Disclaimer: I own none of the things you already know of.
Harry Potter and the Smallest Change.
Chapter 17. Summer of 1994, Part 1.
May ended and June began and with it, the end-of-year exams. While Harry and his friends had no real trouble with them, they were relieved to be done with them, as it meant they were going home for the summer.
Holly and Susan rarely left his side after the events in the dungeons. If they weren't by his side, then he had his eye on them on the map.
Justin started to spend time with the group, he didn't speak much, but he was welcome nonetheless.
The remaining time at Hogwarts was tense for Harry, but it passed without incident, apart from Remus being forced to resign after Draco sent a letter to his father telling him about Remus' Lycanthropy.
Harry suspected Snape of telling Draco.
The end-of-year feast came, and Harry found he was on top of his year once again. Behind him were his group of friends. He wore a small smile at the glare Hermione and Daphne gave each other as they fought for second place.
He leaned forward as she sat opposite him at the table.
'You did a great job Daphne, congratulations.' He grinned.
She huffed and turned away, but Harry saw a small smile on her face as she did so.
The next day, Harry sat in his compartment on the train with his friends, enjoying the last few hours together before being separated for the summer. Justin sat in the compartment with them and stared out of the window.
'Now, you'll all wear your bracelets and be careful over the summer, right?' Harry asked, eyeing the small tracking charm shaped like a compass that hung on Ginny's wrist beside her broom charm, like an identical compass hung on the other's wrists.
Daphne rolled her eyes.
'Harry, stop fretting. Yes, we'll wear the bracelets, you're lucky that they're pretty.' She grouched, though she wore a soft smile.
A knock on the door revealed Hermione, who entered without Neville and Ron. She gave them a small, nervous smile.
'I hope you all have a pleasant summer. I'm going on a holiday to France with my parents, it's going to be amazing.' She gushed, and Harry grinned.
'Do you know any French?' he asked, and she beamed.
'Yes, I've been studying it ever since my parents told me we were going there.' She replied in French.
'That's wonderful, it's a beautiful language.' Harry said, also in French, while the other girls in the compartment rolled their eyes.
Hermione blinked and looked around the compartment.
'Harry, why are they rolling their eyes? What did you do?' she asked, and Holly coughed.
'Harry is excited to meet up with his friend Fleur over the summer. She goes to Beauxbatons.' Holly said in broken French.
Hermione's eyes widened, and she sighed.
'Oh. Well, enjoy your summer then everybody.' She muttered and hurried out of the compartment.
Later in the afternoon, the Hogwarts Express arrived at Platform Nine and Three Quarters. Harry, Holly, and Susan bid their friends farewell and met Sirius and Remus at the back of the platform, away from the crush of eager parents.
They all had dinner at Potter Manor before Sirius took Susan home.
As Harry lay in bed, he wondered why Hogwarts always seemed to be in danger. He stared up at the shadowed ceiling, lost in thought, until his mirror from Fleur vibrated where it lay on his chest.
He answered the call and saw her beaming smile.
'I'm glad to see you 'Arry. It's great to be away from Beauxbatons as well.' She said, her eyes full of warmth.
'I know what you mean. I love it at Hogwarts, but there is always some danger lurking there. Can't I just have a peaceful year?' he said, and she frowned.
'Well, if you came to Beauxbatons, nothing would try to hurt you.' She sent him a too-innocent grin, and he laughed.
'Oh, it's tempting.' He grinned.
'Do you have any plans over the summer?' he asked, and she nodded.
'Papa will take me to the Quidditch World Cup in August, its being held in the UK this year if you didn't know already.' She said as she tucked a strand of silver hair behind her ear.
'But until then, I don't have any solid plans.' She finished, and Harry smiled.
'Well, I'll have to see if dad wants to take us then. Hopefully between him and Aunt Amy, they'll be able to pull some strings and get us tickets and spots near your family?' he said, and the radiant smile she gave him would have lit a room.
'That would be wonderful. It would be great to spend some time with you in person. We haven't done that in so long.' She said as her face fell.
'Yeah, I know. But now that its summer, I think that we'll be able to work something out.' He said, a frown on his face as he watched her face fall.
'It was actually worse this year than the last. I now have the Allure under control, but a little still comes out. It's the same for all Veela.' She whispered, and Harry wished he could pull her into a hug.
