Warping Circumstances

/thoughts/

:Parseltongue:

A/N: Yikes. Almost 2 years! Well, I said I wouldn't post anything until I finished or at least updated this story, which means I have a huge backlog of stories that have not been posted. haha. All kidding aside, I do really like this story, and hope you like what I've done. I hope this will be the end, but... I guess you never know. It will jump around quite a bit as I try to fast-travel through his life.

OoOOoOo

It was both harder and easier than Harry expected to re-integrate back into the school. Sure, the kids were asses and the teachers wary of him, but in all, they pretty much ignored him as 'old news'. He had had his fifteen minutes, it seemed, and now the fickle whims of mob mentality had shoved him to the side in favor of who was dating whom.

Harry found it a little bit disconcerting.

"Come on, Harry. Smile! You're back!" Jeff squeaked, his voice breaking on the contraction.

Harry looked up... way up at the rapidly growing teen. "I am glad to be back, but..." He shrugged. Somehow, the idea of going to school always seemed better in a romantic 'I can never have it' way than it did actually trying to sit through classes.

"Don't you like the new History teacher? I think he's fabulous." Jeff smiled happily, making puppy eyes at the rather unassuming man at the front of the classroom.

Harry had to admit that he was impressed. The man had barely enough magic to classify as a wizard rather than a Squib, and consequently seemed to have funneled all his passion into research he could actually do something with- History of Magic.

"And that is why we now use a golden ball and call it a "Snitch" and why it is a crime punishable by time in Azkaban for using a live snitch bird to play the game." Mr. Brock finished his explanation. "Now, if you wouldn't mind, we need to get on with class. If everyone would open their books to page one oh three."

Harry did so, seeing the grim picture of people screaming and running from an explosion as the chapter head. He raised an eyebrow as they ran around, waving their arms, the flames dancing magenta and puce behind them. The chapter was titled: Atlantis.

"This week we will be covering the lost city. It is really fascinating to see what our historical records show versus what the Muggles remember about the subject. They have thought of everything from the city sinking under the sea to it flying off into space. But what actually happened is a very good cautionary tale on the dangers of soul magics." Mr. Brock's eyes flicked up to where Harry was sitting, but he bravely plowed on. "Since it is possible to put multiple souls in one body, it was experimented with in our early days. The benefits and problems are vast- it does lead to more power, which can be both good and bad, and also the two souls may end up in conflict, or one is more dominant, or they merge and become a new person, or the fight costs both their lives."

/: Very interesting.:/ Voldemort muttered.

/I don't see why./ Harry replied, mostly distracted from the conversation. The class was very interesting and Voldemort was giving him a sensation like he was draping himself over Harry's body.

/:I want to know his sources.:/ Voldemort mused.

Harry sighed. Of course he did. /We can ask him after class./

Not like that was unusual. Voldemort had wanted to know more about the Japanese wizards who had learned to walk on water, up walls and on the ceiling; the Egyptian ones that had bound souls into playing cards through ritual sacrifice; and the 'shamanic' contests that came every so often that British wizards ignored but were intensely popular with less disciplined earth witches and hedge wizards.

Class seemed to fly by, and not because they were playing hangman like they used to in history of magic. After learning about Atlantis and getting their reading assignment, it was off to the stables to care for their various creatures, then to the Dark Arts classroom to practice dueling, then over to the greenhouses to plant mandrakes. At least some things didn't change...

"Hey, there, Voldie."

Harry scowled. "Marfic. That is not my name."

"I know it's not, shorty. I want to play another game against your parasite."

Harry growled, while Voldemort steeples his fingers and pretended to be uninterested in the background of his thoughts. "No."

"I've been reading up on strategy- even getting some Muggle books." Marfic sniffed in disdain. "I think I have a new strategy that will definitely beat Voldemort."

Harry snorted, the corner of his mouth quirking up. "You think you can out-chess Voldie? You realize he can beat Dumbledore on occasion, right?"

Marfic's eyes shined. "Absolutely. No one else gives any kind of challenge. I read all these books, but one game with your leech and my game improves much, much more than I could ever learn on my own. Why, I studied the last game we played- even sent it to my father. Still haven't figured out the strategy."

"Right."

"Great!"

"What?" Harry frowned.

"You agreed to play. I'll see you tonight in the multi-House lounge." Marfic grinned cheekily and skipped off to his next class, leaving Harry staring after him with dirty hands.

"I don't think I like that guy." Harry muttered.

