Living inside Yesterday
Potter47

~ Part Three ~
Prisoners of the Mind

"Be assured, the wicked will not go unpunished,
but those who are righteous will escape."
~ Proverbs 11.21

~ Chapter Sixteen ~
Cheating the Hangman

"Professor!" cried Hermione.

"I...said...RUN!" shouted Snape.

"Harry," said Hermione, "we can't just leave him!"

"Yes you can, you idiots!"

"Who said anything about running?" asked Wormtail, smirking.

They were standing in the kitchen of the Riddle House. Professor Snape sat on the floor, by the table. His hands bound to one of the legs. Wormtail stood next to him, wand drawn in his silver hand, pointed at Harry's chest.

"What are you doing, Wormtail?" he asked, surprisingly calm.

"Keeping you," the man said, "from escaping."

"Wormtail," said Hermione, "there are five of us. There's only one of you. What chance do you think you have?"

"Oh, you won't hurt me," he said. "You can't. Or I'll kill him."

"Damn it, Potter, you hate me. Do the world a favor, and go!" He motioned toward the door with his bound hands.

Harry stared at the man in front of them, Voldemort's wand raised. Ginny stood, next to him, wand also at the ready. Luna had a hand on her knife. Hermione was already thinking of the best way to get Snape free.

"Bloody Gryffindors," muttered Snape. "Potter, you are much more important than even you know. Do not waste your life. Get out of here. Disarm him. Kill him if you have to. Just get out of here. Now."

"No," said Harry. "I'm not leaving without you." He didn't sound much like himself. He sounded confident. He sounded as though he was a hero in an old movie.

"Ginny," said Wormtail, smiling. "Long time no see. You sure have grown. In fact you've become quite a pretty girl."

He cast Harry an oddly furtive glance as he said it.

"Shut up," she said, swallowing. "Where is she?"

"Who?" he asked.

"Trelawney. Did she get away? What did you do to her?"

The rest of the students had completely forgotten about the Divination professor. They hadn't thought once about her since escaping Voldemort.

"She," he said, looking oddly proud for some odd reason, "Apparated as soon as she could. She didn't stay behind, trying to fend off the Dark Lord like someone we know. To me, Severus, that seemed a bit Gryffindor like. Shame on you." He raised a finger in front of his face, as Trelawney had done, and scolded the Potions Master like a child. This was a very different Wormtail.

"What happened to you?" asked Luna. "You're acting differently than before."

"Right you are, little girl," he said, despite the fact that Luna was an inch or two taller than he. "I came up with this plan all by myself, as soon as Severus arrived."

"What d'you mean?" asked Hermione. "How did you know S-Professor Snape came?" She looked like she was scolding herself for the slip.

Wormtail laughed. "I thought you were smarter than that, Hermione. Do you honestly believe the Dark Lord took no measures concerning security? To see what was going on in your little room? We saw some pretty interesting things, you know. Not the least of which being: Severus. Not even I saw that coming. Though, another interesting segment was when you two," he pointed to Ron and Luna, "were sleeping. Certainly looked cosy." He smirked. Ron's ears were redder than the Dark Lord's eyes.

"Oh, and that bit where you discussed little Ginny's feelings for...someone." He smirked once again, but this time in Ginny's direction. She looked, disbelievingly, at Hermione, who looked guilty. "You had the Dark Lord fooled, Ronald," he said. "No small task. Sorry to say, but the Dark Lord doesn't like being fooled."

Luna, who had been standing next to Ron, took a rather large step toward Hermione. Then another.

"Wormtail," said Harry, "let him go."

"And why would I do that?" he asked. "Why should I do what you want, Potter? I'm supposed to be keeping you here. That wouldn't keep you here."

Harry looked at him oddly. "I could think of a reason."

"Oh?"

Luna, as Wormtail was busy with Harry, took another step toward Hermione.

"You owe me," he said. "Are you telling me you forgot?"

"I do not," Wormtail said shiftily. "What would I owe you for?"

Harry looked at him incredulously. "What would you owe me for? For saving your life."

