Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

When the emergency alarm started echoing through the empty halls in the Ministry, harry was brutally woken up from his surprise nap. He grabbed his wand automatically and started sprinting towards the noise, only to be faced with the typical set up of Death Eaters. They were charging into the Department of Mysteries with only one other Death Eater standing guard.

Harry counted four others and decided that his odds as a practiced duellist and advanced Auror should be enough to fight one on four. So, he took his chances, quickly apprehended the one sole guy at the door, before running in and… stopping promptly.

Okay, that was slightly more difficult than he ha previously thought. One on eight was… rather unfortunate. Well, he would make due with what he had.

The labyrinthine corridors of the Department of Mysteries echoed with the hiss of spells and explosive effects as a lone figure, Auror Harry Potter, found himself engaged in a desperate duel against eight formidable Death Eaters. Harry was a prodigy in duelling even in the Auror rounds, renowned for his lightning reflexes and unconventional spellwork. However, even his exceptional talent was being sorely tested against the combined might of the Death Eaters.

Harry knew he was outnumbered and outmatched, but he refused to surrender.

Who was he if not the Boy Who Lived and had apparently eight lives?!

With a defiant cry, he once again raised his own wand, his heart pounding in her chest. He nimbly dodged and deflected the Death Eaters' spells, his movements as fluid as a dancer's. He countered their attacks with a barrage of his own, his spells as varied and unpredictable as his mind on a good day.

He conjured a swarm of butterflies, their wings fluttering with a deadly hex. He summoned a wall of water, its icy blasts freezing the Death Eaters' movements. He even conjured a spectral apparition of their late lord, Voldemort, to distract his enemies.

Harry's unconventional tactics caught the Death Eaters off guard, forcing them to adapt their strategies. They formed a tight circle around him, their wands aimed at his heart. A few of them, masters of dark magic, unleashed a series of bone-chilling curses, each one aimed to incapacitate him.

He fought valiantly, but he was slowly being worn down. His wand arm grew heavy, his spells less precise. The Death Eaters closed in, their laughter echoing through the corridors.

Someone called something and they continued to duel through the department, until Harry caught sight of the Veil.

What?!

He couldn’t think anything else, before he received a heavy push and fell… straight into the grey water like material. It surrounded him, pulled him in further and further until Harry couldn’t see anything else but darkness and his skin grew colder and colder.

The icy water was like a suffocating blanket, pressing down on Harry's lungs, making it difficult to draw a breath. He tried to scream, but the words caught in his throat, replaced by a gurgling sound as the icy water filled his mouth and nose. Panic seized him, a cold, clawing beast that threatened to consume him entirely.

His arms flailed wildly, his legs kicked desperately as he tried to break free from the watery prison that held him captive. He clawed at the plants on the bottom, trying to get his feet free, but it was like trying to tear through a concrete wall.

His vision blurred, his body grew heavy, and the darkness began to creep in, threatening to swallow him whole. Panic surged through him like an electric current, and he fought against the encroaching darkness with every ounce of his remaining strength.

He kicked harder, his lungs burning for air, his muscles screaming in protest. His vision narrowed to a pinpoint, the darkness closing in like a hungry predator. He was losing consciousness, the icy water stealing his breath and life.

Just when he thought all hope was lost, a sudden jolt of adrenaline surged through him. He kicked with renewed vigour, his body reacting instinctively to the primal urge to survive. A surge of strength coursed through him, and he felt himself break away from the plants and he quickly swam up all the way to break through the surface, gasping for air like a fish out of water.

He coughed and sputtered, water spewing from his mouth and nose, his lungs burning with the sweet, sweet oxygen. He found footing by the shore and crawled onto the dry, but ice-cold earth. The loud noise of cheering people, made Harry jump. He scrambled to his feet, his wand in his hand immediately, when he realized something was off…

He was at Hogwarts?

People were staring at him…

Wait…

He looked down at himself and found that he wore a Hogwarts Champion outfit. Looking up again in horror, he found several people cheering… Fred and George were collecting bets and…

“Fuck” Harry mumbled to himself when he saw the judged of the Triwizard Tournament handing out points. How many points had he gotten last time? He seemed to be getting less right now, since he was too long in the water, but he had still saved two people.

“Great, fucking great” Harry cursed and watched as the people came back to land and he was immediately pulled to the Hospital Wing by Madam Pomfrey. “I must be dead” he murmured to himself, but caught sight of Hermione. She hadn’t died yet. So... he couldn't be dead, not really.

He pocketed his wand, cursing himself for not having a wand holster yet, he desperately needed to buy one as soon as possible.

Madam Pomfrey called him over and he went to the tent, unsure of what injuries would show up. He was in the past, but… was his body? His memory surely wasn’t. He could remember everything.

His wedding with Ginny, the continued attacks of Death Eaters, Ron’s death, Hermione’s grief. How he had buried himself in renovating all kinds of houses, before deciding that he wanted to avenge his best friend’s passing.

Sitting down on the bed, he looked down at his hand, creating a fist and waiting for the blood to pool so he could see the scar of ‘I shall not tell lies’. Nothing happened.

Sighing in relief, he looked up, only to be faced with Ron, tilting his head with a grin. Harry’s heart was about to explode with hidden grief and sadness by watching him standing there alive. His blue eyes shining with happiness and the red hair almost glowing. It was so different from the very last time he had seen Ron – pale, dead…

Ron walked over and sat down next to him. “Glad to have you back, Harry.”

Harry rolled his eyes, trying his hardest to swallow the tears. “Was I gone for so long that you thought I was dying under the water?”

Ron just chuckled and shook his head. “You’ll get it later. Meet me by the Room of Requirement tonight at eight.”

With that he gave Harry a quick hug and jumped up, sending an excuse to Madam Pomfrey and ran. Harry shook his head and waited for the mediwitch to look him over.

Then, suddenly, he remembered that…

Did Ron know about the Room of Requirement in fourth year?!

Did Harry know about it then?

Chapter Text

As Harry made his way through the castle grounds, he watched out for different things and was surprised by a lot of changes. First of all… There was a unity going on through all of the houses, Hufflepuffs, Ravenclaws, Gryffindors and Slytherins sitting together in a wild mixture. He didn’t remember this at all. No, he was pretty sure that it hadn’t happened when he was in fourth year… so… what was going on?

“Oi, Harry!”

Freezing by the sound of the voice, it took all of his will not to fall down crying. Cedric Diggory was calling after him. Pulling up all of the Occlumency shield he had learnt, he turned and smiled at the Hufflepuff champion.

“Hey” he greeted the blond boy, unsure if he would call him ‘Diggory’ or ‘Cedric’. “How are you doing?”

“Oh, fine” Cedric waved him off. “Some creatures got me, but Madam Pomfrey said it’s not as bad as the burn from the dragons.”

Harry widened his eyes. “You got burnt?!”

Cedric snorted. “Just be happy that you didn’t see it like the rest of the school. It was nasty. Your friend Granger puked over the protective shield.”

Hm, that was definitely different than before.

“Anyway, I wanted to ask if you’re okay?” Cedric continued, looking at him carefully, “you broke the water with the rest of them, but something took you under again. Are you sure you’re okay to walk around?”

Harry nodded. “Yeah, fine. I don’t know what happened, but I got it off.”

“Nothing broken or destroyed?”

“Not yet” Harry responded with a quick laugh. “Don’t worry, there’s still one more task to come.”

Cedric rolled his eyes and grinned. “Alright, I’ll let you go for now. But we will talk about it later!” And with a wave, he left, running after his Hufflepuff friends.

Harry shrugged and continued his way up to the school. His mind was racing with all of the new things he was seeing, and he was so focussed on watching everything that he didn’t mind his path and collided with a certain Slytherin.

Draco Malfoy of all people!

“Ugh, Potter?! Do you have eyes behind these glasses or is this a way to make people think you’re not actually blind?! Will you look where you’re going?” he asked, clearly annoyed.

“Sorry” Harry held his hands up. “I wasn’t looking, won’t happen again.”

Malfoy raised his eyebrows and shrugged his shoulders. “Alright, you better get going, or your friends will celebrate without you.”

Rolling his eyes, Harry snorted. “Not really interested in celebrating being forced into a death tournament.”

“Hey, at least you can get an early emancipation out of it and you won’t have to return to your abusive relatives.”

“True” Harry smirked. “See you around.”

Malfoy waved with two fingers. “Later.” And followed his friends down to the lake.

Meanwhile, Harry watched in amusement and then later confusion about the latest discussion. How did Malfoy know about his relatives? No one had ever known about them in school. He had done an interview later in his life and talked about his upbringing.

After said interview, he had received dozens of owl and especially from Malfoy with apologies and explanations that he hadn’t known about his family life… So… why did he now?

This was confusing.

So very confusing.

At dinner, Harry continued watching the different people and he realized rather quickly that a few of them were watching him too. Not the professors, though, which was a good thing. He was eating calmly and observed the Great Hall, seeing that a few students were clearly feeling the war – they jumped with every loud noise.

Goyle had his wand in his hand several times during the meal and only calmed down with Malfoy’s help. They often looked over to him, only to turn back to a few friends.

Before Harry could look around more, someone sat down across from him. He perked up immediately, seeing his dearest friend Neville Longbottom, who had died in a raid gone wrong. Seeing him alive and happy, it brought the same emotions up like it had with Ron.

“Hey Harry” Neville said with a grin. “How are you doing?”

“Good, I think” he answered, returning the grin. “You?”

Neville shrugged. “I’ve had better days, honestly. It is good to see you again, though.”

Harry frowned. “Why do people keep telling me that?”

“Later” Neville said quickly and turned to look at Hermione who sat down with a tomb in her lap. Merlin, she looked like a child! She was a child! “Don’t you spend enough time in the library already?”

Hermione rolled her eyes, showing an expression that had never really left her, as Harry realized rather amusedly. “It’s important! I need to see if there’s a chance for Harry to stop the continuation of the games!”

Harry sighed. “No need, ‘Mione, I’ll just have to finish it.”

“No!” Hermione shook her head and glared at him. “I promised you yesterday that I was going to find something! I will! Don’t give up so early.”

Neville snorted. “Early? Hermione he’s done two thirds of the fights already, this is not early. It’s late.”

Hermione sent them both a glare. “I will find something!”

She was such a child! Harry was awed by her will and ignorance to keep trying to find something, even though it was too late already. Sighing, he pushed his plate back, not really hungry anyway.

“’Mione, I think you should give it a rest and-“

“Yesterday you said you wanted me to find something to stop it!” Hermione argued and sent him another glare, while Harry was quickly reminded that he had no idea what had happened that day.

Luckily, it seemed that Neville knew what was going on. “And yesterday he hadn’t done two thirds of the show. Now he has. And we’ve been looking at every angle, Hermione, all of us. Not even the Slytherins know a way to get out of the contract.”

“I’ll burn the parchment! I’ll burn the goblin to ashes! I’ll burn this whole school down!” Hermione called out heatedly which made Harry snigger.

“I never knew you were such a pyromaniac, Hermione! Maybe you and Seamus could be close friends!”

Hermione once more glared at him, when Ron took a seat next to Neville, giving him a big grin. Then he turned to Harry and Hermione. “What is going on here?”

“’Mione wants to burn down the school” Harry explained and dodged a hand trying to hit him.

“The contract! I said, I would burn the contract.”

Ron sniggered. “Seamus will be happy to know that he has a friendly face in this crowd of non-fire lovers.”

“I’ll burn all of you with the contract!” Hermione growled and grabbed her food to move to Lavender and Parvati.