/:Nonsense. He's the only one that acknowledges us as separate people. You love him.:/

"You love him, maybe. I always knew you were gay with all that grand-standing, monologuing, and costume design."

/: I am not gay, and I am certainly not attracted to a fourteen year old.:/ Voldemort said indignantly, crossing his arms over his chest.

"You're right. The Death Eater outfits would have been more stylish if you were..." Harry smirked. "Ouch!" He stumbled as Voldemort kicked him in the shin. "Oh, real mature!"

OoOooOooO

"I really don't want to." Harry said, backing away from the flaming cup.

"You're the obvious choice, Harry!" Jeff protested.

"Yeah, Harry." Marfic sneered.

Harry pointed to the mocking Black. "You are not helping, stay out of this!"

"You will definitely win!" Jeff wheedled.

"That's cheating- I am two people. The Goblet probably won't even let me put my name in. I doubt I qualify." Harry muttered.

"Just think of all the innocents who might lose their lives but won't because you put your name in." Marfic pressed a hand to his chest dramatically.

"Why am I your friend?" Harry asked rhetorically.

/: Can I do it?:/ Voldemort asked.

"Oh, dear, sweet Merlin." Harry went white- visions of staring blank eyes in a graveyard coming to him.

/: I admit that was poor word choice, but he was really superfluous to the ritual...:/

"Oooh. What did he say?" Marfic asked eagerly. "Wait- that's brilliant! You have definitely got to enter as separate people! Hah! I want to see him do the tournament, definitely."

"Over my dead body." Harry said flatly. "Er... let me rephrase..." He frowned.

"Oh, there you are, Harry." Dumbledore twinkled at Harry, making him instantly suspicious. "I was looking for you, if you would follow me to my office?"

OoOOoOoO

"I could use a bit of help, Harry." Voldemort grunted from underneath a manticore paw.

/Not listening./ Harry rolled over in the back of their mind.

"If you would stop sulking! We're not contestants, we are just tasked with decreasing...ooof!" Voldemort protested as they were flung through a shrubbery. "I suppose that worke... ak!" He dodged to the side, barely missing the claws. "Tasked with decreasing casualties!" Voldemort booked it away from the manticore, casting a slow and then a disabling spell on the beast as soon as he was far enough away to cast them without being flung about by swipes of the massive lion paws. Voldemort put his hands on his knees and panted, before beginning to chuckle. Then laugh uproariously. "Never mind sulk all you want. This is damn fun!" He leapt over to the French girl, slung her over his shoulder, and started to run out of the maze. "Save the damsel- check!" He crowed, just as he burst through into the stands. "Here you go." He dumped her on the ground next to the Mediwizard. Then he spun on a tiny heal and darted back in, his young body looking particularly maniacal with red eyes gleaming in a tanned, round face, hair a mess and leaves poking out of it. "Woooo!"

"I am glad my student iz safe, Albuz, but... I am a bit wo-reed about thiz student of yours." The French Madame said dubiously.

Dumbledore rubbed his forehead. "I am not without reservations, myself." He admitted.

"I still tink it a bit unfair that you 'ave two students in the competition..." She continued.

"Well..." Dumbledore said dubiously. "Right."

"Aw, come on then, Marie." Durmstang's Headmaster chuckled. "If anything the lad is making it harder for the Hogwarts Champion. I understand that he has a particular enmity for Mr. DuBrey."

Dumbledore sighed. The dumb boy didn't seem to realize that calling a former dark lord... reincarnated, soul bound dimension traveler or what, a 'retard' was not wise. Then again, he himself had been calling the boy all manner of names. "Mr. Dubrey is strong in magic, but surprisingly bad at politics for a Slytherin." Dumbledore noted. Especially since the Slytherins had been getting personal tutelage from a thousand year old basilisk.

OoOOoOo

Harry scowled down at his Dark Arts OWL miserably.

/: Do you want me to...:/

/Like you know the answers to any of these dumb, basic questions./ Harry snapped back.

/:A fair point.:/ Voldemort allowed. The questions were all for things they had studied it seemed like a lifetime ago. 'What is the source of magic'? Honestly? There were a thousand answers to that question, but seeing the space allowed for it, they were over complicating things.

/The only way this day could possibly get worse is if I were strung up by the legs, made to show everyone my underwear, and repudiated by my lover./ Harry groused.

/: I would never repudiate you, Harry. :/ Voldemort purred/hissed into his consciousness, running a hand against his soul.

