"Restart"

Harry was dead.

My brother was dead, killed by the same murderess of our parents and this time would not come back.

I was alone.

With a pang in my chest I stood up and trying to ignore the dull ache that came from my left arm hanging helplessly beside me, shook my wand with all the strength in my body. With wobbly step made my way toward the center of the room where the man who had killed my family stood victorious and exploiting the pain and anger for all my losses began to hurl all attack spells of which I was aware, but nobody, not even one, seemed to score. I gritted my teeth, praying to a god that had never found to give me strength to fulfill my revenge, but I was not heard, and while an evil laugh echoed in the Great Hall, accompanied by a chorus of cheers, a beam of green light hit me and the last thing I saw was a quick red spark.

I closed my eyes flew accepting almost with relief finality of death and the possibility of being able to reconnect with my loved ones, but the feeling of peace that I was waiting for never came.

I opened my eyes after a few moments to the sound of some screams and I was amazed by what I saw. I was still in the same room, but however it was completely different. The walls were still standing, and there was no sign of the windows smashed by the giant or the presence of Voldemort. The Great Hall was as I remembered it in my happiest memories: crowded with students who feasted whose attention in this case was not directed to the food, but to me.

I made my eyes wander around the room clutching again the wand pointing it in front of me ready to face a new attack, my eyes fell on the staff table where at the head of was set an alarmed Dumbledore staring at me with his piercing blues eyes. Beside him Professor McGonagall I'd seen falling few minutes before.

I could not help but be back in awe: this was surely an illusion, what I actually believed the killing curse was a new spell created on purpose to make me mad.

"It's a joke Tom? - I shouted in a trembling voice, as the room was unexpectedly quiet - You did not bring me out enough? "

Everything was so unreal, because it still had to make fun of me? Why he didn't kill me and was over once and for all?

"Miss I do not know what you're talking about, but we can continue the conversation in my office quietly. First, however, agree that makes a visit to the infirmary. "Dumbledore said, getting up and approaching cautiously towards me, without raising his right hand from the side in which probably was his wand.

I laughed without humor, but with a mood of exasperation, still looking around scared that someone might make a false move.

"Stop Tom, you're not credible." I yelled once again facing Dumbledore, I expected that at any moment the real Tom Riddle proves to me.

"My name is Albus Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, and I'm afraid but I do not know that Tom you're talking about."

I was stunned for a moment, he seemed sincere. Doubt he crept in me, and once again I turned to survey the room, but a sharp pain in the belly made me lose consciousness and suddenly everything became dark.

Open my eyes was hard, damn hard.

The first thing I felt was the pain, fortunately not as sharp as when I was still conscious, but strong enough to stop for a moment my breath. The left arm felt a familiar tingle of Skele-Gro and from my side, though still sore, I could feel that didn't went out blood: I was cured.

I looked around trying to accustom my eyes to the light glancing around the room and detaching it from the ceiling. It did not take long to recognize the place: I was in the hospital wing at Hogwarts, but it wasn't run down and littered corpses of members of the Order of the Phoenix as the last time I was there. Next to me, again, there was Albus Dumbledore. I tried to get up shooting, but a stitch in my side made me groan of pain.

"Goodafternoon." The headmaster said smiling at me warmly.

I did not answer, still not convinced of his identity.

"Where's Harry?" I asked, though it was a fantasy for make me mad why he was not here?

"I'm sorry, but I don't know neither Harry nor Tom."

I started breathing heavily why Voldemort continued to mock me? Why he don't kill me at once?

"Please - begged - kill me, but first let me look for the last time the face of my brother ... please, you've already won."

Dumbledore looked at me worried and taken by force one of my hands in him without taking a moment his eyes from me. Although I was desperate and tried in vain to draw back from the grip that I could not bear, I could not did not remember the words that Hermione once told me: 'To Legilimency, eye contact is necessary'.

"I'm not lying, I'm sorry, but do not worry: now you are safe at Hogwarts."

"This is not Hogwarts." I replied.

"I can assure you that is so and I am the principal."

"No. Hogwarts was destroyed and you are dead. "I whispered.

"I'm sorry to inform you that I am here, alive and the school as well you can see it still standing." He replied.

"No, it can not, this is only an illusion. He Wants to see me mad, as if I had not already caused enough pain. "I accused, finally managing to break the hold.

"Where do you think you are?" He asked.

"I'm still in the Great Hall, Tom is in front of me, beside him the lifeless body of Harry and behind me a group of Death Eaters."

