Darkness. That's all Harry could see. Just black with no beginning and no end.
So this is what dying feels like... Harry couldn't even remember the actual dying part. Just Sirius' blank face as he fell through the veil. And then his legs working by themselves.
Did I fall through the veil as well? Must've, nowhere on Earth looks like this. Harry wondered.
The darkness revealed no answers regarding Harry's inner thoughts.
So what now? Perhaps Sirius is here somewhere... it'd be a pity to spend the rest of eternity alone in such a place.
Harry let out a loud sigh as he lay down on the ground. Though there was no way to really know if it was the ground. It looked entirely the same as every other direction in this place. Harry wasn't even positive he could actually touch it and was simply imagining the feeling of a floor.
A few tears started to fall from Harry's eyes as he looked into the dark, empty abyss.
"Mom... dad... anyone?" Harry asked weakly. While he didn't want to die or be dead he had often wondered what would happen if he was. Would he meet his parents? Spend time with the family he so desperately desired?
Death is cruel if this is what awaits us all. Harry couldn't help but think.
A voice suddenly from the abyss spoke "Your tears are wasted here."
Harry jumps up from his imaginary floor and looks around. Everything is just as empty and endless as it was a minute ago. But he had heard a voice, he knew he had heard a voice.
"Indeed. You heard my voice, Harry" the abyss responded.
"W...who are you? Where are you?" Harry gasped out in shock and a bit of hope.
The abyss seemed to chuckle before responding "two questions harder to answer than you would think. I suppose you could say I am the stranger you see only once across a street. But I am also the friend you spend a lifetime with. As for where I am... well the easiest answer I suppose would be I am here but I am also there" the deep voice finished.
Harry's face scrunched up into a face of deep confusion. "Is that... a riddle? I don't understand" Harry asked.
The abyss chuckled once again "A riddle? I suppose it is... and I suppose it isn't"
Harry's face changes from one of confusion to anger. "Whatever" Harry snapped.
"Where am I? Am I dead?"
"You are... and you're not"
"I'm really not liking you," Harry said before sitting back down onto his imagined floor.
The abyss chuckled for the third time "you would not be the first. There are many people who despise me. Who hide from and mock me at every turn. As for where you are? Well, I suppose you could consider this place a sort of... in between. You could be anywhere and nowhere, both at the same time perhaps."
Harry waits for the voice to continue for a few minutes but it never does.
Finally, Harry broke the silence. "So what's next? Or do I just have an indecisive voice to serve as company for the next eternity?"
"You could spend eternity here with me. I wouldn't mind. But I don't suppose you're that partial to the idea... no... too many hopes and dreams left unfulfilled." The abyss responded in an almost wistful tone.
Harry once again waits for the voice to continue but it never does. "So? I'm not dead but I'm not alive and I'm everywhere and I'm nowhere. I could spend eternity with a voice but I have too many hopes for that. Anything else I'm missing?"
"No, I believe that's it"
"What's next? What do I do? Quit wasting my time" Harry snapped in anger.
"We have all the time in the world-" Harry cuts off the abyss.
"And no time at all. I got it. Answer my questions. What's next?" Harry asked once again.
The abyss seemed to huff in hurt or irritation before continuing. "How should I know? What do you want to do next?"
Harry thinks for a few moments. Memories of Hogwarts, the people he had met, and the people he hadn't passed through his mind. Sirius' blank eyes after he had been hit by Bellatrix's curse. Pettigrew escaping justice, killing Cedric. Ginny dying alone on the cold floor of the Chamber of Secrets. All of it had been caused by one person.
"I want to kill Voldemort. I want to stop him from ever hurting someone again. And then I want to meet my parents and all the people who have died helping me." Harry said in an icy tone.
"You want me to send you through time? To when they were alive? Well... okay... if you're sure..." the abyss responded in a tone that conveyed it was not at all confident in what was about to happen.
"Wh-what?! You can send me through time?" Harry gasped in shock.
"I can do many things... and nothing"
"What about... paradoxes or other bad time travel stuff?!"
"How should I know about any of that stuff? Just don't sleep with your mother and I'm sure everything will work out, probably." The abyss responded.
Harry hadn't known this was possible but this is even better. He could stop Voldemort before anything even happened. He could save everyone before they even needed saving.
