Title: Retrograde
Author: Knife Hand
Feedback: Constructive feedback appreciated, flames unappreciated
Spoilers: Nothing Specific, general for first few books.
Rating: M
Disclaimer: I do not own Hermione, or Luna, or Ginny, or Cho, or... I would buy them all but I am broke.
Summary: Harry's trial before fifth year goes differently because someone knows more than they should about Harry. Time Travel Fic.
Harry followed Amelia and the rest of the Puffs down to their common room near the Kitchens. As the Fifth Year Prefects gave their introductory speech to the First Years, a Seventh Year Prefect came across to where Harry was standing near Amelia.
"So, you're the transfer?" The Prefect asked.
"William Tenor." Harry said, offering his hand.
"Whatever." The Prefect said. "Bones, you seem to have made an impression on him, so he's your responsibility. Show him around, get him familiar with the House."
"Oh come on. You're saddling me with him?" Amelia protested.
"You've been a solo too long." The Prefect said.
"Argh!" Amelia vented.
"Is there a problem?" Harry asked.
"Follow me." Amelia almost barked.
Amelia marched off down one of the corridors that radiated out from the Common Room. Unlike the Gryffindor Dorms, which were stacked vertically in a tower, the Hufflepuff Dorms were all on a single level, surrounding the Common Room on three sides. The corridor was lined with pairs of doors, one on each side, at regular but widely spaced intervals. Amelia stopped at the sixth set of doors and opened the door on the right side of the corridor and practically shoved Harry through the door.
Inside was a small sitting room with a pair of work desks and chairs; a two seater couch; two single seat lounge chairs and a roaring fireplace. At the back of each side wall was a door, and there was another door on the back wall on the right side.
"That's you." Amelia said, indicating to the door on the left wall. "That's me."
This time she indicated to the door on the right wall.
"Back door is the bathroom." She concluded.
"I'm confused, Lia." Harry said. "What do you mean that's me?"
"It is simple, Harry." Amelia replied. "That's your bedroom for the year. The other one is mine."
"Um… ok." Harry said, before entering 'his' bedroom.
The bedroom was cosy with a double width bed, a small potbellied iron stove for warmth, a wardrobe for his clothes and a bookshelf for his school books. Harry sat down on his bed and tried to come to terms with everything that happened and that he now was 'rooming' with a younger version of Director Bones, Head of the DMLE and Aunt to his year mate Susan. In retrospect it did explain something about the Hufflepuffs he knew but had never really acknowledged. They were usually paired up with their 'best friend' who were almost inseparable, Like Susan Bones and Hannah Abbott.
Harry was having his first official free period of the week, except he was not 'free', he was doing catch up with the Ancient Runes Professor, an older looking Witch called Professor Pentergast, who was evaluating his skills. He had already had Transfiguration and Potions classes. Transfiguration had been with Professor McGonagall, so it had almost been like old times except he was sitting next to Amelia rather than Hermione. Potions had been with a Professor Slughorn, a portly Wizard who seemed to try and insinuate himself with the exceptionally talented or those with influential relatives, but regardless was an exceptionally good Potions Master, explaining the reasons behind steps and reactions in the potions far better than Snape ever did.
He had studied the Ancient Runes book more than any of the others since he had gotten his books, which included extra Ancient Runes books, and he figured that all that time semi-listening to Hermione muttering over her Ancient Runes had given him a few pointers.
"Not too bad, Mister Tenor." Professor Pentergast said. "About the level I would expect my Third Years to be at the middle of the year, but quite impressive for someone who never studied Runes before. Who is your apartment mate? I was Hufflepuff."
"Amelia Bones." Harry replied.
"Good. She is one of my best students." The Professor replied. "I normally assign a group projects to my Fifth Years. You two will be paired and the project will be to get you caught up. Teaching is the best way to learn."
"I would appreciate if you could explain that to her, Professor." Harry said. "Especially that it was your idea."
Amelia was currently in her Muggle Studies Class, which was her second elective as she was not doing Care for Magical Creatures like he was. She had been annoyed at the situation when they had awoken that morning and had barely spoken a word to him outside of class, being his partner in Transfiguration and Potions mostly because it was expected. She had explained, in detail, that as many Hufflepuffs in the same apartment were in different electives he was not to expect that she would automatically pair up with him in Runes and she would appreciate if he did not 'push himself on her' in that class.
Harry could understand her feeling on the subject. It did seem to him that circumstances, or 'fate', was trying to push them together. The Book Store, the Apartment, Ancient Runes. She felt as if her world was spinning out of control, and he was feeling the same. The bell rang for the end of the period.
"Thank you, Professor." Harry said. "I need to get down to Care for Magical Creatures."
"Of course, Mister Tenor." Professor Pentergast replied.
Harry quickly made his way down to Professor Kettleburn's class, which was being held near Hagrid's Hut, but Harry did not see the half-Giant. Professor Kettleburn's class had less, what Hagrid would call 'interesting creatures', and more creatures that were both relevant to Magical life and less likely to want to eat the students.
Amelia stormed into the Apartment, slamming the door closed behind her.
"Lia?" Harry asked, sticking his head out from his bedroom.
"Oh no, don't Lia me." Amelia snapped. "I thought I told you not to push yourself on me in Runes."
"I didn't do it." Harry defended. "It was Professor Pentergast. She asked me who my apartment mate was and I told her. The rest was all her."
Amelia paced for a few minutes as she tried to calm down.
"Alright." She said. "One hour every evening. Four hours on Saturdays. No excuses. You put in full effort or I'm going to Professor Pentergast and have you kicked out of Runes. Understood?"
"Yes ma'am." Harry replied.
"Go and get all of your Runes books, even the extras." Amelia ordered. "The Professor said you have a basic understanding of the Runic Alphabet and know some of the meanings, so we'll go over that first."
TBC…
A/N: The design of the Hufflepuff Dorms is a variation of the design I used in another one of the my Fics 'Strings of Fate', except here it has 2 bedrooms instead of 4 and Harry is rooming with Amelia Bones instead of Susan Bones and Hannah Abbott.