'I'm sorry, I wish I could make you feel better.' He said, and she perked up.
'But you do. You always do when I'm feeling down. Whenever I hear a new nasty rumour about me, I think of you and its always enough to make me smile.' She said, and Harry blushed.
'I'm glad that I can help in some way.' He muttered, and the two were silent for a moment, both blushing.
'Do you use your pendant often? Where you can experience the emotions I put in it?' he asked, and she sent him a beaming smile.
'I use it every night before I go to sleep, or anytime I need to feel better about myself. How did you do that, by the way?' she asked, and Harry grinned.
The two spent the next few hours discussing enchanting and how runes and arithmancy work together to make it all happen.
The next few weeks passed in a happy routine for Harry. He worked out in the morning, shadowed by Holly and Susan, who flooed over every morning to join them. Then, James, Remus, and Sirius would join in, running the three children through exercise regimes and spell dodging practice.
James and Sirius offered to teach them to become Animagus as well, but Harry was uncertain whether spending so much time on becoming Animagus would be worth it. It would be cool for sure, but he had lots of training to do.
At the end of their first session, Sirius cocked his head. He frowned at Harry, then turned to James and Remus.
'Hey guys, don't you think Harry here has really hit his growth spurt?' Sirius asked.
James and Remus shrugged.
'We've seen him quite often so didn't notice, but now that you mention it…' James trailed off as his gaze moved from the girls to Harry, who towered over them.
Harry sighed and turned to Holly and Susan, they each gave him expectant looks.
'Fine, I suppose I had to tell them at some stage.' He muttered, and Holly smiled.
Harry looked up at the three Marauders and met his father's eyes.
'In my first year, I came across a room where time works differently than outside of it. It's called the Room of Requirement and only myself and these two know of it.' Harry started and James looked between him and the two girls.
'It doesn't look like they are using it?' he asked, and the two girls shook their heads.
'I've been using it since the start of my first year when a House-Elf showed me. I go in on Friday night and come out on Monday morning, but inside the room a little over seven full days pass. So, I get about three times as much time inside the room as outside.' Harry explained, and the three Marauders gaped at him.
Sirius whistled with appreciation while James stared, shocked.
'I wish we'd known of that room when we were there.' Sirius said with a small smile.
Remus rolled his eyes.
'I would have used it to study, but you two would have used it for pranks. Not to mention your attention to girls Sirius.' Remus accused and Susan glared at Sirius, who paled.
Sirius looked like a deer in the headlights and turned to Harry. He rubbed the back of his head with a nervous grin.
'I hope you've been using the room responsibly?' Sirius said and Harry laughed at the change in subject.
'I've been working on different projects. I feel I'm ready to take my OWLs and am planning to do that next summer, after I've finished fourth year. That's apparently a requirement for taking the OWLs early.' Harry explained.
James ran a hand down his face before letting out an explosive sigh.
'How old are you now?' he asked, and the group fell silent.
Harry blinked.
'Approximately nine hundred days older than I would otherwise be, so somewhere in my sixteenth year.' He answered, and the three Marauders gaped at him.
Susan and Holly, who'd had more time to accept the situation, smothered their sniggers at the Marauder's slack faces.
James groaned and ran his hands through his already messy hair.
'Do you know what you've done? What consequences this will have in your life?' he asked, a touch of anger in his voice.
Harry frowned and met his father's gaze.
'Doing this has enabled me to protect my friends and family, on multiple occasions and has given me the time to be the best that I can be.' He said, his tone hard.
Holly sniggered.
'He's also now almost the same age as Fleur too.' She said with laughter in her eyes.
James blinked at her before he turned to Harry, a look of disappointment on his face.
'That better not be the reason you have messed with time itself.' He growled.
Harry's frown deepened into a glare.
'That is not even a part of it. But if it were, then it would be worth it to be closer to my best friend.' He said.
Sirius looked between Harry and James, who glared at each other, then turned to Susan.
'Are you okay?' he asked, and she blinked in confusion.
'Why wouldn't I be?' she asked in return.
Sirius looked between her and Harry.
Susan laughed.
'Harry is family, he's like the brother that Orion will grow up to be. I admit it wasn't always so, but I've met Fleur and I wholeheartedly agree that they are good together.' She said, and Sirius sat down on the grass in a huff.
