Thank you, everyone of you who have read this story and to everyone who took that extra moment to review. Thank you, Taly, lamia
Harry Potter and the Trip to the Past
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Chapter – 16
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Harry fell out of the floo and picked himself up and walked into Grimmauld Place and found both Sirius and Remus waiting for him. They were looking very anxious and Sirius smiled the smile of a relieved man when he saw Harry fall down from the floo and curse himself.
"Are you okay Harry?" he asked as Harry brushed the soot off his robes.
"Yup, Sirius. I am fine. I spoke and actually begged Snape to help me with the potion and he finally nodded once in total irritation. So I guess that means an okay." Harry grinned as he went to the small table and poured some pumpkin juice that Sirius had kept.
"The bloody git! He can't be polite for once can he?" Sirius fumed. Remus laid a hand on his shoulder in warning and smiled at Harry.
"So you are going to do the potion. That is fantastic Harry."
Harry nodded enthusiastically. "You bet Remus! I want to see if my mum has magical roots on her dad's side or her mum's side. So does Hermione and a whole lot of others. I thought we could pool all our money together and get this going. Then those who call Hermione a mudblood would be the real fools."
"Good for you Harry. It will certainly help in this. You could even publish your results in The Daily Prophet or even the same magazine and gain more popularity for this experiment. It would help all the muggleborns." Remus said, smiling at Harry's enthusiasm.
"That is a fab idea Remus. May be we could try it on every muggleborn witch and wizard." Harry told him.
"Hey, you will need the Ministry of Magic's approval and permission for that, Harry." Sirius told him, slowly getting caught in Harry's enthusiasm.
"So we make a big enough racket to get it." Harry laughed and Sirius and Remus laughed along with him, telling Harry how much like James he had spoken and Harry spent the rest of his holidays happily and on the morning of the 1st of September, he got ready and side along apparated along with Sirius and a disapproving Remus and stumbled as they let him go and landed on his bum at King's Cross.
They were slightly early that day, because Sirius had to attend a meeting at Gringotts for a business deal and after dropping Harry and crushing him with a hug, Sirius and Remus waved goodbye to him, after taking promises from Harry to write everyday to them and disapparated.
Harry sat there silently waiting for everyone to come along and he saw Hermione come briskly with her parents first.
"Hi, Hermione." Harry shouted to her and was slightly taken aback when she glared a bit, before nodding her head. She walked briskly towards him and after saying her goodbyes to her parents, she turned to Harry. She was about to speak when Neville and Malfoy both peeped in and Malfoy scowled when he saw Harry and Neville smiled hesitantly.
"So Potter we are back to being Slytherin and Gryffindor are we?" Malfoy asked his trunk in his hand and an angry and hurt look on his face.
In answer Harry simply pulled his trunk from his hand and shrunk it for him and then pulled him and Neville inside and shut the door.
"Okay guys. I am sorry for not answering the letters all of you sent, but the fact was I never received them in the first place. Al least I did not get them until a few days ago, when an elf came to me and gave it to me. It would not say why it took the letters in the first place, only handed it over to me and popped off. I told Sirius that it might have been Kreacher. But Sirius was not there when the elf came and so… sorry once again."
All the three of them listened quietly to Harry's explanation and then Harry watched with a sigh of relief that all of them looked fine. He had planned what to say with Sirius and Sirius had spent some time talking through the floo with Dumbledore and they had discussed it amongst themselves and had come up with this. Harry was fine with this. He had not wanted Malfoy to know, anyone to know actually. This way Malfoy would not get a wind of something and promptly write his father with some horrible thing taking place in Hogwarts this year.
Neville was relieved and Harry smiled at him. He was probably feeling relieved that Harry had not broken off with him and somehow that thought made Harry feel incredibly sad. He realized the extent of low self esteem that Neville had, Malfoy was the same too, only he hid it better Harry understood looking at Draco Malfoy who was looking calmer and a lot happier.
Pansy, Ron, the twins and others kept peeping into their compartment and Harry apologized to Ron and the twins too explaining to them what had happened. They simply shrugged it off and Ron and Draco promptly got into an argument and came close to hexing each other until Harry silenced Draco and the twins dragged Ron away, promising to meet Harry and discuss the potion with him later.
Harry turned irritated eyes on to Draco but Hermione got there first. "You are mad Malfoy. You know Ron. Where is your pureblood grooming anyway? You were bickering with him like some silly, snotty kid." She ranted, glaring at him and Draco protested his innocence to her.