Harry started, knocking over his ink well, eyes wide. "Uh... ng..."

/: Unless you lose your charming wit, I suppose. :/ Voldemort allowed, continuing to pet Harry, moving his hand around to tease the places where they somewhat merged into each other.

/Don't.../

/: Don't what? I am trying to help you concentrate.:/ Voldemort cooed. Which sounded odd enough in Parseltongue to snap Harry out of it.

/Well it is NOT helping!/

/: Pity. :/ Voldemort withdrew. /: And I think the answer they are looking for is 'self, emotions, and learning'. Page 5 of the study guide.

Harry gulped, feeling cold... and oddly tingly... but he wrote down the answer and moved on.

OOOOooOo

"I am glad that you can talk to them, Harry. I heard a girl in Hufflepuff snuck one into her ex-boyfriends socks and it paralyzed half his face with a glare and numbed his whole arm when he found it." Jeff gingerly used a hook to transfer a new-hatched baby basilisk from the incubator to an individual cage.

"Don't worry, Jeff." Harry mumbled as he picked a couple up with his bare hands and started to croon at them. "They are too young to even hurt if they bite you. That was last year's clutch." He scritched the head of the baby basilisk and smiled.

"Oh, ok." Jeff rolled his eyes.

"Just think, in ten or twenty years, they could drop a man where he stands." Marfic said cheerfully.

Jeff paled considerably.

"Mama is so powerful that reflections of her gaze can send you into an indefinite coma. You need mandrake root to ever come out of it." Marfic continued.

Harry shook his head at their antics before gently placing the babies in their cages. "I think it is good that they were able to find a mate for her, even if he is a tenth of her age. Basilisks are extremely rare these days."

"And that's bad... why?" Jeff asked weakly.

"You want your kids growing up not knowing what a basilisk is?" Marfic asked.

"Um... first of all, I'm never having kids. Secondly, yes, yes I do." Jeff countered.

Harry picked up another baby and scritched it, listening to its happy, nonsensical hissing. "That would be like growing up in a world without dragons. Magic needs the sense of wonder we get from these creatures in order to stay strong. It's up to us to preserve it. Magic doesn't care if it exists or not... we need to protect magic and magical creatures, and work with the other sentient races to ensure its continuation."

"Harry, you're spouting politics again." Marfic smirked.

"Well, the truth's the truth... don't hate me because I have to practice speeches a million times in order to convince a group of stuffy old wizards not to kill me and my followers." Harry huffed.

"I don't hate you for the speeches or the crusading... it's the repeating the speeches in your sleep..." Jeff laughed.

"Yeah, yeah." Harry smirked.

/: You realize you used the 'f' word again. :/ Voldemort pointed out helpfully.

"I did not!" Harry protested.

/: Yes, you did- your 'followers'. :/

"Merlin's balls." Harry grumbled.

"He giving you grief about saying you have followers?" Marfic asked, grinning.

"No." Harry pouted.

"Yes." Jeff laughed. "Oh, Harry."

OOOOoooOOo

"We're finally graduating- can you believe it?" Jeff asked, twirling about in his graduation robes.

"Nope." Harry replied. Sadly, this is the first time he's graduated, owing to the war in his last life.

/: In a couple hours, you are going to be grateful. The ceremony goes on forever. I almost killed the speaker... but Hagrid was already in jail at that point, so I didn't have a convenient scape goat. :/

Harry smirked at the comment.

"And just think, shorty- you can almost pass for a first year. If you put on some shoes with thick souls." Marfic laughed.

"One day, I will do something terrible to you and your family." Harry muttered darkly.

"Oh, no doubt." Marfic chuckled. "Here- for in the meantime, though." He handed Harry a vial.

"What's this?" Harry asked curiously.

"We all worked on it, Harry." Jeff smiled. "Severus helped us a lot."

"He did now..." Harry gave it a sniff and almost vomited. Polyjuice. "What did you do to this Polyjuice and why would I want to take it now? We're about to mount the stage for graduation!"

"Let's just say, you will be glad for the charms in the robes." Marfic smirked. "You could always not take it, and be the shortest graduate of Hogwarts since Flitwick. I think you have a centimeter on him."

Harry scowled and took a gulp of the rank potion.

/: This should be interesting. :/ Voldemort commented.

Harry doubled over, the old familiar feel of his body warping coming over him. "Eugh..." Voldemort retreated deeper to avoid the pain before Harry vindictively latched onto him to keep him aware of what was going on.

