Chapter 2 Hogwarts
Harry and Hermione met up a few times after the two of them had been dropped in the past. Mr. and Mrs. Granger were very happy to help the two of them meet up every weekend, glad that Hermione would be going to school with a friend instead of having to face a completely new environment on her own. Of course, that Hermione would be somewhere new to her was a complete fiction. The two of them had their memories of six years of attending the school. Hermione, in one of the few moments of unsupervised time the two were able to get, had told Harry that she wished she could tell her parents about those six years. She had agreed she couldn't, because her parents would at least probably pull her from Hogwarts, if for nothing else because she wouldn't learn anything a second time around. They would probably think it would be more productive for her in a comprehensive school where she would learn things she didn't already know.
Now it was the first of September, and Harry and Hermione had just left her parents on the muggle side of the barrier that was the entrance to platform 9¾. Mr. and Mrs. Granger had been kind enough to give Harry a ride to the station, and after a drawn out teary goodbye to her parents, Hermione pulled him through the barrier. The two of them smiled as they saw the bright scarlet steam engine, smoke blowing out of the chimney as it built up the heat and pressure that would carry them north.
The two of them were some of the earliest to arrive, in part because Hermione liked to be early and in part because the two dentists had patients to see that afternoon and wanted the time to set up their treatment rooms for the day. They found a compartment near the front of the train and worked together to get their trunks into the top rack, before collapsing into their seats.
"We're finally alone. We need to talk." Hermione didn't waste any time jumping in.
"OK," Harry agreed. "What specifically do you want to talk about?"
"Well, what are we going to do?"
"You mean what's the plan going forward?" He asked and she nodded, her bushy hair bouncing around her head as she did. "Well, we know where three of the horcruxes are. The diary is with Malfoy, the locket is at Number 12, and the ring is at the Gaunt shack. And, the snake isn't a horcrux yet." Harry listed, counting them off on his fingers. "We think there is one at Hogwarts, that just leaves one more to locate. I suggest we use the time between now and fourth year to collect what we can. If we can find and destroy them fast enough, who knows, maybe we can kill him before he returns and prevent the second blood war? Then Cedric, Mad-Eye, and so many more wouldn't have to die." Harry's eyes flicked up to Hedwig when he mentioned 'others'.
Hermione was nodding along as Harry spoke. "I agree, but we are going to need a plan." She pulled a pocket-sized notebook and a pencil from her coat pocket. She was just about to open it when she paused, a faraway look on her face. "Harry. What...what are we going to do about Ron?" She asked.
Harry's jaw set hard. "He abandoned us, left us in the middle of a war. I don't know if I can ever get past that." He paused for a few seconds considering his next words carefully. "I know how you felt about him. If you want to try again with him I understand, just don't expect me to be his friend again."
"No, I think you're right. He went too far by leaving us...maybe if he apologised, I could have gotten over it. But that can never happen now, this Ron cannot apologise for that one. Besides, he and I grew close because we were both your friends. I don't even think it's possible for us to get to a point where we like each other again without you there to ease the friction," she admitted.
The two of them spent the trip plotting what they would do as they looked to take down Voldemort. Their plans were based around the next four years getting more vague as time went, until by fourth year it was just a list of goals. They were interrupted four times during the trip. First by Ron Weasley asking to join them, but Harry refused, telling the redhead that he and Hermione were having a private conversation that needed to remain private. Ron had left looking annoyed and grumbling to himself. Second was a far more welcome Neville Longbottom looking for his toad. Harry sent him to find a prefect who could use a summoning charm.
Third was the trolley lady, prompting Harry to buy a supply of his and Hermione's favourites. When Hermione had protested him buying so much sugar as it was bad for his teeth, Harry pointed out that he wasn't going to be able to visit Hogsmeade so it was his last chance to stock up, probably until the summer. Hermione agreed with that and accepted a sugar quill when he offered her one. She may deny it, but the dentist's daughter loved sugar quills.
The final interruption was Malfoy, When he introduced himself and his companions, and Harry and Hermione had introduced themselves in turn, Draco had spouted off about not knowing the name Granger so she must be a mudblood, and that Harry could do better. Harry was just about to throw Malfoy from the carriage when Hermione spoke up, reminding them that Hector Dagworth-Granger was the founder of the Most Extraordinary Society of Potioneers. Hermione had then berated him for not knowing such a prominent wizarding figure. Once Malfoy had retreated with his security trolls disguised as students, he was convinced that Hermione was, at the very least, a halfblood.