Harry, after watching for a few minutes as they argued back and forth stopped them and started off on the potion he was planning to make. "I spoke to Snape during the holidays and he agreed and my Godfather agreed to pay for the potion's cost as well."
That succeeded in turning their attention from their bickering and on to the potion. "That is great news Harry. Tell us what happened." Hermione said eagerly.
And so Harry told all of them what happened and Hermione predictably asked a great many questions about it. "My parents have also promised to contribute Harry. What do you say? Shall we all contribute for the potions and for Snape's time to make it so that the potion would be available for all of us? Because, otherwise, the cost of the ingredients alone will make me back out right now." She finished wistfully, looking at Harry with great hope.
"Of course Hermione. Sirius has promised to fund this and it will make it easier on him if I am able to get contributions from all muggleborns. We can brew more of this stuff and test it on all muggleborns who are here in Hogwarts and maybe even publish our results in The Daily Prophet. What do you say?"
"Brilliant Harry! That is what we will do. Ohhhh! I am so excited." Hermione exclaimed.
Malfoy sulked. "What about us purebloods. Don't we get to also say a few words in The Daily Prophet?"
Harry rolled his eyes and grinned at Malfoy. "You and the other Slytherins and Gryffindors who are pure bloods will be the most important, for you will verify that the potions did work and you saw the results for yourselves. Happy?"
Malfoy brightened up. He merely nodded though, and kept quiet.
They spent the time until they reached Hogwarts by discussing the potion and also wondering about why the elf had taken away Harry's letters in the first place and why it had returned them later.
"Are you sure Harry that the elf did not tamper with the letters?" Malfoy asked him, frowning deeply as he thought about which elf it could be that had the sheer nerve to take away the letters belonging to a wizard and that too someone like Harry Potter. It was all very mysterious really.
Harry shook his head in reply. "They were not even opened Draco. I was so taken aback, let me tell you. But before I could question the elf it popped away."
After that the talk turned to Quidditch. Malfoy started blushing and he slowly spoke. "My father has brought Nimbus 2001 brooms for the entire team. Marcus Flint owled me and told me that he wanted to train me as Slytherin's new seeker."
There was a dead silence after Malfoy's statement and he, himself, was looking out of the window, looking very humiliated and wishing earnestly he had never grumbled to his father that he would never be good enough to make the team.
Harry was shocked by how the events were happening as they did just like before, even though Malfoy had changed so much. Before he could say something neutral and calm Malfoy who was now a Weasley red and looking straight out of the window, Hermione snorted.
Malfoy whirled around and glared at her. "You said something?" he asked furiously.
"No, I snorted a bit." Hermione replied calmly, making Harry bite his cheeks to stop laughing.
Malfoy glared at her, a bit uncertain about how to respond. "Why? I never asked for it you know." He turned to Harry, "I was just grumbling one day that whatever I do I would never be good enough for the team and the next thing I know is Flint owling me. I swear I did not ask."
Hermione snorted a little gently once again and laughed at Malfoy's expression. "Well you know that's what everyone's going to think."
Malfoy ignored her and looked at Harry. "Is that what you think?" he asked.
Harry shook his head and watched Malfoy visibly relax. "No I don't, but what Hermione says is true. Everyone will think that."
"Well in Slytherin I will say it is true." Malfoy said uncomfortably.
"What!" Hermione exclaimed, but Harry cut her off.
"But naturally, Malfoy. That would show power." Hermione looked at him with her mouth open and Malfoy nodded relieved that at least one of them understood him and Slytherin. Neville was silently listening to everything, but not opening his mouth.
"But how Harry?" Hermione asked him bewildered that something that was shameful to her would be a show a power to Malfoy.
"This is Slytherin, Hermione. Here status, power and where you come from and how much influence you have in your world are most important. Malfoy would be respected for this there. It is not like Gryffindor. And it is not wrong for them." Harry finished firmly, his eyes warning her. She backed off reluctantly.
Malfoy was relieved and he spoke to Hermione. "In Slytherin, you have to show your power and status. It is not bad Hermione, it is what everyone does. And remember I got only the initial break here. That is what power can do. To keep it, I must perform. Else even my father's power will not help."
Hermione snorted again and Malfoy looked irritated but as she did not say anything more, he left it there and all of them were silent for a while before chatting to one another again. Some time later, the announcements came over magical communication systems, saying that they were nearing Hogsmeade and Harry and the others got ready to alight.
