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 underline text/letter/writings bold/italics lyrics from songs
Chapter 30 Halloween
"Lupin, stop pacing." Swell said, "You're giving me a headache."
Wolfe paused for minute before continuing. "How can the two of you act so calm? Halloween's tomorrow. We still don't know where Harry is. We don't know how he is. We don't know if a Harry James Potter exists."
"Remus, its Harry we're dealing with. I'm sure he'll be fine." Xi said softly.
The three of them were at in the Room of Requirements, blocked by many supplicated charms to ensure their privacy.
"There is nothing we could do but wait. Show up at Godric's Hollow the day after tomorrow and hope for the best."
"I can't do that." Wolfe growled. "I can't sit here and wait, knowing what's bound to happen will happen."
"Go to Dumbledore then. Tell him the truth, and seek help…" Swell began. "Then really mess up time."
"Maybe I will." Wolfe said softly. "Maybe I will."
"So do we understand each other?" Harold asked the night before Halloween. They were lodged in the very cave that would one day be Sirius' hideout during Harry's third year, and the cave that would become the hideout for the Order during the rebellions. "I will perform the Fidelus Charm on the three of you."
"Include the butterfly." Lily said.
Harold frowned.
"It's just a butterfly, it can't harm us." She continued. "besides Harry likes it."
Harold sighed. He had to admit it. His younger self had taken a keen interest in the butterfly and was constantly playing with it.
"I know you are worried, especially at this time, with Voldemort so near." Lily continued. "But really if it did want to harm us, even if it could, it would have done so already."
Harold thought long and hard. He didn't know why, but Wormtail kept jumping into his mind when Lily had first mentioned putting the charm on the butterfly.
"Very well, if it makes Harry happy," With a flick of his wand he conjured the spell, making himself the secret keeper in the process.
"Now I want the two of you to stay here at all times. No matter what happens, stay here. No matter who comes through, even someone you know, myself included, they are the enemy, attack them. No one knows this location. I will not come to get you until November 1st, and even then when I do come, first thing you do is point your wands at my eyes and ask me something, anything we did these past two years, something only I would know."
"Yes, Professor."
"Take care of Harry. I will come back, and if I don't then I'll let you know somehow." He paused. "The last two years have been a pleasure. I treasure every single day of it. You were the family that I could never have. Good bye."
Harold slowly walked out of the cave.
"Wait!" Lily cried out. "At least tell us the truth. We know you have secrets. Please tell us."
Stone turned around and looked at them, James, Lily and Harry all huddled together in the form of the perfect family.
"I will leave this with Dumbledore for safe keeping." He said, holding up the journal. He would have left it with his family, but he knew they were at risk of surviving. He needed to give it to someone he was sure would live pass November 1st. "It is written in Parsaltongue, however, in the event that something tragic occurs, it will translate into English. The truth will be in it, the whole truth." He stopped short as he found himself unable to continue. "If it doesn't translate, I am fine, and I will come and get you. That day, I promise I will tell the truth."
"I hope that day never arrives." James said. "the former that is." He added hastily.
"So do I, so do I."
Harold turned and slowly walked away again.
"Harry!" James called after. "If Voldemort ever shows up, I'll have you know that both of us would sacrifice ourselves for the sake of Harry."
Harold stopped.
"We know he means a lot to you, why so we don't know." Lily added. "So even if something does happen to us, I want you to come back for him." She stopped. "Maybe, just maybe he'll be just as lucky as you."
"Escaping death a billion times is wonderful, but at what price?" Harold asked softly. "At what price?" he spoke louder. "To have your parents dead, your Godfather dead, your friends dead, your world crumble before you. To be afraid to love, to bond with anyone on any level for fear that they would be taken away from you. To be labeled a freak for being different to be set as an outcast for fame. Is it worth it? Is it really worth it? All I wanted was a normal life and I was denied that. It was all because of Voldemort, the man who I swear will destroy. If I don't then I have failed, I have failed protecting an innocent child from a life he did not ask for. If I fail, then Voldemort would come and I will have failed both of you, on more levels then being 'Professor'."
Having said that, he disappeared, leaving the Potters as clueless as ever.
