TITLE: Beforewards
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Harry Potter.
A/N: Don't forget to leave a review.
SUMMARY: At Kings Cross, Harry meets someone other than Dumbledore. That someone sends Harry back in time to change things. Can Harry, with his future knowledge and new mentor, change his future for good? Or will this time travel not have the desired effects?
CLARIFICATIONS:
'Merlin talking to Harry in his head'
'Harry talking to Merlin in his head'
§Parseltongue§
CHAPTER: 22
The Gaunt Shack was not as run down as he had thought it would be. Yes, it was mouldy, there was a decaying snake's corpse hanging from its tail on the door and the smell when you got near it was putrid enough to make Harry have to fight down a gag, with Merlin not even making fun of him for it telling Harry that he felt the same way. He didnt really want to approach the house, the stench getting worse and worse with every step he took, building with the foreboding sense he had in his gut.
'I would not be surprised if it is a spell of some kind to keep people away. I know it would keep me away if somewhere smelt like this.'
'I suppose it is pretty clever to do that.'
'Clever or paranoid. This is definitely the place.'
'As if we'd had any doubts.'
Harry approached the Shack, cautiously, taking more and more careful steps as he got closer. He would not be surprised if Voldemort placed charms and curses on the walk up to the rusty green gate. Once he stood in front of it, he waved his hand, creating a slight wind that would not seem out of the ordinary if a muggle was watching and it pushed the gate forward, so he didn't have to touch it at all. He would be very wary.
'It is better to be cautious. Recall what happened to Dumbledore.'
Harry rolled his eyes, as though he would forget his sixth year in a hurry. He still had recurring nightmares of watching his mentor falling off of the tower, which all stemmed from Dumbledore's hand decaying from this very horcrux. Again, he reminded himself to reach out with his magic and trust in Merlin to warn him of any incoming danger he could sense.
He walked up to the house and stared at the corpse of the snake that hung in front of the tarnished silver knocker in the shape of a snake.
Harry's lips twisted. "Delightful," he whispered to himself before taking out the elder wand...his wand, and ran through several scanning spells just to be on the safe side. He hummed at the results.
'There is a proximity ward surrounding the house; well hidden but its definitely there.'
'A specific one in full view on the front door. Focus and you can see the magic almost is wonky. It's definitely here.'
Harry nodded firmly with a grim, tight-lipped smile. 'What do you want to bet that the snake comes alive and tries to bite my face off or sink its fangs into my neck if I try and go in.'
Merlin was silent for a moment, before answering. 'The ward prevents unauthorised apparation into the house. The window, perhaps?'
'That's an idea, but I wouldn't be surprised is there was another nasty surprise inside the house by whatever's triggered by the wall ward. A neutralising spell through the window first to be safe? And then dive inside?'
'An apt choice. But be prepared.'
Harry raised the wand towards the window. He sucked in a deep breath and shot off a silent neutralising spell and it smashed through the dirty glass, a green ripple flowing over the walls. Harry quickly wandlessly banished the rest of the glass as he ran full tilt and threw himself through the hole.
The landing was hard and he tired to ignore the shockwave through his ankles and fell back. The breath got knocked out of him as he landed on the hard wooden floor. He sat up and rotated his shoulder gingerly. That was going to bruise.
"Bloody hell." Harry swore. He looked around, checked out his situation, casting a quick spell to alery him to any dark magic in the area.
He almost jumped when a low hiss came from the shadows in the corner. Harry sent out a perimeter charm. 'A snake?'
'A big one, and it is enchanted against spells. A powerful vanishing spell should get rid of it.'
'Or I could try and communicate with it?'
'You could try, it would be a risky though.'
Harry decided that he would take that risk. The quicker this mission was over, the better.
The snake slithered forward and Harry rushed as quickly as he could to his feet, pointing his wand tip to the floor to show to the snake that he was not going to harm the animal.
§I am not going to hurt you.§ Harry said to the snake and he felt the words come out of his mouth in a harsh langauge. He tried to ignore the sudden burning sensation in his eyes before it went away quickly, or maybe he just adjusted. He would have to ask Merlin about that later.
The snake rose up, its hood flaring, §You speak. You are not my Master and yet you speak.§
Harry bowed his head, §I am...in the same pack as your Master. We are related.§
§Mates?§
He tried to hide his massive cringe, §No. But we are both descendants of brothers.§
The snake looked like it was thinking. §Blood.§ Harry nodded again, but then the snake hissed angrily and he stood up straight, wary. §Where is my Master?§
Apparently hesitation was not what the snake wanted in an answer and it moved quickly. If Merlin's voice hadn't echoed in his mind for him to dive to the left, he most likely would have been stabbed with its exposed fangs. Harry, from his knelt position on the floor where he had rolled from his dive, raised his hands in defence. §Your Master has deserted you! He has left you for many cycles! I am here now, I shall protect this place.§
§No! He gave me a great honour! He brought me here to protect his treasure! He will come back for me!§
§He put you in here many cycles ago, years have passed, decades! He has another now, another serpent by his side. If he returns at all, it will only be to kill you and retrive the dark, evil thing he placed here!§
The snake snapped her jaw shut and didn't say anything more. Instead, it lowered itself to the floor and almost nodded in the direction of a far corner before slithering off into a corner of the room where it came from. Merlin spoke up.
'The horcrux is in that corner of the room. Take it, it is in a box so do not worry.'
Harry walked over to a rotting table that held only a single box that reeked of dark magic. Harry waved his wand and the lid slowly half-opened to reveal a small, angular black stone set in a silver snake-like band. He nodded to himself, before duplicating the box with a quick spell and taking the real one and putting it in his pocket before zipping it up. He wanted to make sure that if Voldemort got wind of anything going on with his horcrux's, he would not be instantly suspicious.
Five down; the diadem, the ring, the diary, the locket and himself. Two to go.
The cup and the snake.
And then the man himself.
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