The TARDIS materialised at The Burrow in the front garden on Boxing Day haven made their escape for the Tyler flat. The Doctor and Rose walked out and shut the door behind them.
"Are you sure he's here?" The Doctor asked excitedly.
"Yes, Fred and George told me he's living here at the moment until Hogwarts reopens next September. He's going to be going back to finish his NEUWTs since he spent seventh year traipsing all over the country looking for horcruxes and avoiding Voldemort. Also don't act like an over excited fan boy, sure he's used to it by now but Harry hates it."
"I know, but it's Harry Potter. I remember reading the books as a kid along with you, Narvin and Koschei in the Killoran Blood Rose section of the park, all four of us hiding from our parents."
"Was much better than the stuffy old textbooks we were supposed to be reading at least. Haven lived through some of it, Reta really did outdo herself in the dramatics department. I'm just glad to have been innocuous enough to never make it in them."
"You mean there wasn't a troll in the corridor that tried to take out the girls toilets on Halloween?"
"Well yes there was and Hermione could have gotten hurt but—"
"What about fluffy?"
"Unless your Snape, fluffy really is just a typical Hadeian Cerberus. Looks mean, has three heads, and sleeps to music, but is about as harmless as they come. Just wants to play all the time and get belly rubs. Just don't play fetch then all three heads will fight each other to get the ball."
"What about the Basilisk, and Tom Riddle possessing Ginny?"
"Yes, but not too loud it's a sensitive subject around here."
"The whole thing with Scabbers?"
"Yes ok. That happened as well, and Sirius Black decided to be a rampaging idiot determined to commit the murder he was imprisoned for in the first place. Look I know it all sounds bad when said out loud like that but it just didn't seem as bad somehow when living through it. Look just act like normal when we're talking to Harry okay? No, no, no, no, on second thought don't act like normal! Act like someone who has manners and isn't going to be chased out of the house by Molly with a wooden spoon because he stuck his fingers in the jam jar."
"Me stick my fingers in the jam jar? I'd never do something so obnoxious. Unless it's marmalade. Love marmalade, then it's difficult to wait long enough to get a spoon."
Rose just rolled her eyes and headed towards the door and knocked. The door flew open and she was engulfed in the exuberantly affectionate arms of Molly Weasley.
"Oh Rose! You're alive! Fred, George, and Percy came back sputtering nonsense about you being alive, aliens, spaceships and a sword fight. It's good to know they were telling the truth about the alive part."
"But mum, it's all true!" Percy insisted, "When have you ever known me to just go along with Fred and George and their pranks?"
"But aliens? Don't be daft Percy. Fred and George had to have put you up to it. Although why you're continuing to defend them while they're not here I'll never know."
"It's all very true. Rose was amazing. I was asleep for most of it I'm afraid. I'm the Doctor by the way."
"Call me Molly everyone does." Mrs Weasley replied.
"Well Molly, if you don't believe Rose is actually an alien, well she's been unable to breathe for a while now. Not so bad for our species, we can usually last an average of about a half hour without breathing." The Doctor informed her.
Molly remembered herself and let go of the death grip she had on Rose. "I'm sorry dear, are you okay?"
"I'm fine Mrs Weasley. Like he said, we can go a lot longer than that. Is Harry here? I heard he was staying with you and he had been looking for me."
"Harry's out the back, he's been helping Arthur with his muggle item collection. He'd be glad to see you alive and well, go on out there dear."
"Thank you Mrs Weasley."
"It's Molly dear. You're not a child anymore."
"Thanks Molly," Rose corrected and dragged the Doctor with her to stop him from gaping at the house, it was just as described in the books and she didn't need him going on an inconvenient fanboy rant. They got out the back and headed towards where Harry was conveniently describing what a toaster is to Mr Weasley.
"It's a really nice toaster too!" The Doctor exclaimed and picked the toaster out of a bewildered Harry Potter's hands. "Did you know the first electric toaster was invented in 1905, the year Albert Marsh developed the Nichrome wire, making the electric toaster possible. The first toaster was named 'El Tosto.' It was a bit of a nightmare to use compared to modern toasters but it worked. The first modern day, fully automated pop up toaster was invented in 1926, it was called the Toastmaster One-A-One. Of course the toaster did not really take off until after 1933, when sliced bread was invented. This appears to be a more modern Ariete AR5514 Vintage 2-Slice Toaster made to look like a toaster from the 1950s."