Harold apparated outside of Hogsmade before taking the secret passageway to the whopping willow and then exiting at Hogwarts. Making sure his black robes covered him thoroughly so that no skin was exposed, he pulled up his hood and slipped into Hogwarts through a secret passageway. Hugging the diary close to his heart with his left hand, he pulled out his wand with his right. Knowing the castle by heart, he navigated blindly to his destination.
"Lemon drops" he tried at the stone gargoyles. They looked at him but did not move.
"Cockroach clusters." He hissed. Still there was no movement.
"Chocolate frogs, Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans, Acid pops, Ice Mice, Jelly slugs."
There was a groan and then the gargoyles sprang apart. Harold blinked, he was only joking about jelly slugs, before dashing up the staircase. When he got to the door in between him and the office, he slowed down considerably. Gaining composure, he pushed the door open.
He was surprised to find the office bright and lit up with numerous candles. Looking around, he noticed the office looked exactly as he had last been here, then again, it always looked that way. The sorting hat was still where it was suppose to be when it wasn't doing its job. Fawkes was sitting next to it. When the eyes met, the bird cried out in song, and soared down from the shelf.
"Hello Fawkes." Harold held out a hand which the bird landed upon. "I've come to say goodbye."
The bird gave a sorrowful cry.
At the moment, a soft cough interrupted them. Harold looked up and caught the eyes of the Headmaster who was seated behind his desk, looking straight at him. Sighing, he removed his hood.
Albus immediately open his mouth to speak the moment he recognized Stone, the man who had kidnapped James and Lily and had lost contact with the wizardry world. He looked around, but frowned as neither of his students were alive.
"Albus." Stone said slowly. "I don't want any questions now, everything will be explained, that I will promise." He paused. "Before I had come, I had placed the Fidelius Charm on both of them as well as their son, so you do not have to worry about them, at least for now."
"Son?" Albus asked quickly.
"The child's name is Harry James Potter, a couple of months older then one." Stone said softly. "and yes, that does mean Lily and James are married."
"What do you mean they are safe for now? Surely the Fidelius Charm will do the trick."
"I hope it will, but with Voldemort, I can't be sure." Stone said softly. "I'm sure you know exactly why the Potters' are being targeted."
"I'm afraid I do not."
"Sybil Trelawney, sound familiar?"
There was a blank expression on Dumbledore's face. "No."
Harold looked skeptical.
How could Dumbledore not know Sybil Trelawney, the one who was looking for a job but ended up making the prophecy? The prophecy that changed everything. The prophecy that said the son of parents who trice…
Stone caught himself. That was it.
Parents who thrice defied the Dark Lord. Did the prophecy even hold now? Was there even a prophecy?
"Harold?" Dumbledore interrupted his thoughts. "Is there something you want to tell me?" he paused. "I know you have many secrets that I know I will never get it out of you without you willing to tell me, so I won't even try. However, I know something serious is happening. How could I not. You being a parsaltongue, you making Voldemort leave and save Hogwarts just by speaking with him, you kidnapped James and Lily just to go into hiding. There is so much, its hard not to notice how special you are."
Harold didn't reply, he just handed the diary to the older man.
"All the answers to all your questions are in there. It is my diary."
Albus took it, unsurely. He glanced down and causally flipped through the pages noticing how it was all written in Parsaltongue.
"I can't read this."
"I know, its not meant to be read just yet. I am still writing it. It is charmed to record the rest of what is to occur."
"What is to occur?" Albus said, shutting the diary.
"When the time comes, the diary will tell you. Promise me then you will read from page one, the beginning and not jump ahead. I have done nothing to prevent you from doing that, but it is best to read from the beginning. It will be more sensible. I want you to promise that."
"When is the time?"
"The earliest would be November 1st of this year."
"Something's going to happen tomorrow." Dumbledore said at last. "You know something's going to happen tomorrow, even before it occurs..."
"Yes, something I don't want you involved in. I only come to bring the diary" He looked hard at Albus. "Even if you try hard to look for it, you will not find it, so don't even try."
A long silence passed between them. Suddenly out of nowhere, pain engulfed Harold's head. He bent forward and clutched his head painfully.
"Harold?" Dumbledore asked. "What's happening? Should I get Poppy?" he asked, seeing the sudden look of pain on the other's facial expression.