Suddenly, at the edge of infinity, in the darkness, a white light started to form. It was growing larger with each second.
"What am I supposed to do? I won't know anyone or anything. Half of them would think I'm crazy, the other half would want to lock me up." Harry asked suddenly, feeling quite worried.
"Just don't tell anyone then, you moron. Go to Hogwarts, meet your parents, be their friend, don't die. Here take this, it will probably help you."
Suddenly a ring formed out of the abyss and dropped into Harry's palm. He couldn't see anything about it in the darkness so he slipped it onto his finger before looking back at the light.
"You know you're not as mystical as you make it seem," Harry said, annoyed at being called a moron.
I suppose I could go to Dumbledore... he'll know what to do... Harry thought to himself.
"You could... but I wouldn't. There's no reason to. You'd only be putting on a pair of shackles. You've just freed yourself. Don't trust him so easily." The abyss spoke.
Harry thought over his words for a few moments before another thought occurred to him. "What about Sirius? He fell through the veil as well. Will you send him back?" Harry asked with a slight bit of hope.
"I never said this was the veil. Sirius is Sirius. You're Harry, don't forget that." The abyss responded.
"Err... what?" Harry asked, completely confused at this point while trying not to feel too bad that Sirius wasn't going with him.
"The goblins will help you. Show the ring to them. You're welcome I'm making this so easy for you by the way... not like you ever said thank you." The abyss said in a petulant tone.
Harry watched as the white light grew larger and larger.
"Oh yeah, I almost forgot. Stay away from time-turners. I'm not sure how they'll react to you. Unless you want to figure it out for me. That'd be a-okay with me. Now, what else... I'm sure there are a few things I'm forgetting..."
The white light was almost completely surrounding Harry.
"Eh, who cares. You'll figure it out, probably. What's life without a little adventure and danger, right? Well, good luck."
"Wait you said not to trust Dumbledore so easily but what about you? Are you a god? Should I trust you?" Harry asked, wondering about the seemingly all-powerful entity who hadn't a care in the world.
"I suppose I could be considered as such, yes. As for trusting me... well I don't know. Can't you make up your own mind?" The abyss spoke as if it were talking to a mindless child.
And with that, the darkness was completely gone.
Harry slowly opened his eyes to the hustle and bustle of Muggle London. There were taxis and buses honking and people wearing clothes he had never seen before.
He only had a brief few moments of clarity before a stinging headache took over and forced him to clench his eyes in pain.
I guess it makes sense time travel and coming back from... wherever that was would hurt a bit... that voice couldn't have given me an aspirin or something? Harry thought as he held his head in pain.
Slowly the pain subsided and Harry managed to open his eyes again. The world was the same. He wasn't dreaming.
Had he really time traveled?
Harry managed to slowly get to his feet and walk down the sidewalk a few feet. Though he had to lean heavily on the wall of a nearby building.
There were a few passing remarks of "stupid kid" and "what is the world coming to?"
Harry noticed, in a nearby trash can, a newspaper sitting on top of the garbage. He managed to fish it out before falling back down to another bench.
Date, date, date, cmon what's the date. Harry chants in his mind.
He flips to the front page before his heart stops in his chest. "July 2nd, 1971" it read.
It really happened.
He was really sent back in time.
A full ten years before he was even born.
A large smile spread across Harry's face before a humorless laugh followed. Slowly the loud laugh turned into quiet sobs as Harry cried quietly on the public bench in muggle London.
It was a good thing that he was here, he knew it was, but at the same time... Hermione, Ron, Tonks, Neville, Ginny...
He would never see them again...
At the very best he would only ever see them again as children who had no idea who he was. At the very worst they would never be born.
But no matter what he did, they would never be friends like they had been again. He could save Sirius and his parents now and countless others. But he would not be able to save his friendships.
Slowly his tears dried up and the interval in between sobs increased in length.
He would never forget them, Harry swore. In his mind, they would always be his childhood friends. Regardless of whether or not they found out or if he told them. He would always remember the good times they had.
With much of his headache abated Harry stood and started looking around, trying to figure out where he was exactly.
The voice had told him to go to Gringotts, that they would help him upon showing the ring.
Harry had never known Goblins to be very helpful creatures so why would they do anything for him?
