Summary: After his final year at Hogwarts, Harry faces a losing battle and is forced back through time to right the wrongs of the past so that the future may survive.

Disclaimer: To say this once, and get it over with(as I don't intend on repeating myself in ever chapter),I do not own Harry Potter and more than likely never will. That curse, and honor, lies squarely on JK Rowling whom has given us this wonderful world to play around in. I wrote this merely for pleasure, not for profit.

Spoilers: First five books.

A/N: My first fanfiction please R&R.


Chapter 1: Full circle.

In the year after his last term at Hogwarts, the world was crumbling around Harry Potter. The final battle had been swift and destructive. Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry now was little more than rubble. All around him, were the bodies of his friends, no, his family; row upon row of lifeless corpses covered the blood red field that was once Hogwarts sacred grounds. Harry found himself kneeling over Draco Malfoy. Draco proved himself full of surprises when he had taken an Avada Kadavra meant for Harry.

Damn you Draco, why did you do it. Why? Too many lies; too much deceit. Even the bloody hat was wrong, even united Hogwarts did not stand, Harry thought bitterly.

Now surrounded by Death Eaters, his breath shallow and strained in the brief lapse between the pain of each Cruciatus being cast at him. In victory, the Death Eater had decided to remove their masks, and their laughter filled the night's sky as it twisted around the piercing screams of the few who still lived. The waning blood moon filled the night with a dreadful crimson.

"Crucio."

Harry's scream filled the dark night once more as his body was racked with a pain reaching beyond death. His limp body collapsed to the ground as the curse was lifted. Harry lifted his head with the last of his strength and look to his tormenters and betrayers. A cough rose from his throat, blood splattered on the ground below. His eyes swept over the faces, only noting the absence of the elder Malfoy. The Malfoy's betrayed Voldemort? As eyes neared the end, his heart stopped unable to believe, unwilling to accept it as fiery red hair filled his vision. Harry squeezed his eyes shut, tears rushing to his eyes, with a voice of a man near death he rasped, "Ron. Why?"

"Crucio," was his only reply.

"That's enough," a cold voice came lightly, enjoying the fading screams emanating from Harry.

"Yes, my lord," replied the betrayer.

"Mr. Potter, it amazes me that you have lived this long, but it all ends tonight. As you know, my precious killing spells do not work well on you. So I have chosen a more, classical, means of ending your life. You should be honored; it is not every day that I become so physical with my prey. Weasley, my sword."

From his knees Harry could see Percy stepping forward from the outer ring. He dropped to his knees and began groveling towards Voldemort, a sword raised above his head in an offering to his master.

"You have served me well," Voldemort said as he took the sword from Percy's hands. Percy stayed kneeling beside him feeling his robes is a twisted ecstasy as Voldemort turned to Harry, withdrawing the blade from it sheath, "Magnificent, is it not. Forged with ancient magic it took nearly a hundred years to complete. It was quite a hassle taking it from the Japanese ministry; they're very possessive of their relics. But then I wanted this night to be special."

"You shouldn't have bothered," wheezed Harry, now off his hands but still on his knees

Voldemort's left eye twitched. Ignoring the comment he continued, "Have you ever seen a katana slice through a neck as if it was butter?" He paused looking at Harry with a mad gleam in his eyes. "No? Well before you suffer that fate, I suppose I should show you what it looks like."

In a fluid motion, Voldemort swung the sword with speed seemingly incapable for his body, and in that instant Percy Weasley could no longer be called a betrayer to the light. Fresh blood contrasted sharply with the thick ooze already coating the ground. The blood ran over the ground washing Harry's hands with it disgusting warmth. His eyes went wide, fear for the first time crept into his mind. His eyes darted to Ron, and the indifference he saw there made his blood run colder than the despair of his imminent death. "Dispose of his body"

"Yes, my lord," Ron replied making his way to his dead brother.

"Now, Mr. Potter, fate seems to be on my side today. Let us end this here and now." Voldemort raised sword above his head, "Goodbye, Mr. Potter."

Voldemort brought the sword down with all his might, but in the second before it reached Harry's neck something incredible happened as often seems to be the case. Mere millimeters from death Harry felt a familiar tugging at his navel and before his head could depart from his body, his body had gone all together, leaving only a screaming Voldemort slicing through thin air and any Death Eater not wise enough to run.


