Death's Doors
Rambling and Dribbles: Another dribble that I had to get out of my head.
-oOo-
Ok, my attempt at a time travel with a twist.
Alternate World... Harry is still an orphan, but he is not the BWL. There is a Girl-Who-Lived story, who will be an OC.
When Harry dies at the end of DH, he meets with Sirius. He is given the choice to go back... he just wasn't told when or where.
-oOo-
Chapter 1
-oOo-
May 2, 1998
The mist had started to resolve into something he recognized.
There was a long table that had the look as though it was once highly polished and cared for. The thick dark wood had a feeling of wealth. A mashup of chairs and benches lined the table.
With nothing else to do, Harry took a seat.
He looked up and down the table and the stone walls of a basement and the old stove, sink and fireplace of the kitchen resolved itself out of the mist. As Harry recognized it, his heart sank. This was the place that Sirius has been trapped and where Ron, Hermione and him had spent some time at. The once irasperable elf had become nice and Harry still regretted that Kreacher was killed trying to keep them safe.
Harry regretted alot of things.
Sirius. Dobby. Cedric. His parents.
The torture of Hermione.
All the deaths that could have been prevented if Dumbledore had gotten off his arse...
DUMBLEDORE!
A rage at the man overpowered his remorse and the room shook.
There was a chuckle from the door. "Not often there is a magic quake here," a man said.
Harry shot out of his seat, his hand going for his wand, only to realize he was starkers. The man luaghed again as he walked down the otherside of the table. "It's not quite your birthday, is it?"
Maybe a few months ago he might have gotten flustered. He had simply been through too much. "What bloody hell did you do with my clothes and wand!"
The man laughed again. "Not me," he said, holding his hands out and fingers open with a cheeky grin. "I think this is more your show, pup."
"Bloody hell, Sirius. You are dead," Harry accused.
"Right in one. Doesn't mean I can't come back for this. If you really want clothes, just think of some," Sirius said, walking to a cabinet. Harry thought it it, but as he did, he found himself in his worn jeans, a tshirt and a clean jumper. It shocked him until his godfather sat across from him, pounding to glasses onto the table and then a bottle of some amber liquid.
Holding up the bottle, Sirius queried, "How many fingers?"
Harry just blinked. Sirius just shrugged his shoulders and put a good inch or more into a glass and then he slid it across the table. "You can stand if you want, but I think we have a few things to talk about."
Harry looked at Sirius. The man looked healthier than he could ever remember looking. Curious and unsure of what going on, he took a seat, but didn't touch the alcohol. Sirius took a decent swig. "Ah. That is good. Too bad you can't really get this on the otherside."
"Sirius, what is going on?"
The man gave him another cheeky smile. "Well, that is the question, isn't it?"
Harry gave the man an unimpressed look. "I'm not in the mood. Did Voldemort kill me?"
"Sort of," Sirius said, taking another sip.
"What do you mean sort of?"
"Well, you were hit by the killing curse, from what I understand, but you aren't totally dead. Did Albus tell you of that think in your head?" Sirius asked.
Harry frowned. "Yeah. I got that."
Sirius nodded. "Well, pup, you are sort of dead. Death only requires one soul, or part of one, everytime someone is hit with that spell."
He thought about that for a moment. "You mean the horcrux?"
"I always knew you were your mother's son," he said with a grin and toasting him with the glass.
Harry shook his head before leaning back into his chair. "I missed you, Sirius."
"I know, pup. It wasn't my intention to leave you that night and you need to stop blaming yourself. I chose to go to save you," Sirius told him.
Harry just frowned. "So, what next?"
"What do you want to do?"
Harry didn't know. He was 'sort of' dead. Being the second to last horcrux, Tom was almost mortal. "What are my options?"
"Lily's son," the man said again. "Well, I see a few doors now."
Harry looked around the room. Before there was nothing. He now saw four doors. "Where do they go?"
"Various places. That one will take you to where your parents and I are," Sirius said. Harry immediately felt the pull. The man must have seen it too because he didn't say anything until Harry looked back to him. "I think the next one is where your anger and revenge would take you. I don't think you will like being a ghost."
Harry shook his head. He didn't want to live forever like that.
"What about the other two?" Harry asked.
Sirius gave him a grin. "They will take you back."