"Sorry about him. That's the Doctor. He could go on about toasters all day. He and his brother collect them and it's gotten rather out of hand, with the two of them always trying to outdo each other. But at least the toaster rant should somewhat convince you he's not somehow Barty Crouch Junior, after all he does somewhat look like him." Rose explained to Harry. Arthur however acted like he had just found his new best friend as the Doctor continued to explain things about how toasters and then electricity worked.
"At least it looks like I get out of helping sort out the shed. Looks like your friend is going to do it all for me," Harry replied wryly.
"Knowing the both of them, they could be in there a while," Rose agreed as she watched the Doctor follow Mr Weasley into the shed.
"So you really are okay then?"
"Yes, I'm fine. Just went travelling with the Doctor and well, time machine. Twelve months, not twelve hours. He can be a terrible driver sometimes."
"Fred, George and Percy are telling the truth then about you being an alien hidden as a human and a sword fight on a spaceship." Harry stated like he was stating two plus two is four.
"Yea. I don't actually have to convince you?"
"Not really, my life is so weird sometimes, why not one of my friends being actually a time travelling alien. At this point it makes perfect sense. I'm just glad it wasn't me that had to have a sword fight this time," Harry explained. "So can you really turn into a giant wolf?"
"Out of everything that's what you ask? It's not that different to animagi after all. Just it's something we can all do. Know a guy who could turn into a golden lion with wings. A couple of my best friends who have been married to each other for hundreds of years, Ross and Naomi, could turn into these deer-like creatures only they look like female deers on earth, even the males. Biggest difference is they're savanna creatures and the grass in our home world was red so they're coat is a red colour with light orange spots instead of white. A golden coloured wolf is nothing compared to them."
"Maybe. But Fred and George couldn't stop talking about it."
Rose sighed and shifted form for Harry to see. She stood as tall as Harry's while on all four of her legs. 'Happy?'
"You can also use telepathy like they said as well."
'Yes well I could also speak to you in Dahrama but I doubt you'd be able to understand me. So ergo I use telepathy when in this form. Unless I'm talking to my twin brother. Picked one of those up after becoming time lord again. There is some of the best curse words to call people in that language that just don't translate properly into any other language.' Rose changed back to human again and sat on a garden bench. "Harry, I need to ask you for some help."
"Help with what?" Harry asked, a little intrigued.
"I need to borrow your invisibility cloak. I'll bring it right back I swear. It's just I'm going to have to come uncomfortably close to crossing my own timeline. I'm sure you remember you can't meet yourself when time travelling."
"Why? What are you doing Rose?"
"I need to go back and talk to Dumbledore. You see when I became Rose Tyler it was because of an accident with a time machine we call a TARDIS, or if you're boring just a time capsule. We had six pilots in that TARDIS all of us got turned into babies. Not really knowing what to do we had our biology rewritten and our memories stored in a container that if opened we would change back and remember everything. With me so far?" Rose asked.
"And what, you were placed with different parents here and there to raise you?"
"Yes. Most of the time the families no doubt were none the wiser."
"So what has this got to do with Dumbledore?"
"Well you see, the phoenix is actually native to Gallifrey, although there are quite a few that made it here to Earth. It's just I recognise Faulks he was the familiar of the oldest member of my crew, who also has been known to meddle with Hogwarts even as a Time Lord. We would have all been placed at different times, but probably not so far away from each other we'd not be able to find each other. He might be able to figure out who the others are because they probably all or at least most, went to Hogwarts."
"Fine I'll lend you the cloak, but on one condition."
"What?" Rose asked Harry.
"You take me with you. I've things I need to say to him."
"Alright. Maybe we'll get lucky and land in the summer, but otherwise keep the cloak on along with me because we can't be seen."
"Fine."
-x-x-x-
Six hours later…
"So Harry, you've decided to come with us for a quick trip to the past then?" The Doctor asked as Harry looked around the control room of the TARDIS, while the Doctor ate a huge slab of the banana cake that Molly insisted on baking for him. She heard it was one of his favourites from Rose while he was having way too much fun with Arthur in the shed. He spent most of the time he was there happily explaining objects, their history, and how they worked to a delighted Mr Weasley.
"Yes, I have unfinished business I need to talk to Dumbledore about. Don't worry. I know. Rose explained about not doing anything to change my timeline. I just got some complaints I need to get off my chest."
The Doctor raised an eyebrow. "Some complaints? Only some?"
"Well I did get a lot of it off of my chest at the end of fifth year. Quite dramatically considering how badly I damaged his office. Not one of my greatest moments."
