Harry sat on the cold curb waiting for Sirius and wondering just how he would mess this up. When he tried to match the books he just ended up with someone dead. When worked to improve them, someone else died.
He had avoided Aunt Marge's visit by leaving when everyone was busy and not coming back. Tonight wouldn't be the first time he had skipped supper but it would be worth it for Sirius. He looked up at the sky but the stars which shone so brightly in the dark sky of Hogwarts were outglared by the streetlights. Finally, bored, he wandered around the neighborhood and down to the park. Occasionally a car drove by and bathed him in the glare of headlights. The hot summer air lay still with no hint of a breeze. Midnight crept past with aching slowness and Harry at last acknowledged that Sirius wasn't coming.
There were dozens of things that could have kept Sirius from arriving. The book implied that he walked from Azkaban which was probably in Scotland and anything could have happened after he escaped. He slowed his walk. If Sirius escaped he should have been on the muggle news like the books said. Ron's dad was supposed to win a prize of some sort and Harry didn't have a subscription to the Daily Prophet to check. Ron had not replied to any of his owls this summer. Losing two of his brothers probably had something to do with that. Possibly Mr. Weasley hadn't won that prize? Eventually he climbed back through the window to his is room, gathered his things, left a note for Uncle Vernon, and had the knightbus take him to Diagon Alley.
The summer sailed by in a vague haze of ice cream and Quidditch arguments with whichever of his classmates happened he happened to meet shopping. Wanted signs for Sirius Black were missing though. He carefully read all the wanted posters at the Owl Office, hoping, but was disappointed. At the Magical Menagerie Crookshanks would have nothing to do with him but Harry insisted on buying the cantankerous, squashed face cat. He and Hedwig seemed to get along and every morning they joined him for breakfast in the Leaky Cauldron. September 1st meandered closer until one day Harry woke up, packed in a rush, and took the underground to King's Cross station. It was time for another year.
Platform 9 3/4 was as busy as he had ever seen it but there was a distinct lack of red hair. He waited on the platform until only parents stood waving goodbye before jumping on board and making his way to the last carriage where he knew Professor Lupin (not Moony he told himself) was sleeping. Inside the carriage sat a blonde girl reading magazine and a scruffy middle aged man with bits of gray hair.
"Um, hello. Mind if I join you?"
The girl didn't reply but did gesture vaguely at the empty seat across from her while not raising her eyes from her magazine. It was the Quibbler. He glanced at the briefcase and saw the initials R. J. Lupin. The books gave good descriptions of all his journeys to school but all the descriptions were not the same as sitting on the rumbling train and listening to the clack of wheels. Outside the buildings of London gave way to the houses of the suburbs and then to the open green. Lupin slept and Harry couldn't think of anything to say to Luna so they journeyed on in silence. Harry took the reprieve from stress and enjoyed the scenery.
The rattle at the door woke him. He must have dozed off at some point but now he felt the aching cold and screams were echoing in his head
"Fred. Get up Fred."
"Not Harry"
"Run Lily"
Hermione's screams where suddenly silenced.
The door handled wiggled again and turned. "Coloportus" he cried and the handle snapped shut.
He grabbed his wand from his pocket and raised it to defend against the dementors. The screams were fading away. Harry woke up. He opened his eyes to find professor Lupin looking down on him. "You were sleep casting."
Harry sat up and looked around the compartment. Neville had joined them at some point. The dementors were just a dream and there wouldn't be any since Sirius was still in Azkaban. He shuddered at the thought.
It's been several years since I've seen someone sleep cast. Lupin said. He tapped the door with his wand twice.
"Good job with the coloportus. Have you been casting wandlessly for long?"
He shook the cobwebs away and sat up. The compartment wasn't cold; the windows unfrosted; no one screamed. "Um, I can't cast wandlessly. Never have I mean."
Lupin smiled at him. "You locked that quite well. Remind me when we get to school and I'll recommend a book. I'm Professor Lupin by the way. In case you haven't guessed I'm the new defense professor."
The children mumbled their greetings and Lupin left to tour the train and make sure everything was all right. A short while later they pulled into Hogsmeade station and the year proceeded as normally as it could without Ron.