Wormtail looked nervous. His eyes darted from face to face, as if trying to see if Harry was telling the truth. He apparently didn't like what he saw.

"No..." he said. "I-I...you're lying. You didn't save me. When would you...why would you...no..."

Hermione seemed to have been thinking seventeen steps ahead of everyone else, as usual, so she had already realised, that-

"It's a trick."

"What?" asked Ron, looking away from Wormtail. "What's a trick?"

"This whole thing." Her eyes were wide, and she didn't seem to be focused on anything in particular. She seemed to be in a daze, now that everything had clicked. "Our kidnapping. Escaping Voldemort. He-he planned it. From the beginning. He's not even here. And neither is Wormtail."

"What are you talking about?" said Wormtail. "I'm right here."

"Yes, you're right there. But you're not Wormtail."

"Of course I am, you stupid girl!"

Hermione reached into her robes, and pulled out Lucius Malfoy's wand. She pointed it at him, and muttered something under her breath. A flash of blue-white light erupted from the end of the wand, hitting him squarely in the chest. His eyes widened-

And widened. And widened. Frames materialized around them, which slowly connected. Hair started to grow on his bald head, and he, himself, started to grow. Actually, it soon became clear that he, himself was, in fact she, herself. Her fingers lengthened, and earrings popped into existence on her ears.

"You!" said Snape from the floor. "What the hell are you doing?"

"Obeying my Master," she said mistily.

"I thought as much," said Hermione, nodding, "Trelawney."

"That's Professor Trelawney to you!" she said, enlarged eyes glaring.

"No, it's not. You're a Death Eater, and I haven't been your student for over two years. Not to mention the fact that no one has been your student since you were sacked..."

"Trelawney!" cried Luna, drawing attention to herself.

"That fact was established already, Lovegood-"

"Catch!"

Glinting metal flashed in the air, from Luna to Hermione. Hermione, clearly not expecting such an action, jumped away with a small squeal and the knife clattered to the floor. It spun away from her. It came to a stop directly between Hermione and Trelawney.

"Damn!" muttered Luna. When no one moved, she exclaimed, "Well, pick it up!"

Hermione and Trelawney looked each other in the eye. Then, at the same time, both dove. At the moment, neither remembered the fact that they had wands in their hands, therefore could easily perform a Summoning Charm. In fact, Hermione had, once again, forgotten she was a witch.

"Stupefy!"

The flash of red light connected with Trelawney and, with a thud, she fell to the floor.

"That was just bad, Hermione," said Luna. "Haven't you ever played Quidditch?"

"No, she hasn't," said Ron regretfully.

"What did you do that for?" asked Hermione picking up the knife. "Why'd you throw it?"

"Let's see," said Snape, rolling his eyes, "could it have anything to do with...the Professor over here that's bound to the table?" he asked sarcastically. "But, no... a knife could never help with that."

"Sorry!" Hermione clicked open the knife and walked over to the Potions Master. She cut the ropes tying the professor to the table, and he stood.

"Well," Luna said, "that was unexpected."

"Yeah," said Ron. "How'd you know that wasn't him?"

"Well my first inkling was when she said, 'Not even I saw that coming.' Why would Wormtail have seen it coming? It didn't make sense."

"But..." said Ginny. "How'd you know the rest? About the kidnapping? And that You-Know-Who wasn't here?"

"Tell you in a minute," she said, binding Trelawney magically. She handed the knife back to Luna, and said, "Mobilicorpus!"

As though invisible strings were tied to Trelawney's wrists, neck, and knees, she was pulled into a standing position, head lolling unpleasantly. She hung a few inches above the ground, limp feet dangling.

"Let's go," she said, and without another word, she motioned them to move out the front door. It had begun to rain, since Harry and Ginny had arrived, and they weren't entirely sure if it was day or night. They went out the door, confused, and Hermione followed, walking backwards so the professor floated out last. As soon as the black robed Trelawney passed the threshold, several scarlet robed wizards and witches jumped up from various places. Some were behind bushes, some behind trees. All dripping wet. After a few moments, a final one came running out of a diner, sandwich in one hand, wand in the other.

