Ah, good ol' chapter 4. Disclaimer. It's all mine. I own Harry Potter. And I own Warner Bros. And of course, I own the sun. Also known as the evil day star. It's hot. Yes, you heard it here first...the sun is hot. Very hot. Warm, in fact.


Missing Pieces

Albus Dumbledore knew the young boy in front of him was not truly ten years old. He was quite aware that the boy was, in fact, a thirty one year old man. Albus also knew that as soon as Harry Potter had looked at himself in the mirror, he began to act like the child he appeared to be.

"I do not believe anyone will recognize you, Harry."

Harry rolled his eyes dramatically and turned to Albus, hands on his hips.

"No, they won't. They sure as hell will not recognize the 'Boy-Who-Lived' dressed as a little girl. And just so you know, I never cared for pink. In fact, I bloody hate pink."

Albus smiled. Harry sighed heavily.

"You're enjoying this."

"It was you who proposed a disguise. I believe it was also your suggestion to dress as a young girl."

"I was joking. You know, a joke? Something you say when you're not serious? Trying to be funny?"

"Would you like me to change you back into your robes?" said Albus, still smiling.

Harry calmed and nodded once. A small flick of Albus' wand later, and he was back in his borrowed Hogwarts robes. They'd decided there was no need for anyone, except the three people they were bringing to Hogwarts that afternoon, to know Harry was 'back' in the wizarding world. The two had just finished breakfast in the headmaster's office while discussing different means to disguise Harry. They had finally agreed on a combination of muggle make-up and some minor transfiguration. The make-up seemed to conceal the scar quite well, and no one would be aware he was wearing it unless they scrutinized his forehead carefully. Harry had offhandedly suggested that no one would suspect it to be 'The-Boy-Who-Lived' if he appeared to be a young girl. Albus apparently thought it would be amusing to transfigure his robes and hair while Harry was applying make-up to his scar.

"Thanks. So, when do we leave?" said Harry, while he finished up in front of the mirror. He was eager to purchase his own wand so that he could retaliate in the future with some creative hexes of his own. Being a part of the Weasley family for twenty years did have its advantages.

"Soon. I must notify Professor Flitwick that I will not be in the castle this morning, and then we shall depart for Hogsmeade."

Albus had Harry sit down and then proceeded to change his unruly black hair to a light brown hue. Then he shortened it and transfigured his glasses from black frames to frame-less. No one would recognize the glasses, but Harry decided as long as he had to wear them in public they should be inconspicuous.

While Albus went to inform Flitwick, Harry waited by the main doors of the castle under his invisibility cloak. He was bouncing on his toes, full of energy. Almost five days without a wand. It was the longest period of time he had been wand-less since the summer after his first year, when the Dursleys had locked all of his possessions in the cupboard for the summer.

Albus arrived at the main doors and quietly called out to Harry. They strolled to Hogsmeade where Harry removed his cloak before they arrived in the town itself. As they entered the Hogshead Inn, Harry spotted Aberforth wiping down the bar with a filthy rag. The old man looked up. He spotted Albus and his face went stony. With a sharp nod, he went back to his cursory attempt at cleaning his bar.

There was no noticeable reaction from Albus beyond a returning nod. They moved to the fireplace where he pulled two Knuts from somewhere in his orange and sky blue robes and placed them on the mantel next to the floo-powder jar. He then handed the jar to Harry who took a pinch out and threw it into the fire.

"The Leaky Cauldron!" he stated, and strode into the green flames.

Moments later, Harry stepped to the side of the Leaky Cauldron's fireplace and brushed some soot off his shoulders. As Albus appeared, Harry marveled that the man never seemed to suffer from the filthy effects of floo travel. The two of them walked out the back door toward the alley. When one of the few customers present asked Albus who the young boy was, his only response was, "A family friend."

When they reached the entranceway, Albus tapped the bricks in the necessary pattern and they watched as the wall reformed into the archway that led to Diagon Alley. It was still fairly early, and there were not many shoppers about. A few stores were still shuttered, preparing for the day. Both of them thought it best that Harry get his own wand first. At least Harry thought it best. Albus seemed confident in his abilities to clear up any obstacles they might find themselves faced with, but he acquiesced to his guest's desire. As they walked down the alley, passing various shops on the way, including Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream, Harry was struck by the memories of sitting at most of those very tables. He remembered speaking with Mr. Fortescue often during the weeks he had stayed in Diagon Alley, before his third year. With decades-old conversations flashing through his mind, he and Albus walked through the front door of Ollivander's.