Sirius turned to Holly, who gave him a suspicious look.
'Will you marry Orion when he grows up? Unite the families?' Sirius asked.
Holly gasped and ran behind Harry, distracting him from his glaring contest with James.
'Huh?' Harry asked as he looked at her.
'Sirius wants me to marry Orion.' Holly said and pointed at the seated Sirius.
Harry turned his glare on Sirius.
'Holly will marry whoever she wishes. No Marauder will have a say in her choice.' He declared.
His glare turned into a grin, and he struck a heroic pose, breaking the heavy mood.
Holly and Susan grinned and gave him a clap.
James cracked a smile before he sighed.
'Harry, what are you going to tell your mother?' he asked, and Harry blanched.
Holly and Susan laughed at the two Potter males, their faces pale.
Harry took a breath, like it was his last.
'I'll go tell her now.' He said, looking like a man going to the gallows.
'Take one for the team, Harry.' Sirius called and gave Harry a thumbs up as Harry moved away from the group.
Twenty minutes later, Harry and Lily sat in her study, dozens of enchanting projects littered through the room, along with detailed schematics of future projects.
Lily's emerald gaze bore into Harry's and silence reigned for a moment before a wide grin split her face.
'You're such a brilliant boy, who'd have thought Hogwarts had a room that could manipulate time?' she gushed before she gasped.
'You have to show me someday, you know that, right? What time ratio does the room follow? What limit does the room have in terms of make up? Size? Decorations? Will excessive use of the room have any negative impacts on your body?' she froze and leapt from her swivel chair.
She hovered around him, casting diagnostic charms.
As she poked and prodded him, she continued to speak.
'I admit, I wouldn't have allowed you to do it if you'd asked, but now that you have effectively aged two years more than you would otherwise be, it is exciting to study the effects. This has never happened as far as I know. What have you spent those two years doing in the room, studying for school?' she asked, without pausing for breath.
Harry stared at his mother for a moment, shocked she wasn't yelling at him.
'I do most of my research for my enchanting projects in the room and I practice combat spells on dummies the room provides. But yes, I make sure I do my schoolwork before the weekend so I can spend the weekend on other things.' He explained and Lily's eyes widened.
'Have you progressed any further with your projects?' she asked, and continued to prod him.
She kept casting ever more spells on him as they talked.
Harry sat back in his chair and removed his bracelet and handed it to her.
'I can confirm the mind protecting bracelets work, though they need some refinement. Each of my closest friends has them. Also, the tracking charms on the bracelets work, though, again they need some more refinement.' He took a breath and smiled.
'I hoped that you might give me some advice on them later?' he asked, and she beamed at him, her excitement obvious.
Lily peered at the bracelet, unable to keep the smile from her face as she examined it from every angle.
'Between Fleur and I, our mirrors have been completed. Fleur got them working before Christmas and we have both since added a few extra features to make them better than the ones dad and Sirius made.' Harry explained.
Lily's eyes narrowed.
'What did you just say?' Lily asked, and Harry frowned.
'Uh, that Fleur's and my mirrors are better than the ones dad and Sirius made?' Harry repeated with caution.
Lily glared out of the window where Harry figured his father was.
'I designed the mirrors your father and Sirius use. They gave me the idea and helped a little, but it was mostly me.' She said and Harry laughed.
'I have to admit, I always thought it strange that dad and Sirius made them.' He grinned and Lily gave a small smirk before she turned back to Harry.
She tucked a strand of crimson hair behind her ear.
'What about the time turner I remember from your research notes you gave me earlier this year? How's that doing?' she asked, and Harry groaned.
'Well, in theory, it will work. The time turner would go back further than a few hours, closer to a few years at this point, but the thing would have to be the size of a house.' He admitted.
Lily beamed at him.
'You're onto something special, Harry. I will help you in whatever way I can.' She said, and he grinned.
'Maybe you could look into the bracelets and refine them so I can focus on other projects, maybe sell them in your shop?' he asked, and Lily gave an eager nod.
'Of course, and you'll receive the profits for such an amazing idea.' She gushed and stopped at a knock on the door.
Harry turned to see his father poke his head in the room, looking like he'd rather be doing anything else.
'What's wrong dad?' Harry asked and his father looked between him and Lily.
'I thought your conversation would be louder and a little less, smiley.' James admitted.
