Harry and Astra ported outside of Honeydukes for their little candy run. The second they were free from the ship Astra turned to Harry.
"How can you be so blase about this?" Astra asked Harry. "About the Dursleys."
"Well, it's been thirty years," Harry said. "And I've been many other problems, that the Dursleys barely scratch the surface of the things that bother me from the past."
"Not really making me feel better," Astra said. "They should not get off for all of what they've done. It's not your fault you were sent there in the first place. Yes, they didn't get the choice, but they should not lash out at you!
Harry reached in and grabbed Astra's hand to squeeze it. Astra relaxed for a little bit.
"It bites how close I was to escaping in the first place," Harry told Astra. "And the fact that there's a small part of me who might have always known something was off, although I did not know why. Year after year I was sent back there. And to think that you were suffering far worse down there."
"I'm not sure if I had it much worse," Astra said.
"You were sent to Hell," Harry said. "They might fear me down there, now, but you were nine when you were dragged down there. And I don't worry about the Dursleys anymore. They have to deal with the consequences of their actions for the rest of their lives."
Astra raised a skeptical eyebrow towards Harry.
"It's not like they can go out in public anymore given how famous I got in their world," Harry said. "They had to move out of that house because there were deranged Potter fans coming there every day, trying to get a close look at that house."
Astra opened her mouth and Harry raised a hand.
"I gain my revenge due to the fact they will always be known as those monsters," Harry said. "I can find them, if I wanted to. A long time ago."
"It's not right," Astra said.
"No, it's not," Harry said. "We're just getting started. But they didn't escape without consequence."
"I wanted to know," Astra said. "I just wasn't sure how badly it went after I was gone."
Harry lead Astra in without another word.
"Kara knows some of it, Sara knows enough of it, and well, those who read the books know everything," Harry said.
"I want to know everything," Astra said. "No matter how bad."
Harry turned and escorted Astra into Honeydukes. She had little idea how much she was into.
"Still a wonderful place," Harry said to her. "Got to get the candy. And pick up some more Firewhiskey. Mick and Ava cleaned us out again."
"Giving the time-travelers magical booze? Wonderful idea! But completely on brand for you, Harry."
A beautiful blonde woman dressed in nice robes appeared in the office.
"Astra, this is Daphne Greengrass," Harry said. "She's the heiress of Frostytreats, one of the biggest magical dessert companies in the entire world. Daphne, this is my friend, Astra Logue."
"Is this one of your really friendly friends, Potter?" Daphne asked with a smile. "Pleasure to meet you."
"Likewise," Astra said.
"Daphne's the Ice Cream Queen of the Wizarding World," Harry added.
"Oh, Harry, you're making me blush," Daphne said. "What's the deal with her?"
"Well, I knew Astra before Hogwarts," Harry said.
"Thought you didn't have any friends before Granger and Weasley," Daphne said.
"Well, I just got those memories back after I met Astra down in Hell," Harry said.
"Mmm, it's one of your long stories,isn't it?" Daphne asked. "Let me help you with your order, and you can tell me all about it."
Daphne recently purchased Honeydukes after the old owners retired, to expand her magical treat empire.
Harry and Astra returned to the Waverider with candy, ice cream ,and Firewhiskey.
"Good man," Mick said.
"Good, I'm going to need that," Ava said. "Because, I think before we start reading, I'm going to have to give some of you the Talk."
"Oh, Aunt Ava,I already know about all of that," Lita said. "Not going to do any of that for another five months, twenty-three days, eighteen hours, and seventeen minutes though, when I turn eighteen."
"Should we be concerned she's got such an accurate countdown going on?" Nora asked.
"Give me a bottle of that Firewhiskey," Mick grunted.
"And no, not that talk," Ava said. "And Astra, you should listen to this one."
"What's this all about?" Lena asked.
"Rip Hunter gave me this same talk when I was recruited to the Time Bureau," Ava said. "And that's regarding Harry and his personal timeline. Do not screw with his timeline. It is littered with fixed points and time traps. I know it would feel good to just take the Dursleys down a peg. Or Dumbledore. Or…others."
