Disclaimer: I do not ownnor make money off Harry Potter.

Chapter Three

Harry quietly crept into his room and surveyed the sleeping students. He whispered a charm and all of his items neatly packed themselves. The dark haired boy really didn't have much and he would have liked to have some of the books for higher levels instead of first year. He looked over to Malfoy's bed, the curtains were drawn but he could make out the pale blonde's steady breathing.

Sitting gently on his own bed his mind wandered to his sixth year and Draco's weeping to Moaning Myrtle. As mush as he disliked the Malfoys in general he truly believed that Draco would have accepted the deal Dumbledore had offered him. He had hoped he could have convinced the boy to follow him instead of bending to his parent's hatred and will. The boy had no chance now…none of them did…Harry had condemned his friends to a fate worse than death. He wanted to weep like the eleven year old boy he appeared to be, but he tucked his bottom lip in and began to write a letter. He was going to try to help Draco Malfoy…he deserved a second chance away from his fate.

Draco,

You will hear many stories about me over the next few weeks. All you will really need to know is that I am likely to never return to Hogwarts and I would trust no one other than you to lead Slytherin. You are a brilliant person and you will be successful in all of your endeavors.

As a friend I want you to believe in your self and in your own instincts and not follow anyone…especially your father. A great wizard is not born of pureblood but made from one's own blood, sweat, and tears. Greatness and respect is given because an individual earns it. You have earned it from me ten times over in my time.

It is inevitable that you find out about my time manipulation. I came back for you Draco. You were a great man in the future, when your parents betrayed you and left you to die at the hands of Voldemort I was angry. We are best mates and I risked my life to come and save you from that betrayal. Do not trust them…they will bring about your end. Only Dumbledore can safe you…follow him, he will lead you to your destiny.

I shall try my best to write to you again. You are very brave and noble Draco and I am honored to count you as a mate.

Your best mate,

Harry Potter

Gently he rolled the parchment and mumbled a sealing charm that would allow only Draco to open the letter. As a second thought he added a charm to make the parchment destroy itself after the reader finished. Satisfied with the letter and his lies in it he laid it on Draco's bedside chest. He felt that the letter may have been a bit much, but it spoke to Malfoy's need to fell superior and his need for respect. Harry also felt that even if the young Slytherin did not belief him, it would at least cause the boy to doubt his parents.

Gripping his trunk and Hedwig's cage he left the dungeon and began his assent to the owlery in order to fetch his beloved owl. As he reached the top of the steps his scar began to ache and he instinctively grabbed it. Voldemort is near! He backed his body up tightly against the castle wall. His mind began to race for the right course of action. Should he face Quirrell now or wait for Dumbledore's instructions.

In the end fate decided for him as an arm reached around the open door and gripped the thin boy around his cloak. "Potter!"

Stumbling onto the floor, Harry spun to face his attacker. Wand drawn he looked over at his head of house, Severus Snape. The traitor face was full of rage and his greasy hair fell into his face, his own wand had been instinctively drawn.

"Lower you wand Potter, or face the dire consequence." He seethed at the unwelcome interruption the Boy-Who-Lived had just caused. The attention seeker had let Professor Quirrell sneak through a secret passage before he had a proper chance to interrogate him.

Harry felt his temper rise, his wand shook in his hand begging him to release the pent up magic. His mind racing, he fought against his own instincts. I should just kill him now and insure Dumbledore's future. I may not get another opportunity especially if I am sent to Azkaban. Still he could see Hermione's reaction to such a rash act, and he did not wish to disappoint her on top of everything else he had caused. Using all his will power he lowered his wand and stuffed in to the green and silver robes he was wearing. Gritting his teeth Harry forced his apology out. "I'm sorry Professor you startled me." The young boy made to get up.

"Not so fast Potter." Snape watched the boy look up at him puzzlingly. He didn't like Potter and more and more he noticed something was off about the child who was supposedly raised by muggles. "It is past curfew...explain why you are up at the owlery." He sneered down at the dark haired boy.

