A/N: Hello friends! I am so sorry for not posting. Long story short, life got crazy. I have not abandoned this story- I will see it through to the very end! I really hope you all enjoy this chapter. I would love to hear any feedback you may have! This is from Harry's perspective before we get to jump into seeing some other characters. I also want to make it clear that while I feel that I am not Dumbledore-basing, Harry won't necessarily have that same relationship he did with the Headmaster at one point. I am trying to channel some of those emotions that we saw in Deathly Hallows before Harry meets him again at King's Crossing. Again, I am trying to make things believable even if there's a deviation from canon and no I don't own the HP world.

Chapter Seven: Home

Harry settled back into his sleeping quarters, feeling a myriad of emotions. He couldn't believe that he was back at Hogwarts. Home. The one place he knew love, friendship, and acceptance. The happiness these memories brought was fleeting, quickly replaced with anger and despair. In the last timeline, his home had become a warzone after Dumbledore's death.

Harry blinked back the tears that began pricking in his eyes. He wouldn't let it happen this time. He couldn't. He could feel his anger rise, reaching levels that could spurt accidental magic. He quickly cast some spells around his bed to ensure that if he were to succumb to his emotions no one would know.

Breathe in. Breathe out.

Harry began trying to calm himself down by emptying his mind. He knew now more than ever he needed to remain calm. He couldn't let on that he knew more than the others thought. His thoughts turned to Dumbledore. Harry couldn't help but to get angry again. This man- the man he thought of as a mentor- left them with nothing. They were on the run for months with no way of knowing how to destroy the horcruxes or their locations. How this man left him with the Dursleys who were only family by literal blood, but couldn't bother to care for him as their own. How he longed to know more about his family and happened to be separated from anyone that might be able to give him an idea of what they were like.

His thoughts rolled to Snape. When Snape was dying, it was almost as if he was trying to tell Harry something. Harry could gather that Snape was truly gray- on no one's side but his own. Harry remembered how cold the professor was on his first day and how, had the professor put aside his hatred of Harry's father, he could have shared stories about his mother. He didn't know how he could do another six years with Snape hating him. He thought back to his first day and how that was the day that Snape had deemed him more like his father than his mother. Granted, he did look quite like his father, aside from the eyes as he was so often told, and he did have a proclivity to find trouble. He could stand to take his studies more seriously this time, especially since he was getting a second chance at it. He would have to listen to Hermione's thoughts on what subjects they should take this time around.

Hermione. One of his truest and most loyal friends. Though he felt guilty about feeling this way, he was grateful she decided to come back with him. She had helped him through so much and had done her best to shield her troubles from him. He could admit she did a fairly good job at convincing him that she was fine, but there were times where he could see the guilt and stress flash in her eyes for the briefest of moments. His heart clenched when he recalled her telling him that she had obliviated her parents. For him. He would do everything in his power to prevent it from happening a second time.

His thoughts turned to Malfoy. While he had agreed to come back with them and change the future, Harry was unsure of how Malfoy really felt about blood purity. He had seen the two of them sit together at the feast and he hadn't called her any names, but that could have been due to the shock of the sorting. Could he have changed that much? What could have made him change his mind? Will he still want to follow in his father's footsteps? The man practically gave him to Voldemort, even Harry knew that Malfoy wasn't expected to survive his encounter with Dumbledore.

Dumbledore. Just like that, Harry was back feeling so angry and conflicted. Resolving to change what he could without angering the entity that sent him back in the first place, he began to drift off to sleep.

Harry dreamed of Dumbledore and the time spent learning about Voldemort's life. They were back in the cave with his blackened hand reaching out to him as if…

He awoke with a start, heart pounding. He quickly scanned for Malfoy but found that his bed was empty. Realizing that he would end up missing breakfast if he didn't get a move on, he threw on his robes and grabbed his bag to head to the Great Hall.

As luck would have it, Harry found himself in Malfoy's company shortly after leaving the common room. Malfoy spotted him across the corridor and approached him, asking if he had seen her. Harry quickly gathered that the "her" in question was Hermione. It was actually a relief that Malfoy was sorted into Gryffindor. The three of them would be able to spend a considerable amount of time together without anyone thinking anything of it, working on changing the future however they could. Harry figured that Hermione was already in the library, formulating an outline of a plan or researching ways to help them.

Voicing his opinion, he started to turn towards the Great Hall entrance. Breakfast was out of the question now, but he needed to get his timetable. He didn't want to attract more unnecessary attention and the last thing he needed was to explain how he knew his schedule without talking to Professor McGonagall. Just as he was about to make his trek, he saw Hermione round the corner. He didn't even have time to warn either party, so he watched as she ran full force into Malfoy.

The apology tumbled out of her mouth. Harry could tell she wasn't sleeping well- she had bags under her eyes and hadn't realized who she had run into yet. Though they weren't friends right away in their first year, Harry never remembered her looking quite this tired. It was reminiscent of some of the darkest times of their horcrux hunting. He studied her carefully, trying to decipher if this look was due to the nightmares or the stress of having the world on her shoulders with him.

He was wrenched from his thoughts when he heard Hermione say that she wanted to meet during their free period before lunch. As she took off, Malfoy suggested that they get moving as well.

"Can't. I don't have my timetable yet."

Malfoy nodded stiffly and awkwardly shifted his book bag. Harry studied him carefully, seeing that he too had bags under his eyes. Even though they despised each other in the previous timeline, Harry felt somewhat guilty that Malfoy and Hermione already looked so tired.

"Er, uh, do you want to come with me? I could use your help with Snape anyway. He seemed to like you well enough."

"Please, Potter. He has to like me. He's my godfather." Malfoy scoffed.

"What? Why didn't I know that before? That seems like something you would have bragged about."

"How do you think I was so good at potions? It's not like my father-" Malfoy instantly quieted.

Silence engulfed the two, the look on Malfoy's face spoke volumes: conflict. Harry could relate. It was the same battle that raged within himself last night. He cast a knowing look to Malfoy and motioned towards the Great Hall. Malfoy quickly composed himself and the two walked down the corridor in silence. Though they had already agreed to be friends, Harry knew that this was the moment that truly changed things between the two of them. He realized that Mal- Draco had more in common than he ever thought possible.

Fate smiled.