Harry and Hermione spent a few minutes laughing at Malfoy. The best part was Hermione hadn't lied once, she had told him that Granger was a wizarding name and that he needed to be more knowledgeable about prominent wizarding fingers. That she sounded like someone defending an ancestor she was proud of just made Malfoy jump to the wrong conclusion.
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Harry and Hermione enjoyed their trip across the lake, getting to see that specific view of the castle only for their second time. It was easy to understand why the first years were given this as their first view of the school. It was an inspiring sight. They were soon out of the boats, up to the castle, and waiting in an antechamber just off the entrance hall. The two of them stayed slightly off from the other students who were speculating on how they were to be sorted. The others just seemed so…young.
Six and a half years may not sound like a lot to an adult, but to a teenager it was a lifetime, a lifetime filled with the development of your personality. Despite the appearance, compared to Harry and Hermione these were children, and the two didn't feel quite at home with the group. They felt more like they should be babysitting them rather than be one of them.
Eventually they were led into the great hall and were treated to the exact same song that they remembered from their first year. The sorting started with Abbott, Hanna being first. Back on the train, Harry had worried about the sorting hat telling Dumbledore about their being from the future. Hermione had once again got on his case for not reading Hogwarts, a History.
"Honestly Harry, would it be so difficult for you to just read the book?" She shook her head in dismay again. "There is a fascinating little charm in the book preventing you from finding a page until after you have been sorted into a House. That page is all about the history of the sorting and the sorting hat. There are charms on the hat preventing the hat from telling anyone a student's secrets. You could confess you intend to blow up the school and all of the teachers and students with it, and the hat couldn't tell anyone about it." His bushy haired friend explained. That had seemed a little over the top to Harry, but he was glad of it now.
"Granger, Hermione!" Professor McGonagall summoned Hermione up for her turn. After a full three minutes, with Hermione muttering quietly to herself as she talked with the hat, the hat shouted "Gryffindor!", and Hermione went to sit at the familiar table. More students were called up for their sorting, working through the alphabet, including Longbottom and Patil. Then, it was Harry's turn. The hat slipped over his head covering his eyes, just like it did the first time all those years ago.
"Well well well, another time travelled soul? You are only the 6th I have had to sort. Now let's have a look at what I said last time. Slytherin, aye I can see why he said that, but I don't think you belong there anymore. You have spent so long in Gryffindor that it has trained the Slytherin side out of you. A pity, that; some cunning would have served your plan well. You could do well in Hufflepuff, you are loyal to your friends and you don't shy away from hard work." Harry didn't like that idea, he had nothing against the Puffs but it didn't seem right.
"Ah, but I can see it in your head you want to go with Miss Granger, and you would charge into the fires of hell for her. You did well in Gryffindor before, and you can do well there again. That got Harry thinking. Just how far would he go for Hermione? Well, he had already vowed to himself to change history itself so that she wouldn't lose her parents. "One last thing before I send you on your way. This plan of yours, whatever happens, please keep that madman, the one using your Defense Against the Dark Arts professor as a show pony, from hurting my students." Harry sent a mental nod at the hat, he would do everything he could to prevent that. "Then good luck in GRYFFINDOR!"
Harry took off the hat, left it on the stool, and went and sat in the spot next to Hermione. They watched the rest of the sorting while quietly chatting away about nothing specific. As Harry's eyes wandered at the other students, his heart would skip a beat whenever his eyes passed over someone who had been hurt during the previous timeline. Katie, who had touched that cursed necklace; Justin and Penelope, who had been petrified by the basilisk; Neville, hurt in the department of mysteries; victims of the inquisitorial squad; and, of course, a smiling Cedric Diggory who was currently talking to Ernie Macmillan, helping the new first year settle into his new house. Cedric had died right in front of him. It had been a needless waste, not because he was a threat but because he was there and he wasn't needed. His was another life Harry was going to save.
Soon, the sorting was over, Dumbledore had done his senile old man act, and then the tables filled with food. Harry and Hermione sat eating and chatting to the other first years, pretending that they didn't already know everyone already. When the main course had just dissolved into nothing (taking with it the remnants of Harry's steak and chips), and the table was suddenly filled with desserts, Harry felt it. After all his Occlumency training with Snape, Harry never was able to shield his mind from being seen, but with the number of times the Death Eater had forced himself inside Harry's head with no more information on how to keep him out than shouting the word 'Focus!' at him when he failed, Harry had developed the skill to feel when someone was trying to poke around in his head. It had been Hermione who had come up with Harry's strategy to deal with this. It wasn't going to be fun, it would single him out amongst the students, but they couldn't let the fact that they were from the future be known.