Harry promptly stood up and faced the Death Eater, his temper was beginning to get the best of him and he wanted nothing more than to kill the slimy traitorous git before him. "I was coming to visit Hedwig, I couldn't sleep."

Snape smirked at the boy's confession. "Dungeons a little cold and dark for you Potter." Lowering his wand his smirk grew larger. "I would think you would be use to living under everyone in dark places...I mean considering your cupboard."

All Harry's previous attempts to reel in his temper was useless at this point, Severus Snape might as well has signed his own death warrant. Faster than the greasy Half-Blooded-Prince could blink Harry redrew his wand. Without pretense he shoved the wand toward the Potion Master with every intention of releasing the green light he knew was aching to erupt from his wand. "Av..."

"Expelliarmus!"

Despite the white knuckle grip Harry had on his wand it flew from his hand and clanked against the wall, leaving the raven haired boy blinking in shock. Shaking with anger he turned to see the Headmaster pointing his wand at him.

"Leave us Harry. Go to my office." The aged wizard's eyes held no twinkle, they appeared dull and tired. He tilted his head to the door his voice barely above a whisper as his wand disappeared into his robes. "Now Harry."

Something in Dumbledore's face sobered Harry. Retrieving his wand, he shuffled out of the room feeling somewhat shameful for his actions, he never intended to disappoint his mentor, he was Dumbledore' man through and through, yet he had seemingly hurt the Headmaster. Sighing he picked up his trunk and began making his way back to the Headmaster office.

"Harry?" Hermione Granger looked at the defeated posture of her best friend. "What took you so long? Professor Lupin and Ron are waiting in the Headmaster's suite for us." Despite noticing the crushed look on Harry's face, she had no intention of comforting him just yet. She was anxious and scared of the ministry getting here before they could escape and was eager to leave; otherwise she would have to offer comfort to him through bars. This of course was impossible considering that the Dementors were still guarding Azkaban in this time. "Come on than."

Harry felt himself being pulled, but his mind was on how badly he was mucking up everyone's life. He was naïve to believe his plan would work, when had any of his ideas gone according to their plan? Wishing to curl into a fetal position and ignore the world as a whole, Harry stumbled up the steps. I almost killed someone. I wanted to kill him...he deserved it. I almost took someone's life...

"You alright there Harry?" Remus Lupin looked at the pale boy before him.

Nodding his head, Potter slumped into the chair and stared at the fireplace. "Professor Dumbledore said to wait here."

Ron and Hermione exchanged knowing looks. What ever happened had indeed affected their friend, and they would question him about it later. With Harry's temper it was smart to let the subject drop for now.

Lupin looked at the children before him, that's what they where to him. He couldn't help but see them as eleven year olds, eleven year old fugitives. His face fell, these children had ruined there life, they would be fugitives...outcasts...on one hand he could relate. Being a werewolf and therefore a half-breed, he was a social pariah himself. It was a fate he wished on no one and especially not on James' and Lily's son.

He shook his head in sorrow, if Harry was telling the truth, than Sirius is innocent, and he Remus, had condemned his best mate without a trial. All the anger and blame he had placed on Sirius when it was Wormtail all along. He felt shameful, Harry and his friends risked everything to safe Sirius, and he had not even given Padfoot one chance to speak to him...to hear him out.

Looking at the bound Wormtail, he had half a mind to kill him. Still reasoning told him that it was necessary for the traitor to live so Sirius could be freed. He turned away from his dead friend, for he believed that his dear friend Peter was dead and that who ever the man in the chair was...it was not his mate.

"Professor Lupin?" Hermione looked at her tattered ex-DADA professor. "Where are we going?"

Remus was startled at first at being called professor, but decided not to ask about it. That was the future and Dumbledore made it clear that the future was off limits. "I don't know he...urm..."

