DEAL WITH THE DEVIL
Chapter 1
Harry lay face down. Listening to nothing. Alone. He could feel his breath, that must mean he was alive! He survived the killing curse again. Typical really. Whatever he was lying on was cold to the touch, he could touch!
After a period of unknown length marvelling in his own continued existence, Harry realised that if he was alive then he could stand. As he did he became aware of his nudity, it was of no concern mind. He was alone.
"Hello Harry." said a warm voice from behind him, "I'm glad to see you're awake."
He turned, and walking towards him, was Albus Dumbledore. He wore sweeping white robes that made him blend into the background of endless nothingness. Harry wondered where they were.
"It can be what ever you want Harry… ah King's Cross, how fitting." the older man hummed whilst sitting on a chair that was not there before.
"Professor, you're dead." Harry choked out.
"Oh yes, why do you think you're here?"
"Does that mean I'm dead too?"
"Not quite, you are an accidental Horcrux. All Tom did was kill part of his own soul, once again accidentally. You have the unique opportunity to go back to the mortal realm. You do, however, have a choice."
"What do you mean sir? How am I a Horcrux?"
"You see Harry, when Tom attacked you when you were a baby, your mother's protection rebounded the killing curse upon himself. As he created Horcruxes at that point already, his soul was forced out of his body, and needed a home. Luckily your soul's door was left slightly ajar from his curse, so he slipped into you. Only a slither mind, not enough to possess like poor Quirrinus, just enough to leave a Horcrux."
Harry too sat. This time on one of the large armchairs from the common room. Leaning back into it as he processed all of this information.
"And what choice do I have sir?"
"Well as I said, you may return to your body. But you can choose when. Your first option is to return just after Tom killed you, back in the forest. You will no longer be a Horcrux, and you will be able to defeat him. Your second tempting offer is to go back to before he was resurrected, still without his soul in your scar, and prepare to defeat him quickly and with hopefully, a lot less destruction."
"I already know which I'm choosing, I can't live in a world where half of my friends are dead."
"Don't be so brash Harry my boy. If you go back then past events will likely repeat themselves, that means going back to your family. I am truly sorry for putting you there Harry, that is the greatest regret I have ever had in my life, we are lucky you did not end up like poor Tom. I had no idea the amount of abuse they put you through, only now through death can I see the error in my ways." Dumbledore said shakily, almost on the verge of tears. "Just know Harry, if you try and convince me in the past to let you stay elsewhere it will not be successful, I was a cocky old man who was much too sure in himself. Promise me you will not stay with them Harry, please."
"Yes Professor, I won't."
"Fantastic, before you go though, there is someone you should meet." as Albus said this, he faded away, leaving Harry alone in a giant gold armchair.
"Ah, the king sits in his throne."
Harry nearly jumped out of his skin. He span around and saw the speaker. A very tall, very thin man. He wore a long, tattered, black cloak. His skin, which stuck to his bones, was almost transparent. In his bony hand was a staff of white wood, topped with an obsidian orb.
"As for who I am, some call me Satan, or Lucifer, or even The Grim Reaper. I always preferred Death. Yes I'd think one would get sick of his thoughts being read. Before you embark on your adventure, I have a few gifts for you."
His voice sounded like nails on a blackboard, turned up to 11. 'Death' floated over to Harry, completely silently.
"Tom Riddle has been a thorn in my side for many Earth years. It is rather difficult for me to kill someone when they have those abominations that tear their soul apart. You see all I do is kill people when it is their time to die, they still have their pesky free will. One time this Austrian bloke made a Horcrux, only a few moments before his death. Adolf Hitler. Yeah, I know! Unfortunately for him, Grindelwald destroyed it accidentally towards the end of the Second World War. Humans always make their soul containers something important to them, such vain little creatures. They were invented by the Ancient Egyptians you know, one of the first was a small gold Sphinx. Her old, decrepit body is still knocking about somewhere in a pyramid, not been found yet you see. Poor girl, centuries of loneliness. Anyways I'm waffling, sorry 'bout that."
A coffee table materialised in the middle of them. Upon it lay a package.