"I knew it," muttered Hermione under her breath, "and so did Voldemort."

Two of the figures, a witch and wizard, came forward from the group. Both were immediately recognisable. The tall, black man was Kingsley Shacklebolt, and the purple-haired witch was obviously Tonks.

"Are you okay?" she asked as they neared the group. She peered at the floating body. "Who's-Trelawney!"

"Yeah," said Hermione. It seemed that the rest of the group had decided to sit back and let the scene play out. They had no idea what was going on. No one ever did when Hermione had a revelation.

"We'll take her," said Kingsley, who was decidedly surprised when Hermione handed the wand to him.

"But don't you-"

"It's not mine," she said. "It's Lucius Malfoy's."

"Is he still in there?" he asked hopefully, looking into the doorway.

"I doubt it."

The talk of wands reminded Harry of the fact that only he and Ginny had them. Even if his wasn't really his.

He pointed the yew wand into the kitchen, and called, "Accio wands!"

Five wands flew through the Riddle House, speeding toward Harry's outstretched hand. It unnerved him how...right...the wand in his hand felt. It worked just as well as his own, which was not a pleasant thought. He caught the wands, and handed them off to the owners, minus Trelawney, who, of course, wouldn't be needing hers. He handed that one to Tonks.

Just as he was putting Voldemort's wand into his robe, he felt a surge of pain unlike any he had felt before. Worse than even the Cruciatus. But that wasn't the bad part.

No, the worst part of the pain, was what it represented.

Voldemort was happy. Very, very happy.

* * *

The Dark Lord smiled down at the glowing orb in his right hand. It was his. After all the years he had waited. It was finally his.

If he was a very different person, he would have been quite tempted to say, "My precioussss...." but, alas, he was not.

His Death Eaters, just about all of them, had accompanied him on this excursion. It had worked, just as he had hoped. And now he could defeat him. Finally, he would know the key.

"C-can we go?" stuttered the real Wormtail. Voldemort knew what troubled him. It was obvious really; if a dead man was found in the Ministry of Magic, it would be quite clear that he was not a dead man.

"In a minute, Wormtail. Patience is a virtue." The Dark Lord laughed at the hypocrisy of that statement.

He looked up and down the group of Death Eaters, smiling.

"This," he held up the orb, "is what we've been seeking since my return. You could not obtain it before. That was not your fault. The fault lies with Crabbe. And, as I have said, he has paid for it dearly. But, I assure you, no one will be punished this time. This has worked perfectly.

"I have the prophecy."

* * *

"The prophecy..." murmured Harry. "I have the...prophecy..."

Harry's eyes slowly opened, and he was not expecting Ginny to be kneeling right next to him, bent over him, looking worriedly at him. He was on the floor, in the Hanged Man. It seemed he had been moved since he collapsed, presumable because of the rain.

"Prophecy?" she said. "What prophecy?"

"Voldemort," he said, sitting up. "He was in the Department of Mysteries. Hermione was right. It was a trick."

"Of course she was right," said Ron, who had noticed Harry was awake. "She's always right when she goes and has one of those revelations. Never fails. Course, this time it didn't lead her anywhere near the library, which is new."

"It's not like I could go to the library," she said, coming closer to the group, and kneeling like Ron and Ginny. "That's what got me into this mess, remember? The book portkey?"

"I'll never forget that one," said Ron, grinning. "Almost as good as Lockhart...Ow!"

"You deserved that," said Hermione smugly, after poking Ron in the back of the neck with her wand. He jumped about a foot in the air, and did not look very...good, as he did so.

"I better not have anything on my neck!" he said, trying unsuccessfully to see the back of his neck.

"Oh, don't worry," she assured him. "You don't have anything on your neck."

Ginny stifled her laughter. Harry had trouble with his.

"W-what did she do?" asked Ron, his eyes wide. "What did she do to me?"

He looked at his arms, legs, elbows, and knees, and just about every other part of himself that he could see.

"Nothing," said Ginny seriously.

"No, nothing," agreed Harry.

