A/N: Been writing this story for AGES. At the moment I've completed 22
chapters, and am about halfway through. I'll Update whenever I get enough
reviews, so it's really up to you! Hope you like it. It takes a while to
get into, but give it a go...
Disclaimer: Anything you recognize is not mine. Some characters later do belong to me though...
Casus Belli (An occasion of war)
Chapter 1- Wishes do come true
Harry screwed up his piece of parchment, and threw it into the bright licking flames of the fire. He rested his head in his hands, and groaned in frustration. He'd been working on the same potions essay for over three hours, yet he couldn't get past the first three lines.
As he picked up another piece of parchment, he heard chattering voices enter the common room. He turned to see Ron, Hermione and Ginny, walking towards him.
'Hey.' He said glumly, as he picked up his quill.
'We thought you'd be in bed by now.' Hermione stated, as they took seats in front of the fire.
'I know. I just can't sleep until I get this essay done.' Harry explained. 'Where have you guys been anyway?'
'Kitchens.' Ron half grinned. 'We would have brought you back some hot chocolate, if you'd told us you were going to be up late.'
'I didn't know I was going to be up this late.' Harry grumbled, skimming through his book.
'Potions essay?' Hermione asked, as she moved closer to Harry, and read over his shoulder.
Harry nodded his head, woefully.
'You've got all weekend to do homework, Harry.' Ginny said. 'Why don't you leave it for tonight.'
'I won't sleep until I get this essay done.' Harry said in a low tone, as he began to write. Ron and Hermione shared nervous glances.
'Would you like us to help you, if you're struggling.' Hermione asked, nicely.
'I'm not struggling.' Harry said forcefully.
'Well you obviously are.' Ron said, ignoring Harry's irritated face. 'Why don't we get our essays?'
'I don't need your help.' Harry shouted, banging his fist on the table. 'Just leave me alone.'
The group exchanged worried looks, before busying themselves with other things. Harry sat in deep concentration for a minute or so, before throwing down his quill in frustration.
'I can't do it.' He exclaimed. 'I just can't do it.'
The other three shifted nervously.
'How are we supposed to concentrate on little things like homework, when we probably won't even live to see the end of the school year?' Harry asked, powerfully.
'Don't say that Harry.' Ginny pleaded, looking slightly taken aback by his outburst.
'But it's true.' Harry said forcefully, before noticing the fear in Ginny's face. 'I'm sorry. I shouldn't be taking this out on you. I'm just stressed. Tired and stressed.'
'Why don't you take a break?' Hermione suggested, with a half smile.
'Yea.' Harry said, and threw yet another piece of parchment into the fire. 'I might as well. I'm going to have to stay up all night working anyway, a few more minutes wont make any difference.'
'Why don't you leave the essay, and explain to Snape that you have other things on your mind right now.' Ginny suggested. 'He'll understand.'
'I doubt it.' Harry grumbled. 'He'll say I should have done it at the weekend, but I can't, I'm too busy. I've got quidditch trials to do, which take all day. I've got to have occlumency lessons with Dumbledore. We have a DA meeting. I promised Hagrid I'd visit him, and I've got a detention. Then, if I have any time left over, I've got look up spells to help me defeat Voldemort!'
The room went deadly silent.
'Harry, I'm not supposed to lend this out, but...' Hermione said, taking something from around her neck.
'Your time turner!' Ron exclaimed. 'I didn't know you still had that!'
'I'm only supposed to use it in extreme circumstances, and I'd say this is pretty extreme.' Hermione said, handing it to Harry. 'If Harry doesn't get some sleep, he's going to make himself ill.'
Harry took the time turner, and pocketed it.
'Thanks.' Harry said, with a strained but genuine smile.
'Now, how about we talk about something nice.' Hermione smiled.
'You mean nothing where the Dark Lord is involved.' Ron joked.
'Exactly.' Hermione answered, seriously.
'I wonder what life would be like if the Dark Lord had never existed.' Ginny thought aloud.
'It would be a lot better.' Harry said, in a low depressed voice. 'I'd still have my parents.'
Hermione took Harry's hand, and gave it a sympathetic squeeze.
'I wonder if we'd still be friends.' She said, looking from face to face.
'Of course we would.' Ron said, with no doubt in his mind. 'Why wouldn't we be?'
'Maybe we wouldn't have made friends.' Hermione said, matter of factually. 'If Voldemort had never existed, then Quirrel would never have let the troll in, and-'
'Ok, ok.' Ron droned, rolling his eyes. 'I get where this is going.'
Hermione grinned a satisfied grin.
'If Voldemort had never existed, I'd have had a much more peaceful first year at school.' Ginny sighed, sadly.