Harry's eyes opened slowly, his vision was filled with three women circled around a spindle. Harry rose to his feet, somewhat awkwardly as his body was racked with the aftershocks of the Cruciatus and deathly wariness still permeated into his bones. Blood stained the ground where he lied. He approached women gingerly, afraid both of harming himself and startling them.

"Who are you?" Harry asked softly with a small tremor in his voice.

A strong voice behind him answered, "They are the Fates, the controllers of the destiny of all beings, and you Harry are very lucky. As you can see Atropos is holding your life and was ready to end it."

The women pointed out indeed held a string in her hand as well as a pair of scissors. Atropos slowly released the string in her hand and went about cutting various other lines seemingly at random but with precision and diligence all the same. Harry stomach turned as he realized that with each snip someone's life had ended, that his friends were no more, and that he had been that close to his own life ceasing.

"Who are you?" Harry asked, his voice trembling even more, as he turned to the voice behind him.

"I have no name but am simply a watcher of the world, a chronicler of history, bound only to watch but not interfere. I have violated this oath and used what powers I have to save you. What I have done cannot be changed, but as a recorder of history I knew I could not allow history to go down this path. You are the key to changing history. There is little time before I am found and punished for my actions. Here take this and I will turn back time to the day the Dark Lord first fell."

"Wait, why?"

"Hush there is little time, but I will explain what I can. When the Dark Lord first tried to kill you all those years ago it was not your mother's protection which caused the Dark Lord to fall. It was you and your innate power. But when he cast that fateful spell, the spell rebounded off you magic and destroyed his body, but your power was shattered and reached out trying to right itself. Your magic grasped on to his power and drew it into yourself, but the transfer was incomplete and the link between you was formed. You were heir to Gryffindor but when your power shattered you could no longer claim that birthright.

"The time draws near. You must go back in time and remember to focus your power on protecting yourself; if you concentrate the power you were born with, it will be enough to protect you. This amulet will help you once the spell is rebounded, there will be pain but you must focus and once more seize his powers, only then can you begin to defeat the Dark Lord. Remember, take what you can but you must cut the connection before it is too late. This amulet will keep your magic hidden from others and warn you of danger when it is near, practice your magic well."

The watcher took a thin silvery chain from his hands and placed it over Harry's head. When it touched his neck the chain drew close fitting perfectly to him. The amulet glowed softly, the eyes of the snake coiled around the inch long sword pulsed in time with Harry's heart. Slowly the light faded. "Quickly, you must remember. The Dragon is not the betrayer, snakes will follow there own more closely, and always trust your instincts. Your direct knowledge of this life will soon fade after the first destruction of the Dark Lord but still you will know things you should not know. Now I must be you farewell and good luck, Harry Potter."

The watcher touched the amulet and it glowed brighter than twenty suns, and Harry Potter was gone. Hopefully this was enough. Hope. This time around it will be different. These were the last thoughts of the watch before the agony of betraying his oath overtook him.


Harry awoke to the screams of a mother; his mother. Suddenly, a flash of green light and the screaming stopped. Harry felt a warmth settle into his skin as if he had stepped into a warm bath. Then he remembered; the amulet, the future, and Voldemort. He focused on himself, bracing for the blow he knew was coming.

Voldemort loomed over the child, time to end this here and now, he thought. Calling on dark powers, he cried, "Avada Kadavera."

Harry felt the power of death rushing towards him once again; he squeezed his eyes and prayed. As the spell collided with him, pain tore through his body a hundred times worse than any Cruciatus ever could. The amulet on his chest glowed brightly as it reflected the power of the curse. The amulet melted into his chest scaring the flesh beneath it. The imprint of a sword with a snake wrapped around it marked his chest, directly over his heart. The pain reached its crescendo, and an unnatural scream burst from Harry's lungs.

As Harry remembered the words of the watcher, take his power, he searched for Voldemort, looking for the power his needed to one day truly defeat him. As he came into the awareness of the powers around him, he reached out and grabbed onto the core of Voldemort's power drawing it into himself. The pain within him multiplied tenfold, his body told of a pain unintelligible by any means. But still, he held onto the power trying to take it inside. It burns, oh, god it burns. Then he felt it, it was time to release it, he had what he came to take. A voice in the back of his mind said, No, take all of me, you could destroy him now if you take all his power. Take me.

NO! Harry felt the deception. He knew it well; the temptation of power, the never ending greed for more. He gathered up all his will and then, in a moment that would change history, released Voldemort's magic from his grasp and the world slowly faded to darkness.