"Hermione Granger." She smiled her abnormally large teeth showing. "I'm muggle born sir, and my family...will I see my family again sir?

Remus shook his head. "I just don't know Hermione...I just don't know." He watched the young girl lower her head and his heart broke for her.

"Mum?" Ron looked startled, realization dawning on him. He wouldn't be going home to the Burrow...to his family. He may not be able to see them again, not Ginny, George, Fred, Charlie, Bill, not even Percy. "Dad?" His eyes grew wide and he looked at Hermione for reassurance. The bushy girl shook her head never looking up to give the red head a smile of encouragement.

"I am deeply sorry Mr. Weasley, the choices you three have made have dire consequences." Dumbledore spoke gravely as he entered the room carrying Hedwig, Harry's snowy owl. "It is very likely that you may never see your family again or risk Azkaban. For now we must send you somewhere safe." The Headmaster sighed and walked to the fireplace. "Remus you must go now. I will contact you in a few days and we will work from there."

The Marauder nodded and turned to the children, his face still grave. "What of the traitor?"

"I shall tend to him." A small twinkle entered the wizard's eyes and he turned to the time manipulators. "Do not attempt to contact me or anyone else. I shall contact you. I need not remind you to not speak of the future" His voice came out curt and direct. "Harry..." he waited for the boy to look up at him. "You must know how important you are to the light?" The boy nodded his face still pale. "Heed my words Harry."

Remus Lupin picked up a handful of floo powder and stepped toward the fireplace while nodding at the Professor. "I will guard them with my life." His face was grim. "Number Six Privet Drive, Surrey!"

Harry blinked for a moment, shock at flooing so close to his relatives, glancing at the Headmaster for confirmation. Receiving only a nod in return he waited for his two friends to floo ahead of him. Gulping the lump that had formed in the back of his throat he waited for his turn. Stepping into the fireplace he meekly looked back at his mentor.

"Professor Dumbledore…" He swallowed harshly ignoring the dryness in his mouth. "What of Snape?"

The old wizard looked over his half moon glasses at the child before him. This new twist in the-boy-who-lived's life was something that surprised him. From the day Voldemort had marked the boy, Dumbledore knew that the child would be condemned to a life of struggle and pain. Still he never expected for his guidance to lead to the use of such a dark spell to change history.

"Harry…" He sighed, the boy looked so young, and it was increasingly difficult to look at him as a seventeen year old adult. "I had the unfortunate privilege of having to obliviate Professor Snape. Your choices of using such a dark spell...the killing curse no less…was not something even I could repair." His lips thinned into a frown.

"He deserved it Professor! Death is too good for him!" The small child's face flushed with anger.

Professor Dumbledore laid a hand on the boy's shoulders. "Harry I assure you, no matter what happened in the future, Severus Snape does not deserve death. I am sure that I have taught you that what separates you…all of us…from Voldemort is love and compassion." His blue eyes sparkled, and he handed the boy a hand full of floo powder.

Harry Potter dropped his head again, his heart swelled with emotion at the fatherly hand on his shoulder. He had longed to listen to his mentor's advice since that night in the tower. Not that he bought into the Headmaster's view on Snape, but the wise voice still brought him a sense of comfort. "I'm sorry Professor…I just can't seem to control myself around him." He glanced up at the white haired wizard. "I know you are upset about the spell we used to return her and I'm not sorry we did, and I am sorry that I have disappointed you sir." He dropped his head sheepishly receiving a reassuring squeeze on the shoulder from the Headmaster.

"Harry this is something we will discuss at length later, for now you must hurry. Although it is late you still may be recognized, even in Muggle London."

"What of my father's invisibility cloak sir? You gave it to me in first year and we could use it now." Harry really would like to have the cloak back. It was not only a tie to his father but had saved his own life on many occasions."

"Of course…I am glad you remembered it Harry." Dumbledore moved about his office until he found a neatly tied parcel. "I assume you know how to use it."

