MiB 22
Dru bowed his head for a moment and then stood up straighter. "I made a comment to Sirius earlier today, as he alluded to. I dd tell him that I had learned the protean charm, and to use it on the coins like I did, from a friend of mine when I was a student. At Hogwarts."
The four present were about to say something but Dru held his hands up in front of himself indicating that he needed them to stop. "Now, I need you to be quiet, and wait. I will allow questions, but let me tell you all I have to say." He took a deep breath and then he continued. "I was born in 1980. I started my first year at Hogwarts in 1991. When I was twenty-five years old, I traveled back in time. I met Arcturus when I arrived and we created the backstory, that you have all learned. My name is Harry James Potter."
The group assembled gasped.
Harry spoke loudly. "I will cast a silencing charm on all of you if I need to. Yes, I am Harry Potter, The Boy Who Lived. I was raised by my aunt and uncle. And unlike the younger version of me, no one rescued me from living with those individuals who hate magic, and therefor hated me."
"I knew they hated magic and you never should have been placed there!" exclaimed Sirius.
"I said to stay quiet," snapped Harry/Dru. "Now, let me give you a little of my history, not the history that my younger self will hopefully be making. I knew nothing about magic until I received my letter for Hogwarts. Addressed to Harry Potter, Cupboard Under the Stairs, 4 Privet Drive. Yes, that was my only room. Now, unlike every other child who goes to Hogwarts and is raised in the muggle world, I did not have Professor McGonagall introduce me to the magical world and Diagon Alley. No, that job was given to Hagrid, who, at that time, was not even legally allowed to use magic. I was sorted into Gryffindor, even though the Sorting Hat wanted me to be sorted into Slytherin."
Harry turned to Sirius and shushed him before he continued. "My experience at Hogwarts was perhaps quite adventurous, but not the kind of adventures a child who is just learning about magic should have. Also, in case it isn't clear, Voldemort did NOT die the night he killed my parents. He became a wraith. And yes, that wraith still exists now, however, I will get back to that later. During my first year, I ended up having to fight a troll and save one of my first friends, on Halloween. At the end of the year I had a confrontation with the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, who just so happened to be possessed by Voldemort. Also known as Tom Marvolo Riddle, a half blood born to a near squib and a muggle and raised in a muggle orphanage. We will get back to that point as well. I ended up killing that professor. I also played seeker for the Gryffindor quidditch team, something which both my father and godfather would have been proud of."
Harry/Dru turned towards Sirius and gave him a smile, which was returned by Sirius.
"My second year was more dramatic. Someone gave an artefact to a young student, which caused her to be nearly possessed by Tom Riddle, yes, Voldemort. And this student released a basilisk on the school, resulting in many students being petrified. I ended up slaying the basilisk with the Sword of Gryffindor at the end of the school year, and defeating another version of Tom Riddle."
Harry picked up a glass of water which was on the desk and took a large sip before he continued. "Before my third year started, a certain dog animagus escaped from Azkaban and everyone was convinced he was coming after me to kill me, but he was in fact trying to capture and kill a rat. That rat has already been captured which is why my godfather is a free man today. I also learned how to cast a corporeal patronus by the end of my third year. And my godfather escaped with the aid of a hippogriff. And no one helped him get a trial at that time."
"My fourth year I was hoping would be quiet. But no, the ministry came up with the idea of reinstituting the Tri-Wizard tournament, most well known for the deaths of many of the participants and on occasion, some of the spectators. To make it safer, the idiots planning this fiasco in the making stated that only wizards or witches who were of age, 17 or older, could participate. But of course, with my luck, my name came out of the goblet of fire as a fourth champion. I was reviled by most of Hogwarts. Considered a cheater. But I had to compete. And I actually won. However it was all a trap set up by one of Riddle's followers, and I was transported to the graveyard of his father and a ritual was completed to give that monster a new body. But I managed to survive. And of course, no one believed me about what happened."
Harry took another sip of water. "My fifth and sixth years also had life threatening adventures. Eventually Riddle's people overthrew the ministry. Myself and a couple of friends went on the run. This culminated in a battle at Hogwarts and I was able to actually defeat Riddle. More on that later."
"Now, that is the secret which will be kept within the Fidelius."
Arcturus then cast the remainder of the spell to complete it and they all felt a magical binding on them.
"I can and will answer your questions at this time, but my answers cannot be shared with anyone," said Harry/Dru. "Also, the information will be hidden from anyone who tries to look into your mind with occlumency."
Sirius spoke up first. "Haven't you shared all of this with Dumbledore?"
