he gave amused glances to everyone gathered round. They twitched in amusement.

The kid just looked confused trying to work out what Harry was saying. Most everyone else was used to Harry and Angelina's method of talk when trying to make others look dumb. As such, the few smart kids were translating for those unable to, except of course, they did not translate for the kid.

"Whatever. Move whimp."

"And if I do not move?" Harry challenged.

The kid produced a knife – not any knife either, a very sharp one Harry knew to be used to cut through thick uncooked meat.

The older kids' faces changed to show manic grins, while the younger ones looked shocked, and some in between just looked amused.

The kid took this as a sign in his favour, not against as the truth was.

For the truth was, they knew that they were in for a very good show, with Harry coming out on top. As usual.

The older kid who was a fan of Star wars had an inkling, and bet that Harry would use his Lightsaber trick in the coming show. He felt very lucky, and bet £5 on it with his friends, who also placed bets. It would be he who won.

Harry tutted. "A simplistic tool used in the cutting of food. Not all that sharp-" Harry's left eye twitched, the only outward sign that he had just cast an illusion not on himself, "- and so quite incapable of piercing human skin. While, here…" Harry pulled out the hilt from his bag, and cast the charms, with an illusion so only Piers could see it, (a trick others were aware of,) "An advanced technological wonder, used in the defence of man against… well, man. Able to cut through anything, given enough force."

The star wars kid and several others winced at the pun.

The kid was sweating, heavily. He didn't know what to make of this kid. He looked at his own knife, then gurgled in surprise to see it rather different from before… the cutting side no longer serrated, and rather brown-rust looking.

"Now tell me, if I do not move… what?"

The kid twitched, then turned and ran off.

Into a waiting teacher that Harry hadn't met before. "What's going on here?" the teacher asked, but spotted the knife. He snatched it from the kid, and said, "Mr Polkiss, I'll be speaking to your parents later. Go directly to my office, now."

The kid, Piers Polkiss, ran as fast as he could.

Harry looked over this teacher he didn't recognise. Harry was rather unsettled by him. Angelina came over and a quick few words between them, she nodded and shook her head, slightly upset at missing the show.

"Mr Potter." The teacher nodded.

"Sir…?" Harry asked openly.

"Mr Moore."

"Yes, Mr Moore?"

The man seemed to think for a second, before saying, "Come to my office at dinner, Mr Potter."

Harry nodded, and turned to his best friend and the group gathered around them, watching the new teacher leave from the corner of his eye. Something was off.


From the classroom window, year 6 teacher Mr Moore watched the 2 kids as they played before the start of school.

Moore was a young teacher, he looked to be in his late 20's, brown hair, rather non-descript. But all the other teachers agreed on something, there was something, off, with the man. Nothing bad, he didn't set off their alarm bells, no, they just put the feeling down to how they know so little about him. Only the headmaster of the school seemed to know anything, and he was rather tight-lipped about the new teacher.

And just in that same way the other teachers felt there was something, odd, with him, he felt something odd from the kids, even before the playground incident that brought the 5th year Piers Polkiss to his attention.

Unlike the other teachers, however, he at least had a basis from which to form an idea over what caused this feeling.

As the bell rang, Moore sighed and prepared his classroom for the boisterous group he had gotten from the year 6 students.

As he taught the English literature lesson, in the back of his mind, he was thinking.

About his new post – the primary school was one of the larger ones in the area. Nearly 50 students per year average. One year even had 3 teachers – the current year 5.

About his job – oh, he was more than just a primary school teacher.

And about his family, what his dad was doing now that he had been forced into retirement by the woman Moore had fondly called 'Amy'. What his mother was up to while on her tour of Asia and if she knew about his dads' forced retirement, and what his younger siblings were doing now to support the family.

This last one was pushed even further as the lesson wore on.

Finally, after the hour-long lesson, he got a break and went to the staff room for a good cup of tea.

Unfortunately, he was put on playground duty.

Or rather, fortunately, considering what happened out there.

At the end of the break, Mr Moore couldn't really believe it. He wondered how many spells his dad would cast at him before the man at the least believed it was him, and not an imposter, never mind believing him about what he would say about the kids. His dad would most likely say he's gone insane and so on.

When the year 6 boys re-entered the classroom, just ahead of the girls, he held back his shudder and got his mind back on track.

By the time dinner rolled around and finished, he wasn't sure if he hadn't gone insane and he hadn't noticed. This thought carried him through the day, till he got home and set to find out if he was. But no, his potion's response to his blood assured him, he was as sane as the next joe blogs, his special bowl assured him that the kids really did do all that and his surface scans really did confirm their words as truth.

He immediately re-wrote his will – he had a lot of explaining to do to his dad.


Authors Notes: Sorry for the loooong wait, but my muse left me earlier, and I keep asking her who Jason is that keeps phoning since she returned.

