Author's Note: Hi everyone! I'm really really sorry about how long it's taken to update. I've gotten well over 100 reviews since I last posted a chapter and I hope that those who have reviewed and/or been reading my story haven't forgotten too much. But, for those of you who haven't read the story for a while and don't want to go through the older chapters to remember what was happening, here is a short...
Synopsis of the story so far: Harry woke up on his 10th birthday after going to sleep as a father of three, including recently born Lily Luna. The story starts before the epilogue but after the end of DH. Harry finds several people from his past that he trusts, starting with Dumbledore, Remus Lupin, Amelia Bones and Bill Weasley. Eventually he shares his story and truth about being from the future with a select group of people he Trusts. They locate The locket Horcrux, the Diadem and the Ring but can't get the diary or Hufflepuff's cup. In this story, Nagini isn't a Horcrux until after the Tri-wizard tournament. Harry is once again a Horcrux. He's just started his first year at Hogwarts with Remus as the Defense Prof and Sirius as Assistant Transfiguration Prof.
Sirius is having various emotional problems that he attempts to solve by drinking far too much. This is not a major point of the story beyond characterization and the fact that I find most fanfic stories and also canon don't show the emotional damage that losing 2 (3 if you include Peter) close friends and spending 10 years in Azkaban reliving the worst moments of his life. I'm not a psychologist, so if I messed up...sue me.
Voldemort is possessing a string of muggles and is staying at Malfoy Manor. Hermione knows that Harry is a time-traveler, but Ron doesn't. If you need a better explanation, just skim through the previous few chapters because this note is already way too long.
Disclaimer: Not mine. I have no money, no car, very little sense and definitely no Harry Potter ownership rights.
It's Natural To Be Afraid
October 31st, 1991, the ten year anniversary of the fall of Voldemort and the death of James and Lily Potter was not traditionally a good day for Harry Potter. As he sat at the Gryffindor table in the Great Hall eating breakfast, he thought back to all the craziness that had occurred on Halloween, sometimes even after leaving Hogwarts. Ron and Hermione were sitting across from him and talking about the feast planned for that night. Hermione was asking Ron, at Harry's suggestion, how the wizarding world celebrated Halloween, and he could see Ron enjoyed being able to teach their genius muggle-born friend something new.
Harry sensed a presence behind him and turned to see a somber Minerva McGonagall approaching.
"Mr. Potter, I need to speak with you in private. Please come with me."
Hermione and Ron looked at him with an expression of concern and confusion so identical that it almost made Harry laugh, but he just gave them a small grin and stood up from the table.
"Yes, ma'am," he said to his professor. The two of them walked out of the back hall, attracting little attention as the rest of the school was somewhat used to Harry spending an inordinate amount of time speaking with the two transfiguration professors.
Harry didn't say anything until he realized Minerva was leading him towards the hospital wing.
"What's wrong, Professor?"
"Harry, Sirius was absent from this morning's staff meeting. When I went to check on him, he had already made his way through half a bottle of Odgen's and actually threatened to curse anyone who attempted to take it away from him. I believe he is grieving because of the date."
Harry nodded, not all that surprised. "Alright. Okay, well..."
Minerva said nothing and waited for Harry to make a decision about his emotionally shattered godfather.
"He's in the infirmary?" asked Harry. Minerva nodded. "Okay, let me talk to him. Is he sober?"
"No, he's stunned. I had to incapacitate him. He was becoming violent and belligerent."
"I need Poppy to give him a sobering potion and a calming draught. I need to talk to him alone," said Harry. "But get Remus, too. Maybe he can help."
Minerva nodded in response as the two of them continued up the stairs.
Albus stared out of his office window, taking in the view of Hogwarts grounds. Fawkes occasionally trilled a short song, chirping intermittently whenever the worry emanating from his familiar grew too strong. The western sky was beginning to glow a hundred shades of red and orange as the lake grew still, interrupted by the giant squid's tentacles breaking the surface and radiating small ripples every few minutes.
His thoughts were focused almost entirely on the Order's and Ministry's efforts to locate the two remaining horcruxes. The diadem had been the simplest. The rediscovery of the Room of Requirement had been a bonus that the Order had taken advantage of for the past year. The training and organizing, as well as the recovery of thousands of volumes thoughts lost to time had been a major boon.