Harry grabbed his scar and started acting like he was in a lot of pain. He felt the pressure in his head drop, and he relaxed and acted like he was catching his breath. The whole school was looking at him, and whispers were spreading amongst them as Professor McGonagall and Madam Pomfrey descended from the staff table, the hospital matron casting diagnostic spells as soon as she got to him.
"What's wrong with him, Poppy? Is he alright?" Concern was evident in the Scotswoman's voice.
Surprisingly, Madam Pomfrey answered, and while she spoke quietly they were still surrounded by Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs. So, when she said, "There is a lot of dark magic in his scar, something must have irritated it," enough people heard it that it spread like a wave in the Great Hall, giving two pieces of information. First, it told the students that Harry wasn't faking for attention. Many students from pureblood families had heard about dark magic-infected curse scars that acted up occasionally, and a curse from He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named would probably leave a lot of dark magic behind. Second, and more importantly, it had told Dumbledore that it was probably his probe that triggered the pain Harry faked. He had expected to need to repeat his performance three or four times before Dumbledore reached that conclusion.
Harry spent the night in the hospital wing while Madam Pomfrey tried to work out what had triggered the dark magic in his scar, but when morning came and she hadn't found anything and Harry was obviously in good health (though the mediwitch had found some worrying signs of mistreatment that she would bring to the headmaster, but she never mentioned that that to Harry), she let Harry go down to breakfast.
Percy Weasley came over to Harry when he sat down and handed Harry his book bag with a few books in it. "Mr. Potter, I am Percy Weasley, one of the Gryffindor prefects. Here are your books; you haven't been shown the common room yet, and that would make finding your way there once Professor McGonagall hands out your timetable tricky. So, I brought you what you would need for today from your trunk."
Harry was surprised that Percy would do that for him, but maybe he shouldn't have been; Percy had always taken his prefect status seriously. "Thank you Mr. Weasley, how did you know what books I would need?" Harry asked, curious.
The ginger prefect smiled. "They don't shuffle the schedules. Your first year timetable is the same first year timetable they used last year and the year before that probably for the last few decades. As the classes don't change, there is no need to rework the timetables, the only work that needs doing is for older years when they choose their extra classes. I just looked at my old timetable. I will be coming to your last class to show you the way to the library, and once I have done that I'll show you where the common room is." Harry thanked Percy and began fixing himself a bacon and egg breakfast sandwich as Hermione sat down next to him.
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The first few weeks of term were easy and relaxing, apart from Defence Against the Dark Arts and Potions, which were being taught by Voldemort and the murderer of Dumbledore. Even then, the classes themselves were easy, the only chore was spending so long in the company of the professors. More than once Harry and Hermione had to duck into a disused classroom after classes so that they could rant at each other as they wanted to curse the two dark wizards.
They eventually settled into a routine, just waiting until they got their first opportunity to act. The only difference they made in those first weeks was in their flying lesson, where Harry had grabbed Neville off his broomstick before he was more than a handful of feet off the ground. The two of them had ended up in an undignified pile on the floor, but the only thing hurt was their pride.
It meant that Draco never got his hands on Neville's remembrall, and as such Harry wouldn't get a shot at the Gryffindor Quidditch team until next year, but Harry found he wasn't bothered by that much. Yes, he loved playing Quidditch with the team, but a year off of Wood's ridiculous idea of training times had its appeal.
Their first major change came at Halloween. Most of the day had gone the same way; they were still learning the levitation charm in Flitwick's class, and Ron was still suffering from his case of having his head stuck up his ass. Hermione had far thicker skin this time and had just called Ron a "pathetic loser who stood about as much chance at passing his exams as the Chudley Cannons stood at winning the league". This had caused Ron's ears to go red and for him to spend the rest of the day sulking.
This meant that Hermione joined Harry in the Great Hall at dinnertime, instead of spending it crying in a girls bathroom. The two friends sat towards the back of the hall, close to the door and on the inside of the House table. It meant having their backs to most of the students, but that wasn't something they needed to worry about yet. They filled themselves on pork chops with baked apples, roasted nuts and pumpkin, and were about halfway done with the main course when the doors burst open.
