I'm so sorry guys I know that it has been more than two months but my computer crashed and I have to find ulterior ways to upload. I am currently using my mom's computer updates will be even more scarce than they usually are. But at least they will be here :D Anyhow, enjoy the chapter.
Going Back to Change the Future
There was a soft pop as the kiss was broken. Both panted heavily; neither daring to open their eyes. Each feared that this was a dream, but Harry; being the Gryffindor that he was, gathered his courage and opened his eyes. He took the opportunity to study Severus while said man's eyes were closed. He took in long eye lashes as they kissed pail cheeks, a young youthful face, devoid of the many worry lines his older counterpart sported, a long pointed nose on a freshly flushed face, and the gentle part of just kissed lips. Harry only realized in that moment that Severus was not the 'Snape' of the future, but still a young man whom had yet to make the choices of his future self. Sure; he had made some, but not all the choices that made most of his snide comments sting. Another coin seemed to drop in Harry's head as his hand shot to those of his own lips. His eyes grew impossibly wide in astonishment as the throbbing of his lips upon lips were only just starting to fade. Harry's eyes were steadily growing more and more impossibly wide by the moment, if that were even possible. Panic started to settle in when Harry realized that he had kissed his once hated professor. Sure, this man was not that man of his future; but, it was still the same principle, wasn't it? No he guessed it wasn't, seeing as Severus was the one to kiss him. Severus chose that moment to open his eyes. He took in Harry's blind panic, a conflict warring so easily in his eyes that Severus felt nearly compelled to apologize. Severus took in all the emotion that spread steadily across the young man's face and knitted his brow in surprise when there was no disgust or fury mingling within the emotion that played on Harry's face.
"Pot… Harry?"
Harry's eyes met Severus' and the later could see shock settling into emerald green orbs.
"I," Harry began but seemed to change his mind. Instead he shook his head and muttered, "Wow."
Severus was inclined to agree, holding back that childish impulse to press his hands against his lips: such as Harry was doing.
"Why? Why now? Why not: before?"
"It was impulse," Severus said a tad nervously, "After that inferal locket showed me that bloody image… Upon seeing you lying upon the ground, much like that wretched image, I gave into impulse… The need… The desire… I apologize if…"
"No," Harry interrupting, nearly shouting, "No, do not apologize. I didn't mind the kiss. It was… It was… brilliant! I had wanted to do that for a while now," He admitted sheepishly. Severus arched an eyebrow.
"Why didn't you," he asked curiously.
Harry's eyebrow arched in an impressive imitation of the man in front of him; "I didn't want to be hexed into oblivion."
"You might not have been," Severus stated seriously.
Before Harry could reply to that statement, or think too much on it, Albus walked back into his trashed rooms. Not sparing a glance at the destruction, having already noted what was damaged and could be restored the first time he entered, he just stared at both Harry and Severus for a moment, amusement battling with the twinkle in his eyes.
"Are you quite finished?"
Severus flushed, Harry blushed, and Albus laughed.
"Come, I have found the last Horcrux. It rests upon my desk as we speak."
Severus and Harry shared a look, both understanding the significance of it and nodded to the other. Their kiss would be disgusted later. Albus, still twinkling in amusement, walked from the room; Severus and Harry hot on his heels.
James cursed in a chant that would have made even Severus of the future blanch with the lack of his criticism. He un-petrified Lily; hauling her to her feet; thus, taking in the damage to their home. The lamp near the couch was broken, having fallen when Lily was cursed the first time. Scorch marks litters the walls and furniture. The blue and white bassinette, Lily had insisted be in the living room, was turned on its side and abandoned. The baby, stolen from his comfort place; taken by a man that used to be a trusted friend. James swore that he would get the baby back, even if it meant the murder of one rat-faced bastard! Lily, listening to the now ire music of the cradle, walked over to it and switched it off. She was shaking nearly uncontrollably and finally her knees gave out and she came crashing to the ground. Sobs were rocking her body as she tried to regain herself. She was hyperventilating when she noticed Harry's baby blanket laying half out of the cradle. Hesitantly, as if she were afraid that if she touched the soft light red material; it would disappear, Lily lifted it to her face. Sobs broke free in great heaving gasps as Lily started to rock back in forth all the while chanting:
"My baby… My poor… baby," over and over again.
"It's alright, my Lily," James said kneeling down next to his distraught wife and wrapping comforting arms around her person, "We will get him back, even if it means the death of that rat bastard!"
Lily looked shocked for a moment but didn't get a chance to protest as James carted her to her feet and lead her to the door. They left the safety of their home; the protection of their house, and the memory of the innocent child being abducted.
