Disclaimer: I own nothing you may recognise in any of my fics. I simply
borrow the odd character and play with them a little
Golden Opportunities – Arguments at the top.
The Halloween Dance had been on the Saturday evening and Harry had not attended as he was required to do as a Professor. He had not left the confines of his chambers for anything at all. Whenever he had been hungry, he'd merely called up Dolly to order something. He'd spent the hours flicking through memories he'd hoped that he would never have to re-live again. But something had made him look at them all; it felt odd to him, but it had helped in a way.
He'd recalled Hermione once telling him that bottling away all the painful areas of his life would only lead to him sinking into a pit of depression that she really didn't want to see him ever in. So now, months after her advice, he'd cracked open the memories he'd thought it best to name 'The Potter Vaunt of Horrors' and watched. He watched long into the night, eventually falling asleep on the sofa at around 3 am before waking up 4 hours later at 7. Then after calling up Dolly for a short breakfast he returned to the sofa to carry on sifting through his past.
At 8pm on Sunday evening, Harry emerged from his room looking not exactly his best. He noted with relief that no one had stayed around the entrance to his chambers on the off chance he might appear. He straightened his robes out the best he could before closing the Portrait door.
"Ah, young Harry. Did the castle's choice of allowing you alone time turn out well?" The Elven Prince, Favian Marcellus questioned just as Harry was going to step around the corner, ultimately stopping him from doing so.
"Prince Favian, yes. The castle was most gracious when granting me a small leave of absence. I needed the time to sort my head out a little bit. Get my priorities right and at least attempt to recognise my memories' significance." The Professor answered with a small smile playing on his lips.
"I'm glad. If it were up to me, I'd have given you more time to think. But you know Hogwarts, she's a stubborn one." They both chuckled lightly. "In any case, it is my duty as guardian of your chambers to inform you of the vast array of visitors that this corridor has seen over the past day or so. Her loveliness, Professor McGonagall came by not half an hour after you arrived and after I 'calmly' informed her that you were not to be disturbed, she left in a huff. Merlin's hat, I love the woman dearly but she gets angered at the simplest things, I swear!" Harry laughed at the Prince and leaned against the wall with his arms folded across his chest waiting for Favian to continue.
"Yes, an hour after that, the four young Gryffindor's I've been hearing so much about came up to see if you were alright. Apparently the pale one, Remus, said that he sensed saddened vibes coming from you as you rushed off in a hurry. So they, being the loyal, noble, kind, caring boys they are, came up to see if you were alright." Harry cocked an eyebrow.
"Sirius told you to get that bit in didn't he?" he commented dryly as a smile broke out on his face.
"Yes, the noisy one did request that I inform you of their few 'good' qualities." Favian grinned.
"Who else saw fit to impede on my personal time? Or at least try to?"
"Yes, the Headmaster himself came down to see if his 'higher' ranking stature in the school would be enough to grant him access. Alas, he was sadly mistaken. I refused anyone access. The good Headmaster was none too pleased with my refusal however and even went as far as to threaten me with that damned Incendio charm." Harry snorted at the face Favian had pulled. The prince had regarded the fire-creating charm with an air of distaste, as Harry was sure anyone who lived on canvas would.
"I'm not too fond of that charm myself." The man commented. "What, pray tell, did you say to deter Albus from setting alight to your fine self?" At the question, Favian smiled a smug smile.
"I told the lemon-drop loving old coot that I was under strict orders from Hogwarts herself and if anyone even tried to remove or destroy my portrait, they would be subjected to a handful of nasty little hexes that date back to the days Godrick and Salazar bantered with one another." Harry had out- right laughed at that and commended Favian on his bravery.
"I imagine that that answer didn't sit too well with Albus." The wizard said, still chuckling lightly.
"You would imagine correct. If I remember rightly, he started scowling, then mumbling something about rebellious castles, and then he said something else I couldn't quite catch because he'd whispered too low." The canvas-ridden prince scowled. "Can't they invent a charm that allows a portrait the healing capabilities of a werewolf? A werewolf's ears are amazingly sensitive to the slightest of noises." A glazed look washed over the Elf's face and Harry looked on in curiosity.
"You wouldn't happen to know what would lower the moonstone's potency without decreasing from its mass whilst maintaining the Wolfsbane's stability at the same time, would you?" he questioned after a minutes of silence. Though his immediate answer was silence, it was a thoughtful one.
"A mixture of phoenix tears and willingly donated unicorns hair and one petal from a Lupine flower picked on the new moon." The elf replied after five long minutes of careful thinking. Harry's eyes widened to an almost comical size.
"You're kidding?" he said in disbelief.
"Not at all young Harry; why would I kid you on such a matter?" Harry shook his head free of the momentary cobwebs and stood up straight.
"I have to go Favian. Thank you so much for this! You don't know how long I've been trying to work out that puzzle." He bowed to the prince in respect the bolted down the corridor, around the corner and down to the Great Hall as fast as he could.
