Title: Time And Time Again
Author name:
Moonstarlet
Author email:
sailorcomet18@yahoo.com
Category: Humor, History,
Romance
Keywords: Harry, Lily, James
Spoilers:
PS/SS, COS, POA, GOF
Rating: Ebert and Roper gave it 3
thumbs up
Summary: Voldemort plans to go
back in time to kill James and Lily before Harry is ever born. Can
Harry save his mom and dad? What happens when the mom *likes* the
son? Plus, the Marauders at 15...oh lordy!
Disclaimer: JKR,
Bloomsbury, WB and Scholastic own HP and all related characters,
settings and miscellaneous items. I do not own anything but my
computer, a large selection of paperback books, and the five HP books
in hardcover. If you want to sue me, go ahead, cuz you won't get
much.
A/N: Here we go again. The wheel of ka continues to turn. (If you can figure out where that comes from I'll forever respect and admire you.) Here's the next chapter. I hope you enjoy it.
*******************************************************************************************
Winter, 1995
Considering the stacks of textbooks, piles of parchment, clustered pots of ink and extra quills on the table before her, Hermione found it very easy to ignore the bright red spot hovering between two nearby library bookcases. The red spot was attempting to be inconspicuous, but was coughing, stomping its feet and even meowing to get her attention.
Sighing, Hermione finished filling out the worksheet due in Arithmancy in two days. Once done, she leisurely returned her books and parchment to her knapsack, carefully placed the ink bottles and quills into her bag's special compartment and twisted her quill into her hair.
The stomping, coughing and meowing had been joined by hissing.
"Alright, Ron. What is it you want?"
Ron's face turned bright pink. "I didn't think you'd heard me."
Sighing, Hermione replied, "How could I not? What with the racket you were making. Really, how many coughing cats are there in the Hogwarts' library?"
Ron made his way over to Hermione's table and slid into the seat opposite her. He leaned across the table and in a low voice said, "I wanted to talk to you about something important."
Ignoring Ron's attempt at covertness, Hermione spoke in a normal tone. "What is it?"
Leaning farther across the table, Ron said, "It's about Harry."
"Oh. I see." Hermione leaned across the table and spoke in a low voice. "I suppose this isn't something we want him to know we're discussing, is it?"
"No." Ron gulped, the idea of keeping a secret from their best friend was disquieting. "But I'm worried about him."
"He has been acting odd lately, hasn't he? I'm worried, too."
"That weird spell he had in Astronomy yesterday was... weird."
"I really think we should have tried harder to convince him to go to the hospital wing. I know that strange things happen all the time at Hogwarts, but that was simply bizarre."
"Harry told me that he'd eaten one of Fred and George's trick treats, but I talked to them and they said they didn't have anything that makes people..."
"Disembodied?"
"Yeah. They thanked me for the idea though. Ha!"
"Oh, Ron." Hermione shook her head, "be serious."
Ron immediately sobered. "But I mean, he was like a ghost. At least for a few seconds. You don't think it has something to do with You-Know-Who, do you?"
Frowning pensively, and biting her lip in that way that Ron loved (although he'd never admit it), Hermione answered, "No, I don't think so. Otherwise, Harry would have told us."
"So, what do you think it is?" asked Ron, with a slightly anxious expression on his face, as if he were afraid of what she would say.
"To be honest, lately I've been going over some things in my head. Small things, really and I may not have enough evidence to support my theory, but I think-"
"Would you just get to the point?"
Hermione glared at Ron for ten full seconds, simply to be obstinate, before continuing. "Alright, we know that You-Know-Who wanted Harry dead when he was a baby..."
"'Mione, that's old news. Everybody knows that."
Sighing, Hermione answered, "If you're going to interrupt me in the middle of every sentence, this is going to take far longer than it should."
Ron crossed his arms and slouched in his chair. "Sorry."
"As I was about to say. We know You-Know-Who wanted Harry dead, but we don't know why."
Ron nodded. "Right."
"We also know that the Patronus Charm is difficult even for fully trained wizards. Yet Harry, when we were only 13, managed to master it."
"So?"
Hermione sighed again. "Also, last year Harry escaped from You-Know-Who himself using only a disarming charm."
"So?"
Hermione swallowed a scream. "Harry used a disarming charm, a simple Expelliarmus, against You-Know-Who's killing curse. The Avada Kedavra, Ron. One of the most powerful curses in existence!"