/: What the... don't make me suffer though it, as well! :/

/This is revenge for all the fondling you've been doing lately./

/: Don't blame me for that- they're your hormones! :/ Voldemort protested, trying to wriggle away.

/ Oh, no you don't!/ Harry rode out the pain, wrapped around Voldemort like his life depended on it.

/: You are a total twat, you know that? :/ Voldemort hissed.

"There, Harry! Look and see!" Jeff grinned, holding up a mirror for Harry.

Staring back at him was... himself. But looking a proper graduating age of eighteen, not barely ten. He looked, perhaps, a little more like Tom than usual... "Did you take Tom's hair as the base?" Harry asked.

"Yup! And threw in some other modifiers. That's a tricky potion, you know? But I think we got it pretty spot on. This is what you will look like grown up. Probably. We combined it with a bunch of people trying to get the look right, and it turned out that James Potter was the best to put in the blend. Weird, huh?"

"Uh... yeah, very odd." Harry winced. "Well it's good to see what I will look like in a few years."

"Try in a few decades." Marfic corrected helpfully.

"Wow... uh... I don't know what to say." Harry blinked. There was something in his eye... it certainly was not a tear.

"Tom was thinking there might be a way to capture it as part of a glamour and age charm and put it on a ring or something. So you won't be totally taken advantage of in the Wizengamont." Jeff smiled eagerly.

/: Anyone who underestimates us because we look like a child will quickly see the error of their ways. I don't see any reason to warn them of their folly. :/

Harry had a similar feeling, so paraphrased for the others. "It's a good idea, Jeff, but by Voldie side definitely wants to let them put their foot in their mouth and eat it."

"I approve." Marfic smirked. "It's times like this I have hopes of you becoming a proper Dark Lord yet."

"We are a Dark Lord already, foolish boy." Voldemort said through Harry's mouth. "We just are being a bit lazy about it is all."

Marfic laughed, while Jeff smiled uncertainly.

"Well, there is certainly something that I have been wanting to do for a long time now." Harry smirked, feeling one eye go red and the other green from the neutral hazel and seeing the two inch away from him.

/: I fully support this effort. :/ Voldemort hissed happily.

"Gotcha!" Harry crowed, looping an arm around each boys' shoulders. "Perfect." He smiled happily. He was just tall enough to get the arms around their shoulders. "I didn't think I would be able to do this until you two were in your eighties. And by that time you probably would have started to shrink."

"Hah hah, Harry." Marfic said, but he looked pleased as well.

"Well, let's get graduated." Harry pulled his two friends towards the stairwell.

OooOooO

"It is good to see you back, Alpha." Vikatas greeted Harry warmly. The werewolf practically vibrated with happiness. If he were in his wolf form, his tail and possibly butt would be wiggling.

"I am glad to be graduated." Harry admitted. "Though it was fun."

"Well, I have been keeping on top of everything while you were away, sir. Today is the final vote on the legislation that we have been pushing so hard."

"What are they calling it now?"

"Uh... the 'dangerous wolf law' is the colloquial name for it, but the actual name is 'Unprovoked Attack Mitigation in Interspecies Conflict'." Vikitas said.

"Well, I am looking forward to the long hours of deliberation that are going to be necessary." Harry sighed.

"Yes, well. Having you here will hopefully allow them to push it through without having to have another postponement."

"Well, it will probably distract them, anyway." Harry rubbed the back of his neck.

/: I could take over. :/ Voldemort offered. /: I love making people tie themselves in knots verbally. :/ He smirked.

"That's probably not a good idea." Harry muttered... though it was tempting.

"What is this kid doing here?"

Harry turned, raising an eyebrow at the approaching official.

"My Alpha has just graduated and will be resuming full duties."

"Graduated what, primary school?"

Vilkitas started to growl low in his throat.

"Williby, what are you doing?" Minister Bones came up to the entrance to the meeting hall. "Oh, hello Alpha O'Donnell." She greeted Harry. "It is good to see you. Maybe we can have a bit of progress now that all the players are here."

Harry nodded and gave Vilkitas a nod to follow him and stop growling at the young idiot. The werewolf snorted and trotted after his Alpha.

The debates raged back and forth and Harry sat back and listened. He was sure that most if not all of them were repeats of previous arguments, but he had only had gotten reports prior to this and been able to attend meetings in summers, on Hogsmeade weekends and on holidays.

