'This is a LOTE'
A Tale of Two Times
AU Snatched through time at birth, Harry becomes a time traveller. He discovers this at five when he meets his real parents, and goes to Hogwarts prepared... but he didn't realised Voldemort had a spy in Hogwarts and was trying to steal a dangerous artefact.
Chapter Twenty
Excited Harry
November: 1991
Lilly frowned and said the spell again. A ribbon appeared and writhed into the word 'none' once again, an impossible result. Throwing down her wand, she looked up at Professor Kantooth, thought she didn't have to look too high. "I simply can't do it!" She told him, stamping her foot for effect.
Allowing for it because of her hand, Kantooth sighed and asked Louise to come forward. She had the same result. "You see, Professor, we simply can't find anything about any of our ancestors to indicate that they were magical at all!"
Professor Kantooth frowned. "How unusual. Very well, you shall instead do a joint research project on Godric Gryffindor and Helga Hufflepuff, since you are in their houses."
Lilly, upon hearing this, smiled brightly at the Professor. "Thank you ever so much," she gushed.
Professor Kantooth smiled charmingly and winked at her. "No trouble at all, my dears. None at all."
"What about me?" Greg asked. He'd been having the same problem with the spell. "I mean, I can find stuff about my ancestors that indicates that they were witches, what with that lady, what was it? Eleanor Smith, that's right, who was burnt at the stake and her daughters Glenda and Piper, but the spell doesn't work, it just gives me the same result as them!" he indicated Lilly and Louise.
Kantooth frowned. "The actual spell, since it isn't all that import, only counts for 20 marks of the hundred. You still can get 90, since you managed to get the ribbon to say something. I suggest you continue your studies and get more information from your parents and relatives. Was that all?"
The trio nodded as one, and left the room. "See?" Louise exclaimed triumphantly as they rejoined the rest of their group. "I told you it would only take five minutes."
December: 1991
It was Christmas day. The castle was in a frenzied state of happiness. Harry had awoken to Louise and Greg jumping on his bed. Susan and Marrok were watching the two bewilderedly. "Lou, Greg, how many times have I told you not to wake me up like this?"
Louise and Greg shrugged. "Um… every Christmas, birthday and Easter since we have known you?"
This was true. Somehow, they had never missed the occasions and Harry had never woken up before them.
Harry muttered some obscenities and got out of bed, pulling on a robe as he did so. "What did we get?" he asked enthusiastically.
All four of his friends had brought their piles into the room and dumped them on the remaining beds. There was no one else in the dorm, as Dray, Jordan, Andrew and Brian had all gone home. The Prewetts (In Louise's dorm, Edith and Elizabeth) had stayed, so that dorm was out
Piper was still in Susan's Dorm, and Goyle's parents hadn't wanted him back that Christmas, so Harry's was the only dorm where they could be undisturbed, so that was where they had agreed to meet.
Harry's pile was slightly smaller than Louise's, but other than that, it was the largest. Louise had presents from every single one of her cousins, as was tradition in their family, and she had 5 cousins living in Spain, 3 in Australia, and 3 in America, not to mention the ones in England, so needless to say, she had gotten some very nice things, and very many things.
Harry had finished ripping the wrapping off all his presents, and finally there was only one thing left in the pile. He couldn't tell who had given it to him, as the residual aura was one that he didn't recognise. He picked it up warily, careful not to disturb whatever was in the package in case moving it would set off a bomb or something similar. Carefully probing at the package with his magic, he manipulated the wrapping so that it fell off. Lying uncovered on the ground and looking disappointingly safe, was a shimmering cloak.
"Who wants it?" Harry asked glumly.
Louise, Greg, Susan and Marrok stared at it.
"What is it?" Louise asked.
Harry picked it up. "An invisibility cloak." He sniffed it. "With a spell so that someone, not sure who, but I know it was the sender, can see though it."
He leaned over and picked up the note. "Your father left this in my possession before he died. I think it is time that it was returned to you."
"Well, I have three of these already, without see through spells on them. I ask once more, who wants it?"
The congregated group was unusually unresponsive. Harry sighed. "I guess I'll have to wait until the others get back before I get rid of it."
Louise looked confused. "Why do you need to get rid of it?"
"Because. It also has a tracking charm on it. The sender is obviously trying to track me."
"Just remove the charm." Louise provided a relatively simple solution.
"Well, I was going to do that, but I don't want that anyway. Someone else can have it. I personally have 3, Róisín has one and Cecil has two, Dad had so many that I haven't bothered to count, and Mum had about 6 or 7."
