Time Gone Bye Chapter 4
By Imaginaryfriend101
Disclaimer – you recognise it then it isn't mine
*Warning* *Warning* Rant Alert *Warning* *Warning*
First thing first Harry/Xander's being sorted into Ravenclaw house, Whenever Harry has to get sorted in anybody fic he either goes into Gryffindor or Slytherin because in his first year the Hat told him to choose between them. That was in the first year, people change, and I think that Harry has realised (especially after last year) that he needs more than just Bravery to get him out of situations, he needs know what happening and what spells to cast. So he has a thirst for knowledge that will thrive in Ravenclaw. He will also be able to make more friends/Allies if he's not on one side of the house rivalry.
Also sometime people are put into Houses you wouldn't expect for example Pettigrew in Gryffindor when he's a scaredy rat as well as Hermione being in Gryffindor, not in Ravenclaw even though she's a bookworm... Ever wondered why?
Here's my theory.....Hermione is a Muggleborn, therefore she afraid that she will never fit in properly in the Wizarding world so she studies extra hard, immersing herself in the Wizarding World so that no one can ever say she's not a full witch. She sees a low mark as a sign that she not a full witch (remember her Boggart in her third year turning into McGonagall and saying she failed everything). Facing up to your fear and doing everything you can to fight it is a mark of Bravery.
There are many signs of Bravery and many signs of a thirst for knowledge, never judge anyone solely on the House they were assigned to in there first year.
Also everybody got a fixed idea on what Gryffindor and Slytherin should be like but no one got an idea the other two houses are like, so I have a lot of freedom describing them. I've read one or two stories were Harry was in Ravenclaw but I've never read a story were he was put in Hufflepuff next to hundreds of Gryffindor and Slytherin Harry's.
I was going to put Harry in Hufflepuff just to be different but...... well.... my favourite colour is Blue. –sweatdrops-
(Reads above rant - 'Okay, sometimes I think too much.....')
Rant Ended, Rant Averted, Rant Ended.
AN1 - Just to let you know Bill Weasley is the Head Boy and in Seventh year, Morganna Declare is the Head Girl. Charlie Weasley is in his Fifth year a year below Harry/Xander and Percy is in his second year but wont be mentioned much in this story, if at all......I think
AN2 – I added something extra to the start of Chapter 3 its doesn't matter to the whole story but it might help you understand Harry state of mind.
PS Dabear where do you think I got the name from....? LOL
Right on with the show
***
Journal entry 2
My Name Is Harry Potter
Whew...... I just spent the last three hours at the welcoming feast, pretending to be awed by the splendour of Hogwarts when I'm pretty much used to it. Thankfully Alex and Alice are in Ravenclaw as well and they insisted that everybody call me 'Xander' so it didn't look too weird when someone said my name and I didn't answer.
My housemates are okay I guess, I didn't really talk to them much, Alex and Alice stole me away from them to talk to the first years. All of them were proud to be Ravenclaw's expect for one, Leonard Declare sat sullen in his seat often casting looks at the house across from him, Slytherin, I looked across and caught a worried look in Morganna eye. I nodded to her before smiling and starting to talk to him. Alice and Alex were a bit surprised by this and wouldn't talk to him at all even thought they were across from each other, ahh well they'll come around....I hope
I met the Ravenclaw Ghost, the Grey Lady, I can see were she got her name. While most ghosts are a ghostly blue colour, the Grey Lady is literally a Silvery Grey in colour with a Eighteenth Century dressrobe and a sombre expression on her face. I tried to talk to her but she just ignored me as she glided through the table, scaring the first years, and giving stately nods to one or two students. Later I learned, from Gut that the Grey Lady hardly ever speaks but when she does it's worth listening to her words of wisdom.
Now Alan 'Gut' McCormick, he's the only sixth year who's talked to me so far without mentioning my Defence Owl mark. He's a prefect with thick black glasses like the ones I used to wear in my first year and an honest face. He kinda of reminds me of Neville a bit, he's a bit chubby but seems like a nice enough guy.
Talking about Defence, guess who's the new Defence teacher, Moody. Can you believe it, turns out that he lost his leg in a duel a few months ago and the Ministry 'gently prodded' him into an extended leave of absence from Auror duties. And as a favour to Dumbledore he's here to teach for one year only.
The feast as always was superb, and it was with a very full stomach that I rose and followed the first years to the Ravenclaw common room, after walking the long way round pointing out places of interest, big emphasis on the Library. We came to a tapestry that covered a whole wall, it was of a castle with large towers either side of the main doors into the castle little men wandered across the parapets on top of the walls. The Prefect said clearly 'never be caught unaware' and the doors on the Tapestry opened to the Ravenclaw common room.