Harry nodded and lovingly tucked the parcel under his arm. "Thank you Professor. Number Six Privet Drive!"

Shutting his eyes tightly against the whirl of colors, Harry waited for the inevitable dizziness that followed a floo. With a sudden lurch he was on the ground covered in soot, and coughing through the dust. He opened his eyes when he felt himself being stood up.

"Alright there Harry?" Ron brushed some soot off of his much smaller friend, as the latter nodded.

"Harry!" Arabella Figg grinned at the boy before her. "I see you have taken nicely to the wizard world, and in such a short while."

Looking up Harry tried to place the small amount of memories he kept on the squib. Something about cats? "Er...yeah…How are your cats?" Upon seeing the huge smile on the old lady he immediately regretted mentioning her pets.

"Oh they are doing so much better Harry. You know of course I had to switch their food; I'm just glad Mr. Tibbles got sick when he did, or I may not have caught it. Your Aunt has been such a help with it, I was so happy she allowed you to help me this past summer, your much smaller and I was unable to get to my sick baby."

"Mrs. Figg…" Remus interrupted, trying to give Harry a nice out. "We really must be going, I do appreciate the use of your floo, but it is quite late." He smiled at the frumpy lady in her night gown.

"Oh pish-posh, it isn't often I get company, except for Harry. Why don't the four of you have a spot of tea before leaving?"

Hermione and Ron looked at each other with apprehension. It wouldn't be long before the ministry checks the floo network at the school, and realizes that four separate beings came to this location.

Lupin steered the three children to the door, and yelled over his shoulder. "I'm so sorry Mrs. Figg, but it is much too late for the children to be out, and I must get them home." Glancing out the window he made sure know one was around to see the group walk down the road. "I should have shrunk the entire luggage down at Hogwarts; I dare not use magic here."

Hermione timidly stepped forward. "Professor…I mean Mr. Lupin…we can use our wands sir."

The weary looking man's eyes opened wide as he stared at the young witch before him. "How is that possible?"

Wringing her hands together, the bushy haired girl dropped her head at her now confession. "We…performed a spell sir…on our wands, it makes our magic untraceable." Gaining confidence at talking about the difficult spell she slipped into her know-it-all mode and continued. "We did it on the train sir, it was a difficult spell in actuality I was shocked we mastered it so quickly this time. It took loads more tries on our future wands…"

"That's a dark spell…" Lupin interrupted the witch, shock evident in his voice.

"Well yes sir. It had to be done…"

"Just magic the luggage down for now." Lupin turned his attention back to the street. "Harry, are their many Muggles out at night around here?"

"No sir. I have my invisibility cloak with me; I can expand it for us." Harry looked over to see Ron grinning at him. "Dumbledore gave it to me before I flooed over."

"Perfect. You three can get under the clock and will follow me. Put your stuff in your pocket."

"What of Hedwig and Crookshanks?" Hermione motioned to the caged animals.

Remus frowned at the girl. "I'm sorry, but my place is rather small and there is no way we can keep the animals. We'll have to leave them here with Mrs. Figg, I am sure she will care for you cat. As for Harry's owl…it is much too distinguished for us to use, but I am sure she will make sure Dumbledore gets her."

"Of course I will they are such lovely animals." Mrs. Figg stated as she poked through the cage at Crookshanks.

"Ok." Hermione dropped her head again. It wasn't as if she expected to keep her cat with her when she went off looking for horcrux with Harry and Ron, but it is still hard to let her pet go.

Harry let Hedwig out, who promptly flew to his arm, giving him an affectionate nip on his finger. "Sorry girl. Dumbledore will take real good care of you, and I'll come for you as soon as we can." The owl hooted lightly in understanding and nipped his finger again. "She can find Hogwarts herself; I'll let her go now." He turned to Mrs. Figg, who was still poking at Crookshanks cage. "Can you get her cage to Professor Dumbledore?"