As the door closed, Harry looked around. The last time he'd been in the shop was to purchase a wand for Teddy. By that time Mr. Ollivander was retired, injuries from the war and his captivity slowing him too much to run the shop on his own. He still crafted wands occasionally, but the business itself was looked after by a family member of some relation. The man's eeriness was something Harry didn't miss. Suddenly, Mr. Ollivander himself was in front of them. His glowing, protuberant eyes pierced through Harry's disguise immediately.

"Harry Potter, I was wondering when I would have the pleasure of fitting you with a wand."

"Hello, Mr. Ollivander. It's wonderful here. How many wands can I try? How do I know which is the right wand for me? The headmaster told me that-" Harry was doing his best to seem like he really was ten years old.

"My boy, my boy!" His voice lowered to an ethereal, haunting whisper. "We both know the wand which seeks you..."

And then he was gone. Harry had hardly blinked when Mr. Ollivander scurried down one of the narrow aisles of his store. Seconds later he returned, holding in his hand a small box, similar to all of the others in the store. When it was opened, however, Harry saw something he hadn't expected. His wand.

"You know this wand," said Ollivander. It was not a question.

Harry nodded.

Albus was standing several feet behind them, his back against the wall. Having yet to be acknowledged, he stayed silent. The man presenting the phoenix feather wand puzzled Albus. It was not often that he was at a complete loss to what was going on around him, but this week had been overwhelming, all around. When Harry pulled the wand out of the box, it appeared as if all the air had been sucked out of the room. Albus held his breath.

Mr. Ollivander looked thoroughly pleased, as if the wand had just completed an arduous and complex task. As Harry held the wand, he felt something quite different from the first time he had been matched with it in his original time. Lacking a magical outlet for several days, he'd apparently built up a level of magical energy, combined with his frustration, so that when he connected with the wand, it hummed. His eyes shook, the room seemed to be vibrating, but the hand holding the wand stayed stone still.

Without warning, light shot outward. Green bolts crashed into a shelf full of wands, scattering them. A golden ball of pure magical energy forced itself out, hovering in place for a moment before exploding. The remnants fell, landing on every available surface and resting in place before melting like snowflakes. Then, bright blue sparks emerged with a sharp CRACK that lingered, powerful as thunder. They flew toward the ceiling, flowing in every direction as they struck. It was similar to standing underneath a fountain. Red sparks came next, flashing brilliantly as they lit up the store. The normally dreary surroundings glowed, almost indistinguishable from blood.

Then, in succession, came orange, purple, yellow and so many other colors. They flowed out the tip of the wand slower than water, lingering when they hit the floor, covering it in a rainbow of magical energy. Albus stood rigidly still against the wall, eyes wide. He reminded himself that this was a ten year old with the skills of a powerful man. Harry's magic, in his younger body, might not have been fully developed yet, but his will was extremely powerful. Possibly unbreakable, based on some of the memories viewed in the pensieve over the past few days. Memories of Harry successfully resisting the Imperious Curse, dueling Riddle more times than most wizards laid eyes on the monster, fighting for years for what he knew was right while the rest of the wizarding world waffled. Yes, he decided, in truth Harry had a will far stronger than Albus' own, even when he was a child. And now, he was again a child, and would be sorely underestimated by the dark. Albus glanced at Harry. The boy was staring at the wand in awe and confusion, a grin tugging at the corners of his mouth. This would certainly be interesting.


"So when do you leave?"

"Monday. I'll only be gone a few weeks."

"Mum's upset."

"It's closer than Egypt."

"I'm not working with dragons..."

"You're a curse-breaker! That's way more dangerous."

"Yeah, but curses don't spit fire at you. Usually. And even when they do, I don't up and tell mum about it."

"You don't tell her anything about your job, do you?"

"She knows I work with goblins..."

Charlie Weasley sighed and frowned at his older brother. Bill had been gone a year now and grown his hair out. It was down to his shoulders and he hadn't given any indication he was going to stop the growth anytime soon. That, along with the new fang earring, had just about caused their mother to commit an act of accidental magic for the first time in thirty years.

"So, you seem pretty worn out, even for the amount of portkeying you did. How're the tombs treating you?"

"Yeah, well Rock and I had a bit of an adventure getting back to the main camp. We got caught in a sandstorm. It was-"

"Bill," Charlie looked around to make sure their mother wasn't within earshot and decided to be safe, rather than sorry. "Let's go flying. When was the last time you were on a broom?"

Catching on immediately, Bill nodded and the two brothers changed their location to the shed that held the family brooms. Charlie pulled out his new Cleansweep Six.