"Yes well you were only a teenager, and had a lot to complain about I'm sure," The Doctor reassured Harry. "I know you wanted to go see your friend Rose, but why can't we just go by the Letaliter Sanctio magical bizarre by the great river on Nocte Three to pick up another invisibility cloak I've got no idea."
"I can't go to Nocte Three. They have my bio signatures so it doesn't matter that I've regenerated since then," Rose complained.
"What? Why not?" The Doctor asked.
"Had an assignment to stop something from happening there. The Master was involved. Even though I was the one that stopped him I got blamed as well by the authorities. Narvin wasn't willing to pay for a decent lawyer so I got out of dodge before the court date. On the advice from the lawyer he did send me."
"Wait. What kind of lawyer tells you to leave the planet before a court date?" Harry couldn't help asking as he examined one of the coral struts.
"A Kadeptian one. Some guy named Jack McSpringheel, that his brother." she pointed at the Doctor. "recommended and had under his employ at some point in his time stream as a bartender in Legion City of all places, so therefore could get cheap. The lawyer got me out of jail on bail, the Master extradited back to Gallifrey, and as soon as I made bail got us both to make a run for my TARDIS and leave."
"They didn't demand your return from the council?" The Doctor was curious now.
"They tried, but you know what they're like in the Nocte system. They really don't make the best politicians, they're very good at making powerful magic artefacts but terrible at politics. They stood no chance against even one of the lower councils on Gallifrey yet alone the high council. After all on Gallifrey they've made an art form out of politics, backroom dealing, and getting away with things. Before they knew what hit them they were agreeing that they would drop all charges on the condition I never go back there." Rose replied as she finished helping the Doctor input the flight controls. "Honestly I felt a little sorry for them. Also glad that I was given the choice of the Patrexean and Cerulean academies in account of our father and mother belonging to those chapters respectively, and not made to go to our sponsor's one. Me and Narvin would make terrible politicians."
"Chapters?" Harry asked as he made his way over to the console to get a closer look at the central column.
"Much like houses at Hogwarts, only there's more of them and it's much more drawn over family bloodlines rather than personality traits. Also what chapter you're pretty much born into your stuck in even when you don't fit in. Getting permission to change your chapter is very rare and only people like Rose and her brother who have parents from two different chapters ever really get a choice, and even then it's between those two," The Doctor answered hiding his bitterness deep down that he never had a choice. Him and his siblings all pretty much didn't fit in, although Brax could make a good show of pretending he did. The two brothers were a lot more alike than they pretended to be.
"I'm in Patrex along with my brother, we're supposed to be the artistic types. In reality very few have much imagination and if they do they get it squashed by very rigid views of constitutes art at the academy. My brother can paint if he wants to for example but his hearts isn't really in it. He loves sculpting instead but the instructors always said it was foolishness because that was the job of nano-assemblers. I actually do like painting as well as music, two acceptable forms of art. Well so long as you don't make that racket I'd make otherwise known as Rock 'n' Roll. My brother formed a band with me and other like minded students while I started sculpting. We did it to be in solidarity with each other."
"You know, I could see you in a rock band, but Narvin? Really?" He started hitting switches and turning dials on the console in tandem with Rose, who surreptitiously undid mistakes he made when not looking. "Better hold on Harry, this is gonna be a rough one thanks to all the psionic energy in the vicinity of Hogwarts, also why we can't guarantee when we'll end up landing. It causes a lot of interference."
The TARDIS shook violently as the central column started moving. The Doctor and Rose ran around pressing things, flipping switches, and turning dials. They started yelling out instructions to Harry of things for him to do on the console and he took to it like a duck to water, as he braced himself as best he could yet started laughing. He hadn't had a thrill like this since playing quidditch.
They landed and all fell over with a thump. Rose and the Doctor got up first laughing, and Rose helped Harry get up. "That was a fun one." She turned towards the Doctor. "We named our band 'the sculptors', I played lead guitar, and Narvin was on the drums. People tend to believe the straight laced image he's cultivated and for the most part it's true. Just remember he didn't get to where he was by being that way, he got plenty of repressed rebel inside there." Rose looked at the monitor to see when they were. "Hogwarts, during what should be the summer holidays between your fifth and sixth year, Harry. We should be fine, since we seem to have hit when we were aiming for, better have the cloak ready just in case though."
The three of them left the TARDIS to find themselves next to the stone Gargoyle leading to Dumbledore's office. "Any idea what the password is?" The Doctor asked, scratching his head.
"Usually some sort of sweet. I've guessed it before a few times," Harry replied as he looked around in awe. None of the damage that was in his version of Hogwarts after the battle was there. "We've really gone back in time two and a half years."