"Of course dear." Her attention not leaving her new pet.

"Go to Hogwarts, go to Dumbledore." The snowy owl took off through the open door.

"Under the cloak you three, we must be going." Lupin stepped out into the street, he tucked his wand in his pocket and casually walked up the street not looking back to see if the pre-teens were following him.

The three shrugged and picked up their belongings tucking them in their robes. Harry expanded the cloak just a bit, remembering that as three eleven year olds that could fit under it somewhat easily, but wanting to give them more room for comfort.

Drawing the cloak over them, they wordlessly followed their ex-professor out into the night. Despite their hurry, Harry couldn't help but to stop and stare at Number Four Privet Drive. Beyond that "normal" yard, in the "normal" house was three, "normal" Muggles, and Harry wanted nothing more than to show all three of them a "normal" curse.

Reasoning that he was more than likely going to go to Azkaban for time manipulation, and that the opportunity may not arise again, he might as well go scare the hell out of his relatives since the opportunity presented itself nicely. It wasn't as if Harry could remember all of the awful things his relatives had done to him, considering he opted to remove quite a few of those memories, never intending to return to Privet Drive. Still he had an unbelievable amount of anger coursing through his veins, and the words "freak" and "normal" kept creeping into his skull, making it ache.

Hermione had picked up on her best friend's rapid breathing and stiff stance, she knew why he was upset and racked her brain for a way to calm him. Since Dumbledore's death and Snape's betrayal, it had become increasingly harder to calm Harry down; his anger seemed to be controlling him.

"Harry, it won't do any good and you know it." She pushed him in the middle trapping him between Ron and her. Opting to use a bit of advice from an ex-Auror she tried to reason with him. "Stay the course Harry, we have a plan."

Harry nodded dully, his head aching too much for him to do much of anything anyhow. He stumbled as his friends began to pull him after Lupin, who had not stopped since stepping out of Mrs. Figg's front door. The raven haired boy allowed his friends to lead him down the street, his eyes was shut tight and his heart pounded in his head. After a few blocks he felt his headache begin to lighten and he opened his eyes to see that they were coming up to a Muggle bus stop.

Hermione glanced at Harry and shrugged her shoulders. Ron Weasley on the other hand seemed somewhat excited at the prospect of riding on a Muggle Bus. His father had told him about the red double decker the Muggles used for mass transportation, and he had always wanted to ride in one. He hoped they could ride on top, but didn't really care one way or another.

Remus Lupin sat at the empty bus stop and looked around him. No vehicle was in site and neither was any one else for that matter. Out of the corner of his mouth he whispered at Harry. "What times does the bus run?"

Harry shrugged his shoulders, prompting Hermione to roll her eyes.

"He can't see you!" She hissed.

"I don't know." It was another memory Harry had parted with, in fact most of his child hood and his muggle life was sitting in a pensive in the future.

"Did you keep any memory from here?"

He shrugged again, lowering his head and began to study his feet.

Hermione Granger looked at Lupin, who was patiently waiting for a bus to come by. "The busses stop running after eleven at my house, it is probably the same here."

The ragged looking man stood up and ran his hands through his hair. If he was alone he would just apparition a few times until he confused the aurors and make his way home, but he was with underage wizards who probably couldn't apparate anyhow, and the ministry would be able to easily trace that. What he really needed was a portkey, but he was not sanctioned to make one, and doubted that they knew how. Still the three seemed to know more than most, even him it seemed. "We need a portkey; do any of you know how to make a portkey? I would do it, but obviously my wand is traceable. I would ask to use one of your wands, but get the feeling that if I tried to use it I would be cursed."

"You'd be right sir, you can't be too careful." Ron snickered at his ex-DADA professor. They all had various curses and charms on their wand for security purposes. There wands would only recognize one of their signatures, allowing no other to use them.

"I'll make the portkey." Hermione pointed at Ron's shoe. "Give me your shoe."

Ron looked startled and shook his head no. "Why me?"