"When'd you get that?" Bill eyed the new broom.

"When I was named Captain."

He handed Bill the old Cleansweep Five he'd left at The Burrow when he moved to Egypt.

"I would've thought they'd sold it by now," said Bill.

Charlie shrugged. "I think they wanted to, but the twins convinced them to wait on it. We still have my old 'Five', too. They want to see if they make the team."

"And?"

"And, I think they will. You know they're brilliant flyers, and with Devon and Alex gone..."

"Gryffindor needs beaters," said Bill.

"Right, and who do you know that works better as a team than them? Hell, they're a made to order pair if there ever was one. We may even have a shot at The Cup this year."

"Fair enough. Merlin knows they're never going to get one for becoming prefect or head boy, so they might as well take what they can get."

Instead of responding, Charlie mounted his broom and shot into the sky. Bill followed him a moment later. He hadn't ridden a broom since a week after graduation, just over a year ago, and was a little rusty. Catching up to Charlie, who had skills equal to a professional quidditch player, Bill motioned him over and Charlie urged him to tell his story.

"Ok, I think we're high enough. I doubt mum will be able to hear us. I'd actually bet two sickles that we'll have trouble hearing her until she's screaming for us to come down so loudly that we won't want to. So, tell me about this sandstorm."

Bill caught him up to the point in the journey when he and Rock had spotted the incoming storm, omitting certain details such as why he was on the way to Britain and how he had been notified of a meeting by Albus Dumbledore's phoenix. He didn't like lying to his brother, but rationalized it by telling himself it wasn't lying until he was asked about it.

"So, why did you need to get back to England in such a hurry?" said Charlie, on cue.

Bill grimaced. "I can't talk about it."

"Can't even tell your favorite brother?"

"Charlie, I-"

"Relax. It's okay. I figured when you went to work with goblins that there would be some stuff you couldn't talk about. So what else happened? With the sandstorm, I mean."

"Well, it was pretty sudden, so we had to camp out in the middle of nowhere for a night and most of the next day. Barely made it back in time. I was supposed to be here Thursday night, actually."

"Wow," said Charlie.

It was a cool night and the ground was cold. He and Rock weren't able to see the storm from the ground as they began cutting away at one of the boulders that occupied their particular spot in the desert. The boulder itself was huge, about twenty feet high and twice as big across, and almost a perfect dome. They cast spells at what was to be their refuge for the night, assuming they would survive long enough to finish. Bill was shouting blasting spells, knocking huge chunks of the boulder off and into the sand at their feet. Occasionally, small shards of stone would whizz by his face so fast he could only hear them and hope he wouldn't be struck. Rock was holding his left hand steady with his right, fingers extended, moving the debris from Bill's spells away from the small cavern they were creating. A few more minutes of blasting away at the boulder and the two of them had created a shelter just large enough for the man and goblin to occupy comfortably. Well, maybe not comfortably, but at least they would be able to sit, thought Bill.

Rock levitated the carpet with their supplies into the artificial cavern, further limiting the available space. Bill hoped that they wouldn't have need for it much longer than the night. It was going to be awfully cramped. An almost imperceptible tickling sensation made Bill brush his tousled hair out of his face, but it didn't help. He sighed and tasted sand in his mouth, crunching between his teeth. Almost immediately, he was covered. It was everywhere, his eyes, nose, more in his mouth. Suddenly, a gust of wind made Bill stagger. He looked toward the boulder and saw Rock shouting something. Since goblins lacked lips, he was unable to make out what was being said, and it was impossible to hear anything over the howling wind and rushing sand.

Bill lowered his head and put his hands against his eyes so he could see where he was walking when another strong gust of wind blew in from the opposite direction and into his back, knocking him to his knees. He stayed on the ground, crouching, and was knocked back and forth by bursts of wind and sand coming at him from every direction. He saw dim swirls when he looked up, trying to find the boulder and Rock. A moment later there was only darkness. The storm had blocked the pale stars and moonlight completely.

He had no idea how long it had been, but Bill realized he could no longer feel his hands or feet. Shivering with cold and the effort to keep from being flattened again, Bill tried to think. The wind had settled into a constant direction, blowing into his face. He tried crawling forward but when he moved his hand, he was pushed face first into the ground. Spitting furiously, he began to get frustrated. The boulder had to be nearby. Twenty feet was the farthest Bill had ventured from it while carving out the shelter. Picking himself off the ground, Bill once again attempted a warming charm but couldn't grip his wand properly with his numb fingers. Every attempt to stand had been met with derision by the wind, which shoved him back to his hands and knees every time. Without warning, he was sliding across the ground. He rolled a few times, sand forcing itself into any opening it could, before he struck something hard. The last thing he felt was cold, rough stone against his face before he lost consciousness.

