WHEN TIME STANDS STILL
Moni: Thanks for reviewing, and I hope you like the fic.
PrincessSkywalkerOrgana: Oh, they will. Eventually;)
ping*pong5: Thanks for the review. There may be more of Xeno later.
LittleEar BigEar's sis: Thanks a lot!
SilverKnight7: As always, here's the update.
supernova8610: You'll have to wait a bit longer for that, because Sirius and James will have to display some of their famous intelligence!
somepotter: Thanks, you're the first person who's told me that!
Indiangurl: That's another good idea; you're full of them.
Amandinka: Thanks for reviewing.
HeLlo: I guess you've seen it by now.
Patricia Black: Thanks! Nice to know you like it - and her.
lupin's worshipper: Here's the update.
CHAPTER 8: EVENTFUL NIGHT
Harry waited until the sound of footsteps died down before he got out of bed. This was the perfect opportunity for him to do... he wasn't sure what, but to do something. To visit the library and try to find a way to get back to the future, perhaps.
It wasn't that he didn't trust Dumbledore. He had simply found out the hard way that the Headmaster generally kept his own counsel about things. And this Dumbledore didn't know him, which meant it was quite likely that he would dismiss any means of returning that seemed even remotely difficult or dangerous.
And the past was not nearly as much fun as he had always assumed it would be. James, Sirius and Snape more than made up for the absence of Draco Malfoy.
He went to the window and, hidden by the curtains, watched as a dog, a stag and a rat loped down the lawn towards the Forbidden Forest. He could hear faint, eerie howls from the direction of the Shrieking Shack, and fully sympathized with the villagers who thought it was haunted.
As the Animagi disappeared into the shadows of the Forest, Harry took out his Invisibility Cloak, pulled it over his head, and went to the door. It was time for him to do his own marauding.
*~
Sirius stood with James - or, rather, Prongs - as Wormtail slipped easily through the Whomping Willow's branches. Luckily for them, Thomson had lain very still, without the slightest sign of waking, when they had left the dormitory. You would almost think he was faking.
Padfoot grinned as the Willow ceased its motion and Prongs galloped towards the root. He could hear Moony thrashing around inside - but he usually calmed down a bit when he saw them.
They had big plans that day - they were making their first excursion to Hogsmeade. They had never left the grounds before. Of course, Moony had been reluctant, giving him and Prongs a long lecture about how dangerous it was and what the repercussions would be if he bit a villager. As if they didn't know. But he and Prongs could handle everything.
*~
Harry went through the dark corridors as quickly as he dared, with an ear open for Filch and Mrs Norris. He also had an eye on his watch; he had to make sure he was back before James, Sirius and Peter returned.
He went to the library. With all his experience in going through the shelves after dark, he had little trouble in locating a book called "PAST PERFECT: BASIC TIME TRAVEL FOR BEGINNERS".
He lit his wand and sat down on one of the benches to read it. Chapters One through Four all extolled the virtues of Time-Turners and detailed their use. Harry began to feel hopeful, until he saw the footnote explaining that because of the present situation, Time-Turners were available only to important Ministry wizards and Aurors.
Chapter Five mentioned Portal Gates, which had apparently been very popular in the 1800s. They were now considered unsafe and had officially been closed, but people interested in using them could apply to Silenus Fletcher for aid. People with large vaults full of gold were encouraged to do so.
Harry sighed and turned the page.
*~
Padfoot basked in the moonlight, keeping a watchful eye on Moony. His heightened canine senses detected every movement the werewolf made, no matter how slight. Prongs was just behind them, muscles tensed, ready to spring if there was the slightest sign of any trouble.
Wormtail, being the most inconspicuous, had been sent to reconnoiter. If the coast were clear, he would come back for them.
This gave him time to think about Thomson. The first thing he thought was that it was ridiculous to be so obsessed with some pointless, no-account transfer student who would only be here for a couple of weeks anyway.