"I don't believe you," said Ron disbelievingly. With good reason, as they were not telling the absolute truth. Actually, they were plainly lying. Anyone could see what Hermione had done.

His nose was covered in dirt. It wasn't just a bit, like it had been on the Hogwarts Express before their first year. No, it was more like his nose was just...brown.

"Luna!" he called, turning away from the group. She looked up from the one-sided conversation she had been having with the Snape.

Ginny and Hermione helped Harry off the floor. Harry knew he should probably tell someone more about his vision, but he couldn't seem to do it. And the hand on his arm was rather distracting as Ginny helped him walk over to where Luna was standing.

"Luna," said Ron. "Is there anything...off...on me? Hermione did something, and they won't tell me what."

Luna looked at Ron evenly, and said seriously, "I see no difference." Snape looked at her oddly.

Ron let out a breath of relief. "That was good, Hermione. You almost had me fooled." He held his pointer finger and thumb about a couple centimetres apart. "Almost."

Hermione struggled to keep a straight face. "Yeah, I guess I'll just have to try harder next time," she said, feigning disappointment.

Harry looked around. Other than the five friends, only Snape was in the pub, watching the goings on, leaning against the wall. The Aurors clearly were investigating the Riddle House.

"Hermione?" asked Ginny. "You never said...how did you know everything was a trick? Other than just Wormtail."

"Malfoy," she said. "You weren't here, but he was talking about a prophecy." Harry's head snapped up. "Saying that it was the reason everything has happened. The reason Harry has his scar. From the start, I'd thought that there must have been another reason for kidnapping us. Other than just to lead you here."

"And?" asked Ron.

"It was all a set-up, to draw the Order here. So that Voldemort could get this prophecy. It all fits. The prophecy must be the weapon that he's been trying to get. The thing he didn't have last time. And it's in the Department of Mysteries."

"No," said Harry. "It's not."

"What d'you mean?" she asked.

"He has it. He has the prophecy. I just saw it."

As soon as he said that, she turned around, grabbed the pot of floo powder, and tossed it in the fire. "Dumbledore's office," she said, stepping into the flames. It was clear that she thought anymore talk a waste of time, and that they should get to Dumbledore as soon as possible.

Ron went next, but not before Luna muttered, "Finite Incantatem!" He didn't notice a thing, as the dirt faded away. She smiled. Harry realised that Dumbledore must have done something to his fireplace, preventing intruders, as it would have been only too simple for Death Eaters - or Umbridge for that matter - to get in. He also must have done something so that they could get through.

After Ron, Luna went into the fireplace. Snape then departed, leaving Harry and Ginny.

"How'd ya do, Mr. Potter, Miss Weasley?" came a voice behind them. The two spun around, and were face to face with Dot.

"How did you know my name?" asked Ginny. "I never said my name. I never said anything."

"Just 'cause I'm blind, don't mean I can't see," she said, as if she had been insulted. "In other ways."

"How?"

She smiled. "Ya didn't answer my question. How'd ya do?"

"H-he got away," said Harry. "He got what he wanted."

"Not everythin'," she said matter-of-factly. "Not everythin' he wanted."

"Well, yeah," said Harry. "I'm still alive. For now, at least."

"That s'not what I meant," Dot said. "The two o' you are together. Both o' you are alive. That he didn't want. Not at all. He still 'as weakness. It's not as though he's won, er anythin'."

"He as good as won," said Harry dejectedly. "He's happier right now than he's been since I was born."

The woman shook her head. "It's as if he was in a room with, say, twelve doors. It seems simple, how to get out; one of the doors is marked, 'exit.'" She made a rectangle with her hands. "It seems obvious that that's the door to choose, right?"

They nodded.

"Right?"

"Oh," said Ginny, realising that they had nodded again. "Yes. It does."

"Well, he's found the door marked exit, but where does it lead?" she said.

"What?" said Harry. "What are you talking about?"

"'S not always as simple as it seems, Mr. Potter. Ya don' always get what you expect. But ya gotta do yer best with the cards yer dealt."

"I still don't get it," said Harry shaking his head.

