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: 24
Saturday afternoon found Harry sat under the large oak tree by the lake surrounded by a group of people he would have never thought he would be with. In fact, if you had told him in his first life as Harry Potter that he would be sat with these people, he would've have laughed in your face. Well, not really. He supposed he might've scoffed and brushed it off as some sort of joke. It was rather the mix of people than the individuals too.
As he was leaned up against the fat trunk with his legs stretched out in front of him, Neville was on his right sat crossed-legged talking to Susan Bones and Hannah Abbot about Herbology and some plant called the Venomous Tentacula that sounded ominious, so Harry had left that conversaton quickly lest he have dreams about vines wrapping around his neck and strangling him instead of Voldemort. In fact, the vine-strangulation sounded much more scary than Voldemort shooting some spells at him. At least he knew how to avoid spells. On his left was Nathan Gray, the Slytherin third year Harry had taken a liking to, the boy reminded him of himself; eager to prove himself of something other than a Slytherin much like the way Harry had wanted to prove himself to be much more than the 'Boy-Who-Lived' in the early years of his Hogwarts career. Nathan was chatting amicably away to Luna, who was leant up against Harry's legs, about something that Cornelius Fudge apparently had called an Umgubular Slashkilter. Finally, finishing off the group, sat right in front of him were Tracey Davis, Michael Corner and Daphne Greengrass.
Michael was obviously trying to impress the two girls with something, Harry had stopped listening after a while and just sat and watched his mouth move up and down. Tracey seemed incredibly interested in a topic so boring that it had Merlin snoring inside Harry's head, leaning forward and following Michael's gestures with wide eyes but Daphne, like Harry, seemed to have glazed over eyes and an extremely bored expression. He watched her for a moment, the way her bright blue eyes did actually follow what the boy was saying but the way her mouth hang slightly suggesting to him that she really did not care or had been bored braindead.
A nudging in his side brought his attention away from the girl and towards Neville who was no longer in conversation with Hannah and Susan (both girls were giggling amongst themselves as Hannah threw Neville the occasional glance. Harry made a note of that to Merlin for him to remember that later) and was smirking at him faintly. Harry frowned in confusion and Neville raised his brows and nodded in Daphne's direction. His eyes went wide with realisation and he sputtered out, "No! No, no. Nope."
Apparently his denial did nothing to deter Neville's idea and only caused his smirk to turn wider into a full-blown grin. He drew his eyebrows together mockingly and nodded seriously. He whispered, "Of course not. I mean, you've only been staring at her for the last five minutes straight. That's obviously as sign of dislike."
"Well, its not a sign of like." Harry whispered back furiously. "And why are we talking about me when its you we should be discussing."
"Me? What about me?"
Harry's eyebrows raised themselves, "You and Hannah." At Hannah's name, Neville's cheeks turned a blotchy-red so quickly Harry could have blinked and missed it. He grinned victoriously, "I knew it."
Neville scoffed even as he shifted on the grass to make sure that Hannah could not see his red face, "As though you knew anything. Not exactly known for your perception, Harry."
He couldn't even find it in himself to pretend to be mock-offended, Harry just smiled brightly at his friend and elbowed him, smirking, as Neville tried to make his cheeks go back to their normal tan. This back and forth relationship with Neville had only been a recent thing, with his friend picking up more confidence after getting his new wand and being able to master spells much more easily and quicker than before and being chosen by Harry to be Gryffindor's Colonel for the HA had also defiantly helped. Neville had developed his backbone early this time, and Harry was pleased he got to see it.
Harry rolled his eyes even as his smile stayed on his face and settled back into the tree, "I could very well be perceptive, Neville. I could be the most perceptive person in Hogwarts."
Neville choked out a surprised bark of laughter, "Oh yes, sure. But only in an alternate universe of Hogwarts where Bowtruckles fly."
"I could make a Bowtruckle fly. I am very convincing."
"You could convince a Bowtruckle to fly?"
Harry puffed out his chest and put on his best impression of Cornelius Fudge when he felt all self-important, "I am Harry Potter. I can do anything."
"Of course you can, Harry. When you're the Chosen One it is rather hard to be normal I suppose." Luna said dreamily from her place up against his legs. Harry and Neville looked up simultaneously to find that they had the entire groups attention.
Harry's eyes widened dramatically and his chest tightened at the moniker. He held his breath waiting for a reaction out of the others, waiting for the questions and the side-glances but all that came, thankfully, was Michael chuckling and beginning to talk to Tracey again about his father's investments in the muggle world, which she seemed strangely entranced by, and the rest either rolling their eyes or giving Luna a fond look that came with spending hours in the Room of Requirement with her and spending time in her company. He let out an internal breath, thanking every deity he could think of, including the still (he was assuming since there was complete silence in his mind) sleeping Merlin.
