This was another experimentation with a Time Travel fic. With this one, I wanted to try something a little different- something along the lines of what Crys did in his fic "Different Timeline". An ambitious project, sure, but not an impossible one. Unfortunately, I couldn't go anywhere with it, fortunately, for you guys, it's now the newest entry in the Archive Rejects.
May pick this up at a future date, might not, who's to say?
Let me know if this idea was Good, Bad, or Ugly...
It was yet another restless night for Harry Potter.
It had been that way most of the nights he had spent at Hogwarts... At least in his later years of attending the alma mater of his parents, and of course his earlier months since he came back.
He didn't understand it.
Truly he didn't and he knew it was only a matter of time before his 'cover' was blown. He was pretty sure Dumbledore was already suspicious of him. After all, the last muggle raised half-blood with talent on par with his own was Tom Riddle and, to Harry at least, being compared to THAT particular wizard, for whatever reason, was NEVER a good thing.
At least he hadn't deviated too far from the original timeline, though some things were not on purpose. He was still in Gryffindor as he didn't want to be without Ron and Hermione and, perhaps, even be a better friend to Neville. What he hadn't counted on though was how childish and trivial his friends and their problems seemed to be.
One thing that changed was the fact that Neville hadn't broken his arm during the first flying lesson. Strangely enough, he was still the Gryffindor Seeker. After a late night of trying to figure out once more HOW or WHY he'd come to the past, he decided to unwind with some leisurely flying.
Of course he managed to catch the attention of the ENTIRE Quidditch Team as they made their way out for an early practice, sans Seeker as they hadn't held tryouts yet. It wasn't until he landed that he noticed them and when he saw their astonished looks he knew then that there wasn't anything he could say or do to keep himself off the team.
The biggest deviation, however, came during the Halloween Feast when Quirrel let in the Mountain Troll. As before, Hermione was in the girl's bathroom, and as before Ron and Harry, with Neville of course, rushed immediately to save her. And save her they did, though now Ron Weasley was now known as "The Troll Slayer".
Of course it had been Harry who had killed the Troll, but he had pushed the credit on a very surprised and still slightly shocked Ron, much to the confusion of their friends. Though he reveled in the attention, Ron couldn't help but feel guilty at taking credit for defeating the Troll. However, he and the other two had been silenced to secrecy by Harry.
As much as some things changed, others stayed the same.
Severus Snape was every bit as nasty and bitter as Harry remembered. However, now The Boy Who Lived had a better understanding of the vile man's feelings and thoughts so instead of being angry and defiant towards the Potion's Master as before, he merely pitied him. It was something that seemed to only make Snape even more hostile towards him.
So lost in thought walking in the shadows of the castle, he had not realized where exactly it was that he was headed. Of course when he realized where he was, he couldn't bite back the curse that immediately left his lips.
"Bloody hell..." he swore under his breath, his gaze transfixed on the enchanted mirror not too far from him, "If there was anything I didn't ever want to see again..."
Harry took an involuntary step back as he shook his head and turned immediately out the door when he was stopped by the voice of another.
"I have seen many different reactions to that mirror, but that has never been one of them," said the aged voice of Albus Dumbledore. "Is there anything you'd like to tell me."
Harry didn't have to turn around to know that Dumbledore was not being his usual grandfatherly self, nor would he have to look the wise old man in the eyes to know the ever present twinkle was not present.
At the current moment he was not dealing with Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts, but Albus Dumbledore, Defeater of Gellert Grindlewald.
Slowly pulling out his wand, he dropped it on the ground as he turned around to face the old wizard. He made sure every movement was slow and deliberate. He didn't feel like being knocked unconscious and detained only to be questioned against his will.
"Not really, Professor, but I suppose I don't have much of a choice..." sighed Harry, "Even if I didn't think you would curse me if I even looked at you wrong, you're about the only one I know who can help me with this problem. However, I'd rather we did this in your office... Far away from the Mirror of Erised."
Whatever he was expecting, Dumbledore was not expecting that. His surprise was evident as he raised his eyebrows in shock.
"So, I take it you already know what the mirror does and it's purpose," asked Dumbledore.
"Yes, and I would have probably have eventually gone mad looking at it if you hadn't stopped me the last time I found it," replied Harry honestly. "As I said before, this is a conversation best had in your office, Headmaster."
Dumbledore was shocked that he couldn't detect any lies in the boy's speech, despite the fact that he had never done such a thing. That either meant that the boy was telling the truth or that he was an occulmens. While the second was possible, however unlikely, the first was practically impossible, for many reasons and none of them all meant anything good either.