"Let me put it this way; he has what he wants. You know that. But, what if the thing he's been after don't live up to his expectations? What if it jus' tells him what he already knows?"

"That's a bit wishful thinking," said Harry.

"There's a simple solution to every problem, Mr. Potter," said the old woman, turning around and walking, with her cane, toward the back room. "Neat, plausible, and wrong. Don't expect this to end in a day er two. Don't expect him to know all he needs, so he can come kill ya in yer sleep. And watch yer head. Ya may be in fer a nasty shock."

And she was gone.

"Er...we should probably go," said Harry.

"Yeah," said Ginny. "Probably."

And so they went. Through the fire. Back to Hogwarts.

~ Author's Note ~

Confusing, eh? I thought so.

Just so you know, the whole Trelawney/Wormtail thing was
not Polyjuice. If it was, then her glasses and earrings would not have transformed with her.

And that's the end of part three. Part Four, Living for Tomorrow, includes the final four chapters. Then it's only the epilogue and this fic's done!

* * *

Hereby ends the chapter title contest. In case you skipped the Author's Note on Chapter Ten (Shame on you! Wait...why are you reading this one?), the contest was for you readers to determine the origins of the first ten chapter titles. Of course, you assumed that chapter thirteen was included in those first ten...

Anyway. Since some people obviously do not read when they are gazing at their computer screen while it says "Living inside Yesterday" upon it, I've decided to count those Chap. Thirteen answers as correct. Lucky you, Ari! That makes five! (Well, no, it makes four, but the lyrics count as two! Why? Cause I said so! And four's all you need, anyway. By the way, is "Ari" your real name? Or is it from "Planet of the Apes?" Or am I assuming?).

Here they are! The - dun, dun, dun! - answers!

Part One - The Shadow of the Past

Chapter two of "The Fellowship of the Ring." Also, the first part of the BBC audio version of LOTR. (Thank you, Chromatix, for that second part).

Chapter Two - Identity Crisis

The actual thought inside my mind while naming this chapter was of episode thirty-six of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. However, I believe Erik Erikson, an American psychoanalyst, coined the phrase. Why's it called coined, anyway?

Chapter Three - Riddle Me This

On the off-chance that you don't know this, "Riddle Me This" is what the Riddler says on "Batman" (No, it isn't the Joker. Why would the joker say "riddle?" You know who you are.) Also, as I discovered a couple weeks ago, "Riddle Me This" was also used by Kate Lynn as a chapter title in her novel-length, "The Broken Victory," which can be found at the Ink Pen in its entirety.

Chapter Four - See if You're Human After All

Ah, the first song lyric. This is one of the first lines of Lifehouse's "Trying," which is track five on "No Name Face." It goes:

Could you let down your hair
And be transparent for a while
Just a little while
See if you're human after all

To someone who has read my previous works, this should have been a piece of cake. In fact, I named an entire story this (Draco/Hermione, BEWARE). Also, in one of my first (and worst) fics, "Yours and Mine," the song is featured, sung by Hermione.

Chapter Five - Riddles in the Dark

Chapter five of "The Hobbit." In fact, the quote in this chapter is from "The Hobbit," from this very chapter.

Part Two - Closer to Where I Started

Opening lines of Lifehouse's "Hanging by a Moment," are as follows:

Desperate for changing
Starving for truth
Closer where I Started
Chasing after you

Chapter Six - Out of the Frying-Pan, into the Fire

This is chapter six of "The Hobbit." The one directly following "Riddles in the Dark."

Chapter Nine - Family Reunion

Now, this is a fairly common phrase, and I wasn't expecting anyone to find the exact one that was in my mind. Actually, I had meant to exclude this from the contest, but I didn't. It's the name of the pilot of the Disney Channel Original Series, "So Weird," the only show that was really worth watching on the channel. Now, of course, they have killed it, buried it, and claimed it never lived in the first place. Damn Disney... sorry, rambling...

Chapter Ten - Locked in the Dungeon

Once again, not a well known source. It's a chapter title on The Sixth Sense DVD. I believe its the part with the little cabinet at the top of the stairs, but I haven't seen the movie in a year-and-a-half.