The ring hadn't been so easy, but thankfully the four of them had been able to fight through Voldemort's defenses without any major injuries. The Resurrection Stone had been hidden, its location a secret known only to Harry and Rock. Slytherin's locket, hidden away by Regulus Black, had not been easy to retrieve due to Kreacher's fierce protection, but the positive impact of the knowledge that Regulus had betrayed Voldemort on Sirius was immeasurable. That, in Albus' opinion, along with his relationship with Remus and Harry, was one of the few things keeping the former Azkaban inmate from giving up completely. Sirius' breakdown that morning had not been an easy thing for any of them to see. Even Severus, whose disdain for Sirius was as strong and ever present as always, had refrained from any comment. The resigned but determined look on Harry's face as he entered the infirmary to comfort his godfather had both impressed and saddened Albus. Severus' feelings on the matter were impossible to discern, as usual, but Albus believed he sensed a small lessening of animosity from the perpetually sneering potions professor.
When Harry had asked why Severus was present while Albus and Poppy watched over his godfather, Albus had begun to give an excuse before admitting that he was trying to convince Severus that Sirius was not the same man he remembered from their school years.
"You know," Harry said after Snape had left the infirmary, "I'm starting to understand you more the longer I have to pretend to be a first year."
"What exactly do you mean, my boy?" asked Albus.
"Your manipulations, for lack of a better word, are something you can't seem to help."
Albus had smiled and raised his eyebrows to request further explanation.
"You feel like you know more and understand things better than the rest of us. To be honest, if I were your age and had as many experiences as you, I would feel the same way. Merlin, I do feel the same half the time when I hear people predicting what the future will bring and I know, I know, what is going to happen instead."
"Do you feel that you have become more manipulative since you started Hogwarts?"
"I know I've become a manipulative bastard," responded Harry. "Using my knowledge and familiarity with people to convince them to help me or to be friendly with me. Hell, I manipulated Sirius five minutes ago to convince him that my parents don't hate him."
Albus nodded. "Do you believe it would be better to allow Sirius to work through his problems on his own? Without any assistance?"
"No," said Harry. "No, it's just gotten more and more blatant since I got here. The way I treat Ron and Neville. And Hermione. Especially Hermione. The girl is never going to become the person I knew. Her behavior is completely different. And she treats me with the same sort of reverence and respect that she gives you when it's just the two of us alone together."
"Do you believe she is unhappy or disappointed with the way things have gone?"
Harry shook his head. "She's loads happier than she was before. I just can't help but worry she won't be the same person she was in my original universe."
"And she won't," agreed Albus. "She'll become the person she is meant to be in this universe. If that person happens to have had a more positive initial experience at Hogwarts with more friends and better social skills, is that a bad thing?"
"I don't know, is it?" countered Harry.
"I do not know, either, Harry."
Both of them sat silently for several moments before Harry continued.
"And then Ron is almost a completely different person. I hate myself a little bit each time I think it, but I like this Ron so much more. When we were first years he could be a pretty big pillock. Now...now he's more polite, more considerate. It's scary, sometimes."
"Harry," the look Harry gave him stilled Albus for a moment and it took the headmaster a moment to collect himself. "Harry, there is nothing you can do to stop the changes. The three of you, along with all of your friends and the Weasley's and the staff here at Hogwarts, all of us are living the life we were given. Your incredible circumstances have affected all of us and those effects will spread outwards like ripples on a lake until there will be very little you recognize from your original world. But that is the fate of this universe, and it is not helpful to dwell on might-have-beens. This is the way this world is destined to be."
Harry hadn't said anything to that, and after a few minutes he had gone back to check on Sirius and Remus, who were chatting quietly at Sirius' bed.
Albus was shaken from his musings on possible strategies to obtain the diary and Hufflepuff's cup by several sharp chirps from Fawkes just in time to sense Hagrid giving the password to the gargoyle that guarded the headmaster's office. He noted absently that it was now dark outside and a quick check of his pocket watch indicated that the Halloween feast would be starting in just under fifteen minutes.
"Come in, Rubeus," said Albus a moment later, before the half-giant could knock.
Hagrid entered with something in his hand and a puzzled frown on his bearded face. His normally friendly eyes were clouded in confusion and suspicion.
"Headmaster, sir. Somethin' strange happen'd down by my hut." He placed what he was holding on the desk for Albus' examination and the older man immediately rose to his feet in alarm. Lying on the desk was a rooster, it's neck plainly broken. The sudden movement and obvious agitation startled Hagrid, who stared at Albus with wide eyes.
"Did you find all of the roosters like this, Rubeus?" Albus asked, attempting to keep any anxiety out of his voice.
"Yes sir, Professor Dumbledore. All of 'em. They were fine las' time I checked em' this mornin'."