"Had?"
"Cecil and Róisín accidentally burnt them when they were practicing magic. I had to take the blame though, because Mum and Dad don't want them practicing magic yet. Don't worry, though. Dad gave her some of his."
"Oh, well, right then. Why don't you wait until the others get back and see if they want it?"
"That's what I said before," Harry agreed. He placed it to the right of his pile and he and the others continued with the celebrations. By the end of the day, none of them wanted it.
Harry was still looking for someone to bestow it upon. He said he'd prefer to give it to someone as soon as possible, because it was easiest. Unfortunately, there weren't very many people left in the castle. Just the Prewetts, Weasleys, Piper Nash and Crabbe and Goyle.
Harry wasn't keen on giving it to any of the Prewetts as they had been so rude to Ald because he was in Slytherin. So had most of Ald's brothers, too. That left Ald, Piper, Crabbe and Goyle.
Crabbe and Goyle were the classic examples of muscle heads, fat, ugly, big and greedy. They would do anything on command of someone who they were allowed to. Since they weren't allowed to take orders from any of the Slytherins and could only take orders from Dray, but they wouldn't listen to him because of his being a Ravenclaw, they were bouncing of the castle walls in a confused state.
And he hardly knew Piper; so instead, he headed over to where Ald was sitting at the Slytherin table and sat down. "Hi mate, how are you?"
Ald looked at him warily. "I'm fine…"
"That's good. Now, I'm wondering if you want something. I mean, well, I got an invisibility cloak for Christmas I have several already, so I was wondering if you'd like it?"
Ald looked at Harry as though he was an alien landed on the front doorstep and asking for lentils.
Harry continued to talk about the cloak before he realised that Ald wasn't listening to him. "Hello? He waved his hand in front of his face. "Yoo hoo? Anyone home?"
Ald blinked a few times. "Are you offering to give me an invisibility cloak?"
Harry answered casually, as if it were something he did every day. "Sure, so, you want it? I can't pawn it off anyone else."
"Um…" Ald seemed unsure. Harry took his chance.
"Good, come up to my dorm at 8 tonight, and I'll give it to you."
Harry walked away before Ald could protest, and left him sitting dumbstruck at the table.
A snowball fight was next on the agenda. It was Marrok, Greg and Harry against the girls. Harry was building a wall out of snow, using magic to compound the snow together and shape into blocks. Once he had made the wall, he got bored and started to make an igloo.
Marrok and Greg stared at the emerging figure. "Hazza, for the love of Merlin, what are you doing?" Marrok started.
Harry answered mildly, sending another block to the right. "Making an igloo. And as much as I like Merlin, I don't love him like that. That's absolutely disgusting, Rocky."
Marrok frowned. "Harry, that's not what I meant. It's an expression of speech."
Harry waved his hand, passing off Marrok's comment. "Whatever. Anyway, it doesn't matter. Suzie and Lou will beat us if we don't start retaliating, and what's the fun without a fight?" he asked, not really waiting for an answer, as the whole wall disappeared in the blink of an eye.
"Hazza," Greg started. He never finished, as Harry put a silencing spell on him. "Get your unfit arse over here and start throwing snowballs, Greggo."
Greg huffed. "I'm telling you, it's puppy fat." He muttered bad temperedly, staring at the snow he was compacting into a ball in his hand.
"If you say so, Greg." Harry said, in a disbelieving but joking tone. Marrok rolled his eyes at their banter, which was caught by Harry's sharp eyes. "Stop that, Rocky." Harry said testily.
Marrok nodded. "Sure thing," when Harry stopped staring at him, he turned away and muttered something rude, sticking his tongue out at an imaginary Harry.
"What'd ya do that for, Marrok?" Greg said deliberately.
"D'what?" Marrok replied lethargically.
"Said Harry was being an idiot, didn't cha?"
Susan and Louise had wandered over, and were observing the argument with interest. The watched passively from the sidelines as the boys bickered. Marrok bent down and shaped a snowball in his gloves, and hurled it at Greg's face. Greg gasped as the missile hit his face and clutched his forehead. "Blooming fires of hell! What the hell was that for, Rocky?" he spluttered.
"That, Greggo" he said mockingly. "Is for call'in me a despicable werewolf." And he threw another snowball.
"Oi! Greg, Marrok, stop it!" Louise called out abruptly.
Harry scrunched up his face. "Why should they, Lou?"
"Harry!" Susan exclaimed in shock.
