Chapter Three

Harry opened his eyes but was immediately forced to snap them shut again. Light, way too much light and god did it sting. He groaned and lifted his arm directly in front of his face in an attempt to shield it before opening his eyes again. His eyesight was distorted meaning his glasses had been removed but he didn't need to be able to see clearly to know where he was. There was only one place Harry knew of which greeted people with intense light. The Hospital Wing.

Sitting up in the bed he had obviously been placed in caused Harry to feel slightly disorientated but it passed quickly and within seconds he was feeling for his glasses on the bedside table. Locating them he swiftly put them on, instantly perfecting his vision. Now to figure out what the hell he was doing. He remembered going to bed as usual, then waking up and then,

"Pettigrew!"

Harry quite literally snarled the name as his memory clicked back into place. What happened? Where was Wormtail? Had they caught him or did no one know but him? Harry had to find out so throwing the bed covers off him, he made to get out of bed with the intent of finding Dumbledore when he was stopped by none other than Madame Pomfrey herself. He should have known better than to think he could just waltz out of the Hospital Wing without the med witch knowing.

"Where do you think your going? You are to remain here until the Headmaster arrives!"

Harry simply sighed. He knew from experience that there was no use in arguing with the old witch, she was nice enough but fairly strict, so he simply pulled the sheets back over him and remained where he was.

"Here, take this." The med witch ordered, holding out a flask filled with potion. Harry took it and drank it down as quickly as possible. Every potion Madame Pomfrey had ever given him always tasted vile and that one was no exception. He didn't bother to hide the grimace on his face as he handed back the now empty flask. She simply tutted and wondered off to dispose of the empty flask. When she returned Harry decided to put some of his questions to her. If he wasn't allowed to leave until Dumbledore arrived then that meant the headmaster was most likely dealing with Wormtail so he needn't worry too much about that.

"What happened to me?" Harry questioned the witch.

"You were hit by a Stunning Spell and a rather strong one at that."

Harry frowned at her reply. He couldn't remember anything past attempting to strangle Wormtail and he knew the little rat couldn't have done anything to him since he couldn't even breath. Did he have an accomplice with him then?

"You must have deeply annoyed Mr Black."

Harry immediately glared directly at Hogwart's Matron, "What's THAT supposed to mean?" Madame Pomfrey was clearly taken aback by the fierceness behind his words as her face was laced with confusement. She was prevented form answering however as at that moment the Hospital Wing doors were thrown open and in marched Dumbledore along with Professor McGonagall.

"Professor!" Once again Harry threw the sheets off him about to get up but a glare from Madame Pomfrey refrained him from actually going anywhere.

"Poppy I wonder if we could have a few minutes privacy?" Dumbledore requested gesturing towards Harry. Well of course she would agree so it really was no surprise when the med witch simply nodded and trotted off towards her office, Once the door snapped shut Harry turned to the headmaster and his head of house.

"Sir, Pettigrew was in my dorm. Him and some other Death Eater, they're in the castle! You've caught…" Harry spoke very quickly to the headmaster but he still didn't manage to f finish what he wanted to say before being interrupted by Professor McGonagall.

"Inside the Castle! I should hope he's inside the castle! As for being a Death Eater…"

She stopped her rant when Dumbledore made a silencing gesture with his hand and offered her a cold, "Minerva." The transfiguration looked a little annoyed but did not continue ranting. Dumbledore then returned his attention to Harry and simply asked, "Why did you attack Mr Pettigrew?"

Harry was a little confused. Professor McGonagall had proclaimed that she hoped Wormtail was inside Hogwarts. Did that mean he had been caught and she was simply insinuating she hoped he was still in their custody. Yet somehow that didn't seem to fit the way she had said it. His confusement only increased with Dumbledore's question and he stared at him in disbelief.

"Why did I attack him?" Repeated an incredulous Harry. Was it not blatantly obvious? This was the real Dumbledore wasn't it?

"I though that would have been obvious Sir? I should have just let Remus and Sirius kill him when they had the chance back in third year. I was young and more than a little naïve, but now I can gladly say I've grown up. I want him dead!"

Dumbledore's and McGonagall's shock and surprise took Harry himself by surprise. What had they been expecting? Granted he had changed a little over the past few months. Now revenge was also on his To Do list as well as 'Save the sodding world' courtesy of everyone else. But really, what else was he supposed to do when a Death Eater turns up in his dorm, just let him waltz away?