Charlie was silent while Bill spoke. They sat on their brooms, hovering over the orchard behind The Burrow. As Bill trailed off at the point when he crashed into the boulder and been knocked out, both of them were quiet for a few moments before Charlie broke the silence.

"So?"

Bill laughed. "So, Rock saved me. Granted, it wasn't the best rescue, but as he said to me when I woke up, it's hard to cast straight in a sandstorm."

"That's all he said?" asked Charlie.

"Well, he called me a dimwitted, undersized giant for staying outside when the sand started to blow around. Said it was my own fault for not running for the shelter, and that obviously I needed a hit to the head."

"Sounds like mum."

"You know," said Bill, "I never really thought about it, but yeah. He is a lot like mum. Just more fun-loving."

"A goblin is more 'fun-loving' than our mother." He shook his head. "So, when did the storm end?".

"I woke up the next morning, or early afternoon, don't know exactly what time. The sun was out, and it was as hot as any normal Saharan day. The problem was that we were sanded in. Rock had transfigured one of the chunks of rock near the entrance into a sheet that we used to block the wind. When he removed it, we were hip deep in sand. Overall, it was a lot better result than it could have been."

"So you banished the sand and went about your way?"

Bill nodded. "After we found the carpet and dug the rest of our stuff out, yeah. It took us another day and a half to make it back to the main camp, and then we took a portkey to Athens. And another one to Amsterdam, and then finally back to London. Those international portkeys are exhausting, by the way."

"Oh yeah?" Charlie made a face. "I have to take four to get to the preserve."

Bill pounded his younger brother on the back. "Enjoy yourself with that, mate. We should head down, I remember mum mentioning something about lunch, and then I have a meeting at two."

The brothers flew down and replaced the brooms in the shed before walking to the house. Entering the kitchen, the smells of Molly Weasley's cooking made them both salivate.

"Boys, go clean up," said Molly without looking up from the stove as they walked into the room. They complied and sat at the table, waiting anxiously for the delicious smelling meal their mother had prepared. Carrying one plate and levitating several others, Molly placed food in front of each of the nine chairs. She called her husband in from the shed, where he was tinkering with something she didn't care to know about, then shouted for the rest of her children.

Soon enough, the kitchen was crowded almost to capacity with redheaded Weasleys. Ron and Ginny seemed to be having an argument and were refusing to look at one another. Percy was holding a book in one hand as he used the other to neatly place food in his mouth with a fork. Fred and George whispered to each other quietly, a bad sign to anyone who knew them. Arthur turned to his two oldest sons and spoke between mouthfuls.

"So, son," he looked at Bill, "what brings you back to England?"

"Other than visiting you lot?" he said. Arthur nodded as he ate. "I have some meetings. I don't know how long I'll be here, but at least for the weekend."

"Oh Bill," injected his mother, "please let me do something about your hair. You shouldn't be meeting anyone looking like that. It might be alright for the tombs, but surely the goblins would appreciate it if you looked a bit more respectable."

"Mum, the goblins don't care how I keep my hair. Most of them can't tell humans apart, let alone judge our hair styles."

"Well, at least they can tell you're human!" George yelled across the table and then pointed at Charlie. "He's going to have trouble staying off the menu at the preserve."

"Shut it. I'm only going to be there for three weeks. I doubt they'll even let me get close to the dragons," said Charlie, sadly.

Molly huffed. "I should hope not. You've haven't even graduated. Why they're even allowing you to participate in this silly-"

"Now, now Molly," her husband cut her off before she could get going. "Charlie will be perfectly fine. The preserve has an excellent safety record, and the experience will be invaluable for him when he finishes school."

"I suppose," Molly grumbled.

Ginny spoke for the first time. "You're gonna take pictures for me, right Charlie?"

"Of course. I have a bunch of film, and there's a village just a bit down the road where I can get them developed."

As lunch went on, Bill was reminded of both why he missed his family and why they drove him absolutely insane. By the time he checked his watch and saw he needed to floo to Hogsmeade, Percy had left the table in a fit of anger, Ron had finished enough food to feed four of him, talking through mouthfuls, and Charlie had been listening to their mother explain the differences in burn ointments for the fifth time that afternoon. He said his goodbyes, telling his father that he would be back for dinner that night. Throwing some floo-powder into the fireplace, he called out his destination. At least, his first destination.

"The Leaky Cauldron!"