Harry watched her go, before looking at his childhood best friend. “Wasn’t that a bit too much?”

“Nah, she’ll have calmed down by curfew” Ron stated and grinned. Then, he turned to Neville. “I’ll play Susan for a bit, the meeting is at eight, can you let them know?”

Neville snorted. “I’m sure everyone already knows. Everyone was watching.”

Ron shrugged his shoulders. “We should still make it official. And explain shit.”

Sighing, Neville leaned back, before nodding. “Fine! But you’ll take over one of my shifts, because today would have been my free evening!”

Harry watched in silent awe, wondering when Neville had gotten so confident during school! That so wasn’t what had happened as he remembered it. Then again, everything was really… confusing really.

Ron gave Neville a quick soldier’s sign and said “Sir, yes sir!” before grinning and heading to the Hufflepuff table, talking to Susan Bones who grinned and agreed to something. Then she got up and the two of them left the Great Hall.

“What is going on?” Harry asked and shook his head. Since when was Ron friends with more than the two of them?

Neville hummed questioningly, before he grinned. “Oh, Ron has developed a crush on Susan Bones, they keep playing chess every other night. Half the school knows that they like each other. If you want to bet on how long it’ll take for them to get together, the twins take all the bets and money.”

The twins.

Harry looked down the table to see them laughing and joking with Alicia Spinnet. It hurt to see them together, happy. Especially when he knew them… or rather when he knew George alone. The depression had taken him from them just a few years before Ron had died. None of the other Weasley children had recovered from the two men dying.

Hermione and Ginny had made it their life’s goal to stay as safe and protected as they could be. Nothing dangerous was done anymore, outings into the world would only be made through house elves and different looks and emergency portkeys in hand.

“It get’s better with time” Neville said softly and smiled at Harry, before he got up and walked to… the Slytherin table?! He talked with Malfoy, Zabini and Parkinson for a while, sitting on their table.

Harry looked up to where Dumbledore was sitting and saw him rather passively gazing around the room, he didn’t even argue that people needed to sit where their house colours were.

This was definitely not the place where he had come from… This must have been a different world, a different timeline!

That feeling only cemented itself, when he heard Pansy Parkinson from the Slytherin table yelling over to the Gryffindor one, “’Mione! Put the book away, we’re having make-up lessons!”

Staring in complete shock, he watched as Hermione snorted, shrinking the book and happily walk over to Slytherin. “If you don’t stop yelling, no one will believe you’re a pureblood.”

“No one has to believe it, if we all know it!” a girl from Ravenclaw yelled back, before jumping up. “I’ll join!”

“No you won’t!” Pansy argued. “This is for me and ‘Mione!”

“Then you shouldn’t have announced it in the Great Hall!” the Ravenclaw argued back. She raised her eyebrows with a grin.

Harry watched as Pansy was thinking hard, then she grabbed Hermione. “Run!” she yelled and they burst through the door, while the Ravenclaw followed.

“What has life turned into?” Harry murmured to himself, shaking his head.

Chapter Text

At eight sharp, Harry stood in front of the Room of Requirement, once again wondering how Ron had heard of it. No matter how many times he walked in front of the wall, it didn’t show a door and Harry was slowly wondering if with all the changes in personalities around Hogwarts, the room had also changed places.

Luckily for him, his worry was short-lived, as Ron came jogging up the stairs. He was breathing heavily and leaned on his knees, holding a hand out to Harry to make him wait until he had caught his breath again.

“Ugh, Merlin, this castle is going to kill me one day.”

Harry snorted. “Where have you been? Did you run here from the dungeon or something?”

“Kitchen, yes” Ron said, still breathing heavily. “I totally forgot the time.”

“What were you doing in the kitchen?”

How did Ron know where the kitchen was? Did he know already in fourth year? Damn, this was so confusing…

“Oh, Susan and I like to play chess there. It’s warm and cozy and we get as much food as we need or want.” He smirked at Harry. “Ready?”

Harry frowned. “For what?”

“Getting answers to all your questions you’ve been having today.”

“I don’t get it” Harry shook his head. “Also, the room is clearly not here, I’ve been trying to make it appear and… nothing.”

Ron nodded and held his hand on a funny looking stone in the wall. “Yeah, because we’ve asked the room for a password. Too many people could just walk in here. Remember the password, the door will appear.”

Harry tilted his head. “What’s the password?”

Ron grinned mischievously. “Dumbledore’s Army.”

With that the door appeared, opened and Harry stared at Ron with panic in his eyes. Dumbledore’s Army?! That name shouldn’t be known at the moment! That would happen in fifth year! Not now! How was this…

He looked through the door and widened his eyes. “What is this?” he asked, almost whispered.

Ron smirked at him and pulled him through the door, which closed behind them. In front of Harry were seemingly half of the Hogwarts students, working on different things. The room was separated into sections with a large meeting table at the front, glass doors leading into four smaller rooms. To his right was a wooden door that read ‘Training and Exercise Room’ and on his left was a door titled ‘Experiment Room’. The four glass rooms seemed to be smaller meeting rooms for problems.

Ron grinned at him, pointing out the rooms one by one. “History Preservation, Magical Artifacts Hunt, War Preparation and Official Timeline Judge. The sections are led by houses, but anyone can work wherever they choose, or just do nothing and sit in with our meetings to be up to date.”

Harry started at Ron in confusion. “What?”

“History Preservation is led by Ravenclaw, Magical Artifacts Hunt is Slytherin’s baby, War Preparations would be Gryffindor and Official Timeline Judge is Hufflepuff’s idea. I work in Magical Artifacts Hunt, since I was the only one of the Golden Trio to have followed you and Hermione to find the Horcruxes. Now that you’re here, I can finally ask for a change and go to War Preparations.”

“No, that… that wasn’t my question” Harry said and shook his head. “What is going on? I don’t understand…”

Ron frowned, before he laughed. “Oh, that’s easy. You… died in the original timeline and now… you’re here.”

“What… I… I don’t understand.”

“Maybe I should explain?” Cedric spoke up and Harry startled at his voice. He watched as Ron grinned at the Hufflepuff and seemingly waited for him to tell him something. “Go work with MAH again, they’ll need all the help they can get.”

Ron nodded and beamed at Harry, before walking off. Turning to Cedric, Harry sighed tiredly. “What is going on, seriously?”

Cedric beckoned him to sit down at the huge meeting table. Once they sat there, refreshments appeared and Cedric took a sip of his coffee, before he explained what Harry wanted to know. However, this was more of a fever dream than reality…

“You died.”

“Okay?” Harry said slowly. “And this is heaven?”

Snorting into his coffee, Cedric coughed and shook his head, clearly amused. “Merlin, no! We’re getting a do-over for some reason. I was the first to arrive here, it was crazy! I was two years old, having all these memories from the tournament… nightmare fuel for my little body.”

Harry stared at his tournament mate in shock. Cedric shrugged his shoulders and continued, “it took years for me to come to terms about what happened to me… us. At first I was all alone, but soon, I stared to see that people changed from one day to the other. And I asked them what they remembered. They all broke down, seeing me, so I knew… they were from the future.”

This was probably a dream…

Maybe he really was dead and this was his life flashing in front of his eyes?

“I started building this place as soon as we reached Hogwarts age” Cedric explained and smiled, “Neville told me about it. We’ve been building it up with every new person that arrives. Luckily for us, Ron soon joined and with his help, things have really started to change drastically.”

“When did Ron join?” Harry asked, looking over to the glass cubicle, where Ron was discussing something with Alicia Spinnet… who had died in a Quidditch accident a few years ago.

Cedric chuckled. “Your first year, he fell from the chess field and cracked his head. It was touch and go for a few moments and when he woke up, he had all the tell tales of having gone through a war. The same signs you’ve had when you got out of the water.”

Harry was stunned. “First year?! But he… didn’t die three years ago! It’s been a bit longer than that!”

“Yeah” Cedric shrugged his shoulders, “we haven’t figured out so far what’s going on or why people keep waking up. What we do know is that it takes a moment so close to death that you would have died for your conscience to link up with the death in the future.”

Harry was too stunned to speak. He watched as more people arrived and spoke to each other, laughing, joking. Fred arrived with little Colin Creevy, both clearly trying to get Percy to eat some most likely hexed sweets. Pansy Parkinson, Draco Malfoy and Blaise Zabini entered and pulled Percy away from his sibling, clearly trying to protect the Gryffindor. When Luna entered, she waved at him and he waved back, still astonished.

“So, what’s our goal?” Harry asked softly.

“Prevent people from dying. We’ve made a lot of headway when Ron arrived, the Horcruxes are mostly gone” Cedric explained, then pointed to the third room which Ron has explained was the War Preparation room. “The Gryffindors are currently working on finding a way to not have us portkeyed into the Cemetery, which I would be very happy about. I do not plan on dying again.”

Harry chuckled. “Yeah, I could do without that scar, really.”

Cedric snorted. “We all could. I would suggest you hang around the War Preparations, or the Magical Artefacts Hunt. If you don’t feel comfortable working here full-time, I would still ask you to sit in and help whenever they’re stuck.”

Nodding weakly, Harry watched as more people entered the place. Then, he turned to Cedric. “Are you the boss here? It honestly sounds like it.”

Sniggering, Cedric shook his head. “We have elected leaders every year, but I have been here the longest, I know more of what’s going on. At the moment, Neville is leading us, I don’t think it’ll change soon, he’s doing a phenomenal job.”

“Oh, that I can see” Harry answered, remembering at how great he had done leading Dumbledore’s army when they were on the hunt. “So… everyone woke up here? Even the adults?”

Cedric frowned slightly. “Yet another question we don’t have answers to. Apparently, it’s just us children. Ron told me about Snape’s death and I went and tried to talk to him… Got me in hot water, which I’d rather not relive again.” He grimaced at the memory.

Harry hummed. “But Snape is a spy, he could be lying. And he’s a Master Occlumency. We might never know if he’s from the future.”

“Except the twins smuggled snakes into his office when he was alone. Snakes that looked like Nagini and he didn’t react traumatised. He was seemingly alone, no one was around as far as he knew. If he really was from the future, he would have done or reacted somehow.”

Frankly, Harry wasn’t convinced. If Snape really was from the future, he probably knew that the children would try to get a reaction from him.

Looking up, he saw Neville walking towards them with a big smile. “Heya Harry. All good?”

“Very confused” he answered honestly, to which Neville just chuckled.

“We all were at the beginning” the other Gryffindor said with a grin. “Before you go to any other rooms, I will have to insist that you follow me to the Official Timeline Judge room, where one of Puffs will be taking and ordering your future, so we know were best to put you. Once that’s done, we’ll introduce everyone who’s woken up here. It’s a bit much at the beginning, it’ll get better though, I promise.”

Harry sighed and got up, following Neville to the other end of the room. “It’s very confusing.”

Neville chuckled. “Oh yeah, when I woke up, I tried to fight gran. She had to put me into St. Mungo’s for three weeks, before I was allowed to go home again.”

“How old were you, when you came back here?” Harry asked, curiously.

“Nine” Neville rolled his eyes. “Just imagine a nine-year old with all that trauma and experience of war. I snuck into Gringotts when I was out of St. Mungo’s and begged them let me see my family vault so I could find myself a back-up wand. Oh, that reminds me.”

Neville walked to the wall next to the glass cubicle and pulled a lever, only to reveal hundreds of different weapons and most importantly, wand holsters.

“Grab one you like” Neville said and pointed at the holsters. “None of us should be without a wand for longer periods of time. Also, you’ll get therapy by one of ours. Trust me, PTSD is a bitch.”

