[a/n-3]Last couple chapters had ideas in reviews. Coming up.

[a/n-2]Vukk's review of #70 mentions "…time travel paradox for killing your grandfather…" I'm wondering how it came to be known as that. I learned it as killing your father or interfering in your parents meeting al a Marty McFly. Anyone else remember it that way?

[a/n-1]Watching the 1977 Gulliver on Youtube and to my great amusement the Emperor kept referring to Richard Harris as …My Boy

[a/n0]All of the LT stories change history, to varying degrees. Some appear trivial, though could change things drastically. Like who Harry meets on Platform 9¾. My having him interact with Merope prior to Tom's birth, or like last time preventing Snape from telling Voldemort the prophecy, are more the seismic variety. It would mean the war continuing in the 80s rather than being delayed a decade. I feel, no matter the outcome, it would have ended long before Harry started Hogwarts. And probably been more destructive, sure Voldie was at his peak, but Aurors hadn't had a decade of Fudge's leadership.

[a/n]magitech's ch71 review suggested..."explanation of why an interview for a teaching position is being done in a filthy pub and not in his office."

Harry Does Different CDXCb

Lone Traveler XVII:You're a Very Bad Man

Not that Harry had forgotten his true name, but he more and more just felt like the name a nine-year-old Luna had bestowed on him. He'd lost count of the stops he'd made. But, as may be, of late he had begun to notice evidence of a vast betrayal; on a par with Wormtail's. It hadn't appeared all at once, plus some of it didn't seem important at the time and so required mental digging. After the pieces snicked together, he still wanted the perpetrator's own voice to admit the crime. Finally, he had both the tools and a decent if imperfect opportunity. From under his cloak, he spied on his younger self and best friends.

"Harry! No way! You cahnt!" exclaimed Hermione in a harsh whisper.

Ron snapped at her "Why don't you talk louder! McGonagall didn't hear you!"

"Ron, you're helping just as much." The boy Harry's tone was lower but harsher as he grabbed both arms and dragged them along.

The traveling Harry shook his head in amusement and went on his mission. Pausing prior to a certain hall, he shrank a foot in height and de-aged his face. A little effort and he recalled the password "Chips Ahoy."

"Well good morning, Harry." Came effusive greeting from the chair that was currently faced outward "What brings you here this fine Saturday?"

Playing his younger self, precisely The Lone Traveler asked "How do you do that, sir?"

"Ah, Harry, leave your Headmaster his secrets." The chair spun to reveal a smiling old wizard stroking his beard. "Your concern, my boy?"

The apparent boy faux-pouted then "Right. Yeah. Sir, my Aunt and Uncle don't want anything to do with magic. They'd not even touch a scroll from an owl. Couldn't you let me goto Hogsmeade?" ending with a slight whine.

"This has nothing to do with your family, Harry. Siris Black on the loose is sufficient reason for objection." The Headmaster spoke reassuringly "Your safety is our utmost concern in this."

Playing the petulant child he protested "You're not stopping anyone else! Aren't they in danger?"

"The difference being, as I believe Ronald's father cautioned, some of his last known statements mentioned you directly. All of us professors only have your best interests in mind. Perhaps a mint? I find them relaxing." He floated a heavily laden dish of single-wrapped hard candies.

The Lone Traveler got in his mischief, taking one and twirling it. Wand in the other hand, he cast Wingardium Leviosa sending a quasi-pyramid in silverish wrapping back across the desk. Replied with a grin "Thank you, Professor. This is a Muggle treat, brought with me before I got on the train. Called Hershey Kisses, they're chocolate."

"A fair exchange, my boy. Most thoughtful." The oldster approved, expansively. He had no reason to expect duplicity from a Third Year "I trust this does not deplete your supply?"

The boyish grin only broadened "Oh no sir. They're cheap in the Muggle world, a two pound bag is less than a Galleon. Have another."

"Ahh. Quite good. Thank you for introducing me to this treat, Harry." Dumbledore used the distraction and compliment as cover for a bit of legilimency for just a surface look. It was sensible to ensure the boy's words matched his thoughts.

The Lone Traveler was not surprised, merely disappointed being presented further evidence. He had a unique defense for this situation. A block would be too revealing, instead he allowed the intrusion and presented exactly what was expected of a barely teen boy [classes, a Malfoy argument, even part of a wet dream] And the vapidly unaware expression. Internally, he neutralized the mild potion in the mints. Though kept his face unchanged, leading the conversation with a whine "Why couldn't I goto some wizard family? Maybe not the Weasleys, though that woulda been great. But definitely NOT Malfoy."

"There were important considerations at the time, my boy." Said Dumbledore with a twinkle.

Faux-Harry complained "But all that money in my vault, didn't my parents pick someone else?"

"It was not in your best int- -" Dumbledore began, cut himself off but finished "Greater Good."

It took effort to hide a reaction there, but a boyish reaction was sufficient "Don't feel that way to me. Maybe Malfoy wouldn't be so bad. Hate their house."

"Careful with statements like that, my boy." Warned the Headmaster sternly "There are protections …powerful ones… that depend on your and your family's love for each other."

The Lone Traveler couldn't repress an all-too-adult snort of disdain "They don't know the meaning of the word. Again! I wanna know, it was war, they must've picked someone to take care of me. And not lousy Dursley. Don't i have godparents?"

"Yours are unavail..able." Dumbledore was surprised at the effort it took to say that evasion.

