Tamper with Time
Written by: HoshiHikari
Disclaimer: I do not own HP! That's right, the characters still all belong to J.K Rowling As for the plot, it might have been done before, so I won't take credit for that either
Summary: Complete darkness had befallen across the entire world, wizardry and Muggle alike. The final battle between Harry and Voldemort takes an unexpected turn. Now, the remaining survivors are thrown back into time. Harry must now face a younger and stronger Voldemort, the Voldemort that is currently at the height of power. Can Harry fulfill his destiny before the entire world collapse around him and is consumed by Darkness…again?
Author Notes: "…." talk Italic thoughts/dreams /…/ Parseltongue Snake language underlinetext/letter/writings bold/italicslyrics from songs
Author Notes, Notes: Ok, most people if not all were confused with chapter 15 and those who have reviewed have made that quite clear. Don't worry, I will explain everything, though the choice of which character to do so, might end up more confusing, as the old man does tend to keep what he believes is not necessary to himself.
gallandro-83 I really do not get why you are confused. By the review, you actually understand the story, this fic. Your perceptions of might happen is so close to what will happen. I'll try with some serious explaining. Hopefully the character I picked to do that, isn't as confusing as the others. Well on the contrary, that old and wise man might make everything more confusing then before. Don't worry everything will be explained.
Kaaera sorry its confusing. There is a reason. I'll try to explain it all. A little by little.
japanese-jewthere is a reason for the italics. Maybe because its not occurring in the present….hint, hint
Minny yes, the last chapter (15) is similar yet very different from the Goblet of Fire. There is a point in this, all will be explained soon. Be patient.
Thanks to all who reviewed! I'm going to update my bio often so please check it out
Chapter 16Harry held onto Cedric as though life depended on it. Around them, everything became a blur and colors were mixed. The tighter they held each other, the more it felt as though they were being pulled apart.
"Harry!" Cedric shrieked. "Cedric…don't let go…don't…no matter what happens don't let go!" Harry had no clue what was happening. Though everything around them wasn't clear, he felt as though he was going back in time at the same time as he was going forward.
The force that tried so desperately to separate them, finally succeeded. The boy's hold on each other were forcefully released. "Harry!" Cedric cried out. He tried to reach further as they were still within inches of each other. Still it was to no avail. There was a sudden tug backwards, and both boys were going in opposite directions.
"CEDRIC!" Harry yelled out. "No! Cedric!"
He felt his body land onto something solid. His body ached, and he groaned heavily. Slowly he sat up, and noticed himself back within the maze. The Head-of-the-House Cup gleaming brilliantly before him.
He stared confusedly around him.
"Harold! Harold! Harry!" Someone rang smack into him. Harold had minutes to register Wolfe wrapping his arms around him. "Oh God! What the hell happened!" Jay pulled apart, and was so startled to see the painful, confused, betrayed filled eyes. He had never seen the man like that, so shaken up as though he had died and come back. "It's unlike you. I didn't think you really needed help. To say the least, I was surprised when you sent up the red sparks." Wolfe paused, taking a glance at the Cup, and wondering why he had asked for help when he was only mere inches from victory. "Everything's alright now. Just take the Cup." Wolfe took the Cup and placed it in Harold's hands. "Now lets get out of here, you'll be the first to do so….and in record time….45 minutes!"
Helping the other, the two slowly made their way out of the maze. They had exited the maze, and numerous people were heading towards them when Harold finally spoke. "He's alive…Remus…He's alive…" Wolfe raised an eyebrow. "Who?" "Cedric…Cedric's alive…." Wolfe abruptly stopped and turned to face the other. He was about to question him when other's came up.
"Wow! Wonderful, superb." Dumbledore spoke, being the first to arrive, follow closely by Xi and then the other Professors. "A few minor scratches…." Harold glared at the headmaster, and spoke coldly with a "Minor? I believe not. I nearly died." There was a hush silence. "Perhaps you should check on the others to make sure they are alive." A pause. "Not too many people can escape from Voldemort…" There were surprised and horror gasps. "and his whole Inner Circle while being tied down to a tombstone, without a wand…not to mention at the age of 14!"
The adults exchanged nervous glances. Dumbledore looked as though he was going to speak up, but Stone beat him to it. "yes that's right. Lord Voldmort" another shiver ran through the present people. "managed to find himself in the mist of the maze…as though he causally walked in for a cup of tea." Harold growled unpleasantly. "nothing unusual. Should have expected that…..but no…I let my guard down cause I thought you would have learned your mistakes by now Professor." He paused again. "In fact, everything unusual tends to find me…."
Dumbledore was speechless. The man before him was angry, if not outraged. "I really hate to say this, but I really doubt the others will make it out alive…not with a mad lunatic around." Having said that, Harold stomped away, leaving behind the headmaster and some of the others. Both Wolfe and Zhang hurried after their friend.