"No spoilers," Harry reminded them.
"I don't know everything about Harry's past, although it's very fixed at certain points, whether we like it or not," Ava said. "Just remember that, when we read."
"We're all going to need a reminder about that," Sara said. "And we're just six chapters into the first book. Just getting to Hogwarts."
"Trust me, you're going to want to save whatever anger you have for the end," Lita said.
"So, we just sit back and just watch this all, is that what you're saying?" Astra asked.
"I'm just saying that bad things came from those who tried to mess with Harry's personal timeline," Ava said. "Rip told me and Harry told him."
"You did?" Hermione asked in surprise.
"Future me, did, apparently," Harry said. "Even Barry knows better. And Thawne."
"Well, that's serious, then," Kara said. "Big temporal no-no."
"The biggest," Ava confirmed. "Astra?"
"I'll deal with it," Astra said. "But, what if they're outside of Harry's personal timeline. Hyptheotically speaking of course?"
"Oh, naturally," Malfoy said.
"Should have given you this talk beforehand," Ava said. "But, to answer your question, let's wait until after we know everything before we lash out against anyone."
Harry pulled Astra closer to him. He could see her trying to find loopholes. And he doubted she was going to be the only one.
To be fair, he was tempted to correct some things. And if there was ever a way, without messing up the future he built, Harry would.
"Mmm," Astra said. "Fine."
"So, let's continue?" Kara asked.
"Gideon, whenever you're ready," Sara said.
"Thought, you'd never ask, Captain Lance," Gideon said. "Chapter Seven. The Sorting Hat."
The chapter begins with Harry's first impression of Professor McGonagall.
"Given that I've been on the wrong end of her temper before, I wouldn't disagree," John said.
"What did you do?" Sara asked.
John just waved it off.
McGonagall's your house will be like family speech.
"Family," Ron said bitterly. "Yeah, family."
Hermione and Harry, both recalling the events later that year, agreed with Ron's assessment. Astra turned to Ron with a raised eyebrow.
"You'll find out," Ron told her.
"Words that I'm going to loath," Astra said.
"We all will by the end," Lena agreed.
The attempts to smarten themselves up did not go any better.
"Honestly, I think it looks messy," Kara said while tousling Harry's hair to make it even more so.
Harry leaned over and kissed her with a smile.
"I've given up trying to fight that battle," Harry said.
"It's your thing," Zari said. "You wouldn't look right with non-messy hair."
"So many levels of wrong," Lita agreed.
Ron's statement about Fred telling him about the sorting followed.
"And when did you stop taking your brothers seriously?" Harry asked.
"Not soon enough," Ron said. "Not soon enough."
Harry's worry about the sorting followed, along with Hermione's excited stammering about what spells she would need to use. Because she learned so many.
"Do you have an off switch?" Nora asked.
Hermione just stuck her palm into her face and sighed deeply.
"We were little baby witches and wizards, barely able to send sparks," Hermione said. "Granted, I did a few spells. Surprised I got away with it."
"Granger, it's a loophole that you can use before Hogwarts," Malfoy said. "And the Ministry was feeling particularly tolerant that year against…your type."
"If you must know, I was a nervous wreck," Harry said.
"You and most of the year, other than Granger, apparently," Malfoy said.
"Oh, I don't know," Zari said. "I'm thinking she comes across as the type of person who will never shut up when she is really nervous."
"Yeah that makes sense," Lita said.
Hermione just scowled but she could not refute that theory. Mostly because it was true.
The ghosts arrive. And they are all ghostly.
"They love to make their entrance," Astra said.
"They sure do," Harry agreed.
"So, I've got a question about Peeves," Nora said. "I…"
"He's practically a part of that school," Harry said. "He's a manifestation of the chaos of having a thousand hormonal magical users in one place, with all of the problems that come along with it. He feeds off of the chaos that brings."
"Love that guy," Mick said. "Sucks he was never in the movies."
