Hey everyone,
This is another story that has been running through my mind for some time now. To be honest, looking back, I'm kind of surprised that I've only done one or two real Time Travel stories (as far as I know it's just To Read Into The Universe and Destiny's Saying).
Also this preview isn't of the first chapter of this story – which I have yet to write, by the by – but of a chapter a little further down the line. I can't really determine what the chapter number would be as I haven't written this yet, but I consider this the best part of the story so far.
Enjoy,

Venquine1990
PS. Because this is a preview, the written text might be subject to change once I start actually writing this story.

Preview #27
Third Time's The Charm

31st of October 1976
Hogwarts Castle, Scotland
Harry's POV

So far nothing has gone wrong.

All day I have been tense and worried that something might go wrong, that the curse that seemed to have been to my first four Halloweens at Hogwarts has come back. Because of this, I had to cancel my classes for the day as I didn't think I'd be able to focus.

And even now that I have laid eyes on my grandparents for the first time in my entire life, I still feel an undercurrent of tension running through my body as I guide them to the Room.
It was definitely interesting to see my dad officially introduce my mum to his parents and it was a delight to see my grandparents greet Regulus.
And even though he kept reassuring me, I feel a twinge of guilt at the fact that I didn't invite Frank and Alice or Augusta Longbottom along for this dinner.
But because of today, because of the people already invited and because of what I'm about to reveal, I also feel very relieved that we agreed to invite the Longbottoms some other time.

My grandfather had slightly surprised me with how easily he dissected my last name – Petterven – yet it amused me that he thought that my dad had created it for a prank or something. At the same time I can only hope that I will be able to do him proud.
Grandmother, on the other hand, doesn't seem aware of who I am just yet. At the same time she really reminds me of dearest Mrs. Weasley – and yet again I blink away the need to cry – as she already looks at my 19 year old self as if she has encased me in her heart.
This is another reason that my body is tense and taught with a need to stay strong. Though this time it's because I'm suppressing the need to turn around and hug the woman, a grandmother I never got to know or even meet.

The description of this hall is more derived from the HP OotP pc game than the book. It just makes more sense in my eyes, sorry.

We reach the section of the castle that is set like an eight and I head for the right side of the centre point of this hallway.
Albus, Minerva and Hagrid are already waiting for me here and I smile, greet them and thank them for coming. Minerva asks me if I'm feeling better and if others are coming. I thank her for her concern and say:
"I had also invited Severus Snape and Horace, but Horace had his own Slug Club party and Severus told me he'd rather visit that. I'm perfectly okay with that, though they both reassured me that they would be at my next dinner."

My colleagues nod with smiles on their faces and I turn to the others as I say: "Oh right, here you go, James. Thanks for letting me borrow it." And I hold out his version of the Marauder's Map. My father – and student – smiles and takes the map from me.
He stores it away, ignoring the intrigued looks from both his father and his headmaster, yet then Peter asks me why I need both. I smile and answer: "Hogwarts is huge. By putting the two maps besides each other, I can compartmentalize what I see, but still see enough."
Peter and the others nod and smile in understanding and then Lily – my beloved mother – worriedly asks me: "Professor, you – you don't think that –." Before she can finish her question, I shake my head and say:

"No Miss Evans, I don't think the Death Eaters would have tried to abduct you like they did last weekend. At most they would have waited until you let your guard down and then tried again, but they certainly wouldn't have tried it here inside Hogwarts.
And I don't intend to give them that chance as I plan to have their little master where he belongs before that can even happen. Not to mention that you have been doing excellently in my classes and you're continuously top of your class in my instructions and lessons.
If I were to rank who has grown to have the best chance of surviving and escaping, you'd definitely be in the Top 5 of your year, Miss Evans." This statement, the thought and that makes me more proud than you can ever imagine, mum, and the young teenage woman's relief all has me grinning at the group at large.

Even if the grin is short-lived.

"Albus, Minerva, Hagrid, I owe the three of you and the rest of the staff an apology. This entire time for these past two months I have been housing a friend of mine behind these walls without telling you."

This statement shocks the group at large and Minerva asks me why I did so. I sigh and mutter that I will explain once we are inside. The woman seems a little ruffled at this, yet she nods in acceptance nonetheless.
What feels like a dagger to my heart is my grandfather turning to Albus and asking him if the man trusts this friend of mine. Albus fells my grandfather with a disappointed stare and states: "You, Charlus Fleamont Potter, should be the last person to ask me that question.