As he was heading to Gryffindor tower Mcgonagal called to him. "Mr. Potter. Professor Dumbledore would like to see you."
"Oy what'd you do now Potter? In trouble before the first class?" Seamus laughed good naturedly.
Harry grinned and called back "Probably just Voldemort trying to kill me again. He seems to be fixated." Seamus grinned weakly and hurried off.
Mcgonnagal led him to the headmaster's tower. "You should not make light of the dark lord Mr. Potter. He may be a jest for you but there are many who would take it ill." Her voice was clipped.
Harry was tempted to argue with her about all the times Voldemort had tried to kill him when he pulled up short. No one knew that Quirrel had wanted him dead. No one knew that Riddle had kidnapped him to the Chamber of Secrets. No one knew that it was he who slew the basalisk. Harry held his peace as he entered Dumbledore's office.
A half hour later the gargoyle moved again and Harry exited with a time turner and a small pamphlet on its safe and efficient use. Dumbledore had given him a mild reproof for leaving the Dursley's. He obviously suspected something but after his short conversation with Mcgonagal Harry felt unusually tired and alone. Back in the tower everyone was chatting and hanging with friends after a long summer away. Ron wasn't here. He even missed the mostly unknown Hermione. If he mentioned her name he suspected few would even know who she was. Neville was sitting by himself so he grabbed him and made a place for them both with the upper year girls. The quidditch chasers were friendly and he wouldn't be lonely this year.
When he went to bed hours later he discovered himself already asleep. He consulted the pamphlet (one turn for a half hour no more than 12 hours total) and spun the time turner. He ended up going to sleep just after the feast. A few hours later he heard the curtains open, the rustle of pages, then silence. This might have broken the rules (it's not like he actually read the pages on safety) but the extra sleep was worth it.
Morning came all too early. Late as usual he rushed to the great hall for breakfast and found Ron, Percy, and Ginny eating breakfast. Ron noticed his hesitation and waved him over. "Hey mate. How was the feast last night?" Harry looked around at the quiet group. "Good. We had treacle tart for dessert. Thought you weren't going to make it."
"We almost didn't. Mom wanted to homeschool us after . . . Yeah. But Percy convinced her he couldn't get his NEWTS that way. Last night she agreed to let us all come."
"Good. I mean . . . yeah, good. Good to see you again."
"You too."
They ate in companionable silence until Mcgonagal passed out their schedules.
The school year progressed slowly. Harry read the daily prophet in the school newspaper daily but there was no mention of Sirius. He wanted to expose Pettigrew but didn't want to lose the map. Every day was misery for Sirius though. Finally in desperation he mail ordered Crookshanks from Diagon Alley as a gift for Ginny.
Taking every class involved a ridiculous amount of work. He had insisted on muggle studies so he would get the time turner and he despised every minute. Hours of homework every day and he played quidditch as well. He told Ron about the time turner immediately and they used it to skip class and explore the forbidden forest one day. He made sure to repeatedly offer Ron extra study time which he declined and the novelty wore off.
Crookshanks chased Scabbers as expected but not quite as emphatically as the book said. Harry supposed Sirius wasn't there to encourage the cat.
He knew he couldn't just leave Sirius in prison but he had no way of getting him a picture of Scabbers. Dumbledore had to know about Scabbers but he would read his mind and no his fault in the other deaths. Then Ron might know . . . His failures must remain secret which meant he had to go to Professor Lupin.
Harry didn't I just see you leave?
Harry looked at him curiously. "Must have been someone else. C'mon Ron let's go. "
"Why are we taking Scabbers to Hagrid?"
"He's looking sick. Probably because Crookshanks is chasing him. Hagrid will have a solution. "
"Fine. Umm Harry aren't we going the wrong way?" Harry remained silent. The broom closet door creaked as they walked past.
Outside the DADA class he stopped. "Why don't we ask Professor Lupin? He knows all about dark creatures maybe he'll know about Scabbers."
"You think he'd mind?"
"Can't hurt to ask. He seems friendly enough. "
Harry knocked on the door. "Professor lupin, do you have a minute?"
Behind him Ron spoke. "Scabbers stop struggling. What's gotten into you. Ow! Stop biting me."