I headed straight up to my dorm room were I'm writing this now before I head to bed, everyone else is already in bed but I can't sleep yet. Must be because it's an unfamiliar room, the navy blue hangings of the bed bear no resemblance to the blood red of Gryffindor thank god. I don't know how many times I half woken up from a nightmare, thinking I was covered in blood.
*Yawn* well I think I better hit the sack
Harry James Potter, The Boy Who Lived
***
Xander slowly pulled himself from the depth of sleep to wakefulness, blinking in the unfamiliar surroundings of navy Blue hangings around his four poster bed. He pushed back the covers and stepped onto the cold wooden floor before realising were and when he was. He gave a small groan as he fell back onto the bed trying to think of a way, any way he could get back to his own time, back to Gryffindor his own house.
He was broken from his musings by soft laughter coming from his right he turned in that direction and saw one of his new room-mates, 'Gut' he asked to be called he thought his real name was Alan.
"What's so funny"
"It's just that your going to make a fine Ravenclaw student if you act like that every morning before classes"
Xander gave a small chuckle in reply before getting up and getting his things together
"Bathroom through there right"
"Yeah but you best hurry so we can get some breakfast before you have your meeting with Dumbledore"
Xander poked his head back through the doorway "What meeting with Dumbledore?"
"Did I forget to mention that?" at Xander's nod he continued "Sorry, I just got to escort you to the Headmasters office after breakfast for a quick meet and greet, and then take you to your first lesson"
"Oh right" Xander said as he ducked back into the bathroom Great this is perfect I can tell Dumbledore about everything that has happened to me, Sirius and the return of Voldemort wormtail and everything...
Xander finished in the bathroom in record time and hurried after Alan along to winding corridor to the Commonroom Well that's one thing I don't miss about Gryffindor, Climbing up those stairs would finish me off after a hard Quidditch practise
He just finished that thought when he got his first look at the Ravenclaw Commonroom, Were Gryffindor had lots of plush chairs surrounding the main fireplace, here there was only about a dozen. Instead large circular tables were dotted around the place with about ten chairs around them, making a great place to study or just talk to friends, In the centre of the table was a large blue flame that Xander remembered gave off heat but didn't burn.
The floor as he noticed in his dorm, was hardwood floor instead of the usual flagstones in the rest of the castle that glinted in the firelight. Around the walls were several Bookshelves packed with books of all sizes and states of disrepair, he also thought he noticed a blackboard with some spells written on it before Alan dragged him out.
"Hurry up, I want to have enough time to grab more than a slice of toast"
Finally they made it into the Great Hall and sat down for a meal before Xander was ambushed from behind.
"Hey Xander" two voices chorused together
"Hey Alex, Alice what do you think of Ravenclaw so far?"
"It's great, everyone making me feel so welcome"
"Yeah my dorm mates are great... well apart from Leonard" he pronounced each syllable separately as if it was some foreign food he couldn't pronounce properly
"Come on give him some time, he might be okay when you get to know him without his older brother"
"I suppose"
Xander seeing that he was uncomfortable Xander hastily changed the subject "So what houses are Nathan, Heather and Claire in?"
"Oh yeah you didn't see it did you"
"Well Nathan is in Gryffindor, like he wanted"
"And Heather and Claire are in Hufflepuff"
"And it's just us to in Ravenclaw with you"
"With Leon...Ow, What ya hit me for?"
Alice just shook her head at him
Alan seeing an opening interrupted "Come on Xander we've got to go if we don't want to miss all of our first lesson"
Xander quietly got up after saying goodbye to the twins
"Man how do you do that?" Alan asked as they left the hall and headed to the Headmasters office
"What?"
"Not break your neck trying to see who says what, when they talk like that"
Xander gave a small chuckle "Practise, my best friends older brothers were twins and talked like that most of the time, you get used to it after a while"
They had just got to the main stairs when they heard a cry of "Oh... Shit" coming from the top of the stairs, they looked to see somebody making there way down the stairs in the fastest way possible, both Alan and Xander jumped aside and Xander thinking quickly cast a cushioning charm of the floor.
"Oomph" The body said as it impacted with the floor, which promptly sank down absorbing the impact before throwing the body back up. It bounced twice before coming to a rest on the floor.
"Whoa man I thought I was a goner then for sure" a feminine voice said as she got off the floor and turned round too look at them "thanks for casting that spell Gut"
"Wasn't me, it was Xander" Alan replied
"Xander huh?" She asked "Well thanks" she said as she took a step closer to thank him but her foot sank in the floor and bounced back sending her off balance and tumbling into Xander. Oh yeah definite female
"Hey cool its still bouncy" the mystery girl said as she began to jump up and down on the floor bouncing higher and higher. Xander looked at Alan to see him staring at the girl in front of them with a smile on his face, well he was staring at part of the girl in front of them.
"Hey watch this" The girl said as she jumped up and did a somersault and landing on her butt
"Bet you can't do that again" Alan said
"you're on!"
"Wait" Xander cried "It only last for about..."