"Yeah, good thing Peeves can't leave Hogwarts," Harry said with a chuckle. "He has some choice things to say about the movies. And his lack of inclusion in them."
"He's not the only one who has a problem with those movies," Ron replied darkly.
The scene plays, right up until Hermione's talking about what she read in Hogwarts: A History.
"You're trying too hard," Zari said. "You should have relaxed."
"I…I just wanted to show that I cared about their world," Hermione said. "I wanted to see…well it's not important now, isn't it?"
"That's the last thing anyone wants to hear when they're all nervous," Astra said. "Yes, you know things! No need to be a show off!"
"Okay, calm down," Sara said. "She's just excited."
"Yeah, I was," Hermione said.
"Laying on a bit too thick, but excited," Sara said.
The scene up until the comment about the Sorting Hat not being allowed in Aunt Petunia's house.
Astra's lips curled into a smile.
"Astra," Harry said warningly.
"I think we should give your aunt a Christmas present for all of her years of hospitality," Astra said.
"Actually, I think that's a great idea," Lita said. "Maybe a nice hat?"
"Oh, you're not stealing the Hogwarts Sorting Hat and giving it to Petunia Dursley," Harry said.
"Oh, I think it would go well with the rest of the house, "Sara said.
Harry's comment about trying to get a rabbit out of it follows.
"And the rabbit's name is John Constantine," Zari said.
"You're never going to let me live that one down, are you?" John asked.
"No," Sara, Ava, Harry, and Zari all said in unison.
"Oh, rabbits," Kara shuddered.
"Thanks to an incident with a fifth-dimensional pest, Kara has a thing about rabbits," Lena told everyone.
"I don't have a thing about them," Kara said.
"Right, of course you don't, luv," Harry said.
Kara just stuck her tongue out.
The Sorting Hat's song followed.
"Well, I've heard worse," Nora said.
"Karaoke with your father?" Harry asked.
"You know it," Nora said.
The Sorting occurs. Right up to Hermione being sorted and Ron groaning.
"Tell us what you really feel," Zari said.
"I believe I just did," Ron said.
Harry's little worry about being sent back is shown.
"You being this pessimistic is going to be very common," Sara said.
"Too common," Harry agreed.
"If you were good enough to get a letter sent inviting you, they would never send you back," Nora said.
"She's right," Astra said. "Although, you had some really shitty self-esteem."
"It's a wonder you made it as long as you did," Kara said.
"Well, before I met you…I was in a really bad place," Harry said.
"I know," Kara said quietly while wrapping an arm around Harry "I know."
Astra wondered what else happened. And no one said anything. Astra had a question she might regret asking.
"You did have some good times during these next seven years, right?" Astra asked.
"Some," Harry said.
"Let's just keep going," Malfoy said.
Malfoy's sorting follows.
"Friends, that's not exactly accurate," Malfoy said.
"What would you call them?" Harry asked.
"Accessories," Malfoy said. "It's well known that Crabbes and Goyles only spawn when a Malfoy is in need of minions. Throughout the generations there has always been a Crabbe and a Goyle in the same year of a Malfoy. Their only existence is to serve as our protection."
"He's pulling our leg, isn't he?" Nora asked.
"No, I think he's serious," Ron said.
"Have you ever seen a Crabbe or a Goyle with a woman, Weasley?" Malfoy asked.
Ron shook his head. Come to think of it, he never did.
Harry's sorting followed with him begging not to get sorted into Slytherin.
"I really don't think it's fair for Hagrid to prejudice you against an entire house," Astra said.
"Well, it wasn't just Hagrid," Harry said. "It was Malfoy too."
"I was trying to be friendly," Malfoy said.
"And I would hate to see what happens if you try and be an asshole," Zari said.
"Oh, he doesn't need to try," Ron said.
"Stuff it, Weasel."
"Make me, Ferret!"
"Okay, enough!" Sara yelled. "Did you just channel your eleven year old selves?"
Ron and Malfoy stared at each other. Hermione rolled her eyes. Honestly, these two still did not get over themselves.