She's got a new tattoo as well. Don't know what it says – she rubbed it a bit raw with some scrubbing brush up in my mental shower – and yes, I have a mental shower. Sometimes I get dirty thoughts, and if I don't clean up people would notice. Well… they would now that I've advertised the fact, oh dear.

Sigh. I always was a sucker for brunettes.

Anyway, in the previous version of this chapter, I listed the different stories I :really: want to write, but it's my muse, she comes and goes whenever she wants. And I'm always strapped for cash so I can't just hire someone to turn the idea's I have into stories for me… hmm… you know, that's rather strange – when she left, for a good while, I actually had money. Now she's back but out a lot… hmm… nah coincidence I'm sure.

That's what she says anyway. And she also says I need to get on with Chapter 9 and 10, and finish this pre-hogwarts section of the series. :sigh:. All work and no play.

Anyway the stories – cleaned up summaries - better i think. more long winded but meh...

A Time for Childhood
Pre-Hogwarts
Harry Potter is a normal boy. There's just one thing. He's a wizard, but doesn't know it. Or does he? Does he truly not know about his abilities? The mystery that is Harry began as it always does, in the beginning, during his childhood. There is a time for everything, and this is a time for Childhood.

A Time for Learning
1st and 2nd year Hogwarts
The Famous boy-who-lived is starting Hogwarts, and to many he is a mystery, even the youngest of 6 boys, Ron Weasley, and the very intelligent Hermione Granger. Befriended by the Master-Chess-player and the bookworm-turned-lion, Harry learns to live without his childhood friend. But as he does, mysteries lurk around Hogwarts, danger is never far, and Harry is somehow the centre of it all. For Harry, The Time for Childhood is over, and he has entered the time for learning. But Even as this time ends, one mystery remains.

A Time for Emerging
3rd Year Hogwarts
Harry finds himself in even more danger at Hogwarts at the start of his 3rd year. His time for learning theory is over, and must start to put his knowledge into practise. But with Dementors guarding Hogwarts, Traitors looking to kill him, a mysterious Defence teacher whom Harry feels he should know and another mystery beginning to rear it's head, Harry knows he will struggle to contain himself, to keep his powers secret. And through all this, the mystery of what ails him continues.
This year is a time for emerging into his powers, to see beyond the walls of Hogwarts, to emerge into the larger wizarding world, and into his fame. Can a 13 year old handle it all? Especially with Darkness on the horizon

A Time for Darkness
4th year Hogwarts
The mysterious tournament that Harry heard about last year is coming. With it, a storm is brewing that only he can see. Hidden, the forces of darkness conspire against him. With only few allies he struggles in his fight, for he can not reveal his true power, it isn't that time. But a beacon of light arrives as the tournament does. Reunited, Harry and Angelina begin planning in earnest. But this is a time for darkness to come upon them, and in darkness, one can easily loose their way, their friends… their lives…

A Time for Preparation
5th Year Hogwarts
Voldemort has been reborn into a new form, and he has returned almost as strong as he left the world 14 years ago. Harry told the wizarding world this. But they didn't listen. Only the students at Hogwarts believe him. Some for less than honourable reasons. Aware that he alone, even with his power, can't stop the Dark Armies of Voldemort, Harry knows he must have help – a lot more help. As a Time for Preparation settles upon Hogwarts, Harry takes the first step on the road to war, training friends and students of Hogwarts to defend themselves, and if need be, fight. And he must do this in secret, for the Ministry seems to not take kindly to unsponsored school clubs…

A Time for Struggle
6th Year Hogwarts
Angelina must return to her school, to spread the word and to prepare her friends back there. Harry, now alone, must find the strength to continue without her, continue preparing his friends, his fellow students… But now the wizarding world has proof that Dark Lord is back. Yet they can't do anything. It's too late. It's a Time for Struggle, a struggle through fights, a struggle through school, a struggle through life… and for Harry, he is learning that it is also a struggle through death.

A Time for War
7th Year Hogwarts
From the Ramparts of Hogwarts, Harry saw the start of the civil war in magical Britain. The forces of Voldemort, the forces of the Ministry, and a new force colliding in one epic battle. But while Britian struggles through a war of violence between factions of people, Harry must face several wars of other kinds. A war of emotions, a war of words, and worst of all, a war of his life or his death, His ailment returned twice over. This is a Time for War, and war comes in many shapes.

A Time for Vengeance
Post-Hogwarts
The Ministry forces fallen, all that stands between Voldemort and total victory for his forces is Harry and the much smaller army of light. All that stands between Voldemort and true immortality is a prophecy, and in that prophecy lays the only way he could die. He would be destroyed by 'The One'. Everyone thinks that's Harry, but Harry isn't so sure, not after facing him in the ministry building during it's fall. But when he learns something, he realises his fears are true – he is the one, the only one. And britain will learn just what their saviour can do, for by the time it is over, it will be the end of the time of darkness. It is a time for Vengeance, and Vengeance has a name.