A flash of understanding through the eyes of the old headmaster, but I did not care.

"What's your name?"

"I'm Elizabeth. - I said, but I had no sign of recognition on his part - Elizabeth Potter. "

"Miss Potter, do you know what day is today?"

"May 2nd."

He remained silent for a few seconds more silent, continuing to stare at me with his piercing blue eyes.

"It seems fair to inform you that today is September 2nd, 1976." he said.

I remained silent and the heart began to beat at a rate that I did not believe he could achieve. Could it be true, that I was seriously gone back in time?

I reasoned, if it was just an illusion should have been painful beyond imagination. This, however, was simply different.

"No is 1998 ... It has to be 1998!" I stammered.

Dumbledore looked at me with a mixture of worry and pain and he take back my hand in him; this time i do not walked away, too shocked by him statement.

"Tell me what happened."

I told him.

I told him how I had not attended the last year, how we had gone on a mission in search of Horcruxes that he had entrusted to us, how we were first captured by Malfoy then escaped and run to Hogwarts. I told him to Abeforth, the passage of the resistance and of the battle; of how my brother had been defeated and how unexpectedly I found myself sitting here and thought it was all an illusion. Dumbledore listened silently the river of words that I could not stop without making a single sound and continued uninterrupted to look at me in the eye then slowly ran his hands over his face wearily, eyes shining with tears and a unexpectedly one of them fell by hiding in his long silvery beard.

"Girl, my poor girl. How much suffering you have had to try? "She whispered.

I did not answer limiting myself to look down, my eyes already full of tears because of the story.

"Although Tom Riddle is an outstanding magician can not create illusions so strong. I fear that you are the first time traveler. "Continued the old man.

"How is it possible?"

"I do not know and I do not think you'll ever go back."

I was silent for a moment trying to digest it all, then I spoke.

"It does not matter. I have nobody, I do not see why I should not even give me worth living. "

"It is always worthwhile to live." Said the man.

I did not answer back, sobbing and I tried to find the strength to stop crying, but the reality was that I had no strength at all.

"What I can do is offer you a place here, to get the clothes and everything necessary for the lessons, you'll be safe." The man asked me.

I estimated the hypothesis, I had nothing to lose and Hogwarts had always been my home so that in the meantime I decided to do with my life I could stay here, I decided it was not a bad idea.

"Ok."

Dumbledore smiled.

"Good. I'll send a uniform and necessary, I'll wait for dinner, where you will be sorted. Suggest you change your last name, perhaps in Martin, we will say that you were educated at home in recent years and you were going to take the portkey to Hogwarts when you were attacked by Death Eaters. Remember if you need anything, my door is always open. "

"Thank you sir." I whispered then I lay down in blankets slipping back into sleep.

I was awakened several hours later by a hand stroking my shoulder. I opened my eyes snapped open and I took my wand instinctively, but I didn't find myself face to face with a Death Eater as in my dream, but with a rather young Madame Pomfrey.

"Dear is almost time for dinner, will you get off?"

I nodded and slowly but pulled myself into a sitting position and I wore the uniform that had put me on the chair where he had been sitting Dumbledore. The cuts, burns and bruises were gone, but the scars were still shiny stand on my body. The woman seemed to notice my state of mind and after giving me a shy smile spoke.

"I tried to remove them, but they seem to be the work of dark magic."

"Whatever." I whispered, trying to pretend that I do nothing mattered.

Attender without any more time I finished dressing and accompanied by the nurse I went to the Great Hall. See the school completely intact and just as I remembered in my happiest memories was really strange and I was tempted several times to run away from the place that reminded me so much.

My entry into the Great Hall reminded me eerily of my first year, all were watching me while I tried to remain indifferent while I approached the stool beside the Sorting Hat. I heard Dumbledore explain that I was a new student and tell the story he conceived with me, I just sat in my ears while I felt only an indistinct murmur, but suddenly a doubt crept into me. And if I had not ended up in Gryffindor? And if I had been sorted into Slytherin? As I stood beside those people who in my future had helped to kill my family?

Professor McGonagall raised me the hat while my breathing became shaky and once laid on my head I heard him scream.

"GRYFFINDOR!"

Only then I realized I was holding my breath and I released the lungs approaching the red and gold table with a shy smile on my face that I could not hold back. I saw someone shake hands towards me and I joined him sitting down beside him.

"Nice to meet you - the boy said he had waved his hands toward me - I'm James Potter."