"No, don't do that." Stone replied. Blindly, with one hand still on his head, he staggered towards the door. "I must leave now. Voldemort is quite inpatient. I should go before he realizes I'm at school and James and Lily aren't with me, that Harry's not with me."
"Harry? He knows about Harry?"
"Of course he does. Harry James Potter is the very reason Voldemort is after his parents." Was the reply before Stone disappeared from his office, rushing down the hallways.
The faster he ran, the more painful it became. It had never hurt this badly before. By the time he was down near Hagrid's hut, he was seeing stars.
Just a little bit more, just a little bit more. Two more days of all this pain, that's all I need, two more days.
Despite what he was thinking, his body refused to listen.
"Harold! Harold! Wake up! Wake up!"
He could hear a distant voice calling him.
"Wake up! Come on boy, wake up!"
Someone was shaking him so badly he felt another headache coming.
"Head hurts, don't bother me, more sleep." He said groggily.
"I need you up!" there was a pause. "This is no time to sleep." The voice continued. "Where is James and Lily? Today is Halloween." The voice said urgently.
Halloween…James and Lily…Halloween…James and Lily…
He jolted up, bumping his head in the process. A hand flew up and he touched the pain.
"Harry, look at me. Harry!"
Harold turned and saw Wolfe sitting on a chair pulled up to the bed. He could see numerous questions flowing in that pair of eyes.
"Fidelius Charm, I'm secret keeper." He said slowly.
He could see Wolfe visibly relax.
"Where am I, why are you here?"
"We're at Hagrid's hut. Apparently he found you unconscious in front of his house this morning."
"Headache, Voldemort caused."
Wolfe's eyes soften.
"Hagrid called us here immediately, knowing we were your family."
"Us?"
"Yes, us, Swell, Xi and I." He moved so that Harold could see Swell and Xi sitting at the single table and staring at them. Hagrid was with them as well.
"Feeling better Harold?" Hagrid cried, seeing that the two had stopped talking.
"Much," Stone replied. "I'm sorry for the trouble."
"What trouble?" Hagrid said. "It's nothing really. Woke up earlier then usual on a Sunday, that's about it. Heard Fang barking loudly, went to check, and boy was I surprised. Took you in immediately and tried to wake you. Pretty hard really, with Fang constantly barking."
"Barking?"
"Yes,"
By now Hagrid had come over so that Harold wouldn't have to raise his voice to talk or twist himself to see the half giant.
"At first I didn't know why, then I noticed that butterfly that kept hovering around you."
"Butterfly?" Harold asked slowly. "Black somewhat blush-green metallic color with a row of yellowish-white dots spread across the tips of its wings that was probably 3 ½ inches in wingspan."
"Yeah, is it yours?"
"Lily's."
"Really? Then you all must have spent a lot of time in the States, in North Carolina, one of the few places its common and can survive."
Harold shook his head. "We weren't there are all."
"Then it must have been difficult to keep. Did Lily magically enhance its life time, its food supply and its poison?"
"No."
"Indeed, strange, I must ask Lily sometime. I can't imagine how else to keep a Pipevine Swollowtail alive."
"A what?" Harold asked, suddenly jumping onto his feet.
"A Pipevine Swollowtail," Hagrid said blankly. "I'm sure you knew what that was."
Young Harry was crying hard. No matter what his mom did, the child did not stop crying.
"Where's that butterflying Lily?" James asked. "Harry's always smiling when he sees it."
Lily moved the child so that he was sitting on her lap.
"I don't know." She thought a bit. "I haven't seen it that often now. I don't know where it goes, but it is sometimes here and sometimes not. The last time I saw it was flying with Professor Stone. Now that I think about it, it might have left with him."
"Butterfly!" Harry suddenly said. "Butterfly."
The child had stopped crying and was now moving around on his mother's lap, kicking and pointing at the butterfly that was hovering outside the cave. As though it heard itself being called, the butterfly flew towards Harry.
"Well if it left with him," James said slowly, pulling out his wand, and standing up. "Then the Professor should be back as well."
"James?"
"No one should be coming. No one should be here. The Professor said he'll come back tomorrow and when he does, we still have to question him to make sure he is. We should have no visitors today."