"Very well," replied Dumbledore, who then wordlessly summoned Harry's dropped holly and phoenix feather wand towards him and then escorted the young time traveler to his office.
As they neared the gargoyle that guarded the stairwell into the Headmasters office, it automatically moved out of the way so that Harry and Dumbledore could enter the latter's office unimpeded.
As Harry entered the office, he smiled at the sight of the familiar red and gold bird in a far corner of the room.
"Hello, Fawkes," Harry greeted the bird. The bird gave a short trill and Harry's smile got a little bigger and more genuine.
Dumbledore watched all this impassively, but like some other things with Harry Potter, nothing seemed to be adding up and he found himself pleasantly surprised. Glancing around the room, he noticed the portraits were also paying close attention to the young boy.
Harry then turned around towards the Headmaster as he made his way to his desk. He sighed; it was time to face the music. Dumbledore kept his watchful gaze on Harry as the boy seemed to be contemplating something.
"Take your time, Harry," said Dumbledore.
"Sorry, Headmaster... I'm just not sure where to begin because I'm still not sure how it all happened..." he said honestly. "Hermione was always better at this sort of stuff than I was."
He took a deep breath, letting it out slowly.
"I suppose you could call me a 'time traveler'," Harry began, though he paused momentarily when he heard a scoff from one of the portraits.
He took a moment to glare at Phineus Nigellus.
"Don't think I won't destroy your other portrait," threatened Harry coldly. "I know exactly where my godfather's ancestral home is and am not above removing it, permanently if need be. As the primary beneficiary of Sirius' will, I will inherit it one day."
That had been news to Albus Dumbledore, who like many of the other portraits, and Phineus himself, was shocked at the cold tone the eleven year old boy had spoken to the aged portrait. There was a deep seated resentment in Harry's tone that should not have been present.
Frowning, Dumbledore decided to redirect Harry's attention. "Why is it that you have come back, Harry?"
"I honestly don't know sir... I went to bed one day, and waking up the next in my old cupboard at Privet Drive," said Harry, "I've been trying to figure out what sent me back, but I haven't come up with anything yet."
Dumbledore got a sour look on his face. He really didn't like the implications of Harry's statement and the casualness at which it was spoken.
"Interesting... Can you think of any reason why someone else would want to send you back?" asked Dumbledore.
Harry thought for a moment before answering. "I suppose my godson might, so he might have a chance to meet his parents and grandfather, but it's unlikely, especially since he's only six. The only thing that I could come up with is that someone else came back and I'm 'just a side effect'."
Dumbledore frowned in thought. "It is possible, I suppose... But there would still have to be a reason."
"Where do you want me to start?" asked Harry, "I'm Harry Potter, weird things have been happening to me since before I was born. A prophesy, surviving the Killing Curse, the Philosopher's Stone, Chamber of Secrets, Ron's Pet Animagus, the Triwizard Tournament, being forced to carve lines into my own hand... I could name more, a lot more actually..."
Harry then looked at the Headmaster's eyes that were widened in astonishment.
"Do I wish I had a camera..." Harry said cheekily. "It's not everyday someone gets the chance to surprise 'The Great' Albus Dumbledore."
"While I am not completely convinced that you are who you say you are, you knowledge of certain objects does give some merit to your credibility," said Dumbledore.
"So what do I have to do or say to get you to believe me?" asked Harry.
Dumbledore seemed to think over his answer a bit before finally coming to a decision. "Tell me why you forced Mr. Weasley to take credit for killing the Troll on Halloween?"
"I guess our story was a bit weak, wasn't it? Especially to an expert Legimens." Harry was slightly disappointed to note that Dumbledore gave no reaction to the mention of a highly restricted branch of magic. "Mostly it was to prevent future problems between us concerning my fame and money. If Ron were to look in the Mirror right now he'd get the image of himself as being both Quidditch Captain and Head Boy. Something that would make him stand out amongst his five older brothers and younger sister. How many of them can ever say they have ever fought a troll, let alone killed one at age eleven," replied Harry easily.
"Ah, but appearances aside, he can not truthfully lay claim to defeating a Troll," Dumbledore countered.
"Why not, Ron was the one who defeated it last time," Harry shot back, "All I did was get my wand stuck in its' nose."
"Be that as it may, Mr. Weasley was not the one who defeated it this time," Dumbledore replied.
"It still happened, even if I'm the only one that remembers it that way," Harry frowned slightly, "It still gives me headaches thinking about it... Second, I really don't need anymore attention than I already have. Despite Professor Snape's claims otherwise, I have never enjoyed the attention garnered by my fame, even the first time around."