"He's not even a werewolf!"

Silence fell abruptly at that statement, and people turned a bit nervously to Harry. No small number of them had seen Penseive memories of his various escapades when he had been on trial.

Harry stood up to address the assembly. "I believe we are trying to determine the repercussions and laws for out-of-control werewolves, not pry into the structure of the werewolf hierarchy. As part of the treaty that was established, the structure of the werewolf society and our internal rules are off limits." He could tell that that was not enough.

/: How about a little demonstration? :/ Voldemort suggested with a smirk.

Harry thought about that, but tried words first. "But simply- anyone who demonstrates sufficient strength and follows the werewolf law can become the Alpha. The werewolves will not tell you what these rules are, of course, and will not tell you how to 'demonstrate strength' either." Harry continued. "I have fulfilled these criteria and I will remain the Alpha until they depose me." He said, not particularly concerned about that eventuality. He enjoys governing the wolves...

"You are a wolf Animagus. How can we recognize you as their leader? You are not a werewolf and you have been accused of many crimes."

"Our Alpha is our Alpha." Vikitas said finally. "He has control of us."

"How? How can you be everywhere on a full moon? How can you guarantee that all werewolves will be away from humans? How!"

"That is what this legislation is for." Harry said in annoyance. "Everyone agrees, werewolf, wizard, that a werewolf that turns someone without permission, they will be ritually killed in order to release all victims."

"Permission! Who would give permission?"

Harry started to growl as well. "There are many reasons to choose the lifestyle, though usually the applicant is non-magical."

"You take in Muggles?"

"A baby wolf Animagus cannot be controlling all the werewolves!"

/: Demonstrate now?:/ Voldemort asked hopefully.

Harry sighed. "Vilkitas, if you would."

"Sir, is that a good idea? They are already quite aroused... they might go from raised hackles to attack at any moment."

"Wouldn't you rather be in werewolf form when that happens?" Harry asks in reply, before leaping into the center, where witnesses are generally called, changing half-way into a wolf. And not the wolf puppy that most people were seemingly expecting. He became a full grown, adult wolf. His red eye stared balefully at them while the green sparkled with mischief.

There were gasps.

Vilkitas hopped into the ring after him, also changing in midair and crouching with his tail tucked between his legs and his ears tucked back. Translation: This is a bad idea.

This time there were gasps filled with pure horror and a few muffled screams.

Harry turned and pinned Vikitas with a stare. Translation: You ready?

Vilkitas wagged his tail slowly to the right and down, his ear flicking hopefully. Translation: Maybe this was enough of a threat display?

Harry barred his teeth and squared his stance before snorting. Translation: Hell no. I am going to have some fun.

Vilkatas' ears drooped and he backed up a step. Translation: Oh, sweet Merlin!

Harry pounced and Vilkitas scrambled to get out of the way, dodging and yelping. He turned and snarled at Harry, snapping to try to drive him off. Harry pushed forward, biting at Vilkitas' ankles and pulling him to the ground, latching onto his neck with his jaws and pushing the larger wolf to the ground.

Vilkitas changed back to a human and pulled his arms up in surrender.

Harry let go, sat on his chest, and similarly turned back. "And that is how you tame a werewolf."

"How did he change! It's not a full moon!"

Harry rolled his eyes. "Internal policies are not something I need to discuss with you."

"Policies!"

"Indeed. Since we are researching what it is to be werewolf, how having the curse lifted affects those born human or not, what level of control wolfsbain, the moon, and other factors have on the curse, the change, the species... All these points are moot."

There was an uproar of scared protest.

Harry examined his fingernails. "I would be willing to discuss those things, however, if we can pass this law..." He said suggestively.

"Motion to pass." Dumbledore offered into the increasing grumbles. It shocked people into pausing to look at the old coot.

"Motion seconded." The Minister said in annoyance. "Motion passed." She hit the rock down on the magical pedestal, passing it into law. "Let's adjourn for lunch."

"An excellent idea Madame Bagnold." Dumbledore followed her out the door, ignoring a multitude of protests.

"I admit, that I am surprised that you are being so blasé about this whole situation, Albus." The Minister replied.

"Ah, my dear- I have had five years to gain a measure of young Harry. I admit I still have misgivings, but in the end, the research I am doing on how to vanquish him will not yield results for several decades, if it does at all." Minister Bagnold gave Dumbledore an odd look, which he serenely ignored. "In the meantime, there is not much we can do against him. And... he has drastically improved the lives of all werewolves and their potential victims. I much prefer he keep his inquisitive, capricious, pranking person occupied with fun ways to muck about with werewolf inheritance than, say, taking over the world."

