I was trying to find some ideas for a new story when this came to me in the form of a C.D. box.
^
Disclaimer: The wonderful J.K.Rowling owns everything to do with the Harry Potter universe and Broderbund.
I'd just like to say I have no idea were to put this story, the second chapters up but I still don't know. You know they make films into books and then books into films and films into T.V. shows and T.V. shows into films and films into computer games? Well…this is a computer game made into a book.
The past express
^
Life for Harry Potter had been pretty much uneventful in the last 10 years, after Voldemort's down fall, the wizarding world had rejoiced and the boy who lived slipped away to a lonely country manor and was forgotten.
So it came as quite a surprise to Sir Harry Potter when Dobby ran into his master bedroom with a message from the headmaster of Hogwarts, Albus Dumbledore.
27 year old Harry slowly made his way across the grounds of his old school. His pace was steady and the way he held himself, was an indication of his self-confidence, although at the moment he wasn't feeling partially confident. Anxious and apprehensive was more or less the plan for today.
As harry continued up another steep bank he pulled out the letter, which was causing him all the trouble. There was nothing in the letter that suggested bad news or any other reason for anguish. Harry couldn't explain it he just felt disoriented by Dumbledor's words.
Arriving at the main entrance Harry pulled open the doors. The entrance hall was just how he remembered it as a child; the white marble floor was highly polished, while the grand old staircase to the left spanned elegantly upwards to the 1st floor and beyond. He quickly made his way up to Dumbledor's office. At his departure from the moving staircase he found himself face to face with the great Albus Dumbledor himself.
'Ah, Mr Potter I'm so glade you could make it. I was just about to settle down for a pot of tea and a plate of Hagrid's rock cakes, would you care to join me?' the old headmaster questioned, motioning toward a tea tray on his desk.
Harry nodded his agreement and settled back in an offered chair ' although, I might give the rock cakes a miss' Harry said smiling, he'd only been there 5 minuets and already he was feeling at home.
'That may well turn out to be a wise choice' Dumbledor said eyes twinkling, he then continued 'This may all seem a little rushed, but time, ironically, is not on are side.'
'As you know I have many objects to help me jog my memory, but alas age does hinder the mind and I forgot, until yesterday, an Idea I had many years ago when I met your great-grandfather. Well ever since then, I've been waiting for you to become old enough for me to test my hypothesis.
'Ok' Harry said slowly 'what is your hypothesis…. And how can I help you test it'
'Well as I said before there's not much time you'll need to leave soon' Albus Dumbledore said 'but I do believe I can give you the basics of what I would like to happen'
'Go ahead' Harry felt so good at being back at Hogwarts and talking to his old headmaster that he thought he'd probably agree to what ever his professor suggested 'I hope I'm going to like this' Harry continued jokingly.
Dumbledore looked at harry seriously ' I'm not sure you will Harry, though it will provide it's self as an interesting experience.'
'Now I'll get to the point as fast as I can, as I said, I met your great-grandfather a long time ago.
The last time I saw him, it was at a train station in Paris on the 24th July, it was 1914 and the world was on the brink of world war one and as far as anyone knows the train he caught pushed it over the edge.
'Your great-grandfather, was just about to board the Orient Express when I turned up to see him off, in the short time I'd known him we'd become somewhat close friends.'
At this Dumbledore poured tea into two of the dainty porcelain teacups, Harry was quite intrigued by the bantam roseate flowers that decorated the whole circumference of the teacups, he could only imagine how tiny the brush that painted those flowers must have been.
'They are beautiful, aren't they?' Dumbledore asked sensing Harry's gaze, Harry only nodded his answer.
'They were a gift from a friend of the family for my 20th birthday, I'll admit I wasn't as grateful at the time as perhaps I should have been. As a 20 year old I had other things in mind, the sort of things every one in their 20s should be thinking about.' He said looking poignantly at Harry.