As he ran, it occurred to him that he was taking the longer route. So after cursing himself for his stupidity he slipped behind the portrait of Morgana Le Fay (earning him an earful from the sorceress) and ran down many sets of stairs and a few short corridors until he came to the door labelled "Entrance Hall". He stepped through the door, closing it behind him only to have the outline disappear immediately and walked quickly to the Great Hall.
The doors were open and the hall was bustling with activity. Students were talking, laughing and Harry could have sworn he heard Sirius singing a song Harry didn't recognised but found amusing all the same. As he stepped up to the threshold of the hall his eyes found the Marauders and confirming his thoughts, Sirius was singing, very badly. Harry chuckled at the Gryffindor.
He walked with purpose down the centre of the hall in between the Hufflepuff and Gryffindor house tables towards the Head Table; or more precisely, Julianus Austin. Ignoring any attempts to bring him into a conversation by the surrounding figures, Harry stepped up to the Potions master.
"I know the answer to our puzzle and I need for you to come with me now." He then spun around, seeking out one particular student. "Mr Lupin, I will need you to come with me also." He watched at the Gryffindor rose slowly from his seat, blushing slightly at the attention directed at him and walked up to where Harry was stood. "Julianus, are you coming? I really need you help on this one." He stared at the still seated man, pleading with his eyes.
"Wh-"but the Potions Master was cut off by Albus Dumbledore.
"Harry I think we ought to have a talk with each other in my office. Now please." Harry growled in frustration.
"Albus this must be done tonight!" He lowered his voice so only the Headmaster could hear. "I do not want Remus to go through the pain of transforming anymore! Let me go tonight!" To say Albus Dumbledore was shocked would be the understatement of the century... including the future of it. He was sat in his seat, eyes wide, jaw dropped and stock still. Well, until he shook himself out of it.
"Harry that is not possible and I do not want you giving Mr Lupin false hope! Especially in these times!" Harry's patience was wearing thin, and fast. He took a deep breath to forcefully calm himself and stop from lashing out at the old man in front of him.
"This will work Albus. I don't care if you don't trust me on it, you will learn to trust me in your own time. That I know but you must let me go, with Julianus and Mr Lupin. Now or he will have to go through that pain twice more before we get another chance!" He was gripping the table so tight that his knuckles had turned white and his entire being simply screamed determination. But Albus was having none of it.
"Harry, no! I will not allow you to do this to him. He had lived with the pain since he was 8 years old. More will not matter in the long run, he'll still be the same Remus we know in... say 20 years time." Harry snorted out loud at that and before he could stop himself from saying what he said next, he did.
"That's what you think you old coot." It wasn't even the 'old coot' insult at the end of the sentence, but the first bit. How could he be led into that trap so openly? His own eyes widened as his slip up, then narrowed at the now thoughtful Dumbledore.
"And how would you know this?" The old man asked in a calm but firm voice. Had he been still in school he would have surely flinched at the seriousness of the tone and tried to find the nearest exit. But he wasn't a student, he wasn't even afraid of Dumbledore.
"That is for me to know. Now let me, Remus and Julianus go. Remus 'must' be there. If you don't let him go now, then you condemn him to that literally back-breaking pain twice a month for the rest of his life." *or until I get home* he added with a mental growl. "I will not be making this potion again, or giving anyone the recipe." He started pacing in front of the large table. By now they had the whole hall's attention.
"Do you even know what you are doing old man?" He glared at Dumbledore before turning quickly to Remus. "It's ok Mr Lupin, you are no longer needed. It seems your Headmaster wants all students within in the castle tonight. You may rejoin your friends." The teenager nodded warily and went to sit back down at the Gryffindor table next to Sirius. Harry then snapped back to attention, turning to Dumbledore. "I want to talk to you in your office. Now!" His eyes flashed with rage and pent up power before he disappeared from the hall in a fountain of water, leaving everyone to gape at the space he'd just occupied.
~Up in the Headmaster's office~
Harry had been pacing up and down the length of the rug in front of Dumbledore's desk for five minutes until the Headmaster himself had stepped through a door Harry hadn't noticed was there before in the back left corner of the room. The mage looked positively livid.
"How dare you leave the hall like that!" he almost yelled but Harry regarded him evenly.
"How dare I do what? Show the extent of my abilities? Show everyone what I am? Tell everyone I alone hold the power to defeat Voldemort but have to wait 20 years to do so during which time I loose practically everyone I held close to my heart to that maniacal bastard leaving me with the Headmaster I'd come to know as a surrogate grandfather figure and the werewolf you just condemned to 20 years of pain filled transformations!" Harry was shouting towards the end and was secretly pleased that the room had a natural silencing charm around it.
"How Dare I Do What, Albus?" He growled out in a in a deadly low, but forcibly calm tone.
The Headmaster of Hogwarts had his back to the far wall as Harry's magic was leaking. From experience, Albus knew that leaking magic and an enraged individual were not good combinations AT all.