"Where are we going," Lily asked, sniffling back the fluid of her running nose.
"Albus Dumbledore," James said in a hard determined voice before he apperated them both to Hogwarts; the memory of their child ever present: never fading!
Lucius Malfoy circled the rat faced man. He was holding a screaming infant in his arms and looking solemn and serious all at once. Malfoy had his arms crossed, rage slowly edging in the corners of his eyes.
"…and you are sure," he spat at the nearly cowering man.
Pettigrew nodded, clutching the baby tighter holding the squealing child tighter to his chest as if not to damage it.
"Come, someone should very much like to hear this tail from your own lips," Lucius said frostily.
"Someone," Pettigrew questioned, looking suspicious and skeptical.
"Yes," Lucius said explaining no farther.
Pettigrew followed Lucius through the twists and turns of Malfoy Manor, skittishly and with his guard up. He had no idea where Lucius was leading him, having never been to this side of the manor before. Narcissa was waiting for them when they finally came to a stop in front of Iron doors. Narcissa scowled at her husband, taking the baby into her arms and vanishing through a door Pettigrew failed to see before she entered it. Lucius knocked once on the door and it swung open revealing an iron plated room. A basket lay in the center of the room, lone and forgotten. Pettigrew stepped in cautiously after Lucius and when both had cleared the thresh hold it swung shut, a loud 'bang' echoing off the walls and dying in a breeze. A low hissing started to fill the air and Pettigrew was suddenly away of a very large, very angry snake slithering to the basket. It hissed its language in a precise rhythm and another sibilant voice answered the creature before it roared out in a raspy underused voice.
"Who dares enter here?"
"The loyal and the true," Lucius answered swiftly causing the voice to chuckle.
"Ah Lucius, indeed as loyal as they come, to what do I owe the pleasure?"
Pettigrew started to shake a bit as the voice began to register in his head.
"Information has been brought to my attention. I believe you would be most interested in hearing it."
"Speak," the voice hissed, granting permission.
Pettigrew caught Lucius' eyes and the man gave him a dark look before nudging him forward roughly. The rat began to speak, stumbling upon his explanation of the events of the last few months. He told of how a man appeared out of nowhere to oust him as a Death Eater. Of how he found out the man was from the future and how the same man was only a baby in this time. He told of how he tried to kidnap the man from out of Severus' home only to discover that Severus worked for the light all along and that the man was shaking up with him. HE told of how he bested Severus for a moment, only long enough to poor a drought down the man's sleeping throat and lift him before Severus was back on his person with vengeance. He told of the battle he had with the Potter's and how the inevitable kidnapping of their child led him to the decision to come to Malfoy Manor.
"Excellent," the sibilant voice hissed, "You have always been a valuable asset to the team, Wormtail.
Pettigrew's eyes widened as the voice finally clicked in his head.
"M-My Lord? But… how?"
"Do not question fate, Wormtail," the Dark Lord hissed angrily, "Lucius?"
"Yes, my lord?"
"You and Wormtail shall prepare the potion for resurrection. We shall use the child, seeing as he helped his future counterpart eradicate my body."
"Of course, My Lord," Lucius said, bowing low and shoving the stunned man out of the room.
It took longer than both Lucius and Peter liked to prepare the potion. It took longer to gather the items needed to use in the potion; and that was saying something considering that the only item needed was the bone of Tom Riddle Senior. Pettigrew had been sent to get that particular item, but upon his arrival he found that it was not that easy to just take the bone from the graveyard, especially one that had been enchanted to stay in place. First he tried to levitate it from its resting place, only to have a stream of green spell light shoot at him. Hastily, Pettigrew dodged and it went sailing past him, exploding on the earth. Huffing in irritation, Pettigrew threw a 'Bombarda', at the statute of a muggle grim reaper, only to have it rebound, and bounce off of a hastily cast shield charm. Finally getting frustrated, Pettigrew sent a barrage of spells at the stature, only to have them fly off in different directions. Finally seething in anger and spitting in rage Pettigrew walked over to the bone and yanked it off the pedestal, seething when it came with no resistance. He shot a scathing look at the muggle statue before apperating back to Malfoy Manor. When Lucius got a look of him, his face crinkled in disgust and he turned up his nose, taking the bone from Peter without a word and rested in on a pedestal conjured from dirt. Lucius sent Pettigrew off to change and collect the baby. He came back twenty minutes later with a screaming child and fresh cloths, which Lucius glared at when he realized they were his. They had prepared the ritual in the iron room, and the Dark Lord huffed in impatience when Peter finally made the swap. Pettigrew set baby Harry in the basket, and pulled out a scaly monstrous version of a shriveled up baby. The thing moved like an actual baby, but when Pettigrew stumbled on his own two feet the irritated voice of a man ripped from the monstrous things lips.