"So here they are. Rather underwhelming really. Your first gift, is the set of Deathly Hallows. Now I know what you're thinking, 'What? How is that possible that such a handsome charming God managed to get The Deathly Hallows?' wellthey aren't actually here. You will have my cloak once you get back. My stone, well you know where that is. Dip it in Basilisk blood to get rid of Tommie's soul, then, I don't know, wash it or something. My wand, is the tricky one. Our mutual friend will be the holder of it when you return, but don't worry, I've sorted it. If you put your arm out when you get back, it will come to you. Now here's the sneaky part, it will change it's appearance to look like your rubbish holly one. Albus won't recognise it, and you'll be super powerful. Win-win."
Death smiled at Harry cheerily. At least he assumed it was meant to be cheery. Such a smile on a face like his only looked menacing.
"Now on top of all this you get the standard Time-Traveller-Bundle. This includes a complete mastery of Occlumency, so a wandering Legilimens doesn't discover our secret. As well as all your future memories, and strengths. As long as you do not tell anyone, ever. Deal?"
"I accept. What time will I go back to?"
"Let's say just as you wake up from the Dementor attack at the end of your third year. Gives you about a year to destroy the Horcruxes and stop Tom from being resurrected."
"OK so when do I….Phwoah my head hurts."
xx
He was lying face down in the grass again. The smell of the forest filled his nostrils. He was freezing cold, so the Dementors must be near. Harry turned his head, a blinding pale blue light illuminated the lake. The rattling of the Dementors chain was starting to fade away, the warmth and happiness was flowing back into him. He's alive, and Sirius is alive, and Dumbledore and Snape, oh and Lupin.
It was all too much for him. He couldn't think any more. He felt the last of his strength leave him, still recovering from the killing curse.
He fainted.
He opened his eyes. Everything was blurry. Somebody had removed his glasses. He was lying in the pitch black hospital wing. He could see the silhouette of Madame Pomfrey hunched over the end of a bed. The blur of orange at it's head must of made it Ron. Oh goodness yes, Ron broke his leg. Harry rolled his head over to look at the other side of the room. To the bed to his right lay Hermione. She was awake as well, looking mortified. She pressed her fingers to her lips, whilst her hands were shaking with fear. Motioning her head to the large doors they could hear muffled voices coming from outside.
"-unconscious by the time I reached them Minister, I gagged and bound Black, for obvious reasons, and levitated the children here.
Harry could hear footsteps from behind him, he flicked his head round sharply.
"Don't worry Mr Potter, I was just checking if you're awake. Here eat this, for the shakes."
Madame Pomfrey gave Harry a block of chocolate the size of an Easter Egg.
"How's Ron?" asked Hermione.
"He'll live." Madame Pomfrey said grimly, as Harry was putting on his glasses.
The door opened, it was Dumbledore. Harry swallowed the lump of chocolate with great difficulty, and stood.
"Professor, it's Sirius! He's-"
The headmaster interrupted.
"Madame Pomfrey, it you would allow me to speak to Mr Potter and Ms Granger alone. I apologise, for it is an urgent matter."
"Of course headmaster." She said as she packed some phials and equipment into a satchel. Then walked into the side office.
"I am sorry children, it is too late. Sirius will suffer a fate worse than death, if only we had more time."
Hermione's eyes widened and was about to speak before Dumbledore stopped her with a look.
"Sirius is locked in Flitwick's office. If all goes well more than one innocent life can be spared this dreadful day. Three turns should do it Ms Granger. Good luck." and with that, he slowly walked out of the infirmary.
xx
"Alohomora!"
The window swung open.
"What… how?" coughed Sirius staring at Buckbeak.
"Oh Sirius." said Harry happily as he rushed through the open window and engulfed his godfather in a tight hug.
Hermione was wobbling unsteadily on the Hippogriff.
"Harry I'm sorry but we have to hurry this up."
"Remember to write to me OK? And don't forget to keep moving from place to place. We'll prove your innocence don't worry."
Sirius got up and warily approached Buckbeak who was settled on the rooftop adjacent to the window. They exchanged bows and Sirius mounted.
"Before I leave… Harry, you truly are your father's son."
He squeezed his heels into the beast's sides, and the enormous wings rose once more. Buckbeak took off into the air, as they were getting smaller and smaller as Harry gazed longingly after them. They were gone.
As Hermione and Harry were coming up the the infirmary doors, they saw the back of the Headmaster.
"Sir, it's done. He's free."
"Well done, I think. Wait here a moment until you leave. Then I'll lock you in."