Harry gets sorted into Gryffindor and there is much jubilation.
"Yeah, I guess, that's fine," Astra said. "Still think you would have done better elsewhere."
"Nothing wrong with Gryffindor," Lita said.
"I'd prefer Slytherin myself," Astra said. "Although Ravenclaw is good. Hufflepuff wouldn't be too bad."
"Hufflepuff is great," Kara said. "Although, I think all of these houses have their plusses and minuses."
"I'm a Ravenclaw," Nora said. "Or at least that's what the online test I took said."
"Really, it had me pegged as a Gryffindor," Sara said.
"Me too," Lita said.
"I was Slytherin myself," Zari remarked. "Although, take those with a grain of salt."
"I took three," Harry said. "Two Ravenclaws and a Slytherin."
"Um, yeah, I got in Hufflepuff when I took mine," Hermione said. "Not that it matters. I think the Sorting Hat was right."
"Yeah, that's nice," Ron said. "By, the way, I got Slytherin."
"No way!" Nora yelled.
"Way," Ron said.
"Ron Weasley in Slytherin," Kara said. "Who would have thought it possible?"
"Oh, those tests are childish and you all should be ashamed of yourselves for actually taking one," Malfoy said. "Especially the three of you who actually went to Hogwarts."
Everyone looked at Malfoy for a second.
"You took one and it put you in Hufflepuff, didn't it?" Lita asked.
"No!" Malfoy yelled.
"Right," Lita said.
"Sure, you didn't, Malfoy," Harry answered.
Malfoy just pouted in response.
The scene continues, Ron getting sorted into Gryffindor, and then Dumbledore's few words.
"This was so much more endearing before I knew what he did," Kara said.
"Same," Lita said.
"He comes off as rather eccentric," Zari said.
"It's a mask," Astra said. "He's good at endearing himself to people. It's a manipulation tactic. He would not be as vile if he cannot come across as so charming."
Harry said nothing. With the full picture, he could not look at anything that Dumbledore did or his past actions the same way. There were times where he gave Dumbledore the benefit of the doubt, perhaps foolishly.
"He's had to make some tough choices," Hermione said.
"Are you really still defending him after all of this time?" Ron asked.
"Ron, you need to…"
Hermione's tongue got tied suddenly. She was going to reveal something about the future to those who were not in the know.
"Those charms to enforce no spoilers work wonders," Ava said.
"Glad you like them," Harry said.
The Feast begins and Harry's comments about the Dursleys feeding him and not exactly starving him
Astra, Kara, and Sara had various degrees of anger at Harry's description of the Dursleys.
"You are honestly too permissive of their bullshit," Astra said.
"Dudley really ate anything so you could not have it?" Nora asked. "Even if it could make him sick."
"Yes," Harry said. "Why?"
"Oh, just saying that could be easily abused, if you really wanted to," Nora said sweetly.
"Remember, we have to read anything before you go tracking down people," Ava warned him.
"Nora's right, that could be abused," Lita said. "Speaking of which, ever hear of the Carolina Reaper peppers?"
"I can eat them without any problem," Harry said.
"But can Dudley?" Lita asked. "Just saying."
"Let's just keep going," Sara said with a sigh.
Enter Nearly Headless Nick and the way he showed them he is nearly headless.
"Don't let the git fool you, he likes the attention," John said.
"Yeah, we figured it out," Harry said.
The conversation about the Bloody Baron and the house cup followed.
"The entire Hogwarts points system is kind of broken when you really think about it," Kara said.
"The house system is broken," Lita said. "It encourages tribalist behavior since the age of eleven."
"Well, it's a tradition," Hermione said.
"And so are house elves, Granger," Malfoy said.
Hermione just shot Malfoy a look of deepest loathing.
"Um, what's that about?" Astra asked.
"Year four," Ron said with a sigh. "We'll get there. In all of its problems."
Anyone who could be bothered to notice saw Ron shift guiltily when he mentioned Year Four.