"Harry! Harry!" Wolfe yelled out, after they had disappeared from the public eye and Stone had sprinted up ahead from them. "Harry! Harry!" Wolfe cried out. To say the least, he was scared. It had been a very long time since Harry had acted this way. He only quickened his pace when he remembered what Harold had last said, had said that Cedric was alive.
Harold dashed off, wanting to disappear wanting to hide. The brief chat with Dumbeldore only made him realize what had happened. Numerous, mixed emotions flooded through him. He was happy, angry, and hurt, emotionally hurt. Physical pain he could deal with, but mental and emotional ones were a bit more difficult.
Smack! He ran into someone. He couldn't tell, but whoever it was held onto him tightly, refusing to let go. "Oh my God! You dam scared me to death! Oh god! I was afraid you were going to die! I was afraid I wouldn't be able to get you out!" A pause. "I would have forever blamed myself if you were to die! Oh God Harry….I…"
It took a while before the words hit Harold. It took even longer before he realized who was speaking. When he did, he immediately pushed the man away, or more like throw the man off of him, before jumping back and shouted "Crucio!"
Harold held the spell, only to stop it, cast a silencing charm, before resuming it. "You! You! How dare you show yourself here! You bastard!" He screamed at the withering screaming soundlessly man before him. "You traitor! You Wormtal-wanna-be!"
"Please! Please….Let me explain…" The man panted out. "I…I…" "I don't give a dam about what you want to say! You're actions have spoken loud enough. It was quite clear." Harold hissed out, switching from Cruicio to other spells and back. "I've trusted you Snape! Many times I've place my life and many others on the line, because I've trusted you!" Harold brutally kicked the man. "I was wrong and now I've got to pay the price. You've just proved to me why I don't believe in second chances. A fine example you set." Harold released the spell, and Snape was panting on all fours. "Goodbye Severus. I'll see you in hell."
Before he knew it, something heavy pinned him onto the ground. Harold was caught by surprise. He must have been too consumed in trying to hurt the pain before him for him to have let his guard down. Stone wrestled with whatever or whoever was on top of him. He was fast, and he did have quick reflexes, but whatever had caught him by surprise was still a step ahead. Finally he gave up after his wand was forcefully wrenched from him and there was no point in fighting.
"Xi, check the other…" Wolfe ordered, as he pinned and disarmed Stone. Neither of the new arrivals had clearly seen who it was. He relaxed slightly when the younger man did not retaliate yet kept his firm grip.
"No need…" Swell coughed up a mouthful of blood as he stood up and used his sleeve to wipe away the blood on his lips. Jay turned to face the man, eyes narrowing dangerously. Swell had disappered into thin in during shortly after Harold had entered the maze. No one had seen him since then, until now. "I wouldn't be surprised if Harry killed you on the spot…Not after looking like that. You do realize that Death Eaters aren't popular around here." Though Wolfe spoke softly, a slight sense of relive-ness filter through his voice. Swell rolled his eyes, before taking a quick glance at himself and then back at Harold who was silent but giving him a death glare. "I suppose not…" The fully dressed spy, with his mask hanging on his neck replied.
"Now Harry, what the hell happened?" Wolfe turned his attention back the silent man. "Why did you attack him when you were sure it was him?"
"Let me go Remus. I'll explain after he's dead." Was the simple reply. Wolfe shook his head. "there must be a misunderstanding." "Yes! Misunderstanding. That man was, no is working for Voldemort. He isn't a spy. I nearly died because of him and so did Cedric!"
"Cedric?" Xi inhaled a deep breath. "As in….as in…Cedric Diggory?" Harold rolled his eyes. "How many Cedric's do you know?" he whispered to himself. Then in a louder voice, full of venom hurt and betrayal Harold began again.
"The Cup portkey me to the graveyard again." There was a deathly silence. There was only one graveyard, and there was only one significant incident that occurred there. "It was suddenly the whole third task repeat…" he sneered. "the only difference was, there was a few significant differences. One of them being the fact that I was there again tonight because of Snape. Or more precisely in the words of Lord Voldemort himself,
'Severus, my most faithful servant and friend. I see you did not run into any trouble tonight. Indeed, Severus you have Lord Voldemort's gratitude. Yes, it is through Severus Snape's efforts that our young friends arrived here tonight. Yes, Harry Potter and Cedric Diggory has kindly joined us for my rebirthing party. One may go as far as to call them my guest of honor.'"
Now, all eyes were focused on Swell, waiting for a response. There was none, no signs or remorse or denial. In fact the other became quite quiet.
This was interrupted with a crystal clear smack. One of Harold's cheeks swelled up. Wolfe held back, watching it swell up before his eyes.