When the spinning stopped, Bill stepped out into the dingy pub and looked around. No one had taken notice of him except for Tom the barkeep. They nodded to each other before Bill placed a Knut on the mantel and grabbed another pinch of powder. He was glad Tom didn't ask questions as he called out, "The Three Broomsticks!" and spun away to Scotland.

Exiting into the pub, he checked his watch and saw he had another twenty minutes to while away before the meeting. Ordering a butterbeer from Madam Rosmerta, Bill took a seat at the bar and relaxed. He was still trying to figure out what exactly he was doing here. During the long flight over the desert he'd had quite a bit of time to ponder what this 'situation' was that Albus Dumbledore couldn't solve on his own. At first he'd assumed it had to do with curse-breaking, but after pondering it, realized there must be many other wizards or witches more capable. From there his theories had varied wildly from helping with his twin brothers' behavior, to a job offer, and many things in between, none of which he thought likely.

Finishing his drink, Bill paid and moved up the street toward Hogwarts.


With ten minutes to spare, Remus exited the fireplace at The Hog's Head Inn. Aberforth Dumbledore sat at a barstool chatting with an unidentifiable person wearing a cloak that completely obscured them. They turned and observed Remus for a moment before going back to their conversation, not acknowledging the younger man further. Although used to this type of behavior because of his lycanthropy, Remus knew that Aberforth was just being himself. Unfriendly and unhelpful. Regardless, he felt no animosity toward the older man. His thoughts on blood and dark magic mirrored his brother's, though their personalities could not have been more dissimilar.

Remus increased his pace up the main road to the castle. As he made his way toward the gates of the school, a muffled pop accompanied the apparation of a woman several feet in front of him. She quickly took in her surroundings, caught the surprise on his face, then lowered her wand and placed it back in her robes. It took him a moment to identify her.

"Director Bones," he said, inclining his head slightly.

Amelia scrutinized the man in front of her. He wore robes that had seen better days, frayed a bit at the edges and a few years out of date. There were a few grey hairs scattered about on his head, especially concentrated at the temples, but his face appeared much younger. An itch at the back of her mind told her this was someone she had met before.

"Hello. I'm sorry, but I can't seem to remember your name. Have we met?" she said, shaking her head apologetically.

Remus tried to smile, but it appeared as a grimace. The only time he had met Amelia Bones was at the funeral of her brother, Edgar, who had been in The Order. Memories of that night tried to force their way into his mind and he tried to stomp them down. He had sat between Sirius and James that night. Sealing his eyes tightly, Remus refused to recall anything about The Traitor. The murderer of his family. The man who had lied to them all for years, pretending to care about them. To love them. Their brother. All lies.

"Edgar's funeral. It was a long time ago," said Remus, finally.

Amelia nodded. "Remus Lupin, isn't it?"

"Yes, it is. It's good to see you again, Director." Remus was surprised, but then realized she must have a good memory to climb so high through the Ministry ranks.

"You as well, Mr. Lupin. If you'll excuse me, I have something that I must attend to."

"Certainly," Remus replied as he bowed slightly, once again. When the two of them took several steps in the same direction, toward Hogwarts, they both halted and stared at each other.

"Do you have business in the castle?" Amelia asked him, her eyes searching his for any sign of malice.

Remus was bewildered for a moment. Deciding it unlikely the Director of the DMLE would be visiting Hogwarts during the middle of the summer for any other reason, he chanced hinting at the letter from Dumbledore.

"Well, apparently there's an interesting situation at the castle that I'm well suited to help resolve. I don't suppose you would know anything about it?" He smirked at the widening of her eyes before Amelia regained control of her expression.

"It seems that we may be here for the same reason. Shall we?" Amelia motioned at the gates in front of them, and the two walked through and onto Hogwarts' grounds.


"Are they all here?" Harry asked when Albus walked into the headmaster's guest quarters.

"Yes, Harry. They are all enjoying a cup of tea, and extremely curious as to why I have called them here today." Albus looked down at Harry, who was sprawled on the floor next to the bed he had been sleeping in for the past few days. His back was propped up against his new truck they had purchased in Diagon Alley that morning. An owl cage sat by the open window. Harry's new owl, yet to be named, was staying in the owlery until Harry moved to Potter Manor. That plan was dependent on Remus accepting the idea that Harry was not a ten year old boy, but a time-traveler from the future. He and Albus both agreed that even though Harry could easily take care of himself, it would be seen as exceedingly odd for a young boy, not yet of Hogwarts age, to be living on his own in a large manor. They had decided that Remus would be the logical choice to stay with Harry until they could free Sirius from Azkaban. That plan was dependent on the other two people in the neighboring room.

