"What about the 1977 Quiddich World Cup?"
Harry rolled his eyes. "No."
"I bet you don`t even know." Mattie retorted smugly.
"Your betting is exactly why I`m not telling you. What if it alters the future when you make a load of galleons off what I tell you and bankrupt the Ministry or something?"
It was her turn to cast a skeptical glance. "That's not even remotely realistic. Come on; at least tell me who the Minister of Magic is in your time!"
The trek to the headmaster`s office had never seemed so long.
"Do you want me to endanger my own existence?"
"Fine." She sighed, exasperated. "Can you at least tell me your mission now, since Dumbledore might send you back before we get the chance to talk later?"
"He won`t send me back, I haven`t fixed what I came for yet."
Sensing a chance to get Harry to spill, Mattie raised an eyebrow. "You really think Dumbledore is going to let you keep running around once he finds out who you are? Once you`ve convinced him, he`s just going to send you right back, because otherwise you might offset the Space-Time Continuum and wipe out your own existence, like you were so politely accusing me of earlier."
"The Space-Time Continuum?"
"You know, like with the butterfly effect and minor effects changing the course of history and all that?"
It did seem like something Dumbledore would be worried about. This trigger made Harry recall how Dumbledore had been constantly eluding him over the past few months, from not including Harry in the Order over the summer and having him followed to how he`d kept the prophesy that had led to the death of Harry`s parents a secret from him until after the death of Sirius. If Harry had only known about the prophesy, if Dumbledore hadn`t been 'trying to protect him for the greater good', his godfather might still be alive and well in 1996.
Harry wavered. "Do you think Dumbledore would let me rescue my parents?"
"I think Dumbledore will do what he thinks is best in the long run for the preservation of the future society. Whether that is letting you save your parents or not, it`s hard to know for sure. Dumbledore`s great, but when it comes to saving the people you love… all I know for sure is, if I went back twenty years to save my mom and landed in your position, I wouldn`t trust those odds enough to bet her life on it."
The Hero Complex in Harry was agreeing with Mattie, even though in his heart, despite the past year (or, the future year), he still trusted in Dumbledore. In the end though, the heroism and grief won. "Alright. But if I stay, Dumbledore will figure out I`m not a student pretty quick, since he probably has every student`s name memorized, and I`m not supposed to be on the attendance sheets for another fifteen years."
A large grin sprouted on Mattie`s face; apparently dealing with these sort of problems was one of the things she did best. "Oh, you don`t need to worry about any of that. Just leave the talking to me."
Instead of turning right to where Harry now clearly knew the Headmaster`s office had sat back in 1996 (but was back really the politically correct term…?), Mattie abruptly started off in the opposite direction, down where the Transfiguration classroom laid. Dumbledore wasn`t a Transfiguration teacher during the time of Lily and James, of that much Harry was certain. So clearly, Mattie was about to do some pretty drastic improvising.
Unfortunately, the already altered plan was about to get another monkey wrench thrown into it, in the form of a cackling ghost bearing chalkboard erasers.
"Who`s Mad Ol` Maddy got with her today? Given up on that dog, have you now?" Peeves cried as Harry and Mattie coughed the cloud of chalk dust out of their lungs.
"Piss off, poltergeist. That`s none of your business."
"Miss Bell!"
The three of them spun (overenthusiastically causing another dust storm, in Peeves` case) to meet the highly unamused stare of a (slightly more) youthful Minerva McGonagall.
After a moment of terrifying silence, Peeves could contain himself no longer. "Maddy`s got a cru…"
In one fluid motion, Mattie ripped her shoe off and hurled it at Peeves, who disappeared into the wall behind him just as it flew right where his nose had been moments before.
The professor pursed her lips, eyeing the scuff mark on the wall with a dour frown. "Where are you two off to so late in the evening, Potter? Surely you`re not just out for the ghost hunting."