I stared at the frightened boy.

He had short black hair, bright hazel eyes, wore glasses and had a mischievous smile on his face that made me go gasp. The similarity with me and my brother was so impressive that took my breath away.

I swallowed trying the strength to act normal, as if I can introduce to an ordinary person.

"Elizabeth."

"I am Remus." said the boy next to him.

I could not help but smile at the sight of his comforting honey-colored eyes, it was my godfather and the closest thing to a father I had, it was nice to see him again.

"It is really a pleasure." I said as he blushed.

"Peter." Interrupted the person in front of my godfather.

I turned my gaze by placing it on the one who had spoken and froze me, but I tried to maintain my composure. I knew that at the time he was innocent, but I could not bear to look at him, not after he betrayed my parents, helped the resurrection of Voldemort and held prisoners Harry, Ron and Luna.

"Pleasure." I whispered with a small smile.

"And last but not least, Sirius Black, honey."

The vision blurred to me for a while and moving his eyes on the one who was sitting in front of my father, I saw the most beautiful boy I had ever seen: he had long black hair down to his shoulders, clear complexion and gray eyes fantastic. Sirius Black was already nice when I had met him despite 12 years in Azkaban, Me and Hermione we talked about during our small meetings among girls, but to see him in his prime was something else.

"Pleasure." I said, trying not to blush.

The boy opened his mouth to speak, but I was saved for a corner by the food that appeared on the table and prevented the boys, too busy to use, to heal me.

My gaze wandered again to the Great Hall, pausing on the faces of the students who happily ate their meal unaware of what would await them once out of school. I could not help but wonder how many of them would have died because of the war.

I swallowed nervously and grabbed a chicken leg in the tray in front of me and I took a bite.

"A bit 'of potatoes?" he asked with a smile James.

"Yes, thank you." I replied shyly.

"Then - he continued - who is Tom?"

"What?" I asked in a choked voice.

"James - chided Remus - avoids, has just arrived."

"Sorry Rem, sorry Elizabeth."

"I ... no problem." I stammered.

"Tell us something about yourself." My father continued taking the floor again.

"I ... do not know ..."

"Come on honey, you definitely have many things to tell us." Sirius said winking provocatively.

I tried not to blush again, but it was really too good for that. How could it be so charming and yet so annoying?

"I studied at home throughout their lives. I'm ... I'm just Elizabeth. "

The awareness of this killed me: it was what Harry had always wanted, it was he who had to be here, not me. I swallowed and drank vacuum of pumpkin juice to escape my thoughts.

"Then 'only Elizabeth', I am convinced that here you'll have fun, just watch out for the Slytherin." He warned James.

"Why?" I lied.

"They like the dark arts."

I did not answer, I did not recognize me already saying that these prejudices against people of other houses were absurd, even the Gryffindor would have to be all brave, loyal and good-hearted, but it was not so. The boys did not ask me nothing starting to talk to each other excluding me from the conversation, I could see that the group was fairly closed and they had invited me apparently just to show that they were the first to know. On the one hand I was grateful because I did not really want to talk about, but on the other I was a bit 'hit because, although they did not know yet, were my family.

I got up to the arrival of sweet, too preoccupied with bad memories that this place I conveyed. I muttered a feeble excuse to boys and walked away as fast as I headed toward Gryffindor Tower, thanking the fact that Madam Pomfrey had told me the password before going to dinner.

Arrived in the dormitory immediately went up in children's bedrooms and thanks to a spell of appeal retrieved the Marauder's Map casting a spell to change the label of my last name, then put it back in place and after a last look at the room I left . I thank fate for having made explain Remus, years before, as they had to draw the map, and the spells were used.

I went downstairs again and then walk towards the female dormitory of the seventh year, but I did not find my name on the door, I decided to continue to climb the stairs up to take me across to the next door in which appeared just my name. I entered not without a moment's hesitation, and I found myself in front of a small room furnished with a bed with a canopy adorned with long red curtains, a bedside table, a wardrobe and a small desk placed in front of the window oriented towards the black lake. Next to it a door leading to a small bathroom.

I opened the trunk placed in front of my bed and seeing it full of everything you need for my life at school, mentally thanked Dumbledore for the huge favor he had done to me. I Do not lose any more time, and I quickly changed, put my beaded bag Hermione had entrusted to me and I had hidden until then between my clothes under the pillow and lay down immediately taking sleep.

I'm sorry for grammar errors, English isn't my native language.