The Changed Timeline
by Teddylonglong
All recognizable characters belong to J. K. Rowling, and I am not earning anything by writing this story.
I am not a native speaker of English. Please excuse my mistakes.
COMPLETELY AU! Partly OOC! Time travel!
Finally, Quidditch practice went well, and Harry, Severus and the four captains of the house teams agreed on skipping all house Quidditch practices for the week before the match in favour of daily practices for the Hogwarts team, which took place every evening after dinner. On Friday evening, Harry told his team members that there would be no Quidditch practice on Saturday, instead he expected all members to go to bed early in order to be fresh and fit for the game on Sunday.
As he had much time on Saturday, while everyone else seemed strangely busy with something, Harry decided to pay Amaterasu a visit. After spending a while talking with the basilisk, he resolved to have a look at the potions lab. Walking over into the Slytherin library, he tried to recall what had been written in the book about the potions lab.
One of the bookshelves in the far corner could be moved aside to reveal the entrance to the potions lab. He hesitantly entered the room that was very large and extremely bright in spite of its situation. 'This lab is absolutely perfect,' Harry thought, looking around in amazement. It was complete with everything that one could imagine. There were even more potions ingredients in the shelves than Harry had ever seen before. This lab was so inviting that he thought about brewing a potion. 'What can I brew?' he wondered and, not able to decide on anything useful, he decided to bring Severus at the next opportunity and brew something together with his best friend.
After another close look at the gorgeous lab, he sealed the room like it had been before and made himself comfortable in the room with the fireplace. He lit a fire in the fireplace, much to Amaterasu's please, as she came over and profusely thanked him before making herself comfortable in front of the fireplace. Harry proceeded to sit on the sofa and do his homework until it was time for dinner. Once transformed into Icicle, he flashed directly in front of the Great Hall.
HP
On his way back out of the hall after dinner, Severus caught up with him and asked sternly, "Harry, where have you been? I've been looking for you everywhere."
Harry let out a deep sigh. "Oh, I'm so sorry, I went to explore Slytherin's potions lab, and it's absolutely gorgeous. You'll love it. As soon as possible, we need to go there together."
Severus smiled. "Then we'll do that as soon as we have a quiet minute," he agreed.
HP
Harry's grandfather, Harold Potter, refereed the game, as Madam Hooch who was normally refereeing the games had to play herself. Weeks ago, Harry had sent an owl to his grandfather and asked if he would like to referee for the students versus teachers match, and Mr. Potter had accepted immediately.
Mr. Potter took the microphone. "Welcome to the first game of the Hogwarts Quidditch team in their match against the Hogwarts Teachers' team. Here come the players of the students' team: Deborah Molloy (Ravenclaw, Keeper), Roger Burke (Slytherin, Beater), Donald Quirke (Ravenclaw, Beater), Amelia Bones (Hufflepuff, Chaser), Severus Snape (Slytherin, Chaser and Deputy Captain), James Potter (Gryffindor, Chaser) and Harry Pane (Gryffindor, Seeker and Team Captain). And here are your teachers: Professor Sinistra (Keeper), Pamona Sprout (Beater), Albus Dumbledore (Beater), Filius Flitwick (Chaser), Minerva McGonagall (Chaser and Team Captain), Poppy Pomfrey (Chaser) and Rolanda Hooch (Seeker and Deputy Captain). I wish both teams good luck and hope for a fair and nice Quidditch game."
With that, he released the Snitch and the match began. In comparison to matches that Harry had played against Slytherin, this game was very soft. The teachers played much better than Harry had expected, based on the fact that they were not really a team with regular practices. Nevertheless, they played in a soft way, because they were very careful not to hit students with their Bludgers. Both Keepers were really good, and it took thirty minutes until the teachers managed to bring the score to 10 – 00. Now the students woke up and scored twice in a row, but there was still a long way to go. Harry was hovering over the pitch desperately looking for the Snitch. He knew that he had to catch the Snitch before Madam Hooch caught it, because otherwise the students would not have a chance of winning.
Only once, he caught a glance of the Snitch but was distracted by a Bludger that Dumbledore had sent in his direction, and the Snitch was gone. It took another hour and even began to rain before Harry finally got another glimpse of the Snitch, and he raced downwards until he nearly crashed into the ground with Madam Hooch on his heels. She had watched his stunts often enough to know better, because he pulled up just in time to snatch the Snitch out of the air. He held up his hand and showed the Snitch around, and Mr. Potter announced, "Mr. Pane caught the snitch. The Hogwarts student team wins. Congratulations, students. The final score is 220 – 200."
Dumbledore took the microphone from him. "Congratulations to the Hogwarts team. As it's time for lunch anyway, let's have a victory party for the winning team in the Great Hall."