"Actually Professor," Mattie said, subliminally reminding Harry to keep his mouth shut and follow her lead, "This is my cousin, Harry. His parents had to go into hiding pretty abruptly, and they sent him here to keep him out of danger, since You-Know-Who wouldn`t dare challenge Dumbledore. There wasn`t time enough to give notice to the school, and he`s only ever been homeschooled, so I wasn`t sure what house he`s supposed to stay with."
"Why is he wearing a Gryffindor Quiddich uniform?"
Mattie didn`t miss a beat. "Well, when he got here I was just about to go down to the tryouts anyway, so I figured what better way to integrate him into Hogwarts than to throw him headfirst into our traditions and culture…James called him the best seeker he`d ever seen."
Which wasn`t strictly true, but the paraphrasing went undetected. The suspicious pinch in Professor McGonagall's expression had been slowly loosening through Mattie `s little speech, and at the mention of James Potter`s seal of approval, Harry could have sworn there was a flash of a competitive spark in her eyes, as if the thought of winning the cup had alighted something inside her. Something about this prompted Harry to recall his first year, when there had been the same frighteningly determined air about the professor as she took him to meet Wood.
"Well then, Mr. Finnigan, I believe it is due time for you to meet Professor Dumbledore and see if you will indeed have a place here." As the teacher turned to lead them back towards the headmaster`s office, Mattie gave Harry a sly thumbs up behind her back.
The climb to Dumbledore`s office was almost entirely silent, apart from the creaks in the old castle and swish of Professor McGonagall`s cloak as she strode. Once they finally reached the Gargoyle, McGonagall muttered a swift "Honeycomb Hokum", and Harry feigned shock as the spiral staircase appeared, channeling all of the amazement from seeing his parents, Sirius, and the younger McGonagall into the attempt. This was obviously not Mattie`s first time in the office either, but she had no need to suppress her indifferent and expecting air.
When they reached the top, the trio wavered at the door. Voices too hushed for Harry to make out were deep in discussion, but stopped abruptly at the sound of Professor McGonagall`s knock.
"Come in."
If Harry had been expecting Dumbledore to be as lacking of the familiar grey hair and wrinkles as Professor McGonagall, he would have been gravely disappointed. Although less-weathered than the current (1996, that is) Dumbledore, the old headmaster looked the same as ever, as if he had been carved in stone that way ages ago.
"Hey Flawkesy." Mattie stroked the phoenix`s sunshine wings. "Miss me?"
"I was beginning to fear you`d decided to finally start obeying the pre-established rules and notions this school was based on, Miss Bell." Behind the half-moon glasses, Dumbledore`s eyes twinkled, then turned to Harry. "Who is your friend?"
For the first time, Harry cursed the genetic similarities that linked him so closely to his parents. Dumbledore was the smartest man Harry knew, and if anyone could unravel Harry`s cover with a single glance, it was him.
The shiny silver instruments caught Harry`s eye, and he could still feel the rage, the betrayal, the grief that had torn through him as they were decimated in 1996. Dumbledore had no problem keeping secrets from him….
Before Mattie or Professor McGonagall could react, Harry made his choice. "I`m Harry, Harry Finnigan, Sir. I`m Mattie`s cousin. I was homeschooled, but now that my parents are on the run from V…He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named; they were hoping I could stay at Hogwarts for a while with my cousin to keep me out of danger."
For one terrible moment, Dumbledore`s eyes seemed to be seeing straight into his mind, and maybe he was. After all, as Harry had learned in his lessons with Snape, it was quite easy for experienced wizards to dip into the minds of others. Harry had never been able to use occlumency well enough to prevent Snape or Voldemort from entering his thoughts (now was not the time to dwell on those memories and repercussions, though), but maybe, just maybe, he could focus on only letting Dumbledore see what would convince him Harry was telling the truth.
First, Harry saw himself in Surrey, at the park by the Dursleys. Alone, worried about the brewing war, mad at his friends for not telling him what was going on. He wanted the summer to end, to go to Hogwarts. Harry had enough worrying and waiting for the older wizards to make the calls that would determine his safety and future. Then, Harry recalled earlier that day, when he`d been walking down to the pitch, the hope his parents would be okay mingling with the surprise at seeing this Hogwarts for the very first time.