"What?" he asked in an injured tone. "I cannot detect anything about their persons that one would feel the need to change."
Susan looked at him, blinked, and spoke. "Huh?"
Louise translated. "He's being annoying and he doesn't think there's anything wrong with what they are doing. Harry, stop it, please, you're ruining Christmas for everyone!"
Harry looked like he was thinking about it before turning back to Greg and Marrok and continuing the argument. It continued like this for another half-hour or so, before Ald, who was wandering around the grounds of the school with a desolate expression plastered across his face, came upon them.
"Harry? Marrok? Greg?" he asked himself, watching the boys fling spells back and forth with snowballs. Harry's spells were by far the best.
"Ald!" Susan and Louise rushed across to him. "We're so glad you came. Can you please get a teacher? We can't stop them."
Ald, in his confusion, agreed, and rushed up to the castle. "Professor McGonagall! Professor Clear!" he called across the hall. "Come quickly! Harry Potter and Greg Harwood and Marrok Lopez are fighting and no-one can stop them!"
Professors McGonagall and Clear looked confused, then stunned, and rushed after Ald, as he lead the way. Professor McGonagall fired a stunning spell out of her wand when the boys refused to stop at the appearance of fireworks, and Marrok was knocked down. Harry and Greg immediately stopped, staring at Marrok and then themselves and each other. "This is absolutely inappropriate, Mr Potter, Mr Harwood!" McGonagall shouted. "Detention, all three of you! And on Christmas Day no less!"
December: 1011
"Harry, come on, up, up, up!" Cecil and Róisín shook their brother awake. "C'mon! Mum wants you to come to the hall, and then we can have Christmas breakfast, and then we have to greet the guests, and Princess Jaylynn and King Gareth are coming, and –"
Harry clapped a hand over her mouth, groaned, and rolled over. Christmas in the future was so much more fun. In the past, it was visitors and visitors. No-one even gave each other gifts. He scrunched his doona in his fists and buried himself in the sheets, relaxing when Cecil and Róisín didn't seem to be persisting in their attempts to wake him up.
"Aaahhhhhhhhh!" he screeched, sitting up straight in his bed, dripping wet and shivering. Róisín giggled at the sight of him. "Did you just pour ice cold water on me?" he asked in shock, his eyes popping out of his head. Róisín giggled, nodded and flicked her hand, dousing him in water once again.
"I so shouldn't have taught you that." He muttered bad temperedly, waving his hand and drying off his pyjamas and the bed. "Out, shoo. I have to get dressed, Sín" Róisín ran out, tripping over a discarded garment on the floor on the way out. Harry dressed regally, in black robes with red and gold trimming and a crest on the front to show his family. The buckles alternated between solid gold and carved rubies, and in Harry's opinion, rather a waste of money, since he only wore them to formal occasions and he had to get them remade every two years, depending on his growth. Cecil and Godric dressed in the same outfits, while Rowena and Róisín wore red robes with a gold trimming, and all the buckles were gold. Their hair was fixed by house elves, and held together by hundreds of separate pins.
By seven Harry had dressed and helped Cecil and Róisín dress and they were ready for the guests to arrive, which would be another three hours.
"Harry, did you want to bring some of your other friends to Christmas this year?" Rowena was referring to Hermione and the others.
He shook his head. "They'd be bored out of their brains, Mum." He explained.
Rowena gave him 'a look'. "Harrison, I must request that you go fetch them. And I must say that I feel that they would not find it quite so boring as yourself." She said sternly. Harry looked at Godric.
"Dad?"
"Do as your mother says, son."
Harry glared at his parents, before disappearing.
December: 1991
Hermione and Lilly were both found at Hermione's house. "Harry!" they both exclaimed.
"Hi," he said breathlessly. "Mum wants to know if you want to spend Christmas with us. I'm warning you, it's very boring."
Hermione stared. "Like, in the past you mean?"
"Yeah." Harry said, nodding.
"What do you do?" asked Lilly.
Harry thought. "Well, we have Christmas Breakfast, and then we have lots of visitors, like, lords and knights, and the King and Gills, of course."
"Gills?" Hermione cut in.
"Zara Evans. She's actually Princess Jaylynn."
Hermione's jaw dropped. "I am SO coming."
Lilly agreed. "It sound like so much fun!"
Harry looked confused. "Christmas at home? Fun? You have got to be kidding me. JUST LOOK AT WHAT I HAVE TO WEAR!"
"I was wondering why you were wearing that," Lilly commented offhandedly. Harry glared at her and they disappeared, reappearing at Shane's place.
