Thank you all of you who have read this story and to every one who has reviewed it. Thank you Noreen, waterlily16, blah and D3BBiE

Harry Potter and the Trip to the Past

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Chapter – 3

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Harry stepped into Diagon Alley and walked briskly towards Gringotts. Diagon Alley was a bit subdued compared to the years after the war when it had slowly picked up itself and then had blossomed. The last three to four years Diagon Alley was a bustling centre with huge businesses, all making a hefty profit.

Harry noticed all this as he walked towards the white structure of the wizarding bank. He smiled a little at the goblins standing guard and went inside and chose a counter that was not only empty but also had no one at the counters on each side.

He walked up to the goblin that sneered at him and smiled and pushed a piece of paper towards it.

My name is Harry James Potter and I wish to speak to you in private.

Harry

The goblin looked at Harry and its eyes flicked to Harry's forehead and looked at his face again. Harry had removed all the charms once he had stepped into the banks not needing to have the goblins suspicious at him. Seeing the goblin trying to peer at his scar, Harry obliged and lifted his cap slightly and pushed his hair.

The goblin's eyes flicked to his scar once again and it nodded.

"Place a drop of blood on this parchment." It said, removing another parchment and snapping its fingers at the parchment and handed it to Harry. Harry saw that the parchment had the name of Harry James Potter written on it.

The goblin handed over a small knife when it saw Harry was looking at his finger and trying to cut it with a small pencil, he had found in his pocket.

"Thanks." Harry told it and did not see the goblin raise its eyebrows at the single word. No one generally spoke to the goblins with so much casual acceptance. Harry returned the knife and placed a drop of blood on the parchment and watched the goblin examine it and then the goblin got up and gestured Harry to follow him and went down the long aisle and into a room.

"Yes Mr. Potter, what can I do for you?" the goblin asked.

"First off I would like to know about my vaults. My family after the death of my parents are muggles and they have not told me anything except to enquire here sir." Harry replied politely.

The goblin muttered something and snapped its fingers and Harry's statements appeared on the table. The goblin looked through it and then lifted its head and looked at Harry.

"You have two vaults, yours and your parents vault Mr. Potter. Some of the money is in your vault and the rest in your parents' vault."

"How do I access them sir?" Harry asked.

The goblin frowned, "Don't you have your key Mr. Potter?"

Harry shook his head.

"Very well." It snapped its finger again and another goblin appeared and after a whispered conversation with the goblin sitting in front of Harry, left the room and shortly with two keys.

"These are the keys to your vaults Mr. Potter. Please keep them safely."

"Sir," Harry asked hesitantly, "My aunt told me my parents' had a house. Do you have any details of their home and any other assets they might have had?"

"You have one property called Godric's Hollow in Wales Mr. Potter. All relevant papers are in your parents' vault." It told Harry looking through some files, all marked Potter.

"May I request you to keep my coming here very confidential and I also need something to withdraw both wizarding and muggle money without having to come to the bank every time. Is there something for that?" Harry asked the gobbling his eyes wide and innocent.

"Yes Mr. Potter. There is and I will give you a pouch that will turn to a wallet when you want to use it in the muggle world. I will also bind it to you, so that it will never get lost or misplaced. All you have to do is to state from where you wish the money to come from, your vault or your parents' and it will come into your pouch from there."

Harry nodded in satisfaction. Now he had got over the accessing of money properly, he was safe and did not need to depend on Mrs. Weasley or Bill to get money every time for him. And he fervently hoped he would never antagonize the goblins as he had for getting into Bellatrix's vault and hoped he had a better way of getting the horcrux.

Harry thanked the goblin and went out to go to both his vaults and he came face to face with Griphook. He smiled at the goblin who scowled at Harry before silently leading him down to his vault first.

It was the same as last time and Harry opened it and then he walked around and picked up a few galleons and walking out he nodded to Griphook to tell him he was finished here and would now like to visit his parents' vault.

They went down to where Harry' parents' vaults were and Harry went inside, telling Griphook he would be there for some time.

His vault was actually his father's opened by his grandfather, when James Potter came of age. This had been his family vault. There were some valuable items, many books, some of them rare and a lot of money.

