Harry Potter, savior of the wizarding world, opens his eyes to find the blinding white sealing of the Hospital Wing staring back at him. For a moment, he has no idea where he is, what has happened. Then, in a rush of color and sounds it all comes back to him.
Ron and Hermione laying crumpled on the ground, blood and dirt covering their skin, their clothes in tatters. Remus Lupin fending off four Death Eaters. Tonks, falling through the very same veil that Sirius had fallen through. And then Voldemort. Voldemort laughing mercilessly as Harry writhed in pain on the ground at his feet. Voldemort kneeling down beside him, forcing him to look at the death and pain and loss around him. Voldemort telling him it was all his fault. None of this would have happened if it weren't for Harry.
Harry gets shakily to his feet and looks around him. Yes. It was all his fault. It was his fault. His fault. The thought became somewhat of a mantra. But as he turned to face Voldemort he realized that it was not his fault. This man. This man with glowing red eyes and pale white skin. It was this man's fault. All of it. All of his loved one's suffering. The cause of the deaths before him was standing in front of him, smiling a small, malicious smile.
"For the one's who's lives you took. For all of them, down to every last muggle. I do this for them." He whispered, taking out his wand and yelling "Avada Kedavra!" before the other man even had a chance to take out his wand. Harry watched as the man who caused all this suffering and pain, crumpled before him. Two small words killed the man who was said to be the most powerful wizard of all time. A boy of seventeen, with raven hair, sparkling emerald eyes, and a lightening bolt scar, fell to his knees and began to cry silently. He cried because it was finally over. He cried for his Godfather. He cried for his parents. He cried for his friends and the life they could once have had, if the world were fair. He cried for all the families who lost someone close to them. And finally, he cried for himself.
He got up to walk away, towards a new life without his loved ones, though, perhaps it would be a happier one. But before he got two steps he was engulfed in bright green flames, and the world suddenly went black.
Now he was in a soft hospital bed, willing himself not to cry.
"Ah, you're awake then." came an all-to-familiar voice, and Harry let out a sigh of relief. Dumbledore had survived.
"God Albus you're alive!" He whispered and flung his arms around the older man.
Dumbledore patted him awkwardly on his back before gently pushing him off and regarding him with twinkling blue eyes.
"Ron, Hermione! Remus! Albus are they ok? Did they survive? Ar-" Harry was interrupted by the man before him, holding up his hand in a motion for silence.
"What is your name?" He asked and harry gaped at him, unsure weather he should laugh or cry.
"Excuse me? Don't you...Don't you know who I am?" he asked quietly, disbelievingly.
"I'm afraid not. But, by the sound of it, you know me."
"I'm-I'm Harry. Harry Potter? Don't you remember?" He asked, really willing himself not to cry now.
"Harry Potter? Who are your parents?"
"Lilly Evans and James Potter." Harry said. Dumbledore wouldn't be joking with him like this. Somehow Dumbledore had forgotten him. Then it suddenly struck Harry. "Sir, what year is it?" He asked, almost dreading the answer.
"It's the year 1978." he said calmly and Harry groaned loudly.
"May I have your attention please? Thank you. As you will have noticed, the sorting hat is back on his stool in front of myself. The reason for this is: We have a transfer student." At this Harry heard loud whispering echoing throughout the hall. "His name is Michael Crawford and I expect you all to show him the utmost respect, am I understood?" he asked and Harry heard a few mumbles of "Yes sir", before Dumbledore told him to enter.
Harry-no Michael, took a deep breath and entered the hall. He tried not to blush as he heard a group of girls squeal. Of course he couldn't keep his looks, as he was the spitting image of his father, who was sitting just a few feet away from him. But the didn't mean he didn't look fantastic. Instead of the scrawny, messy-haired boy with round glasses and a lightening bold scar, he was a tall boy with a lithe body, long, shiny and smooth black hair with purple streaks (Hey, he had always wanted purple streaks in his hair, now he could have them.), and smooth, somewhat pale skin. He had insisted on keeping his sparkling emerald eyes, of course. He was wearing a pair of tight muggle jeans and a tight black T-shirt until he could get a set of school robes.
He walked swiftly and gracefully toward the sorting hat, and sat on the stool, placing the hat on his head.
Ah, it seems we've met before. Or rather, we will meet in the future. Hmm. I think my future self was right in saying you will do well in Slytherin. No objections this time? Ok then. "Slytherin!"
Harry sighed and took off the hat. He just didn't have the heart to argue with the hat this time. If the damn thing wanted to put him in Slytherin, let it. He got up and walked to the Slytherin table, plopping himself down next to a greasy-haired kid, with ghostly pale skin. It took him a moment to realize that the boy he was sitting next to was none other than Severus Snape. He looked over at the boy who was shyly picking at his food and regarded him with interest. Perhaps he could make friends with the future Potions Master. After all, part of the reason he was the way he was was because he hadn't had any friends in school. Maybe he could make life a little bit easier on Harry, Ron and Hermione.