Harry sat in his closet concentrating on his power he had done this as long as he could remember, how it started was long forgotten, but he knew it was important. It was the night before Dudley's birthday and he dreaded what tomorrow would bring. He shook his head. Must focus. He concentrated on his out hand held. "Lumos."

A small ball of light appeared in his hand. He looked around his small cupboard taking note of the many spiders, then he heard a whispered, "Hungry, so hungry." He concentrated on making the ball brighter and spotted the source of the voice, a small garden snake had found his way into his small abode. "Shh, my friend. There is nothing to eat in here but if you want I can take you outside so you can find a meal."

The snake made a sound of acceptance and slithered up Harry's outstretched hand. Harry tried the knob and found it was locked. "Great," Harry muttered to himself, "Alohomora."

The lock on the door clicked in response and Harry quickly let himself out. Looking around carefully he headed to the front door. Outside, in the garden, he watched the snake find her way through the garden. The moon was almost full, in the distance he could hear some creature howling. He looked up to the street lights surrounding the neighborhood and sighted as he felt them watching him. He had long known that the street lights in the street were not normal by any means; he could feel the magic within them, and if his uncle knew he would through a fit.

Shaking his head, he thought about the many things he was keeping secrete from the rest of his family. Harry Potter could feel magic; he knew what it was, what it did, and how to use it. The only thing that he didn't know was how he knew all of this. That and how he had received the scare on his chest. He knew better than to ask his relatives about it. He kept his mouth shut, like a good little boy but still he was beaten and abused for his abnormalities.

Harry yawned as he approached his cupboard under the stairs. Lying down in his bed he waved his hand locking the door from the outside once again.

In the weeks that past, Harry had found himself locked in the cupboard for days at a time. It's not my fault that the snake escaped. Well, maybe it was but Dudley certainly deserved it. Harry chuckled to himself as he remembered the look on Dudley's face as the snake hissed at him and slithered past.

Nearly a week later, Harry was finally let out of the closet. "Boy, go make some breakfast! Your aunt is tired."

"Yes, sir." Harry replied grudgingly.

As Harry was finishing the bacon, the mail slot could be heard creaking open. "Boy! Hurry up, then get the mail!" Vernon bellowed.

Harry went to retrieve the mail and found three letters: a bill, junk mail, and a letter for Harry? Harry turned the letter over in his hands.

Harry Potter

Cupboard Under the Stairs

Number 4, Privet Drive

Little Whinging, Surrey

He felt a strong urge to open it right then and there. As he read down the letter he realized for the first time that there were others like him, he was a wizard. It all came together for him. He knew for the first time that he was normal, well as normal as a wizard can be.

He walked back into the kitchen and handed the letters to Vernon. The letter still clutched in his hands, he read it over and over again, memorizing every line.

"Dad! Harry has a letter!"

"Give me that!" demanded Vernon.

"No! It's my letter! It has my cupboard on it!"

Vernon ripped the letter from Harry's hands. He looked over it turning very pale, then slightly green, yelled, "P-Petunia!"

Petunia took the letter from Vernon's hands. Read it, and then read it again, turning the same shade of pale as Vernon. "Harry did you read this?" she asked in as shaky voice.

"Yes! Now give me my letter!" Harry shouted.

"Boy! Get out!" Vernon yelled pushing Harry and Dudley out of the room.

Harry and Dudley fought over who would listen at the door first. Finally, they settled since Dudley was bigger Dudley at the key hole and Harry at the crack on the floor.

"Petunia, you know what this means… He knows." Vernon said in hushed tones.

"But what are we going to do about it. Now that he know it will only get worse if he stays here. They might come after him too. What would the neighbors think if they started showing up here?"

"But what can we do?"

"Send him to that awful place and make him stay with those freaks. At least he'll be out of our hair."

"Alright. I guess we have no choice." Vernon turned to the door and yelled, "Boy! Get in here!"

Harry walked in not knowing fully what to expect. "Yes, uncle Vernon?"

"Listen freak, we've decided that you'll be going to this freak school next year instead of Stonewall High. Now I won't be paying for anything, so if you want to go you'll have to find your own way."

Harry simply nodded.

"Now Harry, we've also decided that you are getting way to big for the cupboard. Get you stuff and go to Dudley's second bedroom. And not another word of this!"