There were also his family portraits. All of them had been sealed when they had been placed in the vault and to unseal them Harry had to use the Marauder's password, 'I solemnly swear that I am up to no good' and the portraits would come alive.

But Harry did not want to do that because he was not supposed to know the word marauder let alone their password. So he looked at his parents, Sirius and Remus and Peter and let all of them remain even though he wanted to blast off Wormtail off the wall.

He smiled at all of them and shook his fist and cursed at Pettigrew and then walked around feeling at home for the first time after he had come to the past and went to a dark corner of the vault, conjured a few vials and transformed into his animagus form of a Phoenix. He shook out two feathers and then pecked himself and carefully collected a few drops his blood into a conjured vial. Next came his tears and that went into another vial.

Harry changed back and without healing his cut, transformed once again into his second animagus form of a viper and released a little bit of his venom into a very small shallow basin. Then he slowly lifted his body and dropped the viper's blood into another shallow basin and then transformed back once again.

Then once again Harry transformed into a stag and some blood and tail hair. Harry was done.

Though it was Harry, even when he transformed, he had the properties of his animagus forms, something he did not have when he was Harry. While he would have great healing properties, Harry in his Phoenix form could take the killing curse and be born, in his human, or his other two animagus forms he could get killed. The combinations of all of these into two wands would not only bind the wands to him, but would also make any curse or hex coming from them extremely powerful. Harry figured he had a Phoenix form because he had taken a killing curse two times and had survived.

He finally added his own blood to another conjured vial and he was ready to leave his vault. He healed his cut wandlessly and placing all the now sealed vials carefully into his pockets, Harry walked out.

With various ingredients Harry was ready to craft his wands; two of them. He would not go to Ollivander but to another wand crafter in Knockturn Alley.

He went up with Griphook and thanking him which brought another scowl to the irate goblin's face and sauntered out into the bright sunlight of the day. He did not go shopping directly but went into a small alley and placed a lot of charms wandlessly on himself.

He first made himself look a little older and changed his battered coat into a thick robe, carefully removing the vials first and changed his hair and eye colour. He also made his dark Brown hair stick to his forehead as a thick fringe over his scar.

Harry satisfied with his changes walked out of the alley and into the main street at Diagon Alley casually, placing a notice-me-not charm on himself. No one gave him a second look and he went first back to The Leaky Cauldron and had a huge meal.

Then he waited for a few minutes and went back into Diagon Alley when a group of people went in.

Harry first went to buy a trunk. He got himself a seven compartment one with many secret places and heavily warded against magical eyes and other devices. From there he visited the stationery shop and loaded himself with parchment, quills and everything he might need.

The next stop was to Madam Malkins. Harry purchased a lot robes, muggles clothes and undergarments and placed them in his new trunk. Shrinking his trunk that only needed him to place his hands on a particular place on the trunk, Harry went to Flourish and Blotts and stocked up on all his first year texts as given in his Hogwarts letter and then went and purchased a great many books on defence, potions, Occlumency, Legilimency, mind magics, charms, Transfiguration, animagus and runes.

Placing all of them in his trunk and walking out, Harry went to Eyelops and his heart lifted when he saw Hedwig there. Harry went straight to her and held out his arm silently, his eyes shining as he looked at her, his heart bursting with love looking at his first faithful friend.

To the surprise of the shopkeeper Hedwig sailed down and settled on Harry's hand.

"Well, that bird has never done that!" the shopkeeper gasped, astounded by the behaviour of the snowy white bird that had been slightly sullen and refusing everyone until now.

Harry smiled a genuine smile for the first time since he had come back to the past and paid for the bird. "I will call you Hedwig. Do you like your name?" he asked while the shopkeeper was counting the change.

Hedwig hooted softly and nipped Harry affectionately on his ear. She was perched on his shoulder and looked very content there. Harry also bought a nice cage and a smart perch for her and lots of owl treats. He placed the cage and the packets of owl treats into his trunk, shrunk it and left.

"I won't let you die this time Hedwig. Not if I can help it." Harry murmured fiercely his brown eyes very bright.

"Wait for at The Leaky Cauldron will you? I have some work at Knockturn Alley and I will collect you on my way back." He murmured to her and Hedwig hooted and flew away, her white wings soaring high in the air.