Well, his relaxation settled his mind until he saw a certain pair of blue eyes sparkling over at him. His eyes shot to meet Daphne's and the corner of her mouth curled as she mouthed, 'Chosen One?' at him, looking much too amused at the name.
Harry tried his best to throw on a good-natured smile and he shrugged sheepishly. "You can't do anything when Luna decides to give you a nickname. Sticks with her, I guess."
"I'll try my best to avoid being gifted one by her, then."
Her answer peaked his interest and he asked, "Do you have any names already?"
She smiled secretly and looked away from him and towards some fourth years shooting at each other with Aguamenti's and red sparks, "I don't really have a nickname."
"No?"
She shook her head and Harry frowned, "I'll have to make one up for you then."
Michael snorted and both of their heads turned to look at him. "People do call you the 'Ice Queen', Greengrass."
Tracey hit him on the arm lightly, but hard enough for him to roll his eyes and bring his hand up to cover where she had touched him, "Thats not a nickname, Michael. That's Nott and Malfoy in Slytherin trying to hide their jealously at Daphne's mask."
Neville raised his eyebrows, "Mask? What mask?"
"It's like a neutral facial expression that doesn't let people know what your thinking." Tracey explained with a small smile directed towards a scowling Daphne, who managed to make the expression somewhat elegant which baffled Harry, "Daphne's sort of known for it."
"It keeps people out of my business." Daphne said resolutely and not even Michael argued with her on that. Harry thought that maybe he should have a mask, that way Hermione and Ron might not guess his feelings so quick, but shot that idea down as soon as it developed in his mind; there was no way he would be able to control his initial reactions. He said so, which caused Neville to nod in agreement along with Hannah and Nathan.
Daphne lifted one shoulder and she leant down to lean her elbow on Harry's ankle in a gesture so smooth he would've thought she'd practiced it. He did his best to not react, but judging by Nathan's smothered chortle next to him he was not successful at hiding his blush. "That's because you're a Gryffindor, Harry."
"I don't see what difference that makes."
"Again. Thats because you're a Gryffindor." This time Tracey answered, leaving him rolling his eyes in exasperation. But then the girl continued, raising her eyebrows in Daphne's direction, "But your actual name does have meaning though, doesn't it? Daphne, I mean."
The blue-eyed-girl seemed to mull the last sentence over before answering, "Well, I suppose so. Daphne means 'Laurel' in Greek and it derives from the name of a Nymph in Greek Mythology, who was pursued romantically by the God Apollo. She'd asked her father, Peneus, to change her body so that Apollo would stop giving her advances and Peneus transformed her into the Laurel tree, which Apollo then claimed as one of his sacred symbols. In Ancient Greece, a wreath of Laurels was given as a prize and considered a symbol of prosperity, fame and victory. According to my mother, anyhow."
Nathan smiled crookedly, though to Harry it seemed edging on the verge of a teasing smirk, "So does that mean that whoever it is that you end up betrothed to should believe that they are being given a prize?" The boy quickly moved his leg out of the way as Daphne's foot moved over Harry and Luna in an attempt to kick him as the others in the group laughed. She glared playfully at him and Harry smiled at the glint in her eye.
"I sincerely hope that you aren't pursued by any God then, Daphne." Harry said, smiling lightly at her and ignoring the eyes of the others that seemed to stare into his soul as the words came out of his mouth. It seemed as though they were waiting with bated breath, Tracey in particular, to see what Daphne would say. The girl merely smiled at him in return.
"Why is that?
"Well because then your father would have to turn you into a Laurel tree. And I would hate to have to drag Tracey and the others down to your tree everyday just to talk to a tree that doesnt talk back."
As Susan, Hannah, Nathan, Neville, Michael and Tracey chuckled (and Luna stared up into the oak tree above them), Daphne's lips twitched as she tried to keep her laughter in check. "Of course, I am sure that having to talk to a tree would be much worse than being turned into one."
Michael laughed loudly, "Yes it would be! Imagine what the rest of the school would say about us! 'Those freaks who hang round a tree and talk-"
"So different than what they say now." Susan cut in with a huff as she gestured to where a group of what looked like sixth year Slytherins were sitting on the grass a few metres away and looking at them derisively as their laughter echoed over to them. Michael rolled his eyes.
"We'd be talking to the tree, Susan, not around it."
"I doubt that Daphne will get transformed into a tree by Lord Greengrass anyway." Neville said, knocking his foot against Michael's.