"Be careful you idiot!"
The Dark Lord screeched softly when it was tossed into the boiling cauldron. Lucius smirked, amused at the undignified sound and watched as Pettigrew enacted the ritual. Pettigrew point his hand at the bone lying on the transfigured alter, not three feet away from him, and be
"Bone of the father, unwillingly given," he stated clearly as the bone burst into flame and landed in the cauldron, "You will renew your son," he concluded while reaching into his robes for a shining silver dagger.
"Flesh of the servant, willingly sacrificed," he stated clearly before cutting his own had off and watching as it plunked into the cauldron, all the while chanting, "You will revive your master," while he whirled around with the same dagger to ascend on the whimpering baby.
He knelt down to the baby's level. Innocent green eyes that were filled with tears, peered at him curiously, trustingly; before Pettigrew started to carve the babies forearm bit by bit, shaping the mark of a Death Eater, until the blade of the dagger was sufficiently coated in blood. He walked over to the cauldron, tapping the blade with the tip of his finger until two drops of blood entered the cauldron; all the while chanting:
"Blood of the enemy, forcibly taken, you will resurrect your foe."
When the third drop of blood entered the cauldron, the baby began to scream; beating its arms in the sky and praying for its parents.
Albus Dumbledore stood holding the sword of Gryffindor high in the air. Ravenclaw's diadem laid on the desk, shining like a beacon as it whispered cruel nothings in Parselmouth. It whispered of death and destruction, and other hurtful things that Harry would never dream of thinking, much less repeating. Severus watched as the metal swung downward and braced himself for an explosion. Harry, too, had tensed, relaxing a fraction when nothing happened. The three were about to congratulate themselves on a job well done when the diadem started to hiss and a black misted serpent formed to hiss over their heads.
"You shall die," it hissed in Parseltongue, "…and I will rule the world."
It laughed in sibilant hissed and Harry knew that he was speaking with a piece of Voldemort's soul: the piece that had been embedded in this locket. The serpent swung a black misted tail and everyone reflexively ducked. The thing hissed, mocking them in Parseltongue.
"I will rule, and no one will stop me!"
Harry thought so many things in that moment, but the, "You want to bet," that escaped his lips in Parselmouth he couldn't stop. Two sets of eyes were staring at him in astonishment before Harry suddenly lunged forward; snatching the sword out of Albus' hands. He charged the snake, running through its' tail and loping off its' head. The mist seemed to shrivel up and vanish, only to implode and trash the study.
Albus, Severus, and Harry picked themselves up off the floor. Harry was bleeding lightly from a cut on his forehead, and Severus was clutching his left shoulder tightly. Albus, as always, seemed fine.
"Well, that was new," Harry muttered.
"…and painful," Severus echoed.
"Are you always so… reckless," Albus asked, his gaze directed at Harry's.
Harry laughed lightly muttering: "You get used to it."
"Do you do nothing by half," Severus snarked.
"Not even a bit," Harry replied with an impish grin.
The door bursting open had three head whip in its direction and Harry had the sword up to James Potter's throat before anyone could blink. The grown man gave a squawk of protest before Severus' voice cut like ice through a watered pond.
"…Stop!"
Every muscle in Harry's arms were screaming before he dropped the sword and look at his father with wide horrified eyes.
"Sorry," he muttered.
James took a shaky breath and Lily surveyed the room. Her eyes grew wide as she took in the damage, eyes falling to the cut the bleed on Harry's forehead and the dislocated shoulder on Severus' person.
"What in Merlin's name happened here?"
"Horcrux," Albus replied cheerily, "Nasty business. Would you be so kind Lily as to take a look at Severus there? I am certain he had dislocated his shoulder… and I believe Scott has…"
Severus rushed past Lily, who huffed in protest, and to Harry.
"You are injured," Severus stated, concerned.
"I'm fine," Harry muttered, "I've been through worse."
"Oh," Severus asked with a raised eyebrow.
"I was nearly mulled by a dragon, I've been bitten by Nagini, and I've been under the Cruciatus Curse more time than I can count, many more time by Bellatrix Lestrange…"
Severus shook his head, indicating that he understood. Lily finally got to Severus, scowling at the very idea of having to help the man who betrayed her. There was awkwardness between the two former best friends. Lily had conjured a safety guard for Severus to bite down on while she readjusted his shoulder. When it was in place again, Severus muttered his thanks. Lily looked at him strangely for a moment, before asking tentatively:
"There was something I want to know, if you are willing to tell me?"