“Is this not… weird?” Harry asked as he followed Ron down the hallway to their classes, which Ron had thankfully told him about. He had long forgotten about what classes he had when. Then again, all the schedules took up one wall in the Room of Requirement, so that one could always check. It made sense in a way.

No one knew how everyone was back in the past, the questions he was asked made it clear, they were also struggling to find a source for their predicament. Cedric and a Slytherin named Felix Rosier had written letters to other people who had died during or after the war, but… they hadn’t come back. Cedric had really been the very first person back from the future.

And that in itself was incredibly confusing and terrifying. But it also gave a window for which people could come back and which couldn’t. In a way, at least.

Ron snorted. “It was weird at first, especially, since- ugh puberty!” he rolled his eyes which made Harry snigger. “But you get used to it. And you kind of lose your adult mentality. Well, then again, I’ve been here for three years already.”

Harry hummed thoughtfully. “Does nobody question why all the children change their personalities overnight practically?”

Shaking his head, Ron looked over his shoulder to who was following them. It seemed safe. “Nah, but my guess is that… the adults all just think it’s got to do with us ‘almost dying’, as they think.”

They walked down to the dungeon in silence, before they got close though, Ron sighed. “Do you think, Hermione and Ginny will make it? George too?”

Harry shook his head in sadness. “They’re pretty much only going out with security anymore. There’s always a chance for them dying, but…”

“Yeah” Ron paused, all of it feeling sad. “I was kind of thinking that would happen. Fred is really sad that his twin most likely won’t make it.”

“Is there an end to the people coming back?” Harry asked, curiously.

“We’re always considering it” Ron answered, voice quiet, since they were walking up to the other people. Harry could see Malfoy talking quietly with Goyle who seemed to be going through something, judging by his frightened look.

It seemed that one thing remained the same: Slytherin and Gryffindor had the same potion class.

Harry leaned over to Ron. “Is Goyle okay?”

“Never has been, honestly” Ron answered just as quietly. “He came back during the yule break in second year, has been in therapy ever since. But… we don’t see it getting better. At the moment, it’s just getting worse.”

Malfoy seemed to have noticed them looking, since he walked up to them. “Hey, Ron, can you work with Gregory today? He’s not doing well and I think Snape will just terrify him more, if I let him work with me.”

Harry frowned. “And with Ron it works?”

Ron chuckled and nodded, walking over to where Goyle was leaning at the wall. Malfoy remained next to Harry, though he had turned around, so he could see his friend. “Ron is actually a pillar in our group. Neville might be our leader and decision maker, but Ron is keeping all of us emotionally stable. I’m not sure I would be okay with being back if not for him.”

Looking at Malfoy, he saw the Slytherin’s soft eyes when observing the two boys. It was so different than from what Harry remembered.

“When did you come back?” he asked quietly.

Malfoy sighed, turning back to him. “Just before we went to Diagon Alley before first year. Father held me under… he um… it was an apology, my trip to Diagon Alley. I was freaking out the entire time, then you walked in to Madam Malkins and I decided to change history, then and there.”

Harry raised his eyebrows. “Were we friends? Do I need to call you Draco?”

The Slytherin sniggered. “We weren’t exactly friends, but we were neutral. As for the name-calling, Draco would be nice.”

Grinning, Harry held his hand out. “Harry then.”

Draco grabbed his hand, the second the door got slammed open. Snape told them to come in, while Draco rolled his eyes only for Harry to see. Grinning, Harry joined Hermione’s bench and they waited for Snape to tell them what they were brewing. Goyle and Ron sat diagonally across from Harry, so he could watch them closely. And he could in fact tell that Ron had a calming effect to the Slytherin.

Then again, Snape was as awful as he could remember. And with an adult mindset, Harry actually wondered how this man had never been fired by a parent who had listened to (or read about) how emotionally harming this man was.

Yes, he had a very low accident rate, but that shouldn’t be the only thing keeping him here. Maybe, he should talk to Dumbledore… Then again, he should probably first talk to Neville and see if his friend was even okay with changing history that much.

He probably wasn’t.

“Potter, stay behind” Snape ordered him when the class was over.

Harry rolled his eyes when Snape’s back was turned and everyone started cleaning up. Neville, Draco and Ron gave him encouraging smiles, when they passed him. Goyle whispered, “we’re waiting outside” as he followed and Harry sent him a grateful smile.

Wow, his friend group had apparently gotten much larger than before.

“Sir?” Harry asked once the last person had left.

Snape raised his eyebrows. “You seem different.”

“Yes” he responded, unable to keep his sarcasm inside, “having to fight in an adult tournament sure does change one.”

Snape narrowed his eyes. “You hold yourself differently.”

Harry tilted his head, unable to keep pretending he was the child scared of Snape. Wait, was he ever scared of the man?

Not the time to ponder, honestly.

“I almost died down there in the lake. Please forgive me for not being back to the innocent student I was before being forced to partake in a tournament I have no place to be in.”

Harry wasn’t quite able to keep his sarcasm or his hatred for his fourth year hidden. It really was a hellhole.

Snape watched him closely for a little while, before he nodded. “Dismissed.”

As Harry grabbed his satchel, he could hear him muttering to himself, “another near death”.

Horrified, Harry glanced back as he opened the door and saw Snape standing by a bookshelf, his back turned to him. He hurried outside and closed the door, leaning with his back on his for a few seconds, before he made his way towards the stairs, where his new group of friends were waiting.

Shit, if Snape wasn’t in on everything, he was definitely close at figuring out what was going on with the time travelling students of Hogwarts.

Chapter Text

“Harry, my boy, come in” Dumbledore said and sent him an innocent grandfatherly smile as Harry moved into the room carefully and closed the door behind him.

The Headmaster's office always felt unsettlingly familiar, yet oddly alien. The memories of having seen McGonagall inside, running the school smoothly and with an almost iron fist was a picture like night and day. While McGonagall had been strict, she had always been fair and after a quick realization what all the prejudice had done to the Slytherin House, she had changed course dramatically and was doing rather well. Highly esteemed as well, wherever she went.

The gargoyle guardian remained unchanged – a mocking reminder of youthful pranks. Inside, the portraits cackled with the same gossip they'd dispensed during Harry’s own school days, their amusement now tinged with a knowing glint. Dumbledore's perch behind the massive desk seemed to have grown in stature, his twinkling eyes holding an unreadable depth. One, that Harry couldn’t read anymore. This seemed to be a different man than the one he had known in his youth. Or well, in the other timeline.

Here, amidst the whirring of the Pensieve and the scent of ancient parchment, doubt gnawed at the edges of Harry’s trust. Was this the same wise leader who'd guided him through adolescence, or had power carved a new, more enigmatic figure from the man he thought he knew?

“Sit, sit” Dumbledore said, unaware of Harry’s silent battle. “Lemon Drop?”

“No thank you, sir” Harry said calmly as he took the seat across Dumbledore, where he had been sitting so often. Even with McGonagall, he had visited her often and just conversed with her. It usually ended with her trying to get him to teach in the school, he had always told her that he’d consider it in another life.

Funny, how that worked out.

Dumbledore leaned closer, a smile on his face, while a spark danced through his eyes. Harry knew the incantation for that by now. People really were more trusting when they thought the other person to be a softy. Or dumb.

“Are you alright, my boy?”

Harry wasn’t sure how to answer that. “I don’t know” he said instead of trying to explain.

What really was there to explain?

“Did something happen while you were under water?” Dumbledore asked, leaning in even closer, as if he was expecting Harry to reveal a whole new world to him.

As if he knew.

Harry frowned. “No?” he answered, slightly hesitating. “I mean, a whole lot happened, but… I have a feeling you’re not looking for something with the tournament.”

Dumbledore hummed and leaned back, watching him closely. His attention was clearly gone, since the sparkles were gone. It was impressive that he could do it for so long. Usually, the incantation allowed for two seconds of innocence. Which was why it was so difficult to master, since timing was usually a problem.

“Why did you go down again? You were at the surface with everyone else.”

“I, uh…” Harry’s brain was working fast to find a solution to the problem, “I took that plant thing where I grew gills and I couldn’t breathe air anymore. I had to wait until they were gone.”

Dumbledore nodded, wisely. His sparks were back. Impressive magical use, really.

“I see” the older man said, his eyes laying on Harry, waiting for him to slip up, it seemed. “When you got out of the water, you had your wand at the ready.”

“I was attacked” Harry stated and crossed his arms. “Having the second task in the river in February is a death sentence for anyone getting a cold.”

Dumbledore waved away his concern with a quick chuckle. Harry just watched.

“My dear boy, we don’t have to deal with that. Muggle illnesses don’t get to us.”

“Actually, they do” Harry said and rolled his eyes as Dumbledore raised an eyebrow instead of verbally asking how he knew. “That’s why children get vaccines, don’t they? To make sure they don’t get any illnesses from wizards and Muggles.” He paused for a second, before he continued. “I remember my vaccines being ignored by the way. So, I could die due to having to partake in the tournament.”

Dumbledore looked up in alert. “You didn’t have your vaccines?”

“As if my aunt and uncle cared” Harry stated, annoyed. “Was this all you wanted to talk to me about? My part in the tournament?”

“I was wondering if you were alright?”

“I am not. Now, may I leave?”

Dumbledore frowned. “My dear boy-“

“I would appreciate it if you wouldn’t call me that, Professor. You are my headmaster, not a close relative. The way you address me is borderline inappropriate.”

Harry got up and left a stunned Dumbledore behind. When he closed the door, he could hear the portrays cackling at their discussion. He rolled his eyes and left to find someone who would help him calm down again.

It just so happened that he walked into Luna Lovegood.

Harry’s heart bled when he saw her beaming at him. In her hand was a bucket of raw meat. Visiting the Thestrals it was, then.

“Hey Moon” Harry said with a soft smile and pulled her into a tight hug. Luna laughed lightly and smiled. “Can I join you?”

“Always” Luna answered easily and they left the castle, heading to the forest.

They walked in companionable silence, only the sound of the forest weaving a symphony around them. Sunlight dappled the mossy forest floor in a mosaic of light and shadow. Overhead, a canopy of ancient oaks whispered secrets in the gentle breeze. Birdsong fluttered through the leaves, a melody punctuated by the occasional chirp of a cricket or the rustle of a small and big creature unseen. The air held the earthy scent of damp soil and decaying leaves, mingled with the sweet perfume of wildflowers struggling for a foothold in the dappled light. As Harry inhaled deeply, the tension that had coiled in his shoulders began to unwind, replaced by a sense of serenity that only the embrace of nature could provide.

As they headed closer to where he had died as a teenager however, he felt himself tense up again. It was the same light, the same sounds, the same feeling in the air. Just the knowledge of what had happened in the other timeline was enough.

Suddenly, a twig snapped underfoot. The sharp crack echoed in the stillness, shattering the nascent calm. Harry froze, heart hammering against his ribs. The scene in his head played out again, vivid and horrifying – the same snap, the same jolt of fear, the same feeling of being utterly helpless.

Gasping for breath, Harry fought the rising tide of panic. The verdant beauty of the forest blurred at the edges, replaced by the stark, terrifying landscape of his trauma. It took a monumental effort to blink away the ghosts of the past and refocus on the present. Their companion, oblivious, continued walking, the sound of their footsteps a grounding anchor in the storm of Harrys emotions.

“Hey Harry” Luna’s voice broke through his mind and he blinked, seeing her in front of him clearly. “You know, we’d never let that happen again, right? And if it ever comes to that big battle again, you can bet your arse I will follow you in here.”