"Impossible." The older guardian breathed down. "You must have hit your head to hard or something." Wolfe grip the other man's collar. "I have no clue what happened in the maze. However I can assure you a couple of things.
First, though the maze resembled the one of the third task, you were here the whole time. I suppose somehow the past caught up with you, and you became confused of what was memory and what was present."
"They aren't memories! They're different. I lived and relived that moment in time for the thousandth time already. They were all the same. However, this one was different. It felt so…so…real." Stone argued.
"It wasn't real. If it were, then we would have been there. I would have been there." Wolfe gestured at himself and then the others. "He was there! So was Cedric! So was Voldemort. So was the Death Eaters. So was Snape and Wormtail. So was Dumbledore…" The last name came out quite inaudible. "and aside from Dumbledore, they were all against us!"
"Harry, I really doubt it's the case. You're trying to put forth a very difficult case. We, I understand you've been through a lot tonight." "but it is the truth!" The younger man shot back.
"alright. Even if it is the truth. Why would Severus work for Voldmort after all these years? Why would Dumbledore be there and act as though nothing had happened at first. More importantly, where is Cedric, if he is alive?"
Harold did not know how to reply. He didn't have any answer, he wanted answer, he didn't want to give them, even if he could. "How the hell should I know. Ask him why he did it!" Harold jerked his head at Swell.
Wolfe took a look at Swell, noticing the calmness in the man. He made no attempt to justify the situation. Wolfe was going to turn back to Stone, when Swell spoke.
"That's enough Remus. You best ask tomorrow, when the man's calmed down a bit." There was an odd light in Swell's eyes. "Otherwise, you'll only end up hearing half of the story." Wolfe opened his mouth, but shut it as what was said slowly sunk in.
"Yes, I'm afraid Mr. Potter speaks half the truth, his half. Truthfully, if I was in his shoes, I would have killed Snape as well. Frankly, I'm still not quite sure why I'm alive." Swell turned to Stone. "and you will hear my half of the story, before you end up killing me. I will make you hear it."
Neither Harold or Samuel spoke or came into proximity of each other the rest of that night and the day after. It was better this way, as one of them might have otherwise ended up dead. Luckily, this wasn't hard as the whole school and staff were speaking of last night's task. Of course Harold had been the first to emerge at 45 minutes after his entrance.
It was an hour an a half after the opening of the tournament when McGongall came out second letting Dumbledore release the breath that he was holding after the statement that Stone had made. McGongall assured Dumbledore that Voldemort had not been at the site. She did however mention that there were boggorts and it was possible that he was experiencing the effects of one. When Dumbledore had pointed out the other surrounding and age aspects, McGongall stood there in awe. She had then pointed out that maybe he was suffering from a relapse memory. Dumbledore had shrugged at that saying that it was highly unlikely, for someone so young and at this point in time experience such a thing without making the headline news. Of course at the time, the suggestions that Stone's guardian had made of his past seemed to fit quite in place, yet at the same time it all seemed to have existed in a parallel universal. This point, Dumbledore had kept to himself. He didn't share it with the headmistress, as 1) the third contestant (Flickwick) had emerged at one hour and 40 minutes and 2) Dumbledore was quite keen on deciphering the new teachers by himself.
As more people emerged, Dumbledore decided to call the cut at 2 hours. It had intentionally been at 1, but aside from Harold, no one had come out.
Thus, it wasn't that difficult for Stone and Swell to avoid each other. Harold had fit into his usual spotlight and had been bombarded through every class with what had gone out inside the maze last night. Harold, not willingly wanting to share his experience, had made up a false story. He had said that it had been exactly the same as the first opening course, the same thing as the real world. That had cause the class to go wild and even wilder when the Professor had hinted that by the end of two years, if anyone of them were to end up in a similar situation, there was no doubt that they would make it out alive. After all, that was the goal of the course.
The dismissal bell to the last class of the day finally rung. The class chatted excitedly as they left. No one, aside from the Professor noticed a school, barn owl fly through the window and swooped down to land perfectly on the man's shoulder. With a flick of his wand, he closed the door behind the last student.
The owl gave a soft hoot as it flew in front of him and stretched out its left talons where a letter was tied. Harold curiously untied the letter wondering who it was from. The owl took flight immediately. On the front was a short handwritten message.
HP
Meet us at 'The Last Defense' 1 am tonight.
AD
That was it. The message was short and clear.
HP. That must be me, Harry Potter. The Last Defense, how can anyone besides Remus, Cho and Snape know about it? That term is used in the future, long after everyone and everything fell and when the world is consumed by darkness. Besides, only a selective group of people know of the existence of that uninhabited cave, which we took for as shelter for our temporary stay. AD? Could it be? Albus Dumbledore? Yet, that does not make sense. Why would the headmaster write to me, when we're both at Hogwarts? Nothing makes sense.
