POTTER v AUTHOR

JKR is the acknowledged IPR owner of Potterverse. These ramblings are my alternative musings on her epic work. I have read many other authors, on Fanfiction and other FanFic sites. I do apologise in advance if I have plagiarised / borrowed any of their ideas. One prolific writing pair, merlinsapprentice and broomstickflyer (now sadly at rest) I am indebted too.

Chapter 1

"Hey, Princess. Wake up, I need to talk to you. This is important, and I haven't got long before I've got to leave !" The voice was insistent and very close. Talking loudly right into her ear. Opening sleepy eyes, the small person in bed was surprised as it was still nighttime. Her room was dark, feint starlight showed the far wall of her bedroom, the bookcase, heavy with books, her desk, very neat and her computer screen faintly glowing. She'd had left it running an anti-virus program last night when going to sleep. The screen lit up as she tried to see if the hard drive light was on. The screen suddenly showed a message, 'WAKE UP NOW' . Then went out

OK, that was odd, then there was a sharp tangy smell, oranges ! They were a favourite; what was going on ? Turning towards where the voice had come from, there was a ghost in her room ! Glowing brightly though still translucent, she could see through her head to the bathroom door beyond. The ghost was smiling now, stood up, moved away from her and the bed, reached out, pulled her desk chair away from the desk and set it close to her bedside. The ghost sat down, eased her long dress around her and made herself comfortable.

"Good, now that you are awake, we have some very important matters to talk about. Make yourself comfortable, sit up in bed and drink that glass of orange juice I brought up for you. It's from your fridge downstairs, from your supply, the orange juice with 'bits-in'. Not the smooth juice that your mum and dad prefer. I know all that there is to know about you. I mean you no harm, I am here to help you. Good, now that you've drunk that, you'll be more awake. I want you to think carefully, analyse this situation and then tell me who I am ? But don't take all night, its 2am now and I must leave at dawn." The ghost eased her shoulders and stretched her back, her chest moved forwards and upwards and the dress showed an extended belly.

The young girl in bed looked at the bedside clock, 02:01 it showed. Yes, dawn was less than 3-hours away, this was August, so early sunrise. Her computer screen lit up, 'WHO IS SHE ?' the letters dimmed and brightened slowly. The ghost smiled as the girl carefully inspected the sitting visitor. Noting items with a slight frown as she squinted to focus carefully. 02:03 appeared on the clock before the girl said anything.

"You are married, you wear two rings on your left hand, one clearly an engagement and the other a wedding ring. They are modest rings, not expensive. You are pregnant, near term, that's quite a bulge you are showing, you are barefoot and wearing a very light dress, and no underwear. I would age you around early twenties and you take great care of your very long hair, it almost shines. You have a smile that brightens the room, but you are unhappy though determined to do something. I feel very safe with you in my room, odd in that I believe that you appear to be a ghost, and stories and other literature says that ghosts are not a pleasant indication. It's your face that gives me the biggest difficulty, as it appears to be my own, you are hiding your own features perhaps, or maybe you follow one of Charles Dickens novels? Are you something like the ghost of Christmass future. As you look like an older version of me. If that's the case, early marriage, pregnancy and then death. Have you come back to warn me of my actions ? I thought there were three visitations in his book. Are you a future self ? What message have you come to give me ?"

This brought another smile to the ghosts' face, clearly even now.

"In the future, you, we, will be considered the brightest witch of our time. That's the near future of course, and as you surmise, an early death awaits us. Married and pregnant with our first child, we met an untimely death just before birth. Odd, in that early death also frees me from several compulsions brought about by a regime of powerful potions that have made my life tiresome and even painful. My husband was not of my choosing, he was a spiteful and vicious person who wanted me as a trophy to sneer at another. I need to show you the physical abuse I have suffered at the hands of my husband, and to also confirm the consequences of not making some required changes to your future to prevent this tragedy. I apologise for the graphic nature of my injuries though you need to know the depth of my husband's depravity."

Standing and with a tug at the neckline, the dress fell to the floor. Heavy bruising over most of the upper torso, though avoiding her swollen belly to protect an unborn child perhaps, though there were obvious signs of previous injury as the skin was pulled tight alongside several old scars. On turning around though, there were two deep scarred words. Branded into either bum-cheeks, 'SLAVE' and 'SLUT' clearly visible amongst the long whip marks, with purple and blackened skin. Those whip marks extended up her back to her neckline. There were so many, it looked like the manic scribbles of a child. Also visible were rounded bruises, some with defined knuckle marks and in places open palm slap shaped bruises.