Harry chuckled at her fiery speech. “I won’t let that happen.”

Luna raised her eyebrow as if daring him to challenge her. Then, she silently held her free hand out. “A little further, then we’ll see the Thestrals again. The babies are really growing fast!”

Smiling softly, Harry grabbed her hand and followed her through the woods. “You know, you’re really good at distracting me.”

“Someone had to, especially after Ron died. You’d have buried yourself too deep into your own mind and your own fears to live.”

Harry sighed. “And then you died. Really messed me up.”

Luna laughed brightly and nodded. “I figured. You only realize how much someone means to you when they’re dead or dying.”

“Oh, Moon, I always knew that you mean a lot to me. But the fact that I had to be everyone’s rock after Ron’s death and that you became mine, before brutally being ripped away from me…”

“I know. Maybe us being here, getting a second chance, is a blessing in disguise. We get to live again, together.”

Harry sighed. “But I wish everyone would be back” he was lost in thoughts about his friends from the adult life. “Hermione’s such a child at the moment. George too. They have no idea what the rest of us went through… what they went through.”

Luna nodded and squeezed his hand. “When I came back, there was this huge discussion about whether or not we let other people know what we went through, about the other timeline. But in the end, they decided not to tell. You see, they’re so innocent, untouched by a war we’re trying to evade. It would just worry them, it’s baggage they’re not supposed to have.”

Harry hummed softly. “But how can we co-exist with them, our ghosts haunting us and them not realizing what’s going on?”

“You’ve just woken up yet, Harry” Luna said softly. “Over time, you will forget the details of the life you’ve lived. You will realize that not all ghosts come back to haunt you. We’re much stronger now, having gone through a war yet to be seen. Maybe with all of our experiences and knowledge, we are indeed able to turn the tide and make sure that none of the children will get to go through what they had to go through in the other timeline.”

“I wish we had Hermione back” Harry said softly. “And I’m not even back a full week.”

Luna laughed brightly. “Trust me, Harry, I was wishing for you to arrive here from the first day I arrived here and figured out what was going on. Now, I only want Ginny here and I’d be perfectly happy.”

Harry sighed. “I don’t think that’s going to happen.”

“And the window is closing” Luna added with a shrug.

“How do you know?”

“Oh, the Nargles told me.”

Harry laughed softly. Not all things had changed then.

Harry left the Transfiguration classroom and bid goodbye to Hermione who was heading to the library with a few Ravenclaws and Slytherins in tow. He himself made sure to move closer to Neville, Blaise Zabini and Ron.

“Are we sure that none of the professors have travelled back?” Harry asked quietly.

Neville turned to look at him with a frown. “What do you mean?”

“McGonagall’s different. Extremely different.”

Ron snorted. “Exactly what I thought, mate” he explained and shrugged his shoulders. “She always looks at us as if she’s seen the things we’ve seen.”

Blaise Zabini snorted. “Yes, because she’s a very talented Legilimens, Ron.”

“Wait, what?”

“Really?”

Neville sniggered at Harry’s and Ron’s surprise. “The fact that you two idiots didn’t know that is just too funny! Anyway, I think she knows that something isn’t as it’s supposed to be.”

Blaise nodded. “Agreed. Even Diggory reported her changing from first year through.”

“You think she read his mind, or seen something that puzzled her?” Harry asked.

“Very likely” Neville answered and rubbed his chin in thought. “I’m curious if she told Dumbledore about her suspicions.”

Harry sighed. “He seems to know something. Then again, I’m still not convinced that Snape’s ignorant of what’s going on around him. He’s a Legilimens as well.”

“True, but he wouldn’t go snooping in other people’s minds” Blaise argued.

“He knows that the children seem to change after the near death experience” Neville stated, clearly thinking about what Harry had told them he had heard when he left the classroom. “So, he might know something. Or he might make connections that we don’t want the adults to make.”

Ron hummed in thought. “He could help us actually.”

“No” Harry shook his head. “He already has to balance two lives, we shouldn’t add another secret to it. Also, he might have travelled back as well.”

“Which I’m convinced isn’t true” Neville argued and shook his head. “Cedric did poke rather hard and the twins’ pranks were just for him to slip up when no one was around. No, he’s not with us.”

Blaise seemed thoughtful. “Should we recruit him then?”

“Nope” Neville shook his head. “I do not trust him. Not until he shows that he’s changed and that he can make sure that his students are fine. Gregory’s not really sick, I know it.”

Ron sighed at that. “Yeah, I visited him in the Infirmary, Madam Pomfrey is baffled by his ‘illness’. He just needed to get out for a bit.”

Harry raised his eyebrows. “Is it that bad?”

“I don’t think he’s ever going to get around the idea of the fire” Ron said softly. “It was a huge trauma for him.”

“Not only him” Blaise stated darkly. “I know for a fact that Draco’s not comfortable with the fire in the Common Room. He pretends that he’s fine, but any unexpected crack or flame and he’s gone.”

Neville rubbed his forehead. “I wish we could all just take a week off and get group therapy somewhere no one would bother us.”

“I mean” Harry held his hands out and turned around so he would face the other people, “I’m emancipated, so I can go to Gringotts and get them to clean up the Potter Manor. You’ve seen it, Neville. It’s big enough for all of us and we’d still have ample rooms to do research or war planning.”

Frowning slightly, Neville watched Harry close, before nodding slowly. “It would be a good idea. There’s a two week break over Easter. If you can get the Goblins to have the Manor cleaned up by then, I think it would do everyone some good to get out of here and just… relax for a while.”

Blaise had big eyes with that statement. “I’ve always wanted to see the Potter Manor! Is it as big as the Zabini one in Italy?”

Harry snorted. “I’ve been there for your funeral and let me ask you something… how much money do you get from the Mafia?”

The grin spreading across Blaise’s features was enough of an answer. “Don’t know, don’t care” he said with a snigger.

Ron snorted. “I should have investigated this, when I had the chance! Damn it.”

Neville laughed softly and shook his head. “All idiots around us, I see” he stated and placed an arm around Harry’s shoulders. “Let’s leave the children to bicker.”

“We’re not children!” Ron called after them.

“You’re children!” Blaise yelled loudly, which made Harry laugh.

“It’s good to be back” he said, leaning into Neville who sniggered.

“Indeed. Good to have you back.”

Chapter Text

Harry carefully read over the proposed ritual to destroy the Horcruxes and hummed thoughtfully. “Did you already test it on any of the real ones?” he asked and looked up to see the Slytherins nervously rock from foot to foot, while the few Hufflepuffs in their corner shock their heads.

“We didn’t know if there were going to be any problems around them. Ron just got us a bit of the Basilisk venom and we destroyed it that way” Ernie Macmillan said with a shrug. The Hufflepuff had loosened his tie and sat down on a desk in the corner of the room.

“How did you find the ritual, then?” Harry asked and straightened the page. “I was thinking of doing a ritual myself, but this seems a bit… ostentatious.”

Leanne Fox smirked. “Three guesses from who’s family library this is coming from” the Hufflepuff offered.

Harry snorted. “Is it Malfoy?” he asked, before laughing, when Leanne and the others nodded. “Of course it is.”

Ernie grinned. “I mean, we could just continue with our method before, we just thought that it would be nicer to have something to finish the job quickly.”

“I understand. There is one problem to this ritual, however” Harry said and sighed. “It says here that it destroys all objects with a similar soul core and missing amount of souls. That’s fine, but” he paused and rubbed his forehead, where the scar had its roots. “I’m a host of Voldy’s soul.”

The eery silence was almost deafening. Finally, Ernie stepped forwards and looked at him closely. He turned Harry’s head, so he was looking into the light and shone some more into his eyes, before narrowing his eyes.

“Are you sure it came back with you?” he asked.

“Positive” Harry answered. “I’ve lived most of my adult life without that soul piece, I know when it’s there, trying to leech off of my magic and own soul.”

Leanne frowned. “How did you take it out before?”

Harry rolled his eyes. “I died. In the forest. Took the soul part out of me.”

“Yeah, that won’t happen again” Isobel MacDougal said and shook her head. “So, this ritual won’t do it just yet. We’ll have to find something else to change the holder of the soul.”

Ernie seemed hesitant to mention something, but Harry could see that whatever he had on his mind was really messing with him. Since he didn’t say it out loud, Harry decided to wait for the end of the meeting to confront him.

The meeting didn’t take much longer, a few more things were discussed out what possibilities they still had, before settling on more Basilisk poison and Leanne was tasked with ordering Ron around to get more. They spread apart and Harry made sure to catch up with Ernie.

“Hey Ernie, what’s on your mind? You’re… something’s clearly bothering you” Harry said and was suddenly pulled into an empty classroom.

Ernie erected strong wards, before he turned to him, worry etched in his face. Anybody seeing him would know instantly that he wasn’t a child anymore. Harry didn’t like that look, but he decided to wait and hope that whatever was going on could be… salvaged.

“Here’s the thing” Ernie said softly, “I can’t detect another soul piece in your body.”

Harry froze. “You think it’s gone?”

His magic was searching his own body and he could feel Voldy’s soul piece etched under his skin, attached to his own… Oh no.

“I think your soul has taken it in. It has grown up with you and the only way to remove it would be from the original caster, which is Voldemort” Ernie said darkly. “That’s why it worked out in our original timeline. Anybody else and you would have died, including Voldy’s soul piece. But the fact that I cannot find another soul means that it’s attached itself to you over the years.

Harry sighed. “Is there a way to remove it? Maybe if I… If I… consciously tell myself that this isn’t me, or something?”

Ernie sighed. “It’s been too long. I mean, I can cast a diagnostic, but I’m pretty sure that your soul and You-Know-Who’s soul have merged together.”

“Do it.”

The Hufflepuff sighed and flicked his wrist for his wand to appear. Then, the formerly high-ranked St. Mungo’s healer cast a diagnostic on Harry that no normal fourth year student would be able to successfully complete. Then again, they weren’t normal. None of them.

Soul Merge Diagnostic

Subjects:
Subject 1: Harry James Potter (main soul)
Subject 2: Tom Marvolo Gaunt Riddle (soul shard)

Indicators of Soul Merge (underline all that apply) :
Auric Signature: Flickering or Intertwined Aura
Empathic Link: Unprompted Emotional Sharing
Dream Overlap: Shared or Similar Dreams
Spontaneous Memories: Access to Each Other's Memories
Mental Link: Synchronized or Overlapping Thoughts
Shared Physical Sensations: Unexplained Pain/Pleasure

Soul Merge Status:
Confirmed (if several indicators are underlined)
Possible (if only one or two indicators are underlined)
Inconclusive (if no indicators are underlined)

Notes:

• This Soul Merge was done unintentionally.
• After ten years, the Soul Merge cannot be broken without significant pain to both souls.
• After twenty years, both souls will be one. The stronger soul will be unable to separate between their own and the foreign soul.
• The lesser soul will fight to remain, even going as far as killing its host, if removed violently.
• If there’s no harm done to the main soul, it’s best to keep the soul shard attached.

“This is… I…” Harry groaned. “Keep Voldy’s soul attached to mine?! No thank you!”

Ernie read the result over and rubbed his forehead. “This is much worse than I thought. I’m not even sure if there’s a ritual we can do. If You-Know-Who’s soul shard is really going to fight to your death, I would honestly rather have you here with his link than dead.”

Harry sighed, shaking his head. “Yeah, but Ernie… If the souls aren’t destroyed, he can and will come back every time we get rid of him!”