Suddenly the ring on Harry's finger felt particularly heavy. Feeling a bit silly for forgetting it so soon Harry pulled it off to examine it.
It was a family ring.
It was simple in design, made of silver, and contained no precious jewels.
On its front was a depiction of an imperial eagle. The eagle was enchanted to appear as if it was flying. Below it, the name "Agnello" was written.
Along with the band of the ring, the words "Semper Ortu" were written.
"A family ring" Harry guessed. He had seen Malfoy occasionally wear one along with other pure-bloods.
What was he supposed to do with a family ring of a family he didn't belong to. Sell it? Does Gringotts buy items? Like a pawn shop?
Harry tried to push away the irony of literal goblins running pawnshops as he continued to think.
It is an enchanted item, perhaps it's missing and there's a reward for turning it in.
Harry finally decided to just go to Gringotts. Why would the abyss go to all the trouble of sending him back in time with a ring before killing him? There was no doubt in his mind that he easily could've been done away within the abyss.
Harry briefly wandered the streets of Muggle London before finding The Leaky Cauldron.
Harry was almost surprised by the number of people in the tavern. It wasn't only that either. The place just seemed healthier. Like it had in his early years of Hogwarts. Before the mass murderers escaped and claims of returned dark lords.
No one even batted Harry a glance as he walked through the packed crowd. A few eyes landed on his scar but they were quick to move onto something else like they hadn't even noticed it at all.
A far cry from his first visit to the tavern.
Eventually, Harry managed to escape from the crowd, out to the brick wall that hid Diagon Alley.
The atmosphere from the Leaky Cauldron was equally present in Diagon Alley if not more so. Scores of families and children ran up and down the street.
There was a group of young schoolboys huddled around a broom shop window, just like there had been during his first visit. This time, however, it was the nimbus 1980 they were fawning over instead of the nimbus 2000.
Harry couldn't help but smile as he watched the eccentric culture of wizardkind take hold while shopping.
A cold feeling formed in the pit of Harry's stomach after a few minutes of walking down the alley. They have no idea of what's coming, do they?
How many will die before finishing Hogwarts? How many will flee or hide? How many people here, right now, are dead in my time? How many people here, right now, will join Voldemort?
Many such questions run through Harry's mind as the smile slowly slipped from his face. A scowl forms as he is reminded of his mission.
Voldemort.
He needed to go.
Gringotts was in view as Harry finally managed to calm himself down. He hadn't been to the bank in years. It was always someone else to get his money after his first year. Suddenly Harry felt very grateful for that small kindness.
Harry squirmed under the watchful eyes of the goblin guards as he walked into the bank.
Perhaps this wasn't a good idea... Harry knew goblins didn't like their time wasted. And what was Harry about to do? Waste their time of course.
Before Harry could ponder his escape much longer he was punched in the back. "Keep moving," the goblin guard said in a rough voice.
Scared more of the guard than wasting the goblin's time, Harry began to move.
"Excuse me. I was told to come here and show you this" Harry spoke to a goblin teller before pulling the ring off and handing it off.
The goblin's eyes widened briefly as it took in the ring before glancing back up to Harry. Harry once again squirmed under the goblin's judgmental gaze as it took him in.
"Wait here" the goblin ordered before sliding off its seat and walking into a back office.
Harry waited for a few minutes growing evermore panicked as the guards walked by. Harry half expected them to haul him off to goblin prison.
Just when Harry decided to run the goblin teller returned with another goblin who looked older, more important, and more annoyed.
"Well come on then. You'll not be escaping now" the more important-looking goblin spoke gruffly.
Two goblin guards that Harry had not seen before came behind Harry and began pushing.
Uh oh. There was no escape now.
Harry panicked as the guards escorted him through the bank. Harry cursed the abyss for lying to him and himself for trusting something he couldn't even see.
Eventually, they stopped at a cart much like the cart Harry had used the summer of his first year at Hogwarts.
They were taking him deeper into the bank? Where the vaults were? Or was goblin prison down there as well? Harry briefly wondered before being white roughly shoved into the cart.
"We goblin's do not appreciate liars, thieves, or pranksters. If you're any of those things, know that you'll be losing a hand" the important-looking goblin said as the cart accelerated deep underground.