Harry and Hermione slipped back into the dormitory, it was empty except for Ron, who lay motionless in the end bed. They both got back into their beds, as Hermione tucked the time turner back into her robes.
Harry finally fell asleep. It had been a long day after all.
xx
Harry's eyes flickered open. The room was bright white, it reminded him of when he was dead. Kind of.
He was facing Hermione's bed next to his. She was still peacefully asleep. He never got chance to remark on how young she looks last night. It was very strange seeing her this way. He turned over to look at Ron. He was awake, and reading The Daily Prophet.
"Morning Ron-"
"Harry! Come over here and look at this." he said shaking the paper in his hands. Harry took his glasses from the bedside table and walked over towards Ron's bed. He needed new glasses, he inwardly remarked. He had cast Reparo on this pair more times than he could count. He knew they would get broken more often in the next few years.
"Look! Look!" Ron whooped, roughly handing the paper to Harry, and gesturing at the front page.
"He's free, he broke out and is on the run. Harry isn't this great?"
"Yeah mate, it's amazing" said Harry whilst pretending to read the article, but actually looking over the top of it at Ron.
He too, looked young. Of course he did, he is young. He didn't look as tired and glum as he would end up in the future. Although he was a bit bruised from the kerfuffle with Sirius.
"Oh Harry, Professor Lupin came in to see you but you were still asleep. He said he wanted to talk to you about something and to meet him in his office. Don't worry about Pomfrey, I think she's in the back eating breakfast."
Lupin's door was open. Harry knocked on it though.
"Come in Harry," said Professor Lupin, "I saw you coming." he said motioning to the Marauder's Map on the desk he was previously facing.
"Did they find out Professor? About your… condition?"
"Yes they unfortunately did my boy. Dumbledore managed to convince Fudge that I was saving you rather than helping Padfoot. Snape was furious mind, the loss of his Order of Merlin left him devastated. So he accidentally blurted out my condition in front of his house before breakfast. I never wanted to end my teaching career like this, but when the parents find out they'll be Howlers from concerned mothers, to incandescent fathers, who want me either sacked or executed."
"What are you going to do now Professor?"
"You don't need to call me Professor any more Harry. Call me Remus. I'll probably go back to France, I have a little bit of land there. Enough to roam around when I'm Moony, and the laws on 'Dark Creatures' are more lax there too." Remus turned and picked up the folded map. "Have this, I don't feel guilty about you having it when I'm not a teacher. I hope you put it to good use, I suppose you're it's rightful heir."
There was a knock on the door, they could hear a muffled "Your carriage is here." from Filch.
"I'll write to you, and I'll make Padfoot write to you as well. Hedwig will be able to find him."
"That's alright Harry, I have my own ways of finding that mongrel. Besides if he ever manages to leave Britain he'd likely end up with me."
Remus motioned his wand and whispered something under his breath. The rest of his belongings went into his trunk. He grabbed it, and the empty Grindylow tank.
"I am sorry, but I really do have to go. You should go to Lunch, it should be starting soon."
He walked past a solemn Harry, and out the door. After a minute or so of standing, Harry went too. Filch eyeing him suspiciously as he did.
xx
Nobody at Hogwarts knew the truth of what occurred the previous night, except Harry, Hermione, Dumbledore, and soon to be Ron.
As Harry was eating he heard a few outrageous theories on how Sirius escaped. One that Fred and George were telling to a bunch of first years involved a dragon that apparently lives in the forbidden forest, and only comes out when it detects evil. Harry liked that one, to him it matched the ridiculousness of what actually happened.
Percy was telling everyone who wanted to listen (just his tired looking girlfriend) that when he got a job at the ministry there were going to be BIG changes in Magical Law Enforcement. Percy's girlfriend eventually got relief when he embarked on a mission to thank all his teachers for the excellent classes he'd received, starting with a sullen Snape.
"Watch this." Harry whispered to her, as the two of them now watched Percy approach the staff table.
After saying this Harry realised he never spoke to her in his past life. He didn't even know her name.
"I'm Harry by the way." he said whilst she giggled at Percy embarrassing himself.
"I know who you are Harry, I'm Penelope Clearwater."
Now he recognised her. She was one of the many muggleborns that the death-eater controlled ministry had forced to sign up on the muggleborn registry. He heard on the wireless that she and her boyfriend were killed in their home some time later.