Harry looked at him curiously. "Back? Where are their two?"
Sirius shrugged. "The big guy didn't tell me. I was only told the one to the left would take you back and the one on the right would put you back. Not sure the difference."
Harry eyed Sirius. He wouldn't put it over the old dog to try to pull some joke on him. "Take me back or put me back?"
Sirius winked. "Not the foggiest."
Harry pinched his nose. "Even death likes to fuck with me."
Sirius laughed. "I'm not sure you want that. I've never seen you look at a bloke like that."
Harry pinched his eyes and gave the man a two-finger salute. Sirius just laughed harder.
Harry looked up at the four doors. "If I go back, will Ron and Hermione and everyone else be alright?"
"I only who comes here, not the future," Sirius told him.
Harry took in a long breath and let it out. "So, 'go back' or 'put back'? You really don't know the difference?" Harry asked.
"I think I already said that. Take all the time you need. I would like to finish this bottle," Sirius told him as he poured more of the amber alcohol into his glass.
Harry looked at three doors. His heart wanted to see and actually meet his parents. He had heard so much and they had sacrificed themselves so he could live. If only they knew the life he would live...
The pain of the last sixteen years and the chance to finally see those that loved him so unconditionally had him seriously considering just passing over to the other side.
As though flipping a coin in his head, the faces of Ron and Hermione came to him. Could he abandon them? There was still one more horcrux to kill. One more before Tom could be killed. One more before everyone could be free. One more before he could be free.
As he thought of it, the pull to the door to his parents shifted to the one of unfinished business.
Harry refused to go that way, so he looked between the two doors. Go or put. What did that mean?
Sirius just sat, enjoying his drink.
"If I go back, I can defeat Voldemort?"
"Not a seer. Just a reminder," Sirius said.
"Bloody hell, you old dog. What do you know?"
The man chuckled. "Not much, according to my friends."
Harry made an aggravated sound and ran his hand through is hair. "I thought godfather's were supposed to me sage advice."
The man looked to be thinking for a moment. "The only sage advice I can think of is that your bed can get lonely at night without a good bird."
Harry tried not to crack a smile. "You would think of that."
"You asked for sage advice. Now, if asked what I wouldn't do, that is a better question."
"Okay, what wouldn't you do?" Harry put to him.
"I wouldn't ask me for advice," Sirius told him and ducked the glass Harry chucked at him. The man laughed. "It's probably a good think you are a Seeker with an aim and arm like that."
"I swear, Sirius!" Harry yelled at him.
Sirius held up his open hands to calm him before Harry found something else to through at him. "Right. Right. Temper like Lily. Listen, Harry, I don't know what to tell you and I am not supposed to tell you one way or the other. This is your choice. If you want to talk about it, I can. I can't influence you though. There are rules for this place."
Harry ran his hand through his hair again. He felt like he was being manipulated again. It was manipulations that had gotten him here. How frustrating could life be?
After a moment, he let out a long breath. "Fine. I'll go back!" he yelled at the room.
Getting, he marched towards the left door. Harry wasn't one to just beat around the bush. He had done that too much for months. "Just remember, pup, there are no tickets to go back next time."
"Whatever," Harry groused, yanking the door open. A bright white light assaulted him. He stopped long enough to turn to his godfather. "Can you tell mum and dad I'll see them soon?"
"I'll pass the message on. Not too soon though," Sirius told him, his eyes looking a little watery. Harry had the thought to go hug the man, but if he did, Harry was pretty sure he would following Sirius to his parents.
With a nod, Harry walked through the door.
"Good choice. Good luck," Sirius said before the light engulfed him.
-oOo-
Sometime...
Someplace...
Harry woke to someone poking him. "Come on, get up. You have to get up to the school," someone said.
Harry blinked as he sat up.
"Get into your robes. If you don't hurry we will both miss the carriages and its a long walk to the school," a girl told him.
"What?"
"We are at Hogsmeade. Come on," the girl said.
Harry looked up, straightening out his glasses. Standing over him was a girl with black Hogwarts robes. They were trimmed in the gold and red of Gryffindor. There was a prefects badge on her robed. It took a moment to realize he knew this girl. She was a dirty blonde with light brown eyes. He couldn't keep the excitement out of his voice. "Katie?"