A muffled "Come in" came through the door.
"Hello professor. We were wondering if you had a moment to examine Ron's rat. He's been acting odd lately."
"I'm not an animal expert Mr. Potter but I'll see what I can do. Bring him here Mr. Weasley and let me take a look." Lupin took the rat and held him tightly despite all wiggling and squirming Scabbers could manage. Lupin cast a spell. "He seems to be in good health. How long have you had him?"
"Ages. He was Percy's. I got him when Percy got an owl."
"Rat's don't normally live very long. How old . . ." Lupin trailed off and squinted at the rat. "Mr. Weasley. Go and fetch the headmaster." Scabbers was very, very still.
"What's wrong? Is he sick? Has that cat done something to him?"
"Go. Now."
Ron backed towards the door but Harry stared at the rat. Just as he had expected the rat suddenly transformed into a man and collapsed on top of Remus his weight driving them both to the ground.
"Petrificus Totalus." Harry yelled but the man rolled away and sprinted for the door. Harry waved his wand and banished a row of desks across the room but Pettigrew morphed into a rat and the desks flew over his head. In rat form he scampered down the hall; Remus and Ron chased after him.
After all this planning Scabbers had still escaped. Harry stood still wandering just what had gone wrong. Was it that bloody prophesy? It hadn't even been made yet. Maybe the books he had read were a best case scenario and he was doomed to always do something worse. In the books after Pettigrew escaped he and Hermione . . .
Not stopping to plan he sprinted for the broom closet down the hall, ducked inside, and spun the time turner. He reappeared a half hour before he entered and rushed to his dorm to get his invisibility cloak. As he was leaving he snatched up Crookshanks and saw Ron across the room. Back in the closet he explained the plan to Crookshanks and they waited patiently for himself and Ron to come by with the rat.
He knew which direction Scabbers would run so once he knew for sure that Remus was investigating, he and Crookshanks left the closet and got into position.
A few minutes later yells echoed down the hall and feet slapped on stone floors. Harry watched intently with Crookshanks crouched at his side. Harry missed the rat but Hermione's cat did not. He heard a hiss then saw an orange blur streak across the hall. Scabbers was caught and Harry stunned the rat just as Remus and Ron sprinted around the corner.
"Did you catch him?"
"Crookshanks did. He must have stalked us to your room." They watched the cat bat Scabbers across the floor. He crouched, wiggled, and pounced on the rat again tossing him high in the air then letting him hit the ground.
Remus looked both angry and amused.
Ron stared at his rat but didn't move to save him. "What happened to Scabbers?"
"Scabbers was never really Scabbers. He was an animagus in disguise. We need to take him to Dumbledore and I'll fill you in as we walk."
Capturing Pettigrew was better than winning a quidditch match Harry decided. After all the things that had gone wrong over the years he had finally made an improvement. Remus explained the story to them both and Harry tried to pay attention but his mind was on Sirius. What was his godfather like? Crookshanks had decided he wouldn't be eating the rat any time soon and left the party. Eventually the three of them ended up in Dumbledore's office.
"Remus, Harry. How can I help you?" Dumbledore folded his hands on his desk. Harry looked around at the cluttered office. Piles of paper sat on his desk but it seemed strangely forlorn without Fawkes. The phoenix's absence was noticeable.
"Dumbledore, we've caught Pettigrew. It wasn't Sirius all along. Pettigrew is a rat animagus."
"Oh, how interesting. "
"Interesting? It's a travesty of justice. We have to exonerate Sirius now. Today." Remus's voice rose higher.
Dumbledore hesitated and looked around the room and harry realized he had never before seen Dumbledore confused. "But how do you know this is him? A rat animagus is a serious business but it's been some time. . ."
"13 years?" Harry helped him along.
"Yes, exactly"
"I can prove it." Jumped in Remus. " the map never lies" He opened the map and said "I solemnly swear I am up to no good. James Sirius and I built it in school." They all looked at the map. There in the office were marked.
Harry James potter
Remus John Lupin
Ronald Bilius weasley
Peter Pettigrew
Tom Marvolo Riddle
Harry and Dumbledore locked eyes. Those sparkling blue eyes sucked him in, drawing him deeper into a black pit of hatred and fear until he wrenched his head aside.