"Harry are you alright you look like you've seen a ghost. Well you know what I mean."
"It's nothing Penny, just thinking about things. What do you think you'll do after Hogwarts?"
"Oh I'm stressing about it Harry, I really am. It's hard to find a good job as a muggleborn in Magic Society. Everyone expects you to have family or acquaintances who can put a word in for you. Look at Percy for example, he's quite close to me in class and we do the same subjects, but he's got a job lined up at the Ministry. All because his dad works in some cubicle at Misuse of Muggle Artefacts. In the none magical world only the absolute elites can get jobs that easily, but apparently the Wizarding World doesn't just have medieval aesthetics."
Harry just learnt something new, it never occurred to him how difficult it must be for muggleborns to find meaningful jobs. Even though his parents don't have the opportunity to open career doors for him, his fame will likely always carry him through. It's a shame really.
"I never thought of it that way Penny, thanks for opening my eyes. You know when we break up for summer we can keep in touch if you want…?"
This was basically the first time Harry had asked a girl to correspond with him outside of class and meals. Except Ginny, but they were around each other all the time anyway.
"Sure, I don't know where I'll be staying as of yet, but if I settle I'll tell you."
xx
Exam results came on the last day of term. Harry, Ron, and Hermione had passed every subject. Fred and George did surprisingly well, according to Ron, by getting a fair few OWLs each. He said they would be top of the class if they stopped the habit of only trying in half the subjects, and the other twin trying in the other half. As a unit they'd probably be top of their year.
Percy had wobbled around all morning in the common room, to nervous to open the envelope containing his NEWTs. Once he did though he was happy he got mostly Exceeds Expectations and one Outstanding.
At breakfast Harry looked over to the Ravenclaw table and mouthed 'How did you do?' to Penny. She beamed and gave two thumbs up. Ginny shot him a jealous look and Percy looked quite ruffled.
Gryffindor house, meanwhile, mainly due to their spectacular performance in the Quidditch, had once again won the House Cup. Meaning the Great Hall was draped in scarlet and gold for the end-of-term feast. The Gryiffindor's were by far the rowdiest table, either celebrating their triumph, happy for summer, or just being loud.
"Got any plans over summer Harry?" asked Katie Bell.
"Nah not really, just do my homework and read next years books."
"Aren't you going to watch the Quidditch World Cup? The final is in England just before we come back. My money's on France, they have young chasers that got the call up after an impressive first season in the domestic top flight…"
"You're crazy if you think France will win, Ireland all the way!" butted in Ron,
"I have to say though Bulgaria have a shout of going far. That Victor Krum lad is one of the best seekers in the world, and he's barely older than the twins."
"Our ears are burning!" Gred and Forge said in unison,
"Ron I think Dad said something about getting box seats from work, but don't get too excited he hasn't got them yet. Or we can just get some ground level tickets, here they're only going for a few knuts each for the group stage matches in Romania." finished George.
xx
It was the final night of the term, Dumbledore made some speech about pride or whatever. Harry didn't listen because he was thinking. And he was still thinking now lying sideways in his reserved armchair back in Gryffindor Tower. Sure he liked Care of Magical Creatures, but would it really be beneficial for him to go over it all again, course not. He also knew he had to drop Divination, it was a bigger waste of time than History.
"Hermione, what did you get in Runes and Arithmancy again" he asked the bushy haired girl who was pretending to listen to Ron talk about Victor Krum.
"O's in both, why?"
"I was thinking of switching to those two subjects over my current choices."
Ron's ears pricked up at that, "Harry c'mon! You said you wanted easy subjects like me!" he whined.
"Well I think it's good, Harry is finally showing an interest in pursuing academia." Hermione shot back as she stepped over to Harry and sat on his chair-arm.
"Besides, I'm dropping both of them too."
That was different, Hermione only dropped Divination last time round. Maybe him showing an interest in the other two spurred her to focus on them too.
"Let's go talk to McGonagall Harry, before she goes to bed."
xx
"Whilst I agree with your reasoning Mr. Potter, you would be a whole year behind your peers. Besides Ancient Runes isn't exactly an easy elective."
"Professor I know, I'll study it all through summer I promise!" Harry begged hopefully. He knew from his future self that runes didn't set off the trace, so he really could practice all summer.