"I'm not! I swear!" Harry spoke, desperate to not lose a hand.
The goblin only returned a scathing glare that stopped Harry from any more arguments.
Deep and deeper they went, deeper than Harry went on his first trip.
Finally, the cart came to a screeching halt that had Harry's stomach lurching in pain.
"Vault 702" the important goblin spoke before getting out of the cart and turning to Harry.
Before Harry could speak one of the goblin guards began roughly pushing once again.
Harry tripped on the cart and fell onto the ground in front of the vault and goblin.
"I haven't done anything! Stop!" Harry shouts in anger. He still had his wand on him. Perhaps he could make some sort of an escape. Brief mentions of attempted vault robberies and goblin punishments flashed through Harry's mind as he remembered Binns' class.
"Open the vault" the important-looking goblin spoke before thrusting the ring quite roughly back into Harry's hands.
"Open the vault? It's not mine and I don't even have a key" Harry tried to argue before the guard pushed him towards the vault door.
"It's too late for confessions and apologies, thief. I told you, at the very least you're going to lose a hand" the important goblin spoke, still maintaining his glare.
Harry looked towards the vault door. Perhaps the ring was the key. Regardless, the goblins didn't seem eager to offer any assistance.
Harry studied the door for anything that might look like a keyhole or an opening that could fit a ring.
The door itself was quite beautiful. It was in quite the contrast to the rest of the dark cave. The door displayed a scenic view of a vineyard. Within the field were every type of animal and person fighting. Hovering above the battlefield was a single eagle who remained untouched.
Harry smirked as he stepped closer. Purebloods are so predictable. Any chance to use symbolism or signs and they use it to display their imagined superiority.
Harry slid the ring into the small slot just below the eagle and watched as the magic took effect. The eagle from the ring leaped from its home and joined the eagle on the door. Soon the entire scene was animated.
The vicious battle resumed as the twin eagles circled high above. The vault door let out a small pop before slowly opening.
Harry stepped back before looking at the goblins with a smirk.
Harry had never seen a goblin display so many emotions. The important goblin's face flickered from surprise to anger to irritation and then finally back to its normal ugly face.
"It appears... Gringotts and us goblins... owe you an apology, Mr... Agnello" the important-looking goblin drawled out as if the sounds were the most bitter things he had ever tasted.
Harry took as much satisfaction as he possibly could away from watching the goblin struggle so much. Even though he didn't entirely know or understand what was happening.
"Though... we must express our displeasure of not staying informed. It was our impression that you and your line had gone extinct." The important-looking goblin spoke with bared teeth.
"Err... what? My line?" Harry asked confusedly, looking back at the vault door.
"Yes. The last Agnello heir that had the courtesy to present themselves to us was over a hundred years ago. Your family stopped responding to letters we sent, summons, and any attempt to get into contact with you. Additionally, none of your family have attended Hogwarts either. So Gringotts labeled your family as missing and likely extinct. It was the reason for the harsh treatment. If you weren't who you say you were, the vault likely would've killed you." The goblin explained.
The vault would've killed me? Harry shuddered at the thought before wondering why it hadn't.
"So only an Agnello could open the vault door?" Harry asked to be sure.
The goblin's scowl deepened as it nodded its head.
Perhaps the abyss did more than just give him a ring... did it give him an identity? Something he could use to move around in this time with? Harry pondered.
Harry had heard of the Agnellos in his own time. They were quite a renowned pureblood family through England's ages up until the 19th century when they just disappeared. Ron had claimed he was distantly related to them.
Could he really just claim to be one of them? They were still missing in Harry's old-time but perhaps there is still family, closer than Ron's, that would contest Harry's claim.
Harry had the ring and was able to get into the vault that supposedly, only those of the family could open.
"Well, Mr. Agnello, do you intend to make a withdrawal, or shall we waste more time just standing around?" The goblin cut into Harry's inner monologue.
"Oh... yes" Harry sputtered out before entering the vault. Whatever else may happen he would at least get some money from it, whether this was stealing or not.
Harry wasn't entirely shocked at the sight of the vault contents. He had known there had to be some good amount of gold. The Agnellos weren't exactly the Weasleys… and they hadn't exactly sizzled out like so many other Pureblood families either.
But there was more than he had expected. About as much as he had back in his old vault give or take a few galleons.