-Thump- "OW! OW! OW!"
"...About a minute" Xander finished "Are you okay?" leaning over her to see how she was
"Yeah, I just think I broke my Butt Bone" she said as she got to her feet sending a glare in the direction of Alan, She leant on Xander "Whoa your small for a Sixth year aren't ya"
"Thanks" Xander deadpanned
"Opps sorry" She said with a smile sounding anything but "But you've got cool hair so it kinda makes up for it"
Xander had no idea how to take that and just nodded "Okay"
"Okay, I gotta go, See you two later Gut, Blue" she said as she nodded in the direction of Alan then Xander before heading off to the Great Hall
"Who was that?" Xander asked when he saw that she had left them and they continued on their way
"One crazy girl" At Xander's look he continued "She in Sixth year like us but she's in Hufflepuff, and one of the main reasons they haven't won the house cup for the last five years, she loses loads of points because she's so clumsy. I don't know her first name, I think her parents are the only ones that do, but everyone around here calls her Tonks"
Xander stood stock still as his mind tried to process what he had just heard, Bill and Charlie he could understand, even Percy as a second year was, more or less, expected but TONKS? Sweet Merlin I'm in the same year as Tonks, Tonks is in the same year as me...? Well I've got a feeling this is going to be an interesting year
"Hey you okay?" Alan asked as he realised that Xander had stopped
Xander shook himself back to waking world to quickly answer "Err... Yeah just wondering why she called me Blue?"
"That just Tonks, she comes up with names for people who she thinks has boring names, I shouldn't worry the name 'Xander' is interesting enough I think she was humouring you. Beside it could be worse she decide in my first year that Alan was boring so she got everyone to call me Gut"
"Why?"
"Ahh well if you can understand Tonks, or an woman for that matter, then you're a smarter than any other Ravenclaw"
"No, I mean why does she call you 'Gut'?"
Alan gave a small sigh as he answered "Tell me do you believe in Divination"
Now it was Xander's turn to sigh as he replied "Unfortunately"
Alan shot him an odd look as he continued "Well I'm kind of a Divination, I'm just not that accurate" Seeing his confused look he continued "I have never in my life made a prophesy. But sometimes I get a feeling that I should do something or go some where, for no other reason then it feel right in my Gut"
"Huh?"
"Well let me give you an example..." he paused for a few seconds "Well we could of waited in the Great Hall for a few more minute but I got a feeling that we should leave there and then, and you know what happened as we was walking past the staircase, you saved Tonks from a painful, maybe fateful, fall"
Xander looked at him is astonishment trying to let what he just told him to sink in "That must be useful" he said after a long pause
Alan stopped in the middle of the hallway "Yeah, you've got that right" He stared at Xander as if he was looking through him before leading him into an empty classroom.
Once they where both safe of being overheard he started speaking again "My family first discovered I could do this when they took me to my cousins house when I was five... everything was fine until we had to leave and I got a feeling... no a need to stay. I begged and pleaded to stay and generally threw a massive tempter tantrum until my parents decide to let me stay the night"
"Death Eaters attacked our house that night" Alan spoke in a monotone that seemed to go through Xander "That was the last I saw of them"
Xander didn't know what to say to this revelation "I'm sorry"
Alan backed away as he hissed in a cold manner "I don't need your pity" the look in his eyes were ones Xander had seen everyday in the mirror
"Not pity...Understanding" Xander whispered quietly as he gazed upon the floor where Alan once stood "My parents were killed when I was very young as well, all I can remember of them is a cold green light and a high pitched maniacal laughter" the words bounced around the empty room as Xander realised that this was the first time he had ever told anyone this aloud
"Death Eaters?" Alan asked breaking the silence
"Yeah or Vol...You-know-who himself"
Both boy's sat in silence for a while until the bell rang telling them that the first lesson had started
"Come on, we best get going to Dumbledore's office before he starts a search party"
Xander gave a small laugh at the poor joke as he stood and followed Alan, as he would always be in his mind now, to the door. Alan stopped in the doorway and turned around to face Xander "You know, that's the first time I've ever told anyone about the first time I used my abilities"
Xander was shocked for the second time in the last few minutes by the taller boy's admission "So why did you tell me?" he asked in barely above a whisper
"Just a... Feeling in my Gut" he replied with a small smile, which Xander found himself returning.
Both boys left the empty classroom with a feeling of companionship between them both thinking the same thoughts at last someone who might understand
***
Dumbledore's Office
Xander stood in front of the desk of the wizard that he had mixed feelings for, on one hand this was the man that tried to make sure he was safe at all time, but it was Dumbledore's molly-coddling that made Xander naïve enough to walk into a trap and everything else that happened last year or is it a few years from now... argh time travel is so confusing
"...so I welcome you to our school and hope that the staff and the student body make the adjustment easier for you" Dumbledore paused for a second "As I am sure you have found with Mr. McCormick" he added with that ever present twinkle in his eyes
"Thank you sir."