The girl in bed was shocked, sitting crossed legged against the headboard, she now had tears streaming down her face, her hands tightly clenched, fingers twisting against each other. The ghost bent with difficulty and redressed herself, hand restraining the young girls attempt to help.

"Thank you for the offer to help, like all ghosts, we are unable to manifest tangible material." To demonstrate, waved her hand through the desktop without hinderance. "What I can do is to provide an item from your future that I will be able to affect so that I can offer advice from my perspective, my future self, until such times as I pass onto the next phase. Whenever that may be. I'm currently held in a state of limbo, unable to move on until certain criteria are met. The physical, emotional and the magical nature of my death has created exceptional circumstances, that have allowed our interaction. There is also a very powerful force working upon you, me, us." A small smile appeared on the ghosts' face. "Language is difficult to use when time is involved, we are both the same person, though my manifestation is limited to the time until dawn, the ghosting hours it seems. Yes, to answer my own question, I am, or was, in life, Hermione, born Granger and then married out of my control into another wizard family. It is that marriage and the circumstances leading up to it and my short unhappy married life that I want to change. You have seen the physical damage that I did endure daily, the emotional state was far worse, my own feelings supressed in life. It is only in death that my emotional and mind state come once more into my own control. My child, though unborn, is already aware and supporting this action to improve our future lives. Time marches on I am afraid, it is already nearing 2:30 and with twilight around 4am, it will become more difficult to interact, sunrise will curtail this visit.

I need to introduce you to a difficult concept, I call it 'Life as Fiction'. There are powerful individuals who create and mould the world we live in. To us, this world is real, but though I do not understand the reality of the whole, the concept is easier to grasp. Essentially, there are authors that create worlds that characters live in. Those characters abide in these created worlds and live at the authors direction. Some authors follow their strict guides and plotlines, others allow the flow of the story to go in gently divergent directions. Though authors are all powerful, they can be led sometimes by the forceful natures of lead characters. You, we, are one of those forceful characters, our future is an unhappy one, perhaps at the direction of other forceful characters. One, in particular is directing too many others to their own ends. The author is almost being led by that character. A man of course, in fiction it always seems to be the men that succeed; well not this time. With your future help, myself, and some direction along the way, you are going to have a better life. Many hundreds of others will also benefit directly, especially the long 'cast-list' of those directed to die an early death.

It has taken my and my daughters' deaths to enable this brief time to affect your future life. There is not time for me to give you all the details you need to survive and thrive whilst achieving this better life. However, there is a method whereby I can be your assistant in life, your guide to alternatives. That should you choose to follow ? will benefit many, especially several close future friends enormously. Yes, friends; something that you at present are quite without. That will change, as will your life. You know of course of your magical nature, the occasional wild magic that has happened around you. Uncontrolled and undirected by you, it disrupts electric based devices and can be observed, recorded and seen by others. There are various degrees of magic: wild, wand, wandless and best of all, directed. Wild magic is emotionally powered, often undirected and sporadic. It is based on the inner magical core that is within you. In you it is strong and better yet, can be immense if allowed to mature. Wand magic is based on action, movement and words based on ancient language. Wandless is directed from within and often soundless. Directed magic, is akin to author-power, in that it is 'wish and want'. No physical direction, no verbal sound, your magic will work as you direct. Your wish and then mentally, you want the action to take place. That power is directed by your yet undeveloped magical core, which I can assure you is vast. Though in my later life was subdued and controlled by another wizard, by means of dangerous potions and rituals.

3am now, we are running out of time. You have been very quiet, watching you closely, I know that your mind is taking every syllable and word and storing it in your memory. The eidetic memory that you have allows everything you see, hear and learn, to be recalled at need. I know from your expression that you understand, mostly what I have been explaining and attempting to sway your future life. Now I come to the most difficult part of my visit, I want to help you, help myself, and the many others who will suffer if our author allows our story to proceed along the plotlines that I have lived. Here are five questions that you need to answer yourself before I go on:

Do you believe me ?

Do you trust me ?

Do you want a better life that I and you have been 'written' ?

Will you allow me to guide you ?

Are we going to do this ?

The ghostly image sat back. If it was possible for a ghost to be tired, then this apparition exhibited every sign of tiredness. Leaning back, easing her shoulders and stretching the dress across her torso, there was a small movement visible. The baby within had moved. The ghost smiled brightly.

"Have you named your child ?" The young girl in bed asked softly.

"Yes, my daughter's name is Rose". At the naming of the baby, movement again.