Lily glared at James.
'So, what are you disturbing us for?' she asked, and James gulped.
James entered the room and handed Harry a letter.
'A letter came for you from Dominique.' He said, and Harry took the letter with a frown.
As he opened the letter, he wondered why he didn't use Fleur's mirror, then thought that perhaps he didn't know about it.
He opened the letter and read it.
Dear Harry,
As you know, Fleur's birthday is on August 2nd. It is an important day for her as she will be seventeen years old and of age. This is an important time for a Veela, and I believe Fleur would appreciate your presence on such a day.
I hope you agree to come. It will be primarily a political function as that is expected of families of our station, as much as we would prefer a quiet night together. So please, dress for a ball.
I look forward to your reply.
Dominique Delacour.
Harry folded the letter and returned it to the envelope, tucking it in his pocket. James grinned.
'So? What did Dominique want?' James asked, and Harry shrugged.
'Just an invitation to Fleur's seventeenth birthday.' Harry said and James blinked before his grin grew wide.
Lily made shooing motions.
'James, be quiet and leave us alone, we've got work to do.' She said and James smirked and left the room.
Harry turned to his mother and quirked an eyebrow.
'We do?' he asked, and Lily smiled.
'Yes Harry, now we hadn't planned on doing this until later, but because of your time related shenanigans, we've had to push it forward.' Lily started, and Harry frowned.
'Push what forward?' he asked, and Lily gave him a stern look.
'What do you know about the human reproduction system?' she said, and Harry blanched.
An hour later, a red-faced Harry closed the door to Lily's office behind him and came face to face with Holly, who grinned before hugging him.
James' laughter echoed through the house from the lounge downstairs.
The next few weeks passed in a blur for Harry as he researched with Lily and trained with James, Sirius, and Remus. Holly ensured he hung out with her and Susan when she joined them at Potter Manor with Sirius.
Charlus complained that Harry didn't spend enough time with him since he and Holly went to Hogwarts, as even during the holidays, all Harry wanted to do was train and study.
So, Harry spent at least an hour a day with Charlus and Orion too when he came over.
Eventually, the day of Fleur's birthday arrived, and Harry wore a wide grin the entire day. They'd been talking on their mirrors every night, but both were keen to see the other in person.
Harry checked his bracelet was attached and the present he'd made for her was in his pocket. He'd followed Dominique's instructions and dressed for a ball, a set of open dress robes over a suit, similar to the outfits he wore to the Christmas ball.
With his father by his side, Harry bade his family farewell and flooed to the Ministry, then they took an international floo to the French Ministry, before finally taking another floo to the Delacour Estate.
He stepped out of the fireplace of Delacour Manor and saw a radiant and fully mature Fleur.
She looked stunning in a long silver dress that matched her hair that was done up in an artfully messy bun. Around her neck was the silver pendant he'd given her years before and on her wrist the silver charm bracelet he'd given her more recently.
He beamed at his best friend, unintentionally ignoring the others in the room, and the two embraced in a tight hug.
'I missed you, Fleur.' Harry whispered in her ear, and she tightened her grip.
'I missed you too.' He replied before he pulled back to stare into her eyes.
Harry didn't feel the Allure rolling off Fleur, uncontrolled.
But the rest of the room did, and Dominique moved to their side and lay a hand on Fleur's shoulder.
She gasped and pulled away from Harry. A moment later, an emotionless mask crossed her face that Harry recognised as Occlumency.
Tilting his head, Harry watched as most of the men in the room blinked and gave guilty looks toward their ladies, receiving frosty glares in return.
Harry smiled and took a quick glance around the entrance hall. There were at least fifty other people he assumed were dignitaries and governmental sorts. He didn't notice anyone their age.
Dominique took Harry's hand and pulled him into an embrace.
'This is unfortunately a political party, and it is unlikely that there will be much in the way of interesting topics you would enjoy, nor would Fleur for that matter.' Dominique gave a warm smile to a passing dignitary before he turned back to Harry.
'So, while she must be present for the numerous political figures, there is nothing to say that she cannot have you by her side.' The man finished and Harry gave him a warm smile and a nod.
'Of course, sir, I would be happy to accompany her for the evening.' He replied and met Fleur's warm gaze.