Harry watched her for a minute, his heart full and then turned away and walked briskly into Knockturn Alley. He went straight inside the narrow dark alley and walked for a few minutes before he came to a shop that said 'Akernicks Wand Crafters since 682 A.D'

Harry stepped into the store and walked to the counter. There was a young man there, the same man whom Harry had seen after fifteen years to have his second wand crafted with the same ingredients he had now with him in his vials.

Harry had been introduced to this wand crafter by one of his deputy's who had his wand crafted by Akernicks and swore by him. Harry had gone with his contributions from himself and his various animagus transformations and had his wand crafted.

That wand had felt so powerful and harmonious even more than his holly wand, a feat Harry had not thought possible until then. After wielding this wand, the holly wand slowly became the second wand and this wand the primary one.

Now Harry went to the counter and spoke to Akernicks.

"I have some blood and snake venom, some tail hair and two Phoenix feathers. I would like to have two wands crafted with them, please. Would you be able to do it for me?"

Akernicks simply nodded, "It will take a couple of hours. Find the wood from the pile there and give me the ingredients here."

Harry went to the pile of wood and closed his eyes and ran his hands through the different pieces of wood kept there and his hand unerringly picked out a piece of wood that felt very right in his hands. Harry opened his eyes to see it was holly. No surprises there he thought and Harry took the log of wood to the wand crafter.

"I will come back in a couple of hours from now." Akernicks nodded already frowning over the holly.

Harry left the wand shop and went a little deeper and came to an apothecary that a little tucked inside, almost into another smaller alley of the main Knockturn Alley.

Harry walked briskly inside and ordered a list of normal school requirements and also other ingredients most of them on the banned list and very dubious. He paid for them and went straight into the next shop that was a book shop.

This was not like Flourish and Blotts, but a book shop devoted to the Dark Arts and other darker aspects of magic. He walked around and collected a number of books and was about to make his way back when his eyes fell on a book that was a goldmine.

Self – Updating Book of Spells

Harry lifted that book reverentially and turned the pages inside. They were blank.

"No one has ever succeeded to bring the print on to the pages sir." A soft voice spoke next to Harry startling him.

"Nevertheless I would like to try my luck. Otherwise I may sell it back here, may I not?"

The old lady who had spoken to him nodded and smiled. "That is what everyone who has taken this book from here does. They return it in about a month or two after trying everything to get it to open for it is very expensive."

Harry smiled back at her and then paid for the books and opening his trunk, placed them there and shrinking it once more, went back to the wand shop and sat down on a stool there waiting for his wands to be completed.

Harry waited for half an hour before the wand crafter finished the final polish on his wand and looked up at Harry. "You have brought an unusual combination for your wands. I think they will be very powerful and also binding to you and you alone."

Harry nodded and he slowly took the first wand in his hand. The wand hummed in his hand and then lay still. Harry gave it an experimental wave and red, gold, green and silver sparks came out in a riotous swirl of colour.

Harry repeated the process with the other wand and then smiled truly for the second time in the day. He paid the wand crafter and then went out and walked to The Leaky Cauldron and motioning Hedwig to stay concealed, Harry went inside.

Tom was there cleaning glasses and he looked up with a smile when Harry entered. Harry looked around The Leaky Cauldron as he approached the counter and Harry was mildly shocked when he saw Quirrell sitting at one corner of the room and nursing a drink, a few others sitting around talking about various items in Transfiguration today, The Potions Journal Fortnightly and so on.

"Hello, I am planning to go off on a trekking trip and I don't want to keep apparating here or to my kitchen or cook in the tent for food everyday. How about packing some assorted stuff for about two weeks? Do you do all that? I am Oldie Back."

Tom was thrilled. This was big business. He nodded enthusiastically. "Of course sir. I can do all that. Full meals you mean – breakfast, lunch and dinner?" he asked.

"The works; Oh and I would like something to eat now."

"In a moment sir." Tom said happily and Harry went to one of the front tables very far away from Quirrell.

By the time Harry had finished, his very full combination of tea and dinner, Tom was ready. Harry went up to the counter to pay and Tom smiled widely at him, "Well Mr. Back, see this bag here, all you have to place five knuts for tea, six for coffee, a sickle for breakfast, lunch or dinner. This bag will transfer the money here and I will place what ever you want into the same bag and you will receive it.