'But you would never have got rescued from the chamber, by the great Harry Potter.' Harry mocked. Ginny hit him playfully on the leg, but was relieved to hear him laugh. It had been a long time since she had heard him laugh.
'I wonder why Voldemort went bad.' Hermione contemplated, and the other three gave her identical confused looks. 'I mean, people aren't just born bad. He must have been influenced or something.'
'He was lonely.' Ginny said, simply. 'Lonely and unloved.'
'How'd you...?' Ron stuttered.
'You don't write in someone's diary for a year, and not learn a little bit about them too.' Ginny said, as if it was obvious.
The room fell silent again.
'If Voldemort had never turned bad, the world would be a much nicer place.' Ron concluded, and Hermione gave him an admiring look.
'I think we ought to head off to bed.' Hermione said, softly.
The other three nodded, and rose from their chairs.
'I do need to get some sleep.' Ron yawned. 'My slave driver Quidditch captain has put Quidditch tryouts on bright and early.'
Harry grinned, and pushed Ron playfully back into his chair.
'I'll see you all in the morning.' Harry said, feeling a little better.
'Good night, Harry.' Hermione said, and gave him a friendly hug.
'Night mate.' Ron said, and patted Harry sympathetically on the back.
Ron and Hermione moved away, and started to pack up their things.
'Night Harry.' Ginny said, in a small voice, before giving Harry a brief hug.
Ginny raced up the stairs and out of sight, before Harry had a chance to say goodnight to her. Harry sighed, and walked over to the open window in the corner of the common room.
The night sky was jet black, and covered with millions of shining silver stars. It was beautiful, yet all Harry could think of was Voldemort.
'If Voldemort had never gone bad, people wouldn't be so stressed. ' Harry thought to himself. 'People have been having break downs, flooding into tears. The teachers say its exam pressure, but we all know it isn't. We'd be so young and carefree with out the war, but we all lost our innocence a long time ago. We've been made to grow up too fast.'
Harry watched sadly, as a single shooting star, streamed across the deep unforgiving sky. A wishing star.
'I wish Voldemort had never gone bad.' Harry muttered angrily under his breath, taking the time turner from his pocket. 'If Voldemort had never existed, I'd still have my parents and Sirius.'
Harry looked down at the time turner, and across the room at his work. Anger surged through his veins.
He threw the time turner as hard as he could, to the other side of the room. As soon as he heard the smash, Harry's head started to pound. He suddenly felt faint too, and black spots were dancing in front of his eyes, He lost control of his legs, and fell hopelessly back onto the floor, before everything went black.
Disclaimer: Anything you recognize is not mine. Some characters later do belong to me though...
Casus Belli (An occasion of war)
Chapter 1- Wishes do come true
Harry screwed up his piece of parchment, and threw it into the bright licking flames of the fire. He rested his head in his hands, and groaned in frustration. He'd been working on the same potions essay for over three hours, yet he couldn't get past the first three lines.
As he picked up another piece of parchment, he heard chattering voices enter the common room. He turned to see Ron, Hermione and Ginny, walking towards him.
'Hey.' He said glumly, as he picked up his quill.
'We thought you'd be in bed by now.' Hermione stated, as they took seats in front of the fire.
'I know. I just can't sleep until I get this essay done.' Harry explained. 'Where have you guys been anyway?'
'Kitchens.' Ron half grinned. 'We would have brought you back some hot chocolate, if you'd told us you were going to be up late.'
'I didn't know I was going to be up this late.' Harry grumbled, skimming through his book.
'Potions essay?' Hermione asked, as she moved closer to Harry, and read over his shoulder.
Harry nodded his head, woefully.
'You've got all weekend to do homework, Harry.' Ginny said. 'Why don't you leave it for tonight.'
'I won't sleep until I get this essay done.' Harry said in a low tone, as he began to write. Ron and Hermione shared nervous glances.
'Would you like us to help you, if you're struggling.' Hermione asked, nicely.
'I'm not struggling.' Harry said forcefully.
'Well you obviously are.' Ron said, ignoring Harry's irritated face. 'Why don't we get our essays?'
'I don't need your help.' Harry shouted, banging his fist on the table. 'Just leave me alone.'
The group exchanged worried looks, before busying themselves with other things. Harry sat in deep concentration for a minute or so, before throwing down his quill in frustration.
'I can't do it.' He exclaimed. 'I just can't do it.'
The other three shifted nervously.
'How are we supposed to concentrate on little things like homework, when we probably won't even live to see the end of the school year?' Harry asked, powerfully.
'Don't say that Harry.' Ginny pleaded, looking slightly taken aback by his outburst.
'But it's true.' Harry said forcefully, before noticing the fear in Ginny's face. 'I'm sorry. I shouldn't be taking this out on you. I'm just stressed. Tired and stressed.'
