Futures Insight
Prologue

Harry ran, every night he ran. Flat out, he ran through the corridors of his mind and what a bleak tattered place it was too. Every night, every single night the dream came. Harry had this self same dream ever since the end of school, and the fight at the Ministry. Voldemort had been inside his mind that fateful evening. The evil stench of it still clung to the tattered hallways of cognitive thought.

He was being chased, chased through the pathways of intelligence, emotion and rational thought. A presence getting ever closer to him, so close that he feared for his continued existence. Because he KNEW what that presence was. It was Voldemort hounding him in his dreams, seeking him out in a way he had not before. Chasing him down into the corners of his mind, Harry knew it was only a matter of time now. All of his life he felt like he had been chased by destiny of some form or another, even if that destiny was just Dudley's gang and he hated it. He had already had more than enough, he was Seventeen Years old, fated to kill, or die at Voldemort's hand.

Seventeen years compared to over sixty years of experience. It was laughable, had he gotten any real training? No, but then he had not done much of his own either. Therefore, he had no one to blame but himself really. This obviously did not much help make him feel any better. It really was a case, though, of help himself because no one else could.

Harry skidded to a stop, sliding into a huge room, grand sweeping designs that seemed alien to him. Bright lights, almost cheerful decoration and as weird as it sounded since Harry KNEW he was in his head. This did not seem like his mind, everything in HIS mind was in virtual tatters. Being hounded, the deaths he had witnessed including his godfather did not a healthy mental state make. While there were dark corners in this grand room, it was oddly healthy seeming.

"I have you now BOY," Voldemort's cold sibilant voice called in jubilation from just behind him.

Harry dived away, rolling to a stop a short distance from the nightmarish countenance of Voldemort's mental avatar.

"Such a pathetic little waste, to think Dumbledore appears to think you can stop me." Voldemort said, breaking into high laughter that was as insane as it was chilling.

Just then, an odd buzzing noise began. It started slowly at first but quickly built into a deafening, almost physical force.

Voldemort looked around with apprehension clear on his snake like visage. "What is this," he demanded to know.

Harry would not have told him even if he did have the first clue himself. He'd always known it would end like this with him crawling away from Voldemort, alone, scared virtually to the point of soiling himself and sure of his own demise.

The buzzing reached a new height of noise, though to call it a noise was underestimating things somewhat. Voldemort... blurred, shaking so fast he blurred, and then with an inrushing of air he was gone - just like that.

"Tsk tsk tsk. I really was a mess wasn't I?" came an oddly familiar voice.

Harry blinked back tears of relief and looked up at... himself. A few years older perhaps, filled out a lot and without glasses, which was more than slightly odd. So ingrained in his self image were his glasses that he always had them on even in his better dreams.

The elder Harry hunkered down before Harry and looked at him with eyes that were filled with knowledge... and power - lots and lots of power. "Aren't you tired of being like this," Senior asked.

"Wh-wh-what," Harry asked having a little trouble keeping up with his sudden change of fortunes.

"This; all this, the fear, the anger, oh and the fear," The elder Harry said a wry look on his face.

"You said that twice," Harry the younger, pointed out.

"It bears repeating; I had forgotten how scared I was all the time. Aren't you tired of it?"

Harry nodded to himself, and to... himself.

"Wouldn't you like that to change?"

"Of course, but..." Harry trailed off with a helpless shrug.

"But what," Senior asked standing and holding out a hand and helping Harry to his feet. The elder looked around, "Do you know what this is?" he asked.

"No"

"This is a bit of my mind. It's a bit more pleasant here than say..." the scene shifted back to the bleak hallways of Harry's own consciousness. "This don't you think?"

"Yes... I don't understand though what do you want?"

"It's more about what you want in a way," Senior said with a smirk. "But then both you and I are the same person." He paused taking a breath and looking at his younger self seriously for a moment, "I'll cut to the chase a bit, two years from now, all the people you call friend right now, will be dead." His tone was flat, his eyes showing a memory of pain and understanding in their emerald gaze.

Harry sat back down again, feeling lost and lonely. He could hardly argue with himself after all. Something told him that he was not lying to himself about that. "How do you know," he had to ask.

"I'm from..." Senior smiled, "Further along this time line." He hunkered down again and looked at Harry seriously. "Life pretty much sucks from that point on kiddo, you don't want that."

"No" Harry agreed, "My life already sucks; I don't want it to get worse."

"Don't blame you. So, I'm from the future, why do you think I'm here?"

"To give me information and training on how to kill Voldemort," Harry hazarded.

"There's a name I've not heard in a LONG time," Senior said with a grin. "In way that is true, but it's more of a side effect than anything else."

"Huh?"