"Breakfast, lunch or dinner will be according to time and if you don't want to eat for a day, don't put the money in. Place the empty plates into the pouch and I will receive it back. You will have to pay for one set of plates, cutlery and cups and saucers now. If you break or lose them then you will pay for whatever items you have broken in addition to your meal. That is all."

Harry smiled as widely as Tom. "This is fantastic. Will I be able to use it even after the two weeks; if I get bored of my own cooking?"

"Yes sir. This is meant for bachelors usually and also for anyone who wishes to have a day off from the kitchen. This will work for as long as you would like."

Harry heaved a sigh of relief. Food was taken care of. Hedwig was alive once again and he had ready access to the money. He had two wands that would work only for him. At least the basic things were going smoothly so far Harry thought crossing his fingers and knocking on the wooden table top.

Harry smiled his thanks to Tom and went out and apparated behind some bushes behind the small park in Little Whinging. Removing his disguise there, he slowly walked to his aunt's home. The house was locked and Harry opened the door wandlessly and then locked it behind him.

He walked up to his room and cast a notice-me-not charm at the door and also a muggle repelling charm just to be safe. Then he unpacked everything and arranged his trunk, leaving only his books outside. He enlarged the perch and watched with happiness as Hedwig flew and sat on it, hooting softly with pleasure.

He placed muggle repelling charm on his trunk and his books and placed a sickle into the pouch and was rewarded by steaming hot dinner. Harry ate, not minding the fact he had had a very late tea and relaxed for sometime thinking of everything as he sat there on his chair.

When it was completely dark, Harry stood up and stretched. He had already sent his reply to McGonagall carefully using muggle paper and pen and not parchment.

Dear Professor McGonagall,

I am writing to tell you that I will be attending the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in September this year. Thank you for admitting me into your School.

Yours sincerely,

Harry Potter.

Harry had looked at it and felt it was pretty much okay. If it wasn't, well that was okay too, he supposed. He had sent it off with Hedwig, patting her and cuddling her, almost cooing to her. He had not realized how much he had missed Hedwig until he saw her once again. This almost made his unscheduled trip to the past worth the while. Almost.

After sending off the letter Harry had sat there on his chair putting his face into his hands for a long time. What he would be doing next would change the future totally.

Harry sighed from the depths of his soul and then changed into his Phoenix form and with a soft trill disappeared.

He appeared in a small village called Ottery St. Catchpole. Harry transformed once again and casting an invisibility charm on himself, walked to The Burrow. He stopped outside the wards and slowly scrutinized them.

They were very ordinary, only basic protection wards and muggle repelling ones. Only later, after the resurrection of Voldemort would stronger wards be added he knew. Harry slowly worked his way through them; immensely thankful he had this knowledge with him when he was thrown to the past and was soon inside the wards of The Burrow.

His heart was beating very fast as he approached what had been his second home since his summer vacation before second year at Hogwarts. This was also where his best friend and his wife lived.

Whether she would be his wife this time and if he would share the same relation with Ron, Harry did not know and it was all this that was killing him inside. While he could save many of the lives that had been lost before because of Dumbledore's foolish inactive policies, they came at a very high price; by coming here he had just sacrificed that part of his life unless a miracle would happen.

But leaving Sirius for two more years until he escaped and imprisoning him for another two at Grimmauld Place was never an option, really. Harry knew he would not be able to live with the guilt; that to have Ginny and his kids as before he would knowingly allow so many people to die and he had not even started thinking about Snape, Draco and the other Slytherins.

Harry had met initially with Draco, Pansy and a few others after the death of Voldemort and slowly he had understood the extent to which Snape had protected all of them. Harry knew with very little power and hardly no standing and no money, Snape could not and did not dare do more.

Harry had met Draco for the first time about five years after the death of Voldemort. He was already an auror and married to Ginny. They had met when he had come watch his wife at the Quidditch match. Harry was also there along with Hermione and Ron to cheer Ginny and spotting Draco he had nodded formally and had been about to turn away when Draco had come up to him and had caught his arm.

"Potter, if I may have a word with you?" he had asked softly.

