Disclaimer: Besides stating the rather obvious fact that I don't and never will own Harry Potter and its characters, what else can I say? Duh….
Warning: This fic will definitely contain SLASH, or MALE/MALE relationships. If you can't stand it, don't read it. And this fic is AU, though it has spoilers of the first five books. Knowing my perverse nature, this fic will probably contain incest also.
A/N: Now that we got all THAT (disclaimer & warning) out of the way, whew, I am happy to be writing again. Let's hope that muse of mine doesn't run away like it did for my cardcaptor fics. We'll see, eh? Less talk and more plot, let the show begin! draws back curtain
Chapter 1Death surrounded him. He faced it daily, dreamed of it nightly. Lived with it always. He looks into its dark, hungry eye and smiled bitterly. No matter how many times he escaped its clever grasp, death never fails to come back and haunt him. Plague his mind with the pale, accusing faces of Cedric, Sirius, and countless innocents that Voldemort had killed after playing his favorite "Let's see how many times you can be crucio-ed before you go insane" game.
Harry Potter woke in the dark. Through the tattered, thin curtains covering the windows, the first murky hint of dawn slipped, illuminating a lithe figure lying motionlessly on the worn bed. The only hint that Harry is awake is the unblinking emerald eyes staring expressionlessly at a random spot on the ceiling. He has been in the same position for the past hour. An hour ago, he had dreamt of Voldemort torturing a little girl. The child that he couldn't save no matter how hard he tried. The child whose screams had echoed in the dream endlessly. All the blood, Harry thought. Such a small little girl to have had so much blood in her. The blood was as red as the feral slit eyes that glinted in the dark, filled with the kind of sick gee that only a mad being could have. Harry had watched the little girl's life force disappearing. Her eyes died first. He had seen it happen before. Eyes that turned to glass like a doll's, filled with the final realization that one is going to die, no matter what.
The room was cold as a grave, as Harry stood and walked to the window. Though it was in the winter, the Dursleys didn't see any need to have a heater for the second bedroom in number 4 Privet Drive. After all, the resident of that room is only a freak, who cares if the freak freezes to death? But the cold didn't bother Harry, not when his heart is already frozen, smothered by the intense pain, the guilt, the loneliness. Emotions that a sixteen year old should not have. He could see his own breath condensing on the window pane in droplets. Droplets that resembled the tears that he no longer can shed. Tears were useless, and they were weak. Harry has to be strong to defeat the beast that is the bane of his existence. A soft hooting caught his attention. "Hedwig, what have you been doing, hmm?" Stroking her snowy feather with one hand, he took the glowing key-like object that's attached to her leg with his other.
The hateful but familiar feeling of a tug in his stomach came, together with dizziness and disorientation. A portkey, were the last thought that he managed before everything became dark.
Pain was everywhere, radiating through him in stupefying waves that had no beginning or end, but circled into every cell. Harry felt as if his entire being was being split into a million pieces and put together again by an amateur. He was smothered by the pain, coated with shock when he finally landed on the cool wet grass. Harry could taste the blood inside his mouth, a bright and terrible flavor, and smell the contrasting freshness of the morning air. His mind tried to make sense of what happened. Struggling not to lose consciousness, Harry failed to notice the approaching figure till it crouched beside him.
"Are you all right? What are you doing here?" A young voice cut through the silence of dawn. With some effort, Harry turned to his side and found himself gazing into concerned blue eyes. A quick scan revealed a handsome teenager with a strong stubborn face, sinful blue eyes, poet's mouth. The wizard's mane of thick black hair. A familiar sight, a sight that is just impossible. Besides the obvious fact that HE is dead, the man, no, the boy before him is just too young to be Sirius Black!
"Sirius?" Harry whispered disbelievingly.
"Mr. Black, what do you have there?" Another voice interrupted Harry.
"Ah, Headmaster, I have found a boy here and he seems to be injured."
Harry looked up to see a younger Dumbledore standing before him. Coughing, Harry couldn't get his questions out fast enough.
"To the infirmary! You are obviously wounded seriously." Dumbledore spelled for Harry to float behind him as he walked briskly to the hospital wing of Hogwarts. The toils of the past hour overcame Harry as he succumbed reluctantly to unconsciousness.
Waking up for the second time in the same day, Harry fumbled around for his glasses, before remembering that Madam Pomfrey had fixed his eyes magically at the beginning of his sixth year. "Hello! You are awake! How are you feeling?" Madam Pomfrey fussed with the blankets covering Harry as she peered at him with curiosity.