"You who are so high and mighty in your big chair and your bloody lemon drops... you don't realise what is going to happen at all. You're so hopeful that the light will beat the dark. Just as you, the unofficial icon of the light side, defeated the dark once before in 1945. You have no idea." Harry shook his head, trying desperately to calm down. He may be angry with Dumbledore but he didn't want to kill him.
"I expect more people will die... muggleborn's, half bloods..." the Headmaster trailed off, not taking his eyes off Harry.
"OF COURSE More people will die! Muggleborn's will die; half bloods, giants, pure-bloods, werewolves, vampires... you name it, a member of their race will die. Yes, I am from the future, I know what will happen from now till 1999. I know the hardships people will be faced with. Hell! It seems the only safe family for twenty freaking years are the bloody Malfoy's!"
The Headmaster moved from the far wall to his desk then sat down in the chair behind it, still not taking his eyes from Harry. The other man was still pacing and wearing a hole through his new rug so Dumbledore sighed, getting Harry's attention.
"Take a seat Harry." With a slight wave of his wand, he conjured a comfortable looking chair at the other side of his desk for Harry to sit in. The Defence Professor reluctantly took the seat offered to him and looked Dumbledore straight in the eye. "How did you leave the Great Hall in such a way? Apparating in Hogwarts grounds is impossible. Even I can't do it."
Harry's eyes bore into the old man's, his face hardened.
"I am an elemental, and these wards do noting to stop me from entering and exiting from the school via apparition. That little show I did in the hall was to aid ME in releasing some of my energy." He answered calmly. Dumbledore stared at him in disbelief wandering just how powerful someone had to be to get through his wards. "What powers I possess are not relative in this discussion. What I want to know is why you refused to allow me to make the potion for Remus." At this, the Headmaster sighed.
"I didn't want you to get the boys hopes up Harry. Mr Lupin is a very strong individual, he has lived with his painful transformations since he was eight years old and if this potion wasn't to work on him, I fear he would be crushed." Harry's eyes flashed and he jumped up from his seat, banging a fist on the desk in front of him.
"Remus J Lupin is the strongest man I know! The Remus from MY time would trust me with his life!" He was fuming, and he knew it. He didn't care.
"Harry, calm yourself this instant! We are not talking about the Remus Lupin from your time... As good a person as he may be, the Remus Lupin from this time is 16 years old not 36." Dumbledore tried to pacify the angered Defence Professor.
"You made the mistake of underestimating Tom Marvolo Riddle, Albus. Now look where the world is! I wanted to save the one person I have left that links me back here, 20 years of pain with ONE POTION that would have most definitely worked! And you deny me that? Who died and made you Merlin!" he spat and a glass vase from across the room smashed to pieces, followed closely by the glass cabinet on the far wall.
"Tom's situation is very different from Remus'. And you know it!"
"Is it really? Tom didn't have anyone to love him when he went home for the holidays, he didn't have anyone to send him gifts, remind him that he matters. Remus has two parents that lock him up for fear that he will wolf out at any moment and kill them all! How different is that? What chance are you giving Remus? Did you ask him if he had something to tell you too?" More glass objects around the room smashed.
"I... How do you know of Remus' home life?" The Headmaster glared at Harry. It was something Harry thought he would never live to see coming from the old man.
"It was over no Sunday lunch." He shook his head. "Stop going off topic. I'll tell you this once. In 1999, when I return and Remus asks me what happened, I'll be telling him you were the one to condemn him to the pain he's lived with twice a month for the past 20 years. You had absolutely no right to do that Dumbledore! No right AT all." With that, he turned around and made to leave the room via the door but as he reached out to turn the handle, Dumbledore spoke up.
"He will survive."
"Yes, he will. He'll know soon enough that I'll be there for him when it's all over." And he left.
*
After the meeting, Harry had decided to visit some people he knew would be able to calm him down greatly. From the corridor outside the Headmaster's office, Harry apparated, this time in a shower of flames and reappeared in front of a small cottage with nothing but fields surrounding it. Smiling at the fond memories he'd collected here, he walked up to the front door only to have it be opened before he could even knock.
Harry was looking directly ahead but saw nothing. Frowning, he looked left, then right and then finally downwards and it was then that he was the very young, very adorable looking Bill Weasley stood with his short arms folded across his chest and an impatient look on his face and Harry couldn't help but laugh.
"Who're you mister?" The younger version of the flirt he knew asked, eyeing him warily. But before Harry could answer there was a shout coming from further in the house and Bill jumped, totally forgetting that there was a strange man at the door and bolted back inside the house leaving the front door wide open.
Chuckling, Harry stepped into the home he'd grown to call his own during his time at Hogwarts and closed the door quietly behind him.
"Bill Weasley!" the unmistakable voice of Molly Weasley boomed throughout the whole house. "Move your toys this instant, I'm going to fall!" It was at the last phrase that Harry rushed through to the front living area to see what was wrong. He found the boy that answered the door on his knees and moving a number of old looking toys out of the path of the woman stood on one of the steps looking like she was indeed about to fall. She had a baby in one hand and the banister in the other.