She looked at him off. "Do I know you?"
"It's me, Harry," Harry told her, feeling confused that she wouldn't recognize him.
"Ah, you are the new transfer student? Well, come on. You can put your robes on in the carriage. We were told to make sure you saw McGonagall before the feast," Katie told him.
Feeling very confused. Looking at her, he realized she looked younger. Katie should be nineteen now, but she looked fifteen. Looking down, he realized he was smaller too. A lot smaller. "If you don't come, I'm going to go without you," Katie warned him.
Harry just decided to go with it for the moment. He grabbed his trunk and she helped him get it off the train. He quickly grabbed his robes when they put his trunk with the others and put them on as they made their way down the platform. He felt so out of sorts as he looked around.
At the end of the platform, the snarling form of Professor Snape met them. "You are the last, Bell?"
"Yes, sir. I had to help the new kid here," she said, indicating Harry.
The man had a raised lip, but upon seeing Harry, his face paled some and he looked at Harry like he was a ghost. It was a tense moment. Harry wasn't sure how he felt about Severus Snape yet. The man had been a spy. He had done what he could to protect the student in that last year. He had been duped and used as bad as Harry had been. But the man had miserable to him for six years of school.
After a moment, the man nodded his head. "Go."
They made it to the carriages. Angelina, Fred and George were waiting by one of the last two. "What took you?"
"Had to help the new kid. Now, lets go. I want to hear the sorting song," Katie told them, piling into the carriage.
Harry lagged behind and climbed up into the last carriage. As he did, he saw a very familiar girl reading a Quibbler upside-down. Still trying to figure out what was going on, he said, "Ah, Luna?"
She lowered the magazine and her large protrubent eyes looked at him unblinkingly for a moment. "Hello, Harry Potter."
Harry let out a breath and sat back. "Bloody hell, at least someone knows me."
She looked at him curiously. "I don't think we have met before, but there is something familiar about you."
Harry gave her an incredulous look, realizing she was still a waife of a girl, perhaps thirteen or so. The Luna he remembered was still slight, but she had grown into more of an exoctic beauty with decent curves. This girl hadn't even begun to develop. Unsure how to take it all, he groaned as he put his head into his hands. "What is going on?"
There was a long silence before Luna said, "You are not from this time, are you?"
He chuckled. "I don't know where I am from."
"I highly doubt that. You have an older soul, like you are from a different time. I have never met anyone like you," she told him.
"Then how did you know my name?"
"It is stitched on the inside hem of your robes," Luna told him.
He looked down to see the name in gold thread along the hem of his open robes. He chuckled. "Never change, Luna. Where am I?"
"When are you," she said. "Today is September first, nineteen-ninety four."
"Oh, bloody fuck," Harry said, looking up at her. "Are you serious?"
"Oh, I am when I need to be. What has sent you back? Did you have an accident with a time-turner or something else?"
He shook his head. "Something like that," he told her.
The words 'go back' or 'put back' were starting to make more sense. He was starting to suspect 'go back' meant go back in time. That didn't quite make sense though. Katie hadn't recognized him. None of the others at the carriage did either. There was no way that Fred and George would not have said hi to 'Harrikins'. He could understand Luna. Harry didn't meet her until Dumbledore's Army. Katie had said he was a transfer student. Transfer from where and why? Why wasn't he at Hogwarts already? Had the Dursley's sent him St. Brutus'? But if they had, we would he be here? He had never seen anyone admitted late.
He rubbed his head again... then stopped.
Harry ran his hands over his forehead. He felt around. There was nothing there. Looking up, Harry looked to Luna, who was studying him like he was the most interesting thing she had ever seen. "Ah, Luna?"
"Yes, Harry?"
"Is there a scar on my forehead?"
She regarded his forehead when he lifted his hair. After a moment, she said, "It looks rather normal to me. Should there be a scar?"
His heart thumped in his chest. he held his breath as he took in the reality that he wasn't Harry Potter, Boy-Who-Lived, the one marked by an insane madman and possibly not prophesized to kill him.
The carriage came to a stop and it jolted his breathing again. "Uhm, I don't know."
She cocked her head to the other side. "Come on, new boy," Katie yelled to him.
Harry started.
"I think this is going to be an interesting year," Luna said with an excited smile. She wasn't as dreamy as he remembered.