And I know you know exactly what that is."

I want to spare my grandfather a glance, but I refuse. Instead I just pass the wall on my right three times and state: "The room for tonight's dinner. The room for tonight's dinner. The room for tonight's dinner." Over and over while passing the wall three times.
A simple wooden door with a few nice carvings engraved into the wood appears to my side and I open it to let the others inside. I have a smile on my face, yet it feels like faltering when I see that – regardless of Albus' words, grandfather still has his wand out and says:

"James, Dorea,
Behind me."

But James glares at his father and purposely walks over to the door. Charlus calls out to his son, but James is followed by the other three Marauders, Lily and Regulus. The Black brothers also prove their relation as they both frown at their uncle in annoyance and disgust.
Dorea, even though she has gone to stand behind her husband, also shakes her head in disappointment at her partner's continuous attempts to get his son and the others to come stand behind him. She also sends smiles of pride at the kids who disobey him.

James and the others pass me and all of them smile at me as they enter the room. James' smile is full of regret, but I just smile back at him as I don't feel like blaming him for his father's distrust.
At the same time I just don't get why my grandfather, who must at least suspect my birth-identity, is like this and wonder what happened to him and grandmother before now. Yet again I curse the fact that I never got the chance to ask Lupin and Snuffles about this.

When Regulus has gone inside, I turn to the staff and my grandparents. And Albus turns on Charlus as he speaks and says:

"I don't know nor understand what your problem with young Harry is, Charlus, but let me present you with a few vital facts.
One, Harry has learned to cast an actual corporal Patronus, which he showed to both me and the Great Hall, at age 13.
Two, Harry has been teaching your son and his friends both how to pass their Sixth Year exams and how to not end up like the majority of the OWLs students of the last five years, a victim of that monster haunting our shores.
Three, Harry has been tense all day, not just to prepare for this night's dinner, but for the chance of that monster trying something within this very school. He cancelled his classes just so he could patrol the school and keep an eye out.
And finally, just last weekend, young Harry saved Miss Evans from being abducted by Death Eaters just last Hogsmeade weekend and he has managed to capture and arrest 14 other students who were either Death Eaters or his supporters.

The school – and your heir – are a lot safer thanks to him.
So tell me, Charlus, what is your problem with my choice of staff, exactly?"

Charlus' gaze switches between Albus and myself, yet at the same time he has his arms crossed and a grimace on his face. Dorea, on the other hand, is gazing at me with a look of utter awe and amazement, something that reminds me of better times.
"My problem, Albus, is this young man's actual identity. You and I both know what I mean with that, don't we?" Albus grimaces, yet at the same time I feel annoyed with his words.
"Then maybe, instead of considering me a threat, you should give me a chance to explain myself. Or are you the one Potter who doesn't believe in the term innocent until proven guilty?"

And this time it's Charlus who cringes and grimaces. Dorea also frowns at him and says: "Even I believe in that and I'm a Black for goodness sake, Charlus. Now, stop insulting your hosts and escort me inside, will you?"
I really wonder what the dynamic between these two might be like, yet at the same time this interaction calms down my raging emotions and tense form. Charlus mutters a soft word of apology to Minerva, Albus and myself and complies with his wife.

Yet when we all head inside, I instantly spot something that worries me.

The room almost looks exactly like I wanted it. Cream walls with the Hogwarts, Potter and Peverell symbol in broken white splattered across the walls. A long hardwood dark oak dining table with circular legs made of rings of various sizes. A beautiful white cloth running across the length of the table and golden plates that have the four House symbols engraved on them. Chairs that are made of the same wood and in the same design as the table A chandelier that has eight candles, two in each of the four House colours, hanging above the table.

Yet none of this matters as Neville, my best friend and the only one who was able to come back with me, is standing in front of the students, his wand out and his stance defensively, a glare of angered concern on his scarred face.

And it's really not surprising why he's like that
As the Veil of Death is in the right back corner of the room.

Something happens behind me, I hear a voice hissing something, but I can't understand what it says. My sole focus is on the veil. The stone arch that is almost more than twice Hagrid's size and curves slightly to the right as it goes round.
The cloth that is made of white mist and that floats, twists and turns, some bits of mist trying to move either closer or further away, only to look as if something is blocking them, some unseen force. The voices that are whispering so softly I can only hear their voices, but not their words.