Raising both hands, Harry levitated Molly Weasley and the baby down the stairs and sat them on the sofa. After making sure the woman and baby were safe, he spelled all of the toys that no doubt Bill had thrown on the floor to the boxes at the side of the room. He then walked over to the stunned Bill, picked him up and put him down beside his mother on the sofa before walking out of the room and into the kitchen, making two cups of tea and pouring a glass of juice. Charming them to hover without spilling behind him, he strolled back into the living area and to the still-stunned family.
"Mrs Weasley, do you have a coffee table I can sit these on?" The woman pointed to the small table that had been pushed to the side of the room. Harry moved it back to its original spot in front of the sofa without magic, and then set the three drinks down.
Suddenly, the woman snapped to her senses and started to thank the strange man profusely for helping. Harry just waved it off with a smile.
"Nonsense Mrs Weasley. It was my pleasure." He sat down on a near by chair after giving the juice to Bill and picking up his own cup of tea. He then noticed the woman whom he thought as the only mother-figure in his life looking at him strangely.
"Not to seem rude or anything, but who are you and why are you in my home?" Harry's eyes widened to an almost comical size and he cursed himself for his stupidity.
"Merlin I apologise Mrs Weasley. I'm Harry Potter." He saw her looking thoughtful and chuckled lightly. "As I am related to James Potter, I'm not... how can I say this without seeming crazy?" He thought a moment. "I'm from the future."
He'd expected a reaction, that much was for sure, but Mrs Weasley laughing in his face wasn't the one he'd been looking for.
"Merlin..." the woman breathed. "I... oh lord, I'm sorry Mr Potter. It's just..." then she burst into a fresh bout of laughter.
"Well I guess I can see the funny side of things. But I am telling you the truth, I can show you proof if you like." He raised a questioning eyebrow and the woman nodded her consent. Sitting on the edge of his seat, Harry concentrated on forming the simulation screen with the mindseye link and almost immediately image after image of his past came into view.
"The Burrow, Christmas, 1996." He stated loudly and the images stopped at the memory of his last Christmas with Sirius before they started up again, showing the Christmas at the burrow. Grinning at the shocked reaction, Harry showed Mrs Weasley a snippet of her future.
"Good lord, how many children do I have?" She exclaimed after seeing the array of redheads scattered around the room and Harry laughed out loud.
"Well you have Bill," He pointed to the tallest of the redheads who just happened to be flirting with Harry himself at that point. The Hogwarts Professor groaned at his timing and looked sheepishly at Mrs Weasley. "Ah, well... he becomes a little outgoing as he gets older."
"That's me?" The three year old version of Bill said pointing to the long haired Weasley. Harry nodded and watched at the child's eyes lit up.
"Cool!"
"How many more do I have?" Mrs Weasley asked the young man in her front room after a while of watching her oldest son and Harry get significantly closer. Harry quickly moved the shot away from them and to a shot of Charlie and Ginny.
"That's Charlie. Your second oldest, he works with dragons and is an expert in his field. He trained a Horntail I once... knew perfectly. Couldn't fault him once." He covered his slip easily and continued. "The girl beside him is your youngest, Ginny. We used to call her firecracker because of her temper." He laughed at the memories he had with his surrogate family.
"Well Arthur keeps telling me I have a bad temper." Mrs Weasley mused with a smile.
"Where is Arthur? At work?" the woman nodded. "Ah, a great man that Arthur is. Ah, the one in the suit, there..." He pointed at another redhead. "That's Percy, he's the model student." Mrs Weasley beamed with pride at the definition of her third son and Harry smiled, moving on. "Now, these two," he pointed at the twins. "Are called Fred and George. Or Gred and Forge...anyway, you've heard of the Marauders at Hogwarts haven't you?"
"Ah yes," the woman could hardly hold back a smile. "I'm friends with James' mother, Pandora. No nicer folk around if you ask me."
"The twins here idolise the Marauders." He laughed out loud at the look on Mrs Weasley's face at this news; horror, disbelief and dread. "They're alright though. They tow the line and all you need do is send a look their way and they stand to attention." She at least seemed pleased that she could denote a sense of order in her children.
"The one who is now talking to the girl with the bushy hair and the older man with the greying hair is your youngest son and my best friend, Ron." He smiled at the image of his friend. "He's the best friend I could have ever asked for, you would... no, 'will' be proud of his accomplishments."
The pair talked for another half an hour before Harry had to leave, but not without making her the promise to come and see her and her husband once more before he had to leave. Harry had also requested that Mrs Weasley not tell anyone other than her husband about him being from the future. The woman readily agreed.
When Harry returned to Hogwarts he went straight to the kitchens for something to eat then went back to his chambers and straight to bed, falling asleep before his head had even touched the pillow.
~~~
Well, there you go. If I had to use one word to describe this chapter, I think it would be 'filler'. I couldn't think of anything half decent to write about, so I did this. Enjoy!
Oh! And I have to thank Chris for his contribution to this chapter. Most helpful was my Scottish friend. I thank you very much so.