The Hufflepuff bit his lower lip and seemed to be searching for an answer on the floor. Finally, he looked up at Harry again. “Do I have your permission to give this to the Magical Artifacts Hunt group? They might know more. Also, Draco’s part of that and he found us the first ritual.”

Snorting, Harry nodded. “Sure, go ahead. But do tell Draco that I won’t do any pompous rituals for his own pleasure.”

Ernie smirked despite the dire situation. “He’ll try anyways.”

Classes continued as normal.

Harry soon realized that even though he had already learnt all of this, there were always good reasons to repeat things. He had been briefed by most time travelling people that he wasn’t allowed to show his real powers in open school.

But behind closed doors, in their secret headquarters, there was a duelling room, which he took advantage of quite often, just to keep his wand skills sharp. He enjoyed the challenges there a lot. At least, he was allowed to be on top in his DADA class, even of Fake Moody was an annoyance.

“Ron, what are our electives and why aren’t we going there?” Harry asked one day, sitting on the grass outside. It was a rather beautiful day, especially since it had been snowing yesterday. But now it really was warm – okay, Ron’s warming charm was helping.

His friend hummed. “I keep forgetting that you don’t have any memories from before. So, the thing is, Dumbledore told us we wouldn’t get an education in our electives this year, because of the tournament.”

Harry turned to look at his friend. “Absolutely not. That can’t be true. No Quidditch and no electives?”

Ron snorted. “It is. Everyone went mental. Some parents sent howlers, a few even threatened to take their children out of Hogwarts. It went on like that until the first task.”

“And then?”

“Oh people realized that it was interesting to watch the Boy Who Lived fight dragons and beasts and most forgot. Also, we don’t have much to do now, so that’s a plus.”

Harry rolled his eyes. “Then how can we make sure we’ve got enough knowledge to pass our O.W.L.s next year?”

Ron chuckled, the sound soft and airy like wind chimes. Pulling his knees up, he sank deeper into the cool grass, sighing contentedly. A comfortable silence stretched between them for a moment, broken only by the chirping of crickets. Finally, Ron spoke again, his voice tinged with a hint of mischief. “We won’t pass those blasted classes, not a chance in Hades. That’s kind of the point, wouldn't you say?” He raised an eyebrow playfully, a glint of challenge in his eyes.

Snorting, Harry rolled his eyes. “If I didn’t know better, I would think that the twins finally had a bad influence on you. Why shouldn’t we pass the classes?”

“To make sure that Dumbledore won’t get what he wants. Don’t worry, Neville reassured us that we could just take the exams during summer again, should we fail our O.W.L.s.”

“This is crazy” Harry said, shaking his head.

Ron snorted. “Next time we’re in the headquarters, I’ll give you my memories of ‘Mione to watch. She went ballistic trying to get Dumbledore to continue the electives.”

“I can imagine.”

“So, she created study groups and actually hired older years to teach us. Padma and her went all out, creating lesson plans and contracts for the fake teachers as well as all the years. The students even get paid to do a good job.”

Harry laughed softly. “Somehow that doesn’t surprise me at all.”

Ron sniggered. “Yeah. Quite a few people from fifth and seventh year have hired the two with actual money to create them a study plan for the upcoming O.W.L.s and N.E.W.T.s. I think the twins have a bet going on when the two of them are going to start a company together.”

Harry smirked, looking up at the sky. He could see Hermione creating a company. He hadn’t had much to do with Padma, but hearing this… it could actually happen. The two of them seemed to be eager enough.

That did leave him with one question however. Before, the three of them had been so close, almost inseparable. They went through a war, starved together, fought all kinds of dangerous and bad things…

“Are we still close? The three of us, I mean?”

Harry didn’t look at his friend, rather staring up at the cloud formation, trying to see shapes and animals. Beside him, he could hear Ron pulling himself up, most likely leaning on his elbow.

“We are” he said softly. “But unlike before, we all kind of have our own friendship circle.”

Tilting his head, Harry looked over to his friend. “So, Hermione’s friends are Pansy, Padma and a few others?”

Ron nodded. “Yes, since Neville didn’t have a toad our first year, she never left to find it, coming to our compartment. Also, Draco managed to snag both of us and seat us in their compartment. ‘Mione spent the day with mostly Ravens.”

“How did we become friends then?” Harry asked, thinking about Ron’s idiocy in first year on Halloween.

“Oh, she was put into Gryffindor and Neville, Fred, Alicia and Percy kind of made us spend time with each other.”

Harry frowned. “So… we were forced to be with each other?”

Ron shrugged his shoulders. “I don’t remember. Just like you, I came back when we were already friends, you know? Seamus was my buddy, because he came back shortly before I did. But he also couldn’t tell me how we became friends.”

Humming softly, Harry turned back to the sky, silently watching the clouds change forms and sizes. It was nice to know that Hermione had made other friends and that she was doing so well. Also, the fact that she was still interested to be with them was nice.

That did leave Harry with yet another question, he needed answers to. How had Ron dealt with being the only one of the three of them to remember their past?

He stole a glance at his friend, who sat opposite him, knees drawn up to his chest. His gaze was fixed on the shimmering surface of the lake, a million tiny reflections dancing in the afternoon sun. Lost in thought, he seemed miles away, oblivious to the world around them. Harry shifted uncomfortably, the silence stretching a little too thin. With a sigh that escaped his lips like a deflating balloon, he pushed himself off the ground, using the movement to break the spell. Slowly, he straightened his back, bones popping as he came to a sitting position. His eyes lingered on Ron for a moment longer, curiosity warring with the urge to give them space.

“And what about you?” he asked softly. “How did you deal with being back here, the only part of the former Golden Trio?”

Ron huffed a laugh and turned to look at him. “I hated every single part of this. I cursed everyone who wanted to help me, had pushed everyone away. Neville tried to help me desperately, but I just couldn’t cope with being back. I just felt alone for so long.”

Harry looked at Ron, trying to imagine how he would have done if he had come back during their first year. That would have probably been torture. Especially when he was alone.

“But you’re good now? What changed?”

Ron sighed. “Mostly Fred. He came back when he was eight. The twins experimented by taking a prank item apart and it exploded, leaving Fred in a very unstable situation, according to Mum. He changed after that, though I don’t know. When it was clear that I couldn’t cope with the situation around me, Fred pulled me aside and… he explained how hard it was keeping this from George and how he sometimes looks at him, hoping he would come back as well. He asked himself over and over how his life would be without him. It was really sad.”

Harry chuckled softly at that image. “I can imagine.”

“So, I guess after that I decided to reach out, make sure that I’ve got more people in my friend group. I kept you and Hermione close, but I think that was just my own wish to keep part of our lost timeline with me. And, well Neville helped a lot.”

“And you became the pillar of the group.”

Ron laughed softly. “That happened by accident.”

“Sure it did” Harry answered with a wink.

Their discussion was cut short when the bell for dinner sounded and they got up to join the other children in the Great Hall for tea.

After three weeks in the past – damn was it only three weeks?! – Harry was finally allowed to visit Gringotts. With an escort of Luna, Neville himself and Percy, who was allowed to come and go as he pleased, since he was on Ministry time during the Tournament.

The reason for this escort was due to the fact that when Ron had first visited the bank after having travelled back, he had been escorted away from his family and questioned by the goblins. Apparently, they knew when someone from another timeline had stolen from the bank.

What a grand prospect.

Percy apparated them to Diagon Alley, early in the morning and they headed through the sleepy street towards the bank. As they walked closer, Harry could already tell that the guards had their eyes on him.

“I hate this” he murmured more to himself.

Neville snorted. “Ron’s alive, you know. They won’t kill you.”

“Yeah, but Ron wasn’t afraid to go to Gringotts and ask them for forgiveness. I was scared shitless. It kind of was my idea to take the dragon for a fly.”

“They won’t kill you” Luna repeated what Neville said, while shaking her head. “I’ll be by your side at all times.”

Harry sighed. This did not make him feel better, but he didn’t voice it. Somehow, he knew that Luna was aware of it already. Needless to say, they didn’t make it to the tellers, as the second Harry put a foot onto bank property, they were swarmed by guards.

One guard opened a side door while others ordered them to walk through. Harry did so wordlessly. He knew it had come to this, since he had stolen from the bank in the past/future. The only thing he wished he should have done, was talking to Ron and finding out what the goblins wanted to talk about. And hopefully, not kill him.

His group was ushered into a cramped waiting area that felt more like a forgotten corridor than a reception. The air hung heavy with dust motes illuminated by a single, flickering bulb overhead. Cracked leather armchairs, once grand but now worn and sagging, sat around a chipped coffee table adorned with a chipped porcelain ashtray overflowing with cigarette butts. The faded wallpaper depicted a scene of rolling green hills that felt utterly at odds with the grimy reality of the room. Harry felt a jolt of nervous energy course through him, making sitting seem an impossibility. He began to pace the threadbare rug, his footsteps echoing off the damp walls.

In stark contrast, Luna glided across the room like a spectre, her movements imbued with an effortless grace. She settled into one of the armchairs, her posture perfectly poised despite the worn leather straining beneath her. Meanwhile, Percy, ever the pragmatist, flopped down onto the stained couch, grabbing a well-worn book from the wobbly table. Harry wasn’t sure he was even interested in what was going on, most likely just here because none of them could apparate without it being suspicious. Neville, ever vigilant, stationed himself by the door, his body language rigid and alert. Just a glance at his guarded stance spoke volumes about his war-forged past. The contrast between their relaxed demeanours and Harry’s nervous pacing only intensified his anxiety. The waiting game had begun, and the atmosphere in the cramped room felt thick with tension.

Luckily, it took only ten minutes, before the door was opened and a goblin entered. Neville had been alert, but bowed and stepped away from the door. The goblin thanked him and walked to the table in the back.

“Mister Potter” he said on somewhat rough English. “Welcome back, I assume.”

Harry was unsure about how to react to that. He glanced over at Luna who sent him a smile and Neville who kept his place next to the door, looking a bit more relaxed than before.

“Thank you, I guess? And… I… I’m sorry.”

The goblin barked a laugh and nodded. “No worries. Have you done any reparations with the Goblin Nation before coming here?”

Harry licked his lips and cleared his throat. “I… not- not personally, no. But I um… told a friend to basically give you all my money in the accounts I’ve had. I didn’t know how much the fix for the lower levels and the Grand Hall as well as the replacement dragon cost…”

Neville snorted and rolled his eyes. “Less than all the money from your family accounts, you idiot.”

“I guessed” Harry answered him and shrugged his shoulders. “The rest would have been a payment to hopefully allow my children to receive a vault in Gringotts.”

The goblins seemed amused by that and the one behind the desk nodded. “Then your debt has been collected. You are hereby welcomed back to Gringotts.”

Harry relaxed finally and nodded softly. “Thank you.”

“Let's talk business.”

Chapter Text

The atmosphere in Gringotts’ supply closet of a meeting room had undergone a metamorphosis. Gone was the oppressive darkness that had initially choked the space, replaced by a sense of normalcy, albeit a peculiar one. Sunlight, stronger than before, now filtered through a dusty overhead window that hadn’t been opened before, casting long shadows across the cluttered floor. Percy, ever the picture of composure, remained engrossed in his well-worn book, oblivious to the shift around him. Luna, however, sat relaxed by the fireplace - a fireplace that hadn't existed moments ago. A single, flickering log crackled merrily, casting a warm glow on her face and adding a touch of unexpected comfort to the stark room.

Harry stole a glance at Neville, his ever-watchful guardian. It hadn’t been like that before and he had always thought that Neville was the boss in this operation. But now it seemed as if Neville was trying to protect Harry. Or at least, make him feel more comfortable.