Their shock slowly turned into suspicion. "Who are you?" Queried Dumbledore, fixing Harry with a calculating look.

Harry's mouth literally dropped open after that question. "WHAT! What d'you mean, Who am I!"

What in the world was the old man on about? He couldn't be serious. How could they not know who he Was? By the looks on both their faces they were being serious. Dumbledore was frowning and Professor McGonagall's eyes were narrowed at him in suspicion.

Okay what was going on? There were Death Eaters in Hogwarts and no one knew he was. Was this kind of Alternate Reality?

No. Harry's eyes widened as the realisation came to him. There was no way, absolutely no freaking way! He couldn't of… But he had to be sure. So fumbling with the neck of his robes trying to pull out a thin gold chain he asked his own question. "What's the date?"

No matter what they said, either way the outcome would be a problem.

"September 29th," stated Professor McGonagall as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Yes, but what year is it?" snapped Harry.

"1976," supplied Dumbledore as if it was a normal question.

The Head of Gryffindor looked a strange mix between being miffed at being snapped at and amused by the stupid questions about the date and year.

"Your from a different time aren't you my boy?"

Why did things always have to happen to him? What kind of idiotic, incompetent person had checked the Time Turner at the Ministry anyway? Not only had he been thrown back in time, but thrown back to 1976. Someone up there really hated him.

McGonagall gaped at the headmaster who appeared completely untroubled and unsurprised by this information. "Yes I am and I'm going back to my time right now."

Harry pulled the hourglass shaped time turner out form under his robes and held it by the fine chain it hung from. He knew how they worked having used one before to go back in time back in third year to save buckbeak but he hadn't heard of them being used to go forward in time. When he and Hermione used it time had just caught up with its self.

If they can go back in time, they can surely go forward in time reasoned Harry. Perhaps it came down to how you turned it. Turn it one way you travel to the past, turn it the other you head into the future. Only which way was which and how many times did he need to turn it? He'd just flicked it before not expecting anything to happen so he could always just flick it again and hope for the best.

Deciding to go with that Harry flicked the Time Turner and as it spun round waited expectantly.

Nothing happened.

Harry flicked it again and followed the dizzying movement of the hourglass closely.

Again nothing happened.

"It's not working." Stated Professor McGonagall dryly. Harry didn't even bother looking up at the two people standing beside the bed before snapping at them.

"Yes I can see that!"

Normally Harry wouldn't dare talk to Professor McGonagall in such a way, but technically this McGonagall wasn't his teacher and seeing as she wasn't going to find out who he was she couldn't call him on it in the future, well his present. Besides he was getting annoyed now as he flicked the time turner with increasing desperation.

After what was probably the tenth time of watching the time turner spin around Dumbledore spoke.

"What is your name?"

As Harry stopped trying to get the time turner to work he looked up and realised Professor McGonagall had left and he hadn't even noticed. As for the Headmasters question Harry wasn't entirely sure he should answer it. Granted he had well and truly broken the 'Must not be seen' rule so it couldn't really get much worse, but being seen and actually interacting with people of this time was majorly different.

Harry got the feeling that was something he wouldn't be able to avoid if the time turner continued to insist on not working. So ignoring the little voice inside his head which sounded suspiciously like Hermione telling him he really shouldn't say anything Harry offered his name to Dumbledore. At least McGonagall isn't here to hear who I really am, thought Harry.

"My names Harry," he hesitated deciding whether to give his last name. No doubt the old wizard would figure it out anyway so he quietly added, "Harry Potter.

"Well then Harry perhaps we should continue this in my office it would be much safer. I shall inform Madame Pomfrey if you just want to wait by the door for a moment."

Continue what in his office? Did Dumbledore know how to get the time turner working again? If so why not just tell him so he could get back to his own time as soon as possible? No doubt his friends would be going frantic right now. I might as well seeing as I can't exactly remain sitting here until I manage to go home. So with that thought Harry slid of the bed and walked over to stand by the hospital wing doors to await the headmaster.

He was surprised Dumbledore hadn't said anything further about his name. The old wizard would have undoubtedly made the connection.

Harry wasn't made to wait long as a few seconds later Dumbledore was exiting the med witch's office. He wondered what the headmaster had told her since he was technically a completely unknown student who had attacked someone. He had to admit if he was in the staffs position he would be mighty suspicious of himself. So why wasn't Dumbledore? He hadn't even showed any surprise when he confirmed he was form a different time.