Fleur offered her hand to him and with a grin, Harry took it and kissed her knuckle, as an Heir does for an Heiress.
She beamed at him, and he took his place beside her and together, the two greeted newcomers for the next hour.
In that time, Harry received a handful of glowers from boys around his altered age who were clearly under the effects of her Allure, contained as it was. Not a few men also looked like they would challenge him to a duel to stand by her side.
Finally, the greetings finished, and dinner followed by a ball began, and Harry was glad he'd dressed for the occasion.
The entire evening, he and Fleur were inseparable. At dinner, they talked non-stop. Multiple men tried to interrupt but couldn't get a word in to their conversation and when the ball began, the two danced for the entire evening.
Harry noticed Dominique and Apolline watching from a distance, smiles on their faces while they flitted through the crowd of political people.
He spared a thought for those political people all here for Fleur's party and hoped they weren't causing any issues for her parents by ignoring all the obviously fake people around them. Some wanted to dance with her, and others to talk, to be seen with her. But he saw the smiles on her parents' faces and ignored the small voice in his head familiar with politics and enjoyed his evening with Fleur.
Eventually, the evening finished, and Harry had to floo back to England. But not before receiving a strong, lingering embrace from the Veela.
'I'll see you at the World Cup, yes?' Fleur whispered as their brows touched near the fireplace in the entrance hall.
'Yeah, dad got us tickets in the Minister's box. He said that's where your family will be?' Harry said, and Fleur graced him with a warm smile.
'Yes, I am looking forward to it, not so much the game as the company.' She murmured, and Harry grinned.
'I know exactly what you mean.' Harry said before he gave a sigh.
'I suppose I need to go. Dad left hours ago.' He continued, and Fleur sighed.
'Oui, if you don't go now, I would be tempted to have the elves prepare you a room for the night.' She whispered, and he pulled her into a hug.
'As much as I would like that, I think my family is waiting for me.' He sighed and pulled out of the embrace, and looked into her sapphire eyes.
'I'll see you at the World Cup. Talk soon?' he asked, and she nodded before he released her and stepped into the fireplace to return home.
When Harry woke the next morning, not yet dawn, and Holly sat on his bed with a newspaper in her hands. Except it wasn't the Daily Prophet. It was the Le Cri de la Gargouille, one of the main French wizarding newspapers.
With a wide grin, she pushed the Gargouille into his hands. He let out a groan as he saw the front page, a picture of Fleur and himself dancing.
Fille de l'ambassadeur au Royaume-Uni fiancée?
(Translated)
Daughter of Ambassador to United Kingdom betrothed?
This evening, our Ambassador to the United Kingdom, Dominique Delacour, held what could only be referred to as a Royal ball for his daughter, Fleur Delacour. On her seventeenth birthday, she is now of age and, according to age-old traditions within the Delacour house, she can now choose her intended husband.
The rest of the wizarding world has only started to catch up to the powerful house in terms of the freedoms it allows. But what shocked this reporter is that the birthday girl did not spend any of her time this evening with school mates from Beauxbatons, nor with the other politically inclined guests.
Rather, she spent the entire night on the arm of a dashing young Englishman, Harry Potter, Heir of the Most Ancient and Noble House of Potter. The Delacours are rumoured to have a close relationship with the Potter Heir and are known to be in regular contact.
Is this a secret betrothal? Or is there a darker reason why the Ambassador to England is growing closer with the Head Auror of the British Department of Magical Law Enforcement?
For more information on the Delacour's, turn to page four.
For more information on the Potter's, turn to page seven.
For more information on the political relations between France and the United Kingdom, turn to page twelve.
Rest assured that we at the Gargouille will monitor the potential couple and report back on the prestigious houses' further actions.
Diane Launier.
Harry growled as he dropped the paper on his bed.
'So?' Holly asked, a wide grin on her face.
'So?' Harry parroted, confused.
'Are you betrothed, dear brother?' Holly asked, a twinkle in her eye, and Harry groaned.
'We aren't dating. How could we be betrothed?' he asked, and her face fell.
'Well, you need to start dating her soon, otherwise someone else will.' She warned before she bounced off the bed and snatched the abandoned newspaper and ran out of his room.
Harry stared at the doorway for a moment before he shook his head.
He tossed on his exercise clothes and went outside to begin his morning training with Holly and Susan.