As Harry got out of the carriage, he turned to help Luna out. Maybe they didn't know each other, but he would be damned to see her suffer like she had last time. Luna gave him an appreciative smile. "So, does the new boy have a name?" Angelina asked.
"Yeah, does he?" Fred put in.
"Does he need one? More mysterious that way," George added.
"True. I like the green eyes," Fred said.
Angelina gave him a look he had never seen from her before, at least not towards him. "They are rather intense, aren't they? Why did you tell us?" she put to Katie.
"Because I know the type of slut you are. Come on. The prefects were told to make sure he met with McGonagall," Katie told them.
George and Fred were laughing at the glare Angelina was giving Katie. Luna pulled up next to him as they followed the girls. "Your eyes are rather intense," she informed him. Harry gave her a raised brow and she gave one of the dreamy smiles he remembered.
Inside the great hall, McGonagall was waiting by the stairs that led to the underground docks. Upon seeing them, Harry went over to her with Katie. "Professor, you wanted to see Potter before the others arrived?"
"Ah, yes. Thank you, Ms. Bell. Mr. Potter, it is nice to see you. Did you receive my letter confirming your classes?" she asked.
"Ah, yes," he said, assuming he had it on him.
She nodded. "Good. I will give you your official schedule tomorrow. For tonight, I will have to ask you to join the first years for the sorting. I will call you at the end. I would do it now, but I hear them coming," she told him.
Harry nodded and stepped off to the side. This whole thing was just to weird right now. The fact that he was standing out here, instead of in the hall with his friends... Oh, Melin! They weren't his friends, were they? He made a vow to himself that if Sirius knew this would happen that he was going to nuter the man once he turned into a dog. If not, he was going to kill the one that put him here. Harry had already lived through all this once, and it hadn't been fun... though, that first time Harry had already been to Hogwarts for three years, he had a scar and the peice of the Dark Wanker in his forehead. Not to mention he was the bloody boy-who-lived. There was a possibility that none of that mattered here... Had he been give a chance to be normal?
It was a thought that he didn't have time to contemplate as a mass of small little kids came up the stairs. He looked at the placidly, wondering if he really had been that small. The body he was in know was definitely larger than he remembered from fourth year. He would guess he was a little taller than average, though thin, like he had just recently gone through a growth spurt.
"Welcome everyone to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I am Professor McGonagall. Assistant-Headmistress and Master of Transfiguration and Practical Magical Theory. While you are here..." she went on in almost the same speil that Harry remembered from his first time. He hadn't remembered her being a Master in two magics before though.
When she was done, she led them into the great hall. Harry took up the rear, feeling a little out of place being the largest of the new midgets. As he walked in, there were so many familiar faces. Susan Bones. Hannah Abbot. Ernie McMillan. Justin Finch-Fletchly. His throat caught as he saw the Creevey brothers, Lavender Brown and others. Until know, it hadn't hit him that he was seeing people he knew had died in the last year or in the Battle of Hogwarts. OH, Merlin! Fred had died that night! It was the first time that some of what happened hit him like a sledge hammer.
He stumbled and some around him laughed. Justin made a comments, "Watch your feet." This brought some more laughter. Harry didn't care. He searched quickly for Ron and Hermione. Her bushy hair and his red head were easy to find. They sat about half way down the table. Hermione was talking with a girl he didn't know. She was petit, with dirty blonde hair, bright electric blue eyes, full lips and a lightening shapes scar on her forehead.
Harry stopped.
The girl had been watching him, the power in her small body visible in her eyes. Hermione had told him many times that his eyes did the same when he was concentrating or when she thought he sensed danger or something important. Something in him rose, as though trying to meet the power in those eyes. It was like they were challenging each other... it was more like their magics were sizing each other up.
"Mr. Potter, please join us," Professor McGonagall called out to him.
He started and more people around him laughed. He saw Ron laughing, but Hermione was looking at him curiously and the girl with the blue eyes was looking at him like she didn't know what to make of him. Harry turned to the front. There were a myriad of emotions running through him. His first and foremost thought was he was not the Boy-Who-Lived, but obviously there was a Girl-That-Lived.
"Bloody hell," he muttered, feeling his magic rise and he ruthlessly pushed it down. He couldn't have an episode here.
