If Harry hadn't known better, he would have thought the spell merely transported him outside. But subtle differences told him otherwise and Harry looked around in disbelief at details that normally would have escaped him: the chipped keeper rings; the Astronomy tower's missing shingles; windows that didn't yet exist. This wasn't his castle — it was one straight out of a history book.

And everything was as it should be, Harry realized. Here was Dumbledore upstairs in his office, McGonagall in the corridors, and house elves preparing in the kitchen.

Harry swallowed a lump in his throat, marveling at the fact that he was here.

He hid behind an old tree to apply the glamour (he couldn't risk the portraits recognizing James Potter) and booked it straight to the loo to find out what he looked like. This was the face his parents would remember, after all.

He stood before the great mirror and saw a stranger staring back.

The man had dark hair (the straight kind that always did what it was told), thin lips, and a strong jaw. The strangest thing was the eyes. Harry leaned closer to the mirror. They were hazel and blended into the rest of him. Harry frowned and ran a hand through his new hair. It flopped back into place like it was supposed to and Harry felt strangely disappointed.

Here he was. Harry Fletcher.

The headmaster's tower was only a few corridors away, and Harry was there in a matter of minutes. The gargoyle was uncharacteristically friendly when Harry said the password ("Jelly Babies") and headed up the long circular staircase. Harry basked in the familiarity of the walk and felt relieved as he knocked on the Headmaster's door. (This was much better than Snape's private chambers).

There was a pause and then the door swung open. Harry's breath caught.

Professor Dumbledore stood in the mahogany door frame, decorated in dark robes that were dotted with baby dragons. Not surprised at all, Dumbledore peered over his spectacles at his young visitor. "Good evening. You must be here to assist with the incident in the East Corridor. Horrible accident, I'm afraid. Fawkes flew into the coffee stash again."

Harry lips twitched and he was suddenly very fond of this ridiculous old man and his slippers. "Did he?"

"Indeed. Right this way," Dumbledore said, discarding his dragon slippers with a slip of his ankles and reaching for real shoes.

"Professor, I'm afraid there's been a misunderstanding." Harry corrected gently.

Professor Dumbledore paused tying his laces and peered up at Harry. "Has there?"

"Yes-" Harry's lips twitched. "You can put your slippers back on. I'm not here for the East Corridor. I actually have something to discuss with you."

Dumbledore's gaze became serious and he righted himself. "I see. Come in, then." Dumbledore ushered Harry to a lavender loveseat and then sank into his cushy armchair. As Harry sat down, he soaked in the golden walls, the lemondrops, and the newly-evolved Fawkes in the corner. Harry smiled warmly at the bird, who sang a tune back at him. Dumbledore watched on curiously.

"It is rare that Fawkes introduces herself." He observed. "She is usually quite shy with strangers."

Harry smiled wryly at Dumbledore but didn't comment. "You're probably wondering who I am and why I'm here." Harry began. "Read this and you'll understand everything." He passed the scroll to Dumbledore who received it curiously. The old man held it up and studied the parchment. It was sealed closed with Dumbledore's family crest. Dumbledore's eyes widened. He looked at Harry, and while nothing changed on the surface, Harry knew Dumbledore better than most. Dumbledore's hands tightened and his eyes were a little more calculating than before.

"Where did you find this?" He said carefully.

"You prepared it for me." Harry said.

Dumbledore raised an eyebrow thoughtfully. "Did I?"

"Open it." Harry encouraged. "It's safe, I promise you."

Careful hands unravelled the scroll and its tail end fell onto the desk. Dumbledore gripped the top and read the crisp cursive.

"To One Albus Dumbledore." Dumbledore read aloud. "What beautiful handwriting." He commented. He paused and did a double take. "This is my handwriting!" He muttered. He continued to read silently but his lips moved subtly and his eyebrows drew together. A moment or two passed. "The year 1997?" Dumbledore repeated incredulously. He brought the scroll down for a moment and stared at Harry.

Harry wondered what was written in that scroll. He hadn't been able to open it, because the crest would have been unsealed. As Dumbledore approached the bottom, he picked up the rest of the scroll and read intensely. At some point, he finished because he leaned back and looked at Harry in an entirely new light.

"Harry Potter?" He whispered. Harry smiled fondly at Dumbledore, relieved that now Dumbledore knew who he was and things could feel somewhat normal.

"That's me," Harry said.

"And you are from the future? The year 1997!"

"Yes, sir."

Dumbledore leaned back incredulously in his cushy chair. "So this is how it feels like to be on the other side of my plans."

Harry laughed.

Dumbledore continued. "I have so many questions for you. In your time, is Voldemort-" he paused.