"That's nothing, just a short hop really. Maybe we can get to show you something truly amazing soon as we're done here," The Doctor boasted.
'You're you again I see.' Rose heard in her mind and perked up. It sounded like a TARDIS but wasn't.
'Who are you?' She sent back to it.
'They call me Hogwarts, I've watched this form you're in grow but I was unable to reach you then. Part of you seemed to be elsewhere.'
'Wait, you're the school? Well of course you are. You're an eleven dimensional being, not much different to the Gallifreyan houses.'
'One of my creators, the one who gave me sentience is here too, he appears to be in a similar state to what you were. As well as one other, he's like you where too.'
'Yes well he was from a house of coral growers. It doesn't surprise me now I think about it that he used some in your construction. I don't suppose you could let me into his office? I'm here to help.'
'Please help, he may die for real this time. The prydonian is doing his best but I doubt it will last.'
The Gargoyle jumped out of the way mid guess as the Doctor and Harry shouted out random names of sweets at it. "What?" The Doctor asked.
"I asked Hogwarts to let us in. It's very worried about Godric and agreed readily."
"You asked Hogwarts? Godric?" Harry couldn't help but ask.
"Turns out Hogwarts is sentient. Not surprising really. I got this gift for talking to eleventh dimensional beings. So does Godric and who I suspect to be Ross, or Rossadelaser. At least that's their real names anyway. Or what they normally go by at least. Names are complicated things on Gallifrey," Rose replied. "Hogwarts said the Prydonian so I assume it's Ross, and not your son Doctor, because his patronus would be mistaken for a wolf not a doe."
"For a Cerulean Godric Gryffindor always was an interfering old coot. It really doesn't surprise me he turned out to be Dumbledore," the Doctor added as they started going up the spiral staircase. Refusing to show his disappointment they most likely haven't found his youngest.
"Wait…. Godric Gryffindor… as in the founder Godric Gryffindor?" Harry asked as he paused for a moment.
"Yes. He's a Time Lord who actually replaced the original because the Daleks killed the original, back in the first shots across the bow of the Time War. He's been coming and going in various guises over the years to watch over the school," Rose answered as he encouraged Harry to move forward again.
Petty soon they got to the top of the stairs where Snape had just finished having the argument he'd given Harry the memories of back in the Shrieking Shack. They walked into the office and Rose winced looking at Dumbledore's arm.
"Mr Potter, Ms Tyler what are you doing here and is that Barty Crouch Jr?" Snape asked incredulously.
"Oi, why does everyone keep saying that? I really don't see the resemblance. I'm the Doctor."
"The Doctor? Doctor who exactly?" Snape asked but the name was a familiar buzz in his head.
"Just the Doctor thanks. You know me, we're even distantly related like pretty much everyone in the Prydonian Chapter," the Doctor replied nonchalant and not in the slightest bothered by Snape's scowl. "You even were in the same year at the academy as my older brother, Bax. Irving Braxiatel? The icicle? Remember him? No. Gosh they really did do a good job programming you to be Severus Snape. Rossadelaser is a little dramatic at times but not so broody and petty. I guess I'd be broody and petty if I was made human along with my bond mate and chased her away to another man by having a bad attitude and refusing to get over that teenage petty behaviour. Oh yes you had an abusive father as a human child, and I'll grant you that's a pretty good reason to act up. But you're what? In your forties and still holding a grudge against an innocent child? Really?"
Snape actually punched the Doctor in the face. "I love that boy like he's my own! I just can't show that because of the old ballasted meddler over there!" He pointed to Dumbledore who was looking on in a mixture of awe and confusion at the way things have suddenly turned. "My head! It hurts! What did you do?!"
"Noting, ust ump arted the Time Lord art of you. You're remembering. I tink you broke tny dose." The Doctor replied.
"You kind of deserved it," Rose admonished him, helped him reset it which hurt a bunch and stood back. "You probably should fix that." She turned to the man holding his head in fiery agony. "The watch. The one that's glowing in your pocket, open it."
"But, he was just a dream. I dreamed I was another man, who had the love of his life by his side… it was made up. I made it up to help get through the darkness."
The Doctor stopped fussing and used some of his energy to heal his nose back to its preborken state. "No. I'm afraid Severus Snape is the dream. I'm guessing you and Naomi replaced the original Lily and Severus just like Godric there did with the original founder of Hogwarts as well as probably Albus Dumbledore. The Daleks was very adamant about messing with Hogwarts and particularly Harry. Totally changing events. All three of you were CIA after all. Blimey was there anyone on your crew who wasn't CIA Rose?"