"Shall we?" Dumbledore was holding the door open clearly indicating that Harry should go first. If Harry found it a little strange he didn't say anything. He simply walked through the door and with Dumbledore following headed for the Headmasters office.

It's probably a test, realised Harry. He claimed to be a student here form a different time so he should know his way around Hogwarts. This was Dumbledore's way of seeing if he knew his way around the school. Then again if he was lying and was secretly a death eater posing as a student he would also know his way around the school having either gone here before or through research, so really it didn't prove much.

Harry took the quickest route he knew from the Hospital Wing up to Dumbledore's office, so it did not take long before the pair approached the gargoyle which guarded the headmaster's office. They had met no one in the silent corridors on the way there but whenever they approached a classroom the noise level increased which clearly meant it was class time.

He couldn't help but roll his eyes slightly as Dumbledore gave the password and the gargoyle moved to let them in. Some things never changed then, but he had to run out of sweets eventually.

After ascending the moving spiral staircase and entering the office Harry saw it wouldn't undergo any major changes in the next twenty years. Perhaps there were fewer book sand funny looking objects covering the many shelves which lined the walls of the office but they really were the only differences.

As Dumbledore took the seat behind his desk Harry sat down in the chair he usually occupied on every visit to Dumbledore's office and as the headmaster fixed Harry with his ever so familiar piercing gaze the interrogation so to speak began.

"What year would you happen to be from?"

"1996."

"How exactly did you come to be here?" Harry saw Dumbledore's eyes flick to the time turner now hanging in front of his school robes.

"It was an accident. The time turner, it was supposed to broke. Just wait until I get o my hands on whichever idiot at the Ministry it was who said it was broke. Joke not literally." He added quickly as he saw the headmasters expression change.

The last thing he needed was to be seen as some evil, violent person especially after the whole Wormtail ordeal. He'd have to be careful with the flippant remarks.

"A friend of mine used it one year to get to all her classes. At the end of the year it was sent back to the Ministry but they sent it back claiming it to be broken." Harry deliberately left out the part of them using it to save buckbeak thinking it would be best if he didn't mention too much.

"What she wanted with a broken time turner I will never know but she kept it. Last night she dropped it, I picked it up and flicked it, nothing happened and I went to bed. Well it obviously wasn't nothing since I've ended up here."

"Yet the Time Turner did not work earlier."

"No." Harry refrained himself form snapping or being sarcastic like he had towards Professor McGonagall earlier. Instead he slipped the golden chain over his head and passed the time turner across the desk so Dumbledore could examine it like he would undoubtedly need to.

Harry was a little surprised how easily the Headmaster appeared to believe him. He'd expected to be Legilimized at the very least. He hadn't expected to simply be asked a few basic questions then trusted.

As Harry sat there in silence while Dumbledore examined the time turner he realised how hungry he actually was. It was hardly surprising since he hadn't been eating properly lately not to mention he'd spent the morning in the Hospital Wing. Twenty minutes passed and as the spells Dumbledore was casting on the time turner became more complex he figured it was going to take a while so he decided to speak up.

"Professor would it be alright If I went and got something to eat while you examine the time turner?"

Dumbledore paused his spell casting to reply. "Yes, yes. I'm sorry Harry I should have thought. Lunch will finish in half an hour but that's plenty of time to eat."

"Thank you sir." Harry got up to leave, feeling very grateful for the chance to eat but paused at the door when Dumbledore spoke again. "Time is a dangerous thing Harry. I suggest you take care with what you do and say around certain people."

"Yes sir."

As Dumbledore went back to the time turner Harry left the headmasters office. He hadn't thought about that, or more accurately didn't want to. If he turned up in the Great Hall some people were bound to have questions. Perhaps he could eat in the Kitchens but Harry didn't know how the elves took to students visiting the kitchens in this time. For now he would eat in the Great Hall. If things got too awkward he'd go down to the kitchens.

Harry didn't pass anyone on the way down to the hall from Dumbledore's office, though that was to be expected considering what time of day it was. Hopefully by the time he got back to Dumbledore's office he would be heading back to the future.

Walking through the massive doors of the hall, Harry was greeted with the appetizing smell of food and the general noise level associated with meal time at Hogwarts. He made his way directly over to the Gryffindor table on the far side of the hall. No one paid him any attention at all.