"Yes Malfoy?" Harry had asked neutrally. Dumbledore's death was still raw and seeing Draco Malfoy brought memories of Snape and his parents that Harry was not yet ready to handle.

His mother had wept when she had learnt about Snape's contribution to the war and she had been inconsolable for days when Harry and Dumbledore had told her it had been his love for her that had controlled him and pushed him until the very end.

James Potter had scowled along with Sirius at the implications of Dumbledore's and Harry's information and had been furious that Lily had been so affected by Snape's sacrifice when so many others had sacrificed a lot more without becoming a death eater in the first place as he had pointed out scathingly to his wife.

Both of them had tried to tell Harry and Dumbledore that the fault was Snape's in the first place, but Harry had grown up by then and that was the first major argument he had with his father and Sirius, when he had disagreed with them. That had made James and Sirius so angry they had not spoken to Harry for almost a week and James had fought with his wife and had raged against her jealously for almost a month.

But that had been nothing when after meeting with Draco Malfoy, Harry and Hermione had pushed for Snape's portrait in the Headmaster's office. That had sparked off a row of mammoth proportions.

Draco had only a question for him, a question that would make Harry introspect a lot before taking a very tough stance with everyone whom he had been listening and agreeing with until then. "Has Professor Snape's portrait appeared in the Headmaster's office? If it has, could you get permission from McGonagall for me to speak to him, just for a few minutes only?"

Harry had stared and then had pinked a little. "No portrait had come until now Malfoy. But I will look into it and inform you the moment Snape's portrait appears."

Draco Malfoy had nodded and left. Harry had told Hermione and Ron about what Malfoy had asked and Hermione had understood right away but Ron had not been pleased. Harry could not concentrate on the match after that one minute meeting with Malfoy and he had remained distracted. He had gone with Hermione the next day and had spoken to Dumbledore, in fact demanded why Snape's portrait had still not appeared.

Harry had been shocked by the answers he had received by the other Headmasters and Headmistresses.

"He was not a true Headmaster. After all he was only one of Voldemort's lackeys."

"Why should Hogwarts present the portrait of a death eater and Harry that is what he was until he turned to Dumbledore."

"The regime of Voldemort was a sham and Snape as Headmaster was equally so. He will not share a platform with us."

Phineas Nigellus had remained silent but had looked very scornfully at Dumbledore who had also remained silent.

"You agree professor?" Harry had asked Dumbledore sharply and Dumbledore had remained silent, though he had shook his head before bowing his head down. Then for almost ten years Harry had argued and fought with only Hermione by his side for Snape's portrait to be allowed for his bravery and dedication and contribution without which the war with Voldemort would have surely not been won.

It was during those ten years that Harry had met with Draco secretly. Only Hermione had known and she had accompanied Harry to most meetings. They had talked about Snape and Harry had learned the extent of Snape's sacrifice and slowly he had learned why Voldemort had been able to sway most of the purebloods to his side and how the Light had driven away almost all the Slytherins over a period of more than hundred years by their prejudices towards Salazar Slytherin.

Now as he walked towards The Burrow he knew he had much work to do if he could even think of not only saving all those who died but also all the Slytherins who would join Voldemort and perish. He sighed and realized that he seemed to be doing a lot of that now a days.

Harry slowly levitated from the ground after firmly reapplying his invisibility charms once more and rose up to what would have been Percy's bedroom. He peered into the room and saw Percy sleeping soundly and Wormtail in a cage. He too, was sleeping.

Thankfully all the windows were open and Harry was not forced to cast more spells to open the window and create an illusion so that Percy and Wormtail would not realize their window had suddenly opened on its own.

Harry stepped into the room and quietly cast a sleeping charm on Percy and then a stunner at the rat. Harry unlocked the door and removed Pettigrew and stunned him twice before placing him into his pockets.

Harry looked for a long moment at Percy before opening the door and stepping out into the narrow landing. From there his feet automatically took him to the top floor of The Burrow. Harry opened the door and saw a young Ron sleeping soundly. Harry stood there for a long time and then his whole frame trembling, went down to Ginny's room.