Review!
Thank you!!
Golden Opportunities – Arguments at the top.
The Halloween Dance had been on the Saturday evening and Harry had not attended as he was required to do as a Professor. He had not left the confines of his chambers for anything at all. Whenever he had been hungry, he'd merely called up Dolly to order something. He'd spent the hours flicking through memories he'd hoped that he would never have to re-live again. But something had made him look at them all; it felt odd to him, but it had helped in a way.
He'd recalled Hermione once telling him that bottling away all the painful areas of his life would only lead to him sinking into a pit of depression that she really didn't want to see him ever in. So now, months after her advice, he'd cracked open the memories he'd thought it best to name 'The Potter Vaunt of Horrors' and watched. He watched long into the night, eventually falling asleep on the sofa at around 3 am before waking up 4 hours later at 7. Then after calling up Dolly for a short breakfast he returned to the sofa to carry on sifting through his past.
At 8pm on Sunday evening, Harry emerged from his room looking not exactly his best. He noted with relief that no one had stayed around the entrance to his chambers on the off chance he might appear. He straightened his robes out the best he could before closing the Portrait door.
"Ah, young Harry. Did the castle's choice of allowing you alone time turn out well?" The Elven Prince, Favian Marcellus questioned just as Harry was going to step around the corner, ultimately stopping him from doing so.
"Prince Favian, yes. The castle was most gracious when granting me a small leave of absence. I needed the time to sort my head out a little bit. Get my priorities right and at least attempt to recognise my memories' significance." The Professor answered with a small smile playing on his lips.
"I'm glad. If it were up to me, I'd have given you more time to think. But you know Hogwarts, she's a stubborn one." They both chuckled lightly. "In any case, it is my duty as guardian of your chambers to inform you of the vast array of visitors that this corridor has seen over the past day or so. Her loveliness, Professor McGonagall came by not half an hour after you arrived and after I 'calmly' informed her that you were not to be disturbed, she left in a huff. Merlin's hat, I love the woman dearly but she gets angered at the simplest things, I swear!" Harry laughed at the Prince and leaned against the wall with his arms folded across his chest waiting for Favian to continue.
"Yes, an hour after that, the four young Gryffindor's I've been hearing so much about came up to see if you were alright. Apparently the pale one, Remus, said that he sensed saddened vibes coming from you as you rushed off in a hurry. So they, being the loyal, noble, kind, caring boys they are, came up to see if you were alright." Harry cocked an eyebrow.
"Sirius told you to get that bit in didn't he?" he commented dryly as a smile broke out on his face.
"Yes, the noisy one did request that I inform you of their few 'good' qualities." Favian grinned.
"Who else saw fit to impede on my personal time? Or at least try to?"
"Yes, the Headmaster himself came down to see if his 'higher' ranking stature in the school would be enough to grant him access. Alas, he was sadly mistaken. I refused anyone access. The good Headmaster was none too pleased with my refusal however and even went as far as to threaten me with that damned Incendio charm." Harry snorted at the face Favian had pulled. The prince had regarded the fire-creating charm with an air of distaste, as Harry was sure anyone who lived on canvas would.
"I'm not too fond of that charm myself." The man commented. "What, pray tell, did you say to deter Albus from setting alight to your fine self?" At the question, Favian smiled a smug smile.
"I told the lemon-drop loving old coot that I was under strict orders from Hogwarts herself and if anyone even tried to remove or destroy my portrait, they would be subjected to a handful of nasty little hexes that date back to the days Godrick and Salazar bantered with one another." Harry had out- right laughed at that and commended Favian on his bravery.
"I imagine that that answer didn't sit too well with Albus." The wizard said, still chuckling lightly.
"You would imagine correct. If I remember rightly, he started scowling, then mumbling something about rebellious castles, and then he said something else I couldn't quite catch because he'd whispered too low." The canvas-ridden prince scowled. "Can't they invent a charm that allows a portrait the healing capabilities of a werewolf? A werewolf's ears are amazingly sensitive to the slightest of noises." A glazed look washed over the Elf's face and Harry looked on in curiosity.
"You wouldn't happen to know what would lower the moonstone's potency without decreasing from its mass whilst maintaining the Wolfsbane's stability at the same time, would you?" he questioned after a minutes of silence. Though his immediate answer was silence, it was a thoughtful one.
"A mixture of phoenix tears and willingly donated unicorns hair and one petal from a Lupine flower picked on the new moon." The elf replied after five long minutes of careful thinking. Harry's eyes widened to an almost comical size.
"You're kidding?" he said in disbelief.
"Not at all young Harry; why would I kid you on such a matter?" Harry shook his head free of the momentary cobwebs and stood up straight.
"I have to go Favian. Thank you so much for this! You don't know how long I've been trying to work out that puzzle." He bowed to the prince in respect the bolted down the corridor, around the corner and down to the Great Hall as fast as he could.