"Now is there anything else you wish to ask?"
"Yes sir" Xander let the silence grow as he worked up the nerve to tell him all about Wormtails betrayal, Sirius's wrongful imprisonment, Voldermorts return, and even his own, younger Harry's, treatment by his 'Loving' family. But the words got twisted somewhere between his brain and his mouth and came out as "How do you get to the Kitchen's sir, I only had time for a quick breakfast."
Dumbledore's laughter came out in one long throaty laugh the twinkle in his eyes seemed to grow for a second as he turned back to Xander, completing missing the brief half second that he looked horrified at what he said, until his feature slid back into a happy smile that the Headmaster was now facing.
"Now I normally shouldn't tell you this" Dumblemore said in a conspiracy tone "but to get into the kitchens you need to get past a painting of a bowl of fruit that's on the floor below the Great Hall" the Headmaster let this sink in for a second before adding "I'm sure a Ravenclaw can figure the way to open it if you put your mind to it"
"Thank you sir"
"Now you best get going to class, I'm sure that Mr. McCormick is getting impatient waiting behind the door"
"Yes Sir, thank you sir" Xander said as he left the office
Dumbledore watched him leave with a smile on his face and a tear in his eye, the way Xander had asked that question and then run off to join his friend reminded him so much of an unforgettable duo that had been at this school several years past. Both were gone, one had, sadly, gone on the next great adventure to join the rest of his family, the other was getting just what he deserves.
***
Ravenclaw Common Room – After Lunch
After grabbing a quick bite to eat both of them headed back to the Commonroom and sat down around one of the many tables
"So Alan, I know this is Ravenclaw with all the smart people but...well...what's with all the Books?"
"It's tradition" Alan said "Everytime a past Ravenclaw student writes a book, he or she will send a copy to the Common room with a little message inside, here look" He handed Xander a book from the shelf without looking and opened it to the first page.
'To Ravenclaw' Xander read 'May this book help you get out of any trouble that you may find yourself 'accidentally' in'
"You mean, that everyone of these books has been written by a Ravenclaw" Xander said as he looked around the room and the amount of books in awe "There must be hundreds of books in here"
"Around Five hundred actually" Alan said clearly enjoying the look on Xander's face "Every year the Librarian comes up here and takes some of the older books which are slightly out of date and takes them to the main library"
"Wow"
"Yeah, it mean we don't really have that far to go when we want to study" he gestured to the book in Xander's hands "here I'll put that book back"
Xander turned the book over in his hands and made to past it back to Alan when his eyes caught the title 'Rules, Laws, and Oaths – How to Make, and Break, them' Gut strikes again
"No thanks, I'll think I'll read this one"
"Fair enough" Alan said as he walked away
Xander waited till he was at another table talking to some other housemates before eagerly opening the book, he flipped through the book until he got to the section about Oaths. It was only about ten minute later when he gave a small groan and slumped back in his chair.
It was like this how Alan found him ten minutes before the next lesson was to begin "Come on Xander, we've got potions next"
Xander rose like a zombie and placed the open book on the table for all to read as he followed Alan out of the common room. What he had just read echoed around inside his head.
"All oaths are breakable, expect one, The Magi Pledge, the only known way the Pledgee is released from the oath is either by the Pledger or at a specific time in the specified in the pledge. As the pledge is based on the Pledgee magic, it is this that forces the Pledgee to submit to the Pledge, Often stopping or even changing what the Pledgee planned to say or do.
"The Magi Pledge is simply to create, all the Pledgee has to say is 'I (The Pledgee's Name) Do Solemnly Swear On All My Magic...then the Pledge'"
AHHHH!!! Damn it
***
Sorry about the delay but life doesn't slow down to let me write no matter how nicely I ask
Right that's it for chapter four, quite a lot has happened in this chapter and I hope i've done Tonks justice, she was fun to write.
Does anybody think I should raise the rating of this story, it wont get much worse than this chapter, a few swear words and maybe some teenage hormones out of control but should it go up from PG-13 tyo R or NC-17 (I admit I don't really know this rating system that well)
Alan will be referred to as Alan but he might be called Gut by other characters, he meant to be only a small part but seems to have grown slightly and is in a way like the Boy who Lived because of his abilities so Harry/Xander can relate to him and Alan 'Gut' feels that he can relate to Harry/Xander, he just doesn't know why
No before anyone asks Dumbledore doesn't know about Xander being Harry Potter, he doesn't know about Timetravel and certainly doesn't expect a fully grown Harry potter to suddenly appear before him, One or two people might think that Xander and James look similar but will dismiss it, I mainly think that people say that Harry look like his dad because of the hair, its unmistakable.
And remember be a good reader, Read and review, or if you don't want to do that you can always send me money? Or a Cheeky Vimto? Please......?