"Zaidin. But other than him no not really. I mean it takes a curtain type of person to do what we were doing. Typically those people either end up as renegades or recruited by the CIA." Rose looked towards Snape. "Ross, damn it open the watch before the safety triggers and opens it up for you. It will only hurt worse the longer you wait."
"Don't call me Ross," he snapped out before he opened the watch and was engulfed in golden energy causing him to fall to the floor writhing in pain before going unconscious.
"Doctor?" Rose asked with baited breath as he stood by the newly changed back man.
"He's got a steady pulse in both hearts, he should wake up soon."
She let out a relieved breath. "Was it really necessary to enrage his true self enough to make him start to change back like that?"
"He's lost his bond mate. You know they weren't just married but bonded. Have been for a good eight hundred years. That part of him was desperately hiding because he didn't want to live without her. There was no way just talking to him and asking nicely was going to work," the Doctor replied.
"Yea but, was it the right thing to do? They were both my friends. Rossadelaser was the one who took me under his wing and trained me after Narvin talked me into joining him in the CIA. He loved her so much, and so fully, it seems almost cruel to wake him."
"What are the two of you talking about?" Harry started, "Back in the Shrieking Shack before I went to face Voldemort and Snape lay dying from Nagini's poison. He gave me a memory to show me… How he had grown up with my mother and loved her. Always loved her and he had hurt her. It's why he's done everything he's done to stop Voldemort. He also showed me the memory of the argument he just had with you. It's ultimately why I forgave Snape for everything. He was played as badly as I've been."
Harry turned and glared daggers at the old man. "That was your plan all along?! To sacrifice me! All the things I went through at this school, you could have prevented! You must have what? Thought it was good sport and training? All the time making me think that you actually cared about me!"
"Harry my boy—"
"Don't my boy me! I wasn't your boy! I was your tool! Just like the man laying down unconscious over there. You know what the worst of it is? The worst part of all of it? I actually agree with it because there really wasn't another way. Rose told me she could go back or forwards in time. That I can come here with her so long as I don't change the course of events or I'd break the universe or something. I just needed to get all that off my chest before you die."
"I'm sorry Harry." Dumbledore slumped down onto his chair looking tired and defeated. "For what it's worth, I wish it didn't have to be that way either. That your parents were alive and well and that you didn't have to go through any of it. I don't have long left do I?" He looked at his cursed arm.
"Only until the end of the next school year," Harry replied as he slumped down onto one of the visitors' chairs on the other side of Dumbledore's desk, the anger gone.
"Actually by the state of that curse I'd say you only have, maybe two hours. Then there will be a great big paradox, since both Harry and myself remember you dying a lot later than that," Rose corrected.
"Which is why, we're not going to have to play dirty because you're going to open the watch yourself willingly, because it's the only way to save yourself at this point," the Doctor added.
"I still have no idea what you two are going on about. What watch? What's that got to do with anything?" Dumbledore asked. "Also what did you do to Severus?"
"Just made him wake up is all, and it's your turn. You're really a Time Lord at least twice my age, and I'm much older than I look. You're from the planet Gallifrey. I think you dream of it sometimes. Red grass and orange sky with twin suns in the sky," Rose commented. "If you do so voluntarily it shouldn't be as bad as his because he was fighting it. The watch is right there on your desk. You always have it nearby yet never notice it."
"This? This Miss Tyler is just an old watch, it doesn't even work."
"Then why not open it?" The Doctor asked this time.
Rossadelaser, formally known, much to his chagrin, as Severus Snape, made it known he's awake. "Just do it Godric. She's right, it's the only way and we still have parts to play." He looked to Rose. "I don't care if my animal form is a prey animal compared to you predators. Rose when I find your brother I'm going to rip him to shreds. He programmed the chameleon arch and personality so well. Also when I'm done I'm going to find Reta Skeeter and squish that bug."
"You know it had to be done to keep the web of time together," Rose replied. "Don't mean we have to like it, but you know as well as I do how important it is that Harry was born and that he kills Voldemort, to earth and heck by proxy the whole Galaxy's history. That Reta Skeeter writes the books about everything that happens. That's a major breakthrough that helps reunite the muggle and wizarding world, together with changes Harriet Jones will make that will revolutionise the education system in the magical world. She'll make it so the government pays for any child with magical ability and a proper British birth certificate to go to Hogwarts. More muggle born children than ever will start coming, and even old blood families will start registering their kids' births out of self interest. They will gradually start to integrate and fresh new ideas will start to form."