As he ran, it occurred to him that he was taking the longer route. So after cursing himself for his stupidity he slipped behind the portrait of Morgana Le Fay (earning him an earful from the sorceress) and ran down many sets of stairs and a few short corridors until he came to the door labelled "Entrance Hall". He stepped through the door, closing it behind him only to have the outline disappear immediately and walked quickly to the Great Hall.
The doors were open and the hall was bustling with activity. Students were talking, laughing and Harry could have sworn he heard Sirius singing a song Harry didn't recognised but found amusing all the same. As he stepped up to the threshold of the hall his eyes found the Marauders and confirming his thoughts, Sirius was singing, very badly. Harry chuckled at the Gryffindor.
He walked with purpose down the centre of the hall in between the Hufflepuff and Gryffindor house tables towards the Head Table; or more precisely, Julianus Austin. Ignoring any attempts to bring him into a conversation by the surrounding figures, Harry stepped up to the Potions master.
"I know the answer to our puzzle and I need for you to come with me now." He then spun around, seeking out one particular student. "Mr Lupin, I will need you to come with me also." He watched at the Gryffindor rose slowly from his seat, blushing slightly at the attention directed at him and walked up to where Harry was stood. "Julianus, are you coming? I really need you help on this one." He stared at the still seated man, pleading with his eyes.
"Wh-"but the Potions Master was cut off by Albus Dumbledore.
"Harry I think we ought to have a talk with each other in my office. Now please." Harry growled in frustration.
"Albus this must be done tonight!" He lowered his voice so only the Headmaster could hear. "I do not want Remus to go through the pain of transforming anymore! Let me go tonight!" To say Albus Dumbledore was shocked would be the understatement of the century... including the future of it. He was sat in his seat, eyes wide, jaw dropped and stock still. Well, until he shook himself out of it.
"Harry that is not possible and I do not want you giving Mr Lupin false hope! Especially in these times!" Harry's patience was wearing thin, and fast. He took a deep breath to forcefully calm himself and stop from lashing out at the old man in front of him.
"This will work Albus. I don't care if you don't trust me on it, you will learn to trust me in your own time. That I know but you must let me go, with Julianus and Mr Lupin. Now or he will have to go through that pain twice more before we get another chance!" He was gripping the table so tight that his knuckles had turned white and his entire being simply screamed determination. But Albus was having none of it.
"Harry, no! I will not allow you to do this to him. He had lived with the pain since he was 8 years old. More will not matter in the long run, he'll still be the same Remus we know in... say 20 years time." Harry snorted out loud at that and before he could stop himself from saying what he said next, he did.
"That's what you think you old coot." It wasn't even the 'old coot' insult at the end of the sentence, but the first bit. How could he be led into that trap so openly? His own eyes widened as his slip up, then narrowed at the now thoughtful Dumbledore.
"And how would you know this?" The old man asked in a calm but firm voice. Had he been still in school he would have surely flinched at the seriousness of the tone and tried to find the nearest exit. But he wasn't a student, he wasn't even afraid of Dumbledore.
"That is for me to know. Now let me, Remus and Julianus go. Remus 'must' be there. If you don't let him go now, then you condemn him to that literally back-breaking pain twice a month for the rest of his life." *or until I get home* he added with a mental growl. "I will not be making this potion again, or giving anyone the recipe." He started pacing in front of the large table. By now they had the whole hall's attention.
"Do you even know what you are doing old man?" He glared at Dumbledore before turning quickly to Remus. "It's ok Mr Lupin, you are no longer needed. It seems your Headmaster wants all students within in the castle tonight. You may rejoin your friends." The teenager nodded warily and went to sit back down at the Gryffindor table next to Sirius. Harry then snapped back to attention, turning to Dumbledore. "I want to talk to you in your office. Now!" His eyes flashed with rage and pent up power before he disappeared from the hall in a fountain of water, leaving everyone to gape at the space he'd just occupied.
~Up in the Headmaster's office~
Harry had been pacing up and down the length of the rug in front of Dumbledore's desk for five minutes until the Headmaster himself had stepped through a door Harry hadn't noticed was there before in the back left corner of the room. The mage looked positively livid.
"How dare you leave the hall like that!" he almost yelled but Harry regarded him evenly.
"How dare I do what? Show the extent of my abilities? Show everyone what I am? Tell everyone I alone hold the power to defeat Voldemort but have to wait 20 years to do so during which time I loose practically everyone I held close to my heart to that maniacal bastard leaving me with the Headmaster I'd come to know as a surrogate grandfather figure and the werewolf you just condemned to 20 years of pain filled transformations!" Harry was shouting towards the end and was secretly pleased that the room had a natural silencing charm around it.
"How Dare I Do What, Albus?" He growled out in a in a deadly low, but forcibly calm tone.
The Headmaster of Hogwarts had his back to the far wall as Harry's magic was leaking. From experience, Albus knew that leaking magic and an enraged individual were not good combinations AT all.