Disclaimer – you recognise it then it isn't mine
*Warning* *Warning* Rant Alert *Warning* *Warning*
First thing first Harry/Xander's being sorted into Ravenclaw house, Whenever Harry has to get sorted in anybody fic he either goes into Gryffindor or Slytherin because in his first year the Hat told him to choose between them. That was in the first year, people change, and I think that Harry has realised (especially after last year) that he needs more than just Bravery to get him out of situations, he needs know what happening and what spells to cast. So he has a thirst for knowledge that will thrive in Ravenclaw. He will also be able to make more friends/Allies if he's not on one side of the house rivalry.
Also sometime people are put into Houses you wouldn't expect for example Pettigrew in Gryffindor when he's a scaredy rat as well as Hermione being in Gryffindor, not in Ravenclaw even though she's a bookworm... Ever wondered why?
Here's my theory.....Hermione is a Muggleborn, therefore she afraid that she will never fit in properly in the Wizarding world so she studies extra hard, immersing herself in the Wizarding World so that no one can ever say she's not a full witch. She sees a low mark as a sign that she not a full witch (remember her Boggart in her third year turning into McGonagall and saying she failed everything). Facing up to your fear and doing everything you can to fight it is a mark of Bravery.
There are many signs of Bravery and many signs of a thirst for knowledge, never judge anyone solely on the House they were assigned to in there first year.
Also everybody got a fixed idea on what Gryffindor and Slytherin should be like but no one got an idea the other two houses are like, so I have a lot of freedom describing them. I've read one or two stories were Harry was in Ravenclaw but I've never read a story were he was put in Hufflepuff next to hundreds of Gryffindor and Slytherin Harry's.
I was going to put Harry in Hufflepuff just to be different but...... well.... my favourite colour is Blue. –sweatdrops-
(Reads above rant - 'Okay, sometimes I think too much.....')
Rant Ended, Rant Averted, Rant Ended.
AN1 - Just to let you know Bill Weasley is the Head Boy and in Seventh year, Morganna Declare is the Head Girl. Charlie Weasley is in his Fifth year a year below Harry/Xander and Percy is in his second year but wont be mentioned much in this story, if at all......I think
AN2 – I added something extra to the start of Chapter 3 its doesn't matter to the whole story but it might help you understand Harry state of mind.
PS Dabear where do you think I got the name from....? LOL
Right on with the show
***
Journal entry 2
My Name Is Harry Potter
Whew...... I just spent the last three hours at the welcoming feast, pretending to be awed by the splendour of Hogwarts when I'm pretty much used to it. Thankfully Alex and Alice are in Ravenclaw as well and they insisted that everybody call me 'Xander' so it didn't look too weird when someone said my name and I didn't answer.
My housemates are okay I guess, I didn't really talk to them much, Alex and Alice stole me away from them to talk to the first years. All of them were proud to be Ravenclaw's expect for one, Leonard Declare sat sullen in his seat often casting looks at the house across from him, Slytherin, I looked across and caught a worried look in Morganna eye. I nodded to her before smiling and starting to talk to him. Alice and Alex were a bit surprised by this and wouldn't talk to him at all even thought they were across from each other, ahh well they'll come around....I hope
I met the Ravenclaw Ghost, the Grey Lady, I can see were she got her name. While most ghosts are a ghostly blue colour, the Grey Lady is literally a Silvery Grey in colour with a Eighteenth Century dressrobe and a sombre expression on her face. I tried to talk to her but she just ignored me as she glided through the table, scaring the first years, and giving stately nods to one or two students. Later I learned, from Gut that the Grey Lady hardly ever speaks but when she does it's worth listening to her words of wisdom.
Now Alan 'Gut' McCormick, he's the only sixth year who's talked to me so far without mentioning my Defence Owl mark. He's a prefect with thick black glasses like the ones I used to wear in my first year and an honest face. He kinda of reminds me of Neville a bit, he's a bit chubby but seems like a nice enough guy.
Talking about Defence, guess who's the new Defence teacher, Moody. Can you believe it, turns out that he lost his leg in a duel a few months ago and the Ministry 'gently prodded' him into an extended leave of absence from Auror duties. And as a favour to Dumbledore he's here to teach for one year only.
The feast as always was superb, and it was with a very full stomach that I rose and followed the first years to the Ravenclaw common room, after walking the long way round pointing out places of interest, big emphasis on the Library. We came to a tapestry that covered a whole wall, it was of a castle with large towers either side of the main doors into the castle little men wandered across the parapets on top of the walls. The Prefect said clearly 'never be caught unaware' and the doors on the Tapestry opened to the Ravenclaw common room.
I headed straight up to my dorm room were I'm writing this now before I head to bed, everyone else is already in bed but I can't sleep yet. Must be because it's an unfamiliar room, the navy blue hangings of the bed bear no resemblance to the blood red of Gryffindor thank god. I don't know how many times I half woken up from a nightmare, thinking I was covered in blood.
