Chapter 2

The stupid hat put me where?

Harry woke to the familiar sight of the hospital wing's white ceiling. He easily identified the voices off to his right. Madam Pomfrey was briefing Dumbledore on their conditions.

"I don't think there is any reason for their collapses' other than stress. All of them have severely depleted cores. Four of them had damage in their lungs due to smoke inhalation. Two of them had exterior burns which were easily healed. All of them look like they just came out of a battle: spell damage, cuts, bruising and all but two show exposure to the cruciatus curse. Most have dark magic residue and one of them has the dark mark."

"Good gods. Which?" asked the Headmaster.

Harry sat up and Professors Dumbledore looked over at him. "It's ok; he made a really crappy death eater."

"Shut up, Potter."

"What, you want to argue with me. Say how evil you are?"

"I'm not evil."

"Which is what I was telling them."

"Could you two not fight for like five seconds while we figure out where the hell we are?"

"Hannah, I don't think where is the problem so much as when." Hermione said as she swung her legs out of her hospital bed and moved across the aisle where Ron was sitting up.

Neville started coughing and Madam Pomfrey rushed to his side. "Headmaster, I need to run down to the potions lab to get the dosage for smoke inhalation. I'll be right back."

The headmaster poored a glass of water from the pitcher on the table and handed it to Madam Pomfrey. Who handed it to Neville and then left the ward.

"When?" Neville choked out. "How could we be when?"

"Obviously the Wyllt transported us here. My father ran an article about how they fart time turner sand. One must have been in the Great Hall with us."

Harry looked to his friends and they all were looking back at him. "That's great, Luna. Do you know where we can get another one to send us back where we belong?"

"Nope. It'll pop up when it wants to."

"I did tons of research on time turners in our third year and there is no way a time turner could have done this."

Luna did not look the least bit impressed by Hermione's expertise. "So then what did? Sometimes magic doesn't always act like you think is should."

"Especially around me. So how do we get back? Or forward? Or whatever?" Harry asked again.

"Time Travelers. How fascinating. There are several incidents documented in the Headmaster Records of students spending their seventh years out of time. I'm so excited to meet you all. But you must remember that there are rules. You can not disclose anything that might change the time line."

"Excuse me sir, but what are you talking about?"

"Well, after you all passed out. The sorting hat suggested I look at the student role and there were seven new names added to the seventh years. Welcome to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry." Dumbledore said with the stupid eye twinkle thing. As if it was perfectly normal for naked kids to drop out of the ceiling claiming to be from the future.

"Seventh years? We can't attend classes here. We don't have our wands or robes or most importantly books. And what about the assignments due?" Hermione said and Harry shared an eye roll with Ron.

"Not to worry child. In the book next to your names there was a notation that the castle will provide all that you require and supplies for each of you could be found in the founders' suite on the seventh floor. Though I must admit, I was not actually aware there was a founders' suite at all."

"On the seventh floor?"

"That's what the book said. I guess we will have to do a little exploring." The man looked positively giddy at the prospect.

"That's not necessary, sir. We know where it is." Neville spoke up.

"Well great then." Dumbledore routed around in his robe pocket and pulled out a stack of papers. "Who is Neville Longbottom?"

Neville raised his hand and Dumbledore moved over and handed the top sheet to Neville. "Great, I've known quite a few Longbottoms in my time. All good People. Welcome to Ravenclaw house."

"Excuse me? I can't be in Ravenclaw."

"Of course you can. The house system here is very..."

"The house system is a load of crap." Draco put in, "This whole thing is ludicrous. There is no way that we have gone back in time. And even if we have, you can't expect us just to attend classes and act like happy little first years. People will be looking for us."

"Yeah, to send you to Azkaban."

"Shut up, Weasel. Your parents have so many kids that they might not notice one missing, but mine certainly will."

Harry thought about Fred lying dead in that Hallway. He got out of his bed and turned to address the arrogant git when the door to the hospital wing opened. Two kids entered one looked just like Harry Potter, when his hair wasn't to his shoulders and he was wearing glasses, and the other like Ginny Weasley.

"Professor Dumbledore, sir. We went to your office and Sir Nicholas told us you were here when we couldn't get in."

"Mr. Potter, Ms. Evans. Sorry I wasn't there for you orientation, I was just meeting some transfer students. As the Head Boy and Head Girl, I will expect you to help them get adjusted to the school. This is Neville Longbottom and where is... Ms. Granger?"

Hermione stepped forward to shake hands with his parents. Harry tried to remember to breathe. He'd seen them of course. The mirror, his photo album, the graveyard, the walk through the forest, but they were here. Standing right in front of him smiling and making polite small talk with his friends as Professor Dumbledore passed each of them a time table and introduced them to the Head boy and Girl. Harry was last on the list.

"Potter, wow, you look a little like me, too." James said to Harry.

Right, Breathe, don't scream or hug them or faint. "I guess that is one major drawback of being a pureblood. With so much inbreeding, sooner or later, someone is bound to show up wearing your face." Right, don't be an arse either. "Excuse me."

Harry quickly made his way over to the bathroom. He closed his eyes and leaned back against the door. He couldn't do it. He couldn't just play along with whatever torture fate had in store for him next. It was hard enough having his parents walking around alive, but if they were here then so was Sirius, Remus, and Snape. How could he face them knowing they died for him.

He moved to open the door but could still hear voices out in the wing. Ok, so he was hiding. He didn't really care if they all thought he was a coward. The windows and mirrors started to vibrate. He tried to reel in his pain but through it all, he still really sucked at Occlumency. He clinched his fist against the rising anger he was feeling and luckily got distracted from his wrath by the crinkle of parchment.

He looked down at his hand and noticed a small tattoo on the skin between his finger and thumb. He stretched out his fingers and looked at the small black M. Running up the left side of the letter was a green plant with little white flowers that sparkled like they were dusted with gold fairy dust. When the hell did he get marked?

He was about to open the door to see if the others were similarly marked when he saw the top of the paper still clinched in his hand.

Harry James Potter

Slytherin House