Harry laughed at the question. "The self declared leader of light? The one who placed me with my aunt and uncle who hated magic and never checked up on my for ten years? The one who sent a dimwitted half giant who was not legally allowed to use a wand to show me the magical world? The one who made sure I didn't even know how to get to the school, but set me up to have a family show me how because the mother acted like she had no idea how to get to the proper platform? The one who ignored a professor being possessed by Voldemort for a year? The one who did not know, supposedly, that a basilisk was roaming the school? The one did nothing to get you out of Azkaban? But wait, he also knew exactly where to go to find me after my parents died, as did Hagrid. But you, weren't the Secret Keeper, so how did they know where to go? They KNEW you were innocent, Sirius, but Albus 'All for the greater good' Dumbledore let you be kept there and never arranged for you to have a trial. Bellatrix and the Lestrange boys and Barty Crouch Junior all had trials. The Albus Dumbledore who allowed a fourth year student to be forced into the Tri-wizard tournament, and did not make any real effort to determine how it happened, unless he already knew that a Death Eater was masquerading as his friend, Mad-Eye Moody for the entire school year as the DADA professor?"
Harry bowed his head and rubbed his face with his hand. "And if you haven't guessed it yet, no I do not trust Albus Dumbledore."
Amanda raised her hand to ask a question. "How did you travel back in time?"
Harry smiled slightly. "That was based on a combination of things. After defeating the Dark Lord, Tom Riddle, I ended up in possession of the three Deathly Hallows. I became what is called in legend the Master of Death. I cannot defy death. But having those three magical artefacts is what allowed me to follow an arcane magical ritual and arrive here. By here, I mean this time and I actually arrived at 12 Grimmauld Place, much to Arcturus' surprise."
"Oh my," was her short reply.
"Lucius allowed the release of the basilisk in your second year, didn't he," stated Narcissa.
Harry nodded solemnly. "Yes, he did."
Narcissa frowned. "And he did that while our son was a student there?"
"Yes, Draco was a student there at that time, we were both second years," Harry replied.
Andromeda spoke up next, "Did anyone help you out during your years at Hogwarts? It sounds quite horrible."
"I had help from my best friend, the one who taught me about the charm I used not he coins. I had another friend who ended up not always being that reliable. Sirius was as helpful as a stupid mutt on the run could be. Once we met when I thought he was trying to kill me but he was just trying to catch a rat."
Sirius nodded slightly at the comment.
"Did you have a girlfriend?" asked Andromeda. "I mean, someone important who you left behind. This friend who helped you in school, perhaps?"
"She was never my girlfriend. I looked at her as more of a sister. She ended up dating my other best friend."
"The one you said you couldn't rely on?" interrupted Amanda.
"Yeah, that one," said Harry. "They got married. But I really don't understand why. They don't really have anything in common, other than being friends with me. But as to your other question, I did leave someone behind. Someone I didn't get to know until after school, after the war. Part of my coming back was to make it so she wouldn't have to suffer some of the things she had to suffer with. And I will not say anything more about that."
Andromeda spoke up next, "You mentioned a Battle of Hogwarts. Was there a war going on again?"
"It wasn't much of a war, once the Death Eaters took control of the ministry they imposed a pure blood supremacist regime and were taking out muggle-born and half-bloods as easily as they wanted." Harry paused before continuing. "The Battle of Hogwarts caused a lot of damage to the castle and a lot of people died during that fight. Some very important people to me."
Harry leaned forward and rubbed his eyes for a moment before straightening himself out.
Narcissa spoke next, clearly and slowly. "You knew my son Draco when you were students. I presume he was in Slytherin and you were in Gryffindor from what you said. I take it that you and he did not get along during your time there in school?"
"No, we did not," said Harry simply.
"Did Draco survive the Battle?" she asked barely above a whisper.
Harry again inhaled deeply. "Yes, Draco survived. I actually helped save him from Fiendfyre at one point. And that occurred before you actually saved my life. In front of Riddle, Voldemort. You actually lied to him, proclaimed that I was dead, but I was still alive. You lied when I told you that last I knew Draco was still alive."
Narcissa bowed her head and pulled out a handkerchief to dry her eyes.
"I do not want to review who died and who survived in my original time," stated Harry.
"Why did you really come back?" asked Sirius.
The others turned and looked at him. "I know he said something about being able to travel through time. He said something about a girlfriend who he left behind who he wanted to save from something. But really, you're doing all of this for a girl that you left behind?"
"I am doing this for many people, and perhaps for my own conscience," said Harry. "I know what it will take to prevent Riddle coming back and taking a body. And I have nearly completed everything to accomplish that goal. Which means that young Harry and Draco will have a completely different experience at Hogwarts than what I had and what I can only imagine Draco had at school. Many lives will be saved, or at least, depending on how much you see fate having a hand in this, many people will come to their ends via something other than a magical war at Hogwarts."