Seamus Finnegan talking about his parentage is shown.
The entire group looked gobsmacked at the casual way Seamus talked about his parents, and his mother not letting the secret in on his father.
"That's not fucking funny!" Astra snapped. "A bit of a nasty shock. Are you serious?"
"You know something," Lita said. "These books when I was younger, they were some kind of weird, charming, Dahl, with a dash of Dickens thing. But looking at some of this stuff almost adult eyes, yikes, forever."
"And this is why we want there to be no inter-mingling between Muggles and Magicals," Malfoy said. "Because, there have been people killed over this type of bullshit. What Finnegan just said."
"Aren't there people who want First-Generations to get taken away from their families and raised by a respected pureblood family?" Harry asked.
"Yes," Malfoy said.
"On the one hand, there are families like the Dursleys," Kara said. "But, on the other hand, there are people who are supportive of their children and their gifts."
"And beloved pureblood families aren't without their flaws," Harry said. "There's trying to squash magic out of a person."
Astra and Kara frowned in memory.
"But, there's the other extreme," Harry said. "From the other side."
"Read on," Ron said. "I know what he's talking about."
Neville Longbottom's childhood is told about. Along with a near drowning and also getting dropped out of a window to force his magic. But don't worry, he bounced. And by golly, he got his toad
Astra's mouth hung open. And she was not the only one.
"Harry's not the only one who needed an intervention,apparently," Lena managed.
"What in the hell is wrong with these people?" Mick asked.
"Loads, Mick, loads," Harry said.
"And he got a toad," Lita said dryly. "Whee!"
"I just can't even," Sara said. "What the hell?"
"I forgot about this," Nora said. "And it's said so casually, it's really disturbing."
"This sort of thing is accepted," Malfoy said. "Squibs are not exactly a cherished part of our society. And if Longbottom died, no one would bat an eyelash over it. Just one less squib dirtying up our world."
"That's out of line!" Kara yelled. "This is just what the Dursleys tried to do with Harry, only in reverse!"
"How is this acceptable?" Ava asked quietly.
"Not my opinion, just telling you that there would be no justice if Longbottom's great uncle killed him," Malfoy said.
"This is really screwed up," Sara said.
"Yes, you think," Astra said. "When your world's hero is sent to his magic hating relatives, what hope do you think the rest of the children would have?"
No one said anything. Because this was indefensible.
The events of the sorting leading up to Harry getting his first look at a greasy haired man. And the resulting pain in his scar.
"Your scar hurt when he looked at you," John said.
"Yes," Harry said.
"Why?" Astra asked.
"We'll find out," Harry said.
Snape is properly introduced though Percy Weasley.
"Snape knows about the Dark Arts indeed," Malfoy said. "He impressed my father with his knowledge. And my father doesn't impress easily."
"I'm surprised because they seemed like two peas in a pod," Ron said.
"Hardly, Snape's half-blood," Malfoy said. "But, my father was willing to overlook such a thing if he could get something out of someone. If Potter here was the next Dark Lord like some thought, he would bend the knee gleefully, if he could get something out of it."
"Well, your mother did anyway," Harry said.
"What?" Malfoy asked.
"Nothing," Harry said.
Sara caught Harry's eye and flashed him a thumbs up. Kara giggled in amusement and Lita was trying to not break out into tears of laughter. Harry's statement flew right over Malfoy's head.
"The fact Dumbledore let him near children is when I thought he started really to lose the plot," John said. "I'm sure you know everything about him."
"All too well," Harry said. "And…we'll cross that bridge later."
"You know he was on our side," Hermione muttered in Harry's ear.
"We'll cross that bridge later," Harry repeated more forcefully.
Dumbledore gives a speech leading up to his rather casual statement about the third-floor corridor.
"Oh, bloody hell, Albus, and you have the gall to get up my arse about putting children in danger," John said. "What's up there?"
"You'll find out with the rest of them," Harry said.
"You know something, we would be out of there by night, if Mum actually let us go," Astra said. "I never got the impression she was too impressed with Dumbledore."