"Yes I know. A new golden age, and a very important one for their history. I'd say it's what my wife, my bond mate of eight hundred years, Naomi sacrificed herself for. But we all know she did it for her son. Even if she was still herself at the time and not Lily Potter she'd still have done it."
He stormed up to the old man who was looking at the watch like he had seen it for the first time and placed a protective hand on Harry. They watched as Dumbledore opened the watch and was encased in a golden light that soon dissipated after much strangled crying. When it was clear the time lord was back in charge and changed back from being human by the sudden weight of even more years in his eyes Ross spoke, "We have our parts to play. And I will play along out of necessity. But as soon as my part is over that's it. I won't let you or anyone else play games with Harry's life. He may not be mine by blood, but he is the son of my bond mate. I invoke my right to claim him as mine by adoption. I will not further spit on her memory by degrading and insulting or allowing into danger what she died for."
"That's your right Rossadelaser, and he doesn't actually have to do anything dangerous after Voldemort's defeat," the newly awakened Godric replied.
"I still don't get what you're both going on about," Harry stated.
"Your mother, Lilly. She was like us." Rossadelaser explained, "An alien in disguise. Before she got accidentally turned into a baby her name was Naomiherrajurritssavanamas. Quite a mouthful I know, most Gallifreyan public names are unless they change them later like the Doctor and Godric both have. Everyone called her Naomi. We had been together since we met eight hundred years ago. You had two half siblings, or still could. It really depends if they made it out like we did, and I hope they have. There was a war. A very terrible war. One far worse than Riddle could ever dream of. We all escaped by not being Time Lords when the time lock that locked away the war to save the entire universe from destruction went up. I take it by how empty everything feels you had no choice but to stop them Doctor?"
"I'm sorry, if there was another way I would have done it."
"This talk is all crazy. My mother was human. I was forced to stay with my aunt all those years because of my mother's blood running in my aunt and protecting me," Harry interrupted.
"Yes well. Probably a good thing all the other protections we put in place worked. We got that one wrong, but really how were our human selves to know?" Godric replied.
"How do you know for sure she was really this other person?!" Harry was getting angry again.
"My soul will always recognise hers. It doesn't matter if we were both human. Also her patronus was her animal form. Very easy to mistake as a earth doe," Ross tried to explain.
"How do I know any of this is real?" Harry just continued. "I mean this whole regeneration thing sounds stupid and unbelievable anyway!"
"Perhaps, seeing is believing," Godric replied. He held up his cursed arm which was flickering in golden light. "You all probably should stand well back because this is going to be a rather explosive one."
"How are you going to play the part of Dumbledore if you regenerate?" Ross asked worriedly.
"Probably use a shimmer. People might detect if I use magic to alter my appearance but no one will be looking for alien technology. Sorry Rossadelaser but Rose was right. There really isn't another way to do this. Riddle had to find the one curse to attach to that blasted ring that is also deadly to Time Lords. Even the killing curse doesn't work on us. Besides if Rose, a former member of the Pythia who knows secrets of magical healing we could only dream about can't fix this without me regenerating there is little else to do."
"Nothing I can do without using the Elixir I'm afraid, and I don't have any. Could probably symphysis something similar using the Philosopher's stone, but that would take months," Rose replied sombrely.
"The Elixir isn't all it's cracked up to be, I had to take it twice. First time to resurrect me for twelve minutes, the second to control a regeneration before I died again," the Doctor added.
"Twelve minutes? Who told you something stupid like that?" Rose asked.
"Ohila?"
Rose sighed. "This was right before you actually got involved in the war wasn't it?" When the Doctor just nodded in response, Rose actually face palmed for a moment groaning into her hand. "You were played."
"Wait what?" The Doctor asked as he got as far away from Godric as possible along with Rose, and Rossadelaser dragged Harry away with him to the far side of the room.
"The Elixir of Life from the sacred flame on Karn doesn't work that way. It would either bring you back to life fully, or not at all. Don't ask me why Ohila wanted you to regenerate and for what reason, I don't know. It is true they can use it to make a potion that will control a regeneration, it's how they make sure everyone regenerates into a female when it's time. I just had an accident that made me regenerate too soon to take it and ended up male so I left. But if you hadn't drank the potion they no doubt tricked you into drinking in some dramatic fashion knowing Ohila, you would've been fine," Rose explained while ducking behind a large object.