"Harry, in 5 years time, you, or rather I, interrupted a spell snaky boy was casting. A last ditch effort to become immortal. He stopped the spell with what was at that point our usual method of doing such things. He jumped headlong in. How many times over the years, I have regretted that rash action. However, to be honest, the alternative would have been hell unleashed on earth. There are two thing of import here Junior. One, Voldemort as per usual had it just off whack slightly. Secondly, I/WE got the full dose of the spell."

"I'm, I mean, you are immortal?"

"Like I said, out of whack because I'm not immortal Harry, but I have been alive a staggeringly long time."

"How long," Harry found himself asking, something about the way Senior had said that made him wonder.

"At this point in my chronology - 5,032 Years," Senior told him with a hint of pain in his expression.

Harry would have sat down, but hey, he already was.

"That's a damn long time Harry. I have seen things that you wouldn't believe. Things to make you cry at their beauty and others that would chill your bones with their horror, But you know what's funny?"

Harry shook his head, trying to clear it not that it helped much.

"When you get past a certain age, you get a little lost in the past. You find yourself thinking, 'I wish I could go back and do that differently' - or - 'Oh to be a teenager again', blah blah. I have been cycling around that sort of thinking for a damn long time Harry. My life is no bed of roses and I get lost in the past so much now." he laughed, "People, think I'm insane actually, but then... I suppose I am a little."

Harry was starting to get a little worried.

"Put it this way kiddo. I have done the bitter thing. I've done the insane thing. I have been locked up, beaten, blown up and maligned- all, so you don't have to." Harry said, moving closer to his younger version he whispered. "Things are going to change Harry because you're going to change them."

"How, I don't know what I'm doing now, let alone what I'm going to do to change anything that may or may not happen."

"I know which is where I come in again. I want you to remember this VERY important expression. Quantum Resonance, Can you remember that Harry?"

Harry nodded, "Means nothing to me though."

"It actually means your salvation. However, I want you to understand something VERY important here. I am not doing this so you can defeat Voldemort. I am doing this so you can learn to live. TO have fun, to brighten this shit hole up into a mind you can be proud of. In the grand scheme, Voldemort is already dead. Right now, after I kicked him out of here he is in bed bleeding from his eyes moaning about the pain he's experiencing. Not very scary really is he?"

"He's my... Nemesis," Harry said frowning, not sounding as sure as he may have been before the conversation he was having.

"Pfft" Harry Senior said with complete derision in his tone. "Believe me when I tell you this junior - He's not that big of a fish. You'll come in time to realise that." he laughed again, "Fairly quickly too actually. This brings me back to the Quantum Resonance thing. Now normally it is a state of science that two quantum's resonate with each other allowing instant communication across any distance but if you throw magic into that mix and everything changes. So more exactly what is happening right now is Mystical Quantum Resonance, don't worry I know you're not with me; you will get it." The elder Harry paused, gathering his thoughts.

"Basically, right now you and I are merging into a single entity across space and time. Believe it or not Harry I am not even on Earth at this moment in my time. Now this is where I am taking a BIG risk, but I hope you will listen to these words Harry. It's time to learn to live, to have fun, sex, kissing, action, adventure and all that good stuff because if you follow the same path I did you will end up alone and bitter. I believe you already see the wisdom in what I say Harry. Voldemort is a dead man walking, when you wake up you will have all the knowledge in my head, and Harry, that is a lot of knowledge." he paused, "You ok there Harry?"

Harry nodded a light coming back into his eyes. If this was not just some sort of whacky dream then he had a real chance at getting out of the coming battles alive and he said as much to his elder double.

"Yes, you do Harry, but that said, the battles shouldn't be the main focus of your life. I have trained long and hard Harry, in a way so you don't have to. You will be able to do things when you wake up that you cannot fathom. I've travelled a LOT, learned from thousands of masters in aspects of magic not even invented yet. I have personally fought in oh... 600 odd battles. I am also sorry that you will have to bear the burden of some of the things I have done in my life. The good thing here is that you will not become some sort of out of time clone of me as I am now. Once merged you will be ... Harry 2.0. Don't let the bad memories colour you Harry can you try to do that for me?"

Harry nodded, slowly starting to smile. "God I hope this isn't a dream."

"It is a dream, but it is also happening to you Harry. Now, I have some bad news some shocking news, and some advice that I want you to try to follow, consider it my last wish."

Harry frowned at him slightly but nodded.

"Once we Merge Harry I will cease to exist... thank the creator for that. Don't get me wrong Harry I'm not suicidal, quite the opposite. I'm doing this for a chance at having a real life; one with some fucking fun in It." he said with a smile. "I'm counting on you to have a great deal of fun for me Harry. Anyway, let us start with some stuff that will upset you. I am sorry Junior, I happen to know - and excuse an old man's coarseness. In the forest behind Ottery St Catchpole, just to the rear of the Weasley house Hermione is on her knees with your best friends cock half way down her throat."

Harry flinched as if he had been slapped.