"He couldn't really take over the world... could he?"

"My dear, he already has. At least in his mind. It just didn't last very long. I am sure the next time, he will learn from his mistakes and become supreme ruler of the universe without anyone noticing, and hold the position until the end of time." Minister Bagnold started to look a little ill. "Don't worry just yet. He is about to hit puberty. That should definitely distract him and cause no end of consternation for decades."

"Decades?"

"Oh, yes." Dumbledore smiled cheerfully (evilly).

OoOOOoOoO

Epilogue (17 years later)

OooOOOOo

"Well, midget- you almost look like you could be taking OWLs this year. Care for another fifth year?" Marfic asked cheerfully, waving to his twins from their window on the Hogwarts Express.

"Absolutely not. Your brats will have to survive on their own at Hogwarts." Harry shook his head.

"Pity. I am sure you could teach them a thing or two about... things." Marfic smirked. "Well, maybe by the time they have children you will look old enough to get a teaching position."

Harry looked at Marfic with a sick feeling in his stomach. Though his friend said it so casually, the truth was he wouldn't look much older than late twenties when his grandchildren were born. When Marfic is an old man, Harry might be able to go to a bar without being carded. What a depressing thought...

"Marfic, stop trying to corrupt our children!" Elinor smacked her husband on the arm, before tossing her platinum blond hair over one shoulder. She waved enthusiastically as the train started to move, then began to chase it, laughing after her children.

To Harry, the sight was entirely too entertaining as she looked a LOT like a female version of Draco Malfoy. "You definitely did good marrying her."

Marfic smiled happily. "Yes. Not only is she a wonderful wife, she is both a Malfoy and a half-blood, which makes my parents and the Muggle-lovers happy."

"Marfic." Harry chided him.

"Oh, pardon. She is an unofficial bastard of a Malfoy, and they disavow all knowledge of her."

"Marfic!"

"What?" The now thirty five year old schoolmate asked the apparent fifteen year old.

"Just... never mind."

"You know you love me." Marfic laughed, before he turned to accept his wife crashing into his arms and the subsequent kiss.

Harry sighed and shook his head. Next year should be interesting... it would be a full reunion. Jeff and his partner Gary would be bringing their adoptive daughter to the train as well. This year he hadn't been able to make it due to a dance recital.

"Life is good." Harry sighed happily.

/: It would be even better with...:/

/Finish that sentence, and I will remove the erection suppressing spell, silence us, and shove you in charge./ Harry threatened.

/: Oooh... you are evil. You know even a Squib half-blood Malfoy still has Veela in her.:/

/Oh, I am very aware of that./ Harry replied. Seeing as how he had had to reapply the damned suppression spell every few minutes.

/: I approve of your torture methods... but perhaps we could apply them to someone else? :/

Harry raised his wand threateningly.

Voldemort chuckled gleefully.

"The old man still giving you issues, shorty?" Marfic asked over his wife's shoulder.

"Always." Harry laughed.

/: Always... yes.:/

OooOoOOoo

A/N: So, wow. Lessons learned: Have a plot when starting and an endpoint- writing a story deliberately without a plot/ main antagonist/ situation of peril in protest of epic time travel fics is a dumb idea; make sure you don't lose the intricate world notes you made... even if it is some ungodly number of years later.

OC reprises: Minister Bagnold- mentioned in um... a previous chapter. Vilkitas- werewolf named after another culture's werewolf-like critter- adviser to Harry. Elly not-Malfoy: one of the children that Harry was playing with when he was in 'second' year, but not allowed to attend Hogwarts. Meaning she is probably like 6 years younger than Marfic.

On the timeline: It would have been fun to bring in the canon characters in the epilogue, but I lost what year it was supposed to be. Damn you disappearing Excel spreadsheet! So I don't know what year they would be in, etc. And that would have made it a giant epilogue. I'm leaving it as is.

Additionally- I had a ton of fun re-reading the story. You probably will have to re-read also, as it has been an ungodly long time since I updated. Apparently, though, March is a good time for this story. I started it in March, last update was just two weeks shy of two years ago... yeah. Sorry!

I love all you reviewers, especially the ones that sent me sad reviews that kept me thinking about this story and wanting to write it.