"Congratulations Harry. This is twice you have found me."
Harry drew his wand and backed up from the desk.
"Where's Dumbledore?"
Riddle lounged back in his chair and surveyed the three of them. "Dead of course. He was too risky to let live." Riddle twirled his wand in his fingers. Dumbledore's wand.
"Who are you?"
"He's Voldemort. Don't bother with the monologue Tom. Tell me how you got in. There are wards against monsters like you." Harry drew his wand but knew he stood no chance against either Riddle or the Elder Wand. He doubted Riddle knew what he held but that didn't matter. If he had taken it by victory then it would answer to him.
"Get in? I never left. After that girl set me free I didn't have to go far. Reentering this castle later would be too much trouble so I stayed. I stayed and Dumbledore died without ever knowing I was here." Tom smiled serenely, confident in his unbeatable skill. "There's only one thing left." He pointed his wand at Remus. "Die"
Remus moved while Harry waved his wand. Riddle raised a shield against what he thought was Harry's incoming spell but Harry had instead summoned the bookcase behind him. A torrent of books poured over the Dark Lord. Riddle waved a hand and the flood of books flew at Harry while he sent a wave of fire against the other two. A wave of blistering heat made him flinch and he heard screams of pain. Harry ducked behind the desk letting the books fly over him and cast expelliarmus. Amazingly the spell worked and the Elder Wand flew towards him.
A flick of Riddles wrist sent the fire against him. No magic came to Harry's mind. No spell he had been taught could protect him from this. Even with the elder wand he was too unskilled. If his friends still shrieked in pain he could no longer hear them. He jumped through the window feeling the glass rip his skin. His fingers, slick with blood, felt for a handle on the ledge outside but he could maintain a hold on nothing.
"Fawkes! Fawkes!" He rolled to face the ground and his fate when a flash of flame surrounded him and he was sitting in a forest. Nearby Fawkes trilled sorrowfully.
The winter air soothed his scorched face and around him the dead leaves rustled on the trees. Harry lay still and watched the sunlight flicker between the brown leaves above. Everything was wrong. Everyone was dead. Except Sirius who could never get out of prison because Pettigrew was burned away. He looked at his wand. He had destroyed everything he might have loved.
Gently rolling the wand around his palm he considered possibilities. He had the Elder Wand. He had read the books and might retrieve a few of the horocruxes but now Voldemort would search his luggage and inevitably find the books himself. He had royally screwed up. He had tried to recreate the books with small changes when he should have just said screw it and changed everything. Subtly had failed. Harry knew what he had to do.
"Fawkes I'm going to try to save Dumbledore and maybe everyone else. I have the Elder Wand. Maybe I can use it to make the time turner go back further. If nothing else I can save Remus and Ron." He stared at the bird. "Do you think I can do it?" Fawkes gave no reply. Harry looked around one last time. The cold winter day was passing quickly. "Time to put up or shut up, huh?"
Harry pulled the timeturner out from under his robes and held it in his left hand. The Elder Wand was in his right. Fawkes landed on his shoulder. "You want to come to?" The phoenix said nothing but waited patiently. He knew by experience that every turn of the hourglass was like winding a spring. It became tighter and tighter until he let go and the spinning hour glass threw him backwards in time.
A carefully cast banishing charm should do it. He aimed for the time brass rim and let loose all the power he held. The hourglass spun furiously and noisily. It wobbled side to side and deep creeks and groans emanated from the housing. It slowed. It stopped. With an unearthly shriek it unwound. Beside him Fawkes sang and Harry was jerked back by the timeturner and upwards by the phoenix.
The stars whirled overhead and ash floated around him as Harry Potter lay, confused and bewildered, on the soft grass. He closed his eyes and prayed for the pounding headache to cease. When it didn't he struggled to his knees anyways and recognized privet drive.
Ash landed on his nose and he crosses his eyes. Fawkes had moved him while time travelling but there was no sign of the small chick he'd read about in the books. He gazed back up at the stars and confirmed another suspicion. Astronomy had taught him the constellations forwards and backwards and tonight was not December. The cloudless night showed the stars clearly and tonight was clearly later summer. Likely August which meant he had moved further in time than he had thought possible. He had a moment of hope. He could redo the entire year. He could save Dumbledore.