Now, that's the end of the ones that were intended for the contest, but here's this past part, just so you know:

Part Three - Prisoners of the Mind

Made it up.

Chapter Eleven - Not at Home

Might as well of called this story, "Harry Potter and the Chapters of Hobbit."

Chapter Twelve - Someone to Trust

Episode 48 of "The Pretender," a show that was cancelled in its fourth season by NBC (NoBodyCares), and revived for two TV movies by TNT. EVIL NBC! Also, I gave a hint to this in chapter eleven's author's note, as I mentioned tP as the source of the "Curious George" reference.

Chapter Thirteen - The Subtle Knife

Tehey Subteelay Caneefay. Sorry, I just like calling it that. This is the second book in Philip Pullman's "His Dark Materials" trilogy. My favorite of the three. Originally, this chapter was going to be called "Blood by the Moon," which is a reference within a reference within a reference. First, the "Blood by the Moon" would be referencing my fic, "The Quill is Mightier than the Wand," which is a reference to Thomas Harris' "Red Dragon."

"Have you ever seen blood in the moonlight, Will? It appears quite black."

I don't know if that's the exact line, but it's close enough. Oh, if you like this, plus the title for Chapter Two, read "Ghosts from the Past," by RaajmdTMP. It's not nearly done, but rumor has it that it's going to be a trilogy. But you know what they say about rumors, so...

Chapter Fourteen - Just Like Old Times

Chapter title on the Red Dragon DVD.

Chapter Fifteen - Children of the Mind

I'm surprised that no-one got this one. "Children of the Mind" is the title of the fourth book in the "Ender" series by Orson Scott Card. The chapter was inspired by this book, as well.

Chapter Sixteen - Cheating the Hangman

I think this was a chapter title on the Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves DVD, which stars Alan Rickman (Snape, for the three people who don't know) as the Sheriff of Nottingham.

And that's it for the chapter titles. Let's have a look at the submitters:

ZagZig722
- Part Two

Ari
- Chapter Three
- Chapter Five
- Part Two
- Chapter Thirteen

dementorchic
- Chapter Thirteen

Chromatix
- Part One
- Chapter Five

Hallowbaye
- what are you talking about?

ocnaniml16
- TITANIC, not TITANTIC, but you still win (the last few lines of chapter ten).

Anyone who submitted on HarryPotterFanfiction.com, I couldn't check the reviews today (3/13/04), as my stupid computer won't show the page. If there was anyone - which I can't remember - I'll post the names next chapter.

Now, it's a shame no-one got chapter four's title, as I said that "Anyone who can match at least four (4) correctly will win a Living inside Yesterday wallpaper...ABSOLUTELY FREE!" That specifically meant that if you could find the origin of "See if You're Human After All," you get the wallpaper. But, oh well.

The two winners of the wallpaper are (until I check HPFF.com) ocnaniml16 and Ari.

Hang on, Ari never gave an email address? How am I supposed to give a wallpaper to an anonymous review? Review with email, or email me, if you want that wallpaper Ari! Now! Please?

I'll send the images as soon as I can.

By the way, no-one submitted a guess to where the title "Living inside Yesterday" came from, so I'm not gonna tell. You can still get the wallpaper if you send an email with the correct answer. Hint: This story could also be called "Harry Potter and the House of Life."

* * *

Hope you liked the end of part three. Stay tuned for the final four parts, and the epilogue. Please Review. (And visit my website, Polyjuice Parodies, at www.polyjuiceparodies.cjb.net. Or if you are too lazy to copy that address into the bar atop your screen, simply go to my profile, and click on the link beside "Homepage.")
Thank you.

~ Next Chapter ~
Truth be Told

"Prophet!" said I, "thing of evil! — prophet still, if bird or devil! —
Whether Tempter sent, or whether tempest tossed thee here ashore,
Desolate yet all undaunted, on this desert land enchanted —
On this home by Horror haunted — tell me truly, I implore —
Is there — is there balm in Gilead? — tell me — tell me, I implore!"
Quoth the raven "Nevermore."
~ Poe

~ Coming Soon ~