"Okay, okay. I get it. I get it... What's your point?"
"What if You-Know-Who wanted Harry dead because Harry is, well, different?"
Ron laughed, "You mean Harry's 'special.'" He made quotation symbols with his hands.
"Actually, Ron, that's exactly what I mean. And perhaps Harry's uniqueness is showing itself."
"By making him look like a ghost?"
Hermione shrugged. "It's only a theory."
Ron was silent for a few moments, then said, "But if you're right, why wouldn't he tell us? I mean, we're his best friends."
"Well, if it were me," Hermione answered, "I'd be terrified of telling anyone."
**********************************************************************
Winter, 1975
During the first weeks of term following the Christmas break, three subjects were on the tip of every student's tongue.
James Potter and Lily Evans, who had behaved like an old married couple since they were eleven, were finally dating. Half of the female population at Hogwarts were heart-broken, the other half were speculating on how long it take before Lily managed to get James to act like a respectable gentleman.
Severus Snape was given three detentions after he was found wandering the halls in nothing but his boxers. His excuse: his clothes had been itching him. According to some of the girls who'd seen Snape in his state of undress, he looked good.
Henry Potter, James' mysterious cousin, had collapsed during a History of Magic lesson. Everyone in the room at the time said it was a terrifying sight. While Professor Binns had been droning on about war lords in history, Henry shouted, clasped his hands over that odd scar on his forehead, then fell to the floor.
"What happened, Harry?" James asked quietly as he and Harry left the Hospital Wing. Harry occasionally touched his scar, as if there was still some lingering pain.
Shaking his head, Harry answered, "I don't know. Last time my scar hurt, Voldemort was near me. That's what it usually means, but I don't know this time. He can't be at Hogwarts, not again. Not now. He can't be."
Harry looked over at James, his eyes wide and shining. James realized, he really wants to believe that.
A swift, sudden rush of anger filled James' head and he suddenly wanted nothing better than to be in a Muggle boxing ring with Voldemort.
"What happened the last time?" The moment the words left his mouth, James wished he'd never asked.
Harry hesitated, then answered. "S-someone... someone died."
Thank God it wasn't you, Harry. He'd never say the words aloud, but the sentiment was heartfelt regardless.
"It doesn't matter," Harry decided. He was with his parents (even if one didn't know she was his parent and the other... well, the other was James). "It really doesn't matter. If he..., if Voldemort is here..., well, he'd have to go against Dumbledore and everyone knows Voldemort is afraid of Dumbledore. So. We're safe. It'll be okay."
James nodded, a bit unsure, but not wanting to worry his son. "Of course you're right. No way is Voldy here. And if he is, Dumbledore'll kick his pasty behind."
Harry laughed, envisioning Voldemort in full Death Eater regalia, bent over at the waist with Dumbledore, in bright purple robes and hat, directly behind with a foot lifted and ready to meet the dark wizard square in the rump.
"Lily asks a lot about you," James said, changing the subject. He knew that Harry liked hearing about his mother.
"Really? I thought she might still be upset with me about our 'tutoring' session."
James laughed, when Harry looked at him quizzically, he explained. "I, uh, actually..., I actually told her all about that. Our plan, I mean. She thought it was hilarious, especially your part."
Shocked, Harry replied, "You told Mum about our Master Plan? Wow, she's got you wrapped around her little finger."
"She does not! I mean, I am not!"
"Sure." Then Harry made a fake cough that sounded like, "Whipped!"
*******************************************************************************************
A/N2: The long awaited angst!Harry is coming in the next chapter. Two characters have an all out brawl (ok, I'm exaggerating, no fists are thrown, but it gets pretty nasty). Again, my challenge to you: where does the "wheel of ka" come from? You will forever be a friend of mine if you know. And if you don't know, I'll spurn you for eternity (jk!). IncubusSuccubus asked if Harry would get a romantic interest. Well, when I started this I intended for it to be H/G (I'm a staunch H/G shipper.) but it's not working out. B/c I don't know exactly what's going to happen in the future, I can't say for sure, but I think this is just gonna be a J/L romance. Harry's not gonna date anybody (at least in the TATA universe). Also... slash? Can I just say... eew! (jk, slash is okay, I've even read a few, but I'm not gonna write any. Sorry.) I'm working on the next chapter right now, it'll be out in a few weeks. TTFN. Sincerely..., me.