Now able to drop pretense, the boy's face twisted maliciously "So keen on your spiked mints, never thought someone would get you? Without detailing the ingredients since they haven't been invented yet, one is a paralytic, next is Credulax which …call it a brain softener… rather toxic, but that only matters when you're expected to survive. Last the rather classic Veratiserum."

"How you got past my protections, Tom - -" Dumbledore began accusingly.

Derisive laughter came back "Your default is everyone you disagree with is evil. There are those of us who have other interests, NOT serving up a boy as a pig for bacon for instance. Now I could just legilimens it from your brain, but that doesn't stand up in court. Only memories are. Besides, the combination of potions has the side effect of unpleasantness. It gets worse when you lie, or even try to withhold. Shall we begin?"

"THE PAIIIINNNN!" Screamed Albus Dumbledore as he died some thirty minutes later, wrung dry of every last damning detail.

Abcij

Not much time later, once again cloaked, The Lone Traveler stood watch as a single set of tracks unattached to any person trailed in the snow. His heart went out to the enraged sobbing he heard, but he did not want to interfere with what he knew was coming.

"He was their friend! I hope he finds me!" Harry Potter raged through tears as his Invisibility Cloak was pulled away. Hermione took the brunt "I hope he finds me! Because when he does I'll be ready! When he does I'll kill him!"

Ron offered loyally "And we'll help."

"I might have some additional information to offer." The Lone Traveler spoke easily announcing his presence as he shed his cloak. He had once encountered an aged Parvati Patil and that was who the children saw "Hermione Granger, Harry Potter, Ronald Weasley; the three of you have quite the reputation."

Hermione gave a suspicious look "Who might you be, madam? And what do you mean?"

"Delightful how she does that. Is it not boys?" was the seeming Indian witch's response "Had I wished you harm, I could have done so from the protection of my own cloak. Let us discuss my reason for seeking you. Within some minutes the town will undergo a dramatic mood change."

Informed more by his pureblood upbringing than class, Ron demanded "Oh? You a seer?"

"Ahh, no." answered The Lone Traveler, slightly amused "Inside information. You see, Albus Dumbledore is no longer among the living. This I know, having done the deed."

The younger witch shouted accusingly "You murdered Headmaster Dumbledore!"

"Impedimenta!" the spell was skillfully selective, allowing Hermione to continue speaking with the rest of her body froze "Boys allow me to explain, unless I need to do the same as your excitable friend? No? Excellent. Harry, I heard you ranting over planning to kill Sirius Black. I understand, and even support the sentiment. Your target, however, is incorrect. Peter Pettigrew is the true betrayer of your parents. Whether the great and noble Dumbledore knows that, I am not entirely clear on."

Hermione scoffed and tried to move, futilely "So you know nothing!"

"What I know, by his own admission, is that old longbeard let Black be thrown in Azkaban without trial." The disguised Traveler retorted "Because, for his Greater Good, Harry needs to be murdered due to that scar. Back to that in a second. This flask contains my memories of my interrogation, right up to his death."

Again Hermione objected "That sounds like you used torture. Confessions under duress are not admissible."

"That might matter, my child, were we talking of a trial." The Indian witch countered silkily "And my version of Veratiserum only inflicts pain to the degree of the lie. Had he told the truth …well, his death would have hurt less. Dumbledore wanted you a controlled, uninformed, weakling. Thus, your placement with the Dursleys. Gringotts has your father's will, which was sealed by order of the recently deceased Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot. Black could have then claimed custody and raised you with proper knowledge of the Wizard World."

Now it was Harry fuming "Why should we trust you over Dumbledore? You, yourself, just admitted murdering him."

"Last point, Miss Granger" the visitor did not answer him immediately "Muggle rules of evidence don't apply among magicals. But even if they did, they're only used in trying the accused. He's dead. Which, Harry, leads to you. See, thanks to Polyjuice …ahh, I see you've had some experience, not to worry there is no time to ask… I set you up as the most likely suspect for the murder. You see, that way, you will get to immediately see the right people. To whit, insist on the presence of the Heads of all Houses. Yes, including Snivilus. Black will explain that name. You will also want Minister Fudge and Director Bones, you'll know Susan, of the DMLE present. As a bonus, I snuck an additional copy of the memories into the pocket of one Luna Lovegood with the instructions Do Not Open Til Xmas."

To this, Ron blinked "Why Loony?"

"Ronald! That is not nice!" Hermione's arm twitched in a futile attempt to swat him.

The Lone Traveler chuckled "That will teach the both of you. My last instruction before departing, mention the word Horcrux while talking to the powers-that-be and point to your forehead."

"Wait! You're leaving? Now?" protested Harry "But you can't! I've so many questions!"

The faux-witch laughed, affecting a familiar rather-irritating persona "My dear boy, as you pointed out, I'm a murderer. Even if of a particularly vile old man. But, fact is they'll never catch me. Who you currently see is as false as my appearance as you in Hogwarts." With a sharp flap, the visitor disappeared under an Invisibility Cloak.

"Who was that witch? Ron? Hermione?" asked Harry scratching his temple.

The girl observed "Well, actually, we really do not know if it was a man or woman. She did say she was impersonating you while in Hogwarts. I'll have to reread the Polyjuice instructions. I don't remember if cross-sex transformations were possible."

Ron visibly shivered at the mere thought.