At last, Dumbledore smiled welcomingly. "Hogwarts will always be a safe home for those who need it most, Mr. Finnigan. How long do you think you`ll be staying?"
"I`m not quite sure, Sir."
"Well, as long as you`re here for the foreseeable future, I suppose you ought to be sorted into a house as so that Mr. Black can get his uniform back." As the two professors crossed the room to where the Sorting Hat sat, Mattie gave him a thumbs up behind their backs. "Come here, Harry."
Standing in the middle of the office, Harry couldn`t help but feel foolish as the tatty hat was lowered over his eyes. Like Dumbledore, the hat was still very much the same, but wasn`t quite as big as when he`d worn it in first year.
"What`s this?" A voice spoke into his ear, as if Harry was an extra portion of chocolate. "I`ve never sorted through your thoughts before, and yet I`ve already determined you, haven`t I?"
Please. Don`t tell them, not even Dumbledore. I`m from the future.
"I can see that! What an adventure you`ve had. Come to save the ones you love, at whatever cost to yourself? Terribly brave, completely reckless, quite ambitious, and a little stupid too. I stick to my predetermined decision. Just remember to be careful meddling around in time, because it`s all the little experiences in people`s lives -good and bad- that enforces who they are."
Not all bad things have to happen, though. Not this time.
The Sorting Hat chuckled before replying, "I think this time, you`re much more of a GRYFFINDOR!"
Applause exploded around him, and as the hat was lifted off his head, Harry saw Mattie going mental as Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall clapped politely.
"Yes! The cup`s as good as ours! Potter`s gonna be so pumped." Coming over to clap him on the back, Mattie was grinning fiercely. "Didn`t I say you were a saving grace?"
"There is the small matter, however, of where Mr. Finnigan is to sleep. All of the Gryffindor boy`s dorms are full for the year, and I can`t imagine it would be suitable for him to sleep in with the girls." Professor McGonagall stated, obviously holding back her Quiddich-centric excitement.
Harry could practically see the gears turning in Mattie`s brain as she calculated an angle of persuasion. "Since he`s my cousin, I don`t want him sleeping on a couch in the common room or somewhere like that. He can have the window seat in my room, or we can even transfigure an extra bed."
"I should think not!" McGonagall huffed. "The very integrity and tradition…"
"…I think, Minerva, that there might just be an available space for Harry after all." Dumbledore said quietly, walking over to the window to gaze out at the grounds. "Has Remus Lupin already departed to visit his mother?"
"Yes, about an hour ago."
"Excellent. Then Harry will have his bed for the night, and a more permanent room situation will be arranged for him in the morning. Miss Bell, would you mind introducing your cousin to his new roommates?"
"Not at all. Thank you, Professor!" Harry`s arm was dangerously close to coming out of its socket as Mattie led him out of the office.
As the door clicked shut behind the two Gryffindors, Minerva McGonagall turned to her college. "Are you certain putting Harry in with those particular boys was the best idea? Potter and Black might not be the best company for a new student."
"Nonsense, I`m sure Harry can survive one night unscathed. After all, Frank Longbottom, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew have been living with them for years, and they are all still relatively sane."
"…And one more thing, if any of them toss around the phrase 'fresh meat', don`t worry about it. That`s just Frank`s way of saying hello to people who come in the room."
It was incredibly lucky for Harry to have happened to get here at Lupin`s time of the month, that`s for sure. This would give him the perfect chance to warn his dad…
As if sensing Harry was thinking about his mission, Mattie prompted, "So what exactly are you trying to save your parents from? Or wait, let me guess- you can`t tell me."
"Yeah, sorry about that, but it`s the sort of thing that would probably completely alter history if too many people found out about." Harry said, remembering the prophesy that had, after reaching the wrong ears, ultimately lead to the death of Lily and James.