'What?' asked Harry not catching on to fast. 'Oh!…why are you looking at me like that'
'You really shouldn't spend all your time locked up in that mansion of yours, you should get out and enjoy yourself while your still young, you wont be young forever, you know? Take my word for it. You might even get to like going out and you might even find yourself a nice young lady'
'Don't you start too, you sound just like Sirius' Harry said exasperated 'I don't want to go any were at the moment, I just want to relax for a while'
'Harry you've been relaxing for the past ten years, how long are you going to keep this up for, you're going to have to show your face in public one of these days'
Harry suddenly stood up at this and said angrily 'I should of known this was all you wanted to talk about, I bet Sirius put you up to this didn't he?'
'We're all worried about you Harry, why wont you listen to us?'
'I've listened to you, so can I go now?' Harry asked impatiently, he was feed up with people poking their noise's into his personal life, when all he wonted was to be just left alone.
'Ok Harry, I'm sorry, do come back and sit down. We seem to have flown a little off course in our conversation.'
Harry sank back down into the red velvet chair that sat opposite Dumbledore's and picked up his teacup calmly and took a sip, looking up at Dumbledore for him to continue, as if the whole last part of their conversation hadn't taken place.
'Well, were, was I…oh yes I remember. Your great-grandfather, Christopher Potter boarded the Orient Express as I waved him off.
'Know ones sure of everything that went on, over the next 3 days, we know bit's and pieces from the other passengers, but no one knows what goes on behind closed doors.'
At this point Dumbledore stopped and looked at the small carriage-clock on his desk ' I really should speed this up, I need to get you on your way soon. Well all you need to know is when the train pulled up at its last stop-Constantinople-Christopher was found dead in the baggage compartment, with a stab wound in his back.'
Harry stared at Dumbledore for a moment 'what happened to him' He asked a bit shaken.
'That's one of the things I want you to find out, I've written this letter which will explain who you are to him. You'll stay with him in his compartment at night, he'll have a double to himself, Christopher always did like his privacy. It would be preferable if you could spend the day time out of his way; we don't know when or were his killer will strike, though I believe it will sometime on the last day, as he was seen alive on the first 2 days.'
Harry used this pause in Dumbledore's speech to ask a couple of questions.' How can I find out what happened to him? What do you mean shear a compartment with him? It was over 90 years ago!'
'Have I taught you nothing in the last 27 years, Harry? You'll have to take a time-turner back in time and then you will be able to find out all we wish to know. I think it would be best if you were to keep some kind of log or diary of everything that happens and for things you find out.'
'I can't believe you're serious about this, what happened to not changing the past?' Harry questioned
'You won't be changing the past jut observing it. Once you've seen what happens you'll turn the time-turner forward and come home.
'You need to leave now, there's not much time.' Dumbledore explained brandishing a time-turner 'It's been set to send you to the train, it'll compensate for some time but not much, we really need to get a move on, never healthy to arrive on an moving object. Here put it on.' Dumbledore rushed, pulling the gold chain of the time-turner over Harry's head.
'Won't I need a change of cloths or something.' Harry asked.
'All taken care of, I took the liberty of asking Dobby to prepare a weekend bag for you. Here take your bag.' Dumbledore continued, handing Harry a small brown leather bag. 'You'd better put this somewhere safe as well.' He said passing Harry the letter for his great-grandfather, Harry quickly pocketed it in the inside of his jacket.
'All set…good. Now this time-turner is set to decades, so for each time you turn it you'll go back 10 years, so 9 and 1/3 turns should be just right…. here let me do it for you.' Dumbledore took the time-turner in his hands and turned it the correct number of times.
The last thing Harry heard before the headmasters office faded out of view was, Albus Dumbledore wishing him good luck.
The next thing Harry knew his feet felt as if they had been lifted off the floor and he was flying backwards at a tremendous speed, a deafening drowning sound filled his ears. Strange coloured blurs passed to front of Harry's eyes, the last thing Harry thought was that he was going to pass out, then everything fell black and silent.
^
If you like you know what to do…