"Fine…" Harry croaked. He realized that something is very off about this situation that seems surreal. As usual, the Medi-witch has done an excellent job and Harry is no longer feeling pain occupying his entire being. With the exception of feeling a little sore and disoriented, Harry is as good as new.
"Good! Now, can you tell me who you are and what you are doing in Hogwarts during the summer holidays?" Dumbledore, who just stepped into the infirmary, looked expectantly at Harry.
"Summer holidays?" But isn't this the Christmas holidays? Something is seriously messed up.
"Yes, and with the exception of Sirius Black, there are no other students in Hogwarts now." The mention of his godfather caused Harry's heart to wrench painfully. Emerald eyes filling with grief did not escaped Dumbledore's notice. The moment the headmaster saw Harry; he had the strangest feeling that this young man is special. Call it instinct, but the fact remains that nobody is suppose to be able to approach the Hogwarts' grounds without him knowing it. The moment the alarms in his office went haywired, Dumbledore knew that something, or someone has breached the wards of the castle. To his surprise it was an injured teenager who resembles another of his student, James Potter. Not a man to believe in coincidence, Albus Dumbledore made a quick decision as Harry remained silent and unresponsive to his questions.
With a gentle probe, the curious and cautious headmaster tried to get into Harry's mind. To his amazement, a wall came up almost immediately, followed by a glare by the now furious orbs of green.
"WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING?" Harry demanded coldly. Following the death of Sirius, Harry had finally recognized the importance of Occlumency and took to mastering it with a vengence that even impressed the cynical Severus Snape.
"Headmaster, I would appreciate it if you could just ask me what you wanted to know and not try to rape my mind like what Voldemort likes to do." A crackle in the air signals the start of uncontrollable magic gathering around the pissed-off teen.
"I apologise. It is surprising to see one so young yet accomplished at Occlumency. As well as someone who does not fear the name of Voldemort. Now, if you would answer a few questions." Dumbledore said quietly.
"Before I answer your question, could you tell me what is today's date?"
"Why, it is 20 July, 1977 of course."
With a groan, Harry had his worst suspicions confirmed. Without knowing how, he had traveled back to the past, where his parents and the Mauraders are still alive, and apparently students in Hogwarts. Perhaps things are not as bad as they seem, since this would mean that Harry would have a second chance at saving their lives. Smiling for the first time in many months, he started thinking how to convince Dumbledore to let him remain in the past and not send him back to the bleak future before he has a chance to make amends.
"My name is Harry Potter and I'm from the future." Harry explained what happened in his room and how he was transported to the past.
"This is the first time someone has traveled so many years back to the past. Even with the time-turner, only a few hours can be managed, at most a day. I have no way of sending you back now, but rest assured that I will research and find out how. Now I can't help but notice your resemblance with my other student, James Potter, as well as your last names being the same. Are you two related?" Dumbledore asked.
"Yes, but I will not be telling you how we are related, for it may change the future if you know too much details about it." Not that I'm not going to change the future, but you don't need to know that. Harry thought slyly.
Dumbledore nodded slowly. "Yes, I agree. Assuming you are a student in Hogwarts in the future, which year are you at?"
"After the summer, I will be in my sixth year, Professor."
"Excellent! You will be in the same year as James Potter! While I find a way for you to return, why don't you continue your education? To prevent unnecessary questions from the others, I would have to create a new identity for you. How does this sound? You, Harry Summers, have been staying in the States and home-schooled. Recently, your parents passed away and you are now put into the care of myself, since the Summers are good friends of mine."
"That sounds great, Professor."
"Good good, now being your Guardian, I would of course provide you with books and other equipment needed for your classes. Also we need to get you some robes and other necessities. Pomfrey! Do you mind taking Mr. Summers to shop for some clothes while I get the papers for his new identity prepared?"
"Of course not, Albus. But not today, as I believe the young man needs more rest." Pomfrey replied sternly, leaving no room for argument. With a sigh, Harry closed his eyes and floated off to a dreamless sleep. Or so he thought.
A/N:
Please review and let me know what you want in the fic, or any comments you have. Right now, it's going to be a back-to-the-past kinda fic. I know, it's been done before, but I can assure you that mine's gonna be infused with wacko but original ideas
Chapter 2 coming up tomorrow! Keep a look out for it!
W.Kathy, 3 July 2004.