This year they took the horseless carriages and Harry alone could see the threstals pulling them. They reached the School and Draco swaggered off to the Slytherin tables where he was pounced upon by Pansy and Blaise who also waved to Harry. Harry grinned and waved back mouthing 'later' and jumped into the midst of his own Gryffindor classmates and friends.
Harry settled comfortable into his room and after unpacking, went to sleep. He had greeted Ron and the twins and had even smiled nicely when they had introduced Ginny to him. That moment had been very painful and Harry had been thrown into his other life for a second when he met those lovely brown eyes. She was blushing furiously and Harry held out his hand and shook it, and later introduced Hermione and Neville to her.
But he made no effort to get to know her, because he knew it would not be fair to her. He could not tell her about himself and to move with her even as a friend would be painful to him and something in him would not let him cheat her by accepting that hero worship that turned into true love without revealing everything to her. Harry had been quiet for a while after he met her, lost in the thoughts of the past and came down to earth only when he heard Hermione's concerned voice asking him if he were alright.
After that Harry acted normally and Hermione backed off, though she did watch her first and best friend for the rest of the night. Harry had not seen the diary, but it was still only the first day and he could wait. No one would be killed and anyway he hoped he would be able to get his hands on the diary even before Mrs. Norris was petrified.
The next morning was lovely and clear and Harry started off to the greenhouses for Professor Sprout's class to learn all about mandrakes. He was nearing the greenhouses when he noticed Lockhart and quickly cast a notice-me-not charm on himself, sure that Lockhart would not notice him. Sprout was looking very disgruntled and Harry quickly walked into the greenhouses 3 which she had been irritably telling the students to go into. Apparently Lockhart had been telling her how to grow plants and she did not want to learn from him.
Harry grinned to himself when he turned and looked long and hard searching for someone and Harry, now safe inside laughed to himself as Lockhart disappointedly walked away. Harry resolved that this time he would not meet Lockhart and do whatever it took to avoid that confrontation. He was that sick of this defence professor, he felt. Only Umbridge was worse in Harry's opinion. She was really in a class of her own.
They learnt about mandrakes and Harry, Neville, Hermione along with Pansy and Malfoy, with Blaise joining in now and then, were the most active. Professor Sprout slowly lost her irritation as the class proceeded normally and soon they were wearing thick ear – muffs and re-potting the squealing, kicking and crying mandrakes. No one fell down unconscious this time and all of then walked away with a slight relief after the class was over; the mandrakes had been very difficult and did not want to be re-potted at all. All the second years smelling of manure headed for the washrooms before they walked to their next class.
The next class was Transfiguration and there Harry received a mild shock. He was sitting as usual with Neville and Hermione was partnering Parvati and the Slytherins were sitting behind them. Ron and Lavender were sitting in front of Harry and Neville and Harry noticed some sparks from Ron's table. He frowned as that reminded him of something familiar and a minute later the puzzle was solved. Ron had somehow broken his wand and the sparks were what were familiar. He had seen them so many times after all. Harry waited impatiently for the class to finish and then he called out to Ron.
"Hey! Ron, how did you break your wand? Wow!" Harry exclaimed looking just a tiny bit anxious. Once again events happened as before and Harry was simply astounded.
"I fell down on my wand just as the stupid staircase was moving Harry." Ron mourned. "I fell on my bloody wand and it broke into two. Now it is all so faulty. It works some time and it doesn't sometime."
Seamus snorted. "That has to be stretching the truth so far, it has snapped." He drawled and Ron blushed. "The wand is just faulty Harry. It also backfires and does strange things."
Hermione was very interested in a broken wand, because she could see how the wand core was placed and she grabbed Ron's wand from him and started pouring over it. They had reached the Great Hall and Hermione placed her perfect buttons they had been transfiguring into her bag with a very satisfied smile. Harry grinned. Last time she would have been called a know-it-all. This time Harry, Neville, Malfoy, Blaise and Pansy were more or less sharing the top positions among the Slytherins and the Gryffindors who had their classes together. Padma and Terry Boot were also among the top and Hermione did not stand out anymore.
They ate their lunch before going to the defence against the Dark Arts class; they were about to start when a small boy whom Harry had seen sorted the day before and whom he was seeing after twenty years ran up to him.
"Harry Potter? May I take a snap please?" he asked breathlessly and Harry beamed and called his friends together and stood g5rinning from ear to ear at the small boy.