It wasn't just galleons, however. There were old silver plates and goblets, a bookshelf in the back, and some old paintings covered by cloth.
Harry briefly wondered how he would transport any amount of this money. He hadn't thought he would be going into a vault. Just potentially pawning a ring or perhaps collecting some reward money.
The important-looking goblin thrust a bag into Harry's hands. The goblin grinned and said, "that'll be ten galleons."
Harry felt a flash of irritation at the infernal creatures before he too began to scoop some galleons into the sack.
He wouldn't empty the vault just in case any of the real heirs came knocking. He just took enough to survive for a while and get his bearings. His eyes locked on the bookshelf in the back.
A family like the Agnellos surely has books I'd be interested in reading. Harry made his way over to the bookshelf before reading each of the bindings.
Some-many had titles so awful and depraved that Harry would never repeat them. But there were a few that didn't seem to detail the best or fastest way to disembowel a Muggle. At least their covers and titles didn't.
Harry moved on from the bookshelf to the last items in the vault.
He pulled away the cloth to reveal a sleeping painting. His eyes fluttered open and locked onto Harry's.
"Who are you? It's been some time since any of you ungrateful urchins deigned to visit me." The painting spoke in a no-nonsense tone.
"I'm Harry... who are you?" Harry spoke before realizing it might not be the wisest idea.
The painting's face scrunched up in anger "Harry? Who the hell is running things now? It had better not be that damned great-grandson of mine- Harry? What kind of name is that? Not one for one of us, oh that's for sure. I order you as your ancestor to change it. Anything is better than Harry!" The painting shrieked in a voice that eerily reminded him of Walburga Black.
What's with pureblood paintings and shrieking, Harry wondered internally.
"Shall I change it to Hadrian, perhaps?" Harry questioned with a smirk.
"Had- Hadrian! After that damned emperor! God no! That's even worse! Has my line really fallen so far? Hadrian?! Cover me back up, I'm going back to sleep" the painting ordered, its eyes now livid.
Harry chuckled "Hadrian it is then."
The painting's eyebrows rose into its hair and its eyes appeared to almost pop out of their sockets. Harry was quick to cover the painting. Harry rushed out of the vault leaving a screaming painting behind as the vault door slowly drowned out any sound.
Getting back into the cart wasn't nearly as bad as the first time. Though not being thrown in probably helped, Harry remembered bitterly.
"Will you be enrolling at Hogwarts, Mr. Agnello?" The goblin asked him on their ride back to the surface.
Harry hadn't really considered that yet. Perhaps he should. He probably needed to. Harry hadn't finished his education back in his own time and wasn't of age either. Though he wasn't really of any age here considering he's not even born yet.
"Mr..." Harry trailed off realizing he hadn't didn't know the goblin's actual name besides "goblin" or "important looking goblin."
"Odnok. I manage many of Gringotts' more well-off customer's accounts, including yours." Odnok explained.
Harry brushed aside the brief wish to have any other goblin manage his account. "Mr. Odnok, can Gringotts help me get identification? My family and I have lived abroad. I am the first to step foot in Britain in years." Harry asked hopefully.
Odnok's scowl managed to deepen even further as he spoke "we are a bank Mr. Agnello, not your personal retainer. We can offer you proof of holding the Agnello bank account. That along with the ring should be enough to get identification at the ministry. I only asked if you were attending Hogwarts so Gringotts would know whether to expect another hundred-year absence or not. It was not an offer."
Harry's nose scrunched in distaste at the goblin but he kept his mouth shut. True, Gringotts was just a bank and he probably should've known better. Still, they didn't have to be so damn rude and condescending.
"Then the proof of account ownership is enough for me," Harry said in an irritated tone, ready to be rid of goblins for at least another year.
"Very well," Odnok said but looked as if he wanted to be doing any number of things besides helping Harry.
As long as he didn't make too many waves he should be fine. People might wonder about the sudden return of an extinct line. They might even have suspicions but if he didn't bother them then there would be no reason for deep examination.
Examination... all of Harry's exam scores were from decades in the future. Would he have to retake them? Harry felt a sudden burst of panic at the thought. Could he even retake them?