'Why don't you take a break?' Hermione suggested, with a half smile.
'Yea.' Harry said, and threw yet another piece of parchment into the fire. 'I might as well. I'm going to have to stay up all night working anyway, a few more minutes wont make any difference.'
'Why don't you leave the essay, and explain to Snape that you have other things on your mind right now.' Ginny suggested. 'He'll understand.'
'I doubt it.' Harry grumbled. 'He'll say I should have done it at the weekend, but I can't, I'm too busy. I've got quidditch trials to do, which take all day. I've got to have occlumency lessons with Dumbledore. We have a DA meeting. I promised Hagrid I'd visit him, and I've got a detention. Then, if I have any time left over, I've got look up spells to help me defeat Voldemort!'
The room went deadly silent.
'Harry, I'm not supposed to lend this out, but...' Hermione said, taking something from around her neck.
'Your time turner!' Ron exclaimed. 'I didn't know you still had that!'
'I'm only supposed to use it in extreme circumstances, and I'd say this is pretty extreme.' Hermione said, handing it to Harry. 'If Harry doesn't get some sleep, he's going to make himself ill.'
Harry took the time turner, and pocketed it.
'Thanks.' Harry said, with a strained but genuine smile.
'Now, how about we talk about something nice.' Hermione smiled.
'You mean nothing where the Dark Lord is involved.' Ron joked.
'Exactly.' Hermione answered, seriously.
'I wonder what life would be like if the Dark Lord had never existed.' Ginny thought aloud.
'It would be a lot better.' Harry said, in a low depressed voice. 'I'd still have my parents.'
Hermione took Harry's hand, and gave it a sympathetic squeeze.
'I wonder if we'd still be friends.' She said, looking from face to face.
'Of course we would.' Ron said, with no doubt in his mind. 'Why wouldn't we be?'
'Maybe we wouldn't have made friends.' Hermione said, matter of factually. 'If Voldemort had never existed, then Quirrel would never have let the troll in, and-'
'Ok, ok.' Ron droned, rolling his eyes. 'I get where this is going.'
Hermione grinned a satisfied grin.
'If Voldemort had never existed, I'd have had a much more peaceful first year at school.' Ginny sighed, sadly.
'But you would never have got rescued from the chamber, by the great Harry Potter.' Harry mocked. Ginny hit him playfully on the leg, but was relieved to hear him laugh. It had been a long time since she had heard him laugh.
'I wonder why Voldemort went bad.' Hermione contemplated, and the other three gave her identical confused looks. 'I mean, people aren't just born bad. He must have been influenced or something.'
'He was lonely.' Ginny said, simply. 'Lonely and unloved.'
'How'd you...?' Ron stuttered.
'You don't write in someone's diary for a year, and not learn a little bit about them too.' Ginny said, as if it was obvious.
The room fell silent again.
'If Voldemort had never turned bad, the world would be a much nicer place.' Ron concluded, and Hermione gave him an admiring look.
'I think we ought to head off to bed.' Hermione said, softly.
The other three nodded, and rose from their chairs.
'I do need to get some sleep.' Ron yawned. 'My slave driver Quidditch captain has put Quidditch tryouts on bright and early.'
Harry grinned, and pushed Ron playfully back into his chair.
'I'll see you all in the morning.' Harry said, feeling a little better.
'Good night, Harry.' Hermione said, and gave him a friendly hug.
'Night mate.' Ron said, and patted Harry sympathetically on the back.
Ron and Hermione moved away, and started to pack up their things.
'Night Harry.' Ginny said, in a small voice, before giving Harry a brief hug.
Ginny raced up the stairs and out of sight, before Harry had a chance to say goodnight to her. Harry sighed, and walked over to the open window in the corner of the common room.
The night sky was jet black, and covered with millions of shining silver stars. It was beautiful, yet all Harry could think of was Voldemort.
'If Voldemort had never gone bad, people wouldn't be so stressed. ' Harry thought to himself. 'People have been having break downs, flooding into tears. The teachers say its exam pressure, but we all know it isn't. We'd be so young and carefree with out the war, but we all lost our innocence a long time ago. We've been made to grow up too fast.'
Harry watched sadly, as a single shooting star, streamed across the deep unforgiving sky. A wishing star.
'I wish Voldemort had never gone bad.' Harry muttered angrily under his breath, taking the time turner from his pocket. 'If Voldemort had never existed, I'd still have my parents and Sirius.'
Harry looked down at the time turner, and across the room at his work. Anger surged through his veins.
He threw the time turner as hard as he could, to the other side of the room. As soon as he heard the smash, Harry's head started to pound. He suddenly felt faint too, and black spots were dancing in front of his eyes, He lost control of his legs, and fell hopelessly back onto the floor, before everything went black.