"Sure. Wait let me call the others. What is your name, by the way?" He asked.
"Colin Creevy. I am a muggleborn." The boy told him, clearly awed to be speaking to Harry Potter.
Harry beamed. "Well pleased to meet you Colin. Okay we are ready." Harry thanked the stuttering boy after the photos were taken, three of them, who was thrilled to get his first shots of the great Harry Potter. Waving to Colin, Harry left for Lockhart's class.
Lockhart was a joke and Harry placed an extremely mild notice-me-not charm upon him and was undisturbed for the whole of the class. Lockhart kept scanning the class all through the hour for someone, but was not able to find him or her apparently.
Harry grinned at Lockhart after the class was over and he left along with the others. Lockhart looked through the papers with a slight frown and saw Harry's name on a blank sheet of paper that asked for answers about his books. Harry had had no intention of writing anything for Lockhart's class and he walked to with the others to their next class.
Next was potions and Harry trooped off to potions class and after a scowling and glaring Snape had dismissed the class, Harry stayed back. Snape silently warded the room in a few seconds and raised his eyebrows.
"When can we start the potions? From this Saturday?" Harry asked him, placing a heavy bag in front of him.
Snape looked at the bag and raised his eyebrows at Harry. "I am not destitute yet Potter and I can afford to buy the ingredients."
"I am not insulting you Snape. This has my contribution but a lot of muggleborns are also contributing and why should they not? It is for them is it not? Please don't make a fuss. I never meant that you could not afford, only that I am also contributing. Please. And you never told me when we can start."
"I will need time to purchase the ingredients Potter. Next week – end should be acceptable. Now get out." and Snape removed the wards and bent over the desk and started writing and Harry stood up and leaving the bag full of galleons, quietly left the room. The others were standing outside waiting for him eagerly and a touch anxiously and all of them heaved a huge sigh of relief when they saw Harry coming out, with a beaming face.
"All clear! Nothing to worry." Harry told them, showing the thumbs up sign and Hermione and Malfoy started with the questions.
"When are we starting Harry?" Hermione asked him.
"Next week-end. Snape says he will need all of next week to make purchases. Plus he has classes to take as well." Harry told them.
Malfoy nodded. "Will he allow me to come with you guys and help with the potion, seeing I am not muggleborn?" Malfoy asked with a small shudder at being born a muggleborn.
Hermione noticed that and smacked Malfoy on his shoulder. "Hey! What was that for?" he asked her indignantly.
"For your attitude. And Malfoy, what if any of us muggleborns were related to the Malfoy family? What would you do then, I wonder? Commit suicide?" Hermione asked him sarcastically.
"I am sure the Malfoy family has no squibs. We are so pureblood, that we have had only magical babies in our line." Malfoy said with an incredibly superior air.
"Be careful Malfoy!" Hermione exclaimed with a false air of concern. "That head may burst with all the strain upon it. It really is swelling at a very fast pace." She said looking angrily at him.
Malfoy blushed and was about to retort something rude to Hermione as well, but Harry cut his words off, "Well are we going to be mature about this or not?
Both of them fell silent at the warning in Harry's voice and ten all of them went to the last class of the day rather silently. Once class was finished for the day, all of them, joined by the twins, Lee Jordon, Ron and a few others, both Gryffindors and Slytherins, walked up to the lake where Harry briefed them about the potions and the unknown elf. He kept Malfoy with him and the twins did the same with Ron and the discussion passed off rather amicably and without major hexing and quarrelling.
That week and the next went by slowly and then Saturday was upon them. Harry and the others woke up very excited, because they were about to kick start the potion from that day.
They went down to the Great Hall and sat there widely grinning at each other and Harry waved to the Slytherins who also nodded and grinned at Harry. Dumbledore who was looking at Harry was once again taken aback at the wonders Harry had achieved since coming to Hogwarts. He had struck up a firm friendship with Malfoy and the other Slytherins, who continued that friendship even after they saw Voldemort.
He was sure that Draco and the other Slytherins would have told their fathers about the Dark Lord and yet Draco was still being friendly with Harry and even with Miss. Granger. That was because of the potion that once again Harry had read and started off a debate and now had somehow persuaded Severus to make it for them.
That thought brought Dumbledore to the Harry and Snape relationship. That was nothing short of amazing and astounding to Dumbledore. Harry had somehow got past the defences of the surly potions master and was able to interact with him in a manner that even Dumbledore was not capable of. He frowned for a minute as he wondered how mature Harry had sounded in his office to Sirius. At that time it seemed Sirius was the child. He wondered once again how much Harry knew of his parents and Snape's affection, no love for his mother.