He stopped looking a the now blushing boy and turned to scan the rest of the Hall. The girls were all looking at him like he was a apiece of meat to be fought over and even some of the guys were giving him lustful looks. He turned beautiful Emerald eyes to three sneering boys at the Gryffindor table. He raised one eyebrow questioningly as one of them gave him the finger. That one HAD to be Sirius. He thought to himself as the other boys sniggered appreciatively. When he didn't retaliate to Sirius' antics, Sirius began shooting hexes at him from under the table. Harry realized with amusement that the hex Sirius was sending at him was one of the ones he had used multiple times on Draco. He easily blocked them without even lifting his wand and rolled his eyes at the other teen. Sirius got a bit miffed and was about to send another hex his way, when Harry thought "Acio Wand" and Sirius' wand came flying out of his hand towards Harry. Harry caught it lazily and got up. He walked gracefully and slowly towards the Gryffindor table and stopped just in front of Sirius who was looking as if he was about to combust.
"Your childish pranks are stupid and un-appreciated. I did nothing to you. I've been here five miniuts and you've already sent a total of twenty-five hexes my way. Save your judgement for when you have actually had some semblance of an intelligent conversation with me." Harry said, handing Sirius back his wand. He then had a very wicked and Slytherin like thought and lent down so his lips were level with Sirius' ear. "And the spell would be a lot more effective if you moved your wand a quarter to the right after the left swish. You're not the only one well versed in curses for your enemies, Padfoot." He whispered the last word, his hot breath brushing over Sirius' ear teasingly. He then straightened out and waved to the other two, smiling in satisfaction at the shocked and bemused look on Sirius' face.
Michael lay on his bed, arms pillowing his head, staring sadly at the sealing. He was not acting himself. He should be trying to be-friend his parents and godfathers, not make them his mortal enemies. But it hurt. God did it hurt. He looked at his father sitting there with Sirius and Peter, smiling happily while Remus read silently through a book next to them and he just wanted to die right then and there. He didn't want to have to see them living such blissful and happy lives, with the knowledge that they all only had but a few years to live. Well, Remus and Petigrew might live to die of old age. God I hope Remus is alive. He somehow kept coming back to that thought. Remus was the only person he had had left before he got sucked back into the past. Ron and Hermione were most likely dead, Draco had fled the country before he was forced to join the Death Eaters, Sirius and Tonks were lost to the Veil, All he had was Remus and Dumbledore. And Albus was old. Harry knew, somewhere deep inside himself that the Headmaster wasn't going to last a lot longer. Maybe 10 more years.
Harry was suddenly brought back from his musings as the door to his dormitory opened and Severus Snape walked in, looking shy and quiet as ever. "Hello Severus." he said quietly and Severus nodded his acknowledgment. Harry suddenly realized that this wasn't the future. His mother, and father, and Sirius, and Remus were all alive and well and the only thing he currently had to worry about were his NEWTs. By the sound of things Dumbledore had no idea how to get him back to the future. So he was stuck here. He had a new life. He should make the best of it. There was no reason to sulk and be sad about the one's you've lost when they were all standing happily and healthily in front of you.
"What's the matter, Snivvily? Lost your wand?" Michael heard the distinct sound of his father's voice and walked around the corner to see Severus hanging from his ankle, his pants down, revealing a pair of white underwear.
"Put him down, Potter." It felt strange calling someone his own name.
"Are you gonna make me, Crawford?" He sneered and Michael rolled his eyes.
"If I must." He retorted and James' nostrils flared. "Honestly, what is the point of all this? What did Severus ever do to you? I know this is mostly because of that whole 'Slytherin vs. Gryffindor' thing and it's stupid. Gryfindors are NOT perfect little angels, obviously, and Slytherins are NOT slimy evil little gits. Perhaps those rules apply to some people but not all. Stop being childish. You know, you'll never get Lilly's attention if you keep acting like such a little two-year-old." Michael said and James promptly dropped Severus. Harry caught him with his wand just before he hit the ground. He helped him up and was surprised to hear and small "thank you" before the boy ran off to the dungeons.
"Listen Crawford I don't know how you know so much about us but-" James began but Michael cut him off.
"Don't threaten me Prongs." he said, stressing the name. "And put your wand down Padfoot. You too Wormtail." He added without looking at the other two. "Honestly the only mature Marauder here is Moony over there. Though I suggest you attempt to gain more control over your friends, you'll regret it later if you don't." He said, looking at a rather startled Moony.
"You-" He began but Harry cut him off, walking over to the quartet and kneeling down next to the werewolf. "Yes, I know about the map, and I know about your secret." He said and was about to tell him not to worry, that he wouldn't tell anyone, when he felt himself being yanked back by his robes. He then found himself down on the ground with Sirius, and James both pointing their wands at his throat. "I swear to god if you tell anyone-" Sirius snarled and Michael rolled his eyes again. "I'm not-"
"What do you want from us?" Remus said quietly and all three boys turned to look at the resigned looking werewolf behind them.
"Nothing, Remus. I want nothing from you. If I wanted something from you I would think of a better way to get it than blackmail." He said, getting up and turning to leave. "You can put your wands down. There is no need to threaten me. I will not tell anyone, I never planned to. In fact I would like nothing more than to gain your friendship. Of course I know that's not going to happen, but I want it to." and with that he walked after Severus towards the dungeons, leaving a shocked group of Marauders in his wake.
So how was it? R&R please! I'd love to know what you think..