He didn't pay much attention as the hat sang its song and the fifty-seven students before him were sorted into house.
When it was his turn, there was a lot of talk around the hall. He walked up to the stool and sat on it like he had seven years ago...
This time, when the hat was put on his head, it didn't drop over his eyes. In a way he wished it had because the dirty blonde headed girl with the electric blue eyes was staring at him as Hermione tried to talk with her...
Ah, a Potter, the hat said into his head.
Yeah. You can just put me back into Gryffindor, Harry said back mentally.
There was a pause for few seconds. I have sorted you before, but I don't remember every seeing you, Harry Potter. I sorted your grandfather and father, but not you. Ah, Lily Evans is your mother. A brilliant person but with a temper that was not suited for Ravenclaw. Interesting very interesting.
Hat, we had this conversation before. I don't want to be in Slytherin and I am not a Ravenclaw. I have already had a very trying day and would like to just eat and get to bed, Harry told the hat.
The hat chuckled at him. Yes. Yes. I see that. You have also gone through some great suffering... and lived to fight a basilisk? I remember giving that sword to Anna McKinnon, but not you, Harry Potter... a conundrum unless...
You figured it out? Harry asked a little snarkily.
The hat laughed again. Indeed. I have only ever come across two other such cases in my almost thousand years, but none directly touched by Death himself. But that is to be expected, I guess, for one that is of Peverell blood and who is the master of the Hallows.
Harry stiffened. You can't say anything and I don't have any, Harry told the hat, knowing full well that he had left his invisibility cloak and the ring in the forest.
Ah, but that is not true. I see a ring on your finger and am sure you have the cloak. Only the wand isn't in your possession in this timeline. Interesting. Very interesting. Where do I place you? the hat asked itself.
Harry, in all this time hadn't realized he had a ring on. He looked to his fingers. As he thought about it, a ring appeared on his finger, as though it had been dissolusioned. He gaped at it for a moment as the hat debated the merits of Griffindor or Hufflepuff. Apparently in the years since his first sorting he had developed a fierce loyalty to his friends and those around him, a far better work ethic, but he was still recklessly brave.
It was well over three minutes before the hat called out, "GRYFFINDOR!"
Harry let out a breath as he walked down the table to applause. He wanted to sit at the ends, but was grabbed by Fred as he walked by and put almost dead center. When he sat, was between the twins, with Angelina, Katie and Alicia right across from him. Lee Jordan was next to Fred. Ron sat on the other side of George. Next to Katie was Hermione, and then the girl. Anna McKinnon? Her eyes were still looking at him.
"If I can have all your attention for just a moment," the voice of Dumbledore called out. Harry turned quickly to see the man. He had died a year ago... yet here he was. Looking at the man all the pain that Harry linked to him came to the surface. He was shaking when he clapped his hands and the table filled with food.
"You alright there, Potter," Fred asked, reaching for some rolls.
"Yeah, mate, you look livid," George said.
"We didn't prank him yet, did we Forge?"
"Not that I know of, Gred. Should we?"
"Oh, definitely."
"Will you two cut it," Angelina said. "It's only his first day. Hi, I'm Angelina Johnson. This slag you already met," she said to Katie.
"SLAG! You slut," Katie said, nudging Angelina and most around them laughed at their friends.
"That's Lee Jordan. Alicia Spinnett. Fred and George Weasley," she introduced everyone in their group. Fred extended a hand and Harry eyed it wearily. Angelina laughed, "I think he's already figured you out."
"Had to try," Fred said, shrugging as though it was nothing.
Harry laughed along with them. It was the only thing his emotions would allow at the moment. For over a year now, Harry had been on the run. Ron and Hermione had been a ball nerves, just like him. Most laughter and joking had felt forced, as though if they didn't they might break from all the stress. Several people around them Harry knew to be dead... but they weren't. Everyone was carefree. Laughing. Joking around.
Apparently it was just a little to much for him and he found himself getting up and walking out of the the hall.
-oOo-
In the great hall...
Fred and George shared a look as they watched the new student, Harry Potter, get up and just walk out without touching any food. "Did you slip him a water butt candy," George asked.
Fred shook his head. "Angie said to leave him be, so I did."
"He looked so lost. Where did he come from?" Katie asked.