"Hello Rose. I hope to meet you in the future. Will you tell your mummy that the answer to all the questions asked of me is YES." At the ghosts beckoning, Hermione, got out of bed and went over to the sitting ghost, gently held her hand over the swollen tummy and almost felt the presence of her visitor. There was a feeling of material, then pressing gently, warm skin beneath. The ghost laid both hands over Hermione's hand and pressed inwards. The ghosts' hands stopped at her skin, but Hermione's hand moved inwards still. Till a foetal baby was felt within, and the baby moved. "Hello Rose" Hermione repeated, and the baby moved once more. Small hands grasped a finger.

"Feel for my own heart within me". Said the ghost, "As my child, Rose has grown within me, my heart has moved aside to make more room. Feel carefully, you cannot harm me, there is a second heartbeat to my own there. Find it and grasp it, enclose that small twin heart within your hand. Withdraw that small heart and show me your open hand."

Hermione did as instructed, moving her young hand within the ghost torso, she could faintly feel the heart, it was beating ! Her ghost visitor had a heartbeat still ! Feeling alongside, a second smaller heartbeat was felt. Gently enclosing that feeling, Hermione withdrew her hand. Then once clear of the ghost's apparent body, opened and showed her palm. Astonished, there was a small red mark, heart shaped and feint, but when held in the starlight from the window, it glowed red.

"My gift to you, the magical love of my intended husband, you now have his heart in the palm of your hand. That will stay with you forever. You will have to work hard to gain the reality of his love and final hand in marriage. That is what the whole purpose of this visit is about. His heart, given to me in your future will help you in your task. I have three other gifts for you, they are physical and will remain once I have gone. Guard them well and keep them with you always, they will not be perceived by others unless you expressly wish to allow others to see them. First is a book, something that you have many of, but this first, of a series, will be my method of guiding you through life. It is the authors work of your life, in yearly parts. My advice, guidance, and suggestions will appear as handwritten notes on the relevant pages. The information will change as circumstances direct. The notes will interact with the authors words, such that the author and the storyline will try to continue to follow their own plot. You will need strong character and action to follow your own destiny.

The Authors written book should reflect those changes I will suggest, and you may decide to follow. Though I warn you now. The author will cling to their storyline and will attempt to get back on track. You must be firm and resolute in your determination in choosing your own lifeline. Read the whole book and then continually keep current as you go through life. I will try and reflect all the options and changes that appear. Remember, that small changes early on have greater effect later. It is difficult to change major items if allowed to progress unchecked.

You have been physically visited by the deputy headmistress of Hogwarts school of magic. Given the introductory talk and offer, your parents have agreed to your enrolment and will follow other 'muggle' traditions in that respect. Read my gifted book as soon as possible so that you have a good grasp of what your first year at school will entail. Remember that you are a strong character and will survive the whole of your school life, though there will be some scares along the way.

A second visit will occur from another senior school pupil who will assist you and your parents in the purchase of school supplies and preparation for your boarding school. As you have yet to start school and have made no changes yet to your timeline, I believe your senior student will be Nyphmadora Tonks. She is an interesting person and has many talents, ask her to show you some magic, but be discrete and in private, though your parents may be present of course. She prefers to be called 'Tonks' for personal reasons but be careful to ask her preference first. My advice and guidance will become fraught if others learn of it. There will be one other who you will be able to share all our information with. He will be a school friend, at first, then if we succeed, your future and much loved, proper husband and soulmate. It is a piece of his heart that is now imprinted into your palm. That heart in hand will be used for several very important functions that we'll get to later on in time. However it will be used now to trigger a matter transfer. Place your hand, heart image face down on your desktop, then firmly say the word, 'Book' clearly whilst visualising a small brown leatherbound book about paperback size.

There's the book, detailing your first year. Read it and then refer to the pages that I add notes too. Those changes will turn the bottom edge of each page a feint blue. Check the book bottom daily.

Now, the next item is very special, it is a witches wand. My own wand, and it has a particular importance in that something called the 'trace' has been removed due to my future age. When you use it, be very careful in not being seen before you buy your first wand. That newly bought wand will be the one that can be traced, monitored if you prefer and you will be punished if you use it out of school. They will appear to be identical, but you will know as soon as you touch it. This wand of mine has enchantments that will reject any other spell, it cannot be taken from you. My vicious wizard husband took away and broke what he believed was my only wand. The wand that you will choose and buy soon. Only my actions will allow my original wand to be removed, it has been carefully attached to my skeleton. Feel along my right thigh, remember that your hands can feel beneath my skin. Find the wand, grasp it and gently pull it free. There you go, you now have a witches wand in your hand. Give it a small wave and there, those small red sparks prove that the wand responds to you. Be careful in its use, think of it as a loaded gun, with no safety catch.