Then the only thing that you could describe it as was that golden light exploded out of the Time Lord who was once Albus Dumbledore and he started to change in front of their eyes. His long beard grew in reverse and disappeared into his chin, his facial structure itself started to change, his hair grew shorter, but he was still the same height and build. When the golden energy dissipated the office was in shambles and Faulks was glaring down at Godric from the rafters, looking a little singed, his perch totally decimated.
"I'm sorry Faulks. I really didn't have any control," the new man said to his familiar as he examined his now flawless skin on his arm. He was handsome, with a strong jawline and cheekbones, green eyes that still twinkled just like his blue ones could, and deep auburn coloured hair. "I was just concentrating on staying the same height and build so it would be easier to use a shimmer. Glad that actually worked since my old clothes still fit."
"What? What just happened?" Harry asked, a little shocked.
"What we were telling you about. Regeneration. We don't normally have much control over it, it's actually a minor miracle he's the same size and build like he wanted," Ross answered for him. "It's something a Time Lord does to cheat death, but it makes us look like a whole new person. The soul inside though is always the same. Our animal forms much like a patronus reflects that, which is why our forms stay the same for the most part. There is a genetic component to it as well making it likely to have the same form as our parents, but sometimes something odd will crop up from mutated or recessive genes. I had an uncle who was a teleshrew, among a house filled with fiannabaineann."
"I actually have two animal forms because of my bond with Faulks. Phoenix and a golden gryphon which the house I founded was named after," Godric remarked as he started to look at himself in a mirror he just repaired.
"It's one thing to kind of accept I was an alien earlier, it's another to actually be confronted with it. For what it's worth I didn't know your mother was one of us before we came here, or Snape," Rose said as she walked up to a startled and still trying to accept it all Harry.
"You're really Dumbledore, who was actually Godric Gryffindor and a Time Lord disguised as a human. My mother was also one of you disguised as a human, and before that was married to Snape, who is also really a disguised Time Lord. Great. Now my life has gone from being a fantasy novel, to a soap opera," Harry bemoaned.
"Or really bad fan fiction," Rose added.
"Not helping," Harry shot back. "What does that make me?"
"Most likely human with a tiny bit of gallifreyan mixed in. There's always some gallifreyan still present on the genetic level after using the chameleon arch. Would have to do a scan in the TARDIS to find out for sure," the Doctor answered. "Probably just meansggv you'll live a little longer, better immune system, can survive on less food and water, and your magic is stronger."
"OK I can see the immune thing because I rarely get sick, even the bit about surviving on less food and water since Uncle Vernon would make sure I got little, especially when I was locked in the cupboard. Even Aunt Petunia thought he went overboard on that and would sneak me extra when he was away. But is my magic stronger? Hardly. I mean Hermione could do things much better than me."
"Skill does not always equate to power. Although Hermione is an incredibly powerful and talented witch, if you're measuring up to what she can do no wonder you think you're not powerful," Ross told him. "Also, don't tell her I said that. There is nothing she can do that you can't. You just didn't apply yourself is all. When it mattered to you, you could do amazing feats of magic. I've never heard of a third year managing to make a fully corporal patronus. Then you went on to teach all your friends how in fifth year. No you definitely are very capable."
"How did you know about that?" Harry couldn't help asking.
"I know a lot of things that go on in this castle. Including a lot of what you and your friends got up to. I only stepped in if you seemed likely to hurt yourself or someone else, or to keep you on your toes every now and again," Ross replied. "Had you ever been diagnosed with a learning disability when in the muggle school system?"
"No… I don't think they would have even bothered looking to be honest. I'm fine though."
"Of course you are Harry. It's just I suspect you might have an attention deficiency disorder. You may not have been as bad as Longbottom but you always seemed to have problems concentrating for long periods of time in my class. We should probably get it checked out when our timelines match up again."
"But—"
"I may be wrong, but if I'm not it's not something to be ashamed of. It doesn't mean you're stupid or any of the other stigmas attached to it in this time period. It just means you think differently which can be a good thing," Ross interrupted.
"I've got the Gallifreyan equivalent of ADHD, and a mild Aspergers. I did ok. My brother has Aspergers equivalent worse than me but less ADHD and he managed to get high up in the government of our people before the war," The Doctor uncharacteristically divulged as he helped Godric put the room back in order. "So, I need to go find a shimmer for you in my TARDIS?"
"Yes preferably before Minerva comes along and finds us all in here, my office still in shambles, and me in Dumbledore's clothes. That would take a lot of explaining," Godric answered.