"No clue," Angelina said.
"I heard his father just recently passed," Hermione said. They all turned to her. "Mrs. Weasley was talking with Professor McGonagall last week. He is a ward of Hogwarts and Professor McGonagall was looking for a place for him to stay over holidays."
Everyone sobered and the looks as though he was mental all softened.
"His parents were Aurors," Anna said. "Hagrid said his mother was my godmother."
"Oh, Anna, why didn't you tell us?" Hermione asked.
"If she wants her secrets, let her have them," Ron said before taking a bite of his beef.
Fred and George gave each other a look. They planned to cheer the new boy up. There was something about him that the twins just liked, even with the small interactions they had. It was like this boy had been around for a long time. It wasn't quite like how they viewed Anna as a younger sister, but there was something, and the twins, if nothing else, had learned to trust their instinct. Besides... "Did you see the way Anna was looking at him," George asked, sliding over a seat.
Fred whispered back. "She only ever looks at Malfoy that intensely, and I didn't feel like she wanted to jump him."
"Well, maybe his bones," George replied back cheekily.
Fred just gave an evil look. "Are you thinking what I am thinking?'
"Maybe our little sister should grow up some this year?"
"As long as its not Ginny. She's to be locked up until she's sixteen."
"Sixty is more like it," George said.
They looked to Hermione and Anna. Anna was being quiet, looking back towards the doors every few minutes.
-oOo-
Astronomy Tower...
Harry was breathing hard, trying to get his mind wrapped around this new reality.
He saw people laughing and joking that just a few hours ago he had seen dead.
On his way out, he caught Malfoy giving him a quizzical look. He had the instinct to grab his wand and blast Malfoy and most of the Slytherin table. Half of those from fourth year and up had joined Tom and killed their own classmates, or had died.
Harry didn't know how to deal with all this.
The only people he had ever considered close to him, almost like family, didn't know him. No one he considered friends knew him. He had no clue if he had parents here or an was living with hi relatives. He also had not clue why he had transferred
He let out a scream of frustration to the night before stooping his head over his knees and putting his hands in his hair.
He had felt alone marching off to the woods... he felt completely abandonded in this new place. He considered it new because he didn't know what was going on.
As he pawed at his hair, grabbing large fistfuls and then letting it go, his fingers brushed the ring. Harry needed someone. Someone who knew him and what had happened. A hand touched his shoulder and Harry just about jumped out of his skin. His wand came to his hand. At least it was the same holly wand he had had before. When it leveled on a ghostly looking woman, he crumpled. "Mum," he said before dropping his head onto his knees and just started to cry.
She put a hand his shoulder again. He could feel the weight of it, but there was no warmth. The ring only called forth a shadow of the person. "Harry, it will be alright," she told him.
It took a moment before he could say, "How?"
"It will be, luv. I don't have long, but I have been allowed to come back to help you for a few."
He looked up, his eyes bleary. "How can you help me? I don't know anything about this place. Who do I even live with?"
She gave him a sad smile. "You grew up with Sirius, but he passed away this past summer from cancer. He wanted his cousin to take you, but she couldn't, so you were given to Hogwarts as a ward of the State. I don't know where you are to go yet, but I am sure it will be a good home."
Harry felt devastated all over. He had lost Sirius once, and now he had lost him again. Harry felt the tears come and he cried. Something he had done in a long time. When he finally calmed, the ghostly image of his mum said, "Harry, I really don't have long. You need to know a few things."
He looked up at her with bleary eyes.
"You have an opportunity to stop the war from happening again. You know all his horcruxes and where to find them," she told him.
"But I have the ring," he told her.
"You have the Peverell Regent ring, yes. Their can only be one Ressurection stone, and you have it. The ring Voldemort used in this time line was the regent ring of Slytherin, not the Peverells. Anna McKinnon killed the basilisk and you are a Gryffindor again. You know how to destroy them," she informed him.
Harry wiped the tears from his face. He did know all this. "Is Tom in Little Hangleton?"
"Yes, but you must be careful. He had Pettigrew, but also two others this time," she warned him.
"What about Moody?"
"I don't know, but you know the signs to look for if he is. Or is any one else is here," she told him.
Harry nodded. He looked at his hands. In this reality he was only fourteen. "Mum, I don't have anyone to help me."