"Yes." Harry said shortly.

"I see." Dumbledore said. He looked down at the parchment once more. "It says you are here to fulfill a mission essential to the war." He looked at Harry questioningly. Harry glanced at the scroll in confusion but figured Dumbledore had said whatever would get him in and nodded anyway.

"But you are not here to kill Voldemort?" Dumbledore clarified.

"Unfortunately not," Harry said, though it was an enticing prospect.

Dumbledore sighed and removed his reading glasses. "I suppose that makes sense. After all, you are but a child. You would not be expected to kill Voldemort."

The weight of Harry's task suddenly seemed heavy as Harry nodded. "Exactly."

"Very well." Dumbledore paused thoughtfully. "I suppose you went to Hogwarts in your time?"

Harry thought of the Death Eater run school that he was expelled from. "Yes, sir."

"Which year did you complete?"

"Sixth year, sir."

"Ah, so you are beginning your seventh year. Excellent, excellent. James is beginning his seventh year as well. I will admit, I am curious to know who your mother is. It's hard to tell through that glamour of yours."

Harry laughed. "I actually look a lot like James."

"Thus the need for the glamour." Dumbledore nodded, eying Harry speculatively. "This really is a peculiar situation. I have so many questions, and yet—" Dumbledore shook the parchment at Harry, "—I, myself, warned not to ask them!

"Don't worry, sir. I believe in you." Harry grinned.

"The question is, do I?" Dumbledore said mournfully, looking down at the parchment. He sighed. "Well, I suppose there's no need to chit chat then. Let's select your classes, shall we?"

Harry nodded. Dumbledore placed him in mostly advanced classes with a few electives. Harry didn't mind. That wasn't what he was here for. And after the last year, it would be a relief to go to school just to learn.

"That is everything, I should think." Dumbledore said, pausing, then glancing up at Harry with a smile. "What house do you belong to, my boy?"

"Gryffindor, sir." Harry said with a smile. Even the word Gryffindor was a familiar word to his lips. He hadn't seen that common room in so long.

Dumbledore's smile deepened. "Ah, excellent. Gryffindor is magnificent. I too was sorted there, back in the day. Wonderful students, as you'll soon find out. Now, the sorting feast is in less than an hour in the Great Hall, but I don't need to tell you that, do I," Dumbledore winked and stood to escort Harry to the door. He smiled grandfatherly, reached out for Harry's hand, and put his other hand on top in a full handshake. When Harry brought back his hand, it was full of lemondrops. He looked at Dumbledore in surprise, a grin pulling at his lips. " For the nerves." Dumbledore winked.

Harry grinned as the headmaster closed the door with a wink. Twenty years and Dumbledore had not changed a bit. The thought drifted into Harry's mind that this Dumbledore wasn't real, that in Harry's time he was gone. His smile faded as a familiar corner of his heart began to ache, a feeling that was becoming all too familiar to him in recent months. Dumbledore was dead. His parents were dead. Sirius was dead.

The silence of the hall began to close in on his ears and Harry exhaled heavily, leaning back against the wall and letting himself take comfort in the empty corridor far away from his problems.

It was 1977. Regardless of what was happening in his time, here he was just another student at Hogwarts.

It was a feeling he hadn't felt in years. He slowly released the tension in the shoulders he didn't know he'd been holding. For the last twelve months, he had been under constant supervision. While Dumbledore had been alive, there had at least been somebody else, but now . . . now there was nothing. The Order used him as their secret weapon and pushed him until he had nothing left to give. They all thought he was the one to defeat Voldemort.

Voldemort. A man who had haunted Harry since he was born. Harry pulled a folded piece of parchment from his pocket. A photo of a family, where a moving image of James held a dark haired baby boy. James threw him in the air and caught him in an embrace. Beside James, Lily smiled warmly at the camera before kissing her baby on the cheek.

Voldemort. The man who had killed Lily and James Potter, Harry's only shot at family. Anger filled Harry's heart and he glared at the photo with an intensity that drew moisture to his eyes. His knuckles turned white and he stared at the picture in the empty corridor, where time seemed endless and he was completely alone.

Here was where it all started. James and Lily. The Marauders. The betrayal. He could save them all if he wanted to. He didn't have to be alone.

Harry looked up from the photo, into the vacuum of the empty corridor.

He suddenly regretted his promise to Dumbledore.

.

.

.

Kilometers away, the Hogwarts express sped towards Harry, a new generation in its midst. These students lived a different life than Harry—still aware of the war, but from a distance, like spectators who think they know how to play Quidditch.