This gifted wand will live in my last gift to you. To make that appear, place your heart marked hand on the opposite shoulder and the other hand on the opposite hip, silly I know, but Harry has got a weird sense of humour. It his suggestion for a handbag worn crosswise over your shoulder. A small handbag, a few beads for ornaments and an unbreakable strap. Always wear it over your shoulder, it will fit snug under an armpit. You'll hardly notice it under clothes whilst wearing it. Oh, remember, wear it all the time: in the shower, under any clothes you may wear and even in bed at night. Never let it leave your body. The bag is where you will keep the book and my gifted wand. Yes, I know the bag looks too small, its enchanted of course, the opening will stretch and any of the contents can be called out by your subvocal request. The inside of the bag is much larger than the outside. You could store almost anything inside. Think of it a bit like the Police box TARDIz, it will come in very useful when you travel especially. Once you seal the bag, its impervious and undetectable, items can be called out by directed thought and yes you can do that now. Practice that.

We are getting near twilight, dawn is approaching. A few more things for you to remember. The back of the book has several blank pages. Anything you write there, like a question, I'll be able to see and respond to. Something that will surprise you is that the magical word lags behind the muggle world in many respects. Paper is almost unused for writing on, and quills and ink still used. Pack a few biros in your bag when you go to school, combine them with a quill and save all that messing around with ink. Charm the quill so that no-one sees how you use it.

Oh, money is archaic too, would you believe they use gold and silver coins still. Galleons and Sickles are the currency in the magical world. Alright there I suppose, but as you have a muggle background and will frequent that / this world still, ask your parents to get you a bank card that can be used for sterling payments and other currencies when you travel abroad. Keep that in the bag of course. Ask your parents to monitor and keep that topped up with funds.

Some of the characters have unsavoury habits, one of which is quite literally mind reading. Read all about it when you reach Hogwarts; though some information is available in your biggest book buy when you get your school supplies. Hogwarts a History will be your biggest assist when it comes to general information. Read it thoroughly. The bag you carry, my gift to you, will block all attempts at Legilmens, mind reading. There is also a skill called Occulmens, that once learnt will also block Legilmens, mind reading. You'll need to learn that with your preferred husband of choice.

Oh, didn't I say, he's name is Harry Potter. He's in a really bad way at the moment, he's the hero in the authors book that has suffered enough for now and you will play the part of his saviour and his intended future wife and soulmate. You'll meet him on the school train on your first day. Always stay as close as you can to him and help him wherever you can. He's being thrown in at the deep end, completely unawares of what he is going to do. The villain in this story, well there are many, they are all in the book. Be aware that the one, in my view, the worse for me is a student called Ron Weasley. Be very cautious in dealing with him, he'll try and ingratiate into Harry's friendship. In the book you three will be described as the Golden Trio. Do whatever you can to avoid that getting started, it's a steep downhill slope. If you haven't already guessed, he's the wizard that ended up controlling me, married me and is responsible for all my injuries.

Good grief, I almost forgot, you need to get married, and I mean soon. Magical Contracts are used to prevent unwanted attention and reserve your rights to one you choose. Normally it's the parents or guardians that choose who you will marry. As a muggleborn, once you attend Hogwarts, the headmaster, another foul, two faced character takes over as magical guardian. Even displaces your parents would you believe. I did say that this is an antiquated and retrograde society. Anyway, once you reach your magical majority at 16, measured and recorded by your wand would you believe… Anyway, we can take advantage of that bizarre fact, you are 21 years of age according to this wand I've gifted to you. You can make that decision for yourself, with support from your parents too. Remember that not all students who attend Hogwarts are children. Sometimes, older students transfer in, or develop their magical abilities later in life. If over 16, you cannot be forced to marry via magical contracts. So, what I am proposing is that you complete a magical contract now. Right here, as magic considers you an adult, based on your wand. Barmy isn't it. Of course, you retain the right to decline, but more importantly you cannot be forced by any means to marry another. So, this parchment, no paper remember, is a magical marriage contract between you and Harry Potter. You can sign as your wand says your 21. You can also add Harry Potters agreement via his magical signature, which you already have in the form of his heart. Or a piece of it anyway. Harry and I created this plan when we knew that I was dying from Ron Weasleys inflicted injuries. He gave me his heart for this specific usage, as he really wants to marry no other. That was his future self of course. As you read the first book, you'll realise that has been his intention all along. He is fated to be your soulmate from the very beginning. The headmaster together with several of the Weasleys have been planning this from the moment he was born. He's of similar age, slightly younger though. He needs an older woman to help him through all the problems he'll need to face to bring the story to a successful conclusion.