He stood outside the door and then slowly opened it and stepped inside. His whole body was trembling and Harry was sweating with sheer nerves as he looked at a small figure that was snuggled under the covers. Harry cast a mild sleeping charm at her and slowly turned the face towards him. Tears fell from his eyes as he looked at the woman who was his wife and the mother of his children something that seemed so unsure now and he slowly bent down and pressed his lips to hers.

A few minutes later he abruptly got up, transformed into a Phoenix and flashed to the edge of the wards. He transformed back and crossed the wards before apparating for the Gaunt House. He landed quietly in front of the run down home and looked at the magic that was swirling in the corner.

Harry thought for a few minutes. He really did not want to disturb the enchantments but at the same time he wanted to remove the horcrux. After debating with himself a bit more, Harry conjured a snake not unlike Nagini and pointing his wand at her and hissed, "Imperio."

The eyes of the snake glazed over. "Go inside and bring the ring that lies in that corner." Harry hissed to her and she swayed for a minute before slithering inside.

Harry watched with bated breath. This was merely an experiment. He had had long discussions with Dumbledore before the fights started and he avoided the Headmaster's office and based on those discussions he was testing something now.

The snake went into the house and was able to penetrate through all the charms harmlessly. It was proved to Harry that Dumbledore's theory that Voldemort allowed snakes on command by Parseltongue to breech the enchantments around the horcruxes without harm. That was a back up so that just in case he could not be seen at those places, he could possess snakes and remove the horcruxes without anyone being the wiser.

Harry removed the horcrux from her mouth and banished her. He placed the ring into his other pocket and silently apparated to the wards on Privet Drive.

From there Harry changed into a Phoenix and was in his room in no time. It was about three in the morning and he had retrieved a horcrux and Pettigrew.

Harry sat at his desk. Now he had to remove the tiara of Ravenclaw and the locket from Grimmauld Place. That would leave the diary that hopefully Malfoy would see it fit to drop into Ginny's Transfiguration book.

Even if he did not get his hands on the book at Flourish and Blotts itself, Harry thought he could get the book once Ginny got it with her to Hogwarts. That would make the total number of horcruxes Harry would have with him to four. The one thing that would present a difficulty would be Hufflepuff's cup that was deep inside Gringotts in Bellatrix's vault and Nagini.

Harry had no clue about Nagini and he thought that he would need Snape's help for the last two.

But the thing that would make Voldemort's death very difficult was Harry himself. Now that he knew he was a horcrux, Harry knew he would not have the same mind set and attitude that he did all those years back to go into the forest and sacrifice himself for the greater good.

Feeling a headache coming on, Harry decided to leave the horcrux inside him until the end. Maybe this time he would need to cast the killing curse on himself to kill the horcrux and his own self. That thought depressed him so much that Harry sat there until early morning thinking of all he had already lost and would lose if it came to that.

It was almost seven. Dawn had come and gone and sunlight was beginning to light up his room when Harry lifted his head and wiped his wet cheeks. He sighed and making sure that his room was secure so that the Dursleys would not see it fit to open and search through his things, Harry transformed once again into a Phoenix and flashed to the cave where he had met Sirius near Hogsmeade.

He looked around the cave in a fit of nostalgia and then he set the stunned rat down. Snarling at the unconscious rat Harry conjured a large brown owl and cast a few spells for the owl to fly straight to Hogwarts and in Hogwarts to the Headmaster and hand over the special delivery only to him.

While Harry was sure that no one would be able to ascertain the place from where the parcel came, he did not want to take any chances that Dumbledore would somehow find out that Pettigrew was sent from somewhere near Privet Drive. That would cast a type of light on him that Harry wanted to avoid at all costs especially since he knew attention would come his way for so many other things.

Conjuring a cage Harry placed Pettigrew inside it and removed all traces of identification magic from the cage and the owl. Then he sat down to write a short note addressed to the Headmaster of the Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

He wrote the note and once again checked the parchment, cage, owl and rat properly and praying that this first step would go well and correctly Harry sent the owl away.

The next minute a Phoenix was flashing back to Privet Drive. The Dursleys had still not come; perhaps they had decided to stay over Harry thought while he washed. He went to his room once he finished and making sure the muggle repelling wards were firmly in place put a five Knuts and a sickle in to The Leaky Cauldron pouch.

Half an hour later a pleasantly full Harry was fast asleep.

End of Chapter – 3

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