While most students chatted with their friends, there was one student who remained alone. In the hall of the train's caboose, James Potter leaned against the wall with his arms folded, waiting for his girlfriend to arrive. Still in his street clothes, he wore dark jeans and a v-neck that he knew made his shoulders look good. His dark hair was swept back in a very intentional casual look and he glanced down at his watch pointlessly. He'd already checked it a dozen time. He knew it was 4:47 PM.

Lily was on her way and he was pumped. This was the first time he would get to see Lily all summer, since his parents had decided to spend the holiday in Spain. Sirius had come with him and of course he'd invited Lily, but her parents had heard the words "month with wizard boyfriend" and shut the whole thing down. The two of them started dating officially at the end of last year (Aprilish. Okay, maybe May.) and James thought it was pretty unfair that the moment he and Lily became official, he didn't get to see her for three months.

Suddenly she appeared, swinging open the door, and James perked up. Her light auburn hair framed a beautiful heart shaped face. She was already dressed in her Headgirl robes (typical) with her badge pinned proudly to one side. She saw him leaning against the wall and smiled. James's heart skipped a beat and he couldn't help but smile back.

"James!" She greeted brightly, speeding her pace as she approached him.

"Lils!" He exclaimed affectionately, wrapping one arm around her shoulders and pulling her in close. Her auburn curls filled his gaze and her emerald eyes sparkled in a smile.

"It's so good to see you!" She said. "Letters just aren't the same!"

"Amen to that," He said, grinning.

She suddenly glanced down at his chest and James glanced down too, to see what she was looking at. "Where are your robes?" She asked, glancing up at him through long eyelashes.

His shoulders lifted in a shrug. "Oh, somewhere. I'll find them."

"James!" She laughed in exasperation, meeting his eyes. "You're head boy, you have to—"

"I'll change before the meeting." James said, waving his hand dismissively. "I have more important things to attend to." He smiled mischievously and gazed into her emerald green eyes before he leaned in and kissed her deeply.

"PDA!" A loud voice suddenly boomed from the doorway. Lily jumped away, or at least as far as she could with James' arms around her, and James glared, unmoving, at the intruder in annoyance.

"Padfoot." James complained loudly as Sirius walked up, grinning wolfishly and flanked by Remus and Peter. Sirius' dark hair was perfectly swept back (again the intentional casual thing) and he was halfway changed, his collar open (strategically), his tie dangling around his neck. He hated the things and refused to wear them outside of class.

Right behind him, Remus grinned widely at his friends. His jaw was rugged with stubble despite the fact that he had shaved that morning and his sandy brown hair hung across his eyebrows. Peter's face was rounder, his dirty blonde hair shaggy, and a black and white Led Zeppelin peeked through the gap in his robes.

Sirius lazily pulled open the compartment behind James and sauntered in. He didn't look back to see if others would follow; he knew they would. Sirius surveyed the options before spinning into the corner seat, settling both arms on the tops of the seats. Remus took the other side and leaned back against the window as Peter scooted in the seat closest to the door. James grinned fondly at them all. Sirius he had seen all summer, but the other two he hadn't seen since May and it felt good to be back. James took Lily's hand and pulled her inside to stand in the doorway.

"So what's up with you two lovebirds?" Sirius called, lazily putting his hands behind his head.

James' rolled his eyes before winking at Lily. "I was about to tell her about your summer fling." James teased.

"Ahh, Olivia." Sirius said reminiscently. "Beautiful dark curls, brilliant red lips, and such great big—mmffff!" James nailed Sirius in the mouth with his tie and gave him a look that said, don't you dare. "Eyes." Sirius said evenly, but his eyes were mischievous as he exchanged looks with his best friend. Lily glanced at him but laughed along anyways.

"Sounds like one hell of a summer." Peter said with a grin.

"A summer to remember." Sirius said dramatically, to everyone's laughter.

"Sounds better than my summer." Lily commented dryly. "My sister got married to this penguin named Vernon—"

James laughed out loud. "The guy who wouldn't let her eat pizza?"

"Okay, what?" Sirius repeated, looking horrified. Remus' eyebrows shot up and Peter nodded in agreement with Sirius.

"That's the one." Lily said, rolling her eyes dramatically. James traced the nape of her back in comfort. He had heard all about Vernon via post and James wasn't a fan. "And now we're related."

The marauders nodded empathetically, when suddenly Lily turned to James. "Oh. I forgot!" She said. "I told Mary I'd drop off her robes—"

James nodded understanding. "See you in a bit." She smiled warmly at him before turning to the Marauders. "Okay, I'll be back. Good to see you Sirius, Remus, Peter!" Lily slipped away, letting the door click behind her.

James knew where the conversation was going as soon as she left and he braced himself for impact.