I shake my head as, even after Voldemort's temporary defeat in 1998, I just wasn't able to ever come back to the Ministry or the Department of Mysteries. And now, for reasons I don't want to understand it has come to me instead.
"But why tonight?" I think with horror and dread, only for a horrifying thought to occur to me. And the next second I am next to Neville, a look of rage, fury, determination and suppressed fear on my face as I pull it.

Not my old Phoenix wand,
But a wand made of Elder.

I hear Albus gasp, but I really don't care. I twist my left hand and a ring appears on my finger, one that has a stone atop it that has strange carvings into the top.
This time I hear Charlus gasp, yet I continue to ignore those behind me. Instead I tap both my shoulders and a cloak appears on my back, clasped onto my shoulders with simple fastenings.
The Marauders gasp, yet I focus only one of them. "Mr. Black, whatever you do, stay behind us." I'm sure Sirius is deeply confused, but I can only think:

"I won't lose him,
Not again, never again."

Yet then, before Dorea can ask Albus a question, a voice suddenly sounds from the Veil, one that sounds much louder and more clear than the whisperers. And the words it speaks floor me:

"I DID MY WAITING! TWELVE YEARS OF IT! IN AZKABAN!
I WOULD HAVE DIED! I WOULD HAVE DIED RATHER THAN BETRAY MY FRIENDS!
It's cruel that I got to spend so much time with James and Lily and you so little. But know this, the ones that love us never truly leave us. You can always find them, in here.
When all this is over, we'll be a proper family. You'll see.
Get away from my godson!
Quicker than falling asleep."

With each of these sentences, I feel as if I'm back.
Back in the Shrieking Shack in my thirteen year old body.
Back at the Clocktower Courtyard that very same night.
Back in Grimmauld Place in my fifteen year old body.
And back in that cursed Department room a few months later.

I know the others are all staring between the Veil, Neville and myself, yet I only have eyes for the Veil. And thus I am the first to notice it. Notice how the mist starts to contort, twist and warp at the base of the Veil. Notice how the mist thickens and slowly takes on a human shape. A human shape that brings tears to my eyes.

Curly black hair that lightly dusts his still thin shoulders, a face full of lines of both fatigue, joy and pride, a moustache that grows into a short, but unruly beard that, in small bits, grows across the man's entire jawline. Grey-blue eyes that, even though they've obviously seen beyond too much, still shine with joy and love. A brown suit with thin white vertical stripes. A black shirt and pants and a watch dangling on a chain that is stuck to the man's waist.

He looks just like he did the night he died. He walks out of the Veil of Death as if it's just a gateway or an open door. And just like I can't tear my eyes away from him, the man has eyes only for me. I notice that the Veil disappears from view after he steps through, yet I don't really pay attention to this. Then he whispers two words:

"Harry Potter."

And just because those two words sound just like they did back before my Fifth year – my year of Hell as Ron dubbed it after it was all over – I don't care for anything else.

I don't care that Charlus whispers: "I knew it."
I don't care that Albus sends me a soft smile.
I don't care that Minerva and Hagrid stare at him.
I don't care that my students look at me shocked and confused.
I don't care that Neville looks at me with a guarded, concerned face.
I don't even care that I drop the Elder wand right in front of potential Death Eaters.

I just whisper Sirius and rush for the man, who has his arms open to embrace me. And when I am engulfed in his arms and warmth, I break down. I cry and cry and cry, begging the man to forgive me, exclaiming how happy I am to see him and trying to tell him everything I never got to tell him before he was taken from me.

And just like always, I feel warm.
Just like always, I feel safe.
Just like always, I feel deeply loved.
In the arms of my godfather, Sirius Black.

Okay, that happened.
And was PLANNED! Yeah, I decided to take Harry and Neville into the past and then bring Sirius along to accompany and aid them. How they came to be there would have also been explained in this chapter, but I decided to stop here.
And for those of you stating that the Veil doesn't let people walk out – go read another story, I don't care. This is my fanfic licence and my story. Not everything I write makes logical sense or is entirely loyal to canon.
Most of it isn't.
Anyway, in this story, Peter, Severus and Regulus will NOT become Death Eaters as Harry and Neville will kill Voldemort long before they get tempted or threatened to join. In fact, by this point Harry has already found and destroyed the ring and the diadem.
So yeah, Harry's slightly OP.
Only slightly,

Venquine1990