"You who are so high and mighty in your big chair and your bloody lemon drops... you don't realise what is going to happen at all. You're so hopeful that the light will beat the dark. Just as you, the unofficial icon of the light side, defeated the dark once before in 1945. You have no idea." Harry shook his head, trying desperately to calm down. He may be angry with Dumbledore but he didn't want to kill him.
"I expect more people will die... muggleborn's, half bloods..." the Headmaster trailed off, not taking his eyes off Harry.
"OF COURSE More people will die! Muggleborn's will die; half bloods, giants, pure-bloods, werewolves, vampires... you name it, a member of their race will die. Yes, I am from the future, I know what will happen from now till 1999. I know the hardships people will be faced with. Hell! It seems the only safe family for twenty freaking years are the bloody Malfoy's!"
The Headmaster moved from the far wall to his desk then sat down in the chair behind it, still not taking his eyes from Harry. The other man was still pacing and wearing a hole through his new rug so Dumbledore sighed, getting Harry's attention.
"Take a seat Harry." With a slight wave of his wand, he conjured a comfortable looking chair at the other side of his desk for Harry to sit in. The Defence Professor reluctantly took the seat offered to him and looked Dumbledore straight in the eye. "How did you leave the Great Hall in such a way? Apparating in Hogwarts grounds is impossible. Even I can't do it."
Harry's eyes bore into the old man's, his face hardened.
"I am an elemental, and these wards do noting to stop me from entering and exiting from the school via apparition. That little show I did in the hall was to aid ME in releasing some of my energy." He answered calmly. Dumbledore stared at him in disbelief wandering just how powerful someone had to be to get through his wards. "What powers I possess are not relative in this discussion. What I want to know is why you refused to allow me to make the potion for Remus." At this, the Headmaster sighed.
"I didn't want you to get the boys hopes up Harry. Mr Lupin is a very strong individual, he has lived with his painful transformations since he was eight years old and if this potion wasn't to work on him, I fear he would be crushed." Harry's eyes flashed and he jumped up from his seat, banging a fist on the desk in front of him.
"Remus J Lupin is the strongest man I know! The Remus from MY time would trust me with his life!" He was fuming, and he knew it. He didn't care.
"Harry, calm yourself this instant! We are not talking about the Remus Lupin from your time... As good a person as he may be, the Remus Lupin from this time is 16 years old not 36." Dumbledore tried to pacify the angered Defence Professor.
"You made the mistake of underestimating Tom Marvolo Riddle, Albus. Now look where the world is! I wanted to save the one person I have left that links me back here, 20 years of pain with ONE POTION that would have most definitely worked! And you deny me that? Who died and made you Merlin!" he spat and a glass vase from across the room smashed to pieces, followed closely by the glass cabinet on the far wall.
"Tom's situation is very different from Remus'. And you know it!"
"Is it really? Tom didn't have anyone to love him when he went home for the holidays, he didn't have anyone to send him gifts, remind him that he matters. Remus has two parents that lock him up for fear that he will wolf out at any moment and kill them all! How different is that? What chance are you giving Remus? Did you ask him if he had something to tell you too?" More glass objects around the room smashed.
"I... How do you know of Remus' home life?" The Headmaster glared at Harry. It was something Harry thought he would never live to see coming from the old man.
"It was over no Sunday lunch." He shook his head. "Stop going off topic. I'll tell you this once. In 1999, when I return and Remus asks me what happened, I'll be telling him you were the one to condemn him to the pain he's lived with twice a month for the past 20 years. You had absolutely no right to do that Dumbledore! No right AT all." With that, he turned around and made to leave the room via the door but as he reached out to turn the handle, Dumbledore spoke up.
"He will survive."
"Yes, he will. He'll know soon enough that I'll be there for him when it's all over." And he left.
*
After the meeting, Harry had decided to visit some people he knew would be able to calm him down greatly. From the corridor outside the Headmaster's office, Harry apparated, this time in a shower of flames and reappeared in front of a small cottage with nothing but fields surrounding it. Smiling at the fond memories he'd collected here, he walked up to the front door only to have it be opened before he could even knock.
Harry was looking directly ahead but saw nothing. Frowning, he looked left, then right and then finally downwards and it was then that he was the very young, very adorable looking Bill Weasley stood with his short arms folded across his chest and an impatient look on his face and Harry couldn't help but laugh.
"Who're you mister?" The younger version of the flirt he knew asked, eyeing him warily. But before Harry could answer there was a shout coming from further in the house and Bill jumped, totally forgetting that there was a strange man at the door and bolted back inside the house leaving the front door wide open.
Chuckling, Harry stepped into the home he'd grown to call his own during his time at Hogwarts and closed the door quietly behind him.
"Bill Weasley!" the unmistakable voice of Molly Weasley boomed throughout the whole house. "Move your toys this instant, I'm going to fall!" It was at the last phrase that Harry rushed through to the front living area to see what was wrong. He found the boy that answered the door on his knees and moving a number of old looking toys out of the path of the woman stood on one of the steps looking like she was indeed about to fall. She had a baby in one hand and the banister in the other.