The rigid tension had softened from his posture, though his gaze remained sharp, constantly scanning the doorway. A silent promise hung in the air – Neville was still Harry’s shield, ready to spring into action at the slightest hint of danger. Frankly, Harry found the unwavering loyalty a comforting balm to his still-racing heart. He couldn't explain the sudden fire or the change in light, but amidst the strangeness, their unwavering presence grounded him in a reality that felt increasingly surreal.

“I am Account Manager Larvish, I serve the Potter, Peverell and Hogwarts founder families” Larvish said with a nod. “Which means I am your Account Manager, at least for the Potter and Peverell families.”

Rolling his eyes Harry took a seat on the chair that appeared out of nowhere in front of the table. “I should have known I was a Peverell.”

Luna giggled. “Well, the Peverells married into the Potter family, their name disappeared. You could have looked that up any number of times.”

Looking over his shoulder, Harry raised his eyebrows at his friend. “Do I look like I’ve done my research, Moon?”

“No” several people answered, which made Harry snort.

He turned back to an amused looking Account Manager. “I was wondering whether or not you could help me with my emancipation this year? I’m not going back to my relatives and I’ve been entered into the Triwizard Tournament against my will. It stated that only-“

“Only adults can join, yes” Larvish said with a nod. “We’ve had your emancipation ready from the second your name came out of the fire. Even before it was read out loud, you were emancipated.”

Next to him, he could see Percy looking up. “Hold on a second, that would mean… he could have said he didn’t want to participate!”

Harry frowned at that new information and looked at the Weasley brother in confusion. “What do you mean?”

“Well… there’s a bylaw that if someone received a forced emancipation due to magical reasons, the adult in question may refuse to act upon whatever made them receive their emancipation.”

The noise in the room dropped like a stone, replaced by a thick silence that pressed down on them all. Harry stared at Percy, his jaw slack with a mixture of shock and morbid fascination. The chance to refuse? Percy had just revealed a potential escape hatch, a safety valve that Harry could have pulled to avoid this entire deadly situation.

If only he had known that before!

Across from him, Neville bristled. His growl rumbled from deep within his chest, a low, guttural sound that spoke volumes of his displeasure. Luna, for her part, let out a long, weary sigh. It seemed to sag her entire posture, a visible weight settling on her shoulders.

“I knew there was something...” she muttered, more to herself than the others. Her voice was laced with regret, a quiet storm brewing behind her normally composed demeanour.

Harry managed a humourless chuckle, the sound brittle and strained in the tense silence. He turned to her, his eyes searching hers. “Don't worry” he said, his voice barely a whisper. “None of us knew. I’m not even sure Dumbledore knew of that.”

Neville hummed thoughtfully. “You trust too easily.”

Percy agreed with a hum and turned back to his book, while Luna chuckled softly.

“I decide to believe that people are good. The things they do is because of the goodness of their hearts.”

“What about You-Know-Who, then?” Percy asked with a raised eyebrow.

Harry shrugged his shoulders. “Everyone breaks when repeatedly pushed down. I don’t think he came to this world, deciding to be a Dark Lord. I think people pushed him too far, broke him too often, so that in the end that was his only way out. A safety-mechanism to make sure he was going to survive.”

Another silence, though this one wasn’t as heavy on Harry as the one before. It was clear though that his companions had a lot to think about.

Turning back to the goblin, he sent him a quick smile. “I would like to sign the emancipation papers please. Is there a property ready for me to move into by summer?”

“The goblins will examine all your properties and send you a list about the needed repairs and or wards.”

Harry bowed his head. “We’re looking for a place to stay during Easter. Our group has to get away from prying eyes.”

Larvish nodded, looking through the property list, before he stopped. “The Potter properties all seem to need extensive repairs and checks. The Peverell properties even more so. However, there is a small ocean-side property in Wales that the Peverells bought as a wedding gift for their daughter who married into the Potter family. This one seems to need the least amount of repairs and comes with two house elves.”

The goblin placed a parchment in front of him. Harry grabbed it and raised his eyebrows.

Looking over to Neville, Harry wordlessly asked if he thought that place was alright. Since it was kind of Neville’s decision what to do with their group, even of Harry was playing the host, he needed to give a yes.

Neville abandoned his post by the door with a silent grace born of years of honed reflexes. He materialized soundlessly beside Harry, his presence a comforting weight in the unknown room.

“So” Neville murmured softly, “how grand is this supposed to be?”

Harry shot him a side glance, a hint of amusement flickering in his eyes. “Apparently, it comes with the works.” He looked up from the parchment and frowned at the goblin, who seemed momentarily taken aback by Neville’s sudden appearance. Or maybe it was because he hadn’t thought Neville would move from the guard-post he had taken up.

“Fifteen bedrooms? Three sitting rooms?” Harry asked softly, his voice tinged with disbelief. “There must be some mistake. I thought you said it was small?!”

The goblin laughed, while Neville next to Harry sniggered. The goblin took the parchment back and started counting. “Yes, well, fifteen bedrooms, three sitting rooms, a potions laboratory, a duelling room for settling minor disagreements...” he paused, a hint of amusement flickering in his eyes.

“Ha ha” Harry said drily.

Meanwhile, Luna was laughing in the background, while Neville smirked.

“An outdoor herbs garden” Larvish continued, “a swimming pool, and not one, but two kitchens.” He paused, a sly smile playing on his lips. “And it seems you'll also have access to a private, magical beach.”

Percy’s head shot up from his book, his eyes wide with wonder. He leaned conspiratorially towards Luna, who was once again serenely perched in her armchair. “Easter by the magical beach?” he whispered; his voice barely audible. Still, Harry had heard him.

Harry and Luna laughed, while Neville rolled his eyes.

“How much to make sure it’s in good condition by Easter?” Harry asked.

“Adding all the necessary wards for impending war” Neville added quickly.

Larvish remained quiet for a couple of seconds, before he looked down at the property parchment. “We can’t give an exact statement, since we haven’t seen it. Judging by the notes and the fact that there are two remaining house elves, my guess would be between 2600 and 10000 Galleons.”

Harry widened his eyes. “That’s quite the range.”

“Well, he haven’t seen the property. It could go in either direction. I doubt however it would be more than 10000 Galleons.”

“How about this” Neville offered. “You can go there and make a list of everything that needs to be done and send it to Mr. Potter and he gives you the okay when we know how much it’ll cost.”

Harry quickly nodded, when Larvish looked at him for an answer. “Fair enough” the goblin said and wrote it down. “Can Gringotts to anything for you today?”

Neville held his hands up. “Not for me, thank you. If my grandmother knew I was here instead of Hogwarts, she’d skin my alive.”

Snorting, Harry shook his head. “Doubtful, you’re her only heir.”

“Oh yeah… I still wouldn’t try it.”

Luna got up from her chair. “I’d like to see my Account Manager please.” She grinned at Neville. “I don’t have the same problems as you do.”

“Obviously” Neville rolled his eyes.

Percy sniggered and got up as well. “I would also like to talk to my Account Manager, I’ve got a few investments I’d like to go through with him.”

“If you’re talking about ‘future’ investments, I will make sure you’re being hunted down for all the money to receive.”

“You’ll never know” Percy said and placed to book back on the table. “Account Managers know how to keep secrets.”

Neville raised his eyebrows and looked at Harry, while Percy and Luna left. “Do you think he’s going to talk about where to invest?”

Harry laughed softly. “Absolutely.”

The renovations ended up costing 3120 Galleons. Mostly because the potions lab needed to be deep cleaned and the warding around the place needed to be reset and redrawn. Also, several animals had made this their space, the house elves happy enough to have living beings to care for.

Harry, along with Neville, Ron and Luna had apparated there (since it wasn’t public, no one was going to just ‘find’ them apparating somewhere). Going back to Hogwarts was another story, but the house elves could probably help with that.

“Wow” escaped Harry's lips as their magical transport deposited them before a charming 15-room house. It certainly wasn't the opulent Zabini mansion in Italy (funded by the Mafia, Zabini?), but this house exuded a warmth that the Italian palazzo lacked. A pebbled path, neatly edged with cobblestones, led to the bright red door. The door itself gleamed as if freshly polished, a stark contrast to the ivy that snaked playfully up the stone wall beside it. On one side of the path, a riot of colours spilled from a flower garden, roses and lilies vying for attention with vibrant periwinkle blooms. Across the path, a smaller herb garden offered a more subdued charm, the scent of rosemary and thyme mingling with the crisp morning air. A low stone fence ran along the front perimeter, its weathered surface adding a touch of rustic history to the scene. All in all, the house held a welcoming presence, whispering promises of cozy evenings and cheerful mornings. It was a far cry from luxury, but it held a different kind of wealth – the promise of a home.

“Merlin’s balls, I am in love!” Ron called out.

“With Merlin?” Neville asked drily, which made Harry snigger.

Luna beamed at him. “This is so beautiful! Come, let’s say hello to the house elves.”

She grabbed Harry and pulled him into the garden in the front. As soon as they passed the wards, Harry could feel the house. As its owner and the Lord for Peverell, he could feel where everyone was, even the house elves. One was in the kitchen, the other seemed to be popping from room to room, most likely checking something.

Even before they arrived at the door, it was opened and two house elves popped into existence. “Master has returned home!” they cried.

Harry chuckled. “Hello” he said softly. “It’s nice to meet you. Thank you for taking good care of this house.”

The house elves introduced themselves as Jeff and Lina. They had apparently been at this house ever since it became Peverell properties. Clearly, they were happy that someone was back. And they didn’t mind that Harry was interested in bringing over a bunch of people for Christmas.

The four of them went around the house to discover what there was to see, while the house elves threw some food together for them.

“We would need to place a few people together in a room, but I don’t think that’s going to be a problem” Neville said, before turning to Harry. “Are you sure about this?”

“Hey, I think, we all need some time to be ourselves. I think while a lot of the others are fine, they haven’t really been allowed to let loose. That includes you, Nev.”

Neville laughed and nodded. “I can see your point, Harry. Let’s go find the house elves and ask if we can have the house ready for Easter.”

Obviously, the house elves had been ecstatic to have that many people over in just a couple of weeks. And for two full weeks, that was going to be fun for all. After being served a delicious lunch, the four returned back to Hogwarts, where Neville was pulled away into a meeting with the nerds from War Preparations about the Portkey thing in the final task. Ron apparently had a meeting with Susan – “How are they not a couple by now, Moon?” – and Luna went to look for Ginny who was apparently training hard on getting into next year’s Quidditch team.

Harry shrugged and walked through the lower parts of the castle. He had never much been interested in walking around the Dungeon, thinking that Snape could catch him down there much easier. But now, he wasn’t that scared of the man anymore. And he was seemingly friends with Draco and a bunch of other Slytherins (most of the time travellers to be frank).

He didn’t come far, as he was almost immediately caught by Draco. “Hey, Potter.”

Harry frowned and tilted his head. “How come you call me ‘Potter’ again?”

“Oh, it’s just nice to have you back. Before you were so innocent. I couldn’t even say a bad word and you were hurting. Just imagine, if I had called you ‘Potter’!” Draco threw his hands up in despair.

Snorting, Harry shook his head. “How did I react to the Tournament then? If you say I had such a low tolerance for-“

“You had a panic attack.”

Harry waited for more, before he frowned. “Wait, really?”

Draco snorted. “Do you want the stats or can I give you a reenactment?”

“You can do a reenactment?” Draco looked at him as if he dared to even think that he couldn’t do it. “Go for it.”