"As well as that Arithmancy is just like Maths that I did in Primary school."
"Yes well about that… I'm sorry to say that your grades from muggle school don't show great promise, you might not be eligible to take Arithmancy."
Hermione could not hold herself back any longer. "That's because the Dursleys used to beat him if he did better than Dudley!" she blurted out loudly, "Sorry Harry…"
"Mr. Potter is this true?"
"Yes, Hermione how did you know?"
"Don't you remember when you sat and spoke with me when I was petrified, I could hear you all the time."
Harry did remember talking to her, of course he did. He did not remember saying that though. Hermione never said she heard him back in the old time-line. There is a lot he's learning about people he never did the first time round, this ought to make predicting things a lot less accurate.
"Mr. Potter, no, Harry. If we knew we would never have made you go back. I'm so sorry my boy. I knew those were nasty folk the moment I laid eyes on them."
"So can I take them professor?"
"Of course Mr. Potter, as long as you catch up before September. Now if the two of you will excuse me I must have a word with the Headmaster."
Hermione turned to leave, pulling on Harry's sleeve as she did. After they left the office, she pulled him in and hugged. They didn't say anything, he didn't feel like they needed to.
"Harry if you want you can come round my house and I can show you what you've missed, oh and I can give you a copy of this years notes, and don't worry about buying this years textbooks you can have mine I've already copied down most of them, oh and-"
"Hermione, it all sounds great. But now I think we should go to bed."
They walked back to Gryffindor Tower together, rather close to each other as well, somehow it was cold in July.
"Harry is 1 O'clock in the morning in the highlands, it will always be cold." Hermione whispered.
"Oh God what will the neighbours think."
Hermione giggled as she went up into the girls dorms.
xx
Vernon Dursley hated the first of July more than any other day on the calender. It was the day the freak came back. He saw Harry step off the train and hug some thrumpet and a ginger, before slowly walking over towards him. Vernon was, as usual, standing as close to the entrance to the platform as he could, whilst in the shadow of an arch.
"Hurry up boy, and shut that bloody bird up."
Mr Dursley put his large palm on Harry's back and pushed him through the gate.
Harry meanwhile was formulating a plan, he could rent out a room in The Leaky Cauldron all summer, and put a mild notice me not charm around the door. That way only people who knew where it was could find it, hopefully just he and Tom. He'd break out his family's house tonight, he didn't have guards yet so it should be easy.
As they pulled up to No. 4 Vernon had evolved from exhaling loudly, to near growling. He yanked the boy out of the back seat, and launched him into the house, kicking his trunk and bird in after him.
"Get upstairs and hide that damn thing, dinner better be ready by five." he said as menacingly as he could muster, before squeezing through the living room door.
Harry got up to his bedroom and surveyed his surroundings. It was much smaller than he remembered. In his memory he hasn't slept in it in a year and a half. It can barely be called a bedroom, it was the box room really. About a third of it was taken up by a large wardrobe, three quarters filled with Vernon's work suits, and Dudley's school uniform. A steel frame bed lay close to the floor, upon it a thin mattress and a ratty blanket. The final piece of furniture would be the spindly night stand, with Ripper's bite marks on all the legs.
Merlin it's worse than how I remembered.
He lay on his bed running his hands through his hair. It occurred to him that he better start making note of his plan. He picked up a notebook from under the bed and took a Biro out of one of Vernon's coat pockets.
Leave the Dursleys
Get money from bank
Rent room out all summer
Catch up on Runes and Arithmancy
Collect Hallows
With that Harry remembered one of Death's instructions. He held out his holly wand and pictured the Elder Wand in his head. It felt like static electricity running through his whole body, his wand felt red hot in his hand. He almost wanted to let go but something in his head told him not yet. Finally a flash erupted from the tip of his wand. Harry panicked and shoved it under the mattress. After half a minute (he counted) he got it out again. It felt different. More powerful, not in an addictive way like when he held it last time round though. Now it felt like it belonged to him.
xx
AN: I wrote this whilst at university, with the idea that I'd eventually compile together. This is not all I have written mind, I have done around 20k words. I don't know when I will upload it all. My other story I have abandoned for lack of motivation. You may 'adopt' it if you wish without permission, as long as you say at the start where you got it, I really don't mind. Same with this one really. Hope you enjoyed, leave a review x.