Raising both hands, Harry levitated Molly Weasley and the baby down the stairs and sat them on the sofa. After making sure the woman and baby were safe, he spelled all of the toys that no doubt Bill had thrown on the floor to the boxes at the side of the room. He then walked over to the stunned Bill, picked him up and put him down beside his mother on the sofa before walking out of the room and into the kitchen, making two cups of tea and pouring a glass of juice. Charming them to hover without spilling behind him, he strolled back into the living area and to the still-stunned family.
"Mrs Weasley, do you have a coffee table I can sit these on?" The woman pointed to the small table that had been pushed to the side of the room. Harry moved it back to its original spot in front of the sofa without magic, and then set the three drinks down.
Suddenly, the woman snapped to her senses and started to thank the strange man profusely for helping. Harry just waved it off with a smile.
"Nonsense Mrs Weasley. It was my pleasure." He sat down on a near by chair after giving the juice to Bill and picking up his own cup of tea. He then noticed the woman whom he thought as the only mother-figure in his life looking at him strangely.
"Not to seem rude or anything, but who are you and why are you in my home?" Harry's eyes widened to an almost comical size and he cursed himself for his stupidity.
"Merlin I apologise Mrs Weasley. I'm Harry Potter." He saw her looking thoughtful and chuckled lightly. "As I am related to James Potter, I'm not... how can I say this without seeming crazy?" He thought a moment. "I'm from the future."
He'd expected a reaction, that much was for sure, but Mrs Weasley laughing in his face wasn't the one he'd been looking for.
"Merlin..." the woman breathed. "I... oh lord, I'm sorry Mr Potter. It's just..." then she burst into a fresh bout of laughter.
"Well I guess I can see the funny side of things. But I am telling you the truth, I can show you proof if you like." He raised a questioning eyebrow and the woman nodded her consent. Sitting on the edge of his seat, Harry concentrated on forming the simulation screen with the mindseye link and almost immediately image after image of his past came into view.
"The Burrow, Christmas, 1996." He stated loudly and the images stopped at the memory of his last Christmas with Sirius before they started up again, showing the Christmas at the burrow. Grinning at the shocked reaction, Harry showed Mrs Weasley a snippet of her future.
"Good lord, how many children do I have?" She exclaimed after seeing the array of redheads scattered around the room and Harry laughed out loud.
"Well you have Bill," He pointed to the tallest of the redheads who just happened to be flirting with Harry himself at that point. The Hogwarts Professor groaned at his timing and looked sheepishly at Mrs Weasley. "Ah, well... he becomes a little outgoing as he gets older."
"That's me?" The three year old version of Bill said pointing to the long haired Weasley. Harry nodded and watched at the child's eyes lit up.
"Cool!"
"How many more do I have?" Mrs Weasley asked the young man in her front room after a while of watching her oldest son and Harry get significantly closer. Harry quickly moved the shot away from them and to a shot of Charlie and Ginny.
"That's Charlie. Your second oldest, he works with dragons and is an expert in his field. He trained a Horntail I once... knew perfectly. Couldn't fault him once." He covered his slip easily and continued. "The girl beside him is your youngest, Ginny. We used to call her firecracker because of her temper." He laughed at the memories he had with his surrogate family.
"Well Arthur keeps telling me I have a bad temper." Mrs Weasley mused with a smile.
"Where is Arthur? At work?" the woman nodded. "Ah, a great man that Arthur is. Ah, the one in the suit, there..." He pointed at another redhead. "That's Percy, he's the model student." Mrs Weasley beamed with pride at the definition of her third son and Harry smiled, moving on. "Now, these two," he pointed at the twins. "Are called Fred and George. Or Gred and Forge...anyway, you've heard of the Marauders at Hogwarts haven't you?"
"Ah yes," the woman could hardly hold back a smile. "I'm friends with James' mother, Pandora. No nicer folk around if you ask me."
"The twins here idolise the Marauders." He laughed out loud at the look on Mrs Weasley's face at this news; horror, disbelief and dread. "They're alright though. They tow the line and all you need do is send a look their way and they stand to attention." She at least seemed pleased that she could denote a sense of order in her children.
"The one who is now talking to the girl with the bushy hair and the older man with the greying hair is your youngest son and my best friend, Ron." He smiled at the image of his friend. "He's the best friend I could have ever asked for, you would... no, 'will' be proud of his accomplishments."
The pair talked for another half an hour before Harry had to leave, but not without making her the promise to come and see her and her husband once more before he had to leave. Harry had also requested that Mrs Weasley not tell anyone other than her husband about him being from the future. The woman readily agreed.
When Harry returned to Hogwarts he went straight to the kitchens for something to eat then went back to his chambers and straight to bed, falling asleep before his head had even touched the pillow.
~~~
Well, there you go. If I had to use one word to describe this chapter, I think it would be 'filler'. I couldn't think of anything half decent to write about, so I did this. Enjoy!
Oh! And I have to thank Chris for his contribution to this chapter. Most helpful was my Scottish friend. I thank you very much so.
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