"And that would be…" Severus asked carefully.
"Albus says you have reasons for being here. What were they?"
Severus looked into Albus' twinkling eyes, glaring dangerously before sighing and deciding to tell her the truth.
"You are," Severus stated looking away.
"What do you mean?"
"I did something foolish. Something I regret. When I found out what the effect of that was, I wanted to fix it. I would have done, and still would do, anything to fix it."
"What mistake did you make," Lily asked though she knew, she just wanted to hear it from Severus' mouth.
Harry cut them off by hissing. He clutched at his arm tightly as if to draw away pain. Needles were shooting through his left arm, stinging and biting as it raced through his veins. It reminded him of the time Umbridge had him writing 'I must not tell lies', with a blood quill; though, somehow the pain was deeper than the scar that still lingered on the back of his hand. Rapidly, his forearm started to burn and then agony flared for a moment. Harry clutched at his arm for just as long before looking down at it in bewilderment. He recognized the pattern, and something clicked in his head before the searing pain screaming through his body, distracted him. Against his will, a tortured agonized scream erupted from his throat. He could hear Severus next to him, asking what was wrong; he could hear Lily calling his name, and he see Albus moving swiftly to him from across the room; James hot on his heels. Suddenly, after what felt like an eternity, the pain was gone and Harry was left feeling shaky and weak as the situation finally dawned on him. He panted out, "Oh. No…" before the world went dark.
In the now heavily warded iron room, the cauldron exploded; forming a shape of a monstrous being in its place. The being's skin crawled and rippled through until an alien like creature stood tall.
"My lord," Lucius and Peter bowed respectively.
The Dark Lord laughed, long and menacing; sound echoing off the walls and fading to nothing.
"My lord, shall we send word to Dumbledore and let them know of the battle?"
"Oh, they know of the battle already. Let's send them a location. Both servants watched in confusion as their Lord cackled, choking on his laughter as he advanced on the baby. They watched as the man picked up the discarded dagger from the floor and began to carve 'Malfoy Manor' into the now screaming child's skin.
Once the deed was finished, Voldemort waived for a house elf. Dobby appeared with a crack and stared fearfully at the newly restored lord.
"Take that screeching thing away!"
Dobby bowed and complied as quickly as he could.
"Soon, this war will be over and I will be its victor."
He started to cackle again and his two servants looked on in concern and wonder.
Harry awoke with a long drawn out hiss. He could feel his skin stretching and healing in a rapid succession. He was in so much pain that he never notice that Lily, James, Albus, and Severus surrounded his bed. He never noticed as James picked up his rapidly bleeding, in yet already healing arm, to examine it.
"Malfoy Manor… Why does it say Malfoy Manor?"
"I believe the real question is how it his cut fading already?"
"It's the time paradox," Albus explained, "It's what happened to your son as a baby, so he," Albus said pointing at Harry, "Should only have a faint scar or none at all."
"Time paradox," James asked bewildered; feeling as if he had been left out of some big secret, "Why would there be one of those."
"You haven't changed from our school days… Still thick as ever I see," Severus said.
"Look Snivellus, just because you'd rather have that big nose stuck in between the pages of a book…"
"At least I can read a book…"
"Now, now boys, Let us not do this now. How are you feeling Ha-Scott?"
"Cruciatus," Harry managed to rasp through dry lips.
"That bad huh," Severus questioned, pouring a glass of water for Harry to sip on.
Harry nodded before getting out of bed, with the help of Severus.
"Voldemort has re-risen. He has set the stage for the battle to take place."
It down on everyone what had happened just then. Everyone except harry that is because he knew already, (as did Albus.) They had used the baby. Lily's eyes filled with tears at the cruel irony and she hugged Harry to her bosom.
"It's alright, mum, the war will be over and I'll get the baby back."
He felt weird talking to his mum about himself but gently pulled away from her grip and headed for the door.
"Today we end this."
Everyone knew what it meant and could mean, but no one wanted to be too hopeful as they followed the man, shaped by war and sacrifice, to the door: battle lingering on the horizon.
The end
Author's note: There you have it; yet another chapter up and running. Only one, or two, more chapter(s) to go. Would you like to see an epilogue? What would you like in the epilogue? (Maybe some smut, if I can't get it worked into the story? Let me know. :D
YetanotherJanewayFan