"Wow, three months. Must be a new record for you, Prongs." Remus grinned.

"Every day is a new record for him," Peter busted out laughing and James rolled his eyes. The rate at which he got girls was something of a legend at Hogwarts (which he was still proud of, not Lily would ever know) and for him to settle down— well. That was unheard of.

Lily though— she was different. And while they hadn't gotten along well for most of (okay all) the last six years, something had changed at the end of last year. Snape and Mulciber had attacked Lily's best friend, Mary with this awful spell. James still didn't know what it was. All he knew was there was a lot of blood, and he had been the one to find Lily sobbing over her best friends body. Mary ended up okay in the end, but Lily was understandably horrified and had written James about it over the summer. He had written back inviting her over, and then they were dating.

"I've already given him my speech." Sirius said, finally sitting opposite Peter. "About how she's Lily-know-it-all-Evans, how she's going to rat us out to Filch—"

"Probably give us detention—" Remus continued realistically.

"Interfere with our pranks—" Peter said.

"Lecture all the damn time—" Sirius continued.

"She's not—" James said but Sirius cut him off.

"Look. I like her. I think she's nice. But nice doesn't mean you date her. It means you snog her in a broom closet between classes."

"No. That's what you do." James said, folding his arms.

Sirius raised an eyebrow at him and James suddenly knew where he was going. "Jennifer, Olivia, Ammelia—"

"Okay, okay—" James said.

"Christina, Ava, Elena, Megan, Evelyn, Lucy—" Sirius continued.

"I get it!" James exclaimed. "But that was last year. Not this year."

There was a moment of silence as each Marauder stared at James in disbelief.

"I mean it!" James repeated, staring at them adamently.

"Hey—we believe you." Remus said.

"Do we?" Sirius said.

James mock glared at the ceiling.

Suddenly there was movement at the glass door and James glanced over. Three Slytherin students stood outside their compartment. Rodolphus Lestrange (tall, dark, and evil) stood haughtily in the center, flanked by a blonde Charles Avery on his left and the ever-greasy Severus Snape on his right. James tried to keep his temper down but he couldn't help it. His father had told him about Lestrange Senior's raid on the hospital over summer break and James knew this Letrange was exactly the same. James gripped his wand defensively as Lestrange pulled the door open.

"Get lost, scumbag." Sirius said.

"No need to be so rude." Lestrange defended. "I was going to ask how your summers were? Not as good as ours, I know."

"Well we didn't plunder and kill people, if that's what you're asking." James retorted.

Lestrange's face remained impassive, but James was very satisfied as Avery's knuckles turned white on his wand. Snape glared down his nose, black hair clinging to his forehead.

"Careful, big accusations there." Lestrange said. "We didn't do anything of the sort. We actually worked for the same company. Right, Avery?" Lestrange turned to Avery who actually smirked.

"Oh, please. Doing what?" Peter said.

Avery's smirked deepened and he locked eyes with Peter. "Pest control."

James was on his feet with his wand out in a second. "Get out."

"Ask nicely." Snape jeered. James turned his glare to the frail Slytherin. Usually he would have lifted his wand, but now he had a better idea. Cooler than usual, he glanced back at Lestrange.

"Detention." He announced. The looks on the Slytherin's faces were comical. Avery's eyebrows shot up in surprise, Lestrange stared at James like he was an idiot, and Snape openly snickered. Behind James, Peter grinned and Remus and Sirius looked very smug.

"You can't give—" Snape began.

"Oh yes, I can." James smirked, producing a badge from his pocket and spinning it on his finger dramatically.

"Head. Boy?" Rodolphus spit out incredulously.

"You?" Snape sneered distastefully.

James's smile was patronizing. "Me. And my first official act as Head boy is to give all of you detention for disturbing the peace."

"That's bullshit." Avery exclaimed.

"Yes, and that's Hogwarts official bullshit." James said. "Filch will be seeing you tomorrow night. Now, get out before I make it a week."

The Slytherins glared, clearly reluctant to leave, but they didn't have a choice. Lestrange glared at James darkly before turning on his heel. Avery and Snape followed without closing the door. Peter reached over and threw the door shut.

James grinned at the three Marauders, twirling his badge. "This is gonna be a good year."

Remus glanced at the badge and shook his head. "Why Dumbledore gave that to you, I will never understand."

"Who's the head girl?" Peter said, leaning back in his seat.

James' grin widened. "Lily Evans"

Remus' eyebrows shot up. "You're kidding."

Peter deflated. "I knew it was too good to be true."

Sirius waved them off. "He'll keep her distracted."

"Lily and I get the Head Office to ourselves." James grinned.

.

.

.