Disclaimer: Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling, not me.
Chapter 2
Harry was feeling extremely confused and in a way, was glad that he was being taken to Dumbledore. If the Headmaster was even Dumbledore, that is. They reached the stone gargoyle guarding the entrance to the Headmaster's office. "Ice Mice." Said Filch, and the gargoyle sprang aside to let them pass. Filch shoved Harry forward to the moving staircase then stood behind him, blocking the way down as though Harry would attempt to escape. They reached the door to the office and Filch knocked.
"Come in." said a voice that Harry, relieved, recognized as Dumbledore's.
Dumbledore was sitting at his desk wearing a nightcap and purple robes. There were papers on the desk in front of him and he seemed to be in the middle of perusing them.
"Sorry to bother you, Headmaster, but this boy is delusional, raving about professors that don't exist, and was trying to get into Gryffindor Tower!" Filch said.
Dumbledore gave Harry a piercing look. "What is your name?" he then asked Harry mildly.
Harry looked at Dumbledore with shock. "Don't you recognize me, Professor?" he asked. Was this some kind of joke? Maybe he really had hit his head and now he was in a weird sort of dream where nothing made sense.
Dumbledore gave him another piercing look and said to Filch, "Mr. Filch, kindly leave this boy with me."
Filch nodded and turned to leave, but not before giving Harry a rather intimidating look. Dumbledore waited until the door closed behind Filch before he asked Harry again. "What is your name?"
"Harry Potter." Harry said then launched into an account of what had happened after he left his detention, not caring if Dumbledore thought him crazy or not. He was determined to get to the bottom of his predicament.
"I see," Dumbledore said after Harry had finished talking. "I have never heard of the room you spoke of, Mr. Potter. And this Professor Snape you speak of, does he happen to be named Severus?"
"Yes, sir." Harry said.
"I see." Dumbledore said again. "Harry, there is no Professor Snape currently employed at Hogwarts, however, there is a Severus Snape enrolled here."
"En-enrolled?" Harry clarified. Dumbledore nodded. "You mean he's still studying?" he asked.
"That is correct." Dumbledore said. "He is in his last year at Hogwarts."
Now Harry was even more confused. What did all of this mean? "Professor, by chance, is there a James Potter and a Lily Evans enrolled here as well?" he asked.
Dumbledore smiled. "Yes, the Head Boy and Head Girl. I am guessing that you are related to them in some way, are you not?"
Harry nodded. "They're my parents." He said quietly. "Professor, did I… did I travel back in time?"
"It would appear so Harry. The real question is what we are going to do to get you back to your own time." Dumbledore said. "Until I can investigate the door you said that brought you here, I am afraid that you will have to remain in this time and mingle with the other students."
"Mingle?" Harry asked. "Do you mean that I have to take classes with my parents?"
"Yes, if you are in your seventh year as well. After all, why waste a perfectly good school year?"
"I am, sir. But where will I stay?" Harry asked.
"You will stay in Gryffindor Tower. But I must remind you, and I'm sure you know, that you cannot divulge any information about the future. No matter what, you must not let your parents and other people know who you are and what will happen to them. It is the only way to ensure that the future, your future, will not be changed." Dumbledore told Harry.
"But Professor, bad things will happen, how can I just stand by and let it all take place again if I can change all that?" Harry asked Dumbledore. Already he was thinking about warning everyone about Wormtail, and then, maybe his parents wouldn't have to die anymore.
"You cannot and must not change the past, Harry. The consequences would be unforeseeable and could even be dire." Dumbledore told him.
"But what if I can change it for the better?" Harry asked him desperately.
"You cannot be sure of that, no one can. In fact, it is better if you keep a low profile. For now, you will have to change your last name so your relation to James will not be so obvious." Dumbledore said.
"How about Granger?" Harry asked, his best friend Hermione's name popping into his head.
"Very well, I will make an announcement about you tomorrow at breakfast. For now, you may sleep here in my office." Dumbledore said. He then waved his wand and a purple sleeping bag appeared on the ground beside Harry. "Sleep well." Dumbledore told him.
Harry climbed into his sleeping bag, too tired to argue. His body was aching but his mind was still buzzing with the information that he had gone back in time. He was saddened by the fact that he could not say anything to warn his parents about their future, but he remembered his adventure with the time turner in his third year. He could hear Hermione's voice in his mind, "We mustn't interfere!" It was like a law drummed into his mind about time travel. But how could he possibly not interfere? If he had his way, he would camp out in Dumbledore's office until they figured out how to get him back to his own time, so as to avoid getting in the way of things. But he supposed Dumbledore was right, it would be better if Harry spent his time furthering his education than wasting away doing nothing. Besides, if he was holed up in Dumbledore's office, he would miss the chance to actually meet his parents, see them, face to face. It would be wonderful to actually talk to them in person. And with that last thought, Harry drifted of into sleep.
A/N: Please, please review!