"Perry, Nick, Hi." Harry said, sounding kind of guilty for just walking in while they were eating breakfast.
"Um... do you mind if we take Shane with us to Christmas at my place? He won't be long and we'll look after him, if he wants to come, that is. I don't know why you'd want to."
"Of course we'll let him go," Perenelle said. "Shane!" she called out loudly. "Harrison is here to take you to Christmas with him! Don't bother getting changed!"
Then she turned to Harry. "I'm sorry, we don't have any of the appropriate clothes for Shane to wear."
"That's fine. Dad will be able to find something."
"Good."
Next they went to Masobelle. "Masobelle Black, long time, no see." Harry said, winking at her.
"Harry!" she shrieked, hugging him. "How'd you get in here? This place is like, under a gazillion charms!"
Harry shrugged. "Get over it. I can tap into the frequency of magic. Wanna come to the past for Christmas?"
She thought for a moment. "Nothing stopping me, yeah. Um, can I ask Dad first though?"
"Sure." Harry said.
"Dad!" Masobelle bellowed. A portrait in the hallway started shrieking. "MASOBELLE ANDROMEDA BLACK! DON'T YOU DARE SCREECH LIKE THAT IN THIS HOUSE! HAVE SOME RESPECT!"
"SHUT UP, GRANDMA!" Masobelle screamed back as a man came skidding through the doorway.
"Bellé, what have I told you about provoking your Grandmother?"
"She's a barmy old woman, Dad, who's been dead for over a decade. Where's Kreacher? This kitchen is a mess. Candice and Orion have been at it again. Anyway, can I go with Harry and my friends to Harry's place for awhile?"
"Harry?"
"Yes. Harry Potter."
Masobelle's dad looked at Harry. "Didn't see you there, sorry. I'm Regulus Black." He wiped the sweat off his forehead with the back of his hand and onto his robes. "Um, sure. Have fun, Bellé, don't get in the way." Before he could finish, Harry zapped them away. Picking up Louise, Greg, Susan and Marrok from Hogwarts was easy. They all reappeared in the Great Hall, dressed in an assortment of Pyjamas, robes, and muggle clothes.
December: 1011
"Got them, Mum."
"See, it wasn't so hard now, was it Harry?" Rowena smiled. "Now, go find them something to wear. There's probably something in your wardrobe, and come back out when they are appropriately dressed. Róisín can help them do their hair."
Róisín looked delighted at the prospect. "I do think that I will able to make their hair look absolutely terrific! What fun this shall be." Harry rolled his eyes, and led them all to his room. While Harry walked toward the wardrobe, the other seven gaped.
Harry threw various garments out of the cupboard, before coming across a set of self adjusting, all purpose, bi gender robes. He pulled out seven of them.
"Okay," he said, carrying them to the bed and dropping them there. "Sorry about the mess. Oh shit! Mum said I have to have my room tidy by today!"
"Róisín, can you get Cecil to come in here please? Preferably, like, now?"
"He's playing with Nova." The young girl informed him.
"Well get him to bring Nova in too!"
She nodded, and a few seconds later, spoke. "He's on his way."
"Good. Now, I have to tidy this place up."
He flicked his hand repeatedly, and things went flying into drawers and clothes folded themselves up. Pictures straightened themselves up, and mouldy rotten socks deposited themselves in a washing basket. Cecil and Nova arrived while Harry was under the bed. Cecil looked at Róisín. Róisín shrugged. "Harry, what do you want me to do?"
"Oh! Hey, you here already? Well, tell those seven how to make those robes work. Then you can go. Cecil went into a long and complicated lecture on how to use the robes, before sending each of them off to Harry's massive en suite bathroom to get changed. When they were done they looked completely different. They were all wearing robes with different colours, for the boys, plain black with their family coloured trimmings, and for the girls, the prevalent colour of their family and the less prevalent colour for the trimming.
Róisín did their hair. Hermione, Lilly, Louise, Masobelle and Susan had never seen so many pins, let alone had them stuck in their hair.
The rest of the day passed uneventfully, the only excitement being when Harry introduced Gills to the others. They were all returned to exactly where and when they had been before they were taken.
Authors Notes:
Hello and Happy Australia Day. I'm sorry that I haven't been handing out early chapters, I've had a problem with my email server and attachments. To make up for it, I'll get around to writing a one shot about Harry coming back and teaching himself soon.
I'll try and think of a new feature instead of the questions. Any and all idea's are welcome.