Albus nodded distractedly and waved his wand to banish the dead rooster to the same container that held the husks of the already destroyed horcruxes for later investigation. "Hagrid, thank you for bringing this to my attention. You can go ahead and clean up for the feast. We shall have a staff meeting this evening after dinner to discuss this and I would like you to be there. It is something that concerns all of us."
"Is it serious, sir? S'there anythin' I ca' do ta help?" asked Hagrid.
"Not at the moment. But yes, it is quite serious. Please do not speak to anyone about this until this evening."
"You ca' count on me, Professor Dumbledore," said Hagrid.
"I know I can. I will see you at dinner, now if you could excuse me for just a moment."
Hagrid nodded in understanding as he headed for the door. "Course, sir."
After the gamekeeper had left him alone, Albus quickly moved to the fireplace and threw a pinch of floo powder into the low burning fire.
"Ministry of Magic, Minister's office!" he stated clearly, and to his own personal shame, with a bit of panic.
Amelia Bones heard the whooshing sound of a floo call and glanced toward the fireplace in her office to see Albus Dumbledore's head looking up at her in alarm. Worried at the lack of the usual imperturbable expression on the ancient wizard's face, Amelia stood and quickly walked over to the fireplace.
"What is it, Albus?"
"The diary is at Hogwarts," he stated quickly. "Rubeus found all of the roosters with broken necks a short time ago outside his hut."
A momentary expression of shock was all Amelia allowed herself before pushing the panic away. "I understand. I'll let everyone know. Have you spoken to Harry?"
Before Albus could answer, he heard the door of his office behind him slam open and the sound of two young children burst into the room.
"I believe I am about to do so," Albus answered Amelia and turned his head out of the fire to face Harry Potter and Hermione Granger, both of whom wore identical expressions of fear and dread.
"Albus-" began Harry.
"I have already been informed," interrupted Albus. "Rubeus was just here to let me know me that all of the roosters have been killed. Is the basilisk already in the pipes?"
Harry nodded and opened his mouth to respond but he was beaten to it by Hermione.
"Headmaster, we have to get everyone into the great hall!"
"I concur, Miss Granger. I believe everyone is on their way there already, but I will have the staff confirm that all students are present as quickly as they are able."
"I'm going to the Chamber," said Harry, resolutely.
"No, Harry. The Minister is informing everyone who needs to know. Bill and Rock should be here presently. I need your help finding and informing Sirius and Remus."
The tension and desire to confront Tom Riddle's memory and the basilisk was easily visible as Harry's legs nearly vibrated with manic energy, but he nodded in acceptance.
"Excellent!" said Albus. He turned back to the fire and concluded his fire chat before rising up off of his knees. He brushed his beard smooth and Harry and Hermione were both reminded that the wizard in front of them was one of the most powerful beings in magical history as he drew himself up and spoke.
"Allow me to escort you to the great hall, Miss Granger. Harry, please locate Remus and Sirius. I do not believe they have left Sirius' quarters yet. I shall share this information with the rest of the staff after dinner. And please be careful."
The three of them quickly descended the spiral staircase. Harry ran off in toward the staff quarters as Albus and Hermione walked at a brisk pace towards the great hall. As he approached Sirius' quarters, Harry spotted Peeves who was floating down the corridor, cackling madly. When the poltergeist saw him, it stopped and floated down to the point where they were eye to eye with each other.
"Ickle firsty shouldn't be out by himself. Monsters and ghouls and monsters are out and about!"
"Thanks, Peeves. If you go tell the house ghosts to make sure there aren't any students left in the common rooms, I'll get Padfoot and Moony to help you turn Snape's robes pink."
The poltergeist grinned in an almost childlike manner before poking Harry in the chest with a wispy finger. "Snotty Potty is very naughty!" Harry raised his wand in response and Peeves backed away with a malicious grin. "Peeves will do. Peeves will!"
Poltergeist and time-traveling first year sped off in different directions as several floors and corridors away, the basilisk claimed its first victim.
Author's note 2: I know this is short, but I don't have work for a few months so I should be able to write and update more. I'm, once again, really sorry about how long it took to update and I'm sure most of you thought this was abandoned. It's not. The next chapter will be longer. Promise. I hate writers like me. I'd ask you to review, but I figure I'm lucky if you even read this so I'll ask for reviews next chapter when I actually deserve them :)
Also, I have another story that is a cross-over with Kim Stanley Robinson's 'Mars Trilogy'...so go check that out. Please?