Harold sighed. Everything was happening too fast and confusion began to seep in. He hated it when this happened. From recent, past experience, he knew that it was better if he did not have to deal with it alone. Taking his things he dashed off, in search of Jay.
He found the man speaking with the headmaster up in the Astronomy tower. He was disturbing a conversation, but at the moment he didn't really care.
"Excuse me, Headmaster." Stone spoke bluntly, before turning to his guardian. "Jay. May I have a word with you?" "In a minute Harold." Jay replied, gesturing at the headmaster. "It's urgent. Something's come up back home" Harold eyed the headmaster, before looking deeply at the Wolfe's eyes. "Back home" he repeated, not daring to speak plainer then needed. Jay saw the frustration in the younger man's eyes. Though he did not understand, he felt the urgent-ness of it. He turned to Dumbledore. "Excuse me, headmaster. I'll see what he needs, or more precisely what happened back home." Wolfe did not wait for the older man to reply before following Stone quickly away from the Astronomy tower.
"What's up." Wolfe asked, following Harold into the Room of Requirements. Harold stuff the short note into the other's hand. "I got this, about 5 minutes ago. What do you think?" Jay peered down, and read the note quickly. Stone watched as the color on the other man's face change inconsistently. "Do you think I should go?" he whispered.
"I do not know what to say, or what to advice you to do." Wolfe spoke softly. "This letter brings up many questions." His guardian continued. "I do not believe it is written of this time."
"What do you mean?"
"I assume, HP means Harry Potter. There is no one else who I know that have initial such as yours. No one from this time period knows you as Harry Potter. Harry Potter does not exist yet. You must keep that in mind.
Secondly, 'The Last Defense' is a term we placed on the future term that we place on where we are currently staying. As far as we know, no one in this time period besides us knows of its existence.
Thirdly, and most peculiar is AD which I would assume is Albus Dumbledore. By the way things are moving, it could not have been the very headmaster we were speaking with. There is no need for the man to send you just to speak with you"
"I know. That's why nothing makes sense. Do you think its another Time-travel thing. After the first, opening task, I highly doubt that time is quite as stable as we think it is." Wolfe raised an eyebrow at that comment. After Swell had left that night, Stone had never again mentioned of what went on in the tournament.
"That's possible." Jay absent mindedly replied. "Under normal circumstances, I would have said it was a hoax and don't mind paying any attention to it" "but we're in anything but normal circumstances. I don't believe being thrown back into time is an everyday affair." Harold cut in. "exactly. Therefore, we'll all go. Perhaps we might acquire some new and useful information." "I agr-" Stone trailed off as he realized something. "I'm going alone." "no you are not. You don't know what's out there. I can't afford you facing the unknown again, at least not after the maze." Stone got ready to retaliate, but held his comment as he gazed upon the older man's face who had a fixed left for no arguments expression.
Harold paced back and forth near the front of the entrance. His right held his wand as he got ready for any unexpected movements. Jay sat in a chair pulled up to the table. He was completely absorbed in a book. Xi sat anxiously on the floor, gazing at her watch every 5 minutes. She as well as Swell had been invited by Wolfe. Of course, both Harold and Samuel did not like being in proximity of each other, and both had outwardly objected. However, Jay had pointed out the greater purpose and neither had any reason to argue against that. Swell kept to himself, correcting some of the homework assignments.
No one spoke as each was absorbed in their own thoughts. A long time past with each minding their own business. Then, at precisely 1am Xi's alarm went off. Harold stopped pacing. He faced the entrance with his wand outstretched.
At that moment there were two loud pops. Harold immediately sent a reversion of the stunning spell that had been created after the fall of Hogwarts and from then on replaced the other. It was a simple spell to block and throw off and was taught as a second year spell. To anyone of that time, it would have been simple, and quite ineffective, however, as they were in the past, every second year spell of the future was just as deadly as any unforgivable.
The tall figure slashed his wand in the air, and created a barrier charm. Harold watched as the stunning spell was reverted and zoomed towards him. Stone easily avoided it as another jet of red light zoomed towards him. The Professor easily blocked the stranger's spell before sending another of his own. This occur a couple of times, before Harold and the stranger jumped back and ceased the spells.
"It's great to see you again Professor Dumbledore." Harold smiled warmly, taking his first glance at the stranger since the other had appeared. "No, the pleasure's mine. Always mines. Harry." Dumbledore replied, before stepping aside to reveal one more. "Wouldn't you agree, Cedric?" From behind the Headmaster, the sixth (? In book four) Hufflepuff Quidditch captain appeared, returning a warm smile.
So how was it? The next chapter should answer some questions. Review!