"You will find allies. Your father and I watched you before. You have the charm that many Potters have. You collect people around you and I think you will again. You should introduce yourself to Anna McKinnon. She could use your help. You are probably the only one that could ever really understand what she is going through or will," his mum told him.
Harry sat up. There was an anger across his face. "You mean Dumbledore is using her like he did me?"
"Yes," she simply said.
Harry was a fighter. That was the one thing that Dumbledore had instilled in him that Harry did well and did because it was teh right thing and he wanted to. He didn't want anyone to hurt or be killed.
"Harry, Anna is a horcrux, like you. She is the child of prophesy. You know how to help her. Please help her. She is my goddaughter and you two should have grown up, in both realities you now know," his mum had a pleading quality to her voice.
He sniffed, trying to get rid of the evidence of his breakdown. "I promise I will, mum."
"I know you will. The only other thing I can say is get to Gringotts. Your father and I may not have been rich, but there is more than just your trust vault. Sirius left you a not insignificant sum. Grimmauld place does not exist here, but there is a cottage in France where you grew up. I am sure if you can call Kreacher, or if you find another elf to bond, you can access the cottage." She turned, as though her name had just been called. She looked pained. "I am sorry. My time is up here. Be safe. Your dad and I love you. Please help Anna. Her mother was one of my best friends..." she said, then started to fade. After a few seconds, the shade of his mother was gone.
Harry just watched the spot for a few, then let out a deep sigh.
He closed his eyes. Taking in a few deep breathes, then letting them out, he opened his eyes after giving one last shuttering breath. "Right," he said to himself.
-oOo-
-oOo-
Chapter 2
September 3, 1994
Hogwarts, Scotland
Harry got up as soon as his tempest alarm went off. It was something that Hermione and him had started to do when Ron as had. They were both paranoid about being caught, so they set an alarm for every four hours when they went to bed. He had come into the dorm after convincing the Fat Lady he was a Griffindor. By then, it had been so late that everyone was asleep.
He blinked the sleep out of his eyes and knocked his wand on the head of his four poster bed. It was only half-past five, but he had things to do if he was going to do what his mum had asked him too.
Getting up, Harry took stock of everything he had. His body was in much better physical shape. He had relatively tone body for a fourteen-year-old. That must have meant he was still a physical person. Sirius or his previous school must have set him up with a workout routine. Thinking back to fourth and fifth year, Harry decided he had to start running again and doing the old Quidditch workouts that Wood put them through.
With that decided, he dropped the wards around his bed. He just couldn't sleep last night without setting up half the wards that they had setup everytime they ran. He had to admit to himself that it had taken some power and he felt it, meaning his magic wasn't quiet as strong as it had been when he was seventeen. He would have to start using it more. Flitwick had told them in sixth year that their cores were like a muscle. The more you use it, the stronger it gets.
Perhaps he could talk to Professor Flitwick and see if he could learn dueling from him. He knew the Professor had at least three students he was helping. Su Li, Mandy Brockelhurst and Adam Groves. They were all competing in the European Underage Dueling circuit. That was something Dean had mentioned when they had gone back to Hogwarts and McGonagall had asked for people to stay.
There was so much that he hadn't know last time.
Once the wards were down, he went to his trunk. He cast a silencing charm on his trunk and then warning charms on the four other beds. He had no clue what was in his trunk and didn't want to let out any big secrets if other's didn't know.
Opening his trunk by touching the lock, he quickly found it was much larger than he though. There were three compartments and a drawer on the top, like Moody's trunk. Yesterday Harry had only looked at the top drawer. It held a uniform, trousers, a nice shirt, a jumper, bed clothes, two wand holsters, one of them with an extra wand, and small back pack. He picked up the backpack and found it had been expanded on the inside. Taking a quick look, it appeared to be backed with all his school books and supplies he would need. He also noticed two watches: a gold one and a silver one. He took the silver on and put it on his wrist.
Most importantly he found his cloak and the Mauraders map. He wasn't sure if that meant the twins had a different copy... more importantly, did Anna McKinnon have an invisibility cloak? How similar was her life to the one he had lived?
