Prologue...or how he was lost...
"Hurry! We have no more time!" cried the father.
"If we succeed my love, he will have all of time to find us again," said the mother.
"Have you set the coordinates? Is it a civilized world?"
"It's Earth. No one will expect to find him there," said the mother slightly irritated. She placed the infant in a basket, after giving him a kiss on the forehead.
"I know you will find us again, my little one. Someday, you will find our last gift to you and you will begin the search of many, many lifetimes. When you find that man, you will remember the ancient words. Together you will free us from this war without needless bloodshed."
"Good luck, son. And may Time protect you both," said the father.
The sound of a metallic hum filled the air drowning out the sounds of their mortal enemy and the screams of their people. It was a day before the end of the Time War, and they were sending their son far, far into the future in hopes that one day, he would find them again.
"BOY! GET UP NOW!" shrieked his aunt.
"Not that dream again. Why do I always have it when something important is going to happen?" muttered Harry.
His name was Harry Potter, and he hated his life. Every time he had this dream, something always happened. Last time Dementors had showed up in Little Whinging and he got banned to his room for a week.
"Boy, we are leaving. If you even think of trying to escape," said Vernon threateningly.
"Whatever," he replied. To be honest he could care less.
Vernon slammed the door and locked it tight. Harry rolled his eyes and waited for the car door to slam while it went away. Then he pulled out a toy he had bought third year that he was always fiddling with.
It was something made of metal and what appeared to be an emerald, and looked like something out of Dudley's old science fiction shows, which was as close as he ever got to anything magical in any form. Naturally that meant he had taken a deep interest in them and originally planned to become an astronaut to see space.
Learning he was a wizard had ruined that quite effectively, which still made him a bit cranky.
His toy started to make the odd whirring sound that it always made when he pressed the button, or any change really. Since he knew he was going to be bored out of his mind, he decided to have a bit of fun pretending it was a phaser from Star Trek.
Two seconds later his door made an audible click, and he blinked. Touching the door, he turned it as a joke. To his shock it opened with ease.
Unsure of what was going on, he tried the toy again, this time on the boot cupboard under the stairs. The door unlatched with ease.
"Okay, this is getting rather weird. But then again, who cares?" said Harry bluntly. Hedwig was off hunting/sending letters or so Vernon thought. No way was he making his owl suffer through this hellish heat.
He went up to Dudley's room, stole an unused backpack that was still brand new, and started to fill it up.
First thing he did was unload his trunk, ditching some of the books and other paraphernalia. Next was the fridge, as he stole more food than he had eaten all week. Finally he went up to his aunt and uncle's bedroom and stole all the mundane cash he could find.
To hell with Privet Drive and Dumbledore's orders. He was so out of here!
"London, please," said Harry, getting into a cab five blocks away. It had been easy to find his 'guard' after Figg let that slip. Getting away was so much easier when you knew the terrain as well as he did.
"You a runaway?" asked the cabbie bluntly. He didn't want any trouble with the cops, not after last time.
"A runaway with relatives who won't report that he's gone and will tip very well indeed if you get him to London. Sound fair?"
"The cops gonna give me trouble?"
"Just a bunch of nutjobs wearing dresses. If any come up to you, ignore them and just drive. Got some weird crap that makes you believe in magic again," said Harry with ease.
"That's all I need to hear. Hang on lad, we're bound for London!"
"Got a spare cap I could borrow?"
"Yeah, here. Misses keeps telling me to throw this old ratted thing out, but I always forget," said the cabbie, handing an old baseball cap with the Royal Air Force seal on it.
"Thanks!"
It took thirty minutes to reach London, five to pay the cabbie twice his fare, and fifteen to go into a shop for some new clothes. And, most important of all to him, an hour to get a new hair cut and dye job.
And with that, Harry Potter waltzed into Gringotts bank and set in motion something that would reverberate throughout time and space.
The Doctor looked at his screen with confusion. Something big just happened...and it wasn't his doing. Something that would change history all over time and he wasn't there to know what. This wasn't a fixed event like Pompeii, no, this was something different. This was resonating throughout multiple dimensions all at the same time to one single point, and wouldn't you know it, it was in London of all places.
England was just as bad as America with this sort of nonsense.
Being a curious traveler, he decided to investigate the disturbance.
At least that had been the plan before he saw something scrawl across his screens in his native tongue.
"I'm a stranger traveling to the East seeking that which is lost..."
The Doctor stared. It was an old saying in Gallifrey that had two parts. It was a trick to tell the others that they were friendly.
Scrambling to the nearest keyboard he typed back "I'm a stranger from the West, it is I whom you seek."
He waited with baited breath for a reply. Then...
"The Doctor...is no longer alone."
He slumped into the first chair. Another Time Lord, alive and able to communicate! After all this time, after all the searching, the running...he wasn't alone anymore. His TARDIS hummed pleasantly.
But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't get another signal. Still...it was a start.
Harry walked into the bank and said the command that would start off a sequence of events bigger than the petty evils of the magical world.
He walked up to Griphook and said clearly in Gobbledegook "Transfer everything into the Chrono vault."
Griphook's head shot up.