That thought sobered him and completely saddened him as his thoughts flew to a merry faced wizard with golden hair and a mischievous smile. He and Snape were a lot more alike than Snape probably ever knew. His lips twisted, both of them had loved people who did not love them back and both those loves and the resultant deaths of Ariana and the way Gellert Grindelwald left him alone in his worst moment, and of Lily herself in Snape's case was what changed them and shaped them as they were today. Albus Dumbledore knew that somewhere in the bottom of his heart that wizard still held a place.
"Are you quite alright Albus?" McGonagall was looking at him in concern and Dumbledore came back to the present, shrugging of the unhappy ghosts of the past.
He looked around and saw Snape too looking at him in equal concern and he smiled. "I am fine Minerva. I was just thinking."
McGonagall left it there and Snape never uttered a word, but both of them watched him carefully for the rest of the meal.
"You will be starting the potion today, won't you Severus?" Dumbledore asked him after a few minutes.
Snape looked surly. "Yes. I really don't know why Potter is behind me like this, even after living with Black and Lupin." He finished, looking very disgruntled. His eyes were very alert, however and he listened intently to learn what Dumbledore thought of Harry's behaviour to him.
Dumbledore nodded. "Yes. I noticed. I am very much surprised, Severus. Harry is able to look past everything and take a surprisingly mature view of Sirius's comments about you. He seems to like you very much." He finished with a small teasing smile and the smile widened into a grin when Snape flushed with embarrassment.
Snape did not utter a word more. He turned to his own plate. Harry Potter. The man – child had turned everything upside down. Snape only hoped he would be able to carry it successfully until the end.
In the evening Snape was busy finishing his other work before Harry would descend on him. He had just finished when there was a knock on the door and then the door opened without whoever it was waiting for his permission.
A whole group of students from all Houses trooped in cheerfully with great expectations and excitement in their eyes and faces. Snape glared at all of them and watched them with satisfaction as they stood in total silence.
"None of you thought to knock did you?" he asked softly and glared at all of them and watched as they shuffled a bit and flushed. Everyone did except Harry, who smiled sweetly at him and made him snarl. Snape foamed at his mouth for a minute, before he controlled himself and then spoke softly, "All of you cannot stay here. Potter, you alone will be enough today. I will be starting only the basic preparation today. If I need more help, I will call you. Potter will come everyday and assist me, unless I ask for others. Is that clear? Then get out! "
Hermione was biting her lips in an effort not to cry. She and the other Ravenclaws and Malfoy had come very eagerly. Malfoy started to open his mouth, when Hermione shushed him and trooped out with the others.
"I would have asked him for myself. Why did you stop me?" he asked Hermione angrily.
"Because I did not want him to stop the potion today, and he would have done that had we angered him. I want to do this very badly." She said trying hard not to cry. She had gone with great hope and was feeling very disappointed, but riling up Snape would mean he would postpone the potion indefinitely and she did not want that. She would have to get information from Harry that was all. She sniffed once and walked silently with Neville, Malfoy, Pansy and Blaise to the lake to wait for Harry to come.
Harry was just putting his bag on the chair and was about to step into the ingredients room to help Snape bring out the basic ingredients needed for today, when,
"Come…. Come to me…let me rip you…let me tear you…come to me… let me kill you…come…"
Harry froze. Snape who was coming back with an armful of things was about to shout sarcastically at Harry for not helping him, when he saw Harry completely frozen with a horrible look on his face.
Snape placed all the things carefully on the large work table and turned to Harry.
"Potter" he asked softly, his black eyes showing concern at the way Harry was standing.
Harry shook himself and turned to Snape.
"It has started Snape. The basilisk is moving. I just heard it hissing almost the same words like last time. It wants to kill. I have to tackle the basilisk first, before getting the diary horcrux from Ginny. Before, the basilisk could harm someone."
"Shall we go tonight?" Snape asked him, his own eyes disturbed as he processed what Harry was saying.
"Yes. But Ginny must not be there, and the basilisk must be there. What if the basilisk is moving around in Hogwarts and it is not inside the chamber? Let me just think on it for a second, Snape." Harry was very troubled.
Snape did not say a word more. Instead he allowed Harry to think and started getting the ingredients ready to start the Ancestry potion.
End of Chapter – 16
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