“Picture this: full-blown meltdown. Like, when it shoots your name from the fire, you went rigid. Then, boom! They call your name, and you turn whiter than a Malfoy after a Dobby sock incident. Your whole body starts to vibrate like a rogue teacup on a Weasley jumper, and before you can blink, the waterworks erupt. Tears streaming, hiccups wracking your frame – the whole Hogwarts heard your internal scream, I'm sure. Needless to say, no one thought you actually put your name in after that little display.”

Harry snorted, before he laughed. “A rogue teacup on a Weasley jumper?!”

Draco smirked. “See? I can do a reenactment.”

“That is so wrong, but also wonderfully done. Great job.”

“Thanks. What brings you down here anyway?”

Harry shrugged his shoulders. “I just wanted to look around honestly.”

“Want a tour?”

“Is Slytherin Common Room included?”

Draco’s eyes lit up. “Now it is! Just imagine, me bringing you into the Common Room!”

Harry sniggered. “I thought we were friends? Shouldn’t that be possible with friends?”

“I mean, yeah we’re friends. But we weren’t that close. You liked to spend more time with Hermione and Gryffindors, some Badgers as well, but not many. And now, we’re spending time together? Would be fun.”

“Are they going to kill me in there?”

“Possibly.”

Harry levelled Draco with a glare. “So it’s fun?”

Draco smirked. “For me.”

Snorting, Harry looked at the ceiling, before he grinned at Draco. “Damn, I missed you.”

“I did too, Potter. It was always so much fun to argue with you and then, bang, I’m gone. And you’re replaced with a very soft boy who couldn’t handle the Dementor attack from last year.”

Draco placed an arm over Harry’s shoulder and pulled him to the other end of the corridor. Since there was no light as they were underground, there were a lot of open flames from the torches. Harry wondered how Greg could walk through here without having a panic attack every time. Draco too, for that matter. Looking at him now, it was clear that he was doing alright, but…

A very strong Occlumens could do that. And Draco was a natural at that, they had discovered when the other man had come to help Harry out with building his own shields.

“What happened during the attack?” Harry asked, curiously.

“Oh, they went through the whole train, made several children pass out, one boy even got closed to being kissed.”

“What?!”

“That’s how Anthony Goldstein from Ravenclaw woke up. He almost went on a killing spree, had the Patronus ready before he could even breathe. Luckily, he was in a compartment with Greg and Ron, they got him to calm down.”

“Holy shit, that was lucky.” Harry wanted to imagine what it would have looked like if a barely third-year could produce a corporeal Patronus. The professors would have choked on their spit.

“You passed out as well, they tried to kiss you too, but they got nowhere near. Professor Lupin was there to defend you and then everyone else. You were mute afterwards.”

Harry widened his eyes. “Wait really? For how long?”

Draco shrugged his shoulders. “I think until Christmas. Several people tried to get you to talk again, they hired so many professionals, no one was interested in the rest, obviously.” There was a certain disgust in his voice.

Rolling his eyes, Harry sighed. “It’s always like that. The famous ones get all the attention, while the others are pushed into the shadows. Are they alright now?”

“Yeah, thanks to Neville and Cedric taking charge. Felix Rosier hired a couple of therapists, or Mind Healers, I don’t remember. And he kept them on a payroll throughout the last year just in case.”

Harry hummed thoughtfully. “It’s strange not to have that memory anymore. Even stranger that everything was different. How was I so different from what I’ve been before?”

Draco shrugged. “We think it’s the butterfly effect from Cedric’s return and then all of us consequently. Normal time travel rules don’t apply to us.”

“Interesting” Harry said softly. “But now it makes sense, why the professors look at me a little confused.”

“Oh yeah, you’ve changed the most… at Hogwarts” he added with a grin. “I’m sure Nev’s grandmother would argue with that.”

Laughing, they reached a smooth, unmarked section of the stone wall. With a practiced flick of his wrist, Draco muttered a password that Harry couldn't quite catch. The wall shimmered and a moment later, a wide archway materialized, revealing a stark contrast to his memories of second year. Gone was the cold, oppressive feel of a dungeon.

Instead, warm light spilled from the Slytherin Common Room, beckoning them in. Deep armchairs upholstered in plush emerald velvet were arranged around a roaring fire, flames dancing merrily in the hearth. The worn leather of second year had been replaced by rich, burgundy-hued tapestries depicting iconic Slytherin figures like Salazar Slytherin himself, their expressions softened from the stern gazes Harry remembered. Gleaming silver lamps, shaped like entwined serpents, cast a warm, golden glow over the space.

Bookshelves overflowing with leather-bound volumes lined a far wall, their titles hinting at a rich history and tradition. A large, ornately framed painting hung above the fireplace, depicting a tranquil underwater scene – a stark departure from the menacing skull from his first encounter. Gone were the bare stone walls; instead, tasteful paintings by wizarding artists known for capturing magical creatures in their natural habitat adorned the space, adding a touch of whimsical charm. The air itself felt different – not damp and stale, but subtly infused with the comforting scent of woodsmoke and cinnamon.

Harry couldn't help but gape at the transformation. This welcoming haven felt worlds apart from the cold, cavernous room he had stumbled into during the disastrous Polyjuice Potion incident. It was clear Slytherin had undergone a significant makeover, and while it still retained a sense of grandeur, it now exuded a warmth and comfort that surprised him.

“It’s the timeline” Draco said softly. “It wasn’t like that before. But everyone told us it’s looked like that forever.”

“Butterfly effect?” Harry asked, looking around in wonder.

“Unlikely” Draco answered with a shrug.

Chapter Text

The professors must have been in the know. It was just so strange to look at the people who had thought him everything (okay, not everything, but still) and who seemed to be so happy that most of their students were learning quickly.

Professor Flitwick was a goblin. The goblins in Gringotts knew something was going on with the people in Hogwarts. The first few students who had travelled back in time had left the school this summer. They still returned for the meetings once a week, which was… kind of amazing.

The professor shot the students curious glances every now and then. And it was only the ones who had travelled back. Mostly Ron and Harry, actually. It did make sense, in a way. They had changed a lot, not that Harry had known how Ron had changed. But he could imagine that the boy from first year, waking up as a battle-hardened survivor would raise some eyebrows.

Professor McGonagall was still strict with them, but not the way Harry remembered. He thought about what Neville, Blaise and Theodore had discussed with him. She was an accomplished secret Legilimence. Maybe she had indeed read one of her lion’s history and knew that something was going on. That thought was a bit scary.

Professor Sinistra seemed to have gathered that a lot of people had problems with the darkness that was usually needed to look for stars. She had developed – only for them – a spell in a room where the stars could shine brighter and there could still be light around. She was currently trying to convince the educational board to let that be an option in the yearly exams. Harry hadn’t figured out who the person was that had made her create this, but he figured it wasn’t someone in his year.

Professor Babbling – according to higher years – was placing several runes on the door of her classroom, all for protection of the people inside. She handed out self-made protection bracelets and taught her classes how to engrave runes into bracelets as soon as her students were able to successfully create and calculate rune sequences. Harry was almost sad he hadn’t been able to look at her classes.

“Mate, do you really think, I let you pick Divination again?!” Ron asked after Harry had asked him what his classes were. Harry almost laughed out loud. “No fucking way. We’re going to Runes with ‘Mione.”

“And Susan” Blaise cut in, sitting at the Gryffindor table, discussing something with Neville. Clearly, he had heard what Harry had asked his friend.

Harry snorted while Ron turned red. “That wasn’t the reason!”

“No, obviously not” Blaise smirked. “But it was a big motivator.”

“One of a few” Fred added, clearly loving how red his brother turned.

“I’ll have you know that the only motivator against Divination was to not always listen to her predicting Harry’s death!” Ron muttered, annoyed.

Harry sniggered, when Hermione sat down next to them. “What’s going on? What does Ron look like a humanoid tomato?”

Neville snorted into his coffee, while Harry sniggered and Fred looked delighted to add this to his arsenal of verbal attacks against his brother. Ron shot daggers at everyone around.

“We’re talking about the reasons why Ron picked Runes over Divination” Harry informed her.

Hermione rolled her eyes. “Divination was the worst decision I’ve ever made. I was so glad Professor McGonagall let me drop it.”

Harry sniggered. “You’re good at maths, right? Can you tell me how many times, she predicted my death?”

“Not that much, actually” Hermione narrowed her eyes. “She did claim about every other week that there were people coming back from the dead, which… that women” she rolled her eyes, while Harry shot a concerned look at Neville who looked frankly spooked.

Professor Burbage according to Hermione was teaching them self-defence in her Muggle studies classes once a week. These classes were open for the entire school and had quickly been moved to the Great Hall, since there were so many interested people. According to Cedric, she had started these classes the first time when he had started his third year.

Professor Sprout created a little herb garden in several pots which were placed all around the castle. It was free to take care of the herbs and flowers and it had a calming effect on all the time travelling students.

Madam Pomfrey held free Healing courses and forced Dumbledore to add a Mind Healer to the staff since the begin of fifth year. Harry wasn’t sure if any of them were going there – no actually, he knew that no one went there. Ernie was an amazing Mind Healer and he kept them all grounded. Additionally, Ron seemed to have developed a feeler for distressed members of their little group. He was always there when he was needed to stabilise someone – mostly Gregory Goyle.

Harry had always heard how bad the Slytherin was handling his own death and subsequent time travel, but actually seeing him breaking down multiple times a week was scary. Draco was doing all he could to keep him safe from any fire, but… it was a freaking castle, pretending to be in the medieval ages. There were so many fires around.

When he was close to having a panic attack, Ron was always around.

Madam Pince had added more books for self-help and scarily about surviving and PTSD added to the library. Harry had seen her unpacking the books and went to find Neville immediately.

“Do you think she knows anything?” he asked, after explaining what he saw.

Neville shrugged. “Unlikely, we are at war, though.”

“Not that anyone would know, Nev. Voldy hasn’t regained a body, yet. The Death Eater activity is rare at the moment.”

“One more thing to keep an eye on then” Neville said and sighed. “She is the librarian. I guess she sees things most people don’t.”

Harry hummed. “The question is who would go and ask her about these things.”

Neville nodded in approval and looked around the empty Room of Requirement. “No one here.”

“You don’t-“

“No” Neville said strongly. “We know where to get information. The library would be no one’s first stop.”

Harry narrowed his eyes. “Okay, I can see that. Then who would go around and ask about that?!”

Neville rubbed his chin. “I can’t tell yet. We’ll have to make a list about the possible candidates. I think we both already know one such candidate.”

Sighing, Harry nodded. They didn’t need to say Hermione’s name out loud. That witch was smart and had probably picked up on things, especially now that Harry was back. If Draco was to be believed – which why would that even be a question – Harry had been weak, mute and unsure of himself before Christmas.

And the fact that he had done a one-eighty in basically one hour must have been strange. Especially to his close friends who didn’t know what they had been through.

Madam Hooch had added more physical exercise to their days, especially since she had apparently been absent for half a year. According to her, she had spent these months in Muggle schools and realized that they all had physical exercise for their students. She had fought hard to get the School Board to accept her proposal for sporting activities.

All the time travelling students loved her for it and they were joining her on all optional runs. They had stood by her side when Madam Hooch had been arguing with Dumbledore to add more activities not just as optional actions, but as a course like potions and charms.

Harry had only joined the last bit, but apparently, all that was needed was his presence. The moment he walked into Dumbledore’s office with the rest, Dumbledore had sighed and listened to Madam Hooch’s proposal, before signing it.

The time tables had shifted slightly, even if most physical activities were still taking place in the afternoon, after all their classes. It was a welcomed change, even if a few people were arguing with it.