'The first victory for our team,' Harry thought happily, as he followed his teammates into the changing rooms. The party lasted the whole afternoon, and everyone had much fun. Fortunately, the teachers seemed to not mind that they had lost the first match against their students.
Severus, who was sitting next to Harry most of the time, suddenly spoke to him in a low voice. "Yesterday you told me something about the potions lab in the Chamber of Secrets. Shall we go and have a look?" he queried, quirking an eyebrow.
"All right," Harry immediately agreed. "It's absolutely amazing, and there are more potions ingredients than I've ever seen. I absolutely have to show it to you. Let's go right away. We can brew all potions there; it's much better than the Potions classroom."
Severus was as delighted as Harry had been when he visited the hidden room for the first time, and the two friends decided to come back and use the lab at the next opportunity.
HP
On Monday, McGonagall approached Harry at dinner. "The headmaster wants to speak to you Harry, directly after the meal please," she informed her great grandson.
Harry nodded and said, "All right Professor." He quickly finished his meal and climbed up the stairs to the gargoyle, wondering what Dumbledore wanted. 'Oh no, McGonagall didn't tell me the password,' he realised, groaning in annoyance. Considering to just sit down and wait for Dumbledore to come looking for him, he started to guess the password 'lemon drops, chocolate frogs, Quidditch, Hogwarts team wins… etc., and finally the gargoyle opened to 'Merlin House'.
"Hello Harry, lemon drop?" his great grandfather greeted him.
Harry declined and once again wondered what the headmaster might want to talk about, when he heard a knock at the door which opened with a wave of Dumbledore's hand. Harry stared at the door in surprise, realising that McGonagall just entered the room with Sprout and Flitwick in tow.
"Harry we've assembled here tonight in order to talk about the Merlin House," Dumbledore began to speak. "I've already spoken with the three professors here, and we've agreed to revive Merlin House as fifth Hogwarts House as soon as possible. The Board of Governors has already approved my suggestion, so it's up to us how to proceed." Seeing that everyone's eyes lingered on him, he queried, "Shall we open the house at the beginning of the next school year or maybe even earlier on Halloween/1 November or the 1st of January? I'd like to hear your opinions."
"Albus, do you want to re-sort all students? Or what do you intend to do?" McGonagall spoke up, questioningly.
"We have three possibilities," Dumbledore replied, pensively. We could start with Merlin House at the beginning of the new school year, and only the first-years, who will be sorted anyway, can come into the house. We could also re-sort all students, which I wouldn't really recommend. Or we can ask the Sorting Hat who actually knows each student at this school, whom of our students he would place into the new house; and the students named by Sopho can choose if they want to change."
"Excuse me…" Harry threw in, hesitantly.
"Yes, Harry?" Dumbledore asked, giving him an encouraging look.
"If we went by your third suggestion, what would happen about the students' former status?" Harry queried and explained, "I mean, if I for example changed to Merlin House, would I still be able to play Quidditch for Gryffindor?"
"Yes, I think we should go by Albus' third suggestion and let the students who actually change houses have a kind of double house status, at least until the end of the school year, so that they belong to both houses," Flitwick threw in, excitedly. "There won't be that many students to change to the new house immediately, will there?"
"That we have to ask the Hat," Albus said and turned to the Sorting Hat. "Sopho, how many of our students would you recommend to put into Merlin House right away?"
"Oh, that's a difficult question indeed," the Hat replied, thoughtfully. "I'd probably recommend about twenty students."
"So there will be about ten to twenty students in Merlin House, which should be all right for the beginning," Dumbledore said, pensively. "However, I believe that they need their old houses as well. Not only for Quidditch, but they must have the possibility to meet with their friends in their old common rooms, and they'll also need their former head of house to confide in and to talk about their problems. As I told you, only an heir of Merlin can become the head of Merlin House, and as I'm the only one who is currently at Hogwarts as a teacher, it'll have to be me at first, at least until Lily is ready for a teaching position. And I don't think I would make such a good head of house as the three of you."
"I have a suggestion concerning Lily," Flitwick threw in, seemingly excited. "In fact, I'm keen on taking over the position of History of Magic whenever you're ready to abandon the ghost. And I'd propose Lily as my successor in Charms, because she's the best student I ever had."
"Thank you very much Filius; this is a very valuable suggestion, and I am ready to agree to make the change directly next summer, however, I'll have to speak to Lily about this before we can make a decision," Dumbledore replied, seeming please about the direction, into which the conversation was heading.
"Now back to the decision about Merlin House," McGonagall spoke up. "I'd also agree to the third suggestion in the combination old house and Merlin for the students. I tell you now, I'm not going to lose Harry as a Quidditch player for my house."