The top one was clothes. He was looking down into a small closet. It was maybe four feet on each side of a square at the bottom with. He climbed down the ladder. Looking through the drawers and hangers, her found six uniforms, three sets of school robes, a few cloaks, two sets of formal dress robes, a suit, dozens of shirts - both muggle and wizarding - a half dozen jumpers, a few Quidditch shirts that looked like they were from Beauxbatons... this had him wondering if he knew French now. He would have to find a way to test that. In short, there was a full wardrobe in the expanded compartment.
He didn't take long, but grabbed what he needed for the day before climbing back out.
He closed the lid to that compartment and opened the next. This one was a compartment like the one for his clothes. He saw books, potion supplies, writing supplies, a Nimbus 2001 on in a small alcove with a set of Quidditch gear in Beauxbatons blue, shelves of what looked like nick-knacks of life that he was sure he once loved. A picture of him and Sirius was laughing at the camera. Harry looked to be about ten in the picture.
He had to fight down the tears. It looked like he had had a good life in this reality.
Opening the third, Harry's eye brow rose. In here he found three closets with sliding doors. It was getting closer to the time his roommates would normally wake, but his curiosity was peaked. Going down the ladder, he opened the door to the left. Inside he found a rapier, a small knife and a small buckler. Two sparing gear sets were next to the sword. "Interesting," he said to himself.
The closet across from the ladder had a three more rapier style swords, a few more knives and a broad sword. Apparently this Harry was big into swords. He really was wondering if he still knew those skills or not. There was an urge to take one, but he felt his time was growing short.
When he opened the third compartment, he found a chainmail shirt, a coif, greaves and gauntlets. At the bottom was a padded linen set that looked more maneuverable.
One of his alarms started to go off in his head. Harry shut the closets and climbed out. Neville was sitting on the edge of his bed, bleary eyes and not looking fully awake yet. That was probably a good thing since Neville didn't seem to notice him climb out of his trunk.
Harry closed the compartment drawers before turning to Neville. "Good morning," Harry said, sounding more chipper than he felt.
Neville grunted. He was never one to just roll over and get moving right away. Neville rubbed his eyes. "Morning," the boy said before giving out a huge yawn. Harry took out the normal clothes since it was a Sunday. He had no idea if he could pull off being in school again, but he had to try.
"What time is it?"
Harry looked to his wrist. "Just past six."
Neville yawned again. "I should get down to the greenhouses before breakfast," he said getting and opening his own trunk.
Harry took his clothes and his bathroom bag. "I'm going to take a shower."
The boy suddenly seemed to realize that Harry was next to him. "Oh, I didn't get to introduce myself. Neville Longbottom," Neville said, holding out his hand.
"Harry Potter. Nice to meet you." He took Neville's hand and shook it.
"Nice to meet you. My gran said she used to know the Potters. Any relation to Charlus or James?" Neville asked.
"My father and grandfather, though not in that order," Harry said.
Neville nodded. "Well, I need to get ready. I'll see you at breakfast," Neville said.
Harry left the dorm and took his shower. Being a Sunday morning, only one other person was up when he went down to the common room a half-hour later. It was a very familiar person with a head of bushy hair. He couldn't help but to look at her. Hermione looked healthier than he had seen her in the last few months. There was no cut on cheek. Her eyes weren't puffy from crying over the bodies. Knowing what happened, he wasn't sure he wanted to be friends with her again. He had the thought that she might be safer not to know him, but if Anna McKinnon was anything like him, then she might be safer if he was around her.
Taking his courage, he sat on the couch next to the chair she was sitting on. "That's a good book," he told her. She had given him the Lord of the Rings series to him while they were on the run. He had done more reading in those nine months than he thought he had in the previous nine years.
Hermione started, not realizing that was there. The book dropped into her lap and she put a hand to her chest. "Don't sneak up on me like that," she scolded him, then seemed to realize he wasn't who she thought he was. "Oh, I'm sorry. Harry Potter, correct? I thought you were someone else."
He chuckled. He couldn't help it. "I gathered. Yeah, I'm Harry Potter. Hermione, was it?"
She blinked. "Yes. How did you know that?"
"I overheard someone call you that.
-oOo-
A/N: I use real world calenders, meaning that some dates would change. September 1, 1994 is a Friday, so I shifted the Hogwarts Express to Sept. 2 so that they only one day of 'free time' before the start of school.