Personally and legally... we're they only proctored in school once a year? Would he even pass them if he could? Harry wasn't confident in himself enough to say that he would pass with flying colors if he took them again. Harry wasn't sure how he did during his first round of testing but he had at least been prepared.
Who's to say the curriculum from twenty years in the future is the same as now?
The cart ride went by faster than expected as Harry obsessed and panicked over Wizard testing and how he would measure up.
Some of the goblins who spared Harry a glance had their own brief moments of surprise before scowling and going back to the work. Perhaps they had been hoping he would return in a body bag.
Harry wasn't sorry for being a disappointment for a change.
"Wait here" Odnok ordered before disappearing into the back offices.
Harry felt much more comfortable now, every glare and stare didn't feel like the prequel to his death. Harry even managed a smile as Odnok handed him some paperwork and practically shoved him out of the door.
For the first time since leaving Hogwarts so long ago, Harry had a plan and he knew what he was doing.
A bitter smile formed on Harry's face as he imagined Hermione being proud of him or Ron making fun of him for thinking too much.
Harry made his way to a public Floo before appearing in the Ministry. Harry shuddered upon stepping out.
He had been here just a few hours ago.
But not really... he was here decades in the future and if Harry could help it, not at all.
Harry swallowed his feelings as he remembered Sirius' blank face, Bellatrix's face full of delight at having killed her dog of a cousin.
Never again. Harry's fist unconsciously clenched with the thought.
He wasn't entirely sure where to go he wandered up to a board describing each floor and its department or committees.
Perhaps level six, The Department of Magical Transportation? Harry wondered. That's how the muggles do it.
Harry found himself on floor six a few minutes later.
"Excuse me?" Harry asked a much nicer-looking secretary than the goblin's had.
"Yes?" The woman drew out.
Only in appearance. Harry decided.
"I was hoping you would be able to help me get identification. I have my family ring and proof of account ownership at Gringotts. They said it would be enough" Harry spoke in a hopeful tone as he handed over the ring and forms.
The woman looked at the ring a few seconds longer than probably necessary. A greedy look hovered over her face before finally putting it off to the side.
"Hadrian Agnello?" The woman asked, glancing back up to the boy.
Damn stinking goblins. I'll kill them.
"Actually it's Harry. Harry, not Hadrian" Harry spoke clearly, not daring to tempt fate again.
The woman's eyes slowly dropped down to the form "the form says Hadrian," she said.
Next cart ride down to the vaults I'm shoving you off the side, Odnok. You and that damn painting.
"Yeah, the goblins must've misheard me. Or they just have a bad sense of humor" Harry cracked a small smile. The woman only looked back at him as if he were gum on her shoe.
"...okay... So do you want your identification to say Hadrian or Harry?" The woman finally asked.
"Harry. Just Harry"
"Harry or Just Harry?" the woman asked, once again looking up at Harry who was struggling to control his rage.
"Harry" he finally managed to push past his clenched teeth.
"Will you be enrolling in Hogwarts Just Harry?" The woman asked after taking down all his details and learning his age.
"Harry. And yes I will be" Harry responded briefly wondering whether he could do that here or not.
"This is the Department of Magical Transportation, Mr. Agnello. This is not the Department of Magical Education. We can't help you with that" the woman drawled out as if she had nothing better to do at all for the rest of her life.
Harry's head dropped as he rubbed his temples in pain.
"Thank you, when might I expect the identification?" Harry asked, hoping for a straightforward answer.
"When a ministry owl delivers it to you I'd expect"
"Yes, of course. Could you please tell me which floor I might find the Department of Magical Education on?" Harry asked, barely resisting his hand's desire to slip down to his wand.
"You need ID to enroll in Hogwarts"
"Then do you think you could give me some temporary id? Or just tell them? Or do anything at all?" Harry asked, some of his anger seeping into his voice.
The woman gave him a long hard glare that would've given Petunia a run for her money.
Finally, she nodded and stood up before walking over to a nearby fireplace where she made the call. Harry sighed in happiness. He had not expected her to actually do anything to help him. He even felt a bit bad now.
"A terribly rude child is on his way"
The goblins, the painting, and this woman. Yep, they're all getting kicked off a cart.
Harry grabbed all his things before stalking back to the elevator. His head was swimming with all sorts of violent thoughts but he couldn't let any of them escape.