He chose to sit a little away from everyone else as he was sure the other students would realise he didn't actually belong in their house. As soon as he sat down Harry got that uncomfortable feeling which usually meant someone was watching him. Looking up from his long needed food he saw someone was indeed watching him. Professor McGonagalls' eyes were fixed on him and her face was set in a grim frown. Once she realised Harry had noticed the head of Gryffindor swiftly fixed her attention elsewhere.

Harry couldn't help but smile and however small for once it wasn't forced. He'd been thrown back into the past to a time he'd really not be in, with people he really didn't want to think about. He'd attacked a teenage Wormtail, ended up in the Hospital wing, been taken to Dumbledore's office and here he was now actually eating dinner under the suspicious glares of a younger Professor McGonagall. However serious the situation was he couldn't help but se the funny side to it. It was typical really, only he would go through stuff like this and still see the humorous side to the situation.

Finishing his lunch Harry stood up off the bench and took a step away from the table only to walk smack bang into somebody else. He was about to hastily apologize and walk away quickly when he realised who it was he had walked into. Fate clearly hated him more than usual today. Harry looked down at the white, clearly scared face of Peter Pettigrew. A cruel smirk made it's way onto his face. So the little rat was scared of him was he? Perhaps fate didn't hate him as much as he originally thought. The Wormtail form his time was currently unavailable so why not have some fun with the teenage Wormtail. As he was about to address the younger version of the man he would very much like to kill somebody else called out the soon to be traitors name.

"Peter! There you are, we …YOU!" Said persons attention was soon turned to him though and Harry got the feeling the only thing preventing him form being cursed right then and there was the presence of the majority of the staff all seated at the staff table.

Unfortunately Harry knew the presence of teachers wouldn't completely deter this person. He wanted to flinch away from the angry, hateful glare locked on him but at the same time he couldn't bring himself to even move a muscle. He felt torn between running in the opposite direction as fast as he could and throwing his arms around the person in front of him.

Sirius Black was standing directly in front of him looking no more than a day over sixteen yet easily recognisable, a look of utter resentment upon his face but most importantly alive and Harry couldn't do a thing.

After his godfathers death he'd felt empty, completely lost and detached from everyone and everything not to mention on top of all that he'd finally found out about that damn prophecy. After that all normal eating habits and sleep patterns had flown out the window.

Yet there he was. Sixteen years old and not a care in the world, standing only an arms width away clearly determined to defend his so called friend and Harry couldn't do Anything.

It was saddening, no aggravating, no that wasn't quite right either. There wasn't really a word which could properly describe how he was feeling.

As two figures came up either side of Sirius Harry didn't really need to look to know who they were. After all if Wormtail and Padfoot are close than Prongs and Moony won't be far away. It was strange and a little amusing seeing the teenage versions of Lupin and his own Father. With Pettigrew he just wanted to murder him where he stood, with Sirius, well lets not get into that but with James and Remus he just wanted to smile. This was technically the first time he had seen his dad alive and breathing since he was one year old, but it wasn't painful or sad. It was a bit weird since everything about them was practically the same, apart from their eyes obviously. It was like looking at himself just with a couple of deliberate mistakes. Harry's attention soon snapped back to Sirius though.

"Just who are you?"

Out of all the questions they all most likely had he just had to go and ask that one. Great. What exactly was he supposed to say to that? Not good, this was exactly what Dumbledore meant, c'mon think, THINK!

"I'm a new student here!" Harry replied calmly as if it was the most obvious thing in the world while mentally panicking and racking his brains for something to say. At the rate he was going he should probably give up the career as an Aurour and become an actor, after saving the world of course. "The names Har-Harold Carlson. Though I go by Harry."

It was the first name that popped into his head, goodness knows why he just hoped he could keep up with their questions. "So, just who are you?" Harry mocked. He wasn't sure how long he could keep up the calm and confident act.

"Carlson?"

Harry's eyes flicked over to James who looked thoughtful, he had spoken before Sirius could reply but he wasn't looking pleased about being mocked. Harry didn't like the look on his dads face, it would surely mean trouble for him. Oh God, don't say the name meant something.

"I think I've heard of your Family. Pure blooded, American, Dark Wizards if I'm not mistaken. Think Malfoys only American." He added for the benefit of his friends.

Brilliant, though Harry, just bloody brilliant. He'd even said 'please' but that obviously wasn't enough. The name just had to mean something but to be the Family Name of a dark pure blooded family was just his luck. Only he would come up with a name like that when trying to be inconspicuous. He wanted to gag at being compared to the Malfoys even if he was pretending to be a Carlson. He couldn't imagine how anyone else could be like them. Well on the bright side he didn't need to come up with some story about his family. Harry nodded in answer to James' question.