An hour later, Harry came back inside and jumped in the shower as the rest of the house woke up.
As he showered, his thoughts were filled with the night before at Fleur's birthday. He had enjoyed the night, more than any other he could remember, and knew she felt the same.
Harry sighed as he washed his hair.
The one thing his extra years in the Room of Requirement hadn't prepared him for was romance. Fleur was his best friend; would she be interested in more than that? Thanks to the embarrassing talk with his mother a few weeks earlier, he knew about the physical aspects of a relationship.
But he didn't want to risk his friendship with Fleur. She was his best friend, his confidant. They would talk every night before bed and the time they spent together was the best times that he could recall. But how would that change if they got together? What if they broke up? Would they be as close as they were now?
Harry groaned and closed his eyes, letting the hot water soothe his tired muscles.
He sighed and turned off the water. As he towelled himself off, he considered his own feelings. Did he want a deeper relationship with Fleur? What would that mean? Could he imagine someone else he wanted to spend his life with?
Harry growled as he dressed. Once more lamenting that his extra years in the Room of Requirement didn't prepare him for the situation.
Harry finished dressing and looked in the mirror, his skin a little red from the heat of his shower.
'You look dashing, and your hair isn't even that bad today.' The mirror remarked in French.
'Seriously? Dad changed you as well. When did he do that?' Harry huffed and left the bathroom.
He went downstairs and froze as he saw the three Marauders grinning at him from across the table. Harry averted his eyes from their suspicious smiles and saw his mother with a mischievous grin.
Harry narrowed his eyes, looking at everyone in the room, knowing they were up to something. He saw Holly wearing a too-innocent smile, while Susan wore one like Lily's.
Finally, Harry saw Charlus and Orion looking around the dining room, confused expressions on their faces.
Harry moved forward cautiously and noticed the newspaper he had read earlier in front of his plate. Then he groaned aloud as he noticed Holly struggling to hold in a giggle, followed by Susan.
On his plate, rather than the traditional English breakfast everyone else had, he had a handful of croissants and spreads. A coffee and fruit were nearby.
'Real mature you guys.' He sighed then took a croissant and slathered some jam on it.
Laughter echoed throughout the room while Harry rolled his eyes at the level of maturity shown by his family.
'Did you have a fun night?' James asked.
'Do the French still know how to have fun?' Sirius asked at the same time.
Susan glared at Sirius and the man ducked in his seat, causing a small smile to cross Susan's face.
Remus smirked at Sirius before he turned back to Harry.
'So, you enjoyed your evening?' the werewolf asked, and Harry sighed.
Harry looked at his mother, who wore a wide smile.
'I'm glad you had fun dear, it's clear you both did after seeing the photo in the paper.' She said, and Harry's face turned red and continued eating in silence while the Marauders laughed at him.
Holly patted his shoulder with a knowing grin.
James cleared his throat.
'In all seriousness, not now Sirius-' he glared at Sirius, who ducked back down in his chair again.
'I'm glad you two had fun. But now we have three weeks before the Quidditch World Cup.' He started and Harry cocked his head toward his father, his action echoed by Holly and Susan.
James blinked.
'Creepy. Anyway, either myself or Amelia will have every day off, we'll take it in turns, and we'll take this opportunity to train the three of you.' James said with a smirk.
Harry straightened, and Holly leaned forward.
'But you're already training us?' she asked, and James' smirk grew.
'We haven't been training you with magic.' He said with a wink.
[A/N: There have been a couple of reviews that rightly mention my math's for the Room of Requirements time dilation was incorrect. My original calculations were wrong and I have since updated earlier chapters to reflect this.
The correct time ratio in the room is 4:1, or 4 hours in the Room to 1 hour out of the room. Friday 1800 - Monday 0600 = 57 hour weekend.
Multiply that by 4 to get 228 hours (9.5 days) of expanded time.
Subtract 2 (the normal number of days in a weekend) from 9.5 to get 7.5 "extra" days.
Harry is at Hogwarts approx. 40 weeks of the year.
So multiply 7.5 by 40 to get 300 extra days a year.
He's been at Hogwarts for 3 years now, so that's approx. 900 extra days (2.46 years) by the end of 3rd year. I apologise for my miscalculations, it turns out that I kind of suck at math's. If I have still got my math's wrong, please let me know so I can fix it.]