"Troll! Troll in the dungeon! There's a troll in the dungeon! Thought you ought to know." And with that Quirrell fainted. Now that Harry and Hermione were more experienced in the world (even if they couldn't exactly be called older), they could see just how much of an act that faint was. When people genuinely faint, they just drop; they don't shift as they fall to prevent the solid stone floor from leaving an imprint on their face. That's not to say the man was a bad actor, he put on a performance that had almost the entire school fooled for nine months in the original timeline. But now Harry knew to look for the deception, and while everyone else was thinking about a troll wandering the castle, he watched and saw the man flinch.
As soon as Professor Quirrell hit the floor, Harry enacted the first part of his plan. Faking concern, he ran to the professor and, just like he had seen on TV a lot of times (or at least that was his excuse), he checked the man's pulse. Immediately Quirrell started screaming as the flesh on his neck burned at Harry's touch. Harry jumped back, not having to fake the look of horror; he knew what he had done, but he didn't have to like it.
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The next few days were a storm of activity. Harry was questioned by Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall and Snape in the headmaster's office. Strangely it was Professor Snape who helped him by confirming that touching someone's neck to check for a heartbeat was something that muggles did when checking if someone was OK. Harry was still playing on dealing with the greaseball as soon as he could, whether Azkaban or dead he didn't exactly care which, yet in the moment Harry was a little grateful.
Whatever happened to Quirrell was the big question that all the students were asking. Unfortunately, none of the teachers were talking. All anyone knew was that, after what happened in the Great Hall, Quirrell was taken to the hospital wing and he wasn't seen again. Some wondered if Harry had killed him, although Harry didn't think he had, it had taken a lot more than that to kill the man the first time. Some thought that Quirrell was now in long-term care at St Mungo's, with some of them believing it was Harry's fault and some thinking it was just a coincidence that Harry touched him just as he started screaming. Some (and unknowingly the closest to the truth), thought that Harry had accidentally set off some dark magic the man had been experimenting with, and the man had been arrested after Madam Pomfrey had found it while trying to heal him.
With all the gossip and whispering that everyone was doing about him, Harry wished he had his invisibility cloak again already, so he could avoid the gossiping hordes, but more importantly so he could try and eavesdrop on the staff and discover what Quirrell's true fate was. Harry had little doubt the man was already dead, probably from Voldemort fleeing like the coward he is, rather than because of the burn Harry had given him. But until he and Hermione knew for sure, they couldn't be sure that any prediction they made for the future was remotely accurate.
Quirrell was replaced by Wilbert Slinkhard, who brought copies of the textbook that Harry and Hermione had grown to hate for the first years. Despite how much Harry hated the book because of Umbridge, he had to admit that Professor Slinkhard was a decent professor, and his book was a decent introduction for first year students who had a mostly theoretical class already. And not even Slinkhard thought his book was appropriate for any students above first year.
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After Christmas, when Harry's cloak was returned to him with the same cryptic message as the first time (though this time Harry recognised Dumbledore's handwriting after he had grown familiar with it in his sixth year), Harry and Hermione began exploring the castle for a Horcrux. It was like trying to find a needle in a barn full of haystacks. It didn't help that they were mostly unable to check the place they thought most likely. The Chamber of Secrets, they had both decided, was off limits until they got their hands on the diary. They couldn't risk Lucius Malfoy changing his plans if he heard about the Chamber being opened before he planted the diary on Ginny. Once they had that diary, they would be far freer to act.
Harry had tried to eavesdrop on the teachers to what they were saying about Quirrell, but unfortunately the staff gossip had moved on since then, though Harry did discover that Professor McGonagall had a bet with Professor Sprout about when he would ask Hermione out. McGonagall had ten galleons on it being the first Hogsmeade weekend of his third year. The rest of the school year passed without incident. They were unable to locate anything that they thought could be a Horcrux, but they had checked all of the classrooms both used and unused. The two of them passed their end of year exams easily, Hermione getting straight O's and the top spot, while Harry had mostly O's with a few E's and the overall second student of the year; they kind of expected it, given they were competing against people who were doing this for the first time.
AN.
Sorry the first year was glossed over so much, but the idea I had for the time travel would take Harry back to the bonding of his wand and if you take Quirrell out early there isn't much story left to tell in the first year
note that in this fic Harry and Hermione never learned of Dumbledore's connection to Grindelwald, Snape was never revealed to be a spy, Ron never came back, and Harry doesn't know he is a Horcrux. They aren't telling Dumbledore that they are time-travelling because they think he will obliviate them to preserve timelines and to protect them, they still think he is a good man.
I'll be posting chapters 3 and 4 on my 'pat re on' page in the next few hours. that will give this fic the same 2 chapter buffer there as my other fic.
special thanks to Jack Schriner for sponsoring my creativity
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