"Alright. Let's do this. No sense in waiting, is there?"

"Indeed. Would you like me to lead the way?" said Albus.

"I think that might be a good idea. We may give poor Moony a heart attack if I just walk in and say 'hello'."

Albus chuckled and preceded Harry into the passageway to the office.

There were five chairs set up, facing each other, in front of the headmaster's desk. Two of them were occupied by Bill and Remus, who were discussing their spotty knowledge of recent wizarding news. Amelia stood next to Fawkes' perch, gently stroking the magical bird on the head as he crooned softly. None of the them knew each other well. Remus had assumed the awkward duty of introducing two people he was hardly acquainted with to each other. He had met Bill's parents and late uncles through The Order, but it had been almost ten years since he had spoken with them. All three were eager to learn the reason Albus had brought them to Hogwarts in the middle of the summer. They could think of no reason to have the Director of the DMLE, a novice curse breaker and a werewolf who had spent the past nine years in self-imposed exile together for a meeting with the most powerful wizard of the age. It was baffling.

Amelia knew Albus was eccentric, and she held no animosity toward either of the others, but she was most definitely befuddled. Bill had been amazed to find out that his parents had been part of the first fight against Voldemort. They had never mentioned anything about it, though knowing his mother, that wasn't surprising. Remus was wary. There was nothing he could conceive of that connected the three people in the room beyond being related in some way to The Order of the Phoenix. He had been an extremely junior member when Harry had finally defeated Voldemort, and Bill and Amelia's connection was only secondary. Added to all of that, Voldemort was dead. He had been dead since that Halloween night.

His wandering thoughts were interrupted by a noise from behind the desk. Albus Dumbledore stood in a doorway, a small boy with dark messy hair and glasses next to him, half the older man's height. Amelia stepped away from the phoenix and walked back to the other two men, stood behind her chair, and waited for an explanation.

The boy was grinning, noticed Remus. The hair reminded him of someone and he searched the face for a moment, trying to capture the memory before his eyes locked in on the boy's forehead.

"Harry?" he gasped.

The boy's grin grew wider as he stepped forward into the room.

"Hi, Remus," said Harry. He struggled to not laugh. He also suppressed the urge to run over to the man he hadn't seen in over a decade. Harry decided giving some time to adjust would be best at the moment.

"Harry Potter?" asked Amelia as Remus continued to stare, slack-jawed. Bill was rooted to the spot, leaning back in his chair, dumbstruck.

Albus spoke next, noticing the lack of coherency in the three.

"To be sure, this is Harry Potter. Before we continue, I must ask something unusual of you all. It is truly a matter of grave importance that nothing said in this office today is ever spoken to anyone. Family and friends that you trust with your life must not know of this. The day may come when you can share it, but that will not be for quite some time. Years, perhaps. I must ask you to make an Unbreakable Vow, all of us together, before any other information is revealed. If you choose not to participate, I will unfortunately be required to obliviate you so that you have no recollection of our meeting here today."

He gave the three of them a moment to calm down and think about what he had said. An Unbreakable Vow was extremely dangerous, a spell that would would kill anyone who violated it's terms. Remus was the first to shake himself back to reality. He had barely registered the words spoken by his old headmaster, but after a moments contemplation, knew what he had to do. If something this important involved Harry, he would gladly do anything to help. He owed James and Lily that much. And Harry. Especially Harry.

"I'll do it," stated Remus, unequivocally.

Bill looked unsure, his eyes darting back and forth between Harry and Albus. Amelia sat ramrod straight in her chair, her eyes boring into Albus', trying to determine what exactly he was hoping to accomplish. As usual, she saw nothing but kindness, a bit of mirth and the almost undetectable aura of power that he attempted to hide behind his grandfatherly facade. She knew Albus Dumbledore was a good man, odd at times and often more interested in his schemes than the individuals he used to carry them to conclusion, but a decent human being who would never knowingly harm a friend or ally. She decided to go along with his plan, her curiosity almost exploding out of her chest.

"I can't say I understand this, Albus. Then again, very few things I've known you to do make much sense until I've seen the end result. I'm willing to do it if you guarantee our safety."

"Thank you, Amelia. That guarantee is given, on my magic. William, are you alright?" Albus looked at the young redhead who had yet to move. He was still staring at the two of them, almost catatonic except for his eyes, which were still moving constantly. Eventually he nodded.

"I guess so. But...an Unbreakable Vow?"