Anyway, this contract simply says that from the moment he was born, he is promised in marriage to you, Hermione Granger. His heart signature is applied by placing your hand, face down at the bottom. You will need to sign your name too. Archaically that will need several drops of your blood added near your signature. Harry has magically added his blood in his heart symbol on your hand.

With some spectacular magic on Harry's part, he has added his parents' signature to the contract too. Don't ask what that took with the gods above, but they owed lots of favours to Harry. It will need your parents' signature too. There will have to be some subterfuge here, as I can't see that asking our parents' permission to marry will work at this time. They have agreed to it when Harry and I planned this, when I was on my deathbed would you believe. Mum & Dad were there, but not Ron of course. I can show you a Pensive memory of that if you are unsure about doing this. Watch your computer monitor, I can make the memory play there briefly.

The screen lit up, bizarrely, it was from an odd lain down point of view, quite obviously in a hospital bed. An older Mum and Dad were looking down tearfully to the screen, another younger person, wild dark hair with expressive green tearful eyes close by.

"Princess, this is the strangest and hardest thing I have ever had to do. Giving my blessing to my dying daughter to marry the one person who truly loves her. If I understand this correctly, by way of a magical recording, a pensive memory, I am giving my much younger daughter permission to marry. A marriage contract with Harry Potter. I'm not sure how you will persuade me to sign this in the past, all I can add is a code phrase which I will recognise as critically imperative. Tell 'me' Black4711Delta. I hope it all works out for the best. Now here's your Mum."

The image on the computer screen changed to an older Helen Granger.

"Darling, I agree. We cannot allow this to happen. You are dying here. That must be stopped. I agree with your father. Tell me, force me to sign, I have no code phrase to use, but this must be avoided. Here now, once you die and we have you safely buried. We have our own mission to accomplish. We are going after all those responsible. We won't stop until they are all dead. That's how strongly we believe in correcting this. Harry here tells us that this recording and the ghost that will be visiting you will be able to prevent this from happening. But to us here now. Your dying is something that we will seek revenge upon. With Harry and your dad working together. It's going to be bloody and messy, but justice will be served by us.

We all wish you the very best in your attempt to create a different story as we understand this life as fiction. Good Luck, with all of our love."

The screen turned black. My ghost visitor apologised.

"Sorry, that was your memory, just as you were dying. Harry had to extract the memory before you died. By the use of some clever magic and spells, Harry had found a way to interact with electronic screens. As we couldn't work out a way of sending a penseive back in time. Just the book, the wand and the bag took almost all the available magic. I managed the ghost bit as I'd just died, unfulfilled with my almost born child, Rose, yet to arrive. Sending my ghost back was something that Harry knew he could do. I don't know how he did that.

Here is the marriage contract, it's on vellum of course and just needs the signatures. Don't worry about dates, they are all in the past. You sign, then 3 drops of blood from you, Add Harrys heart signature, palm down and press hard for 3 seconds, that'll add his blood signature and his parents will be added below.

Our mum and dad will need to sign below your name. I'm not suggesting that you tell a lie, maybe a small fib perhaps. Tell them it allows you out of school at weekends to the local village, which it will too. If you say 'I solemnly swear I am up to no good' the text will appear to say that and will appear less complicated. The phrase ' Mischief Managed' will revert the document back to the original marriage contract. A copy will automatically place an entry into the British Ministry of Magic, a copy will be received at Gringotts and another will store in the Potter Vaults. If you feel that you need to tell them, then leave the contract as is, though I think you will have to use Dads military code phrase to get them to sign. Though then you'll have to explain how you know that ! It's a ½ dozen and 6 choice. Its in your hands now.

Last of all, as the twilight is brightening now, sunrise not far off. This is a chance for you to have a better, brighter future. For quite literally hundreds of lives to be saved and thousands to be better. But you'll have to take my word for it.

Read all you can, complete the marriage contract, support and help Harry all I can. Tell him you love him at every opportunity. Tell him often.

All my future wishes go to you. Hermione Jane Potter (I hope).

Write often in the book.

Good Luck and Goodbye

From Hermione Jane Weasley (aged 21)