Hagrid had created a petting zoo – with a lot of help of other professors, since his idea of a ‘petting’ zoo consisted mostly of triple X creatures and up. Right now, there were even smaller animals in there such as rabbits, to cuddle with. Harry loved seeing it.

Professor Vector, he was the one doing Arithmancy classes, had the least contact to all the traumatized children, so he didn’t have much to change. However, he did post bi-weekly Arithmancy-puzzles by the board next to his office. For a few older years it was a welcomed distraction.

Professor Moody a.k.a. The Death Eater was another story entirely. How no one was behaving poorly in his classes was Harry’s first question. Neville had warned him about changing too much, but admitted that he was the one to make sure that Junior didn’t turn Draco into a ferret.

For now, Harry was okay with pretending he was seeing a paranoid Moody, but he made sure to protect the smaller children from his antics.

The biggest problem, in Harry’s eyes at least, was Professor Snape. He seemed to realize that some students were changing. He was watching them all like a hawk. And since Potions was needed to become an Auror, Harry had been doing rather well in that subject before he had been killed.

Pretending that he was bad at it made Harry unsure. Additionally, Snape’s focus on him, it messed him up more than he wanted to admit.

“Potter” Snape held him back before the class was allowed to leave. “Stay behind.”

“Yes, sir.”

Ron leaned over, while he was packing. “What did you do?!”

Harry rolled his eyes. “Don’t know. Seriously.”

“Nev’s going to kill you.”

Snorting, Harry clapped his friend’s back and motioned him to leave, while he packed slower than the rest. When everyone had left, Harry placed his bag on the table and walked to the front.

The Potions Master motioned him to take a seat in front of his desk. Harry silently sat down and waited for the man to start talking. Which didn’t happen. For at least two minutes.

Harry could have waited longer, he knew this tactic, but Snape clearly had something to say.

“Who is doing your essays?”

What?

Harry frowned and shook his head. “No one, sir. I’m the only person writing them.”

Snape narrowed his eyes. He produced two essays and placed them on the table. Harry leaned over it, seeing the names on the top. Already by looking at them, he could tell that while the name was the same, it was a different script.

Years of learning how to write with a quill – and also Draco’s continued attack on his poor handwriting – had him write more clearly and elegantly. Before, it looked like a toddler was trying to spell their name.

“I see” Harry said, leaning back. “I’ve taken classes in writing with a quill. You do know I was Muggle-raised, right? I’ve never used quills and parchment before.”

Snape narrowed his eyes again. “Do enlighten me. How is it that your essays, penned in a span of four measly weeks, suddenly possess the elegance of a quill wielded by a seasoned scribe?” he drawled.

Harry shrugged his shoulders. “I’ve… practised?” Not wrong per se.

“Show me these practise sheets, then.”

“I… threw them away, sir. I didn’t know that someone wanted me to show them. But I could write something for you?”

Snape stood up and grabbed a random book. He opened it to a random page, accio’d parchment, ink and quill and placed it in front of Harry. “Write the first paragraph of this chapter.”

“Yes sir.”

Harry grabbed the quill and leaned over the book, looking at the paragraph. His blood froze and he wondered whether or not Snape had actually grabbed a random book on a random page or if this was all planned.

Chapter II: Desperate Measures: The Chronos Boon
This tome cautions against tampering with the timestream for personal gain, yet whispers of a desperate measure known as the Chronos Boon. This perilous act, fuelled by the caster's own life force, can tether a dying individual to a specific point in the past, a moment before their fatal injury. The ritual, however, comes at a soul-searing cost. The caster is bound to follow the saved individual through the timestream, reliving every moment until the fated incident. This shared journey carries the risk of altering the past entirely, creating a perilous paradox where the caster's very existence could be erased. The Chronos Boon, a gamble drenched in sacrifice, should be considered only as a last resort, a final act of love in the face of inevitable loss.

“Holy shit” Harry whispered, but he caught himself quickly and handed parchment back to Snape, while at the same trying to catch the title of the book.

Snape pulled it away and placed it on the shelf without Harry getting a good look at it.

“Look at that” Snape drawled. “Seems you have been practising.”

“Yes sir.”

“Dismissed. For now.”

Harry got up and left the room in a hopefully normal pace. As soon as he was out, he started running and raced all the way up to the Come-and-Go-Room. He ran in and stopped, looking for Neville.

Luckily for him, his timing was impeccable, since Neville just left a meeting room. “Hey?” he asked.

“There’s a… a ritual someone could perform to send someone else back in time” Harry said between breaths. “It’s called Chronos Boon.”

Blaise frowned and shook his head. “I was thinking about that one as well, but it can’t be the thing for all of us.”

Neville tilted his head. “Why not?”

“Well, it’s used for an individual and it takes the caster’s life. I don’t know how to… modify it so that it would go for a group of people, let alone, we don’t know anybody who died in fourth year apart from…”

“I certainly didn’t do any rituals” Cedric said with a snort, sitting by the window.

“Maybe not” Neville was thoughtful. “However, it would be a good idea to focus on time travel rituals and try to find one that would match our situation.”

Ron walked in behind Harry and placed an arm around his shoulders. “What did Snape want?”

“Oh, my handwriting has changed.”

“Figures he’s the only one to talk to you about it” Ron said with a snort.

Easter break hadn’t arrived early enough.

In the morning, a group of twenty students had left Hogwarts. Not everyone had been able to leave with them, since their parents wanted to have them around or they had different or prior meetings.

Hermione was slightly confused by Harry and Ron disappearing with (to her) a random group of students, however, since a few of her friends were also not time travellers, she didn’t mind. Harry barely had enough energy to walk to the sitting room and falling into a couch.

The house elves showed everyone to their rooms and soon, most people seemed to crash. It seemed as if pretending to be a child still, not bothered by war and surviving had taken a toll on everyone. Fred – who had taken some extreme measures to make sure that George wouldn’t follow him – was out in a matter of seconds. Cedric on the other hand had found a meeting room and had used the time to figure out what to do in the last task, along with several other members of their group.

It took everyone a day and a quick dip into the sea to be awake and functioning again. The house elves prepared a huge array of different food all day long. In the evening, their group had their first meeting.

“How far have we come with everything?” Neville asked, having (however reluctantly) taken the seat at the head of the table.

Draco sat up straight. “Slytherin’s first” he said with a quick grin. “The Magical Artifact Hunt is currently discussing with Gringotts about the Horcrux in Bellatrix Vault. We’ve been trying to figure out how to use my being a possible Heir Black as leverage.”

“You can use me as leverage” Harry offered. “One of us is going to be it, anyway.”

Nodding at him, Draco wrote that down. “Additionally, we’ve asked the goblins to help us in retrieving the Horcrux from your scar.”

“Thanks” Harry sighed. It was still very strange that everyone here knew he had a Horcrux in there. While it was new, he thought it was so much better than before.

Neville smiled at that and turned to Luna. “How is History Preservation going?”

“We’re obviously trying to work around it” Luna said, motioning to Cedric who snorted.

“Thanks.”

Luna grinned at him. “Currently, the question we’re asking ourselves is how much history we can change and when we should put an end to what we all know is going to happen. If… and that is a very huge if, we let it play out as it was before, are we entering an open loop and will Cedric be back in his two year old body, once more?”

“For my parents’ sake I hope not” Cedric muttered. He sat up straight right after it. “If it is going to be a time loop, which I should hope none of us want to have happen, I at least know who to gather and at what age.”

Neville hummed thoughtfully. “So, you would start the group earlier?”

“Assuming that our memories would still be intact through two loops, yes. But I do hope this isn’t going to happen.”

“If we make sure that Cedric won’t touch the trophy, it won’t continue” Ron said and looked at Fred. “Or would you argue against that?”

Fred snorted. “Hell, I’m not dying during the Battle of Hogwarts. I’ll grab George and apparate us out of there.”

Pansy played with her rings on her finger, while she answered. “The only problem is that if we were supposed to die, because fate decided so, even apparating us out wouldn’t help.”

Neville nodded at that. “True, but we should just hope that we’re not being thrown into a time loop.”

“Maybe we would need to find out who did the ritual and what kind of ritual it is” Harry offered. “I still believe that someone was trying to… I don’t know, help us out. In a very stupid and backwards-thinking way.”

“What, you think Dumbledore did a ritual to save the sacrificial lamb?” Colin Creevey asked, raising his eyebrows.

“I’m not saying, it was Dumbledore, could have been Snape as well. Actually, it might be Snape, since he behaves so strange towards all of us.”

Neville held his hands up. “I’ll hand this over to War Preparations” he said and looked at Seamus expectantly.

“Right” the wizard said. “Thanks to Professor Babbling, we’ve been able to create a few emergency portkeys for all of us, there are several safe houses established all over Great Britain. Since we know who we can trust, we’re moving rather fast. We’re talking with the werewolves, the Giants in the North, the British based Vampire covens, the Centaurs and Fauns as well as the Dementors and House Elves. We’re working on a treaty with everyone.”

“Actually, we’re thinking of asking Hufflepuff to start a new Department” Alicia stated and grinned. Harry frowned slightly and looked over to the few Puffs around.

Fred picked up immediately. “We’re trying to start a new political landscape, where creatures have a place to work. But it’s a big ask to do beside making sure that we’re prepared for an eventual war.”

“We’ll take it” Cedric said with a nod. “The timeline is in tact so far. And while we all know that we’re creating more chaos and unknown effects since I’m not going to follow Harry, I think we all have not enough things to do.”

Neville chuckled. “Alright, I agree.”

“Why doesn’t Cedric follow me to the cemetery?” Harry asked suddenly.

“Uh, death?” Draco offered, shaking his head as of he thought Harry was an idiot.

Harry snorted. “No, I… I get that part. But, if we both made sure we’re protected. And we’re both prepared for what’s going to happen, you could be a witness to Voldy’s resurrection.”

Ron frowned. “You said, they only wanted you alive for the ritual. Voldy wanted to fight you to death afterwards.”

“Yeah…”

Cedric looked thoughtful, while most people seemed convinced that bringing the Hufflepuff was a stupid idea. Neville though was also obviously running several scenarios through his mind.

“There’s not really an option to make sure both would survive” he finally said.

Harry tilted his head. “I mean… we wouldn’t need to stay for the ritual. The blood he needs must be forcefully taken from an enemy. Literally any wizard or witch in the country could do the trick. He just wanted mine for the drama of it.”

Pansy leaned back in the chair. “So, we let both take the trophy and Cedric acts as a character witness for Harry so they don’t slander him?”

“I’m not happy with that” Neville said and crossed his arms. “Let’s keep this in mind for the third task, in a few months. For now, you’re all free to do what you want for a few days.”

Fred cheered and started hunting Ron out of the room screaming about how he wanted to throw him into the sea. Harry snorted, but decided to help his friend out. Luna ran after probably just for the sake of it.

They caught up with the two Weasleys just as Fred caught Ron and threw him over his shoulders, running towards the sea. “Help!” Ron called, but was laughing to hard for it to be taken seriously.

Harry snorted and stopped on the beach, watching the brothers carefree falling into the waves, laughing. Luna stopped next to him and beamed at him.

“It’s sad that not everyone we hold dear could be here with us” Harry said softly, watching the Weasley brothers.

Luna hummed softly. “Well, as cheesy as it might sound” she said with a little laugh. “They’re always going to be with us. And in the meantime, we do have a few people with us that we love.”

Harry laughed, watching Ron attacking his brother, trying to throw him into the waves as well. “So true.”