Michael raised his brows, "Oh, who knows? One day it might not even be her dad who does it." He narrowed his gaze in on the girl on topic but she seemed hardly phased and more interested in the group of Slytherin's who were still occasionally staring over. She answered anyhow.
"Threatening me, Corner? Hardly seems wise for a Ravenclaw."
"Being named after a Nymph, Greengrass? Hardly seems scary enough for the infamous Slytherin Ice Queen."
Harry grinned as she looked over at Michael with indifference, "I doubt it's her name that causes the infamous bit."
"You think she could take me, Harry?" Michael asked, holding a hand up to his chest in mock shock. Harry pretended to mull it over before leaning his head to the side and making eye contact with Daphne who, if her small smile was anything to take from, knew exactly what his conclusion was.
"I know she could."
As soon as the words were out of his mouth, Daphne's wand was out and she had sent one of the quickest Expelliarmus' he had seen and only a second later was palming her own wand and Michael's in her hands with a raised brow.
Harry saw Michael swallow before his bravado returned and he raised an eyebrow back, "Taking my wand from me means nothing, sweetheart. I can take you on and beat you whenever, wherever."
Hannah rolled her eyes, "I'm sorry, Michael. I was under the impression that a wizard needed a wand to do magic. Unless you're Harry or Dumbledore, obviously." Harry felt blush creep up his neck at the sudden comparison between himself and Dumbledore but fought it back quickly and shrugged as Nathan's wide eyed gaze landed on him.
Daphne nodded to Hannah in solidarity, the small smile still playing at her lips, "Unless you plan to go muggle on me, Corner."
"Not that that would be something new for this group." A new voice entered their group and Harry's hackles raised immediately. As did Neville's, he saw from the corner of his eye, and apparently Harry's sudden spike in heartrate was enough to wake Merlin up from his slumber.
'Three Slytherin sixth years from a group of six have approached, stood behind Miss Greengrass and the other three are stood about five foot away but have wands out. They appear to have come for confrontation.'
'What do you suggest?'
Merlin mulled this over for a second before answering, 'I would suggest trying to talk them out of any fight, however I doubt that would have an effect.'
Harry internally rolled his eyes even as he stood from his spot on the ground. None of the rest of his group stood but he saw that they too had all retrieved their wands and somehow Michael now had his back in his hands. He nonchalantly leaned up against the tree and stuffed his hands in his pockets, palming both the elder wand and his phoenix feather wand. He knew he could and would only use the phoenix feather wand because it would be too noticeable for him to be using a different wand, but he carried the elder wand with him at all times in case of emergency. 'What would you actually suggest, then? Something that would have an effect, preferably.'
'Disarm and detain when they make a move. That way it is self defence and nobody gets injured other than pride.'
'You've got my back?'
'Always.'
Harry nodded to the three guys in green ties, letting his eyes roam to the other three, one of which he recognised as a Travers. Her name might've been Lilian, but the others he didn't know other than just faces in a crowd. None of them had come to any of the HA meetings. "That's not untrue, I guess. When disarmed the best thing to do is start swinging. That is, of course," Harry smiled which seemed to unnerve one of the three, "my opinion, so I don't expect you to take the advice."
The one on the left sneered at him, "We don't need your advice, half-blood. We don't need anything from you blood-traiters."
Harry winced and held his hand up to his chest, bringing it out of his pocket even as he held his phoenix wand in it. He saw their eyes follow that hand, including his friends on the ground. He saw Nathan and Neville grin and resisted the urge to kick them. "Ouch. Insulting me with my ancestry and beliefs. That one really kills. Seriously. Insanely original."
Neville laughed and he saw the Slytherin's stare down at him. Neville stood from his space on the ground and crossed his ankles where he stood, wand aloft in his right hand. He gestured with his left, "It would have stung a lot more had it not been the go to insult of most bigots."
Harry registered their glares become more vicious and quickly contemplated why they were bothering them. He hadn't had any run-ins with Slytherin's last time, especially older Slytherins. What was different? The so-obvious friendships with other Houses. He was more happy and confident-
Oh. There it was.
Voldemort. He had said to Merlin at the start of the year that the older students who ran under Voldemort's control would be reporting back that he had more people surrounding him that they had speculated. They had thought he would have no one but the odd friend here and there, but instead he was thriving more than he had these last few years. No doubt they had been ordered to provoke him or injure him or his friends/allies in some way.
'I believe that is an accurate assumption considering the way they seem to be debating what to do next. Whether to strike or to - DUCK!'
Harry immediately dropped to the floor, his wand raising as his head snapped up and took in what had happened. The Slytherin in the centre had sent a dark blue hex straight for his middle and it hit the tree with a fizz that did not healthy. He watched with slight pride bubbling inside him as his friends quickly jumped to their feet and raised their wands defensively. Neville raised a shield around Hannah, Nathan and Luna, the last of which was staring at Harry.