He stood and walked towards the entrance. He didn't have to get far when he stopped. He paled drastically.
"Lily, take Harry and go! It's him! Go! Run! I'll hold him off --" James cried. He suddenly felt Déjà vu. The words sounded awfully familiar but he couldn't quite place where he had heard it.
"It's Voldemort! Lily! Apparate, take Harry and go!"
"Swollowtail." Harold said. "Swollowtail." He said again.
"Oh my God, oh my God, how could I have been so stupid!" he cried out. "All the time Voldemort knew where we were these last years was because we had been keeping Swollowtail alive right under our noses."
Suddenly a second thought hit him. Dread filled his insides as he felt it twist and turn. Immediately he bolted, only to find a searing pain flash across his forehead.
"Harold!" Hagrid cried, surprised to see the other double down in pain. The others were use to it for they knew the reason. Even still it wasn't a pretty sight to see.
"Are you aright?" Hagrid asked.
"Go get Poppy, Hagrid." Swell spoke up.
"I thought Xi did." He trailed off, "but I suppose I can get her. Xi should have been back by now."
Having said that, Hagrid left.
"Harry!" Wolfe cried kneeling to take a better look at him.
"Remus." He whispered, "Voldemort knows, Voldemort knows. Swollowtail had been put under the Fidelius Charm as well." He managed to say. "What have I done, what have I done?"
Wolfe held him close. Harold did not have to say it for it was quite clear that not only did Voldemort know, he also was already there.
"Come on!" Swell spoke up. "We have to get there now."
"I'll go, you watch him." Remus said to Swell, seeing how he was clutching the Dark Mark tightly and trying to cover up the blood that had spilled from it. Then he turned to the other. "Where are they?"
"I must go." Harold said. He looked at both of them. "I must."
"We'll go with you."
"Thank you."
"Should we wait for Cho." Wolfe asked uncertainly, suddenly fearing for the worst.
Harold shut his eyes. The look of betrayal was written all over his face.
"She's not coming." He whispered softly. "She's Swollowtail."
James was shaking. He stood at the entrance of the cave, wand pointing directly at the Dark Lord. Voldemort stared at him, irritated, wand pointing at the other as well. Neither made a move. James watched as a smile crossed Voldemort's lips. The next thing he knew, a jet of red light shot out of the other man's wand, followed by a green one. His eyes widened in surprise as the beams of light hit him squarely on the stomach.
"JAMES!" Lily shouted, as she watched her husband fall back, his body hitting the ground with a thud. Tears overwhelmed her eyes as intense emotions rolled off of her. She felt her arms strength give away.
At this, Voldemort snapped his fingers. Lily watched in terror as the butterfly, immediately transformed. The next thing she knew, Harry was in the other's hands.
"At last the brat shall die." Voldemort said, his eyes turned into slits as he made contact with his enemy. Taking enormous strides, he had stepped next to the Death Eater who was now carrying Harry.
"Not Harry, not Harry, please not Harry!" Lily pleaded.
Voldemort laughed as he turned his wand on the boy. The Death Eater held the crying, screaming baby out towards the Dark Lord as though he was a sacrifice for a ritual.
"Not Harry, please, no, take me, kill me instead--"
Voldemort laughed again. "I must kill him. Don't you agree Mudblood? After all you should be grateful. He is the very reason why I'm here today. If it wasn't for him, the Potter's would be alive."
"Not Harry! Please…have mercy…have mercy…"
Voldemort stared at Lily, surprised that those words had no effect on her.
"So you don't know? The brat has never told you?" The Dark Lord continued. "Interesting."
"Told me what?"
"Who he is? Why I am here today?"
Lily slowly shook his head.
"Harold Stone is Harry James Potter and today is Halloween."
"NO!" Lily cried out. Her world was swirling around her. She could clearly remember what Harold had said happened to his parents.
Voldmemort was laughing hard.
"Goodbye Lily, this time, your motherly love will not protect your son." He turned the wand to Lily and thought the word Avada Kedevra
"Avada Kedevra." Another voice yelled.
In a swift moment, Voldemort slipped aside. As if by reflexes, he pulled the Death Eater towards the spell. In the same moment, someone rushed by Voldemort and stood before Lily.