*Yawn* well I think I better hit the sack
Harry James Potter, The Boy Who Lived
***
Xander slowly pulled himself from the depth of sleep to wakefulness, blinking in the unfamiliar surroundings of navy Blue hangings around his four poster bed. He pushed back the covers and stepped onto the cold wooden floor before realising were and when he was. He gave a small groan as he fell back onto the bed trying to think of a way, any way he could get back to his own time, back to Gryffindor his own house.
He was broken from his musings by soft laughter coming from his right he turned in that direction and saw one of his new room-mates, 'Gut' he asked to be called he thought his real name was Alan.
"What's so funny"
"It's just that your going to make a fine Ravenclaw student if you act like that every morning before classes"
Xander gave a small chuckle in reply before getting up and getting his things together
"Bathroom through there right"
"Yeah but you best hurry so we can get some breakfast before you have your meeting with Dumbledore"
Xander poked his head back through the doorway "What meeting with Dumbledore?"
"Did I forget to mention that?" at Xander's nod he continued "Sorry, I just got to escort you to the Headmasters office after breakfast for a quick meet and greet, and then take you to your first lesson"
"Oh right" Xander said as he ducked back into the bathroom Great this is perfect I can tell Dumbledore about everything that has happened to me, Sirius and the return of Voldemort wormtail and everything...
Xander finished in the bathroom in record time and hurried after Alan along to winding corridor to the Commonroom Well that's one thing I don't miss about Gryffindor, Climbing up those stairs would finish me off after a hard Quidditch practise
He just finished that thought when he got his first look at the Ravenclaw Commonroom, Were Gryffindor had lots of plush chairs surrounding the main fireplace, here there was only about a dozen. Instead large circular tables were dotted around the place with about ten chairs around them, making a great place to study or just talk to friends, In the centre of the table was a large blue flame that Xander remembered gave off heat but didn't burn.
The floor as he noticed in his dorm, was hardwood floor instead of the usual flagstones in the rest of the castle that glinted in the firelight. Around the walls were several Bookshelves packed with books of all sizes and states of disrepair, he also thought he noticed a blackboard with some spells written on it before Alan dragged him out.
"Hurry up, I want to have enough time to grab more than a slice of toast"
Finally they made it into the Great Hall and sat down for a meal before Xander was ambushed from behind.
"Hey Xander" two voices chorused together
"Hey Alex, Alice what do you think of Ravenclaw so far?"
"It's great, everyone making me feel so welcome"
"Yeah my dorm mates are great... well apart from Leonard" he pronounced each syllable separately as if it was some foreign food he couldn't pronounce properly
"Come on give him some time, he might be okay when you get to know him without his older brother"
"I suppose"
Xander seeing that he was uncomfortable Xander hastily changed the subject "So what houses are Nathan, Heather and Claire in?"
"Oh yeah you didn't see it did you"
"Well Nathan is in Gryffindor, like he wanted"
"And Heather and Claire are in Hufflepuff"
"And it's just us to in Ravenclaw with you"
"With Leon...Ow, What ya hit me for?"
Alice just shook her head at him
Alan seeing an opening interrupted "Come on Xander we've got to go if we don't want to miss all of our first lesson"
Xander quietly got up after saying goodbye to the twins
"Man how do you do that?" Alan asked as they left the hall and headed to the Headmasters office
"What?"
"Not break your neck trying to see who says what, when they talk like that"
Xander gave a small chuckle "Practise, my best friends older brothers were twins and talked like that most of the time, you get used to it after a while"
They had just got to the main stairs when they heard a cry of "Oh... Shit" coming from the top of the stairs, they looked to see somebody making there way down the stairs in the fastest way possible, both Alan and Xander jumped aside and Xander thinking quickly cast a cushioning charm of the floor.
"Oomph" The body said as it impacted with the floor, which promptly sank down absorbing the impact before throwing the body back up. It bounced twice before coming to a rest on the floor.
"Whoa man I thought I was a goner then for sure" a feminine voice said as she got off the floor and turned round too look at them "thanks for casting that spell Gut"
"Wasn't me, it was Xander" Alan replied
"Xander huh?" She asked "Well thanks" she said as she took a step closer to thank him but her foot sank in the floor and bounced back sending her off balance and tumbling into Xander. Oh yeah definite female
"Hey cool its still bouncy" the mystery girl said as she began to jump up and down on the floor bouncing higher and higher. Xander looked at Alan to see him staring at the girl in front of them with a smile on his face, well he was staring at part of the girl in front of them.
"Hey watch this" The girl said as she jumped up and did a somersault and landing on her butt
"Bet you can't do that again" Alan said
"you're on!"
"Wait" Xander cried "It only last for about..."
