Disclaimer: Everything belongs to JK Rowling I own nothing.

Author's Note: This story has been deleted from this site at least two times and this time,
I'm just posting it without any book excerpts - I hope you'll be able to keep track of why the
characters react the way they do with where in the book they stop to comment. Good luck!

Hoping For A Better Future

BOOK ONE

Prologue - The Letter

It was nearing midnight and Harry Potter was still awake. No matter how much he tried to fall asleep, it was impossible, for he had too much on his mind. It was only last week that he had met his godfather Sirius Black for the first time and found out that he hadn't betrayed his parents to Voldemort, but instead it was another friend of his father's by the name of Peter Pettigrew that did. It was only last week that his favourite teacher in the whole world, Remus Lupin, resigned and left the castle. No matter how much his friends meant to him and how much time he spent with them, he couldn't help but feel lonely. It took all his willpower not to break down crying when the realization that he couldn't go and live with his godfather and instead had to return to his relatives set in. If only he had caught Pettigrew before he ran away, if only Lupin hadn't forgotten his potion (not that he blamed him), if only… if only… if only…

Suddenly it was too much for Harry as he slid down the wall and rested his head on his knees, his robes absorbing the tears that slid through his eyes that he closed. He was unaware of the pain in his nose where his glasses were digging into his flesh, but he did suddenly become aware of the pain in his head as something fell on top of it.

"OW!" he yelped as he looked on the floor next to him where a package was laying innocently. He picked it up with one hand while massaging his head with the other. It was an innocent looking package and Harry opened it (he was curious as to how a package of books fell on his head out of nowhere after all). Inside the package, there were seven books. After reading the title of the first book he almost dropped the whole package on his toes. Its title was Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. But it was impossible – for as far as he knew, the only books that he was mentioned in where Modern Magical History, The Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts and Great Wizarding Events of the Twentieth Century. And even that piece of information came from Hermione Granger, one of his best friends and the smartest witch he knew (even if she was a nag sometimes). He knew that she would have told him if there were other books written about him.

He quickly skimmed over the titles of the other books and they all started with his name. Curious to know more, he went to open the first book and see what was written about him, but the book wouldn't open past the first page and the piece of parchment that was stuck on it. Instead of trying to force the pages of the book to open, he went to read what was written on the parchment.

Dear Harry,

You must be wondering who wrote those books about you and why Hermione didn't know about it.

Harry blinked at the first sentence, for that was indeed what he was wondering about. He thought the sentence over for a few more minutes and then gasped. Could it be that the writer of this letter was from the future? Or even his future self? He knew about time-travelling, because Hermione was in the possession of a time-turner for the past school year and he had even travelled to the past and saved Sirius from the Dementors. With that realization, he quickly turned his attention back to the letter.

Yep, you guessed correctly. I am your future self – or at least your previous future self if you decide to change the future after you've read this book and the other six that are in the package. Each of the books is a story about one of your years at Hogwarts and they are to be read in this order:

- Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
- Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
- Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
- Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
- Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
- Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

The first three books have already come to pass and unfortunately the spell I'm using to send these books to the past can only go back thirty years, otherwise who knows where the books would end up (perhaps even in the time of the school founders!)

If the spell could only send the books back thirty years, then that meant that his future self was forty-three years old. Wow, he was old… Shaking his head to clear it of the unnecessary thoughts, he concentrated on the letter again.

I know that you probably won't be happy about what I'm about to tell you next, but it really is for the best. I know you don't like people knowing about your life and thoughts, but in these circumstances it can't be avoided. Imagine if by reading about you and your thoughts you could save some people that you couldn't otherwise.

Wait! Did that mean that people he knew were dead in the future? Not Ron! Not Hermione! Not Sirius – he only just got to know him! He quickly read ahead.

Yes, some of the people you know and care about will die in the future. That is why I sent you these books – so that you can prevent their deaths and finish off old Voldyshorts that much quicker and finally live a normal life without being afraid of when he'll return and kill you or your friends.

If he could protect his friends by reading these books, then he would do so without complaint.