Ah, a nasty little voice said in his head, that's the problem, isn't it? Why should Professor Dumbledore be interested in a no-account transfer student? And why would he be a trained Occlumens? He was Muggle-born, after all; Voldemort might want a hundred things from him, but certainly not information.
And... a linguist? That was innocuous enough, but the was Professor Xeno had said it... Sirius silently vowed to learn more about Thomson one way or another.
There was a scurrying noise as Wormtail came back. His face wore an expression of glee as he lashed his tail exultantly.
*~
Harry snapped the book shut in disgust. There was nothing in it that was even remotely useful. I mean, how could anyone be expected to go to Egypt and stalk a wild Phoenix until it shed a tail feather?
He took the book back to the shelf and looked around or something more promising. "LEARN TIME TRAVEL IN FOUR EASY LESSONS" looked good. He lifted it down and went to the bench.
"LESSON 1 - SETTING YOUR TIME
"This requires a combination of the Chronologos Spell and the defensive Teleportation Charm. The reader will remember from his Apparition lessons that Teleportation is a form of wandless magic that requires a great deal of power and concentration.
"After having performed the Automatic Restoration Spell in case the attempt fails, the subject must set a magical shield around himself, extending to a radius of 1.43 metres. A properly set shield deflects all curses except Avada Kedavra."
Chronologos? Automatic Restoration? Harry shut the book with a scowl and went back to his search.
*~
Prongs and Padfoot herded Moony back to the Whomping Willow. Snape had a surprise coming to him tomorrow. A very unpleasant surprise. He had had to control Moony on his own while Prongs arranged the surprise - a trying experience, but it had been worth it. He couldn't wait.
They waited for the Whomping Willow's branches to still, and then they chivied Moony into the Shrieking Shack. He didn't want to go, but Prongs's antlers were a very effective argument.
*~
Harry was rummaging through the shelves when a flash of movement outside the window caught his eye. He turned - and stared in horror as he saw James, Sirius and Peter almost at the front door. How could he have lost track of time like that?
Author's note: A bit of a cliffie. But I have the next chapter partially typed up, so I shouldn't take too long to update. Be sure to review.
Moni: Thanks for reviewing, and I hope you like the fic.
PrincessSkywalkerOrgana: Oh, they will. Eventually;)
ping*pong5: Thanks for the review. There may be more of Xeno later.
LittleEar BigEar's sis: Thanks a lot!
SilverKnight7: As always, here's the update.
supernova8610: You'll have to wait a bit longer for that, because Sirius and James will have to display some of their famous intelligence!
somepotter: Thanks, you're the first person who's told me that!
Indiangurl: That's another good idea; you're full of them.
Amandinka: Thanks for reviewing.
HeLlo: I guess you've seen it by now.
Patricia Black: Thanks! Nice to know you like it - and her.
lupin's worshipper: Here's the update.
CHAPTER 8: EVENTFUL NIGHT
Harry waited until the sound of footsteps died down before he got out of bed. This was the perfect opportunity for him to do... he wasn't sure what, but to do something. To visit the library and try to find a way to get back to the future, perhaps.
It wasn't that he didn't trust Dumbledore. He had simply found out the hard way that the Headmaster generally kept his own counsel about things. And this Dumbledore didn't know him, which meant it was quite likely that he would dismiss any means of returning that seemed even remotely difficult or dangerous.
And the past was not nearly as much fun as he had always assumed it would be. James, Sirius and Snape more than made up for the absence of Draco Malfoy.
He went to the window and, hidden by the curtains, watched as a dog, a stag and a rat loped down the lawn towards the Forbidden Forest. He could hear faint, eerie howls from the direction of the Shrieking Shack, and fully sympathized with the villagers who thought it was haunted.
As the Animagi disappeared into the shadows of the Forest, Harry took out his Invisibility Cloak, pulled it over his head, and went to the door. It was time for him to do his own marauding.
*~
Sirius stood with James - or, rather, Prongs - as Wormtail slipped easily through the Whomping Willow's branches. Luckily for them, Thomson had lain very still, without the slightest sign of waking, when they had left the dormitory. You would almost think he was faking.