"Look Ron, you obviously have the bigger foot, and we all need to be able to put our hands on it." She waited as the red head grumbled and took of his shoe handing it to the witch while mumbling something about being a know-it-all, which she ignored given the stress of the today's events. "Professor, what are the coordinates?"

Remus ignored being called Professor again by the time travelers and instead relayed the coordinates and looked around nervously for lurking Aurors. After a moment he heard the proper incantation, and once again he was surprised at the amount of knowledge the children had. He knew they said they just getting ready to enter seventh year, but still he doubted that even Hogwarts was capable of teaching them that much already. The magic they have been using was some pretty advance, and he assumed that Hermione was the cause for the trio's vast knowledge. "Ready?"

Hermione grinned at the portkey, it was actually the first one she had made, and was quite impressed. At first she wasn't sure if she would get all the hand movements correctly, but the shoe had glowed eerily in the proper blue color signaling the success of the portkey. "Yeah." She glanced about her than pulled the invisibility cloak off of them and held out the shoe for everyone to touch, she had given them two minutes until it activated. She soon felt the familiar tuck around her navel as the group was portkeyed to Lupin's home. Upon landing Hermione felt gravity pushing to the ground, which she gave into easily.

Remus was the only one who remained standing, and he couldn't help but smirk at the three children stumbling on the ground. "Welcome to my home. It isn't much; mostly it's a shack I am squatting in actually." His face fell. "Well you know, with me being a half-breed and all, I can't properly own land. Still a distance cousin use to own this land and the current owners don't even know of the shack being located back here, which fits my purpose."

Harry shakily stood up and looked at the shack in front of him. He had known that Lupin had a hard time, but had never been privy to his actual home before. Of course he had known about the Ministry's restriction on werewolves, but had always assumed Lupin still had his family home. Honestly he had never thought to ask about Remus home and his heart ached at his selfishness. "It's fine Lupin…really…thank you."

"Well come on you lot, it's late and we have a lot to do tomorrow. Let's get in and bunk down for the night." He led the group in to his one room home. It held a rickety old bed with some raggedy blankets that had been patched one too many times. It lacked a kitchen all together, but had a small bathroom in desperate need of some attention from a house elf. There was a small couch and sink in the main room and various books were neatly stacked throughout the home. There was also a very small fireplace. "You three can have the bed and I'll take the couch. Together you don't quite make up one grown person, so you should fit in their okay."

Hermione frowned at first, not feeling especially eager with sleeping with her two male friends. "Er…Well I could take the floor. I don't mind."

Ron's face dropped, he actually liked the prospect of sleeping with Hermione, wanting nothing more than to hold her protectively through the night. He hadn't envisioned Harry being there with him, but he would have more than willing to deal with that situation. His best mate knew how much he cared for Hermione, and shot Harry a pleading look.

"I'll take the floor Hermione, just the two of you will have plenty of room, without a third person I'm sure you can both lay comfortably in your own space." Harry enlarged his trunk and pulled out a few of his robes laying them on the floor as a makeshift bed.

Hermione gave Harry a grateful look and crawled into the bed, not even bothering to get in her trunk or change. With her shoes still fastened to her feet, she rolled against the wall, giving Ron plenty of room to join her.

Grinning, Ron enlarged his own trunk and tossed Harry a few robes of his own. "Thanks mate." Undressing until he had on just his slacks and undershirt he crawled in bed next to Hermione.

'Other way Ron!" Hermione pointed to the foot of the bed. "Put your head down there."

"Huh?" Groaning, the red head flipped, his feet now by Hermione's head, and his head by her still shoed feet. "Blimy…" He mumbled as he turned away from the shoes and toward the open room.

Harry chuckled at the two before laying down himself, his body welcoming the much needed sleep.

Remus Lupin had watched the friends from the couch, the trio reminding him of his Marauder days. Sighing he too stretched out and let sleep overtake him.