-Thump- "OW! OW! OW!"
"...About a minute" Xander finished "Are you okay?" leaning over her to see how she was
"Yeah, I just think I broke my Butt Bone" she said as she got to her feet sending a glare in the direction of Alan, She leant on Xander "Whoa your small for a Sixth year aren't ya"
"Thanks" Xander deadpanned
"Opps sorry" She said with a smile sounding anything but "But you've got cool hair so it kinda makes up for it"
Xander had no idea how to take that and just nodded "Okay"
"Okay, I gotta go, See you two later Gut, Blue" she said as she nodded in the direction of Alan then Xander before heading off to the Great Hall
"Who was that?" Xander asked when he saw that she had left them and they continued on their way
"One crazy girl" At Xander's look he continued "She in Sixth year like us but she's in Hufflepuff, and one of the main reasons they haven't won the house cup for the last five years, she loses loads of points because she's so clumsy. I don't know her first name, I think her parents are the only ones that do, but everyone around here calls her Tonks"
Xander stood stock still as his mind tried to process what he had just heard, Bill and Charlie he could understand, even Percy as a second year was, more or less, expected but TONKS? Sweet Merlin I'm in the same year as Tonks, Tonks is in the same year as me...? Well I've got a feeling this is going to be an interesting year
"Hey you okay?" Alan asked as he realised that Xander had stopped
Xander shook himself back to waking world to quickly answer "Err... Yeah just wondering why she called me Blue?"
"That just Tonks, she comes up with names for people who she thinks has boring names, I shouldn't worry the name 'Xander' is interesting enough I think she was humouring you. Beside it could be worse she decide in my first year that Alan was boring so she got everyone to call me Gut"
"Why?"
"Ahh well if you can understand Tonks, or an woman for that matter, then you're a smarter than any other Ravenclaw"
"No, I mean why does she call you 'Gut'?"
Alan gave a small sigh as he answered "Tell me do you believe in Divination"
Now it was Xander's turn to sigh as he replied "Unfortunately"
Alan shot him an odd look as he continued "Well I'm kind of a Divination, I'm just not that accurate" Seeing his confused look he continued "I have never in my life made a prophesy. But sometimes I get a feeling that I should do something or go some where, for no other reason then it feel right in my Gut"
"Huh?"
"Well let me give you an example..." he paused for a few seconds "Well we could of waited in the Great Hall for a few more minute but I got a feeling that we should leave there and then, and you know what happened as we was walking past the staircase, you saved Tonks from a painful, maybe fateful, fall"
Xander looked at him is astonishment trying to let what he just told him to sink in "That must be useful" he said after a long pause
Alan stopped in the middle of the hallway "Yeah, you've got that right" He stared at Xander as if he was looking through him before leading him into an empty classroom.
Once they where both safe of being overheard he started speaking again "My family first discovered I could do this when they took me to my cousins house when I was five... everything was fine until we had to leave and I got a feeling... no a need to stay. I begged and pleaded to stay and generally threw a massive tempter tantrum until my parents decide to let me stay the night"
"Death Eaters attacked our house that night" Alan spoke in a monotone that seemed to go through Xander "That was the last I saw of them"
Xander didn't know what to say to this revelation "I'm sorry"
Alan backed away as he hissed in a cold manner "I don't need your pity" the look in his eyes were ones Xander had seen everyday in the mirror
"Not pity...Understanding" Xander whispered quietly as he gazed upon the floor where Alan once stood "My parents were killed when I was very young as well, all I can remember of them is a cold green light and a high pitched maniacal laughter" the words bounced around the empty room as Xander realised that this was the first time he had ever told anyone this aloud
"Death Eaters?" Alan asked breaking the silence
"Yeah or Vol...You-know-who himself"
Both boy's sat in silence for a while until the bell rang telling them that the first lesson had started
"Come on, we best get going to Dumbledore's office before he starts a search party"
Xander gave a small laugh at the poor joke as he stood and followed Alan, as he would always be in his mind now, to the door. Alan stopped in the doorway and turned around to face Xander "You know, that's the first time I've ever told anyone about the first time I used my abilities"
Xander was shocked for the second time in the last few minutes by the taller boy's admission "So why did you tell me?" he asked in barely above a whisper
"Just a... Feeling in my Gut" he replied with a small smile, which Xander found himself returning.
Both boys left the empty classroom with a feeling of companionship between them both thinking the same thoughts at last someone who might understand
***
Dumbledore's Office
Xander stood in front of the desk of the wizard that he had mixed feelings for, on one hand this was the man that tried to make sure he was safe at all time, but it was Dumbledore's molly-coddling that made Xander naïve enough to walk into a trap and everything else that happened last year or is it a few years from now... argh time travel is so confusing
"...so I welcome you to our school and hope that the staff and the student body make the adjustment easier for you" Dumbledore paused for a second "As I am sure you have found with Mr. McCormick" he added with that ever present twinkle in his eyes
"Thank you sir."