He watched as James titled his head to the side slightly and frowned at him. "We wouldn't happen to be related would we. Though I don't recall my family ever being related to yours. It's just we do look one hell of a lot alike."

"Perhaps," Harry replied simply. "There's always the possibility with Families as large as ours but I doubt it. You're a Potter aren't you?" He added. Since he was now a pureblood he could 'pretend' to know the pureblood family names. Sure it was a little strange pretending to know people by Family name, he really didn't know much about the whole pureblood status thing. When he got a nod from his father he turned to Sirius, "You're a Black are you not."

"Yes but that's beside the point. Why the hell did you attack Peter?"

They were starting to gather some attention now. Harry noticed a number of students plus one increasingly suspicious transfiguration teacher looking their way. Hopefully none of the students watching them had heard any of what had been said so far.

Now what was he supposed to say to that? He glared down at Wormtail who took a step further behind the other three marauders. Was he really that pathetic, why in the world did they all put up with him Still glaring at Wormtail who was half hiding behind his friends he decided to give them some semblance of truth.

"Simply because he is the spitting image of the traitorous little shit responsible for my parents death. Now if you'll excuse me I have a meeting with the Headmaster." Without waiting for a response Harry promptly pushed past the group and left the Great Hall.

--

Sirius just glared after the retreating figure until he felt a hand settle on his shoulder. It was James. "C'mon Padfoot we have to get to class, we can question the new guy some more later."

Sirius didn't bother replying he just followed his three friends to their first class of the afternoon. They'd never had anyone transfer in the middle of term before, heck they'd never heard of anyone transferring full stop. It was a little suspicious. Why would the son and probable Heir of a dark pure blood family suddenly transfer to Hogwarts?

Oh well, Sirius figured he could just ask him later, right now it was double potions, with the slytherins. Perfect, just what he needed. Classes with the slytherins were always such a good form of entertainment, or more accurately Snivellus was such a brilliant form of entertainment. Two hours of potions gave the marauders ample time to annoy the greasy git.

--

Harry hadn't wanted to meet the marauders or speak to them, especially not like that, seeing as he now had to return to his own time, in which two were dead and a third would soon be joining them if he had anything to say about it.

Walking in to the Headmaster's office for the second time that day Harry expected to see an eager looking Dumbledore sitting behind his desk ready to tell Harry he had successfully fixed the Time Turner, alas when did anything ever go the way he expected it to. Dumbledore was in fact sitting behind his desk but he wasn't looking at all happy.

"Ah, Harry, pleasant lunch I hope?"

As he took the seat in front of the desk he was about to reply with 'yes' when he figured it wouldn't matter if he told the truth. "Awkward at best but that doesn't matter since I'm going back to my time, right sir?"

"You didn't do or say anything which could be problematic?"

He knew it. Dumbledore had completely ignored his question. There was clearly a problem with him leaving.

"I don't think so sir. Though a few students may wonder where the supposed new student has disappeared to come tomorrow morning."

Dumbledore's face became even more serious after that. "Unfortunately, you may still be here tomorrow morning."

Harry remained silent waiting for him to elaborate on that statement, though it wasn't as if he couldn't guess already what the Headmaster was about to say.

Dumbledore picked the time turner up of the desk from where it had been innocently lying and let it dangle between them on the golden chain. "I'm sorry to say this time turner is completely unusable. I have done every test imaginable and while it shows no evidence of physical damage, it no longer contains nay magical source. It is, as your ministry claimed, Broken." The old wizard gave it a flick as if to emphasise his point which it did when nothing happened.

It was one thing for the Ministry to say it was broken, but Dumbledore as well. How could Harry's appearance here be explained then? He opened his mouth to ask Dumbledore that very question though it never cam out.

"Sir?"

Dumbledore was fading, disappearing right before his eyes.

"SIR!" Harry stood up but before he even took a step closer to the desk Dumbledore was gone.

"Oh you have got to be kidding me!"

--

A/N - I was completely astonished by the response I got to this fic, especially since it's only my first and we're only on the third chapter as of now. I'd like to thank everyone who has added it to their faves list or Alert list. Plus an Extra Special Big THANKYOU to all the people who left me reviews for the last chapter!!

Now how about you all make me even more Happy and leave me lots more Reviews!!

- C