The best way to save the headmaster was to warn Harry. Himself. His headache didn't make time travel easier. Now determined to set things right he headed for the Dursleys but stopped when he saw movement. Underneath his window, stood a girl with a ladder. She propped it against the wall and began awkwardly climbing. Harry noticed that she had a stack of books under one arm.
"Hey. Who are you? Hey what are you doing at my house?" She looked down at him.
"What are you doing out here? You're supposed to be in bed. And you're tall."
"I asked you first. Who are you?"
She ignored his question and looked him up and down. "You've got a time turner." She jumped up and down clapping her hands. "This is so exciting. You're older. How did it turn out?"
Harry felt his confusion growing and crossed his arms. "I won't ask again. Who are you? You must be a witch to recognize a time turner." The best he could tell she wasn't much older than him. He would place her as a fifth or sixth year but he didn't recognize her.
"I'm an author Harry. Well not your author. At least not completely. I'm your fanfic author. I'm giving you these books. Or I gave you these books from your perspective? Time Travel makes for such fun stories. How did you like the books? Did Sirius win? Did you end up with Hermione this time? I always ship you too because she's just like me you know."
He stared at her in confusion. Judging by her accent she was American. Author? Fanwhat? Then the important part registered. She had given him the books, caused him to kill Hermione and Fred and George, and let Dumbledore die. His faced reddened and his fists clenched. "You ruined my life. Getting those books destroyed everything. Did you even remotely think it through?"
"What do you mean? This time you can do it right and save everyone. You can stop Voldemort early. I had it had it planned out where you'd go to the Yule Ball with Hermione. Her dress would look just like the one I wore to the homecoming dance last year."
Harry wondered what homecoming was but didn't bother asking. "I didn't. One little change and everyone dies. They're all dead don't you understand?" The girl stared at him open mouthed. Obviously she hadn't expected that. Scattered on the ground were several books and he could see the red cover of the Goblet of Fire amongst them. Next year Voldemort would return. Next year Cedric would die and there would be two Voldemorts, young and old, loose. Drawing his wand he cast incendio.
"No! Stop." The girl stomped on the burning books but drew back when her jeans caught fire. A moment of heat and light and the books were gone. Harry's world was safe and he would be untroubled by foreknowledge.
"Look what you've done. I put all this work into this story and you ruined it."
Harry let his wand slip to the ground.
She stared at him. "Was it that bad?"
"It was terrible. They're all dead and it's only third year. His head was swimming and he sat on the ground. He was burned and sore. His head hurt miserably and Fawkes, the only one left, was missing.
The girl, his author, looked at him but he turned away from the pity he saw there. "I suppose giving you the books was a bad idea." For a moment they were silent. Harry looked back at her feeling more and more disconnected. Wondering what was happening. She just watched him silently. The wind whistled in the bradford pears and the motorway hummed in the distance.
"I'll have to fix this. There's no point in having everyone killed."
"That is why I came back. I mean I hadn't meant to come this far but I'm glad I did. I had to get rid of the books. If I hadn't read them I would have behaved normally and the world turned out OK. Not great but more people would have lived." He put his face in his hands tired and wanting just to sleep. He looked down at the grass. Through his hands. He raised his head and passed his hands in front of his face to find they were translucent.
"I can't let things go as normal though. Sirius dies and he's so cute. You end up with Ginny which just isn't right. Hermione is much better."
"What's happening to me?" Harry tried to stand but his legs refused to work. He crawled and reached for his author but she ignored him.
"You'll need a guide. Someone beautiful with raven hair and purple eyes. An elf would be perfect. I'll have a long flowing dress and it will be pink, just like the one I wore to homecoming." Harry stared in confusion as she transformed herself with words. Again he wondered what homecoming was and giving into curiosity he tried to ask but his body wouldn't work. Harry felt himself fading out of existence as the perfect elf princess floated gracefully to his own locked window and opened it with a wave of her hand. The last thing he heard was his author saying. "Hello I'm Mary Sue and I'm here to save you."