"Ah. I had wondered when you would give that particular command Lord Chrono. Very well, everything shall be placed in the vault. Shall we get started then?" asked Griphook.
Harry walked into his brand new vault, and felt nothing but relief.
Two years ago he had learned of all his vaults, and had told the goblins that he wanted all of it in a new one, one that Dumbledore couldn't know about.
And he labeled it the Chrono account...never knew why, but he always like that name.
"Lord Chrono, there is a small matter of your account... there is something in there that has been here since the beginning of the bank and well..."
"It's moved to my vault hasn't it?" said Chrono tiredly.
"Yes. Our people watched it vanish and it took us five minutes to realize it had appeared in your vault."
"Let's go see it then," said Chrono.
At first sight, it was nothing special. Just a slab of rock with a door...one the goblins had never been able to cut or damage in any way. Not even with dragon fire. Chrono touched the rock and it felt warm, almost alive even. Stepping through the carved door, it lit up.
"Welcome, son. If you are seeing this message, then you have found the T.A.R.D.I.S. which we used to send you away to Earth. I'm sure you have many, many questions as to why it activated now. The answer is that we couldn't allow you to find it before you were ready. If you want to find us, then press any button. If not, then walk away," said a holographic man.
"Amazing..." said Griphook.
"Is it possible for me to hear the rest of this message alone?"
"Of course. I'll unlock the door whenever you are ready to leave."
Chrono pressed a button.
"So you want to find us and learn more of your true heritage. Very well. Inside the cabinet is a pocket watch, one we used to seal your Time Lord heritage for safety reasons. Once you open it, you will be a time lord again. Now, as to the device you are standing in, it is called a T.A.R.D.I.S., or Time And Relative Dimensions In Space. It is a time machine as well as a space ship, and more to the point it is yours now. There is only one other ship still active as far as I am aware, and it belongs to a man who goes by the name Doctor."
The man showed a series of pictures, all of the same man.
"This is the Doctor. He has taken many guises and many forms, but he is the same man. The answer to the question you are undoubtedly asking is regeneration. During the end of a life cycle, a Time Lord can regenerate into a new form, extending their lives. Now these are the known forms of the Doctor, and are no longer active. This particular T.A.R.D.I.S. has been recording his forms across the ages so you will know him. He is particularly fond of the Earth for some reason, which was the main reason we sent you there to grow up. It appears your mother wants to say something."
"I know you have many questions, but always know we love you. This recording has a set limit, and we can't answer all of your many questions. If you want to find us, there is a phrase that you must speak aloud to fully activate the T.A.R.D.I.S., and it will identify yourself as a fellow Time Lord to the Doctor when you do run into him. That phrase is 'I am a stranger traveling to the East, seeking that which is lost', and knowing him, if he did go through with his plan, he will be keeping an eye out for others like him. If he is, then he will reply 'And I am a stranger to the West, it is I whom you seek'. The connection will only last for ten seconds afterwords, so make it count."
"We love you son, and will wait till the end of time itself for you to find us."
"Good luck."
Chrono blinked, then had Griphook open up the vault.
"Right. Well, I've always wanted a vacation, and it looks like I'll finally get one."
"I've heard word from above. Someone recognized you, and there are people waiting for you to come up. My guess is they seek to kidnap you," said Griphook.
"Good thing I won't be coming up the normal way then. Tell the goblins to seal this vault unless I appear in person under the name of the Chrono. Chances are gold will go missing or will appear from time to time from the vault with no explanation. Unless someone comes to take from it directly or through a goblin, don't bother to investigate it," said Chrono.
"You are leaving Britain, aren't you?"
"I'm going to seek that which is lost."
"Very well. We of the Strongcopper Clan wish you luck in your search, Chronos."
"May your gold always flow and your enemies fall before you, Griphook Strongcopper," said Chrono.
Griphook bowed, and sealed the vault again. It would be given the highest priority, meaning the Ministry would have to go to war to get into it. The goblin clans knew of the Time Lords, and Griphook had overheard that bit before he had been told to wait outside. They would not anger one if they could help it.
Chrono went into the stone again and spoke the activating phrase.
"I am a stranger from the East seeking that which is Lost."
A few seconds later, and the reply came back at an almost feverish rate.
"I am a stranger from the West, it is I whom you seek."
Chrono grinned.
"The Doctor...is no longer alone."
And with that, the connection was lost.
He heard a rhythmic whirring sound from the stone as it took a new shape. One that was familiar and comforting to him, that would come to represent the one known as Chronos.
His T.A.R.D.I.S. became Hedwig. The doors were under her wings, and her feet would automatically find a place to perch.
"Time to go find her and have a proper vacation," said Chrono.
Hedwig took one look at the largest version of her she had ever seen and immediately thought she was hallucinating. Then she saw her chick, and flew in under the wing.
"Come on girl, let's go have a real vacation. No more Dursleys, no more Dumbledore and no more Voldemort. Just us."
"Brek."
Chrono smiled as she immediately settling onto a bar, which was the perfect size for her to perch on. Following some ancient instinct, he set the destination to random and just let it whirl.
"Over and onward, into the wide blue yonder," he whispered.
"Brek," asked Hedwig.
"Sorry, just a phrase I have been dying to say for years," said Chrono.