Padfoot grinned as the Willow ceased its motion and Prongs galloped towards the root. He could hear Moony thrashing around inside - but he usually calmed down a bit when he saw them.
They had big plans that day - they were making their first excursion to Hogsmeade. They had never left the grounds before. Of course, Moony had been reluctant, giving him and Prongs a long lecture about how dangerous it was and what the repercussions would be if he bit a villager. As if they didn't know. But he and Prongs could handle everything.
*~
Harry went through the dark corridors as quickly as he dared, with an ear open for Filch and Mrs Norris. He also had an eye on his watch; he had to make sure he was back before James, Sirius and Peter returned.
He went to the library. With all his experience in going through the shelves after dark, he had little trouble in locating a book called "PAST PERFECT: BASIC TIME TRAVEL FOR BEGINNERS".
He lit his wand and sat down on one of the benches to read it. Chapters One through Four all extolled the virtues of Time-Turners and detailed their use. Harry began to feel hopeful, until he saw the footnote explaining that because of the present situation, Time-Turners were available only to important Ministry wizards and Aurors.
Chapter Five mentioned Portal Gates, which had apparently been very popular in the 1800s. They were now considered unsafe and had officially been closed, but people interested in using them could apply to Silenus Fletcher for aid. People with large vaults full of gold were encouraged to do so.
Harry sighed and turned the page.
*~
Padfoot basked in the moonlight, keeping a watchful eye on Moony. His heightened canine senses detected every movement the werewolf made, no matter how slight. Prongs was just behind them, muscles tensed, ready to spring if there was the slightest sign of any trouble.
Wormtail, being the most inconspicuous, had been sent to reconnoiter. If the coast were clear, he would come back for them.
This gave him time to think about Thomson. The first thing he thought was that it was ridiculous to be so obsessed with some pointless, no-account transfer student who would only be here for a couple of weeks anyway.
Ah, a nasty little voice said in his head, that's the problem, isn't it? Why should Professor Dumbledore be interested in a no-account transfer student? And why would he be a trained Occlumens? He was Muggle-born, after all; Voldemort might want a hundred things from him, but certainly not information.
And... a linguist? That was innocuous enough, but the was Professor Xeno had said it... Sirius silently vowed to learn more about Thomson one way or another.
There was a scurrying noise as Wormtail came back. His face wore an expression of glee as he lashed his tail exultantly.
*~
Harry snapped the book shut in disgust. There was nothing in it that was even remotely useful. I mean, how could anyone be expected to go to Egypt and stalk a wild Phoenix until it shed a tail feather?
He took the book back to the shelf and looked around or something more promising. "LEARN TIME TRAVEL IN FOUR EASY LESSONS" looked good. He lifted it down and went to the bench.
"LESSON 1 - SETTING YOUR TIME
"This requires a combination of the Chronologos Spell and the defensive Teleportation Charm. The reader will remember from his Apparition lessons that Teleportation is a form of wandless magic that requires a great deal of power and concentration.
"After having performed the Automatic Restoration Spell in case the attempt fails, the subject must set a magical shield around himself, extending to a radius of 1.43 metres. A properly set shield deflects all curses except Avada Kedavra."
Chronologos? Automatic Restoration? Harry shut the book with a scowl and went back to his search.
*~
Prongs and Padfoot herded Moony back to the Whomping Willow. Snape had a surprise coming to him tomorrow. A very unpleasant surprise. He had had to control Moony on his own while Prongs arranged the surprise - a trying experience, but it had been worth it. He couldn't wait.
They waited for the Whomping Willow's branches to still, and then they chivied Moony into the Shrieking Shack. He didn't want to go, but Prongs's antlers were a very effective argument.
*~
Harry was rummaging through the shelves when a flash of movement outside the window caught his eye. He turned - and stared in horror as he saw James, Sirius and Peter almost at the front door. How could he have lost track of time like that?
Author's note: A bit of a cliffie. But I have the next chapter partially typed up, so I shouldn't take too long to update. Be sure to review.