"What happened to me in your past?" asked Sirius.
Harry sighed and stretched his neck before he replied. "I do not intend to answer any further questions about who died and who survived. Narcissa needed to know about her son."
Amanda spoke up again. "Now what? You told us this information. You are Harry from the future. You're planning on defeating Voldemort, Riddle, for real this time and preventing a magical war. You have set up a group of kids to be playmates together. For what purpose?"
"I had no friends before I went to Hogwarts and I made very few friends while I was there. I was the Boy Who Lived which either intimidated others or made them hate me. I wanted to give my younger self a better life, hopefully a more enjoyable life, without having to be worried about someone trying to kill him every year he was a student. To give him and others a chance to see that what house you are sorted in should not prevent anyone from being friends. It is a dream, a hope, a fantasy perhaps. But I had an opportunity, a very unique and amazing and unparalleled opportunity."
Narcissa snapped at him. "So now what? You prevent the Dark Lord from returning. You prevent a war. You saved a few lives, maybe more. Maybe took some, such a Lucius. So, when you're done with these big plans, do you just return to your time and see what you wrought?"
"I don't think there is anyway for me to return to where I left," said Harry.
"But don't you have someone waiting for you?" said Narcissa.
"I have someone I left behind. Someone who meant the world to me. Someone who is left alone and abandoned, but who is also hopeful that her younger self will have a different future than what her present was when I left. Yes, I left her behind, and she knew what I was doing and that she would never see me again. But she had hope in knowing that I might make things different." Harry took a deep breath and let it out slowly when he finished his answer.
"So she could be there, wherever she is, whenever she is, and she may be lonely for all time because you left her," said Narcissa.
"I don't know if that world even exists. I don't understand this anymore than what I have explained to you all." Harry took a moment before he continued. "There are muggle authors who have written stories about what might happen when people travel through time. They may prevent their own existence from ever coming to be. They may destroy themselves physically or lead to catastrophic changes. But we really don't know what might happen to the world they left behind or to the world they travel to. Some believe a parallel universe may come into existence. I know that I am here now, that I do not have any way to go back to the time I came from and all I really want to do is make things turn out better for as many as people as possible."
Amanda had a puzzled look on her face. "But you said you won. You defeated this Voldemort, Tom Riddle. Did you just come back to make your life better?"
Harry rubbed the back of his head. "When I was in school, Her…" he stopped himself from saying Hermione's name out loud. "My best friend, she said I had a saving people thing. I risked myself many times to save or help others. Even Draco. So, maybe I came back because I saw it as an opportunity to save more people."
"But how can you be heir to the Black family?" asked Andromeda.
"My grandmother was a Black," was Harry's quick reply. "But also, my godfather apparently named his heir at one point. And as he was the Lord Black at the time, even if the Ministry of Magic did not recognise it, then I was heir to the Black and Potter families."
"But aren't you the heir to the Potter family too?" Andromeda continued.
"I do believe that young Harry is the actual heir here. He was here before I came back in time. As long as young Harry is around, he is and will be the heir to the Potter family."
Arcturus stood up and walked out from behind the desk where he had taken a seat. "I do believe that question and answer time is over. Harry, or Dru, or whatever the hell we are going to call him told you what he told me when he stumbled onto my floor. And he answered a lot of questions. Everyone has a lot to think about. And don't any of you dare to try and speak to anyone else about this. You don't want to find out what might happen if you were to try."
Everyone got up and started to make their way out of the office. Narcissa stayed behind and waited for everyone other than Harry/Dru to leave. Arcturus paused at the office door and raised an eyebrow as Harry turned to look at Narcissa. He then closed the door and left the two alone.
Harry turned to Narcissa, "Do you have something else to ask?"
"You, you were a student with my son, Draco," she said.
"Yes, I was, I made that quite clear," said Harry.
"You are my son's age, you're just a little boy," she said.
"I know it may be hard to understand," Harry offered gently.
Narcissa looked him in the eye, and then before Harry realised what was happening she had slapped him, quite hard, across his cheek.
"You, you're just a child," she said and shook her head. Then before Harry could say anything she quickly exited the office.
Harry stood there holding his cheek that had turned bright red.
"Damn, that hurt," he said quietly. He waited a minute before he left the office and made his way to his room.
AN:
Just one short scene, but I think it stands well enough on its own.
And it gives you the "cliff hanger" from the last chapter.
There is more to get to — such as dealing with the individuals who tried to kidnap the children, Nott, a couple of horcruxes….
As far as dealing with the attacks, I am working on a way for the Blacks to get their retribution - without possibly getting thrown into Azkaban themselves…so there WILL be action coming….