"Now is there anything else you wish to ask?"
"Yes sir" Xander let the silence grow as he worked up the nerve to tell him all about Wormtails betrayal, Sirius's wrongful imprisonment, Voldermorts return, and even his own, younger Harry's, treatment by his 'Loving' family. But the words got twisted somewhere between his brain and his mouth and came out as "How do you get to the Kitchen's sir, I only had time for a quick breakfast."
Dumbledore's laughter came out in one long throaty laugh the twinkle in his eyes seemed to grow for a second as he turned back to Xander, completing missing the brief half second that he looked horrified at what he said, until his feature slid back into a happy smile that the Headmaster was now facing.
"Now I normally shouldn't tell you this" Dumblemore said in a conspiracy tone "but to get into the kitchens you need to get past a painting of a bowl of fruit that's on the floor below the Great Hall" the Headmaster let this sink in for a second before adding "I'm sure a Ravenclaw can figure the way to open it if you put your mind to it"
"Thank you sir"
"Now you best get going to class, I'm sure that Mr. McCormick is getting impatient waiting behind the door"
"Yes Sir, thank you sir" Xander said as he left the office
Dumbledore watched him leave with a smile on his face and a tear in his eye, the way Xander had asked that question and then run off to join his friend reminded him so much of an unforgettable duo that had been at this school several years past. Both were gone, one had, sadly, gone on the next great adventure to join the rest of his family, the other was getting just what he deserves.
***
Ravenclaw Common Room – After Lunch
After grabbing a quick bite to eat both of them headed back to the Commonroom and sat down around one of the many tables
"So Alan, I know this is Ravenclaw with all the smart people but...well...what's with all the Books?"
"It's tradition" Alan said "Everytime a past Ravenclaw student writes a book, he or she will send a copy to the Common room with a little message inside, here look" He handed Xander a book from the shelf without looking and opened it to the first page.
'To Ravenclaw' Xander read 'May this book help you get out of any trouble that you may find yourself 'accidentally' in'
"You mean, that everyone of these books has been written by a Ravenclaw" Xander said as he looked around the room and the amount of books in awe "There must be hundreds of books in here"
"Around Five hundred actually" Alan said clearly enjoying the look on Xander's face "Every year the Librarian comes up here and takes some of the older books which are slightly out of date and takes them to the main library"
"Wow"
"Yeah, it mean we don't really have that far to go when we want to study" he gestured to the book in Xander's hands "here I'll put that book back"
Xander turned the book over in his hands and made to past it back to Alan when his eyes caught the title 'Rules, Laws, and Oaths – How to Make, and Break, them' Gut strikes again
"No thanks, I'll think I'll read this one"
"Fair enough" Alan said as he walked away
Xander waited till he was at another table talking to some other housemates before eagerly opening the book, he flipped through the book until he got to the section about Oaths. It was only about ten minute later when he gave a small groan and slumped back in his chair.
It was like this how Alan found him ten minutes before the next lesson was to begin "Come on Xander, we've got potions next"
Xander rose like a zombie and placed the open book on the table for all to read as he followed Alan out of the common room. What he had just read echoed around inside his head.
"All oaths are breakable, expect one, The Magi Pledge, the only known way the Pledgee is released from the oath is either by the Pledger or at a specific time in the specified in the pledge. As the pledge is based on the Pledgee magic, it is this that forces the Pledgee to submit to the Pledge, Often stopping or even changing what the Pledgee planned to say or do.
"The Magi Pledge is simply to create, all the Pledgee has to say is 'I (The Pledgee's Name) Do Solemnly Swear On All My Magic...then the Pledge'"
AHHHH!!! Damn it
***
Sorry about the delay but life doesn't slow down to let me write no matter how nicely I ask
Right that's it for chapter four, quite a lot has happened in this chapter and I hope i've done Tonks justice, she was fun to write.
Does anybody think I should raise the rating of this story, it wont get much worse than this chapter, a few swear words and maybe some teenage hormones out of control but should it go up from PG-13 tyo R or NC-17 (I admit I don't really know this rating system that well)
Alan will be referred to as Alan but he might be called Gut by other characters, he meant to be only a small part but seems to have grown slightly and is in a way like the Boy who Lived because of his abilities so Harry/Xander can relate to him and Alan 'Gut' feels that he can relate to Harry/Xander, he just doesn't know why
No before anyone asks Dumbledore doesn't know about Xander being Harry Potter, he doesn't know about Timetravel and certainly doesn't expect a fully grown Harry potter to suddenly appear before him, One or two people might think that Xander and James look similar but will dismiss it, I mainly think that people say that Harry look like his dad because of the hair, its unmistakable.
And remember be a good reader, Read and review, or if you don't want to do that you can always send me money? Or a Cheeky Vimto? Please......?