But naturally, she wasn`t giving up that easily. "So you`ve come to save your parents, huh? Tell me, who does James Potter eventually end up with?"
"How…I never mentioned who my father was!" Harry gawked. Could she read minds? If only someone had properly taught him occlumency…
"Ha, you did now!" teased Mattie. "It was just a hunch, since you two look like long-lost brothers… but come on, who`s your mum? I swear I won`t place any future bets on the information you tell me about this."
"No way. You know too much already."
"Is it Alice? No, they`re cousins….well, when has that ever mattered in pureblood culture… what about Anna?"
Harry shook his head firmly.
"Marlene?"
"No."
"You`ve got glasses…Mary?"
"No."
"Viola?"
"No."
"Sirius?"
He didn`t even try to hold back his laughter. "Sure."
"You know Sirius then, in the future?" Mattie said brightly. "What`s he like, still a mad flirt?"
Was there much to flirt with, beyond the veil? The expectant look in her eyes made Harry unable to dwell in grief very long, out of fear his face would betray the conflict underneath. "He`s popped into the Gryffindor common room fire quite a few times to talk to me... and threaten one of my teachers, once."
"Like I said, mad, but you just can`t help love him. Like a stray dog." Mattie shook her head, deep in thought about the Sirius of present and future. The way she compared Sirius to a dog non-ironically clearly meant she didn`t know the hidden talents of her classmates, and was probably oblivious to Remus` furry little problem too, Harry noted.
While Harry was busy deducting, Mattie had been studying his face, and had recognized something about the way he looked while deep in thought that suddenly made everything click into place.
"No bloody way. She would never…no way… Merlin, that`s who your mum is? Bloody hell Potter, you`re the most incredible anomaly I`ve ever met." At this point, it was unclear whether she was talking to Harry, the absent James, or just mumbling to herself. "I knew it! I knew it before you were born!"
"No you didn`t."
Mattie smirked. "Well, you`re not born yet, are you? Lily Evans, you sly…"
"Shh! You can`t tell anyone, you swore, remember?"
Sighing, she shook her head wistfully. "The galleons I could make on that, though. We could both retire early… especially since lately I thought she kind of had a thing for…"
Listening to the details of your mother`s love life is not one of the finer things in life. "Okay, okay, I get it, I`ve heard back in 1996 how improbable it was!"
"No, Future Boy, you don`t understand…" A frozen mask of fear had come over Mattie`s face. "Remember how Lily was at your side the whole time in the Hospital Wing?"
"Of course I do."
"…and how James was being a right prick to you after the accident?"
"…Er, I guess…"
Mattie let an exasperated his of air out, clamping her eyes shut. "Ughhh….Maybe you should have just told Dumbledore. Well, it`s too late for that anyway…"
"What are you talking about?!" Harry demanded. "Weren't you the one that said Dumbledore would just send me back so I wouldn`t upset the Time-Space Continuum?"
"First of all, it`s Space-Time Continuum, and second, you`ve already royally mucked that up."
"How? It`s not like I prevented my parents from ever meeting or something."
"Troll`s blood." Mattie said to the Fat Lady, but wavered in the hall. "Harry, because Lily was distracting James, he almost got hit by a bludger. But James didn't get hit by the bludger- you did! So her guilt, manifested inside with her apparent hidden infatuation with James Potter`s features, your features, is the tilting point for what appears to be a very large crush on a certain individual. Your dad isn`t the one she`s falling for anymore, and he even noticed the signs back in the hospital wing."
"Hold on a second, so what you`re saying is, I`ve accidentally made my mum fall for me instead of my dad?"
"Yep. I`ve been Lily`s roommate for six years now, I know those signs all too well." Something caught Mattie`s eye from over Harry`s shoulder, making her raise her eyebrows. "Speak of the devil…don`t look now, but here comes Papa Potter himself."
As if on cue, Harry froze as the Gryffindor Quiddich Captain called out, "Oi, Bell!"