"Well, she was a Slytherin, so naturally she did not worship the ground he walked on," John said.
"Oh, she was?" Astra asked. "My Mum went to Hogwarts?"
"Until she was expelled," John said. "She was a year above Lily and those Marauders. And Snivellus."
"Not a big fan of Snape, I take it?" Nora asked.
"Not at all," John said.
"How did Mum get expelled?"Astra asked.
"Not my story to tell," John said. "I will tell you that she told them where to stick her broken wand. Really didn't need a wand to perform magic. And all she needed was her NEWTs anyway."
"I'm curious," Astra said.
"I promised that she would be the one to tell you that story someday, if she wanted to," John said. "And it's one promise that I'm keeping until the end."
"We really took a lot of this stuff in stride,didn't we?" Ron asked Harry.
"Yes," Harry said.
"Still made a point to go to Hogsmeade when they had their weekends there," John said. "As you well know."
Astra and Harry exchanged smiles with Zari. Oh, they knew all about that last memorable Hogsmeade weekend before the Marauders, Lily, and Snape finished.
Percy's comment about the prefects not being told.
"He really doesn't know that prefect means he's the biggest brown-nose in his year," Lita said.
"Hey, I was a prefect," Hermione said.
"I was too," Malfoy said.
"Mmm, not doing much to sway me," Lita said.
"Percy really has his head up his arse," Ron said. "Dumbledore barely told the adults he was trusting to fight a war anything. And that bit us. Badly."
"I know," Harry said. "And he didn't like telling me anymore than he felt I need to know."
"I really hate Dumbledore," Astra groaned.
"Join the club," Sara said. "We have cookies."
"I'll sign up for that," Kara said.
The Hogwarts song starts.
Everyone sang along to the song. Harry smiled as Kara and Astra finished, quite beautifully. Although Astra only started singing when Harry playfully nudged her into it.
"Eleven out of ten," Harry said. "Not that the rest of you were bad yourselves."
"I sounded like a dying cat in a blender," Mick said.
"He's not wrong," Zari said. "Not that I know what that would sound like."
"Go down the wrong rabbit hole on the Internet, and you will," Lita said grimly.
The first-years made their way up to the Common Room, until Percy threatened Peeves with the Bloody Baron.
"Snitch," Mick grumbled.
"Yeah, that's Percy," Ron said. "Always first to tell Mum when we were up to something. And she wondered why he ended up supporting the Ministry later on."
More with Peeves, meeting with the Fat Lady, and getting their first look at the Common Room and the dormitories. Up until Ron's rat chewing his sheets.
"Ill-trained, that one," Astra said.
"You have no idea," Ron said.
"I think it reflects the owner myself," Malfoy said.
"Well, given that Percy had Scabbers for longer, I'll let him know you feel that way," Ron said.
"Okay, lovebirds, break it up," Sara said.
Harry's weird dream follows and him not remembering it afterwards.
"So are you having real acid-trip dreams and not remembering them common?" Zari asked.
"Unfortunately," Harry said. "I remembered it later on when I was reflecting on my time at Hogwarts. Memory potions are a wonder."
"I wonder if there were any other dreams you don't remember, that might have told you about what you lost," Astra said.
"I don't know," Harry said. "Dumbledore had those memories locked away pretty tight."
Astra flinched. Yes, that was unfortunate.
"Well, that's the end of that chapter," Lena said. "Can we all agree that the fact Harry is mostly normal is a miracle?"
"Neville's home life angers me," Astra said. "About as much as Harry's does."
Everyone nodded solemnly. The fact at one time Harry saw this behavior as normal and acceptable really showed the number his time at the Dursleys did on him.
"You won't find any disagreements there," Sara said. "Damn. This stuff really is easy to overlook when you're a kid."
"I agree," Harry said.
"It's just accepted," Ron said. "We would rather not deal with the fact there are some really messed up things going on."
Ron's comment really showed how messed up the world of magic was.
"Let's continue," Ava said.
To Be Continued.