Harry spoke up. "Bill, I promise that unless you are planning on joining the Death Eaters, you will never need to worry about breaking this vow."

The other two stared at what they thought was a ten year old boy. He was speaking with such confidence, as if he were in charge of the meeting. Bill was still too shocked at the request of an Unbreakable Vow to notice the strange way the young boy was acting and simply nodded.

"Since I would die before I joined 'You-Know-Who', I guess I can't really argue. Are you sure it's necessary?" said Bill.

"Absolutely necessary, William. The information we are about to share with you will surely change the future of our world. Change it in ways we can only hope are for the better. You must complete the vow before we continue."

Trusting his former headmaster, Bill nodded again and took out his wand. The other four did the same. Remus and Amelia stared at Harry's wand, which was still in his hand, hanging at his side.

"Why does he have a-" Amelia was cut off by Harry before she could finish.

"The vow first, and then we'll explain everything."

Remus only shook his head in wonder and touched his wand to the tip of Amelia's. It was joined by Bill's and then, finally, by Albus'. Harry raised his own wand over his head and stood in between Albus and Remus. Fawkes sat on his perch, watching the proceedings, completely silent. Remus looked toward Harry and the boy stared back at him, a grin working its way onto his face. Amelia swiveled her head and leaned forward to watch their interaction. She was going to ask why the boy was not a part of the vow, but then realized her questions would only be answered after it had been completed.

Harry spoke first. "Will you four, William Arthur Weasley, Amelia Susan Bones, Remus John Lupin, Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, swear to willingly keep what is said here today between only those present?"

"I will," the four said in unison. Sparks flew out of Harry's wand and formed into separate tendrils of red fire. Each of the four's hands were surrounded by the heatless flame that slowly swirled around their wrists.

"And will you swear to never use the information you learn today to put any of the others here in danger? To never willingly share it with any being who would wish the five of us harm?"

Once again, they made the vow. Remus continued quietly. "I swear it on my life."

Another four tendrils of fire moved down their arms before joining the existing flames in a strange, captivating dance. After a moment of quiet, Fawkes intoned a single soft note and the flames that surrounded each of their wrists quickly flew into their wands, causing them to glow bright red for a moment before fading.

Harry lowered his wand and sat in his chair. Albus joined him as the other three looked down at them, uncomprehending. Remus was the first to follow, then Bill. Only Amelia remained standing, and her look of confusion was clearly battling frustration.

"Albus, what the hell is this all about? And why did a ten year old child just perform an Unbreakable Vow? I don't give a troll's lumpy arse if he is 'The-Boy-Who-Lived', you have some serious explaining to do!" By the end of her tirade, Amelia was close to yelling. Her normally calm veneer had been completely discarded.

"Madam Bones," said Harry, "perhaps it would be best if I explained myself."

The three newcomers swung their heads so rapidly that Harry was sure they would be suffering from some tenderness that night. With four sets of eyes focused on him, Harry grinned. He remembered when he had done everything he could to avoid such attention. In the years after the defeat of Voldemort, his time had been consumed by Auror training and familiarizing himself with the inner workings of The Ministry. His fame and new position had forced him to deal with his insecurities as he became a public figure. A public figure for a reason, he mentally added.

"Harry has come to me with quite a tale," began Albus. He continued as he gazed into the eyes of the three. "I have no reason to doubt him, and every reason to believe what he has to say. I strongly urge you to trust us, for what Harry is about to share will certainly shock you more than my request to participate in the vow we have just completed."

"Right," Harry started, "so this will probably be hard for you to believe. I am not ten years old."

"Harry," Remus tried to stay calm, "I was there when you were born. I held you as a baby so many times before...before it happened. How..." he trailed off.

"Moony, I understand why you're confused. Just trust me on this, for now."

Remus had shot back in his chair when he heard the nickname from his youth. Almost no one knew of it. Perhaps Dumbledore had told him, he thought.

Harry continued. "I can see that shocks you. I know quite a few things about you. About all of you." His eyes swept across the faces in front of him.

"I am ten years old, physically. But mentally, psychologically, I am thirty one. I have been sent back in time to my ten year old self. I know it's hard to believe. Hell, for the first day or so I could barely think rationally."

Exclamations of disbelief were quickly silenced by Albus. "Quiet, please." He said it softly, but the hint of authority in his voice was enough to end the murmuring.

Bill was the first to speak. "That's amazing. You're from the future? But...wait. If you're from the future, did this all happen before? You know what's going to happen?"

"William, this situation is unique. Harry has not only traveled back in time, but to a new universe. A different reality, if you will. It would seem that the only difference between his original time and this one is Harry, himself. It appears he is the point of divergence between the two."