Ross actually let out a snort of laughter. "You know, it would almost be worth it just to see her reaction."
"Before we go get you sorted out, Godric, I have to ask. Is there anyone else you saw go through Hogwarts that could also be one of us."
"Other than Lilly, Severus, and yourself, no one. Well except Hermione Granger, but alas she's just a talented human witch. I asked Hogwarts, she doesn't remember there being any others like us.
x-x-x-x-x
It took them a few hours but eventually they got Godric a shimmer. A shimmer is a device you wear, then it projects a hologram over the top if you so you look like someone else. The two other Time Lords also looked around the TARDIS for other technology that will work despite all the radiant psionic energy, and help them pull off their plan to keep the timelines straight but also fake their deaths.
The Doctor couldn't resist showing off to Harry though. First they went to New Earth where Harry ended up getting taken over by Cassandra, the living trampoline for a while, and they ended up saving a whole new species of humans from being experimented on by cat nuns. Next the Doctor tried to take them to see an Ian Dury concert, but ended up in Scotland during the nineteen century and met Queen Victoria. The Queen got herself in a spot of trouble with an alien werewolf, which Rose thought off, tooth and claw in her dahrama form, until it drowned in moonlight. The three of them got knighted by the Queen and subsequently banished right after.
They finally arrived back at the Weasley's House, two weeks, not two hours later. Harry got a scolding from Mrs Weasley who had long since accepted him as one of her own, then so did the Doctor for being late. Rose just sat back and watched saying in a sing-song voice that she wasn't the one to pilot the TARDIS, nope the Doctor had insisted he could do it himself without her help.
There was the distinct noise of another time capsule as it materialised and a large tree which was not previously there was beside the Doctor's TARDIS. A door opened in the trunk and two familiar figures walked out and knocked on the door. Mrs Weasley opened the door and not recognising them just politely asked, "Yes can I help you?"
"Oh it's great to see you again Molly. I'm also glad everyone in your family made it out of the war intact," Godric exclaimed, Faulks sitting on his shoulder.
"Do I know you?" Mrs Weasley asked, confused.
"You've regenerated Albus you idiot," Rossadelaser explained.
"Yes but you haven't. I guess a haircut and a dye job really did work Severus," the other man replied a little shocked. Rossadelaser had cut and styled his hair short with a number three razor around the sides of his head and scissored at the top, with some strands spiked up a bit, but no longer looking greasy and was now a mousey brown colour.
"Wait." Molly took a closer look. "Severus Snape? What have you done to your hair and you've got some nerve coming here. I don't care if you had worked out some stupid plot with Dumbledore, you still killed him."
"I'm right here Molly, and very much not dead. I just regenerated is all. I'm sorry I had to fake my death for events to play out the way they where supposed to."
"Albus?" Molly asked a little incredulously.
"When you were a little girl and just started Hogwarts, you told me you missed being at home after I found you hiding and crying in an alcove. I told you that it was ok to miss your home, and I missed my own home as well."
"Albus Dumbledore! How could you just leave us like that and pretend to be dead! After everything we all went through, and especially everything Harry, Ron and Hermione went through!"
"I know, and I'm sorry. I really didn't have much choice. I still helped out when I could, just had to be less noticeable. Severus please tell her I didn't have a choice."
"No he really didn't, and stop calling me Severus. Just because you decided you were attached to your human name and decided to keep it doesn't mean I want anything to do with mine. I'm going back to my gallifreyan public name thanks."
"Sorry Ross," Albus replied with a glint in his eye.
"It's Rossadelaser, not Ross," he growled as the other assembled Time Lords laughed.
"I don't get it. Why does he hate being called Ross so much?" Harry asked.
"His name translated means 'stone skipping over a river of time', whereas Ross by itself is a gallifreyan word for a type of very smelly fish," Rose explained.
"So what are you doing here and why now?" Molly asked before there could be any arguments.
"Just came to see Harry, we promised we would when our timelines matched up again," Rossadelaser explained. "We also wanted to test the TARDIS we just finished carving."
"Where did you get the coral? It takes a thousand years to grow it to a large enough size to make a TARDIS," The Doctor asked surprised and excited.
"It's been growing at the bottom of the lake outside Hogwarts since well before the castle was even built. I put it there, and also know a few techniques to make it grow faster and healthier. There's a few growths big enough and willing to become one down there now. So we've got a good start on things for when we find more of us," Albus answered.
So the two wayward time lords were invited inside and they spent the rest of the night talking with each other and telling anyone interested all sorts of stories of previous adventures.