Everyone laughed, and Dumbledore asked, "Pomona, what do you think?"
"I agree with Filius and Minerva."
"Harry?"
"I agree as well, although in fact I think I don't have much to say, as I sort of live in my own room together with Lily and Severus anyway. So I won't belong to the few lonely students staying in Merlin except for maybe spending the evenings there."
Minerva smiled fondly at her grandchild. "What do you think of the date?" she queried, giving her colleagues an enquiring look.
They agreed on the first of January, provided that the Hat would announce his decision during the first week of December and that the students had time to decide until the beginning of the holidays.
HP
It was about three weeks later, when Harry was just sitting between Severus and Lily in their Charms class, when suddenly the classroom door opened and Professor McGonagall looked into the classroom.
"I'm sorry Filius," she apologized. "I need Harry".
'What is it now?' Harry thought, inwardly groaning in annoyance. 'What have I done now?' He quickly followed his great grandmother out of the Charms classroom and asked, "What happened? He noticed that the teacher had a peculiar look on her face while she was watching him.
"Harry, a dragon is attacking the castle from outside; in fact, it is attacking Hufflepuff. Can you communicate with a dragon in Parseltongue?" McGonagall asked, urgently.
"I don't know. If it understands Parseltongue, it shouldn't be a problem," Harry replied in confusion. He transformed into Icicle and flashed outside, where he saw that a dragon was in fact attacking one of the towers of the school. He flew over near the dragon, changed into Harry and started to talk to the dragon in Parseltongue.
"Hello there, can you understand me?"
"Oh hello, yesss, who are you?" the dragon replied in a not unfriendly voice.
"I'm Harry. What are you doing here?"
"People from inside here have taken my eggsss, and I want them back," the dragon explained, fiercely attacking the wall in front of it.
"Wait! Don't attack the tower. I will help you, and we'll get your eggsss back immediately. But don't attack anyone," Harry promised. Looking around, he realised that most of the professors were standing in front of the main entrance doors observing his interaction with the dragon.
"Please wait here, I'll ask some of the teachers to get your eggsss, I'll be back soon. Please rely on me and wait. Are you living here with Hagrid?" Harry enquired.
"Yesss."
"All right. Fly back to your living area, and I'll be there in a few minutesss, all right?"
"Okay, thanksss." The dragon mother returned to her place, and Harry flashed quickly over to the teachers, who were looking at him in expectation.
HP
"She's attacking because some Hufflepuff students seem to have taken her eggs away and are hiding them in their dormitories. She won't attack at the moment, but we need the eggs back immediately," he told the teachers.
Professor Sprout stormed away with Madam Hooch and Professor Flitwick in tow. Harry ran after them. "Wait professors. I'll flash you; it's faster." He flashed them in front of the Hufflepuff common room.
Sprout said pensively, "Harry, I have no idea where to look for the eggs; please flash to the headmaster's office and tell him to make an announcement throughout the school that all Hufflepuff students have to return to their common room immediately."
Harry flashed away. Two minutes later the announcement could be heard. Harry flashed back directly into Hufflepuff, where the professors had searched the common room in the meantime. Minutes later, the first students arrived and gathered in the common room. Professor Sprout addressed the students, and the culprits – three second year girls who had thought they could care for the eggs instead of the dragon mother – went up to their dormitory to fetch the eggs.
"Put them into something that I can carry please; a bag or something similar and give them to me, I'll take them back," Harry instructed them and transformed into Icicle. As soon as Sprout had fixed a bag to his foot, he flashed away, directly to where the dragon was waiting, took the bag from his foot and changed back. Then he fetched the eggs out of his bag and laid them on the ground next to the dragon.
"Here are your eggsss back; I hope they are sstill all right, the studentsss didn't do anything to them. They were very stupid to take the eggsss from you. I'm sorry," he told the dragon mother.
Carefully he took a few steps back, when the dragon mother approached. She inspected the eggs, but something seemed to be wrong. Harry could not shake off the feeling that he needed help – the help of his broom. He concentrated and wished 'Accio broom', and within seconds his broom arrived. 'Oh, yes, the hospital wing is just above here,' he thought, gratefully.
HP
Suddenly the dragon attacked, only this time she did not attack the castle tower but went directly against Harry. He took off on his broom and tried to evade the furious dragon but was hit by a wave of flame against his left arm and chest. A bit further away, he waved his hand and tried to stun the dragon to no effect – the dragon was flying after Harry now. While Harry was flying, he tried each possible spell he could think about and finally conjured a strong Patronus, which immediately took on the dragon. From the ground, the teachers were sending their Patroni against the dragon as well. This weakened the dragon, but she was still chasing Harry, and he was once more hit by a blast of flame.
tbc...
Thank you very much for your kind comments.