"How did this happen?" asked Amelia, breathlessly.

"We don't know," said Harry. "It's a mystery. Nothing like it is known to have happened before...at least not in this universe."

Remus leaned forward. "If what you say is true, and I'm not doubting you, then you know what happens to us. You know all about us."

"Remus, I know what happened to you in my universe. And in my universe there was something that occurred that we will be trying to prevent with my knowledge of the future, while it's still valid."

Bill looked between Harry and Albus, indecision plain on his face. He finally decided to ask his former headmaster since he didn't know how to address the boy/man who had spoken. "Headmaster, what do the three of us have to do with this? I can understand Director Bones being here, and I don't know Remus very well, but why me?"

"William, you have not been a student of mine for over a year. Please call me Albus. As to your question, I think Harry is the best person to explain." He held out his hand to Harry.

"And call me Harry, all of you. Even when I held your position, Director, I never relied on formality all that much." He looked at Bill and found the sight of his old friend and brother-in-law at such a loss quite amusing. After the final battle, the two of them had grown close. Harry had spent some time at Shell Cottage, sometimes with Ginny, though often alone. He sat by Dobby's grave for a few minutes each day, thinking about those who had been lost during the war. Bill and Fleur had shared their home with him as he healed. Every evening he ate dinner with the two of them. The day Fleur discovered she was pregnant, he had been there. It was at Shell Cottage that Kingsley had called upon him to become an Auror and help the new Ministry clear out the centuries old corruption. Bill reassured him it was the right thing to do. They'd made Harry and Hermione the godparents of their daughter, Victoire, while Bill and Fleur were named Lily's godparents. Harry knew that all of the Weasley's were his family, but only Ron and Bill truly felt like brothers.

"There are things that need to be done, before events are out of our control." Harry took a deep breath. This was the moment. He would know for sure if his plan to end the war, before it could begin, was viable.

"Bill, in my universe, we were family. Literally. You were my brother-in-law. You, Ron, and his wife were my best mates. Ginny was my wife and the mother of my three children. The Weasley's are the best family anyone could ask for, and I know I can trust all of you with my life."

Bill stared open mouthed at the boy sitting in front of him. Harry shifted his gaze to Amelia. "I didn't know you well, Madam Bones. I knew your niece, though. She was a good friend, and extremely loyal. When The Ministry tried to discredit us," he motioned to Albus and himself, "you stood up to Fudge and his sycophants. Everyone I knew, everyone I trusted, said you were an honorable person and a powerful witch. I believed it then, and I believe it now."

Finally, he locked eyes with Remus. "Remus. Moony. You were like a brother to me. And a teacher. In fact, you were my Defense Against the Dark Arts professor for a year." Harry grinned as Remus glanced at Albus, who had a small smile etched on his face.

"All three of you are people that Albus and I both trust, implicitly. You would fight for the light until your death, if necessary. I know this will come as a shock to you, but Remus, Amelia...that's exactly what you did."

Albus added to that. "The ways in which you were lost in Harry's universe were honorable. You both perished battling Death Eaters, under the orders of Tom Riddle. You know him as Lord Voldemort."

They both gasped softly, then looked at each other and came to an instant understanding. Things would be different in this universe. They might be killed in this reality as they had in another, but they would try to stop the war before it could claim any other lives. Only Bill seemed bothered by the name. Amelia's eyes turned cold, while Remus just shut his and exhaled sharply.

"He's coming back, then. The bastard isn't dead?" he said, eyes still closed.

Harry was the one to answer. "Not yet. But he will be. Soon. We will make sure of it. All of us. We'll take care of Riddle and any of his evil slaves who even think about rejoining him."

"So what do you need me for?" asked Bill. "No offense, but I'm just a curse-breaker. I haven't ever fought a real duel, and I wasn't around for the last war. I wasn't even in school, yet."

"Well, Bill. Beyond the fact that I trust you and you're more skilled than you think, there's something in The Burrow that we need. Something that belongs to Riddle, and very important to us. Scabbers, Percy's rat, will be enough to help us run Fudge out of office and install Director Bones as the new Minister. If she'll take the job, that is. Director?"

The woman nodded, so shocked from the past few minutes that she barely understood the question.

"Are you serious?" said Bill.

"No, I'm Harry. We'll free Sirius after we arrest Pettigrew."

Remus fainted.


A/N- Yes, my first 'official' author's note. This is not a Super!(heh) Harry fic. Really. He just has the knowledge and experience of an older wizard of above average power. Wands are smart like that.