He caught her eye, raised a questioning brow and in return all she gave was a faint nod.
Harry moved swiftly into a defensive stance just as the Slytherin on the left snapped his wand out in an arching motion and sent what Harry hoped to have been a stunner at his head. Harry responded by rolling to the side and allowing the deep red flash of light to smash against the tree behind him. He grimaced at the burning noise and came to the conclusion that that was definitely not a stunner. He watched as Daphne raised a sheild in time to block what actually appeared to be a stunner from one of the group who had been stood a few feet away and had decided to join in with the fight. Susan also added her own shield charm to it and it withheld as Michael sent a succession of three hexes back; a jelly-legs, immobulus and flipendo. The immobulus and flipendo were blocked with a shield from two of the opponents but the jelly-legs hit its mark and one of the Slytherin's went down so fast Harry could have blinked and missed it. But he didn't have time for blinking as Michael was forced to duck behind Susan's and Daphne's shield charm to avoid getting hit.
Harry clicked his neck. He raised his wand. He reminded himself to breathe.
He stood and spun rapidly out of the way of a quick succession of coloured flashes that did not look at all friendly. He swept his leg back and dodged an Incarcerous that had been fired at his centre and with the sweep of his wand he blocked an orange spell that had been shot again at his head. They really had an obsession with his head.
With a whip of her wand, the Slytherin that Harry had thought was Lilian Travers sent another Incarcerous towards Harry, which he easily jumped over and sent one back which had the girl tripping over and putting hands onto the ground to keep her balance. It seemed that she hadn't been expecting him to dodge it. Harry grinned viciously at her before sending a volley of silent spells that had them either shielding or dodging, as they didn't know what he was sending.
Merlin's voice in his mind gave him a list of spells to quickly shoot off and the effect of them was startling as well as hilarious; first was the Melofors jinx which he aimed towards one of the first three Slytherins which had joined the group which he hadnt seen coming and had encased his head inside a very large pumpkin. The boy had struggled to pull it off of his head and with the struggle came lack of concentration which ended up with Susan stunning him quickly and leaving him still on the ground with half a pumpkin on his head and the other half smashed around him. She nodded over to Harry and he understood. He would distract them and they would knock them down.
He waved his wand in a large gesture and thought of the one spell that he knew that was the most distracting, "Expecto Patronum!"
The familiar sight of the large stag stormed out of the end of his wand, antlers rearing towards it target, the group of Slytherins. Two of the boys yelled out and dove out of the way, not knowing better apparently, and Hannah and Daphne respectively took them out with a stunner and a petrificus totalus. The two others left merely let Prongs float through them and disappear to the other side where the Patronus dissolved into thin air.
Harry batted away the two spells sent his way with a shield charm and quickly set back up to send more spells their way. He flourished his wand towards the one on the left, "Obscuro!" and immediately all the Slytherin could see was darkness due to the blindfold covering his eyes tightly. Harry then shot a "Levicorpus" at the same Slytherin which cause his left ankle to be lifted from the ground and high into the air with a scream. He allowed himself a small three second break to watch as Nathan spongified the ground to make it soft and Neville stunned him. Harry released the Levicorpus by performing the counter silently and the boy fell to the now softened ground, still.
The last Slytherin was left, Lilian Travers, and Harry wasted no time.
"Rictumpsempra!"
Travers twisted on the spot to avoid the spell and sent one back quickly, "Expelliarmus! Stupefy! Incarcerous!"
Harry shielded against the first two but shot a "Vermiculus" at the conjured ropes flying towards his centre mass. The black ropes transformed into black worms that wriggled on the ground and Harry avoided a smile at Susan's gasp of disgust.
"Colloshoo!" Harry's wand aimed for Travers' feet and the soles of her shoes melted to become stuck to the floor. She shielded against two stunners sent by Luna and Tracey as she tried to undo Harry's spell-work and failed. He then shot an unexpected "Petrificus Totalus!" for her centre and she dropped to the floor, her feet sliding out of her shoes as she fell back.
'That is all of them, Harry. Bravo. Not as neat as I would have done, but well done.'
Harry rolled his eyes even as he wiped sweat off of his brow and tucked his wand back into his pocket. 'Thanks, Merlin. That's really appreciated.'
'No problem.'
He made his way over to the still bodies of the Slytherin sixth years and was met by his friends, who were all standing over the Slytherins as well.
Nathan looked over at him, "What now?"
Harry, his head turning already to face the castle entrance, saw the familiar sight of McGonagall and Flitwick making their way rapidly towards them and sighed.
This was going to be another long weekend.