I thought so. Now, I'd like you to gather a group of people and go to the seventh floor. There's a painting of a wizard trying to teach trolls to dance ballet. Weird, I know. Then you have to walk past the opposite wall three times and think about a place that you could read the books in and the Room of Requirement – that's the place that will appear after you do what I told you to do – will take care of the rest. Don't worry about missing the end of the year – time will stop in the room and when you exit it will be as if you never went in there. Also, don't worry about the food – the house elves will take care of it.

Now to that group of people I want you to gather. I know that you don't like some of them, but they are there for a reason and I ask you that you trust that I do have a reason for making you read the books together with them. The people you should gather are: Albus Dumbledore, Ronald Weasley, Hermione Granger, Remus Lupin, Sirius Black, Nymphadora Tonks, Alastor Moody, Minerva McGonagall, Severus Snape and Neville Longbottom.

That's all I can think of to write at the moment, so I'll stop this letter and hope that there won't be any bloodshed.

Just kidding.

Harry James Potter

When Harry read over the names he grimaced when he read Snape's name, but smiled when he read the names of his godfather and his Defence against the Dark Arts professor. He would see Sirius and professor Lupin again! He recognized all but two of the names on the list. He wondered who Nymphadora Tonks and Alastor Moody where, but decided to let that rest for now, for he was on a mission now.

The first person Harry went to find was professor Dumbledore – he would probably know how to contact the two people that Harry didn't know and professor Lupin and Sirius as well!

When he arrived at the gargoyle that was protecting the Headmaster's office, he realized that he didn't know the password. He sighed quietly and was just about to start rattling off as many sweets as he could remember when a sharp voice from behind him startled him.

"What are you doing out of your dormitory at this time of the night, Potter?"

Of course, the person who had to catch him out after curfew had to be Snape. Quickly hiding his scowl, Harry turned around and looked at his professor as calmly as possible.

"I need to speak to the Headmaster about something and it couldn't wait until the morning. Could you please tell me the password to his office, sir?" he asked politely. Snape sneered at him and, not that he expected anything different from his Potions professor, said,

"Do you really think yourself so important that you can speak to the Headmaster whenever you want to, Potter? Ten points from Gryffindor for being out after curfew and if you don't-"

"What seems to be the problem here, gentlemen," an elderly voice interrupted professor Snape's rant. Harry sighed in relief and grinned gratefully at his Headmaster. Professor Dumbledore's eyes twinkled a bit, while Snape looked like he sucked a particularly sour lemon.

"Professor Dumbledore, sir," started Harry, "I just received a package of books from the future."

He ignored Snape's sputter and continued, "They were sent here by my future self, or so the letter says, and he requests that I read it together with you, professor Snape and a few others – although I don't know some of them."

Dumbledore stroked his long beard with his left hand as he looked at Harry. Harry hoped the professor would believe him, unlike professor Snape who was now muttering that he, Harry, should be checked in St Mungo's – though he didn't know what that was.

"Who are you supposed to read the books with?" professor Dumbledore finally asked and Harry almost sighed in relief. Pulling out the letter from his robe pocket he unfolded it and checked the names over again.

"I am supposed to gather you, professor Snape, professor McGonagall, professor Lupin, Sirius Black, Ron, Neville and Hermione, Nymphadora Tonks and Alastor Moody, sir."

Snape's eyebrows rose and so did professor Dumbledore's. Their expressions changed into thoughtful ones. Harry guessed that they finally started to believe him. He unfolded the letter again and said,

"You can read the letter if you don't believe me, professor."

"No, no, Harry," said professor Dumbledore. "I believe you. Do you want me to contact the others?"

Harry looked up to Dumbledore with a hopeful expression.

"Would you, sir? I don't know how to contact them and I don't even know who two of them are. I'll tell Ron, Neville and Hermione."

Professor Dumbledore smiled at him and nodded – so Harry took that Dumbledore agreed to his wish.

"Oh yeah," Harry remembered, "the letter says to meet on the seventh floor where a painting with a wizard trying to teach trolls how to dance ballet. There is supposed to be a room that will be big enough for us to read in and the letter also mentioned that time will stand still in the room so that we don't have to worry about the outside world while we read the books."

"All right, Harry – I'll contact the others. And you should go to bed – it won't do to be half asleep when we start reading."

"Yes, sir," grinned Harry and ran off to the Gryffindor common room.