The two deadly spells hit two different targets. A second later there was a second thud next to Voldemort. The Dark Lord reached out and caught the child in his hands just as the Death Eater fell dead on the floor.
"Potter," Voldemort cursed, gripping the child close as he spoke to the other man who had at last appeared.
"Impossible!" he cried when once again Harry survived the killing curse.
"Hello Voldemort." Harry smiled, he had decided to look the way he was suppose to as there was no reason to hide. "It's my lucky day. I am suppose to survive." He pointed at his scar.
"I'm not the Boy-who-Lived for nothing," He said softly. "I've come to finish what was started…"
"Harry?" Lily cried out behind him, uncertain. She looked between the back of the man who was standing before her and the baby that was crying in the Dark Lord's arms.
"Mom, we'll take later." Harry said slowly. "After I defeat Voldemort, temporary or permanently."
Voldemort laughed. "We'll see about that!" he cried. "You've already taken the killing curse once today, you cannot take it twice. You may survive, but the baby will not."
Pointing his wand at the child, he shot the killing curse right at the baby's head.
Screams of terror echoed through the cave as everyone watch the little child stop crying.
Harry who was standing in between Lily and Voldemort fell to the ground, arms clutched tightly around his head as blood flowed freely from his scar. He desperately held on to the life force of his younger self, refusing to let go. He watched in horror as memories of the past, or was it the future, flooded through his brain.
"Harry!" Lily, Wolfe and Swell yelled at once.
I musn't give up. I can't. I must defeat Voldemort.
He watched as one by one his family and friends died before him. He witnessed the last duel before they had been sent back in time.
"Finally at last. I have won. At last Harry James Potter will die…" Voldemort cried out. He was surprised that the spell hadn't taken immediate effect.
Harold held on desperately. He could feel life rushing out of him. He took deep breaths as he grasped for air. A part of him was disappearing, threatening to take the rest as well.
"Do you know what the Orb of Destined Fate is?"
"Yes…Remus has it"
"Have you looked into it yet?"
"Yes…and I do not understand"
Harry wondered why the Hat would ask such a thing. Sometimes he even wondered if Fawkes and the Sorting Hat was even wiser then Dumbledore himself, as both were indeed older then him, and had seen much more in their lifetime, numerous lifetimes as they mange to conceal the secrets of those who have time traveled, then the headmaster will ever see.
"Ponder this…
The Orb of Destined Fate speaks the truth. The truth cannot be foretold as nobody's path is written solely on the stars, unexpected terms can occur. Being so, will you trust the Orb, and prevent it, or will you ignore it and set your own path before you….The answer lies in the real you…"
"The real me?"
"Yes…are you Harold Stone, or are you Harry Potter….Do not try to be someone that you are not…In order for you to succeed, you must find the real you with in. Remember, Harold Stone and Harry Potter are two different people. Who is your past, present and future? The time will come when your decision will alter the future, your future. You must answer that, in order for you to see past what has already been shown to you by the Orb, which I repeat once more, shows the truth"
Harry who had shut his eyes, flashed them open. A new power rushed across his body as he realized what had to be done. Using the powers that he had left, he launched himself at Voldemort jabbing his wand between the man's eyes.
"I am Harry James Potter, the Boy-who-Lived, the chosen one, the prophesized child!" he cried out. For the first time, in his whole life, he was proud to be who he was. "Therefore I will not lose!" he shouted again. "Avada Kedavra!"
He watched with satisfactory as the light hit Voldemort as well.
The world around him was spinning frantically. He could only see blurry figures, only hear indistinct voices. He looked around, though he could not see, he knew others could see him. First he looked at Wolfe, then Swell, then Lily and finally at the spot where James was sprawled on the ground.
There were so many sacrifices. It would be so wrong if he couldn't complete his destiny.
Come one Harry, just a little longer. Just a little longer.
The more he tried to hold on, the more he felt himself slip away. At last, he felt his strength leave him. The last thing he thought was 'neither could live while the other survives'. He wondered who each would be as he fell into internal oblivion.
This chapter was difficult to write. A lot of writing and rewriting. All secrets should be answered by now. I hope you all like the way it came out. Please Review!