"I know and I am so sorry Harry. I know this, not because they told me, but because eventually I found out on my own and that ruins the relationship, I have with them both. We don't like being lied to do we Harry. I know what she is doing this moment, because while you are seeing a linear conversation I am... Not," Harry Senior said with a chuckle.

"Fear not Harry old son; it's just fucking. Hermione and Ron found their hormones at the same time during the end of last term. Things have escalated since that point to what they are doing together now, and will be doing later. Frankly, it's kind of scary the way that girl gets when she finds something new to explore and learn about."

Harry winced, at the bad images in his head.

"You told Ron after that crap with Cho how you felt about Hermione, well you feel a lot for a lot of different girls. However, you feel Hermione is your best option, he said he was not interested. Now I'm not sure about timing here since this is from second hand knowledge via conversations. But Ron was already to second base by that point."

Harry's eyes flashed in anger.

"But there's more, and it's not going to be nice to hear."

"Hit me," Harry said with a sigh, "The way I see it right now, this is the cost."

Harry Senior nodded, "I suppose you would see it that way, fatalistic little fuckers aren't we - change that Harry," he said with a smile. "The Weasley's DO care about you, but they were asked as a favour to Dumbledore to take you in. After saving Ginny they for some reason were grateful not to us, but to Dumbledore. Manipulative old bastard that he was, urm, is. He took advantage of that to ensure you were associated with a SAFE light side family. Believe it or not, Harry you have a lot more options than you would believe, some you wouldn't contemplate right now. However, after losing your current friends you find allies in the oddest places - believe me. Including someone you HATE right now." He paused flashing a smile, "Also, try to talk to Pansy."

"WHAT?" Harry said in shock.

"Get Draco out of the way and you will find that she is a VERY interesting girl and NOT what she appears. Just trust me on this because I came to call her friend." Harry smirked, "And my bitch but that's beside the point."

"Eww"

Harry Senior Laughed, "Just trust me on this; she's worth getting to know beyond the facade... honestly, trust me. There is another but frankly, you have had enough shocks for one night. You have already found out that Luna is probably going to be a good friend. Follow through on that if I were you and I am. Now, for some seriously odd time travel like information, be in London in three days. Canary Wharf to be precise, there will be a blue box standing off to one side - an old fashioned Police Box - you know the thing with the phone?"

Harry nodded, looking mystified as he did so.

"Knock on the door," Senior said. "This will surprise you but it will be answered by a fascinating man called simply The Doctor. I hooked up with him recently and asked him a favour - he owes me a few. If you do this, he will know I have been successful and offer to take you on a bit of a tour. Do it mate, do it for all that is holy. I have set this up so you can make connections in the Underworld and be able to take advantage of a source of information I did not realize existed for far too long. I have arranged a few pit stops for you; you'll know what they are when we've had resolution. However, I wanted to get you to hold this in your mind. This source of information will help you neutralise an enemy you know, but don't realise how bloody dangerous he really is."

"Who?"

"Fudge," Harry said. "You'll know why when we finish merging. I have to rush now, not long left for us to talk like this." Senior looked up in thought. "Don't easily trust Dumbledore," Senior said much to Harry Junior's shock.

"He's not evil, but he is blind to the small things and that makes him at the very least dangerous to your friends. He has controlled your friendships by setting things in motion that have thrown you together with people you may not have made friends with, like Ron. Do not get me wrong as far as I know he is your friend. Hermione without doubt was not one of his plans. He will try to guide you away from friendships with Pansy and any Slytherin's. They are not evil, but they are cunning and he does not want you to learn that. Because when you do, you'll see what he is doing. Oh, I know you're not convinced about Pansy, but he will also block your friendship with Luna. Do not let him; she has a wonderfully refreshing way of looking at the world. Those views do not fit with his pretty little picture of the light. As I said, he is not evil, perhaps... Myopic would be the world. That said I think he cares about us, in fact I know he does. Just you have to be - careful - how much trust you give him, especially while Voldemort is a threat."

"This will make you laugh. Trust Snape, he hates you for sure. Nevertheless, he loved mum something fierce and that means he WILL look after you. Take Draco out of the picture, he is more dangerous than you think. But not too bright." Harry thought for a moment, leaving a reeling Harry to have his head spin in place, or at least that was the way it felt. "Oh, shit running out of time this is stupid advice but all I can think of left. Move at least half of your assets into the Muggle world..." Senior said, seeming to become quieter with each word. "No time to explain, just do it."

Harry nodded, "What now?"

Harry Senior smiled and opened his arms. "Give an old man some sugar," he said with a laugh, even though his voice now seemed to be coming from a great distance.

Harry actually laughed and grabbed his older version in a tight hug.

"Learn to love yourself," were the last words from his elders lips before with a flash, they were both gone.

Leaving Harry as all that remained.